Running the Race

The Presidential primaries have certainly been interesting so far. I believe the candidates just finished their 18^th debate. Beginning with about 11 candidates, we are now down to four.  Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are the two front runners at this time, but it has been interesting to see the manner in which each of the candidates may have risen for a time, but then fell. Early on Michelle Bachman won the Iowa Caucus by a land slide, but eventually could not continue with that early momentum.  Rick Perry reportedly had lots of money to spend to keep his campaign going, but he just never seemed to be able to catch the tide that would take him where he needed to go.

Ron Paul has recently stated he will remain in the race until the Republican convention.  No big surprise, there.  We already knew that by the pattern he set in the 2008 Presidential election. If he had any character, with the low ratings he has received he would bow out now and throw his support behind one of the candidates, thereby lessoning the chance of us ending up with one of the more liberal candidates. Paul supporters, though many of them have a liberal, libertarian social agenda, most likely would bring their votes to the more conservative Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich rather than Romney. I believe this because many of Paul's supporters do indeed strongly support the Constitution. Paul, however, is not a true Republican, stating as much on the Sean Hannity show this fall, and demonstrating that fact by throwing his support to the "Constitutional" candidate Charles Baldwin in the last Presidential election. So one can't really predict what the majority of his supporters will do.

Mitt Romney, I would say, is not more liberal than Paul; but he is by far not as conservative as Rick Santorum or even Newt Gingrich.  A recent video about Mitt Romney can be seen at the Newsmax website and is in fact pretty darn frightening. There are other reasons why I would really hate to see Romney become the nominee, but the main reaosn would be “Romneycare”.  In the last debate, Rick Santorum did a fantastic job of explaining how detrimental a “President Romney” would be in the ability to defeat “Obamacare”.

Without a doubt, I believe Sentator Santorum to be the best candidate.  I have watched him for a number of years, and he has been consistently conservative, always standing strong on the difficult, conservative social issues.  He is in fact the one that was successful in writing legislation to end partial birth abortion.  He has an A+ rating with the National Rifle Association; and he has consistently stood in support of our Middle East ally, Israel - understanding the Biblical mandate as well as foreign policy maneuvers that would be detrimental to the USA, should we not walk that rope carefully.  There is no one I agree with more on foreign policy than Rick Santorum, and there is no one that explains the importance of the Middle East Region as well as Senator Santorum.

Dr. Paul’s foreign policy, as Michelle Bachman and Rick Perry both stated in one of the earlier debates is just downright “dangerous".  I will get to Dr. Paul in later posts.  This man in many regards is extremely dangerous to America.

At this point in the process, we are all anticipating the Florida primary which will be held this Tuesday. Florida is important in some regards because it could flush out another candidate.  As I said Romney and Gingrich seem to be leading in the polls and given the Florida constituency, it seems the vote could easily go to Romney.  So far, Santorum has won Iowa, Romney has won New Hampshire, and Gingrich took South Carolina. This gives each of the candidates, except Paul, a victory.  As more wins take place, theoretically, we will loose some of the candidates – except as I said Paul, who has other motives, I believe.

Sarah Palin recently encouraged Florida voters to cast their votes to Gingrich. This would enable the vetting process, through debates, additional caucuses and primaries, to continue a bit longer.  If Newt looses, he will experience pressure to step down.  If Romney wins, because of his strength as the longtime front runner, and the amount of money he has at his disposal, we can be certain he is in for the long-haul, unless Gingrich can upset Romney’s momentum with another win.  This will also force Santorum to reconsider whether he can stay in the race. It has been reported and he has said himself that he does not have the funds that the other candidates have.  I believe, Sarah Palin, knowing the inside skills it takes to maneuver in these campaigns, knew that IN FLORIDA at least, Santorum wouldn't be able to pull off a win, and another victory by Romney would automatically make him the Republican Presidential candidate.  I believe Governor Palin is correct. Newt is the only one (in Florida at least) that can pull enough votes to prevent Romney from winning. Governor Palin is thinking strategically; exactly what a politician needs to do to run in our modern day election process. Whether we like it or not, that is fact.

