Refusing to Relent


     It has become commonplace for some to attack the United States of America. This is nothing new. The problem is that many attacking this nation were born and raised here and have never stepped foot in another country. They bemoan everything from the founding of this nation to the freedom that is subsequent to the founding. This is interesting because these that hate this land use the very law that allows them to spew their hatred while at the same time calling it vile.

Perhaps they do not have a clear understanding of Amendment I of the United States Constitution. It says, in part, that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech…” This basically means the Government cannot impose itself upon the freedoms of the people. Additionally, it means that the individual has the right to live how he deems without consequence imposed by the Government particularly in his speech and worship of God.

With this, I have to say that I am tired of people attacking this nation merely because they do not understand a thing or because they do not like certain aspects of this country. Well, I refuse relent to the vitriolic verbiage of those who see no good in this nation while they rest easy by reason of the protection provided them even as they attack the protectors. You see, I voluntarily donned the uniform of the United States Marine Corps. In doing so, I vowed to defend this nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I also vowed to defend the Constitution of the United States of America. That vow has yet to be vacated.

I also find it interesting that many of those that spew hatred have no idea as to the reasoning of the founding of this nation. This is a nation founded upon Judeo-Christian principles. The main of those principles is freedom. Freedom is a principle not born of the thinking of the founding fathers. It is a principle put forth by the Almighty. Galatians 5:1 points to that freedom with the words, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” This freedom means the followers of Christ need not succumb to the slavery of sin. This freedom is indicative of the fact that we have choices and those choices can lead to absolute freedom or absolute bondage.

Well, I also refuse to relent to those who attack Christianity as though Christianity brings woes to the world. Christianity lifts from the depravity of the world and brings about freedom that cannot be enjoyed while being covered by the bounds of sin. I refuse to relent to those seeking to make Christianity an ideology of hatred rather than the institution of love that it is. The fact is, God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world, through Him, might be saved. Salvation is freedom. Salvation means never having to be bound by the very things that pretend to love you. Salvation is freedom at its best and I refuse to let those that hate freedom stand between me and the Source of freedom provided for me.

Yes, it is true that I took a second vow. Yet, it is the most important vow that I have made. I made a vow to the Lord years ago that I would serve Him until I die. That is another vow that has no end and I intend to hold to my words just as the Word came and set me free. I will not; I refuse to relent to those that hate my God for no other reason than to hate.

I can think of no other country as great as the United States of America. It is the only country I know of wherein one can be born in poverty and work himself out of it. It is a country wherein one can speak freely and live as he chooses. Yes, these United States upholds our freedom to worship and serve the Almighty without governmental interference. It is true that there have been ills and wrongs in this country. Still, it does little good to continue to live in the sins of some of our fathers. I refuse to relent to the lies that all about this country is bad and evil.

More important than being a patriot I am a child of the Most High God. If this country fails, I will stand with God. If this country upholds the bonds that pull at the freedom of Christ, I will stand for and with the Most High. You see, I love God more than I can ever love this country. That does not mean that I need to spew hatred upon this land that upholds the freedom to celebrate Jesus without fear of reprise from the Government.

No, I refuse to relent to the wailing and gnashing of those that hate this country and abhor the God I love. No, I will not relent. Instead, I will stand for Old Glory and will bow to the Most High whilst I uphold the blood-stained banner that was stained by the blood of Christ Jesus. I refuse to relent.

Now It’s Personal


Frankly, I couldn’t care less about the NFL or any other sports organization. In my view, many athletes are way overpaid for playing a game. When it gets down to it that is all athletes do is play games. Moreover, I don’t care about the personal views of any of the players. I have more to be concerned about than the political ranting of the privileged few who purport to care about the less fortunate all while doing nothing more than spewing hatred and disdain for the country which enabled them to be amongst the privileged. Well, I have had enough.

What I find really troubling is many of those pretending to speak for the “oppressed” are the oppressors. Riots are promoted just because some say things with which the “protestors” disagree. Knees are taken to bring attention to “social injustice” yet no one has clearly articulated what that injustice is. All this is going on while those who choose to take a knee in prayer to the God of all are punished for praying. This is not what I fought for. This is not why I took an oath. This is not why I continue to hold to more than one oath.

