BELIEF, FAITH, and MIRACLES

                                              BELIEF, FAITH, and MIRACLES

    The Christian bible is the best place to learn and understand the major
differences between belief, faith , and miracles. I'll do this message
backwards in an attempt to show our usual misunderstanding of these
three terms. Miracles seem to have a broad meaning for most people.
A miracle is actually something that is or appears to be supernatural.
Surprise or unexpected results are wonderful, but usually do not require
supernatural intervention. We have to separate the two meanings of
miracles to address belief and faith.

    There are tons of prayers uttered all over the world every day. Yet,
most never carry any spiritual weight. God hears all, and the fulfillment
of prayer depends largely on the same grounds as a commitment to
Christ as Savior. It's not the words you say, but the condition of your heart. The words only express you in the flesh or carnal state. Your heart must be in spiritual agreement. It is a complete step, and if your heart and words are melded, you have salvation. When your heart is committed,
you have eternal salvation. The Holy Spirit is with you to help you when
you face challenges.

    This may sound like a salvation message, but it is to show that the
method of salvation and prayer "miracles" require the same one-two
punch. Without this combination, a prayer is mostly wishful thinking.
This may seem to be an unappreciative response from someone like me,
who received a multitude of prayers during my medical emergency last
year. Not so. If you pray, there is weight in your intent, even though your
heart may have more than one concern at the moment. We are all so
busy, it is difficult to separate our concentration to a single purpose,
especially for any length of time. 

    There are more than 90 passages in scripture that deal with the heart,
beginning in Genesis and sprinkled generously throughout the New
Testament. These explanations are based on scripture, and I'll use
Psalms 7:9 as an example. "Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come
to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts
and minds. My defense is of God, who saves the upright in heart."

    Some biblical scholars and pastors don't believe in miracles. They also
don't believe God speaks to anyone in this age, and there is no such thing
as faith healing. When they make these bold statements they don't realize they are denying the existence of the Holy Spirit. God does not change. See Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and  forever." Then go to Acts 1, and read the entire chapter, but noting
carefully verse 8 (in part), "But you shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you;" Christ is leaving earth, but the power of God
and His Son will be with us until He returns. The problem God has in
speaking to anyone is that the person isn't really listening. Hearing from
God and healing require special conditions of concentration. If you receive healing through prayer, you believe. No one can shake your faith unless they revive the seed of doubt in your carnal mind. I've seen this happen at least twice, once because of money, and once because of choice of companionship. When you give up healing so you can continue to receive a disability check, you have made a very bad choice.

    If you don't believe in miracles, it doesn't mean your prayer won't have
an impact. It means you desire a positive outcome, but don't have the full
connection with the Holy Spirit. Without FULL confidence in the Holy Spirit, faith healing doesn't happen. This is where we turn to belief and faith. Much store is placed in the word belief. Most people in the world of all colors and nations believe in God. The God they believe in may be the God of Israel and Christ, or it may be a sculpture of stone or wood or the Devil, himself. Satan is a firm believer in the God of Israel and Christians. He probably knows scripture better than you. His forces of evil are better organized to fight you than you are prepared to fight them. He has full control of his people, while God gives us the option of choice. Because we don't bother to seek the truth and ignore the directions to prepare for spiritual battle, Christ will have to return to prevent the world from perishing.

    You may say you do seek the truth by reading scripture and attending
church and bible study. You probably never question the religious messages you hear or ask "why" about important subjects that don't concern you personally. Our ministry spends several hours a day counseling people--both churched and unchurched. None know very much scripture, even those who have been churched for 20 or 40 years. They only know gossip about local or state leaders, and their knowledge is so absent as to have them get mixed up and vote for a candidate they didn't intend to support. They admit this,  but don't bother to change their approach to life.

    The problem with belief often begins in a religious gathering, not specifically Christian, but of any faith. Christianity is not immune to this. Too much time is spent in gossip, and not enough time in scripture. Timothy 2:3-4 warns and instructs us, "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires , because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves  teachers, and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." The largest organized churches in America profess some type of Christianity, but they also stress a need for money. The tax exempt status they enjoy no longer prohibits them from using the pulpit for political and financial gain. Tax exemption for a church should never have been permitted. Christ said (Matt. 22:21), "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." When I began the ministry, it was improper to preach politics from the pulpit. Today, anything goes, and all taxpayers are financing religious propaganda through tax exemptions. A ministry that takes in millions of dollars weekly can  and should pay taxes. Because you believe there is a god, does not take you out of the huge group of other believers, including Satan.

