PURPOSE

                                                PURPOSE

    Why are you reading this? Why am I writing this? What are our purposes for doing this? Do we really know what our purposes are? Before I get into examining that word, I'll tell you my purpose for writing this message. When I was ordained, I was given this charge, and the scripture from 2Tim. 2:15 is my purpose. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God a worker who does not need to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH." Verses 16 and 17 were not part of my marching order, but a caution of what I would face. "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer." I have been blessed with a wonderful family and marvelous animals, but all this pales in the seriousness of my charge.

    Do you have a purpose? I use the singular here, because if we really study scripture rather than just reading it, you know your purpose. The dictionary defines purpose very clearly and in depth. As Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary explains it, "That which one sets before himself as an object to be attained; intention; resolution, determination." Surprisingly, many people don't know what their purpose in life is or should be. It is clear from scripture that a person desiring to be a Christian must study and attempt to follow the teaching of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You may claim to be a Christian and say you prayed the "sinner's prayer", but if you have not placed your primary purpose to be
obedient to the very words of Christ, you have missed the mark. You may have any secular or church occupation, family or other interest, but none of these must
overshadow your obedience to His directions.

    Most people I know or have met, do not follow much of Christ's teaching, and are very careless in using scripture to support their purpose, which usually is not Christian at all. I am very disappointed to see people who are "church wise" doing this, although direct quotes from scripture to correct their loud and flagrant mistakes are not only ignored, but used against the person who questions the falsehoods. If you are ignorant of history, geography and cultures, you may question some of the guidelines used by epistle writers, but must never question the very quotations by Christ in the Four Gospels. Remember, these are the living words of God given us through His Son. If you try to change them or disobey them, you are defying God and denying your supposed commitment to Him. We are all sinners and Christ redeemed those of us who confess and repent our sins. We will make more mistakes, but we cannot justify not obeying the directions of the Gospels. Look at 1 Sam. 15:22, where we are told "Behold, to obey
is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams." Notice very carefully, we are warned here that no matter what we tithe or how we tithe, it is meaningless unless we are following the purpose of a committed Christian. You can't give enough money to defray disobedience, and every falsehood you speak or pass on as false testimony is unChristian and a sin.

    I always reference my teaching with direct quotes from scripture--usually several verses. and often from different books. The same is true as above, with my dictionary quote. Yet, I find people with a predetermined conclusion refuse to even check the rock solid quotes directly from authentic sources such as the bible. I'm not a judge--Christ will take care of that. But, if you insist on using falsehoods, stupid, "I know for a fact", and similar slander rather than seeking the truth which refutes your testimony, I ask that you refrain from calling yourself a Christian. You don't adhere to the word of God, you give false testimony
willingly, and you are fooling yourself if you think you are a Christian. I am going to give you a series of Christian situations, mostly current, where all the facts are in. It's up to you to determine your worth as a Christian.

    Very recent: an 87 year old lady in an independent private care home had a problem and couldn't breathe. The nurse called 911, and was told to administer CPR. The nurse must have known that was the thing to do or she wouldn't be a nurse. The nurse refused because the facility owners had a policy that such assistance was not permitted. The 911 dispatcher pleaded for someone--anyone--to apply CPR. By the time an ambulance arrived and took the elderly woman to the hospital, it was too late--she died. Here we have several people to consider for Christian values and teaching. (1)The private care facility (corporation), which
is now legally a "person". We'll explain this later. Score: Christianity 0. person 1. No chance for liability (money). (2)Nurse. Choice between job (money) and saving life. Christianity 0, nurse 1. (3)911 Dispatcher. Represents a secular, government agency and performs the job according to direction. Christianity 1, non-Christian secular agency and government employee 1. The only Christian action was not by the private care givers, but by the hated government agency and employee. Who followed Christ's teaching? Money was the winner, except for 911. None of the money people did their job and certainly did not heed Christ's teaching in the Good Samaritan of scripture (Luke 10:30-37). Back up to verse 27, and you
will see what a Christian MUST do to qualify as a Christian and for eternal life. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself." If there is any word of Christ you don't understand, look it up in a dictionary. You cannot separate any part of His direction. It is not any person's place to change the word of Christ. The first response by the facility was that the family had agreed not to try and revive the lady as a precondition of residence. Later they stated the nurse
misinterpreted policy and is on voluntary leave while the case is being investigated. Any professional should understand policy, and it appears both
the facility and nurse are pointing at each other. It would have been much
better for them to act as Christ would have.

    Even more recent: A person who must have heart medicine and has only meager social security income, ran low on the needed supply of medicine. The person had a bill from the pharmacy that was due early in the month. The bill had to be paid from social security income, and that money didn't come until the fourth week in the month. The pharmacy was contacted, and the person gave the date of the payment, which was the day the money was due to arrive, and the pharmacy agreed to delay the shipment until the payment arrived. A week later, the person received a latter from the pharmacy stating it would not send the
medicine until the bill of less than $70 was paid. This is interesting because some of the medicine in the order was already paid for by this person's former employer through the employee retirement program. By not sending the "free" medicine they were bullying and stealing. The need of the person was nothing--it was all about money. Next the person received a letter from a collection agency. This was less than a month from the billing. The pharmacy was firm they would not send any medicine--including that already paid for--until the small amount due was received. The person was becoming desperate at this point, and told a medicare representative of the problem. The medicare person was horrified at the situation and said the pharmacy was breaking the law, and medicare would contact the pharmacy to correct the problem. Now, let's score this for Christian evaluation.
(1)Pharmacy, a very large corporation legally classified as a person. Secular, based entire situation on MONEY, illegally withholding medication already paid for to pressure the recipient into sending MONEY. Score: Pharmacy, Christianity 0, person 1. (2)Medicare representative, government agency, government program and employee, Christianity 1, person 0.

