What is the Apocrypha? Should these books be part of the Bible?

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about the Christian Bible. This follows this post about gays in the Boy Scouts. This follows this post about Christianity in Britain.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

What is the Apocrypha? Should these books be part of the Bible?


Are books like Tobit, Judith, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Baruch and 1 and 2 Maccabees inspired parts of Holy Scripture?



Answer:



The Apocrypha or Deuterocanonical books are a group of books written after the principal books of the Old Testament and the New Testament were finished. Most scholars do not believe they belong in the Bible. Unger's Bible Dictionary has a good explanation of why these books should not be considered to be Scripture.



"Old Testament Apocrypha. In its final quasi-technical meaning of ‘noncanonical,' in common use since the Reformation, the term specifically refers to the fourteen books written after the OT canon was closed and which, being the least remote from the canonical books, laid strongest claim to canonicity. The OT apocryphal books…have been rejected as inspired for the following reasons:



"1. They abound in historical and geographical inaccuracies and anachronisms.



"2. They teach doctrines that are false and foster practices…at variance with inspired Scripture.



"3. They resort to literary types and display an artificiality of subject matter and styling out of keeping with inspired Scripture.



"4. They lack the distinctive elements that give genuine Scripture its divine character, such as prophetic power and poetic and religious feeling.



"New Testament Apocrypha. The apocryphal books of the NT, unlike those of the OT, have never claimed the faith of the Christian church, except in a few isolated instances. There are more than one hundred of them, and it is doubtful whether one of them appeared before the second century of our era. Most of them portray a much later date. They are valuable as an indication of the growth of thought and the rise of heresy in the age just subsequent to that of the apostles. None of them ever received the sanction of any ecclesiastical council" (1988, "Apocrypha").



Jesus said "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;



See All...), which means that genuine Scripture consistently agrees with itself throughout. Since these books are filled with inaccuracies and disagree with the plain teachings of the Bible, they could not be a part of God's Word.



Jesus also affirmed the three sections of the Hebrew Scriptures preserved and accepted by the Jews. He said, "All things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me" (Luke 24:44And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.



See All...). The apostle Paul explained that God committed to the Jews "the oracles of God" (Romans 3:2Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.



See All...). The Jews did not accept the Apocrypha, and so neither did the Church.



For more information, please read our free booklet, "Is the Bible True?"

Affirmative Action Personality Eva Longoria is Awarded an M.A. in Reconquista Propaganda

Here is an interesting article from http://nicholasstixuncensored.blogspot.com about Eva Longoria's new degree. This follows this post about Hollywood men and their taller women costars.  In the meantime, you can read an interesting take on society's problems HERE and more about the book shown HERE.

Affirmative Action Personality Eva Longoria is Awarded an M.A. in Reconquista Propaganda

Please hit this link, in order to generously support VDARE. Thanks in advance.

Posted by Nicholas Stix

There are women who are kind, and women who are pretty, and women who are talented, and women who are shapely, and women who are intelligent. Some few are all of those things; Eva Longoria is none of them. Her claim to fame is that she is an aggressive, irredentist racist who usually wears more makeup and tighter clothes than a 10th Avenue hooker.



* * *

Eva Longoria Earns Master's Degree in Chicano Studies

Access Hollywood – Thu, May 23, 2013 11:04 A.M. EDT

Eva Longoria got to toss her graduation cap with her fellow Cal State University Northridge students on Wednesday!

"Big day today!!!" the 38-year-old actress Tweeted. "Very excited to graduate for my Master's degree in Chicano Studies! You're never too old or too busy to continue your education!"

According to TMZ, Eva spent three years completing her degree, which she began while still working on "Desperate Housewives." She spent time doing school work on the set of the ABC drama.

The actress' degree is not honorary and she reportedly attended classes in person at the Southern California university. Her thesis was reportedly titled, "Success STEMS From Diversity: The Value of Latinas in STEM Careers" (STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering and math).

After Wednesday's ceremony, Eva did what many college graduates do - had dinner with her parents.

The actress previously earned a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology from Texas A&M University.

-- Jesse Spero

Posted by Nicholas

The Boy Scouts and the Gay Agenda

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about gays in the Boy Scouts. This follows this post about Christianity in Britain.   For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Boy Scouts and the Gay Agenda


 The Boy Scouts have revised their longstanding position on allowing openly gay members. What does this mean for you?

 The Boy Scouts and the Gay Agenda



[Darris McNeely] In one of his few comments about the time of the end the Apostle Paul made a comment that there would be perilous times. What he's talking about is there will be times of stress in the time of the end. We indeed are living through some very stressful times as we watch, especially in the United States, a moral revolution take place that is just turning everything upside down.



A few days ago the Boy Scouts of America came out with the long awaited ruling on whether or not they would allow gay scouts within the Boy Scout organization. They had come right up to the point several months ago in looking at their long held position on this issue, and they backed off, held another meeting here just a few days ago and came out with the decision essentially to allow members of the Boy Scouts to be openly gay. Now they drew a line in this process by saying that scouts can be gay openly, but leaders cannot be openly gay in the organization. Now this does not end the controversy. The Roman Catholic Church, the Mormon Church do the biggest sponsors of boy scout operations at the community level. They have made their statements on the subject, and other religious organizations are still not happy with what has been decided, not even the entire gay/lesbian community is completely satisfied with what the Boy Scouts have decided.



