Good article by Pastor Chuck Baldwin

The following article by Pastor Chuck Baldwin echoes my sentiments, so I thought I'd post it here. I am going to start writing more about this blog's topic any day now, really. Here's a couple verses of scripture that fit in well with the article's theme, so I wanted to add those too:

(Mat 20:25-28 ASV)
(25) But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
(26) Not so shall it be among you: but whosoever would become great among you shall be your minister;
(27) and whosoever would be first among you shall be your servant:
(28) even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

And here's the article, in it's entirety:

What's With All These Clueless Christians?
by Chuck Baldwin
February 12, 2008



"For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect." Mark 13:22 (KJV)

"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." II Thessalonians 2:11 (KJV)

What's with all these clueless Christians? How is it that people who have the benefit of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the warning and insight of the Sacred Scriptures--not to mention a rich Christian heritage here in America--can be so ignorant, blind, and naïve? Yes, the majority of evangelical Christians seem to be all of the above. The problem has passed being serious: it is catastrophic!

How is it that we have drifted away from being an informed, active, knowledgeable, and dedicated group of highly motivated Christian patriots to a group of impotent and anemic sheep? Our Christian forebears must be turning over in their graves, because we are in the process of squandering the greatest human sacrifice--save that of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ--ever made: the sacrifice of America's Founding Fathers.

The problem is manifold, of course. For the most part, our pastors have become glorified politicians and business executives. As attorneys are not schooled in the Constitution, today's ministers are not schooled in the Scriptures. They are motivational speakers, salesmen, and business managers. The Bible is only used as a side reference, if at all. It is not taught or preached literally. Pastors go through the Bible the way people go through a salad bar: gleaning a few sweet-tasting morsels and rejecting everything that appears the least bit distasteful.

Then there is the "fit-in-with-the-brethren" mentality. The politicos in Washington, D.C., have nothing on many pastors' fellowship groups. Fitting in with the denomination seems to be a far greater priority than being an independent man of God. And, of course, let's not forget the importance of not "making waves" with the deacons, elders, or church trustees. In a word, today's pastors have been very effectively neutered.

Another problem is the way our pastors and churches have become "success" driven. Churches used to focus on truth and discipleship. No more. The church-growth movement of the last three decades has produced a generation of Christians much more concerned about crowds, buildings, and activities than they are fidelity to truth. Church has become a numbers game where success is measured by attendance and offerings.

There is yet another problem: today's churches are completely enamored with power. No, not the power of God. They are completely infatuated with the power of men. Rich men. Popular men. Influential men. Celebrities. Politicians. Millionaires. Sports stars, etc.

Yet, listen to what God tells us about rich and powerful men. "Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats?" James 2:6 (KJV)

Historically, it has always been the super-wealthy, super-powerful elements of society that have brought tyranny and persecution to God's people. It is the political and business elite who have trampled people's freedoms and liberties, enslaved their children, and ravaged their lands and properties.

Nothing has changed: the super-elite in the United States and Europe are continuing to do what they have always done. Both the Republican and Democrat parties are controlled by those who desire to create a globalistic society in which they will control the world's materials and peoples.

Both George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush have contributed to the tyrannical goals and ambitions of the super-elite. So has Bill Clinton. If John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama is elected, they will follow in the globalist footsteps of their predecessors.

The Christian professions of our political leaders mean nothing. Absolutely nothing! Putting an "R" behind his or her name also means nothing. Neither does calling oneself a "conservative" mean anything. Our political leaders are mostly walking in lockstep with the evil designs of the super-wealthy. Ditto for the executives who control our major media.

And our Christians and ministers seem to be absolutely clueless.

James Dobson endorses Mike Huckabee, as does Jerry Falwell, Jr., while Gary Bauer endorses John McCain. Yet, the truth is, one is as bad as the other. In fact, Huckabee is posturing himself to be McCain's running mate after McCain wins the nomination. Does anyone really believe that Mike Huckabee would turn down an invitation from John McCain to be his running mate? Get serious! Mike Huckabee would support the liberal, Big-Government John McCain with all of the enthusiasm he could muster. Why? Because Huckabee, himself, is a Big-Government liberal who has joined ideological forces with the super-elite who run both parties.

And no one within the Religious Right seems to get it. Say you are "pro-life" and "pro-family" and you are "in." Forget the Constitution. Forget national sovereignty and independence. Forget the principles of sound money. Forget the Bill of Rights. Forget "Just War" theory. Forget non-interventionism. Forget protecting American jobs and manufacturing. Forget putting America first. It's all about getting along with the establishment, having a seat at the table, and enjoying the perks of power.

Christians are supposed to be different. We are supposed to think differently. We are clearly commanded to "be not conformed to this world."

In addition, as Americans, our heritage and history is that of being "non-conformist." We loved liberty, freedom, and independence. We recognized no sovereign authority, save that of Jesus Christ. We believed in self-reliance and hard work. We didn't expect government handouts or charity. We believed in disciplining our children and did not expect that they would learn their values from government schools. We viewed human government with deep suspicion and demanded that it be held in check by powerful Bible preaching and by the constraints and restrictions of the U.S. Constitution.

