The Old People Were Right...Again!

When I first started on the endeavor of writing my thesis for my Master's Degree (25,000 words) I kept hearing people say how 25,000 words was not enough to sufficiently cover a subject. Although never expressed audibly, I'm thinking these people just don't know what there talking about.

I know that they have already walked this path before. I know that they have already written their thesis. But I'm Mike Wilkes. And I am smarter than they are. How in the world would I ever be able to write 25,000 words in such a short period of time? These instructors are asking way too much. I am a husband, a dad, a coach, a pastor, a counselor, a student, a hunter, a fisherman and a lawnmower. No way would I ever be able to put together that many words and certainly not in the time allotted.

Now, a couple of weeks after having turned in my thesis (26,720 words)I am rethinking my positions.
#1 I wrote my thesis on the Humanity of Jesus, I didn't cover the subject adequately in 25,000 words and probably couldn't with 50,000.
#2 Even with all my other obligations, I had plenty of time to get it done
#3 I don't know everything
#4 Old People are always right

Another Stick Gone

I am sitting here getting ready to go to the funeral for Bro. Dwight Bird. Bro. Bird was never a man of notoriety in our national work. But he was a good stick. Let me elaborate.

A while back a preacher-friend and I were discussing the increasingly liberal paths the Lord's people seem to be taking. Both of us were concerned and we were deliberating the ways in which we might help to curb these trends. After a while we both concluded that the course of many of the Lord's people and His churches is like a raging river which is out of control.

My brother then stated that there was little we could possibly do. That's when I told him that we needed to be "sticks in the mud". "Stick in the mud" has long been a term used to describe someone who was unwilling to "change with the times" or "go with the flow".

I went on to explain to my friend that a "stick in the mud" is not going to reverse the course of a stream. But if you can put enough sticks in the mud, it sure will slow down the process of erosion.

I thank God for some of the erosion slowing sticks I have known. Thank you Bro. Bill Pickard, Bro. Don McCormick, Bro. Ken Price, Bro. Willie Knight, Bro. Dwight Bird. Thank you men for being "sticks in the mud".

Huntin with the Cuzzes

During the Christmas break, all of the clan was blessed to be able to get together and enjoy some good fellowship. We have a good family with plenty of love. One evening, Uncle Cooney and Cindy's two boys Parker(8) and Peyton(5) came over to go hunting with Umpie Mike (that's what TaTa (Taylor)called me when she was a baby, and it stuck).

So here we go. Me, Hayden, Hunter, Parker and Peyton all start walking toward the stand. As we walked by the pond and started to near the woods, Peyton started to cry. I asked him what was wrong and he simply said, "I want my daddy". Now why anyone would feel comforted by the presence of Cooney leaves me scratching my head, but hey, this is the boy's daddy. So I told Peyton that his daddy wasn't here, and I asked again about what was bothering him. He then explained to me that he was afraid of the woods. He told me, "There might be a King Cobra in there".

While I am trying to reassure him that everything was going to be fine, the other 3 boys shifted into counseling mode and started to help me out. Or so they thought! One tells Peyton, "There ain't no King Cobras. Just rattlesnakes and copperheads". Another chimes in, "There ain't no King Cobras, just rabbits, and deer, and bear". I highly recommend staying away from these boys if your ever standing on the edge of a bridge.

Finally, I am able to calm Peyton down. Not only did I convince him that my gun could take care of any King Cobras, but it could also take care of rattlesnakes, copperheads and bear.

We make it to the stand and all climb in. It was a little crowded, but not all that bad.

One thing I haven't mentioned, is that before we left the house I gave every boy a flashlight. I figured this would make each boy feel a little more comfortable walking home if it had gotten a little dark. I had no idea the flashlights would be the focal point of the hunt.