But this is a watershed event, and there will be more like them, and that's the key point for us to understand. When I use the term watershed I don't use it lightly. What is taking place in our culture in recent days is a massive movement like a giant river that is flowing through and it is wiping away every sense of morality and traditional approach to living and culture that we have known in our whole lifetime in the United States. And any organization, be it the Boy Scouts, be it a church, is not going to be able to stand in the way of this tidal wave that is sweeping over the United States of America and sweeping away these positions on morality that we have all grown up with. That is the fundamental fact of what is taking place. And that's why what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy chapter 3 when he talked about these days he said, "Know this that in the last days perilous times will come," or stressful times. "Men will be lovers of themselves," in verse 2. This is 2 Timothy 3:1-2 [1] This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

[2] For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,





See All.... Several points are mentioned here by Paul, but just the first one is enough to note and to understand. He said, "Men will be lovers of themselves." And really what this is talking about is something that applies to our entire culture. We are being swept away by a culture of individualism.



Whatever is right for the individual, whatever is important to the individual is what now is becoming not only the way, but in state after state as legislation is legalizing same sex marriage, marriage between homosexuals, then we are seeing this individualist approach to what the individual wants to do not what is good for the community, not what is good for the society as a whole, not what has been long held and taught by an institution like the Boy Scouts or even a major religious institution within the country. It is what is right for the individual. Men will be lovers of their own selves. This is what's taking place.



What do you do about it? What do I do about it? First of all I think we have to understand the tidal wave that is going over us and quite frankly there's not going to be any turning back. It is going to continue to grow worse and worse as other prophecies talk about. One point that Paul makes in this whole discussion is later on down in verse 6. And he says, actually it's in verse 5, he says, "From such people turn away." From such actions, from such ways of life and such attitudes he always encourages his readers and to us today, God is saying turn away.



Don't get caught up in it. Understand what you can do in your own individual way, to stand for right and righteousness, to stand for morality, to stand for God's law, and to not compromise in your own life. That in the end is going to be what's left for each one of us. And that is what God's word tells us. Understand our times, but also understand what is important for each one of us as we stand before God.



That's BT Daily . Join us next time.

.

Harry Reid: 60 Votes on Illegal Immigration ‘Pretty Easy’

A very interesting post from www.Alipac.US about Harry Reid's confidence in the this post about Rush Limbaugh's immigration coverage. This follows this post about the release of illegal immigrant felons from prison by ICE. This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more about what is happening in the nation now click here and you can read the two very interesting books that are shown HERE.

"Gang of Eight" bill passing. This follows

Harry Reid: 60 Votes on Illegal Immigration ‘Pretty Easy’


 Please call Senator Heller and others ASAP. http://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact-form





Reid: 60 Votes on Illegal Immigration Amnesty ‘Pretty Easy’



Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says he thinks there will be no trouble getting the all-important 60 votes for the immigration overhaul.



“I think we have 60 votes. Remember, we start out at 55 Democrats. I think the most I’ll lose is two or three. Let’s say I wind up with 52 Democrats,” Reid told the Nevada TV program “To the Point.”



“I only need eight Republicans, and I already have four, so that should be pretty easy,” the Nevada Democrat said in reference to the four GOP senators in the “gang of eight” that drafted the bill. He may very well pick up the vote of his Republican junior colleague from his home state, Dean Heller, as well.





Niels Lesniewsk Roll Call



As Reid was asked about the vote-counting during the interview, after Democrat Robert Menendez of New Jersey told Univision last week that supporters that will no doubt be needed to overcome an anticipated filibuster on the Senate floor.



“I talked about this to a number of my senators today, and what [Menendez] wanted to say is they haven’t done a whip count on this yet,” Reid told ”To the Point” as part of a lengthy interview that also included more talk about



Whenever Reid wants to move on immigration, the bill itself is officially ready to go.Final legislative text[/URL] of the measure was posted Tuesday, building in the amendments adopted during the Judiciary Committee’s extensive markup.



Reid told reporters last week that the immigration overhaul is one of the first items in line after the farm bill that’s pending on the Senate floor. The farm policy measure is expected to be finished the week the Senate returns from the Memorial Day break.



The process undertaken by Chairman Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., won accolades from both sides of the aisle, even from some quarters opposing the underlying legislation drafted by the bipartisan “gang of eight” senators.



One Republican who doesn’t sit on the Judiciary panel who seems inclined to support the final legislation is Heller. In case you missed the Sunday edition of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Heller that spoke favorably of the process so far.



]In order for immigration reform legislation to be successful, it must continue through Congress with an open process. These past several weeks, I have been able to work with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and other senators involved in this important bill, and we are finding ways to make this legislation even better,” Heller wrote. “I am hopeful that this same pattern of transparency and openness will continue as Members debate the legislation on the Senate floor.”

The Changing Face of Christianity in Britain

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about Christianity in Britain. This follows this post about an event you can recall about Memorial Day.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

The Changing Face of Christianity in Britain



article by John Ross Schroeder





There are now more Catholics attending church in Britain than Anglicans. Meanwhile nontraditional Christian groups are growing in numbers and influence in the United Kingdom. But are all these various brands within Christendom truly based on the teachings of the Judeo-Christian Bible?



In the 16th century, King Henry VIII broke away from the Roman Catholic Church over divorcing Catherine of Aragon, and his subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn. The Church of England began shortly afterward, and it grew in numbers for a very long time.



Fast forward to 2007. In mid February of last year came the astonishing prediction that "Roman Catholicism is set to become the dominant religion in Britain for the first time since the [Protestant] Reformation because of massive migration from Catholic countries across the world" ( The Times, Feb. 15, 2007).



Then in late December we saw the headline "Britain: A Catholic Country" ( The Sunday Telegraph, Dec. 23, 2007). Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is among the more recent converts.



Traditional Christianity in decline



Yet attendance figures of both these Christian faiths continue to drop (the Anglican by a greater degree) as they have for several decades. Another Sunday Telegraph feature article stated that "attendances are falling at traditional churches" (Dec. 23, 2007). The number of Christian clergy in most denominations has also declined rather sharply in recent times.



