The First Commandment is First for a Reason

Sunday Pastor Phil preached a sermon and I scolded him.  I told him he just stole my thunder.  I was preparing a post which I was calling
"Sermons the Devil Hates".

 

I got this thread from Todd Beery in a Monday night teaching.  I thought it was really good.

 

So in honor of both of these Godly men here is the teaching:

 

The devil doesn't much mind if you preach on why revival isn't happening in the church.  He doesn't mind if you preach on sin. It reinforces his condemnation program.  He doesn't mind if you teach on avoiding sexual sin, against homosexuality, against coveting your neighbors wife or stuff, against lying, against almost anything regarding commandments 4-10. 

 

It's ok with the devil if you want to preach against Liberalism.  I certainly do that a great deal.  The devil likes it when you tell people they are going to hell and that they need to come to the altar for the umpteenth time. 

 

Honestly he really doesn't mind so much if we preach on why we need to love our neighbor and give to the poor.  I mean, who does either of those things enough?  Guilt is the devils favorite tool.

 

That means the devil is all smiles in most churches most of the time. 

 

The only time he frowns and the sermon he opposes most of all is when we preach on keeping the first commandment first.  The reason is, a person can keep all of the commandments perfectly from 2-10 and go straight to hell.  I have known such people.  Good people, give to the poor, don't swear, take care of their parents, don't have graven images, don't kill, don't lie and couldn't care less what their neighbors have.  Good moral lost souls.

 

They are passive towards God.  They love their neighbor but don't love God with all their heart, mind, soul, being.  They are godless humanitarians headed for hell.

 

I know that seems harsh, but without the first commandment first all the others are meaningless.  A young rich ruler came to Jesus and asked what he must do to be saved.  Jesus rehearsed the "commandments".  The young rich ruler said, "That's me, I've done all that".  Then Jesus put an acid test in his way.  "Sell everything and follow me".  Nope.  I can follow 2-10 but not 1. 

 

Most of us in the church are like that today.  That's not  condemnation.  But not understanding the power of making the first commandment first in our lives has caused the church to become a powerless house of good works.  The nature of passionate intimacy can only happen if we first love God with everything that is in us.

 

Intimacy, embarrassing intimacy, passionate intimacy, integral intimacy will empower the weakest Christian to wonderful places in God.  Intimacy will cause us to touch a deeper place in God that will allow us to go higher.  As a nurseryman I know that a tree with shallow roots can't go very high before it blows over from some wind or another.  To go higher you have to go deeper. 

 

We put the responsibility on our worship leaders to take us higher and yet without people willing to go deeper that task is made triply difficult, perhaps impossible.  You can't go any higher than you have gone deeper. 

 

As a Jesus addict for a long time I can tell you that the holy addiction is worse / better than any drug you could take.  I find myself at a new place in Jesus and it only makes me want to go deeper.  I'm never satisfied.  I'm always seeking more.  I want to get a deeper depth so I can get a higher high.  Not experientially always, but spiritually.  I am spiritually most satisfied and unsatisfied at the same time.  This is the deep calling unto deep place I live my life.  The more I get the more I want and the more I want the more I get and so it goes.  He draws me to him deeper and deeper and it's so wonderful.

 

Oh, there have been times where I have drifted away and sought comfort in worldly things that used to satisfy.  Now when I do those things or indulge in those things I feel cheated.  The old high isn't there anymore.  It causes a dissatisfaction that can only be satisfied by a touch from God. 

 

That is how the first commandment manifests in my life.  It is not enough to just say "I Love you Lord and I lift my voice".   It is another thing to be so passionate that nothing less than his touch will keep me alive.  

 

I remember well when I met my wife and fell head over heels in love.  Seeing her, hearing her voice, her touch, her kiss was all I thought about.  I would do almost anything to get to her.  I was in love.  I was addicted. 

 

I still am.  But I now see how that same passion for intimacy I have for my wife manifests itself in my passion for Jesus. 

 

I would do anything for my wife.  I will do anything for Jesus.  Anything.  Lovers of God are better givers, workers, worshippers, pastors, worship leaders, prophets.  Better Christians in every way. We try to cajole them into being better Christians as Preachers.  But without love we end up with congregations of clanging cymbals without love.

 

We read 1 Corinthians 13 and assume it's about horizontal love for one another.  While that's an OK interpretation, it's really more about the first commandment.  It's saying that even if I gave everything I had to the poor, my body burned at the stake and I did it without love (first commandment first) it's all for naught.  2-10 obedience without #1.  1 Corinthians 13 is more about the vertical first commandment love than about the humanistic love.  If we get the vertical right, the horizontal will follow.  It must.

 

Here's what really irritates the devil.  God looks at the intentions of our heart, and even though we fail, as we get up and press on he counts it as righteousness.  The books of Romans and Hebrews has references to this.  How our intentions, or first failing steps, our set coutentince is reckoned to us as righteousness.  There is a passage in the book of Zechariah 4:10 where Zerrubable takes out a plumbline and holds it up to begin the building of the temple.  God in that one verse of prophecy rejoices over that intention as if the temple were already complete because in the spirit it is.  As the temple of the Holy Ghost when we hold up a plumb line in holding our heart of intimacy toward God he rejoices in the same way.  The intention of our heart is to God counted as if it were already done.  We can't ever really get there this side of the veil.  But turning from coldness toward intimacy holds a plumbline up that moves the heart of God.

 

That's keeping the first commandment first.  The intention.  We fail, but we press on. Of all the things we could or do preach on, the devil will oppose that single sermon more than almost anything we could say.  He doesn't want us to know that in this area we will never arrive but the process, the journey is accounted unto us as righteousness.  There is no guilt associated with that he can accuse us of as long as we continue to seek to go deeper with a holy dissatisfaction.

 

So, brothers Phil and Todd, keep preaching on the first commandment.  Everything else (2-10) will flow out of that if we get that one right.

 

Besides it irritates the Devil so much.  And that's just fine with me.

Barbarians at the Gate

I have friends who see themselves as Christians. They see themselves as good. They see themselves as believing that Church and State don't mix well. I have bad news. They don't understand the nature and mercy of God. They haven't comprehended the books of Isaiah and Ezekial. When with good intentions they try to parse the meaning of the "GOD VOTE" in the last election pontificating as if they understood.

They don't. They are ants in an anthill trying to explain the nature of a skyscraper. It's a hopeless mission.

So, I read this collumn by an editor of World Net Daily. It says much about the drift we have taken in America.

We are losing our soul and those who think they have discovered it have discovered nothing exept the bias of unbelief. We are in trouble and the barbarians are at the gate.

READ THE WHOLE THING UNLESS YOU ARE TOO FEARFUL TO KNOW THE TRUTH

The God vacuum: America and the barbarian hordes

By David Kupelian

In the Old Testament of the Bible, God is shown time after time chastising the House of Israel, His chosen but often disobedient people, by allowing barbarians to invade and plunder their cities and put many of them to the sword.

That is what the Western World, including America, is starting to experience today, having likewise turned away from God.

This raging conflict between Islam and the West, this "clash of civilizations" that many are calling World War III, is at root a spiritual war.

It's been said that it takes a religion to fight a religion. More precisely, it takes true faith to defeat a false one. And by true faith I don't mean a set of rules, rituals and doctrine in a book, any book. I mean a genuine personal relationship with the one true God, and a nation of such people who follow the laws of conscience that same God planted in each of their hearts.

What is the answer to the burgeoning threat of Islamic jihad? The simple and terrifying bottom-line answer is that there is no answer unless America finally awakens and gives up its insane rebellion against its own founding faith and values.

We're fond of praising our World War II-era forbearers who won that terrible conflict with another form of demon-possessed, expansionist fascism. But the "Greatest Generation" was different from this generation. It believed in God.

Come again? You say we also believe in God today? No, we don't – not as a nation.

The World War II generation believed in God. They believed that this God was the God of the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. They believed He created us in His image and that human life was therefore sacred, which meant we don't slaughter our offspring in the womb nor kill off our parents when they get old and sick. They believed in biblical morality when it comes to sex, which meant homosexuality, adultery and "shacking up" were sinful and wrong.

And they also believed God had uniquely blessed the United States of America, something Alexis de Tocqueville called "American Exceptionalism" – the conviction that America's enlightened Constitution, industrial and military might, unprecedented standard of living, and most of all its legendary liberty were the direct result of the Almighty's blessing on this special nation. Implicit in that belief was the understanding that, just as with ancient Israel, this divine spigot flowing with undeserved blessings could and would be turned off if we turned away from God.

Thus it was the "Greatest Generation's" national unity, based on its widespread cultural and religious fidelity to those core truths – what we call "Judeo-Christian values" – that gave them the confidence to fight and persevere and win the world war that confronted them, whatever sacrifices that effort required.

