Friday, January 26, 2024

A Moment of Clarity and a Wakeup Call

In a time of confusion, Oct. 7 was a moment of clarity.

Unless one is blind. Or asleep.

Those unspeakable atrocities point only to Satan,

his usual mask of peaceful piety absent.

Sometimes the sheepskin slips and a flash of the fangs are seen.

Let's not miss the message.

Evil all around us crouches, ready to strike,

held back only by divine restraints.

We must detect it, evade it, expose it, and sound the alarm.

But here's the shocker.

Evil lurks quietly in the shadows of our own hearts!

Like so many secret terrorists streaming through an open border,

wicked intruders have streamed into our unguarded minds.

Tolerance has led to treachery as slumbering conscience

allows the devil to set up shop in the holy temples of God!

In how many miles of hidden tunnels of the mind

have diabolical schemes been devised and armed

against the kingdom of the Holy One,

right there in the hearts of his own beloved.

HEY!!! Can you hear? Can you see?

Christian, it is high time to awake, to cast off

the works of darkness, to put on the armor of light,

and make no provision for the flesh,

to fulfill the lusts thereof.

May God help us, his slumbering children, to do so,

and dead ears to hear, as Lazarus, "Come forth!"

See Romans 13:11-14, and John 11:33-34.

Saturday, April 15, 2017

A Message from Titanic


What if you or I could become recipient of an important message from below? 
A lingering radio transmission maybe, or a note in a bottle, swirling up from the icy depths of the North Atlantic. What might it tell us?

Won’t happen, of course.     ...like that.
But few stories grip our imagination like that of the RMS Titanic.
 
     
    What went wrong? 
            What can we learn? 
                    What if I had been on that ship?



And maybe by exploring these questions we can avoid disasters of our own.
Maybe there is a message for those who dare look.
 

Why did it happen?

In checking the various accounts, some fascinating facts emerge.

First the obvious.

The Titanic was not unsinkable.
Though a marvel of engineering and craftsmanship, she was not invincible. Extravagantly designed and painstakingly constructed in 3 years at $400 million (equivalent), she succumbed to utter ruin in 2 ½ hours.
What could be a greater shock to her proud owners and builders?

Sometimes in man’s greatest achievements we can discover his greatest flaws.

The overconfidence factor
Much has been made of the overconfidence of the White Star Line and Titanic’s crew. It may be tempting to quickly cast them as capitalist villains or arrogant buffoons.
That's way too easy. Still, numerous errors made during the incident leave behind compelling questions.


Why travelling so fast?
       Why not more lifeboats?
              Why no binoculars on the bridge?
                     Why not better communication among crew and between ships?
For more information click on the links in blue.

Lapses in communication
“West-bound steamers report bergs, growlers and field ice in 42° N…”
“Greek steamer Athenia reports passing icebergs & large quantities of field ice…”
“Amerika passed two large icebergs in 41° 27’ N, 50° 8’W…”
These and 18 other warnings reached the Titanic in the four days leading to the disaster (see titanic.com).  Several of the final warnings never made it to Captain Smith.
Why not? Why the failure to communicate and respond? Clearly Titanic suffered an infection of carelessness and overconfidence. And maybe something else.

Captain Smith and his crew may have grown weary dealing with another issue.
One that only now comes to light.


The danger within

In recent years, questions have intensified about an uncontrolled coal fire on Titanic. One that reportedly raged next to one of the boiler rooms for 6 – 10 days! This week, a Smithsonian Channel documentary, Titanic's Fatal Fire, explores "new, explosive evidence" about the significance of the fire. According to Titanic journalist-researcher Senan Molony, news of the fire was purposely kept quiet during and after the tragedy. He proposes that the ship's hull was likely weakened by the fire, playing a major role in Titanic's demise (USA Today, 03/14/2017)

I'd like to think that had good Captain Smith known the gravity of this fire, he would have turned back, the White Star Line would have rectified things for the disappointed passengers... but I suspect this documentary might nudge me toward the capitalist villain theory.


