Pedagogical Delusion

From My Perspective - - -

The ideal Pedagogical situation is when there is effective result in terms of what one is to Know, Think and Do. For too many, a Dutch Proverb is an apt summary of life: “We get too soon old, and too late smart.” Life is lived at such a rapid pace! The tendency is to race from one event or activity to another. Schedules are jammed with things that must be done and places where one must go. Learning is being based on experiences and activities rather than a study of history and reflection upon it. The idea that “those who forget history are doomed to repeat it” is foreign and distant with each generation. Could that be why a nation would forget its foundational principles and remove itself to a pathway of enslavement, poverty, loss of values, and ultimate oblivion. All indicators are that we may “…get too soon old and too late smart.”

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel addressed the United Nations in September 2009, he made frequent reference to Sir Winston Churchill, The references pertain to events leading up to World War II and a prevailing apathy and isolation in Great Britain. Some of what he included was: “When the situation was manageable it was neglected, and now that it is thoroughly out of hand we apply too late the remedies which then might have effected a cure. There is nothing new in the story. It is as old as the sibylline books. It falls into that long, dismal catalog of the fruitlessness of experience and the confirmed unteachability of mankind. Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong - these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history…”

Netanyahu summarized: What an utterly condemning statement! We haven’t learned from history—even recent history of Churchill and World War II. If mankind is unteachable, it’s not just ignorance. It’s refusing to face the truth. Man just naturally hates and rebels against authority. Human nature is the first enemy that we must conquer. Then we can be taught.” His summary continued with Churchill comments interjected: “There was still a possibility…of preserving peace. ‘Never must we despair…never must we give in, but we must face facts and draw true conclusions from them.’ It was now essential for Britain to retrieve ‘the woeful miscalculations of which we are at present the dupes, and of which, unless we take warning in time, we may some day be the victims’…Can America and Britain face facts today and draw true conclusions from them? The very survival of our nations depends on it. And time is once again a very urgent factor. Churchill reiterated his worries…when he wrote to Colonel Pakenham-Walsh: ‘I am astounded at the indifference with which the press and public seem to view the fact that the government has been utterly wrong about the German air strength, and that we are now substantially outnumbered and must continue to fall further and further behind for at least two years, in fact we can never catch up unless they wish it…”

For individuals and nations, the words of Proverbs 21:1-11 are appropriate and applicable: “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. All a man's ways seem right to him, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice…The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. A fortune made by a lying tongue is a fleeting vapor and a deadly snare. The violence of the wicked will drag them away, for they refuse to do what is right. The way of the guilty is devious, but the conduct of the innocent is upright…when a wise man is instructed, he gets knowledge.” A similar summary is given in Proverbs 26:5, 12, "answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes…Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him…” This blends in with Proverbs 21:20-24 (NLT), “The wise have wealth and luxury, but fools spend whatever they get.Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness, and honor. The wise conquer the city of the strong and level the fortress in which they trust… Mockers are proud and haughty; they act with boundless arrogance.” There is a brief moment for our nation to Return To The Lord! We are very close to the precipice! Don’t be among those who – when falling over the precipice - lament: “we get too soon old and too late smart!” Consider these things with me!

Human Latency

From My Perspective - - -

Sooner or later, one will have a moment of Human Latency! No one is exempt! It is just part of who one is and how one innately functions. Do you think you’re exempt from such a moment or period of time? Or, do you believe that of all people on this planet, you would be exempt? Have you ever found yourself thinking or saying: “that thought never crossed my mind”? If so, attribute it to Human Latency! Have you ever been in a situation where you allowed “my mind went blank”? If so, you experienced Human Latency! Have you ever found yourself in a situation that left you “speechless”? Once again, that is Human Latency! The most common amplification for the phrase Human Latency is: “It’s a buzzword or phrase that refers to the gap in communications as a human being responds to new information. Example: If someone calls you on the phone and tells you something that leaves you gasping for breath and groping for words, that gap is Human Latency.” This happens to everyone from time to time.

In the political culture and diatribe currently being inflicted upon the public, one would welcome Human Latency on the part of more politicians. They pay to communicate to people who have grown weary of their empty and vain declarations; their bloviating and hallucinations about what they have done or will do; their contributing the media frenzy for trashing an opponent. It should be about relevant issues that concern the citizenry – not the gutter-trash-talk and innuendo about others. The Media should perform its proper function and report facts in terms of what a person currently believes and what he/she will do if elected to office. Instead, we are seeing a resuscitation of what a politician of forty-years ago opined when he referred to the Media as: “Nattering Nabobs of Negativism.” It was Vice-President Spiro Agnew who expressed those words because of his particularly acrimonious relationship with the press - whom he also deemed "an effete corps of impudent snobs…” According to the Congressional Record, these terms were first used during Agnew's address to the California Republican state convention in San Diego on September 11, 1970. In context, it was used together with another well-known Agnew alliteration: "In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. They have formed their own 4-H Club -- the Hopeless, Hysterical Hypochondriacs of History.”