But in spite of the aggressive campaigns of militant atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, "the percentage of people identifying themselves as atheists remains low at around eight per cent" ( Britain in 2008 ). Another 10 percent consider themselves agnostics. Others merely say that they are not religious. Nonetheless, about 72 percent of the British population still identifies itself as Christian.



A "fuzzy fidelity"



Yet what we are apparently seeing is a sort of "fuzzy fidelity" among the "fuzzy faithful." These are the terms used by Professor David Voas of the Cathie Marsh Centre for Census and Survey Research in Manchester, England. He talks about a "fuzzy fidelity, an attitude of uncommitted but real interest in God and spiritual matters. Its adherents include half the population of Britain and similar proportions in other European countries.



"This group has only a vaguely defined notion of a 'divine entity,' and says it makes little difference to their lives" ( Britain in 2008 ). According to Professor Voas, "Many continue to pray but have relinquished specific Christian beliefs such as Jesus being the Son of God. They go to church only for the main festivals or for life's rites of passage" (ibid.).



Individuals in these nontraditional groups express their beliefs and practices in various ways:



• I don't believe in a personal God, but I do believe in a higher power of some sort.



• I find myself believing in God some of the time, but not at others.



• I can't remember the last time I went to church.



• I have my own set of spiritual beliefs—just my own little voice.



Somewhere in the process of time the relevancy of God has been lost to these people. Our Creator has been marginalized along with His great office and power. At some point in the past, either these individuals or their parents (or perhaps a previous generation) probably attended church services regularly and subscribed to a more traditional version of Christianity.



But was even that truly based on the teachings of the Bible?



Enter the New Testament Church



What about first-century apostolic Christianity? What ever happened to the Church that Jesus built? Do the churches and various nontraditional groups of today really reflect the beliefs and practices of the early New Testament Church?



Some who have diligently studied church history have discovered that most Christian denominations have absorbed many pagan and secular traditions—philosophical, cultural and religious—into their basic belief systems.



(To understand more, request our free booklet This Is the United Church of God . The sidebar on page 20, "What Did the Early Church Believe and Practice?" shows what the Bible says about the Church's original teachings. We challenge you to contrast these biblical truths with what is generally taught today.)



Over the centuries there has been a virtual explosion of contradictory practices and conflicting factions in the Christian world. Over time a counterfeit Christianity has arisen. In the first century Jesus Christ and the apostles predicted that false ministers and false brethren would emerge, and indeed had already begun to appear in the apostles' time.



After about 400 years, by the time of the Emperor Constantine, much of Christ's original gospel was hardly recognizable.



The warnings of Christ and His apostles



Consider the words of Christ Himself: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name…and will deceive many" (Matthew 24:4-5 [4] And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

[5] For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.





See All...; compare 2 Peter 2:1-2 [1] But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

[2] And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.





See All..., emphasis added throughout). These many deceivers would claim the name of Christ and His authority, but teach an altogether different brand of Christianity—based not on God's Word, but human traditions instead.



Even in Jesus' day He told the scribes and the Pharisees that their religious practices were "making the Word of God of none effect through your tradition which you have handed down" (Mark 7:13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.



See All...). These same practices continue right down to our day.



The apostle Paul warned us all not to accept human traditions in place of the true teachings of Christ. "Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men…and not according to Christ" (Colossians 2:8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.



See All...).



The New Testament speaks of both a false and a true Christianity. What about the true one?



The Church Christ built



Jesus Christ spoke of His little flock that would enter the Kingdom of God (Luke 12:32Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.



See All...). He clearly stated that He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.



See All...). Later during that first century, the apostle Peter described the genuine Church of God. "You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." He continues this glowing description: "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.



See All..., 9-10).



The apostle Paul adds: "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians 2:19-20 [19] Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

[20] And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;





See All...).



So the true Church is built upon the apostles (representing the New Testament) and the prophets (representing the Old Testament), joined together by Jesus Christ. "In whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord" (verse 21).



Peter also urges his readers to "be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets [the Old Testament], and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior [the New Testament]" (2 Peter 3:2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:



See All...).



Pillar and ground of the truth



Paul called it all "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.



See All...). You need to know more about The Church Jesus Built. Please request or download our free 68-page booklet by that title. It explains about a spiritually transformed people, describing their mission as well as their responsibility to God the Father and Christ the Son. WNP

.

Halal Chris ChrispieCreme: Christie Brags of Endorsement By Dem Pol Who Raised Palestinian Flag Over NJ City

A very interesting post from www.debbieschlussel.com about Chris Christie receiving a Palestinian endorsement. This follows this post about the Christians suffering in Egypt under Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. This follows this article about American energy independence and preventing money from going to hostile countries such as Iran . For more about what is happening in the nation now click here and you can read two very interesting books HERE!

Halal Chris ChrispieCreme: Christie Brags of Endorsement By Dem Pol Who Raised Palestinian Flag Over NJ City


By Debbie Schlussel



Earlier this week, I told you about the City of Paterson, New Jersey, and how its officials, including the mayor, hoisted the Palestinian flag over the city hall, as a proxy for HAMAS and in dhimmitude to the HAMAS-lovin’ Palestinian Muslims who live in Paterson. Well, this didn’t bother Chris ChrispieCreme one bit. In fact, Chris Christie just bragged that Paterson’s Democrat City Council Prez Anthony Davis endorsed Christie. Christie hasn’t said a word about the hoisting of the Palestinian flag over Paterson. In fact, as I noted, he hand-picked a HAMAS lawyer from Paterson as a judge to pander to the Paterson Palestinian Muslims in his own way, (extra-extra-large) shape, and (gargantuan) form.