A timely lesson and an urgent message

Maybe hindsight, as they say, is 20/20. But only if you’re awake and looking.

Like Titanic, our society is on a collision course with disaster! One unseen, but no less real. There’s no lack of warnings. They continue to echo through church sanctuaries, beam from radio towers, and traverse the far reaches of the World Wide Web. Their basis is not the fallible hearsay of men, but the eternal word of the living God. The danger is not a massive iceberg or freezing water. It is the fiery wrath of God.

Like Titanic, we face both the rapidly-approaching reality of judgment and the relentlessly-burning reality of sin. The one is disbelieved; the other kept secret, its significance downplayed. The lounging passengers have scarcely a clue of their looming peril, and many trusted leaders have kept them in the dark. Lifeboats, of a sort, are available; if only they can be boarded in time!

Consider this urgent biblical warning:
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.  I Thessalonians 5:2-3
Sudden destruction.  Unexpected. Inescapable for those unprepared.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  Matthew 24:38-39
Meanwhile, for those who've prepared in advance, the escape to safety is guaranteed.
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief….  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. I Thessalonians 5:4, 9, 10
That bold reassurance is given to all who are prepared. They've turned from the worn-out, worthless advice of their old captain and former companions. They've placed their eternal destiny in the hands of the mighty rescue captain, Jesus Christ! His perfect work of redemption serves as an invincible rescue ship--currently nearby, soon to depart. Compared to the doomed luxury liner, the small lifeboats may seem small, weak and less comfortable, but they are infinitely more hopeful.
What are you waiting for?
Most passengers of Titanic were initially unaware of any iceberg collision, and then slow to respond when told to abandon ship. Even with a shortage of lifeboats, it's believed that a more immediate response would have saved many more.
Our post-Christian era is most like the 2.5 hours following Titanic's impact. A quiet but devastating breach has occurred in western society. The initial stage of God’s judgment, we read, is a “giving over” of mankind to his own devices (see Romans 1:18-32). It's increasingly evident that mankind, ever going his own way and headed for death, has now apparently passed a point of no return. We’re witnessing the wholesale caving-in of conscience and self-restraint described in Romans 1. The sinful behaviors involved are not only ungodly and evil in themselves, but are also evidence of abandonment by God. There’s an eerie, dark quiet, similar to that described by Titanic survivors just before the final sinking of their ship.
Will you be a survivor?
Abandon ship!
Although the biblical idea of society being doomed is an unpleasant and offensive one, there’s no time to argue.
Jesus calls us to abandon ship. To absolutely let go of whatever in the world we’re clinging to and throw ourselves into his lifeboat. Isn't that what he meant when he said,
Whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Matthew 16:25
What is the lifeboat? The answer is Jesus himself. Or to continue the analogy begun earlier, Jesus is the Savior, the great Captain of the good ship Redemption, and the lifeboat is what gets us there—his Gospel. The Gospel is the “power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). To reject the Gospel is to consign oneself to eternal destruction in hell. The world system is doomed*.
Although we’re all sinners of various sorts, the essential issue above all is our response to the Gospel. Will we accept God’s wonderful offer, reject it outright, or delay our decision? Make no mistake; delay can be as deadly as rejection. Maybe more so in light of several passages of Scripture**. To delay is to dishonor and disparage the Savior who died on our cross! This suffering Savior is the one returning as supreme Judge. To delay is to flirt with damnation.
Consider the seriousness and urgency of  II Thessalonians 1:7-9:

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. 
For some, the door to salvation is already closed.
The clock is ticking.
Be saved today!    
For help understanding the Gospel, visit HowTo Get To Heaven

 I John 2:16-17
**see  Luke 14:17-24, Revelation 3:15-16, II Thessalonians 2:11-12

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Curses, Critters, and the Pale Horseman

What could these three have in common?

