Category: Religion

Discussions about RELIGION and THEOLOGY – as in the study, pursuit, and understanding of God. This category is everything that interests me about RELIGION and THEOLOGY.

  • Do You Fear For The Future of America?

    Do you fear for the future survival of America as a country? I sure do. I fear for the survival of America because we are losing our way (some might say we’ve already lost our way, and they might be correct) and we are no longer protecting our freedoms and liberties. Instead, we are becoming a Nation embroiled in fighting over agendas, morals, faith, and values.

    America is America when it adheres to, and retains, the values and principles upon which it was founded. A set of values and principles that are totally unique in any government of the world and that some have ascribed to being inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. And America is Great when it is under the protection of Jehovah God and remembers it is one Nation under God.

    People today want to rewrite the history of America. To remake it in their own warped image. But the truth is America was founded and built by Christian men and women, upon Christian values, and with Biblical truths baked into its establishing documents. And it still is the best Nation in the world for finding Freedom, Liberty, and Justice for all people. However, the founding fathers recognized the dangers to a free and just system and warned that society could just as easily choose to remove those freedoms, as they could choose to retain those freedoms. And I believe we are seeing that play out before us today.

    Our government has a wide range of responsibilities relating to operations of our country as a whole. These responsibilities and powers are enumerated within the US Constitution which also specifies how these responsibilities are to be carried out. There are limits and checks in place meant to provide for a balance of power. It may surprise you however, that equal protection under the law was not enumerated in the US Constitution originally and did not come about until the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified in 1868. Section I of the 14th Amendment says:

    All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

    U.S. Constitution | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

    Section V of the 14th Amendment also allows for the creation of laws by Congress for the purpose of enforcement:

    The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

    U.S. Constitution | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

    And from this Amendment, along with the 12th Amendment, which abolishes slavery and indentured servitude, our Equal Opportunity Laws derive. The first Equal Opportunity law enacted after the ratification of the 14th Amendment was the Civil Rights Act of 1875 which was overturned by the US Supreme Court in the Civil Rights Cases of 1883. 81 years later the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed and is the law of the land today (as updated or amended). Title VII of this law specifically addresses employment practices within the country:

    SEC. 2000e-2. [Section 703]

    (a) Employer practices

    It shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer –

    (1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin; or

    (2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

    Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov)

    And with the enactment of this one law, the United States Government unleashed a firestorm of hatred, bigotry, racism, and inequality amongst the citizens of the land. Since 1964 the divisions within our land have become deeper, sharper, and more pronounced than ever before. And the reason for this is because Congress legislated morality out of our everyday business practices.

    Note the words of the 14th Amendment Section I: “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge …” It is key here that the 14th Amendment was intended to limit and define the power of the State over the people and not to limit or infringe upon the power of the people acting within the State.

    Also note that the 14th Amendment already assumes the rights of the people: “nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property …” The 14th Amendment recognizes that life, liberty, and the right to own property are already privileges recognized by our Constitution as being granted by our Creator. These are rights already recognized as being held by the people. And the 14th Amendment is prohibiting States from enacting laws that would deprive the people of these God given freedoms.

    However, what we got in Equal Opportunity Laws because of the 14th Amendment was not the protection of the people from the State, but rather the State limiting the freedom of the people by forcibly specifying the morals people should accept within their lives and how they are to conduct their business. Which had nothing to do with the protection of life, liberty, and the right to own property. And the way they did this was though the criteria: “because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin”.

    By segregating people, which is what you start to do when you divide by race, skin color, religion, sex, and national origin, you are not bringing people together and recognizing that all people are granted the right to life, liberty, and the right to own property, by their creator and that the entity they need protection from is the State, the Government of the land, and not themselves.

    And within this newfound segregation people began to create divisions that carved out specialties that never have existed before. No longer was it good enough to apply the laws of the land to the people, and no longer was it good enough to recognize the protection of the rights of the people, but now we have to bow to the insistent demands of special divisions and categories of people that is open ended and constantly growing and morphing (LBGTQIA+ – that is why they denote the acronym with a plus). And the irony then becomes that these new special interest groups take center stage and supplant the attention of the people of “race, color, religion, sex, and national origin” the laws were originally intended to protect.

    And out of this chaos, we get a Federal Government that does not celebrate the people, but rather paints a picture of activism coupled with enforcement of their own warped morality in an attempt to bend others to their will. We get a Federal Government that looks like this:

    Top Left: US President Joe Biden Top Right: US Vice President Kamala Harris
    Middle Left: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
    Middle Right: Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine
    Bottom Left: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre
    Bottom Right Top: (Former) Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition Sam Britton
    Bottom Right Bottom: Dr. Rachel Levine and Karine Jean-Pierre

    This is a Federal Government not intent on protecting and serving the people of the land. Rather this is a Federal Government intent on pushing an agenda of warped morality and over representing the views and practices of transgenders, and deviant morality found amongst the LBGTQIA+ Community. And that is an act that is ripping our country apart. We hear it in the words of our leadership. Words that are nothing more than sheer hatred and bigotry towards those with differing opinions and ideals, and words that set the people sharply against each other rather than bring the people together.

    So how do we bring the people of our nation together? We do it through the Cross of Jesus Christ. People who meet at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ recognize that we were all created by God for His honor and His glory. And people who meet at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ recognize that we are all sinners and have fallen short of God’s glory. And people at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ recognize that regardless of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, we are all sustained by the hand of God. How do we bring a nation of people together? We do it through the family of God.

    Will you join me at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ today? I believe it is the only hope our nation has left.

  • Are There Spiritual Battles?

    Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

    Ephesians 6:11-13

    One of the greatest testaments to the authenticity of the Bible to me is spiritual battles. The Bible proves itself over and over again with fulfilled prophecies, wisdom and knowledge that could not have come from humankind, unexplained miracles that could not have occurred without divine intervention, and the explanation of why there is good and evil in the world. As a matter of fact, these evidences are so overwhelming that it is sometimes a mystery to me that billions upon billions of people throughout history fail to recognize it as the Word of God.

    And we all do not have to become Biblical scholars and historians that study and interpret ancient texts in order to see and understand the truth and reality of the Bible in the world around us today.

