Well done, Congress, now get to work!

Well done to the Republicans in the U.S. Congress for passing some very respectable tax cuts.  We all hope that the expected economic growth will provide enough revenue to meet current needs (balance the budget), and provide a revenue surplus that will reduce the national debt.

Please be reminded that Ronald Reagan combined tax cuts with eliminating the growth in spending for programs where spending was not mandated; except for defense spending.  I believe you must have cuts in both spending and taxes if you want the kind of economic turnaround that President Reagan achieved.

Now … you have about six months left to change the course of American history.  Get to work, and pass the rest of President Trump’s plan to “Make America Great Again!”  Republicans, if you do not stop your bickering and work together, you will lose what may be our last, best opportunity to save this country.  If you can’t show some significant progress by July, you can’t win in November.

Merry Christmas, 2017

At Christmas time, we get so busy that it seems like we forget to remember what Christmas is all about.  It’s a cliché, but it’s true.  To counterbalance the materialism, and sometimes hedonism, there is a lot of talk about the spirit of giving, showing kindness to the less fortunate, and peace on earth.  Certainly, Jesus taught us to do these things.  Please allow me to contribute the following passage, that I hope will provide an additional reason for the season:

And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out

from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.

This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.

So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.

Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth,

into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem,

because he was of the house and lineage of David,

to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.

So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.

And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes,

and laid Him in a manger,

because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields,

keeping watch over their flock by night.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them,

and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

and they were greatly afraid.

Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold,

I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe

wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host

 praising God and saying:

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"

So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven,

that the shepherds said to one another,

 "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass,

which the Lord has made known to us."

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph,

and the Babe lying in a manger.

Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known

the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

And all those who heard it marveled at those things

which were told them by the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

(Luke 2:1-19 NKJV)

https://www.biblestudytools.com/nkjv/ 

May the Lord bless you and keep you close to Him this Christmas, and throughout the New Year. 

It was 255,500 Nights Before Christmas

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the prophet Isaiah foretold the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, about 700 years (give or take) before it happened.  I hope it will bless the start of your Christmas Season to read these prophesies:

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign:

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,

and shall call His name Immanuel.

(Isaiah 7:14 NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon

His shoulder.

And his name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

(Isaiah 9:6 NKJV)

The Holy Spirit, through Isaiah, tells us why Jesus came down from heaven to live with us.  He also describes the kind of death our Lord would die for us.

I gave My back to those who struck Me,

And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard;

I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

(Isaiah 50:6 NKJV)

… many were astonished at you,

So His visage was marred more than any man,

and His form more than the sons of men …

(Isaiah 52:14 NKJV)

Who has believed our report?

 And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,

And as a root out of dry ground.

 He has no form or comeliness;

And when we see Him,

There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

He is despised and rejected by men,

A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement of our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on Him

The iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet he opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth;

He was taken from prison and from judgement,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

(Isaiah 53:1-8 NKJV)

Jesus left the glory of heaven to live a sinless life at a primitive and cruel time in history.  Then He took the punishment we deserved for our sins, died, and rose from the dead to give us eternal life.  What a Christmas gift!  Please give Him something back this Christmas.  Accept the salvation He has given you; then follow in His steps. 

Eine große Affenshow

I don't make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.

Will Rogers

In my lifetime, I have never seen anything like what our elected representatives in Washington, DC are doing now.  The Democrats are still smarting from the 2016 election, and its repudiation of everything Progressive.  Like spoiled children, they are throwing a temper tantrum and refusing to cooperate with anything.  The Republicans are so divided,  they are even having problems agreeing about something so fundamentally Republican as a reduction in taxes.  In Germany they would call it “eine große Affenshow” (a big monkey show).

The latest string of scandals about sexual harassment in the workplace drives home the point.  The scandals seem to involve most leading areas of public life.  The entertainment industry, television news, political candidates, senators, congressmen, and business leaders all seem to have individuals who have abused their positions of power and trust to victimize others.

People do things for more than one reason.  However, we the people expect people in public life to have at least some regard for the good of the people that they serve.  Instead, we see people who are motivated by power, money, prestige, and lust.  If the average American is anything like me, we don’t know whether to laugh or cry.  Alfred Adler believed that people could not achieve full maturity as persons until they develop the desire to serve the common good.  Let’s all chip in and buy a package of diapers for someone in public life.