Today, America and Europe are being transformed by Islam because there is a spiritual vacuum in these once-Christian lands. Especially in Britain and Europe, where the Islamic invasion is already well advanced, analysts concede it's simply a matter of time before some of these nations have Muslim majorities. Then comes Shariah law and the total transformation of these formerly Christian countries into repressive Islamic states.

Think I'm exaggerating? The Netherlands' justice minister, Piet Hein Donner, recently announced he would let Shariah law take over his European nation – already rapidly filling up with Muslims – if the majority votes for it. Just as in other Arab-Muslim countries currently under this strict Islamic legal system, European nations under Shariah might well see amputations – as prescribed in the Quran – as punishment for certain crimes; women publicly flogged and sometimes hanged or stoned to death for adultery or other so-called "crimes against chastity"; and death sentences for leaving the Muslim religion, or even for preaching Christianity, as occurs in Pakistan under its notorious "blasphemy laws."

All the vain, prideful fantasies of the post-Christian, secular, multiculturalism-worshipping Europeans are crashing down around them. The French are so terrified of the Muslims that comprise 10 percent of their population that Parisian police won't even venture into Muslim communities on the outskirts of the capital city. Having traded the Christian faith of their fathers for the smug, self-righteous ecstasy of the socialist welfare state, they have no spiritual strength left with which to fight back the invading hordes.

What about America? Though the percentage of Muslims in this huge nation is much lower than in Europe, radical Islam already has a powerful foothold in many parts of American society. Beyond the obvious signs – like the rapid proliferation within the U.S. of Saudi-funded mosques, Islamic centers and schools teaching discontent and even hatred for America – consider just one of the many less-than-obvious "growth areas": our prison system.

"Muslim chaplains have established an Islamic radical regime over Muslim convicts in the American prisons," writes Stephen Schwartz in "Islam in the Big House." "Radical Muslim chaplains, trained in a foreign ideology, certified in foreign-financed schools, and acting in coordination to impose an extremist agenda have gained a monopoly over Islamic religious activities in American state, federal and city prisons and jails." He adds, chillingly, "Imagine each prison Islamic community as a little Saudi kingdom behind prison walls, without the amenities. They have effectively induced American authorities to establish a form of 'state Islam' or 'government-certified Islam' in correctional systems."

Will this nightmare ever end? It will only end, like all nightmares end, when we wake up.

We need to wake up and remember who we really are. We need to realize the bottom-line reality that man is a spiritual creature, and that he will have faith, one way or the other. If he doesn't embrace true faith, he will embrace false faith. It's not only automatic – it's God-ordained.

The most poignant scene in the film "United 93" – chronicling the events leading up to the Sept. 11, 2001, crash of the ill-fated jetliner into a Pennsylvania field – came toward the end when both passengers and terrorists were depicted as praying. It was just before the courageous group of passengers launched their revolt against the hijackers, and several were seen quietly, fervently reciting the Lord's Prayer, as though they were asking God for the superhuman strength and focus they would need to overpower the terrorists while facing almost-certain death. At the same time, the terrorist pilot, having been warned that a passenger rebellion was imminent, was also praying to his god, begging Allah for help and strength to prevail against great odds. The image of these two mortal enemies, each praying to his god for victory, was electrifying – a perfect distillation of the conflict into which we have been plunged.

We can't – and won't – win this war without God. He knows when and where the next big terror attack is being planned against America. He knows where bin Laden is hiding. Only He can give us the unearthly wisdom and strength required to be longsuffering and merciful when restraint is called for – and to be merciless when outright, heart-stopping, shock-and-awe devastation is called for to defeat the enemy. Most of all, only genuine fidelity to God will give us the gift of true righteousness – an otherworldly quality that terrifies the wicked, inspires the decent and mysteriously delivers victory into the hands of His people.

When God withheld His protection from ancient Israel because of the disobedience and faithlessness of His people, there was only one possible solution: They had to repent of their pride and folly and come back to Him.

Do we somehow expect the Almighty to grant a different remedy to us?

Time to Eternity

A friend, Mentor, and a formative agent of my spiritual condition, Pastor John Bollmann has changed worlds. On November 8th he struggled with his heart and stepped from time into eternity with his family surrounding him.

John was the Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in Ellendale North Dakota when I was confirmed in 1959. My parents were killed in a motor vehicle accident 6 weeks later. He conducted the funeral. I actually remember what he said that day. Here's a picture of the church building where all these things happened.

I have great men who have been agents of development for me. Men who invested themselves in my life and for that I am eternally thankful.

John's investment during those years for me was to help me reach depths in God that allowed me to go higher. You can't go higher if you won't go deeper. I was never satisfied to stay the same. Pastor John was a pusher as hooked me on Jesus like he was giving me Crack Cocaine.

Even though I drifted and I sought out lots of optional directions for a while, the teachings and principles I learned from that little catechism still frame my life. When I came back to Jesus at age 33 I knew there had to be more. I wouldn't be satisfied without finding much more. John hoped I would get it in traditional Lutheran venues, but I was looking for more. It wasn't in the churches with the same name on the door but without John and his encouragement in finding more.

I remember meeting with him several years ago in Palos Park IL after we had moved to Chicago. When he asked where I was attending church and I told him he was disappointed. I could see it in his eyes. Later he came to see my Brother John who was staying with us while doctoring in Chicagoland. That was a precious time. Now he stands with hands upraised in robes of pure white on the sea of glass before the throne of God. I have a feeling he may understand the addiction better now. I was just seeking heaven on this side of the veil before I go to the other side.

There are no Lutherans in heaven. There are no Catholics in heaven. There are no Pentecostals in heaven. There are only passionate worshippers of Jesus in Heaven, full of glory with joy unspeakable. Seems like it should be like that here on earth as it is in heaven. At least we should try. We pray it, why not us, why not here, why not now?

I had lunch with Brother John and His College Roommate Harold Hein a couple years ago. Harry is a member of our church. It was delightful. I felt like I was home. Brother Harry called me today to tell me that John had gone on ahead.

The funeral is Wednesday. I don't have a place to send cards but the service will be at Trinity Lutheran Church of Tinley Park IL.

Brother John, you were and are loved. You got everything we are promised on earth, 3 score and 10 or maybe 20 if God grants his grace.

Grace was granted well into 4 score. You were full of years.

Life is best when well lived.

John lived it well.

11-11-11 Thanks Falls Short

Every Year about this time I get a little choked up.  I think of the men and women of the Military from the Revolutionary War to today's conflicts in the Middle East.  Emotion grabs me.

 

I guess we all do.  So, what do we do?  Send a card?  Say a prayer?  Say Thank You?

 

I do, I did, but it feels inadequate.  I live a simple whole life because I am free, a freedom purchased with blood.  I could go all spiritual on you here; another time.  I'm talking about the blood of patriots shed on the field of battle. 

 

I guess that's why I'm such a devoted conservative.  I think anything that diminishes or demeans the sacrifice made by those wonderful warriors is on the verge of sacrilege. 

 

I wasn't always this passionate.  I wasn't always this thankful.  I was much younger and more stupid then. 

 

This probably is why my devotion to God and Country is so deep and deeply felt.  It is why when during this recent election people who demeaned our military received my personal vilification at such an intense level.

 

It's why I want our military to do what it takes to win.  That's why this idiocy regarding charging Rumsfeld for war crimes angers me so.  Abu Graib was an embarrassment, not a crime. The fact there are young warriors in jail right now in California for doing what they knew to be right is a travesty.  If we as a country really valued and honored our war heroes alive and dead we would immediately release every one of these men and women from all these embarrassments.  I hope before President Bush leaves office he pardons them all in one fell swoop. 

 

Winning means that the human freedom and vision woodpile is higher than when we went in.  I think that has happened in Afghanistan, it is happening in Iraq.  Oh, the battle isn't done.  The struggle against forces trying to defeat freedom is never finished. It isn't finished in the USA.  We still have freedom hating demagogues in our political system.  I won't name them.  Your list would be different from mine.

 

So on this day after the birthday of the Marines, on this veterans day, I salute those who serve and served.  You are worthy of our honor. 

 

Thanks seems so inadequate.  I guess you have to know how I mean it.

 

 

 

Are you Called? - Part 2

I remember the funeral of my Grandmother. The church was packed. She had lived a rich full life. She and her late husband had a lot of children. They were all there, with a slew of her grandchildren, and a passel of great-grandchildren. Add in the spouses of the generations, nieces and nephews and their children.

The church was pretty much filled with family, all coming before God to commend her back to him. I visited the grave at that little country cemetery a few weeks back. I stood and thought what if? This is the church our family built when they came from Germany and settled in South Dakota. It's closed now.



What if she had not met or married her husband in the late 1800s, what if they had not gotten married. Most of the people in that Lutheran Church would not have existed from the middle-aged grandparents to the little kids squirming in the pews. The union of those two has had consequences they could never have dreamed about, leading to untold lives down thru the generations, untold marriages and untold new children being born.

