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Monday, May 28, 2007

Mon, 28 May 2007 23:29:51 GMT

Stand By Me

Memorial Day and Independence Day are two holidays that will always be linked in my mind. When I was a boy, Independence Day was more important. Memorial Day meant a visit to the cemetery, but Independence Day meant fireworks, picnics and the parade in my home town. I looked eagerly for the United States flag to come in view, because that meant the parade was right behind. Sometimes I lost interest in waiting and would play with my cousins. Then I would hear my father say, “Here comes the flag, boys. Come stand by me.” I would then stand by my father with my hand over my heart as the flag went by.

Even though I don’t live there any more, I’ll always consider Carlisle, Iowa as home. My family has been a part of Carlisle ever since my great-great-great-grandfather, George Washington Epps, came to the town one year after the first log cabin was built.

People know Carlisle now as the home of the McCaughey septuplets. But when I was growing up, Carlisle was just like many other small Iowa towns. The only time Carlisle was in the news was during track season. One year 96 of the 110 boys in the high school signed up for track. That rated an article in the Des Moines Register.

Our Fourth of July parade made the evening news in Des Moines also. People from all over came to see our parade. On Independence Day, the population of Carlisle swelled to several times its official population, making it difficult to find a place to watch. But, even though we lived a mile from town, our family didn’t have a problem seeing the parade. It went right past my grandfather’s house, so we always had a great spot to watch.

It seemed like every business, church and civic organization in town had an entry. The high school band, the Lions Club, the Boy Scouts, the Quarterback Club, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, the Square Dance Club, the bank - all took their part. The floats weren’t fancy, usually set on a hay wagon pulled by a tractor; decorated with crepe paper and hand painted signs. The parade ended at the town park, which was filled with fund raising booths built by the same organizations that built the floats. There were dunking booths, ring toss booths and ‘spin the wheel for your lucky number’ booths. There was also a softball tournament at the ball field and a band concert at the pavilion.

In the afternoon, the Mason or Epps family got together for a picnic. We had hot dogs, hamburgers, fried chicken, baked beans, sometime corn on the cob, but always mom’s potato salad, then watermelon and at least three kinds of pie with homemade ice cream for dessert.

After dark, there was a fireworks display supervised by the Carlisle Volunteer Fire Department. Before that took place, we would head for home, because the best place in the whole world to watch fireworks was from my tree house in our front yard. From that big maple tree, I could see the fire works in Carlisle and the ones at the State Fair grounds in Des Moines, as well as several others in small towns nearby.

As I’ve grown older, Memorial Day has become equal in importance to Independence Day. I don’t know when that happened. Maybe it was during the family reunion as I was on my way to Viet Nam when the men got together to talk. My Uncle talked about his experience at Pearl Harbor and my father finally talked about his war experiences in Germany. Dad told us how he killed his first enemy soldier, the time his unit liberated the concentration camp at Nordhausen and the time when his unit was surrounded for three days by German forces, when teenage boys from the nearby Hitler youth camp attacked GI’s with nothing but their SS daggers.

Maybe it was during my first rocket attack at Phan Rang or the day I was walking through the San Francisco Airport in my Air Force uniform, newly returned from South East Asia, when a long-haired, pimply-faced teen spit on me.

Maybe it was when I stood in the American Cemetery in Manila looking at row upon row of white crosses. Or when I stood on Corregidor Island and observed the barrel of an 18-inch mortar - twisted by the force of an exploding ammo magazine that was hit by a Japanese shell. Maybe it was when I walked the same road that American soldiers of the Bataan Death March trod twenty five years before.

Maybe it was during the seven years I spent in Southeast Asia watching people work for a year to earn what I earned in just two weeks, but from those meager earnings a whole family would save, so just one of them could go to America.

Maybe it was when the replica of the Viet Nam War Memorial came to town and I recognized the name of a young man whose bunk was next to mine in basic training.

I’m sure it could have been during a ball game when the Star Spangled Banner was sung. When the announcer asked the audience to sing along, I removed my hat and sang the words with the singer. A few youths looked my way and snickered. But out of the corner of my eye I saw my daughter watching. When the song was over, she asked me, “Daddy, why are you crying?”

