My Thoughts On President Obama's Leadership Failure Utilizing His Own Words...

In March of 2006, during the middle of the 2nd Term of the Bush (43) Administration, The U.S. House, The U.S. Congress and The U.S. President were in debates about the need to raise the Debt Ceiling. President George W. Bush was wanting the increase, but there was opposition from the other side. Then Senator Barrack Hussein Obama made the following statement and I quote:  

“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the US Government can not pay its own bills.. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our Government's reckless fiscal policies. Increasing America 's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that, 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.” -- Senator Barack H. Obama, March 2006

I personally agree with this statement by Senator Obama!

He specifies clearly in his above statement what criteria HE uses in order to determine that a President's leadership has FAILED. And as I've already stated, I agree with him.

When America has to Raise her Debt Limit as she has been doing and has just done so again... There's LEADERSHIP FAILURE!
When the U.S. Government cannot pay her own bills with her own Funding... There's LEADERSHIP FAILURE!
When the United States of America is dependent upon the Financial Assistance from Foreign Governments to finance her own Government's RECKLESS FISCAL POLICIES... There's LEADERSHIP FAILURE!
When the Government increases America's debt, thereby weakening us both domestically and internationally... There's LEADERSHIP FAILURE!
When the Elected Leaders in Washington forget that 'The Buck Stops Here' and instead shift the burden of THEIR Bad Choices onto the backs of our children and grandchildren... There's LEADERSHIP FAILURE!

America certainly does have a Debt Problem and Americans do Deserve Better!

Mr. Obama, thank you for giving us a clear definition of what it means to have LEADERSHIP FAILURE. I must agree, there were definitely some areas in the previous administration where there was clearly LEADERSHIP FAILURE and the area of our Fiscal well-being was certainly one of them. However, based upon your own statement and definition of LEADERSHIP FAILURE, YOU, SIR, have by far attained the status of the WORST LEADERSHIP FAILURE in our Nation's History! You have created more debt than any previous President from George Washington to George W. Bush... You have devalued the American Dollar further than anyone else before you... You have done nothing but shift blame continually for our nation's woes and you still fail to take on the responsibility of your office... You now have our nation on the brink of losing our AAA Credit Status in the world, which will not only further devastate our national economy, but it will have a global effect...
Therefore, utilizing your own words to judge your Leadership as the President of the United States of America and based upon your record as President, you have clearly FAILED to utilize proper LEADERSHIP thus far. And as previously stated, I must say that I agree with your Judgement call on this one.


In 2011 America, it's not only our Fiscal Integrity that is rapidly being stripped away, but there is also tragically for all of us a massive deficit of Personal and Professional Integrity among our elected Leaders.

Pray for America! Pray for our Leaders to walk in the Will of God! Pray for your families and draw near unto God! No matter how much things change in this Country, remember God is still God... He's still in control... He's still faithful... And He'll still take care of His own...

God blessed America! Now, it's time for America to bless God!

Pastor Robbie Bankens
Petal, Mississippi
August 2, 2011

The Unsegregated Family of God

Galatians 4:26 – 28 (I've Placed My Own Commentary of This Scripture in Parenthesis):

26 For you are all the Children of God by Faith in Christ Jesus. (Of course, the Apostle Paul is speaking exclusively to Christians here, namely those at the Church of Galatia, but extensively to all Christians who would come after as well.)

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (In other words, if you’re saved, then you are robed in Christ and you are no longer your own, but you are His).

28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (This proclaims the fact that to we who are in Christ, there is absolutely no Racism! No Classism!  No Sexism!)

As I have been stating, proclaiming, preaching and teaching for a long time, there is absolutely no room for Racism, Racial Segregation or Prejudice within the Body of Christ!  We are ALL robed in Christ, not skin color, whether it’s black, white, brown, olive or red.  It matters not!  As children of God, who are in Christ Jesus, we are now all of one Family, (God’s Family), of one body, (The Body of Christ), and of one Race, (The Human Race).

