What exactly does the word STUPID mean?  Officially it means to show a lack of intelligence, perception or common sense, but unofficially it means most of what takes place around us both in the world and among Christians.

There is not a day that goes by where I do not stand in awe of the stupid things people (including me) say and do.  Whether this is because of the “dumbing down” process we all have been subjected to or whether it is lack of concentration or common sense I don’t know; all I know is that the “stupid meter” is reaching an all time high.

Some things are just plain stupid like going to a football game with a painted body and no shirt when it is 10 degrees outside.  Other things are not quite so obvious like driving 80 mph in a blinding rainstorm with no lights on. 

Many times what is absolute stupidity to one person is perfectly normal to the one doing it.  For many of us, the idea of watching cars race around a track is stupid.  But, for the millions of crazed NASCAR fans it is anything but stupid.  For many the very thought of riding a roller coaster, parachuting out of an airplane, skiing down a 14,000 foot mountain or shooting the rapids of a roaring river defines STUPIDITY.  But, for those who enjoy thrills, these things are perfectly normal forms of entertainment.

I don’t much care what kinds of stupid things people do in their private lives as long as it doesn’t affect me.  But, when one person’s stupidity poses a threat to my life or property, then I feel I have a right to be upset a little bit.  This is a daily battle while driving due to the massive number of drivers who live and die doing very stupid things.

God does not want us to be stupid.  I can say that with full assurance that I am right.  God does not want us to harm or injure ourselves in vain efforts to please our senses.  God does not want us to harm or hurt anyone else while trying to bring a thrill to our flesh.  Love dictates never doing anything that would present a stumbling block to another believer.  Thus, we do not have the “right” to do as we please if it involves anyone else.

This lesson is very hard for believers to grasp.  They want to enjoy their freedom in Christ but have a difficult time understanding how abuse of such freedom is in direct violation to the guidelines of the Word of God.  This is all brought up in great detail in Romans chapter 14 for it was a problem in the First Century Church and is still a problem today.

We may not like what others do and say, but we have no right to judge them unless what is done or said either directly harms us or is in direct contradiction to the written Word of God.  I may not like it that you jump out of airplanes to ski down a 14,000 mountain never skied before; but I have no right to judge you for doing it.  It does not affect me.  But, if you come set my house on fire to appease an inner desire to see flames; I will call the sheriff and have you arrested for arson.  You do not have the legal right to do something stupid if it hurts me. 

In the past few weeks I have made a number of trips to various places in these United States.  I believe some of the things I have seen and experienced have given me a much clearer picture of what is right and wrong with this country than what I previously had.

Last week I made a short journey from Jackson, Tennessee to Corinth, Mississippi.  For a time I was trying to keep track of the number of empty warehouses, small manufacturing facilities, auto dealerships and other business facilities; I quickly had to give up trying to keep track of them all.  I was in total awe at the number of “for sale” or “for lease” signs on various buildings of all sizes and condition.

The first thing that struck me was wondering where all the people who used to work at these places have gone.  Did they find new employment or are they unemployed?  Are they still receiving unemployment or have they given up?  Did they stay in the area or move on to “greener pastures”?  These were the questions running through my mind.

Locally, in the far western parts of the St. Louis, Missouri metropolis, I am amazed at the number of empty commercial facilities.  We used to have three car dealers here back in April and now we have one, and it is about to fail.  We used to have a transmission repair facility, a number of reputable auto mechanics and body shops.  The numbers have dwindled to where only the strongest have survived.

In quick succession over the past year, first the Sonic  ceased operation, then the Dairy Queen and finally the Hardees.  Granted, there are still three other fast food places in operation, but to lose one half of the total places to eat in a town (fast food) in such a short time is incredible.

What happens to the tax base in places where one business after another fails?  What happens to the image projected to outsiders when they look around at one empty building after another?  It certainly does not act as an impetus to move there and open a new business.  Just a couple of years ago two strip malls were constructed next to each other.  They all filled up with businesses very quickly.  Within two years one is completely empty and the other is less than half occupied.

Where have all the small businesses gone in this country?  Where have all the small machine shops, repair shops and specialty item retailers gone to?  We have an Outlet Mall in our town.  At one time all 50 places were leased and businesses were operating within them.  In the last two years the occupancy rate has dropped to less than 50% with more surely closing in January.

