Colossians 3:1-4 1 IF THEN you have been raised with Christ, aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. 3 For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, Who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

Paul says in Galatians 2:20a That I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me…

You are dead. You died with Christ on the Cross. Rejoice because you are dead in Christ. Now what, the Christ-life (who is our life). Christ in now your life.

In 2 Timothy the Apostle was writing his goodbye to Timothy he talks about all the churches having forsaken him. What happened? The churches turned their backs on the Christ-life (Christ in you the hope of glory Colossians 1:27) to move into some form of legalism (works religion). The farther the church as moved away from the Grace of Christ Jesus the more legalistic is becomes. Liberal churches have abandoned Christ Jesus altogether thus I no longer consider them Christian thus no longer an aspect of the Church. The Gospel is about a relationship with Father God. It is not about me doing anything but God doing it all. What do I do in this relationship? TRUST!! (A learning process involved here folks)

The United States, as a nation, as it has moved further away from Jesus Christ has moved into greater forms of legalism. Laws controlling every aspect of life has been created to control the masses. This is the essence of the culture war being faught within our borders. Only in Christ is true freedom (liberty) to be found.

“The conviction of the Holy Spirit always comes packaged in the comfort of God’s love and acceptance, the hope that you can and will change and the power to make it happen.”
Gary Kinnaman
Experiencing the Power of the Cross

I have heard Neal Anderson talk about the walk a believer has with the gentle Jesus. As Joyce Meyer says “I’m not where I need to be, but thank God I’m not where I used to be, I’m ok and I’m on my way.

The Christian walk is a process that begins the day we come to Christ. No one is perfect when he is brought into the Kingdom. The Church makes people attempt perfection so people are not allowed to grow but must put on the “smiling” face whenever he/she is around other believers. I attended an Assembly of God church for several years and the whole time I was under self imposed condemnation because I was not perfect. The process will continue through out the life of the believer never reaching perfection in this life.

Rom 5:10
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. NKJ

More to come…

I read that Empires do what empires do. Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace, bread and circuses, etc. But what do Republics do? What was life like for American's back before the visions of Empire started dancing through Teddy Roosevelt's fat head. I realize the beginning of empire started long before TR but he made it fashionable to attack poor and weak nations. I realize some might say the Spanish-American War was probably the best starting point. I agree. But, Woodrow Wilson made it American foreign policy. Throughout the 20th century America has sent soldiers into poor nations so business would be protected. What has been the result? Empire.

An Empire has a calling. Empires do what empires do. Continual was must be fought. This Empire is different than past because ours is built on debt. Dependence upon the kindness of strangers is no way for a nation to exist. The media plays to game so they continue to get stories to tell from the Empire personnel. All empires die, so this Empire will also go the way of all empires.

In regard to Pat Buchanan’s column “What are the Darwinists afraid of?” I would like to point out a few things. I consider Pat Buchanan one of only a handful of columnists worth reading anymore. I am a believer in Intelligent Design. Looking at the universe God created leaves no doubt in my mind that evolution is a farce created by unbelievers as a way to avoid Final Judgment, if God does not exist then how can a final judgment exist. The debate about origins is the most important debate that exists. For if God does not exist than anything is permissible, holds true. The basic foundation of the culture war rests upon this one subject. If man is created in the image of God than life has meaning thus to destroy life is immoral. But if man is descendant from lower life forms than life has no meaning. Without God than life is existentialist meaninglessness. But if God exists than everyday has meaning. Life has meaning.

The question is "Why in a nation that is supposedly a majority Christian is this debate raging?" What happened to cause the cultural withdrawal of Christians to occur? I believe two things happened to cause this withdrawal. The first was the rise of eschatological defeatism, i.e. premillianialism with the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture. The attitude of defeatism was created. The second was the Scopes Monkey Trial. An external defeat of an internal defeatism.

Legalism, liberalism and religion. I could also toss in penance. All false beliefs created by man to keep men in bondage. Why? In Christ has occurred the divine exchange. Christ took our Sin Nature and gave us His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Bondage with the gift we receive from our father Adam. Through the First Adam sin (Sin Nature) entered the world and death through the Sin Nature. Freedom is a gift we received in Christ. Outside of Christ is nothing but bondage though the world may think it's freedom but each one is trapped in sin. Walking dead men or non-life. The Law of Biogenisis states that only life can produce life, thus non-life cannot produce life. In the same way we have The Law of Spiritual Biogenisis. Only Life can produce life. Only Christ who is Eternal Life can produce life. Thus when we died with Christ the life we now have is Christ's life living within. Our non-life has been replaced by Christ's eternal life.

