Ponderings

Misplaced "Buy America Campaign"

2011-12-20T06:39:00.000-08:00

Now let me start out by saying that I'm in favor of buying American made products. However, the current campaign will not greatly improve America's employment problem because the plethora of foreign made products on our shelves is not the real issue. While school children are manipulated by government subsidized, unionized teachers in such a way as to obscure the real problem facing American workers, the actual culprit whistles as it continues to merrily walk among us, unaffected and continually expanding its subversive reach.

The real issue which has resulted in American owned and managed companies moving offshore is the strangling government regulations placed on industry here in America. American industry finds itself caught between the proverbial rock and hard place of labor unions and rampant bureaucratic power grabs.

Why do we never see campaigns to get the government out of our industrial lives? The cost of doing business across the fruited plains has escalated to the point that even the most ardent patriot has difficulty justifying the downturn in profit to his board of directors.

I'll use a brief ancedote to explain what I mean. As I grew to adulthood, people in Mississippi and Texas, the states where I spent most of my childhood, raised hogs, cows, and chickens galore. Monday's highways were filled with farmers taking hogs and cows to slaughter. Now one cannot find a slaughter house for hogs within several hundred miles. Why? Government regulations made compliance so difficult that small organizations could not exist.

Recently some in government have come to realize the misguided conclusions which led to untold numbers of horses being abandoned and left to fend for themselves. Government regulations led to the shutting down of horse slaughter houses in the U.S. The price of horses fell dramatically even as feed costs continued to rise resulting in abandonment.

The links listed below are but a small sample of the way oppressive government regulations stifle our economy and subsequently force industry to seek better work environments. So, lets be angry, but let's focus our anger directly. IT IS TIME FOR AMERICANS OF EVERY CREED, SOCIAL CLASS, AND ETHNICITY TO RAISE UP AND SAY, "ENOUGH." "GIVE US BACK OUR COUNTRY!"

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-10/issa-hearing-spotlights-regulations-u-s-companies-say-hinder-job-growth.html
http://thebusinesstimes.com/group-regulations-hinder-energy-development
http://hartkeisonline.com/local-food/regulatory-confusion-hinders-cottage-industry
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/business/economy/29view.html
http://www.newsherald.com/news/panama-74663-city-regulations.html
http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/1141042721001/why-government-regulations-are-hindering-job-growth/

© 2011 Mike Rasberry

The Wausau Labor Day Parade

2011-08-30T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Wausau, Wisconsin Labor Day Parade has now become the Labor Union Parade. Organizers there equate labor with unions, even though only 11.9% of all workers are unionized. This is manifested in the organizer’s banning of Republican law makers from participating in the parade.

Randy Radtke’s statement, president of the Marathon County Central Labor Council, “Usually they've been in the parade, but it seems like they only want to stand with us one day a year, and the other 364 days they don't really care,” demonstrates the typical union/liberal bias that theirs is the only possible expression of concern for labor.

The fact is the Republicans are just as concerned about labor as are the unions, but their philosophy in meeting those concerns is different. Labor unions believe more money toward social programs, more money for workers, with less responsibility, and more free time is best for the nation. Republicans believe workers should have a comfortable living, but that those employed by the government, who have enormous benefits, should not be allowed to strike in the same way private enterprise groups do.

Each strike in the public sector is simply an additional tax upon the rest of the working class, as government only generates income by confiscating monies from the citizenry via taxation.

The unions are empowered by additional members, and have the backing of liberal Democrats, because they traditionally vote the Democratic ticket. Democrats seem to have little philosophical investment in the process except as they desire the continued participation of union rank and file in their “get out the vote” campaigns, and in the largess union leaders show toward Democratic candidates by showering them with the ever increasing dues charged union members.

I am not opposed to unions. I am opposed to requiring one to be a member of a union in order to work. Such policies are contrary to American initiative, and exceptionalism. I also oppose the practice of unions taking union dues to support policies and politicians with which many workers disagree.

But the concept of unionizing government workers is one of the most ridiculous concepts government has yet enacted. The warnings bellowed from paper, over wire, and through the air were summarily dismissed by the heavy-handed purveyors of this dastardly deed. Today those chickens are coming home to roost, and those responsible are reacting in childish displays of angst, thus the silly ruling against Republican lawmaker’s participation in the Wausau Labor Day Parade.

I Don't Like That Law, I Think I'll Just Ignore It

2011-08-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

No matter your stance on immigration, if you are not a hard core liberal, you are dismayed by the recent decision by the Obama administration and liberal activist Janet Napalitano, dba, Homeland Security Secretary; to choose to ignore established law simply because they don't agree with it.

The administration under pressure from Napalitano has agreed to stop deportations of illegals, simply because congress cannot agree on a new law. Duh??? Old law still in effect. Hey, there are several laws, I don't agree with, and with which congress has been unable to come up with something to my satisfaction. Therefore, I'll just ignore the existing law, and do what I want. How far will that get me when I'm trying to board a plane?

However, that is the "M.O" of liberals. They decide a law is bad, they just ignore it. Conservatives say a law is bad, i.e. abortion, we called neanderthals. It is once again the liberal elitist approach to governing.

HELP!!! Let's get rid of that bunch. Even better, Lord I want to be here as long as you want me to stay, but with the Apostle John, I echo, "Even so, Come Lord Jesus."

Pseudo-Intellectuals

2011-08-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

In the recent article "Sorry, Guys, There Are No More Kings," by David Harsanyi, the writer clearly outlines the disconnect between the Eastern Elitist Establishment and the masses of citizenry who actually make this country great.

Harsanyi exposes the air of superiority demonstrated by those who would rule the masses as he quotes liberal newspapers, and Ivy League professors.

One unique aspect of the American Experience is the belief that those who sit in offices behind ivy covered brick walls are not the heart and soul of the country. Those theoreticians whose primary purpose is not to rule, but rather to question so that the people can solidify their decisions by examining alternatives have evolved to consider themselves more authoritative than theoretical.

Therein lies the disconnect. Time and again intellectuals have so piqued the American mind as to energize her populace to achieve improbable results. "Go West, Young Man," stirred families, young professionals, and businessmen with the possibilities of westward expansion and gave impetus to the migration.

Rather than such emotional calls today stirring men's hearts to accomplish great tasks; the intellectuals seemingly seek to subvert freedom and enslave men by making them dependent upon a benevolent state ruled by an autocratic upper class.

Perhaps they have earned the title, "Pseudo-Intellectual."

© Mike Rasberry 2011

Dolly Parton's World View

2011-08-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

The recent apology by Dolly Parton to the homosexual community and her subsequent statement that she supports the lesbian and homosexual community causes great concern for me. I've always known that Parton did not have the value system of most conservative Believers, but I believed hers was a family friendly enterprise. One characteristic of a family friendly environment is one where I can take my grandchildren without them being inundated with people promoting the abolishment of the traditional family.

I fully respect the right of individuals to express their opinions, even when they are absolutely and unequivocally wrong as is the case of those who support same sex marriage. However, I wonder what the reaction will be when an individual wears a t-shirt saying, "Same Sex Marriage is Sinful?" When a homosexual activist complains will the person with the traditional view receive the same latitude as the homosexual activist? Will Parton come out and say that she also supports traditional marriage, or is her political correctness one-sided? In fact, how one support two positions which are absolute polar opposites?

I've listened to Parton sing traditional hymns, and heart stirring songs of faith, but it seems her faith is not reflected in her business decisions, or her faith is not a Biblical faith. At any rate, those who have looked at her and her enterprises as supportive of traditional values now have a new paradigm by which to gauge her. Her world view seems little different from other money grubbing moguls of different eras, i.e. there are no values higher than the almighty buck.

Al Jeffery Fike

2011-07-28T04:07:00.000-07:00

Al Fike and I go back many years to when I was pastoring at Pine Level Baptist Church in Greene County, Ms. Al is from Leakesville and, while attending William Carey College, led the music for a revival or two I preached during those days of the mid- 1970's.

Since that time Al, who now lives in the DFW Metroplex, has developed a reputation as a Christian Comedian with a message. Recently he published a devotional book on Proverbs entitled The Ultimate Self-Help Book: 31 Days in Proverbs. If you're looking for a gift book for a friend, or enemy, this is an excellent idea.

Al will be at FBC, Brandon, Ms on Thursday, August 26 & Saturday August 28. If you'd like to have your laugh muscles excercised, plan to catch him. Great, clean entertainment.

Day Two of Ministry in Ukraine--Sunday

2011-07-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

Both of the teams have National church members trained in evangelism who are doing an outstanding job of touching each person who comes onto the grounds. I am able to preach to small groups a couple times per day, and my interpreter and I share with individuals, however, the bulk of the heavy lifting as far as evangelism is accomplished by those national church members.

More than 150 have already prayed to receive Jesus as Lord. Please pray that they will be become genuine disciples of Christ. We fully understand that many who pray are simply making the first step toward God without fully being converted. Pray that they will understand their lostness and cry out for mercy to the God of Mercy.

Day Two, Sunday, found us at another location setting up for the clinics. Most churches in this area are converted houses. They usually have a small courtyard and several outbuildings, as well as outdoor toilets.

Fruit trees are in abundance in this area. Apricots, grapes, apples, peaches, and pears are readily available. This year the trees are bearing in such abundance that many bushels simply fall to the ground ruin.

Two of our interpreters: The lady assists the medical team, and the man, Sergei, is my interpreter in evangelism.

A Nurse Practitioner and her interpreter are set up to deal with people. Each day the set up is different and unique, because no two buildings are exactly alike. At times the set up is out of doors.

Two Doctors interview and examine patients with the help of an interpreter. They often sit at these tables for hours on end, seeing as many as 130 patients together in a day.

The Pastor receives New Testament tapes and players for those whose disability prevents reading Scripture

The two photos below are of part of the team gathered for Sunday Night Worship. After some choruses and testimonies, I preached from the Book of Joel.

This is an outdoor cafe on the hotel grounds where Kenny Pogue and I sat to drink a cool refreshing bottle of water and coke.

Day One of Ministry in Ukraine--Saturday

2011-07-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

After breakfast on Saturday, we boarded two buses for our assigned destinations. The first day always requires the loading of the buses which takes a little longer than the rest of the days.

Arrival at our assigned church means unloading several suitcases loaded with glasses and medical equipment. While the team is unloading and setting up, Sergei, my Interpreter, and I gathered those early arrivals and shared a brief message with them. The setup takes about thirty minutes.

A sign announcing the clinics was posted on the street adjacent to the church where we met. This particular church is pretty new and the building is new also. The courtyard is filled with colorful roses and flowers of many varieties. The well manicured gardens obviously require a great deal of time.

Lines formed quickly after registration and soon the medical team was very busy with their assigned duties.

The inside of the clinic became a veritable beehive of activity. Each person has an assigned responsibility and in many instances they have served for several years and know the routine quite well. So what looks like pandemonium is actually only organized chaos. :-)

Dr. Danny Clifton is working with a patient with the help of an assistant and an interpreter.

This lovely young lady has an 18 month old child, but she has been widowed for more than a year now. Her in-laws are active participants in the local church. Pray that God will send a Godly man across her path to help her raise her child in a Christlike environment.

I was blessed to have the opportunity to present two sets of tapes for the blind with players to the Pastor of the church. I pray that God uses them to help seeing impaired individuals hear and understand His Word.

After loading the bus, the entire team met for a group photo before leaving for the day.

The Russian Orthodox Church remains the dominant religious affiliation in Ukraine, even though the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was organized following the dissolution of the Soviet Empire. Evangelicals remain a small minority of the population.

Kenny Pogue from Collinsville, Mississippi led us in a devotional time following our meal Saturday Night.

We've Arrived in Ukraine

2011-07-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

We're here in the hotel in a city in Ukraine which is translated "Crooked Horn." It is 12:43 AM Saturday Morning here, and it is 4:43 PM Friday at home.

I'm looking forward to a few hours sleep before we start out in the morning at 8:00. Our bus ride to our city from the airport was over six hours long. The bus was actually too small to accommodate all the luggage we have because of the glasses.

We encountered the typical shakedown at the customs entry and had to pay duty on the used glasses we brought in. That just goes to show that government is really never interested in the welfare of its citizens. People who cannot afford glasses will soon be able to read and see clearly, but the government must have its pound of flesh. We are thankful for the safety so far on the trip. In the thirty-six hours since I left home Thursday Morning, much has happened.

The most frustrating thing was the failure of my phone. However, I ran the battery completely down and recharged it and now it works.
The rural area we're traveling through is heavily dependent upon agriculture. The wheat fields are a variety which is smaller that what we're accustomed to, but there are miles and miles of wheat.

The second most important crop appears to be sunflowers. The sunflower fields rival the wheat for volume of acres planted and harvested.

Nearly every home seems to have a garden and the people rely on those gardens for feeding the families during the long winter months. Many homes also have a cow and some pigs. Beef is said not to be as accessible to the typical family, and pork is an important staple of their diet.

Modernization has been slow to come to the Ukraine, but now automobile travel is greatly enhanced by the new gas stations and service centers popping up along the major highways.

After finally arriving at our city, we enjoyed a meal prepared by one of the local churches. Here part of the team is digging in.

Please continue to pray for us as we seek to honor Christ by being useful instruments in His hands to be used by His glory this week.

Second Leg of the Journey to the Ukraine

2011-07-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

Diane and I were up late Wednesday Night packing my stuff for the Ukraine Trip. We were up before 4:00 AM & I left out at 4:30 to meet with the team at Park Place Baptist Church in Pearl, Ms.

7:30 AM check in at Jackson International, then extended wait until liftoff at 9:30.

Enjoyed the trip had a great seat companion who, as a Nurse Practitioner, has been on several mission trips but this is her first to the Ukraine.

Upon arrival in Houston, I received a call from a young man who had lived with us in Korea. He now lives in New York and seems in the process of allowing God to turn his life around. He always had great potential, but we just were never able to help him fully recognize that potential. It was very encouraging to have him contact me after all these years. I pray God will bring about the opportunity for us to renew our relationship.

I met two young women from Brazil in the airport at Houston, sisters traveling to Mexico. I pray God keeps them safe as they seem unconcerned about the dangers of young women traveling unescorted in that lawless area.

I met a woman from Bosnia who now lives in Utah with her two sons. I pray God sends someone across her path to show her just how much God loves her.

My iphone is on the blink. The light barely comes on, and I can barely read the numbers or the applications. This has happened before, but it cleared up right away. Pray that I'll be able to get it straightened out.

Tomorrow is the forty-fifth anniversary of our wedding. Pray for Diane and for me as we're apart during this time. We once were on a mission trip together to Brazil on our anniversary, but this is a real challenge.

Pray for the team that we'll appropriate every opportunity to share Christ in effective ways to receptive hearts.

We're about to board.

Peparing to Prepare

2011-07-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

We leave Thursday Morning from Jackson, Ms for the mission trip to The Ukraine and I'm trying to get ready. My passport has been recovered from the deep and mysterious recesses of oblivion where it has been hiding during these many months of inactivity.

Diane has purchased a new suitcase for me. We have absolutely no idea what happened to the last one purchased for me. After all, we have slept several times since its last use. It is certainly exactly what I shall need with sturdy wheels to bounce along steps and across grated passageways. Pockets galore to allow inquisitive minds ample opportunity to investigate the contents during various stages of transport, and a convenient carrying handle, I think is perfect for tying my camera case to.

But Alas!! The clothes fairy has yet to fill the empty case with that for which it was intended. I'm sure there is a better way to do all this. For fireworks, I simply keep a tote bag full of stuff to put on, and I usually keep it in my truck. But this is different. I certainly don't want to go through Homeland Security's anxious gatekeepers smelling of gunpowder. No, I must neatly arrange clothing suitable for a culture with which I'm totally unfamiliar, for about ten days. Thankfully, God's perfect plan can be carried out by imperfect packers, and He will make the best of my bungled attempts.

RURAL MISSISSIPPI INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

2011-07-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

Archusa Water Park near Quitman, Mississippi is a beautiful setting for Saturday Evening Fireworks. The exotically named Archusa Creek which feeds the reservoir conjures images of past civilizations gathered around campfires as it winds its way through the rural East Central Mississippi landscape.

On this, the second day of July, the deceptively serene landscape is but prelude to the roiling boisterous Independence Day Celebration observed annually at the park. Looking Northwest one could hardly believe the restful quiet will soon be shattered by three inch titanium salutes wound tight enough to startle the most hardy of those early occupants of this land as they explode in thousands of tiny stars three hundred plus feet in the sky.

As the Sun sets in the West excitement builds in the gathering crowd. Children and adults, men and women share in the anticipation of the upcoming show. They have little understanding of the time and energy expended to plan, organize, and shoot this eleven to twelve minute show. They only know that the brightly colored stars and loud explosions bring energy and pleasure even during the dreary economic times they face.

As the crowd, of several thousand, continues to gather; even the threat of rain is no deterrent to their enjoyment. The band two hundred yards away fills the air with music to stir the patriotic fervor and add a distinctive Clarke County flavor to the festivities. The enticing aroma of hamburgers grilling in the shelter manned by the local volunteer fire department permeates the area as it wafts on gentle breezes throughout the park. The set up complete, all simply await full darkness AND...

A VERY SUCCESSFUL SHOW!!

Those Inconsiderate People

2011-06-23T11:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday I returned home from having conducted a Bible Study to find several luscious tomatoes on the mat at our back door. I had been given a bag full of tomatoes by the lady who hosted the Bible Study, and I thanked her profusely because my wife, Diane, and I love tomato sandwiches. We also love tomatoes in salads, and tomatoes in our goulash. In short we really do like tomatoes. However, those tomatoes left at my door pose quite a problem for me.

Now, I must be nice to EVERYBODY, because I don't know the culprit who perpetrated this dastardly deed. Selective niceness just won't work, because the folks I suspected of doing it were out of town. Now, they could have arranged with someone else to do the deed, thus throwing me off track. However, I dare not trust to that lest I be wrong, and neglect to befriend the actual culprit and lose his/her good will thereby preventing me from obtaining additional tomatoes.

To add to this dilemma, someone has twice left corn on that very same mat. I suspect that it is the same person intent on reforming me so that I act with kind regard to everyone. Whatever will happen to my reputation if word gets around that I'm acting with warmth and kind regard toward everyone in the community? I shudder to think that such gossip would get out, but with the very nature of gossip, I'm becoming reconciled to the probability.

If it weren't for these inconsiderate and devious people I could continue developing my contentious and querulous demeanor thus alienating people so that I might sit at home and indulge myself in that form of self-pity appreciated only by those of us adept at cutlivating it.

However, I do like tomatoes, and corn, and ... Maybe folks aren't so bad after all. Maybe ...

Angels of Summer

2011-06-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

Each year Bay Springs Baptist Church has a pretty full Vacation Bible School. This year was a little less intensive than previous years because we only did the full day school for two of the five days. On full days, 9 AM - 3PM, we ride horses for half the day. The ladies prepare food and the children and workers enjoy a meal at the church.

God has blessed us over the years with plenty of workers, and this year was no different. Some of these "Angels of Summer" use vacation time to assist, while others put other matters on hold for that week. Mrs Gwen Cherry has the overall organizational responsibility for the VBS and she puts in many hours planning and decorating before the week even arrives. This year Mrs Louise Newell enticed her newly retired husband, Coach Jack Newell to help her with the nursery part of the time. Mrs. Wanda Gordon, recovering from an asthma attack which required hospitalization was able to help out part of the time.

Mrs. Ashley Boren, Mrs Terri Branning, & Mrs. Holly Wiggins worked throughout the week, teaching, feeding, and leading. Once again this year, Crystal Hayes who came from Illinois five years ago to spend a Summer and wound up staying in Louisiana, came to lend her assistance. She brought two Youth, Chey'Anne Parker and Cyara Brooks. The three of them have been busy every day, all day. They helped look after some of the children who could not have attended without daycare, and Cyara, along with Crystal, Ashley, & Holly were indespensible while working with the horses.

On Thursday, Kevin Rasberry, Matthew Wiggins, and Jonathan Wiggins also helped with the horses. All of the horse helpers walked a lot with the children on horseback.

Thursday Morning during the early riding session, the children were treated to an exhibition of horse training when Cyara Brooks attempted to ride my three year-old Palomino Quarter Horse, Belle. She stayed on for about 4-5 bucks before tumbling to the ground. However, her second attempt was much easier. Belle jumped a little but did not buck and Cyara had a successful mount and dismount.

Appreciation is also warranted to my wife, Diane who was off work due to sick leave. Her presence enabled me to keep three young ladies in my house during the week, and she prepared many meals for us. Then my Mom, Mildred Rasberry, came up Thursday Morning to stay with us when Diane had to return to work.

Finally, let me say, "Thank You," to Casey Clifton who trims the horses for us and makes sure they are ready for the kids to have successful rides. Bobby McDade's allowing us to utilize the field behind our house was essential this year to the success of our camp.

Now all these "Angels of Summer" would really not be effective if not for the parents who transported children to and from all week. The kids were a joy, Thank you parents for entrusting your children to us for a week of fun and Bible Study.

Thank you Angels for your willingness to serve Christ selflessly during this physically trying week.

A Devious Attack Upon Gun Owners

2011-03-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

Time and again, we hear that registration of firearms is simply an administrative tool. It is not an attempt to limit ones ability to legally purchase or own a firearm. Then a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request reveals the true nature of such registration.

The State Attorney General of Illinois has ordered the State Police to release the names of all registered gun owners in Illinois with the date of expiration of the Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card to the Associated Press. In the past numerous such requests have been processed with each being denied, but now there is a new mood in the Statehouse and as such the privacy, and safety, of Illinois citizens is being placed at risk by their desire to obey the laws and register their firearms.

At present a court order has enjoined the State Police from releasing the information, but one can only imagine that in a state which has a city, Chicago, with some of the most restrictive gun ownership laws in the country; it is only a matter of time until the courts permit such release.

GOP Rep. Aaron Schock sent a letter to State Attorney General last week signed by 12 representatives from Illinois asking her to revoke her order. Madigan's office sees it simply as a matter of information which can be released. The Representatives see it differently.

In the letter the Representatives point out that it could become a criminal's shopping list of people who have guns which might be stolen, and it also reveals those without guns which might be easier targets. Schock compares it to releasing a list of people with burglar alarms.

The letter also adds this delicious tidbit, "Publicly releasing the personal information of gun owners seems more like an intimidation tactic to discourage the lawful ownership of firearms than a way to serve the public interest."

Folks, that is the point exactly. The elitists in our country seem intent upon disarming the general populace. Registration and the possible release of such information can serve no useful purpose other than to coerce law abiding citizens and give the governing entity a tool to suppress those citizens should dogmatically aggressive zealots be elected to high office.

Recent history has shown just such a possibility. Let us not grow weary in the defense of our constitutionally guaranteed rights to own and bear arms. Remember, the cost of freedom is eternal vigilance.

The Work We Do

2011-03-07T10:13:00.000-08:00

Time and time again I hear people speak about having no time. They lament the busyness of their days which seem filled with the mundane and boring tasks of providing for themselves a standard of living to which they have become accustomed.

Solomon was just such a man. He complained in Ecclesiastes Chapter 2 that all his working and all his accomplishments were like the early morning fog. He had lain awake at night struggling with new ideas and seeking ways to advance himself, but now he had come to realize that all his efforts were really nothing. He would soon die and leave his accomplishments to another who would probably just squander it.

So, he mused, why should one overly concern himself with acquiring position and possessions which would soon be forgotten. Since the eye and ear are never full, one can never satisfy the desires of those senses, for attainment and accomplishment breed the desire for ever more when one is pre-occupied with the fulfillment of such. He went so far as to suggest that perhaps this was God's purpose after all, that man simply find his pleasure in what he accomplished while indulging his sensual desires.

However, Solomon could not gain the fulfillment and joy for living he sought in the excesses of sensual pleasure which his prominence and prosperity afforded him. He cried out, "It is all vanity, it is all useless, it is all purposeless." Surely there must be more than this dreary existence he was experiencing.

In Chapter 12, Solomon affirmed that although he had tried everything, he had found only one way to live victoriously. "Remember God early in your life." Oh, how we need to focus on God early in our lives in this age also. All our doings, and all our exertions in pursuit of position and possessions will never give us genuine fulfillment and happiness. Should one purchase a new boat, he'll soon see another that he longs for. Should he become Mayor, he will desire to be Governor.

Scripture teaches that God provides for those who follow Him. The primary concern for the Genuine Believer in Jesus Christ ought be to follow His will for one's life. The work in which one is engaged is primarily His provision of opportunity for that one to communicate the light and love of God to a world floundering in loveless darkness. So, one dedicates himself to the tasks his work involves with a sense of calling and ministry which enables him to be the best he can be without disillusionment when all around seems purposeless.

Solomon came to realize that work was honorable and meaningful when not engaged for the purpose of fulfilling one's sensual desires.

Why do you do what you do?

