Broadway Market 2008

The smell of chocolate was in the air as Western New York’s most desperately religious headed out to the Broadway Market in Buffalo, New York. It just so happens to be quite a tradition (especially among the Polish Catholic Community of Buffalo) to take a stroll down to the Broadway market to purchase pussy willows and chunks of butter in the shape of a lamb on Good Friday and the Saturday before Easter. (Just a side thought: funny how the masses gather in the cold to get a butter lamb, but have absolutely no interest in the True Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world! And they call me crazy!)

Anyhow, a couple of us gathered to hand out tracts (some did some preaching) and we were able to hand out a guestimated total of 1,200 tracts between the two days. I say questimated because I only managed to make the Saturday event and 600 was the number of that day. Friday was busier so the total is likely higher. But numbers are not the issue of this blog.

The Broadway Market (for those of you who do not know) is on Broadway on the streets of Buffalo. It is a street like any other street…well, accept for the condition of the area, which is less than to be desired…to put it kindly. Somehow, security decided to puff out its chest and ask those who were situated on the sidewalk just outside of the doors of the Market to move to the street corners or the other side of the street. It seems that they did not know our Constitutional Rights to be there.

Today proved to me (yet again) that people just do not want the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You see, “the Christians” were not allowed in the front of the building, but street musicians collecting change were not asked to leave. There was a guitar player and a sax player. Each played “bunny” jingles to warm the hearts of the helplessly, hopelessly, religious lost. There was even a man dressed in an Easter Bunny costume waving at the eager pussy willow purchasers.

So let’s get this right:

The Easter Bunny: Welcomed.
Street Musicians: Welcomed.
Drunks: Welcomed.
Pussy Willow Purchasers: Welcomed.
Jesus Christ and his disciples: HIT THE ROAD, JACK!

Looks like we’ll have to do some work for next year. We’ll have to make sure that we have researched the laws of the land and bring a copy of such laws the next time we come. This way, the security guards (who were not even police officers…I think) will have to think twice about giving Christians the boot.

We’ll just keep on keepin’ on. ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS!

Grace & Peace be unto you all.

A Gory Religion

I was reading more of the useless news while on a lunch break at work when I came across this article. You can read it in its entirety at the following link.

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=/Culture/archive/200803/CUL20080312b.html

I thought that I would focus on this little section, and more specifically, the words that I have put in bold font:

“Nevertheless, Kazman told Cybercast News Service that it's ‘entirely appropriate’ to focus on Gore because he "is not just the messenger here, he is what you could easily call the ‘high priest’ of global warming alarmism.”

I know that the concept of “Global Warming” has been debated to death and that the subject has recently died down. Let me state for the record that whenever “the higher powers” decides to push something…it gets pushed to the max. When “they” have been proven to have faulty information, they quietly ride off into obscurity. As “Global Warming” gets exposed more and more as a fraud, mark my words, the nasty news media will no longer bother to waste precious air-time on it.

With that being said, I will revisit the subject matter that has been beaten to death for one reason: to expose “Global Warming” for what it is. IT IS A RELIGION.

I cannot quite recall when a particular event took place, or the name of that event for that matter. But there was a musical event that took place around the world to raise awareness and FUNDS for the “Global Warming Crisis”.

I happened to turn on the television and catch a portion of it. Let’s call it morbid curiosity, as I had no interest whatsoever in listening to the music. I turned it on just at the right moment so as to come to an understanding of what this thing is all about.

The performer was Melissa Etheridge. (I do not know if I’ve even spelled her name correctly, so forgive me if I have not) We’ll leave her personal life out of it and just focus on what she was doing when I happened to turn on the idiot box. She was preaching. It was like watching one of those “charismatic” debacles where the preacher says a sentence or two, then an organ plays a riff in order to work up a frenzy. The “blues” played in the background as the female preacher began to declare her message.

She began by pointing out the sinners: Those who contribute to the global warming problem. The camera panned around, revealing one celebrity after another. The all had their chance to speak to the crowd as well…because they are the modern day prophets of Baal. Before long, Minister Melissa began to talk about the one hope for the world. That hope came in the form of her “Savior” (yes, she used that word) Al Gore.

Folks, if you don’t think that this thing has moved into the realms of spiritual deception and false worship, you’re blind. The farce of “Global Warming” has done nothing but send the United States further into debt. I know…the “tree huggers” believe that it is a small price to pay. Let me ask: to pay for what? Hey, in the 70’s they were preaching about a coming “Global Ice Age”. Please…I’m not that stupid, and I pray that neither are you.

I just recently had a talk with my boss who informed me of some changes coming upon our company due to the need to become “Eco-Friendly”. I about lost my lunch. Our company is already competing with companies in China, India and South America. We cannot compete with the low wages others are willing to work for. To add insult to injury, our own Country…which should be helping us secure jobs HERE IN AMERICA, has decided to make it even more difficult.

