When I was pregnant in 1980, I thought it was just me reacting to morning sickness, but looking back, I know now that it wasn't.
It started when I noticed people breaking the speed limit wherever I went. No one was concerned about getting a ticket or hurting anyone else.
I would be seething because I knew something was wrong, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Why did I have to obey the speed limit, yet everyone else seemed to get away with breaking it?
As one friend pointed out, today there are not consequences for wrong doing. Very few cops are actually out there giving tickets. Plus, the speeders have radar detectors in their cars, even though they are illegal to use in many places.
I have recently been perplexed by the way people live. When I was a teenager, people slept together, but they knew it was wrong, and they did it in secret. Not many were doing that, but a few did. But today, this is just a way of life for people. What happened that makes it easy for people to do this today? What happened to the human conscience?
There are a couple of reasons. I figured out what one of them is, recently. I graduated high school in 1974, and right around that time, prayer was taken out of the school system. The 10 Commandments were not allowed up in school systems anymore, and a new concept of 'separation of church and state' came about.
Separation of church and state came about when the Pilgrims came over to America in the early 1600s. In the church of England, the king made the decisions in the church. There were many restrictions that the Pilgrims did not want to cooperate with, so, they came to America with the hopes of having a church which was run by a pastor, or pastors instead of a king. This would be a valid reason for leaving a country and going to a new land. Yet, as time went on, there was always a fear that the government would once again be in control of the church. Could you imagine Obama making the decisions which govern your church?
There was concern from a group of Baptist people who lived in Danbury, CT. They were corresponding with Thomas Jefferson on this issue, and in a letter back to these people, Thomas Jefferson assured them that they would be protected from ever having the government interfere with the life of their church and the decisions the church would be making. Here is an excerpt from his letter:
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church & State. Adhering to this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to his social duties
The government was not to make the decisions for the church, and there was a lot of fear that that would happen again.
How does this tie in with today? First of all, it has been established that the government will not interfere with the church, especially in the area of running the church and making decisions. That's not what the government is for, yet in England, that is what was happening, and why people escaped to be in a land where they could do church the way they knew God wanted it to be done.
But today, people want to take that out of text and reverse it. Instead of the government running the church, the idea has been twisted to mean that nothing of religious value is allowed to be in or part of the government, or of any governmental body or establishment. So, for a school system, that would be twisted to mean that nothing that has religious connotation can be in a school system, since the school system is supported by the government.
Madeline Murray O'Hair made a case, took it to court, and won. She made a case that ended up taking prayer out of school. It went further than that though. Now principals are telling the teachers that they can't wear a pin saying 'I love Jesus'. The 10 Commandments were taken out of the schools and aren't allowed to be put up because they have to do with 'religion' and religion cannot mix with government. How far do you think this is going to go?
It will go as far as we allow. The ball is in our court. We are either ignoring the ball, or not seeing the seriousness of the danger. We are more wrapped up in going to Disney or the beach than we are to see that our rights (as in the Bill of Rights) are protected. Some of us say that God is in control, and we give up our responsibility as stewards of what God gives us. That would be like letting our kids do anything they want, but believing that God will protect them and nothing harmful will happen to them.
Here is the connection: The 10 Commandments disappeared from our school walls. Today, a lot of people do not even know that it is wrong for men and women to sleep together outside of a marriage relationship. They are surprised when they find out. How could they know? We have kept the 10 Commandments out of view, because we have fallen for the silly lies that entered into our government about 40 years ago.
In the mid 1900s, most everyone had a Bible in their homes. Just about everyone knew what the 10 Commandments were. Almost everyone had either been a church member, or attended a church or synagogue in their lifetime. And almost everyone was familiar with John 3:16. There was a notable difference between right and wrong. But that is not so, today.
There are even 'Christian' groups who question the validity of Scripture. Some would say that when there is a conflict between Scripture and the culture, the Scriptures must bow to the culture. Some believe the Bible is outdated, or, that God wasn't aware of what problems that people in America would be facing in the 21st century. What does this say about God?
Is it any wonder people don't fear God anymore? If God isn't powerful enough or knowledgable about what we would be going through, then He isn't to be trusted. But the God of the Bible is all-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere at all times, uncreated, Creator, sovereign, and a host of other things that people don't know, and churches don't teach today.
So, this is a good reason to 'pray for the church, and pray for the country'. Praying begins with us, and we must take responsibility for educating people on the truth of who God is and what His word says to us. We pray and follow God, and He produces the results.
Monday, June 30, 2014
Graceful Actions We Can Take To Bring Back Food That is Safe To Eat
I am writing this today because I see so many of us just sitting back complaining because of the way things are, and we are either just apathetic or defeated, and I don't know which one it is (maybe both).