Now I don't know what it is in the male constitution that draws him to flashlights, but it is real. Men like flashlights. Boys like flashlights. We can't have too many. And they can't be too bright. Some believe a male's self-worth is measured by the brightness of his flashlight. If you don't believe it try this...give two men flashlights and I guarantee you they will see whose is brighter. See what I mean.

So here we sit. 1 man. 4 boys. 5 flashlights. All inside a 4 x 8 boxstand...8 foot off the ground. As the sun set, and daylight faded it must have looked like...Well. Did you ever see Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Do you remember the space ship with all of the lights flashing from every opening and portal?

Surely the wildlife behind my house felt as though they had been invaded by something from beyond our realm. They had never seen anything like this. Lights flashing. Condominium shaking. Whispered giggling. Repeated funneling.

Oh, just in case your wondering...we didn't see a deer.

Peace

Everyone from young children to Miss America contestants want world peace. I reckon that its not too bad of a desire. But, is world peace high on the Lord's current list of priorities? Some will be quick to rebut, quoting the Biblical record of the heavenly host' proclamation. The Bible declares...

Luke 2:8-14 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

What should be noticed is that the heavenly host did not proclaim peace among men, but peace, goodwill toward men. This is peace and goodwill being extended from God toward men in the form of His Son, Jesus.

Consider also the words of Jesus.

Luke 12:51-53 51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: 52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. 53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

Learn From Wise Men

Matthew 2:9-11
9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.

Very simple lesson...When the wise men had reached their destination, they rejoiced.

When they came into the presence of Jesus, they worshipped...there is a difference!

Clues to Help Redneck Readers Take a Quiz

Let's see if this helps.

Bubba = Giant Corporations who have mismanaged their business. I.E. Banks, Lending Institutions and Auto Manufacturers.
Jim Bob = American Taxpayer
Rosco = Federal Government
Leroy = IRS

What Do You Think?

When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane did He fear what lied ahead of Him? If not, what did He feel, and what did His words mean?

Redneck Quiz

Bubba has a double-wide. Jim Bob has a single-wide. Bubba's been cooking chitlins. But now he is chasing Daisy (his girlfriend)round the pickup and forgets to turn the burner off. He burns his double-wide to the ground. Jim Bob wishes he could help Bubba, but its all he can do to make the payments on his single-wide. So Rosco, Bubba's buddy, gets Leroy to take money away from Jim Bob so Bubba can get back on his feet.

Who's the sorry dog Redneck? And why?

What Has Entered My Nose?

I'm sitting here eating Fritos Corn Chips. Anyone ever noticed how your dog sometimes smells like Fritos?

Please Don't Cry!!!

Yesterday, Dec. 8, 2008, my youngest son, Hunter, wanted to go hunting. My brain was exhausted from a draining day at school, but since Hayden had just recently killed his first deer, I figured little brother deserved his chance. But there is one glitch, Kim is not home, she is shopping in Shreveport. This is only a problem if Hayden doesn't want to go hunting with us. If Hayden doesn't want to go, we can't go. Inside, because of my being tired, I am quietly hoping he will say no. Hunter is excited. He is already getting ready. So I ask Hayden if he wants to go (Please say no. Please say no). He says yes. Man, my only excuse blown away. So we all get ready and walk to the woods (or forest as Hunter calls it).

The wind had been blowing hard all day and when we settled into the condo/deerstand, it hadn't let up. About 15 mph out of the south. All 3 of us got comfortable in our chairs. Hayden is sitting there writing a report for school. Hunter wants to hold the gun so he can look through the scope. I'm tired.

Hunter can't sit in his chair and have the necessary height needed to view the shooting lane through the scope. Here we go again. Numb legs. So I let him get on my lap and look through the scope. To the wildlife in the area it must have been an unusual site. The black piece of steel protruding from the hole in the big box. The barrel of the gun would have been practically unnoticeable if it hadn't been moving. And boy do I mean moving.

