Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 16:3, NIV (1978)

 

I used to look at this verse from a primarily selfish point of view. I wanted to succeed in what I wanted to succeed at, and I liked the idea of God assisting me in that success. It wasn't that I was being intentionally selfish, but I have to admit that selfishness was my main motivating factor. That motivation has to be changed if we are to ever succeed at the subject of this article.

 

Do you want America back? I know I do, and I believe that most decent people agree. For those around my age, we have memories of a safe America. Children could pretty much roam their neighborhoods without fear of molestation, and parents could allow them to do so without having some government agency investigating them for endangering their child. Back then, law enforcement was engaged in protecting the innocent from those who would do them harm, so it was the people with evil intent that had to be worried about the law coming down on them. Don't misunderstand my point in this as I still feel that law enforcement is doing the best it can, but they are often hamstrung in their work by politicians with motives that run counter to the best interest of their constituents. As a result, our police are often limited in the protection that they are able to offer. 

 

When we were younger, most people went to church and believed in both God and Christ, as well as in both heaven and hell. Since they understood reward and punishment, they were pretty much self-policing. While there were certainly perverts and deviants who rejected both societal norms and God, such people were relatively rare and were not much of a threat to those who believed in God and decency.

 

Which brings me to the next point: That was an era when people did not openly mock God or morality. People really did believe in a higher standard which came from a Being who was higher than them. Furthermore, they recognized that standard as beneficial to both they and society as a whole. As a result, most people were eager to do that which was right and approved by God, because they saw the benefits of doing so - and why not, for they had reaped those benefits all of their lives.

 

Why, they even could tell a boy from a girl!

 

But then something changed. People got too educated. I don't mean that they learned too many facts, but they began to be "educated" in things that were simply not so. Things like "do your own thing" and "God is dead". The Bible and prayer were removed from school and from all other areas of the public square. The results were slow but very predictable. Whenever anyone rejects God as the authority, they have to replace the void that such a rejection leads to.

 

So, they replaced the authority of God with the authority of men - and especially with their own authority. You saw "cool" teachers telling their students not to trust anyone over 40, and that specifically meant their parents and any old fuddy duddy such as a Sunday school teacher or preacher who might have the old-fashioned notion that God was in charge and that His ways were to be obeyed. Since people were now their own "bosses" they now made their own rules. Tune out, drop out and get high was a very popular new "gospel". It allowed people to do what they wanted, drink what they wanted, smoke what they wanted and sleep with who they wanted. Such a cheap thrill philosophy was fun while it lasted, but it came with very expensive consequences.

 

People became addicted to behavior that was destructive. The children that were playing house soon discovered that such behavior came equipped with very real responsibilities and very real consequences. As a result, they became addicted, depressed and sometimes pregnant. They were understandably confused and scared, and they demanded that someone do something about it. So, they legalized abortion and promoted the mass production of pills that would take away their newly acquired depression. In essence, they sought cures for the symptoms of their depraved behavior instead of repentance. And now, what do we have?

 

We have cities filled with criminal behavior. We have authorities who cheat to maintain that authority. We have perversity so vile that even the impolite have to turn their heads and cover their eyes. We have people in positions of power attacking their own citizens by aiding and abetting illegals to come into their country who will do them harm. We have schools in larger communities who insist on girls sharing their most private facilities with boys, and then the school boards in these same larger communities threatening anyone disagrees with arrest. We have streets that are no longer safe for children to roam because of the perverts who are present, and instead of arresting those who would harm our children, we have the parents arrested for not keeping a close enough eye on them.

 

We have a national debt that is a national disgrace. We have churches closing down and homeless shelters opening up. We have households with both mom and dad working who cannot make enough to pay their bills. We have an intrusive government who cares less about a child being harmed and more about what you might say or agree with on social media. We have cameras on every corner to watch our every move, but we rarely use the evidence on those cameras to prosecute criminals, for we are too busy prosecuting the innocent for new crimes whether real or imagined.