  • My morning reading in Leviticus 26
  • The distribution of predatory mammals in North America
  • The Pale Rider of the Apocalypse

An unusual curse

In Leviticus 26, there's a blessing for God's people. If they obey.
It includes prosperity, national security, personal safety, and, of all things, protection from wild beasts! (Lev. 26:6)

Then there's a curse for God's people when they rebel, and continue to rebel. 
Terror, sickness, sorrow, subjugation to enemies, hunger, plagues, and, you guessed it, wild beasts! (Lev. 26:22)
"I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate."
We've all been hardened to sci-fi, horror, and zombies, but to me that is creepy! 
Deserted highways, human remains, quiet predators slinking around in the dark! 
And it's real. Not human fiction! It's divine prophecy that came true for Israel in horrible detail.

A future fulfillment

Consider another divine prophecy, Revelation 6:8--the sixth seal/4th horseman. 
Here we're again warned about wild beasts.
First the cataclysmic lead-up (verses 2-6):
  1. false peace (white horse rider)
  2. widespread war (red horse rider)
  3. economic collapse and hunger (black horse rider)
Then emerges 4, the pale rider.
The pale rider represents Death--a personification, like the Grim Reaper.

The incredible destructive power wielded by Death, and his companion, Hell, is no less than the ability to kill one-fourth of the population of the earth! The population will have already been slashed by widespread war, hunger and crime. Try to imagine, of maybe 4 billion, the death of 1 BILLION souls by the following means:
  • sword  (violent acts with weapons, military or otherwise)
  • hunger (brought on by the wars, economic collapse and chaos)
  • death (not specified; maybe disease, poisoning, radiation, etc.?)
  • beasts of the earth
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth."

A perfect storm

Before thinking about the wild beasts of the earth, imagine the dark days following the first three horsemen. As the remaining population staggers under the shock and stress, they'll try to muster their efforts toward survival. As meager food supplies fail, they'll forage and hunt for anything remotely passing for food. The best choices--farm animals, deer, small game, and pets--will be wiped out quickly. As pangs of hunger and the sense of desperation intensify, cannibalism will emerge as an option for some (especially considering the moral darkness already in place). For Israel, cannibalism was part of the prediction of Leviticus 26, and of it's fulfillment (2 Kings 6:28-29; Lam. 4:10).

What happens to predatory animals like bears and wolves during this time? Their natural prey becomes scarce, both from human competition and from other stresses to the food chain. Though attacks on man have always been rare, they do happen. They happen often enough to make our hair stand up and remind us that all is not well in the world.

We know that hunger increases the probability of such attacks. But here's the significant issue. God himself is warning people of a specific judgment on mankind. God, who normally maintains the order and restraint on such forces, can easily lift his restraint, allowing Death to devastate civilization. Maybe the conscience of wild animals will be turned off to match the corruption of the human conscience.

In our own back yard

At the beginning, I mentioned the distribution of predatory mammals in North America. I've been thinking about this, and doing a quick bit of research. 

Grizzlies.  Although endangered in the 1970s, population now estimated at 1,800 in lower 48, and in Alaska and Canada possibly 30,000.

Gray wolf. Once near extinction in the US. Probably 5,000 in lower 48, and 7,000 - 11,000 in Alaska (although those are 2013 numbers) (don't know about Canada).

Red wolf. Restoration efforts in North Carolina have been mostly unsuccessful. Only 45 individuals.

Black Bear. Wow, about 1,500 in the Smoky Mountains alone (at least before the Gatlinburg fire). Estimated 25,000 - 30,000 in California. Total in North America, est. 850,000 - 950,000!

Mountain Lion. Probably not an issue, although the numbers and distribution may be increasing.

Coyotes. No one knows. The only estimate I found is "millions." Most people are aware of their rapid increase in the eastern US and midwest. Many of us have coyotes in our back yard.

