Folks who ply the ink-slinging trade haven’t evolved too far past freshwater mussels when it comes to thinking.  Given the slightest chance they’ll get all misty-eyed and weepy over the plight of anyone who can cast themselves in the role of victim.”
              –J. Lee Butts  (Lawdog)

    “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”
              –Exodus 23:2 (NKJV)
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I’m sick and tired of the perversion of justice and morality that I see arising in our land.  I just cannot believe how sick, wicked, and evil some of those who will be running for the office of President are.  The real shame is that many Christians have taken hold and jumped on their bandwagon, listening and drooling at their wagging tongues.  
    I wonder how long the Lord will allow mercy to fall upon this nation of ours.  My doubts are stronger than my optimism in this matter.  The world is becoming more and more evil.  I read the other day, not from a religious source mind you, that the United Notions (I mean, Nations) has declared that there will be a one world government within twelve years.  Hmmm, that is if the world is still functioning for some whackos have said that it will be destroyed by that time.
    Now the push for 16 year olds to vote!  Crazy, they’re barely sophomoric!  That shows the extreme that people will go to just to get an agenda pushed.  An agenda, by the way, that is antichrist!
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However, for the true believer in Christ, I also came across the following admonition by Dave Roever.  This is a time, amidst the great darkness that is coming and hovering over our land that Christians can truly shine.  That is if they are truly separated from the world.

    “Arise and Shine my soul!
     Stammering lips, stop your whimpering.  Lisping tongue, cease your utterance of surrender to a lesser god!  Light the wick of the Spirit and burn.  Burn brightly.  Resist the creeping darkness.  
     ARISE AND SHINE.
     Testify of His battlefield victories.  Remember His formations of might and arise against evil.  Weak knees, buckle not under pressure.  Cease your trembling!  Wade not only into the waters of refreshment but into the enemy’s ranks swinging wildly the scythe, harvesting the yield of a savaged enemy.  Loot the horse and horsemen.  Retake the land lost, the estate of righteousness, an inheritance of the elders preserved in tradition and valor.
     No compromise.
     No conformity.
     No concession.
     RISE AND SHINE!
     Your glory, your victory!  Sing your hymn of liberty!
     The SON has at long last risen on the horzon.  You’re free of the chains of unforgiveness.
     You are Born to live.
     He is for us…not against us!
     ARISE AND SHINE!”

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”  Isaiah 60:1
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Today in the Texas Revolution:  Urrea receives reinforcements; Fannin surrenders.

So dark out there, if a feller lit a match, he’d probably have to light a second one to see if the first one was actually burning.”
              –J. Lee Butts  (Written in Blood)

    “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light within you is darkness—how deep is that darkness!”
              –Matthew 6:23 (HCSB)
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I trust you contemplated the first part of Psalm 18 that I left with you last Monday.  I hesitated to copy the second portion as it is a little longer, but then I looked at it and there is so much that David faced and passed on to us.  Take time to go back over this portion of the Psalm.  It will definitely bring you comfort and assurance.  Psalm 18:7-19 HCSB:

         7 Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the mountains trembled; they shook because He burned with anger.
         8 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire came from His mouth; coals were set ablaze by it.
         9 He parted the heavens and came down, a dark cloud beneath His feet.
        10 He rode on a cherub and flew, soaring on the wings of the wind.
        11 He made darkness His hiding place, dark storm clouds His canopy around Him.
        12 From the radiance of His presence, His clouds swept onward with hail and blazing coals.
        13 The Lord thundered from heaven; the Most High projected His voice.
        14 He shot His arrows and scattered them; He hurled lightning bolts and routed them.
        15 The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed, at Your rebuke, Lord, at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
        16 He reached down from heaven and took hold of me; He pulled me out of deep waters.
        17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy and from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
        18 They confronted me in the day of my distress, but the Lord was my support.
        19 He brought me out to a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

    Jerome, wrote this about this portion of Psalm 18, “Because we are little and lowly and unstable to lift ourselves up to Him, the Lord stoops down to us and in his compassionate kindness deigns to hear us.  In fact, because we are people and cannot become gods, God became man and inclined Himself, as it is written: ‘He bowed the heavens also and came down.'”
    God knows our need.  He knows it better than we do.  We might want this or that to happen when we are in adversity, but because He is all wise, and if we submit to His wisdom and will the provides what is right.  The Almighty is on our side.  Read this section over again and see the power of God and note that it is at work in our lives.
    He will reach down and rescue us.  He knows when and how.  He saves us when we are at our weakest.  For some reason, we simple and sinful men think we can handle all our problems.  Yet, we cannot see behind the veil into the spiritual.  God allows us to expend our energy and strength, and then when we are weak He shows His strength.
    I think it is often hard for us to comprehend that He is on our side.  We sin, we repent and then fail again.  But yet, the Almighty takes delight in us.  In the midst of our catastrophe, whether physical or spiritual, whether the fault of others or self-induced He still delights in us.
    It will be a terrible day when the Lord finally does away with our true enemy.  Remember, friend, today is the day of salvation.  Live and be glad in it.
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This day in the Texas Revolution:  Albert Horton’s cavalry and Urrea’s advance forces skirmish near Fort Defiance.