Why was I crying? Because somewhere along my journey through life I came to realize the freedom our flag symbolizes and how precious that freedom is. Freedom is more than parades, fireworks and home-made ice cream. It’s also about responsibility and sacrifice. We have a responsibility to honor those who sacrificed to give birth to this great country and others who sacrificed to keep it free.

I remember my father telling me as I listened to the horrors he went through in World War II, “It's a shame you're going to Viet Nam, son. I went to war, so you wouldn’t have to.” But there I was, on my way to another war. Since Viet Nam there has been Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia, Kosovo and since September eleventh, Afghanistan and Iraq. Who knows what other battles will have to be fought to win the war against terror. Every generation thinks they can do the job of bringing peace to the world better than their father’s generation and mine was no different.

Dad was wrong. Because of human nature, there will always be wars. There will always be a need for young men to be trained in the art of war so a temporary peace can be bought. There will be no “War to end all wars.” And there will always be those who snicker when patriotism is shown.

But, fortunately there are those who still train in the art of war in hopes they will never have to practice what they have learned. There are those who stand, when Old Glory goes by, when it would be easier to sit and watch.

Why was I crying, my daughter? Because it seems there are fewer of us who remember those who sacrificed... fewer who stand when the flag goes by. That’s why I’m writing my thoughts down now. I want to pass my memories along to you, so that you to will know the thrill I feel as the flag goes by. That’s what Independence Day and Memorial Day are all about.

So, honor our flag with me. Sing the National Anthem with me. Let me know that you think what my father and I did was important. Let me know that you’ll tell your children and your children’s children. Stand by me as the flag passes. Stand by me.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Sun, 13 May 2007 22:42:04 GMT

Appreciative Pleasures and The Four Loves

Some people sleep in on Sunday mornings. Some rush around trying to get ready for church or other activities. This Sunday morning I woke up to that moment of the dawn when the cold light flickers and changes into the first warm glow of the sun stealing above the tree line. The sunrise parted the fog like a curtain stirring in the breeze. Dew on the daffodils caught the rays of the sun and turned them into golden, liquid light. In the moments before the world awoke, stillness hovered all around, only broken by birdsongs.

C. S. Lewis would call this flash of clarity, this morning of enjoyment an "appreciative pleasure." It is different from what he calls a "need-pleasure." A need-pleasure is eating lunch when one is hungry, whereas an appreciative pleasure is being hungry and finding that lunch consists of all your favourite foods. It's like icing on the cake. Launching from this idea, Mr. Lewis deepens the idea into need love and appreciative love. He carries these functions of love into the four types of love: Affection, Friendship, Eros, and Charity.

I gathered much from each chapter about the character of man, myself in particular. It wasn't always pretty, but it was extremely helpful. I won't share something from every chapter (of which there are only six); I would not spoil the book for you. However, I will share a few thoughts from the chapter discussing friendship, as Lewis brought out a nobility in true friendship that is rarely mentioned, or even seen, anymore.

"To the Ancients, Friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves; the crown of life and the school of virtue. The modern world, in comparison, ignores it. [For example, which story is more well known: Romeo and Juliet, or that of David and Jonathan?] … Few value [friendship] because few experience it. And the possibility of going through life without the experience is rooted in that fact which separates Friendship so sharply from…the other loves. Friendship is – in a sense not at all derogatory to it – the least natural of loves; the least instinctive, organic, biological, gregarious and necessary." Lewis concludes that friendship is a choice.

Something that made me pause and ponder was further along in the section on friendship. Lewis talks about spending time with friends in a group, or club of sorts. Friends bring out certain facets in one another. Thus, when a group of friends gathers you are likely to learn much about them that you would have never learned in your one-on-one times together.

On that note I will leave you to ponder "The Four Loves" and hope that you will take the time to delve into this meaty little book. It is worth the time, the effort, and the wisdom gained. It is also worth a re-read.

><> Jody

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 02:05:39 GMT

We have the obligation to use life wisely because we have the obligation to live. ~ A. G. Sertillanges

L-I-F-E.

I have a precious little nephew who suddenly fleshes out everything I believe about life. Now when I say that man bears the image of God, I think of this tiny boy, so perfectly shaped like a little man. When I say that life is fragile, I think of those little eyes and the complete trust I see in them. He trusts me to protect and nurture him. Those little breaths when he's asleep remind me not to take my own for granted, because I can't cause them to continue.

