From time to time people want to access old files without going back through all the postings. As a result, I placed a link at the bottom of each posting with a link to previous postings on that topic. Simply click on the link to access past postings on that topic. To access topics I have not dealt with recently, I posted a series of twelve postings under “Previous Posts”. Each lists several topics and has links to those topics. This posting has a link to those posts so you can view the whole list. Simply view the list, select a topic, and click on the link at the bottom of that post to access previous posts on that topic.
I will post periodic links to the “previous posts” series like this one for your convenience.
Previous Posts
02
Mar
Second Sunday of Lent-March 1
26
Feb
You Can’t Serve Two Masters. Jesus said, you can’t serve two masters. You must love one and hate the other. (Matt. 6:24) That is especially true of God and Satan. They are exact opposites. You must choose between them or be torn apart. Lent is a time to focus on who we are serving and make sure we are following God and not Satan. Liberal philosophy is so deceiving because they use words we understand but with a different meaning. No Christian would be against two people loving each other but love to them means sex solely for selfish pleasure, not true love and concern for each other. True love can be really satisfying for two people, but the love the world promotes is very destructive. We have to know what they mean by what they say or we will end up supporting things which go against God. Satan goes around like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. He seeks to deceive even the people of God. Therefore it important to study the Word of God so you will not be deceived. Choose one of the four Gospels and read a chapter a day between now and Easter and see what Jesus says about living a life pleasing to God. If we truly love God, we will want to obey Him. We can please Him by doing what He wants us to do (obeying His Commandments). God set down His commandments as guidelines to show us how to live a life that is pleasing to Him and that would bring us peace and fulfillment. He knows what is best for us and did not give us the Commandments to spoil our fun but to help us avoid that which creates strife and dissension among us. When we ignore His commandments, we throw away that peace and fulfillment and stray into things that create strife and dissension.
MAGA-A-G
26
Feb
The members of the House of Representatives are reapportioned after each Census to ensure that each Representative represents approximately an equal number of voters. Since illegal immigrants cannot vote legally, it was felt they should not be included in the Census. Liberals claim that the Founding Fathers wanted everyone counted, not just voters and refer to the 1787 Compromise where they allowed slaves to be counted as three fifths for the Census. The Continental Congress was debating the apportionment of taxes for each State which was determined by population. The Northern States wanted the slaves counted as part of the population so the Southern States would pay their fair share but the Southern States didn’t want them counted in order to reduce their taxes. They finally reached a compromise where the slaves would be counted as three fifths of a person. Indians were excluded from the count until 1860 when those living off the reservations were counted and in 1900, they began counting Indians on the reservations. The Census was also used to determine seats in the House of Representatives and the electoral college The Census counted every resident except foreign nationals visiting or temporarily working in the United States. The 14th Amendment conferred citizenship on all residents born in the United States or naturalized and nothing in the Constitution precludes counting non-citizens in the Census. Apportionments for the House of Representatives is based on the total resident population of the fifty States. The total number of representatives has been set at 441. 435 from the 50 States and one from the District of Columbia and each of the five US territories. Liberals claim the illegal immigrants should be counted because they are losing population as residents flee the State and are replacing them with illegal immigrants who will vote for Democrats I return for being allowed to stay. Conservatives feel that it unfairly gives Congressional seats to liberal States and deprives legal voters of representation since the immigrants are not here legally. It was designed to give equal representation to all but it is not equal representation if two districts have the same population but one has very few voters because most are illegal and can’t vote legally.
MAGA-A-F
26
Feb
People are yelling because President Trump wants to go back and redo the 2020 Census. I was hired as a crew leader in the 2020 Census under President Trump. When we did the Census, we asked respondents for citizenship status, but did not exclude them if they weren’t legal. When Joe Biden took office he had those of us still working to finish up the Census reapply and did a second background check which apparently either checked our voting record or our social media, both are illegal under Civil Service rules because hiring is supposed to be non-political. Suddenly some of our applications suddenly turned up “missing”. It wasn’t based on qualifications, because all of us had been trained and experienced, having just completed the Census and some, like me had served as Crew leaders in previous Census counts. Inexperienced workers were hired to replace us and instructed to find millions of illegal immigrants that had been “missed”. The sanctuary States suddenly turned up millions of illegal immigrants that shifted a number of seats in the House of Representatives from conservative to liberal States since Representatives are apportioned according to population. Since the illegal immigrants are here illegally, there is no way to check if they are real people or merely factitious names added to pad their Census count. Since President Obama and President Biden began flooding the country with illegal immigrants, many have questioned if they should be included in the Census. Many of the illegal immigrants have since been deported or fled the country. President Trump merely wants to restore the accuracy of the Census. The Census needs to be based on real people, not manipulated for political gain.