Yes, it is true. I took an oath a number of years ago. In part, I vowed that I would defend this land against all enemies. Yes, all enemies foreign and domestic. In taking the oath I promised that I would defend the Constitution which includes the Bill of Rights and all the Amendments. The 1st Amendment is included. If any has ought with the Government there are ways to redress the issues. It is those rights for which I donned the uniform. It is not so that the elite can wield power over the less influential. Instead, my service in the Marine Corps was to provide equal protection for all. This includes those who choose to pray to the God of all.

I have had enough. I am patriotic. I am also a Christian. Yet the lie is that in order for one to be a Christian he must lay aside his patriotism. I take issue with that very notion. I honor those who came before me allowing me to pen these very words without concern of governmental oppression. I worship and bow to God and Him alone. Further, this nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values. To my knowledge, it is the only country in the world with such founding. Now, I know some of our founders were Deists and some served not God at all. And, that is the point. The freedoms underscored by the Constitution means we are free to worship and free not to worship. The choice is ours.

I am more incensed at the fact of attacks on Christianity at large. Christians are called “judgmental” because they choose to point out and live according to the Word of God. All worldviews are accepted. All can practice as they see fit. All accept Christians. Well, I have had enough. It’s personal now. You see, I took another oath which is far more important than the oath of my military service. I took an oath to serve God for the rest of my life. I vowed that I would live out Christianity in private and in public. I will not relent. I will not kowtow. I meant every word I said then and I still mean every word.

If you think there are grave injustices in this country there are forums by which they can be addressed. Arguing to redress such injustices do not include the destruction of property and infringing on the rights and freedoms of others. The same is true of the Church. If you do not like the teachings of the Church you have no right to infringe upon the free worship of those in the Church. Further, no one is making anyone stay in this country. You don’t have to be part of the Church. The choice is yours.

Yes, it’s personal now. I have had more than I am willing to take of those attacking the country for which I put my life on the line. If you want to protest, get all the facts and learn the truth behind the issue. If you have an issue with Christianity, learn more about Christ and determine why He died for you. Many died for the freedom of many. One died for the freedom of all. Either way, you don’t have to participate in either.

One more point. Among the oaths I have taken I have taken the oath of an ordained member of the clergy. I vowed to preach the Gospel in and out of season. My job is to point men to the foot of the cross and let them choose or choose not to come to the point of salvation. Contrary to what some say, not all roads lead to eternal salvation. There is but one way to the Father and that is through Christ Jesus. There is no other way. Not all are the same and unless your stand is for Jesus in particular then you stand not on the Word of God. It is time we all stood. Either we stand with the law-abiding or we stand with the lawless. Now it’s personal and with that, I will stand with the Word of God.

 

 

This Thing Called Freedom


There is no point in time when man did not long for freedom. Freedom was an idea sought by the Israelites while they were being held captive by the Egyptians. More recently, King George sought to withhold freedom from those over whom he ruled. There was no such thing as freedom for individuals to worship as they chose. Instead, the people had to kowtow to the very wishes of the tyrannical monarch. Freedom was nothing more than a waning thought in the night. That thought though would soon become a plan of action.

Freedom is not as simple as it may seem, yet the concept is extremely simple. Freedom is nothing more than the lack of influence from external entities. The Jews sought to be relieved of the autocratic influence of the Egyptians. Those under the aristocratically charged ideology of King George sought to be rid of the chains binding them to the whims of the dictatorial leader. This is why both groups of people left lands of oppression in favor of lands wherein they were able to worship God without the influence of the ruling class.

Freedom would come at a cost. Those leaving King George’s charge would soon find themselves in battles with the kingdom they once called home. Blood would be shed so that the founders of the United States of America would have the liberty to worship God without the influence of a tyrannical leader. And, the battles for freedom would go on. There would be the world wars, The Korean War, the Civil War, and other wars were fought to secure the freedoms of a people.

As we remember those fallen to protect our freedom it becomes increasingly difficult to overlook the One who died for the freedom of all people. John 8:36 has the words, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  The freedom made possible by the Son is not the freedom to worship, while that freedom is enveloped in the freedom created by the Son. Nor is the freedom specific to the freedom of speech guaranteed in the United States Constitution. Instead, the freedom put for by the Son is freedom from sin. This means that those who choose to follow Christ walk in salvation. Salvation, theologically speaking, is deliverance from the power of sin.

