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The Ego and Me

Posted by peripheral on Monday, October 11, 2010 7:31:03 AM

From My Perspective - - -

Something to think about: How important is the “Me” in your life?  Is “Me” the center of attention? Does everything have to go “My” way? What if people want to challenge “Me” and “My” policies and agenda – what should “My” response and reaction be? In recent weeks, a political event rally and primary results raised a thought or two regarding that which drives a politician and how he/she views the election process – and the significance of the “Me” Factor.

First, Senator Murkowski (Republican from Alaska) lost the recent Primary to Joe Miller, a candidate backed by the Tea Party. After the Absentee Ballot Count began, the following news item appeared that quoted Senator Murkowski: "I don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor, and that is a reality that is before me at this point in time. And for that reason, and for the good of the state of Alaska…I am now conceding the race for the Republican nomination." Note the use of “Me” and “My” in the concession statement: “…”My” favor”; “…the reality that is before “Me” at this time…” However, a few days later she would surface with a new approach to satisfy the “Me” factor. She decided to run as a write-in candidate so “the people of Alaska will have a choice…” What is the error and folly here? The people of Alaska made their choice and she lost by 1,630 votes.

Second, on October 7, 2010 Abby Phillips writes about an event that occurred in Bowie, Maryland and submits a news item: President Obama Rallies Faithful In Maryland. It states: “President Barack Obama’s message to thousands of African Americans who came to see the man they voted for two years ago was simple: Get out and vote for the Democratic ticket in next month’s mid-term elections, even though he’s not on the ballot.  Don’t make me look bad, now, he quipped. The campaign by itself didn’t deliver the change that we need. It just gave us the chance to make the change happen, Obama said. We’ve got a lot at stake right now. On November 2nd, I’m going to need you just as fired up as you were in 2008. I hope you’re ready to fight, he said.” The key phrase emphasizing the “Me” Factor is: “Don’t make “Me” look bad, now…”

In 2007, a book was published with a fascinating title: Take Me to Truth; Undoing the Ego by Nouk and Tomas.  Among several areas, one that requires remedy is the commitment one has to the “Me” Factor. In an unrelated writing, taken from Beyond the Frontier of the Mind by Osho, the following thought is shared: “Ego - The False Center.” Osho comments: “…you have two centers. One center you come with, which is given by existence itself. That is the self. And the other center, which is created by the society, is the ego. It is a false thing - and it is a very great trick. Through the ego the society is controlling you. You have to behave in a certain way, because only then does the society appreciate you. You have to walk in a certain way; you have to laugh in a certain way; you have to follow certain manners, a morality, a code. Only then will the society appreciate you, and if it doesn't, your ego will be shaken. And when the ego is shaken, you don't know where you are, who you are.” Once again, the “Me” Factor is front and center.

The Apostle Paul understood the dangers and limitations of the “Me” Factor. In Galatians 2:20-21,The Message Translations states: “I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not mine, but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.” He dealt the “Me” Factor and the “Ego” detractor a death blow once and for all. It requires the “I” to be crucified with and to Christ. Being obsessed with the centrality of “Me” is like one standing in quicksand. Consider these things with “Me”?  No! Let us consider these things together and learn to walk humbly with our God and Savior!

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Hanging By A Thread

Posted by peripheral on Thursday, October 07, 2010 7:16:41 AM

From My Perspective - - -

Dana Milbank, Political Reporter for the Washington Post, wrote a column with the Headline: “Mormon Prophecy Behind Glenn Beck's Message.” The column states: “In one of his first appearances on Fox News, Glenn Beck sent a coded message to the nation's six million Mormons -- or at least those Mormons who believe in what the Latter-day Saints call the White Horse Prophecy.” The coded message was: “We are at the place where the Constitution hangs in the balance, Beck told Bill O'Reilly on November 14, 2008, just after President Obama's election. I feel the Constitution is hanging in the balance right now, hanging by a thread unless the good Americans wake up." Milbank’s “coded” phrase is: “hanging by a thread.”

Milbank continues: “The Constitution is hanging by a thread” - - Most Americans would have heard this as just another bit of overblown commentary and thought nothing more of it. But to those familiar with the White Horse Prophecy, it was an unmistakable signal. The phrase is often attributed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church. Smith is believed to have said in 1840 that when the Constitution hangs by a thread, elders of the Mormon Church will step in -- on the proverbial white horse -- to save the country. When the Constitution of the United States hangs, as it were, upon a single thread, they will have to call for the Mormon Elders to save it from utter destruction; and they will step forth and do it, Brigham Young, Smith's successor as head of the church, wrote in 1855.

If this coded phrase is supposed to activate the Mormon elders who will preserve the Constitution of the USA – How will they be able to do it? Worldwide, there are less than 14 million Mormons – almost half of them – 6.3 million live in the USA. Milbank gives no hint as to how this coded phrase – “hanging by a thread” – would trigger a national takeover in order to preserve the US Constitution.

One is caused to wonder if Milbank misunderstands the distinction between colloquialisms and conspiracies. A “colloquialism” is: “a word or phrase appropriate to conversation & other informal situations…” A “conspiracy” is: “an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; a plot; a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose…” The phrase: “Hanging by a thread” is an Idiom that has varied meaning. The Idiom-Free-Dictionary illustrates with the following examples: “(1) if something hangs by a thread, it is likely to fail in the near future - Peace and democracy hang by a thread in this troubled country; (2) to be in danger of having something unlucky or bad happen - Roberta was told that her job hung by a thread, and she needed to be more serious about it. For several days after the accident, his life hung by a thread; (3) to hang by something very thin, such as a thread or a hair. The tiniest part of the mobile hung by a thread, the rest are on plastic cords.”

