Monday is Labor Day. Perhaps it is one of the holidays that should be eliminated from our calendar. Gone are the days that God mentioned when he said, "six days shall thou labor." Gone are the concepts of Paul, in the New Testament, and John Smith in Jamestown, when they both said, "he that does not work, shall not eat." Gone, in many instances, are the days when man took pride in his work. I remember one of my grandfathers who had farmed until he was unable to physically farm, crying when he had to accept commodities. Many are crying today if they cannot get the replacement for commodities, food stamps.
There once was what was considered as--a dignity to work. Now it is looked upon by so many as being beneath their dignity to accept certain types of work. I might quickly add, it will stay beneath their dignity as long as the government keeps handing out checks for doing nothing. It seems like the government looks upon the concept of giving out checks as a way to get the population to do what the government wants them to do. We will control what is grown on the farm by paying the farmer not to plant cotton or not to plant peanuts. It is past time for the government to stop giving out money. If nothing else, those who are able to work put them to doing something even if it is picking up trash on the side of streets. Oh, I forgot that would be beneath their dignity.
Most of you remember when there was an element of pride for something to be labeled, "Made in the USA." Also unless it was a camera, it was a joke if it was labeled, "Made in Japan". Now our current president seemingly delights in farther destroying the concept of the dignity of labor. Maybe we should just rename the holiday make it become, "Handout Day." Only problem with that is pretty soon there will be nothing left to hand out.
Friday, August 30, 2013
Sunday, August 25, 2013
A Cobra by any other name would still be deadly!!!!
It is past time that someone said what I am about to write. I realize that it will not be accepted by many of my liberal friends, but say it I must. By no stretch of the imagination can Islam be considered a religion. It does not meet any of the requirements of all of the religions of the world. If you wish to become a Christian, you simply accept the truths as told by the Christian religion. If you do not want to be a Christian, no one is going to force you to become one. That same statement can be applied to all religions of the world, except Islam.
If you do not wish to convert to the Islam thought structure, no problem, off with your head. It makes no difference if you are Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or any other religion your fate will be the same when they gain control. Oh, yes, atheists will be in the same situation.
Have you ever noticed that it is totally impossible for light and darkness to exist at the same time. If it is dark in the room, you flip on the light and the darkness is gone. I can turn on an electric light, a kerosene lamp and a fluorescent light; they will all function in varying degrees of effectiveness. That is true because they all have the same common goal, to give light. Darkness cannot dwell where light abounds. The religions of the world and Islam are direct opposites and cannot coexist together.
It is not in the nature of the religions of the world "to do unto them as they would do unto us." So what is to be done? Stop giving Islam the protection that is offered to religions. This country, in spite of statements to the contrary by our president, is a Christian nation. It was founded on the principles of the Jewish and Christian faiths. Those concepts are the underlying concepts of our freedom. It allows those of other religions to be able to express their faiths. But Fascism, communism, Marxism, and Islam should look somewhere else for protection than under the freedom of religion clause.
If you do not wish to convert to the Islam thought structure, no problem, off with your head. It makes no difference if you are Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, or any other religion your fate will be the same when they gain control. Oh, yes, atheists will be in the same situation.
Have you ever noticed that it is totally impossible for light and darkness to exist at the same time. If it is dark in the room, you flip on the light and the darkness is gone. I can turn on an electric light, a kerosene lamp and a fluorescent light; they will all function in varying degrees of effectiveness. That is true because they all have the same common goal, to give light. Darkness cannot dwell where light abounds. The religions of the world and Islam are direct opposites and cannot coexist together.
It is not in the nature of the religions of the world "to do unto them as they would do unto us." So what is to be done? Stop giving Islam the protection that is offered to religions. This country, in spite of statements to the contrary by our president, is a Christian nation. It was founded on the principles of the Jewish and Christian faiths. Those concepts are the underlying concepts of our freedom. It allows those of other religions to be able to express their faiths. But Fascism, communism, Marxism, and Islam should look somewhere else for protection than under the freedom of religion clause.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
One Size Won't Fit All
Education within the United States in times past was even more than adequate. But that was in the day when the local citizens had total and complete control over their school. They decided what was to bee taught, when it was to be taught and by whom it was to be taught. The small school was the norm. Many a person was taught in a one-room school house. Pre-civil war days you would find that these schools were private schools. Gradually, the schools were merged together into community schools with tax money coming back to the school, but the local school board maintained control.
The first enemy of the local school was the entity that should have been their greatest supporter, the state department of education. Moves were made to have larger and larger schools even though at the time it was being promoted everyone knew that the larger schools were where most of the problems were.
