Tuesday
EARTHQUAKES - WHAT DOES GOD'S
WORD SAY ABOUT THEM?
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EARTHQUAKES HAVE OFTEN BEEN MAJOR
NEWS ITEMS THIS YEAR BUT ASIDE FROM
THE OPINIONS OF MEN, WHAT DOES GOD'S
WORD SAY ABOUT THEM?
The Bible has much to say about weather conditions -- for example, drought
is mentioned 10 times ... storms are mentioned 12 times ... floods more than
50 times ... winds (not designated as tornadoes or hurricanes) are mentioned
over 60 times ... and earthquakes are mentioned 15 times. Unfortunately for
those proponents of the Algore theory, there is no mention of global warming
or greenhouse emissions. Nor is there any mention of air-born ash from volcanic
eruptions like the one in Iceland which has been disrupting much international air
traffic to an unprecedented degree. It brings to mind the familiar slogan of a few
years ago, "It's not nice to fool Mother Nature." In spite of all of our modern
inventions, "Mother Nature" still can have her own way. But the recent flurry of
large and fairly large quakes all over the world has focused attention on these
words of Jesus in the Gospel records of Matthew, Mark and Luke: "... there
shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places..."
and He wraps up that entire apocalyptic discourse with these words, "But of
that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my
Father only." (Matt. 24: 7, 36)
There is a great temptation -- one to which many sincere students of the Bible
succumb -- to become date-setters for end times events. But the words of Jesus
take precedence, in our opinion, "Watch therefore: for ye know not what
hour your Lord doth come." (Matt. 24: 42) There is this to be said about the
present series of earthquakes all over the world in answer to the question: "Are
these earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, Mexico, China and elsewhere, unusual?"
Scientists report that the earthquake activity in 2010 is not unusual; since 1900
there has been an average of 16 earthquakes of magnitude 7 or larger each
year. There have been 6 major quakes in the first 4 months of this year, which is
within the normal range, and within the past year, from mid-April 2009 to mid-
April 2010, there have been 18 major earthquakes, which is also within the
normal range.
For the Christian, anticipating the promised and imminent return of the Lord, the
words of Jesus remain our best guide: "Watch," and "Be ye also ready, for in
such an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh." (Matt. 24: 42, 44)
The "unconstitutional" National Day of Prayer is under discussion
-- but before we sit back and allow one liberal federal court judge to cancel
what has been a basic principle of our nation's history for more than 200
years, let's review the facts. First, this is an opinion of one Wisconsin US
District Court judge, Barbara Crabb, in response to a suit filed by the
Wisconsin based "Freedom from Religion Foundation" in 2008 on the basis
that their members experienced "concrete injury" because of a 1988 federal
law that the president must issue a proclamation each year declaring the first
Thursday in May as the date for the National Day of Prayer. Second, let's
consider who is bringing the suit. The "Freedom from Religion" folks admit
to being atheists and agnostics. The Bible clearly describes "atheists" --"The
fool hath said in his heart, There is no God." OK --they're fools. The
term "agnostic" is from the Latin, "a" meaning "without" and "gnosco" meaning
"to know" or "knowledge." So they are without knowledge A more familiar
term is "ignoramus." So this issue has been raised by fools and ignoramuses.
Naturally, for Christians such an action, even by just one US District judge is
cause for concern, because it is part of a growing trend on the part of anti-
Christians to attack the basic principles upon which this nation was founded.
In this instance, Mr. Obama and his associates cannot blame George W. Bush
for this event -- George Washington was the first president to call the nation to
prayer . . . Abraham Lincoln issued a National Day of Prayer proclamation . . .
Harry Truman signed the National Day of Prayer into law in 1952 . . . Ronald
Reagan signed into law the designation of the first Thursday in May as the date
of the National Day of Prayer in 1988. But the action by this liberal judge in
Wisconsin will have no effect on this year's National Day of Prayer on May 6
Wisconsin will have no effect on this year's National Day of Prayer on May 6
. . . nor will it affect any future National Days of Prayer, until all appeals have
been heard and settled. The opinion of most legal experts is that the ruling is
not valid, and will be quickly overturned. Does this mean that the fools and
ignoramuses will give up their attacks on the Christian faith? No, but they have
been trying -- and failing -- for 2,000 years. Judge Crabb, and others among
today's Liberals, should reflect on these words by Founding Father James
Wilson, framer of the Constitution and member of the first US Supreme Court:
"The first and governing maxim in the interpretation of a statute is to
discover the meaning of those who made it."
Tony Perkins, of American Family Council, well expressed the Christian position
with respect to this situation: "When the great men and women of our past
bent their knees to God on behalf of the 'sacred fire of liberty,' it was often
during the nation's darkest days. My friends, it is time we join them."
