Category: Christianity

What percentage of Americans identify themselves as Christians?

From the Innkeeper’s Point of View – A KJ Sunday Morning Reflection

On By kingsjesterIn ChristianityLeave a comment


NativityLuke 2:  1-7 (ASV):

 1 Now it came to pass in those days, there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be enrolled.

2 This was the first enrolment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3 And all went to enrol themselves, every one to his own city.

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David;

5 to enrol himself with Mary, who was betrothed to him, being great with child.

6 And it came to pass, while they were there, the days were fulfilled that she should be delivered.

7 And she brought forth her firstborn son; and she wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

I remember it like it was yesterday.  Caesar Augustus had come up with the bright idea that a census should be taken of the whole Roman Empire, in order to more effectively tax the stew out of all of us.

It especially hurt small businessmen like me.  You see, I’m nothing but a lowly innkeeper, barely keeping my head above water, working 16 hour days.  Oy!  I could continue to gripe, but who would listen?

Anyway, like I said, Caesar decreed that everyone should get themselves registered for the Census.  In terms of business, that actually turned out to be a good thing.

I was about to lock up for the night, when a young man and  woman came to the door.  He was a strong, rugged-looking young man.  I think he was a carpenter.  She was a beautiful, pregnant little thing.  Bless her heart, she looked like she would deliver at any moment.  Their names were Joseph and Mary.

My inn was packed, for once, and I had no rooms available.  But, some part of my heart told me that I just couldn’t send them away, so I offered them my stable, which would at least offer some protection from the elements.

What happened that night was wondrous.  Men are still talking about it to this day.  A precious little baby boy was born that night and the most miraculous things happened.  People said that animals actually spoke!  And, the local shepherds said that angels came to them and told them about this baby.  They sang His praises and told the shepherds that they needed to come to my stable to see and worship that little baby.

Three wise men, sent by Herod, showed up later, bearing gifts for that special infant.  They were overcome by that little one and decided that they would not report back to Herod, but, instead, would return to their homes.

It was quite a remarkable time.  As the years went by, I heard stories about that child.  They named Him Jesus.  He grew in knowledge and stature.  At 12, his parents lost Him.  They found Him in the synagogue, teaching the old men that should have been teaching Him!  Can you imagine?

He grew up working beside His father in his carpentry business and when He was 30, I heard that He was baptized by that wild man, John The Baptist.  According to witnesses, the heavens parted, and they heard the voice of God saying:

This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.

For three years, He traveled with a group of twelve disciples, performing miracles, preaching and teaching about God’s love and His plan for mankind.

And, now I’ve heard that just yesterday, they nailed Him to a cross, executing Him as they would a common criminal.

So sad.  But, you know, there is a still, small voice inside of me that’s telling me that His story is not over, yet.

I truly hope that you enjoyed this post today.  I originally wrote the preceding story 7 years ago today in honor of this special night.

Tonight, we celebrate the birth of Our Savior Jesus Christ.  In closing, I want to share two videos with you.  The first is a video entitled, “That’s my King!”, as read by Dr. S.M. Lockridge.  The second video is a song that I’ve had the privilege of singing in choirs many times, “The Hallelujah Chorus”, which has become a favorite of Believers everywhere.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!  And may God bless us, everyone!

Until He Comes,

KJ

ISIS Planning Terror Attacks on Washington and New York on Christmas. Some “Religion of Peace”.

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, Politics1 Comment

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A KJ Sunday Morning Reflection

Every time a terrorist murders an innocent person, and falsely invokes the name of God, it should be an insult to every person of faith.

Terrorists do not worship God, they worship death.

If we do not act against this organized terror, then we know what will happen. Terrorism’s devastation of life will continue to spread. Peaceful societies will become engulfed by violence. And the futures of many generations will be sadly squandered.

If we do not stand in uniform condemnation of this killing—then not only will we be judged by our people, not only will we be judged by history, but we will be judged by God.

This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations.

This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it.

This is a battle between Good and Evil.– President Donald J. Trump

Truer Words were never spoken.

ChristianPost.com reports that

Islamic State supporters have threatened to launch a terror attack in Washington, D.C. and New York on Christmas, according to the SITE intelligence group. A propaganda poster carries a picture that shows Washington’s National Cathedral erupting in flames while indicating that New York could be their target.

“We meet at Christmas in New York soon,” reads the caption of the poster, which otherwise carries an image of Washington’s National Cathedral, reveals SITE, which monitors extremist communications online.

The poster was found circulating through a pro-Islamic State encrypted channel, Telegram.

“ISIS is incentivized to make threats like this, which come at no cost to them. ISIS is not dispatching fighters around the world for complex coordinated terrorist attacks, but has largely relied upon individuals and citizens already living in Europe and the United States to commit unsophisticated attacks,” Newsweek quotes Harrison Akins, a researcher at the Howard Baker Center, as saying.

“These individuals’ affiliations with ISIS are often tenuous and are perhaps better described as ‘inspired by’ rather than operationally directed. So perhaps somebody within the U.S. will take it upon themselves to commit an attack on Christmas, which falsely bolsters the perceived capabilities and reach of the group.”

In October, a 27-year-old man from Virginia, Mohamad Khweis, became the first U.S. citizen to be convicted of successfully joining the Islamic State terror group, also known as IS, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Over 100 people in the U.S. have been charged with trying to support or join IS, but Khweis succeeded.

IS managed to encourage over 40,000 fighters from more than 110 countries to travel to join their fight before and after the declaration of the “caliphate” in June 2014, according to a report, “Beyond the Caliphate: Foreign Fighters and the Threat of Returnees.”

The report, recently released by the Washington-based security intelligence consultancy Soufan Center, states that there are now at least 5,600 citizens or residents from 33 countries who have returned home — accounting for about 15 percent of the fighters.

The report claims that for the U.S., 129 fighters succeeded in leaving the country and only seven have returned.

While IS has lost its territory in Syria and Iraq, the threat is far from over in the Middle East or elsewhere.

Iraq declared earlier this month that its territory is now “fully liberated” from IS, overlooking warnings by allies that the terror group still poses a threat to the country in the form of guerrilla warfare.

“As ISIS continues to lose land, influence, funding streams and conventional capabilities, we expect them to return to their terrorist roots by conducting high-profile attacks on helpless civilians such as those we’ve already seen in Nasiriyah, Ramadi, and elsewhere over the past weeks,” a spokesperson of the U.S.-led international coalition said at the time.

Iranian influence is now present in Nineveh towns once mostly populated by Christians before IS took over, and has prevented some from returning to their homes.

So, what is it about ISIS and their brand of Radical Islam that entices these “lone wolves” to murder in their name?

Every now and then you will see some ignorant celebrity, Liberal Politician, or uniformed millinneal claim that there is no difference between Islam and Christianity.

The differences are startling…and absolute.

jesus-chart-1

In Islam, the way to “walk with God and escape his judgment on that final day of judgment” is through ‘falah’, which means self-effort or positive achievement. The faithful must submit to God and follow all of his laws as found in the Koran. Judgment day in Islam involves some sort of measurement of what the believer has done wrong and what they have done right. And, even then, you might not be let into heaven if Allah decides you’re not good enough.

This is the direct opposite of Christianity.

According to the Bible, no man can ever be good enough to deserve God’s favor, to win God’s heaven, because from birth we have Free Will. This Free Will may cause us to reject God and live our lives our own way. That’s why it was necessary for Jesus Christ to die for our sins, covering us in His blood of the New Covenant.

God’s Word tells us that what we need is not ‘falah,’ but faith. To have faith in, to trust, to rely on Jesus and his death as “the expiation for our sins”. Those who have been Saved by Jesus Christ can be sure that in the future God will welcome them into heaven with wide open arms, because they have been washed by His blood.

Islam and Christianity present two very different Deities, who may share some similarities, but who have different identities and ultimately different standards. To pretend they are the same is not only to be clueless of the faith of 76% of the citizens of this nation, but, to be ignorant of an integral part of our American Heritage, the legacy of Christian Faith, which our Founding Fathers bequeathed us.

Now, I am not saying that every Muslim is on a jihad against “the infidels”.

