I just finished watching the weekly update from yesterday from this Pastor, I've been following him for quite some time but even before that - been following Biblical Prophesy for well over 20 years. It's sort of a hobby of mine and we surely live in exciting times. I don't share it much with others because as this pastor says here, many people mock Biblical prophesy these days. It's no wonder either, as we have nut-job pastors like that Harold Camping guy setting rapture dates. It makes me so mad sometimes.
For some reason you came to mind often as I was watching this today. I don't know why but I feel I'm to share it with you. This Pastor came here from Lebonon but his parents were Egyptian and Palestinian. He is an Arab in nationality and understands the middle east and brings insights that we mere American's cannot fathom or see.
I know it seems that we may be on opposite sides politically but I assure you that I desire the same things and actually share many of the ideologies. I'm not the Christian right nor left. I don't hate Obama or think he's the Antichrist, he actually has some very worthy and good intentions. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm not one to hate anyone for anything. Gay, right, left, black, white, Muslim or even Alabama football fans. (hehehehe) Sure, there are those who I dislike, but that would be due to something they have personally done to harm me and my family usually by dishonest means. Even then, I pray them up. It's all that I can do really.
There are a couple definitions of a Libertarian prospective. Right, left, moderate, etc. My stand is being against the gov't and institutions penalizing people for being poor and in poverty. For example our riding lawn mower broke down in July and needed a $250 part and repair. We didn't have that money right away, but did scrape it up and had our lawnmower back from the shop in two weeks. Only it was the middle of summer, we had a lot of rain that week and the city decided to fine us $125 for not maintaining our lawn. Only it's not our lawn, it's a company property and our landlord, well he gets mad, sends a landscaper out and gives us a $175 bill on top of the city's fine.
There are many other instances as well as intrusions that penalize us for being poor. Thus our less gov't stand in things. Everything goes by the book and there is no sympathy or personal attention for real hardship situations. We could own a decent, running car sitting in our driveway but can't drive it because we can't afford insurance and tags... or a rich person can not pay his insurance and tags and have a car in his garage. (A garage that we don't have to hide a car in.) We both get fined the same and that isn't fair because rich person can afford the fine and not have his vehicle stolen from him. We're given a fine that we can't afford and 30 days to remove our vehicle from our own rented home.
I understand the "Occupy" thing going on, mainly because I have a rich business owner who has taken advantage of us at every turn. Not just us, but he's so arrogant that he told a welfare-to-work employee that she was stealing food off of his kids plates by coming in late everyday and she only makes minimum wage. There are so many like that out there.
However, although I understand it - I can't believe that we're going to be able to achieve "heaven on earth" for everybody. As I read my Bible on prophesy and see each event unfold just as it was written - I find us closer and closer to the troubling days foretold. There is a spirit of deception behind all of this and it's not someone we can point a finger at. It's not Obama, it's not Bush, Glen Beck, George Soros or Ron Paul. I see the stage being set for the Revelation prophesies where "no man can buy or sell without the mark" and a crying earth of natural disasters and pestilences - that no mortal man can stop. There will be a man who arises who will be praised, worshiped and adored for making it appear that "heaven is on earth" but we know that he has been penned the Great Liar many, many generations ago.
So as I see this go on, although wonderful and full of good intentions - I have no faith in it. I can only control my immediate surroundings and the fullness of life that I can give to my family and friends. Sure I care about people loosing their jobs, poverty, hunger, disease, and all of the present woes - I live them most of the time. But it has not been appointed to me to be able to "buy" comfort for the world. Only to take care of what I can in the ways that I can and with talents that I had been given. To love my neighbor.
There is truth to the "every man for himself" notion and we can't enforce every man to be his brother's keeper. Heck we can't even make a man pay child support for his own flesh and blood around here.
Making someone do something and going by the impersonal book of law won't work out fairly either.
There's only one way to a true "heaven on earth" and I keep my eyes and hopes on that. He said He'll come again and will do just that and we will know it's forever to be in His presence and glory.
That's my take. Don't hate me or call me foolish. I love you.