What Good Is Life?

Over the past year I have known two people who committed suicide because they just couldn't handle the difficulties facing them. I admit that I have cried out to God many times the same questions others plead when they hurt, "Why?" and "How could they?" Indeed, how could one look at the tiny hands and little bitty fingernails of a baby and imagine that he might grow up to use those hands to take his life or that of another?

Why would someone want to end their life? Perhaps they weren't convinced of the answer to a question they didn't even realize they were asking: "What good is life?" This query sometimes produces such extreme hopelessness that one cannot live with the conclusion they reach. Some never reach the conclusion.

Think about it, what good is life? We live, we work, we eat, we sleep, we may gain knowledge in abundance, we may teach others, but eventually we die. Those we teach die. Those they influence die.

What Is A Good Life?

But, we weren't made to die. Read that again slowly: We. Weren't. Made. To. Die. We are created in the image of the eternal God. He has no beginning or end. We have a beginning and no end. Do you realize that humans have several unique privileges? One is that we were created in the image of GOD. We were created to live without end.

Considered this astounding honor: we have been given the power to create new souls. If human souls are everlasting (have a beginning and no end) and we are given the ability to procreate, then we are able to produce a soul that will live on forever. Do you know how scary and awesome that is?! The God of the universe created us as the instruments to bring souls into being!

So we work, we eat, we sleep, we learn, we teach, but "we" (our souls) do not die. We pass from this life into everlasting life. Here we find that something important takes place: the way we live on earth, the things we believe, affect our final destination. Either we allow Jesus to be our Saviour and our Lord, or we do not. Either we will live forever with Christ, or we will dwell forever in the lake of fire.

We find that this life matters after all. We can't save others spiritually, but we can share the Truth with them and pray for the Holy Spirit to move their hearts to salvation. Dare I say that a good life shows a harvest, produces spiritual children and spiritual fruit? Indeed, I will say it!

The Not-So-Happy-Ending…

I could walk away and end there. Yet it still remains that two of my friends have passed from this life into the next at their own hand. They both claimed some form of Christianity. I don't know their hearts, but from my own conversations and things others told me, I believe at least one of them was truly a born-again Christian. How do I reconcile this? He knew the Way, the Truth, the Life, why would he commit suicide? He had hope – yet I believe he was blinded by satan and saw only hopelessness. We all get blindsided by satan at one time or another (I Cor. 10:12), when we give in it's called sin. It is what Christ Jesus shed His blood to cover and remove.

Most everyone likes a happy ending with all the loose ends of the story tied up. I can't quite do that here – there isis a good life, but there is pain, we do hurt, and we are left with our questions of "why?" and "How could they?" When we pass from this life into the next maybe we will receive those answers. Until then, let us ponder, "what good is life?" and "what is a good life?"

><> Jody

Monday, February 19, 2007

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 19:45:43 GMT

Humble Courage
Marvin Olasky

You'll probably hear something about William Wilberforce this month, because an important 200th anniversary is coming. On Feb. 23, 1807, the double-decade determination of Member of Parliament Wilberforce finally brought results when the House of Commons voted to abolish the British slave trade. Year after year, voted down, he had not responded bitterly, and this time the other MPs stood and gave three hurrahs as Wilberforce bowed his head and wept at the culmination of his long battle.

Others are cheering in 2007. Washington, D.C., has a Wilberforce Forum, under Chuck Colson's auspices, and that organization plus the Trinity Forum sponsored Wilberforce Weekends last month. A major film biography of Wilberforce, Amazing Grace, is scheduled to hit theaters across the United States on the bicentennial, Feb. 23. A documentary, The Better Hour: William Wilberforce, A Man of Character Who Changed The World, is scheduled for television broadcast this fall in the United States and the United Kingdom. Members of the state legislature in Alaska have a Clapham Fellowship, named after the British group Wilberforce headed.

Furthermore, John Templeton is funding a national essay contest on Wilberforce for U.S. schoolkids: It's scheduled to begin in September 2007 with awards coming in spring of 2008. I hope students will learn about Wilberforce's theology, including his complaint about those who "either overlook or deny the corruption and weakness of human nature. They acknowledge there is, and always had been, a great deal of vice and wickedness [, but they] talk of frailty and infirmity, of petty transgressions, of occasional failings, and of accidental incidents. [They] speak of man as a being who is naturally pure. He is inclined to virtue."