The Bible records the rise and fall of armies and nations. An interesting case in point is II Kings 6:8-13, “Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said: I will set up my camp in such and such a place. The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there. So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them: Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel? None of us, my lord the king, said one of his officers, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom. Go, find out where he is, the king ordered, so I can send men and capture him." Conspiracy? No! Divine Revelation? Yes!

One of the dangers for our nation is the absence of God being our frame of reference within our culture. The Church has diminished its responsibility and message. The Schools have abandoned Prayer and Bible Reading. Government Officials are hesitant to reference God and Biblical Standards! This brings us to the precipice where Psalm 14:1 states: “The fool says in his heart – There is no God.” Will you be among those who are wise and put on the “whole armor of God” and “Stand”? Consider these things with me!
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Facing Obvious Choices

Posted by peripheral on Wednesday, October 06, 2010 6:33:39 AM

From My Perspective - - -

What one thing dominates the landscape of our lives? Are we robotic and/or habit driven, or do we have goals and objectives as part of a life-plan? Have we become avant-garde in terms of how we approach life and its consequences? One meaning for avant-garde is: “a pushing of the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm, or the status quo, primarily in the cultural realm. The notion of the existence of the avant-garde is considered by some to be a hallmark of modernism, as distinct from postmodernism. Postmodernism posits that the age of the constant pushing of boundaries is no longer with us.” If not avant-garde, have we become ambivalent? Ambivalence is: “uncertainty or fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things. In Psychology: the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.”

When one faces obvious choices, a Decision must be made. A Choice necessitates a decision! Last week (09-27-10), The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled: “Why So Many People Can't Make Decisions.” The article states the following: “Some people meet, fall in love and get married right away. Others can spend hours in the sock aisle at the department store, weighing the pros and cons of buying a pair of wool argyles instead of cotton striped. Seeing the world as black and white, in which choices seem clear, or shades of gray can affect people's path in life, from jobs and relationships to which political candidate they vote for, researchers say. People who often have conflicting feelings about situations—the shades-of-gray thinkers—have more of what psychologists call ambivalence, while those who tend toward unequivocal views have less ambivalence. High ambivalence may be useful in some situations, and low ambivalence in others, researchers say. And although people don't fall neatly into one camp or the other, in general, individuals who tend toward ambivalence do so fairly consistently across different areas of their lives.”

The article presents the distinction in decision-making in the following comparison:

People Who See The World As Black And White Tend To...

  • Speak their mind or make quick decisions.
  • Be more predictable in making decisions (e.g., who they vote for).
  • Be less anxious about making wrong choices.
  • Have relationship conflicts that are less drawn out.
  • Be less likely to consider others' points of view.

People Who See The World In Shades Of Gray Tend To...

  • Procrastinate or avoid making decisions if possible.
  • Feel more regret after making decisions.
  • Be thoughtful about making the right choice.
  • Stay longer in unhappy relationships.
  • Appreciate multiple points of view.

As the Children of Israel saw their entry into The Promised Land, The Lord declared to them – Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NLT Selected) – “Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death. I have commanded you today to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands…If you do this, you will live and become a great nation, and the Lord your God will bless you…But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen…then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed…Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses…Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." An obvious choice and decision – what would you choose? What would your decision be? Prayerfully make the right, wise, best decision that squares with God’s plan and will for your life. Consider these things with me!

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Emergencies and Other Stuff

Posted by peripheral on Tuesday, October 05, 2010 5:56:56 AM

From My Perspective - - -

The journey of life is exciting at best and uncertain at worst. The unpredictable and unexpected can impact the most organized individuals as well as those who limit themselves in terms of the potentials of life. At the very least, everyone would be well-advised to know what to do when an emergency arises and who to call at such a time. A friend of my brother shared the following suggestions and recommendations:

Emergency Telephone Numbers– In the long-run, these are more effective than 911

When – - -

ALTERNATE NUMBERS- - -

All These Numbers May Be Phoned Directly.No Operator Assistance Is Necessary.All Lines To Heaven Are Available 24 Hours A Day.Feed Your Faith, And Doubt Will Starve To Death.

Your life can have purpose, meaning and satisfaction. If you look merely at the circumstances of life, it can cause one to become discouraged and/or depressed. One study suggests that one out of every ten people is depressed. There are Resources – and – The Source available to you. Isaiah 55:6 (NLT) continues to be a valid option: “Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.” Another important and valid option is Psalm 119:105 (NIV), “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Be sure to retain and utilize these Emergency Numbers. Consider these things with me.

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Paraprosdokian

Posted by peripheral on Tuesday, September 28, 2010 4:49:28 AM
From My Perspective - - -

The English Language, Sentence Structure and Use of Nuance can be both challenging and humorous. This is the case with the use of the Paraprosdokian. It is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect.

