What is going on, and how did we get to this point in time?
I just heard that a prolife group wants to buy an expensive property next to an abortion clinic. An 'in your face' alternative. Playing for a costly tie?
Our last prolife US President was a 'law and order guy' and he (and the mission) was trashed for executing justice on a world class murderer in an attempt to stabilize a 'terrorized' area of the world (a lot more today - here and abroad, even I-95). Do we need a redefinition of 'prolife'?
Today, the US Supreme Court is still Pro-Death. The last eight or ten years could have made it Pro-Life. How about God fearing leadership? 'Giveaways' or 'personal responsibility that honors God, not only here, but in the rest of the nations?'
(As of 2018 we have added two potentially pro-life Justices. If they do not get impeached, along with the President and our Constitution, and maybe 501C3!)
When I hear Classical Music I think of the arts, science, technology, even James Ussher's work, etc that came out the post Reformation period. God inspired His People to accomplish 'great things'. And much like the early Christians who overcame Rome, it was inspired by extreme persecution. Why do we always have to wait until the 'roof falls in'? Worldliness?
2nd Chronicles 20 records an event in Jehoshaphat's reign about how we deal with a powerful enemy approaching. Jehoshaphat, with Godly counsel from a good priest, calls for a congregational meeting, with prayer, supplication and Psalms. Okay so far. Then the assembled army 'goes out' to meet the enemy with the assurance that God is with them. Of course the enemy is defeated by God before they get there. Today we face a similar situation. But we seem to be doing everything but 'going out', after the meeting? Oh we might invite others to Sunday meeting, etc., but to be honest, I had to find Jehoshaphat's story on my own, not to mention many other His'tories.
I was born 11/1944 (a pre baby boomer), raised and mentored by WWII folks. A Joshua/Caleb generation. A people raised in hardship, but up to the task. In grade school had the Big 10 in the hallway and first 3 years of high school still had the Lord’s Prayer. My last year, 1962, we were asked to memorize the ‘monkeys to man charts’. Confused until 1975 when I read Genesis 1.
(In 2011 when I retired, antenna tv was taking off. Seeing the old programs I grew up with was an eye opener. Especially Perry Mason, a good exercise in following the facts and the guilty exposed. I did see one episode where the witness swore ‘so help me, God’. Otherwise it was ‘so help me’. Along with evolution in our schools, I suppose that is where we began to lose a conscience of right and wrong. So help me/us, God.)
October 1962, my first full time job, happy as a lark, waiting for my first Friday pay (cash). Everyone is concerned about the Cuban Missile Crisis. Will I get my first pay? Yes, Russia backs off, Kennedy is called a hero, and I get my $37.50. Later I find out the Russians agreed to leave if we get our Missiles out of Turkey. Russia looks bad and hello 'cold'er war'.
11/22/63, I am taking an IQ test for a 16 year job. Timed test, I finish, recheck... Finally I walkout and building is empty. I have been left behind? No, JFK is assassinated. Time for LBJ and his Great Society Giveaways.
9/11/65 drafted to assist with Vietnam, worse run war ever. Many left behind in a losing effort.
7/1/81, get my 30 year job. Ground floor of PC revolution, Reagan revolution, and B Graham and DJ Kennedy's spiritual revolution. My salvation and no lark is happier! Well, after Carter liberalization.
04/20/99 (Columbine Day) diagnosed with lymphatic cancer. A Jewish doctor cures me (or God, depends on who you ask). After Clinton immoral’ization.
Shortly thereafter, I get an advanced copy of Ussher's Annals on my desk, and like an old boss, selling what we don't have, dumps a manual on my desk, and I hear, 'what are you going to do with this'? Am I a happy lark? You bet. When I am rejected for this work, am I happy? Why me Lord?
Nixon makes treaties and Reagan 'brings down the wall', 9/11 (a wakeup call to responsibility) and both Bushes negotiate a temporary stability in the Middle East (undermined from the beginning and ultimately squandered). "Fix it there, or it comes here". A 3rd competent Bush could not get a hearing, thanks to low information voters (foreign, imported, domestic, pagan, and otherwise). A lot of folks ‘beat the bushes’, or ‘flail at those who espouse responsibility’.
Well anyway, eventually: Hello friendship, business and space partners, religious freedom for Russian Christians. Today, well since 2006 (irresponsible Congress ... President voted in - what Constitution and responsible behavior?), we have our military on alert in Asia, and our Missiles backing up the Europeans at the new 'imMaginot Line', near Russia, the Middle East aflame again, and terrorism and immorality everywhere, and of course world courts that decide that The 10 Commandments are the 10 Rights of man to break them.
