Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 13 – No. 5111 December 17, 2011
Thought for the week: "If we ever forget that we are one nation under God, then we will be one nation gone under!" – Ronald Reagan
"Throughout the centuries, there were men who took first steps, down new roads, armed with nothing but their own vision." – Ayn Rand
"When filled with holy truth, the mind rests." – C. H. Spurgeon
"The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you tell them. They don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are." – Jim Henson, Creator of The Muppets
"We first make our habits, and then our habits make us." – John Dryden
"Self-discipline is the ability to make yourself do what you should do when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not." – Elbert Hubbard
"I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time." – Anna Freud
To call to mind just a few of our downward actions ... in 1947 the Supreme Court ruled on the "Separation of Church and State," opening the door for Madalyn Murray O'hair and her 1962 lawsuit which literally kicked God out of our schools. In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled to make abortions legal, and since that time some 50 million babies have been killed.
In 2010 President Obama signed the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law which restricted open homosexuality in our armed forces, in fulfillment of a campaign promise to his homosexual supporters ... and at present, Mr. Obama is fulfilling another promise to those homosexuals—he is actively attempting to repeal DOMA (the Defense of Marriage Act) and thus open the door to same-sex marriages in every state.
And this president scornfully dismisses Biblical teaching on homosexuality as an "obscure verse in Romans," but speaks reverently of the "holy Quran," ignores observance of the National Day of Prayer, but sponsors gala recognition of the Islamic holy period of Ramadan.
In the face of such anti-Christian trends in our nation, we do indeed need an adherence to God's promise in II Chronicles 7:14: "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
Words spoken
may soon pass away
and forgotten be,
But when spoken
in love and kindness,
are like beautiful flowers,
and even though
they fade and die
from conscious memory,
their fragrance lives on
embedded in the
deeper mind –
forever.
Recently a friend sent me an audio video of the wonderful old hymn written in 1912 by evangelist George Bennard. It made me homesick—not only for heaven—but also for the hymns of the faith that so many of "we oldies" grew up with and that, for many years, we sang regularly in our churches. It was "The Old Rugged Cross." What a soul-stirring message.
I can't even remember the last time I heard this hymn sung in church. Nor can I remember the last time I heard another equally grand old hymn: "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" which I am playing on my computer right now. Hear the words—what a message:
"When I survey the wondrous cross/on which the Prince of Glory died/my richest gain I count but loss/and pour contempt on all my pride.
"Were the whole realm of nature mine/that were an offering far too small/love so amazing, so divine/demands my soul, my life, my all."
Disdain for money is a common theme among moralists and philosophers. But money's not the problem. It's what people do to get it, and what they do with it when they get it.
In Fiddler on the Roof, a poor man sings of his daydreams of the wonderful life he'd have if he were a rich man. And surely it would be better. As someone once said, "I've been poor and I've been rich. Rich is better."
Yet the Biblical warning that "Love of money is the root of all evil" reminds us to be aware of the difference between need and greed.
It's one thing to make money a central goal to escape poverty and provide for basic necessities. It's quite another when money becomes our primary motivation and measure of success, or when we equate happiness or worthiness with wealth.
The love of money can have a powerful narcotic effect on our values. It can push us toward or keep us in unhealthy relationships and unsatisfying careers. It can lead us to undervalue the importance of relationships and work. The desire for money can make us into workaholics who neglect family and friends. And it can spawn dishonorable conduct that pollutes our souls and makes us unworthy, despite our net worth.
According to an old Hasidic saying, "One who thinks money can do everything is likely to do anything to get it."
Perhaps the French philosopher Rousseau said it best: "The money you have can give you freedom, but the money you pursue enslaves you."
The challenge is to put the value of money in perspective. In the end, the question is: How much are you willing to pay to have money?
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."1
According to an article in The Community Visitor, Abraham Lincoln was walking down the street in Springfield holding the hands of his two sons, both of whom were crying lustily.
"What's the matter with the boys, Abe?" asked a neighbor. Lincoln replied, "The matter with them is the matter with the world. One has a nut, and the other one wants it."
Need I say more? Our Scripture for today says it all.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to be a giver and not a taker—a giver of friendship, a giver of kindness, a giver of understanding, a giver of my possessions, a giver of love, and a giver of myself. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
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