But, the great enemy of the local school entered the picture--The Federal Government. Everyone should know that the most of the things they touch; they mess up. It was such a noble thought to have--No Child Left Behind! That sounds much better than--No Child Going Ahead, but the end result is so similar. Everyone knows that there are differences that cannot be ignored. All children do not have the same potential, the same personalities, the same drives. There will always in the real world be a gap between the haves and the have-nots.
Since that was a dismal failure, let us change the name to Common Core and change our approach. But do not be deceived, it is an attempt to do the same thing in a different package. In order to better promote the concept let us use statistics to make our case. IN ALL TESTING THE UNITED STATES COMES IN LOW WHEN COMPARED WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTRIES IN EDUCATION. That statement is grossly misleading at the very least and is a blatant lie at the worse. Statistics can prove anything. I heard of a man who drowned in a river where the water averaged only six inches deep . Too bad he stepped into a six foot hole.
Do you think for a moment the other countries are figuring the scores of the special education students, the handicapped, the hungry, the homeless, or the unconcerned in their averages. No, I think not, and when you remove those from our stats you will find America at the top.
There are problems in education, but they cannot be solved from the state capitol or Washington, D.C. Get the government out of education and put it in the hands of the people who educated the generation that put men on the moon and brought them safely back--the local school board.
The first enemy of the local school was the entity that should have been their greatest supporter, the state department of education. Moves were made to have larger and larger schools even though at the time it was being promoted everyone knew that the larger schools were where most of the problems were.
But, the great enemy of the local school entered the picture--The Federal Government. Everyone should know that the most of the things they touch; they mess up. It was such a noble thought to have--No Child Left Behind! That sounds much better than--No Child Going Ahead, but the end result is so similar. Everyone knows that there are differences that cannot be ignored. All children do not have the same potential, the same personalities, the same drives. There will always in the real world be a gap between the haves and the have-nots.
Since that was a dismal failure, let us change the name to Common Core and change our approach. But do not be deceived, it is an attempt to do the same thing in a different package. In order to better promote the concept let us use statistics to make our case. IN ALL TESTING THE UNITED STATES COMES IN LOW WHEN COMPARED WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTRIES IN EDUCATION. That statement is grossly misleading at the very least and is a blatant lie at the worse. Statistics can prove anything. I heard of a man who drowned in a river where the water averaged only six inches deep . Too bad he stepped into a six foot hole.
Do you think for a moment the other countries are figuring the scores of the special education students, the handicapped, the hungry, the homeless, or the unconcerned in their averages. No, I think not, and when you remove those from our stats you will find America at the top.
There are problems in education, but they cannot be solved from the state capitol or Washington, D.C. Get the government out of education and put it in the hands of the people who educated the generation that put men on the moon and brought them safely back--the local school board.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
A Democracy Was Never Intended to be a Utopia
We live in the greatest country on earth and under the best political situation available to mankind--a democracy. Granted, we have flaws and we have problems with our situation that is caused by human error. Much of our problems can be traced to the fact that men who wanted to be public servants developed our system, but it is now controlled by men who seem to be intent upon advancing their own public agenda and feathering their own nest.
If we lived in a Utopia, each of us would always get and have the things they wanted. That is not the way that our government is structured. It is a given fact that many in our country think that the government is supposed to work, at least for them, as a Utopia and provide the things for them that they both want and need.
Lest my remarks be misunderstood, let me quickly say that there are many times in my own life when decisions are voted upon by our citizens that are contrary to what I would like to see. It seems as if there are more and more decisions being made that are in direct opposition to the Christian principles that I believe. There are many today that would like for it to be that the minority always wins and the majority always looses. That cannot be.
Thus far in our country's history, for the most part, the majority has usually made provisions for the wishes and desires of the minority. Hopefully, it will always be so.
There once was a time when things were either right or wrong within itself. Gradually, we have lead people to believe that nothing is absolutely wrong or absolutely right, but somewhere in between reality lies. Since nothing is totally wrong or right, if it feels good do it.
From my front porch it seems as if most things work pretty good as long as the local citizens handle their own projects. Once the government becomes involved, either state or federal, and the local citizens have no voice in the matter things go down hill.
Remember as Thomas Jefferson once said, "A government that is big enough to give you everything you want, is large enough to take everything you have.
If we lived in a Utopia, each of us would always get and have the things they wanted. That is not the way that our government is structured. It is a given fact that many in our country think that the government is supposed to work, at least for them, as a Utopia and provide the things for them that they both want and need.
