Who Ya Gonna Call?

Where does faith flee in times of trouble?  When we become overwhelmed with concern or dread over certain situations that appear to be beyond our control, do we stubbornly continue to attempt to solve it through our own efforts?  Do we run and hide from it?  Do we waste precious time moving through the list of "experts", hoping we find one with the answer?  Or do we turn to the One Who has all the wisdom, strength and power necessary to restore order and remedy the situation?  As I write this, I am reminded of the silly movie, “Ghost Busters,” and its sound track that asks the question, “Who ya gonna call?”  Sadly, more often then not, God is the last One we call upon for help.

I have been listening to the so-called "experts" and watching the reactions of those who have been searching for an answer to the recent British Petroleum oil well failure.  Five miles below the surface of the sea, oil is continuing to gush, threatening livelihoods, wildlife, and patience.  While men scramble to provide a solution to stop it, blame is cast like stones being thrown and the oil continues to pour from the well.  

Politicians, environmentalists, and elites are calling for BP’s blood to be shed.  Poorly choosing his words (or, perhaps, revealing his true nature), our President is looking for “necks” to place his "boot" upon and the appropriate “ass to kick” for causing all of the trouble.   In the meantime, he has refused to privately meet with BP's CEO.  His inaction speaks multitudes of his inability to mediate our nation's problems.

Although it was an unfortunate and tragic accident, our administration’s first response was to send Attorney General Eric Holder to the Gulf and examine the legal consequences.  We then were subjected to the politicization of the disaster; men attempting to elevate themselves with special interests groups.  Threats of felony charges are being considered before a thorough investigation is completed to determine if there is blame to be levied.  Continued demands have been made that all recovery costs be paid by BP, even though BP has already promised to do so.  Tort attorneys have converged upon the area like a flock of vultures, soothing the locals and assuring them they will squeeze every ounce of blood they can from BP for their losses in income.

Many viable and reasonable solutions have been offered, but those who perhaps have a workable solution unfortunately fall out of the circle of elites who are in control. The powers that be have no time for them; therefore, those who may have had a solution to the immediate problem at its onset are ignored and rejected.

My frustration does not lie with the disaster itself.  It is solely based upon man’s stubborn unbelief in a Creator Who has held the balance of the universe in His capable hands since He formed it (Genesis 1:1-31), and Who continues to do so.  My disappointment has everything to do with man’s unwillingness to turn to the Creator of the oil and the sea for His help and guidance in stopping the flow.  There is even a failure I see within the Christian community to return to faith and petition the Lord for understanding and solutions.  Instead, they place creation above its Creator and wring their hands wondering what can be done.  After it all boils down, the dregs left in the bottom of the pot are a stubborn, stiff-necked nation and a complete and utter disbelief in an all-powerful, Almighty God.  There is very little, if any, faith or trust in His ability to bring the disaster to an end.  And because we have become a nation of unbelievers and Christians with weak faith, we are seeing the results.

When God destroyed mankind in the flood, did He not also cause the waters to recede, restoring the earth and providing a habitable place for Noah and his descendants, promising that the earth would “endure” and never cease until the final judgment?  (Genesis 8:1-22)

Jesus called His disciples those “of little faith” as they struggled to row their boat against the raging sea (Matthew 8:23-27).  Cannot He who created the sea and all that is in it, and Who calmed the stormy waters, also calm the gushing oil and heal what it has damaged?

If we had “faith as small as a mustard seed,” as Jesus promised, “Nothing [would] be impossible for [us]” (Matthew 17:20).  Just as no mountain would be unmovable, the gushing oil would also cease and the well would close tight.  But because we have further limited our faith by our arrogance, stubbornness, greed for power and control, our hatred for what God has blessed us with, and our unwillingness to ask God for help, He has turned His face from this disaster - and He is also turning His face from us.

God will not continue to allow His children to minimize His omnipotence or to shelve Him as a last resort.  He will eventually reveal Himself and His sovereignty and power.  But for now, His desire is that we first look to Him for help, that we call out to Him when things like this happen.  His arm is not too short when disaster strikes or when we need Him (Numbers 11:23).  He is mighty to cleanse, to heal, to provide, and to save us from calamity.  But we must choose Him as our First Responder instead of shoving Him into the back of the line, as we so often do.

As long as we continue along the path of no faith, or weak faith at best, the oil will continue to plague the Gulf and other disasters, tragedies and crises will continue to come upon us.  We must choose wisely Who we are going to call for help when they do occur and not take our time doing so.  The end results will heavily rely upon the choice we make.

Additional reading:

• Genesis 1:1-6
• 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
• Psalm 19:1-6; 46:1; 65:5-13; 89:13
• Romans 1:20, 25
• 1 Corinthians 1:25

Choices: Plausible Deniability Or the Side of Truth

Today, I learned the definition of a often-used term, one I had heard many times before, but which I never paused to consider in any depth.  It is one of those catchy phrases that is used by people who are attempting to throw off those seeking a specific truth.

