HOW CAN WE KNOW THERE IS A HEAVEN?

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

It’s all by faith.

Only Jesus has gone beyond the grave and returned to tell us anything about the afterlife. However, He being God told about heaven prior to His death on the cross. Therefore, whatever we know about heaven is primarily from Christ.

There are skeptics who don’t believe in heaven or hell. They don’t believe in an afterlife. The reason they don’t believe in the invisible worlds after this existence is because they have not prayed to God for the gift of faith. If they prayed for that gift, they would receive it, that is, if their prayers were utterly sincere.

I remember a friend of mine, Greg, who spent time in jail. He went there totally destitute of soul. He did not know God or if there was a God. But beside himself, he prayed sincerely. He said, "If there is a God, speak to me for I don’t want to live any longer like this."

He had spent fifteen years in drugs and drink, ruining his young adult life. He had put into his body everything that should never be put into a human frame. He spent his entire existence crushing life from his soul and body. Then he got in trouble with the law. That threw him behind bars. In his early thirties, he knew that he could not continue in such a horrible state, hence his prayer.

With that simple faith, he was gifted with more faith. With that gift he read a Bible he found in jail. He read it and read it and read it some more. The more he read it the more he wanted to read it. He had never cared about the Bible. But now, the book that he discarded because he thought it nonsense, became the source of hope and life. He read it and read it and then woke up the next morning to devour more of the Word.

With that, Greg became a believer. Now he is a stalwart Christian of five years plus. He is married to a Christian. They have a Christian home, attend worship faithfully and witness to the power of salvation as the Holy Spirit leads.

Greg is sure that he is going to heaven when he dies. He knows that he does not deserve heaven. He deserves hell for he trespassed against God’s laws time and again. He despised Christ and the gospel. He should never have come upon divine mercy. But he did find divine mercy in Christ and so his soul was rescued from hell and Satan’s grip.

Knowing what the Bible promises him after his last breath, Greg knows that when he dies he will be greeted by Christ at heaven’s portals, welcomed into eternal bliss where there is no sin nor death. The Bible has informed Greg of that gift prepared for him and all believers.

That which has gifted Greg can gift any mortal who has the childlike yearning to reach out by faith to receive hope in Christ. That hope is delineated in the Holy Scriptures:

THE HOPE OF HEAVEN

Jesus said: "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Matthew 25:34

"To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord." II Corinthians 5:8

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." I Corinthians 2:9

Jesus said: "Lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." Matthew 6:20

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:l6

Jesus said: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." John 11:25

"For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." II Corinthians 5:1

"If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit who dwells in you." Romans 8:11

"This is the promise that He has promised us — eternal life." I John 2:25

"He who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Galatians 6:8

Jesus said: "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. . ." John 10:27-28

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WHENCE FREE WILL?

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Free will began with the angels in heaven. God created angels who had free will by which they could decide for God’s holiness forever or decide in rebellion against God’s holiness forever.

Lucifer, the angel of light, plotted mutiny, being joined by other angels in rebellion. With that, God cast them from holy heaven into the eternal hell.

From that scheme onward, as far as angels were concerned, the rebellious lost their free will unto damnation’s fires. Likewise, angels who chose not to be a part of the mutiny, locked their free wills into eternal obedience and adoration of God in heaven.

The next juncture for free will origin was when God created mortal in the divine image. The animal and vegetable kingdoms had been created. Then God created homo sapien. In that apex of creation, free will was implanted. The lower animals worked in instinct; now human was gifted with free will.

In that free will, mortal could decide to obey or disobey God. Adam and Eve obeyed Creator God for awhile. Then came Lucifer, the angel of light, in the form of a serpent. The serpent tempted the First Couple to disobey God. They yielded, by an act of free will, to listen to the serpent rather than continue in obedience to God. In that, sin entered the human race.

The spirit fell. The earthly sphere fell, hence the start of calamities upon the planet as well as the First Couple being cast out of Eden. From that moment of disobedience to the present, the majority of mortals have chosen to travel the road of disobedience. The minority have chosen the road of obedience.

Each mortal, when born, has the capacity to choose for God or choose against God. There is the time in each mortal’s life when he comes to realize the difference between right and wrong.

From that juncture onward till death, free will is activated. The free will can choose for salvation through Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross or choose for self and sin, thus yielding an eternity of damnation with Lucifer and the fallen angels.

The Holy Spirit empowers believers to live the life of holiness under God. Yet those believers choose daily to obey that holy God. At any time, they can choose to discount the Way, Truth and the Life for their own self and sin. Free will is operative until death.

After death, the soul’s destiny has been decided. There is no "second chance" for salvation according to the Bible. Our probationary period for choosing eternal destiny is while alive and thinking on the Earth.

After that, we consign ourselves to heaven or hell. In other words, just as the angels consigned their eternities either to eternal fellowship with God or to be a party of Lucifer’s mutiny, thus bringing hell upon their existences, so it is with mortals. When death comes upon the mortal, the soul has already determined its eternal state prior.

When God created homo sapien in the Garden of Eden, that was a crucial moment in Earth time for that free will could actually have the power by which to turn against the Creator Himself. Since then, mortals have had the power to, in so many words, tell God to "go to hell" by their lives of self and sin. Since then, mortals have been equipped by which to bring much pain to the heart of God.

However, those few mortals in each generation who determine to be a part of the righteous remnant bring much joy to the heart of God. Believers who remain true to Christ till the last breath bring much pleasure to the Eternal Heart.

Each mortal decides in this life to activate free will for God or against God. That decision determines where the soul will spend eternity — heaven or hell.

