Christian Times Magazine Issue 21

DOTTIE BAILEY FOR MISSOURI DISTRICT 110

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CHRISTIAN TIMES MAGAZINE

ISSUE

21

Contributors Christopher Grahn Howard Charles Lingerfelt Matthew Snape Ann Marie Murrell KrisAnne Hall, JD Jim Katsoudas David A. Colbert Paul McCabe Arthur L. Weathersby Robert A . J . Gagnon

Published in United States of America Copyright Š 2018 by Christian Times Magazine (CTM) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, For permission requests, ctmagazineofficial@gmail.com

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ISSUE 21 | AUGUST 2018

CONTENTS 9

BECAUSE OF TRUMP, THE WORLD ORDER WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

29 ENVIRONMENTALISM AND THE GOP Christopher Grahn Howard

Matthew Snape

14 WHY THE LEFT (AND TOO MANY ON THE RIGHT) CANNOT ALLOW DONALD TRUMP TO SUCCEED

32 ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS NOT THE ANSWER FOR THE USA Charles Lingerfelt

Ann Marie Murrell

17 VETTING KAVANAUGH ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION

35 AND THE MUD SLINGING CONTEST CONTINUES….

David A.Colbert

K r i s A n n e H a l l , J D

21 THE SILENT CHURCH TODAY... A DEAD CHURCH TOMORROW!

37 LEVITICUS AND THE TIMES Robert A . J . Gagnon

Jim Katsoudas MACC, LPCA

26 TRUMP HAS BEEN TRUE TO HIS WORD: HE IS BRINGING US JOBS BACK Paul MacCabe

40 WE AS A NATION Brandan Cook

41 THE JOURNEY OF A CHRISTIAN IS A SIMPLE ONE: WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FOLLOW? Arthur L. Weathersby

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PAGE 9

BECAUSE OF TRUMP, THE WORLD ORDER WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN

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By Matthew Snape

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PAGE 10 Photo Source / wall.alphacoders.com

Because of Trump, the World Order Will Never Be the Same Again

By Matthew Snape

Former Labour Uk prime minister Harold Wilson once claimed that a week is a long time in politics. Well, if we apply that phrase to Trump’s presidency, then it feels like we have experienced more than one-and-ahalf years of President Trump since his inauguration on January 20th, 2017. His mission was to change the established order and he has managed to turn the global elite on its head in less than two years, so imagine how much he could achieve before the 2020 presidential election, and beyond the first year of a new decade into 2024 (assuming he embarks on another term in office,depending on the state of his health).

Trump’s tour of Europe is a perfect demonstration as to how he is transforming the global order. In recent years, US presidents have complained about the lack of commitment among NATO members to this alliance that has helped prevent a full-scale Russian invasion of Western Europe since its formation in 1948. It has been the most successful alliance in

military history for that reason and NATO has been the true preserver of peace in Europe, not the European Union (the latter emerged after NATO’s formation). But the alliance is in crisis. Across Western Europe’s borders, Putin is ready to restore a Russian dream of occupying the Slavic nations of the East. His actions in Georgia and the Ukraine prove he is serious about this ambition. Since George W. Bush left office, the Russian President has taken advantage of the West’s declining influence not just under Barack Obama, but other Western leaders. The West has been the home of democracy, pluralism and liberty for a while. It is time they stood up for these values when they are under threat from Russia.

But as President Trump reminded politicians at this year’s NATO summit, many of its members are too dependent on Russian oil. Former German chancellor Gerhart Schroeder always cosied up to Putin since the latter became Russian President in 1999. To be fair, the 1990s and the 2000s were decades that involved

www.ctimesmag.com seeking a collaborative relationship with Russia, and most Western leaders at the time were keen to seek Putin’s trust. The man was a newly elected politician committed to democracy and peace, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin. No world leader had any idea Putin would embark on a path of corrupting his nation’s politics and murdering opponents abroad. Which is why Schroeder’s relationship with Putin now must be called into question. This is not 1999 anymore. George W. Bush claimed he once looked into the Russian President’s eyes and saw into his soul. That soul is gone now.

Schroeder is head of an oil company that is dependent upon Russian oil supplies. Furthermore, Putin was invited to the former German chancellor’s 70th birthday celebrations this decade. His successor, Angela Merkel, raised her eyebrows when she learnt of this news, but even she has failed to reduce Germany’s dependence on Russian resources. How can America be expected to pay four per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP) towards defense when NATO members like Germany are making themselves too dependent on Russian gas? Putin has (pardon the pun) got some NATO members over a barrel (of oil).

Former US presidents like Bush and Obama protested for too long about European nations missing their NATO spending targets. Bush was too preoccupied with Afghanistan and Iraq and Obama was too weak to exercise any leadership here. That is why the most productive outcome from the Brussels summit was President Trump’s statement that NATO members must start drawing up plans as to how they are going to meet their spending targets. It is hard to believe Germany, the wealthiest economy in Europe, cannot afford to meet its spending targets, but bankrupt Greece can.

This alliance cannot be taken for granted. The US needs to show it can lead the world again. Under Obama, America took a back-step whilst countries like Russia and China could dictate what was happening in the world. The President dislikes NATO. He does not trust its members to commit to its defense spending targets. He has just over two years before his possible re-election. Who is to say by 2020 that he won’t close the organisation by then? This would be music to Putin’s ears, but it would also prove how the West has failed to defend itself for too long during a time when its politicians have entered what many call ‘a period of decline.’ And where would the West go once NATO is over? Many EU members hope to establish a

PAGE 11 European Army in the long-term, which would only antagonize Putin more, and make it easier for him to deal with the West. He would not have to negotiate with a collection of different countries, but one single entity whose unity is fragile as it is. The end of NATO and a federal Europe are two results Putin wants. That is why Western leaders must take the current President seriously.

Regarding EU unity, President Trump is this organisation’s worst nightmare. The current UK Chancellor, Philip Hammond, warned the President is the biggest threat to the EU, not Brexit. He would be right. Since the end of the Second World War, all US presidents have supported the EU and its predecessors. During the 1975 referendum on Britain’s membership of the Common Market, President Ford openly supported the In camp as he believed the UK could influence the direction of Europe from within. However, this was before the days of 24-hour news and social media. Obama’s clumsy intervention, where he told Brits their country would be ‘at the back of the queue’ for a trade deal, was a clumsy PR stunt orchestrated by David Cameron, and one more memorable than Ford’s polite call for the UK to remain in the European Economic Community. Following Trump’s election, we now have a President who is standing up to the EU and its protectionist ways. Protectionism is never a positive move. But if the President can force the EU to cut some of its tariffs that harm trade over time, it could result in America addressing its trade imbalance in the long-term. Despite this, that would require 27 member-states to agree on that, which is why the EU is not an established champion of free trade- they cannot agree on anything. Either way, protectionism on both sides of the Atlantic will harm the EU’s economy, alongside the refugee crisis and a possible Italian recession.

It is good to witness a US President speak so optimistically about the UK’s future outside the EU. Since Britain joined the Common Market in 1973, this nation has been reduced to America’s puppet from within. He is right to warn that a soft Brexit would jeopardize a future trade deal between the US and the UK. Trading with the US would be more profitable for this country in the longer term than trading with a shrinking EU economy, whose GDP is likely to sink to sixteen per cent by the 2020's. If an American can believe in Britain, why can’t our own politicians? Either way, Trump’s tone is far different to that of past US

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presidents when it comes to the UK’s EU membership.

Even if Blair was brave enough to call a referendum on the numerous EU treaties he had to sign during his premiership, either Clinton or Bush would have come to his aid during each vote.

Trump also embarked on a summit with Putin in July 2018. The President is serious about ensuring Russia can become a member of the G8, the G7’s predecessor before Putin was thrown out for invading Crimea in 2014. At Helsinki, both leaders were serious about reopening communications between both nations. This kept the world at peace during the 2000s as Bush did that so well with Putin. However, relations between both nations deteriorated under the Obama years. The Russian President saw Obama as weak, and no doubt he expected the same of Trump, though the latter continues to surprise him. Trump is a man who knows how to strike a good deal. The Russian President has not invaded one NATO member since the US President took office. If the two can engage in constructive dialogue that would see sanctions lifted on the Russian economy, a commitment to cut nuclear weapons on both sides and see Russia welcomed back to bodies like the G8, this would be the most successful foreign policy outcome between both nations since Reagan and Gorbachev agreed to cut their respective countries’ nuclear weapons in 1987.

