No Political Party is Home for me

I have long supported the Republican Party because the platform was mostly pro life, and pro traditional family.  President Trump’s pragmatic populism has opened the door to acceptance of non-traditional families, and abortion.

Now please DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND, the Republican platform does not actively promote those issues as does the Democrat platform, but acceptance usually leads to the embracing of an issue.

MANY OTHER ISSUES. The administrative state, the military, border security, the economy, the rise of China’s influence in the Southern hemisphere, the radical Muslim agenda, rogue nations with destructive weapons, support for Israel, the judiciary, the DOJ’s use of lawfare against political opponents, Second Amendment rights, autonomy of local churches, & the mobilization of artificial intelligence are all issues about which I have great concern and about which the Republican Party continues to hold firm.

Most voters are motivated by one or two issues, and those are what politicians use to energize voters.  Abortion and traditional family have been those energizing factors for multitudes of Evangelical Believers in Christ as LORD.   Now, cracks have appeared in what has heretofore been a solid front against the lowering of standards by the pragmaticism overtaking the Elephant Tribe.

NO HEAD IN THE SAND PHILOSOPHY.  Though I disagree with portions of the Republican platform, I will exercise the opportunity to cast a meaningful vote to prevent the current administration from retaining control and continuing the precipitous slide toward socialistic anarchy. I will not waste my vote on some obscure party which has no chance of victory, and usually has just as many objections as the two major parties.  I WILL VOTE FOR THE REPUBLICAN TICKET!

NO PLACE TO REST MY HEAD.  I do not now believe, nor have I ever believed, that President Trump is a doctrinaire conservative.  He seems to be a pragmatic conservative whose beliefs are shaped by the prevailing winds of the electorate.   I’m not saying that is bad, because the President ought reflect the positions of the electorate, but that leaves conservative Evangelical Believers without a dependable bastion of political influence.

RE-EVALUATE LOYALTY.  I’m not sure that losing political influence is all that bad.  We who are American Believers must understand that we live in a culture unlike any the world has ever known.  We’ve had blessings without political interference, and we’ve prospered beyond anything ever imagined by the early church, as well as most of the contemporary Believers scattered throughout the world.  Yet, some in our tribe seem to have placed an inordinate amount of trust in this political party, and are experiencing extreme “buyers remorse,” without adequately pondering the full implications of the situation.   THE BELIEVER’S LOYALTY MUST BE FIRST TO JESUS CHRIST!  We must understand that it is not the government to which we owe our first allegiance.  God, in His own unfathomable way, is the one who has been gracious to provide through the government, and it is God who will allow us to either wallow in the sin of self-pity as oppression inevitably comes, or will deliver us from that oppression through a fresh sense of His presence in our lives individually and collectively.  

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS.   I fear that the failure of American Believers to appropriate the blessings of God to live effective Christ-like lives in the midst of plenty, while indulging ourselves in the things of this world to the point that Jesus Christ is hardly an afterthought in the minds of many who claim to be His disciples is bringing upon us the judgement hand of God.  

I will vote the Republican ticket because it is the best of the worst, but I have no home there!

President Biden's most Presidential Moment Ever

President Biden said that the voters must decide whether, or not, to stop President Trump from regaining the White House.  

That is the nature of America, and it is the reason we hold elections and submit ourselves to years of campaigning.   It is too bad that President Biden's comments come ONLY on the heels of rulings by SCOTUS which scuttled numerous efforts to keep President Trump off the ballot.  

If the Dems can convince enough people that the course America is set on is the correct one, then they will prevail.  However, it seems strange that they so fear the former President, that they don't trust their arguments to defeat him.   They have been deterred by numerous  constitutional roadblocks in their frenzied fight to avoid placing their agenda in the hands of the electorate.

President Biden might have been chaffing under the lash of SCOTUS' whip as he made his recent remarks following the debate which revealed to most of the world his cognitive decline and his dancing to the strings of unseen and unnamed puppeteers.   HOWEVER, he was correct.  LET THE ELECTORATE DECIDE! 

Death of the Chevron Legacy

 Ian Millhiser, writing on VOX, follows the typical liberal drift each time the "deep state" agencies and staffers lose a little control when he writes, "The Supreme Court handed down what is likely to be one of its most consequential modern-day decisions on Friday."   While I agree with him that this is likely to be a very consequential decision, I disagree with his conclusions that the decision is bad.  Rather, I believe it is a much needed correction.  

In "Chevron" the courts and congress ceded to the deep state staffers and agencies the ability to interpret laws, and actually add requirements to the implementation of said laws.

The current SCOTUS reversed that, and returned the policy making responsibilities to the elected congress.   In "Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo" the court gutted a decades old decision which had allowed, and even encouraged the unelected deep staters to actually build up a legislative system by which they issued regulations on nearly aspect of our daily life.

