Extremely Careless

One hot July morning a woman was pulled over by the police for speeding. As the officer approached the car the woman began hurriedly hiding the open beer cans that were on her passenger seat. She was about to be caught doing something that had been clearly against the law and she was expecting the worst.

The cop motioned for her to roll down the window, which she did.

"Do you know how fast you were going ma'am?" the officer asked.

"No officer," she replied.

"You were doing 74 miles an hour in a 35 zone," the police office informed her.

"Oh."

"And is that beer I smell on your breath?" the officer continued.

"Umm . . ."

"You were doing over twice the legal speed limit and, judging by the number of beer cans I saw you toss into the back seat, I'd be willing to bet you are intoxicated as well. What do you have to say for yourself?

"Well, Mr. Officer sir, it wasn't my intent to actually get drunk and I never intended to go that fast. And I didn't know the speed limit applied to me."

***********************

What do you supposed were the next words out of the officer's mouth?

"Out of the car" would be a good guess. "Ignorance is no excuse ma'am" might be another. No one would expect the police officer to say, "Oh, well then, have a nice day" as he returned to his squad car.

Yet a very similar scenario to that happened on Tuesday in our country as this nation's FBI director James Comey said there would be no recommendation that criminal charges be brought against Hillary Clinton for lying to the FBI, illegally transferring top secret government documents in an insecure manner.

Despite her lying to congress and the FBI she is being given a pass. I smell beer in the air.

America is a nation of laws. Breaking those laws comes with consequences. That's why there are people in prison. They have broken the laws. Remember Martha Stewart? She lied to the FBI. She went to prison.

Who appoints the FBI director? The president does. Who appoints the Attorney General? The president does. Who does our president want to win the November election. He wants Hillary to win, of course. There is no conspiracy theory here. This sh . . . stuff is real!

Why are so many people upset about this breach of justice? Because it is a breach of justice! We are a just nation, or at least we were. We demand justice!!

*********************** 

Stop a moment and think about that statement - we demand justice. Do we? Really?

God demands justice when WE commit a sin. We KNOW that we will be punished for those sins. Why? Because God is just. What would happen if God was not just? Would there be any sense of right and wrong?

Sadly, we can no longer say that our nation is a just nation. It is now clear that, if you have power and influence, you can rise above the law. The is IN-justice.

God forgives us our sins if we are humble, repent and seek His forgiveness. But we must repent. Why would God forgive us if we didn't think we did anything wrong?

Look, we are ALL guilty of breaking God's laws. God is just. Someone must pay the price for OUR transgressions . . . even Hillary's. That someone was Jesus. He paid the penalty dealt out by a just God.

We need to be praying for Hillary. We need to be praying for this nation of ours. And we need to be asking ourselves, "Why is God allowing all this to happen?" Why do you think? He is just and we are not. He has turned us over to the lusts of our hearts.

"10 I am the Lord your God,
Who brought you out of the land of Egypt;
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11 “But My people would not heed My voice,
And Israel would have none of Me.
12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart,
To walk in their own counsels.

13 “Oh, that My people would listen to Me,
That Israel would walk in My ways!
14 I would soon subdue their enemies,
And turn My hand against their adversaries.
15 The haters of the Lord would pretend submission to Him,
But their fate would endure forever.
16 He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat;
And with honey from the rock I would have satisfied you.” - Psalm 81:10-16

We MUST repent and turn to God for help. That is the only thing that can save us. I urge you to pray. A just God is our only hope.

Just God - Ezekiel Azonwu

To Protect And Serve

When I was in high school, the late 60's, there was quite a conflict going on. The Vietnam war was at its peak. So were the anti-war protests. People were being shot and killed - most notably Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King. It was a VERY turbulent time in our nation's history. It was also the very first time I ever heard the word PIG to describe a police officer.

While all this civil unrest was going on there were a few television shows that depicted the police in a POSITIVE light - Dragnet and Adam-12. They were pretty simple shows. Pretty cheesy too. Sometimes they were so . . . stiff . . . they were almost laughable. But each of the shows portrayed our police in a positive light, something that is hard to find on our televisions today.

On the side of the Adam-12 police cars they had a logo for their police department and a slogan as well - "To Protect and To Serve." Where has our respect gone for these men and women who risk their lives to keep us safe?

There have been some bad cops that have tarnished the image of the police in general, but no more so than any other job in society. There will always be bad apples no matter where you look. And the police are the last thing we want to see in our rear view mirrors, but that's only because we've been caught doing something illegal and we don't want to have to pay a fine or get stopped during our busy day.

