If That Weapon Is Prohibited

It is still a free country, and there is no way it will remain free if the citizenry is not allowed to be armed. I do not own a gun, "the weapons of my warfare are not carnal." I own several Bibles. The Word of God is the greatest weapon a person can own. If the right to own that "sword" is taken away, You may as well close down all of the colleges and universities, because freedom of speech and the press is denied, therefore, prepare to be a slave. The Word of God is truth. "And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." There is a direct correlation between slavery and the prohibition of the Word of God. It is happening in this world right now. Could it happen here? It HAS happened here. The main reason we do not have slavery in this country any more is because some slaves got a hold of the Word of God. The slaves learned the Word. They learned to pray. They learned to praise. They developed their faith. Who stopped them? Nothing. Not even a terrible Civil War.

The "Hurricane" Is Gone

I only saw him box two or three times. It was sometime in the middle sixties. I never forgot his aggressiveness, menacing appearance, athleticism and boxing skills. He was born on May 6, 1937, in Clifton, New Jersey. He passed away on April 20, 2014, in Toronto, Canada. What a boxer he was! Yes, he had a troubled childhood and his problems with the law. Nevertheless, Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was at one time, the most feared middleweight contender in professional boxing. He served almost 30 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit. He was released. He will not soon be forgotten.

Jesus And Lazarus (Part 2)

Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha told Jesus: "By this time he stinks." The response Jesus gives to Martha rings loud and clear throughout eternity: "Didn't I tell you that you would see God's glory if you believed?" "God's glory?" Didn't He say in Isaiah 42:8 and 48:11, "My glory I will not give to another?" Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Is Jesus stealing the glory of God? The question is reasonable and ridiculous at the same time, and the answer is an emphatic no. Are we able to agree that there is only one Lord? Can we agree that this one Lord is also the Lord of glory? Yes, we can agree, and I Corinthians 2:8 can help us reach that end. "Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." Jesus said: "I am the way the truth and the life." Is not the truth eternal? Yes, Jesus was crucified, but He arose from the dead. Incidently, (maybe not so incidently) the chief priests wanted to kill Lazarus, because of his resurrection, many Jews became followers of Jesus. The chief priests just did not believe that Jesus was the Lord of glory, and they felt threatened by Him. That same attitude is still around today. It is an attitude that is made up of ignorance, pride, jealousy, and stubbornness. One last thing.(see Jn. 2:14-25) Shortly after Jesus cleansed the temple, His authority was challenged. (like it often is today) To be brief, He just said: "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." The Bible clearly says He was talking about His body. Only God raises the dead. Jesus is God. He told Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life," which means He is eternal. He offers eternal life. He reigns forever. He is King of kings and Lord of lords.

Jesus And Lazarus (Part 1)

It is the Easter season, and yes, I know that it is commercialized...Easter bunny, etc. And, maybe the resurrection of Jesus Christ did not take place in the Spring. That is beside the point. Believers of the Word of God are not celebrating a particular day. We are celebrating an event. Our focus here is on the story of Lazarus. It is told to us in the eleventh chapter of John's Gospel. Any resurrection that ever took, or will take place, is the result of the work and the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus said: "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." (John 11:25) Jesus is the Son of God. He is also the Son of Man. This means he is 100% God, and 100% man. Lazarus had been dead four days. The Bible says Jesus loved Lazarus, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha. The shortest verse in the Bible is: "Jesus wept." It is powerful and is found in the Gospel of John 11:35. Why did Jesus weep? Because He loved His friend, and also because He was moved by those around Him who were grieving. I will keep my words short. Jesus grieved for His friend. He grieved as a man, but He was not just any man. He is the perfect man. There is no other like Him. But that is not all. He also loved and loves like God, because He is God. There is only one Lord. Before His incarnation, and when His saving name was still secret, He declared in Isaiah 42:8....."I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." There was doubt in the house of Lazarus.

When Government Is Wrong

Government is necessary. Albeit it is run by human beings. They have faults. Therefore, it is necessary to keep an eye on them whenever and as much as possible. We know that the citizenry is busy. They are busy with their daily tasks. They are busy making a living and attending to their families and their prioritized pursuits. Keeping an eye on government is not usually a high priority for most people. Nevertheless, as free people, we not only have the right, we have the responsibility. Here are three quotes by men with whom I agree. Basically, it all boils down to freedom. "It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong." Voltaire (1694-1778) "Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive." Henry Steele Commager (1902-1998) "I should, indeed, prefer twenty men to escape death through mercy, than one innocent to be condemned unjustly." Sir John Fortescue (1394-1476) English Jurist