Because of Trump, the world order will never be the same again. He has achieved a substantial amount in July 2018, making it one of the most memorable months of the year so far. He has set a precedent for future leaders to follow. Then again, that’s why the man entered politics- to make America great again.

With another term, he may just achieve that promise.

After all, a week is a long time in politics.

PAGE 12

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PAGE 14 AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

WHY THE LEFT (AND TOO MANY ON THE RIGHT) CANNOT ALLOW DONALD TRUMP TO SUCCEED

By Ann Marie Murrell

So this week another Donald Trump star bites the dust on Hollywood Boulevard. It’s almost impressive, the amount of anger it must have taken to pickax that marble and concrete star to death. And it’s hot in Los Angeles, too, currently in the triple digits.

Thank God there weren’t any plastic bags or straws around or someone really might’ve really been in trouble.

At least they’re only destroying property and not

hurting actual people, right?

Yeah. So far.

Every day the violence is escalating, and every day some random celebrity or politician or “comedian” is calling for more. They are actually telling their followers exactly how to do it–painting pictures of decapitation, wearing t-shirts depicting hangings, making jokes about how to kill someone…

It’s like they’re all modern day Charles Mansons,

www.ctimesmag.com keeping their hands clean while encouraging their minions do the dirty work. As for President Trump, it doesn’t matter how many great things he ends up doing. We can cite statistics and accomplishments all over social media, radio, and television–but ultimately it just doesn’t matter. So where is all this excess venom coming from? Sure they also hated George W. Bush but that was nothing like their hatred for Donald Trump.

What is so different now?

The simple truth is: A “President Donald Trump” was never supposed to happen. The power brokers of the world, the media, the money providers for both the Democrat and the Republican Parties had never planned for Donald Trump to actually win. But oh yes he did, and this “outsider” who was actually in touch with The People of the United States was suddenly entering their Sacred Halls. Therein lies the problem.

A non-politician celebrity billionaire like Donald J. Trump has the potential to succeed where none of the other politicians ever have–and there’s a world of mega-money tied up in all those failed politicians.

(Speaking of, despite George W’s complete silence during the 8 Obama years, isn’t it fascinating that he joined forces with Obama, Clinton, Carter et al and became very vocal about his disgust for President Trump? But I digress…) So if Donald Trump were to succeed, corruption within governmental agencies might actually begin to get rooted out once and for all.

And none of those agenda-laden Money Men want that to happen.

If Donald Trump were to succeed, transparency in government could become a reality. We’ve already seen that via Twitter, good and bad. And boy do they hate that. Pork could get cut, the economy could continue getting better, and the last words some of those lobbyists and bad guys would hear is ‘You’re Fired!’ All the things the DC elites have always claimed to want to fix but never really wanted to fix could actually get fixed. Everyone wanted that before Trump came along, right? Apparently not.

Unfortunately for the president, there’s a major force out there trying to prevent him from accomplishing anything good. Those guys have been in power far too long and they know where all the bodies are buried.

They’ve earned their stripes, climbing up and over

PAGE 15 and under too many of those Beltway bodies to allow an outsider to destroy their careers.

In other words, if President Donald Trump were allowed to succeed it would be as if he’s taking his own pickax to the entire political structure of Washington and beyond.

Unfortunately all this violence and anger isn’t about former Donald Trump fans who suddenly grew to hate him for being “too mean” or rude or crude. In fact the people who were initially screeching the loudest about morals are some of the most immoral folks on earth. If this was purely a matter of people not liking him, Trump would’ve had the chance to win them over. He loves winning. But nope. It’s just not possible.

There is a very large and powerful group of bad guys working triple-time to prevent regular folks from realizing any of the good things President Trump is doing. They will continue promoting hate and fear, and they will continue urging violence. Or maybe I’m completely wrong, and everyone will eventually calm down. Maybe they’ll all someday lay down their verbal weapons and their pickaxes and their dreams of murder and assassination.

Meanwhile what can we do? We can continue cheering and encouraging and citing facts and figures and accomplishments. But mostly, we need to hope and pray The People get out and VOTE this November to maintain the Republican House and Senate.

Because otherwise, Lord help us all. Seriously.

ANN MARIE MURRELL

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Vetting Kavanaugh According to the Constitution

By KrisAnne Hall, JD

When Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh for the supreme Court, he did what is likely the most important act a president of these United States can possibly do, constitutionally speaking. The President’s powers are very limited and defined according to Article 2 of the Constitution and he has very little authority to personally impact the lives of the people, except through this power to nominate judges and justices. Yet, according to the Constitution, this is only 1/3 of the process necessary to seat a justice. A person may be nominated by the president to be a justice, but a justice is not seated until the person is vetted and confirmed by the Senate. The bifurcation of this process was an intentional safeguard to

ensure the appointment of a justice that would be independent of both the executive and legislative branches and to ensure that the judicial branch would remain true to the Constitution, rather than ruled by politics.

Now that Kavanaugh’s vetting process has begun, it is time for the American people to be reminded of a few of the essential duties of a Supreme Court justice and the principles that ought to govern those who occupy that bench. It is by these terms only that our Senators can truly select the justice that America needs, rather than the person the political parties want.

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First and foremost, we need a justice that is dedicated to the Constitution; not to ideology, politics, or personal agendas. America does not need a liberal activist justice. America does not need a conservative activist justice. America needs a justice who is versed in the proper application of the Constitution through the Original Intent of the drafters. If that term “Original Intent” seems a bit frightening, it is only because we have taught the wrong things about our Constitution for a very long time. Original-ism is not only the correct legal way to apply the Constitution, it is the only way that guarantees and secures Liberty.

Original Intent is not slavery, misogyny, or bigotry; it is the exact opposite. Original Intent is a return to the principles that make America the desire of so many of those in foreign countries for hundreds of years. A return to Original Intent declares that Liberty is the right of all human beings and their government is established to protect those rights, not regulate them.

A return to Original Intent is an undeniable application of Liberty and Justice for all. A return to Original Intent says that we are able to be free individuals by choice, not permanent slaves by the authoritarian stranglehold of government.

We need a justice that understands the limited authority of the judiciary as established by the Constitution. America must break free from the dangerous ideology that the supreme Court issues “rulings” and their “rulings” become the “law of the land.” Judges do not issue rulings; kings issues rulings, judges render opinions and those judicial opinions have a very limited scope of authority. A judicial opinion is only binding upon the parties of the case, whereas a king’s ruling controls a whole land. A judicial opinion cannot reach outside the courtroom to the general population as a whole, that would mean that our Supreme Court is an Oligarchy of 9 kings and queens who rule over the whole land with unquestionable authority. This is just common sense, yet this concept seems to escape our general knowledge. If court opinions could bind the general public then only one supreme Court opinion would be necessary for all time and the executive branch could simply incarcerate every American based upon that opinion without a trial or any form of due process.

The fact that every person has the Right to due process proves this principle. If the Rights of the people are to be preserved, supreme Court opinions cannot take the place of legislation and be viewed as the “law of the land.” Yet, nearly every American has

PAGE 18

heard a professor, judge, lawyer, politician, or pundit say, “Roe v. Wade is the law of the land.” This statement is erroneous and creates a mentality in America that is fundamentally dangerous to liberty.

Roe v. Wade is a supreme Court opinion that is only binding upon Roe, Wade, and the other parties of this case, it is not law! Law making is reserved to the legislative branch alone. James Madison, historically referred to as “the Father of the Constitution” gave us this principle of Liberty: “There can be no liberty if the power of judging be not separated from the legislative and executive powers.‘’ Alexander Hamilton, Delegate for New York at the Constitutional Convention, echoes this instruction. “…the general liberty of the people can never be endangered from [the judiciary]; I mean so long as the judiciary remains truly distinct from both the legislature and the Executive.”

When supreme Court opinions hold the force of law, are viewed by the American people and their courts as the law, the Liberty of the people is truly in peril.