An unlikely suspect

Only a few years ago, calling a coyote a large predator would have been ridiculous. The ones we used to know in the west were small and harmless. But very rapidly, a new type, or types, have been quietly multiplying and spreading. Research has now determined that this slightly larger, stronger coyote is actually part wolf. Until recently, it was believed coyotes and wolves either could not or would not ever breed.

The eastern coyote, or coy wolf, is the fascinating subject of a PBS documentary "Meet the Coy Wolf." It ran for a long time on Netflix and is available on you tube. Another source of information is a New England researcher named Christine Schadler, website: http://chrisschadler.com/

Kathy Cleveland, citing Schadler in a publication called, Cabinet Press, says, 
"Because the canines are swapping genes, some of their traits are swapped, too. Coyote have long been hunt­ers of small prey, but a few years ago, research­ers at Southern Ontario University reported four confirmed cases of adult moose killed by coyotes.
Coyotes are smaller, but in many ways they are sturdier. A trait called 'responsive reproduc­tion' means they produce more cubs the more their existence is threatened. 'Wolves can be eradicated,' Schadler said, 'while coy­otes are here to stay.' "article link

Because the jaw is stronger than that of a regular coyote, they are able to bring down a deer or moose. In 2009, a woman hiking in Nova Scotia was killed by coyotes. article link

Unlike most predators, which avoid civilization, the eastern coyotes are infiltrating populated areas including cities. Based on an Ohio State University study, Chicago has about 2,000. article link

These coyotes are quiet, unafraid of humans, and very intelligent. And they're getting to be everywhere!

A wake up call

All of this is very fascinating, but doesn't mean much in itself. Predators are ordinarily nothing to worry about if you don't put yourself in the wrong spot.

But it's a fact that God has used wild animals to judge people in the past. Future events predicted in scripture are also fact, even though they're future tense, and we don't always understand them.

Maybe, and I don't claim to know, but maybe there's a real issue of time here.
Some of us have been observing world political movements, the corruption of our culture, the pervasion of perversion, and a deluge of deception. We recognize those as "signs of the times," Mt 16:3.

Maybe there are signs in the animal kingdom as well!




Saturday, September 26, 2015

A Question for the Ages

A question for the ages echoes on...

With disdain demands the skeptic,
   "Where is God?"
In dismay enquires the seeker,
   "Where is God?"
In distress implores the saintly,
   "Where is God?"
Is there not some revelation--
   "Here is God"?

To reveal Himself, no mandate;
To self-vindicate, no need;
God defies our comprehension,
But...  to save us, He would bleed!

Though religious signs and knowledge
To a man may seem so right,
Our self-confidence and "wisdom"
Plunged us deeper into night.

Through the fog of human thinking
Cuts true wisdom like a knife;
By the "foolishness" of preaching
Do we find eternal life.

In our weakness, fear and blindness,
God gives power, peace, and light;
Lifts us from the pit of darkness
With both gentleness and might.

Loudly ringing, come clear messages from God:

To the skeptic, comes this answer,
   "Turn to God!"
To the blind but honest seeker,
   "Hear from God."
To the stressed, confused believer,
   "Wait on God."
And the Scriptures' greatest answer,
   "Christ is God!"

The purpose of these rhymes is to help point us back to the timeless, absolute truths of scriptures such as
I Corinthians 1:18-24, Colossians 1:12-20, and Romans 10:9-17

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Now just who is a saint?

Guest writer, Phineas Clodfelter,Jr.

My thinkin’ is quaint, and a scholar I ain’t,
But I just got to thinkin’ ‘bout bein’ a saint.

Saint Francis and Joe, and others we know,
For arrivin’ at sainthood, how far did they go?
Now their good deeds and prayer had to be somethin’ rare,
But their great contributions musta’ started somewhere.
My thinkin’ is quaint, and a scholar I ain’t,
But I couldn’t help wondrin’, could I be a saint?