Businesses were created, political figures emerged, food was produced, communities were led, churches ministered in, all people called by God out of a family calling.

God could have done this by divine creation; he could have repopulated the earth each time a new generation passed without using humans. But he uses humans, procreation, and parenthood.

That’s why the fourth commandment exists. The foundation of all of the law regarding man to man comes from this. All authority roots from the concept of parenting. We have lost much of that in our society but it’s time to get it back.

We understand that Family Beruf is important. But what about the more mundane.

Can we understand a ministry of cleanliness as is executed by those who are called to that work?

• Those who collect our thrash
• Those who fix our plumbing
• Those who clean our toilets
• Those who clean up after you in hotel rooms
• Those who maintain your school or church

This is the way God deals with your environment. Those people if they know it or not are called with a gift of work to minister cleanliness for you and yours.

Your Beruf is a GIFT from God. Unfortunately not everyone sees it that way. That happens because we don’t hear the call of God in our work. It happens because we are told:

1. Study Hard
2. Get Good Grades
3. Graduate from a Good College
4. Get a Good Job with a Good Pension
5. And LUMP IT. Hate every day of the drudgery they call work.

One of the greatest mental health issues psychiatrists deal with in the world today is people who hate the work they do. This is a crime. God wants so much more for us.

What God wants for you is that your heart sings in your calling, in your Beruf. It is your highest and best calling when the following are true:

1. It’s something you love
2. It’s something you are accomplished at
3. It’s something you know and understand well
4. It’s something you see thru the big picture purpose
5. It’s something you would do even if you weren’t paid to do it

That is your calling. And it will change over time. God will change the call on your life. He gives new calls for his purposes. When he does you will know it’s him and respond.

This isn’t about our immersion in Jesus. That NEVER changes.

But things do change:

• Family calls change (Empty nest, divorce, widowhood)
• Churches (you are always a member of the body but different churches)
• Government and Community (Parties in power, laws)

And
Today’s 21st Century Graduates are now told to expect at least 5 career changes in their lifetimes. Not 5 job changes. 5 total new and different occupations.

I think I’ve had 10. Most people I know have had at least 3.

So, the idea that our call from God is static (Unchanging) is flawed.

The question we must ultimately ask ourselves is do I give Glory to God in my Beruf?

• In my Family – do I operate as the face and hands of Jesus?
• In my Community - Do I take part, do I vote, do I do my duty?
• In my Church – Am I there, am I part of it, does it matter?
• In my Beruf – How do I glorify God in what I do

I believe that scripturally we glorify God best when we exhibit 3 primary characteristics:

1. Integrity
2. Diligence
3. Focused attention on work

I am constantly frustrated by Christians who use the boss’s time to initiate Bible study on the job, have a big booming Bible on the desk, Fill their cubicle or work area with pictures of Jesus, crosses and scripture verses, They spend time they get paid for praying and not working (receive the Holy Ghost and pray in tongues, you can then do both).

Some Christians are so busy handing out tracts to fellow workers getting them saved they are a poor employee. I want to see us witness to others by who we are. An epistle read by all men.

The fact is, if we know our calling, if we know who we are, we will walk in confidence and authority. The phone should ring at churches across the nation by bosses asking for more Christians to hire.

There is an apocryphal story about a priest who lived in a small town a century back in Europe. It was a Jewish community. One day as this priest walked thru town he spotted a young man who was guarding a home. The priest asked him who he worked for. The young man explained.

As the priest walked away the young man asked him, “Rabbi, Who do you work for”. The Priest was flustered and said, “I don’t work for anyone” and walked on. A few minutes later the Priest returned and asked the young man if he would consent to go to work for him. The young man pondered and said sure.

Asking what his duties would be of the Priest, The Priest said, “To ask me every day who I work for”.

He didn’t want to ever again forget. Let us do the same.

City Limits of Sodom

The hogs on our farm growing up were creative. If they could get their snout thru the gate they could get out to where the really good stuff was kept, like our garden.

That’s why we kept the gate shut and didn’t allow even the nose to stick thru.

Well, the hogs are out and there is cheering all around. I am a traditional family values guy regarding marriage, particularly marriage between a man and a woman. I believe in marriage. Several state referendums were passed this last election which was supposed to be sooooo liberal against same sex marriage.

But, even with all that, I am pessimistic. The conservatives don’t stand for this. They haven’t gone to the mat. They have allowed the hog to get his nose out and now the thing is running wild. I had said a year ago that if same sex marriage was codified then polygamy would be next. Well, it’s here.

What’s next, marriage to your dog or cat? Marriage between brothers and sisters? Sons marrying their mothers? Grandfathers marrying their granddaughters? What prohibitions are left?

We are losing this cultural battle. I’m sad about it.

I point to this article that appeared in the Sunday opinion section of the Chicago Tribune. It also appeared on Townhall.Com. Is gay marriage a threat to marriage? It’s long but interesting. Steve Chapman basically says, there is nothing threatening about same sex marriage to the family. Really.

Look here is the rest of the hog. In the Chicago Sun Times on Sunday this article was printed on the front page of the commentary section. An Attorney, Gary Becker, wrote for this website and it’s interesting but troubling. Is There a Case for Legalizing Polygamy? He is endorsing legalized polygamy. Not for religious purposes, just legalized polygamy.

These arguments seem really harmless until you take them to their logical extension.

How far are we really from the degradation of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah? I can see the city limit’s sign clearly.

We are in such deep doo doo.

Are You Called? Part 1

What is a call? What does it mean? How does it help us? Can wel be anchored in our calling? Our calling is most often understood by our work. But, it is much deeper and richer than that. Our callings in life, are Holy unto God. When you do the work you do you are doing something Holy.

So the question is, what is holy about work. Is any work truly Holy? Is being a Pastor more holy than being a garbage man? Most pastors and many garbage men might say YES. They would be wrong. If we understand the concept of work we can grasp the meaning of the holy in what we do every day. All work is Holy when it is part of our call.

Work - Vocation - Employment was written about a great deal in Martin Luther's booklet called, "The Freedom of the Christian".

The problem is when much of what Luther wrote about work which is so essential in today's world is lost in translation. For real. For instance, Luther wrote a paper called, "die Kichliche Gesamteausgabe" I speak enough German to know that those who translated that title into "Holy Orders" were not great German Scholars. The problem with language is that you can say things in one language that simply won't translate into another.

Holy Orders should have been translated "The totality of the missions and purposes within Christian pursuits that are callings and commands (Orders) of God".

OK, Holy Orders it is, but you see the problem. It doesn't translate.

When I lived in Germany a friend of mine (a Pastor) asked me "was ist ihre Beruf". Now in America we might ask, what do you do for a living? That isn't what he exactly asked me. Just as Luther was trying to help people understand the call of God in his writings regarding the work they did He was asking me what my Call was. He really was asking me, What is your calling, profession, occupation, work, who are you, vocation? Complex stuff.

Luther maintained accurately that God Calls and installs people to accomplish his missions on the earth.

I had an appendix attack. I believe in divine healing. God could have healed me on the spot. He did heal me.

• The Doctor analyzed my problem
• The Surgeon did an operation
• The Anesthesiologist gassed me
• The nurse helped me back to life
• A prescription was filled by a pharmacist to waylay any infection

SO, in this case, God healed me, but he wore the mask of the medical community in doing so. He used the Beruf of the professionals in getting me well.

We pray in the Lords prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread”.

He does:
This morning I had Cinnamon Toast.

• The farmer grew the wheat
• The trucker hauled it to the terminal
• The trainman drove it to the mill
• The millers ground it
• The Trucker hauled the flower to the baker
• The Baker baked it
• It was delivered by the Pepperidge Farm Guy
• The checkout lady took my money

Then I ate my God Given daily bread

My daily bread was provided by the beruf of many people doing what God called them to do. God wore a mask providing it.

We are all called to particular berufs. That's how God cares and governs his created order.

God

• Teaches thru Teachers
• Protects thru Firemen and Police
• Soldiers and Government control chaos
• And he provides beauty thru artists and musicians.

He uses each person in the various callings in their life to accomplish his purposes.

Oh sure, we can SIN in our beruf. The crooked store clerk who steals from his boss, the used car salesman who lies about the miles on the cars he sells. Flim flam is sin. It's a misuse of your calling from God. It is taking the name of the Lord in vain.

We all have at least 4 berufs in our lives. I think of 4 in particular for me:

1. Family - Husband, Father, Son
2. Work - Worker, Boss, Employee, Businessman
3. Community - Citizen, Taxpayer, Voter, Candidate, Official, Activist
4. Kingdom of God - Church, Helps, Worshipper, Giver, Teacher, Caregiver, Leader, Participant and even Minister

If we keep our eyes open we can see God all around in our lives wearing the mask of people fulfilling the calls in their lives. It's God in a Mask. Think of the waitress that waited on you, or the guy who bagged your groceries.