Wilberforce contrasted that view with "the humiliating language of true Christianity. From it we learn that man is an apostate creature. He has fallen from his high, original state. . . . He is indisposed toward the good, and disposed towards evil. . . . He is tainted with sin, not slightly and superficially, but radically, and to the very core of his being. Even though it may be humiliating to acknowledge these things, still this is the biblical account of man."

His realistic view of man allowed him to deal with many kinds of disappointment—including the agonizing one that many of his initially reform-minded parliamentary colleagues gave in to political lures. As a young man Wilberforce was one of 40 MPs called the Independents who covenanted "not to accept a plum appointment to political office, a government pension, or the offer of hereditary peerage." And yet as years went by, only Wilberforce and one other stuck to that resolution. (Sounds like the Republican Revolutionaries of 1994.)

His realism also helped when he faced sharp attacks. James Boswell, famed now for his biography of Samuel Johnson, wrote of Wilberforce, "I hate your little whittling sneer./ Your pert and self-sufficient leer . . . begone, for shame,/ Thou dwarf with big resounding name." (Wilberforce stood only five feet tall.) Other famous writers, including Lord Byron, also wrote hit pieces. But Wilberforce did not respond in kind. Instead of speaking of his own accomplishments, he often said that one line of prayer summarized his only hope: "God be merciful to me a sinner."

Wilberforce emphasized teaching about Christianity but not imposing it, and wrote that Christians should "boldly assert the cause of Christ in an age when so many who bear the name of Christian are ashamed of Him. Let them be active, useful, and generous toward others. Let them show moderation and self-denial themselves. Let them be ashamed of idleness. When blessed with wealth, let them withdraw from the competition of vanity and be modest, retiring from ostentation, and not be the slaves of fashion."

He proceeded boldly but not arrogantly, knowing that he could commend belief but not command it. He stated, "The national difficulties we face result from the decline of religion and morality among us. I must confess equally boldly that my own solid hopes for the well-being of my country depend, not so much on her navies and armies . . . as on the persuasion that she still contains many who love and obey the Gospel of Christ. I believe that their prayers may yet prevail."

Amen.

Copyright © 2007 WORLD Magazine
February 10, 2007, Vol. 22, No. 5

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 23:38:57 GMT

WHERE ISTHE BATTLE?

Francis Schaeffer used to stress Martin Luther’sobservation that unless we are defending the faith at the point where it isbeing attacked in our generation, we are not defending the faith. He was right. There is a Scandal of the Cross for each generation and eachpeople, but it changes as the shifting stratagems of the Enemy vary. For the Greeks it was the resurrection of thebody; for the Jews it was the loss of their status as a privileged peopledefined by their keeping of the Mosaic Law; for the Modernist it was thesupernatural, especially the miraculous; for all men at all times it is our absolutedependence on God’s grace, his unmeritedfavor. What is the particular stickingpoint for our own time? A good case canbe made that it is the existence of objective truth, or, more subtly, theability of human beings to knowobjective truth, and hence to be responsible for knowing it and accountable toGod for what they do about it.

Current pseudo-philosophies reduce all truthclaims to personal perspectives and power plays, and people influenced by themrefuse to participate in any discourse that does not acquiesce in thosereductions. There is therefore a strongtemptation to think that we have to play by those rules in order to gain ahearing for the Gospel at all. But ifwe yield to that temptation, are we still proclaiming the Gospel? If I speak in such a way that I have alreadyadmitted by the form of discourse I adopt that the Gospel is no more than mypersonal perspective on religion, have I not denied the faith, however much I maystill mouth the prescribed formulae about Jesus dying for our sins? For a Jesus who is lord only of myperspectives is not Lord of the cosmos and is therefore incapable of savinganyone.

It is good to be humble about our pretensions toknowledge and to admit that, while we know absolute truth, we do not know truthabsolutely. But in the current climateit is one small step from that admission to becoming intimidated aboutasserting that the truth claims Christ makes on our lives are absolute and comewith God’s absolute authority. That isultimately the bottom line: is Christ Lord of all whether any of us perceivesor accepts it or not, or is He just one of my opinions?

