YouTube - Behold the Lamb
This song was penned by Dottie Rambo
Behold the Lamb, behold the Lamb
Slain from the foundation of the world,
For sinners crucified, oh Holy sacrifice,
Behold the Lamb of God, behold the Lamb, Ah!
Crown Him, crown Him
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb, praise Him.
Worthy is the Lamb, praise Him.
Heaven and earth resound!
Behold the Lamb, behold the Lamb
Slain from the foundation of the world,
For sinners crucified, oh Holy sacrifice
Behold the Lamb of God, behold the Lamb of God
Behold the Lamb of God, behold the Lamb, the Lamb!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Jesus Sweat as it Were Great Drops of Blood
(Luke 22:39-44) And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Jesus was preparing for the moment when he would have to lay his life down on the cross for mankind's sin. Jesus was about ready to do something he had never done before since the dawn of time. I've personally never known of anyone to sweat as of drops of great blood, but Jesus knew he would have to partake of that bitter cup. He was in anguish. He was willing to be in the perfect will of his Father. He was at a moment of struggle. He wasn't engaged in unbelief. However, what Jesus had to encounter was something that he never had known before. For the very first time in his life, he would have to taste death for mankind.
Hebrews 2:9 mentions about Jesus tasting death for mankind. When we read about Jesus' death on the cross, we think of the cruel, physical torture that Jesus had to experience for mankind. There's no doubt Jesus was in great agony physically. He was beaten beyond recognition. He was beaten to a pulp. There was a crown of thorns placed on his head. There were nails driven in the palms of his hands to hold him to the cross. The soldier took a spear to his side and blood and water came out. Jesus experienced the most horrible death mankind ever experienced. When he was on the cross, he showed his love for mankind. He said in Luke 23:34 "Father, forgiven them; for they know not what they do." In the midst of the most horrendous beating he had to take upon himself, he still asked the Father to forgive them. That's love. That's love unexplainable.
As horrible and cruel as the physical torture was on Jesus, that was not the death Jesus was agonizing over. It was tasting spiritual death that Jesus was struggling over. Before the foundation of the world was laid, Jesus was chosen to be that spotless lamb to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. In order to be that lamb, he had to be without sin. In the Old Testament, when the priest performed sacrifices to atone for the sins of Israel, the lamb that was offered was an offering for sin. The lamb was to die in the place of those that were sinners. Jesus was made a sin offering. He became sin for us that we might be redeemed from sin for time and eternity. Jesus had to know what sin tasted like. That's what he experienced on the cross. He bore all of mankind's sins when he died that day on Golgatha's Hill. He took on the sin of lying, cheating, fornication, crookedness, or any other sin imaginable. All of mankind's filthy sins were heaped upon Jesus. Jesus bore all that on the cross. Jesus had to experienced separation from God the Father for the first time. When you read scripture, it's evident God hates sin. God can't look on sin. Even though it was his own son on the cross, God the Father couldn't stand to look at Jesus. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, la-ma sa-bach-tha-ni? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus had to experience separation from the Father in order for the process of salvation to be complete. He had to experience the sting of death and separation from the Father. That's what he did when he was upon Calvary. What a Saviour! Just imagine what it would be like if your earthly father decided to not look upon you and turn his back on you. It would be a sad sight. That's what Jesus had to experience on the cross for the sins of mankind.
I was reading some of the reasons why Jesus was sweating as it were great drops as of blood on the ground on a website. It was saying that Jesus was sweating great drops of blood because the whole nation of Israel whom he came to save had rejected him. Other reasons given were that Judas was about to betray him. The other reasons were that Peter was about to deny him three times and his disciples were asleep in the garden. Jesus knew what was to come before him. The most important reason for his coming to this earth was about to be fulfilled. He knew he had to partake that bitter cup. He needed strength from the Father. That showed that he was man. He was perfect and sinned not. However, he also had a human body. He needed to pray for the affirmation of God's perfect will. Some people would consider that weakness. However, Jesus knew what the bitter cup would contain. He didn't relish the thought of having to be separated from God the Father. Thank God that Jesus was obedient unto death. We'll never realize until we get to heaven the magnitude of the price that Jesus paid on Calvary. We'll understand what Jesus did on the cross more fully when we get to heaven. If we could ever catch a glimpse of the price Jesus paid on Calvary and recognize what he had to endure for our sakes, it would humble us and help us to recognize what a great Saviour we serve. We should serve him willingly when we recognize the price Jesus paid on Calvary. As the song goes, he traded "His Life for Mine."
Hebrews 2:9 mentions about Jesus tasting death for mankind. When we read about Jesus' death on the cross, we think of the cruel, physical torture that Jesus had to experience for mankind. There's no doubt Jesus was in great agony physically. He was beaten beyond recognition. He was beaten to a pulp. There was a crown of thorns placed on his head. There were nails driven in the palms of his hands to hold him to the cross. The soldier took a spear to his side and blood and water came out. Jesus experienced the most horrible death mankind ever experienced. When he was on the cross, he showed his love for mankind. He said in Luke 23:34 "Father, forgiven them; for they know not what they do." In the midst of the most horrendous beating he had to take upon himself, he still asked the Father to forgive them. That's love. That's love unexplainable.
As horrible and cruel as the physical torture was on Jesus, that was not the death Jesus was agonizing over. It was tasting spiritual death that Jesus was struggling over. Before the foundation of the world was laid, Jesus was chosen to be that spotless lamb to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. In order to be that lamb, he had to be without sin. In the Old Testament, when the priest performed sacrifices to atone for the sins of Israel, the lamb that was offered was an offering for sin. The lamb was to die in the place of those that were sinners. Jesus was made a sin offering. He became sin for us that we might be redeemed from sin for time and eternity. Jesus had to know what sin tasted like. That's what he experienced on the cross. He bore all of mankind's sins when he died that day on Golgatha's Hill. He took on the sin of lying, cheating, fornication, crookedness, or any other sin imaginable. All of mankind's filthy sins were heaped upon Jesus. Jesus bore all that on the cross. Jesus had to experienced separation from God the Father for the first time. When you read scripture, it's evident God hates sin. God can't look on sin. Even though it was his own son on the cross, God the Father couldn't stand to look at Jesus. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, la-ma sa-bach-tha-ni? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus had to experience separation from the Father in order for the process of salvation to be complete. He had to experience the sting of death and separation from the Father. That's what he did when he was upon Calvary. What a Saviour! Just imagine what it would be like if your earthly father decided to not look upon you and turn his back on you. It would be a sad sight. That's what Jesus had to experience on the cross for the sins of mankind.
I was reading some of the reasons why Jesus was sweating as it were great drops as of blood on the ground on a website. It was saying that Jesus was sweating great drops of blood because the whole nation of Israel whom he came to save had rejected him. Other reasons given were that Judas was about to betray him. The other reasons were that Peter was about to deny him three times and his disciples were asleep in the garden. Jesus knew what was to come before him. The most important reason for his coming to this earth was about to be fulfilled. He knew he had to partake that bitter cup. He needed strength from the Father. That showed that he was man. He was perfect and sinned not. However, he also had a human body. He needed to pray for the affirmation of God's perfect will. Some people would consider that weakness. However, Jesus knew what the bitter cup would contain. He didn't relish the thought of having to be separated from God the Father. Thank God that Jesus was obedient unto death. We'll never realize until we get to heaven the magnitude of the price that Jesus paid on Calvary. We'll understand what Jesus did on the cross more fully when we get to heaven. If we could ever catch a glimpse of the price Jesus paid on Calvary and recognize what he had to endure for our sakes, it would humble us and help us to recognize what a great Saviour we serve. We should serve him willingly when we recognize the price Jesus paid on Calvary. As the song goes, he traded "His Life for Mine."
Monday, March 29, 2010
Edith Bennett
Ms. Edith Lillian Bennett is quite a legend in Owensboro--at least in my way of thinking. The Livermore born native has been employed at Owensboro's 1490 AM WOMI Radio station since November 1950. She's involved herself in all kinds of community events over the years she's lived in and has been associated with Owensboro. She's performed for Owensboro's Annual Chorus Society since 1954 and has been a past member of the Daviess County Historical Society. She likes local history, state history, genealogical history, U.S. history, scrapbooking, taking photographs and all kinds of music. On Sunday mornings from 5:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. she hosts two radio programs. The first one, Radio Church Chapel, begins at 5: 00 a.m. and lasts until 8:00 a.m. At 8:00 a.m. she hosts the program entitled, "Down Memory Lane" where she plays a lot of the oldies music such as jazz, orchestra, Guy Lombardo hits, and seasonal music (depending upon the upcoming holiday at the time).
Edith Bennett was born at Livermore, Kentucky on June 21, 1931 to Dorsey Bennett and a "Ms. Lucy?" Bennett. Her half brother was Wendell Rone, who used to pastor several churches across the McLean-Daviess County area. He's written some books on local church history. He was also president of the Daviess-McLean County Baptist Association. He was also the first pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church in Owensboro in 1959. Ms. Bennett attended school in Livermore and once she graduated she attended the Owensboro Junior Business College. In November 1950, Hugh O. Potter, then station manager at WOMI, hired her to work the Sunday morning shift. She started out on Sunday mornings working the 5:00 - 9:00 a.m. shift, according to the WOMI timeline on the station's website. She used to make studio recordings for the Faith Family Quartet who used to live in the Beech Grove Area. She later became the secretary, the receptionist, and continuity writer at WOMI. In April 1972 she was given her own Sunday morning program. In 1973, she was promoted to Traffic and Office Manager. I don't know the year but I believe it was around 1995 when she became semi-retired from the station. Today she hosts both of the Sunday morning programs for WOMI out of her own home, which has been but a couple of years ago. She also continues hosting WOMI's Christmas program on Christmas Eve beginning at 3:00 p.m. and for the large part of Christmas Day. She's hosted WOMI's Christmas program for a number of years. She features all kinds of Christmas music such as Christmas carols, orchestra music, music from the collection of various albums she has, etc. Carl Davis, her friend and one-time news director on WOMI, is with her on Christmas Day and he features music from Owensboro's Music Symphony. This past Christmas he shared a Christmas album that the once retail store, W.T. Grants, used to record.
On the "Radio Church Chapel", Ms. Bennett plays a wide range of gospel music on her program. It features music and the spoken word. "Down Memory Lane" hosts all kinds of different music from yesteryear. Depending upon the season or holiday, Ms. Bennett will air programs to fit the time of the year. During WOMI's anniversary month in February for example, she'll play old clips from some of the early years on WOMI from such people as Hugh and Cliffordean Potter. She also will air segments describing both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln given February is their birth month. She'll also air segments on some famous black people in American history as well. During Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July, she'll devote both her pgorams commemorating America's heritage during these particular holidays. She'll play patriotic music and remember the sacrifices many war veterans have made over the course of history. In 1987 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, Ms. Bennett celebrated the Constitution on her radio programs featuring segments of U.S. history and the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention. She loves Christmas. Beginning with Sunday following Thanksgiving until the New Year's she'll air all kinds of Christmas music on her programs and she'll discuss what the meaning of Christmas is. She's also aired some old segments that Cliffordean Potter made on Christmas during the Stork Program. (Ms. Potter used to host a stork program interviewing the parents of newborns several decades ago). I've thoroughly enjoyed some of her holiday and seasonal programs. Sometimes on "Down Memory Lane" when there's five Sundays in a month she'll host "Fifth Sunday Singing" featuring gospel quartets.
Ms. Bennett also has written some books about local history such as Lest We Forget mentioning about the history of Livermore, Kentucky. She's also authored other books such as Owensboro's Soundest Citizen (WOMI), Hunt-Hebron Highlights 25 Years Later: All in the Family, Spider Webs, A Steamer Trunk, And Slavery (Co-authored by Lenora Lindley).
Ms. Edith Bennett is also a member of the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was the past president of it in 1989. She is a descendant to a former Revolutionary War soldier, whom I believe the last name was Hunt. In order to be a member of DARS, you must trace your lineage to a Revolutionary War soldier. She's been singing in the Owensbor's Annual Choral Society's presentation of "The Messiah" since 1954 and still performs to this day at Third Baptist Church. She has a long collection of albums ranging from gospel, to patriotic music, all the way to musical hits of the '30's and '40's. There was a picture in the Owensboro's Messenger-Inquirer which displayed a shelf full of albums in her home. She's had to convert some of her albums into CD's whenever she produces a program on the radio. She's the Financial Secretary at Third Baptist Church, a position she's held since August 1981. She's also a member there and heavily involved in the activities of the church.
Around 1960, she went with her father on a trip to Ontario, Canada. While she was in Canada, she had some car trouble and she asked them was there any historic places to visit in Canada. They told her about the Josiah Henson museum in Canada. They saw she had a Kentucky license plate. They told her Josiah Henson was once a slave in the Daviess County area. When she arrived back in Owensboro, she told Dr. Potter and the staff of WOMI about what she learned while in Canada. They dismissed that notion at that time. However, several years later Mr. Potter and Dr. David Orrahood went out on a history junket and found out what Ms. Bennett was told was correct. They had interviewed Ms. Sue Hawes of Yelvington, who was the great-granddaughter of Amos Riley, a former slave owner, who owned Josiah Henson for a time. She told Potter and the museum curator in Ontario of what she knew. Eventually everything she was told was eventually substantiated. When Hugh O. Potter wrote a book about the history of Owensboro, he included the story which stated that Josiah Henson lived in Daviess County.
I've never met Ms. Bennett, but I've listened to her Sunday morning radio programs extensively for the last few years. I also have listened to her annual Christmas programs as well. When you listen to someone on radio for a long time, you learn several things about them. You basically give a piece of your life away to the public when you broadcast on radio. You become an open book. I've spoken to some people in Owensboro that know her personally. They say she's a great Christian lady that's very kind and compassionate. I've never heard a derogatory word about her. From listening to her, she seems to be a very happy and content lady. That's something considering she's never been married. But she's learned where true joy and peace come from. It comes from God. My hat's off to Ms. Bennett and all the work she's involved herself with. She's a very remarkable lady!
Edith Bennett was born at Livermore, Kentucky on June 21, 1931 to Dorsey Bennett and a "Ms. Lucy?" Bennett. Her half brother was Wendell Rone, who used to pastor several churches across the McLean-Daviess County area. He's written some books on local church history. He was also president of the Daviess-McLean County Baptist Association. He was also the first pastor at Bellevue Baptist Church in Owensboro in 1959. Ms. Bennett attended school in Livermore and once she graduated she attended the Owensboro Junior Business College. In November 1950, Hugh O. Potter, then station manager at WOMI, hired her to work the Sunday morning shift. She started out on Sunday mornings working the 5:00 - 9:00 a.m. shift, according to the WOMI timeline on the station's website. She used to make studio recordings for the Faith Family Quartet who used to live in the Beech Grove Area. She later became the secretary, the receptionist, and continuity writer at WOMI. In April 1972 she was given her own Sunday morning program. In 1973, she was promoted to Traffic and Office Manager. I don't know the year but I believe it was around 1995 when she became semi-retired from the station. Today she hosts both of the Sunday morning programs for WOMI out of her own home, which has been but a couple of years ago. She also continues hosting WOMI's Christmas program on Christmas Eve beginning at 3:00 p.m. and for the large part of Christmas Day. She's hosted WOMI's Christmas program for a number of years. She features all kinds of Christmas music such as Christmas carols, orchestra music, music from the collection of various albums she has, etc. Carl Davis, her friend and one-time news director on WOMI, is with her on Christmas Day and he features music from Owensboro's Music Symphony. This past Christmas he shared a Christmas album that the once retail store, W.T. Grants, used to record.