The frustration of the typical citizen with the exponential growth of egregious regulatory has been displayed by the rise of populism and the extraordinary support for reformers like Donald J. Trump.   If liberals really want to defeat Trumpism, they must embrace a return to elected legislative power, however, that would actually destroy liberalism, because most of the regulations being perpetrated on the citizenry would never pass the scrutiny of the legislative bodies.

Both the court and the legislature are responsible for allowing these nameless staffers and agencies which have proliferated over the last forty years to achieve such power, because it is hard work to bring bills to congress and do the necessary leg work to gain passage.   This allows for a "do nothing" legislative body to draw huge salaries, benefits, and retirement with raising the ire of the citizens they are there to serve, because nearly every bill has "pro" and "con" positions.

The folks at American Action Forum report that the economic costs of the regula-holics have reached over $1 trillion in just over three years in Office and that this price tag on private households and businesses is TRIPLE the cost under Obama.  It’s 30 times higher than new regs under Trump.

If we want a return to rationality in this era of regulatory excess, this is a good start and SCOTUS should be applauded for having the backbone to hand down such a decision.

Attacking Southerners Again

I have recently encountered numerous individuals who seem intent on disparaging the  life and work of Robert E. Lee and those who fought for the Confederacy.

I am an American, I've been to war on behalf of our country, and I'm steeped in the patriotic traditions of America.  HOWEVER, though most Southerners were poor, and few owned slaves, and I would never have fought to preserve slavery, I would have fought against the invasion of the South in the war of Northern Aggression.  

While slavery was certainly an issue, the real issue is one which continues to trouble us today.  That is, should an elitist group of intellectuals along the Eastern Seaboard be allowed to dictate their morality, or immorality, to those of us in what has come to be known as "fly over country?"  

Force of arms is never best, until and unless all other options have been exhausted.  The day may once again rear its head when armed conflict between Americans over philosophical, cultural, and political issues is forced upon the land.  I pray it doesn't happen, but more and more forces in the hallowed halls of governance seem intent upon pressing down upon freedom loving Southerners and Mid-Westerners.  

Should such a day arrive, we can only pray that God raises up such a man as Robert E Lee to give leadership and impetus to those seeking a devout leader of men.

One More Socialist

Today I read an article by Harold Meyerson, self-professed socialist and editor at Large of “The American Prospect.” 

In typical liberalese, he validates the farcical trial conducted in New York, and denigrates the followers of Trump as men whose masculinity hangs by a thread.  

Meyerson names deunionization as one cause for the economic slump, and seems to believe that anyone who actually acts like a man is insecure in his skin.  He wants President Trump to affirm the corrupt election of 2020, and agree that the results of most egregious trial in the history of our nation should stand.  

Meyerson’s pseudo-psychological analysis of President Trump’s thought processes seem almost to reflect an inner conflict within himself which can only be exorcised by irrationally attacking the man.

Just one more in a long line of pseudo-intellectuals who seem to have garnered enough following to get paid to write such tripe.

Perverse Democrats and Head in the Sand Republicans

This morning I read an editorial by John Daniel Davidson in which he opined that Republicans should do to Democrats what they did to President Trump.  While I understand the sentiment, I simply do not believe the majority of Republican leaning voters and elected officials have the intestinal fortitude to carry out such hubris.

The members of the Democrat Party have proven over the last seventy years their willingness to sink to any depths to achieve their aim, which is simply maintaining power.  Republicans, on the other hand, seem to desire to exude a gentlemanly benign attitude of being above the fray.  They seem willing to allow the country to completely dissolve rather than engage the dastardly deeds on a level field.

Common voters contribute to this malaise when they shun discussions of a political nature for fear of inciting emotions and creating an uncomfortable atmosphere.  These “Head in the Sand” people seem to want to pretend that as long as they avoid any confrontations, they can enjoy their peaceful lives.  Wringing their hands over abuses in their small enclaves of like-minded individuals, they seem to believe their avoidance of controversy and confrontation is some sort of moral high ground.

I am reminded of King Hezekiah in 2 Kings, Chapter 20, when God healed him and extended his life Hezekiah sinned greatly in God’s eyes, and God punished him,  16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the Lord: 17 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the Lord.  18 'And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"   

Hezekiah’s response was that no matter how it affected those to follow, at least there would be peace in his days.  19  So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!"  For he said, "Will there not be peach and truth at least in my days?"

These “Head in the Sand” people seem only interested in avoiding personal discomfort in order to spend their days in peace.  It is manifested in both elected officials, and in the voting public.  

How long can the Republic stand with these attitudes?