While the eyes of the media are squarely upon Fortune 500 companies and how their stock does on a given day, the eyes of most of us are on the local small businesses and their ability to stay afloat in these troubled times.  With so many of the new laws being discussed in Congress ready to make operating a small business nearly impossible; one has to wonder what the landscape will look like by this time next year.  I really do wonder how many family owned small businesses will be left standing by then.

A few weeks ago I flew from St. Louis to Chicago and then on to Minneapolis.  With each stop, the surroundings were the same; cement, asphalt, cars, homes, stores and warehouses, in other words–normal city “stuff”.  As unremarkable as this sounds, it was actually quite profound.

See, I did not fly back to St. Louis bur rather I drove a vehicle I had flown to pick up.  The difference between flying and driving was incredible to say the least.  Instead of only seeing cities and thinking of all the problems cities have, I saw mainly farmland as far as the eye could see.

Many years ago a famous “know it all” wrote a bestselling book claiming that the world’s population was going to explode to the point that by the year 2000, there would be no food to feed it.  Hmmm, I just made a trip where I did not so much as see one human (except in another car) for miles on end.  Hmmm, I just made a trip through the fertile farmland of Iowa (and other states too), where there were thousands of acres of corn and beans in the fields.

Right now I am looking out the window at my home at the most awesome looking bean field I have ever seen in my life.  These beans are such a rich shade of green and nearly 30 inches tall.  Yes, this is the same field that had been planted in corn, tilled and replanted in beans in June.  The point is, there is going to be an incredible harvest of beans shortly out of that field along with hundreds of others just in our county alone.

A person can sit in an ivory tower of learning, looking out on the cement world of a major city and invent a crisis.  This has been proven over and over again in different realms.  But, the only way to know if there really is a crisis is to climb out of that tower and get out of the concrete jungle to where the common people live.  It is out there, in the thousands of tiny villages, towns and communities that the “real world” lives and moves and has their being.

When I was stuck in Chicago for an unanticipated ground delay the other day, I was struck by the number of business people using their laptops and talking on cell phones the whole time.  They were oblivious to the situation and were thinking of only dollars and cents.  One day later I was eating at a diner in the middle of nowhere surrounded by truckers and farmers whose only concern was the weather and the food they were eating.

Life is as complicated, messed up and hopeless as we allow it to be.  Sometimes we get so caught up in what we are doing in life we forget what life is really all about.  Sometimes we become so engulfed in the affairs of this life that we lose sight of the Lord who gave us a life to live.  Sometimes we become so obsessed with the daily grind that we totally forget that without the Lord there is nothing in life but pride and problems.

Perhaps some of you need to take a nice long drive and get away from the pressures and warped perspective that comes from the stress of work/kids/etc.  Sometimes a quiet drive through fields of plenty or the woods or up a mountain or to the beach is all it takes to refresh, rejuvenate and realign our thinking with God and His way of doing things.

There was a time when if the President of the United States spoke things to the world such as have been said recently, such a President would be tried for treason and if convicted be put to death.  Of course times such as those no longer exist in the mad dash to destroy any credibility this country had remaining after the fiascos of the past twenty years.

Every President who has taken office since George Washington recites the following oath at their inauguration:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

A President is under oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.  What does the Constitution say the President’s job involve.  Article II sections 2 and 3 lay out the authority and responsibilities of the President of the United States.  Anything a President does now that is not within the Constitution has either arisen through amendments, legislation, executive orders or tradition.  Herein lays the problem.

A President can fulfill his obligations as laid out in the oath of office and spelled out Article II of the Constitution and still be a traitor because so much of what a President now does is NOT spelled out in the document he is obliged to preserve, protect and defend.  Under the broad blanket of “Commander in Chief”, a President can do just about anything he wants.  Outside of an actual declaration of war, a President can command troops be sent to fight battles all over the world without Congressional approval.

Many years ago Presidents started putting more and more emphasis on “Executive Orders” and less on the specifics of what the Constitution says.  President Nixon was the first to more or less conduct the nation’s business via executive orders and most presidents since have done the same.  When a President feels he cannot get Congress to approve his requests, he can usually find a way around such a roadblock through orders and proclamations issued through his office.

