GETTING READY FOR....

From My Perspective - - -

Admittedly, we are living in a world where there is considerable uncertainty and fear.  Will a major war erupt in the Middle East? What is the plan and capability of North Korea and their military ambitions? What is going to happen economically in this world? How about the United States, if the nation continues to spend beyond its means, what will be the ultimate result and outcome? With moral erosion and the ignoring of the unequivocal standards of God, what is the future for family values? Questions – so many questions – and – so few absolute answers.

Meanwhile, MSN MONEY reported yesterday, “Gun Sales See Record Black Friday” By Kim Peterson. The sub-headline is: “Buyers swamped dealers, causing the FBI center that handles background checks to crash twice.” The report states: “The day after Thanksgiving saw a record number of background-check requests from gun dealers. The calls came in so fast and furious, in fact, that the FBI centers that handle the requests crashed twice that day…The FBI thought it was prepared for the day, particularly after hitting its previous one-day record on Black Friday 2011. That day, the bureau's call center took 129,166 requests. But this year, the bureau took 154,873 calls, or about a 20% increase…What was the reason for the new sales? Observers point to three areas. First, President Obama's re-election may be spurring fears of a new crackdown on guns…Another reason is a growing interest in guns on the part of women. The National Rifle Association says that women are its fastest-growing membership group. A final reason is that hunting and other shooting sports are gaining in popularity. MSN Money's Bruce Kennedy reported Wednesday that there was a 9% increase in hunters last year compared with 2006…”

One area the report fails to address is that people are buying weapons to protect themselves and their property. This possibility alone is reason for concern. The motivation for such fear is based upon the sounds from the politicians that re-distribution of wealth and property is a viable action to get all people in the nation on a more equal standing. Should the government have the right to confiscate your person assets and property? Is the government entitled to the proverbial “death tax” on estates of family members when they are probated? Will we see rioting in our streets and rampaging mobs taking and/or destroying everything and anything? Will the civil authorities be able to cope with that scenario or will they be party to it? When push comes to shove, who or what will one be able to depend upon for personal survival? Will we see a revolution in our streets such as is occurring in Syria? Will handguns be an adequate defense against rocket launchers?

The Biblical perspective we should maintain is expressed in Psalm 20:7-8, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the Lord our God. They have bowed down and fallen; But we have risen and stand upright.” The perspective is echoed in Proverbs 21:31, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But deliverance is of the Lord.” The ultimate of the perspective is given in Luke 21:25-28, "And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near." The NLT of verse 26 is, “The courage of many people will falter because of the fearful fate they see coming upon the earth, because the stability of the very heavens will be broken up.” The Message renders this verse as, “an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.” To say, we are living on the threshold, a precipice, of perilous times is an understatement. The “true Christian” is to occupy and evangelize until His return. Be a person of courage, purpose and hope. Don’t allow your faith to waver. Be wise and remain strong. Consider these things with me! 

BLASPHEMY AND GRAINS OF SALT

From My Perspective - - -

There is a basic definition for Blasphemy. The meaning is: “any impious utterance of action concerning God or sacred things; and act of reviling or cursing God; assuming to oneself the rights or qualities of God…” If one does this, is it a trifling matter and one that should be accepted as a “grain of salt” comment? Is it to be glossed over as something that is said in jest and is insignificant? Should those who claim to be “Christian” be offended by Blasphemous words, inferences or statements of any sort?

A headline on the Clutch website states: “Jamie Foxx Calls President Obama ‘Our Lord and Savior’ — Critics Say It’s Inappropriate -  November 26, 2012.” The article sets a tone for tolerance for a comedic utterance. However, is it really a joking matter and something that can or should be sloughed off as being such? The article states: “Last night at an awards show (Soul-Train Awards on BET), Jamie Foxx referred to President Obama as ‘our Lord and Savior,’ saying: ‘First of all, giving honor to God and our Lord and Savior Barack Obama.’ His phrase, made in jest, is causing ire among conservatives who feel the comparison between Obama and Christ is highly inappropriate. Jamie Foxx’s comment should be taken with a grain of salt. He is a comedian by trade and is paid to be humorous, ironic and even a bit controversial. But naysayers believe his joke points to a larger problem of Hollywood hero-worship of President Obama. In some corners, the President is idolized because of his penchant for public speaking, charming demeanor, loving family, good looks and rags-to-riches upbringing. His 2008 campaign, which hinged on the theme of change, led some to believe he was a mythical superhero sent to miraculously pull our economy out of a recession, fight for the poor and end a costly and widely unpopular war. It’s that perception of Obama that’s behind Jamie Foxx’s sarcastic joke and also at the root of much of the criticism about the public’s admiration of the President.”