Sham Trial in New York

My heart is heavy this morning as I ponder the outcome of the sham trial in New York.  As I’ve traveled the world, and been welcomed into homes in many diverse cultures, I’ve found the people with whom I’m visiting enamored with the greatness of America.  That greatness resides, I believe, in the fact that God’s hand has rested so heavily upon the governance of the land, and that governance was distinguished by justice in the highest levels of the land.  

Certainly abuses have abounded, and certainly when those abuses were exposed, justice was meted out.  HOWEVER, in all my readings, I’ve never seen such abuses of power as those exercised by the judge and prosecutor in their transparent attempt to prevent President Trump from being re-elected.  

“Banana Republic” is the phrase most often postulated to describe the high-handed actions of the political elite who seem to fear losing their positions so much they will resort to the most base of actions, even to the demeaning of the court system, in order to achieve their aims.

I do not know what tomorrow, or next year holds for America because once these walls have been breached, it will certainly result in more and more breaches until the walls fall, leaving only the “strongman” who is able to surround himself with loyal adherents, or a dissolving of the Union.  

I know that my peace is not dependent upon political action, but I also know that just as God led to the dissolution of the British Empire, so He can lead to a new union of like minded states joining together to build another independent country based upon the principles of His Word.   I pray for Revival, but if revolution comes, it will not take me unaware.

The Coming Election

 On Halloween Day in 1864, congress admitted Nevada to the union as the 36th state.  Nevada failed to meet the required number of citizens, 60,000 by fully one-third; however, her rich silver mines and her promise to support President Lincoln in the 1864 election carried the day.  

We are nearing a national election which could very well turn on whether or not genuine Believers are willing to set aside personal considerations in order to insure that a candidate whose stated positions are so contrary to Biblical principles is not elected.

Time and again the citizenry are disheartened as elected officials allow political expediency to trump their campaign promises.  However, now is not the time to crawl into a virtual cave and give in to the sense of hopelessness which continually whispers, “What is the use anyway?”  Rather, now is the time to dig down deeply and stand up for your faith based principles.  Every Christian Citizen must become a sacrificial statesman willing to put his future, his wealth, and his life on the line for the cause of truth in these days.

Compare the stated positions of the two candidates: (1) One Supports abortion without limits–the other does not. (2) One candidate openly supports an organization which is instigating mass civil disorder in many cities while one calls for the arrest and prosecution of those who are destroying property.. (3)  One candidate favors statehood for both Washington D.C, and Puerto Rico, while the other believes that such political dependencies should not become states. (4) One candidate believes the failed socialism of Europe & South America should be tried here–the other is a strong proponent of free enterprise. (5) One candidate believes the way to curb violence is to confiscate legal guns from the citizenry, while one believes strongly in the Second Amendment.  (6) One candidate believes the government can more effectively use your earnings than you and wants to repeal tax cuts while adding additional taxes–the other candidate believes the American people can be trusted with the funds they earn, and that increased taxes is counterproductive to strengthening the economy. (7) One candidate believes that he can legislate the way churches and religious communities exercise their worship, while one believes that Freedom of Worship should not be abridged by government.

 

Now, I’m not going to tell you who believes what.  You have several days to ascertain which is which.  The time has come to stand up and be counted by determining the truth, and voting in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.

Should God visit upon us a season of chastisement as He occasionally did National Israel by raising up a leader contrary to His way, we should not despair.  We stand by His grace and not by our strength, riches, or ingenuity.  I believe God has blessed America because of our willingness to export the “Good News” of Jesus Christ.  The opportunity to continue to utilize our bountiful resources to that end could cease as we become more and more pre-occupied with own comfort and prosperity.  The season of chastisement would be occasion to re-evaluate our priorities and turn once again to the ultimate calling of all genuine Believers found in Matthew 28:18ff.

Nevada would eventually have become a state, but political expediency caused the bending of rules and suspending of hard and fast criteria to insure the re-election of President Lincoln.  Let us not compromise Biblical principles for the empty promise of a life of ease where everyone sits on his own ivory couch under his own fig tree.

What Next From SCOTUS?

Early Christians were willing to face any amount of torture rather than agree that the state (Caesar) held authority over Christ’s Church.  They understood that there could only be one LORD.  Either Jesus Christ is LORD, or the state is.

During the first three hundred years of Church History, the state dominated the political, economic, and cultural environment.  However, in the early fourth century, an emperor arose who wed the state with the church, and the Holy Roman Empire was birthed.  Now, Rome had been the predominant world power for about four hundred years, but now ostensibly the state and Church would share power.

The result of this marriage was a thousand years of darkness where churchmen became rulers of men through their dark alliance with various governments, so that tyranny under the papal clerics was worse than any under secular governments. 

The American Founding Fathers understood that government and religion could not be wed.  They incorporated into the Constitution guarantees for the free exercise of religion, even while establishing secular government as the political and economic power.  Religion had no authority over the state, but neither could the state subsidize, limit, or show preference to religion. 