    These two cases have indicated a trend from Christian principles to love of money, and this is the rallying cry for so many conservatives, led by the Tea Party. I said I'd explain the new status of corporations as "people". That was the ruling of the conservative controlled Supreme Court. None of those judges who voted for this ruling can possibly by any quirk of the imagination be a Christian. Why? Turn to the very first book in the bible, Genesis in the Old Testament, chapter one, verses 26 and 27. "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." Lest you say you are a New Testament Christian and the Old Testament doesn't apply, how do you explain Christ's many direct quotes from the Old Testament in His teaching? You are again denying the faith.

    Explain to me how any corporation is the image of God or Christ. Remember, (I pray) that many, many people saw Christ in the flesh, so we know what the image of God looks like. The Supreme court ruling--not by hated liberals or socialists--shows the total lack of anything Christian. You now say this is all political, and you are correct. It clearly shows a majority of conservatives do not support Christ or His teaching. In fact, this ruling defies what children are taught in elementary science, and would be an excellent example of the intelligence level of Jethroe, a character in the television series of the Beverly hillbillies. In case you don't recall that comedy, Jethroe was a young man in the hillbilly family, and
often bragged about his graduation from elementary school. He said he was going to be a brain surgeon, but missed his calling. He would be a good conservative judge.

    Now, lets look at exactly what Christ taught, mainly in parables. You can research any of the Four Gospels, and you will see they all reinforce each other. Christ always taught the principle of treating others as yourself. He never taught it was acceptable to ignore the needs of others. He was a healer, not a condemner. He particularly pointed out that your heart indicated your Christian purpose or standing. We already had the Ten Commandments, and He added an Eleventh because He saw greed and man's rules corrupting the very word of God. It is ironic that the supposed Christian church and people who mislead and depart from the word of God are continuing to ignore and distort the teaching of Christ. If you are a part of this sham game, the examination of Christ's quotes may wake you up.

    Our next example is another false claim about being a Christian nation. Ireland is a country so embellished in Christianity that the Catholics and Protestants have been fighting and killing each other for supremacy for years. Recently, an educated and professional young married woman and her educated and professional husband were going to start a family. Something went wrong in the early stages of pregnancy, and blood poison set in. The fetus died, and the women needed to abort the fetus in order to get rid of the poison. Ireland's constitution forbids ANY abortion, and the doctors refused to abort the fetus. They proclaimed their Christianity and watched the woman die a slow, painful death. Score: Christianity 0, government 1. Conservatives claim America is a Christian nation. We had slave owners for almost 100 years and denied
vote to women for over100 years. Score: Christianity 0, government 1. Note that the existing government in America that failed these tests included both political parties at the beginning, while the one-sided failures were at the hands of conservatives, who fall back on their idea of Christian teaching--definitely no connection to the very words of Christ. The claim that liberals or non-conservatives aren't Christians, or that they are socialists is a great way to create division and insure the demise of Christianity.

    First, let's look at what Christ tells us about money, since that seems to  top the list of so-called Christians. Matt. 6:19-21 warns us to lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt. 6:24 tells us we cannot serve both God and mammon. One has to be our Christian purpose, not both. I'm not claiming you can't be financially successful; I'm saying money cannot be the purpose in your life. If you're one of the middle class or average Americans, and you moan about the moochers taking your "hard earned" money, you need to do a little research. The statements Romney made about 47 percenters living on entitlements is COMPLETELY false. He obviously doesn't have a clue about working Americans, and the middle class Christians who value money over God have bought into the separation of greed and
envy. Anybody who works, pays taxes right out of their paycheck. If they don't earn enough, there is no money to pay income taxes. People who own property pay all kinds of taxes before they pay income taxes. If they're without a fat pension and living on social security, they run out of income tax money. Most of these people worked their entire life to acquire their property. Local schools, township roads, fire companies (volunteer), local police, local earned income tax--all are paid on the local level, and may drop you below the IRS level. Then take out the state income tax, and you find the IRS again gets nothing. If you pay federal IRS taxes, you are making more money than the average working American unless there are two wage earners in the family. Unemployment money is available only if you have current work history and have paid into the system, which you must do by law.  It, like social security, is your money, nobody
else's. Most people on SSI get that money because they have physical or mental problems. Just because you CAN walk in the park, mow your lawn or change your car's oil does not mean you don't have a limiting problem. You do know you must have a doctor's certification to get SSI? There are cheaters, but they are exceptions. Welfare, where people continue to have child after child, the father(s) skip out, etc., is a major problem. We can't seem to get women to stop the multiple children idea, and, of course, there are lots of men who readily accept the free sex. The children must be supported. If you can't use abortion or
sterilization, what can you do? You do know that all taxpayers somehow contribute to this situation? You do know that even Christ and the disciples paid taxes, too? Read Matt. 17:24-27. And knock off that "I work hard for my money". First of all, all money is God's, none is really yours. Second, you are saying you work harder than me or others? Do you work harder than a soldier in a foxhole? Do you work harder than a fireman risking his/her life? Do you work harder than a physician performing a life or death operation? Do you work harder with your mouth? I'm certain you can answer at least one of these questions in the affirmative.

