Thanks for dropping in for a visit. Remember, you can sign up for the "RSS" feed -- providing you have an RSS reader -- or you can simply bookmark my site and visit often! If you'd like a good, free RSS reader, I use and recommend http://www.rssreader.com . ALSO, PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE A BRAVENET JOURNAL, I would be happy to list you on my friend's list which appears on my profile page. Just send me an email and make that request. God bless you!
...but I'm sure it's seemed like that.
There's a lot to share, and I doubt I'll be able to share it all.
But I'll try to share some.
And I'll try to do that soon.
Blessings,
Bro. Tim
PRIMARILY SPEAKING... With each primary result, each party's race seems to be shoring up. By now John Edwards is gone on the Democrat side, and the Republicans have recently lost Fred Thompson and Rudy Guilliani [sp?].
Obama was clearly the front-runner coming out of South Carolina, but Hillary's "victory" in Florida gives her and her lib-media supports some "mo'" to use going into Super Tuesday. McCain seems to continue to gain steam and all the conservatives who are upset over this and over Romney's continued also-ran showings are using Huckabee as the whipping boy for the reason why Mormon Mitt can't win.
Why most evangelicals aren't coming out and reversing that argument, as to why any evangelical is taking Romney seriously and giving votes which should go to Huckabee is beyond me. I know those who consider themselves the only "true conservatives" will not accept Huckabee any more than McCain, but I chuckle over that when I consider that some "fundamentalists" won't accept an evangelical as their brother, either. Go figure.
I think the Democratic side is a bit less certain now. No comments out of me on that until after Super Tuesday. As to the Republicans, McCain is the choice of the blue bloods who trend more liberal anyway, and that's sad. I fear if McCain effectively raps things up on Super Tuesday, it will be an all but certain celebration for the Donkey party come November.
Why do I fear that? Because no matter if it would be a Pres. Obama or a Pres. Clinton "2" [but who expects the liberal media types to do that to her as it has done to our current President?], they will be the absolutely worst thing for the pro-life movement. Not to mention how bad that will be for our country's problem with illegal aliens -- and, no, I don't expect using the PC Police's term for them makes it any better, sort of like before the media had to grudgingly accept "pro-life" instead of continuing to foist upon us all the lie of "anti-abortion." And, of course, the election of a Democrat would more than anything else signal the sure and certain loss of the war on terror. At least those are my fears.
One can only hope a McCain presidency would be a tad better on abortion issues, especially on the appointment of judges to the Federal bench, and I trust he would simply be better in terms of military issues, though for the life of me I can't see much difference between him and any other liberal on immigration policy.
But that's just me.
LISTEN UP!... Here's a heads up for all of you. I am scheduled to be a guest on "Open Mike," a local-origination show on the Mars Hill Network on Friday, Feb. 8. The focus of the show will be prayer, especially to take prayer requests and pray for them on the air. If you are in the MHN listening area [most of New York State and select parts of eastern Canada], I hope you'll tune in at 8 o'clock on the 8th. If you can't listen over the air, perhaps you'll consider listening online by pointing your browser to http://www.marshillnetwork.org and tune in to the live audio stream of the broadcast. [This is recommended only for those who have something faster than dial-up.]
WHAT'S COOKIN'?...Recently I was at the main branch of our county library system -- recently as in the entry I wrote about my adventure downtown -- in fact, it was the last entry here. I was waiting to use one of the p.c.'s they have available, and since I had some time to kill I decided to try to find a novel to read, just for pleasure. It's been a long time since I had a book to read just for fun, but that hasn't diminished how much I like to read. So I start looking at the stacks on the floor I'm on and wouldn't you know it I'm right near the large-print books. Well, that's not so bad. I'm getting older and my eyesight is, too.
So I start looking through and the thought hits me, why not try a Stephen King? It's been a lll-ooo-nnn-ggg time since I read one of his books. I still enjoy a spooky story, though I don't watch most spooky-scary-supernatural thriller movies because most are rated "R," and for good reason. With every passing year, what passes for an "R" rating gets to be simply more and more revolting to God, and it should simply be that to any of his children.
The central library does have a LOT of books, and a good number of large print editions. I would guess they have all of King's novels, but not all in large print. But that's okay, I haven't read most of his works, so they would all be new to me, and just having 8 or 10 to choose from should be a sufficient choice, no matter who the author is, right?
I finally settle on one, and as I mentioned before, started reading it to be sure I wanted to borrow it before my p.c. time began. I did borrow it, and in the next day or so began reading it in earnest.
Wow. Was that a mistake.
First, one of the reasons I haven't read a Stephen King novel in a long time is because I read most of his works before I was saved. Second, I will admit to being scared by his books in the past, but in this one the parts which were supposed to be scary were either bland or funny, so the effect I sought was a bust. Third, my mind and soul were literally assaulted by all of the cussing in the book.
I was no better for the attempt to read this book. In fact, I was far, far worse for the experience. Especially the foul language, for that's who I used to be, and who I don't want to be any more. For a moment I thought, "Wow, does he have to portray his characters talking like that?" And then I thought better of that critique, because the truth is he's probably trying to emulate real life, and when I think about some of the conversations I can't help overhearing at work -- you know, like when all you're trying to do is eat your lunch in the lunch room and there are others simply talking in there -- or when you're waiting on a customer and you can't really regulate their conversation...
It does make me wonder, why do people feel the need to swear? And then I think, they don't feel the need to swear, it's just part and parcel of who they are. It's sad.
But, because the Bible declares that we should ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. ~ I am thankful for this. It was a great reminder and a wake up call.
It was a reminder to me that when you go into the realm of the world don't expect anything more than the things of the world, including their salty-saltless language.
And it was a wake up call to remember the old adage, "You are what you eat." And as with most things, that is as true Spiritually as it is physically. As in...
Galatians 6:6-8 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Proverbs 1:20-33 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, [saying], How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Proverbs 6:12-19 A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness [is] in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy. These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Romans 2:6-11 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
Romans 13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now [it is] high time to awake out of sleep: for now [is] our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to [fulfil] the lusts [thereof].
2 Peter 2:20-22 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known [it], to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog [is] turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
So, if you are what you eat, what are you? Perhaps it's better to ask, what's cookin'? As for me, I can tell you I got sick from what I ate, but after a healthy dose of that which comes from The Good Seed, I'm feeling much better.
WELL, FOLKS... That's all for now. I'm just happy I was able to get in one more entry before January, 2008 came to an end.
As always, thanks for stopping in, and until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ
P.S.: MOST OF THE COMMENTS SUBMITTED FOR POSTING ON MY JOURNAL ENTRIES ARE ADS OR SPAM. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER NOT ALLOWING ANY MORE COMMENTS. IN AN EFFORT TO WEED THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS IN A MORE EXPEDITIOUS MANNER, IF YOU WISH TO LEAVE A COMMENT PLEASE SIGN YOUR ENTRY WITH YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. IF YOU DO NOT WISH YOUR LAST NAME POSTED ONLINE, PLEASE STATE THAT IN YOUR COMMENT AND I WILL DELETE IT FROM YOUR ENTRY BEFORE I POST IT. HOWEVER, IF YOUR COMMENT IS SUBMITTED WITHOUT A FIRST AND LAST NAME I WILL SIMPLY DELETE IT WITHOUT REVIEWING IT.
I TRUST MOST OF YOU UNDERSTAND MY DILEMMA, AND WILL HONOR MY REQUEST. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP UP WITH THE LEGITIMATE COMMENTS WHILE SPENDING LESS TIME REVIEWING SPAM COMMENTS. BECAUSE I SINCERELY DO WELCOME LEGITIMATE COMMENTS, PERIODICALLY I WILL ADD THIS POSTSCRIPT TO ENTRIES, TO ENCOURAGE MY E-FRIENDS & VISITORS TO DO JUST THAT.
OF COURSE, YOU STILL HAVE THE OPTION OF SIMPLY EMAILING YOUR COMMENTS TO ME. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ASSISTANCE IN THIS. GOD BLESS!
This past Saturday John McCain pulled a mild surprise when he took South Carolina. He must not be considered the front-runner without question. This is unfortunate because if he is able to parlay his early success into the nomination, the Democrats will be firmly in control of the White House and Congress come November. That also bodes ill for America when it comes to the third branch of Government, since there are Justices simply waiting for a liberal to be in power in order to retire. What a sad and awful spectacle that suggests for our great country. And how real. God help us!
And yet that may be what God is doing -- helping us to receive just want so many have asked for, for so long. Getting what we deserve... "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" [Revelation 22:20b].
As a large part of my political self is interested to see how the next Republican primary/-ies will unfold I'm going to set aside my desire to write about the type of candidate I'd really like to see in this dog and pony show -- a la "If I were the candidate..." -- and move onto something different.
This past Saturday I visited a co-worker in the hospital. She in her thirties, too young for the problems she's having, especially some heart trouble. She was hoping to be discharged Tuesday, and then face an undetermined amount of time for recuperation, which will also include having her gall bladder removed. Only time will tell how long she will have to be out of work.
