"Made Like Him, Like Him We'll Rise"

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:  whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

(Philippians 3:18-21 NKJV)

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.  Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,  if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

(Philippians 3:7-11 NKJV) *

 

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

(1Thessalonians 4:13-18 NKJV) **

 

* https://biblehub.com/nkjv/philippians/3.htm

** https://biblehub.com/nkjv/1_thessalonians/4.htm

The Peace of God

Paul wrote these words from prison, not knowing whether he would be released or executed.  The truth that the Holy Spirit is showing us here is that we may have the peace of God in all circumstances.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4-7 ESV) *

 * https://biblehub.com/esv/philippians/4.htm

Peace

The song “Peace in the Valley” touches our heart’s desire for tranquility and an absence of conflict.  It was composed at a time when the threat of war was hanging like a dark cloud over Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world.  The song holds out God’s promise that believers will be taken out of this troubled world, and our wonderful Messiah, Jesus, will establish His kingdom in which peace will reign supreme. 

Even so come, Lord Jesus. 

Peace in the Valley

By Thomas Dorsey

I am tired and I’m weary, but I must toil on

till the Lord come to call me away;
where the morning is bright and the Lamb is the light

and the night is fair as the day.

There will be peace in the valley for me some day.
There will be peace in the valley for me.
I pray no more sorrow and sadness or trouble will be;
there will be peace in the valley for me.

There the flow’rs will be blooming, the grass will be green,
and the skies will be clear and serene;
the sun ever shines, giving one endless beam
and the clouds there will never be seen.

There will be peace in the valley for me some day.
There will be peace in the valley for me.
I pray no more sorrow and sadness or trouble will be;
there will be peace in the valley for me.

There the bear will be gentle, the wolf will be tame,
and the lion will lay down by the lamb.
The host from the wild will be led by a Child;
I’ll be changed from the creature I am.

There will be peace in the valley for me some day.
There will be peace in the valley for me.
I pray no more sorrow and sadness or trouble will be;
there will be peace in the valley for me.

No headaches or heartaches or misunderstands;
no confusion or trouble won’t be;
no frowns to defile, just a big endless smile;
there’ll be peace and contentment for me.

There will be peace in the valley for me some day.
There will be peace in the valley for me.
I pray no more sorrow and sadness or trouble will be;
there will be peace in the valley for me. [1]

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[1] https://thescottspot.wordpress.com/2016/08/27/peace-in-the-valley-written-in-1937/

 

What Good Does It Do?

Today is the first day of daylight-saving time, 2023.  So, how has losing an hour of sleep benefited you?  Are you any taller, thinner, or better looking?  Are you still bald?  Yo soy también. 

Did you wake up today feeling better than you did yesterday because of the time change?  Do you have more energy or stamina? 

How about your standard of living?  Has the time change improved the value of the dollars you work for?  Are you driving a new car or living in a nicer home?  Did daylight-saving time enable your wife to hire a house cleaning service?  Have you been able to enroll your kids in a private school? 

Has missing an hour of sleep and enduring the disruption of your circadian rhythms made you a safer driver?  If you do hazardous work, has switching your sleep habits reduced your risk of a job-related injury? 

Think back over previous years’ time changes.  Did they improve the quality or quantity of your work?  If anything, didn’t they temporarily reduce your efficiency? 

Are you grumpy after the switch to daylight-saving time?  Did you snap at your spouse, snarl at a coworker, yell at your kids, or put the dog out of the house?  The time change is great for your disposition, isn’t it? 

Tell me then, what good does daylight-saving time do that is enough to justify the disruption it causes in peoples’ lives?  As far as I can see, it is just one more way that the “powers that be” can push the average guy around. 

The U.S. Senate is currently considering a bill called “The Sunshine Protection Act,” which would abolish time changes and make daylight-saving time permanent and year-around.  Some sleep experts think it would be better to abolish daylight-saving time and only have standard time. [1]  Personally, I don’t care which one they make permanent, as long as they get rid of the time change.  Since our elected representatives are finally looking at doing what should have been obvious all along, now is a good time to write them a note or give them a call to encourage them to put an end to the folly of switching the time around.

