Monday, November 30, 2009

International Environmental Control? It's Being Discussed

I don't tend to believe most of the stories floating around about various groups (e.g., Jews, Swiss, bankers) on the verge of exerting imminent global control of governments, the world economy, etc. Most of them are of dubious credibility.

But then I read this lengthy foxnews.com article describing how a group loosely allied with the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) has produced a paper...

The ambitious paper, entitled "The UNEP That We Want," was the product of a select group of 20 top environmental bureaucrats and thinkers, including UNEP's current No. 2 official, Angela Cropper. The document was later delivered to UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner.
The paper contained this statement:
Environmentalism should be regarded on the same level with religion "as the only compelling, value-based narrative available to humanity"
It's been pretty obvious to the observant that the radical environmental movement is, indeed, strangely similar to a religion (or more properly, a cult) in that it has its own doctrine, preachers, and prophets. This cult's members, however, ignore the truth of Scripture about Who created our earth, Who sustains it, and how He decided to grant mankind stewardship over it. The article itself is longer than average, and worth the reading; here are a few excerpts from it (completely unedited):
The purpose of the paper, put together after an unpublicized day-long session in Switzerland by some of the world's top environmental bureaucrats: to argue for a new and unprecedented effort to move environmental concerns to "the center of political and economic decision-making" around the world — and perhaps not coincidentally, expand the influence and reach of UNEP at the tables of world power, as a rule-maker and potential supervisor of the New Environmental Order.


[The document argues for] —a new position in the international power game for UNEP, reaching far beyond the member governments that currently finance its core budget and make up its normal supervisors. "It will have to make itself relevant well beyond the world of those already concerned with the environment, including very prominently its own formal constituency," as the Swiss paper puts it.

—a major restructuring of international institutions to merge environmental issues with economics as the central priority. "We require an Environmental Bretton Woods for the 21st Century," Halle argues — a reference to the meeting that laid the foundations of Western international finance and economic regulation after World War II. "The linkages between environmental sustainability and the economy will emerge as a key focus for public policymaking and a determinant of future markets opportunities," according to the UNEP strategic plan.

—new environmental rules, regulations and standards, and the linking of existing environmental agreements, in a stronger global lattice-work of environmental law, with stronger authority to command national governments. The Swiss paper calls it a series of "ambitious yet incremental adjustments" to international environmental governance. Indeed, the document says, UNEP's "role is to 'tee up' the next generation of such rules."


The official four-year plan uses more restrained language in declaring that "civil society, including children and youth, and the private sector will be reached through tailor-made outreach products and campaigns....
Does this trouble you yet?

Sunday, November 29, 2009

A Minaret-Free Land?

In a rather surprising development, 57.5% of Swiss voters approved a constitutional ban on the construction of minarets in their country. Although speculation exists that it will be overturned by a Swiss court or the mis-named "European Court of Human Rights," for now, there will be no more minaret-capped mosques in Switzerland.

It is interesting to see that Europeans are starting to awaken to the presence—the very uncomfortable presence—of Islam in their midst. Switzerland's Muslim population is about 6% of its total.

This sentence was telling:

Sunday's results stood in stark contrast to opinion polls, last taken 10 days ago, that showed 37 percent supporting the proposal. Experts said before the vote that they feared Swiss had pretended during the polling that they opposed the ban because they didn't want to appear intolerant.
There are many people in this world who don't "want to appear intolerant" toward Islam because they fear the repercussions. To stand in opposition to Islam is to invite violence and jihad into one's midst.

One more reason to appreciate the secret ballot.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Comparison of Obama v. Bush

A friend of ours e-mailed this to our computer.


If George W. Bush had been the first President to need a teleprompter installed to be able to get through a press conference, would you have laughed and said this is more proof of how he inept he is on his own and is really controlled by smarter men behind the scenes?

If George W. Bush had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to take Laura Bush to a play in NYC, would you have approved?


If George W. Bush had reduced your retirement plan's holdings of GM stock by 90% and given the unions a majority stake in GM, would you have approved?


If George W. Bush had made a joke at the expense of the Special Olympics, would you have approved?