I tried to keep the visit relatively brief and light, including the delivery of six pages of blonde jokes to raise her spirits, some "M & M's" for her kids when they next came a calling -- later that day, in fact -- and a flower from the gift shop. She seemed genuinely pleased and a little bit surprised at the visit, but glad. We had a nice little visit and then she got a phone call, and while she was on the phone her father arrived. After a few pleasantries I decided this would be a good time to take my leave -- though neither of them made me feel that way -- but frankly with her being as ill as she's been, it seemed to me one of the best thing for her is to spend time with her Dad. So I took the opportunity to pray with them both, and just before leaving I proffered one more gift, a Gospel of John, noting that I have often found comfort in God's Word, and hoped she would, too. And, sincerely, I hope she reads and finds the hope I have.
I've been praying for her, and will continue to do so. I'd appreciate your prayers for Lisa, her health, her work situation [hopefully not being out of work too long], her family -- especially comfort for her young daughters -- and for her salvation as well.
My plan for the rest of the day was pretty simple. From the hospital to downtown proper is about a 10 minute walk, so I planned to walk downtown, especially to visit the main branch of the library, and then hop a bus home.
The walk downtown was uneventful, save for the brutal cold which swept in from the west. Miles north of us the wind brought in several feet of snow, but here in Syracuse it only brought bitter cold. But it was sunny, too, so it was bearable enough.
On the way to the library I stumbled upon the local pro-life rally in observance of the horrendous anniversary of Roe-v-Wade and Doe-v-Bolton. I say stumbled in part because I had forgotten this was the weekend for such activities, and also because I frankly didn't know this march was planned. Clearly it was organized by the local Catholic diocese, and had a distinctly Catholic flavor to it, but it was also clear that any friend of life was welcome to join them.
I decided against staying and joining in the march because I didn't know how long a time they had planned for it to go on, and I really did have some things to take care of, so I listened to some of speeches and clapped with the rest, and then continued on my way to the library to finish the errands I had planned. As I left I wondered why more evangelicals weren't in the forefront of events like this. I wondered why I wasn't. And, no, I don't have any good answer.
It wasn't long before I made it to the library, and signed up to use a computer. I had a little time to kill before my reservation so I went and found a book to check out. I began reading it to be sure I wanted to borrow it, and then it was my time to be on the pc. I got done all I needed to, and then was preparing to leave when I saw an old high school friend, Walter.
Walter's worked for the library all these years, and for the police department, too. He does some computer work for the police, and general customer service the library. It was nice to catch up a bit with him, and I invited him to come hear me preach the next day [for the evening service] at my home church where I would be filling the pulpit while my pastor was guest speaker at a church pastored by a friend of his. Walt said he'd might come, but I suspected he wouldn't. However, we did exchange phone numbers, and I look forward to being in touch with him in the near future.
I also once again gave him a tract and hoped he would read it, and heed it.
Coming out of the library, I phoned home to update my family on my progress, and it was getting a bit late so I decided I would try to find a bite to eat before coming home. Strolling the main street in search of meal stired memories and thoughts.
It had been a long time since I spent any significant time downtown. I walked the long city block from the library to the main bus intersection, got a schedule for the bus I was planning to ride home, and then tried to figure out where I could go to eat on a Saturday afternoon. Many of the lunch places that are open during the week are closed on a Saturday.
I quickly decided that it would be nice to take home some carmelcorn -- from the landmark Carmelcorn shop, of course -- and headed in that direction. That's one place that hasn't changed in so many years, one of the most comforting things about downtown, because so much has changed.
As a boy I can remember the many downtown department stores, stores which truly had distinct departments and knowledgeable salespeople who made a career out of the fine art of selling. I remember the Woolworths with it's bi-level shopping and lunch counter, Dey Brothers, Sibleys, the K-mart I was arrested at for shoplifting [another long story -- mostly I was a troubled youth who made a misguided attempt to get some attention], and several other stores.
As I grew, the downtown landscape changed. I remember how the stores seemed to move out slowly, yet all at once. There's an office building there which now houses a radio station, right off the main square where so many community events are held each year, currently featuring the Christmas tree and community creche [which was the subject of a federal law-suit some years ago and now stands protected because of that suit!]. It's also on the site of the fountains in the warmer weather months, which double as a skating rink at this time of the year. Saturday was so nice as to attract a good number of skaters, too.
But that office building had once been a mall, and I remember shopping there, thinking how neat it was that someone tried to bring a mall to the heart of the city. There's still a mall there, sort of. It's anchor is the library, and it used to have a lot of shops and a food court. Now the food court is gone and most of the shops, replaced by mostly office space. But it's still a good use of a building, I suppose.
I remember the old library, still standing and being used by some group I can't remember why. What a great building, put up by Andrew Carnegie. Just like the one in Fulton, though Fulton's is smaller, but still used as a library. Oh, the wonderful architecture cities hold.
Perhaps some of my memories were stirred on the walk downtown, passing by our museum. I remember visiting there frequently in my youth, and thinking I should take my kids one of these days. And one of these days I shall.
I passed the skating on the way to the sub shop I recalled seeing downtown, only to find it was closed on Saturday. Getting there necessitated me passing the old Federal Post Office. What a grand structure! I still remember as a boy visiting there to conduct postal business [ie: buy a stamp and mail a letter, like duh!]. Ah, memories, sweet memories.
I was getting frustrated and hungry at this point, when I noticed two door down from the sub shop a pizza joint. Thank the Lord! I got some good char broiled wings and some loaded fries, and then off I went, back-tracking to the main bus stop for my ride home.
On the way there I passed the newspaper building, which holds memories of my time when I was involved in the newspaper club -- it's sponsored by the Boy Scouts but for the life of me the proper name simply escapes me right now! -- and what things I learned there.
Waiting for the bus brought back memories, too. Before I had a car, and when I worked downtown, the bus was it for transportation. We have a very good bus system here, very much on time and dependable, and rather affordable all things considered. It's hard to reconcile now how I really survived on the bus, but I did, and when I did it was just fine.
It was still brutal out waiting for the bus, but finally it came. The bus line I would ride home on once upon a time has been discontinued by the transit company, but the one I rode home came close to it. And as I sat on the bus waiting to go home, and then in the going home, my thoughts turned to my brother. Years after I grew up and had a car and was more or less self-sufficient in that respect, he still relied on the bus as his primary way to get around. In fact, he just got off a bus moments before he dropped dead on that June day when he died.
My thoughts turning to him, stirred up a whole new set of memories and thoughts, and more than their fare share of sadnesses, too. What a hard life he led. How I did not appreciate my brother or demonstrate my love to him sufficiently. I didn't help him enough either. The many ways I was not a good brother.
I know some who know me and knew him might protest and try to make me feel better, noting how he was so proud of me, and loved me, and appreciated the help I did give him, and always spoke of me, and spoke well, and so forth. And that would all be true, yes. But so would all the memories and thoughts which came roaring back to me, and overtook me on that bus ride home.
Getting to my stop, getting off, and walking the block or so home gave me a chance to collect myself, and get mentally prepared to move forward with the rest of my night, allowing my wife to get out to see her mother [who is doing rehab in a center after a brief hospital stay due to problems she's had with her legs], to take care of the children while she was gone, and to get some work done on the sermon I was to deliver the following night.
Ah, that sermon! I know it was the Word of God, and I know a few were moved by it sufficiently to go to the altar, but I also know that it just fell a bit flat. I don't mean to degrade the Lord here, nor presume I knew everything it might have done in people's hearts. But when you do something visible for the Lord, like teach, preach, sing a special, and so forth, you ought to want to do a good job for His sake. I tried, but perhaps I tried too hard, and perhaps it was too long, too. Not perhaps, it was, maybe by 10 or 15 minutes.
And as soon as it was done I realized all that I could have said and done differently. Maybe I'll bear that in mind should I be given another opportunity to serve the Lord in that way.
And, all of that is another story not worth sharing for now. Thanks for letting me vent about my adventure from this past weekend, and thanks again for stopping in, for giving me a few moments of your time and attention.
Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ
P.S.: MOST OF THE COMMENTS SUBMITTED FOR POSTING ON MY JOURNAL ENTRIES ARE ADS OR SPAM. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER NOT ALLOWING ANY MORE COMMENTS. IN AN EFFORT TO WEED THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS IN A MORE EXPEDITIOUS MANNER, IF YOU WISH TO LEAVE A COMMENT PLEASE SIGN YOUR ENTRY WITH YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. IF YOU DO NOT WISH YOUR LAST NAME POSTED ONLINE, PLEASE STATE THAT IN YOUR COMMENT AND I WILL DELETE IT FROM YOUR ENTRY BEFORE I POST IT. HOWEVER, IF YOUR COMMENT IS SUBMITTED WITHOUT A FIRST AND LAST NAME I WILL SIMPLY DELETE IT WITHOUT REVIEWING IT.
