Confirmed: U.S. Chief Facilitator of Christian Persecution

Tags

Africa, American Church, call to prayer, Christian Persecution, Christianity, church, conviction, devotion, islam, Jihad, martyrs, middle-east, suffering, Syria, torture

Will YOU pray?

Confirmed:
U.S. Chief Facilitator of Christian Persecution
Special Bulletin

By Raymond Ibrahim

Prominent indicators confirm that the U.S. is the chief facilitator of the persecution of Christians around the world today.

According to the recently released 2014 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted, Syria is the third worst nation in the world in which to be Christian, Iraq is fourth, Afghanistan fifth, and Libya 13th. All four countries receive the strongest designation, “extreme persecution” (other designations are “severe,” “moderate,” and “sparse” persecution).

Aside from being so closely and harshly ranked, these four nations have something else in common: heavy U.S. involvement. Three-Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya-were “liberated” thanks to U.S. forces, while in the fourth, Syria, the U.S. is actively sponsoring “freedom fighters” against the regime, many of whom would be better labeled “terrorists.”

The Syrian situation alone indicts U.S. foreign policy. According to Reuters:

“Open Doors, a non-denominational group supporting persecuted Christians worldwide, said on Wednesday it had documented 2,123 “martyr” killings, compared with 1,201 in 2012. There were 1,213 such deaths in Syria alone last year, it said. “This is a very minimal count based on what has been reported in the media and we can confirm,” said Frans Veerman, head of research for Open Doors. Estimates by other Christian groups put the annual figure as high as 8,000.”

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Will you pray?

Restoring The Republic

Tags

America, constitutional republic, Crises = Opportunity, democracy, freedom isn't free, individual freedom, kingdom of God, liberty, passivity of Americans, Republic, revelations, theocracy, What can we do about it?, Where are we headed?, Where should we be headed?

MorningStar Prophetic Bulletin #83
February 6, 2014
Rick Joyner

America is not the kingdom of God, and it is definitely not the New Jerusalem. Even so, many nations have been called by God for special purposes. After years of studying American history and the founding of our Republic, His hand in our founding became clear to me. America has a purpose in preparing the way for His coming kingdom.

The kingdom of God will not be a democracy, but a kingdom. It will be built on many of the freedoms that are foundational to America’s strength and accomplishments. People were created to be free, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. The coming kingdom will be the world’s Jubilee. Like the biblical year of Jubilee in which all debts will be cancelled and all inheritances restored, this will happen for all mankind.

In Isaiah 40 we see that we prepare the way for the Lord by building a highway. America is part of that highway. While other nations have a part in this too, my primary calling is to my own nation. With the crisis America is in now, I am focusing on its part although the same principles can apply to others. Though America has had many great crises that have threatened our existence, they have all resulted in a great advance toward our ultimate purpose. The present crises can do the same. As we are engaged in building our part of this highway, the favor and blessings of God have been upon us, and it is His way to save the best for last. We must not give up on our country now. We can be sure that God has not.

Crises = Opportunity

For many years we have been saying that each year would be more challenging than the last. I don’t think we have been wrong yet. What can we expect for 2014? It will be even more challenging too, but that does not mean it will not be a great year. Keeping in mind that victories don’t come without battles, and no great victories without great battles, this is the year we can expect some breakthroughs and a turning. Now is the time to see these crises/opportunities and prepare for them.

2013 gave us shocking revelations, unprecedented in American history, of the government’s use of the IRS to intimidate and control political opposition, domestic spying by the NSA, and the building of an apparatus that could be used for totalitarian control even beyond the imagination of the authors of 1984 and Animal Farm. The year ended with ObamaCare collapsing, the Administration reeling, stock markets soaring, and the politically incorrect Duck Dynasty rising in popularity far past the President or any other politician. We can learn much from these signs.

Not everyone who stood up for Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty agreed with him. However, there was a rising agreement that he had the right to say what he thinks without being penalized. Repulsion to political correctness is on the rise as well as a refreshing embracing of anyone with clear speech and the courage to say what they actually think. This is certainly a good sign.