    On with our examination of Christ's teaching about money--Matt. 19:16-22. Here a rich young ruler asks what is necessary to gain eternal life. He tells Christ he has followed the Law (the 10 Commandments plus 1). Note Christ makes two specific references. In verse 19, Christ says, "You shall not bear false witness," and in verse 21, Christ tells the man to sell his many possessions and then follow Him. Christ knew where the young ruler's heart was. Next, go to Matt. 19:23-30. I will only quote part of these verses to sum up the total. (V 23 and 24) "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
God.'" Verse 29 tells us what our reward (including eternal life) will be.

    In Matt. 21:12,13, Christ tells us what He thinks of money in the church and the greed of some businessmen. Note this is a rare instance where Christ was so upset, he became physically violent enough to overthrow tables and chairs, and evicted the merchants. We already read Matt. 17:24-27, where Christ gave instructions to pay taxes. Now, in Matt. 22:15-21, He again explains the responsibility of paying taxes. I've pointed out the grave error some Christians make in not understanding the Parable of the Talents (Matt.25:14-30). The rich man made his money by being dishonest. Verses 24 and 26 tell us the servant
knew the rich man profited by dishonesty, and the rich man, in his own words, admitted he, indeed, was dishonest. The other servants had used their money to turn profits, although whether through honesty or not--we don't know. I pointed out verse 29 did not mean that if you had money, you would get much (abundant) more. If you do not have, that which you have will be taken away demands an explanation. This refers to using what you have (assets) or losing it (the skill in sports, music, etc). The rich man did not have the ability to perform his judgment in verse 30 unless he was in the service of Satan.

    How cheap we sell out to Satan is startlingly clear in Matt. 26:15,16. Even if we
don't sell out for as little as 30 pieces of silver, we do sin sometimes for ridiculously cheap reasons. Remember, all sins are equally negative except denial of the Holy Spirit (the power of God). Murder may seem worse to us than false testimony, but they have equal value in sin power. Not realizing this sometimes turns us into a self righteous Christian, and this is frequently clear to others, especially non Christians. That is why Christians are now often referred to as hypocrites, and the conservative movement is stalling. It seems most church leaders, especially pastors, are concerned with teaching right and wrong, and how we should live, ignoring some of the hard-sell teaching of Christ. The most glaring example is the total quiet response to the ruling that a corporation is the image of God. That refutes the warning in Rev. 22:18,19 not to add to or change the words of scripture. I see that most bibles printed after the year 2000 have word or phrase changes. This is 100% wrong. It is rumored these changes were made by a conservative editor because a liberal editor would have used a more "gentle" term of the same meaning instead of trying to "clean up" the words of inspiration by the original writer. In I Kings, 16:11, my study bible quotes, in part, "he did not leave him one male, neither of his relatives nor of his friends." My older bibles--prior to 2000-- state the same verse, in part, "he left him not one
that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinfolks, nor of his friends." Sometimes
cleaning up a simple thing reduces the impact of the message. The original version makes the slaughter's impact more vivid. The change is wrong, but perhaps a liberal editor would have substituted "urinates" --still wrong, but not as vulgar.

    The teaching about money deserves a high priority, but does not supersede Christ's Eleventh Commandment which tells us to treat our brothers and sisters as we would treat ourselves. That means we should try to correct problems in their lives, AND do what we are able to help them to survive, even if we have to sacrifice something to accomplish the job. Sacrifice to help, not prolog agony.

Rev. Walbear


    





    

OUR ATTITUDES

                                                        OUR ATTITUDES

                                                               Prologue

    This message will not be eagerly pursued by many church members because it will oppose a very popular current commentary. Therefore, I ask that you read Romans, Chapter 13 in its entirety. There are only 21 verses, and they explain God's direction for government, authority, wrath on evil doers, conscience, taxes, fear and honor. It will do you good to continue in Romans 13:8-10, where you should understand we all share a responsibility for each other.

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." (Matt. 7:7) One of our major roadblocks is not understanding that this directive from Christ addresses both spiritual and secular life. Scripture can tell us much, most of us miss, because we think we are studying only the Christian guidelines for our belief--a religious study. If you reflect on His teaching, you will see much more than just a Christian religious manual. 

This "quick" study in scripture will reveal things Christians need to know about God, Christ and the Holy Spirit, but, like the Parables, other instruction is lost when we fail to really think about what we are told. Don't miss the spiritual significance, but also look a bit deeper. For example, math is simple when you study the basics of addition and subtraction. Later, you learn about using minus numbers and solving problems with unknown numbers. For many, the basics are enough, and unless they go on to college, that is the end of the line. The same is true in other subjects. I taught school at one time, and a majority of students really didn't want to learn all they could. School
was a "pain" to get away from as soon as possible. Even students who go on to college frequently want only to spend time in their major areas. This is an attitude and mind set that continues in adult life. Students are not taught to ask questions and do research.

