My Thoughts On CalExit

So, there's been a lot of speculation on California seceding from the United States. Could it happen? How would it happen? Etc.
It all kinda reminds me of that teenager living at home who doesn't want to obey their parent's rules anymore. They get this grand idea that moving out and having their own place would be a non-stop party, or a bed of roses.
A teenager moving out needs enough money for a down payment and the first month's rent, along with any utility deposits. They're going to need furniture, kitchen wares, appliances, and other household supplies- can they afford to buy that? What about the cost of insurance- home, health, auto? What if there's an emergency? Or their car breaks down? Etc.
They think that striking out on their own would be a great adventure! But, I wonder if, like that deluded teenager, they've actually thought about what the changes would be?
I'll give you some of what others have said, and then conclude with my own questions for these "pioneers".
Did you know that there was a time where for 25 days in 1846 there was a California secession? The Historical secession of 1846 according to wikipedia:

The California Republic was an unrecognized breakaway state that, for twenty-five days in 1846, militarily controlled the area to the north of the San Francisco Bay in the present-day state of California.
In June 1846, a number of American immigrants in Alta California rebelled against the Mexican department's government. The immigrants had not been allowed to buy or rent land and had been threatened with expulsion from California because they had entered without official permission. Mexican officials were concerned about a coming war with the United States coupled with the growing influx of Americans into California. The rebellion was soon overtaken by the beginning of the Mexican–American War.

This historical secession was not from America, but from Mexico, and it started a war.
How about the next attempt as secession by the Southern states? Again, it started a war- the Civil War. Could this be the beginning of the next war between the states on American soil?
There have been many people who have written on this topic, and much speculation has been had over it. Should it be secession or should they split the state in two, dividing the more liberal coastal area from the more conservative parts?
In the article California Shouldn't Secede From The US by National Review, they suggest splitting the state into two.

Let the sprawling, diverse state divide up into two or more states to ease tensions between farmers and coastal types, defuse the war of ideology between Left and Right, and allow more policy experimentation, Efforts to divide California into more manageable and homogeneous parts are as old as the Bear Flag that was raised over the state capitol at statehood in 1850. When I was a legislative staffer in Sacramento in 1980, a state assemblyman named Stan Statham had a serious proposal that attracted bipartisan support. He recognized that California’s people (now 40 million) would be better served if its competing constituencies had more in common.

And, a 2011 article by the Los Angeles' Times says there's been more than 220 attempts to split California into two separate states, and all have failed.

 Accusing Sacramento of pillaging local governments to feed its runaway spending and left-wing policies, a Riverside County politician is proposing a solution: He wants 13 mostly inland, conservative counties to break away to form a separate state of "South California.''

I guess there would be a lot less headache from splitting in two- like the teenager moves into the garage. There isn't much that changes and some of the expenditures would be relatively small.
However, there is a movement that has been gathering signatures for a secession- Yes California. 

We're not trying a 1860s breakaway," Louis Marinelli, president of Yes California, told The Los Angeles Times in 2015."We're talking about California being recognized as a nation within a nation, like Scotland in the United Kingdom. We feel California is more than just a state.

Yes California has some key points that they make and they think that they in a good position if it happens, but they have a lot of uncertainty, noted by Business Insider. 
Carl Cannon at The Orange County Register brought up a few good points. He touches on who would be citizens of this new country, and whether they would have dual citizenship with the United States. He comments on the ripple effect it would have in politics. He, also, brings up their water predicament:

The Golden State would soon turn Golden Brown, too, and that isn’t a reference to California President-in-waiting Jerry Brown. I’m talking water rights, specifically the Colorado River. Already, a Denver utility is planning a huge expansion of Gross Reservoir in Boulder County. Wyoming has similar plans afoot, too, in a Colorado River tributary and officials in Nevada and Arizona covet more Colorado River water, too.
Under Calexit, the interstate compact that apportions Colorado River water would be the subject of treaty negotiations between two sovereign nations, one of which has the water, and the other which wants it. Keeping the lush Imperial Valley from turning into another Death Valley could cost trillions.
All those new people — you’d be looking at a population of 100 million — would need drinking water, which would necessitate water desalination plants, fueled most likely by the nuclear power plants the state is now busily decommissioning.