I TRUST MOST OF YOU UNDERSTAND MY DILEMMA, AND WILL HONOR MY REQUEST. HOPEFULLY THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR ME TO KEEP UP WITH THE LEGITIMATE COMMENTS WHILE SPENDING LESS TIME REVIEWING SPAM COMMENTS. BECAUSE I SINCERELY DO WELCOME LEGITIMATE COMMENTS, PERIODICALLY I WILL ADD THIS POSTSCRIPT TO ENTRIES, TO ENCOURAGE MY E-FRIENDS & VISITORS TO DO JUST THAT.
OF COURSE, YOU STILL HAVE THE OPTION OF SIMPLY EMAILING YOUR COMMENTS TO ME. THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ASSISTANCE IN THIS. GOD BLESS!
The results from Michigan are slightly disheartening for me as a Huckabee fan. Not that Mr. Romney scored a "big" win -- 9 points -- nor that he won several distinct categories of voters. Some of this was to be expected.
First, Michigan was a must win for the Mormon candidate. While the Romney camp has been very liberal in campaign spending, they spent even more in Michigan in an attempt to secure a victory. You might not think they would have to, since Mitt's father was Governor, allowing Mitt to play the role of favorite son. But the realities of this campaign forced them to make that expensive decision. What failed in Iowa and New Hampshire finally succeeded in Michigan. Thus his win in Michigan can be said to have been somewhat expected.
That he garnered a majority of votes of those who classified themselves as Republicans isn't of necessity unexpected. Based on the media autopsy of the win, I surmise these votes would be the old guard country clubbers, and they probably feel very comfortable with Romney, who is likely perceived to be one of them.
I can to a point understand how he might win the conservatives, because Mormons have a very conservative persona, even though some of Romney's own stands are legitimate flip flops on social issues.
But how in the world did he win with the evangelicals? Is it because so many of their fearless leaders have decided Romney is the best choice? Is it because people don't really think Huckabee could win, or they want to punish Huckabee in some weird Rush-Limbaugh-conservative inspired way? Hey, if enough people vote for Huckabee, he will win.
I would expect Evangelicals who say they believe the Bible would agree that most Mormons have been deceived by the devil and are involved in a cult. I know Huckabee refused to be suckered into that line of questioning by the media, and perhaps it is appropriate for him to take a no-stand stand on that particular issue in the press, but I have no qualms about saying it. Biblically speaking, Mormonism is a cult, a false psuedo-Christian cult.
Romney is a Mormon, so at best we can say he has been willfully deceived and continues to be so. At worst -- and let's remember he did serve his time as a missionary, very faithfully as reports have put it -- at worst Romney has helped in deceiving others.
If a man is going to be so wrong about Biblical truth, if he can be so deceived about it, how can any evangelical even think to trust him with their vote for the most powerful job in the world? Not to mention the problems with his record, especially from a socially conservative point of view.
Sorry, but I just don't get it. If Romney becomes the eventual nominee, I seriously will have to think long and hard about if I could vote for him. I certainly could not vote for any of the Democrats, but I hate to use my vote as a vote against a candidate. I would much rather vote for one.
Lord willing, I will be able to post this on the day of the South Carolina primary. I can't see how Romney wins here, and if he doesn't I think that really spells trouble for him in Florida. Thompson might be a spoiler in S.C. for Huckabee, but that remains to be seen. As a Huckabee supporter, we can only hope that he wins S.C. and is propelled forward into Florida.
Of course, many think McCain will have something to say about it. I hope S.C. has something to say about McCain, the same as when they took him out of the race last time.
Very seriously, if you are an evangelical, and you plan to vote for Romney, I would really be interested in your reasoning. I can respect that you might not choose Huckabee, on any number of planes. But to vote for a deceived member of a pseudo-Christian cult, one that preys on unsuspecting, young believers, and leads millions of others astray, often straight to hell?
Forgive me if I don't sound sincere in asking, but I truly am sincere and in earnest. How do you justify voting for Romney. I really would be interested to know. Perhaps you would drop me an email and let me know?
In the meantime, the more I speak about this election, the more I feel strongly that I should write an entry along the lines of, "If I were the candidate...," to express what I would love to hear one candidate state as what he believes and what he would do, and to really live up to those statements as well. Perhaps very soon.
In the meantime, thanks again for stopping in, and for giving me a few moments of your time and attention.
Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ
It's a fact of real life that there are some really stupid people. I suppose it's also a sad fact that we are sometimes them. It doesn't just happen to the best of us, but to all of us.
That said, it's almost worst when we happen to be the victim of a stupid person. I say almost only because if we are the perpetrator of stupid, that is worse. But being the victim runs a close second.
I was the victim recently. [What? You thought I might `fess up on myself?]
I was waiting on a man who had a small purchase to make, about $4. He decided to use a credit card. He's charging a $4 purchase? Well, such a small amount no longer carries the stigma it may have once. Lots of people do it, and really I suppose if they are fine with it why should I quibble.
It's standard to check the card of the purchaser, to make sure there isn't anything to be concerned about, protecting against fraud and such. So after HE swipes the card, I ask to see it, and HE hands it to me. [Emphasis mine.]
The name on the card is a woman's name. Not a name which might be a man's, like "Lee," but rather clearly a woman. And he was clearly a man.
Obviously he realized there would be some question about it, so he says, "Don't worry. It will go through. Trust me." As if he really was trying to perpetrate a fraud he would admit it?
To complicate matters, the card holder had written on the back, "Please ask for I.D.," which is a very smart thing to do on a credit card. Unfortunately many places no longer check these things, but some places and some cashiers do. And I did.
So I say something like, "I'm sorry sir, you're clearly not [the cardholder -- I don't even want to mention the real first name here for obvious reasons]. Is there a way we can contact the card holder by phone to see if she will approve the sale."
It would be an understatement to say that this was not quite the idea he had in mind. It was clear he was exerting an excessive amount of energy to restrain himself from freely cussing me out, and I do believe if he thought he could have taken a swing at me, he would have.
However, he obliged by taking out his cell phone and calling his "fiancee." She was very happy to grant her permission, and more than understanding about why we were asking. In fact, she was almost effusive in her thanks to me for checking.
I thanked her for her time, and handed him back the phone, which he disdainfully closed and put away. I finished the transaction, and processed it as a phone sale, which I wrote in the place where he would have signed had it been his card.
This prompted him to say, "What did you write there? How come you can write there and I can't." I calmly [and I hope politely] explained we simply processed the sale as a phone sale. And he didn't give a whit.
Then, as he's leaving, he pulls out another credit card from his wallet, saying, "See? This is a card from the same account. So it wouldn't have mattered if I had signed on her card."
Again, trying to be calm and polite, I asked the obvious question. "Then why didn't you simply use that card?"
As you might guess, this caused him to become even more rancorous and frankly mouthy as he left.
And as he left, all I could do is think, "How stupid can some people be?"
These sorts of things happen frequently enough in retail so that if you work in it long enough you run the risk of becoming cynical and calloused. It also serves as a healthy reminder that if you have any say in the matter, and you must be involved in an act of utter stupidity, you pray that the stupid happens to you, rather than you being the cause of it.
This all reminded me of some funny quotes I received in an email some time ago. Entitled "Brain cramps" it provided quotes by mostly well-known folks caught in some honest moments of perpetrating stupid on us all. The editorial comment for all of them was, "These are funny!," and so they are. For the sake of reprinting them here, I have removed the editorial comments which was also included on some of them. Far better for you to simply read them and draw your own conclusions.
Enjoy...
____________________
Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?
Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if we were supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever, which is why I would not live forever." -- Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest.
"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death and stuff." -- Mariah Carey
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." -- Brooke Shields, during an interview to become Spokesperson for federal anti-smoking campaign.
"I've never had major knee surgery on any other part of my body." -- Winston Bennett, University of Kentucky basketball forward.
"Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country." -- Mayor Marion Barry, Washington, D.C..
"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." -- Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents.
"That lowdown scoundrel deserves to be kicked to death by a jackass, and I'm just the one to do it." -- A congressional candidate in Texas.
"Half this game is ninety percent mental." -- Philadelphia Phillies manager, Danny Ozark
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." -- Al Gore, Vice President
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix." -- Dan Quayle [not sure when stated, if when he was Vice President, or before, or after]
"We've got to pause and ask ourselves: How much clean air do we need?" -- Lee Iacocca
"The word "genius" isn't applicable in football. A genius is a guy like Norman Einstein." -- Joe Theisman, NFL football quarterback & sports analyst
"We don't necessarily discriminate. We simply exclude certain types of people." -- Colonel Gerald Wellman, ROTC Instrutor
"If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure." -- Bill Clinton, President
"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas." -- Keppel Enderbery
"Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances." -- Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina
"If somebody has a bad heart, they can plug this jack in at night as they go to bed and it will monitor their heart throughout the night. And the next morning, when they wake up dead, there'll be a record." -- Mark S. Fowler, FCC Chairman
____________________
Now, doesn't that just help you fell a whole lot smarter than when you first surfed on in for a visit today? I know it helped me a whole lot!