How simple it would be if people would just do as Jesus taught:

Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them,

for this is the Law and the Prophets.

(Matt. 7:12 NKJV)

Bibles

To date, when I have posted direct quotes from the Holy Bible, I have used the New International Version (NIV).  A friend introduced me to the NIV around 1980, and it was like turning on the lights in a dark room.  Through studying the NIV, I finally got a grasp on salvation by grace, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit.  I will always be grateful.

The edition of the NIV that I use was published prior to 1984, and I still use it for my personal devotions.  Recently, I became aware that there have been some revisions made to the NIV, since 1984.  I believe that these revisions were a sincere effort to increase its readability, and to update it with the latest scholarship; including archeological discoveries and improvements in the art of translation.  I prefer to assume good faith when I can, however, the changes also included attempts to make the NIV more gender neutral.

I support changes and updates that in language most closely follow the words and thoughts of extant manuscripts and source materials.  I do not accept changes that are intended to make the Bible “politically correct.”  It says what it says, period.  As the saying goes, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it.”

Jesus is the Living Word. (John 1:1) He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. (Heb. 13:8) His word must not be changed, due to popular opinion. His true word will never pass away. (Luke 21:33) Those who change the wording of a Bible translation in ways that are not supported by the ancient source documents are doomed to failure, and God will punish them (Rev. 22:18-19).

Some say that the only acceptable version of the Bible is the King James Version (KJV).  They are particularly averse to versions that do not rely on the Textus Receptus.  This argument takes things too far.  The KJV is not the only reliable version of the Bible. * However, we are responsible to safeguard our Christian walk from false teaching. (Phil. 2:12-13, Acts 17:11) There are a great many translations that are written to advance the theology of the translators.  Others have been changed to make them more palatable to certain groups (LGBTQ) or for export to Muslim countries.

When I post, I do not want to refer to the NIV any longer because the pre-1984 edition that I have is no longer in print.  I cannot in good conscience refer to the NIV if there is a chance that someone will begin using the editions that are currently in print.  So, I did some legwork, and from now on I will refer to the New King James Version (NKJV) or to the New American Standard Bible (NASB).  These are highly respected versions, compiled by groups of scholars who had to arrive at a consensus before material was included.

The NKJV should not be regarded as simply an update of the KJV, but rather as a new translation that combines the KJV with updated material.  It relies heavily on verbal equivalence (word for word), rather than dynamic equivalence (thought for thought) translation.  However, I find that it is easier to read than the NASB, which also relies on word for word translation.  My old NIV relied on both word for word and thought for thought translation, and it was very helpful to me.  However, with the plethora of translations now available, and the manipulation of meaning by many translators, I have concluded that I will use word for word translations when quoting scripture to the public.

Again, please let me emphasize that I am not asking that anyone use any particular version of the Holy Bible. Please consult your minister or priest, and do a review of as much information as you need to.  Then decide which version you want to use.

*Carson, D.A., The King James Version Debate, A Plea for Realism, (1979), Baker Book House Company.

Marketplace of Ideas

There is an old German folk song called, “Die Gedanken Sind Frei.”  That translates to, “The Thoughts are Free.”  Iran, North Korea and Vietnam have shown that a person under duress may be forced to “confess” to things that are not true or are against that person’s core beliefs.  They can even be “brainwashed” into changing what they think and feel while they are in captivity.  In almost every case, however, they recant their confessions and return to their original beliefs once they are released.  In short, it is very difficult to force someone to change their mind.  People must be persuaded.

Freedom of expression is necessary in order for persuasion to take place.  People cannot make authentic choices between ideas, feelings, and beliefs unless all points of view can be freely expressed.