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THE CHURCH MUST WARN AGAINST MARRYING UNBELIEVERS

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

There is much confusion today within the family and marriage. No one needs further detail to underline that tragic fact today.

One of the ways by which this tragedy can be stayed is for believers to marry believers. This is the biblical way.

Genesis 24:3-4:

Abraham talking to servant: "'I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and earth, that you shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites (nonbelievers), among whom I live, but you shall go to my country and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.'"

Genesis 26:34-35:

"When Esau was forty years old he married Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite (nonbeliever), and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite (nonbeliever), and they brought grief to Isaac and Rebekah."

When a child marries an unsaved person, pain is shot through the entire family, particularly leveled against godly parents who have sought to bring up the child to date and marry only a believer.

Exodus 34:13-16:

God spoke: "'Rather, you are to tear down their (heathen) altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim (idols)--for you shall not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God--lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants (nonbelievers) of the land and play the harlot with their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invite you to eat of his sacrifice; and you take some of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods, and cause your sons also to play the harlot with their gods.'"

God knows how easy it is to fall in love with a nonbeliever; therefore, He wants us to have nothing to do with that lifestyle--worshiping of other gods than the true God. To marry an unsaved person is to open the way for the believer to backslide and so trade in the love for God for the love of spiritual harlotry. Believers simply cannot take that risk.

Deuteronomy 13:6-10:

God spoke: "'If your brother, your mother's son, or your son or daughter, or the wife you cherish, or your friend who is as your own soul, entice you secretly, saying "Let us go and serve other gods" (whom neither you nor your fathers have known of the gods of the peoples who are around you, near you or far from you, from one end of the earth to the other end), you shall not yield to him or listen to him; and your eye shall not pity him, nor shall you spare or conceal him.

"'But you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. So you shall stone him to death because he has sought to seduce you from the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt. . .'"

God ordered the execution of persons who took believers away from His heart. Severe penalties give a strong message to others not to disobey. Weak penalties open the door for weak humans to disobey. It is a dangerous move for a believer to permit an unbeliever to entice the believer to backslide from the heart of God.

Joshua 23:12-13:

God spoke: "'For if you ever go back and cling to the rest of these nations (nonbelievers), these which remain among you, and intermarry with them, so that you associate with them and they with you, know with certainty that the Lord your God will not continue to drive these nations (nonbelievers) out from before you; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, and a whip on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you.'"

When a believer marries an unbeliever, with certainty the believer marries a "snare. . .trap. . .whip. . .and thorns in. . .eyes" for the rest of earthly days. What an awful state to be in for life when marrying outside the will of God.

Judges 3:5-7:

"And the sons of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; and they took their daughters for themselves as wives, and gave their own daughters to their sons, and served their gods. And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and the Sheroth."

When believers marry unbelievers, they do evil. In too many instances, believers are worn down spiritually by the unbelievers. In time, many lose out spiritually and so take up the worldly lifestyle, thus losing their souls to hell.

I Kings 11:l-4:

"Now King Solomon loved many foreign women (nonbelievers) along with the daughter or Pharoah: Moabite, Ammonite, Edmonite, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord has said to the sons of Israel, 'You shall not associate with them, neither shall they associate with you, for they will surely turn your heart away after their gods.' Solomon held fast to those in love.

"And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been."

God knows how weak we are. Therefore, He warns believers not even to "associate" (that is, date) with unbelievers lest believers fall in love, become engaged, then marry such unbelievers. There is a real chance that such marriages will bring down the believers so as to lose their souls.

Ezra 9:l-2:

"Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached them, saying, 'The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Amonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites (all nonbelievers).

"'For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rules have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.'"

Christians are to separate from non-Christians when it comes to dating and being engaged and then marrying. The word "separate" is a strong term in order to save the saved from the unsaved influence.

Amos 3:3:

"'Do two walk together unless they are agreed?'"

When two marry, they become one. It is impossible for a believer and a nonbeliever to become spiritually one in the sight of God. How then could they walk the road of life together in agreement? They cannot. And when this occurs, much life-long disagreement takes place. When children are born into this kind of marriage, they are the innocent ones damaged beyond measure.

Malachi 2:11-l2:

"'Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem; for Judah has profaned the sanctuary of the Lord which He loves, and has married the daughter of a foreign god (nonbeliever). As for the one who does this, may the Lord cut off from the tents of Jacob everyone who awakes and answers, or who presents an offering to the Lord of hosts.'"

When believers marry unbelievers, they profane the very sanctuary in which they have the wedding ceremony because of such disobedience. God does not bless such disobedience. Instead, He considers it an "abomination."

II Corinthians 6:12-18:

"Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial (idols), or what has believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

"'Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,' says the Lord. 'And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,' says the Lord Almighty."

Christians are called by God to separate themselves from non-Christians when it comes to romance and eventual marriage. The non-Christian is referred to in the Bible as being spiritually "unclean." The Christian has been made clean only through the awful death on the cross by Christ.

In summation:

God has instituted marriage. He therefore can define it.

God has defined the believer's marriage as being fit only when a believer marries another believer.

Follow God's design and know peace in conscience. Disobey God's design and experience much heartache.

When a believer marries a non-believer, there is not only pain to the believer but also any godly relatives witnessing such disobedience.

But more: the pain continues into the next generation when children are born into an "unequally yoked" (I Cor 5:l4) marriage. Often sons born to that marriage go the way of the ungodly father, if it is the father who is the non-Christian. This breaks the heart of the Christian mother especially.

