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Super Bowl Sunday

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SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

The second Sunday in February this year is the day millions of Americans have been waiting for with deep longing and great expectation.  Although there are many of us who couldn’t care less about it. 

It’s time for the great annual festival in honor of one of the most intensely worshiped gods in the American Pantheon. It’s a very ancient religion, practiced by the neighbors of Israel thousands of years ago. Although at that time the name of this god was pronounced “Baal”, through the centuries it has slowly changed so that today this god is called “Boal”.

During the course of the year leading up to this day the worship of this god is conducted in cities and towns throughout the nation, and is especially associated with sites dedicated to pantheism, places called “Universities”.  By means of an elaborate selection process which takes place over the course of many years, human sacrifices are singled out to be offered on the altar of the grid-iron – few religious rituals anywhere can match the marvelous splendor, gaiety and self sacrifice of this great ceremony.

All over the country colorful, glowing images in honor to this god will be raised – electronic shrines luringly illuminated as groups large and small gather to participate in this stately sacred rite. As with most religious celebrations, food and drink will be in abundance, and like good pagans of old, many will be assisted in their worship by the intoxication which flows from small replicas of their “boal” god. It will be a day marked by both weeping and rejoicing.

There will be heard throughout the land great sounds rising up from the assemblies of worshippers; some will be loud, boisterous shouts of exultation, but they will be mingled with intermittent deep groans of anxiety and distress. While some worshippers will experience the blessing of their god and will feel successive waves of ecstatic joy and victory, others will be brought down to the pits of despair and mournful contrition – their suffering at the hand of their god will be unmitigated for many months to come. And some, having made great financial sacrifices in order to demonstrate their faithful devotion to the Boal god, will end this day with a terrible sense of loss as they realize that their god has not rewarded them for the sacrifices they so sincerely made. Even so, it is unlikely that even one will forsake Boal, but rather will renew a vow of allegiance and hope that by the time another annual festival rolls around, they will have pleased him sufficiently so as to be able to enter into the joy of their salivation.

Don’t get me wrong, today is not the only day we Americans worship Boal, it’s just that today we move up one notch in our worship of Boal; today we worship Super Boal.

There’s lightening rod excitement in the air. Representatives from the four corners of the nation have already gathered and will present their credentials at the gate of the large temple of the south. Of course the southern temples are almost always chosen for this ceremony due to the connection between the Sun god “Re” – (pronounced “Ray”) and the god Boal.

As the delegates arrive, and during specially planned intervals during the ceremony, they will be greeted and encouraged in their worship by temple virgins who, by means of erotic dance movements and hand gestures, will call the crowd to raise their voices in praise. And the faithful will respond, standing to their feet, raising their hands to heaven and singing the praises of Boal. The collective praise at times will be deafening, and by the close of the service many will smilingly exhibit their raspy voices now reduced to a hoarse whisper, proudly pleased that they could make such a sacrifice for their god.

To complete the picture of sincere worship, there will also be music. Great music played on hundreds of instruments by the devout who have gladly endured long days and nights of tortuous drills, and days of travel in crude yellow temple wagons, but these who have so dedicated their talent will count it all joy that they have been chosen for this great celebration in honor to their god. They will proudly tell future generations that they were among the chosen few who were so blessed.

By mid-day the anticipation will be at a feverish pitch when 100 priests and dozens of Levites enter the temple. Actually, only 22 priests serve at a time, but in order to give many more the honor, a system of rotation has been devised. And at times, when Boal is pleased to receive the human sacrifice that is offered, there is a replacement ready to quickly take his place of honor. Whenever this happens, an especially loud roar of praise is lifted up to Boal as this priest hero is ceremoniously removed from the sanctuary, being carried away by one of the specially designed temple chariots reserved for this purpose.

The religious ceremony proceeds according to an elaborate set of regulations which have been passed down through many generations of Boal Rabbis. The cosmic conflict of the ages is reenacted, good and evil struggling for dominance. As with many such ancient religions, the outcome is not quite certain, although there are many associated with this religion who claim revelations which qualify them to make prophetic utterances. Actually, both groups of priests, each robed in colorful but distinguishing sacred garments, and with heads covered to disguise their personal identity and facial features, are convinced that they represent the good, and the opposing group represent the evil. Prior to each suspense filled act in this play, the priests bow in a prayer circle, seeking guidance and strength so that Boal will give them the ability to overcome the enemy. And when their prayer is answered, they raise their hands in praise, sometimes dropping to their knees, or expressing their worship in a dance. At times they even throw their bodies into a large human heap in a desperate attempt at demonstrating just how grateful they are for the god’s favor.