They are angels unawares. How we treat them is how we would treat God.

And conversely God is in us. Hidden to be revealed in out callings.

But remember, we can sin in our beruf.

• Parents can abuse children
• Doctors might abort babies
• Businessmen can be crooked
• And Government can be corrupt (even in Illinois)
  

It is SIN. But God can and is always in it. He can even use the error of sinful men to accomplish his purposes or Romans 8:28 isn't true.

Part Two:
How God uses generations to fulfill his call on families

Catching the Bus

We lived far off the road on the farm near Harwood ND when our kids were small and rode the bus. When Kevin was born we got Skip. Skip was a little dog; A wirehaired rat terrier. He looked like a Russell Terrier. He was supposed to be Kevin's dog but I stole him. I guess as much as you can I loved that little dog. I cried when he died right after Kevin at 18 years graduated high school.

Lots of life happened during that time.

Skip chased cars, trucks, tractors and his favorite, the school bus. He would run that baby down and bark like a madman. The joke always was, what would he do with it if he caught it? The answer was the same as the Democrats face.

They chased the bus, they barked, the media cheered them on and now they have caught the bus. Like little Skipper Dog the real question is, what are you going to do with it. I don't think they know. They had no actual ideas during the election other than "We ain't Bush".

Unfortunately, the Republicans blew it; they shot themselves in the foot. Now they handed that gun to the Dems.

So, enjoy those new drapes Ms Pelosi. Maybe they will let you take them with you when you lose again.
I hope for all that is Holy that will be the case in two years or maybe four.

Grab that 20" truck tire and hang on with all your might.

Lazy NO

I had a friend who was an exec in a large firm. His easy way out of any decision was to just say no. It wasn't about Nancy Reagan, it was about being just plain lazy. It was easier to say no than to consider the situation, apply intelligent problem solving methods and come up with a practical solution for change. I recently read an article that described him exactly. Read it here.

NO or it's close relative "inaction" is simply gutlessness or sometimes simple laziness. A friend I had long ago in the ministry when he wanted to table something (say no) couldn't bring himself to disappoint people so he would just say, "I'll pray about it". We all came to understand that meant NO.

We loved him but his inaction cost him in ministry. He hated to deal with difficulty. I was in leadership in the church and often would push him to make a decision that would empower those who could get things done. He lived under the illusion that if he just said, "I'll pray about it" that things might get better. They never did.

So we lurched from crisis to crisis, never making adjustments or decisions. The Church never grew or adapted. I left the church after some problems developed in his marriage. Couldn't say no I guess.

Becoming an executive, a leader, a pastor sometimes the system rewards inaction and a lack of courage. If you never stick your neck out you no one can cut your head off. If you do nothing there is nothing to criticize. I guess no one ever kicks a dead dog. That’s what this really is, leadership death.

I am of a differing bent. I will use a baseball bat sometimes to get action. I can border on the brutal. But, things happen. Many are good. Change takes place. People whine but net results are what count. I let those who like to appease and say no sit on the sidelines. They can mop up after the victory and take the credit. I don’t care.

Kind of like Da Bears yesterday. I would rather have players who reached out, tried, did what they could and fell on the field of battle than 100 nay sayers who were on talk radio after the game telling about how Quarterback Rex Grossman throws off the back of his heels and doesn't lean in when he throws. The ball sails.

OK, hotshot. Do something. You don't have to get on the field, make some constructive direction. Go to Lovie. Tell Rex. Don't bitch about it on the radio.

NO-MONGERS, INACTION ADDICTS, SIDELINE CRITICS.

Laziness. Not worthy of being called a leader.

Winston Churchhill was my kind of Guy. Of course he lost the election after he won the war. But, he’s my hero. Principled, man of action, gutsy, didn't always win but always fought the good fight. I don't always win right away, but I'll play till I do. I've got more staying power than my opposition.

Nevah, Nevah give up. Fight On!

Ted Haggard will sleep well tonite

The glee on the part of the godless left with the fall of Ted Haggard is understandable. High Profile, successful, honored, trusted, respected and the kind of man people nearly can fall into worship of Sins in Spades and gets found out.

Of course that’s the good part of being the godless left. You don’t HAVE to maintain or live up or down to anything. Just do whatever you like and let er rip. No one outs them, they are all out. Down and Out but Out none the less. NO standards means no sin or evil counts for or against you. Just do whatever seems right to you. It's ok there is no God.

I try to live my life with integrity and who I am. I try not to put on an act. I do sometimes but for the most part I yam who I yam.

The problem with spiritual greatness real or imagined is that you must live a life which no man or woman can ever really live. Only one man ever did and they crucified him. Oh a few poets, a few poor preachers, a few artists get close. But most of us are very flawed.

The fault isn’t Haggard’s per se. It the environment which doesn’t allow for transparency.

He must have often screamed inside, “I’m a horrid sinner, I need help, help me”. But he had too much to lose. The world, the flesh and the devil had him in bondage. And he had no one in his life he trusted enough to tell the truth to. No one he could confide in. THERE is the real crime.

I walk in Pentecostal circles. Many major leaders in these circles live pretty lavish lifestyles. They live pretty high on the hog. Caddys Rolls’s and who knows what.

That’s not true of all. Pastor Schmidgall of Calvary Church who earned a decent but not extraordinary salary lived in the same simple house for 30 years, drove 5 year old used cars, and didn’t take a lot of lavish vacations till the day he died. He always parked the furthest from the door on Sunday mornings so visitors could find a place. His successor now earns nearly 4 times what he did. I’ll bet he has a dedicated parking place.

Pastor Dan of First Assembly never TOOK a salary till the day he died. Oh, they paid him one, but he saw to it that it all went back. Not many people know this. He made money on the side buying and selling vehicles, stocks, and a few other investments. His successor will earn double what Pr Dan did or more.

I want the men of God in my life to make good money. I want them to live comfortably. I don’t want them to starve. But, when you reach a level of “Prosperity” as Ted Haggard did the need to keep the mask on and avoid transparency is driven by the fear of loss of lifestyle. So, I would rather that the men of God I associate with live fasted lifestyles by choice. I don’t have to worry about them so much. This is not a keep the preacher poor theology but the deceitfulness of riches can destroy anyone.

Well, Ted and his wife will now go thru a radical lifestyle change. The big house will go away. It’s over. I hope the marriage survives but the record on this is poor.

For what? I don’t get it. Meth and Gay Sex?

Neither does the pagan left. The cynicism they have shown is pure and unbridled hypocrisy. The glee they show at this says more about them then anyone.

Would I like to be in well-paid full time ministry? Sometimes. Mostly not. No one can fire me but Jesus. I can tell anyone the truth. I’m dangerous. I care too much about the kingdom of God to allow things to go too far. I have nothing to hide. I’m flawed. I am sometimes sinful. But, I know in whom I have believed.

I suspect Haggard does too. I’ll bet tonight will be the best night of sleep he has had in a long time. The pressure’s off. Yes, his former life is over, I don’t know about his marriage. But this is a warning shot across the bow. Judgment begins in the house of the Lord.

Boy did it.

Fun Fun Fun till my daddy takes the Bobcat Away

We are having a workday at church tomorrow.  I rented a Bobcat Skid Steer Loader. 

 

I worked a couple hours on it tonite.

 

FUN!

 

Push and pull dirt, dig holes, pretend I am someone.

 

OK, I'll be honest.  It's a baby Bobcat.  400 something.  I think I could pick it up and carry it.

 

But, I dug and pushed and pretended.

 

It was really fun.

 

I can't believe people do this for a living and actually get paid for it.

 

Where do I sign up?

Every Breath You Take - a GIFT from God

This morning was a sudden death in our fellowship. A young woman, wife and mother of two at age 23 suddenly gone.

I have seen this several times in my 6 decades on earth. It's not just painful and wrenching, it's inexplicable. There is no why. There is no reason. It just is.

I tend not to get too theological at a time like this. It rehearses those things all of us know so well. There is nothing except the weeping and pain. Nothing that is except Jesus. And Jesus IS Enough. At the time it can seem trite and hackneyed to declare this truth.

But wait a little while: when the quiet is deafening, when the pain is tripled, when the pressure makes our insides want to scream in a wail of anger, Jesus is there. There in ways that passes any capacity to comprehend. There He is, close, intimate, surrounding, loving, and filled with compassion. Not abstract, not distant, not meaningless. He shows up in those times without answers but with assurance.

Somehow He takes all the pain and ripping in our lives and reweaves them into a new fabric we don't yet see. Our most horrible losses are somehow made not just passively acceptable, but infinitely understood thru an infinite God.

We must now rest in peace. She already is. As much as she is missed, she is whole and complete now. We will be too, someday. That is the blessed hope.

