HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

STEPHEN SALANITRI WIN GALA AWARD 2012

Obama Doctrine: Slashes Military Amidst Islamist Uprising

With the black flag of al Qaeda flying over the American embassy in Tunisia, the murder of the American ambassador in Libya, the storming of the US embassy in Cairo, the burning of the American flag in London, and the torching of American businesses in Lebanon, the Obama administration is focused like a laser on its top priority: slashing defense.

Today, even as the Islamist Uprising spreads across the Muslim world, ranging from Kashmir to Malaysia, from the North Sinai peninsula to the streets of Sudan, the Obama administration released its sequester report, which discussed just how the automatic cuts required under the Budget Control Act of 2011 would play out. In short, the Obama White House would slash defense with a machete. Obama’s Office of Management and Budget admitted as much:

“No amount of planning can mitigate the effect of these cuts. Sequestration is a blunt and indiscriminate instrument. It is not the responsible way for our nation to achieve deficit reduction. The report leaves no question that the sequestration would be deeply destructive to national security, domestic investments and core government functions.”

Under the sequestration, most defense programs would be cut by 9.4 percent. Others would be cut as much as 10 percent. Medicare, by contrast, would be trimmed by a mere 2 percent.

This is the fault of a president so extreme that his last two budgets did not receive a single vote in the House or Senate. This is the fault of a president so extreme that when Republican House Speaker John Boehner offered him $800 billion tax increases over ten years in exchange for between $3 trillion and $3.5 trillion in spending cuts (or cuts to future growth) and a revision of the tax code, Obama tentatively agreed – then rejected it at the last minute, insisting on another $400 billion in tax increases. That impasse led to the creation of the Budget Control Act, which would have cut $1.5 trillion over ten years via a bipartisan deficit committee – but if the committee could not come to any deal, $1.2 trillion in cuts would immediately take effect.

President Obama insisted that about half of those cuts come from defense. That’s no surprise from a president who wants to unilaterally shrink America’s nuclear arsenal and take a chainsaw to the Pentagon budget. “The tide of war is receding but the question that this strategy answers is what kind of military will we need long after the wars of the last decade are over,” Obama said in January.

He hasn’t changed his tune. Obama and his Democratic allies in Congress continue insist on massive tax increases rather than coming to a budget reduction deal that would prevent such defense cuts; they’d rather watch our embassy security get sliced by $129 million in the midst of a global Islamist firestorm than cut the non-defense budget without dramatically raising taxes.

Meanwhile, of course, Obama is happy to spend unlimited quantities of cash on his favored domestic government programs. And he’s happy to have Fed Chair Ben Bernanke pump up the monetary supply in order to make that easier – even if it dumps America’s credit rating from AA+ to AA to AA-, thanks to Quantitative Easing 3 (or more accurately, Quantitative Easing Permanent).

This is the Obama Doctrine: a more dangerous world, and a weaker military.

BILLY GRAHAM- NEARING HOME

A CELEBRATION OF FREEDOM

William Wallace asked the right question. If you saw the movie Braveheart, you know the story of the Scottish patriot. Mel Gibson directed and starred in the 1995 movie about the Scottish revolt in the 1400's. At one point in the movie, Wallace prepares a rag tag band of rebels for battle. They must face a larger and better-armed English army. 
His says to his men—"I am William Wallace, and I see before me an army of my countrymen here in defiance of tyranny. You have come to fight as free men, and free men you are. You are free, free from badges, free from flesh and free to love. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?" 
A tall soldier near the front eyes the huge opposing forces arrayed across the valley and then answers, "Fight against that? No, we will run, and we will live."
Wallace responds, "Ay, fight and you may die, run and you'll live. At least a while! And dying in your beds many years from now, you would be willing to trade all the days from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom."

What will you do with your freedom? That's a question to ask ourselves on the 4th of July. It is a good thing when the 4th falls on a Sunday. That way we are more apt to pause to give thanks to the One who bestowed our freedoms upon us. We make a tragic mistake when we separate God from our freedom. Without God, our concept of freedom can easily degenerate into selfishness. Wise men have always known that real freedom can only exist hand in hand with responsibility. William Wallace asked the right question, "What will you do with your freedom."

We naturally think of our national freedom on July 4th. We should. That's the great legacy of our founding fathers. We live in a land blessed with freedom. Few nations have ever known such liberties. We are free to gather in worship. No government official tells when, or how, or what to worship. We can speak our minds. A free press keeps us informed about our world. We choose where we live and what we do to make a living. We select our own leaders from dogcatcher to president. Many peoples around the world only dream of such privileges.
We celebrate July 4th because on that day our nation's founders signed the Declaration of Independence on that date in 1776. Many call it our country's Birth Certificate. Do you remember its opening words from your grade school social studies class?

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare ...

SONGS OF THE SURROUNDED- THE STORY OF THE CHOIR "ECHOES OF LIFE"

THEY WERE SURROUNDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT AS THE ECHOES OF LIFE INSPIRED A GENERATION IN SONG!

By  Noel Serrano

There are groups and quartets. There are trios and also the endless list of grand Primadonnas that grace the halls ans sanctuaries with splendid song and melody, but there is a Choir that holds a true sentimental place in the heart of our family. This true sentiment has been strengthened through the years, with the loving echoes of songs and praise and worship to a faithful God.

These were songs that were filled with power and great blessings. They were songs of conviction and devotion. The singers were not just engaging in an empty tune and that is what distinguishes the beloved Choir; “Ecos De Vida”! The very name of this Choir serves as a legendary metaphor for what they have become. The Choir that we have chosen to honor in this feature is the official choral body of the beloved “Sinagoga” located in Harlem, New York. This grand Choir was formed in the late 1940s, by a group of devoted people that were filled with the Holy Spirit.During the early 1950s, a tan, majestic woman directed the Choir in its infancy. Her name was Sister Valdez. sister Valdez and her assistant,by the name of Pio Gautier casually led a group of God-fearing singers and slowly began to form the Choir that would go on to edify the lives of many generations. These early members gathered to rehearse the sermon in song for the Sunday services. The Choir; “Ecos de Vida” was formed in the late 1940s and was first directed by Sister Valdez. The Choir was very close to this short and tanned servant of God.. She was very stern and serene, at the same tie. Many described her as the type of person that could get things done with a heavenly ease. sister Valdez was deeply committed to the choir. There were times when Choir members began to talk and giggle at rehearsals and this Woman of Prayer, lowered her head in solemn meditation. she would not say much, for this action was sufficient for the choir to get at attention and back into business. a tear would come down her cheek if there was any mumbling. The Choir had so much respect for this woman, that they would follow her instructions to the letter. sister Valdez led the choir for many wonderful years. she set the stage for the ongoing tradition of the Choir that she loved. the Choir was then, directed for a brief time by sister Gloria Pena. sister Valdez had completed her long tenure and the Choir recognized her long service and devotion to the musical ministry. Sister Valdez had an Assistant in Brother Pepe Gauthier, who helped her with the Tenors and the Basses.The Choir; “Echoes of Life” of the 1950s sang with deep fervor and reflected their devoted lives in song, for the choir prepared long and hard in the message and harmony of the musical numbers. The Choir prayed before every song and it became an enduing custom.

