Animal Rights Activists

 

 

I have (somewhat) recently reconnected with a very close friend from highschool.  In fact we dated… well as much as two kids in the ninth grade could date in 1970-71.   As we began to catch-up via Facebook, emails and phone I became quite surprised at where life has taken her.

The Readers Digest version is that her passion is being an Animal Rights Activist (ARA).  She is also a vegan.  I’ve never know an ARA before and to be honest my thoughts about “those people” have been pretty negative.  After all my total knowledge of ARAs and their intentions consisted of sound-bites and the typical things you see in news reports.  Of course, if you think about it, news organizations usually try to find the nuttiest person in any given group and portray them as the norm of that group.

I have had occasion to interact (via the internet) with some of her co-hearts and pretty much without exception they have been pretty hard-core, rude and vile.  Their interactions  with me left me with the feeling, “wow, if you want someone to see your point of view you sure need to change the way you approach us “non-believers.”"  Honestly, if it were not for the relationship I have with my friend and the way she has approached me with this issue I would not even consider changing my views much less consider at least considering changing my diet to exclude eating things with a face.  I have cut back on my meat intake and am still trying to muster the courage and planning skills to institute a ‘NO MEAT MONDAYS” in our home.

I do know that there are some companies who treat their animals as just a means to putting more money in their bank accounts.  I do know that some animals are ill-treated and abused.  But I must admit that I still think that while animals should NOT be abused it’s still okay to eat meat.

Then there is the other side to the Animal Rights movement.  Pet stores that use puppy mills.  I just can’t stand that.  Heck, if there were a protest here I would even consider going out to show support or even join in the protest.  However, my life is such that I wouldn’t make the time it would take to organize and lead such a protest.

I’m certain at this point that I haven’t adequately stated the case for my Animal Rights Activist friend.  That was not the intent of this Blog post.  I just wanted to get you thinking and ask a few basic questions.
So here’s my question.  What are your thoughts and feelings toward Animal Rights Activists?  Do you eat meat?   Do you wear leather products, etc.?  Would you be willing to at least consider adopting a lifestyle of at least one day a week with no meat in your diet?

Why go international when you can stay local?

I’ve been wondering lately…  In many cases adoptive parents will spend tens of thousands of dollars to adopt a child from a foreign country.  Now don’t get me wrong I believe that every single child deserves a home where they can be loved and cared for.  What I don’t get is why people will go to such effort to (basically) purchase their child from a foreign government.

If you are a regular reader of this blog then you know that our family is in the final throes of completing the adoption of “our” five year old son and seven year old daughter.  They are biological brother and sister.  I won’t go into the sordid story as too how this all happened.  If you don’t know and want to know you can look back through previous posts.

Here’s one thing I learned while attending our Parenting Class at the local Department of Social Services.  Most people want to adopt an infant child who is perfect in every way (not even the hint of  a single defect).  No physical, psychological or emotional problems.  Well guess what, not even birth parents are guaranteed that!  So why is it that some perspective adoptive parents have this fantasy of a “perfect” infant child?  I know, I know, it’s only human nature to want only the best for your child and family.  Our family are no different in that regard.  With the pregnancy of each of our birth children we dreamt and prayed for a healthy baby.  We have been blessed that the Creator’s plan for us was to honor our prayers.

Perhaps in a later Blog post I will address why it is that the vast majority of people view the perfect infant child as one who has no physical defects and by all scientific terms falls into the proper percentile of the various fields of measurement.

But to get back on topic;  We know first hand how difficult it can be to adopt a child from The State.  God knows it can be exasperating, pre=”">aggrevating, annoying and will just plain ol tick you off at times.  However, it is important to keep the end goal in mind.  We are not doing this for our benefit!  I think that is where the biggest difference lyes.  Some perspective adoptive parents plan to adopt a child for what the child can do for them.  I think that attitude or expectation perverts the relationship from the git-go.  Instead of wanting to provide a nurturing, loving environment for a child in need they want a child for what the child can fulfill for them!!  That is a pretty heavy load to place on a child who, for all intense and purposes, has already had too much trauma in their little life.

