Thanksgiving 2012

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessings...*

Just one phrase from a famous song that was typically sung at Thanksgiving celebrations.  Now, more than ever, we need to ask the Lord to continue to bless us and hold our beloved nation together.  With so many challenges ahead, and the divisions that have been wreaked upon us by nefarious individuals in our government, in the media, in our educational system, and internationally (that have their sights on killing us and Israel); we need such protection from God now, more than ever.

America has been THE most blessed nation in the history of the world!

Why is this so? 

Because our Founders believed in God, His Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  Thus, they wrote documents that reflected such beliefs which had their origin in the Bible, and applied them to create a new and unique kind of government - designed to be of the people, for the people, and by the people.

Over my lifetime, I have seen the escalation of anti-American ideology permeate the government, media, Hollyweird, education, and unfortunately in many homes.  But I thank God that my family, being raised in a Biblical Christian environment, has not fallen for such ideology.  We can still live our lives and celebrate the joy of the Lord, rejecting what the secular world would like to inflict upon us.  I am so grateful to God that our family can adhere to Proverbs 2:2-5.

Proverbs 2:2-5

"Make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding; for if you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; then you will discern the fear of the LORD, and discover the knowledge of God."

Ronald Reagan warned America - back in the 1980's - that freedom is just one generation away from the destruction of our Constitutional Republic.  Here is the exact quote:

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

― Ronald Reagan

Why am I discussing this on Thanksgiving?  Because I think that we could be on the brink of such a generation now, in 2012 and beyond.  The socialist agenda is being touted as better than America's Constitutional Republic, and the college generation is, unfortunately, buying into that myth.

The horrors of the communist (Soviet Union)  and national socialist (Nazi Germany) and totalitarian oppression (Imperialist Japan) that the Greatest Generation fought so hard against in World War II to fend off and destroy is just a shoulder shrug of history to the Gen X and Millennials.  I wonder how many in those generations have actually seen the awful films of Jewish people, Polish Christians,  homosexuals, and any other kind of peoples deemed "unworthy" by the Aryans being killed and pushed into mass graves at the concentration camps of Nazi Germany during history class in either high school or college?

BTW, I recently learned that the name (Iran) given to the former country of Persia by the Ayatollahs who took over there actually means "Aryan" in the Persian language!  Is this just a coincidence?  Of course not.

I know.  Not pleasant images or subjects to discuss during Thanksgiving Day.  But I think that while we enjoy the food on our tables today, we also would do well to keep in mind such horrors as food-for-thought as we enter into another four years of a BHO BADministration.  I don't need to list all the terrible things that will continue to happen under this would-be dictator (Recall he stated he wishes he could bypass Congress and make all the decisions??  Recall that he also told our nation that when push comes to shove, he would side with the Muslims??) to transform America into what the Greatest Generation opposed in the 1940's.  It is sad that history tends to repeat itself - to the detriment of all - by the apparent ignorance of those who didn't learn about  (or choose to ignore) such devastingly horrible history in the first place.

Last night, I shared a post that describes the current dark times that we will continue to face here in America as we race towards the End Times. However, our TRUE HOPE in this world does not live here - because Christians are "not of this world." Jesus told us that his kingdom is not of this world:


John 8:23   And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

John 18:36   Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here."

No matter WHAT this world tries to heap upon us, we need not fear.  We may not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future!  God's Word hasn't told us everything, of course, but it has told us all that we need to know, for now.  And we can experience peace, joy and love through Him; despite all the turmoil going on around us.

However, we are  also admonished to recognize the "spirits of false prophets all around us," expose them, confront them, and share the TRUTH.  We are called to discern the difference between the "spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

1Jo 4:1   Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

1Jo 4:2   By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,

1Jo 4:3   and every spirit that does not confess that [fn] Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the [spirit] of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

1Jo 4:4   You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1Jo 4:5  they are of the world. Therefore they speak [as] of the world, and the world hears them.

1Jo 4:6   We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.


The promises of Christ make foolish the spirit of error in this world.


1Jo 4:14   And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son [as] Savior of the world.

1Jo 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

1Jo 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1Jo 4:17  Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

1Jo 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

1Jo 4:19  We love Him [fn] because He first loved us.


We know where love originally came from.  It came from God Himself!  Therefore, we know what genuine love means and can celebrate and share it with those whom we love.

