Tommy Thompson Going to Retire Feingold!!!!

Republican “Uber-Lobbyist” Bill McCoshen went on Mike Gousha’s “UpFront” TV program this weekend and said Tommy Thompson has “the right people in the room,” and that “he's the only one that frankly could win on the Republican side.” 

This comes after reports this week that one of Thompson’s colleagues at the D.C. lobbying shop he works for said, “lots of people in Washington” want him to be Wisconsin’s next senator. Bob Wood, president of Washington’s most elite GOP lobbying firm, has registered websites for Thompson, and McCoshen said they are all planning to set up an exploratory committee so Tommy can start raising money from “lots of people in Washington.”  

 

People are asking Tommy Thompson to run for US Sen. from Wisconsin for many reasons. For me personally, it is to end the murder, almost 60,000,000, of unborn babies----our future. It is for the representation of the true values of Wisconsinites. Wisconsin people don't favor abortion and yet Feingold and his party think they are God. I am sick of it.

Another reason is that marriage is between a man and a woman, it is not Adam and Steve, it's Adam and Eve! Wisconsin also strongly supports this issue.

Furthermore, Thompson represents true democracy and free-market principles; this administration has moved towards socialistic and big government platforms.

 Thompson bests represents the values of Wisconsin and is known for his tenacity and ability to make tough decisions. If there ever was a time for those political traits; it is now!

Toyota-Mistake Or Cover Up

 Toyota has been one of the world's great automakers.  Do you think that they did not know about the defects such as acceleration issues and brake issues across the vast majority of their line? When the story first broke, it seemed like a simple issue; not any longer. A corporation is nothing more than a group of people working to achieve the same philosophy;  they should be considered as any individual would----innocent until proven guilty. Personally, I hope that this is a combination of errors instead of a cover up. What's your opinion?

Our Ways Are Going Down The Wrong Road

It is utterly absurd to assume or suppose that a person who is determined to do his own will can ever please God.

Only as our wills are brought into harmony and submission to His will do we discover the secret of divine power and productivity.

Office Love

67% of employees say they see no need to hide their office relationships, up from 54% in 2005. In the past, baby boomers, The office romance a secret for fear of career damage or reprisal. However, affairs when one or both partners are married are still taboo. Nor is it okay to conduct promiscuous activity while at the office. Finding a significant other at the office makes good sense. We spend so much of our time at the workplace that it's unavoidable.

Lies of the Deciever

Abortion is one of those subjects that really touch people deeply. I can see where as people who support life feel so passionately. I have trouble with this who support abortion, the right to kill babies; how come they can be so passionate about killing a baby. That one gets me. And knowing that it goes against one of the ten commandments and must stand the judgement of God. Whew, I don't get it.

Here is a doctor's point on the matter. If you are pro life you should have no trouble with the pictures, it should be easy for you. It should give you pleasure. Here is a link to a site by an M.D. on the subject http://abortiontruths.net .


Is cancer linked to abortions? Check the link. Check your heart.

Murder---Is It On Your Hands??

The question here is when does a fetus become a life? Jeremiah 1:5 states "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you."

Early Christian writers condemned abortion explicitly. There is no known early Christian text that contains any exceptions under which abortion would be morally permissible. The Didache, which most scholars consider to be written in the latter 1st century A.D., comments on the commandment, "you shall do nothing to any man that you would not wish to be done to yourself."

Religiously speaking, a fetus becomes a life at conception. Scientifically speaking, a fetus becomes a life at conception because it has its own DNA. Legally speaking, a fetus becomes a life at 24 to 36 weeks. It is readily apparent that there is a significant discrepancy between the religious/scientific community and the legal community.

We are currently aborting 1,300,000 babies a year and have aborted north of 40 million babies since Roe vs. Wade.

My thought is simply this, "who are we as mere mortals to decide the fate of what God has created?" May we be over stepping our authority?

80% surveyed did not favor abortion, yet the politicians and courts go on as if we all want it. They will have to answer for their actions. And if you support well..........

Haitian Earthquakes and Other Disasters---Why???

I wish you that I had written this but I didn't, it is from a very knowledgeable Bible scholar named Andrew Womack. I suggest you google him for more information. 


A number of people have asked me to comment on the Haitian earthquakes. Our local Sunday paper even had a collection of comments from local pastors about why all of this happened. Their responses ranged from "God did it" to "Satan did it" to "who knows who did it."

There appears to be a lack of clear understanding about why things like this happen. This isn't limited to the Haitian earthquakes either. The same thing happened with hurricanes Rita and Katrina and the terrorists attacks of 2001. It also happens on a daily basis with our individual lives. People struggle to understand why bad things happen.

Certainly bad things happen on an individual basis because of our poor choices. God gave us the choice between life and death, blessing and cursing (Deuteronomy 30:19). And sadly, the vast majority of people are making choices that give the devil dominion over them (John 10:10). In order to avoid Satan's devices against us, we have to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil (James 4:7).

And there are scriptural examples of God bringing judgment on a nationwide scale because of the sins of people. Classic examples of this are Noah's flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

BUT...there was a HUGE change in the way God deals with people after Jesus died for our sins. Jesus bore our sins and all of God's wrath against them (John 12:32). And this doesn't only apply to believers. First John 2:2 says Jesus, "is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

So, God isn't personally judging nations today for their sins. He judged Jesus for our sins. That doesn't mean that it doesn't matter how we act. It does. When we act in an ungodly manner, it makes us subject to Satan's control (Romans 6:16). The devil wants to devour everyone (1 Peter 5:8) but he can't do anything to us without our consent and co-operation.

