I was once a Zombie...and maybe you still are??

The Zombies have taken over! With the current movie "World War Z", the most expensive zombie movie ever made, the popular culture is over-run with zombie images from popular films (Zombieland, 28 Days Later, Shaun of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead) to the AMC TV hit, "Walking Dead" where police officer, Rick Grimes, leads a group of survivors in a world overrun by zombies.

The typical zombie is a dead person who has come back to life. They are also known to feed on human flesh to sustain their life, which is part of their "creepiness". You don't want to get too close to a zombie.

You may be surprised to learn that long before any books or movies on "zombies", the Bible referenced zombies. Paul writes in Ephesians 2 that all of us are dead men because of our disobedience to God and our many sins. He goes on to say that you and I like everyone else, and they are enslaved to our master, the Devil. We are subject to following our passionate desires and doing whatever our sinful nature wants. While we are in this state, we are "walking dead men (and women)".

In Romans 1:21-32, Paul describes the lifestyle and behavior of the "walking dead" (all of mankind). He writes that those who are dead have no desire to worship God or give him thanks. Their minds are dark and confused. They claim to be wise but in reality, they are utter fools. They have abandoned God to do whatever shameful things their hearts desire. They have traded the truth for a lie, and instead of worshiping their Creator, they worship and serve created things including each other's bodies, men with men and women with women.

Paul goes on to describe these "zombies" as full of every kind of wickedness, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, gossip, etc. They will stab you in the back when you're not around, they HATE God. They are proud, boastful and totally disobedient to their parents. They think nothing of breaking their promises. Their word means nothing. These "walking dead" are heartless and show no mercy, and they are always on the lookout to convert others to their way of thinking and behavior

Paul informs us in Ephesians 2 that because of our being dead in our sins (Walking Dead), we were subject to God's wrath (his righteous anger). Roman 1 says that because of our behavior and hard hearts, we are daily storing up God's wrath (against each one of us) which will be unleashed on the day of judgment (Revelation 20:11-12). 

But here's the Good News. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:4-7 that because God is rich in mercy and because of his love for us, that even though we were zombies, walking dead men--he gave us new life when he raised the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) from the dead. He raised us from the dead along with Yeshua (Jesus), and it is because of God's grace (His un-merited favor) that we have been saved (from being "walking dead men and women." By God's grace, we have been rescued from the domain of darkness where we were held captive, under the spell of Satan. Yeshua (Jesus) is our Deliverer! He has given us new life and adopted us into his family so that we could have a relationship with God, our Heavenly Father.

So I am thankful that I no longer live as a Zombie, seeking to please my own flesh as well as consuming the flesh of others. I am also thankful that I no longer living as a "walking dead man" with an appetite for wickedness, and a hatred toward God (maybe I never said I hated God, but my actions spoke louder than words). With the life of God flowing through me, I now want to worship God and give Him the glory and honor he so rightly deserves. My mind has been renewed and is no longer consumed with twisted thinking, deception, lies and unbelief.

You too can be set free from the world of the "walking dead." Start reading the Bible (begin with the Gospel of John, and ask God to reveal himself to you (He will), and then begin to talk to God and ask Him to change you and give you a new life (that He would begin to live in and through you) and deliver you from being a "zombie" and the "walking dead."

If Obama had a city, it would look like Detroit!

(This just in: Bill Nojay writes in today's Wall Street Journal about his 8-mo. stint at the chief operating officer of the Detroit Dept. of Transportation. Almost daily, he found problems arising along with solutions but implementing them in Detroit was IMPOSSIBLE. You must read this first hand account of how this dysfunctional city is being run.)
Obama has said, “If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon Martin.” And, if Obama had a city, it would look like Detroit. In fact, Detroit is the poster-child and metaphor for what thieves and parasites can do to destroy a great American city. Detroit is our modern day "Mad Max"-- a reflection of where Obama and the Democrat party want to take America

In 1961, the last Republican mayor left office. Detroit has been run by Democrats on an unbroken streak for the past 52 yrs. In 2009 Detroit Public School students had the lowest scores ever recorded in the national math proficiency test over a 21-year history. Only 1.8 percent of students were considered capable of doing college level work. Corruption is rampant, Detroit has been voted the most dangerous city in America. 34.5 percent are on food stamps. Out-of-wedlock birthrate is 75 percent. Yet the city doubles down on Democrat policies and politicians. In a city of 700,000, only 6000 voted for the Republican presidential candidate! 98% voted Democrat! Detroit is a prime example of “getting the government you vote for.”

