OBAMA NEEDS TO TELL US WHO HE REALLY IS

Honesty is always the best policy. Obama would help himself if he could tell us who he really is. Most people have a pretty good track record of being able to spot the tiny clues that let us know when we are being conned. It's easy to win the confidence of people when we are being honest and very, very, difficult when we have something to hide. Unless of course, you have some other "kinky" reason for wanting to vote for him.

He seems to keep telling us that he is going to give us change. Does that mean nickles and dimes or a quarter every so often? Everyone wants to know the specifics of what he means by "change."

America has the best track record of any nation on earth of accepting people from different nationalities, ethnic origins and religious beliefs. There are 259 different Churches listed in Atlanta Georgia. Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Nazarene, Baptist, Methodist, church of God and so on. It's a very long list.

The Internet is full of articles, post, and websites stating very emphatically that Barrack Obama was raised as a Muslim. Yet he goes to great length to say that he is not a Muslim, never has been one and is a "Christian". He went to great length to say that he had been a member of the Church of Christ for over 20 years, and didn't know that Jeremiah Wright, his pastor and mentor was a radical racist who hates America and shouted on Television: "God damn America". Rev. Jeremiah Wright pastors a church that gladly accepts "Muslims" as members.

It seems to me that with America spending it's "blood and treasure" to fight Muslim extremist and terrorist in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan...to say nothing of the 3000 people who died in the World Trade Center in New York - that Obama needs to make it very clear where his allegiance is going to be as President of the United States. I've read on the Internet where he said: "If there has to be a choice I will side with my Muslim brothers".

Obama's official campaign site has a page titled "Obama has never been a Muslim, and is a committed Christian." The page states, "Obama never prayed in a mosque. He has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian who attends the United Church of Christ."

Yet the accumulated research from primary sources who knew Obama from his childhood indicate that he was a devout Muslim, the son of a devout Muslim, the step-son of a devout Muslim and the grandson and namesake ("Hussein") of a devout Muslim. He was registered in school as a Muslim and demonstrated his ability to chant praise to Allah in impressive Arab-accented tones even as an adult. Just as he has not disavowed his "uncle" Jeremiah, neither has he disavowed his Muslim faith that he was born into, raised with, celebrated and never abandoned. He just covered it over with a thin veneer of his own self-styled "Christianity."

In his autobiography, "Dreams From My Father," Obama mentions studying the Koran and describes the public school as "a Muslim school."

February 28, 2008. Kristoff from the New York Times a year ago: Mr. Obama recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them with a first-rate accent. In a remark that seemed delightfully uncalculated (it'll give Alabama voters heart attacks), Mr. Obama described the call to prayer as 'one of the prettiest sounds on Earth at sunset.' This is just one example of what Pamela is talking about when she says 'Obama's narrative is being altered, enhanced and manipulated to whitewash troubling facts.'

In an interview with Nicholas Kristof, published in the New York Times, Obama recited the Muslim call to prayer, the Adhan, "with a first-class [Arabic] accent." The opening lines of the Adhan (Azaan) is the Shahada: "Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme! Allah is Supreme! I witness that there is no god but Allah I witness that there is no god but Allah I witness that Muhammad is his prophet...."

According to Islamic scholars, reciting the Shahada, the Muslim declaration of faith, makes one a Muslim. This simple yet profound statement expresses a Muslim's complete acceptance of, and total commitment to, the message of Islam. Obama chanted it with pride and finesse.

Obama wants it both ways, has always wanted it both ways. Black and white, Indonesian and American, Muslim and Christian. He loves playing one off the other, using one to hide the other even as the traces of the truth may be assembled to reveal the whole cloth of deception and self-promotion he has been weaving so skillfully since his childhood. No wonder he is a man of change. He IS a changeling, a veritable chameleon, adapting and amending his life story to fit the circumstances.

An American Expatriat in Southeast Asia blog, written by an American who has lived in Indonesia for 20 years and has met with both the Taliban and al-Qaeda, contains the following:

"Barack Hussein Obama might have convinced some Americans that he is no longer a Muslim, but so far he has not convinced many in the world's most populous Muslim country who still see him as a Muslim and a crusader for Islam and world peace."

