Thursday, October 29, 2020

WHO CAN YOU TRUST?

UPDATE:  The post below was published on the 29th of October.  Today, Friday, November 6th we sit as a country awaiting news of the next President of the United States.  The flawed process and the myriad of bad press is adding fuel to the FIRE.  

I'm going to rant today.  And it's long overdue. Way way overdue.   I have several choice words for the press in this country, the profession that looks nothing like the ranks I joined back in 1973. I was a member of the first graduating class in Mass Communications at Mankato State College in Mankato, Minnesota.  It was a proud moment for me and the College.  An emerging era had been born.  

As I look back at what led me to choose this major....I think of Watergate.  It was the chief reason the journalism profession exploded with graduates.   For those of you who don't know, here is the Wikipedia version of Watergate.

"The Watergate scandal was a political scandal in the United States involving the administration of the U.S. President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation.  The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's continuous attempts to cover up its involvement in the June 17,1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Washington D.C. Watergate Office Building. 

Not too long after that, things began to change.  It's that change that has led us to today's media....one that I'm embarrassed of.  Read from an article in the Wall Street Journal from former head of CBS and Fox News, Van Gordon Sauter.  He didn't see it coming despite the train already leaving the station. 

"About 35 years ago I was sitting at lunch next to Jeane Kirkpatrick, a one-time Democrat, who became a foreign-policy adviser to President Reagan and later U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.  She was lamenting what she called the "liberal leaning" media.  As President of CBS News, I assured her it was only a "liberal tilt" and could be corrected. 

"You don't understand," she scolded.  "It's too late". 

Kirkpatrick was prophetic.  The highly influential daily newspapers in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Boston are now decidedly liberal.  On the home screen, the three broad network divisions still have their liberal tilt.  Two of the three leading cable news sources are unrelentingly liberal in their fear and loathing of President Trump.  

News organizations that claim to be neutral have long been creeping leftward, an their loathing of Mr. Trump has accelerated the pace.  The news media is catching up with the liberalism of the professoriate, the entertainment industry, upscale magazines and the literary world.  Recent arrivals are the late-night TV hosts who have broken the boundaries of what was was considered acceptable political humor for networks.  (Note:  Not to mention the Tech Giants, Twitter, Facebook and Google).  

To many of the journalists, objectivity, balance and fairness-once the gold standard of reporting-are not mandatory in a divided political era and in a country they believe to to be severely flawed.  That assumption folds neatly into their assessment of the President.  

So let's back track a little.  There is a thing called a Journalists Creed.  It was written in 1914 by Walter Williams, the founding dean of the Missouri School of Journalism.  The creed has been published in more than 100 languages and a bronze plaque of the Creed hangs at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. 

Here is one of the main points of the creed.  "I believe in the profession of journalism...I believe that a journalist write only what he holds only what he holds to be true.  I believe that suppression of the news, for any consideration other than the welfare of society is indefensible".  

Perhaps just as important is this tenet.  "I believe that the journalism which succeeds best-and best deserves success-fears God and honors Man: is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of it readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice, is  unswayed by the appeal of privilege of the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance: is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promoting international good will and cementing world comradeship; is a journalism of humanity, of and for today's world. 



The Creed has fallen under the same notion as the Ten Commandments.  They no longer serve as a means and way to live your life.  They're merely a SUGGESTION. 

Perhaps you don't see some things on the horizon.  These three words, State Run Media, out to make you shudder. We aren't far from that now.  And if the Democrats succeed in capturing the Presidency and the Congress...it will Happen.  Mark my WORDS.  Here is a short definition of that type of media:  The authoritarian media strategy is not designed to block everything, but is designed at obstructing news about politics or other sensitive issues from consistently reaching key audiences.       

Embarrassed, disgusted and fed up.  Yes, you bet I am.  The media were to be gatekeepers of ours.  They were to help keep us informed and educate us and even provide us some entertainment along the way.  No more.  

We've let this happen to us.  We've stood there and watched this shift of power take place.  We haven't been good stewards of our country and our liberties.   35 Years after Ms. Kirkpatrick echoed those words, "It's too late".  We now have an Apocalypse at our doorstep.  