The writer of the article is willing to relegate the Jamie Foxx statement to “jest” and excuse it because “a comedian by trade and is paid to be humorous, ironic and even a bit controversial.” The writer that asserts: “Jamie Foxx’s comment should be taken with a grain of salt.” Just a question: How wise is it for anyone to stretch the limits of “jest” and essentially make mockery of Who Jesus Christ is and what the Lord and Savior accomplished when He died on the cross to make atonement for man’s sin and to accomplish redemption for those who would receive Him as their Savior and Lord? What has Barack Obama sacrificed for mankind? What can he provide in terms of eternity and the souls of mankind?

The basic consideration is in terms of the Biblical references to Blasphemy. In the issuance and declaration of The Law of God, Exodus 20:7 contains the following: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” The Message paraphrase is clear when it states: “No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won't put up with the irreverent use of his name.” In II Timothy 3:1-5, Paul gives a vivid description of behavior as the last days dawn upon us: “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!”

In 1970, Walt Kelly created a Poster for Earth Day and used as a caption: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” He would later incorporate the sentiment of that statement in his Comic Strip when the featured character, Pogo, said: "We Have Met The Enemy and The Enemy Is Us.” Taking the “grain of salt” liberties suggested above, perhaps we can paraphrase the Pogo expression and say: “We Have Identified The Blasphemer(s) and The Audience Cheered The Blasphemy.” Just a passing question: Will the one who was referred to as “our Lord and Savior” step forward and repudiate this Blasphemy and attribution as being both wrong and inappropriate? Most likely, No!  Consider these things with me!

THE CUSP OR THE BRINK

From My Perspective - - -

What if you lived in a neighborhood where most of your nearest neighbors disliked you and wanted you dead, how would you feel? What would you do? What if you had a Biblical sense that the neighborhood was actually yours and those who were plotting for your removal and demise were actually the squatters, what would you do? Would you depend on a bigger and stronger neighborhood to defend you and to strategize your future? Would that bigger and stronger neighborhood be appreciative an understanding of your life being lived at the cusp or brink of your continued existence? Would they understand what it is to live at the cusp, the pointed (or appointed) end for which you exist? Would they have a keen awareness of what it is to live continually at the brink, a critical point or a state beyond which success or catastrophe occurs? Would you expect them to empathize with one living at the cusp or brink of war?

In world affairs, Israel finds itself at such a cusp or brink. The news is plain – Gaza firing missiles at population centers in Israel; Egypt stating it will follow that same path; Hamas and Hezbollah maintaining those threats; Turkey being sympathetic to the attack on Israel; and Iran and Syria supplying the armaments to Hamas for their continued effort. Reuters reports from Lebanon, “Lebanese Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said…The military operation has failed to achieve its targets. The killing is aimed at putting pressure on the leadership of the resistance in the Gaza Strip to drop its conditions (for a truce)…The Islamic militant group Hezbollah is closely allied with non-Arab, Shi'ite Iran, which Israel accuses of supplying Hamas with Fajr-5 missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv or Jerusalem from Gaza…Nasrallah also said Arab countries should openly provide weapons to the Palestinian militants, but that "there is no political decision…Hezbollah fought Israel in a 34-day war in 2006 in which it fired at least 4,000 rockets towards Israel. At least 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed during that war.” The goal of the opposition and enemy is clear, namely, the extinction of Israel.

It sounds as though the news being witnessed today is strikingly familiar to the Works in Ezekiel 38 (CEV), “…Your army includes soldiers from Persia (areas now inhabited by Iran and Iraq), Ethiopia, and Libya, as well as from Gomer and Beth-Togarmah in the north (northern Spain). Your army is enormous! So keep your troops prepared to fight, because in a few years, I will command you to invade Israel, a country that was ruined by war. It was deserted for a long time, but its people have returned from the foreign nations where they once lived. The Israelites now live in peace in the mountains of their own land. But you and your army will attack them like a fierce thunderstorm and surround them like a cloud….” The Lord said to Gog: Long ago, I had my prophets warn the people of Israel that someday I would send an enemy to attack them. You, Gog, are that enemy, and that day is coming. When you invade Israel, I will become furious, and in my anger I will send a terrible earthquake to shake Israel. Every living thing on earth will tremble in fear of me—every fish and bird, every wild animal and reptile, and every human. Mountains will crumble, cliffs will fall, and cities will collapse. I, the Lord, will make the mountains of Israel turn against you. Your troops will be so terrified that they will attack each other. I will strike you with diseases and punish you with death. You and your army will be pounded with rainstorms, hailstones, and burning sulfur.  I will do these things to show the world that I, the Lord, am holy.”

