RENEW International is a international Catholic ministry who has changed the lives of many thousands of individuals spiritually in need all over the world. Based in the Archdiocese of Newark, NJ, it stems from the vision and partnership of Msgr. Tom Kleissler and Msgr. Tom Ivory. They strongly believed in a revived Church, where laypersons were integrally involved with parish, civic, and world issues. A cornerstone of RENEW International programs, is the idea of breaking up a parish into small, caring communities where participants read the scriptures and faith-share. These groups furnish an chance for learning, praying, and living the Gospel both as individuals and a community.

RENEW International teaches followers ways to overcome challenges and study to live a deeper, more inspirational life. RENEW International has a tradition of bringing Catholics together. Their materials, curricula, and events further friendships, supply an chance for sharing, and celebrate Gods love.

The hole in my spirit could not be filled with alcohol, could not be filled with Jesus, could not be filled by wealth and power. What is a righteous man to do? I have it, by Jesus! Yeaaaah, that’s the ticket. I’ll follow the example of my American brothers and sisters. I’ll pretend nothing’s wrong. Yeaaaah, that’s the ticket. I will act like a president. I can fool you all. I can’t lose. Millions of Christians praying every day I don’t further embarrass them. Surely God hears them. All my Christian brothers and sisters know if Jesus were president, everything would be the same as it is. Although there probably wouldn’t be an Arab standing and just one hundred, forty four thousand Christian Jews.

Whether you know it or not, God is on my side and he told me to use my own judgment, I swear it. He told me. “Don’t you go talking to evil doers, kick their sorry arses.” And if I don’t do what I’m told, how do you think I got to be president?

And hey! How about my brothers and sisters in Congress? Oh sure, they kick up a fuss and call me names, but they give me whatever I want. They can’t afford to anger my God and have no clue what else to do. I tell you, there has never been a president who’s had it so good. I think if there was another Al Qaeda attack, my popularity would again soar. Think I’ll call Osama and see what he’s up to lately.

If anyone has suffered loss to fulfill my Christian love, just know that Jesus’ sacrifice was not quite sufficient to protect an America God no longer hears. In fact, I am the very best my country can do or have. When they are righteous people, like me, they will have more righteous leaders. If the Lord was their shepherd, we wouldn’t need Homeland Security, would we? So me and my buddies in Congress are the shepherds, we own the shears and we never, ever go hungry. What a happy coincidence!

Two and a half years. We only have to hang in two and a half years. You can do it brothers and sisters, you can do it. I have faith in you. Then someone else can clean up OUR mess. I think it should be Hilary and Bill Clinton, how about you? I’d like to tell you more but I have tickets to a Spin Doctors concert.

Honestly Yours,

Mr. President

Ed Howes sought and found, knocked and entered. Now he sees things differently. To see more of what he sees, please visit http://www.justanotherview.com or do an author search here at Ezine Articles. Readers grow: wiser, better, faster.

There is the King James Version, The New Living Translation, The Message, and many others. They all break down into two basic types. There are literal word for word translations. In these each word is individually translated from the original languages. This type of translation tends to be preferred by serious scholars, who are concerned with absolute accuracy. Some also love the beauty of the language in the older translations such as the King James Version. The are also what are called “sense of meaning ” translations. With these the translator(s) aim to get the main idea of what is being said, without matching the exact language. These translations tend to be in more modern language. For this reason they can be easier to understand, especially for new Christians.

Once you have settled on a translation then what ? Next I want to cover some of the main types of bibles you may encounter.

PLAIN VANILLA- these are just the scripture in your chosen translation. They are arranged by book, chapter, and verse just as most of us are familiar with.

RED LETTER- This type is often combined with the other types. In This type the actual words of Christ are printed in red. Many people find having the Lord’s own words highlighted in this way helps their study.

CHRONOLOGICAL- In this type the scripture is arranged in historical chronological order instead of book, chapter, and verse. This arrangement helps many people gain understanding how the different times and events of the bible relate to each other.

IN A YEAR- Most of these bibles are arranged in 365 convenient chunks. One for every day of the year ! Obviously these are designed for people who want a well planned way to read through the entire bible within a year.

PARALLEL BIBLES- These have more than one translation in parallel columns in the same book. I have one with four English translations side by side. You could also get an English/Spanish, or English? Vietnamese Bible for instance. These bibles are for people who want to see how scripture varies between translations. Sometimes seeing the same verse worded differently helps with understanding.

