The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1C [Ideas Series, #3]

Matthew 9:12-13

"But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

There is a good deal of trouble among people about what repentance really is. If you ask people what it is, they will tell you "It is feeling sorry." If you ask a man if he repents, he will tell you, "Oh, yes; I generally feel sorry for my sins." That is not repentance. It is something more than feeling sorry.

The word repentance is an old world word. It is a Biblical word. It is a word that has many connotations, most of them bad from a world's point of view. Let's take a closer look -

The Oxford English Dictionary defines repentance as "feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin."

However, according to God's Word sincere regret or remorse is not sufficient. Strong's Dictionary has a more explicit and accurate meaning.

The Greek word for repentance is Metanoia and it means, "a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done."

In plain English, repentance is a change of mind that results in a change of action, which is powered by the Holy Spirit (Jn.15:1-5). Otherwise, the change in action would be works oriented. Again, repentance is turning right about and forsaking sin.

Consider these Biblical references in your Bible devotions:

1. Repentance was preached by John the Baptist, Matthew 3:1-10
2. Repentance was preached by Jesus Christ, Matthew 4:17, 9:13, 11:20-21; Luke 13:25, 15:7, 24:46-48
3. Repentance was preached by Christ’s Disciples, Mark 6:12
4. Repentance was preached by Peter, Acts 2:38, 3:19, 5:31, 8:22-23
5. Repentance was preached by Paul, Acts 17:30, 20:20-21, 26:20

Christ’s goal in dealing with men was not merely to lead them in a sinner’s prayer, but to bring them to repentance and genuine salvation. He described salvation in terms of coming to repentance.

I will add that repentance is not only a New Testament principle. It goes back to the Old Testament as well. Did not God show His displeasure at the children of Israel in the wilderness because of their stiff-necked ways? If you doubt or wonder, take the time to read the Book of Exodus, chapters 32 and 33.

Isaiah 55:7 says, "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

That is what it is. If a man doesn't turn from his sin he won't be accepted of God, and if righteousness don't produce a turning about - a turning from bad to good - it isn't true righteousness.

Look at King Saul, and see the difference between him and King David. David fell as low as Saul and a good deal lower - he fell from a higher pinnacle, but what was the difference between the two? David turned back to God and confessed his sin and got forgiven (Ps. 51). But look at King Saul. There was no repentance there.

For further study on repentance, consider these other Biblical personalities:

1. Peter and Judas

2. Esau and Jacob

3. Rich, Young Ruler and the Eunuch

4. Esther and Vashti

The Scriptural idea of genuine repentance is used extensively and makes prominent the idea of a radical change in one's attitude toward sin and God. It implies a conscious, moral separation, and a personal decision to forsake sin and to enter into fellowship with God. It is employed extensively with reference to man's turning away from sin to righteousness (Deuteronomy 4:30; Nehemiah 1:9; Psalms 7:12; Jeremiah 3:14).

The term signifies "to have another mind," to change the opinion or purpose with regard to sin. It is equivalent to the Old Testament word "turn." Thus, it is employed by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles (Matthew 3:2; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:38).

Well, Friend, do you have another mind? Do you have the notion to quit living in sin and turning to Jesus?

Why not do it today? Lord, I Need to Repent.

Sources: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia; Oxford English Dictionary; Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1B [Ideas Series, #2]

Proverbs 14:34

"Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."

As stated in the inaugural post of the Ideas Series, if we as a Nation are to ever regain true course, it will not occur by simply replacing who's in the White House or who's in Congress or who's sitting on the bench in the Supreme Court. These are all nice starts, but a true course change can only begin when people's hearts are turned to God.

Because it bears repeating, read what Proverbs 14:34 says, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people."

Notice that it's not Conservatism that exalts a nation. It's righteousness. What is righteousness? Who defines what it is? Of course, the answer to the latter is God defines righteousness, along with good, wicked and how one gets saved to name a few.

So, what is righteousness? Let the Bible define the word and see that it means according to Deuteronomy 12:28 -

"Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God."

Therefore, in simple terms, righteousness is to do that which good & right in God's sight. Now listen, God is righteous; subsequently, His pronouncements, statutes, laws, etc. are righteous. Evil cannot flow from a righteous God just like bad fruit cannot come from a good tree.

The truth is that there is not and can never be anything outside of the nature of God which can move Him in the least degree. No one can compel Him to act outside of His nature. All of God’s reasons come from within His uncreated being. Nothing has entered the being of God from eternity, nothing has been removed, and nothing has been changed (Heb. 13:8).

God acts justly. He is not doing so to conform to an independent criterion, but simply acting like Himself in a given situation. God is His own self-existent principle of moral equity, and when He sentences evil men or rewards the righteous, He simply acts like Himself from within, uninfluenced by anything that is not Himself.

It stands then that the man who exhibits righteousness is right in God's eyes, for He has the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:5-6; II Cor. 5:21). And the only way to be clothed with Christ's righteousness is by being born again (Jn. 3:7) and saved (Rom. 10:9-10). It cannot be stressed enough: You need HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS! (Matthew 6:33; Romans 10:3-4). Even one sin makes us guilty of all in God's eyes (Jms 2:10).

