So from time to time, I write explaining that we are losing freedom in this country. Constantly. Steadily. I got another one.
A pastor was holding a small group Bible study in his home. No biggy. This happens everyday. In fact, I coordinate these meetings for my own church, and host one at my apartment.
However, this particular Bible Study took a twist, when more than a DOZEN police officers came and arrested the man for having a Bible Study in his home.
Where did this take place? China? Nope. Pakistan? Nah. Iran? Keep guessing.
Phoenix, Arizona.
This man was arrested for having a Bible Study right here in the USA.
Whatever happened to freedom of religion? Freedom of speech? Right to assembly? They're dead, that's what happened.
The local government claims it's a zoning violation, because he had friends over, which might have been too many in case of a fire. Really? Did they arrest everyone who had a Fourth of July barbecue too? Nope.
And another thing, is a Bible study so big an offense to take more than a dozen officers to arrest ONE MAN? One man whose leader was arrested similarly, and like the pastor, offered no resistance? Why did it take more than a dozen officers for a zoning violation?
This man received two months in jail for having friends over to talk about the Bible. This is INSANE. If you can be arrested for holding a small Bible Study in your own home, and get arrested? He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, 3 years probation, and more than $12,000 in fines.
Your freedoms are going bye-bye.
And just to show that I'm not making this up, you can read the article for yourself.
http://foxnewsinsider.com/2012/07/11/arizona-pastor-arrested-jailed-for-holding-bible-study-in-home-his-wife-says-it-defies-logic/
Now you have the choice. Shake your head, or do something about it.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Supreme Court and the Individual Mandate
The Supreme Court just ruled that the government has the right to tell us that we have to buy something. So what will the government tell us that we have to buy next?
6-28-12. Remember this day. Your grandkids will ask you about this day. This is the day when the Supreme Court ruled that the Federal government matters; individual liberty does not.
So ends the dream that was America. This may seem like an overreaction, but the bottom line is freedom and safety are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Both are good, but both are mutually exclusive. The Patriot Act. Obamacare. Next will come some "Hate Speech Act" that makes it illegal to preach from the Bible, because the Bible calls sin what it is, and says that there are consquences.
Understand this, I don't blame Obama. He's doing what he believes to be right. And this isn't a Republican-Democrat things (after all, the Patriot Act was Bush). This is a government vs. liberty issue.
Today, government won.
6-28-12. Remember this day. Your grandkids will ask you about this day. This is the day when the Supreme Court ruled that the Federal government matters; individual liberty does not.
So ends the dream that was America. This may seem like an overreaction, but the bottom line is freedom and safety are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Both are good, but both are mutually exclusive. The Patriot Act. Obamacare. Next will come some "Hate Speech Act" that makes it illegal to preach from the Bible, because the Bible calls sin what it is, and says that there are consquences.
Understand this, I don't blame Obama. He's doing what he believes to be right. And this isn't a Republican-Democrat things (after all, the Patriot Act was Bush). This is a government vs. liberty issue.
Today, government won.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Wiggle thinking
This past week, I had a great time. It's all summerized by a few words. "It's Da Wiggles." Wiggles is my neice. And she loves her uncle. We had Wiggle Time every morning. She would giggle and squeal and had a great time.
My normal stoic self cannot help but love this little girl. I nearly cried the morning that I had to leave, because the next time I will see her, she will be a year old. She might be walking and talking. She will be so much bigger. She will see flashes of her uncle. Instead of being a part of her life, I will look through a window and see glances of it.
This got me thinking about my college roommate. He's a Marine. He's an officer. He was in Afghanistan when his daughter was born. And he is overseas once more as his wife prepares to have a son. As hard as it was to leave my neice, why did he leave a wife, daughter, and son?
Because it is his duty. To his country? Maybe. To his family? Yes. To his God? Definately. And he goes to that duty to protect and provide for his family. He goes obediently to what many of us would not do because it is where God led him.
A good friend is in China. He left everything he knew because God led him there.