On the "Radio Church Chapel", Ms. Bennett plays a wide range of gospel music on her program. It features music and the spoken word. "Down Memory Lane" hosts all kinds of different music from yesteryear. Depending upon the season or holiday, Ms. Bennett will air programs to fit the time of the year. During WOMI's anniversary month in February for example, she'll play old clips from some of the early years on WOMI from such people as Hugh and Cliffordean Potter. She also will air segments describing both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln given February is their birth month. She'll also air segments on some famous black people in American history as well. During Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July, she'll devote both her pgorams commemorating America's heritage during these particular holidays. She'll play patriotic music and remember the sacrifices many war veterans have made over the course of history. In 1987 in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution, Ms. Bennett celebrated the Constitution on her radio programs featuring segments of U.S. history and the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention. She loves Christmas. Beginning with Sunday following Thanksgiving until the New Year's she'll air all kinds of Christmas music on her programs and she'll discuss what the meaning of Christmas is. She's also aired some old segments that Cliffordean Potter made on Christmas during the Stork Program. (Ms. Potter used to host a stork program interviewing the parents of newborns several decades ago). I've thoroughly enjoyed some of her holiday and seasonal programs. Sometimes on "Down Memory Lane" when there's five Sundays in a month she'll host "Fifth Sunday Singing" featuring gospel quartets.
Ms. Bennett also has written some books about local history such as Lest We Forget mentioning about the history of Livermore, Kentucky. She's also authored other books such as Owensboro's Soundest Citizen (WOMI), Hunt-Hebron Highlights 25 Years Later: All in the Family, Spider Webs, A Steamer Trunk, And Slavery (Co-authored by Lenora Lindley).
Ms. Edith Bennett is also a member of the Kentucky Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was the past president of it in 1989. She is a descendant to a former Revolutionary War soldier, whom I believe the last name was Hunt. In order to be a member of DARS, you must trace your lineage to a Revolutionary War soldier. She's been singing in the Owensbor's Annual Choral Society's presentation of "The Messiah" since 1954 and still performs to this day at Third Baptist Church. She has a long collection of albums ranging from gospel, to patriotic music, all the way to musical hits of the '30's and '40's. There was a picture in the Owensboro's Messenger-Inquirer which displayed a shelf full of albums in her home. She's had to convert some of her albums into CD's whenever she produces a program on the radio. She's the Financial Secretary at Third Baptist Church, a position she's held since August 1981. She's also a member there and heavily involved in the activities of the church.
Around 1960, she went with her father on a trip to Ontario, Canada. While she was in Canada, she had some car trouble and she asked them was there any historic places to visit in Canada. They told her about the Josiah Henson museum in Canada. They saw she had a Kentucky license plate. They told her Josiah Henson was once a slave in the Daviess County area. When she arrived back in Owensboro, she told Dr. Potter and the staff of WOMI about what she learned while in Canada. They dismissed that notion at that time. However, several years later Mr. Potter and Dr. David Orrahood went out on a history junket and found out what Ms. Bennett was told was correct. They had interviewed Ms. Sue Hawes of Yelvington, who was the great-granddaughter of Amos Riley, a former slave owner, who owned Josiah Henson for a time. She told Potter and the museum curator in Ontario of what she knew. Eventually everything she was told was eventually substantiated. When Hugh O. Potter wrote a book about the history of Owensboro, he included the story which stated that Josiah Henson lived in Daviess County.
I've never met Ms. Bennett, but I've listened to her Sunday morning radio programs extensively for the last few years. I also have listened to her annual Christmas programs as well. When you listen to someone on radio for a long time, you learn several things about them. You basically give a piece of your life away to the public when you broadcast on radio. You become an open book. I've spoken to some people in Owensboro that know her personally. They say she's a great Christian lady that's very kind and compassionate. I've never heard a derogatory word about her. From listening to her, she seems to be a very happy and content lady. That's something considering she's never been married. But she's learned where true joy and peace come from. It comes from God. My hat's off to Ms. Bennett and all the work she's involved herself with. She's a very remarkable lady!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Kentucky's Bid to the Final Four Ends Against West Virginia
The University of Kentucky has had a remarkable season. With three freshmen starters along with Patrick Patterson, Darius Miller, Perry Stevenson, Ramone Harris, and sophomore newcomer Darnell Dodson, Kentucky posted a 35-3 record this season. Who would've ever thought it? Last year Kentucky missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in 18 years. Kentucky's former head coach Billy Gillespie failed to live up to the expectations that were set out for him. Last March, Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart fired Billy Gillespie and replaced with former Memphis coach John Calipari. When Calipari was first hired, he warned fans that things wouldn't turn around in one season. However, they had a very surprising season and far exceeded expectations with top-rated freshmen along with some upper classmen. They posted a 35-3 season overall. UK won 2000 games overall on December 21, 2009. They won both the SEC regular season championship outright and the SEC Tournament. They were chosen as the No. 1 seed in the East. Kentucky rolled over the first three opponents. Kentucky beat it's first two opponents by thirty points. When Kansas bowed out of the NCAA tournament, it appeared Kentucky would be the favorite to win this year's national championship. However, it didn't prove to be the case as West Virginia defeated Kentucky 73-66.
Da'Sean Butler and Joe Mazzulla both propelled West Virginia to its first regional victory since 1959 when West Virginia went to the Final Four under Jerry West. Kentucky had a 11-0 run at the beginning of the game, but Kentucky lagged all the second half and the latter part of the first half. Kentucky was down 28-26 at halftime. Mazzulla scored 17 points for West Virginia. West Virginia hit 8-three pointers in the first half and they were 0-22 making two-pointers. Sounds strange! Kentucky missed their first 20 3-point shots until DeAndre Liggins hit a 3-pointer with 3:29 left in the second half. West Virginia used a sagging defense against Kentucky. Kentucky shot horribly in the game. Kentucky made 4-32 from the 3-point line and didn't make their four 3-pointers until 3:29 left in the game. Kentucky hit very poorly from the foul line 16-29. Kentucky outrebounded West Virginia 29-13. John Wall led all scorers for Kentucky with 19 points and Cousins with 15 points.
Kentucky had a superb season overall. Even though they played a poor game, they don't have anything to be ashamed of. Kentucky has a great recruiting class following this year's class. There's speculation that John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Patrick Patterson are headed for the NBA after this season. However, if Calipari and future Kentucky teams build upon this year's team, they will one day be in the Final Four and will one day take home a championship trophy.
Da'Sean Butler and Joe Mazzulla both propelled West Virginia to its first regional victory since 1959 when West Virginia went to the Final Four under Jerry West. Kentucky had a 11-0 run at the beginning of the game, but Kentucky lagged all the second half and the latter part of the first half. Kentucky was down 28-26 at halftime. Mazzulla scored 17 points for West Virginia. West Virginia hit 8-three pointers in the first half and they were 0-22 making two-pointers. Sounds strange! Kentucky missed their first 20 3-point shots until DeAndre Liggins hit a 3-pointer with 3:29 left in the second half. West Virginia used a sagging defense against Kentucky. Kentucky shot horribly in the game. Kentucky made 4-32 from the 3-point line and didn't make their four 3-pointers until 3:29 left in the game. Kentucky hit very poorly from the foul line 16-29. Kentucky outrebounded West Virginia 29-13. John Wall led all scorers for Kentucky with 19 points and Cousins with 15 points.
Kentucky had a superb season overall. Even though they played a poor game, they don't have anything to be ashamed of. Kentucky has a great recruiting class following this year's class. There's speculation that John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Patrick Patterson are headed for the NBA after this season. However, if Calipari and future Kentucky teams build upon this year's team, they will one day be in the Final Four and will one day take home a championship trophy.
Friday, March 26, 2010
President obama Seals an Arms-Control Deal With Russia
(Reuters) President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sealed a landmark arms-control treaty today to slash their countries' nuclear arsenals by a third and will sign it on April 8 in Prague, which is in the Czech Republic. After months of deadlock and delay, a breakthrough deal on a replacement for the Cold War-era START pact marked Obama's most-significant foreign policy "achievement" since taking office and also bolsters his effort to "reset" ties with Moscow, according to Reuters. Obama and Medvedev placed the finishing touches on the historic accord during a phone call, committing the world's biggest nuclear powers to deep weapon cuts. "I'm pleased to announce that after a year of intense negotiations, the United States and Russia have agreed to the most comprehensive arms-control agreement in nearly two decades," Obama told reporters. President Obama could face an uphill battle for ratification this year by the U.S. Senate where support from opposition Republicans will be hard to come by after a bitter healthcare fight.
In Moscow, President Medvedev hailed the agreement as reflecting "a balance of the interests of both countries. Russia made clear of their right to suspend any strategic arms cuts if they felt threatened by future United States deployment of a proposed Europe-based missile defense system that Moscow bitterly opposes. President Obama stated last fall he was going to scrap the missile defense system that former President Bush backed several years ago. The agreement replaces a 1991 pact that expired this past December. Each side would have seven years after the treaty takes effect to reduce stockpiles of their most dangerous weapons--those already deployed--to 1550 from the 2200 now allowed and also cut their numbers of launchers in half. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the new pact sends a message to Iran and North Korea both locked in nuclear standoffs with the West, a commitment to thwart nuclear proliferation. President Obama said this agreement between the two countries signals that both countries intend to lead. How? What Obama is doing by agreeing to sign this landmark reduction treaty is giving the green light for Iran and North Korea to launch nuclear weapons toward the U.S. or the West. Making an agreement with a former Cold War enemy isn't going to stop a nuclear showdown. That's part of the idealistic thinking the hippies had back in the 60's about peace. The hippies are now in the Obama administration dressed in suits and ties.
The way to curb the probability of a nuclear showdown is for the U.S. to beef up their arsenal and become the strongest nation on the earth. I remember a famous statement former President Theodore Roosevelt made one hundred years ago. He said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." We should utilize diplomacy and peaceful methods when applicable. However, when it's necessary to fire weapons, we should do so. We should fire our weapons so swiftly at the enemy they won't know what hit them. If Iran and North Korea were to threaten to harm the U.S. or the West, they should fear retaliation from us. However, they don't because we have "peacenik" politicians in our government and state department. President Obama has this mistaken notion that reducing our nuclear arsenal will ensure peace and avoid a nuclear showdown. Our enemies will treat that as a sign of weakness. That just tells them to go ahead because the U.S. won't retaliate. We're becoming a laughingstock to the world.
I vehemently disagree with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks that this treaty will thwart nuclear proliferation. Is Hillary so naieve in her thinking to believe that the U.S. and "Russia" taking the lead in reducing our nuclear stockpile is going to persuade other countries to do so? It's highly unlikely. The problem is Hillary Clinton and those in our government are all part of the new world order crowd. They refuse to recognize that the U.S. has real enemies that are out to threaten our security. The U.S. has enemies that would love to destroy us any chance they have. This arms-reduction treaty is very dangerous to our survival. We are telling the world to come in and attack us. The Obama administration won't stop our enemies. The Obama administration doesn't want to admit the radical Islamic world is at war with the U.S. We must defeat those Muslim extremists that want to destroy our way of living. This war is real. Announcing our intentions before the world to reduce our nuclear arsenal is very asinine considering a possible nuclear showdown with Iran and North Korea in the future.
In Moscow, President Medvedev hailed the agreement as reflecting "a balance of the interests of both countries. Russia made clear of their right to suspend any strategic arms cuts if they felt threatened by future United States deployment of a proposed Europe-based missile defense system that Moscow bitterly opposes. President Obama stated last fall he was going to scrap the missile defense system that former President Bush backed several years ago. The agreement replaces a 1991 pact that expired this past December. Each side would have seven years after the treaty takes effect to reduce stockpiles of their most dangerous weapons--those already deployed--to 1550 from the 2200 now allowed and also cut their numbers of launchers in half. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the new pact sends a message to Iran and North Korea both locked in nuclear standoffs with the West, a commitment to thwart nuclear proliferation. President Obama said this agreement between the two countries signals that both countries intend to lead. How? What Obama is doing by agreeing to sign this landmark reduction treaty is giving the green light for Iran and North Korea to launch nuclear weapons toward the U.S. or the West. Making an agreement with a former Cold War enemy isn't going to stop a nuclear showdown. That's part of the idealistic thinking the hippies had back in the 60's about peace. The hippies are now in the Obama administration dressed in suits and ties.
The way to curb the probability of a nuclear showdown is for the U.S. to beef up their arsenal and become the strongest nation on the earth. I remember a famous statement former President Theodore Roosevelt made one hundred years ago. He said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." We should utilize diplomacy and peaceful methods when applicable. However, when it's necessary to fire weapons, we should do so. We should fire our weapons so swiftly at the enemy they won't know what hit them. If Iran and North Korea were to threaten to harm the U.S. or the West, they should fear retaliation from us. However, they don't because we have "peacenik" politicians in our government and state department. President Obama has this mistaken notion that reducing our nuclear arsenal will ensure peace and avoid a nuclear showdown. Our enemies will treat that as a sign of weakness. That just tells them to go ahead because the U.S. won't retaliate. We're becoming a laughingstock to the world.
I vehemently disagree with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks that this treaty will thwart nuclear proliferation. Is Hillary so naieve in her thinking to believe that the U.S. and "Russia" taking the lead in reducing our nuclear stockpile is going to persuade other countries to do so? It's highly unlikely. The problem is Hillary Clinton and those in our government are all part of the new world order crowd. They refuse to recognize that the U.S. has real enemies that are out to threaten our security. The U.S. has enemies that would love to destroy us any chance they have. This arms-reduction treaty is very dangerous to our survival. We are telling the world to come in and attack us. The Obama administration won't stop our enemies. The Obama administration doesn't want to admit the radical Islamic world is at war with the U.S. We must defeat those Muslim extremists that want to destroy our way of living. This war is real. Announcing our intentions before the world to reduce our nuclear arsenal is very asinine considering a possible nuclear showdown with Iran and North Korea in the future.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The GOP Lacks the Moral Authority to Impeach the Democrats over the Passage of the Healthcare Bill
Whenever I have a chance, I listen to the Jim Sumpter Show. He has his program weekdays online from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. CST or 12 p.m. - 3:00 EST. He is also on a number of radio stations across America as well. All you have to do is google in the Jim Sumpter Show and then you click on the Jim Sumpter Show and it will show you his website. Then when the program is ready to be broadcasted, it will say, "Now in Progress". You click on Windows Media Player and it will hook you to the media. Then you can sit back and listen to his program online. I was listening to his comments in regards to the healthcare debate in Congress for a number of months. This past year he's been challenging Republicans and he's asked them, why aren't they bringing impeachment proceedings towards those that voted for this healthcare bill? The point he was making was since the bill was unconstitutional, then impeachment proceedings should be brought on those that voted for this monstrosity. He's stated on a number of occasions that articles of impeachment should be filed on those that voted for this bill. He stated the problem is that the Republicans are co-conspirators in this grand scheme. He said both parties are in this together. I was commenting on what Sumpter said about the impeachment of those that voted for this unconstitutional bill. It was one of the last few blogposts within the last few days. My comment was that he was right that the Republicans should be bringing impeachment proceedings on those that voted for this bill.
I was pondering that statement I made for the last few days. However, I recognized that wouldn't work. In the New Testament gospels Jesus made a statement to the scribes and Pharisees that wanted to cast a stone at the woman who was guilty of adultery. Jesus told them "He who is without sin cast the first stone." That's the problem with the GOP. The Democrats aren't the only ones guilty of being treasonous. The Republicans are as well. That's why they can't draft articles of impeachment against the Democrats. President Obama, in fending off criticism about the healthcare bill being too costly, will ask the Republicans repeatedly, "Where were you the last ten years?" He's right. Take a look at their record when they held the majority. The Republicans had control of Congress for 12 years and for six years in a row all three branches of government were under Republican control. Under the Republican leadership, the national deficit skyrocketed to ever increasing levels, the size and scope of government grew under them, and there was scandal under the Republicans as well. Remember the Jack Abrahamoff scandal? It's true there were members of both parties involved in that scam, but there were numerous Republicans that profited from that. Under a Republican administration, there was the Department of Homeland Security created which was supposed to be for the purpose in protecting our homeland due to the September 11 terrorist attacks. That department is impotent just like any other bureaucracy because it's infused with political correctness. There was also a National Intelligence Director created in 2004 due to the recommendation of the 9/11 committee. The National Intelligence Director is over the CIA director, the CIA, FEMA, and other government agencies. Is our country safer due to these newly created positions? I'll let you be the judge.