Thanksgiving is a time to thank the Lord for all he has done for us!  It is a time to celebrate our lives with loved ones and enjoy our time together on this special day.  Keeping the love, joy, forgiveness, mercy and grace given to us through our Lord Jesus Christ in mind on this day, and every day,  helps us keep our focus on what truly matters!



Eph 1:13   In Him you also [trusted], after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Eph 1:14   who [fn] is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

Eph 1:15   Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,

Eph 1:16   do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

Eph 1:17   that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,

Eph 1:18   the eyes of your understanding [fn] being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Eph 1:19   and what [is] the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Eph 1:20   which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated [Him] at His right hand in the heavenly [places],

Eph 1:21   far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Eph 1:22   And He put all [things] under His feet, and gave Him [to be] head over all [things] to the church,

Eph 1:23   which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Remember to pray and do not cease to give thanks!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

~  Christine

*******

*  Complete lyrics of song:

We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;
he chastens and hastens his will to make known;
the wicked oppressing now cease from distressing:
sing praise to his Name, he forgets not his own.

Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,
ordaining, maintaining his kingdom divine;
so from the beginning the fight we were winning:
thou, Lord, wast at our side: all glory be thine!

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still our defender wilt be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation:
thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free!

---

Words: Nederlandtsche Gedenckclanck, 1626;
trans. Theodore Baker (1851-1934), 1894.
Music: Kremser (Nederlandtsche Gedenckclank, 1626)

Keep Our Eyes On The Lord

After the train-wreck and utterly devastating  re-election (supposed re-election - that is**) of BHO, I've been listening to pundits claiming that "Republicans need to do some soul searching."  Well, maybe certain Republicans might need to do that, but I wouldn't include Conservatives in that mix.  We have been consistent in our views from the get-go; and have been correct about the right path to take our country back to the Constitutional Republic that was created by our Founding Fathers.  It's just that the liberals (oh...excuse me.."progressives") want to take us in the direction of socialist European countries that are involved in their own kind of battles between the "gimme dat" types and the government which now finds itself needing to impose austerity measures.  The riots that ensued have been broadcast over the past several years because those who believe that they are "entitled" to free stuff now are finding out that "what the government gives...the government can take away."

Just this morning, I saw a headline on the Fox News website where Herman Cain is now calling for a third party.   I love you, Herman Cain, and certainly appreciated all that you did during the Republican primaries, but haven't we "been there...done that" already here in America?  Just go through the list of additional parties (Rosanne Barr and Cindy Sheehan??? Ugh!!) on the ballot who receive NO attention and NO media coverage [thank God regarding the previously mentioned radical duo] and we will see how well that would work out.  Recall how long it took for a viable third party candidate (Ross Perot) to actually get into the debates?  And, poor Ralph Nadar ran for decades on the ballot, never coming to fruition as a viable candidate.

So...what is the answer?  I have a lot of information to share in another blog post regarding all of the curious voting shenanigans that have occurred not only this year, but even dating back to George H.W. Bush.  I have often had the sneaking suspicion that that the election and re-election of Ronal Reagan was the last true-the-vote kind of election.  But I will save that for another day.

Today, I received several emails from conservative writers who shared their thoughts after this election.  The first one I read was from Common Sense Citizens Blog. The essay was well written, great points, and contained important information to consider. I took special notice of this portion:

Whatever the re-election of Obama may have represented, it most certainly did not represent, as some have suggested, some sort of rejection of core American principles or some popular embrace of socialism.

In 2008, Barack Obama convinced 69 million Americans to buy in to his vague but unquestionably left-wing view of how America should be. In 2012, after four years of experience with Obama's "transformation project," only 60 million--nine million fewer, less than one in five Americans--signed on for continuing the project. Not much of a mandate, there.

Obama's reelection clearly didn't represent an endorsement of Obama's policies. Quite the contrary. The public opinion polls are abundantly clear that Obama's policies are extremely unpopular. Given an inspiring, pro-America alternative to the Obama vision, the American people would very likely have rallied behind such a vision.

Unfortunately, there was no such vision on the ballot this year.
What we had instead was a vague "me too" message that "we can do better." Not different, necessarily, just vaguely "better." This ambiguous, milquetoast moderate, pale pastel message has been tried on the American people time and time again--and it has FAILED every time.
Let us review...