    You see, belief is not enough to stand alone. With this must come faith,
and here is another hurdle most people fail to see. Because you say you
have a Christian or other faith, that in itself is not enough. Faith is defined
as trust in God. We have belief and faith, both of which have similar meanings. For a Christian to have the power of reception, the third part of the trinity must be present. That comes only with salvation, and salvation requires an unlimited commitment to Christ. Our commitment to Christ is the final step that gives us the connection with God. Our earthly major benefit of this membership card is the presence and assistance of the Holy Spirit.

    If we are confident of our salvation, and our statements of belief and
faith are heart based, the Holy Spirit is there waiting to answer our prayers. This is the combination necessary for miracles such as faith healing. One more ingredient when one person prays for another, is explained in Matt. 18:19, "Again I say to you that if two of you on earth agree  concerning anything that they ask, , it will be done for them by My Father in heaven." Remember, where you are doesn't matter. Matt. 18:20 assures us, "For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, I am there in the midst of them." The key element is the absence of doubt. This is a test of belief, faith and commitment of usually two people. The Holy Spirit needs full human commitment to fulfill the trinity. Miracles can and may happen. God is always ready. Are we?

Rev. Walbear

SELFIES and the PATH

                                                           SELFIES and the PATH      

    We are living in a new age of "selfies" and an ever widening path of religious faiths. Examined through scripture, these subjects tell a profound story of Americans and our religion. This message is based on scripture, not opinion, with biblical quotes from the King  James edition of the bible. If you already have opinions, please remember to check the actual scripture before dismissing any conclusions of the subject.

    We'll begin our journey with an examination of the selfie movement.
It is a movement, with most Americans using the latest devices to
record and receive just about everything. We have become enamored
by our physical appearance, and want to give others the opportunity
to look at God's handiwork. To be sure, we were made in the likeness
of our creator, right? We should be proud of His handiwork, because
nothing could be better. Our physical differences don't matter, even
though we may not appear to be beautiful or handsome to everyone.
Each of us is a unique likeness to God, the Father, and His Son, right?
Let's see where this description originates--it's in the bible.

    Gen. 1:26-27 tells us "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the  fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.'" Seems pretty clear, doesn't it? It states three times we are images of Him and once it refers to likeness of Him. When we send a selfie, we are recognizing God's handiwork that made us to look like Him. Although some selfies may be in poor taste, these pictures actually glorify His creations.

    Now, we go to John 1:1. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This makes it clear the holy scripture represents God. This reinforces the quotes above from scripture, bringing both the Old and New Testaments together. But, wait! How can this be when Christian leaders rule that the image of God in a man or woman does not fit the description of a Godlike person? What other image of God can take selfies? Hard to believe, but our Christian United States Supreme Court has passed the rule of law stating a corporation is a person. That use of the term "person" is a secular legal description used by attorneys to enable a company (corporation) to have a legal name and identity. Of course, that  company or corporation must furnish a living human to sign all paperwork or there is no company or corporation.

    Using this Christian definition, you could put your car and truck titles of ownership in a corporate entity, with you as the official designated as the responsible officer--chief executive officer. You and your vehicles would then be a "person." Meanwhile, you and I would no longer be persons because we are the images of God and Jesus Christ, and none of us look like a corporation, (Although an individual can incorporate himself.)  All this means Christ is further pushed from a distinct place in Christianity and out of many corporate stores and even the greeting, "merry Christmas." Remember, you can't blame this on a secular world. The action was taken by Christian judges in a court ruling. The case is known as "Citizens United", and was approved to give corporations all privileges under the Constitution granted to people. You cannot say this is political, because it was  passed by Christians in a Christian nation. 

    When you get your first corporate selfie, please contact me. Also, when you see the first body bag from Afghanistan military action delivered to Dover Air Force Base, I want to see the coffin and  corporate body. I have a great devotion to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, who are not a corporation controlled by men and women. Apparently many Christians don't worship the same deity, because I don't see any Christian judges or leaders demanding to know how this ruling can be. I do know this ruling has enabled cash contributions beyond my ability to track and count. Could it be money has  compromised acceptance of salvation, which is cash free, because money is greed and power? Contrary to some Christian leaders, Christ does not campaign for money and material riches (Matt. 6:24, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other, You cannot serve God and mammon.") God is in control, and no
human is going to change things unless God permits it. If Christian thinks money is so important as to dump the likeness of Christ for a corporate logo, Christian America has a dismal future.

