What a scary place!

In reflection in the past few days listening to evil men standing in the U.N. general assembly receiving applause for the venom that they were spewing not to mention the protests of what the Pope said (ill talk about that later) it really seems like the world is losing it’s mind. That alone is frightening and reminiscent of the years before WWII.

Last night during my quiet time while i was reading a couple of the Psalms images of Hugo Chavez and Ahmadinejhad receiving applause form leaders of the world popped in my mind. To sit down in quiet and really think about what seems to be hapening in the world you begin to wonder what is coming and generally whatever it is cant be good. I sometimes tend to think of the United States in terms of God’s Kingdom as being the moral superior of evil nations that has a responsibility to overcome evilin the world and while the latter may be true the former is not.

The United States is a construct of God to provide protection to his people and a launching pad for the spread of the Gospel I love the United States but i realized (or was given insight) that i needed to look at the situation from another perspective. It’s the eternal Kingdom that i really need to focus on when fear wells up inside and realise that nothing in Hell or earth can bring God’s kingdom down.

The reality is that the U.S. will not last forever, at some point in the future it will fall either from within or without or the LORD himsilf will sweep it away when He returns. So when you become fearful in the future and fear for the survival of this nation remember it’s not ultimately the nation we place our hope but it’s the One who holds the nations in his hand.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord.”

Ps 130:5-6

And here…

“May all who hate Zion be turned back in shame.

May they be like grass on the roof, which withers before it can grow;

with it the reaper cannot fill his hands”

Ps 129:5-7

So I will remember that it is the Lord who allows his enemies breath and will in his time bring them low and he will always bless those who love Him. When you are reminded of the truth (the Bible has a way of doing that) then I have a great deal of pity for the evil men who oppress their people and lie at the podium of the nations their end will overwhelm them. Blessed be your name oh Lord! Amen!

That country up north!

A few days ago i read an article which was talking about a poll that was taken in Canada which said that a majority of Canadians believe that the U.S. and it’s policies are the primary causes that led to the Sept, 11 2001 attacks! Only when given a chance to name a second culpret did the respondents say that Islamic fundamentalists were to blame. Many also believed that Israel was to blame for Sept 11.

According to Jack Jedwab, executive director of the Association for Canadian Studies, Canadian opinions have hardened against the United States and it’s role on the world stage and this is a result of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Apparently there is an ideological divide in Canada (as in the U.S.) of whether their government should listen to extremist groups in the hope that dialogue can be achieved.

…I hardly know where to begin. What is interesting about this article is the sheer illogic of it. Canada leans, to the point of falling over, to the left. Canada is very liberal and so I assume that the poll is reflective of this. So whats the point?

If the liberalism of Canada is taken into account then the recent (within 3 years) uproar of anti-Americanism because of our policy on Terror and our armed forces in Iraq is consistent with the far-left in this country and it’s severe criticism of Bush and the Republicans. The left in Canada through this poll are simply echoing the feelings of the liberals in the U.S. and Europe.

The problem for the left here is that the poll says that Canadians believe that it was U.S. foreign policy that led to the 9-11 attacks! Foreign policy before 9-11 was a construction of the Clinton Administration the supposed great leader of the Democratic party and great liberal leader in the world.

So in their blind anger at the Bush Adminstration they have basically said that the policies of Clinton were really responsible for the 9-11 attacks.

So there are only two ways to explain this either those who took the poll are idiots or they are so angry in the here-and-now that they discount the facts of the past and are quick to find any way to blame the U.S. for any and everything they possibly can.

I tend to believe it’s a little of both, blaming the 9-11 attacks on the U.S. is akin to blaming the holocaust on the Jews! Is stupidity it self! But it does indicate the blinding anger inherent in the far-left, and make no mistake Canada is far-left.

Remembering 9-11 in Prayer.

