Do It Yourself Salvation

Ask yourself these three questions:

1.   Are you a good person?

2.  Have you kept the Ten Commandments?

3.  Do you think you are good enough to deserve Heaven?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, you are going to spend eternity in a very hot, dark place of never-ending pain and misery called Hell.  Don't fall for these lies.  Confess your sin to God, repent, and trust only the merits and finished work of Jesus Christ to save you.

A few years ago I had an opportunity to spend an evening with my Father-in-law, Al, while our wives were out together.  During the evening, he initiated some conversation about my faith.  I knew that Al was not a Christian, but he considered himself a fairly good guy, certainly worthy of God’s favor.  I answered several of his questions and then showed him how he could know for sure that he would be right with God and in His favor when he died.  I carefully pointed out that, according to the Bible, salvation is a free gift of God’s grace and cannot be earned by our merit or our works.  It is given only to those who will accept it by faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Al stumbled on that point.  He had been deceived by the errant teachings of his church and so It seemed, to him, inconceivable that the reward of eternal life in Heaven in the presence of God could be his without costing him something.

In the end, he concluded that it just couldn’t be that simple.  “You have to DO something!” he argued.

It occurs to me that there are at least three common misconceptions people have about how they can qualify for heaven.

1.   The Rating Game -- Some people think that God will use some kind of comparison system to sort out the good from the bad.  They believe they are basically pretty good, and when compared to so many others, a loving God will certainly see fit to allow them entrance to Heaven.  After all, who wouldn’t agree that Adolf Hitler deserves eternal punishment in Hell?  But surely, by contrast, Billy Graham must have a special place reserved for him in Heaven.   But the Bible makes no such provision; it is clear that we are all sinners and deserving of God’s wrath.

Romans 3:9-11   What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Romans 3:23    For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;

2.   The Balancing Act -- Then there are those who believe that God is like the statue of the Blindfolded Justice that symbolizes our country's judicial system.  He simply weighs our lives in the balance.  Holding the scale in one hand, he systematically sorts all our good deeds into one basket and our transgressions into the other.  If the good outweighs the bad, we get our pardon. 

Psalm 14:2-3   The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek God.  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Isaiah 64:6

Isaiah 64:6     But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteous acts are as filthy rags;

Genesis 6:1-8      And it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them, wives of all which they chose.

And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.

There were giants in the earth in those days; and also, after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.  And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.

And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth Me that I have made them.  But Noah found grace (that means undeserved favor) in the eyes of the Lord.

3.   The Merit Badge -- Finally, some are convinced that they can earn heaven the way a Boy Scout earns a merit badge.  They believe that God has some religious requirements and a few suggested options that, when completed, will entitle them to the reward.  

    Wouldn’t it be great if God had just outlined the requirements for salvation on a simple checklist so that we all knew exactly what was expected and we could chart our own progress? 

    Think about it.  A suggested checklist could be comprised of three sections.  In section one, God could have included all the basic requirements like baptism, church membership, and communion and, as each of those events was completed, we could simply place an X in each item’s corresponding box.  Section two could give us some optional ways to accumulate additional points.  We could earn points each time we completed a reading through the Bible or by attending a reasonable number of church services each year.  And then in section three, God could have allowed us to choose from a list of optional service electives that could accrue to our benefit in the event that we might fall slightly short of the other requirements.  In this section, we could record the times we spent praying, working in charity rummage sales or singing in the choir.  Or we could earn extra credit for the money we gave.  With a clear description of the minimum requirements and a simple method to calculate points, we could go to work at our own individual paces and we would know when we qualified for our final rewards.

Isaiah 64:6     We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

The problem with these misconceptions is that they all have roots in the same presumptions that my friend, Al, had.  They assume that we, by our own religious efforts, can gain favor with God. But His Word is clear; God is perfect and Holy and He requires absolute pure sinless perfection.  Can you qualify?  I can't. I know myself.  I know that I am a sinner.  I know what I am capable of.  I also know that regardless of all the sin in my past, I could never live a perfect, sinless life in my future.  I need God's mercy and grace.  And that is exactly what He has provided for those He is saving. 

Ephesians 2:7-9     That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Most people will agree that Billy Graham, in comparison to other people, was certainly worthy of God’s favor and the rewards of Heaven.  But on this very subject, he was very careful to ensure that no one misunderstands how he qualifies.  Listen to his words: 

“I'm not going to heaven because I've preached to great crowds of people.  I'm going to heaven because Christ died on that cross.  None of us are going to heaven because we're good.  And we're not going to heaven because we've worked.  We're not going to heaven because we pray and accept Christ.  We're going to heaven because of what He did on the cross.  All I have to do is receive Him.  And it's so easy to receive Christ that millions (Just like my friend, Al) stumble over its sheer simplicity."