Are robust truth claims offensive to ourgeneration? No one can doubt that theyare. Should the soldiers of Christ thentiptoe away from that breach in our battle lines, or should they flood into itlest the entire phalanx of the Gospel message advancing into our culture besubverted and swept away? The ancestorsof modern theological liberalism began by downplaying and soft-peddling thesupernatural elements of Christian truth, because they thought modern men couldno longer accept them. Their intentionswere (at first) good and sincere, but they left their followers with only animpotent shell of the biblical faith. Can we afford to repeat their mistake?

Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. His claims on our belief are absolute. If we flinch at this point; if our trumpetgives an uncertain sound; if we present a Christ who is inoffensive because Heis after all only one perspective among many; if we allow the enemies of truthto dictate the terms of engagement; if in other words we compromise on theissue of truth, then we betray thenext generation to unrelieved darkness. If we do this, then may God have mercy on their souls—and, even more, onours.

Donald T. Williams is Professor of English and Director of the Schoolof Arts and Sciences at Toccoa Falls College. His most recent books are Mere Humanity: G. K. Chesterton, C. S.Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien on the Human Condition (Broadman, 2006) and Credo:Meditations on the Nicene Creed (Chalice Press, 2007).

Donald T. Williams, PhD
P. O. Box # 800807
Toccoa Falls, GA. 30598

dtw@tfc.edu

http://doulomen.tripod.com

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Sun, 10 Dec 2006 03:28:53 GMT

Thehomeschool movement is at a crossroads. Many men of God are joiningtogether to share the vision of the "road less traveled."Homeschooling is moving beyond the "movement" stage, it is a way oflife. The following article shows a Christian father's role in thelives of his family. Whether or not you are a dad, whether or not youhomeschool/are homeschooled, I would encourage you to read thefollowing essay written by a passionate father who wants the best forthe next generations.

---------------

Oklahoma City Rocked by Second Explosion!
by Steve B.

Eleven years ago an explosion rocked Oklahoma City. Thatexplosionwas heard nearly seventy miles from the epicenter. February 2006:another eruption took place a short distance from the original blastsite. My hope is that this salvo will be heard in the hearts of God'speople across this nation and around the world.

Two hundred and seventy-four homeschool fathers andsons came together to cement the vision that God has been laying on theirhearts. That vision begins with the basic agreement that homeschooling is areformation and must be passed on from fathers to their sons.

This move of God will not be completed in one oreven two generations. In fact, it willtake a great effort on the part of the next three and four generations to bringabout the complete revival of our faith and culture. This renewal will onlytake place as we restore a Biblical worldview through the discipleship of ourchildren and the unification of our families.

When the hearts of the children turn to theirfathers and the family becomes a unit rather than a scattered group ofindividuals, change will take place. We have chosen to instigate change: wehave chosen to homeschool. Let's be honest; homeschooling is not about education.Homeschooling is about reformation. It is about reforming the family into itsGod-intended design. Reforming the Church into the Bride of Christ. Reformingthe culture into one nation under God. This reformation has begun withhomeschooling, but it will die with this generation if fathers fail to carryout their responsibilities.

Order is not spontaneous, it is planned. We need to be men of actionwho trust God and take risks regardless of the persecution. Simultaneously, weneed to develop personal relationships with our families and those God hasplaced in our lives.

We need to ask ourselves some questions: Where arewe going? What are we doing with our time? What are doing with our resources?Are we doing what God said is right? Are we attempting the impossible withGod's help? Are we experiencing persecution?

Where do we begin? How do we begin?

Cast a crystal clear vision

Each man must seek God forhimself and his family the direction that God has appointed. The only way toachieve this is by crying out to God imploring Him to birth in the heartHis direction for the future. Each family's vision will be differentfrom that of their neighbors' and woven, strand by strand, into a completetapestry by the Spirit of God.

Cultivate honour

The best place to begincultivating honour is by honouring our earthly fathers. Each of us needs tosearch out the strengths and gifting of our fathers and set them before ourfamilies. Your children will be watching you as a sailor watches for alighthouse to know the course he should chart. Are we honouring our HeavenlyFather before our families, our friends, and our every day acquaintances?

Communicate hope

It is mandatory, in our role as the head of the family, that we lay afoundation of hope for our wives and our children. We must help them understandthat God's plans will succeed; not disappoint. We must be able to see for ourwives and our children, the end result from the beginning. Like an artistsketching on canvas, we must outline their future and watch as theyfill in the colour to complete the design.

