My Swan Song...

Well this is it--my Swan Song! After five years--that's over 700 commentaries--dealing with "everything pertaining to life and godliness" to use Peter's words, I am hanging it up.

Life as pastor of a church that is much larger than our staff can handle, means something has to give way and these commentaries were one of the only things I can really afford to eliminate. I have enjoyed writing them as I am certain that as Christians we need to be informed and we need to be able to converse with the culture in which we live. Too few Christians are able to do that.

My commentaries were designed to inform people of current events that demonstrate the level of decline of the culture at large (that's no surprise) but also the level of apostasy (that is, the waywardness) of those who wear the name of Christ. It was and is my belief that our culture has declined to the point where it is, in part, due to those wearing the name of Christ either being apathetic toward the condition of their own community, or being unable to converse with their community due to a lack of A. common sense and B. knowledge of the Scriptures and
C. biblical wisdom (which in my book means Scriptures applied).

My commentaries were not particularly intended to be an "evangel" each and every time I wrote but in many instances were to be pre-evangelistic in the sense that it is difficult to accept a plan of salvation when you don't even realize you have a need. I know from many testimonies from people, that my method of dealing with the real world in which we live opened a door to their hearts that had never been opened. They had no place in their head for "religion" but as one man told me recently, "I made so much stinking sense, that [he] had to listen." Praise the Lord--it is His Spirit that draws people.

But fact remains, the very purpose of the Law and the whole sacrificial system was to underscore the hopelessness of man to make himself right with God. It was to drive people to a point of despair seeing the impossibility of pleasing a holy God thus compelling them to be open to a "better way" the way of Grace--when the Messiah appeared.

Then of course there were those who wished I had somehow entered into the great controversies of election, sovereignty, and free will (or lack thereof) all in the span of my allotted 120 seconds. It just became exceedingly wearing.

The cure for mankind, for our culture, for the planet is nothing more and nothing less than Jesus. But even that message has been so perverted, warped, and twisted, you cannot even be sure what people are understanding of words that used to have common understanding. Talking about salvation, sin, heaven and hell and even the person of Jesus takes explanation and qualification in our culture of designer religion and biblical ignorance.

So if some have been challenged to at least pause and think rationally for a moment, and if some have been spurred on to do something within their own sphere of influence and ultimately if some have come to Christ or a better understanding of the profound love of God and the lengths He has gone to get our attention, then it was well worth the time spent. Only eternity will reveal the answer to that.

This is pastor Bill Cripe signing off still and always looking up for a heavenly perspective!

Global Warming or Global Con?

Are you ready for the new religion? It's not really new; just a new sect of Darwin's religion of evolution called Global Warming. I understand why so many are being sucked in to this new faith system. It is hard not to succumb when there is an incessant advocacy and ever growing acceptance of the new dogma. It is a great example of how effective constant repetition can be especially when you mix a little bit of truth with a big helping of non-provable speculation.

If you are informed by listening to the main stream influences of our day, global warming is as much a proven fact--as Evolution. Therein lays the problem. It is anything BUT a proven fact and even if the warming aspect was proven, the cause is anything but. But that's not what we are led to believe.

So here this well! From the Pastor's Weekly Briefing of Focus on the Family, "More than 31,000 scientists across the U.S. — including more than 9,000 Ph.D.s in fields such as atmospheric science, climatology, Earth science, environment and dozens of other specialties — have signed a petition rejecting "global warming," the assumption that the human production of greenhouse gases is damaging Earth's climate."

"There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate," the petition states. "Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth."

But isn't becoming "more green" a good thing and consistent with God's command that we be good stewards of what He entrusted to us? In other words, even if global warming isn't caused by humans in a significant way, isn't it a great thing to protect what we have?

The answer is an emphatic NO, not if the measures taken to be "more green" substantially decrease the quality of human life around the globe. And that is exactly what would happen if the ludicrous elements of the Kyoto Treaty became international law.

Don't get me wrong; while my wife and I despise the whole "green" terminology we were "GREEN" long before it became a fashionable hypocrisy. So do some leg work instead of being a lemming following the "green" crowd over the cliff.

And for further reading here is the entire article from PWB.

More than 31,000 scientists across the U.S. — including more than 9,000 Ph.D.s in fields such as atmospheric science, climatology, Earth science, environment and dozens of other specialties — have signed a petition rejecting "global warming," the assumption that the human production of greenhouse gases is damaging Earth's climate.

"There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of carbon dioxide, methane or other greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the foreseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth's atmosphere and disruption of the Earth's climate," the petition states. "Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments of the Earth."

The Petition Project actually was launched nearly 10 years ago, when the first few thousand signatures were assembled. Then, between 1999 and 2007, the list of signatures grew gradually without any special effort or campaign. But now, a new effort has been conducted because of an "escalation of the claims of 'consensus,' release of the movie 'An Inconvenient Truth' by Al Gore, and related events," according to officials with the project. In fact, in just the past few weeks, there have been various allegations that both shark attacks and typhoons have been sparked by "global warming."

Why the concern? The late Professor Frederick Seitz, the past president of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and winner of the National Medal of Science, wrote in a letter promoting the petition, "The United States is very close to adopting an international agreement that would ration the use of energy and of technologies that depend upon coal, oil, natural gas and some other organic compounds. ... This [U.N.] treaty is, in our opinion, based on flawed ideas. Research data on climate change do not show that human use of hydrocarbons is harmful. To the contrary, there is good evidence that increased atmospheric carbon dioxide in environmentally helpful."

Knee-jerk reactions with good intentions are causing more harm than help. The recent increase in the cost of food is one example of the consequences of diverting crops, such as corn, to the production of ethanol as a fuel source. The impact that steep corn price increases have had on food distribution to third-world countries has been profoundly negative, according to the Institute on Religion and Democracy.

Art Robinson, spokesman and founder of the Petition Project, said the U.N. "global warming agreement," written in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997, and other plans "would harm the environment, hinder the advance of science and technology, and damage both the health and welfare of mankind." The list of scientists who have signed the Petition Project includes 9,021 Ph.D.s (which is 15 times more scientists than are seriously involved in the U.N.'s campaign to "vilify hydrocarbons"), 6,961 at the master's level, 2,240 medical doctors and 12,850 carrying a bachelor of science or equivalent academic degree.