Finally, also take note that it's not perfection that exalts a nation. It's righteousness.

Reader, the right thing to do is get right with God and settle the matter before the Day of Reckoning. Secondly, follow Christ's righteousness in believer's baptism. Thirdly, join a Bible believing, local New Testament church and grow through God's Word. Get involved in a ministry that the Lord directs you to, with the help of the pastor. Finally, be a shining light in a dark and dying world (Matt. 5:16).

Reclaim the lost mandate of heaven and in doing so you are redeeming these evil days. Pray for this Nation (Jms. 5:16b), that others will join you in prayer & deed towards making this Nation one that acts righteously, and its leaders humble themselves before a holy and just God. America has been great because of God. If we fall, it will be because of our failure to honor God as our Sovereign Authority and Lord. 

Must we watch our beloved land become mired in the pigsty of compromise and fearfulness? It is the Christian that must stand up for what is right. We must not fear the wrath of man or the condemnation of sinners. They hated Jesus, so if we are the light which exposes their evil, they will hate us as well.

What would God's personal message to America be if He spoke to us audibly in this day? I believe he would say, Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people. Let us pray for our land and resolve to do our best to make America great again. If we achieve anything, it is God which must accomplish it!

*

Friend, if you are not saved then I plead with you to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord & Saviour.

Only Trust Christ Now!

The Lost Mandate of Heaven, Part 1A [Ideas Series, #1]

Luke 24:44-48

"And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things."

In the midst of global economic upheavals, we see only - for the time being - the small lapping wave on this American shore and think nothing of it. But, sooner or later, what is happening in Europe (Greece and Spain, to name a couple) and elsewhere will also happen here. That is, an economic tsunami not seen in several generations. Case in point, consider California. The Golden State has a $16 billion budget deficit. That's 16,000,000,000 dollars! They are veering in the opposite direction from growth, prosperity and limited government. Much like their counterparts in Greece and other bankrupt European nations, they seem intent on continuing the broken high-tax-and-spend welfare state experiment. The irony of the matter is that there is now an exodus from California to avoid the high taxation needed to keep the bloated government afloat. What a turn of events from the Dust Bowl days of the 1930s which was played out during the Great Depression. In a 100 year swing, it went from California Dreaming to California Screaming.

But, don't feel smug about what's happening out West, fellow Americans. There are other U.S. states that are facing the same dire economic dilemmas, too. There's Illinois, Wisconsin, Nevada, Oregon, Michigan, Florida, Ohio, South Carolina and on and on.

Aside from the economic mire we're in as a Nation, the political & cultural life - both public and private - are at all time lows. You don't need to scan the pages of American newspapers or websites too long to see the carnage of bad news and dispiriting decisions made by everyday people. Parents killing children, children killing parents or other siblings, abortion and, now, infanticide, sodomite marriages, welfare dependency and so forth. It seems like if you want good news then the best way to get it is to avoid reading the news.

And, when top political leaders intentionally mislead and cause division among the citizenry, we've tumbled a long way down from holding these public officials accountable for their actions. The mainstream media, also, has contributed to the gutterization of information and knowledge.

Heaven's Mandate

The reason we are lost, Friends, is that our basic, fundamental purpose in life has been lost. The Bible makes it very clear as to what our purpose in life should be. Men, in Old Testament times, New Testament times, pre-Industrial times and modern times, have all sought for life’s purpose. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, discovered the futility of life when it is lived only for this world. He gives these concluding remarks in the Book of Ecclesiastes:

"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

1. Solomon says that life is all about honoring God with our thoughts and lives and thus keeping His commandments, for one day we will stand before Him in judgment. Part of our purpose in life is to fear God and obey Him. Confer with Prv. 10:9; Matt. 22:36-38; Rom. 13:12.

2. Another part is to love others as ourselves as Matthew 22:39-40 states:

"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

3. Finally, as Luke 24:47 declares, "And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations..."

Indeed, because we, as a Nation, have failed in these three areas, we have lost the mandate of heaven.

Don't think for a minute this applies only to pastors, evangelists and missionaries. It applies to each and every single professing Christian. There are no exemption clauses in this deal. Jesus Christ paid a high price - His very life - in order that no one should perish, but have everlasting life (Jn. 3:16).

This sense of being lost is not a new condition, however. God saw it and proclaimed, "There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."  (Rom. 10:10-12)

This is God's Indictment against all of us.

 

Pax Americana

Think about the downfall of Rome. It began as a godless nation and ended in ruins as a godless nation. In between its rise and fall over roughly a one hundred year stretch, Rome was decadent, and had monetary troubles, military problems & Imperial incompetence. Even the rise of Islam contributed to its fall.

Even during Pax Romana (ie, Roman Peace, A long period from Augstus to Marcus Aurelius when the Roman empire was stable and relativly peaceful), there were 32,000 prostitutes in Rome. Emperors like Caligula and Nero became infamous for wasting money on lavish parties where guests drank and ate until they became sick as well as torturing and killing Christians for sport.

