Freedom

I’ve got to tell you, I’m really getting to the point where I am forcing myself to double check everything I read and hear. Looking for some additional interesting material about the Declaration of Independence I simply typed in the browser search box “...years since declaration of independence signed” and the first on the list of articles prominently displays “239 years...” Really? Unless I’m in some sort of time warp – 2019 minus 1776 equals 243 years. The article was written by a George Winston (warhistoryonline.com) in 2015 and listed in Google as the number one reference article. Seriously? Nobody has written any kind of article in four years? Maybe the ignorance of the country has actually caught up with us. Even the first statement in Mr. Winston’s writing says: “The US Declaration of Independence was the document that saw the United States break away from rule of the British Government and monarchy. This year (2015) it is 239 years since the declaration was signed and brought in to govern the United States.” The Declaration of Independence is simply a certificate of divorce from King George III signed by 56 courageous representatives for the people of the Thirteen Colonies declaring themselves to be an independent state among the states of the world. It was never drafted to govern a country. The Continental Congress went on to form our government and eventually write the US Constitution which governs the country to this day. But, for the lack of intelligent courageous persons to stand up and write a certificate of divorce from Satan, who is gaining the upper hand in our society every day, I fear this country is once again going to fall under the control of evil tyranny and become a worldly disgrace. God help US!

[1 Peter 2:13-17] We have heard the cry for freedom for many generations. The children of Israel cried out for deliverance from the Egyptians, and all through history men have fought to be free. Many have given their life to be free from the enslavement of other men. Our own nation has heard the rallying cry for freedom. We have fought war after war in which hundreds of thousands of young Americans have lost their life in order to preserve freedom. But all too often, while man was fighting for freedom from bondage inflicted by his fellow man, he was becoming enslaved to Satan. What is enslavement to Satan? Those who give into the “lust of the flesh, lust of the eye, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16) are under the power of Satan – enslaved to sin. “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want” (Galatians 5:13-17). We enjoy true freedom only in Christ when we obey the gospel plan of salvation: hear(Romans 10:17); believe (Hebrews 11:6); repent (Acts 17:30); confess (Romans 10:8-10) and are baptized (Acts 2:38). When we obey from the heart God forgives us our sins, and the blood of Christ continues to cleanse us as long as we abide in Him (1 John 1:7). Freedom from the oppression of man is indeed a wonderful blessing, but freedom of the soul from Satan’s power is the most important freedom we will ever experience. Real freedom is found in Jesus Christ our Lord. “...Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).

What if...?

Ever had one of those “What if I’d...” moments? We can fantasize on those “what if’s” if we want to, but the time wasted on those fantasies could have been used more wisely so we won’t need to “what if” about that wasted fantasy time later. I would imagine all of us have had the “what if’s.” Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc. One of the things that cause many in the world today to fear is the “What if…” What if our worst fear were to come true? What if I lose everything? What if my friends leave me? What if my parents divorce? What if I lose the game? What if…. What if…. What if…!! I read a saying the other day: F.E.A.R. has two meanings: “Forget Everything And Run”, or “Face Everything And Rise”. The choice is ours. We face many storms throughout our lives. These storms can cause a multitude of emotions in our lives. Loss of control, fear, beat down, desperation, and hopelessness are a few of those emotions. When we are faced with these different and sometimes difficult storms in our lives, fear becomes an option. We can be afraid and we can react to our fear by forgetting everything and running. But in order to combat fear we need to realize that God will be there with us through all our fears. We must have courage to trust in the Lord.

