Sun, Sep 28th - 6:15PM

Our nation is facing a major financial crisis. While writing this article political leaders and financial experts are scratching their heads trying to come up with a workable solution. The money needed for the government to bail-out failed financial institutions is 70 Billion dollars.

Our proficient leaders, who allowed this to happen in the first place, are telling the American people that unless a quick vote by congress is reached, there could be an economic bust in American. The quick money, they say, is necessary to keep the economic ship afloat. That ultimatum to act quick frightens many folk.

But what is just as disturbing is the fact that the bail-out plan must have taken no more time to draw up than the time allowed for the legislators to study. I don’t understand little about those kinds of out-of-this-world figures, but it would sure take me more than a few hours to think through, then devise, and put together a plan for such a mammoth task that is before our nation.

A few years back, the late Larry Burkett wrote a book entitled Debt-Free Living, in which he advised individuals and families to get out of debt. We claim to own a lot of "stuff", but really we are simply caretakers of things which are owned by a number of lenders. The Proverbs of the Old Testament puts it this way: "The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender"(22:7).

Larry Burkett also wrote The Coming Economic Earthquake. The words of this book are a chilling reminder of what he foresaw, which we now are experiencing. Many of the debaters on the news channels are warning that the worst is yet to come. Perhaps God sits in the Heavens and watches as we pay the price of buying what we can’t afford.

It isn’t my intention in this article to lay blame nor seek to give the leaders a solution. There’s enough blame to go around. One thing that can be done would seriously hurt our nation and individual and would be rejected immediately. That would be, just as debt has trickled up to this pressure point of explosion, let the chips fall where they fall and allow ultimate depression to put everyone back on the same level. Then perhaps, we as a nation of people, we would realize that a nation which forgets God suffers because of that neglect.

The point I want to make is the one Larry Burkett made back in Debt-Free Living. Work toward eliminating debt in personal affairs and in the life of churches. Sure, we might not be able to possess as much stuff or as many toys as we would like, but neither would we be at the mercy of a lender who becomes the "take-back-man".

Just think what you and I could do if we lived debt-free. There would be more money to put aside for our future. More money to put into the Lord’s work. More money to share with those in need. More money to build an inheritance for our children. And the joy of not worrying about the take-back man knocking on the front door.

God told His people Israel not to borrow. He would bless them so they could loan to other peoples in other lands. And He told them to never lend money to a brother or fellow Jew and require interest in repaying the loan. And through the years, even the difficult days of their nation’s history, God has blessed the Jewish people with material blessings.

What if our nation doesn’t come out of this financial earthquake with solutions? Then we, as individuals, must reduce our debt and seek financial freedom from debt.

"But", you say, "There is no way that I can get out of debt". Well, have you tried? Or do you simply keep borrowing to pay for more stuff? You’ve heard the question asked in jest, about how one can eat an elephant? If you haven’t heard, the answer it is simply "one bite at a time". That’s how one gets out of debt — one extra dollar at a time or as often as possible.

Let’s pray that God will give our leaders solutions to this national need. Let’s further pray that the Lord will help us to remove much of if not all the burden of debt in our lives and churches.

Sun, Sep 21st - 10:24PM

Pray For God To Prop Us Up On The Leaning Side

There came a story across my email recently which speaks volumes to each believer reading these lines. I’m not sure of the authenticity of the story but the lesson it teaches is absolutely true.

The email told the story of an elderly gentleman’s prayer. The old deacon included in his prayers, "Lord, prop us up on our leaning side". After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked why he prayed the prayer so fervently.

He answered, "Well sir, you see, it’s like this...I got an old barn out back. It’s been there a long time; it’s withstood a lot of weather; it’s gone through a lot of storms, and it’s stood for many years. It’s still standing.

But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn’t fall. Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn.

I’ve been around a long time. I’ve withstood a lot of life’s storms. I’ve withstood a lot of bad weather in life. I’ve withstood a lot of hard times, and I’m still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop me up on my leaning side, ‘cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times.

Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn’t. So we need to pray, ‘Lord, prop us up on our leaning side, so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord."

That old deacon is correct. Life hurls some pretty big blows at us from time to time. As it does, there are times when we would like to throw up our hands and call it quits. Satan’s attacks never cease to point in the direction of born again believers. Troubles will follow us while traveling through this world. It is in these times of discouragement we need for the Lord to prop us up on the leaning side.

The world-view, which drives most political leaders, often presents believers with a choice. Since the Biblical-view opposes much of what the world thinks, believes, and promotes, laws and regulations are often passed that makes life difficult for individual Christians. These difficulties causes our faith to lean just a little and that is when we need the deacon’s prayer.

Christians are called upon to remember what scripture teaches believers about their lifestyle. Paul said it well in Romans 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God". We aren’t to conform to the world-view but be transformed or changed to the Biblical-view. To do that, we certainly have need for the Lord to prop us up when we are about to fall.

That propping up requires repentance on our part. Peter quoted from a Psalm when confronted by the religious leaders seeking to know how the man at the door of the Synagogue was healed. Peter, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit told them that it was the name of Jesus. The Psalm quoted was Psalm 118:22 - "This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone."

Their religious institution wasn’t the cornerstone for real faith. It was Jesus. Whenever we can realize that our faith depends upon Him and not upon ourselves, we will then be in a position where He can prop up our weakened faith.

So, pray the old deacon’s prayer for yourself. Why not pray it right now! "Lord, prop up my faith so I will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord".

Sun, Sep 14th - 11:41PM

Jesus and His disciples were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee when a storm descended upon the surface of the water. Jesus Himself was asleep, having made a pillar with His head resting upon it. The sudden storm caused the disciples to become fearful. They awakened the Lord "and said to Him, Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"(Mk 4:38).