America needs a Supreme Court justice that knows that the Constitution is a compact between the States that created three branches of the federal government; the legislative, executive and judicial, and what that legal principle truly means. The Supreme Court is designed to be independent of the political influence of the legislative and executive branches but it is not independent of the Constitution.

The supreme Court should not be seen the “ultimate arbiter” of the meaning of the Constitution as that premise would place the supreme Court legally above the very document that created it. For the court to hold the authority to determine the meaning of the compact that determines the limits of its own power establishes that the judiciary, not the Constitution, is the defining entity for the federal government. If the judiciary, who is part of the federal government, holds the authority to define the limits to the federal power, then the only limit to federal power is itself. When that happens, America ceases to be a Constitutional Republic, and becomes an Oligarchy of Nine. The Constitution enumerates the specific powers of the judiciary in Article III of the Constitution. The judiciary has no power beyond that specific

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enumeration and the Constitution does not vest the ultimate meaning of the Constitution in the body of the judiciary. Alexander Hamilton makes this poignant observation in Federalist #83: “…an affirmative grant of special powers would be absurd as well as useless, if a general authority was intended.

The ultimate authority governing the meaning of the terms of the Constitution, by the dictate of contract law, falls upon the parties who created the Constitution; the States. Our founders gave this legal instruction many times during the process of creating the Constitution, but none say it better than James Madison: “…the powers of the federal government as resulting from the compact to which the states are parties;” in other words, that the federal powers are derived from the Constitution; and that the Constitution is a compact to which the states are parties.”

“If the decision of the judiciary be raised above the authority of the States… dangerous powers, not delegated, may not only be usurped and executed by the other departments, but that the judicial department, also, may exercise or sanction dangerous powers beyond the grant of the Constitution. consequently, that the ultimate right of the States, to judge whether the Constitution has been dangerously violated, must extend to violations by one delegated authority as well as by another--by the judiciary as well as by the executive, or the legislature.”

PAGE 19

written “all free-men or white men are Created equal” but they did not. They were declaring that this Creator they reference made ALL MEN (gender neutral application) in His image and that through this creation all are inherently free. Even as some of these men struggled to extricate themselves from the dominant feature of their time (Jefferson most notably), they knew that the seed of liberty they sowed in their day would grow and that future generations would be able to fully realize the drafters’ dream of Liberty and Justice FOR ALL. Only a truly constitutional justice will know and understand this.

Only a truly constitutional justice will put liberty over security, principle over party, and the rights of the people over personalities in power. America needs a truly constitutional justice, and that is what our Senators have a duty to provide.

If you would like a better understanding of how our Constitution created our federal judiciary, our online educational program called Liberty First University, will give you that understanding free from historical revision and political propaganda. We have both online courses on the judiciary and DVDS available for in home, church, and group meetings. You can find us at www.LibertyFirstUniversity.com

America needs a constitutionally sound supreme Court justice. One who understands the supremacy of the Constitution, the limited and defined nature of the authority of the judiciary and why strict adherence to these principles is the only means by which the American people can truly live up to the standards that America was founded upon: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are Created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights…”

When our founders penned and signed their pledge to these words, they meant it just as it was written. In fact, Jefferson’s original draft was even more pointed in its anti-slave stance. They could have very well

KrisAnne Hall is a former biochemist, Russian linguist for the US Army, and former prosecutor for the State of Florida.

KrisAnne also practiced First Amendment Law for a prominent Florida non-profit Law firm. KrisAnne now travels the country teaching the foundational principles of Liberty and our Constitutional Republic. KrisAnne is the author of 6 books on the Constitution and Bill of Rights, she also has an internationally popular radio. Her books and classes have been featured on C-SPAN TV. KrisAnne can be found at www.KrisAnneHall.com

DOTTIE BAILEY FOR MISSOURI DISTRICT 110

CONGRATULATIONSÂ DOTTIE BAILEY FOR MISSOURI DISTRICT 110 CTM Best Wishes behalf of the CTM President and all team, Congratulations to winning GOP Primary Elections 2018. Best Wishes and Prayers for Mid-Term General Elections November 6th, 2018

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PAGE 21

The Silent Church Today... A dead Church Tomorrow!

Jim Katsoudas MACC, LPCA

Disclaimer: This article is written for today’s Christian Church and its leadership and people who attend church. This is the Church who has not abandoned the Bible and its teachings,who has not twisted the word of God to fit into its own sinful narrative, or to make God’s word fit into today’s culture.

Two of the most riveting social problems effecting the Church today are the issues of abortion and homosexuality. These two problems are also causing dissentions among believers, especially the latter of the two. It’s been said that abortion and homosexuality are two of the enemy’s greatest weapons thrown against humanity for its destruction.

The church has handled the abortion problem in a more Godly fashion as it has offered grace to women and men who are post abortive. The church has rallied around prolife organizations, as it should, offering its support and enlightening the world around it and its church goers of the murder of the unborn children. The United States has allowed 60,570, 546 babies to be put to death since 1973 with

Roe verses Wade. This year offers more hope for the unborn with significantly lower abortions being performed.

The problem of homosexuality, however, does not seem to get the attention that the abortion problem has received from the church. Maybe it’s because we don’t see or understand the destruction homosexuality has had on individuals, children, families, and marriages or the division it has caused in the body of Christ. Maybe the church does not know what to do about this problem so it stays silent.

Maybe the church, out of compassion, believes it should stay silent so not to offend anyone; yet not realizing that homosexuality has taken on the “elephant in the room” syndrome. Maybe the church is unclear about the Biblical view of homosexuality, and that God considers it sinful but also offers hope and healing from it. Maybe the church does not understand how Jesus can change the homosexual.

There are a lot of maybes which could be the message the Church sends to its members and the world around it concerning homosexuality when it stays

www.ctimesmag.com silent on this subject. The last two “maybes” are what I hear often from other Christians concerning homosexuality.

Could this silence be what the LGBTQ activist want from the Church, not to say anything about homosexuality, just be silent on it? When there is silence there is no challenging it, there is no one learning the truth about it and certainly not anyone healing and walking free from it.

For fourteen years I was a director and Pastoral Counselor for a Christian Ministry that provided Christian Discipleship, Pastoral Counseling and other services to help men, women, and youth find help to overcome their homosexualityand other sexual struggles. Today, as a Licensed Professional Counselor, many Christians that I see not only question if homosexuality a sin (meaning the sexual behavior); but,they seem uncertain about other sexual sins that are in the churches todaysuch as cohabitation, having sex outside of marriage, adultery, and even pornography. When I was working in ministry and people found out that the ministry helped men, women, and youth overcome their unwanted homosexual problems and desires,it was not unusual to have statements from Christians that sounded like this, “I did not know homosexuality was a sin”, “I don’t believe God can change a homosexual.”

Other comments included, “I never heard anything about homosexuality in the Bible,” or “If the homosexual would just get married wouldn’t that heal them?” More comments,“I heard that if a homosexual was to try to change, that could hurt them or caused them to kill themselves.”Last but not least, “I did not know the Bible still considered homosexuality to be sinful”.One lady who served in a leadership capacity in her local church told me that she believed

PAGE 22 homosexuality to be a sin but believed that God could not change a homosexual. In the course of our conversation she made it clear that she was a student of the Bible and she believed in all the wonderful things God did, all the miracles Jesus performed. So, I asked her about 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV): “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (NIV) When I encouraged her to look at verse 11 as proof that God could change a homosexual, she quickly dismissed herself saying that she had to get going.

Sadly this Christian lady, a leader in her Church and a self-identified student of the Bible believes in a God of the Bible, who is impotent or who is removed from human suffering and He is too weak to change anybody let alone the homosexual. And that is not Jesus Christ,nor is it the God in the Bible.

The problem is clear! Many churches do not teach about the consequences of sin. There is no instruction or talk on a Biblical view of human sexuality. One pastor actually said to me once, “What do you expect the Church to do about homosexuality,talk about sex?” This was actually said by a pastor who had several church members receiving help from me through individual counseling or support groups for homosexuality, pornography and sex addiction problems. He, of course, had no idea that he had several people from his church coming to the ministry that I served for help. My response was, “If you teach on Godly sexual behavior, it will naturally have you talk about ungodly sexual behavior. Then you will be discussing homosexuality and many other sexual sins Christians are involved in or misinformed about.”

