THE GAP THAT KEEPS ON GROWING

From My Perspective - - -

For generations, the United States has been references as being “The Great Melting Pot” – or – the place where the sonnet – The New Colossus by Emma Lazarus (1849-1897) – would be the extended welcome to any and all who would desire freedom and opportunity within the shores of this nation. The words of welcome etched at the base of The Statue of Liberty include: “…cries she, with silent lips: Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these – the homeless, the tempest-tossed to me – I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

In June 2010, Conner Dougherty wrote in the Wall Street Journal – “U.S. Nears Racial Milestone.” In his article, he stated: “Whites are on the verge of becoming a minority among newborn children in the U.S., marking a demographic shift that is already reshaping the nation's politics and economy. The Census reported Thursday that nonwhite minorities accounted for 48.6% of the children born in the U.S. between July 2008 and July 2009, gaining ground from 46.8% two years earlier. The trajectory suggests that minority births will soon eclipse births of whites of European ancestry….” In May 2012, he has updated his report to state: “Big Generation Gaps in U.S. Racial Composition.” His report contains the following (including charts and counties that demonstrate his thesis): The U.S. has hit a racial tipping point where less than half of newborns are whites of European descent. But since the older population still has a strong majority of non-Hispanic whites, these racial changes have big generational divides…The biggest divides are in rural counties, many of which have seen out-and-out declines in their white population, leading to big percentage gains. Still, many larger counties have huge white/minority divides that are a great illustration of how different generations view issues of race and immigration. Take, for instance, Maricopa County, Ariz., which surrounds Phoenix and is a hotbed for the nation’s continuing debate over illegal immigration. Maricopa had an 18.4 percentage point gap between the share of the overall population that is non-Hispanic white and the share of kids under 5. In other words, while non-Hispanic whites are still a strong majority of Maricopa’s overall population, white children are a clear minority…”

In May 2012, another article was published by Dr. Peter Jones with the title: “May 09, 2012: The Official End of Christendom?” His article includes the following: “Fox News journalist, Shep Smith, welcomed President Obama into the 21^st century and declared those who still oppose same-sex marriage to be on the wrong side of history. May 9, 2012 was indeed an historic moment. Though President Obama bathed his decision in Christian principles: “…our faith…is not only Christ sacrificing himself on our behalf but it’s also the golden rule…treat others the way you’d want to be treated...”For the first time ever, a sitting US president, considered the most powerful political leader in the world, has endorsed a marital arrangement that formally constitutes the pagan “worship of the creation rather than worship of the Creator” (Romans 1:25)… We must not panic or exaggerate, nor cease to love homosexual individuals. But we must not re-interpret “Christian” love, so that our contemporary culture can reject God the Creator in favor of self-serving desires. The Gospel love story of creation and redemption must be heard via a clear witness to the biblical worldview, as Paul articulates it in Colossians 1:19–20: “For in Christ…by whom all things were created…[God] through him reconcile[d] to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”

A greater concern pertains to the “Christian Churches” in our nation. Have they kept apace with the changing demographics and ethnicity shift? Have the words of The New Colossus found application within the “church”? The plurality in many of them is white. The vision for the Mission Fields brought into the communities of this nation is ignored. Our children learned the chorus that contained: “Red and Yellow, Black and White – they are precious in His sight; Jesus loves the little children of the world.” Are they precious in our sight and loved by us in “the church”?  In Exodus 22:21, the children of Israel were instructed: “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.” In Ephesians 2:12-13, “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. Consider these things with me!

REDEFINING

From My Perspective - - -

For half a century, our nation has been redefining cultural and moral values – from the aborting of fetuses to redefining subjects for marriages. Many of these redefining moments find their focus and motivation based upon a political agenda and/or voter support. Why has redefining become an act in the present? The daily update of World Magazine has the following poignant statement: “President Obama announced in a Wednesday interview with ABC News that he now personally supports same-sex marriage. The announcement was practically forced upon the president a few days after Vice President Joe Biden said that he supported gay marriage. Biden’s comments made the question of the president’s position on the issue perennial in White House press briefings. ‘I’d hesitated on gay marriage in part because I thought civil unions would be sufficient…And I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people the word marriage was something that invokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs, and so forth…In the end the values that I care most deeply about… is how we treat other people…when we think about our faith, the thing at root that we think about is, not only Christ sacrificing Himself on our behalf, but it’s also the Golden Rule—treat others the way you would want to be treated…that’s what motivates me as president, and I figure the most consistent I can be in being true to those precepts, the better I’ll be as a dad and a husband and hopefully the better I’ll be as president.”