Halal Chris ChrispieCreme Gets Endorsement From Palestinian Flag Endorser



From: Chris Christie campaign@christiefornj.com

Date: Thu, May 23, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Subject: Key Endorsement from New Jersey’s 3rd Largest City

To: [DS: redacted]



New Jersey’s 3rd largest city, Paterson, doesn’t usually vote Republican – President Obama won with 92% of the vote just last year. But Democrat Anthony Davis, Paterson’s City Council President, boldly endorsed my re-election this week.




Video: Anthony Davis Endorses Chris Christie



Fact is, for us to make progress in New Jersey, Democrats and Republicans must work together – it’s what leadership is all about.



It’s about putting the people you represent first and getting the job done. Watch Anthony’s historic endorsement, and help us share our message with voters in Paterson and other Democratic strongholds.



Sincerely,



Chris Christie



Friend/reader Shimon:



I wonder if he received this endorsement on his way back from the palestinian rally on Sunday in Patterson.



Good question.



Exit Question: When Halal Chris ChrispieCreme’s lap band surgery works, will I have to start calling him Halal Chris Donuthole? (I’m actually thinking of another word in place of “donut” and in front of “hole.”)




A Manboob with Manboobs

Nuts!

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about an event you can recall about Memorial Day. This follows this post about examining one's beliefs.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.


Nuts!


by Dan Dowd

The Bible is full of stories. I especially like the ones that cover a pivotal event that changed the course of the future.



Adam and Eve’s decision in the Garden of Eden to listen to Satan rather than God; Noah’s decision to be righteous and how God used him to repopulate the Earth after the world-rearranging Flood; Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, as God had asked; Moses’s rejection of the fame and fortune of being a son of Pharaoh...and on and on.



What about world history? Any inspiration there?



It was the Battle of Bastogne in the ending months of 1944. This battle was a part of the larger effort by the Germans in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. By Winter 1944 Nazi leaders were beginning to see their desperate situation as the Allies established a foothold on European soil and began to push the Germans back from occupied territories.



Bastogne was strategically crucial because this little Belgian town had seven converging roads. As the Germans fought toward Bastogne they initially found little resistance. Allied troops had been moved to other points of the front line leaving a very minimal force to defend the town and its surroundings. In a matter of a few weeks the Germans managed to cut off Bastogne. To make matters worse December 1944 was one of the coldest on record in Europe and many of the Allied troops were not clothed properly.



As the situation grew desperate for the Allied troops in Bastogne, the German commander sent a message to the U.S. General McAuliffe, telling him his only hope of not losing every soldier under his command was to surrender.



General McAuliffe considered and responded with one word – “Nuts!”



This battle hardened soldier had no intention of surrendering. His duty was to hold Bastogne until reinforcements came.



How did they fare? The Allies held Bastogne and tied up considerable German troops and equipment in the process. While Bastogne was not a turning point in the war by itself, it contributed to the push that sent the German military back to its homeland and into eventual surrender.



What’s the lesson for us?



We, too, have an evil adversary, Satan who seeks to destroy us, and he has never given up in this desire. This is our war. We may be surrounded at times, and while it seems this war will never end, we can be assured that God will help us to be victorious if we do not give up. God has promised to finish the work He began in His Church. He leaves no one behind.



“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart,” (Galatians 6:9And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.



See All...).



This spiritual battle is ours if we stand firm with God. “Nuts,” to Satan!







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editorial: Gang of Eight Amnesty Bill Passes Senate Judiciary Committee

Editorial

Last week the "Gang of Eight" Amnesty Immigration Bill Passed the Senate Judiciary Committee with ALL of the Democrats (how does this help the working man?) and three of the Republicans (how does this help with security and welfare?). However it still has an uphill climb in the Senate, and then a hostile House, before the President can sign it into law (but will there be an Executive Order?).

However, on the bright side, the opposition is starting to coalesce. Last week was also the Remember 1986 S.744 Press Day Sponsored by www.NumbersUSA.com which a lot of smaller groups participated in. You can read the links about it here http://briansnewone.blogspot.com/2013/05/s744-national-press-day.html and contact the groups closest to you for more info!

Washington Post/ABC poll: Only 18 percent support Gang of Eight approach to illegal immigration

A very interesting post from www.Numbersusa.com about the "Gang of Eight" polls. This follows this post about the IRS harrassing an immigration enforcement group. This follows this post about the release of illegal immigrant felons from prison by ICE. This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more about what is happening in the nation now click here and you can read the two very interesting books that are shown HERE.

Washington Post/ABC poll: Only 18 percent support Gang of Eight approach to illegal immigration






By Jeremy Beck - posted on NumbersUSA



The Washington Post is confounded by its own poll. Only 18 percent of Americans support the Gang of Eight's legalization-first approach to illegal immigration, according to a Washington Post/ABC News poll. Yet the Post began its story on the poll with, "Comprehensive immigration reform moves to the Senate floor next week with solid overall support from the public."



How does 18 percent translate into "solid overall support"? The Post reporters drew their conclusion based on 58 percent of poll respondents saying they would support "a program giving undocumented immigrants now living in the United States the right to live here legally if they pay a fine and meet other requirements."



Pollsters can find Americans open to limited amnesty if they add that certain conditions must be met. One of those conditions is that the government get serious about enforcement to prevent future illegal immigration. The Post / ABC poll asked:



Q: Which of these would you prefer?



•34%: Enact stricter border control now and put off path to legal status;

•18%: Enact a path to legal status now and put off stricter border control;

•33%: Both

•11%: Neither

•4%: Don't know

The bill passed out of the Senate Judiciary committee takes the second approach. The main benefits for illegal aliens (legal status and work permits) are given before any enforcement. There are no hard triggers to guarantee improved enforcement after that.



Regardless of where the American people are on the general idea of amnesty for illegal aliens, most Americans oppose the approach in the Senate bill, which is amnesty first, enforcement later or never.