And this from Pastor/Teacher, John Piper   -   

"This is my confession ---

I was born into a believing family through no merit of my own at all.  I was given a mind to think and a heart to feel through no merit of my own at all. I was brought into the hearing of the gospel through no merit of my own at all.  My rebellion was subdued, my hardness removed, my blindness overcome, and my deadness awakened through no merit of my own at all. Thus, I became a believer in Christ through no merit of my own at all.  And so I am an heir of God with Christ through no merit of my own at all.  Now when I put forward effort to please the Lord who bought me, this is to me no merit at all, because:

…it is not I, but the grace of God that is with me. (1 Corinthians 15:10)

…God is working in me that which is pleasing in his sight. (Hebrews 13:21)

…he fulfills every resolve for good by his power. (2 Thessalonians 1:11)

And therefore there is no ground for boasting in myself, but only in God’s mighty grace.

Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. (1 Corinthians 1:31)

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church at Philippi, listed all of his bona fides; he noted that he was of good Jewish stock, a well-respected Hebrew, devoted, zealous in the work of God, a man who diligently studied the scriptures and tried to keep God's law.  And, about ALL OF THAT, he said it is ALL DUNG!  It counted for nothing.  He considered himself the chief of sinners. 

Apologist and theologian, Paul Little, often reminded us to “Put the cookies on the bottom shelf.”  In other words, we should be careful to present God’s Good News in simple terms.  The night the jailer asked the apostles, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” their immediate reply was simply, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.” 

And it is that simple.  In fact, it is so simple that people not only get tripped up over it, but many consider it to be pure foolishness.  The Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Corinth explained that he was not called to baptize but to preach the Good News.  His fear was that our religious works might obscure the simplicity of the Gospel and render it ineffective.  In 1 Cor. 1:18, he wrote,   “I know very well how foolish the message of the cross sounds to those who are on the road to destruction. But we who are being saved recognize this message as the very power of God.”

The proper response to the Gospel; the only way to have your sins forgiven is to repent of your sins and believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the death penalty you deserved.  And He rose from the dead on the third day, according to the Scripture, so that we can have eternal life.   

Eileen F. Petersen Memorial Service

Last month My mother passed away.

Here she is (#5) in or about 1942.

Eileen Frances Petersen, age 91, of Hesperia, CA, died at Desert Valley Hospital on Sat., Aug. 8, 2015, of natural causes.

She was born March 8, 1924, in Odessa Township, South Dakota, to the late Henry and Alvina Schubert.  She was married to her late husband, Henry (Lee) Petersen on June 20, 1947, in Culver City, California.

Eileen is survived by six of her seven children; Ralph, Janice, Cathie, Bradley, Gregory, and David, as well as grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and many other relatives and friends.

A memorial service was held at 10:30 a.m., Mon., Aug. 31, at High Desert Church,  in Victorville, CA where she had been a member for 37 years.  Pastor Tim Wheeler officiated.

Here is the audio recording of 

mom's memorial service.

****So That's How I Met Brad Dacus

 It was 1997.  I was newly employed as CEO and administrator for a non-profit Christian home for the elderly.  That’s when I received the first notification from the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County.  They were bringing civil actions against our organization for three counts of unlawful discrimination in housing.

There was, in fact, no actual discrimination.  There were no complaints from real people.  The only “evidence” they could produce to make their case was a single ad in the Yellow Pages of our local phone directory.  The directory ad had been in print for several years before I was employed and had run without objection.

But there were three politically incorrect phrases that were deemed illegal by some volunteer, left-wing lackey, who had never visited our home or known anyone else who had, whose only function was to search through newspapers, brochures and telephone ads in search of implied discriminatory language or images.  Local Fair Housing Councils are self-appointed discrimination “watchdogs” who extort considerable revenues from businesses by imposing fines under threats of lawsuits.  Most businesses cave under the threats and just pay their demands.

In our case, they were not only demanding monetary penalties, but corrections and retractions, and an audit of all our advertising copy.  I knew that, had I responded, my short fuse, yoked together with my sharp tongue and my propensity for sarcasm, would irritate them and would not go well for us.  So I did the next best thing.  I did what every self-respecting, freedom-loving, conservative would have done – I tore up the certified notice and filed it #13.

A few weeks later I received several, more forceful certified letters.  The Fair Housing Council of Riverside County was suing me, our Board of Directors, and our non-profit ministry.  And, the State of California was “piggy-backing” on the suit.  I learned, later, the federal government was also monitoring the outcome and, if the council prevailed, we would no doubt face federal prosecution.  

So what were the three politically incorrect phrases that merited that kind of tyrannical bureaucratic strong-arming?

