Obama In Cuba...So What's New???

So Obama is visiting Cuba. So what's surprising, or unexpected about that?

Obama is set to leave office next January, and like previous Presidents he will likely retire to a state (or "State"?) that has a warm climate, and a local government that is sympathetic with the policies he has promoted while in office. Bingo!!! Is Obama planning to retire to Cuba??? I wouldn't be surprised!

Like Reagan retired to California, Bush "Sr." retired to Maine (mostly), Clinton retired to anyplace that would pay excessive speaking engagement fees, and Bush "Jr." to Texas, why wouldn't Obama think of Cuba as his perfect retirement destination? After all the local government is almost as radically "leftist" as his administration has been for his eight-year term (once completed), and couldn't be more cooperative with anything he needed for the future "Obama Presidential Library", once all the American sanctions are lifted, and trade between our countries is normalized. Congress can be expected to fall all over themselves to rubber-stamp approval of his trade-normalization pact, once the Republicans have made a pathetic appearance of blustering about how much they are offended about supporting this deal. (A few of them, like Ted Cruz, will actually be sincere, and will even vote against the act). All of the "Establishment" Republicans will vote in "lock-step" with their Wall Street backers' interests, for it (one imagines the Wall Street Bankers salivating over the potential money flow from increased trade with a new economy [including the more easily laundered money from Mexico's drug cartel]). This will set Obama up nicely, to spend the rest of his days on the Havana beaches, making occasional (and highly paid) public appearances, as the Leftist "Elder Statesman", in support of any Left-wing issue that comes before Congress, or any issue that effects Cuban interests, in particular.

Speaking of more easily laundered drug money being made available through these negotiations, reports today are that Cuban/American meetings are likewise ongoing with the Columbian government representatives, and the representatives of the so-called F.A.R.C. (Leftist Terror group) to negotiate a peace treaty, ending their nearly fifty-years of civil war. But, where is the line drawn between the "Leftist Terror Group", in Columbia, and the "Medeline Cartel" that has been reputed to be funding their terrorist activities for years? Is this really a final capitulation of the Columbian government to the cocaine drug Cartel, in an effort to stop the years of bloody terrorism? And if so, can we expect Mexico to follow suit shortly hereafter, with Obama acting as a supposedly "neutral" negotiator??? So, is Obama setting himself up to expect a steady flow of lucrative fees from both leftist governments, and drug cartels, all "legally" laundered through Cuba's banking system (he may even get an "honorary seat" on one of their bank's Board of Directors, at the Castros' direction).

All this is appearing to be, "curiouser, and curiouser..." as Alice (of "Wonderland" fame) once said about equally corrupt shenaningans.

Mountain Moving Faith

There is a scripture that has troubled me for many years, and I suspect it has likewise troubled many others as well, when Jesus talked with His disciples and explained how they could, "...have whatever they asked in prayer..." if they believed, and "doubted not", in their hearts. Why, they could even have "Mountain Moving Faith", if they simply "doubted not". For years this has been interpreted by many to mean we could speak to any mountain, and frivolously command it to be, "lifted up, and cast into the sea", as Jesus said, in Matthew 21:21, but if it didn't happen immediately before our eyes, then the logical conclusion must follow that we must not have enough faith. But, a simple examination of what Jesus said, and the context, and setting of where He was when He said it reveals a whole different aspect of this truth.

This story is told in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and a bit more briefly in John's Gospel, in conjunction with the story of Jesus' triumphal entering of Jerusalem, which we celebrate today (and call it, "Palm Sunday", for all the Palm fronds that the people laid in His pathway as He rode upon the foal of a donkey (I suspect this was a traditional way of honoring the arrival of someone, by covering up the filth of the roadway so that even their animals would not step on the filth). The account tells of His arriving in Jerusalem, spending the day there, and then returning to Bethany, to spend the night (so as not to be easily arrested, in Jerusalem, by the Jewish leaders, whom Jesus knew were filled with jealousy at His presence).

The next morning, He, and His disciples returned to Jerusalem, and along the way He saw a fig tree that caused him to see if there were some figs on it that they could eat. His disappointment at finding none caused Him to "curse" the tree, saying, "May you never bare fruit again." As the tree apparently withered away immediately, His disciples remarked how quickly this all came to be. This is the context in which Jesus said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, (one of the smallest herbal seeds) you will say to THIS mountain (italics added) 'be lifted up, and cast into the sea', and it will be done."