If one is to be delivered from the power of sin, sin has no more influence over him. Deliverance from the power of sin means the one delivered no longer has to walk under the diabolical influence of the evil slave master, sin. It is much like the deliverance the Israelites experienced as well as the experience of those who fought to free a new nation from the oppressive hand of a dictatorial monarch. Freedom has a cost and that cost is the blood of those standing for freedom.

From the founding of the United States of America, many have raised the Star Spangled Banner as a sign of freedom. The colors are significant. The white is shown for the purity of a new country. The blue stands for the loyalty of those who fought and were to fight for the country. The red is for the bloodshed by those standing for the freedom the Star Spangled Banner represents. The price of freedom is far from cheap. Yet, the price must be paid. It is interesting that those paying the price for the freedom do not get to enjoy the very thing for which they laid their lives. Freedom, the one thing that is far from free.

The Son of God, Immanuel, also raised a banner. The Banner raised by the Son was a bloodstained banner. It is stained with His blood. The color of this banner is insignificant because the banner cannot be seen because it is covered in the blood of Jesus Christ. When properly applied the blood of Jesus washes away sin. Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Without the shedding of blood, there is no freedom from sin. Christ, the Son of God, did more than all those who died for this country. Yes, we honor those who served and gave their lives for the sake of freedom. Still, we must not forget to honor the One who removed His robe of glory and died a sinner’s death so that we could be free from sin.

This thing called freedom cost many their lives. It is not cheap nor is it free. This thing called freedom means we can worship God without the oppressive hand of the Government. This thing called freedom caused the Son of God to wrap himself in the body of humanity so that man would be free from the impact of sin. This thing called freedom would be nonexistent without the shedding of blood. So, as we honor those who gave their lives for this country let us not forget the One who gave all for all.

Enough Divisiveness


I admit, in my lifetime I have not seen this country so divided. I lived through a potion of segregation and saw the end of Jim Crow. I recall when Martin Luther King was assassinated and can remember motorcycle gangs roaring down the streets of Baltimore following the assassination. Yet, somehow this country largely pulled together to stand for right. Petty differences were laid aside in hope of a uniting nation. King, in part, sought to draw people together by reason of a common thread. That thread was that we were, and remain, of the same substance. That substance remains in that we are all human beings made in the image of God. Because of that there is more to bind us than to divide us.

I clearly recall the time this nation was attacked. Our towers in New York were destroyed. The Pentagon was a target and another plane went down in Pennsylvania. All of a sudden there were United States flags everywhere. The people of this land began to stand shoulder-to-shoulder. A return to God began to be the mantra of the hour. We were all United States citizens and there would be no force to break that bond. Unfortunately, this bond of unity would not last. The ugliness of divisiveness would soon rear its ugly head. All of a sudden everyone was to blame except those perpetrating the most horrendous acts.

Now, not long after those tragic events we had an election. The election was legally won and our new President will soon take office. Yet, there are some that see reason to be divisive and call the soon to be Head of State illegitimate. Others have chosen not to attend the presidential inauguration by reason of the false rhetoric of an illegitimate election. These words and actions have only served to divide a nation that is already in the worst state of harmony that I can recall in my lifetime. Well, enough of this divisiveness already!

Frankly, the Church has not acted much better. Perhaps this is why the country is acting so untoward. It is high time the Church began to remove the ridiculous rhetoric of divisiveness and rancor and began to pull together according to the Word of God. There is no room in the House of God for division. There is much room for love. After all, men will know that we are brothers by our love. That love is not merely a purported love for God. No, it is action taken which shows that we love each other. This could mean helping a family in need of help. It may mean lending a shoulder to cry on. That love might also me demonstrated in helping to heal the hurts of the past. No matter how that love is demonstrated it serves not to divide. Instead, true love serves to unite. This is the ministry of those that love; reconciliation.

The example of love demonstrated by the Church is a love that is apt to spill into the world. Even so, the love the Church demonstrates is really a type of love provided by the Godhead. The fact is that God so loved the world that He gave His son. The Son so loved that He gave His life. The Holy Spirit so loves that He dwells in man. Love is a reciprocal matter that has not time to entertain divisiveness. Love is not familiar with rancor. Instead, love seeks to reconcile broken people to those who have been hurt and damaged by the abomination of hate.