Examples of Paraprosdokian (Taken From Patriot Humor/The Patriot Post) - - -
In A Proverbial Sense, it is stated:
As the tree falls, so shall it lie; As a man lives, so shall he die; As a man dies, so shall he be; Through all the aeons of eternity.
In Sentence Structure, some possibilities are:
• Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
• I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.
• Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
• If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
• War does not determine who is right -- only who is left.
• Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
• The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
• Evening news is where they begin with "Good evening," and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
• To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
• A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. My desk is a work station.
• How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?
• Dolphins are so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and throw them fish.
• I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted pay checks.
• A bank is a place that will lend you money if you can prove that you don't need it.
• Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says "If an emergency, notify:" I put "DOCTOR."
• A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
• Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.
• Hospitality: making your guests feel like they're at home, even if you wish they were.
• Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
• Some cause happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they go.
• Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
• Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

A Biblical Example of Paraprosdokian can be gleaned from Ecclesiastes 11 (NLT). Verse 3: When the clouds are heavy, the rains come down. When a tree falls, whether south or north, there it lies. Verse 4: If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done. Verse 8: When people live to be very old, let them rejoice in every day of life. But let them also remember that the dark days will be many. Everything still to come is meaningless. Verses 9-10: Young man, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. So banish grief and pain, but remember that youth, with a whole life before it, still faces the threat of meaninglessness. A Verse that has always elicited reflection – although simple, it is also profound – and causes one to reread it is I John 5:11-13, “This is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. No Paraprosdokian here – just basic Truth! Consider these things with me!
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So - What's Changed?

Posted by peripheral on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 5:33:34 AM
From My Perspective - - -

Political Campaigns always employ clever slogans that can become the mantra for an election season and/or for the office attained. This was true in the most recent United States Presidential Campaign when signs displayed and chants echoed: Change You Can Believe In. A frustrated follower recently allowed that rather than it being “Change You Can Believe In” the administration has set out to “Change What You Believe In”! There is a world of difference between those two statements. The rhetoric and partisanship in recent months is producing a nation that is floundering and displaying that it may have lost its way. There is an increasing and growing doubt among the populace and major divisions throughout the citizenry. If the nation fails to make a course correction, we could easily plunge over the inconceived and ignored precipice.

On September 16th, 2010, Neal Boortz wrote and asked on his website: "Change that matters." How did you like that? That's the new slogan of the new-and-improved Democrat Party. They took the data from Obama's focus groups during the election, saw that liberals really liked the word "change" and then adopted it as their new party slogan. Is this what Democrats believe will carry them to the election? A new slogan? Let's talk about some of the changes that the…administration and the…party have made to the lexicon.
   "The War on Terror" became an "Overseas Contingency Operation."
   "Welfare checks" became "tax cuts."
   "Illegal immigrants" became "undocumented workers."
   "Economic stimulus" became "investments."
   "Global warming" became "climate change."
   "The Bush tax cuts" became "the Obama tax cuts for the middle class."
   "Freedom of speech" became "hate speech."
   "Protecting our borders" became "racist."
   "The financial sector" became "greedy Wall Street fat cats."
   "Unions" became "struggling middle class Americans."
They can change the language and lexicon all they'd like, but the fact is that the…solutions haven't changed. How about some policies that encourage the private sector to grow and maintain jobs…”

From the early days of this nation, concern was always expressed that we guard against division and strive for unity. We are reminded by an entry in The US History Encyclopedia: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall," was a favorite toast, in varying forms, of political orators from Benjamin Franklin to Abraham Lincoln. It gained currency after John Dickinson's Liberty Song was published on 18 July 1768, in the Boston Gazette. The work contained the lines:
    Then join in hand, brave Americans all—
    By uniting we stand, by dividing we fall!
The slogan regained widespread usage three-quarters of a century later when the popular writer George Pope Morris's "The Flag of the Union" appeared. The poem quoted the sentiment as given above, from the motto of Kentucky, which had been adopted in 1792. Gaining new currency during times of national crisis, the phrase was most recently a popular slogan after the attacks upon the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 11 September 2001.

When Jesus Christ was criticized by the Pharisees, Matthew 12:25 records: “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” The Message Translation records: “Jesus confronted their slander. A judge who gives opposite verdicts on the same person cancels himself out; a family that's in a constant squabble disintegrates…” As it was then – so it is now. We would do well to embrace Psalm 60:11-12 (NLT) as both our focus and prayer: “Oh, please help us against our enemies, for all human help is useless. With God's help we will do mighty things, for he will trample down our foes. Consider these things with me!
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Pogo and The President

Posted by peripheral on Saturday, September 11, 2010 5:11:10 AM
From My Perspective - - -

Pogo had it right regarding the assessment of Who and What The Enemy is – “We have met the enemy and the enemy is us!” In his News Conference on Friday, The President – or was it The Professor - made use of the phrase: “We've got to be clear about that…” Regrettably, at the end of the day, some things are Clear As Mud. Let’s take the Declaration of Independence. His reference pertained to the building of a Mosque near Ground Zero of the Terrorist Attack on September 11th, 2001 on the World Trade Center – and he said: “"This country stands for the proposition that all men and women are created equal, that they have certain inalienable rights…And what it means is that if you could build a church on a site, you could build a synagogue on a site, if you could build a Hindu temple on a site, then you should be able to build a mosque on the site." The point here is that the citation given by the President is inaccurate. The Declaration of Independence States: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

The significant phrase is: “They are endowed by their Creator…” There is only One Creator – Elohim – who made Heaven and Earth and all they contain. It is not Allah or any derivative thereof. The name of God - Elohim - is the plural of El and is the first name for God given in the Tanakh: “In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)...

