Left versus Right versus "RIGHT"

     Sometimes I understand a little better the old adage, "A little learning is a dangerous thing."  A person must understand the entire spectrum of life instead of isolated instances that we would use to prove our point.  When a person gets the complete picture of the United States from it's foundation, as a "nation under God" based upon the precepts of the Bible, God's Holy Word to where we are today, you can easily see how far we have strayed.  This is reflected throughout the political spectrum today.  More than once you have heard some say, "They need to compromise."  It makes no difference which side might be making that statement, for it has been said often.
     There are some things that simply can not be compromised.  You see, there are some absolute truths and when any mixture of untruth is inserted the entire precept is not compromised, it is surrendered to a falsehood.  Perhaps we are where we are because of the "leavening".  Remember, "A little leaven, leavens the whole lump."  One of the political "hot potatoes" we deal with is the existence of Israel.  There is no room to compromise on the question of Israel.  The Iranians and the Palestians say they do not have the right to exist and nothing short of their annihilation will satisfy.  Where is there room to compromise on this issue?
     We are dealing with so many tantalizing problems in our nation; problems that have no easy solution, but have a right solution.  The illegal immigrant problem, which is contributing to the destruction of our economy, is one of those situations,which many would avoid by wanting to bring up the need for immigration.  The problem is not immigration; the problem is ILLEGAL.  The illegal part is what must be fixed.  Oh, I know, I  know, there are heart wrenching stories of, what about this or what about that.  No, those situations are an outgrowth of the ILLEGAL problem.  Fix the problem!!
     Paul said in the Bible, that he who did not work could not eat.  And for those who refuse to acknowledge the the Word of God in their life, for now, don't forget John Smith also issued the same edict.  However, we have grown an unacceptable number of people, who do not want to work and "expect" others to take care of them.  It is sad, when you remember, there once was a time if tragedy struck the family and community banded together to help with the problem.  I can recall many an instance where the last days of a person's life was spent at home, being cared for by his/her family.  Not so today, millions make no provision for anything out of the ordinary happening.  The dying process is not out of the ordinary.  But for those type of situations let the government handle it.  To not help seems cruel to most folks.  It is no different than trying to save a drowning man.  If you are the one in charge of the rescue, in order to keep from drowning yourself, you may have to render him unconscious.  The numbers that we are trying to feed and provide for today has reached the point that "the drowning man is going to pull the rescuer under."
     I think the political crowd is always on the side of the numbers, not on the side of right or wrong.  It is not the government's place to act as an intercessor when things go wrong in our life.  Let a hurricane come through and wipe out 5000 homes and the government steps in to put things back together again.  Let a tornado come through and wipe out your home and you will be told there is nothing that the government can do.  You should have had insurance!!  Yet your loss is just as great in a single home destruction as if it had been in the middle of the 5000.
     I still believe there is an American Dream:  a place where you can work your fingers to the bone and get ahead in life.  There are far to many whose "American Dream" is, if sit here long enough and raise enough noise someone will provide for me, not only my needs, but give me all of the desires of my heart.
     Any student of ancient history will tell you that the fall of Rome was greatly contributed to by the masses that depended upon hand-outs with nothing given back to the government in turn. 

The greatest thing that ever happened to me!

     Often we take time to reflect over the course of our lives on the things, both good and bad, that came our way.  When I allow myself, or force myself, to think along these lines; I see the inconsistency that is there.  You, see, the greatest thing that ever happened to me was the time two Baptist preachers came by the house to talk with my parents.  I broke up their discussion when I asked them to tell me how to be saved.  That was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.  I have heard hundreds of other who echo that particular statement.
     That being said, leads me to an all important question, If that be so, what would be the greatest thing you could do for someone else?  It is not see that they get an education, or have a new home, or a new car.  The greatest thing you can do for someone else is to introduce them to Jesus Christ as their own personal saviour.  Why do we not do this?  Is it fear of someone making fun of us?  Is it fear of saying the wrong thing?  Or as someone told me, I am afraid of  running them off.  Where are they going to go?  They are already lost.  They are already on the road to hell.  There is nothing that a person can do that will not help the situation.
     To have advance warning that a bridge was out and to fail to warn others is unthinkable.  How much worse is it to have the knowledge that will prevent someone from spending an eternity in hell, and to hold our silence.  It is unthinkable, yet it is done so often.

9/11 in Retrospect

     I remember, as many millions, September 11, 2001.  Many Americans were shaken out of their complacency.  Once again, we stood united as one great nation.  There was something about the magnitude of the numbers that were affected in such a short space of time that disturbed us.  Church attendance, for a short span of time, increased.  We were forced out of our comfort zone.  On a national scale we were forced to consider our frail position as humans in spite of all that we do.
     But, that is something that has been ingrained into us since childhood as individuals.  Teenagers think they are invincible.  Young adults will live for many decades.  Senior citizens have no end in sight.  When reality finally takes over, none of this is assured.  Our nation's security may be safer than our own individual being.  Chances are the survival of the United States of America will endure far beyond the time allotted to any of us alive today.
     The number that died on September the 11th, reminds me of the 3000 that died when God gave the commandments to Moses and he came down from the mountain.  It also reminds me of the 3000 that were saved and added to the church on the day of Pentecost.  The magnitude of numbers always gets our attention, but for each of us, the most important fact still remains:  what is your standing before God?
     Oh, I know, it is not the fashionable thing to say in today's "tolerant world", however, I must say it.  If a person does not accept the death of Christ as being his/her payment for sin, nothing else really matters.  Remember, man still becomes the loser if he gains the whole world and loses his soul.