Under the Bush administration, there was a new entitlement created in Medicare a prescription drug coverage plan. That sounds like legislation that Democrats would promote. A Republican Congress also pushed for CAFTA and other trade agreements which weren't about free and fair trade. Bush even was involved with signing a treaty that didn't receive advice and consent from the Senate. President Bush and a number of Republicans tried to push for an amnesty program for illegal aliens. The Republicans also engaged in pork barrel spending like the Democrats do. The Republicans also accept campaign contributions just like the Democrats. What's different about these parties? In reality there isn't much substantive difference between both parties. They're all in this together. Even though the Republicans were the loyal opposition in passing this healthcare bill, I guarantee many of them will join in a bipartisan effort with the Democrats to pass amnesty. Even though I'm thankful the GOP stood against this healthcare bill, that doesn't mean that if they regained control of Congress they would promote and defend the constitution. They're in a position where they can score points off of the terrible agenda of the Demcorats. They are playing the not-so-guilty guys. Then when they hold power again, they will take turns playing the evil guy. Both parties take turns playing the evil guy and not-so-evil guys. It's a game.
I saw Democrats playing that very same game as the loyal opposition over the war in Iraq and the escalating gasoline prices at the pump. What have the Democrats done about the high gasoline prices and about the two wars in the Middle East? Gas prices have inched up recently but the Democrats aren't doing anything about it. President Obama has increased the troop levels in Afghanistan but he hasn't pulled our troops out and sent them home. He probably won't before the end of his first term. The truth of the matter is, you can't trust either party. I've been thinking about our two-party system and I've just about come to the conclusion that we need to call for the abolition of political parties. They're worthless. They're not about serving the American people. They serve those that donate to their campaigns and pull their strings. There isn't anything they're doing that's for the best interests of America.
The Republican Party doesn't have the moral authority to impeach the Democrats. They have mud up to their eyelids just like the Democrats. They're just as guilty of treasonous activity like the Democrats are. It's all hush-hush. They just go along because they can't say anything. If they were to attempt impeaching the Democrats, the Democrats would blackball them and reveal many of the skeletons in their closets. They've all been guilty of voting for legislation that's unconstitutional. Who in the House of Representatives would have the moral authority to draft articles of impeachment? If the truth be known, probably over 95% of both the House of Representatives and Senate are worthy of impeachment. I'm including both parties. That's probably a conservative number. It's corrupt! All registered voters need to vote out these incumbents in both houses in the primaries and the November general election. Congress needs a clean sweep. For the sake of our country, we must vote out their traitorous incumbents.
I was pondering that statement I made for the last few days. However, I recognized that wouldn't work. In the New Testament gospels Jesus made a statement to the scribes and Pharisees that wanted to cast a stone at the woman who was guilty of adultery. Jesus told them "He who is without sin cast the first stone." That's the problem with the GOP. The Democrats aren't the only ones guilty of being treasonous. The Republicans are as well. That's why they can't draft articles of impeachment against the Democrats. President Obama, in fending off criticism about the healthcare bill being too costly, will ask the Republicans repeatedly, "Where were you the last ten years?" He's right. Take a look at their record when they held the majority. The Republicans had control of Congress for 12 years and for six years in a row all three branches of government were under Republican control. Under the Republican leadership, the national deficit skyrocketed to ever increasing levels, the size and scope of government grew under them, and there was scandal under the Republicans as well. Remember the Jack Abrahamoff scandal? It's true there were members of both parties involved in that scam, but there were numerous Republicans that profited from that. Under a Republican administration, there was the Department of Homeland Security created which was supposed to be for the purpose in protecting our homeland due to the September 11 terrorist attacks. That department is impotent just like any other bureaucracy because it's infused with political correctness. There was also a National Intelligence Director created in 2004 due to the recommendation of the 9/11 committee. The National Intelligence Director is over the CIA director, the CIA, FEMA, and other government agencies. Is our country safer due to these newly created positions? I'll let you be the judge.
Under the Bush administration, there was a new entitlement created in Medicare a prescription drug coverage plan. That sounds like legislation that Democrats would promote. A Republican Congress also pushed for CAFTA and other trade agreements which weren't about free and fair trade. Bush even was involved with signing a treaty that didn't receive advice and consent from the Senate. President Bush and a number of Republicans tried to push for an amnesty program for illegal aliens. The Republicans also engaged in pork barrel spending like the Democrats do. The Republicans also accept campaign contributions just like the Democrats. What's different about these parties? In reality there isn't much substantive difference between both parties. They're all in this together. Even though the Republicans were the loyal opposition in passing this healthcare bill, I guarantee many of them will join in a bipartisan effort with the Democrats to pass amnesty. Even though I'm thankful the GOP stood against this healthcare bill, that doesn't mean that if they regained control of Congress they would promote and defend the constitution. They're in a position where they can score points off of the terrible agenda of the Demcorats. They are playing the not-so-guilty guys. Then when they hold power again, they will take turns playing the evil guy. Both parties take turns playing the evil guy and not-so-evil guys. It's a game.
I saw Democrats playing that very same game as the loyal opposition over the war in Iraq and the escalating gasoline prices at the pump. What have the Democrats done about the high gasoline prices and about the two wars in the Middle East? Gas prices have inched up recently but the Democrats aren't doing anything about it. President Obama has increased the troop levels in Afghanistan but he hasn't pulled our troops out and sent them home. He probably won't before the end of his first term. The truth of the matter is, you can't trust either party. I've been thinking about our two-party system and I've just about come to the conclusion that we need to call for the abolition of political parties. They're worthless. They're not about serving the American people. They serve those that donate to their campaigns and pull their strings. There isn't anything they're doing that's for the best interests of America.
The Republican Party doesn't have the moral authority to impeach the Democrats. They have mud up to their eyelids just like the Democrats. They're just as guilty of treasonous activity like the Democrats are. It's all hush-hush. They just go along because they can't say anything. If they were to attempt impeaching the Democrats, the Democrats would blackball them and reveal many of the skeletons in their closets. They've all been guilty of voting for legislation that's unconstitutional. Who in the House of Representatives would have the moral authority to draft articles of impeachment? If the truth be known, probably over 95% of both the House of Representatives and Senate are worthy of impeachment. I'm including both parties. That's probably a conservative number. It's corrupt! All registered voters need to vote out these incumbents in both houses in the primaries and the November general election. Congress needs a clean sweep. For the sake of our country, we must vote out their traitorous incumbents.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Fanny Crosby
Frances Jane Crosby (March 24, 1820 - February 12, 1915), usually known as Fanny Crosby was an American lyricist and best known for her Christian hymns. She was one of the most prolific hymnists in history, writing over 8,000 hymns despite her blindness since infancy. She was also known for her public speaking. During her lifetime, she was the best known woman in the United States. The vast majority of American hymnals contain her work. She is known for one of her most famous hymns "Blessed Assurance". Other hymns she is known for are "Jesus is Tenderly Calling You Home", "Near the Cross", and "My Savior First of All", to name a few. Crosby used nearly ten different pseudonyms during her career because some publishers were hesitant to have so many hymns by one author.
She was born in Southeast, Putnam County, New York to poor parents whose names were John and Mercy Crosby. At six weeks old, she caught a cold and developed inflammation of the eyes. The family physician wasn't available and a quack who came in his place recommended mustard plasters as treatment. The botched procedure blinded her. Her father died when she was one year old. She was raised by her mother and grandmother. She was grounded in the Bible memorizing long passages of scripture. She became an active member of John Street Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. At age 15 she enrolled at the New York Institute for the Blind (New York Institute for Special Education). She remained there for seven years. At the institute she learned to play the piano and the guitar. She also learned how to sing as well. In 1843, she joined a group of lobbyists in Washington, D.C. arguing for the support of education for the blind. From 1847-58 she joined the faculty at the York School, teaching English and history. She also became acquainted with future president Grover Cleveland and became lifelong friends with him there. He was also an instructor at the institute.
She married Alexander Van Alstyne, a blind musician and fellow teacher. They had one daughter, Francis, who died as an infant. Alexander died on July 19, 1902. Crosby was noted for writing poetry by the time she was eight years old. Her first published work was "A Blind Girl and Other Poems" (1844). Other poems that she wrote were "Monterey and Other Poems" (1853) and "A Wreath of Columbia's Flowers" (1858). She also wrote some popular songs set to music by George F. Root. Some of the famous songs she wrote were, "Hazel Dell", "There's Music in the Air", and "Rosalie, the Prairie Flower". She had success with secular verse writing and earned nearly $3000 in royalties for "Rosalie, the Prairie Flower."
At the ege of eight, Fanny Crosby started writing poetry. Here's one of her poems:
O What happy soul I am,
Although I cannot see;
I am resolved in this world
Contented I will be
How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't
Crosby was not bitter by her blindness. She viewed it as God having predestined her to be blind and even remarked that she wouldn't have been able to write the hymns praising God if she were distracted by the things of beauty. She even remarked that that the first face she wants to see is the face of her savior.
It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.
"When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior."
She composed her hymns and poems entirely in her mind and then dictated them to someone else. She had composed as many as twelve hymns in her mind before dictating them all out. There were many musicians and publishers that dictated her songs. Her first hymn in 1863 was by William Bradbury, a respected musician and publisher. The hymn she wrote was "There's a Cry From Macedonia." Other musicians and publishers were Hubert P. Main, Robert Lowry, W.H. Doane, Ira D. Sankey, and Philip P. Bliss, to name a few. She went under dozens of pen names.
She was also well known in America at the time and she met with presidents, generals, and other dignataries. At President Ulysses S. Grant's funeral in 1885, she sang the hymn "Safe in the Arms of Jesus". She was conducted in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1975. She died in 1920. She is buried at the Mountain Grove Cemetery, at Bridgeport, Connecticut.
She was born in Southeast, Putnam County, New York to poor parents whose names were John and Mercy Crosby. At six weeks old, she caught a cold and developed inflammation of the eyes. The family physician wasn't available and a quack who came in his place recommended mustard plasters as treatment. The botched procedure blinded her. Her father died when she was one year old. She was raised by her mother and grandmother. She was grounded in the Bible memorizing long passages of scripture. She became an active member of John Street Methodist Episcopal Church in New York City. At age 15 she enrolled at the New York Institute for the Blind (New York Institute for Special Education). She remained there for seven years. At the institute she learned to play the piano and the guitar. She also learned how to sing as well. In 1843, she joined a group of lobbyists in Washington, D.C. arguing for the support of education for the blind. From 1847-58 she joined the faculty at the York School, teaching English and history. She also became acquainted with future president Grover Cleveland and became lifelong friends with him there. He was also an instructor at the institute.
She married Alexander Van Alstyne, a blind musician and fellow teacher. They had one daughter, Francis, who died as an infant. Alexander died on July 19, 1902. Crosby was noted for writing poetry by the time she was eight years old. Her first published work was "A Blind Girl and Other Poems" (1844). Other poems that she wrote were "Monterey and Other Poems" (1853) and "A Wreath of Columbia's Flowers" (1858). She also wrote some popular songs set to music by George F. Root. Some of the famous songs she wrote were, "Hazel Dell", "There's Music in the Air", and "Rosalie, the Prairie Flower". She had success with secular verse writing and earned nearly $3000 in royalties for "Rosalie, the Prairie Flower."
At the ege of eight, Fanny Crosby started writing poetry. Here's one of her poems:
O What happy soul I am,
Although I cannot see;
I am resolved in this world
Contented I will be
How many blessings I enjoy,
That other people don't;
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't
Crosby was not bitter by her blindness. She viewed it as God having predestined her to be blind and even remarked that she wouldn't have been able to write the hymns praising God if she were distracted by the things of beauty. She even remarked that that the first face she wants to see is the face of her savior.
It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me.
"When I get to heaven, the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior."
She composed her hymns and poems entirely in her mind and then dictated them to someone else. She had composed as many as twelve hymns in her mind before dictating them all out. There were many musicians and publishers that dictated her songs. Her first hymn in 1863 was by William Bradbury, a respected musician and publisher. The hymn she wrote was "There's a Cry From Macedonia." Other musicians and publishers were Hubert P. Main, Robert Lowry, W.H. Doane, Ira D. Sankey, and Philip P. Bliss, to name a few. She went under dozens of pen names.
She was also well known in America at the time and she met with presidents, generals, and other dignataries. At President Ulysses S. Grant's funeral in 1885, she sang the hymn "Safe in the Arms of Jesus". She was conducted in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1975. She died in 1920. She is buried at the Mountain Grove Cemetery, at Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
President Obama Signs Healthcare Bill into Law
(Yahoo) A jubilant President Obama signed a massive, nearly one trillion healthcare overhaul today that will for the first time cement insurance coverage as the right of every U.S. American and begin to reshape the way virtually all Americans receive and pay for treatments. This healthcare bill could define his presidency. This is one of the first major "achievements" that he pushed for as president. After more than a year of hyperpartisan struggles and numerous near death moments for the measure--Obama declared "a new season America" as he sealed a victory denied to a line of presidents stretching back more than half a century. Presidents as far back as Harry Truman have desired for universal healthcare coverage. Democratic lawmakers cheered him on, giving the White House signing ceremony a rally-like atmosphere as they shouted and snapped photos with their pocket cameras and cell phones.
Democrats pushed this bill through Congress with GOP support. Republicans said those Democratic lawakers would pay dearly at the polls in November. Opinion polls showed a skeptical public. President Obama will fly to Iowa Thursday for a number of appearances which will be more like a continuing sales job. The U.S. Senate is working on a companion "fix it" bill to make it better in the words of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One of the biggest changes ever devised by Washington is the reshaping of one-sixth of the nation's economy to be phased in gradually over several years. The Republicans characterized the measure as a costly, wrongheaded government power grab; which is what it is. President Obama portrays the passage of this bill as a lifesaver for those Americans who can't afford health insurance. The core of the law is the extension of coverage for 32 million Americans who now lack it, a goal to be achieved through a complex cocktail of new mandates for individuals and employers, subsidies for people who can't afford to buy coverage on their own, consumer-friendly rules clamped on insurers, tax breaks and marketplaces to shop for health plans.
The law's most far-reaching changes don't kick in until 2014, including a requirement that most Americans carry health insurance--whether through an employer, a government program on their own purchase--or pay a fine. Among new rules on insurance companies are banning lifetime dollar limits on policies, coverage denials for pre-existing conditions, and policy cancellations when someone gets sick. Insurers will have to allow parents to keep children on plans until age 26.
Attorney generals from 13 states have acted on their opposition immediately by filing lawsuits to stop the overhaul just minutes after the bill signing. Foriday Attorney General Bill McCollum took the lead to contend that the legislation is unconstitutional. Attorney Generals from other states such as South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Dakota, Louisiana, Washington, and Colorado followed suit.
What we're witnessing is the destruction of the United States as we know it. We have a group of elites that are imposing their will upon the American people with Obamacare. They have granted a new right to the American people and they will be determining what we can and can't do. Its a step towards communism. It's important that the American people vote in mass numbers during this year's primary and general election. We must vote out these incumbent traitors in droves. Even then, I doubt it will affect the outcome. It will be very difficult to repeal this healthcare bill. I know the Republicans are on a campaign to push for repeal, but that won't be very easy to do; it will be nearly impossible. The only hope I know of is for the attorney generals in all the states to sue over this healthcare bill being imposed upon us. The states can invoke the 10th amendment. Even then the judges might rule against the states. This could prove to be a costly, lengthy battle.
Democrats pushed this bill through Congress with GOP support. Republicans said those Democratic lawakers would pay dearly at the polls in November. Opinion polls showed a skeptical public. President Obama will fly to Iowa Thursday for a number of appearances which will be more like a continuing sales job. The U.S. Senate is working on a companion "fix it" bill to make it better in the words of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. One of the biggest changes ever devised by Washington is the reshaping of one-sixth of the nation's economy to be phased in gradually over several years. The Republicans characterized the measure as a costly, wrongheaded government power grab; which is what it is. President Obama portrays the passage of this bill as a lifesaver for those Americans who can't afford health insurance. The core of the law is the extension of coverage for 32 million Americans who now lack it, a goal to be achieved through a complex cocktail of new mandates for individuals and employers, subsidies for people who can't afford to buy coverage on their own, consumer-friendly rules clamped on insurers, tax breaks and marketplaces to shop for health plans.