However…

When Christians become “radicalized”, we want to share the testimony of what God has done for us through His love, with everyone we meet. We get involved in our local church and we become better fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and American Citizens.

When Muslims become “radicalized”, they want to “kill the Infidels” in the name of “Allah the Merciful”.

In the case of the Chechen Muslim brothers who bombed the Boston Marathon, their immersion into Radical Islam led them to “kill the infidels” that horrendous day.

In the case of the Radical Islamist Couple in San Bernadino, it let them to murder their neighbors and co-workers.

In the case of the barbarians of ISIS, it has turned them into doppelgangers of the Nazi Butchers of Dachau.

For Liberals to continue to deny the connection between Radical Islamic Terrorism and the Political Ideology, masquerading as a religion, that is Islam, is disingenuous at best, and just plain out-and-out lying at worst.

Thehill.com reported last year that

The majority of Americans say the country is at war with radical Islamic terrorism, according to a new poll taken in the aftermath of last week’s terrorist attacks in France.

A survey by the conservative-leaning Rasmussen Reports published Friday found that 60 percent of likely voters believe the country is at war, compared with 24 percent who say the U.S. is not at war.

“President Obama, Hillary Clinton and other senior Democrats refuse to say America is at war with ‘radical Islamic terrorism’ for fear of insulting all Muslims, but voters beg to disagree,” the polling agency said.

Majorities from both major parties said the U.S. is engaged in a conflict with radical Islam: 56 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Republicans, as well as 54 percent of independents.


Ninety-two percent of respondents also said they regard radical Islamic terrorism as a “serious” threat to national security, including 73 percent who said the threat is a “very serious” one, which is up from 50 percent in October of last year.



American attitudes toward the Islamic faith as a whole also appear to have shifted.

Although a plurality of Americans, 46 percent, still said terrorist groups such as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) do not represent the true Muslim faith, that number is down from 58 percent in February. Thirty-five percent said ISIS does represent the Muslim faith.

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the Paris attack last week in which at least 130 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

 The Rasmussen poll surveyed 1,000 likely voters Nov. 17–18. The margin of error for the poll is 3 percentage points.

Liberals are engaging in a very dangerous naiveté.

Christian Americans do not deserve their scorn and Radical Islamists certainly do not deserve their oblivious excuses.

Our country’s very survival is at stake.

Until He Comes,

KJ

 

Throwing the First Stone: Roy Moore and The Nonexistent Political “Moral Superiority” of Liberals

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, Politics1 Comment

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A KJ Sunday Morning Reflection

3The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”  – John 8: 3-8 (ESV)

Yesterday, as I was engaged in one of my favorite activities perusing Facebook Political Pages, I came across a meme which a Liberal “Troll” had posted, using an image of Jesus to attack Alabama Republican Senatorial Candidate, Judge Roy Moore.

I am not going to repeat the wording, However, it had something to do with Jesus speaking to a woman about rape.

The galling thing about it, was that not only was it a blasphemous and downright stupid meme, the useless individual who posted it did not even believe in Jesus Christ.

For the last couple of decades, Modern American Liberals (i.e., Democrats and those too ashamed to call themselves Liberal Democrats and who instead refer to themselves as “Independents”) have always approached the topic of politics as if they were innately possessed with some sort of “moral superiority” that had been gifted to them by the God of Abraham, whom they don’t even believe in.

Today’s Democrats embrace a Far Left Political Ideology, in which there is no room for a Supreme Being…until they need to reference Him for political leverage and justification.

Don’t believe me?

Remember what happened at the 2012 Democratic National Convention?

Delegates and members of the Democratic party booed after former Gov. Ted Strickland (D-OH) discussed God and moved to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Convention chairman Antonio Villaraigosa, mayor of Los Angeles, had to ask for the Yea and Nay vote several times before declaring the motion passed.

C-SPAN cameras captured the dissatisfaction among members after the motion passed.

More information from the Associated Press:
Democrats have changed their convention platform to add a mention of God and declare that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.

The move came after criticism from Republicans.

Many in the audience booed after the convention chairman, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, ruled that the amendments had been approved despite the fact that a large group of delegates objected.

He called for a vote three times before ruling.

The party reinstated language from the 2008 platform that said “we need a government that stands up for the hopes, values and interests of working people and gives everyone willing to work hard the chance to make the most of their God-given potential.”

The platform also now includes what advisers said was Obama’s personal views on Jerusalem.

Liberals’ self-righteousness even allows them to blame natural disasters on a sitting Republican President by claiming that he does not have “a fear of the Lord”, even though nationally known Christian Author and Radio Host Dr, James Dobson spoke to Donald J. Trump before his election and found him to indeed be a Fellow Believer…a Christian American.

Funny. I did not realize that natural disasters were a Presidential Power given by the Constitution.

TheHill.com reports that

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) says President Trump’s stance on climate change demonstrates that he does not appear to fear the “wrath of God” or have any regard for the “existential consequences” of his environmental policies.

“I don’t think President Trump has a fear of the Lord, the fear of the wrath of God, which leads one to more humility … this is such a reckless disregard for the truth and for the existential consequences that can be unleashed,” Brown said in an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” which is set to air on Sunday.

Brown, who studied to become a Jesuit priest prior to entering politics, has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration.

His latest comments come as the southern portion of California battles massive wildfires that in just a few days have damaged thousands of acres of property and destroyed hundreds of buildings.

Trump declared a state of emergency in California, which permits federal assistance to supplement the state and local response to the fires. 

The order allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires.

Northern California grappled with a series of wildfires earlier this year that took the lives of 44 people and resulted in billions of dollars of damage. 

It tickled me to read that old hippie and former boyfriend of Linda Ronstadt (look her up, children), Governor Moonbeam himself, attempting to sound pious.

After President Barack Hussein Obama took office, he made a point of stating several times that America was not just a Christian nation anymore.

And, while that remains true to a certain extent, it is also true that the overwhelming majority, 75% of Americans still proclaim themselves to be followers of Jesus Christ. And even beyond that, 92% of Americans still believe in God.

What is amazing to me, though, is how, even though Obama is no longer President, American Christianity is still constantly attacked on all fronts:  militarily, culturally, and even within organized religion, itself.

From allegations of sexual misconduct against Judge Moore to illegal immigration to abortion to homosexual “rights”, Americans who follow the teachings of Jesus Christ on these issues have been under fire by Liberals, who insist that they know more about what is in the Bible and what Christ says, or would say, about these topics, then those of us who actually read God’s Word.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools. – Romans 1:22

When you enter into a Facebook “discussion” with these “new Pharisees”, and you counter their arguments on these topics with Scripture, Liberals are initially slow to respond.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, – 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV 

Most Liberals will start “Googling” these topics, looking for any Scriptures that will substantiate their position.

There’s been many a time they have come back at me with Old Testament Scripture. It is then that I explain to them about the sacrifice that Christ made for us sinners, freeing Christians from Jewish Law and taking the punishment for our sins , creating a New Covenant by covering Christians through the shedding of His blood.

At that point in the “discussion”, there is a long pause, as they are trying to figure out a comeback.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.- 1 Corinthians 2:14

This misconception, which I have been trying to explain, involves Liberals’ belief that American Christians will not fight back against them and the things they want to do in our society.

If there’s one thing during all of the years of anti-Christian bias, which we have experienced during the Obama administration, and now, after Christian Americans helped elect American Businessman and Entrepreneur Donald J. Trump as the 45th President, that the Liberals should have learned, is the fact that Christian American Conservatives will fight back.

It is funny though…that when we begin fighting back, the Liberals have a tendency to label us as uncaring, mean , divisive, and intolerant.

Liberals react that way because internally, they are having a kicking and screaming temper tantrum, because they cannot get their way…as the past year since November 8th, 2016 has plainly showed.

For Liberal Democrats to attempt to use the God of Abraham as a Spokesperson and Arbiter against the actions and policies of President Trump and Republican Candidates for Congress, after turning their back on God for years, is a display of hypocrisy that would had made even the ancient Pharisees blush.

In fact, their desperation reminds me of a passage found in the New Testament,

22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7:22-23

One must always be careful…because when you point a finger at someone, there are always four pointing back at you.