Now, I do not work for a company that is pouring pollutants into the creeks. I work for a silk-screening factory. Still, we are being forced to start using “eco-friendly” inks, neck labels and shirts. For what? For a fairy tale. The plain and simple truth is that our Country cannot afford to keep doing this to the small businesses…or to the big ones for that matter. We are being taxed and regulated right out of existence.

Quite honestly, the only pollution we need to take care of immediately is the pollution that pours out of the “high priest’s” mouth. Sadly, I believe that the greatest cult leader of our day has just begun to roar. Will he be the future President that sells the sovereignty of the United States for a “theory”?

All I can say is: Even so, come Lord Jesus!

Grace & Peace, my friends…grace and peace!

A Real Presidential Candidate

Someone recently passed an email along to me. I do not claim credit for this work other than some editing. But I loved it and thought it appropriate for this website. I hope that this is not an offense to any of you…but it very much represents my feelings towards the candidates of the upcoming election. Enjoy!

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT (DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN) GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

"My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraq regime has been completed. Since congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete. This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq . This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning.

Before me, I have two lists: One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and Poland are some of the countries listed there. The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on “List 2” ceases immediately and indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war. Then every year thereafter it will go to our social security system so that it will not go broke in twenty years. The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world nations only to watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption. Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money towards solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations: Mess with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth. Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France or maybe China. I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France, Germany, and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well.

I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I do not care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York.

A special note to our neighbors: Canada is on "List 2". Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not ticking us off for a change. Mexico is also on "List 2". Its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment. I will have a couple extra thousand tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put them? Yep, border security.

Oh, by the way, the United States will be abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now. We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we will be drilling for oil in Alaska – which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to “List 2” above. Pick a country and move there.

Fellow Americans, it is time to focus on our own welfare. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, 'darn tootin.' Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America. It is time to eliminate homelessness in America.

To the nations on “List 1”, a final thought: Thank you guys. We owe you and we will not forget it.
To the nations on “List 2”, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America. Thank you and good night."

Do you have any idea how many people in their homes would stand up and cheer after hearing that speech? It boggles the mind!

Grace & Peace be with you all.

A Modern Day Shadrach

I thought it would be good to share a miraculous testimony on this blog. The Lord has certainly worked in my life and in the lives of my friends and family over the years. After all, salvation alone is the greatest miracle. I have turned my life over to following him and ministering to his saints. Why? Out of love, of course. How? Because He first loved me. (1 John 4:19)

For those of you who have not heard, my mother’s place of employment was just the victim of a grease fire. My mother is actually a Beautician. She worked in a Salon next door to a bar/restaurant within a small plaza in Depew, New York. The fire started in the kitchen of the bar and quickly spread next door to my mother’s shop. Everyone got out and there were no injuries. There was a fireman that had to be taken to the hospital for exhaustion, be he has since fully recovered and is fine.

Because my mother does not drive, she lives within walking distance of work. She has always done this. She is on her feet all day long and is quite a trooper. Cutting hair, however, is all she knows. When the fire burned down the shop, it burned down her livelihood. She had to quickly think about the next step so as to continue to receive pay. As a self-employed Beautician (she rented a chair in the shop she worked in) she is not able to draw unemployment in the state of New York. On top of all of that, she had left her client’s phone numbers in a rolodex in the shop. She had no way of contacting them, and they had no way of contacting her as they only had the shop’s phone number.

So now, pretend that this is you. What do you do? You’re without a job, without training in anything, without a high-school diploma, without transportation, and without the ability to contact those who put food on your table. Again I ask, What do you do?

Christian, you pray.

Now let me give you the good news. Within a couple of days, a competing salon just down the street called to express their sympathies. My mother was offered a chair for the same rental fees she had at the other salon. The walk is a shade longer, but like I said, my mother is a trooper.

She now has a place to work, but what about her customers? GOD IS FAITHFUL. As the owner of the salon that caught fire walked through the ash heap, he saw one solitary thing that was preserved. It just so happened to be my mother’s rolodex. A piece of plastic filled with paper managed to be the only thing that survived the fire.

My mother is adjusting to working in a new environment, but she is working. On top of that, she has a wonderful testimony of the greatness of our God. Praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

By the way, I titled this A Modern Day Shadrach for a reason. We all know the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and how they were preserved in the fire. I chose Shadrach because of his original name: Hananiah. This name means: God has favored.

(Psa 107:8) Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Grace and Peace be unto you all.