I think society's problem in NOT a police problem. Our problem is a SIN problem. We like to be able to do what we want, when we want and to whom we want and we don't like anyone telling us otherwise. We also have a "self" problem.

Yet, when trouble comes our way, we are the first ones to call the police. They can't show up soon enough when we're in a fix. "Boy, am I glad to see you guys!"

Because we humans have a sin problem, police only try to keep us in line . . . and we pay them to do so. But the police can't fix what's wrong with us. Only God can do that.

So, what's the cure? Jesus. If we all acted like Jesus there would be no need for police or guns or protection. There would be peace and understanding throughout the world. But we are a stiff-necked people and we don't want to submit to ANYONE'S authority. And that's why things will only get worse until we fall to our knees. We haven't seen ANYTHING yet compared to what is to come.

Yesterday, another police officer was killed in our country - eight cops killed in the past nine days. There is trouble brewing. One can almost smell it. We need to begin praying. Now! We need to repent, we need to seek God. Only then will He heal this land. Until then we are on our own.

"14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

"45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 10:45

Adam-12 Intro

What It Means To Be A Police Officer - Joe Friday

This is The Gospel by which we are saved:

"15 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve." - 1 Corinthians 15:1-5

Buckle Up!

We had quite a storm last night. Heavy downpours, dark skies. The gutters on our house were overflowing with all of the rain we were getting. But, despite the storms, we survived.

The best thing about storms is when they're over. I was reminded of that on my way into work yesterday morning. Wow!! What a sunrise. Beautiful!

As I was reflecting on God's over-arching power in creation, a car went flying past me. He must have been doing 20 miles per hour FASTER than I was going!! Perhaps I had slowed down looking at God's beautiful sunrise. Nope. I was actually doing a few miles an hour over the speed limit. Speedy Gonzales must have been doing 90!!

I reminded myself that I too was speeding. We were both guilty according to the letter of the law. Is it possible that someone can be MORE guilty than someone else? No. Either you are guilty or you are not and according to the law we were both guilty of breaking the rules.

We have a law in our state that says we are supposed to always wear our seatbelts while driving. "Click it or Ticket" is the slogan. Yet we are always hearing news reporters saying of a traffic fatality, "He wasn't wearing a seat belt."

Why do we? I admit that I drive faster than the law allows - two to three miles an hour faster. Unless I am drive around Chicago. Then I drive 80 mph just like everyone else. And guess what. The police don't care. The people in charge of enforcing the laws are determining whether or not they want to enforce them. Is that right?

Same-sex marriage is now the law of the land. Will that law be enforced? Probably. How about our immigration laws? Are those being enforced? No. I heard a news story last night about an illegal immigrant who had five felon conviction and had been deported twice yet he was living in our country . . . again. And he just killed someone!

What good are laws if they are not enforced?

Do you know what they call a judge who hands out sentences according to the law? Some might call his a "hanging judge" or one who believes in "the letter of the law." He would be considered a "just" judge. A just judge hands down judgment based on the letter of the law. No mercy. Everyone is treated the same according to the law by a judge who is just.

God . . . is a just judge.

"God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day." - Psalm 7:11

That makes me think of two words . . . "uh" and "oh."

Uh-oh.

Why do we all have so much trouble following the rules? God's law is the measure by which we all will be judged. Why can't we adhere to it? Umm . . .

It's because we are natural born sinners.

"1 Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth,
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom in that secret place." - Psalm 51:1-6

And that is why we need a savior. Without the atoning sacrifice for our sins there is no hope for us sinners. Destined to die. Doomed if it weren't for one thing, and that thing is Jesus.

Each time we break the law, each time we sin, let it be a reminder to us of our need for a savior. May we humble ourselves, seek his face and be restored to a right standing with God. Then trust in His promise, every day of our lives.

"if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

The Forest For The Trees

There is an old saying that goes, "You can't see the forest for the trees." How do I know it's an old saying? Well, I am old and . . . I know exactly what it means. It means we get SO focused on one thing that we lose track of the bigger picture. Examples of this saying occur more often than we think. Especially in Washington, D.C.

Yesterday the Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote to make gay marriage legal in the United States. Look at the vote - five to four. Basically, it was one vote that swayed the court's decision and the direction of a nation.  Wow.

But I am not going to be writing about gay marriage today and whether it is right or wrong. I don't have an opinion on the matter. I simply follow God and His Word. Today I am writing about one of the "trees" in the forest we live in. Gay marriage is simply "one of the trees." A woman's "right" to have an abortion is another "tree." Pornography. Glutony. All trees in a forest.

We are not seeing the big picture in this historic decision by our country's highest court. Step back a minute and take a look at the bigger picture . . . the forest of religious freedom. Individual freedom.