1.  “Christian environment.” 

2.  “Active living.” 

3.  “Family atmosphere.”

Here are the accusations (according to the council) and our brief, summary rebuttals:

A “Christian environment,” they argued, would tend to make non-Christian people feel unwelcome.  We rebutted that foolishness with the facts of our actual occupancy census and with our published mission and purpose statement.  We viewed our ministry as our service to God in declaring our hope to a lost world.  We welcomed non-Christians with the same attitude of the Savior who, with arms outstretched, invited "Whosoever will, may come."

“Active living,” they said, is a euphemism for nonhandicapped.  It implied that we would not accept people who were not ambulatory or who might require wheelchairs or other mobility devices.  Here again, our actual census proved otherwise.  The fact that we were a licensed assisted living facility that, by state law, was required to employ a full-time “activities director,” post a full, monthly calendar of state-approved varied “activities,” and, ensure that every resident was monitored and encouraged to remain “active,” didn’t much matter to the self-appointed PC cops on the council.

The phrase, “family atmosphere,” they explained, might discourage widows from applying for residency.  And, once again, I argued, and the evidence proved, that 99% of our residents (average ages-85-95) were, (wait for it) WIDOWS.  Why?  Because at that age, most people are widowed and any similar organization that would not accept widows, would soon be out of business.  I mean, seriously, how long could an ice cream truck driver stay in business if he refused to sell ice cream to children?

The situation seemed bleak.  We were facing corporate and individual board member penalties that we couldn’t afford, loss of our State License, eviction of over one hundred residents, revocation of my administrator’s license, and the possibility of criminal charges all over some nonexistent political correctness nonsense.

Out of desperation, I began writing letters.  I wrote to our State and Federal representatives, conservative talk radio personalities, and I wrote to several legal organizations that specialized in defending First Amendment cases.  Out of all the letters I wrote, I only received one response by phone.  It was from a young attorney, in California, who was the west coast representative of the Rutherford Institute.  His name is Brad Dacus and he wanted to take our case – pro bono – that means “FOR FREE.”

That was the answer to our prayers.  We had several phone conferences over the next few weeks and I supplied multiple documents and statements at his request.  Then the communication suddenly ceased.  I learned that the Rutherford Institute was undergoing a change in its focus and decided to close down the West Coast operation.  Brad Dacus was unemployed.  We didn’t know what to do.

A few months passed when, one day, Brad called to tell me that he was starting his own law firm, on the West Coast, to defend the constitutional rights of Christians, churches, and parents of school children in First Amendment cases. And he assured me that he was still going to defend us.  Ours was the Pacific Justice Institute’s first case.  Today PJI has over 1500 affiliated attorneys on the west coast.

Several months later, Brad called me to present a settlement offer from the Fair Housing Council.  Among a list of other things, they wanted to review and approve, quarterly, all of our advertising copy.  And they insisted that I attend their political correctness, anti-discrimination, sensitivity training program. 

HA!  That was never going to happen.  I admit that I am NOT sensitive, but I refuse sensitivity instruction.  It would be far easier for Nancy Pelosi to teach six dozen liberals some common sense than to teach me sensitivity.  I rejected their settlement offer.  Eventually, the council gave up, dropped the case against us, and went on to harass and extort other, easier targets.  Shortly after that, we changed the name of our home from Casa de Verdugo to Valley Christian Home.

So that’s how I met Brad Dacus.  We became friends and our non-profit Christian ministry provided budgeted monthly support for PJI for several years.

  

****There Are Two Cultures. Laws Apply To Only One.

This story is approximately 10 years old but, for political reasons, I could not write it then.  However, now I am retired, our non-profit corporation is dissolved, and no one can be damaged by irritated bureaucrats, so here it is.

Our organization was a Christian home for the elderly; we provided low-cost semi-independent and assisted living facilities for up to 145 residents.

For several years, we benefitted from the kindness of an organized group of retired Christians who donated about one month of labor each year.  They are called RVICS which is an acronym for Retired Volunteers In Christ’s Service (There are other similar national organizations).   Here’s how it works:  These retired people usually work in teams of 6-8 couples.  They travel in recreational vehicles to churches, Christian camps, and other non-profit Christian ministries where they set up temporary camp accommodations that are pre-arranged by the hosts.  The men work about 30 hours per week and the women work about 20.  They paint, clean, build, remodel, landscape, type, file, or do whatever projects need to be done FOR FREE because it is their MINISTRY.  They will not accept any pay, gifts, or food because they are determined to have no fiscal impact on the ministries they serve.  All we were required was to provide the parking spaces for their RVs, power and water hookups, and pumping or waste disposal as needed. 

