One Jewish Man's Look at Christmas

I have followed the Lord Jesus to the best of my limited abilities for over forty years. However, I am Jewish - raised Orthodox. For many Jews, Christmas does not make sense. Even now as a believer, I fail to see why this one day causes so much commotion. I have listened to all the reasons why we celebrate Christmas. I hear the clamor from those who wish to abolish it like when our nation engaged in a great civil war to abolish slavery. To date, I have not heard one well-reasoned position, which satisfies my personal need to understand why so many millions of people make such a big fuss over Christmas. Why do I relate to Charlie Brown shouting in desperation, "Isn't there anyone, who can tell me what Christmas is all about?"

President Ulysses S. Grant declared Christmas a national holiday on June 26, 1870 to honor Christ's birthday. The celebratory nature of this holiday has changed over time, but from my observation, I am not sure many Americans follow this tenet, today. For example, why do so many people push and shove in stores promoting extended shopping hours, searching for a meaningless gift that is neither wanted nor needed to give a not too-distant relative? If our purpose is to honor the Lord of glory, why do we pursue stress-inducing activities robbing us of our peace and joy?

Is the opposite more accurate? Statistics indicate more people suffer from depression or heart failure, commit suicides, homicides, or crimes of passion, engage in self-destructive adulterous affairs, or cause fatal alcohol and/or drug influenced traffic accidents, than at any other single time of the year. Is this Christmas?

Why did Christians pick a day around the time pagans used to celebrate the winter solstice? Granted, no one knows the exact date Jesus arrived and scripture gives us sketchy information at best. Luke 3:23 tells us Jesus was about thirty years of age when He began his ministry. Church tradition holds to a calculated speculation that Jesus reached 33 years of age when He died on the cross. So, is there a better basis upon which to draw His birth assumption? Historically, rulers took a census at the beginning of a new year. All of Palestine at the time of Jesus' birth recognized the New Year at Rosh Hashanah, which always falls in the September/October time of year. The census forced Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem so the evidence from scripture and history circumstantially point to an early fall birth for our Lord. Maybe Christmas should honor His birthday on a day closer to when the event more probably occurred.

By the way, what does the Lord Himself think about all this wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, trees, and lights? Does He have an opinion on all this? I think He does. In Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 15, verses one through fifteen, and in Mark's account, Chapter seven, verses one through thirteen, Jesus describes His attitude towards these traditions we annually practice. I see a parallel between what Jesus told the people then and what I am sure He would repeat today. We have invalidated the Word of God by our traditions.

Obviously, nothing I think, say, or write is going to change any of these things. People will continue to flock to shopping centers and/or purchase gifts on line. They will exchange these things with friends and family for whatever purpose or reason they hold dear. The practice still looks strange to us who have learned about God from a different point of view. The pursuit of the Yuletide tradition does nothing to present the baby born in Bethlehem as the Messiah of Israel, the One who will save us from our enemy.

Regardless, there is something special about Christmas this time of year. It is good to remember the angel's annunciation to the shepherds:

"And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.' " (Luke 2:10-14, KJV)

With that, I wish to offer a simple greeting: Happy Birthday Lord Jesus - whenever it is - and, Merry Christmas to all my friends and family. May you all have a God blessed New Year.

Political Detox

Every now and then, I need to go through political detoxification. I must ground myself on Biblical foundational values and principles, to have my perspective adjusted, to reject the world's multi-faceted opinions and embrace with vice-grip strength, God's priorities. For over a month, I turned off the radio, television, and computer and restricted my information input to His scriptures.

As a man, I find greater clarity when I can disconnect from all routines, head for the wilderness, and while surrounded by His creation, reconnect with God. During these times, I surrender to His sovereign will and purposes with gut honesty. The questions I asked on this trip, "Why am I failing to be effective? I can see the target's center. Why do I miss every attempt to communicate a straight shot? What is the root cause for the drift? Have I compromised?"

If I am willing to listen to His response, He answers. Like any good Rabbi, He replies to my questions with a question and He usually starts with, "Are you seeking My kingdom and righteousness first, or are you pursuing the things of this world?"

Busted.

Politics is without question a thing of this world: evil, wicked, immoral, corrupted and sinful, and because it is a thing - irredeemable. The compromise I pursued was a vain attempt to work within our fallen system. It has broken faith with our founding principles and Constitutional framework. Trying to appease a culture bent on self-corruption and self-destruction is for me, a believer a waste of my time, talent, and resources. God did not create me to fight a culture war but to elevate His holy kingdom, which is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. I forgot, He is not interested in saving our secular theocracy, but the souls of men and women.

