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Today is my son's 17th birthday. My son is named John after his Great-Great-Grandfather and his Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather. My son has Autism. My son is my hero and this blog is dedicated to him ... and to Him for giving me such a Great son ... and 2 other Great children. Regardless of where I am financially when I die, I've been blessed.
From today's Washington Post Wonkblogger Emily Badger:
President Obama on how Fox News teaches the middle class to demonize the poor If we're being totally honest about why we haven't found more political will to attack poverty in the U.S., the obstacle isn't mere apathy. It's not simply that we don't prioritize the poor, or devote enough money to lifting them up, or demand of our politicians that they talk about poverty more often. Those would be problems of ambivalence — of not caring enough. In reality, the hurdle is higher than that: Much of our political rhetoric doesn't simply disregard the poor, it actively disdains them. It treats them as takers, freeloaders, deadbeats. As morally weak and gleefully dependent. And like many narratives that are true in the rare anecdote but false on the whole, this one requires a whole lot of breathless storytelling. "There’s always been a strain in American politics where you’ve got the middle class, and the question has been 'who are you mad at if you’re struggling, if you’re working but you don’t seem to be getting ahead?'" President Obama said Tuesday at a summit on poverty hosted by Georgetown's Initiative on Catholic Thought and Social Life. "Over the last 40 years, I think there's been an effort to either make folks be mad at folks at the top, or be mad at folks at the bottom." The latter strategy has been remarkably potent of late. "I think the effort to suggest that the poor are sponges — leeches, don’t want to work, are lazy, are undeserving — got traction," Obama said. "Look, it’s still being propagated. If you watch Fox News on a regular basis, it is a constant menu. They will find folks who make me mad. I don’t know where they find them. 'I don’t want to work, I just want a free Obama phone, whatever.' And that becomes an entire narrative that gets worked up." This is a specific jab at Fox News (Obama also went on to indict the media at large). But his point is larger than a political potshot at the network. There's a deep tradition in America of agitating those who aren't well-off against people who have it even worse (picture poor whites in the pre-Civil Rights South directing their ire at blacks who had even less). The reality is that we'd all be better off — the middle-class included — if poor communities had more opportunity, if poor children didn't grow up to need food stamps, if poor men had the kind of work that enabled them to be stable fathers. In the long run, alleviating poverty (through, say, investment in early childhood education) is actually cheaper than paying for all of its products (in teens who enter the costly criminal justice system, or families who rely on emergency-room care). And that's good for anyone who's a taxpayer and wants their money well-spent. That is, for the most part, not the conversation we're having while we argue about what poor people buy with food stamps or how the safety net makes them lazy. We fight instead about whether the poor even deserve aid and not what smart programs delivering it should look like. We'll never get to the second question if so many of us are still fuming over the first one. Obama is right to wonder aloud about who keeps posing it, hinting over and over that the answer — do the poor even deserve our help? — is "no." 
And now the Biblical Commentary:
While Fox News holds a divinity contest at Liberty University to anoint the Republican presidential candidate who represents themselves as the most extremely, vehemently, outrageously, and overwhelmingly evangelical Christian, Rupert Murdoch is secretly trying to copyright the Holy Bible so he can discard the Top 7 Foxnews-most-disdained Scriptures that he feels are counterintuitive, counterproductive or just plain irrelevant with today's SWAGR (So We All Get Rich) ideology: Mt.19:16-30 Rich Young Man Mk.11:15-19 Cleansing of the Temple Lk.19:1-10 Zacchaeus the Tax Collector Lk.21:1-4 The Poor Widow’s Contribution 1Tim6:17-19 Right Use of Wealth Jas5:1-6 Warning to the Rich This coincides with Fox News' anti-christian message from those who carry a yellow flag with a serpent on it. Their "FINAL SOLUTION" is: 1) Degrading Social Security, Medicare and Welfare, 2) Not increasing the minimum wage, 3)Not expanding Medicaid, 4)Trying to overturn the Affordable Care Act, 5)Fighting Immigration Reform, 6)Denying climate change, and 7) Ultimately driving out, with poverty or death, those that they deem to be undesirable or inferior. From the Old Testament through the Epistles, God tells us 9 times to love thy neighbor as thyself; however, the GOP lives on a plain that's the polar opposite to God's wishes. The same plain that existed in 20th century B.C. Genesis 19:23-25 But all is not lost since the 7th Scripture is so prophetic and so powerful that Rupert breaks out in boils and sores when he reads or hears it (See 2Thes.2:1-17). He's currently working with NewsCorp HR to develop a new policy forbidding his employees from uttering or writing the words "Pope Francis", "Holy Father", "Holy Orders", "St. Peter", "Pontif", "pontificate", "@pontifex", "Vicar of Christ", "climate change", "global warming", "St. Paul of Tarsus", "greed" (unless used in a positive context), "Judgement" (we'll just refer to that as a "performance review"...nobody takes those seriously) and worst of all, "idolatry". Violation of this edict will result in a scourging at the soon-to-be-erected pillar outside the NewsCorp building at 47th and 6th in Midtown. The 7th Scripture I refer to is: 2Tim3:1-5 The Dangers of the Last Days. 1But understand this: there will be terrifying times in the last days. 2People will be SELF-CENTERED and LOVERS OF MONEY, proud, haughty, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, irreligious, 3callous, implacable, slanderous, licentious, brutal, HATING WHAT IS GOOD, 4traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5as they MAKE A PRETENSE FOR RELIGION BUT DENY ITS POWER. REJECT THEM. I think we're there people ... Just to be on the safe side, repent (1Jn1:9-10), humble yourself before the Lord and give Him glory (Lk.9:23), and help the poor (Jas.2:17). Mt.19:21-22 21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect,* go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 22When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. * [19:21] If you wish to be perfect: to be perfect is demanded of all Christians; see Mt 5:48. In the case of this man, it involves selling his possessions and giving to the poor; only so can he follow Jesus. Are you the sad or the happy "young man”? It's probably a good time for a little self-reflection because God tells us 6 times that He will come like “a thief in the night” and He means it: Mt.24:42-44, Lk.12:39-40, 1Thes5:1-3, 2Ptr3:8-10, Rev.3:3, Rev.16:15.
1 Comment
 The 43rd President of the United States. George W. Bush Rev.6:3-4 3When he broke open the second seal, I heard the second living creature cry out, “Come forward.” 4 Another horse came out, a red one. Its rider was given power to take peace away from the earth, so that people would slaughter one another. And he was given a huge sword. From the Dailysignal.com http://dailysignal.com/2014/09/05/flashback-president-george-w-bush-warned-happen-u-s-withdrew-iraq-early/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social I write: "The Heritage Foundation and Fox News are nothing more than a couple of congenital liars with absolutely no journalistic integrity. Bush made the call on the Iraqi pullout to be in 2011 per the Media Matters link below." http://mediamatters.org/research/2010/06/27/memo-to-media-bush-set-a-timetable-for-withdraw/166835  Retired Gen. Brent Scowcroft, former National Security Advisor for the George H.W. Bush administration A Prophet. Former United States National Security Advisor Gen. Brent Scowcroft. August 4, 2002: Scowcroft Warns That Invading Iraq Could Destabilize the Middle East, Scowcroft, a Bush foreign affairs adviser who had been marginalized and scorned by administration neoconservatives appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” to make his case that the US should not invade Iraq. Scowcroft, with the blessing of his friend and patron George H. W. Bush, went on a one-man media blitz, appearing on Fox News and the BBC to argue his position. The administration’s other high-profile centrists, Secretary of State Colin Powell and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, refused to publicly disagree with the administration’s push for war. Scowcroft warned that a unilateral invasion of Iraq could destabilize the Middle East and undermine efforts to defeat international anti-American militant groups. He said: "It’s a matter of setting your priorities. There’s no question that Saddam is a problem. He has already launched two wars and spent all the resources he can working on his military. But the president has announced that terrorism is our number one focus. Saddam [Hussein] is a problem, but he’s not a problem because of terrorism. I think we could have an explosion in the Middle East. It could turn the whole region into a cauldron and destroy the war on terror.”  You Neocons opened up Pandora's Box basically for the sake of oil: The Wine of God's Fury. Rev.14:9-13 9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice, “Anyone who worships the beast [oil companies] or its image, or accepts its mark on forehead or hand, 10will also drink the wine of God’s fury, poured full strength into the cup of his wrath, and will be tormented in burning sulfur before the holy angels and before the Lamb. 11The smoke of the fire that torments them will rise forever and ever, and there will be no relief day or night for those who worship the beast or its image or accept the mark of its name.” 12Here is what sustains the holy ones who keep God’s commandments and their faith in Jesus. 13 I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” said the Spirit, “let them find rest from their labors, for their works accompany them.” http://watchingthewatchers.org/news/624/iraq-war-cost-little-and-iraq-oil http://www.juancole.com/2014/04/invaded-halliburton-profits.html Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a self-proclaimed status as a caliphate, it claims religious authority over all Muslims across the world and aspires to bring most of the Muslim-inhabited regions of the world under its political control beginning with territory in the Levant region which includes Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Cyprus and part of southern Turkey. Rev. 9:13-16 The Sixth Trumpet.* 13Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the [four] horns of the gold altar before God, 14telling the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the banks of the great river Euphrates.” 15So the four angels were released, who were prepared for this hour, day, month, and year to kill a third of the human race. 16The number of cavalry troops was two hundred million; I heard their number. * [9:13–21] The sixth trumpet heralds a woe representing another diabolical attack symbolized by an invasion by the Parthians living east of the Euphrates; see note on Rev 6:2. [ISIS is currently congregated east of the Euphrates, between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers in both Syria and Iraq] The four countries along the Euphrates are Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. Their combined populations in 2008 were 197,000,000. In 2011, their combined populations were 202,000,000. In 2013, their combined populations were 214,000,000. Rev.16:12-16 12The sixth angel emptied his bowl on the great river Euphrates. Its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East.* 13I saw three unclean spirits like frogs* come from the mouth of the dragon, from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet. 14These were demonic spirits who performed signs. They went out to the kings of the whole world to assemble them for the battle on the great day of God the almighty. 15(“Behold, I am coming like a thief.”* Blessed is the one who watches and keeps his clothes ready, so that he may not go naked and people see him exposed.) 