Remember, it was the political and business elite who killed the Old Testament prophets, persecuted the early church, and crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. It was the political and business elite who oppressed our Pilgrim forebears. It was the political and business elite who tried to stamp out liberty and independence from the American colonies. And it is those same political and business elite who are forcing globalism, socialism, and fascism upon the American people today.

And our pastors and churches seem to be absolutely clueless.

Furthermore, when someone appears from outside the elitist mainstream, someone such as Congressman Ron Paul, he is ostracized, ignored, and even lampooned by the very people who should embrace and support him most: evangelical Christians.

The truth is, America is in the doo-doo we are in because of the cluelessness and cowardice of today's Christians. Or, has the elect been deceived? Have they succumbed to delusion? The result is the same either way.

*If you enjoyed this column and want to help me distribute these editorial opinions to an ever-growing audience, please send your check or Money Order to:

Chuck Baldwin Live
P.O. Box 37070
Pensacola, Florida 32526

© Chuck Baldwin

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Ron Paul in Spokane, Washington!

I guess it's been a while since I've posted anything here -- I do have some links to articles in draft form, I just need to catch a few moments to post them. I've previously posted that I'm supporting Ron Paul for President here in the U.S. And guess what happened last week? We had 2 days' notice on our meetup group that Dr. Paul was going to pay us a visit here in Spokane!

I was there, and it was great! Given that there was about 7 inches of snow the night before, on top of about 12 inches a few days before that, there was a great turnout. (It was a great turnout for any weather, in fact.) We had a room with 300 chairs set up, and the ability to remove a partition behind that room for overflow. They realized pretty early that they'd need to remove the partition, and the overflow room was packed, it was standing room only for most of the attendees. Estimated 900-1100 in attendance.

All of that leads me to two videos of the event. The first one is a little over 5 minutes and is from the back part of the 
room, it gives 
an idea of how many people were there. The second is one  is number 1 of 5 -- from a lot closer, you can find the rest of them on the YouTube listing. I'll be back to posting more messages here after the local caucuses on Feb. 5th.  (please forgive the formatting, the word wrap seems to be out of kilter!) 

Why the Beltway Libertarians are trying to Smear Ron Paul.

Here's a good article in response to a smear piece that was posted in the online edition of The National Review on Jan. 8th, just in time for the New Hampshire Presidential Primary. I've previously posted things on this blog in support of Ron Paul, since it's my belief that political and emotional freedom go hand-in-hand. In addition, I think that there is much to be learned from those in the political arena that don't stand for the truth. Which or whose kingdom (spiritually speaking) are they serving? Here's a few paragraphs from the article:

“If a person cared about liberty,” asks the blogger who calls himself “a former beltway wonk,” “why would they be eager to mindlessly repeat smears about the most popular libertarian candidate in decades on the very day of the most crucial ‘king-making’ primary in the United States?”

it’s no mystery, really: Ron Paul is, in many ways, the exact opposite of the Beltway fake-“libertarians.” He’s a populist: they suck up to power, he challenges the powers-that-be; they go along to get along – he has never gone along with the conventional wisdom as defined by the arbiters of political correctness, Left and Right. And most of all, he’s an avowed enemy of the neoconservatives, whom he constantly names as the main danger to peace and liberty – while the Beltway’s tame “libertarians” are in bed with them, often literally as well as figuratively.

In short, the Beltway fake-libs are in bed with the State, and all its works, while contenting themselves with the role of court jester and would-be “reformer” of the system. As long as they don’t challenge anything too fundamental to the continuation of the Welfare-Warfare State, the pet libertines of the neocon-led GOP “coalition” are deemed “urbane” and “cosmopolitan,” the highest compliment the Georgetown party circuit can bestow. Once they begin rocking the boat, as Paul insists on doing, they become fair game for the Smearbund.

To read the whole article, click here or on link above. It's somewhat long but worth reading.

The War on Religion - article by Dr. Ron Paul

Below is the text of an article written by Dr. Ron Paul in 2003. I really liked it and since we're just a couple of days after Christmas, I thought it was appropriate.

The War on Religion

by
Rep. Ron Paul, MD

ep. Ron Paul, MD

As we celebrate another Yuletide season, it’s hard not to notice that Christmas in America simply doesn’t feel the same anymore. Although an overwhelming majority of Americans celebrate Christmas, and those who don’t celebrate it overwhelmingly accept and respect our nation’s Christmas traditions, a certain shared public sentiment slowly has disappeared. The Christmas spirit, marked by a wonderful feeling of goodwill among men, is in danger of being lost in the ongoing war against religion.