Or, it could be a wrong belief system, which says that God is sovereign and whatever will be will be. This happens in the political realm often during elections where people won't vote because they assume the circumstances mean that Jesus is coming back tomorrow, so it won't matter anyway.
In spite of the reasons why we don't do anything to improve society in the spiritual realm specifically, people have spoken up and their voices are being heard.
There is an interesting dynamic when it comes to living a natural life, the way God originally intended, but has been distorted by technology combined with our desire for convenience. Some liberal groups as well as Biblical Christians are both fighting for protection for genuine food, and are opposed to the unnatural processes that are available to make our food stretch to feed many while losing nutritional value, such as GMO processing and industrialized farming (Big Ag).
Somebody is speaking up, for food companies are now pursuing ways that food can be produced naturally, without having to be genetically modified, and are seeking ways for food to be in its most natural form without having additives put into their products.
We are all greedy people, and left to ourselves, we could be controlled by greed. What we earn from our work will not be enough, and we will find ways to get more money from what we do for a living. The food companies, for the past several years, have not had a 'checks and balances' system in place, or if they did, the standard was not one that would serve people well. Those outside of the food industry had no idea of what was going on, and we were eating food that was bad for us, without having any idea of what we were eating. But people began to question why Americans are so sick today. Could there be a connection between what we eat and our health?
I think the answer is obvious, and many have taken steps to fight against food that is unsafe or unfit for us to eat, but is promoted by the FDA and other authorities as acceptable.
Here are some of the things which have been done to food, to make it unhealthful; genetic modification, irradiation, preservatives, growth hormones & antibiotics which are added to meat and affect milk and milk products as well, meat and milk that is fed with grain instead of grass, and food that has been sprayed with pesticides, such as produce.
Our current president appoints people who do harm, into our government, such as Michael Taylor being appointed to the FDA as head. Michael Taylor has also been the lawyer for Monsanto, in case you didn't know. Monsanto is the company which came up with creating the process of genetic modification, and has been known to sue those whom they would accuse of stealing their patent (a farmer went to jail because of his soybean crop which Monsanto accused him of using their patented soybean without having a license to do so). If Monsanto has their way, the local farmers will go out of business, and anyone who does farming will have to use their patented seeds.
There is a lot of talk about GMO products and people are stepping up to the plate, letting authorities know that they do not want to buy GMO products. Of course, the government is trying to keep people from knowing if the product in question is genetically modified, by not mentioning it. Also, the government is making statements that aren't true about the benefits of genetically modified food. 'Authorities' are writing articles and getting on talk shows defending Monsanto and genetic modification. Many of these 'authorities' are the same ones in the governments 'checks and balances' system.
But now the public are protesting and making their voices known that they want food to be labeled genetically modified, if it is, but the government is opposing that. People spoke up and now products sold in Hawaii must be labeled genetically modified if they are.
What will happen if food is labeled genetically modified and what will it mean for companies like Monsanto? Companies like Monsanto will lose money. The love of money is the bottom line for the products they sell, and we are the losers if we just sit back and say, 'whatever will be, will be'. People are speaking up and it is making a difference.
One well-known company is going to stop using food that has preservatives and artificial ingredients by the year 2016. This company is Panera Bread. I believe they are responding to the many voices who are proclaiming their reluctance to eat food that is not pure. I have seen a few other companies take steps to go in the right direction.
Here are some steps to take action with:
* Ask your butcher if he knows if the beef has been grass-fed, and if the cows were treated with antibiotics and growth hormones.
* Ask the produce clerk if the corn is genetically modified.
* Write to senators and representatives about your concern for unsafe food.
* Support restaurants and stores which intentionally do not carry GMO products.
* Grow your own food using heirloom or organic seeds
* 'Like' pages on Facebook that have to do with fighting against GMOs or Monsanto.
* Share articles on Facebook with others to inform them of the harm that is done to genetically modified food, preservatives, additives, antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, herbicides, and food that has been irradiated.
* While at restaurants, request food that has not been genetically modified.
At first, these suggestions will seem radical. Store clerks will look at you as if you were talking in Greek. Don't give up. If enough people ask a clerk in the produce section if the corn is genetically modified, they will bring it up to the managers. After all, they don't want to lose money due to informed customers.
Of course, all this should be done with prayer. The devil wants us sick, and when we let our voices be make known, we are exposing the works of darkness. The devil would love nothing more than to destroy the whole human race. He hates us because we are created in God's image, and he hates God. If he can lie to us and feed our idols, he has us in his grip. But God wants us healthy, so we can serve Him and make His name known in truth. We can't do that very well when we are sick, although God can redeem our sicknesses and use them for His glory. God wants us to take care of our bodies so that we can have strength to serve Him with.
This is one thing we can pray for concerning the church and the country. Without prayer, nothing good is going to happen.
