It appears that a country is like a child. It develops, and as it develops, it’s forced to make some changes. What was appropriate when it was young may no longer be appropriate after it fully develops. The trick is transitioning. You see, rarely does anyone want to change. Of course, if the change is directly beneficial to you, then change is easy. But what if the ‘changes’ mean some sacrifices? Any volunteers? Yeah…not many will volunteer for that. In a democracy change can be even more difficult to attain….because it takes a majority to make changes. That’s where the topic…sharing the blame…comes in. In large part, I believe the government is responsible for getting us into this economic mess we find ourselves in. They didn’t react/respond quick enough to the hand writing on the wall (and I mean for the last 50 years). It seems they sat on their laurels…kind of like the American car manufacturers did back in the 70s when the Japanese starting building better automobiles then us. They refused to change until it was too late and needed to be bailed out. The American government seems to be guilty of the same thing. Whether it’s due to corruption, self-preservation (afraid they will lose an election), short-sightedness, ignorance, or laziness…it doesn’t really matter. What matters now is ‘how can we fix it’? What’s it going to take? Are we, the people, willing to change? Are we, the people, willing to sacrifice? If not, and the system does collapse, then we also will share the blame on that day.
I read the news today…oh boy…
Things have changed. I remember when I was a kid, at some point it was just about every little boy’s dream to one day be the president. Remember those days? The president’s office was respected and revered. It was the highest office in the land and, for that matter, the world! Having the president stop by your school and give a speech was akin to the Beatles stopping by. Now, some parents are threatening to keep their kids home from school on the day the president is scheduled for a visit! Have things gotten out of control? You’d almost have to be crazy now to want to be president. What would you be volunteering for? Constant abuse? Continual attacks? Unrelenting scrutiny by the media?
It’s a slippery slope. On the one hand, you want the office to be under scrutiny. A respectful scrutiny, though, might be good. Instead we have a media circus that is powered by ratings and greed while parading as the savior of the world.
I guess I appreciate the ‘news’. But just give it to me…just give me the facts without bias. Don’t try to convince me of what I should think…or that I should think like you. I’m going to base my opinion on the facts. And if you try to force your opinion on me, I’m going to boycott you.
To think or not to think…
Romans 11:33…Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Indeed, God’s ways are beyond tracing out. I have tried, and continue to try tracing them out, and though I come up with a multitude of thoughts and angles, I’m never completely sure if any of them have merit. The question then becomes ‘is it worth attempting to understand’ the whys and wherefores of life and of God or would we be better served by just accepting whatever comes and not doing any probing for answers and/or understanding?
When you read the book of Job, I guess you could say that everyone was trying to put reason to circumstances. In the end, God basically said ‘just trust me’. Right?
I do think that the best case scenario would be that we ‘accept’ our circumstances gracefully and with humility, but it also seems appropriate that we should be introspective? How else might we uncover the error of our ways, if indeed whatever circumstances we find ourselves in are, in actuality, self-induced?
So, should we be looking for God behind the circumstances, or should we just be looking at ourselves? Or should we do both?
I suppose that would depend on the circumstances themselves. For example, if there is a tornado in your neighborhood and it misses many homes, but blows yours to smithereens? This would seem like a scenario that is completely beyond your control…you might even call it an ‘act of God’, therefore it could be a good time to apply ‘accept gracefully and humbly’. After all, what are the alternatives here? Blame yourself? Blame God? Blaming yourself, if you aren’t the responsible party, is self defeating…and blaming God is ALWAYS a bad idea. How do you benefit from that? Of course, if a tornado does blow your house to smithereens, you might want to at least ponder your relationship with God….just in case something is very askew.
On the other hand, suppose you are texting while driving and cause an accident? This would definitely be a time for introspection, and hopefully repentance and self improvement. After all, God didn’t cause the accident, you did. But what if you were in the other car and suffered severe injuries due to the negligence of the texting driver….what would your thinking be then?
Just a reminder…
Luke 21:6-36 "As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down." "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?" He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away." Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your being witnesses to them. But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish. By standing firm you will gain life.
"When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. "There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."
He told them this parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. "I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. "Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man."
The ‘full’ gospel series…
Sometimes it seems that only half of the message is preached. I think it’s because in our human wisdom, sometimes we think that we may alienate someone by telling it like it is. We want to candy coat it, so it’s more palatable. I’m of the belief that God didn’t make a mistake when He provided us with the Word in it’s fullness. For instance:
We’ve all heard that God is good. God is love. God is merciful.
But how about the fear of God? Did that get lost in the translation? The teaching is definitely in both the old and new testaments, and yet you may not hear that preached from the pulpit much. Is that wise…or is that human wisdom getting in the way of God’s wisdom?
Pr 9:10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Lu 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
Where to draw the line…
1 Peter 4:12 ¶ “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.”
Have you ever been persecuted for who knows what? I mean…it may be public knowledge that you are a Bible believing Christian, but you aren’t the type that is forcing your beliefs on everyone around you. You are just living your life, trying to keep a good attitude, and being the best person you can be. It’s not like you are living in the days of the early church where you could be seen as a threat or heretic to other established belief systems. It’s not like you are a missionary in a foreign land that is known to be hostile toward Christianity. You are in your own backyard, so to speak, a predominantly Christian country. But…the persecution comes and it’s ‘strange’ because it’s hard to identify why you are being persecuted and attacked. Ever been there?