I'm not exactly sure what all he laid the cross hairs on, but I know that sometimes it was almost under the stand, then it would be straight up in the air, then to the left, then the right. Sometimes the barrel of that 243 was moving so fast it looked flexible (remember shaking the pencil in your hand so fast it looked like rubber). I tried to encourage him to be still, but at the same time if he doesn't kill anything I don't have to clean it. So shake it Hunter, Shake it.

Since the wind is blowing steady out of the south, I am focusing most of my attention toward the north. Remember the old rule of deer walking into the wind, not with it. It's about 5:00. Hayden has finished his report and he is now an extra set of eyes to try and spot the deer before they spot the rubber barrel sticking out of the side of the stand. And the wind. What a nightmare. To Hunter, every leaf that hit the ground was a deer.

Out of nowhere, Hayden whispers quietly but firmly,"Deer, Dad, Deer". And sure enough, standing right in the middle of our shooting lane is a deer. He is eating our corn, with his face away from us, and his posterior facing us. I grab the earmuffs and put them on Hunter. I look over at Hayden, and he has already put his earmuffs on, has them covered with his hands, and is crouched down as though someone has just hollered, "INCOMING".

I had been very adamant with the boys about taking only "good shots". We had repeatedly gone over where to aim. But this deer is not moving. All we see is butt. So I lean up to Hunter's ear and whisper, "I'm going to whistle at him. He will turn. Then you shoot him". He turns enough so that I can hear him whisper. He says "Sir?" So again I said, "I'm going to whistle at him. He will turn. Then you shoot him". He nodded. So I whistled. The deer turned. The gun went bang.

50 Yards. Broadside. The deer dropped in his tracks. As soon as he did, I ripped the earmuffs off of Hunter's head and said "You did it. You did it. You shot your first deer!" I gave him a high-five. Then things quickly changed. Hunter is looking through the opening in the stand and tears start to form in his eyes. He sees the deer still flopping somewhat. He's obviously in his latter stages of life, but this is Hunter's first time to see such a sight. I'm thinking "Great, I'm raising PETA boys". So we climb out of the stand. The deer is dead, but we go ahead and walk back to the house to get the four-wheeler before we walk over to the deer.

Great shot. Both lungs. A button buck. We come back and Hayden helps me drag the deer out to the four-wheeler. I ask Hunter if he wanted to help, it was then he informed me he didn't like to get blood from other "creatures" on him. So we take our pictures, and clean the deer. Finally, I figured it was time to talk to Hunter about his emotional display in the stand. I have heard of a lot of kids who feel guilty after they have killed something, so I figured he was just another one of the many. So I ask him, "Hunter, after you shot the deer, you saw the deer still moving, and it looked like you were fixing to cry. What was wrong?" He said, "Dad, when I saw him start moving, I thought he was going to get away." You know what, that's made many grown men cry.

Who Knew?

I started blogging at the behest of my junior brother-in-law. I jumped in with both feet and invested many valuable brain cells in an attempt to educated the throngs from the storehouse of knowledge resting atop my neck. My postings have been in-depth considerations of a myriad of subjects worthy of my effort and time. So I pondered and typed. I deliberated and typed. I waged on through my oft debilitating handicap with which I am cursed (a wondering mind). So I posted and waited. And waited. And then, someone would not only read my blog, but they would display great courage and respond. But for the most part, one maybe two responses per post. What a failure I have been.

I had no idea that a one sentence question would be the key to unlock the keyboards of my readers. I have grabbed the brass ring Cooney set before me. I have rekindled the fires of Camp's smoker's pit. I did it Cooney. I did it!!!

Just Wandering

Is it appropriate for preachers, Men of God, to be running around in shorts?

Something Else To Be Thankful For

If you are a PETA member, you may want to stop reading now. O.K. I warned you. I had a 2 man ladder stand in the woods behind my house. The purpose of this stand was to introduce my two boys to deer hunting. I am an avid hunter and wanted to give my boys the opportunity to blast a whitetail (I warned you PETA people). But sitting in this stand with an 11 year old and an 8 year old made me feel like i was sitting next to life-size bobble-head hunters. Bless their hearts, they can't sit still. So I realized that if these boys were going to have any realistic chance of killing a deer, they would have to be in a box stand. So daddy went to work.