TOPICAL-In these bible the scripture is not arranged in the usual book, chapter, verse format. Instead everything is arranged by topic. All the verse on marriage together, the same with salvation, the church and so on. These bibles are handy for people who want to get all of what the bible says on a subject quickly.

STUDY BIBLES- These bibles contain not only scripture, but extra “helps” to aid your study. Such helps can include articles, maps, commentaries etc. They come in different forms. Some are aimed at the average Christian. Others are aimed at specific people such as couples. I even have one written specifically for counselors.

Many of these types are going to be appropriate for people who want and can afford two or more bibles. But I wanted you to better understand your options. That way you will be better prepared if your needs change. If you can only afford one bible, or are a new Christian, I would suggest a good study bible in a translation you can understand. I recommend a study bible, because the helps involved will help your understanding. It will also give you some of the advantage of other study tools until you can purchase larger separate versions of them.

Prayer is the act of offering reverent petition to God
and an expression of the commitment and trust we have
in God by faith.

Matthew 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into
thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to
thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which
seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

When we come before God in prayer and give Him full
control of a situation, we are acknowledging His
ability to bring about a change in that area of our or
someone elses life.

Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask
in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

As a result, God begins to work on the problem with
His all mighty, all knowing, everlasting power.

Over the years prayer has not received the recognition
that it deserves.

Many people feel since God already knows about our
needs, there isn’t any need to tell God about them.

This could turn out to be a very costly mistake!

While it’s true God knows about and is involved in
every area of our life, its also true He wants us to
specifically commit each of our concerns to Him so
that we will learn to depend on Him and His counsel.

Perhaps you sometimes feel you have no one to turn to
with your stress and struggles.

It is not just a matter of having someone to
understand, but of finding someone you can trust.

But you can find reassurance in the fact that God
remains in control and takes care of His faithful
children.

Prayer is one of the greatest contributions we can
make to improve our lives as well as the lives of
others.

Just pray, offering whatever you’re thinking and
feeling to the Lord. Whatever you bring, it’s a start.

As you pray more regularly or more often, the usual
experience is that you start being more truthful in
prayer, you start turning away from what you did
wrong, your attitude becomes more confident, you start
taking the time to listen, you start looking for the
signs of divine response in your daily life, you start
hungering to read the Scriptures, you start wanting to
pray with others, and you think less and less about
yourself.

You will soon find preparations and practices that may
help you be more open to God in prayer as you start
letting the Holy Spirit change you.

When we come in prayer we come as we are Sometimes
scared, Sometimes needy, Sometimes empty, Sometimes
bored, Sometimes furious, but we come.

We come trusting that through prayer God can change
us, and can change the things that happen in our life.

We come trusting that God is with us and builds us up,
that the Holy Spirit prays with us and for us.

We trust that the Lord will lead us to lose our anger,
lead us to repentance, lead us to being open to the
Spirit’s voice, and lead us to love of God and of each
other.

If you feel like a victim, you can pray to God,
instead of irresponsibly allowing the circumstances of
life to overwhelm you. You can begin to take charge of
your life by asking God for the power to make changes.

Or maybe you live with unchangeable circumstances that
effect your life in a major way.

From finding a spouse, to finding a job, from building
a business, to building a life, People frequently pray
for God to bless their efforts with success and in a
success driven society, people of faith often struggle
with the place and pursuit of success.

Ephesians 6:18 Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto
with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

God is more than ready to hear our complaints,
appeals, desires and frustrations. Nothing is too big
or too small for the Lord not to take into
consideration.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every
thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let
your requests be made known unto God.

In closing I’ll leave you with Jesus’ instructions on
prayer to His disciples.

Matthew 6:9-13 After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is
in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And
forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And
lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory, for ever. Amen.

David Hopkins is a “Christian Article Writer” who
specializes in helping people remember to glorify God
in everything that they do, so they don’t miss out on
any of His wonderful blessings.

Visit Daily Word Of God
Group to read additional articles and to sign-up
for a free newsletter to learn everything you need to
know about why you should be putting God #1 in your
life.