Lest my remarks be misunderstood, let me quickly say that there are many times in my own life when decisions are voted upon by our citizens that are contrary to what I would like to see. It seems as if there are more and more decisions being made that are in direct opposition to the Christian principles that I believe. There are many today that would like for it to be that the minority always wins and the majority always looses. That cannot be.
Thus far in our country's history, for the most part, the majority has usually made provisions for the wishes and desires of the minority. Hopefully, it will always be so.
There once was a time when things were either right or wrong within itself. Gradually, we have lead people to believe that nothing is absolutely wrong or absolutely right, but somewhere in between reality lies. Since nothing is totally wrong or right, if it feels good do it.
From my front porch it seems as if most things work pretty good as long as the local citizens handle their own projects. Once the government becomes involved, either state or federal, and the local citizens have no voice in the matter things go down hill.
Remember as Thomas Jefferson once said, "A government that is big enough to give you everything you want, is large enough to take everything you have.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Marriage On the Brink of Destruction
Let me begin by stating that the man who had more to do with civil rights accomplishments in this country was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. He alluded to the fact that he had seen the other side of the mountain. Perhaps if he had been allowed to remain upon this earth longer he might have seen what many of us can see today. It is not all bright and shiny on this side of the mountain.
The family unit is in much turmoil and great danger. First, it is in danger because of the concept of marriage itself. Marriage was never intended to be a temporary arrangement to last only as long as ever thing goes well. I am not concerned as much about the couple themselves, but the effect it has on their children. In some places and cultures in our country today there are more grandparents raising the children than their own parents. So as marriage itself goes the family will also go.
Marriage has always been between one woman and one man. I care not what the gay (bad choice of word, many seem anything except happy) people think about it, nor do I even care what benefits they can manage to get for themselves, you cannot just change what a word is to suit your fancy. I don't like the narrow definition of "boat". So I want to start a campaign to also include in that term the use of trains. From now on trains will be referred to as boats. But rest assured they will never float.
To open the door of "marriage" to include anything besides one man-one woman, is inviting all manner of possibilities. How can you tell a person that marriage does not include one man and two or more women, or one woman and two or more men? God forbid, but what if a man wanted to take on as his sexual partner a cow or sheep. Can he get married to it? Why not?
Tied very closely to the marriage and family is the abortion issue. People have thrown logic out then windows, using only one argument, the woman has a right to do what she wishes with her body. If that argument becomes the guiding principle for decisions, how can any court ever again find a prostitute guilty of anything? Does not that argument make prostitution legal?
All that I have said thus far affect the immediate family. There are far reaching ramifications that extend into every spectrum of society. The first outside entity to be directly affected by the breakup of the family is the public school. Pity the student from the broken home when the teacher assigns homework and there is no parent there to help. In cases where the grandparents are taking care of the student, many of them are unable to assist in the educational process as it exists today.
The family unit is in much turmoil and great danger. First, it is in danger because of the concept of marriage itself. Marriage was never intended to be a temporary arrangement to last only as long as ever thing goes well. I am not concerned as much about the couple themselves, but the effect it has on their children. In some places and cultures in our country today there are more grandparents raising the children than their own parents. So as marriage itself goes the family will also go.
Marriage has always been between one woman and one man. I care not what the gay (bad choice of word, many seem anything except happy) people think about it, nor do I even care what benefits they can manage to get for themselves, you cannot just change what a word is to suit your fancy. I don't like the narrow definition of "boat". So I want to start a campaign to also include in that term the use of trains. From now on trains will be referred to as boats. But rest assured they will never float.
To open the door of "marriage" to include anything besides one man-one woman, is inviting all manner of possibilities. How can you tell a person that marriage does not include one man and two or more women, or one woman and two or more men? God forbid, but what if a man wanted to take on as his sexual partner a cow or sheep. Can he get married to it? Why not?
Tied very closely to the marriage and family is the abortion issue. People have thrown logic out then windows, using only one argument, the woman has a right to do what she wishes with her body. If that argument becomes the guiding principle for decisions, how can any court ever again find a prostitute guilty of anything? Does not that argument make prostitution legal?
All that I have said thus far affect the immediate family. There are far reaching ramifications that extend into every spectrum of society. The first outside entity to be directly affected by the breakup of the family is the public school. Pity the student from the broken home when the teacher assigns homework and there is no parent there to help. In cases where the grandparents are taking care of the student, many of them are unable to assist in the educational process as it exists today.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Settling Down In A Strange Land
Does it seem strange to you that some of the Children of Israel did not want to go into the promised land that God had promised them and He was willing to fight the battles for them. They eventually decided they would go into the promised land, fight for the other tribes right to have the land and then return to settle down in a strange land.