If George W. Bush had given Gordon Brown a set of inexpensive and incorrectly formatted DVDs, when Gordon Brown had given him a thoughtful and historically significant gift, would you have approved?


If George W. Bush had given the Queen of England an iPod containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought this embarrassingly narcissistic and tacky?


If George W. Bush had bowed to the King of Saudi Arabia would you have approved?


If George W. Bush had visited Austria and made reference to the non-existent "Austrian language," would you have brushed it off as a minor slip?


If George W. Bush had filled his cabinet and circle of advisers with people who cannot seem to keep current in their income taxes, would you have approved?


If George W. Bush had been so Spanish illiterate as to refer to "Cinco de Cuatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when it was the 5th of May (Cinco de Mayo), and continued to flub it when he tried again, would you have winced in embarrassment?


If George W. Bush had mis-spelled the word "advice" would you have hammered him for it for years like Dan Quayle and potatoe as proof of what a dunce he is?


If George W. Bush had burned 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to go plant a single tree on Earth Day, would you have concluded he's a hypocrite?


If George W. Bush's administration had okayed Air Force One flying low over millions of people followed by a jet fighter in downtown Manhattan causing widespread panic, would you have wondered whether they actually get what happened on 9-11?


If George W. Bush had failed to send relief aid to flood victims throughout the Midwest with more people killed or made homeless than in New Orleans, would you want it made into a major ongoing political issue with claims of racism and incompetence?


If George W. Bush had created the position of 32 Czars who report directly to him, bypassing the House and Senate on much of what is happening in America, would you have approved?


If George W. Bush had ordered the firing of the CEO of a major corporation, even though he had no constitutional authority to do so, would you have approved?

If George W Bush had proposed to double the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year, would you have approved?


If George W. Bush had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years, would you have approved?


So, tell me again, what is it about Obama that makes him so brilliant and impressive? Can't think of anything?

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Hymn of the Week: I Surrender All

The title and the lyrics give as plain a message as any hymn: Have I surrendered everything to Jesus Christ? Have I surrendered my life, my desires, my assets, my family? Have I surrendered my wants, my entertainments, and my pleasures? In short, do I hold back anything that I am not willing to surrender to Christ if that is what He wants?

This hymn, written by Judson W. VanDeVenter, is typically used as an invitation hymn, and especially when the emphasis is on salvation or dedication to God's call on one's life. It also makes an excellent daily reminder.

Have we surrendered all to Jesus Christ?

This hymn was one tweeted at @hymnthoughts this week.

I Surrender All

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

Refrain

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

Refrain

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Refrain

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

Refrain

Friday, November 20, 2009

Math and Laundry

As reported by Reuters (and picked up at such interesting news sources as this and this), one Carin Froehlich of Perkasie, PA, has stirred up local debate because she practices the barbaric habit of hanging her laundry out to dry in the fresh Pennsylvania air and sunshine.

Her struggle against those who would make her hang her "unmentionables" somewhere else has even prompted her to write a book on this topic. Toward the end of the article, however, I encountered this quote from Mrs. Froehlich:

Besides, it saves money. Line-drying laundry for a family of five saves $83 a month in electric bills, she said.
Not so fast.

$83 a month? The article states that Mrs. Froehlich is 54 years old, and there's a picture of her average-sized-looking house, so I am presuming she does not have an army of youth living at home. On the other hand, I have four growing children, and my entire electric bill doesn't even come close to $83 most months. Not to mention the fact that we use lights, a computer, TV sets, etc., etc.

I suppose if Mrs. Froehlich is using one of the worst energy-efficient dryers in the commonwealth, and likes to change her clothes five times each day, it might be possible to use that much electricity in a month.

But I suspect this is the more accurate statement:
A dryer is typically the second-biggest electricity-using appliance after the refrigerator, costing about $85 to operate annually.
The media is not generally composed of experts in mathematics or statistics; take numeric data with a grain (or many grains) of salt.

P.S. On the entire matter of whether hanging laundry is a barbaric practice to be stamped out and made illegal, I offer the following premises:

1. To hang one's undergarments (or those of the family) in public view is never in good taste, and should be discouraged. Hanging other laundry is quite acceptable. If you live where families can see your backyard, keep this in mind.

