Philippians.

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

I found and favored the Book of Philippians to be of much help in my personal quest for Christian maturity, and also some relief from my COMBAT PTSD. I highly recommend this to all of my Combat Brothers all over the world. I would not pass this on if I didn't truly believe it of value. I think that it's a pity that it took me most of my adult life searching for the correct answer-- wasting too much time and wondering which path to take. The scriptural-ly wise people in the world already knew this stuff light years ago.... but we all learn at our different speeds in life.
Philippians is a relatively small Bible book and one of my favorite of all 66 bible books, and my dear wife, Sharon, tells me that her fav. book is Joshua [of which she credits her victorious struggle with her own 'demons' of heart disease, surgery, etc.]
At last she is resting comfortably in bed now and hopes to make it to church-- but that is strictly up to her own judgement, not mine. It's just that THIS conservative Christian congregation has shown great love and concern for Sharon's fight/ battle with constant surgery, and her welfare. And that meant alot to her.

The VA in Milwaukee sent me some 'Pain relieving cream' called, THERA-GESIC, that might help a little with my lower neck pain that is traveling down my Left arm and hand. Every little bit helps, and I call that the 'shotgun' effect of pain management.

Tom

Philippians 3 and the Rapture

Posted: 30 Nov 2009 06:20 PM PST

By Ron J. Bigalke Jr.According to Acts 16:11-40, the Apostle Paul visited Philippi on his second missionary journey. He traveled from the island of Samothrace to Neapolis (modern Kavalla), which was the seaport utilized by the Philippian residents. The city of Philippi was approximately nine miles northwest of the seaport. The city was named in honor of King Philip II of Macedonia (the father of

Sharon's new surgery complete.

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

Picture: Tom kissing Sharon in the garage a few years ago. "Love is the answer."

Dont Drink The Kool-Aid: Oprah, Obama and The O...

Sharon claims that she has been 'cut again' by doctors. She has been through the mill of surgery quite ENOUGH ALREADY.
I got her yesterday from St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee, a HUGE medical complex on Oklahoma Ave. She was very sore and hurting again, but I THINK that she will heal and lead a better, more normal life now. Thank you all for your many prayers and well wishes!! You are the true Salt of the Earth, my dear Friends and Readers!

IMHO, the doctors at St. Luke are top notch surgeons who do stuff like this all the time-- every day, and so they are the most EXPERIENCED and ProActive-- the experts. The operation took only 1 and 1/2 hours, where they inserted a Defibrillator into the upper Left chest, under the skin, with wires inserted into the Left Ventricle of the Heart, to stimulate it when and if it starts to "flutter" or beat i- radically. My only complaint was that her attending male RN didn't have all his 'ducks in a row' when he told my wife to call me so I would be there EXACTLY at 11AM for her discharge -- and then everything got fouled up because he didn't check to find out that 3-4 doctors had already 'flown the coup' and left the hospital prematurely for their vacations or what ever.... leaving them short handed for patient 'check out' duties. We had to wait an extra 2 hours for them to get their act together. I took numerous pix there and took notes so as to get things documented when/ if things got screwed up... lol... 'CMA.'

What gets me started is that, everyone makes mistakes-- but hospital staff/ nurses ALWAYS try to cover up THEIR mistakes and pull the wool over the patients' eyes! Just like politicians, and they are SO FULL OF THEMSELVES and their almighty medical degree and station of life... oh my! Just wait until 'obama-care.'
And the hospital staff gets so pompous and angry when a 'smart patient' or spouse who is acting on behalf of the patient/ loved one, asks too many questions and won't be lied to.

So, yesterday was Sharon's Birthday, Dec. 4th, and I took her to a local restaurant for a good lunch, and then a few blocks home to our humble hovel, in Union Grove, Wisconsin. She still [and always will have trouble] with her past tracheotomy after having open heart surgery last March, and cannot eat rice that gets caught in her throat -- but the doctors persuaded me that was an emergency, life threatening procedure that they 'HAD TO DO.' I gave her a large wad of cash to buy what ever she wanted for her birthday present. My Mom says that I spoil the ladies that I have been with all my life. But I can vividly remember when I was in ICU, broken bones,etc, narrowly escaping death a few times, and how miserable and pained I was-- so I have empathy with my dear wife, Sharon.

And now Sharon needs a lot of bed rest to heal and get back her strength, but next week I must get myself to Milwaukee VA again for Radiology, for CT-2, scans, etc., to see what/ or if there is a tumor on my lower neck pressing against my spine that is giving me constant pain -- that is running down my Left arm and hand. Always some stress, dear friends. And to add to my challenges, Racine County wants me to serve in Jury Duty the week after! Yes, I have a full plate and will have to work things out quick. I know that my wife needs my assistance about then too. Can't they pick another person to serve on Jury Duty?? They already turned down my personal request NOT to serve because of medical reasons-- and said I need a note from a doctor.