This procedure led to place the Choir and the congregation in true communion for the delivery and preparation of a blessing. This Noble Choir has shown the consistency, through the long, turbulent years.The early years set the stage for an enduring age of musical triumph. The Holy Spirit surrounded the early singers and the congregation would be swept up in thunderous adoration and praise. The choir sang just moments before the Sunday sermon and cleared a path between the devotion and the evangelical message of the evening. The choir would come marching down the long corridors, with the ladies wearing their well-pressed black skirts and glossy white blouses.They wore black tie ribbon-laces around their collar. The men wore black suits and ties.The Choir; “Echoes of Life” formed a now-familiar circle in front of the original Sinagoga in 109Th in New York. Among the early choir members of the 1950s were Felicita M. Serrano, Nieves Bosch and a very young Joaquin Maldonado. There was a young man that was preparing himself in the academic and the musical world. He was quickly becoming involved in the church and he was destined to direct the choir. In the early 1960s,Raul Gonzalez led the choir to new heights and God blessed the musical ministry with a string of triumphant deliveries, for they were surrounded by the spirit of the Lord The majestic echoes reverberated throughout the large new Temple on 125Th St. each Sunday Evening. The Tall man came up to the piano and directed the Choir to stand. The familiar scene was spectacular and certain children could recall the choir, moving and resembling a long-winding “train” as they positioned to the platform that overlooked the congregation.It was now the early 1960s. The choir; “Echos of Life” was now singing the introduction to the radio program of the church; “The pentecostal Hour on WBNX in New York. “Estad por Cristo firme” (“Stand up, stand up, for Jesus”) God was truly blessing this choir and many new selections were being added to their growing repertior. Raul began to coach the voices with weekly intensity. The late Choir member Felicita M. Serrano, lovingly recalled the many times that Raul would exercise their voices with a continuous scale of La-La-La-. this was a repetitious vocal exercise that as designed to strengthen and refine the vocal range and quality. Deep fervent prayer was never compromised. All of the members were God-fearing people that lived the daily life of true devotion. They also had deep respect for their director. the Choir was now able to sing in other churches. There was an evening where the selected song of the day did not really go according to plan. It was the Latin classic; Propter Magnum Glorium”.The Choir had rehearsed this number for many weeks and Raul was certain that they were ready. some choir members recall that night as the choir began to sing this selection. They were overlooking a large Hall with overhead balconys that join in both ends of the auditorium. This was the evening that the sopranos went one way and the Tenors went another way. fortunately the congregation did not notice, for it was sung in Latin.Carmen Ortiz, Raul’s sister laughed as she recalls the event. everything was going great, but at the last verses, the four singing sections went in different directions. The Tenors were on left field when they should have been in the right. The Choir survived this evening and went on to see many other moments, some great and others that were memorable.The Choir was now singing with a heart-filled conviction. They had been tested by fire. They had tasted the experience of scorn and ridicule, they had experienced the painful realities of life and now the echos of that devoted life were resounding in song,The multitude in the grand sanctuary froze in solemn communion as the great man sitting high at the altar, gazed towards the Choir that was now in the front of the pulpit. The Pastor was pleased with this musical ministry. He was very proud of his Choir. Raul, the tall, dignified director began to play the choir introduction for the choral entry The singer’s eyes were now on Raul Gonzalez.
Raul would direct with his eyes as his fingers were methodically engaged with the powerful piano chords. The sounds of Hallelujah reverberated throughout the great Hall as the choir echoed their rendition of the beloved classic. Rev Abelardo Berrios was so moved, that on the night that the choir sang the Hallelujah chorus. He asked the Choir to come back to the platform and sing it one more time. The Choir stood up and sang. They gave an encore, much to the delight of the Pastor and the congregation.The Choir was well-disciplined and versed in their selections, for they toiled for many hours at long and hard rehearsals every Thursday evening on the 2nd floor of the sanctuary. Raul was a very systematic Director. He was very stern and meticulous. He wanted the chords to be as sharp as is trumpet. There were moments of levity and the young ladies would find something to giggle about. Raul would stop the rehearsal and turn to the ladies and with a stern countenance, declare; “You should all be crying!” (“Debieran de estar llorando!”)

TAKING THE INITIAL STEP

The Choir began to rehearse for their first and only record. The planned selections were “Peace in the Valley”, (Paz en el Valle) “The Holy City” (La Ciudad Santa) Raul Gonzalez also planned for a trumpet solo; “His love for me” (Fue su amor por mi ) The small record was an instant favorite and marked a watershed in the life of this beloved Choir. the record reveals the classic sound of the Choir: “Ecos de vida” The range and the dynamic crescendo of voices are still a delight to hear. If one listens very closely, Joaquin’s voice is heard and Felicita, Nieves and Carmen can be clearly acknowledged. It was in the mid-sixties when to Choir was to endure a major crisis. Raul Gonzalez had parted from the Lord, the church and the Choir that he never stopped loving. The Choir was now being guided by Raul’s sister, Carmen Ortiz. Carmen was officially appointed by Rev. Berrios to direct the church Choir who was known by many in the choir as “Lala”, would be the Director who guided the Choir trough this difficult period.

Carmen was directing a group of ladies from the choir for many months. Rev. Berrios had told the church that he had been praying for guidance when the Lord had indicated that Carmen Ortiz was to lead the Choir. He gazed at the Choir and gave them full support by replenishing additional Choir robes. The Choir was now resuming in official capacity. The Choir would use these robes on special occasions like Christmas and Easter. Rev. Berrios loved when they wore the robes. He once indicated that the choir should wear them everytime that they sang. The dark blue robes were enhance with long, golden collars with the embossed initials “Ecos de Vida” It was a majestic visage as the grand choir marched down the aisle to be positioned at the Choir loft on the right-hand side of La Sinagoga. The rehearsals for the Choir resumed on Thursday at 8:00 PM

Carmen Ortiz, a tall, energetic woman hurried to the second floor of the church and headed towards the piano. a small service and prayer would take place before each rehearsal. The specific tune was practiced with each group, going to the piano and then rehearsing separately. The groups would join as soon as we all heard the familiar voice calling “Toditos” (ALL) The choir would then come together and the song was born. Great friends were developed. They have existed for many years due to the closeness of this ministry.

Many weeks of rehearsals would be spent on the Easter and Christmas songs. The revered “Canticos Nuevos” and the Hallelujah Chorus were among the favorites of the Choir. There is a haunting song that comes to mind during the 1960s. It is vintage of the times and the very mysterious melody…”Huye Cual Habia Tu Monte” The gentle staccato and soft cadence entwined with powerful delivery and message inspired all listeners and God blessed the congregation. “Oh Alma Angustiada De Mal” bellowed the Choir as God lifted the chorale to a spiritual mount where the blessings flowed in profound ways. Carmen Ortiz diligently directed the Choir throughout the period of the sixties. Carmen was still directing the choir through 1995 She directed with the same consistency and devotion that the past Directors had. Carmen increased the list of the selections , with notable musicals such as “Manda Tu Luz”, EL Triunfo De La Cruz” and “Los Cielos Proclaman La Gloria De Dios” The Choir rehearsed for many years for the Easter classic, “Los Cielos Proclaman” When the day finally arrived, there was great anticipation and excitement. The choir was in full regalia as they prepared to sing this very difficult, but angelic melody. The song had many counterpoints and the melodic phrases were magnificent. The congregation was very attentive this night.