2. To make illegal the practice of hanging laundry is grossly inconsistent with the other tenets of the use-environmental-regulations-to-control-people crowd. (See also #3)

3. To make illegal the practice of hanging laundry is to essentially admit that you really don't believe that whole "man-made global warming" baloney.

4. On the other hand, if you joined a homeowner's association of your own free will, and that association doesn't allow the hanging of laundry, then keep your word and don't do it. Until you can legitimately convince the association to change, that is.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

What Might Universal Healthcare Look Like? Issue #2

It would be instructive for all of us to consider what universal healthcare would look like in a practical sense. Various bloggers and others have pointed to actual examples in Canada, Britain, and various other countries.

I would argue that we are already seeing elements of it in the United States. I wrote on this topic once already, concerning the availability of vaccines.

Now we learn that a task force at the Department of Health and Human Services (yes, your taxpayer dollars at work...or perhaps, your grandkids' taxpayer dollars at work) recommends against women having regular mammograms before the age of 50. Not simply stating that they are not as important as once thought, mind you—they are recommending against them.

The more cynical among us will consider the future under such task forces. Here's what I envision if universal healthcare becomes a reality.

Women reaching the age of 40 will continue to request mammograms; indeed, some of their doctors will want them to get mammograms due to family histories, medical problems, or other reasons. "Task forces" will decide who gets mammograms. Age and other limitations will be summarily enforced; those who simply "want to check," or who "want peace of mind," or who "felt something suspicious" will likely either be at the end of the line or removed from it. Those who receive mammograms will have to wait for them; women who are found to have cancer will not be able to receive treatment as early for this reason...and consequently, survival rates will decline.

Of course, those who are well-connected or who learn how to game the system will be able to receive healthcare services in a more prompt fashion. Think Soviet Union, 1970's.

My wife is not too far away from this stage of life; I certainly don't want her to face that in the future.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

National Debt Reaches $12 TRILLION Dollars

Yes, today the national debt is believed to have reached $12,000,000,000,000.00. According to the twitter site @NationalDebt, it increased by a mere $40 billion dollars YESTERDAY.

This is an astonishing amount of money. Let's break it down into more manageable pieces.

For some time now I have had a "National Debt Clock" at the bottom of this blog. (Scroll down and enjoy those rapidly increasing numbers at your leisure.) Given the estimated U.S. population of 307,710,000, that averages out to about $39,100 for every man, woman, and child. My family of six? Our share of that is $234,600. Ouch.

If this debt stopped growing immediately and were paid off at a rate of $1,000,000 per day, without any interest, it would be paid off in the year 34,863 A.D. At $1,000,000,000 per day, it would still take 33 years.

Our current penny weighs 2.5 grams. How much would $12 trillion in pennies weigh? 30 million metric tons!

Sunday, November 15, 2009

New Twitter Hymn Site

@hymnthoughts

The above twitter site will periodically broadcast a stanza or other portion of a well-known hymn that should bless your heart. I encourage you to follow @hymnthoughts.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Political Correctness at the Navy

According to the Navy Times, of all things:

Naval Academy leaders removed two midshipmen from a color guard that performed at the World Series last week because they were white men, and replaced them with a non-white man and a white woman so the academy could present a more “diverse” profile, according to several sources, a move that has reportedly angered mids and alumni.
Disgraceful. And then on top of it all, the "non-white man," a Pakistani, left part of his uniform behind and didn't participate after all. I learned later in the article that (a) all eight of them [six original and the two "replacements"] would have performed, but (b) an honor guard must have an even number of people. All eight were sent to New York for the appearance.

Since the "non-white man" could not participate, one of the original six white guys was kept out. The "white woman" participated with five white guys.

The Navy hasn't exactly handled this well in the days since, either. What they did is not in keeping with naval tradition, and the after-the-fact forbidding of discussion about it is hardly in keeping with American customs.

We have the finest navy in the world and we have the finest naval personnel. This is not going to help their image. Political correctness is no substitute for doing it right.

Monday, November 9, 2009

How Will the Senate Liberals Vote?