When the President and the majorities of both Houses of Congress are of the same party there remains little, if anything to block the full and total passage into law of whatever is desired by that party.  Politicians who feel they are popular enough to withstand criticism or who do not face re-election for a number of years become very bold and outspoken in their plans.  When this happens, with either party in control, sweeping changes take place in American government.

President Franklin Roosevelt had this ability in the 1930’s, and he used it to enact more Federal programs and changes to American society than any president before him.  President Lyndon Johnson again had this same ability and he used it to launch his “Great Society” welfare state in the 1960’s.  Although he didn’t have control of the House of Representatives, President Ronald Reagan had enough of a mandate given to him through the election in 1980 as well as control of the Senate to push through a conservative agenda unequalled before or since.

As significant as these times in the past were, they pale in comparison to what has happened and is getting ready to happen in this country NOW.  Despite only winning the general election by a very modest amount of votes, President Obama is capitalizing on the huge majorities his party holds in Congress to totally change America once and for all.  Whether the changes being instituted are the “change we can believe in” that enchanted the multitudes during the campaign, they are coming fast and furious regardless of whether they were wanted or not.

The changes in foreign policy, monetary matters, business, moral issues, the environment and health care are huge.  These are not just little tweaks to the system; these represent a whole new system.  By the time the crown jewel of change (nationalized health care) is slammed through Congress this fall, pretty much the America we knew just a year ago will be gone with the wind.  What we will find starting in 2010 is State run health care, media, business and education.  Those who oppose will be in jeopardy of being traitors and national security risks.

American foreign policy will soon become one of total pacification.  Give everyone exactly what they want and they will leave us alone is the philosophy ruling American decisions abroad.  Doing everything possible to make the USA out to being the evil monster responsible for all the world’s woes is allowing ruthless dictators to arise and conquer helpless people in nation after nation.  To say that a country such as the USA has no right to be powerful or assert her influence on other countries (except Israel) would have been in the past cause for impeachment.

It is time to wake up and realize that the United States of America as it was only a few years ago is quietly slipping into oblivion.  The nation that is quickly arising is one lacking strength and resolve to be anything other than a spectator in world events.  The new USA may still win gold medals in the Olympics, but will have even fewer friends than now due to being perceived as an international weakling.  God help us all as we transition into this new World Order.

This slow death by strangulation is too much to bear.  I would rather simply be knocked unconscious and awakened when it is all over.  I cannot stand this Chinese water torture any longer.  Why can’t they just play their trump card and end this madness?

Anyone on the Republican or conservative side knows the end is near.  The only reason their pundits keep talking so much is to make their big bucks on talk radio before it is shut down.  Can you blame them for wanting to make a few more millions before taxes take them all away?

My guess is that the powers that be are simply waiting for the official declaration of Al Franken as winner of the Minnesota Senate race before the fireworks begin.  Once the Democratic super majority is in place, the Republicans are relegated to the status of troublemakers, whiners, obstructionists and permanent minority party.

We all know what is coming , so why drag it out?  Nationalized health care, cap and trade policies for the environment, dismantling of the military, strong arm tactics against those opposing all this stuff, fairness doctrine and countless moves to legalize sin of all kinds are on the horizen.  With no one to stop all this stuff, it will shortly become law along with the nationalization of business after business and the systematic stripping of wealth from the old rich to give to the new poor.

The train has left the station and all the blockades in the world are not going to stop it.  They may temporarily slow it down, but this train won’t stop until it reaches its duly appointed station which is the turning of the United States of America into just another socialistic state under the control of the UN, the IMF and whatever other international agency that wants what is left of this once proud land.

Did you notice the Chinese have pretty well stopped buying Treasury Bonds?  If that isn’t a sure sign that the end of America as it has been known for the last century is near, I don’t know what is.  I hope you like train rides and ultimately train wrecks, for that is where we are heading very soon.

Talk about short memories; I think most Americans have totally forgotten how despite ample warning signs, we were constantly being told “all is well” with the economy all the way until the bottom fell out last October. Here are a few examples. One year ago today, this was the leading headline:

FEDS SAY NO RECESSION; ECONOMY GROWS 0.6%

The Fed had just finished their meeting and announced that despite two straight quarters of growth well under 1%, there was no recession, and probably would not be one. Here is an example:

“Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, earlier this month, acknowledged for the first time that a recession this year was possible.”

