Welcome to the Twilight Zone

One of my favorite shows was the Twilight Zone produced and directed by Rod Sterling.  It was only a 30 minute program with that old black and white picture.  I rarely missed an episode because each one had an intriguing story and most had a moral element.  The show ran from 1959 to 1964.  It was a big hit.  Each story featured memorable individuals coping with novel challenges thus finding themselves in the Twilight Zone. 

Sometimes I feel as though we are living in our own Twilight Zone.  Have you ever faced the world as we see it today?  First, we find ourselves in the midst of a life threatening virus.  Everyone is on lock down and when out and about we are still wearing masks and keeping away from friends at least six feet.  Why six feet?  I guess the virus is smart enough to get us if we moved any closer. 

Next, comes the anarchy, chaos and rioting due to the death of a black man at the hands of one policeman. Yes, it’s a terrible thing but I don’t want to be held accountable for his death.  I didn’t do it and neither did you. Yet we are all being blamed for something, although I’m not quite sure what that is.  Everyone, when interviewed, seems to have a different story.  All life is sacred…….except these same people view life in the womb as a “women’s choice” and can be terminated whenever she chooses. 

The values that held our country together are no longer seen as necessary.  Perhaps we owe an apology to Sodom and Gomorrah!!   We have left the moral absolutes of the Bible and written our own code of ethics……if you can call it that.  There seems to a “herd” mentality also.  People are caught up with the idea that destruction is a way of “getting even”. But why are the innocent being attacked? 

So why do the heathens rage?  I have no answer except that perhaps we are seeing a great dividing line……..people of faith who still believe in the goodness of man as he was created to be vs. those who only see man as a tool to be used for his own destructive ends.  As Christian believers, we know that God sees our faults and how far we fail in living up to his standards but He also sent a Remedy!

I wish I could be more positive in all of this.  I wish that somehow, God would just intervene right now and make bad things go away.  However, I do have faith that God is still in control.  However, we must take a stand.  We have been silent long enough. We can’t afford to be the “silent majority.” We need to be more active in our communities, our state and our nation.  We need to be armed with the proper tools.  We need to make sacrifices to become more proactive in taking back our constitutional rights.   We need to make our voices heard.  Hit the purses and back pockets of those who can twist the truth for their own agendas. 

Let’s get out of the Twilight Zone and move to reclaim our country.   

More Values for your Dollar

No, I am not writing about bargain hunting.  I am not perusing local fliers, news paper ads, emails or writing on how to get the biggest bang for your bucks!  Actually I’m talking about moral values……the traditional values that you and I hold dear.

We believers are now facing an assault to these values in our everyday life when we buy food, appliances or even insurance as well as many of the various agencies that request our dollars that seemingly support worthy causes.   If you are like me, I was never fully aware of the challenges facing our faith or moral values when I walk into a particular store, shop in a local market, or even buying insurance.  Let me share what I have recently learned.

I receive the American Family Journal every month.  This last issue had an interesting write up about an organization called “2ndvote”.  Here I quote…..”Every day we witness the attack on our traditional Judeo-Christian and the manipulation of our children.  Our society is being assaulted by overwhelming anti-Christian messaging that will negatively influence our future.” Dr David Black, founder of 2^nd vote. 

Dr.  Black goes on to say…….”We look to educate individuals on how they spend or how they donate their dollars and advise them on seven critical issues that are under attack by the Left.” Then he goes on to list these:  Sanctity of life, (abortion) religious liberty, 2^nd amendment (right to bear arms), marriage, education, and environmental issues. 

They examine every angle of each company before assessing judgment.  They also call the businesses and organizations to check whether their information is correct and then they assign a number from one to five……with one having a liberal bent, five having a conservative bent, and three being politically neutral. 

So here’s a few examples;  Family  Dollar  rated a 2; Pizza Hut 2;  March of Dimes donates to Planned Parenthood; YWCA, YMCA; Progressive Insurance; Wells Fargo; Microsoft; Susan Komen; HR Block; Am Express; Master Card; Prudential; Bank of America…….the list goes on and on.    

So here’s a clue for you!  Be cautious about where you shop, where you eat and even where bank.  Most of you donate to worthy causes and trust those with whom you share your finances but peruse the list on their web site.

But here’s something we both  can do……….write letters.  Complain that you and thousands of others do not support Planned Parenthood, etc. We  do support religious liberty (such as refusing to make cakes for a homosexual wedding) and the right to bear arms. etc.

