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

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