I'm sure the fact that Haiti's national religion is voodoo is a factor in their poverty and social issues that made the devastating effects of these earthquakes even more severe. But I don't think the devil has the power to cause the earthquake.

There are just natural things that happen in a fallen world. And I think the earthquakes in Haiti were just the natural results of tectonic plates rubbing against each other. It was just natural. Those who are submitted to God have supernatural help to deal with life in a fallen world and those who don't have a relationship with the Lord find how limited their natural abilities really are. But this wasn't a direct result of sin or the judgment of God.

I could spend a lot of time justifying that statement but let me simply say, if you think this is God's judgment on those people, then you are totally wrong to try and help them. If God is punishing them, get out of the way and let them learn their lesson.

Of course, I don't believe anyone would agree with that approach, and that is not what I'm advocating. Therefore, I think it's inconsistent to  see this as an act of God and yet intervene in a way that would thwart God's purposes by giving aid to the Haitians.

Blaming God for this tragedy has turned some people against God. I read one account of a woman walking by a pile of burning bodies and she took the Bible out of her purse and threw it in the fire. But God didn't cause this nor allow it. Therefore, it is compassionate to reach out to those who have been hurt (1 John 3:17).

When Adam and Eve sinned, they plunged the whole world into sin. This not only includes mankind but the animal creation and the natural world. Animals were originally herbivores but now they are carnivores. Likewise, the original earth was in perfect balance. It didn't rain but there was a mist that went up and watered the whole earth (Genesis 2:5-6). Everything was perfect.

But all of that changed when man rebelled at God. Now we live in a fallen world where things aren't perfect. If an animal kills a person, God didn't do it, the animal did. This could be traced back to man's original sin but not always to an individual's sin. Mankind set the animal creation at odds with us. And if a natural disaster happens, we are the ones who set the whole course of nature on fire (James 3:6).

Through Jesus, we have been reconciled back to God (2 Corinthians 5:19) and with that comes authority and power. But it's not automatic. We have to believe and exercise our power and authority. I've prayed and seen weather, including hurricanes, change. I've taken authority over animals and I've seen miraculous healings. We aren't just helpless in this fallen world.

But it takes knowledge and persistence to grow and develop our God given authority to the point of making a difference on all the ungodliness that has been unleashed in this world. Jesus exercised His dominion over the forces of nature (Mark 4:39) and so can we (John 14:12).

Although I support helping those who have been devastated by the Haitian earthquakes, (Jamie and I have personally given to their aid), I am constantly moved by the devastation I see in people's lives daily. It amazes me that when people can see with their eyes the physical effects a natural disaster causes, they respond generously. But the devastating effects of sin and ignorance are all around us daily. I'm moved just as much to help those who are struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one or trying to figure out why they haven't seen their prayers answered.

We all pray the Lord will comfort those who have been left homeless and lost loved ones in Haiti. We pray those who don't know the Lord will turn to Him in this time of crisis and find Him to be their source of strength. I also pray the Lord will help us to see that everyone who doesn't know the Lord is hurting just as much as those who have been affected by the Haitian earthquakes. They may not realize their need as much as those in Haiti, and therein lies the problem. God make us all vessels to represent you to a lost world.
 

Anxiety Never Solved Anything!

Anxiety is an expensive habit. Of course, it might be worth the cost if it worked. But it doesn't. Worry he has never brightened the day, solved the problem, or cured a disease. God leads us. God will do the right thing at the right time.

Turn your anxieties over to Him and your load will not seem so heavy.

In fact, constant worry and  anxiety cause sickness. A case study by a well known medical research institute revealed that over 90% of sickness was derived from unhealthy emotions.

Is God the purveyor of unhealthy emotions? I think not. So, who is? That's easy, it's the great deceiver. He gets  us through our mind. Fear is the opposite of faith; it is a sin because it is doubting God's word! When you get anxious; just remember where it is coming from, cast it out, and put your trust in God. 

Taiwan Irritates China

Taiwan said today it would buy up to 20 military helicopters from a European manufacturer in a move likely to irritate China less than a week after Washington proposed a US$6.4 billion (HK$49.92 billion) arms deal with the island.

The Taiwan deal with Eurocopter, a subsidiary of German-based EADS, could strain China-European relations which, like Sino-US ties, have been hurt by trade disputes and the value of the Chinese currency.

European arms sales to the self-ruled island that Beijing considers a breakaway province of China have dried up in the past 17 years due to their political sensitivity, although EU-Taiwan trade ties are generally strong.

A French deal in 1993 to sell Taiwan advanced Mirage fighter jets infuriated China, prompting Beijing to close the French consulate in southern Guangdong province and cut French firms out of lucrative contracts.

China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary.

Taiwan's defence ministry spokesman Martin Yu said the island would buy EC-225 search-and-rescue helicopters. He provided no further details.

Toyota Slow To Face Problem According To Dealer

Toyota launching huge PR campaign today.

Parts being shipped today, some arrive tomorrow. Small piece to be put into accelerator assembly to reduce friction and eliminate sticking.

Dealer in Florida says has not received instructions for fix nor  are his employees trained to do repair. He says he will go pick up people's cars who are afraid to drive them. Dealer says Toyota response time was slow and should have been quicker.