Some are drawing attention to the fact that there are those in Congress who—however moronically—do not think the House healthcare bill went far enough in its takeover of the American healthcare system. These folks opine that the government needs to be more involved, private insurers less so, and that a new system of bureaucracies is the way to go.

They are, of course, morons, and enemies of the Republic.

There are some in the media who report that these liberal folk will go so far as to not vote for any bill that does not constitute a full government takeover of the healthcare system.

My thesis: This is a complete lie.

These liberals want nothing less than government power over greater and greater percentages of your life. If given a choice between (a) voting for government control over a much larger part of your life, (b) voting for government control over a part of your life, and (c) not voting for either of the first two choices, I can assure you (c) is not the choice they will make.

The liberals in Congress will take whatever degree of control they can get, and then they will plot for more. Do not get a false sense of hope that they will vote against a "watered down" bill. They will not. Remember this. Call your Congressman. The fight isn't over yet.

Hymn of the Week: My Hope Is in the Lord

My hope is not in man. It better not be! My hope is not in Congress...and certainly not after Saturday night's House vote! My hope is not in anyone's good works. My hope is certainly not in myself.

None of the above can save my soul. None of the above is Truth. None of the above can determine my eternal destiny.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, can provide me with hope, for only He can save a soul. He alone can deliver me from my deserved damnation. When all else fails, and when depressing thoughts grip the soul, He alone can give grace, hope, comfort, and strength.

My hope is in Him. Is yours?

My Hope Is in the Lord

My hope is in the Lord
Who gave Himself for me,
And paid the price of all my sin at Calvary.

Refrain

For me He died, For me He lives,
And everlasting life and light He freely gives.

No merit of my own
His anger to suppress.
My only hope is found in Jesus' righteousness.

Refrain

And now for me He stands
Before the Father's throne.
He shows His wounded hands, and names me as His own.

Refrain

His grace has planned it all,
'Tis mine but to believe,
And recognize His work of love and Christ receive.

Refrain

Friday, November 6, 2009

Another Picture of What Universal Healthcare Might Look Like

According to a story broken by Business Week earlier this week, a number of large, well-known companies, such as Citigroup and Goldman Sachs, have received quantities of the H1N1 vaccine to provide to their employees who belong to high-risk groups, as defined by the federal government.

It should be noted that, at this time, it appears that these companies participated in the acquisition process in a perfectly legal manner, and are bound to distribute the vaccine only to those with the greatest need. In other words, they have done nothing wrong.

Of course, this does nothing to quell the criticism and the rumor-mongering that these companies have somehow gamed the system to garner more benefits than they are due. When I first heard about this on the Today show yesterday morning, you would have thought the mob was involved.

This story is instructive, however, in one way: It gives us a glimpse into what the world of government-run healthcare might look like. There will be times when the demand for a healthcare supply or service will exceed the demand. Some will obtain the supply or service; others, for whatever reason, will not. Those who are "in the know" or have connections will be more likely to receive it; others will not. Furthermore, it is likely that some will not only be "in the know" but will be able to circumvent whatever bureaucratic-nightmare procurement process will be in place.

You may not be near the front of the line. You may not even be told where the line is. You may see others obtain healthcare while you or your loved ones do not. You may not be able to do anything about it.

Americans will respond to this predictably: Some will complain; others will establish a "black market" (as it will inevitably be called by some) to provide healthcare and related supplies outside of the government's bureaucratic system. Some will make use of this market.

And those of you my age and older will start to wonder how similar this is to the Soviet Union of the 1970's and 1980's.

Healthcare, Democrat-style. Just a peek into your future.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Scary Hillary Clinton Photo

This troubles me on more levels than I can keep track of (Thanks to blogprof for finding it):


Correct me if I'm wrong, but which political party is it that threatens to sic the IRS on your church if it takes positions politically??

Another Bad Congressional Spending Idea

In a sweeping 98-0 vote, the U.S. Senate voted yesterday—with the U.S. House possibly voting today—to expand and extend the Homebuyers' Credit that gives first-time homebuyers up to $8000. The AP story was brought my way on comcast.net, and is consequently light on details, but here's the basic idea:

Buyers who have owned their current homes at least five years would be eligible for tax credits of up to $6,500. First-time homebuyers — or anyone who hasn't owned a home in the last three years — would still get up to $8,000. To qualify, buyers in both groups have to sign a purchase agreement by April 30, 2010, and close by June 30.
The current credit ends next month. I found it interesting that three senators were quoted in the article. Here's one of them:
"This is probably the last extension," said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a former real estate executive who championed the credits.
Really?? Whatever makes him think that?