It sure is chilly outside even for Wisconsin, and the hound dog doesn't tarry about when he has to do his business in the back yard... lol.


I am going to check out more info about the "Black Regiment Churches" mentioned in my last long Blog post today. I think that author had some good pearls of truth and wisdom. But you all should realize that what other people say or spread around may be truth -- or lies, and so we HAVE TO BE SELF EDUCATED AND WELL READ in order to measure things in life, from the Bible! That is the ultimate 'litmus test.' EVERYTHING ELSE IN MY LIFE IS MERE TRASH OR GARBAGE except our primary directive and GOAL --- HEAVEN IS MY HOME! Jesus said, 'What good is it if you gain the whole world, yet lose your soul ??' Paraphrased. If I am in a hurry to get the proper info down in my message before getting side tracked or attend my wife's needs, at least I can 'paraphrase' a scripture -- but know approx. where/ what bible book contains those words, I am OK with that. I could take the time to look up chapter and verse.... but I am on a roll right now and have other fish to fry.... Woo Woo!


I am glad that today is Saturday, so we call all rest up.
I hope that your day is good too.

Friends: PLEASE USE THE COMMENT AREA TO POST YOUR COMMENTS, unless the comment is too personal....
Tom says: check out the country song below, by Conway Twitty: "That's my job."

thats my job


Cordially, Christian Love and Hugs,
Tom Schuckman
tschuckman@aol.com
Disabled Vietnam Veteran: 68-70
Wisconsin

An Open Letter to Christians-- Long Read.

Tom's Journal.
http://tomschuckmanjournal.blogspot.com/
tschuckman@aol.com

---

An Open Letter To America's Christians

---

By Chuck Baldwin

---

The Covenant News ~ December 05, 2009

---

I was led to Christ at the tender age of 5 while sitting on my mother's lap. I was raised in a devout, churchgoing Christian home. I have been in Gospel ministry all of my adult life (I am 57 years old). I have attended or have degrees and/or diplomas from 4 fundamentalist/evangelical colleges or Bible schools. I have been the Senior Pastor of a local Independent Baptist congregation for 34 years and counting. I have spoken in churches and Christian gatherings all over the country. I say all of that simply to provide my Christian credentials (in much the same way that the Apostle Paul provided his Jewish credentials in Philippians 3:5,6). As such, I believe I know something about the attitudes, conduct, philosophy, mindset, etc., of America's Christians. I am not an outsider; I speak as one within the conservative/fundamentalist Christian camp.

As it relates to the rightful understanding of following Christ's instruction that we are to be "salt" and "light" (and what that means for us Americans), and properly rendering to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's (and knowing the difference), there are basically 2 groups: those who sincerely want to help America maintain its foundational principles and those who, frankly, are too preoccupied (or cowardly) to give much thought to it one way or another. I would say that the first group is slightly larger than the second group. The problem is, among the first group, there is a vast void of understanding regarding exactly how we are to implement and carry forth the principles of Christian liberty--which are the principles upon which America was built, of course.

As I see it, there are two glaring obstacles that keep today's Christians from being truly effectual and influential in helping to restore America's freedoms and founding principles. And let's be honest enough to admit that, for the most part, today's Christians (including our pastors) are ineffective and irrelevant in providing any meaningful solutions to America's many problems. Sadly, more often than not, we are little more than gullible pawns, which wily and wicked politicians use to advance their own nefarious agendas.

Obstacle Number One: America's current generation of Christians has allowed itself to become pathetically ignorant as to the Biblical, Natural Law principles of liberty and government. And when it comes to America's historical principles of self-government and federalism, the ignorance quotient goes up even further.

It is really sad: we Christians (including our Christian pastors) know virtually nothing of real American history, law, government, etc. For example, I'm not sure that we can begin to remotely understand what Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence if we have not read John Locke's Second Treatise of Government. I'm not sure we can begin to comprehend the American philosophy of government if we have not read George Washington's Farewell Address. Without reading The Federalist Papers, one cannot begin to properly appreciate the US Constitution and the principles upon which it was predicated. Without reading Pastor Jonas Clark, one cannot understand what really happened at Lexington Green and Concord Bridge. Without reading Alexander Stephens' History of the United States, it is doubtful that one can truly understand or appreciate the principles of federalism and State sovereignty. And how many of us have read even one of the above? And this does not even scratch the surface of necessary knowledge.

