TEACHING EMPATHY
August 29, 7:23 a.m.
There is a person whom I have never met that I would like to teach what empathy means. I would do this (if I could find them) by holding them by their ankles, halfway across the Kennedy bridge and dropping them head-first from a height of approximately 80 feet into the Ohio river.
Though I have never met this person I know they are a cowardly, lowlife, degenerate that desperately needs the teaching lesson I just described. And I, for one, would just love to be the person to teach them this lesson. There are people who only think they "know" me and might believe that I am just being facetious when I write something like what I would like to do to certain people. I am though being quite literal, I would do
exactly what I described above to the individual I am writing about.
Before dropping him though I would preach a quick message on salvation and give him a chance to be saved, just in case he didn't survive the fall: after that though, I would certainly drop him. A dictionary definition of empathy is, "the capability to share and understand another's emotions and feelings. It is often characterized as the ability to 'put oneself into another's shoes,' Empathy does not necessarily imply compassion, sympathy, or empathetic concern.
"
Today I am writing to a girl who lives locally that recently made national news as she rescued a red-nose pit that some human pond-scum threw from the middle of the Kennedy bridge into the Ohio river. This dog survived the fall and in the picture I saw she seemed to be doing very well. The young girl has given her new pet a name... "Miracle."
I am writing to her because we might have first known this dog as... "Grace."
Gracie, our red-nose pit, went missing on Christmas day, a little over eight months ago. If this turns out to be her, we are not going to try and claim her back, it would just be enough to know that she is doing well and with a person who already loves her. I know this because the story said that she had to either move from her apartment or give up her new friend... she is moving... good for her.
The picture, in the news article, and the description seems like it could be Gracie, I will know soon enough. Grace had two identifying marks that would be exclusive to her only. I am putting that in my letter to this young girl. Along with that will be my promise that if it is her, I will not ask for her return as long as the girl does indeed want her. To me, asking for her return would be unfair both to Grace and this young girl.
I am aware there might be times an animal would have to be put-down. Certainly there are times a sick or injured animal would be better off dead, however, there are no instances when an animal should be killed by being cruel in the process. Not even if the animal would have attacked someone and needs to be killed because of that. There are still humane ways to accomplish its death.
In my lifetime I have had many animals as pets: squirrels, opossum, ground-hog, skunk, several raccoons, etc. The last raccoon I had, was the last raccoon I will ever have. I rescued (from the woods) "Rambo" as a young kit: he had been orphaned by some "coon-hunters" who had shot his mother.
We had Rambo for several years. When he was about eight years old he started getting fluid on his lungs: his heart was failing. The vet drained his lungs and sent him home. She estimated he might have two more years to live. At times we would have him inside where he played with our cat, and ferret: other than that he lived on our back deck in a large cage I had built for him. I was working on a very large enclosed cage that would reach high into our Oak tree just off of the deck... because he was sick I redoubled my effort to get it done. In the meantime I brought him into the basement and was going to let him live there until I finished his new tree-house out back. At the time the basement was completely empty.
He seemed to really like it down there and did well for several days. My wife called me at work and said he had apparently hurt himself while trying to climb a two foot concrete wall at the end of the basement. He had fallen, and when I got home I could tell that his back was broken.
His front paws were useful but he could only drag his hind parts. Numb from the waist down he knew that something was wrong and soon after I got home he began to behave as animals will do when one of their legs are caught in a trap, he began to chew off his back legs.
I kept pulling his mouth away but he kept fighting me to return to waht he was doing. He had always been very gentle, but twice he bit my hand as I kept putting it between his hind feet and his mouth. I wasn't mad at him because I knew he was in pain and confused. Soon, his mouth, legs, and my hands were covered in blood. I Knew that I would have to have him put-down.
Because it was after hours I could not find any vet in their office. I finally reached a 24 hour vet in Louisvile who said he would do it: however, when he found out that I lived in Indiana and would have to transport him across a state line to bring him in he refused. He said he was sorry but he could lose his license if he handled a "wild" animal that had been brought in from another state. Just another silly law put in place by even sillier men. In any case I got my gun and carried Rambo to the car.
I found an area in the woods near Charlestown that was secluded. As I carried Rambo I kept talking to him and I told him what a fine pet he had been and how much I loved him. I sat down beside him and I petted his head and told him that I was sorry that I didn't get his new tree-house done in time for him to play in it. I gently turned his head away from me as I scratched his neck, then I shot him five times at close range. I wanted to be sure that I hit something vital and that he would die quickly and not feel any pain.