One of the exercises we (as a group) had to do during our Parenting Class was;  each couple or individual was given a card.  On this card was the name of a child or siblings, which included their first name and a brief (true) history of the environment they came from.  Also listed were any “issues” the child/children had demonstrated (playing with matches, acting out sexually, aggressive behavior, et .).  Then we went around the table and stated why or why not we would adopt this particular child.   How would we handle the various “issues” each child had.  I was saddened and shocked to find that about 90 percent of the people said they would not adopt a child who had “issues”.  Now keep in mind that each of these people had previously said they wanted to adopt because they love children and want to give them a loving and nurturing home.   LIARS!  I mean, excuse me!?  You mean you want a perfect little child who can fulfill some void you have and one who can fulfill your fantasy of your perfect family with the white picket fence and all.  You disgust me.

So those can be some of the horrors of Adopting Local.  Now for International Adoptions.  We have not done this but have close friends who have.  They adopted three children from Russia.  All three children were under the age of eight at the time of adoption.  They ended up with a “buy two and get the third free” package.  They spent over forty thousand dollars (cash money).  Then of course they had to bring with them anything the child would need.  They get the child (basically) naked.   This particular International Adoption story began as a wonderful story book tale.  However, two of the three children eventually ended up in trouble with the law while the third still struggles to keep it all together.

I have had some people tell me that God placed on their heart to adopt internationally.  Really?  Didn’t God know that there are hundreds or perhaps thousands of needy children right in your own local community?  I wonder why God didn’t place you in that foreign country near those children.  Is it at least possible that YOU saw the need for foreign orphans THEN PRAYED FOR GOD TO BLESS WHAT YOU WANT?!  Of course, I can not see into any person’s heart.

Here are the statistics from the INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION – Office of Children’s Issues, United States Department of State.

2000 – 18,477

2001 – 19,224

2002 – 21,378

2003 – 21,516

2004 – 22,884

2005 – 22,739

2006 – 20,679

2007 – 19,613

2008 – 17,488

Total 191,988 INTERNATIONALLY ADOPTED CHILDREN

I also found that “cash out of pocket” International Adoption can range from $11,325.00 – $20,679.00.  So using my mad math skills if I average those two sums and then multiply that by the number of adoptions for the years 2000 through 2008 I come up with THREE BILLION, SEVENTY-TWO MILLION, THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED NINETY-SIX DOLLARS ($3,072,351,996)!  Wow that’s one heck-of-a-lot of money spent to help only 191,998 children.

Can you imagine (with me) what the International Community would look like if more than three billion dollars had been spent on improving the lives of ALL the children in those countries?  How life altering would that be if orphaned children in foreign countries were the benefactors of US dollars?  Instead of seeing US as people who are taking a child here and there, US could be seen as building entire communities where orphaned children could (possibly) receive the best care imaginable.  What would the future of ALL of those children look like?

Now continue to dream with me.  What would our own local communities look like of  those parents who adopted Internationally had adopted the unwanted, unloved, abused and neglected children out of their very own “back yards?”   I dare say the world would look at US in a very different light.  I further dare to say that the Creator of those little lives would look on (not only US) but each of us in a very different light.

Once again, I can not see into the human heart to determine it’s intent.  Whether the intent is to fulfill a personal (aka prideful) dream or to sacrifice their life for that of one who can not defend or provide for themself.  Adoption should be a selfless, sacrificial life style.  If you are not willing to sacrifice YOUR LIFE at least send a check to an orphanage in your local area.

There’s got to be more I can do for these children.

Our twenty year old daughter has Swine Flu!

Seriously, she does.  She doesn’t look quite this bad but she feels pretty bad.

Too make things worse she is living with our oldest daughter who is pregnant, her husband and their son… who has asthma.

So two of the most “at risk” (a pregnant woman and asthmatic child) are now at extreme risk.

Although our twenty year old daughter is quarantined to her room the other occupants decided to take a weekend trip.

