The media continues to call for Israel to stop the fighting and to reduce civilian casualties, completely ignoring what is going on in the Mid-East. Many people, deceived by them are also condemning Israel for civilian casualties and calling on them to stop their attack on Gaza. Israel did not attack the Gaza strip until after Hamas attacked Israel. Hamas attacked Israel with no advanced warning, in one of the worst attacks imaginable. They raped women, slaughtered innocent children, and destroyed homes. They have continued to attack Israel with rockets targeting civilian populations. They have no military objective but have continued to call for the extermination of Israel. These were all deliberate attacks on civilians, yet we hear very little condemnation against them. Israel must defend herself or be destroyed. They have had to attack Gaza to destroy the rocket launchers and military camps that Hamas is using to attack Israel. Hamas has deliberately set up rocket launchers in hospitals and schools and set up their headquarters and military camps under the hospitals so Israel will have to attack them to wipe out the military sites. Israel has done everything they can to avoid civilian casualties. They always drop leaflets beforehand to warn civilians to leave. However Hamas has prevented civilians from leaving so they could use them for human shields to protect their military sites. Israel must attack the sites if they are to prevent further attacks against Israel and cannot avoid civilian deaths. Hamas should not only be condemned for its actions, but its leaders, when caught, should be tried for war crimes against Israel, before the world court, just as Germany’s leaders were.
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.
Video-Intro to Advent
Christmas reminds us that Christ has come to redeem the World. Once a believer recognizes Christ as their Savior, they begin their journey to becoming a disciple. Advent begins the Christian calendar and should begin the church’s teaching that should lead them on that journey. Follow me through the seasons as we cover the major teachings of the church.
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.
School-Education-1-AB
Christians need to be very careful about over-reacting to the crisis around us. Liberals are censoring Christians while openly promoting their own agenda. Christians and non-Christian parents concerned about sex-ed programs promoting intercourse to pre-teens and history books painting White people as slavers and Black people as victims are pushing laws to ban them. However, many are going to extremes. To block objectionable material, they are creating blanket bans which create a backlash from people who are basically neutral and deprive children of important knowledge. Some are passing laws to ban all teaching of Black history. Black history is an important part of our history. Children need to know about slavery in America and the steps we have taken to eliminate it and the discrimination that followed so they will not repeat it. Slavery has been a part of history since the earliest known written history and children need to know how bad it is and why it is wrong. It isn’t a product of White people and Black people aren’t the only victims because White people have been enslaved as much as Black people. Children need to be taught accurate Black history because Black people have made important contributions to America, as well as many other nations. Banning all teaching about sex is detrimental because it is a part of life. You can’t teach science about animals and people without acknowledging that they have sex organs for reproduction. To leave it out will lead children to seek information about it and there are a great many sources providing bad information. They need to be able to get good information. It is hard to make those distinctions when passing laws. The best solution is selecting school board members and teachers who have a good moral understanding. Parents also need to actively watch to see what the textbooks include and what teachers teach by keeping the lines of communication open between them and their child and with their teachers and feel free to express any concerns they have. Parents need to be informed and talk with their kids about sensitive subjects. If the school refuses to listen parents have the option of finding another school for their kids, voting out school board members and voting in ones who will listen to parent’s concerns, or refusing to renew school levies. Parents are not completely helpless as liberals would have you believe. We need laws to ban things that are harmful but need to be very careful about over-reacting and throwing out the good with the bad because it will create a vacuum that children will seek to fill.