16They then assembled the kings in the place that is named Armageddon* in Hebrew. * [16:12] The kings of the East: Parthians; see notes on Rev 6:2 and Rev 17:12–13. East: literally, “rising of the sun,” as in Rev 7:2. * [16:13] Frogs: possibly an allusion to the second Egyptian plague (Ex 7:25–8:11). The false prophet: identified with the two-horned second beast (Rev 13:11–18 and the note there). * [16:15] Like a thief: as in Rev 3:3 (cf. Mt 24:42–44; 1 Thes 5:2). Blessed: see note on Rev 1:3. * [16:16] Armageddon: in Hebrew, this means “Mountain of Megiddo.” Since Megiddo was the scene of many decisive battles in antiquity (Jgs 5:19–20; 2 Kgs 9:27; 2 Chr 35:20–24), the town became the symbol of the final disastrous rout of the forces of evil. Per a NY Times article in 2009 (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/world/middle east/14euphrates.html), the Euphrates River has been drying up due to drought in Iraq, Syria and Turkey, misuse for years by Iraq and its farmers and 2 Wars in Iraq. Rev. 17:12-18 12The ten horns that you saw represent ten kings who have not yet been crowned;* they will receive royal authority along with the beast for one hour. 13They are of one mind and will give their power and authority to the beast. 14They will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and king of kings, and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.” 15Then he said to me, “The waters that you saw where the harlot lives represent large numbers of peoples, nations, and tongues. 16The ten horns* that you saw and the beast will hate the harlot; they will leave her desolate and naked; they will eat her flesh and consume her with fire. 17For God has put it into their minds to carry out his purpose and to make them come to an agreement to give their kingdom to the beast until the words of God are accomplished. 18The woman whom you saw represents the great city that has sovereignty over the kings of the earth.” * [17:12–13] Ten kings who have not yet been crowned: perhaps Parthian satraps who are to accompany the revived Nero (the beast) in his march on Rome to regain power; see note on Rev 13:3. In Rev 19:11–21, the Lamb and his companions will conquer them. * [17:16–18] The ten horns: the ten pagan kings (Rev 17:12) who unwittingly fulfill God’s will against harlot Rome, the great city; cf. Ez 16:37. Islam is the largest religion in 9 of the 12 OPEC nations: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Iraq, Algeria, Nigeria, and Libya. Angola’s majority religion is composed of indigenous beliefs followed by the Roman Catholic faith. The largest religion in Ecuador and Venezuela is the Roman Catholic Church. The Biblical Notes above are by no means an indictment of neither Islam nor a reference to it as pagan. Christianity, Judaism and Islam are Abrahamic and worship the same God. As it says in the Quran سورة البقرة , Al-Baqara, Chapter #2, Verse #96: Thou wilt indeed find them, of all people, most greedy of life,-even more than the idolaters: Each one of them wishes He could be given a life of a thousand years: But the grant of such life will not save him from (due) punishment. For Allah sees well all that they do.[i] And it says in both the Bible and the Torah, Numbers 11:33-34: 33But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it could be chewed, the LORD’s wrath flared up against the people, and the LORD struck them with a very great plague. 34So that place was named Kibroth-hattaavah,* because it was there that the greedy people were buried. * [11:34] Kibroth-hattaavah: means “graves of greed.” But what will happen to the OPEC nations (particularly based on their location) when natural gas, nuclear energy and renewable energy displaces oil and coal? ... thought provoking. For all those who have been slaughtered by ISIS: Rev.6:9-10 9When he broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slaughtered because of the witness they bore to the word of God. 10They cried out in a loud voice, “How long will it be, holy and true master, before you sit in judgment and avenge our blood on the inhabitants of the earth?” 11Each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants and brothers who were going to be killed as they had been. Now we have to go kill these monsters who were spawned by the Republicans. Catholic Catechism 2265: Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for one who is responsible for the lives of others. The defense of the common good requires that an unjust aggressor be rendered unable to cause harm. For this reason, those who legitimately hold authority also have the right to use arms to repel aggressors against the civil community entrusted to their responsibility.  This is why I continually refer to the Tea Party as the 4th Seal: Rev.6:7-8 7When he broke open the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature cry out, “Come forward.” 8I looked, and there was a pale green* horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades accompanied him. They were given authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and plague, and by means of the beasts of the earth. * [6:8] Pale green: symbol of death and decay; cf. Ez 14:21. [The Tea Party] [Multiple wars around the globe. Climate-change-driven drought, raising food prices. Ebola in Africa and the U.S.] Rev.13:1-18 The Beasts of the earth: Oil and coal companies. See http://tribulation7.weebly.com/blog My 19th Blog: The Literal and Symbolic Views of the 1st Beast [antichrist], the 2nd Beast [false prophet], and the Harlot [the port city of 7 hills and 7 heads] Parts 1-7 This all started on Aug. 2, 1990 when Iraq invaded Kuwait ... one man killing his fellow man, both the descendants of Abraham (Gen.17:20) in the Biblical land of Babylon and the Garden of Eden (Gen.2:10-14), all for the sake of oil: The Wine of God's Fury. It was on this date that the 1st Seal was broken open.  The 41st President of the United States. George H.W. Bush. Rev.6:1-2 1 Then I watched while the Lamb broke open the first of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures cry out in a voice like thunder, “Come forward.” 2 I looked, and there was a white horse, and its rider had a bow. He was given a crown, and he rode forth victorious to further his victories. Nm.35:33 You will not pollute the land where you live. For bloodshed pollutes the land, and the land can have no expiation for the blood shed on it except through the blood of the one who shed it.
It's all starting to link together.  1610 Cecco del Caravaggio Christ expulses money changers anagoria Mark 11:17 Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’? But you have made it a den of thieves.”  Mt. 6:24 [Jesus said] “No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
Per the NAB biblical notes: Mammon being an Aramaic word meaning wealth or property. Many people don’t know that St. Peter was made the leader of the church (see Mt. 16:18) and was the first Pope of the Catholic Church. The other eleven apostles were made the first bishops of the Church. This is known as the sacrament of Holy Orders and is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to his apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time. 1Ptr 1:17-19 17Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning, 18realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold 19but with the precious blood of Christ as of a spotless unblemished lamb. Mt. 16:18 And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. The proverbial “gates” surrounding a street named “Wall” appear to be attempting to “close in upon the church of Jesus”.[1] We are in the 14th month since Pope Francis papacy began on March 3, 2013. He “hit the ground running” as soon as Fumata bianca in the Sistine Chapel. His first orders of business appeared to show the world that he was a reformer rather than the chief enforcer of ancient church doctrine. Within one month he formed a group of eight cardinals from around the world to “advise him on the government of the universal church” and “to study a project of revision” of a document from John Paul II on the Roman Curia.[2] The Pope’s 1st orders of business were controversial to say the least: In late November 2013 the Washington Post published an article “Pope Francis denounces ‘trickle-down’ economic theories in a critique of inequality, The Pontiff disparaged the “idolatry of money” and warned that it would lead to “a new tyranny.”[3] The comments were from “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel), a 50,000-word statement that calls for church reform and castigates elements of modern capitalism. I say the new tyranny has been evident since the Koch Brothers created The Heritage Foundation and Americans For Prosperity for the purpose of promoting Tea Party candidates and a far right conservative agenda. What surprised several readers, including me, was when the Pope specifically targeted ‘trickle down’ economics and said; “Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world,” Francis wrote in the papal statement. “This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacralized workings of the prevailing economic system. Meanwhile, the excluded are still waiting.” Immediately after the release of “Evangelii Gaudium“, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh “anointed” the Pope as a Marxist. As usual, Rush Limbaugh said many things, most notably[4] [5]:
Pope Francis response was emblematic of a devout Christian, particularly a Jesuit priest saying “Marxist ideology is wrong. But I have met many Marxists in my life who are good people, so I don’t feel offended … there is nothing in the exhortation that cannot be found in the social doctrine of the church.” … In Latin, “responsum a castitate”. In an act symbolizing the Wall Street Journal’s total disrespect for this outspoken leader of the Catholic Church, they published a Paul H. Rubin article on Christmas Day 2013, which accused the Pope of demonizing the free markets.[6] Mr. Rubin is professor of economics at Emory University and past president of the Southern Economic Association. His article was adapted from his presidential address on Nov. 13, 2013. Rubin took the opening shot, referring to “Evangelii Gaudium” as a “manifesto” rather than as an encyclical reaffirming “The Joy of the Gospel”. What Rubin did was merely write an anti-Christian diatribe. Keep in mind, there are plenty of wealthy Christians who read the Wall Street Journal and have investments. Many of those are Catholic and acknowledge the Papal Father as the head of the Church, but their foremost investment is in the Word of God. Cases in point are the Ave Maria Rising Dividend Funds, which are designed specifically for serious long-term investors who want to practice morally responsible investing (MRI). MRI entails looking for what are believed to be financially sound investments in companies that do not violate core teachings of the Catholic Church.[7] The core teachings of Judeo-Christians involve “loving your neighbor as yourself”. God so wanted to emphasize that point, in “the Spirit of ‘cooperation’”, that He said it 9 times, 2 of which go all the way back to Mosaic Law: Leviticus 19:18, 34, Matthew 19:19, 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8. In Rubin’s own words; “This discussion may seem semantic, but Words have Meaning and Power.” The aforementioned Scripture’s fundamental Meaning and Power is “Love Your Neighbor”. In the article, Rubin’s statistics are limited to “a sample of nine introductory economics textbooks [contain the word] ‘competition’ … an average of eight times as often as ‘cooperation.’ It’s no wonder that competition comes to mind when society thinks of the economy.” These are statistics from the New American Bible, which is the official Bible of the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). I’m sure Pope Francis has a copy. In a soft-copy sample from 73 Biblical Books and 1722 pages, including the biblical notes and readings, the word “idolatry” is used 52 times, “idolatrous” 19 times, “greed” 90 times, “hypocrite” 33 times, and “hypocrisy” 14 times. These are not new Words and are not used in a positive sense but are Words which have much Meaning and Power. Pope Francis’ remarks repeat the Spirit and the teachings from the Gospels and Epistles. Some examples are: Mt.19:16-30 Rich Young Man Mk.11:15-19 Cleansing of the Temple Lk.19:1-10 Zacchaeus the Tax Collector Lk.21:1-4 The Poor Widow’s Contribution Rom.1: 18-22 Punishment of Idolaters 1Tim6:17-19 Right Use of Wealth Jas5:1-6 Warning to the Rich And then comes the test of the “2 masters”. Unfortunately, the Catholic Church in the United States will always struggle with change because, regardless of confliction, it will sometimes feel that it must satisfy 2 masters. Its financial survival comes from charity; therefore, it will always be subject to “mammon”. The question here is did the New York Archdiocese stand up to Wall Street charity when the “jewel” of the ecclesiastical province of New York needed a “facelift” or did they challenge the Pope, and the majority of Catholics (who strongly believe in the Gospels and Epistles) rather than challenging the benefactors? An article by CNBC written in late December 2013[8], detailed a potential 7-figure unnamed investor who took exception to many of the above noted statements of Pope Francis and this unnamed investor used his financial leverage to question Pope Francis comments through Ken Langone a billionaire spearheading the $180,000,000 restoration of St. Francis Cathedral and the investor known for founding Home Depot. Langone passed the unnamed investors remarks to Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York. Langone said to Dolan; ‘Your Eminence, this is one more hurdle I hope we don’t have to deal with. You want to be careful about generalities. Rich people in one country don’t act the same as rich people in another country,’ (Remember this remark, when reading the below discussion of yesterday’s New York Times article) Dolan, being a seasoned “diplomat” in Vatican politics, told CNBC that he had heard from Langone and said, ” ‘Well, Ken, that would be a misunderstanding of the Holy Father’s message. The pope loves poor people. He also loves rich people.’ … So I said, ‘Ken, thanks for bringing it to my attention. We’ve gotta correct to make sure this gentleman understands the Holy Father’s message properly.’ And then I think he’s gonna say, ‘Oh, OK. If that’s the case, count me in for St. Patrick’s Cathedral.’ “ Langone, who describes himself as a devout Catholic who prays every morning, said he has told the cardinal that “you get more with honey than with vinegar.” He said he also wants to make clear that wealthy Americans are some of the biggest donors in the world. “There is no nation on earth that is so forthcoming, so giving,” he said, adding that he hopes the pope can “celebrate a positive point of view rather than focusing on the negative.” Yesterday’s New York Times published an article, The American Middle Class Is No Longer the World’s Richest by David Leonhardt and Kevin Quealy[9]. It confirmed what economists have been saying and what Pope Francis referred to in his denunciation of ‘trickle-down’ economic theories. When globally comparing the incomes of the wealthy vs. lower- and middle-income tiers, the numbers suggest that most American families are paying a steep price for high and rising income inequality.[10] [11] Notable points from the report:
Where’s the honey in this Times article Mr. Langone? It looks like the wealthy in the U.S. are feeding the middle and lower classes a steady diet of barley[12] and “wine mixed with gall”.[13] This article both confirms Pope Francis’ concerns of income inequality, particularly in the U.S., and that the Obama Administration is attempting to reconcile several of these issues. Christ did talk about cleansing the temple, but He wasn’t referring to a pressure washer and some “elbow grease”. Quite the opposite, as He exclaimed in Mk.11:17 Then he taught them saying, “Is it not written*: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples’? But you have made it a den of thieves.” *It was written in Is.56:7. God cares not if the interior and exterior walls in His House are a bit dingy, rather He cares about what goes on at the altar and ends up in the pews. In the case of the restoration of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, I hope Pope Francis did not end up being subject to the very evil he disdains and as a result of that, “the thieves got away with the house”. In Luke 12:13-15, Saying against Greed, He [Jesus] said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” But Jesus recognized and Pope Francis recognizes both the evil of greed and the good deeds from some of the rich: In Lk.19:1-10, Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, it reads; 1He [Jesus] came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. 2Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, 3was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. 5When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” 6And he came down quickly and received him with joy. 7When they all saw this, they began to grumble, saying, “He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner.” 8But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost.” History repeats itself. The Giving Pledge founded by Bill Gates and wife Melinda, together with Warren Buffett, came up with the idea to get America’s wealthiest families to give away at least 50% of their wealth during their lifetimes, or upon their deaths, and write a letter explaining why. The campaign specifically focuses on billionaires (or those who would be billionaires if not for their philanthropy). As of February 2014, 122 billionaire or former billionaire individuals and couples have signed the pledge, which is a moral commitment to give, not a legal contract.[14] In the history of biblical good deeds, the one that I think of most often were the actions of a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph. He was a member of Sanhedrin (the same Jewish Council that condemned Jesus to death), but secretly a disciple of Jesus for fear of the Jews. After the death of Jesus, Joseph asked Pontius Pilate if he could remove the body of Jesus from the Cross and Pilate permitted it. Joseph and a Pharisee (Jewish leader) named Nicodemus took the body of Jesus and bound it with burial cloths along with the spices, according to the Jewish burial custom. In the place where he had been crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was Joseph’s new tomb, so they laid Jesus there because of the Jewish preparation day; for the tomb was close by. Both Joseph and Nicodemus risked not only their wealth and prestige, but also their lives to give the Messiah a proper burial. St. Paul knew well the struggles of the poor and wrote to his companion Timothy about the Right Use of Wealth: 1Tim6:17-19 *17Tell the rich in the present age not to be proud and not to rely on so uncertain a thing as wealth but rather on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 18Tell them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, ready to share, 19thus accumulating as treasure a good foundation for the future, so as to win the life that is true life. * [6:17–19] Timothy is directed to instruct the rich, advising them to make good use of their wealth by aiding the poor. My 7:00 p.m. Sunday evening ritual is watching the CBS News Show, 60 Minutes. It’s an old addiction going back to the Mike Wallace, Ed Bradley, and Andy Rooney days. Last Sunday night was a repeat of a previous episode about the Robin Hood Foundation which was founded by Paul Tudor Jones II, also founder of Tudor Investment Corporation, a private asset management company and hedge fund. The Robin Hood Foundation is New York’s largest poverty-fighting organization, and since 1988 has focused on finding, funding, and creating programs and schools that generate meaningful results for families in New York’s poorest neighborhoods. Since its founding, Robin Hood has distributed more than $1.45 billion in grants and initiatives to hundreds of New York City-based soup kitchens, homeless shelters, schools, job training programs, and other vital services that give New York’s neediest citizens the tools they need to build better lives for themselves and their families. In addition, Robin Hood’s board of directors pays all administrative, fundraising and evaluation costs, so 100% of your donation goes directly to organizations helping New Yorkers in need.[15] Seth Meyers, former SNL member and now talk show host, was the emcee at a previous fundraising venue and remarked to those in attendance; “its like the 1% has its own 1%”. He was probably correct. In the Spirit of Zacchaeus and St. Timothy, The Giving Pledge and The Robin Hood Foundation realize the plight of the poor and they do good deeds to help them. (Ref. Revelation 22:12. Good deeds also include faith and repentance.) Reuters reported in late January 2014 that Pope Francis is currently writing an encyclical on the environment.[16] Earlier that month in his so-called “state of the world” address to diplomats accredited to the Vatican, he said, “God always forgives, we sometimes forgive, but when nature – creation – is mistreated, she never forgives.” His statement echoes what the Prophet Isaiah wrote approximately 2,800 years ago regarding the environment: Is. 24:3-6 “3The earth shall be utterly laid waste, utterly stripped, for the LORD has decreed this word. 4The earth mourns and fades, the world languishes and fades; both heaven and earth languish. 5The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws, violated statutes,broken the ancient covenant.* 6Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants pay for their guilt; Therefore they who dwell on earth have dwindled, and only a few are left. * [24:5] Ancient covenant: God’s commandments to all humankind (cf. Gn 9:4–6). The Noahic Covenant. This is the same Prophet Isaiah that in the 8th century B.C. accurately predicted the coming, persecution and death of Christ in Isaiah Chapter 53. I pray that Pope Francis, like me, sees the relationship between our declining environment and St. John’s visions in the Book of Revelation.[17] [18] On this issue of climate change, the Pope must again loudly speak the truth so as to drown-out the shrill voices of hatred from the “far right”, who will again attack him. Is.17:13 But God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far away, Driven like chaff on the mountains before a wind, like tumbleweed before a storm. Pope Francis is a Jesuit and he’s inherently doing his job: Remember St. Peter, upon this rock I will build my church. [1] http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/16#48016018-1 [2] http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/pope-taps-eight-cardinals-lead-reform [3]http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/pope-francis-denounces-trickle-down-economic-theories-in-critique-of-inequality/2013/11/26/e17ffe4e-56b6-11e3-8304-caf30787c0a9_print.html [4] http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/12/02/rush-limbaugh-vs-the-pope/ [5]http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2013/11/27/it_s_sad_how_wrong_pope_francis_is_unless_it_s_a_deliberate_mistranslation_by_leftists [6] http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303562904579228020205294840 [7] http://www.avemariafunds.com [8] http://www.cnbc.com/id/101302230 [9] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/upshot/the-american-middle-class-is-no-longer-the-worlds-richest.html?_r=0 [10] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/23/upshot/about-the-data.html [11] http://www.lisdatacenter.org [12] Rev. 6:6 Barley: food of the poor (Jn 6:9, 13; cf. 2 Kgs 7:1, 16, 18); it was also used to feed animals; cf. 1 Kgs 5:8. [13] Mt.27:34 Wine…mixed with gall: cf. Mk 15:23 where the drink is “wine drugged with myrrh,” a narcotic. Matthew’s text is probably an inexact allusion to Ps 69:22. That psalm belongs to the class called the individual lament, in which a persecuted just man prays for deliverance in the midst of great suffering and also expresses confidence that his prayer will be heard. That theme of the suffering Just One is frequently applied to the sufferings of Jesus in the passion narratives. [14] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giving_Pledge [15] http://www.robinhood.org/about [16]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/25/pope-francis-envionment_n_4662499.html [17]https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.192138634308397.1073741832.100005367848348&&l=65246c6661 [18] http://www.tribulation7.com This week, Pastor John Hagee quoted The Book of Genesis which says God uses the sun, moon, and stars for signs and seasons. Examples can be found throughout the Bible. According to Pastor Hagee, God is getting ready… to speak this way once again.