However, does this mean I disengage. No. If anything, I believe He wants me to stand; yet, I must know with certainty for what I stand. When I recite, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands . . ." do I know the difference between our Republic, other republics (like the USSR), and democracies (touted by the left and why)? If I do not know, I better find out and prepare to articulate the distinctions. I cannot emphasize this enough - comprehending and stating with clarity the dissimilarities is a matter of happiness versus misery, liberty opposed to bondage, life or death. Can I trust for one second the evil doers pursuing Jihad, pushing Sharia Law (in the name of Democracy), and infiltrating our government at all levels will allow me to live under out Constitutional protected liberties? Did I forget our constitutional republic and Islam cannot co-exist? Islam (along with its adherence to Sharia Law) shall not be dominated. Islam shall dominate (for more information about this conflict, I recommend, "Shariah, The Threat to America," by the Center for Security Policy). I am convinced followers of Islam will not rest until they remove or subjugate all resistance to it and watch the statue of Liberty sink deep under New York Harbor.

After pressing these and several other, "Well reasoned," arguments while walking through the woods, the Lord brought me back to His concern with my attitude and behavior. Do I pursue His holiness?

When I need a means of comparison, I do not look to the lifestyles of the rich and famous, but to the responsible and self-reliant founding citizens. With but a few exceptions (always exploited by the liberal-progressive left), these independent souls lived morally blameless lives, pursuing holiness (I recommend, "The Pursuit of Holiness," by Jerry Bridges). From the colonists, I see a consistent thread, regardless of the State they resided in, or region of the country. The people of the original thirteen colonies created and ratified State Constitutions expressing there purpose for existence. They saw the need to provide an environment, which would allow a godly lifestyle to flourish. Not all required their citizens to pursue a life pleasing to God but all wanted this inalienable right protected for themselves and their posterity (which includes us today, and hopefully future generations). As they pursued lives of piety (worshipping the Creator and King of the Universe while serving each other with loving-kindness), they confronted the storms of life with confidence God would guide them through. Recognizing the basis for their strength (Biblical principles), to achieve happiness I must pursue holiness. What liberty I would enjoy if free from the domination of sin and proved morally blameless like so many of our founders. If I pursue holiness, I have reason to believe it will yield happiness, regardless of my station in life, rich or poor, sick or well. I can see why the European elitist, Karl Marx, considered religion the opium of the people (parroted by the left). I prefer exercising my God given right to pursue living under His liberating holiness, which leads to true happiness connected to my Maker.

So long after Mr. Marx began his eternal, hot and spicy confinement, we now see that the real drug, which keeps the populace anesthetized, a true poison, stronger and more addictive than heroin, is government entitlements. When the drug wears off and people cannot get a fresh fix, watch out.

The citizens of the United States have allowed government agencies to spring up like weeds, which propagate unchecked choking out an individual's ability to grow. We accepted the lie that government experts know best. We substituted personal responsibility for government subsidy, we are addicted, and too many Americans love it so. Somehow, we need to all join, "Entitlements Anonymous," and have the courage to stand up and admit, "Hi, I'm Charles and I have received Government handouts." As I see it, the only way out is detoxification. I must reject Government assistance, embrace personal responsibility, and stand up declaring, "In God is my trust."

After receiving clarity of purpose, I walked out of the forest, back into the cesspool of politics, and found another article that makes a good case for supporting the Constitution of the United States and Limited Government. It seems my Christian and Jewish brethren, who acknowledge God as their Creator and granter of liberty, recognize the importance of limiting the necessary evil power of government because fallen, sinful, and corruptible (yet redeemable) people run the administrative agencies harassing our lives. I recognize the need for government but I do not think we need to make lifetime careers out of government short-term, shovel-ready construction projects. For those people who feel government is the answer to all human woes, do you honestly believe the myriad of costly to operate, inefficient Government agencies with their thuggish, non-essential, public-sector unionized bureaucrats who receive pay and benefits at taxpayer expense never make mistakes or squander a single tax dollar? Isn't it time that they grew up, became responsible, productive members of this great experiment in liberty, and resist the temptation to embrace the lie that all our problems can be fixed if we force the rich to pay their fair share, which they already do and more? (Warren Buffet, if you want your elite, country-club friends to pay more taxes, lead by example and right a check) Maybe if they used their creativity to earn wealth instead of finding cleaver ways to condemn capitalism and use Government force to take other peoples' money, they might have a greater appreciation for God's wondrous gift of liberty.