The Supreme Court of the United States has affirmed that position time and time again until Friday, May 29, 2020.  The decision of John Roberts to join with the liberal wing of the SCOTUS and allow the state of California to limit church attendance in effect, authorizes the state to define what does and does not constitute a church.  Something heretofore steadfastly opposed by SCOTUS.

What does it mean in practical terms?  Local municipalities will be energized to limit churches, they might even go so far as to determine that enough churches exist and prohibit the establishment of new ones.  In times past local entities have tried to define churches by the number of attendees and/or income.  One entity in a Mid-Western State went so far as to say that a body was not a church unless such and such percentage of the income was for pastoral support.  The SCOTUS rejected each and every attempt to define church by government entities UNTIL YESTERDAY.

Conservative churchmen have long felt that the time is rapidly approaching when Genuine Believers will be separated from the cultural christians which seem to make up a large portion of church memberships.   With the advent of radical feminism, the homosexual agenda, metooism, and now the pandemic fear; the stage is set for the state to define legitimate church activities by the degree with which the church agrees with and practices what the state promotes.  The rumblings can already be heard within the bowels of once staunch Biblical bodies, as more and more justification for acquiescence to state edicts are expounded from once sound pulpits across the land. 

That Believers in America have become soft, lazy, and ineffective ambassadors for Christ is almost without dispute.  Socially acceptable pastors, and deacons invited in the debauched settings without a word of rebuke being raised demonstrates the weakness of the so-called spiritual leaders of today.  Each time I consider the lives of those who stood for Biblical principles and the consequences they paid, I shudder to think in America today, the most celebrated of men are often pulpiteers who stress blending to the extent that they are almost spiritual Neville Chamberlains.  “It is only a little bit, this compromise we make,” they opine. 

Time and again, I return to the analogy of my Grandfather’s pasture gap which was sealed by five round poles resting in notches in the fence post.  At one point someone was in a hurry and failed to replace the top pole, well that wasn’t bad because there were still four and the cows were still contained.   Then one day a boy broke the current top pole while climbing over it.  Again, there remained three poles to restrain the cows from wandering from the pasture.  However, that very afternoon, one of my uncles ran over one of the poles and broke it.  Now, only two poles remained, and new poles needed to be cut because now the cows could just step across.  That is exactly what happened, the cows always thinking the grass was richer and greener outside the pasture, were soon in Grandmother’s garden.  When the boys returned with the poles, they had much, much bigger problems.  Winter’s food was being devoured by the cows which were simply doing what comes naturally to them.

In much the same way, government is naturally inclined toward control.  As long as government is contained and limited by the Constitution and those limits are supported by SCOTUS, people are mostly safe and prosperous.  But once those poles in the gap begin to come down, they are almost impossible to put back before irreparable damage is done.

EVEN SO, COME LORD JESUS!

TODAY'S GUERRILLA WARFARE

On March 14, 1954 a force of 40,000 Vietnamese guerrillas 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 guerrilla 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 Native American Indians whose attack and retreat methods coupled with their ability to launch deadly assaults from hiding 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 guerrilla 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 guerrilla 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 multiple foes who are little influenced by public opinion or the need for popular approval.  While these enemies give little thought to affecting a military victory, they are purposeful and vicious in their attacks upon the soft underbelly of the collective American psyche.    Lacking the firm resolve with which to confront these enemies we might well return to the wavering and mushy “jello diplomacy” of the late 1970's & the Obama years.

Middle Eastern Terrorism, Chinese Expansionism, and Russian Militaristic Intrigue have been relegated to back burner priority as the Covid-19 pandemic has decimated the nation’s once explosively dynamic economy.  And the battle raging across the fruited plain has devolved into a blame game, as leftists on the West Coast, Big Cities, and Upper East Coast, with a complicit national media, seem more intent on attempting to discredit a President, than in returning the country to her former prosperous, powerful, and influential position.

Never doubt that the guerrilla tactics of the main players have lessened, however.  China’s actions in the aftermath of the spread of the Huwan originated virus have exposed that countries leadership as ruthless and ambitious for world dominion, while Russia appears to be playing their typical waiting game as they foment confusion and probe for weaknesses which will allow them to gobble up yet another indefensible country.    The Middle East Terrorists, meanwhile, are experiencing fewer disposable monies directed toward terrorism because of the oil glut and decline in demand for oil.

Perhaps the most odious participants in the current drama are the Pelosi/Schumer liberals who are continually attempting to hijack every initiative by attaching onerous plan after onerous plan intended to build some measure of political capital, rather than affirm integrity and statesmanship.  They obfuscate to the degree that their tactics seem drawn from the Guerrilla Tactic Handbook.

