Thursday, November 5, 2009
The Russians Beat Us To It...They Been There, Done That
I would like to read you something I came across this week. It was written by a man named Tamim Ansary– who is an Afghani-American writer [ taken from Salon.com ]. I don’t generally like to read something of this length, but I think it is important for us to hear. [start quote] I’ve been hearing a lot of talk about "bombing Afghanistan back to the Stone Age." Ronn Owens, on KGO Talk Radio today, allowed that this would mean killing innocent people, people who had nothing to do with this atrocity, but "we’re at war, we have to accept collateral damage. What else can we do?" Minutes later I heard some TV pundit discussing whether we "have the belly to do what must be done." And I thought especially hard about the issues being raised because I am from Afghanistan, and even though I’ve lived here for 35 years I’ve never lost track of what’s going on there. So I want to tell anyone who will listen how it all looks from where I’m standing. I speak as one who hates the Taliban and Osama Bin Laden. There is no doubt in my mind that these people were responsible for the atrocity in New York. I agree that something must be done about those monsters. But the Taliban and Ben Laden are not Afghanistan. They’re not even the government of Afghanistan. The Taliban are a cult of ignorant psychotics who took over Afghanistan in 1997. Bin Laden is a political criminal with a plan. When you think Taliban, think Nazis. When you think Bin Laden, think Hitler. And when you think "the people of Afghanistan" think "the Jews in the concentration camps." It’s not only that the Afghan people had nothing to do with this atrocity. They were the first victims of the perpetrators. They would exult if someone would come in there, take out the Taliban and clear out the rats nest of international thugs holed up in their country. Some say, why don’t the Afghans rise up and overthrow the Taliban? The answer is, they’re starved, exhausted, hurt, incapacitated, suffering. A few years ago, the United Nations estimated that there are 500,000 disabled orphans in Afghanistan--a country with no economy, no food. There are millions of widows. And the Taliban has been burying these widows alive in mass graves. The soil is littered with land mines. The farms were all destroyed by the Soviets. These are a few of the reasons why the Afghan people have not overthrown the Taliban. We come now to the question of bombing Afghanistan back to the Stone Age. Trouble is, that’s been done. The Soviets took care of it already. Make the Afghans suffer? They’re already suffering. Level their houses? Done. Turn their schools into piles of rubble? Done. Eradicate their hospitals? Done. Destroy their infrastructure? Cut them off from medicine and health care? Too late. Someone already did all that. New bombs would only stir the rubble of earlier bombs. Would they at least get the Taliban? Not likely. In today’s Afghanistan, only the Taliban eat, only they have the means to move around. They’d slip away and hide. Maybe the bombs would get some of those disabled orphans; they don’t move too fast, they don’t even have wheelchairs. But flying over Kabul and dropping bombs wouldn’t really be a strike against the criminals who did this horrific thing. Actually it would only be making common cause with the Taliban--by raping once again the people they’ve been raping all this time [end quote]
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Economic Decline...Sign of a Nation That Has Turned From God
Jeremiah 2:11-13
11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols!
12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,"
says the Lord.
13 "For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!
Wow, what a description of America and our cities, towns, and communities inside our nation. Tonight, I am sitting here watching television and I see at the bottom of the screen Little Miami lost its levy bid once again. This kind of scenario is being played our everywhere across America. People are hurting, overburdened with taxes, losing jobs, losing retirement, and losing homes. Here in Ohio, it looks like the casino bill will pass. But it won't be the answer. People in Indiana and surrounding states have all of that and their respective residents are losing jobs, homes, and retirement as well. We are a nation that has lost it's way. We have forsaken, turned our back on the one true God...our cisterns are filled with leaks and cracks...and we don't have any answers for all the problems we face.
Its all so sad to watch this once great nation come apart right before our very eyes. It grieves me. Especially when it doesn't have to be this way. But like Israel, we keep trying to do it ourselves without seeking after Almighty God's help. We keep telling ourselves, "We are self-sufficient. We have always made it. We will save ourselves once again. Good ole American ingenuity...that's all we need." And if that's what we are saying. God is looking down and saying to us, "You must humble yourselves. Seek my face. Turn from wicked ways and I will forgive your sins and I will heal your land." [2 Chronicles 7:14 paraphrase]
Please continue to remember our nation in your prayers. More than ever, we as God's people must pray and seek renewal. It's not too late.
