DOES IT MAKE ANY "CENTS"

From My Perspective - - -

By the end of this week, it is anticipated that the United States National Debt will officially reach and pass the $16 Trillion level. For those whose minds are boggled by these numbers, some have tried to simplify what this means in dollars and cents. It would be comparable to an average family with an Annual Income of $22,000.00 and spending $37,000.00 per year, every year,  with no spending restraints, no budget, and no prepayment plan in place. It would be a classic case for bankruptcy and ruin. It would also give credence to the saying: “If your outgo exceeds your income, your upkeep will be your downfall.” It seems as though we have arrived at the precipice and unhesitatingly stepping forward onto the slippery slope.

With a large segment of the population in our nation accustomed to receiving from the national largesse all kinds of funds and benefits, there is very little possibility of averting the looming disaster. It is similar to being warned that a Tsunami is approaching, and seeing the reality of the warning on the near horizon, and deciding to sit on a beach chair and watch it arrive. Most people would run for higher ground, but when it comes to finances and economics, many people refuse to accept the reality of a Financial Tsunami on the near horizon. People will scream and protest if anyone attempts to deal with “their” entitlements; most will also scream about any adjustment to the Tax structure; and Union Heads and Laborers will march in protest if “their” pensions and benefits are adjusted to any degree.

Part of the financial issues plaguing cities and states, as well as the nation, find some origin in ones seeking to satisfy personal “Wants” versus being focused in terms of personal “Needs.” The appeal of the culture is larger and more lavish homes; more newer vehicles with the latest features; a greater number of “toys” for pleasure; expensive and extensive travel and vacation destinations; computers and I-pads and I-phones – even for the young children in the home; etc. Cost Containment does not have a priority in ones spending habits. It’s a case of “what I want, I want, and I’ll get it regardless of the cost and pay for it whenever…”

What if someone stated that those who are governed by their “wants” are running down the road into slavery? Would anyone believe it? Dave Ramsey, a financial counselor, wrote: “Debt is dumb. Most normal people are just plain broke because they are in debt up to their eyeballs with no hope of help. If you're in debt, then you're a slave because you do not have the freedom to use your money to help change your family tree. According to a USA Today article about debt, 78% of Baby Boomers have mortgage debt, 59% have credit card debt, and 56% have car payments. It takes a lot of will, discipline, courage and help to slay the debt monster. But it can be done. Imagine how much you could put toward retirement if you just didn't have a stinking car payment? Debt is dumb. Welcome to the real world! According to Proverbs 22:7, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave of the lender" (NRSV).

If one avoids God’s Laws, financial ruin is inevitable. Consider these words from The Word: “Deuteronomy 28:1, 12 says: “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none.” Borrowing is never God’s best for His people. However, if you do not follow God’s commands, borrowing will be a curse upon you: Deuteronomy 28:43-45 says: “The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower. He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail. All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.” It doesn't make good "cents" to disobey God's Laws. Consider these things with me.

TWO-WORD CONDEMNATION

From My Perspective - - -

There is much attention given by the Media to a statement made by Congressman Todd Akin when he answered a reporter’s question. The response to his answer was swift. One can see all kinds of Hypocrisy and Feigned Piety rise up in indignation because of his statement. He used a phrase which sounds wrong from the outset. He responded by saying: “…women's bodies automatically protect them from impregnation after "legitimate rape…” He would later apologize for misspeaking and repeating incorrect information that he had received from a medical source, Dr. Jack Willke who is known as an anti-abortion Physician. His claim is that “…trauma caused by rape makes a woman’s reproductive system shut down…” Without any other source, Akin used this one person’s opinion for his answer.

