God is Not Dead

There was a headline or a poster quite a few years ago that affirmed that God was dead. I don't know if the author of that particular headline ever came to realize their mistake, or if he/she carried it into eternity.

Acts 14:15  "and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that in them is: 16)  who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17)  And yet He left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

In reading a short excerpt from a Memoir by Clarence Thomas, Judge Thomas related how his father and grandfather believed you should live the life you are dealt. Not that a person can't better their life but at that time there were forces out there promoting violence as a way to overcome race problems. Don't go to college, don't get an education, and do not go quietly... This was in conflict with what Clarence was told at home, and I for one am so glad that he listened to the voices of reason.

I have not read his book, but it is on my list.  The statement 'live the life you're dealt' brings up some thoughts. I don't know the story of the original author of the 'God is Dead' motif. I don't know who, what, or why this person felt this way. It seems that it was at the time of the 'hippie' revolution when unknowing young people felt the need to assert their independence. These people would make shocking statements just to shock people.

I have seen people who appear to have a rough hand dealt to them. Like the father who named his first son 'Winner' and his second son 'Loser', just to find out if a name predicted a person's outcome. In that instance, it did not. 'Win' went on to never succeed, and 'Lou' (as Loser was dubbed) did well in his life, retiring from the position of being an honored police sheriff.

Being angry with God for the life we are dealt is futile. God is not dead, we can look around and see that regardless of our circumstances what God has given each of us. As it says in verse seventeen above; 17) "And yet He left not himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

In thinking over the pictures I've seen of the 1960s and the young people of that era, they seem like kids on a rebellion streak. They didn't want restraint of any kind. I'm sure there were older Christians who were sure these kids were prophesied of in Timothy:

2Timothy 3:1  "But know this, that in the last days grievous times shall come. 2)  For men shall be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, railers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3)  without natural affection, implacable, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, no lovers of good..."

The '60s leached over into the '70s and '80s—like infinity and beyond. Our younger generations have not been reclaimed. The revolution continues, fanned by the 'authority' figures such as college professors that arose from that time frame and subsequent eras. Those in the religious communities have been losing their young people to the world as they graduate from high school. But here we are wondering what has happened and how we lost this generation. 

I think we lost them because we lost ourselves first. I was not raised as a Christian, so that was against me. My husband was raised as a Methodist, but he wasn't serious about it. We both came of age during the late 60s early 70s, and rebellion was everywhere. It might have been in the water, but definitely was in the air. I don't know if there was any remedy for it. Public school has trained kids to seek the approval of their peers. No one wants to be a stand out from the crowd. We are conditioned to fit in. 

I would tell parents today stop attempting to fit in. Pull back from the crowd and teach your children to get used to being unique. Especially if Christian parents want their children to remain Christian. As one of my children said the other day, I want my kids to be smart enough they don't want/choose to go to college.

James 1:5 "But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6) But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed."

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

There is no Peace

One summer I was planning on studying Latin. All the further I got was Pax Vobiscum and one or two other phrases which I've managed to forget. 

Pax Vobiscum- peace be with you. In these days it is as if peace has evaporated. I would like to think that most of us would choose to live peaceful lives, yet for some reason, it is as the song says, 'No tranquil joys on earth I know, No peaceful, sheltering dome; This world's a wilderness of woe, this world is not my home'.  |

Jeremiah 8:11 "And they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace."

 America was founded on the idea of liberty and justice in law. However, as in any society, it is a burden upon its citizens to be self-regulating. Under the ten laws of the Old Testament, the first four laws dealt with man's duty toward God, and the second six laws dealt with neighbor to neighbor laws. Or in other words how God expects his citizens to behave toward his laws, and how he expects his citizens to deal with each other. 

Mark 12:29  "Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: 30)  and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. 31)  The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." 

Jesus calls to remembrance Deuteronomy 6:4 &5 out of the Old Law, which the Jews would be familiar with, and this is a summary as our Lord says 'there is none other commandment greater than these', or on these two commandments hangeth the whole law. 

Love God and love your neighbor. That's it in a nutshell. Not so difficult is it? Yet as Trey Gowdy said in a speech at Second Baptist Woodway, Christianity is hard. And he quoted G.K. Chesterton's words, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried ."

We are living in days of chaos and turmoil. Where do we go when our country's laws break down? In one of the campaign debates, then-candidate Trump was asked how do you address breakdowns in society such as Ferguson? and his response was, 'rule of law'. 

That is exactly what is needed in response to anti-fa, and white supremacists, and black supremacists, or all of these terrorist groups. If common people are constantly afraid of being attacked and aren't safe as they go about their business something needs to be done to protect them. 

Former Governor Mike Huckabee had a piece about taking his family to the Holocaust museum in Germany and how he was concerned about his young daughter, who was perhaps eleven at the time. There were some horrible gruesome images depicting the happenings of those days. He was afraid she would not understand. She stopped to sign the guest book as they were leaving and he stopped to read what she had written:

Why Didn't Someone Do Something?

A good question for all of us in this troubled time. 1Chronicles 12:32 "And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do..." 

Often this is the problem, not knowing what to do. We can become paralyzed because we don't know what to do. When we spend time in prayer, lots of time in prayer, we get unexpected answers. In these troublesome times, we need to all be prayer warriors. Stand up, oh men of God, and— Ephesians 6:18  "...with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints," 

Hallelujah! What a savior!