Carry out discipleship

Deuteronomy 6:7 sets beforeus God's pathway to achieve the discipleship of our sons and daughters. Fathersare given the responsibility of implanting God's Word into the hearts of theirchildren as we rise up, as we sit down to eat, and as we walk along the way.One can easily see that this is a daily task given to us by our HeavenlyFather.

Correct those under our authority

Without a doubt Godly discipline is one the most difficult undertakingsfor us as earthly fathers. We must chasten those under our authority to fix intheir hearts correct behaviour, but we must not provoke our children to runaway from God's design for their lives.

Compel our sons to carry the vision forward

God has chosen mento bear His vision; we have been given the responsibility to carry thatvision to the next generation. It is our duty. We cannot fail. Itis imperative that our sons understand God's call upon their lives, for theyare the fathers of the next generation.

In the aftermath of the first Oklahoma City bombing we seea park filled with empty chairs, representing lives lost. Our hope is that thereverberation of the second explosion will be lives filled with the fire ofenthusiasm to propel God's vision through future generations.

Steve propels God'svision forward in his role as husband, father of three, and Vice President ofthe IAHE board. Steve and his wife, Cindy, have served in the homeschoolcommunity for twenty-one years. They attend a Christian Missionary Alliance Church.

Meekness: Case Study

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:22:20 GMT

Definitions:

1. The understanding of the Lord’s character which enables us to submit our personal rights and expectations to the development of His character in us.
2. Power under control
3. To put my heart into knowing the Master, into loving Him, obeying His will, and delighting in Him.
4. Victory over selfishness and anger

Word pictures:
1. A military horse charging into battle under the complete control of its rider.

Random thoughts….
- Yielding my right to be served, and instead serving others.
- Becoming a bondservant to Christ
- Not being angry (Anger is a surface issue resulting from a selfish and/or wounded heart)
- Not yielding to irritation, worry, fear, anger, and bitterness
- Yielding negative heart attitudes to the Lordship of Christ an allowing Him to turn them into the power to be a blessing to others
- Anger is a warning light – we must make a decision to choose meekness, to choose God’s will over my own personal rights (that I haven’t yielded to Him)
- It is obedience – power that comes not by strength, but by a willing heart
- The energy of our lives is made powerful as it is directed and channeled by meekness

Meekness Requires:
1. Meekness requires you to have a knowledge of / communication with God
Without this, we will never be able to have purpose, be honored and chosen for use, or find the joy of relationship with Him.

2. Meekness draws us into a relationship with Christ
The goal in knowing God’s will is for all our energies to be directed into it. All the knowledge that we could ever gain can never enable us to move into a relationship --- that requires meekness. It is the choice of submission that allows us to be well pleasing and of great use to our Master.

3. How do we become meek?
Come to Jesus, take His yoke, learn of Him, and find rest.

4. To have meekness, we must accept reproof and discipline
They are designed to give us more freedom an a closer relationship with Christ.

5. Meekness involves increased responsibility
I must be a learner, have a grateful and cheerful spirit, have a reverence toward God, and have a submissive spirit in order to be able to handle this new responsibility well.

6. Patience (remaining under pressure without giving God a deadline to remove it) and obedience (fulfilling instructions so both God and my authorities are fully satisfied) are essential elements of meekness

7. Perseverance (making the right choices no matter the cost) and endurance (making sure it is the right time no matter how long it takes) are necessary in developing meekness

8. Death to God is the end of meekness. Death to self is only the beginning.
Meekness is God-focused instead of me-focused. The only way to be self-less is to be Christ-consumed. Only as we die to self are we able to grow and produce fruit.

9. God’s relationship with us, and ours with Him, is always tested, established, and ultimately proven by the quality and substance of our relationships with those around us.
If I can’t get along with my family, then I am not close enough to Christ, and I am not developing meekness.

10. One life yielded to God at all costs is worth thousands only touched by God
God wants your all, and only through yielding Him your all can you become meek, and gain true power.