Just ask Al Franken.

Until He Comes,

KJ

Why President Trump Saying “Merry Christmas!” at the National Tree Lighting Was So Important – A KJ Sunday Morning Reflection

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, PoliticsLeave a comment

trumplivetree

Earlier this week, a very special moment occurred in our nation’s capital. An American President wished everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Needless to say, there was much Liberal hand-wringing, gnashing of teeth, and “concern” about the utterance of that phrase from President Trump.

ChristianPost.com reports that

President Donald Trump is receiving praise for sharing the Christmas story at the National Christmas Tree Lighting and Pageant of Peace ceremony at the White House on Thursday where he proclaimed that everyone is a “child of God.”

The event marks the Trump family’s first Christmas at the White House and as he promised during his presidential campaign, he did not shy away from wishing everyone a “Merry Christmas.” Furthermore, the 45th president of the United States also spoke about the nativity.

“The Christmas Story begins 2,000 years ago with a mother, a father, their baby son, and the most extraordinary gift of all — the gift of God’s love for all of humanity.

Whatever our beliefs, we know that the birth of Jesus Christ and the story of this incredible life forever changed the course of human history.

Each and every year at Christmas time we recognize that the real spirit of Christmas is not what we have, it’s about who we are, each one of us is a child of God. That is a true source of joy this time of year. That is what makes every Christmas merry.

Now as the president of the United States it’s my tremendous honor to finally wish America and the world a very Merry Christmas,” Trump said after he and first lady Melania Trump lit the Christmas tree.

His speech, met with cheers from the crowd, also received accolades from people who watched the ceremony on social media. After just a few hours on Facebook, the video was viewed more than 3 million times and garnered hundreds of thousands of likes and hearts.

President of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Franklin Graham, likewise shared the video with his followers and urged all Christians to keep Trump in their prayers.

Donald Trump’s Boycott of Starbucks Over Red Cups; Starbucks Responds
“Never in my lifetime have we had a president willing to take a strong, outspoken stand for the Christian faith like President Donald J. Trump has. Whether you are Protestant, evangelical, Orthodox, Catholic — all Christians need to get behind him with our prayers,” Graham wrote on Facebook.

During his election campaign, Trump vowed to counter those who had declared war on Christmas by making the Christian season more secular and saying “Happy Holidays.”

In November 2015, the billionaire businessman even called for people to boycott Starbucks after it released its red holiday cups that were void of any mention of Christmas or symbolism.

“I wouldn’t buy. Hey look, I’m speaking against myself. I have one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump Tower,” Trump told a crowd of 10,200 during a rally in Springfield, Illinois.

“Maybe we should boycott Starbucks, I don’t know. Seriously,” he added. “I don’t care. By the way: That’s the end of that lease. … If I become president, we’re all going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again. That I can tell you. That I can tell you!”

The Trumps are in fact sticking to a Christian Christmas. First Lady, Melania recently showcased her White House Christmas video clip showcasing this year’s theme of “Time-Honored Traditions” that was part of her efforts to “respect 200 years of holiday traditions.”

The winter wonderland display at the White House also features a Nativity in the East Room of the White House which has been part of the annual Christmas display for 50 years.

As America has witnessed during the first year of Donald J. Trump’s tenure as the 45th President of the United States of America, now, more than ever before in the history of America, there is a great divide between our two major Political Parties.

Well. I know y’all will be shocked, but, this Christian American Conservative has a different take on the schism between America’s two main Political Parties than the Secular Liberals in the Main Stream Media do.

And, it all comes down to keepin’ The Main Thing, The Main Thing.

How Americans greet one another during this glorious time of the year is a prime example.

A Marist poll, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, says only 37 percent of Americans prefer “Happy Holidays,” compared to 57 percent who say they prefer “Merry Christmas.”

Further, 79% of Americans strongly or very strongly identify the birth of Jesus with the meaning of Christmas, added the survey of 1,005 adults residing in the continental United States.

John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States of America. He said the following about our Country’s relationship to Christianity:

My hopes of a future life are all founded upon the Gospel of Christ and I cannot cavil or quibble away [evade or object to]. . . . the whole tenor of His conduct by which He sometimes positively asserted and at others countenances [permits] His disciples in asserting that He was God.6

The hope of a Christian is inseparable from his faith. Whoever believes in the Divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures must hope that the religion of Jesus shall prevail throughout the earth. Never since the foundation of the world have the prospects of mankind been more encouraging to that hope than they appear to be at the present time. And may the associated distribution of the Bible proceed and prosper till the Lord shall have made “bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God” [Isaiah 52:10].7

In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. – The Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

From adherents.com

There were 95 Senators and Representatives in the First Federal Congress. If one combines the total number of signatures on the Declaration, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution with the non-signing Constitutional Convention delegates, and then adds to that sum the number of congressmen in the First Federal Congress, one obtains a total of 238 “slots” or “positions” in these groups which one can classify as “Founding Fathers” of the United States. Because 40 individuals had multiple roles (they signed multiple documents and/or also served in the First Federal Congress), there are 204 unique individuals in this group of “Founding Fathers.” These are the people who did one or more of the following:

– signed the Declaration of Independence
– signed the Articles of Confederation
– attended the Constitutional Convention of 1787
– signed the Constitution of the United States of America
– served as Senators in the First Federal Congress (1789-1791)
– served as U.S. Representatives in the First Federal Congress

The religious affiliations of these individuals are summarized below. Obviously this is a very restrictive set of names, and does not include everyone who could be considered an “American Founding Father.” But most of the major figures that people generally think of in this context are included using these criteria, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Hancock, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and more.

Religious Affiliation of U.S. Founding Fathers

# of Founding Fathers

% of Founding Fathers

Episcopalian/Anglican

88

54.7%

Presbyterian

30

18.6%

Congregationalist

27

16.8%

Quaker

7

4.3%

Dutch Reformed/German Reformed

6

3.7%

Lutheran

5

3.1%

Catholic

3

1.9%

Huguenot

3

1.9%

Unitarian

3

1.9%

Methodist

2

1.2%

Calvinist

1

0.6%

unknown

43

 %

TOTAL

204

Christmas and Christianity have been a part of our national fabric since our Sovereign Nation was born. Here is what a couple of our more Modern Presidents said about Christmas in America:

Since returning home, I have been reading again in our family Bible some of the passages which foretold this night. . . . We miss the spirit of Christmas if we consider the Incarnation as an indistinct and doubtful, far-off event unrelated to our present problems. We miss the purport of Christ’s birth if we do not accept it as a living link which joins us together in spirit as children of the ever-living and true God. In love alone – the love of God and the love of man – will be found the solution of all the ills which afflict the world today. – President Harry S. Truman, Christmas Eve Address to the Nation, 1949

“Christmas is also a time to remember the treasures of our own history. We remember one Christmas in particular, 1776, our first year as a nation. The Revolutionary War had been going badly. But George Washington’s faith, courage, and leadership would turn the tide of history our way. On Christmas night he led a band of ragged soldiers across the Delaware River through driving snow to a victory that saved the cause of independence. It’s said that their route of march was stained by bloody footprints, but their spirit never faltered and their will could not be crushed. The image of George Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow is one of the most famous in American history. He personified a people who knew it was not enough to depend on their own courage and goodness; they must also seek help from God, their Father and Preserver.” (1983)

“For the past few years in this great house, I’ve thought of our first real Christmas as a nation. It was the dark and freezing Christmas of 1776, when General Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware. They and Providence gave our nation its first Christmas gift—a victory that brought us closer to liberty, the condition in which God meant man to flourish.” (1984) President Ronald Wilson Reagan

So, why do we celebrate this time of year? Is it the hustle and bustle? Is it the greed and avarice of the commercialization of a Secular Holiday?

It is to honor and celebrate

ONE SOLITARY LIFE

He was born in an obscure village, the son of a peasant woman.

He grew up in another village, where he worked in a carpenter’s shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he became a wandering preacher.

He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never travelled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of those things one usually associates with greatness.

He had no credentials but himself.

He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through a mockery of a trial. He was executed by the state. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.

Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind’s progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth as much as that One Solitary Life.

