OLD ERA TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT WORK SO WELL.......

At least the lady could laugh at herself.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1A4VJ5ynLH/

PAY YOUR MONEY, AND TAKE YOUR CHANCES...........

The two ways to look at China. I watched the video, and I wonder if there is a middle way. I have, for many years, assumed China is not intrinsically lusting to conquer the world. They have gone for 4000 years doing almost NO expansion into their neighboring nations. I do not believe they intend to launch conquest in the world today. Taiwan is an issue, but the Chinese really believe historically that Taiwan should be part of China. The history of Taiwan lends itself to support that to some extent.

China's most urgent problem is that they are going to run out of people to pay to care for their elderly, and that will happen within ten years. Their recent control of child birth is now a crisis which will not stop until China is in serious trouble and possible collapse. The glitter of modern China is smoke and mirrors which hides the real issues of destiny. China will soon be unable to launch a world class war, let alone feed its people. Their soil is very poor, and if they cannot get phosphates enough, they will have crop failure and famine. 

So, if China is not a threat to America, then what is going on right now is very stupid. Slapping the dragon is not a good idea. They have nuclear weapons, and the assumption that they will never be used out of fear, is a very stupid assumption. It is historic that when a nation invents a superior weapon, they become obsessed to use it and see what clever people they are. This happened in Vietnam, and out of it came the M-16 and amazing helicopters. I believe one of the most ominous aspects of the Trump regime is that he will want to use nukes to prove he is brave and dangerous.

The video:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DZVVCecWQ/

UGALI NA MBOGA..... CORN MEAL MUSH AND GREENS

This is what I grew up eating anytime we were guests in African homes. I love this food. The side can also be chicken, beef, lamb, or fish, depending on your budget. It is not quite authentic unless you eat it with your fingers. What is really a supreme challenge is if the African wife cooks rice instead of the corn meal. It is still eaten with the fingers.

The greens are called "mboga," which is really any kind of greens. My favorite recipe is to boil spinach, and add peanut butter and some chili pepper. If you want Congo style, add sliced tomatoes as you cook it.

To make the corn meal mush digest better, soak the corn meal for about one hour before cooking. The object is to have a very thick result that can be handled by the fingers. If you want to experiment with rice, cook it so that it comes out a bit gummy, not fluffy, so you can try to eat it with your fingers.

When we White people ate rice with Africans, the chickens had a feast day. After the meal and everyone walked outside, the wife would let the chickens into the room to pick up any food that was dropped. We dropped plenty of rice on the floor.

 WOKE AT THE MENTAL HOSPITAL..........

 PANCHO LOPEZ, THE LAZY SON OF A GUN

If you have no patience with long form posts, click out of here now.

The title is a line from a song sung by Lalo Guerrero, an immigrant from Mexico long ago who received the Presidential Citizens Medal from President Bill Clinton, the second highest US civilian award. Lalo sang many songs that were satire based on the culture differences between Mexicans and Anglos. His music defused a lot of racial stress, especially in California. Go figure.

So, here are some immigrants who have been a blessing to me:

Joe Sanchez was a member of my home church, and while I was in college his family welcomed me many times into their home. He would tell me I had to chip golf shots into a dumpy little miniature of a Mexican chicken yard he kept authentic in the back yard. They also took me every few Sundays to Joe's Mexican Restaurant on Indiana street where I ate Huevos Rancheros. When I got back to the dorm at college after church, I would often find money in my coat pocket. Joe always denied putting it there, but I know it was he who did it. Joe claimed his favorite hymn was Shall We Gather at the River? Go figure.

Our property here in Texas had no fence around it in 2008. We found a Hispanic man who did fences for a good price. He brought Mexicans to work on the fence, and they worked hard in the hot summer sun and built a very good fence, including doing a couple of tricks to solve problems. All five of the workers claimed their name was Pancho. Don't ask, don't tell. Again, go figure.

