Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Healing Power of the Truth By Brian Shilhavy

     We are excited to hear from Brian Shilhavy, again, the host of created4health@googlegroups.com. Brian is blessed with the gift of discernment, especially as it relates to matters of health from a Biblical perspective. His article about the 'healing power of the truth' packs a powerful message, one that everyone should read.


The Healing Power of the Truth!
By Brian Shilhavy

     This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. (1 John 1:5-10)
     If one wants to live a truly healthy life, it is absolutely necessary to live in the truth. What is “truth”? Truth begins with the reality that there is a God who created all things, that he controls all the affairs of the universe, and that he knows who we are and why we exist:
     LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
     Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
     For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. (words of King David in Psalms 139:1-16)
     Starting with this foundational truth, we then understand that since there is a Creator who knows us and created us for a purpose which he established, our lives will experience the greatest health the closer we follow his plan for our lives. A perfect world would be one where everyone followed God’s plan. That is the condition of a place called heaven today, and at one time it was also the condition of the earth we live on.
     But when the created beings stopped following God’s plan and came up with their own plans instead, everything got messed up. This is what the Bible refers to as “sin.” There are many negative consequences to sin, including the decay of our bodies and physical death. Death was not part of the original plan, but God implemented it as a punishment for sin so that people who did not carry out his plan and purpose would not go on and live forever following their own ideas and plans.
     So one would think that the solution is simply to get with the plan that God has for the human race, and start obeying him and living by his plan and purpose. And indeed that is what man has tried to do throughout much of history via religion. God appeared to Moses and the Israelites in Old Testament times, and gave them a system of laws that they could use to live their lives and judge others who did not live according to the plan. That system is still the basis of most legal systems throughout the world today.
     There is a problem, however, with religion and laws and man’s attempts to get back with the plan and follow God’s purpose in life by following a system of rules and regulations. We can’t do it. We don’t have the power or strength to follow such a system perfectly. Our natural tendency is to do things our own way, rather than follow someone else’s rules and regulations. Especially in modern day American and western culture, we pride ourselves in being independent and subservient to no one.
     Modern culture is built upon a foundation that is a lie, evolution. It denies the spiritual realm and denies God’s existence, allowing man to set himself up as the one who establishes “truth.” But this whole system is a system built upon lies, and is not the truth. Following a system built upon a false foundation of lies results in poor health.
     God, being the Creator and owner of all things, is certainly within his rights to exert himself through his superior power and strength, and force everyone to do his will. And we are told that one day he will indeed do that.
     But God did something that is absolutely incredible, and that separates him from all the religions of the world: he sent his son into the world as a perfect human being to show us the way to get back with his plan. Jesus carried out God’s plan and purpose perfectly and never committed any sin – the only human being to ever live a sinless life. He did not deserve the punishment of death for sins, but he ended up sacrificing his life for those of us who could not live sinless lives ourselves. He then broke the power of death by rising from the dead three days after he was killed.
     So now there is a new plan in New Testament (or New Covenant) times, after the time period when Jesus died and rose from the dead. It replaces the old plan which was religion and a system of rules and regulations, and imperfect animal sacrifices that were intended to please God and have him forgive us for all the times we followed our own way and not his. The new plan acknowledges that Jesus Christ was the only human being who completely followed God’s plan and that now he alone is able to give eternal life to those who trust in him:
     Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.” (John 5:19-21)
     This is a very important truth about the new plan: eternal life and a place in God’s kingdom cannot be earned by religion or good works. It is something that Jesus gives to those whom he wants to give it to. Fortunately for us, he is the most generous and gracious person in the universe, and he wants to give it to everyone! It is a free gift, and it is available to anyone who wants it:
     For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
     This is the truth that trips up most people, because it is hard to believe that someone will actually give away something for absolutely free, especially something as valuable as eternal life and a place in God’s kingdom. People don’t like charity. We’re too proud. We want to earn our way – we don’t want handouts. But that’s the new plan! The only condition is that you have to believe it is true, and you have to take it. Most don’t.
     So as we have written previously, there currently exist two kingdoms on earth in the spiritual realm: the kingdom of darkness ruled by Satan who is called “the father of lies” in the Bible, and the Kingdom of Light ruled by Jesus. Everyone is in one or the other of these kingdoms spiritually. One kingdom is built upon a system of lies, while the other one is built upon a foundation of truth. We are all physically born into the kingdom of darkness, because we inherit the sin nature from our parents and are totally incapable of following God’s plan. We enter into the Kingdom of Light by receiving the free gift Jesus offers, and then we are re-born spiritually. The spiritual rebirth gives us a personal relationship with Jesus through his Holy Spirit. We are then capable of walking in the light, and following Jesus as his disciples (students), and learning directly from him what God’s personal plan is for our life. This is the truth that brings health:
     To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31-32)
     Are you living in the light? Do you know the truth that transforms lives and brings real health? Are you following Jesus as one of his disciples? As the apostle John wrote above in the opening Bible passage, those who confess their sins come into the light and understand the truth, while those who deny they are sinners do not know the truth, and base their lives on lies (like evolution and the belief that God doesn’t exist or doesn’t care.) Some people come into the light and recognize the truth, but then wander back into the darkness still trying to follow either their own plan, or the first plan of religion and a system of rules and regulations. But to know the truth is to know the source of all truth, and that is Jesus Christ. Do you know him today? If not, accept his free gift of eternal life and invite him into your life right away! Then you will experience real health.
     Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