A Most Gracious Lady

2010-12-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

It is that time of the year again. This morning I received my first "Twelve Days of Christmas" gift from my darling wife. One of her delights is presenting our grandchildren, our mothers, and me with gifts each of the twelve days leading up to Christmas. She is already collecting those gifts for next year and beyond. She has cardboard file boxes labeled with each name. We have ten grandchildren, so there are thirteen of us she prepares for.

I've never known anyone who enjoys giving more than Diane. She is rentless in her approach to this project which she doesn't accomplish in a vacuum. She continues to work long hours as a surgical nurse, teaches a class at the prison on Monday nights, sings in the ensemble at church, teaches a children's Sunday School class, cooks, cleans house, and remains a great example of a wife, mother, and Pastor's wife.

I often hear a man complain about his wife's laziness, but I'm telling you my wife still has enough energy for any two people. She can work me into the ground any day, and she seldom complains.

Her gracious spirit is recognized by those she welcomes into our home, and into her life. Her children know that she cares deeply for them, and the grandchildren never doubt her affection for them. Those quasi family members who've been unofficially adopted into our family also quickly recognize her gracious spirit. She has such a capacity for giving of herself to others, that only the most self-centered of people do not appreciate her.

During this Christmas Season, I'm most thankful for the Savior given so that I might enjoy eternal life, and live my life on this earth to its utmost. I'm thankful, secondly, for the life partner given to me that I might not walk alone through the days of my life, but have a soul mate who genuinely cares about me. My wife, Diane, is beyond an individual, she is a vital part of me.

I wish for each of my friends that they could find such a life-partner with whom to share their walk through life. If your spouse is such a partner, tell her/him today that you love and appreciate him/her. I assure you, it is a great and rare treasure to share your life with a person of graciousness.

Those Who Serve and The Families Who Love Them Deserve Our Gratitude

2010-12-07T07:28:00.000-08:00

Today I received an email which touched my heart. I do not know if the event actually happened, nor do I know the author of the piece, but it reflects the high esteem with which those currently serving in our military are held. Such has not always been the case. As we returned from Vietnam, many of us were called horrific names, and treated with disdain by large segments of society. However, that treatment has not diminished our pride at having served, and our love of America and what she stands for.

The events of 9 -11 have re-invigorated the national pride in, and appreciation of, those who selflessly serve in "Harm's Way."

As I read the following piece, I was reduced to tears and reminded of the Graciousness of our Dear Lord in us this ",,,land of the free and home of the brave."

Recently I saw a young person acting in such a way as to be disrespectful during the playing of the National Anthem. Unfortunately, I expressed my anger to the young man. I had to apologize because he obviously was ignorant of the real meaning of that song of liberty and why it holds such an important place in the lives of those who have served. I should have gently shared with him my personal feelings about the flag and what it represents without remonstrating against him.

Three things I will not tolerate disrespect toward: (1) My God. (2) My Family. (3) My Flag.

Children and youth need be reminded continually of the cost of their freedom. The following account could very well have occured, I hope it did.

An airline pilot writes:
My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?"
I asked.

'Yes', she said.

'Is there an escort?' I asked.

'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'.

'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck.
You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck.
He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier.
He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier.
The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ,' he said.

He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no.
I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers.

The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand.
He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure.

About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin.

'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said.
She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home.
The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left.
We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia .

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do.. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages.
I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio.

There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher.

I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted.
He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update.

I saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:
Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.
The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp.

It is a private area for the family only.
When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job.
I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father.
The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake.
I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold.

Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures.

A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made.
They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of AMERICA .

Foot note:
As a Viet Nam Veteran I can only think of all the veterans including the ones that rode below the deck on their way home and how they we were treated.

When I read things like this I am proud that our country has not turned their backs on our soldiers returning from the various war zones today and give them the respect they so deserve.

I know everyone who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Please pray for those you know in our military services.

Being Wise As Serpents

2010-10-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

Jesus, speaking to those He was sending out in His name, said in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be as wise as serpents, and as harmless as doves.”

Most genuine Believers have little trouble being as harmless as doves, where we seem the most inept is in being wise as serpents. Time and again I see well-meaning Believers taken in by lying and scheming individuals whose sole purpose is to either advance or defend themselves. The naivete and gullibility of these Believers do great harm to the cause of Christ, because they often step in prop up those who God seems to be bringing pressure upon.

This unwillingness to see people as they truly are, is not a Godly trait, even though worldly church members, and unbelievers seem to look with favor upon such actions as being really Christian. No where did Christ excuse lying and misrepresentation, and we must be careful lest we appear to approve of an ungodly lifestyle in the name of trying to “love” one. Such apparent approval is taken as affirmation by those in error to continue their destructive ways.

While one receiving such perceived affirmation might sense within himself, or herself, that living together is wrong, he is apt to justify it because it seems accepted by a Believer. Though cohabitation is by no means the only example of such, it is the most commonly and openly practiced lifestyle which hits at the very foundation of Christ’s teachings.

A Genuine Believer should never be cruel or unjust, but he should confront those with whom he has influence about the error. Such confrontation is not to condemn, but rather to encourage such a one to turn from the destructive path he/she has chosen.

No one need stay in the miry pit of destruction. It is a choice, but God is faithful in that He will provide a way of escape should one so choose. That escape is based upon the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary and must be taken at such time as God is calling to the individual.

Let us be faithful to warn the wayward, encourage the weak, and lift up the fallen even as we learn to recognize lying lips lest we inadvertently affirm them in their error.

Don't Be Deceived

2010-08-26T16:01:00.000-07:00

I agree with Tony Perkins and the Family Research Council about the probability of highly placed homosexuals in the Bush presidency undermined the social agenda most conservatives thought they were voting for when President Bush was elected.

The admission of Ken Mehlman that he is homosexual serves to inform us that there are powerful forces influencing those we elect to office. Add to that the recently stated position of former First Lady, Laura Bush, supporting abortion and same sex marriage; and you have a receipt for complacency at the very highest levels of a supposedly conservative government.

Such revelations should not surprise us, when we look at the backgrounds of these individuals. Mehlman has long been "outed" numerous times by various individuals, but the denials always seemed sufficient to placate us. Mrs. Bush is steeped in the dogma of liberal United Methodist theology, and though both she and her husband give kudos to conservative evangelicalism, their feel good Christianity continually seemed too accepting of clear error.

President Bush was the right man at the right time to lead our country through the turbulent times of post 9-11. However, he was never a genuine social or fiscal conservative. His tax cuts now appear to have been little more than an attempt to appease conservatives while diverting attention from his agenda of ever expanding government.

Let us not believe the power brokers as they promise a new day for conservatism. Consummate shape-shifter, John McCain, has been re-elected in Arizona on the heels of a challenge by an even more duplicitous candidate than he. Those presenting themselves for service often seem so flawed, the electorate is forced into the "better the devil I know, than the devil I don't" approach.

The crying need of today is for men and women of character to present themselves for service as genuine statesmen willing to stand for right even should it mean defeat, rather than compromise. I believe those individuals can be found in the local conservative evangelical churches of America. Most seem reticent to offer themselves, all the while bemoaning the paucity of men and women of character serving. The time has come for men and women to accept the call to political service and give themselves in service to God through government.

Now, please do think this will solve the problems we face as a nation. The solution to those problems cannot be found in and through government. The real problem is one of shallowness of walk within the New Testament churches of America. Should the genuine Believers once again turn their faces toward Calvary, and walk in the spirit of Calvary, I believe God would bring healing to the land, and those wolves in sheep's clothing would be exposed before they attained such positions of power and influence.

I do, however, believe that God calls men to government, just as He calls men as policemen, doctors, preachers, teachers, and roustabouts. Let us pray for those with His call upon them to present themselves for service to the citizenry of this land.

© 2010 Mike Rasberry

Mount Vesuvius

2010-08-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

At noon on August 24, 79 A.D. the decadent pleasure of the Roman city, Pompeii, came to an end. As the peak of Mount Vesuvius erupted covering the city with fifteen feet of flowing lava and ash, lethal gas belched from the volcano’s innards killed those attempting to hide in cellars and stone buildings.

Wealthy Romans vacationing in the idyllic resort doubtless anticipated a winning evening at the prominent gambling establishments, or perhaps a visit to one or more of the numerous brothels in the city. Probably none would have anticipated that death was already knocking at life’s door. They were people who lived for the moment with little regard for the eternal consequences of their life styles.

Suddenly fear gripped the area as a monstrous noise muted everything else, and the only thought became self-preservation.

The events of Pompeii remind me of the admonition of Peter to his readers in 2 Peter chapter three, that the “Day of The Lord” will come upon the unprepared world at a time when they least expect it. It will come at a time when scoffers willfully ignore the historical facts of Scripture, and disdain the free gift of salvation. Then as the dreadful “Day of The Lord” unveils itself fear will drive men to hide in basements, but there shall no shelter be found from the fervent heat of God’s Divine judgement.

You and I, who believe the Scriptures to be the Word of God, ought be impressed by that Word toward a new sense of urgency in offering the only shelter which will stand against that dreadful day, the shelter which is Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son.

The decadence and unbelief of this age are demonstrated time and again by the willful disregard for Godly principles of living even among those who know His truth and profess to be His children. I find it difficult to believe that those of that era could surpass the degradation and unmitigated filthiness of contemporary citizens of this earth. Which belief leads me to anticipate His soon return, and stirs my heart to communicate His way of deliverance to as many as possible.

Have you shared the saving grace of Jesus Christ personally with someone recently? If not, don’t you think it is high time you are about the primary business to which He has called you?

http://mrponderings.blogspot.com

© 2010 Mike Rasberry

Our Miss Brooks

2010-08-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

I recently watched a movie with Richard Crenna and was reminded of his role as Walter Denton in the 1950's television comedy “Our Miss Brooks." Contemporary television and radio listeners would be surprised popularity of the program to the viewers and listeners of yesteryear

Such nostalgic thoughts bring to mind the more simple days of my childhood. I remember gathering tiny daisies as we children walked and played in the pasture on a springtime Sunday afternoon while searching for, and exultantly finding, flint arrowheads around the spring used by my grandparents for drinking water. Those treasures stirred our fertile imaginations to myriad scenarios which might have resulted in the objects being left behind by those almost mythical visitors of years long gone.

Today’s life, though complex in its components, retains an aura of simplicity when one decides to live his life in accordance with the purpose and plan of God for His life. I’m convinced that God still wants His followers to avoid the frenetic lifestyle adopted by the world, in order to enjoy the great blessings inherent in living during these exciting days. “Taking time to smell the roses” can be more than a cliche.

Over and over, I’m told by professing Believers that they simply do not have time to meet privately and purposefully with Holy God. Between working overtime, extra jobs, children’s activities, school responsibilities, family demands, and even church commitments; little remains for that One who left the glories of heaven, walked the dusty roads of that little Palestinian country, faced unspeakable torment on Calvary’s Tree, and paid the penalty for our sins.

In Psalms 46: 9-11 the psalmist reminds us that Holy God is in charge. It is He we’re told who, “.. makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.” Then God has the psalmist tell us, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

All our energy and effort cannot affect change, except that which is ordained by Holy God. Why do we scurry around like frightened mice, going first this way and then that; rather than purposing to be still awhile with the one in whose hand our future lies? He wants us to rest in Him. He declares in verse 11, “The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.”

Life is really quite simple. Spend enough time with God to know what His will is for one’s life. Then, by faith, act on His will. I’m convinced that much of what we do is NOT God’s will, and therefore we are often overwhelmed by the circumstances of life. “Be still and know that I am God” remains a necessity for the effective rest that God provides.

http://mrponderings.blogspot.com

© 2010 Mike Rasberry

ETERNAL SECURITY

2010-07-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

Though I embrace the phrase “eternal security,” I have many problems with the interpretation of it. Many seem to believe they can make an emotional commitment to Jesus Christ, subsequently fall into sin, live in that sin without repentance, and rely upon the eternality of Christ’s finished work of redemption as assurance of their salvation. Such a position, I believe, is a prostitution of the phrase “eternal security.”

Paul, in First Corinthians 6: 9ff clearly demonstrates that one’s conduct is a reflection of his relationship to Holy God when he declares, “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”

Time and again, I find people whose present conduct is diametrically opposite that which Scripture says should be reflected by the child of God, yet they believe their conduct is inconsequential as it relates to their relationship to God because they believe in “eternal security.”

Now, please do not begin to associate me with Pelagianism which asserts that one can lose his salvation, and that such salvation is dependent upon human works. I certainly do not believe Scripture teaches such. I believe Scripture teaches that one’s salvation is wholly dependent upon the finished work Jesus Christ, and that man’s corrupt nature can never affect such merit as to be acceptable to God until by God’s own grace, he has been born again into the family of God. It is a work wholly of God, independent of any merit of man.

Having said that, however, I wish to further develop the theme that one’s conduct necessarily reflects God’s holiness. The writer of Hebrews states in 12:14, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” There can be no doubt that those who see God will live holy lives, if one accepts the veracity of God’s Word.

So, the question comes, “What about our failures?” The clear fact is you and I will fail. We will sin, and some of our sin will be extremely socially and governmentally repugnant. Does that mean one is not saved? Not necessarily.

The example of David is, I believe, instructive for us. David committed an abominable sin. Not only did he commit adultery, he murdered to cover it up. Yet, David is called “a man after God’s own heart.” How can this be consistent with the thesis I’ve presented?

David’s sin wreaked great pain upon him and his family, but the faithful servant of God, Nathan, confronted David with his sin, and he was broken over it. He repented and accepted God’s chastisement as well as, His forgiveness, after which God demonstrated that forgiveness by elevating Solomon, David’s son by Bathsheba, to the throne.

The missing element in contemporary church life is genuine repentance. 1 John 1:9 is written to Believers who have stumbled along the way, and like David, desire restoration. However, the preponderance of people today seems to believe that one can simply continue on without such a sense of remorse which leads to repentance as long as he believes in eternal security. The hard cold fact is that “eternal security” does not mean that one can make a commitment to Christ, then live an unholy life and be justified before Holy God.

If there is no remorse over one’s sin when confronted with the evidence of that sin, and no conviction by God’s Holy Spirit that one is out of God’s will for his life, then he probably is not genuinely converted. He is probably one of that group who when the disciples inquired as to why they no longer walked with them, Christ replied that they were no longer with them because they were really never a part of them.

Do you have loved ones or friends, who have turned aside from the path of righteousness and seem oblivious to the demands of God on their lives? If so, it is incumbent upon you to begin to treat them as lost people that they might be saved before it is too late. Pray for their salvation, confront them with their error, and don’t attempt to cover over their condition lest you encourage them in that error.

Time and again people tell me that they fear such direct confrontation will drive their loved ones farther away. I remember Vance Havner saying, “How far are you going to drive a lost man? Hell number two? Hell number three?”

Listen, dear friends, Believers must not place the imprimatur of approval upon the aberrant lifestyles of contemporary society. Drunkenness, cohabitation, drug abuse, pornography, sexual deviancy, homosexuality, idleness, and promiscuity are leading to broken homes, multiple marriages, slothfulness, and financial irresponsibility. All of which are contrary to the holy life God requires.

One’s belief in “eternal security” is not enough. One must be converted by a supernatural work of God which affects such a change that he attempts to live a life which honors God and reflects His handiwork.

Keeping God's Appointments

2010-07-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

Recently I read Anita Onarecker Wood's thought provoking book, "Divine Appointment, Our Journey to the Bridge;" in which she gives an overview of her life with her late husband which culminated with a grand event on a bridge in Texas.

That book reminded me of a message I have preached entitled, "Your Story," in which I attempt to help people see that God is at work behind the scenes to bring about scenarios where He will receive glory and people will see His handiwork in the lives of His people.

Last Night, as I was traveling along a four-lane divided highway, I passed an automobile alongside the road with a flat tire. Another vehicle was stopped and I continued on at the speed limit for about a quarter of a mile until I felt an overwhelming urge in my spirit to go back. I discovered, upon my return, that the situation was in hand and all I could offer was encouragement and some light. Nothing dramatic happened. I don't know why God wanted me to turn around and go back, and I may never know until I reach His side in Glory. However, I do know I was strengthened by my act of obedience to His tug upon my heart.

It might be that our most important act is not one in which someone is dramatically saved, or delivered from some dread event. It might just be that the most important thing we can do at any given moment is simply obey the still small voice of Him who guides us, even when we don't see the purpose or necessity of doing so. Samuel told King Saul that obedience is better than sacrifice, and I think the churches of our nation would be stronger if we would begin once more to listen carefully for that voice of direction which indicates our complete trust in Him who died for us.

The Apostle Paul had a grand plan to evangelize a particular geographical area, but he testified that God prohibited his going there. Sometimes we might substitute the very good for God's very best when we commit ourselves to a course of action which, while commendable, is not God's best for us at that time.

The great question then in one's mind should be, "What would You have me do, Lord?" Even waiting for His direction is often within His divine plan. So while we wait, we demonstrate trust in Him and His willingness to communicate His will to us. The Jewish vagabonds had wandered for forty years and then were to told to camp and wait across the swollen River Jordan from the land of promise. They were not told to build boats, bridges, or dams; but to wait.

I don't know why God acts in the ways He has chosen, but I trust Him to do that which is best for me and mine in every situation. When I remember that, I'm less inclined toward anger, frustration, fear, and aggravation. I'm more inclined toward peace, joy, and genuine happiness. Should He want me to turn around on a dark road and investigate a situation, I'll experience less than His best for me if I don't obey. My responsibility is to discern and do His will while leaving the results and consequences up to Him.

A Treatise on Liberals' Desire to Regulate Hate Speech

2010-06-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

A recent article states that a coalition of more than 30 organizations argue in a letter to the FCC that the Internet has made it harder for the public to separate the facts from bigotry masquerading as news. Therefore, they conclude the FCC should begin to regulate "hate" speech.

Several problems leap out at you as you consider this, not the least of which is who will determine just what "hate" speech is. These mostly left wing organizations decry the fact that information is readily available, and that elitists are now unable to carefully sanitize that information before it reaches the ears of the great unwashed.

After observing the media for about fifty-five years, I've come to believe that anyone who differs with an opinion of one holding an instrument of communication is generally considered a hateful person if he forcefully presents his dissenting argument.

Today we have hate laws which portend to protect those unable to protect themselves because of the inveterate hatred of their enemies. Such laws mete out a harsher punishment for those found guilty of inflicting pain upon individuals because of hatred for their class, culture, moral position, or sexual preference. Such laws are probably unconstitutional at the least and counter productive besides.

Now comes the thought police to ascertain if I'm acting with hatred toward a group when I say homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes according to my understanding of Scripture. Never mind that my purpose is not to demean, but rather to inform with the hope that one or more will repent of that position and turn to Christ for saving grace.

Religious and political speech are unconditionally protected by the Constitution of the United States of America. The Supreme Court has affirmed such in case after case over the course of the last two hundred thirty years, but come now those established liberal elitists who believe they can determine the thought process of those who write and speak to the masses.

Should you and I not unequivocally reject those who advocate such positions, we will one day find ourselves or our progeny without those freedoms we have cherished, espoused, and died for throughout the course of our country's history. It is no longer enough to sit idly by and whisper among ourselves at the park bench, or the barber shop. We must aggressively confront such error by speaking out, writing companies which underwrite such groups, and contacting our representatives. We ought do those things, even though it requires no little amount of effort on our part. It is both time consuming, and emotionally draining as one navigates the channels which insulate corporate decision makers and governmental representatives, but it is essential.

Rise up!! Leave the ballgames, the videos, and Facebook for a season in order to make your voice known, and do so repeatedly. They expect you and me to quickly lose our enthusiasm for such mundane activity, but we dare not!!

And please remember, this is always a spiritual battle. The prince of this world system does not want people free to share the hope of eternal life possible through Jesus Christ. He knows his time is rapidly drawing to a close, and he seems to be marshaling his forces in an attempt to prevent the light of the world from shining in the darkness of his domain.

© 2010 Mike Rasberry

A New Start for a Troubled Marriage

2010-05-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 30 is a momentous moment in the life of Bay Springs Baptist Church. We will celebrate the re-marriage of a couple whose relationship become so estranged that it finally culminated in divorce.

This couple first began to treat each other with indifference, then frustration, and on to antagonism. They really didn't dislike one another, they just felt better when there was a wall of distance between them.

However, something happened as they traveled life's journey. At some point one or both began to realize that God wanted them to investigate the possibility of starting over. The man came to realize that he had never given himself completely to Christ and was born again. The woman realized that she was not allowing Christ to be the boss of her life, and she committed her life to live for Him. Then God showed them that their divorce has been all about self. Couching their decisions in noble sounding declarations no longer seemed satisfactory.

God taught them that He views marriage as permanent, and they sought help to learn how to more effectively relate to one another as unto God Himself. They learned that one's primary purpose to so cultivate a heart that seeks after God, regardless of what one's partner does.

Now they are coming before God and His people and confessing their past individual and collective failure and dedicating their lives to God and one another.

I know several couples who need to begin again. It starts with each individual making a decision to turning his, or her, heart toward God, and making the commitment to God to so live as to reflect God in all their doings.

Each individual believes his/her situation is unique. It is not. Others have walked the same path and succeeded. There is no justification for failure in the marriage relationship. God loves marriage and hates divorce, so those who marry have the blessing of God upon their lives when they start.

I'm thankful to see what God has done in the life of both these fine people who are beginning again this weekend. Lord, I ask you to go before them and drive the hornet of opposition from their path even as you teach them the consummate joy of relying on you.

Believers and The New World Order

2010-05-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

President Obama on Saturday offered a glimpse of a new national security doctrine that distances his administration from the policy of preemptive war, emphasizing global institutions and America's role in promoting democratic values. During the address the President seemed to subtly promote the concept of global unity reminiscent of George Herbert W. Bush's "New World Order."

Presidents have lately seemed intent on building a global order which would erase nationalism and create a Utopian Society where everyone is a citizen of the world. Such a concept is not new. Empires have sought to rule the world through conquest throughout recorded history. Nor is it an antiquated notion. Adherents of communism viewed it as a vehicle for world dominion.

Chinese Communist leaders have seemingly discarded communism for capitalism and seem intent on dominating the world through finances. Japan turned her aggressive militaristic nature to economic policy and made enormous gains until the house of cards fell before she could bring the feat off.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise when powerful leaders to look at the world as another challenge to conquer. It certainly is no surprise to Evangelical Christian Believers. Scripture describes the end times as a time when powerful men will ascend to positions of influence and power unmatched in human history. Genuine Believers understand that the energizing force behind such men is nothing less then the prince of this world system, the enemy of God and all those who call upon the name of the Lord.

We do not fear these men; because we, who are genuine Believers, serve the God of Glory under whose dominion the prince of this world system is allowed to operate for a season. We know that at the end of the season, God will ultimately and finally overthrow him and those who have faithfully followed Christ will reign with Him for all eternity, while the enemy and his followers will wallow in a godless, lightless, friendless, comfortless, and never ending hell.

Difference in First Ladies

2010-05-19T20:18:00.000-07:00

First Lady Michelle Obama simply does not measure up in the class category when it comes to formal dress. This particular outfit looks cheap and demeaning. Of course, the attempt at provocative dress might be an attempt to distract eyes from the seething anger emanating from those eyes, and the set of her jaw.

Maybe she doesn't speak Spanish, because they are entertaining the President of Mexico and his wife on this occasion.

Laura Bush appears genteel and discrete in her gown at a WH Christmas party during the Bush years.

The extreme difference in poise and style is evident in the two photos.

Michelle Obama's seeming attempt at provocative appears to deteriorate to the edge of vulgarity. A few lessons in decorum would appear to be in order.

Turn up The Heat

2010-05-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

When I was a child I enjoyed taking crayons and dropping them into a pot to see what colors I could devise. As I dreamed of creating an unique color, I learned that too much heat would boil away some of the properties of the crayons and leave my new creation brittle and unuseable. I also learned that too little heat would not allow the colors to flow together and blend. The great melting pot of America is struggling today with just how much heat to apply so that those coming to America can blend in such a way as to add to the whole without becoming an unuseable monstrosity.

Yesterday four students were sent home from a school in the San Francisco Bay area for wearing shirts with an American flag on them. They were sent home because children of Mexican descent felt it was their day to express their heritage, and the four were disrespecting “Cinco De Mayo.”

Folks, this is serious business. We seem to have failed those from other nations who have immigrated by not teaching them that America is more than just a meal ticket. The American flag should be proudly flown in the midst of their celebrations. They should understand the policies and loyalties which have contributed to the wealth and freedom they seek here. Their fathers left Mexico seeking a better way of life, or chose to stay when annexation took place. Either way, they are American by choice.

I often wondered about the other large countries of the world why they could not develop, then I discovered that most are hamstrung by language barriers. India has several large states, each with its own language. Canada is wracked by language chaos, with French and English competing, and even China with its strong central government has struggled with the hundreds of unique dialects employed throughout the country.

American has grown because she is the great melting pot, with colors and languages blending their unique attributes into the whole to make a beautiful mosaic where all our lives are richer and more full. However, contemporary officialdom seems intent preventing that mosaic from growing. Policies and laws seemingly designed to prevent the assimilation of other cultures into ours are dividing us according to language, race, and heritage.

