THE Achilles' Heel Of Mormonism

I HAVE DISCOVERED THE ACHILLES’ HEEL OF MORMONISM.

Ed Decker

December 16, 2009

After over 50 years of being a Mormon, leaving it, researching it, writing extensively about it in a number of books, doing years of radio in Mormon-land, ministering to the Mormon people about the grace of Christ, and studying my Bible all this time……



I woke up during the night last week with a deep burden for the Mormon people who seek a god

separated from them by a hierarchy of men and a series of works and secret rituals. Later in the week, some words in a sermon at our church confirmed what I felt in my heart and I clearly saw what I will call

The Achilles’ Heel of Mormonism.

Because of the extreme gravity of this subject, I will be presenting this in two parts. The first part will be a presentation of this indefensible error of Mormonism. The second will be an open discussion, working with your own responses to what I present. I am purposely leaving some of the edges off the information, so as not to confuse what I am presenting, so please bear with me.



I have called it the Achilles’ Heel of Mormonism because the expression, Achilles’ Heel, is a metaphor for a fatal weakness that in spite of overall strength, can actually lead to downfall.



It is my argument that the facts here-in prove that Mormonism is fully outside orthodox, Biblical Christianity, and is, in fact, one of the anti-Christs spoken of in 1 John 2:18-21. Hard words, but true. The can be no if, ands or buts here.



When I woke up at 2 AM that night, my mind/thoughts were focused on that moment when, as a Mormon, I stood before the great white veil in the Los Angeles LDS temple.



I remembered vividly that I was in such awe of its presence there before me. I knew that it represented the separation of man and God and now I was to step up and demonstrate my knowledge of all the sacred, names, tokens and hand grips and would then be able to enter through that veil.



As I lay there considering that strange event and wondering why on earth I lay awake mulling over something I experienced over 40 years ago, my thoughts drifted to Calvary and I could see, in my mind’s eye, Christ on the Cross, crying out, “It is finished!”



Then, as if it came from the other room, it was as though I heard a loud tearing and ripping and I knew it was the sounds of the temple veil being ‘rent’ apart. I cannot explain the event any deeper. It was just one of those times that you wake up to something that the Lord wants you to think about, something out of the blue that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense at the time.



Over the next week I began to have a more emphatic and deeper understanding of something I have known for many years - what I experienced in the Mormon temple ritual could not be of God if what Jesus did at Calvary was of God. It's either Jesus or Joseph; the Temple or the Cross and it was then that I saw this was the Achilles’ heel of Mormonism. Let me explain.



For what Mormonism teaches as one of its core doctrines and what it’s adherents practice at the Veil in its most solemn ritual, clearly makes manifest the anti-Christ practice that assures “that they are not of us [Biblical Christianity].and may I add, until they repent, never will be.



Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 1 John 2:20-21KJV



In logic, the Principle of contradiction is the second of the so-called three classic laws of thought. It states that two opposing, contradictory positions in a matter cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense. Mormonism cannot be both Christian and an Anti-Christ.



The sermon at church that triggered my understanding of this was about having intimacy with God, that oneness that Christ spoke described:



And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. KJV John 17:17-23



This is the wonderful life of the born-again Christian believer. Intimacy with God through Christ. We no longer must bring our sin offerings to a priest. God is no longer on the other side of a temple veil. He dwells within us, by the power of His Holy Spirit.



I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. Gal 2:20-21 KJV



Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 1 Cor 3:16 KJV



Adam and Eve enjoyed intimacy with God, until sin separated them from that relationship. From that time on, until Christ, prophets were the intermediates of God for the communication of His mind and will to men.



At the time of Moses’ visitation with God on the mountain top and the quaking in fear of the people at the thunderous voice of God from above, it was clear that the people wanted someone to be between them and God, to act for their benefit,



As Israel formalized the structure of its worship, temples were built and within the temple, a veil separated the people from the Holy of Holies, the place of God’s Presence.



The veil of the temple. According to the Rabbis, this was a handbreadth in thickness, and woven of seventy-two twisted plaits, each plait consisting of twenty-four threads. It was sixty feet long and thirty wide. Two of them were made every year, and according to the exaggerated language of the time, it needed three hundred priests to manipulate it.



This veil was the one which covered the entrance to the holy of holies, and not, as has been asserted, the veil which hung before the main entrance to the sanctuary.



The Holy of Holies contained only a large stone, on which the high priest sprinkled the blood on the Day of Atonement, occupying the place where the ark with the mercy-seat had stood. (from Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc.)



This practice continued until and during the days of Christ. The Jewish people still brought their sin offerings to the temple and on the Day of Atonement, the high priest stepped through the veil into the Holy of Holies, on behalf of the people.



However, things were changing. John the Baptist rose up as the last of the prophets. Christ, himself, made it clear that a new thing was in place regarding man’s communication with God. Jesus said:



For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. Matt 11:13 KJV



The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. Luke 16:16 KJV



Who was to take that place between Man and God from that day forth? Jesus.



God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds; Heb 1:1-2 KJV



Jesus presented new doctrine, a new salvation message, a new way to have personal intimacy with God. The religious leaders of that day were intimidated by Him and His teachings. He told his disciples to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. He told the Pharisees and Sadducees:



Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44 KJV



Let us now fast forward to the Cross, to Christ’s redemptive gift of his life for us on Calvary.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Rom 5:8-10 KJV



You see, Christ went to the cross as the “once and for all sacrifice” for the redemption of the sins of mankind. All we have to do to accept it.



Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Heb 5:8-10 KJV




The key here is that his shed blood was the end of the work of sacrifice, the end of the temple era. No longer was there a need for a high priest to go through the temple veil and face God on our behalf.



Christ had fulfilled that need once and forever. He became our high priest, in a priesthood of one, and through him, all of His people had access to God without a veil to separate them. In His death, He tore down that separation.



Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Heb 9:12-14 KJV



No longer was there a need for a high priest to continue the dead works of the temple. No need for a veil of separation. Christ had fulfilled the law completely. To offer up any more sacrifice, even of our own works to earn worthiness is to reject the blood of Christ. I suggest that this denial of his blood sacrifice is the reason the Mormons use water in their communion.



For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:


Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.



And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bearthe sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Heb 9: 24-28 KJV


I have gone into this in a bit more detail so that you fully understand what happened at Calvary, when Christ died on the Cross. I had to pick and choose from among literally dozens of scriptures that explain what was taking place. This is not a mystery.



Christ’s death was the final act of the Old Testament. It was the end of the law and the prophets. It was the literal restoration of man’s ability to have intimacy with God, by the hand of God through the sacrifice of His only begotten son…



It is not just a saying that people flash in the end zones at football games. It is the word of God through Christ



And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:14-16 KJV



When Christ hung on the Cross, eternity stood still. And when it was over, something eternally significant happened. It was God Himself, restoring our intimacy with Him. Matthew, Mark and Luke each described it.



Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; Matt 27:50-51KJV



Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. Mark 15:37-38KJV



And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst, And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, He gave up the ghost. Luke 23:45-46 KJV


The Great theologian Matthew Henry said of this moment, that



“It bespeaks a great deal of comfort to all believing Christians, for it signifies the consecrating and laying open to us of a new and living way into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”



You see, from that moment on, there never has been a need for a veil to stand between man and God or a priestly intercessor to take our place. Christ did away with the entire reason for such an obstacle to be between God and his children.