Is the all wise chairman of the Fed Mr. Bernanke really so dense and uneducated that at this time a year ago he was still not sure a recession was coming? Is this really the kind of “leader” we want overseeing the entire financial realm in this country? Anyone who would believe that the recession caught the Fed off guard needs to go back to sleep and wake up again in twenty years.

Just one year ago everyone was appalled that the unemployment rate was so high. How high was it? Here is a line from a story written one year ago today:

“During the first three months of this year, job losses neared the staggering quarter-million mark. The unemployment rate has climbed to 5.1 percent and is expected to move higher in the coming months.”

Hmmm, I wonder if it did go higher. The US unemployment rate rose to a new 25-year high of 8.5 percent in March 2009. From 5.1% to 8.5% in one year; yes, I would say that it did go a little higher.

One year ago we were just starting to see the effects of the run up of oil and gasoline prices. All eyes were on inflation as the price of gasoline, milk, wheat and corn were skyrocketing. One year ago the price for crude oil was around $118. This was considered at the time to be so high it could never be sustained. Guess what, by July 4^th, the price was up to $145 and it could not be sustained at that level.

Right now, on April 30^th, 2009 oil is trading at $51 per barrel after dropping as low as $36.51 in January. If the economy is bad now, which it is, imagine what it would be like if oil was still at close $150 per barrel and gas prices were near $5 per gallon instead of under $2?

The point of all this is that somebody knew something long ago but they were not taking about it. I refuse to believe all the wild and crazy things which have taken place the past year in the economy just “happened” and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men never saw it coming.

For what it is worth, I bet very few people knew this fact. Last year the Dow closed at 8,258.13 on April 30^th. As of this moment on April 30^th, 2009, the Dow is at 8,288.79. Incredibly, despite massive lay offs and the demolition of thousands of businesses and constant bail outs of the big banks—the Dow is at the same point it was a year ago. What this means I do not know other than the clear truth that somebody somewhere knows a heck of a lot more about what has gone on, is going on and is to go on than they are letting us know about.

]]> http://mercyman53.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/the-short-memory-of-the-american-population/feed/ 1 mercyman53 http://mercyman53.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/my-four-month-ordeal-of-trying-to-get-my-heart-fixed-right/ http://mercyman53.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/my-four-month-ordeal-of-trying-to-get-my-heart-fixed-right/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:51:56 +0000 mercyman53 http://mercyman53.wordpress.com/?p=595 ]]>

Back in 1997 I went from being in pretty good health to having major medical problems in a matter of a few months. Starting in early June of that year and going through December 22^nd, I was subjected to eight heart catheterizations and the placement of six stents in the right coronary artery. Additionally I developed sudden onset asthma which was not controlled by anything. Later it was determined that the asthma was an allergic reaction to the aspirin I was prescribed to take.

In March of 2008 while in Wichita, KS helping out after my dad’s stroke, I was rushed to the hospital where two days later double heart by-pass surgery was performed. Instead of solving all my problems, complications from the surgery compounded them over the course of the next few years. Two trips to Mayo Clinic in Minnesota failed to correct anything and in fact a misdiagnosis of the problems made things worse in 2000.

As suddenly as the problems appeared they pretty much disappeared by around 2002. In 2004 I had my 15^th heart catheterization and was pronounced to be in excellent shape heart wise. By 2006 my cardiologist said I was free to live without worry concerning my heart issues for they had all stabilized and presented no problems. In 2007 he gave me the green light to do whatever I felt like doing exercise wise with no fear of hurting myself.

In November of 2008 I started having chest pains for the first time in perhaps 5 years. After a stress test, the cardiologist determined that to be safe I needed a heart catheterization which took place on January 22^nd of this year. Much to the cardiologist’s dismay and surprise, instead of finding nothing wrong, he found one of the grafts from my 1998 by-pass was almost totally clogged and another major artery had two places well over 75% blocked.

