Something Really Stinks in New York City

The more that comes out about this story, the more something stinks in New York City, and it seems to begin with the Port Authority. More links to the truth about St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and the perfidy of New York City officials:

St. Nicholas Church at the World Trade Center

http://www.stnicholasnyc.com/

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

http://www.facebook.com/goarch?ref=mf&v=wall

Church at Ground Zero Overshadowed by Mosque

Father Mark Arey and Fmr. Gov. Pataki on the stalled rebuilding of the Greek Orthodox church destroyed on Sept. 11.

http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/4315985/church-at-ground-zero-overshadowed-by-mosque/?playlist_id=87185

NYC Officials: Mosque, Yes; resident Greek Orthodox Church, No

NYC Officials: Mosque, Yes; resident Greek Orthodox Church, No

The governments of Greece and Italy have donated funding for the rebuilding of this church, The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was destroyed on 9/11 when one of the towers fell upon it...

NYC Reneges on Support to Rebuild 911 Greek Orthodox Church

NYC approves Islamic mosque near Ground Zero, says "no" to Greek Orthodox Church, only house of worship destroyed on 9-1-1. Somebody's lying; NYC officials or the church priest?

Decision Not to Rebuild Church Destroyed on 9/11 Surprises Greek Orthodox Leaders

www.foxnews.com

Greek Orthodox leaders trying to rebuild the only church destroyed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks expressed shock this week after learning, via Fox News, that government officials had declared a deal to relocate the church dead.

Why Does America's Military Fight?

by Ed Evans, MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)

Recently I posted a video of former President George and Laura Bush meeting members of the American military returning from Afghanistan through the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. The troops didn't know these two private citizens would be there, so it was a complete, and pleasant, surprise. George and Laura greeted them warmly, talked with them, had their pictures taken with the men and their wives, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. I noted that this is what a real President does.

One person responded to the video by asking why wouldn't Bush be there to welcome them home, after all, they were there because of him. When I responded that no, they were there because Americans had been murdered by terrorist attacks, and that 911 was just part of that. The response to that was that my words were "poetic and skewed." I confess I never understood the "poetic" part. However, it occurred me that this was not the first person who truly seemed to have misunderstood the danger we were in, how long that danger had been stalking us, and why our military was in Iraq and Afghanistan. And so the following response, posted here rather than targeting the original responder.

~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

America stands practically alone among nations in having an all-volunteer military. No one is drafted or forced to serve. They volunteer for what lies ahead of them. No one wants to fight, but someone must know how, to preserve the precious light of freedom God has given us. From as far back as 1775 when the U.S. Marine Corps was formed, even before there was a colonial army, American warriors have taken the fight to the enemy. We don't want to have to fight in the streets of New York City or Chicago or L.A. You attack us, we come after you, and we fight on your ground, destroy your cities.

This war we are in began not with 911, but goes back as far as 1984 when Iranian Muslim terrorists killed more than 300 Marines when they crashed a bomb-filled truck into their barracks as they slept in Beirut, Lebanon. I had just left there and was spared, praise God.

I won't give you a history lesson, but America and Americans have been attacked many times since 1984, always by Muslim terrorists, on land, at sea, and in the air. 911 was simply the culmination of that. There is nothing poetic about war. You must go after them and stop them, or your wife, your children, your brothers and sisters, your mother and father, they all become captives to be abused, misused, and murdered. And so you go. This was not George Bush's war, this was America's reaction to the war forced upon it, to protect ourselves, our nation. The entire world needs America to survive. If there were no America, they would have to invent one to provide such humanitarian support, medical technology, labor-saving inventions, and even trained managers.

But you need to understand, as has been said before, that the soldier fights not because of what is in front of him, but because of what he left behind at home. And since we volunteered for the training to do this, we are grateful our leadership supports this fight and allows us to engage this enemy and protect our loved ones, to keep the terror away from them. No, not poetic and not skewed. Straight forward, simple logic.