brian@created4.org
created4health@googlegroups.com

For more information about this blog and Joe Ortiz’ two recently published books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation, please click here Joe Ortiz' Web sites & Blogs

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

The New Person Imitates Christ: Seven Behavior Principles Now That You’re Saved

     The whole issue of salvation is one that is debated by many who call themselves “Christian” (When were you saved, how were you saved, how can you tell if you’re really saved?), and it's an often confusing subject for those who have not made a decisions as to whether they want to follow Jesus and serve Him in all the ways that He requires.


     Now we know that a person is not saved by virtue of works, but we do know that those who claim to be saved should be serving God according to His principles. If a person claims to be saved and they are not manifesting the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness), then he or she best examine their respective hearts. One can understand that “new babes” in Christ will find their soul experiencing a metamorphic journey (and none ever experiences true perfection); however, a noticeable difference should be more than evident to close friends and family, and hopefully to all we encounter on a daily basis.

     Therefore, we decided to revisit a group of scripture that contain within seven principles, words of instructions, and reminders that if you are not manifesting these attributes in your life, then you may want to question yourself (not other people's behavior) to see if you are in the close relationship with God that you thought you were in to begin with.
     The following principles boldy speak for themselves and do not need in depth explanation, although volumes of examples and corroborating scripture could be provided to validate all of these things come directly from God:
     (1) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

     (2) But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.


     (3) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.

     (4) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:

     "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
     (5) Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

     (6) Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

     (7) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

     In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.  However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:1-32)
     Principle number seven is an often argued or debated topic (especially in these so-called “Liberated” days we live in); however, God’s formula regarding marital relationships is probably one the greatest examples He has given us concerning the attitude that He requires from each of us if we truly want to have an “effective” presence in this natural world.
     In essence, as the wife submits to her husband (by respecting him and the assigned hierarchy God has established in the family unit) the husband should be a shining and productive example in his household and community, as a provider, protector and dedicated family man. If the husband is fulfilling his role (loving and caring for his wife) to the point that he is willing to die for her, the wife’s response will result in an automatic reaction filled with dignity, honor, respect and feelings of security she can find in no other manner.
     Jesus tells us this is a “profound mystery,” but then goes on to reveal that  mystery, that the husband should love his wife as himself, and that wife should always respect her husband. If both are fulfilling their respective roles, all of the previous six principles should be no burdensome task whatsoever!
                                                          ~
For more information about this blog and Joe Ortiz' two newly published books (The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffe Great Tribulation) please click here > Joe Ortiz



Sunday, May 9, 2010

A Special Poem to All Mothers

Especially to my wife Martha Gonzalez Ortiz, a Special Mother Amongst Many!