Practical Principles for Faith and Practice are contained in The Holy Scriptures, such as:

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2 gives good advice and a sound principle for life: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.”

The New Living Translation is: “As you enter the house of God, keep your ears open and your mouth shut! Don't be a fool who doesn't realize that mindless offerings to God are evil. And don't make rash promises to God, for he is in heaven, and you are only here on earth. So let your words be few.”

The Message Translation states it bluntly and succinctly: “Watch your step when you enter God's house. Enter to learn. That's far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice, Doing more harm than good. Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. Don't be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear. God's in charge, not you - the less you speak, the better.”

Similar counsel and another principle is given in James 1:19-23, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

October 31^st is Reformation Day for the Christian Church. One premise upon which it was based is Romans 1:17, “The just (righteous) shall live by Faith…” As Individuals and as a Nation, we desperately need Reformation – not succumbing to the Traditions and Politics of man, but to the Principles of Scripture and the Standards of Almighty God. Consider these things with me!

An Embedded Culture

From My Perspective - - -

What is your greatest interest and concern as this nation faces a Day of Decision in less than two weeks? Is it the considerable and growing national debt? Is it the loss of benefits and increased cost for Medicare recipients? Is it the sharp increase in Health Insurance Premiums already starting in parts of our country? Have you looked at food costs lately and the increase that is beginning to occur there? Is it the intrusion of government more and more into private businesses and personal investments (E-Trade has recently sent notice that the Government is requiring a report on every transaction, every gain or loss, every distribution made from an account, etc.)? Are you fearful of the control of media by those absorbed and obsessed with Political Correctness (considerable attention has been given this week to National Public Radio and the decision to terminate the Contract with Juan Williams in terms of political correctness when he expressed his personal view regarding anxiety when he boards a plane and someone in Muslim garb also boards)?

The list of questions could be considerable. The politics occurring currently are discouraging at best and disingenuous at worst. Who can really believe what is uttered anymore? The old joke line is becoming more true: “How can you tell if a politician is lying? If his lips are moving!” In so many instances – what is culturally acceptable – is causing us to become an embedded culture. In her column in The Wall Street Journal on October 22^nd entitled Tea Party To The Rescue, Peggy Noonan writes: “The Tea Party did something the Republican establishment was incapable of doing: It got the party out from under George W. Bush. The Tea Party rejected his administration's spending, overreach and immigration proposals…and has become only too willing to say so. In doing this, the Tea Party allowed the Republican establishment itself to get out from under Mr. Bush - We had to - it was a political necessity! They released the GOP establishment from its shame cringe. And they not only freed the Washington establishment, they woke it up. That establishment, composed largely of 50 to 75year-olds who came to Washington during the Reagan era in a great rush of idealism, in many cases stayed on…not to do good but to do well. They populated a conservative infrastructure that barely existed when Reagan was coming up: the think tanks and PR groups, the media outlets and governmental organizations. They did not do what conservatives are supposed to do, which is finish their patriotic work and go home, taking the knowledge and sophistication derived from Washington and applying it to local problems…The GOP establishment stayed, and one way or another lived off government, breathed in its ways and came to know - learned all too well! - the limits of what is possible and passable. Part of the social and cultural reality behind the tea party-GOP establishment split has been the sheer fact that tea partiers live in non-D.C. America. The establishment came from America, but hasn't lived there in a long time.” This is a brilliant analysis that is on-target.

We have long-thought of ourselves as being a “Christian” Nation. But in case you haven’t noticed, we currently have a “leader” who infrequently attends a “Christian” Church and has chosen to omit or to use “Creator” when quoting from The Declaration of Independence: “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.” Where is the voice of “The Church” or “The Christian Community” in this nation? One is caused to wonder whether or not "Christians" who have become so embedded in the Culture - and - the Culture embedded in them - that they have desensitized themselves (seared consciences) and are incapable of discerning right from wrong! A demonstration of this occurring is given in Genesis 19 – the account of Sodom and Gomorrah – where only Lot and his family were deemed to be righteous and savable. Why is this important for us to know? When a person or nation becomes embedded by the culture and the culture becomes embedded in them, that person and nation has become desensitized to the things of The Eternal God. In doing so, Jude 1 (NLT) is the pending reality: “And don't forget the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and their neighboring towns, which were filled with sexual immorality and every kind of sexual perversion. Those cities were destroyed by fire and are a warning of the eternal fire that will punish all who are evil.” There is still time to change course! Consider these things with me!