If you only knew them as I do, having dealt with them first-hand, face to face, and after studying them for years, you would understand better. The soldier is not some ignorant lump who cannot do anything else. He or she is more likely well-educated, sensitive, good citizens. The worst thing about war is we often lose our best and brightest, because they understand best what is at stake. They understand very well, so they go, and they do, and many times we lose them to combat. It then becomes incumbent upon the survivors, the protected, to take their place in society, honor their sacrifice by exercising the very freedoms for which they gave their life away to protect.

War is merely the harshest extension of diplomacy. I often wished our government would field as many diplomats as they do men and women under arms, before the shooting starts. But that option is often removed from us by our enemies.

Perhaps my opening up to you from my heart on this issue will allow you to look through the eyes of the warrior, scarred for life by the blood and gore of taking the lives of persistent enemy, and nearly having your life taken, but all because you chose to be there. You made a conscious decision that it would be you, not your sons or daughters who would stand against the enemies of freedom. And if that gives you just a prescient look inside a warrior's heart, you will gain a sense of why we are appalled when people make such comments as you have made about people such as George Bush. He has been there with us in the maelstrom, held the hands of more sorrowing parents than I hope you will ever know, eaten with us, prayed with us, wept with us.

Maybe, somehow, you will gain an understanding of why I say with Job in chapter 13, verse 15, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust him." Job, of course, was talking about Almighty God. George Bush is merely a man doing his best as God gives him light to see. That's what we did. And between ourselves -- including men I know by name every day, for as long as I live, who stepped into that ring of fire to give their life for you and I -- and those of the Bush administration, we did the best we could as God gave us light to see. Those who are alive today, because of that, those who speak English today instead of Arabic Farsi, or Chinese, or something else, it would be so much more fulfilling to hear a simple "thank you", than to hear the words of our enemies parroted from your mouth, to hear a raging against those who did their best to keep you free. Which you are. But, frankly, not for long when the protected make it their lot in life to criticize, pillory and ridicule those who bought their freedom. For as we go away, and sooner or later everyone goes away, those who should take our place will have been watching, and they will not step into that ring of fire. Then all is lost.

Throwing More Marines on the Jobless Bonfire

Comment: Oh, good. Let's throw a few more thousand out on the jobless market. Let's see, 50 million already looking for jobs that don't exist, then the Defense Dept. is going to release those 3,000 who were held past their military contract, then add these Marines into the mix.

I have to ask, is the Poseur President Barack Hussein Obama deliberately attempting to break this nation? Doing a darn good job of it.

As for Gates, he says he's leaving. Here's your hat, Robert, let me get the door for you. He can't go fast enough, even though I feel his successor won't be much better.

Marine Corps Could Shrink, Gates Predicts
Defense secretary tells new Marines he will ensure they will have all they need on battlefield
(SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE 14 AUG 10) ... Gretel C. Kovach