We had a great relationship with these groups and they provided about 300 hours of free, skilled labor every year until it was abruptly ended by CODE ENFORCEMENT.

HERE’S WHAT HAPPENED – Because we did not have sufficient space, our teams parked in a large, undeveloped parcel adjacent to our property.   They were neatly lined up, side by side, outside our fence and out of view of the street.  We had the permission of the property owner, who was friendly to our ministry (in fact he was a resident for a while and one of his son’s served on our board of directors).  This, we did for about 5 years.

The last year, code enforcement showed up and ordered them off the property for violating a city ordinance.  The violation was camping on a vacant lot in the city limits (remember this because this story gets really good).  We tried, in vain, to make a defensive argument but, in the end, we complied with the order and dismissed our guests.

Two weeks after they broke camp and left the property, we found a breach in our fence near the back of our property.  Outside the fence, we discovered a new homeless camp under the shade of one of our trees.  The weeds on the property were high so the camp was not visible from the streets or neighboring parking lots.  There were a couple mattresses, several bags of clothing and blankets, a stolen shopping cart and some other items.  The reason the missing fence boards was that the campers, who were sleeping approximately ten feet from the private doors of our elderly residents) were coming onto our property to use our water spigots for washing themselves.

I called the police department.  I called code enforcement.  I got no satisfaction about the public nuisance.  They said there was nothing they could do about it.  I reminded them that, only two weeks prior, they ordered my team of volunteers off the same property.  That didn’t matter.  I eventually took matters into my own hands.  We removed the rubbish to our dumpster, returned the cart to the grocery store, and we repaired the breached fence.

The point of the story is this:  There are two distinct cultures in most communities.  Laws and codes apply to only one of them. 

There are responsible, law-abiding working people who own property and pay taxes.  Those are the ones who pay fines and penalties for code infractions (which are part of the city’s revenue stream) so they are the ones who are targeted by code enforcement.  If violators don’t pay, the city has the ability to seize their assets with interest.  And that is the incentive for good citizenship.

Then there is the sub-culture, the street people, and the homeless.  Almost everything they do is a code violation, a quality of life crime, or a property crime and they know it.  But they also know that code enforcement and law enforcement will generally do nothing.  They won’t or can’t pay fines or penalties and they know there are no real consequences.  Therefore, there is no incentive for the city to write citations and there is no incentive for violators to be respectful of private property or laws.  

This particular incident may be old news but the violations of the subculture are, rapidly escalating, current events that are a blight on our once clean, quiet, and pleasant community.    

I say this all in love,

The Tyranny of Political Correctness

I made a decision, several years ago, to NOT succumb to PC speech. I deliberately use politically incorrect words because political correctness is stealing or revising our language.  Perfectly good words have been redefined and in some cases (like the word “Niggardly”) have been banned.  And what the PC police say is correct today, is certain to be changed tomorrow.

For example, just look at the evolution of PC terms for a dark-skinned person. 

The word, Nigger, is a noun in the English language.  It originated as a neutral term referring to black people.  The word derived as a variation of the Spanish /Portuguese noun, negro, a descendant of the Latin adjective niger which referred to the color black.   

Throughout most of the world, it was not considered to be disparaging until the middle of the 20th century.   Then its usage had become unambiguously pejorative and directed at black people, particularly in the United States. 

Instead, the term colored became the mainstream American English alternative to negro (and all its variant terms).   The opprobrious character of the word “nigger,” was chosen in the South precisely because it was more offensive than "colored."  The term, colored, served us well until it, too, was deemed to be offensive.

That was all before institutional political correctness affected our speech.  Nevertheless, we changed and it was for the good.  I was around when the change occurred; most people, I knew, were uncomfortable with the old pejoratives and were sympathetic to the feelings of black people.  I remember how they sensitively and cautiously uttered the new noun, “negro” (which was, really, the same old word before it became slang).  And everyone was happy -- until they weren’t.  

Negro was derived from negroid just as caucasian was derived from Caucasoid.  But negroes didn't like that so we were forced to change to "black" (and, by the way, in Spanish the word for black is negro).  

Okay, I get it – White people are called “white” people so it follows that black people should want to be called “black” people.  That lasted just long enough to get everyone retrained and then, BAM! --black was out.   What was wrong with black?   I don't know; I don't get offended when someone calls me white.

Now it's African-American.  I refuse to use hyphenated designators.  Not all dark-skinned people originated from Africa and not all of them are Americans.  And a lot of Africans are white but, when they emigrate to the U.S., we don’t call them African-Americans.  

Most recently, the African-Americans’ newest descriptor of choice is "people of color." Tell me, why is that acceptable and "colored people" is racist?   A "wealthy person" and a "person of wealth" is the same thing.  A "notorious person" means the same thing as a "person of notoriety" so the distinction is nonsense.  And besides, white is a color.  Why are we not all “people of color?”

