Navigating the anger zone . . .

Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one. — Benjamin Franklin

Dear Friends,

Anger is one of the few moral reactions that can be both a virtue and a vice. Love doesn’t fit that category—at least not agape love. Neither does meekness or honesty, or almost any other virtue that I can think of. This is why anger can be so dangerous. One, for instance, may say, “I love the sinner but hate the sin” and yet do everything they can to make life miserable for the sinner.

Take the gay bashing Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) out of Topeka, Kansas, which  in the name of Christ picket military funerals simply because the solider wore the uniform and sacrificed his or her life to protect American freedom, including homosexual rights. Even though their protest signs may read “We love the sinner, but hate sin” these Baptist are angry people, and I might say unchristlike to say the least. Why? Well, the answer is that they have tried to sanitize their free float homophobia to disguise their true feelings. Instead of taking the Biblical route to control their disgust, they have allowed their anger to control them. They have appointed themselves moral policemen of the public at large.

Strangely enough, I find nowhere in Scripture that God has appoint them or anyone else as forceful arbitrators of morality. Not even Christ did that. He came to offer hope not condemnation. It is not the church’s duty, either, to take the law in their own hand, even if it is the moral law. To do so violates human freedom. God will judge the sinner in His own time.

Coincidentally, this is precisely what Omar Mateen did in Orlando at the gay nightclub where he shot and killed 49 people—that is, he set himself up as judge and executor. Yes, he was Muslim; however, had he been Christian would that have lessened the pain and suffering or awfulness of this hideous crime? Certainly, not.
Make no mistake, homosexuality is condemned in Scripture, and, no, Jesus did not condone the practice, either. Stretch his Gospel of love as far as you can and it will never get beyond one man and one woman (Matt. 19:4-6).

Be that as it may, however, we must never let our anger go beyond that which God allows. Personally, I am against indiscriminate abortion, as I believe any Christian should be. That, however, does not give me a God given right to blow up abortion clinics or murder abortion providers.

We must not just assuage our anger with kindness, we must channel it into a loving response.
“Be angry and sin not” is still an active command, as is “we should not let the sun go down on our wrath (Eph. 4:26).” And, in doing so, I believe it is high time that we get over our homophobia and learn what it truly means to minister to the  LGBT community, as well as the jihadist Muslims in our midst or abortionist. We have our pulpits and the voting booth to register our complaints, and we should. Our local and state, as well as, national legislators have their responsibilities, too.

Now, stop and think with me for a minute: Could you imagine Mother Teresa carrying a hate sign against anyone regardless of the atrocity of their sin? Perhaps, a placard inviting them for an evening meal, but never one of hate. Christ expects no less from us, either.

On a practical level, this election, in my opinion, is going to be settled on the issue of anger and hatred, may we have the God given wisdom to direct our anger in the right direction—that being, the direction of love, not a seething hatred.

As ever, may you be blessed,

JimR_/

The Bruce Jenner Saga: Psychiatrist Or Plastic Surgeon, What Should It Be?

Am I insane or is that whole Jenner-Kardashian family scenario more in need of a good psychiatrist than a plastic surgeon? Really! Enquiring minds want to know . . . especially mine. Pray tell me, what is it with all this reality television stuff? Naked and afraid? My suggestion is that these two put on some clothes and reenter the real world. That should take care of a lot of their whimpering. I don’t watch the stuff so maybe I’m missing something here, but I’ll take the chance. The news and commercial snips of these shows is enough to turn me off.

What I do see, however, is that a large segment of our society has gone off their rocker. And, understandably so, I might add. I say this because sanity has to have fixed reference points or it loses its bearings, and in my opinion, moral relativity just ain’t working. What else should we expect than communal insanity when large segments of citizens are fixated on the morally bizarre? I’m thinking here, mainly, of the politically correct crowd.

Forgive me if you disagree, but I guess I am just a little old fashioned. Well, as a matter of fact, so was Jesus. On one occasion he said—

“To what can I compare this generation? It is like children playing a game in the public square.

They complain to their friends,

‘We played wedding songs,

and you didn’t dance,

so we played funeral songs,

and you didn’t mourn.’

For John didn’t spend his time eating and drinking, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ But wisdom is shown to be right by its results.”
 

I reference this because I think it speaks in a very special way to our generation also. Primarily, it seems, that generation was fascinated—perhaps, fixated on the imagination. At least it seems so to me based on Jesus’ assessment. In that generation for them it appears that reality was too cumbersome, and perhaps even frightening, so they attempted to reconstruct their world. No better way than playing games. Of course this didn’t bring any lasting satisfaction so they complained when the games didn’t work. Human nature has an ingrained desire for something better, more permanent than the imagination, entertainment and game playing. Yet, they continued in their cynical folly, thinking that will bring satisfaction as do the bulk of Americans today. They were a cynical bunch, too. John was criticized because of his austere life-style and was said to be demon possessed; whereas, Jesus was living it up, reveling with the low life. Confused, they just couldn’t seem to make up their mind on how one should behave. Jesus, however, nipped that indecision in the bud when in essence he said, “Do you want to really know how to live? Then follow the result trail, because ‘wisdom is shown to be right by its results.’” In other words, since it is quite obvious that you are dissatisfied with the results your philosophy of life is producing, no doubt it would be best for you to stop the make-believe and soberly take on a different set of standards by which to live.  
 

Amazing, isn’t it? People just don’t seem to learn.
 

So, back to the Jenners and Kardashians, do you really expect Bruce, at age 65, to find himself—or as they now say, herself? I doubt it.
 

