Joy, Power, Pleasure And Freedom

The pursuit of pleasure is not fueled by freedom.  The pursuit of pleasure is fueled by a spirit of self-gratification and accompanied by self-delusion.  I think we all know that pleasure is very temporary. Nevertheless, it is still desired.  As one pursues it, there can be much confusion.  Too often, one does not know the path to follow in order to obtain or experience pleasure.  Speaking of that, the views of a young man in his twenties are different than those of an old man in his seventies or eighties regarding  the subject of  pleasure.  If a person is a slave to pleasure.......that person is not free.  To be free is one of the greatest gifts known to humankind.  I will sum up my words:  It is better to be free than to be a slave.  To be free one must know how to live. Okay, then.......how can I know how to live?  Here it is:

"YOU WILL SHOW ME THE PATH OF LIFE; IN YOUR PRESENCE IS FULLNESS OF JOY; AT YOUR RIGHT HAND THERE ARE PLEASURES FOR EVERMORE."   (Ps. 16: 11)

The Psalmist is talking to God.  He is mentioning God's right hand of power.  In order to have pleasure, one must have power.  In order to have power, one must have joy.  "The joy of the Lord is my strength." (power) (Neh. 8:10)   God is a spirit.  God is Lord.  "And where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (freedom)  So, who is at the right hand of God?  Why don't you ask Stephen?  (Acts 7: 55,56)

Immigrants That Can Help

"Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,  I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
Emma Lazarus  (from the plaque on The Statue of Liberty)

Every human being that is born, has in him/her the potential to be a contributing member of society if given an opportunity.  When people immigrate from one country to another, they do so with a purpose.  I suspect that it is usually to improve their quality of life.  Of course, one person's idea of "quality" may be quite different than that of someone else.  Does it improve the nation if an immigrant succeeds in America?  Does it harm the nation if the immigrant becomes a criminal in the nation?  Is it costly?  Overall, I perceive immigration to be a positive phenomenon.  We live in a "nation of immigrants."  Has it not always been that way?  What if the sole purpose of an immigrant is to take advantage of it's welfare system?  What if the sole purpose of an immigrant is to commit crime.  What if an immigrant is poor, and has no desire to work?  What if an immigrant has a serious disease?  Is it wrong to prefer that an immigrant come to this country for the purpose of improving it, contributing to it, and being a benefit to it's existence rather than just taking advantage of it, taking what it has to offer, and giving nothing in return?  I would want every immigrant who comes to this country to succeed.  But does not success come from hard work and obedience to the law?  Perhaps some would say that my words are too idealistic.  I agree to this point:  You cannot get action without waste.  You cannot offer services and expect no  fraud to ever take place.  Millions and millions of people anywhere, any time and under any circumstances cannot be expected to conduct themselves without fault.  But government must do everything it can to protect the hard working, tax- paying, law-abiding citizenry. What if they were taxed less and allowed to have more liquidity?  What if they were allowed to have more in reserve for themselves? They keep the nation afloat.  This great nation did not happen by accident.  Where are the guarantees that it will continue to be a great nation?  There are not any.  We just need to continue to make it happen. Let us not forget that this nation was started by immigrants. Do you think that they came here to build a better life?  How?

A Longfellow Quote

I saw it for the first time when I was 12 years old.  I never forgot it.  I do not really know why it inspired me so much.  It was on an award certificate  that I received as a 7th grader at National City Junior High School. I now realize that such a saying can only be inspired by knowledge of, and exposure to books that speak of great possibilities.  Mythology is not enough.  This short quote speaks of having a proper attitude, not being lazy, having the courage to accept consequences, reaching goals, working hard, not giving up, and waiting for excellent results. I hope America's students are still exposed to it.
 Here is the quote from one of America's greatest poets......Henry Wadsworth Longfellow:

"Let us, then, be up and doing, With a heart for any fate; Still achieving, still pursuing, Learn to labor and to wait."

Some Quotes About Taxes

I guess some things never change.  Apparently it is fairly easy for the government to do, and it will always be an issue.

 "The government taxes you when you bring home a paycheck.
It taxes you when you make a phone call.
It taxes you when you turn on a light.
It taxes you when you sell a stock.
It taxes you when you fill your car with gas.
It taxes you when you ride a plane.
It taxes you when you get married.
Then it taxes you when you die.
This is taxual insanity and it must end."       J. C. Watts, Jr.
(1957- ) US Congressman from Oklahoma (R), former quarterback in the Canadian Football League

"The only difference between a tax man and a taxidermistis that the taxidermist leaves the skin."
Mark Twain        [Samuel Langhorne Clemens] (1835-1910)

"In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other."         Voltaire   (1694-1778)

My Letter To Caroline Glick

Caroline Glick is a writer based in Washington DC who writes about Israel.

