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How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? – Romans 10:14

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For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. – Romans 1:16

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Apostasy: Capital Punishment in Nebraska. - Comments (2)

Category: Applied,Articles
Author: John Malone
Date: 5th April, 2007 @ 06:07:32 AM

Here’s a chronicle of a local instance of apostasy, and an observation of the {mystery of inquity|2Th 2:5-8} working.

Here in Nebraska, we have another death penalty controversy going on, fronted by newly appointed chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Brad Ashford, who has taken over for Ernie Chambers in that capacity.

Chambers has attempted to end the death penalty in Nebraska every year he has served in the legislature. That is now well above 30 years.
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Lent. No Thanks. - Comments (52)

Category: Applied,Articles,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 24th March, 2007 @ 05:56:29 AM

One of the practices I left behind when I received Christ as Savior 32 years ago was the keeping of the “Lenten season.”

The wholesale adoption of this Roman Catholic version of ancient pagan practice by what was once Protestantism is indicative of the {departure|2Th 2:3} that marks our day.

Now let me be clear here: I have no qualm with anyone’s religious practice, within civil bounds. If someone wants to re-enact the weeping for Tammuz, or some other pagan practice, I consider them free to do so.

My issue with “Lent” is the Christianizing of it: the attempt by ignorant or dishonest men to sell the practice to the unsuspecting as if it had to do with faith in Jesus Christ.
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Working Out Loud. - Comments (0)

Category: Articles,Doctrine
Author: John Malone
Date: 3rd March, 2007 @ 06:02:25 AM

The secular life is marked by compartmentalization.

One has his “spiritual life.” His “business life.” His “family life.” His “financial life.” His “private life.” His “personal life.” His “professional life.” Perhaps this carries on ad inifinitum.”

I’m reminded of a popular humorous television seires which once featured a character whose life was so dichotomous, he claimed: “You see, right now, I have Relationship George, but there is also Independent George. That’s the George you know, the George you grew up with — Movie George, Coffee shop George, Liar George, Bawdy George.”

“If ‘Relationship George’ walks through this door, he will kill ‘Independent George.’ A George divided against itself cannot stand.”

While the humor in those remarks is rib-tickling, it is so because that is so much of the way we live our lives, masking our private person with a publc persona that is framed to favorably impact whoever we are attempting to impress.

The spiritual life, marked in the Bible, has no such distinctions of persona, no such compartmentalization, no such vanities of impression. God’s exemplary servant, {the chief or protos sinner … the pattern or hupo-tupos for the rest of us, |1Ti 1:15-16} for the rest of this dispensation.
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Getting Tricked in DC. - Comments (1)

Category: Behind the Lines,Venture in Africa
Author: John Malone
Date: 2nd March, 2007 @ 04:35:01 AM

So, at the invitation of Senator Hagel’s Chief of Staff, our Managing Director from Kenya and I fly out to our nation’s capital.

Our arrangements were incredibly efficient, and so we remarked to each other. Everything was trouble free. We left the airport, cuaght the train, and before we knew it, we were at DC Union Station, taking a very short walk to our hotel, which maintained excellent arrangements for us.

Having discarded some of what we were carrying, we walked back to Capitol Hill and the Russell Office Building where, in room 248 and others, Senator Hagel offices.

We kept our 4:30 pm appointment promptly. Although I had asked for an appointment with Senator Hagel, his Chief of Staff Lou Ann Linehan had her assistant call me the week prior and set an appointment with her for this time. So, we kept it. Linehan had made a concerted effort to keep me from meeting with Hagel for seven months.
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James Cameron And A Tale of Two Ships. - Comments (0)

Category: Applied,Articles
Author: John Malone
Date: 27th February, 2007 @ 07:28:20 PM

It is ascribed that circus magnate PT Barnum said, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Barnum was an entertainer, and counted on suckers to pay for his shows.

Some else might have said, “Hucksters are a dime a dozen,” but usually they cost more than that.

If Barnum was right, popular huckster James Cameron – whose claim to fame is the titanic blockbuster film “The Titanic” (although it is now 10 years old) – only needs four years of sucker births to claim his new “documentary” to be a success. Cameron “claims” that he has found someone who has found the tomb of Jesus Christ, and that he did not rise from the dead after all.
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Disagreeing to Agree. - Comments (3)

Category: Applied,Articles,Roman Catholicism
Author: John Malone
Date: 24th February, 2007 @ 11:11:27 AM

Recently, I received a reply to some Scriptural exegesis that read:

I refuse to argue with you, John.

As far as I am concerned, I have the one true religion and you can try to convince me all you want and I will not falter in my own belief, just as you apparently will not falter in your own.

Here is where I believe as mature Christians we will disagree.

So no arguing please.

Obviously, this itself is an argument – one frequently used – which has as its aim to stop a discourse, in this case specifically, my discourse to a small, but heavily Roman Catholic audience.

Here’s the short version: Stop writing.

I’m obliged to answer, in this case.
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Being Inconvenient. - Comments (1)

Category: Behind the Lines,Venture in Africa
Author: John Malone
Date: 19th February, 2007 @ 04:06:02 AM

It’s an unhappy experience to be inconvenient in large affairs.

I had received an anonymous phone call in 2003 from a longtime employee of the US State Department who told me that the expropriation of my investment was going to be ignored by the State Department due to the diplomatic primacy of the “war on terror.”

At the time, I could not fathom the connection, but as matters played out, I had to consider this analysis was correct. I had turned to Senator Hagel’s office for help, knowing that he was well-placed on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but never considered this could represent a “wag the dog” scenario.

The lights went on for me after getting to know Lou Ann Linehan the hard way.

Lou Ann Linehan

Rexon Ryu had deceived me and others. It was clear by now there was another agenda at work in my matters. I had called Linehan before when having problems coordinating matters withe Hagel’s staff, which turned over in mazing numbers. I had learned of her reputation, and knew of her connection as Powell’s former Chief of Staff, and therefore she had to know everyone who wa anyone in State.

What I didn’t know was the kind of nasty, manipulative schemer she is!
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