This term, “plausible deniability,” is a clever ploy, at least in the mind of the one using it.  Rather than replying to a probing question with a precise and clear “yes” or “no” answer, it is used to dodge a direct question and side-track the one seeking honesty.  In short, “plausible deniability” is nothing more than a bald-faced lie.

Webster defines “plausible” as “seemingly true, acceptable, honest, trustworthy” and, at the same time, the word implies “disbelief” and “distrust”.  The dictionary goes on to add, “plausible applies to that which at first glance appears to be true, reasonable, valid, etc, but which may or may not be so, although there is no connotation of deliberate deception.”  It sounds “credible” because of “evidence” and “sound logic”, but can also be considered “specious,” which is defined as “superficially reasonable…but is actually not so, and it connotes intention to deceive.”  The antonym, or exact opposite, of this term is defined as “genuine, actual.”

“Deniable” is another adjective defined as something “that can be denied.”  It can be applied to situations such as allegations of misconduct made by others against a defendant who refutes or denies the claims made against him.  But by tying the two adjectives, “plausible” and “deniable,” together, it provides the defendant with an unclear, muddled response that neither acquits or condemns him.  By employing the phrase, he is able to skirt the issue by only appearing to answer it.  It is neither an admission or denial of the accusation being leveled.

The most often-used situation for usage of “plausible deniability” is performed by our politicians and others when faced with probing questions by Congress of misconduct or impropriety.  “I don’t recall” is perhaps the most common.  The most recent crisis, the BP oil leak in the Gulf, brought this practice to the forefront as the CEO of BP maintained for weeks an ignorance of the specifics.   We were then forced to listen to the excuses and blame game our current administration fostered using the same technique.  The suggestion that one’s memory is fuzzy about the details, or excusing away a slow response, provides an effective strategy of dodging the truth.  The problem is that it has become all too acceptable and commonplace to employ this method instead of simply providing us with the truth.

When I consider how many times I have watched on television men and women under oath who are being drilled about illegalities they may have been involved in, and hearing their incessant, “I don’t recall” what was said, heard, or done, I become disgustedly nauseated.  They have been coached by a battalion of attorneys that it will be better for them to simply deny any culpability by using a bad-memory defensive maneuver.  In other words, deny what seems plausible or credible, and cover up the truth with a cleverly devised deception.  Doing so provides them with the ability to assuage their burning consciences and delaying, perhaps avoiding, any consequences that arise from their actions.  As long as the players in this chess game remain united in their deceptiveness, the end result will be a stalemate of unanswered questions.
 
“What is truth?” was asked of Jesus by Pilate as our Lord stood trial before him.  Pilate believed that whatever the majority were united in their belief, that was truth.  Truth was relative in that whatever was being stated as common belief, must be truth.  Regardless of the lies brought before him by the Jews, he must deliver on that evidence alone.  Although Pilate would have preferred He do so because he saw no guilt that deserved the punishment the Jews were demanding, Jesus refused to deny the “plausible” charges brought against Him.  Instead, He answered Pilate’s final statement, “You are a King, then!” this way:

“You are right in saying I am a King.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to Me.” (John 18:37)

Jesus answered clearly and precisely the question that was posed to Him.  He could have chosen to protect Himself and avoid what was coming.  He could have employed “plausible deniability” by stating, “Well, some say I am a King and others say I am not.  Maybe yes, maybe no.  I have not decided yet.”   But because Jesus is Truth, the only possible response for Him was the one He gave.

We have all been guilty of using “plausible deniability.”  If you find yourself questioning this statement, look back to your earliest memories.  Children are experts in the response, “I don’t know.”  But as we became adults, the childish method of attempting to cover up a wrong-doing by attempting to give half-truths, or no answer at all, should have been replaced with admittance of our failures and acceptance of the consequences they bear.

God searches the heart for honesty and truth in every man.  He sees those who bear false witness and knows those who testify to deceive or divert from the truth.  Nothing can be hidden from His searching eyes.  Each “plausible denial” will be rooted out and exposed for what it is - a craftily concocted lie that is intended to keep others from knowing the truth.  We should remember when we are tempted to use this defense that we would be better served by staying on the “side of truth,” rather than suffering the condemnation that will eventually come by choosing to lie - which is what it truly is, regardless of what we would prefer to call it.

Additional reading:

• 1 Samuel 16:7
• Exodus 20:16
• Matthew 5:33-37
• James 5:12

Memorial Day In America: Weighed On the Scales and Found Wanting

There is hardly a day that goes by that we are not bombarded with new tragedies of one form or another.  We awake in the morning to the news of world-wide financial instability, riots breaking out in European cities over the economy, stock market woes in the United States and abroad, America's sovereignty being threatened, wars and skirmishes rising all across the globe, and natural disasters that threaten the lives of citizens and the balance of nature, to name just a few.   The challenges we face today are not unlike those that have struck the world in the past.  The difference is that they all appear to be occurring at once.  When we mentally list those we are aware of and the speed at which they are happening, it can leave our minds reeling with uncertainty and dread about the future to come.