We Must Keep Moving Forward In Our Faith

Don't forget that every day must be a day of advancement in your spiritual maturity. If you have not made any advancement since yesterday; you are a backslider. There is only one way for you, and it is forward in your advancement towards the Lord. There are no days backward; it is advancement with God. It is cooperation with Him in the Spirit.

We must recognize these things, if we live on the same plane day after day, we become stale; our foundation loses it's zest. We must catch the vision of the Master day by day. We must control every passion that interferes with our relationship and growth in Him.

Often the most trying times are the most beneficial to our Christian growth. Remember Moses and the trials he faced. If you read the Scriptures, you will never find anything about the easy times. All the glories came out of hard times!

If you are to be really reconstructed by the Lord, it will be in a hard time. It won't be in a singing meeting, but at a time when you think all things are hopeless. That is the time that God makes the person. And out of the experience, we will have a story to tell about what God has done for you. When the trial is severe; when you think that no one could be tried as much as you; when the trial is so hard that you cannot sleep, and you do not know what to do; "Count it all joy" (James 1:2). You are in a good place when you do not know what to do; then you are to look to God for the answer.

It is when you are tried by fire that God purges you, takes that dross away, and brings forth pure gold. Give thanks for the hard times, the trials by fire, and the absence of easy times. This is when the real growth comes forth.

Life---Does It Begin At 40???

Ok, folks, let's get to the heart of matter.

• Does a pregnant woman have a life in her at the exact time that she becomes pregnant?
• Does it happen later on like in a month or six months?
• Or is it a life when it comes out of the womb?
• When does it become a life?
• And how do you know, is it relative to your moral code that gives you the answer?
• What does God say about when a life becomes a life?

I think we have to address this issue truthfully and stop beating around the bush. And who are we to decide the matter anyway.? My complaint is this, why am I paying for something I believe to be wrong. Why am forced to pay for it.?

I think the democrats need to look past their own intellect and consult what the Creator says on the matter. After all, He made us and everything around us. He would have a clue, in fact, He most definitely has the answer.

Let's quit deceiving ourselves and just give the issue an honest look. I mean we have only killed 50,000,000 million babies. And we have the nerve to talk about Hitler. Hogwash.

It's Time For Brett

The Vikings could just as easy be going to the Superbowl. The hands of fate went against them. Or their own mistakes, whichever you prefer. Saints won. They go.

I liked the game, watched it from start to finish. What I didn't like was that the Saints played the edge, they hit Favre late so many times with cheap shots it became sickening. Without question, they were trying to take him out. Sure, they probably were within the rules but they are still the dirtiest team I have seen in a long time. I don't like their ethics. If it is so close to almost legal; it gets by. They walked the tight rope of sportsmanship the whole game. Don't think Indy missed that. Peyton Manning will shred them.

That said, I hope Brett calls it a day. He's got a bowl under his belt. He really got beat up in this game and he has to be hurting today. Please Brett don't screw yourself over a game, sometimes a silly game. Part of being a good quarterback is knowing when to quit. Hang it up for your family, watch the replays of your wife's face when you got hit. Time to stop being selfish. Thanks for the memories.

The Sad Condition of the American Churches

You know many pastors especially denominational pastors are more concerned with not rocking the boat and cruising in until retirement. They teach a nicely prepared, friendly message; one that doesn't provoke any deep thought, self examination, or action. It's what they are comfortable with, not what the Holy Spirit wants them to say.

Churches are often measured by the size of their congregation, the larger the better. The quality of their devotion to the Word is often overlooked cause most people don't want to change anything about their life and don't want their parade rained on. So many pastors don't want to irritate anyone.

I recently attended a church who had a decent size congregation. However, the pastor was not lead by God, but by himself. Instead of calling the sick to come forward for healing, they served coffee. The pastor's voice always stayed in a nicely practiced monotone. There was no fire, no conviction, just a pleasant message and home you went. Oh, by the way, say "Hi" to the people around you as you are leaving.

This church was so dead in spirit no one would ever feel the need to examine themselves, make a moral inventory, change the way they treat people, or study the Word. The Holy Spirit plain and simple was excluded. Christ is the head of the church, not the pastor. And when He left to be with the Father, He sent the Comforter who is to lead the church through the pastor. The gifts of the Spirit should be evident, not absent.

If you are in a church like that you need to consider leaving as it is backsliding and you are as well right along with it. Who do you want to please; people or Jesus. You won't please Jesus by being in a church who is deaf to the leading of the Spirit. Remember, "by their ignorance, they perish."

Many times it's the smaller, non denominational churches that are hot for God; who count on Him totally and Spirit led. God loves everyone the same, saint or sinner, but He especially delights in those who totally depend on Him. Do you? Does your church?

Recently a survey of evangelicals, 85% said they experienced nothing of God last year. Are you one of those?

Four percent of today's youth it is reported have God centered lives. Whose fault is that? It is the fault of their parents; and it is the fault of the churches.

It seems that the biggest single issue in church is money. It might not get the time that the actual sermon gets, but over a years time, it is the biggest single topic. What a shame.

I Can't Be Broken

"His purpose in the creation of mankind was to develop an association on His own plane. Otherwise God would have been eternally living with babies and imbeciles. Genesis 1:26"

Here's another one I like because through Him we can't be conquered or broken.