Revelation 5:9

And they sang a new song, saying:

"You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of EVERY Tribe and Tongue and People and Nation…”

This is the scene around the throne of the Lord Jesus Christ after the Church is called up to Heaven.  Notice that the congregation round about the throne is much different than many Christian Churches today.  We see here that there is absolutely no hint of Racial Segregation in Heaven.  For they have been redeemed from EVERY Tribe, EVERY Tongue, EVERY People and EVERY Nation upon the face of the Earth!

If you call yourself a Christian and you feel like you have the right to propagate Racial Segregation, then I must tell you that you are wrong!  Regardless of what you may call it or what you may give as your reason for feeling that way, the bottom line is that it is rooted in Pride, Self-Righteousness and Prejudice. 

Racism is not a trait that comes natural at birth.  Racism is taught and instilled within the heart of a child and here in the Deep South that I love and have proudly called my home for 43 years, it has been instilled within hearts of young people who grow to be old people, for generation after generation.  It’s not been instilled within the hearts of merely one race, but it’s been taught to children of all races.

If you are a member of the body of Christ and you have Racism in your heart, then your Racism will cause you to be a cancer on the body of Christ.  Because as a member of His body, when you are against another member of His body, you are acting just as a cancer cell would within a human body.  Cancer cells within the human body, attack other cells, thereby killing and destroying the body.  That’s exactly how Racism works within the body of Christ.  That’s why Racism must be excised from the hearts of the members of His body. 

As the body of Christ, regardless of what the pigmentation of your skin may be, I appeal to you to search your heart and should there be any trace of Racial bigotry, hatred or prejudice within you, ask God to replace that with the eyes of Christ and to give you His love for all people, whether they love you in return or not.  Agape Love, the Love of God, is a selfless, unconditional love and it loves even when it’s not returned.

The Bible says that Judgment begins at the House of God.  Therefore, before we can help turn someone else away from their sin, we must first examine ourselves and get our own hearts right.  Stop pointing the finger at someone else and saying things like, “Well, there’ll never be Racial healing, because that other Race don’t want it.”  If that be the case, then it will be between them and God.  We, as Christians must get our own hearts right.  I can’t control how others feel…  I can’t control how others love…  I can’t control whether or not someone will choose to discriminate against me because of my race…  But I can submit MY heart unto the Lord and through the power of the Blood of Jesus, give the Holy Spirit latitude to work within my life and share that Agape Love of Christ even when it’s not returned.

I’m just thinkin’ out loud tonight and thought I’d share…  My words may sting, but aren’t meant to harm.  I speak this in love…  

May the love of God dwell within your heart always…  I love you all…

Pastor Robbie Bankens

Americans - Read The Handwriting On The Wall...

I am no prophet, by any definition of the word, but I do have some very clear understanding of End Time Events, according to Scripture and as well, I make it a point to educate myself daily through news agencies from around the world as to ...what is happening.

I believe with all of my heart in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture of the Church. I'm not posting that to debate with anyone about it. But I believe that the Bible clearly spells that out for us. I also believe, based upon Scripture such as the Words of Jesus in Matthew 24... I believe that we are living in the Last Days prior to Christ's Return, which tells me that the 7 Year Tribulation Period is very near, even at the door. Jesus said that we wouldn't know the hour, nor the day, but we would know when it was near, based upon the clear and evident signs in our world. Those signs are hear and have never converged in unison with such force as they are now. The bottom line is that I'm looking for Jesus at any moment. I believe that the catching away of His church is so very soon.

However, I still don't know how long we'll be here before He comes and I also don't know how bad things are going to get prior to His calling us out of here.

I can clearly see, as should anyone who has their eyes wide open be able to see, that what is taking place in the world is about to change our way of life to a degree in which I don't think we can really comprehend yet. I pray that I'm wrong, but I don't believe that I am.

Crude Oil is what keeps this giant nation and economy running. Without a steady flow of Oil, we will grind to a halt quickly. We are sitting on some of the largest Oil deposits in the world, but because of the Environmental extremists in this country and the liberal left, we have sat by and allowed absolutely no drilling in these vast sources. We've built no new refineries in decades. Obama has devastated our Oil Industry even more since the Gulf Oil Spill.

