INVISIBLE CHURCH

                                           INVISIBLE CHURCH

    We're told about the invisible church in several places in scripture, but Eph. 6:12 explains it best. "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of  wickedness in the heavenly places." It's easy to understand physical references because we can see these things. Understanding  things we can't see is another matter. The spiritual world does not operate in the same dimension as the carnal world. Most people, including Christians, have difficulty believing what they can't see or touch.  This is where faith and belief meet. For many Christians, faith is their key word. Their faith is usually based on hope. For faith to be  complete, hope has to be replaced by belief. Prayer is the ammunition for Christians. Think of prayer being a gun. When your ammunition is hope, you are aiming at a target and hoping to hit it. When you use belief, you KNOW you will hit the target. You may succeed with hope, but you WILL succeed with belief. 

    Faith is a term used very loosely by many Christians, who often fail to show much of the teaching of Christ. Unfortunately this failure to follow His teaching results in service to Satan. Rather than teaching the very Word of God as Christ did in the four gospels, some preachers and many politicians preach divisiveness and hatred. This delights Satan, because it frees his workers to trouble the real believers. As scripture warns in Revelation, Christianity on earth will be destroyed by believers of these false pretenders, who will be everywhere. Unless  you study the Word diligently and pray often, you will fail to understand the dimension of the spiritual world. Your final test of this belief is based on your belief in the resurrection. The spiritual world is much more interesting and active than our carnal world. 

     Let's go back to that lengthy verse of Ephesians. That contains  some pretty serious stuff, friends, and unless you learn to deal with this unseen world, you will have troubles. Think about these words: principalities, powers and rulers. In the carnal world, there are principalities (countries, states and cities). The spiritual world has the same makeup, but in a different dimension. Satan has the earth divided into these areas, and he has workers assigned to duties in each. God has an army, and so does Satan. (Joshua 5:14, "No, but as commander of the army of the Lord I now have come." God has His heavenly workers, including angels, and Satan has his fallen angels. Angels can take on the form of people, so you never know for certain when you've been visited by an angel. On occasion there
could be visits by resurrected humans (Matt. 17:3), "And behold,  Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him." This may be tough stuff to believe, but it is written as the Word of God and the Word was God. (John 1:1) Hope won't work here. Your faith must be belief. If it isn't, you don't have the Christian faith, and you are traveling under false colors. 

    You see, faith is more than hope; it is belief. Not everything you hope for may become reality. Not everything you believe will happen, may not happen. It will happen if the specific action is in the "will of God." He has everything planned out, and sometimes (maybe even often) our belief will fail because our desire does not fit His plan by reason of timeliness or because it would be detrimental to our well being or His overall plan. Hope may work for you, but belief WILL work for you. If you tell people you have the Christian faith, it better be founded on belief, not just hope. Belief is the resurrection. Hope will not lift you to the heavenly dimension.

    Satan has leaders in states and cities. Where ever humans are located, there will be Satan's leader contending with someone who supposedly represents Christ as a government official. This is true for provinces, states, cities, towns and townships. Satan offered Christ the rule of the world when he tempted Christ in Matthew,  chapter 4. Now we look at the last part of that verse in Ephesians,  which is the word "rulers." Satan wants to replace God, and this desire to rule over others seems to be a vital part of carnal men and women. It keeps virtually every country in turmoil, and extends to very small organizations. Almost everybody has the desire to be a leader, including some church members. These clashes are why people aspiring for public offices should not use "faith" as a means to gain support. God enables a true man or woman of God to lead
people of all faiths. Christ never attempted to be a king, and neither
did any of the Apostles. 

    Look at leaders of nations and the world, and you will see people with personal agendas. See what verses Christ gave us in the four gospels these leaders are using for foundation. If you just skim research material, you will find they are usually fake believers. Unfortunately, some pastors and religious leaders also are just campaigning for their personal interest. I'm going to give you some verses of scripture from the gospels to think about, because the church hasn't interpreted them accurately. These verses explain just what I've written about the "powers" in Ephesians.