    The next time you take or see a selfie--if you claim you are a Christian--think about your court authorized brethren and compare their logos with the human picture and remember the corporation logo  must somehow also be the likeness of God. It can't possibly be the likeness of Christ because many, many people saw Him, talked to Him and ate with Him. With Christ moving out of the Christian picture, we will look forward to the next proposed step, and this is not my idea, but one already out there. That is to replace the bible and God's covenants with the U.S. Constitution. We already hear comments seeking Constitutional changes--and many of these people are Christians.

    If you didn't like this message so far, you'll hate this part as well. I shudder to see God replaced as the creator of mankind by a man or
woman who assumes the Godly role of creating a "corporate" person.
But the continuing complexity of "new and improved" denominations
and religious divisions has created another snare for Christianity.
Rather than learn the entire bible, Christian church people are moving
to "improve" and alter scripture. The bible gives us a clear path to
salvation and heaven, but people want to change this inspired Word
to suit their purposes. It's understandable many Christians have
difficulty with the Old Testament, but the Gospels are very clear and
easy to understand. The Epistles are also a problem for Christians
because they are teaching and philosophical lessons. Many address
particular problems in some of the early churches and do not apply
across the board to all churches. You must also remember that some
books such as Proverbs, are not laws, but wise suggestions. Many of
the suggestions are there to help you from making mistakes which may
not be sins.

    I'm not about to attack various denominations because God gives each of us a choice. The four Gospels give us exactly the directions we should follow if we truly and sincerely commit to Christ. The reason for commitment should not only be for the purpose of salvation, but for
everlasting life through obedience to Christ. Salvation is a gift, but
is only claimed by those who actually are led/follow Christ. In America
we have hundreds of denominations and sub-denominations. All seem
to have various man made rules to be accepted in a particular
denomination. Christ gave us an entire plan. Christians seem to think
there have to be additional requirements to "belong" to a denomination.
That has been true since the first "church" was formed. There were
so many problems in these early churches that letters had to be written to the leaders and disciples had to visit to correct actions of church leaders. 

    Many individual denominations have serious branch churches who
may have their personal method of presenting Christianity. Some don't
even know the plan of salvation. John 14:6 explains the ONLY way to
salvation. "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through Me.'' There are no papers to
sign, no pledge, nothing material, only a commitment from the heart and an OBLIGATION to learn and follow His teaching in the Gospels. That does not mean "some" of the teaching or some of the time. If you are serious about your future in eternity, you better be serious about your commitment. Quite a number of people tell me they are disappointed by the actions of Christians. They describe the actions, and usually they are totally opposite of Christ's teaching. Frequently they are money based, politically based, or opinions of church leaders who have their own agendas. Remember, for many pastors, it's a job, not necessarily a calling. The more influential members of a congregation frequently color the procedures and teaching in the church.

    None of the early churches were known by a particular name or
Christian name. The practice of Christianity may have been somewhat
different in the widely scattered early churches, but Christ's teaching
and movement were simply known as THE WAY. There was one path
to salvation and it was through Christ and His teaching. When people
were saved, they studied His words (yeah, I know they didn't have bibles.) You do, my friend, so check my scripture references. Because so many people have expressed disappointment in modern day churches and Christianity, I am using our ministry and The Way to identify our work. That alone frequently opens the door of curiosity and leads to a discussion of the gospel.

    Faith Walk Ministry does not spend time promoting a denomination.
We only promote The Way, God's instruction, gift, and principles taught by Jesus Christ. Many of His principles are considered to be socialistic by many Christians. Do you believe God did not teach us to share our lives with others? Do you believe a person who earns $100,000 a year works harder than a grunt (soldier), day laborer, factory worker or waitress? Do you believe men should "talk down" to women? Do you believe handicapped, elderly, or disadvantaged people should be limited to just "exist"? Do you believe we should dump the women and children who have crossed the border illegally because they are all drug smugglers, sick, lazy, and otherwise worthless pieces of humanity? Do you believe our Border Patrol agents aren't vaccinated, or our military? Do you know what it says on the Statue of Liberty? The only aliens we have in America
are those who aren't American Indians.

    Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Certainly it's an imposition and costs money, but what do you believe will happen to them if they are sent back? Many are so young they probably won't survive. Is this kind of existence and death better than abortion? Isn't it past time for Christians to study Christ's directions? Do you believe God will smile on America and not notice those we could help? Do you believe God will look favorably on our personal human value and money over hopelessness of people in need? If Christians aren't going to honor and follow the teaching of Christ who died for us, why would anyone think His shed blood should cover anyone who is totally caught up in a ME belief and obviously is not Christ like? God is looking at the plight of poor children in America, but He also sees the aliens. You can't hide from God and Christ. Christian leaders need to find the path that is THE WAY.

Rev. Walbear

SAME SEX MARRIAGE

                                                          SAME SEX MARRIAGE

    Same sex marriage is a hot topic, and is much more than the title
suggests. You need to have a "calm" mind to understand the full meaning
of the term. The bible makes no bones about same sex marriage being
a sin. For all those "Christians" with a dirty mind when they hear the word
"sex", I ask only that you consider all the aspects of the word "marriage"
before you spout an opinion. And I am not saying a same sex marriage is
NOT a sin. It clearly is a sin in the strict context of the word "sex." This
is not the end of the subject. If you have a bit of patience, I'll explain how
we have corrupted a subject by the combination of two words. Yes, the
full meaning of same sex marriage has been corrupted. 

    To the horror of some reading this message, it gets worse. I officiate
at marriages occasionally, but none have been same sex unions. I want
to stress the word UNION USED instead of marriage. There is a huge
difference between marriage and union. Both mean "joining together",
but not in the same way. The former Soviet Union was a joining together
of several states, but there was no sex involved. The United Auto Union
does not involve sex. A union of churches does not involve sex. We
loosely use the word marriage to mean joining together in these instances, but there is no sexual implication. In a marriage, it is a HOLY UNION. That is different than a civil union.

    Unfortunately we have accepted the terminology of marriage to be a
part of both sexual marriage and non sexual marriage. Except for the
scriptural message listing same sex marriage as a sin, the bible does
not touch on the subject of non sexual union. The culture of Israel, and
later teaching by Christ, fill in the difference between marriage and
union. Marriage is for procreation, while a union is for supporting a
common goal. Christians tend to consider only sex when evaluating
same sex marriage. This, in itself, is a sin, and I'll tell you why. We go
directly to scripture for the explanation.

    Give serious consideration to Matt. 22:38 and 39. Did you ever

wonder why Christ added an Eleventh Commandment to the original
Ten Commandments? I thought not. God knew that when Gentiles were
added to the original priesthood people (Israel), they would not know
the culture of Israel. The concept of family and care for every person,
even slaves, was ingrained in the culture of Israel. This total care
for everyone is something still not understood today by Christians.

    Turn to Matt. . "This is the first and great commandment." You need to refresh your mind by backing up one verse to Matt.  22:37. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Now that Christ has reinforced the "great" commandment meaning, we see the addition of another commandment, and it is a COMMANDMENT, not a suggestion. This is a commandment Christians have been tricked by the secular world into misunderstanding. Matt., "And the second is like  it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Christ actually inserted His Eleventh Commandment after the original first commandment to emphasize its extreme importance. He concludes in Matt.  22:39, "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

    There is a huge difference between Matt. 22:39 and the "shall
not" commandments. Christ is telling us this is a commandment,
it is something we MUST do. If we don't, it's a sin of OMISSION.
We all should know what "love your neighbor" means. That includes,
old, young, smart or challenged, rich or poor, race or religion. I
admit, some people are difficult to love. But we must try to help
them when they need help, even if we judge them to be lazy or one
of the (wrongly identified) majority of Americans who are on the
"entitlement" roll.

    By ignoring or refusing to follow Matt. 22:39, a Christian is actually
committing a sin of omission. Worse yet, you are accusing and judging
another of committing a sin when no sin is being committed. In short,
you are placing yourself in double jeopardy. In our society, there is no
longer the total "family" concept. Families are further separated
today than ever before. Multiple marriages, children out of wedlock,
separations and other conditions have moved people further and
further apart. There is little semblance of families as just a few decades
ago in America. That is especially true for older Americans who have
no family remaining or children to rely upon. A marriage or union is
for them a condition of companionship and mutual assistance. How
many 80 year olds are obsessed with sex? How many widows or
widowers are obsessed with sex? Certainly there may be a few, but
most simply desire not to be alone without any assistance at all.