Iowa Staw-Poll Results (An Opinion)

Okay, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann won and Congressman Ron Paul came in second. Governor Tim Pawlenty dropped out and Texas Governor Rick Perry jumped in to the race. Jon Caldera, a local Denver, Colorado radio host, says, "There is nothing the Republican Party can't screw up." I congratulate Ms. Bachmann. She ran and attractive campaign for the Iowa straw-poll. However, when was the last sitting member of the House of Representatives elected to the office of President? For those products of the Federal Department of Education (aka, Public School System), it was James A. Garfield (not to be confused with the cartoon fat cat), elected in 1880, shot on July 2, 1881, and died on September 19, 1881. Garfield was the first and last sitting member of the House elected President (our 20th).

As a Constitutional Conservative, I am looking for the candidate who will fight for the Constitution. Bush 43 paid it lip service calling it a, "G-D piece of paper." The current usurper-in-chief seems to enjoy shredding it. It appears to me he has touched off the afterburners in a full-scale assault to strafe our Constitutional Republic and subject America to the United Nations.

However, I want one of these candidates to stand up and say it is time for us to bring our troops home. I am not an isolationist, because it is unrealistic. Yet I ask do we have a clear mission to accomplish in the three published wars we are fighting? It seems our current liar-in-chief is intentionally weakening our nation. Can someone explain to me why we protect the border between North and South Korea, and the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, yet we fail to close and protect our national boundaries?

In addition, I want a candidate who will put all entitlements on the table, including sacred-Social Security. The Constitution does not require the Federal Government to be the great benevolent provider - it cannot no matter how much the government steals from American taxpayers. This is not a fairness issue; it is how much theft will, we the people, allow. Obama Senior wrote in his economic thesis he believed it would be okay for a government to tax its populace 100% of their earnings so long as the government provided services were commensurate with the taking. How are agencies such as the EPA, DOE, and DHS performing? If they worked for me (oh wait - they do), I would fire all of them for failing to meet their stated objectives. For example, President Carter created the DOE in 1973. Their stated mission: Free America from foreign oil dependency. 38 years later, are we more or less dependent?

As we grow more dependent on government, we should recall that throughout history, every benevolent government eventually turns hostile on its own citizens, even if it is only a small segment of its population - a scapegoat for blaming society's ills. Americans have traded liberty for security. Now, we deserve neither. Apparently, the current administration (and its State controlled media) considers anyone like me a public enemy because I refuse to break faith with the founding principles, which formed our nation's Constitution. I hope I have the courage to stand up like Patrick Henry and declare, "Give me liberty or give me death."

Finally, I long for a candidate who will tell this nation the truth. It needs to repent and turn to the Lord, begging Him to lead us in a revival of faith, freedom, and personal responsibility. As a historian, unless we entreat God's intervention, we are doomed to follow the path of all previous empires - all fall and become enslaved by the next conqueror in line - possibly Russia, likely China, most probably the rioting-radical-Islamic nation. Regardless, liberty as we know it will cease to exist and a slaughter will ensue to make sure the sheep comply with the new masters.

Well, the 8-ring circus is over and who knows what we are going to be stuck with - certainly no one who will fit any of my unreasonable and unrealistic criteria. Since I doubt anyone will lead our body politic to humble ourselves before God, I pray for a revival at the individual level because unless we repent and turn to the Lord, America will be no more. Oh, the land will be here, and we will be residents of something, but never again the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Iowa Debate Results (An Opinion)

This post is a quick opinion piece regarding last night's Republican Presidential dog and pony show. My favorite fighter for America's survival as an independent, sovereign nation and future existence was Newt Gingrich. I want someone who will go on the offensive, and if necessary, be offensive against the self-proclaimed, progressive elites from both parties who think they control the sheep in their body-politic pasture.

I think Herman Cain advanced his status and I still like the idea of having a President who is not a whitewashed sepulcher like the Pharisees of Washington, DC.

