Epiphanies

          Reality can take us by surprise; especially those moments when we discover that we are not who we thought ourselves to be. You know the moments I’m talking about. Like when Ms. Independence shows up with all her belongings---again. Or what about that bright, fleeting moment when you sit down to type only to find it’s the same moment the dog has to go outside; the kids are hungry; and the lid on the pickles is too tight.

          Stress, frustration or just being ticked off beyond measure; these are the moments of our life. Unfortunately, these are the same moments when a side of us which we thought dead is suddenly resurrected. That mean, nasty growl which springs up at that moment is the real us. We may tell ourselves otherwise, but self-deception is not a safe refuge.

          “From the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh…” And when it speaks, it speaks the truth.    

Christmas 4

God said, “Light be.”
Light was.

When God set the universe in motion, He spoke it from within His eternal, self-existent heart. Matter and energy appeared at His command. The word which He spoke continues to maintain and expand the universe in which we live.

Man was different. God did not speak Man into existence. He formed Man (by hand?) out of the earth and blew into this shell a piece of Himself. The breath of God transformed Man into a living soul.

Perhaps God could speak a creative word and mankind would be pardoned of its rebellion. He did not choose to do so. Once again, for the sake of Man, God took matters into His own hands.

“ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.”

So to a Bethlehem manger salvation came. They called His name Jesus.

Christmas 3

“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”

We’ve heard the words with every passing Christmas. They’ve become so woven into the fabric of celebration as to be no more than a whisper. Yet, it is quite possible that greater, more important words have never been spoken.

Jesus Christ was God in flesh and blood living as a man among men. We heard His voice; saw His tears and felt His touch. He healed blind eyes and crippled legs. He broke the bonds of sin and demonic possession then chased away the devil. Those that followed Him could reach out their hand and touch the Creator.

Unlike the gods of Rome, He didn’t come to satisfy some personal lust. He didn’t come to deliver great moral lessons like Buddha and Mohammad. He didn’t come to be served sacrifices to satisfy His appetite. He came to be the sacrifice. He came in the flesh to feel our pain. He came poor and lowly to toil with us. Through all the pain, toil and sacrifice, never a man spoke like this man. Even those who crucified Him confessed, “Truly this man was the Son of God.”

He is Emmanuel--God with us. He is with us still. That is what will are celebrating this Sunday.

Christmas 2

I recently read a collection of essays on the subject of zombies in modern culture. I was shocked to find those old movies were actually a condemnation of Western society; an account of our ecological ignorance; and racist propaganda. I thought they were just fun entertainment. Which only goes to show how very little I know. Yet, even I can see that a great self-loathing has crept into the world around me. Those possessed of this notion say it as a natural result of higher intelligence and better education. Who am I to say they are wrong?  

Nevertheless, these otherwise intelligent, educated people can’t find a solution to their disappointment with themselves and their world. They will not believe that their want of an answer lies in the blind resolve that the answer cannot possibly already exist. Like Dorothy searching Oz, they are seeking some magical answer in human wizardry. There is no such answer, and yet, they have possessed the solution and the means all the while.

When light shines on our inner man so that we can clearly see our works, a bit of self-loathing is inevitable. It has been that way since Adam wrapped himself in fig leaves. But, the God we are hiding from is the solution. Two thousand years ago He came to Earth, born as one of us, that He might save those groaning under the burden of sin and self-loathing.

The great joy of Christmas is that God’s gift of light and life transforms men. As the light of a single star lit the dark over Bethlehem to herald the coming of salvation, so the light of Christ shines in today’s darkness. The darkness cannot extinguish it. Men may turn away. They may refuse to see. Still, the light shines and in beholding that light a new world and a new man appears.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

Merry Christmas

As one of you has noticed the blog has been AWOL. The author has been under renovation. I have replaced the political rants and dysthymic discourses with a new brighter image which better displays by sparkling personality. Officially the new look doesn't happen until New Year's Day.

However, in hopes of letting in a little Christmas spirit, I have finally turned the page on the calendar to December. I couldn't let Christmas pass without a word or two on the subject. But before I do, let me wish others a Happy Hanukkah and a joyous Kwanzaa. I know I left out the Muslims. They seem are a rather sour bunch without a holiday to be merry about.

