Reflections:Musings on a Saturday Morning

Unbelievable, isn't it, that a 37-year old woman could get by with actually marrying a 15-year old? Where was the positive, protective influence of this teenage boy's parents? In several places in the Bible it speaks of the progressive depravation of mankind. This is a great example of those scriptures. This lady (I don't even remember her name -- neither is it important) fell in love with her own 15-year old son's best friend. So, I'm deducing there's some major character flaws and perhaps (no, definitely) instability in her emotional well-being. While all that sounds politically correct and all, what is essentially true is that she has allowed her flesh (and all its kinky and unbalanced desires) to rule her. Beyond the thought of what her son might think, beyond the thought of what this relationship will do to this young teenage boy (for the rest of his life).......and now there is a baby inserted in the middle of it all?

If this seems like a soap opera storyline, you're exactly right, it does. But this is a true story. The lady has had the baby (a boy), but has been put back in jail. The young 15-year old father has run away from home, ended up in another state, and is just obsessed with keeping his new "family" together. This 37-year old teenager wannabe actually had the gall to marry this young boy, using the leverage of a 1962 statute that says a minor may marry if he has fathered a child.

I dare say that it will take intervention from God in a poignant way to salvage anything worthwhile in this situation.

What next?

Parents killing their children, setting fire to their homes, and blaming it on what??

The Dawning of Our Redemption

While I do not portend to be a prophecy scholar or a diplomat, I did live in West Africa for nearly 20 years and do have great discernment of human nature. Over the past ten years I have become more and more convinced that the continent of Africa will, most likely, be the most compliant with the antichrist and his plans to bring peace to the world.

For those of you who are not familar with Eschatology (the study of the End Times), taught explicitly in the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments, after the Rapture of Christians (a sudden disappearance of millions all at one time with no warning -- which, by the way, will cause worldwide confusion, but will be quickly explained away as an alien invasion or such) It will be after this time that one man will step on the scene somewhere in the world and will be of such a charismatic nature and so convincing in his solutions, that the entire world will concede to his suggestions on how to restore world peace. The Bible calls this man the antichrist because, though he will be given great powers by Satan himself and will portray himself as Christ, the Son of God, he is not. For a span of time (approximately 3 1/2 years), he will actually do what no one on this earth has done since the creation of man -- create and maintain world peace. (Don't be fooled that there won't be renegades against this man's philosophies and plans, because there will be) However, the majority of the world will follow him simply because there is just no better solution.

If we look at the majority of African countries today, there is poverty, ravaging diseases, lack of educational opportunities, and stunted economical growth. In a high percentage of these countries, there are wars or the devastating remnants of war. For some countries like Sudan, Rwanda, and Somalia, the future is as bleak as their recent pasts. A perfect setting for a man to appear and make promises that he can and will keep -- at least for a time.

Liberia (the land of our hearts) has just come out of 24 years of political instability and 15 years of civil war. Touting the election of the first woman African president, there are daunting problems to solve. Lots of baggage to unload. Many fences to mend. Do we dare think Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson can completely cleanse this crippled country?

Ivory Coast (the other African nation that has our hearts) is reeling from a major national division that has no viable end. The nation is divided: North vs. South (sound familar?) The president has followers, but not enough to take control of the dominant-Muslim north. It's a lose-lose situation in that country. Even the peacekeepers from France and other countries have been threatened if they do not leave. The consensus: they want to fight it out to the end. Is this a job for Gbagbo or even Outtara if he would win the next election (if the election even happens?)

Nigeria fights its own internal battles from oil pipeline disasters to the attempted ethnic cleansing (a hint of Rwanda, perhaps?) in regions that will not submit to the growing Islamic rule. This country is heading down the same path as Ivory Coast and Sudan, and several others. And the main concern of their president is that he be able to run for a third term?

Sierre Leone remains locked in its own cage; used up by other more dominant countries for its natural resources of diamonds and gold and eager mercenaries. Ghana seems stable right now, how long will that really last? There is great oppression in Guinea, Togo, and Mali (mainly because of geographical location and the governments run for many hundreds of years by a predominant Muslim influence.) South Africa fights apartheid and other internal issues whether they want it known or not. Riots are becoming increasingly a way of life in many of the regions.

It is not really necessary for me to elaborate on the AIDS epidemic. This disease affects all African nations (but is definitely not exclusive to this continent). However, the means to treat those with this disease continue to elude the Africans afflicted by AIDS.

Africa is ripe for a savior. The antichrist would be welcomed with open arms by Africans, some with open pockets. Philosophically, in many parts of Africa, because of the nature of their oppressive cultures, a person can be bought with any currency that will promise a new beginning, a better future.

Knowing that the BBC is liberal and humanistic in nature, it is still one of the best sources for current news about what is happening in various African countries. If this kind of thing interests you, follow the link and find out yourself the state of this continent. http://news.bbc.co.uk/

If the absolutely breathtaking incidents in the Middle East right now do not convince you that you need to get right with your Creator and start looking up, perhaps the awareness of this needy continent at the brink of internal annihilations will make you realize that things are lining up more succintly than the "Age of Aquarius". This is the dawning of our Redemption!

All Eyes on PA

Since 1887, when the first trek to Gobbler's Knob brought the groundhog predicting fever to Pennsylvania, the festivities at Punxsutawney have crescendoed, at times bringing more than 30,000 people to this small town (of about 6500 people).



This morning Phil saw his shadow again which means six more weeks of winter in the old German tradition. The last time that Phil did not see his shadow was in 1999; however, being the skeptic that I am sometimes, I had to go back in some winter archives and see if winter really was short that year. Ask anyone in the northeastern corridor about the March 14-15th winter storms that dumped anywhere between 1 and 9 inches of snow on them. (6 weeks after Phil's prediction? hmmmmm) And, in 2002, when Phil did indeed see his shadow, there was no significant snowfall or winter storms reported after the first of February.

The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..." Well, this morning Punxsutawney reported partly cloudy skies, so perhaps the snow will not "swirl" until May. Though, according to "Ray's Weather Archives", there have been four years since 1993 when April actually saw snow fall in some parts of the eastern seaboard.

I'm really not against Groundhog Day. Actually it's a pretty neat way to celebrate the middle of winter. It's so easy to find ourselves in a winter slump about this time of year, and I think the people in PA have a handle on a way to rise above that!

Of course, the good people of PA have much more than Phil to celebrate this year. I read that when Phil popped his head out of his burrow, Pittsburgh Steelers towels and paraphenalia rained down around him. I'm thinking that probably the people of Pittsburgh would not even notice a huge winter storm this Sunday............