I tuned pianos in Nogales, Arizona and had the town to myself because Anglo tuners in Tucson would not tune in Nogales. I loved it because those immigrant Hispanic American citizens in Nogales treated me way better than I deserved. I was never referred to as a "Gringo." The worst I was ever called was "Señor Blanco" (Mr. White). I learned from a merchant I got to know that he wanted to turn in a rather prominent drug dealer to law enforcement, but he was frightened of revenge. I had a Hispanic customer who was a US Customs agent, and I asked him how I could help turn in the drug dealer. The agent told me none of the US drug enforcement agencies would protect me if they needed my witness in court. He said that if that happened, my wife, daughter, or mother would get a Medellín Drug Cartel "necklace" (slit throat) from the drug lords. The US Customs agent begged me not to report the dealer, and he promised me that the man would get caught eventually. Go figure.

I have friends from Africa who came to America to find better employment and give their kids a better environment to grow up. We share a love for Africa and Kenya in particular. I am always welcome in their home, and they always send me home with some sort of African food. I was making a cup of Kenyan Karicho Gold tea this morning from some they gave me, and that is what inspired this post. Their daughter supplies me with pastries from her home business. These folks have a good relationship with their neighbors, and they have improved their land to become a sort of African oasis in Texas. Go figure.

I end with ancient history, for me anyway. After I graduated from college in California, I drove to Michigan to visit Elizabeth, and the visit ended at the wedding altar. I had found a job at Brown Paper Company in Kalamazoo. I set up the first sample area in a 90 year old company, which was a rodeo ride for me. The biggest problem I had was to convince blue collar union men in the paper mill to send me paper samples, and I had to convince the millwrights to repair my antique paper trimmer. Labor and union people were having a war of wills and slowing down life in the company by ornery behavior. I made a friend of a union man, Fritz Burger, and for some reason, he really took a liking to me and wanted me to succeed. He was the company paint men. So, when I needed paper samples in a hurry, or when the monster paper trimmer broke, I would tell Fritz. He would go to the area involved and convince them to ignore the union rules and put me at the front of the line.

Fritz had been a German soldier in World War II and had been terribly humiliated by the US Army officers who processed him into the new world of defeated Germany. But, he immigrated to America anyway. I listened to his stories with sympathy, and I visited his home basement which he had made into a beer garden. I did not drink his beer, but he had only a few American friends who appreciated his beer garden which I thought looked very German and friendly, at least if you were a boozer. If it had not been for Fritz, I would have had a huge burden of paper work and begging to do to make the sample area a success. Go figure.

We are a nation of immigrants. Even the American Indians, who are said to be the original Americans, were really immigrants over a thousand years ago when the Baring Straits froze over, and they immigrated from Mongolia or China to what is now Alaska. My ancestor, Jacobus Jansen, came from the Netherlands to New Amsterdam (New York) in 1695. There is virtually NO difference between me and an immigrant who just arrived in Texas from Mexico yesterday. Some came in ships, some by plane, and some swam the Rio Grande River. Go figure.

Let us stop whining about illegal immigrants. Yes, they are illegal, but they have the same thing on there mind as my ancestor or yours. Maybe life in America will be better than back home in Europe. Maybe the king (president or dictator) back home will not find me in New York. Maybe I will not have to bribe every cop and official in Russia to survive. Maybe I can go home to visit the family in Sonora, Mexico some day, and I can take them a microwave for Christmas.

Finally, as Bible believers, we have two huge reasons to be kind to any immigrants who are law abiding:

1. GOD TOLD US TO-
𝗟𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝟭𝟵:𝟯𝟰 - "𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳; 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗴𝘆𝗽𝘁: 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗱."

𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄 𝟮𝟱:𝟯𝟱 - "𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘁: 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸: 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻"

𝗛𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝟭𝟯:𝟮 - "𝗕𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀: 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗯𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀."

When we turn away or offend an illegal immigrant, the Apostle, under inspiration, tells us some of them may actually be angels come to see if the love of Christ is in us. Go figure.

Missions has become low priority in most local churches in America these days. Missionaries find it harder and harder to raise the support they need to live in their target nation. So, God has sent the mission field to us. So, pastor, do you make any effort to take the Gospel to immigrants in America? Do you have a member who is fluent in Spanish, one who could give the Gospel to Mexicans in your community? I assure you that the Whore of Rome, the Vatican, has an aggressive program to win immigrants to their church. Go figure.

