Iran Starts Fueling First Nuclear Reactor

(Fox News) Iranian and Russian engineers began loading fuel today into Iran's first nuclear power plant, which Moscow has promised to safeguard to prevent material at the site from being used in any potential weapons production.  After years of delays, the fueling of the Bushehr plant in southern Iran marks the startup of a facility for energy production that the U.S. once hoped to block as a way to pressure the country to stop separate nuclear activities of a far greater concern.  There haven't been strong objectives to the Bushehr plant itself as there have been with Iran's separate efforts at other sites to accelerate uranium enrichment--a process that makes the fuel for the power plants but which can also be used in weapons production.  Even as Iran's nuclear chief said the plant demonstrated the country has only peaceful aims, he celebrated it as a defiant "symbol of Iranian resistance and patience" in the face of Western pressure.

Washington and other nation's don't oppose Iran's stated aim of producing nuclear energy, but are concerned that if Iran masters the enrichment cycle it would have a pathway to weapons production under the convenient cover of a peaceful energy program.  How can we trust Iran given that Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denies the existence of the Jewish holocaust and desires to eradicate Israel off the face of the map?  You can't.  It's a misnomer to think we can trust Iran to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. 

Iran denies such an intention.  Russia, which helped finish building Bushehr, has pledged to prevent spent nucler fuel at the site from being shifted to a possible weapons program.  After years of delaying its completion, Moscow says it believes the Bushehr project is essential for persuading Iran to cooperate with international efforts to ensure Iran doesn't develop the bomb.  The U.S., while not formally objecting to the plant, disagrees and says Iran shouldn't be rewarded while it continues to defy U.N. demands to halt uranium enrichment.  Today, the first truckload of fuel was taken from a storage sight to a fuel "pool" inside the reactor building under the watch of monitors from the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.

Since Russian is helping Iran to load fuel into Iran's first nuclear power plant, it won't be long befoe Iran will be developing proliferated nuclear weapons.  We're seeing the foundation laid for a nuclear showdown with Iran.  I guarantee that Israel is keeping their eyes on this event and are making preparations for a strike against Iran.  This is ridiculous.  The United States under both the Bush and Obama administrations has been too soft on Iran.  President Bush should've taken out Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  He's an Iranian Hitler who hates the Jewish people.  Israel is considered the "little Satan" and the U.S. is considered the "Great Satan."  Our elected elite have cowed down to these rogue countries in the Middle East.  Now Iran has the means to invent nuclear weapons.  I'd venture to say it won't be too long before they have a missile ready to shoot at us.  We have a spineless president by the name of Barack Obama and the U.N. is spineless in dealing with Iran.  Russia and China both trade with Iran so I don't expect them to try to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons. We're looking at World War III right around the corner.  Time is running out.  If we don't remove this dictator from Iran now, there will be a nuclear holocaust.  There's good news in all of this!  The good news is Jesus is coming back soon.  Jesus may come back before the day is over with.

Pew Poll Finds Almost 20% of Americans Believe President Obama is a Muslim

YouTube - Re: Obama Admits Muslim Faith

(USA Today) According to a Pew Research Center poll, nearly one in five Americans "incorrectly" say President Obama is a Muslim, which is up from 11% last year.  In the survey, about one-third of Americans "correctly" say Obama is a Christian, down from 48% who said so last year.  In all 43% say they don't know what religion Obama practices.  The survey shows a general uncertainty and confusion about the president's religion," said Alan Cooperman, associate director of research with the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.  The survey of 3003 adults was taken July 21-August 5, before Obama endorsed a Muslim group's right to build a mosque and Islamic cultural center near the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York City.  Those comments added to a firestorm over the location of the mosque.  On Wednesday, Obama said at an event in Ohio that he has "no regrets about his comments." 

Responses in the poll tended to fall along ideological lines, Pew found.  About one-third of self-described conservative Republicans said they believe Obama is a Muslim.  Those who claim he's a Muslim overwhelmingly disapprove of his job performance.  A majority of those who claim that Obama is a Christian approve of his job performance.  Pew even found that "even among many of his supporters and allies, less than half now say Obama is a Christian."  Obama has spoken about his "Christian" faith at the annual National Prayer Breakfasts and at a White House event celebrating Easter this year with religious leaders.  However, the Christianity that Obama "embraces" is this so-called Christianity which upholds black liberation theology.  He attended Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago Illinois for 20 years where his pastor was the controversial Jeremiah Wright.  Wright made some inflammatory statements about whites and the United States.  Trinity United Church of Christ doesn't even remotely resemble Christianity that's in the Bible. 