 

Our large cities are filthy and unsafe, and their filth and crime is seeping out into the suburbs. And we look at all of this and realize that something has to be done, but we are honestly at a loss as to know what to do. A large reason for that loss is the fact that so many who have complained of the wrong are being hassled by the very ones they elected to protect them from real crime and real danger.

 

So, what is a person to do? How do we get America back?

 

You may not like the answer, and I know that you won't like the work and responsibility that this solution has, but here goes: We will have to repent!

 

And then, we will have to commit our ways to the LORD - not so that we can have our own selfish desires met, but in order that we might serve Him in His way so that His purpose can succeed. For the truth of the matter is that the America that we miss and that is now on life support was a Christian nation with Christian values. We have lost those virtues because we have failed to act like Christians are supposed to act. And how exactly are Christians supposed to act?

 

As servants!

 

I warned you that you might not like the answer, but there it is. If we are ever to succeed at getting our nation back, we are first going to have to come back to God and to His ways. And that requires that we serve instead of being served, for the success we seek is only available to those whose hearts and ways are fully committed to God. We can get America back, but it is going to take a lot of hard work. It will begin with us all putting aside our selfish desires and replacing them with a desire to serve. Most will not choose this path, but you can. And if you will - if you will truly commit your way to the LORD, then your plans will succeed. But if we do not, then America will be lost.

 

The sad truth is that it may be too late for America, but it is not too late for you and those you love. All you have to do to obtain such success is to commit your ways to the LORD! Aren't you ready to give that a try for a change? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by such a commitment, so why not start right now?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have not always understood the formal concept of freedom. but I have been blessed to live it. 

 

As a child, Saturday was the very essence of freedom for that was the day I got my allowance. It was a whole quarter, and a quarter went a long way in the 1960's. I had my own bike, so I soon as I got my allowance, I was out the door and mounted on the back of that wonderful machine.

 

Do you remember what it felt like to have the wind hitting your face as you peddled to the limit that your legs would allow? That was freedom!

 

I would make a beeline for the five and dime and then walk the aisles looking at the wide range of possibilities arrayed before me. Candy was the number one option, but if it was summertime there would be baseball cards on the shelves, as well as kites and balsa wood airplanes (some even had rubber band powered propellers). I was limited to spending twenty cents, as I was expected to save a nickel for the contribution plate for Sunday, but twenty cents was still a lot of money. If spent judiciously, it could purchase a nice sized candy bar with change to spare.

 

After the store, I would be back on my bike and looking for something fun. As long as I was home for lunch my time was my own, so I could get a lot of playing in before it was time for lunch. Since we kids were expected to make our own on Saturdays, I could pretty much stay out as long as my stomach would allow. I would often have my baseball mitt hooked on to the handlebars, so I would peddle down to the field to see if enough boys had gathered to play a game. 

 

Only boys played baseball when I was a kid. I haven't the slightest idea what girls did on Saturdays, nor did I care. A game without feminine intrusion was an important part of freedom during my younger years and other than my kid sister and her friends, I don't remember even seeing girls until school started up again. Sure, they were at church on Sundays, but they were just part of the background for the most part. It wouldn't be for a few years more that I would consider them as anything other than something to be avoided, and when I was a kid, I was pretty good at that.

 

The one prominent exception of my non-female rule for happiness was my mother. She was a dandy! I can remember begging to go to the grocery store with her, especially when my brother and sister stayed home with dad. The reason for this was that mom did not like me around when she was shopping. I would usually try to get her to buy everything on the shelves that looked interesting like animal crackers or those tasty, Smith Brother's cough drops (I would fake a bad cough to get these, but Mom rarely fell for it). After a while, Mom would let me use my own money to buy a comic book and licorice and then head back to the car so she could get some shopping done.