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[1] https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-news/latest-updates-daylight-saving-time-legislation-change

 

Thought Control

It is not uncommon for society to condemn some kinds of speech.  Using foul language, for instance, is not acceptable in “polite society.”  Neither is using speech that directly and immediately incites others to riot or advocates violence against persons or groups.  Most reasonable people accept limiting verbal expression in this way. 

For example, this is a Christian blog. Christ taught us: 

All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (Matthew 5:37 NIV) 

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.(Matthew 5:21-22 NIV) [1] 

I encourage everyone to add to the discussion by commenting on this blog.  Your comments will be treated with respect.  Following Our Lord’s teaching, however, any comment that contains foul language, advocates violence, or demeans others will be deleted. 

Today, we are faced with political correctness on steroids.  I began to notice it during the Clinton Administration, and I was opposed to it even then.  One of the many reasons I was glad to see Bill and Hillary Clinton leave the White House was that political correctness seemed to leave with them.  It came back, however, during the Obama years, and it seemed to have gained strength. 

One of the reasons why Donald Trump is so popular among ordinary Americans is that he is the antithesis of political correctness.  He says what he thinks, means what he says, and he doesn’t couch things in euphemistic doubletalk.  You may not always agree with him, but you know where he stands. 

There is a political, economic, educational, and social Progressive Movement that is backed by big money and the media, and it is openly bent on fundamentally altering the character, the very identity, of the United States of America.  It is coercive and totalitarian in nature, and it seeks to compel our citizens to conform against their will.  I seem to recall hearing someone say, "The Progressives believe that 'the ends justify the means,' and they will use any means to achieve their ends." 

We use words to form our thoughts.  We think in words.  Therefore, if our language is changed, those who control that process can attempt to control the way we think.  There are long lists of words that are no longer acceptable at our universities, in the media, and in a plethora of other venues.  Even the use of third-person singular pronouns that are gender specific is being forbidden. *

Further, politically correct speech is changed frequently to keep us off balance.  We all have been witnessing it on a daily basis, and most “Average Americans” wonder why?  Here’s why - it is to control the way we think.  If certain words are taboo, then we cannot use them to formulate and express our thoughts.  If the political correctness of words keeps changing, we can never be certain that what we are saying is correct. 

Historically, despots, dictators, and tyrants have sought to have absolute power and control over their subjects by controlling their behavior.  A few have tried to control the way their people think.  Mind control has been elusive.  If attained at all, it has been temporary.  As the old German song goes, “Die Gedanken sind frei,” (the thoughts are free).  Persecution and oppression have never been able to permanently suppress “the human spirit.” 

That does not stop the autocrats from trying.  Therefore, we must never allow them to get away with it.  We must never purposely and knowingly diminish our neighbor. We cannot, however, allow our freedoms to be eroded or destroyed by those who want to fraudulently misuse the quest for social justice to oppress us.  We must use every legal means at our disposal to preserve the greatest nation the world has ever known. 

The Holy Bible speaks to the issue of language manipulation: 

Woe to those who call evil good
and good evil,
who put darkness for light
and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter!
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes,
and shrewd in their own sight!

(Isaiah 5:20-21 ESV) [2] 

*  We wonder, what do they intend to do with languages (like French, Spanish, Italian, and German) that have masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns?

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[1] https://biblehub.com

[2] Ibid.

 

Our Destiny

Before He created everything, God chose us to be His people, His adopted children, and He made it our destiny to become like Christ.  All glory to God.  Praise Him one and all.

 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.  In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.  And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.                        (Ephesians 1:3-14 NIV)

 

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.  For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.  And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 NIV) *

 

Take the place God has prepared for you in His plan for the ages.  Believe in Jesus Christ.  Accept the Salvation He provided for you.  Grow to be more and more like Him each day.  He will bring you joy and peace, and the Holy Spirit living in you will help you walk the walk that Jesus walked.