Why not send it to your friends, so they can feel as brilliant as we do now?
For the record, to my knowledge, each of the above quotes is accurate. If you discover one which is not, or wrongly attributed, send me an email, and I will be happy to publish a correction in a future entry.
In the meantime -- and since the general theme of today's entry was stupidity, and we are in the early thick of primary season -- Segue, segue! -- I see where Mike Huckabee came in third in Michigan. This was not unexpected, so it can hardly be deemed a disappointment. I can't say he simply wrote-off Michigan, but he has been using his time and resources to concentrate on South Carolina, the next primary where he has good reason to believe he will do well. And if he does well it surely will be a whole new race.
I'm looking forward to him doing well, and to a whole new race.
Based on my last entry about Huckabee and my thoughts on his stands on the issues, I plan to do another more directly political entry in the very near future, one along the lines of "If I were a candidate for President, where would I stand?" I hope you'll be looking forward to it, won't be disappointed by any expectations about it I may have just raised in your mind, and I frankly hope you don't find it stupid.
I surely do appreciate you stopping by as much as you do. Thanks for coming in today for a visit. I trust we'll meet here again soon.
Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ
P.S.: Since I usually don't get to the library more than once a week, I face a large number of emails and comments posted to my journal entries. Unfortunately, most of the emails are ads or spam, and most of the comments are, too. I am on the verge of having to make the decision to simply delete all comments without reading them.
In an effort to allow comments still to my journal entries, if you want yours to be read and reviewed to be approved for submission, please sign the book with a first and last name. If you don't want your last name posted online, simply ask me to delete it in your comments. Since I review all comments before posting them, I will be more than happy to oblige.
Hopefully, going forward this will make it easier for me to know which comments are legit and which are worse than spit -- especially the porn spam which regularly fills the comments in-box.
I trust most of you understand my dilemma, and will honor my request. In the interest of "fairness" I plan to add this postscript to every entry I add for the time being, until I believe I have made myself clear. And even then I will still add it from time to time, just to reinforce the message.
Thanks for your understanding and assistance in this. God bless!
Well, it certainly seems that I've been away for a while. It only seems that way because that's the way it's been. I have been away for a while, and at that I didn't get to make even the bare minimum of one entry per week in December. The season simply got the better of me, days got away from me, and I had to spend and invest my time on other matters.
And to think, only 351 days until Christmas!
Happy New Years, a bit belated, by the way.
Believe you me, the opportunities to come to the library being what they are the last couple of months, few and far between, offer the daunting prospect when I do get to come to the library of having to wade through scores and scores of emails, the most of which I won't have any interest in reading anyway. C'est la vie, c'est la guerre...
But here I am today, and I hope I'll be able to be a bit more frequent and regular going forward. At the very least, as frequent and regular as once a week.
So much I'd like to comment on and say! I'm thankful that I'm still employed, even while I continue to seek a better job.
I'm thankful I have a loving wife and family, even though my work hours are such that I often don't get to see them as I'd like.
I'm thankful I've been able to maintain better devotional habits as of late, and that the Lord is using that to continue to show me areas of weakness and places I need to allow Him to work me over. It hurts, but I truly am thankful.
I'm thankful for the football I do get to see, and that the Giants are still alive in the playoffs. I frankly think they have a decent shot in Dallas, but you still have to give the `Boys the edge.
I'm really thankful that another sham "National Championship" in ye olde "D-1" College Football has come and gone. Congrats to LSU for what you accomplished. Better luck next time OSU, and undoubtedly with the prowess of your program there will be another time.
But how can D-1 say they have a legitimate champion when they don't have a playoff system of any kind? EVERY other level of football has a playoff leading up to a championship game. EVERY OTHER SPORT AND EVERY OTHER LEVEL OF EVERY OTHER SPORT has a playoff and a championship. So to say it can't be done is to try to sell us all a load of what we sell in our fertilizer department at the store where I work.
A really big, really foul smelling bag of it, if you please.
How great is the Super Bowl every year? How great would a real College Football playoff and Super Bowl be?
How long are we really going to have to wait?
C'mon "Big Ten" & "Pac Ten!" Man up, here!
All right, now a bit of going back to the future: from my journal on Nov. 20, 2007 --
SECOND...I happened to catch the Fox News Sunday interview with Mike Huckabee. He is apparently surging in the polls in Iowa and New Hampshire and presenting a formidable challenge to the front-runners, namely Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. Well, the more I find out about him the more I like Mike. I don't understand those who, like James Dobson et al, have simply rejected Guiliani [sp?] out of hand but have refused to support Gov. Huckabee, a born again Christian and a true conservative. More disconcerting is the fact that some prominent conservatives and evangelicals are supporting Romney, a Mormon. I'm going to try to let these thoughts percolate and I'll try to make an entry or two on this in the near future.
-- For the time being I'm going to skip over my thoughts about Mr. Romney. But allow me a word or two about Mr. Huckabee, or make that three: I like Mike.
Looking back, it appears to have been an understatement to say he was surging in the polls. He came from virtually nowhere to a very strong win in Iowa, and yesterday to a double-digit third place in New Hampshire. Next up is Michigan, where he and his campaign are offering a tempered, measured expectation level about the outcome, while keeping an eye toward South Carolina, where he is running very well in the polls, and he apparently hopes and expects to do well. How well? Perhaps another first place finish. Huckabee is also confident about his chances in Florida.
I agree with many of the pundits who say that New Hampshire and Michigan aren't as important as South Carolina, but the Palmetto State may be a critical key to give him the type of long term momentum he will need to see very good success in the Republican Primaries.
Now, I know some who purport to be the "true" conservatives -- a la Rush Limbaugh -- don't like Mike like I like Mike. For all intents and purposes Mr. Limbaugh believes he is the only true barometer of what "true" conservatism is. Hey, if you don't agree with Rush you must be mistaken, and you can't truly be a conservative...or at least that's how it sometimes seems. And frankly some of criticism of Huckabee seems a little bit like sour grapes since a good number of folks -- many who claim to be conservatives -- are turning a deaf ear to Rush's opinion on this and voting for Huckabee.
For the record, I believe it is a fair statement to say I am a Conservative Christian. On the many secular issues I understand the need to be "right," such as lower taxes, less government, strong on defense, strong on illegal aliens, and the like. But as a Conservative CHRISTIAN, those issues are generally second tier to me -- generally because I also realize we are in a true religious and ideological war, militarily and politically, and so heavier consideration must be placed on defense and border security for this Presidential election.
That said, I still am more concerned with the more so-called social conservative issues: pro-life; pro-traditional family values; Israel [yes a "political" issue but with great Biblical import]; and the courts, specifically the Supreme Court and appointments to the Federal bench [again a political issue but with direct ramification on the social issues].
Then I start to go down the list of the viable Republican candidates. Romney? He does not have a consistent conservative record on too many issues, and the complication of his "sincere and deeply held" Mormon faith finishes the deal with him for me. McCain? He has done a great service for his country as a member of our Armed Forces, and a great disservice for free speach and consequently conservative causes in general in his campaign finance reform legislation. Guilliani? He has proven himself to be liberal on homosexual marriage, unfaithful in his own marriage, soft in the area of pro-life concerns and a bit too anti-Second Amendment for me to even consider him. He truly is a liberal using conservative speech.
So in one sense who else is there but Huckabee?
But I'm not simply for voting against others. I want to vote FOR a candidate, and I believe I can comfortably vote for Huckabee. I am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on where he says he stands on the issues. While you can find more complete statements on his web site --
-- here are a brief discussion of his stands on various issues from his web site. First, on the two big values issues:
SANCTITY OF LIFE -- I support and have always supported passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. My convictions regarding the sanctity of life have always been clear and consistent, without equivocation or wavering. I believe that Roe v. Wade should be over-turned.
I applaud the Supreme Court's recent decision in Gonzales v. Cathcart forbidding the gruesome practice of partial birth abortion. While I am optimistic that we are turning the tide in favor of life, we still have many battles ahead of us to protect those who cannot protect themselves, and so it is vital that we elect a pro-life President.
I first became politically active because of abortion, when I helped pass Arkansas' Unborn Child Amendment, which requires the state to do whatever it legally can to protect life.
As Governor, I did all I could to protect life. The many pro-life laws I got through my Democrat legislature are the accomplishments that give me the most pride and personal satisfaction.
To me, life doesn't begin at conception and end at birth. Every child deserves a quality education, first-rate health care, decent housing in a safe neighborhood, and clean air and drinking water. Every child deserves the opportunity to discover and use his God-given gifts and talents.
I believe in using existing stem cell lines for research, but I do not believe in creating life for the sole purpose of destroying it.
MARRIAGE -- I support and have consistently supported passage of a federal constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
As Governor of Arkansas, I led the successful effort to pass a similar state constitutional amendment in 2002.
As Governor of Arkansas, I led the successful effort to make our state only the third to adopt "covenant" marriage.
Our true strength comes from our families.