    And within America, we need look no further than our own political arena. Yesterday was an historic moment in American history with the arrest and arraignment of a former US President: USA Today. And one must ask themselves why? Why was it necessary to bring charges against a former US President when this has never before been done in US History?

    And New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg (who brought the charges against former President Donald Trump) tells us it is because no one is above the law. In his statement on the arrest, he told us that the charges were serious and that the State of New York takes them very seriously: Yahoo News. All while pundits, scholars, attorneys, and political figures from both sides of the aisle are scratching their heads and publicly stating that the charges do not make sense and that they are rife with errors and that they could not, and should not, hold up in a court of law.

    So why would DA Bragg risk his reputation and his future with such a reckless and foolish action? What is it that drives him to believe that a case that so many believe has no merit is the case he should risk his entire career on?

    Others will tell us that the charges are absolutely necessary in order to keep President Donald Trump out of office for a second term. But one must then ask themselves why is it necessary to ensure the voters of the American populace cannot vote for themselves?

    And the answer here is that President Trump is evil and he stole the election in the first place. Which is absolutely amazing to me because the Democrat Party (for the most part) demonizes “MAGA Republicans” for the claim that the election was stolen from Donald Trump. And by doing this the Democrat Party has made itself out to be the Party that more closely aligns with its party emblem:

    I’m not sure the Democrat Pary realizes (or recognizes) just how stupid, idiotic, and moronic an argument this is. So, they are telling us that the Party that knows all previous elections were not stolen (and belittles anyone who even remotely suggests that they were) is now persecuting a former President because he stole an election (originally) and then tried to steal an election (this is what the charges are about) and they must prevent this from happening again? And all while doing this they are themselves manipulating and attempting to thwart the next US Presidential election by removing the leading candidate from the field. In other words, they are currently trying to steal a future election.

    And these battles take place with hate, and malice, and anger. You can see the seething hate in Nancy Pelosi’s eyes when she talks about President Donald Trump. There are no other rational explanations other than hate to understand DA Bragg’s actions in charging President Donald Trump at this moment in time.

    And where does all of this hate and malice and anger come from? I thought the Democrat Party was supposed to be the Party of love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness. Can we not find it in our hearts to just forgive and forget? Can we not just spread a little (just a little) love today?

    And the answer to these questions is “apparently not”. But why not? And one may very well ask whether or not I am angry over what is happening in America today. And the answer is: “Of course I am”. I understand that I cannot love abortion, and perversion, and evil at the same time I love God. For I will either hate one and serve the other or serve one and hate God.

    Where does all of this hatred and division come from? The answer is staring us right in the face: It is a Spiritual warfare. And how do I know this is a Spiritual warfare? Well look at what we are fighting over. Abortion. LBGTQIA+ rights. Wokeness. Who can teach and influence our children. Christian values. Diversity, Equality, Inclusion (DEI). Reparations. Black Lives Matter. Make America Great Again (MAGA). Just look at all of things that litter the battleground, they all come down to Biblical values. These are absolutely Spiritual battles and they are determining the outcomes of lives for all of eternity.

    And the only question that remains is what side will you end up on? And to answer this question in my own life I often look at what side aligns with the Holy Word of God. Because if the Bible is accurate enough to actually predict the spiritual warfare that we witness around us every day, then is it absolutely accurate enough to guide me to the side that God stands on. Which side will you choose?

  • Where Was Jesus From?

    Over the years I have often heard the phrase ‘Every church has one’, and in every single case it was not meant to refer to a piece of architecture within the building. Oh sure, you could say every church has a cross. Which would probably be true of most protestant churches. But that is not what the phrase was ever attached to. Rather when someone used the phrase ‘Every church has one‘ it was a reference to a person and was generally not used in a very flattering way. The phrase is meant to identify a stereotype, that may, or may not, be likable, and then to assert that stereotype is common enough as to be able to predict finding it in other churches other than your own.

    And even though we should all be cautious about building stereotypes, the truth is that for all of our differences, we have a lot of commonalities, and we tend to act in similar ways and to mimic behaviors of others. And these behaviors and mannerisms we hold in common allow us to identify stereotypes. And being human, we then tend to ridicule and debase those stereotypes we find different than our own.

    However, today I am going to tread on that dangerous ground, and sincerely pray that it is the example and the analogy that you find value in, and not the fact that the example is born out of what could be called a stereotype.

    In our church there is a very nice older gentleman who is extremely outgoing and friendly. His name is Bob. And while I am hesitant to state that you must certainly have a Bob in your own church, I am fairly confident that you know the type of person I am referring to. That one person who always has to greet everyone. And everyone means every single person who comes through the door. Any door. Including doors they may not be standing at or watching.

    And Bob will generally go on a mission prior to every Sunday service to make sure he has worked his way up and down the isles in order to greet everyone in the sanctuary. And Bob will generally ask a question or two as he greets you and welcomes you to the church. However, Bob is an elderly gentleman. And as such, his memory is probably not as sharp as a younger person. And I can certainly empathize with Bob. The last few years have found me in increasingly more situations struggling with trying to remember something that I am sure I should have right on the top of my head. In Bob’s case, there may be times when he just does not remember you or may not recall a previous conversation. Which will end up with repeats of Bob’s favorite questions. The top one of which is “Where are you folks from?”

    Now granted, if you do know a Bob in your local church, they may not ask the same question all the time. However, here in Hawaii we see a lot of new faces all the time. The number of locals is really quite small. Whereas the number of tourists or transient families is quite high. Military family turnover is regular and constant. Such that the church is always seeing new families arrive and families that seemingly arrived yesterday depart. So, the one question that Bob asks repeatedly is “Where are you folks from?”

    When someone asks you where you are from, they could have a very wide variety of driving motivations which are generally difficult to discern. They could be fascinated with those who have traveled from faraway places. They could be looking for a familiar link or common experience of a place they can relate to. Or they could even be trying to discover whether or not you are one of those people. That would be the people from places they find seedy or less than desirable. Whatever the motivations, I’ve always been fascinated with people who have to know where you are from. I’m usually thinking to myself “I’m from Earth. Why? Are you from a different planet?” However, I usually end up asking the person where they are from.