Yes, there is a distinct American culture which has been molded by that very melting pot, and those who come here to live should come with the purpose becoming a part of that culture. Poles, Italians, Chinese, Mexican, Navajo, French, African, and from around the globe they have come; making us the pre-imminent nation of the world. But these coming in this era are hyphenated Americans; not attempting to become part of the melting pot, they want to carve out a section of the country for their own where they can maintain the same culture, language, and customs of their native lands.

The most egregious perpetrator of this deadly policy is the public school system which seems to delight in teaching every cultural anomaly except that of the founders of the Country. Students can tell you about Black History Month and Hispanic culture even while they are unable to explain the Bill of Rights, or tell why our forefathers established this great government.

We has best awaken to the danger facing us here in the United States. Celebrate “Cinco de Mayo” but do it proudly under the banner of the Stars and Stripes. This is not Mexico. This is America. The heat needs be turned up a little on our melting pot in order for us to blend more evenly, so that we might continue to become a mosaic of freedom and opportunity for the nations of the world to aspire to.

The Time is Right: Dissolve the State Conventions

2010-03-22T20:10:00.000-07:00

On February 27, 2007 I published an article questioning the need for both State Conventions and Associations, alluding to possibility of state conventions as inefficient anachronisms.

Today I want to revisit that topic and examine the purpose of state conventions and associations.

Associations have traditionally been the guardian of doctrinal integrity. Associations, which are generally organized geographically, are near autonomous entities subject to the executive board which is comprised of representatives of the local member churches. They may have an executive whose purpose it is to implement the work authorized by the body.

Membership is expanded when a local church petitions to join the association, and after examination by those so authorized, the local assembly is accepted into the fellowship of the association, or has its petition rejected. Such rejection is ordinarily based on doctrinal weakness or heresy. Should the church be accepted, the customary practice is to place the church under watch care for a period of time in order to observe the faith and practice of that church.

Should such a church have its petition rejected, a committee is usually appointed to work with the church to ascertain if it desires to conform to the requirements of the association. Such work can continue until such time as the committee determines it is ready to once again petition the association or decides the church is not serious enough about becoming a member to change the doctrine and/or practice deemed unacceptable.

Associational churches can be disciplined by the association for matters of doctrine and/or practice by placing them on probation and/or withdrawing fellowship from them; a practice tantamount to expulsion.

Recently local associations seem to have evolved more into the establishing of programs. Such actions appear in some instances to be in competition with the local churches. The Birmingham Baptist Association provides opportunities for individuals to sign up for twenty-nine different programs and to give directly to the Association. That seems to violate the spirit of the Association as being an instrument of the local churches. Should the association become self-sufficient, that is not dependent upon the gifts of the local churches, it could become an entity apart and follow the course of such institutions as Baylor University, or Mercer University; which voted to divorce themselves from the local entities which owned them and stole the property, influence, and good will of Southern Baptists in their respective states.

I believe the preponderance of gifts should come through the local church, and not from disaffected church members looking for an avenue to advance pet causes in defiance of the local church leadership.

While state conventions have served Southern Baptists well, by providing a venue by which churches from disparate points of the state could work together on mission projects, training, and ministry; contemporary communication and transportation allow the local associations to do every thing the state conventions do. State conventions, especially in the Deep South, now seem to spend more time promoting projects than anything else. Untold millions of dollars of missions monies are absorbed in the bureaucratic morass of the state convention.

Why local churches need a state convention to convince them to utilize a particular program, or participate in a particular activity escapes me. The local church needs a resource entity which is available lend its expertise to a particular need, not someone to try to convince the local church to follow a particular path of ministry. Neither the state convention, nor the association have the responsibility to “care for” the local churches. Local pastors do not need a “pastor to pastors” to serve as an associational executive.

The local church is responsible for setting an agenda to minister to its unique congregation and community. That is made easier by having assurance that a sister church is ministering effectively in an adjoining community, and throughout the state.

Time and again pastors are requested to turn in the names of leaders to the association and/or state convention so that those entities might communicate directly with church members. As a pastor, I don’t want those entities communicating directly with the members of the local church. If the pastor and church leadership have a plan for reaching their Jerusalem, they shouldn’t have to spend time defending their plan against one put forth by the state convention or association. The state conventions and associations work for the local churches, and it is unethical to by pass the local church leadership to promote a different agenda. Sometimes the associational executive acts as if he is an employee of the state convention. That was, in fact, the case in Louisiana until just a few short years ago.

I believe the time has come to dissolve the state conventions, thereby increasing the amount of funds available for mission efforts, and making the association a more effective entity. State executives and staff are certain to oppose any attempt minimize their position in the convention hierarchy (Baptists don’t have a hierarchy right?), but there is reformation in the air, and now is the time to act.

Cohabitation is a Blight on the Christian Church

2010-03-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

The crass statements of my youth justifying premarital sex like, “Never buy a car before you try it out,” have given way to socially acceptable cohabitation in the name of protecting the institution of marriage. Time and again the reason is given by both the couple and their supportive parents that they need to make sure they can make it before entering into the permanence of marriage.

This attitude, especially among Believers, demonstrates a total lack of understanding of God’s plan and leadership. When two Believers come together as one, they should have a sense of God’s working in their lives, and that alone should be enough to help them maintain their commitment through the inevitable tough times.

Dr. Albert Mohler Jr., President of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Ky; said in a recent article, “Many young adults tend to believe they are wise to try living together before committing to marriage, but actually they are undermining the institution they hope to protect.”

Dr. Mohler went on to say, "They do not know that what they are actually doing is undoing marriage. They miss the central logic of marriage as an institution of permanence."

That marriage is a gift of God is fundamental to Christian belief, yet there seems little practical difference between those who claim to be Believers and those who do not. Not only do young people openly engage in such behavior, but parents and extended family often seem to facilitate it. Even the local body of Believers known as the church seems little inclined to deal with her members who adopt such lifestyles lest someone be offended.

I wholeheartedly agree with Dr. Mohler’s assertion that cohabitation weakens marriage. I also believe that weakened marriage weakens the Christian message. However, I see little opportunity to combat the problem as long as the local body of Believers refuses to see cohabitation as an affront to Holy God. When the local assembly begins to deal with those who claim to be Believers, yet live their lives as if God’s Word and way is unimportant, I believe there will arise a dedicated, disciplined, and Spirit-filled church where the power of God is evident and the influence of the church is expanded.

© 2010 Mike Rasberry

Pondering John McCain & Regulations

2010-02-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

John McCain is a true hero. He survived as a POW without compromising. I wish he had carried that same dogma into his political career.

Conservatives understood that McCain was only a "lukewarm" presidential candidate because he was the consummate fence-straddler. Now, he is proving that the country is probably better off with Obama as President. At least, with Obama, we know he is a far left ideologue. We are alert to his every move and can oppose him, because there is little subtly in his approach.

McCain, however, is a different matter. He seems never to have seen an industry, or product, which doesn't need government regulation. He appears to search for new items to regulate. Now he wants to regulate food supplements. All one needs see is the result of government regulation on other products, to recognize the inherent danger here.

Now some are going to say, "But Mike, these things need regulation. They affect our health." I have no problem with "truth in advertising, or accuracy in labeling." However, most of the medicines I was raised on, the same things my mother who is now eighty-four was raised on, and her mother, who lived to the age of ninety-eight, was raised on have been regulated out of our reach.

The sulfur mixed with a molasses was an effective antidote to the red bugs, or chiggers outside the deep South, fleas, and ticks. The penicillin tablets, crushed and mixed with the molasses, fought the infections we contracted as we stepped on rusty nails, and cut ourselves with broken bottles. The Paregoric, also mixed with molasses, helped young children suffering from intestinal disorders and teen girls with menstrual cramps, and was an effective toothache remedy. None of these items are available anymore except through prescription which naturally requires a doctor visit, and trip to the local Walmart Drug store. Can anyone say, "Unnecessary additional costs?"

Now this wolf in sheep's clothing, McCain, desires to regulate even more of our lives. I say, "Enough Already!" Write another memoir, take a fact finding trip to Australia, hike the Grand Canyon, you'll still get paid well by the taxpayer. Just leave our personal lives alone. NO MORE REGULATIONS!!!

Wasted Years

2010-02-18T07:39:00.000-08:00

This morning I received word that my cousin lies on a hospital bed in Covington, Louisiana near death. Little can be done for him because a lifetime of profligate living has utterly destroyed his body. But there's more to this story than that.

You see, Tommy's skill with people coupled with his innate intelligence allowed him to ride the crest of success at an early age. However, those same attributes, never harnessed by submission to Holy God, led him to experiment with mind altering drugs. Drugs, and later, Alcohol became his obsession, his reason for living. They were cruel masters, unwilling to share their slave with family or friends. Going for months on end without contacting those who loved and prayed for him; this wasting shell of his former self would eventually show up needing help.

The song, "Wasted Years" has never seemed more poignant than this morning.

Wasted years wasted years oh how foolish,
As you walk on in darkness and fear,
Turn around turn around God is calling,
He's calling you from a life of wasted years,
As you wondered along on life's pathways,
Have you lived without love a life of fear,
Have you searched for life's great hidden meaning,
Or is your life filled with long wasted years,
Wasted years wasted years oh how foolish,
As you walk on in darkness and fear,
Turn around turn around God is calling,
He's calling you from a life of wasted years,
He's calling you from a life of wasted years

Each time I ponder the potential of a young man filled with energy, strength, and intelligence who has wasted his life; I remember that Holy God died for just such as he. Oh that he would have exercised his talents and gifts in the pursuit of holy living as the bond slave of Jesus Christ rather than those harsh taskmasters who robbed him of all his productive initiative.

Wasted years. I find myself wondering if I did enough to demonstrate love and compassion to him. Time and again I pleaded with him to give himself to Christ, and every time he acknowledged his need, yet never seemed able to trust Christ enough when the pangs of desire for his one true love, alcohol, stirred his being.

Young men, I plead with you. Reject the alluring advances of that strange lady alcohol as she flits her skirts in her most seductive manner, lest one day you awaken to discover that you, too, have wasted the most productive years of your life.

Lady Alcohol is an unnatural lover, unable to satisfy the cravings for love, companionship, and accomplishment. Her promising enticements serve only to fuel the senses for more and more. Promising much, but delivering nothing more than "Wasted Years."

Turn today to The Lord. Psalm 103:12 says, "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us."

© 2010 Mike Rasberry

The Mount Vernon Statement

2010-02-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council reports that than 100 conservative leaders joined together today to celebrate the release of the Mount Vernon Statement -- a document he believes has reaffirmed conservative commitment to Constitutional Conservatism and the principles of the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I wonder if the document goes far enough. At first blush it appears more nuanced than substantive. Perhaps, however, I'm being too critical. I'm actually looking for genuine conservatives, of which Tony Perkins certainly is one, to explain in plain English just what the "pursuit of happiness" means and the limitations to such a statement.

The document states, "The conservatism of the Declaration asserts self-evident truths based on the laws of nature and nature's God. It defends life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It traces authority to the consent of the governed. It recognizes man's self-interest but also his capacity for virtue." In the 18th Century this was a clearly understood statement, which met with little equivocation, even by unbelievers. In this contemporary, pluralistic society such terms need defining.

While I agree with the intent of those who formulated the statement, it appears to not be so notable a statement as to create even angst amongst those who are the enemies of traditional constitutional government. Not one of these signers need fear the loss of position, property, or prestige over the signing of such an innocuous statement.

I believe the time has come for bold leadership in America. The kind of leadership which, in the tradition of the founding fathers, risks everything for the purpose of restoring our constitutional government.

While I will sign the agreement, I believe it to be far short of what is needed.

Memories of My Childhood

2010-02-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

During my second year of elementary school, my family moved atop what was known as "Crocker Hill," so named because Mr. Joe Crocker and his family lived on the East side of the red clay road at the top of the steep hill. We lived across the road from the Crockers in a three-room house with a pantry and another little bitty house out back.

The house was "L" shaped with a door opening into the front room which served as both a bedroom for my parents and our living room. It was that room which became the center of attention on Saturday Nights when the Crockers would come over and my Mother's parents would come up the hill to eat chili and watch wrestling. I still remember Mrs. Crocker yelling at those referees for allowing "Gorgeous George" to be treated so badly by other wrestlers.

Next to the front room was the room shared by my sister Sue and me, until I was moved into the pantry behind the kitchen. Aunt Eunice Ivey stayed with us at one time because my Mom was working and my Dad was driving a truck, so she stayed in the room with Sue and me, also.

Behind our room was the kitchen. It housed the refrigerator, a pot-bellied wood heater, a butane fired stove, and our eating table. The pantry was a small room about six feet wide and about ten feet long.

A door opened to the outside from the kitchen and down several concrete steps was a huge oak tree right in the "L" of the house. The exposed roots made a great playground as I imagined myself a character in the Dick Tracy comic strip, or Sunset Carson, or Johnny Mack Brown, or any number of other contemporary heroes. Hour upon hour was consumed playing with or without my sister on those roots.

I regret that my grandchildren and their contemporaries have not learned to enjoy the roots of a tree. Electronic gadgets have opened new vistas for their exploration, but I doubt they'll be happier than I was as a child. My parents did not have much in the way of material things to give us, but what they did give us has remained with me these sixty plus years-- the memories of childhood.

Today, while pondering the financial pressure parents bring upon themselves in order to give their children a better life than they had, I wonder if the children could possibly be more fulfilled and content than I, or if those "gadgets" bought to satisfy their cravings to conform will prove as worthwhile as those hours on the roots of that old oak tree.

Aah--The memories of childhood.

Continuing Erosion of Personal Freedoms by Police Entities

2010-02-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

A recent article entitled "Police want backdoor to Web users' private data" by Declan McCullagh reveals the potential for the continuing surreptitious erosion of personal individual rights by governmental entities which seem to believe they alone are capable of protecting us from ourselves.

Government has two primary constitutional responsibilities: (1) Protect the citizenry from foreign powers who would overthrow our form of government. (2) Maintain domestic judicial order so that the citizenry can develop their resources to their greatest capability without oppressive interference from the authorities who maintain such. That is all government is needed for.

We do NOT need government to make sure we have health insurance, or food, or clothing. Nor do we need government to protect us from ourselves by limiting those activities which some entity might consider dangerous.

Seat belt laws are an example of government's intrusion into the personal lifestyles of individuals. While seat belts are obviously beneficial, they are also detrimental in some instances and downright ridiculous in others. My grandchildren are certainly not nearly as comfortable on trips as my own children were who were provided a bed in the floor board and allowed to sleep in an unrestrained position during trips. Seat belts were already becoming accepted as a safety factor when government decided to require everyone everywhere to wear them. While the transition to seat belt use would have taken longer, I believe it would have occurred nonetheless.

Bleeding heart elitists, the hoi oligoi, believing they know what is best for the hoi polloi, the great unwashed masses, seem obsessed with implementing more and more rules in the name of safety, security, and the general welfare. Such rules, once enacted, become simply another tool by which the commoners can be controlled. Control, it seems, is more important than any genuine benefit.

All of which leads us to the topic at hand. I am a strong proponent of the police in general. They have an often thankless profession, and must deal continually with the lowest class of society, the criminal. As the criminal cleverly devises ways to gain an advantage through deceit, theft, or subterfuge, the police must be prepared to react to each new invention of the criminal's diabolic mind. Yet, there must be limitations on their freedom to access the private information of the citizenry. Taking the time to obtain a paper warrant before accessing private information might indeed allow some criminals to escape. No system is failure proof. However, laid alongside the right of private law abiding citizens to protect their information, it is no contest. We must err on the side of freedom, or we will eventually err on the side of totalitarianism.

Only the most naive believe they can prevent private information being disseminated in this the information age. However, to authorize what amounts to warrantless intrusion into one's personal affairs is nothing less than an abdication of personal responsibility. Few who acquiesce to these procedures would allow the forcible search of their homes by police without a bonafide warrant, nothing less should be demanded of the electronic media.

You and I should contact our congressional delegations posthaste to inform them of our opposition to such procedures, lest they be inserted into innocuous appearing bills without raising a stir, or worse be enacted as administrative decisions by pompous bureaucratic aides.

Stoney Hearted People

2010-01-19T08:55:00.000-08:00

Jesus told a parable of the soil where good seed falls on rocky ground. It is able to germinate but the soil is not sufficient enough to allow it to grow. One’s hearts can be like this kind of soil. He has a desire to do right but fails to grow because he has no depth of commitment. When difficulty comes, he wilts under the pressure. He is one who has based his understanding of Christ on an emotional experience. His faith is wholly experiential and not based upon Biblical doctrine. He is wont to say, "Doctrine doesn’t matter as long as you love Jesus."

Jesus said, “If one loves Him, he will keep His commandments.” One’s doctrine, or theology, must be in harmony with God’s Word. In another place Jesus said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” The one who bases his relationship to God upon experience alone, is doctrinally unstable with shallow roots, so that when the experiences of life seem set against him, he is easily drawn away by the false teachings of the Evil One.

The Late Dr. Adrian Rogers often called these people, “Alka-Seltzer” people. They are people of fizz, warm and emotional, who respond easily to emotional appeals, but they are shallow, superficial, and rootless. They only want to be happy and will follow what ever seems to make them so, even if it is only temporary.

Churches are full of stony-hearted people. They simply do not understand the demands of the cross, nor do they desire to understand it. At the first sign of difficulty, they look for something else; something which will entertain them of make them feel good. They want an easy Christianity without trials.

Are you one of these? Are you like the rich young ruler who went away sorrowfully when he learned the real demands of the Gospel? Do you hunger and thirst to understand the basis of God’s great love for you, or are you one who simply bases your faith upon a series of experiences. If you are, I say to you this morning, "Repent! Ask God to take away your stony heart, and the Bible promises he will give you a heart of flesh.” A heart which will be able to learn and allow you to base your faith upon His Word.

Genuine Fellowship

2010-01-18T08:24:00.000-08:00

The missing element in the contemporary church is the real fellowship so evident in the early church. The warmth and sweetness of their fellowship demonstrated the “oneness” of body which the church exemplifies. Their possessions were not considered goods to be protected, cherished, and hoarded. Rather they were treated as tools to be utilized for the common good.

This was not Communism where government pooled resources and doled them out equally to all, but rather a voluntary recognition that God had blessed them with everything they possessed and they were simply the caretakers. Brothers and sisters in Christ experienced the generosity of one another as genuine family. There was no recrimination for those who had need and no hesitancy on the part of those who had plenty.

A tangible result of that attitude of fellowship was that they had great power in witnessing and uncountable numbers were added to the church. That we have lost that is evident in the fact that we often sit in a worship service and know little of the affairs of those around us. We go to our homes, and watch football, or play games without involving ourselves in the lives of those with whom worship. Throughout the busy week little social interaction takes place outside a few close friends and family. How can one approach a virtual stranger and share his fears, joys, and concerns? Must the church remain an impassive body unresponsive to the genuine needs of brothers and sisters in Christ simply because we choose not to engage them on a personal and intimate level?

I believe church should have a reputation as a safe harbor where truth is presented in love by caring people genuinely interested in the general welfare. Rather, it is often represented as a cold body which rejects the imperfect. Strife, bickering, unforgiveness, and jealousy within the body give the lie to the message that Christ can meet one’s needs and lift his burdens, because what he sees in the church is no different than what he experiences at home and at work.

So the world asks, “Why do you claim that Christ is the answer? Your life is little different than ours, and we can sleep late on Sunday Mornings.”

The missing element, I believe, is genuine fellowship, and the only way we’re going to reverse the trend toward irrelevance in the local church is for those who claim Christ as Lord, to begin opening themselves in a vulnerable way to others so that the world might see genuine fellowship in us. Will you commit yourself to expanding your area of genuine concern by involving yourself with someone within the body who you don’t know much about? Invite them to your home for dinner, or coffee and cake. Choose this day to grow the fellowship within your local assembly so that the world will know you are different.

We All Need A Tree

2010-01-14T09:28:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we all need help remembering that God never intended us to carry our burdens and to distribute them to those we love. I was sent an email with the following link which says it much better than I. http://home.att.net/~soloshideaway/751/tree.htm

Joy To The World

2009-12-17T08:06:00.000-08:00

Joy to the World, The Lord is come...Those words by Issac Watts reflect the angelic message to shepherds faithfully carrying out their menial tasks.

Joy to the World...It blares from digitally enhanced church steeples even as anxious shoppers within its sound trudge from store to store only to be confronted by short-tempered, ill-mannered, and inconsiderate shoppers and shop keepers.

Where is the “Joy” in Christmas? Everywhere one turns he hears, mumbling, grumbling, groaning, and complaining. The oft heard comment, “I just don’t have enough time,” reflects the consternation the Christmas Season brings.

I think it is time to take stock of what Christmas should be all about. It should be a time of willing self-sacrifice, not grudging dutiful drudgery. It should reflect the willing sacrifice Jesus Christ made when He left the glories of heaven to be born as a vulnerable human being during a time of poverty and political oppression, so that He could offer Himself a sacrifice for the sin of the world.

Should we approach the purchase of gifts as an opportunity to express our love and appreciation of those for whom the gifts are intended, we might be less frustrated in our search. Those people with whom we deal are simply obstacles placed there by the enemy to challenge our resolve to act in Christ-like love to those who serve us in our pursuits.

The driver who swerves into the parking place ahead of you, the shopper whose self-centered dash upends your load of packages, the clerk whose aching feet and splitting headache override her normally courteous behavior, and the myriad of others you encounter are simply opportunities to demonstrate that the Angels were not wrong. They did bring good tidings of great joy, and Issac Watts is correct, we can have joy.

Joy which is dependent upon perfect external conditions is not really joy at all. Joy is an expression of an internal condition which naturally flows from an ongoing and growing personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

JOY TO THE WORLD!!! THE LORD IS COME!!!

From "A Word For Living" by Mike Rasberry

© 2009 Mike Rasberry

The Gift of Self

2009-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

As you continue searching for the perfect gift for that special person during this Christmas Season, why don’t you consider the giving a more complete “You.” While such a gift is not monetarily expensive, it is costly. Such a gift means that you choose to forego the personal pleasures to which you’ve become accustomed in order that you might be more available to the one(s) you love.

A great gift for any loved one is when you choose to put aside some habit or indulgence in order to make another’s life more full and meaningful. Several destructive habits and indulgences which steal one’s time and wreck relationships include, but are in no way limited to:
Alcohol
Tobacco
Computer Games
Pornography
Gossip

During the Christmas Season, that indulgence most often bringing destruction is the use of alcohol as a beverage. Misery will greet huge numbers of homes this season because of the destructive nature of alcohol and the hold it takes on men when they imbibe.

This season, purpose to give your loved ones the gift of a sober, rational, and whole person by choosing to stay away from the deadly brew.

Johnny Sanders Pastor of Providence Baptist Church in Downsville, La. Copied the following poem off the wall of Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman several years ago. The author is unknown to this writer.

THE BAR
The name of each saloon is bar,
The fittest of its names by far.
A bar to Heaven, a door to hell;
Whoever named it, named it well.
A bar to manliness and wealth,
A door to want and broken health.
A bar to honor, pride, and fame,
A door to grief, sin, and shame.
A bar to hopes, a bar to prayers,
A door to darkness and despair.
A bar to honored, useful life,
A door to brawling, senseless strife.
A bar to all that’s true and brave,
A door to every drunkard’s grave.
A bar to joy that home imparts,
A door to tears and aching hearts.
A bar to Heaven, a door to hell,
Whoever named it named it well.

Taken from "A Word For Living" by Mike Rasberry

© 2009 Mike Rasberry

Criteria for a Just War

2009-12-04T20:12:00.000-08:00

A recent article in Associated Baptist Press by Bob Allen reported on a speech by Robert Parham in which he outlined five criteria for a war being “just.” I agree with some, but with some of his listed criteria, I take issue. What are your thoughts on the matter?

The first standard necessary for a “Just War,” he said is a “Just Cause.” I must agree with this standard. The use of force to protect America, her allies, her citizens, and those unable to defend themselves seems a legitimate criteria. Whether of not popular opinion considers it “Just” is not the issue. Those who stand on the side of justice often must swim upstream against the ever increasing tide of those who, when they begin to experience personal hardship abdicate their moral responsibility.

Parham lists the second standard as property authority. Again, I agree with this criteria. However, he includes the UN as such an authority. I do not believe the UN has any kind of moral authority to wage war. I do not believe in a one-world governing entity, which such authority will inevitably bring about.

The third standard which must be met according to Parham, is “last resort.” That is to say that a country should attempt to mediate through peaceful means before turning to war. I agree with this point in a limited way. The United States kept giving Japan chance upon chance to turn back from her treacherous course. Time and again, the Japanese were caught in their web of lies, yet the desire to try one more time eventually left us ill prepared for the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. There must be a firm time table with tangible positive response. In the case of overt attack as in the 9-11 assault, reaction must be swift and comprehensive.