Fiddling with the language can be frustrating but forced political correctness can be tyrannical.

For example, now, the whole black community has suddenly decided that they own the word, "thug." They say that when a white person uses the word, we are racist because we, they say, only use the word, thug, in reference to black people.    

White colored Americans whose families originated in Africa are not allowed to say, “thugs" but black colored African-Americans can?  Go figure.

So I still call thugs, thugs. If dark, colored people act like thugs, I call them thugs. If light-skinned people act like thugs, I call them thugs. I am indiscriminate in my use of the word and I refuse to let only dark-skinned thugs (whether clad in dark hoodies or cloaked in the garb of jack-booted  PC Nazis) deprive me of a perfectly good word.

****An Open Letter To Homosexual Supporters of Same-sex Marriage and the Unlawful Actions Of The SCOTUS

Whether LGBTQWXYZ or whatever color of the rainbow you are, now that you got your way, I want to get one thing straight right at the outset; THE LEGALIZATION OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE WAS NEVER ABOUT YOUR EQUAL RIGHTS TO THE BENEFITS OF A MARRIAGE CONTRACT.

You wanted the right to intimate expressions of love with your partner just like the rights that straight people enjoy. Well, guess what! Sodomy laws (as well as laws against adultery and all kinds of other sexual activities) have been largely ignored, unenforced, or even decriminalized for years so you can be equally as perverse as can a lot of perverse straight people. Nobody is policing your bedroom.

You wanted hospital visitation rights, you said. But restrictions on hospital visitation ended decades ago.  You can go into any hospital and sign in to visit anyone. 

You parroted the lame argument that you should have the same rights, that married couples have, to access medical information and consult with your “partner’s” doctor. Well, that’s a non-existent argument. Under current HIPAA laws, I cannot discuss my own wife’s medical condition with her physician without her written consent and, by the way, my wife can give consent for her physician to discuss her medical conditions with anyone she chooses and so can you so that’s a bogus argument too.

Was it the right to adopt children? Is that what you wanted? Nope. Not that either. Unmarried people have been able to legally adopt children for years so pitch that one into the bogus file also. 

So what else is there? Oh yeah, the old, “we want the right to enjoy the contractual benefits of marriage just like straight couples have” argument. That’s the worst argument ever. Without legal same-sex fake marriages, you already have the right to enter into any contractual agreement with anyone you choose.  You can own property jointly; you can borrow money; you can adopt children, and you can do all of that with legally binding civil contracts. In fact, the only conceivable benefit of a marriage contract is that it is the easiest of all contracts to break. You don’t even need the permission of the other party to divorce. Divorces are cheap and simple; you can be irresponsible and literally break all your promises without consequences.

Unless you are looking for an easy way to end your relationship, skirt your responsibilities, and break your promises without consequences, a real marriage contract is unnecessary. Admit it. We both know that the argument was never about the contract.

So now that we have eliminated all your fake arguments, what is it that you REALLY wanted? Well I’ll tell you what it is but before I do, if you are reading this post, I know that you are going to dislike me; in fact, you might even hate me. If you are homosexual, you are going to hate me because I am a Christian. You hate my God so, naturally, you will hate me. And you probably think I hate you.  I really don’t, but frankly, that doesn’t matter. My personal feelings about you are irrelevant.

And if there are any biblically illiterate Christian sympathizers reading this, I already know that they are going to criticize me but that's okay; I’m used to it. They (and you) will call me unsympathetic, unkind, untactful, unfair, intolerant, unloving, unaccepting, or any other of a myriad of “un” or “in” prefixed adjectives. But I really don’t care. Their feelings about me are also irrelevant.

But let's get back on point; the plain and simple fact of the matter is that you want me, and everyone else who thinks like me, to shut up. You don’t want my tolerance; you want my approval. You want to force my engagement and participation in a lifestyle that God calls sin. You want me to act contrary to the dictates of my conscience, violate the convictions of my faith, and denounce my God. You will never be satisfied to live in a world where others disagree with you. You not only want to criminalize all speech and actions, but also, ideas, thoughts, and doctrines of marriage that are contrary to yours. In short, you want to destroy the very principles of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights that guarantees every citizen's basic, God-given freedoms. 

And I get that, but if you have been reveling and rejoicing recently over the ridiculous and irrational reasonings of five robed, self-righteous, unelected reprobate judges who, without any legal authority, unilaterally changed language, culture, theology, and law, you are grossly misinformed. But more importantly, your perceived victory is a myth and you are in serious danger. You should be very afraid.

