How Do You Handle a Gift from the Lord?

Psalm 127:3-5                        KJV

³ Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

⁴ As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

⁵ Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed,

but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

Have you ever told a lie to your children? I mean, for their own good, of course. A ‘little fib-a-roonie’. Like the one about an lovable elderly man, with a white beard, red suit, and a plethora of toys. How about the existence of monsters in the world? Have you ever lied about them? I can remember telling my girls that there were no such thing as monsters when they were scared about the possibility of their existence. “Not at all,” I assured them, as I safely tucked them in their canopy beds for the night.

 

The real truth being, that there really are monsters, and I knew it. I just could not bear to tell my children that fact in their tender innocence.

Terrorism knows no boundaries of decency, nor humanity itself. As such, their barbarism extends to children. Back in April of this year, over two-hundred young girls from Nigeria were kidnapped.¹ There were many reports that these girls are Christians. Since their capture, we have seen photographs of them wearing Muslim garb, while being forced to ‘convert’ to Islam. At this posting, these precious young girls are still missing, and presumably, being held in a living hell. Call this the real-life version of Taken.

We know from the Book of Proverbs 27:20a, Hell and destruction are never full. So, along comes the sequel, Taken 2. Just a few days ago, the blood-thirsty and demonic, Boko Haram, struck again. They may have ripped as many as sixty more children³ from their families, stealing perhaps their virginity, and their future life. Prior to the kidnappings, Boko burned at least one school with children inside.⁴

The BBC reports the meaning of Boko Haram as this, “Boko Haram translates from the local Hausa language to mean "Western education is a sin", according to most media reports. But a few voices of doubt have been raised. How could two words convey so much information?

There doesn't seem to be much debate over the word "haram". It means prohibited or sin, most scholars accept. The word is Arabic in origin.

But there is confusion over "boko". Some claimed it was derived from the word book. But African language expert Paul Newman has said they are what the French call "faux amis", two similar sounding words with no relation when it comes to meaning.

Boko Haram translates from the local Hausa language to mean "Western education is a sin", according to most media reports. But a few voices of doubt have been raised. How could two words convey so much information?”⁵

 
We get the idea. Destroy all things western, because all things western are bad. Meanwhile, the voracious and rapacious wood-chipper-like destruction of Boko Haram continues, seemingly, unabated.⁶ Regrettably, they are not alone. Terrorists and their terror are on the march.

We, the West, are in a war. It is a war like no other. The challenge set before us is that those who are supposed to lead us, and protect us, are lying to us. They are telling the world that we will have ‘peace in our day’. We are directed to embrace the Religion of Peace, coexist, and keep truth to ourselves, lest someone, somewhere, be offended. Perhaps they are lying to us for our own good. After all, they know that monsters exist. They don’t want us to be afraid. Perhaps. Or perhaps, there is naiveté. Or perhaps, there is an agenda. Perhaps.

Worse yet, we may be lying to ourselves. They reality is that as we stumble along in the fog of war, or non-war as it were, our children are being decimated in the most cruel of ways imaginable. Unless we face the truth, of the Beast in the Middle East, the once full quiver, will soon be empty. And we will meet the enemy at the gates, and that enemy may just be us.

¹Terrorists kidnap more than 200 Nigerian girls Oren Dorell, USA TODAY 5:27 p.m. EDT April 21, 2014.

²Nigerian schoolgirl abduction: Boko Haram claims responsibility for kidnapping 276 students By Africa correspondent Martin Cuddihy, wires Updated Tue 6 May 2014, 4:32pm, www.abc.net.au/news.

³Nigeria denies clams of book haram abduction of 60 women children. By firstpost last updated on June 26, 2014 at 8:57 am.

^4.World News 05.12.14 Boko Haram Steps Up Its War on Kids.

⁵Who, What, Why: Exactly what does the phrase Boko Haram mean? 13 May 2014 Last updated at 06:21 ET.

⁶Boko Haram burns churches, kills more than 30 people, residents say Posted 6:00 pm, June, 2014, by CNN Wires.

Another Worthy Candidate

April 23, 2014   Pastor Terry Amann Endorses Robert Cramer GRIMES - The Robert Cramer for Congress campaign announces the endorsement by Pastor Terry Amann of Walnut Creek Church.  Pastor Amann has served as pastor of Walnut Creek Church since 2008 and has been an outspoken advocate for conservative candidates such as Governor Mike Huckabee in the 2008 presidential campaign.  Pastor Amann is well respected as a faith based leader in his community.   Pastor Terry Amann Endorsement: “I am a pastor at Walnut Creek Church in Des Moines. I do not speak on behalf of any church, or organization, but as a private, and concerned citizen. As such, I am endorsing Robert Cramer for the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Iowa’s Third Congressional District. Robert Cramer is a person of strong faith and integrity. He is someone who will be able to reach across the political divide with respect, and without compromising his beliefs. Robert Cramer will lead with conservative values, and innovative ideas. His thoughtful people skills, combined with his successful business acumen, will allow him to see results in Washington, for the good of our state, and our nation. Robert Cramer will help to put the ‘service’ back into Public Service. Amidst some great candidates for this office, I fully support Robert Cramer.” Robert Cramer issued the following statement upon receiving the endorsement: “I am honored to have the support Pastor Terry Amann.  Pastor Terry is a man of integrity and strong faith who serves as a leader in his community by example.  I appreciate Pastor Terry’s endorsement of our campaign and our message of limited government and unlimited opportunity and look forward to working with him and others in the faith based community as we continue our efforts.”