I believe Sarah Palin, and many others (myself included) would be just fine with a win by Newt, or a win by Rick Santorum – these are in fact the two most conservative candidates running. What Palin is trying to prevent in making the statement she did is prevent another win by Romney, thus keeping this vetting process alive for a bit longer. This will give any dirt about Romney more time to surface.  So far with his bank account he has done a pretty good job at throwing mud, but he really hasn’t had to endure much himself up to this point.

Newt in actuality is more conservative than the liberal media or Romney would have us believe.  He was in fact the voice of conservatives in the 90’s when he was the Speaker of the House.  I remember the bashing he took during this time because of his conservative stances; therefore, I have a hard time believing some of the reports we are seeing through the political think tanks like Politico, MSNBC and CNN.  Without a doubt, Gingrich brings the most experience, political knowledge, and fantastic debating skills to the primary process.

My candidate, Rick Santorum - my candidate of choice from the onset of the process – brings experience, a Biblical understanding of foreign policy, (yep, I said Biblical) and a conservative voice that springs directly from his heart as a man who not only believes in conservative principals but has lived them. He and Newt have worked together on a number of issues and are in actuality good friends as each has stated repeatedly.  My belief is these two are the only ones that understand that at some point the winning candidate and the losers are going to have to unite at the end of the day to enable the Republican Party to enjoy a victory over Obama. Though Newt and Rick may take a jab or two at one another, they have been careful to be respectful of each other.  This is the way a primary process should be.  Romney – the so-called front runner - and Dr. Paul the one consistently at the bottom, would be wise to take a lesson from the two candidates in the middle.

As a side-note, Senator Santorum, whose platform is Faith, Family and Freedom, has once again shown us that he practices what he preaches when he returned home from campaigning in Florida to be with his three year old daughter Bella who has a genetic disorder called Trisomy 18 Disease.   

Bella was recently hospitalized for pneumonia, but through the prayers of family, friends; and, I might add, an entire praying nation, is reportedly doing better at this time. Santorum will return to the race in Flordia today. Senator Santorum is a man who has his priorities right. What a blessing he would be as our next President.

Because each of these three candidates have had a win, no one except Paul - who continues to place with roughly a 10% rating - should be leaving the race at this time. I’m afraid another win for Romney, however, with the money he has to continue his campaign (which includes attack ads against the other candidates) will give him the standing to make him our Republican Presidential nominee.

Hal Lindsey's Weekly Report - Jan 27th, 2012

Part II of Hal Lindsey's comments on the poorly named conference: "Christ at the Checkpoint".

January 27th, 2012

Last week, I reported on an upcoming conference of liberal theologians and ministers (mostly American) and Palestinian Christians. The conference is called "Christ at the Checkpoint" and will convene in March in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus. Because the event promises to be nothing more than a naked attempt to de-legitimize the state of Israel and the Biblical role of the Jews, I feel it necessary to continue my examination of the errant theological doctrine that drives all of these efforts.

Whether you call it 'Preterism' or 'Dominionism' matters not. The underlying dogma is "Replacement Theology." And it espouses just what its name implies: replacement. It presumes to replace the truth of God's irrevocable oath and promises to Abraham and his descendants with an untruth eked out of thin air by doctrinaires who are nothing more than "alchemists of allegory." I call them that because they insist that the promises made to Israel are nothing more than allegory. And they use the elements of allegory to concoct their hypothesis, which is that those covenants and promises now belong, in fact, to the gentile Church. God took them away from the Jews and gave them to the Church when the Jews rejected Jesus as Messiah.

As each day passes, we see events move rapidly toward the isolation and abandonment of Israel by the West. Every day, we learn something new -- and often shocking -- about what's going on behind the scenes in the relationship between the United States and Israel. And if you've watched this program for any length of time, you know that I believe this shunning of our great ally will not end well for our nation.

But this is more than just a political or foreign policy issue. For America, I believe our relationship with Israel is a matter of national life and death. I firmly believe that we have been blessed as a nation because we have blessed and protected God's people, the Jews, and the state of Israel.

But not everyone -- not even every Christian -- believes as I do. In fact, you may be surprised at how many Christians think that the Jews and Israel are no longer a part of God's plan. That implies that we have no obligation to stand by Israel! In fact, even in the daily news there is ongoing and vigorous debate in both civic and religious circles over America's traditional support of the Jewish state.