Here at Maison LaFountain we will be celebrating the birth of Christ and boldly calling it Christmas. Charlotte and Bryan have put up a Christmas tree; and oh, those are Christmas presents under it. Hey, wait a minute, I've been good! Where's my present?

       Maybe next year. Which has been the family motto this Christmas. One of the perks of careers in nursing and law enforcement is that you get to spend the holidays with your friends--at work. We are used to celebrating a week ahead of time, but even that was not to be this year. I'm sure the grandkids will survive the extra days until we appear bearing gifts. After all, they are LaFountains. Okay, some are Kellys, but that doesn't change their inborn cheerful disposition and gracious acceptance of misfortune.

     Merry Christmas Y'all!    

Passing Through

               “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” As certainly as we came into this life; we shall pass from it again. What profit is there in life seeing that it must end? If that were the whole story—there is no point in anything but to eat, drink and be merry. However, there is more to life than this world. Our life here is like a vapor. We walk the valley of life only long enough to decide the existence and justness of God. Once this matter is settled and we have given our judgment, it is God’s turn to judge.

               “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

               Christ doesn’t appear to us the second time as a suffering savior. The second time we shall see Him as He is. Judgment Day is not a far off, post-Apocalypse, meeting in the air. Judgment Day comes the moment our hearts beat no more. At that moment our fate is sealed. There will be a day when men stand before God to give an account of their life. This is not the judgment. It is our last word before sentence is carried out.

               Today, while you are working out your eternity, remember this question.

               “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Baby Lies

            My wife is a great one for admiring babies. She’ll walk across a crowded restaurant or down a crowded aisle to fawn over one. I understand; she can’t help it. Babies evoke a visceral reaction in most women. Babies are cute, cuddly and most of the time they smell good too. As long as they belong to someone else, what’s not to like?

            But, step back far enough to let a little rational thought in and the misconception is shattered. Take it from me, that chubby, pink bundle is trouble. It will learn to lie as soon as it can talk. It will steal as soon as it is mobile enough to get away with it. It will cheat as quickly as it learns the rules. Tarry too long changing a diaper and it will urinate on you. Put it down in a group of its own kind; it will scratch, bite and pinch everyone around.

            Don’t be deceived cuteness is only a disguise; within beats a heart of evil. Well did David say: “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Man is a natural born liar, rebel and cheat. If one tells you he was born gay, a kleptomaniac, or a murderer, believe him; it may be the only truth to come from his mouth. Yet, there is help for Man.

            “Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

            If you were born bad (and you were)---be born again!

History Revisited

I hear a great many people complain that the nation's political system is too polarized. They say that as if Congress existed in a vacuum rather than as a reflection of the electorate. If the middle-of-the-road is hard to find, it's because the right and the left are on completely different highways.

The Conservative Flyer leaves Union Station at 0800 traveling south at 45mph on track 9. The Liberal Express pulls out of the same station 15 minutes later going west at 65mph on track 7. At what time will both trains arrive at the Tropic of Capricorn? The answer is: the same time a consensus is reached on debts and spending.

The truth is Americans have very different ideas about where the country is and where it ought to be going. Those differences are nearing the point of being irreconcilable. It has happened before. The question is, what happens this time?

A peaceful, no-fault divorce is the contemporary thing to do. But, is liberal America open minded enough to "let the erring sisters depart in peace?" I doubt it. If they were they wouldn't think of representing themselves as the 99%. Conservatives are not simply the unconverted. We are the opposition. We are committed to our vision for the country.

Jefferson was speaking of human nature not spouting political theory when he wrote:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Will history repeat itself? Time will tell.

Built Rock Solid

            “And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”

“And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.”

Thus began debate about the authority of God and the veracity His word. Despite the rather bad outcome for Eve, her descendants continue to question God’s word. Man’s desire to be like God, exercising supreme authority, has not been abated by banishment from Eden or the lingering consequences of rebellion. War, famine, pestilence and death are the price we pay to avoid surrendering our autonomy. The notion of God with loving concern for, and absolute authority over, every situation in life is abhorrent to the cursed nature of Man. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”

The practical truth is that every man operates under a shared code of conduct derived from a source beyond himself; his governments and his instincts. Our ability to bend and break that code does not diminish its existence or its demands upon the human heart and mind. We know, “Thou shalt not steal.” We demand our fellow Man obey it. Yet, all the while, we find excuses to break it ourselves or come up with explanations as to why it doesn’t apply to our particular circumstance. If we choose to dig honestly and deep, we will discover that this inherent code of behavior is the product of our Creator. It is the word of God; passed to us in His likeness; fastened to us by His Curse; and revived in due season by His Spirit.