    Unfortunately, this is how politics plays out. Please go to Luke 19:12-27. We start the explanation of this group of verses with verse 21. This is one of Christ's parables, which should clue you to get a different meaning than at first reading. First, you must understand Christ's definition of parables given in Matt. 13:10-17. Christ tells His disciples they are being told the mysteries of heaven while unbelievers will not understand. Now go to verse 13, where He tells them that unbelievers seeing will not see, and hearing they will not hear. In other words, they will misunderstand. Verse 21 clearly tells us this ruler rose to power through dishonesty. "For I feared you, because you are an austere man. YOU COLLECT WHAT YOU
DID NOT DEPOSIT, AND REAP WHAT YOU DID NOT SOW." The people of this region did not want this dishonest man to rule them, but he gained the appointment anyway at a seat of power. The citizens sent a delegation to try and block his appointment, but they failed (verse 14). 

    Now we see how this corrupt ruler operates. He uses influence and money to gain and keep the kingdom. He had given 10 of his servants minas (about four months' wages) to invest while he was gone. Now he returns and calls these servants to report what has happened with his money. The first servant reports he has earned 10 minas (verse 16). The next verse (17) finds the ruler congratulating the servant and rewarding him with rulership over 10 cities. You see the combination of money and politics here. Verses 18 and 19 tell us a second servant reports his mina earned five minas, and the ruler gave him five cities to rule. 

    Here is where we get to the first part of this parable's meaning. The third servant reports he has preserved his mina with no gain because the ruler admitted in verse 22(b) the servant's knowledge of the nobleman's business dealings were dishonest. The nobleman expected to at least have interest on the investment of "dirty" money. He took the mina away from the servant and gave it to the servant who had 10 minas. We get to the second part of this lesson in verse 26. "For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given, and from him who does not have , even what he has will be taken away from him." This part of the parable is meant to be other than at first sight or hearing of the situation. In this final statement, Christ is replacing the meaning of money and influence
with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Believers are given gifts, and God expects us to use these gifts. If we just accept Christ's offer of salvation without using our gifts, we will lose the gifts. The gifts are given for the purpose of works. James 2:17 tells us, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

    Luke 19:27 concludes the minas parable by a dire warning of what happens to those who oppose corrupt rulers. The ruler called for the enemies who opposed his appointment as ruler to be brought before him and slain. History shows us that the mixture of greed, religion and politics always turns out badly. Killings and oppression are tools of those who desire to be leaders. Look at the barbaric leadership in much of the world, and listen to the words of would-be leaders. Seek the scripture verses they base their campaigns upon, and call them out when they have no basis. It's your job as a believer and Christian to prevent people with false witness from deceiving other people. Faith requires belief, not just hope.

Rev. Walbear
 

DA MAN

                                                            DA MAN

    It would seem sacrilegious to begin a story about education with a slang term such as Da Man. The title reflects not only the work of one man, but also the work of a rural community in the days of the Great Depression and early World War II years. This was a very  serious period of America's history, and provides the reader with an opportunity to examine what has happened to our educational system. One Christian man dedicated much of his time and money to bring a rural one room school in western New York State to a level of excellence, as the people of that community worked together in their approach to learning. 

    Da man and his young family were proprietors of a country general 
store in a rural farming area. There was no village, and the school district centered on a busy four corners with just two stores. Most of the people lived along one of the four roads, with houses and farms lining that road. Some people lived on a gravel road that turned off the main highway and climbed a considerable hill. There was no  public school transportation. Students walked, rode bicycles, or were transported by parents. The students who lived farthest away from the school faced a three mile hike.

    This was not what you'd call a church attending community, because the hard times and hard work on the farms discouraged travel, and the nearest church was four miles from the closest district home. The people did respect Christianity, and had an example in Da Man. He and his family led a life that followed the instructions in the four gospels. He never missed a night's bible reading, doing this after closing the store. When people came to him with a problem, he was there to pray for them, and if help could be given materially, he was generous to a fault.

    His real contribution to the community was his devoted effort to provide an education for the community's youngsters. This was a very small rural district with a very small tax base. Remember, this was in the day of a one cent stamp to mail a letter, and prior to the movement to form school jointures. Youngsters attended these one room schools through eighth grade. When they had completed eighth grade, they had a choice to attend one of the closest high schools. A bus made a round morning and afternoon to pick up these students at various collection sites. There was no door to school transportation. Students still had to walk to a collection point. 

