Defining Saints In a Different Way

     The town reprobate passed away as all mortal men do.  His life had been one that did not leave a person much good to say at his passing.  His wealthy brother, from down in Texas, came for the funeral.  He approached the preacher who was to conduct the funeral services and said, "Preacher, I will give you $5000 to say, somewhere in the service, that my brother was a saint."  The preacher did not see how he could possibly say something untrue, but his family could certainly use the $5000.  So in the middle of the service the preacher said, "All of you know that the deceased was as bad a neighbor as any of us have ever had, he was an alcoholic, he beat his wife, he stole, and I could go on for several minutes, but compared to his brother sitting here, 'that man was a saint.'"
     Our country is involved in an ongoing discussion that some call "Islamophobia."  The term phobia is so often used for anyone who is opposed to a concept that the person using the word phobia believes in.  I will not waste my time discussing the term phobia or fear, for I fear nothing except God.  However, I think the concept needs to be examined.
     During the 1960's Anton LeVay formed a group called the Order of the Trapezoid, which became the governing body of what was to become known as the Church of Satan.  They even had their own  bible.  Their beliefs were almost totally opposite of the views of the church.  The word Lust would have been more at home than the word Love. However, they did not advocate the killing of anyone that disagreed with them.  From that standpoint I would say, "Compared to the Muslims, those folks were saints."
     Oh, I know the response, "That is only a FEW radicals."  The term few does not quite compute with the reactions that is portrayed on the TV screens around the world.  But, let us not quibble over a few numbers; let us look for a solution.
     Down through the centuries when Christians failed to agree upon something they always took a stand and opposed what they perceived as wrong.  The preponderance of Christian denominations that are in existence today, opposed the Roman Catholic Church, and split from it during the Protestant Reformation.  Then such issues as the method of baptism, church polices, etc, all brought about a breakaway from the established group.  Someone said that in the mountains of Kentucky a Baptist group split into the five gallon Baptists and the ten gallon Baptists over how much alcohol to have at the annual meeting.
     It is a few hundred years late, but in order to be accepted in a civilized world, it is high time for any honest Muslim to make a clean brake from the radicals that are murdering, robbing, stealing and burning the world down.  Of all of the millions of Muslims, tell me again that there are only a few bad ones when the masses refuse to denounce, brake away from and actually oppose those that would destroy everything that does not agree with them.  If it is only a few, then it appears that the tail is wagging the dog.
     In closing, Christians have nothing to fear from Muslims, but freedom loving people may eventually have a lot to fear.

Render To God The Things That Are God's

     There are two separate humerous stories about preacher's trying to raise funds for needed church activities.  The first preacher said to the church, "Concerning our drive to raise funds for the new building, I have good news and bad news.  The good news is we have located the much needed funds.  The bad news is, it is still in your billfolds."  The second preacher was more thoughtful. He began the finance drive by saying, "I want each one of you who will donate $100 to the building fund to please stand up."  As if on cue, the organist began to play "The Star Spangled Banner."
     Both of those should provoke us to think about giving.  There really should not be a problem for the Christian in the area of stewardship.  The only percentage of giving mentioned in the Bible is ten percent.  The Scripture boldly proclaims the tithe is the Lords.  There are those that try to evade giving the tithe to the Lord by saying that is an Old Testament practice..  Yet, Jesus upheld the giving of the tithe when he commented in Matthew chapter 23 of the Pharisee's practices by saying, "Woe unto you scribes, Pharisees, hypocrites, for you pay tithe of mint, anise and cumin, and have omitted, judgement, mercy and faith.  These ought to have done and not to leave the other undone."
     Far to often we try to measure our giving my the amount we put in instead of by the amount we have left over.  Do not be misled into thinking that God is running a part-time organization.  Yet so many behave as if that was what God was doing.  We want to offer to Him our leftovers:  left over offering, left over time, left over talents.  God expects the first-fruits, not the left overs.
     The story is told of the business man who was having trouble in making ends meet in his business.  He came to the pastor and asked for help.  The pastor in his counseling advised the man that he should consider God first and give unto God that which was rightfully His--the tithe.  The man agreed and his tithe only amounted to ten dollars per week.  Over the course of a few years his business expanded to where his tithe was running twenty thousand dollars per week.  The man returned to the pastor and said that he could no longer afford to pay the tithe.  The pastor reminded him how important it was to pay the tithe and said, "Let's get down on our knees and ask God to reduce your income to the point where you can afford to pay the tithe."
     Back in 1958 Doris and I stood before the preacher and he asked, "Charles do you take the woman that you hold by the right hand to be your lawful wedded wife?"  How foolish of me if I had answered, "No, I can't afford her."  Love would not allow me to say such a thing and love should settle the question once and far all for the man or woman considering the act of tithing.