In 476 A. D. the Germanic general Odacer (or Odovacar) overthrew the last of the Roman Emperors, Augustulus Romulus. From then on the western part of the Empire was ruled by Germanic barbarians. Roads and bridges were left in disrepair and fields left untilled. Pirates and bandits made travel unsafe. Cities could not be maintained without goods from the farms, trade and business began to disappear.

Sound familiar? Is there a pattern here? What's in store for us during our American Peace? Will it be a return to our Christian roots? Or, will our Nation - like Rome - succumb to the cancerous forces of liberalism, big government, secularism and entertainment?

If we are to ever regain the true course of this Nation, it will not occur with the changing of the guard, per se; that is, from Democrats to Republicans or even from Liberals to Conservatives. It will not happen by chance or luck. The saving of this great Nation can only come from a turning away from godlessness and towards the worship of Jesus Christ (II Chron. 7:14).

Come to Jesus!

Sources: Encyclopedia Brittanica, Wall Street Journal, American Exodus: The Dust Bowl Migration and Okie Culture in California (James N. Gregory),City-Data.com, Bureau of Labor & Statistics, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (Edward Gibbon)

The Declaration of Independence [All American Series, Part 4 of 10]

II Samuel 23:3

"The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God."

The fear of God is a character every king, every president, every leader among men ought to have, administering justice to their subjects, ruling not only according to the laws of the land, but, most importantly, according to the law of God. He must have his fear before their eyes, and acting with a view to God's honor and glory. To whom these leaders are accountable, they should rule with gentleness and humanity, considering they are men, and not brutes, they rule over.

Believers shall forever enjoy covenant blessings; and God the Father and the Son shall be forever glorified. Thus pardon, righteousness, grace, and eternal life, are secured as the gift of God through Jesus Christ. There is an infinite fullness of grace and all blessings treasured up in Christ, for those who seek His salvation (Matt. 6:19-24).

 

Biblical Foundations of Freedom

In the lead up to the American Revolution, widely circulated sermons linked the revolution to the teachings of the Bible. Throughout the colonies, dissenting Protestant congregations (Congregationalist and Presbyterian) as well as Baptist congregations preached Revolutionary themes in their sermons, while most Church of England (ie, Anglican) ministers preached loyalty to the King. Religious motivation for fighting tyranny reached across socioeconomic lines to encompass rich and poor, men and women, frontiersmen and townsmen, farmers and merchants.

In 1750, Jonathan Mayhew preached:

"There is one very important and interesting point which remains to be inquired into: namely, the extent of that subjection to the higher powers, which is here enjoined as a duty upon all Christians. Some have thought warrantable and glorious, to disobey the civil powers in certain circumstances; and, in cases of very great and general oppression, when humble remonstrances fail of having any effect; and when the publick welfare cannot be otherwise provided for and secured, to rise unanimously even against the sovereign himself, in order to redress their grievances; to vindicate their natural and legal rights: to break the yoke of tyranny, and free themselves and posterity from inglorious servitude and ruin."

from "A Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers"

Indeed, Thomas Jefferson came upon Mayhew's sermon in one of many leaflets that were distributed around the colonies. It influenced his thinking as he drafted the Declaration.

Furthermore, John Adams, the second president of the United States, said this -

"The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God."

Don't be fooled by the liberal media or liberal higher "educators" of academia. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 52 were avowed Christians.

 

Self-Evident Truths

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

from the Declaration of Independence

While these self-evident truths for the signers were not the same as revealed truth as found in Holy Scripture, they are still "endowed" to all men by God the Creator. In theological language, they would be considered part of common grace, whereas for the believing Christian, the Bible comes under special or revealed grace. Thus, the Bible tells us that the rain falls equally on the just and the unjust, and in similar fashion, all men are endowed with the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Almighty God must be assumed, because without Him, how could one explain that all men are so endowed?

John Locke influenced Thomas Jefferson to pen these ideas into the great document of the Declaration of Independence. Here's a Lockeian quote -

"God hath certainly appointed government to restrain the partiality and violence of men."

While Locke argued that individuals should be free to make choices about how to conduct their own lives as long as they do not interfere with the liberty of others, it must be stressed that true liberty comes from serving the Lord Jesus Christ. And, the best form of government is limited government that enshrines (and doesn't condition) freedoms. In turn, limited government ensures that the citizen may freely worship God without outside interference and consequence. Locke therefore believed liberty should be far-reaching. Jefferson adopted John Locke's theory of natural rights to provide a reason for revolution. He then went on to offer proof that revolution was necessary in 1776 to end King George's tyranny over the colonists. It was evident to the signers of the Declaration that the king did not rule in the fear of God.

Read the entire Declaration of Independence here. You can also read summaries on the document here.

 

Chutes and Ladders

Independence and liberty are intertwined. The opposite of these is tyranny, something of which the current President of the United States seems to favor and practice feverishly with each passing day (almost like Satan in his final days, see Rev. 12:12). Yet, his talk doesn't line up with his walk when it comes to opportunities for every American.