Keeping marriage together in a wicked age is difficult enough without the marriage starting out unequally yoked.
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MARRIAGE IS A GIFT FROM GOD
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FREEDOM FROM RELIGION FOUNDATION ALL WRONG

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

"The weekend before President Bush's second inauguration, 60 humanists, atheists and ethical culturalists gathered at a hotel just off Dupont Circle for an ‘emergency meeting’ organized by the American Humanist Association.

"’The situation is now as bad as we'll ever see it,’ Roy Speckhardt, the group's deputy director, said afterward." So reports Julia Duin of The Washington Times.

The atheist-secularists work night and day to undermine America’s religious heritage. They are as evangelistic in their zeal and methods as any Christian crusade. They are committed to spread their "ungospel."

And they work enthusiastically through judges who are immoral and unethical according to the Judeo-Christian definition. Sometimes, however, they win out by simply threatening with a few words.

"’There is complete scorn on the part of the current administration as to the separation of church and state,’ emphasizes Freedom from Religion Foundation founder Anne Nicol Gaylor.

"Gaylor says in an interview: ‘There has never been any less respect in Washington for church-state separation, even though church-state separation is one of the things that made our country possible in the first place.’"

Interestingly enough, Gaylor, like her colleagues, has no appreciation for the true definition of "separation of church and state." Further, when they do go after religion in public life, it is never the Muslim religion or Buddhism or Hinduism or Shintoism or New Ageism or any other religion but Judeo-Christianity. Not fair.

Nevertheless, that’s their way of combating "religion." It’s Judeo-Christian faith that they are determined to eradicate from the Judeo-Christian American heritage.

Julaine Appling, executive director of the Family Research Institute in Madison, Wisconsin states that most of secularists’ energy is spent challenging Christians. "’When they go after religion, they go after Christianity aggressively,’ she says. ‘I don't see them going after other religions.’"

This is all in the name of "separation of church and state." Yet these enthusiasts for no-belief don’t have a clue as to the historic understanding of that phrase.

Liberals have run off with this phrase, prostituting it per usual.

The matter is simple. It’s this: America does not want a state church. England has a state church — the Anglican Church. America does not want one denomination considered The Nation’s Church.

On the other hand, America has a religious heritage. It’s not Muslim. It’s not Hindu. It’s not Shinto. It’s not animism. It’s not New Age. It’s not Paganism. It’s not Voodoo. It’s Judeo-Christian.

America, while not desiring a state church, does desire religion in life. That includes religious expression in everyday exchange. Because Judeo-Christian is America’s heritage, most citizens honor that heritage expressed and honored. Its expression then should not be thwarted. It should not be belittled. It should not be erased in the name of "separation of church and state."

Unhampered religious expression is promised in the First Amendment.

Further, America, having a Judeo-Christian heritage and the right to present-tense expression, permits freedom of religious expression to other religions. Therefore, there are those of other religious persuasions who practice without fear their religions in America.

What the liberals want to do is redefine the phrase "separation of church and state" to exclude Judeo-Christian religious expression in America. They want not only "separation of church and state" defined on their terms but the exclusion of the Judeo-Christian religion and anything coming close to that particular religious expression—period.

Liberals believe that if they continue harping on the "separation of church and state" phrase, brainwashing the public with their prostituted definition, especially indoctrinating the next generation with their prostituted definition, then they will have won secularism for America’s future.

They, in other words, want not only separation but exclusion of religion — completely so. Note however that the chief religion they want excluded is Judeo-Christian.

They will even tolerate other religions, as they are presently doing with the Muslim infiltration, but it is Judeo-Christian that they want cleansed from America. In other words, it’s a religious cleansing they desire for this nation — the extinguishing specifically of the Judeo-Christian faith.

Therefore, if tolerating another religion such as Islam helps wipe out Judeo-Christianity, then so be it. Islam is far better a tolerance than the American heritage of Judeo-Christian.

Therefore, there are school districts hiring Muslims to speak to teachers on how to give Muslim students honor and space. No such invitation, of course, has been extended to Judeo-Christian specialists speaking to public school educators on how to give Judeo-Christian adherents honor and space.

In a nearby high school, a prayer room was set aside for Muslim students. No such prayer room or any other respect has been presented those of the Judeo-Christian heritage.

Liberals, in other words, will do whatever it takes to obliterate America of its rightful Judeo-Christian heritage. This is accented every year particularly during the Christmas season. Any other so-called "religious expression" can come to the fore but the Christian particulars must be silenced at all costs. So we hear throughout the Christmas season, not Christian hymn carols, but "separation of church and state."

Once again, liberals have taken language to serve their own twisted purposes. They took "homosexual" and made it "gay." They took "pro-choice" and made it "protecting females." They take "separation of church and state" and make it "wiping out America’s Judeo-Christian heritage."

What those of the Judeo-Christian heritage must do — and far more concertedly than they have ever done in the past — is to make clear to the public what "separation of church and state" really means. This must be put in print in magazines and journals. It must be preached from pulpits. It must be taught in religion classes. It must be spelled out in letters to the editor.

Unfortunately, this simply has not been done. The church in particular has permitted the liberals to carry on with their prostitution of the phrase. I have been appalled over the years to note that the church specifically has not risen to expose the liberals’ misuse of that phrase.

Therefore, the young have taken quickly to the liberals’ definition while the church has sat, in the main, silent, allowing the enemy to win out.

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HOW CAN DEVOUT CATHOLICS AND EVANGELICALS GET ALONG?

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Are they born again? What do we do about praying to Mary? And purgatory? And the pope being the voice of Christ? And Mary’s perpetual virginity? And so forth and so forth.

