Merry Christmas

All too often the matter of Christmas has been marginalized by reason of commercialism. However, I am thankful for those that have kept Jesus Christ the center of all celebrations. Merry Christmas

The Great Offense

I have just about had my fill of those that come against those that stand for Christian virtues. Anything that comes close to Christendom is condemned as though Christianity is a plague that should be avoided and destroyed at all cost. And now A&E has fired the patriarch of Duck Dynasty merely because he has taken a stand against homosexuality. Well, I stand against the perverse sin as well. This is not to say that the people that practice this behaviour cannot receive forgiveness from a living God rather it is taking a stand against things unholy. With that in mind I have decided to repost my titled message because I am offended that some choose to come against the Christ I choose to serve.

If God Were a Peripheral God

If God Were a Peripheral God.

If God Were a Peripheral God

If anyone knows anything about philosophy it is certain that Frederick Nietzsche’s idea of a “dead god” is either infamous or famous depending on one’s world view. Nietzsche’s dead god did not mean that our God was without life rather it was Nietzsche’s way of presenting the idea that God was not involved in His creation. It is much like the idea of Deism wherein it is believed that God created man and then pulled away from mankind with little to no involvement. This, by extension, would make God a peripheral God, an idea which must be challenged.
The fact of the matter is that God was involved with His creation from the time of the creation. The narrative in Genesis clearly shows that Adam and Eve enjoyed a relationship with God. Relationships are far from peripheral in that there needs to interaction between the parties involved in the relationship. With that God spent time with man until sin caused a breach in the relationship. In spite of the breach God continued to reach out to man to repair a broken relationship. God longed for the communion He once enjoyed with man so that from the time sin entered the camp God put in place a plan to restore that relationship. Peripheral thinking would lend one to believe that a peripheral God would not care about a broken relationship. Thus, if God were a peripheral God there would be no concern for what was lost.
There are many other scriptural examples of God working to restore broken relationships between himself and man. Take for instance the period of time when the Israelites were in bondage to the whims of the Egyptians. The people of God were not allowed to worship Him and desired to be in a place where they could worship without hindrance. God heard the desires of His people and worked diligently to bring His people out from the land of bondage into a state of freedom. With this in mind God chose Moses and gave him specific instructions as to what to do in order to deliver God’s people. It is not certain that a peripheral God would take the time and care to bring His people from a state of bondage into a state of freedom where worship of Him is not only allowed but also encouraged.
The multiple encounters of God in the Old Testament with His people clearly show that our God is not dead. That is to say that God is not separated from those that love Him rather multiple evidences show that God speaks to and works with not only those that love Him but also God reaches out to those who have not chosen to love Him. There is no more evidence of that then the text found in John 3:16-17 which reads:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
The fact of God sending His Son into a sinful world does not speak of One who is peripheral. In fact the converse is true. For instance, if God were a peripheral God there would be no concern for the sinful state of man. There would be no desire to restore the broken relationship. A peripheral God would not put the life of His Son into the hands of those that chose to forsake Him on every hand. Instead God with all His love looked down through the annals of time and saw a wretched people in need of deliverance. If God were a peripheral God salvation would be non-existent and all mankind would be dammed by reason of the first Adam.

Moreover if God were merely peripheral Jesus would not have sacrificed himself on the cross with the result of paving the way for man to accept Him, the one and only source of redemption. If God were a peripheral God the spilled blood of Jesus would be void thereby making His atoning work of none effect. If God were as suggested by Nietzsche the promise made by Jesus to never leave us nor forsake us would be a lie. Further His fulfilled promise to send the Holy Ghost to live in believers would be null. If God were a peripheral God then my life is not worth living. Yet because God is intimately involved in the lives of those that love Him I am awed that God is not a peripheral God.

Obamacare Could Force Thousands Of Volunteer Fire Departments To Close (VIDEO).

Shame on Subway

Shame on Subway.