There has been an immediate response and condemnation of Candidate Todd Akin’s two-word error and calling for him to step down as the Senatorial Candidate for Missouri. Republican funds have been cut off and further support will not be granted. However, either based upon principle or stubbornness, Congressman Akin has refused to end his campaign. His reasoning: “The people of Missouri chose me, and I don't believe it's right for party bosses to decide to override those voters…” A point that he obviously misses is that the people of Missouri chose him as a candidate BEFORE he made his statement about “Legitimate Rape”, a statement he has since apologized for having made and repudiate it as being false.

What is even a bit more embarrassing and painful is the fact that he is a professing Evangelical Christian; has serve as an Elder in a congregation of The Presbyterian Church in America; and has an earned Master of Divinity degree conferred by Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. A perspective that most within this denomination would identify with is given by Marvin Olasky of WORLD News Service: “One aspect of the debate is a vast difference of opinion about the meaning of compassion in this situation. The pro-abort side believes compassion toward the woman is aborting the child so she can put this tragedy behind her. Pro-life folks know that abortion compounds the tragedy by killing a child—and also makes it harder for the woman. A rape is a criminal and evil violation of a woman’s body. A woman so mistreated needs help, and reassurance that she is still made in God’s image despite being brutally attacked. She certainly doesn’t need the added, huge burden of complicity in a brutal attack on an unborn child. The child is innocent…”

There are some basics that Congressman Akin might have done well to remember. (1) When our children were young, they learned a Chorus in Sunday School that reminded them: “Be Careful little feet where you go…; Be Careful little hands what you do…; Be Careful Little Mouth what you Say…” He surely neglected to guard his mouth in terms of what he said. (2) The words in James 3:1-12 (Selected): “…the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts… All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be…” Someone once said that one’s words are like feathers in a pillow. Once the ticking is ripped and the feathers are spilled they drift through the air. To try to retrieve the feathers after they blown hither and yon, would be an impossible effort and accomplishment. It is the same with the spoken words. Once they have been uttered and circulated, it is impossible to retrieve or eradicate them. Even though one apologizes for having said them, they will continue to be repeated. It would be an endless and tiring effort to pursue one’s words and to silence them. One may sincerely regret having said them and apologize to those who were offended by them, but what has been done is done. If one genuinely repents, he/she should be forgiven. There are many admonitions in Scripture that one should be eager and ready to forgive another, such as, Colossians 3:13 (NLT), “You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Can you, do you Forgive and Forget?  Consider these things with me!

FORKED-TONGUE-POLITICAL-SPEAK

From My Perspective - - -

One of the sad realities in this nation is the high rate of cynicism that exists. Not only that it exists, but that it is expanding steadily. One of the reasons is the amount of “political-speak” with which the nation is inundated. It becomes very difficult to determine who is trustworthy and who is speaking unvarnished truth. If one speaks to “the man on the street”, the comment will be heard that most, if not all,  politicians are liars. They live in a world of “spin” and “talking points”. In the process, the level of integrity has declined precipitously.

As an example, we observe the Presidential Campaigns taking place. Candidate A has persistently hammered Candidate B regarding his past associations with and management of Bain Capital. They have also zeroed in on the closing of companies, and the numbers of people who lost employment and benefits. The thrust of Candidate A has been anti-investment firms. While all of this hammering of Candidate B has been taking place, can you guess what Candidate A has been doing in the background? A Headline in today’s Wall Street Journal reads: “White House Encouraged Carlyle To Save Plant…The story of how a Philadelphia refinery was rescued is an example of how the private-equity industry is more complicated than the image portrayed by the U.S. election.” A related report states: “The Carlyle Group will get a majority stake in Sunoco's Philadelphia refinery with the promise of capital investment.  The new venture will be renamed Philadelphia Energy Solutions.” IN reviewing these transactions, one cynic commented: “When something starts to stink, it's good to find out what's rotting. Oftentimes, it's truth decay. Does the world become a dark comedy as you age? Was it always that way and I just noticed?”