Let's admit it: today's Christians, for the most part, are operating in a vacuum of truth and understanding. Without a firm grasp of necessary truth, how can we know what to do, who to believe, or how to act?

Accordingly, smooth-talking "conservative" politicians who know how to use religious clichés and terminology to gain our support and votes easily dupe the vast majority of sincere Christians. But it is actually worse than that. We Christians are, for the most part, unwitting contributors to the demise of freedom and rise of oppression in our land.

For example, Americans--including Christian Americans--lost more freedoms under former President George W. Bush than under any President since Lyndon Johnson, or maybe since Franklin Roosevelt. Yet, even today, most evangelical Christians continue to hold Bush in high esteem. They seem to be totally oblivious to the fact that Bush set the table and provided the opportunities for virtually everything that President Barack Obama is currently doing to advance socialism and globalism in our country. For the most part, Christians seemed to never notice that President Bush did almost nothing to change the course and direction set by his predecessor, President Bill Clinton. And liberals are just now beginning to wake up to the reality that, at the executive level, Obama is doing precious little to change the course set by George Bush--including escalating Bush's war (now Obama's war) in the Middle East. Will the American people never awaken to the fact that, for the most part, the only difference between these two parties at the national level is one of degrees, not direction?

At the national level, Democrats want to expand Big Government for the benefit of advancing the Welfare State, while Republicans want to expand Big Government for the benefit of advancing the Warfare State, but both want to expand Big Government. Make no mistake about it: neither major party in Washington, D.C., has any intention of returning America to the constitutional principles of limited government and federalism. But do Christians see this? No, they do not!

For the most part, today's Christians seem to have the attitude that G.O.P. stands for God's Own Party. That the Republican Party in Washington, D.C., is equally culpable for the destruction of liberty and constitutional government never seems to once enter their minds. The sum total of their patriotism seems to be voting Republican, watching Fox News, and paying taxes. The shallowness of today's pastors and Christians is a major obstacle preventing us from doing much of anything that would actually contribute to good government.

Obstacle Number Two: Today's Christians are not willing to support the principles they profess to believe.

I could not count the number of times that a sincere Christian brother or sister has asked me, "What is wrong with my pastor? Why does he refuse to take a stand?" or questions to that effect. Dear Christian Friend, as kindly as I know how to say it, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.

I ask you, Why should your pastor "take a stand"? Why should he "get involved"? You and all the others of his congregation are more than willing to support his ministry the way it is. You sit under his preaching. You follow his leadership in the church. You give your tithes and offerings to support his vision for God's work.

Look around you. What do you see? You see the Joel Osteen-type churches bulging out at the seams. Churches--where pastors are unwilling to get involved in anything "controversial," where pastors are content to stay completely disengaged from anything that might be deemed "political," and where pastors refuse to even hear the truth of what is really going on--are filled every Sunday. They have the largest crowds, biggest offerings, and most ornate buildings. Why, in the name of common sense, would you expect your pastor to "take a stand" or "get involved"? Why should he? You have--by your support, attendance, and offerings--clearly told him that you like him just the way he is!

Yet, throughout history, it has been pastors and preachers that have led the great civil movements and revolutions--including our own American Revolution. It is no hyperbole to say that without the leadership, courage, and resolve of Colonial America's clergymen, we would still be a Crown colony of England, with no Declaration of Independence, no US Constitution, no Bill of Rights, and little freedom. And, it's not like we do not have the same kind of lionhearted preachers today as we did in days of old, because we do. All across America, there are hundreds of Bible preaching men from virtually every Christian denomination who are more than willing to "take a stand" and "get involved." As an example, go to my Black Regiment list and see the names of over 200 pastors who are out front in the fight for right. The problem is, the vast majority of America's Christians today will not support these stalwart spiritual statesmen.

See the Black Regiment list here.

So, Christian friend, why do you continue to worship under the leadership of a pastor who has no intention of standing in the gap for our country's freedom? Why do you continue to give your tithes and offerings to such a church? It is time for Christians who know and care about what is going on to GET OUT of these spineless churches! If you really believe the principles you profess, how can you continue to deny those principles by staying in a church that has no intention of teaching those principles?

If you cannot find a patriot-pastor of your denomination, look for one outside your denomination. I would rather worship with a man with whom I disagree on secondary doctrines (but who is firm on the fundamentals, of course), but who is willing to stand for truth and freedom, than worship with a man of my preferred denomination, but who will do nothing to confront the evils that are currently destroying our republic.