First Sunday of Lent-Feb 22
18
Feb
“Seek ye first kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you”. God’s ways are not our ways. We feel that if we seek THINGS, we will get things, but the Bible says that if we seek God, He will provide what we need. If the things of this world are just temporary, it doesn’t make sense to work hard to get something that we will leave behind in a little while and not put something away for eternity. It makes more sense to walk in the presence of God now and gain that which is eternal, which we can take with us and have for eternity. Nate Saint, a missionary who lost his life trying to reach a tribe of natives said that only a fool would seek that which he cannot keep and ignore that which he cannot lose. Moths and rust will destroy the things of this world, but nothing can destroy what we do for God. As we prepare our hearts for Easter, we need to commit ourselves to living a life pleasing to God. To do that, we must seek to learn more about how God will have us to live. Christ came to show us how to live so we need to study the Scriptures to find what He wants to teach us. Now is a good time to begin a systematic study of the Gospels. Begin reading a chapter a day in Matthew and spend some time after each chapter meditating on what the Scriptures are trying to tell you, paying particular attention to what Christ says and does. Today is a good day to reflect on what it cost Jesus to pay for our sins. He was despised and rejected by men, He was spit on and beaten, and finally He was crucified on the cross, but the greatest pain came when Jesus took on Himself all our sin and His own Father (God) turned His back on Jesus because He could not look on sin. Are you willing to suffer rejection by the world in order to find favor with God? The Bible says, “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his life?” Matt.16:26 This life is temporary but if we accept Jesus as our redeemer, we shall be with God for eternity.
Additional note on Epiphany Feb 18
18
Feb
Building Community– When My wife and I first moved into a trailer park, trailers were still small and very mobile. Few people got to know their neighbors because they were basically bedroom communities where people slept, but they worked and shopped elsewhere. Similar conditions existed in many of the cheaper apartment complexes. In addition, people were very mobile. It was easy to hook up a trailer and move it somewhere else, or move out of an apartment, so your neighbors didn’t stay very long. Many of the families had problems with alcoholism and drug abuse, spouse and child abuse, and crime. Very few had any church connection. I began visiting the families there and in nearby apartments to minister to any needs and start Bible studies for those who were interested. Most of those who lived in houses in stable neighborhoods owned their homes and knew many of their neighbors. Stable neighborhoods were much safer. People did not move frequently and home ownership was preferred over renting. Trailers and apartments were for the people who were mobile or those not able to afford to purchase. Since then, people have become very mobile and that includes many who own their own homes. It is not unusual for someone to sell a house and purchase a new one in their new location when they move to another area. In addition, there has been a big shift from owning to renting. In many places, more people live in trailers, apartments, and rental homes than in homes that they own. People are far less likely to live long-term in the same place. As a result, the people are far less likely to get to know each other so the same problems that prevailed in trailer parks and apartment buildings, have moved into more settled communities. In addition, businesses have moved away from residential areas so even stable neighborhoods have become bedroom communities. Christian families can become a catalyst for restoring a sense of community in their neighborhoods as they get to know their neighbors and help them get to know each other.
Social Media-B-A-B
17
Feb
It helps if churches put their worship times on their website as well as their address and location so those who wish to visit will know where and when they are. My wife and I travel on weekends sometimes and seek out a church near the motel to attend on Sunday but without an address and directions, we don’t know where they are or how to get to them. In addition, I often receive invitations to conferences and special speakers and programs from the vast network of churches I work with. I usually go to the church’s website or Facebook page to learn more about the event to see if I want to attend. Without an address, I don’t know if an invitation from a church comes from a church in Bowling Green, Oh, Orlando, Florida, or somewhere in Texas. The first I might attend, the others probably not unless it’s a really good event. It does little good to promote a program without informing people of where it will be.
Social Media-B-A-A
17
Feb
Facebook pages and websites are a good way to keep your members informed about activities at the church and let visitors know about your church. If so, be sure to keep it up to date. Nothing is more frustrating than to go to a church website and see it advertising an event that took place 2-4 years ago with no information about current events. One wonders if the church doesn’t do anything or just forgets to post its activities. It costs nothing to post an upcoming event on Facebook where members can check to see what is happening, saving a great deal on postage. But, be sure to offer the option of getting a mailing for those who don’t have access to a computer.