The News Conference also had comment about the burning of the Koran by a Florida Pastor, when the President indicated: “Koran Burning Would Cause Profound Damage…” The President went on to say: "The idea that we would burn the sacred text of someone else's religion is contrary to what this country stands for. It's contrary to what this country was founded on - adding that such rhetoric is the best imaginable tool for recruiting al Qaeda, and endangers U.S. troops…Defense Secretary Robert Gates called the Florida pastor this week to convey how dangerous his decision would be to U.S. troops serving abroad…”

It’s too bad there wasn’t a follow-up question that included that an inconsistency is obvious from a report by Jake Tapper, ABC News: “Bibles sent to soldiers in Afghanistan for distribution to locals were unceremoniously disposed of: On May 5, Army spokeswoman Major Jennifer Willis told Reuters that at Bagram Air Force Base in Afghanistan the Bibles…were, in fact, collected by the chaplains and later destroyed. They were never distributed." Christian Broadcasting's David Brody says "the Bibles were burned because the rules on the base say that all garbage is burned at the end of the day. But just asking here; if the U.S. Military seized a stack full of Korans, would they be burned? Do you think that might cause a little outrage in the Muslim world?"

In Psalm 11:1-5, we read: “In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes see… the children of man. The Lord tests the righteous, but His soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.” The questions are: Are the foundations of this country being destroyed? Is the acknowledgement of God – Elohim – being blurred and gradually being removed from the thoughts of the citizenry of this nation? Are “Christians” anywhere near being as devoted as Muslims when it comes to Prayer on a daily basis? If Elohim is The Creator and the basis for the declared statement – “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights” – why aren’t we dogmatic in that belief and public in our acknowledgement of Elohom? Have we become ashamed and afraid to represent both The Light and The Truth in a society and nation whose foundations are in process of being destroyed? Is it possible – we have met the enemy and it is us? Consider these things with me!
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Labor Pains

Posted by peripheral on Monday, September 06, 2010 6:32:39 AM
From My Perspective - - -

Did you know? - - - Do you remember? Wikipedia states: “The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. In 1884 the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a workingmen's holiday on that date. The idea spread with the growth of labor organizations, and in 1885 Labor Day was celebrated in many industrial centers of the country. Through the years the nation gave increasing emphasis to Labor Day. The first governmental recognition came through municipal ordinances passed during 1885 and 1886. From them developed the movement to secure state legislation. The first state bill was introduced into the New York legislature, but the first to become law was passed by Oregon on February 21, 1887. During the year four more states — Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York — created the Labor Day holiday by legislative enactment. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania had followed suit. By 1894, 23 other states had adopted the holiday in honor of workers, and on June 28 of that year, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday in the District of Columbia and the territories.”

Newt Gingrich commented that rather than observe Labor Day today we should observe Unemployment Day. Labor Pains are currently felt in several sectors and entire industries have moved their primary production to other countries. One of the greatest benefactors currently is China. Meanwhile, unemployment in our nation has been persistently higher than desirable – currently at 9.6% - with no indication of significant change in the immediate economic predictions. Richard Wolf, in USA Today for 8-30-10 wrote: “Government anti-poverty programs that have grown to meet the needs of recession victims now serve a record one in six Americans and are continuing to expand.
• More than 50 million Americans are on Medicaid…That's up at least 17% since the recession began in December 2007. The program has grown even before the new health care law adds about 16 million people, in 2014.
• More than 40 million people get food stamps, an increase of nearly 50% during the economic downturn.
• Close to 10 million receive unemployment insurance, nearly four times the number from 2007. Benefits have been extended by Congress eight times beyond the basic 26-week program, enabling the long-term unemployed to get up to 99 weeks of benefits. Caseloads peaked at nearly 12 million in January
• More than 4.4 million people are on welfare, an 18% increase.
As caseloads for all the programs have soared, so have costs.
• The federal price tag for Medicaid has jumped 36% in two years, to $273 billion.
• Jobless benefits have soared from $43 billion to $160 billion.
• The Food Stamps program has risen 80%, to $70 billion.
• Welfare is up 24%, to $22 billion.
Taken together, all of these Programs cost more than the total Medicare program.”

What is a Christian response at a time of recession and need – when Labor Pains are a reality? Proverbs 28:27 (NLT) states: “Whoever gives to the poor will lack nothing. But a curse will come upon those who close their eyes to poverty.” An important principle is shared in II Corinthians 8:13-15 (The Message), “This isn't so others can take it easy while you sweat it out. No, you're shoulder to shoulder with them all the way, your surplus matching their deficit, their surplus matching your deficit. In the end you come out even. As it is written, Nothing left over to the one with the most, Nothing lacking to the one with the least.” We never should be blind to the needs of others nor tone deaf to the cry for help. Giving money is not always prudent - but anyone can share a meal, or an item of clothing, or provide transportation, etc. It is basic sensitivity to need, as well as an opportunity to share with others the love of Jesus Christ. Consider these things with me!
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If Worms Forgot How To Wiggle

Posted by peripheral on Friday, September 03, 2010 7:44:51 AM
From My Perspective - - -