I have been thinking about the 3 Billion New Capitalist that the United States is currently facing. China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, etc. Think about the potential that these people have. Then you have Japan. Basket case Japan, A nation that is so rigid that new ventures are terribly hard to get moving. A rigid self imposed system of mass control. Then you have the United States, an dying Empire growing deeper into debt everyday and is dependent upon the kindness of strangers to allow it to continue. We fight foreign wars created by deceptive means without asking what is our mission, oh wait wasn't it because of WMD's, no wait isn't it to create democracies. Deception has cost the lives of 1,800 soldiers and how many hundreds of billions of dollars. Have you thought about the chief proponents of our foreign wars. Usually people who have never encountered warfare first hand. Easier to send people to die if you yourself is a coward.

I have been thinking what is worth reading. I read several e-letters weekly. I read the Daily Reckoning. It is old fashion in its approach. How do you achieve prosperity? Save don't spend, invest don't speculate, avoid consumer debt, etc. It reminds me of The Richest Man in Babylon approach to finances. Another one I read is Gary North's Reality Check. North has been around many years. I first discovered him through his non-profit Institute of Christian Economics. He was writing a series of commentaries on the Bible from an economic stand point. He was also considered a cofounder of the Christian Reconstructionist movement. I considered myself part of it until I met the offspring it produced. I have never seen such hate filled people within the Church before. No love or mercy toward outsiders. If you disagreed you were a heretic and start the executions asap. I have since turned my back on the movement. I continue to read North's economic writings. Insightful but always leaning toward gloom and doom. Nothing has changed since I first read him 20 years ago. We continues to say the same things. .

An interesting website worth checking out is lewrockwell.com. Lew is a libertarian in the Murray Rothbard strain. In my opinion the best strain of libertarianism. Avoid the nutcase Randians, greedy and hating people. Check out Lew's website to get another perspective on the world. Pat Bucahan, the only remaining Conservative in America, has a website theamericancause.org. His magazine he help found The American Conservative is the only conservative publication worth reading. The Conservative movement lacks intelligence and independence. It has been absord by the GOP. When a movement is represent by windbags like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh a movement is dead.

The debate going on about the Iraq stupidity is a debate that should be fought but what about the larger issue. The tenacles of Empire that U.S. politicans dream about in their sleep. Since the end of WW II the Empire has spent hundreds of billions ot dollars potecting the world from itself. What has been the return on our investment? The death of how many American men and women. A total debt burden of how many trillions of dollars. Debt that will never be repaid. The borrower is servant to the lender. We as a nation have become servants to nations like China and Japan. Government debt does not promoted long term growth within an economy but slows growth as the savings are used to promoted government growth instead of economic growth. Savings is the key to long term growth.

What keeps people from saving? Government taxation and consumerism has destroyed savings in this nation. People are cashing in their 401k's to pay off debt, creating a future crisis when retirement comes along. I have learned many years ago that the best way to save is by taking the money out before I see it. The reason the 401k is such a great idea is because you never see the money. The problem with the 401k is that people are not trained in investing. Everyone is a genius in a bull market. Very few people are genius in flat markets. The problem I have with most investment books is that they are based on the premise that you can get unrealistic returns for long periods of time. Usually when people get unrealistic returns on investments the bubble will usually bursts causing wailing and nashing of teeth.

So what is the long term solution to the Empire's problems. First, bring the troops home. Stop being the protector of the world. The world doesn't want your protection. Begin to dismantle the military-industrial complex that Eisenhower warned us about. Second, eliminate the income tax and replace it with sales tax on all finsihed goods. This would encourage savings instead of spending. No nation can maintain and grow an economy based on consumerism. Savings allows a nation to build it's industrial base by investing the money into research and development of new equipment and products for export. Third, begin the dismantling of the welfare state of all kinds. A nation on welfare is a nation enslaved.