Defense Secretary Robert Gates predicted Friday during a visit to San Diego that
the region’s sizable military and defense community could expect a smaller
Marine Corps and other deep changes as the Pentagon embarks on a major
reorganization.
Gates hopes to cut $100 billion over the next five years in overhead and
nonessential weapons programs to channel more resources to war fighters.
It is difficult to determine the impact on San Diego County before the Navy
Department sets its priorities, Gates said, speaking at Marine Corps Recruit
Depot San Diego. But based on his comments in recent days, potential
crosscurrents facing the area include:
• A smaller force of Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton and supporting bases.
• More money for shipbuilding and other critical equipment.
• A 10 percent cut in overall defense contracting.
• More efficient command staffs, including elimination of some general and
admiral positions.
The Pentagon’s spending in San Diego County is significant. In 2008, the most
recent year available, the overall impact amounted to $26.5 billion in output
and 328,000 jobs, according to a study by the San Diego Military Advisory
Council.
During his two-day visit to San Diego, Gates said “there is a future for the
Marine Corps, but it isn’t as a second land Army. And that is what the new
commandant is going to have to address.
“The future mission has to be true to the maritime missions and expertise of the
Corps,” Gates said Friday. “It has to be expeditionary. I agree with (Marine
commandant, Gen. James T.) Conway that it needs to be lighter.”
A sailor asked Gates during a visit Thursday to the destroyer Higgins at San
Diego Naval Base how the streamlining would affect his shipmates.
If the Pentagon budget works out the way he intends, “they’ll get the money,”
Gates said, though he added that the number of Navy personnel, now at about
330,000, is unlikely to expand. “I want it to go into our force structure. I
want it to go into modernization and investments in future capabilities.”
He said he is especially concerned about making sure the Marines and sailors he
met in San Diego have the tools they need to do their jobs, whether it’s
training troops or fixing engines.
“The whole purpose is really to slim down on overhead and bureaucracy and large
staffs, and try and convert that from tail to tooth for the long run,” Gates
said.
Gates announced plans Monday to shutter a major command based in Virginia that
employs about 5,000 people. On Thursday, Gates said he ordered a Force Structure
Review for the Marine Corps, which tasked commanders with defining what makes
the Marines unique from the Army.
To cope with the strain of years of ground combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, the
Corps grew from 175,000 to 202,000 Marines. It will likely shrink again as
troops draw down in Afghanistan, Gates and other military leaders said, but by
how much remains in doubt.
Gates has also questioned whether large-scale amphibious landings along the
lines of the Korean War invasion of Inchon in 1950 are still feasible, striking
at one of the unique capabilities of the Marine “soldiers of the sea.”
But many defense analysts say that, even in the age of long-range missiles, the
flexibility of deploying Marine forces from Navy ships for humanitarian,
training and combat missions remains invaluable.
The problem is that it is expensive, said Dakota Wood, a retired Marine and
senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
“It is no small feat to build a sizable amphibious ship and to field the type of
force that you would put inside that ship, with the skill set needed to organize
and execute an amphibious operation,” he said. “It’s a fairly complex military
operation. It takes a lot of time and expertise to do it well.”
Gates said he has asked all of the service chiefs to identify priorities for how
they want to reinvest the funding obtained from more efficient oversight.
“I don’t know what the impact of some of the decisions the Navy will make will
have on San Diego,” Gates said Friday. “But I can tell you if it involves ships,
readiness, force structure, weapons, future capabilities — those are all areas I
would like to see get more money.
“On the other hand, if you have an overstaffed headquarters, you might have a
problem,” he said.
During his visit to the recruit depot, Gates served as the parade reviewing
officer for a company of 196 new Marines. Then he watched recruits tumble and
pummel their way through combat training. The young men, sweat trickling down
their dusty faces, paused to catch their breaths and pose for pictures with
Gates.
During his stay in San Diego, Gates also visited San Diego Naval Medical Center
at Balboa Park and a class of Navy SEAL recruits in Coronado.
“It takes uncommon patriotism to join the military in a time of war,” Gates told
the Marines.
“For my part, I will do all I can to see that you have everything you need to
accomplish your mission and come home safely, because I feel a deep personal
responsibility for every one of you, as if you were my own sons.”

MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
Not as lean, not as mean, but still a Marine.
PUT AMERICA FIRST!
http://www.facebook.com/ed.evans1?ref=profile
Stop being a good Democrat. Stop being a good Republican. Start being a good American.”

The Marine Who Saluted Rolling Thunder -- the rest of the story

This information came to me originally by email, so I am posting it here below in that format, except that I am suppressing email addresses. If I don't, they seem to wind up on spammers' lists.

You may have seen the video of this Marine in dress blues standing for hours saluting the 3,000 members of Rolling Thunder riding up Constitution Avenue. But here is the rest of the story...

_______________________________________________
Gyrene242's News and Views for putting America first.
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The information below about this video is absolutely worth reading, re: Marine SSgt. Tim Chambers.

However, what is not generally known is that these 3,000 patriots from Rolling Thunder are the reason Pres. Obama left town and went to the cemetery outside Chicago, where the God of all Gods saw to it he was greeted by a gale force rainstorm and lightning bolts. At Arlington Cemetery, where he was supposed to be, VP Biden has sunny skies and fair winds as he paid homage to our honored dead.

Every year of his presidency, Pres. Bush met Rolling Thunder's motorcade to D.C. on Memorial Day. Pres. Obama left town so he didn't have to go to Arlington, and didn't have to meet Rolling Thunder.