 Be aware of the insidious infiltration of the socialist mindset in many of our nation’s largest businesses.     If you believe in moral absolutes, value Biblical morality and recognize that we are a nation founded on Christian principles then beware of the great Deceivers!  They want your dollars but not your values.

Visit this site for more information:  2^ndvote.com. Take a stand and make your voice heard.  Remember Madeline Murray O’Hare.  She and her small group of atheists were able to take prayer out of the schools. 

You are one small voice but you can make a difference!!

              God bless us and our great country and values of that we hold dear.

                                             The Articulate Atheist

I got a wonderful surprise for my birthday this year.  The family was able to gather all my blogs from 2012 to 2019 printed and bound in a book!  What fun to reread my writings again.  My writing style has changed somewhat but I was amazed that my thoughts were more or less the same.  One particular blog caught my eye and I wanted to pass it on.  It was based on an article in the Opinion section of the El Paso Times (4/20/12) and thought it was worth a repeat here.   We were living in El Paso at the time.  I have added a few more thoughts to the original.

The writer of the article was voicing his opinion concerning inconsistencies of Scripture.   He gave two examples.  The New Testament is replete with stories of loving one’s neighbor, going the extra mile and doing good works for others.  Then he quoted Psalms 137:8-9 where the writer is praying for the destruction of Babylon and its people.  So how can God be saying two things which appear to be opposites?

True……the Bible is a collection of stories. Also true that the stories were given /handed down to a particular group of people 2000 years ago and longer.

These articulate atheists are quick to quote verses which might cast doubt on the veracity of the Scriptures.  But think about this.  The Psalms are a collection of writings by men who were expressing their own feelings as well as their faith in God.  They spoke in exaggerated terms and metaphors.  One must read Scripture not only as a collection of inspired writings…….some were  direct commands or instructions……. but must be read in the historical context in which they were given. 

This particular atheist also comments by saying….”I love my children and have not subjected them to a belief system that extinguishes inquiry, has such an abhorrent history and apparently retards logic.”  

Christians should never be accused of backing away from inquiry.  Blind faith without reasoning will not stand up to the insults and the fractured thinking of unbelievers.  Faith involves commitment as well as knowledge.  We don’t leave our brains at the church door!

The author is confusing issues.  God is not to blame for the horrendous atrocities committed in His name.  God is love Himself and showed us love in a Person!  Man himself has authored his own destructive behavior.

The atheist also wrote. “The Bible was written by men to an illiterate audience.”  How does he know they were illiterate?  They didn’t have access to the printed word but learned by hearing, through teaching and doing. 

How could it be that man alone could develop the principles that have stood the test of time and has guided and shaped our great nation as well as a code of ethics and behavior that have impacted the lives of millions of people! Even the most primitive societies have a code of ethics.  Some type of moral behavior was instilled in mankind from the beginning.  However, it is the Bible itself that brings all of us a faith which has produced wisdom, charity, hope and love. 

I have only one question for these articulate atheists:   “Where do you derive your standard of moral ethics and behavior?  Will you teach your child that stealing is wrong and that hatred of another leads to wars and murders?
Your morality comes straight from God! 

Old MacDonald Theology Meets the Real Jesus

Context is everything when we read our Bibles.  But most of us only read the scriptures based on our own conditions, our own time period, or what we conceive that Jesus might have meant.  How do we really know what was going through the minds of the writers when compiling the writings of the Bible? They had their own audience.  They didn’t think like we do.  If we were able to have the Israelite or the first century Jew living in our heads we might look at Scriptures differently.  They were writing to people who were like them.  They were not writing to us.

 Yes, they are writing for our benefit…….all Scripture is for our benefit.  That’s why God called inspired men to put down in writing what we need to know to make our lives meaningful.  We know from the Scriptures what God has intended for His creation.  We are to become a people fit for His new Kingdom on earth. 

However,   when reading all Scripture, especially the words of the New Testament ( I like to call them the Apostolic Writings) then we must read them as our Lord intended for His 1^st century audience.   Yet the biblical writings are not limited to the ancient world.  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable …in training for righteousness,” Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Tim. 2:16)

When reading out of context though we end up studying the Bible as if it were Old MacDonald’s farm! Here a verse, there a verse, everywhere a verse, verse.  But if we pay attention to what surrounds the verse as well as the cultural setting we get a clearer sense as to what we are to learn from Scripture.