Holy Daughter, Glory Woman
by
Joe Ortiz

From beginning, there was Love; celestial ceilings emit the power,
Forever searching His creation; love is bound His Holy nation;
Infant fragile is the woman, vessels golden do not cower,
Seeking Eros strength and beauty, longs the heart appreciation;

Lifting head in braided awe, splendor lights in eyes of hope,
Like a magnet's pulling power, now is future so revealed;
Fearing loss of life’s true longing, cataclysm now to cope,
Hearts and shaking mind it flows, lone confusion never sealed;

Love's impression many colors, rainbow's face is filled with fire,
Seeks its passion, pools of doubt, splitting hearts a new;
Three dimensions are the vision, hopes that flame desire;
Shattered glories, strength desired, souls adrift and time is few;

Standing upright Fem in glory, lifting pride where it belongs;
Humble maiden priceless treasure, needs no reason for her right;
Love has entered open-hearted; your own love has healed all wrongs,
Needing little re-assurance, forever destined filled with might;

When new Eros remind it enters, without the body still complete,
Humble not your blessed honor, from beginning true Love given;
Spirit leading wisdom offers, filling truth do not compete,
Cling to Love is not for last, upholding birthrights now forgiven,

Moving love in all directions, needless grasps the tarnished halos,
Love reminders all His glory, chosen from beginning;
Fragile beauty filled with power, wisdom en los cielos,
Shatter not your love's foundation, touching hearts in lovers winning;

Reach His Love in humble service, trumpet regal high it hovers,
Contended courage in the distance, victory’s chalice flowing free;
Darkness passion heart is shrouded; endless clouds the soul it covers,
Reach instead His Love so freely, true love shines eternally;

Love in motion moment grasping, sifting sands in moments passion,
Holy Daughters from creation, upright standing pain the story;
Crowning glory in your strength, holds His loves eternal fashion;
First was Love, O Holy Daughter, come now woman share the glory!
     Martha’s five children are a group of handsome and beautiful men and woman; including top (left to right) Jennifer, Sonny and Jugina, and bottom (left to right) Jonathan and Jessica. Jonathan is in the US Army and Sonny in the US Navy. Jennifer works for Child Protection Services, and Jessica and Jugina (like their mother) are Registered Nurses employed at southland hospitals.

     Martha (seated, holding baby) is part of a 5 generation family. Her mother, Josefina Guzman (top center) is the great, great grandmother of baby DaLyLah, daughter of Janina (far left) daughter of Jugina (far right)


     My wife Martha is probably one of the hardest working women I have ever met, sometimes moving at a pace that can harm her. This photo shows me keeping an eye on her, as she holds a broken wrist she suffered during work, making sure she won’t fall again.

In addition to always caring for her children, she is also a super Mom to our Chiweenie doggie, Sophie
     Last but not least, I also salute my own mother, Sally Ortiz Nieto, who passed away on February 28, 2008, and successfully raised 8 kids by herself.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Man’s Capricious Laws Should Not Supersede God’s Laws. But, It's Done All The Time!