Alan Cooperman states one possible religion for confusion over Obama's religion is that people may not perceive the president as forthcoming about the subject compared with former president George W. Bush.  I personally don't believe the percentage of those that claim President Obama is a Muslim is necessarily based out of ignorance.  I believe the reason why a percentage of Americans believe he is a Muslim is because of his actions and his statements.  Last Friday, President Obama said, "Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else," which includes building 'a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan', in accordance with local laws and ordinances."  Obama is a supporter of Islam.  President Obama has traveled to the Middle East apologizing for America's past mistakes.  In Cairo, Egypt last year, President Obama made the erroneous statement that Islam has always been a part of America's heritage.  Oh really!  Is he ignorant of American history?  You have to wonder. 

Another reason why some Americans believe (in my view) why he's a Muslim due to his personal history.  His father, Barack Obama Sr., was a Muslim.  President Obama spent part of his youth with his mother and his stepfather, Lolo Sotero, in Indonesia.  Obama's stepfather was also a Muslim.  Obama attended Muslim schools in Jakarta, Indonesia.  He has a Muslim background.  I made the statement before I felt he was a closet Muslim.  He gives the pretense of being a Christian by having attended Trinity United Church of Christ at one time, but he's a sympathizer of Islam.  Anyone that would support a mosque being built close to Ground Zero is stupid when you recognize it was Muslims who attacked the World Trade Center in 1993 and 2001.  I remember an interview he had with George Stephanopoulos when he was a presidential candidate.  He used the phrase "Muslim faith" like it was very natural.  Then Stephanopoulos corrected him and said "Christian faith".  I recognize you can't judge a person's heart.  However, Obama's statements and actions make me wonder.  I don't believe the poll numbers reflect ignorance so much on the part of Americans about Obama's religion as much as his actions confuse Americans--and rightfully so.

Dr. Laura Schlessinger Ending Her Radio Show After 30 Years

YouTube - LKL - Dr. Laura Ending Her Radio Show

(Los Angeles Times) Dr. Laura Schlessinger, affectionately known as the advice guru Dr. Laura, announced on Larry King Live Tuesday evening that she would end her radio show when her contract expires at the end of the year.  This happened a week after igniting controversy with racially charged comments on her nationally syndicated radio show.  She told Larry King on CNN that "I want my First Amendment rights back, which I can't have a radio show without the threat of attacks on my advertisers and stations," Schlessinger stated.  She emphasized she isn't retiring.  "I will be stronger and freer to say my mind through my books, my YouTube Channel, my blog, and my website," she said.  A radio fixture for more than three decades, it's said by the trade journal Talker's magazine that Schlessinger has the third highest rated talk show in the country, trailing only Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.  Much of that time she was on locally at KFI AM (640) but a year ago she jumped to KFWB-AM (980), which switched formats from news to talk with her as the centerpiece of daytime lineup. 

She drew fire last week when she was embroiled in a discussion with a woman who called in to receive advice on what to do about racial comments made by relatives.  Schlessinger suggested the caller was "hypersensitive" to racism and observed that many African Americans use the very racial epithet that they hate hearing non-African Americans use.  She used the N-word 11 times in approximately a 3-4 minute span.  She apologized the next day, saying her behavior had been wrong.  But she said on her program Monday that "as the media have rebroadcast my error again and again, and again, and again, compounding the damage which I shouldn't have done--and never intended to do in the first place--the effect has been my words have offened many, many, many, many more people and there are many who are saying they will not accept my apology."  She complained of receiving "hate-filled diabribes" and reflected on how society has changed over the years.

She posted this statement over her website and made the promise that it will never happen again.  She mentioned there was a time when you debated and disagreed with one another, but it wasn't filled with hate.  There weren't those that were out to censor or remove you because you made a statement that was politically incorrect (I'm paraphrasing).  Dr. Schlessinger has written a number of books over the years dealing with marriage and family relationships entitled, The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands" and Ten Stupid Things Women Do to Mess Up Their Lives, to name a few. 