But you ask, how can we apply it today?  Here is a case in point.  In Matthew 5:42 Jesus is telling the listeners……” Give to one who begs from you and do not refuse one who would borrow from you.”  How should we understand this verse today?  Should we simply give to anyone who asks of us, or did Jesus mean something else entirely?   Now read Matthew 5:38-48

You will need to look at the verses before and after this saying.  He prefaces this with an example from Exodus…21-14…..eye for an eye! Then he talks about slapping but not slapping back; tunics and cloaks; loving ones neighbor; tax collectors; Gentiles (those who don’t know God); holiness or perfection…… (having completion or wholeness, moral and ethical integrity).

Jesus is reflecting the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures.  He is fulfilling the teachings or completing them to make them meaningful to his hearers.  Loving ones neighbor is a quotation of Leviticus 19:18. Hating your enemy is not found directly but an allusion to a number of verses or perhaps even a saying of the time. 

By taking a closer look at these statements (before and after v. 42) we can see the larger theme being given.  Jesus is addressing how to treat someone who has wronged you…….not what to do when someone asks you for money!! These verses are of a larger theme………..we call it the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus is telling his hearers (and us) that as disciples we should reflect God’s sacrificial love; this sums up and is the intent of  God’s laws.  Doing unto others as we want them to do to us! 

So give the guy some money when he is needy and in want. Give a cup of cold water to the thirsty. Show the love of God through you.  This is what disciples must do!  It’s a matter of the heart!

Saving Us From Ourselves.

So the menace  is not the Russians, Chinese or even El Qaeda.  It’s unseen but deadly.  Of course it’s the Covid 19 virus.   Even the agony of 9/11 pales in significance to the numbers that have died with this plague. 

The National Day of Prayer will take place on May 7^th.  This annual event has been observed since 1952.  President Ronald Reagan signed it into law in 1988, designating the first Thursday in May for this special day.  Many Americans will be joining their voices together to plead with God that the virus will die out and our countrymen will be spared……as well as our way of life. 

2 Chron. 7:14 promises and history has recorded, when God’s people get serious about prayer and repentance and humbly seeking the will of God, He pours out His blessings and will heal our land.  In the Hebrew Scriptures we read how the Israelites would disobey God and then suffered the consequences.  They prayed, fasted and pleaded with God to restore them and continue being with them.  Will this work for us also?

We read of a  great Prayer Revival in New York (1857-1858).  Every week saw more and more people coming to this a little Reformed church.  God was working.  Can you imagine that happening in New York today? 

We Americans are no different than the rest of the world.  We have focused on nothing but our happiness and comforts denying the reality of a living God. 

Can God save us from ourselves?  Can prayer save America?  We have seen him save others in times past and we should be calling on the great Almighty to do it again.

We need a new work of God for a new generation, so the world may know that there is indeed a God who lives, who empowers His people and who can change the destiny of those who call on Him.

(Parts of this blog has come from the American Family Association)

                                                       Canceling Easter?

As Christians approach the Easter season we wonder about the world around us.  Should we cancel Easter?  It really doesn’t matter though.  In the long run we don’t need a special Easter ……….we only need knowledge and faith that there was a point in history when a Jewish man living in the 1^st century was crucified on a Roman cross on some particular day closely associated with the Jewish holiday of Passover. 

He claimed to be the Messiah.  He brought Good News….He was declaring that God was stepping into history and was bringing about the promised Messianic Kingdom.  He was here to declare that the time was coming when Heaven would come to earth.  He told his disciples to pray….”Thy Kingdom come”…. that is to pray that God’s will for man would be accomplished on earth.    He himself was the Promised One sent by God.  His actions and His words fulfilled many of the prophecies of the Hebrew Scriptures and the covenant given in Jeremiah was about to begin…….

“The days are coming says the Lord…….when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.  It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers…………I will put my Torah within them and write it on their hearts and  I be their God and they will be my people  No longer will any of them teach his fellow members……….I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.

In the farewell discourse, we often call the Last Supper (John 13-17) Yeshua (Jesus), explains to the disciples how they will experience the kingdom of heaven in their lives even though the Messianic Era has not commenced.  Wow.  What good news for the Jewish people!! 

However it seemed as though those hopes were smashed.  This man named Jesus didn’t live to be king.  He upset the hierarchy among the temple Priests.  He didn’t belong to one of them and was just an itinerant rabbi who was upsetting their  status with the Romans.  However, He was gathering many followers and the Temple priests needed to get rid of Him.  How best to do that? By declaring that this imposter was a hazard to Roman rule and He was a revolutionary causing disturbance and anarchy.  The Romans had no problem putting another Jewish rebel to death.