King was right. One’s pigmentation is not a matter that should be considered in any instance. Instead, we should look to the heart of man as God does. We live in a strong nation and ought not to be divided by the vitriolic and visceral verbiage of those that choose not love. The divisive nature of some in this country is only causing a divide that could bring about the downfall of this great nation. This is unacceptable and far from Christ-like. Enough of this divisiveness! It is time we broke the bands of this that binds us and remember the part of King’s dream that can and must be more than a dream. He looked forward to the day when we all can join together and not just sing the old Negro spiritual but actually walk in the words – Free at last, free at last. Thank God, almighty, we’re free at last!

The Real American Dream


In light of some of the problems that plague the United States many have either forgotten or have never know what the “American dream” is really about. There is a considerable lack of understanding of why our founding fathers fled the oppressive hand of one, King George. Well, there is little sense in rewriting the history books. However, it serves great purpose to examine two points of interest in respect to the founding of the United States as it relates to the American dream.

Item one – The matter of religious freedom under King George was much less than a misnomer. One had to essentially celebrate his way or no way. This is to say that King George preferred a State religion. It was, in a manner of speaking, a type of the bondage held by the Romans over the Jews. The Israelites were not allowed to worship God as they desired. They had to worship predicated upon the desires of the ruling authority. This was the problem between King George and those that sought freedom.

The real American dream had much to do with religious freedom. The preamble of the Constitution of the United States points to our Creator. It is our Creator that affords us the freedoms outlined in the Bill of Rights. The chief freedom is that of religion (or Christianity) as seen by our founding fathers. The 1st Amendment says in part that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…” Hence, part of the American dream is one that allows the free worship of God without interference from Government. Note, the Amendment says nothing about freedom from religion, as some purport. Instead, the Christian need not hide or celebrate in private. He has every right to worship God publically without fear of governmental retaliation.

Still, there are those that seek to destroy Christianity. Christians are the only group of people wherein it is politically correct to offend and attack. Christians are the only ones forced to acquiesce to things contrary to the teachings of Scripture. Moreover, when Christians stand for godly virtues they are called everything but the children of God. Well, this is not what the founding fathers had in mind and this is not pleasing to God. The question, then, is where is the American dream for Christians desiring only to please God?

Item two – Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution discusses taxation. This is important because King George had no trouble imposing high taxes on the people. Among the taxes imposed on the young Colonies were the Tea, Quartering and Stamp taxes. None of these taxes did anything to aid America (not yet the United States) but served only to bolster the British desire. This was, in essence, theft of labour. This is why taxation, as outlined in the Constitution, was designed to be limited in scope and for the specific purpose of defending the homeland. The exact verbiage in part is, “The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States.”

Now, some argue that taxes should be high. Some even seek to biblical reason for such actions. While it is good and wonderful for the people to be generous and give of their labour it is not encumbered upon the Government to force such generosity. This is tantamount to slavery. Instead, part of the American dream is a dream to work and be successful. Some will fail and others will not. This really does not matter; the pursuit of happiness means there will be a struggle and that struggle comes in many forms. Financial stability, without an oppressive tax system, goes a long way to securing the American dream.

Many things can be addressed and the Constitution can be juxtaposed with Scripture on many fronts. And that is the point – freedom and the real American dream is a dream of worshipping God, even with our money, away from the oppressive hand of King George and the like.

 

The Frailty of Humanity


Working in a maximum security prison with hardened inmates I get to see a lot of things. One of the things I see regularly is men walking around with walls so thick that it would take bulldozers to penetrate those walls. Yet, when I bring those same men in my office to speak with them the frailties begin to shine through. The walls are really a front because in the prison setting showing any sign of weakness could mean life or death.

My point is that while many put on strong fronts mankind is extremely frail. We are frail because we need to realize that we exist because of the strength of God that resides in those of us that rely and trust on the Lord of our Salvation. Despite this there are some who see themselves as strong and that they should be strong for those around them. This idea seems strange because it suggests that one should live outside what he is in order to present as something he is not.  Let me explain.

My work as chaplain means that I have to deal with people in all stages of life. One stage is sickness. You see, very recently a young man, not yet in his thirties, suffered a stroke while on the unit. This young man was rushed to a local hospital and I was notified. I quickly notified the family of the disease ridden young man. From there I determined I would visit him in the hospital and find a way to authorize a family visit. The warden was quick to approve the family visit and my plans to visit were being finalized.