Un-Masked

I own this mask, I know how it fits, I try hard to avoid wearing it. I wear it more often than I wish I did.
Sometimes I catch myself ripping it from the faces of others without permission.

That is wrong.

Sometimes theres nothing behind there and it's not fair to just strip away all that's left of safety. Life without the mask is very scary for some people.

I will stop.

Sorry.

Can Zippy Govern?

Every dog has his day. Sometimes that dog looks like a squirrel.

We have here in sunny Illinois two of the worst possible gubernatorial candidates known to man or woman.

Rod “Graft” Blagojevich and Judy “Pay-me-off” Barr Topinka.

They are both part of the culture of corruption and mediocrity. I don’t plan to vote for either.

The local radio station dominant in our market did a call in poll the other day. They asked people to vote for one of 3 candidates for Gov, Rod or Judy OR Zippy the Squirrel. After a hundred or so phone in votes Zippy was ahead of both the other candidates with 80 votes. 20 were split between the other two. Now, the question is, can Zippy govern? Well he’s a squirrel. He has a bushy tail and likes nuts. That’s about the same as our two candidatures. Except Zippy is faster on his feet and can climb trees.

Now, I’m sure you understand I can’t vote for the Democrat. My head would explode. So, why am I so angry with Judy Barr T?

She’s a moderate on lots of things, Pro Choice, Taxes, Etc
She is not conservative as I would want in a governor
She is part of the “MY TURN” politics in IL where just surviving is enough to get the nomination

And, she was the driving force in bringing in Alan Keyes to run against Barak Obama for the seat Jack Ryan bailed out on. Keyes was an embarrassment, a good guy, perhaps a great leader someday, but for this purpose at that time it was designed to prove once and for all that a conservative can’t win in IL. I’m sorry I don’t buy it. I don’t think a moderate can win.

So, for that intentional slap in the face of all I hold dear I will vote Whitney, the green candidate.

I know that means Blago will win. I just want the party of Lincoln to come back home. A solid slap in the face will do them some good. OOOOO I needed that.

We had some pretty good conservative candidates but the machine wouldn’t let them in.

By the way, Judy Barr Topinka is running behind in the polls, 29 to 44 for Blago.

Couldn’t happen to a nicer person. I hope this is the last we have to hear about her and the politics of phony conservatism in IL. I’m sick of it all.

Vote Green for Gov.

Pastor Appreciation

I received some Pastor Appreciation notes this last month. I'm not a pastor. I am a minister of the Gospel of Christ. Called as Teacher-Prophet. Not Pastor.

So when one came addressed to "Reverend Redlin" I was amused and bemused.

On the other hand, I am going to ask the men to consider their BERUF (Calling, Vocation, Profession, Work) this weekend. Who do they really work for and what does that look like? I am called to work in the ministerial beruf here and now. I don't apologize or hang my head in false humility. It's a Beruf of God. We all have one. We must find it and walk it out. That's what I am believing will happen.

So, in the spirit of the appreciation, I say to all, thanks. I am privileged to be called to this Beruf in your midst of furthering the Kingdom of God in our lives.

Sometimes that is not easy. Sometimes it is in fact painful. One note came from a man with whom I had earlier had strong "Words" with. He is a man of God and knows that when it comes to kingdom things our egos have no place. Even when we get frank and practical with each other we can step out of ourselves and come up higher. That's the gift of Agape.

Thanks from the Rev....

One of a kind

WIth a Tip of the Hat to Eric, I discovered I'm one of a kind. You can find out if you are alone in the universe or not. Son Kevin is one of 3. Not very creative of me is it?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 3 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Net Results

When I was a younger man, (much younger) I worked for a cantankerous old fellow for about 8 years. Clair Hudson. He’s now long since gone. Much of what I learned in life I learned from him. Not all of it was good but some was.

One thing he constantly hammered me with was the need for net results in whatever was done.

Trying hard, even working hard didn’t hold much water with him. He used to say to me, “Redlin, steers try, but all it does is wear them out and annoy the cows”. Nothing happens. No net results.

That has molded me to be less tolerant of half-hearted attempts (trying) without an eye on net results.

Of course, everyone must have the chance to make it work, they must have the chance to carry the ball; but at some point if nothing is happening or if it even gets worse then the tolerance for TRYING must end. Net results must rule the day.

I watched the Bears beat the 49rs yesterday. It would have been a better game if the 49rs had shown up. They didn’t. The coach left a weak team on the field too long. There was a critical time before the end of the first half where he should have pulled the trigger and changed out a few key players. Even for a while. The steers were getting tired.

I watched the Cardinals beat the Tigers. The Tigers were a better team but the Cardinals were hungry for net results and did whatever it took to get them.

This all comes up because I am in a very serious business transaction right now. One of the management parties is messing around and won’t make the modifications needed to get the deal done. He insists on doing things his way. I spoke with him this morning. Without making the one major change that the market requires things are going to go downhill further. He is a bullhead.

I’m constantly amazed when things are collapsing all around a man in a key position he will stick to a failing strategy because it’s all he knows how to do. He won’t allow others to speak into his life and help him find a winning way. Hubris it’s called. “I know better, I’ve had lots of experience that allowed us to do this at a former company.” It’s not his fault. “The customers just don’t get it, they will if we just stay on course”. “Or maybe we need to find a new customer base”. Never mind that the customer base in his own back yard is rejecting his marketing program. He announced to me that he wants to sell in zone’s 7 and 8. Not 4 and 5 where he lives today.

Except they won’t buy the program no matter the zone. He has failed. The company will fail unless the board of Directors takes action and extracts him from his position. Just like the 49rs should have done. Like the Tigers should have done. It’s not that he isn’t trying. He works harder than any single man I know. He’s at the office before 6AM every day and there well past 7 in the evening.

It’s just that trying harder doing the wrong things gets the same. No net results. Not wrong results, no NET results. Failure.

AND

Tired steers and irritated cows.

PS: closed circuit, this isn’t about you Jeff

There's Gold in them thar Hills

I know it torments some who write me and say don't do this, Don't post someone elses writing. But, I have a friend, a brother, a fellow servent of God in Nigeria. I shared something very personal with him and while he may not know he did, the Holy Spirit gave him the incentive to send out this regarding what true GOLD looks like when God places it in us.

Read the whole thing, it will encourage you as it did me. He's a good brother and you would do well to hear what the Spirit is saying thru him.

Gene

Here is an ode to achievers in God's kingdom.....READ and be blessed through the power of the Holy Ghost.

This poem is SPECIALLY dedicated to everyone who has been endowed with a gift from God and is longing to make a mark on earth. Your gift shall not perish with you in Jesus' name!

- OLUFUNSO JOSEPH OMIDIRAN

THE GOLD IN YOU

Stolen virtues are difficult to apprehend

Errors of photocopy, so hard to amend

The weakness of the weakling worries a lot

But the virtuous ones will stand aloft

Provided you keep to that in you, given by God

You'd surely not live as a shadow of others

A 'copy-cat' is never a delight-some land

He is a novice in the school of perfect reality

He'd never go beyond the best counterfeit

But there's GOLD in you, a reality to follow

Let it be expressed and not suppressed on earth!

Neither shall you be repressed nor depressed in heart

Behold the GOLD in you, as sure as life

Be bold to take your place without a strife

Among the best in a world of test

True virtues may not be so appreciated

But of a truth, they will ever appreciate

Time will tell, the difference will show

'There's some GOLD in you', crieth the Spirit

But the lazy and the hazy can never dig for it

Did, dig, dig and dig again for the reality

GOLDEN virtue, hidden virtue in you created

Let it not die, quench not the Spirit

Yea, a spirit in man, the inspiration of the Almighty

Do not rot-off as a runt, but run to obtain

All that the King did call you to attain

Even the precious jewels made by the Maker

Cannot be imported, hardly can be imitated

Robbers cannot see it, they cannot steal it

But only you can find it or neglect it forever

Your hour doth surely come, let thy GOLD glow!

Stay tuned to your destiny, sell not your birth-right

Recover the precious gem in you with candor

You must reign in life through Him, the risen LORD

Rule thou with iron-rod in the midst of thine enemies

For CHRIST in you the King must reign

DR. OLUFUNSO J. OMIDIRAN
LIVING SWORD MINISTRIES INT'L
(Healing unto the Nations)
PLOT 3 ADERIBIGBE LAYOUT, DIRECTLY OPP.,
BISHOP PHILLIP'S ACADEMY,IWO ROAD,
G.P.O BOX 12440, IBADAN 200001, NIGERIA
E-mail: info@livingsword.org Website: www.livingsword.org
TEL: +2348023387552, +2348032206092
JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

Justice versus Mercy

I am not conflicted by the spiritual and temperamental makeup I carry. I am conflicted by those who seem to imply that I should be different. Somehow I am less a Christian (in their eyes) because I have certain gifting.

I received a clear picture of how I approach the world and how it looks much like my political leanings as well.