The law's most far-reaching changes don't kick in until 2014, including a requirement that most Americans carry health insurance--whether through an employer, a government program on their own purchase--or pay a fine. Among new rules on insurance companies are banning lifetime dollar limits on policies, coverage denials for pre-existing conditions, and policy cancellations when someone gets sick. Insurers will have to allow parents to keep children on plans until age 26.
Attorney generals from 13 states have acted on their opposition immediately by filing lawsuits to stop the overhaul just minutes after the bill signing. Foriday Attorney General Bill McCollum took the lead to contend that the legislation is unconstitutional. Attorney Generals from other states such as South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Michigan, Utah, Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Dakota, Louisiana, Washington, and Colorado followed suit.
What we're witnessing is the destruction of the United States as we know it. We have a group of elites that are imposing their will upon the American people with Obamacare. They have granted a new right to the American people and they will be determining what we can and can't do. Its a step towards communism. It's important that the American people vote in mass numbers during this year's primary and general election. We must vote out these incumbent traitors in droves. Even then, I doubt it will affect the outcome. It will be very difficult to repeal this healthcare bill. I know the Republicans are on a campaign to push for repeal, but that won't be very easy to do; it will be nearly impossible. The only hope I know of is for the attorney generals in all the states to sue over this healthcare bill being imposed upon us. The states can invoke the 10th amendment. Even then the judges might rule against the states. This could prove to be a costly, lengthy battle.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Jesus Tasted Death for Mankind on the Cross
Hebrews 2:9 "But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." In 2004 Mel Giblson produced a famous movie entitled, "The Passion", which dealt with Jesus' life on earth and his crucifixion. In that movie, it depicted the cruel human suffering Jesus experienced on the cross. I never watched the movie, but I heard many people who attended mention what that movie was like. They thought it was the next best thing to Heaven. Many mainline churches sent their members to the theaters to watch that movie. It was a huge hit that year in ratings. Many movies that portray Jesus' death on the cross show the physical suffering and human torture that Jesus suffered. I will say that there's no question that Jesus experienced unquestionable torture on the cross. He was whipped and beaten to a pulp. The soldiers thrust a spear into his side and blood and water came out. The crucifixion was a harsh form of execution to those that committed crimes. There's no way I could endure such suffering and torture. I don't belittle the brutal, physical torture that Christ experienced on the cross. However, mankind has tasted physical death. The type of death that Jesus had to experience was something he had never known before in history. He became sin for mankind and experienced rejection from God the Father.
In Matthew 26:36-39, you read about Jesus in the Garden of Gethesamane. He was praying unto the Father. His soul was exceeding sorrowful unto death. He knew he was about to be betrayed by Judas. He knew his time was come for him to drink of that bitter cup. He prayed unto the Father and said if it be the will of the Father for the cup to pass from him. Jesus also prayed not his will but the will of thy Father. Jesus had also sweat drops as great as the drops of blood to the ground. Jesus knew what his mission was. He knew he was to bore the sins of mankind on the cross. He knew that when he was on the cross, he would experience separation for a period of time from the Father while on the cross. He had always known fellowship with the Godhead. He had never at one time not known fellowship with the Father. He also had never known sin, either. However, he was about to die a vicarious death on the cross. He was a substitute for us. He was chosen to be the lamb slain before the the foundation of the world. He knew that one day he would have to die on the cross. He would have all of mankind's sins thrusted upon him. He became sin so we could be reconciled to God. Jesus was obedient unto death.
In Matthew 27:45 there was darkness upon the earth from the sixth until the ninth hour. For the space of three hours Jesus was tasting death for mankind. I believe that. I believe Jesus was experiencing his darkest moments on the cross for three hours. He was punished for the sins of mankind. In verse 46 Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, "Eli, Eli, lama, sabach tha ni, which is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." He had experienced rejection from the Father due to the sins of mankind. When Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, he had yielded up the ghost. He had also uttered the words, "It is finished" as well on the cross. Jesus had finally paid the debt for the sins of mankind. He endured the physical torture on the cross. He suffered rejection on the cross. Finally, the debt for the sins of mankind was paid. The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent (verse 51). The veil of the temple that was rent in twain from the top to the bottom means that we have access to God through Jesus Christ. Jesus then became our High Priest. No longer would an earthly priest have to offer animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of mankind. We now could go to Jesus. Praise the Lord!
In the book of Hebrews we read where it says how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Jesus paid it all on Calvary. He gave himself on Calvary so we wouldn't have to experience the awful torments of Hell. It's serious business with God that we don't neglect or ignore the price Jesus paid for us on Calvary. Hell is for those that reject Jesus. Anyone that goes to hell goes in spite of everything Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus tasted spiritual death on the cross so we could be redeemed from sin and we wouldn't have to go to hell. There's nothing more important in life to to be saved and serve the Lord.
In Matthew 26:36-39, you read about Jesus in the Garden of Gethesamane. He was praying unto the Father. His soul was exceeding sorrowful unto death. He knew he was about to be betrayed by Judas. He knew his time was come for him to drink of that bitter cup. He prayed unto the Father and said if it be the will of the Father for the cup to pass from him. Jesus also prayed not his will but the will of thy Father. Jesus had also sweat drops as great as the drops of blood to the ground. Jesus knew what his mission was. He knew he was to bore the sins of mankind on the cross. He knew that when he was on the cross, he would experience separation for a period of time from the Father while on the cross. He had always known fellowship with the Godhead. He had never at one time not known fellowship with the Father. He also had never known sin, either. However, he was about to die a vicarious death on the cross. He was a substitute for us. He was chosen to be the lamb slain before the the foundation of the world. He knew that one day he would have to die on the cross. He would have all of mankind's sins thrusted upon him. He became sin so we could be reconciled to God. Jesus was obedient unto death.
In Matthew 27:45 there was darkness upon the earth from the sixth until the ninth hour. For the space of three hours Jesus was tasting death for mankind. I believe that. I believe Jesus was experiencing his darkest moments on the cross for three hours. He was punished for the sins of mankind. In verse 46 Jesus cried out with a loud voice and said, "Eli, Eli, lama, sabach tha ni, which is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me." He had experienced rejection from the Father due to the sins of mankind. When Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, he had yielded up the ghost. He had also uttered the words, "It is finished" as well on the cross. Jesus had finally paid the debt for the sins of mankind. He endured the physical torture on the cross. He suffered rejection on the cross. Finally, the debt for the sins of mankind was paid. The veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent (verse 51). The veil of the temple that was rent in twain from the top to the bottom means that we have access to God through Jesus Christ. Jesus then became our High Priest. No longer would an earthly priest have to offer animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of mankind. We now could go to Jesus. Praise the Lord!
In the book of Hebrews we read where it says how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? Jesus paid it all on Calvary. He gave himself on Calvary so we wouldn't have to experience the awful torments of Hell. It's serious business with God that we don't neglect or ignore the price Jesus paid for us on Calvary. Hell is for those that reject Jesus. Anyone that goes to hell goes in spite of everything Jesus did for us on the cross. Jesus tasted spiritual death on the cross so we could be redeemed from sin and we wouldn't have to go to hell. There's nothing more important in life to to be saved and serve the Lord.
House Passes Socialist Healthcare Bill
(USA Today) Sunday evening the House finally approved a major portion of one of President Obama's top priorities and that was the passage of the healthcare bill by a vote of 219-212. The passage of this bill is considered a historic restructuring of the nation's healthcare system. Undoubtedly the passage of this bill is very historic, but it's not good for America. Instead, it could prove to be America's downfall. This bill will place one-sixth of the nation's economy in the hands of the Federal government. There were no Republican supporters of this bill. There also were a few Democrats who voted against the bill. Yesterday President Obama had struck a deal with Michigan Congressman Bart Stupak to issue an executive order which would prohibit federal funds from being used to support abortions. In other words, it would make sure the Hyde Amendment would stay intact. However, the Hyde Amendment applied primarily to Medicaid funding. Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-OH stated that Obama's executive order is "not worth the paper it's printed on." The National Right to Life Committee said an executive order didn't carry any weight. "The executive order promised by President Obama was issued for political effect," said Schmidt. I believe she's on target. President Obama's the most pro-abortion president in our nation's history. There's no way that you are going to convince me that he will stick by that order. He did that in order to lure Stupak and other pro-life Democrats into voting for the bill. That's what is was about. President Obama and the Democratic leadership were involved in all sorts of briberies to pressure the undecided Democrats into voting for this bill. President Obama had cancelled his Asian trip for the purpose of persuading Congressmen to vote for this bill.
This plan would at least cost $940 billion dollars. It will be an overhaul of our nation's healthcare system. "This is what change looks like," Obama said in the East Room of the White House just before midnight, with Vice-President Biden at his side. "We proved that this government, a government of the people and by the people, still works for the people." This legislation will raise taxes largely on the wealthly (also the middle class), and supposedly reduce future Medicare spending by about $500 billion. I'll have to see that to believe it. With so many Americans out of work, there's not enough workers on the payroll to provide tax receipts to cover this giant behemoth. "This legislation will lead to healthier lives," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. "We have the opportunity to complete the great unfinished business of our society and pass healthcare reform for all Americans that is a right and not a privilege." She also stated that they were passing this for the American people. No, they're not passing this for the people. It's those that pull the strings of our politicians that are pushing for this bill to be passed. It's not about the American people. It's about making the government the sole arbiters in a person's life. This bill gives the government the right to dictate the lifestyles of American citizens. The government is creating a "right" for all Americans that only is to be reserved by God. Our rights and our value as an individual comes from God, not the government. However, the government is trying to play god in the lives of the American people.
The truth of the matter is we don't know much about this bill and what it contains. Speaker Pelosi said that they needed to pass this bill so the American people can see what it contains. That's backwards. Before this bill was passed, the American people should've known what this bill contained. Even the grandson of President Harry Truman was skeptical about this bill. Clifton Truman Daniel said, "How much damage is this going to do? How good a bill is this going to be?" "My assumption is that it will improve things, but who knows?" His grandfather was a supporter of universal healthcare over a half-century ago. Clifton Daniel is a Democrat. However, the public is in the dark on what this bill will cover.
This is a very sad day for America. We have a group of elected elites that view themselves as kings and we the people as peasants. They will go to any lengths to push socialism down the throats of the American people--come what may. It may even cost the Democrats the November election. However, they're well taken care of and they will be appointed to some future government post by President Obama or a future president if they're voted out in November. This is just the beginning stages. This will help pave the road to fascism in America. It will happen in stages, but America is slowly on the road to becoming a fascist nation. The rate things are going, America will become a Third World nation. President Obama is expected to sign this landmark legislation sometime tomorrow. The next agenda for Congress will be to push for amnesty legislation for the illegal aliens.
This plan would at least cost $940 billion dollars. It will be an overhaul of our nation's healthcare system. "This is what change looks like," Obama said in the East Room of the White House just before midnight, with Vice-President Biden at his side. "We proved that this government, a government of the people and by the people, still works for the people." This legislation will raise taxes largely on the wealthly (also the middle class), and supposedly reduce future Medicare spending by about $500 billion. I'll have to see that to believe it. With so many Americans out of work, there's not enough workers on the payroll to provide tax receipts to cover this giant behemoth. "This legislation will lead to healthier lives," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said. "We have the opportunity to complete the great unfinished business of our society and pass healthcare reform for all Americans that is a right and not a privilege." She also stated that they were passing this for the American people. No, they're not passing this for the people. It's those that pull the strings of our politicians that are pushing for this bill to be passed. It's not about the American people. It's about making the government the sole arbiters in a person's life. This bill gives the government the right to dictate the lifestyles of American citizens. The government is creating a "right" for all Americans that only is to be reserved by God. Our rights and our value as an individual comes from God, not the government. However, the government is trying to play god in the lives of the American people.
The truth of the matter is we don't know much about this bill and what it contains. Speaker Pelosi said that they needed to pass this bill so the American people can see what it contains. That's backwards. Before this bill was passed, the American people should've known what this bill contained. Even the grandson of President Harry Truman was skeptical about this bill. Clifton Truman Daniel said, "How much damage is this going to do? How good a bill is this going to be?" "My assumption is that it will improve things, but who knows?" His grandfather was a supporter of universal healthcare over a half-century ago. Clifton Daniel is a Democrat. However, the public is in the dark on what this bill will cover.
This is a very sad day for America. We have a group of elected elites that view themselves as kings and we the people as peasants. They will go to any lengths to push socialism down the throats of the American people--come what may. It may even cost the Democrats the November election. However, they're well taken care of and they will be appointed to some future government post by President Obama or a future president if they're voted out in November. This is just the beginning stages. This will help pave the road to fascism in America. It will happen in stages, but America is slowly on the road to becoming a fascist nation. The rate things are going, America will become a Third World nation. President Obama is expected to sign this landmark legislation sometime tomorrow. The next agenda for Congress will be to push for amnesty legislation for the illegal aliens.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
The Sermon on the Mount (Part 10)
(Matthew 5:17-20) "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men, so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." In this generation in which we live in Christendom, there's much confusion in regards to the laws of God. There are some that teach that since we're under the New Covenant, we are no longer under the law and we can live anyway we desire to live. However, that's not accurate. It's true that since Jesus died on Calvary, we're no longer under the dispensation or the curse of the law. However, we need to be cautious before we dismiss the law entirely. Some religious people will brand you as a legalist if a preacher stands up and preaches against such sins as long hair on men, nudity, rock and country music, and the list continues. That's not legalism! Preaching separation isn't legalism. Legalism is adding to the grace of God when it comes to salvation. However, due to widespread Biblical illiteracy in many of our denominations today, many of those on the pew don't have any idea what legalism is. Jesus said in the above verses that he didn't come to abolish the law, but he came to fulfill it. Jesus was the fulfillment of the law. Christ came to this earth for a period of 33 years and he lived a perfect, spotless life. He sinned not. The Pharisees did try to make an issue when Jesus and his disciples plucked corn on the Sabbath day and did eat it. Jesus told them that the Sabbath was made for man and that Jesus was Lord over the Sabbath. Jesus didn't break any of the laws. The Sabbath was a ceremonial law.
One of the major reasons why there's such appalling ignorance in knowing Bible truth is because many church people don't practice II Timothy 2:15 which says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Those Bible students that attend a Bible college to enter the ministry are required to take a course entitled, "Biblical Hermeneutics". Hermeneutics is a study of the Biblical interpretation of scripture. Heremeneutics teaches how to properly divide the Word of God. It's imperative every Christian understand how to interpret the Word of God. The reason why there's so much heresy and false teaching today is due to the misinterpretation and misapplication of the Word of God. The Catholic Church, for example is a combination of paganism, Judaism, and the priesthood of the Old Testament. However, the priesthood, which was under the Mosaic Law, was abolished when Jesus died on Calvary. The Seventh Day Adventists inappropriately apply the Jewish Sabbath to the church today. They meet for services on Saturday in keeping with the Old Testament Sabbath, supposedly. However, if they were to read Exodus, the Sabbath wasn't a day for worship. It was a day for rest. That's all the Sabbath was for. Erroneous doctrines and teachings occur due to not properly dividing the word of truth.