Apart from 5 months as a kibbutz volunteer at Ramat Yohanan near Haifa, I’ve also served as a kibbutz volunteer at Sdot Yam on the Mediterranean, next to Caesarea, the site of my first ulpan (intensive Hebrew course), and where Israel’s heroine, Hannah Senesh, was from; Regavim, near Zichron Yaakov, where I continued my Hebrew lessons amid its rolling green hills; Reshafim, near Bet She’an, with Mt. Gilboa practically in our backyard, and Jordan’s mountains in lovely view out front; Adamit, on Lebanon’s border, high up on a mountain, from where on clear days you can see all the way to Haifa’s Mt. Carmel; Shoval, a rose in the Negev desert, just north of Be’er Sheva; Dan, way up in the northernmost part of Israel, in between Syria and Lebanon, next to the majestic snow-covered Mt. Hermon, where I was living when “Operation Desert Storm” blew in; and Ha’On, with its campground and ostrich farm on the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee, across from Tiberias; and last but not least, my beloved Jerusalem, next to my favorite spot on earth: the Temple Mount.

It was during my sojourn at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan, while looking for the home of the widow Simcha Gombo, a Worldwide Church of God member and mother of Michal (who was deaf) – both of whom I had briefly met during the 1980 Church of God celebration of the biblical Festival of Tabernacles in Jerusalem – that I met Ilan Itzhayek on the street and asked directions, as related in Israel Work History (Worldwide Church of God).

Ilan Itzhayek wrote the following full page article in Hebrew that appeared in Hed HaKiryot, a newspaper in Northern Israel, just West of the Sea of Galilee, November 19, 1982. Please note that David Hoover is the name I was born with before I legally changed it to David Ben-Ariel, and forgive the imperfect translation of the Hebrew into English in this attempt to preserve a part of the Church of God history in the Promised Land (and honor Ilan Itzhayek for helping to make it).

The Drug Addict Who Discovered God and the Kibbutz

by Ilan Itzhayek

His name is David Allen Hoover – he’s 22 years old and was born in Toledo, Ohio, USA.

David, and other members of the Church he belongs to arrived in Israel last month as visitors in Jerusalem, but David stayed behind as a volunteer at Kibbutz Ramat Yohanan. He doesn’t mind any of the work they give him to do – whether it’s in the fields, in the factory or in the chicken incubators – he has ideals.

David belongs to a very special Church called the Worldwide Church of God – they call themselves the true Christians and consider the conventional Christians pagan. They believe in the Torah of Moses and observe Sabbath, as well as all the annual holy days mentioned in the Torah. They believe Jesus Christ is the Messenger of God. The Church has 100,000 brethren all over the world. A common belief they have is that they have been chosen by God to join the community of believers. Their leader is Herbert Armstrong, 91, whom they admire and consider that he’s come in the spirit of Elijah.

David talks quite excitedly about his Church. He’s very patient and ready to explain his convictions to you again if you haven’t understood them. His answers are filled with verses from the Bible and the New Testament – verses that he knows by heart. He calls himself “chosen” because in his Church there isn’t those “religious and not religious” – there’s only the chosen. If you don’t agree the Church doesn’t want you – which means that God hasn’t called you.

Scar in the Heart

David hasn’t always been in the Church. He was raised on a farm in Ohio that belongs to his father’s family. His parents were divorced when he was 11 years old. A year later his alcoholic father died at the early age of 36. “All I remember about my father,” David says with a sort of bitter smile, “is that he was drunk and always messing up the house and arguing with my mom. He was always arguing with her. I was really young then so I really didn’t even get to know him. I almost can’t remember how he looks.”

It was a drastic change – his parents divorced, the move from the farm to the city, a new school and then his father’s death that deeply affected him.

Soon, with all of his being, David began to search for a way to help him with his hurt. That’s when someone mentioned to him how you feel “high” when you do drugs. So he began to really look for drugs. He tried to find out who used them and where they hung out. Shortly after trying pills, pot and hash, he began to buy them regularly.

“When I was 15 years old I stopped taking them by the mouth and started snorting them” – quickly adding ‘ “it’s far more potent that way and it affects you more quickly…money to buy drugs with wasn’t a problem for me. It wasn’t hard to get. The man my mom had remarried wasn’t rich, but he definitely wasn’t poor. The allowances I got I used to buy drugs with instead of clothes or other things. My sister and I kept it secret that we were getting high and so our parents kept giving us good allowances.”

It seems like David will never forget a Jethro Tull rock concert that he attended. “I had snorted some drugs, smoked a lot of pot and hash and was drinking beer until I was really high.” He remembers, “I felt really strange. All I remember is being sat down by some friends and the chair began to fall backwards…3 days later I woke up in the intensive care unit of the hospital with a heart monitor attached to me. I was in serious condition and it had been getting worse but the doctors worked hard to save me.” “Later there was a special agreement between me and my parents,” David grins. “I was promised that if I quit taking drugs they’d allow me to let my hair grow long. I promised and I didn’t keep it. My hair grew down to my waist.”