I have other friends who started their family in West Africa because God led them to a people who don't know Jesus.
A young man could have a very successful career, perhaps in pro baseball, but is going into ministry because that's where God wants him.
I moved to Virginia for little pay because that's where God wants me. Now my story may be small compared to the others, but the point isn't me. The point is God. God might lead you to something big, like the mission field or the Marines. God might lead you to go become friends with your next door neighbor. The point is to go where God leads you. Matthew 28:19 best translated "As you are going, make disciples of all nations." God assumes we are going, and he will lead us. He might lead you to other nations, or your own. The point is GO and follow God.
My normal stoic self cannot help but love this little girl. I nearly cried the morning that I had to leave, because the next time I will see her, she will be a year old. She might be walking and talking. She will be so much bigger. She will see flashes of her uncle. Instead of being a part of her life, I will look through a window and see glances of it.
This got me thinking about my college roommate. He's a Marine. He's an officer. He was in Afghanistan when his daughter was born. And he is overseas once more as his wife prepares to have a son. As hard as it was to leave my neice, why did he leave a wife, daughter, and son?
Because it is his duty. To his country? Maybe. To his family? Yes. To his God? Definately. And he goes to that duty to protect and provide for his family. He goes obediently to what many of us would not do because it is where God led him.
A good friend is in China. He left everything he knew because God led him there.
I have other friends who started their family in West Africa because God led them to a people who don't know Jesus.
A young man could have a very successful career, perhaps in pro baseball, but is going into ministry because that's where God wants him.
I moved to Virginia for little pay because that's where God wants me. Now my story may be small compared to the others, but the point isn't me. The point is God. God might lead you to something big, like the mission field or the Marines. God might lead you to go become friends with your next door neighbor. The point is to go where God leads you. Matthew 28:19 best translated "As you are going, make disciples of all nations." God assumes we are going, and he will lead us. He might lead you to other nations, or your own. The point is GO and follow God.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Anthem stupidity
There was a guy (who shall remain nameless for this blog) who yesterday spoke about the National Anthem. Now I don't know if he's really this dumb of if he said it for ratings, but he criticized the Anthem, and did it poorly.
First, he said he didn't know why it had military themes. "Rockets red glare/ Bombs bursting in air." Uh... because it is a poem that Francis Scott Key wrote while on a british ship watching an American fort get the crap bombarded out of it. He was watching to see if they surrendered ("Does the banner still wave?"). People liked it and set it to music. It became popular, and was declared our national anthem. Read some history you moron.
Second, he went after "Home of the Brave." He said "Are we the only country with brave people?" Yesterday, as he spoke, it was June 6th. Again, read history. Yesterday was D-Day, when the Allies landed on five beaches of a region of northern France, called Normandy. They were invading Nazi occupied territory. There were allies from England, France, Canada, and yes, America. The other Allies landed on virtually unguarded beaches. We landed on the only two heavily defended beaches, none more than Omaha. Now, our allies didn't know that the bunkers were empty, but still, we took the worst of the fighting. Our boys lost more men on that day, than any other single day in the European Theater. They had to get past machine gun nests, artillery, masses of foot soldiers, and yes, even the piles of their fellow soldiers. They had to ascend cliffs unprotected and blow up concrete bunkers. Said the commanding generals on both sides, the war in Europe was won or lost on Omaha. And the greatest generation took the beach.
If you don't like the Anthem, that's your right. But don't be stupid about it.
First, he said he didn't know why it had military themes. "Rockets red glare/ Bombs bursting in air." Uh... because it is a poem that Francis Scott Key wrote while on a british ship watching an American fort get the crap bombarded out of it. He was watching to see if they surrendered ("Does the banner still wave?"). People liked it and set it to music. It became popular, and was declared our national anthem. Read some history you moron.