Jesus didn't preach against the law. The Apostle Paul stated that the law is a schoolmaster that brings us to Christ. The law states the truth. It reveals that we're dead in sins and trespasses. Without the law, how can a person expect to know they're lost and undone without God? The law shows us that we're sinful and undone. Consequently, the law had no power to save. Under the law man was condemned. But Jesus paved the way at Calvary by dying on the cross for man to receive forgiveness of sins. The law says, "You're dead in sins and trespasses." But Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by me." Jesus says you can come unto him and he'll save you from your sin. That's how law and grace works. Without the law, grace wouldn't have any effect upon us. Why do we need grace if we aren't sinners. We need grace because we've sinned against God and grace through Jesus is the only way to be saved. Anyone that says that the laws of God are of none effect because of the New Covenant don't know their Bible. There are some Biblical truths to follow once a person becomes saved. The epistles in the New Testament talk about our walk before the Lord and Christian conduct. You'll read where it says to abstain from all appearances of evil. I wonder what those that cry "legalism" have to say about that scripture. There's are some "do's" and "don'ts" for Christians to follow in this life. How could a Christian know which path to follow if there aren't some things the Bible pointed out to us that we should abstain from? It's true there are religious Pharisees, but I'm not promoting Phariseeism. There has to be some Biblical standards of separation for the Christian to follow. How can a Christian know how to be unspotted from this world if they aren't made aware of the differences between the Godly and the ungodly?
One of the rules of Hermeneutics is to interpret scripture in its proper context. One of the principles in Hermeneutics is the dispensation principle. In the Bible, there are various eras called Dispensations which make reference to God dealing with man at a particular time about his sin. There are a total of eight dispensations. Today we're presently under the dispensation of grace or the church age. Back in the Old Testament under the Dispensation of Law, there were basically three types of law. They were moral, civil, and ceremonial. The moral laws are the laws of God which instruct us on our relationship with God and our relationship with our fellow man. The civil laws deal with the laws that were pertaining to Israel during that timeframe. The ceremonial laws pertained to sacrifices that were performed to cover the sins of the children of Israel. The laws revolving around the ceremonial and even much of civil is not applicable to the Christian today in the Dispensation of Grace. However, the moral laws of God haven't been abolished. The Ten Commandments with the exception of the Sabbath Day are still applicable to today's Christian. Even though God gave them to Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20, those laws were moral laws. The laws regarding don't worship idols, honor thy mother and father, don't commit adultery, etc. are still applicable today. That hasn't changed. However, all the Jewish ceremonial and civil laws were made for the nation of Israel during the Dispensation of the Law. Since we're under the New Covenant, the ceremonial and civil laws aren't necessary for today's Christians. However, all of God's moral laws still hold true for the Christian today.
Jesus knew the law couldn't save man. He came to fulfill the law. Jesus not only fulfilled the law, but he wrote the laws into the hearts of man so that man would desire to fulfill the laws of God. Whenever somebody testifies about being saved, they frequently mention how God changed their desires and all the old worldly desires they used to engage in they no longer have a desire to engage in. Why is that? That's a result of the new birth. Jesus wrote the law into the hearts of man so man would willingly and voluntarily serve God. II Corinthian 5:17 says that if any man be in Christ he's a new creature. Old things are passed away and all things become new. That's the miracle of the new birth. It's not, "I have to live for God." It's "I desire to live for God. Living for Jesus is such a joy." That's what the new birth does for a Child of God. All the ways of the world will grow strangely dim to him. He desires to walk in the light that God's given him. He desires to follow and live by the precepts of the Bible. Jesus didn't destroy the law. Thank God for the law. For without the law, I would never have known of my need to come to Christ and get saved. The law brings you to Christ. However, the law in itself condemns us. That's where Jesus comes in. He says, "Come to me." He told the Samaritan woman at the well to drink of that living water. Jesus told her that if she drank of that water, she would never thirst again.
One of the major reasons why there's such appalling ignorance in knowing Bible truth is because many church people don't practice II Timothy 2:15 which says, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Those Bible students that attend a Bible college to enter the ministry are required to take a course entitled, "Biblical Hermeneutics". Hermeneutics is a study of the Biblical interpretation of scripture. Heremeneutics teaches how to properly divide the Word of God. It's imperative every Christian understand how to interpret the Word of God. The reason why there's so much heresy and false teaching today is due to the misinterpretation and misapplication of the Word of God. The Catholic Church, for example is a combination of paganism, Judaism, and the priesthood of the Old Testament. However, the priesthood, which was under the Mosaic Law, was abolished when Jesus died on Calvary. The Seventh Day Adventists inappropriately apply the Jewish Sabbath to the church today. They meet for services on Saturday in keeping with the Old Testament Sabbath, supposedly. However, if they were to read Exodus, the Sabbath wasn't a day for worship. It was a day for rest. That's all the Sabbath was for. Erroneous doctrines and teachings occur due to not properly dividing the word of truth.
Jesus didn't preach against the law. The Apostle Paul stated that the law is a schoolmaster that brings us to Christ. The law states the truth. It reveals that we're dead in sins and trespasses. Without the law, how can a person expect to know they're lost and undone without God? The law shows us that we're sinful and undone. Consequently, the law had no power to save. Under the law man was condemned. But Jesus paved the way at Calvary by dying on the cross for man to receive forgiveness of sins. The law says, "You're dead in sins and trespasses." But Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by me." Jesus says you can come unto him and he'll save you from your sin. That's how law and grace works. Without the law, grace wouldn't have any effect upon us. Why do we need grace if we aren't sinners. We need grace because we've sinned against God and grace through Jesus is the only way to be saved. Anyone that says that the laws of God are of none effect because of the New Covenant don't know their Bible. There are some Biblical truths to follow once a person becomes saved. The epistles in the New Testament talk about our walk before the Lord and Christian conduct. You'll read where it says to abstain from all appearances of evil. I wonder what those that cry "legalism" have to say about that scripture. There's are some "do's" and "don'ts" for Christians to follow in this life. How could a Christian know which path to follow if there aren't some things the Bible pointed out to us that we should abstain from? It's true there are religious Pharisees, but I'm not promoting Phariseeism. There has to be some Biblical standards of separation for the Christian to follow. How can a Christian know how to be unspotted from this world if they aren't made aware of the differences between the Godly and the ungodly?
One of the rules of Hermeneutics is to interpret scripture in its proper context. One of the principles in Hermeneutics is the dispensation principle. In the Bible, there are various eras called Dispensations which make reference to God dealing with man at a particular time about his sin. There are a total of eight dispensations. Today we're presently under the dispensation of grace or the church age. Back in the Old Testament under the Dispensation of Law, there were basically three types of law. They were moral, civil, and ceremonial. The moral laws are the laws of God which instruct us on our relationship with God and our relationship with our fellow man. The civil laws deal with the laws that were pertaining to Israel during that timeframe. The ceremonial laws pertained to sacrifices that were performed to cover the sins of the children of Israel. The laws revolving around the ceremonial and even much of civil is not applicable to the Christian today in the Dispensation of Grace. However, the moral laws of God haven't been abolished. The Ten Commandments with the exception of the Sabbath Day are still applicable to today's Christian. Even though God gave them to Moses on Mount Sinai in Exodus 20, those laws were moral laws. The laws regarding don't worship idols, honor thy mother and father, don't commit adultery, etc. are still applicable today. That hasn't changed. However, all the Jewish ceremonial and civil laws were made for the nation of Israel during the Dispensation of the Law. Since we're under the New Covenant, the ceremonial and civil laws aren't necessary for today's Christians. However, all of God's moral laws still hold true for the Christian today.
Jesus knew the law couldn't save man. He came to fulfill the law. Jesus not only fulfilled the law, but he wrote the laws into the hearts of man so that man would desire to fulfill the laws of God. Whenever somebody testifies about being saved, they frequently mention how God changed their desires and all the old worldly desires they used to engage in they no longer have a desire to engage in. Why is that? That's a result of the new birth. Jesus wrote the law into the hearts of man so man would willingly and voluntarily serve God. II Corinthian 5:17 says that if any man be in Christ he's a new creature. Old things are passed away and all things become new. That's the miracle of the new birth. It's not, "I have to live for God." It's "I desire to live for God. Living for Jesus is such a joy." That's what the new birth does for a Child of God. All the ways of the world will grow strangely dim to him. He desires to walk in the light that God's given him. He desires to follow and live by the precepts of the Bible. Jesus didn't destroy the law. Thank God for the law. For without the law, I would never have known of my need to come to Christ and get saved. The law brings you to Christ. However, the law in itself condemns us. That's where Jesus comes in. He says, "Come to me." He told the Samaritan woman at the well to drink of that living water. Jesus told her that if she drank of that water, she would never thirst again.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Tea Party Gathering in DC
(Fox News) Days after holding a rally in Washington, D.C., the Tea Party activists once again returned to Washington to make one final stand against the healthcare reform bill ahead of an expected Sunday vote. Thousands of Tea Partiers descended upon the Capitol in an effort to derail the march toward "Obamacare" by pressuring undecided lawmakers to vote "no" on Sunday. At times protesters broke into chants of "Kill the bill." There were a few protesters that yelled racial slurs at some of the lawmakers. I was watching a little bit of Geraldo on Fox News Saturday evening and he had as his guests both Mike Huckabee and Al Sharpton. Sharpton said the Republicans should've denounced those that yelled racial slurs at the lawmakers. I will comment on Sharpton's statement in a little bit. More than 60 Tea Party affiliates organized the event in the four days since Tuesday's rally after organizers were flooded with requests to hold another one for those who couldn't take off of work for the first one.
Today's event featured actor Jon Voight, Republicans Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Conference, Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) and Steve King (R-IA). "This is the final push, and the Democrats' last ditch effort to push through the most unpopular legislation in years." Bachmann said. She rejected the notion Tea Partiers were gathering too late to stop House Democrats who appear close to having the 216 votes required to pass the bill on Sunday. "They're exactly on time" she told Fox News at the rally. "Over 250,000 Americans come here practically on a 24-hour notice. They can't wait to be the welcome wagon for President Barack Obama when he comes this afternoon for a meeting with House Democrats." After the rally Tea Partiers were planning to confront undecided Democratic lawmakers in their Congressional offices and convince them to vote against the bill.
I'm afraid that I have to disagree with Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann. I believe that Saturday's rally was too late to convince undecided lawmakers to change their vote on the bill. President Obama and Nancy Pelosi have these lawmakers in the palms of their hands. If something could've been done, it would've have to been done before the House and Senate voted for the bill last year. But I'm afraid it's already too late to stop this vote. President Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are insistent upon voting for this bill. They've been investing all their eggs into this vote. I listen to the Jim Sumpter Show online and on radio Sunday afternoon whenever I have a chance. I listen to his analysis about the healthcare situation quite often. I've heard him say that if the Republicans were true patriots and were into a strategy in trying to combat this bill, they've should've filed articles of impeachment against President Obama and the Democrats for forcing this unconstitutional bill before Congress. Sumpter admitted the Republicans didn't have the votes to force an impeachment, but they could at least slow the process down. I do agree with that. The problem is the Republicans can't do very much due to their own hypocrisy when they were in charge of both the House and the Senate a few years ago. When they were in power, they spent money recklessly and they were drunk on power themselves. You'll hear President Obama chiding the Republicans often when they claim this bill is too costly and he poses the question to them on where were they ten years ago when they were in charge. President Obama is right on that point, sadly. The Republicans have rendered themselves ineffective due to their poor leadership when they were in charge. Most of the Republicans in the House and Senate today were in charge when they held the majority just a few years ago. The truth of the matter is both parties are part of the problem. President Bush and the Republican Congress made some terrible policies when they were in charge. That in essence led to the Democrats capturing the majorities in both the House and Senate in 2006 and the election of Barack Obama to the presidency in 2008. We have inept leadership on both sides of the aisle. I agree the Republican Party wouldn't craft this type of legislation if they were in charge, but they wouldn't prevent socialism from taking hold of America. They're not going to stop this bill. I also believe if they are to regain the majority in both Houses in November, they won't repeal this monstrous healthcare bill. They were worthless when they help the post just a few years ago. They're not going to change if they are to regain the leadership post this November. Both parties are part of the same good-ol-boy network. They're both bought off by campaign donors who in term expect special favors of them. We're a leaderless country on the political level. Which Republican official is going to stand in the gap and take charge? I don't know of anyone. Even the best of them aren't aren't going to stand in the gap. Their standing up to the corruption in Washington could prove to be too costly. That's why it's difficult to find a Republican willing to stand in the gap. The costs of their stand could prove very costly could be more than what they're willing to sacrifice.
Before criticizing any of the Tea Party protesters for yelling racial slurs at our lawmakers, we must view the whole picture. I personally am opposed at using racial slurs at our elected officials or people in general. I don't like them, period. Before people like Al Sharpton try to capitalize on a few of those Tea Party protesters, he needs to recognize those Tea Party protesters have a right to be angry at or government. Our elected elite are non-responsive to their constituents back home as well as they're corrupt and drunk on power. They're transforming this country from "land of the brave and home of the free" to a Marxist nation. That's what it's coming to. We may not become a Marxist nation overnight, but we're headed in that direction. However, the elite media and our elected elite are all in the same boat together. They're all working together to impose socialism down our throats. The passage of this healthcare bill will give the government the power to grant arbitrary rights to Americans. There's an old adage that whatever the government gives you, they can take it away. We'll be enslaved by the government if this bill passes the House. Our nation will be forever changed.
Today's event featured actor Jon Voight, Republicans Mike Pence, chairman of the House Republican Conference, Michele Bachmann (R-Minn) and Steve King (R-IA). "This is the final push, and the Democrats' last ditch effort to push through the most unpopular legislation in years." Bachmann said. She rejected the notion Tea Partiers were gathering too late to stop House Democrats who appear close to having the 216 votes required to pass the bill on Sunday. "They're exactly on time" she told Fox News at the rally. "Over 250,000 Americans come here practically on a 24-hour notice. They can't wait to be the welcome wagon for President Barack Obama when he comes this afternoon for a meeting with House Democrats." After the rally Tea Partiers were planning to confront undecided Democratic lawmakers in their Congressional offices and convince them to vote against the bill.
I'm afraid that I have to disagree with Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann. I believe that Saturday's rally was too late to convince undecided lawmakers to change their vote on the bill. President Obama and Nancy Pelosi have these lawmakers in the palms of their hands. If something could've been done, it would've have to been done before the House and Senate voted for the bill last year. But I'm afraid it's already too late to stop this vote. President Obama, Pelosi, and Reid are insistent upon voting for this bill. They've been investing all their eggs into this vote. I listen to the Jim Sumpter Show online and on radio Sunday afternoon whenever I have a chance. I listen to his analysis about the healthcare situation quite often. I've heard him say that if the Republicans were true patriots and were into a strategy in trying to combat this bill, they've should've filed articles of impeachment against President Obama and the Democrats for forcing this unconstitutional bill before Congress. Sumpter admitted the Republicans didn't have the votes to force an impeachment, but they could at least slow the process down. I do agree with that. The problem is the Republicans can't do very much due to their own hypocrisy when they were in charge of both the House and the Senate a few years ago. When they were in power, they spent money recklessly and they were drunk on power themselves. You'll hear President Obama chiding the Republicans often when they claim this bill is too costly and he poses the question to them on where were they ten years ago when they were in charge. President Obama is right on that point, sadly. The Republicans have rendered themselves ineffective due to their poor leadership when they were in charge. Most of the Republicans in the House and Senate today were in charge when they held the majority just a few years ago. The truth of the matter is both parties are part of the problem. President Bush and the Republican Congress made some terrible policies when they were in charge. That in essence led to the Democrats capturing the majorities in both the House and Senate in 2006 and the election of Barack Obama to the presidency in 2008. We have inept leadership on both sides of the aisle. I agree the Republican Party wouldn't craft this type of legislation if they were in charge, but they wouldn't prevent socialism from taking hold of America. They're not going to stop this bill. I also believe if they are to regain the majority in both Houses in November, they won't repeal this monstrous healthcare bill. They were worthless when they help the post just a few years ago. They're not going to change if they are to regain the leadership post this November. Both parties are part of the same good-ol-boy network. They're both bought off by campaign donors who in term expect special favors of them. We're a leaderless country on the political level. Which Republican official is going to stand in the gap and take charge? I don't know of anyone. Even the best of them aren't aren't going to stand in the gap. Their standing up to the corruption in Washington could prove to be too costly. That's why it's difficult to find a Republican willing to stand in the gap. The costs of their stand could prove very costly could be more than what they're willing to sacrifice.