According to Zev Chafet's book, "Devil's Night: and Other True Tales of Detroit" (this book is about to be re-published thanks to overwhelming demand in recent days)--it's not just liberalism that reduced Detroit to rubble; it was race and racism.

In the early 1960s, the city was segregated along racial lines with blacks squeezed into small neighborhoods. Racial tensions mounted erupting into the Detroit Riots of 1967 which prompted a mass exodus of whites from Detroit, abandoning Detroit for the suburbs and moving into homes that were unfinished with no electricity or water. They couldn’t get out of “Motor City: fast enough.

Coleman Young, mayor of Detroit for 20 yrs.

In 1973, the majority black population elected Coleman Young, a black, radical leftist who did not believe in turning the other cheek. He accused whites of trying to control Detroit from outside the city. During his 20-year reign, Mr. Coleman ignored crime, inflamed racial tensions and built a patronage machine" He went to war with the city’s major institutions and then sought help from the government in the form of subsidies. As Detroit’s government became less and less effective, even middle-class blacks fled the city.

Mayor Young divided Detroit according to race, creating separate layoff lists for white and black officers. He and his handpicked police chief made it clear to the officers that too many tickets and too many arrests were being made in the black community (much as Obama is charging today). One black officer confided to a journalist, “I wouldn’t write tickets for black kids.”

Detroit--once, a shining jewel of a city

Meanwhile, the increasingly distressed city became a fiscal ward of the state and federal governments. As Ms. Jacoby wrote, by the late 1970s federal grants paid the salaries of up to one-third of Detroit's workforce.

As history shows, sending more cash to Detroit won't fix its breakdown in self-government. Another bailout would merely support its toxic political culture of neglect and corruption.

In closing, there are some wonderful, dedicated Christian groups working to bring hope and restoration to Detroit. In various parts of the city, there are some encouraging signs of renewal, thanks to the prayers and tireless efforts of a number of faithful Christian believers. 

However, here’s my parting thought: Detroit needs more than just a handout, or even an urban renewal campaign. Detroit needs an honest-to-goodness REVIVAL that starts with repentance (a change in thinking, behavior, a radical 180-degree turn in another direction). It would be awesome if some esteemed black evangelist (are there any?) who truly preaches the Word of God would come to Detroit and have a month-long campaign, nightly calling the people of Detroit to repent and get right with God and their fellow man. The black residents of Detroit need to repent for the racist attitudes toward the white man, and especially their hatred for those who are white, conservative Republicans. The black community needs to repent of their victimization mindset and start taking responsibility for themselves and their families. I would also hope that the evangelistic campaign in the heart of Detroit would also draw whites from the surrounding communities who repent as well for their racist attitudes and bigotry and lack of love or concern for their black neighbor.

If there is true repentance, maybe then, there can be hope for change (sounds like an Obama campaign slogan) along with solid teaching from the Word of God on loving God, loving your neighbor, on the Good Samaritan, righteousness and walking uprightly, hating evil and loving that which is good—then maybe, Detroit can be reborn from the ashes of hopelessness and despair

Racial Profiling in not the problem--it's part of the solution.

The race hucksters (you know who they are. But if in doubt, read my previous post) would now like us to believe that racial profiling is racist. In fact, Pres. Obama has suggested that we consider new laws to ban racial profiling. In 2008 after Obama was elected, the FBI and CIA got their orders: No more profiling, no more calling certain Muslims "terrorists" or "jihadists" or "Islamic radicals."

I've always thought that this effort to avoid racial profiling was an idiotic effort with deadly consequences. After 9-11 when we knew that our terrorist attackers were all middle-eastern Muslims, in the name of political correctness, we decided to not racially profile anyone at our airports. Instead, the TSA was told to select "at random" every 10th person in line. Who came up with this idiotic idea? What if the terrorist is the 8th person standing in line? Or the 5th person? Invariably, the person chosen by our brilliant TSA officers is a nun, or an elderly person, or a 6-yr old handicapped child.