 

And I can tell you from sweet experience, there are few freedoms finer than laying on the floor of the car, head propped up on the hump and feet propped up on the door, while reading a comic book and eating licorice.

 

I miss the freedoms of childhood at times, especially as I see more and more restrictions in the adult world I find myself in today. But I do admit that there are still plenty of freedoms to enjoy, if I will just open my eyes. I suppose the greatest sense of freedom that I have is in the knowledge that I will be going home someday to be with the Lord. I look forward to that time - and more and more as I get older. But until then, I realize that I am a blessed man, and a huge part of those blessings are simply the little, daily pleasures that God allows me to enjoy. 

 

In a few minutes, I will get up from this computer and enjoy a fine breakfast. Then I'll head out to mow a lawn or two. I'll get hot and tired and sweaty, but afterwards I will reward myself with a sugar-free ice cream bar. It still doesn't cost much more than a couple of quarters if you buy them in bulk (and I do buy them in bulk!) Then, I can relax with one after satisfying work while sitting on my back porch in the shade. 

 

Life is jam-packed with all sorts of freedoms if you just look for them, so it's a pretty good life! We are a richly blessed people, are we not? And someday, if we can remain faithful to our Lord, there will be heaven! And I expect that heaven will reveal the greatest freedom of all.  

You knitted me together in my mother's womb.

Psalms 139:13, ESV

 

One of the most difficult and unpleasant subjects for Christians is that of abortion. Questions such as "Is abortion a sin?" or "Is abortion discussed within the Bible?" and "What does God think of abortion?" are all important questions which must be correctly answered. Perhaps the first question that should be answered is whether or not God considers the fetus a baby or not. This is readily answered in Luke 1:41-44 when we are clearly told that the Mary's cousin Elizabeth reacted in this way to Mary's visit: " For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy". Some might say that Elizabeth was just confused as to whether that which was in her womb was a baby or not and that it was just her opinion, but verse 41 states that she was filled with the Holy Spirit. In other words, it was an inspired statement from God that tells us in no uncertain terms that the fetus in the womb is a baby.

 

Next, in order to understand how serious it is to damage a baby in the womb, one needs only to go to the Old Law in Exodus 21:22-24, where we are told that if two men are fighting and hit a pregnant woman so that her "child comes out" that if there is any harm then they are to pay "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth..." The conclusion is plain: That which is in the womb is a child and if the child was harmed through sinful activity, then those who harmed were child to be punished. The "eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth" standard of the old law was initially mentioned in regard to harming an unborn baby - a child! 

 

Now for the most revealing fact: Did you know that the name Jesus used for Hell came from the place outside of Jerusalem where the Israelites sacrificed their children? Remembering that God has already identified an unborn baby as a "child" from the Exodus passage will help us to understand that it did not matter if the person was born or unborn, they were still a child. In II Chronicles 28:3, we read of King Ahaz sacrificing his sons in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. In II Chronicles 33:6 we read of King Manasseh sacrificing his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. In Jeremiah 7:31, God Himself is quoted as condemning the people of Israel for burning their children in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom. The Greek translation for "Son of Hinnom" is Gehenna. This is the word Jesus is quoted eleven times in the New Testament as the description of Hell.

 

Do you see? The word for Hell is taken from the place that the evil people of Israel used to kill their babies! Of all the sins that people have committed, the location for the sin of child sacrifice was used by Jesus as the description for Hell. Can a reasonable person conclude anything else than that the killing of a child, whether in the womb or outside the womb, is as detestable of a sin as you could possibly imagine. 

 

Is abortion discussed within the Bible? Absolutely - it is the origin of the eye for an eye punishment. Is abortion a sin? Absolutely - the place where the Israelites offered up their children as a human sacrifice is the origins of the word that Jesus used for Hell. It does not matter if a person kills the baby before it can escape the womb or after it is born, it is still defined as the killing of a child in God's eyes.

