#15 - To Christian Teens Graduating From High School…

[When I was in the hospital in February, ’06, recovering from open-heart surgery, I told God one night that the thing I would most love to do is to speak to a stadium full of Christian teens several times a week and to a stadium full of non-Christian teens the other days of the week. With the last group of middle schools guys I worked with now graduating from high school, and with this year being the 40th year since I graduated from high school myself, I decided to finally start a blog site directed to Christian teens (and hopefully draw some non-Christian teens) and to post my own unofficial commencement address as the first posting. You will find my new blog at: stan4youth.blogspot. My new blog site has links and other resources; I hope that you will recommend any Christian youth you know to please check it out. com I am reproducing that “address” here.}

When I graduated from high school 40 years ago (yes, I’m a 1969 graduate), I don’t remember anything about that commencement address. But I will never forget the outdoor ceremony I participated in years later when I graduated from college. It had rained the night before and our seats were still wet when we sat down. (For some reason, no one thought of wiping them off before the ceremony started.) It was quite humbling to about to be a college graduate and find myself forced to sit there with my bottom soaking wet. But then, the university president spoke. He concluded his brief remarks by saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, congratulations! Today your intelligence has been certified. From now on, if anyone questions how smart you are, you can hit them over the head with your mortarboard!”

Of course, we all had a good laugh at that remark, but on reflection those words communicated more wisdom than I then realized. Our education certainly indicates that we have acquired some knowledge but it says nothing about how much wisdom we have acquired. And throughout our life, what will really count will never be how much knowledge we attain but how wisely we apply that knowledge to live selfless rather than selfish lives. At the end of your life, they will not remember you for how smart you were but for how well you lived life. While some may choose to measure you by the number of degrees or the amount of power or recognition you’ve acquired, the really successful life will be one “lived well.” (Those trophies and awards you’ve acquired over the years are a great testimony to your hard work but sooner than you think they will rust and be forgotten by others and even yourself.)

And just what is a life lived well? Well, as Christians it should be evident that it is one lived according to God’s will for your life as best as you are able. In case you haven’t already, I’d like to encourage you to look at how God has gifted you - what things you enjoy doing and have natural or acquired skills to do. Consider what kinds of careers would allow you to use those gifts and to work with passion. Don’t consider the standard of living or anything else but whether it would be doing things you would be excited to do every day. When you decide what the best career for you would be, pursue a course of study to enable you to have such a career. You may or may not find that “right” job right away but always keep searching for it. My prayer is that you will live each day of your life with joy as you use your giftedness from God to please Him, to serve others, and to please yourself.

As a Christian, I trust that you are already aware that your faith will be challenged and almost certainly will meet hostility of some kind in college, if you haven’t already. (I was once openly laughed at for carrying a Bible on my college campus.) You will be challenged to be a “free thinker,” which will essentially mean providing air-tight answers to questions about your faith in God, something that is not always possible. But always remember that your faith IS based on solid, intellectual evidence and is anything but a “blind faith.” There is no field of study that has all of its questions answered conclusively and is without differing opinions of some kind. That, after all, is why learning is an ongoing process of discovery, and when it comes to the basic truths of your faith, expect them to withstand the harshest questioning as it has for thousands of years.

And no matter what you hear in your classrooms or other media or read in any book on your required course reading list, always listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit dwelling within you when something “just doesn’t sound right” because it probably isn’t. There is always another side to any issue that will be discussed and the right answer will always be that which is supported by biblical truth. If you aren’t fully given the opposing view without bias, then Truth demands that you examine any argument before accepting it. Remember, the only really dumb question is the one never asked. (If you have a question, you can be sure there are others in your class with the same question.)

Above all, remember that you are not just a student at your school but a Christian student. In every classroom, every gathering you find yourself in, you are Christ’s ambassador to those who have never heard of God’s truths. One day, a mentor took me to the center of my college campus and stood with me as the bell sounded ending another class period. Suddenly, as we looked at the entrance of one building, hundreds of students started pouring out. My friend pointed at the students and said, “Stan, no matter how many degrees those students earn while they are here, NOTHING they learn will be more significant in their lives than what you have to share with them when you share the gospel.” The truth of that statement just blew me away and I have never forgotten it.