So, are you ready for my questions?
My questions your Government and International relations- 
What type of government would they have? President? Prime Minister? Democracy? Republic?
Who would design your flag? Your national anthem? Would you have a pledge to your flag?

How about laws? What would they be? Who would write them? Would there be a constitution? What laws would be kept and what would be tossed? Elections or appointment?
How about their relations with other countries? Would they send out Ambassadors? Build embassies? Who would they chose as allies?
How would you maintain your border? Would you build a wall?
How many refugees would they take in and how would you cover the increased cost? 
My questions about your military-
Where will you get your defense from? The National Guard is a local thing, but it's not equipped or trained for a nuclear attack or a hostile invasion- with Russia and North Korea so close, and the threat of war with America gone because you are now an independent country. So, who will join? Will there be a draft, or forced service requirements?
Will you have many branches of service- Army, Navy, Air Force? Who will train, arm, etc? How about CIA, FBI, NSA? 
And police? How would this change things for them? Could they carry guns? What would they be willing to do or be able to do without the ability to call in a National Guard?
What if there's a disaster? Would they have their own FEMA ready? 
My questions about Citizenship-
Who would qualify as a citizen? How would people leave or move and join? Visas? Green Cards? Dual citizenship? Would people who become citizens of California lose their American Citizenship?
What about people who cross the border illegally? Would they get citizenship? 
What would you do about the homeless? Or the US veterans? Would they be welcome to stay? Would they still get benefits for being in the Military?
How about the prisoners in the Federal prisons? Would they be citizens? Would California commute their sentences? How about extradition laws?
My questions about Federally Run Places and Businesses-
What would happen to the things that the federal government maintains- parks, military bases, etc. Would California have to buy these from the US? Who would maintain or pay to convert them?
The Postal Service? You'd have to create your own stamps. Run the service. UPS? FedEx? Shipping anywhere outside of California would be considered international shipment, so what would the rates become?
My questions about Trades and the Economy-
How would this effect the economy? Yes, they grow a lot of the country's food, produce much of our technology, and pretty much rule in the entertainment arena. But, what happens when there's import/export taxes or other fees on these products?
What if people stop buying as freely as they are now because of the cost increase?
My questions about Education-
Where would the money come from to maintain the public school system? 
Would you create new Textbooks with California state history as the nations new history? Who would write them? And, where would they be published? Who would pay for this to happen and the distribution of it all?
Would college become free? What about people with federal scholarships? Would they have to leave and go to another college? Would you have your own grants and scholarships? 
My questions about Health Care-
Are there enough local doctors, nurses, and specialists? Would they want to stay? 
Would everyone get on Medicaid? Or would they make up another type of Health Insurance?How would the health care insurance work for both the patients and the costs of the hospital facilities? How would insurance work for visitors? How about when people go to the hospital, but leave this new country without payment for the procedures done?
My questions about Funding, Taxes, and Money-
Would keeping the taxes owed to the United States in this new country counter the loss of the almost $4 Billion in Federal money they receive yearly? 
What happens to people who owe back taxes to the United States government? What would the yearly tax brackets be? What would the corporate taxes be?
And, how about currency?  In the United States it is illegal for states to print money. So, they would have to come up with their own monetary system, along with how to print it, disperse it, etc.
And that brings into question the loans that people have. Would house loans have to be bought out by the new country? Or, would they allow international loans?
Just so many questions! 

There is now an emergency that they want federal assistance with. There is a dam around the spillway for Lake Oroville that is crumbling. There's talk that California's government knew about the failing dam and ignored it in favor of taking care of other matters.
How were they going to take care of this matter after the secession? 
The big problem with all the talk is that people are damaging relationships that will be needed at some time. If we aren't careful, we will follow this example in our personal lives and will find ourselves out on a limb when the proverbial dam of our ignorant bliss erodes and the waters of reality come crashing through our lives!

Prayers For Jonathan White

Robert White has been a friend of my family's since the 1990's. He is a loving father, and a hard working Christian man. Recently, his family has been through some really difficult times. I would ask that you please keep this man, and his son Jonathan, in your prayers.

