Lobbies and Bribes. Maybe, per chance someone can explain the difference between them.
Near as I can tell they both have the same outcome; to change the vote of the representative. Seems to me as if God, in his Holy Word (the Bible) has plenty to say about it. Only I don’t think he uses the fancy terminology. Basically, he says that the bribe colors the judgement of the one being bribed. I really don’t think He likes it so much.
I knew about the way that the Jews were treated by Hitler and his minions. I knew about the way that the communists treated the Jews after the Bolshevik Revelation. Both were absolutely horrible. I also just recently found out about the way the Roman Catholic Church treated the Jews on or about the 3rd century. However, what I just found out was that the Russian Orthodox Church also treated the Jews very badly. In essence the Tsar, the Russian Orthodox Church and Linin Chased many of the Jews into the hands of Hitler.
I think all of us need to know this, especially us Christians. It is no wonder that Many Jews feel so badly about Christians and Christianity. It is sad that so much hate, anger and killing came into this world in the name of so-called Christianity. These characters truly do not represent Christ or true Christianity.
I assure you that this is one Christian that has the upmost respect for God’s chosen people. Moreover, I am very appalled at the way that the Catholic, current and past, have treated the Jews. There is, of course, no way I can make amends, but I would if I could. And, by the way, I would appreciate it very much that any others reading this will assume a similar point of view. To be sure, we should encourage others to do the same.
Let us not leave any doubt in anyone’s mind. The Jews are the chosen of God and that will not change. Let’s also be mindful that the Jews have been promised a blessing and those that bless the Jews have been promised a blessing. It would behoove us all to remember that lest we fall into the examples of other peoples that have caused the Jews grief.
I wish I were a better writer, especially when it comes to what I am writing. Maybe, I will get a little help from the Lord. The problem is that it is such a broad topic, and it is so easy to go chasing rabbits down trails instead of staying on topic. And to be sure, I am one who easily goes chasing rabbits.
I borrow the following partial definition from Miriam Webster of the word example. “1 : one that serves as a pattern to be imitated or not to be imitated a good example 2 : a punishment inflicted on someone.” I literally copied and pasted this into to my post. I hope they won’t mind.
We use the term so regularly that we sometimes overlook the meaning behind the word. Or maybe I should say the thought behind it. After all, words do represent thoughts. May I reword the above?
We point to good or bad examples to tell us what might be good or bad. That is to say, when our parents told us not to play in the street, they just might be able to point out what happen to the boy that was hurt. Sometimes, our parents point out what happened to an older sibling. In some cases, the sibling did something bad and that the example is not to be followed. In some cases, maybe the sibling did something good and went on to achieve wealth and fame. In some cases, it is impossible to live up to the example but at least we should strive to the goal.
We live in a world of examples: NY, NY; LA, CA; Chicago; SF, CA. They are all cities where the crime and murder rate is high. I certainly would not want to walk down the streets of NY, NY alone in the middle of the night. San Francisco is no longer the model city it was in yesteryear. The Windy city has some of the most stringent gun laws in the country and yet, hardly a day goes by where people there are shooting people. Sometimes, a person dies of an errant bullet simply because they happen to be standing where the bullet happens to be going.
I ask the question: Do we really want to follow the example of these cities? Is there a program that they are using, a plan that they are following that should serve as an example for the rest of the nation? I suggest the opposite is true. They have laws, regulations, and programs that should be held up to the world that should not be followed. They are horrid laws, and the cities are being led by incompetent people. They are not spending money in the right places, and they are giving monies to the wrong people. Their governments are corrupt, and they do not make decisions based on the good of the city or its citizens.
Yet, year after year, the same type people are elected to office. One might hang a sign outside their city halls, “Intelligent people need not apply.” Those who are honest have long given up the concept of trying to straiten out the mess the dems have created.
One can set off from afar and ask, “Why do they do that to themselves?” I mean, the people do get to vote in their choice and then they choose as they choose. Why is that? I don’t know. I have tried to figure it out but my feeble mind simply is not up to the task.
We can look at the states as well. We look at Florida, a really pretty good example of how to have a successful state. Then we look at NY and hopefully realize it is an example of how not to run a state. Or, perhaps we can use the state as an example of how to destroy a state. Yet we must assume it is what the people of NY want. It is what they voted into office.