    Before going on to end times and judgment, I want to make you aware of this lack of questions and research, and how it fits into our future. Every week I receive several emails, unsolicited, that make bogus charges and political claims. Frequently these messages are from supposed Christians and churches. I research every one, and almost none contain one grain of truth. These attacks on individuals and our government are pure politics, and the people who receive them and ask me about them usually believe every word. I have yet to find a pastor who refutes this information. Yet, almost all of these
messages are sins according to scripture. Now, if  regular Christians are doing this, they are not following Christ's teaching, and not realizing they are drowning in sin.

    Lest you think this is political tripe and has nothing to do with scripture, a glance at the subject shows many, many references beginning in the Old Testament. If we look at Matt. 15:1-20, this is a parable, and like most scripture readers, was not understood by the disciples. If you don't read this entire segment of Matt., you will continue not to get Christ's teaching. To make it easier for you, we'll only look at two of the twenty verses,                                                            but read them all. "Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man." Repeating this internet and similar falsehoods is a serious breech of Christianity.

    The environment we grow up in dictates much of our adult mind-set, and if we never learn the value of Matt. 7:7, we will continue to bring about God's judgment on our nation. You may rant about abortion or same sex marriage, but you ignore flat-out lies and character assassination in the name of politics and the Christian church. Truth is truth, no matter the faith or lack thereof. If you pass on statements or claims of others without seeking the truth, you are guilty of being a false witness. If you are that casual with your witness, why would a non-committed person believe anything you say? When I hear
these false messages passed along as truth, I wonder how straight the "Christian's" walk is with our Savior? Does it permit bending the truth or excuse the person from checking on the information or correcting false testimony? A real Christian's life can be explained in the oath a person takes before grand jury testimony--"Do you swear to tell the truth,  the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to this Grand Jury?" Don't you understand God watches all nations and peoples and judges everyone? Matt. 5:45, "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun  rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." He expects more from a Christian because a Christian has such an exceptional opportunity to hear and understand the Word of God. Are you listening?

    Both God and Christ tell us all sins are equally bad except one. Denying the power of the Holy Spirit will get you a ride to Hell. Outside of that, if we ask forgiveness of sins, Christ paid the penalty of redemption. If you continue to repeat the same sins, you obviously aren't repentant. Your commitment is then questionable, not by me, but from God. The passing on of false charges and rumors is difficult to support in view of many scriptures, including the
one that tells us God is in full control and appoints His choice as leader. Why do so many church people and conservatives not heed this directive? Look closely at Romans 13:1,2, and read verses 3 through 8. Especially understand that there is no authority except from God. If you haven't already deleted this message, I now quote Romans 13:1-8. All this government bashing and taxes complaining indicate two things: a high regard for Mammon (money), and ignorance of verse 2 that warns judgment will be brought against disobedient
believers.

     "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. FOR THERE IS NO AUTHORITY EXCEPT FROM GOD, AND THE AUTHORITIES THAT EXIST ARE APPOINTED BY GOD." We have the leaders God chose. Is man more intelligent than God? Continue, "Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist WILL BRING JUDGMENT ON THEMSELVES". That, of course, means judgment on the nation. I turn to
the New King James Version of their study bible (1982) for their explanation because I'm pretty certain many disagree with what I explain. Don't believe me--believe scripture and verse 2 quoted above, "Every believer is to be subject to these various authorities, even if these authorities are evil as Nero, the emperor of Rome" when Paul wrote this letter. ( Nelson's NKJV, page 1903, bottom study notes.) More than 60 bible scholars contributed to this
study bible, so I'm in good company. Now I trust you understand that this government bashing against God's leaders is negative, ungodly and a sin. It will contribute to the judgment of our nation. Like it or not, it is what God put in place. Of course, it is not the only criteria for judgment. 

    We next go to the Old Testament book of Amos, because this prophet knew much about prophecy and judgment. You should note that most prophets were not priests or clergy, and this was for good reason. It was the religious leaders who not only permitted the people to stray, but played an active leadership role in misinformation and teaching. Amos began his
prophesies with a comprehensive summary. Amos 2:4, "Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment, because they have despised the law of the Lord, And have not kept His commandments. Their lies lead them astray, Lies which their fathers followed." Amos did not list a long list of transgressions, but rather stressed a few important ones. He lists lies for Judah, and in verse six, warns Israel,
and stresses "selling righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals."

    It is interesting that over a period of time and through experience, even the supposed godly (Christians) who don't bother following scripture, figure out ways to subvert their fellow man--for profit, of course. For this lesson, we go back almost 100 years, after our "we the people" Constitution was adopted. We are so proud, and boast our freedom to an admiring world. Oh, wait! For many people in America in the late 1770s and until the 1860s, there was no freedom for slaves! Oh, wait! Until 1920, women citizens of the
United States couldn't vote. Our founding fathers permitted southern politicians to draft a "freedom" Constitution that excluded all except white men. There were 11 Confederate States of America. 