    In the extended time I spent recovering from surgery, I saw the
terrible time many people were experiencing because they were
alone. This is an especially vulnerable time of life for an elderly
person. One of the saddest experiences I had was realizing the
trauma this caused some patients. When a physician came to me
and asked if I'd like to go home, I responded happily. "Would anyone
refuse that offer?" He had a very sad expression when he answered,
"Unfortunately that happens quite often. They want to stay because
there is no one at "home" and no one to help them."

    A "dirty-minded" person immediately thinks of sex when hearing
about or seeing a same sex couple. Hasn't anyone heard about a
platonic relationship? This is when two people of same or different
sex have a relationship based solely on friendship. In holy matrimony
I stress the need for the couple to have a deep friendship. If they
have a "best friends" relationship and are committed to Christ, they
are on the road to total happiness together. A union marriage is
about being best friends, not sex.

    Our society is geared towards secularism, and requires sameness
to qualify for civil benefits. Thus, a traditionally married couple can
receive certain tax payer benefits that have not in the past been
available to unmarried couples. Rather than considering the unfairness
of this, we have "punished" people who aren't married. Most of them
have paid taxes, too. This is actually a violation of the Constitution,
and goes against the freedom of religion. In this situation, Christians
ignore the tax payers' right to receive benefits they have paid just as
holy married people have paid. 
    
    It is not a sin for opposite sexes to be together unless the reason is
homosexuality or lesbianism. Even that is a forgivable sin. Don't
believe me, just read Matt.12:31,32. What I personally have witnessed
in Christian conversations and some churches is the ostracism of gays
and same sex marrieds. These ("holy?) people are turning people away for sins or imagined sins that are no worse than the sinners who attend
church every week. Now they are guilty of judging others that Christ
warns about in Matt. 7:1, "Judge not, that you be not judged." You
can hide your "little" sins from most of the public, but not from God.
There is but one ordained judge of our life and sins, and He has already
paid the price for us if we really committed to Him in our heart.

    The church and committed Christians were put in place by Christ to
bring the Word of God to all people. That clearly means everyone, since
we are all sinners. Don't think your sins aren't as bad as others, because
Isaiah 64:6 tells us how God looks upon us. "But we are all like an 
unclean thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy rags, We all 
fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, Have taken us away."
If you feel pretty good about your Christian walk compared to those
"dirty sinners" with sexual problems, you probably haven't understood
Isaiah, and you certainly are violating Christ's teaching in the Four
Gospels. As Mohandas Gandhi stated, if Christians he encountered 
practiced what they preached, he would have become a Christian.
Many Christian leaders--in church and out--are setting a bad example
that is eating away at the foundation of Christianity. They don't know
and may not want to know the Word of God. Pray for the peace of
Jerusalem, because that will be the location of Christ's return. He
is seeing disobedient Jews and Christians speeding up His return.

Rev. Walbear

INDEPENDENCE

                                        
                                                          INDEPENDENCE

    In the span of just under three weeks, we observe two basic cornerstones of the United States of America: Flag Day, and the 4th of July. The flag represents the symbol of our nation, and clearly represents the reason for the 4th of July observance. The U.S. Constitution is not only our manual for the operation of government, but for human rights. It may be the only recorded guideline of equality for any and all nationalities. The flag tells all people this is a nation of unity.

    Most people don't recognize that Christianity and our Constitution are symbiotic. They both state essentially the same truths and obligations. Both guarantee freedom. Christ offers us eternal peace and freedom, while the Constitution offers us earthly peace and freedom. These two holidays should provide us with an opportunity to celebrate all the tenets embraced by the flag and Constitution. Unfortunately, many citizens will not be doing that.

    Let's look at the flag. The stripes stand for the original 13 colonies that took the brave step to establish a great nation. The field of  stars represent the 50 states united as one. There are Christians who don't realize or understand the connection between Christianity and the Constitution. From the government standpoint, we are reminded that Patrick Henry advised that "united we stand, divided we fall." Christ taught there was one church, and all Christians are exactly that--one body in Christ. Gal. 3:28 tells us, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." The problem in the organized church is man made rules that encourage denominational separation that creates competition to determine which is better than the others.

    That is not unique among religious faiths, but Christianity is the only faith following the Son of God. We should know both the Old and New Testaments, and the Four Gospels should be followed to the T. Christ did not teach hate, as some Christians are now doing. You should note carefully that the disciples had to continually write to and teach the people in new churches to correct problems and try to prevent denominational differences. And, this was before there were established denominations.