Personally, I don’t understand it. New York used to be the most populus state. Next census, it might be fourth or fifth. CA is pretty much in a nosedive too despite their ideal weather. Is it their purpose to decrease the cost of living so all the elite will be able to get a good deal when they move in?
However…, being a poor example is not new. God had it all planned out. He would build a big powerful nation that would love Him, His law and follow His leadership. The idea was that the rest of the world would look at the Children of Israel and see how God built the nation up because they did as God commanded.
Well, at least in the short term, the plan failed. Don’t get the wrong idea. God knew the plan would fail from the start. Yet He decided to give Israel a chance and a short time later, the world looked on Israel and saw the example God wanted. Kings came from far and wide to see Soloman and the kingdom that God built.
And then it started falling apart. It’s not that I’m smart. A sixth grader can follow the pattern. Israel broke off from Juda and never did really follow the God. God issued warning after warning until he finally sent a king from the north in to take over. Israel became an example of what happens to a nation when they do not follow God.
Juda on the other hand, lasted a little longer. They followed a pattern. First, they would fall into sin and rebellion, and then they would repent, and God built them up again. I don’t remember exactly how many times that happened, but the last time was different. They fell into sin, and regardless of multiple warnings, they refused to repent. God raised up the nation of Babylon and they took over Juda.
Israel, that is to say, the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Juda, became an example of what not to do. For seventy years, Israel lived under captivity. Even then, they were never restored to their former glory. They lived under the control of Greece and Rome. The Jews had their kings, but they never were autonomous again. Now, today, when people talk about the Jews, there is no respect. They are disparaged and belittled. They are an example of what happens when people don’t do as God tells them. They had a free choice. God did not force them to follow Him. They made their choice and now we all see the example of what happens when man refuses to follow God.
Now. One day, likely soon. The world will once again see what happens when a nation will not follow God. People will look at the history of our once great nation and point and say, “They were once a great nation. The US was once undefeatable. But then they turned away from God.”
Then we will be the example, and not for good.
I suspect I did not do the subject justice. As I said, I am not that great with words. Yet, there are those who have read this are good word smiths. Feel free to use my words and thoughts to further my feeble efforts.
The other day they did a news story about the I-55 bridge being closed for the weekend and I-40 bridge being partially closed for a while. For those unaware, that mostly isolates Memphis from Arkansas. My guess is that it really affected trucking the most.
At any rate, the news folks brought up a subject I heard about from time-to-time. It seems there is a third bridge is in the planning.
It made me wonder, just where will they put the third bridge? My first thought was, where it will do the least good. Then I figured maybe they should put it south of the stateline. Then I realized it was not only selfish of me but highly improbable. Most likely Tennessee money will go into the building of the bridge.
The proper consideration would be to build it a few miles north of The Hernando Desoto Bridge. This would make the most sense as it might help straighten the I-40 kink caused by the fiasco of the effort to put I-40 interstate through the middle of Memphis. (Long story. Too much to get into right now)
On the other hand, maybe it could be put in south of the I-55 bridge…in line with I-240 south. That would allow the old bridge to do what it was originally intended for, serve downtown Memphis.
Actually, none of it matters to me. They won’t decide, maybe for another decade. They won’t break ground for another five years. Maybe, if some going green outfit doesn’t object, they will open the bridge after another five years.
If, by some chance, the bridge is done before I depart this earth, I will very likely have no idea where or am, let alone where the bridge is.
It’s sort-of the way government does things; very, very slow, if at all.
In this world where the dems are so busy trying to convince us of climate change, they are simply overlooking one simple fact. Had they removed one out of three trees in those forests, if they left the healthier trees, there would be 1/3 less fuel for the fires, 1/3 less smog and it would be somewhat easier to control the fire. (Incidentally, healthy trees do not burn as readily as as unhealthy trees.)
The truth is that the fire would have not spread as fast making it even easier to control. In the end, perhaps there would have been less than half the damage. I suspect that there would have been only 1/3 the smog.
But then who am I to say anything about the obvious. I mean, there is that climate change thing that must be sold to the public. If we have to burn down half the timber on the continent, so be it. The Greenies just must make their point no matter what the damage.
I know. Those of you in NY, NY or LA, CA have little interest in what happens in little ol’ DeSoto County Mississippi, but you ought to.
Let me explain, please. In 1977, when I was discharged from the Marines, Highway 302 (also known as Goodman Road) was a little two-lane road that had more pot holes than any known human could count. When I moved to Desoto County, Southaven wasn’t a city; Olive Branch was a city, but barely.
