Mob Appeal

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”

 

Mob appeal is an attempt to persuade others by either making them feel like they want to be ‘one of the guys’ or by preying on the emotions of a large crowd. Socrates once said: “The crowd cannot be a lover of wisdom.”

 

Reading through Proverbs and Ecclesiastes we see that God has called us to a life of wisdom and discernment. We are not to buckle under ‘peer’ pressure or to any charismatic speaker trying to motivate or manipulate the masses.

 

Where we see this type of appeal is often in politics. For example: Often we find the Democratic party referring to themselves as the party of the ‘working man’ or the Republican party as ‘being against the lawyers and being outside of the establishment’ – even though many have been in public office most of their lives.

 

We see this “mob appeal” also in advertisement. I was watching TV when the advertisement for the Chevrolet truck came on, set in the background ‘out on the range’ surrounded by cowboys. Another advertisement was in the midst of a steel plant and a voice was saying that the truck is built like a ‘rock.’

 

The thing against the “mob appeal” is that it distracts from the main point and makes us want to be a part of the mob or the crowd.

 

To me one of the main dangers of this emotional appeal is that it plays at one of our most vital needs; the need to be accepted. One of the ways that Satan keeps people locked into their little kingdoms is through the bars of acceptance and rejection. We are afraid of being rejected by our peers and so we find ourselves going along with the crowd. In other words, everyone else is doing it and you will not be cool (part of the group) if you do not go along.

 

One of the things that has been speaking to me is what is called the “spiral of silence.” Because of “mob appeal,” going along with the crowd, we find that we do not speak out even though we know that what is being said is wrong, a fallacy. We do not want to be the ‘odd man’ out!

 

Socrates said: “The crowd cannot be a lover of wisdom.” Often, we have found out that some very popular ideas have turned out to be ‘very false.’ Look at Hitler in the 1930s who rode to power on a radical wave of popularity.

 

I often think of this verse in Proverbs: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12

 

If We Were 100% United

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Think of what power and authority the church could have in America if we were 100% united. We saw what some of the church had the power and authority to do at the 2016 election of Donald Trump, when everyone was SURPRISED!

 

If the church were 100% united then that which is evil would not be called good, and that which is good would not be called evil; abortion would still be considered murder; prayer and the Bible would still be in schools; crime would be way down because of… a justice system that works; law officers would be respected and free to do their jobs of keeping the peace in communities.

 

So how do we know that it was God who caused the election to take a turn that SURPRISED us all?

 

Jeremiah 18:5-17 “If I, the LORD your GOD, announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will plant and build up a certain nation or kingdom, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey Me, I will not bless it as I said I would, and their land will become a monument to their stupidity.”

 

We, as well as the world, have seen what has been accomplished in just two and half years, and not because of Donald’s Trump power and authority, but because God has blessed us again. God blesses a nation because His people are RIGHT with Him, and they become united in prayer for God’s purpose for their nation.

 

We’re at a fork in the road for America’s future. Will the church see its responsibility and unite, fight and pray for this president? Pray into key positions godly men and women at each election. Will we call out evil where evil presides? Or, will we continue down the road of destruction where each does what he/she thinks in his own heart is right, and evil unchecked?

 

What is your hope for America’s future? Your grandchildren’s future? What is God’s purpose for America in this world of great evil and chaos?

Radical Islam

Posted by & filed under Carols Blog.

CAIR: The Counsel for American-Islamic Relations. A Muslim civil rights and advocacy group. Its headquarters is on Capitol Hill in Washington DC with regional offices nationwide.

 

If you don’t know anything about Islam – the one thing you need to know is that the Islam god is the only true god: Allah. Allah in their Quran commands conquering the world, nation by nation, and using “jihad.” God doesn’t command this of His people (Christians); He only commands that we love one another and protect each other’s well-being and purpose in life from our Creator God.

 

CAIR activists are working for “civil rights” in America. What is the “right” they actually want?

 

Anti-jihad peaceful Muslims are being hunted down by their own religion’s jihadists. America’s laws protect them as citizens. Islam ‘jihadists’ are not protected in America, they have NO rights here, rather they are legitimately considered terrorists that must be kept out of our nation, or destroyed.

 

So, what is CAIR really trying to do in America? Well, Ilhan Omar is giving away their secrets when she states: “America should not be worried about radical Islam, but rather the radicalization of the white men. America should be profiling and monitoring them.”

 

What does the “white man” represent to her? White men in America (in the government) are not against Muslims, but rather against Islam’s jihadists, a.k.a. “radical Islam.” Congresswoman Ilhan Oman is exposing herself as to why she became an America citizen and ran for Congress when she made that “racist” statement, as well as the other “racist” statements against Jews and Israel. It’s no secret either; it’s out there for all to see.