    But there might be a better question to ask someone when they ask you where you are from. And that is: “Where is Jesus from?” I wonder how Bob might answer that question? I assume that most people would answer that Jesus was from Nazareth: “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.” Matthew 2:23 KJV.

    But when someone asks you where you are from, don’t they really mean “Where were you born?” And for Jesus, that would be Bethlehem: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,” Matthew 2:1 KJV.

    Sometimes they mean “Where did you grow up?” And certainly Jesus spent a few of His younger years in Egypt: “And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.  When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Matthew 2:13=15 KJV.

    Or they might even mean “Where did you work?” And for Jesus, most of His career was based in Galilee: Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.” Matthew 26:69 KJV.

    But were any of these places really where Jesus was from? Was He from Bethlehem, Nazareth, Egypt, or Galilee? He was called as one from these places, but no, Jesus came down from Heaven where He had been for all of eternity with God the Father: “Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;” John 13:3 KJV. Jesus came FROM God and He went TO God.

    And this is the real danger in wanting to know where someone is FROM, it is much more important to know where they are AT. Do you know where Jesus Christ is AT today? Is He a part of your life? Is He your Lord and Savior? He wants to be.

  • Who Owns Death? (Part II)

    I left off this topic in part I with Satan having stolen the spiritual life of humanity from God.

    13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 15 Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, (Ephesians 1:13-15 KJV)

    Ephesians 1:13-15

    The redemption of the purchased possession is our spiritual life. And why would our spiritual life need to be purchased? Paul tells us for the praise of His glory. God’s entire plan from the outset was for His glory and His honor. He could not have redeemed us, nor would we be a purchased possession, unless He had first lost us, or allowed us to be stolen away by Satan. This was God’s opportunity to demonstrate how far He would go for His creation not our opportunity to demonstrate some loyalty to the creator.

    In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. (I John 4:9-11 KJV)

    1 John 4:9-11

    In God’s plan, there was nothing we could do on our own to keep our spiritual life. It was His love towards us and His action of sending His only begotten Son into the world that we then have the opportunity to live through him. Otherwise, we are dead in sin:

    24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (I Peter 2:24 KJV)

    1 Peter 2:24

    God clearly had to take physical action on the part of His creation, in order for us to regain our spiritual lives. And that would not have been necessary if we were not already spiritually dead. And we are spiritually dead because we chose the lie of Satan over the truth of God, and through those actions God allowed Satan to steal away our spiritual life.

    But what about our physical life? Who owns that? And we are going to physically die, right? It should be pretty evident that everyone that has lived, has died. Even Jesus Christ, God incarnate in the flesh, who was born into this world as a man, and lived as a man, died on the cross. Did Satan steal away Jesus’s physical life on the cross? And if Satan had dominion over the physical life, why wouldn’t he have just stopped Jesus from coming into the world in the first place?

    The plausible answer is that Satan does not own our physical death. He has no control over it, nor can he influence it, nor does he know the time, the place, or the method by which we depart this physical world.

    Consider Satan’s discussion with God concerning the servant Job:

    And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life. (Job 2:3-6 KJV)

    Job 2:3-6

    Note that Satan first suggests that God put forth His hand and touch the bone and flesh of Job so that he would curse God to His face. And this was after making the argument that Job’s integrity was due to God preserving his physical life. If Satan had control over that physical life, why wouldn’t he have just taken action on his own? And then note that God gives Job over to Satan but does not allow him to take his physical life? How could God have protected Job’s physical life unless he first owned it?

    Obviously, He could not have. And yet He did because God owns our physical lives and our physical death. The Angel of death is an emissary of God. Likewise, God owns physical life as He demonstrated in raising Lazarus from the dead and more than 500 when Jesus Himself walked out of the tomb. When Jesus Christ prayed in the garden to not have to drink of the cup, it was not the death of the cross that burdened His soul, rather it was the impending spiritual death He would take on when He was separated, for the first time ever, from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

    But why is all of this important to us today? And who cares if Satan owns our Spiritual death while God owns our physical death? Well, I believe it is important because we tend to get the two mixed up and place the emphasis in the wrong place. And I have even heard this preached incorrectly at times, or at least with great confusion. There is one passage that confounds the atheist:

    And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. 24 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? (Luke 9:23-25 KJV)

    Luke 9:23-25

    Jesus was saying if you strive to save your physical life, you will lose your spiritual life, but if you lose your physical life for His sake, you gain spiritual life.

    There are some things that I can absolutely guarantee you today. And one of those is that you will physically live forever. Oh sure, you will physically die in this world because of the sin curse and God keeping us from partaking of the Tree of Life, however, God will raise you from that death, all of us, believers and unbelievers alike, in order to stand in judgement before Him. And if you are still spiritually dead in that day, your physical life will be lost in Hell forever, however if you are spiritually alive in that day, your physical life will be spent as part of God’s family for all of eternity.

    Don’t lose your spiritual life over this physical life, nor lose your eternal physical life by not gaining your spiritual life in this physical life. You simply need to believe on the name that is above all names, the name of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, who died on the cross for the sins of the world and sits at the right hand of God the Father today.

  • Who Owns Death? (Part I)

    Death is a subject that may not interest very many people. For some it may be something that looms over their head that they just don’t want to think about. For others it may be a mystery that grips the heart with fear. Still others have some morbid fascination with death that defies logic and explanation. But one thing is for sure, it is something that is universal and affects each and every person who lives.

    Given that death may be such an uncomfortable subject that most people don’t want to get into, or even think about, why would I devote a BLOG post to it? Especially since my BLOG purports to talk about Life/Religion/Politics/Science/and Philosophy? And while there may not seem to be any connection with death in that topic list, death is something we deal with in life, and it has very serious and important consequences in the Religious (Spiritual) realm. But my purpose for bringing it up today is to hopefully have people, especially, Christians, think about it a little bit differently than what is typically put forth in mainstream conversations. I believe that we treat several conversations about death incorrectly and that concerns me for a number of reasons. So that is why I’d like to share my thoughts on death today.

