There is Power in the Blood

Power to strike you down.

Power to exact revenge.

Power to be passive aggressive.

Power to be directly aggressive.

Power to threaten.

Nothing warms the hearts of God’s people like the hope of seeing dirty sinners get what’s coming to them.  Amen?

You Can’t Get Anywhere with Those People

From the facebook files:  Climate change experts have an agenda and don’t want to be confused with facts.  “What facts”, you might scratch your head and ask.  Why, the Bible, of course.  Who needs science?  Who needs experiments?  You have all the facts you need right there in the Bible.  It says so right in there.

“Will the circle be unbroken
Bye and bye Lord, bye and bye” – Johnny Cash

You just can’t make this stuff up, people.  In the words of Ron White, “You can’t fix stupid.”

Pontificating

Having watched Pope Francis, and I’m no fan as I’m not Catholic(hell, I’m not even a believer), being eaten alive by conservative Protestants the words of this song came to mind. Oh, how fantastic Christans are at cannibilzing. I know, I know. The Pope’s not really a real Christian(sarcasm, if you can’t tell).

My Jesus

“And who is this that you follow
This picture of the American dream
If Jesus was here would you walk right by on the other side
Or fall down and worship at His holy feet? Holy, yeah

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion
Is how you see Him as He dies for Your sins
But the Word says He was battered and scarred
Or did you miss that part?
Sometimes I doubt we’d recognize Him
‘Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church…

The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud
And I think He’d prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd…” Todd Agnew

No, if the Jesus depicted in scripture walked the streets of America today he would not be recognized.  He would be shunned.  He would be shouted down.  No matter how many scriptures you throw at me saying that Jesus was a capitalist I don’t buy it.  I don’t think that The Parable of the Ten Minas means what you think it means.  I’m not even a professing Christian and I know that this parable has nothing to do with greed or accumulation of wealth.  Even if it did it wouldn’t be advocating it at the expense of others.  It certainly doesn’t carry with it any meaning even close to “get all you can, while you can, and hoard it for yourself.”

Somehow I just can’t picture the Jesus found in your Holy Book packing heat and capitalizing on the mysery of others.  I don’t even think I can picture him building big walls across the border.  Funny, for people who expect that Jesus could come back soon, at any moment, you sure do spend an awful lot of your time stepping on the heads of others to get your leg up in this world.

Oh, Sweet Jesus

Names don’t offend.  People do.

You Have Not Because You Ask Not

Apparently 51 year-old April Lee Yates didn’t pray hard enough.  According to WBTW News she dined out in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Sunday night expecting Jesus Christ to pick up the tab.  When he didn’t show up with the cash in hand she was carted off to jail because she hadn’t the money to pay.

I wonder how many times Jesus has paid a dinner check for her.  She certainly expected him to come through for her.  She didn’t even do a proper dine-and-dash.  She sat there for four hours waiting on him.

Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up.

God Honors Laws of Man

From my facebook files:

Man can create laws, but God already has his laws in place and there is no higher court capable of overturning or revising those laws. Make no mistake…God will not honor any laws created by man. Have no fear, He is still on His throne! And He still loves all sinners….me included.

Dear facebook friend,

It is fortunate for you that what you have been and done for your whole life isn’t illegal. That somehow makes your past not so…sinful. Sure, you’re straight. But you got knocked up out of wedlock. And, like me, you’re divorced and remarried.   And, really, I think you have that whole thing about God not honoring the laws of man all wrong.  Your Good Book says:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.  For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.  For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.  Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience.

 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.  Romans 13: 1-10(NIV)

 

Sounds like God approves of marriage(that’s what we’re calling it now).  So please stop making the baby Jesus cry.  Show your neighbors some love and respect, will ya?

The End is Nigh

In 2012, Chuck Norris, the kick-ass king of martial arts and star of Walker, Texas Ranger, produced a video with his wife predicting “1000 years of darkness” if Obama won a second term.  In it he proclaims, ““If we look to history, our great country and freedom are under attack. We’re at a tipping point and, quite possibly, our country as we know it may be lost forever if we don’t change the course in which our country is headed.”

Dun, dun. dunnnnnnn…….

Now he’s making more *cough* predictions.

According to him Barry O. is now importing Muslims into the U.S. illegally, is going to grant them amnesty, and get them Nationalized before the 2016 election to make sure the democratic nominee for the presidential election wins. He states, :

As if President Obama hasn’t made enough wrong moves, now, he’s going to finish his presidency casting a wide net of amnesty and carting illegals into every American community with virtually no regard for safety in doing so. But he does have one thing in mind for certain: creating new voters in every state to ensure a 2016 win for the Democratic Party presidential nominee.

First, the Department of Homeland Security, or DHS, sent letters to all 9,000,000 green-card holders urging them to naturalize prior to the 2016 election.

That’s a pretty tall order.  Also fairly impossible.  Frankly, I’m mad as hell.  TheBrit hasn’t gotten his letter urging him to naturalize.

First of all it’s obvious that Norris and those who are buying this equine fecal heap have no idea how the immigration system works.  Second of all it’s obvious that Norris nor those who are buying this equine fecal heap have no idea what President Obama’s immigration plan even is.  Furthermore that plan has been blocked by the Federal Court.