What lies ahead should we not stand firm and establish policies which will deliver us from dependence upon these self-serving governments whose sole desire is to subjugate and/or destroy America, is a repetition of both real and contrived crises until the American people either capitulate, or rise up and strike out decisively against our foes.

I believe the greatest threat to world peace would be our unwillingness to seize this moment in history to re-establish our complete independence and become once again self-reliant.  I pray our politicians and the American Public grasp this moment.

The Wake of Johnny Davis

It wuz the Sprang afore my eighth birthday that Jack come to live with us.  During them days thar war’ many Jacks traveling 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 showin up at our place thar’ along the Sowashee Creek.

 Now Pap didn't thank anythang jest happened.  He'as big believer that the Almighty was working thangs out to benefit them whut belonged to Him.  So, since him and Uncle Will wuz a'figuring on clearing that thar new ground south of the creek and since Jack war willing to work fer feed and found, it peered to him that this was the Almighty's way of saying to git to it.

 I‘as always jest a little scart’ of Jack. I thank maybe it was cause of that thar 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 plumb 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'ld 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 ever manjack  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 'squiters started to find the range as the even'n wore on and people started to head back inside.  Somebody asked whur 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.  Comst 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’as whiter‘n airey 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 agin 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.  E'rybody kinda laughed and it seemed like the anger just disappeared.

After a spell people stopped talking about Johnny's wake.  E'rybody 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.   An I for shore knowed I'd ner’ fergit the wake of Johnny Davis.

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

I’ve Discovered I’m Lazy

I have come to the realization that I’ve grown very lazy in my dotage.  I really don’t want to do anything except sit around and drink coffee and tea.  Now, this might not be a new reality, but it certainly is a new recognition of that reality.

I watch my wife, Diane, up and out like a bee buzzing about doing this and that as if she simply cannot stop.  She has more energy in her right arm than I have in my entire body.  I get tired just watching her.   Oh, I still do stuff, but I just don’t want to any more.  I take great pleasure in the cows, horses, and dogs; but I no longer want to expend the effort to care for them.  I have a great sense of accomplishment when I complete a task, but I’m always wondering, “why bother?”   

I find great pleasure in writing, reading, and studying but my brain is saying that all that seems like a lot of work, and I’d rather be on a creek bank with a fishing pole, if I didn’t have to do what is necessary to make even that happen.  Yes, I’ve become very lazy.

Horseback riding is so relaxing and it allows me an opportunity to think without having much interruption; but catching the horse up, then saddling him sound like work.  And, now that the horses have all grown higher than my leg will reach, just mounting sounds like work.  Yes, there’s little doubt, I’ve become lazy.

I really think I could sit around in my sleeping clothes all day and just do nothing.  My clothes need be put away, but bending over to pull that drawer out is seemingly needless exertion.  The clothes are fine piled where they are, and at least I’ll know where they are the next time I decide to get dressed.  The odds are rising that I’m definitely lazy.

I am a little hungry.  Is there anyone who will bring my meal to me, perhaps a damp cloth so I can wipe my hands.  

I’m not certain there’s a cure for this ailment.  I’m not certain I want one. 

Making Wise Decisions

I hope that you fully understand the import of James 1:5,6, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.”

Sometimes, I forget the simple message that God will give me wisdom to make decisions, if I ask in genuine faith.   We, who are the Children of God, by faith in Jesus Christ; should not allow ourselves to become paralyzed through the inaction self-doubt brings. 

Such paralysis robs us of our initiative, our energy, and our creativity.   Prolonged periods of it might even adversely affect our physiology, making us ill.

We are told in Scripture that there is safety in a multitude of counselors, but sometimes we must act according to our own understanding of the situation.   At such times, it is comforting to repeat the passage above and ask God for guidance and wisdom in making the decisions facing us.

Someone remarked to me that it is well and good to do that if one is walking with God in the power of His Holy Spirit.  Well, let me tell you that I’m thankful that I don’t have to be perfect to ask God for wisdom.   What I must do is believe that He hears me, and that His Word is true.  Then, I must act on what I say I believe, knowing that He that is within me is greater than he that is in the world.   I’ve asked Him, by faith, believing, and He’s promised to guide me in such situations, so I act on the desire He places within my heart.  

I’m telling you that it is an energizing joy to ask, believe, and act on that which He leads me in.   The world, and carnal believers have problems with those of us who don’t spend our time halting between two opinions while awaiting a “sign.”   If you’ve honestly asked for wisdom in a matter, and you’ve done it believing that He hears and rewards those who faithfully seek Him; then trust Him to put into your heart and mind what he wants you to know.  

Just a brief warning.  He will never lead you to do anything which violates Scripture.   But He has given you a mind to understand and a heart to receive His instruction.   Trust Him and act on the desires He places within your heart and mind.  It will bring you great peace, and it will make you more productive in His service.

“Too Old, Too Broke, Too ...”