Remember Art Linkletter's show, "Kids say the darndest things?" Mr.
Obama must have seen it as a child, and apparently took it to heart, because as
an adult, and now as President of the United States, he has demonstrated the
truth of that title. In an interview given to an Australian TV show recently he
said that he and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd share several personality
traits -- one of which is humility. Yes, that's what he said: "humility." For sure,
we would never have guessed that about him. About Prime Minister Rudd,
we have no idea.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddfi seems to know about Obama's birthplace,
and he speaks of the American president as being a friend, and as being a blessing
to the Muslim world. His exact words: "Now ruling America is a black man
from our continent, an African from Arab descent, or of Muslim descent,"
and added, "He is someone I consider a friend. He knows he is a son of Africa.
Regardless of his African belongings, he is of Arab Sudanese descent, or of
Muslim descent. He is a man whose policy should be supported, and he should
be assisted in implementing it in any way possible." The speech was delivered
on Saturday in the Libyan city of Sirt, and was published in the London based al-Hayat
newspaper. When your popularity in America is on such a steep downward trend,
you accept support from anyone who will offer it.
Amid the discussions about Justice Stevens and his replacement, these
comments by Ann Coulter are worth noting with reference to media reports that Stevens
is the last Protestant on the court: "While it's true that there are no other Protestants
on the court -- now composed of six Catholics and two Jews, making the Supreme
Court only slightly less diverse than cable news hosts, 75 percent of whom are
Catholic or Jewish, but also include a Scientologist, a Mormon and a gay -- it's
difficult to believe Stevens is any kind of Protestant ... Stevens is more like a
pre-road to Damascus Saul."
In 1789, Ben Franklin penned his often quoted maxim: "In this world nothing
can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Now, taking into account some
modern achievements, we could add: "and polls." Among other titles, this has been
called the "Age of the Polls." And the polls seem to be always with us, just like Franklin's
death and taxes. For the Obama administration, the polls continue to be unfavorable.
After two or three days of the president's rating index being in single digit negative numbers,
it quickly returned to double digit negatives where it has been for a long time.. Looking
ahead to election day, Nov. 2, (Don't forget that date!) there is increasing speculation that
the wide spread lack of satisfaction with Obamacare may prove to be a liability for the
Democrats. A new Associated Press-GfK poll discloses that opposition to the health care
bill has grown to a 50% to 39% margin. Just prior to Congress ramming the bill through,
public opinion was split just about even on the measure. The president's national standing
has slipped to new low, and that new poll shows that just 49% of Americans now approve
of the overall job Obama is doing. His highest ever rating had been 67% in February of
2009, just after he took office. A new poll from Pew Research released this week shows
that only 22% of Americans trust the present government, and 78% do not. And for media
coverage, about 50% is now favorable to the president -- down from 60% just after passage
of the health care reform bill. On a broad overall basis, about half of American voters want
to replace their own congressmen.
"One Liners" continue to say a lot in just a few words.
"I weep as I witness outrageous verbal attacks on Israel. What makes these verbal
assaults and distortions all the more painful is that they are being orchestrated by
President Obama." -- Ed Koch
"We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it." -- Nancy Pelosi
"...the financial world is on the wrong track ...we may be hurtling towards an even
bigger boom and bust than in the credit crisis..." -- Democrat financier George Soros
"The will of the majority means nothing to this president." -- Kyle-Anne Shiver
"When Sen. Chuck Schumer says, 'It's just about a certainty that the president will
nominate someone in the mainstream,' think left bank." -- Jan LaRue
And there is much to be learned from noting "What others are saying," because
you will not find comments like these in the main-line media, either press or TV . . .
Michael Steele: "The Founders never intended government to be an industry,
a means to reward political supporters with jobs and wealth, or the ultimate
monopoly which drives private enterprise into the ground and plunders the wealth
of its citizens. The government exists to protect our freedoms, not make us servants
of socialist masters. Let's take back our government."
Floyd and Mary Beth Brown: "Liberal critics derided President Bush for engaging
in cowboy diplomacy, or 'going alone.' Those same critics neglect to notice that
Obama is employing a more dubious strategy than Bush. Obama has pursued a
confused and aimless foreign policy based on the idea that he can personally sway
foreign heads of state with his charisma. Unfortunately for our nation his 'follow
me because I’m charismatic' policy has proven to be devastatingly ineffective.
Obama alienates our friends and appears cowardly by appeasing our enemies."