-Pastor Randy
11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones,
even though they are not gods at all?
Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God
for worthless idols!
12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing
and shrink back in horror and dismay,"
says the Lord.
13 "For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!
Wow, what a description of America and our cities, towns, and communities inside our nation. Tonight, I am sitting here watching television and I see at the bottom of the screen Little Miami lost its levy bid once again. This kind of scenario is being played our everywhere across America. People are hurting, overburdened with taxes, losing jobs, losing retirement, and losing homes. Here in Ohio, it looks like the casino bill will pass. But it won't be the answer. People in Indiana and surrounding states have all of that and their respective residents are losing jobs, homes, and retirement as well. We are a nation that has lost it's way. We have forsaken, turned our back on the one true God...our cisterns are filled with leaks and cracks...and we don't have any answers for all the problems we face.
Its all so sad to watch this once great nation come apart right before our very eyes. It grieves me. Especially when it doesn't have to be this way. But like Israel, we keep trying to do it ourselves without seeking after Almighty God's help. We keep telling ourselves, "We are self-sufficient. We have always made it. We will save ourselves once again. Good ole American ingenuity...that's all we need." And if that's what we are saying. God is looking down and saying to us, "You must humble yourselves. Seek my face. Turn from wicked ways and I will forgive your sins and I will heal your land." [2 Chronicles 7:14 paraphrase]
Please continue to remember our nation in your prayers. More than ever, we as God's people must pray and seek renewal. It's not too late.
-Pastor Randy
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Sunday Wrap Up
Friend Day services were great today. We had many prodigals that came back home to Christ today. What a great spirit of worship in the AM service today. People came ready to worship. I think that was do to the prophetic praise and worship service Saturday night. It just gets people tuned up...ready to enter in on Sundays! Tonight's crowd and service was awesome as well. Different than this morning...but powerful nonetheless.
We said "happy farewell" today to Karen Cook. We will really miss her. Even though new families are coming in, I hate seeing people move. Karen is a great blessing to the church. A good worker and lots of fun. Even though I know we will see her around, we will miss her and Raymond too.
Thank you so much giving in a special offering to Debbie J. today. She's worth it and so much more. We are blessed to have her!
Have a wonderful week!
-Pastor Randy
We said "happy farewell" today to Karen Cook. We will really miss her. Even though new families are coming in, I hate seeing people move. Karen is a great blessing to the church. A good worker and lots of fun. Even though I know we will see her around, we will miss her and Raymond too.
Thank you so much giving in a special offering to Debbie J. today. She's worth it and so much more. We are blessed to have her!
Have a wonderful week!
-Pastor Randy
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sowing and Reaping
Ever hear of something called “jogging in a jug”? “Jogging in a Jug” is a concoction of 4 parts grape juice, 4 parts apple juice, and 1 part apple cider vinegar. Yum, yum! It’s a folk remedy for high cholesterol; a kind of “Drano” for your arteries. Supposedly, two ounces a day of this stuff and your insides will be as slick and clean as a whistle. Now, I don’t know if it works. It’s never been scientifically proven to do anything except cause you to make an awful face when you drink it. But wouldn’t it be great if it did? Just the name sounds appealing: “Jogging in a jug.” Wouldn’t it be great if you could gain all the benefits of jogging without actually having to exercise! If you could lower your cholesterol and improve your health without having to strap on your Nikes and “just do it”. If instead, you could “just drink it”? No getting up before dawn to drive to the gym; no hours of pain on the Stairmaster. Just a shot glass of vinegar and it’s “please pass the jelly doughnuts!”