It's tragic that Schlessinger feels she needs to end her radio program because she made a point using the N-word.  Even though I feel it's inappropriate to use the N-word, she shouldn't have been crucified over that when she was trying to make a point.  It would've been wiser if she used better judgment in making her point.  I was listening to Bill O'Reilly on his "Talking Points" segment on radio this morning addressing this issue.  We have groups such as Media Matters funded by such people as George Soros that are out to destroy those that are opposed to the Leftists agenda.  These hate groups will smear and use whatever tactics they can to marginalize their opponents.  It's a shame that Dr. Laura decided it wasn't worth fighting on to continue her program.  As O'Reilly pointed out, we wouldn't want to give Media Matters or George Soros any type of moral victory.  Smear tactics affect a woman personally.  Dr. Laura is a woman.  It's difficult for a woman emotionally to have to sit and tolerate all the hateful attacks directed against you.  I don't believe God intended for women to have to handle those types of attacks.  Smear tactics can produce emotional stress in women, which is something they don't need.

Rod Blagojevich Found Guilty on One Count

(USA Today) Former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was found guilty on one count which was just one of four felony corruption counts--lying to the FBI.  Federal prosecutor Reid Schar said it is "absolutely our intent" to retry the 23 charges on which the judge declared a mistrial.  "We could hear more tomorrow," Schar said.  U.S. District Judge James Zagel set an August 26 hearing to decide the timing of the retrial.  "This is a persecution," Blagojevich told reporters in the courthouse lobby.  "I didn't break any laws.  I didn't do anything wrong."  He angrily called the charge of which he was found guilty "one nebulous charge from five years ago," and said he will appeal that verdict.  Juror Erik Sarnello of Itasca, Ill. told the Associated Press that the jury was deadlocked 11-1 in favor of convicting Blagojevich of trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.  Sarnello said one woman on the panel just didn't see what we all saw. 

The outcome of the 11-week trial on the 14th day of deliberations was a dramatic chapter in a chronicle that began with Blagojevich's arrest in 2008.  U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said then that he had interrupted a "political corruption crime spree."  The jury of six men and six women reached no decision on other charges against the former Democratic governor: racketeering, wire fraud, attempted extortion, bribery, and conspiracy.  The charge on which he was convicted carries a prison sentence of up to five years; many of the other charges carried penalties of up to 100 years each.  Blagojevich didn't testify and his legal team didn't call witnesses.  Blagojevich's brother, Robert, 54, a Nashville businessman who helped raise campaign money, was charged with four felonies.  The jury was hung on those counts.  Collins stated that what happened in the jury room might affect the way prosecutors reshape their case for retrial. 

Democratic state Rep. Jack Franks, who served on the Blagojevich impeachment panel, welcomed the conviction but said it's unfortunate the retrial will continue to highlight, "the cesspool of corruption that's overtaken Illinois government."  We'll stay tuned to see what happens.

Conservative Voice James J. Kilpatrick Dies at 89

(The New York Times) James J. Kilpatrick, who was a prominent conservative voice for half a century as a newspaper editor and columnist, author and television personality, died Sunday in Washington at the age of 89.  He died of congestive heart failure.  James Jackson Kilpatrick was born on Nov. 1, 1920, in Oklahoma City, and grew up there as the son of a lumber dealer.  He received a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and was hired as a reporter by The Richmond News Leader of Virginia in 1941.  Mr. Kilpatrick was a prolific writer and a sharp debater, perhaps best remember for his intellectual combat with the liberal journalist Shana Alexander on "60 Minutes".  When he wasn't tackling national issues, he took aim at flabby prose and bureaucratic absurdities.  In the mid-1950's, Kilpatrick became something of a national figure, articulating constitutional arguments justifying the policy of "massive resistance" to the Supreme Court's decision outlawing school segregation.  He was once a strong supporter of segregation.  He eventually dropped his defense of segregation a decade later. 

Kilpatrick defined his ideological stance in Nation's Business magazine in 1978.  "Conservatives believe that a civilized society demands order and classes, that men are not inherently equal, that change and reform are not identical, that in a free society men are children of God and not wards of the state," he wrote.  "Self-reliance is a conservative principles," he continued.  "The work ethic is a conservative ethic.  The free marketplace is vital to the conservative's economic philosophy." 

