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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Would you contribute to a $200,000/ year salary to pay a man to watch pornography 8 hrs a day? Absolutely not, you say? Well, like it or not, if you're a taxpayer you have been doing just that. It seems that a Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer making 2oo G's has been spending his valuable time that way while wasting your money. And he is not the only SEC employee who managed to bypass the porn barrier on govt. provided internet. A few lesser employees have been fired; at least one higher on the ladder has been banished for two whole weeks. Now he can go home and watch porn on his own time. When he returns to the duties he has been neglecting he will no doubt have learned his lesson and will be a model citizen and honest employee.
There might be a hearing so congressmen /women can rise up in righteous indignation to show the folks back home that they will not put up with such outrageous behavior. There would be much huffing and puffing, finger-wagging and scolding. The head of the commission will say that he/she had not the least inkling that pornography viewing was so rampant during their watch. That in itself would be an admission of dereliction of duty. And so it goes in the Circus on the Potomac.
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Saturday, LaNell and I went to a book sale at our local library. We each went to a different area. LaNell later told me of an interesting encounter she had with a young black man. He witnessed to her about his faith in Jesus and invited her to visit his church. His witnessing he said," was the least he could do for Jesus his saviour." Yes, indeed. The young man was not deterred by skin color or the setting. His eyes were focused on Jesus.
Witnessing opportunities are available all around us. One day I got a call from a telemarketer. I told the young woman I would listen to her sales talk if she would listen to me first. She agreed. I quickly found she rarely attended church and did not know about the saving power of Christ. After a short discussion I asked her if she would like to have Jesus in her heart. She said yes and repeated a sinner's prayer after me. It is amazing how the Holy Spirit put hunger for Christ in her heart and prompted me to witness to her.
Glory to God. Amen


Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Securities and Exchange Commission, ever alert except when it is mired in unbelievable incompetence, has come galloping into Dodge with pop guns popping to show Goldman Sachs who's boss.


This is the same commission that snoozed while Bernie Madoff and R. Allen Stanford performed their magic shows; you know, making wealth appear out of thin air, also called Ponzi schemes.


Authorities estimate Madoff charmed investors out of some $18 billion. Madoff said the SEC should have caught him in 2003 but instead, he sarcastically said, the commission acted like a bumbling detective.


The SEC was warned as early as 1997 that Stanford was up to some skullduggery but it was not until 2005 that an investigation began. By that time the money from investors had grown from from $250 million to $1.5 billion. Allegedly, a former SEC enforcement officer quashed earlier attempts to investigate. When he retired he went on to represent Stanford's bank. In other parts of the country this might be called "conflict of interest"; in Washington it's "business as usual."


Goldman Sachs, "too big to fail," will let the SEC show who's boss and it won't be the SEC. The commission's attempt to punish GS will be a dog and pony show; "sound and fury signifying nothing" because their case is weak and higher-ups do not want the stream of cash going into their campaigns to be interrupted. GS's latest caper was originating and selling synthetic ('does not exist') collateralized debt obligations. This was a betting set-up with one set of "investors" betting the housing boom would continue and the other set betting the bubble would burst. Wall Street: a casino without the free drinks.


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In case you had a few billion left over after paying your income taxes, you might want to consider some purchases like these:

Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaire, has built a yacht costing $1.2 billion. That's billion in case you missed it. One room on the yacht has walls covered in stingray skins.

A television set covered in gold and set with diamonds was sold by a Swiss company for $2.3 million.

A twenty story residence has been built by a billionaire in India at a cost of $1 billion. Each floor has a garden and the 6th floor has parking space for 168 cars. 600 servants are required to staff the house. At least it provided lots of jobs.

Such stories may excite some envy in us but great wealth does not bring lasting peace and or satisfaction. The Russian will eventually tire of his yacht; the gold plated tv set is just a tv set no matter how expensive; and in time the Indian may wish he had built his tower bigger or smaller. Shouldn't the famous, the rich and celebrities be satisfied to have reached what they consider the "top?" Read the recent stories of celebrities who have "reached the top" and cheat on their spouses or who died from over use of drugs and alcohol or are constantly in out of rehab of some sort. They have everything including a hollow existence. When one has experienced all the pleasure that this world affords, perversion follows.

Yet, the celebrity life style is glamorized by those who stand to profit from promoting the celebrity and many ordinary people try to emulate what they think is a meaningful life of excitement and notoriety. It would be well for celebrities and would-be's (and us) to read Psalm 73, Living Bible translation and to heed Jesus' words (Matthew 6:24) "You cannot serve two masters; God and money. For you will hate one and love the other, or else the other way around."

Paul advised Timothy to, "Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God , who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment." 1 Timothy 6;17.

Can you imagine the reception these scriptures would receive if recited in the corporate boardrooms on Wall Street? But wait. The very rich are easy targets. Before we level criticism at them we should examine our own hearts and also be sure there are no planks blurring our eyes so we can more clearly see our attitudes and emotions about, and use of, money.

