Opus 2025-047: Time to Double Down

I’m not sure where the term “double down” comes from.  In the back of my mind there is this thought that it is a gambling term which somehow means that you multiply your bets.  My creative imagination tells me that there’s a situation in playing blackjack where you can divide your cards into two piles.  Is it imagination or memory?  That part is not important.

What is important is that people who have been praying for the revival of our country and a change of direction need to not get complacent.  We are now at the point where we need to pray even more.  This morning on the day after the inauguration I realized that we need to double down in our prayers.  What brought this home to me?  What’s the way in which God scheduled me to be reading Proverbs 21 and found this as the first verse,

Proverbs 21:1 (KJV) The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

I noticed that Donald Trump made several mentions of how God was important to our progress as a nation, and how God is going to use him.  All that was good.  I believe he meant it.  I believe he feels the hand of God upon him.  I don’t know that he has become what we might call a “true believer.”  If not, I hope that day comes, but until it does, or if it has, we need to double down in our prayers for him.

We feel we took a step forward by winning the election.  We’re hearing the kind of things that we need to hear or want to hear.  We need to make sure we don’t submit to hubris and start thinking we have arrived, and that we are specially blessed by God at the expense of other people.  We need to pray that God‘s will would be done.

As we pray for the president, we need to pray for ourselves and for the church.  We need to double down in all areas.  America is not the chosen nation in the sense that Israel was chosen by God and received a special mandate directly.  In spite of that we can be used of God, and we want to keep this nation as close to the center of his will as possible.  It makes me wonder how the world might be different, if righteousness has taken hold of Sodom or of Egypt or of any other political power in history.  Where would the world be today if Israel had been faithful?

God bless America.  Pray that we would be a part of that blessing.

homo unius libri

Opus 2021-051: Reflection on Day Two, Part 1 of 2, The Hope

My first draft of this was on January 21, thus “day two”.

When I look at the fact that I am an American citizen I have a certain heaviness of heart.  When I look at the fact that I am a child of God, my spirit is set free.  That does not mean that all will be rosy.  The Bible is not the document of Pollyana, it is the revelation of God.  One of the places we can look for understanding of what is to happen is the history of Israel.  Today I was reading Proverbs 21 which this month correlates with Psalm 81.  I saw both hope and reason for concern.

Lets start with the hope.  It was found in Proverbs 21:1,

(Pro 21:1 KJV) The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.

You might wonder where I found hope in that.  It reminded me that God worked through the mind of historic pagan kings as well as the believers.  Pharaoh eventually let Israel go.  If you know your Bible, the whole process took 400 years, but it happened.  Joseph had to go through his own personal trials but eventually he was in a position to be used of God.  Who are the Josephs today?  They are out there.

Cyrus allowed Jews to return and rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple.  Again you need to note that it did not happen overnight and it was not an easy process.  I think we all want to live in the times of recovery but we tend to find ourselves in the period of decadence which led to God’s people being in captivity in the first place.  During the bad time you have the story of Esther and Mordecai.  You have Daniel in the lions den.  Eventually you have Ezra and Nehemiah that were used in the restoration.  You might be called to be a Daniel or Esther.  Ezra may be out their getting prepared.  We don’t know how the hand of God will work.

There are numerous other examples.  Extra Biblical examples could go back to the defeat of Hannibal by the Romans.  Both were pagans but if Carthage had emerged victorious we would be performing child sacrifice on a regular basis instead of hiding in the shadows like the pedophiles are still forced to do.  You might consider the incredibly stupid decisions of Hitler that made it possible for the allies to defeat him.  Invade Russia?  Sure, why not.  It worked so well for Napoleon.  Most people don’t think about the way the the preaching of John Wesley kept England from following the French in revolution.  

So I have hope even though the new Occupant of the White House (OWH) is more in tune with Ahab than Hezekiah.  

To be continued...

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-165: Middle Class Morality: Saving, Not Spending

We live in an affluent age.  Americans live in a culture that takes a massive amount of wealth just to provide the basics.  That is in relation to the rest of the world and even more so to history.  I don’t get too concerned when I hear about the poor people of the world living on $300 dollars a year.  The part most people don’t hear is that they are living on it.  And in their circumstances they might be doing quite well.

How can this be?  If you have no utility bills, grow your own food and don’t pay taxes, how much do you need to live in a third world country?  Obviously it would not get you through the week in Washington D.C.  Many today can spend that much at dinner.  The point is to live within your means.

The Bible gives us the concept of moderation and thrift. 

(Proverbs 21:17 KJV)  He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

The reference to oil may go over your head.  They did more than mix it with balsamic vinegar to put on their salads.  They used it as a lotion and anointed their heads with it.  It was medicinal.  The rich would use large quantities for extravagant purposes.  Lots to drink and lots of massages can make Jack a poor boy.  Today with credit cards we face the same temptation.  Middle class Americans use to drive used cars and pass clothes down to their children.  It was a Biblical concept.