Mr. Kilpatrick's views on the larger issue of race came to the fore after the Supreme Court's 1954 Brown decision outlawing school segregation.  In a series of editorials, he provided a framework for Southern politicians resisting the court's decision.  He popularized the doctrine called interposition, according to which individual states had the constitutional duty to interpose their separate sovereignties against federal court rulings that went beyond their rightful powers, and, if necessary, to nullify them.  He debated on television with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and wrote on race and state's rights in The Sovereign States: Notes of a Citizen of Virginia (Regnery, 1957) and The Southern Case for School Segregation.  (Crowell-Collier, 1962).  He even wrote an article for the "Saturday Evening Post" in 1963 and claimed that the Negro race, as a race, is in fact an inferior race.  Kilpatrick ultimately acknowledged that segregation was a lost cause and re-examimined his earlier defense of it.  "I was brought up a white boy in Oklahoma City in the 1920's and 1930," he told Time maazine in 1970.  "I accepted segregation as a way of life.  Very few of us, I suspect, woudl like to have our passions and profundities at age 28 thrust in our faces at 50."  Apart from surveying the national scene, Kilpatrick exposed overbearing local laws and judicial rulings.

I remember reading columns from James J. Kilpatrick in my local newspaper in the late 80's entitled, "The Writer's Art."  He rallied against turgid prose.  In his "On Language" column for the "New York Times Magazine", William Safire wrote that Mr. Kilpatrick's essays on "the vagaries of style are classics."  In 1966 he left The News Leaders after embarking on a column for the Washington Star Syndicate, "A Conservative," which was carried by newspapers throughout the country.  Writing later for Universal Press Syndicate, which took over the Washington Star Syndicate, he continued "A Conservative View" until 1993, when he began a weekly coluumn "Covering the Courts,"  He ended that column in January 2008 and discontinued the other remaining column "The Writer's Art" in January 2009.

At his country home, Kilpatrick flew two flags, The Stars and Stripes and another alongside it that seemed to embody his views on the rights of individuals confronting the powers of the state.  That flag, from the era of the American Revolution, bore the image of a snake and the inscription "Don't Tread on Me."

Federal Appeals Court Places Same-Sex Marriage on Hold

(USA Today) A federal appeals court placed same-sex weddings in California on hold indefinitely Monday while it considers the constitutionality of the state's ban on gay marriages.  The decision, issued by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, trumps a lower-court judge's order that would have allowed county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples on Wednesday.  Lawyers for the two homosexual couples that challenged the 2008 voter-approved state measure banning gay marriage said they wouldn't appeal the panel's decision on the stay to the Supreme Court. 

Andy Pugno, general counsel for ProtectMarriage.com, defendants in the case, praised the panel's decision.  "California voters spoke clearly on Prop. 8 and we're glad to see their votes will remain valid while the legal challenges work their way up through the courts," Pugno said.  "Invalidating the people's vote based on just one judge's opinion . . . would have shaken the people's confidence in our elections."  Proposition 8 passed with 52% of the vote.  In it's two-page order granting the stay, the 9th Circuit agreed to expedite its consideration of the Proposition 8 case.  The court plans to hear the case during the week of December 6 after moving up deadlines for both sides to file their written arguments by November 1.  "We are gratified that the 9th Circuit has recognized the importance and the pressing nature of this case by issuing this extremely expedited briefing schedule," said Ted Boutrous, a member of the plaintiff's legal team.  San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom issued a statement saying that although the appeals court's decision was disappointing, "I am heartened by the court's decision to resolve the appeal on an expedited schedule.  Today, I am more confident than ever that justice and equal rights under the law will ultimately prevail."  Newsom, a Democrat, is running for lieutenant governor.  A different three-judge panel than the one that issued Monday's decision will decide the constitutional question. 

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker decided last week to allow gay marriages to go forward after ruling the ban violated equal protection and due process rights of homosexuals and lesbians guaranteed under the "U.S. Constitution."  How can one say that homosexual marriage is protected under the U.S. Constitution?  It's not.  It was a right created by the judges in black robes.  It was the influence of the homosexual mafia that made this ruling possible a couple of weeks ago.  The Proposition 8 legal team quickly appealed Walker's ruling in the case, which could come before the U.S. Supreme Court.  Currently, homosexuals can legally wed in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.