Now, this is not to say that Bruce does not really want to be a woman or at least have the appearance of one, since as I understand it, he has decided against a sex-change—which, in my opinion, would not really be a change at all—more of a camouflage, I would say. Anyway, my question is: What ever possessed him to think that he was really a female captured in a male body? I do not know, that’s for sure. It baffles me. However, psychologists say that gender identity is usually fixed at between the ages of 3 to 5, and my guess is that perhaps at that early age he gave in to the female fantasy. It is not abnormal for a young boy or girl to switch gender roles. I know that I did. When I played house with the little girl and her brother next door, we constantly fought over who would be the mother. Mothers just seemed to have a more interesting life than 9 to 5 fathers back in those days. No child wanted to mimic a tired daddy, slumped in a chair, responding with an occasional nod in agreement with something mother said. Playing the kid was totally unacceptable for me, too. My little girl friend next door was too hard on kids for that to be any fun, either. Of course, I said all of that to say this: Not once, do I ever recall that I wanted to change my gender except in role playing, but fortunately I had the good sense to realize that role playing is never reality—it’s a game.
 

So, back once again to Miss/Mr.  Jenner. Do I condemn him? No, but I do pity him. What a sad reality. He is trapped in his own imagination, and for me that is sad, very sad, indeed. Apparently he is sad, too, if the number of times he tears up in interviews is any indication. There’s no happiness there. However, I will leave final judgment up to God, that’s his work not mine. Maybe God can find some redemptive quality there. I can’t, however.
 

What then is the solution? At this point, I am not even sure there is any solution. His fantasy is too ingrained for him to escape at this late date. Unfortunately, sometime in his early life he allowed his mind to trick him into believing that life is really an imaginary game. And, in all truth, the Scripture is right when it says, “As a man thinks, so is he.” Thinking and imagination do affect behavior, who we are—but, as Jesus once said, No matter how hard we think (or wish) we cannot add one centimeter to our height. Nor, can we, just magically change gender by the sheer force of imagination or the knife of a skilled surgeon.
 

So, I suppose the lesson we can learn from all of this is that it terribly unsettling in the long run when we allow our fantasies to control our conduct.
 

The mind is a wonderfully creative mechanism; yet, it must be programmed. The outcome depends on the income. Garbage in, garbage out. Foolishness in, foolishness out. As a man or woman thinks, so is he or she. That is not to say that the will is completely disengaged—it most certainly is not. However, for the sane there must be a pliable option, something that works that squares with reality. Fantasy is fun, but in the long run is a poor substitute for reality.
 

While studying abnormal psychology at university we were shown a film of a young girl that was literally raised by dogs; and if I am not mistaken it was a control study done by some god-awful university in the former Soviet Union. Anything for science, I suppose. Yet, in my opinion it is not lesser of an evil that of Dr. Josef Mengele at the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II. That, however, is a subject and topic of its own. So, now back to the subject at hand.
 

The young girl really thought she was a dog. She barked like a dog. Slept in a dog house. Ate out of a bowl and even chewed on grass. Why grass?  I don’t know. Perhaps to get some nutrients not provided for in the dog food. Fantasy controlled her. Was she a dog? Absolutely not. What really mattered, as far as research was concerned, however, was she thought she was.
 

Make sense? If not, it should, because morally she was reduced to the level of a dog. She selfishly fought over and hoarded food. She clawed and bit the other dogs to get her way. She was a dog. However, not really. She just thought she was a dog.
 

Well, enough of that analogy. I am sure you get the point, whether you agree with my conclusions or not. However, in the wise words of Solomon, may I encourage you, indeed all of us, to—

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. (Proverbs 4:23–26 (NIV)

 

For out of the heart flows the issues of life!
 

In any event, this is one man’s opinion.
 

Be blessed—

   JimR_/

Politics and rotten eggs . . .

Compromise seems to be the name of the game these days, however. Everyone has their rights, you know. Tolerance and compromise, however, are opposites, as I see it. I can tolerate same-sex unions, for instance, but that does not mean that I will compromise my principles and perform one. Marijuana may be legal in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean that I am ready to buy a joint for my grandchild. No, I can tolerate a pothead, but that does not mean that I can just sit back and say, “Go ahead, smoke the stuff; but will you please drive safely?” Smoking the stuff may help retard the effects of glaucoma, but we mustn’t neglect to inform the users that rats that were forced to smoke the stuff had little ones that had brains growing outside their skull, and a whole lot of other side effects that were not too pleasant, either.

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of reading in early church history. One thing that I quickly discovered was that the early Christians definitely did not plant a lot of “user friendly churches.” Quite the opposite, most of the leaders were either run out of town or martyred. Not much of a choice there—not a user friendly one, at least.

So, I for one, feel that the church must hold strong on moral convictions, regardless of the consequences. 

Should we invite trouble? Absolutely not. On the other hand, however, neither should we run from it.

Case in point. Recently, the lesbian mayor of Houston, Annise Parker spearheaded the passage of an “Equal Rights Ordinance” (ERO) that added “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the city’s non-discrimination provision, which includes, among other things, “public accommodations” — for example, restrooms. Citizens, among them church leaders, balked. They launched a referendum petition that, with the requisite 17,269 signatures, would require the city council to repeal the ERO, or to put the measure up for a vote. They obtained 55,000 signatures. The city secretary, who has sole responsibility for certifying such petitions, signed off.

Enter Houston city attorney David Feldman, who, with no legal authority, disqualified 38,000 signatures. Names that were printed, rather than written in cursive, were discarded; names that were written in cursive were considered illegible — just enough names to get the petition below the 17,000-signature requirement, at which point the city council and Mayor Parker rejected it. And several citizens sued.