    When we talk about death, the very first thing we should consider, and the most important thing we should clarify, is Which death are we talking about? For the atheist or agnostic, there is probably surprise (or disbelief) at the concept of multiple deaths. But for the theist, and especially Christians, two deaths should be known and understood. Scripture makes it very clear that there are two deaths (Revelation 2:10-12, Revelation 20:5-7, Revelation 20:13-15, and Revelation 21:7-9 King James Version Bible). If there is a second death mentioned, it would only follow that there is a first death. Christians know these two deaths as the physical death and the spiritual death.

    Everyone knows of the physical death regardless of your world view. Things live and die. It is the cycle of life. For the evolutionist this is the end. Nothing else happens (by-the-way, if you are an Evolutionist who believes in some type of afterlife or spirit world, you are at odds with evolutionary theory which does not allow for any type of god or higher being).

    For the agnostic, you might believe in reincarnation, so something that allows the spirit to still inhabit the earth (as in ghosts, ghouls, or goblins), but there is little rational thought around those ideas, and they lack purpose, meaning, or hope.

    For the theist however, there is an afterlife, perpetuated by a god. And for Christians that God is Jehovah God. And the part of the being that carries forward is the spirit. And most theists, Christians included, believe that God (or gods for polytheists) provide a new body when this this present physical body dies.

    The second death, or spiritual death is unique to Christians and Judaism, and has no meaning to either atheists, agnostics, or most other religions.

    So far, I believe that about 80% – 90% of people are understanding of at least one, some, or all of these concepts and think there is nothing new here. So, let me ask you a question, Who owns death? And let’s be even more specific and identify who owns each death.

    This is where I believe so many people begin to get things wrong (even in some churches). Because believe it or not, I believe they are not the same.

    In Genesis 2:17 the death talked about is clearly spiritual death. This is obvious because when Adam ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he did not immediately physically die. But at the same time Adam sealed the fate of humanities mortality to physically die. And we know this because in Genesis 3:22-24 God clearly indicated that He would honor His original design should Adam eat of the tree of life. And God clearly took steps to not allow that to happen.

    So here we see God exercising control over physical life and death. Both in the fact that Adam and Eve did not immediately physically die when they sinned against God, and by not allowing them to live forever by eating of the tree of life.

    But what of spiritual death? Satan was the one who deceived Eve with a lie. We see this in Genesis 3:1-7. Yet God did not intervene. He allowed Adam and Eve to make a choice. Free will. To either gamble on Satan’s lie, or to adhere to the truth. And he allowed Satan to deceive because he gave over the spiritual life to Satan.

    I am sure there are Bible scholars screaming at their screens right now. God did what!?! OK, OK, the proper way to describe it in the words of Paul is that Satan stole humanity away from God (Ephesians 1:13-15, Hebrews 9:11-16). But I’m going to maintain that no one, not even Satan, can steal from God that which He does not allow to be stolen. Allow me a few verses to illustrate. Christians know that humans start their physical lives dead in trespasses and sin (Ephesians 2:1-3, Colossians 2:12-14). That is, we inherit the sin nature, and its condition, from Adam (Romans 5:6-21). And in this passage, we even see Paul explain that even though we did not sin in the same manner of Adam, we are still sinners (Romans 5:14).

    What we see here is that from Satan’s initial lie to Eve, humanity has been trapped in sin (spiritual death). And we all see that God sent His Son in order to pay our sin debt (buy us back). And why would God need to buy back that which was stolen from Him? And what does any of that have to do with physical death? And what is the relevance to you today?

    Come back and read Part II to find out.

  • What Will Wisdom Gain You?

    I come from a family of fairly well-educated individuals. My paternal grandfather was a public-school administrator, my parents, an aunt, and my sister all hold (or held) advanced degrees from well-known accredited universities. My father graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

    I, on the other hand, failed to graduate from High School. I did acquire a General Equivalency Diploma (G.E.D.) from Seminole Community College later on.

    And yet, right before my father’s death in 2018, he pulled me aside and told me I was the smartest person in the room. It was Christmas time. And what family members could, were gathered at my parents’ house in Tennessee all knowing that it was very likely my dad’s last Christmas as he had been battling cancer for quite some time. My wife and I had arrived late and were to stay in the camper out in the barn. The family was taking the time to walk us through all of the particulars of staying in the camper when all I wanted was to just crawl into bed and sleep. As some of the instructions seemed to drag out and contain little relevance to sleeping in the camper (at least in my opinion) I insisted on cutting them short and just allowing my wife and I to be able to sleep. Needless to say, this was not received well and as everyone was tired and worried about dad, some arguments ensued.

    I quickly reached a point where I decided that the 7-hour drive back home was preferable to arguing and not getting any sleep and I went into the house to tell my ailing father that my wife and I would indeed not be staying but rather were going to head back home (which we did the following morning).

    It was during this conversation, where I actually thanked my dad for the invitation, and attempted to explain that from my point of view all we wanted to do was just go to sleep and that we would be happy to sort out all of the particulars of the camper rules in the morning, when my dad looked at me and asked a question he had never asked before. Ever. He looked and me and said, “Who is the smartest person here?” Which I immediately thought was a trick question as I tried to think of just what the correct answer could be. The sister with the PhD was the immediately obvious choice. But mom, with a Masters Degree certainly had to be considered. And of course, I’m sitting there talking to the one person the whole family considered the smartest person there, my dad. Dad worked for NASA his entire career and had a t-shirt that said, “Well yes, I actually AM a Rocket Scientist” (which was true). And while I was sitting there with all of this running through my head, dad said the most surprising thing he ever said to me, “You are.” Dad had said a lot of things to me about education, academia, studies, and learning over the years, but never had they included the words “smartest person in the room” when referring to me. But dad was not finished talking just yet. Because he had a point in saying what he said. And so, he went on to say, “And being the smartest person in the room can be both a blessing and a curse.”

    It was at this point I instantly knew that dad was telling me to ‘Man up’, ‘be the bigger person’, and that sometimes you had to take a few hits in order to walk the path of serenity. And yes, that may sound a little New Age and sappy, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes you have to be the person that takes the path that maintains peace in a relationship. And dad was telling me, in a very diplomatic way, that he understood my argument, and that I was tired and just wanted to go to sleep, but that he also understood that there were other people in the family that had considerations also. He was asking me, politely, to be the one to take the steps to peace.