To keep the veil between the people and God is to refuse to accept the gift of personal salvation given freely at the Cross. To keep the veil is to deny that Jesus is the Christ, the one who fully redeemed us.



To place a veil between God and man is to deny Christ, deny the power of the cross in uniting man with God and to mock God’s reason for the sacrifice of Christ.



It is only as an anti-Christ that a church calling itself by the name of Christ would return to the very veil Christ had done away with.




But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.



For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 2 Cor 11:3-4,13-15 KJV


This is not a new revelation in the Scripture. The Early Church had been warned that deceivers like the prophets of the Mormon Church would be coming after them



Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Matt 24:23-24 KJV




And then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, he is there; believe him not: For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. Mark 13:21-22 KJV




To make matters worse, the Mormon prophets say that God is a man, born on another planet , whose works earned him godhood. That is the god who stands on the other side of the Mormon veil.



Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,



And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things.

Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:



Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. Rom 1:21-25 KJV



The promise is given that if the Mormon is judged worthy enough, he/she can attain godhood, but only if he/she goes through the temple ritual and is able to cross behind the veil,



To even get to the temple veil, the Mormon must stand before a counterfeit priesthood [see footnote 1.] to be judged worthy enough to stand before the veil they have placed between the member and God.



This worthiness is judged every year. A major part of this judgment is determined at the annual ‘tithing settlement.’ Not up-to-date on tithing? No Temple recommend. Every Mormon must earn the right to go to the temple and step through the veil by his/her own works. All Male Temple applicants must be members of the Melchizedek priesthood.

When the worthy Mormon stands before the veil in the temple, there is a temple worker standing on the opposite side of the veil, portraying the Lord. Now, the member must demonstrate through slits in the veil, that he/she knows all the secret handgrips, code words and be able to demonstrate the 5 points of fellowship through the veil [see footnote 2.]

I commented a long time ago that Satan was not going to come after you looking like a 14 foot frog, but as something sweet and lovely, even as an angel of light. Not surprisingly, that is how Joseph Smith described the heavenly beings in his first vision story.



Mormonism may appear to be Christian, but it brings a system of beliefs and rituals incompatible with Christianity and without any redemptive value to the believer.



This denial of Christ’s shed blood on Calvary is the reason there are no crosses in or on any Mormon building or temple and why they use water in their counterfeit communion. They go so far away from Biblical truth as to say it was in the Garden of Gethsemane where the atonement of Christ took place, not the cross. [See Footnote 3.]



In conclusion, the Mormon ritual that brings the adherent to stand in front of a supposed holy veil that separates them from the presence of God is to deny Christ and Calvary. In truth, it Biblically places them fully in the position of an anti—Christ.



They cannot be Christians and perform acts of worship that deny the very reason for Christ’s presence among men. A thing cannot be and not be at the same time. One is truth, the other a lie.

The Christ of the Cross is truth. The Christ of the Mormon veil is a lie.

There is a way that seems right to a man,

But its end is the way of death.

Proverbs 14:12

Footnotes:



!. Mormon Priesthood



First, you need to know that the LDS Church has illegally usurped the Melchizedek priesthood. It was never theirs to give, Christ became our high priest after the order of Melchizedek and it has always been a priesthood of one.



This false priesthood is found in esoteric groups like the Mormons and the Masons. It is not biblical. The true Melchizedec priesthood only existed as a priesthood of one, before the law was given and in Christ, after the law was ended. The Mormons have stolen the very priesthood of Jesus Christ



In almost every patriarchal blessing given in Mormonism, the believer is told he/she is of the tribe of Manasseh or Ephraim. Supposedly, when one is baptized into the LDS church, one’s gentile blood is transformed into one of these two bloodlines, making the Mormon part of true Israel.



This was a shock to me, since I already was born into the bloodline of the house of Levi. The Mormon god had taken my Jewish bloodline and switched it to an un-priestly one me.



2. Five Points of Fellowship at the Veil.



Patron and temple worker portraying the lord are on opposite sides of a magnificent veil.

LORD: What is that?

PATRON: The Second Token of the Melchizedek Priesthood, the Patriarchal Grip, or Sure Sign of the Nail.

LORD: Has it an name?

PATRON: It has.

LORD: Will you give it to me?

PATRON: I will, through the Veil.--Health in the navel, marrow in the bones, strength in the loins and in the sinews, power in the Priesthood be upon me, and upon my posterity through all generations of time, and throughout all eternity.

LORD: That is correct.

(The Lord and patron break the ceremonial embrace, and the temple worker gives three taps with the mallet.)

LORD: What is wanted?

WORKER: Adam, having conversed with the Lord through the Veil, desires now to enter his presence.

LORD: Let him enter.

(The Veil is now parted and the Lord takes the patron by the right hand, and pulls him gently through the Veil into the Celestial Room.)



3. The LDS Teaching on Christ’s atonement for the sins of mankind



"And as he came out of the Garden, delivering himself voluntarily into the hands of wicked men, the victory had been won. There remained yet the shame and the pain of his attest, his trials, and his cross. But all these were overshadowed by the agonies and sufferings in Gethsemane. It was on the cross that he 'suffered death in the flesh,' even as many have suffered agonizing deaths, but it was in Gethsemane that "he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him." (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah, pp. 127-128).

"It was in Gethsemane that Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world, in Gethsemane that His pain was equivalent to the cumulative burden of all men, in Gethsemane that He descended below all things so that all could repent and come to Him" (Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.15).

"Forgiveness is available because Christ the Lord sweat great drops of blood in Gethsemane as he bore the incalculable weight of the sins of all who ever had or ever would repent" (Bruce R. McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p. 337).



You can reach Ed Decker at



ed@saintsalive.com

www.saintsalive.com



Your comments are welcome

I HAVE DISCOVERED THE ACHILLE'S HEEL OF MORMONISM.

SPECIAL NOTICE

I HAVE DISCOVERED THE ACHILLE'S HEEL OF MORMONISM.

After over 50 years of being a Mormon, leaving it, researching it, writing extensively about it in a number of books, doing years of radio in Mormon-land and studying my Bible all this time, I had a powerful word on it during the night last week and a sermon at our church Sunday confirmed it.

I will be publishing my findings in a special e-newsletter a week from Wed. December 16th.

Be sure to read it and pass it on to all who have an interest. If you are not on my email Newsletter list, sign up at www.saintsalive.com

November 2009 Update Report

November 2009 Update Report

I know this is out earlier than usual, but several news reports have my interest and I wanted to be sure you see them as well.

I am amazed at how quickly the media and the administration have painted the Fort Hood Muslim Terrorist as a misunderstood and harassed man who should have every benefit of our sympathy for the rough life he has led, trying to be a good Muslim.

In fact, he was an in-your-face argumentative bully Muslim who should have been removed from the service a long time ago. Only because the powers ‘what be’ are afraid to cause any Muslim a problem was he able to stay in the service and curse the nation, our armed services and the American people and kill 13 people in cold blood,woundeing almost 2 dozen more.