"Barack Hussein Obama's race, his staunch opposition to the war in Iraq, his sympathy to Islam and Muslims worldwide and his Muslim heritage receive the Indonesian media coverage. There is no mention of his apostasy."

"A good example of how some of the Indonesian media is reporting on Obama's religion can be found in the following."

"What I found interesting in the article was the use of the word 'mengaku' when refering to Obama's conversion from Islam to Christianity. The word 'mengaku' in Indonesian means "claimed" and as such leaves the insinuation to the native Indonesian reader being that Obama might actually still be a Muslim.

But this is how Indonesians see Obama, they don't see him as an apostate at all, they see him as a crusader for the cause of Islam."

I still remember very well traveling across Indonesia by myself. I got the courage to do that because the Missionary I was going to work with didn't get my cable. I couldn't get a hotel room because the Politicians had booked every room in Jakarta. A man in the airport put me in a Taxi at four o'clock in the morning to take me to a bus that would drive all day to Bandung. I couldn't speak a word of the language and was overjoyed when I arrived at the Missionary's house.

The next day I was talking to Reverend Mcgraw and a military plane flew so low over his house that I thought it was coming through the roof. He explained to me that it happened every day. The government didn't want any foreign Missionaries in their country and used all kinds of harrassment to drive them out. When I finished with several weeks of nightly church services I must say I was glad to leave.

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama promised an audience in a Jewish synagogue an "unshakable commitment" to Israel if he is elected. Obama also asked the crowd not be put off by his "funny name" and said that it was equivalent to the Hebrew "Baruch." He denied that he was raised as a Muslim, brushing aside his many anti-Israel friends: "There is not a single trace of me ever being anything more than a friend of Israel and a friend of the Jewish people," Obama said, warning the crowd not to believe fliers and e-mails that suggested otherwise. "Judge me by what I say and what I've done. Don't judge me because I've got a funny name. Don't judge me because I'm African-American."

The questions from the B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton Florida touched on Obama's policy proposals and his personal life. When asked about his Muslim name, Obama said it had the same roots as "Baruch" and meant "one who's blessed." Some in the audience wore buttons that spelled out Baruch Obama in hebrew letters.

"Israel has many friendships, but none is deeper than the bond between Israel and the United States of America," Obama said, drawing applause from a packed auditorium at the B'nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton. "A broad majority of Americans understand this special relationship, and when I am in the White House, I will bring an unshakable commitment to maintaining that bond."

One questioner, Michael Ackerman, began his query by listing people linked to Obama who had been hostile to Israel, including a professor of Arab studies at Columbia University, Rashid Khalidi. asking the senator to name close friends who were Jewish and pro-Israel. "I hesitate to start listing them out," Obama said, saying it made him recall the old stereotype in which people say, "I'm not prejudiced. Some of my best friends are Jewish." (Why couldn't he name just one???)

Then Obama got himself into hot water, again suppressing the full truth and ignoring well-documented facts: "You mentioned Rashid Khalidi, who's a professor at Columbia. I do know him, because I taught at the University of Chicago. And he is Palestinian. And I do know him, and I have had conversations. He is not one of my advisers; he's not one of my foreign policy people. His kids went to the Lab school where my kids go as well. He is a respected scholar, although he vehemently disagrees with a lot of Israel's policy."

But Aaron Klein, the Jerusalem bureau chief of World Net Daily, points out that Obama's association with Khalidi, go far, far beyond a "conversation." Khalidi's deep personal ties to Obama were first exposed by WND in a widely cited article. According to a professor at the University of Chicago who said he has known Obama for 12 years, the Democratic presidential hopeful befriended Khalidi when the two worked together at the university, that the two families dined together a number of times, and that the Obamas even babysat the Khalidi children.

Khalidi in 2000 held a successful fundraiser for Obama's failed bid for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives and an anti-Israel Arab group, the Arab American Action Network -- AAAN -- run by Khalidi's wife, Mona, received subtantial funding -- $75,000 over two years -- from a Chicago nonprofit, the Woods Fund, for which Obama served as a paid board member in both years. What a coincidence.

I'm amazed at all of the "post on the internet" about Obama that show him saying whatever it takes to please the group he is with. He obviously desperately needs the "Jewish Vote" and will do whatever it takes to get it.