Therefore, we are completely dependent upon the Oil Rich Countries of the world, mostly Arabs, which hate us. We have been making our enemies richer and richer for decades. Our currency is now nearly worthless and will be completely worthless very soon.

But right now, with our economy in shambles... We are by all definitions, Bankrupt... Our military is spread thinly all around the world, with 2 wars being fought in the Middle East itself... There is a Global food shortage that is soon to be made manifest... The countries that are holding the Oil hate us... Islam is rising up around the world and they are spreading Sharia Law... The Muslims are in the streets of Egypt, Libya, Iran, etc. shouting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel"... Libya has just stopped a little bit of the flow of oil and already we're seeing Crude trading at over $102/Barrel today. Gas prices are rising daily. Ours went up .09 cents overnight last night and this morning were at $3.36 per Gallon... BUT we haven't seen anything yet!!! It's just in the very early, beginning stages of what is about to take place.

Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier of Oil to the U.S. If anything happens with Saudi Arabia, experts are saying we could see Oil trading at over $200 / Barrel. The government in Egypt was just overthrown... Libya is now in flames and we have moved Warships into the Mediterranean Sea because of it... Jordan is shaking... Iran is shaking... Yemen is shaking... Oman is shaking... Syria is shaking... Bahrain is shaking... Saudi Arabia is shaking and on March 11th they are preparing for a "DAY OF RAGE"... IRAQ is plummeting into chaos!!!

Now, why does all of that matter? First of all, we must get our heads out of the clouds in America and realize that the vast majority of these people HATE us!!! They don't merely dislike us... They're not merely different from us... They HATE us and want to see our blood running in the streets... They feel that way, because their Koran/Quran commands them to! They are taught that they are to take over the entire world and invoke Islamic Law or Sharia Law throughout every nation and force everyone to submit to Islam or suffer the consequences which is execution! Some of these governments, such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia have not been ruled by strong Islamic Arab Leaders, however now that they are being overthrown, the Islamic Leaders are coming to power and invoking total Sharia Law in those governments... These people have always wanted to bring down the Great Satan, "America" and the Little Satan, "Israel". But they've never had the power, nor means to do it. However, they do now!!! OIL!

We are completely dependent upon them. If they are able to control the Oil in Saudi Arabia and any of these other nations, they can charge us any amount they want to and because we are now Bankrupt, we can't pay the price. This is what they want. Because if they can do this, they will literally bring us to our knees and bring this nation to a grinding halt...

Food prices would sky rocket to the point we couldn't buy them and besides that, the trucks wouldn't be able to freight them due to the fuel prices... We could see fuel prices easily hit $10 or $12 per gallon or more... This would completely cripple the United States of America...

Then we have the border troubles... With our open borders, it will be nothing at that time for our enemies to walk right in and pounce on us... Experts say, and we've already witnessed proofs of this, but they already have terrorists and suicide bombers in this country sitting on ready when the time comes...

Then we haven't even gotten to China yet. China is the nation who right now owns us and China is not our friend either. They too are ruthless. They have been talking about rejecting the American Dollar as the World's Reserve Currency for sometime. This will happen soon as well and when that takes place, all of the money that we now hold in our hands or wallets or banks or wherever, will be as worthless as the garbage in our garbage cans...

The bottom line is this, we don't need to be ignorant when the Handwriting is on the Wall... We don't need to act as if everything will be alright because we're Americans... We also don't need to be deceived and think that this can't happen because we're Christians...

I read the "Voice Of The Martyrs" Magazine publication every month and Christians are suffering and dying continually around the world because of their faith. We are not exempt in America!

We need to PRAY!!! and PRAY some more!!! We need to recognize what's really important in our lives... Faith, Family, Church, Food, Water... And we need to be prepared... I believe that soon, Food and Water are going to the things that people are in need of... People should be preparing now, not out fear, but out of wisdom and good common sense... Joseph, in the Book of Genesis, saw the Famine coming long before it happened and began preparing for the famine by storing food during the good years and when the bad years came, he was able to eat and feed the others as well... Be prepared... Hard Times are coming!!! But while you're preparing, keep looking up, because Jesus is coming too!!! :-)

I'll write more later...