Take another example. It used to be that if you ate junk food, you got fat. Now, we have Olestra, a fat substitute, so we can eat greasy potato chips and ice cream to our heart’s content without raising our cholesterol. Over the years, we’ve developed a multitude of artificial sweeteners – cyclamates, saccharin, aspartame – so we can drink all the sodas we want without rotting our teeth and expanding our middles. And if you do happen to eat something with actual fat or calories, you don’t need to go to the gym to lose weight. All that sweating and huffing and puffing is so 80’s. Now, you just make an appointment with your friendly local liposuctionist, and for a couple of thousand dollars, he’ll suck that fat right out.
In short, what we’re constantly trying to do is repeal the law of sowing and reaping, sever the connection between action and consequence. Not just with eating and drinking, but in every area of life. It’s a universal human urge: people to want to enjoy the benefits without paying the price. Take money. Why is the lottery so popular? It’s an opportunity to become wealthy without labor. There are other ways to acquire wealth, but they’re not nearly as appealing, because they all involve work. That’s why we love game shows like “Who wants to be a millionaire?” Just answer a dozen trivia questions, and you’re rich. No years of medical school, no years of working late at the office, no years of sacrificing and saving and investing. Just ten minutes sitting across from Regis and – boom! – instant wealth. Now I’m not knocking game shows or saying that Regis is evil [although he does sort of resemble the devil in those dark, monochrome suits]. But we should ask ourselves why these shows are so popular. It’s the appeal of having wealth without having to earn it. It’s the appeal of breaking that link between work and reward [John Houseman commercial: “At Smith Barney, we make money the old-fashioned way. We earn it.” They don’t run that commercial anymore. Why? People don’t want to invest for the long term. They don’t want to “earn” a good return on their money. They want to take a flyer on some “dot-com” stock that’s going to quadruple their money in two weeks.]
Now, while you may be able to acquire wealth without labor, or reverse the consequences of overeating, there’s at least one area of life where the law of sowing and reaping always applies.
And that’s in our spiritual life. Our character, our relationship with God, our relationships with one another, these are ruled by the law of sowing and reaping. It’s part of the moral fabric of the universe. This law can’t be overturned by drinking vinegar; it can’t be repealed by a winning lottery ticket. It holds fast. And so the way of wisdom is not to war against it, but to understand it and live by it and benefit from it. Ignoring the law of sowing and reaping only leads to sorrow and regret. What we need to do is respond to it in a way that’s spiritually healthy and pleasing to God.
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:7-9 (NIV)
What’s Paul’s first point? “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked.” Some people today are mocking God. Not explicitly – they’re not glaring up at the sky, laughing at God, taunting Him, daring Him to strike them down. But they are mocking Him implicitly, by the way they’re living; by disregarding His claims on their life. Ignoring God, ignoring His law, ignoring His Son Jesus Christ. Living however they please, with no thought or concern about God. They think they’re beating the system. They think they’re “gettting away with it.” They think that as long as they’re clever enough to cover their tracks, as long as they can avoid discovery and exposure, as long as no one finds out, then they can do whatever they want.
But what Paul is telling us here is that they’re not getting away with it. It’s corroding their soul. It’s destroying their integrity. It’s eroding the foundation of their relationships, and placing a barrier between them and God. And sooner or later, it is going to come out. Sooner or later, they will reap what they’ve been sowing.
Take another example. It used to be that if you ate junk food, you got fat. Now, we have Olestra, a fat substitute, so we can eat greasy potato chips and ice cream to our heart’s content without raising our cholesterol. Over the years, we’ve developed a multitude of artificial sweeteners – cyclamates, saccharin, aspartame – so we can drink all the sodas we want without rotting our teeth and expanding our middles. And if you do happen to eat something with actual fat or calories, you don’t need to go to the gym to lose weight. All that sweating and huffing and puffing is so 80’s. Now, you just make an appointment with your friendly local liposuctionist, and for a couple of thousand dollars, he’ll suck that fat right out.