It must be terrible to know that the only way he can be elected is to carefully deceive the various groups he speaks to. I'm absolutely baffled that so many people who seem to be intelligent are willing to vote for a man who has so little regard for the truth.

Obama wants it both ways, has always wanted it both ways. Black and white, Indonesian and American, Muslim and Christian. He loves playing one off the other, using one to hide the other even as the traces of the truth may be assembled to reveal the whole cloth of deception and self-promotion he has been weaving so skillfully since his childhood. No wonder he is a man of change. He IS a changeling, a veritable chameleon, adapting and amending his life story to fit the circumstances.

It would take a large book just to record all of the false statements, half-truths and contradictory positions he has taken in this campaign.

Sarah Palin Republican Vice President

As a Christian Minister for over 60 years I know that I must be careful, fair and honest in anything I say about a political contest. I also know that political parties have a moral and ethical agenda and as an Ordained Minister I have a duty to support Christian Values. Our country was founded by decent and Godly men who used the Bible and Christian values to create our nation. I could write a large book supporting that fact.

John Adams, our Second President, also served as Chairman of the American Bible Society. In an address to military leaders he said:

“We have no government armed with the power capable of contending with human passions, unbridled by morality and true religion. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

At the time of our Nation’s Bicentennial in 1976, Political Science Professors at the University of Houston began to ask some key questions:
· Why is it that the American Constitution has been able to stand the test of time?
· Why has it not gone through massive revisions?
· Why is it looked to as a model by dozens of nations?
· What wisdom possessed these men to produce such an incredible document?
· Who did they turn to for inspiration?

They found that an incredible 94% of all the quotes in these 15,000 documents were direct quotes from, or references to the Bible. The Christian Faith has made America great. The destruction of that faith will bring about the destruction of America.

The Washington Post printed this dirty, cowardly and blasphemous cartoon about Sarah Palin and Almighty God. The Editor of the Washington Post said they didn't "review" his work before publication.

The Washington Post owes the Christian Faith in America a profound apology. This cartoon pictures the God of our Christian Bible as a fat, cursing, frustrated old man. It's disgusting trash and no decent person - religious or otherwise would approve of it.

Before I took a Missionary/Preaching trip around the world I studied all of the religions of the far east. It was enormously helpful to show respect for their religion before I shared with them my Christian faith.

A world famous Buddhist Monk in Burma became a Christian while traveling with me to Mandalay to preach to the young novice monks in their monastery. I did nothing but answer his questions, consoled him as he cried and rejoiced with him when he gave his heart to Jesus Christ. He carried an oilcloth umbrella with special design and markings on it during the torrential rains. No one but the Buddhist Monks could use that design. He gave it to me as a gift before we parted and I continued my trip. One month after we parted the Government of Burma closed the country to all foreign missionaries.

I pastored four different Assembly of God Churches years ago. My best guess is that less than 5 % of the members had ever spoken in tongues. Most of the members would say they believed in this "gift because it's in the Bible." You can read about it in Acts 2:4. On the day of "Pentecost" (The word "Pentecost" means 50 days after the passover) ...(Acts 2:4 NIV) "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

Bible scholars wonder if this was a Miracle of speaking --- or a miracle of hearing? You decide. Here's the Bible text: (Acts 2:6-12 NIV) "When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. {7} Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? {8} Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? {9} Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, {10} Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome {11} (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" {12} Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?"

For millions of people who attend Pentecostal churches it means that "GOD CAN WORK MIRACLES IF HE WANTS TO." End of the subject! Of course nominal (in name only) Christians often have a problem. They believe God can't work a miracle because they say so.

Is Sarah Palin qualified to be president if something happens to John McCain? No one has ever been elected for their first term of office to be President of the United States with prior experience! What kind of "stupid question is that?" It seems to me that being Governor of her State requires a lot of executive experience. That's probably more than being a junior Senator with only 145 days in office. Sarah has the personality and temperament to take advantage of the advisors, and Cabinet level people that would most certainly be available to give her all the information she would need to make good decisions and to be a great leader.

I confess!!!!