Scriptural Promises for the Meek:
1. They will eat and be satisfied (Psalm 22:26)
2. The Lord will guide them (Psalm 25:9)
3. They will inherit the earth (Psalm 37:11)
4. The Lord will make them beautiful (Psalm 149:4)
5. They will have increased joy (Isaiah 29:19)
6. The will have good tidings (Isaiah 61:1)
7. They will be blessed (Matthew 5:5)
8. They will become more like Christ, because He is meek (Matthew 11:29)

Other Scriptures on Meekness:
- Numbers 12:3
- 1 Peter 3:4
- 2 Corinthians 10:1
- Galatians 6:1
- 1 Timothy 6:11
- 2 Timothy 2:25
- Titus 3:2
- 1 Peter 3:15

As a side note, I realize that I've been negligent in posting anything for the Inklings recently. For that I sincerely apologize. Hopefully, in the following months I will be able to at least keep the site a little more "alive" than I've done this past summer.

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Tue, 30 May 2006 23:10:01 GMT

The Glory of God Is...?

St. Ignatius claims that, "The glory of God is man fully alive". Is this true?

Where does St. Ignatius draw from (scripturally) to back up this claim? Is there a Scriptural foundation? Why does John Eldridge come back to this phrase time and again in his book Waking the Dead? Why is it a line in the song Just Showed Up by Sara Groves? What is this infatuation with a quote that many people won't chew on and ponder?

How can we say that God's glory comes from His creation? It is because God created man in His own image that man has worth. Because God is glorious, His glory is mirrored in His creation. God made man fully alive, but man fell into sin bringing death, not only into the world, but also into his spirit.

Again I'm struck with the Creation (man fully alive/perfect), the Fall (man entering into sin, going against God's nature), and the Redemption (Jesus living the perfect life and dying in our place) pattern. It springs up all around us because it is history. Often we forget history, so God reminds us constantly of this pattern.

God indeed intends for man to be fully alive. In the gospel of John Jesus confidently declares that He came to give us life. Abundant life. Life overflowing. And He does - He makes us fully alive.

"The glory of God is man fully alive"... As I chew and ponder the statement I wonder if St. Ignatius meant, man fully alive glorifies God. Now that, I can agree with!!!

><> Jody

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Tue, 09 May 2006 22:43:30 GMT

Article IV Section 4 of the US Constitution:
The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union, a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened), against domestic violence.

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How to Create Conflict
By Walter E. Williams
March 2006

High on my list of annoyances are references to the United States as a democracy and the suggestion Iraq should become a democracy. The word "democracy" appears in neither of our Founding documents -- the Declaration of Independence nor the U.S. Constitution.

Our nation's Founders disdained democracy and majority rule. James Madison, in Federalist Paper No. 10, said in a pure democracy, "there is nothing to check the inducement to sacrifice the weaker party or the obnoxious individual." During the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Edmund Randolph said, "In tracing these evils to their origin every man had found it in the turbulence and follies of democracy."

John Adams said: "Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There was never a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." Chief Justice John Marshall added, "Between a balanced republic and a democracy, the difference is like that between order and chaos."

The Founders knew a democracy would recreate the tyranny suffered under King George III. Their vision was a republic.

But let's cut to Iraq and President Bush's call for it to become a democracy. I can't think of a worse place to have a democracy -- majority rule. Iraq needs a republic like that envisioned by our Founders -- decentralized and limited government power.

In a republican government, there is rule of law. All citizens, including government officials, are accountable to the same laws. Government intervenes in civil society to protect its citizens against force and fraud but does not intervene in peaceable, voluntary exchanges.

Democracy, what the Bush administration urges, is different. In a democracy, the majority rules either directly or through its elected representatives. The law is whatever the government determines it to be. Laws aren't necessarily based upon reason but power. In other words, democracy is just another form of tyranny -- tyranny of the majority.

In Iraq, Arabs are about 75 percent of the population, Kurds about 20 percent and Turkomen and Assyrians the balance. Religiously, Shi'ites are about 60 percent of the population, Sunni 35 percent with Christian and other religions making up the balance. If a majority-rule democracy emerges, given the longstanding hatred and distrust among ethnic/religious groups, it's a recipe for conflict.

The reason is quite simple: Majority rule is a zero-sum game with winners and losers. Winners can impose their will on the minority. Conflict emerges when the minority resists.

The ideal political model for Iraq is Switzerland's cantonal system. Historically, Switzerland, unlike most European countries, was made up of several different major ethnic groups -- Germans, French, Italians and Rhaeto-Romansch. Over the centuries, conflicts have arisen between these groups, who differ in language, religion (Catholic and Protestant) and culture. The resolution was to allow the warring groups to govern themselves.