***The preceding essay was part of a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” © 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp 123-124 titled “Arise Sir Knight!”).

We are given free will by our Creator…will to make choices and decisions on the direction of our lives. Being human, we often don’t make the right decisions and being human, those decisions have the potential to lead us down a dark path.

Whether is in reality or strictly in the close quarters of our own consciousness, the path we choose to follow is up to us. However, our parents, family, and friends can make a difference in our journey and I thank God that through His Grace I was given a Father who made sure that I received loving instruction in The Way in which I should go.

We still live in the greatest country on the face of the earth and we still have a responsibility to one another.

The Democratic Party, now under the control of the Far Left, have long since dismissed the reality of absolute morality, unchanging ethics, and the Sovereignty of the God of Abraham.

And, that is why the Silent Majority, comprised, to a great deal, of the over 70% of us average Americans, who proclaim Jesus Christ as our Personal Savior, rose up here in “Flyover Country” and went to the polls on November 8th, 2016 in protest of unconscionable relative morality and situational ethics, being pursued and propagated by the leaders of the Democratic Party, for Political Expediency’s sake.

The Light or the Darkness. The choice is up to each and every one of us.

So, as you finish your Christmas Shopping and other preparations in the weeks ahead, take time to wish someone else a “Merry Christmas”.

And, let your light shine.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Until He Comes,

KJ

Phil Robertson, America, and Me – A KJ Sunday Morning Reflection

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, PoliticsLeave a comment

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For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

A few years back, the Patriarch of the Mega-hit Television Program, “Duck Dynasty”, Phil Robertson sat down with Fox News’ Sean Hannity, and, as per usual, Brother Phil told it like it was…

…HANNITY: So we got to win those political battles, too. I think they’re just as important.

ROBERTSON: Yes. I just feel a little more comfortable dealing in the spiritual realm, even with the persecution of whatever comes with it, I’m just — I have a task to do and I go forth across America. I’ve been doing this, most people don’t realize, I’ve been doing this for 35 years.

HANNITY: Yeah.

ROBERTSON: I’ve been all over the United States backwards and forwards, and my message is always the same, god loves you, sent Jesus to die for you.

HANNITY: When the controversy arose were you surprised?

ROBERTSON: Surprised, not at all. Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you, when they insult you and reject your name as evil, Jesus said, because of the son of man. Leap for joy because great is your reward in heaven. It goes with the territory, spiritual warfare. There is a Satan out there, an evil one, and if anyone that looks at our culture doesn’t believe it, I would simply say, what, are you blind? It’s pretty rough out there.

HANNITY: I wrote a whole book “Deliver Us from Evil.”

ROBERTSON: Yep.

HANNITY: How do you explain Pol Pot and the killing fields, Adolf Hitler, Nazi Germany, fascism, communism, imperial.

(CROSSTALK)

ROBERTSON: Evil.

HANNITY: And then how do you explain murder, and pedophilia, and rape – – evil.

ROBERTSON: Yes, yes.

HANNITY: See, when you use these spiritual terms some people get, you can’t say that.

ROBERTSON: We took the 10 commandments now and removing them from the courthouse and we’re getting them out of our psyche. We took God out of our schools. Well, if you started with young people and you taught them, you rebuke them, you corrected them, you trained them, you instructed them to obey their father and mother, honor their father and mother, don’t murder, don’t lie, don’t steal from a young age, is anyone trying to tell me that we wouldn’t have a better society? I mean, it’s nuts.

What causes somebody to “wig out”, or to have what psychiatrists call “a break with reality”? Is it caused by some genetic abnormality? Is it caused by socialization? Or, it Brother Phil right? Does the Devil make them do it?

In my present job, I get to talk to people from all walks of life. I am usually a pretty good judge of character. However, you never know…

Remember the mass murder that took place on the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara, back in 2014? A psychopath named Elliot Rodger killed 6 people and wounded 13 others before turning his gun on himself.

According to the murderer, he was ignored by women and had problems getting a date.

Now, as someone who was a nerd who hung out with the jocks in high school, I can tell you that approaching girls as a nerd when you’re young man is a hard thing to do. You start to fear their rejection so badly, that it becomes a huge brick wall that keeps you from happiness. However, never in my wildest imagination would I have ever thought of hurting others because I couldn’t get a date.  I mean, its stupid if you think about it and very sad at the same time. The horror of it all is that he ended innocent lives because he was jealous of the lives of others.

Brother Phil was right about how widespread evil is in our society.

A while back, while I was pursuing one of my favorite activities, perusing Facebook to see what was going on, I was on one of my favorite political pages, of which I happen to be an moderator, when I noticed that an anonymous poster had posted an anti- American Armed Forces message just to get some attention. In fact, this guy was so far around the bend, that he posted that our military deserved to die because of the interventionism and nation-building foreign policy of the United States. When he became cornered and was asked to account factually for his comments on Facebook, this loon even suggested that the Japanese attacked the US Military at Pearl Harbor, because of things they had already done and they bore no ill will toward the American people.  When I asked him whose sons and daughters did he think that the US military consisted of, he went strangely silent.

Of course, this guy wound up getting banned from that Facebook Page. Then he came back under a phony profile, and got banned again.

We later found out that this troubled soul had been banned from several Facebook Pages for posting under phony names, posting incessantly, and threatening female posters.

By now. you’re probably asking, “So what do these two examples have to do with each other and with what Phil Robertson said to Sean Hannity?”

There is a reason that we don’t all go out killing another and there is also a reason why we’re not all fruitcakes who go around looking for attention, threatening people on Facebook.

Now you can call it genetics, you can call it socialization, you can call it the proper alignment of the moon and stars…I choose to call it the Grace of God.

There is a comforting old saying which states

There but for the Grace of God go I.

Our American Pop Culture, being incessantly marketed by Liberals, espouses and embraces a reflection of not simply an immoral society, but, an amoral one, whose concept of right and wrong is “Whatever Gets You Through the Night (It’s Alright. It’s Alright.)”, and whose ultimate authority is not the God of Abraham, but a Godless Central Government, whose credo is

From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs. (Karl Marx)

Just as Marxism has failed wherever it has been tried before, so will it fail here.

Just as amorality and licentiousness led to the destruction of the Roman Empire, so, if unchecked, will it lead to America’s.

The galling thing is the fact that, even though American Christians remain 76% of the population, we are propagandized and suppressed in both the Old and New Media, to make it seem as if WE are the Minority, when, in fact, WE are the overwhelming Majority.

It is this New Generation of Amoral Socialists, who are in fact, just a tiny, albeit vocal, Minority of America’s population.

So, what can an average Christian American, like you and me, do about this “Tyranny of the Minority”?

As the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians, we can STAND.

However, you cannot stand without “the full armor of God”. I have found, as have my family and friends, that the better that you are doing, in terms of your Christian Walk, the harder that you will be attacked.

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.…- Ephesians 6:10-12

The more we stand up for the Triune God, the harder the Enemy attacks…in all areas of our lives…including our political beliefs.

They expect Christian Americans to be “sacrificial lambs”, to meekly allow our Constitutional Rights to be stripped from us, remaining unseen and unheard from, and worshiping in private.

Well,  y’all can wish for a unicorn to magically appear in your backyard…but that ain’t gonna happen, either.

Our Lord and Savior stood up and got angry for Righteousness’ Sake. Do you seriously expect Christian Americans to do no less?

We are given free will by our Creator will to make choices and decisions on the direction of our lives. Being human, we often don’t make the right decisions and being human, those decisions have the potential to lead us down a dark path.

Whether is in reality or strictly in the close quarters of our own consciousness, the path we choose to follow is up to us. However, our parents, family, and friends can make a difference in our journey and I thank God that through His Grace that I was given a Father who made sure that I received loving instruction in The Way in which I should go.

Average Americans still believe that we live in the greatest country on the face of the earth, as was demonstrated on November 8, 2016.

That being said, we still have a responsibility to one another.

The Light or the Darkness. The choice is up to each and every one of us.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:14 (ESV)

Until He Comes,

KJ

 

Thanksgiving 2017: A Time to Remember That God Has Blessed America

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, PoliticsLeave a comment

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Thanksgiving Day.