“I believe that in these next two years, we’re going to see something dramatic happen in the Middle East involving Israel that will change the course of history in the Middle East and impact the whole world,” he predicted. The story was reported by CBN News and you can read it on this link: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2014/February/Divine-Sign-for-Israel-Hagee-Explains-Blood-Moons/ In case you don’t know who is Pastor John Hagee, he is the senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational megachurch with more than 20,000 active members. In his 2005 book Jerusalem Countdown: A Warning to the World, Hagee interprets the Bible to predict that Russia and the Islamic states will invade Israel and will be destroyed by God. This will cause the antichrist, the head of the European Union, to create a confrontation over Israel between China and the West. The book echoes predictions made in The Late, Great Planet Earth, the best-selling 1970 book co-authored by Hal Lindsey and Carole C. Carlson. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hagee) That’s a bit different than my book TRIBULATION. The antichrist, also known as “the beast” is described in Rev. 13:1-2 as: 1Then I saw a beast come out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads blasphemous name[s]. 2The beast I saw was like a leopard, but it had feet like a bear’s, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion… The reader can see my illustrations, with descriptions of the 1st and 2nd beasts at the following link: http://www.tribulation7.com/illustrations.html I say the beast is an oil rig which symbolizes the oil companies and that’s a far cry from the “head of the European Union” In 2007, Hagee stated that he does not believe in global warming, and he also said that he sees the Kyoto Protocol as a conspiracy aimed at manipulating the U.S. economy. Also, Hagee has condemned the Evangelical Climate Initiative, an initiative “signed by 86 evangelical leaders acknowledging the seriousness of global warming and pledging to press for legislation to limit carbon dioxide emissions. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hagee) Many other Judeo-Christians do believe in climate change. The National Religious Partnership For The Environment has sent several letters to President Obama emphasizing the seriousness of climate change and its threat to our civilization. The National Religious Partnership For The Environment is comprised of:
I wonder if Pastor Hagee knows that his beloved state of Israel is a participant in the Kyoto Protocol or if Hagee is discounting our sins from Isaiah Ch. 24 which are resulting in climate change. Is Pastor Hagee open-minded enough, based on the descriptions in Rev.8:8-9 (the 2nd Trumpet – Deepwater Horizon Disaster) and Rev. 16:8-9 (the 4th Bowl – Global Warming) to see that these respective events have occurred or are occurring as we speak. In the CBN article, Hagee spends a lot of time directing his latest prophecy to some place between the Old Testament and his own personal visions. In the article, he does make one reference to the Book of Revelation where it ‘says that during the Great Tribulation, “the moon will become like blood.”‘ What he’s referring to is the 6th of 7 seals described in Rev. 6:12-14 which reads; 12 Then I watched while he broke open the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; the sun turned as black as dark sackcloth and the whole moon became like blood. 13The stars in the sky fell to the earth like unripe figs shaken loose from the tree in a strong wind. 14Then the sky was divided like a torn scroll curling up, and every mountain and island was moved from its place. The biblical notes of the New American Bible discuss this particular scripture and go on to say that its a “symbolic rather than literal description of the cosmic upheavals attending the day of the Lord when the martyrs’ prayer for vindication (Rev 6:10) would be answered; cf. Am 8:8–9; Is 34:4; 50:3; Jl 2:10; 3:3–4; Mt 24:4–36; Mk 13:5–37; Lk 21:8–36.” As you can see, it uses a lot of both Old Testament and New Testament scripture as its basis. What Pastor Hagee may or may not realize and probably wouldn’t agree with, is that the 6th Seal has already occurred. The reader can check the following facts: A 6.5 Earthquake occurred in Iran on 12/20/10 @ 12:41p.m. CST. A Lunar eclipse “the whole moon became like blood” occurred on 12/21/10 @ 1:41 a.m. CST, exactly 13 hrs. (Rev.1:3) after the 6.5 Earthquake. A Geminid Meteor Shower occurred 12/13/10 and an Ursids Meteor Shower on 12/21/10, from my book TRIBULATION by G.R. MILLER. Rev. 1:3 reads “Blessed is the one who reads aloud and blessed are those who listen to this prophetic message and heed what is written in it, for the appointed time is near.” Regarding “every mountain and island was moved from its place”, read the following NASA article: Japan Quake May Have Shortened Earth Days, Moved Axis http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/japanquake/earth20110314.html Lk21:25 which is titled The Coming of the Son of Man says “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves. The Fukushimi earthquake and tsunami occured on Mar. 11, 2011. The “Supermoon” rises on Mar. 18, 2011: which was the biggest full moon in 18 Years. The 6th Seal may or may not be part of “The Tribulation” which is best described in Mt. 24:15-31, Lk.21:7-28, 2Thes.2:1-17, 2Tim3:1-9, 2Ptr.3:8-10, Rev. Chapter’s 8-11 & 13-19. As you read the Hagee article, you see a continuing tone from the pastor regarding Israel and its neighbors and a potential nuclear threat. Hagee says; The blood moons of 2014 and 2015 are poised to appear as Iran works toward nuclear weapons and Israel’s neighbors, Egypt and Syria, are in chaos.“The only reason that Iran will not acquire a nuclear bomb will be that Israel chooses a military solution to that crisis,” Hagee told CBN News. Hagee appears to be salivating over his prophecy of Armageddon occurring in the next 2 years, I assume on Mountain of Megiddo as described in Rev. 16:16. “I believe that if that happens, it will start a series of events that will change the course of world history,” he said. “If Israel does not, then it will still change the course of world history.” Hagee has been warning of the Iranian nuclear threat through his work with Christians United for Israel, which he founded in 2006. It is now the largest pro-Israel organization in America, with some 1.3 million members. Personally, I do my best to quote scripture regarding our obligation to protect Israel. Psalm 98:1 says: A psalm. I Sing a new song to the LORD, for he has done marvelous deeds. His right hand and holy arm have won the victory. The NAB biblical notes for Psalm 98:1 say: Marvelous deeds…victory: the conquest of all threats to the peaceful existence of Israel, depicted in the Psalms variously as a cosmic force such as sea, or nations bent on Israel’s destruction, or evildoers seemingly triumphant. His right hand and holy arm: God is pictured as a powerful warrior. My thoughts are: “His right hand and holy arm” are the 2nd Coming of Jesus Christ. Mark 16:19, The Ascension of Jesus, says So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. In Rev. 17-14 it says; “They will fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and king of kings, and those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Israel has the Leviathon Gas Field, which contains roughly 19 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and is the largest gas field to have been discovered in the past decade. It was discovered in 2010, about a year after the discovery of the Tamar field, which, together with Tamar Southwest reservoir, contains roughly 11 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The Leviathan reservoir is expected to be the largest infrastructure project in Israel’s history. Last week, on Feb. 7th, Australia’s Woodside acquired a 25% stake in the Leviathon Gas Field for $2.7 billion. (Source: http://www.haaretz.com/business/.premium-1.573015) Just a quick note: the name Leviathon is referenced in Isaiah 27:1 where scripture titled The Judgment and Deliverance of Israel says: On that day, The LORD will punish with his sword that is cruel, great, and strong, Leviathan the fleeing serpent, Leviathan the coiled serpent; he will slay the dragon* in the sea.a From the NAB Biblical Notes, “*” referencing Leviathan…dragon: the description of Leviathan is almost identical to a passage from a much earlier Ugaritic text. The sea dragon became a symbol of the forces of evil which God vanquishes even as he overcame primeval chaos; cf. notes on 30:7; 51:9–10; Jb 3:8; 7:12; no power can challenge God. Leviathan is even spoken of playfully in Ps 104:26. “a” referencing Old Testament scripture Jb 40:25–32; Ps 74:12–14; Ez 32:2. Dragon is the description used throughout the Book of Revelation referring to Satan. From Rev. 12:13-18; 13When the dragon saw that it had been thrown down to the earth, it pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle, so that she could fly to her place in the desert, where, far from the serpent, she was taken care of for a year, two years, and a half-year. [3 1/2 years is the length of the Tribulation]. 15The serpent, however, spewed a torrent of water out of his mouth after the woman to sweep her away with the current. 16But the earth helped the woman and opened its mouth and swallowed the flood that the dragon spewed out of its mouth. 17Then the dragon became angry with the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus. 18It took its position on the sand of the sea. Maybe now some open-minded readers can see my view of the “the beast” as an oil rig, symbolizing an oil company. As it says in Rev. 13:2 “To it [the beast] the dragon gave its own power and throne, along with great authority.” In this case the authority to market “the dragon”. Some where in all that is the sign of the beast as described in Rev. 13:16-18…a numbered stock certificate? a gasoline credit card? I’m open to other suggestions. Natural gas is being used to displace petroleum and coal to reduce CO2 emissions and global warming; therefore, I see a plausible conflict between Israel and the OPEC nations in the Middle East and Northern Africa, due to sheer competition, (which could significantly drive down the price of oil) or especially if Israel starts mass exporting LNG (liquified natural gas) to nations currently importing petroleum and coal as their primary energy sources. We’re already seeing Saudi Arabian concerns about lifting sanctions on Iran: Iran would then put more oil on the world market driving down the price. Follow my logic. Congressional Doves —>Lift Iranian sanctions if they agree to stop their nuclear weapons program —> More oil on the world market driving down the price of oil; thereby, diminishing the economics of projects like Keystone XL. The inverse of that logic we’re seeing: Congressional Hawks —–> Continued and additional sanctions on Iran regardless of Iranian compliance with eliminating its nuclear weapons program —-> No additional oil from Iran on the world market —-> Oil prices stay high —> Projects like Keystone XL still have an acceptable rate of return. Sound plausible? Several of my references to scripture above could segue to Rev. Chapter 7 The 144,000 Sealed, Chapters 8 and 9 The Trumpets, Chapter 14 The Lamb’s Companion’s, Chapter 15 and 16 The Seven Plagues and Seven Bowls, and Part V of the Revelation (Chapters 17 – 20) The Punishment of Babylon and the Destruction of Pagan Nations. I’ll write about that later. God’s message is clear: Protect Israel from any threat to their peace, be it Iran or any other country; however I say we MUST go through the peace process between Iran and Israel, regardless of the shrill false prophesies of the “John Hagee’s” of the world. From the January 24, 2014 New York Times article: Pipeline Fight Lifts Environmental Movement by Sarah Wheaton
