Dear America: Christmas is a purely 100% Christian religious holiday where we believers celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is not half of a "Happy Holidays" nor is it open to evisceration on the autopsy table of political correctness. If this offends you:

1. Get over it. Believe it or not, the 1st Amendment protects us Christians too.
2. Get your own holiday. I hear April 1st is available.
3. If you want Santa Clause, take him. But you go get your own day for him [see #2].
4. The gifts? True those are getting commercialized and getting out of hand, but they represent the ultimate gift given to us in the form of God come down to men, in the form of a baby.
5. No apologies to Jews, Muslims, Hindus, etc. You have your holidays, we have ours. I'm not going to force you to call a menorah a "holiday candleabra", nor would I call Ramadan a "winter carnival". Christmas is Christmas and Christmas is Christian. Deal with it.

The "Law of Eternal Progression", a core tenet of the LDS faith, is not at all supported in the Bible. In fact, it is roundly rejected by God Himself. Repeatedly.

• [Isaiah 44:6 KJV] - Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
• [Isaiah 44:8 KJV] - Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
• [Isaiah 45:5 KJV] - I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
• [Isaiah 45:6 KJV] - That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
• [Isaiah 45:18 KJV] - For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
• [Isaiah 45:21 KJV] - Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
• [Isaiah 45:22 KJV] - Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
• [Isaiah 46:9 KJV] - Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,
• [Isaiah 48:12 KJV] - Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

I think it is a fair assertion to state that God has made it crystal clear that there was no "Grandpa God" before Him, and there wasn't any "Baby God" after Him, other than the Messiah Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God. Not being LDS myself, I'm not sure how they manage to sidestep all those references listed in the Book of Isaiah. That's a whole lot of "There is no other like me" to explain away. There is no meta-God, no eternal lineage of Godhood, no divine ancestry. There is one God, eternal, immovable, immortal.

Or to answer the question, the answer is "No."

Jer 18:1-6 (KJV)

The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make [it]. Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay [is] in the potter's hand, so [are] ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.

Consider the potter.

Rom 9:21 (KJV)

Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

The potter has absolute control, absolute authority over his handiwork.

If the potter desires to make a washpot, he makes it. If he desires to make an intricate figurine of delicacy, he makes it.

Psa 60:7-8 (KJV)

Gilead [is] mine, and Manasseh [is] mine; Ephraim also [is] the strength of mine head; Judah [is] my lawgiver; Moab [is] my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe: Philistia, triumph thou because of me.

Sometimes the potter makes a vast array of pieces, tableware fit for a sumptuous feast of royalty.

Gen 49:10 (KJV)

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be].

Num 2:9 (KJV)

All that were numbered in the camp of Judah [were] an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their armies. These shall first set forth.

At other times, though, the potter takes on a different tone in his work. He does not create vast duplicates of precision, but instead produces a special piece. He produces a piece not for a client's expectation, but for his own good pleasure.

"What is that supposed to be?" mocks his friends. They know the potter and his talent. This strange object d'art, this, this, thing, what is it? "Why would he bother making this? It's all wrong." "It isn't good for any work, it doesn't look have a handle. What is it, a cup?" "No, it cannot hold water. A spoon perhaps? No. Some sort of tool? What is this thing and why did you make it this way?"

The potter, it seems, did not make this one for commerce, nor did he make it for a client. He made it according to his careful design and foreknowledge.

Jhn 9:1-3 (KJV)

And as [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man which was blind from [his] birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

This work escapes all logic. Nobody would order a pot with a hole in the bottom or a vase without an opening. This piece, unique as it is, pleases the potter and nobody can say to the potter that it is wrong. It is by the potter's design, and it is indeed for the potter. He is both the creator and the consumer. In these unique pieces, which others would call lame, blind, retarded, deformed, crippled, in these pieces which otherwise would be considered rejects does the potter and the potter alone find perfection, for they are according to his design.

Did somebody disturb the potter and break his concentration? No. Perhaps he was not paying sufficient attention? No, his focus to detail was as sharp as always. Do these odd bits have some sort of utility? They please the potter and that is utility enough.

Doesn't the potter care about these pieces? How could a potter seriously create these items? Why? When we gaze into the potter's face we see compassion, not madness. We see love, not torment.