Now, I ask the question, "Who can you trust?"   

YGG,

John 

  


Friday, October 16, 2020

LOOK AROUND YOU

There are days when I sit in front my laptop and I'm totally blank as to what I should write about.  But never for too long.  God is always there to offer a thought or drop a seed, so to speak.  

My last writing had to do with "Keep Looking Up".  It's a theme that I've completely bought into.  I remind people all the time now that they need to that.  And you should too....because if you haven't gotten on the train to freedom you'll be sadly mistaken.  But perhaps I could offer a suggestion to help you along the way.  Maybe looking around you first, is what you need to do before looking up.  Which brings me to a song written by the Little River Band many a moon ago, "Lady".  The lyrics go like this: 

Look around you

Look up here

Take time to make time

Make time to be there

Look around

Be a part

Feel for the winter

But don't have a cold heart

Makes you wonder where musicians get their inspiration for a song.  They must search places where they can find words that inspire, hope, motivate or offer a direction to live by.  And wouldn't the Bible be an obvious place to start.  So with that idea in mind, look around you.  What do you see?  People coming and going appearing oblivious to what's going to happen in the not to distant future.  It makes a person want to yell out...."hey, what are you all thinking?  Don't you get it?  Don't you see it? 



It's not to difficult to see the apathy that is running rampant today.  The looks on peoples faces wear it like a badge....and yes, not a mask.  The ones behind the masks are in deeper trouble.  But that's a story for another time.  Are people that stubborn or clueless they are looking the other way?  Maybe so.  But you don't have to be like that.  If what I'm saying hits you between the eyes and you want to be a part of something so super special.... then use that realization to LOOK UP.  It's just that easy. And then get right with God and keep looking up for as long as it takes.  If you could only imagine what it will look like when he comes back for us.     

9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing.  They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.  For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness-2 Thessaloanisans 2:9  


YGG,

John           



Thursday, October 8, 2020

ARE YOU LOOKIN UP?

 "Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man".-Luke 21:36

I find I'm using a phrase I borrowed from my wife a whole lot more these days.  "Keep lookin up".  I had a little reservation in saying it at first.  It didn't seem natural to me.  But now, the more I use it, the more I feel convicted in laying it out there.  I did a little research on the subject and found out this about the quote.  Remember the comic strip, "Peanuts?"  Yeah, that Peanuts.  The creator of the animal, so to speak, was Charles Schultz.  He often times spoke in feeling stuck in a rut.  His answer was to try and look up and in doing so, you will find there are many more possibilities there!   

Now, it would be easy to say that having a positive attitude about things helps.  But it means so much more.  You need to look up for a reason.  God is there and he will provide what we need in no uncertain terms.   

Which leads me to this 2020 election cycle.  Weeks ago I found myself digging more into prophesy and less into what the results of the election might mean.  Here is what I now feel convicted of.  While I'm still hopeful Donald Trump wins,  I'm no longer of the belief that if he doesn't win...all is lost.  If Trump wins, I believe God will have given us a reprieve of sorts to get things right with him.  And if Trump loses, it will be the beginning of the end.  Just as simple as that.  So, really, it's a win-win thing.    

How could I say such a thing you might ask?  And I would respond by saying, look at the truth, the whole truth. That would be in the Bible.  Look at the Book of Revelations.  Errr, read it I mean.  Study it and let it soak in.  If you do, I am fairly certain my thoughts won't seem so far off base.  



Look up.  Take a long, long look.  If you think we are long for this world then you are sadly mistaken.  He's coming back.  I don't know when.   But soon.....  


12 "Look, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.  13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and many go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.  16 I Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.  I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star. 17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who wishes take the free gift of the the water of life.  18  I warn everyone who hears the words of prophesy of this scroll: If anyone adds to the  plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from the scroll of prophesy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.  20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon".   Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus.  21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen". -Revelation 22 12-21  


One more time.....Keep Lookin UP.  

YGG,

John