It was on Easter Sunday of 1974 and the Choir began with a thunderous delivery, “Los Cielos Proclaman La Gloria De Dios!” this selection had four soloists. Margie and Blas Ortiz along with Clarita Maldonado and Damaris Rosario. The existing recording is spellbinding for all who have ever heard it. The Choir was a well tuned instrument and all voices were synchronized in true fashion. It was as if angels were surrounding them and aiding in additional voices. The faces of the congregation reflected a deep reverence. Many recalled the powerful song and the way the Spirit of the Lord manifested throughout the sanctuary.

In 1975, The Choir: “Ecos De Vida” was scheduled to sing at Randalls Island. There was a “Yiye Avila” Revival and many churches were assembling. There was much anticipation in the choice of the selections for that evening. Two songs were selected for the revival. “Engrandecido Sea Dios” and “Los Cielos Proclaman La Gloria De Dios” The Choir had rehearsed for this event but there were some problems with the second song. The timing and the counterpoints were not coming together in the rehearsals. There were also different soloists for this second time around, never the less, the Choir positioned themselves in the large platform overlooking the crowded stadium at Randall’s Island. The Choir was accompanied by the Pastor, Rev. Berrios, who was sitting with the other ministers in a special box in front of the platform. The Ministers were all asking “who is this Choir?” “Whose Choir is this?” The Pastor joyously replied, “It’s my Choir, that Choir is mine” He was so proud of his beloved “Coro” and repeated “Ese es mi Coro” The rich blue robes were now shimmering in the windswept evening and the moon was now visibly high above the crowded stadium. The Choir sang “Engrandecido Sea Dios” and it was clear and powerful. This song was an old favorite and it went smooth. The Choir then, began to sing the very difficult classic “Los Cielos Proclaman La Gloria De Dios” There were acoustical problems and this attributed to the breakdown in the sequence of counterpoints and the smooth flow of voices. It is amazing that the sopranos continued the selection and never faltered and that attributed to the fact the the bulk of the Choir was able to regain the harmony throughout the very difficult musical rendition.
The Choir had completed the choral melody and never imagined what laid ahead. The Pastor, realizing that something went wrong, was red-faced in the midst of the Ministers. The following day, the news spread of the Choir’s “sour notes” There were reports that the Pastor was a little upset. a few chorale members did not go to the Choir loft for fear that they would be ridiculed. Needless to say, the tired and true faithful group went on to rehearse. A solemn and composed Carmen Ortiz spoke to the Choir and declared: “There are rumors that we failed yesterday, but, my brethren, do not pay any attention, we did our best and we sang for the Lord!” Carmen was uplifting morale of the Choir, as she was accustomed to doing throughout her long and dedicated tenure with her beloved Choir. And so it was that on September 7, 1975, the day after the performance in Randall’s Island, the Sunday services had already commenced and the Choir: “Ecos DeVida” slowly marched up to the choral loft of the church.
The Pastor would look up at us from high above the podium and it was very intimidating. He would look at us with a stern look. It seemed as an eternity had passed when the Choir was finally given the opportunity to sing the evening selection. The Choir, humbly stood up and sang right from the Choir loft. The Choir began to sing “He is Real, I Know He is Real! the congregation was in deep communion and there was an unprecedented hush within the the church. Every note and every voice was enhanced with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Choir was now singing with a heart-filled conviction. They had been tested by fire, they had tasted the experience of scorn and ridicule, they had experienced the painful realities of life and now, the echoes of that life were resounding in song. “Pero Es Real, Es Real, Oh, Yo Se Que El Es Real!” declared an invigorated Choir. The Choir seemed as if they were lifted up in a cloud of splendor and the church was now filled with a special blessing and the congregation was now feeling a spark that ignited many to speak in tongues and the Spirit of the Lord was manifested upon the Great Hall. the Choir kept on singing with more power and from the depths of their souls, they poured out a clear and definitive declaration “Mi Cristo Me Ha Salvado Y Mi Salvacion Es Real!!!”

The Pastor’s face slowly turned to the Choir. His stern countenance quickly melted away and gave way to his famous smile. Rev. Berrios stood up and motioned the congregation to rise and bask in the Glory of the Lord. Half of the Choir now began to shiver in the spirit and it was evident that the Lord was sending a Choir of Angels to surround and support this beloved Choir that had toiled and labored in worship for so many years. The Choir began to speak in tongues. A tear of joy fell from Carmen’s eyes as she turned to face the congregation and echoed the melody that God had used to bless and edify the congregation. “Es Real, Real, Oh …Yo Se Que El Es Real!!” The Choir continued to sing to the Lord and many felt a warmth that now surrounded their heart, for they were truly worshipping the Lord. The Pastor was now smiling at the Choir and he finally took the microphone. He declared: “The Choir is in their home!” “El Coro esta en su Casa!” God had revealed a great lesson to the Pastor and to the Choir on that blessed evening. This experience was symbolic of the many trials that the choir had gone through. There were times when the many choir members would sing when their hearts were crying due to the many trials of life. There were many who sacrificed to ensure that the Choir would continue. Many devoted lives echoed the sounds of praise and worship that were transformed in memorable song. This was not just a Choir. This was and still is a musical institution with a powerful legacy. may God continue to bless the Choir: “Ecos de Vida” and may God continue to surround them and their enduring songs with His Holy Spirit.

THE SEEDS OF PRAYER EVENTUALLY BLOSSOM!

By Noel Serrano

There is no greater assurance and there is no substitute for steadfast prayer from loving parents who lived on their knees, interceding with intensity , for their children. My late mother, Felicita M. Serrano , my late Aunts Nieves Bosch and Hilda Bosch, spent many hours on their knees pleading and crying out to the Lord for their children. They placed a high priority in raising their children in the admonition of the Lord. They were constantly vigilant in instilling in all their children, the seeds of faith and a love and trust in Almighty God. I can still hear the echoes of these two sisters, crying out to the Lord in the early morning Prayer vigils,"Lord save our children!...Save them, Lord!" This was there way of life and they would place a high priority in the salvation of their offspring. There was no compromise nor deviation from this "Prime Directive" They were well-versed in the clear examples of biblical parents who lived a life of faithful prayers for their children. They clearly understood the example of Abraham when he prayed for Ishmael. Genesis 17:18 reveals Abraham interceding and declaring to God "If only Ishmael would live under your blessing" God answered his prayer and said: " And as for Ishmael, I have heard your prayer and I will surely bless him" Our parents were also aware of the examples of Job, when a period of fasting had run its course, job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning , he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts". This was Job's regular custom. Job 1:5 I n their lifetime, these sisters saw many of their children backslide and many would spend their life outside of the direction of the Lord. This did not distract them. They kept pressing on and became more determined to intercede for their family with continued zest. Waiting for God to answer prayer is often the most difficult component in the lives of men and women of prayer. It requires patience, trust and a complete resignation to ones will. These women of faith pressed on through the years, praying, not only for their children but also their children's children. Many years have passed on since these wonderful ladies have all gone to their reward, but their prayers still echo and reverberate. We are now seeing the results of those prayers, even now. The Grandson of Felicita M. Serrano recently had a major encounter with the Lord. The Lord has saved him and his home. My son, NWS, recently contacted me and informed me that God had placed a new ministry in his heart and he has totally surrendered to God' Will. We see these answered prayers in the life of Jeffrey Torres, a nephew of Nieves Bosch. The Lord made himself real to Jeffrey and now he loves the Lord with full devotion and is also active in ministry. Patrice Mohammed, a niece of Felicita M. Serrano, now sings for the Lord and is very active in her church. These are second generation "flowers" that have bloomed due to the answered prayers of strong women of faith that never wavered in their trust for desired salvation of their offspring. God has blessed the many nephews and nieces of Hilda Bosch. This is not a coincidence and it is not a whim of nature. The salvation of our children come from a loving and merciful God who hears the cries of the righteous. The outcome of these prayers may come many years later and may arrive, long after the prayer warriors have departed to Glory but there is no doubt that prayers will reach their desired destination and ultimately sprout the fruits of the blessings! When this happens, let us never proceed from a false assumption that this was attributed by our children, as if it was their idea. We must look back to our parents and grandparents, who laid out a strong rockbed of prayer and intense intercession for the future generation. we must be like them. We must continously pray for our children and the new generation that is to come. There is no greater feeling of joy and happiness than to see ones offspring, on fire for the Lord.