Those who adhere to Political Correctness will accommodate a voter base and redefine a traditional and/or moral standard for the sake of gaining votes and being re-elected to office. A greater problem arises when Theological Correctness assumes a similar posture to become all things to all people. In a Christian Post Article, Dr. Albert Mohler, a key leader in the Southern Baptist Church, warns: “The urgency to reach people with the Gospel can, if the church is not faithful and watchful, tempt us to subvert the Gospel by redefining its terms. Specifically, Dr. Mohler drew attention to how some evangelical mega-churches appear to be softening their positions on homosexuality. He calls on evangelical leaders to steer clear of the sinking sand of celebrating homosexuality—a quicksand that the mainline churches…have fallen into. Many evangelicals today need to take a hard look at what happened to their mainline forebears…”

Dr. Michael Youseff adds in his Blog: “I am hearing the same language I heard 25 years ago: We must love without passing judgment…We need to accept people regardless of their moral practices. But my concern goes far beyond those misleading statements. The questions that no one seems to ask in the midst of this muddled thinking are: Why is the homosexual lobby adamant that their practice should not only be accepted, but celebrated, especially by Christian leaders? When they know full well what Scripture says? Why does the homosexual lobby feel that it’s not enough for the church to love and care for them as individuals?...The deliberate and definitive answer to those questions must always be: God’s Word must be obeyed over the trends of culture and the perceived need to give Christianity a “good” image…We must stand on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and not the sinking sand of the world.”

God’s views and standards have not changed. The lifestyles of Sodom and Gomorrah would be and are still condemned by a Holy God. Romans 1:18-32 continues to be the expression of God’s judgment toward alternate lifestyle and practice – “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness…God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due…who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.” This is God’s analysis and definition. Make certain your definition squares with His – regardless of the cultural pressures to do otherwise. Consider these things with me! 

MONUMENTAL MALFEASANCE

From My Perspective - - -

Hillsdale College, located in Southern Michigan, publishes Imprimis – a free monthly speech digest that is dedicated to educating citizens and promoting civil and religious liberty by covering cultural, economic, political and educational issues of enduring significance. In April 2012, a featured address and writing was given on The Decline of American Monuments and Memorials by Michael J. Lewis, the Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art at Williams College since 1993. He writes: “This has been an extraordinary year for American monuments. The memorial at Ground Zero opened last September in New York. One month later came the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial here in Washington, and soon to come to Washington…is the memorial to President Eisenhower…”

A major part of this address and writing pertains to the subject matter of a monument and what it is to represent. It is supposed to be – “something erected in memory of a person or event…a personification of some abstract quality, especially when considered to be beyond question…” Dr. Lewis points out some inconsistencies and inaccuracies of some recent monuments. “The King Memorial was criticized for engaging a sculptor from Communist China, who saw to it that Chinese rather than American granite was used for the structure—which accounts for its ‘Made in China’ inscription. Even worse, the memorial managed to misquote the great man: Not only did he not say, ‘I was a drum major for justice, peace and righteousness,’ but his actual words were a hypothetical statement put in someone else’s mouth. Worse still is the demeanor and expression of the sculpture...Instead of inspiring warmth, there is the infinite aloofness of an idol…”

The second illustration Dr. Lewis references is – “The proposed Eisenhower Monument… Instead of making its subject a 30-foot effigy, it turns him into a diminutive country boy. In an outdoor public space that is part formal civic plaza and part wooden urban park, columns in the background will support a wire mesh screen depicting images of the Kansas prairie of Eisenhower’s childhood. And at the center will be the sculpture of Eisenhower as a dreamy country boy ‘looking out onto his future achievements’—an unconventional depiction, given that there were millions of dreamy country boys and only one Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe in World War Two…” Dr. Lewis adds, “As traditionally understood, a monument is the expression of a single powerful idea in a single emphatic form, in colossal scale and in permanent materials, made to serve civic life…” If one has ever been to Washington, DC, there are Monuments of grandeur representing men and events of a bygone day – from the Lincoln Memorial to the Iwo Jima Monument – very graphic depictions of men and achievements. The same would be true for the one visiting Mount Rushmore and observing the life-like features of four former Presidents.