Often, the men and women that I ministered to who had left homosexuality reported that when they told their pastors about their past, the pastors response was sometimes that he was glad to see what God is doing in their life, but the person would be encouraged to not share their testimony with anyone in the church. When one of my clients asked their

www.ctimesmag.com pastor why they should not share what God was doing in their life, the response was, “there are people in this church who do not believe homosexuality to be a sin and there were others who believe it to be the worst of all sins so we don’t want to be controversial and cause tension.”It seems this pastor missed an important opportunity to instruct and build his congregation on the Word of God and teach them to minister to those who are in sin. Maybe if this pastor took the time teach some Biblical truth it may help those Christians who tend to believe that homosexuality is the worst of all sins. Jesus, who saved us and whose blood washed over us and set us free is the same Jesus who saved the former homosexuals and the same blood that washed over them and set them free.If controversy is what bothered him, the pastor, he may need to find a new profession. Telling non-believers that the Christian faith is the belief in Jesus Christ who was born of a virgin and rose from the dead, is controversial itself and Jesus during his time on this earth was very controversial, and He did not seem to be the least bothered by it.

PAGE 23 When Christian youth and adults sit in church and never hear a teaching about the sexual sins listed in the Bible such as homosexuality, sex outside of marriage, and adultery, this should surprise no one when we see statistics from CDC like the ones above.

Why is teaching about and discussingsexual behavior so important for the Church today? The culture around the Church is saturated with ungodly sex and this spills over into the Church, often through innocent means, by Christians who have not been instructed about the Bible or from the Bible.A recent study conducted by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reveals some very grim news about America’syouth culture. More of today’s adolescence identify under the LGBTQ umbrella.“In 2017, almost 15% (14.6%) of teens labeled themselves "gay, lesbian, bisexual or unsure." In 2015, that figure was only at 11.2%.” Other results indicated from this particular study this LGBTQ identifying youth are involved in other extremely risky behaviors. This study also says part of this increase is because many public schools are using a comprehensive sex education curriculum that normalizes anal, oral or vaginal sex for adolescents. Youth in Christian Churches need to ever hear a biblical and redemptive message about homosexuality. No youth or adult should never have to wonder why did God make them this way and not change them. Gay Rights organizations and those who advocate for them are never silent and they give much in the way of instruction to making sure Gays and their lifestyle flourish and grow in every area of American life, including churches.

Young Christian adults having sex outside of marriage, and Christian marriages scarred by adultery and pornography, people secretly struggling desperately to overcome their homosexuality, parents broken over their child’s decision to live as a homosexual. have become a common themes in the counseling offices, yet many of these people also need the church to instruct them, to train them, and to tell them that Jesus can help them overcome their sin.

The Church staying silent on sexual sins is not being compassionate at all but rather irresponsible when one of the major functions of the Church is to instruct believers in the Word of God and on Godly living. The church seems to have gotten away from instruction (teaching) except what is taught from the pulpit on Sunday mornings.

www.ctimesmag.com I know personally when I first began going to an Evangelical Church over 30 years ago and as a new Christian,I received Bible teaching through the worship service on Sunday morning, through adult Sunday school classes before church, and through fellowship groups. I was also privileged to receive individual discipleship in this Church. I don’t think that I would be where I am today in my Christian journey nor believe as I do without all of that support.

The Church is the answer to the many problems and sins affecting humanity today, but we aren’t utilizing it the way we should. Sometimes it seems some Churches are more enthusiastic over the coffee they serve than the Bible they are called to preach and teach.

People are searching for answers for many of these sexual sins listed. If it is not for them personally, it may be a family member, friend, or an acquaintance they know who are involved in a certain sin. Let’s be completely honest, these lifestyles (sins) are being lived out all around us – in and outside the church.

With gay marriage becoming legal in our courts and more accepted in many churches,research shows more and more Christians are believing that it is fine for two men or two women to be married to each other. No one seems to speak out and say it’s wrong so it must be normal to be a homosexual, right? It’s perfectly normal for young people to identify themselves with the LGBTQ acronym. It’s OK for a single man and single woman to be in asexual relationship with whomever they are dating or in love with, because “God is a God of love” and they are in love, right? This is the dialogue you often here from people in the Church today and I could write many more. These are all lies based on the lies of this world, a world full of human brokenness. Why do people believe in all these lies? Because no one is instructing them to believe differently.

There are many resources today that the church and Christians can utilize to understand how to compassionately minister to those caught up in homosexual behavior and other sexual sins. The church should welcome all people caught up into sin to come and hear about the hope found in Jesus Christ. Where else will they ever have the opportunity to get to know the Savior and to hear that there is hope for the sin they face? This welcoming does not mean; however, that unrepentant sinners should become members, but offering them a way out of their sin, instructing them in the Bible, and then

PAGE 24 allowing the Holy Spirit to work.Gay activist and those who advocate for them, those who spread the lies that make immoral sexual behavior look normal they speak very loudly, and the Church stays silent. A church that stays silent in the midst of the sexual confusion in the world and in the Church, that Church tomorrow will become a Dead Church.

If the Church does not speak up how will they ever know the truth? The truth that sets them free. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52; 7 NIV).

Jim Katsoudas MACC, LPCA

Jim Katsoudas Works has a counselor in private practice in Charlotte NC. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Bible and Church Ministries from Columbia Bible College and he has a Master’s degree in Christian Counseling from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary.

DOTTIE BAILEY FOR MISSOURI DISTRICT 110

CONGRATULATIONSÂ DOTTIE BAILEY FOR MISSOURI DISTRICT 110 CTM Best Wishes behalf of the CTM President and all team, Congratulations to winning GOP Primary Elections 2018. Best Wishes and Prayers for Mid-Term General Elections November 6th, 2018

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PAGE 26

Trump Has Been True To His Word: He is Bringing US Jobs Back

By Paul McCabe

“Calling out around the world, Are you ready for a brand new beat? Summer's here and the time is right For dancing in the street. They're dancing in Chicago, Down in New Orleans, In New York City."

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, 1964 hit song

By many measures the US economy is like a very long slow train gathering speed. This year we have many reasons to celebrate. At the end of July, the Commerce Department announced that GDP growth in the AprilMay-June quarter reached 4.1%. That is quite a headline after a lackluster eight-year period from 2009-2016, when annual growth was always below 3%.

Confidence by small business, CEOs, investors, and consumers is quite high and moving upward. The new tax cut approved and signed last December is rippling its way across the nation. Businesses are expanding or planning to expand based on the new level of prosperity and on their own projections. The practical result is a flood of jobs.

In June, 213,000 new jobs were created in America, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (This figure refers to the net increase.) The number of employed Americans stands at 155,576,000, the tenth record month since Donald Trump was inaugurated.

During that time, the private sector expanded by close to 3 million new jobs. This is a stark contrast to the

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figures for 2009-2016. The key highly-paid manufacturing sector by itself has added 400,000 jobs.In June alone, manufacturing jobs increased by 36,000, or more than 1,000 every day of the month.

Overall national unemployment has plummeted under this Administration from 7.4% in January 2017 to 4% in June 2018. Black unemployment in May was down to 5.9%, its lowest point ever. The same is true of the Hispanic jobless rate, reduced to 4.6%. In addition to the personal financial benefits of direct employment, there are other positive consequences too.More than 2 million people have dropped off food stamps and returned to work. Wages are on the rise.

Over the course of 2018, average hourly earnings for private non-farm jobs have increased by 72 cents (2.8%).

The trade deficit decreased from January to May this year by 23%, another strong piece of good news. In the 2nd quarter of 2018, exports surged especially soybeans, foods,and aircraft. (Translation: the major farm states plus Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, and General Electric.) This trend is expected to continue. At the order of the President, the overall trade environment is rapidly changing.

By year-end the US and our major trading partners will have negotiated a variety of new deals involving lower or no tariffs and a wider scope for expanded trade. In the last week in July, the President of the European Commission already announced EU’s intention with the US to move toward “zero tariffs”, to reform the World Trade Organization, and to end China’s unfair trade practices. Other trade agreements are quietly being reached.