So the evangelical Protestants have their points. Yes, they do. The bottom line for evangelicals is that there are teachings of Roman Catholicism that don’t square exactly with the Bible.

Listen up, evangelicals: Catholics have two bases for deciding on dogma. One is the Bible. The other is tradition. Evangelicals have one basis for deciding on dogma. It’s the Bible alone. That dates from the Reformation of the sixteenth century with Martin Luther.

Therefore, with the starting point not the same, there are not going to be ending points that are the same when it comes to Roman Catholics and evangelical Protestants. That’s a given. And I don’t think that any forum is going to change any of that.

With that starkly understood as reality, let’s move on.

What is it that devout Catholics and evangelical Protestants do agree on? They agree on the God of the Bible. They agree on the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, the reality of heaven and hell, the actuality of sin, Satan and the Final Judgment. They agree that salvation is by way of Christ’s atonement.

With that baseline, let’s proceed. They agree in the power of prayer, the need for worship, the spiritual feeding of devotional literature, and the moral base of Scripture.

Therefore, devout Catholics and evangelical Protestants can work together on that moral base to oppose abortion, practicing homosexual lifestyle, euthanasia and other evils of various categories.

Now there are those evangelicals, particularly of the fundamentalist subdivision, who won’t have anything to do with devout Catholics because of the dogmatic differences relating to Mary, purgatory, the pope and such. Therefore, there is no sharing of common ground of any sort.

However, at this point there is usually a distinction made between fundamentalist Protestants and evangelical Protestants. The former are more rigid than the latter when it comes to fellowshipping with others of various labels. The evangelicals have more "give" in the fellowship option. The fundamentalists often do not.

Now all of this brings me to this point: The Bible informs us that we are saved by grace. In other words, if a sincere Christian, regardless of label, comes to Jesus, repents of his sin, confesses his sin, and promises to live henceforth for Jesus, then that one is considered, according to the Bible, as being "saved." That one is "born again." That one is a sincere believer, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, a child of grace. He may not use exactly those terms, but the reality is in the soul, according to Scripture.

When that individual dies, that soul then stands at the Judgment Seat of Christ to be welcomed home to heaven. Does Christ ask that person if that one has been Catholic or Protestant? Not according to the Bible. Does Christ ask that person to pass a doctrine exam? Not according to the Bible.

Christ looks upon the heart. If that heart has genuinely loved Christ with all that’s within him, then Christ welcomes that redeemed one home to eternal life. In other words, we are not saved by doctrinal exactness. We are saved by divine grace and mercy applied to the repentant soul. That’s the Bible teaching.

Again: we are not saved by doctrinal exactness. We are saved by divine grace and mercy applied to the repentant soul.

After all, there are doctrinal differences, some of them considered major items, within the evangelical Protestant camp.

For instance, some believe in eternal security while others believe that a soul can lose his salvation. Some believe that one has to speak in tongues in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Others disagree. Some believe that all souls are predestined to heaven or hell prior to the Earth’s creation. Others disagree. Some believe in a pre-tribulation rapture. Others disagree. Some believe that musical instruments should not be a part of public worship. Others disagree. Some believe that to be a Christian one must be a conscientious objector. Others disagree. And the list could grow longer.

In other words, among totally sincere evangelical Protestants there are differences regarding doctrine and practice. Yet when a Billy Graham Crusade comes to town, all these evangelicals work alongside one another, not surfacing their differences. They get along. They pray together. They sing together. They just don’t bring up what they don’t agree on.

Now back to this fundamental: We are not saved by doctrinal exactness. We are saved by divine grace and mercy applied to the repentant soul.

Once an evangelical Protestant accepts that truth as workable truth, then the evangelical Protestant can develop friendships with devout Roman Catholics with whom he has doctrinal differences, and vice versa.

As for rebel, theologically liberal Catholics, evangelicals have no common ground for fellowship. None. As for rebel, theologically liberal Protestants, evangelicals have no common ground for fellowship. It’s only the devout of both categories who can find heart-to-heart friendship sharing in Christ.

Now that the world has become increasingly hostile toward Christianity, it behooves the devout Catholics and evangelical Personates to find one another more trustingly.

After all, if the Bible researchers are correct in these being the Last Days, there is going to be an increase in animosity toward true Christian believers. Therefore, this is not the time to fight among ourselves. This is the era, closing out the Church Age, when those who are in love with Jesus must stand alongside one another.

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PEACE CROWNS KILLING FIELD: SIACHEN GLACIER

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

They’re either shot by enemy fire or they freeze to death. It’s one or the other for those troops stationed on Siachen Glacier, a geography in the Himalayas, lofted 20,000+ feet above sea level.

There India’s and Pakistan’s militia have eye-balled one another for the kill. And if they don’t slay one another, there’s a bad chance that somebody will die from frost. But that’s changing.

"India and Pakistan have agreed to begin withdrawing troops from the world's highest battlefield," reports Anwar Iqbal, UPI South Asian Affairs Analyst.

So — another peace post for the planet. Thank you to those who are giving peace a chance. It seems as if peace has become the current trend in one Earth spot or another. Lebanon is working on its fresh peace. Ukraine is establishing its peace terrain. Indonesia and Aceh are finalizing their peace pact. And so what’s good for the lower lands must also be good enough for the high-topped regions, hence this latest cordial move between India and Pakistan.

"The possibility of a troop withdrawal from the Siachen Glacier was discussed Sunday at a meeting in New Delhi between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"Thousands of Indian and Pakistani troops have been facing each other on the 20,700-foot high glacier since the mid 1980s. The 47-mile Siachen is also one of the longest outside the Arctic and Antarctic regions and is often called the third pole. It costs India up to $1 million a day to maintain troops at this height. Pakistan, which has a large town and an airport close to the glacier, spends a little less.