Some Evangelicals become hyper over “graven images” as being contributory to “idol-worship” – but – care needs to be exercised that one doesn’t throw the baby out with the bath-water. There are “symbols” of the Christian heritage and faith that are scorned by some and attacked by others – (a) Tablets containing the 10 Commandments; (b) A Crèche (Manger Scene) depicting the Birth of Jesus Christ; (c) The Cross – the symbol of Crucifixion for one’s sins; (d) The Empty Tomb – the symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ; (e) Praying in the Name of Jesus Christ; etc. Central to the Message and Mission of the Church of Jesus Christ is I Corinthians 1:18, “…the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” I Corinthians 15:3-4, “I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures…” Failure to proclaim this message would be Monumental Malfeasance. Let your life and message always be – To Know Him (Christ) and To Make Him (Christ) Known. Consider these things with me.

A UNIQUE IRONY

From My Perspective - - -

What could be more ironic than this Headline on The Christian Post: “National Day of Prayer Coincides With 50th Anniversary of Ban on School Prayer”? Today – Thursday, May 3^rd – manyAmericans will be observing the 61st annual National Day of Prayer. This year is one of special significance because the May 3^rd  observance also marks the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision that invalidated official prayer in public schools. The article suggests that "…Some religious believers will likely use the day of prayer to call attention to what they view as a regrettable and consequential decision…referencing the Supreme Court's landmark 1962 decision in Engel v. Vitale.” It is further suggested that “…this year's National Day of Prayer will reopen the debate on the Establishment Clause, which says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

According to the National Day of Prayer Task Force, led by Shirley Dobson, "The National Day of Prayer has great significance for us as a nation. It enables us to recall and to teach the way in which our founding fathers sought the wisdom of God when faced with critical decisions. It stands as a call to us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people. The unanimous passage of the bill establishing the National Day of Prayer as an annual event, signifies that prayer is as important to our nation today as it was in the beginning." 

In a very telling statement, the Freedom From Religion Foundation argues: “The U.S. President has neither the moral nor the constitutional authority to dictate to Americans to pray, much less to tell citizens what to pray about or set aside an entire day for prayer…Whether to pray, or believe in a god who answers prayer, is an intensely precious, personal decision protected under our First Amendment as a paramount matter of conscience. Don't let Christian evangelicals hijack our secular Constitution."

In a somewhat neutral and secular tone, President Barack Obama issued his proclamation on the National Day of Prayer on Tuesday. In it, he writes: "Prayer has always been a part of the American story, and today countless Americans rely on prayer for comfort, direction, and strength, praying not only for themselves, but for their communities, their country, and the world. On this National Day of Prayer, we give thanks for our democracy that respects the beliefs and protects the religious freedom of all people to pray, worship, or abstain according to the dictates of their conscience…I invite all citizens of our Nation, as their own faith directs them, to join me in giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy, and I call upon individuals of all faiths to pray for guidance, grace, and protection for our great Nation as we address the challenges of our time."

Removing God out of our schools and national consciousness has not worked very well for our nation, nor has it resulted in any significant and positive result for the citizenry. This year’s theme for The National Day of Prayer is: “One Nation Under God, is based on Psalm 33:12 - “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord.” For those who wish to continue to remove God and Prayer from the nation’s public awareness, there are two passages to ponder – (1) Psalm 9:16-17, “The Lord is known by the judgment He executes; The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. The wicked shall be turned into hell, And all the nations that forget God.” – and (2) Psalm 14:1, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, They have done abominable works…” Our drift away from God has been persistent: 1960s – Prayer and Bible Reading removed from the schools; 1970s – the Legalization of Abortion on demand; 1980s – several revisions and “translations” where the name Jesus was omitted (and continuing to this day where gender-neutral names are assigned for God); 1990s – The Gay Agenda began to gain attention and tractions; 2000s – same-sex marriages are being legitimatized and legalized in many States of this nation.

