GUILTY

February 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment

We’ve always known of GUILT BY ASSOCIATION.

If you are too close to a crime, or too close to a criminal, or too closely associated with a criminal, you could very well find yourself guilty and blamed in part for a crime.

 

In recent decades we’ve observed the rise of GUILT BY ACCUSATION.

If you are accused of being controlling or harassing, you are likely assumed to be guilty first, with great difficulty to prove innocence.

 

The facts of current reality demonstrate increased GUILT BY ACCUSER.

If you are guilty, your best shot for keeping your freedom and your neck is to get the media to cover your story blaming somebody else or something else.

 

While I am totally serious about the above, I must add a lighter twist now three days later, compliments of my wonderful border collie dog, Buddy.

He is close to ten years old now, and he recently perfected the fine art of begging for something when I’m eating.

You probably know the routine—he lays his head on my leg, gently, then firmly, and looks up at me.

He locks into eye contact that does the number on me—and that, my friends, is GUILT BY ADMIRATION.

Filed Under: Educational, Political---Cultural

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.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Inspirational, Time, Uncategorized

WHAT’S YOUR PROBLEM ?

February 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment

(I’m writing this addressed to myself as well, in hopes that posting it will give fresh impetus to change my own conversation.)

So, what’s your problem?

That question is asked here in all sincerity, not in the frequent “put down” usage.

As briefly as possible, write down your specific problem (one)—your most nagging nemesis—your pet peeve about yourself—your trait that triggers negative conversation by you—your thing that keeps you from talking and living positively.

Don’t write in generalities that could describe other people as well.

What’s next is not just a trick to the power of positive thinking—I despise that as much as negative things I see that need changing.

This is not “how-to” or “self-help.”

S T O P ! ! !

REALLY STOP AND WRITE IT DOWN BEFORE YOU READ ON ! ! ! (Otherwise you will try to picture results first, and miss something.)

 

Simply:

If your particular problem was fixed, how might that affect your conversation?

 

That’s it!

I really believe that is A Word for Thought.

Filed Under: Educational, Inspirational, Time

“SCHOOL ZONE”

February 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Signs of these times?

Sign A:

SCHOOL ZONE

NO SPEED LIMIT

DURING SCHOOL

HOURS

 

Sign B:

SCHOOL ZONE

NO ARMED SECURITY

DURING SCHOOL

HOURS

 

Sign C:

SCHOOL ZONE

SECURITY

PROVIDED BY

GOD AND GUNS

DURING SCHOOL

HOURS

Filed Under: Education, Educational, Faith Based, Family, Inspirational, Political---Cultural, Time

OF MILLENNIALS AND EVANGELICALS

February 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Actually, I’m not planning to write so much here about millennials and evangelicals.

I’m observing the over-use of labels like these over the last decade or so.

For those belonging to a group, labels can give identity and power, regardless of size.

For those outside the group, labels can give a handle to talk about the group that they don’t identify with.

We’ve become a culture of “us” and “them,” tossed between pride and fear—pride in “us” and fear of “them.”

Millennials (etc.) can think they are different from generations gone before, and therefore they don’t have to follow the values and beliefs and lifestyles of those older folks.

And the challenge for those getting older, is finding younger people who appreciate their wisdom.

Everyone seems caught up in hearing and using labels—mostly to accentuate differences and further divide into groups.

Christians—and Evangelical Christians?

That sounds like “Christians”—and “Christian Christians.”

Is the English language not sufficient anymore?

Do we have to invent new labels for what used to be clear to everyone?

Or have we lost what it means to be a Christian?

Have we lost what it means to honor and listen to older people?

Have we lost what it means to be an American?

Have we lost what it means to follow the Constitution?

Have we lost what it means to follow the Ten Commandments?

Have we lost what it means to maintain continuity between generations?

Have we lost what it means to have historical perspective?

Have we lost what it means to boldly and fearlessly live out old fashioned values?

Have we lost what it means to confront evils that threaten to destroy our “one nation under God.”

We spend more time defining and using labels and talking about those we have labeled, than understanding who we are and what we believe and living out what we honestly stand for.

So, whatever groups have the newest labels and shout the loudest and get with the media and capitalize on the latest crisis and intimidate other groups they label negatively—they influence the masses and win the culture war.

Is that going to be the epitaph of America?

 

In God We Trusted

God Blessed America

 

No cliche there.

No passing label.

No avoiding history.

No inventing a new country.

Filed Under: Faith Based, Inspirational, Political---Cultural

LGBT LIBRARY DISPLAY FOR CHILDREN

February 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment

(Speech recently given before the City Council in Temple, Texas, after a 2 1/2 hour library board meeting with public comments.)