But the city’s shenanigans had only just begun. Unsatisfied with violating the rights of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, the City of Houston has subpoenaed privileged communications of five pastors (none of them party to the lawsuit) who helped to organize the petition drive. Among other information, the city is requesting communications between the pastors and their attorneys pertaining to the ERO lawsuit, communications between the pastors and their congregants, and even the pastors’ sermons.

Consequently, for example, a subpoena on Pastor Steve Riggle, senior pastor of Grace Community Church, asks for “all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to [the equal rights ordinance], the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.”

Chance are, however, that these liberals are only testing the legal waters since they have recently backtracked on their subpoenas, but vowed to continue the fight—at, I should say, taxpayer’s expense; although, they have been less than transparent on that issue.

My God continue to give us wisdom as we face the future. Last night, the Republican’s gave the Democrats a real shellacking, but don’t get your hopes up. There are enough rotten eggs in both party baskets to stink up the entire country.

Is the sky really falling in?

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly." Richard Bach

Media hype is nothing new. Randolph Hurst did not invent yellow journalism, either. The phenomenon has been around, I suspect, since men first began to talk, and that takes us all the way back to the Garden of Eden.

Who started the first rumor mill I have no way of knowing. I do know, however, that a good story has always drawn a crowd, even if it is just a cock and bull story at that, especially if it has the scare factor in it. After all, nothing like a good adrenalin rush to spark a reaction to watch more television or buy more newspapers.

Now, I am sure by now that you are saying to yourself, “Okay, Roane, where are you headed with this?”

Hold on, give me time and I will tell you.

What I have in mind is the recent (an ongoing) Ebola scare. Here in Texas, my goodness, news has been 24/7 on the nightmare of what can-a, or could-a, or might-a, have happened given the right scenario. You know the stories. One poor fellow, who unfortunately (at least in this case) happened to be black, sneezed on a plane, after which he jokingly said, “Oh, I must have Ebola.” You can guess the rest of the story. Yep, that’s right, the pilot turned the plane around mid-air and headed for the closes airport. Nothing a six dollar bottle of Theraflu couldn't handle, the doctor said.

I find it truly amazing that in the most serious times some in the news media get a kick out of whipping up the gullible public into a frenzy. I say, get a kick, because I am sure none of them really believe that a new black plauge is just about to sweep across America. The naïve buy into the hype, however, and hype sells. News ratings go up, and, of course, along with that advertising revenue.

Well, enough of that.

What really annoys me is that politician see an opportunity to criticize the opposition so they can garner more votes. Preachers pontificate from the pulpits painting the most sordid stories of a gloomy disaster lurking just beyond the next daybreak, and if not then, then surely soon. Just wait until the next red moon, that’s the sign, so get ready. It's Halloween all over again.

My question is simply this: Whatever happened to old fashioned faith and trust in a loving God? Sure bad times are likely to come, but there’s always tomorrow. And, friend, there will always be tomorrow until the God Lord says it’s enough and raptures His Bride. Now, guess what, neither you nor I, or even Jesus himself knows when. That has been reserved for the Father’s own choosing. Oh, I know, some argue that Jesus knows now since He has ascended to Heaven—although, I don’t necessarily go along with that line of thinking, I can tell you that one way or the other, He is not telling. The same goes for these doom-sayers also—they simply do not really know.

Yes, I have written a book on modern jihadism which I think fit well into the whole scenario Biblical prophecy, but one thing you won’t catch me saying is that I know precisely when Christ will return to snatch away His Bride, the Church. That I don’t know or pretend to know. That’s a secret He hasn't let me in on, nor anyone else I might add.

It may be today, tomorrow, or a thousand years from now (although, I seriously doubt it will be that distant in the future).

So, let's get busy. We are told to occupy until he comes (Luke 19:13), and as far as I can determine there's not a hint in those instructions to flurry about like Chicken Little chirping that the sky is falling down on us.

Just keep in mind that we are not on this journey alone. He is with us each step of the way.

Take care,

Jim

Suffering for suffering's sake? Think again!

My last desire—

When the time comes for me to die,

To-morrow, or some other day,

If God should bid me make a reply,

“O God, thy world was great and fair!

Have thanks for all my days have seen;

Yet grant me peace from things that were

And things that might have been.”
Thomas W. Hazen Rolleston

Dear Friends, prayer and financial partners,

We Pentecostals, "bless our little pea-picking hearts," as Ernie Ford used to say, have yet to scratch the surface on the value inherent in suffering.

Now, I am not talking about self-inflicted suffering like the Flagellants (from Latin flagellare, to whip) who beat themselves or are nailed to a cross in the Philippines and elsewhere by misguided fanatics, either. No, I cannot find anywhere in Scripture that we are expected to suffer just for suffering's sake. 

What I have in mind is the type of suffering that many of our Christian brothers and sisters are experience in the Middle East right now. Entire Christian villages have been overrun by fanatical jihadists who often time behead the men, women and children to shock the rest who are lucky enough to survive and thereby get them to convert to Islam.

Is it happening? Sure, it's happening. Has been, and will continue to happen, too!

Read your Bible. This is precisely what the false prophet in league with the beast will, and has done for centuries. That aside, however, since you might look at history and the Bible differently on this subject than I do. So, please understand, I am not one to argue the matter. But, I am one to sound the alarm.

Indeed, the time is short.

So, it is with the backdrop of all that is going on around us that I write this brief essay on suffering. Paul, for one, thought that a suffering Christian was helpful in that it identified us with the suffering of Christ and give us an opportunity to emulate his character with the sole purpose of shaping us into the likeness of Christ. All things work together. All things, not just some things. So, suffering must be included.