Before criticizing any of the Tea Party protesters for yelling racial slurs at our lawmakers, we must view the whole picture. I personally am opposed at using racial slurs at our elected officials or people in general. I don't like them, period. Before people like Al Sharpton try to capitalize on a few of those Tea Party protesters, he needs to recognize those Tea Party protesters have a right to be angry at or government. Our elected elite are non-responsive to their constituents back home as well as they're corrupt and drunk on power. They're transforming this country from "land of the brave and home of the free" to a Marxist nation. That's what it's coming to. We may not become a Marxist nation overnight, but we're headed in that direction. However, the elite media and our elected elite are all in the same boat together. They're all working together to impose socialism down our throats. The passage of this healthcare bill will give the government the power to grant arbitrary rights to Americans. There's an old adage that whatever the government gives you, they can take it away. We'll be enslaved by the government if this bill passes the House. Our nation will be forever changed.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
March Madness Begins
Let the games begin! We have just officially begun March Madness. 65 teams are competing in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. For the next three weeks there will be two rounds each week until the championship game on Monday April 5, 2010. Two teams will play a total of six games. The winner of those two teams will be the national champion. There is speculation that Kansas or Kentucky could win the national championship this year. Last year North Carolina won the 2009 NCAA men's basketball championship. The no. 1 seeds are Kentucky, Kansas, Syracuse, and Duke. Kansas has the overall no. 1 seed. Each are in different regions across the country. The winner of each of those regions will head to the Final Four at Indianapolis, Indiana. It will be an exciting matchup this year.
The NCAA first round regional games started today. There's already been a few upsets already. No no. 1 seeds lost today. Here's a few of the highlights of today's matchups.
No. 2 Villanova beat no. 15 Robert Morris
No. 14 Ohio beat No. 3 Georgetown
No. 11 San Diego State beat No. 6 Tennessee
No. 1 Kentucky beat No. 16 East Tennessee State
No. 9 Northern Iowa beat No. 8 UNLV
No. 2 Kansas State beat No. 15 North Texas
No. 1 Kansas beat No. 16 Lehigh
No. 11 Washington beat No. 6 Marquette
No. 3 New Mexico beat No. 14 Montana
No. 13 Murray State beat No. 4 Vanderbilt
No. 7 Brigham Young beat No. 10 Florida
These are just a few highlights of this year's NCAA Men's Division I basketball tournament. Kentucky was very impressive against No. 16 Tennessee State. Kentucky put on a clinic last night. Eric Bledsoe made 8 3-pointers and John Wall made 10 assists. Stay updated for the latest results.
The NCAA first round regional games started today. There's already been a few upsets already. No no. 1 seeds lost today. Here's a few of the highlights of today's matchups.
No. 2 Villanova beat no. 15 Robert Morris
No. 14 Ohio beat No. 3 Georgetown
No. 11 San Diego State beat No. 6 Tennessee
No. 1 Kentucky beat No. 16 East Tennessee State
No. 9 Northern Iowa beat No. 8 UNLV
No. 2 Kansas State beat No. 15 North Texas
No. 1 Kansas beat No. 16 Lehigh
No. 11 Washington beat No. 6 Marquette
No. 3 New Mexico beat No. 14 Montana
No. 13 Murray State beat No. 4 Vanderbilt
No. 7 Brigham Young beat No. 10 Florida
These are just a few highlights of this year's NCAA Men's Division I basketball tournament. Kentucky was very impressive against No. 16 Tennessee State. Kentucky put on a clinic last night. Eric Bledsoe made 8 3-pointers and John Wall made 10 assists. Stay updated for the latest results.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Ora Nall
Ora T. Nall was my U.S. history teacher when I was a junior at Apollo High School. I had her for college preparatory U.S. history during the 1988-89 academic year. She was a great teacher. She taught college preparatory U.S. history, one advanced placement U.S. history class, she taught a current issues class, and senior U.S. government class. The A.P. history class was for juniors that were in the honors track level. She was a very serious and dedicated history teacher. She didn't just teach history in class and then once class was over with, she was done with history for the day. History was a part of her life. She and her husband, Don Nall taught U.S. history except Don Nall taught history at Daviess County High School and Mrs. Ora Nall taught history at Apollo. She taught at Apollo from 1975-96. She retired in 1996 due to lung cancer. She died in August 1996. I had the privilege of attending her graveside funeral. I remember a statement that then principal Dale Stewart said when eulogizing her. He said that she was dedicated to her teaching profession. That was absolutely true. She strived to be as knowledgeable as she could be about history so she could impart the necessary information to her classes. She would attend a number of development workshops over the years and she would visit a host of countries. In the 1983-84 Apollo High School yearbook, it showed a picture of her at the Great Wall of China. She went to China one summer and she posed for some pictures in that yearbook. She also learned how to eat with chopsticks when she was in China. I had once asked her of any countries she hadn't seen and she told me they were Austrialia and New Zealand.
Her class was upstairs at Apollo. In her classroom she would have a couple of chalkboards, a podium on her desk, and several pictures on her wall. One of the pictures on her wall was from then U.S. Senator Wendell Ford (D-KY) and former 2nd district Congressman William Natcher (D-KY). She was acqauinted with Kentucky's lawmakers. She also had posted several satirical political cartoonson her bulletin board. She one day made a comment about our lack of noticing them on the wall and said we were "numbskulls". She was the first person whom I heard mention that word. Each day on her chalkboard she would have written "Goal of the day" for various periods. I was in her 3rd period class. She would many times begin the goal with "consider". One time on the board it said "Consider labor unions". We would know what we would be doing each class day by reading what was on the board. The class consisted of lectures and tests. Sometimes we would watch a video about some historical event in America. One time we all went to the auditorium and we sang the national anthem. She would do that with all her U.S. history classes. We also were required to quote the preamble to the Constitution as well.
On the first day of class she would explain to us what the class would consist of. She wore a button for two days that said, "I'm easy to please, just do it my way." She was letting us know if we will listen and follow directions, we'll be okay. We learned it wasn't a class for horseplay or frivolous chatter. She would have a list of classroom rules on the board and they would start with "Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not". One rule stated, "Thou shalt be on time for class." Another one stated, "Thou shalt bring necessary items to class." Another one stated, "Thou shalt not chew gum or eat candy in class." She was a stickler about that. There would be a number of times a student would be chewing gum while she was lecturing. She sometimes would tell them to head to the trashcan and spit the gum out. Other times she would carry the waste paper basket to the student's desk and they had to spit it out. When she saw your mouth moving, she knew you had gum in it. She didn't like students chewing gum in class. She would call out the class roll on a daily basis and we would have to either say "here" or "present." During that school year we had two student teachers that shared in teaching to the students, so we didn't have Mrs. Nall lecturing to us everyday.
For the first semester and a few weeks of the second semester, we didn't use a textbook. We had to take copious notes in class. Starting with the 1987-88 school year, the U.S. history textbooks were redesigned differently. In the Daviess County Public School system, students in the 8th grade and students in the 11th grade took U.S. history. Starting with the 1987-88 school year, the school system decided to teach the first half of U.S. history to 8th graders and the second half to 11th graders. 8th graders would study history from Columbus until the Civil War. The 11th grade class was supposed to study history from Reconstruction to present time. Mrs. Nall didn't issue us the original textbooks which covered all of U.S. history from the beginning of time to present. She decided to give us a refresher of early U.S. history for a semester. We would have to take copious notes. The second semester we received our history textbooks when we started studying the period of Reconstruction. Our tests would consist of essay, multiple choice, and fill-in-the blank. You had to study your material thoroughly. In the second semester, she gave primarily scantron tests. Scantron tests were multiple choice or true or false and they were graded by a scanner. She also gave us essay assignments to write as well. She was a huge believer in students expressing themselves both orally and through written exams. We had a few essays to write in her class. Her A.P. class wrote more essays than we did. They also had a booklet which she referred to as "baby" they had to keep and bring with them to class. It had various selections of reading lessons in it.
She was also different in her approach to grading tests. On a scale from 1-100 she would give you points for every correct answer. For example, suppose you had a ten question test. Every question that you answered correctly you would receive 10 points. Every incorrect answer she gave you 0 points. She didn't grade the way most teachers grade and subtract points for every wrong answer. If you had it wrong, you didn't receive any points for it. Then she would add up the points and that would be your score. If you had seven answers correct, then she would multiply 10 x 7 and your final score would be 70%, which was a D. She said it was backwards deducting points for every wrong answer. Why assume you have a score of 100 until you calculate all the correct answers? She had a point there. Another thing that was different about her was if you misspelled a word or used improper English, you would receive reduced points for that answer. Many students thought that was silly, but she was emphasizing it's important to experess oneself both orally and in written form in every class. She said the proper usage of English should be emphasized in every subject area; not just English class. In my senior yearbook there was a little caption of Mrs. Nall and she stated her philosophy in regards to education. I'm going to quote it for you." "I believe that all people need to be able to express their ideas in an acceptable manner. This includes both verbal and written expression. I further believe that school has as its goal the overall education of its students. Each class is responsible for this general goal rather than just being responsible for teaching a particular subject. As a result, I believe that all classes should encourage acceptable verbal and written expression." I believe she was exactly on the mark.
Mrs. Nall was very dedicated in her teaching profession. She was also dedicated in the Owensboro community as well. I remember one year she performed in Owensboro's annual "Messiah" performance at Third Baptist Church. I've seen her once at a bluegrass festival in Owensboro. She would attend state teacher's conventions and any seminar that was history related. She taught school from 1968-96, which was almost 30 years. She started teaching what was then Daviess County Jr. High (now Daviess County Middle School) and then later at Apollo. I learned a lot from her and I believe in her approach that in education a student should be able to express oneself both orally and in written expression.
Her class was upstairs at Apollo. In her classroom she would have a couple of chalkboards, a podium on her desk, and several pictures on her wall. One of the pictures on her wall was from then U.S. Senator Wendell Ford (D-KY) and former 2nd district Congressman William Natcher (D-KY). She was acqauinted with Kentucky's lawmakers. She also had posted several satirical political cartoonson her bulletin board. She one day made a comment about our lack of noticing them on the wall and said we were "numbskulls". She was the first person whom I heard mention that word. Each day on her chalkboard she would have written "Goal of the day" for various periods. I was in her 3rd period class. She would many times begin the goal with "consider". One time on the board it said "Consider labor unions". We would know what we would be doing each class day by reading what was on the board. The class consisted of lectures and tests. Sometimes we would watch a video about some historical event in America. One time we all went to the auditorium and we sang the national anthem. She would do that with all her U.S. history classes. We also were required to quote the preamble to the Constitution as well.
On the first day of class she would explain to us what the class would consist of. She wore a button for two days that said, "I'm easy to please, just do it my way." She was letting us know if we will listen and follow directions, we'll be okay. We learned it wasn't a class for horseplay or frivolous chatter. She would have a list of classroom rules on the board and they would start with "Thou shalt" or "Thou shalt not". One rule stated, "Thou shalt be on time for class." Another one stated, "Thou shalt bring necessary items to class." Another one stated, "Thou shalt not chew gum or eat candy in class." She was a stickler about that. There would be a number of times a student would be chewing gum while she was lecturing. She sometimes would tell them to head to the trashcan and spit the gum out. Other times she would carry the waste paper basket to the student's desk and they had to spit it out. When she saw your mouth moving, she knew you had gum in it. She didn't like students chewing gum in class. She would call out the class roll on a daily basis and we would have to either say "here" or "present." During that school year we had two student teachers that shared in teaching to the students, so we didn't have Mrs. Nall lecturing to us everyday.
For the first semester and a few weeks of the second semester, we didn't use a textbook. We had to take copious notes in class. Starting with the 1987-88 school year, the U.S. history textbooks were redesigned differently. In the Daviess County Public School system, students in the 8th grade and students in the 11th grade took U.S. history. Starting with the 1987-88 school year, the school system decided to teach the first half of U.S. history to 8th graders and the second half to 11th graders. 8th graders would study history from Columbus until the Civil War. The 11th grade class was supposed to study history from Reconstruction to present time. Mrs. Nall didn't issue us the original textbooks which covered all of U.S. history from the beginning of time to present. She decided to give us a refresher of early U.S. history for a semester. We would have to take copious notes. The second semester we received our history textbooks when we started studying the period of Reconstruction. Our tests would consist of essay, multiple choice, and fill-in-the blank. You had to study your material thoroughly. In the second semester, she gave primarily scantron tests. Scantron tests were multiple choice or true or false and they were graded by a scanner. She also gave us essay assignments to write as well. She was a huge believer in students expressing themselves both orally and through written exams. We had a few essays to write in her class. Her A.P. class wrote more essays than we did. They also had a booklet which she referred to as "baby" they had to keep and bring with them to class. It had various selections of reading lessons in it.
She was also different in her approach to grading tests. On a scale from 1-100 she would give you points for every correct answer. For example, suppose you had a ten question test. Every question that you answered correctly you would receive 10 points. Every incorrect answer she gave you 0 points. She didn't grade the way most teachers grade and subtract points for every wrong answer. If you had it wrong, you didn't receive any points for it. Then she would add up the points and that would be your score. If you had seven answers correct, then she would multiply 10 x 7 and your final score would be 70%, which was a D. She said it was backwards deducting points for every wrong answer. Why assume you have a score of 100 until you calculate all the correct answers? She had a point there. Another thing that was different about her was if you misspelled a word or used improper English, you would receive reduced points for that answer. Many students thought that was silly, but she was emphasizing it's important to experess oneself both orally and in written form in every class. She said the proper usage of English should be emphasized in every subject area; not just English class. In my senior yearbook there was a little caption of Mrs. Nall and she stated her philosophy in regards to education. I'm going to quote it for you." "I believe that all people need to be able to express their ideas in an acceptable manner. This includes both verbal and written expression. I further believe that school has as its goal the overall education of its students. Each class is responsible for this general goal rather than just being responsible for teaching a particular subject. As a result, I believe that all classes should encourage acceptable verbal and written expression." I believe she was exactly on the mark.
Mrs. Nall was very dedicated in her teaching profession. She was also dedicated in the Owensboro community as well. I remember one year she performed in Owensboro's annual "Messiah" performance at Third Baptist Church. I've seen her once at a bluegrass festival in Owensboro. She would attend state teacher's conventions and any seminar that was history related. She taught school from 1968-96, which was almost 30 years. She started teaching what was then Daviess County Jr. High (now Daviess County Middle School) and then later at Apollo. I learned a lot from her and I believe in her approach that in education a student should be able to express oneself both orally and in written expression.
YouTube - Danny Boy Ireland
YouTube - Danny Boy Ireland
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today is the day we remember the Irishmen St. Patrick. Everybody is to sport some type of green upon themselves whether it be their apparel or a button that's green. That's how the tradition goes in America. In remembrance of this holiday, I thought I would share with you the background by what's considered the Irish national anthem, "Danny Boy".
The lyrics to "Danny Boy" were written by English lawyer and lyricist Frederick Weatherly in 1910. Although they were originally written for a different tune, Weatherly modified them to fit Londonderry Air in 1913, when his sister sent him a copy. Ernestine Schumann-Heink made the first recording in 1915. Weatherly gave the song to a vocalist, Elsie Griffin, who in turn made it one of the most popular songs in the new century. "Danny Boy" was originally said to be intended as a message from a woman to a man. Weatherly also provided the alternative "Eily dear" for male singers in his 1918 authorized lyrics. However, the song is sun by men as much or more than women. The song has interpreted by some listeners as a message from a parent to a son going off to war or leaving as part of the Irish diaspora. It is widely considered a national anthem. It is considered a signature song to the Irish and Irish Canadians.
Around the year 1970 the late famous gospel songwriter Dottie Rambo wrote words to a song entitled, "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need." Former Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis has asked her to write a song and set it to the Irish tune of "Danny Boy." She made that a reality and "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need" became one of the most popular gospel songs.