Is this meant to condemn us for doubting that we could go around casting mountains into the sea, or was Jesus referring to some deeper meaning, unspoken at that time? I am reminded of a description, in the Old Testament book of Zechariah, chapter 14: verse 4, where the prophet speaks of a time when "the Lord" (who had not even been revealed to that generation, yet) will, "stand on the Mount of Olives...and the Mount of Olives shall split in two from the east to the west...so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward." Some translations add that some of this mountain shall be cast into the "former sea" (the Mediterranean Sea???), and half into the "Latter Sea" (the "Dead Sea", or the "Arabian Sea", which flows into the Indian Ocean???).

When one considers this, they can easily see how Jesus would compare the faith required to believe this with a small seed, because this is a fundamental tenant of His prophecies of His second coming. One either believes it, or not, along with the rest of the prophecy of His soon return, when he will judge the whole world for their belief in Him,... or not!

Remember, Jesus never said, " if you say to ANY mountain..." etc., etc. But, He said, "If you say to THIS mountain..."etc. And they were traveling on the road between Bethany, and Jerusalem, which went across the top of the Mount of Olives. So He was clearly referring to the Old Testament prophecy, with which His disciples would have been very familiar, and would have understood His meaning easily. So don't beat yourself up because you doubt that you have "Mountain Moving Faith", and can't go around casting mountains into the sea, just by speaking! I don't believe that's what Jesus was talking about. He was referring to our belief that the prophecies about His Second Coming were true, not that we could play magic games with the local topography!!!

If Trump Wins, Is America Prepared For Another War With Mexico???

Alright Rick, have you been smoking some of that "wacko-weed" that they make in foreign countries, like Mexico, and Colorado?

The answer is no, at least, not for some 40 years. And back then, it was illegal in America, not like it is in today's formerly American state of Colorado. Now that Colorado has seceded from the union, and united with the Mexican drug cartel, it can no longer be considered part of the "UNITED" States of America. They seem more interested in bringing new meaning to the term,"Rocky Mountain High", than in raising their children in a safe, drug-free environment. Taken to the extreme, one imagines Colorado's plan for handling all criminal activity will soon be to declare everything legal, and fire all the police, and criminal justice employees, throw open all the prison doors, and sit back, and wait for all the formerly illegal behavior to simply go away! Yeah, right!!! That'll work!!!

So what's this about Trump leading us into a third war with Mexico? I'm making no predictions (remember I've said from Day One that I don't pretend to be a Prophet), I'm just taking his rhetoric to the extreme, and trying to imagine logical responses, from evil, and illogical people. Trump says he wants to build a wall between us and Mexico, and "make Mexico pay for it". Okay, ...how!? How do you force a sovereign State to pay for something that it doesn't want to, short of going to war with them??? Even if you could, how do you stop the drug cartel from digging tunnels under it, like they are already doing, in mostly urban areas? And how do you stop them from shipping drugs, and illegal aliens by sea, to America's port cities on the pacific, and the gulf of Mexico? And don't forget the baggage-checking nightmare at all of our airports. And when the Mexican border is mythically closed, what's to stop the cartel from organizing a Canadian smuggling operation? Will he build another wall across the Can-Am border? I'm sure Canada would just love to pay for that!!! I guess we can go to war with both Mexico, and Canada, at the same time. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Now, lets pretend that all his plans to close the border work out miraculously well. Then he wants to ship back all the eleven million illegals who are already here! That will be a massive task in itself, just rounding them all up, and paying the transportation costs for eleven million passengers! Oh, I forgot, Mexico will oblige with that expense as well, won't they? And Mexico will welcome them all back to their homeland, before deciding who stays, and who keeps going to other countries, and will pay the added transport costs, as well. I didn't know Mexico was so friendly to this concept!

Wait a minute! Just who runs Mexico, anyway??? Is it the Mexican government, or the illegal drug cartels??? I don't think the Mexican people know that yet, either. So when the planeloads of our illegals start landing in Mexico, are they going to be met with open arms, or with machine gun bullets? Remember, these drug cartel kingpins care nothing about human life, beyond their own, and genocide is an acceptable option, as far as they are concerned.

The American people would demand a military response to that kind of brutality! So we would be forced to drive the drug cartels out of Mexico, and ascertain that any government we set up afterwards would not let the cartels back in once we left. Then, we would have to do the same thing in whatever countries the cartels fled to. Maybe Canada would be,next! But, since Canada is, at least, nominally part of the British Empire, does that mean we'll have to take on England, too? My gosh, this is turning out to be a nightmare!!! Maybe Jesus will fix all this, 'cause I can't figure it all out. But, I know one thing; Trump can"t either!!!