During these proceedings, careful records are kept so that future generations will never be allowed to forget the agonizing but amazing accomplishments of the priests who heroically act out this passion play. Every possible step is taken to ensure it’s memory, millions of objects emblazoned with the symbols of the Boal god are peddled throughout the land. It is almost as sure as death and taxes that the great religion in honor of Boal will never wane, but rather, it will progressively become the religion not only of our country, but of the world. All of the advanced technologies of our super race will be dedicated to the spread of Super Boal, and wealthy businessmen will continue to generously endow this religion with adequate funds so as to ensure the dawn of a wonderful new age when throughout the entire world Boal will be hailed as the god of all. Of course, this evangelization has been going on now for 6 decades, and it is estimated that the participation in this year’s service of worship to Super Boal will include the devout in 174 countries – on that day 750 million worshippers will exclaim, “Halleboalya!”

<pastorwardclinton.com>

 

 

Where’s the Beef?

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Where’s the Beef?

 

  Do you remember a popular television commercial of some years ago that featured an older woman looking at a hamburger?  With an expression of bewilderment on her face, she asked the server in the fast-food restaurant, “Where’s the Beef”?  Her predicament is somewhat analogous to the feelings of persons who look for the substance of holiness in the lives of Christians today.  Where the beef of holiness?  Where’s that thing that makes Christians different from non-Christians?  Where is the Christ-likeness?  That ingredient of Christian experience that John Wesley described as religion itself.  Where’s the beef of Christianity?  Where is that similarity to the spirit and mind of Christ?

 

  Look at what poll after poll; study after study, says about the conduct of those who call themselves Christian compared with those who do not.  The divorce rate is reported to be slightly higher among those who call themselves Christian.  Of course, not everyone who calls himself a Christian actually is.

 

  The Holy Spirit inspired the writer of the gospel of Jesus according to Matthew to preserve these words of Jesus from His Sermon on the Mount: 7:19-23 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord,’ have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?

And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”

 

  The Calvinistic claim “I sin every day in thought, word, and deed; can’t help it – that’s just the way it is” sounds very much like standing on sand.  Where’s the Beef of Christianity?  Most of the Christ followers stuck in that rut don’t intend to justify their carnality they just haven’t been shown the considerably more firm footing of Holy Spirit empowered heart holiness.   It is a footing that allows us to stand firm and reflect Christ-likeness so that others will say “there it is!  That thing that makes Christians different from non-Christians.”

 

Sin is spoken of in the Bible as filthiness or defilement of the body, mind, or spirit.  Purity in Religion must mean, therefore, the absence of such filthy things as drunkeness, gluttony, dishonesty, cheating, falsehood, pride, malice, bad tempers, selfishness, unbelief, disobedience, or the like.  In short, to be pure in soul, signifies deliverance from all and everything which the Lord shows you to be opposed to His Holy Will.  It means that you not only possess the ability to live the kind of life that He desires, but that you actually do live it.

 

Holiness Possible

  The Church of The Nazarene believes in holiness.  Holiness is our distinguishing tenet.  That’s what we are all about – perfect love, Christian perfection, being filled with the Spirit, entire sanctification. The Church of The Nazarene is not a generic church.  We are not all things to all people.  We believe that God teaches that regeneration is the work of God’s grace, preceded by repentance and obtained by faith.  We also believe regeneration is to be followed by another work of grace – entire sanctification, that act of God that frees believers from original sin and brings them into a state of complete commitment to God.  Entire sanctification is provided by the blood of Jesus and wrought by the Holy Spirit to this experience the Holy Spirit bears witness.

 

Sanctification begins when a person is justified by faith, converted, and progresses as a believer who grows in God’s grace and conforms more and more in obedience to Christ.  Believers are entirely sanctified when they are filled with the Holy Spirit, cleansing them from a sinful nature.  This experience is available to the seeking Christian.

 

We must not allow the failures of others to persuade us that holiness is impossible.  We must not justify our own uncleanness of heart and become callused in sin.  We must not settle for an experience and a lifestyle that is less than holy.  When this happens we begin to blame others for our moral failures, or we blame environments and situations.  All the while we continue to be jealous, manipulative, proud, dominating, unkind, critical, and self-serving.  All the while those who don’t have time for church continue to say “Where’s the Beef?”  They are pleading for us to be the salt and light which Christ called us to be.