For someone who speaks of ladders of opportunites as much as President Barack Obama does, he doesn’t seem to understand how these rather simple contraptions work. Ladders—whether real or symbolic of opportunity—don’t automatically advance all those who step on them. Only those who put in the effort to climb get to the top.

What President Obama seems to have in mind when he talks about ladders of opportunity and success, are really escalators: everyone just hops on and we all get to the same place with no effort on our behalf. His ideal is not equal opportunity, but equal outcome. In the real world, that is not a feasible reality. It's a pipe dream.

Perhaps the “escalator of success” would be a more fitting term. Or in keeping with his newfound fixation on fairness, how about “the fairness escalator”? Then again, it doesn’t quite have the same ring as “ladder of opportunity.” So the president has stuck with an expression that instantly resonates with voters.

Conspicuously absent from all this ladder talk, though, is the slightest suggestion that we can perhaps create our own opportunities. Nor will you find any acknowledgment of the virtues necessary to climb one’s way to the top: hard work, perseverance, fortitude, prudence and a real desire to get there. After all, some may fall down and will need to pull themselves back up again.

Or, rather than escalators, which requires standing up and that takes a gargantuan effort for lazy pikes on the left, a chute would be more apropo. All that's required is sitting down, which is what they do exquisitely well already.

 

Finally, Think On These Things

Those who know the holy law of God and the extent of his own sinfulness, perceive and conclude just how needful his own salvation is. You can call it a declaration of dependence. It is therefore all his desire, all his hope, all his dreaming that Christ indeed save him from his wretched condition. Why? Because man is totally dependent on Him for everything. When that reality sinks in his heart, then in striking comparison, all earthly objects lost their attractions and he is willing to give them up, or to die and leave them, that he might enjoy full happiness in Christ (Ps. 73:24-28).

Think on these things, Pilgrim. Have you drawn the same conclusion about your pitiful and hopeless state of affairs? If so, do something about it while you can, while there's still time. Here's how: The Plan of Salvation.

On this Independence Day, pray for a removal of Government as god from our country and a revival in every heart across this Great Land.

Sources: History.com; ushistory.org; heritage.org, Encyclopedia Brittanica, National Review; Locke, John. Two Treatises on Government. London: Printed for R. Butler, etc., 1821; Mayhew, Jonathan. A Discourse Concerning Unlimited Submission and Non-Resistance to the Higher Powers. University of Nebraska Press.

The Perfect Father's Day Gift [All American Series, Part 3 of 10]

Psalm 68:5-6

"A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land."

 

The ideals of fatherhood are strong in the Bible. Unlike the gods of other religions, the Judeo-Christian God is shown as a loving Father. Christ described God as his own intimate Father and claimed to show in himself what the Father was like (Jn. 14:9-11). God gave His beloved Son for the salvation of the world (Jn. 3:16). Consequently, wherever the Christian ideal has manifested itself and prospered, fatherhood has taken on a deeper meaning. The tender appeals of the apostles John and Paul to their "children" helped foster this attitude. To see for yourself, read I John 4 in its entirety.

Christian, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things about God I am about to write:

The Father as a Wall Builder. Only God knows how to repair the breaches in our lives. Consider II Chronicles 32:5-8,

⁵ Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall without, and repaired Millo in the city of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.

⁶ And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spake comfortably to them, saying,

⁷ Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him:

⁸ With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

For further study, read up on Nehemiah, Chapters 1-7. Then pray and allow Him to build up the broken walls of your life.

The Father as a Builder. God builds from the ground up. Just like a good restorer doesn't take a broken down shack and improve upon it, God does not leave the sinner in his miserable state and add on a few token gifts. He is a thorough builder, using His word to edify and establish (Col. 1:21-23; 2:7). And, the building begins on a strong foundation. To wit, Matthew 7:24-27,

²⁴ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

²⁵ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

²⁶ And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

²⁷ And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

For further study, please read Ezra, Chapters 1-6 regarding the rebuilding of the Temple. If you're born again and saved, Friend, then your body is the temple of the Lord (I Cor. 6:19-20). Treat it right and let the Master Builder do His work in you and through you.

The Father as a Watchman. God protects and watches over you. In Psalm 121:3, we  read that "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber."

God’s sleepless vigilance is for our good. In verse 5 says, “The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.” God keeps us, protects us, and cares for us. If there is a need for refreshing the Lord will provide it. Our Protector is constantly seeking our good. As one song puts it: “He never sleeps, He never slumbers. He watches me both night and day.”

Are you facing difficulties? Turn to the One who never sleeps. Each second of each day, let Him “...preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” (v.8).

The Father as a Provider. Who knows better what we need than God the Father? No one, not even our earthly fathers. Matthew 7:7-11 states, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"

To say the least, God is so much more than this abbreviated list of traits. He is our All in all. Someone once said, "If you've got Jesus, you've got everything. If you've got everything else but Jesus, man - you've got nothing!"

How Deep the Father's Love For Us

1. An earthly father sees himself in his children because they were born of his flesh. To some extent, they look like him and act like him.