    And so, of course this was a life defining conversation, right? And I instantly did the right thing, correct? Well while dad’s words did have an impact, and while they did calm me down during the moment, my wife and I still left for home the next morning.

    But what dad (whom the whole family really did consider to be ‘the smartest person in the room‘) demonstrated at the moment was not great intelligence, but rather wisdom. And perhaps a little political savviness as well.

    And as Dennis Prager has pointed out numerous times, they are not the same.

    Intelligence may define your capacity for learning or understanding, but it does not encompass all learning. A medical doctor may be quite accomplished in the field of medicine while not being very learned (having acquired much knowledge) in the field of quantum physics. At the same time a Quantum Physicist may not be very accomplished in the field of medicine. But no one would argue that both the doctor and the scientist are not quite intelligent individuals. A smart person on the other hand, may demonstrate the capacity for intelligence without having the learning behind it.

    Wisdom, however, is the ability to discern knowledge and truths and use them to take correct actions. And wisdom begins with the Lord (Psalms 111:10, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:10). In order to correctly discern all that we observe in the world around us, we need to first start with a world view that begins with the Lord God. It is only then that we can then put into practice what our intelligence brings to the table in order to effect good outcomes.

    Unfortunately, we have a lot of intelligence in our leadership today. But it lacks wisdom. Our President, Vice President, Senators, and Congressmen are all applying intelligence to their job of running our country. But very few are applying wisdom. And it is simply because they don’t begin with the Lord God.

    What will wisdom gain you? Peace. Peace in the family, peace in your life, peace in your country, and peace in the world. And the really great thing is, you don’t have to take out a student loan in order to obtain it. Wisdom is free for the asking: James 1:5. A really smart person would ask for some today.

  • Do You Practice What You Preach?

    [For the second time in a very short period of time I find myself breaking one of my primary rules for a fixed length BLOG and making a long post (about 2.6 times longer than my average).  I realize that your time is a precious commodity and that time spent on one resource (on the Internet) is time lost to another resource.  However, I believe the hypocrisy in our political, social, and religious conversations these days is spiraling out of control and wanted to share my thoughts on it.  For continuity's sake I am putting this discourse into one post rather than breaking it apart.]

    For all of my life and for all of history that I have learned, there has been one complaint that is constantly brought up: You Christians are hypocrites. And I’ll be bold enough to answer this criticism on behalf of all Christians everywhere: Yes, we are. And if you are a Christian who is screaming at your screen right now: I am not a hypocrite! then I guess I’ll just speak for myself and remind everyone that not only am I the biggest hypocrite here, I am also still chief amongst sinners.

    We are all human and we all live in a sinful world. And all of us (the entirety of humanity) are bound to slip at points and not exactly practice what we preach. And when we don’t practice what we preach, well that is pretty hypocritical.

    But all of that is mostly an academic argument. The real heart of the matter is why the criticism is brought up in the first place. And that (usually) is: You Christians want to force your morals on everyone. Or: You Christians just want to force your God on everyone. Or: You Christians just want to tell me what to do. Which is a really interesting lie from Satan that actually surprises me that so many people believe.

    There are three words in my vocabulary that I have been told I am never allowed to use (except when referring to Nancy Pelosi). Those words are stupid, idiotic, and moron. And I understand those are harsh and hurtful words, however they sometimes spill out of my mouth when frustrated by the inexplicable lunacy we see in the world around us. However, I’ve freely admitted that Christians are indeed hypocritical at times. What I’d ask of any rational thinking person is that they would honestly evaluate their own arguments and consider what really occurs.

    For example, Christians just want to force their morals/values on everyone else. But do you even know what Christian morals or values are? You may think that you do because you feel that they are anything that tells you, you can’t do what you please. But let me tell you what Christian morals and values really are:

    (1) To have no other god before the Lord God in Heaven. Christians worship God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The triune God of all of creation. There is no way that I or any other Christian can force you to worship God. Not even with torture or under duress. Worship just cannot be forced on anyone. It is an act of free will. So no, Christians do not force this on anyone. Rather they invite people to participate in the worship of the one true God. The world, on the other hand, insists that Christians worship at their alter and honor their gods. The world constantly and consistently forces their worship of child sacrifices through abortions, immorality through transgenderism and LBGTQIA+ agendas, and insisting that Christians cater to them in business and grant them marriages in God’s houses of worship, and to even grant them Holy Communion under the practices of the Christian faith. The world demands that Christian honor their religions, without showing the same respect and courtesy to Christianity.

    (2) To make no graven images of worship. Christians are to worship in Spirit and in Truth. Not bowing down to some golden idol made by kings. And when the governments set up graven images and command the people to bow down and worship, Christians should not, and I will not, bow down and worship them. Even when threatened with being thrown into the fiery furnace. Christians do not hail Cesar (or Hitler, or the President, or even the Pope) as a god. And obviously Christians cannot force you to you to not make graven images nor to not bow down and worship them. Rather it is the world that wants to tear down and eradicate the Cross of Jesus Christ. It is the world that wants to close the doors of Christian churches. It is the world that has hated Christians throughout all of history and has sought to end it. And it is the world that creates the graven images of worship that they then demand Christians bow down to.

    (3) To not take the name of the Lord God in vain. Christians are physically and emotionally pained when around someone who vehemently, needlessly, and with scorn exclaims the name of Jesus Christ. And this is a particularly puzzling thing since Jesus Christ is our God. So why does the world delight in exclaiming the name of the Christian God as an explicative? Christians do not force this on anyone, rather it is the world that insists on causing pain and anguish by repeatedly invoking the name of Jesus Christ inappropriately in their conversation. If we really wanted a kinder, gentler world, I would think that the world would be a little more sensitive and respectful in their conversations.