I’ve been told that I’m too old to start a new church.  I will be seventy-two in June.  I’ve also been told that I don’t have the financial wherewithal to start a new church.  BOTH STATEMENTS ARE TRUE in the natural world. 

I believe God has stirred my heart to take His Church into the market place during these latter days, so that the disinterested, those who fallen out of church, and those who have an animus toward His Church will be confronted with the opportunity to turn to Him by faith.  I believe God wants me to lead a Church which is “Unchained” to tradition, personal family relationships, social norms, or economic downturns.

I realize my limitations, but I also know that God is NOT limited.  For that reason, the name of the new church will be “FaithWay Baptist Church.”   Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  Faith is substance, and it is the evidence of God’s Divine provision.

No one comes to the Father, except through the Son, and only then when drawn by the Holy Spirit; and that coming is based upon faith.  So, the way of Faith is the only way to God, and the way of Faith is the only way to achieve God’s call upon one’s life.

Therefore, FaithWay is descriptive of not only how we come to Christ, but of how we live out the life He calls us to.

Baptist denotes the primary doctrinal position of the church.  There are several non-negotiable positions the church will hold.   They will be spelled out for each individual who becomes a part as he/she goes through a New Member class and agrees to them before becoming a member of the Fellowship.

Church separates the Fellowship from other organizations.   We do not organize to rid the world of evil, sickness, pain, or poverty.  We organize to reflect the life of Jesus in our everyday interactions with people as we devote ourselves to His purpose of seeking and saving those who are lost.

FaithWay Baptist Church will soon begin holding Bible Studies centered around our Membership Covenant.  Those classes will teach everything one needs to know to become a full member.   Classes will probably be held in the homes of interested individuals. 

Ministry Opportunities Available:

A Leadership Team to formulate and carry out ministry objectives, while overseeing the responsibilities listed below.   Team Leaders and responsibilities will evolve and should not be considered rigid.   All team leaders will undergo an intensive training program concerning the Membership Covenant, and be able to lead cell and training groups in the future.  All team leaders must have an outside source of income because the Fellowship will not be able to sustain paid staff for a couple of years, because much of what is received will be re-invested in the facilities, missions, and outreach.

• An individual who can develop and lead a vigorous and exciting musical worship program, that features a blending both contemporary and traditional music.

• An Administrative Assistant to the Senior Pastor to handle extensive writing and publishing of training and outreach materials. 

• An individual to help develop a budget and maintain financial records, and present monthly financial statements.

• An individual whose primary responsibility is maintaining the property and grounds.  This would include recruiting people to assist.

• An individual whose focus is on training and education.  Cell group leaders will answer to this individual.

• An Associate Pastor, who will be trained and serve in all capacities, and function in the Pastor’s stead when occasions require it.

• An Individual whose primary focus is missions and outreach.

• Others as the need arrives.


Now A Personal Word.    I’ve been told that I need to find at least ten people who will give one thousand dollars, and who will be ready to do it again if I get into a bind.   Well, I’m always in a bind, and I don’t know many people who can just send me a thousand dollars at the drop of a hat.  I do know a few thousand people.  I’m asking them to prayerfully make a commitment to send a monthly donation for two years for our personal support.  Any amount will be appreciated and honored as a gift to God’s work.  Both Diane and I receive small Social Security Checks, but no where near enough to sustain us in this endeavor. 

Until the church is organized donations can be made to Faith-Walk Ministries International.  I do have a Pay Pal account, & I’m told funds can be deposited in it. 

Don’t Lean on Swinging Gates

People regularly visit my pasture and whether they be riders, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, or just people looking and talking, they all tend to prop, or climb on the gates.   I understand this because my gates are ideally suited to place a foot on the bottom rail and lean with one, or both, arms on the top rail.  Children seem to find the rails ideal for climbing.  However, what they don’t seem to realize, or remember, is that these gates are somewhat flimsy and only supported on one end.   Repeated leaning and climbing on such gates requires continual repair and/or replacement.


These gates seem much more substantial than the gates of my childhood and youth which usually were of two types.  The first was constructed of four strands of barbed wire, attached to a pole at both ends with another pole in the middle to keep the wires from becoming tangled.  One of the poles was attached permanently to a gate post while the pole on the other end was placed in a loop of wire attached to the bottom of the opposite gate post and the top of the pole had a wire loop which was slipped over it to secure the gate in position.  These gates were not conducive to leaning, or climbing, on because of the prickly nature of barbed wire.

A second type of gate prominent in those days was actually a series of poles inserted horizontally in notches on both gate posts which were slid out, one at a time, in order to open the gate.  This gate seemed more sturdy than it actually was and numerous poles were broken as people climbed, or leaned, on them.   I remember an occasion when I was riding the top rail like a horse when it broke and deposited me on the second rail which in turn also broke.  They definitely were not intended for play.