Highway 302 was 2 lanes all the way from US highway 61 all the way past Olive Branch. Now it is at least 4-laned all the way from US 61 to US 72, about 34 miles. And, by the way, nary a pothole all the way.
Now why should you care, those of you in Southern California? What difference does it make to those of you on Long Island? Of what importance is it to those in the Windy City?
Well, here is the point. I tried to drive across through I-55 interchange today and I encountered gridlock. That’s right. It took me four lights in all to cross the 3 7 lane bridge in little old horn lake. We had gridlock. How can this be? When I first moved to DeSoto County, the Horn Lake population was about 5000. Now, the population is about 27 thousand. (Likely more than that, as it has grown since the census) If things keep going, I’d suspect that the city of Southaven will rival Jackson in a decade or two. If those dems keep messing thing us, up there, maybe sooner.
This is sort of odd if you look at the growth of Mississippi in general, which has been decreasing, at least for the last decade or so. Why is this? Why do we have so many traffic problems in our little towns in northern Mississippi.
Of course, I can only guess. I have no degree in such things. I have no degree at all. Yet, I have noticed a thing or two over the years. The businesses in southern Memphis are closing. They are shutting down. In some cases, they are closing their doors north of the state line and opening up offices and storefronts south of the state line.
Now how can this be? Memphis used to be a really nice place. I know. When I was in the Marines, I was stationed there, twice. I saw it as a really great place to live in 1968. Then, when I went back in 1972, I saw some deterioration. Finally, when I was discharged at Millington in 1977, I could see the beginning of the downfall.
Nowadays, people are leaving the city by the thousands, and not too many people are moving in.
While I am sure, as the scarecrow in The Wizard of OZ, we can point in many directions for the problems the city has. Mostly though, we must point to the leadership of the city. Every time they even hint at making a really dumb decision, the value of my home goes up a percent or two. By the way, it also follows that the value of homes in Memphis decrease. I am sure there are many that would like to move south but they have homes they cannot sell for reasonable prices.
Could it be…? Mind you, I am only asking the question. Could it be that the democrats really don’t know how to run a city? I mean…, in every place throughout the country, when the dems took over, the property values plummeted, and not just a little. May I remind you of Detroit where they are bulldozing homes down. Apparently, they can’t even give them away and leaving them vacant only leads to more problems.
And now, if you look around, we see it is happening with states. I understand it is difficult to find a U-Haul to rent in California or New York. You notice there are counties wanting to detach themselves from Washington and Oregon to attach themselves to Idaho. I wonder why. Do you suppose they are all trying to escape the dems? Do you think maybe they don’t like the idea of living under communist regimes? Do you think maybe they are tired of their tax dollars going to those who are too lazy to work. Mostly, mostly, I suspect they don’t like the way the dems run the schools. They would rather their kids be taught how to read and write instead of pretending to be the gender they aren’t? Do you suppose, maybe they would rather their kids be taught math rather than global weather change. Just maybe it would be better to learn history rather than the lies and the brainwashing.
Look out folks. One day they will come up with a law to keep you from moving from a dem state to a Republican state. I mean, how can they spread their vile lies when the kids keep leaving?
As my aside, safety is certainly a big factor as well. I saw the other day on local news program that Memphis restaurant owners have had just about enough. They want the city to start enforcing the law for the safety of their patrons and employees.
It is why the folks are coming south to eat. It is why the businesses are moving south. Not only is it safer but that’s sort of where the customers are going. They are simply following the crowd.
Meanwhile, the little house of mine has gone from selling at 25,000 to a value of right close to 110,000 in about 40 years. I kind of like those dems…, as long as they stay north of the state line.
Former VP Pence alluded to Jan 6 being a violent riot. He just lost my vote. Can’t say I was leaning his way anyway but now I suspect that he likely believed that Pres Trump was behind it.
Sorry. Can’t agree with him on either count. The only one hurt was an unarmed woman that was shot as she was lying down. Can’t believe that she was much of a threat to anyone, certainly not the policeman that shot her.
As for Trump instigating it, he did all he could to stop it. Pelosi absolutely stood in his way. She refused to accept the federal troops he offered days in advance. More than that, it has the smell of being instigated by the dems. (Anyone seen Epps, the one waving encouraging the crowd into the building. Is he or any of the others who encouraged the crowd to enter the building FBI agents. Or maybe they’re just agents hired by the Dems.)