One can make a choice whether or not to believe the events unfolding in the Middle East today can be measured within the Biblical proportions of Ezekiel 38. Do these events indicate or signify a fulfilling of a prophecy in our day? One should be guarded and not force a Biblical interpretation based upon secular press reports. In the same way, one should not ignore Who God is and what His plan is for the world He created! Are we living today on The Cusp Or The Brink of the end times? Jesus is the one who reminded his followers – Matthew 24:44 – “…you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Consider these things with me! 

PROPHET OR PESSIMIST

From My Perspective - - -

The day after the recent U.S. Election there was no shortage of analysts and critics who felt a need to defend their predictions that failed or what the hopeless state of the nation is destined to be or become. One editorial offering on this subject was written by Cal Thomas – “Prepare For Four More Years Of Decline.” In his column, he writes: “Great nations and proud empires have always collapsed from within before they were conquered from without.” He allows that the President’s “re-election mirrors the self-indulgent, greedy and envious nation we are rapidly becoming. The central message coming out of the election seems to be that we are no longer the America of our Founders, or even the America that existed during World War II, which produced our ‘greatest generation.’ Instead, the election validates the enormous cultural shift that has been taking place since the 1960s, when a counter-cultural bomb was dropped on society, producing moral fallout that continues to this day.” Is the writer a Prophet or a Pessimist?

His reference to “since the 1960s” there was an observable “cultural shift” and “cultural-bomb” and “moral fallout” cannot be denied. One area he points to is: “Young people are taught in public schools, at major universities, on television and in movies, that every life choice is acceptable and every tenet open to interpretation. In politics, some proclaim it is right to oppose the successful and envy the rich to the point where they must be denigrated and penalized for their success with higher taxes. No one has to be personally responsible. No education; no motivation; no life plan? No problem. The government will take care of you.” He points to: “Other signs of cultural decay are accepted with little notice. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 40 percent of babies born in America are born to unmarried women. Shrug. Abortion clinics continue to operate. Yawn. There is no longer any cultural corrective because we have abandoned the concept of objective truth. Nothing is right or wrong, because that suggests a standard by which right and wrong might be defined. Personal choice is the new ‘standard,’ which is no standard at all. One might as well develop individual weights and measures.” Is the writer a Prophet or a Pessimist?

His impression and persuasion is: “Politicians bid for votes, making promises they can't keep to voters who will believe anything, as long as it appeals to greed, envy and their sense of entitlement. This undermines our culture. This fuels our massive debt, weakening our economic power and America's standing in the world. Standards used to be defined and mostly accepted, if not universally practiced. Many grew out of religious principles. According to a recent Pew poll, a growing number of people, especially young people, no longer believe in God or religion. In this, and in our increasing flirtation with socialism, America is becoming more like Europe. Government seems to be replacing God as the only acceptable ‘deity’.” Is the writer a Prophet or a Pessimist?

In Deuteronomy 8:1-20, The Lord states specifics to Israel and sets fixed parameters for them as a nation. Some of what the Lord said is:  “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest…when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage…you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth…if you by any means forget the Lord your God, and follow other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that you shall surely perish. As the nations which the Lord destroys before you, so you shall perish, because you would not be obedient to the voice of the Lord your God.”

What was true for Israel is also true for nations today. We too easily forget Malachi 3:6, “I am the Lord God, I change not.” Hebrews 13:8 states, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” One can ignore or disparage these words but they do so to their peril. Psalm 9:17 reminds one that, “The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.” The New Living Translation renders this text: “The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.” Is our nation ignoring God? Yes!  Is our nation in peril? Yes!  Do you care?  Consider these things with me!