[Romans 15:4] “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Paul, in Acts 27, is a prisoner being transported to Rome by ship. He warns the centurion about not sailing. But Paul’s advice not to sail is ignored (v.10-11). Soon after putting out to sea, the ship encounters a major storm. The crew of the ship lost control, became fearful, beaten down by the storm, desperate, and finally hopeless (v. 15-20). But Paul has the courage and faith to stand before the crew and tell the crew what an angel from God has told him (v. 24-25) “and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God as graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” God will use storms in our lives to strengthen us. We must continue to put our faith in Him. We must focus our attention on our faith and not our fears. Joshua had been chosen and appointed by God, just before Moses’ death, to be Israel’s leader. In God’s pep-talk to Joshua (Joshua 1:7-9) God finished by saying, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you where ever you go.” The world is not being very kind to any of us of late. “The seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature” (Luke 8:1-15). Challenges lay ahead, temptations are on both sides of the road, and Satan is waiting for us to step off the path we are walking with Jesus. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6). What’s the old saying, “hindsight is 20/20?” Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of being able to go back and change the past. We can, however, let the past change the way we do things in the future. And that’s Scriptural! Surely, one “what if” we don’t ever want to ponder while in torment (Luke 16:19-31) is, “What if I’d just obeyed the gospel?” The Good News is Jesus Christ. The Good News is - we can win this battle over sin, fear and worry!

Father's Day

The responsibility of rearing children in our society today is awesome. Yet, it is the most rewarding experience that anyone will go through. It is an experience that will last a lifetime. There will be some sadness, but the many, many hours of joy and happiness will, to a degree, overshadow the sad times. God has given us the Bible, which is the perfect manual for rearing children. Yet, multitudes of fathers have chosen to ignore these perfect instructions. Through the years I have seen so many faithful, godly mothers, bring more children to worship than she can handle. Why? Because she loved God and wanted her children to learn how to love and serve God also. Another reason they do it is because the children’s father will not assume the responsibility that God has placed on all fathers. There are many excuses used by fathers to justify their action. The number one excuse is, “I just don’t have enough time.” I certainly understand how rushed we all are in our modern day society, but I also know that God commands us to be good stewards of our time. There is a horrible reality that fathers seriously need to think about. Most boys grow up following in the footsteps of their father. Therefore, there is no way to imagine how horrible it will be to see our sons condemned to hell on judgment day, knowing that it was his neglectful father’s fault. Fathers, it will not matter one bit at the end of time if we were wealthy or not in this life. But it will matter how we lived this life!

Isaiah 38:19] “The living, the living – they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell your children about your faithfulness.” Our Father in heaven has a few things to say about our fathers on earth. God said this of Abraham as he declared Abraham will become the father of nations: “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him” (Genesis 18:19). “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in” (Proverbs 3”11-12). “...The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 6:4-7). “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6). “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). After King Solomon had sought pleasure and happiness in every possible way, he came near to the end of his life. Knowing that his sons had not been trained in the way of the Lord, he wrote: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). To Solomon it didn’t matter now, that he was the richest man in the world. He knew that he had not fulfilled his duty to God and his family. Fathers, the most precious thing you have in this world, or ever will have, is your family. I beg of you to assume your God given responsibility and lead your family in putting God and His kingdom first in your life, and your family will follow your lead. “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then chose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ...But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24: 15). Happy Father’s Day, y’all.

The Ant and I

Here are ten good rules for daily living. Think on them. (1) Try never to say anything behind a person’s back that would give you the least bit of embarrassment to say to their face. (2) Try never to speak back to personal critics. Friends do not need to hear the defense and enemies would not believe it. (3) Every day, greet every person you see with a smile and make a special effort if one is poor or in unfortunate circumstances. (4) The first thing when you awake in the morning, plan what your duty for the day is, and try to go beyond it. (5) Every day, read from the Bible and from some other good book. Feeding the mind and soul is more important than bodily food. (6) Try to pay every debt you owe on time and always to save something from every paycheck, however small. (7) Like people, and never harbor any malice or hatred toward any person in the world. Like places, go there with the intention of liking the place. (8) Be a confirmed optimist, believing that even in this life evil people will be punished by their own unhappiness and good men will be rewarded. “It is better further on.” (9) Try to close each day as if it were the last day you’ll be on earth, closing the books on all regrets, worries, and annoyances. (10) The last thing to do at night is to count one by one the blessings of the day. This makes one so thankful and happy that you will soon drift into pleasant sleep. In this spirit one can hope to close life’s journey and drift into eternity feeling fulfilled.