Message from Robert:
Hello, my son was a passenger in a car accident in July, 2015; sustaining a Traumatic Brain Injury. He was 21. They had to remove a large portion of his skull (bone flap) for three months until the swelling went down to keep him alive. There was no alcohol or drugs. He also had a badly injured left knee and ankle. Because of this horrific accident I was forced to leave my job so that I could be his caretaker. Finally he got to the place where he could function well enough that I could get a job. His memory and physical condition improved to the place where he could drive and ride his motorcycle again. He went back to school. Things were definitely looking much better. Then in December, 2016, we were out on our motorcycles for a ride on a beautiful day. There was a driver going the wrong way on the road and hit us head on in an F250 truck. I kind of hit the front and sideswiped, but my son hit him head on. The driver went to jail because he was drunk, at 11 AM. He also had no insurance. Needless to say both bikes were totaled, but that is not what matters. My son broke his femur in half and broke his wrist too. Now he has a rod in his leg and screws in his wrist. He's only 23 and in the last year and a half has had a really tough time with these injuries. He still can't walk without crutches.
I've never done anything like this, you know, trying to get help. I've always pulled my own weight. But we are devastated financially and don't know what else to do. If anyone can help us we would really appreciate it. Thank you.

If you would like to donate, please visit GoFundMe. And, please, remember to pray for Jonathan White.

Healthy Minute- Wheat

Ah, wheat! I have such a love-hate relationship with you. I love pastas and breads. I feel so slighted when I have to say no to the muffins, donuts, or cookies that are sitting on the table at church.
Wheat does some strange things to certain people, though. It is more dangerous for a diabetic to eat wheat products than a candy bar. Gluten Intolerant people find themselves with severe headaches, diarrhea, nausea, and other terrible effects for hours after consuming something that has it as an ingredient. And, still there are others who eat it and just don't feel right for days afterwards- but they haven't linked it to wheat.
I've learned a few things about our modern wheat.
First, it's not the wheat from ages past. When Jesus said, "I am the bread of life" he was talking about a bread that was made with a different wheat than what we are currently consuming.
Einkorn and Emmer were once the varieties of wheat most commonly consumed around the world. In fact, up until the early 20th century this was what most breads, cakes, and pastas were made from. These flours made bread that was very different from what we consume today. They didn't rise like modern breads do, and they had a nuttier taste to them. They produced a denser product that wouldn't turn out a lovely pastry like we see today.
Eikorn wheat had a simple genetic code of 14 chromosomes. It was hardy, and did well in the cold weather of Europe.
Eikorn cross bred with goatgrass to give us Emmer wheat. Emmer wheat has 28 chromosomes.. It was grown in the Middle East and Egypt.
Sometime after the Jews fled Egypt, Emmer wheat crossbred with another grass and produced Triticum turgidum wheat. A 28 chromosome type of Emmer wheat. This is what was introduced to the "New World" by Christopher Columbus, and also brought with the Pilgrims upon the Mayflower.
The problem with these varieties of wheat was that their yield was small. They weren't very disease resistant, and they didn't fare well during times of intense heat or drought.
In the 1940's the Rockefeller Foundation got together with the Mexican government and started a research center outside Mexico City. This International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center was started to help the agriculture industry produce an increase in the yield of corn, wheat, and soy. They were hoping to create plants that would produce quickly and abundantly to help with world hunger.
At this facility, they started to cross breed different strains of wheat. The end result was a shorter, thicker stalk of wheat that produced a greater amount of wheat berries in less time. They were so happy with their accomplishment that they shipped this dwarf wheat out around the world without animal or human testing.....
Since mating two varieties of other plants had never given anyone adverse reactions, the question of safety was never raised. But, it should have been.
Wheat, unlike other plants, have the ability to retain the sum of the genes of the parent-plants. So, these new, complex chromosomes made some interesting changes in the offspring wheat plants. 5% of the proteins found in the new plant were not present in either of the parent-plants. New gluten proteins were now part of the make up of this new variety of wheat, and they weren't compatible with the human digestive system.
To further the damage, the agriculture industry started to genetically modify the wheat, corn, and soy in the 1980's and thereafter.  There was, again, no safety testing done on these new GMO varieties; it was sent out into the fields.
In his book Wheat Belly, cardiologist Dr. William Davis conducted an experiment using himself as the guinea pig, since he had a wheat sensitivity.