Good grief! We have thousands of evangelical pastors who are willing to follow a man such as Rick Warren; a man who has become a partner with one of the most devilish and sinister organizations in the world--an organization that is actively working against the principles of freedom and independence, and in support of the principles of globalism and universalism: the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

Remember, it was Rear Admiral Chester Ward, former Judge Advocate General of the Navy, who rightly said, "The main purpose of the Council on Foreign Relations is promoting the disarmament of U.S. sovereignty and national independence and submergence into an all-powerful, one world government." Most Christians readily discern any attempt at global government to be "of the devil." Yet, Rick Warren is now an active member of the one organization whose major claim to fame is its incessant promotion of globalism.

How can any sincere Christian who is even remotely aware of what is going on--and who truly cares about the preservation of freedom--follow any pastor who follows someone such as Rick Warren? Yet, the Warren-type churches are flourishing all over America; and, at the same time, many of those congregants complain that their pastor is not "taking a stand."

So, why don't YOU take a stand by GETTING OUT of these soft, straddling, sugary, superficial, shallow, saltless churches?

It is infinitely more important that you be in a church that preaches the truth and takes a stand than that your teens attend "the most exciting youth program," or that your kids are in one of these glorified playgrounds (called "children's ministries") so they can play games and stay entertained, or that your church has a softball team, or that it has the prettiest buildings, or that it has music you think is "just right," or that it is the "premier church in town" for social gatherings or business contacts.

If you live near Phoenix, Arizona, why not attend Pastor Coleman's church, 35th Avenue Baptist Church? If you live near Three Rivers, California, why not attend The Church of Kaweah, which is pastored by Warren Mark Campbell? If you live near Fort Myers, Florida, why not support Pastor James Riddle at Morningstar Baptist Church? If you live near Savannah, Georgia, why not support Pastor John Weaver's Dominion Ministry? If you live near Ocean Springs, Mississippi, why not help Pastor John Mayfield's Chapel of Faith? If you live near Kalispell, Montana, why not support Pastor Jim Huff and Bible Presbyterian Church? If you live near Omaha, Nebraska, why not support Pastor Phillip Kayser and Dominion Covenant Church? If you live in the Oklahoma City area why not help Pastor Jason Murphy at New Life Church in Collinsville, or Pastor Paul Blair at Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, or Dr. Steve Kern and Olivet Baptist Church in Oklahoma City? If you live near Greenville, South Carolina, why not help Pastor Tony Romo at South Pointe Baptist Church in Pelzer, or Pastor Mark Dibler at Bible Baptist Church in Pickens. If you live near Madisonville/Athens/Etowah, Tennessee, why not support Pastor Jim Headings at the Piney Grove Community Church in Englewood? Daniel New has a home church in Hamilton County, Texas. Clell Drumheller pastors Truth in Love Ministries in northwest Houston. Why not support Pastor Brandon Teague at Faith Baptist Church in Paris, Texas? Pastor Butch Paugh is a patriot-pastor in Nettie, West Virginia. Pastor Wayne Sedlak is a patriot-pastor who ministers at Reformation Hope Church in West Bend, Wisconsin.

These are only a handful of the hundreds of dynamic patriot-pastors across America who are truly "taking a stand." Ask yourself, what could the Church do if, instead of Rick Warren and Joel Osteen, men like those listed above pastored churches that numbered in the tens of thousands? Imagine what could happen if Black Regiment-type churches were the largest churches in a majority of the great metropolises throughout America?

I say again (as kindly as I know how): if you stay in, support, attend, and give your offerings to these churches that are pastored by men who will not take a stand, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM.

And though I would prefer that everyone have a local church they could support in good conscience, there are hundreds of people across America who, because they cannot find such a church, worship online with me and my church every Sunday morning, as we Livestream our service. We do this specifically for those who cannot find a church that will take a stand in their area.

To tune in to our Livestreamed service each Sunday morning at approximately 10:30am (CST), click here.

If Christians today are to regain any semblance of relevancy in preserving America's liberties, they must do two things: (1) immediately become acquainted with the foundational principles that created this country, and (2) get serious about supporting only those churches and ministries that truly know what's going on and are willing to courageously stand in the gap. Anything short of this is pious-sounding rhetoric. And rhetoric will do nothing to help us--not now, anyway.

P.S. Educating Americans about their history is what motivated me to compile THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS. We are almost sold out of the current printing, and this is the final announcement. If you want to obtain copies of THE FREEDOM DOCUMENTS, which contains 50 of the finest historical documents of American history in one volume, you must order NOW! Order here.


Chuck Baldwin
chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com
Chuck Baldwin Live
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com

Donate to Chuck Baldwin Live
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/donate.php


More from Chuck Baldwin

Commentary Index

Back to The Covenant News Covenant News | Pro-Life News | Freedom of Speech | Politics | Aboms.com | Court News Report