MY RESPONSES -- If we can know anything about Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton, either one could spell disaster for the pro-life cause. Gov. Huckabee's stand on life is his # 1 attraction for me. His stated stand on marriage comes in a close second. I do not believe even his critics would take issue on the fact that he is a true conservative when it comes to these issues.
NOW, some more brief statements on other issues, along with some of my own thoughts:
FAITH AND POLITICS -- My faith is my life - it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. For example, when it comes to the environment, I believe in being a good steward of the earth. I don't separate my faith from my personal and professional lives.
RESPONSE <R> -- Thank God for a candidate not afraid to be who he is! I know that he has been tempted / baited by the press into attacking Gov. Romney's faith, and I for one am glad he didn't. I would rather him simply make much about his own stand and belief, and leave Gov. Romney to do and explain the same for himself.
The one major area of concern for me, however, is that I have this nagging feeling that we're going to get deja vu all over again. George W. Bush seemed to be a candidate who was not afraid to be who he was, in terms of his faith, and yet conservative Christians have suffered through countless disappointments from this born again President. And make no mistake, while others have questioned if Mr. Bush truly is saved, I don't. Sadly, I do think he has been soft at times where his faith is concerned, and it is sometimes perceived that his weakened evangelicalism is the cause.
So if Huckabee is the nominee, will we be subject to more of the same? Some large if's from here to the convention and beyond to November. We can only wait and see.
VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS -- I support the following VETERANS' BILL OF RIGHTS for issues that are not being adequately addressed: The right to a mandatory rather than a discretionary mechanism for funding veterans' health care, to eliminate year-to-year uncertainty that the funds they need will be there for them.
<R> -- Amen to that!
EDUCATION AND THE ARTS -- I believe that every child should have the opportunity for a quality education that teaches the fundamental skills needed to compete in a global economy. As I traveled the country and the world over the last decade bringing jobs to Arkansas, the business leaders I met weren't worried about creating jobs, they were worried about finding skilled and professional workers to fill those jobs.
<R> -- Here is another area of legitimate concern for me. Huckabee has been endorsed by the N.E.A., so that's an obvious and troubling concern, and he seems to favor educating children who are illegal aliens. As far as critics of his stand on vouchers and school choice, I am willing to accept the explanations he's offered as to why he did not support that as Governor of Arkansas. This remains a concern, and lends some credence to those who make the case for Huckabee for being a not so conservative conservative.
HEALTH CARE -- The health care system in this country is irrevocably broken, in part because it is only a "health care" system, not a "health" system. We don't need universal health care mandated by federal edict or funded through ever-higher taxes. We do need to get serious about preventive health care instead of chasing more and more dollars to treat chronic disease, which currently gobbles up 80% of our health care costs, and yet is often avoidable. The result is that we'll be able to deliver better care where and when it's needed.
<R> -- I highly respect his passionate position on health care, especially speaking as one who has greatly improved and transformed his own physical well-being. I am glad for his rejection of universal health care. Is our system truly broken? I'm not so sure it is, but I do believe there need to be some things done to improve it overall. Eliminating frivolous lawsuits would help. On this issue, for the time being, I will reserve judgment.
TAXES -- I'd like you to join me at the best "Going Out of Business" sale I can imagine - one held by the Internal Revenue Service. Am I running for president to shut down the federal government? Not exactly. But I am running to completely eliminate all federal income and payroll taxes. And do I mean all - personal federal, corporate federal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment.
<R> -- There are some things I like about Huckabee's stand and plan, but I think he has a mixed record at best on taxes, and governement growth. However, even if he's made some mistakes in the past, perhaps he has learned something from them? And how can any conservative truly be against eliminating taxes [or, in effect, replacing them with a consumption tax]?
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE -- The first thing I will do as President is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence. We will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term.
<R> -- I appluad his stand on this issue, but I hope this wouldn't be the first thing he would do. The first thing I would hope he does is to really seal and secure our border.
IMMIGRATION -- My number one priority is to secure America's border. I opposed the amnesty bill that was defeated by the Senate in June.
<R> -- Again, this is an issue where some of his rhetoric seems to be undercut by some of his history. As this is an important issue, I would really like to see more details from Huckabee on this. However, I understand why he may not be as forthcoming on them at this time.
NATIONAL SECURITY / FOREIGN POLICY: IRAQ -- Iraq is a battle in our generational, ideological war on terror. General Petraeus and our troops are giving their all to provide a window of opportunity for the Iraq government to succeed, while the Democrats are running for the exit doors.
NATIONAL SECURITY / FOREIGN POLICY: WAR ON TERROR -- I believe that we are currently engaged in a world war. Radical Islamic fascists have declared war on our country and our way of life. They have sworn to annihilate each of us who believe in a free society, all in the name of a perversion of religion and an impersonal god. We go to great extremes to save lives, they go to great extremes to take them. This war is not a conventional war, and these terrorists are not a conventional enemy. I will fight the war on terror with the intensity and single-mindedness that it deserves.
<R> -- It appears Huckabee will be strong on defense, and will approach our current security needs from the right understanding of reality as it is in 2008. One can only hope he will not go somewhat soft as Pres. Bush has done in these areas.
FOREIGN POLICY: ISRAEL -- I've visited the Middle East extensively over the past thirty-five years, including nine trips to Israel. I salute and support Israel as our staunch ally in the War on Terror and our greatest friend in that region. As the only fully-functioning democracy in the Middle East, Israel occupies a unique position both geographically and geopolitically. Israel is an important partner in the spread of freedom and democracy throughout the Middle East and the world.
<R> -- Let's pray if Huckabee is elected that he will strongly consider moving our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and then actually do it.
AGRICULTURE -- A nation must provide its citizens freedom and security. To accomplish this, a nation must be able to defend itself and feed itself. We have learned how disastrous it is to be dependent on other countries for our energy needs - we must never be dependent for our food needs. Being able to feed ourselves is not just sound economic and agricultural policy, it is wise national security policy.
<R> -- The devil may be in the details on this one.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT -- You need to know that your President will calmly and confidently lift you up in a crisis. During the massive emergency of Hurricane Katrina, when local, state, and federal governments were in melt-down, I stepped forward and directed the rescue and relief of 75,000 victims. Our island of success in a sea of failure was one of the reasons Time magazine named me one of America's five best governors.
<R> -- He seems to exude this kind of confidence whenever I have heard him speak, be interviewed, etc.. Only time will tell what crises our next Pres. will face, and how he [or she!] will work to handle and resolve them. I believe I can trust Huckabee on this.
2ND AMENDMENT RIGHTS -- No candidate has a stronger, more consistent record on Second Amendment rights than I do. Our Founding Fathers, having endured the tyranny of the British Empire, wanted to guarantee our God-given liberties. They devised our three branches of government and our system of checks and balances. But they were still concerned that the system could fail, and that we might someday face a new tyranny from our own government. They wanted us to be able to defend ourselves, and that's why they gave us the Second Amendment.
<R> -- Amen for this! Now what about the courts, Mike?
As you can see, while I like Mike and I would support him for the nomination and for the actual presidency, I'm not doing it blindly or without giving his positions some thought. On balance, I believe he is the best choice the Republicans can put forward.
In fact, I really and truly can understand why some conservatives object. And in some respects I agree. If I was a candidate, I definitely would want to stake out a different position on some of these issues. [And wouldn't that make an interesting journal entry sometime?] However, all things considered, in my opinion Huckabee is the best candidate to help us reestablish our historic Judeo-Christian roots, especially on the most important issues in this or any other Presidential race, a la...
Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.
Of course, I will continue to pray God's blessings for our current President and the government he leads, as well as His Hand to clearly move in this year's primaries and elections so that His will is clear, clearly seen, and done.
So, what do you think? I'd love to have you drop me a note and let me know. In the meantime, I'll try not to be such a perfect stranger -- Hey! No one's perfect! -- and I will hope to visit with you again next week.
In the meantime, thanks for stopping in once again, and for giving me a few moments of your time and attention.
Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ
Obviously it's been a while since I was able to make it to the library to get online and post a new journal entry. Through November I had hoped to maintain at least one entry a week, but if I get thrown off schedule just a bit, everything seems to get out of whack. So it was this month. I was able to get to the library since my last entry on Dec. 7, but because of other personal matters I hadn't had the time nor opportunity to compose an entry. But here we are again.
It is frustrating at times not having an every day access to the web. There were certain things I had gotten used to being able to do online, but the more time passes between then [June] and now, the longer ago that time seems to be. I try to remember to be thankful I can still be online, and I try to make the most of that online time.
So it IS a blessing to be able to be online, and this is a good time of the year to reflect on all the blessings life has provided.
We don't have health insurance right now, but I am blessed with a doctor who has been our family physician for about 20 years now, and who is willing to try and help us out. Mostly that means scripts for cheap meds at Wal-Mart, and his prayers for God's blessings on us as well. It's a blessing to have a doctor who is truly born again.