To understand Justice versus Mercy you need to see the picture I saw:

There is a cliff, a high cliff overlooking sharp craggy rocks. People are coming to the edge of the cliff. Some are jumping off, some are being pushed off, some are wandering off, some are blind and can’t see they are being led off to oblivion and a few see the edge and step back.

Below the cliff are the broken and wounded people who have fallen from the cliff. They are in pain, some have died, and they need help.

Those who are mercy driven (I thank God they exist) will be drawn to bind up the wounds of those who are falling from the cliff.

Those who are justice driven will run to the edge of the cliff and yell STOP! They will put up a fence and try to dissuade people from getting too close to the edge. They will do all they can to make the wrong thinking, wrong action and wrong directions from causing people to fall from the edge of the cliff.

That is what a Justice motivation does. Fixing causes not results.

In that scenario I know where I will be. I want to hammer on the injustice that causes people to fall. I’m not nearly as motivated to try to help those who already have fallen. Frankly it’s less rewarding emotionally to work in justice rather than in mercy. Those that already fell know they need help. They are thankful for your mercy.

Those just wandering on the edge of the cliff will treat you with disdain and contempt. I’m OK with that. I don’t want them falling off the edge. I want to build a fence or persuade them to step back. I care that they are safe and secure.

That is the prophetic motivation. I want people to see the cliff, see the people at the bottom, and help them step back.

This has to do with my ministry, my giving, and my efforts. I met a couple who take street kids in Kenya who might become armed and dangerous rebels and teach them to become rebels for Jesus, saving souls, doing good, healing all that are oppressed of the devil. They are making a difference in a nation.

Or a man named Jamison from India that I met. Teaching Men and Women who God has chosen to lead the nation back from the brink of paganism.

Or a Church that intentionally makes a move to take back a region for Jesus, healing families, reprioritizing values, and releasing these same people into the work of the ministry.

I am not too interested in helping poor people who have decided to be poor and live off the goodness of others. I have worked in our local homeless shelter enough to know much of what goes on there is ennablement. I’ll leave that kind of thing to those who are mercy driven.

Even feeding the poor in other countries without doing what the couple in Kenya is doing is just making fat lost people. Show me what you are doing to resolve the situation and I’ll get behind you. Showing me you feed 10,000 kids a day doesn’t move me. Don’t just get them up, get them out!

So, don’t try to sign me up for your mercy mission. Not interested. DO sign me up to help stop the injustice that causes your mercy mission to exist. I sometimes think the motivation of some in mercy missions mean that IF somehow all people under their care were made whole they would be out of a job. I know that’s cynical but I’ve seen things.

I want to work on fixing the causes and not putting a Band-Aid on the symptoms and negative results.

My politics are the same way. That’s no surprise. I’yam who I’yam and I’m not gonna takes it no more. I don’t want to fix the results of bad policy; I want to fix the situations that created or aggravated the negative results.

That’s why I’m a conservative.

Generational Divides

In the last couple days I have been in two fairly large conferences.

One was Crystal Lake IL put on by Ben Peters. Throne Room Christian Conference. There were perhaps 300 people in attendance. What was most interesting was the age diversity. It was almost half and half split. Half of the people were 45 and up, the other half was 25 and younger.

It struck me that there is a whole generation of 25-45 year old people missing.

Then I was at an investment conference (Yes, I admit, I still like the idea of making money). There were perhaps 500 people there. Nearly all of them were in the ages between 25-45 years old.

Now, I suppose one could make all kinds of assumptions about what that all means. The young people were too busy being young to thing about making money so they were at the conference, and the old people were past. Those at the investment conference were too busy at business to bother with a Christian conference.

I think it may be something else. Think of who was raised and who raised those 25-45 year old kids. Post war people, baby boomers, get all the gusto you can. We, I sent the wrong message to my kids. Fortunately for the most part they ignored me.

I have great confidence and hope in this generation coming up; The half that were at the Throne Room conference and not at the investment conference. Maybe there is a move back toward righteousness. I hope so.

By the way, the band that played at the throne room conference was about 10 people strong, no one over 30, not highly skilled, but highly sold out to Jesus. It truly was a joyful noise unto the Lord. I’ll take anointing over skill any day.

Ron Speaks the Truth about Government

Ron MacKenzie from Christchurch New Zealand writes a favorite Blog of mine, Blessed Economist. As the 2006 election draws to a close I think it is good to consider theologically the reality of Kingdom Rulership really looks like. We think it's Republican or democrat, but in God's eyes it's neither. In fact, the form of government we think we have in the USA, Democracy is one of the poorer forms. We actually have a republic. But in any case to see government thru accurate theologically Biblically correct eyes read what Ron has written. I have been following the series and think it's good to consider:

Many Christians equate the Church and the Kingdom of God. This is simplistic, but clearly Kingdom principles must be worked out in the church first, as an example and to draw others into God's Kingdom.

In the Kingdom of God, people should not dominate others, but serve each other (Luke 22:24-26). This principle should shape all that we do, including our organisations. Unfornately, the Church has not applied this principle, but has instead copied its management structures from the world. Bishops and Boards of Directors and Pastor/Leaders cannot demonstrate Kingdom government.

There was no government in the Garden of Eden, because there were no disputes to resolve. Even after the fall, civil government was not immediately needed, because families dealt with all disputes.

The need for civil government arose when people started to live in close proximity. Civil Governments was need to resolve conflict and limit theft and violence.

The incarnation, cross resurrection and ascension established Jesus as king of kings, lord of lords and government of governments. All kings and governments must submit to him.

Many human governments, perhaps most, are part of Satan’s kingdom. This happens when people in power use their power to do evil, or for purposes that go against or beyond God’s will.

The role of the state is limited to defence and justice.

Defence is limited to rare situations, where an army is invading, and there is a possibility of defeating it with a part-time militia that has allowed everyone who is afraid or has domestic commitments to go home. Defence really is a last resort.

Justice is limited to theft and violence. The punishment of theft is limited to restitution. The penalty for violence is generally limited to restitution. The death penalty is allowed, but only for really horrendous crimes that have been witnessed by two or more independent witnesses.

As the Kingdom of God expands, human governments will be transformed. God will shake them, so they collapse. Christians must be prepare to share the gospel when this happens. We must also be ready to explain how God’s government works.

Civil government will shrink. Authority will be pushed down and diffused among many people.

In the Magnificat, Mary prophesied what God would do through Jesus.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty (Luke 1:51-53).

Mary did not prophesy that kings would be replaced by constitutional democracies. She did not say that Herod would establish a department of social welfare or start providing food stamps. She warned that rulers would be brought down from their thrones and the ordinary people would be able to govern themselves. She said that the poor would be able to provide themselves with food through God’s blessings on their own endeavours.

If kings are brought down from their thrones, kingdoms must go too. They do not get replaced by nation states or parliaments, but by communities networked in the Kingdom of God.

God kept his word and destroyed Herod’s power in AD 70. Then he destroyed the Roman Empire. The Church missed the point, and tried to prop up the Roman empire, by establishing the Holy Roman empire.

The Church has been trying to maintain the power of the state ever since. We have been fighting against Mary’s prophecy, because we do not understand the Kingdom of God. If Jesus is King, then parliament is not.

10 Reasons Why I MUST vote Republican in 10 days

This is too Good NOT to be passed along so I will:

 

If the polls are to be believed, the Republicans who control the White House and Congress are in trouble.

Their problem?

People vote their pocketbooks, or wallets, the old adage goes.

But the economy is booming. Even gasoline prices have plummeted. Unemployment, the bogeyman of politicians, has shrunken to a record low point.

As for the security matter, since 9/11, the worst attack on American soil since the Civil War, the United States has been free of any significant terrorist attack. None. Zippo. Zilch.

If Americans do vote the GOP out of either House of Congress, many of these accomplishments are threatened.

Should Democrats get control of the House of Representatives, they have already promised that one of the Republican initiatives that made all these things possible will be rolled back.

Higher taxes -- and with it, economic recession and more unemployment.

The Democrats will also signal the terrorists a "victory" for their side with a push for a quick withdrawal from Iraq. Remember, the Congress, not the president, funds our troops abroad. A Democratic Congress will most assuredly withhold funding unless Bush relents.

The list of Republican accomplishments is both long and real, and provides the platform upon which even greater results will be built under a Republican Congress and White House.

For sure, the GOP has had its share of shortcomings. The economy could be doing better. The deficit could be smaller. The postwar plans in Iraq could have been better implemented.

If anything, the Republicans are facing a message deficit. The liberal media establishment is just not letting them tell their story to the American people.

Here are 10 good reasons why you should vote Republican come election day. You won't hear about them on ABCCBSNBC News.