One thing about these boy's daddy...he is not notorious for under-kill. I built a box stand. No, I built a luxury stand. No, I built a small apartment. The stand is 4' x 8'. (For those of you with a Louisiana Public School education, the ' symbol behind the numbers represents ft. Sorry, i forgot, ft. means feet) Anyway, the stand is 8 feet of the ground. The floor is insulated and then covered by a layer of foam matting (for noise reduction and comfort if anyone needs a nap). All of the walls and ceiling are also insulated. Inside the corner of the stand is a funnel. This funnel is connected to a hose which runs down into a 3' deep hole dug with a post-hole digger. (Do I really have to explain the purpose of the funnel?)

Since I was building this thing and cutting a shooting lane in the middle of deer season, I wasn't sure how much it would effect the deer. But, the bobble-head scenario certainly wasn't going to work, so I pressed on. I quit beating, banging, sawing and hammering on Sat. 11/22. Last night, 11/26, evening before Thanksgiving, both the boys and I are sitting in the stand. It's Hayden's turn. (For the sake of clarification, let me elaborate on the "it's your turn" method. I have two boys. So even though I may take both boys hunting, only one of them goes as the "shooter". The other is only there as a spectator. The next hunt it's the other boy's turn).

So there we sit. 5:10. No wind. About 55 degrees. Hayden tells me he saw a deer move to our left. I look and see nothing, but he is adamant that he saw one. The property to our left is not ours, so I am thinking if he did see one I hope it will cross the fence. About 3 minutes later, I hear them. Then I see them... 2 slickheads (non-hunters, that means no visible antlers). I already have Hayden sitting in my lap to give him a better angle for resting his gun (.243 single shot H&R) so I quickly put the earmuffs on him (Hayden can't stand loud noises).

The deer are moving in our direction. It looks like they are going to cross the fence and our shooting lane. I look over at Hunter and tell him, "don't move". I whisper in Hayden's ear, "get ready". Hayden rests his cheek on the comb of the rifle and appears to be looking through the scope. And out of nowhere, the first deer jumps the fence and darts across the shooting lane. Gone! The second deer jumps the fence and stops. Broad-side right in the middle of the lane. 25 yards away. I whisper in Hayden's ear "Shoot". Nothing happens. Again I whisper, "Shoot". I'm starting to think he won't do it, then...Bang!!! The deer runs off. I'm so in tune to watching Hayden, I didn't see the deer's reaction when he shot, so I ask Hayden, "did you hit him?" "Yeah", he replied "I think so". Then he proceeds to tell me that what I had told him was right...he said that when he pulled the trigger he didn't even notice the sound or kick of the gun.

So we all climb down from the stand. As soon as we climb down Hayden said, "Dad, my legs are still shaking, is that normal?" "It sure is", I assure him. It is dark enough that we need a flashlight to look for any visible sign of the deer being hit. We walk over to the spot where the deer was standing and I can see disrupted pine needles and leaves where the deer bolted away. We continue to look and Hunter exclaims, "Blood!" And sure enough, blood. The good kind. White and foamy. The sign of a good lung shot. And there he laid, only 20 yards away. A perfect shot. Heart and both lungs gone, thanks to a ballistic tip. A button buck. The antlers had just barely broken through the skin.

So we drag the deer out and Hayden said,"Dad feel my heart". And so I laid my hand on his chest and agreed that his heart was still racing.

Later that evening, after the pictures and the skinning, while sitting on the couch, Hayden said "Dad, now I have even something else to be thankful for". "Yes you do, Son... Yes you do".