We don't have a wealth of resources right now, and much of that is our own doing, as well as some bad planning on our part. So be it. It certainly looked like we wouldn't be able to put any presents under the tree this year. My wife and I didn't mind for ourselves, but it sure did bother me that this might impact my children so bad. But God moved on the heart of someone to bless us with a financial gift, and were able to provide some "Christmas" [ie: gifts] with that. And then someone we don't even know adopted our family, so that now there are a plethora of gifts under the tree. What a blessing to have a God who cares about such matters.
We really don't have room for a tree in our flat, and that was a disappointment for my children, but my wife's mom has one, so that is a blessing as well.
I haven't been able to find a new job yet, but I am working, and we have sufficient funds to pay our bills, keep food on the table and the house heated. Sufficient usually means "some meat and no gravy," but we certainly aren't lacking. What a blessing to have the Lord our Shepherd who ensures we do not lack what we need, and sometimes what we want, too.
My hours at work are such that I miss out on more than I would like to at church. I was scheduled to work noon-9 this past Sunday, which meant not only would I have to miss church in the morning but that I wouldn't be able to attend church Sunday night. And this past Sunday night was when the children's play was scheduled. But God sent a snowstorm and church was canceled for Sunday night, and the play rescheduled for this coming Sunday night. And I already had this coming Sunday night off. What a blessed gift from God!
It's also hard when you ask for time off, and they say yes and then ignore it when making out the schedule. I had been given Christmas Eve day off -- the whole day -- and then scheduled to work it. But since I am opening, and can still go to Christmas Eve services, and have the next day off of course, I'm simply going to thank the Lord for that blessing also.
Even though I not serving as a pastor anymore, I'm thankful I still have opportunities to serve the Lord, even with my crazy schedule. I have been able to teach most mid-week Wednesday Bible studies at church, and this week I was asked if I could be available for Junior Church on Sunday. What a great blessing for God to make opportunities for me to serve Him!
Of course there are the "mundane" blessings of having a loving wife, good kids [mostly!], relative health, peace and safety, and so forth, and I do want to be mindful to be thankful for all of that also. However, and I hope truthfully, even if I had none of those blessings in my life, but still had Jesus, I would be richly blessed indeed.
I recall to mind the old woman, who was so rich in faith, and so poor in the ways of the world, so that her meal was often some stale bread and cold water, in a run down home on the wrong side of the tracks, yet she could still say, "All this, AND Jesus too! My Lord and my God! How rich I am!" And she meant it. Lord, help me and allow me to grow in that kind of grace and knowledge of my Lord Jesus!
We ought to all give such thoughts serious credence and place in our life! Especially at such a time of the year as this. I am truly thankful that all the world makes much of the Christmas holiday. True, they might give only scant attention to the Christ of Christmas, and many might be only concerned with what they can gain from others, with little to no concern over keeping it a holy-day. Still, so many dress up their corner of the world, and many secular stations play a constant stream of Christmas music. Yes, much of it is secular, but there are many traditional hymns included, too. Such blessings! "All this, and Jesus too!" My Lord and my God, how rich we are!
It would be a greater blessing if the world with give greater care and thought to things of the Christ of Christmas, but then again, some of God's own saints struggle and fail at this. What a blessing to know the great care and forethought our Heavenly Father gave with respect to His Only Begotten Son, Jesus. We could consider all the fulfilled prophecies, or God's choice of parents for His Son, or so many other elements of the Christmas story. But for a few moments now, may we consider the blessing of God's concern with respect to naming His only begotten?
Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Now Christians believe this is a prophecy of God's Messiah, and since Christians believe Jesus was and is that Messiah, we believe it bears full meaning in Him. Notice God's great care and forethought with respect to Messiah's name in this verse.
"...and his name shall be called Wonderful..." So Messiah will have a wonderful name. And truly the Scriptural picture is that His name was and is wonderful:
Matthew 1:20-21 But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. ~ Wonderful as Jesus, Joshua, "Saviour!"
Luke 1:31-33 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. ~ Wonderful in being the Son of God and God the son!
Philippians 2:9-11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~ Wonderful that we have the grand opportunity to bow down to Him here and now and receive His mercies and blessings!
Revelation 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. ~ Wonderful that one day all will know without any shadow of doubt Who and "What" He is. Yes, His name shall be called Wonderful
"...and his name shall be called...Counsellor..." Isaiah prophecies of this also:
Isaiah 11:2-4 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. ~ When we consider the type of person, the characteristics God's Messiah would have, and how wise He will be, and is!, why do we ever consider going any where else, or to any one else, first or last, for the wisdom we need in this life. And how much wisdom we need!
Christ can fulfill that need. He demonstrated that during His life on earth:
Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
Matthew 7:28-29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Matthew 13:54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?
Through the Holy Spirit, He continues to demonstrate that today:
1 Corinthians 1:23-24 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
In fact, in Colossians 2:3, we are told "In (Christ) are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," but they are not buried treasures. The can be borrowed treasure, borrowed from Him and graced on us. As Dr. Henry Morris reminds us, "The testimony, even of His enemies, was that "never man spake like this man" (John 7:46)."
Yes, His name was Wonderful, and wonderful Counselor was He.
"...and his name shall be called...The mighty God..." This is a startling claim, yet perhaps we fail to be startled because we are too familiar with it. In the Old Testament, God has many names, such as:
- Jehovah Elohim, Lord God
- El Shaddai, Almighty God
- El Elyon, Most High God
- El Olam, Everlasting God
How interesting then when God speaks of Messiah's name we calls Him "the Mighty God," or El Gibbor. This is the strongest of all the titles for God in the Old Testament. Now when Isaiah used the divine prefix /el/, it always and only refered to the Lord God of Heaven. And /gibbor/ was a word which essentially meant, "hero." And this meant that Messiah would be that kind of a Saviour, the kind of God which humanity desperately needs. One Who is strong enough to rescue and save them, as a true hero, but also to keep them for ever. What a blessed name! Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God!
Yet that is not all! "...and his name shall be called...The everlasting Father..." This Messiah Who God says will be "the Mighty God" will also be "the everlasting Father." Literally, this term means "the Father of Eternity." But how can Messiah be the same as "the Father of Eternity?"
Well, isn't that the miracle we celebrate at Christmas? ~ Matthew 1:23 [quoting Is. 7.14] Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
And that is precisely what the Biblical record claims:
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
More than just the Biblical record making that claim, Jesus Himself made the claim:
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
John 12:45 And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
John 14:8-9 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
And the Father proclaimed it to be true:
Romans 1:1-4 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; AND DECLARED [TO BE] THE SON OF GOD WITH POWER, ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT OF HOLINESS, BY THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD: [emphasis mine]
The word "declared" there literally means "determined." It was the resurrection from the dead which forever fixed the truth of Christ's own claims: that He was and Is and forever shall be very God of very God, thus Messiah and "the Father of Eternity."
What rich blessings! And still, "...and his name shall be called...The Prince of Peace." This is perhaps the most important aspect of His name of all of them here. The reason He has a wonderful name, being full of wisdom, the reason He is both the Mighty God and the Everlasting Father, God-come-down-in-the-flesh Immanuel, is to prepare our hearts and minds to understand that one day in the future He will come back to reign. He will truly be the very first world-wide leader, One Who will bring a true and lasting peace to all people everywhere at the same time, through the establishment of His Kingdom and His wonderful, wise, strong and loving rule.
And yet that rule of peace and the rule of His Kingdom can begin in your heart and life now, today:
Colossians 1:19-23 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
And it is all a very simple yet blessed truth. It all begins with the understanding that you are a sinner. You were born that way. It's much the same as a man who is born deaf. He didn't do anything to cause that problem, but he certainly must deal with the consequences of it. You and I didn't do anything to become a sinner, we were simply born that way. But the consequences are eternal in their impact, and hellish if we do not deal with them now, while God is gracious to give us time and space to repent and believe.
We must accept that fact that we are a sinner who need a Saviour, which is precisely why God sent Jesus on that first Christmas so long ago. And He can be your Saviour now, if you simply acknowledge your sin, repent and believe the Gospel.
You know, being in a garage doesn't make you a car, and being in a church doesn't make you a Christian. Believing the Gospel does.
Curious? Want to learn more about how to be saved? Here's a couple of web sites you can visit which I believe will help you understand:
http://www.chick.com/information/general/salvation.asp
http://www.gotquestions.org/way-of-salvation.html
http://members.tripod.com/militarygetsaved/heaven.htm
http://www.bbfi.org/discover/index.htm
Of course, perhaps you'd simply like to get in touch with me directly. I would be happy to have you send me an email, and I would be happy to show you from God's word, or answer your questions, and such like. Just remember, though, that I'm only online once or at the most twice a week. And as we are not guaranteed tomorrow, I would urge you to simply contact one of those other web sites now.
Of course, if you have a relationship with a Gospel preaching church, why not give that pastor a call? I'm sure it would be a great blessing to him if you did.