God has revealed Himself to Man by conscious, by law and by spirit. For the most part, Man remains unmoved; choosing instead to worship himself and the gods he can create. Rousseau was right, free-born man is everywhere in chains. But they are shackles of his making, forged of self-will and secured by a spirit of rebellion. “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are…” God’s word is not hidden, neither is it unknown.

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” 

Upside Down

            I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. The true number is somewhere between my wife’s estimate and those I’ll cop to. But, for the life of me, I can’t recall a single one from which the government bailed me out. This only goes to show you, that despite my girth, I’m not too big to fail.

             I’m learning that nowadays if you owe more on your house than it’s worth; your not to blame. I mean, how’s an ordinary Joe supposed to know $600,000 is too much for a unique fixer-upper? What are we realtors? Not to worry, Uncle Sam is riding to the rescue. He’ll help you refinance that white elephant. That way you can make the same mistake, but at a lower interest rate.

            I’m not without sympathy for these people. The same thing happens to me every time I buy a new car and drive it off the lot. The last SUV I bought cost more than my house. I doubt anyone in Washington cares that the payments hurt or that I owe more than it’s worth. Serves me right for being a rich one-percenter. 

A Little Distance

            God’s gift of grace is all sufficient for salvation. Man needs to add nothing. But salvation is not static; it produces action in the man who receives it. Man’s behavior subsequent to salvation is the best evidence of the work God has done.

Likewise, God completely sanctifies believers by grace. At the same time God says, “For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves…”            Those whom God has sanctified distance themselves from the world and draw near to God. God is the cause—our transformation is the effect.

Once invited in, God forever impacts our lives sending ripples throughout every part of our being. God will alter our thoughts, our desires and our actions. He will change the places we go; the clothes we wear; and the company we keep. Those who seek anything less will eventually go back to a more comfortable life. On the day of Pentecost, Peter told the crowd outside the upper room: “Save yourselves from this untoward generation.” It’s still good advise.

Questions Without Answers

There are mysteries in life to which we would all like answers. We are certain that this knowledge would make us better men; help us live happier lives; and rest easier at night. In the information age, knowledge is power; or so we're told. We want answers, but never really stop to consider the consequences. Absolute knowledge, like absolute power, would corrupt absolutely.

Jesus told His disciples that He would be killed and rise again three days later. He kept His promise. He was, indeed, the Messiah. They felt sure that the Kingdom of God could not be far behind.
"When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"
"And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power."

They didn't have a handle on their present. The future and its rewards were on their minds. Knowledge of God's timetable would have robbed their hearts of excitement and their lives of purpose. The reward they imagined would have become nothing more than a distant mirage.

There are some things God keeps to Himself. He does so, not to punish us or to appear mysterious, but to give us a life worth living. Jesus' answer was not what the disciples wanted to hear. It probably didn't make them happy. They had abandoned everything to follow Him only to have their hopes crushed; their hearts dark inside; and standing empty-handed on a hillside--or so they thought.

Ten days later everything changed.

Yesterday I attended the funeral of my infant great-nephew, Cameron Wade Wolfe. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord. An added blessing is to those whose trust allows them to accept there is knowledge best left in God's hands.

Honest Illegals

Rick Perry says it's heartless to oppose his scheme to give illegal immigrants a break on college tuition. He's close--it's mindless. Perry seems to find it easy to play fast and loose with his constituent's money. That's not a trait I look for in a president.
In a way Perry's idea makes sense in Texas. They've always had a certain affinity for outlaws. Personally, I have trouble making the subtle distinction between illegally slipping over the border and slipping a bank teller a stick-up note. I'm a bottom line kind of guy and the demand is just the same:
"Hand over the money and nobody gets hurt."
I know we're suppose to believe that illegal entry to America is a victimless crime. And it is--if you don't go to school or hospitals; pay taxes; or vacation at Turner Falls.
I'm told illegals only take jobs Americans don't want. There's a lot of those around nowadays---right? Illegals are honest, hard working, family men/women. Honest illegals; isn't that an oxymoron? The real problem with illegal immigrants is not that they might pay extra to attend a state college, but that they are in the state in the first place.