"Both India and Pakistan acknowledge that more soldiers die on these glaciers each year from cold or frostbites than enemy fire. Sometimes the temperature goes down to minus 140 degrees. . . Once a week, soldiers are brought down to change shoes. Soldiers left alone are known to have killed themselves."

No more. The soldiers will return to their villages, their families, their warm and cozy homes. No need to continue the insanity.

It’s all been about land, that is, glacier "land." Who gets what route, what passage to China and back, control over a mass and so forth and so forth. It’s all about who scratches the border in the ice. Who claims what. In other words, let’s fight over a glacier.

"’On average, one Pakistani soldier is killed every fourth day, while one Indian soldier is killed every other day,’ says the Global Security Organization. According to this report, more than 1,300 Pakistani soldiers died on Siachen between 1984 and 1999. On the Indian side, at least 2,000 soldiers died during the period."

No more. Peace.

DEMOCRACY DAWNING IN LEBANON

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

UPI headlines read: "New Lebanon Government Sees the Light."

What light? The light of democracy dawning. First the night, then the dawn.

Gradually, governmental leaders are realizing that citizenry demands free elections, a democracy base and genuine liberties for all. No doubt New Iraq’s democracy dawn has prodded heretofore controlling governments to open the windows to a new day. It could be that the freedom spread in Afghanistan has awakened powers-that-be to share the powers with the people. As Egyptian politic promises autumn open elections, so now Lebanon promises open elections.

Now we see the dawning in Lebanon. Lebanese Prime Minister designate Najib Mikati informed media today that "general elections (are set for) May." Mikati pronounced a 14-member cabinet to see through detail for democracy’s light start.

Former Premier Omar Karami’s hold on governmental power shut down. It was after the February 14 murder of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. With those crises, the Lebanese grassroots rose to voice demands for freedoms realized, democracy come-upon and the freedom spread within their borders as it has come to others.

Most of the present appointed governmental ministers under the new regime are "neutral with no specific political affiliations."

The UN resolution 1559 regarding Lebanon states that "free and transparent general elections" must be set in place. That resolution shoved Syrian militia out of Lebanon. Its intelligence personnel also were forced to vacate. It is reported that all of that Syrian grip will leave by the close of this month.

Was it not just a little over two years ago that Operation Iraqi Freedom won a three-week-win victory, sending Saddam Hussein to his cell and eventually putting in his place the National Assembly, the latter following the historic January 30 Victory Vote?

Was it not the US President George W. Bush who delivered speech after speech in favor of democracy’s dawn? Did he not encourage despots to give up their thrones in favor of the people ruling for themselves? Did not the Bush administration take the lead in the present-tense liberty evangelism?

And for that was not the President castigated daily by America’s liberal press, the Democratic Party and lethargic so-called heads of state in Europe, Germany, Russia and France taking the lead? Yet did not Mr. Bush remain firm in his convictions that democracies could dawn wherever the people finally forced them to light the skies?

Consequently, Lebanon is one of the dawning lights beginning to guarantee human beings the right the oversee their own nation’s future.

Thank you, Mr. Bush.

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DEMS ALL WORDS, NO PLAN: CALIF CONVENTION

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Once again, Dems gave forth with hot air balloons at the yearly California convention. It was stale yammer yammer yammer with no inspiring agenda for proving anything, solving anything, challenging anyone.

When will the Dems learn how to practical make, realistic present and invigorating speak? Seemingly never.

"'We must do more than bash Arnold if we want to win," Controller Steve Westly addressed the convention. "We've got to get smart about branding -- we are the party of innovation, we are the party of accountability, and we are the party of investing in this state's future,'" according to Beth Fouhy, AP Political Writer.

Branding? They branded their hides once again with stale diatribes reserved last year for US President George W. Bush. You see how far that got the Dems with the Red States win for GWB.

Dems call themselves innovators? There was no innovation at the California conclave. They refer to themselves as accountable? For what, when, where, to what degree? Westly said that Dems "‘are the party of investing in the future.’" If California is depending on the Dem investment blueprint, they’re already Pacific sunk.

Most of the time conventioneers spent their energies attacking California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger "with an intensity usually reserved for President Bush."

Again, Dems reserve their powers for attacking, destroying, scraping and skinning alive while the Republican President and team continue their freedom spread from nation to nation. While the Dems date themselves as the nation’s cultural lag, the Republicans keep the course of liberty evangelism in one country after another.

If New Iraq and Afghanistan democracies were left to the Dems, those countries would still be overrun by despots bloody.

There would likewise be no hope for liberty expansion in Lebanon.

There would be no good news for peace actual in India and Pakistan’s Kashmir.

Hope for an Indonesian – Aceh accord would hardly be forthcoming.

Ukrainian democracy blossoming would not have a cordial encouragement from Washington’s Oval Office.

All of these freedom advances have been since the Republican President George W. Bush initiated Operation Iraqi Freedom a little over two years ago.

To compare that impact for hope upon the global community with the Dem demonstrations for nothing-given, nothing-gained is to expose the Dems for what they are — empty cisterns.

Then add to that Dem National Committee chairman Howard Dean coming forth to deliver his non-stirring speech uneloquent by reminding his clientele that a major issue in the next presidential give-and-take will the Terri Shiavo situation.

If that is not lack of manners to the nth degree. It’s despicable. It’s unseemly and uncalled for. There is no reason under God’s heaven why that woman’s life and death should ever be dragged out from the grave as an agent of political opportunism.