Even though my modern gate seems more substantial that those earlier gates, it is not intended to support one’s weight.   I’m afraid that many people today are leaning on things which appear substantial, but of themselves are no more stable than my swinging gates.  Education, money, position, pleasure, and health are all worthy pursuits, but they alone, or combined, cannot support
you unless their pursuit is guided by your total commitment to Christ and His purpose for your life.  The old hymn, “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” reminds us that our primary source of support and help is found when we are leaning on Jesus, safe and secure from all alarms. 

Don’t be surprised when the swinging gate you are leaning on comes crashing to the ground.  Put your trust in Jesus, He cannot fail, He must prevail.

SEEING HIM WHO IS INVISIBLE

Just a few weeks ago I preached a sermon entitled “Seeing Him Who Is Invisible.”   I want you to know that it is a subject which is very real to me.

I am no different that everyone else.  I become frustrated with society’s foibles.  I become angry at duplicitous politicians.  I become anxious about the future.  I become discouraged when I am rejected, or ignored.   And I become concerned about the direction of my children and grandchildren.

However, the most debilitating thing I experience is hurt when my actions and words are wrongly attributed to nefarious, or selfish motives. 

Such hurt has the potential to completely derail me from the path God has laid out for me.  The realization of that potential is sufficient in my life to stir me to once again get alone with “Him Who Is Invisible,” and seek a fresh sense of His presence in my life.  Now don’t misunderstand, I fully know, by faith, that He is always near.  But the sense of His personal care and provision for me lifts me from the doldrums, and it is as if I’ve had a conversation with Him. 

I simply do not understand those whose theology will not allow for two way communication between Holy God and man.   There seems to me those around us who believe that God only speaks through His Word.  They discount completely the personal leadership of God in our lives, lest they be associated with those who claim to have received “Revelation” from God.   I believe that all truth can be misused by false teachers, and such is the case with those who believe God has shown them something “different,” or “new.”  

Therefore, I am not afraid to say that God shows me something, or has told me something.   I might not have received it verbally, but I know His leadership, and it is as nearly verbal as one can have without it actually being so. 

James admonishes Believers to not make plans without finding the will of God in the matter, or at least putting the matter in God’s hands.   “If God wills, I will go,” is a clear indication that I should seek His face in all matters.

Because I’ve learned to seek “Him who is invisible,” I can find rest, peace, and hope in spite of whatever is thrown in my path.  I wish this for each reader of this article, that you develop a close intimate relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ, and that He becomes more real to you than any human being.

Remember, He will not give you “new truth,” nor will He contradict Scripture.  However, He will be a friend who sticks closer than a brother.  He will be a constant and abiding companion who guides you, as you seek to serve Him.

Taking Pleasure in Simple Things

This morning was my turn to stay awhile with Mom.  I took advantage of the time to “plunder around” in her living room.  It is filled with “stuff” from a couple of families, and one must be careful lest he gets lost.  However, I had my iphone with the GPS and felt fairly certain I could find my way back to the kitchen eventually.


During the course of my plundering, I saw a simple coffee cup with a crack and a chip and the words Johnny “Chip” Rasberry written in something like fingernail polish. 

Seeing that cup brought back a rush of memories of my Dad.  He was a very simple man who enjoyed life almost as much as he enjoyed people.  The simplest thing could be a source of repeated pleasure for him.

Listening to, or watching a Cardinals Baseball game; drinking coffee with friends and relatives; riding his dog in the back of his truck; and of course talking about his children.  I so want to learn to just enjoy life and people.  Even today, people who knew my Dad speak of his love of life, his friendly personality, his sparkling eyes, and his ready smile.

For many of my generation, those growing up now, life is very complicated and finding joy in a chipped and broken coffee cup is simply not going to happen. 

Perhaps you’re wondering just what the significance of the coffee cup was, and is.  Well, as I’ve said Dad was a great one for fellowship.  On a couple of occasions when he stopped by the Rolling Creek Baptist Church Parsonage for coffee with the Pastor, the Pastor’s wife served him coffee in this chipped cup.  My Dad teased her endlessly about giving him the chipped cup and it became “his” cup.  Every time he visited he was served with that cup.  Eventually she gave it to him as a memento with the inscription mentioned above.  That cup had a place of prominence in their den, and Mom eventually moved it to the living room.

Dear Lord, Please teach me to enjoy the simple things of this world as gifts from You, and to not take lightly those relationships You grace my life with.  Thank You, Lord for reminding me of the great joy available to us for just “living” in this world.  I ask this in the sweet and holy name of Jesus, Amen.

Public Worship

I love contemporary music, if I am able to sing along with it.   I love to listen to it, but many worship services I've attended seem more like concerts where the congregation is not expected to participate in the singing.