If it is true that African-American males are viewed suspiciously, it is probably because statistically, they commit a disproportionate amount of crime. If that were not true, they would probably be given no more attention as supposed suspects that is accorded to white, asian or Latino youths.

Blacks are being told by this president and his attorney general, along with the help of Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson that their biggest threat is racial profiling by the police. These so-called back leaders who point the finger at external causes are helping to destroy black america.

Following an incident in Cincinnati in 2001, civil rights leaders organized a boycott of the city and charged the police with abuse of black youth. As a consequence, the police reduced their patrols in black neighborhoods, and arrests declined dramatically, because cops did not want to be accused of racism. During this period of the boycott, a total of 74 shootings occurred in black neighborhoods, leaving 80 people wounded or dead--an 800 percent increase over the previous year's figures of 9 shootings and 11 victims.

In Los Angeles 12 yrs. Ago, gang activity and violence sharply increased after the dismantling of the police gang unit that was accused of racism. In a similar situation in Prince George's County, MD., 61 people were killed in the first seven months of that year, compared with only 71 the entire previous year. Carjackings doubled, and robberies rose 37 percent. The county police reportedly were participating in an informant slowdown, after being accused of racism. Their reported philosophy: "No contact, no complaints."

"If black America continues down this lethal path of self-deception, the protest leaders will not bear the cost arising from the fabricated complaint of racial profiling--no it will be the sons and daughters who live in these

high crime areas which are most in need of protection but will receive none because the police of afraid of being deemed "racists."

All this talk about racial profiling is a diversionary tactic to avoid the real issue of the lack of morality in the black community. 90 percent of black murder victims are killed by other blacks, not white. Today's civil rights' leaders are swatting at gnats and ignoring the elephant in the room. 73 percent of all black children are born without fathers married to their mothers. Today's black leadership is living off of the fumes of racism. It's a cottage industry. They are the race-hustlers who want their people to think that their biggest problem is the white man when in reality, it's other blacks along with a lack of morality. It's time for the black community to look in the mirror and clean up their own backyard.

Obama: Race-Huckster-In-Chief does it again!

I can't keep up with this guy. I'm talking about the President of the United States. Yesterday, I was all set to upload my latest post on "race hucksters", and then Obama gives his now infamous speech to let
everyone know that "Trayvon Martin could have been me thirty-five years ago." I don't think so. Let's give the President a dose of reality here: When Barry was Travon's age he was in an expensive private school in Hawaii and hung at the beach getting "high" with white kids.

In another attempt to bolster his black-identity cred, Obama also noted that he too has heard people locking their car doors as he walks toward them. Well that's because they probably think he wants to steal more money from their wallets! However a different take on this comment comes from former black congressman and Lt. Col. Allen West who says,

"I am a black male who grew up in the inner city of Atlanta and no one ever followed me in a mall. I don't recall any doors clicking when I crossed the street. And I never had anyone clutching their handbag when I got on an elevator. I guess having two awesome parents who taught me to be a respectful young man paid dividends."

Bless his heart, Obama has to insert himself into everything, especially if it involves race. Why? Because he is our Race-Huckster-In-Chief. He is a race-baiter who in his typical Alinsky-style, honed from experience as a community agitator in Chicago, wants to divide the races rather than unite. Even Trayvon Martin's parents along with the FBI said that this tragedy was NOT about race. In fact, George Zimmerman (a registered Democrat) had spent his spare time tutoring young black kids. But you can't let the facts get in the way when you are the Race-Baiter in Chief for the United States.

We have the first black president in the country's history, who through circumstance grew up as a child of privilege, professing to teach us something about race, even though he vacations in lily-white, exclusive Martha's Vineyard, staying in a 7.6 million dollar home where all his neighbors would lock their doors and call the police if Trayvon Martin were walking down their street.

Channon Christain & boyfriend, Christopher Newsom
taken from their Facebook page

Seriously! Where was Obama speeches on "race" speeches when Channon Christian and Chris Newsom, both WHITE, were kidnapped by 4 BLACKS, beaten, brutally raped, Channon had bleach poured down her throat to try to hide the nasty monsters DNA then suffocated while her boyfriend was raped and shot then set on fire.