I suggest a book that does not specifically address the lifestyles of fame, notoriety and/or riches but brings examples of how those who experienced them met their ends: "They Went That-A-Way" by Malcolm Forbes. Interesting book.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

The riches of the scriptures are inexhaustible. No matter how many times we read them, occasionally some new truth or understanding is revealed or noticed for the first time. For example: John 10:1-6

"Most assuredly I tell you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the door opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet, they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them." (New KJV version.)


Picture a walled enclosure with a single door which is guarded by a watchman. Some one who climbs over the wall is a thief intent on stealing one or more sheep. But the shepherd who has a herd in the sheepfold has the authority to enter the gate. There is more than one herd of sheep in the enclosure so the shepherd calls out his sheep by name and they come to him because they recognize his voice.

This sheep/shepherd relationship was certainly familiar to the people Jesus was speaking to. What they failed to understand is that Jesus was referring to himself as the shepherd and he was calling out people who would recognize him as the Messiah and who would follow him and respond to his voice.


What brought me to Christ 40 years ago was the revelation that he knows his followers by name. Some one must have told me that. But it is only recently that I discovered the scripture to back it up. Have you ever come upon a scripture that you felt must have been slipped into the Bible because you never noticed it before?

The nugget I found is verse 10:3. Previously I had passed right over this as something sheep and shepherds had going on. But as Jesus used it in the parable it has nothing to do with sheep and everything to do with how well God knows and cares about us.

We are not just a part, a speck, of a faceless mass of humanity. Our God, creator and ruler of the universe, knows us individually and specifically to the extent that the very hairs on our head are numbered. That's more info than the government has in their file on you. Yes; I was about as dense as the crowd listening to Jesus. However, the Holy Spirit has a way of gently smacking us on the head and opening our spiritual eyes.

A story that illustrates this: A farmer named Kline lived in Kansas. Although elderly he still worked the land and continued to prosper. Because he felt he had no needs, spiritual or otherwise, he rejected any attempts to introduce him to Christ. Mr. Kline's house was situated next to the farm to market road and directly across the road was a small country church. One summer evening Kline sat in a rocking chair on his porch while the church choir was practicing. The church windows were open and the choir was singing, "Jesus Died For All Mankind."

Mr. Kline's hearing was poor and he thought he heard, "Jesus Died For Old Man Kline." As though jabbed with a cattle prod, Kline leaped from his chair and ran across the street to find out about this Jesus who had died for him.

What a difference it makes when it finally seeps into our soul that Jesus died for each of us individually. And also it helps immensely to know that no matter what hardship, difficulty or disappointment we go through through or endure, Jesus knows exactly what it feels like because he's already been there. Sadness? Terror? Loneliness? Temptation? Cancer? Rejection? Death? Jesus has been through it all. He had to. And he chose to do it.

Hebrews 2:14-18 (LB) "Since we, God's children, are human beings--made of flesh and blood--he became flesh and blood too by being born in human form; for only as a human being could he die and in dying break the power of the devil who had the power of death. Only in that way could he deliver those who through fear of death have been living all their lives as slaves to constant dread.

"We all know he did not come as an angel but as a human being--yes, a Jew. And it was necessary for Jesus to be like us, his brothers, so he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God, a Priest who would be both merciful to us and faithful to God in dealing with the sins of the people. For since he himself has now been through suffering and temptation, he knows what it is like when we suffer and are tempted, and he is wonderfully able to help us."

Matthew 8:16, 17; "When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, 'He himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'" (New KJV)

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"Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight with widely scattered light by morning."

"May the force of evil become confused on the way to your house."

George Carlin





Thursday, April 8, 2010

Mary went to to the tomb and found it empty. Contemporary records estimate the stone over the tomb entrance, which was rolled away, weighed between 11/2 and 2 tons. The religious leaders of the day spread the rumor that followers of Jesus had taken his body from the tomb and had hidden it. How the followers managed to roll the massive stone back up the incline that it came down and why they took time to unwrap Jesus from his grave clothes and stack them neatly on the floor of the tomb was not explained. Also, how the followers of Jesus could have done all of this with 16 elite Roman soldiers guarding the tomb against just such activity also has never been explained.

Doubters and unbelievers may find comfort in these baseless theories. Even though these and similar theories have persisted through the centuries, they have not prevented the growth to over 1 billion of those who believe Christ rose from the dead.

If I find myself engaged in conversation with doubters and they persist in projecting their doubts, I don't argue with them. I tell them if they are happy with their beliefs, then so be it.

As for me and other believers, we have received the most powerful witness possible: From Someone who was actually present when Jesus arose: The Holy Spirit of God.
Doubters can't match that.

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For quite a while I was curious about one event that occurred after the resurrection. Why did Mary not recognize Jesus after he arose? Some offer the explanation that her eyes were blinded by her tears. Possible. Others say perhaps she was so overcome with grief that she was in shock. Also possible. Maybe, since she was not expecting to see Jesus alive and supposing him to be the gardener, she did not concentrate on his facial features. Or, she had her back to him. Again; possible. Yet, when he spoke her name she instantly recognized his voice.