I figure it all out. Why can’t VP Pence? Nope. Can’t vote for him. Actually, I wonder why he is even running. Surely, he does not imagine he’ll get close.
At one time, I really thought that the phone was a wonderful thing. When the cell phone came out, even better. But it would seem that, as with all wonderful inventions, they can be good or bad. A hammer, when used to drive a nail, is a wonderful thing. When used for murder, not so much.
Okay, I agree. I overdid it, not a little but a lot. However, sometimes the extreme is a good thing when illustrating a point.
I have heard that Alexander Bell, the inventor of the phone, would never answer his phone during dinner. As I think it over, maybe that was a good idea, whether he did or not. The old door to door sales man has been replaced by the telemarketer. No one seems immune. During a recent visit to my doctor, he got two robo-calls.
I’m sure they are much more of a bother to him than to me. Yet, he must answer. It just might be an important call. We have all somewhat become a slave to the wonderful invention.
It is quite common for me to receive phone calls from Memphis offering to buy my house. I don’t live in Memphis. Don’t want to sell my house. I must have something to keep the rain off me. Maybe roofs aren’t so important in the desert of Arizona, but here in the Mid-South; they are something of a necessity.
I think the worst thing about phones is that they have virtually destroyed the face-to-face relationships, both socially as well with business relationships.
The other day, I went to answer my cell phone and when I touched the thing in the wrong way, it displayed the internet screen. I rarely use the phone for internet, only when I can’t get to a computer. The screen is too small for my 73 year-old-eyes. It is common with my not-so-smart phone.
So as the phone continued to ring, I continued to fumble. I easily got rid of the of the internet screen, but there were no buttons to answer the phone. So. I missed the call. Just as well. It was a telemarketer. But what if it was that guy that wanted to give me a million dollars? I think I would have been very angry with that phone company and the character that designed that stupid phone, the one they call a smart phone.
So. Today I went down to the store where I bought the phone. I told the sales person there I wanted to drop the line. I have a good flip phone that works much better for my purposes. He said that he couldn’t do it. I had to call customer service, on the phone.
So much for face-to-face service. Of course, if I wanted another phone, they would have had me all set up in roughly twenty minutes. I would have walked out of the store with a new working phone, a smart phone that would really be dumb. They don’t carry the flip phones. They have to be ordered. Takes 7 to 10 days to get it.
Soon after getting home, I called customer service. I explained that I wanted to drop the line and why. The lady I was speaking to hadn’t an idea what I was saying. She immediately started trying to say she might be able to reduce the price of my service.
I explained I wanted the line deleted, like right now. “Sorry. Can’t do that.” Better to talk face-to-face. They obviously did not want to lose the line. After I reminded her that there are many other cell phone services, she stopped that ploy.
Still, in about a year, when I no longer have to pay penalties, I just might go to another service. I am currently paying 200 a month. I think I just might be able to find somewhere that will provide pretty good service for 50 or less. Still. Push-come-to-shove. I am going to have to admit to it. The days of talking to a person, face-to-face are gone. In essence, the corporations have decided to use the hammer for something other than a nail.
Just hear former Gov. Chris Christie will soon announce his candidacy for president.
Sounds like the worst joke I’ve heard all year long. Sounds like the man either has an uncontrollable ego or he’s lost his marbles. If he has lost his marbles, I can understand why, considering where he resides. That sort of thing can rub off on person, you know. It’s the sort of thing that happens when a person hangs around the libs too long.
Even if he were to become the candidate, does he have a clue what the media will do with him? After they get done, figuratively slicing and dicing him, he’ll need a rubber room. Maybe, perhaps a helmet too.
Please read the passage yourself, the death of Ahab, the king of Israel in the Bible. You may want to start as early as First Kings 22:1, though this post speaks only of 22:31 to 22:37. It says, more or less that a Syrian soldier had but one arrow left and decided to just shoot it, at no one person or nothing in particular. That arrow found its mark in Ahab. Therefore, the prophecy was fulfilled that Ahab would die in battle.
I have heard that the arrow was the first guided missile ever in history. You see, Ahab had disguised himself as a plain soldier to keep the Serians from finding and killing him, as foretold in the prophesy. To a point, it worked. The Serians never found him, but, be sure, the prophesy was still fulfilled. Even though the arrow was not aimed, it found its mark and killed one of the worse kings Israel ever had.