When he jumped on a table with two loaded hand guns last week, shouted “Allahu akbar” and opened fire, he was fulfilling a jihad. The mainstream press wants us to believe he was suffering from post- traumatic stress, even though he had never left the states. They say it was this poor man who snapped and Islam had nothing to do with it.

Don’t buy into that line. Read The Pat Robertson article and my addendum for more information.


On the lighter side, I have transferred hundreds of files and expanded the areas of ministry within the site. Now my son, Josh will handle what is left. We still have a few areas to get running. We are working so that you can download all the audio files to your i-Pod and I will have dozens of rare books ready for your download as well.

I often talk about the many people writing in, seeking help. I thought I would just grab a few of them out of my in-box, for you to see just a tiny look at where your giving goes.


Brothers in Christ, I am the current "worshipful" master of a Masonic lodge. Due to some new information which God has brought to me I have decided to renounce masonry altogether. Please pray for the people whom I have inducted into freemasonry with good intentions and those Masons both in mine and other lodges who wish to be good Christians but have been poisoned with wrong information.


Mr. Decker, I have just finished reading your book “Fast Facts on False Teachings” and it was such a blessing to me! I now have two favorite books, the bible and your book. I am a Christian, and I was an Eastern Star. I am sure you know that the Order of the Eastern Stars is a division of the Masonic Order. I joined the order in July because I was told that they were all about community service and helping people who are in need. &n! bsp;They also told me that to join them would be the best thing that I could have done for myself and my children. Being so hungry for Christ and full of compassion for others I was fooled. It wasn’t until a co-worker of mine overheard that I was apart of the Eastern Stars gave me your book to read. I devoured your book day and night, all of the information you provided lined up with the word of God…… Thank you for telling the truth and preaching the gospel of Christ!

Please Help Me! My fiancé was baptized into the LDS church a few months ago. At first everything was great and now he is miserable. I know that he is looking for a way out of the Mormon religion and I pray for him every night but I was wondering if you had any advice as to what to say to him. It's breaking my heart to watch him suffer because he has been so brainwashed that this is the "true church" I think it was the zeal of the missionaries and bishops and such that originally drew him in but now that he sees the smoke and mirrors it's crushing his spirit.

Ed, I’ve just read your article on the comparison of the Muslim's Allah and our own Biblical truths about JESUS and our Father. It's exactly as you've written about their beliefs.. I thought too (at the time that I tried to witness to my Muslim neighbors) that they meant that their Allah was just a foreign word for GOD -- our GOD of the Bible...like Dios for GOD, or Jisu for JESUS. My question, Ed, is how would I approach a Muslim...can I tell them that Hagar was the wrong woman and Sarah the right one, chosen by GOD...that it was Isaac and not Ishmael who was sacrificed by Abraham? How do i go about ref! uting the false teachings of their Quran? I feel overwhelmed...

These are just a few of the many e-mails that await me each morning. What a privilege to be able to be here, ready to meet these needs.
Your Brother in Christ,



Ed Decker

Pat Robertson describes Islam as violent religion

that wants to dominate, destroy

NORFOLK, VA. - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson drew criticism Friday from Arab-Americans for describing Islam as a violent religion that wants to "dominate and then, if need be, destroy." Robertson made the comment Thursday on his "700 Club" television program after watching a segment about Muslims' views on terrorism. Co-host Lee Webb asked Robertson why he thought Muslim immigrants would want to live in the United States "if they have such contempt for our foreign policy."

Robertson replied: "Well, as missionaries possibly to spread the doctrine of Islam." He went on to say that Islam "is not a peaceful religion that wants to coexist. They want to coexist until they can control, dominate and then, if need be, destroy." http://www.sullivan-county.com/news/pat_quotes/pat_islam.htm

Friends, Let there be no confusion about what Pat Robertson said. He was only repeating what every literate Muslim in the world understands.

It is basic, fundamental, bedrock Islamic ideology that the world is divided into two: The Islamic “Dar e-Salaam” or House of Islam or House of Peace. Opposing this “Dar e-Salaam” is the “Dar e-Harb” or House of War into which all infidels fall. There can be no peace for Islam until the entire “Dar e-Harb” falls to the “Dar e-Salaam”. It is to be accomplished by conversion or by the sword. So this is a fight to the finish. Islam must be victorious or be vanquished.

What?

Mormons throw support behind gay-rights cause

By ERIC GORSKI AP

It looked like a stunning reversal: the same church that helped defeat gay marriage in California standing with gay-rights activists on an anti-discrimination law in its own backyard.

On Tuesday night, after a series of clandestine meetings between local gay-rights backers and Mormons in Salt Lake City, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it would support proposed city laws that would prohibit discrimination against gays in housing and employment.

The ordinances passed and history was made: It marked the first time the Salt Lake City-based church had supported gay-rights legislation.

The Mormon church — which continues to suffer a backlash over its support last year of Proposition 8, the measure banning gay marriage in California — emphasized that its latest position in no way contradicts its teachings on homosexuality.

But the action is one of the strongest signs yet that even conservative religious groups that oppose same-sex marriage might be willing to support legal protections for gays that fall short of that.

At the same time, the church's position has angered some of its conservative allies on social issues, prompted questions about whether public relations is its real motivation, and put the church on the spot over how far it will go on similar legislation on the state and federal level.
http://news.aol.com/article/mormons-throw-support-behind-gay-rights/763770?cid=11


FBI: 10% of U.S. Mosques Preach Jihad

Washington Insider with Ronald Kessler  Tuesday, November 10, 2009 12:09 PM

By: Ronald Kessler

Imams preach jihad and extremism in 10 percent of the 2,000 mosques in the United States, the FBI estimates.

That sums up the problem facing us as we ponder the meaning of Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan’s slayings of 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas. Given his association with a pro-al-Qaida imam in northern Virginia and his preoccupation with radical Islamic Web sites, it’s clear that the radical element of Islam influenced Hasan.

On the other hand, those who condemn Muslims in general because of the actions of Hasan and others like him are engaging in prejudice that has no place in America. Indeed, such stereotyping sets back the war on terror, because we need moderate Muslims on our side.

The problem is not the Quran, which is no more incendiary than some passages in the Bible. (Deuteronomy, for example, prescribes stoning to death for those who “served other gods and worshipped them.”) The problem is the radical element that uses the Quran as an excuse to engage in terrorism and the failure of many moderate Muslims to condemn the extremists.

About a quarter of the Muslims in America ages 18 through 29 believe that suicide bombings can be justified, according to a Pew Research Center poll. Generating those attitudes are imams who preach jihad and hatred in American mosques and postings on the Internet, according to FBI counterterrorism officials interviewed for my book “The Terrorist Watch: Inside the Desperate Race to Stop the Next Attack.”

http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/Mosques_preach_jihad/2009/11/10/284270.html?s=al&promo_code=909A-1

Christian Defense Coalition Concerned about the Role of the FBI Under the Obama Administration

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 /Christian Newswire/ -- Group wonders why their Director, Rev. Patrick Mahoney, was visited and questioned by FBI agents for leading a peaceful prayer vigil in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Yet Major Hasan, who contacted Islamic terrorists multiple times, made threatening comments to the American military and considered himself a "Soldier of Allah" was never visited or questioned by the FBI.

Is it possible that Rev. Mahoney was targeted because he has been an outspoken critic of President Obama's record on human rights and social justice?