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/25/us/keystone-xl-pipeline-fight-lifts-environmental-movement.html?_r=0 Please read my 8th & 13th blogs http://www.tribulation7.com/blog/ The oil/coal industries and GOP want new jobs via a new pipeline of which pipeline construction, for new and existing pipelines, goes on daily in the U.S. and Canada. It’s not a novel idea to create jobs with new pipelines. It’s a bad idea to create jobs with new pipelines to carry heavy oil from the oil sands of Alberta into the U.S., especially if carbon taxes are on the horizon, which they hopefully are and will be implemented sooner rather than later. You want jobs oil/coal/GOP? Keystone XL is a “drop in the bucket” compared to the jobs created by the displacement and divestiture of oil/coal for natural gas: Converting petroleum pipelines to natural gas pipelines requires recertification of every petroleum pipeline converted, as well as expanding the natural gas pipeline infrastructure to accommodate increased usage…that’s lots of jobs. Increased E/P for natural gas…that’s lots of jobs. Building gas processing & NGL fractionation facilities to separate natural gas from natural gas liquids and then to separate the natural gas liquids to the fundamental lower-carbon-hydrogen compounds of ethane, propane, butane, natural gasoline and variants of. These “light” hydrocarbons provide crop drying for agriculture, feedstocks for petrochemicals, industrial uses, and home heating fuel…that’s lots of jobs. Adding import and export facilities for liquified natural gas ….that’s lots of jobs. Converting coal and oil fired power plants and home heating systems worldwide to natural gas….that’s lots of jobs. With stricter emission standards, adding BACT (Best Available Control Technology) for Air Quality systems in power plants, which have been “grandfathered” on emissions limits …. that’s lots of jobs. And last but not least, retrofitting existing automotive engines and creating new automotive engines that are powered by compressed natural gas (CNG), H2 fuel cells, and electricity, as well as building the fueling stations to power these engines….that’s lots of jobs. I’ve just said “that’s lots of jobs” 7 times. These aren’t just lots of construction and manufacturing jobs. .. They’re R&D, engineering, design, procurement, construction, manufacturing, maintenance, operations and all of the G&A support required….that’s a lot of jobs which also slow down climate change. It will be the next “industrial revolution”‘, all the while including the expansion of renewable energy on a parallel path. The “end game” being a “stay-in-business” project for the sanctity of the earth that God provided us: see Gen.9:12. So the next time you hear oil/coal/GOP crow about needed jobs, you’ll hopefully see the light: Is.24:5-6 I keep getting tweets from and promoted by ExxonMobil saying “N. America to shift from a net importer to a net exporter of #natgas by 2020. More info like this at http://www.exxonmobil.com/quiz #EnergyQuiz“ I can’t figure out if they’re thumbing their collective noses at me or trying to appease me since I’m one of their biggest critics. Based on my above prose, I’m thinking “thumb nosing”…My response tweet was; “Pretty presumptuous considering u have no idea how much oil/coal will b displaced by Nat. gas or maybe you’ll just control that?” The bottom line being if we make the expanded use of domestic natural gas a national priority to slow climate change, then our domestic consumption increases, leaving less, if any, to export. ExxonMobil’s tweet “showed their hand”. I found Isaiah Chapter 24 by word searching “pollute” in the New American Bible. Verses 5 and 6 read as follows: 5The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws, violated statutes, broken the ancient covenant. 6Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants pay for their guilt; Therefore they who dwell on earth have dwindled, and only a few are left. The “ancient covenant” in this case is the covenant between God and Noah in Genesis 9:5 and God said: “Indeed for your own lifeblood I will demand an accounting: from every animal I will demand it, and from a human being, each one for the blood of another, I will demand an accounting for human life. When you continue to read Isaiah verses 7 through 23, its quite sobering. If you’re looking for legitimacy of the prophet Isaiah, look no farther than Is. Chapter 53 where he accurately predicted the coming and the life of Jesus Christ…Approximately 800 years before His coming. Few people at ExxonMobil want to DEAL with Isaiah 24, as was evidenced by the their shareholder’s meeting on May 29, 2013. Rex Tillerson asked “What good is it to save the planet if humanity suffers?” He tried to say that poverty reduction would be more difficult if ExxonMobil set goals to reduce emissions from its products and operations. Rex T. evidently did a good sales job, for approximately three fourths of shareholders agreed with him. Last year, Rex said “”We have spent our entire existence adapting…We’ll adapt.” “It’s an engineering problem and there will be an engineering solution.” So evidently now, laissez-faire acceptance of doom has outweighed adaptation. The latest from Rex to the City Club of Cleveland, he said that Climate change is a serious and complex problem that society may not be able to fix and will just have to deal with and further “I view it as a risk management problem”. This time, Rex again says; DEAL with it. One of the most important steps in risk management is RCA (Root Cause Analysis). One of the primary causes of climate change are CO2 emissions and the resulting risk management should be to take steps to manage (diminish) these emissions at their source. As noted above, Rex T. and the majority of ExxonMobil shareholders are unwilling to do that. What Rex is unwilling to admit is that we can displace petroleum and coal with natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy, on a strategic basis, without any negative effect on poverty reduction. One of the ironies of all this is Rex and I are both Civil Engineering majors from the University of Texas-Austin. I managed the engineering, procurement and construction of two facilities in Louisiana where ExxonMobil was an equity partner. As ExxonMobil said, my employer could build the facilities timelier and more cost effective and just as safe as they could. Rex graduated from UT in 1975 and me in 1983. Rex received the 2006 Distinguished Engineering Graduate award and is trying to kill the planet. I’m a “Messenger” writer (some would call a prophet) and I’m trying to save the planet, both physically and spiritually. The proverbial fox (oil/coal/GOP) is not only guarding the henhouse, its controlling the message and feeding you a lot of “malarkey”. I’m trying to find a traditional publisher to publish a revised version of my book. Last month, I emailed a well-known traditional Christian publisher, inquiring about interest in my book. They basically responded that if I revised my book to a futurist message, rather than a preterist / futurist message, I might find a traditional publisher interested in the book. Those aren’t the revisions that I quite had in mind. In Revelation 22:18-19, God reminds us of the consequences of exercising “artistic license” to his divine message. Preterist or preterition, in the case of the Book of Revelation, meaning “The act of passing, or going past; the state of being past.” Past the start of the Parousia…meaning the “clock is ticking”. Rev. 16:1, 8-9 The Seven Bowls. 1I heard a loud voice speaking from the temple to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the seven bowls of God’s fury upon the earth.” 8The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun. It was given the power to burn people with fire. 9People were burned by the scorching heat and blasphemed the name of God who had power over these plagues, but they did not repent or give him glory. God’s Fury being the end of the Mesozoic era, 65 million years ago, and the destruction of all non-avian dinosaurs. The contents of the “bowl” being petroleum, or the “Wine of God’s Fury”. Re: Revelation 14:10-12 Lest we forget biblical history, albeit used symbolically: From Genesis 14:10 , ”Now the Valley of Siddim was full of bitumen pits; and as the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah fled, they fell into these, while the rest fled to the mountains.” Ultimately, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, four of the five “Cities of the Plain” were completely consumed by fire and brimstone, as a result of Divine Judgement for what amounted to impenitent sins of all kinds. In this case, the leaders were mired in the “tar pits” while the rest of the population took to the “high ground”. There are notable people and groups who are taking climate change quite seriously: On World Environment Day, Pope Francis asked the tough questions: What does cultivating and caring for the earth mean? Are we truly cultivating and caring for creation? Or are we exploiting and neglecting it?[1] The USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) began pleading for Dialogue Prudence and the Common Good when addressing Climate Change as far back as June 15, 2001.[2] Most recently the USCCB sent letters to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) expressing the urgent and necessary measures required to address climate change. They cite evidence, which continues to point toward significant damaging impacts from climate related events in the United States, across the globe, and particularly for the poorest developing countries. Some poor nations and small island states already experience these impacts as a matter of survival for their people and cultures.[3] This is quite opposite to what Rex Tillerson said above about “poverty reduction [being more] difficult if ExxonMobil set goals to reduce emissions from its products and operations.” Trust me Rex, the Christian and Jewish communities addressing these issues know “a bit more” than you about poverty. In a letter to President Obama, The National Religious Partnership For The Environment also emphasized the issue of poor nations and small island states experiencing these impacts as a matter of survival for their people and cultures.[4] President Obama is now scheduled to lay out a Climate Change Plan on June 25th. [5] Since Climate Change was noted as a top priority in his inaugural address, such a plan is promising. Now we’ll get to see how much resistance the plan gets from the Tea Party, neo-conservatives and other climate deniers. President Obama met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 8, 2013. The only Climate-Change-related concession the Chinese were willing to make was reduction of hydrofluorocarbons, a potent greenhouse gas used in refrigerators, air conditioners, and industrial applications.[6] China is the biggest polluter in the world and the United States is second.[7] Since WE have the majority of issues to address, WE should be taking the lead roles in Climate Change reduction…You lead by example. Former President Bill Clinton has shown a longstanding commitment to the environment. The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) is implementing programs that create and advance solutions to the root causes of climate change – while also helping to reduce our reliance on oil, saving money for individuals and governments, creating jobs, and growing economies.[8] Former Vice-President Al Gore continues the good fight against Climate Change. His efforts resulted in a co-award of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. [9] Secretary of State John Kerry has called Climate Change a “life-threatening” issue and that the United States must play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. He noted that “the fastest growing sector of our economy is clean energy,” [and] “It’s [also] a job creator.”[10] Kerry is meeting with officials from India today and will urge them to curb emissions that contribute to global warming and ease barriers to U.S. business and investment in the world’s largest democracy that is viewed as a counterweight to China.[11] New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is proposing to spend $20 billion to deal with Climate-Change-related exposure to New York City. The basis of these expenditures is a Risk Management plan based on 250 specific recommendations to further fortify the city against climate events.[12] The plan proposes a variety of solutions, from the predictable (widened beaches and amended building codes) to the bold (building a sustainable island on the East side of lower Manhattan to shield the city from extreme weather, just as Battery Park City mitigated the damage on Manhattan’s West side.)[13] Upon rerecording the aforementioned record CO2 level, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change issued statement calling “for a greatly stepped-up response to climate change by all parts of society.”[14] The positive actions of the Catholic Church, especially Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and now Francis I[15] and the USCCB, begs the question, what more can all people of Faith do to bring attention to Climate Change and the threat to our civilization. I’d like to note that The National Religious Partnership For The Environment[16] discussed above, is comprised of:
God said: This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations. Don’t deny the power of prayer in dealing with Climate Change. If churches and synagogues are at a crossroads in their ministries and “drunk with the fear” of accepting Climate Change, then reread Isaiah Chapter 24 and it will “sober you up”. Then reread this blog and the quoted Scripture. You should be able to see how everything starts linking together, just like a chain of hydrogen and carbon, which make up Hydrocarbons. History says that I’ll have to endure some attempt at silencing my soul, which will probably be an attempt to “kill” my credibility. The attempt will come from those who have been rebuked by my prose and rebuked by the Word of God. In 33 A.D. there was a teacher, who was also a messenger, on the streets of Judea who asked a harassing crowd, (John 7:19-20): 19Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?” 20The crowd answered, “You are possessed! Who is trying to kill you?” This “teacher” was later scourged and crucified for our salvation. I do not worry of any impending doom to my reputation. Writing TRIBULATION was my “reward” from God (Daniel 12:13). But I know my reward is conditional, based on my Faith in Him. As an “unknown author” said in Hebrews 13:5-8; 5Let your life be free from love of money but be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never forsake you or abandon you.” 6Thus we may say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper, [and] I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” 7Remember your leaders who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God didn’t give Jesus Christ the desire to judge or condemn, rather to save. In the Revelation, God gives the Second Coming the ability to “destroy those who destroy the earth.” Revelation 1:8, 1:18, 11:18. There’s an old saying that goes; “The ship is sinking and you’re straightening the deck chairs”. There’s another old saying: “Desperate times call for desperate measures”. Climate Change is THE biggest threat to our civilization. WE MUST DEAL WITH IT     From NASA website: http://climate.nasa.gov/key_indicators#co2CLIMATE CHANGE Rev. 16:8-9 8The fourth angel poured out his bowl (one of the seven bowls of God’s fury poured on the earth) on the sun. It was given the power to burn people with fire. 9People were burned by the scorching heat and blasphemed the name of God who had power over these plagues, but they did not repent or give him glory. Is. 24:5-6 5The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws, violated statutes, broken the ancient covenant.* 6Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants pay for their guilt; Therefore they who dwell on earth have dwindled, and only a few are left. *“ancient covenant” is defined in the NAB biblical notes as “God’s commandments to all humankind (cf. Gn 9:4–6).” or the Noahic Covenant. Nm 35:33 You will not pollute the land where you live. For bloodshed pollutes the land, and the land can have no expiation for the blood shed on it except through the blood of the one who shed it. 34Do not defile the land in which you live and in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the Israelites. Hos 4:2–3 2Swearing, lying, murder, stealing and adultery break out; bloodshed follows bloodshed. 3Therefore the land dries up, and everything that dwells in it languishes: The beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and even the fish of the sea perish. [1]http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/06/05/pope_at_audience:_counter_a_culture_of_waste_with_solidarity/en1-698604
[2] http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/environment/global-climate-change-a-plea-for-dialogue-prudence-and-the-common-good.cfm [3] http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/environment/upload/Letter-to-Bicameral-Task-Force-on-Climate-Change-2013-02-21.pdf [4] http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/environment/upload/Letter-on-Climate-Change-to-President-Obama-2013-01-29.pdf [5] http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/22/us-usa-climate-obama-idUSBRE95K16D20130622 [6] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2338437/Obama-makes-climate-change-agreement-China-presses-leader-cybersecurity-North-Korea.html [7] http://www.reuters.com/news/pictures/slideshow?articleId=USRTXRKSI#a=2 [8] http://www.clintonfoundation.org/main/our-work/by-initiative/clinton-climate-initiative/about.html [9] http://climaterealityproject.org [10] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/john-kerry-climate-change_n_2545406.html [11] http://news.yahoo.com/climate-change-business-top-kerry-visit-india-115148312.html [12] http://www.mikebloomberg.com/index.cfm?objectid=34ADFF08-C29C-7CA2-F244BC8B5CA207D7 [13] http://tv.msnbc.com/2013/06/11/a-plan-to-protect-nyc-from-the-ravages-of-climate-change/ [14]http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/400_ppm_media_alert_13052013.pdf [15]http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/313729/pinoyabroad/worldfeatures/pope-francis-has-chance-to-inspire-world-religions-to-go-green [16] http://www.nrpe.org The Revelation of Jesus Christ talks about the “Two Witnesses” in Chapter 11. God says in verses 3, 6 and 7; 3“I will commission my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days, wearing sackcloth.” 6“They have the power to close up the sky so that no rain can fall during the time of their prophesying. They also have power to turn water into blood and to afflict the earth with any plague as often as they wish.” 7”When they have finished their testimony, the BEAST that comes up from the ABYSS will wage war against them and conquer them and kill them.” From my book TRIBULATION, the “Two Witnesses” are the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. The sackcloth they wear symbolizes lamenting over the declining physical condition of the earth. The powers, in the form of environmental protection and developing sources of renewable energy would be eliminated if these agencies are “killed off”. Without these powers, CO2 levels, global temperatures and the sea levels will continue to rise unchecked and the development of renewable energy sources would be greatly diminished, if not eliminated. Basically, without the EPA and DOE, it would strictly be “Drill Baby Drill”. The Tea Party wants to eliminate these 2 agencies because of their insistence that they are anti-business. This is the same Tea Party described in Revelation 6:7-8 as: “a pale green horse. Its rider was named Death, and Hades accompanied him. They were given authority over a quarter of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, and plague, and by means of the BEASTS of the earth”. The BEASTS are those described in Revelation 13:1-18 and Daniel 7:1-28, drawn on my book cover, and shown in the below illustrations. The BEAST is the oil and coal industries, symbolized by an oil exploration/production rigs coming “out of the sea” and a dragline coal mining excavator “coming out of the earth”. In the New American Bible, the ABYSS is described in the Rev. 9:1 Biblical Notes as: Sheol, the netherworld, where Satan [DRAGON] and the fallen angels are kept for a thousand years, to be cast afterwards into the pool of fire; cf. Rev 20:7–10. The abyss was conceived of as a vast subterranean cavern full of fire. Its only link with the earth was a kind of passage or mineshaft, which was kept locked.  The largest oil drill bit in the world is on display at the Petroleum Museum in Norway. It is three ft in diameter and weighs nearly 4000 lbs. Photo: Jan A. Tjemsland/Norwegian Petroleum Museum  Oil Rigs Left to right: 1)Onshore platform; 2)Fixed platform; 3)Jackup Rig Daniel 7:5,7 5The second beast was like a bear; it was raised up on one side, and among the teeth in its mouth were three tusks. It was given the order, “Arise, devour much flesh.” 7 After this, in the visions of the night I saw a fourth beast, terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength; it had great iron teeth with which it devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet what was left. It differed from the beasts that preceded it. It had ten horns. 13:1-2 The First Beast 1Then I saw a beast come out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems, and on its heads blasphemous name[s]. 2The beast I saw was like a leopard, but it had feet like a bear’s, and its mouth was like the mouth of a lion (below).  Dragline Coal Excavator[1]  Dragline Bucket Revelation 13:11 The Second Beast. Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth; it had two horns like a lamb’s but spoke like a dragon. What the Tea Party, neo-conservatives and other climate deniers are unwilling to admit is the +0.6 Deg. C (appearing linear) rise in global surface temperature for the last 40 years. Scientists and engineers know that when you see a “trend” for 40 years, you don’t discount it on an 8 year “plateau” of data, particularly when there are previous “plateaus” in the last 40 years. The New York Times published an article on June 10, 2013 supporting the evaluation of “plateau” data and expanding on where the heat may be going, if not registering in the surface temperature rise.[2]
In addition to a global temperature rise, there has been a significant and linear rise in Carbon Dioxide and Sea Levels. In early May 2013, the Carbon Dioxide was measured at 399.89 (corrected down from 400.03) ppm (parts per million) at the NOAA Mauna Loa monitoring station in . Carbon dioxide can stay in the atmosphere for as much as a century, so levels now may cause warming for decades. The concentration has now increased by more than 40 percent from the pre-industrial mark of 280 ppm.[3]Coinciding with the rise in Carbon Dioxide and Global Surface Temperature is a reduction of World Sea Ice and Land Ice. All of the aforementioned data can be found in the charts and graphs from 2 federal agencies: NASA (National Aeronautic & Space Administration)[4] and NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration[5]. These people have “no agenda”. So with all of these charts and graphs from NASA and NOAA, it begs the question: WHEN & WHERE DO WE DRAW THE RED LINE ON CLIMATE CHANGE? Israel has a red line for Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The U.S. has a red line for Syria’s use of chemical weapons against its people. Why can’t we, as a world community, establish carbon emissions limits and promote new technology, which at least slows the demise of our planet. The thing about NASA and NOAA climate change data, its not difficult to extrapolate; thereby, allowing accurate projections on future severity. We’re seeing significant evidence of increased severity:
If all this sounds calamitous … it is. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dragline_excavator.png [2] http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/11/science/earth/what-to-make-of-a-climate-change-plateau.html?_r=0 [3] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-10/hawaii-carbon-dioxide-measurement-for-may-9-passed-400-ppm.html [4] http://climate.nasa.gov/key_indicators#globalTemp [5] http://www.noaa.gov/climate.html [6] http://www.nifc.gov/fireInfo/fireInfo_stats_totalFires.html We are a civilization of Messenger Shooters (or Killers).