I sure don't remember him making any statements about the black-on-black genocide taking place in his home town of Chicago. Since 2008, more than 530 youth have been killed in Chicago with nearly 80 per-cent of the homicides occurring in 22 Black or Latino communities on the city's South side. But why would

he? That would place the blame where it belongs, on a culture of violence and entitlement in the black community.

As National Review columnist Lee Habib has pointed out, if George Zimmerman is guilty of anything, he's guilty of not being black. If he had been black, then there would be no outrage. Obama would've kept his mouth shut. Al Sharpton wouldn't be out trying to incite riots. The media would not even have covered this story, if George Zimmerman had been black. Why? Because in America, the dirty little secret is that the race hucksters and race-baiters like Obama and Sharpton can't get any mileage out of black-on-black crime because that would force them to look in the mirror and start addressing the problems in the black community and its lack of morality. Bill Cosby has taken a lot of heat for his address to the NAALCP (National Assoc. for the Advancement of Liberal Colored People) last year where he told them, "We can't blame white people any longer!"

Until then, Mr. President, if you want to help America deal with the issue of race, I suggest you have another beer summit with George Zimmerman--just the two of you, like you did in Cambridge with those "racist" cops. A few beers, a few laughs, a nice photo-op and you and George Zimmerman will be best buds!! 

My next post will continue this "conversation" on race with some thoughts on racial profiling.

If you eat 'mor chikin, you might be "over-saved"

(Note: If you've tried to leave a comment in the past and have been thwarted by the verification words--TRY again, pleeeezzz...I have removed this stupid verification so you can EASILY leave a comment. Thanks!!)
When my mom was having surgery on her hip a couple of years ago, I was seated with my laptop in the waiting lounge at the hospital. This minister acquaintance strolled in, caught my attention and proceeded to plant himself down in the seat next to me. I knew I was doomed and might as well forget about using my computer or reading the newspaper online. He and I are at opposite ends of the theological spectrum. He probably thinks I'm barely saved and I feel the same about him, so I chose to just sit and listen rather than offer my advice or wisdom which would have gone in one ear and out the other anyway.

He was lamenting the fact that some folks only go to church once or twice a month. And then, all of a sudden, he turns and looks at me almost like I was one of "them" and he says, "I can't understand how some folks think they're going to heaven when they don't go to church on Sunday nights and they miss the mid-week service." Like the hypocrite that I was, I agreed with him because I did not want to get into a big theological argument there in the surgical lounge, surrounded by so many church people who, if they had to choose sides would probably have ganged up on me and beat me senseless with their Bibles. His last words on this subject were, "Where's their commitment? Where's their love for God and His Word?"

I thought of that encounter yesterday as I was running some errands and listening to K-Love on my car radio, The song, "I Can Only Imagine" by MercyMe came on and I immediately punched in another station because I really can't stand that syrupy song that every Christian is supposed to love. It got me to thinking that maybe I'm not saved. Because if I were saved, I would want to go to church on Sunday nights and Wednesday nights. If I were saved, I would love "I Can Only Imagine" and wouldn't be switching to some pop song by Imagine Dragons. 

There are church folks who will question your salvation if they see you smoking. When I was a young youth pastor in Burlington, Vermont, I remember the senior pastor was on a tirade because members were smoking in the parking lot and stomping out their cigarettes just before walking into the church building. He had heard from some members that it was not a good "witness" to those who happened to drive by and see this horrible sight. So one Sunday, he's in the pulpit and says, "I better not catch anyone in this church smoking. You're ruining God's temple and it's a sin." From that point on, all the condemned smokers would wait until they were in their cars to light up. I resigned from that church a short time later and this was just one of the many reasons why I felt like I didn't belong there any longer.

Eat mor chikin

As Christians, we can be an awful self-righteous bunch. We so easily fall prey to setting up our own Pharisaical standards. Here are a few that come to mind. You might not be a Christian if.....