If I told anyone, I knew they’d make fun
And call me plain stupid, misguided, or dumb.
So I’d ask and I’d read, wondrin’ what did I need
To look better to God, and complete my good deeds.
But the more that I learn’t ‘bout the points I had earn’t,
The more I concluded that I’d prob’ly be burnt!
My thinkin’ is quaint, and a scholar I ain’t,
But I couldn’t shake thoughts about bein’ a saint.

Now my friends at the church left me in a lurch,
Sayin’ I should just chill out, and not have to search.
So I tried for a time to leave worries behind,
And just act like the others, bein’ normal but kind.
I splashed on restraint like some thin, off-white paint
Just to make me look holy, but my heart said, “You ain’t!”
My thinkin’ is quaint, and a scholar I ain’t,
Feelin’ more like a snake than the least of the saints!

Now hypocrisy’s cold, and the tension got old,
So why be a two-face, and stay in the fold?
Could salvation be real, heaven be a good deal,
Or was life here and now, just to see, taste and feel?
Now it sounds good from here, “Just indulge without fear,”
But it smelt like a rat whisprin’ in my left ear.
My thinkin’ is quaint, and a scholar I ain’t,
But I got common sense ‘bout what is and what ain’t.

But if not saint nor glutton, well then, what besides nothin’
Could I do with my life; somethin’ real, with no bluffin’?
And if hell’s fires burn, I sure needed to learn
To make peace with my Maker, but where could I turn?
Well, I thought the Good Book was the one place to look,
Steerin’ clear of professors, slick deceivers and crooks.
My smarts ain’t a lot, and a scholar I’m not,
But with God as my Teacher, I could surely be taught. 

Then, so simple to see, in John one and John three,
'Says that God’s only Son, came to save ones like me.
In verse six of fourteen, unmistakably seen
Is that Jesus alone can be God’s “go-between.”
Jesus, seekin’ the lost, came to pay the full cost
For redeemin’ believers by death on the cross.
My thinkin’ is quaint, theologian I ain’t,
But so far, seemed too simple, was my only complaint.

From the “wise and the prudent,” see these things are hid,
But made plain to the simple, with faith like a kid.
“But,” I thought, “what good deed, ceremony, or creed
Shall I bring to this Jesus? What from me does He need?”
From more reading time spent, seems God’s message was sent
In two words, oft-repeated, just “believe” and “repent.”
See I’m not awful bright, my intelligence slight,
But it just made good sense to consider God right.

Well, repent means to turn—change direction, I learned.
But then somethin’ within that, seemed to make my gut churn.
To repent sounded right; yet instead of delight,
Stirred up somethin’ like dread that I wanted to fight.
And that churnin’ within churned again and again,
As through dark days and nights, I rejected this Friend.
See, I’m not full of learnin’ nor too quick at discernin’
But a battle of spirit was the cause of that churnin’.

See, that dread deep inside and desire to hide
Came from stubborn self-will, and my self-centered pride.
What deep roots in my soul had this lust for control,
Just to be my own ruler, and set my own goals!
And how tightly I clung to things this life had brung,
Quite forgettin’ that death would reclaim every one.
My mind’s not too numb. See, there’s room for just one
On the throne of my life, either me or God’s Son!

What has since come to light: there were three in that fight,
With God’s Spirit and Satan pulling me left and right.
When I stood with proud air, Satan drew to his lair.
When I bowed in conviction, he pushed toward despair.
While inclined to God’s Word, God confirmed what I heard.
Thoughts of saving myself were dismissed as absurd.
I’m not smart as can be, but two ways I could see.
The choice now was clear. It was just up to me.

And then, even more scared, I could see I’s ensnared
By my sin and my self.  ...But I knew Jesus cared.
If ‘twere nothin’ to feel—just a tidy, cold deal—
Though salvation made sense, it just wouldn’t seem real.
But by faith I could see, in His deep agony,
As He suffered and bled, He was dying for me!
Such a death-blow to pride, leaving nowhere to hide!
So I fell at His feet, and for mercy I cried.