The Huddled Masses

From My Perspective - - -

The Inscription on the Statue of Liberty is well-known by most people: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." We have a considerable number who would attest that they are sick and tired of being sick and tired. There are many who would attest they are falling through the cracks into the poor classification. The intrusion of government into the lives of the citizenry is considerable. Every man, woman and child now owns and owes $47,000.00 of the national debt, and that amount continues to increase as more and more stimulus plans are conceived and enacted.

Interestingly, The Drudge Report highlights two nations – England and France - who are trying to deal with the Economic Realities of their respective nations. England is making drastic cuts in government employment, while France is attempting to adjust the retirement age and benefits amid Labor Union Strikes and shut-downs of important businesses and transportation. Two Headlines following these reports ask: “Will Americans Follow Mass Civil Unrest?” and “Will The Federal Reserve Cause A Civil War?” One can only hope and pray that these things will not become common-place or a reality in our nation. Even the suggestion of those possibilities should sound an alarm and bring about a different behavior. The Tea Party Movement is one area where orderly resistance is taking place. However, those who oppose civil discourse use slurs and name-calling by saying anyone associated with such a movement is either a “racist” or a “nut-job”! A demonstration of this is the Press Release from the NAACP entitled: "Tea Party Nationalism: A Critical Examination of the Tea Party Movement and the Size, Scope, and Focus of its National Factions." The Press Release states: “The result of this study contravenes many of the Tea Parties' self-invented myths, particularly their supposed sole concentration on budget deficits, taxes, and the power of the federal government. Instead, this report found Tea Party ranks to be permeated with concerns about race and national identity and other so-called social issues. Tea Party organizations have given platforms to anti-Semites, racists, and bigots. Further, hard-core white nationalists have been attracted to these protests, looking for potential recruits and hoping to push these (white) protestors towards a more self-conscious and ideological white supremacy.”

Civil Discourse should have a basic courtesy and common ground. It has been said: “Civil discourse is engagement in discourse (conversation) intended to enhance understanding. It is the language of dispassionate objectivity, and suggests that it requires respect of the other participants, such as the reader. It neither diminishes the others moral worth, nor questions their good judgment; it avoids hostility, direct antagonism, or excessive persuasion; it requires modesty and an appreciation for the other participants experiences.” As citizens of this nation, we should demand nothing less than reasonable and courteous interaction by those who embrace differing views. We should demand that civil discourse be factual and presented respectfully.

Isaiah 1 records The Lord’s indignation toward His people because of their sinful and rebellious ways. In the midst of what he is saying, these words appear (1:16-20): “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord…If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken." It requires a clear evaluation of where one is at a given point. It is expected to be done with clarity, A calm and gentle spirit is to prevail. We need to be concerned for “the huddled masses yearning to breathe free” who many times are befuddled by the hollow and empty rhetoric of those who make bold and sweeping promises – but – who fail to follow-through and deliver. The hope and refuge is Jesus Christ, Who said to all huddled masses: “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. It would be wise to come to The One Who has never reneged on any of His Promises. Consider these things with me!

Sinking and Drifting

From My Perspective - - -

Sinking is a frightening word. The Online Dictionary lists 40 different possible uses for the word. The definition used here is: “to displace part of the volume of a supporting substance or object and become totally or partially submerged or enveloped; fall or descend into or below the surface or to the bottom…” In World War II, many Allied Ships were sunk.“According to the War Shipping Administration, the U.S. Merchant Marine suffered the highest rate of casualties of any service in World War II. Officially, a total of 1,554 ships were sunk due to war conditions, including 733 ships of over 1,000 gross tons. Hundreds of other ships were damaged by torpedoes, shelling, bombs, kamikazes, mines, etc. Foreign flag ships, especially those with Naval Armed Guard on board as well as ships belonging to U.S. territories such as the Philippines, are included in this list.” At Pearl Harbor, most of the Pacific Fleet was either sunk or greatly damaged. Sinking is not ones anticipation or desire when boarding and setting sail on a ship of any description. No one would have sailed on the Titanic if they had any idea it would hit an Iceberg and sink!

The word “ship” has been applied to other areas beyond a sailing vessel. The “Ship of State” is one such reference. How secure is that ship? How safe can one anticipate being? Is the “Ship of State” capable of sinking? An interesting article appeared in Daily Finance on October 17, 2010 (an AOL Money and Finance Site) entitled: “Disturbing Statistics On The Decline Of America's Middle Class” by Bruce Watson. Part of what he wrote is: “In American public life, it's hard to escape the long shadow of the middle class…Mainstream values are described as middle class, as are common tastes and preferences. Economists often state that the middle class is the engine of commerce, and industries from construction to education to consumer electronics rely on a strong middle class…my Daily Finance colleague Charles Hugh Smith laid out a fairly clear argument for the disappearance of the middle class, at least in terms of wealth. As Smith notes, the top 20% of the American populace holds roughly 93% of the country's financial wealth, and the top 1% of the country holds approximately 43% of the money in the U.S. Meanwhile, the middle 20% of the population -- what would, officially, be called the middle class -- holds only 6% of the country's total assets. While disturbing, even this minuscule share of the wealth pie dwarfs the bottom 40% of the country, who control less than 1%...So how did the middle class become second class citizens…Not surprisingly, the answer is complicated, involving factors like the rising cost of education, the loss of pension funds and affordable health care, falling middle class wages, and the skyrocketing price of housing. Yet one clear answer lies in manufacturing…a good number to start with is 42,000. That's the total number of factories that the U.S. lost between 2001 and the end of 2009. Put another way, this translates into the outsourcing of 32% of all manufacturing jobs in America.