* https://biblehub.com/

I was Wrong

There was a fight today in the parking lot of the “discount superstore” where we had just finished our grocery shopping.  I heard a ruckus as I was loading our things in the trunk of our car, and I turned to see a very large, rough looking man who was obviously having a fit of road rage.  I was too far away to hear exactly what was being said, but it seemed that the driver of a Mustang had taken the right-of-way.  The big guy was walking toward the Mustang yelling and cursing. 

The best way to de-escalate the situation would have been for the driver of the Mustang to back up his car and leave, but he chose to get out of his car and try to talk the big guy down.  The driver of the Mustang was young and slender of build.  The angry man clearly had the advantage of size and raw strength, although he looked to be in his 50’s.  Anyway, the younger man soon became angry, too.  Then the fight was on. 

I was surprised to see the aggressor bleeding from the nose.  The younger guy had great footwork, and he was able to get away from the big man’s attempts to grapple.  Eventually, they broke it off, although there was still a lot of yelling going on. 

I was glad when they quit fighting.  I had my smart phone out, getting ready to take pictures if the little guy started getting the worst of it.  I was ready to call 911, and then to intervene if it looked like somebody was in danger of being seriously injured. 

It was a long time since I had seen two grown men throw blows.  It is never a pretty picture, but I was glad the smaller man had held his own.  The big guy was obviously used to being able to intimidate other people with his size and belligerent attitude. 

I was way wrong a year ago about how things would turn out when the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine.  The Russians had a clear advantage in numbers and weaponry.  They had beaten the Ukrainians in 2014, and I thought they would quickly overwhelm them again.  I did not know we had been providing training and weapons to the Ukrainians, and the ineptitude of the Russian high command came as a complete surprise.  However, I still have concerns about the ultimate outcome of this horrible war. 

The Russians appear to be learning, adapting, and making leadership changes.  They are once again massing overwhelming forces for a new offensive.  Historically, the Russian Army has never been concerned about wasting the lives of its soldiers in huge numbers.  They will just keep coming, hoping to wear the Ukrainians down.  The Ukrainians, however, have fewer human resources on which to draw. 

The Russians have attacked civilians and civilian support infrastructure relentlessly.  They hope to break the will of the Ukrainian people, and erode support for the war.  It appears from all reports that this effort has not been successful.  We pray that the Ukrainian people will continue to resist. 

On the other hand, there are rumblings in the United States and her NATO allies, among their more short-sighted politicians, that there should be a limit to our ongoing support for the Ukrainian war effort.  This kind of thing is what our opponents have come to expect from us.  They know that if they can just hang on long enough, we will lose our resolve and quit.  I would bet real money that is what Vladimir Putin is banking on. 

Further, we have not provided the Ukrainians  with the kind of weaponry they need to win.  The political leaders in the West think winning is reaching a favorable negotiated settlement.  That nonsense  is because they do not understand war.  Victory occurs when one’s enemy is unable and unwilling to continue to fight. 

The Ukrainians cannot achieve real victory without first establishing air superiority in the area of conflict.  Advanced aircraft can help to protect the Ukrainians from Russian missiles and armored ground forces.  They need modern tanks to stop the advanced main battle tanks being deployed by the Russians.  They also need medium range missiles with conventional warheads with which they can attack staging areas and supply dumps inside Russia.  These weapons would go a long way to help the Ukrainians defeat the coming Russian offensive.  Without them, the Ukrainians will have to take far more casualties than they can afford. 

The United States has been generous with military aid to Ukraine.  Those who want more accountability for the money, weapons and munitions we have provided are correct.  Those who point out that that the US has provided far more help than anyone else, and who want our NATO allies to bear more of the burden, are correct as well. 

We the People, however, can’t sit idly by and watch our “fearless leaders” in Washington D.C. – once again – snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by abandoning the Ukrainians now … when they need us most.  Please write your Senators and Congressmen, urging them to give these brave people what they need to win. 

It’s just like the fight I saw in the parking lot today.  It just plain feels good to see a bully get the bloody nose that is coming to him.