Reason #1. The economy is kicking butt. It is robust, vibrant, strong and growing. In the 36 months since the Bush tax cuts ended the recession that began under President Clinton, the economy has experienced astonishing growth. Over the first half of this year, our economy grew at a strong 4.1 percent annual rate, faster than any other major industrialized nation. This strong economic activity has generated historic revenue growth that has shrunk the deficit. A continued commitment to spending restraint has also contributed to deficit reduction.

Reason #2. Unemployment is almost nil for a major economy, and is verging on full employment. Recently, jobless claims fell to the lowest level in 10 weeks. Employment increased in 48 states over the past 12 months ending in August. Our economy has now added jobs for 37 straight months.

Reason #3. The Dow is hitting record highs. In the past few days, the Dow climbed above 12,000 for the first time in the history of the stock market, thus increasing the value of countless pension and 401(k) that funds many Americans rely on for their retirement years.

Reason #4. Wages have risen dramatically. According to the Washington Post, demand for labor helped drive workers' average hourly wages, not including those of most managers, up to $16.84 last month -- a 4 percent increase from September 2005, the fastest wage growth in more than five years. Nominal wage growth has been 4.1 percent so far this year. This is better or comparable to its 1990s peaks. Over the first half of 2006, employee compensation per hour grew at a 6.3 percent annual rate adjusted for inflation. Real after-tax income has risen a whopping 15 percent since January 2001. Real after-tax income per person has risen by 9 percent since January 2001.

Reason #5. Gas prices have plunged. According to the Associated Press, the price of gasoline has fallen to its lowest level in more than 10 months. The federal Energy Information Administration said Monday that U.S. motorists paid $2.21 a gallon on average for regular grade last week, a decrease of 1.8 cents from the previous week. Pump prices are now 40 cents lower than a year ago and have plummeted by more than 80 cents a gallon since the start of August. The previous 2006 low for gasoline was set in the first week of January, when pump prices averaged $2.238. In the week ending Dec. 5, 2005, prices averaged $2.19. Today, gasoline can be found for less than $2 a gallon in many parts of the country.

Reason #6. Since 9/11, no terrorist attacks have occurred on U.S. soil. Since 9/11 the U.S. has not been attacked by terrorists thanks to such programs as the administration's monitoring of communications between al-Qaida operatives overseas and their agents in the U.S. and the monitoring of the international movement of terrorist funds -- both measure bitterly opposed by Democrats.

Reason #7. Productivity is surging and has grown by a strong 2.5 percent over the past four quarters, well ahead of the average productivity growth in the last 30 years. Strong productivity growth helps lead to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product, higher real wages, and stronger corporate profits.

Reason #8. The Prescription Drug Program is working. Despite dire predictions that most seniors would refrain from signing up to the new Medicare prescription benefits program, fully 75 percent of all those on Medicare have enrolled, and the overwhelming majority say they are happy with the program.

Reason #9. Bush has kept his promise of naming conservative judges. He has named two conservative justices to the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John G. Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. In addition, he has named conservative justices who are devoted to the Constitution as it is written and not as activist liberal judges think it means. The strong likelihood that one or more justices will retire from the Supreme Court makes it mandatory for the Republicans to hold the Senate and have a chance to name new conservative justices.

Reason #10. The deficit has been cut in half three years ahead of the president's 2009 goal, with the 2006 fiscal year budget deficit down to $248 billion. The tax cuts have stimulated the economy and are working.

In contrast to this stunning record of real achievement, the Democrats offer no real plans for the way they want to improve America or make us safer.

Instead, issues like the Mark Foley scandal have been used to smokescreen their own lack of ideas in a public debate.

The choice voters will make is whether they want higher taxes and less security by surrendering the tools used to combat terrorism or lower taxes and the continued use of tools like the Patriot Act, terrorist surveillance, terrorist interrogations and missile defense.

Consider what leading Democrats are promising if they gain control of Congress.

Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., who would lead the House tax-writing committee if Democrats win in November, said he "cannot think of one" tax cut he would renew. That agenda would result in $2.4 trillion tax increase over the next 10 years.

If Democrats take majorities in the House and Senate, the average family of four can expect to pay an average of $2,000 more in taxes.

The leader of House Democrats and the woman who would be speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said after 9/11 that she "doesn't really consider ourselves at war ... we're in a struggle against terrorism."

By opposing the Patriot Act, terrorist surveillance missile defense and even interrogating the most dangerous terrorists captured on the battlefield, Democrats are in direct opposition to the vital tools we use to fight terrorism.

Many Democrats, including the prospective House Ways and Means chairman, favor cutting off funding for the war in Iraq.

Democratic leaders have made it clear that they see investigations and impeachment as viable options should they take control of Congress. They are therefore promising to tie the hands of the president and his administration in the middle of a war.

Democrats want to reverse the president's economic policies that have led to a historically strong economy.

Enough said.

Written by

Phil Brennan, NewsMax.com
Thursday, Oct. 26, 2006

The Horrible Year

Some years ago after the divorce of Diana and Prince Charles and all the mess that went with all that Queen Elizabeth of England named it the Anus Horriblis. The Horrible Year.

Well for me and for some friends of mine who lost a son on this day 5 years ago, the year 2001 was indeed a horrible year. 9-11, business collapses, all kinds of terrible things happened in 2001 for many people. Life changed that year for many and it has never been the same since.

Loss and pain. There is no easy way to describe what took place that year.

I remember the Phone Call. Late in the night. The horror of it all. 5 years ago tonight.

But time heals all wounds, right? No, wounds are wounds. We live with our wounds. We try to recover from out wounds but they are always there. We are never the same. We never go back to what we were before because we are never again who we were.

That night has caused me to think and grieve often. I’ll never be able to forget. It will never be a long lost memory. It is always there somewhere.

But they, the parents, go on. They see life with sadness that is earned by ripping loss. They stand on the pain and move ahead. There is no other option. There is no other comfort.

I can make all the proper ministerial announcements. They all have the effect of either reinforcing or flying in the face of what has already been decided. In the end, all we have is hope. Blessed Hope. That’s what Paul the Apostle called it. The Blessed Hope. Leaving here being there.

Some people have been there and come back to give a report. It makes the transition from time into eternity seem less ominous. I only know this, it’s not your sin that condemns you if you trust Christ, it’s rejecting him that places one in jeopardy. It has much to do with the direction we point are lives, toward him or running from him. Even running can be redeemed if our running is halted by a repentant heart. So with that in mind, I believe I can give a report from the other side.

There was a man by the name of Don Piper. He was killed in a car accident and died. He was dead for an hour and a half. He was prayed back to life. While dead he describes what he saw. He wrote it in a book called, “90 Minutes in Heaven”.

He crashes into a bridge abutment and is killed instantly and the next thing he experienced was

“Joy pulsed thru me as I looked around. I became aware of a crowd of people. They stood in front of a brilliant ornate gate. I didn’t see Jesus but I did see people I had known. I knew instantly I had known all of them and they had all died during my lifetime. The presence of them seemed absolutely natural.

Every person was smiling, shouting and praising God. Although no on said so, I knew they were a celestial welcoming committee. It was as if they had all gathered outside heavens gate waiting for me”.

Don then relates meeting again and seeing many people from his past. Grandparents, friends, teachers. He goes on:

“Everything I experienced was like a first class buffet for the senses. I had never felt such powerful embrace or feasted on such beauty. Heavens light and texture defies early eyes or explanation. Warm radiant light engulfed me. I could hardly grasp the vivid dazzling colors. Every hue and tone surpassed anything I had ever seen.

Everything glowed with intense brightness. As we began to move toward the light everything seems to grow taller. Like a gentle hill that moved upward and never stopped. The light engulfed me and I had the sense I was being ushered into the presence of God. It was a celebration of my senses.

My most vivid memory of heaven is the music. What I heard. I can only describe it as the whoosh of wings. Except I would have to magnify that thousands of times to explain what heaven sounds like. It was the most beautiful and pleasant sound I’ve ever heard. It seemed to go on forever. I was awestruck only wanting to listen. I didn’t hear music, it seemed like I was part of the music—it played in and thru my body. I stood still and felt embraced by the music.

I felt the deepest joy I ever experienced. I wasn’t a participant in the worship but my heart rang out with exuberance for what I was in.

I was home. I was where I belonged. I wanted to be there more than I had ever wanted to be anywhere on earth. Time had slipped away and I was simply present in heaven. All worries, anxieties and concerns vanished. I had no needs and I felt absolutely perfect.”

I lost my parents in a motor vehicle accident when I was 13 years old. I often wondered what they felt, what they experienced as it happened, what it was like.

In reading Don Pipers book maybe I know a little more. It’s available in all bookstores commonly. If you want to get a glimpse of the other side it’s a good read.

So, I would say to my Mom and Dad and Mark, rest in peace. If I understand it they are living in perfect peace and joy over there and it is we who must rest in peace: The peace of God that passes all understanding, guard our hearts and mind from anything that would interrupt our peace even in pain. It’s all in Christ Jesus.