Praise the Lord for the federal appeals court that placed homosexual weddings on hold in California for the time being.  Sadly, I believe that homosexual weddings will be allowed to be performed in California.  As thankful I am for the appeal, I'm afraid the three-judge panel will rule to allow weddings for homosexuals to proceed.  This is the sad state America is in.  California is a very corrupt state.  The elected officials and judges in California are corrupt to the core.  They're also probably perverts as well.  There's nothing in the Constitution that guarantees homosexual couples the right to marry.  When the U.S. Constitution was drafted in 1787, America was a sane country.  Nobody would've thought of such stupidity as our elected elite today.  Anybody that would propose such perversion would be thrown out of town.  America had a strong Christian consensus during the early years of our country.  Today our elected officials, courts, and many Americans have rejected God and the Holy Bible.  This kind of thinking is the result of a people that have become reprobate.  You can read about reprobation in Romans chapter 1.  Not only does the Bible condemn sodomy, but nature teaches homosexuality is an abomination.  God intended for both male and female to come together to marry and produce children.  If everyone were to suddenly become a homosexual, the population would come to a grinding halt. Homosexuals can't reproduce.  When you read the Bible in Genesis, God told Adam to populate the earth and God told Noah to replenish the earth following the flood.  You can't produce future generations through homosexuality. Homosexual marriage is an abomination.  Thank God that homosexual weddings in California are placed on hold for the time being--however long that is.  I'm fearful that Judge Walker's ruling will be stayed and homosexual weddings will be allowed.  If not legally, then it will illegally through such people as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.  He illegally tried to perform homosexual marriages in 2004.  Somebody is going to do the bidding of the homosexual mafia--legally or illegally.

Should a Mosque be Built Near Ground Zero?

(USA Today) On Friday, President Obama voiced support for the building of a mosque near Ground Zero in New York.  "As a citizen and as president, I believe that Muslims have the same right to practice their religion as everyone else in this country," Obama said.  "And that includes the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.  This is America."  On Saturday, the president was "clarifying" his remarks in an effort to backtrack on the comment he made in supporting the building of a mosque near the site of the 9/11 attacks.  Obama claims he wasn't commenting on "the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there."  However, he's already given vocal support for a mosque to built near Ground Zero.  The President is a supporter and sympathizer of Muslims.  He attended Muslim schools as a youth when he went to school in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

The top Republicans in charge of Senate campaigns said Sunday that President Obama's support of a Muslim group's right to build an Islamic center near the site of the 9/11 attacks in New York would become an issue in the fall election.  The comments came from Senator Jon Cornyn (R-TX), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, adding to the controversy over the proposed mosque that erupted this weekend when Obama gave vocal support to the rights of a Muslim group to build it.  Some Republicans claimed Obama is out of touch for supporting the rights of a developer and Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf to build the center.  Obama's critics echoed statements made by House Minority Leader John Boehner and former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.  "It's unwise to build a mosque at the site where 3000 Americans lost their lives as a result of a terrorist attack," Cornyn said on Fox News Sunday.  "And I think to me it demonstrates that Washington, the White House, the administration, the president himself seems to be disconnected from the mainstream of America."  Voters, Cornyn said, will "render their verdict" in the fall.  Rep. Peter King (R-NY), a staunch opponent of the project, accused Obama of "trying to have it both ways" and said the president "should have been much more clear, much more precise." 

It's appalling how the elected elite are trying to pander to Muslim groups.  Even former president George W. Bush pandered to some Muslims while he was president.  Bush made the statement that America wasn't at war with Islam.  However, it's the religion of Islam that is a problem believe the Koran states to kill those that don't convert to Islam.  The thought of building a mosque at Ground Zero, which is the site where hijackers slammed airplanes into the World Trade Center, is unfathomable.  It's an insult to those families who lost loved ones at the site of 9/11 attacks.  I'll go a step further than that:  Why do we allow Muslims to migrate to the U.S. when you consider the perpetrator of the attacks were Muslims?  I hear the classic old argument consistently that not all Muslims are terrorists.  That's true.  However, there are some Muslims that aren't faithful in practicing their religion.  By the same token there are many people that are members of Baptist churches that aren't true to scripture.  The Koran says that the enemy is to be killed.  Those that are opposed to Islam are considered the enemy.  Muslims in Muslim countries in the Middle East will kill you if you don't convert to their religion.  Countries such as Saudi Arabia are the perpetrators of Islamic terrorism.  The United States even conducts business with Saudi Arabia.  Given the fact that America was under attack on 9/11, our government shouldn't be allowing Muslims to come to America.  It's a national security issue.  How many Muslims that have come to America are here for the purpose of committing jihad?  How many Muslims in this country are potential terrorists?  That's a good question.  The Department of Homeland Security should place a stop to all Muslims coming into this country.  I know some will classify it as racism, but this isn't a racist issue. 

Most of the terrorist attacks that happen around the world stem from Islamic terrorism.  Islamists are supportive of jihad.  There's no telling how many jihadists there are in America awaiting word when to attack.  You never know.  It's dangerous that President Obama caters to Muslim.  I believe President Obama is probably a closet Muslim himself.  He tries to give the pretense that he converted to Christiantiy years ago, but he's a sympathizer of Islam.  I have every reason to believe he's a Muslim given his background. 