Sound too Catholic to you? Well, it shouldn’t. It’s Bible. Need I reference that? If so, for starters may I suggest Romans 8:28-29 and Colossians 1:24. Here, let me print them for you:

 

First Romans 8:28-

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son … (NIV)

 

Now, Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. (NIV)

Now, let’s not just stop there. Think with me for a moment. Do you see how beautifully these verses all blend together in one Divine plan? It is obviously plain to me that firstly uninvited suffering of any sort serves to change us into the image of Christ if we are willing; and secondly, how we handle the suffering can act as a Christian example of purity and mentorship to encourage others to respond similarly.

 

Complicated? No, not really. Here read what the poet Patricia Persons, a cancer patient had to say:

If you believe in the Word of God

You'll know trials only make us strong

And in Christ anywhere you are in life

Is just where you belong

Take time to read the Book of Job

And you will plainly see

That God will never leave you alone

He's always been there for me

It's not what you are going through friend

It's how you stand the test

Just put your hands in the hands of God

And let Him do the rest

I go through life with a made up mind

I know God has my back

I'm not the one for a pity party now

I pray and get on the right track

I am a living testimony

For all the world to see

And I want the whole wide world to know

I have cancer…..cancer doesn't have me

© Patricia Persons 2014

 

 

So, take courage. A lesson well learned is a lesson well kept. Take courage, therefore, and cherish Christ's promise to never leave you or forsake you. Life is not without purpose.

Yours in the journey,

JimR/

P.S. My latest book on Islamic jihadism was published and is available. 

The Islamic State Revealed
Click Cover to Buy!
The Brotherhood of Death

The latest book on Kindle $5.99
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I can see clearly now . . .

 

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"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." — C. S. Lewis

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Dear friends, faithful prayer and financial partners,

Paul has captured the spiritual plight of our generation when he wrote that,

“The god of this world has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Sadly, the truth is that modern secularism has failed miserably to deliver the promised utopia of freedom and liberating spirituality that it has so passionately championed. Instead, we have been handed a culture of death both from war abroad and the abortion industry nationally. 

Our personal freedom has been corroded with an ill-defined political correctness that insists on equal rights for all except those that dissent. Our youth has been and are harassed daily to conform to worldly standards that even the most flagrant of sinners would have blushed at in times past. Heterosexual and indeed traditional marriage unions in general are considered just one ‘moral’ choice among others—yes, others, as in homosexual unions, and believe it or not, there is a strong from this ungodly crowd to legalize polygamy and even polyandrous (two men/one woman) government sanctioned relationships.

May I ask, where is there freedom in sex addition or liberty in the shackles of politically correct speech? 

This great Apostle to the Gentiles also cues us in on why modern secularism has failed us so miserably.

For [he writes] although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:21-25)

Now, I challenge you to take the front page of any national newspaper or tune into the headlines of any international news broadcast and place either of these two Biblical references side by side with what the media gives us 24/7 and tell me that there is not a parallel there.

Sadly, in my opinion, we have become a nation of secular Hindus—more interested ecology  and animal rights than we are with pleasing God; not understanding that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

But then, I am preaching to the choir, aren't I? And, we all know that is not good enough; we must also act. If we can agree upon this, then my next question is, Why then are so many Christians willing to sit on the sidelines and  let the few carry the banner and wage the war?

Truly, the harvest is plenteous. We need, therefore, to pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send forth laborers into the harvest field. 

I am yours for the journey,

Jim R/~

P.S. I've sent my passport particulars to begin the visa process for Russia. At present, we have received some, but not nearly enough to pay the expenses.You are a vital part of this ministry. So, please keep us on your prayer list. 

Mr. President, ask the Syrian Christians before you invade!

NEW YORK (RNS)

As the Obama administration considers a strike in response to recent chemical attacks, the head of a global evangelical group said Wednesday (Sept. 4) that Christians in the Middle East oppose military intervention in Syria.

“There is major consensus amongst the Christian leaders in this region that any military intervention would have a detrimental effect … on Christians in Syria,” wrote Geoff Tunnicliffe, secretary general/CEO of World Evangelical Alliance, in a letter to the State Department, the White House and the United Nation’s Security Council.

Tunnicliffe was attending a meeting of Christian leaders in neighboring Jordan that included California megachurch pastor Rick Warren, “Touched by an Angel” actress Roma Downey and her “Survivor” creator husband Mark Burnett.

The group, convened by Jordan’s King Abdullah II, met with about 70 Middle Eastern Christians to discuss the challenges facing Arab Christians.

“I couldn’t find a Christian leader at the conference who supported military intervention,” Tunnicliffe said in an interview. “The question is, how do you protect Christians if there’s a regime change?”

Tunnicliffe said two Syrian pastors told him independently that Christians have received threats from those who say a regime change would mean a takeover by Islamists who would force Christians out of the country.

Christian representatives from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Jordan were present at the gathering, as well as a few Muslim clerics and academics. In his address, King Abdullah II urged interfaith harmony.

U.S. and French leaders say Basher al-Assad’s Syrian government used chemical weapons in a Damascus suburb on Aug. 21, killing 1,429 people, including more than 400 children. In talks on military intervention, President Obama has won the support of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, but faces significant opposition among religious and political leaders.

On Wednesday, New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan wrote to President Obama, urging him to shun military options, saying an attack “will be counterproductive, will exacerbate an already deadly situation and will have unintended negative consequences.”

Dolan, the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Bishop Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, chairman of the bishops’ international affairs committee, pushed the White House to “work urgently and tirelessly” for a ceasefire.