One begins to sense and realize that the “ship of state” depended upon has lost its mooring; the anchor is no longer present; the rudder is malfunctioning; the drift is headed toward perilous Seas; hope and confidence is waning; and – sinking appears to be the imminent result. What should one do in a “sinking” moment and situation? When in peril – what is there left to do? Mark 4:36-41 (NLT) tells of an incident where Jesus and His Disciples have boarded a ship: “…But soon a fierce storm arose. High waves began to break into the boat until it was nearly full of water. Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. Frantically they woke him up, shouting, Teacher, don't you even care that we are going to drown? When he woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the water, Quiet down!(Peace! Be Still!)! Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. And he asked them, Why are you so afraid? Do you still not have faith in me?" In your moments of fear, anxiety, panic or peril – who or what is your reference point for life and survival? Whatever one may think of the Disciples, at least they did the right thing at the right time. They came to Jesus! They awaken Him! Their question – don’t you care that we are perishing – may have meant – “we need everyone to help bail out this boat – get a bucket and help!” All Jesus had to do was speak – Peace! Be Still! He can and will do that for our nation as the “ship of state” takes water and is beginning to list. If we turn to Him, he will enable us to stay afloat. Consider these things with me!

From Dynamic To Disheartened

From My Perspective - - -

Worldview – what is it? Is it completely objective or somewhat subjective? Does it identify itself by and with present trends or by foundational Core Beliefs and Values? Those who attempt to define it state: “It is the fundamental cognitive orientation of an individual or society encompassing natural philosophy; fundamental existential and normative postulates; or themes, values, emotions, and ethics…it refers to the framework of ideas and beliefs through which an individual interprets the world and interacts with it.” From a German Perspective, it is noted as – “The Weltanschauung of a people originates from the unique world experience of a people, which they experience over several millennia. The language of a people reflects the Weltanschauung of that people in the form of its syntactic structures and untranslatable connotations and its denotations. Worldview can be expressed as the fundamental cognitive, affective, and evaluative presuppositions a group of people make about the nature of things, and which they use to order their lives…” Does that assist you in understanding what a Worldview is or should be? I didn’t think so!

A simpler approach and statement about a Worldview is: “Everyone has a worldview. Whether or not we realize it, we all have certain presuppositions and biases that affect the way we view all of life and reality. A worldview is like a set of lenses which taint our vision or alter the way we perceive the world around us. Our worldview is formed by our education, our upbringing, the culture we live in, the books we read, the media and movies we absorb, etc. For many people their worldview is simply something they have absorbed by osmosis from their surrounding cultural influences. They have never thought strategically about what they believe and wouldn't be able to give a rational defense of their beliefs to others.” A Worldview that borders on the subjective will be flawed and non-constant. It is devoid of reality and rests on hopeful/wishful thinking.

An example of this is given in a New York Times article on October 16^th, 2010 written by Martin Fackler. It is entitled: “Japan Goes From Dynamic To Disheartened.” Following is a description of a Worldview: “Like many members of Japan's middle class, Masato Y. enjoyed a level of affluence two decades ago that was the envy of the world. Masato, a small-business owner, bought a $500,000 condominium, vacationed in Hawaii and drove a late-model Mercedes…his living standards slowly crumbled along with Japan’s overall economy. First, he was forced to reduce trips abroad and then eliminate them. Then he traded the Mercedes for a cheaper domestic model. Last year, he sold his condo — for a third of what he paid for it, and for less than what he still owed on the mortgage he took out 17 years ago.” What happened to cause this disintegration and overall collapse of personal wealth and lifestyle? The answer is seen in this observation: “Few nations in recent history have seen such a striking reversal of economic fortune as Japan…Japan rode one of the great speculative stock and property bubbles of all time in the 1980s to become the first Asian country to challenge the long dominance of the West. But the bubbles popped in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and Japan fell into a slow but relentless decline that neither enormous budget deficits nor a flood of easy money has reversed. For nearly a generation now, the nation has been trapped in low growth and a corrosive downward spiral of prices, known as deflation in the process shriveling…to an afterthought in the global economy…”

Jesus addressed a worldview not based on core values and firm foundations when He taught in Matthew 7:26-27 (ESV): “…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 choice Jesus set before the crowds was both clear and obvious – build on solid rock and endure, or build on shifting sand that will result in collapse and failure. The wise man chooses the rock – the firm foundation and solid core values, whereas the foolish man – grabs for what he deems to be the fastest means to achieve a short-term goal – but in the process loses it all! What choice(s) have you made? Are you among the “dynamic” with a strong faith in God, or among the “disheartened” because your hope was in a man-conceived Weltanschauung? Consider these things with me!