Meanwhile, evangelical pastors, scientists and policymakers have launched another petition drive, We Get It, intended to spread the truth about global warming: That Christians should be good stewards of God's creation and that government policies and regulations based on "faulty science" will hurt people who should be helped.

"The 'We Get It' declaration speaks for me, and I believe it speaks for the vast majority of evangelicals, who are as tired as I am of being misrepresented by people who don't bother to get their theology, their science or their economics right," said Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.). "Consequently, they put millions of the world's poor at risk by promoting policies to fight the alleged problem of global warming that will slow economic development and condemn the poor to more generations of grinding poverty and high rates of disease and early death."

The campaign, launched last week, hopes to gather one million signatures supporting the declaration that says God created the world, and that men and women, as Christians, have to take responsibility for that creation; that billions of people will suffer if careless environmental policies are put into place; and that Christians as a group need to take action to help the poor and protect the planet based on biblical truths, not political correctness, according to the Cybercast News Service.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, one of the founders and supporters of the We Get It campaign, said, "You can be green without being gullible. ... I'm afraid that the image that my children will remember is the image of naïve Americans who surrendered our national sovereignty [to U.N. demands] and the income of families to pursue environmental threats and science that are speculative at best."

America is Down With Divorce Being Up

"'…I hate divorce,' says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'So take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously.'" Malachi 2:16

Like so many principles of "LIFE" which are ignored wholesale by even those who wear the name Christian, divorce is gaining acceptability.

According to Gallup's latest poll, 70% of Americans believe divorce is morally acceptable. "That is an 11 point increase from seven years ago." 11 points in 7 years--that is huge.

Another black mark against this once great nation is that 40 million children are shattered by the selfish ambition of one parent or both. That is 40 million future adults who will have a tainted view of marriage themselves thus perpetuating the ease with which divorce is obtained as a solution to one's "imagined happiness."

According to Citizen Link, "Mike McManus--Co-founder of Marriage Savers--said the 'Church is not doing its job.' 'The Church hardly ever preaches on the issue of divorce or cohabitation or marriage,' he said. 'It’s God’s first institution, but it’s often the Church’s last institution.'”

I have to agree with McManus to a big degree but fact remains, Christians--not churches--are responsible for their own actions and for their own spiritual integrity. The church is there to assist, not to take over. That being said, I DO believe that most churches have a very sloppy view of marriage and divorce and an even sloppier application of such principles.

Church discipline is virtually unheard of these days and when a church does attempt to actually observe the principles of Scripture regarding such discipline, the church--meaning the pastor--can take quite a hit even losing his position.

I say, that's no excuse for not acting on what is biblically proper. After all, at the end of the day, we will answer to the God who said, "What I have joined together let no man separate."

The least churches should be doing is making pre-marriage training mandatory. It's pretty straight forward at Faith; if you won't do the training, you won't be married by us.

McManus speaks in exaggerated terms when he says, that you can "divorce proof" marriage with the proper training. But I know first hand that in over 20 years of weddings which I have performed, I have had only one couple get divorced and they didn't complete their training. Maybe McManus isn't exaggerating after all…

Judges Ruling Makes Her An Accomplice To Crime

What on Earth is she thinking? I am referring to Justice Michaela Murphy who seems to have lost all manner of judgment concerning 59 year old William Donald from East Wilton.

Donald befriended a 14 year old boy (stop me if you've heard this one) and for a span of one year, Donald introduced this child to S & M along with all that goes along with sexual abuse.

This child's life is now altered for ever. As a pastor who has dealt with many of these situations, this child will now face a lifetime of dysfunction and will in all likelihood spread the infection to others. That just tends to be how this plays out.

So what "just" sentence did William Donald receive for ruining a little child's life? Judge Murphy--appallingly--gave Donald 6 months in jail. Judge Murphy "ordered" Donald not to have contact with anyone under the age of 16. I wonder if she sounded real fierce when she said that. We all know how effective such edicts are to the pedophile…

So why such a light sentence? Apparently Donald's minister wrote on his behalf extolling what a wonderful man he was noting his generous nature and charitable work. I can't believe Murphy swallowed that one. The same thing was said of Al Capone. In his neighborhood, he was known for his generosity and charity; sweet old mass murderer that he was…

I do not exaggerate when I tell you I am nauseated even writing about this. Honestly I would love to know who the pedophile's minister is. I would give him my counsel about civil process, punishment, rehabilitation and the horror of sexual abuse that pilfers the very life out of a person.

And in so far as Murphy's sentence is a mockery of her role in society and is a heinous miscarriage of justice, she shares in this child's life-long scarring and debilitation. I seriously hope that this 14 year old visits Murphy later on in life--after his second or third divorce, or after he has HIV or after he has been caught peddling kiddy porn and thanks Murphy for the impact she had on his life. With her offensive ruling trivializing his innocence and vulnerability she showed "compassion" for the real criminal and disdain for the innocent.

Skowhegan Schools Debate the Debated

Looks like the Scopes Trial is about to happen again--well sort of.

Skowhegan School administrative District 59 Director Matthew Linkletter wants to ban the teaching of evolution from the science curricula. Linkletter's basis for his ban is that evolution is unprovable theory and so should be withdrawn.

This may surprise many of you who know my absolute biblical world view and that I categorically reject Darwinian evolution out of hand. But Linkletter's attempt to do this on the basis that the theory is unprovable is not the right course of action. How many other "theories" are unprovable? Shall we discontinue to teach Einsteinian physics because they are theory? Actually every theory--by definition--is unprovable; if it were not, it would no longer be a theory but a fact.

Instead, Darwinian evolution should be withdrawn not simply because it is a theory but because it is a particularly BAD theory which not only is missing key supporting evidence, but there is abundance of evidence that mitigates against the very theory. It is such a bad theory that an objective scientist must--if he has any intellectual integrity, admit that any commitment to Darwin's version of origins must be done so in the arena of faith, not science.