Parham lists the fourth standard as “probability of success.” I think this is a terrible criteria for war. There can be nothing but victory in war. Anything less than the total commitment of the people to the success of the endeavor will spell eventual disaster. One man suggested that Gideon would never have gone forth with his 300 hearty men had probability of success been a criteria. George Washington’s heroic stand against the greatest military power of its day would never have gotten off Long Island if probability of success had been a consideration.

The fifth standard listed by Parham is “proportionality.” This is the most absurd of the criteria listed. Proportionality means that the nation attack with only the amount of force necessary to eke out a victory. It is the concept of “proportionality” which resulted in the loss of Korea and Vietnam. It is proportionality which has kept our troops bogged down in the Middle East for nearly nine years. When a nation goes to war, she should unleash the power necessary to bring a quick end to the conflict. Untold tens of thousands of American lives were spared by the unleashing of the Atom bomb on two Japanese Cities. Do you really believe that the last fifty years of privation suffered by the people of North Korea would have occurred if American leadership had demonstrated the resolve to unleash MacArthur on the Communist giant growing on the Korean Peninsula and the Chinese mainland.

While I regret the loss of so-called non-combatants, I doubt the existence of many such. Those in war torn areas are already involved. The Vietnamese peasants were NOT non-combatants. They either supported the Allies or the Viet Cong. I suspect that is the case in most areas. That folk can live in the midst of war without taking sides is something for the movies, but doesn’t exist in reality.

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THOSE WHO SERVE

2009-11-11T06:50:00.000-08:00

When I arrived back in the Continental United States in September of 1967 from Vietnam, I was not met with a hero’s welcome. Rather, some of my first “greeters” were protestors carrying signs calling me a “baby killer” and worse. I was spit upon, cursed, and derided in every conceivable manner. Now those folks did not know my name, but because I wore a Marine uniform, I was the enemy.

I’m thankful to Holy God that He saw fit to use me in the defense of this great country, just as He used my Dad before me. As I look back, I can see the Hand of God in His intervention in my life. Some of those I was raised with, trained with, and fought with did not return alive, or whole after the war. I don’t know why God chose to deliver me, but I purpose to so live my life as to demonstrate my appreciation for Him and for those who died in my stead.

Thank you Holy God for giving us men and women who are willing to serve to the uttermost in these uncertain times.

Thank you men and women of the military, for doing what you do. Please know that there are millions like me who appreciate your devotion to duty.

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND THOSE WHO SERVE!!

Happy Birthday Marines!!

2009-11-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

The year was 1965 and I was the fresh faced, smart alecky hard head who thought he was really tough. I had failed to graduate from high school and was working in the oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico, when I received the notice to report for my physical prior to induction in the Army.

I knew I didn’t want to be drafted, so I began investigating the other branches of service and settled on the Air Force. I had my airplane ticket to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for recruit training when I was visited by a Marine Corps Recruiter. Before he left my home, I was singing “The Marine Corps Hymn” and preparing to catch a bus to Birmingham, Alabama where I was sworn in along with about twenty others. Then it was on to Parris Island, South Carolina.

My recollection of that first few days remains somewhat foggy, but I remember waiting in the very cool night air outside the gate for a bus to take us to our orientation area. Once inside the gates of Parris Island, all civility ceased. The sergeant, who had been so courteous and gregarious outside the gate, instantaneously metamorphosed into a hideous antagonist seeming intent of destroying every iota of self image we possessed.

We learned quickly that we were the scum of the earth hardly worth the taxpayers money expended in a probable ill fated attempt to transform us into Marines. We were relieved of our clothing and personal belongings, and issued Marine Corps skivvies which were sufficient clothing for us to fill out what seemed like reams of paperwork. Then we were marched, in skivvies, to another building where we received ill-fitting utilities and boots.

As dawn broke upon us we were herded, what we did was certainly not marching, to the mess hall to partake of our first real Marine Corps meal. Over the years, I’ve become convinced that the first meal is especially designed to so repugnant that future meals will be appreciated.

The day was spent outfitting us and explaining a few rules: like “if you mess up my Marine Corps, I will personally give you a vertical butt stroke.” I had no idea what a vertical butt stroke was, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t good.

Night time was anticipated in much the same way a starving man anticipates food. We were emotionally and physically exhausted. Eighty plus men in our squad bay fell instantly asleep.

At 4:30 A.M. a short Corporal named Sparks started beating on the metal G.I. cans in our squad bay and screaming that we had fifteen minutes to be dressed and lined up outside so that we could get a little exercise before breakfast. I’m not sure how far we ran, but I was grateful that I was in pretty good shape.

So began my love affair with The United States Marine Corps. I learned to never give up on myself, my country, and The Corps. I learned that the whole is much stronger than the parts which make up the whole, and I learned to really love this great country in which we live.

I entered the Corps, a snot nosed, immature, boy. After Boot Camp, ITR, specialized training, thirteen months in Vietnam, and my terminal assignment in Yuma, Arizona; I left the Marine Corps as a man committed to impacting society for good. I thank my God regularly that He so orchestrated events as to place me in The Corps.

It was during my tour that I regained that lost love of learning which continues to press me to study today. It was during my tour that I married the love of my life, who has been a positive influence upon my life. And it was during my tour that God directed me to the First Southern Baptist Church of Yuma, Arizona where He spoke clearly to me about the life work to which He was calling me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINES!!
Semper Fi!!!

THE MARRIAGE DILEMMA

2009-11-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

People choose to marry for many reasons. Here are just a few of the reasons listed in numerous surveys:

• To be free from parents.
• To have sex.
• Love.
• To relieve loneliness.
• To be happy.
• Physical attractiveness.
• To have a baby.
• Financial security.
• Immigration purposes
• Friends are married.
• Fear of not finding a partner.

In Christian Circles “Love” is listed as the primary reason for marriage, but one must question whether or not those listing “love” actually understand the meaning. God commands Believers to love one another. Therefore, one must conclude that love is not an emotion. Now, none will deny the emotional aspect of what the world calls “falling in love.”

Love, it seems to this writer, is acting in such a way as to demonstrate one’s care for the welfare of another. Love would, therefore, be quite selfless in its actions always seeking first to make the other successful and fulfilled, and thereby gaining a sense of fulfillment in those very acts.

God seems to command the Believer to marry and raise up children who are taught to love God and live their lives as a reflection of that love. Therefore, the primary reason for marriage ought to be obedience to God. If two Believers are committed to walking with Christ, they will develop a strong emotional tie as a natural result of their acting in love toward one another.

The tragedy of contemporary marriages between Believers is that most are based upon an emotional attraction which, unlike a faith commitment to God, often changes based upon the circumstances of life. Therefore, marriages between Believers are dissolving at an alarming rate.

It seems to this writer that two Believers who genuinely “like” one another and are willing to act in love toward one another, as unto God Himself, would make a great marriage. They could grow together over the years, and would stand a much better chance of success than those marriages based upon emotional attachments and/or physical attributes.

Don’t mistake the emotional attraction for “love.” Few couples genuinely understand love until they’ve been married for some years. Emotional love is important, but it should be that which has grown out of sharing, struggling, and growing together.

FEARS FROM THE RIGHT

2009-10-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

Breitbart.com quotes from an Associated Press interview with the British singer Sting that he believes President Obama is sent from God to straighten out the world’s mess. He says of the opposition to Obama, "It's aggressive and violent and full of fear."

He is correct about one thing. The opposition to Obama is full of fear:

Fear that an oppressive one-world government is coagulating.
Fear that those of us who believe in Biblical Christianity will soon face Dark Age type persecution where opposition to the official church-state position is deemed heresy, and as such worthy of incarceration and/or death.
Fear that our children and grandchildren will not enjoy the freedom to develop their lives to their fullest potential.
Fear that our freedom to share our faith will be deemed “Hate Speech.”
Fear that American Exceptionalism will become American embarrassment at our accomplishments.
Fear that untold millions will continue to be slaughtered by the ruthless selfishness of contemporary liberal attitudes toward abortion.
Fear that our young men and young women will be encouraged to continue exploring sexual depravity until the natural God-given sexual appetites are extinguished.
Fear that familial relationships will continue to disintegrate as marriage is abandoned and short-term “relationships” flourish in a vain quest for the fulfillment which ironically only comes with genuine commitment.
Fear that the burden of caring for the elderly and infirm will be seen as too onerous to continue.

While this is by no means an exhaustive catalog of fears conservatives have, it is a starting point for discussion.

May God have mercy on our land, and may we soon cry out to Him as did the Children of Israel to be delivered from the oppressive hand of this heathen administration.

National Council of Churches--A leftist Group of Individual Denominations

2009-10-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

I’m often asked why I don’t participate in ecumenical meetings with churches of other denominations. The following churches are members of the National Council of Churches (NCC). Their liberal political agenda is a reflection of their theological understanding of Scripture. The rare exception to this group is that the American Conference of Catholic Bishops strongly opposes abortion.

I cannot and will not participate with those churches which are a part of these communions. While the members of some of the local assemblies are extremely conservative they too, contribute numerically and financially to the national strength of these organizations, thereby giving them a greater voice in national affairs.

A recent move by the NCC has been to partner with the National Hispanic Media Coalition, which filed a petition in January demanding that the FCC collect data, seek public comment and "explore options" for combating "hate speech" from staunch critics of illegal immigration.

They call “hate speech” any attempt to criticize the “open borders” philosophy they espouse. Branding such as “hate speech would criminalize those who disagree with them.

Friends in Christ is nothing less than an attempt to silence those who disagree with the leftist policies and aims of these churchmen who quite often completely deny the authority of Scripture and believe that social activism is the path to right standing with God.

I would encourage you to refuse to support any of the following entities by your finances or your membership. Your participation emboldens them as they seemingly seek to destroy the country God has given.

* African Methodist Episcopal Church
* The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
* Alliance of Baptists
* American Baptist Churches in the USA
* American Conference of Catholic Bishops
* Diocese of the Armenian Church of America
* Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
* Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
* Church of the Brethren
* The Coptic Orthodox Church in North American
* The Episcopal Church
* Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
* Friends United Meeting
* Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
* Hungarian Reformed Church in America
* International Council of Community Churches
* Korean Presbyterian Church in America
* Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
* Mar Thoma Church
* Moravian Church in America Northern Province and Southern Province
* National Baptist Convention of Americn
* National Baptist Convention, U.S.A., Inc.
* National Missionary Baptist Convention of America
* Orthodox Church in America
* Patriarchal Parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church in the USA
* Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
* Polish National Catholic Church of America
* Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
* Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc.
* Reformed Church in America
* Serbian Orthodox Church in the U.S.A. and Canada
* The Swedenborgian Church
* Syrian Orthodox Church of Antioch
* Ukrainian Orthodox Church of America
* United Church of Christ
* The United Methodist Church

Both hands are off the Steering Wheel, and they don't even Know it.

2009-09-16T11:16:00.000-07:00

Former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday that racial politics played a role in South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech to Congress last week and in some of the opposition the president has faced since taking office. "I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told "NBC Nightly News." "I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."

I wonder what President Carter thinks was the reason he had almost as much opposition as President Obama has. It is strange, indeed, that these liberals can just pull the race card out at anytime to attempt to justify their abhorrent policies, and under gird themselves with a sense of martyrdom when it becomes obvious the public is not buying what the snake oil they're selling.

Carter retains a reputation as one of the half dozen worse and ineffective Presidents ever to hold the office. Perhaps his problem is that people just don't like peanuts, therefore they just could not appreciate depth and sincerity of his profundity.

As President Obama continues his herky-jerky leadership style, I'm reminded of my sister, Sue, as she began to learn how to drive our old 1947 Chevy with the standard 3 on the column shifter. She would start off by revving the engine, the letting the clutch out rapidly which resulted in a spin of the wheels, a lurch forward, and an abrupt stop. Never one to give up, Sue finally was able to get it moving jerking fashion until it was time to change gears. The trick, of course, is to take the right hand from the steering wheel, grasp the shift lever, and with the clutch depressed, moving the shift lever to second gear, al the while guiding the car with the left hand. But my sister has never been conventional. She took both hands from the wheel grasped the shift lever with both hand while allowing the rutted road to determine the direction of the car.

I'm afraid that the hands are off the steering wheel, and America is being guided by the well worn and failed ruts of liberal ideology. Steep and mirey ditches line the narrow roadway and the the Obama apologists can't even see that there are no hands on the wheel, or worse, don't realize the proximity of destruction on either side of the roadway.

Is President Obam's Staff Really That Inept?

2009-09-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Dr. Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky wrote regarding the controversy with President and his speech to America's School Children that there is nothing sinister about President Obama's desire to speak with our children.

I agree with Dr. Mohler's basic premise that we must respect the Office of The Presidency, and therefore the President. Upon further reading, however, I find several areas of extreme disagreement. The primary area is that Dr. Mohler seems to believe the President's problems are the result of poor planning, and careless preparation by his staff.

I doubt this is the case. This is a man who does little, and has done little over the last several years which is not calculated to the "n"th degree. He has surrounded himself with radical subversives who believe it is their divine right to rule and thereby remake American society in their own image. They know that winning the hearts and minds of America's Youth is essential to full and complete "change." Every despot has learned well that lesson, and those surrounding President Obama appear despotic in their quest for power.

Dr. Mohler's conciliatory message seems to imply that conservatives are simply being distracted. He acts as if there is no sinister plan. I'm sorry. I just don't buy it. I believe the presidential advisers definitely planned every aspect of the lead up to his push for a national health care plan. They cannot on the one hand be brilliant tacticians, and on the other, bumbling fools.

I believe they knew enough conservatives who really want to think well of them, would step forward to blunt the harsh criticism, if things went against them. In any campaign, whether election or policy, there are a few calculated risks which must be taken. I believe this was one. The potential reward outweighed the potential fallout. Now, a new text has been prepared and he looks like a benevolent father, rather than a grasping politician.

Good theater, too bad, Dr. Mohler became his shield. Dr. Mohler's article can be be read by clicking on his name in this sentence.

I Do Not Trust President Obama To Speak To America's School Children

2009-09-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Many have asked what it will hurt for President Obama to speak to America's school children. The problem, as I see it, relates to his trustworthiness. I simply DO NOT trust him.

If he would go there and encourage the kids to stay in school, work hard, and achieve success, even citing his own unlikely route to the presidency that would be fine. But we just don't trust him to do that. Even the study material dispensed to teachers began with questions like, "How can we help President Obama in what he is trying to accomplish."

I don't want him to accomplish his goals. Rush Limbaugh was absolutely correct: "I hope he fails." He wants to lead us into Socialism. At a time when socialist nations are becoming more and more capitalistic because socialism has failed everywhere it has been tried, he wants to lead us down that dark path. I believe a more sinister purpose is behind him, and that is simply one of complete control of the masses by the elitist ruling class which of which he is a simple pawn.

He has proven that he cannot be trusted. I don't trust him to even do what he says in advance he'll do. He is a better liar than Bill Clinton ever was. I want the children of this land to respect the office of "The Presidency." I don't want them enamored with the "Cult of Obama."

Mao Tse Tung developed a following among the school children and the "Red Brigades" became the ruthless enforcers of Mao's will. Children reported their parents for their words and actions. The same happened in Nazi Germany. Hitler's youth forces not only carried the day, they were so impressed with the "Little Corporal," they reported their parents as enemies of the state because said parents opposed Hitler's policies.

Let the teachers teach about the presidency. Hang his photo in the room along with Washington's, but don't give him unimpeded access to the ears and hearts of America's children. As his former pastor was fond of saying, "America's chickens have come home to roost." He was elected by a majority of those who troubled themselves enough to register and vote. We must live with the consequences of that vote. Now like the Children of Israel we need to cry out to God for deliverance, and ask God to raise up a judge who lead us out of this dark time.

He is a radical and cunning liar, who seems devoted to his own daddy, the father of lies. NO!! And Again I say, "NO!" The children of American should not be subjected to his radical agenda with the only voices there, the fawning devotees of the Teacher's Union.

Now some will dismiss this as simply a bitter diatribe. It is not. I pray for President Obama, but I simply cannot look away from his actions and his policies. Some will say, "You're just prejudiced because he is black." Well, in the first place, he's just as much white as he is black. Secondly, I oppose him because he represents policies which I fought against in Vietnam, my Father fought against in World War II, and the Founding Fathers risked everything to prevent occurring here in the United States.

ARISE!! IT IS TIME TO GO TO WORK!!

2009-08-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

The time has come for those who believe in capitalism and the American way of life to stand up and be counted. Laws upon laws are being passed without the consent of the people by elitist government officials almost completely detached from the local citizenry. Radical social extremist are intimidating Corporate America to such an extent that even the Salvation Army is not welcome at many locations across the land.

Recently criticism of President Obama exposing his obvious racist agenda and attitudes has landed Glenn Beck in trouble with advertisers who do not want to advertise during his time on the air. Now, I have no trouble with corporations supporting who they will, but I do have trouble supporting those corporations when they deny support to those who espouse the same views about America I do, while lending their support to the radical extremist who seem bent of destroying the America I love.

Colorofchange.org is a radical political action group seeking to influence advertisers to boycott Beck’s show. The co-founder of Color of Change, Van Jones, now serves as a special advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Now it starts to make sense. Beck recently exposed Van Jones’ as being a self-professed “Black Nationalist.” “Black Nationalists” desire to make black culture the dominant culture of America. He is a radical extremist who has no business in government, but he is typical of those with whom President Obama is surrounding himself.

Walmart, CVS Caremark, Clorox, and Sprint are among those companies who are reported to be boycotting Beck’s program. The time has come for those who care to do more than attend a “Tea Party.” We need to contact those who are boycotting Beck and respectfully express our extreme displeasure with them in ways they will understand. We need to hit them in the pocketbook.

To be effective, in such an endeavor requires commitment. We Americans have trouble with commitment which costs us a part of our leisure time. We simply cannot miss the golf outing, the hunting expedition, or the sporting event in order to involve ourselves in the perpetuation of our culture. THAT MUST CHANGE. The Founding Fathers of our great nation risked everything they had to give us a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. IT IS TIME to set aside our perpetual pursuit of pleasure in order that we might leave that same heritage for those generations which come after us.

What can we do? We can begin by personally contacting the offending corporate entities and expressing our displeasure in their actions by email, written letter, and telephone. All three entities might take a while, but consider exactly what your failure might result in. Then we can contact the local outlet personally and let the manager know of our displeasure. Next, we can refuse to patronize those entities, and use their products. Yes, it will be inconvenient, but not nearly as inconvenient as it will be when we have lost our ever shrinking freedoms. Finally, we can offer ourselves for service by running for office.

Arise from those feathery beds of comfort, it is past noon, even moving toward the evening and still the work is not done. Who knows but that the night might come upon us more quickly that we imagine when the opportunity to work is no long present. Christian Patriots everywhere need be about the work of preserving this great country which God has allowed us to enjoy, so that we might continue to utilize our great resources to take the Good News throughout the world.

© Mike Rasberry 2009

Is This President Acting Deliberately or Ignorantly?

2009-08-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Paul Driessen reports on townhall.com that the Denver Art Museum spent $720,000 for taxpayer subsidized photovoltaic solar panels for its roof. He further reports that while the panels will certainly reduce conventional electricity bills that it will take 110 years to save enough on those bills to pay for the panels. The problem is the panels are designed to last only 30 years.

So what is the point? Exactly this. President Obama gets to promote solar power, with the majestic Rockies in the background of his photo op.

I'm not opposed to solar energy. It just isn't cost effective as long as we have such an abundance of petroleum resources available, albeit, under lock and key.

The time has come for the American populace to rise up in mass and tell our representatives, this is a representative democracy after all, that we want the doors to our petroleum reserves unlocked. We need to drill and drill often. We need to tell those states, California, Oregon, and Florida which don't want drilling that they can like it or lump it. Their jurisdiction reaches only seven miles.

We need to open the vast reserves in Alaska and we need it now. Ecological concerns have long since been adequately addressed along the tundra. The only justifiable reason for continuing the moratorium on domestic drilling is to quiet the shrill, non-sensical voices of the lunatic left which is led by very belligerent radical activists. Let them yell--let them scream, but drill, drill, drill!

President Obama has agreed, it seems, to help Brazil develop their vast offshore oil reserves. If oil is morally wrong, what is wrong with this picture? Recent reports have China, the most populous nation in the world, investing heavily in oil development with their oil rich trading partners with never a word of rebuke from this administration. If oil is so morally wrong, why not slap China with trade restrictions.

It seems to this writer, that oil is only morally wrong if drilled in the United States. Thereby giving a picture of an administration deliberately, or worse ignorantly, guiding us inexorably toward total economic destruction.

The recent "Cash For Clunkers" program certainly generated sales of new cars, but it removed thousands of good used cars from the lots where those who cannot afford a new vehicle at this time have fewer and fewer choices. The used car salesmen, have an immensely depleted inventory. The mechanics who maintain these vehicles have less work, and the taxpayer is hit with a $3 billion dollar bill. Is it deliberate or ignorance?

The anecdotal evidence that this administration is following a path which could lead to the ultimate destruction of our entire economy is enormous. The question we must ask: Is it a deliberately chosen path where they are fully cognizant of the potential, or is it simply ignorance based upon the belief structure they have developed from their association with the radical leftist fringe of society. Which ever is the case, we must pray for Divine intervention, and mobilize the masses lest we be swept into irrelevance in much the same manner as other historical dominant cultures.

Homosexuality--It Is Different.

2009-07-25T05:47:00.000-07:00

The editor of The Baptist Standard, the house organ of the Baptist General Convention of Texas recently blogged about homosexuality.

Let me say first that homosexuality certainly is sin in the same manner of other sins in that when it is confessed and repented of it is completely forgiven. The problem is the nature of the problem with homosexuality. Few who practice it seem to believe it is sin. We, who are Genuine Believers, should pity those caught up in homosexuality and offer God's loving Grace with grace to them.

I believe the reason most Christians treat it differently is that God seemed to treat it differently in Scripture. God so hates homosexuality that he almost wiped out the entire tribe of Benjamin because of it. It is a blatant attack upon God's established order. Throughout history those nations which have accommodated it were on their last legs, and fell soon after.

Certainly we should reach out to the homosexual just as we reach out to the prostitute and drug dealer. The problem with homosexuality is the unwillingness to accept homosexuality as a sin. Even this, the editor of the Baptist Standard, says he doesn't know if men are born such. Well, I unequivocally believe men and women are NOT born homosexuals. People have weaknesses in different areas of life. Some have a proclivity to laziness while others are bent toward selfishness. Still others are easily hooked on drugs, while others struggle with self confidence, or arrogance. The weaknesses within us seemed designed to make us aware of our need for a Saviour to keep us from becoming immersed in the natural tendencies we struggle with. I believe the same is true of homosexuality.

Accepting sin of any sort in life leads to facilitation of that sin, and eventually overall approval of it. I do not believe we should treat the homosexual any different than the prostitute, or drug addict; however, it is extremely difficult to separate the sin from the sinner in the case of homosexuality because the sinner seldom admits he is a sinner. He seldom accepts responsibility for his actions and seems to believe that his overwhelming desire is greater than the desire of those with other weakness, then his must be in keeping with God's order.

Pondering Today's events

2009-06-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

Many events to cogitate over today:

On the anniversary of John Wayne's death, I'd like to talk about the need for heroes in today's world. Manly men, patriotic, hard-working, sacrificial, and dedicated to the American ideal. Feminine women, teaching and molding children, strong and self-sufficient, dedicated to the American ideal.

But then there is the matter of a report out of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where the President of that institute, Dr. Akin, is calling for larger families. His premise that the downturn in SBC baptisms is a consequence of smaller families is, I believe, misplaced even if accurate. The premise for larger families should be that God wants Genuine Believers to raise up families who will be a light to the world. If the larger families are simply to increase baptisms, there are much easier ways to do it. One could offer $1,000.00 per family to each family which joins the church and stays for a year. Surely some of them would stick around longer. And it would certainly not cost the individual family as much as having a child. Better still, each young family could spend $5,000.00 every five years and get five families. That would certainly be easier and cheaper than raising a child.

Today's Drudge Report links to a news report headlined: California Nears Financial Meltdown...". http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE55974820090610 I wonder just how long those on the left coast are going to continue to overlook the obvious. Begin drilling for oil off your coast. The influx of money will be almost instantaneous as people jocky for position and purchase land for building support industries. The working people of California will be heartened by prospects of new found wealth, and the rest of the country will have a reason want California to not fall off into the ocean.

Then, of course, there are the Lakers. Kobe failed to deliver in the last close game, so he must be losing it. I wonder if sports writers have any idea of the intense emotional drain high intensity sporting events have on people. There are inevitable let downs in anything where one must be at his best continually. However, when the Lakers win he will once again be hailed as "the greatest." Amazing.

Why do people who have wronged you, feel such a need to denigrate you? When people or groups lie and fail to follow through on promises, they tend to try to justify their own failure to act by manufacturing offenses by you. Then, of course, they want to break off all contact. Perhaps that is to lessen the guilt which comes to them when they think of you. It is worse when the group or individual is Christian based.