Wanderings and its Moral

A different stage began in David’s life: wandering through different churches. He was in and out of many churches during his search for the true morals and values. He considered the members of traditional Christianity as hypocrites. Those churches had failed to fulfill him.

After failing to find what he was searching for, David came in contact with Hinduism – the Hare Krishnas. He was attracted by its exotic appeal, the incense and vegetarian members of that cult. During a special Krishna festival in Philadelphia, he met a famous leader in their movement who wanted him to become his personal aide and travel all over. David decided not to join because he didn’t want to be separated from his family. “I believed in Hare Krishna,” David says assured, “I loved the religion because it was physically and spiritually attractive and I was devoted to it. I engaged in their ceremonies, singing and dancing, chanting their mantras and going into a group trance. But even though I knew their religion didn’t accept drugs, I still used them, though they were unaware of it. I was around 17 when I began to shoot up drugs.”

After awhile David began to seriously question his involvement with the Krishnas. He feared he had been wrong, had been misled in going to the guru. His amount and use of drugs began to dramatically increase, going to the bars every night of the week, getting high and drunk, began to take its toll on his body. By then it seems he had lost any spiritual strength he had.

“God Help Me”

“I really began to think about God,” he says. “Suddenly I began to think about him seriously and wondered if I had been deceived or enlightened in Krishna. I begged God to lead me into all the truth. I had prayed about it many times and then one of the greatest miracles in my life happened” – he explains while getting down on his knees to show how he had been praying. “All I remember is that I was purposely praying to the God of the Bible and really hoped that somehow He would answer my prayer. Then it was like a hot brand was put upon my forehead. Two words were forcibly impressed upon my mind: “FORSAKE HINDUISM!” Then I actually wondered whether it was my subconscious that gave me those words. I turned to my Bible that was beside me and, unintentionally, opened it up to Psalms 115:4-8 – David’s holding his Bible and reading it out loud: “Their idols are silver and gold; the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not; They have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like them; so is every one that trusts in them.” “After that I didn’t need any further proof to know that it had truly been from God. That same day I burned all my Hindu books, beads, posters…”.

“Dirty needles”

The drugs caused David’s condition to continually deteriorate. Everyone told him that he was destroying himself. He knew himself that he was going to die, but he wasn’t able to help himself.

“All that horrible time” – David says with a shaky voice – “I really wanted to be free. I didn’t want to be addicted to drugs. But I also felt that there wasn’t anything in this world worth living for. I didn’t have any power but I still tried to get off drugs. I ended up throwing away my needles, hoping to stop, but later I’d turn around and go back and take them out and use them.” Even though his needles had been in the garbage, dirty and broken, he said he still used them up to a dozen times, even though you’re only supposed to use them once! “I was taking the needles in my frustration and would bash them against the wall so that I couldn’t use them, but later I’d attempt to until it hurt me and I was bleeding. That’s when I realized that I was addicted.” David says, thinking out loud: “All I knew was that only GOD could help me, not man!”

David experienced “almost sure death” another time, besides the rock concert, when he was 18, and was in his bedroom mainlining some drugs. His mother was home at the time but was unaware of what was happening to her son. “Suddenly everything seemed strange to me” – David says trying to remember – “the music started sounding really weird…Later I woke up in the hospital and a doctor informed me that I had damaged my liver and that it was a miracle that I still had a brain and could think clearly.”

Goodbye and Good Riddance

“Those were my times of wandering in the wilderness. God delivered me and took me out of Egypt into His light” – David says reflecting on his past. “The inner struggle between good and evil wearied me after awhile. I had been asking God what I was supposed to do. I asked for power because I didn’t have any strength and none of the churches I encountered had the power necessary to deliver me from drugs. At the time I opened up my Bible unintentionally to Isaiah 45. The first verse that caught my eye was verse 2: “I will go before thee and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron…”. That verse succeeded to do for David what he, of himself, had been unable to do for years.

“No more drugs!” David said and that is how he finally managed to be free from drugs. “Now I felt ready to begin to listen to God. Sometimes you have to first live in darkness before you can appreciate the light. I knew I wanted to live God’s ways of life so I said good-riddance to drugs and to my old friends and bad influences – to all of that I said goodbye and good riddance!”

“Drugs are a Lie”

Shortly afterwards, David discovered the Worldwide Church of God through their Plain Truth magazine. The ideas in it seemed so logical to him and not like all the others he had known.