Yessir! I'm real optimistic about Trump's anti-immigration plans! But,he may get elected, just because he is willing to try something! That's light-years better than what we have now, or what Hillary, or Bernie will offer!!!

"America Is Great, Because..."

"...America is good"-- Alexis De Tocqueville. The previous quote, from the early 19th century, French political philosopher, and social scientist was followed immediately by the very prophetic warning: "When America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." These words were written in his book, "Democracy In America", published in 1835, after traveling throughout America making these observations, in contrast to the trends that were shaping Europe in the years following the French Revolution.

One has to wonder if he had a time-machine to jump into the 21st century, to compare what America was, with what it was to become today! Is America still "good"??? And if not, what makes us feel we will remain "great", as if it is some inherited trait from our ancestors; an automatic characteristic that is neither earned, nor can be lost, nor even stolen? Is President Obama aware of these prophetic words? And is he endeavoring to apply them (in a negative manner)??? Remember, Socialism (which Obama studiously promotes, even if he refuses to admit it) believes in economic pastry symbols, such as pieces of economic pies, which can only be obtained for the "have-nots" by taking away large chunks from the "haves". This is done primarily through oppressive government taxation, and re-distribution ("Welfare"); and secondarily through the inflationary "taxation" of borrowing against future presumed income, and inflating the currency, as we see it done today. An interesting quote from De Tocquevilles "Democracy In America" could describe the prevailing attitude of the leaders of the Democratic Party today; "But one finds in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to want to bring down the strong to their level, and which reduces men to preferring equality in servitude, to inequality in freedom." Of course, the leaders of Socialism exclude themselves from such "equality", preferring an inequality of elitism for themselves, while professing a level of "poverty", such as Hillary recently proclaimed (forgetting to mention the millions that her husband raked in through his speaking engagements).

Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton talk much about "equality". I guess they are referring to an "equality of servitude", since they mean to take away the wealth of the rich. Do you suppose they will give that wealth to the poor, or will they keep most of it for themselves, and their political appointees, and bureaucrats??? I wonder!!!

Republicans Are Angry, But Are They Fed Up???

"How long,oh Lord, holy and true...?" is a famous Biblical quote from Revelation 6:10, expressing the exasperation of those martyred believers who are already in Heaven, desperately awaiting the return of Jesus Christ to establish His Kingdom of Heaven on earth, and destroy an evil and sinful world, once, and for all. They are patiently, and lovingly rebuked for their understandable impatience, while being reminded that there are still others who must be given the opportunity to be martyred so they could be brought to heaven for their ultimate, and eternal reward, which is not available for the rest of us, though the reward for all believers who die in their faith in Jesus will be equally eternal (how can one person's eternity be less than another's?) , and wonderful beyond our wildest imaginations! Whatever all this entails, it is apparently God's purpose to wait until this evil world has run it's full course, and those believers who stand for the Lord, and His Gospel, suffer martyrdom, both as a testament for their faith, and a condemnation of those who stand for the great evil that will envelope the world, in the Last Days. His plan will be carried out to the end, even though He already knows who will eventually come to a saving faith in Jesus, and who will not. I guess this is so no one can complain that they were "not given a chance" and therefore God's judgement against them is "unfair". And He is the only one who knows when that "end" will come; when the very last person to come to the Lord will already have done so! And, frankly, He ain't telling us when that will be!!!

This crazy Presidential campaign, at least for the Republican candidates, has become somewhat similar, though certainly in a much more insignificant, and less deadly manner. It's becoming clear that the Republican voters are angry at the "Washington Establishment", but I question whether they are yet "fed up". It's one thing to realize that there is a problem, and quite another to recognize the best solution for it. I think they are mostly angry at the Obama Administration, and the steady deterioration of America's position in the geopolitical world, economically, and with Obama' defunding of the military,and the defense department.

On the other hand, the Democrats appear to not only be comfortable with the degrading of our Constitutional government, but want the decline to be increased, either with a Socialist President, or an undeclared Socialist, who may be the first ever indicted candidate, to be elected President, on the way to jail! I guess they will have to learn the hard way, and force the rest of us to suffer with them while they do.

My main concern for today's political movement is the establishment wing of the Republican party; the so-called moderates. They don't realize it but they are the real cause of what is wrong with our politics, today. And you can throw in any Democrats who are uncertain about Hillary, and Bernie, but will vote for one of them just because their family members, and friends say they should! These are the real people who are most responsible for giving us someone like Obama in the White House, and likewise the Democratic idiots in Congress, who controlled the Senate for years, before 2012.