Federal agents came to the home of Rev. Mahoney to question him about laying roses and praying in front of the Chinese Embassy on June 4th of this year.

The purpose of the prayer vigil was to honor and remember the heroic students who were brutalized in Tiananmen Square 20 years ago and to call upon the Chinese government to protect human rights and honor religious freedom……

…….It is even more troubling to realize that I was visited at my home by the FBI for peacefully exercising my First Amendment rights, yet Major Hasan received no such visit by the FBI for contacting Islamic terrorists multiple times and making threatening comments to the American military.

"How is it possible that a Christian minister is investigated and questioned by federal agents for holding a peaceful prayer vigil and a person who killed 13 people and had numerous contacts with terrorists was never visited or questioned?

"Is this the new policy of the FBI under President Obama? If you are a Christian minister and pray and speak out against the human rights abuses of the Chinese government and challenge the President on his human rights policies, you will be investigated by the FBI. However, if you are a Muslim who is in regular contact with terrorists and makes hateful comments against the American military you will be granted a free pass."
Christian Newswire [ newsdesk@christiannewswire.ccsend.com ]

Ed's newest book on Mormonism,

My Kingdom Come: The Mormon Quest for Godhood

is now available at a special discount.

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Another Day Older and Deeper in Debt.

Just celebrated my 74th birthday. I am the living example of that old adage, “If I’d known I would live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.”

I have always been a Thanksgiving baby.. It has been fun to tie my birthday in with Thanksgiving and I make no secret that I love presents.. any presents. No matter the size. And since we are feeding the clan, they have to show up and only a fool would show up without a present for Ned.

My mother always told me that I was born a few hours after the Thanksgiving dinner. She said she had to leave the table and head for the hospital. We have always celebrated the two events together.. Been doing that all my life.
One day last year, while playing around on the computer, I put my birth date into a program that would tell you which day of the week you were born on. I never should have done that. Turns out I was born on a Monday. I found out that my mom had fibbed to me all those years.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs came out when I was a month old, It was the same year that Fibber McGee and Molly and Dick Tracy debuted. Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo from Hawaii to California.

Babe Ruth hit his 714th and last home run at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in Akron, Ohio and the United States Social Security Act was enacted. And of course, Hitler was running around Europe, waving his new flag.

And that was the year Anna Decker told her little boy he was born on Thanksgiving day.. That was in the middle of the great depression and I guess it was easier to stick a candle in the pumpkin pie and sing happy birthday than have a special cake.

You know, come to think of it, my sister, Nan was born the Monday after Easter and nobody ever called her an Easter Baby. But little Eddie was stuck with a fib for over 70 years. Bitter? Nope.. I’m still a Thanksgiving birthday boy! Gonna do it again tomorrow. Old habits are hard to change. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks..

Some wise sage once said “Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.”

Are the Folks at AARP Really that stupid?

I know I shouldn’t write a blog before I finish my morning latte, but I am in a boil this morning. Are the People at AARP really that stupid or are they just trying to get more people to sign up for their ineffective insurance programs? Or can’t anyone there do basic math? I guess they must think WE are that stupid.

Today’s  Page One Headline, “AARP chief backs Medicare cut” was the frosting on a sludge cake.

Let’s see. AARP proudly stands behind a minimum cut of $460 Billion dollars from a program that is the main medical support for the majority of its members and a program that will also add another 20 or 30 million more enrollees. Somehow, that math does not work.

The new Bill in the Senate portends to also reduce payments to Doctors and Hospitals for visits and procedures, so that means our doctors will have to add another 6 to 10 patients a day to their already overbooked days. Expect the 4 to 6 hour waits in ERs to extend even longer. It will easier to just die at home than in the ER waiting room like one man recently did while waiting for hours to tells someone he was having chest pains.

I would resign my membership at AARP if I hadn’t already done it a while back after they first announced that this Bill was a Good Thing for its elderly members.

I recommend that you send back your AARP card today with a letter asking them why they have deserted the very people they claim to represent.

We need a dumpaarp movement...

Just Dancing In The Rain

Just Dancing In The Rain

Wow.. My wife yelled into the bedroom, "Ned, Ned, hurry out of bed, Ned."
"Is my latte ready?'

"No, just get out of bed and open the door to the back patio. It's raining, really raining!"

I stumbled out of bed and raced [well, hobbled] to the door aand stepped out. What a sweet smell it was.. Joy to my Seattle grown nostrils. I lifted my hands to catch the drops.

3 or 4 drops..per hand; the ground was dry..but it was raining..it was just not making to the ground.

My wife came out with my latte. We sat down and smiled. Then the rain was gone.. Heading away toward those people who prefer Arizona.

"Ned, do you miss Seattle?"

"No way, my sweetie. Remember, we are down here as Rainbirds. This is my kind of rain!"

"Don't you mean, Snowbirds, Ned?"

"Nope. Rainbirds. Remember the three weeks of rain just before came down?


"Ned, did you turn the sprinkler system off before we left?"

"Great Latte, my beloved, great latte."

I Just Want to Thank the folks Who...

I just want to thank all the folks who have sent me all those educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.

I no longer open a public bathroom door without using a paper towel, or have them put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the bacteria on the lemon peel.


I can't use the remote in a hotel room because I don't know what the last person was doing while flipping through the adult movie channels..


I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the number one pastime while driving alone is picking ones nose (although cell phone usage may be taking the number one spot).


Eating a little snack sends me on a guilt trip because I can only imagine how many gallons of Trans fats I have consumed over the years.

I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a public bathroom.

I must send my special thanks to whoever sent me the one about poop in the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every envelope that needs sealing.


Also, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any savings because I gave it to a sick girl (Penny Brown) who is about to die in the hospital for the 1,387,258th time.


I no longer have any money at all, but that will change once I receive the $15,000 that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their special e-mail program.

I no longer worry about my soul because I have 363,214 angels looking out for me, and St. Theresa's Novena has granted my every wish.

I no longer eat KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant freaks with no eyes or feathers..


I no longer use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water buffalo on a hot day.

Thanks to certain e-mailers I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

Because of their concerns, I no longer drink Coca Cola because it can remove toilet stains.

I no longer can buy gasoline without taking someone along to watch the car so a serial killer won't crawl in my back seat when I'm pumping gas.

I no longer drink Pepsi or Dr. Pepper since the people who make these products are atheists who refuse to put 'Under God'on their cans.


I no longer use Saran Wrap in the microwave because it causes cancer.

And thanks to the guy who let me know, I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave anymore because it will blow up in my face.. Disfiguring me for life.


I no longer check the coin return on pay phones because I could be pricked with a needle infected with AIDS.

I no longer go to shopping malls because someone will drug me with a perfume sample and rob me.

I no longer receive packages from UPS or Fed Ex since they are actually Al Qaeda in disguise.

I no longer shop at Target since they are French and don't support our American troops or the Salvation Army and won’t say “merry Christmas.”


I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda , Singapore , and Uzbekistan ..

I no longer buy expensive cookies from Neiman Marcus since I now have their recipe.

I no longer use anyone's toilet but mine because a big brown African spider is lurking under the seat to cause me instant death when it bites my butt and I check my own toilet very carefully before I sit down.