While she did not address Syria specifically in her presentation at the conference in Jordan, Downey noted her Catholic upbringing and her husband’s Protestant background, and the tension between these groups in her native Northern Ireland.

“Our marriage is a living example of tolerance and healing and of not allowing old hurts and discrimination to live on,” said Downey, who with her husband produced “The Bible” miniseries for The History Channel.

“We have come to believe that Christian unity is a critical element in responding to the global challenges we face today, including the difficulties of Arab Christians in the Middle East.”

Warren, who has been largely absent from the national and international scene since his son’s suicide in April, moderated a panel at the conference.

Tunnicliffe said that evangelical leaders are discussing future statements on intervention in Syria.

“I know people are aware of the crisis,” Tunnicliffe said, noting that the Middle East is overwhelmed with 2 million refugees from Syria. “I’m not sure they’re aware of the extent of the crisis.”

Pope Francis and King Abdullah II met at the Vatican last week, saying dialogue is the “only option” to end the conflict in Syria.

The Jordanian leader has his opinion:

“We are proud that Jordan constitutes a unique model of coexistence and fraternity between Muslims and Christians,” the king said. ” We also believe that the protection of the rights of Christians is a duty rather than a favor.”

The Jury Is Out

The six female jurors who determined whether George Zimmerman committed second-degree murder when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last year have heard the case and reached a verdict. Innocent on all charges.

During almost three weeks of testimony, they listened to 56 witnesses — 38 for the prosecution and 18 for the defense. A number of items were the source of conflicting testimony, and jurors had to sort out those contradictions in the deliberation room without any new evidence.  The trial was over. The decision was theirs.

Thanks God for America and for our judicial system. It is not perfect.  Yet, if I were going on trial in any county and had a choice it would be America.

Hopefully, on Judgment Day the judge of all the earth will come to the same conclusion. Who am I to second guess then or now, however.

Another verdict of enormous consequence is awaits America right now, and the jury of public opinion is still out. Thousands of innocent victims are sentenced to death each year in this otherwise great country simply because they were so unfortunate to be given a chance at life at a time like this. I am thinking of those precious little one who struggle for life in the womb of a potential mother who decides to abort the child because of (in most cases) the inconvenience it might cause her.

I must admit that I sat in total astonishment as I watched the Texas House deliberate on whether or not a surgically safe environment should be provided when a child is aborted prior to the 20th week of pregnancy—previously it was 24 weeks, and the pro-choice fanatics in mob fashion tried to disrupt the proceedings.

The sad fact is, however, timing is the only consideration at this point. Killing is still okay, it is just a matter of time and whether or not it should be done in a sterile environment. The argument is, therefore, not that abortion should be outlawed; but rather that dirty killing is just undesirable.

I know that we must be pragmatic about these things, but how can one be pragmatic about killing? I guess about the only pragmatic comfort that I can get out of the whole affair is that these little ones are now safe in the arms of Jesus. 

What's Trayvon Martin or George Zimmerman got to do with missions, anyway?

News these days is really disturbing. It seems as if our country takes two steps backward for every one step it takes forward. Abortionists seem to be more entrenched than ever, as do the attacks on traditional family values. Violence and mob protest plague our country. If a small minority disagrees with policy or laws then that justifies disrupting and in some cases taking over the state legislatures, or school board meetings, or wherever something they disagree with that is going on.

Christians are repeatedly portrayed as bigots with the brains of Neanderthals by the liberal media simply because they uncompromisingly defend their faith. Political hack James Carville—who engineered Clinton’s successful campaigns for the presidency—best typifies the attitude of these politically correct bigots when he writes:

"[The] so-called debate over evolution boils down to the Republicans invisible-angel theory of gravity against the Democrats' 150 years of science and the U.S. Constitution position."[i]

Carville is shifting, as you can see, the argument from the facts to a biased political agenda to issues that on the surface do not seem all that important except for religious purposes; however, the man’s not dumb. He realizes that unless liberals are unable to undermine a Christian’s faith in the sovereignty of Almighty God—who is the creator and sustainer of all—then his liberal agenda will cave in on matters like abortion, evolution, same-sex marriages, and a host of other choice issues.

The strange thing—at least to me—is that politicians like Nancy Pelosi, Hillary, and, yes, our president can separate politics from “their personal faith.” (Well, on second thought, it is not all that strange since James reminds of that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways, doesn’t he?) Nancy chose not to have an abortion and gave birth to five, but says it is okay for others to abort if they so choose. It’s their right, she upholds. Hillary and the president have voiced similar affirmations, also.

Now, my question is, since when did God give us permission to murder at will simply because an indefensible unborn child is an unwelcome and inconvenient intrusion on our selfishness? I know, I know, we have equal rights under the Constitution. Equal rights to kill, as in abort an innocent child? I think not. Equal rights to brainwash our children in our public schools to undermine traditional religious values? No, I think not. Respect is one thing. Censoring and degrading anyone who disagrees with the liberal politically correct agenda is something else, entirely.

Yes, we have rights. But no state has the right—perhaps the might, but not the right!—to force or coerce a politically correct agenda down anyone’s throat. As Lincoln reminded us at Gettysburg,

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

So, just to set the record straight, I am in no way suggesting that we abandon these fundamental principles. What I am saying, however, is that it works both ways and Christians or anyone else should not be ostracized simply because of their religious beliefs.