Yet that’s exactly the death-wish mindset of the Dem Party, led by none other than off-center Dean.

It’s a pity, actually. Except, not so. Consider the Dem’s pity the good news for Republican leadership henceforth. And in that, sane citizens of this country rejoice ad infinitum.

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ANOTHER OPTIMISM FOR PEACE: INDONESIA AND ACEH

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

In this imperfect world, there seems to be a genuine hankering for peace actual. This time, look to Indonesia and Aceh.

The peace converse went so well that peace talks "ended early," according to Helsinki reports from The Muslim News. Indonesia and Aceh representatives "struck a broad agreement on future economic ties, covering topics like taxation, excise duties, and the distribution of oil revenue. "GAM (the separatist Free Aceh Movement) presented its plan of self-government for the tsunami ravaged province in a document that the Indonesians will take back to Jakarta."

Both sides were optimistic about "tough security issues." Next follow more negotiations for fine tuning the broad sweeps reached recently. This is another blow to war. It’s another round of applause for peace.

India and Pakistan reached a peace agreement regarding Kashmir hours ago. Now Indonesia and Aceh seal accords practical. Peace can in fact become a reality, conclude various heads of state these days. That’s quite an improvement over past decades of bloodletting.

Even various dictators are pulling back to permit populace voting — actual names on actual ballots cast by actual citizens. Since the pulling down of the Saddam Hussein statue, various despots have taken stock of their own holdings with the conclusion that it just might be a good thing to offer peace to the people.

The backdrop to the Indonesia – Aceh present-tense is that over 12,000 civilians have lost their lives in the gas-rich province on the northern tip of Sumatra island. The slaughter came about because of rebel bids for independence.

But now "a joint statement issued by Indonesia and the separatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM) stressed the positive steps taken in settling political sticking points. It said the sides would welcome the involvement of regional organizations such the European Union and ASEAN to monitor any peace deal for the mostly Muslim province, and called for both sides to refrain from hostilities.

"’We start from now. We will refrain our forces and this is a new start,’ Indonesian Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin told a news conference. ‘Yes, we are very optimistic.’"

Since United States President George W. Bush has made peace the top priority challenge for the global community, others have listened, then followed with his mandate. It is encouraging to those seeking release from murderers global. It is also a signal to killers international that they won’t win. Civility will rule.

Mr. Bush continues his personal encouragement to heads of state seeking mentoring in democracy planting, as in his recent hospitality visit with Ukrainian leadership.

Those optimists for the freedom spread can now survey accomplishments in the New Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, as well as peace branch talks between India and Pakistan regarding Kashmir. Today we have like encouragement from Indonesia and Aceh.

Also, optimists note Egypt’s leadership granting democratic elections this fall. Libya has informed the world press that it is on the side of cordial international relations. Syria is withdrawing militia from Lebanon. And so the peace beat goes on.

Thank you, Mr. Bush.

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GEN. MYERS: AMERICAN PRESS: TELL THE WHOLE TRUTH RE IRAQ / AFGHANISTAN

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Air Force General Richard B. Myers told the American press what the Red States have been wanting to tell the press for months, yes, years on end.

That is, the media must tell the whole story about New Iraq and democracy planting in Afghanistan. Instead, the American freedom of the press has not lived up to its potential for freedom of the press. It has blunted truth while trumpeting constantly the negative.

"Myers told the editors that he reads far more about the problems of servicemembers’ equipment and the latest insurgent attack than about ‘the thousands of amazing things our troops are accomplishing.’ This concerns him, he said, because American resolve is key to success," according to Jim Garamone, American Forces Press Service.

What the US press does not seem to realize is this: Unless Americans get the full story, their freedom of the press may be in stark trouble by killers international taking over free republics such as ours. Therefore, it is to the advantage of the American media to tell the good as well as the bad about what’s going on "over there."

Murderers global are out to do in democracies, America’s included. That would do away with the newscasters. Therefore, for the news feeds themselves it would be advantageous for the whole story to get to the public rather than the staccato accent of deplorable this and discouraging that.

"The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff encouraged newspaper editors today to tell America the full story of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"’It’s particularly important today … because the American people need to know the full story,’ said Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, ‘because it is going to be their resolve that is so critical to our ability to confront the extremist threat.

"’A bomb blast is seen as more newsworthy than the steady progress of rebuilding communities and lives, remodeling schools and running vaccination programs and water purification plants.’"

With 140,000 US service personnel in New Iraq alone, along with 20,000 in Afghanistan and 25,000 elsewhere, Myers accented that "’they are doing absolutely remarkable work. They have the best training, the best equipment and the best of America’s values and professionalism.’"

Furthermore, they are our own American people. They are our young men and women and our older men and women as commanders-in-charge. Consequently, to be patriotic, loyal to the American way of life, it just makes sense to give these fellow Americans all the support the United States can muster. And that includes the press — particularly the mainstream media that has had its own reputation of repeating ad infinitum every minus on the charts.

"’Our troops accurately represent the armed forces and their missions. Every day, they understand they are improving life in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places around the world.
"’In your profession and mine, (we are) working hard to defend our values, our way of life and our Constitution. We risk our comfort, our safety and our lives for what we believe in.

"’What questions are the news reports trying to answer?’ the chairman asked. ‘The theme of the coverage lately seems to be When are the troops coming home? rather than What are we accomplishing?’"

It was a paternalistic message that the newspaper craft needed to hear. America, by and large, has become disgusted with the slanted anti-American press. Therefore, knowledgeable citizens are going to alternative, truth-filled reporting, chiefly on the Internet. They are communicating with one another via the Internet the reality news, particularly in New Iraq and Afghanistan as well as liberty sprouting occurring elsewhere.