Due to fears of needing surgical backup, I went to another hospital on February 11^th (with another doctor) to have a huge stent placed to fix the blockage in the graft. This was a very serious procedure and demanded the utmost of skill to be done right. Thankfully it went exactly as planned and to this day there have been no complications. Praise God.

Instead of sending me home the next day per normal protocol, the doctor was persuaded by others to keep me in the hospital and transition me to Warfarin (blood thinner). Five days later, the blood was still not sufficiently thinned so when the doctor returned from a vacation he decided to go ahead and place the other stents in the second artery instead of waiting a few months as originally planned.

The placement of the second and third stents on February 17 was a disaster. Nothing went as planned including the placement of the stents. Unlike after the first stent, the next day I felt horrible instead of better. I was abruptly discharged on February 19^th in the evening with no instructions to speak of. By February 28^th I could not breathe and felt like I had pneumonia. I went to the emergency room expecting a dose of antibiotics.

After a CT scan of the lungs, it was determined that I had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung) from lying around the hospital for 8 days. I was immediately admitted and put on a very high dose of Heparin and Coumadin. I was finally discharged on March 4^th. The next week, March 9-13^th, I had doctor’s appointments, trips to the clinic to monitor the blood and a trip to the Emergency Room. The next week I had doctor’s appointments or procedures done 4 of the 5 days.

I saw finally saw my regular cardiologist again on March 18^th who was very concerned about my condition. He ordered various tests and upon seeing him again on April 1^st he determined yet another heart catheterization was needed, and it was scheduled for April 22^nd. He did this although he again didn’t think anything would show up. Just as it happened back in 1997, everyone assumed my chest pains and other symptoms were either in my mind or something not related to my heart. Just as in 1997-98, the doctors were wrong.

Starting April 8^th, I started having crushing pain in my chest upon walking. My entire physical condition suddenly deteriorated and by Friday, April 10^th, I was told to check into the local hospital through the ER for a heart catheterization on Monday, April 13^th. I spent Easter weekend in the miserable state of being in a hospital arguing with doctors and nurses about whether anything was wrong with me even as I had constant chest pain.

The heart catheterization on April 13^th once again shocked the cardiologist. It showed that the second and third stents placed in February had failed. One was only about 70% blocked, but the other was initially thought to be 99% blocked. The substitute cardiologist doing the procedure said he could place new stents, but with no surgical backup there was about a 20% chance of a major heart attack resulting in probable death.

Not liking the 20% odds, the only other option was to go by ambulance to another hospital in the county which was much bigger and did have surgical backup. Thankfully, my regular cardiologist was there and agreed to do heart catheterization number 20. He placed three more stents on April 13^th during the second heart catheterization on that day.

I now have one artery with 6 stents from 1997, another one with one and now a third one with 5 stents. As the cardiologists told me the next day, no more stents can be placed in that artery. If these medicated stents fail (and if they do it is usually after 8 or 9 months), I must have emergency by-pass surgery which I have been told I am not a good risk for.

Here in a nutshell is my life for the past few months: Three hospital stays of 9 days in February, 5 days in March and 5 days in April, five heart catheterizations since January, an increase in prescription medication from 8 to 16 drugs, 4 CT scans and numerous know it all doctors and nurses who either told me nothing was wrong with me or that I would die in two days if I didn’t take the medication they prescribed.

Needless to say, the constant procedures and stays in the hospital have produced unbelievable stress for both my wife and me along with our financial situation going from bad to disastrous. Just the drugs I take amount to hundreds of dollars per month. Adding in the never ending co-pays for doctor’s visits along with the $750 per visit co-pay for each stay in the hospital— the situation is not pleasant.

My wife is just now getting better from numerous stress related ailments (heart rhythm problems along with other woes) brought on by last four months. This week I finally start a prolonged round of cardiac rehabilitation. The hope is that through the various drugs, exercise and prayer we can see these last three stents work as they are supposed to and come next Thanksgiving I am enjoying the holiday and not being rushed to the hospital for emergency by-pass surgery because the medication was finished.

I thank you for your prayers and support through these most difficult of times. I am finally starting to feel better and for that I am thankful. But, the impact the past three months has had on our financial situation is another story. Any prayers for some miracles in that realm would be greatly appreciated and needed. We have a BIG God who has watched over us before and we are persuaded He will continue to provide for our needs. Thank you for listening and praying and I hope this summarizes what has happened in such a way that there remains no stone unturned.