“O come taste and see,” say the scripture and me,
That the Lord is so good, who can heal and set free!
For confusion, gave sight; for cold darkness, warm light;
For my guilt and vague longings, gave me peace and delight!
Now ho-hum seem to be all religions I see,
But God’s grace is amazing, that can save you and me!
See, I’m not a big wheel, or quite one for big speels,
But it makes one more eloquent, just to know somethin’s real.

Now I study and pray, what the Bible might say,
To be useful and please my dear Lord every day.
And Paul’s letters, so true, speak to saints—not a few—
There in all of those churches; and “ten thousands,” says Jude.
'Seems the saints march toward Home, in a number alone
That’s determined by God, not the big church in Rome.
Yes, my thinkin’ is quaint, and a scholar I ain’t
But by gum, I’ll be dim’d now, if I ain’t a saint!

Copyright 2014, Larry D. Gibbs

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Truth Vs. Imagination

The truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth.

In all human activity, how much effort is spent getting at the truth! At the crime scene. In the courtroom. In the research lab. And on and on, even to the replay official's booth. We want the truth and won't stop till we get it.

A theory of relativity.

But in realms of philosophy, ethics and religion--the very disciplines that can help define who we really are--we're now told to forsake the traditional approach. In something akin to trading in the scientific method for a public opinion poll, we're asked to abandon our quest for objective truth (which can set us free), and rest on a spurious footing of feelings and preference. Oh yes, we'll still use the word "truth," but with a new definition. My truth is what's "right" for me, and yours is what's "right" for you.

Tolerance? Yes, but...

Clearly, in a free society we tolerate individuals, their preferences, and their lifestyles; but with limits. Limits are imposed on certain actions by individuals and groups to protect the safety and dignity of others. If you believe in the concept of crime, you know that one's own preference toward committing murder or theft cannot justify murder or theft. And if you have a proper sense of reality, you know that murder and theft are not curbed by gentle thoughts, a nice environment, or ...well, imagination.

Imagine...

Imagine there's no courtroom
It's easy if you try
In streets walk no policemen
Crime's heyday long passed by
Imagine harmless people, living for today

Yes, it's easy if you try  ...until you face facts. Nowhere since Eden (in its early days) has there been such a utopia, nor is it conceivable ...without the eradication of evil from the human heart. In the meantime, we need laws and enforcement of some sort.

Imagine there's no illness
It isn't hard to do
No HMO's, no research
And no morticians too
Imagine all the people, living endlessly

It requires us to suspend what we know from everyday observation and experience, but yes, we could choose to imagine it. And since we're having fun...

Imagine greater freedom
In the NFL
No clock, no rules, no sidelines
And no officials too...

Just sayin'...

And now in making my point, I may have become offensive, so I ask for tolerance. Maybe I'm abusing the spirit of John Lennon's words, or making him a straw man. That's not the intent. I don't deny the quality of his poetry or the sincerity of his ideas. But if he was at all serious about the song's propositions--no heaven, hell, countries, religion or possessions--and its conclusions--tranquility, peace, and brotherhood--then we should be able to apply his logic elsewhere. By now we should have been able to successfully bring about greater freedom and gratification simply by imagining a result and joining together in agreement. In response, someone says, "It's possible; we just haven't done it yet," to which I reply...

Back to Reality.   Please.

Rather than bringing greater peace and freedom, a denial of truth--specifically truth about good and evil--opens a door to disorder and destruction. For that reason, I find the following verses easier to imagine than either Lennon's or those above.

Imagine there's no courtroom
It's easy if you try
In streets walk no policemen
To gangs we must comply
Imagine all the people looting every day

Imagine there's no health care
It isn't hard to do
No HMO's, no research
Morticians busy too
Imagine all the people dying needlessly

Imagine greater freedom
in the NFL
No clock, no rules, no sidelines
And no officials too
Imagine all the chaos of this once-great game

The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart

If recognition and application of truth is necessary in the realms of law, health and sport, how much more in those of morality, ethics, and spirituality, where the root of the problem lies. The drive in the human heart toward peace and utopia is countered in that same heart by the drive to have one's own way, in his own way. The words of Jesus Christ cut through the haze, as he says, "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."