Mourning Cujo

            There’s a scene from To Kill A Mockingbird in which a rabid dog staggers down the street toward a group of kids. The sheriff, unsure of his aim and skill with a rifle, hands the weapon to Atticus Finch. The lawyer, and father of two of the children in the story, kills the dog with a single shot. Afterwards, he is the only one not celebrating.

            Killing a rabid dog is a distasteful, dirty job. There’s always a lot of hoopla in the aftermath, but after the dust settles, there’s no real use for either the dog or the shooter. I’ve done a few distasteful jobs in my time. You know, the kind folks want done, but don’t want to dirty their hands or reputations doing. Trust me on this, it’s no fun and there’s no glory.

            I have no objection to hunting down terrorists and tyrants like dogs. Nevertheless, I find something despicable about those that rejoice over the death of another human being even if he is seen as no better than a rabid dog. The world is likely a better place without Colonel Gadhafi, but you won’t find me dancing in the street or campaigning for chief dog catcher because he’s gone.  

Do You Know What Time It Is?

Telling Time

               “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace… I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.”

               Perhaps, the real secret to life is nothing more than knowing what time it is. 

What the Blind Man Saw

What the Blind Man Saw

I’m either extremely myopic or a greater pessimist than I ever imagined. Somehow I failed to see a peaceful, democratic nation in the mob that dragged Muammar Qadhafi into the street and shot him. The man was a tyrant. He had no qualms about torturing and killing his own countrymen. He was without mercy and so deserved none.

Yet, what did the Libyan people do to demonstrate a shade of difference between them and their former leader? What I saw was a bloodthirsty, violent people without restraint. The chance that a civil nation capable of the peaceful transfer of power will ever grow out of that mayhem are slim and none.

A still more frightening prospect is the trillions of dollars our government will spend on Tripoli before they find out the Libyans have no democratic notions. The President is hailing our role in the overthrow as a foreign policy victory. Real victory will only come if we leave that murderous mob to their own devices.

Let Allah sort it out.

Well Done

Glendon Allen

"There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man.
Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools."

I've grown weary of hearing and rehearing the tragic tales of the drug-induced, deaths of the rich and famous who lived only to gore their appetite for adulation. I find nothing to admire or inspire in their lives, nor yet, anything to mourn at their passing. There is, however, consolation in knowing the dead have their reward.

The world will not likely hear of the passing of Glendon Allen. Nevertheless, the world will be poorer for it. There are so few souls like his whose life flowed upward to God and outward to others. The sadness I feel this morning is not for Bro. Allen; it is for myself and for all those who already miss him. Well done, good and faithful servant.

"His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord."

Do In Lunch

"Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are...?." When you take the devil's money; there's hell to pay. I hear the government is planning to restrict the number of potatoes kids eat at school. To be honest nothing the government dreams up surprises me these days. What troubles me is how easily people accept intrusion upon their lives.
When Christians suggest people "do what's best for them," we're trying to force our standards on everyone. But when Uncle Sam does it, like obedient puppies we all follow along. We darn well better go along with Sam; he's paying the bills and as long as we live under his roof...well, you know how the rest goes.
We are raising a generation indoctrinated in the proposition that government has the right to tell us all what to eat; what to weigh; what habits are bad; what advertisements are safe to see; which companies are too big to fail; and even whether or not we can get a toy with that Happy Meal.
I don't know the answer to the question: "How stupid can a person be?" I've done some study on it, but haven't found the bottom. However, I can tell you exactly where the government is driving the herd--into the branding pen.
"Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind...Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh."      

Content and Blessed

            I’m not rich (by American standards); not even well to do. Middle class lies somewhere just beyond the next hill. I have some experience with being poor. However, that was some years ago and I was never very good at it. I had to modify some dreams to escape, but so far, I have avoided going back. I’m not complaining. I’m just telling it like it is. Wealth is a poor way to judge the quality of one’s life or to predict future happiness.

