Hi all,
We are moving this week and I don't have too much time to write. Be back next Wednesday. May God's richest blessings be upon you and your families! Peace!
Rick
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Why I love Israel, and so should you.
This week among the other never ending new stories and world events is an event that holds visceral significance to the country of Israel. The UN is holding a summit and at the heart of the agenda is a vote that could very well accelerate an escalation in tension against this tiny country that is only twice the size of Rhode Island. It is a vote for the statehood of Palestine and it's impact could be catastrophic. Now, I do not support the Palestinians mainly because of their affiliation with Hamas and Hezbollah. These are two of the most vicious anti-Israel/ American terrorist organizations on the planet. I do not however have a problem with the Palestinian people seeking a homeland. I believe that we are all God's creation and therefore they deserve the same dignity and humanity to live in peace and the chance to self govern in their own nation. Just not at the expense of Israel giving up their land and territory. The fact that the world demands that of this ridiculously tiny nation is nothing short of ludicrous. But before you pass any predisposed judgment on my views, hear the words of a humble believer about this apple of God's eye. But first a few facts about Israel you may or may not know.
Israel is the only true democracy in the entire Middle East. It has a population of 7.5 million people and that includes 1.4 million Arabs. All Arabs have full citizenship rights including voting, working, education, housing and religious worship. No Arab country gives such reciprocal privileges to Israelis. Jewish scholars and scientists have won over 22% of the Nobel Peace Prizes, the largest margin by any demographic across the earth. They are preeminent world leaders in chemistry, physics, engineering and technology. The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has been in six major wars since 1948 and won them all. No other nation in the history of the world has been under such constant duress. It is the seat of the worlds 3 major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is surrounded by 110 million Arabs and has been under constant attack and persecution for over 4,000 years. No other people on the face of the earth have faced a consistent and mass extermination effort such as these. They live under constant threat and attack and yet have survived. The history and future of this nation and it's struggles have been accurately portrayed, historically proven and prophesied about in the Holy Bible. All of them are true. Are all these facts mere coincidences? Just dumb luck or happenstance? Why you may ask? Because they are under a divine unbreakable covenant from Almighty God through His promise to Abraham. Which is why we need to support their sovereign right to existence and freedom. Their survival is crucial to God's plan of intervention in our fallen world. Jesus Christ when He comes to reign for a thousand years will be seated and govern from Jerusalem. Not Washington D.C., not the Vatican in Rome Italy, not the U.N. but Jerusalem. Where it all began it will end and begin again in an age of glorious rebirth under the Lordship of Christ the King!
A Jewish officer during the struggle for the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948 and the 1967 Six Day War was asked about why the Jewish people apparently cannot be defeated. He said, "Other nations fight for their borders, resources or political beliefs, we fight for our very existence!" That they have. Jesus Christ is a Jew. He comes from the direct line of Abraham through the seed of King David from the tribe of Judah. His life, ministry, death and resurrection along with His royal claim to authority is unlike that of any other religious figure in history or ever will be. He is the one true and only King of Kings. God's first covenant was made with the Jewish people. The second covenant was the blood covenant of Jesus Christ to offer salvation to all people outside of the Jewish nation. We are all inevitably wrapped together under this divine series of preordained events. It's best if we not only recognize Israel's right to exist but support them enthusiastically. For to not do so would defy the will of our Almighty Creator and for that insolence we would pay a very dear price.
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
Israel is the only true democracy in the entire Middle East. It has a population of 7.5 million people and that includes 1.4 million Arabs. All Arabs have full citizenship rights including voting, working, education, housing and religious worship. No Arab country gives such reciprocal privileges to Israelis. Jewish scholars and scientists have won over 22% of the Nobel Peace Prizes, the largest margin by any demographic across the earth. They are preeminent world leaders in chemistry, physics, engineering and technology. The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has been in six major wars since 1948 and won them all. No other nation in the history of the world has been under such constant duress. It is the seat of the worlds 3 major religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It is surrounded by 110 million Arabs and has been under constant attack and persecution for over 4,000 years. No other people on the face of the earth have faced a consistent and mass extermination effort such as these. They live under constant threat and attack and yet have survived. The history and future of this nation and it's struggles have been accurately portrayed, historically proven and prophesied about in the Holy Bible. All of them are true. Are all these facts mere coincidences? Just dumb luck or happenstance? Why you may ask? Because they are under a divine unbreakable covenant from Almighty God through His promise to Abraham. Which is why we need to support their sovereign right to existence and freedom. Their survival is crucial to God's plan of intervention in our fallen world. Jesus Christ when He comes to reign for a thousand years will be seated and govern from Jerusalem. Not Washington D.C., not the Vatican in Rome Italy, not the U.N. but Jerusalem. Where it all began it will end and begin again in an age of glorious rebirth under the Lordship of Christ the King!