• You don't go to church??(I used to think that and now I realize that there are a number of saints who don't attend church for various reasons, including some bad experiences. Renee and I went to 5 or 6 churches in this area over a period of several years before we found the fellowship that we currently call home. We also spent many a Sunday at home. I understand how condemned you can feel when you are exercising at the gym on Sunday morning rather than sitting in church.) 
• You don't listen to Christian radio?!! What's up with that? Sometimes I listen to Christian radio but after awhile, it starts to sound like Christian muzak with a homogenized sound, and it becomes 'boring.' I know that there will be some reading this who will truly wonder about my salvation, but that's just the way it is. There are times when I think K-Love needs MORE energy, and that's when I punch in either talk radio or Maroon 5. 
• You watch HBO?!! The typical Christian response is, "Are you kidding me? HBO. No way. I only watch the Trinity Broadcasting Network, the Inspirational Network and the Worship Channel. Yeah but then you're going to miss "Game of Thrones." Actually, I think I would be better off spiritually, watching Game of Thrones on HBO than most anything that TBN has to offer. I try to stay away from the Christian "entertainment" ghetto because IMHO, it can mess up your head and your spiritual life.
• You don't eat at Chick-fil-a?!! What's up with that? Don't you love Jesus? This may be a southern thing because there are no Chick-fil-a's in New England and I don't think they are out west yet, but I'm sure they're headed your way. Around here, it's almost a sin to not frequent Chick-fil-a because it's owned by Christians and they are closed on Sunday (the Lord's Day). I have nothing against Chick-fil-a, but I prefer hanging out with the heathens at Taco Bell or Dairy Queen. Besides, you can't get a Blizzard at Chick-fil-a.

I could list several more things that make others question your salvation, and maybe you could as well, but you get the idea. Now, hopefully, you realize that much of this post has mostly been written with tongue-in-cheek. I like K-Love radio and listen to it a lot. I also like Chick Fil-a but I've only been to their store one time because I'm not that into chicken sandwiches. Still, I think they are a great American fast food company with strong Christian values. I also believe that God has a purpose for the church and we need to be in community with other believers and not living as "lone ranger" Christians. But sometimes that's not an easy process and it's not always as simple as "If you truly loved Jesus, you'd go to church."

There is a point where you can be "over-saved." An "over-saved" person is just religious, and lives an insulated life apart from the world. He's in the world, but he's NOT in the world. To give you a funny take on what an "over-saved" person sounds like, watch this brief video from comedian Michael Jr (one of the funniest comedians around today!) It's less than 2 min. in length and will put a smile on your face!

                                  Christian comedian, Michael Jr "Over-saved"

The Media Template on Paula Deen and George Zimmerman

For today's post, I want to begin with two definitions:

tem·plate [tem-plit]

noun

Paula Deen

1. a, pattern, mold, or the like, usually consisting of anything that determines or serves as a pattern; a model:

me·di·a tem·plate

noun

                1.  The means of communication (plural) such as radio, television, newspapers and their news coverage that fits a consistent pattern, or mold.

In case you haven't noticed, there is a media template and it's so predictable. Here are 2 glaring examples of the media template where the outcome is decided by the journalists and news anchors before the facts are even known:

• Paula Deen. I'm sure by now you know that Paula Deen, the Southern comfort food mama who has been a mainstay on the Food Network was dumped for having used the "N" word 30 yrs ago. She has profusely apologized but that has not prevented the politically-correct cowards at Food Network, Walmart, Target, Sears & Random House from dropping her and her products. 

Here's the media template on Paula Deen: She's southern, therefore, she must be racist and dumb. The northeastern elites in the media have a contempt and bias against anyone from the South. Living in New England for 22 yrs., I saw this firsthand at town meetings where people from the South were mocked and ridiculed for their conservative politics along with their distinct speech pattern. I fall prey to this myself at times, living here in Kentucky. But that's another story. 

Alec Baldwin could have used the "N" word 20 times in the last month (and for all we know, he probably did), but he would be excused and forgiven because he's part of the Hollywood elite who can never be considered racist, although the North has its fair share of racism underneath a liberal veneer. 

The only true racists (according to the media template) are those in the Republican party, the religious right and those in the South. Hence, we cannot excuse Paula Deen. She must still be a racist, and worthy of being branded as such. The media in their holier than thou attitude is hoping that Paula Deen's career tanks because she pushes fried food and everyone knows that's deadly stuff, so that's all the more reason to destroy her career.