Caroline, thanks for your writings.  I am pro-Israel.  I always will be.  The main reason being I love the Lord and I love His word.  I am a Minister of the Gospel.  I am a retired high school Social Science teacher.  I have been volunteering at the San Diego County Jail for 33 years and am currently Chaplain of one of the facilities.  I tend to preach a great deal from the book of the prophet Isaiah.  The Word of God is a treasure.  It is the greatest gift God has given to mankind. THE WORD OF GOD IS TRUTH. Any nation on this planet that does not have access to the Word of God is quite likely to be a Third World nation.  The Word of God is righteous, and "righteousness exalts a nation."  My message to inmates on a regular basis is the message of power, and I do not mean political power.  I mean power to curb the inclinations toward crime and perversion.  I have so much more to say, but I will end my words by quoting just part of one of my favorite verses from His Word.  "The joy of the Lord is my strength."  (Nehem. 8:10) It is absolutely true.  I have experienced it.  I have the  joy of the Lord.  I have the joy of the Lord because I know the Lord.  His name is Jesus.

The best to you.         

 Robert Dominguez

The American Left And Muslim Theocrats

 I think that the alliance between the American left and muslim theocracy exists because they are both intolerant and because both hate Christianity. Also, American leftists and Muslim theocrats  are not in agreement with each other regarding homosexuality and same sex marriage. However, their shared animosity toward Christianity allows them to act as if the homosexual issue does not exist. Leftists do not seem to have moral parameters. Muslim theocrats do. The main problem I see with both is that they do not believe in freedom. Christians do believe in freedom, particularly freedom of speech.

The Joy Of The Lord!

I am determined to have a positive quality of life.  I refuse to be sad, forlorn, depressed and feel hopeless.  I am determined to not be dominated by those feelings ever again.  Basically, I refuse to not be happy.  I am grateful to God for the love and kindness He has shown me.  But there is something that I need in a very big way to continue living my life.  I need power.  I need power to keep on going.  I need strength.  I found it.  I found it in Jesus Christ.  He is my joy.  He is my power.  I did not used to feel this way.  I did not used to think this way.  My formal education tended to become an obstacle in my quest for meaning in this life.  I found my purpose in life.  My purpose in life became service to Jesus Christ.  I am His.  He is mine.  Jesus Is my strength BECAUSE He is my joy.  There is only one Lord.  His name is Jesus.  I am never going back to my "pre-Lord" days.  Those days are gone forever.  I have found a treasure.  "The joy of the Lord is my strength."
"Then he said to them,  Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
(Nehemiah 8:10)

One Einstein Quote

I consider myself a patriotic person.  I am a veteran, and I have no regrets about it.  Nevertheless, I believe that it is possible to justify disobedience to government if it involves  a request or command from them that, to me, is obviously immoral.  I am not a rebellious, in your face, type of person either obviously or indiscreetly. I am glad I never went to war.  I would have gone, had I been sent.  I have no doubt about it.  At this stage in my life, however,  I am unable to say what I would have done, had I been told to commit an atrocity. At this point, it is purely academic.  Nevertheless, there are some things a person should not do, even if it means his/her life.  There is no need for me to speak self-righteously, and I am aware that decisions are made at times to "achieve a greater good."  And I am also aware that if I commit a serious wrong, I can be forgiven.  But this does not mean that I disagree with Albert Einstein, who once said, “Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it.” 

Who Kills People?

Somebody said "people with gods kill people." I said no.   "People with anger kill people. People with jealousy kill people. People with frustration kill people. People wth ignorance kill people. People with confusion kill people. People with hatred kill people.  People with insanity kill people."