And thanks for the warning I can't ever pick up $5.00 dropped in the parking lot because it probably was placed there by a serial killer waiting underneath my car to grab my leg..

I can no longer drive my car because I can't buy gas from certain gas companies.


I always lock my car with the key now, instead of the remote, because crooks sit in parking lots with equipment that picks up car remote signals and steal the car or things in it after you go inside.


I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the brown recluse and my hand will fall off.

If you don't pass this on to at least 100 people in the next 60 minutes, a large dove with diarrhea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m. Tomorrow afternoon and fleas will infest your back, causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually happened to a friend of my next door neighbors' ex-mother-in-law's second husband's cousin's beautician . . .


Oh, by the way..... A German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail and computer documents with their hand on the bacteria laden mouse.. Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

A Man's Home is His Castle

A Man's Home is His Castle


Whoever said a man’s home was his Castle either had a grand misconception about men or had a strange understanding of the definition of Castle. Mine is a corner easy chair and ottoman with side table in one corner of the family room.

My control of castle functions lasts only until my wife walks in and asks, “Isn’t there anything else on TV?”

It does not matter what the score is, how many seconds left in the game or what program I have been watching for the last 50 minutes. We go searching until she finds what I am supposed to be watching.

Take the other night, for example. I was watching a program and she came into the family room, having finished up with whatever had kept her busy the last hour or so.

She stood there, blocking my line of sight. I leaned around to watch. She moved. I leaned. She moved. I gave up. I didn’t want to fall out of the chair or drop the bowl of ice cream. If I did, she had an automatic win.
“What are you watching?” She asked.

“The Biggest Loser,” I replied.

She looked at the TV, then back to my dish of ice cream. “What is that stuff on the top of your bowl of ice cream, under all the chocolate syrup?”


“Crushed up pretzels,” I smiled. She frowned.

“What is wrong with this picture? An overweight man is watching a program about overweight people struggling to lose weight, sitting there shoveling some ten thousand calories of ice cream mush into his mouth. Do you find that unusual, Ned?”

“Not at all,” I replied. “The program is very stressful and you know that when I get stressed, I need comfort food.” Sounded pretty reasonable to me.

“What were in the dishes you have piled up on the side table under the crosswords puzzles and the Louie L’amour book?” She moved in closer. Not good.

“Oh, those,” I shot back. “They were for the cheese and crackers and the cookies…and stuff.”

“When did you eat those?” She was blocking the TV again.

Things were not going well. Her hands went to her hips. I should have put those dishes away when I got the ice cream.

“Do you want to watch House Hunters,” I asked as I reached for the clicker.

She sighed deeply and held out her hand. I leaned out and surrendered the clicker. Another crisis averted.

My Castle was still intact and peace would reign throughout the kingdom..... for now. Long Live the King.

Two of God's Greatest Miracles

Two of God’s Greatest Miracles

Birth and Death

Three weeks ago, I officiated at the funeral for my sister and then this last weekend did the same at the funeral for my wife’s youngest sister.

While It has been a hard time for our family and two very emotionally difficult times for us, I want to share what I have realized, personally.

I have come to realize that there are two of God’s miracles He allows us to participate in. The first is the miracle of birth and the second is the miracle of death. The two are part of the very fabric of life and part of God’s whole plan for us.

I am sharing my sermon notes from my wife’s sister Debbie’s memorial service so that we may look at death from God’s eyes, rather than from our grief.

Scripture

'I am the resurrection and the life,' says the Lord. 'Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. John 11.

I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8.

Since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. So we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4.

Introduction:

Jesus was with his disciples, making his way across the Jordan River and back to Bethany in Judea when he spoke to his disciples, saying,

"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up."
12His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, 15and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

Of course we all know what happened when Jesus went to the tomb, had the stone rolled back and called Lazarus, now dead 4 days, to come forth. That lesson even Thomas learned that even the dead are alive in Christ. The apostle, Paul said “to be out of my body is to be with Christ” Even so, dear Debbie.

On Thursday morning, our sister, mother, friend and loving wife, Debbie quietly fell asleep in the arms of her Father in Heaven. Debbie’s sleep, though, has not been long. God reached down and picked her up from her broken, tired body and gave her not only eternal peace and rest, but eternal pleasures at his Savior's right hand.

Today, as we mourn her loss, she is perhaps spending these minutes running around with strong legs and hugging all her loved ones who have gone ahead.

Or perhaps, as we mourn, she is making up for all the desserts that her sickness and pain had robbed her of. Maybe she is enjoying the feast that God has prepared for her.

Or, maybe as we mourn, she is at God's side at last, talking to her Savior as we talk among ourselves. Jesus loves her, and how glad he is to have Debbie at his side for eternity. Debbie’s vision has been make perfect, enabling her to see with her eyes what his heart has always known -- the love of her Father in heaven.

One thing is sure.
In Christ, mortality always leads to immortality

The only certainty to life is death. Ps.116:15 proclaims Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints

There are three ways
in which for the Christian death
is precious to God.

Death is going to sleep.

The New Testament writers often describe death as sleep, and they get it from Jesus in Mark 5.

21 Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. 22 And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet 23 and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”35

While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”

36 As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” 37 And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. 38 Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. 39 When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. 41 Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” 42 Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age

Jesus described the little girl’s death as sleep.

Sleep is temporary.

Deb fell asleep and heard those words, “Talitha, cumi,”

and awoke to see her Savior. Little Debbie, I say to you, arise.

Death is a journey.

Paul talks about his death as a “departure” in 2 Timothy 4:6. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

The word departure is used of striking a tent, or untying a boat from its mooring.

Paul talks about life as the good fight.

Paul talks about life as a race and the need to finish well.

Paul also talks about life as keeping the faith.

Deb fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith.

She was an example of cheerfulness in the face of terrible illness

Deb has already arrived at the celestial city.

Death is going home.


Jesus teaches in John 14 that our destination has been determined.

1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.[b] 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know.”

First, he has prepared a place for us, complete and perfect.

It’s impossible to describe this place, because we’re trying to describe an infinite idea to finite minds; we’ll just have to experience it.

Second, in heaven Jesus awaits those who are His.

Heaven is going home, and who is afraid of that?

The song, “Finally Home” says it well, with a little editing from Pastor Ed

Finally Home lyrics

I'm gonna wrap my arms around my Daddy's neck

And tell Him that I've missed him

And tell him all about the person I became

And hope that it will please Him

There's so much I want to sayThere's so much I want him to know.

When I finally make it home when I finally make it home.

Then I'll gaze upon the throne of the King

And I’ll be Frozen in my steps

And all the questions that I swore I would ask

Those Words that just won't come out yet

So amazed at what I've seen so much more

Than this mind can ever behold.

And the sweetest sound my ears have yet to hear

The voices of the angels.
When I finally make it home when I finally make it home.

Conclusion

At her death, though Deb’s body had wasted away, she became more alive than ever.

For the Christian, the most exciting experience of life lies in the future.

A future tied to Jesus and His Gift of life to us.

Debbie now knows the fullness of that Life in Christ.

On Thursday morning, Debbie laid down mortality and picked up her immortality

and joined that chorus of Saints above.