"Other souls may shatter on the rocks: other souls may wither in disappointment, but the lives that have been planted in that spirit of divine fidelity to Him are unconquerable."

We are going to have ups and we are going to have downs. We are going win some and lose some but no man or woman can conquer us or break us if we have our faith firmly planted in Him. I just love that, and I love knowing that I can't be broken as long as I stick with Him. Jeremiah 17:8

Healing----The Short Course

Healing in any department of the nature of man, whether spirit, soul or body, is but a means to an end. The object of healing is health, abiding health of the body, soul, and spirit. Healing of the whole being. The healing of the spirit unites the spirit of man to God forever. The healing of the soul corrects psychic disorder and brings the soul processes into harmony with the mind of God. And the healing of the body completes the union of man with God when the Holy Spirit possesses all.

I want to tell you, when you begin to analyze the subject of sickness, you will discover that usually the difficulty is that there is some kind of sin behind it. Not necessarily that there is an act of sin or some personal sin, but more likely the laziness of our soul, or the inactivity of our spirit, or neglect of God's Word, or neglect of faith and love of prayer. These are the things that usually underlie and generate difficulties in men's lives and open the door to some kind of sickness.

The love of worldly goods will cause sickness and bring only a temporary pleasure. Soon the shine will be gone, yet the disease may remain. Put God first.

Isn't Pride Great-----------No

Everything that Jesus did was the will and the Word of the Father. So everything the Christian does, if he is obedient, should be the will and word of Jesus Christ.

Observation demonstrates that the really great people in God who bless mankind are those who try to live in absolute accordance with the teachings of Jesus. Yet we all fall short------------yet they try.

Every time I write a post about obedience or doing the will of Jesus, I realize how short I am and how far I have to go. I try to live in obedience, but then I get my feelings hurt, or I get mad, or I do some other carnal thing. By writing, it really makes me think of my own inadequacies. I am a work in progress and always will be.

The good news is Jesus paid the price for our transgressions-----past, present, and future. Our sicknesses too. Isn't that something, we are already forgiven for sins we haven't even committed yet? He paid the for our sins at the cross. All we need to do is confess and repent of them; then they are forgotten and forgiven.

You Can Do This If Just Believe!!!!!

This is about John G. Lake and told by him.

"A few months ago I was absent from the city of Spokane, and when I returned Mrs. Lake was not at home. It was just about time to leave for my afternoon service. Just then someone came in and said, "Your secretary, Mrs. Graham, is in the throes of death and your wife is with her." So I hurried down to the place. When I got there the wife of one of my ministers met me at the door and said, "You are to late, she has gone." As I stepped in I met the minister coming out of the room. He said, "She has not breathed for a long time." But as I looked on that woman, and thought how God three years before had raised that woman out of death, after her womb, ovaries, and tubes had been removed in operations, and God had given them back to her, after which she had married and conceived; how my heart flamed. I took that woman up off the pillow, and called on God for the lightnings of heaven to blast the power of death and deliver her, and I commanded her to come back and stay, and she came back after not breathing for 23 minutes."

This may sound extraordinary or you might just not believe it all. Many won't. However, it is just what Jesus said when he was getting ready to ascend to heaven. "You will do the same things I do."

I Trust the One and Only.

It is not try to trust; it is not trying to get healed. It is trusting Him for it and believing Him when He says He will do it.

Healing is not a difficult matter. It does not take a bit more faith to be healed from your sickness than it does to be saved from your sins. So why be damned and why be sick??? There is no need to be either cause our ticket has already been paid for. Just believe it.

Jesus Christ paid for our sins and our sicknesses. He bore every one of them so that we would not have to. To not believe it is saying that He went through all that (he was not recognizable as Himself when He arose) for nought. God loves us so much whether or not we are saved that He gave His Son for us.

Victory or Defeat---We Have A Choice!!!!

In those early centuries of Christianity, Christianity did not go into the world apologizing. It went to slay the powers of darkness and undo the works of the devil, and it lived in holy triumph. Are we living in holy triumph now, or are we living in fear and doubt? We certainly are not living in triumph, nor are our children, or our marriages. Most of us really don't know what to do.

When you and I are lost in the Son of God and the fires of Jesus burn in our hearts, as they did in His, our words will be the words of Spirit and of life. There will be no death in them, no fear in them. There will be victory in them.

There are only two ways to live; one is of the world; which is complete folly-----just look around you. The other is through Jesus Christ, who defeated sin, sickness, and death. That is victory. What team are you on----the winning or the losing?

I had been on the losing team in life and it was a slow, agonizing death. Now, I am on His team and have victory. I didn't say that I don't run into problems, but I have victory through Him. Blessings

The Master of Disaster----Oprah

"For many deceivers have gone out in the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he will greets him shares in his evil deeds." 2 John 7:11

Do not be swayed by false teaching that contradicts the Bible or claims to have some special insight. Understand that when you leave the Bible for any other doctrine, YOU HAVE LEFT GOD, as well. Hold tightly to the truth about Jesus Christ.

The world's greatest false teacher is Oprah Winfrey who has an audience of millions that she is teaching new age deception; like there are many ways to God; the truth is just one; through Jesus Christ----our Lord and Savior. Here is a video from you tube exposing her deception on national TV, Oprah's Deception .