Can You Discern The Signs Of The Times?

Matthew 16:1-3

Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

Never have the signs of the End-Times been anymore clear than they are today and they're becoming clearer and clearer as the days progress.  I am not alarmed!  I am not afraid!  I am neither discouraged, nor distressed!  My faith in the Lord and the surety of His Holy Word are growing stronger each day. 

As I see the events in our world unfolding, it simply causes me to realize once more just how true and accurate the Bible is.  It also let's me know that time as we know it is very short.  All of these things must come to pass, because God's Word has forewarned that they would.  God is not surprised by any of it and neither should His children be.  For He has already told us in His Word that these things must happen.

I am continually posting different articles, links and events, both on www.facebook.com/pastorrobbie and www.robbiebankens.com, that are taking place in our world which are clearly Signs of the End-Times, because there are many, many who are asleep and apathetic, believing that because we live in the United States of America, things will always go on, just as they always have.  I have Christians who have deleted me and sent me very ugly private messages telling me that as a Pastor, I shouldn't be posting that sort of stuff and that I should be trying to build people's self-esteem and help them believe in themselves.  Well, first of all, no where in scripture do I find where we have been called to build people's "self-esteem" or to help them believe in "themselves".  That's not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even though many are trying to present it as Gospel.  That's nothing less than New-Age teachings being cloaked in the name of Christianity.  Anyone who teaches that garbage is Christian in name only!  The most elementary, fundamental, basic, entry-level lesson of Christianity is "SELF-DENIAL"!  Oops!  That won't go over real well with many!  Jesus Himself said in Matthew 16:24, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me."  Self-Denial is still entry-level Christianity, but very few truly believe that anymore.  Also, we've not been called to teach people to "believe in themselves".  The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:8-11, "But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."

Self is not the answer! Self is the problem!  Jesus is the only answer!

Paul also wrote to the Church at Galatia, in Galatians 1:6-10, "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."

I'm not trying to please, nor impress men.  Men gave me not my calling, but God and God alone.  Therefore, I will seek to please God and I will proclaim with boldness and without apology the Truths of His Word, knowing that some will be offended.  The Bible also says that "The Cross is an offense to those who perish."  The message of the Gospel isn't meant to tickle everyone's ear and make them feel good.  It's going to prick the heart at times and it's gonna bring conviction. 

It should also stir our hearts about the hour in which we're now living and the fact that souls are dying lost and without Jesus Christ every moment of everyday.  The world is quickly rolling toward chaos and if ever the Church needed to awaken and once more be the Salt & Light that we've been ordained to be, we need to now.

It's time for men and women of God to again stand up for the righteousness and truth of God's Word and not just some form of Christianity which resembles nothing of the Bible.

The nation's of our world are beginning to collapse...  America is bankrupt, both morally and financially...  Only those who's heads are in the sand believe that America's best days are ahead of her...  Folks, this world is rapidly heading for Tribulation and the Time of Jacob's Trouble, as the Bible calls it.  It's not being negative, faithless or doom and gloom to say that.  I believe what the Bible says and Jesus gave us very clear signs to look for.  The Signs Are EVERYWHERE!!! 

Matthew 16:1-3 was an indictment then and it's an indictment now against all of those who simply refuse to open their eyes and see where we are and what time it is... 

Matthew 16:1-3
Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.  He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

We can look at the signs in the skies and predict the weather, but many can't look at the signs in the world and proclaim where we are prophetically speaking.

Again, I'm not down!  I'm not discouraged!  I don't feel a sense of doom, nor gloom!  I'm telling you that all these things must take place, according to scripture, but if you know Jesus as your Lord and your Savior, the outlook is getting better and better all the time!   The end of this story is marvelous for the children of God.

But for those who aren't saved! For those who don't truly know the Lord!  For those who are drifting further and further away!  The end of the story is horrible and eternal...