Standing with Right Standing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         

Monday, April 7, 2014

CONTACT:  Stephanie R. Laudner

(319) 230-6867

Email:   Stephanie @samclovis.com

TERRY AMANN ENDORSES SAM CLOVIS

Des Moines – “Today, I am excited to endorse Sam Clovis for the United States Senate,” said Terry Amann, Pastor at Walnut Creek Church in Des Moines.  “I am a pastor in the Des Moines area.  I do not speak on behalf of any church, or organization, but as a private, and concerned citizen.  Sam Clovis has been refreshingly clear and consistent on what he believes, and why he believes it.  He is a person of faith, and common sense.”  Amann continued by saying that while we have solid Republican candidates in this race, Sam Clovis is the most qualified of the field to represent the great state of Iowa in Washington, DC.

Sam Clovis is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Tom Harkin.  Sen. Harkin has announced that he will retire at the end of this Congressional session.

Amann remarked that Sam Clovis has presciently, and wisely, made the areas of the Economy, National Security, and Liberty, the bedrock of his vision, and his campaign.  “Sam is ready to stand in the gap for all Iowans to secure and protect our livelihood for today, and our children’s future, for tomorrow.”

“I am truly grateful for Pastor Amann’s endorsement today,” said Sam Clovis.  “He is a true man of faith and I am honored that he trusts me to go to Washington, DC and represent him in the U.S. Senate.  Faith is bedrock to this campaign, and his endorsement is the trumpet that we all need during this time of uncertainty in our society.”

“Sam Clovis has an impressive resume,” said Amann.  “His distinguished quarter-century of military service to our country, his significant educational background, coupled with the wide breath of life experience and knowledge is what Iowans need in Washington, DC.  Sam Clovis is the person we need to represent Iowa in the United States Senate.

Sam Clovis holds a Masters in Business Administration in Management and a Doctorate in Public Administration.  He is currently a tenured full professor at a private liberal arts college in northwest Iowa.  He served in the United States Air Force for 25 years and still provides leadership to defense and homeland security institutions.  He lives in Hinton, IA with his wife Charlotte and stepson Khan.  More information on the candidate and his campaign may be obtained at www.samclovis.com.

Selfie, Rhetoric, and the Agenda of Evil

The Word of the Year Award* for 2013 was conferred upon "Selfie". In an age of 'it is actually all about me', as defined by other words like iPad, iPhone, iPod, iMac, and My Space, it would seem fitting that some form of self-absorbed diction would carry the banner.

The president might have given Selfie an extra push as he snapped a harmonious Selfie with the Prime Minister of Denmark, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and British Prime Minister David Cameron. The occasion of the Mandela funeral was the backdrop for this seemingly, poorly timed pic. While it did not cause an international incident, domestically, it might have, as the First Lady looked on, most un-approvingly.

When words are hung together in sentences they can begin to produces thoughts and ideas, humor and sadness, tragedy and comedy, poetry and song, and the list goes on. Words applied one after another have given us the Holy Bible, and other earthly treasures such as the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, Hamlet, Gone with the Wind, War and Peace, and the Gettysburg Address to name a few.

Regrettably, words have also been used for the agenda of evil. Adolf Hitler was a master orator. He used the power of words for his diabolical plan to try to eradicate the Jew from all existence as he attempted to seize control of the world. Hitler had compiled many words - written and spoken. To the shame of humanity, the outside world was turned inside, and we did not listen, and we did not hear the diatribes of a mega-maniac:

“If we consider how greatly he (the Jew) has sinned against the masses in the course of the centuries, how he has squeezed and sucked their blood again and again; if furthermore, we consider how the people gradually learned to hate him for this, and ended up by regarding his existence as nothing but a punishment of Heaven for the other peoples, we can understand how hard this shift must be for the Jew. Yes, it is an arduous task suddenly to present himself to his flayed victims as a 'friend of mankind.'”**

“The destructive workings of Judaism in different parts of the national body can be ascribed fundamentally to the persistent Jewish efforts at undermining the importance of personality among the nations that are their hosts and, in place of personality, substituting the domination of the masses. The constructive principle of Aryan humanity is thus displaced by the destructive principle of the Jews, They become the 'ferment of decomposition' among nations and races and, in a broad sense, the wreckers of human civilization.”***

Words have meaning on the surface and between the lines. Confucius understood this as evidenced in this pithy wisdom from him, "Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more."