What would it mean if The Worm forgot how to wiggle? Is there any reason for that to matter? Would it cause the Worm to be classified as an endangered species? Should there be a government-funded study to ascertain what happened to The Worm’s Wiggle? Would Fish still be enticed to seek the bait on a hook if there was no wiggle in the worm? Do we need to know if a Worm should wiggle or wriggle? Part of any study would find that – “Worms can be divided into several groups: (1) The flatworms. They have a flat, ribbon- or leaf-shaped body with a pair of eyes at the front. Some are parasites. (2) The threadworms, round-worms, and hookworms. Threadworms may be microscopic, such as the vinegar eelworm. They are found in damp earth, moss, decaying substances, fresh water, or salt water. Some roundworms are also parasites. The Guinea worm, for example, gets under the skin of the feet and legs of people living in tropical countries. (3) The segmented worms, with bodies divided into segments, or rings. Among these are the earthworms and the bristle worms of the sea. Also, there are hundreds of thousands of species that live in a wide variety of habitats other than soil.”

There are all kinds of Wiggling that can occur outside of The Worm Family. Yesterday (09-02-10), in a White House Press Briefing – “Liberal radio host Bill Press asked press secretary Robert Gibbs to denounce Glenn Beck’s attacks on the president’s “committed Christianity.”
BILL PRESS: Robert, over the last four days, Glenn Beck has criticized the president for believing in liberation theology, which he calls a Marxist form of Christianity. Two questions, Does the president, in your knowledge, even know what liberation theology is?
ROBERT GIBBS: I don’t know the answer to that. I will say this, Bill, um, a crude paraphrasing of an old quote, and that is, people are entitled to their own opinion, as ill-informed as it may be, but they’re not entitled to their own facts. The president is a committed, mainstream Christian. I don’t, I have no evidence that would guide me, as to what Glenn Beck would have any genuine knowledge as to what the president does and does not believe.
PRESS: So this is a Marxist form of Christianity?
GIBBS: Again, I can only imagine where Mr. Beck conjured that from.
The double-ignorance of this exchange is impressive. How can Bill Press suggest that Barack Obama is ignorant about anything? They're defending Obama now by suggesting he's uninformed about progressive strains of Christianity? For his part, Gibbs is stonewalling athletically to assert there's no evidence that any Obama opponent could assemble to assert Obama's church of two decades, Trinity United Church of Christ on the south side of Chicago, embraced "black liberation theology" and its leading light, James Cone. In defending Obama, the liberal magazine The Christian Century acknowledged: There is no denying, however, that a strand of radical black political theology influences Trinity. James Cone, the pioneer of black liberation theology, is a much-admired figure at Trinity. Cone told me that when he's asked where his theology is institutionally embodied, he always mentions Trinity. All of this is classic wiggling and writhing.

The contentious companions of Job raise a question and share an observation. In Job 25:4-6 - “How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, how much less man, who is but a maggot-- a son of man, who is only a worm!" The bridge is established between the Maggot and the Worm – both lingering over the wasted and decaying body of either the righteous or unrighteous. In a different consideration, the Lord is speaking to His people. Isaiah 41:11-14 – “All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. Though you search for your enemies, you will not find them. Those who wage war against you will be as nothing at all. For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you, declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Lowliness before God should not become a method or wiggling device before man! Consider these things with me!
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Blinders and Ear Plugs

Posted by peripheral on Thursday, September 02, 2010 6:30:36 AM
From My Perspective - - -

Blinders are used on most race horses for two basic reasons: (a) to prevent distraction, and (b) to keep the horse focused on the immediate goal, namely – The Finish Line! There is a similar purpose with Ear Plugs: (a) to prevent any interruption of concentration, and (b) as much as possible, to minimize a startling sound that could alter a thought process. Ear Plugs also are beneficial to minimize unusual and piercing sounds. Ear Plugs are helpful if one is exposed to a high decibel and/or percussion experience. Without them, there would be a risk of Hearing Impairment.

On a purely cultural and societal level, there are considerations that cause one to be blind to the obvious and tone deaf. Such a one cannot allow himself to comprehend responses to what is occurring, while making a choice to block out any counsel, advice, or sounds that offer anything that is an alternative to a determined course. When this occurs – a person refusing to see or hear the obvious – it can be referenced as several differing things, but more than likely it is due to Arrogance. It has been diagnosed and defined in response to this question: What is arrogance?
• Arrogance assumes that because you can't imagine how something can be done, you can declare without reservation that it's impossible to do!
• Arrogance does all the talking and none of the listening.
• Arrogance rejects advice, simply because someone else said it or because your mind is already made up or you don't want anybody else to get the credit.
• Arrogance stubbornly refuses to change one’s mind when it knows it is wrong.
• Arrogance spouts off without reservation and is focused on the “I” rather than the “We”.
• Arrogance is an unwillingness to consider the possibility of making the 360-degree turn in any matter or at any time.
• Arrogance is the demonstrated body-language that allows – right or wrong, “I” am right.
This, in fact, is a misuse of a Blinder and/or Ear Plugs.