    When old timers tell youngsters today about how tough they had it going to school, there's more truth in the telling than you may think. Some of these students had to walk three miles by road or two miles cross country through fields. In the winter, the secondary road on which they lived often wasn't plowed open until late morning, and they would ski to school, and walk the road home. Parents, many of whom had limited formal education, realized the importance of these local schools. Because of their small number of students, teachers knew what the youngsters' capabilities were, and how well they were progressing. Aptitude and guidance were determined by the teacher.

    Before moving on with information about Da Man, the role of one room school teachers should be appreciated. Using this school as an example, we'll outline a teacher's responsibility. By the way, it was a responsibility, not just a job. This young lady was fresh out of a teachers' college, and newly married. She lived with her  husband on a gravel road about eight miles from the school. In the winter she sometimes had difficulty getting to school in the morning because of unplowed roads. Although the temperature could be below zero, she had to start a fire in the school's pot belly stove. It could take until noon before the school was warm enough for the kids to take off their coats. Desks would be circled around
the stove, with the youngest kids closest to the stove. The teacher did most of the janitorial work and some of the minor repairs. She taught kids ranging from first through eighth grade. Some rural schools with a larger number of kids had two teachers.

    Being a teacher was no picnic, but the overall responsibility for the school was very comprehensive. Da Man was the lone trustee, 
administrator, school board, grounds superintendent, and served as the educational superintendent. He was responsible for the school building, insurance, supplies, finances, record keeping, state reports and any other incidentals. He also was responsible for hiring the teacher. There was no pay of any kind, no reimbursement for out of pocket expenses or labor. The district had few expenses, although all supplies the students needed were furnished, including, books, tablets, pencils, construction paper, paste and musical instruments. Yes, musical instruments. The school had a rhythm band, and that was another responsibility of the teacher. The school had an indoor bathroom (most rural schools didn't), and other costs included electricity and wood for the winter.

    There was no pension of retirement program. If a teacher became ill, it created an emergency because substitutes were usually not available. Nobody gave thought about sick days unless the person was in a long term situation. A short term substitute would usually donate time. There was none of the sass and back talk from students we have today. There was respect for the teacher and for students. There was little emphasis on sports, which were limited to the high schools. Rural kids usually achieved success through academic means because most came from farms where work topped sports.

    These schools should have served as an example of how children could be educated and become solid citizens. There was no huge expenditure for bricks and mortar. There was no insulation. There were no swimming pools, there were no big time athletic programs. The country school did have a library. Imagine that! And citizens didn't have to pay a library tax. I attended this school for three  years, and I know how these students contributed to society. Every one who graduated went on to high school. Every one could read and write. Every one could handle math and spelling. By the time the students who began first grade reached fourth grade, BOTH were advanced to SIXTH grade because of their excellence in
studies at that one room school. And, this skip of a grade was not in that one room school, but in a larger consolidated school.

    Da Man and the teacher provided the materials and instruction that enabled the students to put on special programs for the holiday seasons, especially Christmas. There was music (the teacher played the piano) from the rhythm band, a one act play, and recitations. Santa Claus even paid a visit. I believe every parent and nearby relative filled the little school for this event. The small amount of tax money required for this school was augmented by the support of local people who helped accomplish minor tasks without pay. Da Man provided the school with playground equipment at no cost. He found a set that included three swings, a parallel bar and slide at an abandoned school. He spent several evenings in digging the supports up. They were encased in concrete about two feet thick, and it was all hand digging. Backhoes came into use
several years later. Then, new holes were hand dug on the school grounds, and the equipment was in use.

    Hard to imagine this kind of education today, with outrageous school taxes and so many extras for kids. How could we possibly become teachers, ministers, businessmen, doctors and nurses without today's modern schools? Could it be parents are so stressed out or irresponsible they expect schools to raise their children as well as teach them? Could it be so many parents are financially strapped? Could it be too many broken homes or single parents? Could it be school boards are intimidated and led by administrators? Could it be we, especially Christians, have "bought" the idea that throwing money at schools can replace common sense values? Could it be that some Christians want to limit students to a very narrow understanding of the world?