The Central Maine newspapers cite David Connerty-Marin of the state's the Department of Education saying "Evolution must be taught because, in the state's view, it's a proven science." If this is an accurate statement the Governor should appoint a new education chief immediately because this man obviously has no idea what constitutes proven science. Honestly, I know of no one of any stripe--Christian or Atheist who would go that far.

Connerty-Marin's next statement is equally troubling: "Evolution", he says, "is not just a belief, or based on faith, it's based on scientific evaluation. The worldwide science community supports it."

If he truly believes that, he is woefully uneducated and need not be leading our state's educational system.

The informed truth reveals that many, very respected, scientists have disavowed Darwin's version of existence. The late Harvard, Paleo-anthropologist, Stephen J. Gould debunked Darwin's theory in virtually all his writings. Gould was an Atheist but a good scientist recognizing the difference between fact and fancy.

But evolution is indeed a religion and when trying to confront religious dogma--well watch out; no matter whose dogma it may be.

Not Involved, Don't Complain!

I received word that one of our musicians was going to be late for our Wednesday evening rehearsal for Sunday's service because she needed to attend her son's elementary school to preview a movie they were intending to show to the students of the school. The movie is titled, "Personal Body Safety." Given our day of lack of restraint, lack of common sense, and lack of common decency, I agreed this parent NEEDED to preview this film.

She showed up to worship practice a little late as she mentioned and I asked her how the film was. She replied that it was actually "O.K." And then she added, "There were 9 parents there including the people who were doing the projection. She paused and said, they mentioned how they were thrilled with the good turnout!"

I asked her how many were in her son's class. She said, "This was for the whole elementary school."

It actually was worse than it looked because there was a PTO meeting after the preview of this movie which means some of the people there would have been there anyway. Apparently, the last time something like this was done there were only 2 parents concerned enough to be there.

Let's get a grip here parents. We snit and fume and go on our tirades when we find out--after the fact--that the school our children attend has shown something or assigned something that incenses our sensibilities and yet our presence in the schools has been virtually non-existent for several decades now. So how on earth can someone complain about the nature of public education? And yet we do…

My children all graduated from Waterville High School. The school had its issues believe me but I or their mother or both were known--well known--by the administration and teachers of the school. And I trust they were thrilled when our children had graduated which meant no more Cripes!

A year or two after our youngest graduated, time and again someone would ask me if I was going to get involved with thus and such that was going on in the school system. Right or wrong, I said, "Nope. It's someone else's turn to take up the cause for their own children." My statement, I could tell, was not pleasing to the ones asking; and therein lies the problem; parents who are willing to abdicate their God-given responsibility for their children to someone else. And in my experience, Christians are no different.

Rev. Sharpton Needs Lesson in Race

The demand for justice is a God given attribute present in the soul of every person born.

Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes that God has set eternity in our heart and part and parcel of that is the innate desire for true justice. The problem with it all is that sin has tainted every fiber of our being such that true justice is sometimes hard for us to comprehend.

Enter, Sean Bell, a young black man who was gunned down by New York police as he and his buds were leaving a strip bar on the morning of wedding day. 50 shots were fired in all and his buddies were wounded while Bell was killed. As it turned out, the men were all unarmed and therein lies the outrage.

The pain is understandable and the outcome tragic but let clear thinking prevail and there is no reason to believe that anything but justice--as best as imperfect, fallen men can exercise it, was accomplished.

Three officers charged in the shootings were all found innocent of the charges of manslaughter. Protests commenced under the direction of the Rev. Al Sharpton with his obligatory cries of racism which is what fueled the outrage. There are just a few problems with Sharpton's ire.

First, the police officers' stories were corroborated and the stories of the witnesses were not. Just representation was exercised on behalf of Sean Bell and the judge found that the police officer's version of events was credible and the other's were not. The acquittal was legally proper. But what is more outrageous to me than the actual event is that Rev. Sharpton as always, first assumes guilt of the police and worse, always plays the race card. The problem in this situation is that two of the three police charged--were black.

Truth be told this country has an extraordinary record of justice for all. Justice for Sharpton though apparently means that if you're black--you must be innocent. What some cannot accept is that humans are not omniscient and knowledge of any given situation is always more astute after the fact. Our system is exemplary but not infallible.

Sean Bell and his buds may have in fact been "innocent" but their drunkenness, actions, location and time of night compelled those responsible for protecting others, as well as themselves, to take decisive, lethal action. In this case, the decision was apparently wrong, but it certainly was not the result of bad cops--worse still--racist cops flaunting their authority. It is an imperfect world and we should not expect perfect justice until the day of His return.

The world Is On The Brink--Again

What in the world is going on? I have written this same basic commentary before and that in itself is instructive. Since Jesus rose from the dead and returned to heaven, Christians throughout history have believed that they would see the return of the Lord in their lifetime. Just remember that as you continue to read.

Japan was rocked with a 6.8 magnitude earthquake last week and that was following the cyclone with an expected death toll of 100,000 amidst 1 million people are left homeless and fist fights are breaking out over supplies of food etc.

There have been 23 earthquakes around the world of greater than 5 magnitude and that has been only in the last 162 hours.

Last week in Chile, a long dormant volcano erupted causing the evacuation of thousands of people.

Israel announced that Iran will probably have nuclear capabilities by the end of this year and Iran has been working on cruise type missiles that can carry nuclear warheads without detection and which are impervious to anti-defense systems. If the significance of this escapes you, remember it is Iran's crazed leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has vowed the annihilation of Israel.

Currently they do not have the ability to do so. That little "problem" will be resolved if they obtain nuclear capabilities. Also be reminded though that Israel has a long standing "first strike" policy when it comes to verifiable threats against their nation. That is not because they are war-mongers but because they are so small that they could not sustain a first strike. They have shown that they mean business where this policy is concerned.

And if you thought the price of gas is obscene, wait until you see what the future holds. Forecasts are for oil to top $200 a barrel within the next two years. Gasoline is one thing; but what you can't heat your home in the dead of Maine Winter, we're talking real trouble.

What are we to say?

"Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." Psalm 31:2-3

He is the Rock that is mightier than I!

More Spurious Rulings From the Nation's Favorite Court

It has been a time since the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has made one of their bone headed, non-constitutional rulings asserting their own social agenda rather than interpreting existing law. So here ya go as I read verbatim from the source.