The next fighter who scored punch points with me for truth, justice, and traditional American values fell to Rick Santorum. Unfortunately while fighting for the sanctity of human life and the correct definition of marriage, he complained too much about the amount of time he had before the audience.

The rest failed to impress me whatsoever and it is time for Tim Pawlenty to give up his place in the race.

So, I ranked my scorecard as follows:
1. Newt Gingrich, 2. Herman Cain, 3. Rick Santorum, 4. Michele Bachman, 5. Mitt Romney, 6. Ron Paul, 7. Jon Huntsman, and 8. Tim Pawlenty.

That is my opinion. Saturday, we will find out what the people of Iowa think.

Western Conservative Summit - 2011 (An Observation)

This year's Western Conservative Summit proved to be more than informative and inspiring. It proved revelatory. The Centennial Institute, think tank arm of Colorado Christian University (CCU) sponsored the weekend-filled conference. The stable of speakers was impressive and their topics covered a broad spectrum of thought provoking national concerns, international issues, and contrasts between constructive conservative and self-destructive, liberal-progressive worldviews.

In this post, I will address my observation of the declared and undeclared Republican Presidential hopefuls: Texas Governor Rick Perry (undeclared); Former US Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum (declared); Former UN Ambassador, John Bolton (undeclared); and Businessman, Herman Cain (declared). They all gave respectable speeches, but one inspired. They all said the right conservative words, but one set the right tone and tempo. They all expressed good ideas for putting America back on the right track to be that exceptional shining city upon a hill, but one showed us his executable plan. They are all good men, but one stood out above the rest.

I applied to CCU to be part of their volunteer corps to ensure the operational success of the Summit. CCU selected me to participate on the team that would monitor their respective book signing times. Moving people to and from these candidates for an hour or so placed me in the unique, close-proximity to observe how these four, mere men, interacted with people. I list them here in an order from the least to the most personable (in my opinion).

• Texas Governor, Rick Perry,


• Former UN Ambassador, John Bolton,


• Former US Senator from Pennsylvania, Rick Santorum, and


• Businessman, Herman Cain.

Governor Perry sat behind a table several feet away from the nearest admirer. He never once lifted off his chair until it was time to leave. Ambassador Bolton sat behind his table throughout his book signing, but allowed people to come up to it and he provided a chair next to him so fans could sit comfortably during a quick photo-shoot. Senator Santorum stood to his feet for every photograph; he allowed ample human contact ranging from simple handshakes to warm, yet appropriate (for a conservative crowd) embraces.

Herman Cain signed books, programs, bumper stickers, pamphlets, hats, and T-Shirts and he sat, stood, hugged, and shook hands. For me, the moment-of-truth arrived when his chief-of-staff leaned in to whisper in his ear that he won the straw poll by a whopping margin. I know this because I stood right across from his left side at this historical moment. Mr. Cain simply smiled, addressed his next visitor, and signed another book.

By the way, the one Presidential Candidate who gave an inspirational speech, set the right tone and tempo, presented and executable plan (handed out copies), and stood out above the rest, is Mr. Herman Cain.

Folks, it is time to raise Cain!

Author By Night

Author By Night

Christian Fiction On-line Magazine published an article regarding why I write.

Why We NEED the Constitution (Part 2)

The Christian Post has picked up my defense of the United States Constitution articles. The second article is linked here: "Why We NEED the Constitution."

Defense for The Constitution of United States - Part 1 - A Discussion

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." (The Declaration of Independence of the Thirteen Colonies, July 4, 1776 - emphasis mine)

It is my sincere hope this planned set of articles will inspire a dialogue to explore the exceptional nature of The Unites States of America's Constitutional Republic. In the interest of, "Full Disclosure," I am the author of the sweeping historical fiction epic, Destination Hope, produced by OakTara Publishers. Destination Hope is a five book series set before, during and after the American Civil War when the American people put the proposition stated above, "all men are created equal," through a fiery trial. That was not the first time our United States Constitution - the only government foundational document designed to protect this unique idea - needed a voice for its defense. I suspect it will not be the last.