Israel And Obama

It was a very wise political move to visit Israel. Obama has shown me that he does have some intelligence. That little tiny democratic nation (the only one around there) which is surrounded by nations that hate it, knows how to survive as well as thrive politically, militarily, economically, academically and many ways too numerous to mention. The nation of Israel has turned an arrid, unproductive desert land into one of the greatest agricultural giants on this planet. What a glorious history this nation has! As the weakness of human nature would have it......many are envious of Israel. Please do not be guilty of such a thing. Hatred is a cancer that will keep people from progressing. You can be a success also. Go pay the price. Work hard. Make some sacrifices. Success is out there. Go for it.  I am of the persuasion that God has selected Israel to be an example for the world to see what humans are capable of.  I also want to make it perfectly clear that God does not have "favorite people."  Yes, He has made certain promises to the nation of Israel, but please be advised, most of those promises are for anyone who is willing to believe in them. God is not a "respecter of persons."  (Acts 10:34)  This means two things:  Nobody is special.  Everybody is special.  God selected ancient Israel to introduce to the world, the doctrine of monotheism.  And yes, He selected certain prophets of Israel to announce the coming of the Messiah.  Jesus is the Messiah.  Jesus is our Savior.  He is the greatest gift to the human race.  Incidently (or not) Jesus was a Jew.  "He came unto His own, but His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name.  (John 1: 11,12)   I belong to Jesus.  He loves me.  I love Him.

The Gay Agenda And The Word Of God

As odd as it may seem, those who are against the Word of God are the ones who stand to benefit from it greatly.  This sounds oxymoronic, but it is true.  Let me explain.  The Word of God in this country has created the freedom which we enjoy.  Jesus said  "come unto me all you that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."  Think of the words "whoever" or "whosoever."  These two words represent choice.  They represent a willingness to accept or reject.  When one accepts, and I mean truly accepts, he/she becomes a better person.  And YES, a more tolerant person.  A kinder person, a more loving/forgiving person.  Yes, that is God's will for us....that we become more and more like Him, and less and less like the people who want nothing to do with Him.  This causes us to try to honor God by having the "mind of Christ."  Jesus Christ is holy.  He is 100% man.  He is 100% God.  This is why the Bible refers to Him as the "Son of man" as well as the "Son of God."  Jesus Christ is also the Word of God because "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us."  What good is the Word of God?  To me, that is an excellent question.  Many are unable to call it by that title because they do not believe in it.  They call it "mythology."  God claims to be able to "show us the path of life."  (Ps. 16:11)  Many have accepted this to be true.  They have reaped the benefits.  Others who have not accepted this to be true have reaped the benefits, and obviously have not given God the glory.  What good is the Word of God?  It is alive.  It is powerful.  It is spirit.  It is truth. It is eternal.  "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."  (2 Tim. 3:16)  Liberty is God's gift to humankind.  Liberty is precious.  It must be respected.  Liberty has it's source in the Word of God.  Therefore, the gay/ lesbian  lifestyle steals the liberty away from those involved in it, because it is unholy.  It is sin.  Sin makes people slaves to it.  The Holy Spirit and the Word of God agree, they are one.  Sin is not directed by the Holy Spirit, therefore, liberty is absent.  It is absent because "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."  ( 2 Cor. 3:17)  There is much more.

Martin Richard

What did he have to do with the anger and frustration of some psychopath?  He was definitely an innocent, 8 year old boy who loved sports.  In the bombing at the Boston Marathon, he was the first person to be discovered dead.   He had nothing to do with war or politics.  He was just a boy who was there to have fun and witness a great tradition.  His murderer will need to answer for this, and for the lives of the other two persons as well as those who were maimed.  There will be no escape.  Sooner or later, there will be no escape.

"Where The Spirit Of The Lord Is"

Some months ago, I wrote a letter to Yahoo about outspoken gays and lesbians who defend same sex marriage.  I am persuaded that all sides need to present their points of view......if they want to.  They should be free to do so.  As for me, I will do no name - calling, and I will not worry about things that are out of my control.  I will continue to serve Jesus.  I will continue to pray.  For me, many things are impossible.  However, for Jesus, nothing is impossible.  He is God.  He has all power. Here is the letter.

 

"She may say all she wants to say. So may I. So far so good. The First Amendment is alive and well. Freedom is a "tough customer." Would a police state be easier ? It is necessary to have a police state where the truth is not preached. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (Jn. 8:32) Stephen was preaching the truth. The people who stoned him to death covered their ears before they stoned him. I think we can safely say that Stephen did not have "freedom of speech." (Acts, Chap. 7) Nevertheless, he had liberty."  "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty." (2 Cor. 3:17)

I Love Coffee

Coffee tastes good with cream and sugar or just plain black. It is a good social drink. It picks a person up. It is sometimes a good laxative. You may drink lots of it without getting drunk. It is good for a spontaneous date, or a casual first date. It can inspire you to think, imagine, create, write and be a good conversationalist. It is not as expensive as booze and it does not cause you to have accidents or get hangovers. I love coffee. I do not own any stock in it. I would rather drink coffee than fine wine. I like the smell of coffee. Coffee has improved my quality of life in many ways. I associate coffee with beautiful experiences.