Simply saying the words to myself brings back a flood of precious memories…memories of Thanksgivings past, as a child, surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, my sisters, and my Mother and Daddy…smells of sage dressing and oven-roasted turkey..followed by the feeling of having an over-stuffed stomach…all topped by the sounds of laughter and the sight of my aunts and uncles, all members of America’s Greatest Generation, being led in a penny-ante poker game after the Thanksgiving meal by my Daddy, the finest man I have ever known…all of them enjoying each other’s company as they reveled in the wonderful completeness of being a family.

Thanksgiving is a uniquely American Holiday…as unique as the nation which celebrates it.

In 1621, a small group of Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a feast celebrating the autumn harvest. This is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.

However, Thanksgiving is much more than this.

Thanksgiving is a day when Americans thank their Creator for the blessings they have received during the year, while holding hope and expectation in their hearts for the blessings yet to come.

The Father of Our Country expressed his thankfulness concerning God and America, when he announced this holiday in 1789:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor – and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be – That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks – for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war –for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions – to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually – to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed – to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord – To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us – and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789. – United States President George Washington.

On November 15, 1985, in the first year of his second term, President Ronald Reagan issued the following proclamation…

Although the time and date of the first American thanksgiving observance may be uncertain, there is no question but that this treasured custom derives from our Judeo-Christian heritage. “Unto Three, O God, do we give thanks,” the Psalmist sang, praising God not only for the “wondrous works” of His creation, but for loving guidance and deliverance from dangers.

A band of settlers arriving in Maine in 1607 held a service of thanks for their safe journey, and twelve years later settlers in Virginia set aside a day of thanksgiving for their survival. In 1621 Governor William Bradford created the most famous of all such observances at Plymouth Colony when a bounteous harvest prompted him to proclaim a special day “to render thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings.” The Spaniards in California and the Dutch in New Amsterdam also held services to give public thanks to God.

In 1777, during our War of Independence, the Continental Congress set aside a day for thanksgiving and praise for our victory at the battle of Saratoga. It was the first time all the colonies took part in such an event on the same day. The following year, upon news that France was coming to our aid, George Washington at Valley Forge prescribed a special day of thanksgiving. Later, as our first President, he responded to a Congressional petition by declaring Thursday, November 26, 1789, the first Thanksgiving Day of the United States of America.

Although there were many state and national thanksgiving days proclaimed in the ensuing years, it was the tireless crusade of one woman, Sarah Josepha Hale, that finally led to the establishment of this beautiful feast as an annual nationwide observance. Her editorials so touched the heart of Abraham Lincoln that in 1863 – even in the midst of the civil War – he enjoined his countrymen to be mindful of their many blessings, cautioning them not to forget “the source from which they come,” that they are “the gracious gifts of the Most High God…” Who ought to be thanked “with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.”

It is in that spirit that I now invite all Americans to take part again in this beautiful tradition with its roots deep in our history and deeper still in our hearts. We manifest our gratitude to God for the many blessings he has showered upon our land and upon its people.

In this season of Thanksgiving we are grateful for our abundant harvests and the productivity of our industries; for the discoveries of our laboratories; for the researches of our scientists and scholars; for the achievements of our artists, musicians, writers, clergy, teachers, physicians, businessmen, engineers, public servants, farmers, mechanics, artisans, and workers of every sort whose honest toil of mind and body in a free land rewards them and their families and enriches our entire Nation.

Let us thank God for our families, friends, and neighbors, and for the joy of this very festival we celebrate in His name. Let every house of worship in the land and every home and every heart be filled with the spirit of gratitude and praise and love on this Thanksgiving Day.

In accordance with this tradition, yesterday, President Donald J. Trump, issued his own Thanksgiving Proclamation to the American people, in which he wrote…

…Today, we continue to celebrate Thanksgiving with a grateful and charitable spirit.  When we open our hearts and extend our hands to those in need, we show humility for the bountiful gifts we have received.  In the aftermath of a succession of tragedies that have stunned and shocked our Nation — Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria; the wildfires that ravaged the West; and, the horrific acts of violence and terror in Las Vegas, New York City, and Sutherland Springs — we have witnessed the generous nature of the American people.  In the midst of heartache and turmoil, we are grateful for the swift action of the first responders, law enforcement personnel, military and medical professionals, volunteers, and everyday heroes who embodied our infinite capacity to extend compassion and humanity to our fellow man.  As we mourn these painful events, we are ever confident that the perseverance and optimism of the American people will prevail.

We can see, in the courageous Pilgrims who stood on Plymouth Rock in new land, the intrepidness that lies at the core of our American spirit.  Just as the Pilgrims did, today Americans stand strong, willing to fight for their families and their futures, to uphold our values, and to confront any challenge.  

This Thanksgiving, in addition to rejoicing in precious time spent with loved ones, let us find ways to serve and encourage each other in both word and deed.  We also offer a special word of thanks for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, many of whom must celebrate this holiday separated from the ones for whom they are most thankful.  As one people, we seek God’s protection, guidance, and wisdom, as we stand humbled by the abundance of our great Nation and the blessings of freedom, family, and faith.

The intestinal fortitude that is our heritage as Americans…along with that still, small voice which still resides in each and every one of us, will continue, I pray, to guide our nation, and spur us on, to stay vigilant and protect our American Freedom, just as my Parents’ Generation did, against the Axis of Evil.

This Thanksgiving Day 2017, I’m thankful for Americans who are still making a difference.  “Average Americans” who still love God and country, and stand on principle with their feet planted on a Solid Rock, and not on shifting sands.

The “Average American”, the 9 to 5′er, working himself into the grave to try to provide for his family.

It was this same “Average American”, who fired the shot heard around the world and began the War for American Independence, who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day in World War II, who waded through rice paddies in Vietnam, and who swallowed sand in Desert Storm and Desert Shield.

The same “Average American” who, as a New York City Policeman or Fireman, ran up the stairs of the World Trade Center on 9/11/01, instead of running down them.

The same “Average American”, who simply wants things to be easier in this life for his children and grandchildren, than he had it.

It is this same “Average American”, who takes family and friends in, when they are in the midst of a life-altering tragedy.

The same “Average American”, who volunteers on a soup line or at a Senior Citizens Home, or, who begins a successful business in his basement.

And, it is this same “Average American” whom, being fed up with the Democratic Party’s Far Left Crusade against anything and everything traditionally American, went to the voting booth and elected Donald J. Trump, a Citizen Statesman, as our 45th President.

They are the reason we remain, in spite of all that has befallen us as a nation, the Greatest Country on the Face of the Earth.

They are also the reason that we will Make America Great Again.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Until He Comes,

KJ

America’s Pharisees: Liberals and the Main Street Media Judge Christians Who Support Moore to be “Immoral” – A KJ Sunday Morning Reflection

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, PoliticsLeave a comment

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Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.” – Matthew 23: 1-3

“I respect women. I don’t respect men who don’t.” – Senator Al Franken (D- Minn.)

Newsbusters.org reports that

They began the week-in-review segment on Friday’s PBS NewsHour with the Al Franken groping scandal, and both liberal Mark Shields and pseudoconservative David Brooks felt that Franken’s offense was minor compared to the Roy Moores and Bill Clintons…and Donald Trumps.

Brooks repeated his recent Charlie Rose line that Clinton’s impunity in these matters in the 1990s created a hostile environment for all women – and then added a new spin for “balance.” Christian defenders of Roy Moore at this point are practicing “idolatry” and are simply “heretics,” he proclaimed.

“DAVID BROOKS: If I could add one thing on the — first on the Clinton thing, I think it’s — we just have to look back and say the people who ignored the testimony of Kathleen Willey and Juanita Broaddrick helped set the stage for this. And the Democrats who defended Clinton in those cases, they helped set the atmosphere for what we’re seeing and for the behavior that Harvey Weinstein and the rest can get away with.

The second thing to be said is, there is a word for what defenders of Roy Moore are doing, the people who said they were vote for him nonetheless, and — well, two words. One word is idolatry, and the other word is heresy, because the people who are putting — who are going to sacrifice morality for politics are making an idol out of politics.