The old adage, "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it",  seems to be one those in power, including the people who elect them, have chosen to ignore.  This does not surprise me, however, because those with a "progressive" mindset would rather ignore or redefine history and the lessons they could learn from it.  Set within the sacred confines of the hallowed halls of Washington D.C. are the elite who came up out of the ashes of the 60's radical revolution who were bent on the destruction of America and the re-interpretation of the time-honored documents that once guaranteed a stable and united nation.  Their desire was and always has been that of "changing" and restructuring America to fit into their twisted and wicked agendas; the global scheme of a world-wide economy and a world-wide form of governance.  They have effectively infiltrated every department and agency within the United States government and set in place the motions to bring America to its knees before them.  Perhaps their greatest achievement was their success of fooling the uneducated and misguided into placing their pawn, Barrack Obama, into the most powerful position this country has to offer.  As they manipulate his puppet strings, we have seen what he is capable of in just 17 short months.

The greatest threat to America, and the world for that matter, is their effective removal of God from every aspect of our society.  Our courts are crammed with litigation over what the secular world deems is God's proper place.  From prayer in public places to stifling church leader's voices over Godly guidance and Godly behavior, our nation has become one that blindly and stupidly follows the dictates of the Federal government and its courts.  To make matters worse, an attempt to legislate their twisted form of morality within the financial system is being undertaken by the current administration, forgetting that man has free will and a independent thinking process.  A corrupt man may give an outward impression of having a changed heart, but no one, other than God, is able to accurately determine it. 

The Federal government's desire is that Americans will look to them as their god who provides all their needs.  Like Nebuchadnezzar's towering golden statue (Daniel 3), they expect the American people to kneel before them and worship them and their benevolence.  After all, the Christian God is an unseen One, and He appears to have forgotten all about the masses He left behind.  Right?  Because this unhealthy perception and blatant lie has been perpetuated for the last fifty years or more, the masses are beginning to believe it as they watch their bank accounts dwindle  and the world turn upside down.  Instead of falling before the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in repentance, faith and trust, most Americans are kneeling before the alter of Obama's oily brand of "change" and hailing their newly-elected Messiah as the one that can save the world from the disaster to come.  Never wanting to "let a good crisis go to waste", the Obama administration has effectively convinced the American people that the past mistakes are behind us and that we must forge ahead in lockstep into a brave, new world order.

How are we to react to this?  Do we numbly submit to the governing authorities and allow them to dictate to us how we are to live, how much we can earn, and to Whom we worship?  Do we blindly accept all that is being forced upon us at such a rapid rate?  Or, in faith, do we turn to the only One Who has all of the answers to the world's woes and ask Him for help?

As Daniel languished in Babylon, the Lord gave him the ability to interpret Nebuchadnezzar's dreams, those which revealed to the powerful dictator his eventual demise.  God also revealed Himself in ways that defy man's perception of the universal rules of order.  Following Nebuchadnezzar's reign and conversion, King Belshazzar shared rule with his father, Nabonidus, as co-regent of Babylon.  In Daniel 5, Belshazzar held a banquet and had the gold and silver goblets that had been stolen from the Temple brought in so that those in attendance could drink from them.  To make matters worse, the people who defiled these instruments used them to drink praise to their false gods and idols.  As they were doing so, a human hand appeared out of nowhere, writing on the wall the following words:

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin"

Because the diviners and sorcerers Belshazzar summoned were unable to interpret the words, Daniel was brought to the king.  Daniel proceeded to give Belshazzar a brief history lesson on the recent past failings of Nebuchadnezzar that he apparently chose to ignore, reminding him of Nebuchadnezzar's arrogance and pride and how the Lord had responded to it.  He then went on to reveal the condemnation God would bring upon Belshazzar for his own arrogance, insolence, and pride.  The defiance he demonstrated towards God was repaid to him "that very night" (v30).

The interpretation of the words written by the hand of God should cause us to seriously consider them and apply them to our own situation here in America:

"Mene:  God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end."

"Tekel:  You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting."

"Peres:  Your kingdom is divided (parsin) and given to the Medes and Persians."

Because of our unfaithfulness and defiance toward God, America's glorious days of prosperity and sovereignty are in grave danger of coming to an end.  The disobedience by aligning ourselves with the global unification of the banking systems, economy, and world-wide governance is only part of the equation.  The unholy disrespect and disregard we demonstrate to the God of the universe by dangerously attempting to remove Him and His will from all of society is the most damning.  By attempting to blend the world religions into one, we are minimizing His sovereignty as the God of all creation.  These are the sole reasons we are seeing the things mentioned above.  America has "been weighed on the scales and found wanting."  We have become drunk from the corrupted wine poured into God's golden goblets and have worshiped at the altars of greed, corruption, and committed adultery with Godless nations.  And if we continue on this path, the "kingdom" we hold dear and that was so graciously granted by God will be given to others.