 

Islam works by getting “footholds” in any ‘unsuspecting’ nation. A foothold is gotten by deception, and once a foothold is secured – the door is forced open all the way. America wake up to reality! You should be worried about “radical Islam” and the foothold they seem to have here in America with CAIR and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar.

 

If Omar is against the extremism of her religion (Islam) and she and other Muslim-Americans (legal citizens) just want to live peacefully in America under American Laws and Justice – they already have that freedom here. So why did she state that America should not be afraid of “radical Islam” but rather the “radicalization of white men?”

 

What does “radicalization of white men” even mean? Is she saying that it’s the “white men” who hate Muslims and are attacking Muslims? It’s true that many of their mosques in America have been vandalized and Muslims in their mosques attacked and killed by out of control white men who are viciously against radical Islam. But like any other racial/religious assault on innocent human life, it’s not supported nor protected by our American Justice system, which was also white man’s doing in America’s founding and establishing laws and justice to protect all innocent life of any race and religion.

 

Radical Muslims (Islamists) are just as harmful as any radical person of any race or religion. In America we have radical black men (gangs) going after white people to threaten and kill. There are radical racial gangs brutally killing people. There are radical Muslims bombing different events and places where there are hundreds they can kill at the same time. The problem isn’t that we need “Muslim civil rights” in America, for that won’t solve the real problem in America. Muslims in America have not been denied citizenship, nor their ‘civil’ rights, it’s their religion’s jihad and Sharia Law that is denied in America.

 

The REAL problem in America is that over time Americans have forgotten the God of over America and of our founders, and have even denied Him, raising their children likewise to deny the LORD GOD who helped our founders establish our great Constitution, Independence, Bill of Rights and the Laws we have for protecting all legal citizens of any race or religion coming to live here legally and peacefully, and thankful to be an American citizen. But you see that’s the problem: there are many living here now who have been deceived in believing that no one should be thankful to be an American because America’s history is evil, and that America needs to be remade by those far more righteous (self-righteous). So we have different races and religions trying to make their mark on America, which has only caused chaos, lawlessness, racial activism and hostility, continual invasion of criminals, and has caused unsuspecting Christians to cry out to God about it all.

 

Islam and Christianity are enemies because of one huge true difference: the God they believe in and serve. Islam serves Allah. Christians serve Jesus Christ. Allah did not create the universe with the earth for mankind; Jesus Christ did. God asks us to serve Him out of love. Allah demands it or else. Jesus Christ died for us; to rescue and save us. Allah requires you to die for him, and to kill people for him. Allah cannot promise you a thing when you die for him because Allah is not the Creator who created and controls who enters Eternal Life or Hell. Allah is a false god. Jesus Christ is the One True Sovereign Infinite God; the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the God of Christianity.

 

How can America’s God and Islam’s god have any united relationship when Allah and God are clear enemies? America belongs to God, not to Allah. Muslims do not become true citizens of America in order to bring Islam to govern (Sharia Law) in America, which is what Muslim ‘activists’ are up to. Peaceful Muslims are pretty much ignorant (or just deceived) as to what their religion is really about and what Muslim/Islam “activists” are really up to in America. Wake up America!

 

One very good thing for sure is happening in America; many Muslims are leaving the Islam religion and turning to Jesus Christ as their God, and being thankful to live in America as an America citizen. They are against CAIR and Ilhan Omar’s beliefs. All glory to the Holy God of us all!

 

Poisoning the Well

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.”

 

Proverbs 10:31 “The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out.”

 

Proverbs 11:9 “With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.”

 

Another very common way to tarnish a debate is to cast doubt or in some way misinterpret the source of information. I find that often people will come to me and say or express doubt about a particular news caster or news channel that they are not reliable because they are to leftist or too conservative.

 

They will always come and say: “Consider the source.”  I am not saying that we should not consider the source, because we should, but to completely shut them out is not right either, because of certain issues they could be telling us the truth. A habitual liar could still be telling the truth on certain matters under debate.

 

Corrupt character may well imply something is not right in one’s argument, but it does not necessarily mean that there is not an element of truth in what is being said or debated.

 

“Poisoning the well” was an act of warfare in ancient times to kill unsuspecting villagers. Even today the “poisoning of the well” or water supply is a possible terrorist tactic. People know that drawing water from a poisoned well they can die. Likewise, if someone can discredit their intellectual opponent, then an audience will instinctively reject the opponent’s arguments as well. He has “poisoned the well.” Not only is the opponent’s source rejected, but also any future facts that he might bring out.

 

There are two things to do in order to defeat this fallacy. First, one must bring out the facts. Even if the person is the vilest person alive, there still can be an element of truth in the argument.

 

The person might be vile, but….

 

Or the source might be lopsided, but….

 

We always need to look at the argument itself and not get sidetracked by the “poisoning of the well.”