When my children were growing up, we came to the Temple Library nearly every week.

—–I have been aware for some time that the homosexual issue has been growing in this country.

I’m an American, but I’m also a Texan.

This issue, this disaster, coming to Texas, to Temple, calls me to speak out.

This is obviously much more than a library issue.

—–Several things became clear as I listened to everyone speak at the library.

Debate about censorship and rights will not settle this.

Claims of freedom of speech become pressure to accept, approve, and endorse the lgbt agenda publicly.

Claims of “civil rights” for adults do not satisfy their campaign for more.

Protection of childhood innocence about sex is giving way to pressuring children to think about things they cannot process until years later.

So adults process matters of sex for the children, to gain recruits for the lgbt agenda.

—–The summary observation from comments at the library meeting is this:

The lines are drawn, here and across the country, between Biblical Christianity and values in direct conflict with the Bible.

And the reason this is becoming a civil war for the life of America is because this country is based on principles in the Bible.

—–Concerning children’s literature, The Emperor Has No Clothes:

This whole mess is so obvious—it doesn’t let kids be kids and see life like kids should.

—–Concerning lgbt claiming Christianity (at the library meeting):

They do not and cannot ever talk about sin and repentance to salvation and obedience, only love.

—–Concerning the Bible:

Just because the Word of God is somewhat out of fashion these days—by no means does that mean it is out of power and authority.

Until recently the Bible was the guide in issues such as this, and it quickly settled the debate.

We cannot re-write or improve on what it says—we do so at our peril, as a nation, and as a community.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Political---Cultural

(12) REFORMATION REQUIRED AGAIN – – – AND AGAIN, and . . .

February 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment

(please read these Reformation articles in numbered order—this one is last)
ADDENDUM

“The church must confess that she has witnessed the lawless application of brutal force, the physical and spiritual suffering of countless innocent people, oppression, hatred, and murder, and that she has not raised her voice on behalf of the victims and has not found ways to hasten to their aid.  She is guilty of the deaths of the weakest and most defenseless brothers of Jesus Christ… The church must confess that she has desired security, peace, and quiet, possessions and honor, to which she has no right… She has not borne witness to the truth of God… By her own silence she has rendered herself guilty because of her unwillingness to suffer for what she knows to be right.”

—–Dietrich Bonhoeffer, hanged (weeks before the end of WWII) for plotting attempts to kill Hitler

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Inspirational, Political---Cultural

DID YOU KNOW ?

February 21, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Until we know that we don’t know what we need to know, to go anywhere in life, today—

Until we know that—

Until we say, “I don’t know . . .”—

Until we say, “I don’t know what to do . . .”—

Until then, we can never know what it means to . . .

—to call on God in everything,

—to depend on God in everything,

and wait, WAIT for Him to . . .

—to direct me,

—to direct my circumstances,

in ways that demand all the credit goes to Him.

Filed Under: Faith Based, Inspirational

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.

Filed Under: Faith Based, Inspirational, Time, Uncategorized

“THE THIEF COMES TO KILL, STEAL, AND DESTROY.” (part A, the bad news)

February 10, 2018 By Leave a Comment

First, satan does everything he can to kill your chances of getting eternal life—that is, giving your life over to Jesus now, for heaven forever.

Every person whom Jesus wins is satan’s loss, so he relentlessly tries every lie and trick and bribe in this battle for the souls of man.

When he kills your soul for heaven, he steals your heart for God, and destroys your peace forever.

So he replaces it with all kinds of temporary good stuff, as much as he can.

If he thinks he is successful now, in killing your eternal life, he may very well seem to leave you surprisingly alone for most of the rest of your life on earth.

This can explain why many people who have no time or regard for God and the life hereafter, seem to have an easier life here.

Such explains partially the theological cliche, “Why do good things happen to bad people?”

If satan does not win his first goal of killing your eternal life and getting you to hell—if you become a Christian, born again—he may very well give you all the hell on earth within his power.

Such explains partially the other theological cliche, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

 

There, that’s just the facts.

But that’s not all the verse from His Book.

Thank God for part B, the Good News:

Jesus said, “I come that you may have life, and have it abundantly.”

Take it—now.

Be born—again.

Get saved—today.

Choose life—live it.

Live now—and forever.

There’s more—much more.

God loves you—loves you more.

You can love Him—love Him more.

Live abundantly—with His provisions.

Live more abundantly—on His promises.

Choose life on purpose—or death by default.

Today is your best day to begin life with Jesus.

 

I pray that you will.

Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Inspirational, Time
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