It is so critically important for the Church to understand this issue in the closing days of this Age, that I'm going to address it again this week. In doing so, I'll debunk the system of theology that threatens the Church and could actually bring our nation under God's curse because of its disregard for His promises and covenants.

And this dangerous doctrine directly affects you, whether you know it or not. Simply put, if God, as the Preterists insist, reneged on His "irrevocable" covenant with Abraham, then what assurance do you have that He'll stand by the promise of eternal life in heaven that He extended to you when you accepted the gift of pardon Christ purchased with His atoning death on the cross?

Fortunately for all believers, though, God is no liar. He stands by His promises and covenants. That is the foundation of our hope in Christ.

Join me this week as I stand "In Defense of Israel."

Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration, CPM Network, various local stations, www.hallindsey.com or www.hischannel.com. Please check your local listings.

Choosing Life

Yesterday was the 39^th anniversary of Roe v Wade, making abortion legal in our nation. Statistics show an astounding estimate of 54,559,615 abortions, since 1973.

I didn’t see a lot of news coverage yesterday about this anniversary date in our nation’s history; but I did catch Governor Mike Huckabee’s show on the Fox News Channel.  One of his guests was a young woman, Rebecca Kiessling, whose mother chose to let her baby (Rebecca) live though she had been conceived during a rape.  Hers was a powerful testimony of why every life has value.  Rebecca now has a ministry encouraging life; and her story is one of many that have been included in a movie that Gov. Huckabee hosts. You can find out more about this movie at: http://www.thegiftoflifemovie.com/

His second guest was a woman that had worked in an abortion clinic for many years before changing her views on abortion.  Carol Everett told how she went into this profession hoping to become a millionaire.  There were times, she said, that the clinic would actually give faulty birth control, in order to have their victims become pregnant so they would then have to come back for an abortion. Ms. Everett also explained that statistics reveal that the younger women are when they receive their first abortion the more likely they are to repeat the procedure. Once women have their first abortion out of the way, they would then actually use abortion as a means of birth control.  After participating in 35,000 abortions, Ms. Everett finally came to terms with this controversial subject when she accepted Jesus as her Savior. She then chose to leave her former life behind her.  She is now the CEO of the Heidi Group which aids women in unplanned pregnancies. In their first year of operation 1115 babies were delivered and 273 mothers accepted Jesus as their Savior. Carol's testimony is also included in the movie The Gift of Life.

This movie is filled with compelling testimony, dramatically explaining the importance of choosing life. You can find out more about the movie Governor Huckabee is promoting at:  http://thegiftoflifemovie.com/huckabee.aspx

“Contempt and indifference toward any life can become contempt and indifference toward every life, including yours or mine. We have to embrace the culture of life.” Gov. Mike Huckabee

No Show; No Surprise

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why Ron Paul wouldn’t attend Governor Huckabee’s forum that aired on the Fox news channel tonight.

However, I did try to do a little research to find out if the Paul campaign was giving any kind of answer or legitimate reason.  I couldn’t find an answer. I found comments saying Paul wasn’t invited - not true; I found articles saying he was invited.  Besides Governor Huckabee isn’t stupid - he wouldn’t make the mistake of not inviting him. Some wrote that Paul didn’t attend because he wasn’t in South Carolina at the time – Right; so he isn’t going to make an effort to attend all the debates and forums? Like that’s really smart. Only more excuses from the Paul campaign that appears will say and do anything to defend him.

Believing the explanation from “the horse’s mouth”, Governor Huckabee stated at the onset of the forum that, Ron Paul turned down “repeated invitations” and that he was campaigning in Nevada instead.  The question is then, why didn’t Paul bother to show.

Paul’s disdain for Gov. Huckabee isn’t a secret.  Perhaps, Paul is embarrassed to face Huckabee after the lies he told about him in the 2008 Presidential primaries – one of those untruths being that Gov. Huckabee was anti-home school.  That couldn’t have been further from the truth, yet a lot of Ron Paul supporters were sucked into believing it.

Paul or his campaign has spread the same kind of dishonest rhetoric about Senator Rick Santorum this campaign, saying he is not pro-life and he is anti-second amendment.

This “rumor” really fired me up as I have watched Senator Santorum for many years, and he has always been one of the most consistently conservative members of the Senate. He is probably the most consistently pro-life candidate there is; and he has an A+ record from the National Rifle Association.