Fixation Of The Moment

From My Perspective - - -

It was reported that more than one-billion people were captivated by what was about to happen! What was it that had and held the attention of people across National and Cultural barriers? The world stopped and watched to see a spectacular rescue of 33 men trapped almost one-half mile under the earth’s surface for 70 days. The NBC News Service reported: “Chile's trapped miners were shuttled up a narrow escape shaft to freedom and joyous reunions on Wednesday in a meticulously planned rescue operation that ended the longest underground entrapment in human history. One after another, the miners climbed into a missile-like steel capsule barely wider than a man's shoulders and took a 15-minute journey through 2,000 feet of rock to the surface…All of the miners were freed Wednesday night in a rescue operation that advanced rapidly without hitches…The last miner out was Luis Alberto Urzua, 54, the shift foreman credited with helping the trapped miners endure 17 days in isolation before Chileans discovered the men had survived the mine collapse. We have done what the entire world was waiting for, he told Chilean President Sebastian Pinera immediately after his rescue. The 70 days that we fought so hard were not in vain. We had strength, we had spirit, we wanted to fight, we wanted to fight for our families, and that was the greatest thing…”

It’s strange how it takes an Actor with access to the President to remind the Nation and World of the tremendous and continuing need in Darfur. Where is Darfur? How did it come into existence? How large is it? Many do not know the answers – it just represents in the minds of those who care a place of need and suffering. Wikipedia indicates: “Most of the region is a semi-arid plain and thus insufficient for supporting a large and complex civilization...An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian Forces…During the mid-18th century the country was wracked by conflict between rival factions, and external war with Sennar and Wadai. In 1875, the weakened kingdom was destroyed by the Egyptians…” And the suffering and need continues to this day.

A Cable News Network is investigating financial matters regarding Haiti. “On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti and devastated the capital city, Port-au-Prince. Although the exact number was difficult to determine, reportedly more than 230,000 people were killed. The Presidential palace, Parliament and many other important structures were destroyed, along with countless homes and businesses, leaving many homeless.” More than one and one-half billion dollars was raised to provide relief for that impoverished nation – but where is it? What happened to that money? Why is it that so little has been done to provide relief for a very needy and suffering people?

The following email from a religious organization – written by Arklie Hooten - appeared today. “Growth is Possible- the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied" (Acts 12:24). It is amazing to watch ministry develop once a need is recognized, defined, people called, and resources committed…Growth is an awesome thing…Folks could just stay the same, with a static blandness, and that would be utterly normal, if it's all we knew. But we're made to grow, to blossom, to be transformed and to flourish. It's in our nature. That is how the Creator created us. It's the glorious thing about a believer's new nature…The Bible has a lot to say about it…especially the New Testament which is full with the theme of growth.God grows His people - 1 Corinthians 3:6-7; The seed sown in good soil grows - Mark 4:8, 20; The temple of God, the church, grows - Ephesians 2:21-22; The milk of the Word makes the Christian grow - 1 Peter 2:2; The church body grows - Ephesians 4:15-16 and Colossians 2:19; The faith and love of the saints grow, and they grow abundantly - 2 Thessalonians 1:3; The gospel grows…among all whom it transforms - Colossians 1:6.” The Foundation and Starting Point for any growth is found in the concluding instruction in II Peter 3:17-18, “…take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” One should be guarded lest there is a response based upon the Fixation of the Moment.” Biblical-type response is a constant – not a fixation! Consider these things with me!

Economics and Faith

From My Perspective - - -

Economics – is it a boring subject or one that is vital to how you exist now and in the near future? The following - even though it is politically motivated – should at least gain some attention (taken from Boortz):

Figures From The Wall Street Journal:

When the Democrats took control of Congress in 2007, the debt held by the public was 36.2% of GDP. It rose to 40.2% the next year. This year it will be about 63.6%, next year 68.6%, then 77% of GDP in 2020. And the Obama administration's budget estimates 218% in 2050. The deficit in 2007 was $160 billion. In the next year the Pelosi-Reid Congress took it up to $458 billion, and when President Obama came into office in 2009 it hit $1.4 trillion. The current 2010 projected deficit is $1.6 trillion, which will lead to a tripling of our national debt from 2008 to 202o.

Budgets Proposed By Presidents:

If Obama had simply kept Bush's spending policies in place, federal deficits over the next eight years would be 60 percent lower. In 2018, we'd have a deficit of just $188 billion, instead of the projected $996 billion under Obama's budget.