It’s always something isn’t it?

I’m not broken but I am cracked.

Today I celebrate my 55th birthday.  Now that I have some age and experience under my proverbial belt I have become somewhat (more) reflective.  And with the intentional and directed reflection on my life, has come some rather painful revelations.  Guess what, I’m not perfect!  But then again I’m not broken either.

Okay, so now I’ve pin-pointed a few areas that I feel I need to work on.  Now what.  I’ve decided to ”speak” with a professional who can help direct me with some behavior modification issues.  As a matter of fact, this morning from 8-9 was my fifth appointment.    Is it easy?  NO!  Has it been painful?  Yes,at times it has.  However, most things worth pursuing are difficult and somewhat painful?  Aren’t they?  Heck even if you want to lose weight, that too involves sacrifice and pain.  How many of us have tried dieting instead of changing our life style?

So, I have determined to persue a path of life style change.  Most of the time I just say or do whatever is “right” (in my own eyes of course).  There is no “governor” between the area of my brain and my tongue, so it can get pretty ugly.  Pretty much whatever I think rolls right off my tongue and out of my mouth.   As you may imagine, over the years my words and actions have caused a great deal of pain to a great many people.  Many Most people who are not required to be around me, because they are related to me, determined long ago that I’m just not worth the effort.  Who can blame them?!  I mean I certainly don’t go places where I know there is a high degree of likelihood that I will be made fun of or otherwise ridiculed.  Survival is key.

I have already figured out that I need to “lengthen my fuse.”   If I can just keep my mouth shut, even for  a few seconds, before I react then I can respond.  A response is much healthier than a reaction. 

You know, in spite of all my frailties, faults and inconsistencies, I have for quite some time been able to receive constructive criticism from (some) people and work with it.  Now is the time for me to become more intense and deliberate with these things.  I not only want to become a better husband, father and friend but I need to become the man who God imagined me to be when He thought about creating ME!  It’s not like God needed just another caucasian male on the face of the earth.  There have been billions of men like me over the millennia.

Now is the time for me to rise up and become!  What about you?

TODAY I HAVE (NO) JURY DUTY!

 

I’ve actually been looking forward to jury duty.  It’s only in Small Claims Court but hey, you never know what nice people you will meet.

More later. 

Well it’s later now.  What a HUGE DISSAPPOINTMENT!  I’m on my way down to court this morning and I figure I better give them a call.  Sure enough the recording said, “DO NOT REPORT FOR JURY DUTY.”

I guess somebody got cold feet and figured they would be better off settling before court.

Bummer. 

I don’t understand why people don’t like going to Jury Duty.  Sure I know it’s basically a day (or longer) of not doing your regular daily routine and it may actually cost you a few dollars but so what.   I think we all need to be a bit more civic minded and a little selfish with our time.  After all each and every individual gets the same 24 hours in a single day.  So if when a person slithers out of Jury Duty that just means someone else has to pick up their slack.

There’s enough slack in this country so let’s all embrace our Journey Into Jury Duty Land when time rolls around.

Man I wish they wouldn’t have settled! 

These have been (some) of my experiences.

Much has been debated over the centuries as to the existance of God.  Many who do not believe in God challenge, “Where’s your proof?”  Generally speaking that question is usually followed-up with name calling (both to the one who believes and the One, Whom we believe in).

I don’t have the answers for them.  I do know that I have (personally) had some very unique experiences that anchor my beliefe in the Most High God.  At one time in my life when I caused myself to “hit bottom” I reached out… again to the Comforter.  I did so because I “heard” Him say, “Come to me now or I will not pursue you any longer.”  You see up unto that point in my life I had used God as my Almighty Bail Bondsman.  No not to get out of jail but like, “Oh Lord, if You will just get me out of this mess…” kind of thing.  I know that the Bible says that God will never leave us nor forsake us and at this particular time I felt like God was saying to me, “I won’t pursue you.  It’s all going to be up to you to get yourself through life.  Do you really think you can do it all on your own?”  When I say I “heard” I don’t mean an audible voice but rather a split second conversation of sorts.