I decided to put eikorn to the test, grinding two pounds of whole grain to flour, which I then used to make bread. I also ground conventional organic whole wheat flour from seed. I made bread from both the eikorn and the conventional flour using only water and yeast with no added sugars or flavorings.
Beyond simply observing my physical reaction, I also performed fingerstick blood sugars after eating each type of bread. The differences were striking.
Blood sugar at the start: 84mg/dl. Blood sugar after consuming eikorn bread: 110mg/dl. This was more or less the expected response to eating some carbohydrate. Afterwards, though, I felt no perceptible effects- no sleepiness, no nausea, nothing hurt. In short, I felt fine. Whew!
The next day, I repeated the procedure, [using] the conventional organic whole wheat bread. Blood sugar at the start: 84mg/dl. Blood sugar after consuming the conventional bread: 167mg/dl. Moreover, I soon became nauseated, nearly losing my lunch. The queasy effect persisted for thirty-six hours, accompanied by stomach cramps that started almost immediately and lasted for many hours. Sleep that night was fitful, though filled with vivid dreams. I couldn't think straight, nor could I understand the research papers I was trying to read the next morning.

The differences between the effects of the two wheat varieties were striking. These are the problems that come from messing with what God created!
If you would like further information on this subject, I suggest that you read Dr. Davis' book. You can also watch this video below:

Funny Happenings- Being Special

So, we went to my friend's house for a play date today. My son asked the lady of the house for a bag of popcorn.
She put the popcorn in the microwave, but hit stop instead of start.
After a few, my son came back to her to ask if the popcorn was ready.
She checked the microwave and said, exasperatedly, "I'm retarded!"
My son, who was 4, got excited and exclaimed, "So am I!!"

Almond Flour Pancakes recipe

1 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 eggs
1 TBS honey
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup yogurt
1 TBS butter, melted
1 TBS coconut oil, melted
about 1/4 cup milk

In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together.
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, honey, vanilla, yogurt, butter, and coconut oil together.
Now, mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture, slowly adding in the milk until it reaches a good "pancake mix" consistency.
Drop the batter into a greased skillet and cook on medium about 3 to 4 minutes per side, flipping as needed.
You can add berries to this recipe if you want more flavor.

Believer's Heritage- Dave Spurgeon

This is his story told in his words.