A Jewish officer during the struggle for the rebirth of the nation of Israel in 1948 and the 1967 Six Day War was asked about why the Jewish people apparently cannot be defeated. He said, "Other nations fight for their borders, resources or political beliefs, we fight for our very existence!" That they have. Jesus Christ is a Jew. He comes from the direct line of Abraham through the seed of King David from the tribe of Judah. His life, ministry, death and resurrection along with His royal claim to authority is unlike that of any other religious figure in history or ever will be. He is the one true and only King of Kings. God's first covenant was made with the Jewish people. The second covenant was the blood covenant of Jesus Christ to offer salvation to all people outside of the Jewish nation. We are all inevitably wrapped together under this divine series of preordained events. It's best if we not only recognize Israel's right to exist but support them enthusiastically. For to not do so would defy the will of our Almighty Creator and for that insolence we would pay a very dear price.
“I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:2-3)
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Perseverance in Times of Peril.
We have a dog and his name is Gideon. He's a 105 lb Labrador Retriever and he's an absolute joy to be around. He's 11 years old now and starting to show his age a bit but in the midst of his physical deterioration is the boundless exuberance of his youth. He has arthritis and some cataracts, he limps now a bit and has gray hair on his face and legs but his eyes still sparkle and his gaze is steady. His bark is as big as ever but his physical limitations are showing. What once was a magnificent creature who swam, chased, and jumped all day after rabbits, pheasants and geese, now gazes out over the fields and water surely reminiscing in his mind of bygone seasons when he was the hunter and master all of he saw. But when the spirit moves him he gamely rises to foster up one more pursuit albeit rather gimpy and slower but with all the passion and playfulness of days past. His tenacity and courage are still there but the body is forsaking him. But off he goes, time and time again. No matter what ails him on a particular day he rises again to live his life as fully as he can and never gives up. I was thinking as I was watching him the other day bark and chase after some geese flying over what a noble example he is. He unconditionally loves people and is always by your side no matter how bad the circumstances. You know I think I know Someone else like that! But more importantly he never gives up on who he was designed to be. I am sure that when he leaves us he will have left nothing in the tank. No days were wasted and he gave to our family all he had. And we will be blessed for it! Which brings me to my point.
Gideon has what we have but often don't use or abandon to easily and that's perseverance. We simply give up too often on life's challenges or trials. Sometimes when we are faced with serious hurdles and tests instead of putting our heads down, gritting our teeth, praying for strength and moving forward we abandon ship. Why? After all, the mettle of a ship's captain is not brought forth in calm seas. It's when he sails safely through the storms and wind tossed waves that he is the person he was trained to be. Or when a soldier runs back to get a fallen comrade in the pitch of battle forsaking his own life no matter what because he won't give up on a friend. Or when we lose a job or house or finances or worse yet our spouse or child. Our society today is full of opt out clauses that make it easy to give up and make excuses. It's almost as if we're afraid to be accountable or even worse seek to dismiss any personal responsibility for our failures or shortcomings when they are of our own doing. My dog doesn't know any better and I hate to say it has conducted himself much better than I have at times when I was faced with limitations or circumstances in my life. He adapts and overcomes or at the very least exhausts himself trying.
When Jesus was in the Garden Of Gethsemane the night before He was arrested after being betrayed by Judas, He was praying to His Father. In the midst of the sorrow of His prayers He asked that if it be possible His Father let this impending judgment pass from His hand. In other words God could spare Jesus the horrible suffering and crucifixion He would endure. He was praying so fervently and emotionally that He sweat great drops of blood! But in an attitude of absolute obedience to God He said, "Father if you are willing take this cup from me, but your will not mine be done." Just imagine the gravity of Jesus' burden. He knew He would have to die for all of us. He had to bear all our sin and depravity and unworthiness Himself! He was without sin and blameless yet took full responsibility for us. He was fully God and probably could have opted out right then. Sorry folks, it's too hard for me. I'm going back to my heavenly realm. But He was fully obedient and knew that God did not send His Son to quit on us. Well, you know the rest of the story. Now, I am not trying to compare our sacrifice and service here to Christ's. We don't have His righteousness or holiness to do so. But we are divinely created in His Image. That means we have the same makeup and ability placed in us to give ourselves over to our Father's desire for our lives and to be obedient and serve that desire. It takes sacrifice and a lot of prayer to do so. But we can gather strength from Him to not give up on our problems and trials. We can face them, fight them and ultimately persevere over them. Then even if the circumstances defeat us on the surface we will still have a great spiritual victory! So try a little perseverance. You will never know true fulfillment and victory in your life till you do. Look what it did for you because Someone else chose not to quit.