Just not sure I trust Newt Gingrich. He is a great thinker, and has some terrific insight, but he appears, to me, too willing to make the Republican Tent inclusive of vastly divergent concepts. He invokes Reagan's appeal to a wide range of people, but seems to forget that Reagan didn't accomodate such divergent views, he won people to his view. That is the profound difference between Gingrich and Reagan.

The Wake of Johnny Davis

2009-05-02T20:53:00.000-07:00

The Wake of Johnny Davis

It wuz the Sprang before my eighth birthday that Jack came to live with us. During those days there war’ many Jacks trav'lin the southern route of Highway 80 through Meridian. It was the time of the Great Depression and nobody seemed to thank much of a stranger show'in up at our place thar’ along the Sowashee Creek.

Now Pap didn't thank anything just happened. He believed the Almighty wuz working things out to benefit those what b'longed to Him. So, since him and Uncle Will wuz figuring on clearing that new ground south of the creek and Jack was willing to work fer feed and found, it seemed to him that this was the Almighty's way of saying to git started..

I‘as always jest a little scart’ of Jack. I thank maybe it was cause of the scar that started at the corner of his left eye, curved back in front of his ear and ended right on his adam's apple. He said once that he'd got it from a gator down in Lou’siana. Pap said the gator was mor'n likely a Cajun frog sticker.

But, in spite of my fear, I’as drawn to him like a tack to a lodestone. He had a queer way of looking at ya, almost like he’as pulling your leg. And that twinkle in his eyes, devilment Pap called it, seemed to say, "Sump’um's ‘bout to happen." Well I just couldn't get enough of him, er his stories either fer that matter.

He told stories about every kind of thang imaginable, but most of them wuz about practical jokes. Like the time he found a bunch of boys and girls skinny dipping in the creek over near Montgomery. He took all their clothes and left town. You found yourself wondering if such thangs really could happen. Yet, there always seemed to be ‘nough truth in’em to whur they just might have. But nuthun he ever told topped what actually happened one August Night.

Johnny Davis had been coon hunting down on the Valley Road and he died when he fell out of a tree and broke his neck. Well, Pap took all us over to the Davis house whur the body was laid out in the parlor. In them days people would come to the home whur the body was laid out and set up with the body all night, ever’ night until the funeral.

As the evening wore on, the sweltering August heat influenced nearly everyone to work his way out to the front porch and into the front yard with the hope of catching a good breeze. Jack said that he'd stay in the house with the body while er’body cooled off.

The mosquitoes began to find the range as the evening wore on and people started to head back inside. Somebody asked where Jack had got off to, but nobody thought much about it until one of the wimmin went back into the kitchen to fix some coffee. After a few minutes a bunch of high pitched, hysterical screams seemed to rattle back and forth off the walls and throughout the rooms. Er’body was tripping over er’body else as we all tried to crowd through the door to get to the kitchen. By the time we finally reached her, the screams had trailed off to a kind of pathetic wail.

She was whiter‘n a ghost and she jest kept a’wailing and a’pointing. Soon’s we all turned towards the source o’ her distress, I felt my blood run cold, for thar’, propped up in the corner behind the door, with a fresh rolled cigarette stuck in his mouth, and his arms crossed just like the funeral home director had left him, was ol' Johnny Davis.

I don’t think I’m the only one who was scart’ nearly to death, cause someone ran back to the parlor to see if the casket was really empty. To this day, I’ve not heard such screaming and carrying on.

By the time Pap and the others finally got poor ol' Johnny back in his casket again and everybody settled down, it was pretty late for us young'uns. Pap said they hunted for Jack most of the night but didn't see hide nor hair of him. He said it was just as well cause lynching fever’d already hit some of the men and they had plenty of ropes.

It seemed to me like most of Meridian was at the funeral. Pap said that folks are just naturally curious about such strange happenings. Uncle Will said that ol' Johnny'd probably thank Jack for causing such a turn out for his burying, if he could. Everybody kinda laughed and it seemed like the anger just disappeared.

After a while people stopped talking about Johnny's wake. Everybody seemed to forget Jack ‘cept me and Pap. But now and again something would happen to cause folks to think about ‘ol Johnny standing there in that corner with a cigarette in his mouth, and er’body'd laugh.

We didn't hear from Jack for a long time, but I knew we'd see him again. And I knew I'd ner’ fergit the wake of Johnny Davis.

"The Wake of Johnny Davis" Copyright by Mike Rasberry, 1996. All rights reserved.

On Being Successful

2009-04-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

A Word For Living
Mike Rasberry
April 15, 2009
On Being Successful

Burt Lancaster, the late Academy Award-winning film actor, was a circus acrobat before he headed to Hollywood. Several films allowed him to display his physique and athletic skills. Chuck Conners, the star of TV’s popular Rifleman, was both a professional basketball player with the Boston Celtics and a professional baseball player with the Chicago Cubs and the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was also drafted by professional football’s Chicago Bears. Ronald Reagan was a radio sports announcer before becoming a Hollywood film actor and then successful politician.

Burt Lancaster was associated with liberal Democratic causes while both Conners and Reagan were closely associated with conservative Republican causes, but all three share a trait necessary for success in today’s world. They were willing to walk away from that which they had chosen as their life’s work to pursue a new career.

Someone has said that if you’re the same person you’ve always been, then you’re not a Christian. I think that is absolutely true. When one becomes a Christian, he becomes a new person, with a new direction and a new purpose. He does not continue in the same general direction he was going, simply making corrections to his course. He makes a 180 degree turn and begins a walk in the diametrically opposite direction. Where once he was walking away from God, he is now walking toward God.

When men can leave their chosen vocation, as the before mentioned actors, to head in a totally different direction, not once but multiple times, why do those who name Christ as Lord find it so difficult to leave behind their life before Christ. The Genuine Disciple of Christ has the empowering and sustaining comfort of the Holy Spirit to assist him in his quest to live for Christ. He is not dependent upon box office revenues or public acclaim. His is not the life of finding the most palatable compromise which will enhance his career without diminishing his platform. The Genuine Disciple has, but one over-riding purpose, to follow while obeying the Living Christ.

The difference between the old life and the new life in Christ is consequential. It affects every aspect of one’s life. Yet, the Genuine Believer is not alone in his new walk. He has the body of believers as well as the indwelling Christ. He has everything necessary to make the trip successful. He can come to the end of his life’s walk and say that he has finished the course that God laid out for him. He can call his life successful.

© 2009 Mike Rasberry

Try A Little Kindness

2009-04-14T12:19:00.001-07:00

A Word For Living
Mike Rasberry
April 14, 2009
Try A Little Kindness

In the late 1960's and early 1970's my wife, Diane, and I lived in Yuma; in the Southwest corner of Arizona. During days spent exploring the rock strewn hills, dry stream beds, and mysterious caves we came to realize that the desert environment considered desolate and forlorn by outsiders, was actually teeming with abundant life. We were continually surprised by the abundance of those shy and reclusive desert creatures.

In those days, BCP (before cell phones); as we traveled for hours without meeting another human being, we began to understand and appreciate our dependence upon one another. For that reason, I believe, “Kindness” flourished there to a greater extent than I’ve experienced in my lifetime.

It was not unusual for the unsuspecting traveler who had run out of gasoline, water, or food to have the first person who passed his way provide his needs and send him on his way without accepting anything other than the promise that should the traveler cross the path of another in need, he would likewise demonstrate “Kindness”.

Perhaps Glen Campbell, who lives in Arizona, was considering this when he sang “Try a Little Kindness”.

If you see your brother standing by the road
With a heavy load from the seeds he’s sowed;
And if you see your sister falling by the way,
Just stop and say, “You’re going the wrong way.”

You got to try a little kindness.
Yes, show a little kindness;
Just shine your light for everyone to see;
And if you try a little kindness
Then you’ll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets.

Don’t walk around the down and out;
Lend a helping hand instead of doubt;
And the kindness that you show every day
Will help someone along their way.

You got to try a little kindness.
Yes, show a little kindness;
Just shine your light for everyone to see;
And if you try a little kindness
Then you’ll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets.

For the Genuine Christian, “Kindness” is one of the fruits of the Spirit of God. It is one of the personality traits which should characterize Christians. Perhaps you and I should look more carefully at ways to demonstrate “Kindness” to those we meet. Should we consider each meeting a “Divine Encounter”, an encounter orchestrated by Holy God; we will be more likely to act with kindness toward those we meet.

© 2006 Mike Rasberry

ABSALOM

2009-03-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

A Word For Living
Mike Rasberry
March 26, 2009
Absalom

King David’s son, Absalom, was a man with unlimited potential who failed to realize that potential not subject God’s authority, is bound to bring disappointment and destruction. Absalom was obviously David’s favorite. He had long flowing locks and drew people to himself easily. His place of favor might have influenced him to believe he could act with impunity against his father’s wishes. However, his growing disregard for the authority of his father, led him to murder his brother for an act of violence against his sister.

His imprudent act resulted in his being banished from the kingdom for a time, but he soon wormed his way back into the kingdom and eventually into the palace itself. Once ensconced again at the gate of the city, a place of influence, he began to undermine his father’s regime by subtle ways. His subtlety eventually turned to outright rebellion, and he stole the hearts of the people and created such an environment that David had to flee for his life.

Those loyal to David, including his general, Joab, wanted to kill Absalom for his inciting of the rebellion, but David continued to hold out hope that the matter could be resolved peacefully. However, during a battle when Absalom was defeated by David’s army and he was fleeing, his long hair became entangled in the limbs of a tree and unseated him from his galloping horse. When he was discovered, Joab, had him killed.

David wept bitterly when he heard of his son’s death, but there was nothing more he could do as he again ascended the throne.

Several points jump out at us from this story: First, David failed to teach his son proper respect for God established authority. Second, Absalom seemed to have no sense of God’s leadership in his life. Third, David was willing to subject the kingdom to vulnerability in order to satisfy his own personal desires. Fourth, David seemed indifferent to, or ignorant of, the subversive actions of his own son. Fifth, David’s failures in regards to his son brought about his own ignominious retreat and the death of his favorite son.

It might be appropriate, in light of world conditions, for us to consider those we love and what we are teaching them. I pray that we will remember that children are an heritage of The LORD, and parents are expected, yes even commanded to train them up in such a way that they will know God’s way. More and more I hear parents lament their children’s lack of discipline, but when I ask if discipline has been taught and the “rod of understanding applied to the seat of understanding”, I am thought of as barbaric.

Dear Friends, rather we be thought of as barbaric than we allow our little ones to grow up without a sense of right and wrong. Scripture tells us to not despair when they cry, because they will not die. I’m not speaking of harsh cruelty. I am speaking of the need to exercise Biblical Discipline with love.

Following Mississippi State in the NCAA's

2009-03-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

The first ten minutes of the game were played as if both were afraid to take the lead.

I'm surprised that Varnardo has been kept in check. He has to break loose in the second half.
Unforced errors in first half made MSU look outclassed. Must get shots off.
Beginning to wonder about those statements that Stansbury is great regular season coach, but outsmarts himself in tournaments.
Washington seems almost able to do whatever they want at 3 minutes of the second half.
Varnardo's block could ignite MSU and they do need to be ignited. 44-30 Still scored only two baskets in second half.
Four fouls on Varnardo at 14 minutes. That big center, Brockman, is tough. He looks like he's about three ax handles wide.
State makes a couple of good plays than makes four very poor one. A steal leads to a fast break opportunity only to have the player pushing the ball throw it away. A total lack of discipline.
Back to a twenty point lead for Washington with 3:42 left. Thought when the deficit was cut to fourteen with 7 minutes left they might cut it to ten with five minutes, but made several errors.
One thing for sure they never quit. That is the mantra of the losing team, is it not?

Bloom Where You're Planted

2008-12-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

A Word For Living

December 13, 2008
Bloom Where You’re Planted

From Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life,” comes this tidbit: "There will always be more people willing to do ‘great’ things for God than there are people willing to do the little things. The race to be a leader is crowded, but the field is wide open for those willing to be servants."

It reminds me of the old preacher saying about eagles on hummingbird nests. The idea so many have is that they can really do something for Christ if they just have the opportunity to bloom on a great stage. Time and again preachers are confronted with those who confess to visiting preachers that they feel stifled in their environment. They need a larger arena.

The old saying, “Bloom where you’re planted” has never been more apropos. The only way we can reach our full potential in life is to be the very best we can at what God has given us to do right now, right here. In His timing He might choose to move you or me to a larger or smaller stage. However, for now, I must serve Him by serving others and demonstrating the very “mind of Christ” in all my doings.

When Jesus spoke of that one who desired the “head table” being embarrassed by being asked to move, He was pointing out natural man’s struggle for acknowledgment. Natural man’s desire to be recognized for his efforts and achievements is unbecoming to the child of God. We are not as those whose only success is the recognition they receive here on this earth from other men. Our reward is to do the work of Him who sends us daily into the morass, knowing that one day He will say, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

http://mrponderings.blogspot.com

© 2008 Mike Rasberry

A Word For Living--Pleach

2008-12-10T07:26:00.001-08:00

A Word For Living

December 10, 2008
Pleach

The word “Pleach”, pronounced “playch” is a great word for Christians. It means to interweave the branches of individual plants so as to form a single entity such as a hedge; or to create a decorative shape. The word “plait” is derived from the same source as “pleach” and most of us understand how individual strands of cord are plaited together to add strength and durability. Genuine Believers come from a myriad of backgrounds, but when they are “pleached”, they become strong, resilient, decorative, and extremely useful for the society in which they dwell.

So, how does this “pleaching” take place, seeing that each individual has different natural tendencies, and since his salvation, different spiritual gifts? How do these individuals, who are not like the vines which have no will, become molded into this useful instrument called the local church? It is a process called “discipleship.”

Discipleship is the nitty gritty part of the Christian Life. It is not the Praise and Worship which so effectively lifts us to another level of intimacy with Our Heavenly Father, nor is it the sermons which challenge and provoke us to an examination of our walk with Him. Rather, it is the disciplined study and application of Biblical truth learned in Sunday School and Small Group time that prepares us to deal with life’s treacherous paths.

Jesus discipled the twelve by sitting down to teach them in intimate settings. Should one really desire to become a disciple of Jesus Christ and thereby “pleached” into harmonious unity with the local body of Believers, he should determine to become a learner in his local church Sunday School. If that local assembly doesn’t have such a learning environment, he and his family would be well served to search out a local New Testament Church which has a thriving Bible Study program where dedicated teachers help them explore and understand God’s Word systematically.

In Psalm 133:1 David says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!” Unity and union are entirely different concepts. One man said, “You can tie two tom cat’s tails together and you have union, but you sure don’t have unity.” Discipleship is learning how to utilize one’s individual gifts, talents, and natural tendencies within the whole of the body in order to present a beautiful, strong, and durable local body which effectively represents Jesus Christ to the society in which he lives.

http://mrponderings.blogspot.com

© 2008 Mike Rasberry

God is Still in Charge

2008-11-22T21:59:00.000-08:00

God is Still in Charge

1 Kings 17:01ff

Message preached 11/23/2008 at Turning Point Church; Slidell, La.

People all over New Orleans & South Louisiana are trying to find a reason to keep on keeping on. The school system is in shambles. The tax base is eroding. Rape, murder, and mayhem are rampant. For some the pressure is simply too much and they crack under the strain, or commit suicide. Add to all this the war, the financial collapse, and a new President and we can understand if people are questioning whether there is any reason to believe that one can find hope in such a seemingly hopeless situation. These ravages of turmoil cross social and economic boundaries with impunity. Into just such an environment marched Elijah, the man of God to remind the people that God was still in charge.

Elijah confronted the unbelieving King Ahab and declared that The Holy God of Israel still lived. He seemed to be saying, “Ahab, God is still in charge! And to prove it He’s going to close the heavens, and it’ll not rain until I speak the word.” Elijah then left the presence of Ahab and at the command of God hid himself for three years.

Now folks, God is God and He can do what He well pleases. He didn’t need for Elijah to hide in order to protect him. So why did God send him away for those three years?

You see, I think God looked down the corridors of time and saw you and me today. I think He knew that men and women of every age would need to learn the lessons He would teach Elijah. I think that what God taught Elijah and what He wants to teach you and me today is that God has a plan, and when we’re doing His will, His way, we can know His purpose, His provision, and His power.

1 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, "As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word." 2 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 "Get away from here and turn eastward, and hide by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan.

4 And it will be that you shall drink from the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed you there." 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and stayed by the Brook Cherith, which flows into the Jordan. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9 "Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. See, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you." 10 So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, indeed a widow was there gathering sticks. And he called to her and said, "Please bring me a little water in a cup, that I may drink."

11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, "Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." 12 So she said, "As the Lord your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." 13 And Elijah said to her, "Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son.

14 For thus says the Lord God of Israel: 'The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the Lord sends rain on the earth.' " 15 So she went away and did according to the word of Elijah; and she and he and her household ate for many days. 16 The bin of flour was not used up, nor did the jar of oil run dry, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke by Elijah.

17 Now it happened after these things that the son of the woman who owned the house became sick. And his sickness was so serious that there was no breath left in him. 18 So she said to Elijah, "What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to me to bring my sin to remembrance, and to kill my son?" 19 And he said to her, "Give me your son." So he took him out of her arms and carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his own bed.

20 Then he cried out to the Lord and said, "O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?" 21 And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, "O Lord my God, I pray, let this child's soul come back to him." 22 Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.

23 And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives!" 24 Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is the truth."

First Elijah confronted the King in a day of great disbelief. Then he hid away when folks were probably calling him terrible names, since they viewed him as responsible for the lack of water. He was supernaturally fed by the wild creatures. He later lived in a home where God’s divine provision continued. And finally he was used by God to restore life to a dead child. But all of that teaches us three very important truths.

1. God had a purpose for Elijah
God told him to confront Ahab. That command is not recorded, but we can tell from the results that God was in it. I believe that God has a purpose for every mother’s child born on this earth. Your purpose and mine might not be to confront kings, but God has a purpose for you. His first purpose is that you and I believe on Him for eternal life. He said in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He has a purpose for your life. Since the foundation of the world was laid, He has wanted you for His child. Before you were even a gleam in your mother’s eye, He knew you. Glory!! Glory!! That’s shouting ground!!

Let me ask, Are your knuckles bruised and bloodied from knocking on never opening doors of opportunity? Do you feel as if life is rapidly passing you by? Do you grasp and clutch at every new idea hoping that at long last you’ve found that for which you’ve been searching?

Edgar Allen Poe reflected such a life in the poem Eldorado

Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.

But he grew old,
This knight so bold,
And o'er his heart a shadow,
Fell as he found,
No spot of ground,
That looked like Eldorado.

And, as his strength,
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow;
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be,
This land of Eldorado?"

"Over the mountains
Of the moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied,
"If you seek for Eldorado!"

But God also wants you to live a productive life. A life that is worthwhile and meaningful. He tells us in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” Now that word abundantly is the Greek word, perissos. It carries with it the meaning of overwhelming abundance. Do you really feel like your life is filled with purpose today? It can be.

2. God provided for Elijah
I do not believe the birds would have fed Elijah anywhere else, but where God told him to go. I do not believe the oil and meal would have lasted anywhere else, but where God told him to go. You see, God didn’t say to Elijah, “Now Elijah, you go out there and wander around, and when you get hungry, I’ll have the birds come find you.” NO!! God told him where to go and Elijah obeyed.

Is it possible that you and I miss some of God’s divine provision for our lives because we’re either insensitive to His leadership or unwilling to go by faith? I remember that time when God first called me to preach. My wife and I moved out into the desert of Southern Arizona where I was the only pastor of any faith who lived in over a thousand square miles, between Gila Bend and Wellton. We were living on $50.00 per week and paying $50.00 of that for rent. In one week her car caught on fire and my little Datsun pickup burned a piston. We were in trouble. We were living off the kindness of some deacons from First Southern, Yuma who would come out our way to duck hunt and leave the ducks at our house. One day we received a check from a lady in our home church back in Mississippi for $10.00. Now $10.00 wasn’t very much, even in 1970. But she said in her note that God had told her to send it. My wife and I knew then that God had not forgotten us. We never went hungry, and we managed. I really don’t know how, because that’s all the money we received, but somehow God didn’t let the meal run out or the oil run dry.

The problem with most of us today is that we want the meal barrel full and the oil running over. But God said that He’d meet our needs. In Phil 4:19 He says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

When you and I are where He wants us, doing what He wants, we will have health enough, time enough, and money enough to do what He wants done. God’s never going to ask you or me to do more than His grace provides. Nothing is impossible with God.

Let me ask you a question. Are you living a life that demonstrates responsible confidence in God’s divine provision, or are you wearing yourself out, trying to provide for you and yours?

3. God equipped Elijah with the power necessary for the task
Elijah had the courage to confront the king. He had the patience to wait in the desert. And he had the power to restore life. God is a God of power. I do not believe Elijah had any power within himself. I do not believe he could have restored life to that young lad on his own. He was simply connected to the source of power. He represented power because He was where God wanted him, doing what God wanted him to be doing.

When we served as missionaries in South Korea, we were struck by the way the traffic police would direct traffic. They always wore white gloves and carried a white baton. When a vehicle would drive particularly dangerously, the police officer would move into the swiftly moving traffic and it would immediately slow down and allow him to make his seeming casual stroll into the traffic where he would motion the offender to come to the side. Now folks, traffic in Korea is horrendous. People often buy a car, get a driver’s license, and then learn to drive, in that order. That policeman could easily have been run over by those cars. He had no power in himself to stop them, however, he represented power.

In Acts 1:8 the Bible says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Dear friends, when you and I are where God wants us, doing what He wants us to do, we have the necessary power to accomplish the task. Do you ever wonder why you never feel God’s power, or see any evidences of His supernatural working in your life?

Elijah lived during tumultuous times. He was hated and despised by the leaders of the country. But God demonstrated His care for Elijah by providing for him in unusual ways, because Elijah chose to do what God wanted, where God wanted it done. He simply lived a life of trusting obedience. God wants you to live with that same sense of purpose, provision, and power. And you can choose to do so.

What Must I do to enjoy God’s Divine Purpose, Provision, & Power?

1. I must have assurance I am genuinely His child. Jn. 3:3
2. I must insure am harboring no unconfessed sin. 1 Jn. 1:9
3. I must believe I have been set free. Rom. 8:1
4. I must demonstrate my belief. James 2: 20-23 “But don’t you know, foolish man that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Issac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.”

In a few moments we’re going to have a time of commitment. That’s a time when people commit themselves to Christ. For some such a commitment is a time of seeking to know Christ personally and intimately. For others it’s a time of seeking the prayers and support of believers as they struggle with living the life of obedience and trust in God. With still others, it is a desire to unite with this church fellowship in the way we receive members.

If you sense a need to come and let someone help you, if you’re confused, then come down during the invitation and someone will pray with you and minister to you. No one will embarrass you and no on will put you on the spot. You don't have to walk an aisle in order to find God's plan for your life. The most important decisions are usually made right there in quietness of the moment between you and God. You don't have to tell me or anyone else about it right now. If you make a commitment to Christ it will impact your life, and you'll soon want to tell others about what God is doing in your life. If you're at that point right now and you want me to help you know how to publicly tell others about what God is doing in your life. You can either come here during this time of response or you can write me a note, or you can just tell me you need to meet with me.

Now I want every head to bow and every eye to close. The musicians are beginning to play and as they do, you make your choices. I want you to understand that if you have the desire to respond to God's call upon your life, it is because His Holy Spirit is drawing you. Decide today to obey His call.

You can decide to obey and trust Christ right there in your pew. Elijah chose to obey God. His purpose, His provision, and His power are available to those who choose to be used by Him. So how does one choose? First, you must admit that you are not in the center of God’s will for your life. If you’re not sure, you’re not there. Because the center of God’s will is a place of faith. It is the result of a conscious choice to do God’s will
.
Then you must ask God to forgive you for choosing to go your own way throughout life. Next, you must ask God to change your heart in the matter, and to give you the desire and strength to submit to His will for your life.

Then finally, you must believe that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. That means that you look forward with anxious anticipation to hearing Him speak to your heart and direct your life.

© Copyright 2001 Mike Rasberry

Election Night 2008

2008-11-04T20:33:00.000-08:00

"In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." Barak Obama will be sworn in shortly after the new year as President of the United States. I did not vote for him, and I find myself questioning those Christians who supported him simply because he is half-black. Everything I've learned in my study of Scripture leads me to believe that his belief base is very far from that of Biblical Christianity. However, I do not plan on leaving the country. I've been blessed to travel around the world and I've seen people live under oppression. I believe I, too, can go through these days of trial by becoming ever more committed to the cause of Jesus Christ.

Scripture says that God ultimately controls those who rule over us, and I believe God will use the days ahead to bring about revival and spiritual awakening among those who have been guided by misplaced loyalties. Perhaps now that a bi-racial man has been elected as President, the blind loyalty which caused so many to vote for him, will be replaced with introspective contemplation. I would like nothing better than to find that Obama is dedicated to those American ideals which have stood us in good stead over the last two hundred thirty years, but I fear that my perception of him as an overt anti-God socialist will be realized.