How will this be financed?  The Wall Street Journal painted of Carlyle's capital: ”Carlyle said it will fund improvements at the Philadelphia refinery with money from a small buyout fund and another that invests in debt tied to energy projects. It sounds like the usual PEU play, a small amount of equity and levered debt, aided by a government non-debt, non-equity capital injection and ample tax avoidance.” Question: If it was wrong for Candidate B to be involved with a Capital Investment Firm, why is it right for Candidate A to be involved with the activity of a Capital Investment Firm? Most people will be able to anticipate what the “Speaker-In-Chief” will say by way of “spin” to justify this hypocrisy. One can be almost certain that it will be more “forked-tongue-political-speak” and maybe it will prove to be the fault of his predecessor.

Can “forked-tongue-political-speak” gradually become the norm for the average conversations and business transactions? The Lord spoke through his prophet, Isaiah 9:13-17, “For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them, nor do they seek the Lord of hosts…the leaders of this people cause them to err, and those who are led by them are destroyed. Therefore the Lord will have no joy in their young men, nor have mercy on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is a hypocrite and an evildoer, And every mouth speaks folly.” This could easily be the commentary for the day in which we live. 

Jesus Christ also addressed this issue, Matthew 7:3-5, “…why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me remove the speck from your eye; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.” Within the context of the “church”, this word from Jesus seems to have been unheard or is feigned to be unknown. There is also the scathing indictment by Jesus of the Scribes and Pharisees of His day, Matthew 23. A recurring phrase throughout that Chapter is, “…woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” These groups were prominent with “forked-tongue-political-speak” and placed needless burdens on helpless and gullible people. Question: What would Jesus say today regarding your words and actions? Don’t try to fake an answer? Why? Because God knows your every thought, action and word. You cannot fool Him! Consider these things with me!

WEATHER OR NOT...

From My Perspective - - -

Most of us have a daily concern regarding the Weather. Will it be Hot or Cold, will it be Rainy or Clear, will there be threatening storms or will it be calm – these are part of focus as we plan our daily routine. One thing that all have noted recently is the unusual weather patterns that have caused heat waves, droughts and wildfires so far this year (2012). Part of the good news in the weather pattern is that there have been a record low number of tornadoes. The Wall Street Journal reports that: “Since mid-April, about 300 tornadoes have hit the United States, the fewest in that span in nearly 60 years of record-keeping and about one-third the average tally for the period, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While the hot, dry weather has killed dozens of people and ruined crops this summer, it also has prevented major tornado outbreaks…”

Yahoo News reports: “July was an extremely tornado-starved month, with only 24 twisters, according to preliminary data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This shatters the record low of 42 tornadoes set in July 1960.” In a section captioned, “Tale Of Two Droughts”, they ask: “Why have there been so few twisters in the past 3.5 months? You can blame it on a high-pressure heat dome over much of the country that began forming in mid-April and has pushed the jet stream north into Canada…This heat-dome is also the reason for the record drought that has gripped much of the United States…This dome of high pressure has led to less precipitation and fewer thunderstorms, thus fewer tornadoes, which can only form in these storms…Tornadoes also favor strong winds that increase with height (also known as wind shear). With the jet stream pushed northward, there are fewer strong winds and less wind shear, and a lower likelihood for tornado-formation…”

Is weather ever understood as divine intervention as a means of (a) to accomplish a significant good for people, and/or (b) to gain the attention of a people embracing error or walking in ways displeasing to Almighty God and His will? Historically, there is an example from World War !! when 400,000 British and French Troops were trapped by the German Army on the north coast of France at Dunkirk in June 1940.  The Nazi forces were only ten miles away. At this time, a thick fog and clouds settled over the beaches. The English Channel also became unusually calm and many small boats from England were able to ferry soldiers across to safety. This lasted for nine days and most of the troops were brought safely across the English Channel. Winston Churchill was said to have called the evacuation of Dunkirk a “miracle of deliverance.”