In short, what we’re constantly trying to do is repeal the law of sowing and reaping, sever the connection between action and consequence. Not just with eating and drinking, but in every area of life. It’s a universal human urge: people to want to enjoy the benefits without paying the price. Take money. Why is the lottery so popular? It’s an opportunity to become wealthy without labor. There are other ways to acquire wealth, but they’re not nearly as appealing, because they all involve work. That’s why we love game shows like “Who wants to be a millionaire?” Just answer a dozen trivia questions, and you’re rich. No years of medical school, no years of working late at the office, no years of sacrificing and saving and investing. Just ten minutes sitting across from Regis and – boom! – instant wealth. Now I’m not knocking game shows or saying that Regis is evil [although he does sort of resemble the devil in those dark, monochrome suits]. But we should ask ourselves why these shows are so popular. It’s the appeal of having wealth without having to earn it. It’s the appeal of breaking that link between work and reward [John Houseman commercial: “At Smith Barney, we make money the old-fashioned way. We earn it.” They don’t run that commercial anymore. Why? People don’t want to invest for the long term. They don’t want to “earn” a good return on their money. They want to take a flyer on some “dot-com” stock that’s going to quadruple their money in two weeks.]
Now, while you may be able to acquire wealth without labor, or reverse the consequences of overeating, there’s at least one area of life where the law of sowing and reaping always applies.
And that’s in our spiritual life. Our character, our relationship with God, our relationships with one another, these are ruled by the law of sowing and reaping. It’s part of the moral fabric of the universe. This law can’t be overturned by drinking vinegar; it can’t be repealed by a winning lottery ticket. It holds fast. And so the way of wisdom is not to war against it, but to understand it and live by it and benefit from it. Ignoring the law of sowing and reaping only leads to sorrow and regret. What we need to do is respond to it in a way that’s spiritually healthy and pleasing to God.
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:7-9 (NIV)
What’s Paul’s first point? “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked.” Some people today are mocking God. Not explicitly – they’re not glaring up at the sky, laughing at God, taunting Him, daring Him to strike them down. But they are mocking Him implicitly, by the way they’re living; by disregarding His claims on their life. Ignoring God, ignoring His law, ignoring His Son Jesus Christ. Living however they please, with no thought or concern about God. They think they’re beating the system. They think they’re “gettting away with it.” They think that as long as they’re clever enough to cover their tracks, as long as they can avoid discovery and exposure, as long as no one finds out, then they can do whatever they want.
But what Paul is telling us here is that they’re not getting away with it. It’s corroding their soul. It’s destroying their integrity. It’s eroding the foundation of their relationships, and placing a barrier between them and God. And sooner or later, it is going to come out. Sooner or later, they will reap what they’ve been sowing.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Kings Point Updates
Good morning everyone! Please remember the following people that are in the hospital: Kim Moore (pneumonia), Wilma Chess (pneumonia), Arlene Miller (Meadowbrook Retirement Ctr).
Friend Day is this Sunday. Please be praying and then asking friends and family to be your guest this Sunday. If you have "prayers of threes," this will be an excellent time to ask them to come to church. Remember, it could be a day in your friend's life that will last for eternity.
The Prophetic Praise and Worship service is this Saturday evening, October 31, at 6:00 p.m. Nursery childcare will be available. Come enjoy and relax in the presence of the Lord. No schedules nor time limits...pure praise and worship.
This is the last weekend to register for the Women's Encounter(November 6th thru 8th). Come prepared for a life-changing weekend!
Covenant Marriage Couples Ministry begins this Sunday at 9:45 am. This is an exciting new ministry that will enrich your marriage. I strongly encourage married couples to attend this class. Marriage maintenance should be vital, not an optional thing. Please come and check it out!
Finally, this Sunday at the beginning of the service we will receive a birthday offering for our children's minister, Debbie Jett. We do this annually for ministry staff members to show our love and appreciation for them. Please come prepared to give in this special offering if you can.
Have a great day!
-Pastor Randy Ballard
Friend Day is this Sunday. Please be praying and then asking friends and family to be your guest this Sunday. If you have "prayers of threes," this will be an excellent time to ask them to come to church. Remember, it could be a day in your friend's life that will last for eternity.
The Prophetic Praise and Worship service is this Saturday evening, October 31, at 6:00 p.m. Nursery childcare will be available. Come enjoy and relax in the presence of the Lord. No schedules nor time limits...pure praise and worship.
