Grandpa Lake’s Weblog

The Muslim world has its shorts twisted over the Israeli capture of a ship carrying Iranian arms for Syria, even calling it a war crime.

I just don’t understand the hullabaloo. The missiles, rockets and such were supposed to go to Syria, who would send them over land to Hezbollah who would fire them into Israel. So the final destination of those arms was Israel and they are in Israel. The only thing that Israel did was to lower the carbon footprint of the transaction by getting the weapons into Israel without them being fired. Iran wanted those weapons in Israel! So, why are they complaining?

Environmentalists should be rejoicing that Israel was helping to reduce “climate change”. Instead, these same people are upset.

The “Religion of Peace” controls the politics of Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, so I know that they rejoice that these weapons won’t be used to conduct war.

Can someone explain this to me?

“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” These words of Jesus Christ from Matthew 7:2 should cause all of us to stop and think. It is a universal principle of how God will judge us. We ourselves will determine how we are judged before God.

At our breakfast table this morning, my wife and I were discussing how a man who has been regarded as responsible for his company’s success for thirty years said something he shouldn’t have said. People contacted the company and said, “I’ll never buy your product again.” The offender was fired. The offender was wrong. He should not have said what he did. He has been judged. But those who demanded his “execution” — are they not aware that they have set themselves up before the Almighty to be condemned for one misstep after years of good behavior?

Have you determined that a person in your life doesn’t deserve to be forgiven for pain they have caused you? Then God will judge that you don’t deserve to be forgiven for pain that you have caused.

It is not by your standard — “I’m as good as the next person.” — that you will be judged. It is by God’s standard — “For whoever shall keep the whole (Ten Commandment) law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all”.

When you are about to judge someone, whether that person has offended you, or whether you have read about that person in the papers, ask yourself whether you are willing to have God judge you in the same way.  If you would not be condemned, then don’t condemn.  You are probably already guilty of having condemned others.  Pray to Him who paid the price for your sins on the cross.  Ask His forgiveness.  Acknowledge Him as your Lord.  Then, go and sin no more.

Last year, about this time, my wife and I felt that it was highly likely that Jesus would fulfil His promise to come back and catch away (rapture) those who trust Him for their eternal salvation.  The fact is that He hasn’t told us when He will come, only that He will.

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I have two male Christian friends who are single. Both would like to marry. Observing my marriage, one of them asked me if I’d considered doing marriage counseling. While I wouldn’t reject doing such a thing outright, I consider that the success of my marriage has at least as much to do with my wife as with me.

I have some understanding of why my marriage is successful and I’ve heard my friends say things that really should be addressed. I decided to write to them, because what I have to say is generally applicable to both.

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Why does the government (any government) collect taxes? The answer should be obvious. Government cannot create money. To get money, government must take it from someone who creates it.  You cry, “Foul! The government creates money all the time.”  No, the government prints money.

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This is a story to make one think… I got it in an email, but think it’s worth sharing with as wide an audience as possible.

Sandra felt as low as the heels of her shoes when she pulled open the florist shop door, against a November gust of wind. Her life had been as sweet as a spring breeze and then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a “minor” automobile accident stole her joy. This was Thanksgiving week and the time she should have delivered their infant son. She grieved over their loss. Troubles had multiplied.

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One of my Digg friends sent me an email with a prophecy from a pastor in Berlin, Germany.  I’m sharing it with you, but I want to give you my take on it first.  I’m a bit skeptical of modern day “prophecies” because so many of them are private opinion presented as from the Lord.  (I guess that this is so that others dare not argue with them.)  What I look for when presented with a message that purports to be a prophecy is consistency with Scripture.  This prophecy passes that test.

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Voting for Obama is to vote for the destruction of America as we know it.  The America given to us by our Founding Creationists is long gone.  Christian, I implore you, Don’t vote out of fear.  Fear is Satan’s weapon.  To quote a preacher from the past, “It is never right to do wrong and it is never wrong to do right.”

If you think that a vote for a third party is a vote for Obama, then you should not do it.  I don’t think that how either you or I as individuals vote is going to turn the election one way or the other.  The issue is what our decision making process about this and many other issues says about our trust and reliance on God.  In the final analysis, He is the One Who will decide the election.  He has had His hand on America.  He still has His Almighty hand on America, either for blessing or for judgment.  We know what we deserve.  We know a little of His grace.  We don’t know how His plans for the introduction of His visible empire are going to play out.  Vote in faith, not in fear.  Rest in the confidence not that the best candidate will win, but that God’s will shall be done.

“Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.”  — George Washington

http://www.selfgovernment.us/aip/

The usual thought that comes to mind when the phrase “living in sin” is used is that of a couple living together without being married.  For most people who subscribe to the idea, being legally married is enough to avoid this judgment call, although is some churches, being married in and/or with the blessing of that church is necessary.  I’d like to propose that a Christian can be married legally and in the church and still be living in sin.

First, let us define “sin”.  In this context, sin is to fall short of God’s expectations of us.  We have all done this.  Hence, we are all sinners.  To be “living in sin”, therefore, is to continue, over a period of time that includes the present, in a manner of life that God does not want us to live in.  This condition is not a “slip up”, but rather a decision to live a certain way.

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That’s my dream.  I also believe in recycling waste.  Waste is cheap compared to new materials.  If I might use waste in building my home, I could save a bunch of money.  Enter papercrete, a mixture of waste paper, concrete and filler (sand, clay, etc.)  There seems to be a lot of research and experimentation going on right now.  “papercrete” in my search engine turns up a lot.  I like http://livinginpaper.com/.