And so, my friends, I challenge you to begin by praying – by name – for as many of your classmates and, of course, your teachers, as you can. Pray that each will have the opportunity while they are at that school to hear the truths of the gospel and then ask God to use you in any way He chooses, whether by your life example or your words, to direct them to Jesus. I believe that there are no “accidental” students. I believe that every Christian student is at their particular school, and in their particular classes, and at the time he or she is there, for the purpose of making an impact on those students, teachers, and other adults. Always be aware that – wherever God leads you in life - you can make an eternal difference in people’s lives if you simply choose to be available to God to use you, by your life, and if necessary, by your words (praying for them and sharing your faith with them.)

There you have it. What I’ve written and what you’ve hopefully been patient enough to read may be things you’ve already considered. If so, that’s great. But I don’t apologize for re-stating things that are not new because I hope it serves to just emphasize those things in your mind and heart. Again, congratulations on all your hard work and all you’ve accomplished!

“Lord Jesus, may each Christian graduate seek after you with all of their heart, and no matter how difficult the road ahead may prove, may they always be aware of your abiding presence and hand upon their lives. I thank you that, as your Word promises, you will never leave them nor forsake them (Hebrews 13:5), and that you have planned that they will have a future of great hope. (Jeremiah 29:11). I trust that wherever they go on in life, they will be effective ambassadors through their life and their words, that they will impact eternity greatly and will have lived well. And finally, to those who don’t know you, may their day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2), their day of recognizing your love for them, their need for your forgiveness, and their embracing Jesus death and resurrection on their behalf, come very soon I pray this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”

P. S. - Dear graduates, please make a point of publicly (say at your graduation party) THANK YOUR PARENTS for their years of support. They deserve to hear that.

#14 - No, He Wasn’t Born in Bethlehem!

I admit that, because of the views he holds on many public policy issues, I did not vote for our President in this past election. I also recognize that 52% of those who voted (not nearly enough for what I would call a “public mandate) did so for the President. (As I have stated previously, we who voted in the minority must not forget that we are part of the 47% who voted for Senator McCain and did not support the President with our votes.) What distresses me as much as the election results is the fact that so many who voted for him did so without seeming to know – or even caring to know – about his stand on critical public policy and social issues, and even then not the full scope of his views. I watched many “man on the street” interviews the media conducted with people before the election and was stunned to see that they could rarely find someone who could state something specific about what then Senator Obama proposed or supported. And who can forget the woman who said, “Oh, wow, I won’t have to buy groceries, buy gasoline, or have to pay my mortgage!” Though certainly an extreme view, you have to wonder – with the way in which our President is almost worshipped – just how representative of a lot of his supporters was that woman. (Of course, that many of those who voted for him did so because they did know his views and agreed with them frightens me greatly.)

In a Reader’s Digest poll of 750 “Millennials” (those between 18-29 years old) in March ‘08, 36% of them said that “it’s important to elect the first black President, almost the same as those (35%) who want to see a woman in office.” (I find it scary that so many of our young adults have such blind faith in our President, and even more scary that some of their faith is not blind but that they actually share his views on the issues of our day.) Also, for many voters, you have to wonder if this is not the primary consideration when they heard the word “change” echoed by Obama’s campaign. When the media kept touting this as a “historic” election, I doubt that there is any who did not anyone believe that they were referring to this being the first African-American President in our nation’s history. Ask yourself: Isn’t every election or every new President essentially “historic?” And wasn’t it Martin Luther King himself who famously said that people should be judged not by the color of their skin but the content of their character. I believe we can infer from Dr. King’s pronouncement that we should judge our President not by the color of our President’s skin but by the nature of his policies.

Obviously, the election of the first African American President WAS historic. But come on, hasn’t it been so over-the-top the way his presidency continues to be treated like another celebrity to being near idolized? For instance, right after the election, they was an infomercial selling commemorative coins with his image and just last month a neighborhood pharmacy was still selling commemorative plates with his image on it! That same week, I was in Barnes & Noble and I actually saw a catalog devoted exclusively to Obama memorabilia! Recently I even read in a newsletter that in “a Harris poll [2/09] in which, when some Americans were asked to name who their hero is, President Obama ranked first, Jesus second [!!!].” I read that comedian Jon Stewart, the host of the popular cable program, “The Daily Show,” and someone whom no one would call “a radical right-winger,” remarked last year that on his trip to Israel, (then) Senator Obama stopped by Bethlehem to see where he was born! At least someone has publicly pointed out just how far things have gone. And of course, don’t get me started on how almost every day there is some “news” story about the First Dog, the First Lady’s dress, the President going out to buy a hamburger, the President’s NCAA collegiate basketball tournament picks, ad nauseum.