They’re saying politics is higher than morality. And no honest person can possibly believe that. And if you’re putting politics above personal morality, above the way we treat each other, above the nature of your own soul, you’re just — you’re making an idol out of it. And that is the ultimate in heresy. And to see — I saw a tweet from Franklin Graham, Billy Graham’s son, defending Moore, you know, sort of, oh, they’re all a bunch of hypocrites up there. It’s just appalling. It’s just — it’s almost mind-boggling that people who — especially people who have been steeped in any faith could make this kind of fundamental error, which is warned against again and again in the Bible, and to be heretics. They’re heretics.”

One can understand the “making an idol out of politics” part, but “heresy” means something different to religious folks than it does to David Brooks. It means a false teaching against the core teachings of Christianity, a rejection of orthodoxy. He’s not exactly separating church and state on the special election. Personally, I think the charges against Moore are serious enough that I would withhold my vote from him. But a Christian could look at the two choices left on the ballot and say if I need a Senator to vote against abortion, against the LGBT agenda, and for religious liberty, one cannot vote for the Democrat. That would be closer to a heretical vote, if we’re buying the Brooks definition. 

Franklin Graham spoke to Roy Moore on the phone, and is accepting Moore’s denials of wrongdoing. He tweeted “The hypocrisy of Washington has no bounds. So many denouncing Roy Moore when they are guilty of doing much worse than what he has been accused of supposedly doing. Shame on those hypocrites.” This drew angry tweets from CNN’s Jake Tapper and Andrew Kaczynski. But on its face, if Rev. Graham is talking about the Clintons and their defenders, then he has a point. The Broaddrick rape charge is a very serious charge that a vast majority of liberal journalists have dismissed as fake news for decades — which makes them look hypocritical on Moore. 

(No one at PBS is going to bring up how Brooks dumped his wife of 28 years to marry his researcher, Anne Snyder, 23 years his junior. So he’s nobody’s moral teacher.) 

On Franken, Shields admitted that “for a party that has based an awful lot of its appeal on identity politics, that we are the women’s party, that we believe in women’s rights, that we respect women, and that Republicans don’t, this is a body blow. And Al Franken has been a major fund-raiser for Democrats, and he has been an aggressive inquisitor on committees and — representing the Democrats. So, I think it is serious.”

But then substitute anchor Hari Sreenivasan noted Trump had tweeted against Franken, so “Does this at this point open him up to a line of criticism, saying, well, if this is what you’re going to say about this person that was accused of misconduct, what about the 15 or so women who have publicly come out against you?” Shields unloaded on the president as a draft dodger and shameless smear artist:

“MARK SHIELDS: Well, I guess I should not be surprised that somebody who found a friendly family podiatrist in 1968 to avoid the military draft and to not serve his country in Vietnam, and then went on to attack and disparage the heroic service of John McCain, who spent five and a half years as a prisoner of war, and saw no inconsistency in that hypocrisy, indefensibility, morality — morally about what he did, I shouldn’t be surprised that he, facing charges — having pledged that he was going to sue these women who had accused him of sexual harassment, sexual molestation and worse, and never having initiated any kind of action, never having responded to them, would go after Al Franken and duck the Roy Moore matter.

I mean, why he’d want to — it just invites the replaying of the “Access Hollywood” tape and his own how-to manual on how to molest women and how, if you’re rich and powerful, women are irresistible or indefensible to what you do. I mean, so, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. But, still, he does surprise me from time to time on his shamelessness. He’s a shameless man.”
 
Nowhere in this PBS discussion is there any questioning the timing or the liberal tilt of The Washington Post, who for whatever reason couldn’t locate these charges until the very convenient (for Democrats) time that Alabama could not change the ballot. There was no reflection by Brooks that the Post sat on its Juanita Broaddrick story in 1999 — as did NBC News — until Bill Clinton was safely spared in a Senate impeachment trial. So are they hypocrites, or heretics? Once again, the press doesn’t discuss its own political manuevering. 

Have you ever heard the old expression “One lies and the other swears to it.”?

Whoever came up with it must have had today’s Democratic Party and Main Stream Media in mind.

In the case of Judge Roy Moore, as I have archived in a previous post, he almost lost his judgeship because he refused to remove a plaque of the Ten Commandments from his courtroom.

Does that sound like an individual who would have the morals of an alley cat?

The Judge has been well-known to be a Christian Conservative for a long time.

So far that has been no evidence produced that he has ever been anything but what he claims to have been all of his life.

On the other hand, the Modern American Liberals and the political party which they control, the Democrats, appear to be imploding like vampires exposed to sunlight with new accusations of sexual harassment coming forth every day from coast to coast.

Still, they seen to be pretty much oblivious to these accusations, as the above article references.

Just as the vainglorious Pharisees in Christ’s time, these new Pharisees have their noses so far up into the air that they fail to recognize their own sin while accusing others of sinful behavior.

And, now that Americans are reminding them of their political party’s own “discretions”, like President Clinton and Monica, they have doubled down on cluelessness in their attempt to sabotage Judge Moore’s campaign.

The Democrats have lost all their credibility by launching witch hunt after fruitless witch hunt against Republican Candidates.

Given their Liberal belief system, which includes approval of ripping babies out of their mother’s womb and turning the sacred ceremony of marriage into a justification ritual for the same behavior that got Sodom and Gomorrah wiped off the map, that’s one heck of a Glass House that they’re throwing stones from.

I am glad for their sakes that the Libs in the Democratic Party and the Main Stream Media can reach back and “snatch a little purity” as Paul Simon wrote and sang in his song “Loves Me Like a Rock”.

However, they are fooling no one with their claims to possess the Moral High Ground.

For as Christ said in James 2:19…

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.

And, as regards their Liberal Hypocrisy, Matthew 7:5 gives the Democratic Party and their Propaganda Arm, the Main Stream Media, some great advice…

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

Until He Comes,

KJ

Veterans Day Weekend and the “No Greater Love” of Our Brightest and Best – A KJ Sunday Morning Reflection

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, PoliticsLeave a comment

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Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. – John 15:13

D-Day, also called the Battle of Normandy, was fought on June 6, 1944, between the Allied nations and German forces occupying Western Europe. To this day, 70 years later, it  still remains the largest seaborne invasion in history. Almost three million troops crossed the English Channel from England to Normandy to be used as human cannon fodder in an invasion of occupied France.

Among the young men who stepped off those boats, in a hail of gunfire, was a fellow named Edward, whom everyone called Ned, from the small town of Helena, Arkansas.  Already in his young life, Ned had been forced to drop out of school in the sixth grade, in order to work at the local movie theatre to help support his mother, brother, and sister, faced with the ravages of the Great Depression.

He was a gentle man who loved to laugh and sing, having recorded several 78 rpm records in the do-it-yourself booths of the day. And now, he found himself, a Master Sergeant in an Army Engineering Unit, stepping off a boat into the unknown, watching his comrades being mercilessly gunned down around him.

Ned, along with the rest of his unit who survived the initial assault, would go on to assist in the cleaning out of the Concentration Camps, bearing witness to man’s inhumanity to man.

The horrors he saw had a profound effect on Ned.  One which he would keep to himself for the remainder of his life.  While his children knew that he served with an Engineering Unit in World War II, they did not know the full extent of his service, until they found his medal, honoring his participation in the Invasion of Normandy, going through his belongings, after he passed away on December 29, 1997.

That brave American Hero was my Daddy.

On a night in 1966, I was 7 years old, laying on his family’s den couch in Memphis, TN, watching my favorite TV Series “Batman” with a fever of 105, brought about by a severe bronchial infection. Tending to me were 3 veterans of World War II: my Daddy, my Uncle “R” (Robert), US Air Force, and my Uncle Perriman, a full-blooded Indian from Albuquerque, who was an Army Corpsman.

Those three veterans, now all gone, took turns putting cold wash cloths under my arms and on my forehead, until my fever finally broke, sometime during the night.

It being Veterans Day yesterday, I found myself thinking about my Daddy all day, while I was working.

He was still on my mind as I settled into my side of our double recliner with my wife next to me.

While watching TV and perusing through Facebook Political Pages, I stumbled upon a meme that, as a Christian American, having been led to Christ by my Daddy, almost made me lose my witness.