It ought not seem strange because that is exactly the situation that we have today in most of the churches across the land.. God wants each Christian to enjoy life to the fullest, yet many are content for a sermonette on Sunday morning, (unless it is too pretty a day to waste at church) and then spend the rest of the week "doing as the Romans do." They ignore all warnings that God has given then in the Word about dedication and faithfulness. The reality that they must face God some day and give accountability to him is a remote possibility instead of a certainty.
I remember seeing an advertisement for a certain brand of automobile many years. It showed an eloquently dressed lady getting out of a car without a wrinkle in her dress or a hair out of place. The caption at the bottom of the picture said, "One of the nicer things about riding in a car with the body built by Fischer is knowing that you will be approved upon arrival." I would think that would be the desire of every Christian as he considers arriving at the end of his/her life that they would want to be approved upon arrival. However, it seems that those who settle down in a strange land give no thought about being approved upon arrival and are totally ungrateful that Jesus paid the price of the fare to get us to our destination.
It ought not seem strange because that is exactly the situation that we have today in most of the churches across the land.. God wants each Christian to enjoy life to the fullest, yet many are content for a sermonette on Sunday morning, (unless it is too pretty a day to waste at church) and then spend the rest of the week "doing as the Romans do." They ignore all warnings that God has given then in the Word about dedication and faithfulness. The reality that they must face God some day and give accountability to him is a remote possibility instead of a certainty.
I remember seeing an advertisement for a certain brand of automobile many years. It showed an eloquently dressed lady getting out of a car without a wrinkle in her dress or a hair out of place. The caption at the bottom of the picture said, "One of the nicer things about riding in a car with the body built by Fischer is knowing that you will be approved upon arrival." I would think that would be the desire of every Christian as he considers arriving at the end of his/her life that they would want to be approved upon arrival. However, it seems that those who settle down in a strange land give no thought about being approved upon arrival and are totally ungrateful that Jesus paid the price of the fare to get us to our destination.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
First or Second: What difference does it make?
A cab driver picked up a passenger one day that was an evangelical Christian. During the course of the ride the passenger asked the cab driver if he were a Christian. The driver avowed that he was a Buddhist. The Christian then said, "You need to be a Christian." The cab driver responded, "If being a Buddhist is good and being a Christian is good, I will be a Buddhist-Christian."
There are many situations in life where it really does not matter if a person comes in first or second. So often the things that we compete for is so trivial that it really does not matter. Even in sporting events, where we live and die by each pitch, most folks don't remember who came in second a few years ago.
But there is a totally different aspect to the first or second situation when you come to Go. Make no mistake about it God is the "God of the second chance." Thank God that he is that type of God, for all of us have found ourselves committing the same error over and over. Paul referred to that inability of ours as laying aside "the sin that so easily besets us." It is refreshing to know that God is faithful to forgive us of our sins when we confess them to Him.
But make no mistake about it, even though He is the God of the second chance, He is not the God of the second choice. THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GOD BEFORE ME. Yet there are so many Christians who seemingly believe as the cab driver believed. For six days of the week they serve another god. It might be the job, fame, popularity etc., but God does not accept competition. Someone referred to these type of people as being worldly Christians. Sounds rather strange since the two or opposites. Why not call them heavenly devils?
Be sure you understand the different; God is the God of the second chance, but he is not the God of the second choice.
There are many situations in life where it really does not matter if a person comes in first or second. So often the things that we compete for is so trivial that it really does not matter. Even in sporting events, where we live and die by each pitch, most folks don't remember who came in second a few years ago.
But there is a totally different aspect to the first or second situation when you come to Go. Make no mistake about it God is the "God of the second chance." Thank God that he is that type of God, for all of us have found ourselves committing the same error over and over. Paul referred to that inability of ours as laying aside "the sin that so easily besets us." It is refreshing to know that God is faithful to forgive us of our sins when we confess them to Him.
But make no mistake about it, even though He is the God of the second chance, He is not the God of the second choice. THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GOD BEFORE ME. Yet there are so many Christians who seemingly believe as the cab driver believed. For six days of the week they serve another god. It might be the job, fame, popularity etc., but God does not accept competition. Someone referred to these type of people as being worldly Christians. Sounds rather strange since the two or opposites. Why not call them heavenly devils?
Be sure you understand the different; God is the God of the second chance, but he is not the God of the second choice.
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