Shame on Subway

      It was my hope not to write this article yet sometimes unless a thing is brought to the eye of the public important issues are quickly brushed to the side as though they were mere flies on a hot Summer’s day. My experience with several Subway stores was less than honorable on Veteran’s Day. Because of that I though it reasonable to send a nice professional letter to Subway via their website. Well, you don’t know the story so let me explain. 

     I joined the United States Marine Corps as a young man. At the age of eighteen I entered boot camp on Parris Island. I was honored to do what I did and would do it again today. I served honorably and was discharged as such. With that I mind I thought I would enjoy some Veteran’s Day festivities in the Baltimore area. So first grabbed my Starbucks coffee cup and laptop and headed for a local Starbucks where I enjoyed the promised free cup of coffee while doing some light work on my computer. After finishing the enjoyable cup of joe I returned my cup and laptop to the house and ventured to the Washington Monument area to watch the parade honoring veterans. 

     Following the parade I found myself near the War Memorial where speeches were made in respect to the occasion. By this time I sensed a slight hunger so I thought I would take Subway up on their word of a free six inch sandwich. I journeyed a couple blocks away to the Lexington Street Subway. I was denied the sandwich. Somewhat disappointed I would not be deterred so I walked to the VA Medical Center which is adjoined to the University of Maryland Hospital. The VA hospital was all but dead. However the University of Maryland was its usual bustling self. Now, inside the food court of the University of Maryland is a Subway store.  I was denied the sandwich a second time.

     It was widely reported that veterans would be entitled to a free six inch sandwich from Subway. So far I was denied twice. The denial caused my curiosity to rise as to the matter as related to the promise made by the cooperate office of Subway. So I thought I would take a little more time to determine if any Subway location would honour the promise made. Subsequently I visited eight Subway stores in the downtown Baltimore area. Not one of them honored the promise made by Subway Corporate office. So, I thought I would contact Subway and did so via their website.  To date the only response I received is the following:

 Dear William ,

Thank you for contacting SUBWAY® Restaurants. Your feedback is important
to the SUBWAY® brand and your recent inquiry has been forwarded to the
appropriate areas for further review.

Sincerely,
The Customer Care Team
SUBWAY® Restaurants
325 Bic Drive
Milford, CT 06461 USA
http://www.subway.com
Ph:  1.800.888.4848 

Note: This e-mail message is automatically generated as part of our automated e-mail system. Please do not reply to this e-mail address as this mailbox account is not monitored.

      Now, subway did not have to offer veterans the sandwich. Additionally, I would not normally go seeking free things from anyone. However I thought since the promise was made I would take advantage of the gift in honour of those of us that served this nation by defending it in arms. Promises are promises and should be kept no matter what. To that end I say shame Subway for making me feel like a common beggar of alms when all I was doing was seeking what was promised to me without solicitation. Shame on Subway!

Obama Removes ‘God’ From Gettysburg Address

mburbie's avatarThe Freedom Fighter

Washington DC talk show host Chris Plante reported today that Barack Obama omitted the words “under God” from the Gettysburg Address when reciting the great speech for a Ken Burns documentary.

Burns had filmed all living presidents as well as various Hollywood personalities and luminaries to pay homage to the speech which was delivered by Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago, today.

Plante broke the story on Washington DC talk radio station WMAL on his mid-morning program, “The Chris Plante Show.”

WMAL reports:

Curiously enough, in his version of the speech, President Barack Obama’s delivery contained an omission – in a line that every other celebrity delivered as “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom,” the President left out the words “under God.”

The video of Obama’s rendition of the speech can be seen below. It is unlisted (for now) on the Ken Burns YouTube page.

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The Gettysburg Address

Executive Mansion, Washington, , 186 . Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal” Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who died here, that the nation might live. This we may, in all propriety do. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow, this ground– The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here; while it can never forget what they did here. It is rather for us, the living, to stand here, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

I Made A Vow to the Lord

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=i+made+a+vow+to+the+lord+song&FORM=VIRE3#view=detail&mid=BAF5114DE5AAD3D7897BBAF5114DE5AAD3D7897B

A former co-worker reminded me of this song. I had to share because I find in it the heart of the Gospel.