Biblically, there are illustrations indicating God’s intervention to accomplish His purposes. One of them was in the day of Noah when it rained and the earth was flooded. God acted in this way to cleanse the earth after He had observed “wickedness was great upon the earth, and the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of men was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). One of the other events pertained to Jonah, who thought he could run away from God and His plan for Jonah’s life. After Jonah had boarded a ship and it had set sail for Tarshish, a sudden storm broke out and that was threatening to the ship and all aboard it (Jonah 1:4-5). The seamen cast lots to determine why this calamity had come their way. The lot falls on Jonah and they say to him: “So they asked him… who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you? He answered, I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land. This terrified them and they asked, What have you done? (They knew he was running away from the Lord, because he had already told them so.) The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us? Pick me up and throw me into the sea and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you…Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. At this the men greatly feared the Lord...” (Jonah 1:8-16). God will use all means to gain one’s attention. What will He have to do to gain yours? Consider these things with me.

CONVOLUTED TIMES

From My Perspective - - -

To say that our culture is not operating on an even keel, is an understatement and a misnomer. The ship of state appears to be running full speed ahead toward a Bermuda Triangle. All different things are attempted to indicate all things are operating as they should but when the ship is listing, it is apparent something isn’t right. Civil Government is similar to a family structure – if there is no fiscal and familial discipline – and – no standard being adhered to,  there will be an atmosphere of chaos and erosion of true values.

Do you ever grow weary of our politicians talking about “classes” of people in our nation? It’s almost as though some of the “leaders” think they are operating within a feudal state. When did we become a nation with an aristocracy/plutocracy and the rest of the citizenry viewed as peasants? When did “we the people” allow for the Constitution of the United States to become an ignored or shredded document? When did we allow for our rights to be surrendered to the inevitable and the rule of law to be defied? Why do we allow for the politicians to promote with their rhetoric – racial division, class division, ethnic division, financial division – and generating envy among the citizenry? What is the benefit or gain if and when the moral base is undermined and the moral values eradicated?

Something is wrong when people who have gone to a theater to view a film are suddenly victimized – shot at, maimed, killed – by a stranger who behaved strangely! Something is wrong when groups of girls or boys viciously beat a stranger – punching, kicking, stabbing – because they are bored! Something is wrong when a city, Chicago, has more reported deaths than the war zones where American troops are at risk! Something is wrong when an organization – Family Research Council, an organization that promotes and defends the classic American values of faith, family and freedom – is subjected to the hatred of a gunman - Floyd Lee Corkins II – who shot a security guard at the group’s headquarters! He was found to be carrying symbols of a recent flare-up in the culture wars - 15 Chick-fil-A sandwiches arrested, a 9 mm pistol and 50 rounds of ammunition. The fast-food chain’s president Dan Cathy had voiced opposition to gay marriage. The corporation’s stated purpose is “to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A.”

How did we become a nation that no longer cherishes foundational purposes and values? In the Christian Religion, there has been an adherence to and practice of “The Means Of Grace”, namely, The Word, The Sacraments and Prayer. The Word and Prayer had carried over into the public life of the nation. What happened regarding The word and Prayer in the public consciousness? When and why was it diminished and discarded? “The United States Supreme Court issued two bans on prayer in public schools. The first ban came in 1962 and the second was issued in 1963. The bans were the result of a court case sponsored in part by Madalyn Murray O'Hair. She was but one of the litigants in the lawsuit, but her name became synonymous with the case and the promotion of atheism. The ban not only outlawed prayer in public schools but it also banned Bible reading in public schools.”

One should read Romans 1:18-32 for the reason why our nation has become a godless nation. Verses 28-31 describe how we are becoming who we are: “since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, He gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heart-less, ruthless.” Jeremiah 5:31 would add – “…my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?” We need to return to our foundational principles, moral base and core values – quickly!  Consider these things with me!