• God gives us His Spirit, who indwells us and empowers us to act in ways that please Him. Our task is simply to let Him live through us (Romans 8: 9-10).

2. Children can’t provide for themselves. In fact, they usually don’t even try. They simply trust their parents to provide food, clothing, and shelter. 

• Because we are God’s children, we don’t have to worry about our basic needs. Like little kids, we can trust our Father to supply them. Will we still have to make wise choices? Yes. But we can place our burdens on the wide shoulders of our heavenly Provider. Read Matt. 6:34 and Psalm 84:11-12, and meditate on their promises.

3. A good father doesn’t expect his three-year-old to be able to mow the yard. Nor does he become impatient if his child can’t tie her shoes the first time he shows her. 

• Similarly, God doesn’t expect us to be mature instantly. He gradually gives us more responsibility and teaches us to lean on Him more completely (Ephesians 4:11-16). 

5. Parents usually regret it when they fail to set boundaries for their children. Although discipline is difficult for both the child and the parent, it is necessary to form a child’s character.

• Although our heavenly Father is patient with us as we grow, He will discipline us when we persist in willful sin. (See Hebrews 12:5-11.)

6. Unfortunately, many fathers express love to their children only when their child looks good, succeeds, or is well-behaved. Or, a father may communicate a lack of love by spending very little time with his child. 

• In contrast, our heavenly Father is willing to express His love for us at any time (Psalm 103:17-18). 

7. Little children can’t plan a vacation, buy a house, or select the school that’s right for them. They trust their parents to plan a good life for them. 

• As believers, we often think we have more control over our lives than we really do. God wants us to trust Him to give us His goals for our lives (Ephesians 5:15-17). Often, His guidance will come one step at time, not all at once (Proverbs 16:9).

 

Origins of Father's Day

The campaign to celebrate the nation’s fathers did not meet with the same enthusiasm--perhaps because, as one florist explained, “Fathers haven’t the same sentimental appeal that mothers have.” On July 5, 1908, a West Virginia church sponsored the nation’s first event explicitly in honor of fathers, a Sunday sermon in memory of the 362 men who had died in the previous December’s explosions at the Fairmont Coal Company mines in Monongah, West Virginia. But it was a one-time commemoration and not an annual holiday.

The next year, a Spokane, Washington woman named Sonora Smart Dodd, one of six children raised by a widower, tried to establish an official equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents. She went to local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers and government officials to drum up support for her idea, and she was successful: Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on July 19, 1910.

Slowly, the holiday spread. In 1916, President Wilson honored the day by using telegraph signals to unfurl a flag in Spokane when he pressed a button in Washington, D.C. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge urged state governments to observe Father’s Day.

However, many men continued to disdain the day. As one historian writes, they “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products--often paid for by the father himself.”

Advertisers redoubled their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” for men, promoting goods such as neckties, hats, socks, pipes and tobacco, golf clubs and other sporting goods, and greeting cards. When World War II began, advertisers began to argue that celebrating Father’s Day was a way to honor American troops and support the war effort. By the end of the war, Father’s Day may not have been a federal holiday, but it was a national institution.

Today, economists estimate that Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts. That's a lot of neckties!

Seriously though, the best gift you can give to God the Father is to entrust Him with your life (Click Here). The best gift you can give your earthly father is your respect. Oh, a hug would be okay, too.


Sources: usa.gov, artofmanliness.com, history.com, intouch.org, fathersday.com

Flags of Our Fathers [Flag Day, All American Series, Part 2 of 10]

Psalm 20:5

"We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the Lord fulfil all thy petitions."

All people, when they go to war, have standards or banners, whether flags or some other ensigns, around which they rally; which they follow; under which they fight; and which they feel bound to defend.

We, too, will erect our standards; we will unfurl our flag.

Don't believe the liberals when they say or claim that the United States isn't a Christian Nation. It still is, so long as there is a remnant. All of you who are out there thinking it's over and that America has seen its last good days are dead wrong.

There's nothing stopping us from ascending back into great heights. There is a condition, though. In II Chronicles 7:14-15, the Bible says, "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place."

Some trust in tanks, and some in their infantry; others trust their missiles. But we will remember the name of the Lord our God and magnify His name.

Dear Christian, are willing and able to do that? Do you have a heart for the Lord and this great Nation? With wickedness running rampant in D.C. and around State Capitol houses (especially in Olympia, Washington), this country and the 50 states need prayer. People need to pray for revival, which almost always begins with you. Don't wait for someone to catch revival or to be revived. It's you who can be the spark, the ember that gets something going in your local church.

 

The Battle of Iwo Jima

American air forces pounded Iwo in the longest sustained aerial offensive of the war. "No other island received as much preliminary pounding as did Iwo Jima." -Admiral Nimitz, CINPAC.

Incredibly, this ferocious bombardment had little effect. Hardly any of the Japanese underground fortresses were touched. Twenty-one thousand defenders of Japanese soil, burrowed in the volcanic rock of Iwo Jima, anxiously awaited the American invaders.