Deregulation also has had positive effects though these are difficult to quantify in the short-term.Capital movement, both domestically and internationally, has become easier and more streamlined. The cost of capital is down, which means that volumes are up. US companies are taking advantage of the new tax law to bring back an astonishing amount of funds to the country. Apple alone brought back $285 billion, and others like Microsoft, Citigroup, Bank of America, and American Express followed suit. Each 1% increase in the GDP of the world’s largest economy involves generates about $3 trillion and up to 10 million jobs.

This job creation flood is not limited to one region, or sector, or one industry, or to the blue states or the

PAGE 27

red states. It is widespread and multi-sect-oral, extending from Maine to Key West to Alaska to San Diego. Both US and foreign companies have announced new plants and factories, new investments, and new opportunities in a variety of states. Despite the non-stop political soap-opera drama in swampy Washington DC, people and investors remain clear-headed about business decisions.

Across the board, the stock markets in the US are way up, including all-time highs for the DJIA, NASDAQ, and S&P. Beginning with President Trump’s election, this steep climb has produced up to $7 trillion in new wealth for stockholders. In turn this translates into higher income for the middle class and new investment funds for companies.There are many examples of this.

In my home state of Rhode Island, pharmaceutical giant Amgen of California plans to build a new $160 million “next generation” biopharmaceutical plant.

This will add 150 skilled manufacturing positions and create about 200 construction jobs.

In late June, the President attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a $10 billion Foxconn factory near Milwaukee Wisconsin. This new investment by the Taiwan high-tech giant will create 13,000 jobs, will manufacture LCD display panels, and will be the state’s largest private sector employer.

In Mississippi, Toyota is expanding its existing Corolla plant by $170 million, with 400 new jobs created by mid-2019. Nearby Huntsville Alabama will be home to a new Mazda assembly plant, built in association with Toyota, worth $1.6 billion. It will make 300,000 cars a year and will employ 4,000 workers. It will be Mazda’s first US factory. An existing Volkswagen Atlas plant in Chattanooga Tennessee will get $340 million expansion this year. Ford will put $25 million into its Louisville Kentucky truck factory to meet demand for its Navigator model.

In June, the state of Texas alone added 27,200 jobs, with more on the way.Mexico’s largest pasta manufacturer, La Moderna, opened a $50 million factory in Cleburne a few months ago. The company also makes cookies flour, and semolina. The new factory generates 100 new direct jobs and 300 indirect jobs in Johnson County. A closed plant owned by Finisar Company in Sherman has been reactivated by

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PAGE 28

a new $390 investment by Apple to produce vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). It employs 500 people.

French fashion company Louis Vuitton is building a leather goods workshop to make luggage and purses south of Fort Worth. Employing 500, it will open in early 2019.

Unleashed by tax cuts and deregulation, the present investment boom has led to increased productivity and increased incomes. Exports are likely to continue to surge. Another important bright spot: the US this year became the world’s largest producer of energy. Several trade agreements will focus on US supplies of natural gas, petroleum, and oil products.

In simple language, domestic and foreign investment is pouring into the US at volumes and numbers that need to be updated weekly. The flood shows no signs of abating. These levels are fueling a phenomenal locomotive of strong economic growth. It is self-speeding and not a coincidence. There is a natural increase of business as taxes suddenly decline, as they did this year.

The December tax reform took the weights off a natural sprinter – the US economy – and the laws of commerce and economics are working their well-known growth formulas. Invest in America, urged candidate Trump in 2016, and now it is happening from sea to shining sea.

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PAGE 29

Environmentalism and the GOP

By Christopher Grahn Howard

The time has come for Republicans to assert themselves in this debate. There are plenty of common sense initiatives that conservatives can engage in a positive manner concerning the environment. First, as a Christian, it is important to note that God gave us dominion over the earth.

Having said that, dominion does not mean to destroy.

God never intended people to lay waste to the earth.

Often times there is a world apart between those who love the environment and those who worship the environment.

I love nature, hiking, swimming, camping, hunting, fishing and just being out in the fresh air. I want to be able to continue those activities in the foreseeable future. Climate change is not a motivator for me as much of that science is, while real, based on some very speculative assumptions. Climate change is, in my opinion, more of a cyclical phenomenon. However, this does not excuse those persons or companies that would pollute.

As a conservative I believe in personal responsibility.

That belief contends that an individual or company, legally as an individual, is responsible and can/should be held as such for polluting. This is one area where the Trump administration can make a strong statement. Sadly, there are many cases where the EPA has not moved against companies for polluting and even in some cases looked the other way when they should not have. Look at the 2015 Gold King Mine waste disaster. That was done with the EPA’s help!

Again, I am all for reducing many of the mindless regulations. However, there are areas where the EPA can stand stronger.

Another EPA concern was here in the St. Louis region.

About eight years ago I was asked by a VERY conservative state senator to go to a meeting with the EPA concerning a business that was for sale. The EPA would not sign off on the sale because there were pollutants found under the foundation of this business. The irony here is that this business never used those chemicals, but the business next door did and was on land about 9 feet higher in elevation.

While the EPA officials acknowledged this fact…they would not sign off. In addition, the officials

acknowledged that the business in question had in fact been cited for polluting. Due to a court agreement that settled the case, that business was free from a further claim.

I sat in a room with representatives of some of the most conservative legislators in the region - federal, state and local; all asking for the EPA to sign off on the sale and/or clean up the chemical residue. No. That was the answer, it was not enough contaminants to authorize a cleanup but was enough to prevent signing off on the sale. FAIL! The sad part of this is that the owner could not sell, lost too much money and abandoned the property. Everybody lost in this scenario. This bureaucratic nightmare is something President Trump should go after. The EPA does have a valuable role to play. If, they play it well.

Another consideration for Republicans, renewable energy companies are growing at a faster rate than ever before. Solar, geothermal and even wind are growing industries. Honestly, I am not a fan of wind farms. They are dangerous for birds and are ugly to look at. So, my support is for the other renewable energy sources. What can be done to make these a more attractive option for new construction? Of course, Democrats want to mandate these options.

Republicans believe that people should be free, have the liberty to build the homes they want. That also means we can positively incentive these measures.

My suggestion, offer tax incentives to businesses and home builders who build LEED (Leadership Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings. The tax incentive would depend on the level of certification, Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels. The upfront cost is greater even though the operating costs will be less. Having a more energy efficient office, plant or home has benefits. LEED is the industry leader in setting these types of standards. By having the tax incentives, people may be more willing to invest in these technologies.

Building energy efficient home and businesses are good for the environment, good for the economy and good for consumers long-term. Believe it or not, there are people who get checks back from the electric

www.ctimesmag.com company because their net power generation exceeds what they use and the electric company buys that energy back. That is just from solar. People who use geothermal and solar have even more savings.

A long-standing republican/conservative view is that government should not be in the way of innovation, development, and business or personal growth. This is not to say that there should be no regulation at all.

Conservatives are not in favor of regulatory anarchy.

There is a fine line between too much and too little regulation. The previous administration erred on the side of too much regulation. However, credit due to the Obama administration for increasing the fines on commercial dumping. There comes a time when the government must punish those who do not obey the law and do not take responsibility.

Of course, the broader conversation here is that these renewable/alternative energy sources as of yet cannot replace mainline power. Your average office building or even apartment complex uses more energy than can be currently produced by solar and geothermal sources. For the foreseeable future, we as a nation will still be operating under fossil fuels. Which means we still need to drill and seek out the available sources within our own borders. Earlier I mentioned I was not convinced about man-made climate change.

I’m not. However, I do not want the US government to continue purchasing oil from countries where the majority of citizens want to kill us or at least change our culture to something from the 12th century.

Christopher Grahn Howard CTM Senior Columnist / CTM Director Missouri and Republican Activist

PAGE 30 Remember this, the United States has a beautiful and wondrous landscape and scenic beauty. Why would any of us, republican or democrat, want to see that destroyed? My concern with the environmentalist movement is not that they love nature…they worship it. Again, as a Christian, I believe we are to be stewards of what God has given us. Dominion not destruction, there is a difference. Nothing stays as it is, change is inevitable. How we manage that change is important.