So….no, President Obama does not now, nor has he ever had a “strategy to “seed your communities” with at least 70,000 refugees a year, including Iraqis, Burmese, Bhutanese, Somalis, Cubans, Syrians and others. And the numbers of Syrians, mostly Muslim, will surpass them all,” as envisioned by Norris.

President Obama’s plan was not amnesty.  It was not a plan to get undocumented immigrants naturalized by the 2016 election.  That’s a fairly ridiculous assertion.  President Obama’s plan was to get undocumented immigrants documented.  They would have to pay a fine for being here illegally.  They would have go to the back of the line for long-term permanent residency. They would have to pass all the background checks to make sure they aren’t criminals.  Then and only then would they be documented.

But there’s no way on this green earth that we’re going to round up all the illegals and send them back where they came from.  Obama’s plan would be far less expensive than that.  It would weed out the criminals, who could/would then be rounded up and sent back where they came from or sent to jail depending on where they committed their crimes.

According to Norris, PJ Media obtained an internal letter written by Leon Rodriquez, director and co-chair of the Task Force on New Americans, which refers to a White House report called, ‘Strengthening Communities by Welcoming All Residents’.  Norris claims this letter states, “This report outlines an immigrant integration plan that will advance our nation’s global competitiveness and ensure that the people who live in this country can fully participate in their communities.” The horror!

Then Norris adds, “Of course, “fully participate” is code for granting voting rights and specifically re-electing a Democrat president.”

What a cunning and diabolical plan!  Mwhahahaha!  I can see the President wringing his hands and using a villainous laugh as the smoke rises from beneath his feet.  And it’s genius.  Except it can’t happen.

Could it be that “fully participate” means legal employment, paying taxes, having to participate in the Affordable Care Act, and going to school?

Nah, that would make too much sense.

The reason why TheBrit didn’t get his letter, though, is an interesting one.  He came here legally.  Which means he’s in line in the order in which he applied for long term permanent residency behind all the ones in front of him.  He’s not even eligible to apply for naturalization for at least another year.  And those 9 million green card holders?  If they’re holding a green card they’re here legally.  They can only naturalize if they’re eligible to naturalize.  There are a lot of green card holders who will never be eligible for anything more than a ten-year residency.

This whole conspiracy theory has so many flaws and holes in it it’s ridiculous.

The cherry on top?  The icing on the cake?  Norris finishes his diatribe with this crescendo, “Obama has literally helped build the environment for the Apocalypse, as defined by both Muslims and Christians.”

Take heed and look to the skies, my friends, the end is nigh.

Broken and Spilled Out

Often when reading blog posts I’m triggered.  Not into a downward spiral of despair.  More of a remembrance.  A remembrance of who I used to be.  A remembrance that causes me to take note of who I am today in relation to that person.

As I read this post at VictoriaNeuronotes and the subsequent comments I was brought to just such a remembrance. I remembered when I thought so little of myself that wanted nothing more than to be broken and spilled out because of what my supposed savior had done for me.  I was, in my mind, such a wicked person; so evil and vile that only a perfect blood sacrifice could atone for my shame, my depravity, my iniquity.  Unworthy of such a sacrifice I would be willing to sell my soul to the one who had made such a sacrifice.

I was reminded of this song by Steve Green which used to be a sort of personal anthem:

Broken and Spilled Out

One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn

And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a prisoner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of You, Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on thee

Broken and spilled out
And poured at Your feet
In sweet abandon, let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee

Lord, You were God’s precious treasure
His loved and His own perfect Son
Sent here to show me the love of the Father
Just for love it was done

And though You were perfect and holy
You gave up Yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me

Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me, Jesus
God’s most precious treasure
Lavished on me

Broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet, in sweet abandon
Lord, You were spilled out
And used up for me

I so identified with the very first verse of Amazing Grace:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me….
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see.

I even took to heart that John Newton had originally written, “…that saved a worm like me.”

A worm.  I was nothing more without Jesus than a wriggling worm in the dung heap of life. As a result of being told over and over that I was born as an affront to God, his enemy, I needed Jesus to mediate on my behalf. Made in God’s image, of course.  But I marred that image from the start by my own unrighteousness.  Anything good, and noble, and beautiful were the remnants of God’s perfect image.  The blackness, the ugliness, the humanness, that was all me. And that part of me deserved eternal damnation in a lake of fire. I needed a savior. And like anyone who has ever been saved from a sure fate of hell I was enamored with the savior.

This, folks, is the prescription company defining the disease and selling the cure.

I wanted to be broken and spilled out and used up in sweet abandon for any cause to which my savior called me.   And I was.  I was broken.  Every bit of my essence spilled out.  Shattered into a million little pieces.

You see, just as Victoria states in her excellent post, this all comes at a price.  Any notion of self-worth is hijacked and jack-knifed. Why would any loving parent want their child to be so broken?  How can this be called love?  In any other setting, if you removed the super-natural being from all of this, we would see it as twisted and abusive.  How can we just excuse this and say that because this is God there is some sort of caveat that makes this all different?

So I’ve taken my million little pieces of broken and spilled out mess and I’m putting them back together.  I’m making something new.  I am reborn.