Now, in closing I would like to discuss how this whole Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman trial fits into my thinking on all of the above. I include Trayvon Martin as on trial, too, since he is being tried in the court of public opinion. And, if George Zimmerman walks out scot-free, Trayvon Martin is ipso facto convicted posthumously—not of murder, of course, but of provoking the altercation. This trial is not all about murder; it is about latent guilt and lingering racial prejudices as well. Let’s face it; as far as Trayvon was concerned a “freaky cracker” was following him. And, who can convince me that if he had been a white boy going to visit his father that George would have followed him? So, in a real sense, racial prejudice killed Trayvon and will most likely put Zimmerman behind bars, if he is not a very fortunate man indeed. So, who’s to blame here? Society? Well, yes, in a sense society is to blame. I don’t think any thinking person can deny that.

The question, therefore, remains: “What are we going to do about it?”

You want the answer? Well, here it is; although, I don’t think most of us will like it. Society will do nothing, or at the most very little constructively. Society will just rock along like a rotten melon in a pond. However, as individuals we can do something. We can do some really deep soul searching. We need to ask ourselves—it we haven’t already—does someone’s skin color really matter; or on a broader plane should gays and lesbians have fewer rights than we heterosexual do? Or does a woman have a right to abort an unborn child; or is abortion wrong under any and all circumstances? Now, we must also ask ourselves, which of these examples among others of similar debate do we feel is worth dying for? And, if they are not worth dying for, why are we so vociferously defending them?  Are these life and death issues?

Perhaps, some will answer, yes, these are life and death issues, and I am willing to die for them. Where, and how? Surely we are not at the armed combat stage; although, Francis Schaeffer predicted it would come to that. My feeling is that not only can we do something about it, we must.

First of all, we can and we must pray. Prayer is not a cop out either. It’s tough work when done properly. Secondly, we must keep informed, so that we know how to pray. Thirdly, we must put legs to our prayers. We must do something. Anything reasonable, as long as it is non-violent. We can petition. We can protest. We can protect. We can proclaim. People simply do not get the message unless they are told. I am speaking of the gospel message here.

My primary responsibility is foreign missions by calling, but I am committed to do what I can not only abroad, but here on American soil. Because, if we lose America the rest of the world will fall in short order to death, Hell and destruction. Yes, we are rotten to the core; but name me one other nation of any political significance that is not.

Yours For A Greater End Time Harvest,

P.S. Continue to pray for our ministry in the former Soviet Union and in Southern Asia. 

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[i] Carville, James, 40 More Years: How the Democrats will Rule the Next Generation:Simon & Schusterp.93 

What We're Doing

Teaching in Sri Lanka and Russia

 What We Need

We must pay for all travel expenses, room and board while in route. 

This amounts to:

Sri Lanka—$3,449 for travel and other incidental expenses
Russia—$1,900 in travel expenses while in the former Soviet Union
Total $5,349 for 3 months ministry

Please keep in mind that we minister entirely by faith. We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

Remember Enter:"09" Personal Expenses"40" Work Expenses 

Thanks!

Killing babies in the name of women's rights . . .

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"One Man's Opinion"
by Jim M. Roane, Ph.D.

Recently, Andrea Lafferty the president of the Traditional Values Coalition hit the nail squarely on the head when she wrote:

"Kermit Gosnell may have been the one convicted on three counts of murder today, but it was abortion that was on trial. I'll spare you the details.  But the difference between snapping the neck of a 24-week old baby in the womb and outside of the womb has been finally reduced to meaningless word games.  What of the 28-week old baby?  The 34-week old baby?"

Kudos to you, Andrea.

How much of a victory we have won, though, is not clear. There are however several things that I have been able to deduct from the whole episode. One is—do you remember part of the argument used against a pro-life stance was that we just had to take unsafe abortion clinics out of the back alleys, and bring them out in the clear sunshine so everyone would have access to a clean and safe abortion that wanted one? Afterall, the argument went, abortion was a fundamental Constitutional right! Well, so much for that. I’ve seen pictures and read reports of the filthy clinic that Dr. Gosnell ran. My veterinarian’s clinic is run better, and is a whole lot cleaner too. And, what about the Constitutional rights of the poor helpless child?

“Oh, he was a nice man,” I heard one interviewee say. “He made house calls when mama was sick.” Now that is just the point. Just a whole lot of “bad people” can do “good things.” Hitler did a lot of “good things” for the German Republic, but he also tortured, slaughtered, and cremated a whole lot of good people in the process.

Seems to me that liberal Christians would get the point; but some don’t.

If you don’t believe me drop by the Episcopal Diocese office in your neck of the woods when you have a little spare time and have a chat with the local bishop. Chances are that he or she will look you straight in the eye without one ounce of remorse and defend a woman’s choice to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. And, oh, yeah, while you are there ask the fine bishop what he or she thinks about sanctioning a gay marriage with the dignity of a church ceremony. Sure, he or she reads the same Bible you do; but the difference is they get to interpret theirs to meet their politically correct whims, and, of course, we don't want to stoop that low, nor do we have that choice.

Now back to our convicted murderer Dr. Kermit Gosnell. Why single him out? So he was off by a few days. Maybe it was just a little over 26 months into the pregnancy in some cases; but, you know pregnancies do have a way of fooling us time wise. So, the poor little fellow came out crying? He can’t make it on his on now anyway, so what’s wrong in severing his little neck to stop the suffering and especially the crying?

Of course, I am being sarcastic, and you know it.

Now—just in case you think the battle is over—I found it interesting to read what Ilyse Hogue the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America had to say in defense of their stance on abortion. Firstly, she goes on the attack by advocating the role of the victimized woman who is not allow to terminate her pregnancy—ignoring, of course, the poor child who never got a chance to breath one breath of fresh air. Here’s what she said:

[Pro-choice advocates] are exploiting the Gosnell case to boost their 40-year-old agenda to ban abortion altogether. These opportunists are shamelessly using the case of these victimized women to take even more control away from our ability to make private decisions about how, when, and with whom we have families.