"The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last week that a roommate-finding Web site cannot require users to disclose their sexual orientation. Roommaters.com, which offers more than 100,000 rental listings on its site, receives over 50,000 visits per day.

In its 8-3 ruling, the court said that inquiring electronically about sexual orientation is no different than asking people in person or by telephone if they are black or Jewish before conducting business."

Okay whenever the 9th Circuit issues an edict you have suspend rational thought, and you have to poke yourself in the eye with a pencil three times to prepare yourself for their ingenious sculpting of imaginary legislation.

My first point is that this private company has a business to line up perspective roommates and I trust compatibility and comfort is big reason someone would utilize such a website in the first place. I doubt that anyone wishes to obtain the most intimate of living situations only to find out that you are grossly incompatible.

My second point is that there is no similarity between someone who defies natural selection, natural biology and natural law, with someone who is black or Jewish. If I were black or Jewish I would highly offended. Furthermore, shouldn't a black person know if they are signing a contract to live with the Grand-dragon of the KKK?

"Attorney Timothy Alger, speaking in defense of the Web site, said that 'This decision represents a significant departure from what has been settled law across the country. We believe the government has no business regulating the selection of roommates or advertising for roommates.'" Not in a sane world but then we are talking about the 9th circuit Court right?

The next decision by this panel of over-educated social engineers will probably be telling the myriad of match-making web services they can no longer ask the sex of the inquirer? Sound crazy? You just wait and see!

National Day Of Silence? We Could Only Hope

Do you know what April 25th is? It is the annual observance which has become called "The Day of Silence." My comments today may seem terribly insensitive, certainly politically incorrect, and of course hateful. What they are is accurate from a Biblical frame of reference be they ever so unpopular. So be it.

From the NDS website--

"The National Day of Silence brings attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Hundreds of thousands of students will come together on April 25 to encourage schools and classmates to address the problem of anti-LGBT behavior."

First things first--let's be clear on the initials; our culture has grown too comfortable with euphemisms which by design make that which is unpleasant more palatable. LGBT stands for Lesbian--that means girls who have rejected their God given sexuality and attraction for boys. Gay--boys who have rejected their god given sexuality and attraction for girls. Bi-sexual--boys and girls who have conveniently chosen the best of both worlds, and transgendered--boys who believe they are girls and perhaps have had surgery to become such and the same for girls converting to boys.

It is so offensive to God and to sensible people that it is hard to express.

Now, "the hundreds of thousands of students" who will come together… is because schools all over this once great and moral nation have succumbed to the phallic god of sexual gratification and are busy indoctrinating future generations into the godless, heinous and self-destructive perversion of sex worship.

That this is taking place in schools all over the country and funded by we, the tax payers is an atrocity. That students of moral purity and virtue are persecuted and tolerated is obscene.

Parents--talk to your children and see if there will be anything going at their school for this annual day of Satanic celebration. But don't be surprised if they shrug you off. You see, they have been told for years that YOU are the problem; that people of religious values are hateful and hurtful and that if we would just embrace all of this, the world would pretty much be at peace.

And if your child happens to be interested, on April 28th there is another observance called The Day of Truth. But prepare them for the scorn of their educators and friends. And then ask yourself why they are still in the educational system of the Philistines.

Tax Funded Islamic Education

Imagine this scenario:

Christian parents in central Maine decide they are tired of the secular education and indoctrination their children face each day they go off to "school." Their solution is to start a charter school--a Christian charter school--where each class day is begun with the Lord's Prayer; where grace is said before meals and where fish is served on Fridays in deference to old school Catholics.

Among course offerings are a history of the Christian church; with special teachings on the Lord's Supper, foot washing, and where baptisms would be offered on a quarterly basis. Children would be required to take Greek and Hebrew classes. Now imagine this school being funded by taxpayers. In your craziest, most absurd ponderings can you imagine this getting off the ground much less operating at tax payer expense without vehement protest?

Well, in St. Paul, Minnesota this is exactly what is happening only the school is not Christian--it is Muslim.

The TIZA--which stands for the Tarek ibn Ziyad Academy--is a full blown Muslim indoctrination center. After a reporter was refused visitation a substitute teacher reported her experience at the school.

Among her duties was to take the children to the restroom so they could perform their ritual washing before being taken to the gymnasium where they were met by a man in white, with a white hat. Next to him was another adult on the floor on his prayer mat. “The prayer I saw was not voluntary,” the substitute teacher said. “The kids were corralled by adults and required to go to the assembly where prayer occurred.”

Where assignments were on the board, along with math and sociology, was an assignment relating to the study of the Qu'ran with the required readings listed.

Have you heard anything out of the ACLU? How about Barry Lynn's stellar organization, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State?

Yes, Jesus foretold of such things so we should not be surprised, and yes, we are Christians first and Americans second. But since we are Americans, and there isn't anything unbiblical about pressing for the same rights all other Americans receive--even Paul did the same with the Roman authorities--then we must be allowed to snit and fume exercising our constitutional rights with the expectation of there being some semblance of just application (just for all including Christians) of constitutional rights and privileges whether one is a Christian or not.

James Earl Carter Needs An Ankle Bracelet

"There he goes again! Former President Jimmy Carter, acting out his stubborn, self-righteous moralism and his stunning vanity, persists in legitimizing terrorism. How else can the Middle East see Carter's meeting in Syria with no less than the terrorist mastermind Khaled Mashaal, the leader of Hamas?"

No those aren't the words of a fundamentalist Christian but of Mortimer Zuckerman, editor of U.S. News and World Report.

And no one can blame the wide spread condemnation of Carter's actions on partisan politics as there has been strong bi-partisan rebuke of the aged former President. If Carter's lapse of judgment was due to an encroaching senility we could forgive him and rein him in. Unfortunately, it seems that he is merely stupefyingly destructive.

Zuckerman notes: "This is what Carter said on Nov. 28, 2006, on PBS: 'Since August of 2004 [Hamas] has not committed a single act of terrorism that cost an Israeli life, not a single one.'" Zuckerman then states, "That is flatly untrue." citing all kinds of attacks and murderous endeavors for which Hamas proudly claimed responsibility.

