Inconsistency In American Leadership

As we get ready to cast our votes tomorrow, I was thinking about all the inconsistencies that we see in this country every day.  

America is full of inconsistencies. Politics, religion, mass media, education, war, freedom, democracy and tyranny have all changed in the past decade. There is a differing interpretation from what was understood just a few years ago. There is no longer justice; everything is based on political expediency. I once had a bumper sticker that read, “We have the best politicians money can buy.” Millions are spent on getting individuals elected to positions on promises that they will not be like those they will replace.  Only to find out later they are worse than those they replaced. Our elected leaders are sympatric towards Islam, while making war on Christianity.  The mass media is controlled by those who have an agenda of world domination and have no problem lying or covering up the truth to forward their cause.  The education system in this country is driven by political agendas rather than what is best for our children.  We are fighting wars all around the world and winning none.  Freedom in this country has been sacrificed on the altar of safety.  Democracy is a word used to justify the destruction of the sovereignty of nations that do not meet the agenda of the political manipulators who are striving for world domination.  Tyranny is the actions of elected leaders who defy the Constitution of the United States and pass laws that take away freedom and liberty from the American citizens.  

Today, America's elected leaders have become the world bully. When countries refuse to submit to the American agenda the use of force, economic sanctions, propaganda from the mass media, creation of civil disobedience, and disregard for national sovereignty are all methods used to bring into submission those who fail to comply or they are destroyed. In the past decade nations around the world have be toppled by our American government under the guise of democracy and national security. 

An example of our inconsistency is found in our meddling in the affairs of the Ukrainian people.  Our leaders preach freedom and democracy but are quick to stop the freedom of choice if it is not according to the American agenda.  Eastern Ukraine wants to have elections to determine if they will continue to be part of a country that is opposed to their way of life.  Our leaders are against allowing this election to take place.  What I find interesting is  Steven D. Kelley, a former CIA contractor, said the United States has no moral authority to criticize the elections.  “The US State Department has no right to criticize the elections that are going on in the NovoRussia (Novorossiya), which should never be referred to as eastern Ukraine again because of the genocide being committed against them by the insane Nazi junta government in Kiev,” Kelley said.  He also added, “The United States has a record of supporting elections in occupied countries, such as in Iraq, which certainly is a good example of an illegitimate election.”

Not only has our government invaded non-compliance countries, it is spending billions of dollars invading the privacy of the American citizens. Our government tracks our political views, our health, our banking practices, our charitable contributions, our religious beliefs, and our income; in fact every facet of our life is tracked. Our movements are tracked by traffic cameras, surveillance camera in our schools, business, restaurants, banks, and places of work and by satellite surveillance. We are no longer a free nation. We have become the frog in the pot of water slowly losing our ability to react to the serious condition we are in. 

We need to ask ourselves just how free are we? How safe can we be in a country where the illegals coming into this country are provided free education, free medical treatment, and a free get out of jail card all at the expense of the American taxpayer? We need to ask ourselves is it right for individuals to come into our country behead our citizens, force laws upon us that are in violation of our Constitution, insult our way of life by demanding that we bow to their religion while making threats to destroy us and our way of life? 

What has America become when our own President badmouths America to the rest of the world and supports those who are out to destroy this nation. What has happened to the America that would never leave a Marine in a Mexican jail, or American pastor in an Iranian prison? What happened to the America that would never provide weapons to our enemies or give aid to countries that are out to destroy us? What happened to our elected leaders who took an oath to protect this country from enemies both foreign and domestic? 

Could it be that I have become cynical? Maybe I should not be concerned about the direction the country is going. There is no reason for worry or concern. The elected leaders of America are looking out for my best interest and the interest of the rest of the world. Just because the government is meddling in every aspect of human endeavors all over the world and in my life, I have nothing to fear. I need only to sit back and enjoy my retirement and watch my government bring peace, freedom and prosperity to not only me but the rest of the world. Yes, Alice, there is a Wonderland and we in America are living in it.

I am afraid I cannot just sit back and watch this country self-destruct. I have watched my government increase conflicts around the world; trample the sovereignty of other nations, spread chaos under the guise of democracy, spy on our own allies, lie to the American people about actions in Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, Egypt, Syria, West Africa and the Ukraine and act like nothing is wrong. 

