MYRMIDONS

From My Perspective - - -

One can look at our world, or our nation, and muse whether or not government and rule has become the rule and government by Myrmidons (a faithful follower who carries out orders without question; a person who executes without question or scruple a master's commands; A member of a warlike Thessalian people who were ruled by Achilles and followed him on the expedition against Troy). Historically, we have seen it during World War II and the rise and power of Nazism. We get a sense of this type of commitment from the representations about the Taliban, Al Qaeda and Radical Islam. It appears we have arrived as a nation at a similar point of a nation that is euphoric about the possibilities of change to the point of almost a lock-step approach to government by the elected partisans.

In the recent Stimulus Package that was presented and voted upon – no one had time to read or study it. It was presented so that it had to be enacted if catastrophe was to be averted. The result was the blind passage of the Stimulus Package along Party lines (with the exception of three Republican Senators). There has been a political advertisement that suggests the following: If from the time of the Birth of Jesus Christ there was the expenditure of $1,000,000.00 per day up to today, it would not total or equal the amount of the planned Stimulus infusion of cash based upon the passage of the Stimulus Package. Emboldened by that approval, there is now the presentation of a 4 Trillion Dollar Budget. The Hill has published an editorial by Dick Morris (February 24^th) in which he states: “There are bad loans, which became bad assets, that lie at the root of the crisis. Through deregulation by the government and the greed of financial institutions, they spread to every portfolio in the world. But these basic facts have metastasized out of all proportion to their real harm into job and financial insecurity for every family on Earth…Previous panics have been global in impact, but local in focus. The world panicked because of developments in Mexico or Argentina or Thailand or South Korea. Now, with Collateralized Debt Obligations spreading the poison of a bunch of bad loans all over the world, infecting every portfolio, the panic is not only global in impact but in focus as well. Modern communications have hastened the spread of the virus of panic throughout the global bloodstream.”

In a Christian Post article (February 25^th) the following is noted: “Though a large portion of Americans are cutting back on donations to non-profits amid tough economic conditions, evangelical parachurch ministries have been among those least affected by the cuts…According to the survey by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), most evangelical parachurch ministries exceeded, met or came very close to their 2008 fourth-quarter contributions goals. Many of the parachurch ministries we surveyed reported small donations of $10 to $100 were relatively unaffected, and in some cases, donations in this category increased…In fact, some of our members had the strongest fourth quarter they've had in years and ended the year debt-free. In a survey of ECFA members, 72 percent of responding organizations reportedly exceeded, met or came within 10 percent of their goals. The remaining 28 percent said they were more than 10 percent below their goals.

Consider these things with me - - - The ECFA also noted: “The opportunities to help those in financial need are greater than organizations can supply…but I believe that Christians are stepping up and being perhaps even more generous at this time when they consider the great need of people today." The bottom-line for the Church and Professing Christian is the implementation of James 2:14-18 (NLT), “Dear brothers and sisters, what's the use of saying you have faith if you don't prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can't save anyone. Suppose you see a brother or sister who needs food or clothing, and you say, Well, good-bye and God bless you; stay warm and eat well – but then you don't give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is no faith at all – it is dead and useless…” In our day and time, this should be our on-going concern and sensitivity. The need is great but the ability of our God to provide for and through us is far greater. Do as much good as you can, for as many as you can, for as long as you can!