This blogger expresses my views quite well in this article entitled, "Why I Didn't Sing When I Visited Your Church."

Whether it is Contemporary, Southern Gospel, or Hymns; if I can't hear the words being sung because the instrumentation is so loud, then I simply don't consider it worship.  Sometimes I feel like I'm being whipped into a frenzy by religious cheer leaders desiring me to cheer the team across the goal line.

Excitement should be an integral part of any worship service, and many services are totally lacking in any sense of anticipation of God doing something.  But easy to sing, well known songs, enhance a service.   I don't mean to imply that "new" music should not be introduced, it should.  However, the preponderance of worship music should be music that almost anyone coming into the service could participate in.

Please take a few moments and read this article by Tim Challis.  I really appreciate Susie Fairchild Lott pointing me to this article.

I'm Sorry

Such a small word, but perhaps one of the most important words in the English language.   To say, “I’m sorry,” is to say that I’ve been wrong and that, too, is a phrase that is very important.  Most of us have such an elevated sense of our own “rightness” that we cannot recognize when we are wrong, and to say, “I’m sorry,” without a sense of having been wrong is disingenuous at best and reeks of manipulation.

I’m wrong so often, that I have difficulty understanding how others can be so wise and correct in all their doings.   Nearly every bad thing that has happened to me is a consequence of either some wrong attitude, or some wrong action.   I think that my only really redeeming quality is that I try to be open to correction.  Such correction, either from another individual or from God, breaks my heart and causes me to cry out to both God and those I’ve offended for forgiveness.  Though people are not always ready to accept my proffered apology, God knows my heart and receives me and wipes away the guilt, leaving me free to begin again.

Starting over with a broken and contrite heart, allows me to experience the presence of God in a very unique way.  It is at that point that I realize that I need His guidance and cannot rely upon my own finite understanding of life and life’s issues.   He is willing to guide me to heights of usefulness, which I never before hoped to attain.  

I have discovered that the primary hindrance to reaching the point of brokenness which results in offering a genuine “I’m sorry” is pride.  Scripture tells us that number one thing God hates is pride.  It was pride which caused Lucifer to rebel against God.  It is pride which keeps me, at times, from admitting I’m wrong.  Pride causes me to defend my position more vehemently and to act irrationally when I am attacked.   

The opposite of pride is humility.  Humility allows me to be wrong.  Humility allows me to treat others with respect.  Humility allows me to recognize the weaknesses and needs of others without discarding them because of those weaknesses, because I realize that God has accepted me, even with all my weaknesses.   

Lord, Please teach me humility in order that I might be able to genuinely say, “I’m sorry.”  I ask this in the sweet name of Jesus, Amen.

The Dedication of Robert Barnwell

The History Channel records this about Robert Barnwell:
 
    At age 16, Barnwell enlisted as a private in the Patriot militia. Wounded 17 times in the Battle of Matthews’ Plantation on St. John’s Island in June 1779, his supplies were taken and he was left for dead on the battlefield. Fortunately, a slave found him and took him to his aunt’s nearby plantation, where he recuperated. He rejoined the militia as a lieutenant the following spring, only to be taken prisoner by the British during the siege of Charleston in May 1780. Barnwell spent the next 13 months imprisoned on the ship Pack Horse. Still undeterred, he joined the militia after his release, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel by the end of the War of Independence.

Oh, that we could find that kind of dedication more widespread today in both political and spiritual matters.   It seems that nearly everyday unveils the kin of someone wounded or killed in war who is launching an all out attack on our attempts to defeat an enemy who shows no quarter, and exacts a terrible price from those he rules.   While in our churches, more and more we hear of people renouncing their belief in God because of some ill which has befallen them or one of those close to them.

Please do not be discouraged by the sudden discovery of those whose lives are ruled by selfish motives.    Many have never been challenged before, and have been carried along by the swift current of popular opinion without forming personal convictions.

We see this often in the lives of those who seem to “turn their backs on God.”  Christ taught clearly that in order to be His disciple one must be willing to subjugate all personal desires, dreams, and relationships to His purpose for the disciple’s life.   That one starting out and finding the way too hard, or too long is not worthy to be called His disciple.  Those who “return” to the way of the world seem never to have had their nature changed.  It is like the proverb: “The dog returns again to his vomit, and the pig again to wallow in the mud.”  That is because their natures have remained unchanged. 

The dog might be trained, curried, and manicured; but it is still a dog.  The pig might be washed, perfumed, and bound with a beautiful ribbon; but it is still a pig.  Eventually they will do again what their true nature requires.

Those who are born again into the Kingdom of God receive a new nature.  It is against their nature to reject God.  They might have momentary lapses and digressions, with even severe doubt; but their very nature mitigates against bringing a reproach upon the name of God.

From "A Word For Living"   ©            2005                 Mike Rasberry