I like Sarah Palin, her husband and family and would love to see her become the Vice President of the United States. I'd like to have them for neighbors. I might ride a ski-mobile with her husband. I'd probably want a lot more information about flying in his airplane. In an Interview with Charlie Gibson Sarah said it was a Piper Cub. Having a pilots license for over 50 years I'm not sure it could get off the water with floats. Maybe Sarah "mis-spoke" because she said she had only flown in it one time. Or maybe it has a very large engine and could do just fine. It's ridiculous to think that anyone can talk about any subject or event without ever being mistaken in the smallest details.

I use to tell my church members that I made a mistake once. I thought I was wrong then found out I wasn't. (Everyone would laugh at that dumb joke.) My wife only flew with me in my Cessna Skyhawk one time. She couldn't get it right if someone asked her about the engine... or the landing gear... or where the fuel tanks were. But, she is a wonderful, amazing lady who wrote a marvelous song while I was traveling all over the world. It's been recorded by dozens of singing groups for over 40 years and I've heard it played on TV and radio around the world. She is the best person on this planet for meeting people, loving and praying for them and winning their love and affection.


Want a CD of Maggie's Song's for Troubled Hearts? Contact us!

COMPASSION

When I first saw this photo I felt a wave of admiration and compassion for her. She is making a photograph of the massive storm damage to her home and neighborhood in China. It broke my heart and I desperately wanted to give her a big hug and find a way to help her and her family.

Every major Religion teaches compassion for those who can't help themselves. It's the very nature of God. (2 Cor 1:3-4 NIV) "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, {4} who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

When Pharaoh's daughter saw baby Moses pulled from the river he cried and she had compassion on him knowing he was one of the Hebrew children. (Exodus 2:6) Compassion is mentioned 41 times in the Bible. (21 times in the New Testament.) O.K. How do we do it?

(1 John 3:17-18 NIV) "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? {18} Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

Islam teaches compassion and mercy. In the Muslim tradition, foremost among God's attributes are mercy and compassion or, in the canonical language of Arabic, Rahman and Rahim. Each of the 114 chapters of the Quran, with one exception, begins with the verse, "In the name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate".

The Muslim Quran urges compassion towards captives as well as to widows, orphans and the poor. A good Muslim is to commence each day, each prayer and each significant action by invoking God the Merciful and Compassionate, i.e. by reciting "Bi Ism-i-Allah al-Rahman al-Rahim". (الرحمن Ar-Rahman) The Arabic for compassion is rahmah.

Unfortunately Muslim extremist have ignored this part of the Quran. They have gleefully killed, and brutally murdered innocent men, women and children. They seem to delight in providing video tapes of beheading and murdering people around the world. WHY?

Compassion is a wonderful thing. However in my almost 60 years as an Ordained Christian minister I've seen very little of it being practiced by many who claim to be a follower of Jesus. I wonder if the problem is because preachers are often so focused on being a "success" (huge churches and lots of money) that they constantly search the Bible for "desert" text. "Be a Christian, have faith and God can't wait to give you everything your heart desires".

"Those empty promises sound good, they appeal to the carnal nature but they are not based on the Teaching of Jesus. If we really want to know what Jesus taught we need to carefully read "Matthew 25".

He talked about people being invited to a Wedding... and through careless lack of preparation they missed the joy and delight of their friend.

He talked about servants who were given an opportunity to make a handsome profit for their master. One, out of fear, did nothing and was rejected by his master.

Then Jesus gave a shocking teaching about a shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. Sheep were the good people, and the goats were the bad, selfish people.

Jesus said to the good compassionate people: "(Mat 25:35-40 NIV) "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, {36} I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

{37} "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? {38} When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

{39} When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' {40} "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Then he said to the bad, selfish, people: (Mat 25:41-46 NIV) "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

{42} For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, {43} I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

{44} "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' {45} "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' {46} "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Sorry, we may not like this... but it's in our Bible. Let me explain some of it for you.

(Mat 19:23-24 NIV) "Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. {24} Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

The Health, wealth and prosperity doctrine that is preached every Sunday all across America is dangerous, false, and unscriptural. It panders to the selfishness and greed of millions. How do I know that? I've personally known dozens of multimillionaires who called themselves Christians. They worked every day to turn their ten million dollars into a hundred million dollars. (They love money and can never have enough of it.) The poor waste their money buying lottery tickets trying to get into that exclusive club.