It behooves all of us to not forget the past as Belshazzar did.  God had compassion on Nebuchadnezzar because he ultimately chose Daniel's God.  Not so with the foolish and arrogant king that followed him.  His destruction was swift and sure, and America's will be just as certain and just as swift if we fail to remember the God Who established this great nation and placed His blessing upon it.

With repentant hearts on this Memorial Day weekend, let us all cry out to the God of all nations, peoples, and tongues, Who is the Lord of lords and King of kings, and Whose righteousness, holiness, and justice bears testimony to His Name.  As He looks down upon mankind, and weighs and considers our unfaithfulness to Him, let us pray that He will not find us "wanting".   Pray that we will not forget the mistakes of our past and foolishly repeat them.  And pray that He will once again return His blessing upon America.

"Return to us, O God Almighty!

Look down from heaven and see!

Watch over this vine, the root Your right hand has planted,

the son You have raised up for Yourself."

"Restore us, O LORD God Almighty;

make Your face shine upon us,

that we may be saved."

 

Psalm 80:14, 15, 19

A Strange Mix: Posner, Arizona, and Chinese Attorney Gao Zhi sheng

It seems the current Obama administration is not short of indiscretions, cow-towing and bowing to foreign heads of state, or for making verbal blunders that bode poorly on their worsening image.  Some people may not catch the undertones or innuendos, preferring to believe that the moves made by Obama's henchmen are for the best interest of America and the world.  But those who are listening closely do, further adding more distrust and a bad taste in their mouths over the rapid movement to destabilize and minimize our nation.

The latest flub came from the mouth of Michael Posner, Assistant Secretary of State to Hillary Clinton.  In a closed-door meeting with Chinese officials, Posner did the unthinkable.  He apologized to China for what he perceives to be the  United State's deplorable human rights offenses, specifically addressing the latest illegal immigration law that was signed by Arizona's governor.  You know, the one being touted as the cruelest form of punishment we could ever inflict on a person attempting to thwart the laws of the United States and illegally cross the Mexico border into the sovereign southern states.  

It does not matter that the majority of the illegals who are sneaking into our nation bring guns, drugs, and crime with them, and also destroy private property, rob people of their possessions, drive up the cost of services, threaten the safety of our citizens and, sadly, kill them.  Nor does it matter that our borders are so porous that it has also been proven that Islamic terrorists have slithered across the border in the dead of night, leaving their prayer rugs and their precious Korans in the dirt behind them.  The irony behind the foolishness of Posner's admission to China regarding America's human rights woes was that he gave it during a press conference and revealed how truly naive and stupid he really is.  Did he seriously think we would agree and give him kudos for his self-declared misguided ideologies?

Posner's narrow-minded altruism prevents him from seeing the truth, especially the truth about the nation he was apologizing to.  China holds the worst human rights abuse record in the world.  That is an undisputed fact.  Having no concern or compassion for their people, they forbid peaceful dissent, arrest them without cause, torture them, seize possessions and property,  force abortion, enslave those who refuse to toe the Communist Chinese line, imprison them in "re-eduction through labor camps", inflicting a form of brain-washing to return them to subservience, murder those who fail to do so, and brutally shoot any North Korean for daring the freezing waters in an attempt to flee their own dark  and God-less nation.  Their bloated bodies floating in the river that borders China and North Korea testify  to China's own illegal immigration laws.

To top it off, China is extremely hostile to the true form of Christianity.  In an attempt to appease the Christian world in 1951, China initiated what is called the "Three Self Patriotic Church", claiming to allow Chinese Christians to practice Christianity.  It basically involves "self-governance, self-support, and self propagation."  In other words, it is all smoke and mirrors and bears no resemblance to the true form of Judeo-Christian doctrine and tenets because it forbids the preaching of Jesus Christ and strictly forbids any proselytizing.  Because of this, millions of Chinese Christians are forced underground in order to worship their Savior and further His Gospel. 

There used to be a time when China was condemned for their brutality against its citizens.  It appears that is no longer the case.  Posner, who held the position of president of the group Human Rights First, led the "Stop the Torture" brigade over Abu Graib, filing a lawsuit against former President George Bush for allowing what they deem to be torture, and was also brought up in the ranks and funded by that fine fellow, George Soros, wasted no time in denigrating America and creating an image of hateful, discriminating, violent Americans bent on using racial profiling and illegal means to stop the illegal immigration problem.  Nothing could be further from the truth but, the truth is not what the Obama administration wants any of us to know about.