Shakespeare wrote in Henry IV, part 2; “”The nature of bad news infects the teller.” [1] Freud cited the example of the Spanish Moors who told how King Boabdil received the news of the fall of his city of Alhama. He felt that the loss meant the end of his rule. But he would not “let it be true”….”He threw the letters in the fire and killed the messenger”‘.[2] The times were old, but the idiom (or form of) DON’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER, hasn’t changed because NO ONE LIKES BAD NEWS. In Luke 11:47, Jesus denounced the Scribes and Pharisees as those who “build the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed.” One of those prophets was Isaiah, who lived and was martyred by Manasseh in the 7th Century B.C. We assume Manasseh killed Isaiah for his refusal to accept Manasseh’s polytheistic and idolatrous ways.[3] Isaiah more accurately prophesied about the life of Jesus Christ, than any other prophet (Isaiah Chapter 53), so he definitely established the gift of prophecy given to him by God. So why is it that Isaiah wrote Chapter 24, about the punishment to man for polluting the earth, and very few people acknowledge it? It’s much like the reluctance to discuss the Book of Revelation. Why??? Because NO ONE LIKES BAD NEWS. I found Isaiah Chapter 24 by word searching “pollute” in the New American Bible. Verses 5 and 6 read as follows: 5The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws, violated statutes, broken the ancient covenant. 6Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants pay for their guilt; Therefore they who dwell on earth have dwindled, and only a few are left. The “ancient covenant” in this case is the covenant between God and Noah in Genesis 9:5 and God said: “Indeed for your own lifeblood I will demand an accounting: from every animal I will demand it, and from a human being, each one for the blood of another, I will demand an accounting for human life. When you continue to read verses 7 through 23, its quite sobering. Few people at ExxonMobil want to DEAL with Isaiah 24, as was evidenced by the their shareholder’s meeting on May 29, 2013. Rex Tillerson asked “What good is it to save the planet if humanity suffers?”[4] He tried to say that poverty reduction would be more difficult if ExxonMobil set goals to reduce emissions from its products and operations. Rex T. evidently did a good sales job, for approximately three fourths of shareholders agreed with him. Last year, Rex said “”We have spent our entire existence adapting…We’ll adapt.” “It’s an engineering problem and there will be an engineering solution.” So evidently now, laissez-faire acceptance of doom has outweighed adaptation. Now in the last week, to the City Club of Cleveland, Rex said that Climate change is a serious and complex problem that society may not be able to fix and will just have to deal with and further “I view it as a risk management problem”. This time, Rex again says; DEAL with it. One of the most important steps in risk management is RCA (Root Cause Analysis). The Root Cause in climate change is CO2 emissions and the resulting risk management is to take steps to manage (diminish) these emissions at their source. As noted above, Rex T. and the majority of ExxonMobil shareholders are unwilling to do that. What Rex is unwilling to admit is that we can displace oil (and its derivatives) with natural gas, nuclear power and renewable energy, on a strategic basis, without any effect on poverty reduction. One of the ironies of all this is Rex and I are both Civil Engineering majors from the University of Texas-Austin. I managed the engineering, procurement and construction of two facilities in Louisiana where ExxonMobil was an equity partner. As ExxonMobil said, my employer could build the facilities timelier and more cost effective and just as safe as they could. Rex graduated from UT in 1975 and me in 1983. Rex received the 2006 Distinguished Engineering Graduate award and is trying to kill the planet. I’m a “Messenger” writer (some would call a prophet) and I’m trying to save the planet, both physically and spiritually. [1] Shakespeare Henry IV, Part 2, II, 5; cf. I, 2 [2] Sigmund Freud, On Metapsychology (PFL 11) p. 454-5 [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martyrdom_of_Isaiah, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah [4] http://business.financialpost.com/2013/05/30/exxon-rex-tillerson/?__lsa=b3f2-ab94 Leviticus 19:33 – 34 33When an alien resides with you in your land, do not mistreat such a one. 34You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God. Exodus 23:9 You shall not oppress a resident alien; you well know how it feels to be an alien, since you were once aliens yourselves in the land of Egypt. Exodus 22:20-23 20You shall not oppress or afflict a resident alien, for you were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt. 21You shall not wrong any widow or orphan. 22If ever you wrong them and they cry out to me, I will surely listen to their cry. 23My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans. Matthew 25:31-46 The Judgment of the Nations. 31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, 32 and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, 36naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ 40 And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ 41 Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’ 44 Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ 45He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.’ 46 And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”  My two sons, Jackson and John standing in front of immigrant luggage at Ellis Island in July 2011. Shortly after my son John and I moved to Manhattan, I took him and his younger brother Jackson to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. At the time, Jackson was 9 and John was 13. I wanted them to gain an appreciation for our country, our freedom and for all of the immigrants who had passed through this “gateway” to the United States. New York City is a “melting pot” city in a “melting pot” nation. Its home to 8 million people and the United Nations. Therefore, its understandable what God, through his “mighty angel” instructed St. John to do in Revelation 10:11. “You must prophecy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings” … Immigrants, diplomats and heads of state coming to New York City. My education and appreciation of immigrants started at roughly the same age as Jackson. I had studied the Statue of Liberty in schoolbooks and the only immigrant “gateway” to the United States that I had seen was Ciudad Acuña, Mexico, across the Rio Grande River from Del Rio, Texas. Growing up, my second home was Edwards County, Texas, situated between the towns of Rocksprings and Carta Valley. The trek from our deer lease via U.S. Hwys 377 and 277 to the Texas – Mexican border was approximately 60 miles. Rocksprings, then and now, survives on the wool and mohair industries, and the town of approximately 1,200 people is known as the Angora Goat Capital of the World. It was the late 1960′s and this was my earliest recollection of migrant workers. It was truly a “la familia” affair. From babies in the arms of their loving mothers to patriarchs who had probably spent the last 50 years shearing sheep and goats and performing other ranch work. This was 3 generations of love and hard work. There were no electrical outlets, extension cords or electric shears, merely pruning sheep shears. This was a family event and it was their livelihood.  Pruning Sheep Shears If an Anglo in the area were asked if they would shear sheep? The answer would have probably been “no … it’s ‘wet-back’ work.” Illegal immigrants were regarded as “wet-backs” or “wets”, a racial epitaph referring to them swimming across the Rio Grande to gain illegal access to the United States. As such, life was symbiotic but unfair along the Texas – Mexico border. The migrant workers had no rights and were just happy to get a day’s pay. My parents were decent God-fearing people who loved all humanity. My mom grew up poor, picking cotton in the heat of a Central Texas field. My dad started helping my grandfather build houses when he was old enough to drive a nail. One day during early winter, I witnessed their true compassion just as Jesus instructed us to do in Mark 12:30-31: 30You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” It was during the middle of deer hunting season in 1969 when the Texas Hill Country becomes an endless string of deer leases that are loaded up with high-powered weapons and ammo like an armory. Think: State of Texas, alcohol, and fewer gun laws than today. Taking that into account, if 4 Mexican nationals approach a farmhouse in the middle of the Texas Hill Country, with the man in the lead position pointing to his mouth, even I knew at 9 years of age, they were hungry and probably starving. There was a lead man, a lag man, and 2 men hiding in a goat shed. In 1969, winters could be bitterly cold there, but on this day it was probably in the 40’s. My dad immediately knew what to do. We kept a strong box of non-perishable food: canned chili, canned vegetables, canned fruit, canned anything that you could can. The lead and lag men came up to the porch and my parents immediately started feeding them and giving them water. The two men in the goat shed stopped hiding and also came up to the porch to eat. Their clothing was tattered. It was approximately 60 miles from our hunting lodge to Del Rio via highway, and it was approximately 50 miles by “crow flight”, which is typically the way they travelled to avoid the U.S. Border Patrol. Migrating though the rocky terrain, mesquite thorns and cactus quills of the Hill Country is quite hazardous, especially if traveling at night. We always kept additional warm clothes in our hunting camp and were able to supplement them with some light jackets and flannel shirts. After they ate, my dad gave them his best effort at directing them, in Spanish, towards Rocksprings, where they could probably find work. Growing up, my parents gave me 3 basic “Thou Shall Not” speeches:
I vaguely remember those “Thou Shall Not” discussions with my parents, but it was a “Thou Shall Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself” discussion in Edwards County, TX that I remember like it was yesterday. After the 4 men had disappeared into the pin oaks and on toward Rocksprings, my folks looked at me and gave me these words, which I put in my book, regarding Revelation Chapter 10: “If someone is hungry you feed them, if their clothing is tattered, you give them clothing, if they need shelter, you shelter them. If they need direction, you guide them, because they only want a better life.” Was the act of compassion that my parents’ and I did that day of aiding and not reporting illegal immigrants unlawful? It depends on whose laws you’re reading. The Bible tells us to Love Our Neighbor as Ourselves 9 times: Leviticus 19:18, 34, Matthew 19:19, 22:39, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27, Romans 13:9, Galatians 5:14, James 2:8 . Per the laws of the U.S. Dept. of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, our actions were most likely unlawful that day. Would I do it all over again? In a New York Minute God through Christ, through an angel, gave the visions to St. John while he was imprisoned on the Island of Patmos. These visions are the basis for the Book of Revelation. This is same St. John known as the beloved apostle and as the Evangelist who wrote the Gospel according to John and 3 of the Catholic Letters. What I’ve done in my book, is to apply the visions given to St. John to people, places, and things in the modern day world, which is what I call decoding the book with a pragmatic approach. Revelation Chapter 10, The Angel With The Small Scroll, was an easy practical match to the Statue of Liberty. I call Chapter 6 of my book TRIBULATION, The Scroll. It’s an 8 column by 638 row spreadsheet encompassing 141 pages, which is almost half the book. It quotes every verse of Scripture in the Book of Revelation, along with USCCB Biblical notes, reference scripture, and my commentary. I started The Scroll on August 30, 2010 and completed it on February 4, 2013 (my son Jackson’s birthday). It was on October 2, 2011 (my birthday) that I made the connection to the Statue of Liberty and to the poem at the base and inside the statue, The New Colossus, “Anthem Of Freedom”, by Jewish American poet, Emma Lazarus. The poem says: Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”  The New Colossus plaque inside and at the base of the Statue of Liberty The Scripture, Biblical Notes and Commentary of Revelation Chapter 10 are as follows: Revelation 10:1-3The Angel with the Small Scroll. 1 Then I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven wrapped in a cloud, with a halo around his head; his face was like the sun and his feet were like pillars of fire. 2In his hand he held a small scroll that had been opened. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 3and then he cried out in a loud voice as a lion roars. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices, too. USCCB Biblical Notes: * [10:1–11:14] An interlude in two scenes (Rev 10:1–11 and Rev 11:1–14) precedes the sounding of the seventh trumpet; cf. Rev 7:1–17. The first vision describes an angel astride sea and land like a COLOSSUS, with a small scroll open, the contents of which indicate that the end is imminent (Rev 10). [10:2] He placed…on the land: this symbolizes the UNIVERVERSALITY of the angel’s message, as does the figure of the small scroll open to be read. [10:3] The seven thunders: God’s voice announcing judgment and doom; cf. Ps 29:3–9, where thunder, as the voice of Yahweh is praised seven times. (Rev.1:8 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”* says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.”) Updated Commentary The “mighty angel come down from heaven wrapped in a cloud, with a halo around his head” is the Statue of Liberty. The French named the statue “La Liberté éclairant le monde” which translated means “Liberty Enlightening the World”. The statue is of Libertas, a [cloud-white] robed female figure representing the Roman goddess of freedom. She has 7 rays coming from the halo [or crown] on her head. When originally erected, the statue was copper colored; thereby, St. John’s vision of a face like the sun and feet like pillars of fire is understandable. She gets her blue-green color from copper oxidation along with several other chemical including one related to sulfur emissions . 2In his (her) hand he held a small scroll. St. John saw a tablet, which in Latin is known as the tabula ansata or “tablet evoking the law” in Lady Liberty’s left hand and proclaimed it the “small scroll that had been opened”. The date on the tablet, July 4, 1776, is in Roman numerals; therefore, it could be interpreted as an imminent date for the End of Age. However the words of “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus”, in a plaque inside the monument at its base, is the content of the small scroll. He [she] placed his [her] right foot on the sea and his [her] left foot on the land (she’s stepping toward the sea with her right foot), and then he [she] cried out in a loud voice as a lion roars. When he [she] cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices saying: “Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. A UNIVERSAL message to all who wish for freedom and opportunity in this land.   The Statue of Liberty stepping into New York Harbor with her right foot… Revelation 10:2 2In his hand he held a small scroll that had been opened. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. This was the vision given to St. John from God. Revelation10:4-74When the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write it down; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have spoken, but do not write it down.” 5Then the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven 6and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them, “There shall be no more delay. 7At the time when you hear the seventh angel blow his trumpet, the mysterious plan of God shall be fulfilled, as he promised to his servants the prophets.”