The US sent more Marines to Iwo than to any other battle, 110,000 Marines in 880 Ships. The convoy of 880 US Ships sailed from Hawaii to Iwo in 40 days.

Shortly before 2am on Feb. 19, 1945, the Navy's big guns opened up on Iwo Jima again, signaling the beginning of D-Day. After an hour of punishment, the fire was lifted, leaving Iwo smoking as if the entire island were on fire.

The battle was unique in its setting. One hundred thousand men fighting on a tiny island one-third the size of Manhattan. For 36 days Iwo Jima was one of the most populated 7.5 miles on earth.

In 36 days of fighting there were 25,851 US casualties (1 in 3 were killed or wounded). Of these, 6,825 American boys were killed. Virtually all 22,000 Japanese perished.

The Battle of Iwo Jima is just one representation of the many great sacrifices our men have made in battle to secure our freedoms. Please remember our veterans and their families in your prayers today!

 

Six Nice Young Boys

Each year my video production company is hired to go to Washington D.C. with the eighth grade class from Clinton, Wisconsin where I grew up, to videotape their trip. I greatly enjoy visiting our nation’s capitol, and each year I take some special memories back with me. This fall’s trip was especially memorable.

On the last night of our trip, we stopped at the Iwo Jima memorial. This memorial is the largest bronze statue in the world and depicts one of the most famous photographs in history – that of six brave men raising the American flag at the top of Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan during WW II. Over one hundred students and chaperones piled off the buses and headed toward the memorial. I noticed a solitary figure at the base of the statue, and as I got closer he asked, “What’s your name and where are you guys from?”

I told him that my name was Michael Powers and that we were from Clinton, Wisconsin.

“Hey, I’m a Cheesehead, too! Come gather around Cheeseheads, and I will tell you a story.”

James Bradley just happened to be in Washington, D.C. to speak at the memorial the following day. He was there that night to say goodnight to his dad, who had previously passed away, but whose image is part of the statue. He was just about to leave when saw the buses pull up. I videotaped him as he spoke to us, and received his permission to share what he said from my videotape. It is one thing to tour the incredible monuments filled with history in Washington, D.C. but it is quite another to get the kind of insight we received that night. When all had gathered around he reverently began to speak. Here are his words from that night:

“My name is James Bradley and I’m from Antigo Wisconsin. My dad is on that statue and I just wrote a book called “Flags of Our Fathers” which is #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list right now. It is the story of the six boys you see behind me. Six boys raised the flag. The first guy putting the pole in the ground is Harlon Block. Harlon was an all-state football player. He enlisted in the Marine Corps with all the senior members of his football team. They were off to play another type of game, a game called “war”. But it didn’t turn out to be a game. Harlon, at the age of twenty-one, died with his intestines in his hands. I don’t say that to gross you out; I say that because there are generals who stand in front of this statue and talk about the glory of war. You guys need to know that most of the boys in Iwo Jima were seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen years old.

(He pointed to the statue)

You see this next guy? That’s Rene Gagnon from New Hampshire. If you took Rene’s helmet off at the moment of this photo was taken, and looked in the webbing of that helmet you would find a photograph. A photograph of his girlfriend. Rene put that in there for protection, because he was scared. He was eighteen years old. Boys won the battle of Iwo Jima. Boys, not old men.

The next guy here the third guy in this tableau, was Sergeant Mike Strank. Mike is my hero. He was the hero of all these guys. They called him the “old man” because he was so old. He was already twenty-four. When Mike would motivate his boys in training camp, he didn’t say, “Let’s go kill the enemy” or “Let’s die for our country”. He knew he was talking to little boys. Instead he would say, “You do what I say, and I’ll get you home to your mothers”.

The last guy on this side of the statue is Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian from Arizona. Ira Hayes walked off Iwo Jima. He went into the White House with my dad. President Truman told him, “You’re a hero”. He told reporters, “How can I feel like a hero when 250 of my buddies hit the island with me and only twenty-seven of us walked off alive?”

So you take your class at school, 250 of you spending a year together having fun, doing everything together. Then all 250 of you hit the beach, but only twenty-seven of your classmates walk off alive. That was Ira Hayes. He had images of horror in his mind. Ira Hayes died dead drunk, face down at the age of thirty-two, ten years after this picture was taken.

The next guy, going around the statue, is Franklin Sousley from Hilltop Kentucky, a fun-lovin’ hillbilly boy. His best friend, who is now 70, told me, “Yeah, you know, we took two cows up on the porch of the Hilltop General Store. Then we strung wire across the stairs so the cows couldn’t get down. Then we fed them Epson salts. Those cows crapped all night.

Yes, he was a fun-lovin’ hillbilly boy. Franklin died on Iwo Jima at the age of nineteen. When the telegram came to tell is mother that he was dead, it went to the Hilltop General Store. A barefoot boy ran the telegram up to his mother’s farm. The neighbors could hear her scream all night and into the morning. The neighbors lived a quarter of a mile away.