Soon David was one of its excited believers. After a whole year of observing Sabbath and all the holy days of Israel, he was baptized as a brother into the Church.

One of the Worldwide Church of God beliefs is that there will be a politico-military mess that will take place by next year. In their opinion, Germany, and maybe even Italy, will attempt to conquer the world. That attempt will ignite a world war that will take two thirds of the world’s population, but that afterwards there will begin a true peace for planet Earth. The members of the Worldwide Church of God will be among those that survive and they believe that eventually their beliefs will be accepted by all the Earth.

The doctrines of the Church are all biblically based. Besides the above-mentioned prophecy there is another one that states the world leaders will sit in Jerusalem and that Israel will become a “Light to all nations.” The whole world will have one government.

David is writing a book, from his biblical research, about the two prophets who will prepare the way for the days to come. David is also contemplating about writing an autobiography. He already knows what he would call it – Wanderings! He’s convinced that he has a lot of experience to give to others, and he’s very interested in warning those who might consider abusing drugs. “Drugs are a lie” – he says – “and it would be a lot better if people would learn form the experience of others. Today I’m alive, very alive – and I feel I have a lot to live for!”

David Ben-Ariel is a Christian-Zionist writer and author of Beyond Babylon: Europe’s Rise and Fall. With a focus on the Middle East and Jerusalem, his analytical articles help others improve their understanding of that troubled region. Check out the Beyond Babylon blog.

The system was developed primarily by feminists and lawyers, and, consequently, it shows a decidedly hostile bent against male headship, the biblical norm for the family. The worst of its problems, however, stems from the fact that it requires those who receive welfare aid to do injury to the familial covenant in several ways. To help those who need a more biblical understanding of this problem then, I offer today’s post, which aims to help Christian men and women trying to get by in tough economic times, to enable them to make ends meet without resorting to ungodly means. Providing for one’s family (although this is extremely important), never justifies wicked means to obtain righteous ends.

First, let the reader recall that the most fundamental difference between the righteous and the wicked derives from the fact that the former are uniquely holy — set apart to Christ by their baptismal vow, and the other lawful vows or oaths they have taken. Oaths circumscribe a special set of rights and responsibilities unique to the individual who has taken the oath before God. To keep your oaths, you must walk in holiness — thoughts, actions and habits consistent with doing what your oaths require — and, as it is written, “without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

The Bible calls Christians “saints,” which in biblical Greek reads “hoi hagioi” – literally “the holy ones.” Thus, holiness of life separates, and MUST separate Christians from the pagan world. The Bible puts it thus: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” The welfare system, having been designed by pagans — who have no knowledge of (or concern for) holiness — designed a system which punishes holiness and promotes the violation of one’s marital promises — which can and does in many cases make those PROFANE who stay in it long enough, abiding by its evil terms when they come up against the terms of their marriage vows. It’s designers were pragmatists. So here is a brief list and explanation of just how the welfare system tends to profane the marriage oath, and what Christians can and should do about it.

Now, when a woman goes on welfare — and it is almost always WOMEN who do — the system gives her money. This creates a dynamic shift in power AWAY from the husband and toward the wife-mother. The money always comes with strings — and some strings are more dangerous to families than others. What she actually did was to sell something holy — an integral part of the familial covenant — to the state as though it were an ordinary commodity — her husband’s duty and right to provide for his own children. Here, the state steps in and begins to replace the husband (in principle). It discourages him from making payments to his wife and family DIRECTLY by punishing her with a potential reduction in monthly stipend if she accepts it — and mandates that she report it. He has to make payments to the collection agency of the welfare department — euphemistically called “Child Support.” Thus, the state becomes the economic intermediary situated between husband and wife — exercising in some cases an extraordinary degree of fiscal control over the family so tied to the welfare system. Local bureaucrats (many of whom are women) — and for whom no one voted — now wield power (by threat of legal force) over the husband as well, not just the wife-mother.

The label “Child Support” is something of an Orwellian misnomer since his children continue receiving money from welfare whether he repays the debt or not. It is county support and welfare system support. But the state (and perhaps the wife-mother if she works), not the husband, now provides for the children. He is actually prevented from supporting his own children in the name of “child support.” She has been deceived into thinking she has done a good thing — to provide for her family — but at an unholy expense. Jesus commanded, “Do not give to the dogs what is holy; neither cast your pearls to swine.” Bottom line: It is not lawful to sell the husband’s familial obligations to care for his children, any more than it is lawful to sell his wife’s conjugal rights to some other woman. Rights emerging from covenants (not mere contracts) are in the nature of the case EXCLUSIVE, and not for sale. To sell them is profane.

