Wednesday, April 29, 2009

His Word, His story...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

And one of the lawyers said to Him in reply, “Teacher, when You say this, You insult us too.”
But he said, “Woe to you lawyers as well! For you weigh men down with burdens hard to bear, while you yourselves will not even touch the burdens with one of your fingers.
“Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and it was your fathers who killed them.
“Consequently, you are witnesses and approve the deeds of your fathers; because it was they who killed them, and you build their tombs.
“For this reason also the wisdom of God said, ‘I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute, in order that the blood of all the prophets, shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged against this generation.’
“Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.”
And when He left there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile and to question Him closely on many subjects, plotting against Him, to catch Him in something He might say
(Luke 11:45-54, NASB).

Appears to me, that there is not required a lot of discussion regarding where we stand today in the area of lawyers and belief in God. Has it really gone unnoticed that nearly all “lawmakers” in our country are lawyers? In fact, two of our most recent three presidents have been lawyers. And where is this country now?

It has well been said, that the person who fails to learn from history is doomed to relive it; but I add to that, the person who fails to learn from God, is doomed!

Oh, how much we need a great Holy Spirit revival in our hearts, and in this country!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Time out

The tragedy of today is that there is a tacit kind of agreement, conscious or unconscious, that Christianity is impossible. And this agreement is not among non-Christians, but very often among Christians.

It is clear that Christianity is regarded as impossible in the international world.
A world which has agreed that the only way to keep peace is to possess so-called nuclear deterents has clearly come to the conclusion that Christianity can be written off as an impossibility in the relationship between nation and nation.

It is clear that Christianity is regarded as impossible in the industrial sphere.
It seems impossible for the two sides to sit down at any industrial dispute without each of them being firmly convinced that the one thing that matters is self-interest.

It is clear that Christianity is regarded as impossible in the political sphere.
Any politician who announced that he proposed to judge each issue in terms of soul and conscience and so to cast his vote would quite certainly be told in effect that the party whip was very much more important than his conscience, and that the party line was very much more important than the Christian gospel.

It is even clear -- God forgive us -- That Christianity is regarded as impossible in the Church.
Before a man, at least in certain quarters, is allowed to preach the gospel or to come to the communion table, the question that is asked is not, “Is he a Christian?” but, “To what denomination does he belong?”
We have come to a stage today when we are content to shut Christ up within the church, and when we quite bluntly regard it as impossible to bring Christianity into the ordinary concerns and affairs of the world. Christianity has become rather an optional extra on the circumference of life than a complete essential, dominating the whole of life. What happens if we let Christ out? That is not the question, for the question for the Christian ought always to be, not, “Is it safe?” but, “Is it right?”

Daily Celebration, William Barclay, Word Books, Waco, TX, 1972, pg 111

Monday, April 27, 2009

True Marine Confessions

True Marine Confessions; subtitled, You Can't Handle The Truth Commission.

Well, part of my reason for joining the Marine Corps and not the Navy, was that I didn't like serious swimming...fast forward to second or third week in boot camp.

Ed, spoke of weighted feet, but I remember having a forty pound pack on my back and an M-14 rifle in my hands.

Truth be known, boot camp showed how we can dig down inside, and come up with the will to excell, and survive.

God bless the Corps, and Chesty, where ever he is.

Health care

The astute Dr. Helen comes through with another thought provoking post on health care... Thoughts on health care .

I have been enrolled in the VA health care program and found it very lacking. I have come to realize that the VA is simply another beauracracy intent on maintaining and sustaining their existence.

Truth in advertising would require us to rename the VA health care system to "Disabled VA Health Care".

Please don't misunderstand me, I have nothing against disabled veterans...how I managed to complete 29 years in the naval service with only a less than 5% disability will always be a mystery to me.