The 4 M's

1. I wonder how Caleb is doing? I should call.
2. Veteran's Day is coming up. Thanks Dad.
3. My wife is asleep. Must be nice.
4. Why am I doing this I need to be working on my thesis.
5. This fan in the room is too loud.
6. I wonder if Michael is awake.
7. Why do we have hair on our knuckles?
8. Man, how can the Lord love me so much?
9. I am excited about school. Everyday. I love it.

Our New President

Well, it's been about a month since my last posting and I was starting to hear rumors of widespread chaos and pandemonium by my plethora of readers. Please, cancel the marches and demonstrations...I'm still here.

I went to bed Tuesday...angry! I woke up Wednesday morning...angry! How? How in the world could we Americans have elected a man who has done so little to prove his love and loyalty to our country? I find nothing in this man which draws me to follow him as the leader of my country. What do people see? I know they want from him what he has promised, but what do they see in the man?

But then...somewhere during the day Wednesday something clicked within the walls of my cranium. What if...what if he gets saved? What if Barack Osama realizes that the religious ideals he has embraced are insufficient to merit God's marvelous salvation? What if our President-elect will one day stand before America and denounce his past alliances with the religions and ideologues of our day and profess his faith in Jesus as the Son of God who died for his sins? Can you imagine?

So the bitterness and anger have melted from my being. No, I don't have my head stuck in the sands on fairy-tale island. I know our country is in pitiful shape. I have children which I would love to raise in a truly God-fearing nation. But my friends, the election of this man did not knock one of the legs out from under God's throne. He is still there.

As for me, in my newly discovered serenity, I will pray for our country. I will pray for our president. I will pray for God's hand to lead him in his decisions. But ultimately, I will pray for his salvation. Can you imagine?

Cooney's 3 P's of Preachers

Cooney, I loved the 3 P's you shared with us about preachers. But I fear some may not understand. So I have taken the liberty to build on the foundation which you have laid.

I.Pot-bellied
As one spends much time in deep study and meditation, his legs begin to swell because of fluid retention brought on by a lack of circulation. This swelling eventually rises throughout the torso giving the appearance of obesity. The truth is preachers are not fat we just look that way because of years of study.

II.Poor
This is not a statement of financial status, but rather a state of pity. ie...that poor dog. It is not that the dog lacks money, but his state is so pitiful that it warrants sympathy. We preachers might warrant sympathy for a number of reasons.
A. After hearing a sermon......."that poor preacher"
B. After seeing me eat.........."that poor preacher"
C. After hearing me sing........"that poor preacher"

III. Penniless
No denying this one...we missionary baptist preachers are broke. I have often wondered why the Lord's churches don't do a better job of taking care of their pastors. Those who have devoted themselves to the ministry full time are at the complete mercy of the church. The church I pastor does a good job of taking care of me and my family. Could they do more? Absolutely! But then as my hackles get up over being under compensated, I always have one thought cross my mind ....................... Am I even worth what I'm getting now.

More m&m&m&m's

1. It's 1:20, I have too much to do and not enough time.
2. That was a loud truck that just drove down the road.
3. i should have paid more attention in typing class.
4. i wonder what Tayboo is doing?
5. What if Jesus comes back today?
6. Can a person drink too much coffee?
7. I have to go to the bathroom.
8. Is a Basset Hound ever really happy? How do you know?
9. If I had been bigger, could I have played college ball?
10. I'm glad I didn't. My body hurts enough as it is.

I'll Probably Regret This

I am sitting here laboring on my thesis. Man, 25,000 words is quite an undertaking for a simpleton such as myself. But, I shall prevail. My beautiful wife is not feeling well today, so my mind is somewhat preoccupied with her, thus producing an addled state of mind which has abandoned studies to pursue blogging. Oh the enervated man that I am.