In 2 Timothy 3:12-13 he says: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” I wonder sometimes about where that persecution comes from. Is it flesh and blood (Eph 6:12) or does satan do the persecuting? Does he take people captive to do his will (2 Tim 2:26)? Apparently so. Is satan persecuting you?
Rush and Hannity…
In my opinion, ‘conservative’ talk radio is damaging the Republican party. People like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and others, that do nothing beyond complaining and spewing negativity and hate speech will ultimately turn people away from the party. I can say that, because it’s happening to me. I personally have tired of their incessant critical, judgmental, and negative comments to the point where I turn to a different channel/station when I hear their voices. They are utterly predictable at this point. My Christian Interpretation would be that they have gone off the deep end, that satan has taken them captive. The Bible says that a tree is known by its fruit. The fruit of their lips appears to have little in common with the fruits of the Spirit.
It seems kind of ironic that these folks that see themselves as the saviors of the Republican party are actually putting the nails in the coffin.
Prayer…
I once heard a joke of sorts….that went something like this:
A Jewish man goes into the synagogue and prays. "O Lord, you know the mess I'm in, please let me win the lottery."
The next week, he's back again, and this time he's complaining. "O Lord, didn't you hear my prayer last week? I'll lose everything I hold dear unless I win the lottery."
The third week, he comes back to the synagogue, and this time he's desperate. "O Lord, this is the third time I've prayed to you to let me win the lottery! I ask and I plead and still you don't help me!"
Suddenly a booming voice sounds from heaven. "Benny, Benny, be reasonable. Meet me half way. Buy a lottery ticket!"
Which brings up the question…when you are praying…are you meeting God half way? If you are obese and pray that God will help you lose weight and yet don’t diet or exercise, what are you expecting? If you are unemployed and pray that God will open a door for you to gain employment…and yet put little effort into seeking work, what are you expecting? If your business is not doing well, and you pray that God will prosper you, but do nothing to address the deficiencies of the business, what are you expecting? That old saying ‘God helps those who help themselves’ rings a bit true. The Word of God paints a pretty clear picture about the benefits of hard work, of self discipline. It also paints a pretty clear picture of the pitfalls of laziness. Read the book of Proverbs closely and you will find many references. Does that mean, then, that whatever success you do achieve is purely by your own efforts? My Christian Interpretation would be that I don’t think so. God is still the great provider, but He also won’t be mocked…and a man truly does reap what he sows (excepting in regard to salvation itself).
Social Security…
I think most Americans know that the government has totally mismanaged the social security funds. After all, the baby boomers have been paying in tons of money for many years now. Any intelligent, responsible organization/business, would have been investing those funds so that they grew. Instead, the government tapped those funds and used them in other areas. Now that the baby boomers are (finally) getting close to retirement, we are hearing more and more comments about how the whole social security system is bankrupt (or close to bankrupt) and something needs to be done. One suggestion I’ve been hearing is raising the retirement age.
My personal opinion is that if the government wants to raise the retirement age, then that should only apply to the people who sign up for social security after that new contract is put into effect. In other words, those new to social security would be signing a different contract. They would know the new rules, what to expect from the start, and have time to plan accordingly. My Christian Interpretation would be that it wouldn’t be ethical or appropriate for the government to renege on the existing contract that so many people have been paying into, and making plans around, for all these years.
God couldn’t be more obvious…
I’m amazed at just how obvious God is in creation. There is a design to it all, and a ‘design’ speaks of a designer. Therefore, I’m even more amazed when people deny Him. This begs the question, what causes a person to deny God? Scripture speaks of men loving darkness more than light. I guess that would be one reason. They love sin more than they love God. They choose between the two and attempt to justify themselves by denying the choice even exists. Then there is the lack of humility. Sometimes people get mad at God and reject Him because He isn’t playing by their rules. I say ‘lack of humility’ because when you exalt yourself to the point of judging God, you surely are lacking in humility. It’s the old…if you are going to be that way…then forget you!
In pointing to a creator, I’ve been known to use the simple example of human hair. For instance, why do we have eyebrows? The obvious answer is to keep liquid (perspiration, rain, etc) from rolling right into our eyes. Why do we have eye lashes? The obvious answer is to keep things from getting in our eyes. There is a multitude of reasons for human hair in all its diversity. Every reason, though, speaks of a designer and a purpose. It’s so obvious that everything in creation was designed. The bible says that creation speaks of a creator and that on that day, men will be without excuse. In other words, God knows that you know He exists. You will not be able to make any excuses on that day and you will know that you have been purposefully denying and rejecting God.
Is choosing sin over God worth losing your life? Is rejecting God because of your anger, ignorance, and pride worth risking the loss of eternal life? Might not a God that has the wisdom, power, and knowledge to create the universe be worthy of your faith and trust in Him?