Through perverse court decisions and years of cultural indoctrination, the elitist,secular Left has managed to convince many in our nation that religion must be driven from public view. The justification is always that someone, somewhere, might possibly be offended or feel uncomfortable living in the midst of a largely Christian society, so all must yield to the fragile sensibilities of the few. The ultimate goal of the anti-religious elites is to transform America into a completely secular nation, a nation that is legally and culturally biased against Christianity. This growing bias explains why many of our wonderful Christmas traditions have been lost. Christmas pageants and plays, including Handel’s Messiah, have been banned from schools and community halls. Nativity scenes have been ordered removed from town squares, and even criticized as offensive when placed on private church lawns. Office Christmas parties have become taboo, replaced by colorless seasonal parties to ensure no employees feel threatened by a “hostile environment.” Even wholly non-religious decorations featuring Santa Claus, snowmen, and the like have been called into question as Christmas symbols that might cause discomfort. Earlier this month, firemen near Chicago reluctantly removed Christmas decorations from their firehouse after a complaint by some embittered busybody. Most noticeably, however, the once commonplace refrain of “Merry Christmas” has been replaced by the vague, ubiquitous “Happy Holidays.”

But what holiday? Is Christmas some kind of secret, a word that cannot be uttered in public? Why have we allowed the secularists to intimidate us into downplaying our most cherished and meaningful Christian celebration?

The notion of a rigid separation between church and state has no basis in either the text of the Constitution or the writings of our Founding Fathers. On the contrary, our Founders’ political views were strongly informed by their religious beliefs. Certainly the drafters of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, both replete with references to God, would be aghast at the federal government’s hostility to religion. The establishment clause of the First Amendment was simply intended to forbid the creation of an official state church like the Church of England, not to drive religion out of public life.

The Founding Fathers envisioned a robustly Christian yet religiously tolerant America, with churches serving as vital institutions that would eclipse the state in importance. Throughout our nation’s history, churches have done what no government can ever do, namely teach morality and civility. Moral and civil individuals are largely governed by their own sense of right and wrong, and hence have little need for external government. This is the real reason the collectivist Left hates religion: Churches as institutions compete with the state for the people’s allegiance, and many devout people put their faith in God before their faith in the state. Knowing this, the secularists wage an ongoing war against religion, chipping away bit by bit at our nation’s Christian heritage. Christmas itself may soon be a casualty of that war.

December
30, 2003

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Exclusive Ron Paul family pictures

Here's a link to some pictures of Dr. Ron Paul -- the future president of the USA, and one of the pictures is of the future first lady by his side. (hopefully! I've been praying!)

It's a message along with the pictures written by one of his grandsons. I think it's pretty awesome. If we all had families like that, we may not need EFT, but that isn't the case for all of us.

Also, for your reading pleasure and in case you're wondering if Dr. Paul is a Christian, the answer is yes he is. Here's a page from the official campaign website with some of his articles about religion, and as of my writing this post -- the last one on the page is his statement of faith. Here's the summary of that statement:

I have never been one who is comfortable talking about my faith in the political arena. In fact, the pandering that typically occurs in the election season I find to be distasteful. But for those who have asked, I freely confess that Jesus Christ is my personal Savior, and that I seek His guidance in all that I do. I know, as you do, that our freedoms come not from man, but from God. My record of public service reflects my reverence for the Natural Rights with which we have been endowed by a loving Creator.

Enjoy!

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We've been neo-conned

I just watched this video and it's an eye-opener. I didn't quite understand the term 'neo-con' until I watched it. I found the video while reading an excellent article about Dr. Ron Paul, found here.

It's also kind of scary, so EFT as well as prayer, comes in handy! Part of it also reminded me of something I read in M. Scott Peck's book 'Glimpses of the Devil', which is something said by one of the demons during an exorcism Dr. Peck writes about. From page 178:

"I demanded to know of Satan why it hated Beccah so. Initially the answer was vague, suggesting that it just hated people in general. But with my prodding it warmed up to the subject, saying, "I am against people loving one another. They need to work." I demanded to know why. "They need to work," it replied, "so there will be war and prosperity instead of love and all that crap."

I'm also adding a couple verses of scripture that came to mind while watching it.

(Isa 5:20 KJVA) Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

(Act 20:29 KJVA) For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

(2Jn 1:7 KJVA) For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The video is 51 minutes, well worth the time to watch it.



There is also a text version of the speech titled "We've Been Neo-Conned" found here.

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Ron Paul for President 2008 worldwide comments

Since this isn't a political blog, I haven't put much on here about those issues. Though again, it goes hand-in-hand with emotional freedom. And of course there's very much a spiritual aspect to one's beliefs in that arena.

I have joined the local meetup group for Ron Paul for President (USA), 2008. Spending some time with that is also part of what keeps me away from doing some of the blogs on here I want to get done. With that being said, I wanted to share this message. It is called 'Ron Paul earns the world's attention - and you can read it here:

I love the picture of some folks holding a banner in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.



check it out -- and if you're in the U.S. then all I can suggest is that you 1.) register to vote in the Republican party. and then 2.) be sure to VOTE in the primary election, for Dr. Ron Paul. (He's a medical doctor, not a lawyer -- not too many politicians aren't lawyers, which imho explains a lot!) And if you want to know more about him, there's tons of info. to find. He even has his own page on YouTube. Watching some of those video's was what convinced me he's 'the real deal' and not just one of those 'air-brushed, base your opinions on the polls' sort of politicians.

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