And, her only qualm seemed to be providing a sanitary environment with a surgically adept physician to perform the procedure. In other words, make it a clean, fast, and hopefully painless procedure—the latter of which, Gosnell provided by severing the spinal cord with some razor sharp scissors; unfortunately according to her, his big mistake is that he wasn’t as sanitary as he should have been. Here’s that statement.

“Women, regardless of their background, deserve access to high-quality health care. Women deserve the opportunity to determine if and when they want to have families. Women deserve the dignity of controlling their own lives and, without a doubt, women deserve a lot better than the likes of Kermit Gosnell.”

Problem is America is not weeping loudly enough. May God rouse us into a holy righteousness that will fearlessly confront this horrible crime on every legal front we have.

With that in mind, I must say that America is not the only country that is guilty of such unspeakable Godlessness; the Ukraine, where Bonnie and I are presently, has one of the highest abortion rates on the globe. So, friends, there is still work to be done. 

One of the joys I had today was to give the Commencement address here at Evangel Theological Seminary and witness a small class of graduates from countries that most people have never heard of graduate with their master’s degrees and commissioned to return to their homes with a mandate to reach their generation for Christ. Pray for them.

Pray for us also. There are more ministry opportunities than we can fulfill so we need guidance from above to make some hard decisions in the future. More about that later.

Thanks for taking time once again to read my newsletter.

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Please keep in mind that we minister entirely by faith. 

We are not underwritten by any church or organization.

Remember Enter:

"09" Personal Expenses
"40" Work Expenses

 Thanks!

Mixing Politics and Religion

Remember the old advice, don't mix religion and politics?

Well, I am here to tell you that you had better mix your religion with your politics because politics involves moral choices.

Now, at the onset, let me make it clear that there are some moral choices that are personal, either on an individual basis or between two consenting adults. That, of course, includes one’s sexuality; again between two consenting adults. Marriage license and tax laws, of course, are effected when the State sanctions same sex unions. Naturally, as an Evangelical minister, I believe that Scripture is adamantly opposed to homosexuality and the gay lifestyle. And, no, I am not homophobic. However, I have come to the conclusion that we do not have a exclusive right to the use of the English language; so, if States decide to call same sex unions marriage there is not much I can do except object and protest against the use of the word to describe such unions.

There is, however, a world of difference between the legality of certain aspects of the gay agenda and nurturing such beliefs in innocent children as an viable choice. Scripturally, it is not a viable choice, ever. Paul, as a matter of fact, says that it is unnatural; which it is. Intuitive, nature itself argues against it; yet, gays and gay sympathizers continue to search for that elusive “gay” gene. The truth is, however, that gene not unlike evolution’s “missing” link is simply not there.

Enough of that.

What about “pro-choice” when it comes to abortion rights? I agree that there should be a choice; but it should be the baby’s choice, not some immoral adult that has decided that a new member of the family or a child would cause an inconvenient burden or interfere with their hedonist lifestyle.

So, “pro-choice”? Yes. But, let’s make the baby’s choice, not some ungrateful parent.

"Liar, liar, your pants are on fire!"

I don't know about you, but I sure will be glad when this Presidential election is over and done. Great day in the honk, we are hammered away on from morning through the night with skewed facts, innuendos, half-truths, and a few other un-believables. It's not up to me to announce who the guilty parties are, but I do have my opinion.

When it comes to facts and figures, I'm reminded of the old saying that "Figures don't lie; but liars do figure." And, boy, do they when election time rolls around.

Politicians, however, don't have an edge on lies. Lot of other folks are pretty good at it, too. Our advertising industry thrives on fudging with the truth. We preachers sometimes jokingly refer to one of our colleagues that brags on the size of his church as speaking evangelistically ~ or to work off a pun, evangel-lastically.

Now, I know one can become paranoid about things like this, and get guilt feelings everytime they say something like, "I'll be there in a minute;" and then turn up 5 or 6 minutes later. I really have no answer for these super sensitive souls, except that perhaps it would help to learn what an idiomatic expression is.

What I have in mind, and what disturbs me, is the kind of casual way in which we accept stretching the truth, or expect politicians not to really come clean about some shenanagan they have pulled. We've all seen it, and we all know what I am talking about.

Now, let me get to the irritating truth. That is, opposites can not both be true when affirming the same premise. So, you and I must make up our minds which camp habitually twist and manipulates statistics, polls, think-tank opinions, or scholarly articles to suit their fancy. Once the obvious is clear, then do something about it. And, if your imagination can not come up with an action plan, the least you can do is talk to a neighbor about it, or write a letter to the culprit, or join a local action group . . . do something, for goodness sake!

Am I being harsh? Not really. And, I'll tell you why. First of all, when our elected officials continue to crane their necks towards the next election, pandering to a politically correct agenda, and consistently misrepresent the truth and sidestep the moral issues that are eating at the very core of our nation's soul, then I say, we are in deep trouble and I believe we need to do something about it.

You need go no farther than the Bible for proof of the consequences of a government that put morals on idle and tried to sail through on past glory.

Study the life of Solomon. For the first part of his reign, he soared high with God's favor; but at the end of his career he crash landed. And, interestingly enough one of Solomon's own proverbs came back to haunt him. For Solomon once wrote, "Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked." (Prov. 25:26 NIV)

Unfortunately, Solomon found out the hard way that the proverb was indeed true.

This same trait, I find is also present in our society. We give lip service to honesty and applaud integrity, but in most cases either turn a blind eye to the corruption all around us, or simple take the easy route and enjoy the cushy ride. The sad facts are, we can not satiate ourselves with false hope and the ever elusive change that we have been promised. It is now time for action.