The revelations of our government’s domestic spying apparatus should have caused the greatest outrage of Americans. The relative passivity of Americans about this is troubling. However, there are also signs that people are waking up to this threat as well.

As the saying goes, “If you do not change your direction, you will end up where you are headed.” Therefore, we will look at these and other major revelations that are illuminating ultimate issues with serious consequences. We will do this using a slightly modified version of The Three Great Questions:

Where are we headed?

Where should we be headed?

What can we do about it?

Continue reading HERE

Do you Love Me?

Tags

acceptance, Body of Christ, challenge, Christianity, church, drugs, gangs, God's people, hypocricy, love, obedience, pre-marital sex, rejection

Rejection

Written by David Benrexi

Have you ever been rejected? Have you ever wanted to talk to someone and had them say, “Leave me alone!”? Has anyone ever told you, “I hate you!”? Do you ever call and leave a message, and your call is not returned? Do you ever want affection and your spouse has a headache?

Rejection, it’s part of living. Does anyone like it? I sure don’t. Why does one person reject another? I think it’s because we’re selfish. We don’t want to be bothered. We want to be left alone. We don’t want to deal with situations we’re not comfortable with. We don’t see the other person as a human being precious to God, Who loves that person totally and commands us to love him as well. We only see that it is not advantageous to us to love that person, so we don’t.

Has anyone besides me noticed that there’s a shortage of real love among God’s people? I think everyone is looking for love, and it’s not easy to find. If we, the children of God, would begin to truly love one another, love wouldn’t be so hard to find. The kids wouldn’t be turning to drugs and pre-marital sex. The bars would be empty. I am amazed at how preoccupied most Christians are with their own little soap operas while the people around them are dying and starving for love.

Command, not request!

This thing called rejection, How sad it is! If you like this brother’s teaching, another brother regards you as an enemy. If you play this style of music, you can’t play at that church. If you dress this way, speak in tongues, or don’t speak in tongues, you believe in divine healing or in modern medicine, it’s all a big deal to most Christians. “What church do you attend?” they ask. You answer, and they get a funny look on their face.

The question I have for everyone I meet in the Body of Christ is, “Do you love me?” Most believers feel like it’s up to me to be “loveable.” If I believe the same way they do and conform to their code of conduct, they might love me just a little after a while. If I don’t conform, they’ll avoid me. Of course, at a church meeting, they’ll shake my hand or even hug me and say, “How’s it going?” They want to “appear” to be righteous for their audience, but the dirty truth is, they find me objectionable. They don’t love me. Now, there is no possibility whatsoever that a person who rejects me will call me at my home later and say, “Brother David, I perceive there is strife between us, and it grieves me. Can we get together and talk?” That will never happen because the other person feels justified in not loving me. It’s my fault. I didn’t satisfy his requirements. Something about me isn’t right. If only I would change.

Continue reading HERE

A Roller Coaster Year

Tags

2014, City of God, New Jerusalem, New Year, prophecy, prophetic dream, roller coaster, vision

INTRODUCTION: Many years ago, I built my first website on the messages of other men and women of God. In the belief that God uses as many “vehicles” or methods of communication as possible, I believe God is eager to share with us “secrets” of what He is doing today. Keep in mind the story from the Old Testament of Balaam and his talking donkey (Numbers 22:22-41 NKJV.)

Anyway, this is the God of Creation we’re talking about and I, for one, will put no restraints on Him! So in that mindset, this is a “Word” concerning this new year.

My God bless and increase our wisdom & understanding according to His extravagant love for us!

Where there is no vision from God, the people run wild,
but those who adhere to God’s instruction know genuine happiness.
Proverbs 29:18

by Rick Joyner

A Vision of a Roller Coaster

When I prayed for this coming year, I was shown a roller coaster. This means we will have ups and downs this year. I realize that hardly takes a prophet to predict, but the encouraging thing about this vision was that the ride ended at the highest point. We’re going higher this year! So don’t be discouraged by the dips. Hang on and know that we will be going up again soon.