Closing prayer

Into thy hands, O Lord, we commend thy servant Debbie.,

our

dear sister, as into the hands of a faithful Creator and most

merciful Savior, beseeching thee that she may be precious in

thy sight. Wash her, we pray thee, in the blood of that

immaculate Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the

world; that she may be presented pure and without spot before thee;

through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord..

Almighty God, Father of mercies and giver of comfort:

Deal graciously, we pray, with all those here who mourn, that

casting every care on thee, they may know the consolation of

thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God be with you all,

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I pray Amen.

Getting Old Is Not For Sissies

Getting Old Isn’t For Sissies

The older I get, the more I realize that getting old is not easy. The golden years are more like molding years, more rust than gold. Many of the activities that I used to do, I judge now on how far I have to walk, how many stairs are involved and where the closest bathroom is. One of my sons stopped by this morning to tell me that the steelhead run is the best in over 30 years and we should go out my favorite hole and pick up a few.

My mind didn’t focus on the great fishing I have experienced in years past, but on the long climb down a steep hill and the aching that would go along with standing in the river for a few hours and the pain of climbing back up that rocky hillside.

I find that we seniors make a lot of decisions based on what we can’t do rather than what we can do. I can’t ski like I used to ski and I can’t run the way I ran as a youth. I can’t hear or see the way I did 50 years ago. I can’t hike up the mountain trails the way I did a few years ago and I can’t go out for a late meal any more. My dining out now seems to revolve around early bird specials or two for one dinner deals.

But, my mouth works and I can smile at everyone I run into. I can find something nice to say about everyone I see. I can listen with an intent ear and even when a hurting friend talks so low I can’t hear the words, I can nod and share the hurt I see.

I know that we may often be in too much of a hurry to get back to the comfort of our home and favorite chair to make eye contact with the clerk at the grocery store or the waitress at the restaurant but I promise you that if you do that one simple thing, your life will change for the good and the gold will begin to shine through the rust.

As Christians, we need to call upon the Lord to give us an abundance of His spiritual gifts so that we may use them in loving all our neighbors as ourselves. In our conversations with the Father, we need to ask Him to place us where He could use us as His hand, extended. Place us where we can pass his gift of love through us to the ones who need it.

The Bible calls us to be 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Eph 6, KJV

Try it the next time you run those errands that take you around the neighborhood. It will bless you and those whose paths you cross. Then watch out. God will begin to use you as his local office and when you walk into a place, the people will already be smiling.

I Knew I needed my New Knee Now

I Knew I needed my New Knee Now.


Well, it’s been a while since I sat down at my laptop to jot out a note. I am actually in the third week of recovery after knee surgery. I have finally scaled down on my pain meds enough to tell night from day and have stopped sitting in my chair with a drool towel, staring at spots on the wall,
taking swipes at attack bats.

Actually, after three days in the hospital, I was finally in my own bed, sleeping soundly and very well sedated. During that first night, I was lying on my side, with my right arm between two pillows and with my hand hanging out the end. Somehow, I woke up enough to see my hand, fingers wiggling at me and was convinced it was a monstrous spider from hell trying to kill me.

I leapt into immediate action and did everything I could do to kill it, before it got me. I woke up from the pain caused by me trying to bite it to death.

I understand that people even do illegal things to gain access to these kinds of pills. That is a great mystery to me.

Well, I am now back in a decent relationship with my hand and even my wife has hope that I am returning to normal life again. I am walking upright, without walker or cane and even gone out to eat. Life is good again.

Getting through this process took more than just surrendering my knee. Just signing into the system took hours longer than the operation itself. By the time I went through various levels of interviews and tests, each with its own color coordinated wristband and numerous sheets of waiver of rights declarations, I had forgotten exactly why I was at the hospital.

I even had to sign several releases that told them what to do with either my non-functioning body or my dead body, and sundry body parts should things not go well. I think I had to agree that if I died, it was all my fault and not theirs’ or the doctor whom they said actually did not really work for them.

My attitude was, “Hey. Whatever, just get me the pills.”

I can’t complain too much. While overdosing on TV this week, I wondered who would ever want to buy something from a furniture company in the area that was advertising its goods and finishing off the TV ad with a half second flash full screen of microscopic fine print. Now that was scary. Glad I don’t need a new chair.

Ed Decker's Saints Alive August Update report

Newsletter Update August 2009

A Note From Ed

This summer has zipped by at warp speed. Normally summers have been financially bone dry for ministries such as Saints Alive, but this summer, we have been able to meet all our needs, thanks to so many of you friends .

I have been a little off center for the last month. A little necessary maintenance on a body with too many miles on it. I am slowly coming out of the fog that goes with knee replacement surgery. I went into the hospital on July 20th and came home on the 24th. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say, it has been a trip.

I have had both visiting nurses and therapists getting me back in shape and I am doing great. The main problem has been the medications. I know I needed them to help with the pain, but spent a lot of time staring at spots on the wall. It has been only in the last few days that I can actually function long enough to answer some e-mails and get this newsletter out the door. One blessing already. Because of the bad knee, I was walking like a one legged duck and my lower back was in constant pain. Now that my new right knee is balanced again, the back pain has gone for good.

I am also back to transferring articles from my old website to the new one. It had to go into park for this last month but we should have the transfer completed and an interactive site up and running as soon as I can finish my part of the work. Once it is up, it will be an ongoing
project and fully interactive, so we can be in touch when you want to be.

There is not a day that goes by that I am not praying for a number of you who send in prayer requests. I take that part of my ministry very seriously and I know from experience that prayer really works. We live in a fallen world and bad things happen to good people, but the Lord gave us a path to the throne and it is called prayer. He gave it to us to use.

If you are going though a difficult time right now, lean on the Father. He gave us the right and the way to reach out to him. The Word says to pray for one another. I want to pray for your needs, specifically. You do not need to fight this battle alone.

You can write your prayer need on the enclosed card, send me an email or go to our website and click on Prayer Request on the front page of the website. There are 234 prayer requests on my prayer list today. Every one of them has been lifted up to the Lord.

Your brother in Christ, Ed Decker

pray for one another, that you may be healed.
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16 b

Remember

The generous gifts and prayers of friends like you support Saints Alive. You can do that by sending in a gift on line at our website

or by sending a PayPal gift to gifts@saintsalive.com

www.saintsalive.com ed@saintsalive.com

What a Difference!

In the Bible published by the LDS Church, on page 1421, Mormons read that "God "Justifieth the ungodly" (Romans 4:5).

However, on page 809 of the appendix in that same Bible, it records how their prophet Joseph Smith rewrote that verse in his Inspired Version of the Bible.

It reads that "God Justifieth NOT the ungodly." That is a very big difference! The Mormons must earn their righteousness by their works. How sad! Ask the Missionaries to explain that "irreconcilable difference" with orthodox Christianity.

Are There Mormons

Who are Really Saved?

That is perhaps one of the most often asked questions in our ministry. A lady asked me, "My sister was a Baptist for 20 years before she became a very active Mormon and now she is deeply offended when I suggest she might not be a born again Christian. Can she actually be both?" My answer, unfortunately was, "Not if she is adhering to LDS doctrine."

Today, the Mormons are using Christian words and phrases to let people think they are true Christians, but they cannot escape the real doctrines of Mormonism. Let's go back a few years and let reality get a hearing.