The jury is still out on the 2016 Presidential Election. My gut feel: “we voted out of anger”. We should be looking at “who is a good diplomat, and respects the 10 Commandments”. Well, tougher versus tough may be what we need. Bull in the proverbial China Shop.
Good leadership is essential. Good King/Bad King. Bad Kings have to humiliate others (and the Truth) to elevate themselves. Then we get a Good King and bash them for resuming tough choices. And I have a corrected take on that 60's favorite 'When will they ever learn?'. 'They' means 'we'. If 'we' don't care, why should 'they'.
What do we say to that 'great cloud of witnesses'? And who is the 'last generation'? Being retired, I watch and listen. I sense the world is really worried and confused. A perfect time for "Good News". They might be listening. Need more happy larks. Not paid for by a Super PAC. But, sure 'pray' that it is approved by the Seven Churches.
12/25/2018 My 74th Christmas. In my early years of school and even my early years of Church I was exposed to the right kind of ‘critical thinking’ or we can be victors. I have seen the evolution to the wrong kind of ‘critical thinking’ or maybe total depravity or we have nothing left but to be victims.
Don’t know a lot about FDR other than DDE and the American people won WWII. And I suppose history is favorable to HST and JFK. Of course they were catering to a more conservative electorate.
Lately the PC crowd has been trashing the Founding Fathers for being slave owners, or those poor ‘Native’ Americans, who came from Asia and probably took it from those who preceded them.
Truth is that my ancestors, who were immigrants, worked as slaves or servants, depending on who they worked for, had to work and learn their way into the System. Today’s ‘affirmation action’ is literally killing us: anyone can do anything regardless of their skill level, and training is on the job.
The same crowd today also says ‘nations without borders and lands without laws’. Is this rocket science? Or the Tower of Babel Attitude?
Lincoln is praised for freeing the slaves. Yet if we apply the servant/slave principle and the immigrant integration principle and the religious abolitionists ignorance of the same things, the US Civil War may never have happened, and the problem may have peacefully resolved with legal definitions.
Of course we have the Dred Scott Decision in 1857 that basically said the Black people were not people and the Roe v Wade Decision in 1973 that basically said the unborn are not people, until they are born (well a little after maybe). Is this rocket science? Or the Tower of Babel Attitude’?
Or do we have Church leadership, then and now, who will not understand the problem and the Biblical definitions of these issues and not passing this information on to their people, who should be helping to maintain a peaceful and orderly society. Just presenting the Heroes of Faith as heroes, and not goats, would be a great start.
Matthew 28:19. "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20. "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'' Amen.
Guess I am pretty hard on the ‘New Democrats’. And church leadership who resist our responsibility.
But there is a pattern. Lincoln said something like 'Can't please them all, all the time’. Maybe a rule of thumb is, ‘are we pleasing God?'
But which God, the god of humanism and climate change, etc. or the God of Creation and His Word.
Or what we want to do, or what He wants us to do?
The two President Bush's took a big hit for Iraq and got us two bad presidents. I believe God wanted peace for Israel, threatened by a big Iraq just next door. Iran further east got the WMD's. Kings of East problem for Israel since Cain.
Just more peace for Israel, for now. That peace blesses us in ways more than one. Pray for it.
Of course votes and public opinion count for a lot.
Back to the Democrats and irresponsible behavior.
Of course, votes count, and conservative people, or Republicans, out of self-preservation, have to be 'less responsible'.
I was born in Pennsylvania, which is now liberal, moved to NJ, which is now liberal, moved to Florida which used to be more conservative. Seems like success attracts more people, but then it is taken over by liberalism.
The infamous ‘trial lawyer’ from Florida, is suing everyone, causing discord in all walks of life. And he is looking to looking to legalize everything. Afraid he is getting a lot of support from people who want to hit the jackpot. I am afraid this is nationwide and adding more irresponsible people to the voting and ‘judicial’ process is suicide. Part of the Great Commission is political stability and peace for God's people, wherever they are.
And I am afraid that people in the Church think, this is not our problem and order more band-aids.
And just like the Pharisees teaching of Jesus time, ‘we are the chosen and the Messiah is coming soon to fix all the problems’. This complacency is a tendency in the Church that probably goes back to Adam and Eve and the anticipated seed to crush the ‘serpent’s head and restore the peace of Eden’. Or Abel’s other brother goes to conference and returns with the ‘not so’ latest. Can we agree to disagree?
Until the 2nd Coming, which looks more like the ultimate ‘rescue mission’. Who wants to be that last generation?
Heroes of Faith – Hebrews 11
http://historyreally.org/pitcairn.html