Another aspect of delayed gratification is leaving something for your children.

(Proverbs 13:22 KJV)  A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

The name of the game in Middle Class America is not to die when your last cent is spent.  It is not to drive a giant RV with a bumper sticker saying, “We’re spending our children’s inheritance”.  Middle Class Morality says you are building for the future.  That is why old people plant fruit trees and invest in long term stocks and bonds.

I can’t give you the source but John Wesley was reported to have said, “Make all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”  Of course he was also reported to live on £20 a year.

homo unius libri

Opus 2017-130: Healthy Insights: Metabolism, part 4 of 5

I have a simple question for those who are diet gurus with the answers to long healthy lives:

If what we eat is so unhealthy, why are we living longer?

Here is a paragraph from the beginning of the book,

“We are asking more of our bodies than at any other time in the history of civilization.  We ask them to live on food that is of a much lower quality than ever, thanks to all the chemical additives, preservatives, and processing.  We pump ourselves full of sugar and artificial sweeteners, hormone-riddled dairy products, and foods like wheat and corn and soy that are so genetically modified, it is a wonder we can even digest them.  We live in a world that with deleted soil, polluted air, and water teeming with environmental chemicals.  We eat and drink from plastic containers that leach even more chemicals into our foods and drinks.  And, we live with great amounts of often crushing, overwhelming stress.”, p. 13

You have all seen the lists of things that are bad for you.  I am willing to accept that to be true.  I am also aware that the last time I did a number 1 or a number 2 I witnessed my body getting rid of a lot of things it could not use.  Number 1 gets rid of toxins.  Number 2 gets rid of leftovers.  Factor in the reality of sin and its effect on the natural processes.  Some people have issues with salt.  Some don’t.  We have a growing number of people who react to peanuts.  We have a lot of people worried about gluten and a few that actually have a problem with it. 

The simple truth is that for most of us what we have is working just fine.  We eat too much and move too little, granted.  That is not the fault of the food, it is the fault of the foodees.  The concept is slothful, sluggard, or, dare I use the word, laziness.

(Proverbs 21:25 KJV)  The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

If you feel better about life eating only organic, free range egg whites, go for it.  I have the same regard for people who eat sushi and menudo.  Liberty is wonderful so let me enjoy my corn on the cob, BLT and hamburgers.

Pomroy, Haylie.  The Fast Metabolism Diet.  New York:  Harmony, 2013.

To be concluded...

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-33: Monday Pulpit: Surprise, Surprise

Was it Gomer Pyle that used to say, “Surprise, Surprise!”  The pastor had an interesting statement a few weeks ago, “We should not be surprised by evil.”  This is an alert that is specifically germane to Americans.  We tend to be a Pollyanna culture.  We tend to think that the good guys win and life is full of happy endings.  We do not understand the hatred and animosity that is the standard for the rest of the world.

Notice:  Evil exists.  In fact it is very common in our world.  It is what motivates the terrorists and murderers of the world.  It is what motivates many in politics, business and even in churches.  If you live on Sunshine Acres then you need to know that you are a target.  If you are a believer then all you need to do is read Proverbs.  I found many verses dealing with this.  Let me share just two.

(Proverbs 1:16 KJV)  For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood.

(Proverbs 21:10 KJV)  The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

If you are not a believer then just open your eyes and look around you.  Human nature is not a desire to do good being frustrated by society.  It is rampant with narcissism and aggression. 

Don’t be surprised.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-164: Monday Pulpit: Sources of Poverty, part 5 of ?, Love of Pleasure

The love of pleasure leads to poverty.

(Proverbs 21:17 KJV)  He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

(Proverbs 21:20 KJV)  There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up.

That is a pretty simple statement.

The second part of the verse might require some examination.  By loving wine and oil it does not mean that you like to have them around, it means you consume them.  People who love pleasure say things like, “Life is too short...” and “You only go ‘round once in life...”  The logic is that you need to grab what you can get, when you can get it and not worry about the future.

I see this around me all the time.  There are secretaries at my school that drive newer and more luxurious cars than I do.  That is a matter of choice on my part and their part.  I could afford anything they drive and they could find reliable transportation for a lot less. 

Years ago I read a couple of books, The Millionaire Mind and The Millionaire Next Door.  One of the ideas expressed was that the first generation makes the money, the second generation sometimes maintains the wealth and the third generation usually blows the wealth.  The reason is that the third generation does not have a clue to restraint.  All they know is wealth and privilege.

Several years ago I had a conversation with students about shoes.  At that point I was wearing some shoes I had resoled many times.  They were wearing the latest creations of Nike and Reebok.  I showed that over a period of twenty years I would have thousands in the bank and they would have a closet full of old shoes.  They were not impressed.  They could look cool today.

A major source of poverty is putting pleasure and comfort before thrift and planning.  Many people are poor because they live like kings...until the money runs out.  Then they want you to share.

To be continued...