Make no mistake about it, Oprah is powerful and she is going to convert some people with her way of thinking. By her statements, she has personally denied the Bible as being the Truth of God and the Word of God. She takes exception to what it says, she is calling God a liar.

Haiti-----Whose Going to Help It----We Are!!!!

Haiti--I can't get it out of my mind. It brings me back to Katrina, and those old haunting memories. The memories of a terrible catastrophe; the memories of a government who totally and cold heartedly let her people suffer deplorable circumstances. FEMA has become a national embarrassment to the people of these United States.

Who is going to help Haiti? I say that churches in a united effort, along with the Red Cross, and other creditable human relief organizations will do the job. Let's leave the government and its corruption out of it.

This is our chance to take our minds off ourselves and focus on people who desperately need our help. I say that if we do not make Haiti a nationwide undertaking then we are no better then our government who quit without apology on the people devastated by Katrina.

We need to not only restore Haiti to its pre-earthquake condition but take it above and beyond anything one could imagine. We need to make Haiti a national project of selfless giving. We need to teach them to become prosperous and self-sufficient.

We need to educate them and provide agricultural training and resources to produce food. We need to provide good technical education so that they can manage their new resources. We need to provide top notch medical treatment immediately and long-term assistance in developing a strong medical community.

We need a strong missionary presence to teach them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ; we need to build churches, orphanages, and middle schools.

The biggest thing we can do for them is teach them to help themselves and provide the means for them to achieve that goal.

What about the corruption of the Haitian government? We can send 10,000 National Guard members there and provide security and safety for the people. At that point, elections should be held to put honest leaders in office. With our presence clearly established; I believe Haitians will feel secure enough to vote for honesty and prosperity.

What about the cost? We as people, the most prosperous nation on earth certainly can find the money to help little Haiti! Can't we? Let's not leave it in the hands of those folks who have dedicated their lives to helping others. But, let's all get involved. For our unemployed tradesman, why not send them there and and let them be part of the rebuilding process.

If we need something from our government, we will tell them what we need. And, we will hold them accountable for their assistance, not their leadership, in this great endeavor.

Here's our chance to feel good about ourselves once again.

The Slippery Slope---Will America Get Traction?????

Oil is the new gold in the world economy, and more than any factor other than the nation of Israel, oil holds the key to the prophetic events of the future. Oil explains why the Bible focuses its end time attention on the Middle East. The demand for oil in America has outstripped its capacity to produce. The same holds true for much of the rest of the world. Since the discovery of huge supplies of oil in the Middle Eastern countries, world attention has focused there.

Few would question that oil has become the new basis for our world economy. It is the resource most highly valued by the industrialized and emerging nations of the world. The greatest source is now in the Middle East, so that is where the world is focused. Below is a brief table of the top four countries oil reserves in billions of barrels.

One Saudi Arabia 265.3

Two Iran 137.5

Three Iraq 115.0

Four Kuwait 101.0

United States is ranked 11th with a mere 29 million barrels in oil reserves. The top five countries with the greatest known oil reserves are Arab nations with a total of almost 716,000,000,000 barrels in reserves. The Middle East area has about 60% of the world's known oil reserves. The processing facilities developed in those countries by major Western oil companies have long been nationalized.

Furthermore, Arab control of oil goes beyond the realities of supply and demand. Historically, all of the worlds oil has been traded in US dollars, which has assured stability for the dollar and the US economy. The dollar has always been backed by the gold standard until Pres. Nixon took it off in 1971. But then in 1973, oil prices rose sharply, threatening to throw the dollar into a free-for-all around the world. In order to stabilize the dollar, the US government entered into a relationship with Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil supplier. According to the agreement, the United States would back to Saudi Arabian government as an ally if the Saudis would demand that all purchases of its oil be in US dollars. This would ensure the dollar in the world economy. The net effect of this agreement was that the US dollar was, in effect, backed by oil instead of gold. Then on February 17, 2008, Iran opened its trading exchange in which oil is brokered in Euros instead of dollars, further threatening the stability of the US dollar.

It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that the world's number one consumer of oil is America, guzzling almost 21,000,000 barrels of crude oil per day, or 25% of all the oil produced in the world. If present trends continue, US consumption will rise to 27 million barrels a day by 2020, and demand will expand to 34% by 2030. Added to this is the fact that the United States consumes 43% of the world's motor gasoline, and no new gasoline refinery has been built in the United States since 1976. Stop for a moment and ponder the meaning of all this: the United States is number 11 in oil reserves and number one in oil consumption, with the demand growing by leaps and bounds. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that a crisis is looming in our future.

More on this tomorrow.

Luke Warm Doesn't Get It-----Really

If God is ever disappointed when you wait in his presence, it will be because you are not fervent. If you are not serious and intense, you disappoint God. If God is with you and you know it, be in earnest. Pray and believe: "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Hebrew 3:6). If you do not, you disappoint God.

Jacob was that way. God said, "you are not real enough; you are not hot enough; you are to ordinary; you are no good to Me unless you are filled with zeal---white hot!" Jacob knew if God went without blessing him, he could not meet Esau.

If you are left alone with God and you cannot get to a place of victory, it is a terrible time. You must never let go, what ever you are seeking, fresh revelation, light for your path, some particular need, never let go. Victory is ours if we are earnest enough.

You must always master that with which you are wrestling. If darkness covers you, if a fresh revelation is what you need, or if your mind needs to be relieved, always get the victory. You get the victory by being determined to get to victory, by being white hot, dead serious!!!