I believe George W. Bush is responsible for this debacle because he seemed unwilling to fight back against those who snipped and tore at his presidency. Allowing Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to frame the debate while refusing to use the bully pulpit of office to expose and undermine their arguments, emboldened the enemies within to exert themselves. A good and loyal American, Bush, nevertheless created an environment where ruthless and arrogant individuals felt free to so polarize conservatives that the non-conservative, John McCain won the Republican nomination.

I trust God. I believe He will turn this sad state of affairs into a positive as nominal Believers are driven once again to seek the face of God in truth and humility; confessing our sin and crying out to Holy God for deliverance. So, I thank God for the coming trials which I believe will be faced by His True Church as they are used to His ultimate Glory!!!

© 2008 Mike Rasberry

Goodbye Ole Friend

2008-10-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I made a hurried trip from Slidell to my home town; Stonewall, Mississippi, to tell a good friend good bye for the last time. I returned Tuesday for his funeral.

The very first time I remember seeing Bryant Thompson was on one of those weekend trips families make when they live out of state, swoop home to visit the relatives, and sometimes attend church. I was about fifteen at the time, and Bryant was a year younger. The mischief dancing in his sparkling eyes was almost obscured by the broad smile and loud voice which personified him.

Not given much to studying, Bryant was an avid hunter and mechanic. He always knew when every hunting season opened and closed. After my family moved back to Mississippi in 1962, many of our Saturdays were spent walking the woods with shotguns as we scared the “bejebbers” out of every squirrel in the area. [I am constantly amazed that squirrels are such a nuisance today. In my youth, they were hunted far and wide.] He taught me the fine art of wasting 20 gauge shotgun shells while trying to hit doves which always seemed to fly faster than that number eight shot.

Camping out was another favorite of Bryant’s. After setting our trot lines in a pond or along the creek, and telling tall tales, we’d eventually fall sleep in bed rolls without fear of some pervert coming along to attack us. Bryant loved everything about those times. He excelled at cooking bream and catfish for our meals. He could skin a rabbit, filet a fish, or cut up a deer.

Bryant loved to drive, and the muscle cars of the late fifties and early sixties were nothing compared to us as we slid around the curves of Sandy Basin or flew over Thrill Hill in the family sedan. His love affair with everything automotive prepared him for his life’s work as an extraordinary mechanic. I remember a Saturday in 1963 when my 1952 Chevy needed new lifters. My dad gave me the box of lifters and told me they were under a panel on the side of that six cylinder engine. Bryant and I were double dating that night and we needed my car, so we had to get the job done. My Dad neglected to tell me that the lifters were connected to push rods which were connected to rocker arms which had to be removed from under the valve cover. I worked for a couple of hours trying to get those lifters out, before Bryant came and told me to remove the valve cover first.

If one person could be said to love life, that person was Bryant. When he married Mollie, his life changed dramatically. Suddenly the father of a large family, he set about becoming the responsible provider, his carefree demeanor belied. Struggles and family challenges molded his pragmatic approach to life, but he never lost the dancing mischief in those sparkling eyes. Over the last year, as he battled cancer, he lived 1 Thessalonians 5:18; “In all things give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” He told over and over again how thankful He was to God for using this disease, which so many fear, to allow him to right his ship of life and live out his final months with a new awareness of God’s presence and care for him and his family.

As Bryant slipped from the cover of that earthly shell and entered into the immediate presence of Jesus Christ, he completed a journey begun sixty-one years earlier. A victorious journey.

I say, “Goodbye for now old friend. I’m looking forward to seeing you when I, too, must cross that great divide. It might be soon, or far removed; but it is a certainty. A certainty rooted and grounded in the faith that Jesus Christ is my Lord, even as you see Him directly now, I see Him through the eye of faith.”

Analphabet--A Spiritual and Societal Dilemma

2008-10-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

Analphabet seems a word very apropos in contemporary Baptist circles. The word "analphabet" means to have a decided lack of understanding of the basics of a matter. Such, I fear, would describe most members of Baptist churches.

Members saunter jauntily along with seemingly little regard for the time and finances necessary to maintain the facilities in a way which honors God and His Divine Provision. Seen pausing along the way to observe the beauty and dignity of the path they travel, they carelessly litter the byways; expecting another to stop, stoop, and remove their thoughtlessly disposed of refuse.

It is little wonder that so-called "Believers" look to government to alleviate the consequences of their financial mis-steps. Spiritual leaders have been doing "for" these parasitic hangers on for so long, they have grown to expect society to rescue them without recrimination when bad choices resulting from faulty logic lead to economic or social disaster.

My father left Mississippi in 1957 and took his family to Texas in search of opportunity and financial stability. His tendency to act impulsively a few years earlier led him to divest himself of his inheritance, leaving his family dependent upon his meager earnings and family support. Upon arriving in Texas, the family economic situation deteriorated due to a union strike at the place he had obtained work. The family car was repossessed, and almost everything of value was sold to feed and clothe the growing family. However, my father had learned his lesson.

Never a shirker from work, my dad stayed the course and eventually landed a well-paying job which enabled the family to eventually purchase a home and enjoy a new automobile. Along the way he communicated to me, his hard earned lesson that while bad choices and faulty logic are commonplace, one can overcome them with good counsel and hard work.

My dad did not expect the government to provide for him and his family. He did not consider himself poor or disadvantaged. He considered himself fortunate that he could begin again. He and my mother experienced and understood the ravages of bad choices based upon faulty logic, but they never expected others to "bail them out."

Contemporary Believers, whose trust should be in The Lord God of Heaven to allow them to start over when bad choices based upon faulty logic bring economic and social disaster, instead seem so dependent upon government that our representatives feel free to mortgage the nation's future to prevent the chickens of bad choice based upon faulty logic from coming home to roost.

Spiritual leaders must, I believe, begin to preach and teach responsibility and accountability once again. One man has said, "When you emphasize rights, you promote rebellion. When you emphasize responsibility, you promote revival." From the local church, to local officials, and on to national officials, responsibility and accountability must once again become the watchword, for if we remain ignorant of the basics for living in a free society, we are destined to repeat again and again the same mistakes until we lose that freedom.

© 2008 Mike Rasberry

More Braves Playoffs

2008-09-13T18:48:00.000-07:00

In the top of the sixth Carolina loaded the bases with only one out but a sharply hit ball to the Braves Shortstop began an inning ending double play.

Keeping up with Ole Miss and Mississippi State makes for a challenge as I must watch home runs by the Braves because we shoot pyrotechnic responses to their home runs. Of course the announcers keep us updated on the football games as we go along.

I've been surprised that none of the high and long fly balls have carried out of the park.

Attendance at these minor league playoff games is almost always low. High School and College Football are formidable competition, but tonight's game has so far proven to be worth the price of a ticket. Every inning has produced drama and exciting plays.

Mississippi Braves Playoffs

2008-09-13T18:19:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here in 20 mile an hour wind just outside the fence in the parking lot of Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi watching the Mississippi Braves in the Southern League Championship game against the Carolina Mudcats. In the bottom of the fifth the score is tied at 1 with both teams missing several scoring opportunities.

The gusty weather has resulted in no home runs but lots of fundamentally sound baseball. Batters have been very adept at advancing runners to scoring position with less than two outs. However, J.C. Holt just parlayed a double into a position on third when the runner ahead of him was out at home. Runs are so scarce tonight that every opportunity is taken to score, and an infield hit just sent Holt home with the lead run with two outs in the bottom of the fifth.

The light mist may be prelude to another rain delay. The game was delayed on Friday Night for about 1 1/2 hours. Then last night the game went into the 14th inning before the Braves got a walk off Grand Slam to tie the series up at two games each and send the series into tonight's series finale.

Have to go now and conclude setting up for the fireworks show at the close of the trophy presentation if the Braves win...

Hurricane Gustav #3

2008-09-02T15:09:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Morning September 2. My plans were to return to Slidell today. However, after speaking with several folks in Slidell, I felt we could do greater service by remaining here for another day.

My wife, Diane, is on Hurricane Standby for the month of September and they called her this afternoon telling her they need her there for Thursday. Another lady had taken her call for Hurricane Gustav, but now she needs to be there. The surgical suites cannot operate without her. :-)

This morning Diane took the Grandchildren to "The Chicken Store." That is my grandson's name for "Dirt Cheap." They can spend several hours going through "stuff" until they find the one thing she will buy them. It is a great place for kids.

I spent some time at the Stonewall Town Hall this afternoon getting information and doing a little research for something I'm writing.

Then to the pasture to check on that longhorn heifer. My Border Collie Pup was born the second week of June and is still not ready to do any herding. But I'm ready for her to grow up fast. I'm tired of chasing cows.

Some folks checked out our house this morning and reported that it was unscathed except for some limbs from the Crepe Myrtle in our front yard. That was very good news. The news that no flood waters approached our house is also very good news.

About 5:00 PM, we received word that electric service has been restored to our house and to our church. We'll return to Slidell tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.

My son has wifi at his office in Stonewall, so there have been several of us here this afternoon catching up on email.

Hurricane Gustav #2

2008-09-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Monday morning September 1. Labor Day 2008. All eyes were glued to the TV screen as we awaited Gustav's landfall. Concern turned to relief as we began to realize the threatened monster had met God's wind shear, and had its claws severely trimmed. Though still a dangerous CAT 2 storm, the feared devastation was averted by God's mercy.

After contacting all the church members I could locate, and ascertaining their safety; I made a trip to Meridian to purchase plywood in order to shore up my mother's sofa. She is suffering from some type of nerve damage and has been severely limited in her mobility for the last ten days or so.

While in Meridian I realized that it was Monday and that the stockyard was open, so not wanting to waste any time, I went by the stockyard; just to see how things were selling. :-) Of course, I saw something I just could not live without-- a one and one half year old longhorn heifer. Wow!! Just what I needed. So naturally, I had to bid on her, and do you know those other folks stopped bidding just so I would get her. At least that's what I told my wife when explaining the transaction.

Well the purchase of that heifer revealed another need--a stock trailer. Wouldn't you know? There was one alongside the road near my mother's house, and it was for sale. I inquired about the cost, and then I counter offered. Eventually we compromised and now I have a sturdy stock trailer in desperate need of a paint job. I wonder if the longhorn heifer was embarrassed when I showed up with that trailer to take her to her new home. :-)

So far Hurricane Gustav has hit my pocketbook pretty hard!!!

Hurricane Gustav #1

2008-09-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday Morning ten of us met to worship and pray prior to evacuating for Hurricane Gustav. One couple planned to stay through the storm. They are in an area where little water was expected.

Several people wanted to attend worship with us, but didn't know if they'd have access to travel.

After loading up all our necessities and my wife's "Treasures," we raised everything possible off the floor to avoid possible destruction by flooding.

We left Slidell about 4:15 PM with a four vehicle caravan. We traveled Highway 11 to Pearl River, La; then Highway 41 to Bush, La where we hit Highway 21 which took us through Bogalusa and on the the Mississippi State line. Mississippi Highway 35 took us across Highway 98 to Highway 84 which we took to Laurel, Ms. Total travel time was less than four hours.

As we traveled, we listened to news reports to people traveling to Laurel, Ms from Slidell which took 8-10 hours. I tried to reach radio stations to suggest our route, but was never able to connect.

There was plenty of fuel and food along our route also. Radio stations reported several exits along the I-59 corridor being blocked because there was no fuel. When I arrived back in Slidell Saturday Evening, I found only one station with diesel fuel and gasoline. That was about dark Saturday. I was glad I had filled up before leaving Stonewall.

We arrived at the home of Diane's Mother about 9:00 PM and immediately began unloading frozen foods from the ice chests into her freezer. Bed time was very welcome when about 11:30 we began crawling under the sheets.

Myopic

2008-08-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

The primary definitions of myopic are: 1. Nearsighted; unable to see distant objects clearly. 2. Shortsighted; lacking foresight; narrow-minded.

Few events more clearly demonstrate the myopic nature of a significant segment of American citizenry than the quadrennial election cycle during which a leader is chosen to serve as President of the still most powerful and influential nation on the globe. The pandering appeals to this segment abound with images of Easy Street where government stands ready to insure that no one goes home sick, hungry, or in tattered clothing.

The visions of Shangri-La are carefully crafted to emphasize the present, while scrupulously avoiding any mention of the sacrifice necessary to build, much less maintain, such a utopia. The enormous sacrifices of those who’ve gone before are relegated to transcendent mythology. Something not really expected of contemporary citizenry who are limited by time and space, unlike the heroes of history.

Time and again this segment of society has floundered in the morass of unrequited expectations. The youth, led to believe that individual initiative is futile, wandering the streets seeking outlets for growing frustration, fear, and rage become fertile targets for the drug pusher, sex merchant, and intimidator. Young girls learn early the benefits and favors which accrue to those of their sex willing to make merchandise of their natural attributes. Middle-aged men and women fear for their progeny, while grasping time and again for the brass ring which seems always just beyond their grasp. The elderly hobble through each day and wonder where the years, their strength, and their dreams have gone.

Yet during the election cycle, they once again are enamored with the promises of a new and different path to the corner of Easy Street and Soft Living Boulevard, where they can live their lives unencumbered with the responsibility for maintaining that corner. Someone better equipped and somewhat transcendent will assume total care for those living near that corner. That individual is not only rich beyond their wildest imagination, but is anxious to shower them with his largess.

And so, quadrennial election after quadrennial election, they are loaded upon buses and transported to voting booths where helpers carefully guide them in casting their vote for this transcendent entity who will finally and most certainly effortlessly transport them to the corner of Easy Street and Soft Living Boulevard in the city of Shangri-La.

Oh, for a genuine leader who will dispel the myth and tell them the truth about the cost of living effectively in the world. A leader who will call for sacrifice, dedication, and socially responsible behavior in order that they might raise themselves up to become contributors to society. A leader who doesn’t pander to myopic desires, but who paints a panoramic mural showing the real consequences and real rewards at the end of the far journey. A leader who preaches that wise personal choices are the only possible path to success. A leader who says, “We’ll point the way, but no one will do it for you.”

© 2008 Mike Rasberry

Our Son's Difficult Journey To Find God's Purpose in Life

2008-01-25T08:15:00.000-08:00

Kevin’s First Accident

It was about 12:30 AM in Uijongbu, ROK when the first call came in. Kevin, our youngest child and a Freshman at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi had been involved in an automobile accident. Initially we could only obtain very limited information, and had little understanding of the seriousness of the injuries. Subsequent calls to the doctors in the emergency room at Baptist Hospital in Columbus, Mississippi provided us with a fairly clear picture of the situation.

I had thought that perhaps I would remain in Korea and send my wife, Diane, back to help out with his recovery. However, when I spoke with the people in the Emergency Room to inquire about the extent of the injuries, I heard the physician tell the person I was speaking with that if we wanted to see him alive, we’d better get there soon. We had few financial resources, but we soon received a call from my sister telling me that E-tickets were waiting for us at Kimpo International Airport in Seoul.

The news of the accident and the realization of his precarious physical condition hit us hard. Within about two hours, however, both Diane and I had turned the situation over to God. Diane walked into my study and said that she felt like what ever happened, it would be alright. We recalled that we had given our children to God and that they were His to do with as He saw best. We praised Him for the eighteen wonderful years, we had enjoyed having Kevin with us, and asked God to allow him to remain with us, but we both told God that if He saw fit to take our son from us at this time, we’d praise Him for that also.

Brian Olling from the International Christian School, which is affiliated with the Network of International Christian Schools, drove us to the airport and provided much appreciated support. The entire staff of ICS was extremely helpful over the course of the months which followed the accident.

God seemed to give both Diane and me a sense of peace about the matter and we knew that He was in charge. There was no sense that he would be alive, or dead, when we’d call for updates at each stop along our journey to Memphis. We really didn’t know what God was going to do, but we began to feel that God would allow him to stay with us.

Our oldest child, Mike, Jr.; met us in Memphis and filled us in on everything he knew at that point. Kevin, who was in a pre-vet program, had been working all night preparing an arena for a Block & Bridle Club event at a town about twenty miles from Starkville. He had left early that morning to drive back to MSU where he had a job milking. Along the way he went to sleep and crossed over the narrow road and hit a large buried culvert. Apparently his pickup flexed just as it hit the culvert and completely collapsed then flipped over across a drive back into the ditch.

Eye witnesses thought he was dead and even the emergency response people thought the same thing. One man eventually noticed some movement of his hand and as they investigated further discovered that he was indeed breathing and instead of waiting for a coroner they were able to load him into the ambulance.

Our first visit to see him in ICU was shocking. He had such massive trauma to the head and chest that the doctors warned us that he would probably suffer from severe brain damage if he lived. A minor matter at that time was the fact that several other bones were broken, the most serious of which was his left heel which was completely crushed.

Churches in the Starkville & Columbus area opened up their hearts and doors to us. A motor home was set up on the parking lot because Diane simply did not want to leave the hospital while there was any doubt about him making it. Another family from another church made their home available for our use, and still another family provided us with transportation; but our personal family and friends were a tremendous source of encouragement and help.

After three days, it appeared that Kevin would survive, but questions lingered concerning any permanent brain damage. At that point they began to check out what else wasn’t working correctly. At the end of ten days, I returned to Korea while Diane remained to nurse Kevin back to health. He was moved to her Mother’s home in Clarke County, Mississippi and he began to respond rapidly to the loving attention.

Diane returned to Korea and Kevin went back to school at MSU, but he now had to contend with a severe staff infection which seemed to flare up often. He eventually had to withdraw from school returned to Korea in order for his Mother to help him rehabilitate his foot, which by that time was his greatest difficulty. After a doctor at Yongsan Army Base in Seoul tried to convince him to allow them to amputate his foot and fit him with a prosthesis, Diane returned to the States with him to seek more astute medical advice.

In the Summer of 1997 we felt God’s call to leave Korea and return permanently to the States. Kevin continued to struggle with his leg and the doctors suggested one final possibility to avoid amputation.

An appointment was made with a therapist in Birmingham, Alabama who had enjoyed considerable success helping patients walk relatively pain free. After she fitted Kevin with prosthetics for his shoes he walked for the first time in two years without the aid of crutches or in severe pain.

Kevin’s Second Accident

After a time Kevin began to work in the construction trade as an electrician. He traveled extensively and often lived away from home for weeks at a time. During this time he seemed to lose track of God’s plan for his life and fell in with the ways of the rough crowd with which he worked.

One night in November of 1999, we received a call that he had rolled his pickup several times and was in critical condition in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He was transported by air ambulance to the University of Louisville Trauma Center in Louisville, Kentucky. His heart stopped once on the trip to the trauma center and again on the operating table, and the doctors offered us very little hope that he would survive.

This accident was actually worse than the first. Several internal organs had been damaged and nearly every bone had been broken. Without a seat belt, he had rolled around in the cab of his truck banging against the dash, the steering wheel, and shifter numerous times as the truck tumbled and tumbled.

Several weeks in the hospital and several months of therapy followed the accident, but again God was gracious to allow him another opportunity. By this time everyone who knew him though that surely God had something special in store for his life.

Unable to work any longer in the construction trade, he began to study computers and gained his Microsoft networking certification. He failed to pursue additional training when the school he was attending suddenly closed leaving him with a substantial student loan debt and no school. He also seemed to be having difficulty maintaining his focus in times of concentration.

Kevin Plays Softball

In 2001 less than two years after his accident he pitched for his church slow pitch team. I cannot put into words the emotions I experienced as I saw him stand on the mound and pitch. God’s mercy and grace just seemed to overwhelm me and tears unashamedly poured down my face because I knew the pain he endured with each pitch. I knew that the next day would be very difficult for him, but I knew that the young man who had been such a terrific High School athlete was willing to push himself so that he could enjoy the life God had given him.

Still Another Accident

In 2004 Kevin was working with a man in our church and while pressure washing a building in a rural area north of Covington, Louisiana; a ladder toppled over, throwing him to the ground and breaking his elbow. After pins and therapy, he can no longer straighten his left arm. Prior to that accident he had been learning to play the bass guitar, however, he still has not regained enough mobility in the arm to continue that dream.

While Kevin is still not nearly what God will eventually have him become, he is making progress toward that end. He still struggles in life, as the rest of us do, but now he has a purpose. Now he has a focus. We’re grateful that God has allowed us to share in the travails of his life, because we’ve seen God’s hand at work.

Kevin is currently Worship and Youth Pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church where I’m the Senior Pastor. He has dedicated himself to God and is allowing God to build within him a Life Message which both the Youth and Adults of this age need to hear. Kevin is definitely not a quitter. If you’re in Slidell, Louisiana on a Tuesday or Thursday Night during the Spring, you’ll probably see Kevin out there on the diamond playing softball. You can’t miss him. He’s the tall lanky young man playing first base. You can tell it is him when he falls to the ground to make a catch of an off target throw because he can’t stretch out his arm, and when he hits the ball, you’ll see him waddle more than run to first base; where he’ll be relieved for a designated runner.

Oh yes, one other thing; you’ll see him smile a lot.

Speaking of Cars--My Wife

2007-11-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

A friend mentioned that his family auto is approaching 100,000 miles, and he is about to embark on the annual pilgrimage back to his Arkansas roots from the Northeast.

That reminded me of another thing for which I'm thankful this season. My wife's car, a 1998 Oldsmobile, has 230,000 miles on it. We put a new engine in it in the Summer of 2005. That engine now has over 70,000 miles. The paint is starting to peel, crack, and generally just look pretty bad, so last week I bought some sanding material, primer, and white paint. I sanded the spots where the paint has peeled and primed it, then carefully laid down a coat of paint. [All of this of course from spray cans bought in a local parts house.] I was pretty proud of it. Everything was white again. No rust spots. I thought, "Wow! She'll certainly be happy to drive this for another 200,000 miles."

Then I asked her what she thought of it. She replied, "It looks like you did it." I'm still not exactly sure what that means, but I have the growing suspicion that it was not entirely complimentary. So now I'm thinking, "She really likes that car. Maybe I need to just put a new paint job one it."

I recently bought three new tires for the car. There was a pretty severe shake and shimmy at about 60 miles per hour which continued up to 70. It felt like a tire out of balance. Alas, the new tires did not cure it. Neither, did the patch up paint job distract her from the fact of the shake and shimmy. What's a man to do? I wonder if I turn the white side walls out, that will buy me some more time.

The car has an electric antenna. It has gotten bent and will not go completely down, but that's not a big problem. Neither is the fact that the cassette player no longer works. Now, those ball joints on the front end which are beginning to have considerable slack, that might be a teensy bit of the problem. {Shouldn't they last longer than a couple hundred thousand miles on rough South Louisiana streets and roads?] I guess those new tires and my patch up paint job are simply not going to cover up the real problem. Someone recently told me that I'm trying to treat an old worn out and used up horse which should have already been put out to pasture like a three year old colt.

All of which brings me back to what I'm thankful for in this matter. The loving God of Glory has provided for us when we had absolutely no resources. He continues to sustain us during these lean times, and I'm married to a woman who doesn't have to have a new car every year or two.

I'm thankful for my God who has given me such a life partner as Diane. Her attitude about her car is a snapshot of her life.

Here is Diane showing
the size of some
gargantuan Golden Rods
growingbeside our
house in Slidell, LA.

Acquiring things for herself has never been a driving force in her life.

She continues to work in nursing to enable us to serve smaller churches.

She gives herself to ministering to the preschoolers so that others can participate in worship.

She is willing to do the most menial of tasks with a sense of purpose and joy.

She loves her children and grandchildren with a sacrificial love.

She treats everyone with respect and dignity.

She demonstrates her love for Christ in her everyday activities.

And the thing for which I'm really thankful: She still loves me.

NO KATRINA FATIGUE AT WEST OAKS BAPTIST CHURCH

2007-08-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

Flexibility is the keynote of missions. This group was scheduled to fly out of Houston and arrive in New Orleans at 10:38 PM. They arrived after Mid-night and didn't get to sleep until about 2:30 AM. Here they are loading luggage on my truck.

Ben Sigmundik wrote an article which was published today August 29th in the Texas A&M newspaper "The Battalion" about his trip to Immanuel Baptist Church with a mission group from West Oaks Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas where he is the Children's Minister, and a sophomore at Texas A&M. The group was a tremendous encouragement to IBC as they emphasized working on the church grounds. I can't help but think what a difference it would make in the lives of churches if more of us would step out of our environment to go help another struggling church with some simple clean up.

This group also spent part of one day passing out over 600 door hangers.

In his article, "New Orleans two years after Katrina Sobering Experience", Ben recounted the late night, actually early morning, arrival and the trek to Slidell from the airport in New Orleans. He spoke of the plywood bunks with very thin egg crate mattresses, and expressed thanks that at least there was an air conditioner.