As I attempted to sort out the devil in the details, I caught something that was said during a debate about Posner's statement on Fox News' The O'Reilly Factor.  O'Reilly's guest, Juan Williams, in his weak liberal defense of Posner, stated that the intent of the meeting was to discuss all human rights abuses, and that he was sure Posner had addressed China's own.  He then went on to say that a "Chinese attorney" who was being detained by the Chinese government was also discussed.  However, much to my dismay, O'Reilly was not interested and the conversation diverted to what he thought was more relevant.

It is my belief that Gao Zhi sheng, the Chinese Christian civil rights attorney that is profiled often here, is the one Williams spoke of.  Or, at least that is my hope.  As many of you know, China Aid Association has tirelessly worked on behalf of Gao to secure his release.   A flood of letters and petitions has been sent to our Congressmen, our President, and to the United Nations calling for China to, at the very least, reveal Gao's whereabouts and well-being.  A large number of Congressmen wrote and signed a letter to the Chinese government demanding his release.  And I am confident that China Aid will not rest until this information is provided and Gao is, at last, back in the arms of his family.

God often uses the worst of situations to bring about good.  We all know and understand this.  If you are not familiar with this truth, read the Old Testament that bears its testimony.  God's purpose for Gao's persecution is solely His own.  We cannot begin to understand why our God would allow the atrocities that are committed against His children.  But we accept it because, ultimately, His purpose and will is met.  We hold fast to the fact that because of who we are, Christians in an ever-darkening world, we will meet similar persecution, even as violent as what Gao and others have experienced.  Our responsibility is to cling to the Gospel, give it as the opportunities arise, and bear what comes by faith and prayer.

Even if deliverance from persecution is delayed, there are times when God reveals He is still working on our behalf.  Within the heated debate about a poorly misspoken  and inappropriate statement made by Posner were a few words that gave me hope for Gao.  The Lord used the opportunity and took a man bent on destroying America's reputation as being the most compassionate nation regarding human rights and used his words to speak His own:  Gao has not been forgotten.

Although the Obama administration has defended Posner's statement, those of us who stand with Gao and others like him will not remain silent.  Attempts may be made to silence Christians by intimidation, coercion, and threats of death.  But one thing is for certain:  God will be heard, even in the midst of the clamor of one simple sentence.

I would like to conclude by saying that I received an update on Gao today by The Voice of the Martyr's Be-A-Voice Network.  It was disturbing in that it reported that Gao was once again missing and his whereabouts unknown.  In light of the recent Posner-China debaucle, it is my prayer that China is finally feeling the international Christian pressure on Gao's behalf and has only moved him out of the limelight in order to get the world to focus on America's so-called indiscretions as described by Posner.  (You can read China Aid's latest update here.)  I am positive that by doing so, China feels its dark secrets will remain unexposed or ignored.

Please continue to pray for Gao and others who are being held against their will in China.  Pray for their health, their well-being, and their faithfulness to their Savior Jesus Christ.  Pray, also, that the Chinese authorities who are detaining Christians will come to know their error, repent, and embrace the Lord as their Savior. 

By the way, while you are praying for Gao, you might offer one up for Michael Posner.

When Is Enough Enough?

During a recent speech on financial reform, our President raised the ire of many by insinuating there were those who have made enough money in their lifetime and that to further enrich themselves was unnecessary and revealed their greedy nature.  This statement was not intended to encourage those with less to reach for higher goals and aspirations.  Nor was it expressed to encourage those with more to continue to work hard and provide jobs that are so greatly needed at this time.  Instead, it was meant to belittle and denigrate those who have succeeded in attaining wealth through a lifetime of hard work and, more importantly, cause the lower income classes to resent those who are successful and demand they be given what they have not earned from the treasuries of those who have earned it.  In effect, Obama was placing a cap on how much he felt a person could amass in his lifetime, furthering his hatred for capitalism and his lust for control of the U.S. economy by using intimidation and finger-pointing.  Perhaps he should turn his accusing finger upon himself, considering his $5 million declaration of income last year.  Might I ask, Mr. President, if it was enough for you?

Although I strongly disagree with Obama’s entire socialist agenda and his attempt to tear down the America we know and love and unite the world into one giant global government and economy, the question “when is enough enough” should be asked by each of us.  Not in the way Obama wants us to apply it, but by Biblical standards.  It is not the “what” and “how much” we have in our lives that matters.  Rather it is the “Who” we hold claim to that should be the most vital asset we possess.  A person could be the most poverty-stricken soul on this earth yet, if he possesses the Lord, he has the riches of Solomon, the wealth of a thousand kingdoms.  Nothing more can be added that could possibly assure him of greater wealth, comfort, or stature, because he wears a crown of glory upon his head and is adorned with a white robe of righteousness wrapped around his shoulders by God Himself.

