limerick – Len Bilén's blog, a blog about faith, politics and the environment.

Today is the 55th Earth Day. A Limerick.

It’s time for the fifty-fifth Earth Day

To celebrate Lenin’s old birthday

Let’s dig swales, plant more trees

grow more food, attract bees.

Revive God’s dry earth in rebirth day.

The very first Earth Day was celebrated April 22 1970, on the 100 year anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin (Владимир Ильич Ленин). True green environmentalists keep telling me it is just a coincidence. I think not..

The first Earth Day in Philadelphia 1970 featured Ira Einhorn (The Unicorn Killer) as master of Ceremonies. For those too young to remember, he murdered his girlfriend , stuffed her in a piece of luggage in his apartment and kept her there for seven years, and no one smelled a dead rat). He was finally convicted many years later. The big environmental scare of that day was the threat of a new Ice Age. The clarion call was: “In the year 2000 temperatures will have fallen 10 degrees”, the culprit was pollution, especially acid rain.

Things have changed, and we have experienced decades of climate change, or so they say, but it depends very much on where you live. Most of the increased temperature since 1970 is due to cleaner air in the industrialized nations, there are now more thunderstorms as opposed to daylong rains. This leads to fewer clouds and less reflection of incoming light back into space. This means warmer days.

What forms clouds is saturated humidity with a sufficient aerosol to form condensing spots. The best solution is to plant trees that provide enough aerosols to form clouds. This is especially important in the American Southwest and the whole 10-40 degrees latitude region where the majority of the world’s population lives.

USA can be seen as two very different regions: In the West the fight is about water rights; in the East it is about water responsibilities.

My proposal is that we reshape the water rights laws so that water rights belong to the land. Where it rains, as much as possible of the rain should remain on that land without building dams. By building swales and planting trees at high elevations the erosion from flash floods will diminish, and more water will remain in the ground, causing rivers to flow year round rather than seasonal. As it is now a house owner in Arizona cannot even water his plants from what falls on his roof or driveway.

In the East the opposite is true. When you build a house with a driveway you must also provide a catch basin capable of absorbing all the rain that falls on the improved property, sufficient to absorb a substantial rainstorm.

As it is now, the aquifers is the west are being drained, and need to be restored. Yes, without restoring the aquifers the American Southwest will experience desertification.

On this, the 22th anniversary of September 11, let us remember the cross at Calvary, the cross at Ground Zero, and the offense of the cross to all who refuse to believe.

This year, president Biden has decided to sit out the 22 anniversary of the 9/11 attack by being in Alaska. He had to be at the G20 conference but decided to add a trip to Vietnam after the conference. He should have done it before, showing the importance of Vietnam and their rare earth metals. But then again, wisdom has never been the characteristic of Joe Biden:

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1)

https://lenbilen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ground_zero_cross.jpg

The original location where the iron cross was found, standing out in the rubble like this.

For Muslims the cross is an offense since it contradicts the Holy Quran. For them Jesus did not die on the cross but was directly translated to God. For atheists and humanists the cross is an offense since to them it suggests we need a redeemer, and that reminds them of their mortality. But to us who believe it is the symbol of redemption and new eternal life in Christ. If they were not pricked in their hearts when they see the cross they would not be offended.

Christ died on the cross at Ground Zero.

We have only one risen hero.

But the fools reject grace,

stay condemned, cannot face

The truth in The Cross at Ground Zero.

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. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (St. John 3:16-17)

https://lenbilen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/iron-cross.jpg

An intermediate location for the cross

https://lenbilen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cross.jpg

The final resting place for the Iron cross near the 9/11 museum.

In 2015, the guest host on OAN shared these thoughts on Aug 28, in preparation for 9/11.

These were the final words of Governor Sarah Palin after a successful week anchoring “On Point” with the One America News.

Governor Palin is a true servant. Her parents, Chuck and Sally Heath, worked at the stinky Fresh Kills landfill in Staten Island, New York in January and February 2002 as part of a federal Department of Agriculture program.

In a telephone interview, Mr. Heath said he and his wife had worked to keep sea gulls and rats from scavenging the human remains in the debris. Mr. Heath, then 70, a retired science teacher, and Mrs. Heath, then 68, a retired secretary, had worked for the Agriculture Department for 15 years. They traveled around the world dealing with “nuisance” animals like rats and bears.

“A lot of people just didn’t like the job, it was kind of a morbid thing,” he said of the work at the landfill. “But I thought it was part of history.”

This is the attitude of a servant.

After the 9/11 attack the country got together to rebuild the country again. Many quoted Isaiah 9:10 “The bricks have fallen down,
but we will rebuild with dressed stone;
the fig trees have been felled,
but we will replace them with cedars.”