Proverbs 4:23-27 gives a guideline for the maintenance of spiritual commitment and integrity: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.” The Message Translations is: “Keep vigilant watch over your heart; that's where life starts. Don't talk out of both sides of your mouth; avoid careless banter, white lies, and gossip. Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step, and the road will stretch out smooth before you. Look neither right nor left; leave evil in the dust.”
Wiki-Answers has an interesting response to a question that was posed: “Do people look left or right when they lie?” The answer given is: “The basic idea is that when a person looks to the right they are constructing an idea and when they look to the left they are recalling something that has actually happened. Since a lie is essentially a mental construction, people will often access that part of the brain when trying to come up with a lie and will look to the right.”
The Message translates a portion of The Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5:33-37 – "And don't say anything you don't mean. This counsel is embedded deep in our traditions. You only make things worse when you lay down a smoke screen of pious talk, saying, 'I'll pray for you,' and never doing it, or saying, God be with you, and not meaning it. You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace. In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. Just say yes and no. When you manipulate words to get your own way, you go wrong.” A way that words can be manipulated is by use of a teleprompter. It keeps one robotically scripted. It also prevents one from ever looking another straight in the eye. It also prevents the listener from being able to ascertain sincerity and the integrity of the speaker. Can you visualize Jesus Christ needing a teleprompter? Consider these things with me!
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Dumpster Delicacies

Posted by peripheral on Wednesday, August 25, 2010 7:03:03 AM
From My Perspective - - -

The Economic downturn is affecting most industries. If it continues, it will also start impacting the fast food sector as well. Just suppose, in order to maintain a customer base and address the financial concerns of the customer, a new Menu Entrée was introduced – “Dumpster Delicacies”. People place their order and consume as much food as they can – but – untold amounts of uneaten food is deposited in the Trash Containers. In order to capitalize on this situation, innovative Managers have decided on a Food Recycling Program. They hire a worker whose task is to retrieve discarded food from the Trash, wash it (if needed), reheat it, and offer it at a lower price – perhaps at half-price - to a willing customer. How many customers would frequent the establishment offering “Dumpster Delicacies”? How many people would line up for the opportunity to buy recycled food? This new concept might receive the approval of some political and religious leaders as they construe to compassion for the economically disadvantaged and an attempt to begin an equalization effort or a level-playing field philosophy. Why would they think this way? How would they arrive at this place?

Wikipedia contains this brief, but apt, paragraph that has some bearing and significance: “Liberation theology is a movement in Christian theology which construes the teachings of Jesus Christ in terms of a liberation from unjust economic, political, or social conditions. It has been described by proponents as an interpretation of Christian faith through the poor's suffering, their struggle and hope, and a critique of society and the Catholic faith and Christianity through the eyes of the poor, and by detractors as Christianity perverted by Marxism and Communism. Although liberation theology has grown into an international and inter-denominational movement, it began as a movement within the Roman Catholic Church in Latin America in 1950-1960. It arose principally as a moral reaction to the poverty caused by social injustice in that region. It achieved prominence in the 1970s and 1980s. The term was coined by the Peruvian priest Gustavo Gutiérrez, who wrote one of the movement's most famous books, A Theology of Liberation (1971)…The influence of liberation theology diminished after proponents using Marxist concepts were admonished by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) in 1984 and 1986. The Vatican documents criticize certain strains of Liberation Theology for focusing on institutional dimensions of sin to the exclusion of the individual; and for supposedly inaccurately identifying the church hierarchy as members of the privileged class…”
 
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), who was prefect of the CDF at the time when the Instructions were issued, published his own personal criticism of the movement in 1985. In this document Ratzinger claims that in certain forms of Liberation Theology, the meaning of basic theological terms is changed - terms such as hope, love, and salvation are assigned a Marxist interpretation in terms of class struggle. He also argued that Liberation Theology is not originally a grass-roots movement among the poor, but rather, a creation of Western intellectuals: an attempt to test, in a concrete scenario, ideologies that have been invented in the laboratory by European theologians and in a certain sense itself a form of cultural imperialism. He saw this as a reaction to the demise or near-demise of the Marxist myth in the West…” One can agree that the Pope’s assessment is correct. The clear and precise Purpose of the Ministry of Jesus Christ is stated by Jesus Himself in Matthew 11:2-6, “Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him: Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? And Jesus answered them: Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

The current trend of Liberation Theology in our culture is a Dumpster Delicacy. It is a reworked and rehashed teaching that is being intellectualized today at bargain and discount prices. Don’t be deceived – it has been retrieved from the Trash Bin and is not what you should line up to secure. It is not good for you and can result in personal jeopardy and harm.  Consider these things with me!

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Eating Off Of Dirty Plates

Posted by peripheral on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 6:21:06 AM
From My Perspective - - -

You are invited to a Formal Dinner and are properly seated. Dignitaries are also present at the Table. But – you notice something very strange – the Napkins are soiled, the Plates have old food dried on them, the Silverware has some old food in the Fork Tines, someone’s Lipstick imprint is on your Goblet – what would you do? Would you ask the Butler/Server for a clean Place Setting? Or, would you choose to not make an issue of this and cause embarrassment for the Host and Hostess? But suppose, as the Server is bringing the food to the table, he trips and falls – scattering the main entries of the meal on the floor? What if the Host says: “it’s alright, the floors have been vacuumed earlier this week, and if you don’t mind, serve your plate from what has fallen on the floor…” – now – what would you do? What if the Host suggested there are many people in the world who would be grateful for the opportunity to be in your place, using your dirty plates, and selecting choice food that had been scattered on the floor? Would you accept that suggestion and comply? Would you have a sudden loss of appetite? Would you excuse yourself from the table and not return? What if you were prevented from leaving, would you try to force your way out?