When we possess Jesus Christ, our treasury becomes an indestructible heavenly storehouse of riches.  It is eternal, everlasting.  It is divinely guarded and impenetrable.  Unlike our earthly possessions which our President wants to pilfer and give to others, our heavenly treasures cannot be taken from us (Matt 6:19-21).  They are diamonds and rubies fixed firmly in the purest gold that no man can ever pry from their setting.  They are pearls of great wisdom, and silver and gold refined and tested in eternity’s furnace.  And all is laid upon a foundation of the most precious gems, making it durable and everlasting (Rev. 21:19-21).

This, and more, is the answer to Obama’s arrogance in his statement.  He may want to take all that I have and put it into the hands of those who do not deserve it, but he will only temporarily harm me by doing so.  His actions may make my earthly life uncomfortable.  He and the world may even frighten me at times.  But I know when enough is enough for I have already attained it.  I have an eternal inheritance that can never be taxed or taken from me.  The “Who” I hold and claim as my greatest treasure is my Portion, my Savior Jesus Christ.  He is the answer.  He is enough for me.

Additional reading:

Genesis 33:9
Psalm 119:57

You can also read a commentary and watch Obama's speech here.

The Suffering Blog!

I thought I should post a quick note to let everyone know that I haven't abandoned the blog.  Last fall, my husband and I bought a boat - a big boat.  Well, at least it is big enough; almost too big because of the requirements to tow it.  But we knew this before tackling such a behemoth and are really looking forward to finishing the refurbishing we began when we got it home so we can get it in the water and enjoy it with our kids and grandkids.

 

My husband, Steve, filled his unemployed time last winter by completely restoring the interior of the cabin and, I might pridefully add, has done a wonderful job.  After removing all the cabinetry and months of sanding the teak and mahogany that literally cried out for help, applying many new coats of varnish, and tearing out the original carpet and upholstery that absolutely needed to go and laying down new teak floor, she is almost ready for her christening and launch.  That is, after we get some outside work completed that required warmer weather and I get done reupholstering the interior. 

I wasn't sure I wanted to tackle such a project.  Mainly because I needed a heavy duty sewing machine to sew the #10 duck canvas I wanted to replace the old fabric with (grandkid-proof!) and I lacked the space needed to roll it out and cut it.  But the estimates we received convinced me that it would be prudent and cost-effective for me to do so!  (Ouch! they were high!)  So to EBay we went for the sewing machine, the fabric was ordered and the supplies I needed purchased, and that's currently where I'm at.  By doing the work myself, we have saved over two-thirds of the estimated cost!  It's a big project, but I am confident I can accomplish it.  My living room floor has become my cutting table and my dining table sports the sewing machine.  It's the moving everything around that's the biggest headache.  Oh, how nice it would be to have a room I could make a mess in and then close the door when I was done!
 
So, bear with me, folks!  I will try my hardest to post new articles as my work on the upholstery progresses.  When I'm done, I'll post a picture of the newly refurbished boat so you can see what we have done.  In the meantime, delight in the Lord and continue the work He has set before you! 

Crossing the Line: Should A Woman Preach In Church?

There is a question that is all-to-often ignored in today's churches.  It has spawned a great amount of debate in many denominational circles, including the Episcopal and Catholic churches.  It is also one that is blatantly ignored in churches that are influenced by the charismatic movement that have arisen over the last century; i.e., those who misinterpret and misuse the "gifts of the Spirit" (see 1Corinthians 12-14).  The question is whether or not women should preach or teach in the church.

I am a firm believer that God's divine plan was for women to be submissive to men.  Not in an authoritarian and oppressive way, or that a man should debase a woman by hovering supremacy over her, but in align with the structure God set forth from the beginning with Adam and Eve, and her being man's "helpmate".  The problem I have had in the past when hearing a woman assume the pastoral role when the body of Christ meets, or in any other situation that demonstrates a teaching position, has been one of extreme discomfort.  For no other reason than the obvious Biblical instruction, it greatly disturbs me to hear a woman preach and I will not take part in that setting, even rising and leaving the church that allows it.

To some, this may sound "legalistic".  On the contrary, it is Biblical and it is also God's will that in His wisdom in establishing governmental structure over His church as Scripture teaches us, there is divine influence regarding a woman's proper role :

"Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God."  (1Corinthians 11:3)

This does not mean that man is superior to woman other than he is the source of her existence (Genesis 2:4-25), and also the source she should seek for proper Godly instruction.

Peter defines God's will in this by stressing a woman's submissiveness to her husband in 1Peter 3:1-6.  Her true beauty will be found on the inside, not through adornment on the outside.  She will also show her husband tremendous respect and love by remaining obedient to the position she has been placed.  I must add, however, that there is also a responsibility with the husband to remain obedient to God and to share his Godliness and the instruction he has received with her in order that she be the wife to him that God desires.

