January / February / March 2010

Dear ones,
    This is the most difficult—and perhaps the most important—newsletter I have ever written. As it was during the Clinton years, the most compelling political issues are spiritual issues. But now it is even worse; our very freedoms, including religious freedom, are threatened; and in this war for the soul of America, the first casualty is truth.
    Five days before the 2008 presidential election, Barak Obama proclaimed in a speech, “In five days we are going to completely transform America.” Few of us then realized that he really meant that—that he meant to dismantle our democratic republic and create some kind of a socialist tyranny; and, after his first year in office, he is well on the way to doing just that. In a whirlwind of unprecedented, and largely unconstitutional, changes he and his Democrat congressional leaders have shaken this nation to its roots. And, be not deceived; these changes are not about the economy or medical care—ultimately they are about control. In Socialism the government owns all businesses; in Fascism the government controls all businesses. Where Obama seems to be taking us is to a pathological combination of these two. There is so much shocking information about this administration and its Marxist/Maoist players that I am at a loss as to how I can summarize it. Our nation has never, ever, been as close to destruction as it is now. Our Christian founders would not recognize the nation as the one they sacrificed all to create.

OBAMA’S APPOINTEES REFLECT HIS VALUES
    Obama’s appointees to various positions in his administration reflect his own values and goals. He has appointed nearly 40 “Czars” with dictatorial power to regulate various aspects of our lives. They are all his like-minded friends. His “School Safety Czar” is Kevin Jennings, an activist homosexual who, when he was a middle school principal, counseled a 15-year-old boy who had been sexually assaulted by an older, homosexual man. The boy asked him what he should do, and Jennings urged him not to report it, and to continue in the “relationship”! Obama’s choice for “Green Jobs” Czar was Van Jones, a radical, self-proclaimed Communist activist! His senior advisor, Anita Dunn, the woman he used to declare open war on the truth reported by Fox News, said in a recent speech to school children that her most revered role model is the late Chairman Mao, dictator of Red China and murderer of 50-80 million innocent people! These are the people with whom Obama surrounds himself, and it can’t be by chance. (WND et al)

A POINT TO PONDER
    “A Communist is just a Socialist in a hurry.” (LtCol “Bo” Gritz, SF, USA [Ret])

THE WHITE HOUSE “HOLIDAY TREE” ORNAMENTS
    The ornaments on the White House “Holiday Tree” also reflect the values of Obama and his friends. One such ornament was a likeness of Chairman Mao; another was a likeness of noted homosexual transvestite, “Hedda Lettuce.” Deeds speak much more loudly (and honestly) than words. (WND, et al)

UNION THUGGERY AND ACORN ORGANIZING
    Candidate Obama, who promised an end to “politics as usual,” has as president simply brought to Washington the corrupt, strong-arm politics of Chicago, “where the dead can go on being politically active,” and it is much worse. At the heart of his political machine is the incredibly corrupt “community organizer,” ACORN. This criminal enterprise so shamelessly registered false voters and stuffed ballot boxes for Obama in the presidential election that they arrogantly registered Mickey Mouse to vote (of course, Mickey voted for Obama). Obama’s plan to have ACORN run the 2010 Census, thus creating custom-made Democrat congressional districts loaded with illegal aliens, was headed off by two brave independent journalists who exposed ACORN for what it is and forced Obama to drop his plan. To provide the muscle in his plan for us he brought in Andy Stern and his powerful Service Employees International Union. Stern’s SEIU spent $85 million to elect Obama (his largest contributor). So, Obama is pushing a bill that would outlaw the secret ballot in Union elections, meaning that freedom to work would be abolished, no one could work without submitting to union rule, and union bosses would again tell workers how to vote. (Fox News, WND, et al)

SEIU AT THE WHITE HOUSE
    From January through July, as our warriors bled and died in the Middle East, and as rogue nations armed themselves with nuclear weapons threatening World safety, our President Obama met with his Secretary of State only twice. During the same period, Andy Stern of SEIU met with the president 23 times—more than any other visitor to the oval office. This reflects Obama’s nature and goals, plus what can be bought with $68 million. (WSJ, et al)

TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND UNION THUGGERY
    Last Summer’s town hall meetings with congressmen saw the spontaneous birth of a grassroots populist revolt against irresponsible taxes and spending. Obama and his party were shocked, threatened, and tried to discredit these growing TEA (“taxed enough already”) Parties by characterizing them as “angry mobs” and Nazis. The White House counterattacked by sending out the SEIU union thugs to “punch back” at the peaceful, lawful, town hall meetings and TEA Parties. SEIU did just that, and with violence. In St. Louis in August, at a town meeting sponsored by Congressman Russ Carnahan (D-Mo), SEIU thugs assaulted Kenneth Gladney, a black citizen who was peacefully passing out the classic “Don’t Tread on Me” flags of the American Revolution. Calling him “nigger,” they beat and kicked him mercilessly. Police eventually came and arrested six of the union thugs, but Mr. Gladney was left in a wheelchair, unable to speak. And—you guessed it—the thugs walked. This kind of fascist nightmare seems to be the dream that Obama, Stern and Co. have for the nation. (WT/WSJ, et al)

IS OUR PRESIDENT AN ANTI-CHRISTIAN MUSLIM?
    It is nightmarish to realize that we have a president who is probably not a native-born American (his birth and school records are sealed, and he enrolled in a California college as a “foreign student”). Can it be true that we have an anti-American president? Can we have a president who proclaimed in a speech in Egypt that America is no longer a Christian nation, one who boasts of the growing number of mosques in our land, who makes the absurd claim that Islam has been part of this nation since its founding, one who says that the Muslim call to prayer (which he can reverently recite verbatim in Arabic) is “the most beautiful sound on earth,” who speaks lovingly of “the Holy Koran,” and speaks publicly of “my Muslim faith”? He broke presidential precedent by refusing to host a prayer breakfast at the White House on the National Day of (Christian and Jewish) Prayer; and yet he took off his shoes and got on his face in a Muslim mosque to celebrate a recent Muslim holy day. (WND, Fox News, et al)

TRUTH IS THE FIRST CASUALTY
    In this war for our very freedom to live as Christians and obey the Great Commission, the very first casualty is truth. Both post-modern and Marxist doctrines hold that there is no such thing as absolute truth. Rather, they believe, truth is whatever best serves one’s (or the state’s) purposes. In other words, there is no such thing as a lie. So, it seems, lying is a way of life for politicians. They should remember that “liars will have their part in the lake of fire”; but, then, that’s in the Bible, isn’t it—not in the Humanist Manifesto, or the Koran.

IS OUR PRESIDENT ANTI-AMERICAN?
    Obama criticizes and denigrates our country in speeches in other countries, refused to wear an American flag pin during the election campaign, saying “I don’t want to be identified with that symbol,” and is reluctant to put his hand over his heart to honor our National Flag. This past Memorial Day, at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Cemetery, he did it again. While the others in his party stood at attention and saluted, Obama stood, as he had on the campaign trail, looking down, with his hands folded in what servicemen and veterans have begun to call his “crotch salute.” Even though he is, like his friends, anti-military, he could at least respect those who have died, making it possible for him to be what he chooses to be. (WND,Snopes, et al)

MORE SYMPATHY FOR THE ENEMY?
    We are in a war—one for our very existence—although our president refuses to call it that. Since he took office, the phrase “war against terrorism” has been forbidden; his people must say, instead, “overseas contingency operation.” Likewise, “terrorism” can’t be used; instead Obama’s people must say, “man-caused disaster.” We are besieged with fanatical Muslim terrorists, although the president refuses to call them what they are. And he and his Justice Dept. are more sympathetic with the enemy than with our own people, civilian and military! His Attorney General, Eric Holder, came to office from the left-wing law firm which has been providing free legal representation to the captured terrorists at Guantanamo Bay! Is it surprising then that this Attorney General is indicting the intelligence agents who interrogated the terrorists, and a SEAL team for being “too rough” in capturing a high ranking terrorist? Or should we be surprised that he, at the direction of the President, has ruled that these murdering enemies, captured in combat on a battlefield, must be brought to the US and given all the legal protection of American citizens? This move has no precedent in human history; and it makes it clear that the president and his administration are more sympathetic with those who are killing innocent Americans and the soldiers who are trying to protect us, than they are with the innocent victims and our soldiers.