Can you hold God? Yes, you can. Sincerity can hold Him, dependence can hold Him, weakness can hold Him.

I will tell you what cannot hold Him: self righteousness cannot hold Him:  assumption cannot hold Him: high-mindedness cannot hold Him.

You may sometimes think that He has left you. He does not leave you. You will be blessed if you yield to His will and permit God's Spirit to work in you and bring you to a place of helplessness. Helplessness is weakness; we become strong through Him when we are weak.

God hates warm but He loves white hot!!!

Why The Church Is Failing In America!

During the time of the beginning of the church, the disciples were pressured by many responsibilities. The practical things of life could not be attended to, and many were complaining concerning the neglect of their widows. Therefore, the disciples decided to choose seven men to do the work for caring for the needs of their widows, men who were " full of the Holy Spirit."

What a divine thought. No matter what kind of work was to be done, however menial or great it may have been, the person chosen had to be "full of the Holy Spirit." The plan of the church was that everything, even everyday routines, must be sanctified to God, for the church had to be a Holy Spirit church.

And to this day, God has never ordained anything less. The church must be a Holy Spirit church!

The heritage of the church is to be so equipped with power that God can lay his hand upon any member at any time to do his perfect will. There is no stopping point in the Holy Spirit church. That was true then, now, and forever. However, the church has gone astray.

I say this with considerable sorrow that the modern day church has closed its doors to the leadings of the precious Holy Spirit. The church has become sense led and not Spirit led! This is why our churches are so ineffective in meeting the needs of the body. Today's Word is based more on intellect then divine revelation.

When we get saved; we get God through his son Jesus Christ. When we get baptized in the Holy Spirit; God gets us. The Holy Spirit who indwells in every believer; we now yield to His leadership. This is sadly missing in today's church. Many pastors think they are God, and they don't even know the nature of God.

Pastors give great thought to their weekly sermons. They plan, they research, they write, they revise, and they rehearse. Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit as to the needs of the body of Christ-the church-they believe they know best the needs of the flock. They are being deceived by the great deceiver.

Many times, churches are user-friendly; avoiding what needs to be said and done. Their fear is if they rock the boat, membership will go elsewhere. Instead of ministering prayer and healing, they serve coffee.

In a poll of evangelical Christians, 85% said that they did not experience God last year. I saw nowhere in the Bible where it states that we should have thousands of denominations who each practice their own separate beliefs. We should have one church who follows the New Testament, God's greater covenant.

The qualification for leadership in the church should be whether or not a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. That is all that is needed for a person to be an effective minister, doer, and teacher of the Word. It doesn't matter what school the pastor attended, or how many degrees he holds. It only matters that the Holy Spirit indwells in him and he is led by that Holy Spirit.

If the above were the rule instead of the exception, our churches would be filled and our bars would be empty. Divorce would be almost nonexistent; families would be a family again.

The Holy Spirit is God; He is part of the Trinity. It is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the same Holy Spirit who indwelled in John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples, and all New Testament believers. Just imagine, if you are a believer he dwells in you. Through Him, you have authority and ultimate power.

The Crude Awakening

Oil is the new gold in the world economy, and more than any factor other than the nation of Israel, oil holds the key to the prophetic events of the future. Oil explains why the Bible focuses its end time attention on the Middle East. The demand for oil in America has outstripped its capacity to produce. The same holds true for much of the rest of the world. Since the discovery of huge supplies of oil in the Middle Eastern countries, world attention has focused there.

Few would question that oil has become the new basis for our world economy. It is the resource most highly valued by the industrialized and emerging nations of the world. The greatest source is now in the Middle East, so that is where the world is focused. Below is a brief table of the top four countries oil reserves in billions of barrels.

One Saudi Arabia 265.3

Two Iran 137.5

Three Iraq 115.0

Four Kuwait 101.0

United States is ranked 11th with a mere 29 million barrels in oil reserves. The top five countries with the greatest known oil reserves are Arab nations with a total of almost 716,000,000,000 barrels in reserves. The Middle East area has about 60% of the world's known oil reserves. The processing facilities developed in those countries by major Western oil companies have long been nationalized.

Furthermore, Arab control of oil goes beyond the realities of supply and demand. Historically, all of the worlds oil has been traded in US dollars, which has assured stability for the dollar and the US economy. The dollar has always been backed by the gold standard until Pres. Nixon took it off in 1971. But then in 1973, oil prices rose sharply, threatening to throw the dollar into a free-for-all around the world. In order to stabilize the dollar, the US government entered into a relationship with Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil supplier. According to the agreement, the United States would back to Saudi Arabian government as an ally if the Saudis would demand that all purchases of its oil be in US dollars. This would ensure the dollar in the world economy. The net effect of this agreement was that the US dollar was, in effect, backed by oil instead of gold. Then on February 17, 2008, Iran opened its trading exchange in which oil is brokered in Euros instead of dollars, further threatening the stability of the US dollar.

It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that the world's number one consumer of oil is America, guzzling almost 21,000,000 barrels of crude oil per day, or 25% of all the oil produced in the world. If present trends continue, US consumption will rise to 27 million barrels a day by 2020, and demand will expand to 34% by 2030. Added to this is the fact that the United States consumes 43% of the world's motor gasoline, and no new gasoline refinery has been built in the United States since 1976. Stop for a moment and ponder the meaning of all this: the United States is number 11 in oil reserves and number one in oil consumption, with the demand growing by leaps and bounds. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that a crisis is looming in our future.