A man’s marital and familial obligations in the Bible are holy, as these arise from the marriage covenant, the oath he took on the day of his wedding. All such holy duties of his come with corresponding rights. It is his RIGHT — not merely his duty — to provide for his family in whatever lawful and ethical manner he sees fit. Once the wife-mother chooses the state as provider, she has begun to replace her husband with another man — represented by the state. For the state gives her ALL (100% of) the subsidy and exclusive custody over the children, making the family a one-parent family in principle. He inherits 100% of the liability — there is no 50-50 split here. The state has just forced the husband out of the familial circle and is free to tyrannize him at length, unless, of course he

1. is able to land a rather high-paying job, or
2. has the unlikely, but quite helpful, knowledge of how to create a corporation (and put his money into a corporate account)or
3. to employ some other protective investment vehicle (e.g. an irrevocable trust) to shield his assets from being sucked into the welfare-CSS vortex.

Yet the wife-mother remains altogether immune from such threats from the start.

The wife does not know it, of course, but the state just “helped” her into a divorce (in principle), with no biblical cause, as though she jettisoned her husband to rescue her children. This is (in principle) the ungodly divide built into the strings referred to earlier. This is, of course, the reverse of biblical priorities: her covenant vow is to Christ (represented by the husband) first, and THEN to the children. This is NOT the feminist view. He now falls under the jurisdiction of a tyrant, having been sold into slavery for a (regular) bowl of stew for the rest of the family. This also leaves her open for another man to move into the marital picture (for marriage, being a creation ordinance, abhors a vacuum just like nature) — while her husband is kept under by the oppressive requirements of the state. This is “bricks without straw.” The state can take up to half of his salary, removing most of what he earns so he cannot get ahead of the game enough to get his family out of the welfare pit. The state also frequently imposes an exorbitant interest rate (10% in CA) — thus reducing further his ability to provide for his family at just the time he needs to provide MORE to get them off welfare.

This is how welfare self-perpetuates. It pays the wife to help the state overburden (and even attack by way of litigation) her husband. If he cannot get work, the extremely unconstitutional “quasi-criminal” court case he will face — the charge for non-payment in which (if he cannot find work) — comes with the name “contempt of court.” He no longer has the presumption of innocence in such a case, but must prove he has diligently tried to find work to stave off jail time. But if he spends the time necessary to manage the paperwork this requires, he will incur the wrath of those around him as someone who should be out jobhunting instead. The label “deadbeat,” no matter how unfair or wrong, will trample his good name.

To further these shennanigans, state laws circumvent (where this means “steamroller”) U.S. constitutional law by simply creating a class of cases unknown at the time the constitution was written, today called: “quasi-criminal” litigation. This will also give her husband a criminal record and a bad name, further decapitalizing him. Here, the state uses a new procedure to simply ignore the bill of rights because — you will be told — some of these do not apply in “quasi-criminal cases” (which obviously shows such litigation unconstitutional).

Thus the welfare system:

1. Belittles the marriage covenant (which is holy, and not common), treating it as though it were a mere business contract, where a person can buy or sell the rights arising from this “contract” to get money.

2. It gives all the family assets over to the woman, including the children, eliminating the man from the picture by burdening him beyond his capabilities (the legal term is “undue burden”). The Bible calls this “crushing the poor.” It often comes with usury also.

3. This can turn the husband and wife against each other, especially if he didn’t want to assume the obligation — this has the “divide and conquer” effect upon the family.

4. This also tempts each to look elsewhere to get their needs met — promoting divorce and adultery — both of which God hates — the violating of their marriage vows. This also begins to put an end to the progress of sanctification in the household, in favor of sinful habits and attitudes, since the wife no longer will look to her husband as the one who properly is to promote her sanctification. Thus, she begins to look elsewhere for a spiritual leader, completely unaware that she just disregarded the biblically-appointed guardian of her spiritual well-being. A wolf — to be sure well-dressed in sheep’s clothing — will happily oblige her search apart from her husband.

5. The DHHS and states keep no statistics on the state welfare departments; for if they did, it would be easily demonstrable that only men go to jail (almost never women) over non-payment of child support. The whole system is hostile to male headship and discriminates against them in the extreme. Hence the lack of record-keeping. This removes an obvious legal defense for men in court based on the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

6. It leaves the man and woman exposed to others that Satan can (and will) bring into their lives who will promise to fulfill the needs left unfulfilled after he has turned them against each other.