[John 5:16-17] ...”My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” I think everything in God’s Creation has a work to do, even to the smallest of creatures – The Ant. They get into everything; they are bothersome, contrary, persistent, and, on top of all of these things, they hurt! However, the Bible tells us: “Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!” (Proverbs 6:6). Thus, we “go to the ant” for some guidance, some instruction, and some motivation. Please consider these three characteristics about ants: ANTS WORK HARD - This is the point of Proverbs 6:6-8. I am struck with how much Proverbs has to say about hard work. I am impressed and amazed with how much God’s Word overall has to say about working hard. Some other verses include: “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Proverbs 10:4). “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgment” (Proverbs 12:11). ANTS DON’T QUIT - Ants never quit. Each day, they just keep going. Whenever faced with problems and roadblocks it’s easy to quit. However, the wise person knows that giving up is not always the answer. The Bible says: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9). It is interesting to note that some Greek authorities translate the last part of this verse as “caving in.” We must not cave in! The ants don’t! ANTS ALWAYS REBUILD - When rain, kids, or my lawnmower destroys the ant mounds, those ants rebuild. In like manner, when we find ourselves “mowed down” by problems, accidents, sin, or guilt, let’s recoup. We need to “rebuild” by remembering (1) we are God’s possession (Psalm 139); (2) we have access to God’s throne of mercy and help during our time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16); and (3) God answers prayer (Mark 11:22-24). Let’s have the attitude that God’s people had in ancient days when the returned to rebuild the temple. “I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me … They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’ So they began this good work” (Nehemiah 2:18). ...”If a man will not work, he shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:6-15).

Said the Spider to the Fly

Once there was a young fly who boasted of his freedom and liberty to fly anywhere, anytime he wished to do so. He was not afraid of things new or different. He delighted in doing things the old flies thought were foolish and dangerous. He ridiculed their fears of the shimmering things the old flies called webs. Roaming the country-side one day he spotted the most beautiful sight. Shimmering in the morning sun, it looked like a queen’s crown. With burning curiosity he went for a closer look. Enjoying his experience of a lifetime, enchanted by the attractiveness of the web, he wondered why the old flies were always trying to keep the young flies from enjoying the real pleasures of life. When he lifted his wings to fly off to tell the others of his discovery, something was wrong. His feet were stuck! He struggled to break free, but became hopelessly entangled in the silken net. Ever the optimist, he kept reassuring himself, it was not really that bad. Rather than warning other flies buzzing nearby he kept shouting, “This is wonderful! It’s so refreshing! I’ve never enjoyed the likes of this before!” He was still reassuring himself when the spider’s quick bite sent numbing venom into his body. As he drifted off into his final sleep he was heard to say, “It’s wonderful! The old heads don’t know what they’re talking about!” [“Will you walk into my parlour”, said the Spider to the Fly. - A very compelling poem suited for the time. – “The Spider and the Fly” by Mary Howitt - 1829]

If you haven’t noticed yet, something has drastically gone wrong in America. We seem to be on a course that is destined to cause us to self-destruct. The “land of the free and home of the brave,” which at one time was proud of the National Motto, “In God We Trust,” is now so bent on separating “church and state,” that the voice of religious people can barely be heard without a court battle ensuing. An all-out war is in progress by Humanists, Marxists, Communists, and Islamists, all haters of free capitalism and conservatism, are determined to choke out the religious voice of hope for America.

“It happened so subtly that few people noticed at first. Little by little, morality and freedom started to crumble. It came first in government, in education, in media – and finally it began to shake our families and our own lives. Something fundamental has changed. Law and government no longer provide a foundation of justice and morality but have become the means of licensing moral perversions of all kinds. Education has become the enemy of religious truth and values. And the media have provided the means for propagating the change.” (Introduction of a book by Dr. Francis A. Schaffer, “A Christian Manifesto” Westchester, Illinois: Crossway Books, 1982)  Please note the date – 37 years ago – and we still aren’t paying attention to what is happening to our country!

[Jeremiah 10:23] “I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Considering the course that other countries have run before us, we see the survival of our nation, as well as the betterment of mankind, totally hinging on the restoration of the righteous principles that once made our country great. Consider these precious reminders from the Word of God: * Psalm 33:12 “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord...” * Proverbs 14:34 “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” * Isaiah 5:20-21 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.” – “Thinking only of his crested head and gold and purple hue...” – the Spider prepared to dine the fly.