Need a church? Try visiting this web site to find one:
http://members.tripod.com/militarygetsaved/id23.htm
http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/churchdir/churches.htm
http://baptistinfo.com/directory.shtml
http://www.bbfi.net/c-city.asp
[Obviously, for all those web sites above, they are sites I trust to give you the truth and to be good, Bible-believing churches.]
And for all the Christians visiting with me now, I hope and pray you truly appreciate the gift of God -- that "unspeakable gift" -- Jesus! And show Him that appreciation by trying to give that gift away during this Christmas season, and then on a regular basis all through out the new year.
Well, it's been a blessing to be able to visit with you again today. I hope you were blessed to. I probably won't be in contact with you again until after Christmas, so allow me to wish you a very merry Christmas now. May you discover many rich blessings this season, too.
Thanks again for stopping in, and for giving me a few moments of your time and attention. Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ
NOTE: This entry was written on Monday, December 3 and Tuesday, December 4, and posted online on Friday, December 7, 2007.
By now you are undoubtedly familiar with the outrageous case of Gillian Gibbons, the British teacher who was jailed by Sudan for allowing her students to name a teddy bear Muhammed. Every aspect of this case makes it outrageous.
It was outrageous that this woman was trying to do some good to a foreign people and due to a "cultural misunderstanding" she found herself not simply afoul of the law but in a precarious and dangerous position.
It was outrageous that many were quite earnest in their sincerely held belief that this woman deserved to be put to DEATH for "offending the Prophet." [How often are we force fed the line that if you are earnest and sincere in your belief you ought not be questioned about whether it's right, or wrong, or godly? And what would these Muslims do if Muhammed was portrayed as a homosexual in a play, or his depiction was placed in urine, as has happened to my Lord Jesus?]
It was outrageous that her sentence could have been as bad as a severe beating [40 lashes] or 6 months in jail.
It was outrageous that a Sudanese judge thought a fair and deserved REDUCTION in punishment was no beating, only a fortnight in jail, and then deporting the woman.
It was outrageous that there wasn't a solid and resounding condemnation in the media for the horrific actions of this government, from every corner of the globe.
It was outrageous that it took the Sudanese President as long as it did to pardon Gibbons.
It is outrageous that some maintain the Sudanese President did a courageous and nobel act.
Perhaps most outrageous to me is that anyone would think naming a teddy bear after you is offensive. Why do children name a beloved stuffed animal after someone? Maybe because that person is beloved to them? But apparently that point is lost on the Muhammedans.
In my flesh, my first reaction was to organize a movement trying to get people to name their dogs after "the Prophet," but then I thought that might offend dogs. And then I was called to my senses -- my Christian senses -- by Scripture. And so many Scriptures, to boot. Scriptures like these...
Luke 9:51-56 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, And sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, YE KNOW NOT WHAT MANNER OF SPIRIT YE ARE OF. FOR THE SON OF MAN IS NOT COME TO DESTROY MEN'S LIVES, BUT TO SAVE THEM. And they went to another village.
Clearly, I had forgotten what manner of Spirit I should be of.
Matthew 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THEM THAT CURSE YOU, DO GOOD TO THEM THAT HATE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THEM WHICH DESPITEFULLY USE YOU, AND PERSECUTE YOU; THAT YE MAY BE THE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? BE YE THEREFORE PERFECT, EVEN AS YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN IS PERFECT.
Should I truly consider the Muslim as my enemy? While I don't feel I have any basis for considering them my enemy, as I understand it, Muslim's consider Christians their enemies, for we are "infidels." And repeatedly we have seen -- through ministries like "Voice of the Martyrs" -- anywhere Muslims have free course and reign [ruling in a country], infidels have two choices: convert or die.
So while it seems most appropriate to say they believe I am their enemy, the net effect is that they are mine -- not by my choice, by theirs. And illustrations abound of how Muslims curse Christians, hate us, despitefully use us, and persecute us. How one goes about loving them and blessing them is a challenge, and admitting the weakness of my flesh, even knowing how to effectually pray FOR them, not about them nor their interactions with Christians, is a bit of a mystery. Yet God knows, and only in going to Him and asking wisdom -- James 1:5 -- do I find a good strategy and an excellent resource, one I need to do more of with respect to the matter before us today.
Luke 23:33-34 And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
This is perhaps the most convicting Scripture of all, for if my Lord could look down from the vantage point of brutality and injustice, and view all of humanity with the eyes of compassion, understanding, forgiveness and love -- including those not yet born, like Muhammed and his followers -- what right do I have to do less today? HE certainly has the right to demand the same of me, if He truly is Lord:
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Ephesians 4:17-32 THIS I SAY THEREFORE, AND TESTIFY IN THE LORD, THAT YE HENCEFORTH WALK NOT AS OTHER GENTILES WALK, IN THE VANITY OF THEIR MIND, HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING DARKENED, BEING ALIENATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD THROUGH THE IGNORANCE THAT IS IN THEM, BECAUSE OF THE BLINDNESS OF THEIR HEART: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. BUT YE HAVE NOT SO LEARNED CHRIST; IF SO BE THAT YE HAVE HEARD HIM, AND HAVE BEEN TAUGHT BY HIM, AS THE TRUTH IS IN JESUS: THAT YE PUT OFF CONCERNING THE FORMER CONVERSATION THE OLD MAN, WHICH IS CORRUPT ACCORDING TO THE DECEITFUL LUSTS; AND BE RENEWED IN THE SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND; AND THAT YE PUT ON THE NEW MAN, WHICH AFTER GOD IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. BE YE ANGRY, AND SIN NOT: LET NOT THE SUN GO DOWN UPON YOUR WRATH: NEITHER GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. LET NO CORRUPT COMMUNICATION PROCEED OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, BUT THAT WHICH IS GOOD TO THE USE OF EDIFYING, THAT IT MAY MINISTER GRACE UNTO THE HEARERS. AND GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, WHEREBY YE ARE SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION. LET ALL BITTERNESS, AND WRATH, AND ANGER, AND CLAMOUR, AND EVIL SPEAKING, BE PUT AWAY FROM YOU, WITH ALL MALICE: AND BE YE KIND ONE TO ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, EVEN AS GOD FOR CHRIST'S SAKE HATH FORGIVEN YOU.
And He IS truly the Lord, and I truly want Him to be MY Lord, so He has every right to make demands on me, and expect that I will yield each and every time, and that quite promptly.
Perhaps a large part of my problem, illustrated by this case, is a difficulty in truly being able to understand the offense and the crime. Why shouldn't this act -- naming the teddy bear "Muhammed," which seems to be borne of innocence and love -- be seen as an act of devotion to "the Prophet," rather than an insult? That's precisely how I understand the act of some Hispanic / Mexican Catholics when they name their son "Jesus" -- an act of love and devotion.
Frankly, Islam seems a rather weak and insecure faith if it can't absorb or tolerate the simple act of a small child wanting to name his teddy bear after "the Prophet," which, speaking as a father, certainly can be understood to be an act done to honor him, not at all to besmirch his character, such as it is, or at least such as it is represented by his followers.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 CHARITY SUFFERETH LONG, AND IS KIND; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, IS NOT EASILY PROVOKED, THINKETH NO EVIL; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; BEARETH ALL THINGS, BELIEVETH ALL THINGS, HOPETH ALL THINGS, ENDURETH ALL THINGS.
In my better moments, and I'm glad to say I still have them, I want to understand and at least give Islamists the benefit of the doubt. For example, I can understand the ire caused by publication of "The Satanic Verses" or when a Dutch cartoonist published anti-Islam cartoons. In their own context, these might rightly be viewed as more reality than perception in terms of being offensive.
But should that offense be immediately taken to the level of not just a death threat, but an exhortation, a command to "true believers," to kill those responsible? To cause violent riots in the streets? In some cases, to strike out in violence, so that Theo Van Gogh lies dead, as well as an innocent nun whose life was taken in cold blood?
[And the offense of the media was deafening in it's silence, eh what?]
It seems that only in context can we truly gain perspective, especially the context of the origins of Islam and Christianity.
As I understand it, Islam was founded by a man who had visions in a cave. He became a polygamist -- and considering how old he was when he married his youngest wife, some might call him a pedophile. He preached a message that included elevating an insignificant moon god as the only true God, and he was his only prophet, and he used the sword to impose that message as far and wide as they could. Muhammed and his successors were rather successful at it then, and his followers today still seem to believe they can be. Angry bloodlust seems to be ingrained deep within the fabric of Islam, and it is submission to Allah or death.
Christianity was founded by Jesus of Nazareth, the self-professed Son of God and who was anointed by God "...with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." [Acts 10:38] He opposed religious hypocrites and those who were self-sufficient and proud, but was ever ready to give grace to the humble and eternal life to all who would repent and believe His Gospel. And He still remains so. Christianity is also a very bloody religion, but it is the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's only begotten, which has been shed far and wide for the remission of sin of all who believe.
To paraphrase what Attorney General John Ashcroft put so eloquently, "Islam is a religion which demands the death of your son for their god, but in Christianity God gives the death of His Son for you."