CULTURE WAR REALITIES

From My Perspective - - -

The recent American Elections may have magnified the underlying issues within this nation that too many have chosen to ignore for too long. Some have grown permissive regarding the trends of our times and chosen to ignore them. They may have convinced themselves and hoped that if these trends are ignored they will collapse and fade away. They have forgotten that the battle for the minds and souls of people is not always a frontal one and can be more stealth until the right moment for it to surface. At that point, it becomes blatant. Those who have allowed themselves to be permissive and to ignore the trends and behavior are suddenly aghast at what is taking place. When they arrive at this moment of awakening, it is too late. The minds and souls of a generation has been changed. The sad lament of those who should have known better all along becomes, either “how did this happen” or “we’re too late – we should’ve done something sooner.” The “could’ve, would’ve, should’ve” syndrome – all too late to effect a change and maintain the needed moral base and values.

In a New York Times article on November 9th, 2012, the Headline was: “Christian Right Failed to Sway Voters on Issues.” The article summarizes: “Christian conservatives, for more than two decades a pivotal force in American politics, are grappling with Election Day results that repudiated their influence and suggested that the cultural tide…has shifted against them. They are reeling not only from the loss of the presidency, but from what many of them see as a rejection of their agenda. They lost fights against same-sex marriage in all four states where it was on the ballot, and saw anti-abortion-rights Senate candidates defeated and two states vote to legalize marijuana for recreational use…Millions of American evangelicals are absolutely shocked…by the entire avalanche of results that came in. Albert Mohler,….said in an interview. It’s not that our message — we think abortion is wrong, we think same-sex marriage is wrong — didn’t get out. It did get out. It’s that the entire moral landscape has changed…An increasingly secularized America understands our positions, and has rejected them.”

Albert Mohler has a keen sense of the times in which we live and his evaluation – “the entire moral landscape has changed… An increasingly secularized America understands our positions, and has rejected them.” – needs to sink into the Evangelical mindset. In our Churches, many an Evangelical Minister is preaching to empty pews – that alone should be a wake-up call – but it hasn’t been. The article notes: “The evangelical share of the population is both declining and graying, studies show. Large churches like the Southern Baptist Convention and the Assemblies of God, which have provided an organizing base for the Christian right, are losing members….” Praying about these matters is fine – but where is the action? If one thought that negative rhetoric and commentary regarding secular humanism that is dominating our culture is the way and means to combat it need a wake-up call. Guess what? It did not work!

Will the culture surrender its gains willingly? The question is absurd. The answer is – Absolutely not! What can the “church” and/or “evangelical" do? Consider what Daniel did at the outset of the Babylonian Captivity – Daniel 1:8 – “Daniel purpose in his heart that he would not defile himself before God…” No matter what the challenge or cost, this was his commitment. It was a settled matter before God. Consider what Peter stated to the believers who were being persecuted by Nero in Rome. In I Peter 1:1-6 – “To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” Basically – keep your focus on Biblical truths that never change. Peter underscores that they are God’s “…elect, possessing a living hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, given an inheritance that is incorruptible, undefiled and that will never fade away, and they are kept by the power of God through faith…” No man or movement can separate one from his/her position in Christ. 
No man or movement can demolish your personal commitment or remove your moral values. Are you ready and willing to meet the challenge of the day regardless of the cost? There’s work to do – don’t be running to a cave yet. It’s time to follow-through on Christ’s command and commission, namely, “You are my witnesses…” Consider these things with me!

DEFACING OF SACRED BUILDINGS

From My Perspective - - -

Graffiti has been a common practice and annoyance. If a Law Enforcement Officer sees one doing it, there can be a variety of consequences for the individual who is doing it. Actually, it is deemed a misdemeanor and includes a penalty. It was almost unheard of to see any evidence of Church Buildings being defaced by one’s Graffiti. There is, of course, a marked difference between graffiti and art. At one time, product art was done professionally on the side of a Building to advertise a particular product. Although this is no longer done, one can still get a glimpse of this art on some older buildings. Even though the art is fading, one can still have an appreciation for both the skill of the artist and the long-standing display of his art.

We have progressed in the twenty-first century into an area of “Body Art”, otherwise identified as Tattoos. Should an individual have an “Artist’s” handiwork displayed on his or her body? Are Tattoos an indication of rebellion, or is it an effort to have an individualistic identity? Is a Tattoo something that is attractive, or does it become a distraction? Is this a cultural-identity trend, and/or does it become associated with a gang-symbol? In a much broader sense, should a “professing Christian” pay to have his/her body tattooed?