Not only do I believe it's a foolish idea to build a mosque near Ground Zero, but I also believe it's foolish to build mosques in America, period.  We don't need to allow Muslim groups to gain a foothold in America.  I do know the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants the right to the freedom of religion.  However, when you take a look at the original intent of the Founding Fathers, this nation was founded on Judeo Christian principles.  John Adams stated that the Constitution was made for a moral and religious people only; it was wholly inadequate for any other.  The religious people he was referring to aren't Muslims.  They were those that believed in Christianity.  It was old-time Bible preaching that laid the theological foundation for this country.  Islam is an intolerant religion.  It's dangerous to allow foreign religions in America that believe in killing people and blowing up buildings.  There are those in Muslim communities in America that desire to see Sharia law enforced in America.  America is not a Muslim nation.  It wasn't built on Islam.  Islam is incompatible to the principle of a representative republic.  The Islamic countries in the Middle East aren't supportive of democracy.  Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia, for example, are dominated by Islam.  I know that Iraq and Afghanistan are supposedly trying to experiment with democracy.  However, democracy will never work in those countries.  These countries where Islam is the dominant religion aren't free countries.  Women are treated like slaves in Muslim countries.  Why does President Obama desire to pander to Islamic countries?  Where are the feminists?  Muslims don't believe in equal rights for women.  The Islamic world considers the United States the Great Satan. 

Building a mosque near Ground Zero would be an insult to those 3000 that were killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.  Islamists are a threat to the United States.  We shouldn't allow any more Muslims to come to America.  On top of that, we shouldn't be catering to this so-called "religion of peace."  If America was to be dominated by Muslims, we would no longer be a free country.  Islam doesn't believe in freedom of the people.  I know the Republicans will make this an issue in the fall elections, but the truth of the matter is the Republicans aren't going to stop the spread of Islam in America either.  Both parties are part of the problem.  Neither political party wants to reveal Islam for what it is.

The Church at Ephesus

(Revelation 2:1-7) "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.  But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."  The congregation of Ephesus was established by the Apostle Paul on his second missionary journey, and a description of the church can be found in Acts 18-20.  This church was deeply spiritual and pure when it started.  This church had great zeal and love for the Lord.  They worked diligently and they tried everything to see if it was true and good, as can be seen from the fact they tried those people who said they were apostles, but under scrutiny, they were found to be liars. 

Ephesus was known throughout the world of that time for worship of Diana or Artemis, who was considered to be the mother goddess of the earth.  The myth that prevailed in that day was that the image of Diana had fallen from the sky and as such much of the Ephesian economy centered around this, ie., the selling of silver shrines of Artemis (Acts 19:24).  In this letter God commends the Ephesian church for their hard work and perseverance, and that they "tested those who claim to be apostles but are not" and "found them false."  In the book of Acts Paul told them that false prophets would arise in their church and try to distort the true gospel.  God commends the Ephesian church for hating the "deeds of the Nicolaitanes" which God also hates.  Who are the Nicolaitanes?  The term Nicolaitanes come from two Greeek words which are (1) Niko which means to conquer or overthrow and (2) Laso which means the people or the laity.  When both words are combined the definition is "victory over the people (laity) or to conquer the laity."  Nicolaitism sought to establish an ecclesiastical order that would rule the people, to have a ruling class in the church that dominated the people or "the laity."  This is what the Holy Spirit had in mind when he told the church elders through Peter to be examples to the flock of God, and not lording it over them (I Peter 5:3). 

God's only condemnation to this church was that they "lost their first love", meaning, even though they were doing many of the right things, their true love for the LORD was beginning to grow cold.  Remember when Jesus was asked "what is the greatest commandment?".  He replied "To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength".  Even though doing much of the right things, it appears this church still lost its true love for the Lord. 

When one reads about the growth of the church from the very beginning to it's present times, one of the websites noted that what God wrote to the Ephesians, fits very closely to what happened in the church during the time frame of 33 A.D. to 100 A.D.  After Jesus left his disciples, they began to carry out his commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel.  They established churches all over the Roman Empire.  By 100 A.D., all the original apostles had died and gone on to be with the Lord.  But the churches they established and the leaders they built up continued the work of the Lord.  Early church manuscripts document that even from its inception, the church  struggled with false teachers and false doctrines trying to infiltrate, but that the church held true and continued to grow in spite of the confusion and persecution.  Manuscripts even identify that as churches grew, some in leadership attempted to gain more authority and control, much like the Nicolaitanes at Ephesus. 