Isaiah 9:10 has been quoted by politicians as a message of resilience and hope. This message was scribbled by President Obama in 2012 on a building near Ground Zero. Other Politicians have quoted Isaiah 9:10. John Edwards quoted it directly on the third anniversary of 9/11, not realizing that the message is not one of hope, but of utter arrogance. Today’s message by President Biden is “Build back better”, same message, one of utter arrogance. It is clear from the context:

What comes before the message that came down on Israel? Of course verse 6 and 7:

Child born: Shows the humanity of Christ

Son given, shows the deity of Christ

It also shows the unity of God as Father, Prince of Peace as Son and Wonderful Counselor which is the Holy Spirit, three aspects of God, three in one, the triune God, the Trinity.

https://lenbilen.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/slide1091.jpg

This message brings us full circle back to Jesus Christ, the one who died at the original Ground Zero, but rose again. There will be no “build back better” unless there is a revival, a return to God, a great awakening. This present government has by its actions shown that American Exceptionalism is dead, we will do better by abandoning our citizens and allies and negotiate with terrorists who will be fully installed in Afghanistan on 9/11. We will from now on be under Global Governance.

The aim of China is to be the dominant force in the world by 2030. Recent events have made them speed up the time table by at least 5 years after successfully interfering in the last election by openly favoring Joe Biden. The greatest fear of the Chinese Government are the 300 million or so closet Christians in China, a number that just keeps growing. The other fastest growing churches are the Christians in Iran and Afghanistan. In Myanmar Christians are now openly persecuted and some are killed, in Pakistan many are persecuted for blasphemy. There are now more Christian martyrs than ever in history, and even our own State Department considers evangelical Christians our greatest threat, greater than Taliban.

Pray for a worldwide revival of God’s people and an even greater awakening of Biblical Proportion!

Global boiling, global warming, what’s the difference? A Limerick.

The era of global warming has ended and “the era of global boiling has arrived”, the UN secretary general, António Guterres said after scientists confirmed July was on track to be the world’s hottest month on record since global satellite records began in 1979.

The surface ocean temperature around the Florida Keys soared to 101.19 degrees this week, in what could be a global record as ocean heat around the state reaches unprecedented extremes.

This calls for a Limerick

It’s hot around Florida Keys

the temp is expressed in degrees.

Is it F, is it C?

Makes a difference to me.

It depends whom you want to appease.

This being the U.N.; renaming climate science “Global Boiling” can only mean they do not know the difference between Fahrenheit and Celsius.

The death of the glaciers in Glacier National Park was greatly exaggerated. A Limerick.

The Glacier National park

the signs told it’s future was dark

by twenty twenty the ice

would be gone, it’s demise

predicted by models, hark hark!

So, how do the glaciers look today?

The National Park Service did what they could to remedy the situation. They removed the signs.

President Biden in his first campaign rally in Philadelphia joined up with Fetterman. A Limerick.

Joe Biden campaigned in PA.

and Fetterman did join the fray.

With strong union support

it’s a shoo-in of sort.

No-brainer to win, that I say.

Canadian Truckers. A Limerick.

The Truckers at Parliament Hill

are many, show Canada’s will.

Unacceptable views?

Far to big to defuse.

Trudeau, he has fled, said he’s ill.

(Justin Trudeau called the truckers a fringe minority with unacceptable views, then he fled town.)

Supporters arrive at Parliament Hill for the Freedom Truck Convoy to protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions in Ottawa, Canada, on January 29, 2022.Lars Hagberg/AFP/Getty Images

Ramadan year 1442 has begun, but not in Iran, a Limerick.

In Mecca, but not Teheran

begun the new month Ramadan

the new moon must be seen

in Iran, they must spy

the new moon with their eye

they follow the strictest Quran.

Ramadan, year 1442 begun at sunset April 12 in Saudi Arabia and in 45 other Islamic countries. Iran has to wait another day, since they still hold on to the old way that the new moon has to be seen by the naked eye before a new moon can be proclaimed. Iran is alone in adopting April 13 at sunset as the beginning of Ramadan.

The Sunni nations and the Shia nation really do hate each other, so much so that some Arab nations would rather make peace with Israel than to cooperate with Iran. Former President Trump actually got three Nobel Peace Prize nominations for arranging these peace deals. The hate for president Trump is still so intense that the Biden administration would rather return to the old Iran deal than work towards Mideast peace.

Islam follow a strictly lunar calendar where each 12 month year is either 364 or 365 days. Their time of beginning was the year their Prophet Muhammed died, and so they are now in year 1442 after Muhammad. The Jews are in year 5781 after creation, and they have a lunisolar calendar, where they add a leap month five year of every 19 to sync. up with the solar year. The rest of the world have a solar year, and Christianity and other religions follow the solar calendar, the start of the year may vary.

To get a glimpse of the differences of the three monotheistic faiths, let us go through the last days of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad and see what a message they delivered to us.

Moses had delivered his people out of Egypt and was now, at the ripe old age of 120 years ready to enter the promised land. But because of Moses disobedience God (YHWH) had told him that he was not allowed to enter into the promised land. He was however permitted to see it. So Moses recited his song and the blessings on the tribes of Israel (Found in chapters 32 and 33 of Deuteronomy) ending with:

Deuteronomy 33:28-29 (King James Version) Israel then shall dwell in safety alone: the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew. Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.