Ben, along with Pastor James Heffington and the rest of the group, showed no signs of the "Katrina Fatigue" which seems to be lapping at the heels of citizens and believers alike around the country. Two years of Katrina should be enough most people believe, even as the name continues to hover over the country like a giant seismic cloud threatening at any moment to spew its hateful contamination upon the unsuspecting populace. It has cost the governor any chance of re-election and driven locals to demonstrate the heights of moral character, and the depths of moral depravity. Katrina promises to stretch into the next presidential election cycle, and though the 100 mph plus winds have long since died, she continues to wreak havoc among the weak, the elderly, and the emotionally unstable.

Completing the roof for the building which housed several hundred volunteers over the months, and now serves as a Youth and Children's Building.

Immanuel Baptist Church lost three buildings during the storm, but the greatest blow has come as individual families have begun to experience discouragement over the slow rate of growth. Such discouragement leads to dis-satisfaction with everything from the sermons to church polity and even doctrinal positions. The inevitable personality conflicts eventually become exacerbated and there seems little possibility of stemming the tide which continues inexorably on toward the looming reefs of destruction, until and unless God sends revival among His people so that they may be guided safely through the treacherous waters.

"Katrina Fatigue" seems to have given the evil one an opportunity to gain a beach head in the lives of individuals, who then are seemingly unaware of the fortresses he builds up causing defeat and moral failure in those who seemed on the road to productive lives reflective of the Grace of Almighty God. "Katrina Fatigue" is no excuse for the pre-occupation with self and things which leads to broken relationships and disrupted churches. However, I do think it explains what has happened. We remain responsible for the choices we make, and I believe the time of testing God has allowed us to endure will eventually bring great victories in His Name, when we stand fast to our first love and complete those things we have been led to begin.

Pastor Heffington said, “It was a great opportunity to help this church that has been helping out all these other people.” Since Katrina hit; hundreds, if not thousands, have slept in IBC's facilities as they have ministered on both sides of Lake Ponchatrain. They have hung thousands of door hangers, dispensed untold food packets, gutted houses, rebuilt roofs, hung sheetrock, and demonstrated Christ-like love in a myriad of ways.

Now, however, IBC stands on the precipice above a churning maelstrom which threatens to drown her in the lake of despair and frustration. She needs dedicated, sacrificial living members who are willing to accept responsibility and invest themselves in her future. She needs the prayers of God's people as she seeks to make inroads into a culture where even the Believers in Christ look to be served rather than to serve.

The group from little West Oaks Baptist Church, there in Bryan were totally sacrificial in their service, and our congregation received a needed shot of spiritual adrenalin. For a couple of days, that group ministered to us by doing needed repairs, weeding the flowers, clearing brush, and just loving us. What a blessing. There is no "Katrina Fatigue" at West Oaks Baptist Church.

Cleanup and debris removal with FEMA trailers in the background.

Weeding the flowers gave a new freshness to the grounds.

The metal roof was very hot, but that could not deter this intrepid worker.

The nursery receives needed upgrades.

Second Installment--Horse Week at Summer Camp

2007-07-12T13:47:00.001-07:00

Today began with my having to go to several locations to find leather strips for re-tying a saddle stirrup which broke. Slidell has several horse boarding locations and Lewis Stables is pretty well supplied for the casual rider.

Elvis, the donkey, was in good spirits and allowed himself to be mauled by the children throughout the day. He is very genial and just simply loves people, especially children, or so it seems. He has never really told me that. :-)

Snowflake is a real favorite of the children, and here little Dixie is showing signs of becoming a real horsewoman. She took to the horses with an anxious vitality.

Torie, below, already shows signs of the kind of self assurance on horseback with assure her of many years of pleasure on horseback.

Brian on the left had never ridden before, but he is demonstrating the kind of affinity for horses which will certainly lead to his family receiving considerable pressure to obtain him a suitable mount.

This is Skylar's second year for Summer Camp with IBC and he is gaining assurance with each new experience.

Apache, is the horse which all the kids want to ride. He is just a big ole pet, but still not settled enough with people in the saddle for the children to ride him. We will try again with him on Friday.

Today the rains came in torrents. Kevin and I were soaked as we attempted to arrange a shelter for horses and we were unable to ride Thursday Afternoon. The campers were disappointed, but they must learn, as the rest of us do, that things don't always go as we planned. It is currently about 4:15 PM and the rains are still coming down along with thunder and lightening. I pray it will pass so that tomorrow will be a day when the campers can ride in both the morning and evening.

We also experienced a power outage today when a garbage truck became entangled in utility lines along Airport Road where IBC is located. All in all it has been quite a day. I plan to go home and play a game of Age of Empires with my two sons and son-in-law. We try to play a game at least once when he is home from overseas. It takes about 4-5 hours before I'm trounced by youth's greater ability on computer gaming. :-)

First Installment--Horse Week at Summer Camp

2007-07-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Slidell Tuesday afternoon from the Farm in Clarke County Mississippi with two horses and a donkey. The horses are a four year old gelding named “Apache” and a three year old filly recently named “Snowflake” by my some of my granddaughters. The donkey is named “Elvis.” I’m not sure where the name came from but I got him from the former pastor of FBC, Slidell, Michael Claunch. The kids say he resembles the pictures of Elvis they see. :-)

Since the horses are only green broke, we must work with them to get them ready for the kids to ride. We saddled Snowflake and put one of my granddaughters on her. We, then led the horse around the area without a bridle. We eventually replaced the halter and lead rope with a bit and bridle just to get her mouth accustomed to the bit again.

Then my oldest son, Mike, Jr, rode her around a while. She seemed to be in a co-operative mood and the afternoon went without incident until I returned later to check on them and children from across the street were shooting off large fireworks. The horses were not very happy about that.:-)

Wednesday Morning the older campers helped me to feed, water, and exercise the animals. Then we had a class on the various articles of tack. I also explained to them how God had given animals to man for man’s dominion and for his use. I explained that God intended animals for food, work, and pleasure as they were hunted and/or captured. We were able during this time to talk about the difference between animals and men. I also emphasized that cruelty and/or mistreatment of animals by those who believe in God by faith in Jesus Christ is a violation of God’s teachings to His people, because His people are charged with being good stewards of all His creation.

After lunch we began the actual riding. We only used Snowflake for this segment, and she was a little feisty at first, but after bucking the saddle off a couple of times and knocking me under a wooden swing set, she settled down and acted with proper decorum. For some it was little more than being set in the saddle and getting accustomed to being so high up on the animal. Others were led about the area were able to familiarize themselves more fully with the horses. A few were allowed to handle the reins while I stood ready with the lead rope still attached.

When a grandmother of one of the campers arrived to pickup up her camper, she elected to go for a short ride also. Then a father of a camper arrived and told how he had never been on a horse. We instructed him in the process of mounting and I led him about the complex. He exclaimed that his wife just wouldn’t believe that he had actually ridden a horse.

I am continually amazed at the number of adults who have never had the opportunity to ride a horse. I would like to go from church to church introducing children and adults to this marvelous form of recreation and relaxation. Perhaps someday God will open up such doors and allow me to use the horses in His service that way.

After the campers were through for the day, I mounted Snowflake and rode her around the area. She is really sweet tempered, but she needs to be ridden more often than I have opportunity to do.

Kevin, my younger son, arrived about 3:30 and we began the process of working with Apache. He is a magnificent animal. He looks like his registered Paso Fino father, and is thickly and powerfully built. He was quite a challenge. He twice threw Kevin before tied up one leg and laid him on the ground. Horses, like children, need to have their will broken without breaking their spirit. They need to learn that, in all things, they must please their master.

Apache is really a great horse. He is friendly and loves being around people, but like anything left to his own devices for an extended time, he is apt to rebel somewhat when having his activities curbed. However we were finally able to teach him the lessons he need to learn. This morning we will probably need to remind him of those lessons briefly.

I will write more after today’s sessions and try to include some photos.

Obtaining God's Bessings

2007-06-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Obtaining God’s Blessings
Haggai 2:10-19

10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: 'Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying,

12 If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?" ' " Then the priests answered and said, "No." 13 And Haggai said, "If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?" So the priests answered and said, "It shall be unclean."

14 Then Haggai answered and said, " 'So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,' says the Lord, 'and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean. 15 'And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord--

16 since those days, when one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,' says the Lord.

18 'Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid--consider it: 19 Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.' "

Are there any among us who do not desire God’s blessings on our lives? I often ask the people I encounter throughout the day how I might pray for them. They usually mention a difficulty at work, or a family difficulty, or a rebellious child, or a health issue. Everybody wants God to bless them.

Yesterday, as Diane and I were returning from a brief Family outing, I stopped for fuel at one of those places which majors on alcohol. A young woman walked in wearing so little clothing as to leave almost nothing to the imagination. The female clerk looked at her and said, “Hey girl, you ain’t never gonna change are you?” She replied, “Nope. I do what I want to do and wear what I want to wear.”

These were the people of God Haggai was speaking to. They were the chosen people. They expected God’s Blessings because of that. They had been set aside and then delivered out of slavery into a land which flowed with milk and honey. Their king became the most powerful man in the world and the nations marveled at his wisdom.

1. If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?" The answer to this question is absolutely not. Holiness does not transfer. The people possibly have come to believe that one can become holy by associating with or participating in holy things. Here it appears that unrepentant Jews participating in God’s Holy Worship had polluted that worship.

They continued to live in sin, even though they attended church and paid their tithes. They continued their former lifestyle without a change, and their very participation seemed to desecrate God’s Temple.

Over and over again Scripture teaches that there is a difference between God’s people and the world. That difference is not merely one of activity. It is one of relationship. The unique people of God have such a relationship with Holy God that the world is made to wonder at the cause of their joy in the midst of both success and persecution.

We need to learn today that wearing a cross or carrying a Bible does not make us holy. Praying in a restaurant before meals does not make us holy. If we remain clothed with the filthy rags of the world, if we continue to pursue the same goals as the world, if we crave the attention of the world, we are not changed.

How do you react when something good happens to you? Do you praise God and rejoice in His glorious mercy? Perhaps many do. So how do you react when something bad happens to you? Do you grouse around while griping, grumbling, and complaining, or do you rejoice in God’s glorious mercy? You see, the genuine Believer is to rejoice and give thanks “...in all things...”

Proverbs tells us in chapter 15:8, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight.” God is not pleased with the religious exercises of those who continue to thumb their noses at God while determined to continue their own paths.

2. "If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?" When Haggai asked this question, the priests were quick to respond, “Yes.” The law made clear that holy things could be contaminated by direct contact with uncleanness.

In this age it is very important that we understand the implications of this. A man or a woman, a boy or a girl, can develop polluted thinking by the things they associate with. That is why it is so important to guard our ears from certain sounds, our eyes from certain sights, and our lips from certain delicacies.

Those things we dabble in, those things we casually touch, those things we carelessly listen to come into our very soul and become authorization for the enemy to establish a beachhead within our lives. That is why Paul warns us in Ephesians 4:27 to not give place to the Devil. That is phrase speaking of warfare, and it is closely associated with what our U.S. Marines try to do when they are put ashore on an hostile shore. They try to establish a beachhead. From that beachhead, the Marines set up a command post and build up a stronghold. That is precisely what the devil attempts to do in your life by the things you associate with.

That is why parents have such responsibility to guard the activities of their children. Over and over I hear parents lament the condition of their children. Yet they refuse to obey God and lovingly discipline their children consistently. Today’s children often decide too many of their activities. They decide with whom they will play, what they will listen to in terms of music, which movies they will watch, and they are allowed to choose to emulate terrible role models in dress and makeup. Children need firm boundaries to guide them as they learn how to make the kind of decisions which will enhance both their lives and those of their progeny.

3. And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord. Haggai tells the people to mark this day, the day they re-started their work upon the temple. The day they decided to do things God’s way. For all these sixteen or so years that they had allowed the temple of God to just lie there, they had not been blessed. Their harvests had not been full. The work of their hands had not brought satisfaction. Their labors had been just so much empty activity. But from the day they chose to obey Him, they would see that He had already begun to bless them. They might not see it, but as the prophet Habbakuk had proclaimed, “...the just must live by faith...”

It is time for them to begin acting as if they believe God. They need to live in anticipation of the harvest to come. Elijah, we’re told, was a man subject to the same passions which plague all of us. Yet one day, after a drought of three years, he went up on a mountain and prayed for God to bring relief. Then as he looked out over the horizon and detected a faint wisp of a cloud in the distance, he said that’s enough. He said, “Folks, it’s going to come one of those stump floating, gully washing down pours.” Elijah believed God and he began running for home.

That’s what Haggai is telling the people here. You’ve planted your seed. You can now anticipate the harvest. God will bless.

Now this presupposes several things to us: (1) We’ve gathered and stored good seed. (2) We’ve prepared the ground properly to receive the seed. (3) We’ve spread the seed evenly over the area. (4) We’ve tended the plot where the seed has been planted. (5) We’ve made preparations for the harvest. (6) We’re prepared to put harvest to work.

I remember, as a child, that four of us would take a bed sheet and toss shelled corn into the air allowing the wind to blow away the husks and refuse. Then that corn would be carefully examined and preserved for next years planting. In our area, it was always important to keep good seed corn because it was just too expensive to purchase new seed corn each year. Now the seed we store up is the Word of God. It is good seed and we need to spend time ingesting it into our souls so that it might be ready for planting in God’s planting season.

Preparing formerly cultivated soil is always different from preparing new ground. With formerly cultivated soil one only needs be careful to rotate the crops so that the nutrients are allowed to regenerate regularly. The breaking up of the soil is fairly easy, and one doesn’t anticipate discovering roots or huge stumps hidden beneath the surface. But preparing new ground is a different story entirely. Brush and trees have been cleared leaving untold and unknown obstacles beneath the surface. For two or three years, one might continue to catch his plow on a heretofore unknown root or boulder. Such a discovery often requires the use of considerable energy and a sharp axe or kaiser blade to remove. In the case of a large boulder, one might be forced to dig around it to dislodge it enough to move it out of the field.

The seed planted in new ground often grows quite fast, but it also has considerable competition because even the most through inspection will not discover the seeds of the briars, morning glory vines, and cockle burrs mingled with the soil and the good seed.

Once the seed starts to grow we take the mule and using a “gee whiz” we clear out from between the rows and toss freshly turned dirt against the young stalks to protect the roots from the harsh sun and remove some of the competition for the precious moisture.

While the plants are growing, storage facilities must be maintained, and in some instances new facilities built or existing facilities enlarged in anticipation of the bountiful harvest. Nothing is worse than having a great harvest with no place to put the grain.

Then some of the grain is turned into feed for livestock, some for food for the family, and some is sold on the market, and the best is retained for next year’s crop.

God says through Haggai that they need to begin acting as if they anticipate a bountiful harvest. He said, “I’ve already begun to bless you. The seed may still be in the ground and you might not be able to see its growth, but I’ve already begun to bless you. Mark this day that you began to walk in obedience and you’ll see that I’m faithful.”

Now, folks, let me add a bit of caveat here. God does not bless those who act in order to be blessed. He blesses those who act out of a heart which desires to serve and obey Him. That is why the people of Israel were so troubled. They were doing what they did in order to receive a blessing, not out of an obedient and loving heart. That is why God had withheld His blessings.

The people were now concentrating on building up God’s Temple. Haggai could promise them on the authority of Holy God that God’s blessings had already begun.

Exactly what is your motivation for what you do? Is your worship pure and guileless? Are you trying to worship Christ while hanging on to the old dreams and aspirations? Do you live each day in promise of His blessing?

Shooting Fireworks

2007-06-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Fourth of July is nearly upon us. When you ask what people think of first, it is usually fireworks. I’m both blessed and cursed in this matter of fireworks. God has allowed me for several years now to supplement my income by shooting professional fireworks displays.

We shoot shows for churches, cities, athletic teams, birthdays, weddings, and almost any occasion. However, July Fourth is by far the time when we shoot the most. While there is little danger associated with watching a professional fireworks display, there is always the danger of operator error, or a manufacturing error, or even a mechanical error. Such errors always put the pyrotechnician at risk.

The photo at the left showed me shortly after I had made a terrible error while shooting a show in October of 2001 on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This photo is why people must be very careful around fireworks.

I’d like to show you some of the things we’ve done.

The Mississippi Braves located in Pearl, a suburb of Jackson, Mississippi is a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. Each Friday home game features a fireworks extravaganza following the game. The fireworks are colorful and designed to create a widely varied effect as they are shot to various musical themes.

The First two photos on the left along with the lead in photo at the top were taken following Braves Games.

The photo to the left was taken from across the lake as we shot the Meridian, Mississippi Fourth of July Show in 2004.

The shot below shows the Meridian show in 2005 after it is set up and the crew is relaxing with a fishing pole.

The photo to the left shows the lake and the firing location for the Meridian show. The Audience is located across the lake

This photo shows a moderately small finale wrapped in tin foil to prevent premature ignition.
The racks contain tubes called mortars.

In this photo the shooter is about to begin hand lighting with a road flare.

This is part of the finale for the Meridian, MS show for July Fourth 2004

More of the Braves Friday Night Show

The fans always give thunderous applause at the Braves show.

CBF--A Different Denomination

2007-06-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Patricia Heys, a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF) communications person, released to the news agencies a new CBF global missions strategy. http://www.biblicalrecorder.org/content/news/2007/06_18_2007/ne180607nash.shtml

CBF Global Missions coordinator Rob Nash said that both a new structure and new strategy will be introduced at the annual meeting in Atlanta.

Those who continue to believe that the CBF is not building a separate denomination are seeing the world through glasses conveniently tinted to mask that fact. I applaud them in their energetic and forward looking approach, however, I find distasteful the insidious continuance to present themselves as Southern Baptists.

It appears they think they can have it both ways and some churches and pastors seem inclined to go along with that rather than risk alienating a portion their congregations which are already fractured by theological divisions.

Where are the Baptist Statesmen of years gone by who would stand and fearlessly denounce the liberal and theologically challenged positions of those who dare to claim the name Baptist? Where are the Bill Powells who will take on the entire denominational network to expose the liberal policies and teachings? Where are the B. Gray Allisons who will take on the entire seminary system and affect reform by establishing a conservative seminary? Where are the Charles Spurgeons, a 5-point-Calvinist, who railed against the abuses and excesses of hyper-Calvinism. Where are those, who with the intellectual eloquence of an Adrian Rogers, stirred our hearts to reclaim our historic commitment to God’s Word? Where are the Criswells whose bombastic pronouncements elicited fearful cries of “uncle” and drove the enemies of Biblical authority into the CBF dungeon?

Today we need men of wisdom and courage to confront openly those who seek to divide and undermine our mission. Enough of this fearful accommodation! Churches and preachers need to decide where they stand on this matter. For me, it is a theological position. The CBF consists primarily of the most liberal leaning segments of Southern Baptist Life. I welcome the constitution of that denomination and bid them God’s Speed. I do not fear a loss of influence when churches defect to the CBF. That which we lose, is what we never had anyway; so how can we say we lost it.

I’m reminded of the bi-vocational pastor who returned to work after a week or revival meetings at his church. When asked how the revival went, he replied, “Great.” When asked how many people were saved, he answered, “None.” When asked how many joined the church, he said, “None.” When asked how many rededications, he replied, “None.” When asked how it could be a great revival if there were none saved, no additions, and no rededications; he answered, “We had some blessed subtractions.”

I think Southern Baptists need some blessed subtractions. A good start is with those who still hope to convert us to their liberal theological position and support a de facto denomination while trying to call themselves Southern Baptists. How do we accomplish it? Not the way Missouri is attempting to do it, by challenging the autonomy of the local church, but by statesmen exposing them for what they are. Grassroots Baptists will respond when they know the truth.

A Grave Error at SBC

2007-06-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

Tonight I ache to bottom of my soul. In what I can only assume was an attempt to mollify the moderate leaning wing of inerrantists within SBC life, the messengers at the annual meeting in San Antonio approved a motion to limit the ability of trustees to set criteria for the hiring of personnel and the appointing of missionaries to the skeletal statement of faith comprised in the Baptist Faith and Message of 2000. Where or where were the great leaders of the past who would have quickly explained the import of such a motion and exposed the diabolical plot to promote the seemingly self-serving agenda of those who’ve been trying for two years to bring this about.

This appears to be a blatant attempt by the Burleson/Cole/McKissic group to allow missionaries who believe in tongue speaking and social drinking, as well those who have questionable baptism to be appointed as missionaries. Rebuffed last year in their attempt to intimidate the IMB trustees and convention, they seem to have resorted to a more devious ploy this year. Rather than bring their pet beliefs before the convention which almost certainly would have issued them another resounding defeat, they couched their nefarious ploy in confusing and baptistic sounding language.

Trustees currently are free to employ guidelines which they believe reflect the standards of the vast majority of Southern Baptists in appointing missionaries and hiring personnel. The vote at the convention will remove the trustees ability to use criteria other than that codified within the BF&M to determine the worthiness of individuals to be appointed.

Currently there are a significant number of individuals who desire to serve as missionaries, but do not qualify because they speak in tongues, drink socially, or have questionable baptism. While the vast majority of Southern Baptist laity believe that tongues is so much gibberish, the trustees will be forced to appoint such individuals to the mission field. Such action will result in local churches refusing to send mission monies to the co-operative program and opting to support those missionaries they know personally, or it will result in a cumbersome and highly codified statement of faith.

Motions to modify the BF&M are already being formulated. Battle after battle will be fought over the matter of Alcohol, Tongues, and Baptism in the years to come as statements reflecting the Biblical views of the majority of Southern Baptists are presented for adoption into the BF&M, which the action of the convention meeting in session has made necessary by one mistaken vote.

The Baptist Faith and Message is not intended to be a comprehensive compendium of Baptistic Belief. Rather, it is a skeletal statement of basic beliefs which we consider absolutely essential for fellowship and co-operation. The perpetrators of this heinous and insidious proposal played on the fears of 5-pointers, who often seem to act as if they are only one step from being dismissed from SBC life, anyway. Such a coalition, however wrongly constituted, was able to carry the day in this matter to what I’m certain will be the bane of Southern Baptists in the months to come.

Should I be proven wrong, I will happily recant my wild prognostications. I just don’t think I am.

May God have mercy upon us as we hold forth the faith once received.

Political Intrigue Permeates the Air Around Southern Baptists

2007-06-08T12:05:00.000-07:00

June, each year, begins the final push for political factions within the Southern Baptist Convention to advance their causes. Already, I have been frustrated by the position of one admired individual on a particular subject, while dismayed by the position of another on a different subject. What am I to do? None of those presented for leadership seem to understand Biblical Theology as thoroughly as I. For should they have my understanding, it is inconceivable they would take positions on any topic contrary to my own. Is it possible that the demise of the Southern Baptist Convention is imminent?

Last year, Frank Page was not my choice for SBC President. However, enough of those delegates, who obviously lack my astuteness on theological matters, voted for him to elect him on the first ballot. Dread, gloom, and despair overshadowed my normally effusive disposition. For the first time since 1976, my candidate had not been elected. What should I do? Should I call a press conference and announce that I’m leaving the SBC? I quickly realized that not even my wife would show up for that.

In the wake of Page’s earthshattering defeat of all right thinking Southern Baptists, I decided to hunker down and try to ride out what I envisioned as a disastrous year for Southern Baptists. Now, I’m really in a quandary. In spite of Page’s obviously callous decision to refrain from availing himself of my great store of wisdom on all subjects extant, he has not affected great harm to the SBC. In fact, he might have strengthened it. Of course, that just goes to show that God’s blessings fall both on the just and the unjust.

All of this brings me to the current dilemma. What should I do? I have certainly not been shy about expressing my well thought out, and extraordinarily accurate position on the subjects at hand. Is it possible that the SBC can sustain two successive years when those elected to office do not have my seal of approval? I must make a decision. I fully realize the gravity of said decision because it will either validate or invalidate the actions of the convention as a whole. Such burdens should not be placed so squarely upon the shoulders of one man. Albeit, an incomparable man, yet one man nevertheless.

For those who wait with breath abated for some word as to which is the correct path, please be assured I do not take this responsibility lightly. Pursuant to said responsibility, my revelation-like insight will be available immediately upon receipt of such insight. In the interim, please occupy yourself with prayer, trusting that God may in His own mercy, see fit to also provide you with direction through the current political morass.

A Mother's Care

2007-05-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

This is a poem I wrote for Mother's Day at Immanuel Baptist Church. we framed and presented copies to each mother on Mother's Day. I pray it will be a blessing to you.

A Mother’s Care
by
Mike Rasberry
for
Mother’s Day 2007

The feathery brush of fingers light
Across your forehead in the dead of night
A furrowed brow and a whispered prayer
They demonstrate a Mother’s Care.

Watchful eyes and ready feet
See you at play in the noonday heat
A gentle warning about the heated air
They demonstrate a Mother’s Care.

A faithful vigil by the telephone
While you’re out and all alone
Her tear stained Bible open by her chair
They demonstrate a Mother’s Care.

Outstretched arms and face aglow
That welcome you where ere you go
A strong embrace and tousled hair
They demonstrate a Mother’s Care.

Faithful instruction day by day
Satisfaction when you find God’s way
Tears of joy that He’s called you there
They demonstrate a Mother’s Care.