So anyway, I was in this dire situation when He came to me in a most dramatic way.  I have no scientific proof and I don’t need scientific proof.   In that moment even the air felt different.  What I do know is that when He and I finished our conversation I was transformed from an angry, frightened and unsure about my future man to a man of immeasurable peace and completely comfortable about what the future held for me.  I can not begin to explain the overwhelming sense of… I don’t know, peace and contentment just doesn’t seem adequate to describe it.  I was changed.  My situation and circumstances had not changed but I had.

That was the moment for me.  The defining moment that anchored my faith.   Of course I have had many challenges since then.  Difficult and painful challenges.  And I have not always answered those challenges the way I should have.  But, I have been able to recognise where I’ve made poor choices and turn from them back to Him.  Before The Encounter I may or may not have recognized my failure and if I had would likely have felt a sense of “Ha, got away with that one.”

Another spiritual marker in my life was when my father died.  That was such a dark, depressing time and also a  time of great questioning. I wrote about my deliverance from that here:

http://mssc54.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/my-angel-story/

I have personally witnessed a man’s leg grow two inches.  I have personally seen a little girl with a three inch platform shoe on one foot throw that shoe away when her leg miraculously measured to the length of the other.  I have (time and time again) received financial blessings that could not be explained or planned for.  I have sustained traumatic injuries and healed from them far beyond all the doctors expectations.  My life has been transformed and by my life’s transformation my family has not only been made whole but flourished.

I know there will be those who can take each of these instances in my life and explain them away with some sort of scientific explanation or possibly psychological disorder.  How sad for them. 

All I know is that God is real in my life.

Stop The Blame and Take Responsibility!

Some times I look back on my life and try to evaluate the times where I felt like my world was falling apart.  What happened?  What role did I play?  What responsibility did I have?  What can I learn from that?  How should I respond in the future?    Wouldn’t it be great if I could learn (the first time) from where/when I make a poor choice?

As I have been (intentionally) reviewing one specific event in my life (see previous Blog post)   I have had somewhat of an epiphany.  For over three decades I have allowed this event to shadow me.  I have been looking at how wounded, hurt and traumatized I have been.  Poor, poor me.  I hadn’t for a single second considered how my actions affected everyone else around me.  I have carried anger, resentment and even shame with me for so long that it had become a “right.”  After all I was a mere child.  Bologna!  I knew right from wrong.  I knew that I was challenging the authority over me.  But I wanted to do what I wanted to do.  I wanted to act up and make jokes.  It was all about me!!

Well guess what Buck-O.  It wasn’t about just me!  It was about the coaches and the other players too!   It should have been about honoring the authority set over me and complying with their wishes and directives  the first time I was corrected.  But noooooooo, I had to push it (as usual).  My coach held me accountable for my actions.  That’s it.  Nothing more, nothing less.

I can finally look back on the events of that fateful night and see that I was not the only one affected by my actions.  I can now recognise that coach tried to allow me back on the team by letting the entire team vote me on or off.  But I was such a jerk most of the time that not even the other players wanted me around!  I can’t imagine how coach felt when he realized that, in spite of his efforts to reinstate me, it was a done deal.  I’m sure he would have never guessed that the vote would have been so lopsided.

Rarely does life allow us any do-overs.  If I could I would certainly make better choices.  Not only with regards to this event but through most of my adolescence.  My mouth has always been my biggest challenge.  Still is, if you want to know the truth.

I’m sorry coach for not allowing you to do your job without my disruption.  You were a good coach and I did learn a lot from you.  And to my former team mates, I’m sorry that I was such a jerk to be around.  I wish I had been a better player and  I certainly wish I had been a better friend.

And no I’m not beating myself up.  I’m just reviewing the facts of my life and trying to recognise (once again) where it is that I have responsibility!

How can I forgive when I think I already have?

I recently became aware that I have some work that is incomplete.  You see when I was a teenaged boy there was a single incident that happened to me that (literally) altered my life. 