Mat 18:12-13 (KJV)

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that [sheep], than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

And now we see, the potter, he crafts an array of wares fit for a king, and on occasion, he produces a piece that for reasons beyond our understanding, suits his fancy. Sometimes that special piece is to us ugly beyond imagination. Sometimes it is so rare and valuable that kings would fight to possess it. Sometimes the piece draws confused stares or revulsion from the most polite of society. Ultimately, the clay is in the control of the potter, and who are we to complain, who are we to tell the potter how he should conduct his work?

Isa 64:8 (KJV)

But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter; and we all [are] the work of thy hand.

"This world is not my home, I'm just passing through" - Larry Norman

Back on Sunday, February 15th, our pastor's mom passed away. She was quite aged, and was experiencing failing health, so while sad, this was no surprise.

It is interesting to take stock of the little things in life that one takes pleasure in. Small things. The view outside. A good cup of coffee. The voice of a loved one. Those that pass on to eternity no longer can do those things. Those in Heaven are doing such wondrous things that our activities here are as interesting as watching ice melt. Those in Hell would love to experience something as refreshing as watching ice melt.

Those who move on won't have to watch our fine nation sink into oblivion as socialism poisons our fine land and drives a once proud nation into ruin and subjugation. Both life's simple pleasures, and world-changing political movements escape those who are no longer with us.

1 John 2:15

Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

So, although there is a lot to love, or at least be passionate about, here on Earth, we're to not long for anything here. It's all going to burn anyway.

2 Peter 3:10

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Since it's all going to burn anyway, I'd suggest you make some plans for eternity. This place ain't going to be around too much longer, and you'll be done here before you know it.

Below are Old Testament prophesies about Jesus. I got the list of prophesies from the Thompson Chain Reference Bible, King James Version, which by the way, I highly recommend.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him [shall] the gathering of the people [be].

Deu 18:15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

Psa 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, [saying],

Psa 45:2 Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

Psa 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, [for] the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell [among them].

Psa 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Psa 110:1 [[A Psalm of David.]] The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

Psa 118:22 The stone [which] the builders refused is become the head [stone] of the corner.

Psa 132:11 The LORD hath sworn [in] truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.

Isa 2:4 And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Isa 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Isa 9:7 Of the increase of [his] government and peace [there shall be] no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isa 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken [it].

Isa 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

Isa 42:1 Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, [in whom] my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isa 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Isa 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:

Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, [there is] no beauty that we should desire him.

Isa 55:5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation [that] thou knowest not, and nations [that] knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.

Isa 59:16 And he saw that [there was] no man, and wondered that [there was] no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD [is] upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to [them that are] bound;

Isa 62:11 Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward [is] with him, and his work before him.

Isa 63:1 Who [is] this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this [that is] glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

Eze 17:22 Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set [it]; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant [it] upon an high mountain and eminent:

Dan 2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet [that were] of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

Dan 2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, [but] it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, [one] like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Dan 9:25 Know therefore and understand, [that] from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince [shall be] seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.

Mic 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall he come forth unto me [that is] to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting.

Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

Zec 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they [are] men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.

Zec 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name [is] The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD:

Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Zec 11:12 And I said unto them, If ye think good, give [me] my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty [pieces] of silver.

Zec 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for [his] only [son], and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for [his] firstborn.

Zec 13:7 Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man [that is] my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.

You can't make this sort of stuff up. Below is some "ghost money" I recently purchased at the local Red Apple grocery. A wad of these cost me 69 cents.

Yes, that's right, it says HELL BANK NOTE. Money from, or more accurately, for, Hell. The grocery caters to an Asian crowd, and ghost money is a pretty common occurrence in places such as Taiwan. The idea is, if you burn this stuff for the dead, they'll have some spending cash. Truck drivers toss these out the window to appease the gods for good fortune while driving. Well-meaning relatives burn stacks, no, bales, of this stuff to wish their departed loved ones well.

But really, what needs to be said? They are in Hell. No amount of money can improve Hell. They don't sell cool drinks there. No ice. No box fans, air conditioning units, first-class tickets to a tropical island. Face it, we're talking about Hell. Eternal pain and misery. And if that isn't bad enough, Hell is tossed into the Lake of fire. In fact, Revelation 20:15 makes it clear that anybody who does not have their name written in the Book of Life is tossed in the lake of fire. Not to offend you, but if you don't personally know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, this means you. Don't take it personally. We all are beyond recovery.