This is the last weekend to register for the Women's Encounter(November 6th thru 8th). Come prepared for a life-changing weekend!
Covenant Marriage Couples Ministry begins this Sunday at 9:45 am. This is an exciting new ministry that will enrich your marriage. I strongly encourage married couples to attend this class. Marriage maintenance should be vital, not an optional thing. Please come and check it out!
Finally, this Sunday at the beginning of the service we will receive a birthday offering for our children's minister, Debbie Jett. We do this annually for ministry staff members to show our love and appreciation for them. Please come prepared to give in this special offering if you can.
Have a great day!
-Pastor Randy Ballard
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday Wrap Up
Wow, what a weekend! Long, but exciting! It all started our with the LM/Kings football game Friday night. I really thought Little Miami would win by 2 to 3 touchdowns in a high scoring game. But when Lance Fanthorp (LM's leading scorer and recently set a Ohio state high school record in receiving yards) went down with a injury in the first quarter, then I begin to change my mind. As the game went on, I begin to think to myself "this thing is going to come down to a kick from Gabe." I just knew it. So many times this past spring and summer Gabe while practicing at the school, we would say "this one is to beat Kings." Even in practice, Coach Jordan would say the same thing many times. And what do you know, it came down to just that...not to beat Kings but to give Little Miami a chance to send it to overtime so they could beat Kings. I'm proud of Gabe. He's a good kid. He loves God and he does whats right. He's not a perfect kid. He has his faults. But God doesn't just bless and favor perfect kids or people. God defintely put him in that situation so that He will be glorified. I pray that He will!
One last thing about the game. My mom was with us Friday night and Saturday. It was great having her with us. She has been working a lot lately giving flu shots in Indy. Gabe dedicated the game Friday night to my dad...his papaw. He wrote it on his shoes and went out and bought special wristbands and wrote it on them as well. Maybe he was in the in that great "cloud of witnesses" in heaven watching the end of the game. If he was, knowing dad, he had a little tear in his eye...not a sad one, but a joyful one.
Two great services today with the presence of the Lord just so awesome in both. This morning's message was a true word from the Lord. If you weren't there, you need to watch it on the sermons page when we get it up. If I have ever believed anything in my life, I believe that we are headed for a time of God's habitation with His bride like we have never experienced before. Yes, we will have our time in the wilderness before it comes. But its coming and my prayer and my cry is "God come down and visit your people!"
Have a wonderful week!
-Pastor Randy
One last thing about the game. My mom was with us Friday night and Saturday. It was great having her with us. She has been working a lot lately giving flu shots in Indy. Gabe dedicated the game Friday night to my dad...his papaw. He wrote it on his shoes and went out and bought special wristbands and wrote it on them as well. Maybe he was in the in that great "cloud of witnesses" in heaven watching the end of the game. If he was, knowing dad, he had a little tear in his eye...not a sad one, but a joyful one.
Two great services today with the presence of the Lord just so awesome in both. This morning's message was a true word from the Lord. If you weren't there, you need to watch it on the sermons page when we get it up. If I have ever believed anything in my life, I believe that we are headed for a time of God's habitation with His bride like we have never experienced before. Yes, we will have our time in the wilderness before it comes. But its coming and my prayer and my cry is "God come down and visit your people!"
Have a wonderful week!
-Pastor Randy
Friday, October 23, 2009
Friday Countdown...Trusting in Horses
Dave Daubenmire is a high school football coach from the Columbus area. I enjoy reading his stuff. Dave has a powerful gift of discernment and insight regarding today's culture. This is another good word. Enjoy it!
-Pastor Randy
"TRUSTING in HORSES"
-by Coach Dave Daubenmire.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember
the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7
Sometimes when I sit down to pen a commentary I wish I didn’t
have to. I don’t know why the Lord has laid this yoke upon me, but
I try to be faithful to the gift and the calling that He has put upon
my life. They are irrevocable you know, the gifts and callings of
God, so I might as well embrace the work He has left on my desk.
I can’t explain it but sometimes I feel like I have on a different set
of glasses. Not rose-colored mind you, but more like binoculars
that help me see things that are farther down the road. I can’t explain
it, but I know it to be true.