    In 1820, President James Monroe, a former governor of Virginia, and a Republican, signed the Missouri Compromise, which admitted that new state to "enjoy" slavery, and added Maine to the nation as a "free" state. Much of the wealth accumulated in the now 12 slave states came from the servitude of slaves. Now we add to that a domestic basic servitude required of women, who couldn't even vote. God has great mercy, but after putting up with this nowadays trumpeting of freedom and "we the people" lies, He now watches as
a new generation of like-minded politicians and religious leaders imposes a "modern" method of slavery. We're not talking about prostitution or taking advantage of foreigners who don't speak English or are otherwise handicapped in a new environment. We're talking about a new method of creating slave conditions elsewhere, destroying the American economy, and creating unbelievable wealth for the "new plantation owners."

     This new method of creating large profits comes on the backs of foreigners who are hired by American corporations who have built factories where governments have little or no safety or other regulations. Because these nations have huge populations of poor people and their is a scarcity of jobs, corporations can employ workers at cheap wages with no benefits. By
reducing the cost of production, the finished product can be sold for less without losing any profitability, and, in fact, by realizing even more profit. This is okay, the business leaders claim, because we are doing these poor foreign laborers a favor by providing jobs. Foreign leaders like this arrangement because it means more dollars in their pockets. Most are skimmers.

    Meanwhile, back in the good, old U.S.A., we have a multitude of workers without jobs, and, if they're fortunate, collecting unemployment benefits. Some of our prominent business leaders tell us this money--paid for by employer and employee contribution--is free entitlement money for people who don't want to work. Now most goods on sale in our big, big stores that have replaced the smaller community businesses, can be sold for less, putting any remaining small American businesses in jeopardy. In effect, over a relatively short period of time, we will see America become a two tiered class of people, like most third world countries. Getting more education won't help, because a quantity of these jobs will also be outsourced even though quality and service will suffer. Meanwhile, only shareholders of corporations--where
huge blocks of stock are controlled by the wealthy--will gain wealth. Our corporations have been updated by politicians in our highest court to status as "a PERSON" so they can control money and attempt to take control of all elections. Only God can create a person. Robots or corporations are not people, and they are not created in God's image. Read your bible, in
the very first Book, Genesis 1:26, "Then God said, Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness", and verse 27, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

    Tell me how these Christian businessmen and church leaders interpret these very plain words to enable them to do whatever they desire to use people like toilet paper. Why do those who boast they are followers of the Son of God ignore the very words Christ gave them as a guideline to obey the Father and Son? I hear our President compared to Hitler. Want to hear
a real story about Hitler's "final solution"? Some years ago I was privileged to attend a dinner with several wealthy southern businessmen. They didn't know I was just a poor jerk commoner, and they discussed politics and economics freely. They had formulated America's "final solution", and it didn't concern Jews. No siree, it concerned what to do with blacks. Their plan was to set blacks up on their own farms to give them ownership and work. Much of the work blacks were doing at the time was agricultural field work. They harvested vegetables and fruit in work gangs at poor pay. These were jobs many white people wouldn't do, and it was long hours and hot hand labor. They agreed this plan probably wouldn't fly with northerners, so  they were considering a second stand for "states rights", the cause of the Civil War. These southern states' leaders were mostly Democrats, and they walked out of a national
convention and briefly closed public schools in protest. They then, over time, did a strange thing, and became Republicans. It was a Republican (Unionist) president--Lincoln--who signed the law freeing slaves. Those who trumpet freedom and "we the people" boast about our democracy, yet at the same time talk secession from the union because they didn't get the leader they wanted. They apparently don't understand a majority vote determines leadership in a democracy. Without knowing it, they want to have a dictatorship. One can only wonder what America would be like today if the South had won. Think about it.

    The mind set by business and economic leaders has become, to reduce costs and increase profits. The easiest way is to offer an inferior product of slightly less volume, increase the sale price, and trim the cost of labor. Every American with enough IQ to walk and talk knows this is true when they go shopping. All gripe about costs, but only the workers--many at minimum
wage-- gripe about trying to live on below poverty level income. These are some of the 47 percenters who don't pay taxes and live on entitlement (food stamps, etc.). The politicians who continue to make this claim apparently don't know and don't want to know that these minimum wage workers DO pay taxes, and they are deducted from every pay check. It's quite nice when you have so much wealth you don't even know about how the majority of Americans live. The union bashers are fine with this arrangement because they aren't the people who must try to stretch small weekly paychecks or social security, or veteran's benefits. While all this very unChristian activity goes on, where are the church leaders? It took men who died for their cause to begin some changes the wealthy leaders and their shill supporters are
still trying to suppress.

    By convincing ultra conservatives the 47 percenters are moochers, the conservative leaders have a segment of the former middle class working against their own people. Meanwhile, not a whimper about the million dollar bonuses paid to failed corporate leaders, the continuing drain of dollars for a duped series of wars, or the secret arrangement for energy supply and
cost between a sitting vice president and energy icons. The union bashers need to look at history to understand why we have unions. I read comments almost daily from people in central Pennsylvania and the coal region, who want to eliminate unions for the "right to work'. If it wasn't so tragic, this would be beyond humorous. These people live where the Molly Maguires
became historical examples of servitude imposed on coal workers by unprincipled wealthy mine owners. Where was the church? Didn't these people see the movie? Didn't they study this in Pennsylvania History class? Some of these people say they're educated? I'm still laughing.