Do you not realize that when you vilified the conservative Christians in this country, you declared war against the only real, true friends you have? It’s not that we approve of your lifestyle; we don't. But we really do love you and whether we agree about same-sex marriage or not, we want to protect your real constitutional rights and your freedoms.  

On the other hand, do you understand that there is a real threat from your party on the left to destroy our entire political and legal systems and then subject us all to some sort of Marxism, or worse yet, Sharia Law? Do you have any idea what that might mean to you? Under Sharia Law, your chosen lifestyle will come with a huge price tag. Muslims are really intolerant; they hate queers. And if you have already altered your Facebook picture with the colors of the rainbow, you have identified yourself to them. At least, Christians aren’t fixated on separating you from your head.

What the Supreme Court did in June, 2015 and what congress has done now, was unconstitutional; that means it was illegal. In our constitutional republic, our laws are written by our representatives in Congress and enforced by the President. By magically creating new law, the court has recklessly plunged this country into chaos. The nation is in critical condition. Stop and think about what that means to you. An out-of-control, criminal government that can suddenly take away my rights to speak and to believe and to exercise my faith can also, by one simple executive order or illegal decree, take away yours. That’s why I say you should be afraid. That's why you should be troubled by the action of the Supreme Court or even a deep state, unelected dictatorship.  

That’s why I believe that you and I should be allies; not enemies. 

Ralph Petersen and his wife, Kathy, are the owners of the Olde Towne Emporium at 212 E. Main St. in Rogersville, TN.  Your comments are welcome. You may contact his at ralphmpetersen@gmail.com or call 951 321 9235.

        

Justin Bieber's "Unexpected Act Of Faith"

So Justin Bieber has apologized for his outrageous behavior, as well he should.  He has acted like the self-indulgent, undisciplined, spoiled rotten little punk that he is.  But I wouldn’t equate his apology to any kind of spiritual awakening.  Why should anyone assume repentance? 

Justin has claimed to be a Christian in the past (before he figuratively flipped God the bird).  What is the evidence of his, so called, unexpected act of faith?  He attended a week-long Hillsong conference.  That doesn’t mean that he is a Christian any more than watching fireworks on the 4th of July makes him a patriot.  What did he say?  Why should we assume a rebirth?  How is anything in these news stories to be interpreted as a life-changing epiphany?

Hillsong senior pastor, Brian Houston, said, "No doubt he’d probably be the first to say he lost his way in a whole lot of ways and, yeah, I think he realizes that it's now-or-never time to try to build better foundations into his life."

Another pastor, Carl Lentz said, “(Bieber) just wants to make his heart right.”

But building a better foundation in one’s life or making your heart right doesn’t equate to real Christian conversion.

I want to see genuine repentance which will be evidenced by a radical change in his behavior.  And I want to know what HE said.  I want to hear HIS OWN TESTIMONY from his own lips.  The testimony of a Christian must be IN HIS OWN WORDS.  In a criminal trial, would you be satisfied to hear testimony of a witness as told by a third party?  Of course not; a witness speaks for himself.  I don’t care to hear about Justin’s “act of faith” from the media, his fans, his pastor, or even his own father.  I want to hear his own testimony. 

The news articles don’t reveal much but they’re all we have.  So what, exactly, did he say?   

"I've turned a lot of people off in the last few years, but I know I can still put out good music and turn everything all around."

"There was really no preparing me for this life. I was thrown into this at 12 years old.  I didn't know what I was getting myself into. There were moments I am proud of. And there are moments I am disappointed with myself for. But the things I have done don't define who I am. I am (a) kind-hearted person who loves people. And through it all, I have lost some of my best qualities. For that, I'm sorry."

Bieber referred to the celebrity roast, just after his 21st birthday, as "a turning point" in his life. "I am looking forward to being someone you can all be proud of."  

"Someone close to me once said, 'It's how you rise from a fall that truly defines you as a man.' I'm excited for that challenge. And I want to say thank you for taking this journey with me."

Justin’s own words seem to be sincere in a humanistic, self-improvement sort of way.  He seems sincere in his determination to change and to try to do better for the sake of his popularity and his career. And I wish him well.

As for any genuine spiritual change in his nature as a result of any act of saving faith, I didn’t hear any of that.  I really hope that he comes to trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ and His death on the cross as payment for his sin.  

 I will just continue to listen for it from his own lips and then I will wait to see the evidence.  

   

****How to Celebrate Independence Day In A Socialist Country

Six years ago,  on February 18, 2008. Michelle Obama said, “For the first time in my adult lifetime I am proud of my country.” 

That was the beginning of my dislike for this country.  As of June 26, 2015, I must say, for the first time in MY adult lifetime, I am ASHAMED of my country.