The following is excerpted from Jerome Corsi's Red Alert, an online newsletter:

The Institute of International Finance, a group that represents 420 of the world's largest banks and finance houses, has issued yet another call for a one-world global currency…A core group of the world's leading economies need to come together and hammer out an understanding…There needs to be a return to the G-20 commitment to utilize International Monetary Fund special drawing rights to create an international one-world currency alternative to the U.S. dollar as a new standard of foreign-exchange reserves…A July United Nations report called for the replacement of the dollar as the standard for holding foreign-exchange reserves in international trade with a new one-world currency issued by the International Monetary Fund.

An Additional Report states: Senior Citizens Brace For Social Security Freeze (Drudge Report):

Seniors prepared to cut back on everything from food to charitable donations to whiskey as word spread Monday that they will have to wait until at least 2012 to see their Social Security checks increase. The government is expected to announce this week that more than 58 million Social Security recipients will go through a second straight year without an increase in monthly benefits…More than 58.7 million people rely on Social Security checks that average $1,072 monthly. It was the primary source of income for 64 percent of retirees who got benefits in 2008; one-third relied on Social Security for at least 90 percent of their income…Advocates for seniors argue the Consumer Price Index doesn't adequately weigh the costs that most affect older adults, particularly medical care and housing.

Lastly, the following report: Dollar Falls As 'Currency War' Concerns Linger:

The dollar fell against the euro and yen on Monday after the world's top finance officials failed to reach a consensus on measures to head off what some see as a looming ‘currency war’…The euro reached 1.40 dollars, while the US unit hit a fresh 15-year low against the yen amid growing expectation that the Federal Reserve will…bolster the struggling US economy…

The world is facing uncertain times. Question: In “What” or in “Whom” is your Faith and Confidence Placed? Can Almighty God – Will the Faithful God - provide for His people? The answer is – Yes!

Matthew 6:25-34 urges one “not to worry about what you will eat, drink or wear…your Heavenly Father knows…” and for those who seek Him first – all these things will be cared for and provided.

Matthew 17:24-27 records the miracle of the coin in the mouth of the fish that was used by Jesus and His disciples to pay their Temple Tax.

Do you remember I Kings 17:1-15 and the time of famine? The Lord provided for a faithful and caring widow by making certain that her supply of oil and flour remained constant.

The God and Savior who is the same yesterday, today and forever wants us to cast all of our care upon Him, and know of His care for us (I Peter 5:7)! He knows all things (Omniscience); He is able to do all things (Omnipotence); and He is with you wherever you are (Omnipresence). Trust Him! Consider these things with me!

The Ego and Me

From My Perspective - - -

Something to think about: How important is the “Me” in your life? Is “Me” the center of attention? Does everything have to go “My” way? What if people want to challenge “Me” and “My” policies and agenda – what should “My” response and reaction be? In recent weeks, a political event rally and primary results raised a thought or two regarding that which drives a politician and how he/she views the election process – and the significance of the “Me” Factor.

First, Senator Murkowski (Republican from Alaska) lost the recent Primary to Joe Miller, a candidate backed by the Tea Party. After the Absentee Ballot Count began, the following news item appeared that quoted Senator Murkowski: "I don't see a scenario where the primary will turn out in my favor, and that is a reality that is before me at this point in time. And for that reason, and for the good of the state of Alaska…I am now conceding the race for the Republican nomination." Note the use of “Me” and “My” in the concession statement: “…”My” favor”; “…the reality that is before “Me” at this time…” However, a few days later she would surface with a new approach to satisfy the “Me” factor. She decided to run as a write-in candidate so “the people of Alaska will have a choice…” What is the error and folly here? The people of Alaska made their choice and she lost by 1,630 votes.

Second, on October 7, 2010 Abby Phillips writes about an event that occurred in Bowie, Maryland and submits a news item: President Obama Rallies Faithful In Maryland. It states: “President Barack Obama’s message to thousands of African Americans who came to see the man they voted for two years ago was simple: Get out and vote for the Democratic ticket in next month’s mid-term elections, even though he’s not on the ballot. Don’t make me look bad, now, he quipped. The campaign by itself didn’t deliver the change that we need. It just gave us the chance to make the change happen, Obama said. We’ve got a lot at stake right now. On November 2nd, I’m going to need you just as fired up as you were in 2008. I hope you’re ready to fight, he said.” The key phrase emphasizing the “Me” Factor is: “Don’t make “Me” look bad, now…”

In 2007, a book was published with a fascinating title: Take Me to Truth; Undoing the Ego by Nouk and Tomas. Among several areas, one that requires remedy is the commitment one has to the “Me” Factor. In an unrelated writing, taken from Beyond the Frontier of the Mind by Osho, the following thought is shared: “Ego - The False Center.” Osho comments: “…you have two centers. One center you come with, which is given by existence itself. That is the self. And the other center, which is created by the society, is the ego. It is a false thing - and it is a very great trick. Through the ego the society is controlling you. You have to behave in a certain way, because only then does the society appreciate you. You have to walk in a certain way; you have to laugh in a certain way; you have to follow certain manners, a morality, a code. Only then will the society appreciate you, and if it doesn't, your ego will be shaken. And when the ego is shaken, you don't know where you are, who you are.” Once again, the “Me” Factor is front and center.