The First Noel - Church Choir

FATHER AND SON

THE NEED FOR GREATER VISION

"Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. "-Proverbs 29:18.
I think this text, like many in the Bible, is sometimes used incorrectly. "Where there is no vision, the people perish." When we come to read a text from the Bible, it is always good to see exactly what God is talking about.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish." In the first place, the word "vision" used here has to do with the Word of God. Where there is no Word of God, where there is no message of life, the people perish, is the primary interpretation of this passage.
This passage is used just in that manner in other places in the Bible. For instance, in I Samuel 3:1 we read, "The word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision." You remember in the Old Testament God sometimes spoke audibly. God does not speak audibly today. I believe when John was on the Isle of Patmos, God gave the book of the Revelation. His Revelation was complete to mankind. God does not speak audibly today. He speaks through His Word. All that God has to say to us, He says through this blessed Book-the Bible. There was a day, intermittently in the history of man, in which God spoke audibly to people. We read, "The word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision." God was not speaking audibly at that time. I read in Lamentations 2:9, ".her prophets also find no vision from the Lord," that is, no message from God.
I want to use this text from Proverbs as I believe it has been used in the minds of people down through the years. "Where there is no vision, the people perish." I think that it speaks of another kind of vision-a work of God in the hearts of men and women. That is of tremendous importance.
I read, for instance, of the day of Pentecost. In Acts 2:17 God speaks of the kind of vision that I have on my heart, the vision that I could wish every man and every woman and every boy and girl who is saved and who knows the Lord Jesus Christ could have.
In Acts 2:17 we read,
"And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."
Now that is the kind of vision that I am talking about this morning. God said the work of the Spirit shall be that "your young men shall see visions." Paul spoke of visions. Paul said in Acts 26:19, "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision." It is the "heavenly vision," seeing things God wants us to see, that I am tremendously interested in. "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision."
When you speak of visions, there should be a word of caution. Sometimes people think that they have messages from God, when, I am sure, sincere though they may be, they have not heard from the Lord. I think because sometimes the Lord's people eat too much too late at night, they have some wild dream and the next day lay it on God.
For instance, there was a good lady whom we loved very much. She was a spiritual mother to us. She said, "I was about half asleep the other afternoon when I had a vision." She was going into detail how she was sitting, which I am sure, didn't matter to anyone. She said, "In my vision, you were to be the pastor of the church."
I didn't say much to her, but I got to thinking, Her church already has a pastor and I am sure God didn't say anything to him about it. God always authenticated His visions which He gave to people. I was already pastoring a church and one was enough. God hadn't said a word to me. So I dismissed her vision from my mind.
I am not talking about that kind of a vision. "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision," Paul said. That vision was fourfold and if I had the time I would deal with this fourfold heavenly vision.
He had a vision of himself.
He had a vision of himself. He had never seen himself before. He looked upon himself as religious, proud and arrogant. He thought that he was something and somebody, but God knew he was only a sinner. One day God knocked him off his horse literally. He groveled in the dust, blinded by the indescribable glory of God. There on the ground he saw himself as a Hell bound sinner and cried out, "Lord, who art Thou, and what do You want me to do?" He saw himself.
He saw his service.
He saw the service that God would use him in, once he was saved.
He saw his separation
He saw the separating act of God's power lifting him out of the world and placing him into the body of Christ, giving him a job to do for all eternity.
He saw a vision of Jesus Christ.
He saw a vision of Jesus Christ, the like of which he had never seen before. "I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision."
That is the kind of vision that I want to talk to you about in this message,
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. "-Proverbs. 29:18.
I. We Need to Have a Vision of Lost Souls
I do not think that there has ever been an hour in the history of the church when the people of God needed to have a vision of souls that are lost like that vision is needed in this day and hour. You listen to the conversation of Christians, and you listen to the preaching of preachers, and you are bound to come to the conclusion that the church today, the modern-day church, yes, even the fundamental, Bible believing church of this hour, does not have a vision of souls that are lost.
God gave that vision to Paul. Acts 16 is one of the most dramatic chapters in the Bible. Things happened. People were saved. Families were baptized. Cities were stirred. Earthquakes happened. Prayers were answered. Jails were destroyed. And the work of God went on. Chapter 16 of the book of Acts is a great chapter.
In that chapter, inverse 9, I read, "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." We need to see what Paul saw that night. When God brought a man to stand before Paul, he heard that night that man say, "Come, help us." That is a vision every Christian needs to see. We need to hear the cry of the lost souls of this world, still crying after two thousand years, "Come, help us." That is the cry of lost humanity.
He saw a vision of a man saying, "Come, help us," and Paul set out to follow that vision. Into Macedonia Paul went, and there at Philippi a mighty revival took place. People were saved; people were baptized; the church was born; the work of God went on, and these lost souls began to hear the message of truth.
God give us a vision of lost souls! Jesus saw them. Listen, if you want to see what Jesus saw, if you are interested in what Jesus is interested in, you are going to have a vision of lost souls. Matthew 9:36 says, "But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd."
Listen, Jesus saw the multitudes. He didn't see them as prospective votes. He didn't see them as statistics. He saw them as souls. Friends, the church of Jesus today needs to see a vision of lost souls.
How many Christians today do you hear talking about missionary work? How many Christians today do you hear talking about visitation work? How many Christians today do you hear talking about revival? How many Christians do you hear today in the average church praising the Lord for souls that are being saved? The lack of all this is an indication that we need a vision of lost souls.
I wish that we could have the vision today that David Brainerd had. He died at the age of 29, but he had a vision of the Indians who were lost and without God. He saw them not just as enemies to the white man but as souls for whom Christ died. The color of their skin meant nothing to him. He saw them as people who would go to Heaven or to Hell. He knelt in the snow and prayed until consumption gripped his frail body. But people came to Christ.
I read of one old Indian who used to follow David Brainerd seeking to do him harm, but he saw him kneel in the snow and lift his hands to God and his heart toward Heaven and pray, "O God, may these red men be saved." At the age of 29, with tuberculosis literally eating his body away, he laid down his life, but he is remembered today as a man who had a vision for the souls of the Indian people.
We need a vision like Livingstone had when he went to that dark continent of Africa. In his day some had never seen the face of a white man. They said, "We never knew we were black because we never had seen a man who was white until David Livingstone came." All the years of his fruitful life, he walked among them. He braved the rigors of that land, the diseases that racked his body, the fever that almost killed him. He loved them to God until thousands were saved. They found him dead in the little pup tent, kneeling at his cot, praying, "O God, give me Africa!"-a prayer he always prayed. He died, literally, on his knees.
They lifted his body and sent it back to England, to be buried in Westminster Abbey. In the middle aisle where kings and important people of history are buried, lies the body of David Livingstone. The natives said, "His body belongs to England but his heart belongs to Africa. Leave it here." So his heart was taken from his body and buried in the soil of Africa. That was where his heart was.
I ask you this morning, "Where is your heart when it comes to the souls of men?"
We need a vision that Hudson Taylor had when he went to China. After some twenty years in China, in 1880 there were 70 missionaries and 70 preaching stations because of the work of Hudson Taylor. Taylor had put, "God first in my life," on every piece of his luggage he put on the boat. He meant by that that God had given him a vision of China.