I wasn’t sexually molested.  I wasn’t abandoned (in the traditional sense).  I wasn’t bullied everyday at school.  But I  can see it all unfolding before me right now as I sit behind this keyboard. 

You see I was basically raised by my mother.  My father was out-of-town four or five nights a week.  I had four sisters and did not have a brother until I was thirteen.  So for all intense and purposes I lived in a girls’ dormitory.  Or at least that was my limited perspective on it as a “boy child.”

I could rarely do anything right.  Don’t his your sisters.  You don’t know your own strength.  Still to this day I can show you the scars on my hands from their fingernails.  Now don’t get me wrong, I know I was a handful… probably even two handfuls.  But what’s a boy to do when he has a father that wants little or nothing to do with him?  When he finally gets to see his dad and can only piss him off? 

So I finally got my big chance.  I made the highschool JV football team.  And I was good too.  But I didn’t know how to act.  I was always doing things to draw attention to myself.  Good or bad attention as long as I got attention that’s all that mattered.  I wish I knew then what I know now.  As I am sure my adult coaches, teachers and even my siblings and parents do.  All I knew how to do then was to (basically) do whatever made me feel good and got me attention.  I was just… a jerk.

The final straw was the night we lost our only game of the season.  I was cutting up on the bus and the coach told me to knock it off.  Well of course I did when he was looking but I kept pushing the envelope.  Egging it on and trying to make myself feel good!  But when we got back to the school the coach had a surprise for me.  He summarily kicked me off the team.  Right there in front of the entire team.  He just grabbed me by the front of my jersey and told me to get my stuff and get out of their that I was no longer on the team.  What?  I mean I know I was a jerk and didn’t listen to him on the bus but to kick me off the team for being a jerk and flaunting his authority behind his back in front of the entire team.  Oh… yeh well if you put it like that it makes a little sense.  I guess.

I remember it was foggy that night.  I walked up and down the street that night for literally hours kicking a soda can (still wearing my cleats and football pants.)  Up and down.  Up and down, crying like a little baby.  I can’t remember being so hurt and lost ever.

Now if that wasn’t bad enough.  I later found out that my mom called the coach and talked to him about reinstating me on the team.  Instead of the coach reinstating me on the team he let the entire team vote me back on or not.  I got THREE VOTES for and the rest was against.  I was crushed.  I mean I knew I was not the most popular guy but to be so soundly rejected by practically all they guys you thought was your friend…  You just can not imagine the humiliation, rejection, hurt and yes, anger. 

When that school year was over I asked my mom and dad to sign the papers so I could join the US Navy.  So at the ripe old age of seventeen and with my tenth grade education I set off to make a man out of myself. 

Those first years couple of decades were admittedly rough.  I came from a small town in Mississippi and led a pretty sheltered life.  I had already begun to drink some beer but didn’t know anything about drugs.  However, being young and in the navy I soon learned all about drinking and drugs.  I didn’t feel much during those decades.  I was either drunk, high or both. 

The thing about being drunk/high is that I didn’t have to accept any of the blame or responsibility for where I found myself in life.  After all, I was just a kid I wasn’t supposed to be smart enough or have all the “tools” to deal with my abusive, alcoholic, womanizing, absent father.  Surely it wasn’t my fault!  You know those excuses will only get you so far in life. 

I ended up going through an in patient drug/alcohol treatment program put on for veterans.  That was my first clue that maybe I should actually look at the choices that I’ve made.  Okay so none of the things in my life had changed.  I still had every adult I counted on give up on me but heck if I had a kid like me now I would find it  easier to give up on him too.  Probably.

But back to FORGIVENESS.  You know for years and years and years I wondered what ever happened to that coach that kicked me off the football team.  I would even hope to run into him one day so I could give him a piece of my mind… or worse.  But that was all the alcohol and drugs talking then.  Eventually I hit the proverbial “bottom.”  I had done the Monty Hall get to know God salvation plan many times.  You remember Monty Hall from “Let’s Make a Deal” don’t you?  That was me for many years.  “Oh God, if You will just get me out of this mess then…”  Let’s make a deal God.

