Feed-(Ezekial34:13-14, Matt. 14:13-21) God will gather His sheep on the mountains and feed them on the rich pastures. Everyone likes to eat, and it is a good time to fellowship but there are many who do not have the food they need. When 5000 people gathered on the mountainside to hear Jesus, He saw that they were hungry and had compassion on them and fed them. By the same token, there are many hungry among us. Christmas is a good time to provide food for them that they too might be able to enjoy the holiday, but we should not forget them when the holiday is over because hunger for many is a way of life which lasts all year long. Many communities have food banks that supply food to those in need and they need regular donations to be able to supply the need. Things like potatoes are sometimes on sale, buy one get one free. You might not be able to use the other bag before it spoils. Pick it up and donate it to the food bank, or someone you know struggling to make ends meet. Churches can have regular collections to donate. In addition, we should not just provide food but work to help them to provide for their own needs through employment counseling and job referrals. However, the Bible says “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. We should not only provide food, but the Good News of the Gospel as well.
The Media-B-H
Conservatives have begun to talk about government control being necessary in light of widespread censorship by the media and social media, however, it is dangerous because it is often hijacked by liberal politicians to censor Christians. While it seems to be the answer, government control has tended to support liberals and target conservatives. We are learning of increased pressure by the FBI to get the social media to censor conservatives and feeding them which posts to remove. Even when we had a conservative President, much of the deep State remained committed to liberals. Democrats continue to push for government control over the internet and have been crowing about how Silicon Valley pulled the wool over the eyes of what they called “the stupid Republicans” who ran the hearings on censorship in the media. Government action, if any, should seek to break up the monopolies held by liberal media opening social media up to competition, allowing conservatives to develop their own networks or find some way to get around the censorship, just as they have set up their own radio and TV stations, and magazines to counter the liberal media. Churches need to openly inform their members about important social issues and Christians need to be aggressive in passing along Bible-based material and the truth about Social issues and events to their friends. I have worked hard to keep Christians informed on Social issues and events but I can only reach so many. However, if others pass it on to their friends, and they pass it on to their friends, it will soon reach millions of people. Liberals are very aggressive on social media and doing everything they can to block those who promote the truth. It is easy for them to block big organizations from posting material but almost impossible to track millions of individuals who pick up the information and pass it on.
The Media-B-G
Almost all the national media is funneled through the Associated Press which filters and colors the news, the media has been promoting liberal programs and ignoring, and even attacking conservative programs. While there are still independent radio and TV stations, they are few and are being squeezed out of the marketplace and few Christians support them. In addition, many Christians still rely on the mainstream media to keep them up to date in spite of its open attacks on Christian values and few Christians take advantage of Christian programs. As a result, many Christians have a distorted view of what is going on today. Christians need to seek reliable news sources and support them. Since they don’t read the Bible, and their churches do not teach on Biblical values, they often support programs which clearly violate Scripture. Many people don’t consider Social media when they talk about media, but social media is becoming an increasing force in our society. In fact, the Social media has become the main source of the truth for many people, because of the censorship in the mainstream media. As the media censors Christians and other conservatives, they are increasingly turning to social media to inform fellow conservatives about issues. Recently, that censorship has been spreading to the social media. Now Christians are facing an increase in censorship in the Social media as well. Large reputable Christian organizations have reported that their posts had been restricted or blocked, (particularly those on Facebook and Twitter) often with no notice from the internet provider. Others are receiving notices that their postings have been removed because they don’t conform to company standards. Apparently those standards are very one-sided because it is alright for liberals to call on others to kill conservatives but not alright for conservatives to call on people to not kill unborn babies. If a conservative reports that being Gay is not genetic, that is censored as hate speech, but if a liberal calls on their followers to harass, bully, and even kill conservatives, that is allowed to remain and is not restricted. Clearly something needs to be done. If social media blocks it, there is no other way for people to hear about it. That is why I began producing this blog. I am just a small site and have not had many problems, but I know Face Book has been blocking people from reposting the Neighborhood Ministries page, from time to time. I don’t know how long I will be able to continue publishing this blog. I have received word that Word Press, who provides this website, has begun censoring conservatives. Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge blocked me from accessing my website for awhile so I could not update it but I could still access it from other media. If those block me, it will prevent others from seeing it, though it wouldn’t take it down. I don’t know of anyone who is being prevented from viewing this site yet and hopefully it will not come to that.