    (4) To remember the sabbath and to keep it holy. Christians want to work six days a week and on the seventh day, to rest and worship God. This may vary between various groups and practices with some debate on whether Saturday or Sunday (on the Gregorian calendar) is the proper day of worship, but Christians want to keep one day a week holy, meeting in their synagogues, temples, or churches to worship as they see fit. I know of no law of man in any free world country that would compel you to keep the sabbath holy. And indeed, Christians cannot, and do not force this on anyone. If anything, I would say that it is the world that has succeeded in making the Sabbath an un-holy day (or just another day of the week).

    (5) To honor their fathers and mothers. Christians believe in a nuclear family consisting of a father and a mother. That they have the inalienable God given right, duty, and responsibility to raise up their children in the way they should go. And that those children should honor their fathers and mothers so that their days may be long upon the Earth. Is it Christians that force other’s children to honor their parents? Of course not. Christians suggest that the world would be a much better place if we had children that honored their fathers and mothers, but Christians have enough responsibility raising their own children let alone everyone else’s. So why is it then that the world is not content to raise their own children but insists on moral and ethical indoctrination of children within the public school system? It is the world that wants to take a place of learning and turn it into a place of socialization and indoctrination. Why do our public-school systems believe it is OK to usurp parents’ responsibilities and thrust a state sponsored set of morals and values upon them? And while the world believes it is Christians that want to force their morals and values on everyone else, the world goes blindly by as public schools promote Heather Has Two Mommies or the support by teachers of transgenderism in the classroom. Forcing their morals and their values on Christian students.

    (6) To not commit murder. Christians are fiercely pro-life. Christians know life is a gift from God and that death is the wages of sin. Christians know God is the author of life and that all life comes from him and is for His honor and His glory. Christians also know that Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price of His own life so that we may have eternal life with Him. Not taking the life of another human through deliberate means contrary to God’s law (murder) is respect for the precious gift of life and the creator that sustains it. It is the world that does not see life as precious. And why should they? If everything is just an accident of natural forces within the universe and all of humanity just happened to crawl out of the primoradial ooze by chance, then who cares if a person lives or dies? There is no meaning to it all, and no greater consequences to our actions here on earth. So, it is easy for the world to sacrifice little unborn children in abortion factories. It is easy for the world to champion euthanasia. It is easy for the world to pull the life support plug on those hanging by a thread. And it is easy for the world to adopt a cavalier attitude towards the suicide and murder rates within our cities and towns and not rush to defend the innocent. This is all because the world does not respect nor cherish life.

    (7) To not commit adultery. Christians believe in the sanctity of a Biblical marriage between a man (biological male at birth) and a woman (biological female at birth). Or at least they should. Christians believe that marriage is ordained by God and is a depiction of his perfect plan in the world. God is a trinity – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. Humans are a trinity – a Body, a Soul (our mind, will, emotions), and a Spirit (that part of us that connects with God and that He sustains). Our families are a trinity – a Father, a Mother, and Children. Our Churches are a trinity – Jesus Christ (the head of the Church), a Pastor (Priest, Rabbi), and the body (congregation). Even the US Government is a trinity – the Executive Branch, the Legislative Branch, and the Judicial Branch. This balanced design is seen throughout our world and Christians know that a breakdown in this balance (such as the act of adultery in a marriage) has disastrous consequences long term. It strains (or often destroys) the marriage. It perpetuates discord and distrust in the lives of children, often for several generations. And it betrays a commitment and a trust that Jesus Christ has set an example of through His love for us. The world takes great pleasure in sexual promiscuity. And it is easy to understand why as lust has a very powerful pull in our lives. So, while Christians do not sanction the act of adultery as it destroys the trinity of the marriage, they still recognize (and at times succumb to themselves) the dangerous alluring temptations of adulterous relationships. It is for this reason that Christians believe they need to be on their constant guard such that they are able to stand against the temptations of evil. The world delights in tearing this guard down. The world delights in the sensual, the sexual, and the temptations that destroy families. And all the while the world is flaunting these temptations and putting their own morality (or lack thereof) on display for all to see, they are demanding that Christians stop forcing Christian morals on them. One might honestly ask, who is forcing whose morals on whom?

    (8) To not steal. For Christians, not taking that which does not belong to them goes beyond just respecting others property and others’ rights. For Christians, not taking that which does not belong to them from others is trusting in God. It is trusting God to provide for their needs (without having to steal from others). It is trusting God bless them and keep them (without having to take the blessings of others). And it is trusting God with a jealous heart in that God has provided for them as He has seen fit and not as they see fit in their own eyes. Seemingly, for the world, taking that which is not theirs has become a standard of excellence. Our news is filled with stories of rioting and looting across our entire country. The world believes it is “owed” something as people demand reparations and seek compensation for perceived injustices. And it is the world that constantly strives to ignore the crime of theft, to the point where the State of California will hardly prosecute thieves anymore.

    (9) To not bear false witness. For Christians, not bearing witness to the truth, should remind them of the betrayal of their Lord and Savior to be crucified on a cross. Christians believe in honesty and integrity in their witness because it depicts the honesty and integrity of God’s own words to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden when He told them that if they were to eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, that they would surely die. And the lie that Satan then whispered into Eve’s ear that they would not die but would become as gods. And Christians should love all even as God loves all. To bear false witness against another and cause them harm, is the same betrayal shown by Satan at the beginning of time. More and more it would seem that the world is no longer with Christians when it comes to truthful testimony in court. Especially in politics. Today we simply need to turn on our cable network news, visit a news WEB site on the internet, consult a social media application on our cell phone, or tune into talk radio. The world is full of those that bear false witness against others and have no problem with it whatsoever when it is to their benefit.

    (10) To not covet their neighbors’ possessions. Christians believe that they should be content with what God has given them and that their desires should not be for the things of this world, but rather for the things of God. For Christians, not coveting or lusting after the possessions of others is to keep from replacing God in their lives with the things of this world. It is to keep their hearts and minds free to be filled by God and not the desires for the possessions of others. And as with all other Christian morals/values, Christians cannot force this upon the rest of the world. It is something that must be accomplished individually and personally. Today, the world is trying to force socialism and communism upon all of us. The world tries to force a level playing field to the detriment of all. And the world is immensely jealous of the “haves” and the “have nots” believing that it is a blight on society that they must fix. It is the world that is trying to play out it’s lust and covet-ness on everyone (including Christians).