Someday, we all will die. Is that offensive? Probably not. Why then not give some consideration to what happens next? After all, if you accept that we all will die, why not consider that you will give an account for your life, and no amount of goody-good deeds will make up for being a sinful being?

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

I didn't write the Bible, God did. If you don't like what the book says, you'll have your chance one day to take it up with the author.

So perhaps you are wondering how you can avoid such a miserable fate? It's pretty simple, really.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

That's a pretty exclusive claim. No room for any figure in history other than Jesus. He and He alone has the ability to assure you eternal rest with Him and escape from eternal damnation. There just isn't any other way. So how do you give yourself to Jesus to avoid Hell?

Romans 10:9-11

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

The answer is simple, really. Ask Jesus to come into your heart. Do so out loud, that's right, say it. And believe it. Don't just say the lines like a Hollywood actor. Believe it.

We are all sinners, incapable of standing before a holy God. Jesus, however, is perfect, and has taken on the sins of the world by being executed on a wooden Roman cross. He has paid a debt that eclipses our wildest ability to repay. Will you let Him pick up the tab in your life? Did you ask Him into your heart? Good! Or perhaps you are not sure. Either way, why not check out a Bible-believing church and ask the pastor there about Jesus. Or post something here and I'll tell you what I can.

Isaiah 44:6-8

Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Isaiah 45:18

For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

Isaiah 45:21-22

Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

Isaiah 46:9

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me,

Isaiah 48:12

Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

No gods prior, none thereafter. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, He is the One and Only.

People from different faiths, or from no faith, will at times hold to the idea that Jesus was a nice person, a good moral teacher, or somehow an overall okay being. They don't however, want to declare Him to be God.

Indeed, is Jesus truly God? Sure, the Bible says He is the Son of God, but is He, well, "God"?

This question ties in nicely to that of the Trinity. Is there such a thing in Scripture? How can three be one?

Anyhow, I'll stick with the Jesus Is God question for now. Yes, I do believe the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is God.

His enemies, the Pharisees, certainly understood He was declaring Himself to be God.

John 10:33 "The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."

And the beginning of the Book of John also declares it to be so.

John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

And just a few verses from there we get:

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

So you see, the Word, which is God, became flesh and dwelt among us. Which pretty much describes Jesus' earthly ministry. God dwelt among us.

A ramshackle cargo ship in the midst of the ocean springs a leak. The ship's engineer informs the captain the ship will sink in a day. They are four days from land, and no rescue is coming for the broken down cargo ship and it's crew of 20 doomed sailors.

Except one.

A luxury cruise liner is 18 hours away, and the captain of the liner orders it to head to the aid of the sinking cargo ship. The captain promises all the men of the dying ship the finest berths on his liner, and all the comforts he can offer.

In due time the liner comes alongside the cargo ship, and it is indeed dying. The cargo ship's stern is already below the water line, and it's bow is up out of the water, looking like a tilted see-saw.

The crew needs merely to get off their dying ship and step onto the deck of the waiting luxury boat used to shuttle wealthy passengers between the liner and exotic ports of call. Little time remains. To make matters worse, a fierce storm is churning the ocean into a cauldron of misery, and the skies are blowing stinging torrents of rain.

Some on the dying cargo ship immediately leap to the deck of the resuce craft. Others, however, dispute the captain's claims.

"How do we know his is the only ship coming?"

"If getting on the ship is for you, brother, that's nice. I'll take my chances."

"What kind of loving captain would require us to choose to to enter his ship? If he really cares about us, he won't let us die."

"I don't need a ship's captain telling me how to live my life."

"Those rich people on that luxury liner are a bunch of phonies anyway."

Even as the cargo ship starts it's final slide into the briny deep, the remaining crew members refuse to leap off and make a swim for the rescue craft. Faces twisted in scowls, they glare at the captain of the luxury craft, hating him in their hearts with everything they've got. Only now do they discover that by refusing to be rescued, they have chosen instead to die.

And so it is today. Jesus calls. Jesus has been calling. John 14:6 says "... I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 3:16 says "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. " Romans 10:9-10 says "... that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

So that's how you start a new journey on a ship that will never sink. You state out loud that you want Jesus to be the captain of your life, and truly believe that God raised Him from the dead. Truly believe. Let Jesus be the captain of the ship, and go along for the ride.