I was just thinking about - - -
Whatever happened to our standards and foundations? This was important and vital in the lessons taught by Jesus Christ. In Matthew 7:24-27 Jesus taught: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” The point is – foundations are important and should be established on the forever principle.
In the lifetime of some of us, there have been major shifts in terms of standards. Two illustrations from the administrations of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt demonstrate this fact. President Roosevelt made a decision to take the nation off of the Gold Standard. For years, contracts were signed and trusted because they were “as good as gold”! But the President persisted that this was necessary to relieve the depression of the nation and on June 5th, 1933 “Congress drafted a joint resolution declaring gold clauses – protection against any damage Roosevelt might do – to be ‘against public policy’." Roosevelt couldn't wait to see the resolution become law. Henry Wallace wrote that Roosevelt "looked up at the clock and put down 4:40 p.m., June 5, 1933 and signed his name." That act took us on the road of increased deficit spending and lead to an astronomical national debt.
In an almost oxymoronic way, this same President on June 6th, 1944 made a major decision regarding the commitment of American and Allied forces that would bring about the D-Day Invasion of Europe. In a very strange and noble way, President Roosevelt had a radio address and stated: “Last night when I spoke with you about the fall of Rome, I knew at that moment troops of the United States and our allies were crossing the channel in another and greater operation. It has come to pass with success thus far. And so in this poignant hour I ask you to join with me in prayer - - -Almighty God, our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic our religion and our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity. Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness in their faith. They will need Thy blessings their road will be long and hard, for the enemy is strong he may hurl back our forces… Lord, give us faith; give us faith in Thee, faith in our sons, faith in each other, faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dulled. Let not the impact of temporary events, of temporal matters, of fleeting moments, let not these deter us in our unconquerable purpose… With Thy blessing we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy… Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen.“
Eighty years earlier on November 19th, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln stated in his Gettysburg Address: “…The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Our standards as a nation were noble and should be remembered and practiced today. More basically and importantly, The Standards of Jesus Christ should be weighed, considered, believed and implemented - - for wise men/women will still seek Him and adhere to His teaching!
Think about this with me - - -
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