The Gang of Eight members on the Judiciary Committee held together to defeat every amendment that would have made the "path to legal status" conditional on effective enforcement. They preserved the 1986 template of their bill. As far as public support for the legalization-first approach, the Post's poll got it right; the reporters got it wrong.



JEREMY BECK is the Director of the Media Standards Project for NumbersUSA



NumbersUSA's blogs are copyrighted and may be republished or reposted only if they are copied in their entirety, including this paragraph, and provide proper credit to NumbersUSA. NumbersUSA bears no responsibility for where our blogs may be republished or reposted.

12 of 16 Maryland abortion clinics fail inspections

An interesting story from www.lifesitenews.com about Maryland's abortion clinics. This follows this post about the IRS and Pro-Life Groups receiving treatment similar to Tea Party Groups.  For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and you can also get two very interesting books HERE.

12 of 16 Maryland abortion clinics fail inspections


by John Jalsevac

 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOH) announced on Friday that of 16 abortion clinics inspected in the state, 12 of them have failed to meet the state’s safety regulations. The state's new regulations for abortion facilities went into effect in July of last year.



In a letter dated May 24, Joshua Sharfstein, the secretary of the Maryland DOH, said that among the three most common violations discovered was the “failure to maintain a sanitary environment at all times and to consistently use chemical indicator strips in sterilized equipment packing."



Other common violations included the “failure to obtain information about the professional credentials of physicians on staff from the National Practitioner Data Bank,” and “failure to include a discharge diagnosis in the medical record."



As LifeSiteNews.com reported on Friday, the emergency suspension of the licenses of four of the clinics, all owned by Associates in OB/GYN Care, was deemed necessary earlier this month to protect “public health, safety or welfare.”



Investigators had discovered that non-physicians at the four abortion clinics were routinely distributing the abortion drug misprostol to women who had never been seen by a physician and who were up to 11 weeks pregnant. In addition, at one of the clinics an unqualified staff member was performing ultrasounds and dispensing misoprostol.



The remaining clinics were permitted to remain open after providing satisfactory plans of correction, outlining how they would bring their facilities up to code.



Among the 12 abortion clinics caught violating state regulations were all three of the state's Planned Parenthood abortion facilities, as well as that of notorious late-term abortionist Leroy Carhart. While the violations found at the Planned Parenthood facilities were relatively minor, at one facility one staff member was not certified in basic life support or trained in emergency transfer of patients to hospital or the delivery of sedation medications via IV.



Carhart, whose abortion business was hounded of out Nebraska in 2010 after the state passed legislation banning late-term abortions, was responsible for performing the abortion that led to the death of 29-year-old kindergarten teacher Jennifer Morbelli earlier this year. While Carhart was cleared on Friday by the Department of Health of wrongdoing in Morbelli’s death, the department was less impressed by what it found when it inspected Carhart’s clinic.



Investigators discovered some eight pages of violations, including a nurse whose RN license had expired, nurses who weren’t properly trained in administering sedation drugs through IV, and failure to train staff in the emergency transfer of patients to the hospital.



In addition, investigators found that patient records did not included a discharge diagnosis, as required, and staff were improperly cleaning surgical instruments.



Click "like" if you want to end abortion!

However, according to pro-life groups, this may only be the tip of the iceberg of violations at Carhart’s clinic. In July of last year pro-life groups filed a complaint with the Department of Health after they said they discovered that Carhart’s clinic was illegally dumping biohazardous waste, private patient medical information, and dangerous drugs.



Between August, 2011, and May, 2012, trash generated by Germantown Reproductive Health Services was inspected and photographed by pro-life activists. The pro-lifers said they found documents containing private patient information, including photocopies of patient drivers licenses, information about birth control prescriptions, and detailed information about a 15 week abortion for which the patient was charged $2,200.



Also discovered was bloody refuse including bloody sanitary napkins and blue pads, some of which contained blood clots and possible human fetal remains, and partially full bottles of IV drugs that are classified as controlled substances and other drugs.



Leading pro-abortion groups, including NARAL, Planned Parenthood, and the National Abortion Federation, routinely oppose any and all regulations on abortion clinics. However, the recent case of Kermit Gosnell, whose 'House of Horrors' clinic escaped inspection for years despite numerous complaints, has drawn attention once again to the often subpar conditions that exist in abortion facilities.



Earlier this year, two former nurses at a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Delaware described what they said was a “meat-market” style of performing abortions, in which the abortionist refused to wear gloves, surgical instruments were reused without being cleaned, and 'bloody drainage' remained on abortion tables between procedures, exposing women to blood-borne diseases.



As well, shortly after Gosnell was convicted on three counts of first degree murder, three former assistants of Texas abortionist Douglas Karpen stepped forward to describe conditions so appalling that they were arguably even worse than those found in Gosnell’s clinic – including the routine practice of murdering newborn babies born alive after failed abortions.

Weekend Box Office: The Hangover Part III, Fast & Furious 6

Here is an interesting article from http://www.debbieschlussel.com/ reviewing some of the movies that came out over the past weekend. This follows this post about some of the movies from last week and THIS POST about some movies that have been released over the past few years that you might have missed! This all follows this post about guidelines to chosing good movies to watch yourself!

Weekend Box Office: The Hangover Part III, Fast & Furious 6


By Debbie Schlussel



Nothing but crappy sequels new at the theaters this weekend. Just ask youself, as we remember our military men who gave their lives, did they really die for this? Oy:


* “The Hangover Part III“: Absolute garbage, just like its two predecessors (read my reviews for “The Hangover” and “The Hangover Part II“) . And it’s the least funny of the three. I mean, a giraffe getting beheaded and a a guy with his face covered in dog feces–that’s funny how? It ain’t. Also, for those who are fans of Mike Tyson (not me), no he does not make an appearance in this one.