People come first. That means we need to find a way to work with nature and not against it. Yes, we will have to cut down trees for development, relocate certain animals from developed areas and even drain bodies of water. Yet, we should also be planting trees, building refuge areas and more lakes and ponds.

There is a path forward that does all of these things.

Republicans need to step up and lead. Sadly, liberals will only go back to over-regulation, population control and mandated rules on how to live your life. It is all they know. The fraternal brothers of freedom and liberty have a proper home in the Republican Party where personal responsibility is the other sibling.

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PAGE 32

Illegal Immigration is Not the Answer for the USA

By Charles Lingerfelt Senior Corespondent CTM

America has existed as a Republic for a little more than 242 years. This past July 4th. We celebrated our birthday and our Independence on the day commemorating the day on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the 13 American colonies.

For us in America, it is always a great day of celebrations, family picnics and fireworks across the nation in the evening time. To us, it is one of the most devout and honorable days of our year. It is truly a day in which we celebrate our Freedom and Independence.

It is a day which reminds us why we are Free and why this nation is so great. America is a good and great nation! We Americans believe in something which is

truly incredible: we believe that the character of the American nation is defined by its unlimited acceptance of diversity. The defined character of America is devotion to the principles of the republic, the virtues of the republic, the habits and manners of free citizens and a self-reliance that is impermissible exclusive.

This is what makes us distinctively unique from all the other nations in the world.

Today, August 2018, our population in the United States is approaching 350 million citizens, and it seems to me that “everyone is knocking down the door” to get in. The majority are probably coming to our shores legally. But then there are millions who have entered the country “illegally.”

www.ctimesmag.com There is, perhaps, no other country in the world whose borders have been abused so widely and so much as is our borders here in the United States.

We have freely welcomed the multitudes to our shores for almost as long as we have been a nation.

We’ve allowed people of all colors, nationalities, religions and creeds to come to America legally and have been “welcomed” for years and years.

Americans are truly a tolerant and diverse people; and those characteristics separate us from most nations in the rest of the world.

However, not everyone who comes to our country comes here legally. Those who DO come here legally and want to assimilate in the country, and work toward becoming a Naturalized citizen are truly “welcomed with open arms.” But those who steal across the borders illegally are classified as “Illegal aliens” and are NOT welcomed because it is so very costly to the American taxpayers.

The millions of “illegals” already here in the United States have become a fiscal burden upon the taxpayers so much so that there is a major outcry across the nation for politicians to “deal with it” and revise the Immigration laws entirely.

The vastly growing numbers of Illegal aliens and the government’s ineffectiveness to ‘Deal with it’ has been a “thorn in the side” of the electorate for many years.

Our borders are insecure, and the nation’s national security is at stake – and has been for many years.

Because of these, there is a prominent threat to the safety of the public, and it will continue until we start electing great, honest and transparent personnel to represent us in Washington. The “Old heads” who are there in Congress now have been there far too long and need to be ‘Fired and sent home packing!’

Illegal immigration is costing American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars yearly. Illegal aliens are net consumers of taxpayer-funded services and the limited taxes paid by some segments of the illegal alien population are, in no manner, significant enough to offset the growing financial burdens imposed upon the U. S. taxpayers by massive numbers of “uninvited guests.” There have been many studies completed examining the fiscal impact of illegal aliens (which is,

PAGE 33 in fact, the legal term applied by Law to this group) as reflected upon federal and state budgets. And all the studies show the massive deficit spending upon all budgets due to “Illegal aliens.”

“Illegal alien,” as defined by law, is anyone who has entered the United States without authorization, or anyone who unlawfully remains once his/her authorization has expired. There is an overall problem when it comes to estimating the correct number of illegal aliens who are in the United States because much of the data about this group is dependent upon self-reported data. But, for the most part, the majority of this group just DON’T report their status to the proper sources. Given that illegal aliens have a motive to lie about their immigration status, to avoid being discovered, the accuracy of these statistics are dubious, at best. So, all the foregoing issues make it very difficult to assess the current illegal alien population of the United States.

So my friend, when one considers all the negative aspects of illegal immigration upon this nation, the United States of America, the staggering billions it costs the American taxpayers in Federal education costs, Federal Medical costs, Federal Welfare programs, Federal Justice Expenditures and the multiplied negative effects upon our businesses in America, the total massive financial impact negatively upon the United States makes it just not worth it to the nation to continue to allow illegal aliens to flow into the country. It needs to be stopped and The Wall NEEDS to be built, and the Borders Need to be Secure.

Illegal Immigration Is NOT the Answer for the USA. Immigrants coming here legally and assimilating among the people Is the Answer!

May God Bless America, And May God Keep Us Safe, Secure and Prosperous!

And, May God help President Trump and the people of The United States to “Make America Great Again.”

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PAGE 35

And The Mud Slinging Contest Continues….

By David A. Colbert

Romans 3:23 (KJV) says – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. I believe that tells us that there are no sinless people here in world we live in. All means all no one is exempt accept Jesus himself.

I have been alive almost 6 decades and have yet to encounter perfect people save Jesus, who was the express image of God. The rest of us including all (presidents, kings, queens, princes and princesses, dignitaries and everyday folks) fall under Romans 3:23.

I don’t know if any of you remember the Obama Administration, but there was a climate change under his administration. It seemed for a time that Constitutional Laws were thrown out the window.

President Obama invoked executive orders like they were his own private magic wand. What did the liberal media say about that? Answer: barely anything. The Obama Administration ran rough shot over any law it wanted, because we had the first black President. I believe that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would have made a great President, but the country was not ready then. I vote Jesus in every election. Do I believe that President Trump is the best ever, the answer is no; but I do believe that he is transparent. He gets the job done. They use to say that James Brown was the hardest working man in show business. Well I say that President Trump is the hardest working President that I have seen in the last 30 or so years. He works.

He is not spending the Presidency camped out at Camp David. I am sorry if I have offended anyone with that last statement, but we pay taxes and our representatives go on vacation too much. I wish I had my taxes I pay every year; maybe I could take a vacation sometimes. Well that’s another story.

Democrats and their supporters became nose blind to the stink of President Obama’s politics. During his reign as president, notice I said reign. He challenged

capitalism at every turn. I’m sorry Mr. Obama but this is a capitalist nation.

I for one am glad we have a businessman in the White House. Businessmen tend to care more about economics then Lawyers do, unless the money is going into their pockets. Every time we get and Lawyer in the White House our fees go up, oh, sorry I mean taxes.

You ever notice that? I really hope we never let another Lawyer get to be President. That is my opinion, although I think many will agree with my take on the matter. There has been so much going on because we have a working President finally that I have a lot I can write on.

The Trump Administration has been busy fulfilling campaign promises. I can’t say that things are perfect, because no one is perfect but I see history being made everyday almost. President Trump is a man, and as a man he has, and will make mistakes. The former President Barack Obama, was worshipped as the first quote, unquote black president. He could do nothing wrong. President Obama was in no way presidential, because if he was judged on his merits he would have been impeached. Vice President Joe Biden himself stated he should have him impeached for some of his actions while in office. Is Joe Biden a racist?

Roman 3:23 protected President Obama as well as President Trump and anyone else. We all come short of God’s standard. So let the mud rest for a while.

I have one more thing to add. Where is President Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize? I hope it is coming soon for being the first“WHITE” President to go respectfully to North Korea; and Russia’s President Putin to try and resolve conflicts with their governments,not without a promise of sanctions for non-compliance in some cases, but an honest and heartfelt attempt was made.

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By the way, could someone tell me again why President Obama got a Nobel Peace Prize? I forgot. Please could someone tell me also why he used Air Force One more than any President in past or recent history. I know, that’s old news.

I want to speak now on the “R” word, Racism. Why are they always saying President Trump is a “Racist”? I grew up in some of the worst neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland. I am a black man, but forgive me black people, I saw more racism among my own people there than I ever saw in the “white” community.

We all are racist at times in some ways. You can deny it, but you know it is true. I love people, not for the color of their skin, but for the content of their character.