   US Legislators are at it again, trying to create laws that go against God's will!
     "You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 in whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance," declares the Sovereign LORD (Ezekiel 47:21)
      We have been sharing the above group of scriptures with friends, neighbors and relatives (actually, with the entire general public) through this blog, making the case that government bodies (local, statewide and national) cannot supersede God's laws. Those folks who are vehemently and adamantly opposed to immigrants in this country, always use (as their last resort and feeling it's) the most powerful argument in their political arsenal, that immigrants who cross the border to this country are law-breakers, therefore they need to be punished.
      If anyone presents logical or commonsensical arguments that the new law (1070) enacted by the government of Arizona does not address the concerns they have about terrorists  or drug trafficking, (such as Doris Meisner's article that appeared in the Washington Post on May 5, 2010, which more than sufficiently argued that immigration problems are more myth than fact), proponents of the law always come back and say, "Regardless, they broke the law." Even when Meisner points out that 40% of the alleged "illegal immigrants" came through with proper credentials and visas, but over-stayed their time limits, their retort is, "They are now illegal even though they crossed over with proper documents, they are still law-breakers."
      When we point out that there is a greater principle to this immigration saga, they poo poo the scripture we send them (we posted over 190 Bible verses on this blog a few days ago) that clearly state that God has a special place in His heart for the poor and the alien, and He will punish those who mistreat these people. Yet, they come back stating that God does not favor law-breakers, therefore "Illegal Immigrants" must be arrested and pay for their crimes (of crossing the border without documentation to find work to feed their family)."
      Well, folks, what can we say? If they don't believe what God most clearly states through His spoken word, maybe they will believe someone else. As we were pondering this matter, we see printed in today's Internet an article that more eloquently states our case; one that reminded us of a statement Jesus made when He delivered a parable concerning Lazarus and Rich Man to His disciples.
      As the parable went, Lazarus was a  beggar who died and the angels carried Him to Abraham's house (heaven) and when the rich man died he was sent to hell. The rich man is seen pleading for mercy, asking that at least Abraham will send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue, because he is in agony in this fire.' 
     "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' 27" He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29" Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'31" He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " (Luke 16:25-31)
     The point in the parable by Jesus is that people basically are very hard headed when it comes to things of God. Most don't believe in authorities (like Moses and the Prophets) and many are so thick-headed, they won't believe even Jesus who rose from the dead.
     But, not Christians! Right? They believe in Jesus' resurrection, which (for the most part they claim) guarantees their right to spend eternity with Christ when He returns to rule and reign on earth forever!
     Unfortunately, that belief seems to be the only thing they cling to and many of them also feel that they don't have to obey God's laws anymore because they now have salvation, by grace. Not only individual Christians believe this way, but many governments, whether it be companies, churches and all (local, state and federal) governing entities, believe thus because they possess the power to enact laws to suit their own purposes, based on the "cash-heavy" contributors who assured their elections. They stir up the emotions of the public by using their media manipulators (from both the left and the right sides) to eventually do their bidding, and then they claim the people (their constituents) demanded these new laws!
      These politicians and their contributors (largely major corporations and very wealthy donors, who control most media) pretty much dictate how laws are enacted in the US, in order for them to benefit their compatriots' pocketbooks.  And, many times those laws they enact actually negate the proverbial laws established by the same person who gave and clearly set forth their duties of governance. Hallelujah! Instead of governing the body as God intended, they rule the way they want to, feeling they now know better than God!
       This principle also applies to those governments that have enacted or who have been pressured to write laws against anyone who (supposedly) has hatred or animus towards Jews and/or its government. To force or coerce a government to enact "Anti-Semitic laws" (especially where laws against racism already exist) goes contrary to the Word of God! God is no respecter of any one person, group, ethnicity nor religion more so than any other! 
      Well, they don't believe Moses, nor the Prophets, and most certainly do not believe nor obey (as Jesus stated in the parable) someone who rose from the dead! 
      OK! OK! Let's give this proclamation effort one more human try. The writer of the following article makes some powerful points in regards to what the governing bodies' responsibilities are all about, and one thing they most definitely should not do, is to supersede God's immutable laws.
Let's Bring Down Political Gods! 
By Gary DeMar | Published: May 7, 2010
     Rep. André Carson, an elected official from Indiana’s 7th District, believes that people who are involved in calling this present civil government (both Democrats and Republicans) to account are similar to Islamic terrorists. Here’s an exchange between Washington Times reporter Kerry Pickett and Carson:
     KERRY PICKET: Do you think the people outside are generally dangerous or no?
     REP. CARSON: Oh absolutely. I worked in homeland security. I’m from intelligence, and I’ll tell you, one of the largest threats to our internal security…. I mean terrorism has an Islamic face, but it really comes from racial supremacist groups. . . . It’s the kind of thing we keep a threat assessment on record [for].
     PICKET: From groups like this?
     REP. CARSON: Oh absolutely.
     Does Carson offer any evidence of terrorist acts? No. He doesn’t have to since he believes that to question what this (his) government is doing is by definition a terrorist act. Criticism and the warning of removing someone from office through the electoral process are terrorist threats for the simple reason that government has become a god, and as such, “No other god can be put before it.” To criticize god, is to blaspheme and commit treason.
     Rep. Carson needs a lesson in civil government from God’s perspective. God established civil government to be an avenger who brings wrath upon those who practice evil. The civil government's power to use the sword is legitimate in certain limited cases. The Bible has mandated that the power of the sword is to keep the peace, to protect those who do what is right. Civil rulers are said to be “ministers of God” similar to the way pastors are “ministers of God.” They are God’s “deacons” in their designated governments, one ecclesiastical and the other civil.
     Not all rulers live up to the honorable title of “minister.” Paul is speaking of the ideal. Not everyone who rules is ministering in the biblical sense: “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock ... I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:28–30).
     What’s true in the church is equally true in civil government. Not every ruler who seizes power or who is elected to office will minister in a just way (e.g., Pontius Pilate, Herod, Hitler, etc.). Paul is describing what a ruler’s proper function is. The apostle is not making a moral judgment about any particular ruler or political policy. Rather, his words describe what civil governments ought to be and ought to do. Every ruler should seek to minister as Christ ministered.
     Jesus called Herod “that fox” (Luke 13:32). Jesus was not calling the legitimacy of civil government into question. He was making a value judgment about the government of Herod. This shows that it is biblically proper to criticize a ruler. Of course, our own Constitution gives us that right in that we can petition the government for a “redress of grievances” (First Amendment) and vote anyone out of office for any reason.
     The typical ruler of Jesus’ day was a tyrant. “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them” (Luke 22:25). The distinguishing characteristic of true leadership is that of a servant. The ministry of the civil magistrate does not exist to serve its own end; it’s not a god. The true minister (servant) exists to serve others, but never apart from the laws of God. This means that the citizenry should not appeal to the magistrate to govern outside his designated ministerial duties.
     The rulers in the realm of civil government must rule according to God’s law, the standard of good and evil. No government has the freedom to rule by some arbitrary man-centered standard of good and evil or the “will of the people.” The civil magistrate is a true minister when it operates according to biblical guidelines.
     The additional duties of civil governments are the well ordering of society and the maintaining of peace so that Christians are free to worship God, unhindered by forces hostile to the gospel of Jesus Christ. The State has the duty to preserve law and order so that the Church is free to spread the gospel of peace. The civil government must be made to realize that there is no real peace without the presence of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
     This climate of peace can only be accomplished by administering justice and righteousness to everyone. Justice and righteousness are defined in terms of God’s law. Civil rulers are commissioned to represent God as the judge. They act in such a capacity when they punish those who do evil (i.e., break God’s laws), as well as publicly commend those who do good (Romans 13:3–4).
                                                   ~
Thanks Gary! People laugh when we try to point this fact to them. Hopefully, your eloquent article will resonate. As we stated above, they no longer listen to the words of  Moses nor of the Prophets, nor to the one person who sacrificed so much just to give His creation the opportunity to live with Him forever!


