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.