 

So, what does this mean? Does it mean that if you have ever aborted a baby that you are going to Hell? The answer to this question is the same as for any other sin. If a person has repented and has been baptized, they have had their sins washed away. If a person sins after they have been added to the church in this way, they can certainly receive forgiveness if they will repent. But this stubborn refusal on behalf of many Christians - some well-intentioned and some not - to acknowledge abortion as sin has prevented many people from seeking forgiveness. The result is that they appear to be lost in that sin until they repent. We as Christians have got to stop making the path to Hell more comfortable to those who have sinned - including the sin of abortion - if we are ever to be of genuine help to others.

 

One last thought: In recent weeks, a prominent political party brought an abortion facility to be parked outside of the building where their convention was held. Each day, they proudly announced the number of human sacrifices that they had made that day. I realize that they did not admit that these were human sacrifices, but semantics notwithstanding, that is precisely what they were. These children were sacrificed to the "gods of selfishness and convenience". It was an appalling display of disdain towards the sanctity of human life, towards Christians in general, and especially towards God. I pray that they will repent of this wicked sin before it is too late. God will make the judgement upon this sin, as He will on all of our transgressions, so we need to stay out of that part, but we do need to recognize this heinous act of violence for what it was.

 

Millions of women have had abortions through the years. Who knows how many of these ladies have gone on to live lives of turmoil and sorrow caused by the guilt from their actions. And I do not want to leave out the men who had a role in this act, because they are just as guilty. But they can yet experience the peace that God desires for them if they will only seek the forgiveness of God if they will only repent. In the absence of that needed repentance, the Day of Judgment may reveal to them just why Jesus chose the name "Gehenna" for the final dwelling place of the unforgiven. 

 

These things are hard to hear - I realize that. Please understand that they are not written out of hatred or any other form of animosity. They are written out of a hope that people will finally realize the serious nature of this sin so that they will repent and not be lost. In short, these words are a warning, but they are motivated out of a deep love and concern towards those who have been deceived by this horrible sin. I pray that they will be received in that manner, for it is an urgent topic that needs to be considered while there is still time.  

 

 

For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away...

Hebrews 2:1, NASB

 

Our friend's son was about three years old the day of his big adventure. His mother was vacuuming, so she did not hear him when he somehow got the door open and went outside. His Big Wheel tricycle was parked near the driveway, and he hopped on board. How he made it all the way down that sloping road without tipping his vehicle or getting hit by a passing car is anyone's guess, but somehow, he made it about a half mile down that winding path all the way to the highway. 

 

His mother didn't even know he was gone!

 

She found out when she heard over the din of her vacuuming a knocking at the door. It was a kind stranger with her son in tow asking if this little guy belonged to her.

 

Now we might be quick to condemn the mother, but perhaps we shouldn't be so hasty to do so, for all of us who have been parents have been there - and probably on more than one occasion. We have had something that had to be done and had told our kids to stay out of trouble. But still, there are times when we discover that they are old enough to figure out how to open doors that would have been better to have remained locked, and they wander off. It doesn't matter that we have told them a thousand times to stay close and out of trouble. Their curious but immature minds just don't always allow them to pay as close attention as they should.

 

I believe this is the motivation behind the caution that we read in the passage above. God has given us more than adequate instruction to keep us on the straight and narrow path, but sometimes we still wander off. Maybe it's because we are young in the faith, or maybe it's because we just haven't matured in that faith as much as we should, but the outcome is the same. Because we have failed to pay close attention to God's instruction, we find ourselves having drifted away. And if some kind stranger does not come to our rescue, there is no telling how far from home we will get.

 

So the solution, whether we are three year-old boys or fully grown adults, is the same: Pay attention! Our parents did not give us the cautions that they did without good reason, and neither does God. He knows that we are immature at times, and He knows that we will not always pay as close attention to His warnings as we should, but He gives us the warnings all the same. And if we are wise, we will heed those warnings, because no one wants to find themself far from home with little prospects for making it back on our own.