We need a vision like William Booth had when he saw the neglected derelicts of the slums of London. He left the formal church in London and out into the slums he went to start the Salvation Army.
We need a vision, my friends, of lost souls. I thank God for the souls that are saved in the Emmanuel Baptist Church. I never take it for granted when a little boy or girl, or a manor a woman, a youth or a family, or man and wife, walk the aisles to trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. I thank God for every precious soul that is saved.
But I cannot help thinking of the hundreds who have never won anyone. I cannot help thinking of those people who never make an effort to get people down the aisles to kneel at Calvary and to be saved. When the news came to me recently of the death of the father of one of the ladies in our church, I thanked God I could remember the day I went into the home and had the privilege of leading that elderly man to Christ. I thank God that I shall not have to go empty-handed into the presence of the Christ, who gave His life for me.
Listen, my friends, where there is no vision, souls are lost. Where there is no vision, God said, people perish! The lack of vision on the part of the church means the destruction of men and women in this city of Pontiac. We need a vision of lost souls.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. "-Proverbs 29:18.
II. We Need a Vision of the Judgment Seat of Christ
When people talk about judgment, usually Christian people, they think of a Great White Throne judgment, when people are lost and stand before a holy God and the books are opened and the names are read and they are then assigned to the lake of fire forever. But there is another judgment in the Bible never mentioned very much and that judgment is not for sinners but for saints. It is called the judgment seat of Christ. Paul often spoke of it. Romans 14:10 says, ".for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ." My Christian brother and sister, may God grip your heart with the truth that every believer will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
You say, "What is that judgment all about?" It is not to determine whether you are saved. That is as settled right now as it will ever be. If you are God's child, it will never come into question whether you are a Christian or not. Then God will not deal with you as a sinner; He will deal with you as a son. At the judgment seat of Christ, God will deal with His children. That is why Paul says in Romans 14:12, "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." I wish the Holy Spirit would take that verse and burn it indelibly into our hearts. So then every one of us shall give an account to God.
Many times Christians are treated wrongly by other Christians. Sometimes they want to get revenge, but remember that God says, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:19)
I got a letter from a man the other day telling me how he had been wrongfully treated a few weeks ago. Then he said in his letter, "I am amazed that these Christians still go unpunished." I have not written him yet, but when I write I will tell him that they may go through this life unpunished. He may never see the chastisement of God upon them. But I will tell you one thing: The hour will come when God will punish Christians who have done wrong.
"So then everyone of us shall give account of himself to God." Oh, how absurd for that Christian to say, "I will do as I please. I will act as I will. I will treat others as I choose. No one can make me do differently." Remember the judgment seat, my friends.
You say, "Well, what will happen? Will I lose my soul?" No, you won't lose your soul, but God's Word says you will be saved "so as by fire." (I Corinthians 3:15)
In II Corinthians 5:10 we read, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ," but I think the verse before that has something important to say about it. Verse 9 says, "Wherefore we labour, that, whether presentor absent, we may be accepted of him." I am told that this is translated, "Therefore we labour that we may be well pleasing to him." Then God's Word says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ."
Here, my friends, is an important thing in the life of a Christian. Please God. Do right. Be sure that God is pleased with you. You may ask why this is important. The judgment seat of Christ, that is why.
You see that proud Christian who can do as he pleases, he thinks. Wait a minute-the judgment seat of Christ. You see that Christian out in the world who says, "Why, I am not going to be a fanatic like those people in the Emmanuel Baptist Church and be so straight laced." Wait a minute-the judgment seat of Christ.
Do you please the Lord? That will be the thing at the judgment seat of Christ. We need a vision of the judgment seat of Christ. I don't think many people are thinking about it. I don't think many saved people ever think of the judgment seat when a man's works shall be placed there. A Christian's work, his life, shall be placed there, tried and examined. God's Word says, ".saved; yet so as by fire." The wood and the hay and the stubble will be burned up and only the real thing will stand the test of the judgment seat.
I read the story of a man in the London subway. Hundreds of people were trying to get a ticket to the subway. One man said to the ticket agent, "Does all this bother you?"
He answered, "No, there is only one thing that concerns me."
The man asked, "What is that?"
The ticket agent pointed up and said, "To please that one up there."
The man who was asking looked up and there on the door of the ticket office was "Superintendent." He stood there and thought a moment of what the ticket agent had said about wanting to please the one up there.
That ought to be the testimony of every Christian. Does all this bother you? No! Only one thing concerns me-to please Him up there. Why? The judgment seat of Christ.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. "-Proverbs 29:18.
III. We Need a Vision of the Horrors of Hell
Third, Christians need to see a picture of what Hell is like. Christians today act like they do not believe that sinners are going to Hell. Unsaved people do not act like they believe that at the end of a Christless life there is an eternal Hell. I believe with all my heart that we need a vision of the horrors of Hell. The Bible says so much about it, yet people think so little about it.
I could take the Bible and show you that when Jesus talked about Hell, He never talked about it as much to the unsaved as He did to the people of God or at least to Christian people. I believe when Christians have a vision of the horrors of Hell and what the Bible teaches about it, it will make them the right kind of Christians.
I heard an old-fashioned preacher say one time, "If we had more preaching of Hell from the pulpit, we would have less living like Hell in the pews." I believe we need in America, and we need in fundamental churches, a crusade of old-fashioned, red-hot Bible preaching on the horrors of Hell. It would get people saved and wake them up and make soul winners out of the people of God.
I want to ask and answer three or four questions out of the Bible on the subject of Hell. Perhaps we will get it on our hearts, as God knows it should be.
Where is Hell?
So many people say, "Where is Hell?" The Bible answers that question in Matthew 11:23, "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to Hell." Hell is down. Heaven is up. Hell is opposite from Heaven. The Bible teaches us that Hell is down. Many times in the Bible it is emphasized that Hell is down.
I never will forget an experience I had that made me appreciate being saved. Some years ago we were visiting in a little town called Puteoli in Italy, where Paul came in on his way into Rome. While we were there someone said, "While you are here, you ought to go up into the mountains and visit some lava pools." We went into the mountains near this little Italian town and there was what was called "Little Sulphatara." There was boiling hot lava coming up out of the earth. There were barricades all around it and the guides kept cautioning people. We watched this lava keep boiling up out of the earth. The guide said, "That's 800 degrees Fahrenheit. If one of you were to fall in this pool of molten lava, we would never find the wrist watch from your arm or the buttons from your clothing. You would be immediately destroyed."
I stood there watching this boiling out of the bowels of the earth and I thought on all the teaching of the Bible about Hell, the home of the unsaved, separated from God, eternally tormented. You know, it is an undesirable subject, but it is a Bible subject.
Where is Hell? Hell is down. Where is Hell? It is at the end of a Christless life.
When is Hell? When does Hell begin?
When is Hell? When does Hell begin? It begins the moment the unsaved person leaves this world.
Jesus told about two men in Luke 16. One was a beggar; the other a rich man. Some people get the wrong impression about this. One was a poor man; the other a rich man. Some people think that the poor man was saved because he was poor and that the rich man was lost because he was rich. That has nothing to do with it. Some poor folks will go to Hell and there will be some rich people in Heaven.