 

Also, when a person tries to “poison the well” it could very well be that he is showing his own vulnerability in the debate in putting forth the “poisoning of the well” fallacy to cover his own intellectual cowardice. In other words: perhaps he is afraid to address the real issue?

 

People who “poison the well” can pertain to any source: people, nations, races, eras, universities, ideologies, etc. In other words, an argument that says: “Do not believe anything coming from………”

 

Did the Pharisees “poison the well” when they said that Jesus cast out demons by the power of the prince of demons? Yes, they were trying to refute who Jesus was and get the audience not to believe anything Jesus said. But, Jesus refuted this fallacy by pointing out that people are known by their works.

 

We really need the gift of discernment today.

 

 

 

Blessing and Curse

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Recently I listened to a Christian speaker who said that when someone curses you and you curse them back then their curse will stay with you, but if you bless them back when they curse – their curse returns on them. I thought about this and thought how many times I have not returned a curse with a blessing, and how offensive words can stick to you when you curse back or hold back a blessing. When you bless the person who curses you it shows that you are a blessed person; that your confidence is not in what people think of you and say about you but that you believe what God thinks of you and says about you.

 

Lesson learned: When I receive a curse I can send it back to where it came from – with a blessing.

My Closest Friend

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

I have a Friend who is my best Friend. I meet with this Friend who is closer than a brother, every single morning for our time together. I wake up between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. to be with this friend of mine for hours where we talk, laugh and cry. What makes this person so great to me is that this person does not judge me or condemn me even though this person sees everything I do and hears everything I think and say. This person defends me. This person loves me when no one else can or will. This person encourages me when I am down, and prays for me. Who is this person? My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

 

I asked Him a long time ago why He awakes me up so early in the morning since I need my rest so I can work all day. He answered, “I have been talking to you all day but this is the first time you have been still enough to listen.” Since then I do not care about what I have to do in the day and how much sleep I miss; for this is the best time of the day for me – with my best Friend. Someday I will speak face to face with Him, and will not need to read about Him in the Bible; for I will see the living Word of God face to face.

 

Dearest and closest Friend, thank You for loving me and forgiving all of my sins. Thank You for the great future You have for me. Thank You for saving all my children and grandchildren. Thank You that You are coming back and the things that make me so angry – will be gone and even forgotten – because You will reign on the earth and make all things new.

Pastors of Yesteryears

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

Where are the pastors of years ago?

“The black-robed regiment of the Revolutionary Period were men of God who spoke out concerning the issues of the day. This label of “black-robed” was given to pastors especially in Colonial America that were very instrumental in America winning their independence. The reason why they were called “black-robed regiment” is because every Sunday they would mount their pulpits wearing their long black clerical robes, and they would preach the Word of God without …fear or favor. These men of God would basically tell people what or who they should and should not vote for, because they understood that in order to have a great government, then you must have great citizens. The way that you have great citizens is by having great people who are rooted in the foundation of the Word of God. Week after week, they expounded upon the principles of the proper role of government, the proper role of individuals, all underneath the Kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Tradition vs. Miracles

Posted by & filed under Mikes Blog.

In John chapter 9 is the account of Jesus when He heals a blind man on the Sabbath. The Pharisees rejected the man and Jesus because He healed on the Sabbath. The question I have, is how many traditions do we observe in the churches that hinder miracles, that shy away from the truth, that get in the way of the real work of God? I am not against traditions, just that traditions of religion have become so ingrained in so many churches that some the people even that these traditions are written in the Word of God. How sad it would be to miss a miracle of God because of tradition.

Our New Bodies

Posted by & filed under Carols Blog.

I had a thought which led to a question this morning for Father God while He and I were fellowshiping on the patio. Some questions I ask Him are not for me to know the answers to, I believe because they are far too wonderful for me to know. (Job 42:3)

 

In fact, we have eternity (in Christ Jesus) to keep learning just how wonderful God is, as if we could ever get to an end of just how wonderful HE IS!

 

When I ponder my Savior’s life ‘on earth’ questions often come to mind, and I do believe the Holy Spirit will help me come to the truth because Jesus Himself said: “When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and he will declare to you what is to come.” John 16:13-14

 

Jesus taught that the more we understand (the light He gives) and follow through with, the more understanding we will receive from Him (Matthew 13:12), but also the more we are held accountable for, tested and approved.

 

We naturally accept the truths in the Bible without asking questions. But do you ever wonder why certain things have happened the way they did? I like knowing the wisdom He has behind the things He does.

 

I have asked the Father before why our Savior had to come to the earth through the childbirth process. Why not just miraculously show up to start His ministry at the age of 30 (approximately) when He called to Himself the twelve disciples? And I believe the Holy Spirit led me into the truth about that: to reveal that there’s nothing we humans can and will go through ‘naturally’ that Jesus didn’t go through; so that He could relate to our human weakness (without sinning).