My humble opinion? She didn't recognize Jesus because he was in his resurrection body. Subsequent events proved he was no longer confined by time or space. Later, he suddenly appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaus. He accepted their offer of a meal and as he broke bread to share with them their eyes were opened and Jesus disappeared. Later still, Jesus appeared to the disciples who were in a room with the door locked. Finally, on the road to Bethany the disciples watched as Jesus was drawn up to heaven. Why do you think Mary didn't recognize Jesus?

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"It is stupid to occupy a land of rocks, sand, deserts, ice and snow." A comment concerning Afghanistan. A left-wing rant in 2010? No. The opinion of the Duke of Wellington circa 1839 as the British prepared to embark on what would prove to be a disastrous military campaign to put Prince Shah Shuja on the Afghan throne. The Duke was too intelligent to have anything to do with the campaign. In spite of Wellington's warning, British politicians and businessmen pushed approval of the project through Parliament. When the Grand Army of the Indus set out on its mission it numbered over 20,000 men and 30,000 camp followers. When the last wisp of gunpowder smoke drifted away after the battles and ambushes, one British soldier survived to tell the tragic story of what happened to the rest.
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Well, the truth concerning the Health Care Reform Bill is slowly emerging from the fog of misinformation, smoke and mirrors. Now that the bill has been passed, some Democratic politicians apparently feel it's safe to reveal the real purpose of the bill.

Here is what Senator Max Baucus (D. Montana) had to say about Health Reform: "It is an income shift." Also, "It is a shift, a leveling, to help lower income, middle income Americans."
Uh, excuse me, Senator. Please explain how raising taxes on middle income Americans to pay for this bill is going to help us.

Let's hear from Howard Dean, former DNC chair and Democratic presidential candidate. Maybe he can explain. "The question is, (who asked this question?) in a democracy, what is the right balance between those at the top (economically) and those at the bottom? When it gets out of whack as it did in the 1920's and it has now, you need to do some redistribution (of wealth). This (health bill) is a form of redistribution." Hmm. Mr. Dean, I thought this bill was about health, not wealth. After all, Mr. Obama stood in front of God and everybody and said the purpose of this bill was to provide health care for an additional 32 million Americans and it would also keep the country from going bankrupt. Would he deceive us?

Also, Mr. Dean and Sen. Baucas; I think, if not mistaken, redistribution of wealth is a socialist tenet and is not required, nor even suggested, by our Constitution.

"Any government big enough to give you what ever you want is big enough to take away everything you have." Thomas Jefferson

(Please be advised: When I refer to Democrats or Republicans I'm talking about politicians, not rank and file members of those parties.)

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My favorite scripture: "I through the law have died to the law that I might live to serve God. I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet, not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."

Galatians 2:19,20



Thursday, April 1, 2010

As we left church yesterday we saw a young child carrying a Batman Easter basket; another small sign of the gradual secularization of a Christian holiday (holy day). Sometimes lost in the mix of colored eggs, new clothes, ham, marshmallow peeps and chocolate bunnies is that the day marks the incredible fact of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

That Jesus could rise from the dead is so far from our experience that it is impossible to grasp with the human mind. There is only one way to believe it is a fact ; accept it by faith. Once that is done the wonder of what God has sacrificed to reconcile us to himself becomes reality.

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I believe in the providence of God. I see his hand at work in my life and in the lives of others. This relieves me from the burden of any concerns about the future. Instead, I can relax in his care and trust his perfect plan for my life. It would be dishonest to pretend or project the image that Christians experience only what is pleasant and comfortable in life. It is simply not so. As long as we continue in our mortal bodies we are subject to all the ills of being mortal. But, no matter what happens we are assured by his Word that God is at work in all the circumstances of life, whether those circumstances are good or bad. Please read Matthew 6:25-34.
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The media are reporting about a terrorist group that has labeled itself as "Christian." The group had planned to murder policemen and hoped to incite a general insurrection. Beside the obvious there are several things amiss here.
First of all, no matter what they call themselves the people in this group are not "Christian" in any sense of the word. However, the many reports of the media never fail to include the title.
On the other hand, Muslim terrorist activities in our country are usually reported without reference to the terrorists' religion. This conspicuous and elaborate respect is considered to be politically correct and had its beginnings at the top level of our government. Paul said in Romans 12:18, "If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men." That I intend to do. I don't need government help in how to treat or co-exist with, people of other religions.

Christianity seems to be fair game with an unlimited hunting season for the media. Christians are accused of whining whenever things like this are pointed out. Christ and his followers are regularly mocked by comedians but any objections are greeted with replies like," Aw, it's all in fun. Don't be such a spoil-sport. Go chew on your bible."
Jesus prophesied such things would happen. And, he is big enough to take care of himself. He didn't ask nor does he need his followers to kill anyone who mocked him. Instead, he called on us to pray for our enemies.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace and he is risen!