Pastor John MacArthur does a much better job at explaining the Biblical instruction regarding this question.  I invite you to click here to read and, prayerfully, understand God's will, as spoken through the Apostle Paul where he addressed the church that was allowing the practice of women to speak during an assembly  (if you are not directly linked to the commentary relating to this subject, please see the right hand column on Pastor MacArthur's page that shows "Recent Q and A's" for the correct one).

Paul understood God's intention was to prevent disruptions during worship and a way for man and woman to work together for the betterment of the church body, rather than dividing it.  God established a line of authority that, if applied correctly, would keep the church unified and in agreement.  It is my firm belief that if this line of authority is crossed, the body of Christ suffers and is in peril of being deceived.

I encourage you to read God's Word and Pastor MacArthur's commentary so that you can determine this for yourself. 

Uncertain Certainty

The title to this post sounds like an oxymoron.  But if applied correctly, it speaks of an assurance that our patient waiting for guidance from God will not be in vain.

Rather than lean heavily upon God in anticipation of our next step, we have a tendency to forget about the certainty that He will do what He has promised.  Instead, when He is silent and our life appears to be emptied of His presence and direction, we become uncertain.  Our impatience breeds doubt in His word and we begin to question not only ourselves, but Him.  Uncertainty then becomes a bad thing because we see ourselves as having failed at reaching our self-perceived goal.

Oswald Chambers, in “My Utmost For His Highest”, writes:

“Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life; gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life.”

Most of us want order in our lives.  We want each step to be carefully measured out so that there is never any question left hanging in reaching our ultimate goal.  This is the “mark of the common-sense life.”  And when things fail to go as we think they should, our certainty in ourselves and in our own efforts are shattered.  Clinging to our “common sense” and to our attempt to keep our steps orderly and in line with how we want things to play out will ultimately lead us to places we ought not go and, eventually, further from God and His perfect plan.  In other words, we want to lead Him rather than allow Him to lead us, especially if it means a certain amount of disorder must be endured.

The “gracious uncertainty” Chambers speaks of is one of joyful anticipation for God’s spontaneity.  We can compare it to a child waiting in anxious expectation for the moment he is to receive a much-wanted gift that has been promised him.  He knows it has been ordered, but he must wait patiently because the timing of its arrival is not determined.  The shipment has been delayed.  It could come tomorrow, or it could come next week.  He may be uncertain of the time of delivery, but he knows it will eventually come because he believes and trusts the one who has made the promise.

Our uncertainty should never lie with distrust that God will not deliver upon His promise, rather upon what He will do next.  Even though we have periods of idleness in our desired work for Him, He is carefully planning His next move.  This should excite us as we wait to see how He will use us and where He will place us to further His kingdom.  Like the child joyfully anticipating his gift, we should wait with uncertain certainty that eventually God will come and when He does, we must be alert, listening for His instruction, and ready to act upon it.

Open the Door!

Have you ever tried to save yourself multiple trips and had your arms loaded with groceries, finding yourself unable to grasp the doorknob or slip a key into the lock in order to let yourself into the house?  The items you are carrying are heavy, your arms become weary from bearing them and they begin to shift and threaten to spill from the bags onto the stoop below.  A family member is somewhere inside the house and you begin yelling and kicking the door in hopes he or she will hear you.  Visions of broken jars, dented cans, and two dozen cracked or broken eggs cause you to yell and kick even louder.  But the person in the house is not hearing you.

The only way to gain entry by yourself is to relieve yourself of your burden.  You slowly lower the heavy bags, placing them on the ground below.  Instantly, you feel relief from the weight you were attempting to carry.  As you finally let yourself into the house, you determine that next time you will make that extra second or third trip.  The kids come running to see what treats you have brought home and you chide them for failing to come to your aid. 

"But, Mom," they reply, "you told us to never open the door to strangers!"

Jesus told a parable in Matthew 25:1-13 that bears a striking resemblance to the response given by the children in my own, and one that should give us pause.  At a specific time in the  not-too-distant future, there will be many, their arms loaded down with heavy burdens, who will find themselves locked out of His house.  But this time, the One Who holds the key will be on the other side of the door.  Their failure to prepare and be ready for such an event will prevent them from gaining passage, no matter how feverishly they pound upon the door and plead with the One Who possesses the key.  His response will be, "I tell you the truth, I do not know you." (v12) 

Will you find yourself in this situation?  Are you struggling on your own to bear the entire burden you carry?  Or have you gratefully handed it over to Jesus to carry for you?  Are you approaching the door with Him by your side, the key to heaven's door in His hand?  Or are you stubbornly refusing His help, only to discover when it is too late that He is behind the door that is forever shut tight against you?