If they had been here, you would have told them!!

     The First Self Righteous Church had a member who lived up to the church's name!sake.  He was not only self righteous, but considered himself to be the most humble member of the church.  Upon leaving the church after each and every service he always told the preacher, "You really preached to THEM today, preacher."  He never included himself in that number that was preached to.  There came the night when just at gathering time a terrible storm began and the only two people at church was this member and the preacher.
     The preacher decided that this was the opportunity to preach to the member where he would have to acknowledge where the message was directed.  He tried to touch on every perceived flaw which the member had, all to no avail.  When the service was over the member approached the preacher and said to him, "Preacher, if they had been here tonight, you would have really preached to them."
     In a day when Satan is destroying everything that is not nailed down and is pulling nails as fast as he can, we need to take an inventory of our own lives and see how we measure up.  The above mentioned church member could not see any need for any changes in his own life, yet saw there was need of plenty of changes in the life of everyone else.  It is a rare church indeed in which their Sunday Morning attendance is even close to 50% of those who are on the church roll.  The number one reason for this nonattendance, is a lack of commitment from the average church member.  We are committed to the house payment, the car payment, our many pursuits of pleasure, any type of excuse will find us missing church to take care of something else which we deem of more importance at that moment.   The preacher usually hears something like this, "Preacher, we are having a family reunion next Sunday and will have to put in our appearance.  You do understand don't you?"  Several years ago in a church service where I was pastoring, my wife had her family reunion one Sunday.  We always put in our appearance, after worship service.  This day, though, while making the morning announcements, I said, "Doris is having her family reunion today."  As I said that, I stepped out from behind the pulpit as if I were leaving and said,  "We are going to go on up there so we won't be late.  You folks do understand don't you?"  They had a strange look on their face so I said, "No you don't understand, I don't understand either when I hear it about your missing the Lord's service."
     Don't forget the admonition for us in each and everything we do, "Do it as unto the Lord."  Preacher's need to preach as if it were only unto God, himself.  Sunday School teachers need to teach as if it were only unto the Lord.  Our giving and church attendance needs to be as if it were only unto the Lord.
     The old song says it best, "It's not my farther nor my mother, but it's me, Oh Lord!  Standing in the need of prayer.  I cannot answer for you, nor can you answer for me.  We must each give an account unto the Lord for each of our actions.  That alone should motivate us to do greater things for God.  It is even of more importance when we consider our failures may result in someone else spending an eternity in Hell.

Don't Go to Sleep Before You Get There!

     The story has been told of the gentleman traveling the train who told the conductor to wake him up when they reached his destination.  The conductor said he would.  Then the man said, "I may put up a fight because I hate to be woke up, but be sure to get me off the train."
     When the gentleman awoke, on his own, he was a couple of hours down the track from where he was supposed to get off.  He was one more irritated gentleman.  He screamed at the conductor all of the way off the train and was still screaming as the train drove off.  Another passenger said, "I bet that guy was madder than anyone you ever had to deal with.  To which the conductor said,  "No, I had a man that was madder than that about two hours ago when I put him off the train."
     We are all traveling on the train of life.  We are not sure of the exact amount of time that we have to be on the train, but we know there is a place down the line where we will have to get off.  Along the way, you will find many a person that is asleep and will need someone to wake them up before they reach their destination.  There are others that spend their time idly wishing that the train would get them on down the track, certain that there will be happiness, fame or fortune awaiting for them at the end of the journey.  Pity the man that finds himself being put off the train before he is ready to get off.  There are a few on the train who have grown tired along the way and are eager to reach that final destination.  The end of the train trip is the thing we call death.  Millions of people are unprepared, spiritually, for this to occur.  Many, many more are spiritually prepared, but hold a tremendous fear of that happening to them.
     Watch this space for the news of a tremendously helpful book, Wings of Mercy, A Christian View of Death.

Hold the Lines, Men, I Am Going to Shout

     Once upon a time there was a church that had as it's humble beginning a group of men and women who were emotional in their worship of the Lord.  It was nothing uncommon for there to be sounds of amen, that's right brother or praise the Lord, throughout the preaching service.  But, as the years passed, so did much of the enthusiasm during the worship service.  It finally got to the point where old brother Brown was the only person that opened his mouth during the worship service.  When the preacher said something that Bro. Brown liked he would say, "Amen", or "Praise the Lord", or some other comment.  There were those, probably their emotions were not working, who were offended by the old gentleman's comments.  They appointed a committee to go talk to the old gentleman and try to get him to be quiet during the service.  The committee found him plowing in his garden with a team and plow.  They were rather blunt in their approach and simply said, "Bro. Brown, the church has sent us out here to get you to be quiet during the worship service."
     The old man wiped the sweat from his forehead and rolled a clot of dirt around with the toe of his shoe, and then said, "Brethren, I know I bother some of the folks at church with my remarks.  But, men, when I consider all of my old black sins and how Jesus died on the cross for me I just can,t help it."  With that said, he took the plow lines out from around his waist and said, "Here, hold these plow lines.  I feel like I am going to have to shout again."
     I like that.  In this day of glass-eyed, dry-eyed religion; it is good to see someone moved to the point of expressing their feelings with some emotion.  R. G. Lee said, "We are moved more when we see a dead dog or dead cat in the highway, than when we hear of the suffering of Christ on the cross.  It ought not to be so.  It makes no difference the greatness of our sins, his grace was greater than all of them combined.  Now, that is something to shout about.  All of my sins were laid upon his back.  It should have been me on the cross.  If that does not move us and touch our hearts we need to get on our knees.