I guess what frustrates me more than anything about Paul, is the many areas of deceit he has been caught.  Yet he claims to be the only candidate with any character.  Yeah, he’s a character alright.

Of course, I guess the other reason he didn’t attend could be the fact that South Carolina is known for their evangelical, conservative base. I suspect Paul knows he doesn’t stand a chance in this state.  The polls definitely reveal that fact, with Paul placing 4^th. 

The other thing that really irritated me about Paul and some of his supporters in this forum is that it was arranged to allow questions from voters that were “undecided”, yet it was obvious that there were a few Paul supporters allowed to ask questions. One voter at the end of the forum looked embarrassed when he got caught admitting he was for Ron Paul, when they were all to have stated that they were still undecided voters.

I suspect Paul will do well in the liberal state of Nevada. I just wish the Paul campaign would tell the truth about why Paul wouldn’t attend Huckabee’s forum. More than that, I wish he would tell the truth about who he really is, and quit pretending to be a conservative. His voting record, and his many radical statements clearly show otherwise.  He is conservative on fiscal policy and nothing more.  I prefer truth.

Hal Lindsey Report - January 13, 2012

I receive Hal Lindsey's weekly newsletter.  It is always full of pertinent and timely information.  I have followed Mr. Lindsey's writings and programs for decades. He has always been consistent and Biblical in his teachings. I thought I would post his most recent letter, believing some of you may find it interesting. Whether or not we agree doctrinally with Hal Lindsey, he has certainly done the research to be accurate and current about the things that are taking place politically around the world. There is a link at the bottom of the post, that will take you to his website. January 13th, 2012 China is rising. This is no secret. In fact, China is now a greater part of our daily lives than many Americans would prefer. Not only are many of the goods we purchase manufactured in China (goods that once were made in the USA), but every American owes thousands of dollars to China by virtue of the money it has lent our government. Gradually, China is buying its way into every country in the world, or so it seems. But China is also a paradox. While it is undeniably the dominant economic engine of Asia -- some would say of the world -- it is a nation still ruled -- and some would say brutally so -- by a repressive Communist regime. And, apparently, the regime is growing a little worried. Last week, Chinese President Hu Jintao accused the West of trying to expand its influence in China by corrupting Chinese culture. (He's just now noticing this? He apparently hasn't seen American TV or movies or listened to much American music the last couple of decades.) Writing in the Communist Party's magazine, President Hu warned his countrymen that the West is trying to divide the Chinese people using ideology and culture. He also declared that China needs to deepen and promote its own brand of Chinese socialism. He obviously feels America's newfound socialism is inferior to the Chinese version. It's also no secret that China has embarked on an aggressive military build-up. I suppose with all the extra money from exports, all the extra young men who have no prospects for marriage due to China's one-child per family policy with a premium placed on male children, Chinese industry's massive and unquenchable thirst for energy products and raw materials, and its deep-seated need for regional hegemony, a military build-up is the logical way to go. Interestingly, China is building its military just as the United States is gutting its own. I'm sure this pleases China, but I'm also sure it perplexes Europe. This means that Europe will have to rethink its own defense capabilities and obligations. For the first time since World War Two, Europe may not be able to rely on the USA to defend it. Europe may actually have to provide for its own defense -- and offense. This all fits in with Bible prophecy: A weak (or non-existent) USA and a militarily strong China and Europe; not to mention a revived Russia and a united Muslim confederacy that stretches across northern Africa and down the Arabian peninsula. Every bit of which we are seeing develop right now. Meanwhile, back at the kibbutz, Israel continues to wonder what will happen when the new gunslinger in the neighborhood, the Muslim Brotherhood, finally assumes power in Egypt. The hardline Islamist group has won the largest share of seats in Egypt's parliament. Contrary to the naive assurances of the Obama Administration, the Muslim Brotherhood, together with the even harder-line Salafist party, will be the dominant power in Egypt. And to no one except the Administration's surprise, its leaders have already announced that they will seek ways to abrogate Egypt's 33-year old treaty with Israel. Since the 1979 Camp David Accords were the first in the line of insufferable "land for peace" swindles forced upon Israel by the rest of the world, the question may soon be asked, "Will the US uphold its end of the bargain?" You see, President Jimmy Carter convinced Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to sign the treaty with Anwar Sadat and return the Sinai to Egypt by assuring him that the US would guarantee Egypt's compliance with the treaty's terms. And vice versa with Mr. Sadat, I'm sure. So, if Egypt's new Islamic government reneges on the pact, will the US honor its guarantee and insist that Egypt return the Sinai to Israel, who held it prior to 1979? After all, if it's truly "land for peace," then if the "peace" is withdrawn, the land should be returned, shouldn't it? My advice to you: don't hold your breath until this happens! In truth, the same should apply to the Gaza Strip as well. Israel ceded land in return for a promise of peace. There's been no peace with the PA and Hamas, so shouldn't the land be returned? Again, no breath-holding. Well, you get my point. However, the Bible prophets tell us that someday soon, a man will come along who will seem to be able to finally make a "land for peace" deal stick. He, too, will guarantee Israel's safety and the Israelis will believe him. So much so that they will let down their guard and finally live in peace and security with their neighbors. The prophets described it as a time of living safely "in unwalled villages." Of course, the Bible also tells us that about halfway through the covenant's seven-year term, this man will reveal his true nature and insist on being worshipped as God. That's when, as the saying goes, all hell breaks loose. Fortunately, you and I won't be here. We'll be long gone, caught up to meet our Lord and Savior in the air. And you know what? It won't be a moment too soon. Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Maranatha! Don't miss this week's Report on TBN, Daystar, Inspiration, CPM Network, various local stations, Please check your local listings. God Bless, Hal Lindsey  - http://www.hallindsey.com/