At the appointed time I went to the hospital. Family members were there before I was. The young man, while conscious, was not very responsive. Family members and friends were apparently broken as they saw the helplessness of the young man and their own weaknesses. Out of well meaning one family friend advised the mother to be strong for the young man. This, in my view, is the problem. The mother had no ability to be strong. Her young son was lying in a hospital bed with no sure prognosis. He was moving yet not communicating. A young man who might have been thought strong was quite frail and frail indeed.

The mother could not contain herself. She was unable to stay in the room. He son was not only a ward of the state but also a ward to the trouble that rests in his body. She would not be comforted. She could not be comforted. Her human frailty began to break forth the more she considered the dire state of the son she loved. It was not within her to be strong. It was only within her to weep and morn. Her weakness allowed her to be human.

When we consider biblical characters Paul might be said to be amongst the strongest. His evangelical tours proved to be more than undetermined weak people could consider. The strength of Paul was enough to move him forward. The weakness of Paul allowed him to trust God. This idea of the weakness of Paul is amplified in II Corinthians chapter twelve. Paul’s continued reliance on God caused him to realize just how weak he was. It was also opportunity for the strength of God to be realized in frail man.

With this, I would encourage all to lay aside the idea that we should be strong on every count. As I left that hospital room and headed back to the prison my weakness began to come forth. It was all I could do not to cry. This was coupled with the fact that the day before I attended the funeral of a family member of a co-worker. Yes there are times when we must reach down in order to pull some who have given in to weakness. Even so, we are only able to pull because of the strength of God that resides in us. Do not be ashamed of the frailty of humanity. Instead, in frailty allow the strength of God to pour in and through you.

 

Yet Another Vote


Yes, it is true. Today I went and took advantage of early voting in Texas. There is no surprise that once again my vote was for freedom. Honesty must prevail when I say that I did not recognize all the names on the list. It was a rather extensive list. That only goes to show that I perhaps should have done a bit more homework. Be that as it may, I did enough research to know that freedom was my ultimate motive for voting. Freedom is an issue that I chose not to overlook and is a matter that I made paramount as I pulled the lever. Freedom is a matter that deserves one vote and then another.

It is for this reason that voting should be done in more than one way. Yes, one can go to the polling place and carefully select issues that are important to him. This is part of what is called the democratic process. However, it is not enough to simply pull the electoral lever in favour of freedom. Freedom must be lived no matter where the voter is. This means that one action must be in line with the vote he made. Let me explain.

As a minister of the Gospel I implore people to live a life complimentary of scriptural teaching. This is a vote not so much in the proclamation of Christian virtues as it is in living out those virtues. The same is true when one casts his vote for freedom. One cannot simply say that his vote is for freedom. He must have a lifestyle emblematic of that freedom. He must know when to evoke such freedoms and know when not to evoke them. The fact is there is more than one way to vote and one such way is in action.

Some might recall the time I left Baltimore a couple years ago. The State of Maryland has proven to be oppressive and not wanting to adhere to the Constitution. I had had enough. So, when the opportunity presented itself I decided to vote with my feet. And, vote I did. I voted for freedom on a number of fronts. I did not use the ballot box; I used another freedom. I am free to live in any State in this union so I decided to vote with my feet. I used actions that afforded me the ability to live as a free man should. I made yet another vote.

Those calling themselves Christians also have opportunity to vote. The votes, though, are not made under the watchful eyes of state election judges. Instead, this vote is looked upon by a Holy and Righteous God. You see, there are many that make votes on Sunday mornings. They vote to let Jesus into their lives while they choose to lay aside the sin that separated them from God. They realize that “He who the Son has set free is free indeed (John 8:36). There is a longing for the freedom and words of repentance are made to that end.

Unfortunately many choose not to vote for that freedom by reason of their lifestyles. Some try to live a double life, secret service saints, as it were. There is a tendency to Christianity on Sunday mornings and one for hedonism during the rest of the week.  The true vote is not for the freedom provided by Christ. The vote is for diabolical celebrations proving only to widen the way of destruction. This is a dangerous double standard which only pulls from freedom.

Yes, in these United States we are in the midst of a heated presidential election. There is fighting on every side. Some are fighting for freedom while others seek forms of certain slavery. Yet, there is another vote. That vote has more to do with our lifestyles. This vote has to do with how we choose to live our lives. If we live for Christ and His standards then our vote is freedom. If we cave in to the sultry, seductive world of what feels good for the moment then our vote is for bondage. Choose you this day whom you will serve. As for me, I and my house will serve the Lord. We have cast our vote and we will live in such a way as to please the Lord.