We appear to have elected Barack Obama and Joe Biden to the Presidency (there still is the formality of the Electoral College, but in reality it is a done deal). I do not mourn or fear the placing of these two men per se.
Barack and his wife are a family that represent family values. As an American I cherish the right to defend his right to worship God (by what ever definition Barack has) and I will take up arms to protect that right. I pray he will uphold his constitutional obligation to do the same.
Individuals with opinions that I oppose are spread far and wide throughout the Offices of America. What burdens me is that their agendas co-incide with ballot measures throughout the state and local voting. The People at large have spoken in majority to say:
1.Assisted suicide is becoming welcomed, not a crime.
2.Abortion is not only legal and paid for by tax dollars, it can happen after live birth.
3.Same sex marriage is to become normal.
4.Soldiers are to police social-agendas, and hate-crimes, but not fight wars.
5.Wealth belongs to everyone, without regard to contribution.
6.Crime is a state of mind. If you were insane or the state doesn't mind, it wasn't a crime.
God used Babylon, Assyria, and Egypt to burn Israel to the ground, mass murder it's people, and carry off huge numbers to captivity when they forgot Him. When they remembered and repented, He allowed them to return to the burned rubble and rebuild. Israel had promises of a Nation and a People. America has no such promises.
If America chooses to ignore Jehovah, cast His name off our buildings, money and laws, if we decide to turn our collective backs on what He has done and how He brought us here...
The concern is much more than two men in the White House.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Sworn to Service
I sent some greeting cards out a few weeks ago to some service
members (two girls, one guy) who are family of our church. After
watching the Gene Hackman/Owen Wilson film "Behind Enemy Lines"
I was inspired to think of some Bible verses in military context. Since
the Bible uses military illustrations I figured it would be okay.
Sitting here now, as I write seeing returns come in, too soon to know
anything I thought it might be good for us all to remember what
Jesus said. (paraphrased by me), Matthew 10:16
"Make no mistake, I am putting you in harms way, watch each
others back. You will need the stealth of a python, but the diplomacy
of a small bird."
In a crowd of angry armed men, standing alone, Jesus said, (in effect)
that He could have instantly called for cover fire, and I do mean
FIRE of the brimstone type, but willingly walked into the enemies
stronghold.
Ladies and Gentlemen, We are and have been behind enemy lines all
of our lives. Our citizenship is in Heaven, this is not our Home.
This world hated our Master, and will hate us. 'People and politics'
come and go so while the day is still light, take Jesus to people who
need Him. The rest is just smoke & vapor.
members (two girls, one guy) who are family of our church. After
watching the Gene Hackman/Owen Wilson film "Behind Enemy Lines"
I was inspired to think of some Bible verses in military context. Since
the Bible uses military illustrations I figured it would be okay.
Sitting here now, as I write seeing returns come in, too soon to know
anything I thought it might be good for us all to remember what
Jesus said. (paraphrased by me), Matthew 10:16
"Make no mistake, I am putting you in harms way, watch each
others back. You will need the stealth of a python, but the diplomacy
of a small bird."
In a crowd of angry armed men, standing alone, Jesus said, (in effect)
that He could have instantly called for cover fire, and I do mean
FIRE of the brimstone type, but willingly walked into the enemies
stronghold.
Ladies and Gentlemen, We are and have been behind enemy lines all
of our lives. Our citizenship is in Heaven, this is not our Home.
This world hated our Master, and will hate us. 'People and politics'
come and go so while the day is still light, take Jesus to people who
need Him. The rest is just smoke & vapor.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Theology in a Penny Roll
Ever give a roll of pennies much thought? That paper tube that has fifty copper circles, stamped with the face of Abraham Lincoln. When you first try to fill an empty tube by hand, it can be a wonderful and thrilling source of frustration, until you develop a system that gets a few in place and one end folded flat. Even after a good start, a rebellious penny can interrupt the process and cause new attention to detail. Once you have a full roll with the right number and both ends properly folded, there is no need to count the next roll, just stand them next to the first, when they line up, they will have fifty, they will be perfected, they will be complete, they will be “holy”.