More on this tomorrow.

White Hot----God Loves It!!!

If God is ever disappointed when you wait in his presence, it will be because you are not fervent. If you are not serious and intense, you disappoint God. If God is with you and you know it, be in earnest. Pray and believe: "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Hebrew 3:6). If you do not, you disappoint God.

Jacob was that way. God said, "you are not real enough; you are not hot enough; you are to ordinary; you are no good to Me unless you are filled with zeal---white hot!" Jacob knew if God went without blessing him, he could not meet Esau.

If you are left alone with God and you cannot get to a place of victory, it is a terrible time. You must never let go, what ever you are seeking, fresh revelation, light for your path, some particular need, never let go. Victory is ours if we are earnest enough.

You must always master that with which you are wrestling. If darkness covers you, if a fresh revelation is what you need, or if your mind needs to be relieved, always get the victory. You get the victory by being determined to get to victory, by being white hot, dead serious!!!

Can you hold God? Yes, you can. Sincerity can hold Him, dependence can hold Him, weakness can hold Him.

I will tell you what cannot hold Him: self righteousness cannot hold Him:  assumption cannot hold Him: high-mindedness cannot hold Him.

You may sometimes think that He has left you. He does not leave you. You will be blessed if you yield to His will and permit God's Spirit to work in you and bring you to a place of helplessness. Helplessness is weakness; we become strong through Him when we are weak.

God hates warm but He loves white hot!!!

The Church Is Sick

During the time of the beginning of the church, the disciples were pressured by many responsibilities. The practical things of life could not be attended to, and many were complaining concerning the neglect of their widows. Therefore, the disciples decided to choose seven men to do the work for caring for the needs of their widows, men who were " full of the Holy Spirit."

What a divine thought. No matter what kind of work was to be done, however menial or great it may have been, the person chosen had to be "full of the Holy Spirit." The plan of the church was that everything, even everyday routines, must be sanctified to God, for the church had to be a Holy Spirit church.

And to this day, God has never ordained anything less. The church must be a Holy Spirit church!

The heritage of the church is to be so equipped with power that God can lay his hand upon any member at any time to do his perfect will. There is no stopping point in the Holy Spirit church. That was true then, now, and forever. However, the church has gone astray.

I say this with considerable sorrow that the modern day church has closed its doors to the leadings of the precious Holy Spirit. The church has become sense led and not Spirit led! This is why our churches are so ineffective in meeting the needs of the body. Today's Word is based more on intellect then divine revelation.

When we get saved; we get God through his son Jesus Christ. When we get baptized in the Holy Spirit; God gets us. The Holy Spirit who indwells in every believer; we now yield to His leadership. This is sadly missing in today's church. Many pastors think they are God, and they don't even know the nature of God.

Pastors give great thought to their weekly sermons. They plan, they research, they write, they revise, and they rehearse. Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit as to the needs of the body of Christ-------the church--------they believe they know best the needs of the flock. They are being deceived by the great deceiver.

Many times, churches are user-friendly; avoiding what needs to be said and done. Their fear is if they rock the boat, membership will go elsewhere. Instead of ministering prayer and healing, they serve coffee.

In a poll of evangelical Christians, 85% said that they did not experience God last year. I saw nowhere in the Bible where it states that we should have thousands of denominations who each practice their own separate beliefs. We should have one church who follows the New Testament, God's greater covenant. Divided we fall!

The qualification for leadership in the church should be whether or not a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. That is all that is needed for a person to be an effective minister, doer, and teacher of the Word. It doesn't matter what school the pastor attended, or how many degrees he holds. It only matters that the Holy Spirit indwells in him and he is led by that Holy Spirit.

If the above were the rule instead of the exception, our churches would be filled and our bars would be empty. Divorce would be almost nonexistent; families would be a family again.

The Holy Spirit is God; He is part of the Trinity. It is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the same Holy Spirit who indwelled in John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples, and all New Testament believers. Just imagine, if you are a believer he dwells in you. Through Him, you have authority and ultimate power.

A Better Plan

Looking back on our spiritual journeys, we will see that we have held onto our own way too much of the time. When we come to the end of ourselves, God can begin to take control. The Scripture asks, “can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3) We cannot enter into the profound truths of God until we relinquish control,  for “ flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.”  

The glory is never so wonderful as when we realize our helplessness, throw down our sword, and surrender our authority to God.

God has a plan beyond anything that we have ever known. He has a plan for every individual life, and if we have any other plan in view, we miss the  grandest plan of all. Nothing in the past is equal to the present, and nothing in the present can equal the things of tomorrow.  Tomorrow should be so filled with holy expectations that we will be living flames for Him.  God never intended his people to be ordinary or commonplace. His intentions were that they should be on fire for Him, conscious of His divine power, realizing the glory of the cross that foreshadows the crown. 

Many things happen in our lives but when the veil is lifted and we see the glory of God, His tender compassion covers us all the time. How wonderful it is to be where God is. 

There is a way that God establishes. In our human planning, we may experience blessings of a kind but we also undergo trials, hardships, and barrenness that God would have kept us from if we had followed His way.There is a freshness, a glow, a security in God where you can know that God is with you all the time. There is a place to reach where all that God has for us can flow through us to a needy world all the time.