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today is the day we remember the Irishmen St. Patrick. Everybody is to sport some type of green upon themselves whether it be their apparel or a button that's green. That's how the tradition goes in America. In remembrance of this holiday, I thought I would share with you the background by what's considered the Irish national anthem, "Danny Boy".
The lyrics to "Danny Boy" were written by English lawyer and lyricist Frederick Weatherly in 1910. Although they were originally written for a different tune, Weatherly modified them to fit Londonderry Air in 1913, when his sister sent him a copy. Ernestine Schumann-Heink made the first recording in 1915. Weatherly gave the song to a vocalist, Elsie Griffin, who in turn made it one of the most popular songs in the new century. "Danny Boy" was originally said to be intended as a message from a woman to a man. Weatherly also provided the alternative "Eily dear" for male singers in his 1918 authorized lyrics. However, the song is sun by men as much or more than women. The song has interpreted by some listeners as a message from a parent to a son going off to war or leaving as part of the Irish diaspora. It is widely considered a national anthem. It is considered a signature song to the Irish and Irish Canadians.
Around the year 1970 the late famous gospel songwriter Dottie Rambo wrote words to a song entitled, "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need." Former Louisiana governor Jimmie Davis has asked her to write a song and set it to the Irish tune of "Danny Boy." She made that a reality and "He Looked Beyond My Fault and Saw My Need" became one of the most popular gospel songs.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Sermon on the Mount (Part 9)
(Matthew 6:25-32) "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than rainment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Fahter feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one unto his stature? And why take ye thought for rainment? Consider the lillies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have ned of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." When you read a passage of scripture, it's always imperative that you properly know how to divide the word of God and interpret it in its proper context. You must compare verses of scripture with other verses of scripture. It's imperative when one reads what Jesus had to say about taking no thought on what you shall eat, drink, etc. you must understand what Jesus is saying.
Some people, if they don't place this scripture in its proper context will think that Jesus is saying that all you have to do is just sit on your back porch and God will provide for all your physical needs. God doesn't give us an excuse to sit on our stool of do nothing and not labor. God's not the author of laziness. You can't sit down and expect God to rain manna from heaven towards your direction if you're slothful. When you read scripture, it says that we are to labor for our daily provision. The Apostle Paul even said in one of the epistles that if we won't work, we shouldn't eat. Proverbs 6:6-10 gives an example of the ant to the sluggard. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou arise out of they sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and they want as an armed man."
It's plainly evident when you read various passages of scripture that God doesn't sanction laziness. However, what does God mean when he says we shouldn't take no thought on tomorrow on what we should, eat, drink, and wear? You would think Jesus was being contradictory when he made that statement when you consider what the other passages of scripture have to say about working for your daily provision. The Lord was dealing with the issue of priorities in a Christian's life. The Lord was saying that what we shouldn't spend our time wondering where our daily provision is coming from. That's the point the Lord was making. He was saying that God will take care of his children. There's one scripture that says that "I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread." If you're fulfilling your daily responsibilities when it comes to providing a livelihood for your family, then God will see to it that your needs are met. That's the point Jesus is making. He says our priorities should be toward the Kingdom of God, not the daily necessities of life. It's nautral humanly speaking for us to allow our minds to worry about those things when you're out of a job and you seemingly can't find the job you need to provide a living. Those things do concern us for no other reason because we're human as well as the responsibility that's placed upon us to work for our living. Sometimes the economy will turn sour and unemployment rates will be high. There are times it's hard to find opportunity for work. God will provide as long as we are faithful in trying to either work or look for work. God knows the intents of our hearts.
Matthew 6:33-34 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Jesus says our thoughts should first be towards seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Then he says all the things we need in life shall be added unto us. It's an issue of priorities. The Kingdom of God should always be our first priority. There's nothing more important than seeking the Lord and serving him. That's the point that has to be made. If we will serve the Lord and make him our first priority, everything will fall into place.
Some people, if they don't place this scripture in its proper context will think that Jesus is saying that all you have to do is just sit on your back porch and God will provide for all your physical needs. God doesn't give us an excuse to sit on our stool of do nothing and not labor. God's not the author of laziness. You can't sit down and expect God to rain manna from heaven towards your direction if you're slothful. When you read scripture, it says that we are to labor for our daily provision. The Apostle Paul even said in one of the epistles that if we won't work, we shouldn't eat. Proverbs 6:6-10 gives an example of the ant to the sluggard. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise: which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou arise out of they sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that traveleth, and they want as an armed man."
It's plainly evident when you read various passages of scripture that God doesn't sanction laziness. However, what does God mean when he says we shouldn't take no thought on tomorrow on what we should, eat, drink, and wear? You would think Jesus was being contradictory when he made that statement when you consider what the other passages of scripture have to say about working for your daily provision. The Lord was dealing with the issue of priorities in a Christian's life. The Lord was saying that what we shouldn't spend our time wondering where our daily provision is coming from. That's the point the Lord was making. He was saying that God will take care of his children. There's one scripture that says that "I've never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread." If you're fulfilling your daily responsibilities when it comes to providing a livelihood for your family, then God will see to it that your needs are met. That's the point Jesus is making. He says our priorities should be toward the Kingdom of God, not the daily necessities of life. It's nautral humanly speaking for us to allow our minds to worry about those things when you're out of a job and you seemingly can't find the job you need to provide a living. Those things do concern us for no other reason because we're human as well as the responsibility that's placed upon us to work for our living. Sometimes the economy will turn sour and unemployment rates will be high. There are times it's hard to find opportunity for work. God will provide as long as we are faithful in trying to either work or look for work. God knows the intents of our hearts.
Matthew 6:33-34 says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Jesus says our thoughts should first be towards seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Then he says all the things we need in life shall be added unto us. It's an issue of priorities. The Kingdom of God should always be our first priority. There's nothing more important than seeking the Lord and serving him. That's the point that has to be made. If we will serve the Lord and make him our first priority, everything will fall into place.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Speculation as to Why President Obama and the Democrats are so Insistent on Passing Healthcare
In many of the latest polls around the country, they state that at least 55% of Americans are opposed to the present healthcare bill that President Obama and the Democratic Party are trying to shove down America's throat. At least over 40% of Americans believe Congress should scrap this current bill and start over. This bill before Congress will strip Americans of the freedom they already have when it comes to determining their healthcare choices. Many Americans believe that this bill shouldn't be passed unless there's bipartisan support in passing this bill. There is no bipartisan support in this bill. It's all the Democratic Party. However, they have the votes, so who can stop them. Whoever has the majority of votes can pass whatever bill they choose if the votes are there, regardless whether it's bipartisan or partisan. The problem with this bill isn't about bipartisanship or the lack of it. Most of the time when I see bipartisanship taking place, it's always bad for the American people. The problem with the bill is that it's unconstitutional.
The Republican Party needs to be screaming from the housetop that this bill is unconstitutional. That's what it is. The government has no business trying to take over one-sixth of the nation's economy and compete with the private sector. How many Republicans are saying that this bill is unconstitutional? I hear more out of them about bipartisanship than the healthcare bill that's in consideration for a vote unconsitutional. The problem is the unconstitutionality of the bill. Does that mean that the healthcare industry doesn't need reforming? Of course not. However, the solution to the problem is not government trying to compete with the private sector. There are things that can be done that wouldn't be costly. It would in essence reduce costs. Some examples of reform could be tort reform, eliminating fraud and unnecessary waste in Medicare and allow for competition among the health insurance industry. However, the Democrats don't desire to go that route. They are of the socialist mindset where they want to dominate and take control of the private sector. If this bill passes before the House, then fascism is around the corner. The government is trying to dictate our lifestyles and they will be able to do so if this bill passes. The amount of bribery and backroom deals that's taking place is appalling. The Democratic leadership of President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are doing everything possible to twist undecided Democrats to vote for this bill.
Why are the Democratic leadership trying to force this bill upon the American people? Why would they do so when the consensus amongst most Americans is in opposition to this bill? Why would the Democratic Party be willing to vote for this bill at their own peril? There's a possibility they could lose their majorities to the Republicans in the November elections. However, they don't care. What's the deal? I can't prove this, but I firmly believe this healthcare situation is much bigger than President Obama and the Democratic Party. I don't believe the Democrats are acting alone. There's a broader cause to this. I believe there's people behind the scenes pushing for this bill. People like George Soros, for example is probably behind this bill. What's their purpose? They have a socialist agenda up their sleeve. Anyone that reads the Bible knows about the Tower of Babel incident in Genesis 11. They were trying to create a tower into Heaven. As a result, God confounded their languages and as a result, it was never finished. There are forces today that's been prevalent throughout the history of the world that have a desire to create a New World Order, or a one-world government. That's what all this is about. There are forces behind the scenes that are stripping America of her sovereignty. The healthcare bill is just one piece of the puzzle. If this bill is passed, it will allow the government a greater voice to dictate to Americans about their lifestyle and what they can eat, drink, and the list continues. This is a prelude to fascism where the government will dictate every aspect of a person's life. This is what's happening. This push for healthcare is diabolical. That's why there's so much arm twisting in persuading Democrats to pass this bill.
I believe there's a concerted effort by the social elites to strip America of its sovereignty and its economic foundations. That would in turn render America a third-world nation and it would bring about a one-world government in which the antichrist will rule the world for a brief period of time. The Democrats are just being used a vehicle to accomplish the elitists' goals. There have been efforts to undermine America's sovereignty since 1913 with the creation of the Federal Reserve and it's been happening since. As far as the Democrats are concerned, they are being well taken care of by their donors. What do they have to lose if they are unseated in the fall? Nothing. These politicians won't go away and disappear if they're defeated in November. Harry Reid will be appointed either by President Obama or a future administration to some type of government post. Take a look at former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. He hasn't been in the Senate since 1995, but he's been appointed to government posts such as chairing the Major League Baseball Commission on the use of steroids as well as his current position as special Envoy to the Middle East. These politicians will be sticking around long after their defeat. The healthcare situation goes beyond President Obama and the Democrats. It's about establishing an eventual communist America. The transformation may not happen overnight, but it will happen in stages. The next agenda for Congress will be amnesty for illegal aliens. On that bill, you'll see both Democrats and Republicans coming together to support this bill.
The Republican Party needs to be screaming from the housetop that this bill is unconstitutional. That's what it is. The government has no business trying to take over one-sixth of the nation's economy and compete with the private sector. How many Republicans are saying that this bill is unconstitutional? I hear more out of them about bipartisanship than the healthcare bill that's in consideration for a vote unconsitutional. The problem is the unconstitutionality of the bill. Does that mean that the healthcare industry doesn't need reforming? Of course not. However, the solution to the problem is not government trying to compete with the private sector. There are things that can be done that wouldn't be costly. It would in essence reduce costs. Some examples of reform could be tort reform, eliminating fraud and unnecessary waste in Medicare and allow for competition among the health insurance industry. However, the Democrats don't desire to go that route. They are of the socialist mindset where they want to dominate and take control of the private sector. If this bill passes before the House, then fascism is around the corner. The government is trying to dictate our lifestyles and they will be able to do so if this bill passes. The amount of bribery and backroom deals that's taking place is appalling. The Democratic leadership of President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are doing everything possible to twist undecided Democrats to vote for this bill.
Why are the Democratic leadership trying to force this bill upon the American people? Why would they do so when the consensus amongst most Americans is in opposition to this bill? Why would the Democratic Party be willing to vote for this bill at their own peril? There's a possibility they could lose their majorities to the Republicans in the November elections. However, they don't care. What's the deal? I can't prove this, but I firmly believe this healthcare situation is much bigger than President Obama and the Democratic Party. I don't believe the Democrats are acting alone. There's a broader cause to this. I believe there's people behind the scenes pushing for this bill. People like George Soros, for example is probably behind this bill. What's their purpose? They have a socialist agenda up their sleeve. Anyone that reads the Bible knows about the Tower of Babel incident in Genesis 11. They were trying to create a tower into Heaven. As a result, God confounded their languages and as a result, it was never finished. There are forces today that's been prevalent throughout the history of the world that have a desire to create a New World Order, or a one-world government. That's what all this is about. There are forces behind the scenes that are stripping America of her sovereignty. The healthcare bill is just one piece of the puzzle. If this bill is passed, it will allow the government a greater voice to dictate to Americans about their lifestyle and what they can eat, drink, and the list continues. This is a prelude to fascism where the government will dictate every aspect of a person's life. This is what's happening. This push for healthcare is diabolical. That's why there's so much arm twisting in persuading Democrats to pass this bill.
I believe there's a concerted effort by the social elites to strip America of its sovereignty and its economic foundations. That would in turn render America a third-world nation and it would bring about a one-world government in which the antichrist will rule the world for a brief period of time. The Democrats are just being used a vehicle to accomplish the elitists' goals. There have been efforts to undermine America's sovereignty since 1913 with the creation of the Federal Reserve and it's been happening since. As far as the Democrats are concerned, they are being well taken care of by their donors. What do they have to lose if they are unseated in the fall? Nothing. These politicians won't go away and disappear if they're defeated in November. Harry Reid will be appointed either by President Obama or a future administration to some type of government post. Take a look at former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell. He hasn't been in the Senate since 1995, but he's been appointed to government posts such as chairing the Major League Baseball Commission on the use of steroids as well as his current position as special Envoy to the Middle East. These politicians will be sticking around long after their defeat. The healthcare situation goes beyond President Obama and the Democrats. It's about establishing an eventual communist America. The transformation may not happen overnight, but it will happen in stages. The next agenda for Congress will be amnesty for illegal aliens. On that bill, you'll see both Democrats and Republicans coming together to support this bill.
Friday, March 12, 2010
President obama and the Democrats still Pressing to Pass National Healthcare Legislation
(Seattle Times) Congressional Democratic leaders worked throughout the day Thursday to settle lingering intraparty disagreements over abortion, federal insurance subsidies, and other issues. The more moderate Democrats such as Bart Stupak (D-MI) have threatened to not vote for the bill unless restrictions on abortion are included in the final healthcare bill. Consequently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will come up with some type of bribery to force the undecided Democrats to vote for the bill. Democratic leaders believe the House will have to first vote on the Senate healthcare bill without having to change it. I just heard the latest news that the Democrats are planning on referring to the budget reconciliation option. Under that option, the Senate can't filibuster a bill when budget reconciliation process is used. Under reconciliation, the party in charge in the Senate can opt to vote a bill through with a simple majority (51) instead of a supermajority (60). They have the right to do so. I remember when the Democratic Party was screaming back in 2005 when the Senate Republicans were debating on changing the rules to allow for a simple majority in confirming Bush's judges instead of a supermajority. However, the problem over this healthcare debate is not about changing the Senate rules. It's the substance of the bill that's pathetic. This healthcare bill is unconstitutional. The government doesn't have the legal authority to take over the role in controlling our nation's healthcare system.
According to an Associated Press poll, large majorities of Americans believe the Congressional leaders are out of sync when it comes to passing this healthcare bill. It says that most Americans believe there should be bipartisan support for this bill. I've heard Senate Republicans such as John McCain and Lindsey Graham talk about the lack of bipartisanship in the Senate and the need for the healthcare bill to be bipartisan. I would like to see bipartisanship when it comes to various issues such as domestic drilling for oil or energy alternatives, but sometimes bipartisanship can be lethal. Most of the time when I see Congress coming together in bipartisanship to consider a measure, it's bad for the American people. Congress came together to vote to bailout AIG, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae for example in October 2008. However, Congress came to the aid of their campaign donors. I don't call this true bipartisanship. They were just helping out their campaign donors. But as I mentioned earlier, the problem with this bill is that it's unconstitutional. It's not the government's place to control one sixth of the nation's economy. There are issues revolving around the cost of health care. There are issues when it comes to the insurance companies. Premium rates continue spiraling upward and many people can't afford to pay for the high costs. There is a genuine need for healthcare reform. The proper way to solve this problem is not for the government to take over the healthcare industry.