However, what happened next would be the basis for life changing events in history.  This Jew was crucified and died.  He was put into a borrowed tomb.  Then something amazing happened…just as He himself had predicted.  He was given life again.  The world would never be the same.  God was giving to humankind a hope and a faith.  Not only would this Messiah of Israel be the promised King Messiah but that all the nations (Gentiles) who believed in Him would be included in that promise of the new covenant.  By His death He fulfilled the laws of sin and death due to man’s disobedience to what God had given to Israel. 

Now even Gentiles who knew not the Torah or anything about the Jewish  sacrifices…….now they too could be counted as part of the elect. Jesus had fulfilled all the requirements of the law and had become the only sinless man to have lived.  

By accepting Him …….we Gentiles have been grafted into the house of Israel by our faith in Jeshua…..the promised Messiah.  The promises to Israel have also been given to us.  We have forgiveness of our sins and we now have access to God’s gifts as well.  We have no fear of death because of our faith.   The new covenant is being fulfilled in history……..but we aren’t there yet.  God’s timing is not ours.  It might take more than a plague, wars and death.  But something wonderful is coming.

               A New Heaven and New Earth. The Messianic Kingdom on earth.                      Now that really is Good News. That is the Easter message.

Doom and Gloom.

We believers recognize that God is always in control.  Right on!! Do we realize though that we might also be part of the problem? 

We have left the Ten Commandments as part and parcel of worn out theology which doesn’t apply today.  Neither have I read any writings on repentance from neglect.  Neglect of obedience to what God has commanded from us.

We have allowed the world to dictate standards of righteousness. 

We have taken the lives of millions of unborn babies and called it “women’s choice”.  We don’t discuss the problems of homosexuality under the guise of tolerance and love.  We don’t discuss the problems of being covetous; we don’t discuss discipleship; our theology has become only one of love.  Love your neighbor but don’t preach to him! 

God is trying to get our attention.  Yes, sin and corruption are part of the human condition but we as believers have failed in our mission.  We are somehow fearful of labels!!!

I appreciate the good work done by those who bring comfort to others.  Visiting the sick; helping those in need…both spiritually and physically.  Certainly that is commanded also.  But along with all the good works of faith, there is a need for repentance.  I am afraid of those who only preach love for loves sake.

 Yes, God is love and therefore He also knows what man needs to find happiness in life. He has set that forth in His writings moral codes of behavior.  When we neglect those then we can expect God taking action to get our attention……one way or another. 

Do I sound like gloom and doom?  Sorry. But I am finding a milk toast Christian religion.  No “meat” being preached from pulpits.  No thought that we as believers need to take a stand on issues where God has given us a direct commandment.  We can expect more frightening things happening in our world where good is taught as wrong and evil becomes the norm.

Render Unto Caesar!

How well I remember sitting in a Bible class discussing the story of Jesus paying taxes to Caesar.  Jesus said..“Give to Caesar what is his and unto God what belongs to Him.” (my translation). Although this probably had to do with paying taxes I think it also can apply to many situations today.  Would you have bowed down to a statue of a pagan god if it meant your life?

In our Bible classes, we all agreed that we would never submit to any laws that contradicted Biblical principles.  We felt safe and secure in our church pews and that nothing could shake our convictions.  We could handle anything that Big Brother might shove our way!!

Today our Caesar is requiring the same……not only our money but our allegiance to laws which actually are a contradiction to Biblical principles.  Here follows a case in point. 

Just read in two papers (this is taken from the Wall Street Journal), where the Catholic Social Services (aka CSS) of Philadelphia is being sued  for not allowing same sex couples to be in their foster parenting program.  The CSS has been doing this work since 1919 and does use city and state funds to helps support its efforts to find suitable homes for young children.  However, it is against their principles to place children with same sex couples. The agency has placed thousands of children through the years using both public and private funds for support.  The issue has been scheduled to come before the Supreme Court and will be heard next October.  So why is this of concern to us? 

Here’s why.  Many, if not all, church related services, although supported by individuals, church funds etc. do receive some financial aid from public funds.  As it reads these agencies cannot prevent same sex couples from adoptions, working as parents in children’s homes and other church related missionary activities.  If these agencies receive any public funding then they come under the same laws which will allow homosexual couples to take and raise children. 

But wait, it doesn’t stop there.  Who is to say that in the future our church property won’t be subject to taxation if we discriminate against same sex couples on staff of church boards; teachers or administrators?  Even though we don’t take public funding….with any change of government in congress/ or president, church property can be taxed.  Our Christian schools would by law have homosexuals on staff; have open bathrooms etc.   Our donations would not be tax exempt.