In the 1947 Mormon Sunday School manual, the late LDS Apostle, James Talmage is quoted,
“Salvation is graded. Thus, it is decreed and provided that every soul shall find his place and mingle with his kind in a state of lesser, advanced, or supreme salvation” (from THE GOSPEL MESSAGE by William Berrett, p. 18)

In the Improvement Era, the official magazine of the LDS Church for many years, taught that “salvation, however, is based on merit...” (Nov.1965, p.962)

In the 1931 Gospel Doctrine Sunday School Lessons booklet, it says: “Quite different from most Christian denominations, Latter-day Saints cannot at any time during their lives boast that they have been saved. Salvation comes not from a mere compliance with Church rituals. A confession of Jesus will not bring it.” (p.107)

How Do I Break Free From the

spiritual chains of Freemasonry?

Another recent question dealt with the struggle to break free from the cultic oaths of Freemasonry. It is a question we are often asked.

God's Word says it is not possible to serve two masters. Anyone who intends to follow Jesus must renounce Freemasonry. The Bible says, " Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?"(2Cor. 6:14)

Can Masonic Oaths be broken? Yes, on Higher Authority. God's Word overrules and overturns man's word "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(1 John 1:9)

As part of the process of renouncing Freemasonry, it is important to formally Demit, explaining to your former brethren that you must now “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”Eph. 5:11.

Write or email us for sample demit letters and sample prayers of renunciation.

Get rid of the Masonic Paraphernalia! All that Masonic stuff in your closet, rings, hats, aprons, bibles, and books…all of it needs to be destroyed, tossed in the trash or burned. Every piece is a talisman carrying dark spirits. Get it out of the house at once.

Old Ned Goes to the Doctor

Old Ned goes to the Doctor

I don’t know if it is just my age but I don’t seem to handle things the same way I did a few years ago. We are still in Seattle until Sunday when we head south again. I put off having knee surgery several times this spring, awaiting the imminent death of my sister with advanced, stage 4 cancer. By now, I can barely walk.

At our last visit early this week, she looked healthier than I did. I told her I had to go south for the knee thing and that she would just have to wait until I got back to die. She said she was going to hang around until after my birthday in November. I suggested that she hang around until Christmas and then promptly fell over my cane. She laughed at the sight and suggested that I try to hold out to my birthday myself. I asked if I could have one of her happy pills. She took a swing at me with my cane.

Yesterday, Carol had to drive me down into the Seattle city center to see a doctor at the hospital. I lay awake half the night, worrying about traffic, since they were closing all the west bound lanes of the I-90 bridge [main route into the city] for repairs for 2 weeks and cars would only have the HOV lanes. Close to 80,000 cars would have to jockey for space in an area that could only handle less than half that. The TV news folks forecast a commuting nightmare.

Therefore, I convinced my wife that we had to leave at 11:00 AM for the usual 45 minute drive to the hospital for a 1:45 PM appointment. As you may guess, my ability to guess at traffic patterns is exceeded only by my ability to pick lotto numbers. Needless to say, my wife was less than thrilled. We already had a little episode of her failure to understanding my communication skills earlier that morning.

I took a phone call for her while she was showering and when I yelled in and gave her the message, it didn’t go well. I said, “Honey, Gyner College is calling and your Pabst Beer Test was good. Since when are you doing beer tasting tests?” A few minutes later, she marched out of the bathroom in a towel and handed me my hearing aids and said either wear them or die.

Well, our anticipated 2 hour drive to Seattle took less than 40 minutes and we were two hours early. I thought I was sure to catch some flack over that, but she was all smiles and said, “Great, Ned. Let’s go to the hospital cafeteria and have lunch.” You know you are getting old when eating at a hospital cafeteria is a treat. Actually, the food at this one is better than some.

My wife actually had a good laugh over it. She said, “You know you are over the hill when you get excited about eating at a hospital cafeteria.” I told her that I didn’t know how I got over the hill without ever getting to the top.

I grabbed an empty booth while she headed for the line. I always felt that a good table was better than knowing what she would order for me. This table even had a newspaper with an un-worked crossword puzzle. This was going to be a good day at the doctor’s office.

We split a sandwich and a slice of lemon meringue pie. I love desserts during times when I am stressed. It’s more than just comfort food. Actually, desserts is stressed spelled backwards. A sure sign of the goodness of a swell piece of pie. I think these words are subtle derivatives of the word, stretched, as in pie belly.

We left the hospital just at the start of the commute time, but again, we breezed through in record time. I hate it when that happens and my wife makes less than subtle comments about my imaginary friend, Ned, the worry wart.

Well, we finally made it home and I settled down in my easy chair to watch the early news and all the ads that are so concerned about many my sex life. At my age, I seem to be more interested in naps. What kind of people sit naked in adjoining bathtubs in the back yard, anyway. Now they are pushing the envelope with obnoxious ads for special super-savings deals for cremation services.

I figure that my kids can figure out what to do with me once I am gone. It’s a small thing compared to what I spent getting them through schools and married and into houses. I don’t really care if they miss the discount special on Channel 5.

My father had me dump his ashes in his favorite fishing hole. I might suggest the same thing with mine, except they would need to dump my ashes down stream, at the next hole.

My dad always got a bit nasty if he thought I was crowding his fishing spots. Which I usually did, since he always knew where the fish were.

Old Ned

Some Thoughts on the Process of Dying

Some Thoughts on the Process of Dying


Sorry I have been silent for almost a month. Had to go up to Seattle to be with Nan, my terminally ill sister. She is still with us, but cancer is a tough enemy to battle. It is a day-to-day thing. Nice to be in our northwest home for a while.

Gotta clean out the gutters. Those are things at the edge of NW roofs that catch millions of needles from the firs so that they can’t handle water.

I am not obssessively focused on death, even though I have written about it recently. I'm a guy who is all about life, but the recent loss of 4 friends and the stress of my dying sister has made me reflect more on it than I really want. It has kept me from blogging because I haven't wanted it to impact my writing. But, this morning I give up and will just get it off my chest.The whole process of dying is a complicated one. That is especially true when there are kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, siblings, nieces, nephews, close friends and all the care people. We had to set up a visitation schedule. At least everyone but me.

After one of our recent visits, my wife said that I was avoiding eye contact with my sister. I hadn’t realized I was doing that. I guess I was having trouble facing what I was seeing in her eyes. My wife said she needed that eye contact, that connection.

She was right. Hard as it has been, I keep strong eye contact with her. Even through her tears. Mine, too.

The doctors gave her until last January. Guess that’s why they call it ‘practicing medicine.’ We brought her to the desert that month and took her all around. Spent a week on the coast. She moved to Seattle from Upstate New York and had never been there. Had a wonderful luncheon at the Ritz Carlton at a window open to the ocean.

We watched the movie, ‘The Bucket List’ and she put one together and we spent a week doing all of the things we could.

She told me she wanted to ‘hang on’ until her birthday in April. I asked her why everything always had to be about her. I told her that just once in a while she should think about what I wanted and if she wasn’t so selfish, she would ‘hang on’ until my birthday in November. She is tough enough to maybe make it. I should have said Christmas.

I really appreciate the people from Hospice. Never met one I didn’t like. Soft hearts. Real sweethearts. I don’t think they ever get used to losing the people they care for and grow close to. But, they come back for more. Gotta be a special place in heaven for these people. They deserve crowns of glory.