    And on all of these hang the entire law. These 10 morals/values that Christians hold to (or at least should strive to make a reality in their own lives) define an outcome that places God first, others second, and themselves last. And Christians see the world this way (or should see the world this way) because God sees the world this way. Christians can consider every other person better than themselves because Jesus Christ, being God, did not consider Himself better than God and gave Himself up for all of creation. God humbled Himself before us, the creation, and we should do the same for others around us.

    And I don’t really believe that people are stupid, or idiotic. At least I don’t believe that about the majority of people. I believe that people are not honest. They are not honest with themselves, and they are certainly not honest with others. If they were, they would recognize their own hypocrisies and understand that they do not Practice What They Preach. Think about it.

  • When Do We Commit to Life?

    Here is something I penned some 17 years ago concerning Terri Schiavo and her husband’s decision to remove her from life support:

    The question then, as it is today, is when do you commit to life (or not)? When we realize that life is a gift from God, and that it is He who grants it and He who takes it away, we begin to understand how precious it is to Him and what our responsibility should be to it.

    Unfortunately, there is little regard for the sanctity of life today whether it be unborn children being aborted, murders throughout our country, euthanasia, physician assisted suicides, or senseless acts of war crimes.

    But God’s position on life hasn’t changed since the beginning of time. It is He who grants life and sustains it. God, being a infinite omnipotent, and omniscient being, expresses himself through his creation. His entire creation from the expanses of the universe to the creatures that crawl, walk, fly, and swim in the seas of the planet Earth.

    However, mankind is the one creation made in his image. We are the one creation meant to have a lasting and loving relationship with Him as part of His family. When God created humans, He created family. And when we are caviler with life, we are being irresponsible with that which was made in God’s own image.

    Our society needs to return to a sanctity for life. Human life. It is the disrespect for human life (or cheapening of human life) that leads us down the path of disregard for others and to begin to make ourselves as gods. We cannot create, Satan and the angelic hosts cannot create, only God can create life where there was no life, and we should respect that and do everything we can to cherish and preserve it where possible.

    The movie Lifemark is a great true-life story about what happens when someone chooses life. I’d highly encourage everyone to go see it. It is based on the real-life documentary I lived on Parker Avenue which you can watch on YouTube:

    Seventeen years ago, and beyond, I chose life. And today I still choose life. Hopefully, life will be a part of your consideration when voting this year.

  • Are We In Danger?

    One of the earliest TV Shows I can remember watching as a child was Lost in Space, which ran for 3 seasons from September 15, 1965 to March 6, 1968. The show was iconic for its time airing a full year before the premiere of another iconic science fiction show, Star Trek. An interesting piece of trivia is that in season 1 episode 5, titled The Hungry Sea, the Robinson family stopped to give thanks (with a prayer and apparent Bible reading) after having survived a rather perilous ocean crossing.

    And while the cast and guest appearances of Lost in Space were interesting, varied, and talented, there was one cast member who was not of flesh and blood (at least not depicted as such) that completely captured one’s attention. The B-9 Robot, seen here with Penny Robinson (played by Lacey Chabert), Will Robinson (played by Jack Johnson), and Dr. Judy Robinson (played by Heather Graham), was an engineering science fiction marvel depicting human-like capabilities, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Science engineering, that were years beyond its time:

    The state-of-the-art computer systems in 1965 (Computer Systems timeline) would not have been able to fit into such a body design, been capable of the computational abilities demonstrated (artificial intelligence, artificial speech, speech recognition, advanced sensors, etc.), and would have required a fairly hefty power cord stretching from the robot to the nearest power plant. Most of these problems would be solved in the decades to come, but some are still eluding us today.

    One of these elusive science fiction fantasies (existing within the Artificial Intelligence realm) is the ability to warn us when we are in danger. This is something the B-9 Robot from Lost in Space did time and time again with Will Robinson, resulting in one of the more memorable TV series lines “Danger Will Robinson! Danger!“:

    And while our technology and modern engineering is becoming safer and safer all the time, we are a still a long way away from having machines be able to warn us when we are about to embark upon a very dangerous path. At least not in the same capacity as another human being would be able to advise us based upon their own intellect, intuition, and experience. But wouldn’t it be great if we did have a robot that could?

    What if America had a B-9 Robot to tell us when we were in danger? What would it tell us and what would it warn us of? I think it might go something like this:

    VPOTUS Kamala Harris says the US Southern Border is secure: NY Post Story. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! Because B-9 is advanced in AI and impartial in judgement, B-9 would know that 2 million illegal aliens streaming into our country unchecked, without visas, without jobs, without homes, and with no support network of their own, are likely to impose an enormous burden on our communities, bring with them a lack of respect for our laws and customs (they are already disrespecting our laws entering into our country illegally, and in many cases acting against our better interests in carrying drugs across our borders on behalf of the Mexican Cartels). B-9 would know that 2 million illegal aliens streaming across our Southern Border places our freedoms at risk, strains our already overburdened law enforcement, medical and health facilities, and probably our welfare system. B-9 would warn us we are in grave danger if we do not rise to meet this threat to our Nation.

    POTUS Joe Biden says the US has no inflation: 60 Minutes Interview. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! Because B-9 has advanced neural-networks with limitless access to world history and current data, B-9 would know that the rise in food, gas, energy, and durable goods prices is indeed an indicator that the country is in or near a recession. B-9 would know that the actions of the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in order to curb out of control price increases is not a good thing, rather it is a reactionary tactic trying to stop harmful things, that usually takes years to recover from, and in some cases decades.

    POTUS Joe Biden “unifies” America by demonizing about half the country: Washington Times Story, FOX News Story. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! B-9 would know that rather than unify, this type of speech divides people and that the President should be leading the country to reconciliation by listening to all points of views and arguing the points on merit. Not shouting them down as a thug or dictator would. B-9 would take great care to warn us about the danger of irresponsible rhetoric and reckless speech in our conversations.