USCCB Biblical Notes * [10:6] Heaven and earth and sea: the three parts of the universe. No more delay: cf. Dn 12:7; Heb 2:3. * [10:7] The mysterious plan of God: literally, “the mystery of God,” the end of the present age when the forces of evil will be put down (Rev 17:1–19:4, 11–21; 20:7–10; cf. 2 Thes 2:6–12; Rom 16:25–26), and the establishment of the reign of God when all creation will be made new (Rev 21:1–22:5). Updated Commentary She raised her right hand, with a torch, to Heaven. The 7 measurements [trumpets] of 18″ on the Manhattan Key of David. See dimensioned drawing (Key of David – Manhattan). When you hear the seventh angel blow his trumpet, the mysterious plan of God shall be fulfilled, as he promised to his servants the prophets.” [10:3] The seven thunders: Ps 29:3–9, where thunder, as the voice of Yahweh, is praised seven times. Rev.1:8 8“I am the Alpha and the Omega,”* says the Lord God, “the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty.” Revelation 10:8-118Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” 9So I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, “Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.” 10I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and swallowed it. In my mouth it was like sweet honey, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. 11Then someone said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.” USCCB Biblical Notes * [10:9–10] The small scroll was sweet because it predicted the final victory of God’s people; it was sour because it also announced their sufferings. Cf. Ez 3:1–3.* [10:11] This further prophecy is contained in chaps. 12–22. Updated Commentary “Take and swallow it” means open, read, and accept the scroll. Then someone said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, tongues, and kings.”: The immigrants who went through Ellis Island. The “melting pot” of New York City with a population of approx. 8MM people. The United Nations. This Angel, the Statue of Liberty, gives people Hope. The book she’s holding gives the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. With words that were once sweet, they are now sour because of the hypocrisy towards the Mexican immigrants to the south. So thanks be to God for the Immigration Reform Bill passing the U.S. Senate vote. Particular thanks to those who stood up to the radicals in the Tea Party; however, Senator Marco Rubio was once in the "gang of 8" supporting the bill has now withdrawn his support. So if I could wish anything good could come from this blog, it would be that the House of Representatives, as they put together THEIR bill, would feel some of the same compassion that my parents and I felt on a wintry day in 1969, and keep in mind that immigrants built this country, and have come to this country for decades because they wanted a better life. A Reading from the New Testament 1 John 3:17 If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him? Paz y Vaya con Dios But I do love the Roman Catholic Church and as is said in the Nicene Creed “I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.” Protestant religions such as Anglicans, Lutherans, Episcopalians, United Methodists, and some Presbyterians believe the same thing. Some replace the word “Catholic” with “universal”.
I was born in St. Joseph Hospital in Houston, TX. A hospital named after the patron saint of the universal Church, Prudent Guardian of the Holy Family, and Protector of God’s Holy Church. By baptism, I was raised in the loving arms of the Southern Baptist church. By my senior year in high school I began drifting away from the Baptist church because their beliefs seemed antiquated to me. I was 18. Through college and into my 40’s, I tried different churches, mainly Baptist and Methodist, but not on a consistent basis. It was December 2009 when I gained a sense of purpose from the Lord and I began attending a Catholic church in Katy, TX. I eventually became an usher and made a genuine effort to attend Mass every Sabbath. After 18 months, my son and I moved from the greater Houston area to the Upper West Side of Manhattan, NY. I love New York City because it’s a melting pot of people from “many nations, tongues, and kings”, and because people are still proud of “their neighborhoods”. Our former neighborhood has a wonderful church. I still say it’s the best church I’ve ever attended and had some of the most wonderful priests who could positively affect you with very thought-provoking homilies. It was so good that I signed up for RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) and began the conversion process to Catholicism. In some cases, if a Catechumen has been baptized in another faith, the Catholic Church accepts the baptism. I was told this was not my case as a Baptist, which didn’t bother me. We had meetings every week. The room was typically full of people but mostly practicing Catholics, rather than prospective converts. Because I was in the midst of writing my book, I occasionally asked questions about the Book of Revelation since it comprises most of my book. There was one evening when I brought up the Revelation and the response from the RCIA director was one of preterism (that the Parousia had already occurred) and one of humiliation (that this was the type of question typically asked by people of the Baptist faith). Maybe the director was just having a bad day. Maybe he just didn’t like my questions. Regardless, I still loved the church, but I felt that it might be better for everyone if I withdrew from the class and postponed my conversion. My decision was not about the church, rather individuals in the church. That seems to be the very issue we have today with scandal in the church. After my withdrawal from RCIA, we started attending St. Patrick’s church, which is a gorgeous cathedral. Several years ago, I lost a significant amount of hearing in my right ear, so I have difficulty with the building’s acoustics. Regardless of my bad experience with RCIA, we occasionally attended the previous church. In my book Tribulation I repeatedly deem the Roman Catholic Church as the Church of Philadelphia: From Revelation 3:7-11 7“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write this: “‘The holy one, the true, who holds the key of David, who opens and no one shall close, who closes and no one shall open, says this: 8“‘“I know your works (behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close). You have limited strength, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9Behold, I will make those of the assembly of Satan who claim to be Jews and are not, but are lying, behold I will make them come and fall prostrate at your feet, and they will realize that I love you. 10Because you have kept my message of endurance, I will keep you safe in the time of trial that is going to come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth. 11I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown. To many, The Roman Catholic Church is the “bellwether” of Christianity, being that it was the first Christian church to be created from, but not limited to, the Passover Supper, the crucifixion, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. St. Peter the Apostle served as the first pope. Their members have kept the Word of God through the centuries, through persecution, through wars, and through scandal. “Little power” means the primary source of income to the church is through charity. They have held fast to the commandments and the canons of the church. Tribulation only contains Scripture from The New American Bible, the official Bible of the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) and one of the most comprehensive bibles with its biblical notes. I eat fish every Friday. I observe Lent. I do my best to make Mass every Holy Day. We typically drive back to New York City to attend Mass, but because we are not Catholics, my son and I do not participate in Communion. I enjoy Mass mainly because it is an uplifting experience for me and because it is structured: The Introductory Rites, The Liturgy of the Word, The Liturgy of the Eucharist, The Eucharist Prayer, The Communion Rite, and The Concluding Rites. Having an autistic child, structure is very important. He really enjoys Mass, especially if we celebrate it over a sandwich at Subway. I believe in and have experienced Angels and Demons as I explain in my book. In the book The Rite by Matt Baglio, he speaks to the Rosary Prayer and quote: “The Marian prayer, especially the rosary, is a very powerful weapon in the fight against Satan” “That is why [Mary] insists so much that we pray the rosary; the rosary is a prayer that really whips the demon into a frenzy.” With the emergence and growing numbers of occult practitioners in religions such as Wicca, I pray the Rosary and the Prayer of St. Michael the Archangel on a daily basis. I can’t always see evil, but I can darn sure feel it. Prayer is the only way to defeat evil. Around my neck, I wear a Celtic cross, a St. Michael medal, a Miraculous medal and a St. Edith Stein medal. With this week’s Roman Catholic conclave, the top news has been the election of St. Francis I as the new pope. One who appears to be a humble man who wants a “poor church for the poor.”: 2Corinthians 8:9 For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich. Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. This is a man who appears to be dedicated to the 1.2 billion Catholics and in helping them to Hold fast to what they have, so that no one may take their crown (Rev.3:11). Many critics of the church wanted a new pope to reform (modernize) the church. What these journalists don’t realize is that Scripture is the fundamental guide for the church and as is in said Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I finalize this blog preparing to drive to New York City with my son and attend Saturday evening Mass at one of many, holy, catholic and apostolic Churches. I don’t know if the words, “I AM A CATHOLIC” will ever cross my lips. Regardless, I will always love the sound of: “I AM MERELY A CHRISTIAN”. Have a blessed St. Patrick’s Day. |
AuthorAuthor G.R. Miller, utilizing his engineering and project management experiences in the fossil fuels energy sectors and guidance from God, takes a pragmatic approach of part preterism, part symbolism and part literalism in decoding the Revelation of Jesus Christ. He exhibits a Climate Change connection through scripture, commentary and illustrations. Archives
February 2018
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