I’ve read the story a number of times. Yet, I still have one question. Did God cause the arrow to strike the man or was it something he just foreknew. I mean, he does have the power to make it happen. On the other hand, he does have a perfect knowledge of what has, is and will happen. It simply may not have taken any intervention from anyone to cause it. It might not have been a supernatural thing at all.
In my opinion, this is one of the times God directly intervened in the history of man. Still, He could have caused the death of Ahab in many ways. Apparently, He put the thought in the soldier’s mind. I’d guess he caused him to point and draw the arrow just right to strike the king and kill him; my best guess. On the other hand. he did have the power to make the arrow make a complete 180 if He had wanted to do it that way.
Yet, the Bible, and our national history, and our personal history… we wonder, is it coincidence or did God somehow put His finger on the situation to get it to turn out the way He wanted.
There are some situations where God tells us, either before or after the fact. God told the people of Judah that he would raise up a king from the east that would overthrow the nation. The Jews refused to believe. Nonetheless, the Babylonians, after a little time, overtook the country. We know it wasn’t just foreknowledge because God said he would do it. He left no doubt. He didn’t just say it would happen but that He would make it happen.
Still, when you come right down to it, does it really matter?
In some cases, it does. God had the day of Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem planned right down to the day, likely to the minute, truth be told. We know that, to some degree because of what He told Daniel. It happened right on time; they were watching and waiting, and yet, still the Jews chose not to believe. And, by the way, it was foretold that they would not believe.
Where the question really becomes important is with man’s salvation. Are men determined ahead of time to be saved or not? Does God pick and chose who will be with him eternally. Be not confused when I say, from the time he formed the earth, God knew every person that would not be saved and every soul that would be saved. I mean; what does God not know? What thing will happen that He will be surprised at it.
However, that does not mean that it is the way he wants it to be. Indeed, even Judas was given every chance to repent. The last time Jesus saw Judas as a human, He treated him as friend. After about three years with Jesus, Judas rejected Jesus. Jesus knew he would. He predicted it. And still, Jesus made one more plea to him with the question, Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”. (Luke 22:48) He was not speaking to him as an enemy but a friend.
Had Judas at that time accepted Jesus as his savior, he would have been saved. If not, why would Jesus asked the question? Jesus wanted Judas to repent and accept Jesus as the Son of God and Judas, in his heart said no and hung himself. How odd. Judas knew what he did was wrong, and yet never repented. It was totally his decision. Yet, even as Jesus chose his as a disciple, He knew what he would do. And, after three years of individual teaching, the man chose to reject Jesus. It was his decision.
It is an important point. While God can force the decision for us, which we would benefit from, God still waits on us to decide.
And so it is, while God does have the power to decide for us, He doesn’t. We all decide on our own. We all go to heaven or spend an eternity in hell based on whether we accept or reject his offer of salvation. However, be ye sure, He will never be surprised by what you decide. Still, I would suspect he is frequently disappointed.
The Bible is full of situations where it might be somewhat difficult to determine if God actually intervenes or simply knows in advance. However, I think Jonah was going to go to Nineveh whether or not he wanted. God created a storm and then a special fish to make sure Jonah went on his mission. I think we can honestly say, Jonah had no choice. Those in Nineveh realized it. They saw what God did to Jonah to get him to their city and they decided to repent. In this case we might guess that Jonah’s rebellion actually increased how effective Jonah’s mission was.
One might try to say the fire and brimstones on Sodom and Gamora might be a simple coincidence. The problem with that logic, I don’t know of many cities so utterly destroyed with fire and brimstone so quickly and right on cue.
Then too, do you suppose that David just happened along to deal with that giant. Do you think that David had no assistance? Even before Sampson was born, it was foretold that he would begin to deliver his people from bondage. Sampson had a free will. He did as he wanted, and he got into a of trouble. But, in the end, he did do as foretold. Debra became one of the judges because the man God chose refused to do as God told him. Now we remember Debra’s name, but few remember the man’s name. Nonetheless, the man did do as he chose and God’s will was still performed. Debra lead them out of bondage.
Did God know the man would not accept his mission. To be sure he did. Yet, God still gave him the opportunity to accept the mission or not. He chose not and lost a blessing because of it.
So is it all predestined or is it free choice? The answer of course is… yes.
bfrhodes99 