These people are so used to compromising their views, just to "get along" with others that we now have a state of government that is run by Liberals who want nothing more than to perpetuate their own aggrandizement, and fatten their own pockets. And the Federal Bureaucracy that is made up mostly of Liberals, and Moderates, acting out their own personal agendas, can not be easily fired (and perhaps not even legally, due to their labor contracts), for any level of incompetence, such as Lois Lerner's vendetta against the Tea Party movement, recently. I almost puked when I saw Hillary's campaign slogan today, which read, "Fighting for us". My reaction was, "I'll bet the 'us' in that slogan is not meant to stand for 'United States', but rather for those members of her immediate family: herself, Bill, Chelsea, and maybe (to a lesser extent) those who helped her get where she is (especially if they can finagle her out of jail-time)! After all, we must take pity on a family that is as poor as she recently characterized them. That is until it was reported that Bill was earning millions from his speaking tours.

Donald Trump seems to be cut from the same clothe; I'll bet he is fairly drooling over his prospects of profiting from a possible victory. He would presumably turn over his business holdings to his sons, who I'll bet would have no trouble getting government contracts for any Administration business dealings. Those expensive I.R.S. junkets would probably be scheduled for Donald's casinos, for the duration of his presidency.

Trump seems to be garnering all the secular, angry, Conservative voters, and sadly some of the Evangelicals seem to be swayed by his generalized diatribes, as well. Frankly, he's welcome to all of the White Supremacist voters he wants, we don't have much in common except for a hatred of Obama's Administration. I hate it for what they have done to our country; while they probably can't see past the color of his skin.

I just hope this country wakes up before November, and realizes that it takes more than anger to solve problems. Perhaps an Evangelical Christian candidate should run on a third party ticket, even if it would guarantee a Democratic victory. After all, no matter how badly the Democrats can screw things up, God is still in control, and He will clean up our mess someday!!!

[Addendum--3/11/2016]

Just a thought...It seems as if a split within the Republican Party could be permanent, especially if Donald Trump wins the electoral lottery, but the Party Big-Wigs (translation: Wall Street Establishment "Moderates") manage to finagle a brokered convention into choosing someone else. Perhaps the conservative wing of the party would finally wise up to the fact that the Establishment Republicans would never allow a really conservative candidate to run their Party, excluding Ronald Reagan, of course, and let the moderates try to win an election without them. That's not to say that I think Donald Trump is a conservative, but he has supported enough Conservative issues that I think the "handwriting is on the wall". Or will Trump win the nomination, outright, and the Establishment Moderates go with their wishy-washy, warmed-over candidate, Mitt Romney, for one more last-ditch effort at pablum politics???

Cuba-- [Obama] "... Meant It For Evil, But God..."

"... meant it for good!"

One recalls the famous quote of Joseph, who had been cast into an Egyptian prison by his treacherous owners; a slave, sold by his jealous brothers, falsely accused of something he was innocent of...only to be raised up as the Egyptian equivalent of what we might call today the "Prime Minister" of the Egyptian empire. It couldn't have looked much worse for him, while in prison, and yet God had great future plans for him, because He knew Joseph's obedient heart. God even knew of the four Hundred years of slavery that Joseph's people would endure, just so He could glorify Himself by forcing another Pharaoh to "Let my people go!", or ELSE!!! (times ten!).

This same God works the same today as He did thousands of years ago, with the faithful people of this generation, who will wait for His good timing. Case in point: Cuba, that bastion of Marxist domination, and atheistic persecution of His people in their land, since the early 1960's. Obama has endeavored to "open the doors" to the worst Communist nation in the western hemisphere, this year. I'm sure he did not intend to stimulate the Christian revival that is spreading like wildfire across the island, which has been apparently growing in thousands of house-churches since the Communist regime collapsed in Russia, in the late 1980's.

Obama's intent could more likely be presumed to open America to the increased communist indoctrination that could be expected to grow out of increased trade between our two countries. But, a story on today's "700 CLUB" showed that God is still in the business of using evil people to accomplish His good purposes, in spite of their evil intentions.

When Russia's Communist empire collapsed, they intended to cut their financial ties with all their satellite dependents, in order to desperately try and hold onto their own country's economy. Meanwhile, God used this opportunity to bring about His Revival among the churches of those countries that had been so starved for Christian faith for nearly 100 years. Apparently, what we're seeing in Cuba stems from that. I wouldn't be surprised if we see Cuban missionaries coming to that heathen nation, America, soon!