Our prophetic friend, Bob Jones, told us several months ago that it was going to be a very hard winter. I think this one has already qualified for that. As I am writing this in South Carolina, it is 8 degrees outside. I don’t remember it ever being that cold here. However, the great thing is that spring will certainly follow! The point is that we must hang on during any dips or hard times. They will come to pass, but they will pass! As Winston Churchill once said, “When you’re going through Hell, keep going.” Keep going.

The roller coaster I saw was very rickety. It did not seem that it could make it through another turn or the ups and downs. It held together though. I love roller coasters, but this one was not the kind I would get on voluntarily. We don’t have a choice, we are on it. Even the strongest systems of this world are very shaky, and most can only make it through another day because God is holding them together. He is doing this for our sakes, so we should never stop praying for them.

A Glistening Train

In the vision, there was a platform at the end of this roller coaster ride. It did not look any stronger than the roller coaster, but as we walked across, it became stronger and stronger. On the other side, there was a beautiful, brilliantly glistening train which we boarded. It was the most beautiful and well-appointed train I’ve ever seen.

However, as I boarded I saw that when it left the platform, it would enter a long, dark tunnel that I could not see the end of. Even so, the tunnel was going up, and this was a powerful, mountain-climbing train. We’re going up. It may be dark and a bit scary for a while, but we are going higher. That was the end of this vision.

Trains often speak of training in dreams and visions. We may still be on a rickety old roller coaster, but the vehicle that is going to take us to where we must go will be training. This speaks to me of Ephesians 4 – the equipping of the saints to do the work of the ministry. Even though it may take a while for us to see where we’re going (the long, dark tunnel) we will be going up. This is the vehicle that will get us to where we must go.

The City God is Building

It is the nature of the faith walk to not be able to see where you’re going, but you should know what you’re looking for. The one who started the walk of faith, Abraham, did not know where he was going, but he did know what he was looking for – the city that God is building, not men.

The cities that men have built are impressive, but once you see what God is building, you can no longer be impressed with anything man is building. It takes revelation to see what God is building. John saw Babylon until he was carried to a high mountain. Then he saw the New Jerusalem, which is the city that Abraham saw. It is still being built. Being a part of it is the highest calling we can have. Do you see it?

As we see in the Book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem is the Bride, the wife of the Lamb. As Don Potter recently remarked, it is an amazing thing how a bride can look like she is in shambles just minutes before the ceremony. However, in those last few minutes she comes together and emerges so beautifully and so perfect that you know you have witnessed a great miracle. This may well be just the way it happens with the Bride of the Lamb. We may look like a disaster right up to the end and then, miraculously, we come together without spot or wrinkle.

Never give up.

Rick Joyner
MorningStar Ministries
Email: info@morningstarministries.org
Website: morningstarministries.org

Rick Joyner is the founder and executive director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries and is the Senior Pastor of MorningStar Fellowship Church. He is the author of more than forty books, including The Final Quest, A Prophetic History, and Church History. He is also the president of The OAK Initiative, an interdenominational movement that is mobilizing thousands of Christians to be engaged in the great issues of our times, being the salt and light that they are called to be. Rick and his wife, Julie, have five children: Anna, Aaryn, Amber, Ben, and Sam.

♫ That’s Why I Pray ♫

Tags

America's Psychosis, bullying, call to prayer, faith, forgiveness, God, kindness, mass shootings, mental illness, prayer, second amendment

Oh oh oh oh, oh oh, yeah

Man on the TV’s gone insane, everybody’s just laughing
People ‘cross the world holding on
The earth caved in, the ocean came down crashing
My neighbor lost his house ’cause he can’t find a job
Don’t you dare pledge allegiance, don’t you dare speak of God
Speak of God
Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!