IS WEST POINT “THE ENEMY’S CAMP”?
    On 1 December Obama made a major policy speech concerning the war in Afghanistan (which he refuses to call a war). In the speech he announced his decision about sending more troops to Afghanistan and he also announced the date that he will begin pulling troops out of there (an announcement which undoubtedly caused rejoicing in the enemy camp—and amazement at how he could be so dumb). The cadets were mostly bored, unresponsive and some were outright negative in terms of expressions and body language. In reporting on this, Chris Matthews of MSNBC commented that the negative response of most cadets could be expected because, after all, Obama was taking his message “into the enemy’s camp.” It is well known that liberals are generally anti-military, and especially those radical leftists of the Obama administration and their media supporters; but they are usually more careful about not expressing it in public.
    And, in his 34-minute speech, our ego-centric president used the word “I” 36 times—more than once every minute. (MSNBC, et al)

“POLITICAL CORRECTNESS” AND
THE SLAUGHTER OF OUR SOLDIERS
    Because we have a Muslim president who loves Islam and “the holy Koran,” it is a matter of administration policy not to say anything that might reflect negatively on Islam and Muslims. Not even the slaughter of our own defenseless soldiers is more important than this! On 5 Nov. Army psychiatrist, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, slaughtered 13 unarmed soldiers and one baby (carried by a pregnant female soldier). It was a deliberate, classic act of Muslim terrorism; but Obama’s love for Islam and extreme political correctness trumped all these ugly facts. The Obama administration and the like-minded establishment media were careful never to identify Maj Hasan as a Muslim, even though we all knew it! That “M” word was never used! Hussan had been consulting regularly with a militant jihadist cleric in Pakistan (the same one who mentored the failed Christmas Day airline bomber), he had stated often that the killing of US soldiers by Muslims is justified, he had “Soldier of Allah” printed on his calling cards, he had disposed of his personal possessions as if he expected to die, and when he jumped up on the table for better fields of fire, he shouted the battle cry of Muslim terrorists, “Allahu Akbar” (Allah is great). In spite of all this, the slaughter is spun as the act of “a troubled man”—not as a Muslim terrorist. The Obama administration, including DOD, with hands over eyes, continue to see no link to Muslim terrorism. Rather, he is portrayed sympathetically as an overstressed man who needs help, rather than as the murdering beast that he is. Only Fox News stated the obvious—that he is a Muslim, and reported his terrorist leanings. This is still true in early January. (Fox News, WND, et al)

BUT IF WE LISTENED IT GOT WORSE
    What was, for me, the most outrageous part of this sickening tragedy was the immediate, ultra-politically correct statement of Gen. George Casey, Army Chief of Staff. With 13 of his defenseless soldiers lying dead, methodically executed by a Muslim murderer, and 34 others wounded, he trivialized these casualties by saying that if the murders caused us to think ill of Islam and “our diversity becomes a casualty here,” that “would be an even greater tragedy.” I can tell you that for any true commander, the death of his soldiers is the ultimate tragedy; it just doesn’t get any worse than that. And a close second is the wounding and maiming of one’s soldiers. How, then, could he, or any officer wearing an American uniform, call harm to “our diversity” an “ even greater tragedy” than his dead and wounded soldiers—shot down while unarmed and helpless? He is, after all, their ultimate commander! They are his soldiers! It makes me sick! That man couldn’t lead me to the mess hall after a 10-day fast. (HE/IBD, et al)

THANKS FOR THE CHRISTMAS CARDS!
    As most of you know, Marty and I had to abandon sending Christmas cards many years ago, because there were just too many, and it was virtually impossible not to leave someone out. But we DO appreciate the ones you sent, and we read and shared every one.

