Thursday, May 31, 2007

A War On In Heavenly Places.

Satan doesn't bother messing with some of those mega churches, or strange churches far off in left fields somewhere; --because he has them right where he wants them! ( You can fill in between the lines. )

Rather, the anti-Christ pounces on those who can make a difference in this world. Yes; there is a war going on in heavenly places, and Satan knows who his enemies are.

The more effective we become delivering the good news of Christ, the harder the evil one will fight to subdue. Just look at the tribulations of Jesus Christ on earth, and to Job, and to the apostles. It is no different today. That is why Jesus said to follow Him, is to carry our cross daily. He told us what to expect, and how and why to fight the good fight. His is not the kingdom of this world.

In order for there to be love; there must be a way to be able to express it. We have to be able to choose not to love. What makes anything anything, is its relativity to something else. So, there has to be something else.

On Earth, this world of ours is huge. But, from the moon, an astronaut was able to cover the whole earth with just his thumb! All is relative, as is our conception of time, and space, and of what knowledge we have in our own environment. How much does an ant know about the universe we know? What do dogs know about color, if their whole world is seen in black and white? How do we compare to blood hounds with our limited noses? How come we can only see the wave lengths from 400 to 700 millimicrons with our human eyes? Yet, we think we are so smart, trying to equate ourselves to God Himself and all creation. All is vanity. We have created nothing. What we do is discover and learn to use in creative ways what God has already created. All of nature is God's handiwork, and we grow and learn by exploring it. How do birds fly? How do bats find their way around with their eyes covered? How do caterpillars turn into butterflies?
Who could ever be against what Christ taught us, such as in the sermon on the mount? Is there not all the logic and wisdom therein, the reason and love? Isn't that what everyone wants? (Most of us look for love and happiness in the wrong things, persons, or places.) Is not His Word the best self-help book ever taught or written? Who has ever found a better way, withstanding the test of time? Where did all the scientific knowledge come from, that we find written in the Bible, so far ahead of its time? Where are all the errors, that we would expect to find in books written by men?

Is Jesus Christ not honestly the true breath of life? --the living word, God's son, both son of God, and son of man? Didn't Jesus know what He was talking about? Was Jesus a liar and a deceiver? Is Jesus the manifestation of evil? Or is He the manifestation of good? Jesus is the power, and the glory, and our very salvation. He is our solutions, our answers to it all, --our joy in, and to the world! We can trust in Him, over ourselves, or anyone or anything else. He carries our burdens when we are heavy laden. He provides us hope and understanding. He is with us everywhere. God is our strength.

Is not Jesus, the Light, clear as day? Does He not shine in the darkness, exposing
the evils hidden there? Does He not light up our lives, and provide us with the love of God? Did He not make us in His own image? If we evolved from goo to us, by way of the zoo, than where did the goo come from, and who or what gave us life? When we go back in time to the Big Bang! --What is it that banged, and where did it come from? If we take all the elements of the universe and heavens and jumble them around in a big bag forever; how could they ever turn into all that we have, are, and know, without any superior design or intelligence of any kind? What does "science" say about that? Modern science proves to us, that there was a beginning; and if there was a beginning, than what or who was the source?

Christians awake! We are the salt of the earth. We have the Light, --not to be hid under a bushel basket! Christian soldiers, sing and be happy, donning the armor of Christ, standing firm and strong and marching onward.

...for the love of God and all mankind! Peace and love, on earth as it is in Heaven! ... And in heavenly mansions forevermore! Glory be to Jesus in the highest!

Amen

Don Cole

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Cartoon Class Characters

It is not unusual for parents and educators to send their special needs kids to "cartoon class" or to "cartoon school." Sometimes, they do not disclose ahead of time, that the child has problems or special needs.

There are those who will send their kids to a full time, three year art school, just because they don't know what else to do with them. ( I used to be both student, and house parent, then Instructor, at the Joe Kubert School of Cartooning and Graphic Arts, here at Dover, NJ ) I discovered then, as a house parent, that some of the cartoon students really wanted to be rock stars or musicians, but that their parents had refused to send them to music school. After school, they preferred to practice music than to work on their art assignments.