It was our government that gave support to the Mujahideen in Afghanistan during their fight against the Soviet Union. These fighters later became the Taliban and Al-Qaeds which now has evolved into ISIS. America has had a terrible track record of supporting Islamic extremist movements in the past two decades. We are making the same mistake with our fight with ISIS. We arm “rebels” who in turn join ISIS and use our weapons to further their cause. There are those in our government that want the leadership in Syria removed, so they finance and arm the “rebels” from countries that wish to overthrow Syria. The Syrian people are the ones being killed by these “rebels”. It is the “rebels” that are killing Christians not the Syrian army. Let me ask why are we are even concerned about Syria? It cannot be because the Syrian government is killing its citizens. If that were true, we would not be support “rebels” who are beheading Christians, destroying churches, and killing Shia Muslims. We have turned loose a monster of evil on the people of Syria. So, why are we in Syria?  It is not because we are concerned about the Syrian government killing its citizens, because we are supporting those who are killing the citizens of Syria.

Another thing that bothers me is Afghanistan-- the poppy production is at its highest. This means the drug money is also at its highest. Who is buying the drugs that supports the terrorist? America has had a War on Drugs for years and we have lost the war. The opium poppy production is booming, which means all the drugs related to opium are flooding the streets of America. Opium is the cash crop of Afghanistan producing 85% of the world production. The money from the sale of opium goes straight into the pockets of the Taliban, who use it to buy weapons. How much is reaching the streets of America? Heroin use is cheap and on the rise in America. This means that every heroin drug pusher and user is a potential supporter of terrorist organizations.  How many American soldiers have died because of the drug money used to support the terrorist?

We have been told by the news media that ISIS is getting money from the sale of oil. Could someone tell me who is producing the oil? ISIS cannot stop fighting to operate an oil refinery. Who is buying the oil? 

Jana Hybášková, the former Czech Member of European Parliament was addressing the committee on foreign affairs when she criticized European nations of inadvertently aiding ISIS by buying their oil. Here is a group of nations that are sending aid to anti-ISIS fighters while buying oil from ISIS. Hybášková is the European Ambassador to Iraq, she was critical of Iran, Kurdistan and Turkey for allowing themselves to be used to facilitate the export of oil produced by ISIS, which nets them over $3 MILLION a day in revenue. I am sure those who are buying ISIS oil could careless that they are financing the terrorist.  Some estimates put ISIS oil production at 80,000 barrels a day, which is shipped by a fleet of 210 trucks. According to a CNN report, this network of oil smugglers is well established and stretches back as far as the 1990’s UN sanctions on Saddam Hussein.

So here is what is amazing to me, every election we keep supporting these same people who keep getting us in to world conflict that we have no business being involved with. Why is it that we cannot get these people out of power? We The People have allowed politicians to make politics a very lucrative career. What business can you enter making $184,000 a year and in few terms you have become a millionaire? Something is wrong with this picture. Another thing that is wrong, our government leaders seem to be afraid to call terrorist acts in this country for what they are—terrorist acts. When some terrorist is crying Allah Akbar call what it is—a terrorist act. Are American leaders afraid to be honest about the War on Terror? 

Here is another inconsistency. ISIS is on a mission to unite the Muslim world under one political banner which will give them the control of all oil producing countries. Right now ISIS has sympathizers in countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE and Oman. What each of these countries has in common with ISIS is they are all major Sunni countries—just like ISIS. Fundamental Islamist groups such as ISIS owe their success to America, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel and European Countries out to destroy the Syrian government. This is the result of America getting involved in a conflict we had no business supporting. Supplying the “rebels”, with any type of support ends up in the hands of ISIS. Ever wonder how a JV team becomes a major army with thousands of soldiers running around the country in American made vehicles, shooting American weapons, and taking over major oil fields? 

Our government has been telling the world that we have a common enemy, an enemy that is evil and a threat to freedom and liberty. Our government leaders tell us the American people that in order to have freedom here at home we must fight our enemy in whatever country they can be found. The war on terror has cost the American people the lives of their sons and daughters, the loss of freedom and liberty here in America, and a war debt that our grandchildren will be paying off after we are long gone. What have we gained from our War on Terror?

One could ask the question, why are we fighting this war that our government leaders do not want to win? Here is another inconsistency. We capture terrorist who burned villages, beheaded civilians and soldiers only to later release them. The head of ISIS Abu Bakr al Baghdadi was in U.S. custody at our now closed Camp Bucca in Iraq. Here is a man who was released from the Iraqi prison by our President Obama in 2009 and by 2014 he has created an army of terrorist that has plans to conquer all the oil producing countries in the Middle East. Both Obama and Hillary Clinton have released a monster on the world. Baghdadi is not only a threat to countries of the Middle East he is a threat to our way of life. 