Jesus said the beggar died and was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man died and in Hell, he lifted up his eyes, being in torment. Out of a life of sin, into the torments of Hell. Hell is at the end of a Christless life.
I have had people say to me, "Preacher, how can you explain how a God of love, a God of grace, a God of mercy, a God who loves people-how can He ever put people in Hell?" God doesn't put people in Hell. People put themselves in Hell! A God of love gave His Son to die on the cross of Calvary that people might be saved and not go to Hell.
Jesus is talking about Hell in Matthew 25:41: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Hell is a place primarily prepared for the Devil and his angels. People are going to spend eternity in a place where God never wanted them to go. God is a God of love. He doesn't want people in Hell. Hell is prepared for the Devil and his angels.
Who is going to Hell? Who is in Hell?
Then some people ask the question, "Who is going to Hell? Who is in Hell?" Revelation 21:8 says, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whore mongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
I was talking to a man not long ago. I told him, like any Christian would tell an unsaved person he was trying to lead to the Lord, "There are only two places to spend eternity-one is in Heaven, the other is in Hell."
He said to me, "Who said so? Who said there is a Hell?"
I said to him, "Jesus said so."
In Mark 9:43-48 five times we read where Jesus said, "The fire is not quenched." Jesus said it, the holy Jesus, the tender Jesus, the Jesus who died on the cross for the sins of man. He said, "Where.the fire is not quenched."
I was visiting in a home some years ago where there was a drunkard husband and father. He drank up his money and his little children went without the necessities of life. There was his little discouraged wife poorly clothed, home poorly furnished. You could see it was the result of a drunken life. As I talked to that mother about being saved, she said to me, "Preacher, I believe I am getting my hell here on earth."
I said, "No, lady, no one gets his hell here on earth. You get your Hell hereafter."
A person who rejects Jesus Christ is going to a place in eternity where Jesus said the fire is never quenched. It never goes out.
Oh, sometimes intellectuals (they call themselves), people who have religion and emphasize culture and refinement, say, "Well, I don't like to hear talk about that."
But that is not the way you do about other things. We tell our little children, "Now, that hot stove will burn." We correct our little child as he stands by the fire and we say, "It will burn." We tell them it is dangerous. It will kill them. We point to the street where the automobiles run and say, "Those cars will hit you and kill you." We point to the water and say, "Be careful; you can drown in it." And the Word of God points to Hell and says to the sinner, "I warn you, that is where you will go if you are not saved." Every single lost man and woman without Jesus Christ is a candidate for Hell. We need to think about it. We need a vision of it.
I read a story that took place during World War II. It is said that when London was being bombed, and it looked as if she would be bombed into the ocean by the German Air Force, with people running and screaming for shelter, a woman was heard to say, "This is hell." A Christian man heard her and he said, "No, Ma'am, this is not Hell."
She said, "How do you know?"
"I saw a man giving out some tracts a short while ago. There will never be a tract given out in Hell. I saw some Christian people that I knew on this block headed for shelter. And there are no Christians in Hell." He said, "In Hell there is no hope. Someday this will all end, but Hell-never. I know that this is not Hell and I thank God that I know I am not going there." And he told the woman about the message of hope.
We need a vision of Hell. I think if you, Christian friend with loved ones who are lost, could see them dancing and burning in the fires of the infernal and eternal Hell, surely that would move your heart. Think of your neighbors, your lost family, lost without God and in Hell. Surely we need a vision of what it means for lost souls to go to Hell.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. "-Proverbs 29:18.
IV. We Need a Vision of the Church and Its Importance
I am just absolutely positive that there are a good many people who do not give the emphasis to the church of Jesus Christ that God gives to it in His Word. I know that some may go too far and they might even emphasize the church above the head of the church. I would not want to be guilty of that. But the Word of God emphasizes over andover the local church and its importance.
Who is in the church?
Who is in that church? People who are born again. The people of God. Jesus said in John 3:5,7, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. . Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." Born-again people, bloodshed, Spirit-indwelt, born-again people make up the body of Christ-the bride of Christ.
What is the purpose the church?
What is the purpose of it? I talked to a man in my home the other night who said, "l am a Christian but have never joined a church and never expect to. There are too many imperfect people in it." Such people take the church of Jesus Christ too lightly.
I think the purpose of the church is to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. In Mark 16:15 Jesus gave the church's purpose: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."
Why do I need the church?
Why do I need this body of people that is made up of born-again people, whose purpose is to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth? The Word of God answers that in Acts 20:28: ".feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." In the church of God you are fed spiritual food. You cannot get spiritual food anywhere else. You say, "Well, I can stay home and read my Bible." Yes, but Jesus said where two or three are gathered together, He is in the midst of them. The Word of God speaks of them who speak often one with another. God says a book of remembrances is made of those who meet together and speak in His name. The Word of God says, "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25).
I don't believe that there is any such thing as a Christian not needing the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is where you are fed; it is where you have fellowship; it is where you grow; it is the base of your operation of service for the Lord.
Who should join? Only born-again people. Only saved people. I used to be critical of people who used certain expressions. Down South years ago I used to hear folks tell about what happened in the church. "We had a revival and there were twenty additions to the church." I used to piously say, "Well, additions to the church are not the important thing. Getting them saved is the important thing."
The thing about it is that those people knew that. I didn't have sense enough to know that they knew it. They were speaking Bible language even more than I was. For the Bible says in Acts 2:41, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls."
So people got saved in the Bible and there were additions to the church. They joined the church. I have always felt that there is something wrong with a Christian, if he really is saved, who won't join a Bible believing church. He is not scriptural. They were added to the church. "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47).
A fellow joins a lodge or a political party, but about the church of God, he says, "Well, I can get along just as well without joining." I think we need a vision of the church of God-the body of Christ- and its importance.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. "-Proverbs 29:18.
V. We Need a Vision of Jesus, Himself
In closing, I believe that we need a vision of Jesus, Himself. Oh, lovely, wonderful Jesus! One day a group of people came to the disciples and said, "Sir, we would see Jesus" (John 12:21). That ought to be the heart cry of every believer-"Sir, we would see Jesus."
A wonderful experience took place at the Transfiguration when upon that little mountain Jesus took Peter, James and John. While on that mountain two men from Heaven came, Moses and Elias. There was Jesus and five men-six people on that Mount of Transfiguration. Simon Peter got so enthused that he began speaking without thinking. He said, "Let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias." God wasn't pleased with that. So we read that after a while when the clouds went back and these two men went back to Heaven, "When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only" (Matthew 17:8).
The Lord wants us to have a picture of God's dear Son. I see that picture of Him in the Bible. I thank God that I see that picture of Jesus in genuinely saved people. I know people who love the Lord so much and walk so close to Him. When I see them, I think of Jesus. I see Christ in people who really love the Lord. Hebrews 2:9 says, "But we see Jesus." We need a vision of the Lord. We need to see Him and love Him and serve Him with all our hearts.
"Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. "-Proverbs 29:18.