Birth Of The Bureaucrat

Government bureaucracy is a monster that has gotten out of control.  It does not need to be that way, but to attempt to streamline government and make it more efficient is close to impossible.  Maybe it is more doable in a very small country.  I am not sure, because people are people everywhere.  In the quote below, I think the key word is "parasite."  It was said a long time ago by our 3rd President.

"I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary,
too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious."

 Thomas Jefferson   (1743-1826),

The United States Is Unique

It is pretty simple to me.  It seems pretty clear.  The United States is a very special country.  If it were not so, people would not be risking their  savings, life and limb to get here.  It is a pretty special place.  It may not be that popular to say what I am saying, nevertheless, I am a realist.  It is a great place to live.  It has practiced Christian ideals.  What has that caused?  It has caused a kind nation.  Yes....a kind nation.  This nation adheres to the persuasion of equal political, economic and legal rights for all human beings.  There is definitely freedom here.  There is tolerance and opportunity here.  Of course......if you are a real lazy person, a criminal or pervert, well then.........all bets are off.

A Heresy?

What is a heresy?  There are around 4 definitions for this term.  I will select one that does not have anything in particular to do with the Roman Catholic Church or it's history.
Heresy...."An unorthodox or controversial opinion or doctrine, as in philosophy, science or politics."
(Websters II University Dictionary)
The key word  here,  is "opinion."  Unless a person is determined to break the laws of the land with his opinion, unless a person destroys lives and property, as a result of his opinion:  then he/she is entitled to hold that opinion. If a person is arrested, tried, convicted and sentenced for his opinion, he may continue to hold his opinion while in confinement, because "no chains or prisons can fetter the mind."  I am not an attorney, but I am aware of certain rights. I have opinions.  Some of them are controversial.   Here is my stance:  I want people to believe the way I do.  I want people to hear the Word of God, believe it, and practice it.  I  want to have the freedom to  disagree with the views of others, and I want them to have the freedom to disagree with me.  If someone says to me: "I hate God!" or "I don't believe in God."  I must first get that person to listen to me.  This is critical, but obviously I cannot force that person to agree with me.  He/she has an opinion.  However, opinions can change.  I preach the Gospel.  I preach it in different places.  Tomorrow night, if God permits, I will be preaching in the street, in Downtown San Diego. (Union and B) It will be a good time, in Jesus' name.  I will try to "change opinions" and introduce new ones.  I will be preaching Jesus.  (please read Acts 8: 27-38)  Verse 35 says that Phillip preached Jesus. (is there anything else to preach?)  No, unless one can find another Saviour or another name that is above every other name.  I was called a heretic once.  I will talk about it in a future blog.  Speaking of opinions, please read below.

"They that approve a private opinion, call it an opinion; but they that mislike it, heresy: and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion."     Thomas Hobbes  

(1588-1679) English philosopher, political theorist

My Letter To OMG

A woman proposes marriage to another woman at a picnic.  The scenario receives a great deal of attention.  Many letters are written, for and against.   Here is mine.

Ever heard of freedom of choice, Scott? Ever heard of natural law? Ever heard of moral parameters/guidelines. Ever heard of disagreeing with someone/something, and hatred is not part of the equation? Ever heard that marriage is between a man and a woman? Have you ever heard that some things do not change? Have you ever heard that men cannot get pregnant? Have you ever heard that a woman cannot impregnate another woman? Do you want everyone to drop universal truths into the trash, just to appease some people who practice sexual vulgarity and clamor for their lifestyle to be labeled legitimate? Have you ever heard of sex being private? Now, even the Supreme Court is involved. If same sex marriage becomes a law, does this legitimize, before God, the oldest institution known to humankind? Who started marriage? God did. It is between a man and a woman. Did He make a mistake? No. He makes no mistakes. We do.