 

  J. B. Chapman said, “I got saved so I could get sanctified.”  Phineas Bresee said, “A sanctified life is a delight to Jesus, a joy to the soul, a benediction to the home, a power in the church, a terror to sin, and a continual disappointment to the devil.”

 

Eph 2:8-10

    For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

    For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  (NAS)

 

Matt 7:19-23

            “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

            “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

            “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.

            “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’

            “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’  (NAS)

 <pastorwardclinton.com>

 

Hakeem the Treacherous

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Hakeem Jeffries says we will never allow anyone to “whitewash treachery,” but what he’s really demanding is blind obedience to a story Democrats wrote for themselves. Calling the entire event a “violent mob” with a singular mission ignores reality and erases the fact that the vast majority of people there were not violent at all. This kind of language is designed to shut down debate, not tell the truth. When you have to scream “free and fair election” over and over, it usually means you’re trying to convince people who no longer believe you. And let’s be clear, there are serious, unresolved questions about 2020 whether Jeffries likes it or not. Millions of Americans still think something was deeply wrong, and shouting “extremist” at them doesn’t change that. Maybe Trump is right. Maybe the election was stolen. Either way, the real whitewashing is pretending doubt itself is treason. Jeffries isn’t defending democracy, he’s defending a narrative, and he’s terrified of anyone who won’t fall in line.

Coffee Shanty

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https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Nkj9NYraq/

Too cute, if it works…

Hakeem Still Pushing False Narratives

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Hakeem Jeffries says we will never allow anyone to “whitewash treachery,” but what he’s really demanding is blind obedience to a story Democrats wrote for themselves.

Calling the entire event a “violent mob” with a singular mission ignores reality and erases the fact that the vast majority of people there were not violent at all.

This kind of language is designed to shut down debate, not tell the truth. When you have to scream “free and fair election” over and over, it usually means you’re trying to convince people who no longer believe you.

And let’s be clear, there are serious, unresolved questions about 2020 whether Jeffries likes it or not. Millions of Americans still think something was deeply wrong, and shouting “extremist” at them doesn’t change that.

Maybe Trump is right. Maybe the election was stolen. Either way, the real whitewashing is pretending doubt itself is treason. Jeffries isn’t defending democracy, he’s defending a narrative, and he’s terrified of anyone who won’t fall in line. – The Federalist Papers

Sorry, Dollar Store Obama, you narrative has been proven false multiple times.

Venezuela Responds to Maduro Arrest

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While Democrats are whining the people of Venezuela are celebrating.

Chuckie Schumer

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That’s Chuckie

Maduro Captured

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Drug lord dictator arrested.

Drug lord Maduro Captured

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I don’t see a war. I see a fast, decisive action that worked. Venezuelans are in the streets tearing down Maduro posters and celebrating, not hiding in bomb shelters.

This is exactly what voters have been begging for after decades of failed foreign policy disasters. Americans rejected Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya because they were endless, stupid, and costly.

What’s outrageous is the political class acting like every use of force is the same while they happily bankroll permanent conflict.

If America can’t act decisively here, what do we say when Xi moves on Taiwan or Putin grabs another country? Weakness invites chaos.

We don’t need lectures, we need more statesmen like President Trump who put America first, avoid forever wars, and stop confusing paralysis with principle. – The Federalist Papers

The Learing Center in MN

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This story doesn’t just raise questions, it keeps changing its own answers. First we hear from an investigative reporter that the daycare receiving taxpayer dollars is not open, there are no kids. Then the director of the brand-new Department of Children, Youth and Families says it’s been shut down for more than a week. Hours later, a reporter shows up and finds vans unloading kids. Now suddenly the explanation is that this place only operates from 2 to 10 p.m. for after-school care. Which is it? Closed for over a week, or open and busy? Those two things cannot both be true, and the fact that officials can’t keep the story straight should concern anyone paying taxes into this system.

It gets even stranger when you consider the timing. Schools are out until after the holidays, meaning there is no after-school dismissal at 2:15 or 4:30 right now. Working parents would either need adjusted hours or no care at all during holiday break, yet we’re supposed to believe van loads of kids are showing up on a schedule that doesn’t align with the school calendar. Add in the misspelled name, the shifting explanations, and the defensive finger-pointing at the reporter who exposed it, and this stops looking like a misunderstanding and starts looking like a cover story in motion. When the facts keep changing by the hour, the public is right to ask what else isn’t adding up.