History of Memorial Day Video — History.com

History of Memorial Day Video — History.com

GENE BARRY: THE DEATH OF "BAT MASTERSON"

Gene Barry, who portrayed debonair lawmen on television but whose career of more than 60 years ranged from song and dance on Broadway to science fiction, died Wednesday in Woodland Hills, Calif. He was 90 and lived in Beverly Hills until about a year ago.

Mr. Barry mixed musical comedy and show-business memories in a show at the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel in 1999.
His death, at an assisted-living facility, was confirmed by his daughter, Elizabeth.
As the dapper star of “Bat Masterson” from 1958 to 1961, Mr. Barry sported a derby hat, gilt-tipped cane and spangled vest in the days, as the theme song said, “when the West was very young.” (The real Bat, whose full name was William Barclay Masterson, was a gambler, gunslinger and marshal who spent his later years as a New York newspaperman and died in 1921.)
In “Burke’s Law” (1963-66), Mr. Barry played the equally insouciant Los Angeles police captain, Amos Burke, an independently wealthy crime fighter with a mansion, a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce and a stream of beautiful women. In its third and final season, Burke changed professions and the show was renamed “Amos Burke, Secret Agent.” A generation later, in the 1994-95 season, Mr. Barry reprised the role, this time as chief of detectives.
Mr. Barry starred as a magazine tycoon in “The Name of the Game” (1968-71), in which he rotated starring roles with Anthony Franciosa and Robert Stack. He also starred as a wealthy movie celebrity and secret government agent in “The Adventurer” in 1972-73.
He won a Tony nomination in 1984 for his performance as Georges, the less flamboyant half of a gay couple, in “La Cage Aux Folles,” the first Broadway musical in which the principal lovers were gay men. Mr. Barry “proves a most sensitive foil — far more sensitive than you’d ever guess from his starring roles on such television series as ‘Bat Masterson’ and ‘The Name of the Game,’ ” Frank Rich wrote in The New York Times, adding that Mr. Barry sang his love songs “with tender directness.”
Mr. Barry said at the time, “I’m not playing a homosexual — I’m playing a person who cares deeply about another person.”
In 1999, Mr. Barry combined musical comedy with show business reminiscences in the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel in Manhattan, in a show that included among other things a Maurice Chevalier impersonation. He had made his nightclub debut in the Latin Quarter in 1962.
Gene Barry was born Eugene Klass on June 14, 1919, in New York to Martin Klass, a jeweler, and Eva Klass. He was attending New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn when he won a singing contest and a scholarship to the Chatham Square School of Music. While studying there, he began singing on the New York radio station WHN.
He soon went from the Catskills to Manhattan bistros to Broadway productions, making his debut in the labor musical “Pins and Needles.” He also performed in a series of operettas at Carnegie Hall and in Broadway productions of “Rosalinda,” “The Merry Widow” and “The Would-Be Gentleman.”
The impresario Mike Todd hired him to play opposite Mae West in “Catherine Was Great” (1944). Mr. Barry met his wife, Betty, who acted under the name Julie Carson, during rehearsals.
He left “Catherine” for the musical “Glad to See You” and then moved on to straight acting roles, winning a Critic’s Circle Award for his leading role in an Equity Library production of “Idiot’s Delight.”
Mr. Barry signed a Hollywood contract in 1951. Two years later he starred in perhaps his most famous movie role, the scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester, in the George Pal production of “War of the Worlds,” based on the H. G. Wells novel. He also had a role in 2005 as Tom Cruise’s ex-father-in-law in the Steven Spielberg remake. His more than 20 movies also included “Soldier of Fortune” (1955), with Clark Gable and Susan Hayward, and “Thunder Road” (1958), with Robert Mitchum.
From the 1950s through the 1980s, Mr. Barry appeared in scores of television specials and series, including “Playhouse 90,” “General Electric Theater,” “The Twilight Zone,” “Fantasy Island,” “The Love Boat,” “Charlie’s Angels” and “Murder, She Wrote.”
His wife of 58 years died in 2003. Besides his daughter, Elizabeth, of Los Angeles, he is survived by two sons, Michael L. and Frederick J., both of Topanga, Calif., three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In an interview with Nan Jarrett for an Internet fan site in 2000, Mr. Barry recalled that he was appearing in the final season of the television comedy “Our Miss Brooks” when a producer asked him to play Bat Masterson.
“The idea of playing a saddle-type cowboy was repulsive to me,” he said. “Then he told me about the derby hat and cane, and I went by the costume department and saw the outfit that Masterson would wear, and I couldn’t resist.”

IT WAS TERRORISM! MR OBAMA!

In his nationally televised remarks following the horrendous killings at Ft. Hood, President Obama never mentioned the T word. The attack was an act “of violence.” No mention of terrorism.
In fact, the Ft. Hood shooting is the first terror attack on American soil since 9-11. But Obama, reluctant to take the rap for inadequate protections against such attacks, is doing everything he can to make it look like an adult version of the Columbine school shootings. We are treated to stories about the killer’s dread of being sent back to Afghanistan and his deformed personality.
But, the fact is that Major Nidal Malik Hasan jumped on a table, yelled “Alah Hu Akhbar” and began the shooting rampage that killed 13 people and wounded 30 more.
Ilana Freedman, CEO and Senior Analyst for the Gerard Group International, which provides intelligence analysis for business and homeland security, describes Hasan as a “lone wolf terrorist” who acts without apparent coordination with any other person or organization. But that does not make him any less of a terrorist.
The dividing line, of course, between a terrorist and a psychopathic killer is political motivation. His statements right before opening fire would indicate that Hasan was motivated by fanaticism and a commitment to Islamic fascism, even though President Obama bends over backwards to avoid saying so.
Obama’s refusal to call the attack terrorism, and to heed the warning signs about the porous nature of our security system that allowed it to happen on a military base, recalls President Clinton’s deliberate decision to downplay the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. He did not visit the site of the attack and treated it as a crime, promising to find those guilty and punish them, rather than to attack the international groups that funded and enabled them.
There may be no groups behind Major Hasan’s attack, but the fact that he was an officer in the Army, with full access to a military base and its arsenal of weapons, while holding the views he did, is the first indication of a laxity in security under President Obama. This attack did not take place in a shopping mall or a school, where security procedures are, understandably, relaxed. It happened on the highest security place of all – a military base! That the military failed to spot the possibility of an attack and had no measures in place to prevent it must be laid at the feet of the commander-in-chief of that military: President Barack Obama.
Many commentators have warned that the diminution of security and the weakening of our anti-terrorist protections would leave us vulnerable to be hit again. Now it has happened. And the president is doing everything he can to blur the distinction between murder and terrorism.
It was his failure to understand the difference between an act of war and a crime that undermined President Clinton’s administration’s anti-terror efforts and led directly to 9-11. It would appear that President Obama is going down the same road of denial and minimization of political harm. There may be casualties at Ft. Hood, but Obama is determined that his popularity will not be among them.