I told you that so you might know that there is a right way to kill something... if something needs to be killed. That is the reason why, if I could find the cowardly, lowlife, degenerate, who threw a helpless dog off of the Kennedy bridge I would teach them a very valuable lesson in empathy. If he survived the lesson, and that would be up to God, my best guess is that he might be a better person because of it.
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
DREAMS
August 23, 1:47 p.m.
For the last week or so I have been studying and researching (again) certain aspects of all major cults and the cult leaders associated with each one. They all have at least one thing in common, "dreams" and (or) "visions." Now, you might believe that because I am a Bible believer that I would automatically be against all such dreams: however, I am not... with one stipulation. Any dream or vision that adds to, or takes from revealed Scripture is a false dream or vision and not from God.
All cult leaders have erroneously believed their vision somehow trumps the Holy Bible... it does not. Satan has often been transformed into an "angel of light." II Corinthians 11:13-14 "
For such are false apostles deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
Because of that he daily goes forth to deceive men. Paul, inspired by the Holy Ghost wrote to the Galatians and told them this truth also. Galatians 1:8 "
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
I have had many dreams in my lifetime and only one vision. My dreams and yours are most probably inspired by the same reason that Scrooge gave when he saw the ghost of Marley. "You may be an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard..." In other words, probably something you ate which caused your dream or vision.
The only "vision" I have ever had was, I believe, from God... and I believe this for two reasons. First, there was nothing in it that departed from Scriptural truth, and secondly... it came to pass within hours and exactly in the way I dreamed it would: up to and including an altercation which was in progress even while I slept. It was so real that within seconds of waking I was on the phone and trying to track the person down whom the dream was about.
Last evening I had a troubling dream, and it most probably was from Scrooge's reasoning, since we had a family picnic yesterday. Although, because I don't eat meat it couldn't be because of any roast beef. (lol) Now, I don't particularly like to try to "understand" dreams: because it seems that, at least, outside of the Bible you are in very worldly company to try and do so. Men like Jung, Adler, Freud, and many other apostates made their living duping gullible people with their dream interpretations.
It's funny, but some dreams you can dismiss upon waking as easily as the silly pronouncements of Mary Baker Eddy. But there are some, like last evening that I will carry with me for a long while.
I have a question for you that at first might seem to be unrelated to what I dreamt, but it is not. "Could a person who was born blind... ever really miss having eyesight?" A related question would be: "Is it possible to miss something you never had... and never will?" I don't see how either of the above questions could be answered in the affirmative: yet, I miss ................. and terribly.
Some posts garner more emails than others, and if there is a need to answer them I do. I wrote that to say that any person who wants to write, I welcome it, but you are wasting your time if you only write to ask what it was I dreamt last evening? I will politely, but firmly refuse to tell you.
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
THEY ARE AT IT AGAIN
August 22, 6:57 a.m.
Islam, the religion of peace (ROFLOL) is at it again. A young Christian convert, 17 year old Rifqa Bary is under court protection in Orlando, Florida because she fears for her life from
her own family if she goes back to her Ohio home: she has good reason to fear.
In February, Muzzammil Hassan, a United States businessman who headed up a muslim television station beheaded his wife. A few weeks ago, (July 27) in Somalia four young Christian converts, Fatima Sultan, Ali Ma'ow, Sheik Mohammed Abdi, Maaddey, Diil) were captured and beheaded by muslims after they refused to renounce Jesus. This same thing happens all the time in Jordan and other countries with the radical muslim religion.
I can show you an easy to understand analogy as to why Islam is a false religion and cult: I will do it by explaining the difference between two fences. Why did East Germany put up a fence (wall) to separate their country from west Germany? Why is America erecting a fence to separate us from Mexico? The answer: east Germany had to erect a wall to keep people from
escaping their own country! America has to put up a fence, not to keep its citizens from escaping, but to
keep others from invading!
Islam is a false religion because they have to threaten people to keep them from escaping that cult... the exact same thing the Mormons, J.W.'s, Moonies, etc. etc., do. Though the last three cults I mentioned usually doesn't resort to violence to try and keep their converts as prisoners.
Keep in mind that any religion, country, etc. that has to threaten its people with bodily harm to keep them from escaping is bad.
Today, the door is open, inviting all people from every fasle religion and cult on Earth to come and accept Christ as Saviour. It takes a great deal of courage for these people to leave the lies of Islam and convert to faith in Christ... and I for one, applaud them. The muslims are right about one thing... there is only one God: however, it is not who they think, it is the Lord Jesus the Christ! God is good!