Report Card Revelations

Interesting!  Ron Paul just beat out Obama in the ACLU’s “report card” on civil liberties. To me, with the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) being one of the most “leftist” organizations in existence, this report card only confirms my belief that in some areas, Ron Paul is indeed left of Obama.

And no, I am not impressed with the ACLU’s interpretation of the United States Constitution. This is one of the most detrimental groups there is to our American way of life, and they have long distorted our U. S. Constitution.

Yeah, I know; Paul prides himself on adhering strictly to our Constitution; often times acting like he is the only one that believes in it. He also prides himself on his civil liberties positions. Whatever. But then, there are those newsletters, which are a very troublesome stone for Paul. Revealing a little racism? I’m afraid so.  He denied writing the articles in those letters until video came out revealing that he did indeed know about them.  He, in fact, finally admitted to writing "parts of them”.

Some new information that has recently been reported about Ron Paul’s record in Congress is especially discouraging. Out of more than 20 years of "service" to our country, he has sponsored 620 pieces of legislation. Out of that 620, only 4 possible bills have made it to a vote; and only 1 of his bills has ever passed in the House of Representatives, becoming law.  Oh my goodness!  How has this man been repeatedly re-elected?

Another “news flash” – Ron Paul doesn’t know why he is so popular among young voters, especially those on college campuses. Hmmm…do you think it could be because of his position on legalizing marijuana and other dangerous drugs?  Or maybe, it’s because of his anti-war, anti-military beliefs.  We all know the liberal trend that has continued on college campuses across our nation, especially catching fire in the tumultuous decade of the ‘60’s.  Ok, Dr. Paul, if you want to pretend that you don’t understand why you are getting high marks in polls on college campuses across America, your lack of understanding is just fine with me. But I think I get it. I think in reality, you do, too.

There is more Paul doesn’t understand, I’m afraid; culminating in his recent comment about believing he can’t win the election.  Yes, he said it; I didn’t. When a reporter asked him about what he would do if he won, he simply responded, “Well I will deal with it; that’s a risk I take.”  Something to that effect anyway; I heard it with my own ears, and even though I suspected he had this attitude, it still shocked me to hear him admit it.  He makes these kinds of comments and then he wonders why some don’t take him seriously. He wonders why voters keep saying Paul can’t win! He wonders why some believe he is only in this for the power and glory!

Then there are those like me that have long believed he is only in this contest to divide the Republican Party! I happen to believe he knows full-well what he is doing.  And I merely have to watch what he says and does to come to the conclusions I have.

Nope, I won’t give up; I feel I must help sound this alarm. I believe Paul is dividing conservatives - whether intentionally or not - and he is destroying our chance to restore America.