2. MUCH OF OUR COMMERCE CANNOT FUNCTION WITHOUT THEM-

We are finding, right now, the cost of throwing all those illegals back over the line into Chihuahua and Sonora instead of finding a way to make them legal in the San Juaquin Valley or in Texas. I know farmers in Arizona who will go bankrupt if all the illegal workers are run out of America. Very very few are dangerous criminals. I have known illegals who were very passive and timid and just wanted enough pay to send some home to Mama in Sonora, Mexico so that she can feed the babies better. Go figure.

So, back to Lalo Guerrero.

Here is possibly his most famous comic song from the 1950s:

 STUCK ON STUPID EXPLAINED.....

Scientists have now determined that Neanderthal was shacking up with our ancestors. The shame of it all is overwhelming.

The result is that we now know why we slump over and grunt when we cannot answer a question. It also tells us why so many of us love to leave the convenience of the kitchen and go out back and roast meat until it is burnt and dry and pretend we are eating gourmet. You see, we are alleged to be carrying Neanderthal genes.

As a Bible believer, I assume that Neanderthal was just another kind of human, but when I observe the antics of US Senators and Representatives, I must pause. One is forced to wonder if certain prehistoric regressive genes are attracted to the US Capitol.

You need to read the rest of the story hatched by talking heads and scientists in Italy and Switzerland.

Scientists Make Wild New Claim That Neanderthals
Never Truly Went Extinct

 POLICE STATE

I have lived in a police state in Africa. I know how it works. What you read in the article below is the next step in a totally top down police state. The next step will be road stops where every driver has to pull over and prove he is an American citizen and not doing something criminal. It eventually becomes routine, both to the state police and to the victims. It sounds ominous now, but it will become common in the future and much less threatening than it sounds now. If Caesar threw everyone in jail on a whim, he would not have any taxes to collect.

As Bible believers, we must not let this cause us to panic. We must submit to it because America is no longer a democracy. We are in a slow (maybe actually rapid) decline into a tyranny. There will be many opportunities to represent Christ, both to the state thugs, and to the victims.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

The sound mind part of this verse tells me something important. It tells me the God will give us the sense to deal with tyrants. Sometimes we simply submit peacefully, and sometimes we say things that may actually defuse and charm the cynical mindset of the thugs.

After the Marxist coup in Ethiopia, there were road check points all over the country. I stopped there one day, and the corporal came to my car and asked, "Do you have any knives of ammunition?" I answered, with big eyes, "I have a BIG knife." The corporal stepped back with somber face and demanded to see the knife. What I had was a tiny pocket knife about 1.5 inches long on my key chain. I pulled it out of my pocket, and I opened the blade violently, and showed it to the corporal. I at once heard laughing over at the guard shack used by the soldiers. It was a major in command, and he was thoroughly enjoying my little trick on the corporal, who promptly told me to keep the knife and I could proceed. The next time I came to that road check point, the corporal just waved me on. He knew there was a crazy American in that blue Volkswagen.

My son had the station wagon full of friends driving along a highway near the Mexican border in Arizona. The Border Patrol pulled him over. Station wagons are very suspicious because they are used by coyotes (who help illegals enter the USA) to haul many people. My son rolled the window down, and said, "¿Qué pasa?". The Border Patrol agent at once saw that my son was not Mexican, and he asked who all the people in the back were. My son said, "Just a bunch of wet backs." The Border Patrol looked at them all carefully and realized my son was messing with his mind. He laughed and told my son to carry on.

I guess what I am trying to say it this.............. Try to find a way to make the thugs and tyrants laugh. They are conditioned to believe that we are all dangerous and doing something threatening. Give them a light moment, and all will be well.

This is what is meant above by "a sound mind." It is NOT sound thinking to resist the rulers and try to make fools of them. Social media is loaded with videos of people being stopped by cops, and they try to make fools of the cops and resist every request. In the future, this response will ALWAYS end badly.

Please do not let the following article make you fearful. I put it here so that you will start thinking about ways to defuse these confrontations if you have one:

Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with ‘suspicious’ travel pattern

 DESPISE NOT THE POOR......

"These street people just need to get a job."