Romans 5:3,4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Gideon has what we have but often don't use or abandon to easily and that's perseverance. We simply give up too often on life's challenges or trials. Sometimes when we are faced with serious hurdles and tests instead of putting our heads down, gritting our teeth, praying for strength and moving forward we abandon ship. Why? After all, the mettle of a ship's captain is not brought forth in calm seas. It's when he sails safely through the storms and wind tossed waves that he is the person he was trained to be. Or when a soldier runs back to get a fallen comrade in the pitch of battle forsaking his own life no matter what because he won't give up on a friend. Or when we lose a job or house or finances or worse yet our spouse or child. Our society today is full of opt out clauses that make it easy to give up and make excuses. It's almost as if we're afraid to be accountable or even worse seek to dismiss any personal responsibility for our failures or shortcomings when they are of our own doing. My dog doesn't know any better and I hate to say it has conducted himself much better than I have at times when I was faced with limitations or circumstances in my life. He adapts and overcomes or at the very least exhausts himself trying.
When Jesus was in the Garden Of Gethsemane the night before He was arrested after being betrayed by Judas, He was praying to His Father. In the midst of the sorrow of His prayers He asked that if it be possible His Father let this impending judgment pass from His hand. In other words God could spare Jesus the horrible suffering and crucifixion He would endure. He was praying so fervently and emotionally that He sweat great drops of blood! But in an attitude of absolute obedience to God He said, "Father if you are willing take this cup from me, but your will not mine be done." Just imagine the gravity of Jesus' burden. He knew He would have to die for all of us. He had to bear all our sin and depravity and unworthiness Himself! He was without sin and blameless yet took full responsibility for us. He was fully God and probably could have opted out right then. Sorry folks, it's too hard for me. I'm going back to my heavenly realm. But He was fully obedient and knew that God did not send His Son to quit on us. Well, you know the rest of the story. Now, I am not trying to compare our sacrifice and service here to Christ's. We don't have His righteousness or holiness to do so. But we are divinely created in His Image. That means we have the same makeup and ability placed in us to give ourselves over to our Father's desire for our lives and to be obedient and serve that desire. It takes sacrifice and a lot of prayer to do so. But we can gather strength from Him to not give up on our problems and trials. We can face them, fight them and ultimately persevere over them. Then even if the circumstances defeat us on the surface we will still have a great spiritual victory! So try a little perseverance. You will never know true fulfillment and victory in your life till you do. Look what it did for you because Someone else chose not to quit.
Romans 5:3,4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Bring Back 9/11!
That's right I said it. Bring back 9/11! We need it desperately. We need the entire emotional jarring and soul stirring, thought provoking, action taking experience again, and we need it now. But before you all come to the conclusion I am certifiable, hear me out. First of all, I am not talking about the horrific events that changed our country forever that clear fall day. We don't need to relive the indelible images of that tragedy and the death of so many people. Certainly not the rivers of tears in our collective grief for the families of the victims and the subsequent wars that sprang forth from that day. Not the death of thousands of brave American service people since then in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not the clear partisan divisions that are defining and paralyzing our country from both economic and governmental positions. No, not any of these! I am talking about the aftermath of that historic and tragic event. The aftermath that took place across our great country in the days and weeks that followed.
Never before in my lifetime had I witnessed all Americans uniting together in anger, grief, resolve, cooperation, action, spirit and most of all prayer. We had seen our way of life brutally and irretrievably violated. Our shining city on a hill was tarnished and teetering. Our armor had been pierced and our collective consciousness wounded. But we withstood the onslaught and united in an all too brief display of American patriotism. For weeks there were American flags flying everywhere and people noticed them all. They talked to neighbors they hadn't before. Prayed openly in public squares and meeting places. Offered help and charity that became rivers of blessing to others. We were unified without prejudice to color, ethnicity, religion, political persuasion or stature. We were all God fearing American's and we acted like it. The sense of national pride was everywhere and for awhile it seemed that we were turning a corner for good albeit out of unspeakable violence, but it was real! So where did it go? All the goodwill and efforts made to unify our nation have faded into more disarray then ever. As we get ready to mark the 10th anniversary of that day, we are soberly reminded that we American's have limits. Or better yet we humans have limits. You see it doesn't take a PhD to observe that goodwill and good intentions will run out of gas after a while without proper maintenance. That without a collective mindset to honor those commitments to excellence the erosion is inevitable. Why you may ask? Because we live in complete separation. We have simply walked away from the ordained destiny for our country created by yes folks, God Himself.
