Make God Great Again

 

For decades it was illegal to teach the Bible in the Soviet Union. Violators risked being subjected to “re-education.” If Soviet children were taught to revere anything, it was the Soviet State and its leaders. But things have changed, as you know, in the former “Evil Empire.” Thousands of Bibles have been distributed in Moscow’s Gorky Park, in prisons, and in schools. School children were given Bibles in St. Petersburg. “I remember we had the Bibles in the classroom for only one month,” expressed the mayor, “and saw a profound change among the children.” The children given the Bible to read exhibited behavioral improvements toward one another and others. This was about as shocking as hearing expletives in rap music for the first time! And here’s the irony of the whole story. While Russia began allowing Bibles back into the classroom a dozen plus years ago, America increasingly began viewing the Bible as counterproductive literature. And over the past thirty years we have seen the ill effects of this philosophy. From high school all the way down to the sixth grade, students are bringing guns and other weapons to school for their own protection. Over half of sixteen-year-olds are sexually active, and as a consequence, far beyond the pregnancy and abortion problem, the 21^st Century’s most fearsome plague of STD’s runs rampant among our teens. Sadly, over sixty percent of our children see nothing wrong with cheating on tests to obtain a passing grade without having to doing the work and actually learning about real life. The rise and fall of nations has less to do with weapons and technology, and more to do with the lack of worshipping God and teaching His will. The Soviets are now using proper “re-education” – what we need is to undergo rededication to the godly principles that made this country great.

[2 Chronicles 7:12-22] …if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Much of the world has lost its way broadening morality to the threshold of an abyss that no one can recover from without the Lord our God. As God continues being portrayed as too strict with our self-governing will to do as we please in this life, and as He is being pushed aside, He will take with Him all the free rights we are born with, and we will become subject to evil tyranny (Romans 1:18-25). And if you don’t think that can happen, take a survey of life in the world over just the past five years. We were not born to hate – it is a learned trait that can be unlearned (Ephesians 4:17-32). 2022 must be a year of revival worldwide – read your Bible!

Psalm 148: 1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! 4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. 6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; 8 Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; 9 Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; 10 Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; 12 Both young men and maidens; Old men and children. 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven. 14 And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints - Of the children of Israel, (the church) A people near to Him. Praise the Lord! Amen!

The Manual

 

Well, it’s that time of the year when all kinds of new electronics and other “make your life better” products will be entering your life. Removing them from their packaging is getting to be a chore in itself, not to mention one can never get it all back into the box if a return is warranted. Needless to say, once out into the open it’s time to learn how to use the what-ever thing that once had a smile of lofty expectations on your face. Most things still require “some assembly” but others only need batteries or a wall plug. Of course, the first thing we do is try to figure all this out by using our knowledge from passed experiences with related products, which doesn’t work anymore, because it seems every 365 days the entire world has a way of redesigning everything. We end up with extra screws and other parts after the “I don’t need the instructions” assembly is completed. (I spend more time trying to decipher the pictures detailing the assembly process.) Then taking the time to scan the assembly instructions, come to find out, that left over screw or part should have been installed in ‘Figure 3b’ and a lot of disassembly is going to be required. Likewise, following the ‘Quick Set-up’ instructions and after three hours of trying to master the use of that new electronic thing-a-ma-gig, total frustration sets in and the search for the 40-page operating manual is set in gear to find out where you’re going wrong. I’m not fond of manuals either – too much reading necessary to get the “practical” instructions, but an absolute necessity for gleaning full function of the “perfect for you” product. Even though manuals are somewhat tedious, repetitive with the “obvious,” and full of what I consider “useless” material, there is a purpose for manuals.

[James 1:21-25] Life comes with a manual, but unfortunately, the tendency is to toss the manual aside, suggesting that we know how everything is to work, and just kind of “wing-it” through life. But time after time we find ourselves asking the question “Why?” or “What am I supposed to do next?” We face situations difficult to deal with and questions we find difficult to get answers for. Sometimes we might find ourselves feeling hopeless and do not know which way to turn. The manual for life is the Bible. God created the heavens and the earth, placed man in the garden to cultivate it, keep it, and warned of dangers ahead (Genesis 1:1; 2:15-17). That is a manual I think I could have followed, but as simple and plain as it seems, man chose to ignore the manual, follow his own thinking, bringing into the world sin and death. The manual has slowly been revealed over time (Ephesians 3:8-12; Hebrews 1:1-2), but many times with mankind choosing to discard the manual and “make it on his own”. “And how’s that working out for you?” (Dr. Phil)

Now, before we boast too loudly at our ability to follow the manual, when was the last time you opened the manual to study its contents enabling you to glean the full wisdom found within its pages? Have you ever read through it in its entirety? When was the last time you ever read more than a couple of verses in one sitting? And just like some of the product manuals I have read, there are parts of God’s manual that may appear to be tedious, hard to read, and at first look not applicable to life today. But upon further examination, we will find God’s manual to be just what we need to guide us through this life into life everlasting! “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways my ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are my ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). A physician can save your life; a lawyer save your business; a financial advisor save your money; an image consultant save your reputation - but only Jesus can save your soul! (Acts 4:8-12)