All of this is especially scary because even after the myriad of very questionable policies the President has put into place in just 4 months in office, public outcry against anything the President does of substance is nearly always muted. Consider everything from his having the government spend TRILLIONS of dollars that do not necessarily guarantee to create jobs or “stimulate” the economy, to his having the government dictate who runs certain corporations and what kind of cars we will be allowed to buy, to his signing an executive order reversing a decades long ban on sending American dollars (that we don’t have) to help those performing abortions throughout the world, to spending more billions of our tax dollars to help fund EMBRYONIC stem cell research (which destroys human life for a science that private research has not found successful), to his never speaking out in defense of our nation’s actions but instead always seeming to apologize for them when he is OVERSEAS addressing other nations, to his very questionable pick to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court (more on this in an upcoming posting), and you have part of a growing list of our President’s questionable actions.

Furthermore, have you heard or read any news report during the election and since the election (six months ago) in the mainstream media that was or has been at all critical of the then candidate and now President? And when a over a quarter million Americans held TEA (Taxed Enough Already) TEA Parties about a month ago, do you remember their getting as much coverage let alone any favorable coverage as compared to those who demonstrated against former President Bush’s foreign policies in past years? [I will have more to say about the media bias in this country in an upcoming posting.] But even if the media fails to be discerning of what our leaders decide, don’t all Americans have a responsibility to do so? For whether our President is black, white, or evergreen, Democrat, Republican, liberal, conservative, or Green Party, what matters finally are the decisions he makes and the policies he promotes. Wrong-headed and even dangerous policies (rubber stamped by a Congress controlled by his political party) will impact America for years to come.

As a great man, Francis Schaeffer, taught us: “Ideas have consequences.” We MUST be discerning of where candidates for office stand on critical issues and what kind of decisions they are making on our behalf, especially by our national leaders. And if we who recognize the danger of our President’s ideas do not speak up, then we will in essence be forfeiting our country – and future generations of Americans - to those ideas. I ask you: Do we really want to do that, and what will our nation become if we do?

#13 - Faith Under Fire

Where Is God in Wartime?
By Chuck Colson, Breakpoint Special Memorial Day Posting #2

“Where is God amidst the horrors of war? How do soldiers keep their faith in God's goodness amidst the suffering and slaughter of battle? American soldiers and sailors, airmen and Marines have asked questions like these ever since the War for Independence. The questions occupy their thoughts and find their way from faraway battlefields into letters to loved ones. Journalist Andrew Carroll has collected many of these letters in a book titled Grace under Fire: Letters of Faith in Times of War. Among them is a note from Private Walter Bromwich, who questioned God's role in the slaughter of World War I."

" 'How can there be fairness in one man being maimed for life, suffering agonies, and another killed instantaneously, while I get out of it safe?' Bromwich asked his pastor back in Pennsylvania. 'What I would like to believe,' Bromwich wrote, 'is that God is in this war, not as a spectator, but backing up everything that is good in us. I don't know whether God goes forth with armies, but I do know that He is in lots of our men or they would not do what they do.' Other soldiers worried about their public witness more than their personal safety. In 1943, Private First Class William Kiessel, who was about to take part in the invasion into France, wrote to friends that he did not want prayer for his safety, because 'safety isn't the ultimate goal. True exemplary conduct is.' And he added, 'What is important is that whatever does happen to me I will do absolutely nothing that will shame my character or my God.' "

“Where is God in the midst of war? Lieutenant Colonel Scott Barnes, a doctor who treated hundreds of wounded patients in Iraq, offered an answer to that question in an e-mail home to family and friends. 'Some of my colleagues have wondered out loud," he wrote, "how there can be a God with all of this suffering. I just remind them that He might just be right in some of our hands and working right beside us. Where is God? He is in the O.R. guiding the hands of the surgeons, He is in the will of the sergeants helping organize a blood drive as only they can, He is in the hearts of the soldiers who immediately rolled up their sleeves to give what they had to save a dying brother whom they don't even know'—or even a captured enemy. Letters like these renewed Carroll's own faith in God. 'They showed me that even in the bleakest of circumstances, with God's help, we can overcome all adversity,' Carroll writes. 'Through Him, we can endure any hardship. Because of Him, we are never alone.' Where is Christ during the horrors of war today? He's on the Cross."”