Mercyman 53

What does it mean for the office of the President of the United States to demand that a prominent Catholic University cover and otherwise remove all references to Jesus for the President to present a policy speech there? The first question that logically arises is why chose to use a religious facility for a public policy speech? Secondly, why be so horribly ashamed of the letters IHS which are used by Catholics to signify Jesus Christ?

I understand the whole separation of church and state argument, and I also understand the ongoing debate over what are the true religious feelings of our President. But, the question still remains first and foremost; why is a Catholic University forced to for all practical purposes turn itself into a secular institution to accommodate the fears of an office that their President be looked at as a Christian?

If the President is ashamed to be associated with Jesus Christ, he should simply make his feelings known and handle the backlash, whatever it may be. When politicians start playing both ends against the middle, especially with religion, the outcome is going to be bad. The President has the right to believe whatever he chooses, the same way we all do. But, he has no right to demand a facility cover up its beliefs in Jesus so as to not “offend” non Christians who might be watching.

If the current outpouring of junk continues from this administration towards Christians, and especially conservative oriented Christians, there is going to be a backlash. For anyone displaying an anti abortion bumper sticker to be labeled a potential terrorist is scary to the say the least. To mark and label returning veterans as potential terrorists is insanity. To simply lump anyone who doesn’t believe as you do as a potential terrorist will surely split this country in half as the events yesterday displayed.

It is very doubtful that Texas will really secede from the Union but to even be talking publically about it displays a level of displeasure with government that hasn’t been around since 1860. God forbid this country disintegrates into another civil war, but at the rate things are going, that is a distinct possibility. There are still millions upon millions of God fearing unashamed Christians in this country who are not going to simply cease speaking and teaching Jesus just because the Gospel might offend a non Christian.

Situations like the one yesterday at Georgetown University make me sick to my stomach. This kind of hypocrisy on the part of both the government and the university speaks loudly that this once great Republic could be on its last legs. When is someone going to display some intestinal fortitude and just say NO when forced to compromise principle to accommodate politics? Notre Dame couldn’t muster such fortitude and now Georgetown can’t either. What is next, for the Pope to visit and be told he can’t wear his Holy attire or cross himself lest it offend someone?

I have not posted on this site for quite awhile due to physical problems which had to be addressed. Now, after spending ten days in a hospital waiting for my blood to thin enough to allow the three new stents placed in my heart to not clog up; I am finally ready to again post on this site.

I have had ample time to consider many things over the past few weeks, not the least of which is attempting to answer the greatest question anyone can ask, which is “why are we here?” If a survey were taken of 1,000 people asking them why they are on this earth, I am sure there would be little agreement on an answer. In other words, the true answer to this question lies in the individual views of the one answering the question.

For many people, the main reason they have to “carry on” is either financial or family oriented. Many times these two things are so intertwined that they become one and the same. Millions upon millions of people wake up every morning to go to work to earn a paycheck to pay the mortgage and provide food for their family. This goes on for 50 years or so and then they retire to go play with their grandchildren.

Is our purpose in this life really only to make money to in turn spend it on spouses, children or ourselves? Is this really the grand design and reason for our being? Does every child born into this world have nothing else to look forward to in this life than 12 years of school (or 16 or more), 50 years of work and a few years of golf before the wheels fall off physically? Is the greatest reward to be earned in this life really only a nice house and a big family?

For the vast majority of this world’s population, there is really nothing else to explain life than the daily ordeal of doing what is needed to survive. Those of us living in the superficial prosperity of the West fail to understand that billions of people wake up each day not knowing for sure where the means will come from to live another day. Truly the biggest motivation for most people to live is the will to survive. That is why in many countries and cultures those who are weak are quickly forgotten and left to die.

The great scheme currently being promoted is one of “spreading the wealth around”. Through socialism and communism, the idea is to take from the rich and give to the poor thus creating a level playing field for everyone. Of course this sounds fantastic to those at the bottom of the socio-economic pile but for those at the top, it is the worst of all scenarios.