Jesus, when summonsed by the disciples of their danger, "arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘peace, be still!" Upon the Lord’s command, "the wind ceased and there was a great calm."(v. 39).

After calming the sea, Jesus looked at His disciples and said, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?"(v. 40). The Greek word for fearful describes a cowardly fear. The disciples were scared. They feared for their lives. They thought that their boat, already taking on water, was about to be sunken into the sea.

But Jesus was sleeping right through the ordeal. Remember they were on a small fisherman’s boat, not a comfortable sea faring ship. So, as the waves tossed their little boat, it didn’t cause panic in Jesus. Rather, He was getting His rest.

Thus, Jesus confronts the disciples about their faith. Yes! This is a thrilling story about the miraculous work of Jesus. And the disciples asked the question that is similar to the one we might have asked ourselves. They "said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"(v. 41).

Too often we look for the beauty behind the story, the good that makes one rejoice. And when it is found, one needs to encourage themselves with the wonderful miracles performed by Jesus. This is one of those moments. To calm the ragging sea, to speak to the howling wind and silence its fury is an experience of which one must take notice.

But I think the most powerful point this experience reveals is how fear wins the battle in an individual’s life. Jesus pointed out the reason for their fear when He questioned them. Their little faith allowed fear to overwhelm them.

These men were close to Jesus everyday, but they had not as yet come to understand just who He was. Their faith was a day by day growing faith. They would watch Him, see His miracles, listen to His teachings. But to really know and understand with a full compliment of faith didn’t come until after Jesus’ resurrection. So, perhaps we can understand why they feared even with Jesus in their boat with them.

But what about you and me? These disciples were pre-crucifixion followers of Jesus. We are post-crucifixion Christians. As such, we have the full story. We know about His life, why He came, why He had to die on the cross. We are thrilled at the story of the resurrection. We know about faith and why faith is important. We have come into the Kingdom of God by faith. Thus, we are without excuse for being a faithless people!

Life is like that boat ride across the sea. Leaving home in the morning doesn’t guarantee we’ll return in the afternoon. Life can be smooth as silk one moment, the next it is torn apart because of a doctor’s report, by being in the right place at the wrong time, or having whole schedules changed because of some tragic moment.

Do you panic? Do you see the end just ahead? Do you cry out for help — from somebody? Or can you know that the Lord is aware of your predicament and that He is right there with you? Just as the word "fearful" in verse 40 in the Greek points to a cowardly fear, the word "feared" in verse 41 is a word describing reverential, respectful fear.

In other words, their cowardly fear turned to awe and respect for the Lord. The disciples came to realize with Him on their side, why should they be afraid. We even more than they should see ourselves walking daily with the divine companionship of the eternal God of creation.

Sun, Sep 7th - 9:44PM

"I am what I am because my father and grand-father were what they were! Don’t blame me, it’s their fault." That is what some individuals think of themselves. They feel they are chained to a binding generational inheritance. Their claim is that because their forefathers were unrighteous or ungodly, then that is their fate also.

But is that thinking correct? What does the commandment mean, which God gave to Moses, when it says ". . . For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me . . .".

Does this commandment suggest that God will punish even to the third and fourth generations of evil father’s? Or can it point out that his punishment will follow a father who teaches his children and grand-children to do evil? It is true that an invisible generational chain holds generations together, the offspring simply living out what is taught by parents.

It seems that each generation of American citizens are becoming less faithful to the Lord’s Commandments while living more outside the Bible’s guidelines than following the Lord’s teachings. One can only tremble at what will be the outcome a couple more generations down the line!

But does this mean that you and I, as individuals, have to be like an unjust parent or family? To the one who says, "I can’t help what I do, it’s just who I am!", I say BULL!

It is true that physical impairments or diseases can be linked to genetics, but not ungodly living. Scientist or medical researchers say they have discovered a gene that causes some men to cheat on their spouses. If you don’t have the gene, then you don’t have that inner compulsion to be unfaithful. But if you do have it, you can tell your wife, when caught, that you can’t help it. I guess that is supposed to settle the problem.

Many will also argue that there are certain genetics in some folk that causes them to become alcoholics. And so it goes, just blame your forefathers. There isn’t really a thing called sin.

Allow me to take you to Ezekiel for a few suggestions. First of all, I want to show you that you don’t have to continue the lifestyle of a parent. The book’s 18^{th chapter, the prophet has a section on God’s justice shown in the treatment of people.}

There was a popular proverb being repeated. It is found in the 2nd verse. "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, And the children’s teeth are set on edge". Put another way, the proverb meant that the children’s teeth are hurting because their father’s ate sour grapes. For the purpose of the prophet’s teaching it meant that the children were bound to suffer because of what their fathers did. Suffer perhaps, but not imitate their unjust lifestyle.

The proverb is followed with the Lord’s take on it by declaring, "As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel. Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine". Read the entire chapter and you will see a just father, an unjust son, and a just grand-child. I have space to only mention one scripture which should explain the entire chapter. It is verse 21: "But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die."

So, the first suggestion from Ezekiel is that the generational chain of sinfulness can be broken. That leads to the second suggestion as found in verse 30. How do you break the link in that evil chain? "Repent, and turn from all you transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin."

The last suggestion from the prophet’s words tell us that breaking the chain enhances one’s life. In verse 27 - "Again, when a wicked man turns away from the wickedness which he committed, and does what is lawful and right, he preserves himself alive."

Living a life after the unjust father will bring a lifetime of misery. On the other hand, a life lived after the just father will produce a life of happiness and satisfaction. So, break the chain of personal sinful conduct in your life and serve the Lord with gladness.