This bill is expected to cost the Treasury $10,800,000,000. Given the state of our deficit right now, this does not seem like a good idea, especially considering this quote:

Extending and expanding the tax credit for homebuyers is projected to cost the government about $10.8 billion in lost taxes. While the measure passed the Senate by a 98-0 vote, Sen. Kit Bond, R-Mo., questioned its efficiency in stimulating home sales.

"For the vast majority of cases, the homebuyer tax credit amounted to a free gift since it did not affect their decision to purchase a home," Bond said. "And for the small minority of buyers whose decision was directly caused by the credit, this raises the question of whether we are subsidizing buyers who may not have been able to afford buying a home in the first place." [Emphasis mine]

Exactly!! We can probably conclude that much of that $10.8 billion is going to go to people who have no real entitlement to it, while the rest is going to encourage a lot of people to make a financial decision that helped get us and our economy to the place we are at now!

Note also that Sen. Bond voted for the bill...just like everyone else.

Another reason why we need change in Washington D.C.

Why Conservatives Should Appreciate the N.Y. Yankees

The New York Yankees won the World Series last evening, completing a 4-2 defeat of the Philadelphia Phillies. Those of us who have been longtime Yankees fans are quite happy about this, but there are others who, for various reasons, bitterly express the following wayward opinion:

Well, they just buy championships!

That's not exactly true. Anyone who watched the games realizes that the Yankees won because of superior pitching, hitting, and fielding (and despite lousy umpiring). The team they defeated has a fine collection of talent and should be commended for their successes this year and last. Money did not decide the outcome of any game.

Republicans, conservatives, and Christians should all be perfectly OK with this (unless you are a Phillies fan—then just be gratified that your team had the level of success it did). The Yankees demonstrate several features that these groups should admire:

  • They are an example of capitalism at work. They invest in players, expecting a profitable return. This entails risk. They accept this risk willingly.
  • They attempt to get stronger and improve their market share every year. What good company doesn't?
  • They play by the rules. ["They" in this sentence refers to the organization. Yes, they have had individual players who have not always kept the rules. Neither I nor the team endorses that.]
  • They pay their taxes, including the MLB "luxury tax," which is essentially a form of socialism for the league. I can relate to that—I pay my taxes, some of which are supporting socialist plans beyond my control.
  • They bulldoze some of their profits back into the team, attempting to make it bigger and better.
There is nothing wrong with any of these things. Of course, others in this industry have a degree of envy for the Yankees' success both financially and on the field. If anything, this should encourage them to mimic the Yankees' ability to assemble a good team on the field while producing a profit for the ownership.

To those of you who are bitter baseball fans (yes, that includes most of you who root for the Twins, in particular): Please don't whine about "buying" championships. Those are decided on the field, not the business office. The Yankees are able to get it done.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Words From College Football

These first two quotes are from Pat Forde's column on espn.com. They are both insightful and witty:

Regarding Brandon Spikes "gouging" of a player last week:

Gators coach Urban Meyer (4) reviewed the video and used it as a teaching moment. The lesson Meyer delivered: Nothing, not even thuggish behavior, will be allowed to substantively interfere with our pursuit of a repeat national title. That was the unmistakable message sent by Meyer's semisuspension of Spikes....
Regarding the recent spate of "alternative uniforms," and which colleges aren't likely to succomb to that temptation:
Penn State (19). Some 200 years from now, when Joe Paterno finally has shuffled off this mortal coil, they might try something different -- a logo on the helmet, words on the jersey, something radical like that. Until then, forget it. There is a better chance for the Yankees to replace their pinstripes with plaid.
Shocking statistics from conferences you may not care about:

If Duke wins its remaining games, it will be the ACC football champion. (When did that last happen? When dinosaurs were roaming the earth?) Duke could possibly play in a BCS bowl game.