I have always been amazed by guys who can “fix things”,
mechanically that is. I can spend all morning trying to figure out
how to get my riding lawn-mower operational and then my brother-
in-law pulls up, takes one look at the engine, and diagnosis the
problem. It is his gift, and I sure wish I had it.
But my gift is a little different. Although I have never been to
seminary, or spent time at the feet of great theologians, the Lord
has gifted me with the ability to “connect the dots” in regards to
the application of Biblical principles as they relate to cultural issues.
I think it makes some folks mad, especially the “credentialed
pulpiteers.” I know how they feel. I have experienced the same thing
with my brother-in-law. I’m the guy with all of the degrees yet I can’t
figure out that the spark plug needs cleaned before the engine will
start.
Education without application is like tires without air. One without
the other leaves one feeling a bit flat.
(I’m still not sure I am making myself clear.) Solomon put it this
way.“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with
all thy getting get understanding.” Wisdom is the application of
knowledge. “Understanding” is the offspring of the union of
application and knowledge.
I remember praying a few years ago “Lord, help me see and
understand things that others don’t see and understand.” I’ll let you
be the judge of whether or not He answered that prayer.
The solutions to the problems facing America are so clear to me.
The cause/effect of our cultural collapse is so easy to diagnose. Like
my brother-in-law has often said to me while working on a piece of
my equipment, “Everything is connected together. All you have to
figure out is where the chain is broken. If it isn’t working there has
to be a reason. Just follow the trail.” Sorry to be simplistic, but that
is how I feel about America. Everything is connected…but we refuse
to follow the trail.
So follow along with me as we lift up the hood, check out the spark
plugs, and see if we can figure out how to get this baby running. It
is my opinion that we are trying to replace the wrong parts. Pardon
the corny phraseology, but we are putting the chariot before the
horse.
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember
the name of the LORD our God.”
America’s problems are spiritual, they are not mechanical. We can
not get out of this problem merely by changing the horses (parts).
We have tried that cure before. Substituting Republicans for
Democrats, or liberals for conservatives may change the direction
the chariots are pulled but it gets us no closer to the finish line.
Political parties and politicians are merely the horses that pull the
chariot. Changing them has brought us nothing more than a false
sense of hope. Every election we change a few of the horses, hope
that things will straighten out, and then lament the fact that the
stallions we put into office end up being nothing more than the same
old nag.
Trusting in horses has not worked.
Although the word chariot conjures up thoughts of a carriage in which
someone rides, a chariot was actually a weapon of war as
demonstrated in this video of Charleton Heston in Ben Hur. In our
American constitutional republic the constitution has become the
chariot, the weapon of choice, for those who want to over-throw this
nation. Many patriotic-Americans have labeled themselves
“constitutionalists”, and are trusting in that great founding-document
to win the war against an ever-expanding, all-powerful government.
“If only they would follow the Constitution…”
Although their intentions are good, the reality is that chariot
(constitution) is prisoner to the horses and the direction that they
choose to pull it. No matter how much we love to point out “original
intent,” “separation of powers,” and “government of the people…” the
chariot gets pulled in directions that it was never intended to go. The
Constitution in which we trust is the very weapon that the horses
uses to over-throw the will of the people. Extra-constitutional edicts
such at “the separation between the church and state,” the
“penumbras” of the constitution, and “equal protection” clauses have
run the chariot over those whom it was created to protect.
As long as horses are pulling the chariots there is no hope, and no
sense of generational permanence in that document upon which our
nation was founded. Allowing its clearly spelled-out principles to be
changed at the whim of the latest I-know-better-than-you judge has
caused this foundation stone to be crushed into sand. We all know
what happens when one builds upon sinking sand…
Trusting in chariots has led us into a swamp. The Constitution is not
a stand-alone document. James Madison, the “Father of the
Constitution” said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any
other.”
George Washington said “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation
without God and the Bible.”
Some men trust in chariots…..