               For my oldest son’s fifth Christmas I drew him a picture of the Starship Enterprise. It was a 2x3 foot crayon on butcher paper. Rather well done if I do say so myself. Almost certainly youthful poverty shaped his character. However, given the curse of paternal genes he had to overcome, he’s reasonably well adjusted; which is a good thing since he carries a gun.

It may be cliché, but there really are some things money can’t buy. Contentment comes from a steadfast pursuit of that which transcends time. Contentment fills without envy; satisfies without regard to quantity; and brings peace without surrendering vision. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

               

Anything You Can Do...

               My Dad could hammer nails faster than anyone I've ever seen. Those guys on HGTV with their nail guns got nothing on my Dad, except that Dad was limited to the number of nails he could hold in his mouth at one time. Until I was seven or eight I thought my Dad had two thumb nails on each thumb. Then, one day I realized skill with a hammer comes at a price. He’d split those thumbs so many times that the nails gave up trying to grow back together. 

             The experience that brings us mastery doesn't come easy or cheaply. Every vocation exacts a toll on its practitioners. The reward is the satisfaction of knowing that you do a job well. Whether you’re a sanitary engineer or an electrical engineer; a doctor of philosophy or a doctor of medicine; a driver of NASCAR or a driver of nails; skill born of experience and knowledge set you apart from the crowd.

That is true everywhere, of course, except in the mind of the crowd. Television has taught us that whether people are surviving, dancing, cooking or singing, we all know how to do it equally as well---if not better. We cast our vote with a certain inward satisfaction that comes from our own perceived expertise and proposed improved method. It’s so easy to play from the bleachers. I hit a hundred home runs every baseball season right from the couch.

But, no matter how many times I’ve watched my Dad; I still can’t drive nails. Opinions are nice. The fact that everybody has one does nothing to increase their value. Ability, like silence, is golden. Remember, once you’re off the ground, never tell a pilot how to fly.

Just Passin' Through

               “All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.” As certainly as we came into this life; we shall pass from it again. What profit is there in life seeing that it must end? If that were the whole story—there is no point in anything but to eat, drink and be merry. However, there is more to life than this world. Our life here is like a vapor. We walk the valley of life only long enough to decide the existence and justness of God. Once this matter is settled and we have given our judgment, it is God’s turn to judge.

               “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”

               Christ doesn’t appear to us the second time as a suffering savior. The second time we shall see Him as He is. Judgment Day is not a far off, post-Apocalypse, meeting in the air. Judgment Day comes the moment our hearts beat no more. At that moment our fate is sealed. There will be a day when men stand before God to give an account of their life. This is not the judgment. It is our last word before sentence is carried out.

               Today, while you are working out your eternity, remember this question.

               “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?”

Fixations

Living on a Fixed Income

               I get tired of hearing people say: ”I’m on a fixed income.” Maybe it’s because I don’t know for sure what they are talking about. Isn’t most everyone on a fixed income? I know I am. My income is rigidly fixed by the number of hours I work every week. I’ve tried to find employment that pays for hours I don’t work, but employers can be so stubborn on this point.

               Maybe people that complain about fixed incomes are referring to sick leave. My boss doesn’t like to pay overtime so the only way I can arrange extra pay is for one of my co-workers to get sick or die. It seems so mean spirited to pray for that to happen. On the other hand, if I call in sick, my paycheck is hundreds of dollars short. Is that what happens on Social Security too? Do your food stamps go down if you get sick? I don’t know, I’m just trying to figure this fixed income thing out.

               I have health insurance, but I make it a point to know where all the exits are in my doctor’s office. If he starts talking about lab tests or xrays, I may need to make a quick exit. My income isn’t fixed to handle that kind of thing.

Volunteers

            “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves…Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.”

            This message of Paul to the Christians of Rome makes me wonder where America’s Founding Fathers stood with God. We call Washington, Adams and Jefferson heroes. The case can also be made that they were nothing more than rebels kicking against the rule of Parliament and the king. (Which is exactly the case that would have been brought against them at trial had it come to that.) However, it seems to be the consensus today’s Christians, as it was among the Founding Fathers, that Parliament no longer represented them or their interests. If that is just grounds for revolution, it is time Christians examine their blind allegiance to the government in Washington. The republic to which we once pledged that allegiance, clearly, no longer represents us.