I recently read an article about the demise of modern conservatism. It was something I have thought about much lately. Though I consider myself a libertatian more than a conservative I feel much with conservatives like Pat Buchanan. When I look over the landscape of idealess modern conservatism I weep. Today the movement is pro government intrusion into people's lives. It no longer is idea driven but Republican Party driven. Listening to the hot air on cable news channels as "conservative" voices have replaced liberals shows the barrenness of the movement. It is about defending government policies and wars that once would have create debate within but today only contempt for anyone who disagrees. I have been labeled un-American because I opposed the invasion of Iraq. A war based on deception by the ruling junta.

The debate is no longer about Liberty but democracy. Objectivists are driven by greed instead of idealogue and power drives modern conservatives. Idealogue is dead within modern conservativism. The attacked used against liberals also afflicts conservatives. No new ideas. Lord Acton said "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." I disagree with this statement but I do believe that with the exception of God power tends to corrupt and the more power the greater the corruption. The motto of the Republican party is borrow and spend for tomorrow we die. Corruption is breeding corruption within the Republican party and the conservatives are enjoying the ride.

I use the word habitually to define gluttony. Going to a buffet occasionally is not gluttony. Gluttony is when I would go almost every day to a Chinese buffet or buy junk food eating it all in one sitting. Example of my gluttony is I would go to the store. I would buy a Cool Whip container and package of sugar wafers. I would eat until everything was gone. That is gluttony.
Why do I put myself through all this aches and pains from being a 150 lbs overweight? There is some part of me that believes I deserve it. Some part of me actually believes this? Why? I have fought false religious beliefs that I have had for many years. This is a false belief. Founded upon the false religion that man developed to replace god. But Christians teach these things. I learned many years ago that there exists three types of religion; escapist, power and Biblical. Legalism is a product of the Power Religion. This is best represented by the Pharisees. What I have suffered with had been Escapist Religion. The false belief that is created when you fall under the control of the Power Religion. Satan uses the Power Religion to control people by false religious beliefs.

The goal should be the Gospel (Biblical Religion). This is based on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It is based upon what happened on the Cross of Christ. Why St. Paul says we are dead to sin and alive unto God. Romans 5:10 says that through Christ\'s death we are reconcilied to God and we are being saved by the present life of Christ.

The goal should be the Gospel (Biblical Religion). This is based on Jesus Christ and Him crucified. It is based upon what happened on the Cross of Christ. Why St. Paul says we are dead to sin and alive unto God. Romans 5:10 says that through Christ's death we are reconcilied to God and we are being saved by the present life of Christ.

www.peterwade.com/index.php

Peter Wade is one of the those Bible teachers that is worth checking out. See what you have been missing. If you don't know who you are in Christ then this is a good place to start.

With the rise of the genetically altered humans came possibilities beyond what was imagined only a few years ago. Christian leaders foresaw what creating a race of superiors would lead to. But science and politics had controlled the day. After the American-Asian wars of the last 20 years no one wanted more war. The death toll had run into the hundreds of millions as genetically created ethnic diseases became the weapon of choice. The mad men of North Korea created it first to "solve" the South Korean problem. Then the South retaliated and attacked the North. This brought China and Japan into the fray. Thus by treaty the United States was obligated to support South Korea and Japan. Viruses were created so specifically to attack only certain groups of people based on ethnic type within groups of races.

Does this sound plausible? I think it does. When leaders on both sides only concern is the "Will to Power" I think that future war is closer every day. No leader of the "Free" world will move beyond talk and stop what horrible experiments are being done to create the transhuman race. The next step in "evolution" will be created by a species created by God and living under the Sin Nature. When looking at Man you discover two things. The same people are capable of great heights of creativity and love are capable of great depths of depravity and hate.

Liberty before democracy. Life before death. The future belongs to those willing to fight for Liberty, which is a gift of God.

Free Speech was, at one time, a basic right within this once great nation. Freedom of Religion was once a basic right within this present fascist state. Our freedoms have been replaced by the tyranny of good intentions. The battle lines have been drawn between the secular and the Christian elements within this nation.