It is like a Judge, they judge case by case. I judge that way. We need to get off the race kick as black folk. In those immortal words of Rodney King “Can’t We All Just Get Along” As blacks we often forget also that there are white African-Americans as well. There are lots of White Africans too in Africa. Africa is a country with a diverse population as well as well as the U.S. I hope you enjoyed this article. Please leave your thoughts and comments at our CTM website. www.ctimesmag.com This is Pastor David A. Colbert saying so long until next time.

God Bless You and God Bless America and the World!

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PAGE 37

LEVITICUS AND THE TIMES

By Robert A. J. Gagnon

first published by firstthing,com

From the op-ed pages of the New York Times comes

Dershowitz begins with “the core of Leviticus 18,” its

“The Secret History of Leviticus,” an improbable essay

incest laws. He points out two incest laws that are not

by Idan Dershowitz. A scholar of the Hebrew Bible and

presented in “a straightforward manner.” These are the

a junior fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows,

two laws against homosexual incest: one against father-

Dershowitz has written for the Times a popular

son incest (18:7), the other against uncle-nephew incest

version of the academic argument he published

(18:14).

recently in the journal Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel.

The nakedness of your father and the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover: She is your mother.

The Book of Leviticus contains two prohibitions

You shall not uncover her nakedness.

against homosexual acts, the first of which (18:22) states: “You shall not lie with a male as though lying

The nakedness of your father’s brother you shall not

with a woman; it is an abomination.” According to

uncover. You shall not approach his wife. She is your

Dershowitz, “before Leviticus was composed, outright

aunt.

prohibitions against homosexual sex … were practically unheard-of in the ancient world.” But he

Dershowitz says that each of these laws comprises two

proposes that “an earlier version of the laws in

parts: the law proper (which I have put in italics) and the

Leviticus 18 permitted sex between men,” albeit

explanatory note, or “gloss.” In the case of the other

tacitly. Supposedly, the laws were revised by a later

incest laws (all of which address heterosexual incest), the

editor so as to include the prohibition, and to

relation between law and gloss is straightforward and

“obscure any implication that same-sex relations had

emphatic. For instance, the law against sex with one’s

once been permissible.”

daughter-in-law is glossed, “she is your son’s wife.” But

25

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PAGE 38

He speculates that these glosses were added by an

existed independently of a gloss making clear that other-

editor, perhaps “more than a century” after the

sex incest was in view.

composition of the oldest parts of Leviticus, to bring all the incest laws into conformity with the prohibition

Second, verses 7 and 14 each appear to equate having

against homosexual acts (which Dershowitz presumes

sex with a man to having sex with that man’s wife—a

was a comparatively recent addition). With these

dissonance Dershowitz dismisses as nonsensical. But the

glosses, all of the incest laws became laws against

equation makes sense in the context of ancient Israel. A

heterosexual incest. How do such revisions accord

parallel in Genesis 49:4 describes Reuben’s intercourse

with a turn against homosexual acts? According to

with Jacob’s concubine Bilhah as “ascending your father’s

Dershowitz, the editor feared the principle, “The

beds,” without ever mentioning a female party. Similarly,

exception proves the rule.” Dershowitz reasons: “A law

the Yahwist’s story about the creation of woman in

declaring that homosexual incest is prohibited could

Genesis 2:21-24 depicts woman as the man’s missing

reasonably be taken to indicate that non-incestuous

flesh, reunited to him in marriage. Thus, his wife’s

homosexual intercourse is permitted.” Once the

nakedness is his nakedness.

prohibition against male same-sex intercourse was added, “it became expedient to bring the earlier

Even within Leviticus 18:7-17, one finds descriptions of

material up-to-date by doing away with two now-

“the nakedness of your father’s wife” as “the nakedness

superfluous injunctions against homosexual incest—

of your father” (verse 8), and of “the nakedness of your

injunctions that made sense when sex between men

brother’s wife” as “your brother’s nakedness” (verse 16).

was otherwise allowed.” Thus, Dershowitz infers an

So there is nothing tendentious about interpreting “the

earlier version of Leviticus 18, according to which

nakedness of your father” and “the nakedness of your

homosexual acts were permissible.

father’s brother” as references to sex with one’s father’s wife and with the wife of one’s father’s brother.

For Jews and Christians who treat the Bible as Scripture, the speculations of Dershowitz should have

The same connections are made in Leviticus 20: Lying

little relevance. What counts as authoritative is what

with one’s father’s wife is tantamount to uncovering the

made it into the canon, not what didn’t. In any case, I

nakedness of one’s father (verse 11); lying with one’s

am unconvinced by Dershowitz’s arguments. Here’s

uncle’s wife is tantamount to uncovering one’s uncle’s

why:

nakedness (verse 20); and taking one’s brother’s wife in marriage is tantamount to uncovering the nakedness of

First, if the glosses for verses 7 and 14 are later

one’s brother (verse 21). Even if Leviticus 20 is to be

additions, then the same must be true for nearly all of

dated much later than Leviticus 18:7-17 (a dubious

the other verses 7-17. Otherwise, verses 7 and 14

supposition), it still would constitute our earliest guide to

would not conform to the standard literary form for

reading 18:7, 14, and 16, and it would have been

this section (“the memorable phrase ‘uncover

provided by circles that revered and sought to uphold

nakedness’”). That is an odd supposition. It requires

the laws in 18:7-17. There is no reason to believe that

the later editor to have added the glosses to verses 7

these men misinterpreted the laws, which we only now,

and 14 in order to remove the inference of allowable

millennia later, understand correctly.

homosexual unions, then to have decided to add them nearly everywhere else in verses 7-17 to

Third, Dershowitz contends that the explanatory note

complete the coverup. It is far simpler to suppose that

and motive clause in 18:7 and 18:14 “render the idiom

explanatory notes were present at the start for verses

‘uncover nakedness’ incoherent.” Everywhere else in

7-17. This would mean that verses 7 and 14 never

verses 7-17, “uncover nakedness” means “have sex 25

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PAGE 39

with,” which (Dershowitz claims) no longer makes

History, cumulatively establish that from Israel’s earliest

sense if “uncovering the nakedness of your father”

recoverable history a male-female prerequisite for

(18:7) and “of your father’s brother” (18:14) does not

sexual relations was maintained. In fact, every law,

refer to having actual sex with them.

narrative, proverb, poem, and metaphor in Israel’s sacred texts having anything to do with sexual ethics

Dershowitz is making a mountain out of a molehill.

presupposes this.

The text is simply saying that having sex with one’s mother is tantamount to having sex with one’s father,

That Israel’s firm view of a male-female foundation for

and that having sex with the wife of one’s paternal

sexual ethics and sexual purity was intended to be

uncle is tantamount to having sex with one’s paternal

distinctive within the broader cultural environment of

uncle. What is stressed is the heinousness of the

the ancient Near East is precisely what the Holiness

offense as an assault on the paterfamilias or his next-

Code affirms. Israel must not follow the practices of the

in-line (his brother).

Canaanites and the Egyptians (Lev 18:2-5, 24-30; 20:2226). This theme is consistent with Israel’s longstanding

Fourth, Dershowitz contends that the “new glosses” in

proscription of worship of other gods and of images of

18:7 and 18:14, along with the proscription of

God (Exod 20:2-7, Deut 5:7-11), which marks Israel off

homosexual acts in 18:22 and much of the rest of the

from the surrounding culture as “a kingdom of priests

Holiness Code (Leviticus 17-24), arose in the Persian

and a holy nation” (Exod 19:6).

Archaemenid period (550-330 B.C.) under the influence of Zoroastrian traditions hostile to

All of this suggests that Dershowitz’s speculation is more

homosexual practice. These traditions are found in a

an extension of his ideological support for homosexual

Zoroastrian text called the Videvdad or Vendidad.

unions than a credible historical reconstruction.

This is speculation heaped on speculation. We know

Robert A. J. Gagnon is author of The Bible and

little about when this Zoroastrian collection was fully

Homosexual Practice: Texts and Hermeneutics and

written down (certainly long after the Hebrew Bible

former associate professor of New Testament at

was complete), and even less about how far back in

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

history individual elements existed in oral form. Nor is there any scholarly consensus about the date of the bulk of the Holiness Code, much about less the extent and date of allegedly later redactions.