So, tell me, how does a young lady get a job when she has nowhere to wash her hair? HR will see her hair, and they will mentally rebel at her, and she has NO chance to be hired.

I have talked to many people, mostly men, who are poor, on the street and riding the rails. Nearly all of them have a dream or plan they intend to follow to get out of the hole of homelessness. Most of them do not see their dream come true.

So, how do we see them? How do we talk about them? Do we join them in their dream and do or say something to kick them on down the road to find their dream? Or, do we have a social category for all the homeless people we see..... LOSER.

We who follow Christ better stop and meditate on our Lord:

Matthew 19:21 - "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me."

Many churches in America have NO fund or plan to give to the poor.

Luke 4:18 - "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."

Jesus CHOSE the poor as his audience. Do we? Or, do we try to win souls only if they own a home and have a BMW and a nice bank account?

Luke 6:20 - "And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God."

Context, context, context! He looked at his disciples, and he addressed them as "ye poor." How many pastors today SEEK the poor to be their disciples? I have heard a few stories about pastors who courted only bankers and car dealers to give the Gospel. I feel like joining Jesus as he knocks at their door, and puke (Rev. 3:16).

Luke 14:13-14 - "But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

There is no blessing to the soul of a believer like that of bringing a poor person to their feasting table. And, poor may be poor in spirit or poor in emotional state even more than they are poor in cash. Being part of a family gathering for a few hours is something the homeless may never feel.

The people whom the Pharisees considered losers are the people Jesus came to preach to.

Most of us see very few homeless people around our neighborhood because the suburbs are not where they hang out. They are downtown in big cities. But, there are people all around us, at work, at school, and especially at church who are barely making it. They live in constant fear that they will not make the next rent payment. Their kids never get to go to Disney World or to the beach because Dad and Mom are using every hour to try to find jobs to pay the bills. A couple of hundred dollar bills might make all the difference to them.

The wealthy businessman's wife was putting on her coat with the mink collar. The evening service was over, and everyone was going out into the Michigan February night to rush to their can through the 0 degree F. temperature. The lady looked down, and there was a seven year old girl with nothing to warm her but a cheap sweater. Her Mom had on a wrap but not a real coat. The lady was jolted. She said to the Mom, "Does she have a coat? It is zero outside." The Mom said they would run to the car fast and not notice the cold. The lady said, "Bring her around to my home tomorrow morning. We will go buy her a winter coat."

I saw this as a bystander, and I had to wipe a tear away. This was Jesus in a rich lady who was obeying his instruction for anyone who really wanted to follow him. No judgment. No stupid advice. No Karen nagging. But, action, inspired by love.

When I see my brother in Christ, or his kid, in need, some of what God has given me is at once to be used to meet that need. To cling to my blessings at that point could bring down the wrath of God on me. If nothing else, I will not ever feel the supreme satisfaction of having done what Jesus would do.

And, the guy sitting on the bench outside of IHOP..... It turned out that he had a son down the street who was hungry. When my friend ordered a meal to go and took it outside to him, he at once rushed off to go share it with his son.

Here is how it works in Norway?

DRAMATIC EXAMPLE OF HOW TO HELP PEOPLE

IS JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS A BAD BOY?

 IS JUSTICE CLARENCE THOMAS A BAD BOY?

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been getting a free ride on luxury jets from a White billionaire named Harlan Crow (no relation to Jim). Liberals in the Senate want to put the hammer to Thomas, as if he has committed the unpardonable sin.

FACT CHECK:

There is NO rule or regulation that Thomas has to report all of his free rides or toys that the White people of America give him. If he is smart enough to earn a free ride in my Buick, and if I decide to give him that ride, it is NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.

Now, I admit, I have not yet been in a position to actually give the Justice a ride in my Buick. But, if he were to ride in my Buick, I would not report it to anyone, and neither should he have to.

On another note which leads to the same social discussion, Elon Musk has just been handed $46 billion in stock, by Tesla stock holders, as a reward for inventing a car and a rocket that happen to be very successful. All sorts of people, and the Liberal media, are whining that Musk is being paid too much. Never mind that it is the stock holders who believe in Musk and Tesla who voted to give him the wind fall.