These are easy to spot. To the woman, they come with “authority” and defame her husband eagerly and aggressively, with highly uncharitable accusations both true and false. They always promise “security and money,” emphasizing her duty to her children while downplaying and denying her responsibility to her husband. The role is almost a cliche in motion.

Of course, we all already know how Satan attacks the men — with women. Just see the examples of Adam, David and Solomon in the Bible. First, he uses the wife against her husband (to “help” her children out of a father and spiritual leader), and then he brings other women — pretty ones, smart ones — whichever he likes the best — to try to get him to meet his sexual needs outside the marriage covenant. This is age-old stuff — same song, eight-hundredth verse.

How to Save Your Family From Disaster.

1. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. This means get rid of all forms of government assistance that obligate your husband or family to the state. It simply is not the job of the state to provide this way anyhow, but the obligation and responsibility of private charities. This may be difficult, since women quite naturally crave security for their families, and this may seem the “only way” to provide for your family at the moment. Don’t judge by appearances, but by the Word of God. Biblical faith often involves risk. Esther’s faith welled up in the act of submitting to her God-ordained authority, Mordecai, and she said, “If I perish, I perish.” When you notify the welfare department that you no longer need their “services,” be prepared for everyone in the world to try to talk you back into the system. They won’t let you go without a contest of wills. Be firm in your resistance. Remember, the kindness of the wicked is but cruelty in disguise.

2. Wives, this may not be easy either, but adopt an attitude of charity — not hostility — toward your husband. Judge him favorably. The better part of charity is what is called “empathy” — walking a mile or two in his shoes — as we say. Charity is the most essential of all christian virtues. Without it all is lost, since charity is the basis for building up family, church and society. This is especially important in the family since a woman’s husband is the most immediate representative to her of Jesus Christ the Lord on earth — not the Church and not the state — her husband. Hence also his significant level of responsibility in this office.

This is why the passage (cited below) says “AS TO THE LORD.” Marriage is the basis for church and state, but the converse is not true. No minister of church or state, therefore, has lawful authority to dissolve a marriage without conclusive proof and due process IN COURT where the accused may answer the charges against him — that a man has either physically deserted his family or committed adultery. “What God has joined together, let no man separate.” Thus, a wife is duty-bound to help her husband in everything to fulfill his covenant vows to her and her children. She is not free to stand idly by and require him to do it alone — a form of dereliction of duty on her part.

Women put in a position of power over their husbands (unlawfully, by the state) will often find that when they start giving him orders (rather, say, than helping him find work) he will resent this. This is because she is not properly appointed by God (or anyone else) to give orders to her husband, but to help him fulfill his oaths. The Bible says, “Wives submit yourselves to your husbands in everything AS TO THE LORD.” This, of course, is NOT the feminist view.

If she tries to impose some sort of negative sanction against him, she simply makes herself an insubordinate. She is “de-sanctifying” herself, denying an essential characteristic of her God-given femininity, and transgressing her marital vow. He (God and the husband) will see this as mutiny, which is what it is. If she continues the mutiny, she will eventually become apostate (total, permanent de-sanctification), for her rebellion is not merely against her husband, but against the source of his authority — Jesus Christ. This is not doormat theology; it comes straight from Genesis and the New Testament. And everyone is subordinate to someone — The head of the woman is the man, and the head of the man is Christ, and the head of Christ is God. the woman is no more a doormat for being a willing help-mate subordinate than the man is a doormat for submitting to the Word of Christ.

Feminists will, of course, hate this saying (which virtually proves that it’s true), but no man or woman can show it other than the biblical position. Thus, step one for a woman to save her household is to recall what she knows of the basics of the Bible, and start doing them.

3. Wives will find their husbands far more eager to serve them when the husband sees that she wants to help him. Accusations typically only bring counter-accusations — the chief of which will be insubordination. Wives are never supposed to accuse their husbands — ever. Constructive criticism — to help your husband — is appropriate when you are alone, but not accusations. A woman who accuses her husband aims to dominate him (whether she realizes this or no) which tends to undo (in a contradictory fashion) everything she liked about his masculinity when she married him in the first place.

4. Wives should stop listening to their husbands accusers/ detractors, and reject their accusations. Defend his good name the way you would want him to defend yours if others accused you behind your back. Try your best to overlook his faults and do what you can to compensate for them (if anything).