Hope for mankind?

Desire, imagination, and poetry can be helpful, but don't have power in themselves to change reality. They may inspire us to make our own lives better, but we're severely limited. The truth is, man is flawed, fallen, and needs help. But that truth alone cannot set us free. It must lead us to One with the power and willingness to help. There is one who claimed both attributes, and supported the claims with real evidence, the Lord Jesus Christ (see John 5:30-39; 8:28-29; 10:14-18; 11:39-45). Repent and trust Him today!

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." John 8:36




Sunday, October 21, 2012

A Right View of Rights


Who has the right to define our rights?

If left to individuals we may expect chaos, if to government, abuse.
We look to the Founders, but they never assigned themselves such authority.
Instead, they recognized pre-established rights, authored by Someone greater.
They credited the basis of these rights to certain truths;
truths they simply, yet boldly, called “self-evident.”

When it comes to rights, the Founders got it right!

The Declaration of Independence--brilliant.
Doesn’t much of its brilliance shine from its simple reliance on truth?
Jefferson, committee, and Congress, however disparate in theology and philosophy, nonetheless agreed on specific predicating truths in their argument for a new nation. Not stopping there, they and other colleagues used the same truths as foundation and anchor for our actual government.

What truths?
A deliberate reading of the first two paragraphs of the Declaration reveals no less than five: 1) the existence of God, 2) the supreme authority of God’s laws (natural and otherwise), 3) man’s creation by God, 4) the equality of men (humans) by virtue of their creation as equals, 5) the existence of “unalienable” rights, endowed by God.
The obvious point, which drives the claim for independence, is that
God is the source of basic rights,
which neither king, decree, nor institution have any authority to take away.
The Founders saw firsthand the unjust denial of people’s rights, but knew that such denial does not destroy those rights, it instead calls for rectification and liberation. In that sense, the Founders were not only justified,
but even obliged to do what they did.

To re-define rights is simply not right.

In the construction of a great edifice, though it may span 2 ½ centuries and undergo various corrections and revisions, the weight of the building must be kept on its foundation.
Though the truths cited are timeless, and cemented in our founding documents,
there’s a problem.
The rights resting on those truths must be properly understood and applied to public policy. This must be done by humans, sometimes elected, sometimes appointed, always fallible, and often corrupt.

Corrupt officials, legislators and judges have often hidden their corruption
by evasion and deception, violating the rights of others in the process.
Now a broadside is underway against the integrity of the whole system.
Junior tyrants in Washington, taking advantage of a largely uninformed/misinformed public, are pushing destructive policy based on a re-interpretation or distortion of American rights.

Members of the Supreme Court suddenly endowed a previously unknown “right of privacy” with sufficient authority to unseat the longstanding right to life of the youngest Americans. With such precedent and logic, how long can we uphold the safety of the oldest Americans? Or the weakest Americans?

A supposed set of “reproductive rights” excuses and accommodates the immorality of some, while violating the time-honored right of conscience of others: employers, caregivers, churches, landlords, taxpayers, and again, the unborn.

Society is currently being molested by the sudden campaign for a re-definition of marriage. An aggressive minority demands so-called “gay marriage,” which is neither, and which implies that little human demagogues can unseat God as the Author of human rights, and the Judge of what’s right.
In the face of these assaults on our wonderful form of government and our great nation,

The time is right for a defense of true rights.


It's important to remember that as great as our nation is and has been, it is a temporal entity.
In the words of Scripture, "We have here no continuing city, but we seek one to come" Hebrews 13:14.
But temporal things do matter. They can reflect the character, and advance the cause of eternal things; for good or for evil. For those of us who are Christians, may our prayer be that America as an institution should halt its slide toward the latter, and return to the former.