In fact one man running for president already said he approved taxing churches if they don’t except the laws for same sex couples being admitted to all aspects of church related activities.  I think he was just making threats unless of course churches take public money in any form. 

It is not the intent of this blog to discuss homosexuality in our society. Just wanted you to be aware of the dangers this poses to those of us who want to be of service to others but at the same time have religious convictions which prevent us from complying with certain laws which seem to favor one segment of our society over others. 

Can we/will we be able to fight Caesar?  The best outcome will be for the Supreme Court to vote in favor of the CSS.  If not, then be prepared.

                                   No funds from the feds! 

Is the Constitution Christian?

I am no Constitutional scholar.  However, lately,  all of us have been deluged with various groups reciting constitutional principles , especially regarding the latest impeachment trials of President Trump. Those of us who feel that our country is a product of divine intervention in one way or another, also feel that our Constitution was at least an “inspired” document. 

Critics assume that several of the Founders were not even Christian and the Constitution itself gives no indication that God was ever involved in its writing.  True enough.  The Constitution does not explicitly label America as a Christian nation.  The Founders did not make laws forcing citizens or our government officials to adopt Christianity.  They desired religious freedom.  The government’s role was not to interfere with the religious views of its people. 

However, the laws still required a foundation.  What better place than Biblical principles?  The various laws that were written back in the 1700s point to Christianity as the bedrock the Founders used. 

OK…….here is a good example.  Let’s look at the Sunday clause. When the Founders wrote how a new law was to be passed, it was given to the president who had a time limit of 10 days.  If the president did not pass or veto the bill after 10 days the bill automatically passed.  Within   that time period however, Sundays were not counted!!  They assumed that the President would not want to rule on a law on the Christian “holy “ day. 

Swearing an oath:  Article VI of the Constitution mandates that all members of Congress, as well as any executive officer, swear an oath to protect the Constitution.  This has traditionally been done by holding one’s left hand on the Bible, one’s right hand in the air and ending the oath by saying…..”So help me God.”  We read in Isaiah 62:8, “The Lord has sworn by His right hand.”  The founders saw a connection here. 

There are many overt Biblical principles included in the Constitution:  Article III. Section 3 states that on the topic of treason one cannot be found guilty unless at least two people testify against that person.  Deuteronomy 17:6 states ”on the testimony of two or three witnesses a person is be put to death but no one is put to death on the testimony of only one witness.”

There are many more references in the Constitution implied in its biblical foundation. Today’s liberal voices still reject the assumption that the nation’s founding was clearly based on biblical morality. 

As one author quipped “when you take God out of the equation, out of our origins, then you have nothing left.”  Well said.

Happy vs Miserable

Why all this unhappiness….especially among our young.  The teen years can be miserable.  Faces with acne, the handsome boy who won’t ask me out for a date; the girls’ whisper behind my back; I didn’t make the football team!!  Basic teen miseries.  These have always been with us. 

 However, unhappiness now manifests itself in the most horrible ways.  The rates of suicide, self-injury, depression, mass shootings, and loneliness are higher than ever recorded.  It seems that American kids may have been happier, and certainly less lonely, during the great Depression and WWll than today, even with today’s unprecedentedly high levels of health, longevity, education and material well-being. 

There is of course, no single explanation.  I’m sure that each of you reading this blog will come to your own conclusions but let me add my own:  increased use of illicit drugs; less human interaction; the use of cell phones and internet for social contacts; lack of a strong family environment; access to porn sites and too much TV viewing; no religion or faith in the home; single family homes or absent fathers.   The list is rather endless. 

In 1831 a Frenchman named Alexis de Tocqueville wrote an observation about his visit to America.  He said Americans’ unique strength derived largely from their participation in professional, social, civil, political, artistic, philanthropic and of course religious causes.

These have all dwindled as government has become ever larger and taken over the role of these individual and private enterprises.  Whereas young adults got together and formed bonds of friendship through nongovernmental associations, churches and community activities……through what organization will they form friendships today? 

So perhaps the angst of our youth is not capitalism, not inequality, not sexism, racism, homophobia, or xenophobia, but rather having no religion, no community, no country to believe in and ultimately no meaning in life. These might help explain much of the unprecedented unhappiness today. 

Only a return to the traditional values of the past: love of country, the sanctity of  human life; a return to Biblical principles;  love of God………can bring the deep down happiness that will restore the human heart and bring real happiness into one’s life.

“Only the fool has said in his heart………there is no God.” (Ps 41:1)