Obamanomics Kills Jobs as GOP Dithers

“If it weren’t for a shamelessly dishonest, hyper-protective liberal media, the American people would know, unanimously and without doubt, that Obamanomics is killing American jobs. There is no silver lining in the December jobs numbers.

Experts and analysts were expecting this latest jobs report, released Friday, to show 200,000 new payroll jobs in December, but there were only 74,000, which is 37 percent of the goal. Not 90 percent, not 80, not 70, not even 50 percent. Just 37 percent.

If these abominable numbers had occurred under George W. Bush’s watch, the GOP would have had hell to pay for decades. But liberal presidents always get a pass in the form of wildly far-fetched excuses and rationalizations for their failed policies.

Attentive minds, however, will not be fooled. As the liberal media live by the dishonest rationalization, so they must die by it, as well. With the help of sympathetic economists, they have been whitewashing Obama’s perennially anemic economy as being in “recovery” for 52 months now.” Read MORE

♫ “That’s Why I Pray” ♫

Now I’m begging for forgiveness
I wanna make a difference even in the smallest way
I’m only one person, but I can feel it working
I believe in better days
That’s why I pray

Some stupid video posted as a joke, somebody’s life gets ruined
Out of everything we can create
Where is the cure to keep the sick from losing
Babies having babies ’cause their parents are always gone
Somehow we have forgotten how to make a house a home
How to make a house a home
Oh! Oh! Yeah! Yeah!

Seems “bullying” is in the news every week as either a teen commits suicide or a politician uses “bullying” language in reference to an opponent or opposition party. If “bullying” is defined as someone acting loudly arrogant and overbearing, then many in the headlines fall into that category. Problem is, we, as adults, are teaching our kids how to bully and when to bully, and it starts in the White House! Until we, as adults, remember we are all Americans & we all have a voice, our kids will pay the price for our bigotry.

Moral Intelligence and Public School Bullying

“On December 4, 2013 Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.5-million member American Federation of Teachers (AFT), spoke on C-Span about bullying, particularly of gay students. Ms. Weingarten said, with surprise in her voice, that she doesn’t understand why gay students are still bullied in public schools, because in 2013, “It’s cool to be gay.” She also said she is gay, and now speaks about it openly.

As a psychotherapist, I tell clients that being surprised by another person’s behavior often results from erroneous assumptions about the person, usually because you see them as you want them to be rather than as they are. As Ms. Weingarten talked about the love that not only dares speak its name but never shuts its yap, I imagined how it would sound if a heterosexual male schoolteacher said, “The way I do sex is cool.” Read MORE

♫ “That’s Why I Pray” ♫

I’m begging for forgiveness, I wanna make a difference
Even in the smallest way
I’m only one person, but I can feel it working
I believe in better days
That’s why I pray, yeah
That’s why I pray, yeah

These demons from my past haunt me every night
And I just can’t get through it
If I could forget them on my own, I’ll let go and just move on
But heaven knows I am only human

Politicians have chosen to make firearms an issue in place of the more controversial issue of Mental illness. In doing so, they totally miss the point in an attempt to distract the public and give a semblance of “taking action!” We, as Americans, must demand better! Our streets are littered with people … human beings who have lost their way by means of mental illness, not to be confused with substance abuse!

Mass Shootings: America’s Psychosis

After every mass shooting, I write a variant of the same column. Perhaps I’ll republish this one when the next attack happens.

The increase in mass shootings over the course of the past several decades is not imaginary. In 2000, The New York Times analyzed 100 mass shootings between 1949 and 1999 and found that 73 of them had happened since 1990. Since 2000, according to Mother Jones magazine, there have been 33 more, including the recent massacre at the Navy Yard. The majority of the killers have untreated mental illness. Read MORE

♫ “That’s Why I Pray” ♫

And that’s why I pray, yeah yeah
That’s why I pray, I pray, I pray, I pray

Yes I’m begging for forgiveness (I’m begging for forgiveness)
I just wanna make a difference (Just wanna make a difference)
I believe (I believe) in better days
That’s why I pray

Music & Lyrics(in italics) by BIG & RICH

Please PRAY, now more than ever …

for this nation,

for our fellow Americans,

for our leaders – both elected and otherwise.