My proposal?

Exercise your vote. And, also encourage others to do so. Getting angry, or fuming about the sad state of affairs is really meaningless unless you are willing to do something about it.

Get out and vote! Personally, I don't think I could live with myself if I thought for a minute that because of the lack of my vote one little innocent unborn baby was aborted, or that my child was subjected to an unfiltered homosexual agenda in a classroom unfettered by the restraints of a godly conscience by some apprehensive politically correct teacher.

Thank you for your prayers and financial support,

P.S. Remember, if you wish to contribute to our overseas ministry expenses to teach in our Bible schools to disciple "Others" to reach their generation, please click onto the donate now button (below) and when prompted clearly designate all gifts in the comment section to: "Class (40)Ministry Trip." Or, for those of you who have asked how to contribute to our personal expenses, just enter "Class (09) Personal Expenses" in the comments section using the red 'contribution' link below.

However, if you are not on line and wish to mail your contributions in, send them to the address below and I will see that you get AGWM and IRS credit:

Missionaries Jim & Bonnie Roane
1013 Madera Court, Allen,TX75013-3639

We can not do this without you. So, thanks for making all of this possible!

Politics, politics, uggh . . . politics!

In my whole life, I don’t think I have ever seen as much subterfuge, unkind and un-statesmen like innuendos, diverting trickery and just plain outright lies, as I have in this current Presidential election.

Now, I am not saying my side is all lily white by any stretch of the imagination. However, I do believe that we have a slight corner on righteousness. Take the issue of abortion, for instance, how can any one with a Christian conscience vote for anyone who advocates a woman’s choice under any and all circumstances? Of course the argument is always centered around the worst case scenarios: rape, incest, and the endangerment of a woman’s health.

Let’s put these aside for a moment.

Now, what about a night out cavorting around, let’s say on Spring Break? Or an affair with the next door neighbor? Or any of a hundred of other petty excuses? Should we sanction by law the rights of a woman to abort an innocent life just for the sake of convenience?

I think not. And, I can say without the slightest hesitation, I am on God’s side on that.

Speaking of diversions. Personally, I don’t really care if someone with an American parent was born in Timbuktu, or his wife has a prancing horse or not. What has that got to do with the price of tea in China? Native born when originally inserted into our Constitution was to prevent a foreigner or naturalized citizen from becoming President ~ that’s it, pure and simple, in my opinion. So, whether it’s the Panama Canal Zone (John McCain) or Arizona Territory (Barry Goldwater) or Mexico (George Romney) or Mombasa (allegedly Obama), what difference does it make? That proviso also includes whether some candidate’s wife has is prancing horses, or Swiss back accounts ~ what foreign businessman or missionary doesn’t have to have a foreign bank account, pray tell me.

These are all diversionary tactics. And, that includes statements made by some want-to-be senatorial candidate that a raped woman’s body shuts done when she is raped so she can not conceive a child. Statistics show that at least 5% of all rapes ends in pregnancy which is about the same for one night stands. So, why should we tar and feather every one in a particular political party just become one member makes some wonky statement?

Diversionary tactics, one again.

What are the real issues? What is really at stake? Let me list just a couple; but believe me there are many more.

Freedom is at stake. That includes the right to express one’s religious opinion and live by it. The Chick-fil-A controversy is only a reflection of the attitude of some very powerful politicians, the root cause is social engineering by an agenda laden political machine. Again, pray tell me what right does a big city major to tell me that I can not order a 16 oz. soda? Or what right does the Government have to mandate that the Catholic Church or any other religion to provide health care coverage for practices that clearly violate their conscience? (At present, the Catholic Church has a least 13 major lawsuits against the current Administration on these issues alone.)

Now, mind you, I do realize that some of these issue are still in the embryo stage, so to speak; however, the frightful reality is that they must be address at all. Freedom should be a given.

The economy is at stake. I don’t pretend to have all the answers here; but  . . . commonsense tells me that no household, much less a government can survive on borrowed money. Payback will come, eventually. That is just common horse sense, as we used to say back on the farm. Just ask the citizens of Stockton, San Bernardino and Mammoth Lakes, California how long you can live on borrowed money. Or consider the plummeting economic stability of countries like Greece and Spain, or even little insignificant Iceland. In each of these countries those that have paid into retirement plans both private and governmental have suddenly realized that they have virtually worked for nothing because of a greedy governments that promised pie in the sky in the sweet-bye-n’ bye. I’m afraid that we are in the same boat, too, and it is sinking.

We need to send a message loud and clear that our politicians can not continue to kick the can down the street, hoping for a different outcome. Is this a moral issue? You better believe it is. The Scripture says that “he that refuses to take care of his family has denied the faith and is worst than an infidel.”  (1 Tim. 5:8) And, I submit that not planning for the financial sovereignty our future generation falls in that category. So, sure, it’s a moral issue. You had better believe that it is.

Read Amos if you have any doubt that this issue should not be on the table for every conscientious Christian when they go to vote.

And, vote we must.

Oh, to God that we could find an Isaiah among us who would shout to the nation: “This is what the Lord says to me: Post a watchman. Have him report whatever he sees.”

Yet, our pulpits are filled with far too many who prefer preaching a feel good sermon, sprinkled with a few soothing clichés that in the long run do not have one ounce of Biblical substance in them. Not all fall into this category; but far too many do!

In closing. Hats off to the Reverend Billy Graham who at the age of 93 decided that he was hungry enough to get out of his bed of infirmity and eat some Chick-fil-A. Kudos, Mr. Graham!