I attended a large state university from 1966 to 1970.  During that time, I participated in ROTC, and I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Army after I earned my bachelor’s degree.  Feelings against the war in Vietnam were running high at that time, and there was a lot of ill will towards the military, the draft, and ROTC.  Cadets, as we were called, were required to wear their uniforms on campus every Thursday, and we were called things like “ROTC Nazi” and “baby burner.”  Even when we were not in uniform, our military haircuts made it obvious that we weren’t hippies.  Casual conversations with other students often gravitated toward questions like, “How can you be in the military when we are fighting an unjust war?”  Girls didn’t exactly beat a path to our door.  There was a lot of pressure to leave ROTC and throw in with the anti-war crowd.

Our professors talked a lot about academic freedom.  Yet, there was one professor who told me that I was a “red baiter” and a McCarthyite because I quoted J. Edgar Hoover in his Political Science class.  He said that I might as well stop attending because I had just earned an “F.”  A Geology professor threatened to fail me if I wore “that uniform” in his class, even though I was required to.  I wore it, and he gave me a “D.”  I really couldn’t contest it because I didn’t try very hard in that class after he made an issue out of wearing the uniform.  A Marxist professor in a History class told me that I didn’t have to accept the ideas he was teaching, but I had to learn them well enough to be able to show that I understood them on his tests.

I get a bit of a chuckle out of news programs that report discrimination against conservative students and professors on college campuses today as if it were something new.  It has been going on for a long time.  Historically, colleges and universities have seldom been the unfettered forum for freedom of thought and expression that they say they are.

When I was in ROTC one response we gave to the criticism we got from professors and other students was, “I don’t agree with what you are saying, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it.”  I am proud to hear reports that veterans are still saying that today.

The only way we can lessen the violence we see in the world see around us is to learn to respect each other enough to be patient with the other guy, while he says his piece.  If we think that the loudest argument should prevail, and continue to talk over each other, we set the stage for conflict and violence.  There are groups that are rioting to keep others whom they disagree with from speaking.  People, acting in the name of religion, are killing people who worship differently.

In response, some are advocating that Mosques be placed under surveillance or infiltrated by undercover agents.  Christian pastors are in fear of speaking freely about current events, due to the risk of losing their tax-exempt status.  If you are a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu, or if you are Jewish … be warned.  We reap what we sow.  What we do to Muslims today will set a precedent for what society might do to us tomorrow.

Don’t get me wrong.  People must not be allowed to use religion, or religious institutions, to foment terrorism and violence, or work toward the overthrow of the government.  We the people have a right to protection from such activities, and all legal means must be taken to do so.  The first amendment guarantees us the right to peacefully worship as we choose, not to use religion as a cover for violent, terroristic, criminal activities. Let me be clear, however, that “people of faith” have as much right to peacefully advocate for their point of view as anyone else does.

If you believe you have the best take on things, then have faith that your point of view will prevail, eventually, in a free marketplace of ideas.  If you think you must use violence for your ideas to come out on top, then isn’t there something weak and wrong about your ideas?  Fellow Americans, let us have a country in which we all have the freedom to advocate for our beliefs and ideas … peacefully and respectfully.

Swing on a Star

There is an old song about swinging on a star. This is from memory, so don’t get technical on me, but it goes something like this:

Oh, would you like to swing on a star,

carry moonbeams home in a jar,

and be better off than you are?

Or, would you rather be a:

Mule?

A mule is an animal

with long funny ears,

that pick up at everything he hears.

His back is scrawny, and his brain is weak.

He’s just plain stupid with a stubborn streak.

But if you hate to go to school,

You could grow up to be a mule.

As I recall, the song is rather unkind to pigs, as well.  Let me ask you this:

Would you rather be a:

Forgotten American?

Do you want to live in “flyover country,” work for a living wage, and raise your kids to value what you do?  Are your aspirations modest?  Are your goals limited to a home, a couple of vehicles, and maybe a fishing boat?  Do you like America the way it is, or do you want it to be fundamentally changed?  Do you want your children’s education to provide them with the skills they need to earn a living, or would you rather they learn that it is okay for another kid to have two mommies, that we have the right to murder the unborn, or that making a profit is bad?

Now, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton gave the name “Liberal” such a stench that people wanted to stop calling themselves that.  So, now they are “Progressives.”  Folks, a rose by any other name is still a rose.  Progressives want you to swing from their star … to make their dreams your dreams, and to teach your kids that you are a “hater” if you take exception to “Progressive” ideas.  If you don’t go along with their program, they marginalize you.  In the future, when they have more power, it will be reeducation camps.