In 1976, the Republicans nominated a midwestern moderate (Ford)...and LOST.
In 1992, the Republicans nominated a northeastern moderate (Bush I)...and LOST.
In 1996, the Republicans nominated a midwestern moderate (Dole)...and LOST.
In 2008, the Republicans nominated a western moderate (McCain)...and LOST.

In 1980, 1984, 2000 and 2004, the Republicans ran candidates selling a conservative message...and WON every time.
 

As I had said on this blog during the Republican primaries, Mitt Romney was not my first choice. I thought that Rick Santorum would have been a better candidate. I loved Michelle Bachmann, but she would have (and was...actually!!) been treated so mockingly and terribly - just like Sarah Palin was - so the writing on the wall told us that her candidacy would have been absolutely destroyed by the media of mass deception. I recall that both my son and I lamented that Mike Huckabee wasn't running again. He and I both voted for him back in the 2008 election primary.

Back to this election.

The bottom line is that we can STILL take back America!  It is just going to take longer to do so.

The author at Common Sense Citizens blog wrote:

 There need be no mistake as to what happened yesterday. The election yesterday may have been a referendum on Mitt Romney, and it certainly may have been a referendum on the current state of the Republican Party, but it was not a referendum on America as we know it. It was certainly not a referendum on core American principles, including but not limited to fiscal responsibility, limited government, personal responsibility, the rule of law or national sovereignty. Mitt Romney and the Republican establishment may have had a bad day on Tuesday, but the core principles of America didn't.

Viewed objectively, what happened yesterday is that a liberal incumbent from Chicago narrowly beat a liberal challenger from Massachusetts.

While we certainly won't be happy with four more years of the mid western liberal from Chicago, there's little reason to believe that we would've been particularly thrilled with the northeastern liberal from Massachusetts, either.
 

I like what the author wrote about "the core principles of America" not having a bad day. And, he wrote:

No matter who won on Tuesday, those of us who believe in our core American principles would've had a whole bunch of work to do. That work is still there to be done, and time's a-wastin'.
 

Another email that I received was from Citizenlink: Analyst Sheds Light on Election, Future.


Excerpt:

“We are in a struggle, and there are very deeply divided ideological and moral camps in this nation, but that does not mean that there is not still opportunity,” she said. “Millions of Americans stand with us in our concern for the moral future of this great land. That should give us hope to look forward to the opportunities that really are before us.”

There were a few pro-family victories to celebrate: Montana voters approved a parental-consent law by a two-to-one margin, requiring abortionists to notify the parents or guardians of girl under 16 at least 48 hours before she is scheduled to have an abortion. In Massachusetts, voters rejected a measure seeking to legalize physician-assisted suicide.

And on the federal level, Republicans maintained control of the U.S. House of Representatives, with 232 seats to the Democrats’ 191 seats.

“A majority conservative retention of the House of Representatives will offer somewhat of a firewall to protect life, marriage and religious freedom,” Earll said. But “other factors such as the Democratic-controlled Senate and the president’s use of executive orders will be harder to limit, even by a strong House.”

The level of engagement by pro-life, pro-family activists in this election was unprecedented, Earll said. “We just want to encourage them to not grow weary in doing good. There are still going to be many good opportunities before us, and the final chapter is not written.”

That includes the upcoming mid-term elections in 2014.
  
“It’s important for people to realize that the political process, the process of governing doesn’t stop,” Earll said. “We must be engaged at some level all the time because of the rights that we have in this nation. Anytime that we take a break, that we fall back, others are not going to fall back. We do need to stay engaged.”
 

Yes, indeed!  We are "not to grow weary in doing good."  We can celebrate the pro-family victories listed above, and continue to pray and work for more of such victories - especially for the sakes of our children and grandchildren.

The third email I would like to share was from Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Council.  Here is the email in its entirety:

Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman

Liberty Counsel

“If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under.” President Ronald Reagan

The event we have just witnessed was far more than a general election – it was a referendum on the soul of America. Every patriotic, pro-moral American has reason to be deeply concerned and saddened by the outcome. Those of us who intensely prayed and worked for a different result are entitled to a time of grief for our beloved nation and what we have become.

I tremble for our country because I fear the blessings of God that made America great are being withdrawn. For the first time in our history, a plurality of Americans voted for a party platform that intentionally omitted God and advanced many positions that the Bible specifically condemns. Some Christian observers called the Democratic Party platform for 2012 a “Romans Chapter 1 Platform,” and they were right.