All the while, the entrenched leftist American press clique continues its stooge mode, thinking itself to be the elite in news providers. It is not the elite. It is the prime cultural drag in our nation.

Instead of putting down the war-on-Bush to take up truth-in-news, the old guard of liberal news givers carries on as if all is well with their own values. The truth is their values are tawdry and in much need of repentance, confession and making amends to the American public. They could start with a confession or two or three or more offered the United States President George W. Bush.

"’I would ask you to keep at the task of trying to show as complete a picture as you can. I know our troops deserve that, and I think the American people deserve it as well,’" General Myers stated — truthfully.

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400 KILLERS REPENT, HAND IN GUNS, JOIN CIVIL MORTALS: ALGERIA

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

That’s right.

They "repented, promising not to return to violence as a means of achieving their political objectives." At least that’s the way the UPI dispatch from Algiers reports it, dated April 18 2005.

They "repented."

That means that the gunmen publicly confessed their wayward ways of murdering and now hope for a return to decent lifestyles with decent human beings. It must get somewhat tiring after awhile, going around blowing up innocent people, watching blood soak into the dirt and then waking up another morning to more of the wretched same.

Therefore, the National Committee for Amnesty can truthfully inform media that there are 400 repentants. They have put down their armor to cling to the peace branch.

The 400 represent "almost 95 percent of the number of gunmen still active in Algeria," Abdel Razzak Ismail states. The gun totters will leave their hideaways tucked in the raw mountain sides. Then they will don the nice cloth of everyday folk in the villages.

"Ismail was quoted Monday in the French-language daily newspaper L'Expression as saying direct contact was established several months ago with the gunmen, who have stopped their terrorist activities and are awaiting the general pardon," according to The Washington Times.

Nice, isn’t it?

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PEACE, NOT FIGHTING, MORE POPULAR NOW: INDIA & PAKISTAN

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Instead of fighting one another into the dusty future, Indian and Pakistani leaders have declared to the world that they are going for peace.

That’s quite an admission. It’s quite a relief to humanity. And it’s quite a note to trumpet for all civil mortals to hear.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf appeared to enjoy one another’s company. They were basking in the day’s sun, according to the UPI report from New Delhi.

So, what else? Why, it’s time to sit in the bleachers, taking in the final international cricket match. Between whom? Between India and Pakistan, of course.

You see, it’s actually a jolly good time of it to smile at one another in peace. And with that there’s no blood soaking into God’s good earth. None at all.

Therefore, with peace appearing to be the neatest bait out there these days, these two leaderships have concluded to get in on the cordiality. Therefore, Singh and Musharraf "issued a statement agreeing to increase trade and transport links between Kashmir’s Indian-and Pakistani-controlled sectors." So trumpeted the BBC.

In practical peace-rather-than-fighting terms, what does that mean? It adds up to "improving trade, establishing rail links, increasing bus services and reopening consulates in Bombay and Karachi." Now all that is far more palatable than heretofore killing sprees. The heads of state informed media that "military solutions were ‘not the option anymore,’" according to The Washington Times.

I cannot help but conclude with this peace drive surging forth here and there on the planet that indeed it was a very good thing for George W. Bush to be seated in the Oval Office. The Democrats’ harangues-in-hate-speech put to the far side, Mr. Bush has offered the world community a new day for peace. European leadership so-called, replete in its egocentric lethargy, put to the far side, Mr. Bush has delivered to the planet’s sane cultures a chance to rethink politic for peace.

Operation Iraqi Freedom, so disdained by both America’s Democratic Party and EU spokespersons for delaying freedom’s choice, was the three-week-win war that started toppling despots, Saddam Hussein first in line. With that, other peoples have reached out for the toppling rope. Before the masses had their chance at jailing their dictators, some of the latter actually started playing peace games of their own.

With New Iraq confronting killers international reality with courage and perseverance, other citizens elsewhere have decided, come blood or combat, they will forge ahead for like liberties. And they have done so — in the streets, waving banners, defying power cliques.

All the while, Mr. Bush continued to provide applause maximum. For example, his red carpet hospitality extended the Ukrainian newly elected encouraged both Ukrainian government and grassroots to overcome any obstacles in order to plant a democracy. No more ties to Russia. All ties to the free world, Mr. Bush’s administration providing the impetus.

By the way, about that cricket game? Pakistan won. That’s right. But at the close, as enthusiasts left their seats, no blood. No blood on the ground. None at all. Instead, all smiles and handshakes and best wishes.

You see, peace can take it. Peace can stand the pressure of a day’s sun lit for cricket and pleasant chats, especially when it comes to Kashmir and its optimistic future.

Thank you, Mr. Bush.

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BUSH’S FREEDOM SPREAD CONTINUES

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

It started with Operation Iraqi Freedom a little over two years ago. Now the freedom spread continues.

The democracy planting dream was initiated by the United States President George W. Bush. US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld oversaw the three-week-win war in New Iraq. Since then, other countries have reached out to plant a democracy. Previous despots are now bending in the direction of the populace liberty.

According to Scott Wilson and Daniel Williams in today’s Washington Post Foreign Service report, "Advocates for democracy begin to taste success after years of fruitless effort. New power rises across Mideast."

In Beirut, for existence, planners for democracy informally met some time ago; but their blueprints appeared to go nowhere fast. They wanted to bring closure to Syrian political domination. These Lebanese were hope-filled but to some they appeared but illusionists of the finest order.