            The time is passed for any sort of Christian political activism. Our system of courts ruled by the law of cultural correctness has negated that opportunity. It is time to come out from among them and be separate. A spiritual, financial, and cultural secession is needed. Step into the ark and shut the door. Let the government fill its coffers and its military gristmill from the ranks of the worldly, the illegals and the downtrodden it loves so much. America needs the message seen on church signs everywhere—get right or get left.    

            

True Evangelicals

True Evangelicals

               Those who can—do. Those who can’t—criticize. Israel wandered forty years in the wilderness waiting for God to give them a second chance at their promised land. During all that time their clothes never wore out; neither did their shoes. Six days a week they could step out the tent door and pick up bread from heaven. Water sprang from a rock for them to drink and quail walked right up and nearly threw themselves into the pot. Maintaining a nation on the move is no easy task. Moving that same nation, intact, across the desert is impossible. Nevertheless, Moses with God’s intervention did it.

               Sure, Moses is a hero now. But, in his day, there was not a sandal print in Sinai that wasn’t accompanied by a complaint. Everybody, even Moses’ brother, knew how to do it better, faster, and with less effort. The sad part is such behavior is human nature. Man is an unhappy creature. Moreover, he is evangelical in his misery forever sharing the message of his poor condition.

               The good news is that there are those like Moses, Joshua and Caleb who remain doers in the midst of their detractors. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”

Lies

Lies We Believe

               Some lies make life easier and who doesn’t like easy? Easy is what Man is all about. But, lies have a way of catching up to both tellers and believers. The notion that social welfare is compassionate is a lie. Social welfare programs, as practiced in America, are nothing more than a salve for the conscious of those too self-centered to be bothered with the poor. We draw an imaginary line and say—here’s some money. Now, go away. True constructive help never enters the picture. The reason for this is simple. Building productive people is time consuming, costly, and offers few positive results.

The culture of living on the government runs deep. Sparks of incentive are quickly extinguished; usually at the family level. I’m for helping the poor, but help with no teaching or responsibility attached is no solution. It serves only to prolong dependence and stifle effort. So, do we just boot everyone off welfare? No, but we do set goals for the day benefits stop. In medicine and nursing discharge planning starts on admission. Why not welfare? For those too disabled, mentally or physically, appoint independent guardians or mentors to manage benefits.

Granting independence is not the same thing as teaching it. A child with a credit card, even a limited one, needs instruction in its use. Want can be an excellent teacher, but not long term. We have an obligation to teach or stop enabling.

“We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

“But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak…”

“Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”   

Carrying a Torch

               I recently discovered that I still carry a torch for Lady Liberty. I thought those old feelings of devotion died a long time ago. Then, suddenly, I find myself passionately opposed to those I believe are actively seeking her destruction. Who knew?

               I’m not talking about Islamic extremists or the criminals slipping over our borders. Those are external dangers and relatively easier to deal with. I’m talking about the cultural quislings among us; those whose career goals are to “get on a check” and the leaders that inspire such lofty aspirations. I’m talking about those who drop mom off at the local hospital when she gets to be too much trouble. I’m talking about farms, banks, manufacturers and ordinary citizens living on government subsidies. I’m talking about a society who thinks nothing wrong with two years of unemployment payments and columns of Help Wanted ads living side by side. I’m talking about companies too big to fail and home buyers too politically popular to lose out.

               Our country is bleeding red ink. We are told the only solutions are higher taxes and more debt. Are you kidding me? Experience, hard earned and sadly won, says differently. Uncle Sam and Lady Oklahoma were nowhere to be found when we were drowning. Are we just better swimmers? Family, friends and faith can save. Is it too much to ask our fellow citizens and governmental leaders find some?

               “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. “

               If you are too modern and evolutionary to believe that—what of survival of the fittests?

Dust in the Wind

               Adam Bonhaven rode his Harley south on I-95 headed for Miami and a lot of fun in the sun. His dark hair streamed out on the wind. The warm sunshine reached right down to his soul while the haunting melody of a Kansas tune played in his mind.  Life was good. Mile maker thirteen flew by; no hurry; he’d get there. A sparkling fleck of dust blown from the roadside hit Adam’s eye. Instinctively, be blinked back the irritation and tried to brush it away.