The “plot”: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Justin Bartha are on the road, taking Zach Galifianakis to therapy, after a family intervention. But they are kidnapped and captured by John Goodman, a mobster, and his crew. Goodman holds onto Bartha while he sends the other three to find Mr. Chow, who has stolen Goodman’s millions in gold bricks. The three go to Mexico, where they find Chow and help him pull off another gold heist, then they head for Vegas, when they realize Chow has stolen more gold and Goodman will kill Bartha if they don’t get the gold back.


It wasn’t that entertaining. Just stupid. It’s time for this trashy set of movies to end. Should have ended before it began.



FOUR MARXES PLUS FOUR OBAMAS



* “Fast & Furious 6“:  I really liked the fifth installment of the Fast & Furious movies, “Fast Five” (read my review), so maybe I had unreasonable expectations for this movie. It stank. It was the typical Fast & Furious stuff and everything you expect: lots of hot, scantily clad women, lots of cool cars, the old cast of characters and relative newcomers, and lots of action and stunts. But it was the worst of the Fast & Furious movies, and the least believable. The plot and stunts were just ridiculous . . . ridiculously absurd. A lot of stuff didn’t make sense, but, then, this isn’t a deep movie for rocket scientists.



The story: Interpol is trying to find and stop a British special forces soldier gone rogue who is now a mercenary and has or is trying to acquire (I couldn’t figure out which) something dangerous to the world–a computer chip which controls nuclear weapons or something like that (they don’t quite explain it much). So the Diplomatic Security Services agent (Duane “The Rock” Johnson) rounds up the Fast & Furious gang to stop the bad guy and his crew in exchange for complete pardons. He convinces them to get involved because one of the crew, Letty, is with the bad guys.



Nothing objectionable here. Just silly and pointless. Like I said, crummy story, completely ridiculous stunts, completely nonsensical. If you want to put your brain on pause for two hours and watch lots of action, stunts, car chases, and martial arts-style fighting, this is your movie. Otherwise, skip it.



HALF A REAGAN

Inherent Beliefs

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about examining one's beliefs. This follows this post about dealing with conflict.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Inherent Beliefs


by Whitney Creech

One of the most important things I’ve learned in my three years of marriage is that everyone has grown up learning different ways to do daily tasks: washing the dishes, doing the laundry, folding clothes, etc. I had to learn that my husband’s way of folding a t-shirt is just as effective as mine. In fact, his way actually saved some time. So I put my pride aside and quickly learned a more effective way to get laundry done. This is a simple example of how learning something new can actually be good, even though it’s not the way I was raised.



When it’s simply a difference in how our t-shirts are folded, changes don’t seem that big of a deal. However, there are things we might have been taught growing up that could potentially keep us from personal growth. This concept occurred to me as viewers have been calling in to the front desk here at UCG after seeing the recent Beyond Today episode “Has Religion Lied to You?”, which challenges the doctrine of the Trinity. Are we afraid to look at the hard questions that come up when they question our long-held beliefs?



The book Is God a Trinity? states, “Most people assume that everything that bears the label ‘Christian’ must have originated with Jesus Christ and His early followers. But this is definitely not the case. All we have to do is look at the words of Jesus Christ and His apostles to see that this is clearly not true” (page 11) . It’s difficult to realize that what we have learned from our parents, society, or mainstream Christian churches might not be what the Bible actually teaches. Are we willing to start proving what we believe from the Bible?



I’ve learned over the past couple of weeks that the answer is sometimes no. When some start to see that the Bible does not support ideas that they’ve grown up with, such as the celebration of Easter, or the belief in the Trinity, I’ve been confronted with statements like, “I’m not comfortable going against what I’ve always been taught” or “I don’t want to become more confused by adding in a different idea that goes against what I think.” I realize this isn’t easy. I realize it takes a lot of faith and perseverance to find the truth.



2 Timothy 3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:



See All... says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” This says scripture is profitable for correction when what we’ve always been taught goes against what the Bible teaches. When we read a verse that points out a flaw in our behavior, attitude or something we’ve learned, do we read over it or take time to look into how we might need to change?



Personal growth can only come from realizing the flaws in ourselves or our beliefs and making a commitment to becoming more like Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ.” In order to have the same mind of Christ, we need to allow God’s Spirit to work in us to make the changes in our lives and overcome the fear of personal evaluation.

Robert Downey Jr.: Short superstar shattering stereotypes

Here is an interesting article from http://isteve.blogspot.com about Hollywood men and their taller women costars. This follows this post  http://nicholasstixuncensored.blogspot.com  about the Knoxville Horor. In the meantime, you can read two very interesting books HERE.

Robert Downey Jr.: Short superstar shattering stereotypes


Robert Downey Jr. is currently the biggest box office star in the world, but he's definitely not the tallest. The good obsessives at CelebHeights peg him at 5'8". That sounds about right. Back when Downey was out of prison and out of work about a dozen years ago, I used to see him at our sons' baseball and soccer games at the local park, and he's not tall at all.*



These days, Hollywood casts short leading men with leading ladies who are taller than them (e.g., Gwyneth Paltrow with Downey, Nicole Kidman with Tom Cruise).





In general, leading men are not as disproportionately tall as during Golden Age Hollywood (John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Gary Cooper, and Cary Grant were all close to a half foot taller than the average American man of their time). Overall, I'd say that the decline in bias in Hollywood toward tall role models is a good thing.





Height used to be a pretty good marker of having enjoyed good nurture (e.g, had plenty to eat as a child). The Tory cabinet of prime minister Lord Salisbury in 1895 averaged six feet at a time when that was about a half foot taller than the average British man. From a female husband-hunting perspective, evidence that a man's family provided well for him when he was a child is evidence of a lot of good things. There's no downside to growing up so that you attain close to your genetic maximum of height.