For more information about this blog and Joe Ortiz' two newly published books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (Author House), please click here Joe Ortiz

Monday, May 3, 2010

Myths About Immigration



 By Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, served as commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1993 to 2000. (Sunday, May 2, 2010)

     Despite the fact that we are a nation of immigrants -- or perhaps because of it -- immigration continues to be one of America's most contentious topics. The new law in Arizona authorizing police to arrest individuals who cannot show documents proving that they are in the country legally has set off a fresh bout of acrimony. But as in the past, much of the debate is founded on mythology!!!

1. Cracking down on illegal border crossings will make us safer. 
    
    The job of protecting the nation's borders is immense, encompassing nearly 7,500 miles of land borders, 12,380 miles of coastline and a vast network of sea ports, international airports, ports of entry along the Mexican and Canadian borders and visa-issuing consulates abroad.
      Since Sept. 11, 2001, we have dramatically strengthened our borders through the use of biometrics at ports of entry, secure cargo-shipment systems, intelligence gathering, integrated databases and increased international cooperation. The Border Patrol has nearly doubled in size in the past five years, to more than 20,000 agents. The Department of Homeland Security says it is on schedule to meet congressional mandates for southwestern border enforcement, including fence-building. And cooperation with the Mexican government has improved significantly. Still, our southwest border is more a classic law enforcement challenge than a front line in the war on terrorism. Antiterrorism measures rely heavily on intelligence gathering and clandestine efforts that are unrelated to border enforcement.
     The seasoned enforcement officials I have spoken with all contend that if we provided enough visas to meet the economy's demand for workers, border agents would be freed to focus on protecting the nation from truly dangerous individuals and activities, such as drug-trafficking, smuggling and cartel violence.