Consider the penny and paper tube to be created by the master. The tube, filled with pennies, stacked flat with nothing else inside, and having both ends folded closed is the masters perfect design. Anything else is “sin”.
Imagine, if you will, a man and his wife, call them Adam and Eve. They don't spit in God's face. They don't try to forcibly take over the Garden of Eden and keep God out. They don't try to sneak up on God to attack Him. I hope you get the point.
All they did was put something other than a penny in the stack. Maybe they didn't make a penny fully lay flat, or a penny was just dirty. The HEART of the matter is that the penny stack did not match up to the Master's Design. Their Penny Roll was no longer “Holy”.
In our penny rolls we get a piece of sand, mildew or other foreign object, (or penny turned on edge), so God chooses to fix us. To do so He does one of two things. One, He dumps our pennies out and restarts the filling process. Two, He breaks the paper roll open, removes the unwanted parts, and puts us back together with celestial duck tape until “He restores our soul”. The Great Physician can bring the fibers of the paper back together again or leave us wounded in this world, should it serve His purpose. The dumps out or rips out choice might not be ours, but if we rebel it will certainly be ripping.
Sadly we have been deluded into thinking, in this life, that the hard things, (sand, rocks, etc), are supposed to be there. Ezekiel 11:19 “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh”. The stony heart is accepted in this world, so when God has to use harsh measures to pull it out, such as devastating disease or the death of a child, we point our finger at God and cry FOUL!
Our superior educated minds pass judgment on God that He has no right, or reason to mess with our penny stacking. We were doing just fine on our own.
The trouble is, in fact, it just did not measure up to the Master Design.
Galatians 2:20 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.
Only He can fill my penny roll with CLEAN pennies and get it FULL, get it RIGHT, get it HOLY.
Consider the penny and paper tube to be created by the master. The tube, filled with pennies, stacked flat with nothing else inside, and having both ends folded closed is the masters perfect design. Anything else is “sin”.
Imagine, if you will, a man and his wife, call them Adam and Eve. They don't spit in God's face. They don't try to forcibly take over the Garden of Eden and keep God out. They don't try to sneak up on God to attack Him. I hope you get the point.
All they did was put something other than a penny in the stack. Maybe they didn't make a penny fully lay flat, or a penny was just dirty. The HEART of the matter is that the penny stack did not match up to the Master's Design. Their Penny Roll was no longer “Holy”.
In our penny rolls we get a piece of sand, mildew or other foreign object, (or penny turned on edge), so God chooses to fix us. To do so He does one of two things. One, He dumps our pennies out and restarts the filling process. Two, He breaks the paper roll open, removes the unwanted parts, and puts us back together with celestial duck tape until “He restores our soul”. The Great Physician can bring the fibers of the paper back together again or leave us wounded in this world, should it serve His purpose. The dumps out or rips out choice might not be ours, but if we rebel it will certainly be ripping.
Sadly we have been deluded into thinking, in this life, that the hard things, (sand, rocks, etc), are supposed to be there. Ezekiel 11:19 “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh”. The stony heart is accepted in this world, so when God has to use harsh measures to pull it out, such as devastating disease or the death of a child, we point our finger at God and cry FOUL!
Our superior educated minds pass judgment on God that He has no right, or reason to mess with our penny stacking. We were doing just fine on our own.
The trouble is, in fact, it just did not measure up to the Master Design.
Galatians 2:20 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.
Only He can fill my penny roll with CLEAN pennies and get it FULL, get it RIGHT, get it HOLY.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Kill for food?
A couple years back, we gained some puppies. We already had 2 dogs, the puppies were somebodies "gift". We live in the country, a mom and pups ended up under our porch, when she saw us, she took off and we had puppies. Fortunately they were old enough to be on solid food. One big dish was good enough for all seven, but did cause consternation for our 2 older dogs. As the pups neared a year, we had progressively found other homes for all but 2. Now we had 4 canines. Feeding became a ritual with 4 distinct separate distant bowls. I emphasize distant because if they got closer than say 3 feet of each other, growling began. Without intervention a genuine serious fight would follow. Dog owners know all this and if you are willing to pay the vet bills to establish the hierarchy let'em work it out. I prefer to keep the peace. The point is, dogs like most animals will kill to get and keep food.