Christianity is the true "religion" of peace, not Islam.
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
Defending Glenn Beck
August 19, 4:27 p.m.
Glenn Beck is being pilloried for stating the obvious: President Obama is a racist... if he is not, then he is an idiot... take your pick. He absolutely has to be one or the other. He was a member of a church under Wright for twenty years and he heard the hogwash of "black liberation theology" being preached every week from that pulpit. It is a completely racist religious teaching. So, Obama either believed it... for he listened to that preacher and gave his money to support that work, else, he was too stupid to understand the words his preacher said every week. Take your pick... stupid or racist? I for one do not believe Obama is stupid.
The following are racist quotes from the Black Liberation theologians James Cone and Dwight Hopkins, on whose authority Jeremiah Wright bases his preaching.
"Biblical theology teaches that even the most terrible events to befall Israel, such as the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCE, embody the workings of divine justice, even if humankind cannot see God's purpose."
James Cone sees the matter very differently. Either God must do what we want him to do, or we must reject him.
"Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community ... Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love."
(Quoted in William R Jones, "Divine Racism: The Unacknowledged Threshold Issue for Black Theology", in
African-American Religious Thought: An Anthology, ed Cornel West and Eddie Glaube.)
Folks...
That's racist to the core!!!
So that's what the leading Black Liberation theologian believes. And to think that millions of Republicans refused to vote for the eminently qualified Mitt Romney because his religion is too weird for the rest of us!
And yes, even before you ask... I do expect to be audited any day now. (lol)
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
BARKING DOGS
August 11, 5:53 pm
I would just like to take this blog and offer some musings of mine. I was thinking the other day that so much of our thought processes are completely backwards. Sometimes backward thinking causes no harm: yet, there are other times when it can be deleterious to an individual or even to much larger groups. I am going to write a little about barking dogs and Obama.
I thought I would like to offer a few test questions to see how you think about things. "Why does a dog bark?" Seriously, consider the question.
Do you believe that you are a
"body that has a soul?"
Do you believe that "sin causes a lost condition?"
I enjoy watching God's creation (both people and animal) and seeing what I can learn from them and to see if there is anything I have learned which I can pass on to others. A week or so ago (while walking Virgil at the park) I stopped to study an incredible spider-web that had been spun only the night before. It is not that I am a complete rube, I have seen spider-webs before. It is just that this one had been spun from a height of about 12 feet off of the ground: one end was hooked to an overhanging tree branch and the other end was hooked to several blades of grass; in the early morning light with the dew still on the ground... it was a work of art. Virgil and I walked completely around it while I took it all in.
I learned several lessons from that experience: perhaps the most important one was the fact that I was again reminded that all of our earthly labors are in vain; at least anything which we do that has no eternal benefit. Now, I told you that story so you might be able to appreciate a lesson I learned from watching my dogs bark. And if you believe nothing else I write... believe this... I have seen a lot of barking dogs!
I have learned the fact that a dog barking is not what makes him a dog... rather,
he barks because he is a dog.
In my lifetime I have learned that many people give in to sin because they believe that we are a body which has a soul: in reality that is backward;
we are a soul which has a body.
I have learned that many people think that sin causes a lost condition, and that is wrong.
I have been witnessing to a particular individual at work for a long time: this person is actively engaged in an ongoing sin. Many, I think well-meaning but misguided people have told her that if she doesn't give up this particular sin, that she will go to Hell. I patiently explained that if she gave up this sin... and a thousand others, that would not spare her the torment of Hell. She has been steadily fed with backward thinking. You see, comitting sins is not what makes her, or any other person lost: rather, the
fact that a person is lost is what makes them continue in their sin.
Please follow me carefully. A person is not lost because they are a habitual thief: rather, they habitually steal because they are lost... Obama having unborn babies killed is not what makes him a lost man: rather, because he is a lost man he has unborn babies killed. A serial rapist is not lost because he commits those terrible acts: rather, because he is lost then he commits those terrible acts. etc. etc. etc.
If you can ever fully grasp that sin is not what causes the condition... rather, it is always and forevermore the
condition which causes the sin... then you will be able to see people in a different light. God did not say that "you are dying in your tresspasses and sin... He said: (Ephesians 2:1) "
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins:" Again, the fact that people are lost (dead) is what makes them continue in their sin.