Life goes on with pain until we are perfected over there.

Evenso come Lord Jesus.

I have seen the World

Funniest thing I have read in a long time:

 

Want to see the world?

 

        Just look down. 

 

                That's it right there.

 

I am easily amused!

Serious OUCH!

I am a believer in the role of the local church. In fact I will work and do work hard to see the local church take it’s place in the community in bringing people to a saving knowledge of Jesus, and redeeming lives from the pit.

Sometimes I get discouraged. Sometimes I have to ask myself if I am living in the past. It takes a swift kick along side the head to make me ask questions I didn’t want to ask. That’s why this article by Jim Rutz (Mega-Shift) hit me pretty hard. My paradigm was messed with.

I love congregational worship and involvement when it is full and free. I put myself in the place to experience this a couple times a week. Why can’t church be like Rutz describes? It’s not the people. It’s the leaders. I am one. So it’s me. Ouch.

'Don't-get-bored-to-death' Christianity

In the old Spectator Christianity, you go to a large building once a week, sit down in a row, and keep your mouth shut except for the singing, which often these days is drowned out by high-powered sound systems cranked up past ninety decibels.

This kind of frozen religion is a vestige of the days of our forefathers, when the pastor/priest was the only person worth listening to and was often, in fact, the only one who could read.

Even today there is such a gulf between the clergy and laity that you dare not send in a lay substitute for your pastor to fill the pulpit when the good reverend is sick or on vacation. The result would typically be somewhere between embarrassing and pathetic.

In other words, what we have today is an outdated, two-tiered church composed of performers and spectators, producers and consumers. As a layman, you go to church, play the role, put some token money in the plate, shake hands with a few friends, go home, and turn on the game.

The pastor, on the other hand, is stringently required to spend hours polishing an uplifting sermon, especially in Protestant churches. (The most commonly heard reason for leaving a church is, "I wasn't being fed.") The pastor is expected to be the Holy Man wearing Holy Robes standing in the Holy Pulpit in God's Holy House on the Holy Day to preach the Holy Sermon (the term spoon-feeding springs to mind). By playing our very limited role in this unbiblical charade, we peons accumulate Brownie points and are somehow absolved from any failure to do our part.

This, my friend, is miles and miles from the exciting picture of the church that we see in the New Testament, which commands us in 54 places to do various good things for "one another": love one another, honor one another, bear one another's burdens. All an impossibility when we're sitting silently in rows. It commands us to keep the family of God highly interactive and we disobey this word from the Lord to our own peril.

My happy news for you today is that this interactive, high-responsibility church is growing rapidly around the world, even as the traditional, institutional, top-down, pyramid church is fading. Twenty years from now, according to top pollster George Barna, 65 to 70 percent of the Christians in the U.S. will be in The New Christianity: small house churches, office churches, and campus churches, where all of us will be learning to use our individual spiritual gifts: teaching, helping, praying, encouraging, singing, dancing, reaching out to help the lost, and changing the world.

What sparked this column was an article from John White, U.S. coordinator of Dawn Ministries, quoting statistics compiled by St. Louis pastor Darrin Patrick based in turn on research by Barna and Focus on the Family. The article contains much wisdom even for non-Christians, and I suggest you read it. Unintentionally, it also sounds the death knell of the institutional church system. How? By simply outlining the plight of today's traditional pastors:

* 80 percent of U.S. pastors and 84 percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.

* 80 percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave in the first five years.

* 1,500 pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.

* Almost 40% polled said they have had an extramarital affair since beginning their ministry.

* 70 percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they're preparing their sermons.

* 70 percent of pastors constantly fight depression.

* 50 percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.

* 50 percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.

Add to this the tortured feelings of pastors' wives:

Eighty percent of pastors' spouses feel their spouse is overworked and wish they would choose another profession. The majority add that the most destructive event that has occurred in their marriage was the day they entered the ministry.

Makes you wonder if this is really what God had in mind for His church, doesn't it?

By Jim Rutz
© 2006

Things About Which I Needed Reminding

This last weekend I heard famous and wealthy people talk about what they believe and what they know. Much was redundant. But I needed to hear others say what I already knew and may have forgotten. Sometimes being reminded is as potent as being told the first time.

Here are 17 things one of the richest men in America said about being in business for yourself:

1. You must be in a business you know. Most people fail because they really don’t know what they are doing. That’s why franchises exist. That’s why so many people fail doing something they know nothing about. They are only in it for the money, the worst possible motivation.

2. You must LOVE what you do. If you don’t love it you will quit doing it.

3. Never Never give up. Keep on, don’t quit. If life knocks you down, get up.

4. Stay focused, diversions are very costly

5. Be a little paranoid – some people are just plain bad and are out to hurt you.

6. Being NICE isn’t always a virtue.

7. Be a contrarian or go against the tide only if you KNOW you have the ability to follow thru.

8. Go with your gut instincts (If you have the ability to follow thru)

9. Not everyone is cut out for or can do what others do. Don’t imitate. You may not be emotionally equipped to do this. It takes a cast iron stomach and a steel spine to be ready for the emotional pain . If that's not you maybe shouldn't be in business for yourself.

10. People who are not wired for risk shouldn’t be taking risks. If you can’t sleep at night because of the risks you must take to be in business for yourself you shouldn’t put yourself at risk. Business can be too much fun to make people miserable.

11. Sometimes very smart people have the most difficult time with being at risk. Being smart or well educated does not automatically make you able to be in business for yourself. Success in business for yourself has more to do with your emotional makeup than your intelligence.

12. Get the best people you can find to help you, but don’t trust them. People do what you inspect not what you expect. They must respect you. Tell the truth to yourself and others and move on. Sometimes goodbye is a good strategy.

13. Never ever let people step on you, if they know you are tough and smart they won’t be so likely to try to take advantage of you. Don’t ever let anyone take advantage of you.

14. There is such a thing as Luck, Fortune, Favor, Grace. Some people are just fortunate and some things you do will help swing things in your favor. Nothing happens if you try nothing. The harder you work the luckier you get. You can’t win without being in the game. When the Bears win a game, you are excited but you did NOTHING. The only ones who have the right to be excited are the players, owners and managers. The rest are spectators. Only those who participate celebrate legitimately.

15. Some people fight to win but they secretly want to lose. It’s easier to say “I Tried” and fail then to succeed. Success is frightening to many people. Get over your fear of success.

16. When you get into an arrangement, partnership, corporation, business deal nothing you thought you understood or agreed to matters except what is on paper if you come to conflict. The verbal agreement between good people is worth only the paper it’s written on.

17. Think bigger. If you play with pennies you win pennies, if you play with dollars you win dollars, if you play with hundreds you win hundreds. J D Rockefeller said that. I was in Atlantic City recently. I walked thru the casino. I watched people playing with $20 chips, $50 chips and $100 chips. The amount of the reward or loss was directly proportional to the amount at risk. But, it took the same amount of time and brainpower to win a hundred in one hand than to win $20.

That’s why the 10-10 rule exists in my own business. I try to only do business with people who could make a $10,000 purchase in 10 minutes. They may not always make that purchase but they could. The same amount of work goes into the little deals as the big ones. It has served me well.

This is most certainly true.

The Apple Orchard

The orchard master planted an apple orchard.

He was wise. He planted one of each type of apple. No two alike. Some were planted for the sweet fruit, some for the long lasting storage apples, some for the beautiful flowers, some for the shape of the tree, some for early fruit production and some for the prolific ability to produce much fruit.

Each tree was different. When they were just saplings they were all young and vigorous. They looked pretty much the same. But at time went by they began to do what the DNA they were imbued with caused them to do.

Some apple trees compared themselves to others, some felt they weren't as beautiful as others. Some less fruitful.

No matter how much the orchard master pruned and trimmed and consoled those trees that felt inferior he could do no more than say, "You mustn't repent of what I created you to be".

As time went on in the orchard many crops were produced. From those crops new seedlings were produced and planted in other parts of the orchard. From time to time early there were trees that were injured or damaged by disease or pests. Some died and were removed.

As the orchard became more mature the space between trees was becoming greater. The fact was that as time went on there were only a few trees left.

Then one day in this part of the orchard there was only one left. All alone. Old, cracked by wind and ice storms, rotting from the injury it finally gave up the fight.

The orchard master sadly cut down the old tree. The roots were grubbed out and soon new plants were planted in the place where the old trees had been.

Being the last tree in the orchard was a lonely place. It was almost a blessing to be taken eventually to join the others long since fallen before.

The orchard master smiled as he planted the last of the seedlings produced from the appleseeds of the old trees. Old things forgotten. New things begun.

Such is the cycle of life. Some of us become the few old trees left in the orchard. It's lonely but there is a time to live and a time to die. A time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.

But they bore beautiful fruit. They were the best apple trees they could be.

And the orchard master smiled.