But positive change can still take place! There is still hope for our nation! In some important ways, we are better positioned for a return to national sanity than before the 2012 election took place. Please see my very important message below – Mat.

Christine,

Today we grieve for our country.

We grieve today like we have lost a friend or a close relative. The America we knew has changed because the values of many Americans have changed. Millions of Americans looked evil in the eye and adopted it. Abortion, same-sex marriage, and immorality carried the day.

The great values on which America was founded were set aside because of selfishness unbalanced by biblical truth and commitment to Jesus Christ.

Race and ethnicity overrode values. The America we love is sick and in need of renewal and healing. Under these circumstances, Christine, it is okay to grieve.

But, after we have grieved, we must press forward. God calls us to be faithful no matter the consequences.

We might be a Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany who never lived to see the fruit of his faithful labor. We might be a Wilberforce in England who saw the fruit of his labor (the abolition of slavery and reformation of morals), but died soon after, never getting the chance to enjoy the results.

We might even be a David who stood up against popular opinion and defeated a giant who blasphemed God Almighty. But no matter what our lot might be, we are called to be faithful!

++We have a higher calling than the world.

Our calling and our values do not depend on a survey or an election. Whether we are on the verge of revival or are soon to face the death chamber makes no difference in how we respond or how we act. Our obedience is to Christ and to Christ alone!

The world hated Jesus and it is no surprise the world hates the followers of Christ. But, be of good cheer! The Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world and is seated on His throne.

Without Christ we are nothing. We are lost and have no hope. And although I grieve for a season, yet I have hope because of Christ!

Yes, God is still in control. But the choices people make have consequences. He is in control throughout the narrative of Deuteronomy 28. He is also in control in verses 1-14, where Scripture speaks of the blessings that will come to a nation if that nation follows God and keeps His commandments.

And, He is in control in Deuteronomy 25:15 and following, where the Holy text speaks of the curses that come for not obeying God.

Either way, He is in control! Either way, no matter what the populace does, we are not allowed to waiver and must always remain faithful.

++Here’s the bottom line…

At the end of the day, pendulums have a way of swinging from right to left and back again. We will no doubt see and feel the consequences of this election. More children will die. Marriage will come under greater attack. Immorality will be exalted.

Sadly, the country could easily collapse under the weight of escalating economic debt. Islam will be emboldened. Our military will become weaker. Israel will not have as strong an ally as it needs at this critical time. The world will become a more dangerous place.

These are all consequences that follow national actions like the ones we have just witnessed. But, when you are down, that is the time to fight all the harder!

There is NOTHING impossible for God. He is calling on His people to serve Him and He will not abandon His people!

Christine, God has called you and me for such a time as this. God is not surprised by these events. So, to reiterate, it is okay to grieve because what has happened is indeed sad.

But, we cannot go on grieving. We must arise and remember Whom we serve. God will not be mocked and His justice will not sleep forever!

In the midst of your grief, I want to encourage you. Our eyes must remain focused on the Lord and not on the crashing waves. How can we remain down when we are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb?

How can we remain sad when Almighty God knows our name? How can we be uncertain when we know Who wrote the last chapter of the Book?

May the peace of the Lord be with you. Be encouraged. Remain strong.

God bless you,

Mathew Staver, Founder and Chairman
Liberty Counsel

P.S. These are terribly challenging times for God-fearing, freedom- loving Americans. Unless we take every opportunity to resist this nation's head-long rush into godless socialism, we will soon be unable to recognize the nation we have loved and fought to preserve.

That’s why the Liberty Counsel family of ministries will never stop fighting to restore our shared values! We are in this battle together for the long haul to restore the soul of our nation.

If you want to put an exclamation point on your resolve to continue fighting with us, please go here to help Liberty Counsel financially:

http://www.libertyaction.org/7082/offer.asp

Again, God bless you, and keep your eyes on the Lord!

I have included a link which enables readers to help support the efforts of the Liberty Counsel family of ministries.

That last sentence is the best advice:

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE LORD!

Amen!

~  Christine

*******

Hat Tips to all links.

**  See my upcoming post about the many irregularities that occurred during this election which probably illegally skewed the vote - big time - towards BHO.