The fact that people believe they are a body which happens to have a soul, makes it more likely they will feed the flesh... yet let them understand they are (in reality) a soul which happens to have a body: then they are more likely to feed the soul. You see, God fashioned from the dust of the ground our temporary earthly body, but it is the soul which is living. (Genesis 2:7) "
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."
Before ending this I will finish telling you what I told the young girl at work. "Sinning... in and of itself is not sending you to Hell: rejecting Christ and His mercy is what will send you to Hell." Please don't get it backward. Cleaning up your own life and trying to do better... will benefit you not at all. Trust Christ first... then allow Him to do a work in your life and clean up what needs to be cleaned up.
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
America... becoming a Socialist nation
August 5, 6:17am
Encroachments always begin rather small, before they escalate: otherwise, the mass of people rejects them. Once anything starts happening though, it is not long before whatever "it" is becomes the accepted "norm" and anyone who thinks otherwise is castigated and thought to be a hatemonger or rabble-rouser.
I just want to point out some baby steps on the road to America, being led by the Socialist Obama, falling from the greatest nation on Earth (under a Capitalist society) to a mediocre and common nation: much like France.
Before I do that let me point out some obvious changes in life and how shocking they were when we first encountered them, yet, after repeatedly seeing it we became used to it... and it no longer has shock value.
When Christian missionaries first encountered heathen cultures in foreign lands they were appalled by the way they disfigured their own bodies: cuttings, markings, piercings, painted flesh, etc. I remember the very first time I ever saw (live) a person with a mohawk/rooster hairstyle; this weirdo had the hair he had left... painted bright orange.
I stopped and openly stared as he walked past... which is exactly what he wanted I am sure: however, for me it was like looking at a train wreck, horrible to see, but I couldn't avert my eyes. Now I ask you... first to be honest with your thoughts, then answer in your heart. The very first time you saw someone do something unusual to their own body... what was your reaction? If you are normal, you would have rightly thought them to be crazy or crying out for help... right? What's your reaction today though when you see the very thing that used to appall you? It's "dumbed down," isn't it?
In life, as it relates to sin we always have the snowball effect. Once the slide has begun it picks up speed and catches debris along the way until it becomes larger and larger and there is finally a catastrophic avalanche.
An easy example that should be obvious to everyone is body piercing and tattooing. At least for a Christian, and if you understand their histories, both should be left alone. Each began in Godless and heathen cultures: tattooing in Egypt and piercing in Africa. (But, today's blog is not about why those who are born-again should not look like the lost world, rather it is about "beginnings" and how easy it is to start the pernicious slide into what would once have been thought unconscionable.)
An easy example to help everyone see how this works is that a single ear-piercing by a young girl... not many years ago in America was considered heathenistic. Soon, that single piercing turned to several in the same ear, then both ears: following that boys started getting them: now any place on the body is considered "acceptable." (nose, eyebrow, tongue, navel, etc. etc. etc.)
A first tattoo, usually small and in an out of the way place: now covers large parts of the bodies of many people. Again... sin always starts small, before it escalates.
This same truth as it relates to an individual also works as a collective whole, from a small group of people to an entire nation.
In America look at the history of killing our innocent young in the womb. First it was a "procedure" to save the life of the mother and only in early pregnancy, then later in pregnancy, then for "other reasons" than only for saving the mother's life. Today, it is "abortion on demand" and for any reason at all: sex of child, hair, eye color, etc. up to and including death for the child after being fully-birthed. (Read about Obama's vote on this very subject while he was still a junior senator.) Again...
all sin starts small, before escalating. And of course now (under Obama) we have slid to experimentaion on human embryos.
Here is another example of something starting out small. Have you ever done any research to see how Hitler and the Nazi's came to power? It started rather small in 1919 with a few ex-soldiers that banded together: at that time they were led by an undistinguished corporal (Adolph Hitler) who could speak well and in less than 15 years they would be the new government in Germany: and the evil Hitler would be Germany's Chancellor. Does that sound imposible? That a culture and way of life can be that dramatically changed in less than two decades? It happened. In fact, in history... this sort of thing happens quite often. The process is almost always the same: a nobody, who believes themselves to be a somebody (narcissist) starts clamoring to the people about "change." If you believe I am making this up... for example... read a few of Hitler's early speeches.
Many times you have the "huddled masses" who respond to this type of demagoguery and they too believe they want "change," even if it has not been articulated what exactly that change is. Well, In America today... that "change" is already underway. Welcome to pre-appocolyptic Germany 1933 or Orwell's 1984. Under Obama, "big brother" wants to hear from you. In exactly the same way the Nazi's recruited their youth to spy on their own families... and report to the government.