Constant Kindness

I have believed it for a long time. Kindness is what we, as human beings should practice. Should it not be a constant ingredient in our lifestyle? What great benefits it produces! I was reminded of it when I read the following quote by Albert Schweitzer. He certainly practiced what he preached. "Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate." Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)

Cornelius (Part 2)

It was common for Roman troops to oppress and disrespect the people they conquered and ruled. But what about Cornelius? He was an officer in the army of a pagan empire. He was not an arrogant man. He was a kind man. Obviously, he did not consider himself superior to the Jewish people. On the contrary, he showed them courtesy and respect. Basically, what he did, was adopt the God of the people Rome had conquered. How must have this gone over with his fellow Romans who believed in pleasing multiple deities? To honor the Roman gods was paramount in Roman military culture. The Roman Army's religious rituals were many. They were important to them. They believed victory depended upon their devotion to the deities. Cornelius, on the other hand, rejected paganism. It is obvious he did not worship Roman deities. Since Cornelius was a Gentile, he had no "official" place of worship. He was a "devout" man, the Bible says. The word "devout" is of Greek origin. It means reverence demonstrated in active deeds. The emphasis is on "deeds." In the book of Acts 10:2, the Amplified version of the Bible states: "A devout man who venerated God and treated Him with reverential obedience, as did all his household, and he gave much alms to the people, and prayed continually to God." Cornelius was a devout Gentile. The following quote is found in Acts 10:1,2 from the "Good News For Modern Man" version of the New Testament. "There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a captain in the Roman army regiment called 'The Italian Regiment.' He was a religious man; and his whole family worshiped God. He did much to help the Jewish poor people, and was constantly praying to God." What a volunteer he was!

Cornelius, What A Volunteer!

Volunteerism and community involvement is highly regarded in our communities throughout our nation. Many among us do good deeds. We use our vehicles to take people places. Perhaps we volunteer at a school, hospital or jail. Maybe some offer to take care of children, clean someone's house and/or yard or help feed the homeless. There are some who will paint or do repairs on a house or car for free or at a very low fee. Some give gifts of money and clothing to those in need. The Bible tells us about a devout man. He was a serious man of prayer. He is known for helping others. Would I call him a volunteer? Yes I would. He volunteered to share his time and money with others. He is an example for every Christian. The ironic aspect of his life is that he was an example for Christians everywhere, before he was ever a Christian. he was not a Jew, either. He was a Gentile. His name was Cornelius. Most of us are familiar with the story of the first Gentile convert to the Christian Church. It is related to us in the 10th chapter of the Book of Acts. What a gentleman he was, this respected officer of the Roman Army. And, depending on which version of the Bible one is reading, a centurion of the Italian band, regiment or cohort. It is believed he was in charge of 100 men, but perhaps more. Rome had conquered Judea, Galilee and Samaria 60 years before the birth of Jesus. From that time, Jews had ceased to be free. The Jews had never fully believed that they were a part of the Roman Empire, therefore, from time to time, they would resist Roman authority. For this reason, Rome had to constantly keep military troops in and around the Jewish nation to keep them from outright rebellion. Most Roman soldiers and their officers felt superior to the people they had conquered. They viewed most other people, and their ways of life as being inferior. Romans thought they were the superior civilization and they were extremely arrogant.

One of The Greatest Delusions

Government is not "everything" to me. I am well aware that I am not alone. I do not hate government, but I do not expect government to be my problem solver. Yes, there are situations that government needs to deal with. And yes, laws exist (supposedly) for the purpose of protecting people. I am of the opinion that one of the best things government can do is butt out. Perhaps it sounds crude. Nevertheless, we are aware that government does not know everything. Maybe it would like to know everything......but it cannot. Therefore it cannot cure everything. RD "One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation." Thomas B. Reed 1886 (1839-1902) Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

"Fight The Good Fight"

Recently, there was an accident in a street in Detroit. A child was hit by a car. The driver stopped and got off the car. He was beaten by a group of men. A letter was written to a news outlet.regarding the incident. I was in agreement with the letter because the writer spoke of the need for God's intervention in these matters. Here is part of my response. "You are correct. Prayer has been taken out of schools. Ungodly conduct is rapidly making an effort to become the norm. The people of God have a big fight on their hands. They have a great responsibility. We must “fight the good fight.” It is detailed in Ephesians 6:10-18. Yes, thuggery can seriously be curtailed, but it will take seriously devoted men and women of God who are willing to make the effort. With God anything is possible. We have the goods. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. For now, we can pray for those young folks who attacked that man, as well as their victim. Also, I commend those Pastors and others who are making efforts to address these problems. The underlying problem is sin. John 3:16 is a good start."