    An area of the Old Testament that is frequently misunderstood includes Proverbs. Ideas such as hate generally come from not realizing Proverbs 6:16-19 is advice, not religious instruction from prophets or priests. They were written by a king and others as    guidelines toward living  a holy life and being a good person. Christ's teaching is that God hates sin, not man. Look at John 3:16,  "For god so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,  that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting  life." God desires that people who commit these sins  repent and  receive salvation. Some Christians are promoting a veiled or open  hatred which is not only opposite of Christ's teaching, but divisive.

    Our Constitution has become perhaps the basis of more confusion and
misunderstanding than anything I have seen. The problem is the same as scriptural ignorance. There is no comprehensive research to know the entire document. People take a paragraph or two, and add an opinion; they then have a "personal" right to do something they desire. These attempts to subvert the full meaning are divisivand will destroy our nation. We are a nation that is a "melting pot", and not a nation that can permit the whims of individuals.

    The first problem with understanding the Constitution is that, for whatever reason, it is very difficult to get the "entire package" that includes the Constitution. To understand this document, you need to know the four parts of the package. They are: the Declaration of
Independence, the preamble, the Constitution, and the amendments. Most references do not include all four parts, and much of the  original documents have been abridged or are incomplete. This has made it easy for those who want to try and change original intent to something it should not be. We have an example of that in recent activities by some church denominations to change parts of the bible.

    To understand the constitution, you must begin with the Declaration of Independence. This is the document brought forth on July 4, 1776. This declaration tells the reason for the preamble, the Constitution, and amendments. The taxes without representation and the Tea
Party were not the Godly reason for the Constitution. They were just the motivational movements to spur action. They represented something everyone could understand--money. It was marvelous and God driven that these carvers of the Constitution could follow God's leading and place His principles over money. If you never learn anything more than the following quote from the Declaration of Independence, you will know all you need to know about why and how God created our nation. 

    In Matt. 22:37-40 tells us "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." The Constitution follows Christ's teaching exactly. Here is the part of the Declaration upon which our freedom "hangs." "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and  the pursuit of Happiness."

    The men who signed this declaration appear to be Christians, but a simple look at history shows us that 100 years and a civil war was necessary for the LIBERTY part of the Declaration to take place. It was all about states' rights, or so they claimed. This message is
not about politics, but facts and showing the parallel with scripture. States' rights was the reason for the closure of schools throughout the south in the early 1950s, which eventually spawned the civil rights movement. It was pure and simple bigotry.

     Worse yet, if possible, was the delay of women having the right to vote. That amendment didn't take effect until 1920. It took nearly 150 years before American women gained that LIBERTY included in the Declaration of Independence. The words are great, but the actions of the white men, supposedly Christians, were anything but Christian. Anyone can say these two failures have no bearing on present day actions, but that clearly is not true. During the
Second World War, Americans pulled together, as our leaders saw the need for women and non-whites to participate. Yet, here we are just 70 years later, with many Americans having a "loss of memory" about the importance of all citizens.

    The First Commandment is the basis of most religions, who have a variety of gods. The God of Israel and Christianity gives us the direction of spiritual life. Christ expanded that commandment to give us guidelines in treating our fellow man/woman. There is a sizable movement in our nation to ignore Christ's teaching, and those spearheading the movement are wolves in sheep's clothing we are warned about. Most have personal agendas, and many are
basing their proposals strictly on the basis of money. Fellowship is not for everyone. This is true in many Christian churches where some people are not welcome.

    Our nation has been in existence for approximately the same time period corresponding to the biblical rise and fall of nations. That is about four generations. It's rags to comfort, comfort to riches, riches to decadence and decadence to degeneration. We are on the brink of the fourth stage. If leaders and pastors who fly the colors of Christianity don't begin listening to the teacher they claim to follow, it'll be curtains not only for the United States, but the world.

    God has given us two golden examples about how to live and treat all people--the Civil War and World War II. Separation for ANY reason will not be positive for anyone in the long run, not
even those who cause it. Before you shoot off fireworks or your mouth, read the four parts of the Constitution. Then think We instead of ME. 

Rev. Walbear
   
    You see that this destruction of our Constitution is a similar pattern
followed by some Protestant denominations to change and rewrite
the bible. Satan never stops trying to lead us astray. No wonder there
are so many disagreements in the operation of our government.