This special individual had a posted a painting of Adolph Hitler in full Nazi Uniform, with the graphic

HOW MANY LIKES CAN THIS WWII VETERAN GET?

Needless to say, I let young “Skillet” know how I felt about his attempt to be “conversational”.

He suggested that I was “triggered”.

I replied that “This isn’t about being triggered. It’s about the difference between right and wrong.”

Please allow me to elaborate…

There has been a question gnawing at me for quite a while now. Ever since all of the Astroturf National Protests featuring the BLM, illegal aliens, and millennials in desperate need of a “safe space” started greeting average Americans like you and me when we turned on the television to watch the news.

If America was led by the likes of Modern American Liberals during the frightening days when Hitler rose to power after the Beer Hall Putsch and that faithful day of December 7, 1941, “a day which will live in infamy”, while at the same time the young Americans of that era were the millennials of today, would America have stood up the Axis of Evil?

Would the millennials that we are watching throwing hissy fits and railing against the President and traditional American Faith and Values on the Evening News and the Social Media have the guts to do what the Greatest Generation did?

Would Modern American Liberals be willing to make the sacrifices that my Daddy and Mother and the rest of their generation did?

I seriously doubt it.

There wouldn’t be long lines at the Armed Forces Recruitment Office trying to sign up to serve their country.

Heck, these days it is hard to get them to move out of their parents’ house, much less be willing to fight and die for their country.

There are those millennials out there who would rather defecate on our flag than to die for it.

And, while they talk a good game about being “Stronger Together”, when the rubber meets the road, it’s every man (or woman) for themselves.

Instead of the Greatest Generation, we are presently having to deal with the selfish “Generation Snowflake”.

It’s like watching an angry child in their Mom’s shopping cart at Walmart.

There are no absolutes with them.

A lot of them simply have no “attitude of gratitude” and no sense of the blessings which they have received simply by being born in America.

Nor do they seem to understand where this freedom which they flaunt comes from and how much American Blood was spilled so that they might act like ungrateful, ill-mannered brats on Social Media.

And, when I think about it, that it why it was such a shock to them that the rest of us voted against their vision of American on November 8th, 2016. In fact, it was such a shock to these culturally hip Americans that they have been throwing a National Temper Tantrum over the election of Donald J. Trump as our 45th President ever since and taking it out on all of us average Americans on Social Media every chance that they get.

Proverbs 22:6 advises us to

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

What the disrespectful members of this generation continue to demonstrate on a daily basis is the fact that they did not have a “Board of Education” applied to their “seat of Knowledge” when the situation called for it.

“Triggered”? I guess I was.

Because my Daddy and Mother raised me in the way I should go.

Until He Comes,

KJ

 

From Hollywood Depravity to Gays Attacking Christian Bakers…”There is Nothing New Under The Sun” – A KJ Sunday Morning Reflection

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, Politics1 Comment

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For the past few weeks, Americans have been watching the Main Stream News Media’s coverage of the decimation of Babylon West, otherwise known as Hollywood, California through the exposing of the deviant sexual activities of producers and power brokers like Harvey Weinstein and actors like Kevin Spacey.

For the past few decades, Hollywood has tried to convince Americans that “Whatever gets you through the night is alright, is alright”, to quote the late John Lennon.

And, while TV Shows like “Modern Family” and movies like “50 Shades of Gray 1 & 2” have their fans, the good news is that the majority of Americans are still holding on to their Traditional Christian American Faith and Values.

For example…

According to ChristianPost.com…

Nearly seven in 10, or 68 percent of Americans believe that bakers should not be forced to make cakes for gay weddings if it goes against their religious beliefs, a major national survey has found.

Washington D.C.-based think tank the Cato Institute reported on its findings on various free speech and social issues concerning Americans on Tuesday, and found that Americans are largely split on religious freedom vs. LGBT rights issues.

“While 50 percent of Americans say businesses with religious objections should be required to provide services to gays and lesbians, only 32 percent think a baker should be required to bake a special-order cake for a same-sex wedding,” the report stated.

“Instead 68 percent say a baker should not be required to bake a custom wedding cake if doing so violates their religious convictions.”

Democrats and Republicans were largely on opposite sides of the issue, while evangelicals, at 42 percent, were most likely to believe that baking a custom cake for a same-sex wedding would constitute an endorsement of that wedding.

“In contrast, about a quarter of mainline Protestants (26 percent), Catholics (27 percent), or other religious groups (28 percent) view it as an endorsement. Only 14 percent of non-religious people agree,” it added.
 
Most Americans rejected the notion that a baker should be punished for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, with 66 percent declaring that nothing should happen to him or her.

Twenty percent of respondents suggested that people should boycott the bakery, while only 12 percent said that a baker should pay a fine. A minority of 6 percent said that a baker should lose their business license, while 1 percent suggested such a baker should go to jail.

“Strong liberals stand out with a majority (58 percent) who favor some form of government punishment for a baker who refuses to bake the cake. In contrast, 22 percent of moderates and only 4 percent of strong conservatives support some form of government sanction against the baker or bakery,” the results found.

One major case heading to the Supreme Court this December concerns Colorado Christian baker Jack Phillips, who has been fined and found guilty by the Colorado Civil Rights Commission for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex couple back in 2012.

Alliance Defending Freedom, his representatives, have warned that if he loses his case to overturn the punishment, religious freedom across America could be endangered.

“The government should never be able to force artists out of the marketplace — and financially devastate them — just because it disagrees with them. Your right to earn a living and to create art shouldn’t depend on whether your view is popular or in line with government orthodoxy,” the law group argued last month.

The Cato Institute poll, which in collaboration with YouGov collected responses from 2,547 U.S. adults between August 15 to 23, with a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level, found that the vast majority of Americans also oppose requiring churches to conduct gay weddings.

“This is non-controversial, with strong majorities of Democrats (73 percent), independents (81 percent), Republicans (91 percent), evangelical Protestants (92 percent), and non-religious people (72 percent) in agreement,” the survey found.

At the same time, however, 52 percent of respondents said that local government officials should be required to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies, even if that violates the official’s religious beliefs.

Forty-seven percent of the total argued that there shouldn’t be such a requirement.

Modern American Liberals have proven that they cannot stand Christian Americans. It is evident from their condescension toward us and derision of our traditional values and ethics in their propaganda which was disseminated with gusto during the last Presidential Administration.

They literally cannot stand the fact that our Constitution grants us Religious Freedom in its very First Amendment.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Please note that this amendment does not say “in some circumstances”.

I have said time and time again, that I find it funny that those among us who claim to be the most tolerant are actually the least tolerant of all.

However, their continued attack on our faith as Christian Americans, is not funny at all.

Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler ‘ s Minister of Propaganda, once said that

If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.

The lie which was the mantra of Former President Obama and his sycophants  during the course of his Administration was that, somehow, the less than 24% of Americans who felt the same way as the Progressives in the Far Left do, somehow outnumbered the 74% of Americans who proclaim Jesus Christ as our Personal Savior.

And, that overestimation, to this very day, simply does not add up.

Not even in Common Core.

Americans, now more than ever, have a choice to make.

We are given free will by our Creator…will to make choices and decisions on the direction of our lives. Being human, we often don’t make the right decisions and being human, those decisions have the potential to lead us down a dark path.

Whether is in reality or strictly in the close quarters of our own consciousness, the path we choose to follow is up to us.

The concerted effort by the Gay Mafia and the Liberal Activists in America’s Legal System, which quite frankly appears to be fascist in nature,  to force Christian Businessmen and Businesswomen to forgo their faith, in order to service gay marriages, has been meeting a backlash from average Americans living in the Heartland for quite a while now, which is being desperately covered up by the Main Stream Media and the shrieking Progressives.

These same average Americans elected Donald J. Trump as our 45th President.

These average Americans with common sense are asking…

Why can’t these gay couples simply go to other businesses, who will bake their wedding cakes for them, instead of trying to force Christian Americans to do something which is against their faith?

I find these couples’ who are intentionally targeting Christian Bakers though obviously politically motivated actions to be intolerant, insensitive, demanding, and downright rude.