Switzerland has 26 cantons. The cantons are divided into about 3,000 communes. Switzerland's federal government controls only those interests common to all cantons -- national defense, foreign policy, railways and the like. All other matters are controlled by the individual cantons and communes. The Swiss cantonal system enables people of different ethnicity, language, culture and religion to live at peace with one another. As such, Switzerland's political system is well suited to an ethnically and religiously divided country such as Iraq.

By the way, for President Bush and others who insist on calling our country a democracy, should we change our pledge of allegiance to say "to the democracy, for which it stands," and should we change the name of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" to "The Battle Hymn of the Democracy"?

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University and a nationally syndicated columnist

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Wed, 03 May 2006 21:45:24 GMT

Two Sisters, the Church, and Destruction

In Scripture, the prophet Ezekiel tells a story of two sisters who were consumed by their own lusts (Ezekiel 23). The name of one of the sisters is Aholah, which basically means His tent or tabernacle. Several verses later, Scripture reveals that this sister was an example of Jerusalem, and the other, younger sister, of Samaria. However, when I read this chapter, I thought immediately of the state of the church as a whole in the United States.

Look at the history of the church. Starting from the disciples and the subsequent house churches which they started, and moving up through the present age, I see a trend that Israel, or Jerusalem and Samaria, in this passage were rebuked for. Paul, inspired by God, in writing to several of the early churches warned them of this continuing trend. In 2 Peter 3:17, Paul tells the church to watch carefully that they didn’t get led away by the deceptions of the world.

Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.

Again, in Galatians 5:16-26, the church is warned of the lusts of the world.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Once more, in Romans 12:1-2, Paul tells the church to not become one with the world by saying

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

So what is this trend which has been present ever since Adam and Eve, yet continues even today? It is lust. In Eve’s case, it was lust for what the Serpent promised her that eating the fruit would give her. In ancient Israel’s case, it was a lust for what the other nations had, a physical, earthly king, for example. In the example of the two sisters in Ezekiel it was “guys” or other nations. In the church today it can be the supposed “freedom” that the world has in things like what they watch, what they wear, what they listen to, how they talk, and so much more.

To put it simply, the sisters seen in Ezekiel 23 lusted after all the men of the other nations. This applied to Israel in the fact that the Israelites lusted after the many gods of the nations around them. I believe that it also applies to the church today in that we are lusting after all the “marks” of the world? (This could be music, numbers, dress, youth groups, other programs, technology, virtually anything).

What are the consequences of this? To be sure, there are, and will be consequences, but is there any indication in Scripture as to what they are? Also, can this problem be remedied, and how? Does Scripture provide a “fix-all” solution? Well, let’s look and see.

The obvious judgment or consequence for the two sisters in Ezekiel 23 was that they were violently destroyed. Would this also be true for the church? It is certainly possible, though if it were true, I am sure that God has a remnant preserved somewhere of His people who have remained true to Him. However, Scripture does not say specifically the direct consequences to the church. Yet, I fear that they will be great. Why do I say this? First of all, as I said, the destruction of the two sisters in Ezekiel. Secondly, I believe that you can see a pattern throughout history of those, whether individuals, church groups, or nations, who have lost their influence, because of being distracted by outside, worldly things. Finally, in the passage of Galatians previously quoted, the section warning about the world ends by saying that

...those who do these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

More importantly, the remedy. In the New Testament verses already quoted, I can see several things that believers should be carrying out in order to change the current situation of the church.

1. Once again, in Galatians, we are told to nurture the “fruit of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
2. In Romans, we are told to,

...present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” and to “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Obviously, there are many other commands in Scripture which would pertain just as much to this issue, and that would be just as important.

The final thing I would like to leave you with is that God is a jealous God. All throughout Isaiah and Jeremiah, and even Ezekiel, He speaks through His prophets, and ends many chapters full of judgment with the reason “that they may know that I am God.” If we, as the church, are not pointing to God, but are being distracted, lusting after the things of the world, then we are definitely not pleasing God, because He is jealous and He wants our full focus. He wants the world around us to know, by seeing us, that He alone is God.

Your friend and sister,
Abigail