The next guy, as we continue to go around the statue, is my dad, John Bradley from Antigo Wisconsin, where I was raised. My dad lived until 1994, but he would never give interviews. When Walter Cronkite’s producers, or the New York Times would call, we were trained as little kids to say, “No, I’m sorry sir, my dad’s not here. He is in Canada fishing. No, there is no phone there, sir. No, we don’t know when he is coming back”

My dad never fished or even went to Canada. Usually he was sitting right there at the table eating his Campbell’s soup, but we had to tell the press that he was out fishing. He didn’t want to talk to the press. You see, my dad didn’t see himself as a hero. Everyone thinks these guys are heroes, because they are in a photo and a monument. My dad new better. He was a medic. John Bradley from Wisconsin was a caregiver. In Iwo Jima he probably held over 200 boys as they died, and when boys died on Iwo Jima, they writhed and screamed in pain.

When I was a little boy, my third grade teacher told me that my dad was a hero. When I went home and told my dad that, he looked at me and said, “I want you always to remember that the heroes of Iwo Jima are the guys who did not come back. Did NOT come back.”

So that’s the story about six nice young boys. Three died on Iwo Jima, and three came back as national heroes. Overall, 7,000 boys died on Iwo Jima in the worst battle in the history of the Marine Corps. My voice is giving out, so I will end here. Thank you for your time.

Suddenly the Monument wasn’t just a big old piece of metal with a flag sticking out of the top. It came to life before our eyes with the heartfelt words of a son who did indeed have a father who was a hero. Maybe not a hero in his own eyes, but a hero nonetheless.

 

A New Constellation

The “Stars and Stripes”, the official National symbol of the United States of America was authorized by congress on that Saturday of June 14, 1777 in the fifth item of the days agenda. The entry in the journal of the Continental Congress 1774-1789 Vol. Vlll 1777 reads “Resolved that the flag of the thirteen United States be Thirteen stripes alternate red and white: that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Flag Day is celebrated today across the United States. Please pray for our men and women in the Armed Forces and ask for God's protection over them. Please pray for this great Nation and ask for God's mercy because we've strayed far from Him. This is still the land of milk and honey for many who are trying to get into this country. This land is a great land to live in because of the liberty still thriving here that you don't see in other nations. God bless America!


Here are five facts about the patriotic U.S. holiday that starting in 1916.

1. Flag day commemorates the implementation of the U.S. flag which took place through resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1777. It is always celebrated on June 14.
2. In 1916, former President Woodrow Wilson declared that June 14 would be officially established as Flag Day.
3. Flag day isn’t an official federal holiday, but Pennsylvania has adopted it as a state holiday.
4. The sitting President must proclaim the official observance of Flag Day.
5. Fairfield, Washington, holds the title of having the oldest continuing Flag Day parade, beginning in 1910.

6. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first states in the Union.

7. The colors of the flag are symbolic as well: Red symbolizes Hardiness and Valor, White symbolizes Purity and Innocence and Blue represents Vigilance, Perseverance and Justice.

8. Nicknames for the flag include the "Stars and Stripes", "Old Glory", and "The Star-Spangled Banner".

 

One Last Thing to Think About

There is One who loves us so much that He laid down His life so that many could live (John 3:16). Read Jeremiah 50:2 and then think about the meaning about who Jesus Christ is. He is, to be sure, the great Captain of our salvation, having obtained a complete victory over all enemies, and made us more than conquerors thereby, we will set up our banners, hang out the flag, and in His name triumph over sin, Satan, the world, death, and hell.

Think about this, Beloved -

"He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love."  (Song of Solomon 2:4)

Christ's banner is draped crimson, a deep red that is pure and wholesome and holy. Behold, the Lamb's blood that takes away the sins of the world! It is yours for the asking. Here's how: I Want My Sins To Be Washed Away!

Sources: Encyclopedia Brittanica, iwojima.com, hq224usmc.com, nationalflagday.com, usflag.org, history.com, newsmax.com

The Blood of Heroes Never Dies [All American Series, Part 1 of 10]

Proverbs 10:7

"The memory of the just is blessed: but the name of the wicked shall rot."

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. Where exactly Memorial Day began - Waterloo NY or elsewhere - is unknown. Probably, it had many separate beginnings as there is an innate impulse to honor the dead when it comes to heroic deeds. In the end, it is not important who was the very first, what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. Greater love has no man than to lay down his life. The best way to commemorate the fallen dead who each displayed their love of country is to remember them and to treat the day as one of observance and not as a day off to play a round of golf.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."
John 15:13

Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. This American holiday is observed on the last Monday of May, and honors men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades.

"If Not Me, Then Who?"

Tom Manion has a moving article in today's Wall Street Journal, ahead of Memorial Day, explaining how he came to fully understand the sacrifices of our troops and their families.

I served in the military for 30 years. But it was impossible to fully understand the sacrifices of our troops and their families until April 29, 2007, the day my son, First Lt. Travis Manion, was killed in Iraq. 

Travis was just 26 years old when an enemy sniper's bullet pierced his heart after he had just helped save two wounded comrades. Even though our family knew the risks of Travis fighting on the violent streets of Fallujah, being notified of his death on a warm Sunday afternoon in Doylestown, Pa., was the worst moment of our lives. 

