” Full, Redacted Report” is an oxymoron.
(no political comment either way—just an oxymoron)
MY PART ? (1 of 3) – – – “HURRY UP AND WAIT”
September 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Many people and situations in life tell us to “hurry up.”
But “the race is not always to the swift.”
And what might we miss while we are hurrying?
And just what’s with the “up” part?
Get up the ladder—get it done—and then what?
Often, after we hurry up, we have to wait.
Many people in a hurry can’t wait, so . . .
. . . so they hurry to the next rush, and miss more .
And, they miss more of the more important.
The most important things in life take time.
The most important things in life can’t be done in a hurry.
The most important things in life require undivided attention.
The first step in overcoming “the tyranny of the urgent” is to choose some urgent thing that is not going to get done, while choosing some valuable thing to do instead.
God.
Family.
Love.
Faith.
Serving.
And,
Waiting.
God—“Pray without ceasing (no rush)?”
Family—Sacrifice yourself, and give.
Love—Spelled “Time.”
Faith—“Trust in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him.”
Service—“He humbled Himself, and became the Servant of all.”
Waiting—Doing nothing. “Stand still, and see God save the day.”
So the more Biblical mandate would be:
Instead of “Hurry up and wait,”
Wait first, on God, and then you will have plenty of time to do something that counts—something that He counts.
ECONOMY UP – – – CHURCH [ATTENDANCE] DOWN
June 20, 2018 By Leave a Comment
After 911, churches were full—for a short time.
Then we recovered—from both 911 and full churches.
America got back on our feet—and we didn’t need God so much anymore.
Congress sang “God Bless America” on the Capital steps—then the Democrat convention booed God, loudly.
The economy had a heart attack in 2008—and some reconsidered the “security” piled in their retirement savings portfolio.
Then experts and financial advisors figured out how to “fix” it and “prevent” it and make people believe it so we can’t get hurt again—and everybody jumped back into the American retirement dream.
Hard Times—Need God.
Good Times—Not So Much.
In God We Trust—God Bless America.
Undeniable ?
Or perhaps, more accurately:
In God We Trusted—God Blessed America.
Indisputable!
What about today?
Economy up, way up—Churches falling over each other like dominoes, waffling before the twisted distortions of lgbt, immigration, social pressure, and watering down the Word of God.
I say again, “It will get harder to be a Christian in America—but it will become easier to tell who is a Christian.”
P.S. to WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM ?
February 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Obviously, you need to read the other post first.
Notice, I did not say, “If you fixed your problem” or “If you figured out how to fix your problem” or “If someone else told you how to fix your problem” or “If ‘the doctor’ told you to fix your problem, or else” or “If . . . ”
I said, “Simply, if your problem was fixed, . . . ”
But if you would like a Bible verse to put this in perspective, I do have one:
“Seeing that all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation and godliness?”
There is something about our conversation, our very spoken words, that directs our lives—just like there is something inside that directs our conversation, our spoken words.
You see, our spoken words (not our thoughts) put us on record before other people with accountability—like built-in technology that impacts everything in our lives from day one.
DEAD OR ALIVE ?
February 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment
“One day you will read that Billy Graham has died; don’t you believe it. I will be in heaven, and more alive than I have ever been.”
—remembered by Billy Graham’s grandson, Wil.
(9) REFORMATION REQUIRED AGAIN – – – AND AGAIN, and . . .
February 10, 2018 By Leave a Comment
(please read these Reformation articles in numbered order)
The two biggest pitfalls of the church today:
—the effect of evolution
—the effect of money
The first one here:
The very possibility that Christians could entertain combining Genesis and evolution in any way, proves the church is not clearly teaching that the Bible alone is enough.
The church has succumbed to equal opportunity infiltration.
The church has relinquished its Biblical mandate for training the next generation, by sending the children to public schools.
The long-term weakening of the American church by brainwashing a generation through the teaching of evolution, without full-scale in-your-face rejection/correction by the church in the culture, now leaves the church powerless or voiceless against the relentless onslaught of more unimaginable perversions.
Jesus loves the little children, in his arms.
So, satan hates the little children, in his arms—molech.
I don’t know how we did it, substituting/progressing from the unthinkable burning to death of infants in the arms of a red-hot statue, to the “not-see” holocaust of doing the same with chemical weapons and knives.
The never-again nazi holocaust pales in comparison—just check the numbers.
WHY DID THE CHURCH NOT STOP THIS IN AMERICA?
Because we did not stop the teaching of evolution.
Because we did not stop the banning of prayer and the ten commandments.
Because we thought “the old-deluder-satan act” was out of date.
That was a law requiring the Bible taught in all schools, so satan could not delude our children, and the next generation.
He kills the littlest children—hissing to the parents,”they are an inconvenient accident.”
He destroys the survivors—hissing to the children, “you are just a random accident.”
He carries his hatred of the children, from subversion, to perversion—hissing to the children, “you are not stuck with what God made you—a boy or a girl in the wrong body by a mistaken accident.”