    POTUS Joe Biden celebrates the Reduction In Inflation Act: FOX News Story. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! B-9 would know that no massive Government spending program has ever brought down inflation. B-9 would also be able to calculate that if the top 1% of Americans pay 39% of all Federal Income Taxes, and the top 10% pay 70.6%, IRS data cited here, then 87,000 new IRS Agents is really excessive. B-9 would probably wonder how long it would take those new Agents to become bored and start coming after the other 90% of us.

    The US Supreme Court ended Constitutional Abortion Rights in America: VOA News Story. B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! B-9 would know that the US Constitution does not guarantee the right to an abortion. B-9 would know that US Supreme Court Associate Justice Harry Blackmum, author of the Roe vs. Wade majority opinion, could not draw upon any case law for the opinion and indeed claimed to find the resulting “right” in the penumbra(s) (imperfect shadows) of the Bill of Rights (penumbra law). B-9 would also know that abortion did not end in America, however they were reduced in number as 13 States enacted abortion bans. B-9 would warn us of the other “rights” that may be found in the imperfect shadows of our legal documents. B-9 would also know that State freedoms are a way of putting people in control of their own destiny, and that States can decide for themselves how they want to treat an issue not enumerated upon in the US Constitution, and then be held accountable to a local electorate.

    Christianity is alive and well in America: The Patriot Post (2018). B-9 Robot: Danger America! Danger! B-9 would not want to be an alarmist here, however, B-9 would know that with all of the other dangers facing America today, that religious freedoms are only a fleeting moment away from disappearing to an unsuspecting people. And B-9 would know that unless Christians actually practice Christianity, that it will soon be absent from the American landscape.

    We don’t have a B-9 Robot to tell us of the dangers surrounding us, but the signs are there and anyone who looks for them can see them. The question is, are we going to ignore the danger signs, or are we going to do something about them?

    I saw a movie this week that I’d recommend everyone see – Running the Bases. There is a line at the end of the movie that I will not quote, but I will paraphrase it closely with my own twist: ‘The problem with America today is not all of the evil Satan is perpetuating before our very eyes. The problem with America today is the silence of Christians who will not stand for their Faith‘.

    Stand for your Faith this November. Vote.

  • Can Christians Have Humor?

    One of the older misgiven stereotypes of Christians is that they are old dried-up humorless sourpusses. This image of Christians is probably not as prevalent in the world today as it was during my youth, however, the idea is still somewhat alive even if not articulated in the same way it was a few decades ago.

    Oftentimes when poking fun people are quick to judge or defend the sensitivities of others. And perhaps there is a fine line when creating humor at another’s expense. But that is a far cry from humor used in a lighthearted way to get a point across.

    I believe it important to understand that all emotions experienced by humans are God given (some people may be puzzled by that and ask, ‘Even hate?’ To which I would have to answer, “Yes, even God hates.”). The idea that we just magically created the wealth of human emotions through some evolutionary process of climbing out of the primordial ooze is, in and of itself, humorous. God gave us a soul, our souls elicit emotions, and one of those emotions is humor.

    This isn’t to say that, like everything else in this world, our emotions haven’t been tainted by sin. They have. However, they, like all aspects of creation, are a reflection of the many facets of a Holy and infinite God.

    Consider Sarah, who when giving birth to her very firstborn son, found humor in the fact that her husband was 100 years old:

    5 And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. 6 And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. 7 And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.

    Genesis 21:5-7 KJV

    Or Job, who likened his condition and position of trusting in God to a person being mocked of his neighbors and when he cries out to God, God’s answer is that the righteous are laughed to the point of scorn:

    3 But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these? 4 I am as one mocked of his neighbour, who calleth upon God, and he answereth him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn. 5 He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

    Job 12:3-5 KVJ

    Laughter and humor is very much a part of our beings, even though at times truth in humor can sting.

    And it is in that vein that I pray I may be allowed a little bit of leeway in my own feeble attempt at levity and humor today. Please understand that this is only parody in response to the state of the world today. Nothing more, and nothing less.

    Today, the US Stock Exchange gave up considerable ground on the news of continued inflation within the country and fears of a Fed Prime Rate hike increase tomorrow (The Hill). And yet, President Biden seemed to insist that the Reduction in Inflation Act was working as promised (Biden touts inflation reduction law despite sobering report). This seemed just a little over the top humorous to me and resulted in me penning the following:

    BEGIN SATIRE

    Tuesday, 13 September 2022, Washington D.C.
    Veep News Service, Inc.
    K.D. Harris, Sr. Reporter

    President Joe Biden addressed the Nation today praising the huge success of his Inflation Reduction Act (formerly “Build Back Better”) amid reports of soaring inflation numbers, the worst Wall Street sell off since 2020, and rising fears of a huge Fed hike in interest rates tomorrow.

    “I did that!” Joe Biden proudly exclaimed while pointing to charts showing every major stock index plunging into the red.  “Our Inflation Reduction Act is working faster and better than any of the analysts could have possibly predicted.”, he went on to say.  “If only the Republicans hadn’t blocked our every move and allowed us to get this crucial legislation in place earlier, we could have seen these numbers a year ago.”

    When asked about having a Misery Index higher than that of Jimmy Carter, President Biden began to eerily channel former VPOTUS Al Gore and stated that ‘Everything that ought to be UP is DOWN, while everything that ought to be DOWN is UP!’  In confusing and stumbling words the President brilliantly explained to this reporter that the Inflation Reduction Act was working exactly as designed and that in order to actually get to the great reset we needed to first utterly destroy hard working American’s pension plans, see thousands of seniors freeze to death amidst soaring fuel prices this winter, and of course bankrupt America by shifting defaulted student loans to the backs of Americans who paid their own way.  Triumphantly, President Biden stumbled off stage and immediately crashed his bicycle into an imaginary object while blaming President Trump and Ronald Regan for the soaring crime rate in the Country.

    This reporter was in awe of the President’s stature and his ability to effectively communicate his message without any of the mean Tweets of the illegitimate President Donald J. Trump.  America has a bright future ahead as the Inflation Reduction Act really kicks in to raise the National Debt by over $5 Trillion, oddly erases imaginary Global Climate Change, and cures cancer by the time the President reaches his 104th birthday.

    AP Wire, 09232022-115600 GMT.

    END SATIRE

    Hopefully you can see the humor in that.