Things are advancing well at the seminary. We students are quite indolent in our efforts and the instructors are very adamant in their expectations. So we have the usual debacle which causes teachers to bang their heads against the wall and leaves students wondering "whats the big deal?" God is good...so all is well.(Remember don't get those backwards)

I'm feeling a little bathetic.
Maybe it's time for the 4 M's (Mr Mike's Midday Musings)
1. Am I really doing best by sending my kid's to government schools?
2. Why has God been so good to me?
3. How does Uncle Cooney button the collar of his shirt?
4. People are worried about money, I couldn't care any less. Is something wrong with me?
5. How tall will my boys be?
6. I need to call my sisters.
7. My feet are going to sleep,perched on top of my desk.
8. I want a new laptop. No I don't.
9. Why are the bookcases in my office this color?
10. I miss my mom.

Now for those who need help understanding what the 4 M's are...let me explain. I have no idea how your mind works. I just hope that it does. I observe other people and I don't feel as though my mind works as does the norm. My attention span is as long as the interval between the flap of a hummingbird's wings. My thoughts run everywhere. I have trained it enough to be able to get things done, but while I am working on something I will have an enumerable number of little quick thought-bursts that will pop into my head. Most of the time I discard them and refocus on the task at hand, but I thought "why not have a little fun?" So occasionally I will post the 4 M's. These are the thought-bursts that pop into my head over a 3 minute period. These are not things that i am dwelling on, they just show up and then they leave. I hope no one ever gets offended. Just have a little fun at my expense. Man am I messed up.

The Antichrist

Who the “antichrist” will be has long been a subject notorious for producing a myriad of opinions. Although no absolute conclusion can be drawn as to who the “Man of sin” will be, ideas are varied. Speculations have run from Arnold Schwarzenegger to the Pope. Even though who the “antichrist” will be is speculative at best, almost all agree to his being futuristic in timing.

The objective being pursued in this writing is not an understanding of futuristic events, but a desire to better comprehend the present. Four out of the five times the word “antichrist” is used, it is in conjunction with verbs in the present tense, not in the future tense. Simply stated, this is not a reference to someone who is to come, but someone who had already come when the account was recorded. Certainly this flies in the face of most perceptions. Automatically upon hearing the term “antichrist” most people conjure thoughts of the manifestation of evil which shall rise up against the saints of God. Although the futuristic personification of evil is mentioned as “that antichrist” in 1 John 2:18, all other verses give consideration to someone, or something which is already working in the world today. The proper interpretation of Scripture forces one to look not at the end times, but rather to the present day in considering who, or what, this “antichrist” is.

In order to have a firm grasp on who, or what, the “antichrist” is, one needs to understand what the term means. The base of the word is the word “Christ” which means “anointed”. This word is used as a title for Jesus. Jesus is the anointed of God. “Anointed” means “to consecrate by unction, or by the use of oil”. Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. This verse declares Jesus to be anointed by God. So one can easily see Jesus was declared by God to be purposed for a particular, spiritual objective. This purpose was revealed by Jesus himself when He declared “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost (Matthew 18:11). This is the heart of the reason for Jesus coming to this earth. Mankind, in his lost condition, needed a redeemer. With Jesus as His name, and Christ as His title, one can see the Man and His purpose.

Having a good understanding of the title of “Christ”, one now needs to turn to the prefix “anti”. Without a long discourse in linguistic considerations, one may still be able to appreciate the purpose of this prefix. “Anti” is used to show either an opposition to or a replacement of. For example, when a person is bitten by a poisonous snake, he is taken to the hospital and treated with an antivenin. This antivenin is simply “anti venom”. Its purpose is to offset the affects of the venom. So if this same principle is used, the “antichrist” is purposed to offset the affects of the Christ. The “antichrist”, or spirit of, is purposed to oppose or replace the Christ.