A worse scenario is occurring in our culture and society. The Core Values of the Nation are quickly eroding; “change you can believe in” is more Socialistic (and Marxist) than it is Constitutional. Things of lesser value are being dished up almost every day and served on Dirty Plates – but many people don’t seem to mind. Let’s change the above illustration just slightly. Suppose the setting of the Formal Dinner was in a TB Sanatorium and the Table conditions were the same – how would you feel, act, proceed. Tuberculosis was often associated with Consumption – “Consumption is the terminal stage of tuberculosis…If tuberculosis were always recognized when it is merely tuberculosis and proper treatment followed nobody would need to die of the disease…” The key is proper identification of the disease; proper treatment of it; and safeguards put in place to prevent it from spreading and becoming fatal. One thing is certain - you would not want to eat off of a dirty plate that had been used by a TB Patient! You would insist on sterile utensils.

One of the confusing trends of our times is that politicians and people willingly eat off of the dirty plates without any reluctance or protest. Like Hogs at a trough, they keep eating away and rooting to find more. Some of the evidences and description of the presence of Hogs is: “Hogs root up acres of land, and they've been used to plow fields. They'll flip over entire mats of forest floor to get at the meal underneath. Uncommonly you'll see gashes in tree trunks cut by the teeth of an aggressive boar. You more often see large roots that have been chopped through with their tusks. Frequently you'll see dead wood, chewed open with chunks scattered all around, as the hog goes after the worms, insects, fungus and occasional small mammal or bird tucked into it. Hogs root their beds in the ground. They lay in the holes which keep them cool in summer, warm in winter and help them hide. The beds are large, bowl shaped craters, most often under cover, but they can be in the open too…”

The Dirty Plate Syndrome is evidenced in Jeremiah 23:9-17 where The Lord observes: “…the land is full of adulterers…and the pastures of the wilderness are dried up…Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the Lord. Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall…In the prophets of Samaria I saw an unsavory thing: they prophesied by Baal and led my people Israel astray. But in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his evil; all of them have become like Sodom to me, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah… Behold, I will feed them with bitter food and give them poisoned water to drink, for from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness has gone out into all the land." Thus says the Lord of hosts: Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filling you with vain hopes. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord.” Does this sound like our current trend and direction in our culture, namely, “filling you with vain hopes…”? Stop Eating Off Of The Dirty Plates!  Consider these things with me!
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Empty Cups and Broken Saucers

Posted by peripheral on Thursday, August 19, 2010 7:07:44 AM
From My Perspective - - -
Our world is filled with several broken cups and broken saucers. It is seen in those who have become “Leaders” in nations but marked by those who lack the historical perspective, personal scruple or a commitment to a strong republic and sound democracy. My Grandmother would remind us as children that the “hollow log always makes the loudest noise” – Grandma was correct – the landscape of our world has several “hollow log” types. A Psychological Concept would be lives being like cups that are trying to be filled by inane action and activity – but – they remain empty. The saucer has long ago been broken – but – no one seems to have noticed or cared. Very few “Leaders” have a sense of History and Sound Judgments based upon it!

On August 12th, 2010 George Will wrote a column that clearly illustrates the Historical Disconnect and ensuing tensions that result. It is entitled: “Obama and Netanyahu: Worlds Apart on Israel” - He points out – “Two photographs adorn the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Together they illuminate a portentous fact: No two leaders of democracies are less alike - in life experiences, temperaments and political philosophies - than Netanyahu, the former commando and fierce nationalist, and Barack Obama, the former (community organizer), professor and post-nationalist.
One photograph is of Theodor Herzl, born 150 years ago. Dismayed by the eruption of anti-Semitism in France during the Dreyfus Affair at the end of the 19th century, Herzl became Zionism's founding father. Long before the Holocaust, he concluded that Jews could find safety only in a national homeland. The other photograph is of Winston Churchill, who considered himself one of the authors of Britain's embrace of Zionism. The Balfour Declaration of 1917 stated: "His Majesty's Government view with favor the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people." Beginning in 1923, Britain would govern Palestine under a League of Nations mandate. Netanyahu, his focus firmly on Iran, honors Churchill because he did not flinch from facts about gathering storms. Obama returned to the British Embassy in Washington the bust of Churchill that was in the Oval Office when he got there…”

On August 13th, 2010 John Bolton (former US Ambassador to the United Nations) issued a statement reported by David A. Patten: “Russia's Loading of Nuke Fuel Into Iran Plant Means August 21 Deadline for Israeli Attack.” The article states: “News that Russia will load nuclear fuel rods into an Iranian reactor has touched off a countdown to a point of no return, a deadline by which Israel would have to launch an attack on Iran's Bushehr reactor before it becomes effectively immune to any assault...Once the fuel rods are loaded…it makes it essentially immune from attack by Israel. Because once the rods are in the reactor an attack on the reactor risks spreading radiation in the air, and perhaps into the water of the Persian Gulf. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin declared in March that Russia would start the Bushehr reactor this summer…The story immediately became front-page news in Israel, which has laid precise plans to carry out an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities while going along with President Obama's plans to use international sanctions and diplomatic persuasion to convince Iran's clerics not to go nuclear. Bolton made it clear that it is widely assumed that any Israeli attack on the Bushehr reactor must take place before the reactor is loaded with fuel rods…Bolton cited the 1981 Israeli attack on Saddam Hussein's Osirak reactor outside Baghdad and the September 2007 Israeli attack on a North Korean reactor being built in Syria. Both of those strikes came before fuel rods were loaded into those reactors…”