Ralph Peters (in the New York Post): "Jeez, this guy is good. A few years back,
I wrote that Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was the most impressive major
leader on today's world stage. Since then, he's gotten better. Back then, he was
eating President George W. Bush for breakfast. Now he's snacking on President
Obama as sushi -- eating him raw, in happy little bites. Putin is ruthless,
unforgiving and murderous. He also has a clear vision of what he wants, the
strength of will to get it -- and a stunning ability to spot the weaknesses in his
foreign counterparts."
Congressman Randy Forbes (R, VA): "The federal judge’s decision to call the
National Day of Prayer unconstitutional represents a movement we are seeing
across the country of a small minority who want to exclude faith, religion and
morality from the marketplace of ideas. In so doing, they may be depriving us of
the very principles we need to secure our freedom. Not only does this decision
undermine the basic premise of our Declaration of Independence, but it takes an
opposite viewpoint of so many great leaders throughout our nation's history. It
also seeks to weaken the very foundation upon which our nation was built."
Bishop David Anderson (American Anglican Church): "Have you noticed the
number of destructive earthquakes that have occurred around the world just
since the beginning of January this year? ... The religious world has been
suffering from spiritual quakes as well. The spiritual quakes and turmoil found
in the Anglican Church world are rapidly being exported by The Episcopal
Church (TEC) to dioceses all across the globe, and the fault lines don't stop at
the Anglican front yard. The ELCA Lutherans have generally followed TEC in
their theological innovation, and are now suffering a Synodical split, with many
of the orthodox Lutherans in the ELCA pulling out and reforming as a new body.
The Presbyterian Church USA is having tensions over spiritual innovation
within their church as well, and most of the major Christian denominations
report some degree of stress between those who would accommodate the culture
into their present theology, and those who resist and hold to the traditional faith..."
A Few Random Afterthoughts . . .
First, don't forget our weekly reminder -- Nov. 2 is election day, now just 195
days away . . . and don't forget the slogan: "In November, we will remember."
This will be our great opportunity to reclaim this nation to its founding principles.
In case you were wondering about CNN's slippage in the TV ratings . . . Rick
Sanchez, one CNN's news anchors and a frequent guest on other CNN shows,
recently expressed his bizarre views of the Iceland volcano in an interview: "I was
just asking Chad, how can you get a volcano in Iceland? Isn't it too - when
you think of a volcano, you think of Hawaii and long words like that. You don't
think of Iceland. You think it's too cold to have a volcano there."
Speaking to that sort of viewpoint, Sammy Benoit (in "Yid with Lid") commented,
"You have to give the global warming moonbats some credit, they are very
creative, every time something bad happens, they find a way to blame it on
global warming. Over the past year, these pages have recorded claims that
global warming caused the heavy US snow this winter, the bitterly cold winter
in Europe, the melting of the Arctic Ice Cap, a new ice age, nor'easters,
violence, even even bird suicides. Now they are trying to tie their warming
hoax with the volcano eruptions in Iceland and other places. Here's why this
particular theory doesn't make sense. According to the global warming
moonbats, the ice cap over Antarctica has been been melting so quickly
that soon the entire Continent is going to sell itself as a beach resort. Yet there
has been no unusual increase of volcanic activity in Antarctica. Researchers
may believe Iceland may may be heading for more volcanic activity, but
CNN's Rick Sanchez probably still believes that volcanoes can't erupt in a
cold climate."
Some slightly different news from California -- out here on America's
"left coast" the homosexual movement seems to have quite solid support, at least
from the two Democrat Senators and some of the Representatives in Congress,
led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. But this past week a bit of good news
emerged -- Proposition 8 which by solid vote of the people of the state amended
the state constitution in 2008 and established marriage as between a man and a
woman, has been under attack by the Liberals and the homosexual minority, and it
was their plan to have it back on the ballot in November with the goal of
repealing it. But despite all their efforts, they were unable to obtain the 695,000
signatures necessary to get it on the ballot, and have given up, and delayed their
efforts until the 2012 election. It is amazing how such a small percentage of the
American population can exert so much pressure at the state and federal level,
and in a nation founded on Christian principles.
This news item may help explain some of Senator Chuck Schumer's actions:
"It's the most famous sandwich in New York politics. Roast beef, banana peppers,
pickled jalapeños, extra onions, extra tomatoes, two layers of pickles, mayonnaise
and mustard on hearty Italian bread -- it's known as 'The Schumwich.' Sen. Chuck
Schumer's go-to lunch has become a legend in lawmaker circles -- an inside joke
of sorts among the armies of political aides who have slaved away in Schumer's
office. When it comes to the preparation of his eponymous sandwich, 'No lettuce
-- it kills the flavor!' Schumer is known to bark at aides who mess up the order.
'Did you ask for extra pickles?' he bellows. 'Did you watch them put them on, or
did you not focus on it?'" How could anyone make wise decisions while living on a
diet like that?
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