Religious Liberty

My dad told me once that when he was around 9 years old, and living in Mexico, he begged his dad to take the family to the United States.  His dad, (my grandfather) did not want to do it.  Apparently, he had a successful candy business during the decade of the twenties.  The reason my dad did not want to stay in Mexico is because he was mistreated in school.  He was called names, beat up and was ordered to kiss small images of idols (saints and vrgins).  My dad's family was Protestant in a predominantly Roman Catholic country.  He got into fights.  He got into more serious trouble when he got home.  He was told not to fight.  It was hard for him.  It was stressful for him.  He told me that he thought that the stress that he experienced caused him to have health problems later on in life.  Obviously, I do not have all of the details.  Some of the things he told his oppressors were offensive to them, of course.  But how was a young boy supposed to handle this kind of mistreatment?  He didn't have the maturity or the vocabulary of an older person. So yes, he and his family suffered persecution.  They held on to their faith.  They came to the United States.  My dad loved this country.  He loved it in spite of hard times experienced here as well.  He really appreciated living in a free country.  His appreciation for freedom has influenced me.  This is probably one of the reasons I am sensitive to, and appreciative of........freedom.  I believe in religious freedom.  I embrace it.  I practice it.  "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."   (John 8:32)

 "Religious liberty is primarily a man’s liberty to profess a faith different from that of the dominant religion,
and to unite in public worship with those who share his faith."  

 Giovanni Miegge   (1900–1961) Italian Protestant theologian, professor, author

"Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death"...... Patrick Henry

It was a speech around 1200 words long.  It is a classic.  It was given in St. John's Church in Richmond, Virginia on March 23, 1775, to The Virginia House of Burgesses, which was the original government established in the Virginia colony. It was akin to congress.  The speech was an attempt to rally the support of the Virginians for the American Revolution.   It contains 8 references to God.  I truly admire this speech.  I am not a great admirer of war.  However, I recognize it as a reality.  I do not think man is capable of ending war.  I know that sounds pessimistic.  I do think that some wars can be avoided.......and some have been.  But to think that war will end, is to be unrealistic.  It is like saying that injustice will end everywhere.

I only have the last paragraph below.  It is probably the most quoted.  I recommend you read the whole speech.

"It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Not Our Words

Words are important.  In fact that is what we are reading.  We can expound, explain and expand.  But if our words of excellence, knowledge, wisdom, guidance, understanding and profundity do not match with lives of character and positive repute.........we risk being labeled hypocrites and phonies.   I do not care much for the term: "religion,"  however, it does serve a purpose.  "Religion" is supposed to improve our moral quality of life.   However, "religion," without spiritual power is like an engine without fuel, a lamp without electricity, or a cell-phone without a charged battery.  Jesus said: "You shall know them by their fruits."  What "fruits" was He talking about?  I will keep it short, because when I deal with this subect, I can go on, and on, and on.   At this time it will suffice for me to say:  The way we treat people.  The way we respond to injustice. The good we do for others.  The respect we show others.  The kindness we show others.  And finally, our willingness to forgive others.   There is more, but I will end my words with two quotes.  The first one was stated by Thomas Jefferson.  The second one, although it is very well known, the author is unknown.

"It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read."

"Your actions speak so loud, I can't hear a word you say."

The Hall Of Champions And Bullying

This is an edited letter that I sent to a school district several years ago.  I sent it after attending a very interesting meeting that dealt with bullying.  Apparently bullying is a problem in schools throughout the country.  It is not necessarily a new problem.

"Thank you for allowing me to participate in the District’s Interfaith Meeting held last Tuesday, I am convinced the meeting was important. I also attended the last one held in October. I am also convinced that the interfaith community is able to assist the District in its’ efforts to combat bullying. I am most happy to share with you some information germane to this quest.

The Hall of Champions and Bullying

My name is Robert Dominguez. I taught for 26 years at Granger Junior High School. The first year I was there, I was aide to the assistant principal. My job was mainly helping the assistant principal with discipline. It was at that time that I realized how prevalent bullying is at school, particularly at the middle school and junior high school levels. I concluded that this was not going to be an easy problem to deal with and I told myself, when I get into the classroom I will be determined to create in my classroom an anti-bullying environment. Aside from my academic preparation for the classes, I taught, I endeavored to create a climate of safety in my classroom. I named my classroom “The Hall of Champions.” I emphasized character building and placed a major focus on courtesy and how we communicate with each other. I peppered my classroom with sayings. Among them were:

“Give respect, get respect”
“Never be jealous of anyone”
“The body of someone else is not your toy; keep your hands off of it”
“Words can hurt more than fists”

Those are but a few. I also had Biblical scriptures on my walls and bulletin boards in addition to social science materials.