Time is short and we must sound the alarm and raise the alert and point souls to the only hope of Salvation - JESUS CHRIST!  JESUS CHRIST!  JESUS CHRIST!

Self-Esteem is useless when the world is crashing and eternity is approaching...  Believing in yourself will be of absolutely no benefit!  But esteeming the name of Jesus and placing all of your faith, trust and hope in Him without reservation, will guarantee Salvation!

Jesus is still THE Way, THE Truth and THE Life!  He's coming very soon!  Are you ready?

A Pastor's Heart

I received the following writing "A Pastor's Heart" today from a friend of mine on Facebook, Nanci J. Mullett.  It was so true, beautiful and encouraging that I wanted to share it here, so with her permission, here it is.  I pray that it's as great a blessing to you, as it was to me.

A PASTOR'S HEART

"I have a burden, Pastor,
that I'd like to lay on you.
"I listened, tho he never knew
I had a burden too
I took a tearful look toward mine;
Then his came into view.
'Twas plain to see my burden was
The larger of the two
I saw his load alongside mine,
And, tho they both were real,
The yoke he bore was made of wood,
And mine was made of steel
To him I said, "Come unto me;
I'll gladly carry thine";
Then whispered unto selfishness,
"But who will carry mine?"
I softly laid my burden down
To help him his to bear,
While knowing that my heavy load
I'm not allowed to share.
I'll help him with his burden,
then Regain mine after while
When I will sigh and weep once more,
While now I force a smile.
I felt the CHAINS OF BONDAGE till
A CAPTIVE came to me.
He bade me help him break the bands,
And aid him to be free.
I saw the fetters binding him,
And felt a pity pain.
For his were made of little rope,
And mine of heavy chain.
I laid aside my heavy chains,
So he, my help, could borrow.
I'll help free him of bondage now,
And think of mine tomorrow.
A DOUBTER knocked at study door;
I had an urge to groan,
"Why bring your pebble doubt to me,
When mine is made of stone?"
I smiled at him and listened,
while Believing in my doubt.
I laid it down reluctantly,
And feigned about a happy shout.
I sat ALONE in darkened room,
And felt a shadow's knife.
Another came to share with me
Some darkness in his life.
As I compared my night with his,
His dark possessed a lack.
For his was just an evening shade,
While mine was midnight black.
I slowly laid my nighttime down,
To help him seek for light.
I'll tread my dimming path again,
When I have made his bright.
A TROUBLED SOUL came to my door,
A problem to confide.
I had a problem, too, that day;
'Twas hard for me to hide.
My problem was a mountain steep,
And his was just a hill.
My problem was an ocean wide,
And his a tiny nil.
Yet, 'tis my lot to fill his need,
And put mine on the shelf.
For I must lay my heartache down,
And hide it from myself.
He told me of a broken heart,
While mine was breaking too.
I told him of a mending God
Who maketh all things new.
He told me of his thirsty soul;
I gave him living water
.He said he was a broken vase;
I told him of the Potter.
Another came when I was SICK
To say he had the flu.
His fever was a hundred-one,
And mine a hundred-two.
Another came when I was FAINT,
To say that he was weak.
Another came when I was DUMB,
To say he could not speak.
Another WEEPING SEEKER came,
For me, his tears to dry.
I went alone and wiped my eyes,
Then told him not to cry.
Another came when I was TIRED,
To say he needed rest.
I lifted him with weary arms,
And tried to give him zest.
AND NOW, IT'S LATE,
and all have gone,
Each one to his abode.
So I must find my problems, and
Regain my heavy load.
Where is the burden I had borne?
I had it while ago!
Where is the problem I must solve?
I left it here, I know!
Where is the darkness I once knew?
I now see only light.
The chains, the tears, the pains, the fears,
Are nowhere now in sight!
 'I cannot find my broken heart!
Where is my fevered brow?
I have a song! the tears are gone!
I cannot find them now!
My sickness, now, hath turned to health!
And trust replaceth fright!
Assurance covers all my doubts;
My darkness now is light
I heard a voice from Heaven say
"My child, 'tis always true:
When you take care of others' needs,
I will take care of you."