Whether it is right to force those who have succeeded in making a lot of money to share it with those who have not is open to debate. If those with the means would simply give to those who don’t, then there would be no problem. But, those with the means many times hoard what they have and not do not share but continue to get more and more. Yet, is the answer really to tax or otherwise force those who have an abundance to subsidize those who have little?

The only fair and equitable way of collecting money to run a government of other organization is to impose the same flat rate on everyone the way sales tax does today. If everyone paid the same rate, then no one could claim they are being singled out to give more than anyone else. If everyone had to pay 8% of their income in taxes, then the playing ground would be level for all.

What difference does it make to tell the wealthy to pay 35% of their income and then allow shelters and other ways for them to hide their assets so they end up paying less than many at the 15% rate? Why not simply tell everyone they must pay a set percentage of their income and provide no shelters or credits or other silly ways to provide escape routes for those who can afford good accountants or attorneys to find them.

No one likes paying sales tax, but as long as everyone has to pay it, then one can complain that much. Those who make little buy little and pay little in tax. Those who make much, buy much and pay much in sales tax. Certainly the sales tax on a 5 million dollar yacht is just as much of a burden to the one with the means as the sales tax on a 50 dollar item is to those without.

There must obviously be something greater to account for life than just making a living. That purpose is of course, in my mind, to love God and share His love with others. Herein lies the great reason for drawing breath. All else is vanity and shortsighted to say the least.

]]> http://mercyman53.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/for-what-purpose-are-we-here-on-this-earth/feed/ 1 mercyman53 http://mercyman53.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/the-last-charge-of-gods-light-brigade-is-mounting-up-are-you-in/ http://mercyman53.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/the-last-charge-of-gods-light-brigade-is-mounting-up-are-you-in/#comments Wed, 28 Jan 2009 16:09:34 +0000 mercyman53 http://mercyman53.wordpress.com/?p=579 ]]>

It appears by all indications that 2009 is the year something of profound importance spiritually is going to take place in this world. With leaders handpicked by those in the upper echelons of power, the world reeling under the pressure of recession and more and more people feeling like finally a man is in control in the United States who can change everything for the better; it certainly looks like a classic case of the enemy getting ready to play his trump card.

If this is true and the enemy is planning to implement his longstanding plan to institute a one world government, financial system and religion; those who know the truth from the Bible better get their heads screwed on straight quickly for there will not be time once events start happening at breakneck speed.

Neither I nor anyone else knows for sure what is going on in the hallowed halls of Washington, the plush offices of New York or the stuffy enclaves of Europe; but it certainly appears that all the individual pieces of the puzzle have been put in place and now it is time to start putting the puzzle together. Never before, in modern recorded history has there been such a confluence of power brokers along with crisis after crisis in need of someone to diffuse them as the present.

Without question and with no hesitation I can say with full assurance that the man governing the United States gives every indication of being the perfect candidate for the antichrist. Up and down the line, he measures up to the criteria laid out in the Bible for this ultimate powerbroker. If he continues to succeed in what he has managed to get done the first week in power much longer, then I believe anyone who believes we are living in the “end times” must awake and honestly evaluate who this man may REALLY be.

In trying to put together the records given by Paul, Peter, John and Jesus along with the Old Testament prophets, it is very hard to develop an ironclad timeline of specific events which are to take place leading up to and during the final week of Daniel’s prophecy. There are certainly some things which are undeniable and indisputable, but there are also many other things which are very difficult to assign a specific time and place as to their occurrence.

Last March I had a dream which shook me to the very depths of my soul. I rarely receive dreams which have any spiritual significance, but this one did. The basic elements of this dream were that a cloud of darkness would overspread the United States and cause panic and fear and finally immobilize the masses and turn them into subservient subjects. I honestly thought at the time this cloud of darkness was either weather related or the effects of a nuclear attack.

I now know this dream of impending darkness dealt with the collapse of the American economy as it had been known. I now know that the darkness that is overspreading this land is that which is being caused by the deliberate dismantling of the free enterprise system (otherwise known as capitalism) and replacing it with a forced version of socialism and/or fascism. All that has gone on is going on and will go on is not by accident but by deliberate design to break down American families and businesses to the point they must abide by government dictates in order to survive.