The attack by left/right junta we have in this once great nation has been against the forces of libertarian thought. Those people within the fringes of the left/right junta control the thought within these groups. Within the left it is controlled by nuts like Michael Moore and the George Soros. The right is controlled by the Social Conservatives like James Dobson and Sean Hannity. (A note to the social cons. Always remember you are chump change for the Republican party. They will use you to win reelection and ignore you the rest of the time.) Those who speak some common sense within either group is ignored, aka Pat Buchanan.

The present battle lines are being drawn within the courts. The courts have been given godlike power and should be abolished. The battles should be within the state legislatures and Congress. The problem is that the politicians have withdrawn from the fight. Power is much more important to politicians.

Meaninglessness (aka vanity)

Think about the cycles of living. The cycle of life is you are born, you live your life, you die and are forgotten. The cycle of living is based on those things we do everyday that on the day we die are meaningless. The only thing that matters on the day you die is whether you know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Do I ignore the promises of God concerning this life? No. I believe that God's Word is full of promises He has for each of His children. Pray them and speak them. And watch the blessing overflow in your life. Father is waiting to bless each of His children.

I mean by the meaninglessness of living is that no one is superior within the body of Christ. No person is ranked within God's eyes higher because if you wish to be the highest than you must be servant of all. I don't see many pastors holding to this belief and practicing it. At least ministers are not trained this way. I digress from the main theme of this diatribe, the meaninglessness of living.

In the world people have developed many ways to overcome this vanity; Sports, eating, alcohol, drugs, etc. People will go through great links to avoid thinking about their own mortality. We will develop religions and philosophies that side step the question of Final Judgement by the Creator. We develop things like purgatory and reincarnation to avoid Final Judgement. In the past great men practiced Alchemy, which was man's way of attempting to achieve immortality and avoid Final Judgement.

Why this attempt to avoid Final Judgement? Because to acknowledge Final Judgement would require man to submit to the Creator.

Unites States: Empire or Republic?
Is George W. Bush: sane or insane?

Today’s topic has nothing to do with the above questions. I just thought I would start today’s writing with rhetorical questions. I have recently been hearing about the United States having been a Christian nation at her founding. I think the answer is negative. The Constitution is a secular document. The Founding Fathers were deists who created a nation using the Mason religion guide in forming our nation. I suggest reading Gary North’s book Political Polytheism for a better understanding.

Who are the authors worth reading in today’s knowledge default revolution? I would suggest the following columnists:
Gary North
Lew Rockwell – www.lewrockwell.com
Paul Craig Roberts
Pat Buchanan

Why these men?
The future of the United States is at stake. What this country needs are not a bunch of yes-men to a Republican president but honest men who speak the truth. Truth is not something heard these days. I cringe when I listen to both the Democrats and Republicans who have sold their souls for power. The Republican commentators on TV and radio have sold their soul for power and money. The Conservative movement died in November. The death certificate says complacency – soul sold to powerbrokers.

The saying says you can’t cheat an honest man. Meaning no man is honest. The Conservative movement became willing followers of the powerbrokers. The sign says, “Soul sold for thirty pieces of silver without a fight.”

What is the chief goal of unbelieving man? Self-worship.

In the Old Testament the scriptures talk about the heart being wicked and deceitful. How does that translate into modern America? I find this interesting being I lean toward Calvinism. I think the meaning is very clear. Toward God the heart is wicked and deceitful. Unbelieving man hates God and His Son Jesus Christ. Why? The fallen nature of man directs him toward worshipping himself instead of the Creator. Mankind develops religion and philosophies that make man the center of his universe. Even the religion of evolution makes man the center because man becomes the developer of the next step of evolution.

If the human heart is wicked how does it play out toward others? Man will always place his own interests above another. The examples I like to use are sales people. Talk with any sales person and you will quickly discover that he/she will only talk to you if it is in his own self-interest.

What about children? Or people risking their lives to save stranger and family members. Descartes talked about knowledge being a priori meaning before experience. Man is born with the knowledge of the Creator. This knowledge causes men to develop codes of conduct to govern themselves. This knowledge causes men to develop false religion to better understand the created world. This knowledge causes men to love his friend and neighbor who are in trouble. The knowledge of God is in every man, please search and discover the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Theology the leading cause of Hell for religious people. I have been reading a wonderful little book by Kenneth E. Hagin called “Jesus the Open Door.” In it he talks about the reality of Hell, a hell that has fire and gnashing of teeth for all eternity. I realize religion has created a world were hell no longer exists but it still does. It is a place that I have thought about recently. I have family who don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior. This concerns me. Catholics believe in a make believe place called Purgatory. This is a religious way of escape for living a life without Jesus. Liberal religious theology just denies everything making the Bible a myth.