Here is another inconsistency. Our American soldiers risk their lives to capture the enemy and secure them in a facility that isolates them from the rest of the terrorist organizations, only to have our President Obama release them. Obama released five Taliban terrorist from Guantanamo Bay, in exchange for a deserter who converted to Islam and was training them to build bombs. Where is the sense in this? These terrorist were held in Guantanamo because they were named the most dangerous enemies. But wait, if you think this is bad, our president is giving “get out of jail free” cards to those who have “positive attitudes”, or have taken up yoga. The bodyguard for Osama bin Laden, is now ready to be released because he wants to start and milk and honey farm. So what happens to these “forever prisoners” when they are released? They are back on the battlefield doing the very things they were captured for in the first place.

Why are we fighting an enemy that we keep sending back to the battlefield to kill more of our sons and daughters? Why are our elected leaders so careful not to call Islam a terrorist religion? Every day we hear how Russia, China, North Korea, Iran and Syria are evil countries because they are against the American way of life. This may all be true—but I do not see Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, Iranians or Syrians here in America beheading people in the streets or in their place of business, or shooting soldiers on an army base. I do see this happening from those who are Muslims, but our government will not acknowledge the fact Islam is our true enemy. 

Here is another inconsistency—our president appoints a number of Muslims to high government positions who have been known to have ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and the American people have elected Muslims to hold positions in Congress. These individuals have taken an oath to support the Constitution against enemies both foreign and domestic—how can they do this when they are sworn to convert the whole world to Islam—a direct inconsistency to freedom and liberty? 

Here is another inconsistency. Our government has placed sanctions on Russia, Iran, and North Korea, why not place sanctions on Saudi Arabia? They continue to support our enemies and fund terrorist. Have we forgotten who the 19 men were who brought down the World Trade building, crashed a plane into the Pentagon and another plane in a field in Pennsylvania—they were from Saudi Arabia not Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Yet, this is totally ignored. 

Before you think I am against America—not true. I am against those who are destroying the American way of life by going against the principal this country was found on. I find major inconsistencies in world politics when Putin makes more sense than our own President. Even if Putin is just saying the right things to gain approval, it is more than our President has done. President Obama has spent more time speaking against the American people than supporting them. We may be a people who cling to our guns and religion but we are free because of those guns and religion.

It is time to take back this country from those who seek their own agendas, who do not uphold the Constitution of the United States, and manipulate the American people to hate those who have no hatred towards us. We would do good to return to true Christian principals and treat the world like we want to be treated and that can be done at the ballot box. It is your responsibility as an American to VOTE for what made America a great nation. VOTE this next election for those who support America and not their own agenda. I have Hope that we can Change America at the ballot box.

Making Deals With the Enemy

 NOTICE: If you do not believe in marriage as between a man and a woman, you may not want to read this.  You have been warned that the information here is based on traditional marriage and does not approve of same-sex marriage. 

  And the men took of their victuals, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the Lord.  And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them, to let them live: and the princes of the congregation sware unto them.  Josh 9:14-15

 In the 9th chapter of the book of Joshua we read where Israel is continuing their campaign to posses the Land of Canaan.  They are about to make war on six nations that the LORD has commanded to be destroyed for their immorality and idolatry. The wickedness of these six nations had exceeded the mercy of the LORD.  The problem was the enemy they were facing was more deceitful than they realized and they would soon pay the price for their failure to consult the LORD on this matter. 

 The six nations got together to form an alliance against Israel, however, the people of Gibeon made the decision to opt out of the alliance and try to save their skin by using a more subtle method. They planned to deceive the Israelites into making a peace treaty with them and their plan was based on information they had somehow gleaned about Israel’s military policy in relation to nations that were not part of the nearby nations of Canaan. According to Deuteronomy the Israelites were to destroy all these six nations, sparing none, however, according to Deut 20:10-20 Israel were allowed to offer peace treaties with other nations who lived ‘at a distance from them’. And so the leaders of Gibeon decided to deceive the Israelites into thinking that they represented the people of a nation from ‘a distant land’ and on that basis to seek to negotiate peace terms. And so in verses 3-13 you have the record of how they went about this deception. They got together a delegation of men and made them up in such a way as to appear as though they had been travelling for a long time from a distant country. They put the oldest, most worn out sacks they could find over their donkeys and filled the sacks with dry moldy old bread. They gave them old cracked wineskins and made the men in the delegation wear old worn out clothes. Then they worked out a convincing little story that they would tell the Israelites, about how they came from a country far away and how they had heard about the mighty things their God had done in Egypt and to the Kings on the other side of the Jordan and because of what they had heard about them and about their great God they wanted to make a peace treaty with them. It was a great idea. But would it work?