The last time Carter took up the cause of Hamas, Hamas was killing Fatah party members throwing them of Gaza rooftops.

What is wrong with this man? Why does our State Department allow him to travel abroad to such places. Don't we have laws against private citizens meddling in national affairs?

If Carter is trying to be some kind of Christ-like peace maker he is failing miserably and serving the purposes of Satanic spirits. It would seem to me that our government has the right--and in fact, the responsibility to restrict the travel of private citizens who intend to undermine national security.

Carter is fueling the fires of terrorism both against the United States and Israel and he needs to be contained. More women and children will assuredly be murdered at the hands of Hamas and James Earl Carter will have their blood on his hands. I am not sure if he is an aged, former politician trying to establish some kind of legacy but another legacy of stupidity and treason is not what we need.

Homosexuality Puts Public At Risk--AGAIN

How pernicious and selfish is the impact of the homosexuality juggernaut on the public welfare? As a former blood bank technologist I write with a special passion and outrage. That the perverse conduct of an overwhelming minority should be protected at the risk of the majority of the public defies rational understanding. Never-the-less, as far back as 30 years ago, all sensible and safe medical practices concerning communicable diseases was stood on its ear lest homosexuals be offended. Suddenly, HIV was placed in a hallowed category with special protections of privacy that endangered those of us who had to collect specimens from infected individuals without our knowing they were infected. Things have only worsened in the ensuing 30 years.

At San Jose State University, the president of that institution just suspended all blood drives at the university because the FDA has a lifetime blood exclusion policy prohibiting homosexual men from giving blood. This prohibition is medically sound and similar prohibitions exist for other high risk categories of people.

Never let reason or the common good interfere with lifestyles of the godless and perverted. The president of San Jose State said it violated the school's non-discrimination policy citing the school's code which says, "…discrimination of any kind, including … sexual orientation is an affront to the entire university community and is strictly prohibited."

The policy as stated is ludicrous. I am willing to wager that if a man walks on campus at San Jose State carrying a rifle, that certain assumptions will be made--for the good of the campus--and he will be discriminated against very quickly. People who claim discrimination is always wrong are not thinking clearly.

If my pilot appears intoxicated, I hope someone will discriminate against him and not allow him into the cockpit. Surgeons who have tested positive for beta hemolytic Strep. or Staph. Aureus have been barred from performing surgery; the risk to the patient is just too great. That is not discrimination; that is common sense, but when it comes to homosexuality, common sense, logic, and safety are banned from consideration.

Through 2005 there have been 20,500 deaths due to transfusion transmission of HIV; 20,500 men, women and children sent to an early grave because of the life depriving pleasures of homosexual men. No wonder there is a curse on our land and it only continues to worsen. Without Jesus--we must expect an escalation of such consequences and since the rain falls on the just and unjust alike, the innocent will continue to pay the price of guilty.

The Sewers of Society

High School censorship of information is alive and well; don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Frankly I am ALL for the selective dissemination of information to young people in particular, but in our day of cultural depravity, the censorship tends to always run in the wrong direction.

Here's what I mean.

Forest Lake High School in Minnesota scheduled a program with a group called Vets For Freedom as part of a social studies class giving the students a chance to ask questions of veterans of the Middle East war. Quoting from the source, "There were to be no political endorsements, no political statements, no political agendas…"

12 hours prior to the event taking place, the principal of the school informs Vets for Freedom that the program would not be allowed to take place citing "'several phone calls'" from an unspecified number of '"concerned parents'" warning there would be protests if the program came off.

Now let me move you to another northern state--our frigid state of Maine--where a high school--as I write has taken some of its students to New York to see two plays that are rife with homosexual perversion and simulated sex in the glorious professionalism of Broadway.

God forbid that teenagers should be able to listen to some of our country's heroes who have risked life and limb for their freedom but by all means, let's indoctrinate them into the perversion and filth of a culture descending ever lower into a sewer of smut.

And then we wring our hands when these young adults hang themselves, die of diseases contracted from their sexual recreation, or go on rampages murdering everyone in the sights of their assault rifles. Is it really such a mystery?

I have to be honest and tell you I am sick of writing about this stuff. If there is any "righteous response" at all from those "who know better" it is over as quickly as the 15 second sound bite that broadcast it in the first place. Ho-hum, on to the next cultural catastrophe over which we can get worked up and feel good about the fact that we got worked up about it maybe yelling at the TV and then we are comfortably absolved of responsibility to do anything further.

Our biblical mandate to be light in a dark world is appeased in the momentary purging of emotion with the result of zero impact on that world of darkness.

There--I feel better--now onto something else…

Too Many Books Is Tiresome

I'm reading a book currently--well actually several books; nothing unusual there but the one I am referring to is a very popular book written by a Christian and an atheist about "the church."

They traveled around the country checking out all kinds of churches assessing how they do things from the perspective of the atheist. Now, admittedly I am only part way through the book and there are a couple of tid-bits here and there that could be helpful for a church to be in tune with. But overall, the book is becoming a mite annoying.

What the atheist dislikes at one church for one reason, he dislikes at the next church for the opposite reason. At still another church, he still dislikes whatever the thing is in focus, for still another reason. In other words, one church might be "too friendly" and the next church not friendly enough. At still another, the friendliness seemed "too orchestrated" but at the next it seemed too casual and no matter what angle of any aspect of the church the atheist was critiquing, there was almost certainly a "problem" with it.

To make it all even more annoying, this lone atheist's assessment is somehow supposed to be representative of all the unchurched in the land.

It's not that I am sensitive to criticism of the way churches do things either; believe me I am our own worst critic but reading this "Christian" book and another "Christian" book I read a couple weeks back, I was reminded why I don't read very many Christian books at all.

I find they are either repackaged ideas for which there are already 50 different titles on the shelf, they are drivel, or they are someone else's idea of why and how "the church" is supposedly doing it all wrong. If you're big--you should be smaller; if you're small, you should be bigger; if you're into social action, you should be more focused on the Gospel and if you're focused on the Gospel you should be more involved in social action and on and on.