Than; of course, there were those students who worked hard, applied themselves; were serious about their art careers; graduated, and went on to excel and accomplish great things.


Don Cole

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Drawing & Cartooning Classes

I think that cartoonists and persons who know how to draw, who make their living at it; such as myself, do not seem to be the heroes or mentors that we once were. Therefore; the average kids are not so anxious to learn or apply themselves, to actually want to be able to draw better or learn to create their own cartoons, so much as in the past. Parents naturally think that their kids are the greatest, and the kids believe it, --so why bother to work hard or listen to the professional?

Personally, I find that taking the necessary time and effort to learn something, to be creative oneself,
is much more rewarding and fun, than just sitting there being entertained by others, who are having all of the fun.

I know that there are other artists or cartoonists, who do just cave in to the pressure and give up the exhausting and often unappreciated task of actually trying to teach anyone anything. They merely have students copy popular cartoons and everybody is thrilled, even though they have learned nothing at all other than how to copy someone else's cartoons. Which; by the way, requires not a professional to instruct the class.

Sometimes, parents and teachers just want to psychoanalyze, through the cartoons, what their kids are thinking about.

On the other hand, the true reward for a professional, is the thrill of watching someone who really pays attention, applying themselves to what is being taught, and than naturally excels because of it. I have been told that one of the creators of the cartoon character, Spongebob Squarepants, said that --I was his teacher! --when he was asked; locally by a mutual friend, if he knew me. And the reason I found some work on the "Doug" animated TV show, for Nickelodeon, was that I first heard that some of my ex-students were working on that show.

Anyone can learn to draw, but only few will apply themselves to learn how. It always amazes me, how few will take advantage of a good and rare opportunity when it comes along, when it is right there under their noses. It is their loss, and they don't even know it. They would rather copy cartoons, or watch someone else draw cartoons. Or just sit there and be entertained, or waste the precious time just goofing around with one another. Or some will draw, but pay no attention to what is being taught. They just sit there and do their own thing, doing a lot of drawing, but not becoming any better at it, than when they first came in. Although one does learn to draw by drawing; if they would listen to the professional, above the high praises of their parents, their skills would advance at a much faster rate. Eliminating just one common error in drawing, can eliminate thousands of errors that are made over and over again by someone who hasn't learned, or discovered it yet. Not listening to the teacher, while he is teaching, is a big mistake in drawing classes. It is almost impossible, and certainly a big waste of time, to try to teach the same thing over and over again, individually to each student, (although I do try to work with each student as best I can) when you can be teaching the whole class, enabling them to subjectively correct their own work.

However, the classes that I hold usually go very well --especially when the kids are there because they want to be. And they are fun to teach, because the children who apply themselves really do learn how to draw, whereas most people, including most adults, do not. The creative drawings done by my students stand out in a crowd, because of their drawing skills learned, far surpassing the flat or copied restricted drawings of their peers. I have seen a student of mine,or two, published in the paper, standing next to their art teacher, taking the credit for their superior drawing skills. The RSF classes do exceptionally well, because I have 15 classes to teach, over the three weeks. Most of the community schools, after school programs, that I teach are only about 6 sessions, once a week. So the RSF Program has always been a real treat, with substantial results, that I can be proud of.

Just because students can copy a cartoon, doesn't make them a cartoonist; but they, and their parents will get all excited over it, thinking their child is "gifted". So the incentive for the "gifted" student to actually learn anything goes out the window. And then when that "gifted" child discovers that drawing is way too hard to meet all the demands, he finally gives up, --because he never really learned how to draw in the first place! He, and his parents, thought he could draw, but he never learned how. Any copy machine could do just as good, or better, and faster.

Don Cole

Saturday, May 19, 2007

Take Your Medicine!