Separation of Church & State

I was trading emails with a fellow student this past week. Somehow a question regarding weather turned into an email correspondence of John Calvin and a State run Church. I suppose that it “somehow” turned to the State Church thing when I referred to Calvin as “murderous.” So here’s the question this friend of mine brought up: “Would it be wrong for a government, say, the State of New York, to use the Old Testament civil laws as its own laws?”

My knowledge of John Calvin is somewhat limited. But as I understand it, and feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, Calvin helped establish the laws of Geneva during his time there. He believed very strongly that the State and the Church were to work together. Now let me say that I would have no problem with a State run Church just so long as the State was acting in a Biblical manner. However, this will never happen. I’m just being a realist. What were to happen if the State Church decided that water baptism was necessary in order to obtain salvation? In order to follow the Bible, I would have to rebel against the teachings of the State Church. If the State Church then threw its weight around, I might be punished, jailed or even killed by disobeying its mandate (law) to water baptize everyone. One of the great freedoms of America is its separation of Church and State. It must be said that this in no way, shape, or form means that the State has to ban all religious thought from its institutions (as many assume), but rather that it cannot enforce someone to practice a faith or a religion that he/she does not want to participate in.

John Calvin forced his views upon the populous through a State Church that was oppressive and murderous. This cannot be ignored, nor can it be dismissed as “okay.” I have heard it said that this was just the way things were back then, so we must be forgiving of Calvin for the way he dealt with Servetus. (He had him killed for “teaching heresy”) Was murder okay back in the garden when Cain slew Abel? No. Was murder okay when David had Uriah killed in order to marry his wife, Bathsheba? No. Was murder okay when they nailed our precious Savior to the cross? No. Then why would it be okay for Calvin to murder someone just because it was the mandate of the State-run Church? Plain and simple: it is not.

The Church should care for the things of the Church. The State should care for the things of the State. The State SHOULD NOT enforce someone to believe something they do not. Now concerning John Calvin, no Christian I know would ever force another to believe what he believed or be murdered for it. Apparently Calvin is an exception in the eyes of those who idolize him, but he is no exception in my eyes. In fact, I have nowhere read any of Calvin’s words that would even lead me to the conclusion that he was saved. Sorry Calvin idolaters, this is just from what I have read. But please, feel free to post a Calvin quote that would help me change my mind. If he has testified, through the written word, of a Biblical salvation, I have yet to read it…but would love to see it.

As we continued to trade emails, my friend asked me my thoughts concerning Erastus in the Bible. Erastus is mentioned three times in Scripture. He is mentioned in (Acts 19:22) (2 Tim 4:20) and (Rom 16:23). There is no proof that the Erastus mentioned in each verse is the same as the next…but let’s assume that he was. It is mentioned in Romans that Erastus was the Chamberlain of the city. This would mean that he was a public official – perhaps a mayor or governor. The reason I was asked about Erastus was because I had made this comment:

“Here’s my humble opinion, though given time, I think I can back it up Biblically. Role of Govt: Supress Evil. Role of Christians in Govt: Pray for Leaders.”

With that comment, I was asked about Erastus’ position as Chamberlain. The question then is this: Was Erastus the Chamberlain before or after he was saved? The fact alone that Scripture says that he was indeed the Chamberlain does not necessarily mean that Christians should enter politics any more than saying Christians should cut off people’s ears because the Scripture mentions that Peter did it. A statement of fact in the Scripture is not always a command to do – we must understand this if we are to properly interpret Scriptures. The Bible does teach this:

(1Ti 2:1-2) I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

This is the role of a Christian in Government according to the Scriptures. This is not just a statement of fact, but is indeed, a God-given command for all Christians.

So to tie this whole thing together, Calvin had no Biblical basis for forcing his beliefs on Geneva (or any other populous) because of his own personal convictions. Even God Almighty does not force a human to believe – though He desires all men to come unto the knowledge of the truth. It is best for the Christian to stay out of politics, but rather to focus his energies on winning others to Christ. If a political leader gets saved, he should not focus his life on changing laws to conform to Old Testament laws – but should spend him time evangelizing the lost and ministering to the saints. After all, why would a government want to adopt the Old Testament Law? It is a curse, Christian…remember? I do not live by the law, but by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. The Government’s role is to protect me from harm. It should protect my right of the freedom of worship from those who would murder me for not believing what they believe. The Government should then have protected a man from being killed by John Calvin, rather than follow Calvin’s orders and do the murdering. Make sense? I sure hope so.

Grace & Peace be unto you all.

The King James Bible (Part 5)

Argument # 4: The Italicized words didn’t appear in the originals – so they cannot be inspired.