On this day, Memorial Day, I want to send a personal message to our servicemen around the world: We at home are deeply grateful to you, and we are proud of your service to our nation and our God as you defend the innocent. And I encourage you to remember the words found in Deuteronomy: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified . . . for the Lord your God goes with you, he will never leave you nor forsake you."“May God bless and keep you, and protect you and your families.”This commentary first aired on May 28, 2007.

# 12 - 'This Should Not Happen in America'

By Chuck Colson, Breapoint Commentary, 5/20/09. Special Memorial Day Posting #1 [check this site this Sunday and Monday, May 24 and May 25, for other Memorial Day postings]

"Last week I spent two days talking about how Christian doctors, businesses, schools, and ministries have been persecuted for refusing to embrace same-sex “marriage.” Some were sued, some lost their jobs, some went out of business. Much of this takes place, of course, under the radar screen. Christians know about the harassment, but many other Americans do not. That changed last week with the very public persecution of a 21-year-old beauty queen—one who, like most Americans, supports natural marriage between one man and one woman. First, Carrie Prejean, Miss California, lost the Miss USA crown—one she might have won if she’d given a politically correct answer about same-sex 'marriage.'"

"Then, she was viciously attacked on a pageant judge’s blog site. Other bloggers joined in. Soon previously unpublished—and let me say unfortunate—topless photos of Prejean began to appear on the Web. Others accused her of lying about the photos. A few days ago, Prejean finally responded. And what she said is so important I want to share it with you. First Prejean thanked God</span> for giving her the strength to stand by her belief in traditional marriage. Then, she publicly forgave her tormentors. And then she talked about her grandfather, who fought in World War II under General Patton. Fighting back tears, Prejean said, '[My grandfather] never spoke of the Battle of the Bulge that he participated in as a rifleman, or the honorary medals he received because of his bravery. But he did speak about the freedoms he fought for, and taught me to never back down, and never let anyone take those freedoms away from [me].'"

"Prejean then pointed out that she was being punished for exercising her first amendment right to free speech—the very constitutional right her grandfather risked his life to preserve. “This should not happen in America,” she said. But it did. Most of you know the Prejean story, but what has escaped most attention is what this really means for future of civil discourse in America. Prejean concluded her remarks by saying, 'I hope at the end of the day that others could respect my rights as I respect theirs . . . together we can bring back civility in our social and cultural discussions… For everyone out there listening—do not be silenced.'"

"Well, bravo, Carrie! Civil discourse and freedom of speech are essential to democracy. Prejean is not just standing up for her beliefs; she’s standing up for the right to express them openly. The amazing thing is that she has to stand up to defend her right to free speech in the first place! But today, when it comes to the homosexual agenda, we are suffering from, as John Stuart Mill put it, the “tyranny of prevailing opinion.” I hope that many Americans who believe in traditional marriage and civil discourse will take their cue from Prejean and refuse to be pushed around by bullies. We need to speak up respectfully, but boldly, whenever the subject of same-sex “marriage” comes up. Punishing people for what they believe should never happen in America. Out of honor for the God we worship, and for the sake of our country, we should—we must—refuse to be silenced.'" [bold emphasis mine]

For Further Reading and Information
Watch Miss California Carrie Prejean's speech from May 12, 2009.
"Choosing the Better Crown," BreakPoint Commentary, 23 April 2009.
"Shutting Down Free Speech," BreakPoint Commentary, 25 July 2007.
"No Such Thing as Free Speech," BreakPoint Commentary, 18 March 1994.

#11 - Shame on Notre Dame!