Two Graves for Svan Valley

One of my Fave Shows

"Revelation Song" - Gateway Worship, Song led by Kari Jobe

HE WILL NEVER LET YOU GO!

Some years ago, on a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went. He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.His father, working in the yard, saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him.From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just as the alligator snatched his legs.That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived. His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father's fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved. The newspaper reporter, who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter,"But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn't let go."You and I can identify with that little boy. We have scars, too.No, not from an alligator, but the scars of a painful past. Some of those scars are unsightly and have caused us deep regret. But some wounds, my friend, are because God has refused to let you go. In the midst of your struggle, He's been there holding on to you.The Scripture teaches that God loves you.You are a child of God.He wants to protect you and provide for you in every way.But sometimes we foolishly wade into dangerous situations, not knowing what lies ahead. The swimming hole of life is filled with peril - and we forget that the enemy is waiting to attack.That's when the tug-of-war begins - and if you have the scars of His love on your arms, be very, very grateful.He did not and will not ever let you go.

DREAM

The Bible is full of images that help us to understand the Christian life: we are part of the army of God, engaged in battle; we are part of the body of Christ; we are Christ's ambassadors, his envoys, representing him in this world; we are a building, being built up into Christlikeness; we are branches, Christ is the vine; we are the bride of Christ; we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. All of these analogies are rich and useful.

My favorite analogy, however, compares the Christian life to running a race. This analogy is not common throughout the Bible, but Paul loves it, as he uses the running and racing image at least nine times in his epistles. In addition, the author of Hebrews uses the analogy once.

The analogy is particularly rich for me because I am a creature of the running boom. I grew up during a period when mile world records would make the front page of the Sports section; when an American set two of those world records; when 100,000 fans filled a stadium to witness a track meet between the US and the Soviet Union. In 1972 as a 16 year old who had been running competitively for less than two years, I watched Jim Ryun, my boyhood hero, fall in an Olympic games heat; I watched Steve Prefontaine, an American runner only five years my senior, make a game effort to win Olympic gold in the 5k; and, most importantly, I watched Frank Shorter demolish the field to win the Olympic marathon. After those Olympics, millions of Americans began running, many hoping to run a marathon. Every teenage boy in the country who was already running competitively began to dream of mile world records and marathon victories. I was no exception.

I remember at that time searching the Bible for references to running, and especially recall encountering 1 Timothy 6:12, which I underlined in my Good News New Testament:

Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself.

This morning I would like to elaborate on this running image, supplementing the scriptural material with analogies I have drawn while training for marathons and road races. I apologize up front for the personal nature of this sermon -- uncharacteristically, I will range rather far from the day's text. I believe, however, that the image of running is not only a personal favorite but also is full of vivid parallels with our Christian walk. So I encourage you to think deeply about this image, and search the Scriptures to see if these things are true.

Recall that we have reached the third verse of 2 Timothy chapter 2. Paul has been exhorting Timothy to fan his gift into flame, to suffer hardship together with Paul. He has mentioned those who have fallen away, who were unwilling to suffer hardship for the gospel; he has mentioned his own endurance through suffering; and he has mentioned the good example of Onesiphorus, who evidently died in the service of the gospel. Let us begin reading in verse one of chapter two:

1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs-- he wants to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will disow us. If we arefaithless, he remains faithful, for he canot disown himself.

So how is competitive training and racing comparable to living the Christian life? What insights can we gain into living the Christian life from my own experience of running, and from the Scriptures that develop this image? In this sermon, I will draw seven parallels, four from training and three from racing. Since we must always train before we race if we hope to have any success

football motivational video 2009

THE GALA FOUNDATION- A GOOD CAUSE!

Fly Like An Eagle Steve Miller Band

THEY ARE SHRNKING THE DOLLAR ON PURPOSE!

Cue The Helicopters, Dollar Devaluation Is HereFrank Beck, 03.24.09, 06:45 PM EST
The world's financial powers seem to understand that the U.S. needs to print its way out of this mess.
Maybe the government consider an overnight devaluation of the dollar as a fix to sagging asset prices. The response was about equally weighted by those who wanted to know more about how it might work or be accomplished, those who thought it was brilliant and the "I am 100% cash" group, who suggested I might be the most ignorant, if not stupidest, person on earth. At this time, I'd like to offer a little more in the way of explanation, or perhaps aggravation.
I still contend that we are headed for a massive dollar devaluation, regardless of the means--whether it is planned and accomplished by central banks, or by the markets reacting to huge government money printing that force the devaluation. Unlike during the Great Depression, we are no longer on the gold standard. Currencies are free to float and can be manipulated by central banks or politicians and moved by markets. In fact, I believe that one or both has already begun.
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In early December, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson traveled to Beijing to encourage the Chinese to strengthen their currency (devalue the dollar versus the Chinese renminbi). Our Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, then surprised most everyone by effectively moving the Fed funds rate to 0%, another move to devalue the dollar. Coming next, a new Bretton Woods?
The G-20 met in November, scheduled another meeting for April and in the weeks following the November meeting, physical gold all but disappeared. Are central banks buying gold in preparation?
ignite
In normal times, you might expect a global financial meltdown to cause a tidal wave of foreign currency exchanged for dollars. But this time, the dollar has rallied less than 20% against the highs of the euro and has actually lost more than 20% against the yen while staying flat against the Chinese renminbi. If that is the best the dollar can do at the height of panic, I expect that you will see it gradually lose its luster until either the central bankers, or the markets, push it off the cliff.
Perhaps you've already given me the benefit of doubt that the markets might react this way, but are you wondering why central bankers would want the dollar to devalue? Wouldn't that be bad for export countries like China or Japan? In a way it would. Certainly it makes their products more expensive for U.S. consumers (so you might want to stay away from foreign exporter stocks).

On the other hand, if you want to sell some of your exports, it might be reasonable to keep your best customers alive, even if it means selling to them at somewhat thinner margins. China is still building its domestic market, but it is growing quickly, so they can take a small lump or two on exports. A stronger renminbi will allow China to buy oil and other necessary commodities at a relatively cheaper price, offsetting some of the price reduction. And with another billion people to incorporate, they will still be the cheapest manufacturer of many products for many years to come.
If that were not enough, consider China's good fortune. For years, China has invested heavily in U.S. Treasury bonds while its currency and global inflation have grown at a much higher pace than the interest rate they received. It was simply a cost of doing business while growing an economy. In the last couple of months, that "cost of doing business" has turned into a huge profit opportunity, at the handiest of times. As worldwide panic set in, the money that flowed into the dollar was concentrated in Treasuries. By mid-November, the 30-year was priced at more than 40% over par value--a $1,000 bond was selling for over $1,400! If you wanted some money for your own stimulus plan, and you wanted to keep your customer on life support by devaluing the dollar, you simply could not ask for a more fortunate event.