Forgotten or not, I am proud to be an American.  I am happy clinging to my guns and my Bible.  I like retiring to an obscure little Idaho farm town, and driving a 15-year-old Ford pickup instead of going into debt for a new one.  I don’t care if it gets 17 mpg. and increases my carbon footprint.  I love “middle America” and my heart is in the heartland.  In the interest of full disclosure, my wife’s little dogs have a pedigree.

Sorry Progressives, your politically correct new-speak is lost on me.  So, you go swing on a star. 

God Gives Comfort

Psalm 23

A psalm of David

The Lord is my shepherd, I

shall not be in want.

He makes me to lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness

for His name’s sake.

Even though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil,

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will

follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

2 Corinthians

Chapter 1, Verses 3-4

Praise be to the God and Father

of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father

of compassion and God of all comfort,

who comforts us in all

our troubles, so that we can comfort

those in any trouble with the

comfort we ourselves have received from God.

The Holy Bible, New International Version

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Why?

A little over two weeks ago, our nation was horrified by another mass shooting - this time in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to news reports, it was the deadliest in our nation’s history. To date, the authorities have not been able to determine the shooter’s motive. At the risk of this being considered “old news,” I have waited post about the Las Vegas incident out of respect for the dead, the wounded, and their families.

There has been a lot of speculation and theorizing about the shooter’s motive. Commentators have wondered about the shooters mental state.  They have mentioned his father’s criminal behavior. Some have wondered about his relationship with his girlfriend, or about his compulsive gambling. There was some speculation that he may have been influenced by terrorist propaganda.

The wisdom of the world tells us that people in modern, urban, industrialized, mass societies tend to develop a loss of connection between themselves and society. They feel alone in the world, and lose their sense of kinship with other people, (Erickson). Humanist psychologists think that people are basically good, and that when they do things that are wrong it is not normal (Rogers). Behavioral psychologists say that all behavior is learned (Thorndike, Skinner). They think that people begin life as a blank slate, capable of both good and evil. A Behaviorist might say that the shooter was improperly socialized, or that he became maladapted to society due to some trauma in his life. Certainly, Freudians are correct when they postulate that behavior usually has more than one cause.

There is a lot of wisdom to be found in worldly explanations. We have come a long way in our understanding of why people do what they do. However, I would like to provide another explanation for your consideration; the one that is found in God’s word.

The Holy Bible tells us that humankind has a heart problem (Heb. 4:18).  In our hearts, in our innermost being, there boils a cauldron of evil (Gen. 6:5, Rom. 1:21-31).

The Bible teaches us that Satan is going about the earth like a roaring lion seeking those he may devour (1Pet. 5:8).  Jesus said that the Devil was a liar and a murderer from the beginning, and that those who follow his ways are like him (John 8:39-47).    

The Bible says that in the days of Noah people became exceedingly violent, and that God was grieved because he had created them (Gen. 6:5,6,&11). Jesus said that at the time of His return, things would be like they were in the days of Noah (Matt. 24:37).  Our society feeds off violent sports and entertainment, and we give our children violent video games to play with. People are killed every day, all around the world, because they disagree with Islam.  Therefore, we should not be surprised, or wonder why, when horrible things happen like the massacre in Las Vegas.

Please join me in prayer that Jesus will return soon. Only His return, and the establishment of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, will bring an end to this kind of evil.

Open Email to Amazon

Hi:

It has come to my attention that your customer charity giving vehicle will no longer be sending donations to the Family Research Council (FRC).  The information I have is that you took the FRC off your giving list because the radical, left-wing Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) listed the FRC as a hate group (homophobic).

The FRC is a highly respected organization, with a Christian world view.  It was begun by well-known Christian leaders like Dr. D. James Kennedy and Dr. James Dobson to serve as an advocate for Christian values, particularly in Washington D.C.  It is an error to classify the FRC as a hate group because they speak out against homosexuality and same-sex marriage.  The issue that true followers of Jesus Christ have with the LGBT community is with the behavior, not the person.  The teachings of Jesus are clear.  We are to love others as we love ourselves.