The High Cost of Living

 

Money. One has to have it. Young ladies about to get married need to make sure their future husband has a working plan to provide a living for the both of them. “Living on love” lasts about thirty minutes into the wedding. Then it’s time for the reception dinner. Time to eat! And one needs money to eat. It seems every time I get ready to do something, it costs me more to do anything. Fuel costs go up. Medical expenses go up. Food costs go up. Housing costs go up. It seems like there is no end to the rising cost of living. Sometimes one wonders why people don’t just throw up their hands in disgust and say, “I’m not paying these outrageous prices!” And yet despite the high cost of living, have you noticed that living is still a highly regarded activity? Money is an essential in our society for obtaining the necessities of life. Often mistakenly quoted from Scripture, money is not the root of all kinds of evil, but the love of money is (1Timothy 6:6-10). One needs money to live. We as people seek to live the very best life that we can, and the costs don’t seem to matter. We live in the best houses we can afford. We drive the best cars we can afford. We buy more shoes than we can wear out in a lifetime. We expect to receive the most aggressive and expensive medical care found anywhere in the world. We may complain about the cost over coffee, but we keep expecting and insisting on the very best.

[Luke 12:15] On the other hand, isn’t it easy to find oneself living for money? For many, life is all about that next possession – the bigger house, the newest vehicle, the latest electronic gizmo, or that must have advancement and raise at work. Jesus said to the crowd, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” (NIV) One’s life is not measured by what you own! Perhaps in the eyes of some people, but not in the grand scheme of life and most importantly, not in God’s eyes. 

What if someone told you that you could have the best possible life and the costs would be minimal? You would probably call them crazy. Jesus said, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy; I have come that they (you) may have life, and that they (you) may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10 NKJ). Albert Barnes observed in his commentary, “Literally, that they (you) may have abundance, or that which abounds.” The word denotes that which is not absolutely essential to life, but which is super-added to make life happy. They (you) shall not merely have life – simple, bare existence – but shall have all those super-added things which are needful to make one’s life eminently blessed and happy. Jesus makes it possible to live an abundant life that is blessed and happy, and it costs the same as it did 2000 years ago …no cost-of-living increase.

Life is about godliness. “…Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12: 12-14). We are created and given purpose for our life by God to bring glory to God. We do that when we live noble lives, obedient to His will. Life is about doing a good job on the job, in the family, and in the church. Life is about service to others and saying no to self. Life is about laying up treasures in heaven. “Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (1 Timothy 6:6-7). When we learn to be happy and content in the right kind of living, then we truly have something. Let go and let God control your life to find peace and happiness.

Don't Be Deceived

 

Baseball Hall of Fame member, Lewis R. “Hack” Wilson once said of the great Negro League pitcher Satchel Paige’s pitches, “It starts out like a baseball and when it gets to the plate, it looks like a marble.” You see, the pitcher’s job is to fool the batter and get him to chase pitches to strike him out. The pitcher will throw different pitches, changing the ball’s location and speed as it approaches the batter to deceive the batter into thinking he is seeing something worth swinging at. A swing and a miss: STRIKE! 

This is the time of the year when everyone is “swinging for the fence” wanting to hit a homerun when it comes to gift giving and making certain people in their life very happy. In that frame of mind many folks have their guard down, not thinking clearly, and venerable to the schemes of thieves who don’t care about your happiness. The wise saying, “If it seems too good to be true – it probably is,” if heeded, will save one a lot of grief. 

And don’t fall for the official sounding telephone calls involving money from you. Renewing your vehicle warranty is one thing, but when it comes to threats or ridiculous situations that can be readily resolved with money, be careful, and investigate first before acting. When someone calls to tell you one of your children or grandchildren is in jail or has had an accident somewhere and they need money right away – don’t fall for it – investigate first! Never go to purchase a “gift card” then give the number on the card to anyone for any reason. I received a call the other day informing me that a shipment coming across the border was being held because illegal contraband was found during inspection, and I needed to dial “1” to quickly resolve the matter. What? I received another call from my “financial institution” insisting I resolve my outstanding $900.00 owed to Amazon for the new iPhone I ordered. I don’t think so. And nobody from the government, utilities companies, or financial companies (credit cards, mortgage, vehicle) will ever call you demanding immediate payments through bitcoin or gift card exchange. Save your money.

[John 8:44] Caveat emptor (Let the buyer beware). If we must be alert to scams, how much more do we need to watch out for the one, “…who deceives the whole world;” (Revelation 12:9). Jesus labels him, “…a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9). Anyone who thinks these are not sins is deceived. “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Anyone who thinks he will not be influenced is deceived. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will out of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8). Anyone who imagines that his sinful behavior will have no consequences is deceived. “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and is enticed. Then when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. (James 1:14-16). Anyone who does not see where sin ultimately leads is deceived. “…exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13). Eve let Satan talk her into sinning. Have we never fallen into the same trap? How easy is it to convince ourselves that it’s OK under the circumstances, that no one will find out, that an exception will be made in my case, etc. So, we’ve been warned – repeatedly. If we still let ourselves be duped by the Devil, who can we blame but ourselves? The Devil didn’t make me do it.