It is God who created laws for a fallen man to live under, obey and prosper. It is God who gives us life and the world we live in. It is God who has witnessed this wholesale insurrection of His beloved people and still shows mercy and grace to us all. It is God who sent His only begotten son Jesus Christ to die for yours and my sin, in spite of the fact we didn't deserve it. It is God who gives us our greatest asset or liability, freewill. Look around us today. This is not the result God had intended. We are more separated, angry, disillusioned and self destructive then ever. We are at the abyss and time is running out! God is not infinitely patient. He is holy, righteous and will judge us all accordingly. As we spin out of control and America and the world descends into anarchy and chaos it should be noted that a secular and anitichristian bias is on the rise. The events unfolding before us are the result of our increasingly hostile attitude and affront to our Heavenly Father and our ability to honor and worship Him. At the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and New York city this week there are a series of events scheduled to honor 9/11. Not one of those scheduled events has included any Evangelical Christians to speak or pray publicly. Are you kidding me? Leave out the core of American religion and values? Hindu, Muslim and Jewish faiths are represented but not Christian? Were not Christians and their families killed and affected by this tragedy too? Are we not part of America? We represent the largest faith group in this country and we are continually being pushed aside and rebuked. It is a mockery of America and it's foundations and we are letting it happen more and more. If we are wondering why we are not seeing God's blessing hand upon us we need look no further than our own foolish political, social and governmental folly. We will not be allowed to traverse down this path much longer as God has His limits set. If we want to see our country rise again then we must drop to our knees first! God still loves you and I. He wants to restore harmony, peace and prosperity to our nation. But it will be on His terms not ours. I made my decision to sede my power and authority to Him. I found out long ago that my thoughts and actions are too selfish for common good. So I gave Him my heart. You would be wise to do so too. After all you can see the alternative around you. Or as Herman Cain, Republican candidate for president said recently, "How's that working out for you?"
Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Never before in my lifetime had I witnessed all Americans uniting together in anger, grief, resolve, cooperation, action, spirit and most of all prayer. We had seen our way of life brutally and irretrievably violated. Our shining city on a hill was tarnished and teetering. Our armor had been pierced and our collective consciousness wounded. But we withstood the onslaught and united in an all too brief display of American patriotism. For weeks there were American flags flying everywhere and people noticed them all. They talked to neighbors they hadn't before. Prayed openly in public squares and meeting places. Offered help and charity that became rivers of blessing to others. We were unified without prejudice to color, ethnicity, religion, political persuasion or stature. We were all God fearing American's and we acted like it. The sense of national pride was everywhere and for awhile it seemed that we were turning a corner for good albeit out of unspeakable violence, but it was real! So where did it go? All the goodwill and efforts made to unify our nation have faded into more disarray then ever. As we get ready to mark the 10th anniversary of that day, we are soberly reminded that we American's have limits. Or better yet we humans have limits. You see it doesn't take a PhD to observe that goodwill and good intentions will run out of gas after a while without proper maintenance. That without a collective mindset to honor those commitments to excellence the erosion is inevitable. Why you may ask? Because we live in complete separation. We have simply walked away from the ordained destiny for our country created by yes folks, God Himself.
It is God who created laws for a fallen man to live under, obey and prosper. It is God who gives us life and the world we live in. It is God who has witnessed this wholesale insurrection of His beloved people and still shows mercy and grace to us all. It is God who sent His only begotten son Jesus Christ to die for yours and my sin, in spite of the fact we didn't deserve it. It is God who gives us our greatest asset or liability, freewill. Look around us today. This is not the result God had intended. We are more separated, angry, disillusioned and self destructive then ever. We are at the abyss and time is running out! God is not infinitely patient. He is holy, righteous and will judge us all accordingly. As we spin out of control and America and the world descends into anarchy and chaos it should be noted that a secular and anitichristian bias is on the rise. The events unfolding before us are the result of our increasingly hostile attitude and affront to our Heavenly Father and our ability to honor and worship Him. At the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. and New York city this week there are a series of events scheduled to honor 9/11. Not one of those scheduled events has included any Evangelical Christians to speak or pray publicly. Are you kidding me? Leave out the core of American religion and values? Hindu, Muslim and Jewish faiths are represented but not Christian? Were not Christians and their families killed and affected by this tragedy too? Are we not part of America? We represent the largest faith group in this country and we are continually being pushed aside and rebuked. It is a mockery of America and it's foundations and we are letting it happen more and more. If we are wondering why we are not seeing God's blessing hand upon us we need look no further than our own foolish political, social and governmental folly. We will not be allowed to traverse down this path much longer as God has His limits set. If we want to see our country rise again then we must drop to our knees first! God still loves you and I. He wants to restore harmony, peace and prosperity to our nation. But it will be on His terms not ours. I made my decision to sede my power and authority to Him. I found out long ago that my thoughts and actions are too selfish for common good. So I gave Him my heart. You would be wise to do so too. After all you can see the alternative around you. Or as Herman Cain, Republican candidate for president said recently, "How's that working out for you?"
Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
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