Over time though, the systematic nutritional and health deficits that prevent a youth from a lower class background of attaining the full height of which his genes are capable have diminished. The NBA is full of guys who grew up on welfare. (Although in Downey's case, the kind of heavy drug use from very early age might have knocked an inch off his height.)





So, height is increasingly a measure less of nurture and more of nature. And, as somebody who is 6'4", the genetic advantages and disadvantages of being unusually tall seem like a mixed bag. If people weren't somewhat subjectively biased in favor of tall men like myself, I'd probably say the objective tradeoffs (clumsiness, head-banging, etc.) aren't really worth it. The human body isn't optimized for my height.





So, the continuing prejudice in favor of the tall seems increasingly pointless because it's now mostly a nature difference masquerading as a nurture difference, and there's no terribly good reason to want genes for additional height to be favored. Thus, the fact that Hollywood role models currently come in all heights seems, on the whole, like a good thing.





-------------

* By the way, don't get the impression from this that Downey is some kind of regular guy. I said hello to him and he said hello back, very friendly, but the Charisma Gap was astounding. In a social setting that was blase about minor levels of celebrity -- e.g., the baseball team mom was an Emmy-nominated character actress -- Downey, in disgrace, was the cynosure of all eyes of team parents. Just lounging on the grass watching his kid take infield practice, he's magnetic.





You know those scenes in Iron Man where Tony Stark wakes up from a horrible dream? I suspect Downey's Method Acting technique for this is to tell himself: "Just imagine I had a nightmare that I had to move back to the Valley!"

Life Lessons: Nine Lessons for Dealing with Conflict

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about dealing with conflict. This follows this post about tornados being perceived as an "Act of God."  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Life Lessons: Nine Lessons for Dealing with Conflict


by Gary Petty

 Jesus said, "Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the sons of God." Everyone agrees with the concept, but how can we practice peacemaking? Sometimes it seems like you can't get through a day without experiencing conflict with a family member, neighbor, co-worker or a stranger on the subway.



The book of Proverbs contains many practical steps of basic conflict resolution.



Points to build on

1. The most important step in dealing with conflict is to understand that when you are at peace with God it is easier to make peace with others . Many times we are driven by an attitude of anger and self-defense instead of the inner peace that comes from God.



Proverbs 16:7When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.



See All...: "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."



2. Once an argument begins it tends to escalate into anger and irrational behavior. It is much better to deal with the issues while both parties are still calm. It is important to pick the proper time and place for discussion. If emotions are beginning to run high ask for a short break to get control.



Proverbs 17:14The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.



See All...: "The beginning of strife is like releasing water; Therefore stop contention before a quarrel starts."



3. Many times we emotionally respond to what someone is saying without hearing the entire story. Stop and listen to what the person is really trying to say before responding.



Proverbs 18:13He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.



See All...: "He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him."



4. When dealing with conflicts between other people, listen to both sides before making any judgment.



Proverbs 18:17He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.



See All...: "The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him."



5. Dealing with conflict in the early stages is much easier. Once a person is offended or hurt it takes much more effort and time to come to a resolution.



Proverbs 18:19A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.



See All...: "A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city, And contentions are like the bars of a castle."



6. Responding in anger is like throwing gasoline on a fire. Sometimes it is better to overlook another person's fault or offense for the sake of maintaining the relationship.



Proverbs 17:9He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.



See All...: "He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends."



Proverbs 19:11The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.



See All...: "The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression."



7. Some issues aren't worth fighting over.



Proverbs 20:3It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.



See All...: "It is honorable for a man to stop striving, Since any fool can start a quarrel."



Proverbs 17:28Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.



See All...: "Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive."



8. Conflict is fanned by gossip. Avoid a person who thrives on gossip because he or she will destroy relationships.



Proverbs 16:28A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.



See All...: "A perverse man sows strife, And a whisperer separates the best of friends."



Proverbs 17:9He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.



See All...: "He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends."



9. Carefully and objectively examine your position before you enter into an argument. Consider that you may be at least partially wrong. It is best to work out conflict before you need a mediator. When you involve a mediator you may find out that you are the one who is wrong and your reputation harmed.



Proverbs 25:8-10 [8] Go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbour hath put thee to shame.

[9] Debate thy cause with thy neighbour himself; and discover not a secret to another:

[10] Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.





See All...: "Do not go hastily to court; For what will you do in the end, When your neighbor has put you to shame? Debate your case with your neighbor, And do not disclose the secret to another; Lest he who hears it expose your shame, And your reputation be ruined."



Application

Post these nine principles in a prominent place so that they are a constant reminder of how to conduct conflict resolution.



Before dealing with conflict first pray to God to help you see your part in causing the strife, ask for forgiveness for both you and the other person and seek peace with your Creator. Then you will have the inner strength to be a real peacemaker.







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHEN DID WE VOTE TO BECOME MEXICO?

A very interesting post from www.anncoulter.com about America becoming like Mexico in many ways. This follows this post about the Judiciary Committee votes on SB 744, the "Gang of Eight" Amnesty bill. This follows this post about the release of illegal immigrant felons from prison by ICE. This follows this post about how to Report Illegal Immigrants! For more about what is happening in the nation now click here and you can read the two very interesting books that are shown HERE.

WHEN DID WE VOTE TO BECOME MEXICO?


At first I thought the IRS scandal was leaked to distract from the Benghazi scandal. But that didn't make sense because the IRS scandal is a more obvious abuse of power than the White House lying about the murder of four Americans in Libya.