    We can't force children to learn and we shouldn't try to force everybody to live exactly as we do as individuals or groups. Christ instructed us in the four gospels how to live, and there is not one instruction about forcing anybody to do anything. God created each of us to be different and to use that God-given difference for the good of mankind. Many professing Christians are trampling Christ's teaching, and are now moving to trample the Constitution. Do you think maybe this combination of actions is speeding up the process of Revelation? Christians need lots more time in scripture and a realization of how little common sense exits today.

    How about an example of how things have changed? Da Man didn't attend or graduate from any college or university. In fact, he didn't graduate from high school. Times were hard when he was in school (a rural school), and he quit to go to work to help support his family. He did see the need for more education, and purchased books on math, science, English, history and  geography. This was self education, a sort of home schooling by oneself. He operated two successful businesses and served
many years on a school board in a large district. His dedication was recognized by a plaque bearing his name in a new school he helped build.

Rev. Walbear

PS--The picture is of Da Man and his store. 
      

CULTURE of HATE

                                                   CULTURE of HATE

    "He who loves his life will lose it , and he who hates his life in this 
world will keep it for eternal life."(Matt. 12:25) This is a difficult verse
to understand unless you carefully examine and understand verses
24 and 26. It is, however, the simple and complete truth of the Christian Way. Verse 24 tells us, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain." The grain of wheat is the seed of life, just as Jesus is the seed of eternal life. Verse 26 explains, "If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be also. If anyone serves me, him My Father will honor." Christ is explaining the requirement of dying to self to gain eternal life through His sacrifice. Read the passages again, and outline the word HATE, because it has everything to do with a Christian.

    To summarize, if you are enjoying and comfortable with life in this world, you will lose this wonderful condition when you enter the afterlife. If your ego and pride (self righteousness) die through your acceptance of salvation, heavenly fruit results from your Christian attitude and works. The ways of the world are wicked and evil; if you hate this, you will keep your eternal life in heaven. Now circle all three of these verses, because they will tell you your future. You're not going to eternal life with God and Christ if you harbor hate. You may dislike something or someone, but your actions better not be hate. Christianity is basically the New Testament, and speaks of love. The word HATE appears 38 times in scripture, and is
never used by Christ against anyone or anything. The word LOVE
appears 132 times in scripture.

     The most damaging passages of hate in the bible are in the Old
Testament in the Books of Proverbs and Psalms. Note that all of these hate verses were written by a variety of people, and none can be attributed to Christ, who wasn't even on earth yet. Following or using any of these hate verses in the name of Christianity is totally wrong, because they do not reflect any of Christ's teaching. I see many politicians and some church leaders and pastors using these Old Testament quotes to further personal agendas. Each Christian is responsible for personal actions. If you follow anyone without examining specific claims or projects, you are on the clock for your decisions.

     The pulpit or public soapbox is the means of spreading the truth,
especially for Christianity, its many denominations, and other  religions. Preachers are now widely and frequently using the opportunity to spread hatred. A Baptist preacher, giving a high school commencement address, actually ranted and raved hatred against gays and lesbians. He didn't dislike them...he said he hated them and wanted them dead. He is not even saved, because he violated the scripture he's supposed to teach. This man and millions of other Americans are loudly spreading all types of
hatred against others who are not exact clones of the haters. 
Unfortunately, the conservative churches are right out front, with professing Christians loudly proclaiming naked hatred against brothers and sisters in Christ.

    Except, there appear to be a substantial number of professing 
Christians who really aren't saved. They are loudly proclaiming their brands of hatred, apparently not realizing they are also  testifying against Jesus Christ and God, who gave us the rules of Christianity. That means they are proclaiming the lifestyle of Satan. Let's take a look at some other words of Christ about hate. He was very clear in warning that your place in Christianity would not be accepted in Satan's world. I trust you remember that Satan does walk the earth and has control, except for the limits imposed by God. Job 1:6,7 tells us Satan was walking back and forth on the earth. He's still here, folks, and he has even more workers 
looking for you. He has specialists in greed, race, lies and all the popular sins. If you harbor hatred, it's not too late, but you'd better not delay repenting.  It must come from the heart.