Well as we read through the narrative we discover that it did work. Joshua and the leaders were somewhat cautious at first as we see from v 7. Responding to their initial request for peace by saying ‘but perhaps you live near us. How then can we make a treaty with you?’ They were nevertheless taken in both by what they heard and by what they saw. The men from Gibeon had a story that sounded so convincing. And there was plenty of evidence to back up what they were saying. It appeared that they had indeed come from a distant country and this being the case they could and should make a peace treaty with them. And so Joshua and the leaders of the people took the decision to do so. The problem of course was that things were not what they appeared. Joshua and the leaders had been taken in. They had been deceived. And the reason they had been deceived was because they took this decision without consulting the Lord. They worked solely on the basis of human wisdom, of carnal reasoning. They thought, ‘well the story sounds very plausible, we have no reason to doubt the honesty of these people and after all the evidence was there for all to see’ This seemed the sensible thing to do. But no matter how sensible and right their reasoning and their subsequent decision seemed to be to them, the fact of the matter was it was a wrong decision and a wrong course of action. It wasn’t that Joshua and the leaders failed to use their brains, they asked questions, they looked at the evidence, they weighed up the situation and so on. But what they didn’t do was bring the matter to God and seek his guidance. Look at those words in v 14 “the men of Israel…did not inquire of the Lord.” Maybe they thought, ‘there is no need to inquire of the Lord about this matter, it’s so obvious that these people are telling the truth. It’s obvious what we should do. No need to take this to the Lord.

As a result of this impetuous decision that was based solely on faulty reasoning they in effect not only allowed an enemy that should have been destroyed off the hook, but also allowed the enemy into their camp. It was a mistake, a foolish mistake, and Joshua and the people had to live with the consequences of their mistake and all because they didn’t seek guidance from God on the matter. They took a hasty decision about an important matter, based solely upon their own powers of human reasoning and without seeking clear guidance from God, and they got it wrong. If only they had taken the time to bring the matter before God. 

Christians must beware of falling into the same trap into which Joshua and his fellow leaders fell. We need to guard against making decisions in our life without first seeking God’s guidance and God’s will in the matter. To make hasty decisions based solely upon the fruit of our own reasoning - logical, and sensible as that reasoning may indeed appear at the time will bring us misery down the road.

One area in which the Church has for several years now allowed the enemy to enter into the camp of the Church and an enemy that is proving as deceitful as the men of Gibeon and is out to destroy the Church is the LGBT community.

Evangelical leaders are trying to make a “treaty” with the enemy. After the U.S. Supreme Court gave federal recognition to gay marriages, several evangelicals responded by urging like-minded Christians to be more sensitive towards the gay and lesbian community.  For those outside conservative Christianity, this may not seem significant, but it's a notable change for Christians who believe their faith requires them to challenge same-sex relationships.  The enemy will not show tolerance toward the Church when they gain acceptance of the leadership of the church.  This has been proven by the actions of the mayor of Houston. 

The Mayor of Houston (a lesbian) tramples the U.S. Constitution by demanding five pastors turn over their sermons and private communication between the pastor and the congregation. And so begins the day of battle, where the institutions of this world have plagued the minds of this generation and trampled everything the Church holds true.

We like to believe the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment is at the top of the Bill of Rights because the freedoms it protects are the most important. It says, rather bluntly, that the government can't interfere with freedom of speech or religion. Apparently, when it comes to violating the Constitution, the city of Houston decided to try for a two for one. Why violate one constitutional right listed in the First Amendment when you can violate two at the same time?

In subpoenaing sermons and emails from five ministers in the city's church, Houston decided to violate the ministers' rights to both speech and religion. It issued the subpoenas over a lawsuit filed to force a referendum on the city's new nondiscrimination ordinance.

The enemies of the Church have been fond of pointing to the "separation of church and state" invoked by the U.S. Supreme Court when it banned prayer in public schools. That separation should exist, but not as much to keep the church out of the state's business as to keep the state out of the church's business.

A civil authority compelling religious leaders to turn over the contents of their sermons is a violation of religious liberty. The Constitution clearly prohibits it. Would the people of in your church feel comfortable with your pastor sending some government official private communications between you and your pastor?  If city officials want to know what's said from the pulpit, then attend services. These days, most likely, they could even watch the sermons streaming online.

Of course, that's really not the crux of what's going on here. Subpoenaing political speech pointed at a government action or criticizing a government official is clearly an intimidation tactic intended to have a chilling effect on that speech. That is nothing short of tyranny.

What is disconcerting is the fact that Christians endorsed Parker for mayor.  Why would any Christian support Parker?   They were making a “treaty” that would later bring misery to them, just as the men from Gibeon brought misery to Joshua.  