____ take your medicine!

About medicines, doctors and such; man has created nothing, we just use what God has given us. --that is, our brains! And a nature to explore and be creative, with the basic elements that God has lovingly provided us. i.e.: the uniquely creative method that you have come up with for yourself, so as not to have to take medicines prescribed by doctors.

God has created man separate from the animals. What animal would have ever thought of that? Or even needed to?

If you are a 'natural man' by not taking medicines prescribed by doctors; than are you a more natural man by these uniquely creative alternate solutions of yours, that you so proudly describe here in such vivid detail, probably more than most of us would like to know? Check your concordance, if you have forgotten what Jesus said about "natural man."

What your message tells me; is that, a man left solely to his own devices, may be foolish, shouldering a great handicap, unnecessarily. We really do need one another; whether we like it or not. Of course, if you really prefer to go through all of that, in order to drive the bus at work, than to each his own, and God bless!

Common sense shows us that; alone, we have only one short lifetime on this earth to amount to anything, or to make any progress, and that alone we are at best redundant, and actually accomplish very little at all by ourselves, and than all of that will die and be forgotten forever. And people coming along next would have to start all over again from scratch, waiting on evolution, to change us back into monkeys or something, or whatever.

Instead, we grow and benefit greatly from all of God's people who have gone before, building on one another knowledge and accomplishments, even failures, and all of history and science itself, like the mechanics of a fine watch, many cogs in the wheel, ticking along in harmony together in conjunction for lasting good, hopefully toward our way together in Heaven, following the light, to a new earth eternal, with all the little children who follow. Important cogs. King's kids, made in the likeness of the parent. Unless we choose otherwise; that is, a ticking time bomb, with a very short fuse, in the 21st century. The time is near. Keep a watchful eye out. It is not a time to be caught sleeping. Many will stumble, be lost or fall away, in the darkness. That is; they who cannot see the light for the night of day.

Thank God, there are those others who have devoted their lives to research and medicine; and whatever else, because we personally each have a different task to perform in this life, in the body of Christ, in order for us to be able to work, as we have been intended. We all perform in different ways, and each of us were created uniquely, so that in working together we are able to accomplish our mission or task. When a person falls weak, than there are stronger links to help him up, and keep we of the body moving along. Without individual members or parts, or cogs; how can a body be a body? How could a watch be a watch, or tell the time of days? How could even a doctor be a doctor? We must, in love, look out for one another in order to help save ourselves, and loved ones, by grace through faith in Jesus our Christ, son of God, son of man.

We follow Christ, because we are no longer 'natural', but of God's chosen. We drink living water; that is, His blood on the cross, and we eat of His body, the Word of God incarnate, our Saviour, Son, Lamb of God. No longer 'natural', we are a new man born out of baptism into Christ, arisen a new and eternal life, born again! Now, we are of the Spirit. We follow Jesus to the cross, in Spirit and in truth and rise up to meet Him in the sky.

Take away hydrogen or oxygen, and 'natural' man is thirsty, with no water. Jesus offers living water, so that man may rise above the 'natural'. Take away Father, Son, or Holy Spirit --truth or love, or justice-- how can there be even God Himself? God is truth and love. We are one. His nature never changes. Today, yesterday, and forever. He is the I am! All things were made by Him, and without Him, nothing was made.

Even Jesus never claimed to stand alone. He is of the Father, as He prays for us to be one with Him also. Be it husband and wife, children and parents, Jesus and His church. Alone we fall; united we stand.

I say: "_______, take your medicine"!


Don Cole

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

MEGA CHURCHES

I won't attempt to write my sermon here; I could, but the bottom line is ...

Don't ever be envious of the mega churches...

If we were to ask our Lord; I am certain that He would ask for small, numerous congregations in every city and town around the world, with no super power heading them up other than Jesus Christ himself, the Word incarnate. All nations!

Can you imagine what this world would be like, if there were congregations, subject to no one other than to Jesus Christ, set up as outlined in the New Testament --in the place of every bank!?