Recently I have been asked to speak at several “Tea-Parties” around
these parts. Word has spread very quickly about the zeal, passion,
and clarity with which I articulate The American View of our national
dilemma. The hearts of men and women are moved as I paint the
picture of the consequences of our national rejection of Jesus. But
my impassioned plea for “remembering the Lord” has tugged on the
bridle of the horses who are not “Christians.”
Some of my recent “invitations” to speak have included a request to
“tone down a bit” the “religious part” because some of the “coalition”
does not hold my same “religious” views. You see, it is easy to
change the horses, or fight with the chariot, than it is to harness the
rebellious heart of individual men and women.
Needless to say, I told them what they can do with the horse they
rode in on…
The god-haters have told us that our Constitution is a “living,
breathing document” designed to change with the times. That
attitude is the same one that gave us “living breathing” marriages
and mortgage contracts. The US Constitution was a contract
between a people and their Creator from whom the rights of the
people had been endowed. A contract is only as good as the people
who sign it.
Funny isn’t it, our once solid American dollar is in a free fall because
the gold that once under girded it has been removed. Remove the
firm foundation and a building is destined for collapse. For over two
centuries the ordinances of God were the pillars upon which this
nation stood. Remove those supports and the Constitution is not
worth the paper it was written on.
"To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil
freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now
enjoys. . . Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown,
our present republican forms of government, and all blessings which
flow from them, must fall with them." Jedidiah Morse
I know what my brother-in-law would say… “Better firm up that
foundation.” Nothing short of a spiritual transformation can save
this nation.
Some men trust in horses, some men trust in chariots….
We need to remember the name of the Lord. Does any national
leader have the courage to say so?
© 2009 Dave Daubenmire - All Rights Reserved
SOURCE - http://www.newswithviews.com/Daubenmire/dave172.htm
-Pastor Randy
"TRUSTING in HORSES"
-by Coach Dave Daubenmire.
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember
the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7
Sometimes when I sit down to pen a commentary I wish I didn’t
have to. I don’t know why the Lord has laid this yoke upon me, but
I try to be faithful to the gift and the calling that He has put upon
my life. They are irrevocable you know, the gifts and callings of
God, so I might as well embrace the work He has left on my desk.
I can’t explain it but sometimes I feel like I have on a different set
of glasses. Not rose-colored mind you, but more like binoculars
that help me see things that are farther down the road. I can’t explain
it, but I know it to be true.
I have always been amazed by guys who can “fix things”,
mechanically that is. I can spend all morning trying to figure out
how to get my riding lawn-mower operational and then my brother-
in-law pulls up, takes one look at the engine, and diagnosis the
problem. It is his gift, and I sure wish I had it.
But my gift is a little different. Although I have never been to
seminary, or spent time at the feet of great theologians, the Lord
has gifted me with the ability to “connect the dots” in regards to
the application of Biblical principles as they relate to cultural issues.
I think it makes some folks mad, especially the “credentialed
pulpiteers.” I know how they feel. I have experienced the same thing
with my brother-in-law. I’m the guy with all of the degrees yet I can’t
figure out that the spark plug needs cleaned before the engine will
start.
Education without application is like tires without air. One without
the other leaves one feeling a bit flat.
(I’m still not sure I am making myself clear.) Solomon put it this
way.“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with
all thy getting get understanding.” Wisdom is the application of
knowledge. “Understanding” is the offspring of the union of
application and knowledge.
I remember praying a few years ago “Lord, help me see and
understand things that others don’t see and understand.” I’ll let you
be the judge of whether or not He answered that prayer.
The solutions to the problems facing America are so clear to me.
The cause/effect of our cultural collapse is so easy to diagnose. Like
my brother-in-law has often said to me while working on a piece of
my equipment, “Everything is connected together. All you have to
figure out is where the chain is broken. If it isn’t working there has
to be a reason. Just follow the trail.” Sorry to be simplistic, but that
is how I feel about America. Everything is connected…but we refuse
to follow the trail.
So follow along with me as we lift up the hood, check out the spark
plugs, and see if we can figure out how to get this baby running. It
is my opinion that we are trying to replace the wrong parts. Pardon
the corny phraseology, but we are putting the chariot before the
horse.