It is very important that a church places a great emphasis upon orthodoxy.  We should follow what the Word of God says.  It's important to read the Bible's pages to know how we should live and how a church should function.  However, as important as correct doctrine is, it's also important that our motives for doing what we do be pure.  The Apostle Paul makes much emphasis of charity in I Corinthians 13.  Paul states in I Corinthians 13:3 "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."  All the works we perform and all the correct Bible doctrine that's preached in the church won't go very far if we don't possess charity.  God not only wants the church to empashize correct doctrine and perform good works, we're also to love the Lord.  If we don't have a walk with the Lord and love him like we should, then our orthodoxy will be dry.  We must have a personal relationship with God and then in turn exhibit charity in our Christian lives.

President Obama's Approval Rating Continues to Fall

Many of the pollsters such as Gallup, Rasmussen, Politico, and Fox News for example, have cited that President Barack Obama's overall approval rating has fallen below 50%.  Fox News has President Obama's approval rating around 45%, and Gallup Poll has President Obama's approval rating around 44% or something in that range.  The disapproval rating ranks as high as 56%.  This doesn't bode well for Democrats in the mid-term elections.  There are at least 13 battleground states in which Republicans have a chance to win seats in those races.  There have been predictions that Republicans have a chance to capture the House.  However, nothing's set in stone.  One of the top issues at the forefront is the state of the U.S. economy.  Jobless rates are continuing to rise in spite of the Obama administration's claims that the economy is improving.  They claim the stimulus bill which was passed last January has saved millions of American jobs.  The question that needs to be asked is what kinds of jobs have been created due to the stimulus bill?  Where has most of the stimulus money went?  Most of the jobs that have been created have been in government.  Consequently, government doesn't grow the economy.  Tax dollars have to be used to create new government positions.  Taxpayer dollars are used to pay for government workers.  What grows the economy is the private sector.  When new jobs are created in the private sector, there are new tax revenues added to the government.  There won't be an economic recovery until the private sector begins hiring again.  Since the healthcare bill has been passed by Congress in March and since the 2001 Bush tax cuts are facing extinction in January 2011, businesses are uncertain when it comes to hiring new workers.  They don't know what new costs they'll be facing. 

There are a number of reasons why President Obama's approval rating is sinking.  One of the reasons is the unemployment rate is still hovering around 10%.  That's probably a conservative estimate.  Another problem is Congress jammed the healthcare bill down the throats of the American people in March, despite public opposition to the healthcare bill.  Also, President Obama hasn't delivered on his campaign theme of "Hope and Change".  It's still the same old Washington politics.  Special interests still influence the lawmakers as usual.  The tone hasn't been changed in Washington.  Also, the Obama administration has been polarizing Americans with racial allegations.  Anytime the President's poll numbers drop, there are allegations of racism.  The Tea Party has been labeled by liberal members of Congress and the news media as racists.  Last year when Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested by a white police officer, Gates claimed it was due to racism.  President Obama commented that the police officer reacted stupidly.  The Washington elite are always looking for an opportunity to polarize Americans by labeling people who oppose the President's agenda as being racist. They can use President Obama's race as an excuse to level charges of racism.

President Obama has voiced his supported for the building of a mosque near Ground Zero, which is the site where the 9/11 attacks took place.  The perpetrators of the attacks were jihad Muslims.  It's an insult to those who lost their families to allow for the building of a mosque.  However, Obama doesn't appear to be concerned how the proposed building of a mosque angers many Americans.  President Obama has been a sympathizer to Muslim nations.  He's traveled around the Middle East apologizing for America.  He even claimed Islam has played a role in U.S. history.  Who's he fooling?  He appears to not know much about the history and culture of America.  America's theological foundation wasn't built on Islam.  It was built on Judeo Christian principles.  It was built by Bible believers who loved and feared God.  President Obama's support for the building of a new mosque doesn't bolster his approval rating.