Solomon--WISE old Solomon wrote, "…be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body." Eccles. 12:12

I'll say, but before you get depressed, picking up the latest, "what's wrong with the church" book on the shelf remember "The Church" was God's idea; He calls it His Bride and we need to be careful about insinuating that "God's girl" is a real dog!

Oh What Tangled Webs We Weave...

"Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight." Proverbs 12:22

If there is a legacy left to all Americans from the Clinton Presidency it is that the word "lying" and "Clinton" are synonymous.

Chelsea Clinton--stumping for her mother--was asked recently about Hillary's accusation that Bill's obscene conduct with Ms. Lewinsky was untrue and the product of a "vast right wing conspiracy."

Chelsea responded, "Wow, you're the first person actually that's ever asked me that question in the, I don't know maybe, 70 college campuses I've now been to, and I do not think that is any of your business."

Chelsea's response would have been defensible if it was asked her of private-citizen Hillary Clinton but it wasn't. It was asked concerning Presidential-candidate Hillary Clinton who made the statement--publicly--in defense of her sleazy husband.

That puts the question in an entirely different light and makes it everyone's business. The Hillary that gave the ludicrous answer about a vast right wing conspiracy is the same Hillary desiring to be the chief communicator/answer-giver for every American.

Her public comments as first lady are fair game and appropriate to dissect. After all it is by Hillary's own insistence, that it was as "first lady" where she obtained all her wonderful "experience" to be President. If Chelsea is big enough to be on the campaign trail for her mother, she needs to be big enough to answer relevant questions even if they are uncomfortable.

But Hillary's veracity has always been a problem. Currently she was caught lying--no other words for it--even though her words have been "I misspoke" "I was mistaken," "I was sleep deprived" when relating details about a trip to Bosnia as first lady where she supposedly had come under fire from snipers and had to run to waiting vehicles instead of having a reception on the airfield. Furthermore she insisted her plane had to fly evasive maneuvers to land safely.

Thanks to video tapes, Hillary was caught red handed--or should I say, red-faced. Not only were there no snipers, she had a lolly-gagging reception on the tarmac where she landed and Colonel William Changose, the pilot who flew her plane, said, "Not only were there no bullets flying around, there was no bumblebee flying around."

What you see and what you hear--is what you get. Nuff said.

Belief In Sin Is A Concept, Not An Actuality

We know that "we the people" of these United States are hypocrites declaring to believe in any number of concepts, ideas, even theologies and yet our actions betray what we really believe.

It's no surprise then that Ellison Research tells us 87% of the populace believes in the concept of sin. (Sin was defined as “something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective.”)

The study asked 1000 Americans to decide whether 30 behaviors were sinful. Now before I go on with some of the results of this research I want you to first picture, ever so quickly in your mind's eye, about the vast majority of movies, shows, music, entertainment and reading materials we spend our time and money on in the course of any given day.

Okay the research shows that the "big" sins--meaning those activities or behaviors which are viewed by a strong majority as being sinful include the following: Adultery was most often described as sinful behavior, followed by racism, and drug use. Abortion, homosexual activity; pornography; gossip; swearing; and sex before marriage followed with strong support being considered sinful.

Okay, if this is true then wouldn't you expect to see a somewhat prevalent application of these beliefs to every day life? But that isn't anywhere close to reality. Remember, this research was not merely for churched individuals but for the unchurched as well.

So why do we see the Governor of New York resign in disgrace due to sexual immorality having been involved with hired sex for several years only to have his successor admit only days into his new position that he and his wife had both been sexually involved with others?

I'm not just picking on these isolated events but the whole fiber of our society which is swamped in sexual dysfunction, sexually caused disease, pornography is a mutli-billion dollar industry, swearing is as commonplace among professional women as it is blue collar beasts. We all know about the millions dead from abortion, and you can't go a day without some assault by another homosexual attempt to desensitize your sensibilities. Drug abuse, even with prescription drugs, is a way of life and premarital sex is a recreational adolescent right.

It seems obvious that calling something sin, and living as if it truly were are vastly different realities in the hearts and minds Americans--both churched and unchurched. But the consequences are not mitigated by what we say; only by what we do!

Obama's Pastor Is More Than A Loose Cannon

You have I assume heard some of the many pieces of Barak Obama's pastor, aired incessantly it seems, over the television and radio waves of the nation. That much is being made of this is legitimate and as much as Obama tries to distance himself from his pastor's inflammatory, hateful and genuinely racist rhetoric, his explanations are thin.

This is not a case of a pastor making an isolated statement in the heat of a moment; we are all human; we all say things that we regret later once having time to think about them or having collected our sensibilities. How well I know…

But Pastor Wright has not simply made a gaff here and there or a rash statement in a moment of passion.

I have listened to several, rather lengthy, aspects of his sermons and have heard him defending his positions on Fox News. The problem boils down to this.

Obama's church is dedicated to liberation theology rather than the Gospel of Jesus Christ. While religionists make them one and the same, the fact is, they are two distinct theologies--one being a human reaction (usually an angry human reaction) to social injustice; the other being the inspired words of God incarnate.

One sees the ultimate in human deliverance as equality in all things in this life here and now. The Gospel sees the ultimate in human deliverance as liberation from personal sin and its attendant consequences. One sees heaven as life on earth without unfairness, unkindness and hatred. The Gospel sees heaven as existence with God after life on this Earth. One sees the work of the Kingdom as working against injustice toward a just paradise on Earth; the Gospel sees the work of the Kingdom as telling others of the hope of Christ with a view to another life where absolute justice will be the norm.

I understand the Rev. Wright's anger at a certain level and even sympathize with it to a certain extent; but his priorities, reactions, and solutions are anything but Christ-like and anything but Biblical. Obama needs to do a lot more than just shrug them off with a casual--I don't agree with everything he says. He needs to reject them as being bigoted, racist and above all, unbiblical.

Good Friday For Us; Bad Friday For Jesus

Okay--so today is what traditionally is called "Good Friday." This evening at 7:00 our church will be hosting a Good Friday service of music and meditation but of course if you're listening to this in the evening time slot, you're obviously not planning to attend--at least not at Faith Evangelical Free Church.