    People's memories and lack of history knowledge lead to pure ignorance. At the turn of the  19th-20th century, working conditions in New York City's garment industry were deplorable. Most of the employees were women and children. They worked long hours at slave wages with no benefits and in deplorable working conditions. The good ole boys were at it again here,
because the victims were women and children. When the women rebelled and attempted to organize to improve their working conditions and pay, the corporate boys hired goons to attack the women on picket lines. Goons got to to grab women by the breast, pinch and twist, and assault them. Of course the corporate story said the protesters were violent. The same was
true with the Molly Maguires, when coal barons made a murder case out of the confrontation. You need to understand that reporting of events depends largely on the "official" report of action by officials.

    The plight of mill workers in the South was similar. Long hours, poor pay, no benefits, and the worker was basically a slave. Jobs were scarce, so you had to take what you could get. The history of this situation was available first in a book, and then in a movie. Same circumstances as the others, same reaction by the industry barons. The only ridiculous unions  are the professional sports unions, where athletes make millions. This, too, was caused by the team owners making huge profits while players were locked into contracts that kept their salaries low and prevented them from signing with any other team for a higher salary. The mill workers eventually won, but the corporate owners did exactly what is being done today. They moved the work overseas, and now clothing comes from India, Mexico and third world nations
across the world. Clothing is cheap, profits are high, and American jobs are gone. A living wage in most of these nations is below the American poverty level. Our corporations are certainly "helping" these foreign workers who toil without government safety, health, or reasonable pay.    

    Now, return for a bit to the Molly Maguires and the coal industry. This little disagreement did not get settled at that time because the coal barons won. We advance well into the 1900s, and the formation of the coal miners' union under John L. Lewis, who finally got the miners some decent pay and working conditions. You should know that Lewis's success gained him a sort
of fame, because he "disappeared". Yep, he caused a lot of trouble and money for some people, and he vanished without a trace. The Karen Silkwood case had similar conditions, but I don't suppose most of you know who she was, anyhow.

    The Godly way to pay workers is given in both Testaments, and is located in 1 Cor. 9:9, which tells us, "For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain."' The ox was used as an example, but the law was for the benefit of priests and others whodid the work of God. Scripture goes on to explain that workers are "entitled" to some  of the benefits of their work. It is not something for free, but part of the wage. The major complaint against unions is that the pay scale is too high, which is true in some instances. The other complaint is really based on jealousy, envy and greed. Union dues never cost any member money--it brought them money. The pay scale of some teachers and government workers is undoubtedly too high, but so is the pay scale for corporate leaders. Why take away from the lowest paid workers, not the highest? It's easier to pick on the little guys, right? The big ones will make you tuck your tails and run. By the way, you teacher bashers know nothing about the work of a teacher, at least by your statements of hours, days and responsibility are concerned. Ignorance reigns supreme.

    The snap judgment about the work of teachers reminds me of that serious failing that besets me sometimes. We only see with our eyes and permit the mind to take a vacation. There was a city man who purchased some woodland nearby and had  a cabin there. He spent time at the cabin frequently, and occasionally stopped at our farm to buy eggs. In talking to him, he remarked my wife and I were getting older and running the farm and ministry without help must be pretty tough sometimes. He offered to help out if we would give him a call when he was staying at the cabin. I thanked him, but thought it must be pretty nice to have all the time he had to stay at the cabin. I was envious, because we didn't even have time or money for a vacation. I knew he hunted, and enjoyed his time on his property. Within a few months I learned he had died. He looked the picture of health on the outside, but that obviously was not the case on the inside. I felt remorse that I had so wrongly judged him. When you see someone on disability who is doing something like fishing, hunting or mowing the lawn, don't shout out that the person is a welfare cheater. Look at Matt.7:1-2, "Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."

    The wealthy don't want to pay taxes. They hire people to find all the loopholes. They put their money in banks and investments outside America. More and more are actually renouncing citizenship to escape paying taxes. They have enjoyed freedom because of our soldiers, none of whom became wealthy on military pay. In fact, many military families suffer because our
wealthy congresspeople don't want to take care of them properly. The wealthy were educated by teachers who are not wealthy. The wealthy travel on roads in vehicles, on airplanes and on railroads built by people who aren't wealthy. We can't throw all wealthy under the bus, but we should recognize the wealthy who don't want to work, but consider living off investments
work. Even then, they employ people as advisers, and that is where the work is done. Christ tells us in scripture that Christians have a social responsibility. That does not mean everyone shares everything equally, as many conservatives claim. There are religious denominations in the United States that are socialist, and they are very successful. They could teach our leaders something about social responsibility and money.

    I would pray that you, as a professing Christian, would take very seriously the scripture I have quoted throughout this message to determine IF you really follow the teaching of the One you say you committed to. Is Jesus Christ the image of God and mankind, or is any corporation the image of Jesus Christ and God? You can't have it both ways. Are you already bearing the logo of  secular mankind, an invisible 666? The prophets have always been sent by God to warn erring people. Usually people follow human leaders, including church people, and all the people of the nation pay the price one way or another. Do you understand judgement will come, and it may not be the end time? We could be judged and punished, and the end of the world could still be quite distant. Many nations and civilizations have been punished, and yet it was not the end time. We are so prideful about "we the people" that we think God will determine the end time based on our performance. Israel was taken captive and punished, and the captives included such Godly people as Daniel and his three friends. Do we have any Christians to compare with those captives? We are a money driven people, and the church does nothing to change that. The previous election demonstrated that money, like corporations, is more important than people. Sooner or later, we each must recognize and choose which is our purpose on earth--God or money. This IS our purpose driven life. You can have wealth, but you must use it wisely and understand the very words of Christ in Matt. 5:24. "No man 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."