How Ought We to Live in Light of His Promise to Return

2007-03-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

"...this same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

I recognize that my soul occupies a very frail lump of clay. This clay is rapidly hardening and becoming increasingly difficulty to manipulate and mold. I doubt that the process is advancing more rapidly than it was in previous years, but I am much more aware of my intractability now than I have been in the past.

I wonder why I don't totally submit my stubborn self-will to Him, in order that He might make me more usable during the time I have left here on this earth. The song writer said that he was looking for a city not made with human hands. Many of us seem to have fallen so in love with this present world that we seem unable to plan for the celestial home which He has promised. It is not a strange thing for the unbeliever to develop a strong attachment for this world system. His next stop will be far less pleasant than the most mundane experience here. However, the true believer is not so. His future holds the promise of total fulfillment in the glorious presence of The Lamb of God. Why then, do we live as if accumulating things and position is the end for which we strive.

Is it possible that He can be LORD, if we still make decisions based upon the temporal things of this age? It may be that many have mistakenly substituted a confrontation with Christ in which they were convicted of sin, confessed their sin, and even were contrite for their sin, with genuine conversion from sin. The life of Judas demonstrates that one might realize his condition, confess it, and even be sorrowful for it unto death without experiencing conversion from sin.

Should one really believe that Jesus is coming back he ought to prepare to meet Him and not wait with the half-hearted expectation of the foolish virgins who found their lamps empty of the precious oil when the bridegroom arrived. The genuine conversion which acknowledges Him as LORD of every facet of one's life, compels the individual to study, pray, and so live as to proclaim to the world that His return is indeed imminent.

Is it possible that the Evil One has blinded the eyes of many of those who have professed Christ as LORD? Many of today's professing believers seem unwilling to accept that one single, unconfessed, unrepented of sin gives the Evil One authority to operate in their lives. These seem to excuse sin as the natural failings of the human experience without acknowledging the consequences of such when left unattended. Such professors treat only those sins deemed socially unacceptable as needful of repentance.

The conclusion at which one must logically arrive is that either such professors have believed the counterfeit religion the Evil One promotes, and are not genuinely converted; or they, though converted, have wilfully allowed the Evil One to influence their thoughts and actions by believing the Evil One's lie that "a little sin won't hurt."

The true believer should conclude that he ought to live a life characterized by: An anxious anticipation of the soon return of Our Dear LORD. A life lived in the world, but focused on the celestial kingdom. A life in which the Lordship of Christ is evident in every aspect of that life. A life which is continually being cleansed and purified as the believer confesses and repents of known sin daily.

Guerilla Warfare Today

2007-03-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Guerilla Warfare

On March 14, 1954 a force of 40,000 Vietnamese guerillas began the attack on about 15,000 French troops at Dien Bien Phu. The French assumed their superior armaments and artillery would demoralize and eventually destroy the attacking force. However, they underestimated the effectiveness of guerilla warfare. On May 7, 1954 Ho Chi Minh’s troops over ran the French positions bringing about Vietnam’s independence from France, and ending a war which had turned the tide of public opinion in France against the war.

The American Army of the West was forced to contend with the unconventional warfare utilized by the Indians of the West whose attack and retreat methods coupled with their ability to launch deadly assaults from hiding. Their ability to inflict death and destruction created such unease that time and again the forward progress of the nation was stalled, and Eastern newspapers reflected a growing frustration with the military’s failure to affect a speedy victory over the disparate tribes.

Fidel Castro made guerilla warfare so popular in the Western hemisphere, as he operated from remote mountains to eventually overthrow and depose Fulgencio Batista of Cuba in 1959, that revolutionaries sprang up in nearly every Central American Country. The “Big Stick” diplomacy of Theodore Roosevelt evolved to a “Walk Softly” approach as the Communist advanced inexorably forward under the leadership of Castro disciples like Che Guevara who became the spiritual leader of revolution in the Banana Republics, due in no small part to the fear of entanglement in more prolonged, costly, and painful guerilla warfare.

Then the ominous and effective tactics of Ho Chi Minh, when once again pitted against overwhelming military power, led to the disenchantment of yet another nation as America lost her will to defend an embattled people. The public clamoring for an end of American participation in the bloody conflict, led to an ignominious retreat from Saigon and the consignment of millions of Vietnamese to the brutal atrocities perpetrated by their new communist masters.

Ho Chi Minh, an autocratic dictator who ruled by force of arms, was not constrained by the need for popular support. Casualties, wrought in pursuit of the ultimate goal of victory, were little more than logistical inconveniences. Hoards of sapper squads penetrating defenses in suicidal attacks did little to affect military victory, but the emotional effect they left on the fragile psyche of a soft American populace cannot be overstated.

Today, America again stands against a foe who is little influenced by public opinion or the need for popular approval. While this enemy gives little thought to affecting a military victory, he is purposeful and vicious in his attacks upon the soft underbelly of the collective psyche. The resolution with which the enemy was initially confronted has dissolved into a wavering and mushy fear likely to result in the “jello diplomacy” of the late 1970's.

The anniversary of the beginning of the battle for Dien Bien Phu seems as good a time as any for us to ponder the consequences of yet another Saigon. The battle raging across the fruited plain is not how best to affect a military victory, but rather how best to withdraw with some semblance of honor. Politicians vie for the public’s ear as they promote onerous plan after onerous plan intended to build some measure of political capital, rather than affirm integrity and statesmanship.

What lies ahead should we run, with tails tucked firmly between our legs, from this new foe who not only wants us banished from a region of the globe, but annihilated from the face of the earth? The “malaise” of the Carter years, and the capitulation to a kind of national self-debasement which resulted from defeat at the hands of the guerillas of Ho Chi Minh was nothing compared to the possible consequences of our squandering the opportunity to curtail a much more ominous threat to world peace.

Baptist Resource Network vs State Convention

2007-02-26T16:37:00.000-08:00

Relationship of Churches and State Conventions.

The State convention of Pennsylvania/South Jersey is in the process of re-structuring how they minister to churches. If I understand it correctly, associations would be basically abolished. They are seen in this study as an anachronism.

Read the report at the following link and tell me what you think. Is this something worth pursuing in the Bible Belt, or below the Bible Belt, in South Louisiana? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southernbaptist/files/BRN%20Task%20Force.pdf

I've thought for some time that the Associations could actually do everything the State Conventions are doing, and do it more efficiently. With today's technology, I wonder if we do need all the layers, but I wonder which is anachronistic. Baptist polity seems to be in conflict with the decision making in Pennsylvania/South Jersey because it appears that the state convention controls the associations, and they seem to have a layered bureaucracy.

Traditionally, Southern Baptist Churches relate to each entity individually because they are independent and autonomous. However, more and more often institutions require the local church to "go through" the state convention. I'm thankful here in Louisiana that we have a very responsive state convention which has worked diligently over the last six years to promote that autonomy. I have no "ax to grind" with a particular state convention.

If a church contacts the North American Mission Board, we're often told that they have partnered with the State Convention and everything must be approved by some individual in the State, making them the de facto bishops over those churches. This, for me, is a troubling trend.

Now, some will surely say, "But one needs accountability." Yes, we've all had domineering church members express that over the years when they were trying to control the activities or expenditures of the church. I fear we are in danger, as Southern Baptists of creating a layered hierarchy to which each church is made subservient.

While I have no problem with autonomous entities requiring accountability for the use of resources, I see great danger inherent in policy which requires the state convention to "approve" projects before they can be consummated between the local church and an autonomous entity. That is certainly egregious to any church which relates directly to the SBC, but is not a member of an association or a state convention.

The church is the highest entity in traditional Southern Baptist Life. Is that a non-negotiable doctrinal position? I certainly pray that it is so.

Is it not time for some open discussion about the nature of our relationships, and whether or not funds are better expended in other ways than by maintaining extensive administrative staffs? I often wonder just what the State Convention does which could not be achieved as efficiently and effectively at the local association.

Tim Hardaway's Outrageous Comments?????

2007-02-16T10:50:00.000-08:00

NBA Response to Tim Hardaway

Recently Tim Hardaway a retired National Basketball Association all star player raised the almost universal ire of both print and electronic media by his statement that he hates homosexuals. Hardaway was wrong. It is wrong to "hate" people. I would hope, however, that this does not continue the slippery slope of acceptance of the aberrant lifestyle of homosexuality.

One might find the practice and lifestyle totally abhorrent, but it is no less abhorrent than the sexual promiscuity promulgated by the heterosexual community in the NBA. I find it ironic that the NBA would make such a strong statement of condemnation of Hardaway while lionizing and promoting those whose lifestyles of moral corruption violate nearly every principle of a significant segment of society. Drug abuse, cheating, fraud, violation of amateur status while in college, attacking a coach, and attacking fans do not result in being “banned” from extracurricular NBA activities, but speaking harshly about those in the homosexual community do. Does the word “inequitable” seem to fit here?

The Dennis Rodman’s of NBA society are infinitely more detrimental to a well-functioning society than Hardaway. However, Hardaway articulated a position against a segment of society which seems to have an inordinate amount of influence relative to the size of its constituency. This ever growing influence is seen in the movement toward same sex marriage and legal unions.

One cannot but wonder aloud what would have been the reaction had Hardaway have said, “I hate fundamentalist Christians.” While I’m certain that some would have lamented his statement, it would have had little impact upon his life, and would have commanded little or not attention in the media. Yes. I think “inequity” is a very appropriate word.

The Lord is My Shepherd Part 1

2007-02-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

The Lord is My Shepherd
Psalms 23:1-6
Part #1 of 3
Preached at Immanuel Baptist Church
Slidell, Louisiana
January 28, 2007

1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

I’m going to deal with the 23rd Psalm in a little different way than I deal with a passage. As we move along, we’ll have words on the overhead so that you can have a clear definition of their meaning.

Let’s start our examination of the 23rd Psalm by just the first two words, “The Lord.” You know it doesn’t say, a Lord, it says, The Lord. That definite article is pointing to the Lord God of Heaven. It’s not “a Lord”. This passage does not speak of a possible choice from a pantheon of gods. The Lord, now Lord, that’s Yahveh God, the God of the covenant who is able to establish a covenant and to maintain it, even when you and I are unfaithful. I’m so thankful that my position in Christ doesn’t depend upon my being good all the time. I’ll tell you, I’m glad when I grew up, my relationship to my parents didn’t depend on me being good all the time. I was still their child. When I embarrassed them by my behavior, I was their child.

I’m so thankful that God loves me in spite of me, I’m going to tell you, there is nothing within me to commend me to God, except the Love of God. You know what your heart is like, you know how you get twisted and turned, how you are occasionally led astray, how you are sometimes distracted by the cares of this world. You know how that goes. Isn’t it great to know that God loves us, even though we’re sometimes, may I say often times not very lovely, God loves us in spite of ourselves.

You see these sweet, lovely couples and you understand how it’s easy for them to love each other. But it is very encouraging to know that there are people who love us in spite of ourselves. If we’re honest most of us would have to admit that we’re pretty fortunate to have anybody that loves us, it’s amazing why anybody want to love us. Listen that love they demonstrate toward us is not dependent upon what we do for them. We have a relationship, a marriage, a brotherhood of believers, a blood kinship which demands love.

So what then is love? Love is acting in such a way as to demonstrate we care about a person’s well being. The Lord, the God of the covenant the one who has promised a redeemer, the one who sent that redeemer, the one who has promised His Spirit, and sent His Spirit, the one who has promised to return and I tell you He will return, that one has established a covenant with those who have become His followers. We are in a personal and intimate relationship with Him. He is the Lord of the universe, not just one of a multitude of gods. He is the one true God.. He is the God of glory, the one who is revealed in scripture. He is the creator. He is the one who spoke the world into existence. He is the one that gave life to every living thing He is the one that separated the darkness from the light and called one day and one night. He’s the one who separated the great waters in the watery deep and put the earth in the midst of them. He is the one that called the seven seas into their locations. The great oceans are scattered and separated the way God wanted them to be separated.

We are kept by God, the Lord of the covenant. He has made a covenant with man and we can stand and believe in that covenant. This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days He says I will write My words in their minds and I will write them upon their hearts. That tells me that the Lord, the God of glory is active in the affairs of men and God puts into our minds understanding and then He puts into our hear the desire to obey Him, the Lord, there is no other Lord..

Then comes the verb, “The Lord is”. Not long ago a prolonged debate on the meaning of the word “is” was promulgated by a certain political figure. When you study other languages you soon learn that mastering the verb “to be” is essential to learning the language. When Scripture says, “the Lord is”, there is no room for equivocation. There is not hint of possibility. There is the proclamation that He absolutely “is”. Scripture doesn’t say that one day the Lord might become, or could grow to be. No Scripture says, “The Lord is.” That is a positive affirmation.

Then the psalmist says, my shepherd . Wow, my shepherd, a shepherd generally has to do with ruling or guiding. A shepherd was charged with the responsibility oh having his sheep in the proper pasture with the best graze, and that they be safe. David is saying here is that the Lord is my boss. My wife gave me a cap for Christmas which says, “ Jesus is my boss.”

The Lord ought to be our boss. He ought to determine where we will go and when we will be there. I often ask people how they came to be in South Louisiana. They give all sorts of reasons, but seldom do they say attribute it to God’s Divine intervention in their lives. Someone might say, “I was in the military in Virginia and met this young lady who was attending University there. She was from the New Orleans area. We married and when I was discharged from the military we looked for a job in South Louisiana.”

We who are believers in Christ, need to learn to God’s Divine providence in orchestrating our lives. We ought to have a sense of God’s leadership in where we live, and what we do. We ought not simply move from one place to another while looking for that perfect job, community, church, or house. It’ll be a great day for us when we understand that our job is to obey the Lord. The Lord is my shepherd.

The word shepherd includes both provision and protection. He is a protector and a provider. His purpose for sending us where He does is so we can do that which honorsHim and glorifies Him. Our purpose is not to bring honor and glory to ourselves but to bring honor and glory to the God of glory. The Lord is my shepherd. He is the one whose responsibility it is to provide for me and mine. My responsibility is to find His will and do it by His strength. I’m so glad that it’s not my responsibility. Let me tell you, we’re pretty flimsy.

I remember on one occasion in India where we were 30-35 kilometers away from the city of Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. We traveled out by auto-rickshaw only to discover at the close of the service that night there was no transportation available. We thought we might have to stay the night, but the locals were afraid for us because we had stirred up the ire of the militant Hindus in that area. They had thrown rocks into the compound where we were worshiping and attempted to disrupt the proceedings. We prayed and told God it was His problem. If he wanted us to stay the night, we were willing.

God then sent two people on motor scooters to us and they transported us back to the hotel on those scooters. Now these folks had not been out looking for people to give rides into the city. They were moved, I believe, by the Holy Spirit to go to the house of the pastor there. You see, God had everything planned. Our job was to be where God wanted us, doing what He wanted. The details were and are His problem. It seems to me the more we worry the more foolish we appear when God finally reveals His plan. I believe God delights to work things out and God just worked it out. Let me tell you, it didn’t surprise God that those people were agitated against us over there. It didn’t surpriseHim at all. It didn’t surprise God that we needed transportation. The shepherd knows our needs before we ask them.

God knows what’s going to happen to you tomorrow. It will not take Him by surprise. Listen the Shepherd knows our need. He knows where we are. He knows our heart, our fear, and our failings. The Lord is my shepherd.

Now I want to tell you something else. Because the Lord is my Shepherd, “I shall not want.” That word “want” means to have a lack of. So what the Psalmist is telling me here is that I shall not lack in what I have need of. It means my needs will be met. Glory! Glory! Glory! Jesus Christ declared that He came that we might have live life to its fullest. He will provide every necessity for us to accomplish what He calls us to do on this earth.

Consider what He said, “The lilies of the field, they toil not, neither do they spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was never arrayed like one of these.” God doesn’t want us to live our lives with a sense of lack. He said, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall have no lack of what I need.” Wow! I shall have no lack of what I need for living the abundant fruitful life. Now that doesn’t mean that I’ll always be able to have that $200 package with charter cable. That doesn’t mean that I’ll always be able to buy a new car every year. That doesn’t mean that I’ll be able to go to Neiman Marcus shopping twice a year. That’s not what it means. What it does mean is that God will meet every need you and I have to fulfill His purpose for us here upon this earth. I shall have no lack there of. I shall have what I need because the Lord is my shepherd. I trust Him.

When I was a child we would walk up in my Grandfather’s pasture on warm Spring Sunday afternoons, and we’d pick flowers. They seemed to grow everywhere. There was one tiny lily looking flower we called a flag. It was beautiful. Purple running to yellow with yellow pistil. The only purpose of those flowers is to adorn God’s earth with beauty. They fulfilled that function to perfection. Oh, that you and I would seek to fulfill our function to perfection.

Listen to me, dear friends. If God takes care of the flowers and clothes them in such beautiful array why do we have to think that God won’t take care of us, why do we worry, why do we get our lives so convoluted, so messed up, so fouled up worrying about things that we have no control over. God knows our needs, God knows what we have need of before we ask Him. Now He expects us to ask because asking is an act of faith, but God knows our needs.

The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want. You know the sparrow is a fairly dull bird. There are untold numbers of them everywhere, it seems. They don’t have the brilliant colors of the cardinal or bluebird. They’re don’t intrigue like the tiny, beautiful hummingbird. But Scripture tells us that God know when one of these seemingly insignificant creatures falls to the earth. Listen Jesus didn’t die for the sparrow. He didn’t leave heaven and walk the dusty streets of that small Palestinian country for the lilies of the field. He did it for me, and for you. Don’t you think that if God cares about the sparrows and the lilies, you can trust Him to care about you?

God really cares about you, God’s really concerned about you and your functioning on your job, He’s concerned about you and your functioning with your neighbors, He’s concerned about you and your work in your family, He’s concerned about you being an influence to your community. God cares about you. It’s a matter of trust, can we trust God to meet our needs, or do we have to go through life worrying because things aren’t going like we thought they should?

Every time I take my mind of God’s plan, I begin to worry. I look at the steel laying on the ground on our property and I know that we simply cannot afford that building in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s decimating of our congregation. It is a scary thing to just think about paying the light bill on that building. But I knew 5 years ago God wanted us to build that building. I didn’t know it was going to come as a result of a storm. Listen the steel is paid for. It’s laying on the ground and it’s paid for. I trust God, but there are moments when I’m a little weak, I say, “God did I make a mistake?” But, dear friends, I trust Him. As much as I know about His plan for Immanuel Baptist Church, we’re right in the center of His will in this matter. So I have to feed my faith and starve my doubts. I have read His Word and pray. I have to return to that point where I’m certain He is directing my path. Then I marvel at my lack of faith. How could I doubt Him?

Some of you have made significant personal purchases over the last couple of years. You’ve prayed, you’ve waited, and you prayed some more. You’ve committed your path to Christ, consciously sought His guidance. So don’t begin to fret when things become tight at point along the path. God is capable of providing supernaturally for your personal needs, the same as He does for the sparrows. Just continually submit your self to His leadership, and be willing to do whatever He leads you to do.

Over the last four years, we’ve been able, as a church, to minister to many families. God has used us to put transmissions in cars, to rebuild cars, to purchase cars, God’s helped us to buy beds, and hot water heaters, even air conditioners for people, I don’t know where that money came from. God always seems to provide the funds necessary to accomplish what He wants us to do. Listen, if He does that in the church, He’ll do that in your individual life, but you’ve got to learn to trust Him, and you got to be faithful. Unlike the sparrow, you can choose to obey. You must be faithful to serve God, faithful with your finances, faithful with your trust, learn to obey Him in all things. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. You can place your own name there.

The Psalmist then makes another statement. He makes me to lie down. Think on that for a moment. God, My Lord, my boss, makes me lie down. He expects me to rest, to relax, to lie down. Sometimes God has to get our attention to make us rest, but He delights to give rest to His people. Dr. Adrian Rogers once preached a sermon entitled, “How To Rest in Peace Without a Tombstone.” The theme was that one could live his life even in the midst of the chaos of the environment with a sense of refreshing peace.

It matters not the number of hours you work each day. If you’re going where God wants you to go, doing what God wants you to do, you’ll have all the energy you need to accomplish the task. However, if you’re continually running out of day before you run out of deeds then it may be that you need to reevaluate that to do list. Perhaps you need a “don’t do” list. You might need to make sure that God is arranging your schedule rather than the circumstances of life. After all, we know who controls the circumstances of life, don’t we.

Listen if you don’t let God arrange your schedule, if you don’t let God plan your day, plan your week, plan your month, I don’t understand how in the world you can make it. You’re depending on your own strength and your own power. But I’m telling you that when God is leading us, when we’re doing what God wants us to do, the way God wants us to do it, where God wants us to do it, in God’s power, in God’s strength we’ll have all the energy, we’ll have all the strength, we’ll have all the resources we need to accomplish that task for His glory. I couldn’t serve a God who would tell me to do something and not give me the where with all to accomplish it.

I believe if God told me to jump over this building He’d give me the legs to do it. God’s in that business, that’s what God does. He makes me to lie down. He makes me to rest. Oh how we need to learn to rest in the Lord. It all comes bact to trusting God. If you’re anxious, if you’re easily agitated over your circumstances and situations because you’ve not learned to trust God, you’ll not rest.

I remember as a young man how from time to time something would not arrive when I thought it should have been there. Now sometimes it didn’t happen because I was not diligent to order it in a timely manner. That’s probably happened to you hasn’t it. You’ve procrastinated and then when something didn’t arrive when you needed it, you were upset. Maybe you’ve never done that, but I have. Then there are those times I did everything I needed to do, did it when I needed to do it and it still wasn’t there on time. Man, oh man, I’d pace back and forth. I’d yell and then I’d call the delivery service or the post office and I’d make a complete fool of myself by talking harshly and rudely to them. Now, I sure none of you have ever done such a thing. I want you to understand that was when I was much younger.

Listen, I learned that when I’m doing what God wants me to do and I’ve done it in a timely manner like God wants me to do it, and something’s not happening the way it should, I need to start looking for God’s divine intervention; or I need to start looking to see what I need to learn as a result of this situation. You see, God knows what’s going on, we just have to trust Him, it’s not our problem, it’s God’s problem, and the problem with most of us is that we just haven’t learned to trust God, we haven’t learned to say God it’s your problem, we’ve made it our problem and we’ve taken control of it, we’ve taken responsibility for it, and we intend to see it through if it kills us and everybody connected with it, the fact is, it’s God’s problem when we obey Him.

Now don’t get upset at God or UPS if you’ve been late placing your order, let God teach you a lesson there, do things in a timely manner. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me to lie down.

Next the Psalmist says, “in green pastures.” “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” This “green” means a tender, ripe, succulent sprout. My cows and horses love that tender sprout of grass. The problem is that the tender sprout is often not well rooted in the ground, and the livestock pull it out as they’re eating it. But that tender sprout is the most desirable of all the graze. Sheep, cows, and horses are drawn to it like I’m drawn to Lemon Icebox Pie. He makes me to lie down in green pastures.

One must realize that the pasture is the center of the sheep’s existence. He lives there. That is where he accomplishes his life’s work of growing wool and raising lambs. That says to me that God wants us to enjoy our life’s work. Those places of rest are not just any old place. They are the most choice places anywhere. When we’re trusting God and allowing Him to guide us, we can be sure that He gives us His very best for us.

Finally scripture says He leads me besides still waters, He leads. Scripture says that God led the Children of Israel into the wilderness when they left Egypt. Now I know that doesn’t fit contemporary theology, but God does sometimes lead through hardship. He could have led Israel out of Egypt and on to Kadesh Barnea in a very short time, but it took them two years to arrive there by the circuitous route He chose for them. He led them by the difficult path.

Let me tell you that your path may appear frustratingly difficult at times. But you must believe that God leads. You must trust His choice of routes. The Psalmist says He leads us “beside the still waters.” This passage is often pictures as a clear, cool, brook rippling over smooth rocks. But the Bible says these waters are quiet, they’re calm. The quiet and calm spirit which reflects an abiding trust in the Father’s direction, provision, and protection.

Are you resting in the soft tender sprouts of calm and quiet as you resolutely give yourself to again and again to God’s service? Are you demonstrating by your calm and quiet spirit that you trust God’s leadership for your life. Do you and those around you depend upon God’s divine provision and protection?

Today, if you recognize a need, that means God’s Holy Spirit is dealing with you. Will you make Him the boss of your life today? You can’t come to Christ on your own. You must respond to the urging of your heart. My prayer is that this day, you will confess your need of Him as Lord and Savior, and put your trust in Jesus Christ.

If you know that you are a believer, but you’re not enjoying the rest that He has promised to those who follow Him, then it is certain that you have unconfessed and unrepented of sin in your life. I might not some great moral sin, it might be the sin of prayerlessness, or failure to study His Word, or failure to share His grace. It might be that you occasionally give into the pressures of the world, and demonstrate a lack of trust in His guidance, provision, and protection. 1 John 1:9 was written just for you. “If you confess that sin, He is faithful and just to forgive it and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness.” Trust Him today. Take Him at His word.

© Mike Rasberry 2007