Don’t misunderstand me – I love my country.  I love its founding principles of Truth and Justice and Liberty.  I love its exceptionalism.  I honor and respect those who sacrificed their lives to provide it for us and to protect our freedoms. 

 

I love the America that I once knew.  I hate the new Amerika that now exists; the socialistic Amerika that Michelle loves. 

Amerika is no longer a free constitutional, representative republic.  It is now controlled by a lawless psychopath who boldly stood before us and promised to “fundamentally change America” if we elected Him. Unfortunately, that is one of the few times He ever told the truth; it is one promise He has kept.

Today, for all practical purposes, we have a banana republic.  We have lost many of our enumerated rights.  Our dithering president is arrogant, inept, and dangerously foolish.  Congress is feckless and self-serving.  And, as of June 26, we now have a handful of unelected and unaccountable judges who have illegitimately usurped authority and who have created and imposed laws on, what, formerly, were free and sovereign states.  And we are in moral chaos; Up is down; black is white; good is bad; right is wrong, and men are women.  

From this story of our National Anthem, we see just how important it was then, for the patriots of the Revolutionary war, to protect the symbol of our freedom and how determined our enemy was to try to destroy it.   America has always been protective and emotional about our flag.

Today, just a few days before July 4, the Stars and Stripes; the symbol that once flew proudly over so much that was good, has been  co-opted and remains to fly over a nation of people that have forgotten their history or don’t even care. 

So most of the brain dead masses don’t get it.  Now our flag flies as a symbol of the country that now is.

 

There is one more “change” that I wish Obama would make; I wish that His new oppressive, totalitarian government would fly a different flag and stop disrespecting and degrading our “Old Glory.”

This year, for me, Independence Day will be a special holiday because I will honor the memory of a great, once free, nation that is now on life support.  I will pledge my allegiance to the flag of the United States of America with this qualifier; my allegiance will never be to the lawless banana republic that now exists; it is to the constitutional "Republic for which it  (the flag) stands."

May God Bless America.

Who Killed Our Constitutional Republic?

What happened to the United States of America on June 26, 2015?

I am not overly upset with feckless, dishonest career politicians who ignore their constituents to serve themselves.  Neither am I upset about a lawless, dishonest, psychopathic, President who circumvents constitutional law and order to enact illegal laws by executive order.  Nor am I even very concerned about nine unelected old judges who violated their oaths, trashed our constitution, and invented unnatural laws to impose on sovereign states.  None of that surprises me.  That is exactly what men (which is the grammatically correct generic plural noun that includes women) do.  Those are all normal actions of sinful men who reject God and His moral laws.

What upsets me the most is Christians.  That’s right, CHRISTIANS; those who name the Name of Jesus Christ and then disobey His command to be salt and light, who squander our God-given privileges of self-government, and who hold hands with the forces of darkness to their own demise.  And in case you are wondering exactly who those Christians are, let me be perfectly clear; the chances are it is YOU! 

YES, YOU!  You with the Christian bumper stickers; you who post Jesus memes with happy platitudes on Facebook; you who sit beside me in church.  You are responsible for all those reprobates who scheme to rule over us with the very power and authority that was rightfully yours.  You gave it up.  You deliberately forfeited it.

I say YOU because you comprise the majority (60%) of all eligible, nominal Christians and you DON’T VOTE.  You didn’t vote in 2012, you didn’t vote in 2008, and you most likely didn’t vote in elections prior to that.  Furthermore, you probably won’t vote next time even after reading this rebuke.

You are like the unwise servant who buried his talent.  Our constitutional representative republican form of government was a costly gift to YOU.   Good men fought, sacrificed and died for this amazing experiment in self-government so that YOU could enjoy your liberty.  And you buried it. 

But you have principles, you say.  You cannot violate your conscience by voting for a candidate who doesn’t quite agree with you on every point so, by default, you have cast your lot for the other side.  And you won't vote for a man whose faith is different from yours.  Well, you're not voting for a pastor, for crying out loud.  Statistically speaking, you make up the largest voting block of all demographics and you were responsible for the election of those who would destroy our representative republic.  If only 5-10 percent of you had actually taken the time to vote right, we would not be witnessing the political death of our nation. 

So enjoy your new tyrannical totalitarian government; you are responsible for it, you deserve it, and you own it.  If you did nothing to stop it, then you have no right to complain about it.  And when your children and grandchildren ask, “What happened to the United States of America on June 26, 2015?” you can tell them, “I DESTROYED IT.”

“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”  James 4:17

Ten Reasons Why I Own A Gun (In case anyone needs to know)

Liberals are always asking, “Why does anyone need a gun?”

Well here’s a better question; Why should any free person have to explain why he needs anything?

BUT,  just in case you really need to know, here is my list of the top ten reasons why I need a gun.