People are more civilized than that right? Go to Darfur or Samolia for 6 months and come back alive before you answer the question. Currently we fear the housing market crash here in America. If in the most unbelievable worst case-scenario the Dollar goes the way of the Dodo, some wise individuals will have foresight to store food in secure places in basements and such. This will be the life future of their family.
What will you do if your food stash is secure in the crawlspace and gun toting thugs threaten to enter your home to take what you have? Will you kill for food?
People are more civilized than that right? Go to Darfur or Samolia for 6 months and come back alive before you answer the question. Currently we fear the housing market crash here in America. If in the most unbelievable worst case-scenario the Dollar goes the way of the Dodo, some wise individuals will have foresight to store food in secure places in basements and such. This will be the life future of their family.
What will you do if your food stash is secure in the crawlspace and gun toting thugs threaten to enter your home to take what you have? Will you kill for food?
Can't cope with reality? Destroy it!
How many of you remember John Lennon? While I am no particular fan, I liked a couple songs, I remember his tragic death. His killer lived a delusion of being John Lennon. The fact that a real John existed, conflicted with the delusion, so I read, and that drove the killer to pull the trigger. The ending of a real person so that a fantasy could comfortably exist.
I just read about two Canadian and one British aid worker who were killed by Taliban gunmen. The aid workers were offering food and education (such a hostile threat), for such they were struck down. They were likely in the way of someone's delusion, just like John Lennon. Let me theorize. In the fanatical schools of the Taliban, all Westerners are evil, "the great satan". The image of the great satan is hard to hold up against people who offer you food. When the woman that gives books to children, and then teaches them to read, is pointed out as the corrupter of youth, the practicality of the real person in your neighborhood makes the words of the preacher seem kind of hollow.
When the reality around you challenges your delusion, there are two choices. The first choice is to surrender your delusion. The second is to destroy that which challenges your delusion.
Of course America is not free of delusions, we have our own racism, culture wars, and self-righteousness. After we have kneeled before God and confessed OUR sin, then let us learn to prove the Taliban wrong and love our fellow man.
I just read about two Canadian and one British aid worker who were killed by Taliban gunmen. The aid workers were offering food and education (such a hostile threat), for such they were struck down. They were likely in the way of someone's delusion, just like John Lennon. Let me theorize. In the fanatical schools of the Taliban, all Westerners are evil, "the great satan". The image of the great satan is hard to hold up against people who offer you food. When the woman that gives books to children, and then teaches them to read, is pointed out as the corrupter of youth, the practicality of the real person in your neighborhood makes the words of the preacher seem kind of hollow.
When the reality around you challenges your delusion, there are two choices. The first choice is to surrender your delusion. The second is to destroy that which challenges your delusion.
Of course America is not free of delusions, we have our own racism, culture wars, and self-righteousness. After we have kneeled before God and confessed OUR sin, then let us learn to prove the Taliban wrong and love our fellow man.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Trouble with 1-800-FLOWERS
A gifted advertising group came up with a great pitch to increase FTD's sales with the 1-800-FLOWERS. That way a guy did not even have to stop in to a flower shop, be bothered with selecting an arrangement, it was delivered for him, all on the credit card and his only question was "IT COST HOW MUCH ?!?!
I bear no ill will against a good company and a successfull campaign. I only mourn the loss of genuine human touch. All some guy now had to do was dial the number. Dial the number, back before cell phones, before touch tone, the phones had a wheel on the face that you turned to select the num...never mind.
It created a detached effortless way to say, "Here, I'm busy, so I let someone else do it, I just paid for it". How romantic. Hopefully it went a little deeper than that but much of our 20th century American society's mentality tracks on that same wavelength. Rather than get personal we would rather donate cash to a corporate entity that will handle the dirty work to leave us free to pursue our self interests with a relatively clear conscience. Perish the thought of actually touching a "needy" person ourselves, it might interrupt our schedule, or make images in our memory that don't comfortably go back on the tidy shelf.