Don Cole

Sunday, May 13, 2007

What Happens to Cancer After it Destroys it's Host?

We see a whole new generation now, who have no clue to what the truth is.

They were "educated" in untruth and now we see the results of that "education."

As adults, they sincerely believe, with hardened hearts, that what they were taught in school was truth.

Today, too many people are too "educated" to intelligently question their own beliefs or non-beliefs. They refuse to look or listen; blind leading and teaching the blind, who grow a new generation trusting in the darkness.

The world seems to give its life to Charles Darwin.
Christians give their lives to Jesus Christ, to one another, ...even their own enemies.

There is only one true God.
He is not the evil one; who is the anti-Christ, reigning in darkness, --which many people choose and prefer-- with his lies and deceptions, false hopes and promises, mayhem, murder and annihilation for all of mankind, consequently even to his own followers, no matter how loyal they might have been for the Devil's cause. One cannot look to the Devil for the blessings of God.

I see it all the time, in the commentaries in the news and on television from these otherwise intelligent and well educated people. Persons of this world are still in the stone age, when it comes to science and truth. I suspect that they just love their materialistic world too much to question themselves, or anyone else.

Persons thriving in evil groups apparently think that they are set apart, and lavish themselves together at the expense of others or outsiders.
Little do they realize that sooner or later, evil turns inward on itself, and is totally self destructive. What happens to cancer, after it destroys it's host?

It amazes me, i.e.: -- this new book, author interview on Larry King, seeing how the book, "God is not Great!" ends up on the best seller list! The author is obviously coming from the lies he, and everyone else at that time, were taught in our schools. What good is education if truth is not sacred? Why don't people examine or question the things being taught? Why are known lies tolerated? Paying students have a right to the truth! Truth should be demanded! Things not known, should be taught as things not known. New and old discoveries should be taught openly, without bias. No good science should be banned from schools, just because it doesn't feed a particular agenda.

Truth should have the freedom to find it's own way! Truth is our friend, not our enemy! We need to walk with truth and love.

The nations of this world; that is, all the peoples contained on earth everywhere, desperately need to unite together and walk the walk of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is the light, that is the love of God. He is our source. Today, yesterday and forever. Jesus is God's word manifested, fulfilled. He is the only valid and good one, the only one and true God. Jesus is son of man, and son of God. Herein dwells the power and the brilliance and the example of love, and the fellowship and leadership which is offered to each and all of us, by our good shepherd, Jesus the Christ. It is by the grace of God, manifested within God's unbending justice for man, who bore our own sins on, our behalf, on the cross at Calvary, through His active and fruitful, loving and obedient faith, forevermore. To those who follow Him; He has saved us from our sins, which was no easy matter. But He did; and that is the love of God, for us. That is the good news! Who can be against the things that Christ taught? Whatever a person might believe about Jesus Christ; His teachings, the Word, is the most valuable asset that man has on earth.

It should be against the law to disguise or teach any unproven theory as absolute truth. Truth should not be left up to politicians, religions, or anyone else. Truth is the sacred pearl, and is available for all who care to pursue. Truth can be discovered, but it cannot be changed.

Educators should lay all of the pearls on the table, for everyone to observe, utilize, and study for themselves; and not try to manipulate or manufacture what is truth. Truth speaks for herself. Let truth speak. Let truth rise up; and the people of this world may find bliss, and forever. Amen.

Don Cole

Saturday, May 5, 2007

"Why didn't God create light first, so He could see what He was doing?"

Such problems as this arise when persons do not understand the true nature of God.

This certainly is an interesting subject.
God is not an old man in the sky, nor limited to our own dimension and physical limitations.

The Bible, and history, teaches us God's nature, and the world would do well to love and take heed.


--just Seaman Deuce,
comic strip character, by Don Cole,
...surfing on the sea of life.

Friday, May 4, 2007

God Exists!--Scientific Proof!

THINK...If I could talk to 25 million people...I would say: Check out John Clayton! Website: Home Page: http://www.doesgodexist.org