Just a few thoughts to consider on this subject (amid a wave of protests that are often heard), from a Biblical Cultural point of view. If one seeks information on the Internet, most Websites "dance around" the issue of Tattoos (as they do other things). One place to begin is Psalm 139:13-15 and the sense of the Psalmist, “You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from You…” The thought is that God has made us the way he wants us to be. When wishes to alter or change his/her appearance, it is effectively an expression of non-agreement with God, the Creator. Regrettably, there aren't many Scripture Verses that argue the case for Body Alteration one way or another. For Tattooing and Piercing, perhaps Leviticus 19:28 is the most clear:  "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord." Ironically, the only other place where a Tattoo or Body marking is mentioned is the Book of Revelation and the Mark of the Beast. In Revelation 13:16-17, "And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead. and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name." 

Returning to the idea of Defacing Of Sacred Buildings, one needs a sense of how God has designed each person and how He wants the person to view himself/herself. Consider, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. The Lord warns several times of the seriousness of defiling the temple of God – your body!  Again, in I Corinthians 3:16-17, “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” In other words, in God’s sight, you have been designed to be a Sacred Building. Your Sacred Building will be inhabited by either the Holy Spirit, or a representative from demonic legions. Either way, one can conclude that a Tattoo, regardless of an individual’s reason or rationalization, is a Defacing of a Sacred Building.

In the Shorter Catechism, one is asked: What is the chief end of man? The answer is: Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. One is instructed to “honor God with your body.” If one wishes to express or display anything with his/her body, a place to begin might be Galatians 5:22-23, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control..”  Consider these things with me!

THE STORMS OF LIFE

From My Perspective - - -

In one form or another, most people have had experiences where they concluded it was “a storm of life.” The phrase means various things at various times. There are those who see their lives disrupted by an unforeseen event and they feel as though they are inundated by their circumstances – drowning in their tremendous burden. There are those who have accumulated an insurmountable debt-load and they have the sense of perishing in the deep waters of their helplessness. There are those who become subjected to the weather-related storms such as Katrina or Hurricane Sandy. Storms that deprive one of every day services and benefits – food, water, gasoline, transportation, electricity. Help is promised but seems so slow in arriving.

One welfare relief organization finds itself in the predicament of the storm and have sent an appeal to as many as they can contact. It states:  “I know you care greatly for the children and families impacted by Super-Storm Sandy, and I want you to know that…relief teams have been on the ground since the storm struck — and are working tirelessly to help victims in its wake. The death toll is still climbing, and hundreds of thousands have had to evacuate their homes. Your help is urgently needed today. The storm has taken its toll on relief efforts, too. Hospitals are being evacuated. Homes and churches are destroyed. Our warehouse in the Bronx, New York, was flooded by surging water. We lost about one-third of our relief supplies from our warehouse in the Bronx when Sandy hit…New York City is one of the most expensive places to live and operate when bringing relief. People are really hurting and they need our help." Despite the affluence of some, help is needed by most.

In Psalm 107:23-31, one is reminded of The Storms of Life that can and do occur. The Psalmist describes it as: “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters, They see the works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep. For He commands and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up the waves of the sea. They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths; their soul melts because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end. Then they cry out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; so He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” In the midst of the storm and after, to be thankful to the Lord. It is a tall order but a necessary perspective and practice.

One of the comforting reminders in Scripture is in Isaiah 43:1-3, “…thus says the Lord, Who created you…and He who formed you…Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you…For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…” It is comforting to know that even in the time of peril and despair, one can call out to the Lord and He will hear and respond according to His will. In this regard, there is the account recorded in Mark 4:35-41. Jesus had decided to go to the other side of the body of water. Some thoughts from this text emerge: (1) “other little boats were also with Him”; (2) “a great windstorm arose”; (3) Jesus was in the stern, asleep on a pillow”; (4) “the Disciples awaken Him”; (5) In their panic and fear, they say to Jesus: “do You not care that we are perishing?”; (6) Jesus arose “and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: Peace, Be Still!”; (7) “He said to them: Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?”

In the midst of the storm, two important things the disciples forgot: (1) their fellowman – “there were other little boats with them”; and (2) Their faith – their failure manifest it because of their doubt and fear. How do you respond to the crisis moments when they occur – with panic or peace; with faith or failure? Keep your focus on Jesus Christ and be confident in Him and His ability to meet your need. Consider these things with me.