In the books of Moses, the was a festival of booths, or "sukkot". It was to be a reminder that they were once wanderers, living in shelters, a time to be humble and have kind thoughts toward those who must still live in shelters.
Who of us can say that in a year or two from now, we might not be living on the kindness of friends and strangers. MAY THEY BE AS KIND TO YOU, AS YOU WERE TO OTHERS.
I bear no ill will against a good company and a successfull campaign. I only mourn the loss of genuine human touch. All some guy now had to do was dial the number. Dial the number, back before cell phones, before touch tone, the phones had a wheel on the face that you turned to select the num...never mind.
It created a detached effortless way to say, "Here, I'm busy, so I let someone else do it, I just paid for it". How romantic. Hopefully it went a little deeper than that but much of our 20th century American society's mentality tracks on that same wavelength. Rather than get personal we would rather donate cash to a corporate entity that will handle the dirty work to leave us free to pursue our self interests with a relatively clear conscience. Perish the thought of actually touching a "needy" person ourselves, it might interrupt our schedule, or make images in our memory that don't comfortably go back on the tidy shelf.
In the books of Moses, the was a festival of booths, or "sukkot". It was to be a reminder that they were once wanderers, living in shelters, a time to be humble and have kind thoughts toward those who must still live in shelters.
Who of us can say that in a year or two from now, we might not be living on the kindness of friends and strangers. MAY THEY BE AS KIND TO YOU, AS YOU WERE TO OTHERS.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Are we hearing the Questions?
There is debate as to how to reach the lost world for Christ. In truth the people of the Church must make the Gospel relevant to each listener. Consider how Jesus approached the Woman at the well, the demoniac in the tombs, the Disciples prior to and after feeding the multitudes and how about the "Religious Elite" (as opposed to Nicodemus). Times of discernment call for hearing what questions are actually being asked, before we can tell them what needs to be heard.
One source of questions I have heard has come from a band I enjoy called "Linkin Park". One song is called Breaking The Habit part of it says;
One source of questions I have heard has come from a band I enjoy called "Linkin Park". One song is called Breaking The Habit part of it says;
Clutching my cure, I tightly lock the door
I try to catch my breath again, I hurt much more
than anytime before, I had no options left again
I don’t want to be the one, the battles always choose
'Cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream, I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean, I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright, so, I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit Tonight
I try to catch my breath again, I hurt much more
than anytime before, I had no options left again
I don’t want to be the one, the battles always choose
'Cause inside I realize that I'm the one confused
I don't know what's worth fighting for
Or why I have to scream, I don't know why I instigate
And say what I don't mean, I don't know how I got this way
I'll never be alright, so, I'm breaking the habit
I'm breaking the habit Tonight
It is not hard to hear the lyricist's pain. Is this a cry for help that resonates with young and old (hey, I like the song, and 50 is just days away, old is a state of skate board proficiency). How many of us have figured out that we can't fight every battle, but we can't decide which? We look back at what we did, shake our heads and are puzzled at our own behavior, however we are clearheaded enough to tell anyone else how to clean up their act!
When we do find forgiveness, as hard as that is, we promise to NEVER do it AGAIN, but how long does that last?
Rather than a pointed finger, a broken heart/spirit needs an open hand, and a lift up as Jesus did for the Woman caught in adultery. After the accusers were gone, Jesus patiently waited then He said softly, "Go and sin no more," end of story. God welcomes the broken, contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). The proud, the self-righteous: whether they are religious or not, will find no mercy.
When we do find forgiveness, as hard as that is, we promise to NEVER do it AGAIN, but how long does that last?
Rather than a pointed finger, a broken heart/spirit needs an open hand, and a lift up as Jesus did for the Woman caught in adultery. After the accusers were gone, Jesus patiently waited then He said softly, "Go and sin no more," end of story. God welcomes the broken, contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). The proud, the self-righteous: whether they are religious or not, will find no mercy.
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