My sister has the same Hospice nurse that took care of our mom a few years back, on her way to heaven. Whenever she gives her care givers trouble about something they tell her this nurse said for her to do ‘it.’ She snaps to it immediately. She is not going to mess around with mom’s nurse.

We will be back in the desert as soon as things take their course. I’m ready to be back to my regular blogging this week.

We took a side trip to Tulsa last week. I spent 6 days with my wife and her three sisters. Amazing how four grown women can carry on four separate conversations at once, for hours and all be involved in them all and understand everything that is said. I won’t even mention the mealtimes.

We had Navajo code speakers in WW2. No one could break their codes. If the need ever comes up again and we run out of Navajos, I’d like to volunteer my wife and her sisters.

Old Ned

My Bubba Bow..Old guys rule

Can You Picture This?

Can You Picture This?

I went to the memorial service this week for a wonderful neighbor who was a fine gentleman and who had a ton of friends. Great guy. At the start of the service [I was honored to give the invocation] the family showed a slide show, pictures running all the way back to his childhood through the last years of his life. Everyone clapped when it was over. There were tears and smiles everywhere. His daughter had put the slides together with music to match the events in his life and everyone was happy. It gave the service an easy, loving cadence.

On the way home, I told my wife that we need to go through the entire closet full of boxes full of pictures that we have amassed and pick out the photos we would want people to see when it is “our turn.”

She pointed out that what I would want people to see and what people would want to see were probably two very different things.

We were going to sort through them anyway when we retired and it has been a while now and the closet is still full. She said that it would be an impossible job and we should probably let our children cope with the mess after we are gone. She told me to act like the closet wasn’t there. Easy for her to say. It’s like when she said, “Ned, don’t think about that large pimple on your nose.”

A couple of the kids did try to clean up the wall of boxes as special gifts to us over the past few years. We just ended up with about 20 albums sitting on a high shelf in my study. They gave up. Who wouldn’t? The mound of boxes didn’t seem to get smaller, anyway.

Our kids don’t use actual photos anymore, but use digital cameras and have websites full of pictures and videos of just about everything they and their kids do. They have them on things called Ipods and on their cell phones. How do they know they will stay there?

We tried to give the boxes of photos to them as cherished things to ‘keep in the family.’ They don’t want them. What has happened to our children?

The kids wanted them when they dug through the piles when they were getting married and pulled out the ones they wanted to use so they would look good and cute. I don’t know why I can’t. It isn’t fair. Someday I am just going to do that, all on my own. I still have some really cute pictures of me as a kid.

I am thinking about writing an after-he-has-done-gone-and-left-us directive. It will make them do a slide show of the pictures I want and I think I will pick out the music. I liked that Jimmy Durante song, “As Time Goes by” in the movie, Sleepless in Seattle. “Inky Dinky Doo” would be good, too.

When I was younger, I was more of a Kenny Rogers kind of guy. I still can do a good Kenny. Back then, I knew when to hold em, I knew when to fold them and I knew when to walk away. At least I did then. Now, I’m not so sure.

Don’t tell my wife or kids, but I’ve been thinking about doing some songs myself and putting them on a CD to use at my own memorial service.

Nobody will let me sing while I’m still alive. If I write it into my directive, I think they have to do it after I’m gone, don’t they? I could do a great “Make Someone Happy” just like Jimmy D.

The thing is, I love to sing, but nobody will let me. They won’t even let me sing in church. They even asked me to stop clapping in time with the music. Said it threw everyone else off. And I was a pastor!

Even my littlest grandkids cry, “Poppa, please stop singing, please. You are hurting our ears.”

This surly attitude about my gift of singing really began when I was a freshman in high school and tried out for the choir. There were about a hundred of us on the stage and as the choir director led us in some singing, he kept cutting the group in half over and over again until there were just a few of us left. I thought, “Wow! I am probably going to be a lead singer.”

After my little group sang for a few seconds, he called me to take a few steps forward. I did so with a broad, knowing grin. He pointed at me with a shaking finger. “You, please leave and don’t ever come back. You have thrown off the entire choir. Go. Don’t ever sing again.”

Maybe they will be sorry when they hear my deep mellow voice bringing life to my own slide show. I have some great shots of me fishing.

My Twitter Won't Tweet

My Twitter won’t Tweet

Things are spiraling out of control. I think I have become lost in a world of electronic madness.

One of my sons informed me this week that my cell phone has become obsolete and I must head down to the Cell Phone store and get a phone that is contemporary with the time.

I pointed out that the fancy Razor/Slim line phone with camera built in that he made me trade my perfectly good flip-top Motorola cell phone for two years ago still works perfectly fine. Well, except for the camera thing. Never could figure that out.. Even the few times I actually did take pictures I couldn’t figure what to do with them and gave up.

That is except when I would push the wrong button and take a video of the ceiling or my feet.

Seems the issue is that I am unable to text with the tiny little 3 character buttons. “Hi, son,” would come out looking like, “Gh Qmo.” My grandkids have even spoken to my wife about Poppa’s crazy text messages. Give me a break. What ever happened to actually talking on a phone? Isn’t that what they were invented for?

They want me to get one of those phones that you can turn upside down and sideways and has a typewriter keyboard with keys about one-eighth the size of my pinky finger.

One of my four sons is a realtor whose real occupation is fly –fishing. “Way to go, son.”
Or in my text language, “Xbz um Io, rmo.”

We were floating the Yakima River in his guide quality drift boat south of Ellensburg, Washington. We were miles from anything remotely resembling civilization. Rock canyon walls were on either side of us. Bear with me as I try to explain this strange thing.

His “Blackberry” rang. It was blue and I asked him why it wasn’t called a Blueberry. He shook his head with that ‘dealing with an elder despair’ look I get a lot these days. It was another realtor who called to say that the sellers he represented had agreed to my son’s client’s changes and he had the signed documents in hand.

My son told him to FAX the papers to his office and he would get them signed and Faxed back, to close the deal that morning. A minute later the phone rang and he hit a few buttons and looked over the FAX, now on the Yakima River with us.

He then called his clients and told them he was Faxing the papers to them to sign and asked them to FAX them back to his office. While he was waiting, he hooked into a fat rainbow and was just releasing this 22 inch beauty as his phone rang again with the signed FAX from his clients.

He called the other realtor and told him he was sending the signed papers back by FAX. The deal was closed. He smiled and just said, “You are a little behind the times, Dad.” I guess I am.

I thought about the sixty million dollar a year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a Blackberry that played music, took videos, pictures and communicated with Facebook and Twitter.

I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouse, 13 grandkids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it’s red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Nobles talking to my wife as every one in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. Seems I have to take my hearing aid out to use it and got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, “Re-calc-ul-ating” You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then when I would make a right turn instead, it was not good.

When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GSP lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven’t figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone ring.

The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden “Paper or Plastic?” every time I check out just knocks me for a loop.

I bought some of those cloth re-usable bags to avoid looking confused but never remember to take them in with me.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, “Paper or Plastic?” I just say, “Doesn’t matter to me. I am bi-sacksual.” Then it’s their turn to stare at me with a blank look.


Have a nice weekend

Old Ned