Before I had resolved which scandal was distracting from which, we found out the Department of Justice was spying on The Associated Press -- not to protect national security, but to prevent the AP from scooping the White House. Then, this week, it broke that the Department of Justice was also spying on Fox News for reasons that remain unexplained.



Meanwhile, Sens. Marco Rubio, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and John McCain are working feverishly to turn the country into Mexico.



So now I think all the scandals are intended to distract from Rubio's amnesty bill.



For decades, Mexicans have been about 30 percent of all legal immigrants to the United States, while only a smidgen more than 1 percent come from Great Britain. Is that fair? Granted, their food is better, but why is it the norm is to have nearly 30 times as many Mexican as British immigrants?



We have been taking in more immigrants from Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, individually, than from England, our mother country. There are nearly twice as many immigrants from El Salvador as from Canada, and 10 times as many as from Australia.



Why can't the country be more or less the ethnic composition that it always was? The 50-1 Latin American-to-European ratio isn't a natural phenomenon that might result from, say, Europeans losing interest in coming here and poor Latin Americans providing some unique skill desperately needed in our modern, technology-based economy.



To the contrary, it's result of an insane government policy. Teddy Kennedy's 1965 Immigration Act was designed to artificially inflate the number of immigrants from the Third World, while making it virtually impossible for anyone from the nations that historically provided our immigrants to come here.





Pre-1965 immigrants were what made this country what it was for a reason: They were the pre-welfare state immigrants. From around 1630 to 1966, immigrants sank or swam. About a third of them couldn't make it in America and went home -- and those are the ones who weren't rejected right off the boat for being sick, crippled or idiots.



That's why corny stories of someone's ancestors coming here a half-century ago are completely irrelevant. If their ancestors hadn't succeeded, their great-grandchildren wouldn't be here to tell the story because no one was given food stamps, free medical care and housing to stay. (And vote Democrat.)



Now we're scraping the bottom of the barrel by holding ourselves out as the welfare ward of the world and specifically rejecting skilled immigrants.



As Milton Friedman said, you cannot have open borders and a welfare state. The reason a country's average immigrant matters is that the losers never go home -- they go on welfare. (Maybe if they had to work, immigrants wouldn't have as much time to build bombs.) Airy statements about wanting to end welfare aren't going to change that implacable fact.



It should not come as a surprise that a majority of recent immigrants are following a path that's the exact opposite of earlier immigrants. The immigrant story of lore is that the first generation is poor but works hard, then the second, third and fourth generations soar up the socioeconomic ladder.



But innumerable studies have shown that Mexican first-generation immigrants work like maniacs -- and then the second, third and fourth generations plunge headlong into the underclass.



By now, Mexicans are the largest immigrant group in America, with about 50 million Hispanics living here legally.



Marco Rubio's amnesty bill will soon make it 80 million. First, there are at least 11 million illegal immigrants, a majority from Mexico, who will be instantly legalized. Then we'll get their entire extended families under our chain migration system.



I wouldn't want that many Japanese! I wouldn't want that many Dutch (not that there are that many Dutch)! Why do we have to become a different country? Was there a vote when the country decided to turn itself into Mexico? No other country has ever just decided to turn itself into another country like this.



The nation's plutocrats are lined up with the Democratic Party in a short-term bid to get themselves cheap labor (subsidized by the rest of us), which will give the Democratic Party a permanent majority. If Rubio's amnesty goes through, the Republican Party is finished. It will be the "Nancy Pelosi Democratic Party" versus the "Chuck Schumer Republican Party."



When that happens, the cover-up of murder in Benghazi, a little IRS abuse or governmental spying on journalists will be a good day for civil liberties.



A majority of Americans still do love this country -- including, one hopes, legal immigrants who thought they were leaving Mexico. But a policy that will change America forever is about to slip through under the cloak of endless scandals from the corrupt Obama administration.

Tornadoes, God & Hope

An interesting article from http://www.ucg.org/ about tornados being perceived as an "Act of God." This follows this post about how the fall of Rome relates to America and Britain.  For a free magazine subscription or to get the book shown  for free click HERE! or call 1-888-886-8632.

Tornadoes, God & Hope


 Did God cause the Oklahoma tornadoes? Is there hope?



[Steve Myers] Oklahoma's been devastated by tornadoes that have swept through not only Moore, Oklahoma, but throughout the Midwest. Destruction, death has followed. The challenge is how do we view these things. We see families grieving over the loss of their children.



What part does God have to play in that?



People can raise their fist at God and blame God for these things. They say, "Well, God must be wreaking His judgment upon these people." And yet that can't be the case. It can't be the case that it must be God's will that this destruction happened. And it can't be the case that it's just too difficult to understand. It's too mysterious and that this is all it's about.



When you look at these events we've got to understand that there are natural phenomenon, there's nature that happens. God did not cause this to happen. It doesn't mean that God's evil and that He brought this destruction upon the Midwest. Now He allowed it. Absolutely. And it helps us to realize that this is not God's world. And so as we pray for those people as we ask God to intervene for those that have been impacted by this, we want to come and help do what we can, and we need to do those things.



But at the same time if you're one of those shaking your fist at God and saying why, we realize there is more to the story. And God gives us just a little glimpse into that story in Isaiah 61:3To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.



See All.... He says that this world isn't what it's all about. It gives us that insight into the future. He says, "To all who mourn in Israel, He'll give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for His own glory."



You see this points to a time when God will send Jesus Christ and this world will be a different place, a place of beauty, a place of joy, a place of blessing. And so in the meantime let's pray that God would establish His Kingdom. Let's pray for those that are affected by these storms - not only these storms but other devastating events in life so that we can look forward to those times that God will send joy and blessing and beauty.



So let's pray for that. Let's pray as Christ said, "Thy Kingdom come."



That's BT Daily . We'll see you next time.

.