After that Moses went up Mount Nebo and saw the promised land Deuteronomy 34:4 (King James Version) And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither.

After that Moses died and to this day no one knows the place he was buried. The Bible goes on to record: Deuteronomy 34:10-12 (King James Version) And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, In all the signs and the wonders, which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land, And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses shewed in the sight of all Israel.

This indicates there never was another prophet like Moses. But Moses promised another prophet was to come after him. This is found in Deuteronomy 18:14-18 (New International Version, ©2010) 14 The nations you will dispossess listen to those who practice sorcery or divination. But as for you, the LORD your God has not permitted you to do so. 15 The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” 17 The LORD said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.

We have two candidates: Jesus and Muhammad.

What about Jesus? Was Jesus a prophet?

The first reaction is: Of course, he was a prophet. Look at all he did and predicted. But that totally misses the point. Was He a prophet? Or was he more than a Prophet?

In the Old Testament of the Bible there is an old book called Job. We do not know much about him except he was before Moses and has a reputation of being “patient as Job”, refusing to turn from God when a series of misfortunes happened to him. He was looking forward to a redeemer: Job 19:25-26 (King James Version) For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Was Jesus that redeemer? What does “redemption” mean? Christian belief is that the reason Jesus came to earth was to redeem mankind back to God. Because of sin man is incapable to do it himself, so God had to do it. For this reason Jesus came as God incarnate to die on a cross for our sins. According to prophesies given by Isaiah about 800 B.C. in chapter 53 Jesus rejection and crucifixion was described. The earliest preserved copy of Isaiah dates back to second century B.C. so the prophecy is secure. These are Jesus last words on the cross. They confirm it was Jesus that died on the cross and not someone else.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). The word of divine forgiveness.

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46.) Jesus became sin for us.

He said to his mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” (John 19:26-27). The word of love.

“I thirst!” (John 19:28) The word of humanness.

“Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) The word of promise.

“It is finished!” (John 19:30). The word of redemption.

“Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.” (Luke 23:46). The word of death.

Many people stop there, as if these were Jesus’ last words. But death was not the end of Jesus. On the third day Jesus rose again and gave instructions to his faithful for forty days.

Jesus last recorded words were: “It is not for you to know times or seasons (of his return) that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”After that Jesus was taken up to heaven.

The last person in the trio was Muhammad. He had received messages from the angel Gabriel, very complimentary about the Jewish people, the people of the Book, but while in Mecca he was not accepted as a Prophet so he moved on to Medina where he was accepted by some followers.

They asked the Jews whether he was the Prophet Moses spoke of, but the Jews said, No, not at all, he is an imposter and not the Prophet.

That changed things and the angel Gabriel told him to change the direction of their prayers from Jerusalem to Mecca, since they are in opposite direction of each other if you are in Medina. This forced people to disclose their true adherence.

From that moment on Gabriel changed his instructions to Muhammad and the feud was on. Muhammad and his team started to attack Jewish villages and force them into subservience. After a raid on a Jewish village a young Jewish girl poisoned Mohammed’s food. He never saw it coming (what a Prophet!), nor did the angel Gabriel warn him, so he ate it. He never recovered from it and died two years later.

Muhammad’s last recorded words before he died was: Volume 2, Book 23, Number 414: Narrated ‘Urwa: Aisha said, “The Prophet in his fatal illness said,‘Allah cursed the Jews and the Christians because they took the graves of their Prophets as places for praying.”‘ Aisha added, “Had it not been for that the grave of the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have been made prominent but I am afraid it might be taken (as a) place for praying.

So Muhammad chose to curse Christians and Jews and join with his fellow martyrs.

You can judge for yourself which message to believe, which message is peaceful, and which message is the true message from God.

I have decided to follow Jesus. He is the risen Savior, his tomb is empty. All the others are dead, And I am glad I live in the year of our Lord 2021 and not 1442

Eating hotdogs and beans is becoming dangerous. What to do?

It is not easy eating right these days. A large French study indicated that eating processed food increases mortality rates by 14%.

A favorite, low cost food in the U.S is hot dogs and beans.

Here is the Limerick:

It’s true that you are what you eat

and hot dogs are just processed meat.

But the Climate Change crowd

say it clear, say it loud.

With beans you fart methane – more heat.

Before the “Big Bang” was “I am”. A Limerick.

Before the “Big Bang” was “I am”.

Creation is not a big scam.

God said: “Let there be light”.

And there was: With God’s might.

Three in One: The eternal “I am”.

We are bound in time and Space. God is not. As the Prophet Isaiah wrote a long time ago (In chapter 55)

⁶Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

⁷Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

¹¹So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Barack and Michelle Obama’s official portrait: A Limerick.

A portrait in flowers and weed;

Barack looks befuddled indeed.

And Michelle, one might say

looks washed out, shades of grey.

Thank God it is over, we’re freed.

Other works by Obama’s artist Kehinde Wiley: “Judith beheading Holofernes”

This one is also from the apocryphal book of Judith

Michelle Obama’s artist, Amy Sherald like to portrait black struggle like:

Image result for amy sherald portraits