Finally the day and circumstance came that I actually heard the Lord say to me, “If not now I won’t ever bother you again.”  That was pretty scary stuff.  Since that day I have changed my life style.  I have NOT been perfect nor will I ever be perfect.  But I no longer intentionally hurt people.  I do hurt people but not intentionally.  I’m still learning.

I have forgiven that coach so many times in my mind and even prayed for him on occasion.  I thought I was “up to date” on that forgiveness thing… until I ran into him on line.  That incident happened over thirty-seven years ago.  I haven’t thought about it much in the last several years.  And I thought I had done all the forgiving I needed to do to be “up to date” on my forgiveness card.  But honestly when I exchanged a couple of emails with the guy I was like (to myself)  “He’s not sorry.  It was all about him and he could have cared less for me.”  Well duh!  Who am I to see into his heart and know what is going on in there?  Heck I thought I had my heart all clean and pure with regards to that single issue.  I can be pretty good at compartmentalizing my Christianity if I let myself.

So let’s scrape the forgiveness scab off once again and see what it will take to really heal that thing.  It would be easier to just place blame and forget about it but that is not what I am called to do.  I have had too many people give up on me over the years.  I’m not going to be one of them.

RELEASE THE TERRORIST GIVE US THE OIL!

        

                                                             

You may have noticed (news reports) that Scotland (aka Great Brittan) released the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi.

There are so many excuses given for sending this TERRORIST home to a hero’s welcome.  The first excuse was that the TERRORIST was released under Scottish law for humanitarian reasons.  The TERRORIST is allegedly dieing from prostate cancer and supposedly has from three weeks to three months left to live out his life… at home with his loved ones.

Now the latest excuse for letting the TERRORIST free is that Gordon Brown did not want the TERRORIST to die on British soil.

Well Mr. Brown let me remind you that it was on British soil that 270 innocent people died at the hands of the TERRORIST!  These 270 people actually did die on British soil.  The TERRORIST, had he been justly kept imprisoned in Scotlandwould have actually died on British concrete.  Postmortum sanitation is quite easily performed on concrete.  I have (personally) performed this service on carpet, sheet rock, VCT, mattresses and done so quite successfully.  Although I have never performed post   sanitation services on concrete I can only imagine that it w0uld be quite a bit easier than the soft surfaces mentioned above.

News reports now give us the time line of the negotiations the government of Libya and British Petroleumwere having regarding leases on new lands for the extraction of oil and natural gas.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see what has happened here.  How despicable of BP and the British government to free a TERRORIST for futures in oil/gas!

Here is a link to the (current) story.  See for yourself.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brown-did-not-want-megrahi–to-die-in-britain-1780266.html

Honestly I am almost (physically) sickened by this.  I have four BP gas cards and charge hundreds of dollars of gas a month.  When gas was over four dollars a gallon it was nothing out of the ordinary for my gas bill to be over one thousand dollars a month!

How many rounds of ammunition for AK47s did I (unknowingly) buy?  How many IEDs did I pay for?

I don’t know about you readers but I am not only going to cut up everyone of my BP cards but I am going to write a nice letter and place the destroyed cards in an envelope and mail them to British Petroleum headquarters.  In fact if you care to express you disdain or pleasure…

BP American Headquarters

501 WestLake Park Blvd.
Houston, TX 77079-2604
Tel. +1-281-366-2000

Or you can email them here:  BPConsumer@bp.c0m

WHAT A BUNCH OF DESPICABLE, SPINELESS, COWARDS!!!!

 

THE PERFECT STORM (IN AMERICA)

My pastor wrote the following piece and I have posted it here with his permission.

The Perfect Storm

Posted in August 24th, 2009 by Kevin in On my mind

I just finished reading an article by a prophet, John Paul Jackson, entitled, The Coming Perfect Storm. For those of you unfamiliar with the movie that had a similar title, it was about a fishing boat that was caught in the north Atlantic when 2 storms collided and became what meteorologists called, “The Perfect Storm”. This prophetic vision that he sees concerning the future of America has elements of that movie. The article resonated in my spirit and I thought it appropriate to synopsize it for you and of course, give credit to the one who received the insight.