* The Homeless Angels *

Tags

homeless in America, homeless Vets, homelessness, kindness, opportunity, The Homeless Angels, Who is my neighbor

NOTE: In search for practical applications of common basic human dignity and respect. What can one person do?

Why I Return to the Streets Each Year
to Help the Homeless

Eight years ago, I fell upon hard times and ended up homeless in Lansing, Mich., for six months of my life.

I was too ashamed to tell my family or friends when I lost my house so I didn’t ask for help. Instead, I lived in parking lots and tents with other people on the street. It’s definitely rough out there and there is a lot of mental illness and violence, but I also met people who weren’t much different from me. That really stuck with me. I also built great relationships and connections that I couldn’t break.

Three years ago, I decided to do something to help the people who were still out there. I spent a week in November 2010 walking the streets of Lansing, giving out blankets and coats, talking to people who didn’t have homes and sleeping outside with them. I shared the whole thing through posts, photos and videos on Facebook. I wanted people to see what homelessness really is.

I’ve continued to do this for a week in November every year since. I give people the knowledge to get off the streets and help them to go to a shelter. I want to provide a meal, I want to provide warmth, and I want provide a way for the public to see what the need is. There’s so much misunderstanding about what homelessness is and isn’t. I give people a window into the reality, while personally helping as many people on the streets as I can.

Building a relationship with the homeless is what I do… friendship is not a service that shelters offer but us angels make it a point to be there for our brothers and sisters!!
The is someone’s father,brother, son and at some point in there life they were loved.. We bringing that love back one person at a time!!

Each year that I’ve done this, more people in my network and the community have gotten involved. This year I went out from Nov. 11 to Nov. 17, and saved 25 souls from the streets of Lansing in seven days. I decided to keep the effort going with my buddy Jessep and start a non-profit: The Homeless Angels.

A local shelter has donated office space to us for our outreach to the homeless. Before Thanksgiving, we collected 400 bags of clothes and more than 75 complete meals for the needy. We also recently held a telethon to raise money for hotel rooms for homeless families. At the telethon, we had a Santa and Mrs. Claus there for kids, and we gave out nearly 400 new toys we collected. Thanks to community donations, we were able to place two families and two single people in hotel rooms for a month. We assign “angels” to each person or family that we help get off the streets. These angels help with basic needs and getting people where they need to go. Other people we help get into shelters.

Giving people kindness and opportunity is everything. I want people on the streets to know that there’s a huge group of people who care about them and are willing to do something to help. We’re going to keep getting more angels involved and one day I hope to expand to have chapters in other areas.

If you want to help The Homeless Angels or follow their efforts, visit Facebook.com/HomelessAngels.

I continue to go out at night after work at the General Motors Delta Plant and do whatever is possible to help. For one man, that was taking him for his first haircut in two years before he went to his brother’s funeral. For another, that was putting a call out on Facebook asking for size 11 boots and having a pair donated and delivered in under an hour.

Stunning VIDEO

Y108 Listeners Demonstrate the Meaning of Christmas

Tags

Christmas, community, furnace, heat, help, neighbors, Neighbors helping neighbors, pitch in, Pittsburgh, teamwork

PLEASE NOTE: While there are government programs to help offset heating bills, there are NO government programs that help with the expense of furnace repair or replacement. I spy a FREE MARKET OPPORTUNITY!!!

This took place in Pittsburgh, PA … so PROUD of my fellow “Burghers!”

Y108 Listeners Donate And Install A Furnace

Happy New Year! This is Jimmy and Monty with an inspiring story of the compassion of Y108 fans.

Kathy moved into her Muse home in July, as part of a rent-to-own arrangement. But, she had not workable furnace, and she was relying on seven space heaters and a kerosene heater to get her through the winter. Christmas was a week away on December 18, and when Kathy heard us asking our audience how they’d spend $1,000, she called Y108 to say that she’d buy a furnace.