Say what?
How can that ancient lie line work in our scientifically enlightened world?
Oh, we know so much, and we know nothing.
So what does this all have to do with Reformation, Again?
We have made the middle ages—the dark ages before the Reformation—look like a Sunday School picnic compared to what we have allowed right in front of our eyes.
Horror that rivals any other in history—horror that we have largely condoned—horror that we are supposed to stop in the name of Christ. (Telemachas***)
We “have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood, striving against sin.”
The church got comfortable in America, and lost its Godly influence for change against sin.
Lot got comfortable in Sodom, and lost his Godly influence for change against sin.
And how did that turn out?
Who had the last volley in the culture wars in Sodom?
The frog, comfortable in the gradually boiling pot of water, does not jump out, he says nothing, and he dies, useless.
***Telemachus was a fourth century Christian monk from Asia (Turkey).
An inner voice led him to go to Rome, not knowing why.
He followed the crowds and ended up in the Coliseum.
Two gladiators were fighting, and Telemachus jumped into the stadium and tried get between them to stop them.
He shouted three times, “In the name of Christ, forbear!”
He immediately got the attention of thousands, and he immediately got his reward with Jesus.
But that is not all—because of the bold act of Telemachus, the emperor immediately decreed an end to these “games.”
(8) REFORMATION REQUIRED AGAIN – – – AND AGAIN, and . . .
February 10, 2018 By Leave a Comment
(please read these Reformation articles in numbered order)
Over the years, and over the centuries, people in the church have been accustomed to accepting and depending on leaders and theologians adding to the Bible with wording and labels and high-sounding doctrines that are more man-made than Biblical.
Not long after Christianity started, it became common practice for church doctrine to combine the Bible and church edicts—making the average church member unable to distinguish between God’s Word and man’s teaching.
And this continues today—blatantly in the Catholic church, and more subtly in others (although often not so subtle any more).
Satan’s original lie is alive and well and effective, today,
“Did God really say?”
Many doctrinal defenses are more about separating churches to maintain distinctiveness (and power/control), than about the simple Word of God.
The Reformation shook the world with the re-discovery of two words that were in the Bible all along—“faith alone.”
The church had hidden them from the people with all their high-sounding mumbo-jumbo about heaven and hell tied with purgatory and indulgences and praying to saints.
How did the church get away with that?
Surely we learned our lesson—it’s so obvious.
Apparently not.
—Human nature always looks for new opportunities for control in the church.
—The influence of the world always looks for new compatibility with Christianity.
And both are working in the American church today.
Reformation again, today ?
If we remember and accept that we are not much different than Israel in the Old Testament, then perhaps we will not be so resistant to reformation again.
Israel went round and round, and round and round again—blessed, wayward, punished, repentant, returned, revived, forgiven, and blessed again.
The Bible tells the stories over and over, in the history books, in the psalms, in the prophets, in the New Testament.
Somehow we think we arrive at doing better, and don’t have to go through reformation again.
We don’t really believe we have to “turn from our wicked ways” again, because we’re already Christians.
And God help the person who gets specific about the “wicked ways” of His people in the church today—you might not fare better than the guys five hundred years ago.
After years of agonizing inside the church, Luther finally and suddenly sees the errors of the Catholic church.
He corrects some of them—thank God.
So Protestant churches grow.
Then people get tired of all the new name-brand churches that develop, and start independent churches.
Some of them stay small and intimately dependent on the Bible.
Some grow and still stay intimately dependent on the Bible.
And some grow big and popular and outgrow that intimate dependence on the Bible.
There is often something innately dangerous about big and popular churches—not exactly what Jesus promised repeatedly.
Specifics next—no risk of popularity here.
2018 – – – A ONE-WORD RESOLUTION
January 1, 2018 By Leave a Comment
I strongly recommend the following one-word New Year’s Resolution.
It takes no energy (except maybe for some my age or older).
It can take only a few seconds a day (or maybe longer after a few days—your choice).
It is best first thing in the morning and last thing at night (or maybe anytime you need it).
It may work well in your bedroom (or maybe somewhere else if you wish).
It requires no equipment (or maybe a functional and visual reminder).
It should be in private (or maybe including family members).
It will include One partner every time (and maybe sometimes others, but very limited).
It is very simple—anyone can do it—but very few do it.
It is not a magic formula, but I personally believe it will impact your life immensely, for good.
Please, just try it ! ! !
It is simply the underlined word in the following passage:
“Come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord,
Our God, our Maker.” —–His Book
(Now, reread the above.)
Making A Difference In Your Life In The Parts That Are For Keeps
WHAT WILL CHRISTMAS BRING THIS YEAR ?
December 23, 2017 By Leave a Comment
What will Christmas bring this year?
Everyone will definitely have an answer to that question.
Lots of wishes.
Lots of dreams.
Lots of food.
Lots of gifts?
(maybe some questions)
Lots of family?
Lots of friends?
Lots of peace?
Lots of memories?
Lots of feelings?
Lots of something missing?