This past weekend, the awarding of an honorary degree to President Obama, unquestionably the most pro-abortion President we have ever had, at Notre Dame University, the nation’s largest Catholic university, and his subsequent commencement speech, was the opening news story on national news broadcasts. In the days leading up to this past Sunday’s graduation ceremony, 70 Catholic bishops expressed their protest, an Orlando priest held a special Mass to ask God’s forgiveness for what Notre Dame was planning to do, the recipient of one of the school’s highest annual awards declined the award in protest, dozens of people were arrested protesting outside the school, and 20 graduates and their families decided to hold their own ceremony on Sunday separate from the one held by their school. When you finally look at the President’s commencement speech that addressed abortion in America, I find a number of things to comment on.

(1) The university, and many media pundits since last fall’s election, greatly underestimated those of us who value the lives of the unborn and are horrified that our nation continues to destroy over a million of our most defenseless each year (having already slaughtered nearly 50 million during the past 36 years). Why did the school extend such an invitation? My only guess is that the school decided that the notoriety of having the President speak at their commencement would aid in recruiting students to their school and was worth overlooking a foundational teaching of the Catholic church – the sacredness of life created by the Creator in His image. Shame on their leaders! As so many women continue to offer their unborn child to hired killers on the alter of convenience, so the school was willing to offer a foundational teaching of their school on the alter of notoriety. As the previous posting(s) on the nature of pragmatism described, we again see an example of people choosing what “works” over what is RIGHT.

(2) Seventy Catholic bishops protested this sell-out, and none supported it. Furthermore, at least one priest (in Orlando) held a special service to ask God’s forgiveness for the university’s actions. Praise God for these Catholic leaders whostood up for principle. It does remind me that, until I had been a Christian for 14 years and saw the documentary, “The Silent Scream”(a former abortionist’s account through sonogram images of an actual abortion), by the sheer lack of any mention of abortion from my pastors and the ministry I was with, it was implied that abortion was a “Catholic” issue that was not as deserving of attention as doing evangelism. There has been nothing like seeing an actual abortion on film (and seeing an aborted baby up close) to instill in me that abortion is murder and therefore a human rights issue that should be of concern to evangelicals as well as Catholics (and others who value innocent human life).
The actions of these Catholic leaders do make me wonder, however, if 70 evangelical Christian leaders would protest if a Christian university, say Regent or Liberty University, decided to have the President or some other nationally known pro-abortion advocate, address their commencement ceremony? What proportion of local evangelical pastors would also protest? My experience tells me, sadly and tragically, that I should not expect any where near that many evangelical leaders to protest. (When pro-abortion former New York City major Rudy Giuliani gave the commencement address at Liberty University several years ago, I do not recall hearing of one evangelical leader protesting.)


(3) Question: If their university (or high school) had a pro-abortion speaker, would a significant number of evangelical teens protest by not attending their own commencement ceremony? Would it be more than the less than one percent who did so at Notre Dame? Again, I sadly doubt that such would happen.

(4) As to the President’s speech, I do applaud that he said (for now at least) that he favors “a sensible conscience clause” that would give pro-life health providers the option to refuse to perform the procedure. However, I do take issue with his saying that “those on each side of the issue can still agree that this is a heart-wrenching decision for any woman to make…” This attempt to pull at people’s ‘heart-strings” is true but hollow because it does not recognize that so many make an uniformed CHOICE because their abortionist will not tell them about the real nature of what will be done to their unborn child. Also, you can be certain that that doctor will NOT make any mention of the physical and emotional consequences that await a woman who submits to this procedure as well as the generational impact this will have on their lives. (I will never forget a co-worker who almost broke down telling me that he doesn’t know how he will tell his sons that he and his former girl friend aborted their older brother or sister.) Except for the most hard-hearted, there is no woman who has reason to decide to end the life of her unborn child if she knew of the people who were ready to give her emotional and financial support in any community she lives in. And much too often, she does not freely CHOOSE make that decision but is pressured by her boyfriend or spouse or family members to make a decision that is never a “quick fix” but which she will suffer with the rest of her life.
Yes, the President did mention the need “to work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions …” but that challenge also rings hollow and hypocritical when you consider that as President (and throughout his entire political career) he has not only done nothing along those lines, but he has, by executive order (bypassing the legislative process) lifted the decades long ban on sending federal dollars to support providing abortions overseas (the Mexico City ban), the ban on abortions at military facilities around the world, and the ban on federal dollars to promote EMBRYONIC stem cell research. In other words, when we should be spending as little of our tax dollars as possible during this economic downturn to keep us from going into greater debt as a nation, our President sees the need to spend precious dollars to kill unborn babies! And let us not forget that as a state senator and as a United States senator, he did nothing to support bills that protected babies that survived abortions, something no other politician, no matter how strongly pro-abortion, can lay claim to.