Christmas Displays
As my wife and I seek out light displays, we are struck by the fact that they are almost all lights and no message. Fifty years ago when my wife and I would drive around, most decorated yards had a theme of some kind relating to Christmas, whether religious or secular. We were often amused by unusual displays like Santa riding a rocket ship or cartoon characters around a decorated Christmas tree. Most people who decorate today put up light displays to make something pretty to look at, but the light displays provide only a momentary relief from the growing darkness all around us. It cannot dispel the darkness in our souls. Christmas was started on the shortest day (longest night) of the year to remind us that Christ came to dwell among us when things were at their darkest in order to bring new life into our lives. As you put up your lights this year, think about putting in a display, even a simple one, to tell people that there is more to Christmas then artificial lights. I have made a little booklet with patterns for the elements of a manger scene that can be expanded to paint on a board, cut out figures to prop up in the yard or cover over a large glass window with silhouettes cut out and covered with tissue paper so the light in the room makes the figures visible to those outside. As life becomes more difficult, people are searching for hope. Many people offer false promises of hope but they cannot deliver. Jesus offers the hope that will deliver. Advent begins the celebrations of what we believe. Follow me through the year on a journey to eternal life as we explore all the major beliefs of the Christian church.
First Sunday of Advent-Dec 3
The Lord, Our Shepherd Gathers-(Isaiah 66:18) God refers to His people as sheep who have been scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. He said He would gather His people. Even if 99 out of 100 are safe, He will seek out the one that is lost until He finds it and brings it safely home. Christmas is a time when family and friends gather to celebrate the holiday. Those who do not know Christ celebrate Christmas because it is a time to get together as a family and get gifts and everyone likes to get gifts but those who know Christ have more reason to celebrate Christmas. It is a time when we remember that people, like sheep had gone astray. Christ came to gather His people and break down the barriers that divide us and prevent us from coming into Christ’s presence. It is celebrated on the darkest day of the year to remind us that the Light has come into the midst of our darkness and we should seek opportunities to tell those who are still lost and wandering in darkness so that we can help them return to God.
Freedom of Religion-B-V
We are in a cultural war between the forces of light and the forces of darkness. While liberals try to tell you that they just want equal time to express their beliefs, it is a lie. While they tell you they want to take all religion out of the schools, that is also a lie. While their religion is not organized like Christianity or Islam, their beliefs are as much a religion as anyone else’s religion. They believe in a god, they believe that they are the god and supreme ruler of their universe. They have a belief in a reason for their existence and the existence of everything around them, they believe it all happened by accidental occurrences down through history. They have a belief in what will happen when we die, they believe we will simply cease to exist. Their “religion” is very similar to the existential religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and similar religions. They are seeking to replace your religion with theirs. In fact, the seeds of this religion began sprouting in America in the hippy years when the hippies rejected the materialist culture and adopted many Hindu and Buddhist practices. They were originally attracted to Socialism which they equated with Communism (no relation to what Russia and China claim to have which is merely Socialism in disguise). Many of our leaders today are Socialists that came out of the hippy movement and have close ties with Russia and China. They have infiltrated the schools, the media, and the government to teach their religion and force you to accept it if you resist. The California State Assembly passed a resolution directing all religious leaders to promote homosexuality and the transgender lifestyle. While it is not legally binding, it shows how far the homosexual lobby is willing to go to promote its agenda. How long will it be before they pass a law requiring it? It is obviously a trial balloon sent up to see how much opposition there is before they push for a law. There are other States waiting to see how it turns out before pushing their own attempts to stamp out all religions, except their own. They believe that they are god the all-knowing one, and know what is best for you and are seeking to make themselves the god who rules your universe as well as their own, just as Caesar and many other kings and rulers of the past have done. The Bible says that in the last days, Satan will prowl like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour, seeking to turn even the elect, and all we have to do is look around to see that he has been very successful.