The Apostle Paul understood the dangers and limitations of the “Me” Factor. In Galatians 2:20-21,The Message Translations states: “I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not mine, but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I am not going to go back on that. Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God's grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.” He dealt the “Me” Factor and the “Ego” detractor a death blow once and for all. It requires the “I” to be crucified with and to Christ. Being obsessed with the centrality of “Me” is like one standing in quicksand. Consider these things with “Me”? No! Let us consider these things together and learn to walk humbly with our God and Savior!

Hanging By A Thread

From My Perspective - - -

Dana Milbank, Political Reporter for the Washington Post, wrote a column with the Headline: “Mormon Prophecy Behind Glenn Beck's Message.” The column states: “In one of his first appearances on Fox News, Glenn Beck sent a coded message to the nation's six million Mormons -- or at least those Mormons who believe in what the Latter-day Saints call the White Horse Prophecy.” The coded message was: “We are at the place where the Constitution hangs in the balance, Beck told Bill O'Reilly on November 14, 2008, just after President Obama's election. I feel the Constitution is hanging in the balance right now, hanging by a thread unless the good Americans wake up." Milbank’s “coded” phrase is: “hanging by a thread.”

Milbank continues: “The Constitution is hanging by a thread” - - Most Americans would have heard this as just another bit of overblown commentary and thought nothing more of it. But to those familiar with the White Horse Prophecy, it was an unmistakable signal. The phrase is often attributed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormon Church. Smith is believed to have said in 1840 that when the Constitution hangs by a thread, elders of the Mormon Church will step in -- on the proverbial white horse -- to save the country. When the Constitution of the United States hangs, as it were, upon a single thread, they will have to call for the Mormon Elders to save it from utter destruction; and they will step forth and do it, Brigham Young, Smith's successor as head of the church, wrote in 1855.

If this coded phrase is supposed to activate the Mormon elders who will preserve the Constitution of the USA – How will they be able to do it? Worldwide, there are less than 14 million Mormons – almost half of them – 6.3 million live in the USA. Milbank gives no hint as to how this coded phrase – “hanging by a thread” – would trigger a national takeover in order to preserve the US Constitution.

One is caused to wonder if Milbank misunderstands the distinction between colloquialisms and conspiracies. A “colloquialism” is: “a word or phrase appropriate to conversation & other informal situations…” A “conspiracy” is: “an evil, unlawful, treacherous, or surreptitious plan formulated in secret by two or more persons; a plot; a combination of persons for a secret, unlawful, or evil purpose…” The phrase: “Hanging by a thread” is an Idiom that has varied meaning. The Idiom-Free-Dictionary illustrates with the following examples: “(1) if something hangs by a thread, it is likely to fail in the near future - Peace and democracy hang by a thread in this troubled country; (2) to be in danger of having something unlucky or bad happen - Roberta was told that her job hung by a thread, and she needed to be more serious about it. For several days after the accident, his life hung by a thread; (3) to hang by something very thin, such as a thread or a hair. The tiniest part of the mobile hung by a thread, the rest are on plastic cords.”

The Bible records the rise and fall of armies and nations. An interesting conspiracy theory appears in II Kings 6:8-13, “Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said: I will set up my camp in such and such a place. The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there. So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them: Will you not tell me which of us is on the side of the king of Israel? None of us, my lord the king, said one of his officers, but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom. Go, find out where he is, the king ordered, so I can send men and capture him." Conspiracy? No! Divine Revelation? Yes!

One of the dangers for our nation is the absence of God being our frame of reference within our culture. The Church has diminished its responsibility and message. The Schools have abandoned Prayer and Bible Reading. Government Officials are hesitant to reference God and Biblical Standards! This brings us to the precipice where Psalm 14:1 states: “The fool says in his heart – There is no God.” Will you be among those who are wise and put on the “whole armor of God” and “Stand”? Consider these things with me!

Facing Obvious Choices

From My Perspective - - -

What one thing dominates the landscape of our lives? Are we robotic and/or habit driven, or do we have goals and objectives as part of a life-plan? Have we become avant-garde in terms of how we approach life and its consequences? One meaning for avant-garde is: “a pushing of the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm, or the status quo, primarily in the cultural realm. The notion of the existence of the avant-garde is considered by some to be a hallmark of modernism, as distinct from postmodernism. Postmodernism posits that the age of the constant pushing of boundaries is no longer with us.” If not avant-garde, have we become ambivalent? Ambivalence is: “uncertainty or fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things. In Psychology: the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.”