    If a saved person is spreading hate, it doesn't mean salvation is lost, but it does mean salvation is in doubt. If you've read anything about heavenly expectations, you should realize there is no hatred of any kind in the heavenly dimension. Hatred is a sin that may be forgiven. The mercy of God to forgive us is apparent from His  patience, but there is a limit. We are warned about this in Romans 6:1, "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" Verse 2 explains, "Certainly not! How shall we who  died to sin live any longer in it?" John the Baptist took the message of repentance to the people of his day, and that is the exact cure for your sin. If you harbor hatred, you must have a mind change to
receive forgiveness.

    Hatred is a conquering sin. It cannot be eliminated without the help of the Holy Spirit. A saved person has that help available, but without repentance, the Holy Spirit will not be able to bring you out of damnation. Greed is driven by the sin of envy. Hatred is a much easier sin to infect people because it may be based on any number of things that strike a person's fancy. There's always that attitude of wanting to be better than others. It may be clothes, house, car, community or church position, or anything deemed important enough to make you feel superior. Christ used small things such as the widow's mite (Mark 12:41-44) to emphasize true value of material and spiritual subjects.

    The irrational action of people who base hatred on race and/or religion speaks for itself. Not only is spirituality missing, but also common sense. Which is worse...fraud (cheating), adultery, murder, envy, gossip (false testimony), or any other sin? They all have the  same value of evil except denial of the Holy Spirit. Why do some people spew hatred on a PERCEIVED sin, while ignoring more  common transgressions? There are two reasons: emotions stirred up by misinformation, and an attempt to divide groups of people. These preachers of Satan know most people are continually guilty of sins such as gossip and envy. Talking this down will not bring many converts, even from the church. However, there are much smaller  numbers of people who don't fit mainstream guidelines, such as race, religion, sexual orientation and abortion. People guilty of these sins
become the scapegoats for the general public, spurred on by some
church leaders who are anti-Christian. People are being misled by the
values of Satan put forth eloquently by wolves in sheeps' clothing. I
use the word eloquently only because people are so easily fooled.

    There are bad things caused by people of all races and religions. Christ did not DISCRIMINATE. He brought people of many races into The Way, and healed all who actually believed. Some disciples, including Paul, did discriminate against women, but you need to study history and culture to understand why. There is no reason today to continue this discrimination, or any other discrimination. This is a form of mild hatred, which illustrates how easy it is for Satan to lead would be Christians away from God. Don't lose your place in the Book of Life by preaching Satan's sermons. Your hatred is a direct denial of Jesus Christ and Christianity. There is no hatred in heaven and eternal life. 

Rev. Walbear

    

AN ALIEN NATION

Brummett Echohawk (Pawnee artist), "Trail of Tears," 1957


                                              AN ALIEN NATION    

    Jesus said, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end  of the age." (Matt. 38:19-20) It's about time Christians in America take heed of Christ's final words. We have sent missionaries all over the world, but we are failing miserably in our own nation. Take heed that Jesus gave us two directions in His closing address: go to all nations, teaching HIS commandments. Instead
of patting ourselves on the back for our foreign missionary programs, we should examine our missionary system in the United States and our record in observing His commandments.

    What missionary programs in the United States? you ask. I have to agree with the question. Most American church people don't realize we have and still are failing our domestic missionary responsibilities. Our obligations to native American Indians have never been Christian in nature. We have stolen their land, put them on reservations like criminals, cheated them in material, and failed to provide adequate support in education and health. American Indians are a layer of humanity much like black people in America. They are considered inferior to the ruling white people. Now add in the disgraceful way white men treat women, and we see a shameful bunch of self righteous frauds. And most claim they have faith. This is not a social rant; it is a state of the union message on the subject of American Christianity, based on the very words of Christ as He left earth for Heaven.

    If you want to learn about our disgraceful treatment of American
Indians, you can find the many ways by researching Christian 
organizations working to help the victims of some of the church and joint government "solutions" for what to do with "those pesky redskins." Let's get over this great American dream about a Christian  nation, and face facts the rest of the world now can observe. When we examine ourselves honestly, it is not a pretty sight...think about the tales of people who saw a tape of their earthly life. No matter how good a person we consider ourselves to be, self righteousness reigns supreme among Christians. Isaiah 54:6 describes how we really are: "But we are like an unclean thing, and all our  righteousnesses are like filthy rags;" Too many of us think that  obeying some of Christ's commandments is good enough. We don't lie, steal or give false testimony. That's far enough in self love,
because we don't even follow these simple rules. We all enjoy juicy gossip and blaming someone wrongly without knowing the facts, or when it's none of our business. 