Do we live in perilous times? In II Timothy 3:1-5 are these words for perspective and warning - “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” These represent the empty cups and broken saucers in our day – perhaps the day of final countdown. Some may slough this off, while others will give heed to the words. What will you do? Consider these things with me!
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Dreams Can Turn To Ashes

Posted by peripheral on Monday, August 16, 2010 6:01:49 AM
From My Perspective - - -

Have you ever had a dream that you felt became more of a nightmare? Has that dream given you a sense of hopelessness and despair? Did it leave you with a feeling of frustration and helplessness? Did it make you wonder if there was anything you could aspire to and achieve? Is it reasonable to try?
Years ago, Frank Sinatra sang:
What now my love, now that you've left me
How can I live through another day
Watching my dreams turn to ashes And my hopes turn to bits of clay…

At about the same time-frame, an inspiring quote was shared by Robert Kennedy:
Some men see things as they are and say, Why?
I dream of things that never were and say, Why not?

From a Biblical perspective, Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote:
If there ever were dreams That were lofty and noble
They were my dreams at the start
And hope for life’s best were the hopes That I harbor down deep in my heart
But my dreams turned to ashes And my castles all crumbled,
my fortune turned to loss
So I wrapped it all in the rags of life And laid it at the cross.
Something beautiful, something good All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful of my life.

From the anti-Viet Nam War era, John Lennon’s Album in 1971 shared this feature lyric:
Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try
No hell below us Above us only sky
Imagine all the people Living for today...
Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too
Imagine all the people Living life in peace...
Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people Sharing all the world...
You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one…
These words share several things, among them are: emptiness of soul, unrealistic idealism, a quest for a type of Utopia, an alternative to reality, no eternal focus and no moral compass, an impractical philosophy of life, an irreligious solution for mankind.

Adding to the confusion of our time, the present Administration is misconstruing what is and isn’t a “Top Priority” matter. By definition, the dictionary defines top as a singular entity: "the part of anything that is first or foremost." However, we have been introduced to at least 16 “Top Priority” issues. Among theme are: a) $600 Billion Border Security Bill; b) to Recover and Rebuild from this Recession; c) creating jobs in our country; d) Free Trade Agreements; e) Energy Security; f) Education Reform; g) Student Loan Reform; h) Exports by Small Businesses; i) Health Assistance to 9/11 First Responders; j) End Homelessness Among Veterans; k) Hurricane Preparedness; l) h1n1 Flu Vaccinations; m) Support for Military Families; n) Strengthening Ties with Canada and Mexico; o) Environmental Protection…

Nowhere in the Top Priority List is any reference to God, and God Alone. The Basic Spiritual Principles should be: 1) Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness… 2) Proverbs 14:34, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people…” 3) Jeremiah 29:13-14, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord…” Obviously, there is a choice – spiritual or secular! Alternative fixes/remedies will fail! Choose the Spiritual solution! Consider these things with me!
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No Place Like Home

Posted by peripheral on Thursday, August 12, 2010 5:25:23 AM
From My Perspective - - -

There is a common thread in each of our lives – regardless of where one is whether a Soldier in Battle in some designated war zone; or a missionary trying to reach a people and language group with whom there has been no previous contact; or an adventurer attempting to do what few have done before (or never done at all); or a person on a journey of necessity – the heartbeat is the same – there’s no place like home.

In 1939 a film was released that has become a Classic over the years. The title is: The Wizard of Oz. It features Dorothy Gale, a 12-year-old Kansas farm girl who is knocked unconscious during a Tornado. The film begins in Black and White with the Tornado moving towards the Farm House. Dorothy fails to make it to the Storm Cellar in time. She, her dog Toto, and the farmhouse are transported to the magical Land of Oz and the film shifts into brilliant Technicolor. Dorothy sets out on the yellow brick road journey to the Emerald City to ask the Wizard of Oz to return her to Kansas. Many events occur in her “dream” but when her wish is finally granted, two things occur: (a) the film transitions back into Black and White, and (b) Dorothy begins to regain consciousness muttering the words: “I want to go home!”

At a recent Funeral, the Minister addressed the hope of those embracing Biblical Christianity and the ultimate sense that to be “absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” He incorporated the Lyric from a contemporary anthem written by Walt Harrah describing the Eternal Home for Biblical Christians. The Anthem is – “No More Night” and the lyrics are:
The timeless theme, earth and heaven will pass away.
It’s not a dream, God will make all things new that day.
Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell.
Evil is banished to eternal hell.
No more night. No more pain. No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I Am."
We will live in the light of the Risen Lamb.

See all around, now the nations bow down to sing.
The only sound is the praises to Christ, our King.
Slowly the names from the book are read.
I know the King, so there’s no need to dread.
No more night. No more pain. No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I Am."
We will live in the light of the Risen Lamb.

See over there, there’s a mansion, that’s prepared just for me,
Where I will live with my Savior eternally.
No more night. No more pain. No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I Am."
We will live in the light of the Risen Lamb.
In John 14:2-3 (NLT), Jesus states: “There are many rooms in my Father's home, and I am going to prepare a place for you…When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.” In Revelation 21:3-4 are the words (NLT): “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, the home of God is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever." Have you prepared yourself to go to this eternal home? Make it you destination! Embrace it as your only hope! Consider these things with me!
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