They give away tiny amounts of "their" money - well publicized of course, and usually poor elderly ladies living on a meager Social Security check will out give them. Ten percent of a Million dollars would be $100,000.00. Ten percent of a $500.00 a month social security check would be $50.00. If I can figure that out - do you suppose God will also understand it?

I pastored a church years ago and rarely talked about tithing. I knew the poor would often give God their best... and the multimillionaires in the same church would give ten percent of their "coffee money". (Pocket change for meals, and what ever else they wanted. They called it "tithing". )

Several years later I was a Missionary Pilot and needed money for maintenance, upkeep, fuel for my plane and the free Christian Literature we were giving away. I received no salary, and my wife and daughter trusted God to provide for our meager daily needs. We accepted with thanksgiving what God provided.

A former church member wanted to help us and got these wealthy church members together so I could tell them what we were doing. They owned very large and prosperous businesses. I'll never forget it. I met in a hotel banquet room with a dozen very wealthy men who called me their pastor. I told them the vision and calling I had for this missionary work. They were warm and friendly, asked questions and seemed interested. They took up an "offering" to help with the work. At the end of the night I was presented $50.83. Was I angry? Of course not.

I wasn't surprised. I've never been good at asking for money to support us. God assured me that he would take care of that and he has. What happened to them? They long ago passed away. The hurricane's have completely wiped away the businesses they owned. Sadly they owned nothing but the life God gave them. They missed a golden opportunity to be compassionate and help people who had never heard the good news of Christianity.

Compassion creates a wonderful feeling of joy within us. Take a tiny step and try it.

Luke 16:19-31. "gives us a clue". Jesus did something most Christian Ministers have never done and probably never will. He preached a sermon about Hell and the meanest man in the world whose only sin was indifference. Jesus clearly taught that there is a heaven to gain and a place called Hell to avoid at all cost

Luke 16:19-22 NIV. There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. {20} At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores {21} and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. {22} "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried."

(Luke 16:23-25 NIV) "In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. {24} So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' {25} "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony." (Remember Jesus is preaching this sermon).

There is absolutely nothing in this story showing that the Rich man ever did anything mean and hateful to Lazarus. He didn't run over his feet with his chariot wheels, never told his kitchen staff not to let Lazarus have the crumbs that fell from his table. He just ignored him. He had no compassion for this poor man struggling to survive from day to day.

You can see in this story that the rich man had absolutely no compassion for Lazarus. He wanted Abraham to send Lazarus to be his servant in Hell. "Lazarus bring me a drink of water". "Lazarus go back to earth, die at the gate of my seven brothers and try to warn them not to come to this place".

If someone told him he was the meanest man on earth he wouldn't believe them. "Why I've help lots of people climb the ladder to success and I've always thrown big parties for my influential friends."

In 1990 my wife and I were weary of Pastoring churches. In every church there are many good people who do their best to live a Christian life. They are always a joy. But there are always those "nominal" (in name only) church members who can cause terrible suffering and trouble in a church. They think the church is "some kind of business" and want to run it to suit their carnal mind. We had suffered many things at their hands. We wanted a simple ministry as close to the life of Jesus as we could be. So we started "Christian Ministries."

We made a decision to take what God supplied through kind and compassionate friends, and to freely give ourselves and our resources to those we meet who need help.

Over forty years ago my wife Maggie wrote a song called "I don't need to Understand". It's been recorded and sung around the world. It's on a CD I made of her singing "Songs for troubled hearts" and thousands of people have been blessed by her singing". I write, design and print full color illustrated booklets on a variety of subjects and we have given away literally thousands of CD's and booklets to needy people. The compassion and kindness of generous people who know us has made it all possible.

We would love to have you join with us in this ministry. You can be sure we want to keep our ministry as close as possible to the example of the life of Jesus. We love going anywhere there is someone to talk with - starting a conversation and sharing the love of Jesus. We make it a point to be compassionate to everyone we meet. We encourage you to read about the ministry of Jesus - join us and pray for us as we follow his example.

You can read about the ministry of Jesus on our blog at:

http://pastor-ken.blogspot.com/2007/06/ministry-of-jesus.html