It was still dark outside at 6am on October 30, 1990, when a large number of men with M-16 rifles quietly and cautiously surrounded my house. I was awakened suddenly by a loud, and repeated smashing sound. I jumped out of bed and ran to the window to see what was going on. As I opened the curtains, I saw that there were cops everywhere, and a number of them had their weapons pointed at me. They shouted, "Freeze; keep your hands in he air; this is the Police!" This was the beginning of a series of events that would literally change my life from that of a bike gang member and criminal to that of a Christian.
I was born in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, in 1953. My father went to Ohio to seek work and eventually moved the family to Lucas County, outside of Toledo. My dad worked very hard, and mom cared for things at home. We went to church every week, but I do not recall ever being told that salvation came by way of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. When I was sixteen, I was glad to get my driver's license and break out of the country to see the "bright lights" of the city. That's when the rebellion in my life really began to show. I argued frequently with my dad about things like hair length and my lack of motivation to work a regular job. I soon started drinking for the "buzz" that took away the cares of the world. I was a very irresponsible teenager.
I joined the U. S. Army in 1971 in an attempt to be free, and to prove myself to my dad. I became a weapons specialist like he was in World Wr II and then I went to airborne school, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes to prove I was tough. I partied, though, hanging out with the "cool" crowd, drinking and smoking pot, thinking I was having a good time. I am happy to be able to say I received and Honorable Discharge in August of 1974. I traveled around the country for the next six months, enjoying not having anyone telling me what to do.
I returned home to Ohio after that, and in February of '75, one of my greatest dreams came true. I became the proud owner of my first Harley-Davidson motorcycle. I quickly became obsessed with learning about Harleys. Early one morning in April, after drinking for several hours, I left a bar stone cold drunk and headed home. I was going about 85mph when I hit something in the road and laid the bike down, totaling it, but  receiving no serious injuries myself. The local Harley dealer allowed me to use his shop to repair my bike. I learned to "wrench" by rebuilding it, and eventually earned a reputation as a custom builder.
When not at the shop, I hung out with other bikers. We drank, fist-fought, and rode our Harleys. In October of 1975, after much persuasion from a good friend, I joined by first motorcycle club. It was a small, local club, based on bikin' and brotherhood. In the spring of 1978, I met some members of a national club in Daytona Beach, Florida. After hanging out with them for well over a year, and proving I was "rotten" enough, I was accepted  as a member. I became the chapter president of their Toledo chapter.
There were dark sides to the lifestyle of a bike club member, including many funerals. The death of one of my best friends is a prime example. Very early one winter morning, a club brother and I left a bar in my Camaro with a couple of girls who needed a ride home. Our newest ember, Ralph, was following on his Harley. When I stopped at a traffic light to let the girls out of the car, Ralph roared past us, heading on toward the clubhouse. We lost sight of him as he entered the alley behind it. Rounding the corner, I saw he had gone down. Ralph was unconscious, lying in the middle of the alley. Rushing to his side and realizing that he wasn't breathing, I attempted to straighten him out in order to do CPR. When I removed my arm from underneath him, it was glistening in the dim light of the street lamp, covered with his blood. Ralph had been gunned down by what turned out to be a rival gang member. I realized I would have been the first one into the alley had I not stopped at the light. As chapter, boss, I was the target. I'm the one that should have been killed that night.
After nine years of riding in clubs, I became a national officer. I was in my mid-thirties and was at the point where I had anything I ever wanted: power, gold, guns, plenty of money, and three beautiful custom Harley Davidson motorcycles. I even had a vintage Corvette. By 1990, I was also very dissatisfied with my life, but had no clue what to do about it. To evade this reality, I drank and got high more than ever. It was a lifestyle in which few grew old anyway, and many of my closest friends had been killed or were serving time. Whiskey and cocaine became my friends. We used to call cocaine "the devil's dandruff". How true it was.
Then on that October morning in Dayton, Ohio, as I stood at my bedroom window with my hands in the air, I realized that the sound that had awakened me was that of a battering ram removing my front door from it's hinges. Police officers from the FBI, ATF, and the DEA rushed into my house wearing helmets, body armor, and carrying M-16 rifles. They ran up my stairs crouching behind bulletproof shields. They handcuffed me and led me downstairs while other officers tore my house apart.
 They found guns everywhere, including a sub-machine gun. They also found a bag containing about five ounces of cocaine. I was arrested and charged with possession of firearms, including an automatic weapon, to facilitate the distribution of said illegal controlled substance. I was held without bond and originally facing thirty years for the machine gun, five for the other guns, and two years for the dope.
One day in my cell, I observed another man from a similar background, reading a Bible. He invited me to attend a church service with him, so I went. It was being conducted by a preacher from Charity Baptist Church in Beavercreek. During this service he preached about a place called Hell. I thought I was a fearless man, his message got my attention! I was reminded that morning that Hell was a real place of torment, and that I was headed there without Jesus Christ.
Essentially, he was telling me I had much bigger problems that going to prison! I didn't like the message, but I'm glad that preacher had the guts to tell me the truth. As a streetwise hustler and con artist in my own right, I was not about to be flimflammed by some religious guy, but his sincerity caused me to return to another service a week later. That preacher gave me a Bible and as I read, it confirmed what he had told me. I had bigger problems that thirty-seven years in prison.
In my cell, I longed for peace in my soul and continued to read the Bible. I was reading it one morning and had a small radio playing when the time and date came over the air: 5am, November 30, 1990. Tears filled my eyes as I realized it had been ten years to the day since Ralph had been gunned down in that alley. My influence had caused him to leave his job and his family to join the motorcycle club. He was dead, and, according  to the Bible, in Hell because he had followed me. That morning I surrendered my sin to the Lord Jesus Christ. I asked Him to come into my heart and take control of my life. He saved my soul that morning and I have never regretted it. Jesus Christ gave me the peace I had longed for so badly. I was still in jail without bond and still going to prison, but as of that moment, Iw as a free man. I was free from the bondage of sin that had held me tightly for so many years. With more peace than I had ever had in my life, I wrote a letter to my parents telling them of my conversion.The preacher, Tom Gresham, from Charity Baptist Church, came to visit me regularly after that. He gave me verses to read and set up a study program to help me learn the Bible.
Not many days later, my attorney presented me with a plea bargain. The U. S. Attorney was willing to drop the automatic weapon charge if I would plead to the other gun and drug charges. That would bring my max down to seven years in federal prison, instead of thirty-seven . I took that deal, to be sure. The following week I was granted an unprecedented third bond hearing. The attorney told me that I didn't have a chance, but somehow I believed I did. Mr. Gresham had told me people of his church were praying for me, and though I did not fully comprehend that, I knew something was different now. Against all odds, a federal judge granted me a bond on December 21, 1990. Federal Marshals told my attorney that I was the first person in the history of that Federal territory to make bond after being "no-bonded" twice for drug and weapons charges. I give all the glory to the Lord.  I went to church the following Sunday to thank those strangers for praying for me, and I was received with such kindness and love that I kept going back. A week later, I was baptized as a public declaration of my faith.
When my sentence date finally arrived eleven months later, I was prepared to be sent away to a federal penitentiary for seven years. I was thankful for everything the Lord had done for me. He had given me a new family in Christ, and most important of all, He had saved my soul from ever having to worry about going to Hell. In U. S. District Court, before the Honorable Walter H. Rice, with approximately seventy members of Charity Baptist Church present, I stood to answer for my past life. I was a new man in Christ, but the old man's deeds still had to be answered for. Judge Rice stated that he had received almost one hundred letters on my behalf and that I had the most exemplary pre-sentence investigation report he had seen in twenty-two years on the bench. Judge Rice stated, "You do not look like the same man that appeared in front of me one year ago." Then he asked me to explain for the record what had happened to me "on the inside" to account for that change. That gave me the opportunity to testify of my salvation by faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says in II Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." After acknowledging that the change in my life was so extraordinary and substantially atypical that the people who dealt with and drafter the Congressional sentencing guidelines could not have possible contemplated it, Judge Rice separated my two charges.He sentenced me to five years probation on the drug charge, which included six months' house arrest and 1,000 hours of community service, to wit, telling others how I got off dope, off liquor, and out of the gang lifestyle. Judge Rice essentially sentenced me to tell others about Jesus Christ. "The gun charge," Judge Rice said, "would possibly be dealt with at a later time." This type of sentencing procedure had never been seen before in the United States 6th District. Again, all the glory belongs to the Lord.
I am thankful for all who prayed for me, and I thank the Lord for giving me a second chance. Most people in the life I chose died in their sins without salvation. I was extremely blessed that someone came and brought me the Gospel of Christ. I learned that, "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). And that famous verse, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever  believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). God sent His Son to die so that I might live. In Romans chapter 10, I read, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" Verse 13 says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." I called upon the Lord with an honest heart and He saved me! Do not risk waiting as I did. I had no guarantee that I would live long enough to repent. Neither do you. If you are not saved, please accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. You will never regret it.
_David Charles Spurgeon