TACTICAL CHANGES

From My Perspective - - -

In sports, combat or politics, a wise strategy and tactic is to know your opponent – his strengths and weaknesses, as well as to know the goal and those with whom one hopes to achieve it. In Saul Alinsky’s Rules For Radicals (1971), he wrote: “For an elementary illustration of tactics, take parts of your face as the point of reference; your eyes, your ears, and your nose. First the eyes: if you have organized a vast, mass-based people's organization, you can parade it visibly before the enemy and openly show your power. Second the ears; if your organization is small in numbers, then do what Gideon did: conceal the members in the dark but raise a din and clamor that will make the listener believe that your organization numbers many more than it does. Third, the nose; if your organization is too tiny even for noise, stink up the place. Always remember the first rule of power tactics: Power is not only what you have but what the enemy thinks you have…”

Outlining his strategy in organizing, Alinsky writes in Rules For Radicals: “There's another reason for working inside the system. Dostoyevsky said: that taking a new step is what people fear most. Any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude toward change among the mass of our people. They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future. This acceptance is the reformation essential to any revolution…” For Alinsky, “…organizing is the process of highlighting whatever he believed to be wrong and convincing people they can actually do something about it. The two are linked. If people feel they don’t have the power to change a situation, they stop thinking about it…Through a process combining hope and resentment, the organizer tries to create a "mass army" that brings in as many recruits as possible from local organizations, churches, services groups, labor unions, corner gangs, and individuals…the main job of the organizer is to bait an opponent into reacting. The enemy properly goaded and guided in his reaction will be your major strength."

There is a very revealing illustration used in his writing. As a motivation for those seeking change Alinsky narrates: “Lest we forget at least an over-the-shoulder acknowledgment to the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins -- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom – Lucifer.” What Alinsky fails to mention – Lucifer acted with arrogance and pride. This resulted in his being  cast out of Heaven, along with the one-third of his legion who followed him,  was immediately removed from the presence of the only God, and will be cast into the eternal lake of fire.” There always has been and always will be consequence for arrogance and pride and revolution. One consequence is the designation and categorization of those who would follow the Lucifer Stratagem – John 8:44 – “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Joseph Goebbels said: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” This principle worked for Nazi Germany leading up to World War II.

Three of Alinsky’s 12 Rules for Radicals: RULE 5:“Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. ”There is no defense. It’s irrational. It’s infuriating. It also works as a key pressure point to force the enemy into concessions.” RULE 8:“Keep the pressure on. Never let up. Keep trying new things to keep the opposition off balance. As the opposition masters one approach, hit them from the flank with something new…” RULE 11:“The price of a successful attack is a constructive alternative. Never let the enemy score points because you’re caught without a solution to the problem.” When Jesus was sending His disciples into the world, He said – Matthew 10:16 – “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” The “wolves” are arrogant, proud, boastful and deceptive. Don’t let yourself be charmed, deceived or beguiled by them. Consider these things with me.

LANGUAGE LIMITATION

From My Perspective - - -

One of the most frustrating situations to be in is when and where language is being used and one has no idea what is being said. It has to be a very lonely and confusing moment. Years ago, I had the privilege of being invited to play an instrument with a “Gospel Team.” We would go to jails and rescue missions – occasionally, a church. There was a sharp contrast when we went to two different islands in New York Harbor. One was Governor’s Island that served as a Military Stockade. It was a very beautifully kept place – but – it was a jail nevertheless. The other was Ellis Island that served as the entry point for Immigrants entering into this country for the first time. The setting was not all that lovely – basically, a large terminal type facility. We would go and play our instruments, give a testimony and someone would give a “message”. The problem with the “message” was not the content – but – the inability of most in the terminal to understand what was being communicated. The only indication of understanding is when we would play the old Hymns of the church. At that moment, the universal language of music was able to convey a message.