Second, he went after "Home of the Brave." He said "Are we the only country with brave people?" Yesterday, as he spoke, it was June 6th. Again, read history. Yesterday was D-Day, when the Allies landed on five beaches of a region of northern France, called Normandy. They were invading Nazi occupied territory. There were allies from England, France, Canada, and yes, America. The other Allies landed on virtually unguarded beaches. We landed on the only two heavily defended beaches, none more than Omaha. Now, our allies didn't know that the bunkers were empty, but still, we took the worst of the fighting. Our boys lost more men on that day, than any other single day in the European Theater. They had to get past machine gun nests, artillery, masses of foot soldiers, and yes, even the piles of their fellow soldiers. They had to ascend cliffs unprotected and blow up concrete bunkers. Said the commanding generals on both sides, the war in Europe was won or lost on Omaha. And the greatest generation took the beach.
If you don't like the Anthem, that's your right. But don't be stupid about it.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
funny videos
I saw two funny videos I wanted to mention.
The first, a McDonald's commercial. I normally hate commercials, but this one... I almost fell off my couch.
"I have got to blog about this." Too funny.
The other is clever editing. Now's it's a song that I hate, but a band that I abhor, but it's funny. It's cutting together the President's speeches so that he is singing LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It."
Enjoy.
The first, a McDonald's commercial. I normally hate commercials, but this one... I almost fell off my couch.
"I have got to blog about this." Too funny.
The other is clever editing. Now's it's a song that I hate, but a band that I abhor, but it's funny. It's cutting together the President's speeches so that he is singing LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It."
Enjoy.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Senior Prank arrests
Let me share with you some of the senior pranks performed around the country.
What surprising, is all of the above pranks resulted not only in these students being banned from the graduation ceremoney, but they were also arrested.
Arrested? Seriously? For what? What is the crime here? They didn't spray paint the principal's car. They didn't throw pumpkins at the rival schools elementary (our rival did that to us). There is no vandalism. There is no crime. This is stupid. There is no law on the books about silly string. There's no misdemeanor "frogging" law.
This is stupid. And you know how I hate stupid. A mom was arrested for putting a child in a head lock. Why? The boy repeatedly did the same thing to her kid, and she could not get the school to do anything about it. So she did something about it. Ok, she shouldn't have done it. But how come with all the anti-bullying laws, the bully walks free while those dastardly kids who cheered (dun dun DUUUNNNN!) are punished.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. There is something wrong with this country.
- A group of seniors had a good old fashioned food fight.
- Two seniors released four bull frogs and 100 crickets during an assembly (that's hilarious).
- Another group of seniors went into the hall, cheered, and fired cans of silly string into the air.
What surprising, is all of the above pranks resulted not only in these students being banned from the graduation ceremoney, but they were also arrested.
Arrested? Seriously? For what? What is the crime here? They didn't spray paint the principal's car. They didn't throw pumpkins at the rival schools elementary (our rival did that to us). There is no vandalism. There is no crime. This is stupid. There is no law on the books about silly string. There's no misdemeanor "frogging" law.
This is stupid. And you know how I hate stupid. A mom was arrested for putting a child in a head lock. Why? The boy repeatedly did the same thing to her kid, and she could not get the school to do anything about it. So she did something about it. Ok, she shouldn't have done it. But how come with all the anti-bullying laws, the bully walks free while those dastardly kids who cheered (dun dun DUUUNNNN!) are punished.
Stupid, stupid, stupid. There is something wrong with this country.
Monday, June 4, 2012
The Word
Recently, our church completed a series called "40 Days in the Word." The main purpose was to teach people the hows and whys of reading the Bible. We talked about things like
Said simply, I know the Bible is true not just from historical evidence, but from personal experience.
If you don't have a devotional time, I'd recommend that you start.
- How do I know the Bible is true?
- How do I know that the Bible hasn't changed?
- How do I study the Bible?
- Why is a daily Bible study time necessary?
- Why do I need to read the Bible for myself?
- How does it apply to my life?
Said simply, I know the Bible is true not just from historical evidence, but from personal experience.
If you don't have a devotional time, I'd recommend that you start.
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