We immediately got calls from Y108 listeners who wanted to help. Jody had money she’d set aside to donate to a charity. Tim had acquired two barely used furnaces from some recent demolition work. Bob from Precision Plumbing volunteered his time.

Kathy tells how it all came together. “Last Saturday (December 28), the guys came out and installed the furnace. Tim had the used furnace. Bob… brought a buddy of his, Jason, and they all came out and they all worked on it.” The installation took about 7 hours.

“Jody was at my house yesterday, she was the one who called and said that she would donate the funds.”

“It was amazing, too, because they all live so close. Jody’s right over the hill from me.”

Kathy says that having a working furnace is “amazing”, and there were “lots of hugs” all around. She adds, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clause”.

(PHOTO above Left to Right: Tim who donated a furnace, Kathy, Jody who donated funds, Bob from Precision Plumbing in the Santa hat, and his coworker Jason)

GOOD GUY WITH A GUN: Armed school officer stopped Arapahoe High School shooting

Tags

2nd Amendment, Arapahoe High School shooting, Bill of Rights, disarming the American People, Gun Control, gun violence, gun-free zones, kids with guns, Progressive agenda, protection, safety, school shootings, US Constitution

Posted by Bob Owens on December 15, 2013 at 8:34 am

Authorities are dramatically revising the response time of law enforcement officers to the Arapahoe High School shooting on Friday.

Originally, it was claimed by multiple outlets that responding law enforcement agencies took 14 minutes to arrive at the school, and that the shooter was not located until 30 minutes into the event. As we noted based on this information, this proves that schools need armed staffers and/or faculty on campus because it takes far too long for outside law enforcement agencies to respond to stop an active shooter.

It now appears that our original thesis was confirmed because there was an armed officer on campus who was the reason the shooter was stopped after only shooting one student.

They are now stating that the entire incident was over in just 80 seconds because there was an armed sheriff’s deputy on staff who was alerted over the school’s radio system, who cornered the shooter in the library. It now appears that once the shooter heard the deputy identify himself as a law enforcement agent, he committed suicide.

The rampage might have resulted in many more casualties had it not been for the quick response of a deputy sheriff who was working as a school resource officer at the school, Robinson said.

Once he learned of the threat, he ran — accompanied by an unarmed school security officer and two administrators — from the cafeteria to the library, Robinson said. “It’s a fairly long hallway, but the deputy sheriff got there very quickly.”
The deputy was yelling for people to get down and identified himself as a county deputy sheriff, Robinson said. “We know for a fact that the shooter knew that the deputy was in the immediate area and, while the deputy was containing the shooter, the shooter took his own life.”

READ MORE HERE!!!

Is military fight a supernatural battle?

Tags

“So help me God”, COEXIST, freedom of religion, Jihadists, mainstream faiths, military, Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, Military for Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), Tolerance, U.S. military

By Diane Markins

Does including the phrase, “So help me God” to an oath add value or impact? The United States Air Force Academy believed so in 1984 when it changed the candidate oath to include these words. But now they are removing the same words because of a complaint by the Military for Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).

Only a year ago, the Latin word for “God” was removed from the logo of an Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. The word was removed after objections by the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers.

Is religion in the U.S. military under attack from “friendly fire?” Undermining and demeaning Christian faith in the armed forces is expected to come from Jihadists, but it seems that there is a domestic battle being waged as well.

Read MORE

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

“Two military chaplains are suing Eric Shinseki, secretary of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, or VA, for allegedly being harassed and drummed out of a training and placement program because of their Christian faith.

Chaplains Major Steven Firtko, U.S. Army (Retired) and Lieutenant Commander Dan Klender, U.S. Navy, claim they were mocked, scolded and threatened for their faith while enrolled in the San Diego VA-DOD Clinical Pastoral Education Center program, which trains and distributes chaplains to military and VA medical centers in the San Diego area.



