Not What He Wanted to Hear Right Then

On Sunday Morning, Pastor Curtis asked for joys and concerns. Barbara spoke up and said, "Well, Monday, Bob fell off a three foot brick wall, but Praise the Lord, he was not hurt." "Tuesday, Bob had an MRI, and Praise the Lord, it turned out well." "Wednesday, Bob was driving along in his Jeep, and it caught on fire, and Praise the Lord, he was able to get out before it became engulfed." At that point, Pastor Curtis said, "Bob, you very nearly got to hear the words Well done, thou good and faithful servant!"

The Year of Jubilee?

What an unimaginable future we face. All over the world, financial markets are crumbling, and it looks like our entire monetary system will be revealed as smoke and mirrors. Many, who lived through the Great Depression, recall its severity. But in that situation, our nation owned sufficient gold to back up our currency. What will serve as our standard this time?

Even though we claim to be a Judeo-Christian nation, our entire monetary system has evolved into one of Money as Debt. The Holy Scriptures of every major world religion advise against such a system, but we continue on this path as if there is no other choice. How could we become so deluded as to believe that we created ourselves, and that we can create a future independent of the original Creator of all?

In the Old Testament book of Leviticus, Chapter 25, there are specific instructions for God’s people to observe a Year of Jubilee. In modern language, that would be like hitting a RESET button for debts and property ownership. It is a very interesting concept to me. I wonder what ripple effect this might have on our society. Imagine not being able to collect what is owed to you by your customers. Imagine having all your debt erased, with no blot on your credit rating! I challenge you to read it and think about what consequence that might have in your life.

If such actions were planned into our system, some important attitude changes would occur. Lenders might consider a loan to actually be a gift, not knowing whether it would really be repaid or have to be forgiven, depending on the time frame in which it was borrowed. People might put less emphasis on ‘earthly treasure’ since one’s economic status could change abruptly. And, what if property reverted to its family of origin? How would it be cared for in the interim – better or worse?

But, this kind of scenario could never happen in our world today. Unless you believe in the kind of Creator who set a predetermined time for it to take effect, and gave His people the instructions for how it should be lived out under His guidelines. Is it possible that He has already put this plan in motion; and these political machinations are only increasing our own pain and suffering, while distracting us from the intended focus of our lives? Do you think that a system that operates in clear opposition to God’s principles can be saved? Should we want it to be?

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There are two kinds of people in the world;

those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,'

and those to whom God says,

'Go ahead, then, have it your way.'
- C. S. Lewis

Prayer in School

This morning, I received an email much like a hundred others I have gotten over the past ten years. It was a petition to the President to reinstate prayer in the public school system. I would like to share my perspective on this very widespread concern among Christians.

Let me begin by relating a conversation I had a few years ago with my friend, Anne.

ANNE: . . . Well, we wouldn’t have all these kinds of problems if we just had prayer in school.

ME: So, you think we should have prayer in school?

ANNE: Sure, don’t you?

ME: Let me ask you this: When your son was young, did you pray with him before he left for school in the mornings?

ANNE: No.

ME: Do you think God will be pleased if we don’t do what He says, but instead, pay someone else to do it for us? Is that what He says He will bless?

Anne’s silence indicated that she got my point. God gives very clear instructions to His people. When we live in a nation that has the basic precept of religious freedom written into its laws, and we do not incorporate that into our family life, we are without excuse.

And how would we justify our appeal to Caesar? The Creator of the Universe needs no assistance from any man (or President) on earth. He gives clear assurance to those who obey His words.

Do we truly love God enough to obey Him? The opposite of love is not hate; it is indifference. Proof of love is in actions – not words.

If we, who claim to believe in Almighty God, fail to access the blessings and power so readily available to us, we should not be deluding ourselves that our difficulties are caused by athiests or terrorists or anyone else. We need only look in the mirror.

Burning Love

Today is the 37th anniversary of our wedding day.

We consider ourselves very fortunate indeed!

This quote pretty much says it all . . .

Forgotten Memories

Today being Saturday, after lunch I stretched out in the recliner to rest. I flipped on the TV, and Dr. Dolittle with Eddie Murphy was beginning. One scene showed him walking into the emergency room of a hospital, holding a syringe, about to give his patient a shot. As he walked through the doors, I immediately realized that my nose was filled with the odor of the emergency room in the old Waurika Hospital on Elm Street. It had a unique smell of disinfectant that I have never encountered in any other hospital. I happened to be in that ER several times due to my childhood mishaps. The last time I had need of the ER was over 40 years ago. Until today, I never realized that I could still recall it so vividly. How weird and fantastic is the human brain.

Hello

Hello, my name is Gayle Johnson and this is my blog. I have a husband, two children, two children-in-law, and nine grandchildren. In my spare time, I am the Mayor of a small town in Oklahoma. I am also active in our local Chamber of Commerce.

Here is the link to our City website.