Rev. Walbear

     

WHY WE FAIL

                                               

                                                           WHY WE FAIL

    We know religion and the church have always been intertwined with government
and politics, and we should also understand the mix of religion with education. If you
think you can understand the Word of God without some basic knowledge of the
relationship of these subjects, you are sadly mistaken. John 1:1 tells us , "In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
If we can't understand  (comprehend) words, we can't be obedient to God. Being
obedient to God is better than sacrifice-- 1 Sam. 15:22, "So Samuel said: Has the
Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of
the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of
rams." Just because you graduated from high school or college doesn't mean you
are educated. God didn't just give us religious and moral rules to understand, He
divided education into subjects He expected us to also learn.

    There are many subjects, but if we want to understand how the future is to unfold,
we need to study history. This subject tells us what civilizations and people have
done in the past, and how these actions provided specific outcomes (future). Much
of the Old Testament is history, while the New Testament instructs us how to live
in the future so we may be privileged to be part of the future. If you cannot combine
the instructions in both testaments, you will not make out well in the future. If you did
not do well in English in school or had trouble understanding material you read, you
need to brush up to be able to comprehend history. If you are successful in this
endeavor, you will probably discover some of your preconceived ideas about values
and politics are incorrect. Of course you know an educated person has a mind that is
open to ideas in all subjects, including religion. If you are a real Christian, you should
know why you made that commitment. You should also understand the commitment is
only the beginning of a Christian walk.

    If you learned to read and write in school, you should also have learned to have an
inquisitive mind. That is not only a "school" directive, but the actual instruction of Christ
as given in Matt. 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, 
and it will be opened to you." I give you these scriptures as an admonition to research
what you hear or read before you actually leap to a conclusion that sounds good. If
it sounds so good, there is probably some sugar coating to cover something that is
anything but good. Many of us have grown up in an environment of family and/or
community that has shaped our outlook. Unless we were diligent in our study of civics
and history (including the bible), we are not likely to understand what's happening in
the world we live in.

    There are two basic reasons civilizations fail. Poor leadership and ignorance is one
cause, and this always is part of a civilization that does not recognize the God of
Christianity. There are many other gods, but only one God of creation. The other
reason is the failure of people--God's Chosen--to be obedient and follow the teaching
and corrections of God. In the days of the Old Testament, God spoke directly to those
He chose to be the priestly leaders. Even though God spoke to these leaders, the
people sooner or later wanted to do things "their" way, and were disobedient. Although
God is patient, eventually He had to take corrective action. Things progressed pretty
well, even with Israel bullheaded and disobedient at times, until they told Samuel they
wanted a human king to lead them. After generations of God's direct leadership that
brought them their own land of milk and honey, they wanted the type of leadership they
observed from human kings which caused mostly misery and continuing troubles for them
at the hand of other peoples. They did not heed the lesson of history. Mindful of that,
Christ clearly warned us to be inquisitive. In journalism, we were taught to see the who,
what, why, and when of situations so we could present the "whole truth", as we promise
in a court of  law. Journalism has been removed from English departments in most
colleges, now, and it is easy to see the incompetence by many writers and commentators.

    God's Chosen could have followed the priests and prophets, who were ordained by God,
but instead chose to follow leaders who were aggressive and "soft soapers" who plied
golden tongues. They did not ask questions as long as the message promised them things
they wanted. They accepted these charlatans at their word, especially if it didn't require
them to give up or sacrifice anything personal. Worse, the messages of these leaders
often opposed teaching of scripture. Many who followed these leaders were ignorant of
the lesson provided them in history. They liked what they were told, and defied (not obeyed)
God, which led to the punishment.

    Now, strange as it may seem, one very, very bad civilization was persuaded by an Israeli
prophet to confess their "awfulness" (sins), and escaped Godly punishment. They did not
have the advantage we have through the bible and teaching of Christ. This is a thrilling
bible history lesson, and tells you comprehension of the words you hear or read can make
a major difference in your future and the nation's future.

    Spend a brief time with me in the Book of Jonah. It'll do you good. Some Christians believe
Jonah is a " fish story"  but Christ referred to this book in Matt. 12:39 and 16:4, and Luke
referred to it in 11:29,30. Jonah knew Nineveh (Assyria) was a wicked nation who used piles
of skulls at the entrance to the city to intimidate people. This was also a nation that posed a
future threat to Israel. What prophet would want to go there and tell them they were wicked
and had to repent to a God they didn't know? A prophet is honored to  be chosen, but history
has proven they have a difficult life, especially among their own people. Pay strict attention
to what happened in Nineveh, because we could learn from this experience.

    God sent Jonah to preach repentance to people who did not value life and who did not
follow God's moral plan. Jonah could expect to be killed at any time, but he followed God's
direction and told these people how terrible they were. Though they had no background in
the teaching of the Chosen, they UNDERSTOOD Jonah's message, changed their ways,
and repented. Although they didn't seek the words, they adopted the meaning. God gave
them the opportunity. We not only have the opportunity, we have the teaching of Christ.
There is no excuse for a Christian not to understand the Word of God. There is also no excuse
to misunderstand the Word of God. We must not accept the message of anyone just because
what he says sounds good, no matter who the person is or how much influence or money
the individual might have. That includes pastors.