True Christians regard the Holy Bible as the Word of God.  It is the guide for faith and practice that trumps (no pun) all others.  The Word of God teaches us that God proscribed our use of the gift of sex to sex within marriage, and that from the beginning He created man and woman to be partners in life and marriage.  God's word strongly condemns homosexual behavior in both the Old and New Testaments. 

Speaking against homosexuality, without advocating harm to anyone, is not "hate speech " as it has been defined by the courts.  Americans have been guaranteed the freedoms of speech and religion by the First Amendment to the Constitution.

Therefore, I respectfully recommend that you do due diligence before you discontinue your customers' ability to give to charities of their choice.  Please reconsider and reinstate the FRC, and please make your decision known to your customers.

Prayer Request

Please pray for a peaceful resolution to the problems that are being created by North Korea.  Pray in your own words, and/or please pray the following along with me:

Oh Lord God,

God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses.

Please heed our prayer.

You alone, oh Lord, have the power to solve problems

when human effort cannot.

You allow human leaders to rise to power,

and you remove them from power.

We pray that your will be done,

and that your plan for the ages will soon be fulfilled.

We pray that evil rulers in places like North Korea and Iran may be saved,

and that they will be changed to have the mind of Christ.

We pray for a peaceful resolution

to the wars and conflicts that are happening worldwide,

and that people will stop killing each other.

We pray that you will bring a peaceful end to the problems

that are being created by Kim Jong Un and his generals.

We pray for the human leaders of nations around the world.

We ask that you give them courage, strength, and wisdom.

Creator of all things.

All things are yours.

You rule over everything.

Please let your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Spare, oh Lord, our people from the ravages of war.

Most of us just want to be left alone to live in peace.

We trust in you that everything will work out for the best in the end.

Please come back soon, Lord Jesus, and establish your kingdom.

Reign over us forever, precious Savior.

For clearly, we cannot govern ourselves.

In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Romans, Chapter 8

Please allow me to share with you the truths found in The Holy Bible,  Romans, Chapter 8. It has been a great blessing to me because it has shown me how to live in the Holy Spirit.  It provides us, also, with assurance of salvation and an understanding of the intercessory work of the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ, which they provide on our behalf.  I hope you are as blessed as I am every time I read these words.

So, please pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you, and then read:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, ² because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so, he condemned sin in sinful man, ⁴ in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

⁵ Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The sinful mind is hostile to God.  It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

⁹ You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit., if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. ¹⁰ But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Christ from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

¹² Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation - but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. ¹³ For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

¹⁸ I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. ¹⁹ For the creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. ²⁰ For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.

²² We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. ²³ Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. ²⁴ For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? ²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

²⁶ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. ²⁷ And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with the God’s will.

²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.³⁰ And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

³¹ What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From: The New International Version of The Holy Bible, 1990, by the Zondervan Corporation, All Rights Reserved

Mornings

I knew a man who got up at 3:00 AM every morning.  He made himself breakfast and coffee, and he read the paper after it arrived.  He used to say that he felt sorry for people who didn’t get up in time to enjoy the morning.  He liked the quiet and the sunrise, and he enjoyed the cool air in the summer.  He has long since passed away now, but I was always fascinated by his ability to get so much enjoyment from the morning.

I used to work with a woman who told me that there were two kinds of people in the world: larks and owls.  Larks are up with the sun.  They chirp and swoop through the air in celebration of the day.  Owls open their eyes at sunset.  They blink, stretch, and scratch their wings with their claws.  Maybe they fully wake up, and maybe they go back to sleep until dark.  They are intellectual, filling the night air with the question, “Who?”  They are content with their way of life, but they don’t quite fit in with the regular work day.  They seem to kind of scare people.

I am an owl.  I love sleeping late in the morning.  I find the sunset to be just as beautiful as the dawn.  I like to read or watch TV until I get sleepy, which is usually around 2:00 AM.

I was about 12 or 13 years old when they came out with transistor radios.  My mom gave me one for Christmas that was about the size of one of today’s small, digital cameras.  I used to hide under the covers and listen to popular music on station KIMN in Denver until I went to sleep.  Consequently, the batteries didn’t last long.  So, I would turn my clock radio way down low and listen to it.  Sometimes Mom would hear it and yell, “Turn that off and go to sleep!”  Other times I would wake up with it still playing and realize that I overslept because I went to sleep before setting the alarm.