“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember
the name of the LORD our God.”
America’s problems are spiritual, they are not mechanical. We can
not get out of this problem merely by changing the horses (parts).
We have tried that cure before. Substituting Republicans for
Democrats, or liberals for conservatives may change the direction
the chariots are pulled but it gets us no closer to the finish line.
Political parties and politicians are merely the horses that pull the
chariot. Changing them has brought us nothing more than a false
sense of hope. Every election we change a few of the horses, hope
that things will straighten out, and then lament the fact that the
stallions we put into office end up being nothing more than the same
old nag.
Trusting in horses has not worked.
Although the word chariot conjures up thoughts of a carriage in which
someone rides, a chariot was actually a weapon of war as
demonstrated in this video of Charleton Heston in Ben Hur. In our
American constitutional republic the constitution has become the
chariot, the weapon of choice, for those who want to over-throw this
nation. Many patriotic-Americans have labeled themselves
“constitutionalists”, and are trusting in that great founding-document
to win the war against an ever-expanding, all-powerful government.
“If only they would follow the Constitution…”
Although their intentions are good, the reality is that chariot
(constitution) is prisoner to the horses and the direction that they
choose to pull it. No matter how much we love to point out “original
intent,” “separation of powers,” and “government of the people…” the
chariot gets pulled in directions that it was never intended to go. The
Constitution in which we trust is the very weapon that the horses
uses to over-throw the will of the people. Extra-constitutional edicts
such at “the separation between the church and state,” the
“penumbras” of the constitution, and “equal protection” clauses have
run the chariot over those whom it was created to protect.
As long as horses are pulling the chariots there is no hope, and no
sense of generational permanence in that document upon which our
nation was founded. Allowing its clearly spelled-out principles to be
changed at the whim of the latest I-know-better-than-you judge has
caused this foundation stone to be crushed into sand. We all know
what happens when one builds upon sinking sand…
Trusting in chariots has led us into a swamp. The Constitution is not
a stand-alone document. James Madison, the “Father of the
Constitution” said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and
religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any
other.”
George Washington said “It is impossible to rightly govern a nation
without God and the Bible.”
Some men trust in chariots…..
Recently I have been asked to speak at several “Tea-Parties” around
these parts. Word has spread very quickly about the zeal, passion,
and clarity with which I articulate The American View of our national
dilemma. The hearts of men and women are moved as I paint the
picture of the consequences of our national rejection of Jesus. But
my impassioned plea for “remembering the Lord” has tugged on the
bridle of the horses who are not “Christians.”
Some of my recent “invitations” to speak have included a request to
“tone down a bit” the “religious part” because some of the “coalition”
does not hold my same “religious” views. You see, it is easy to
change the horses, or fight with the chariot, than it is to harness the
rebellious heart of individual men and women.
Needless to say, I told them what they can do with the horse they
rode in on…
The god-haters have told us that our Constitution is a “living,
breathing document” designed to change with the times. That
attitude is the same one that gave us “living breathing” marriages
and mortgage contracts. The US Constitution was a contract
between a people and their Creator from whom the rights of the
people had been endowed. A contract is only as good as the people
who sign it.
Funny isn’t it, our once solid American dollar is in a free fall because
the gold that once under girded it has been removed. Remove the
firm foundation and a building is destined for collapse. For over two
centuries the ordinances of God were the pillars upon which this
nation stood. Remove those supports and the Constitution is not
worth the paper it was written on.
"To the kindly influence of Christianity we owe that degree of civil
freedom, and political and social happiness which mankind now
enjoys. . . Whenever the pillars of Christianity shall be overthrown,
our present republican forms of government, and all blessings which
flow from them, must fall with them." Jedidiah Morse
I know what my brother-in-law would say… “Better firm up that
foundation.” Nothing short of a spiritual transformation can save
this nation.
Some men trust in horses, some men trust in chariots….
We need to remember the name of the Lord. Does any national
leader have the courage to say so?
© 2009 Dave Daubenmire - All Rights Reserved
SOURCE - http://www.newswithviews.com/Daubenmire/dave172.htm
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