During the Gulf oil spill, the Obama administration didn't appear to be in any hurry to order the Coast Guard or use FEMA to help contain the ongoing oil spill in the Gulf.  President Obama didn't cause the oil spill nor could he stop it, but since this oil spill was a national emergency, the Coast Guard and other agencies should've worked vigorously to stop the spread of the gushing oil.  It showed a lack of leadership on President Obama's part.  Another negative concerning the President is he's been out vacationing all over the United States this summer.  He's been out playing golf, playing basketball, traveling to Florida, and is supposed to vacation in Martha's Vineyard.  His wife and his daughter Sasha traveled to Spain the other week.  It gives the impression that the President is out of touch with the American people vacationing like he is with the crises that face America.  However, he doesn't care.  He's just a puppet being used to implement the changes that the globalists desire.  I don't believe he's in charge of the government.  He's just a face for those behind the scenes that are in the process of transforming America into a socialist nation. 

I hope that this November we vote out the incumbents in droves.  If we don't, then we're probably through as a country.  That's how serious it is.  I am going to offer a word of caution to those who believe that President Obama will be a one-term president: don't count your chickens until they're hatched.  The mid-term elections haven't taken place yet.  If the Republicans gain both Houses of Congress, they're going to perform poorly once they're in charge.  Remember the Republican majority when George W. Bush was president.  They were pathetic.  The Republicans and the Democrats are all in it together.  The poor leadership of the Republicans, if they win, will enhance President Obama's approval rating.  The question that needs to be asked is who's going to oppose President Obama in the 2012 elections?  President Obama isn't going to be beaten by a Democrat-lite Republican.  We have no formidable candidates in the Republican Party as of yet to oppose Obama in the 2012 elections.  You're not going to throw a Bob Dole or a John McCain as a candidate and expect them to beat President Obama.  It's going to require a candidate with solid convictions and a clear vision for America.  A spineless Republican isn't going to beat Obama.  Mark my words.  I'm afraid that's what we may having running against Obama in 2012.

Dan Rostenkowski Dies at 82

(USA Today) Former U.S. House Representative Dan Rostenkowski, the Chicago Democrat who became the leading architect of Congressional tax policy in the Reagan administration, died Wednesday.  He was 82 years old.  Daniel David Rostenkowski was born on January 2, 1928 into one of Chicago's leading Polish-American political families.  His father was an alderman.  Rostenkowski was educated at St. John's Academy, a Wisconsin military school, and Loyola University in Chicago.  He served in the infantry in Korea from 1946 to 1948.  He was a state representative and later a state senator in Illinois before his election to the U.S. House in 1958.  He served 18 terms before losing in 1994.  He died surrounded by family at his home in Lake Benedict, Wisconsin.  He died of lung cancer. 

He was chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.  He was known as a consensus builder and a master of legislative tactics.  He is credited with leading a 1983 effort to rescue Social Security from insolvency and pushing through a sweeping 1986 overhaul of the nation's tax system.  He was involved in a corruption scandal which eventually landed him in federal prison for a few years.  Despite the corruption scandal that plagued Rostenkowski prior to being ousted from Congress in 1994, friends and colleagues said he will be mostly remembered as a master politican who was able to get things accomplished.  "He was the go-to-guy for Chicago mayors," former Secretary of Commerce William Daley said.  Rostenkowski was proud of representing an urban district and supposedly saw his job as bringing projects back to Chicago, including major construction projects such as the Kennedy Expressway and the subway between O'Hare International Airport and downtown, William Daley said.  Rostenkowski acknowledged that his legacy would be tained by his stint in federal prison.  "I know that my obituary will say," 'Dan Rostenkowski, felon' and it is something that I have to live with," he said in a 1998 broadcast interview with Robert Novak and Mark Shields.

In 2000 President Clinton pardoned Rostenkowski with encouragement from former president Gerald Ford and former House minority leader Robert Michel.  Rostenkowski's troubles began in 1992 when a grand jury in Washington charged him with 17 counts of misusing government and campaign funds.  The scandal forced him to step down as chairman and led to his 1994 defeat by unknown Republican Michael Patrick Flanagan.  In the end, Rostenkowski pleaded guilty to two counts of mail fraud.  He admitted that he had converted office funds to his own use for gifts such as Lenox china and armchairs.  He even admitted hiring people on his congressional payroll who did little or no official work--but took care of his lawn, took photographs at political events and family weddings, helped his family's business and supervised the renovation of his house. 

Rostenkowski served 17 months in prison, mainly at the federal government's correctional center at Oxford, Wisconsin.  I can recall Rush Limbaugh back in the early 90's referring to Rostenkowski as Daniel "Rostie" Rostenkowski.  He was another career politician who abused his position of power for his own personal gain.  It's tragic!  There are those presently serving in Congress much worse than Rostenkowski such as Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.  We definitely need to vote those two thieves and scumbugs out.