The Harley swerved. Still fighting the dust in his eye, Adam over corrected. The big bike laid on its side pinning Adam’s leg and dragging him across the asphalt. The trucker following Adam slammed on his brakes, but not in time for Adam to escape. The truck jack-knifed across three lanes of traffic taking out a minivan and a church bus before coming to rest in the grass. Traffic along I-95 backed up for miles as police and fire-rescue cleared the bodies.

No man lives to himself and no man dies to himself. Dust we may be and to dust we return, but no life is insignificant. 

Justice for All

Justice for All

               Like many Americans, I have a problem with our system of justice; which in itself is a misnomer. America does not have a justice system. It has a legal system. The difference being, justice is an equitable application of reward and punishment to all living under its domain. Legality, on the other hand, is the practice of arbitrarily applying the changing whims of legislators, to those represented.

               Justice does not sway with the wind. It is not measured in degrees. Justice states the Law and all who come before it are either innocent or guilty of transgression. At least this is how God sees justice. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.” Transgress the law at any point and you are not guilty of a minor infraction—you are guilty of violating the entire law. Right is a solitary plumb line suspended from the hand of God. Wrong is everything else. The guilty are guilty; the innocent are innocent; and there is nothing in between. The liar and the murderer are equally guilty and share the same place of confinement. The innocent are set at liberty. This is right and fair. This is justice. It sounds hard and it is-- to all who transgress.

               The upside is that justice allows for mercy. With all pretense of innocence stripped away, the guilty may see their plight; repent and seek mercy. Likewise, they may stand fast and accept a just reward for their deeds. But whether pardoned or punished, the verdict is the same; all are guilty before the judge.

Right and fairness have little to do with legality in a republic. A legal system has degrees of guilt (and we spend a lot of time determining the degree to which someone is a felon). Some laws are not worth prosecuting. The effort required to convict and the political ramifications of pursuing the guilty do not always suit the needs of those charged with administering the system. Sometimes it is more expedient to give criminals legal sanctuary or aid in their criminal pursuits. At other times pardon may be granted while innocence is maintained. Then again, we may say “Not Guilty.” But, Not Guilty doesn’t necessarily mean innocent—not by a long shot.

While justice may be blind, legality has its eyes wide open. Conviction and punishment are often dependent on the looks, wealth, and friends of those before the court. Restitution gets lip service; social acceptability gets obeisance. Justice rules over all men alike; legality serves those most adept at wielding it. Those same adept warriors say the legal system is not perfect, but it’s the best we have. True enough—for the moment. But moments, courts and governments all pass away. Justice and the Word of God abide forever.

“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

The Nature of Things

               As you lie awake at three in the morning, what do you think about? I’m thinking about the nature of Man. More precisely, I’m trying to find out how to present the nature of Man in a way that is inoffensive to those who cling to the notion that nurture plays a dominant role in the formation who we are as individuals. The true “nature of the beast” can be unpalatable to many people.

               Sci-Fi fans may recall the story of a man having a very difficult identity crisis. He is told by the respected leader of a group of mutants: “You are what you do.”This was a popular belief of the time and remains so among those who believe that Man is born a clean slate. This theory allows us to hold to the concept that we are basically good; though sometimes misguided. Further, it holds out the hope that, given the right conditions, our basic goodness will prevail. Nurture is the half full glass. Given time and proper guidance we will fill our glass to overflowing. So the theory goes anyway.

               As the father of an adopted child, I can tell you nothing is further from the truth. Nurture is, at its ultimate best, a moderating influence. It is powerless to supplant the seed of nature anymore than living with a family of redheads will change the color of one’s black hair to red. I am Adam. I am made of the same material and carry the same traits in my flesh. We are family. That is not a biblical myth; that is demonstrated experience. There are endless variations on the theme; some are born liars; some are born defiant; some are born witty. But every child of Adam, placed in paradise and given free reign (and rein) will rebel against a single prohibition. We are rebels by nature. But don’t take my word for it. Try it for yourself; experiment with it. If you are a parent—you already know the truth. The truth is, we do what we are. The small town mentality, berated by intellectuals the world over, that casts us in our father’s shoes is not born of prejudice. It is the product of years of close observation. It is scientific method in action.

The glass is half empty. If the water is to be sweet and the glass full, that which is lacking can never come from the tepid heart of Man. God will not swallow it. “I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

“Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”  

“And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb…And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

Here’s my cup Lord.