Then came the slaying of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. That broke the streets out into swaying mobs. "Independence 05" banners streamed across the sky, over heads and into hearts, lighting freedom fires. Iraq had its freedom start. Why not Lebanese freedom established?

It was the "Arab world’s democratic spring. The photogenic protests were the result of the rising power of a network of political reform movements in the Arab world, organized by young, Westernized and technology-savvy activists who had been attacking the rigid underpinnings of their closed societies for years without much success. Now, (freedom carriers) were seeing results. The Martyrs' Square protests helped trigger the fall of the Lebanese government and force Syria to pull its army and intelligence agents out of Lebanon, a stunning retreat.

"’No one will be able to deny that the people have finally forced an Arab government to leave,’ said Wael Abou Faour, a young Druze Muslim political leader who helped draft the media strategy. ‘Syria is out, the security regime is collapsing and reconciliation is a part of every Lebanese mind.’"

Grassroots power is spreading. Modern means of communication feeds the spread. Young minds intent on throwing off dictators’ crush are marching forth, some cautiously, nevertheless, they march.

All the while the most powerful nation on Earth continues to encourage liberties worldwide. Instead of seeking to overtake other countries, America strives to uplift humanity. This, while Democrats have sought to cut the President off at the knees and European heads of state lagged in their egocentricity, went forward nevertheless.

The hunger for liberty is a powerful force. America’s Bush administration matched that hunger with enthusiasm for democracy planters wherever.

Therefore, grassroots citizens in Egypt and Saudi Arabia are demanding freedom air to breathe every morning upon awakening. If it’s good enough for the Americans, why not good enough for every mortal alive on the planet? Therefore, the people take to the streets. They demand liberty for all. The United States present White House leadership gives sincere applause to every move forward.

"Bush's message has offered a measure of comfort to street activists, who believe that crackdowns will be harder to carry out now that the United States is watching," the Washington Post reports.

Another encouragement is the Ukraine’s potent Orange Revolution. The yield is a democracy in the making with full backing from the Oval Office. The Ukraine victory for freedom ensconced stirred hopes in Beirut and Bahrain. If the Ukraine leadership could throw off dictatorial ties with Russia for preference friendship with the United States, then it could happen elsewhere.

"In Egypt, the demonstrations lack the flair of Lebanon's uprising. But the protests have become as routine as dust storms in the desert and traffic jams in Cairo's Tahrir Square.

"On March 20, one prominent group, organized under the umbrella label Kifaya, or Enough, gathered for the latest in a series of rallies that began with chants against the U.S. intervention in Iraq and climaxed with calls to unseat Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who has tolerated few challenges during his 24 years in power."

"’These (Egyptian freedom carriers) are people who want to join the world,’ said Mohammed Kamal. ‘The main motives for reform, at least for me, are internal issues. People who have been outside recognize how vital it is for Egypt to change.’

"’We don't want to be extras on somebody else's stage,’ said Aly Abdel Fatah. ‘We want to change the system, not just a person.’"

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ISRAELI & PA AUTHORITIES UNRAVELING

J. Grant Swank, Jr.

Headlines are not encouraging for peace in the Middle East.

One reads: "Security Forces Plan Disengagement ‘Nightmare.’" The details that follow picture seminars being held for Israeli police guards to evict Jews from their Gaza Strip homes. That is Jew versus Jew in Israel. Unthinkable. And yet it is being scheduled for this summer.

Arutz 7 News reports: "A large-scale IDF/police seminar is underway, examining various scenarios that could arise during a possible uprooting of the Jews of Gush Katif and northern Shomron. A six-ring approach is planned."

Opposition from America and grassroots Jews increases. The Disengagement is considered betrayal. It is a return to capturing Jews by the enemy. This time the enemy is another Jew. American Jewry is flying into Israel to help clog streets, parks, and beaches, even live in dwellings not inhabited at the present.

Another headlines reads: "Additional Signs that Terror Ceasefire is Crumbling." This refers to the Palestinian Authority. Details provide the bottom line: PA elections may not be held on the previously announced date of July 17. That stirs angst, according to Arutz 7 News.

Therefore Hamas tells media that killers international may no longer have any respect for the requested ceasefire. Of course, Hamas has never been trusted by anyone, including the Arab officialdom.

Hamas is composed of Arabs intent on killing off every Jew in sight. Therefore, as civil world citizens knew from the start of the Roadmap to Peace, Hamas played out the role of cooperating agent while just waiting in the wings to point the finger of fault at some variable. It didn’t take much for any convenient variable to surface. Now it’s the possible no-show of July 17 elections.

Still another Arutz 7 News headline reads: "PA Wants Israel to Demolish Gaza Homes." Now that assumes that the Disengagement actually takes place as of July 20, the stated official date for the evictions to begin.

Therefore, Arabs add insult to injury by informing Jewish occupants of Gaza Strip that they are not only delighted in their expulsion but they demand their houses being leveled. Not only do the Palestinian Authority contingents look forward to Jew evicting Jew but they anticipate with glee the homes being squashed.

There is little peace in the Middle East. Little peace. Each day builds to increased horror potential.

Those studying biblical prophecy often refer to the Middle East as the "navel of the planet." That’s because in that area was the Garden of Eden from which the human race grew. In that area of the world Abraham was called by Jehovah to leave his homeland in Ur to follow through with the divine plan which eventuated in the Messiah Christ.

Therefore, with Messiah Christ having forecast signs preceding His second return to Earth, Second Coming researchers continue daily to interpret Middle East events, particularly those focusing in Israel. Consequently, these recent headlines fuel prophetic expectations all the more with students scouring biblical data for more insight regarding the world’s future.

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