The object of the enemy is not to replace or oppose Jesus, just His being the Christ. One would find it a difficult task to discover religions which are Anti-Jesus. The vast majority of religions are quick to acknowledge Jesus as a man sent from God. Most will give Him due credit for being the Son of God, a miracle worker, a prophet, born of a virgin and a good man to pattern life after. But how many truly give Him credit for being the Christ? Not a Christ, but the Christ. He is the only one anointed by God to take away the sins of the world. 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. He is the only one anointed by God to keep them who are saved. 2 Timothy 2:12… for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

The man Jesus is much more than a miracle worker, He is the Christ. This is where the Father of lies has performed a masterful job. He has allowed, probably even promoted a world-wide acceptance of Jesus. Jesus is being preached from the over-whelming majority of pulpits today and it doesn’t bother the Devil one bit. No one is saved by believing Jesus is a good man, or a healer. What the Deceiver doesn’t want preached is the fact that Jesus is the Christ. If one truly believes that Jesus is the divinely anointed by God to take away the sins of the world, and if that same person believes there exist no other Christ, then that person is saved. John 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

By modern religions having allowed the name of Jesus to remain as their central theme, they are causing great difficulty for many of the saved to see the distinctions between the Truth and a lie. Modern religions are preaching Jesus + works = salvation. They are not preaching Jesus as the Christ. If He is the Christ, then there exists no other anointed. Nothing else can take away sin. The danger of what the Devil is doing is summed up in the “Christian Movement”. This movement idolizes Jesus, but not as the Christ. Anyone who believes in anything other than Jesus, and Jesus alone, as the source and maintainer of salvation is not a Christian. They may be a “Jesusite” but they are not a Christian. Most people in America claim to be Christians, but they are not. Many people in the Lord’s true churches today look to the religious in the community as “Christian Brethren”. They are not. Although they may carry the banner of Jesus, they have abandoned His being the Christ. If they truly believe He is the Christ, then they will gladly abandon their trusts in works. But they will not, because they are working under the spirit of the antichrist.

The following four verses are the only times the word “antichrist” is used in the Bible.
1 John 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist,
1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The common theme which is noticed through these verses, with the exception of the first, is the presence of the title of Jesus as the Christ. Do not be deceived. The Devil is not anti-Jesus, he is antichrist. He desires to eliminate the pure truth of the gospel. The truth which declares the only way of redemption is what the devil seeks to destroy.

May God empower His people to be able to differentiate between those who have embraced the man of Jesus, and those who have truly trusted Jesus as the Christ.

To Satisfy the BigUn

My Bro-in-law (Hebert not Reese) has been aggravating me about my lackadaisical attitude toward blogging. I am assuming that my loyal followers have met and appointed him as their spokesman. My most sincere apologies to the thousands of readers of this blog. I did not have a full grasp of the responsibility I was assuming when I started this thing. I thought it would be an outlet for the occasional gripe or an avenue I might take to publicly display my view from a newly-discovered soapbox. I had no idea that the blog-patrol was on duty and that I had violated one of their tenets. But as it has been said, ignorance is no excuse. So I humbly accept whatever penalties are deemed worthy of the crime. I do plead for leniency.

But, since I do have a responsibility to the masses who hang on my every word, I press forward with a renewed fervor. In this renewed spirit I have formed 5 personal goals to better myself as a professional blogger. The rules will hereafter be known as "Mike's Undeniable Declarations" or "MUD". These rules do have sequential significance in that the first is the most precious to my heart.

If I should ever falter to fulfill any of the following "Mike's Undeniable Declarations"... may MUD be cast in my face...may I eat MUD...may the clarity of my blogging waters forever look like MUD.

Mike's Undeniable Declarations...
1. Every Blog post must meet the standards set forth in the blogging manual "Blogging according to Uncle Cooney"
2. Every Blog must be worthy of reaching the intellectual plateau on which Uncle Michael resides.
3. Every Blog must be worthy of the Snide's opposition.
4. Every Blog must cause Lucious Louie to get out his pig poker.
5. Every Blog must have at least one grammatical bungle which is notorious enough to force a seminary English teacher to reconsider granting 1st year credit to a moron.