our true colors showing...

Many have talked about us being in a "post racism" age, since we elected a black President.  Indeed, the world took note of that rather progressive event, and many across the globe saw it as a hopeful sign for us...

The vehement hatred that has been spewing from the mouths, writings, broadcasts and actions, even legislation since then has also been noticed.  The obstructionist Congress and the hateful posts, articles, demonstrations and rhetoric have born witness to our deep-seeded racism as a nation, and the desperate, panicked and ruthless efforts to "take back" America from, well, we know who, betrays a people afraid of losing their entitlement by race and economic class.  It has not gone unnoticed.

The political refugee children, here because desperate parents weighed their risk at home vs. their risk of a very dangerous trip (some of them alone), and had them make that trip, are being screamed at by radical American Talibanists at the border and actively targeted for deportation by their representatives in the Reprobate Party... Strike the words "bring me your tired, your poor, your huddle masses, longing to be free" from the statue.  We stopped wanting them years ago (1981).

Voter rights suppression is on the rise again, with gerrymandering (even blatantly illegal stuff in FL).
Take out the words, "All men (people) are created equal."  We NEVER believed that.

The KKK is actively recruiting in Florida and Georgia.  People can openly carry weapons in most public places in those states, even in bars and church and near the polls... think about that...

Women's rights... once getting more and more secure... are now being stripped over decisions regarding their bodies... over income equality... over upward mobility in the workplace... over insurance that covers their protection and responsible living sexually... over RELIGIOUS rights by corporations...

The Koch brothers are backing with billions those who will further gut any strength of organized labor in an attempt to return us to the gilded age of the 20's, during which (like now) only the few had the money and the many struggled to survive...They have already purchased the Congress and Supreme Court toward those ends... what more do they need?

We are itchin' to get BACK INTO one war we left, STAY in the other and FIND ANOTHER, so we can feed the oil industry and military industrial complex... blood for oil is an acceptable exchange for the Reprobates hawks...

We are privatizing schools and prisons, so there will be a direct pipeline between them for our young brown and black males in the future... and inmates will be shipped to fields and factories to offer labor profitable only to the prisons... sound familiar??????

With all of these things getting more firmly in place everyday, the Reprobate Politicians have the time to waste millions on witch hunts over Benghazi, truly frivolous lawsuits against the President and impeachment rhetoric...

BECAUSE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ALLOW IT.
They represent us.  If they are NOT representing us, then we need to elect those who WILL.  If they ARE representing us, then they are showing how hateful, ruthless, greedy,  power hungry, corrupt, mean-spirited, predatory, racist, classist, homophobic, sexist, ethnocentric, xenophobic, nationalistic and (did I mention?) ruthless we are... OUR TRUE COLORS ARE SHOWING...

Is that the America you want us to be as YOUR nation?
NO?
WRITE, CALL, SPEAK, DEMONSTRATE and VOTE (while you still can)....

If the Congress remains in the hands of the Reprobate Party, and if the Senate falls into their hands, the President WILL BE SUED, and WILL BE IMPEACHED, and at the very least, NOTHING GOOD WILL HAPPEN for another 2 years, until we awaken from our apathetic, complacent slumber and VOTE AGAIN (if that right has not been taken away from you)... out of desperation...

Rather than do that, why not be PRO-ACTIVE?  Keep it moving in a progressive, compassionate, kind, generous, accepting (or at least tolerant), reasonable, rational, civilized direction!!!!!!  It truly is in your hands, and mine and those of those around us, who either know from us what we believe is a better way, or they do not.

Prayer is ACTION.  ACTION is our prayer.  Pray and act out of Agape Love.

Pastor Jamie

What it's all about (for me)...

It is not about purity or holiness, at least not according to Jesus...
It is not about worship, praise, tithes according to Jesus...
It is not about being a part of an institution, social club or cult according to Jesus...

It is ALL ABOUT...
   living Agape Love... active commitment on behalf of the other... both God and Neighbor
It is ALL ABOUT...
   Keeping HIS Commands, as Jesus repeatedly taught...
   Abiding in HIS Word
   Denying Self, Taking up the Cross and Following Jesus
         what He commanded, taught and exemplified, as we have it in the Gospels...

If I want to follow Jesus, I must go where Jesus went...
   I must live Agape Love, even on my way to the Cross...
  
Jesus, Fulfiller of the Law and Prophets... Savior and Lord of my Life...
   Commands... Teaches... Exemplifies Agape Love for all who would follow Him...

So, to follow Him...
   to submit my will to His Will for my life
   to conform my way to His Way for how I live in this part of God's Kingdom
        makes great sense to me, not just for my sake, but for the world around me...

If we lived what Jesus commanded, taught and exemplified in the world around us,
   the world would be a VERY different place... an Agape Loving place...

I want to live those Kingdom Values of Jesus here and now, and hope that in some small
   way it will offer light for the path of others around me...

So, what I live, what I preach and teach, what I write will be about Jesus' Way,
   and my striving will be that of actively living what Jesus taught, commanded and
   showed as Kingdom Values for me to live in this part of God's Kingdom...

It is a good way, the best way for me.

Pastor Jamie

Simple

It's really simple...
The wealthy class, a very small minority, the epitome of which is the Koch brothers...
Energize the Religious "right" on issues, use fear and provoke hatred...
To keep those in government who would lift the poor and strengthen the working class from having
    any power...

The end goal is
NOT a more faithful America...
NOT your benefit...
NOT justice, equality or equity...
NOT your democratic rights...
NOT the well being of the whole nation...

The end goal is
simply THEIR unchecked GREED and lust for POWER getting them more at our expense...

They do not care about you.
They will use you, manipulate you, exploit you to get more for themselves.

If you support them, you are working toward your demise and the end of our democracy
   or any relative prosperity average American citizens can have...

If you allow them to pit you against minorities (sexual orientation, religious, race, class), then you are
    their tools that will be used to hurt others and eventually yourself - our whole nation...

When it is all said and done -
Will you support ALL people and their democratic rights and ability to sustain their lives,
    or will you support the very FEW who will get all they can at the expense of all others?

As a follower of JESUS, I must expose their works of darkness and lift up those who have been hurt
    by them, keep others from being hurt by them and end the conditions that allow them to hurt any
    others.

Will you be the servant of God in this struggle, or the servant of the Greedy and Powerful?

Pastor Jamie