2. Do undocumented workers contribute more tax moneys than they use in state services?
     Overall, the research shows that foreign-born workers - both legal and unauthorized - probably contribute more in taxes than they use in services. Taxes in this context are not only payroll taxes, but sales taxes, etc. And for those who are in the country illegally, they are ineligible for nearly all assistance programs. Problem is that the large share of the taxes come to federal coffers, and most of the costs (schools,for example) are the responsibility of local levels of government. So there's a disconnect - plus at the macro level, minus at the local. Another good reason we need immigration reform - to fix this disconnect.
3. Immigrants take jobs from American workers. 

     Although immigrants account for 12.5 percent of the U.S. population, they make up about 15 percent of the workforce. They are overrepresented among workers largely because the rest of our population is aging: Immigrants and their children have accounted for 58 percent of U.S. population growth since 1980. This probably won't change anytime soon. Low U.S. fertility rates and the upcoming retirement of the baby boomers mean that immigration is likely to be the only source of growth in what we call the "prime age" workforce -- workers ages 25 to 55 -- in the decades ahead. As record numbers of retirees begin drawing Social Security checks, younger immigrant workers will be paying taxes, somewhat easing the financial pressures on the system.
      Moreover, immigrants tend to be concentrated in high- and low-skilled occupations that complement -- rather than compete with -- jobs held by native workers. And the foreign-born workers who fill lower-paying jobs are typically first-hired/first-fired employees, allowing employers to expand and contract their workforces rapidly. As a result, immigrants experience higher employment than natives during booms -- but they suffer higher job losses during downturns, including the current one.
It's true that an influx of new workers pushes wages down, but immigration also stimulates growth by creating new consumers, entrepreneurs and investors. As a result of this growth, economists estimate that wages for the vast majority of American workers are slightly higher than they would be without immigration. U.S. workers without a high school degree experience wage declines as a result of competition from immigrants, but these losses are modest, at just over 1 percent. Economists also estimate that for each job an immigrant fills, an additional job is created.
4. Immigration is at an all-time high and most new immigrants came illegally. 

     The historic high came more than a century ago, in 1890, when immigrants made up 14.8 percent of our population. Today, about two-thirds of immigrants are here legally, either as naturalized citizens or as lawful permanent residents, more commonly known as "green card" holders. And of the approximately 10.8 million immigrants who are in the country illegally, about 40 percent arrived legally but overstayed their visas. It's worth noting that although the unauthorized immigrant population includes more people from Mexico than from any other country, Mexicans are also the largest group of lawful immigrants.
     As for the flow of illegal immigrants, apprehensions along the U.S.-Mexico border have declined by more than 50 percent over the past four years, while increases in the size of the illegal population, which had been growing by about 500,000 a year for more than a decade, have stopped. This decline is largely due to the recession, but stepped-up border enforcement is playing a part.
5. Today's immigrants are not integrating into American life like past waves did. 
     The integration of immigrants remains a hallmark of America's vitality as a society and a source of admiration abroad, as it has been throughout our history. Although some people complain that today's immigrants are not integrating into U.S. society as quickly as previous newcomers did, the same charge was leveled at virtually every past wave of immigrants, including the large numbers of Germans, Irish and Italians who arrived in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
      Today, as before, immigrant integration takes a generation or two. Learning English is one key driver of this process; the education and upward mobility of immigrants' children is the other. On the first count, today's immigrants consistently seek English instruction in such large numbers that adult-education programs cannot meet the demand, especially in places such as California. On the second count, the No Child Left Behind Act has played a critical role in helping educate immigrant children because it holds schools newly accountable for teaching them English.
      However, the unauthorized status of millions of foreign-born immigrants can slow integration in crucial ways. For example, illegal immigrants are ineligible for in-state tuition at most public colleges and universities, putting higher education effectively out of their reach. And laws prohibiting unauthorized immigrants from getting driver's licenses or various professional credentials can leave them stuck in jobs with a high density of other immigrants and unable to advance.
6. Cracking down on illegal border crossings will make us safer. 
     The job of protecting the nation's borders is immense, encompassing nearly 7,500 miles of land borders, 12,380 miles of coastline and a vast network of sea ports, international airports, ports of entry along the Mexican and Canadian borders and visa-issuing consulates abroad.
      Since Sept. 11, 2001, we have dramatically strengthened our borders through the use of biometrics at ports of entry, secure cargo-shipment systems, intelligence gathering, integrated databases and increased international cooperation. The Border Patrol has nearly doubled in size in the past five years, to more than 20,000 agents. The Department of Homeland Security says it is on schedule to meet congressional mandates for southwestern border enforcement, including fence-building. And cooperation with the Mexican government has improved significantly.
     Still, our southwest border is more a classic law enforcement challenge than a front line in the war on terrorism. Antiterrorism measures rely heavily on intelligence gathering and clandestine efforts that are unrelated to border enforcement.
      The seasoned enforcement officials I have spoken with all contend that if we provided enough visas to meet the economy's demand for workers, border agents would be freed to focus on protecting the nation from truly dangerous individuals and activities, such as drug-trafficking, smuggling and cartel violence.
7. Immigration reform cannot happen in an election year. 
    The politics of immigration can be explosive and can chase lawmakers away, especially as elections near, with the result that Congress infrequently and reluctantly updates immigration laws. However, all the significant immigration bills enacted in recent decades were passed in election years, often at the last minute and after fractious debates.
      This list dates back to the Refugee Act of 1980, which established our system for humanitarian protection and refugee and asylum admissions. Next came the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which made it illegal to hire unauthorized immigrants and provided amnesty for 2.7 million illegal immigrants. The Immigration Act of 1990 increased the number of visas allotted to highly skilled workers. And the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act charged immigration agencies with implementing significant new law enforcement mandates.
      Legislative attempts to make urgently needed changes fizzled in the House in 2005 and in the Senate in 2006 and 2007, and the to-do list for this Congress is substantial. But ruling out immigration reform, whether because Congress has other priorities or because it's an election year, would be a mistake. The outline for immigration legislation that Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and his Democratic colleagues unveiled last week, together with the uproar over the Arizona law, may help convince lawmakers that there's no time like the present.
Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, served as commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1993 to 2000.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Mr. President! Are You Willing To Do The Right Thing?