All around us now, we are fully into the season of "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." [Luke 2:14] But some continue to try and insist that Islam is truly the religion of peace.
If anything, this latest assault ["teddy bear gate?"] on what believers in the Lord Jesus Christ -- the ONLY true and living God -- are commanded to think on -- "...whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." [Philippians 4:8] -- should simply be the last piece of evidence any honest and unbiased observer needs to admit Islam no longer even tries to mask itself.
At best it is misguided. At worst, I suspect it is satanic.
It is a religion of bloodlust, anger and death. Allah should be relegated back to his status as an insiginifcant pretender to a throne, and the history of Muhammed should be truly reported as it was and is. We should no longer be patient for "moderate Muslims" to act -- if they exist any where outside the imaginative fancies of a media bent on self-loathing, self in this case being Western Civilization.
We should no longer buy into the lie that we can work out a peaceful resolution with Muslims and think we will be able to live in harmony with them -- notwithstanding efforts such as those in England, called "A Common Word Between Us and You."
[Why "notwithstanding?" This effort, started by "peace-seeking Muslims," now includes over 100 Muslim leaders and seeks to elicit a response from Christian scholars and clerics of every denominational stripe. They are promoting harmony among Christians and Muslims on the basis of "shared theological truths" and they quote proof texts from the Old and New Testaments and the Quran in which they try to establish shared theological truths. What shared truths? The Unity of God, the love of Him, and the love of neighbor.
They derive the name of their group from a passage in the Quran which ostensibly teaches Muslims how to approach Jews and Christians: "Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God."
So what's the problem with this? It's several-fold. First, "peace-seeking Muslims" seem to be a distinct and not quite vocal minority. Second, any shared theological truths are slim and thin indeed. The Christian God is ONE, but He is Three-in-One, a Trinity. Giving Muslims the benefit of the doubt that they love Allah, it seems to be a much harder case to do that for the love of neighbor. And if the Muslim call is for us to "worship none but God," and if that means Allah and Allah alone, Christians can never go along with that. Allah and Jehovah Jesus are not the same, and they are not equals. --
- Isaiah 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
- Isaiah 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
- Isaiah 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
- Isaiah 45:21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
- Hosea 13:4 Yet I am the LORD thy God from the land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no god but me: for there is no saviour beside me.
- John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
- John 10:30 I and my Father are one.
-- Their reference to not ascribing a partner to Him seems to be a clear slam at the Virgin Birth, and again, Christians have One Lord and One God -- Jesus, not Allah.
Add to this the fact that this Muslim group has already brought their credibility into question by welcoming Muslims like Tariq Ramadan as signatories to their initiative. Ramadan is the President of the European Muslim Network and nephew and disciple of the founder of the radical Muslim Brotherhood. Even moderate muslims [such as Thomas Haidon] have called him a "false moderate," insisting those like him have won "the trust of non-Muslims and influential policy makers with their smiles, Western style suits, and promises of 'dialogue'," but for what purpose? Forgive me for believing it is a sinister one at best.
And, you will note dear reader, none of this has even touched upon the issue of Israel, which is another divide between Christians and Muslims... >>> Source for the facts and quotes in this parenthetical portion: World Magazine for Dec. 8, 2007 -- Page 25 -- Article entitled "Common word game" by Mark Bergin.
We should be ever vigilant about their growing influence in our own land, and we should be rightly concerned about what is being preached in their pulpits in the name of Allah and his only prophet, often in secret in their mosques, sometimes brazenly in the open.
And we should make no mistake: most politicians will deny we are in a holy war, but a large portion of Islam certainly seems to be in one with us: not simply us U.S, but us the Judeo-Christian West. The sooner we understand that, the sooner we might change our mindset, our approach, our strategizing and our tactics so that we might have results like what happened so long ago, and emulate Pres. Thomas Jefferson and his actions on the Barbary Coast, and the Marines success on those famed "shores of Tripoli."
We should be demanding that our borders be secured, and that where ever security is a concern, is should be focused like a laser beam on those who most need securing. Some might want to label that "profiling." In some cases I think it's simply a necessary, common sense initiative we are really late to be taking.
Really late, as in 9-11 late.
Finally, the next time someone wants to try to say that Islam is a religion of peace, we should remember Gillian Gibbons, and remember that the only religion of peace comes from the Prince of Peace Himself.
It might take a great effort not to want to offer them a teddy bear named Muhammed. While we're at it, we'll need to simply resist the temptation to respond, "Islam, a religion of peace? Bah-humbug!" At least I will. Just trying to be honest, my friends.
But while it will take some effort -- at least I know it will with me and for me -- I can still resort to prayer, and asking God for the grace to be humble -- and perhaps most important, because I truly want to love and serve our Lord -- I ought to be more concerned with trying to share His peace with them.
At least I will try to be, and I will try to do just that. Again, just trying to be honest, and elicit your prayer support as well.
I praise the Lord Gillian Gibbons has been reunited with her family, and I truly pray this inicident is a wake-up call for all, Christian or not. [And especially if someone considers themself a "moderate Muslim," to really take a long, hard look at the peace their religion brings and gives. It's not too much to hope that they will do so in the light of my Prince of Peace, the Lord Jesus Christ, King of all Kings, Lord of all Lords, very God of very God.]
So, what do you think?
Thanks again for stopping in, and for giving me a few moments of your time and attention.
Until next time, my blessings to you,
Timotheous, a brother in Christ
NOTE: This was written on Monday, November 26 and posted online on Tuesday, November 27.
I'm feeling kind of tired tonight. Not having a set schedule doesn't help, of course, but it's more than just a physical tired. The financial pressures continue, and I'm still not having much success in finding another job. Since October I've sent out a lot of resumes and have had very little response. This week I did check the Sunday classifieds, however, I only saw a couple of jobs which might hold some promise to begin with, only to find on a second look that I might as well not even bother sending in a resume to them.
So here I am, this week, without any good job prospects. I'll keep hoping and praying.
And speaking of praying, I have many good reasons to pray. There is never a lack of needs, from self, and family, and those we know. But when you're feeling tired, and run down, and just plain down, it's hard to feel motivated to pray.
These thoughts are coming to me tonight as I study for this week's Bible Study, centered on Psalm 25, and as I think about struggles I've had with my own prayer life. Sometimes you simply need to take all the help you can get, no matter where you find it.
With regards to taking help no matter the source, I wanted to share something which was encouraging to me, precisely because it was convicting and challenging squarely where I need to be convicted and challenged when it comes to my own prayer life, and the struggles thereof. It came to me via an email from a pastor I only know by email, and it was apparently some very pointed prayer points written by Andrew Murray centuries ago [the comments were abridged from his work, The Ministry Of Intercession].
Bro. Murray had a wonderful ministry and testimony where prayer is concerned, and his writings still glow with the holy fire which can only come from an intimate association with the Holy One, an association which can only be intimate from time invested in prayer.
His thoughts are still working on me. Perhaps you too have a need in this area? Perhaps his words might work on you too? Allow me to share them with you [and perhaps a word or two from me] now...
-----
Restraining Prayer: Is It Sin?
By Andrew Murray
“Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.” (Job 15:4)
“Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way “(1st Samuel 12:23)
If we are to deal effectually with the lack of prayer we must ask, "Restraining prayer (prayerlessness), is it sin?" And if it be, how is it to be dealt with, to be discovered, and confessed, and cast out by man, and cleansed away by God? Jesus is a Savior from sin. To see that our prayer sins are indeed sins is the first step to a true and divine deliverance from them. Let us look at the sin of prayerlessness, and at the sinfulness that lies at the root of it.
1. The presence of sin makes the presence of God impossible. The presence of God is the great privilege of God’s people, and their only power against the enemy. Throughout Scripture is the great central promise: "I am with thee." This marks off the wholehearted believer from the worldling and worldly Christians around him: he lives consciously hidden in the secret of God’s presence. [Oh, to abide under the shadow of His wings!]
2. Defeat and failure are always owing to the loss of God’s presence. In the Christian life and the work of the Church, defeat is ever a sign of the loss of God’s presence. If we apply this to our failure in the prayer life, and as a result of that, to our failure in work for God, we are led to see that all is simply owing to our not standing in clear and full fellowship with God. His nearness, His immediate presence has not been the chief thing sought after and trusted in. He could not work in us as He would. Loss of blessing and power is ever caused by the loss of God’s presence. [How many have tasted the blessing of abiding to truly know the agony of loss? How many live in loss, and abide there so they do not know the true nature of their squalor?]
3. The loss of God’s presence is always owing to some hidden sin. Defeat is God’s voice telling us there is something wrong. He has given Himself so wholly to His people, He delights so in being with them, and would so fain reveal in them His love and power, that He never withdraws Himself unless they compel Him by sin.
THROUGH THE CHURCH THERE IS A COMPLAINT OF DEFEAT. POWERFUL CONVERSIONS ARE COMPARATIVELY RARE. THE FEWNESS OF HOLY, CONSECRATED, SPIRITUAL CHRISTIANS DEVOTED TO THE SER
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