For more about Bro. Spurgeon, you can get a copy of his book Bikin' And Brotherhood. If you were saved by his testimony, or if you'd like to get in contact with him, you can write to him at:
Charity Baptist Church
1600 Brownleigh Road
Dayton, Ohio 45429

Wheat Belly (book review)

Who doesn't like bread?
In our modern American diet, wheat is one of the staples that is in almost every meal. We have breads, cakes, muffins, pastas, cereals, and more in almost every sitting.
But, there are many out there with something called gluten intolerance. They get very sick when they eat bread. Others, can have a sensitivity to it which they aren't even aware of!
Why?
In William Davis book Wheat Belly you will find out that the wheat used to make all of the wonderful things we eat today is not the same wheat from ages past. It answers the question why so many people now-a-days get sick from something that many generations and cultures enjoyed without problem.
If you've ever wondered about these things, I suggest you give this book a read.

The Bible (poem)

What could we do without the Book
  That God gave us to read?
No more than any farmer
  Who hadn't any seed!

No other tells us of our Lord,
  The God of grace and love,
Who made the whole creation,
  This world and those above.

What could we do were we without
  The Gospels or the Acts?
No more than could a barrister
  Who didn't know his facts!

Were we without the letters of
  John, Peter, James and Paul,
We'd be like some poor cricketer
  Without a bat or ball.

If Genesis is humbug,
  We must cast into the flames
The Gospels, Acts and Hebrews,
  Galatians, Romans, James.

If we should try to live our lives
  Without the Book of Psalms,
Our souls would lack the music
  Which comforts, cheers and charms.

We couldn't know that God will be
  The Judge of all mankind,
By the mere dictates of Reason,
  Or the workings of the mind.