Why all the hate lately for those who prosper? Elon Musk took the risk, he promoted his toys, and he ends up in the lineup of famous Amoses who did well for themselves like, Henry Ford, John D Rockefeller, Bill Gates, and me.

"Ha, ha," you say, "You are not in that league."

Correct by dollar measures. But, I opened a business on the Internet in 1995 in which I was one of only two people worldwide selling piano parts and tools to do-it-yourselfers. Elizabeth and I were the only employees, and when we sold the business thirteen years later, we got enough to get us out of debt and buy a home in Texas.

Make no mistake, God is the one who gave me the sense and help to make this venture work. I am sorry if he did not get your permission to bless me. Maybe you need to just deal with it.

So, if you want to reward me further by giving me a ride in your luxury jet, that is nobody's business but yours and mine. If you want to sponsor Justice Clarence Thomas to fly to Tongo Island and back, that is also nobody's business but yours and his. And, if you want to hand Elon Musk a couple of dollars for doing well to himself, do it, and slap the fool who whines about it.

America is abandoning the cultural norm on which we were founded which was taken from the Bible. These texts below answer the question of whether Clarence Thomas or Elon Musk are bad boys:

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

Justice Thomas, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and I are not evil because God has blessed us for working and taking risks. If we got more reward than you did for our effort, that is God's choice, not yours. God does not have to explain to you why he blesses one person more than another. He has a reason, and he is not required to put you on the committee in heaven which assigns blessings.

AND, if someone wants to hand us "double honor" in the form of favors and gifts, that is what the Apostle Paul said is the new normal of the Church Age. So far, this economy of life has not ended, and the rules still apply.

Thus, when you are tempted to accuse a successful man of doing evil because he is handed a gift by an admirer, mind your own business please.

Now, if you feel you have earned a ride in my Buick, you need to fill out an application in triplicate and submit it to the Committee On Free Rides for consideration. If they approve and declare you worthy of double honor, I will loan you my Buick for a trip to Lake Travis. All I ask is that you fill the tank before you return it. Justice Clarence Thomas has my Buick booked after you are done with it.

FULL DISCLOSURE:

In the interest of integrity and transparency, I need to tell you that nearly every Sunday I get a free ride in my son-in-law's and daughter's luxury truck to the Baptist church in Austin, Texas. I can assure you that if there is ever a conflict between my truck rides and my giving a verdict on any matter pertaining to you, I shall recuse myself and defer to Jorge Rodriguez my neighbor.

SO THERE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

IMAGESCDN.DEALERCARSEARCH.COM

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All reactions:

1Daryl Coats

GREENWASHING AND ORGANIC COFFEE

GREENWASHING

This term describes the propaganda factor in the marketing of organic food in the USA. Organic food is popping up everywhere. The reason is that farmers far away are cheating, and government is looking the other way. Chemical companies are clearly bribing government inspectors in other nations. We have to wonder if the USDA is also playing dirty tricks and certifying fake organic farms.

There is also the cheating factor. Some organic farmers spray their crops, even doing so at night, and they are allegedly organic. I know farmers cheat because I know people who caught them. I also know that Kenya AA is never organic, regardless of what they claim. This is because inspectors are all taking bribes and approving pesticide sprayed crops. Kenya is my home country from long ago, but I believe all coffee production around the world is not truly organic.

The fake food we try to avoid is the product of intentional fraud.

https://youtu.be/-8xTVMtkqv4?si=ts1HbnRreT4ePd4q

As to coffee, if it is the same price or near that of non-organic coffee, it is NOT organic. Growing organic crops of any kind results in a much higher price. The problem with this test for quality is that some food producers intentionally buy non-organic, label it as organic, and then price it higher. The FDA is supposed to catch them and prosecute them. But, only a small percent of imported food is inspected.

I will not give up on organic food at the store, but I also take detox supplements because I assume a lot of organics are not real, and I am being regularly poisoned by food chemicals. I also have to assume that many of our modern health disorders are caused by the chemicals we consume.

The video shows some of the things happening in the coffee trade. It is very sad.