Many things considered by civilized people as necessary were merely superficial.  Annie had the great qualities, virtue, courage, and love.”
              –Zane Grey (The Drift Fence)

    “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
              –Romans 15:13 (NKJV)
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    “Doll, here is some money for your birthday.  Why don’t you take Don out for dinner?”  So said Annie’s Dad to her on that birthday more than a few years ago.  His nickname for her was “Doll” and I don’t know if he really used it here, but it fits and I knew it was going to be a good relationship from that birthday so many years ago.
    I remember the first birthday that I shared with her.  She thought we had been dating too much and, though I didn’t agree, we decided to “cool it” for a while.  Then I was asked to get her over to the Joust (Student Union) for a surprise birthday party.  I had just agreed to not see her so regularly, but not sure how I got her to come with me.  Maybe I gave her that “look” and she followed me and “Surprise”!  Let me see, I reckon that would mean that we’ve spent 50 of her birthdays together.  
    Now today isn’t her birthday, I’m beating the gun some.  It’s actually Sunday, but I don’t write “Echoes” on Sunday and so here it is.  We don’t move as fast as we used to, well, I don’t anyway.  She’s still a go-getter; you know she’s been that way ever since she went and got me.  Ha–need to laugh in here somewhere.  
    So I’ll say an early HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the grandest gal I know!!  Bar-none!
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    I came across the following prayer from Cowboys 4 Christ.  We don’t thank the Lord nearly enough for all the things He provides for us and all the things He does for us.  Now before anyone says anything about it, I didn’t misspell the word “cosy”, it came that way.  

         ~ Heavenly Father, Thank you for today, for all the ways in which I have known you…
           For the sunrise and the birdsong For the music I’ve heard, and the things I’ve enjoyed,
           For the meals, and for the cosy home I live in For my close family and for my special friends,
           Most of all, thank you for being beside me through each moment. May I dream good dreams and arise again tomorrow to thank you once more. In Jesus’ name. Amen. * God Bless and keep Sharing the Good News !!! ~ C4C

    There are so many things in this little prayer.  Don’t miss out in what the Lord has given you each and every day.  Even through the night He is watching, and I’ve always wondered how He is working on us while we are sleeping.
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This day in the Texas Revolution:  King’s troops are captured by the Mexicans.

Life is full of adjustments…you just hafta deal with them.”
              –Lou Bradshaw  (Ace High)

    “And whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me.”
              –Matthew 10:38 (HCSB)
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Have you heard some of the complete nonsense coming from the mouths of pseudo-leaders?  Some of the things they are saying are completely absurd.  I guess absurdity knows no end.  People are listening and being duped.  There is a sense of delusion floating through the country.  People are losing hope and are grasping at outright lies and absurdities.  When I was a kid I used to wonder how in the world people would believe what the Antichrist would say.  But looking at what I’m seeing now it wouldn’t take much.
    Vision propels us.  People look forward and are motivated primarily by hope.  People now, instead of working hard, instead of pulling themselves up by their bootstraps are clamoring for more, more, more.  More of what?  They don’t know they just want more.  Achieving the dream is no longer necessary, they wanted it handed to them on a platter, and a silver one no less.  People tend to focus on the blessings of the moment.  Realize that those blessings soon fade.  And they want another one.
    What have you thought recently about heaven?  How far in the future is it in your mind?  Folks don’t think much of heaven.  It has been said that people don’t think of heaven because that requires one to think of death and if they think of death then their happiness will be destroyed.  But folks, look at the hope of heaven.  Death isn’t an obstacle, it is a gateway.  But then, we are too preoccupied with being happy here.
    We search for satisfaction, here, in the now, on this earth.  We don’t realize that this earth offers no real satisfaction.  That idea is another one of the devil’s deceptions.  True meaning and happiness in this life are subject to meaning and happiness in the next.  Ted Dekker wrote, “It is by fixing our eyes on the light of eternity that we see clearly the pleasures of this life.”
    To think of heaven should bring hope and expectation, not despair and glumness.  Think about heaven.  Life is about heaven.  As the Lord prepares a home for us, so we should also be preparing ourselves to see it and get ready to live in it.  Heaven is the great vision and pleasure.  God is there.  The Holy Spirit, the Comforter, eases the path between this life and the next.  In that process one of the greatest gifts He offers is that of hope.
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There is a moment of celebration to be taken.  On my website yesterday was posted my 1000th blog.  Can you imagine?
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This day in the Texas Revolution:  King, Ward and the Texas attempt to fall back to Victoria.