Perhaps the "first shot across the bow" has been fired by Obama's government as he wants to be informed of any "dissidents" who are out there. Welcome to the brave new world that liberals (with their votes) helped to usher in: "obamanation," which is an
abomination before God.
What follows is a word-for-word reprint from a White House website. I am putting the quote from them in color so it will be easy to separate from what I have written.
Welcome to the new WhiteHouse.gov. I'm Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House and one of the people who will be contributing to the blog. A short time ago, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and his new administration officially came to life. One of the first changes is the White House's new website, which will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world. Millions of Americans have powered President Obama's journey to the White House, many taking advantage of the internet to play a role in shaping our country's future. WhiteHouse.gov is just the beginning of the new administration's efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement.That is the opening three paragraphs to this website sponsored by the White House. The following paragraph is where they are encouraging you to spy and inform on everyone who has a differing view than they do. Again, I welcome you to take a trip back through recent history with me as Hitler did this very thing with his youth program. Now to the paragraph from the White House blog.
There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.Do you see a correlation here between the rise of an obscure little man who could orate well, (Hitler) to a certain individual we now humorously refer to as "Commander in Chief." (Obama) Are you aware that only three years ago in America that 99.9999 of the population had never even heard the name of the junior senator from Illinois? Yes, I agree... change is coming: but is is not what you imagined... not for you and certainly not what you would have wanted for your children and grandchildren.
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
A FEW THOUGHTS
August 1, 3:44 p.m.
We got home an hour ago from the memorial service for Reed. The crowd was large and there were people from at least three different churches who were there that I knew.
All such services are both happy and sad. Happy for the present knowledge that God's redeemed are no longer suffering: yet sad for those left behind that loved them. I told my wife on the drive home that now comes the hardest part for Reed's immediate family.
Following the home-going of someone there is a lot of support and friends close by who steps in to help and comfort. Soon though, life calls and friends will again become busy and caught up in their own day-to-day living. Yet, grief will for a long time still be with those who were closest to the departed.
The first verse that came to mind after I heard that Reed had died was Psalm 116:15 "
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." As always I was reminded that God sees the death of His redeemed children as the exact opposite of how we view it: we are grieving and He is rejoicing. However, for the first time I stopped to really think about it... and then I understood it better when I broke it down to a simple car-trip.
On FB moments after I heard the news I wrote that as we go on a car-trip we might look in our rear-view mirror and see the sad faces of our loved ones waving goodbye as we are departing: however, upon our safe arrival at our destination we will see other loved ones with smiling faces and kisses as they greet us.
So it is at our death... God is happy because we have just arrived safely "home." For Reed, and every other ransomed soul since time began, who has already taken their "walk through the valley," they have finally left the land of the dying... and are now forevemore in the land of the living!
Often we neglect to tell someone something important until it's too late. I wanted to be sure I didn't make that mistake with Reed. So, several weeks ago while he still had some strength I called Him and asked if I could come over? I said I wanted to have prayer with him... that was true but there was more to it than that.
I told him first that I enjoyed his music... playing, singing... all of it. In fact I told him if it were possible to wear out a CD then that was likely to happen on my car player because his tape was playing on a loop. But, I said that more than any of it... I loved the words to the songs he wrote. They are very good! They are Bible-based and some of them have really good depth in the way they were structured. He smiled and said, "You know brother, there were a few times even I was amazed that I wrote some of it." He felt that the Lord had spoken to his heart as he prayed and wrote the words, I agreed.
The other thing I wanted to tell him was that I admired something he did many years ago. He carried a large wooden cross around Louisville and used it to draw crowds for street-evangelism. I greatly admired that. That is exactly what the Bible means that you are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. To do something that you know beforehand might draw ridicule from some... then do it anyway... I like that. More importantly though... God likes it!
It's quite easy to stand in a house of prayer surrounded by other like-minded people and testify that you love and are not ashamed of God. Now try it openly and in a hostile environment and see how strong your faith is?
Every time another person leaves Earth who was a soul-winner I have the same thought: who will step up and take their place? I do have an idea. If you regularly go soul-winning... the next time you are out and you knock on the last door for the day... go ahead and knock on one more before going home. In that way perhaps we can make up for the fact that we have one less person out there trying to win souls.
You can always email me at clarkmatthews1@aol.com