When one faces obvious choices, a Decision must be made. A Choice necessitates a decision! Last week (09-27-10), The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled: “Why So Many People Can't Make Decisions.” The article states the following: “Some people meet, fall in love and get married right away. Others can spend hours in the sock aisle at the department store, weighing the pros and cons of buying a pair of wool argyles instead of cotton striped. Seeing the world as black and white, in which choices seem clear, or shades of gray can affect people's path in life, from jobs and relationships to which political candidate they vote for, researchers say. People who often have conflicting feelings about situations—the shades-of-gray thinkers—have more of what psychologists call ambivalence, while those who tend toward unequivocal views have less ambivalence. High ambivalence may be useful in some situations, and low ambivalence in others, researchers say. And although people don't fall neatly into one camp or the other, in general, individuals who tend toward ambivalence do so fairly consistently across different areas of their lives.”

The article presents the distinction in decision-making in the following comparison:

People Who See The World As Black And White Tend To...

• Speak their mind or make quick decisions.
• Be more predictable in making decisions (e.g., who they vote for).
• Be less anxious about making wrong choices.
• Have relationship conflicts that are less drawn out.
• Be less likely to consider others' points of view.

People Who See The World In Shades Of Gray Tend To...

• Procrastinate or avoid making decisions if possible.
• Feel more regret after making decisions.
• Be thoughtful about making the right choice.
• Stay longer in unhappy relationships.
• Appreciate multiple points of view.

As the Children of Israel saw their entry into The Promised Land, The Lord declared to them – Deuteronomy 30:15-20 (NLT Selected) – “Today I am giving you a choice between prosperity and disaster, between life and death. I have commanded you today to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands…If you do this, you will live and become a great nation, and the Lord your God will bless you…But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen…then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed…Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses…Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life. Then you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." An obvious choice and decision – what would you choose? What would your decision be? Prayerfully make the right, wise, best decision that squares with God’s plan and will for your life. Consider these things with me!

Emergencies and Other Stuff

From My Perspective - - -

The journey of life is exciting at best and uncertain at worst. The unpredictable and unexpected can impact the most organized individuals as well as those who limit themselves in terms of the potentials of life. At the very least, everyone would be well-advised to know what to do when an emergency arises and who to call at such a time. A friend of my brother shared the following suggestions and recommendations:

Emergency Telephone Numbers– In the long-run, these are more effective than 911

When – - -

• You are sad, phone John 14
• You have sinned, phone Psalm 51
• People have failed you, phone Psalm 27
• It feels as though God is far from you, phone Psalm 139
• Your faith needs stimulation, phone Hebrews 11
• You are alone and scared, phone Psalm 23
• You are worried, phone Matthew 8:19-34
• You are hurt and critical, phone 1 Corinthians 13
• You wonder about Christianity, phone 2 Corinthians 5:15-18
• You feel like an outcast, phone Romans 8:31-39
• You are seeking peace, phone Matthew 11:25-30
• It feels as if the world is bigger than God, phone Psalm 90
• You need Christ like insurance, phone Romans 8:1-30
• You are leaving home for a trip , phone Psalm 121
• You are praying for yourself, phone Psalm 87
• You require courage for a task, phone Joshua 1
• Inflation and investments are hogging your thoughts, phone Mark 10:17-31
• You are depressive, phone Psalm 27
• Your bank account is empty, phone Psalm 37
• You lose faith in mankind, phone 1 Corinthians 13
• It looks like people are unfriendly, phone John 15
• You are losing hope, phone Psalm 126
• You feel the world is small compared to you, phone Psalm 19
• You want to carry fruit, phone John 15
• Paul's secret for happiness, phone Colossians 3:12-17
• With big opportunity/ discovery, phone Isaiah 55
• To get along with other people, phone Romans 12

ALTERNATE NUMBERS- - -

• For dealing with fear, call Psalm 47
• For security, call Psalm 121:3
• For assurance, call Mark 8:35
• For reassurance, call Psalm 145:18

All These Numbers May Be Phoned Directly.No Operator Assistance Is Necessary.All Lines To Heaven Are Available 24 Hours A Day.Feed Your Faith, And Doubt Will Starve To Death.

Your life can have purpose, meaning and satisfaction. If you look merely at the circumstances of life, it can cause one to become discouraged and/or depressed. One study suggests that one out of every ten people is depressed. There are Resources – and – The Source available to you. Isaiah 55:6 (NLT) continues to be a valid option: “Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near.” Another important and valid option is Psalm 119:105 (NIV), “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Be sure to retain and utilize these Emergency Numbers. Consider these things with me.