The idea that Israel permitted homosexual relations until the Persian period, then under Zoroastrian influence suddenly switched to treating such relations as meriting a capital sentence, is (in a word) ridiculous. Early in the Exile, Ezekiel already knew a version of the Holiness Code, including its prohibitions of homosexual practice, by which he interpreted the story of Sodom’s destruction (Ezek 16:49-50). Texts attributed to figures scholars call “J” (the Yahwist) and “the Priestly Writer,” as well as texts in Deuteronomic law and in the Deuteronomistic 25

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We as a Nation

By Brandon Cook

Former 2018 America First GOP candidate for the US House of Representatives in Wisconsin's 3rd congressional district

We as a Nation are coming upon the greatest political season of our time and in our Nation’s history. We the People have it upon us to make a change in the way our Nation is being run. We must take this opportunity for what it is, a chance to make our Nation what our Founding Fathers meant it to be. We have strayed far from the great wisdom that was given to us in our founding documents. We need to bring back the Citizen Statesman to Washington and our State Capitals. Trey Gowdy said “If you want to change the way Washington is working, you need to change who you send there. Spoken like a true patriot.

Bringing Citizen Statesman back to Washington is not going to be an easy task. We need to stop voting with in party lines and start voting on what is best for our families and our Country. We need to just get out of our own ways. I know it is easy and comfortable just to keep voting for the incumbent. This is not always the correct or even the moral choice. Our Founding Fathers did not envision the reign of the career politician. The political party you belong to does not have to define the way you vote. I know this is a hard thing to comprehend and it may be a little confusing.

Just because your Father or Mother always voted for one party does not mean that’s how you need to vote.

I always vote from my heart and win or lose I always feel good for voting the way I did. If we as a Nation start voting this way we can change the way our government functions at the core.

Grassroots candidates are coming out of every corner of our Nation. They are in every election in our country. Most of these great men and women are complete political outsiders. They have never held any kind of elected office. Now because they don’t have the war chests of the incumbent or the name recognition, they don’t get a second look from most voters. We need to change this and fast. These great citizens have many great ideas that would change our lives for the better. I was one of these candidates and I got passed over at every turn. These men and women come from all walks of life and are just

regular people like you and me. Some of them have served our country some are doctors, lawyers and even truckers, but each of them have something to offer our country and our families. Our Founding Fathers envisioned people like this governing our Nation.

The time is now to drain the swamp. The swamp is not just or elected officials it is way more then that, but by changing the people that we send to Washington we change the whole system. We need to stop the reign of the career politicians. These people are not great for our country or for our families, they are only there to benefit themselves. This is not going to be an overnight change it is going to take a few cycles to really start to see the changes. We must start the process now so future generations can benefit from our hard work. I don’t care what party you belong to we all have members in the swamp. I don’t care if you are a liberal or a conservative we all can agree on one thing and that is Washington is not working the way we want it to. Only We the People can change the way our government works for us plain and simple end of discussion.

We the People must stand up now and make the necessary changes our Nation needs. The 2018 midterms are going to be one for the record books. If you thought 2016 was fun just wait for November.

Elections have consequences for some it will be great and for some they will scream into the sky again. This election feel great about the way you voted and Keep America Great.

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PAGE 41

The Journey of A Christian Is A Simple One: Why Is It So Hard To Follow?

By By Pastor Evangelist Arthur L. Weathersby Sound The Alarm Ministries (see Joel 2:1)

Being a Christian is not as hard as many may claim!

God recognized that for mankind (male and female) to truly recognize Him for who He is, the Creator of ALL things (John 1:1-3 King James Version of the Bible states): 1-“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2-The same was in the beginning with God. 3-All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made.”)! He needed to be able to allow mankind to see Him in a way that made Him believable to us.

So God did the only thing He could do; He became like us as stated in John 1:14 KJV of the Bible: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Yes, everyone (including non-believers) know John 3:16 KJV of the Bible that says; “For God so loved the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Now to begin this journey as a Christian there is one thing that many either don't understand or, refuse to adhere to and that is, HUMILITY! Yes, it takes humility to begin this journey and God actually showed us how it was to be done in Philippians 2:5-8 KJV in the Bible as follows: 5-”Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; 6-Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; 7-But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man; 8-And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

That's right, God Almighty, acted out of humility in order that He could give of Himself for mankind's redemption to once again be in right standing with Him! We lost that when Adam and Eve sinned in the

garden by eating the forbidden fruit (see Genesis 2:16-17; 3:23-24). It is extremely important for us to understand that God Himself, acted out of humility so that mankind's penalty (death) could be satisfied!

God always had a special place for us with Him as He stated in Genesis 1:26 KJV of the Bible; “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” We, mankind have the distinction of being the only creation God made that He said was “in His image!” He further exhibited what represented His image in Genesis 2:7 where you find these words recorded in the KJV of the Bible: “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

God transferred to us His Spirit which gave us the resemblance to Him and provided us with life! Isn't it ironic that He does the same thing that brings us to a “NEW LIFE” when we become born again! Ephesians 2:1-3 KJV in the Bible says; “1-And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; 3-Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

You see when we were alienated to God by sin (after the Garden of Eden, we took on a sinful life that made God so upset, He destroyed life on the earth in Genesis 6th & 7th chapters. We were destined to pay the penalty for our disobedience (sin is disobedience to God's Word) as noted in Romans 6:23a: “For the wages of sin is death;...” However, God provided a remedy within the same verse as it continues: “but

www.ctimesmag.com the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

The pathway to salvation begins with Jesus Christ!

You first have to accept Him as your Saviour. God does not force salvation upon us, He provides it as a gift that we must choose (see John 3:16 and Ephesians 2:4-9). It's that choosing where we seem to have a problem with!

As human beings we have an intellect and the ability to reason which makes us even more distinct among God's creations on this earth. Thus we can receive information and come to a conclusion as to how we choose to apply or use it! The Bible calls this “Free Will!” This is where deciding to become a Christian and ultimately living a life pleasing to God, becomes a challenge for most!

As I previously stated at the beginning of this article, being a Christian is not as hard as many think! What is hard though is making the right choice to become one and then submitting your life over to God for Him to direct, lead and guide you on your journey to Glory (Heaven). Jesus Christ tried to aid us by saying these words as found in John 14:6 KJV of the Bible as He answered a question from the Apostle Thomas; “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” So, what is this “magical formula” that will allow us to get to the Father?

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV is always a great place to start: “5Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6-In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

There is a song that says, “Let Jesus lead you, all the way. From earth to glory, let Jesus lead you...” It's important that we allow God through the Holy Spirit (Ghost) to lead us as we have proven if left to our own thinking; our outcome does not fare well for us! As a matter of fact, God warns us in His Word (The Bible) of this very same thing as taken from Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25 KJV in the Bible as follows: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

I submit to you even further that there is explicit instruction in the Bible that would assure us of reaching our ultimate destination point as a Christian.

Matthew 7:13-14 KJV of the Bible states this: “13-

PAGE 42 Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; 14-Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

In the instructions we also find out why it may be hard for many to follow the journey to Heaven that God has so intricately laid out for us in His Word (The Bible) and through His Holy Spirit (Ghost) who has the task of aiding us in our transformation from a sinner to a saint! We see in Matthew 7:13 that many have chosen the road/pathway that leads to destruction although they were told to enter in at the narrow gate!

Why might you ask when given such explicit information would many choose to go an opposite way?

SELFISHNESS! Mankind by nature is a selfish being.

We love to do things that please us and tend to think of only things that satisfy our craving and lustful desires. We like to be able to declare as was done in a commercial by Burger King and a great crooner/singer from the 1940's-50's, Frank Sinatra; we want to do and have things done “MY WAY!” Well, our way will never satisfy God as He says in Isaiah 55:8 KJV of the Bible: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my says, saith the Lord.” God neither thinks or acts like us for He is Holy (see Leviticus 11:44 & 1 Peter 1:16) and we are not (see Romans 3:23) therefore in order to travel the journey He has set before us we need to conform to the scriptures found in Romans 12:1-2 KJV in the Bible: “1-I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2-And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. It's really not hard to be a Christian and live a life that is pleasing to God; you just have to follow “The Instructions (The Bible)!”

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