Or, it could be a wrong belief system, which says that God is sovereign and whatever will be will be. This happens in the political realm often during elections where people won't vote because they assume the circumstances mean that Jesus is coming back tomorrow, so it won't matter anyway.
In spite of the reasons why we don't do anything to improve society in the spiritual realm specifically, people have spoken up and their voices are being heard.
There is an interesting dynamic when it comes to living a natural life, the way God originally intended, but has been distorted by technology combined with our desire for convenience. Some liberal groups as well as Biblical Christians are both fighting for protection for genuine food, and are opposed to the unnatural processes that are available to make our food stretch to feed many while losing nutritional value, such as GMO processing and industrialized farming (Big Ag).
Somebody is speaking up, for food companies are now pursuing ways that food can be produced naturally, without having to be genetically modified, and are seeking ways for food to be in its most natural form without having additives put into their products.
We are all greedy people, and left to ourselves, we could be controlled by greed. What we earn from our work will not be enough, and we will find ways to get more money from what we do for a living. The food companies, for the past several years, have not had a 'checks and balances' system in place, or if they did, the standard was not one that would serve people well. Those outside of the food industry had no idea of what was going on, and we were eating food that was bad for us, without having any idea of what we were eating. But people began to question why Americans are so sick today. Could there be a connection between what we eat and our health?
I think the answer is obvious, and many have taken steps to fight against food that is unsafe or unfit for us to eat, but is promoted by the FDA and other authorities as acceptable.
Here are some of the things which have been done to food, to make it unhealthful; genetic modification, irradiation, preservatives, growth hormones & antibiotics which are added to meat and affect milk and milk products as well, meat and milk that is fed with grain instead of grass, and food that has been sprayed with pesticides, such as produce.
Our current president appoints people who do harm, into our government, such as Michael Taylor being appointed to the FDA as head. Michael Taylor has also been the lawyer for Monsanto, in case you didn't know. Monsanto is the company which came up with creating the process of genetic modification, and has been known to sue those whom they would accuse of stealing their patent (a farmer went to jail because of his soybean crop which Monsanto accused him of using their patented soybean without having a license to do so). If Monsanto has their way, the local farmers will go out of business, and anyone who does farming will have to use their patented seeds.
There is a lot of talk about GMO products and people are stepping up to the plate, letting authorities know that they do not want to buy GMO products. Of course, the government is trying to keep people from knowing if the product in question is genetically modified, by not mentioning it. Also, the government is making statements that aren't true about the benefits of genetically modified food. 'Authorities' are writing articles and getting on talk shows defending Monsanto and genetic modification. Many of these 'authorities' are the same ones in the governments 'checks and balances' system.
But now the public are protesting and making their voices known that they want food to be labeled genetically modified, if it is, but the government is opposing that. People spoke up and now products sold in Hawaii must be labeled genetically modified if they are.
What will happen if food is labeled genetically modified and what will it mean for companies like Monsanto? Companies like Monsanto will lose money. The love of money is the bottom line for the products they sell, and we are the losers if we just sit back and say, 'whatever will be, will be'. People are speaking up and it is making a difference.
One well-known company is going to stop using food that has preservatives and artificial ingredients by the year 2016. This company is Panera Bread. I believe they are responding to the many voices who are proclaiming their reluctance to eat food that is not pure. I have seen a few other companies take steps to go in the right direction.
Here are some steps to take action with:
* Ask your butcher if he knows if the beef has been grass-fed, and if the cows were treated with antibiotics and growth hormones.
* Ask the produce clerk if the corn is genetically modified.
* Write to senators and representatives about your concern for unsafe food.
* Support restaurants and stores which intentionally do not carry GMO products.
* Grow your own food using heirloom or organic seeds
* 'Like' pages on Facebook that have to do with fighting against GMOs or Monsanto.
* Share articles on Facebook with others to inform them of the harm that is done to genetically modified food, preservatives, additives, antibiotics, growth hormones, pesticides, herbicides, and food that has been irradiated.
* While at restaurants, request food that has not been genetically modified.
At first, these suggestions will seem radical. Store clerks will look at you as if you were talking in Greek. Don't give up. If enough people ask a clerk in the produce section if the corn is genetically modified, they will bring it up to the managers. After all, they don't want to lose money due to informed customers.
Of course, all this should be done with prayer. The devil wants us sick, and when we let our voices be make known, we are exposing the works of darkness. The devil would love nothing more than to destroy the whole human race. He hates us because we are created in God's image, and he hates God. If he can lie to us and feed our idols, he has us in his grip. But God wants us healthy, so we can serve Him and make His name known in truth. We can't do that very well when we are sick, although God can redeem our sicknesses and use them for His glory. God wants us to take care of our bodies so that we can have strength to serve Him with.
This is one thing we can pray for concerning the church and the country. Without prayer, nothing good is going to happen.
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