Lord God, in Jesus’ name i thank you for my country that it is a place where life is sacred and every life matters. I thank you for all of the heroes who rose up on that fateful day and sacrificed their lives for strangers. I thank you for the survivors who are living with the horrific memories of that day and i pray that your peace falls down on them. I pray for the families of the victims who struggle everyday with the loss of their loved one, comfort them Lord as only you can.

I pray for our soldiers who are abroad currently stamping out the hatred which gave birth to that dreadful day, i pray you give them victory after victory. I pray that your hand, through our military, will destroy the evil of our time. To wipe out men who have no care for life and seek only to snuff it out. I pray you reign down destruction on their schemes and plans.

Father God I pray you continue to bless this nation as you have for so long and in so many good ways. I pray that your protection remain upon us and your love will shine down into each and every life.

I pray that we take this day to remember that evil exists and is a potent force in our word but that you are a force greater than that and all hell cannot overcome you.

Father it is to you, the author of life and salvation, whom i give praise. It is in the mighty name of Jesus i pray, Amen!

Dichotomy and Scantification

You will have to accept my apologies for this hastily put-together post but it is midnight and i just finished reading a section of my Theories textbook on Freud’s theory and a critical Christan analysis of it so I’m sure I’m a bit punchy.

First and foremost I am an avid video gamer, with my preferences resting in strategy games (most types), first-person shooters (the more intense the better), and I am becoming more and more a racing gamer.

I say that to say this i just purchased Saints Row. So what? Well Saints Row is an exclusive Xbox 360 title (don’t get me started on Sony ill go off!!!!) and is in the same (if not identical) vein as GTA (Grand Theft Auto for the uninitiated). Basically the game has some of the worst socially irresponsible content possible but i have have to tell you it’s really fun.

In addition to that i find myself continuing to enjoy stuff like Happy Tree Friends, South Park, Chappel’s Show (if you don’t know what this stuff is it’s probably best you just think of it as socially questionable) and stuff that i brought with me from before i became a Christian.

However there is something about the raw and visceral especially in humor, perhaps It’s the same attraction Adam and Eve struggled with in the garden not in the same way but still similar. There is something attractive in what is forbidden. Or maybe hearing an inappropriate tirade peppered with obscenities is just really funny to me.

Im not saying it’s right or even appropriate especially for a Christian who knows better but it’s impossible to just stop doing “bad things” at a whim if that were true then Christ died for nothing. So whats my point…i dont even know if i have one, told you i was punchy.

I reckon that after reading about Freud that i realize that there is a real dichotomy in my beliefs and actions. But then even Paul struggled with this same issue, “For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” Romans 7:15.

So there is an example that the Lord was gracious enough to include in his Word for those of us who, at times (that would be all the time), wrestle with the fact that they dont always do or think or feel the way they know Jesus would. But that’s ok because Jesus forgives and gives us the power, over time, to change! I guess the point of this whole thing is the assertion that i still have more work to do in the sanctification process, and thats ok. Amen!

Spritual Warfare and the War on Terror.

When i read about or watch the arguments about the War on Terror i see more than just a conflict of America against crazy terrorists, or the civilized world against Muslim fanaticism, i see a cosmic spiritual war.

The reality is that the so-called “peaceful Muslim religion” is not peaceful at all it is a rigid social order designed to control the masses. Think of communism in a religious context. A few control the thoughts and actions of the majority and maintain their power through fear and intimidation both physical and spiritual. Everything that the Muslim religion evokes is control over those who practice it there is nothing liberating about it.

My views have changed since 9-11 when i did believe that the peaceful religion of Islam had been “hijacked” by a few fanatics. I don’t believe this anymore i do believe Islam is in spiritual opposition to the movement of the Church.

While the physical conflict is different i believe the spiritual conflict of the War on Terror is the same as the spiritual conflict we faced against the Nazi fascists and Communism. The faces, tactics and nations may be different but spiritually we are in a war against the principalities of Evil.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” Ephesians 6:12

I know in the world of political correctness this is an appalling statement but it’s true, we are up against people who want to destroy the nation and people of Israel (Hitler wanted to do the exact same thing) and murder anyone who does not bow to their religious affiliation. Convert or die is their mantra.