So this Marine, SSgt. Tim Chambers, would have been doing more than he appears, perhaps more than he knew. He is representing not just all America's patriots, and all of us Marine patriots, he is standing in place for the Chief Executive of this nation; in your face, Mr. President. And Semper Fi Marines, everywhere.

BTW, one of the messages below refers to his command giving him a hard time about his appearance. The way to help him is not to blast his command, but to write to the Commanding General, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Calif., and thank him for the outstanding performance by a Marine of his command. Or, you can simply pass on your thanks and your respect to SSgt. Chambers himself. His email is also noted below.

Ed Evans
MGySgt., USMC (Ret.)
Not as lean, not as mean, but still a Marine.
PUT AMERICA FIRST!
Stop being a good Democrat. Stop being a good Republican. Start being a good American.”

In a message dated 6/19/2010 12:50:38 P.M. Central Daylight Time, jkafka52 writes:

Thanks Master Chief Burlage.

-----Original Message-----
From: JBurlage

This comes from Mark Dye, a wonderful friend and retired senior Navy officer. It's in response to my request for more information about the lone Marine's vigil during "Rolling Thunder." I note he's getting flak from his command for taking part in the way he does. Are his superiors nuts or just plain stupid?

---

From: mhdye
To: JBurlage
Sent: 6/18/2010 5:53:36 P.M. Central Daylight Time
Subj: "Rolling Thunder," and a Marine's vigil -- and the REST OF THE STORY!

He stands for several long hours - it becomes extremely painful but he doesn’t quit.

He’s been doing this for 6 years now.

SSgt Tim Chambers

May 31, 2010 — A solitary Marine holds vigil at full attention during the Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally in tribute to fallen comrades.

Patti and I rode into Washington DC with Run For The Wall last Friday then rode in Rolling Thunder on Sunday. We met this Marine -- SSgt Tim Chambers and his mom. SSgt Chambers was at our hotel, saluting the veterans riding in from California. We spoke with him for some time. SSgt Chambers is stationed in Camp Pendleton and has been saluting the riders of Rolling Thunder for six years. He pays his own way to DC each Memorial Day weekend but is now getting some harassment from his command for his “saluting”. He can be reached at tim4america at his AOL address. Send him a thank you note, he deserves it!

SSGT Tim Chambers

The Lone Marine

WASHINGTON, D.C., May 29

Thousands of people were lining the streets. It was May 29, Rolling Thunder Sunday in Washington, D.C., and the Run For The Wall was about to start. Impatiently pacing, I was scanning the crowds for one individual in particular, a Marine in full dress uniform. This particular marine had captured my curiosity. For the past several years, I had seen him in his dress uniform standing on the double yellow lines holding a salute for every biker in the Thunder procession. He would stand at attention from start to finish. This was a feat that would last over four hours and display the meaning of intestinal fortitude. I was on a quest to talk to this marine. I had tried in vain calling all the usual suspects from the Marine Corps, but no one knew anything on the subject. Only later did I find out this Marine was a lone wolf, not a sanctioned poster boy for The Corps.

Noon was fast approaching and you could hear the collective roar of bikes getting ready to run their pilgrimage. I took one more long look around the corner of Constitution Avenue and then I saw him. Moving with a half swagger and half march, the marine approached, his family in tow, and he headed toward his appointed spot just shy of the turn onto Constitution. As he walked you could hear the loud shouts of "Semper Fi" which were in turn answered with a guttural "hoorah!" Along the way, he shook hands and stopped often to kneel down and talk to kids. You could feel his energy as he drew nearer and heard him speak. His demeanor was stern, but kind, and when he spoke he looked directly into your eyes. With a firm handshake, he agreed to give me a few minutes at the end of the run after the last bike rolled by. I in turn assured him a cold bottle of water when he was done. I knew he would need it.

A giant rock of a man was assigned to help guide motorcycles to the left and right, a road guard if you will. The marine began to take his position in the center of the street when a young boy wearing a Marine shirt walked up to him and in the blink of an eye, they were doing push-ups in the middle of the road. Suddenly, the call came out that the Run For The Wall was about to start. People were quickly cleared from the street. The roar of machines grew louder and the unrelenting lines of bikes appeared. In one smooth mechanical motion, the lone marine cocked his salute as bikes began to roll by.