We recently had a guest in our home from Ukraine. It was a teenage girl who was part of a group brought to this country to see if there were American families who might become foster parents for a teenage orphan. Our son had provided a home setting for this child for six weeks to determine whether it would be workable to be (a) foster parents for her, or (b) to adopt her as a teenage daughter. . I watched this child and wondered about what she could understand and what she was thinking/feeling. Some might say that another universal language is “love” – but – what if this person has never been in a place or context where “love” was displayed and experienced? What if this person has no living and working definition of what “love” actually is? Technology allows for some communication. One can use an I-pad and type in a sentence and easily find a way to have it translated into another language. When this girl smiled, which was seldom, she was so pretty – but – most of the time, it was a blank stare and an inability to understand what was going on around her. One can only empathize with the lonely, empty and frustrating feelings such a one is knowing.

The six week stay in this country ended yesterday and she will return to Ukraine sometime today. One of the sad exchanges was in regard to this understanding of “love”. Before she was to leave, our son and his wife asked if she felt “loved” – and – her answer was – “No!” It may be due to the fact that she has been an orphan all of her life and has never lived in a foster situation where “love” was defined by word and deed. It causes me to wonder about two key areas: (1) How clear and effective can a verse of Scripture – John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life.” – be in the life of an orphan who is fifteen and been unwanted all of her life? - and (2) What kind of sense and commitment does the “Christian” and “Church” have in terms of personal involvement with orphans? Is it anywhere close to James 1:22, 27 – “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says…Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world”?

Our Grand-daughter is married to an Attorney – Sam McLure - who has committed himself and his law practice to be: The Adoption Law Firm in Montgomery, AL. He can provide you with the information and cost schedule that will enable one to be an adoptive or foster parent. James 2:16-17 asks and declares: “If one of you says to him, Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” The Message paraphrases verse 17: “Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?” What think ye? What say ye? Consider these things with me!

CHICKEN AND WAFFLE FRIES

From My Perspective - - -

August 1st was informally designated “Appreciation Day” by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee as a way to support Chick-Fil-A and the statement offered by Dan Cathy, CEO of Chick-Fil-A, in a Radio Interview on The Ken Coleman Show that upheld Family Values. Dan Cathy stated: “We are vey much supportive of the family – the Biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.” He then went on to say: “I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say ‘we know better than You as to what constitutes marriage,’ and I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to define what marriage is about…”

Predictably and not surprisingly, this resulted in loud reaction and response by the politically correct advocates and representatives. Some of the reported reaction includes: “Cathy's detractors say his words are hateful to the gay community. They have asked their supporters to take a stand against Cathy and the Chick-fil-A corporation by boycotting the restaurants, staging protests, and refusing to partner with Chick-Fil-A for business and charitable ventures….” A further activity will be: “On August 3rd, gay activists plan to occupy the tables and booths at their local Chick-Fil-A restaurants and stage a ‘kiss in’ to protest the company's support for traditional marriage. Organizers announced the event earlier this week in retaliation for comments made by Chick-Fil-A's President Dan Cathy…” 

Whenever a person of principle takes a stand, one can be certain that there will a cost and the principled stand will be met by challenge. Such is the case here, and the following is just a brief summary of the ‘retaliation’ planned and advocated: “This week, mayors in Boston and Chicago vowed to stop Chick-fil-A from opening franchises in their cities. They say that the company is not welcome until it changes its stance on gay marriage. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino even wrote Cathy a letter voicing his anger at the company's ‘prejudice.’ ‘I urge you to back out of your plans to locate in Boston,’ Menino said. ‘There is no place for discrimination on Boston's Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it.’ A few days later, Menino admitted he took his comments a bit too far. He said he would prefer not to have a Chick-fil-A in his city but would not actively oppose it. Cathy's comments also have cost the company its relationship with a major toy supplier. Lisa Henson, CEO of the Henson Company, producers of The Muppets, released a statement saying that her company will no longer allow Chick-fil-A to include Muppets toys in its kids meals. The Henson company is known to celebrate ‘diversity and inclusiveness’ and will not continue to partner with Chick-Fil-A at present or in the future, Henson said. She also pledged to donate all the money her company made from its partnership with Chick-Fil-A to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLADD).”

