Thought Control

It is not uncommon for society to condemn some kinds of speech.  Using foul language, for instance, is not acceptable in “polite society.”  Neither is using speech that directly and immediately incites others to riot or advocates violence against persons or groups.  Most reasonable people accept limiting verbal expression in this way. 

For example, this is a Christian blog. Christ taught us: 

All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37 NIV) 

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.(Matthew 5:21-22 NIV) [1] 

I encourage everyone to add to the discussion by commenting on this blog.  Your comments will be treated with respect.  Following Our Lord’s teaching, however, any comment that contains foul language, advocates violence, or demeans others will be deleted. 

Today, we are faced with political correctness on steroids.  I began to notice it during the Clinton Administration, and I was opposed to it even then.  One of the many reasons I was glad to see Bill and Hillary Clinton leave the White House was that political correctness seemed to leave with them.  It came back, however, during the Obama years, and it seemed to have gained strength. 

One of the reasons why Donald Trump is so popular among ordinary Americans is that he is the antithesis of political correctness.  He says what he thinks, means what he says, and he doesn’t couch things in euphemistic doubletalk.  You may not always agree with him, but you know where he stands. 

There is a political, economic, educational, and social Progressive Movement that is backed by big money and the media, and it is openly bent on fundamentally altering the character, the very identity, of the United States of America.  It is coercive and totalitarian in nature, and it seeks to compel our citizens to conform against their will.  I seem to recall hearing someone say, "The Progressives believe that 'the ends justify the means,' and they will use any means to achieve their ends." 

We use words to form our thoughts.  We think in words.  Therefore, if our language is changed, those who control that process can attempt to control the way we think.  There are long lists of words that are no longer acceptable at our universities, in the media, and in a plethora of other venues.  Even the use of third-person singular pronouns that are gender specific is being forbidden. *

Further, politically correct speech is changed frequently to keep us off balance.  We all have been witnessing it on a daily basis, and most “Average Americans” wonder why?  Here’s why - it is to control the way we think.  If certain words are taboo, then we cannot use them to formulate and express our thoughts.  If the political correctness of words keeps changing, we can never be certain that what we are saying is correct. 

Historically, despots, dictators, and tyrants have sought to have absolute power and control over their subjects by controlling their behavior.  A few have tried to control the way their people think.  Mind control has been elusive.  If attained at all, it has been temporary.  As the old German song goes, “Die Gedanken sind frei,” (the thoughts are free).  Persecution and oppression have never been able to permanently suppress “the human spirit.” 

That does not stop the autocrats from trying.  Therefore, we must never allow them to get away with it.  We must never purposely and knowingly diminish our neighbor. We cannot, however, allow our freedoms to be eroded or destroyed by those who want to fraudulently misuse the quest for social justice to oppress us.  We must use every legal means at our disposal to preserve the greatest nation the world has ever known. 

The Holy Bible speaks to the issue of language manipulation: 

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight!

(Isaiah 5:20-21 ESV) [2] 

*  We wonder, what do they intend to do with languages (like French, Spanish, Italian, and German) that have masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns?

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[1] https://biblehub.com

[2] Ibid.

 

Our Destiny

Before He created everything, God chose us to be His people, His adopted children, and He made it our destiny to become like Christ.  All glory to God.  Praise Him one and all.

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.                        (Ephesians 1:3-14 NIV)

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 NIV) *

 

Take the place God has prepared for you in His plan for the ages.  Believe in Jesus Christ.  Accept the Salvation He provided for you.  Grow to be more and more like Him each day.  He will bring you joy and peace, and the Holy Spirit living in you will help you walk the walk that Jesus walked.

* https://biblehub.com/

I was Wrong

There was a fight today in the parking lot of the “discount superstore” where we had just finished our grocery shopping.  I heard a ruckus as I was loading our things in the trunk of our car, and I turned to see a very large, rough looking man who was obviously having a fit of road rage.  I was too far away to hear exactly what was being said, but it seemed that the driver of a Mustang had taken the right-of-way.  The big guy was walking toward the Mustang yelling and cursing. 

The best way to de-escalate the situation would have been for the driver of the Mustang to back up his car and leave, but he chose to get out of his car and try to talk the big guy down.  The driver of the Mustang was young and slender of build.  The angry man clearly had the advantage of size and raw strength, although he looked to be in his 50’s.  Anyway, the younger man soon became angry, too.  Then the fight was on. 

I was surprised to see the aggressor bleeding from the nose.  The younger guy had great footwork, and he was able to get away from the big man’s attempts to grapple.  Eventually, they broke it off, although there was still a lot of yelling going on. 

I was glad when they quit fighting.  I had my smart phone out, getting ready to take pictures if the little guy started getting the worst of it.  I was ready to call 911, and then to intervene if it looked like somebody was in danger of being seriously injured. 

It was a long time since I had seen two grown men throw blows.  It is never a pretty picture, but I was glad the smaller man had held his own.  The big guy was obviously used to being able to intimidate other people with his size and belligerent attitude. 

I was way wrong a year ago about how things would turn out when the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine.  The Russians had a clear advantage in numbers and weaponry.  They had beaten the Ukrainians in 2014, and I thought they would quickly overwhelm them again.  I did not know we had been providing training and weapons to the Ukrainians, and the ineptitude of the Russian high command came as a complete surprise.  However, I still have concerns about the ultimate outcome of this horrible war. 

The Russians appear to be learning, adapting, and making leadership changes.  They are once again massing overwhelming forces for a new offensive.  Historically, the Russian Army has never been concerned about wasting the lives of its soldiers in huge numbers.  They will just keep coming, hoping to wear the Ukrainians down.  The Ukrainians, however, have fewer human resources on which to draw. 