Some of the solutions to solving the cost of healthcare is to implement tort reform which would place a limit on medical malpractice lawsuits. In other words, there has to be a limit on how much money a doctor can be sued for. The malpractice lawsuits are ridiculous. It's unnecessarily driving up the costs of healthcare. Other ways in solving this problem are to allow for more competition amongst the healthcare insurance companies. Allow customers to purchase medical insurance across the state lines, which would encourage more competition among healthcare providers and it would lower the costs. Also, the government could use antitrust lawsuits against any insurance companies that are engaging in monopolies. Monopolies in a certain industry can drive up costs. Also, Medicare and Medicaid fraud needs to be eliminated as well. Things of that nature are what's needed to bring down the costs of healthcare. That's what would solve the problem. The government has no business in trying to provide healthcare for all Americans. This bill is too bogus and nobody knows what the costs to implement this bill would be. Also, the benefits of this bill won't kick in until around 2013, which is a few years after the American people have been taxed to cover this massive healthcare bill. Nobody knows all the provisions that are in this particular bill. You'll be paying a lot more for this healthcare coverage than the benefits you would receive from it. The costs far exceed the benefits of this bill. Nobody would purchase private insurance in which you would pay more than what you would receive from it.
Another problem with this bill is that Congress is trying to include a public option into it. This would give the government the right to provide healthcare for America. This in turn would cause the government to be in competition with the healthcare providers in the private sector. Eventually as a result of the government being in competition with the private sector, the government would place the insurance companies out of business. Then eventually nobody will have a choice but to purchase government healthcare. Then the government can change the rules and charge whatever fees they so desire. There's much about this bill the American people don't know. President Obama hasn't been up front with the American public when he said in his campaign in 2008 that there would be transparency in his administration. The American people aren't aware of many provisions of this bill. Something's wrong with this equation. It's been said that everybody will be required to purchase health coverage if this bill is passed. If not, you could be fined. You can't trust the government. This bill needs to be rejected.
In spite of many of the polls which says the American people don't want this bill passed, the Democrats are so insistent in passing this bill. Why? Why would the Democrats push for the current version knowing it could cost them on election day? What's their motivation? This is another topic in which I will cover in another blogpost.
According to an Associated Press poll, large majorities of Americans believe the Congressional leaders are out of sync when it comes to passing this healthcare bill. It says that most Americans believe there should be bipartisan support for this bill. I've heard Senate Republicans such as John McCain and Lindsey Graham talk about the lack of bipartisanship in the Senate and the need for the healthcare bill to be bipartisan. I would like to see bipartisanship when it comes to various issues such as domestic drilling for oil or energy alternatives, but sometimes bipartisanship can be lethal. Most of the time when I see Congress coming together in bipartisanship to consider a measure, it's bad for the American people. Congress came together to vote to bailout AIG, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae for example in October 2008. However, Congress came to the aid of their campaign donors. I don't call this true bipartisanship. They were just helping out their campaign donors. But as I mentioned earlier, the problem with this bill is that it's unconstitutional. It's not the government's place to control one sixth of the nation's economy. There are issues revolving around the cost of health care. There are issues when it comes to the insurance companies. Premium rates continue spiraling upward and many people can't afford to pay for the high costs. There is a genuine need for healthcare reform. The proper way to solve this problem is not for the government to take over the healthcare industry.
Some of the solutions to solving the cost of healthcare is to implement tort reform which would place a limit on medical malpractice lawsuits. In other words, there has to be a limit on how much money a doctor can be sued for. The malpractice lawsuits are ridiculous. It's unnecessarily driving up the costs of healthcare. Other ways in solving this problem are to allow for more competition amongst the healthcare insurance companies. Allow customers to purchase medical insurance across the state lines, which would encourage more competition among healthcare providers and it would lower the costs. Also, the government could use antitrust lawsuits against any insurance companies that are engaging in monopolies. Monopolies in a certain industry can drive up costs. Also, Medicare and Medicaid fraud needs to be eliminated as well. Things of that nature are what's needed to bring down the costs of healthcare. That's what would solve the problem. The government has no business in trying to provide healthcare for all Americans. This bill is too bogus and nobody knows what the costs to implement this bill would be. Also, the benefits of this bill won't kick in until around 2013, which is a few years after the American people have been taxed to cover this massive healthcare bill. Nobody knows all the provisions that are in this particular bill. You'll be paying a lot more for this healthcare coverage than the benefits you would receive from it. The costs far exceed the benefits of this bill. Nobody would purchase private insurance in which you would pay more than what you would receive from it.
Another problem with this bill is that Congress is trying to include a public option into it. This would give the government the right to provide healthcare for America. This in turn would cause the government to be in competition with the healthcare providers in the private sector. Eventually as a result of the government being in competition with the private sector, the government would place the insurance companies out of business. Then eventually nobody will have a choice but to purchase government healthcare. Then the government can change the rules and charge whatever fees they so desire. There's much about this bill the American people don't know. President Obama hasn't been up front with the American public when he said in his campaign in 2008 that there would be transparency in his administration. The American people aren't aware of many provisions of this bill. Something's wrong with this equation. It's been said that everybody will be required to purchase health coverage if this bill is passed. If not, you could be fined. You can't trust the government. This bill needs to be rejected.
In spite of many of the polls which says the American people don't want this bill passed, the Democrats are so insistent in passing this bill. Why? Why would the Democrats push for the current version knowing it could cost them on election day? What's their motivation? This is another topic in which I will cover in another blogpost.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Toyota Needs to Heighten its Emphasis on Quality
(Messenger-Inquirer) Since the month of January, Toyota's been having all kinds of massive safety recall issues on their newer vehicles. It starting out with the Camrys and Corollas with the sticking gas pedal issue. The gas pedal would accelerate and the vehicle would keeping speeding. Then there were allegations of problems with the brake pedal on the Toyota Prius. Toyota motor has been supposedly working to try to correct these issues with the brake pedal and the sticking gas pedal. There are now all kinds of class-action lawsuits against Toyota due to the safety defects on the newer model vehicles. The models that have been recalled are the Corollas, Avalons, Camrys, Tacoma, Prius, Sequoias, to name a few. Toyota has recently begun recalling 8 million vehicles worldwide due to persistent complaints of unintended vehicle acceleration.
Toyota owners are claiming that massive safety recalls are causing the value of their vehicles to plummet. They have filed 89 class-action lawsuits that could cost the Japanese auto giant $3 billion dollars or more. These estimates don't include potentional payouts for wrongful death and injury lawsuits, which could reach in the tens of millions each. The sheer volume of cases involving U.S. Toyota owners claiming lost value--6 million or more--could prove far more costly, adding up to losses in the billions for the automaker. What's scary for these class-action lawsuits is there could be millions of individual car owners who could (each) be owed $1,000. That's a concern Toyota must contend with. Due to the recalls of Toyota models, as well as the wavering confidence in vehicle safety, Toyota's biggest financial fight could come in the courtroom. On March 25 a key decision could come from a hearing in San Diego. A panel of federal judges will consider whether to consolidate the mushrooming cases into a single jurisdiction. After that, a judge will decide whether all claims filed by Toyota owners nationwide can be combined in a single legal action--known as "certifying a class"--and whether the claims have enough merit to move toward trial or settlement. Toyota owners that are suing the company contend their vehicles have dropped in value because of the recalls and that Toyota was aware all along of safety problems but concealed them from buyers. The evidence that Toyota owners make reference to is Kelley Blue Book's decision this month to lower the resale value of recalled Toyotas an average of 3.5 percent, ranging from $300 less for a Corolla to $750 less for a Sequoia.
I am a believer in the capitalist system. I believe in the free market system where there's competition among industries in America. I also believe a company has a right to make a profit. A company can't survive if it doesn't make a profit. I don't have an issue with a company issuing stock on the New York Stock Exchange. I believe for the most part government shouldn't regulate business except where there's exceptional abuses or monopolies taking place. However, I'm not a believer of unbridled capitalism. Capitalism has it excesses. It can be used for the good of a country, or it could be used to satisfy the whims of a selfish few. I believe that Toyota has allowed itself to become so preoccupied with profits to the point that they just cast aside safety issues when it comes to the vehicles. Companies in this corporate world are pressured to maximize their profits in order to inflate the stock prices on Wall Street. Not only that but the goal is to produce "x" number of vehicles in a standard 24-hour day. There's nothing wrong with that in itself. There's a quality issue at Toyota that needs to be resolved. There are too many vehicles of a particular model that are leaving the lot with safety defects. Those issues must be addressed.
In order for a company to thrive and prosper, they must make a profit. They must also reduce unnecessary expenses that occur on a day-to-day basis. Corporate heads are placing more pressure now than ever before to the various plants across the country and the world to reduce costs. Unnecessary regulations required by the federal government as well as fuel and electric costs have spiked up the costs that's required to operate a corporation. There's so much emphasis today on producing "x" amount of vehicles in a standard 24-hour workday. I understand that. However, there must be balance when it comes to priority. The most important priority there is when it comes to manufacturing a product is quality. Quality is the most important ingredient when it comes to running a successful company. A corporation's first goal is to determine what is a quality product. Once they determine that, they need to put some steps in place to maintain that quality. Quality must be a consistent theme everyday when producing products. So many CEO's and plant managers place numbers above quality. It's true that mass production is the goal of a company. You must produce an "x" amount of products in order for a company to prosper as well as meet deadlines to satisfy your customers. However, the heads of these companies have allowed themselves to become so numbers and dollars driven that they will allow quality to slide or take a back seat in order to meet the day's production goals. That won't work. It's true that you must meet a daily quota to make production goals. I'm not de-emphasizing that. However, there must be an equal balance on a daily basis on both quality and quantity. If there's not a balance on both sides there will be issues. If you fail to meet production goals, it will be costly. If you produce defective parts, they will be costly. If a company doesn't immediately deal with the first defect that comes out of the factory, then it will snowball into something worse. That's why Toyota is in the shape it's in right now. They didn't deal with the quality issue when it first occurred. Instead, I believe they've been engaging in deception. Time will reveal to what extent Toyota kept all these safety defects hidden. I know the court will deal with that issue in time to come. Toyota's more concerned about their bottom line than safety issues. As a result, there's been at least nineteen people that have been killed due to negligence on safety issues.
What does Toyota need to do to solve their quality issues? First of all, they must determine what the problem is that's causing these defects. Once they find out what the problem is, then they need to implement solutions so these safety defects don't occur again. It's imperative that be done. Customers aren't going to continue purchasing Toyotas if they can't trust the factory to produce a vehicle that won't malfunction while they're driving on the road. The quality issue must be addressed and it must be resolved. There will need to be some internal changes taking place at Toyota. There may need to be some workers from the top all the way to the bottom that need to be terminated. I don't know the issues surrounding corporate Toyota. Whatever those issues may be, they need to be resolved or public confidence will further wane. Not only will Toyota sales plummet at the dealerships, but Toyota could be out paying millions of dollars to Toyota owners whose vehicles are defective. Toyota dealerships should fix all the vehicles that are under recall without charging the customer. That's the right measure to take. If Toyota doesn't resolve these recall issues soon, it's going to lead into further job losses for company employees as well it could imperil Toyota's future.
Toyota owners are claiming that massive safety recalls are causing the value of their vehicles to plummet. They have filed 89 class-action lawsuits that could cost the Japanese auto giant $3 billion dollars or more. These estimates don't include potentional payouts for wrongful death and injury lawsuits, which could reach in the tens of millions each. The sheer volume of cases involving U.S. Toyota owners claiming lost value--6 million or more--could prove far more costly, adding up to losses in the billions for the automaker. What's scary for these class-action lawsuits is there could be millions of individual car owners who could (each) be owed $1,000. That's a concern Toyota must contend with. Due to the recalls of Toyota models, as well as the wavering confidence in vehicle safety, Toyota's biggest financial fight could come in the courtroom. On March 25 a key decision could come from a hearing in San Diego. A panel of federal judges will consider whether to consolidate the mushrooming cases into a single jurisdiction. After that, a judge will decide whether all claims filed by Toyota owners nationwide can be combined in a single legal action--known as "certifying a class"--and whether the claims have enough merit to move toward trial or settlement. Toyota owners that are suing the company contend their vehicles have dropped in value because of the recalls and that Toyota was aware all along of safety problems but concealed them from buyers. The evidence that Toyota owners make reference to is Kelley Blue Book's decision this month to lower the resale value of recalled Toyotas an average of 3.5 percent, ranging from $300 less for a Corolla to $750 less for a Sequoia.
I am a believer in the capitalist system. I believe in the free market system where there's competition among industries in America. I also believe a company has a right to make a profit. A company can't survive if it doesn't make a profit. I don't have an issue with a company issuing stock on the New York Stock Exchange. I believe for the most part government shouldn't regulate business except where there's exceptional abuses or monopolies taking place. However, I'm not a believer of unbridled capitalism. Capitalism has it excesses. It can be used for the good of a country, or it could be used to satisfy the whims of a selfish few. I believe that Toyota has allowed itself to become so preoccupied with profits to the point that they just cast aside safety issues when it comes to the vehicles. Companies in this corporate world are pressured to maximize their profits in order to inflate the stock prices on Wall Street. Not only that but the goal is to produce "x" number of vehicles in a standard 24-hour day. There's nothing wrong with that in itself. There's a quality issue at Toyota that needs to be resolved. There are too many vehicles of a particular model that are leaving the lot with safety defects. Those issues must be addressed.
In order for a company to thrive and prosper, they must make a profit. They must also reduce unnecessary expenses that occur on a day-to-day basis. Corporate heads are placing more pressure now than ever before to the various plants across the country and the world to reduce costs. Unnecessary regulations required by the federal government as well as fuel and electric costs have spiked up the costs that's required to operate a corporation. There's so much emphasis today on producing "x" amount of vehicles in a standard 24-hour workday. I understand that. However, there must be balance when it comes to priority. The most important priority there is when it comes to manufacturing a product is quality. Quality is the most important ingredient when it comes to running a successful company. A corporation's first goal is to determine what is a quality product. Once they determine that, they need to put some steps in place to maintain that quality. Quality must be a consistent theme everyday when producing products. So many CEO's and plant managers place numbers above quality. It's true that mass production is the goal of a company. You must produce an "x" amount of products in order for a company to prosper as well as meet deadlines to satisfy your customers. However, the heads of these companies have allowed themselves to become so numbers and dollars driven that they will allow quality to slide or take a back seat in order to meet the day's production goals. That won't work. It's true that you must meet a daily quota to make production goals. I'm not de-emphasizing that. However, there must be an equal balance on a daily basis on both quality and quantity. If there's not a balance on both sides there will be issues. If you fail to meet production goals, it will be costly. If you produce defective parts, they will be costly. If a company doesn't immediately deal with the first defect that comes out of the factory, then it will snowball into something worse. That's why Toyota is in the shape it's in right now. They didn't deal with the quality issue when it first occurred. Instead, I believe they've been engaging in deception. Time will reveal to what extent Toyota kept all these safety defects hidden. I know the court will deal with that issue in time to come. Toyota's more concerned about their bottom line than safety issues. As a result, there's been at least nineteen people that have been killed due to negligence on safety issues.
What does Toyota need to do to solve their quality issues? First of all, they must determine what the problem is that's causing these defects. Once they find out what the problem is, then they need to implement solutions so these safety defects don't occur again. It's imperative that be done. Customers aren't going to continue purchasing Toyotas if they can't trust the factory to produce a vehicle that won't malfunction while they're driving on the road. The quality issue must be addressed and it must be resolved. There will need to be some internal changes taking place at Toyota. There may need to be some workers from the top all the way to the bottom that need to be terminated. I don't know the issues surrounding corporate Toyota. Whatever those issues may be, they need to be resolved or public confidence will further wane. Not only will Toyota sales plummet at the dealerships, but Toyota could be out paying millions of dollars to Toyota owners whose vehicles are defective. Toyota dealerships should fix all the vehicles that are under recall without charging the customer. That's the right measure to take. If Toyota doesn't resolve these recall issues soon, it's going to lead into further job losses for company employees as well it could imperil Toyota's future.
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