America is approaching a storm that will merge 5 different elements of culture that will be so intertwined that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish which events are driving the manifestation of the storm. These 5 elements are: religion, politics, economics, war, and geophysical events. Some ripples will be worse than others and different areas of the country will experience different severity’s. Some of the elements could be more accentuated than others, but everyone will be touched at varying degrees. The rapidity of this storm will also make it problematic.

The reason this storm is approaching is due mostly to the fact that the church is no longer the backbone of this nation. From the beginning of this nation, the Christian faith has been the plumb line of most decisions that were made at all levels of life. Our Christian heritage is what has made this nation different than every other nation. Christianity was a part of the USA, DNA. However, we have turned from that foundation. The lines of right and wrong, as well as the holy and the profane are blurring rapidly. The way to God, even in the church, through Jesus Christ alone and by His Cross is no longer seen as an absolute. We are a tepid, superficial church that has lost it’s backbone to stand. Because of that, 5 things are being seen:

1. An attempt on the President’s life by Islamic extremists. The purpose of the attack was to incite a racially motivated upheaval in the USA. There were riots in the street of incredible proportion. The church must pray for the protection of the President and his family to avert the aftermath of such a scenario.

2. Earthquakes are set to strike coastal areas and the mid-west. Thunderstorms will produce huge hail. We will hear of 24 inches of rain in 24 hours and flooding will occur in areas never prone to floods. Tornadoes will come with voracity never before seen. As paradoxical as it may seem, while some experience floods, others will endure droughts. Water will become as expensive as fuel. This nation will experience a food shortage with increased prices.

3. Iran and Russia are preparing to unite and form an alliance. Israel will be forced to bomb Iran. Anti-semitism will begin to soar. A dirty bomb will explode in a coastal city of the United States.

4. God is going to expose rampant immorality in the leadership of larger churches and ministries in this nation. The government will become increasingly hostile towards the tax-exempt status of the church as the economy squeezes resources. Churches will lose tax-exempt status and their properties will begin to be taxed.

5. Commercial buildings are going to become more and more vacant. Notable malls will stand empty and have to be seized by the government to provide housing for the displaced and indigent.

What should we as the Church begin to do under these scenarios:

1. We must return to knowing God and His ways rather than just knowing about God. We have replaced power with programs, revelation with administration, and the Father’s heart with church growth techniques.

2. The Church must learn to contend for the faith again. We are weak, and we fall away so easily when crisis is not at hand. We have not been tested and we have lost our resolve. We understand little of the adversary’s plans. We do not know how to debate our faith without becoming angry, and thus we have few clear, godly voices in the public square. We have lost our witness and we must get it back.

3. The Church must return to the love of God’s Word and the belief that is infallible and inerrant. This would include the conviction that God is absolute, and there is only one way to Him and that is through Jesus Christ. We need a revelation that God’s power is unlimited, His knowledge is unending, and His presence is always with us. We have made the Lord too small and our lives prove it.

4. We need to repent and practice corporate fasting. We need to be grieved for the sins of the Church before we can intercede for the sins of the world. Judgment starts at the House of the Lord. We must put our own house in order before we can put any government house in order.

The truth is, much calamity is a reaping of what we have chosen to follow. Whatever we follow will certainly bear fruit and we can vividly see the fruit that our nation is currently reaping. The good-news is that when crisis hits, and we turn our hearts, then God can move and take action for us (Jeremiah 29:12-13). May our nation understand all that is at stake and may we all again turn our hearts toward the one true and living God. All through Scripture, those who were committed to God’s ways and purposes were shielded by His hand during strenuous and difficult times. Stay focused on the Lord and walk in His ways and He will not overlook your faithfulness.

We are living in the most exciting times the world has ever known! Even so…Come Lord Jesus!

Pastor