On the same show ,today, a story about the turmoil in Syria, and Iraq leading to a new semi-allied cooperation between the historical enemies of Israel, and their formerly hostile neighbors Egypt, and Saudi Arabia! (God truly does, "work in mysterious ways,..."!) The Egyptians, and the Saudis apparently have concluded that the Shiite Muslims of Iran, and Lebanon are more of an immediate threat to their safety, than Israel is, and therefore, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend", etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see a scenario work out something like this: Iran decides it's nuclear missiles are so deadly, that it tries to launch a first-strike attack on Saudi Arabia...and Israel's American supplied Patriot anti-missile missiles knock them down. Then Israel retaliates with it's own strike, pulverizing Iran (see Jeremiah 50, and 51???). Russia would be bound to honor it's alliance with Iran, by attacking Israel, which would probably have enough Patriots left to shoot down their missiles, and then wipe out the Russian forces in Syria. America would then be forced to consider defending our ally, Israel, by attacking Russia, knowing that a full scale nuclear war would break out between us. (Is this the "fire" that God promises in Ezekiel 38, & 39 that He will bring upon Magog [an ancient name for the tribe that would eventually settle in the area of present-day Moscow], and a country that He refers to as living peacefully on their "coastlands"?) Is America that country??? Many Bible scholars have thought so, for many years!

This could never happen on Obama's watch, and probably not, under president "Hillary", or "Bernie", either. So, am I about to change my presumption that some idiot Democrat will win the 2016 Presidential election, so they can further destroy America's greatness, in preparation for the Anti-Christ's rise to control over a one-world government? Perhaps so; Donald Trump seems to be bent on proving that the Republicans can come up with every bit as good of an idiot as the Democrats can! My earlier assumption was that we would still be here, and that we would have to be a third-rate power by then. But, perhaps we aren't even around any more! Perhaps "President Trump" pushes the button for a strike on Russia, and Jesus sends his angels to "Rapture" His Church, before Russia can retaliate! Frankly, I don't much care which!!! I am convinced the "Rapture" is coming, I just can't guess when. But, either way, "Even so! Come quickly, Lord Jesus...!"

Has America Been "Trump(ed)" by The "Donald"???

Is it over, already? "Are we there yet???" Donald Trump's incredible run of political popularity seems to have "no end in sight", as they say. No, it is not over, yet; at least not mathematically. But it almost seems to be, after his colossal "Super Tuesday" victories, yesterday. Hillary Clinton's victories were even more impressive, but she has to worry more about the likelihood of being indicted for her E-mail scandals, than being defeated for her party's nomination. As an interested spectator in today's political Soap Operatic campaigns, I am about ready to throw up my hands in frustration, and say, "a pox on both your houses", and sit back and let God sort it all out!

The thing that has me the most confounded is the apparent willingness of the Evangelical Christian voters to buy Donald Trumps rhetoric as if he is sincere in what he says, and they are apparently voting for him as much, or more than they are willing to vote for Ted Cruz, or Dr. Ben Carson; both of whom strike me as being more sincere in backing Christian issues, if elected. But I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. I've seen this all before. We tend to think of Evangelicals as voting as one monolithic block, for the same candidate, but that is unfortunately not always the case. I'm reminded of a lady friend, back in Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign, who apparently voted for him, obviously because she thought he was handsome, though she tried to rationalize it otherwise, strenuously. This lady was my idea of the devout Christian conservative, politically, and to think of her falling for Bill Clinton's campaign line of, "I'm a conservative Democrat!" was absolutely unbelievable to me! But she did!

I guess it goes to show you that Christians are people, too, though we sometimes try to make it seem that we are not subject to the same temptations, and the same strong delusions that befall non-Christians alike. The one thing I agree with Marco Rubio about is when he calls Trump a "con-artist", which I strongly suspect he is! I guess the establishment wing of the Republican Party thinks so too, because there is talk that they might form a third party if Trump wins the Republican nomination. After forcing Trump to "promise" not to form a third party campaign, himself, it's interesting that the party bigwigs would consider it okay if they did it themselves! I guess those "Wall Street 'Conservatives'", who are conservative only when their candidate wins, and are just as comfortable with a liberal president when they don't, will do anything to win with their "wishy-washy" candidates, even if they don't play by their own rules to do it. I expect they'll back somebody like Marco Rubio, if they do. Could we have a four-party election this year, with former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg reputedly considering a run, himself, or was that only in case Hillary gets indicted?

Is God showing us what a mockery of our Constitutional system we have allowed our government to become? I wonder if He is allowing us to elect some idiot who will continue the trend Obama started of destroying the aspects of our government that have made us the greatest nation in history. Are we being set up to accept the Anti-Christ's one-world system of government, because we can't elect a decent president of our own??? May God have mercy on us all, if that proves to be the case!!!