YOUTUBE.COM

We've Been Lied To... (exposing the truth)

Grab a bag of our "not organic" coffee HERE: https://themorningmoveme

HE WAS A TRAMP

It was the height of the Great Depression. Men left home by the hundreds of thousands to travel to far places to get work and send money home. Seldom did it work out very well, and they had to keep traveling to survive. They were not vagrants. Like homeless people today, they were out of work, "down on my luck," and they would work at any job for a little money.

The tramp came to the door of my Grandmother's home and knocked. My Dad, a young boy, was nearby and watched his mother do what she had done for many tramps. The man said, "Mame, I wonder if you could spare a cup of tea for a traveling man?"

My grandmother told him to have a seat on the porch steps, and she went inside and made him a cup of tea and a sandwich. After she gave it to the man, he turned to my Dad, smiled, and told him, "Ask for a little, and you might get more."

My Dad told his brothers and sisters what happened, and that line got to be a well used line in my Dad's family. Dad brought it to our family also.

Modern advertising has hammered the message home that what you have is not enough. You deserve more. The whole culture is flaming with discontent as two or three generations of Americans now demand to have more. What we have is never enough. And, if we don't get it now, we take out a loan at the bank and go up to our nostrils in debt in order to have more stuff.

It was not always so:

Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Not all your WANT, but all you NEED. We who follow the carpenter of Nazareth must soon learn to be content with our needs being provided for by God. In the end, he often give us more than we need, but it is rude to demand more than we need from God.

Let us be content with enough.

Ask for a little, and you might get more. 

 HOW TO RECOGNIZE A REAL BIBLE SCHOLAR

First, the faux Bible scholar:

He is full of himself. He listens as well as a door knob listens to you. When he speaks you can tell he was not paying attention to the person he was talking to because he goes right off topic and dives into his favorite hobby horse fixation. When in a group, he is the final authority on any topic brought up, even if he has virtually no experience in the area of discussion.

The faux intellectual will use big theological terms that you don't know, and when you ask what such a word means, he will show you deep pity only because you are a dumb hick burp unable to rise to the heavenlies with him. He will also invent a few buzz words himself because he is just that wise. The English language is simply not developed well enough to satisfy his level of intellect.

Some of these faux scholars will not demand to be addressed as "Doctor," but many Fundamental Baptist scholars will boldly demand to be given any titles they imagine they have earned. I say "earned" with tongue in cheek. Most of these Fundamentalist Doctors got their doctorate from Pioneer Seminary which operates out of the basement of another "Doctor" in Colorado. Pay the $25 fees and tuition, and get a doctoral diploma next week. Full credit is given for "life experience," which may be that you know how to change the oil in your car, and you caught a record bass in a fishing contest in Bimidji, Minnesota.

Now, the real Bible scholar:

This man is pushing no agenda. He only speaks with authority on topics which he has seriously studied and researched. When you talk to him he keeps eye contact and listens intently. When he speaks, he answers your question, even if it is not his favorite topic. If you ask a question he has not studied, he will tell you so and ask to be allowed to not answer. He will then tell you of a real scholar who can answer your question.

The real Bible scholar wants to serve, and when you leave him, you feel you were indeed served. He never makes a large statement without backing it up with Bible references, and he is much more comfortable quoting the Apostle Paul than some guru from a Baptist Seminary.

If your five year old asks, "Daddy, what does the hypostatic union mean?" you can send Johnny to the real scholar, and he will explain this complicated doctrine to him at the level your five year old can understand. Real scholars do not ask to be delivered from dealing with children..... they love them.

The real Bible scholar has not jumped on anyone's band wagon, he does not beat drums on behalf of any denomination or Bible College, and he rejects any effort to make a cult leader of him. He is content to teach, and he rejects any efforts to make him the leader of any movement.

Finally, when you leave a session with a real Bible scholar, you will feel like God sent you a friend who left you thinking clearer thoughts about the Word of God. He will not cause you to long to be as wise and erudite as he is. He will leave you wanting to be more like Jesus.

When you introduce a real Bible scholar before he speaks, do not make the mistake of flattering him. He may get up and totally reject everything you said about him. You will end up with egg on your face. I have seen this, and the poor diddle head who did it looked like a fool.

The Bible scholar's life verses are:

Psalms 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

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