The work-a-day world is made for larks.  “Be at your desk and working by 8:00 AM.”  There is a lot of discrimination against owls.  Our bosses chew is out for not getting to work until 8:15 AM.  They get irritated when we can’t get our act together until after 10 o’clock.  We have trouble with medical appointments because, “The only opening we have is at 8:30.  If you want an afternoon appointment, you will have to wait three weeks.”  The auto mechanic tells us that, “We can get your car done tomorrow if you get here at 7:30.  The schools teach our children that, “The early bird gets the worm.”  Researchers tell our employers that people are the most productive before 11:00 AM.  Not me!  I am the most productive after I am fully awake, which is usually around two in the afternoon.

Things get a little better after you retire.  The fish bite almost as well between 7 to 10:00 PM as they do before 7:00 AM.  The hunting is good in the early evening, too.  You still get the same grief, however, trying to make appointments and run errands in the afternoon.  Most churches schedule Sunday services early so that the men won’t stay home and watch football.  The neighbors think you are lazy because you are not out mowing the lawn at eight o’clock on Saturday morning. (Good grief, Charlie Brown!)

I defiantly remain an owl.  I spent 50 years punching somebody else’s clock.  Now, I unashamedly follow the beat of a different drum.  If I watch TV until 2:00 AM and sleep in until ten, then that is my own business.  Fortunately, my wife is a bird of the same feather.  So, let’s hear it for the owls.

“When I was a boy the Dead Sea was only sick.”

George Burns

 www.brainyquote.com

North Korea

When a serious open wound is not treated it can get infected.  Some infections like gangrene or MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) can be life threatening.  North Korea is like an infected wound.  The Korean Conflict ended in a ceasefire that is still with us.  There was no peace treaty, and the reunification of North and South Korea did not happen.  The free world has not been willing to do what is necessary to resolve this stalemate in its favor.  The situation has gradually grown worse, until it now threatens to start World War III.

The American print and broadcast news media have generally ignored our increasingly threatening drift toward open hostilities on the Korean peninsula.  They, and the U.S. Congress, have chosen to try to oust a duly elected president instead.  I get so sick of it. President Trump has recognized the need to end the nuclear threat to the United States, Japan, South Korea and others posed by North Korea.  However, he has no good options open to him.  Things have been allowed to go too far.

Over the last 60+ years, the United States has tried to peacefully resolve the Korean problem, without success.  More recently, Bill Clinton sent Jimmy Carter to negotiate with North Korea.  He tried to buy them off, but they broke their word and resumed their nuclear program.  George W. Bush fought a two-front war in Iraq and Afghanistan on borrowed money.  Having insufficient resources to deal with North Korea militarily, he chose not to follow-up when they continued to develop nuclear weapons.  Barack Obama put his head in the sand.  He allowed the North Koreans to test nuclear weapons and develop missiles that could deliver them.  Unwilling to go to war, anywhere for any reason, Mr. Obama regarded a nuclear North Korea as inevitable.  As Yoda said to Obe-Wan, “Now matters are worse.”

President Trump has been trying to persuade China, Russia, and the United Nations to reign in North Korea.  Over the years they have enjoyed watching the various Kim family dictators make trouble or us.  We can only hope that they will see that Kim Jong-un has gone too far.  However, that would mean that mankind would have learned something from World Wars I & II.  It is probably too much to hope for.

If we impose economic sanctions on countries and businesses that trade with North Korea, we risk a disastrous trade war that would undermine our current efforts to stimulate economic recovery.  We could possibly motivate nations like China to give greater support to North Korea in retaliation.  There is a chance that such economic sanctions might work, but economic sanctions do not have an impressive history of success.  Should armed conflict with North Korea occur, the hostility the sanctions might create could dispose some countries that might otherwise stand aside to lend their support to North Korea.