Personally, I hope that the Food Network's ratings tank and that Walmart, Target and Sears suffer for their pathetic politically-correct behavior which shows that they are nothing more than spineless corporate wimps who have no character or morality.

• The George Zimmerman Trial. 

George Zimmerman, whom the media types as a white-hispanic

Here's all you need to know about this trial: The media is so invested in George Zimmerman being convicted as a racist killer of an innocent black teenager that they can't even entertain the facts or the lack of evidence. That's the Media Template for the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin trial--a racist hate crime.

"It's not about racial profiling," said lawyer Daryl Parks about the murder trial of George Zimmerman. "We never claimed this was about race." James Taranto in the Wall Street Journal writes, "What makes these statements 'head-scratching,' as New York's Daily News describes them, is that Parks represents the family of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, whom Zimmerman fatally shot in February 2012. Zimmerman is pleading self-defense. The media narrative (template) was that Martin was a victim of racial profiling--that Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, wrongfully saw the unarmed Martin as a threat because Martin was black. Even President Obama couldn't resist the opportunity to inject himself into this tragedy (he always does because it's all about him). He made this appeal to racial solidarity, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," What a stupid thing for the President of the United States to say regarding this tragedy. So now we're supposed to convict Zimmerman because he took the life of a kid who could have been Obama's son, if Obama had a son, which he doesn't!

From the very beginning, the media hyped this as a racial incident and they have continued to refer to Zimmerman as a white man rather than hispanic because they want this trial to be about race, about racial profiling.

If Zimmerman is acquitted, the media wants race riots:

As the prosecution's case against Zimmerman is imploding, the media is agitating for race riots:

On ABC Nightline, Dan Abrams is interviewing the police chief of Sanford, Florida. Dan Abrams asks Police Chief Cecil Smith, "If Zimmerman is found not guilty, if your office ready for that?"

Smith: I believe we have plans that will be able to deal with issues as they arrive.

Dan Abrams: I assume the worst case scenario, then, would be riots?

Smith: Yeah, and I will say aain, You know, we are no talking about riots. We're talking about rallies. If people choose to come to Sanford and voice their opinion, or if they want to come and rally, we welcome that. We want people to have the opportunity to express themselves.

The Media doesn't want Zimmerman acquitted--He must be guilty of something. How about manslaughter?

In the face of flimsy, unsubstantiated evidence against George Zimmerman, the media is hoping for a lesser verdict of manslaughter. In their eyes, Zimmerman can't be innocent, he's got to be found guilty. Here's a montage from the various media outlets where they are hoping that at least Zimmerman will be convicted on the charge of manslaughter:

Piers Morgan (CNN): What about manslaughter? What about the possiblity that they could convict on a lesser charge?

Judge Alex Ferrer (FOX): If he gets convicted of manslaughter, it's actually as bad for him as second degree murder.

Greta Van Susteren: They have a lesser charge there. Manslaughter.

Tucker Carlson: Why not manslaughter?

Christopher Darden (CNN): Manslaughter. A compromise verdict.

Anderson Cooper (CNN): Is it possible for the jury to on their own say, "Well we don't think it's second-degree murder, but manslaughter?"

Wolf Blitzer (CNN): Maybe better off with manslaughter.

Lis Wiehl (Fox): Negligence, a negligent homicide, manslaughter, assault. Something?

The media is BEGGING for a manslaughter verdict against George Zimmerman.

This is what a media template looks and sounds like. Notice they all have the SAME talking points, as though they're all reading from the SAME SCRIPT. 

What we need is a media that's interested in the truth of a story, not something that furthers their political agenda or ideology. We need a media that will follow the facts wherever they lead and not allow their own

bias to get in the way of presenting the unvarnished facts. Sadly, we don't have that media any longer. We don't have any real journalists and they're all guilty of journalistic malpractice. They are all shills for the Obama administration. They are nothing more than stenographers for Obama and the Democrat Party.

Maybe that's why more people listen to talk radio, to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin and read alternative media, including blog posts. There is more legitimate journalism going on in the alternative media  than the twisted lies and logic that passes for news at NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX, NPR, NY TIMES, W. POST, etc.