Temple is undefeated in league play. And it's November. They could win the MAC. Really...they could win the MAC.

Why I Will Not Open a Business Venture in Kalamazoo

From the Kalamazoo Gazette:

KALAMAZOO — Kalamazoo city voters decisively adopted an ordinance Tuesday that extends anti-discrimination protections to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals.

The ordinance passed 7,671 to 4,731, making Kalamazoo the 16th city in Michigan to adopt such a gay-rights ordinance that grants the protections in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations.
As a Christian, I cannot give my approval in any way to that which God labels as sin. The ordinance that passed last evening would make it illegal for me to do any of several things, including:
  • Not hiring a homosexual for a job involving contact with children
  • Keeping a cross-dressing man from using the ladies' restroom in my business
  • Renting a home or apartment to a pair of homosexuals
My conscience and my common sense would require me to do what the ordinance does not allow. Although I have no business, rental property, or any such thing in Kalamazoo—and never have—I have decided that I never will...unless this ordinance is removed.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Planned Parenthood Director Quits After Watching Abortion on Ultrasound

Planned Parenthood Director Quits After Watching Abortion on Ultrasound - FOXNews.com

I have learned that while abortion "providers" (I prefer not to call them "doctors") need to use ultrasound in order to accomplish their evil deeds, the mothers are almost never allowed to view the ultrasound. Why? Because then they will see the obvious: That the child inside their womb is alive—it is a real, living human being.

Even the nurses, in general, prefer not to look at the ultrasound.

The story linked above tells us of a 29-year-old former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas. While it is encouraging to know that she realized the atrocity of abortion and became pro-life, it was also disturbing to read how the profit motive figures into the abortion industry.

Here are some excerpts:

Johnson said she became disillusioned with her job after her bosses pressured her for months to increase profits by performing more and more abortions, which cost patients between $505 and $695.

"Every meeting that we had was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money — we've got to keep these abortions coming,'" Johnson told FoxNews.com. "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers."


But Johnson said her bosses told her to change her "priorities" and focus on abortions, which she said made money for the office at a time when the recession has left them hurting.

"For them there's not a lot of money in education," she said. "There's as not as much money in family planning as there is abortion."

Without a doctor in residence, she said, her clinic offered abortions only two days a month, but the doctor could perform 30 to 40 procedures on each day he was there. Johnson estimated that each abortion could net the branch about $350, adding up to more than $10,000 a month.

"The majority of the money was going to the facility," she said.

Johnson said she never got any orders to increase profits in e-mails or letters, and had no way to prove her allegations about practices at the Bryan branch. She told FoxNews.com that pressure came in personal interactions with her regional manager from the larger Houston office.


"Ideally my goal as the facility's director is that your abortion numbers don't increase," because "you're providing so much family planning and so much education that there is not a demand for abortion services.

"But that was not their goal," she said. [Emphasis mine]

Abortion is the cold-blooded murder of an innocent human being. To encourage others to have abortions in order to line one's own pockets is beneath contempt.

Pray that others, especially mothers and abortion providers, realize the enormity of their sin.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Hymn of the Week: Now I Belong to Jesus

This hymn by Norman Clayton reminds us of the eternal security of the believer: That once we have accepted Christ by faith as Savior, we are His children forever. Some would have us believe that salvation can be lost or forfeit; the Bible does not teach this. John 10:27-30 remind us,

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
This doctrine of "eternal security" should be a great comfort to the hearts and minds of Christians. Nothing Satan can do can disturb the certainty of an eternity with God someday! And while some would use this as a license to spend their earthly days pursuing fleshly and selfish desires, it should have the opposite effect, drawing us toward God and to obedience to Him and gratitude for what He has done.

To meditate upon salvation and a certain eternity in Heaven should be a great comfort to every Christian!

Now I Belong To Jesus

Jesus my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no power of evil can sever;
He gave His life to ransom my soul—
Now I belong to Him!

Refrain:

Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me—
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Once I was lost in sin's degradation,
Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
Lifted me up from sorrow and shame—
Now I belong to Him!

Refrain

Joy floods my soul, for Jesus has saved me,
Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me;
His precious blood He gave to redeem—
Now I belong to Him!

Refrain