All the trash talk about “economic stimulus” packages and the like is all a smoke screen to cover up the truth of what is really happening. All symbolic meetings such as went on yesterday in Washington are part of a cleverly conceived plan to convince the public that what is being debated and voted on in Congress is legitimate when in reality it is as contrived and illegitimate as anything promoted and developed by the devil and his human associates.

There is no doubt in my mind that we are eyewitnesses to the events which are ushering in the “last days”. There is no doubt in my mind that there is about to be a rapid fire succession of events which will appear to produce unparalleled peace and prosperity for a season in this world. There is also no doubt in my mind that those of us who wholeheartedly believe in the rapture of the church will soon be taken from this cesspool of iniquity called the world and transported to our eternal home in the heavenlies.

I am fully aware of the controversy surrounding statements such as I just made. I am fully aware that merely saying them arouses pure venom and hatred within some who vehemently deny any of these things will ever take place. I understand that others feel just as strongly that all is going to be fine and God will establish His Kingdom on earth via the hard work of His people preaching the gospel and building churches. To each they must establish what they believe and then abide by it.

As for me and my household, I look at the unrelenting trials and tribulations which have befallen so many good and honest believers recently as the final testing by God to establish who is worthy to be considered the remnant which will participate in the marriage supper soon to start. Those whose trust and confidence is in this world and/or their church or themselves will never receive the call to appear before the Lord in the air to be taken to the place where we will enjoy the wedding feast.

While the overwhelming majority of Christians will be somewhat aware that a few “freaks” have vanished from their company, they will go on living the same as before assuming their own abilities or the power of their government will save them from any horrible things that might arise. They will rejoice as they see apparent peace in the Middle East, harmony among nations and the restoration of prosperity again. To them, all will indicate they were right all along.

But, just when they say “peace and safety” sudden destruction will come upon them as labor upon a woman with child. Seemingly from out of the blue, peace will turn to war, harmony to discord and prosperity to poverty. As the world collapses around them, they will only then remember the words of those “freaks” who warned such a thing would happen. But, alas, it is too late and they must come to grips with the realization the great tribulation is upon them.

It is not too late to get your heart right with God and totally commit yourself to Him. It is not too late to once and for all break away from the systems of this world and find the freedom that comes to those who fully and totally trust in the Lord and not in man. It is not too late to bow down before the Lord and repent once and for all of everything that has prevented you from living in the presence of the Lord. It is not too late to fully turn your heart, soul and life over to Him who saved you and called you with a holy calling.

I beseech you to consider these words carefully and weigh them in your heart against the sense knowledge “hope” that somehow things are going to get better in this world through the works of men and women sold out to those who control this world. What takes place in this world in the days and weeks ahead is exactly what God will allow to happen which in turn will lead to the most dramatic seven years in the history of mankind.

As for me and my household, we are committed to doing whatever it takes to speak the truth in love so others can hear of what is coming. We are committed to no longer compromising with the world on matters of heart and loyalty. We are committed to placing our faith totally in God and with full confidence yielding to His sovereign will. We are committed to never turning back to the weak and worthless elements of this world. We are committed to serving Him with all our hearts until He calls us home.

I pray you take stock of your situation and make sure your heart is right before God and that the affairs of this life have not so beaten you down that you have unconsciously compromised your faith by yielding to the demands of this world. I pray you return to your first love and allow your heart to rest in the everlasting loving arms of your Savior and Lord. I pray you lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily distract us and weigh us down.

I pray that in these final hours of these final days that each and every one of us neglect not the gift God has placed within us and instead stir up that gift into the flame of compassionate outreach to others who are falling away faster and faster each day. I pray that no matter what the enemy does to tear down, distract or apply pressure; we all stand fast in the faith, unswerving and unashamed of the Gospel of Christ Jesus which is our very life.

We only have a little time to put on the armor of light and raise the standard of Jesus Christ one last time to this dying world. Soon, and very soon, that light will be gone as those bearing it will be taken out of the way so the son of perdition may have “his day”. Soon, and very soon, those who remain will face the full force of a world gone totally mad for a season. The hour of our message being needed is NOW and so is the hour of our decision to rise above our personal woes and move out as God’s last brigade of light and hope to a world who desperately needs us.

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