The marine is Staff Sergeant Tim Chambers. I spoke to his mom, Diane Desantis, his grandmother Anne Desantis, his girlfriend, Mariam Ebrahimi and his buddy Nathan Linkof. Tim was one of six kids in a very active household. He came from a lineage of military folks as his father was a Marine in Vietnam and his grandfather was in the Coast Guard in World War II. Tim?s family came from the small town of Silverton, Oregon.

Tim spends hundreds of hours helping out various charities, advocates for veterans' benefits and their causes and visits veterans' hospitals. Tim's card explains what he is all about. He is starting a charitable organization called "Tim-for-America" whose centerpiece is, "improving the quality of life of our youth, the less fortunate and heroic veterans." His aim is ambitious, but simple: Get people involved and volunteer to help.

After more than four hours, the last bikes finally came over the bridge and slowed down to pass by Tim. When the last escort motorcycle rode by, Tim cracked his salute in perfect military precision. He did a left face and walked toward his family. The surrounding crowds erupted into applause and people came from everywhere to shake Tim's hand and thank him. He would in turn thank every person for being there. Although sweating, Tim seemed no worse for the wear.

Tim explained that for several years, when he was stationed in D.C., he would wear his uniform during Rolling Thunder and walk around talking to people. He would shake hands and thank veterans and their families. He listened to their stories and their plights. Tim decided that he wanted to do something to show that he cared. He spontaneously, in full uniform, stepped into the road during Rolling Thunder 2002 and gave his salute to the riders in the Run For The Wall. The next couple of years his spontaneous salute evolved in to a planned event. This year, he was invited by The Rolling Thunder organization, which flew his family in from Oregon and Tim from 29 Palms, California.

As I walked away, it struck me that I hadn't asked the most important question. I turned around and called him, "Sergeant Chambers, why the salute?" His response was effortless and profound, "It's about the pain. A lot of these heroic guys still hurt and if I can relieve their pain for just one brief moment, then I've done my job."

Jun 18, 2010 08:21:58 AM, JBurlage wrote:

"Rolling Thunder," and a Marine's vigil

As happens too often, this comes without explanation. Jan and I are very familiar with "Rolling Thunder," but know nothing of the lone Marine so poignantly pictured. Anyone have more information? I'll pass it along.

_______________________________________________

The Ins and Outs of Christ

Sermon by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture -- Acts 11:1-18
11:1 Now the apostles and the believers who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God.
11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him,
11:3 saying, "Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?"
11:4 Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying,
11:5 "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me.
11:6 As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air.
11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; kill and eat.'
11:8 But I replied, 'By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'
11:9 But a second time the voice answered from heaven, 'What God has made clean, you must not call profane.'
11:10 This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven.
11:11 At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were.
11:12 The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.
11:13 He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter;
11:14 he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.'
11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning.
11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
11:17 If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?"
11:18 When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, "Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."

This past weekend we here in middle Tennessee have been battered by a huge storm which included tornado warnings, thunder boomers that shook the house and rain falling in heavy, slanted sheets.

As my wife and I looked out the window, living on a slope as we do, we watched a torrential river of water race past our house, with white rooster tails of spray where a rock or pavement stuck out. Our garden out back had pools of standing water, but our neighbors at the bottom of the slope had another river filling their backyard and running into their neighbor's yards.

Our Florida room, filled with plants and outdoor tables and chairs and windows all around reverberated with the chatter of rain on the roof as it poured, and poured and poured. The weatherman says this will continue for another three days. I've been watching to see if anyone is building an ark.

It is at times like this we really thank God for a warm, dry place to wait out the storm around us. We are blessed and we feel special in God's hands.

However, what would we do if a stranger showed up at our door, looking like a drowned rat, asking if I knew where they could get out of the storm, get dry and warm, and catch their breath? What would I do with them there on my wet doorstep?

I guess I could refer them to my neighbors, who are younger and more capable of dealing with strangers and surprises, and besides they have more room, and if this turned out to be a dangerous person they would be more ready to defend themselves than would this elderly couple who live alone. Some might respond in that way, after all, because we live in a world where it is difficult to trust anyone you don't know very well. And even with those you think you know, sometimes there are heartaches and disappointments. And so our first thought is to protect ourselves.