 

This morning I asked Father God why His Son, our Savior, died in His early thirties and not later in His 50’s or 90’s or earlier in His 20’s. I do know that everything God does, every little thing that WE do not even notice, has great meaning in His whole plan of man’s redemption and the earth’s restoration for eternity. For God created everything with eternity in mind. (Genesis 1 and Ecclesiastes 3:11)

 

So what wisdom is behind Jesus dying at the age of 33, three years after He started His ministry on earth, instead of any other earlier or later age? The thought came: We are in our physical prime in our thirties, and then our bodies begin to breakdown until the day our body can no longer keep up.

 

Why do we call the age 40 “over the hill?” The thirties seem to be the “prime of our life” and looking the best we’ll ever look. But I love that we get to grow gray hair as we age because of what God says about wisdom and gray hair! (Although you can still be a fool with gray hair up to your death – having never known Jesus Christ and His blessed salvation.)

 

The Bible teaches that just like we take off our dirty clothes to put on clean clothes, so it is with our physical body with its sin nature – taken off to be ‘newly’ clothed to live forever with the Lord. But you might be thinking that our ‘new’ bodies are not like our physical bodies. Hum.

 

Then what kind of body did Jesus ‘reappear’ in when He visited all those disciples He left behind after His death? They all RECOGNIZED Him! So then, when we are in our ‘new’ bodies – will we recognize each other as well? I believe so!

 

But you might say: We are spirits after we die; not having a physical body because the Bible tells us that we won’t need to eat or drink or sleep. Yep! But we can if we want – because Jesus did! And we will be like Him, according to Scripture.

 

Before Adam sinned, he and Eve had ‘eternal’ bodies. All that changed was the curse God placed on man and earth, and that the devil with his demons were allowed to roam the earth and deceive the nations (until Christ returns to reign).

 

The “curses” will be lifted so that life (mankind and the earth) can continue as intended by God in the beginning. (Revelation 22) So that means that people will continue to be born yet without dying. Of that day the Lord says:

 

“God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with them….for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making all things new. Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” Revelation 21:3-5

 

The older I get – the more I long to see my Savior face to face, and to thank Him for all He’s done to bring me into His eternal Kingdom!

 

Now when you look at those ‘old’ photos of yourself when you were in your prime, wishing you could look that good now – think about the Lord’s resurrection and your own!

Appeal to Emotion – Pity

Posted by & filed under Franks Blog.

John 7:24 “Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment.”

 

Appeal to pity, like an appeal fear is just a propaganda technique. Often we will see this in advertisements. Propaganda in its various forms can be very powerful. In one sense there is nothing wrong with propaganda if it is used rightly, like in advertising about our product.

 

Propaganda is any strategy for spreading our beliefs or ideas. Writing these articles and sending them out to subscribers as my weekly letters or putting them on Facebook I am using propaganda in the sense of spreading my ideas.

 

Propaganda can be found in political speeches, TV commercials and shows, movies, radio, newspapers, advertisements and many other places. There is nothing wrong with propaganda if we do it honestly. The problem is that many times people buy into a product or idea because it appeals to emotion instead of to clear thinking.

 

For example: A truck dealer might try to get us to buy his truck because it looks tougher, not necessarily because it is tougher. The lawyer in the court room will try to persuade the jury to feel (emotion) that his side is right. Even the evangelist or preacher tries to persuade the audience through emotion rather than challenging them to think things through clearly. Not that our emotions necessarily are bad and incorrect, but when making decisions it is always good to have clear thinking.

 

Manipulative propaganda is used when someone plays with our emotions in a way designed to make us agree with him without thinking through the matter carefully.

 

We have already seen the “appeal to emotion through fear,” but now through the “appeal to pity.” This pity appeal is when someone tries to get us to do something because of pity for the person or something that he is associated with.

 

The “appeal to pity,” like the appeal to fear is an appeal to our emotions, our sense of compassion. This appeal is trying to get us to accept something, do something, or believe something based upon our emotions instead of good and careful reasoning.

 

When it comes to giving money we often see the “appeal to pity.” We might see starving children, homeless people, or areas where a storm might have swept through and left many homeless. Since this is a technique that is often used by con-artists we need to be able to think clearly and concisely to ensure that this is a legitimate need and the one appealing to our emotions is a reputable person or organization.

 

As Christians we have to be careful because an “appeal to pity” can counteract another Biblical principle like TRUTH. In other words, we are to “love our neighbor,” but not at the expense of truth. An example of this is found in the following verse: “Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house.” (Proverbs 6:30-31)

 

Might God give us clear, critical, Biblical thinking in these days when “truth and error walk the same highway,” as A.W. Tozer so eloquently said. ‘We live in days of great deception and discernment is a great need.’