June 26th, 2015 the government of the United States took a rather large step in extending its power of its people. "Gay rights" is just a means to an end - a vehicle used to accomplish an overall "forest" goal.

Many states had already passed laws based on "the will of the people" making marriage between one man and one woman. The federal government, through the decision made yesterday, has asserted it's authority over the state government and . . . other the will of it's people. That is huge!

In the Book of Acts there was a speech given by Setphen. He gave it in front of the religious lawmakers of his time - the Sanhedrin. Stephen lectured them on Jewish history and then on the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. They killed him because of his words . . .

"51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him - 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” - Acts 7:51-53

The Supreme Court's decision is merely an symptom of a far greater disease - our nation's disobedience to God. WE are the stiff-necked people of this time in world history. We enjoy looking at and climbing our trees, even though the forest we are living in is on fire.

I am not writing about gay marriage and its legalization yesterday. That horse got out of the barn LONG ago. I am writing about the disobedience of a people and the increasing reach of our national government over state government. And I am writing about Biblical prophesy being fulfilled before out very eyes.

We serve a loving, merciful God. No one could possibly love us more. But God is also just judge. He punishes those who disobey His commands to the third and fourth generations. Our children will pay the price for what we have done. I pray that God would have mercy on our souls.

There was once a mighty nation who very quietly removed the power of it's people from them. They instituted gun control. They began persecuting a religious people and putting them to death. And the nation's people didn't have a clue what was happening until it was too late. That nation was Nazi Germany.

Speaking of prophesy, years before World War II began, a famed statesman wrote the following words. How prophetic! And how applicable to the times we are living in today.

"“When the situation was manageable it was neglected, and now that it is thoroughly out of hand we apply too late the remedies which then might have effected a cure. There is nothing new in the story. It is as old as the sibylline books. It falls into that long, dismal catalogue of the fruitlessness of experience and the confirmed unteachability of mankind. Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong–these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.”" - Winston Churchill, 1935

There is still hope for our once-great nation but the light is getting dim. As usual, God, whose promises are always true, has provided a way out for us. It's quite simple really, yet it is proving too difficult for us to even consider. Because of our pride and our unwillingness to repent and humble ourselves before the Lord, we will be judged. But God has promised us this:

"14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." - 2 Chronicles 7:14

This is a time for prayer and for repentance. Worse things are coming for God's chosen people. We must be prepared for what lies ahead and we much look at the entire forest here, not just the single tree of same-sex marriage.

We are definitely a stiff-necked people. Can we truly humble ourselves? I doubt it. But the answer can be found in the Bible, where it has always been. Please read it. And our hope is in The Lord. The humble yourself . . . and pray.

Franklin Graham on the Coming Persecution of Christians

A Holy Kiss

Night after night I watch all the news shows and their coverage of what's going on in various cities. Rioting, unrest, people yelling at each other, people looting stores as if that somehow makes up for some perceived wrong done against someone. Lawless, helpless, hopeless. Shootings, beating, abductions, you name the crime. What is going on in our world today.

In my youth leader days I often asked teens who were complaining about something, "So, what are you going to do about it." I am not above taking my own advice. So . . . I have done something about it.

Jesus was all about love and so should we be. There isn't a single situation on the nightly news that couldn't be solved or prevented with love. I'd like you to read a few verses from the Bible. What do you think God was trying to tell us?

Romans 16:16 - "Greet one another with a holy kiss."

1 Corinthians 16:20 - "Greet one another with a holy kiss."

2 Corinthians 13:12 - "Greet one another with a holy kiss."

1 Thessalonians 5:26 - "Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss."

He was trying to tell us that we should always love those we meet, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to take this message to everyone we meet.

Now, I am not suggesting that we walk up to a total stranger and kiss them on the lips. But I AM suggesting we greet everyone with a smile, a handshake, a hug and yes, perhaps even a kiss on the cheek. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. Almost sounds like a song, doesn't it.
Love is a rare thing these days.

I have made a Facebook page called "A Holy Kiss." I would like you to go there and "like" it. I also would like you to "share" it and help spread the word about how we should be greeting each other . . . with love.

A Holy Kiss

This world could be an amazing place to live if it wasn't for all the violence and hatred we've been seeing on TV. God has the answer. He's been offering it to us for thousands of years! When are we going to listen?

When I was in high school there was a song that played on the radio. It was a song about the violence that we were experiencing in our society in the late 60's. The answer that was being offering in that song was "love." That's is what this world needs more of these days.

So, what are you going to do about it?

What The World Needs Now - Tom Clay