We shouldn't know God gave His Son,
  To agonise and die,
To save and teach us sinful men
  To trust Him utterly.

We shouldn't know Christ rose again—
  The proof He was the Lord—
And then ascended up above
  To execute His Word.

We ne'er had deemed He'd be the Friend
  Of publicans and sinners,
Of prodigals and harlots, not
  Of hypocrites nor trimmers.

That ne'er would He to any child
  Deny a Saviour's blessing,
And ne'er would turn a soul away,
  Who came his sins confessing.

That He Who healed the sick, the lame,
  The blind, the deaf, the dumb,
And raised the dead, by touch or word,
  Would beg us all to come

To Him, that we might be forgiven
  And made the heirs of God,
Divorced from fear of death and hell,
  Warriors of the Lord.

We ne'er had dreamed Salvation is
  A gift, and not a wage,
To be received just as you are,
  Without the sacred page.

The Bible is a gallery
  Of pictures full of life,
A cinematographic show
  Of real historic strife.

It warns against temptations
  And Satan's savoury messes;
It paints the devil's portrait
  In all his fancy dresses.

It's like a cordite rifle
  With a telescopic sight,
Preventing those of single eye
  From missing, day or night.

It is of heaven's narrow way
  The ordnance survey map,
Revealing hell's paved broadway
  And every gin and trap.

It gives the words of prophets,
  Who courageously denounced
The sins of priests, and princes, and
  The Judgment day announced.

It castigates the evil, and
  It never screens the good;
It declares that every mortal needs
  The Saviour's cleansing blood.

'Tis a history of the godly,
  A hymn book for the saint,
A comfort to the dying,
  A cordial to the faint.

It prophesies the Coming
  Of the Saviour in His might,
To judge the world's inhabitants,
  And darkness turn to light.

Be sure, in their originals,
  Each word came straight from God;
"Yea! every jot and tittle's true,"
  Said Jesus Christ the Lord.

Would you be brave and noble?
  Read it every day,
Not as a duty merely,
  Nor in a slipshod way.

Divorce yourself from humbug,
  And cant and lollipops;
Don't live on milk and water,
  Nor sentimental slops.

Don't be like Jackie Horner,
  Who when he got a pie,
Picked out a plum or two, and said
  "See what a boy am I!"

It's God's own patent medicine,
  Take it as it stands;
Treat it as His aide-de-camp,
  Bringing Christ's commands.

Mind! you must obey it,
  Otherwise you'll be
Branded, as a hypocrite,
  Through eternity.

Read it in the morning,
  Meditate and pray,
Trust the Lord to keep you
  "Straight" throughout the day.

-C. T. Studd

My Heart Is There (song)

Calvary

We all know the songs about Calvary. Many of us grew up singing about the place where Jesus was crucified. But, did  you ever realize that the word "Calvary"  is only used once in the Bible?
Luke 23:33- And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Only in the book of Luke is  the hill referred to as Calvary. In the other gospels it is Golgotha, the place of the skull. Have you ever wondered why that is?
Luke, the Physician, is the author of the book of Luke. He is writing the events of Christ's life long after Christ has died and rose again. And, he is writing his account to a Gentile man named Theophilus.
Luke 1:1-4- Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
Luke presents Christ as the Son of Man. The genealogy given goes all the way back to Adam- the first man, and a Gentile.
Luke was the traveling companion of Paul. His ministry was mainly to the Gentiles. He is known as the author of Luke and Acts, both of which are addressed to the above mentioned Theophilus. So, it is understandable that he would use the Latin word for Golgotha- Calvary.
So, what is the signifigance of Calvary?
Calvary impacts history like no other event. It's grasp reaches from the temple in Jerusalem to the throne in Heaven to the souls on the earth. It shows the depths of God's love and the extent of His hatred of sin. It fulfills the law, satisfied justice demands, and is the personification of mercy. It's the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New. Calvary grants eternal life, ensures eternal death, and makes certain eternal judgment. It's act defeats sin's nature and frees the captive soul.
Only one other word that is so beautiful, so powerful, and so eternal- Jesus!
Calvary may be used only once in the Bible, but there is no doubt that it has been spoken countless times from the lips of millions throughout the New Testament era. And, I'm certain it will be spoken countless more times for all eternity!