I had a conversation (not too long ago) with my pastor about the subject of God’s word. In this conversation, we both agreed, that if there is a blatant open mistake that can be found in the Bible, that our faith system would be shattered. To me (and apparently to him as well) Jesus and the Bible are not mutually exclusive. In other words, they are one entity. How could they not be, really? If God wrote the Bible (and hopefully you believe He did, as I do) then His words are His very essence. If there is a flaw in His word (the Bible), then there is a flaw in His Word. (That’s Jesus for those of you who don’t study your Bibles.)

Now for those of you who are using a different “version” of the Bible (I’d rather prefer to it as a perversion) other than the King James Version, I’ve got either some very encouraging news or very discouraging news for you – depending upon your perspective. I am going to prove that the italicized words in the King James Bible are just as inspired as the non-italicized words with one verse of the Bible.

When I have the opportunity to compare Bibles with someone, it is always this verse that gets everyone’s attention. By this verse I will either convince them, or there is absolutely no hope for them. In other words, they have been so brainwashed into thinking “all bibles” are okay that they really do not care what the Bible actually has to say. Again, the Bible’s authority means nothing to them and its impact on their lives has been next to nothing, and likely will remain that way until the day they die.

Have I piqued your interest? Would you like to know what verse I am referring to?

Before I do so, I must ask the readers a question. So as to make this question easy for everyone, I will do it in a silly multiple choice question. Here we go:

Who killed Goliath?
1. David
2. Bathsheba
3. Balaam’s ass
4. Elhanan

This should be a no-brainer if you know your Bibles even a little bit. Yes, the answer is David. Even secular people have heard of the story of David and Goliath and know that little David took down the great, big giant with a slingshot and a stone. That’s great! You all get a 100! That is, of course, all of you but the NIV, NASB, ASV, CEV, ESV, RV translators et al. How might they have answered the above question? They would have circled #4. How do I know? I have all of those translations at my disposal. Let me show you the Bible verse I’m referring to – first in the KJV, then in others to follow.

(2Sa 21:19) And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
(Notice here in this verse that Elhanan killed the BROTHER of Goliath in another battle with the Philistines. Now watch these other “versions” and their handiwork.)

(2Sa 21:19) There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. (NASB)

(2Sa 21:19) In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod. (NIV)

I’d keep quoting the other “versions”, but rest assured, they say the same thing. So what do you do with that, NIV user? Your Bible has a great big mistake in it. By the way, you can find the story of David killing Goliath in your own “versions” in the 17th Chapter of 1st Samuel. So not only is there a mistake, but a contradiction. Oh that’s right, there are two contradictions. (1 Chronicles 20:5) will clear things up for you as well. It is there that you will find the correct answer to the question.

So why is it (Let’s just use the NIV as the example because it is the most popular perversion to date) that the NIV has the story correct in 1 Samuel 17 and in 1 Chronicles 20, but fails to do so in 2 Samuel 21? The simple answer is that the words “the brother of” did not appear in the “originals.” They, therefore, decided to leave it out – even though it made for a glaring contradiction in their “bible.”

So now, NIV user et al, you’re going to tell me that leaving “the brother of” out of the text was the “correct” thing to do because you cannot find it in the originals? (The originals do not exist on earth by the way – they’re in heaven – read your Bibles!) I guess that leaves me in the minority. I will choose the Bible that does not have the mistake. I will choose the King James Bible.

Are the italicized words inspired? You bet they are! So how about it, NIV user – are you willing to put down your flawed “version” for a mistake-free King James Bible, or would you rather go on being willfully ignorant of the truth?

I had the opportunity to “Disciple” someone recently. When he entered our first meeting, he held an NIV under his arm. The first lesson we had was on the word of God. In that lesson, I pointed out this verse along with some others. At first he was angry. It was very visible. But let me tell you, this man was more interested in the truth than he was in his feelings. Though the idea that “his bible” was flawed bothered him, he came back the following week for lesson #2. This time he held a King James Bible under his arm as he entered my apartment. He has grown leaps and bounds and every time we meet I am floored by his passion for the Lord, the lost, and the word of God.

That can be you too, Christian. You can put down your perversion and pick up the truth. The King James Bible will change your life – I make that promise to you. Before I knew that God had actually perfectly preserved every single word that He wanted to convey to man in an English Bible, I was a sad Christian, tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine. Since finding the truth, I have soared to new heights by the grace of the Lord. God wants the same for you.

I think this will conclude my King James series – unless I am challenged with a new question regarding its inspiration in the future. I pray this has either blessed you or challenged you. If it has angered you – let me say that I understand. After all, the first time someone informed me that I had an “incorrect” bible, they said that I was reading, “Satan’s book.” At least I wasn’t that blunt!

The grace and peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Update

For those of you who do read this blog...please forgive my lack of posting. With school, ministry and work, I have been swamped as others have as well. I plan to post this weekend, Lord willing.