The first attack on the concept of self-governance occurred before the original thirteen states ratified it for themselves and their posterity. At that time, many of the Colonists were not convinced of our defining, self-evident truth. Many believed George Washington was a Gnostic who knew what was best for the nation and begged him to rule as king over the lesser people. Thankfully, Thomas Paine wrote, "Common Sense," refuting the corrupting-false concept of "Monarchy and Hereditary Succession." Furthermore, several founders gave us the Federalist papers (85 essays published between 1787 & 1788), which explained why the individual states should adopt the concept of forming a more-perfect Union. Compromises left the institution of slavery protected, which contributed to a national constitutional crisis resulting in the death of over 620,000 American men, women, and children between 1861 and 1865. Out of this crucible, the nation emerged with a new birth of freedom, defining Americans as people who love liberty - willing to lay down our lives to purchase freedom for those held in bondage in the great hope that by granting liberty to the captive we ensure freedom for the free.

Unfortunately, after a more-than hundred-year war waged in darkness, the enemies of our Constitution (Socialists, Communists, followers of Islam, Progressives, and Social Justice/Gospel advocates to name a few) have joined together to create chaos all around the world. Worse, domestic enemies have surfaced throughout our nation clamoring for class warfare and revolution spurred on by complicit educators, pop-culture icons, regulatory administrators, politicians and members of the media. These self-proclaimed, pedigree displaying, intelligentsia elitists have declared the Constitution and its founders no longer relevant to a modern world, proclaimed the document a fundamentally flawed piece of paper, demand that our outdated Republic yield to a pure Global Democracy, and for individual Americans to surrender our citizenship and sovereignty to enemies of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is my opinion; The Constitution of the United States of America is the only government foundation document that stands in the way of oppressive and repressive totalitarian regimes: Theocracies, Monarchies, Elitist Oligarchies, and Social Democracies. Our Constitutional Republic guarantees the free expression of all ideas - even bad, stupid, illogical, immature, and evil ones. For me, I think the most important protection is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has an equal seat at the table and voice in the marketplace of ideas.

So, let us start an open dialogue with question number 1, are all men created equal?

Immigration Debate

Last night, my wife, Mary, and I attended Colorado Christian University's, Centennial Institute's immigration debate. The subject matter revolved around the question, "What approach is civically and morally best for Colorado and the USA - Restrict, Relax, or Rethink immigration? The panelists were Freshman Colorado State Senator, Lucia Guzman, Ms. Helen Krieble of the Krieble Foundation, Rosemary Jenks of Numbers USA, and Former Colorado State Senator, David Schultheis.

In general, we found the event educational. I admit, we went with our preconceived notions about the issue; however, we wanted to give the other side an opportunity to present their ideas - wh we should no longer deem illegal immigrants, "Illegal."

In summary, the proponent of, "Relaxed Immigration Policies," failed to present a convincing argument. In my opinion, I view our country as I view my home. In deference to the self-proclaimed intellects, I realize this is a simplistic analogy, but obviously, I think it can be sustained.

The people who live in my house, or have free access to it, have a right and/or privilege to do so because: 1) Mary and I own the house (with the mortgage company), and 2) those that have access are either family members or close, proven and trustworthy friends - their allegiance to our household is never in question.

The folks who know me best, know that I hold fast to a well-defined, Biblical Worldview. Again, in my opinion, the debaters, regardless of their position, missed a fundamental, self-evident truth. Anyone who comes into my house uninvited, or does not have the owner's granted privilege, has entered illegally. Consequently, I have the God given right, and God demanded duty, to protect my wife, children, and friends against the invader. I am permitted by the State of Colorado to use deadly force, if necessary. Regarding the intruder, I do not care if he broke in to look for work, to clean my windows, shampoo my carpets, or bathe my dog. He failed to enter through the correct door, me or my wife, and I nor my wife have granted the privilege to sit on our couch, eat our food, or kidnap our children. Similarly, the illegal alien does not have a Government conferred right to American jobs, services, or welfare, while stealing US property, consuming US resources, or murdering US citizens.

I have asked myself and contemplated from where does the self-evident right of securing private property, or national boarders come? Yeshua, the Messiah, reveals an answer. I recommend an examination of the Gospel of John, Chapter 10. Notice His use of possessive ownership language. He declares Himself to be, "The Door." He labels all who do not come through Him as thieves and robbers. On the day we stand before Him, we will not be allowed to enter His Kingdom unless He has given us His Holy Seal, which proves our Heavenly citizenship.

To obtain His legal citizenship, He asks all people to follow a few simple entrance rules. All will reach His eternal border crossing. Illegal aliens will not be allowed entry, they will not be granted citizenship; even if all they want to do, are jobs His saints do not want to do.