    Jonah was surprised the Assyrians repented and God spared them from judgment. He had
the attitude many of us have. We think, that as Christians, God will treat us differently than
other peoples or nations. In fact, I know of Christian pastors and teachers who teach that we
are "special" and thus judged differently. God is sovereign and has all power over everything
and all nations. He can be merciful to wicked nations if they repent, and to non Christians if
they repent. I didn't say they were saved--just that His mercy is endless. Just because we
have salvation doesn't mean we don't need mercy. It's that mercy that will enable us to escape
tribulation.

    I keep repeating that God is always in full control of everything, and that includes leadership
of all nations, whether good or bad. He chooses the leaders, so get over any idea you may have
that we, the people, are directly responsible. I hear that "we, the people" quote so frequently
from individuals who do not represent the people, that I've come to automatically dismiss them
as ill or uninformed. China has the leader God chose. Germany and America have the leaders
God chose. They are all a part of God's plan. The ignorance of Americans concerning the types
of government indicates civics and comprehension need some improvement. As a nation, we
need to understand these differences if we are to make good and reasonable decisions and
take appropriate action.

    From the Old Testament we learn the lesson of history and our future. We must follow God's
direction. If we go astray and don't repent, we will be judged and found wanting. From the New
Testament we should learn the lesson of how to live the life of a Christian and Chosen. That
means a very close acceptance and following of Christ's teaching. That also means we should
be able to comprehend the many parables Christ gave us. I find many Christians have been
grossly misled by politicians and church leaders who play free and loose with scripture to lead
both pretending and real Christians far from the very words of Christ. When you don't comprehend
the very Word of God, you are in trouble. I will give you direct quotes from scripture that should
stimulate thought unless you have a closed mind.

    We start in Matt. 13:10-17. (You may also find this explanation in Mark 4:10-12, and Luke
8:9,10.) "And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' He
answered and said to them, Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be
given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken
away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables , because seeing they do not see, and
hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is
fulfilled, which says: Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see
and not perceive;  For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing,
and their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them."

    This parable is frequently used by pastors and teachers in the context of finances. It has
nothing to do with financial success. Christ did not teach money except to direct his disciples
and followers to pay taxes. This parable was actually a judgment for unbelief, and its purpose
was to both reveal and conceal the truth. When Christ said to whoever has, more will be given,
he is talking about truth, and saying the reward for understanding is further understanding. The
parables were Christ's method of delivering the truth to believers and concealing it from those
who were not committed to Him. 

    The same applies today. If a leader of any kind tells you this parable is about financial
rewards, that person is NOT A CHRISTIAN.

    For a repeat of this teaching and the common misleading interpretation by many claiming
to be Christian leaders, look at Matt. 25:14-30. I won't take up the space to quote this entire
parable, but will rather ask you to very carefully examine verses 24 and 26. This wealthy man
admits (confesses) the servant is absolutely correct in the fact that financial gain and success
was directly due to cheating and stealing. The wealthy man then took away from the servant
what he had. Christ never taught cheating and stealing. He taught honesty and giving. If any
leader uses these scriptures as an excuse for financial gain or success, BEWARE! He/she
is not a Christian. The very words of Christ tell us that. Look at Matt. 13, part of verse 15, 
where He warns, "Lest they should understand with their HEARTS and turn" to the spiritual
truth He is teaching.

    I referred to civics at the beginning of this message, and I don't want to disappoint you by
not getting back to that subject. I see and hear all kinds of descriptions of government, but few
that are anywhere near accurate. There is a vast difference between Fascism, Socialism,
Communism, Democracy, Republic, etc. Hitler was a dictator, not a Socialist. Stalin was a
dictator, not a Communist. There is little difference between a democracy and a republic,
since both are led by the electorate (people) and enjoy freedom. A socialist government
is one that combines the resources of all the people to serve all the people, not excluding
any person. The early followers of Christ were socialists (Acts 2:44-47). Christ taught social
justice. He even added an Eleventh Commandment, Matt. 22:39, which He said was second 
only to the first Commandment, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." You can also find
this in Mark 12:28-34, and Luke 10:25-28. Understand this--and it is not my opinion, but the
explanation given in bible footnotes--the first four Commandments deal with the love for God,
while the last six deal with responsibilities toward other people. Christ knew people would not
likely cheat on the ones dealing directly with God, but they might try to slight other people. He
added His Eleventh Commandment to emphasize those six commandments.

    I challenge you to read any one of the Gospels, but especially Matthew, and then explain
to me how you want to cut safety net programs, shortcut veterans' benefits and change social
security provisions. Those of you who say you want to secede from the Union or our president
isn't your president need to spend more time in scripture and less time in politics. Those of us
who served in the military didn't serve to protect any political party, and certainly not any who
don't want to be part of the Union. As a preacher of the Christian Gospel, I have to pray for
those who have relegated the United States to Hell because the election outcome was
disappointing. The bible tells us God controlled that election and Christ tells us how to treat
other people. He also tells us we can't serve God and mammon (money). For those so worried
about their money, I strongly suggest time spent in study and prayer.

Rev. Walbear