Notre Dame, you only dishonored yourself by extending honor to this President. And if you, or any of us, cannot stand strong against the anti-life forces in our country, than we stand complicit in this on-going holocaust that is abortion on demand in our country.

[By the way, for the first time since it began polling people on this question in 1995, a Gallup survey found the majority of those responding (51%) saying they were “pro-life” versus 42% who said they were “pro-choice.” Just a year ago, 50% of those surveyed termed themselves as “pro-choice” while 44% identified themselves as “pro-life.” The Gallup survey also found that Republicans and independents who lean Republican who opposed abortion grew in the past year from 60% to 70% of the respondents. I share that last survey result to encourage you who are conservatives that the Republican party, still the only party that supports a pro-life position, does not need to be “moderated” because the party, in the past year, if only on this key issue, has become more conservative!]

from Chuck Colson’s Breakpoint commentary for 5/19: “ … no applause or chanting was warranted when he took positions that flatly contradict Catholic teaching and the Gospel. Notre Dame, after all, is the most prominent Catholic university in America. Its mission statement speaks of the “Catholic vision” in Notre Dame’s scholarship, research and service. It speaks of “God’s grace [prompting] human activity to assist the world in creating justice grounded in love.” As Pope John Paul II and others have made clear, an important part of “creating justice grounded in love,” is working to end abortion. Catholics pray for this every Sunday. For Catholics abortion is an “intrinsic evil” that “must always be rejected and opposed and must never be supported or condoned . . .” The sanctity of life, in fact, in Catholic teaching, is part of the Gospel itself."

"So while the president was being consistent [in his pro-abortion statements], the wildly cheering crowd was not. Obama never claimed to belong to a church that calls abortion an “intrinsic evil.” But they do. Now the real problem this creates for all of us is that the average observer will conclude Christians were wildly cheering a pro-abortion president. So we pro-lifers must be the lunatic fringe. The whole church is weakened. This is why a century ago J. Gresham Machen warned that there is no such thing as liberal Christianity. There is Christianity and then there is liberalism. What we saw in the auditorium Sunday was, for the most part, a crowd of what Machen would call cheering liberals; that is, people who claim to be Christian but deny the essential teachings. The true Christians were on the outside, protesting. Be sure your friends and family know the difference."

#10 - Pragmatism Trumps Principle [part 2; (part 1 in posting #9)]

By Chuck Colson 3/27/09 [bold emphasis mine]

[“Again, pragmatism trumped principle.”] “It’s not just the President. In her first trip abroad, Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton traveled to Beijing to meet with Chinese officials. Three items were on her agenda: urging the Chinese to buy our Treasury Bills; cooperating together in cleaning up the environment; and addressing military tensions. Quite noticeably the human rights issue was left out, including the persecution of Christians, repression in Tibet, and forced abortion. Human rights advocates were livid; as I can well understand they would and should be. What was ironic was that this was the same Hilary Clinton who as First Lady in 1994 spoke so eloquently in Beijing saying, “women’s rights are human rights.” Our creed calls them inalienable rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There’s no clearer case of pragmatism over principle.”

“And this is not a Partisan issue. Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC) when criticized for saying the banks may have to be nationalized, responded, “It’s not responsible to take option off the table that might work.” Pragmatism triumphs over principle again. But the politician’s pragmatism, I’m afraid are merely a reflection of the culture at large. Two national surveys by the Barna Research group in 2002, one among adults and one among teenagers, revealed the dangerous signs.Here’s what it said:

"People were asked if they believe that there are moral absolutes that are unchanging or that moral truth is relative to the circumstances. By a 3-to-1 margin (64% vs. 22%) adults said truth is always relative to the person and their situation. The perspective was even more lopsided among teenagers, 83% of whom said moral truth depends on the circumstances, and only 6% of whom said moral truth is absolute.”