According to their lawsuit, Firtko and Klender allege the Center’s supervisor, Ms. Nancy Dietsch, a VA employee, derided them in classrooms and even had one of them dismissed for failing to renounce his Christian beliefs.

In July, Firtko, Klender and their sponsoring organization, the Conservative Baptist Association of America, filed formal complaint against Dietsch and the VA.

Now the lawsuit, filed with the help of Military-Veterans Advocacy, explains that Firtko and Klender have exhausted all administrative options and that the harassment the chaplains endured violates the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the Administrative Procedures Act and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“No American choosing to serve in the armed forces should be openly ridiculed for his Christian faith, and that is most obviously true for chaplains participating in a chaplain training program,” said Commander J.B. Wells, U. S. Navy (Ret.), executive director of Military-Veterans Advocacy. “Not only was the treatment these men received inappropriate, it was also a violation of federal law and the religious freedom guarantees of the First Amendment.”

The lawsuit, Conservative Baptist Association of America v. Shinseki, has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.”

DREW ZAHN

How can atheism “COEXIST” with mainstream faiths (Christianity, Judaism, Catholicism, Buddism) when it precludes any existence of God while the others assume a sovereign power of some nature? We managed for 235 years to peacefully live side by side, yet now, in the name of “tolerance” ALL reference to any deity is being erased. Are we so childish that anyone who disagrees must be WRONG? and therefore, denied freedom?

What is … Your CHARACTER?

Tags

Aaron Hernandez, Adrian Peterson, Beyonce, character, Chris Brown, ethical strength, excellence, heroes, Kim Kardashian, personal legacy, President Obama, real heroes, ultimate ideal, ultimate standard for excellence

What is … YOUR Character?

char·ac·ter (krk-tr)
n.
1. The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another.
2. A distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category.
3. Genetics A structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or group of genes.
4. Moral or ethical strength.
5. A description of a person’s attributes, traits, or abilities.
6. A formal written statement as to competency and dependability, given by an employer to a former employee; a recommendation.
7. Public estimation of someone; reputation: personal attacks that damaged her character.
8. Status or role; capacity: in his character as the father.

There are more … Check HERE

Glance through this list and a concept begins to emerge of CHARACTER. There is little talk these days of character as evidenced by my adult daughter asking me the meaning. “What is Character,” she asked. If we “fix” ourselves and our kids, the world will take care of itself! Maybe if Americans spent more thinking about their/our character, we could actually FIX whats wrong in our nation, and the world will take care of itself because what works for us as individuals, will also work for our nation and others.

My answer incorporated much of the ideas above. Character suggests ideals: An ideal is a model of something perfect or without equal. As an adjective, ideal describes this ultimate standard for excellence, or something that exists only as an idea.

So, what is our “ultimate standard for excellence?” Do we look to a man like Minnesota Vikings’ Adrian Peterson who has fathered at least 7 children out of wedlock? Or the New England Patriots’ Aaron Hernandez? Or maybe Kim Kardashian is more appropriate? How about Chris Brown? Beyonce? Or maybe we choose President OBAMA?

Typically, our young people look to celebrities and athletes as “heroes” because of the shortage of real heroes … or maybe there are still plenty of real heroes, but our perspective has changed?

“For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.”
Luke 12: 34

We each have a lifetime to build our character. We choose the definition of our character by our affections, by where we spend our time and/or our money. Most Americans surround themselves with … things. Where we spend our time and where we put our money are the greatest indicators of our character. Character is our most enduring legacy, so we each must decide how we want to be remembered and then work toward that goal. As “Honest Abe” Lincoln is remembered for his honesty, and Nixon is remembered for the Watergate debacle, each of us has the freedom to define our legacy, our character. Will we choose the popular “Kardashian” or “Peterson” standard of excellence, or the nobility of President Washington, the courage of Chris Kyle, or the boldness of Tim Tebow, our character is in process. What YOU decide will affect the future of your personal legacy, but also the future of America.