Fast-forward to 2014. Continuous words of threat have been leveled at the tiny nation of Israel. The place where the surviving Jews have reclaimed their God-given, biblically described, homeland. Hitler is a large carbon print in the annals of modern history which has recorded the wickedness of man. But another menace lurks in the shadows. The enemy of the Jew today, is the nation state of Iran.

Much has been said about the Iranian view of the people of Israel. What follows is a sample:

March 21, 2013 "Israel's leaders sometimes threaten Iran, but they know that if they do a d---n thing, the Islamic Republic will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

April 16, 2013 "According to the Supreme Leader's statement marking Nowruz, if Israel acts foolishly, Tel Aviv and Haifa will be annihilated...The armed forces are prepared with all their power to execute the orders of the Supreme Leader in minimum time."
General Mohammed Hejazi Deputy Chief of Staff

April 18, 2013 "The army of Iran can by itself destroy Israel."
Major General Ataollah Salehi, Commander and Chief of the Iranian Army

May 1, 2013 "The destruction of Israel is the idea of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and is one of the pillars of the Iranian Islamic regime. We cannot claim that we have no intention of going to war with Israel!"
Ahmad Alamolhoda Member of the Assembly of Experts

May 2, 2013 "Every Muslim who does not want to fight Israel is violating religious law and is essentially forgetting Israel's crimes over the past 60 years on Islamic soil."
Mohammad Dehghan Member of the Majlis Executive Comitttee

June 9, 2013 "As the Supreme Leader has stated, if the Zionists cause any problems for Iran, Haifa and Tel Aviv will be annihilated. "
Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, Senior Military Advisor to the Supreme Leader

June 27, 2013 "If Israel launches even the smallest attack against Iran, Tel Aviv and Haifa will be annihilated..."
Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami Member of the Presidium of the Assembly of Experts

July 31, 2013 "We must spare no effort in liberating holy Jerusalem and cutting off the hands of the infidels from this holy site,"
Ayatollah Mohammd Reza Mahdavi Kani Assembly of Experts Chairman

July 31, 2013 "The day is near in which the sword of resistance and Islamic Awakening will cut off the blood supply of the occupiers of the holy land of Palestine."
Revolutionary Guards Statement

July 31, 2013 "If once the destruction and demise of occupying Israel was an impossible and unattainable dream, today, thanks to the historic and intelligent actions of Imam Khomeini, (the destruction of Israel) has become possible and is actually in the process of occurring."
Iranian Military of Defense statement.

August 2, 2013 "The Zionist regime will soon be destroyed, and this generation will be witness to is destruction."
Hojatoleslam Ali Shirazi Supreme Leader's Revolutionary Guards representative

August 2, 2013 "The only way to subdue the enemies is by refusing to compromise on the goals of the resistance and to remain strong, the future of criminal nations such as the Zionists will be erased from the history books."
Hojatoeslam Mohammad Hassan Akhtari Hizbullah Operations Liaison
and former Ambassador to Syria

November 19, 2013 "we will not abandon our (armed) struggle until the annihilation of Israel and until we will be able to pray in al-Aqsa Mosque."
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi Commander of the Basji militia

November 21, 2013 "The day will come when the Islamic people in the region will destroy Israel and save the world from this Zionist base."
Hojatelesalm Alireza Panahian Advisor to the Office of the Supreme Leader in Universities****

Translation - if you tell somebody enough times that you are going to smash them in the face, it means, you eventually will. The learned sage known as Prof. History has proven this over and over again. Are we listening? Are we hearing? Will we stand by and watch with the volume down? Proverbs 18:21 captures this moment, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

I recently traveled to Israel in order to get a pulse of the people and their situation in light of the Iranian rhetoric, and  their nuclear program. Two areas were made very clear. They are:
1. Israel will have defensible borders
2. Israel will defend herself

We can pray for Israel. We can sound the alarm for Israel. We can keep the heat on our leaders to protect Israel.

The good news is this - God will have the last word, Zechariah 12:8-9 In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the Lord before them. 9 And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

Cool beans. God will have the last word...




*blog.oxforddictionaries.com/2013/11/word-of-the-year-2013-winner/

**Volume One - A Reckoning
Chapter XI: Nation and Race
www.hitler.org/writings/Mein_Kampf/
‎
 ***Volume Two - The National Socialist Movement
Chapter IV: Personality and the Conception of the Folkish State
www.hitler.org/writings/Mein_Kampf/
‎
****Iranian quotes taken from, Sworn to Destruction: What Iranian Leaders Continue to Say about Israel in the Rouhani Era, by Lt. Col. (ret.) Michael Segall & Daniel Rubenstein.