Why does religion seek to destroy the teachings of the Bible? Religion seeks to avoid final judgment and an eternity in a lake of fire. As Isaiah 66: 23b-24 says:

“’All mankind will come to bow down before Me,’ says the LORD. ‘Then they will go forth and look on the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm will not die and their fire will not be quenched; and they will be an abhorrence to all mankind.’”

As I look upon (I visualize this seen) and think about this topic I become tearful realizing that life is so short and eternity so long that I want to pray for my love ones that Jesus would fill their hearts and souls. I am still trying to overcome the fact of personally witnessing to each one. Why is it so difficult?

As much as I enjoy a walk through the hell of Dante’s Inferno, the reality is that hell is eternal torment not to be joked about.

The End of Television News

I have concluded after spending a year of watching Fox News as my primary TV news outlet that television news is no longer worth watching. I am not just picking Fox because I also watch CNN and MSNBC. The news has degenerated down to nothing but an opening news piece followed by debate. The debate consists of at least one person who supports a position and another person who opposes. So far so good? NO!!!

As a believer in Jesus Christ why would I subject myself to antichristian bigotry by secularist who, like Ayn Rand, hates Father God. Today there is a war being fought within the borders of the United States. That war is between secularists who hate God and Christians. I believe Christians are beginning to understand this but very slowly. The secularists hatred for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is a good example. The reason this movie was so disliked by the secularist is because of their hatred for Father God and anything related to Him. Christians are to confine themselves to their churches and out of the public square.

How does this relate to TV News? Secularism reigns within the confines of CNN and MSNBC. The producers of these TV shows hate Father God. On Fox, because of equal time, we are exposed to those who hate Father God. Why should a believer subject his/her spirit to secularism. I heard Bill Maher hold up secular Europe as the high culture over religion. I laughed when I heard him. Secular Europe is a dying people being replaced by a false religious people of Isalm.

Through the Cross of Christ each believer has been given the victory. Each believer is free in Christ. Grace rules our lives not Law. Because of Christ’s victory we have victory in life. We need to understand that our old man (sin nature) was crucified with Christ. We were crucified with Christ and died on the Cross. Knowing this that our old man was crucified with Christ that this body of sin might be done away with. Therefore consider yourself dead to sin but alive to God. You have died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. All believers are seated in Christ at the right hand of God the Father.

The Christian life is one of growth. It is a process. As Joyce Meyer says “I’m not were I need to be but thank God I’m not were I used to be. I’m OK and I’m on my way”. Life is a process. In Christ the need for growth is satisfied. The problem that I faced was that I looked at my life and saw imperfection thus I condemned myself. Over the last few years I have come to understand that Father knew what He was getting when He brought me into His kingdom. Life is a process that continues until you die. You will not reach the finish line until you die. The Christian life is a race that was won on the Cross. This race will continue to the end.

Learn who you are in Christ. You are righteous in Christ. You are a new creature in Christ. You have been adopted by Father God. Learn about the Power of God in the Cross of Christ.

Social Security Privatization Plan

With all the talk about Social Security reform I would like to add my thoughts about it. I think W. should approach this differently. W’s plan calls for taking the money and investing in the stock market. I think this is the weakness of the plan. Stocks are not good places to invest long-term. I would take the money, creating individual accounts, pool it into several large funds. Private investment groups would manage each fund. The money would be used to loan money to mid size profitable companies for capital improvement and building new factories thus creating new jobs. Some money could be used to allow foreign companies to build factories in the USA. Market rate interest would be charged these companies. No money would be used to build anything overseas. This would create a fund of American dollars being used to help build America into the future.

There are two issues that would need to be resolved. First, guidelines must be established about who can receive this money to avoid cheating. Second, guidelines need to be established to insure the funds don’t become another Teamster pension fund debacle. With the new style accounting techniques used by many American firms this would require much oversight. With this amount of money involved the fallen nature of man can easily take over.