There is a good; there is a better; but God has a best, a higher standard for us then we have yet attained. It is a better thing if it is God’s plan and not our plan.  It will never fail. 

Strife-----It Ruins Relationships and the Devil Dances

Since we are in a spiritual battle continuously, we can't afford to indulge in strife. If you think that a certain amount of strife is just normal; the way you're supposed to live---you're dead wrong. God is a God of peace, and we were created in his image. The fruit of His Spirit working in our life in his peace. Therefore, our life should be full of peace, not strife. I am not saying that we will ever live totally free from all strife from every source, but you should never just accept it, indulge it, or promote it. You should actively stand against and fight it, recognizing that every time you get into strife and door is open for anything that the devil wants to do in your life. Satan has access to you and control over you when you're in strife or in other disobedience to the Word. You have given it to him.

I used to get physically ill when my dear wife and I would partake in strife. Furthermore, the lasting effects were not easy to get over. The issue was long gone and yet the effects remained and seemed to build a blockage to our normal kind and loving demeanors. If you would ask either one of us; we would tell you that we had no intention of being in the condition of strife. We could be laughing, loving, and just generally having a good time. Out of the blue, strife would somehow entered the picture and ruin our mood----and the evening or day to boot. Recovery was not always easy; and sometimes took days.

So my dear brothers and sisters, realize that strife is not of God. It is a pure and simple work of the adversary---Satan. He wants nothing more than to ruin your relationship or marriage. Now, that you know that, you can counteract his cruelty by rebuking Him by the power of Jesus Christ who gives you authority to use His power. We are no match for Satan on our own, but the power of Jesus Christ and the authority He gives us to use it has already defeated the worlds biggest deceiver.

Where Are We Going????

In its beginnings, this nation was a nation of hopes, dreams, and obedience to God. In our early days, we remained that way. We knew that we were blessed because we obeyed God; certainly we had our rogues, who did things without any regard to observing God’s law but they were usually nonentities.

As we began to prosper, ever so slightly, we began to change. Around the mid-1950s this nation was going great guns. World War II and Korea were over; Vietnam had not begun yet. We were experiencing unparalleled prosperity and were on our way to becoming the world’s greatest superpower.

However tiny little glitches began to show up in the armor.

• Materialistic pursuits became more important spiritual pursuits
• We took prayer out of schools
• We took the Bible out of the schools
• We are teaching evolution instead of creation
• Abortion became legal; we have killed more than 50 million babies
• We are teaching birth control instead of abstinence in schools
• Many states have passed pro-gay marriage amendments
• Banks are no longer run on integrity
• Wall Street is now one of the world’s most successful thieves
• Parents have begun to stop teaching their children the right way
• Courts have been making laws in instead of interpreting them
• Presidents abuse their powers excessively
• Candidates for office no longer tell the truth or deliver their promises

We need to learn the spiritual dynamics happening here. God wants you to yield to Him so that His power and blessings can be released in you. Satan wants you to yield to him so that destruction and death can be released and you. In order to gain an inroad, the enemy is constantly trying to scare you with bitterness, unforegivness, and ungodliness of all kinds. Therefore, no matter what you do, you are either obeying God or Satan. You are either submitting to God and His influence or to Satan and his influence. Every time you act, you are releasing spiritual power; either God’s or the devil’s into your life. Since most people are ignorant of this truth,  they allow all kinds of things in their life. Yet, if they were to recognize the results that they are going to reap, they would never allow these things.

So let’s go back for a moment.

• We are either obeying God or Satan
• Satan wants you to obey him so he can release death and destruction in you
• Every action releases spiritual power; God’s or Satan’s
• Most people whether in business, government, education, or religion are ignorant of this fact

 if we are to believe the above, which I do without question, then we must conclude that our corporations, educational systems, medical facilities, courts, government bodies, and banks-just to name a few-are operating under the influence of Satan. Because if they were operating in obedience to God, then God would still be in the public domain, there would be no abortion, gay marriage would not be on the ballots, we would not be handing out condoms in our schools. Furthermore, the banks and Wall Street would be institutions of honor instead of disgrace. Corporations would operate in the best interest of their workers, consumers, and shareholders---instead of the best interest of the bottom line.

Okay, so I have laid out what I see as the problem. Now, what’s the solution? I believe we need to communicate and hold accountable our government representatives both local, state, and national. We need to write these people and voice our dissatisfaction with the status quo.

We need to prohibit the Supreme Court from making law through interpretation and act in the manner for which they were created. People mistakingly believe that a Supreme Court  justice cannot be removed; that is incorrect. They can be removed for dereliction of duty. When this happens, we need to challenge them.

Believers of Jesus Christ need to unite as a unit and reclaim our country under the obedience to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This country  needs  to return to the roots  established by our founding fathers.

As evidenced by the events of the last decade, we are in at least two or more wars, critical economic conditions, decadent moral behaviors, and  critical social and cultural issues too numerous to mention. Our children are growing up afraid, without direction, and with values relative to that of Godless people. 

I see the only way out is to be led out by God through his Son, Jesus Christ. We have had  the  most highly educated people on the planet working in government, healthcare, education, banking and corporate business, and the military. Yet, in my 65 years, I have never seen such a mess  caused by these so-called brilliant people.

This was founded as a Christian nation; and needs to return to a Christian nation---not a nation with some Christians living in it!! Time to act is now. Get busy, get informed, get active.