It was gratifying to see thousands of people stand in line at Chick-Fil-A as an indication of their support and agreement with the company’s stated view on Marriage and Family Values. The terms used by the opponents include “retaliation…diversity…inclusiveness…prejudice…” The people living in Sodom and Gomorrah most likely felt that God’s pending judgment on them was unfair and unwarranted – but – they were judged by Him and perished in their diversity and inclusiveness. There will always be opposition to those taking a principled stand. In II Peter 3:3, there is this reminder: “you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.” Also, there will be challenge and times of suffering - I Peter 3:14-16, reminds us of how a principled follower of Christ may become the object of negative response and reaction: “If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed…If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler…if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” The follower of Christ should not “chicken-out” and should never “waffle” – but always be strong and courageous. Consider these things with me! 

THE SANDS OF TIME

From My Perspective - - -

An old Soap Opera would begin its broadcast/telecast with the line: “Like Sands In The Hour-Glass, So Are The Days of Our Lives.” Those who have lived at least three-score years have seen some dramatic changes as The Sands In Our Nation’s Hour-Glass have descended. The question aptly posed is: Descended to what? There has been a dramatic shift in the moral values once embraced; there is the departure from foundational principles that once guided us – the US Constitution is treated as a document in a display case rather than the foundation for our governance; the idea of “One Nation, Under God” and “In God We Trust” are concepts that are challenged and/or ignored; and the loss of our moral compass. Our values regarding life are diminished and 50 million Abortions don’t seem to bother many. Our values regarding Marriage have diminished as (a) the number of divorces neared 50 percent, and (b) couples jettisoned marriage and then just began living together; and (c) same-gender unions and “marriages” soon became legal across the nation – all of this and more with no regard for what God says in His Word – and – no remembrance of what God decreed against Sodom and Gomorrah for similar behaviors. No one cared then – and – few seem to care now.

On Wednesday, August 1st, some of these issues will come to a “boiling-point”. CNN has this report on their website: “The row over same-sex marriage could see thousands of Christians flocking to Chick-fil-A on Wednesday, while same-sex couples will turn up at the fast-food chain Friday for public displays of affection. Both events are intended as mass shows of support by people on both sides of the marriage issue and mark the latest round in a long-standing beef that gay and lesbian rights groups have with Chick-fil-A's leadership, which has openly espoused biblical values, not only in its operating principles, but in its conservative definition of family as well. The controversy came to a boil after an interview with the fast food restaurant chain's president and COO Dan Cathy appeared in The Baptist Press on July 16, in which he weighed in with his views on family. ‘We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit," Cathy said. "We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.’ Proponents of same-sex marriage spread Cathy's comments, eventually creating a firestorm of criticism on social media, including assertions that his comments and position were bigoted and hateful.” A response against Chick-Fil-A came from Mayors of Boston and Chicago who stated this business would not be allowed to build or expand in their city, and a Councilman from Washington, DC offered the same type of statement but tried to coat it as a safety issue because of increased traffic in his district.

It will be interesting to see what the “Christian” response will be. Too many are silent when they ought to be vocal and timid when they ought to be bold. The fact is that the “Christian” should never condone what God has condemned. What is God’s Standard and Value? Leviticus 18:22-24, “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable. Do not have sexual relations with an animal and defile yourself with it. A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual relations with it; that is a perversion. Do not defile yourselves in any of these ways, because this is how the nations that I am going to drive out before you became defiled.” Leviticus 20:13, “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Romans 1:26-27, “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” The descriptive words are “detestable”, “shameful lusts”, “indecent acts”, “perversion.” This is serious in God’s sight and should be in ours as well. We should always have compassion – but – exercise care that we don’t condone what God has clearly condemned. Consider these things with me!