Jesus says, "Do not be afraid.  I am the First and the Last.  I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold, I am alive for ever and ever!  And I hold the keys of death and Hades." (Rev 1:18)  He will determine who He allows into His eternal kingdom.  It will be those who "trimmed their lamps" (Matt 25:7) and kept faithful watch for His return (v13) that will be rewarded entry into His house.  Knowing that He alone carries the key that not only opens the door to eternal punishment, but also to heaven, should urge us to be counted among His children who are blessed with acceptance into Paradise.

There is still time to be included with those who will find an unlocked door awaiting them.  The way is easy for those who choose to take it.  Jesus explains just how simple it is to find God and enjoy eternal peace and everlasting joy in this promise: 

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." (Matthew 7:7-8)

Don't be caught off guard and find yourself to be a stranger to the One behind the door.  If you do the things He asks of you, Jesus will know you when you come knocking.

Adopted As a Son of the Promise

To be naturally born into a family affords a child full rights as a family member and, by law, makes him an heir of his parent's estate.  He enjoys an intimacy with other siblings, becoming a part of the family unit and sharing with them all that comprises what we know to be a family.  The child associates with other relatives that make up the broader extended family; learning from them, relying on them for companionship, looking up to them for leadership, and assuming similar morals and values that are carried on into his adult life.  The family is essential in his growth and maturity into adulthood, for what is put in is what he will reflect when he begins his own.

However, there are times when a child is denied a complete family and the benefits he could gain from it.  Often, children become disconnected from the natural order and are thrown into confusion over who their true family is.  To not know one or both of their biological parents because of mistakes made in their parent's pasts, or to be subjected by their parents to multiple marriages, creates a mindset of confusion that can often have disastrous results.  The child who is thrown into this unstable situation finds it difficult to cope with the constant uncertainty or changes that are forced upon him and which he has no control.  He may attempt to have his pain heard by rebelling and becoming involved in destructive behavior, because no matter how reassured he is by his parents that another change will make things better, his anger festers and threatens to destroy what little security he has left.

I have personally witnessed this scenario being played out, and it involved two little boys that instantly became family members.  This came about not by the natural order, but by inclusion through our own son’s marriage that dissolved after seven or eight years and two children of his own.  When his marriage ended, my son made a determined choice to remain in the boys’ lives.  The oldest did not know who his father was.  The youngest did, but his father was selfishly absent.  My son’s decision to be the father neither of the boys had previously fully known was one I felt extremely proud over.  He did so out of a tremendous love for them and a desire to nurture them and provide for them what they lacked.  He wanted to help correctly guide them so that, one day, they would also be able to make the right choices.  

Problems were evident, even at their very young age.  Two small boys, who were tossed about on the turbulent waves of multiple marriages and unstable relationships, and made vulnerable to their mother’s whims, each were forced to make their own choices as they matured.  The youngest chose the path of rebellion and, although unknowingly I am sure, wanted to punish his mother for her indiscretions.  Although I have no doubt that she loved them, she knew only what her own childhood had taught her: that it was okay to not remain in a marriage and make it work, even for the sake of the children.

The oldest boy, Stephen, was drawn onto another path, however.  He looked up to my son as the father he had always longed for, and their relationship became closer as time went on.  When he was faced with decisions that would directly affect his life, he came to my son for guidance.  He sought instruction over moral issues and desired the intimacy that is shared between a father and his son.  He assumed my son’s strong values and began to apply them to his own life.  And, much to our delight, he visited us often when my son brought our other grandchildren for a visit and gained childhood memories he will always cherish.

Perhaps the pivotal point in obtaining the full rights enjoyed by natural family members came when Stephen enlisted in the Marines and asked to list my son as his “father” on his military documents, and to name my husband and me as his “official grandparents.”  It was then that his adoption into our family became formal; not with a piece of paper stamped with the approval of the courts, but divinely sealed in our hearts by the hand of God.  The Lord had brought Stephen into our lives, had caused our hearts to love him, and gave him the family he always wanted.

Yesterday, Stephen, along with his Marine unit, was deployed to Afghanistan.  Although my son was in the Air Force for eight years and strongly adheres to the values he learned there, his heart is crushed at this time.  He knows the danger Stephen faces.  He understands Stephen’s desire to serve his country in this way because he, too, would be there if not for disabilities that prevented him from a career in the Air Force.  But because Stephen is his son, not by natural descent but by divine adoption, accorded the full rights as heir of our promise, he worries about him.  And we also worry.  We are truly blessed to call him our own.  God has deeply embedded him in our hearts, he is greatly loved as much as our natural grandchildren, and is ever on our minds and in our prayers.

We trust the Lord to keep Stephen safe.  We believe He will bring him home to us, unharmed and ready to begin a life with his new wife, Diana, and to gain even more intimacy with us, his family, and the extended family that need to know him.  We have no choice but to believe and trust the Lord to do this, for He promised when Stephen was born that he would eventually belong to us.

Please keep Stephen in your prayers.

(The picture on this post is of our granddaughter, Emmie, and her big Marine brother,  our grandson, Stephen!)