Let me be clear before you think I am picking and choosing what sins are not acceptable and those that are acceptable. I am opposed to brother and sister marrying- incest it is wrong. I am opposed to older men marrying a child as allowed by Islam-it is wrong. I am opposed to a man marrying more than one wife- as allowed by some branches of the Mormon Church. I am opposed to same sex couples marrying which is opposed by the Bible. I am opposed to adultery and premarital sex which is plaguing  the Church.  I find these sins of immorality  just as evil and destructive to the Church as the LGBT community.  It was the total of all these sins that brought judgment on the Canaanites.

 Do not make yourselves unclean in any of these ways because that is how the nations that I am throwing out before you became unclean. ²⁵ That is also how the land became unclean, and I held it liable for punishment, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. ²⁶ But all of you must keep my rules and my regulations. You must not do any of these detestable things, neither citizen nor immigrant who lives with you (²⁷ because the people who had the land before you did all of these detestable things and the land became unclean), ²⁸ so that the land does not vomit you out because you have made it unclean, just as it vomited out the nations that were before you. ²⁹ Anyone who does any of these detestable things will be cut off from their people. ³⁰ You must keep my requirement of not doing any of the detestable practices that were done before you arrived so that you don’t make yourselves unclean by them; I am the Lord your God.

For years I have heard the gay community ask the question, If we want to marry, how does it hurt you?  Let me ask the same question to the LGBT community, If Christians don’t approve of your behavior, how does it hurt you?  I have never advocated the beheading of gays and lesbians as carried out by Islam or advocated violence, name-calling or putting all gays and lesbians in prison, or denying them the freedom to speak.  I have never advocated the firing of a gay or lesbian, nor have I tried to destroy their businesses.  It is this simple, I oppose sin of any nature, not just the LGBT community.  I oppose drug abuse, sex abuse, child abuse, elder abuse and feel they are just as evil as the LGBT community.  My problem is that the LGBT community wants me to accept their actions and life-style without allowing me the same consideration.  They bring law suits against those who will not perform same sex marriages, they try to destroy the business of those who refuse to condone their life-style, they force their belief on those who disagree with them, and they use corrupt judges to change the law to allow them to practice their immorality.

 Christians have failed to see that the LGBT community has hijacked marriage and is now forcing the Church to accept and condone same sex marriage as legitimate, even though marriage between a man and woman has traditionally been the only spiritual ceremony in the Church for thousands of years. 

The same standard that the LGBT community is insistent on to be respected and they are demanding from Christians, is not given to Christians who oppose their life-style.  The LGBT community opposes Christian’s freedom to speak out against a life-style that we feel is immoral.  They have no problem encroaching on our freedom of speech and religion as shown by the lesbian mayor of Houston when she demanded that the five pastors who spoke against her ordinance.  Where is the tolerance in her actions?

The American people have supported traditional marriage in every electoral battle over same-sex marriage.  The gay community has won it victories in the courtroom by corrupt judges who twist the words of the state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution.  The tolerance of the Christian community towards the gay community has not been reciprocal in nature. Yes, I am aware there are those on both sides of this issue that have no problem resorting to violence to prove their point of view, just because you feel you are right dose not justify violence.  Often, the violence against a LGBT individual is carried out by non-Christians and then associated with the Christian community.  Any one restoring to violence against those who do not accept the teaching Jesus Christ cannot be called a Christian.  These individuals are as wrong as the sin they protest against. 

The gay community has every right to oppose those who speak against them and Christians have every right to speak out against the actions of the gay community. That's freedom of religion and freedom of speech. But let's stop pretending that the Christians are intolerant while the gay community is not. Every week you can find where a same sex couple has sued those who will not accept their way of life.  Maybe Christians should start suing those who infringe upon our rights and freedom.

The church has allowed the world to make a treaty with those who are out to destroy not only the message of the Gospel but the Church as an institution against the moral decline of this nation. When will Christians realize that you cannot make deals with the devil and not become like him?  The tolerance of sin leads to the acceptance of sin which leads to condoning the sin and the final stage is openly practicing that sin.  This is apostasy and is the very direction our country is head.  This is the reason the LORD commanded Israel not to become as the nations around them.

I do not hate or wish to bring misery on those who have accepted a life-style that is different than mine, I pray that they may find the way to salvation and accept the gift of that Jesus Christ died to give them—freedom from the bondage of sin.  I pray that the Church understands that we are in war against evil and that we cannot make treaties with the devil or allow our own reasoning to override the wisdom of the LORD.