"Good Friday" has always been an intriguing way to remember what was really a bad day in the life of Jesus. It was on that day that the Roman Leader Pontius Pilate wimped out washing his hands of Jesus' blood turning Him over to the rabble who wanted Him crucified. That too, is quite the interesting point on which to meditate.

I thought Jesus was the consummate "Nice Guy." I mean that is how He is ALWAYS portrayed in our contemporary culture of "Judge not lest ye be judged." How often do you hear the protests from people when the well studied Christian explains various teachings of the Bible and pronounces certain behaviors, activities, or lifestyles as perverse or immoral?

The classic protest is something along the lines of, "Jesus never judged anyone! Jesus loved everybody! God loves you just the way you are (which they then imply means that He loves everything about you.)

An honest reading of the life of Jesus sees Jesus getting infuriated and not only that one time in the Temple. For someone who loves everyone "just the way they are"--meaning everything about them--Jesus sure ripped on a lot of people.

"You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Matthew 3:7

"For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." Matthew 23:27

"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father."

John 8:44

"You hypocrites, you travel about on sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." Matthew 23:15

Sheesh, sounds pretty judgmental to me. No wonder He was crucified; pretty intolerant I'd say. So what gives? Well, you can find out this Sunday at 8:30 or 10:30. We're easy enough to find right on the main drag in Waterville across from Shaw's Plaza, but only if you're not already involved with a Bible believing faith community.

Another Palm Sunday; Ho-humm...

This Sunday is traditionally known as "Palm Sunday." The name comes from the episode in the life of Jesus when the thronging crowds showered Him with accolades throwing palm fronds on the road in front of him as he entered Jerusalem. The historical occurrence is traditionally celebrated as "The Triumphal Entry."

This is ironic since the occasion would mark the beginning of the end of Jesus' life on Earth. The same crowd that cheered His arrival demanded His execution at Calvary only days later. What changed?

The crowds were not really interested in Jesus--the Promised Savior--who came into the world to die for their sins. They wanted the Jesus who miraculously put food on their plates as they hungered on a hill side. They were ready to embrace the miracle working Healer who had already healed a deaf man, raised a dead man, and tossed demons out of numerous people like so much used Kleenex in a coat pocket.

They had experienced the magic-genie-Jesus; the one they thought they could domesticate and manipulate at whim; the one they thought came to make them comfortable, healthy and happy. The Jesus they clamored for looked like the one you hear portrayed so often today as the one who exists to make us prosperous and pretty.

What they weren't interested in was a God coming in the likeness of a man yet who was fully God; a God who came, not to give us what we wanted, but what we needed. And what we needed was the cure of for our pernicious self-centeredness that placed our wills above God's.

He came to cure us not of poverty, not of poor health, not of failing marriages, not even of injustice. Those are all promises for another epoch; the day when He returns for the second time. But right now, with His first visit, all He did was cure those who believe in Him and on Him, of their sinfulness that separated them from God--for all eternity and then entered those lives with His Holy Spirit to be a constant companion and comforter as we endure a sin-filled world. That's all He did. That's all. Ho hum…Ho hum…

What Happened To Every Person Gets a Vote?

I am sure you can remember back to the controversial election of 2000 when hanging chads became the focus with great animus and hostility on the part of democrats believing Al Gore should have been president. Do you remember one of the salient war cries of that time? "Every person deserves their vote to be counted!" There has never been a greater uproar over the possibility of someone's vote going untallied.

Do you remember the other war cry of the day once the courts determined George Bush the winner? It was, "The election has been stolen" or some form of that protest.

One thing about history is that it tends to reveal the glaring hypocrisies of those who might wish to ignore it.

Enter Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama and the party of short--and very selective-- memories. When Michigan and Florida decided to back out on their agreement concerning the party's rules regarding when and how their primaries would be conducted, the national party decided to punish the two states by nullifying their primary election. This made their delegates ineligible to count in the selection of their party's candidate for the highest office in the land.

How interesting this is since--putting it in other words--the democrats were outraged that some people's votes didn't count when they wanted to manipulate the system in order to make their candidate president. According to them at that time, the most heinous, egregious, and reprehensible offense committed against any human being is the crime of discounting anyone's vote. How un-American!

And yet, the same party--so offended that some improperly cast votes might not have counted--by their own doing, eliminated every single vote by every eligible voting citizen of Michigan and Florida!

And you know what else I heard just the other day? Because of Michigan and Florida's votes not counting, the candidate's lackeys were spewing the reminiscent language of thievery saying "the primary election is being stolen."

What short memories. What grotesque hypocrisy.

Planned Parenthood Gets Another Pass

Planned Parenthood is a business that exists and flourishes by murdering the tiniest, most helpless of people. So why would it surprise anyone then, that it just might not be the most sensitive and honorable corporation in all other aspects of its operation?

The charges by pro-lifers over the years have been that PP is just in it for the money. When you consider their cash flow and the numbers of devastated lives--both those killed and those permanently scarred with memories of those killed, it is hard to argue that it's not all about money. But one person wanted to have something more tangible than the obvious.

UCLA student, Lila Rose decided to do an undercover piece on PP looking at attitudes concerning racial bias within the operation of the stellar organization.

She hired an actor to contact PP in seven states asking them if they would be willing to accept a donation that was specifically earmarked for the "abortion of black babies."

In the course of contact with PP representatives, not a single PP employee "objected or questioned the request even when the actor insisted that the purpose was 'to lower the number of black people' in America."

Jared Bridges--web editor for the Family Research Council remarks that PP is "Never a group to turn away a buck, Planned Parenthood will take money from wherever and whomever it can get it, be it the government, Hollywood movie stars, and corporations. That welcoming spirit apparently even extends to those who seek racial genocide."

Planned Parenthood has been a scourge on our nation since its inception. It siphons off millions of dollars in tax sponsored aid to accomplish its mission of killing babies and has been caught red handed, too many times to count, in scandals ranging from altered, incomplete or destroyed medical records, failing to report legally required information, failing to report sexual abuse or rape, and truly just about whatever else one can imagine from those who kill babies for a living. Where money is king, all else bows and the leaders of this nation have been kissing the feet of this devil for decades and it does so with impunity.