       1.      So I can start a foot race.

       2.     So I can make loud noises on the fourth of July.

       3.     So I have something to put my bullets in.

4     4.     So I can have a reason to buy a gun safe.

       5.      So I can put my horse or my dog out of his misery if he breaks a leg.

6     6.      So I can keep important papers from blowing off my desk.

7     7.      So I can blow up my desk.

8     8.     So I can shoot cans.

9     9.      So I can clear out my congested nose.

      10.    So I can end a severe migraine headache.

****A Fathers Day Tribute To The Memory Of My Dad

It is hard to believe that it has been over twenty years since my father died.  And memories of him are fading.  Now I am older than he was at his passing and memories of him are swiftly fading.

Dad was a little crusty on the outside; a tough construction worker with leathery skin, rough hands, and a rough demeanor to match.  His direct, no-nonsense, sarcastic style of conversation was often misunderstood but, to those who knew him best, it was endearing. He was not overtly affectionate and I don’t remember him ever telling me he loved me. But I never doubted his love; he demonstrated it in very real and practical ways.

I never had what some people today would describe as “quality time” with my father (or my mother, for that matter). In fact, I don’t remember ever hearing the phrase, “quality time,” used in any context when I was growing up. With seven children, there was always work to do and most of the times I had with my father were spent in hard work.

Dad was a straight shooter; he always meant what he said. You could count on it. Disobedience often brought fearful and painful consequences by his own large, rugged hand. He understood the Proverbs…” evil is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction drives it far from him” and “he that spares the rod hates his son.” He never automatically sided with me against my teachers or others in authority. He taught me that, although they are not always right, it is always right to submit to their proper authority.

But he was also fair and, believe it or not, he was kind. Our family never had much, but we always shared what we had with others. And he was always forgiving. I remember how often I disappointed, failed, and hurt him but still, he loved me because I was his son.

My dad taught me to judge people on the merits of their character, not on their appearance. He understood that true friendship required work and that people must be accepted with and in spite of their shortcomings. He had friends of varied colors, backgrounds, and stature. The only people he could not tolerate were intolerant bigots.

Our family depended on him to provide for our needs. Although he was a skilled craftsman, no job was beneath him. Several times in my life, construction work was hard to find so, over the years, I watched him work as a night-time school janitor, a drive-in theater usher and a door-to-door Fuller Brush salesman. He found dignity in honest work and he wanted his children to see him getting up early in the morning and going to work to bring home a paycheck rather than going to the mailbox to bring in a welfare check.

He valued his reputation. He was honest and just in his dealings. Sometimes, as a contractor, he would make costly mistakes. But he always finished the job at the agreed price regardless of the loss. He was a man of his word.

He was faithful to his wife and his children and that provided a great deal of security for us. Home was a good, safe place to be. We didn’t always have everything we wanted, but he always tried to give us everything we needed.

Not only was he our provider, he was also a strong and brave protector. I remember, at the age of nine, one evening when he had sent me out to buy something at a neighborhood market (in those days it was safe for children to be out after dark). On my way home I passed a parked car with four guys who yelled something at me. I was scared and felt threatened and told my dad when I got home. He immediately got up and went out to confront them and warned them to keep their mouths shut and leave his kids alone.  In retrospect, I imagine he was really fearful of confronting four thugs at night but he never let on.

It has been said "a child is not likely to find a father in God unless he finds something of God in his father."

A pastor once asked some children in a Sunday school class to draw pictures of God. He intended to use them to illustrate his sermon. At the end of class, the children were excited to show off their pictures of men with long robes, white hair, and big, outstretched hands amid rainbows, bluebirds, and fluffy white clouds. Finally, one little girl showed her picture of a simple man dressed in a suit and tie. "I don't know what God looks like," she said, "so I just drew my daddy instead."

Much of my early understanding about the character and attributes of God, I learned, by experience, from a father who was seldom in view, but he was always there.


 

Public Urination (and other gross behavior)

To the street people of our community.

I'm struggling with an overpowering compulsion to apprise you of my contempt for your repugnant predisposition to evacuating voluminous excrements from the recesses of your entrails upon the cloisters of our sanctuaries and around the colonnades of our cathedrals. 

I would likewise express my abhorrence for your detestable practice of public urination within the passages of our business offices and at the portals of our mercantile establishments. 

Furthermore, I would relish an opportunity to convey my utter disdain at the discovery of your sullied, odorous, and otherwise repulsive prophylactics. In short, I yearn to inform you of the despicable nature of your uncouth deportment.

But, alas, I cannot. My wife won’t allow me to express my frustrations with words that you can understand so never mind. I'll just clean up your crap for you. 

You're welcome.