    These self lies are sin enough, but when you add our attitude to the lesser class of people, American Indians, blacks, women, and people with other religious beliefs, we are way over the line. Christ did not tell us to force people to believe in Him. He did not tell us to force people to live exactly as we live. He told us to  preach the gospel to provide all people with a choice to be one of The Way or one of the lost. He taught us to be brothers and sisters in this  earthly life and eternity. Being present in church and Sunday school doesn't mean you're saved any more than your presence in school means you're educated. Rather than a Christian nation, we are an alien nation--people from other places on the globe who have taken this land by any means available. God gave His Chosen people
Israel; He did not give them or Christians the United States. It was groups of people seeking false Christianity and/or riches who came to America.

    You may not like my reference to false Christians settling first in
America, but if you research their life style you will see they followed
almost none of Christ's commandments. They came to America because their brand of Christianity was not accepted in Europe. They talked God, but didn't walk the walk. One of the first things they did upon arriving here was to build stocks and erect a burning stake. It was so bad, Roger Williams had to leave the colony and move to Rhode Island to establish a reasonable Christian community and church. He may have been the only saved man at Plymouth Rock. These Pilgrims considered Indians to be savages because their lifestyle was different. Wow! Was that ever true. Think about how the Indians treated the natural resources and didn't go about depleting the gifts of nature God provided. The Indians did have white man's problem of warring, but were friendly to our ancestors---the ALIENS. Of course the white men soon began doing the American "thing," cheating the natives out of everything in sight.

    Tell me Christians didn't know they were cheating the Indians in the deal of the century---buying one of the world's largest islands, or trading virtually worthless items, or materials far short in value for what the white man got. After taking the land by force, the white man kept the most valuable part and placed the Indians in detention camps called reservations. Eventually the white man moved entire tribes from their traditional land in the "trail of tears" to worthless land several states away. And they had to walk; no free ride for redskins.

    Do you believe God didn't see all these "Christian" acts? We have been
blessed with His mercy, because He gave us the opportunity to repent
and come to Him. He sent Jesus to earth to give mankind an opportunity
to become brothers and sisters in eternal life. (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." Our  
ancestors enacted a marvelous Constitution, but national leaders didn't follow their own rules, not freeing slaves until bigoted and greedy leaders in some states were forced to do so by a civil war. It took another 70 years for women to get the vote. 

    God gave the United States an opportunity to repent, and we did the
right thing---we entered World War II, and were the main ingredient in
preserving freedom for much of the world. Soon after the war was over,
we provided the means to rebuild the destruction of war in enemy
countries. While this was happening, there was another major move on by learned people in many fields. The expertise that had enabled us to materially support the war effort could now be used for civilians.
Unfortunately there was bad with the good. While the war had brought
us together, it had also strengthened our tie to Christianity. We were so joyous to have the victory and the wartime conditions ended, we did the usual religious funk. Except for families that lost members or now had crippled or otherwise handicapped veterans, people enjoyed "golden" years, making up for hardships, rationing and wants. Most Americans today have no idea what it's like to live in major war years.

    The expertise learned during war years was put to use by business
people and industrialists. New products hit the market, and commerce
boomed. The machine and electronic age took off, and planners in
business and government devised methods to increase profits and
distribute goods. As the early American plantation owners knew, the
easiest way to reduce costs is to underpay labor. These leaders ignored
the directions in 1 Cor. 9:9 that instructs us "For it is written in the law 
of Moses, You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." This
directive also appears in Deut. 25:4 as well as in other places. During
the 1930s, we established programs to serve the working people who
could never earn enough to provide a pension or health care. This 
program has worked very well for nearly 80 years. Now these low paying jobs are being outsourced to foreign nations or workers are replaced by machines. The earning capability is gone, and a concerted effort is underway to eliminate or cut back these vital programs.