THE RANDY CUTLIP STORY
    We are nearing completion of our project to rescue Randy Cutlip’s testimony, ministry and music from oblivion. Please send us, in any form, your memories of Randy’s ministry and his impact on your life. And, if you have his testimony in any form (most likely a cassette tape), please send it to us. We will copy it and return the one you send us. When we have gathered all that we can, we will let you know, and will make the end product available.

A LIFE TO INSPIRE US ALL
    My friend Bob Boardman of Seattle was a true exemplar—one whose life should inspire the rest of us. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in WW II and fought through three of the worst campaigns in the war—Cape Gloucester, Pelelieu and Okinawa. In the Pacific he became a Christian. On Okinawa he was wounded for the second time, losing a finger and a considerable part of his throat. From that time on he was never able to speak above a whisper. After the war Bob became a missionary to the Japanese—the people who had killed his friends and shot his throat out. For more than 30 years he whispered the gospel to the people of Japan. Since his return from the mission field, he has been a leader in the Navigators ministry and chaplain of the 1st Marine Division Ass’n., with frequent public speaking. Recently, as a result of his wounds and the lifetime strain on what was left of his voice, an aggressive cancer developed in his throat. Bob died on 19 September. Bob’s wife, Jean, ministered alongside him all those years, and nursed him during the last months; please pray for her and for their children.

MARTY’S CORNER
    While reading a book about Germany in the 1930s—Nazi Germany’s early days—a line that hauntingly stays with me is Apathy was the glove into which evil slipped its hand. Apathy protected the fist of evil.  Make no mistake, evil reigns today in Washington, DC and we must put on the whole armor of God while taking authority in Jesus over the evil (Matt. 18:18).  As Thomas Jefferson said, “If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed.”
    Arm yourself with facts.  The Constitution of the United States was originally printed on four pages of parchment; a fifth page is the letter of transmittal, and the sixth contains the Bill of Rights.  In modern pages, the Constitution, and all its amendments, takes up about 15 pages. Contrary to our historic Constitution, the so called Health Care Bill in the House is 1,990 pages and the Senate bill is 2,074 pages – both are evil and trying to slip into America’s life.
    The “general welfare” clause of the Constitution is used as a counterfeit prop behind health care reform. In fact, the “general welfare” clause is mentioned twice in the U.S. Constitution: first, in the preamble, and, second, it is found in Article 1, Section 8. The preamble clearly defines the two major functions of government: (1) ensuring justice, personal freedom, and a free society where individuals are protected from domestic lawbreakers and criminals, and (2) protecting the people of the United States from foreign aggressors.  It did not mean that the federal government would have the power to control education, subsidize businesses, take property from you or tell you what medical care you may have.. 
    Likewise, Article 1, Section 8 did not give Congress the right to use tax money for whatever social and economic programs Congress might think would be good for the “general welfare.”  If by the “general welfare,” the Founding Fathers had meant any and all social, economic, or educational programs Congress wanted to create, there would have been no reason to enumerate seventeen specific powers of Congress such as establishing courts and maintaining the armed forces. Those powers would simply have been included in one all-encompassing phrase, to “promote the general welfare.” The framers of our Constitution labored resolutely in Philadephia that hot summer in 1787 while today’s framers of the health care, stimulus, immigration, and cap-and-tax bills meet in secret, often in the middle of the night.
    “America would not exist if it wasn’t for the divine hand of providence in not only intervening to win the Revolutionary War but in writing the inspired words of the Constitution.  To think that we can save the Constitution without God’s help when the government of the United States is corrupt is absurdity.” ( Idaho’s GOP candidate for governor, Rex Rammell)

MILESTONES
Married     24 Oct - Nicholas Hayes of Medon, Tenn and Shelley Cathey of Jackson, Tenn in Jackson. Nicholas is the son of long-time Christian Friends Bob and Cathey Hayes of Medon.
Died           22 Dec - Dean Lindblom of Ocean Springs, Miss, of Parkinson’s disease. Dean was a dear friend and one of the core group that is producing our Bible Study Guide.

A FINAL WORD
    Treasure and use each day as if it were your last, and never give up hope; God has a limitless supply of new beginnings, and He makes beautiful things out of broken pieces.

    You are precious,