I believed that "Character Development" was the forgotten curriculum. I had a list of forbidden words. I did not feel comfortable having them written on the wall so I had some of them written and covered. Among them are these: shut up, stupid, idiot, the “F” word, pendejo, buey, bitch, faggit, slut and puto(a).  There were others, and any other degrading form of communication was not permitted.

I must admit that I did spend time on character development because I thought it was very important.  I was a social science teacher. And in a broad sense the way we treat each other in our communities, and  the way we communicate with each other, would fall under the category of culture. And if you are in America, it is part of American culture.  I attempted to always connect character education to the lessons.  Although not all of my colleagues may have agreed with me, character education can be connected to every social study of the Social Science curriculum. I realize it may not have been part of the official curriculum, nevertheless, respect is connected to character development, and both are connected to the problem of bullying.   Not having a safe environment in the classroom, and on the campus, can seriously hinder learning."

I Was Called A "Religithug"

Some time ago, I was called some unkind names by a gay activist.  This was my response to him.

What is a "religithug"?  I have heard of no such thing. Why don't you stop the name-calling, and rudeness. You/we live in a free country. Nobody is stopping you from being gay if that is what you choose to do. What you want is not just for people to be tolerant, you want validation. You want legitimacy. How can you get it when the Word of God prohibits it and calls it an abomination? So if I disagree with the GLBT lifestyle, this makes me a "religithug"? If you expect to live in a world where everybody agrees with what you do, you are not embracing reality. And all the name-calling you emit will not change your expectations.

There Is Hope For This Man

A man by the name of Abdulla Badr claims to be an Egyptian Muslim  scholar.  He, along with many other Islamic terrorists, who spent 10 years in prison during the administration of Mubarak, have recently been released.  He claims "Muslims should hate all Christians."  He is disgusted by Christians.  He is "grossed out" by Christians.  These are his words:  "It's not a matter of piety, but disgust.  I get grossed out.  I cannot stand their smell, their look, everything. I feel disgusted, disgusted.  I get disgusted not only by that, but by many things."


These are not the words of a man who is tolerant of others.   "What is the great commandment in the law"?
Jesus was asked.  He responded thusly:  "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
(Matt.22: 37-40)  These are the teachings of Jesus.  They have nothing to do with denominations, corporations, organized religions, companies and much more.  It is the unadulterated Word of God, and it is powerful.  Much more powerful than the cultures of the world.   The Word of God is alive.  "It is the spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing.  The words that I speak unto you are spirit and they are life."  These are the words of my precious Lord and Saviour.........Jesus Christ.  He is the center of my life.  Although I belong to one,  no religious organization is the center of my life.  Why?  Because all religious organizations have faults.  We should all agree with the words of Pontius Pilate when he said: "I find no fault in Him."  Well, how can we find fault in Him?  He is perfect.  He is holy.  He is God.  I suppose He, during his earthly ministry, did not always smell like expensive cologne, and, the sight of Him hanging on a cross, like a common criminal,  is not necessarily a "pretty sight,"  nevertheless, I love Him.  He means more to me than anything.  And there is no way I am embarrassed to say so.  One more thing, if someone does not agree with me regarding these things, I will neither lambast them or kill them.  I will teach them and pray for them, only God can "create a clean heart."  All the water, expensive soaps, perfumes, sprays and so forth cannot do that.

Freedom Is Not Automatic

I wrote the following post as a reply to a letter written to Yahoo defending freedom, free thought, debauchery and same sex marriage.

"Gayle, you are assuming that freedom is automatic. Freedom is not automatic. It has taken centuries to develop. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," is not some slogan. It  is a universal truth. The Word of God has been respected in this great nation. It was not respected in Sodom and Gomorrah. The more the Word of God is rejected, the more that God will withdraw His blessings. I know that He sends rain and sunshine to both the good and the evil. However, does not the Word of God declare: "Draw close to God and He will draw close to you"?  The further you get from God, the closer you get to evil.  And also, as a nation, the closer we will be getting to a tyrannical, police state and a third world society. Nevertheless, God's people will still be here. They are the light of the world. Jesus said that His believers are the light of the world. They will continue to be a blessing to this nation. Incidently, same sex marriage is not "modern," it has been rejected for centuries because the Word of God prohibits it, and because it produces no children. How can nations continue to exist with no posterity?"