     I seldom write about politics, convinced that the institution (basically, for the most part) corrupts those who participate in it. To generalize, the politicians with the most money are usually elected and are beholding to their contributors, who are usually comprised of major corporations whose goals are to influence the enactment of laws to benefit their coffers.
     However, we did see a news item that caught our eye, in the midst of the tumult of the immigrant protest marches across the country, in response to the “anti-immigrant law” passed by the Arizona government, which allows law enforcement to indiscriminately stop and question any resident if they believe they are in this country illegally. They have been doing this for the longest time one wonders why they needed to pass such a law, other than to symbolically appease residents who do not want Mexicans in their neighborhoods.
     It went by unnoticed by many (and under-reported by main stream media) that in essence, President Obama has tabled any immediate proposals or response to solve the imminently incendiary problems that immigration reform represent, instead he plans focus on his healthcare and economic agenda. Believe it or not, those are much easier to address than immigration reform.
     Obviously, the upcoming election year could be harmful to a Democrat Administration, so he pushed the immigration issue to the back burner, which has infuriated both pro and con. Here again, this is why we have great disdain for politics because it’s really not about responding to critical issues by doing the right thing, it’s all about being reelected to office and maintaining power to fill their coffers even more so. Sadly, not even the Tea Party Movement can remove these crooks; but God can!
     The Bible clearly shows us that God is sovereign and that it is He who gives kingdoms to whomever He chooses. Many believe God gave the US Kingdom to Barack Obama because he said all the right things, (especially about helping the poor) that got him elected. Others say he lied and has been running the country the same way as previous administrations, which basically thrive from the benefits of being in office: More power and more money to the already privileged elite!
     If anything, we believe God gave the present US kingdom to Obama so that the world could see one more time that today’s Kingdoms don’t respond to God’s precepts, they only respond to their idols of fame, power and money, at the expense of the poor and oppressed. Be it Republican, Democrat, Tea, Green, Independent parties, they are all the same and this is why we are in the same predicament we have been in for decades.
     The books of 1st and 2nd Kings and 1st and 2nd Chronicles give explicit accounts of the early Kingdoms of the Israelites; clearly showing us that those kings who obeyed God’s laws flourished while those who believed in their own power and might have always failed. In essence, God reacts according to his stated precepts (especially about His creation bowing to other gods), and those who go against Him will reap what they sowed.
     In the Book of Daniel (chapter 4) we see a vivid example of this as it recounts the kingdom of King Nebuchadnezzar. This vain ruler controlled most of the free world of that period. He was so caught up with his own ego and self-importance that he even erected a giant statue of himself and demanded his subjects to bow before it or die.
     Apparently, the king had a dream that frightened him tremendously, and he sought out someone to interpret it. Daniel (the same guy who was protected by God when he was cast into the lion’s den) was summoned and Daniel, after hearing the king recount his dream, basically told him that he better change his ways (egoistically in belief his mighty kingdom was a success due to his own efforts) or he would be punished if he didn’t acknowledge that it has been God all along who blessed him.
     Daniel advised the King and said “Therefore, O king, be pleased to accept my advice: Renounce your sins by doing what is right and your wickedness by being kind to the oppressed. It may be that then your prosperity will continue.
     The king didn’t relent therefore he received his due punishment (Let him be drenched with the dew of heaven, and let him live with the animals among the plants of the earth, his mind was changed from that of a man and was given the mind of an animal, until seven years passed by for him). The Bible doesn’t state what happened to the Kingdom during those seven years that Nebuchadnezzar was being punished; maybe it thrived under new leadership, maybe it didn’t. We would like to think that the King’s replacement did the right thing, especially after seeing what happened to the old king. Doing the right thing takes a lot of courage and it may even cost a person their crown. But, I would venture to say that God would keep that man (or woman) around for another term. Only history can be the judge; but, the main issue we are dealing with here is the punishment of this once great king, who paid a heavy price, for not doing the right thing!
     After seven years of this punishment, King Nebuchadnezzar obviously learned his lesson and his sanity was restored, honor and splendor were returned to him as he was given back his throne and he became even greater than before. He began praising God and exalted and glorified the King of heaven, acknowledging that everything God does is right and that all of his ways are just and those who walk in pride he is able to humble:


All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: "What have you done?"
     Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by a series of weak rulers. Then, in 539 BC, the forces of the rival Persian Empire infiltrated Babylon's formidable defenses, and the city fell. The Persians held power for about 200 years, before being conquered by the Greeks; then, they in, turn were supplanted by the Romans. Vain rulers (politicians) and subtle and clever dictators continue to rule in un-Godly manner to this day. History is replete with cruel and arrogant leaders who flaunt their power, and hold their people captive to their vanity.
     Most people will respond and say, “Yea, Yea, big deal, Nebuchadnezzar’s story is just an old fable and it cannot be applied in today’s political atmosphere.”
     Well, we have had “Doughting Thomas’ for centuries, and God usually makes them feel foolish when they see the future unfold before there very eyes.
     Who truly knows? Based solely on common sense, it appears to us that doing the right thing is the way to go. Leaders, who bend to those who are applying pressure for their own selfish reasons, may win out, in the short run. But does that bode well for the oppressed, those whom God is greatly concerned about?
     The lackadaisical manner in which America’s leadership is responding and reacting to the immigration crisis, it looks like this issue will fester as it has for the last 10 to 15 years, one that has been ignored by most kings in the past.
     In doing so, a dark cloud looms in the horizon, one which could take us back to the 1860’s, when the issue of another oppressed people led this country into a civil war, where brothers, sisters and cousins fought and killed each other, instead of calmly and judiciously doing the right thing!
     To accomplish this task, plain and simple, we need leaders who are willing to do the right thing! Doing the right thing means we do it God’s way. Most people don’t believe the problem of immigration can be solved other than to drive 12 million Mexicans back to Mexico. Many of these folks claim they are Christian but yet deny that God has enough power to solve this problem other than by enacting laws or beefing up law enforcement to begin extricating as many Latinos as possible out of their (own American) country.
     Well, doing it God’s way requires true faith in Jesus Christ, trusting He will respond to our prayers, if they are said and done for all the right reasons, which usually means to pray that His will be done! That is unless we have another agenda!
~
For more information about Joe’s blogs, web sites and his two recently published books: The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (Author House), click here. Joe Ortiz