Nothing Baffling About NIU Shootings

This past Valentine's Day a gunman on the Northern Illinois University Campus opened fire on students in Cole Hall hitting 21 people killing five.

The scenario was all too familiar with lockdowns, screaming students, wide spread panic and crowds meandering around hours later in a stupor wondering "what just happened?" At the end of it all the shooter-- Steven Kazmierczak--was also dead; a blessing for the inhabitants of planet earth in general and Dekalb, Illinois in particular. If it seems strange calling the perpetrator's demise a blessing, one must understand that God's very reason for implementing capital punishment was to remove the evil one from the community. Removing such a wicked person would enhance the quality of life of the innocent citizens at large. Under such a rubric, even the extreme consequence of execution is not barbaric but merciful.

Predictably there was the typical hand-wringing concerning the "whats" and "whys" of it all with the "experts" attempting "expert" explanations. The comment that caught my attention though was the person opining about these homicides as well as all the others of recent times, saying-- "Only God knows why this is happening." I don't share the same assessment.

While many occurrences in our daily routines are mystifying, these rampages are the by-product of a wayward culture which trivializes morality, dilutes or redefines right and wrong while rewarding evil and punishing righteousness. What's so hard to figure out?

God spoke it through the prophet Isaiah saying, "Woe to those who call evil, good, and good, evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness…" (Isaiah 5:20)

For decades we have been reinventing truth any way we deem appropriate with every individual being the final authority of what is "right for him or her." Why are we then shocked when we learn of someone gunning down others?

If it is true, as our society demands, that morality is fluid; that truth is relative and that what is right for one is not necessarily right for another, how dare we impose OUR notion of right and wrong, even on a homicidal maniac? In the scheme of things Kazmierczak was just an angry, young man who, in his anger, merely expressed himself different than you or I might. Within his moral framework though, he determined his actions were right for him. Moral pronouncements are irrelevant.

If we are consistent with such absurd, cultural notions about good and evil, right and wrong, we may take exception to the nature of the shooter's moral compass, but we cannot--without great hypocrisy--impugn the direction that person's compass points.

So if we are brutally forthright and painstakingly committed to intellectual honesty, we must admit that our cultural trend toward murderous hate commenced at the Garden of Eden. God presented his truth--"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.'" (Genesis 2:16-17) But Eve--several millennia ahead of her time--rejected God's truth determining "truth" for herself trampling over the tender mercies of God when he said "…thou shall not…" The world followed suit and continues in escalating fashion.

Why do these horrors keep happening? Because everyone does what is right in his own eyes. Solomon wrote that such people are fools and should be obvious that we are living in a fool's paradise.

Alternative Worship Is Problematic

As the Emergent Church continues to emerge, the age old issue of what constitutes "valid worship" continues to be in the forefront of Christian current events.

Barna Associates just released a new survey result showing that "a majority of adults now believe that there are a variety of biblically legitimate ways to experience God outside of the conventional church."

"At least 50 percent of adults who took part in the survey said they felt that each of these six alternatives were 'a complete and biblically valid way for someone who does NOT participate in the services or activities of a conventional church to experience and express their faith in God…'"

1. Engaging in faith activities at home, with one's family (considered acceptable by 89%).

2. Being active in a house church (75%).

3. Watching a religious television program (69%).

4. Listening to a religious radio broadcast (68%).

5. Attending a special ministry event, such as a concert or community service activity (68%).

6. Participating in a marketplace ministry (54%).

Honestly I could write a book on this subject showing the biblical absurdity of at least 5 out of the six. It must be enough for now to say that this shows how biblically illiterate "Christians" are, and that the damnable independence exemplified by Nadab and Abihu in Leviticus 10:1 who lost their lives coming to God any old way they felt appropriate, is still the spirit of the age.

It is certainly true that "The Church" does not consist in the physical edifices in which worship takes place but there is clear structure to the "Ekklesia" or the "Ones who are called out," ie., "The Church."

Five out of the six expressions of "worship," which are deemed appropriate by at least half of Christians, do not contain the elements of--among other things--God ordained leadership; authority; accountability structures and the general idea of the "body gathered" who together bring all the gifts to the table so that the church is complete.

The two rebels of Leviticus 10 discovered with their lives that God is not to be trifled with and He birthed the Church for the care, nurture, and safeguarding of those who comprise it. Five of the six mentioned, divorced from the "local church," are nothing more than sinful self-indulgences for which a great price can be expected.

American Psychological Association Needs A Shrink

Well here's a new intensified twist on how intent the devil is on pushing his anti-God, anti-life devastation on the human race.

In the earlier publications of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders behaviors like Homosexuality and pedophilia for example were listed as mental disorders. Over time however, the professional dogma changed and such aberrant behaviors were deemed to be untouchable by the ethical counselor and such disorders could not be approached unless a person deemed that it was a problem in which case the counselor could help them to overcome these disorders.

But now the American Counseling Association has a new policy stating that even if a client comes to see a counselor for help in overcoming such sexual deviance, the counselor MUST offer only "gay-affirming" arguments.

If the client persists in their view that their struggle is indeed a moral one, the ethical counselor must help them to explore what "religious influences" are underpinning the client's own self-directed homophobia.

Do you see how Satan pushes his homicidal agenda? First he says, you must stop labeling such behaviors as aberrant or sinful. Then he says you must never tell someone their behaviors are "wrong" --unless they believe they are wrong. Then he says you must not offer them "help" to overcome because there is nothing to overcome; then he says, even if they come seeking help, you must convince them there is nothing to seek help for and you must help them to embrace their pathology.

If any counselor dares even refer a client to a counselor who does offer "reparative counseling" the American Counseling Association says that counselor will be breaching their code of ethics.

Fortunately, hundreds of counselors within the APA are protesting but we have a long track record of seeing the frog in the kettle at work! Even if they re successful this time to get something changed, it is only a matter of time until the perverse and dying will obtain what they think they want. This is a satanic scheme; it is not merely human.

Our only hope is that faithful men and women continue to persevere unrelentingly maintaining the truth we know is God's truth. And by Gods grace, as Paul writes to Timothy, perhaps "they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will." 2 Tim. 2:26