Lots of heartache?
Lots of uncertainty?
Lots of busy?
Lots of stuffing?
Lots of stuffing feelings?
Lots of pretending?
It’s Christmas.
Just be happy.
Sounds good to me.
Then I got this message at 6:45 this morning, December 23, 2017:
“Marine commandant put the marines on notice that they need to move to a wartime footing as war clouds are gathering in the Korean Peninsula and the Russia region.”
Lots of people and ideologies would very much like to strike terror at this time.
So what should we think the next few days.
Thankfully, Christmas helps us for a moment to forget the terrible evils in the world, growing bolder daily.
We’ve heard the war stories when Christmas triggered a spontaneous cease-fire, and enemies stopped to sing Christmas carols together and celebrate something greater than the reasons for war.
Of course, they went back to fighting the next day.
I don’t expect that to happen this year.
There isn’t any common ground between the forces gearing up for the big one.
The fighters who want to destroy us, and the populations sharing their ideology, will never relent.
I am very thankful for the U.S. military, and I support whatever we can do to defeat evil again.
But is this worldwide disaster in the making, just another page of history that will come and go like other conflicts?
Anyone who stops long enough to think and reflect, even two days before Christmas, will acknowledge widespread anxiety.
This is not going to go away.
We need answers.
Busy isn’t going to cover the anxiety and fear much longer.
It’s not enough to just say that good guys and bad guys always fight, and we’ll carry on after.
Here is my best effort to put answers into words:
Fact—Christians and Jews are the target of terrorists and the target of those who want to go soft on terrorists.
This explains nearly 100% of all attacks worldwide, including in the United States.
So, are you a Christian?
That will determine your future, and will determine where you get answers in this confusing time.
Jesus promised his followers that the world would hate them—that those who kill them would think they are doing god service.
The first thing muslims learn when they become Christians, is being willing and ready to die for their new faith.
We will learn that in America as well.
Now, what about Christmas?
Jesus also promised that he overcame the world that hates his followers.
Jesus gives his followers peace, but not peace like the world gives.
Real answers for real peace for real Christians don’t come from my words, or from culture or politics or military.
Answers come from His Book—that means spending time in it—that simple.
Encouragement comes from spending time with others who are spending time in His Book.
Talk about that while you share your Christmas celebration.
(1) REFORMATION REQUIRED AGAIN – – – AND AGAIN, and . . .
November 2, 2017 By Leave a Comment
(please read these Reformation articles in numbered order)
Every generation tends to think they know a little more than their parents.
There are exceptions, such as the pioneer days of American history, when we had a package of information, of values, that we passed on to the next generation intact.
The next generation knew where they were, where they stood, and what was important.
And they picked it up, and there was a consistency.
Then we started thinking, “We can do better than that. We’ve got to move ahead. We’ve arrived.”
So every generation thinks they’ve arrived—better than the previous.
And in a few advances in technology, in industry, in medicine, that may be true.
But man does not keep getting better as we wish.
And the same phenomenon happens in the church eras.
God gives Moses the Ten Commandments, and then a few others.
And then it starts happening.
The church leaders (they weren’t called church then), the religious leaders can’t resist adding a few more rules of their own to what God had said, and then a few more.
After awhile the people become weary of the all the rules (which don’t actually speak to their hearts) and drift away from God.
The Children of Israel turn away from God, and God sends bad stuff, and they turn back to God, and then they have revival.
Other times they discover something that has been covered up.
Josiah finds God’s Book in the ruins, and they have a revival.
This is repeated and repeated and repeated.
And by the time Jesus comes along, it is out of sight, out of control ridiculous.
Jesus blasts the religious leaders of the day, and they hate Him, and they kill him.
And as soon as Jesus is gone visibly, His followers do the same thing, and face the same fate.
Fast forward.
Anytime in these two thousand years since, when anyone stuck to the real message of God in the Bible, they were hated, and often eliminated.
The most dramatic time for this to play out was five hundred years ago with the Reformation.
People were killed left and right, by the church, for getting the Bible into the hands of the people.
Martin Luther was the exception (escaping the stake burning), because the printing press got the Message—the Bible—to everyone, and the church couldn’t stop it.
Praise the Lord—people read the Bible for themselves, and the world was changed ever since ! ! ! ! !
Then what?
History starts over, doing what it does best—repeating itself.
Human nature is irresistible, and opportunity for power—in the church—grows again.
The Catholic Church gave up only as much power as they had to give up, to prevent violent revolution.
The new church had found the real message of salvation by grace through faith alone.
But they didn’t shed all the trappings that got the old church in trouble.
Luther himself didn’t want to start a new church—just fix the old one.
That wasn’t going to happen, and so to this day the Catholic Church has held on to salvation by Jesus PLUS . . . (a bunch of unbiblical garbage).
And the very church that uses Luther’s namesake (to his chagrin from the grave), and others, have created systems of control over their people that qualify for severe warnings from the Bible.
And so, REFORMATION IS REQUIRED AGAIN.