    Americans who stood by and watched our greedy uncaring leaders
decimate the Indians are now watching state and national leaders
attempting to decimate the current middle class as well as Indians,
other nationalities, other religions and women. It is a combination
of industrialists and wealthy politicians driven by love of money and the power it brings. Matt. 6:24 warns us we cannot serve God and mammon (money). The layer of white Americans born after the end of World War II benefited by these social programs and now are one of the major reasons the social programs are in danger. They Have Theirs, and they don't want to share ANYTHING. Although most of the news media is controlled by Arab and Conservative money, the public has been misled to believe it is under liberal control. The  airways are crowded with ultra conservative commentators who  continue to preach divisiveness, making little effort to back their  rants with any facts. Just like bible facts, no research of scripture  or issues.

    Why all the negative claims and concentration on subjects NEVER
MENTIONED by Christ? Come on Christians, don't let yourself be drawn
in by this emotional rhetoric. I've explained these subjects before, but
some Christians don't bother to read the scripture based information.
Apparently it's more fun to disobey the Ninth Commandment about false witness. For example many Christians refuse to conduct the  Christian research about abortion. Christ didn't forget this subject. Revelation tells us not to add or take away from scripture. Why do you think any man today claiming knowledge could know more than Christ? The truth is there. You just need to take the time and effort to find the truth. Homosexuality is a sin, but it is pardonable. How is it going to destroy America? It produces no children. False witness could destroy our nation, but I don't hear any Christians protesting the daily tirade.

    Satan knows methods such as divide and conquer work quite well,
and people love to gossip, especially if the information denigrates 
someone. That automatically makes the gossiper a "higher level" person. Isn't that what we want to be---a bit better than others? I see the smug self righteous church goers, and it's clear they know little or nothing of our Savior or His directions. That's also true of many pastors. Most Americans today are not native Americans because our ancestors came from Europe or other places. I have a leg up on most of you, because I'm a native American through marriage to a Seneca woman. Should you want to learn even more horrible treatment of natives than that of American Indians, research the full history of the development  of Hawaii.

    There's a lot of goodness left in America, but we have to wake up and actually do as Christ directed. People of other religions or no religion can be productive citizens if given the opportunity. The good Samaritan was not a Jew or a Christian, but he did the right thing. This scripture given us by Christ in Luke 10:30-37 directs us in helping others. Explain to me why it is glorious to send missionaries to foreign countries to build schools, hospitals, and houses, to provide medical help, dig wells, and provide other services; but it is wrong to to do this here for the horde of unwanted immigrants. Certainly they are looking for a better place to live, and some may not be desired. The young are especially here to survive, and can provide the same value as our ancestors who were the original immigrants. These are illegal, and that is wrong, but they also mirror the injured man left for dead in the good Samaritan parable. The issue here is not disease, drugs and criminals. The issue is cost, although fear plays a large role. Think how much it costs to send a missionary to Africa. That money could provide even better results right here in America with the immigrants. The local "missionary" would have all kinds of support from the church as well as the government. We can build new schools here, which would provide jobs for some immigrants. If professing Christians, as well as tax exempt churches would put that money to work, America could show the world real Christianity as taught by Christ.

    How much easier it would be if Christians and Christian teachers just followed Christ's teaching. There is a large number of professing 
Christians who say they have accepted Christ's offer, but their reason
was actually to avoid tribulation and receive a pass to Heaven. Then, 
there are those who believe material gifts to the church and religion are multiplied in value and returned to the giver. Look at Matt. 6:19-21.
"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust
destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for  yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust  destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where  your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

    Politicians and churches rely more on systems based on money than the blessings of Jesus Christ and God. There is a monumental lack of real faith. Money is necessary on earth, and taxes will always be a hated presence. If we really have faith, we must look at the faith Christ gave us as an example. Seriously consider Matt. 17: 24-27.  I'll only quote verse 27 as Jesus explains why they will pay the tax. "Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take  the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find  a 'piece of money;' take that and give  it to them for Me and you." That was His statement of faith that God would provide money and substance as needed. Can you spare a dollar for an immigrant? Can you walk the walk of faith? No matter where you place your faith, Christian or not, he gave us the example of the good Samaritan. Where does your heart rest?

Rev. Walbear