A blockade is technically an act of war.  If we were to impose a blockade on North Korea, would we be willing to sink Chinese or Russian ships to enforce it?  Would we be willing to bomb convoys of supplies entering North Korea from China?  If we did, what would Russia and China do?  Can a blockade be imposed effectively enough to choke North Korea into submission?  If we blockade North Korea, will it provoke Kim Jong-un and his military bosses to attack South Korea; or perhaps Japan?  All good questions.  Kim Jong-un may be mentally ill.  It is impossible to predict what he will do.

What then about military action?  A “limited” attack on North Korea to destroy their nuclear capability and existing delivery systems would probably succeed if we can achieve surprise and destroy their air force and their command and control systems.  It would almost certainly result in an attack on South Korea, and possibly Japan, by North Korea.  The loss of life could be massive.

I was wrong about the invasion of Iraq in 1991 (Desert Storm).  I thought that Iraq’s military would inflict a lot more casualties on the coalition forces than they did.  I do not, however, think we can safely assume that we can overwhelm the North Koreans the way we did the Iraqis.

Various sources I have read give me to believe that the North Korean air force has at least 1,000 planes, and that they have a 750,000-man army.  To keep the North Koreans from killing thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of South Koreans and Japanese, we will have to crush their military as quickly as possible.  We do not have about a month or two in this case to soften them up with precision air strikes.  We must get the job done in a matter of days; not months.  My knowledge of our military capabilities is dated.  Perhaps our military planners have tools to work with that I am not aware of.  However, the only way I know of to obliterate the North Korean military in a fast, overwhelming surprise attack is with nuclear weapons.  We just do not have the military and economic resources to fight a protracted war on the Korean peninsula; and everybody knows it.

Now, I am not as crazy as Kim Jong-un.  I have some comprehension of the consequences that would follow a nuclear attack on North Korea.  We would be an outlaw nation in the eyes of the rest of the world.  It could precipitate a nuclear retaliation by Russia, China, or both.  In short, there is a high degree of probability that it would start World War III.  At the very least, a nuclear first strike on any nation by the United States would divide our country, and possibly precipitate a constitutional crisis.  Is it worth the risk?

What is to be done?  We cannot continue to ignore the North Koreans and hope they will go away.  Make no mistake, although they do not yet have a missile or an aircraft that can strike the continental United States, they can strike us with a nuclear weapon by other means.

Please understand that I mean this in all sincerity.  We need to pray.  Prayer is not the least we can do.  Prayer is the most we can do.  The one true God, the God of the Holy Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, is all powerful.  He created the universe and everything in it, and He is in control of it.  People who are in positions of power in the world are there by His active will, or by His passive will.  They are in power because He puts them there or because He allows them to be there.  His plan for the ages is perfect, and He will work together in all things for the good of those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Secondly, we must apply every legal pressure we can to peacefully bring the regime of Kim Jong-un and the North Korean military to an end; regardless of the economic or international consequences.  If this results in an attack by North Korea on the United States or its allies, we must respond with every military means necessary to destroy completely the North Korean’s will and ability to strike, before they can do a lot of damage.  Our forces must be poised to carry out this mission on a moment’s notice, and we must give our military the resources to do so.  All nations must be made aware through diplomatic channels that any attack on the United States or its allies by North Korea will result in an immediate and devastating military response.

Independence Day 2017

Recessional

(A Victorian Ode)

By Rudyard Kipling

God of our fathers, known of old --

Lord of our far-flung battle line --

Beneath whose awful hand we hold

Dominion over palm and pine --

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget -- lest we forget!

The tumult and the shouting dies --

The Captains and the Kings depart --

Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,

An humble and a contrite heart.

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget -- lest we forget!

Far-called our navies melt away --

On dune and headland sinks the fire --

Lo, all our pomp of yesterday

Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!

Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,

Lest we forget -- lest we forget!

If, drunk with sight of power, we loose

Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe --

Such boastings as the Gentiles use,

Or lesser breeds without the Law --

Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,

Lest we forget -- lest we forget!

For heathen heart that puts her trust

In reeking tube and iron shard --

All valiant dust that builds on dust,

And guarding calls not Thee to guard.

For frantic boast and foolish word,

Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!

Amen.

https://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/recessional.html

But the man who makes me

his refuge

will inherit the land

and possess my holy

mountain.

(Isaiah 57:13)