This continuing Liberal War against Christian American Small Business Owners, based on the lie that these business owners will not serve gay people, ever, proves that Goebbels was actually right about the intolerant gullibility of some people.

Even, in a country founded by Christian Men.

However, there is a lesson to be learned from all of this debauchery that is coming to light in Hollywood and elsewhere and the “refudiation” of it by average Americans.

2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that not will be made known. 3What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.  – Luke 12:2-3

…and there is no new thing under the sun. – Ecclesiastes 1:9

Until He Comes,

KJ

 

The “Religion of Peace” Strikes Again: Radical Islamist Attacks NYC. Trump Rightfully Calls to “Step Up” Extreme Vetting Program.

On By kingsjesterIn Christianity, Politics1 Comment

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That’s right, New Yorkers. Listen to your governor. Don’t take any extra precautions in how you live your lives. Don’t admit that there are evil people in the world who want to kill you, then exhort God’s greatness. Don’t use that ugly word — war – to describe our conflict with radical Islam. Don’t offend. And don’t defend. It might upset someone. Trick or treat. – John Moody, Executive VP, Executive Editor, Fox News

The NBC New York Affiliate reports that

The 29-year-old man detained after a flatbed truck drove down a popular lower Manhattan bike path, killing at least 8 people and injuring more than a dozen more, left a note in the truck claiming he committed the attack for ISIS, according to law enforcement sources. 

Authorities said the man, identified by sources as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov, is thought to be a “lone actor” in the attack in the Hudson River Greenway on Tuesday afternoon. Authorities said he shouted “Allahu Akbar” at some point as he sped down the bike path and apparently deliberately rammed into a school bus for children with disabilities.

The Uzbek national living in New Jersey got out of that truck afterward and was seen running through traffic on West Street with a BB gun and a paintball gun before being shot in the abdomen by police and taken into custody. He’s being treated at Bellevue Hospital, where he remains in custody.

Sources said Saipov lives in Paterson, New Jersey, but he had a Florida license with a Tampa address on him when he was arrested. Police and federal agents were seen swarming the neighborhood street where he was thought to live on Tuesday evening. 

Residents in the area said that Saipov had a wife and two young children. 

Kobiljon Matkarov, a Facebook friend of Saipov’s, told NBC News that the two met while they were both living in Florida. He said his friend was working as a truck and Uber driver. 

“He was very happy guy,” said Matkarov, who is also from Uzbekistan. “he liked the US. he is no terrorist. He’s all the time happy, smiling all the time.”

U.S. intelligence officials said they had no knowledge of any terror groups claiming responsibility for the violence. Gov. Cuomo said that Saipov is thought to have acted alone in the attack. 

Saipov also pleaded guilty to two traffic offenses in Pennsylvania between 2012 and 2015, according to records from the Keystone State. He was also arrested for at least one traffic incident in Missouri, though details of that arrest weren’t immediately available. But there was no other information on whether the man had any other criminal record. 

So, how did the President of the United States of America react to the attack? Did he, like his predecessor, urge everyone “not to rush to judgment”?

Nope. He actually acted like a president.

According to FoxNews.com…

Following the terror attack in New York City Tuesday, President Trump said he ordered the Department of Homeland Security to “step up” the nation’s “extreme vetting program.”

“I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program,” Trump tweeted Tuesday night. “Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!”

Trump initially reacted to the terror attack in Lower Manhattan by saying it was done by a “sick and deranged person.”

“In NYC, looks like another attack by a very sick and deranged person,” the president tweeted. “Law enforcement is following this closely. NOT IN THE U.S.A.!”

…”My thoughts, condolences and prayers to the victims and families of the New York City terrorist attack,” Trump later tweeted. “God and your country are with you!”

Meanwhile, the president vowed to stop the Islamic State from executing terror attacks in the United States.

“We must not allow ISIS to return, or enter, our country after defeating them in the Middle East and elsewhere,” Trump said. “Enough!”

Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, said the president has been briefed on the attack by chief of staff John Kelly and will be updated as “more details are known.”  

“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected,” Sanders said.

First lady Melania Trump also tweeted that her “heart breaks” for her hometown.

“My heart breaks for #NYC today,” she tweeted. “Thoughts & prayers as we monitor the situation.”

The FBI is investigating the incident as terrorism, Fox News has learned. It is being jointly investigated by both the New York Police Department and the FBI.

The Department of Homeland Security said its acting secretary, Elaine Duke, has also been briefed on “the apparent act of terrorism” and is “closely monitoring the situation and working with our federal, state and local partners in responding to and investigating this tragedy.”

“We have recently seen attacks like this one throughout the world,” the department said in a news release. “DHS and its law enforcement partners remain vigilant and committed to safeguarding the American people.” 

The list of countries which Trump is using to practice extreme vetting of their immigrants to our Sovereign Nation, was originally compiled by the Obama Administration, as a list of countries in which “Radical Islam” (although they probably did not call it, that) was growing exponentially.

And, another thing…I asked a couple of Liberals, when the ruling was announced that Trump could go ahead with his “Travel Ban”, if they were taking these refugees into their homes…especially the 20 something year old military-looking ones with cellphones, which were so prevalently seen in the pictures of the “Muslim Migration” that swept across Europe.

Of course, all I received was the sound of crickets in return.

In the past, Liberals have made an art form out of circumventing the will of the American people by taking things before Liberal Judicial Activists.

However, this time is not about allowing two hairy-legged gents to roll around under the sheets together and label it a “marriage” in the name of “love”.

This time, it is about allowing those who want to kill us to come into our Sovereign Nation without being properly vetted.

Are “The Smartest People in the Room” so contrary, as to not realize that Radical Islam punishes every single social issue that American Liberals so “righteously” defend in this nation?

The maddening thing is that every time you challenge Liberals on this fact, they try to equate Radical Islam with American Christianity.

Frankly, the ignorance of these young Liberals blows my mind.

Now, I am not saying that every Muslim is on a jihad against “the infidels”, and, wish to invade our Sovereign Nation and over-throw our Government.

However, there is a difference between being an average Christian American and a Muslim, living in America.

In Islam, the way to “walk with God and escape his judgment on that final day of judgment” is through ‘falah’, which means self-effort or positive achievement. The faithful must submit to God and follow all of his laws as found in the Koran. Judgment day in Islam involves some sort of measurement of what the believer has done wrong and what they have done right. And, even then, you might not be let into heaven if Allah decides you’re not good enough.

This is the direct opposite of Christianity.

According to the Bible, no man can ever be good enough to deserve God’s favor, to win God’s heaven, because from birth we have Free Will. This Free Will may cause us to reject God and live our lives our own way. That’s why it was necessary for Jesus Christ to die for our sins, covering us in His blood of the New Covenant.

God’s Word tells us that what we need is not ‘falah,’ but faith. To have faith in, to trust, to rely on Jesus and his death as as “the expiation for our sins”. Those who have been Saved by Jesus Christ can be sure that in the future God will welcome them into heaven with wide open arms, because they have been washed by His blood.

Islam and Christianity present two very different Deities, who may share some similarities, but who have different identities and ultimately different standards. To pretend they are the same is not only to be clueless of the faith of 76% of the citizens of this nation, but, to be ignorant of an integral part of our American Heritage, the legacy of Christian Faith, which our Founding Fathers bequeathed us.

Now, I am not saying that every Muslim is on a jihad against “the infidels”.

However…

When Christians become “radicalized”, we want to share the testimony of what God has done for us through His love, with everyone we meet. We get involved in our local church and we become better fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, and American Citizens.

When Muslims become “radicalized”, they want to “kill the Infidels” in the name of “Allah the Merciful”.

In the case of the Chechen Muslim brothers who bombed the Boston Marathon, their immersion into Radical Islam led them to “kill the infidels” that horrendous day.

In the case of the Radical Islamist Couple in San Bernadino, it let them to murder their neighbors and co-workers.

In the case of the barbarians of ISIS, it has turned them into doppelgangers of the Nazi Butchers of Dachau.

While we are told as Christians to “entertain strangers”, we are also told to

be wise as serpents and innocent as doves – Matthew 10:16

And, you can’t “be wise” if you lose your head.

Until He Comes,

KJ