• Are we forgetting God and His Standards? Yes! 
• Have we surrendered a national consciousness about God and His preeminence in all things? Yes!

The time is long past and the need is urgent for this nation to return to the Lord and to acknowledge Him in all things. Commit yourself to make every day a Day of Prayer. May the Lord bless and enrich you as you do! Consider these things with me!

I and ME and MY and MINE

From My Perspective - - -

There are many considerations that can gain one’s focus. Among them - Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness which demand time, attention and care. In that focus, determination and pursuit one must guard against using others as stepping stones to achieve a personal status and/or goal in life. There is no room for selfishness or self-centeredness; personal ego and pride; or elitism at any cost. It is devastating to relationships, corporations, churches and nations when class-distinctions are allowed to usurp unity of purpose and endeavor.

The one who was called “The Father of Our Country” – George Washington, addressed this in his Farewell Address to the Congress and Nation in 1796. Among his comments were these: “The unity of government which constitutes you one people is also dear to you. It is justly so, for it is the main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize. But as it is easy to foresee that, from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point of your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts…The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. You have in a common cause fought and triumphed together; the independence and liberty you possess are the work of joint counsels, and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings and successes. But these considerations, however powerfully they address themselves to your sensibility, are greatly outweighed by those which apply more immediately to your interest. Here every portion of our country finds the most commanding motives for carefully guarding and preserving the union of the whole…”

In the climate of the times in which we live, it appears there are those who are more focused on “I and ME and MINE” than they are upon the “We and Us and Our.” That which is true in and for the nation, is also true in terms of religion either organized or self-designated. In John 17, Jesus prayed for the unity of those who would follow Him with complete commitment. However, Paul would warn in Romans 16:17-18, “I urge you - note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.” Paul could’ve easily expanded his listing – not just the “smooth words and flattering speech” – to the reality of the proud and boastful who require and expect notice for achievement by their frequent use and reference to “I and ME and MY and MINE.” In and for both National and Religious spheres, there is a word of wisdom and caution given in Proverbs 6:16-19 – “These six things the Lord hates…seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.” The Lord has put the Nation and Church on notice – He will not condone what He condemns! In James 4:6, there is this unalterable truth:“God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Consider these things with me!

ADRIFT

From My Perspective - - -

One of the more uncertain and dangerous situations is when a sailing vessel breaks loose from its moorings or the anchor is insufficient to secure a ship. The following incidents illustrate such moments (these events can be read online – The Shipwreck Log where they are pictured and recorded). These are classed as Maritime Accidents around the world.One incident pertained to the fishing vessel that went adrift from     Hokkaido during the 2011 tsunami in Japan and floated across the Pacific Ocean. The Coast Guard determined to sink the vessel rather than to attempt to tow it to port.  Such was the case when Japan was subjected to both an Earthquake and a Tsunami. The 164 foot long fishing vessel Ryou-Un Maru was sunk in the Gulf of Alaska by the Coast Guard. 

A second illustration pertained to a Coal Barge that became loosed from it’s moorings on the Ohio River near Wheeling, West Virginia. One crewman was on-board working on shifting cargo on the fully loaded coal barge when the mooring lines broke loose. For 15 minutes, the Barge and crewman floated down the Ohio River towards The Pike Island Lock and Dam. A towboat responded and was able to safely rescue the crewman. The Barge was finally secured about 100 yards from the Dam. The Coast Guard reported that several days of heavy rain was the blame for the Barge breaking loose.

There are some Biblical illustrations as well. Most are familiar with the account of the runaway Prophet – Jonah. He had made a decision to avoid doing what God had directed him to do. He decided he would board a ship and get as far away as he could from the place where God wanted him to go. This decision led to near-tragic consequences for him and the crewmen on the vessel. In Jonah 1:4-6, “…the Lord sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." The only way to avert this tragic-consequence was to throw Jonah overboard. Once they arrived at that point  - Jonah 1:14-15, “…they cried to the Lord, O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased. Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.”