5. Pray and sing psalms together. Have confidence that God will really help when the two of you work together. Talk openly with your husband and form a plan of action TOGETHER as to what each of you can do to work together as a team to provide for your household. Discuss all the possible resources available (minus the state’s “help”) and the Christian people who might help you — and write it out on paper. Perhaps your church, or other non-profit organizations, can help. For some strange reason, immigrants who come to the U.S. seem much more aware of the need to exert community efforts than native-borns, who prefer the highly individualistic route. The Bible says, “A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”

6. Have the children play an active role in praying for the parents, and for God to bless their sanctified familial efforts. Never underestimate the efficacy of a child’s prayer. God loves the covenant children — even the ones who aren’t adults yet.

Praise the Lord, for he is good; his mercy endures forever.

To begin your own research on the leviathan welfare system, you may want to start here.

http://www.reason.com/0402/fe.mw.injustice.shtml

Carson Day has written some 1.3 gazillion articles, with insightful (if alternative) viewpoints. He specialized in the history of ideas in college, and has been quoted as saying “What box?” He remains at large despite the best efforts of the civil authorities. To see Carson’s blogs visit: http://ophirgold.blogspot.com or
http://extremeprofit.blogspot.com

Get me where I need to be, without accident, incident, or interruption. I ask this of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, with overflowing gratitude for all that I have received before. Amen !

There are three things I want to point out to you about my little prayer,

It acknowledges Christ as the personal savior of the person praying. This is important because it is Christ’s command that we pray for our needs, which gives this or any prayer its authority.

It also calls to attention that many different things can befall us on our daily journeys.

Lastly it expresses gratitude for what has already been given. This to me is a very important teaching point. I believe would have much better prayer lives if we would make a habit out of asking out of gratitude. We should do a better job of being grateful for those things we have already been given. We should be just as grateful, in advance for the things we are asking for.

I hope you will pray my little prayer often. May Almighty God always be with you, as you travel along your daily journeys.

Robert A. Crutchfield is president of Kingdom Relationship Ministries. He is a minister, public speaker, and success relationships coach. he is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, The Good News Web Developer’s Association, and the True Grace Ministries Gospel Minister’s Association. Visit him often at http://www.kingdomrelationships.org.

Rashi explains that when Jacob sought to dwell in tranquility,
the troubles of Joseph sprang upon him. The righteous seek to
dwell in tranquility but said the Holy One, blessed be He, “What
is prepared for the righteous in the world to come is not
sufficient for them, but they seek also to dwell in tranquility
in this world!”

Rav Yerucham Levovitz, the great pre-WWII Mirrer mashgiach asks
a difficult question. Which type of tranquility did Jacob
desire? Surely, it was not tranquility in our terms. Jacob was
requesting a life of hard work and self-sacrifice for Torah and
mitzvoth. During the fourteen years that he served in the house
of Eber, he did not lie down at night, because he was engaged in
Torah study. (Gen. Rabbah 68:11) What was so terrible about
requesting this sort of tranquility? He was only asking to not
be oppressed by Laban or pursued by Eisav. What in truth was
wrong with Jacob’s desire?

The answer is, that tribulations, difficulties and problems are
the essential makeup of this this world. Hashem desires that we
learn Torah and perform the mitvoth within the “smelting pot” of
the tribulations in this world. It is only the mitvoth which are
done under difficult circumstances which can lead us to
greatness, purity and eventually the next word.

The house of Laban was the furnace which purified Jacob. When
Jacob had to work another seven years to marry Rachel the
Medrash compares the other ones to the first ones. Just as he
worked for him during the first ones faithfully, so did he work
for him during the other ones faithfully, even though Laban had
dealt with him deceitfully. (Gen. Rabbah 70:20) Living amidst
the lies, idol worship and lusts of Lavan brought Jacob to even
greater heights.

The Medrash Rabbah, Numbers 19:1 explains that the purity of the
next word actually comes forth from the impurity of this
world.

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Is it not the
One? (Job XIV, 4) For example, Abraham out of Terah; Hezekiah
out of Ahaz; Josiah out of Amon; Mordecai out of Shimei; Israel
out of the idolaters; the future world out of this world. Who
did this? Who commanded this? Who decreed this? Was it not the
world’s Only One?

It is both important and helpful to understand that this world
is overflowing with troubles, aggregation, hardships and filth.
Our portion in the next world of illumination and purity is
dependent on how we handle our things here. It is the next world
where we will receive our true tranquility.

As Iyov 3:25 states – I was not at ease, neither was I quiet,
and I did not rest, yet trouble came.