The Russians have attacked civilians and civilian support infrastructure relentlessly.  They hope to break the will of the Ukrainian people, and erode support for the war.  It appears from all reports that this effort has not been successful.  We pray that the Ukrainian people will continue to resist. 

On the other hand, there are rumblings in the United States and her NATO allies, among their more short-sighted politicians, that there should be a limit to our ongoing support for the Ukrainian war effort.  This kind of thing is what our opponents have come to expect from us.  They know that if they can just hang on long enough, we will lose our resolve and quit.  I would bet real money that is what Vladimir Putin is banking on. 

Further, we have not provided the Ukrainians  with the kind of weaponry they need to win.  The political leaders in the West think winning is reaching a favorable negotiated settlement.  That nonsense  is because they do not understand war.  Victory occurs when one’s enemy is unable and unwilling to continue to fight. 

The Ukrainians cannot achieve real victory without first establishing air superiority in the area of conflict.  Advanced aircraft can help to protect the Ukrainians from Russian missiles and armored ground forces.  They need modern tanks to stop the advanced main battle tanks being deployed by the Russians.  They also need medium range missiles with conventional warheads with which they can attack staging areas and supply dumps inside Russia.  These weapons would go a long way to help the Ukrainians defeat the coming Russian offensive.  Without them, the Ukrainians will have to take far more casualties than they can afford. 

The United States has been generous with military aid to Ukraine.  Those who want more accountability for the money, weapons and munitions we have provided are correct.  Those who point out that that the US has provided far more help than anyone else, and who want our NATO allies to bear more of the burden, are correct as well. 

We the People, however, can’t sit idly by and watch our “fearless leaders” in Washington D.C. – once again – snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by abandoning the Ukrainians now … when they need us most.  Please write your Senators and Congressmen, urging them to give these brave people what they need to win. 

It’s just like the fight I saw in the parking lot today.  It just plain feels good to see a bully get the bloody nose that is coming to him.

 

The Open Door

Is there an obstacle in your life?  Is there something that you know the Lord wants you to do, but you just can’t get it done?  Is there something that is keeping you from giving yourself to the Lord?  Or, are you struggling to overcome some secret sin?  Is the Lord calling you to walk the path He walked, the way that He walked it – but you just can’t bring yourself to do it? 

Jesus said: 

And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. (Luke 11:9-10 ESV) 

Have you sought out the Lord about something, but His answer isn’t clear?  Has He given you an answer that you are resisting?  Are you afraid?  Do you feel that you lack the courage or the strength to do what He has planned for you to do? 

Jesus said: 

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.  The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:19-21 WSV) 

Sometimes we ask for help, but we don’t hear the Lord’s answer.  Or, sometimes we hear His answer, but it isn’t what we want to hear. 

Have we sought Him out?  Is He is knocking?  When we answered the door, did we invite Him in?  Are we shutting the door in His face? 

If we open the door, and let Him in, the joy of His fellowship will overcome our weakness.  You will find, “that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion …” (Philippians 1:6 ESV)  Remember, when we open the door we must also step aside.  We have to get the SELF out of the way to let Jesus in. 

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. (Luke 9:23 ESV)

 

Acknowledgement:

All Bible verses were copied from https://biblehub.com/

To God a Thousand Years are Like a Day

God is eternal.  He is from “everlasting to everlasting.”  For eternity before the creation, God was.  He is now, and for eternity in the future He will be forever. 

Moses and St. Peter agree that God is not governed by time like we are.  To Him a thousand years is like a day.  They also agree that God has given us the blessing of a confident expectation (hope) of a better day to come.

 

Psalm 90

A prayer of Moses the man of God.  

Lord, you have been our dwelling place

throughout all generations.

Before the mountains were born

or you brought forth the whole world,

from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

You turn people back to dust,

saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”

A thousand years in your sight

are like a day that has just gone by,

or like a watch in the night.

Yet you sweep people away in the sleep of death—

they are like the new grass of the morning:

In the morning it springs up new,

but by evening it is dry and withered.

We are consumed by your anger

and terrified by your indignation.

You have set our iniquities before you,

our secret sins in the light of your presence.

All our days pass away under your wrath;

we finish our years with a moan.

Our days may come to seventy years,

or eighty, if our strength endures;

yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,

for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

If only we knew the power of your anger!

Your wrath is as great as the fear that is your due.

Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Relent, Lord! How long will it be?

Have compassion on your servants.

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love,

that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,

for as many years as we have seen trouble.

May your deeds be shown to your servants,

your splendor to their children.

May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us;

establish the work of our hands for us—

yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90 1-17 NIV) *

 

 

2 Peter 

Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.  I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. 

Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”  But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.  By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.                   (2Peter 2:1-13 NIV) *

* https://biblehub.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus is the Only Way

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;  one Lord, one faith, one baptism;  one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:3-6 NIV) 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV)

 

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!  If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,  then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.  Jesus is 

“ ‘the stone you builders rejected,

which has become the cornerstone.’

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:8-12 NIV)

 

Acknowledgement: The Bible verses shown were copied from: https://biblehub.com

True Inclusiveness

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV) 

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Acts 2:21 ESV) 

So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. (Acts 10:34-35 ESV) 

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.  For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:12-13 ESV) 

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus.  And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes.  There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28 NLT) 

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.  But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. (James 2:8-9 ESV) 

 

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.  Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. 

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.  But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.  No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. 

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.  No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.  This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister. (1John 3:1-10 NIV) 

 

Acknowledgement:

 All of these Bible verses were copied from https://biblehub.com/