Another illustration is recorded in Mark 4:35-41, Jesus said to His Disciples - "Let us go over to the other side. Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along…in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, Teacher, don't you care if we drown? He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, Quiet! Be still! Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith? They were terrified and asked each other, Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey Him!"

The Lessons one needs to learn are: (1) God is in complete control of His Creation; (2) It is impossible (and foolish) to try to escape (run away) from God’s Presence; (3) The Lord expects all to acknowledge Him in all things and at all times; (4) Faith and Obedience are Absolutes that should not be ignored or compromised; (5) God will use anything and/or all things to gain one’s attention and focus; (6) God has a perfect plan and wants our lives to fit into that plan; (7) The Lord wants us to submit to His Authority and to serve Him Faithfully and Energetically. Don’t be among those who are adrift – drifting carelessly/recklessly with the cultural tide. Jesus Christ is our Hope and Stay. Hebrews 6:19, “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” Consider these things with me!

TIPS OF ICEBERGS

From My Perspective - - -

This past week there was the recognition that 100 years ago the Titanic set sail on its maiden voyage. Eyewitness To History reported: “On April 10, 1912, the Titanic, largest ship afloat, left Southampton, England on her maiden voyage to New York City. The White Star Line had spared no expense in assuring her luxury. A legend even before she sailed, her passengers were a mixture of the world's wealthiest basking in the elegance of first class accommodations and immigrants packed into steerage. She was touted as the safest ship ever built, so safe that she carried only 20 lifeboats - enough to provide accommodation for only half her 2,200 passengers and crew. This discrepancy rested on the belief that since the ship's construction made her ‘unsinkable,’ her lifeboats were necessary only to rescue survivors of other sinking ships. Additionally, lifeboats took up valuable deck space. Four days into her journey, at 11:40 P.M. on the night of April 14, she struck an iceberg…It became obvious that many would not find safety in a lifeboat. Each passenger was issued a life jacket but life expectancy would be short when exposed to water four degrees below freezing…The great ship slowly slid beneath the waters two hours and forty minutes after the collision…The next morning, the liner Carpathia rescued 705 survivors- 1,522 passengers and crew were lost. Subsequent inquiries attributed the high loss of life to an insufficient number of lifeboats and inadequate training in their use.

This week, there will be another day for remembrance. One year ago – April 27, 2011 – is chronicled as “…being among the most prolific and destructive tornado days in United States history with a record 208 tornadoes touching down that day. Four of the tornadoes were destructive enough to be rated EF5 …In total, 346 people were killed as a result of the outbreak. That death toll includes 322 tornado-related deaths across six states...24 fatalities… were the result of other thunderstorm related impacts such as straight line winds, hail, flash-flooding or lightening…” A large business section in Tuscaloosa was shredded…and there is evidence of the storm’s damage one year after the event.

On another front, your Congress at work for you, is now seeking to regulate and/or curtail political speech. “House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi…endorsed a movement announced by other congressional Democrats…to ratify an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would allow Congress to regulate political speech when it is engaged in by corporations as opposed to individuals…The constitutional amendment the Democrats seek would reverse the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In that decision the court said that the First Amendment protects a right of free speech for corporations as well as for individuals, and that corporations (including those that produce newspapers, films and books) have a right to speak about politicians and their records just as individuals do. We have a clear agenda in this regard: Disclose, reform the system reducing the role of money in campaigns, and amend the Constitution to rid it of this ability for special interests to use secret, unlimited, huge amounts of money flowing to campaigns, Pelosi said at her Thursday press briefing.” If Freedom of Speech can be curtailed, what’s next? Can Freedom of Religion be on the horizon for the secular-minded Congress?

Psalm 2 has a timely word for those who put their trust and confidence in lesser things and deny The Lord His rightful place in faith, life and practice. The Psalm (NKJV) states: ”Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed…He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; The Lord shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, And distress them in His deep displeasure… Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear…  rejoice with trembling…Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.” Psalm 9:15-17 (NLT) cautions and reminds  – “The nations have fallen into the pit they dug for others. They have been caught in their own trap. The Lord is known for his justice. The wicked have trapped themselves in their own snares. The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.” Be warned and aware – a day of accountability and reckoning approaches.  Consider these things with me!