Yet, for Christians there in the back of our mind is that verse in Hebrews 13:2, "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."

Not all of us have to make such cut and dried decisions, of course. Sometimes we must make decisions where what is at stake is not as clear as this. And yet we seem continually confronted with the issue of who is a Christian, and who is not. And is it necessary for us to make such a decision? Is it up to us regarding who is in as a follower of Jesus Christ, and who is out? Some of us deal with this by deciding we're not going to deal with it, we're just not going to make those decisions. That would relieve us of such tensions, except it's not that easy. We are continually confronted with issues that require is to either have faith in a person to be who they say they are, or to steer clear of them because there is something about them we do not trust.

It is these instincts and resulting decisions that are coming more and more into play as government and politics intrude more and more into our lives, affecting our daily life and future, and that of those we love and care about.

Without getting into which political persuasion is "to blame," it must evident to us that the lines between the "us" and "them" are hardening, with blame and claims and defaming being thrown back and forth. And the words of an old friend came back to me, that "it's hard to convince someone of the love of Christ when you have your knee on their neck."

Today's scripture speaks to this issue of drawing lines between groups of people; putting one set in one box and another set in another box. But living people don't fit well in boxes. No one is 100 percent this or that; our very existence as human beings lead us to dynamic existences that make us more mutt or smorgasbord than purebred or single subject. Even so, that doesn't stop us from judging those with whom we disagree to be 100 percent wrong and stuffing them into that box that may in fact be foreign territory to them. And in doing so we lose the initiative to find common ground through Jesus Christ. Here is where we throw into the trash can the common ground given to us by Jesus Christ, as described in John 13, verses 34 and 35: "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Whoa! Back up the bus! How do Conservatives love Liberals love Moderates love anybody we disagree with? And what if they claim one name but their actions are those of Marxists or Socialists?

Yes, bizarre, isn't it? And yet I tell you Christ is calling us to step outside those labels and do what He has told us to do. Christians can be Republicans, Democrats, Independents, whatever political label they want to hang on themselves. But they still must do what Christ told us to do, first and foremost.

In our scripture today Peter was locked into how he could deal, or not deal, with certain human beings based upon whether they agreed with certain social requirements. But God unlocked him. God told him to do otherwise. Whom was Peter to obey, the socio-religious requirements of men, or the Word of God? No question there, is there? Shouldn't be.

All across our nation we are headed into a long, hot summer of disagreement between those who support what our elected government officials are doing, and those who do not. Harsh words and accusations are hurled back and forth. One side assumes what the other means by what they say and do, but these assumptions usually come with our own baggage, and may or may not have any validity. But that doesn't matter, because we know they are wrong, whoever "they" are.

Okay, let's assume "they" are wrong, in the same way Peter knew the Gentiles were "wrong" in being ignorant of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. But, if Peter accepted the social dictum that they were even more wrong in not being circumcised, in not meeting the accepted social requirements, he would never have spoken to them about Jesus Christ.

What are our assumptions about "they" keeping us from sharing, from doing, from solving?

Jesus Christ, who walked in our shoes until His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection, knows what we are up against. He understands our aims, our goals, our hurts and misunderstandings, and how those work against His words in John 13:34-35 -- "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Do not assume those are words for another time. Do not assume He cannot be talking to you, right now, about this time. Jesus Christ transcends time, and brings to us the words of healing. Will we hear? Will we find ways to put them into practice, as He urges us to do: "By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Implicit in the words of the Christ is the knowledge, the understanding, that there are bigger issues at stake here. There are men's souls at stake here, "...the repentance that leads to life" is at stake here. Who will listen? Who will say "Yes, Lord," and find a way?

Even as the time is growing short, the fields are white with harvest, even as prophecies in Daniel and Jeremiah are being fulfilled, and souls created by God are at stake, souls He wants to be with Him. Who will step outside the labels and find ways to do what the Christ has given us to do?

Pray about this, I beg you. Find a way at last to answer Him, "Yes, Lord."

Amen.