While there are many “peaceful Muslims” where are the Islamic media campaigns denouncing homicide bombings, or challenging leaders like Ahmadinejad of Iran, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah or even the Syrian President Assad not to mention Bin-Laden. This convenient silence of those in the Muslim world is inexcusable so since i haven’t heard then denouncing these men i have to assume that they quietly admire them and hope they are victorious. Simply being peaceful is not enough if there are Muslims out there that hate the tactics of these terrorists then i hope they stand up and cry out against terrorists and accuse them for the blood they have spilled. But until they do what else can I believe, that they would not want to slit my throat themselves but would be perfectly happy for some terrorist to do it for them. Peaceful is NOT enough!

The war we face is just as desperate as the one we faced in WWII and during the Cold War. It is important we as Christians understand what we are up against. And if the war we face is as important as i have stated pulling out from any of the fronts constitutes defeat and will embolden the enemy.

Turning Point…or Politics?

In the last few days President Bush has come out and made a series of speeches regarding the War on Terror specifically our involvement in Iraq. His speaking has been concise, clear and effective in refocusing the debate. The only problem i have is that he should have been doing this two years ago.

I have been a very strong supporter of Bush in all of his first term and probably in the first year of his second term however in the past year and a half i have been disappointed in him is several areas. Everything from his Supreme Court Appointments (the fiasco with Harriet Meyers) to his vacillating stance on Border Security and Illegal Immigration. My frustration with Bush does not end with policy but with is weak responses to the Wackos in the far left and their attack dogs in the media. His idea of taking the “high road” is admirable but in an environment where the truth is generally the last thing anyone cares about you have to go out and attack your political enemies.

Ok so what the heck I’m i talking about? My fear is that Bush is coming out now defending himself only because an election is two months away. After the election Bush will simply leave the microphone and simply go back to business as usual where he allows his political enemies to frame the debate with convoluted arguments which don’t hold up to general logic.

The reality is very simple the Democrats want to gain in the House and Senate and while i dont believe they will take either house i do think they will win more seats in both. The real battle is the 08 Presidential Election and how the debate is framed between now and then is quite simply going to determine who will win. Bush has a great ability to garner support but only when he gets out there and talks about it.

I have very little confidence in the Republican leadership in Congress the president HAS to get out there often and say more to people than “were making good progress”. He has to make more political capital out of taking out important terror leaders and he needs to move back to his more conservative values and deal with illegal immigration. Bush is trying to move to the middle to appease his critics. The problem is his critics hate him and will never accept him no matter what he does and when he moves more to the middle he is supporters feel rejected. That is why his polling numbers are so low and why I have been frustrated recently with his administration.

In the end i hope he ramps up the rhetoric and begins to engage in debate with the left because in the end the far left is not patriotic or value-driven and will lose any debate if challenged. I hope this is a turning point for the administration and not just politics.

Introduction

Well i have had a blog before on xanga but with the stress of work and school i kinda stopped updating. I also thought the bloggers on xanga were much too young for my taste. Hopefully i can really produce a blog here that is all my own.

I have a variety of interests and interpreting political events through the eyes of Biblical truth is a big one. While this kind of intrepretation is done to great extent i hope to really take the time and focus events through Scripture and present thought-provoking theories.

I am a member of a church in Spring Texas which is a suburb of Houston. I became a Christian in 2000 at the tender age of 20 when a friend of mine was willing to tell me about Jesus along with the influence of my mother and to a lesser extent others whom i had formerly worked with.

I have other interests which may also come up. I am a graduate student attending school in Dallas studying counseling. I just began this in August and hope to graduate in spring of 08. So I’m sure issues of the field i am studying will also come up here too.

I hope this blog will be interesting, thought-provoking and ultimately fun!