While my son's life was relatively short, I spend every day marveling at his courage and wisdom. Before his second and final combat deployment, Travis said he wanted to go back to Iraq in order to spare a less-experienced Marine from going in his place. His words—"If not me, then who . . . "—continue to inspire me. 

My son is one of thousands to die in combat since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Because of their sacrifices, as well as the heroism of previous generations, Memorial Day 2012 should have tremendous importance to our entire nation, with an impact stretching far beyond one day on the calendar.

Consider the simple poem by Moina Michael -

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

that blood of heroes never dies.

Embrace the Remembrance & Observance of Things

Frederick Douglass, the great 19th-century abolitionist said that the need to erect monuments "is native to the human heart, and among the holiest of all. It is composed of two elements, pious gratitude on the one hand, and an earnest desire to perpetuate illustrious examples of 'whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report' [Phil. 4:8] and to make them the property of posterity."

The evil, both literally and figuratively, do not prosper. Indeed, consider the fates of their statues.  Lenin and Stalin and Saddam Hussein and Qaddafi each had their monuments toppled and dismembered. This illustration deals nicely with today's main Scriptural theme: "The name of the wicked shall rot."

 

It's About People Who Gave Their All

T.J. Woodard is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel. During Operation Iraqi Freedom he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Combat Action Badge. Read what he has to say about Memorial Day.

To many Americans, Memorial Day remains a day of stories. Stories about heroes. Stories about valor. Stories about sacrifice. But to veterans like me, Memorial Day is about men and women, friends no longer with us, feelings of emptiness. Memorial Day is about people. It is about people who gave their all, people who gave of themselves and people who loved their country and their friends more than themselves. It is about those who died, those who suffered horrific wounds, and those who have serious wounds that we cannot see by looking at them. It is about people who will never be exactly like they were before they went to war. It is about heroes.

The debt you  & I owe to brave men who died fighting for our principles is huge. Their sacrifice in armed conflict allowed enterprise and self rule to flourish, lifting the lives of billions of people toward a hopeful future. We speak proudly of our fallen heroes, as well we should, honoring those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Please honor the fallen this Memorial Day Holiday by paying your respects to their surviving families. Remember these heroes. Cherish the freedoms that they bled & died for as enshrined by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Do not let any ideologue from any part of the political spectrum take it away from you, either in one fell swoop or in small compromises.

Above all, pray for our military families (including the CIA and other covert programs out there protecting our freedoms).

Freedom is precious. Exercise it wisely!

"God, lift the hearts of those, for whom this holiday is not just diversion, but painful memory and continued deprivation." -- Rev. D. Kozelka (ret.)

The Plan of Salvation

Sources: Weekly Standard, Wall Street Journal, American Thinker, YouTube, History.com, U.S. Memorial Day.org

Dear Reader

Ecclesiastes 3:1
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:"

I'd like to tell everyone out there in cyber-land that during these upcoming months, I'm going to be focusing almost exclusively on two series that focus on issues & matters that have been in my heart and mind for some time now. Thus, it's time for a change.

The summer months are especially busy for almost everyone, my family included. So, with the exception of updating you all about Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani's situation in Iran and abortion-related news, I will be blogging less this summer due to the time constraints related to conducting the necessary research for the upcoming series that I'm excited about.

As you all know, the general election is underway in earnest and the United States of America is at a critical juncture. In what will certainly be the most expensive, most divisive and most contentious election in a generation, the American people will be assaulted with lies, damned lies and prevaricated statistics so as to confuse them and mislead them.

In my humble opinion, the choices this Nation faces couldn't be more stark. It will be a contrast between over-regulation and freedom; a handout and a hand up; opportunism and opportunity; racial division and National unity; restriction and liberty; ruling bureaucrats and rule of law; immorality and morality; godlessness and Jesus Christ. The list could go on, but everyone out there gets the picture.

The path this Nation takes will have unintended consequences for a long, long time, both here Stateside and abroad. To be sure, other countries will feel the impact of this presidential election cycle. The implications couldn't have more gravitas; the stakes can't be any higher for America.

And, to the international readers (you know who you all are!), there are timely lessons for you and your nation as well.

Without further ado, I'd like to summarize the upcoming series -

1. The All-American Series will focus on the things that make America great, both historically and presently, as it revolves around a particular holiday or day of observation. The first post to roll out will be on Memorial Day and continue through the remainder of the year.

2. The Ideas Have Consequences Series will focus on the ideas shaping today's polical and cultural climate. It will vary from the language people use to the thoughts that drive people in their political, economic and spiritual transactions. This series will conclude on Election Day 2012.

Once again, thank you for your readership and kind words. I really do appreciate them. My hope is that these series will be a blessing for you and yours. May the Lord richly bless you in these times because it is times like these that we need a Saviour! In times like these we need the Bible. His name is Jesus Christ, the Eternal Word, the Son of the Living God!

Have a blessed summer as well as a blessed winter, for those of you in the Southern Hemisphere!

No Time Like the Present to Get Right With God!