“You may have noted those lopsided responses of teens in that survey—well those teens are today seven years later, our young adult voters. These are voters who turned out in droves in the election with the second largest youth voter movement in American history. The temptation for our highest leadership to choose pragmatism will be merely a reflection of their constituents’ desires, ones that are increasingly distant from moral absolutes. While it’s easy to wag a finger, the truth is that pragmatism is one of the easiest philosophies to find ourselves slipping into, especially when words like financial cataclysm and catastrophe are loosely tossed about. When there’s an impending sense of disaster, it’s only too easy to choose what is necessary to get the job done, versus what is right and good. I’m guilty too. I reacted to the meltdown of credit markets last fall by openly supporting President Bush’s bailout. I felt this had to be done save the world financial markets from collapse. I suspended my better judgment, and now in hindsight can see that I made a mistake.”

“It’s easy to slip into this trap when the word “emergency” is evoked. We all know that in an emergency there are things you do that you wouldn’t do otherwise. You ignore the “No Trespassing” sign to save the drowning man. But sometimes discerning whether something is a true emergency can be difficult. You have to walk a fine line. Prudence—that is reasoned judgment of principle and its consequences—is a virtue; pragmatism is a rejection of principle altogether. What we can never do is embrace a worldview that says we’ll do whatever is necessary to get the job done. Inevitably this kind of thinking leads to the worst of tyranny.”

“That’s one reason I think it’s so important to examine worldviews. We need to praying for our President and all those in positions of power, that in these times of economic uncertainty they would not choose “what works” over “what’s right.” But we also need to carefully examine our own lives, for the places where we find ourselves sliding into the same trap. When we find ourselves trusting in the powers of this world, rather than the hand of God, we need to repent. We need to bring our pragmatism and our pride to the foot of the cross. It’s also helpful to look at how Christians in the past have responded to true emergencies—sloughing off pragmatics, and rolling up their sleeves. Pragmatism would have led the Christians of Rome to flee the plagues. Principle—love for God and their neighbor—compelled them to stay behind and tend the sick and the dying. Had they chosen pragmatism, the Gospel never would have spread so quickly throughout the Roman Empire.”

“Or look at how churches in our country responded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, opening up homes and churches for the displaced to stay, and sending busloads to gut homes and rebuild. Pragmatism doesn’t tell you to give up vacation time to serve people you hardly know. Principled Kingdom thinking does. The example of Christians in situations like these, and the promise of God’s forgiveness, are what we need to turn from walking by sight to walking by faith. That’s a lesson we all could use remembering in these days of uncertainty.”

# 9 - "Pragmatism Trumps Principle" [part 1]

[ This is a lengthy essay (that will be presented in 2 parts) but it will help you to view the policies being pursued by our government in light of a biblical worldview. This article is representative of the Christian worldview that you find eloquently expressed by Chuck Colson in his writings .It is found at the “Worldview Magazine” link of his www.Breakpoint.org website. (Again, you can find a link to that website in the right hand column of this blog. I encourage you to sign up for his free daily subscription at that site.) As I have said before, the perspective he presents on current issues is sorely lacking and needed in the discipleship of today’s Christian as well as in the thinking of every American.]

By Chuck Colson 3/27/2009 [Note: bold emphasis mine]

"With uncertainties over the economy churning, fear about the future, and the desperate need for solutions, there’s a perfect storm brewing for pragmatism to trump principle—especially in a society where moral absolutes are eroding. It’s a worldview trap that’s easy for any of us to slip into, but especially for someone bearing the burden of leadership at such a time as this. That’s one reason I find myself so concerned about the state of our union. And it’s a major reason driving me to my knees recently to pray both for our President and for “we, the people”—we, the pragmatic people, that is."

"As I noted in my last WorldView column, the inauguration of America’s first African-American President was one of the most moving moments in American history. But before the speech was neatly tucked away in the history books, I took note of a telling and chilling phrase. In his inaugural address, the President said we should not ask “whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works.” On the surface, the statement seems quite harmless—even practical. But the seed of this thinking is pure pragmatism—the only philosophical system that can bear the “made in America” label."

"It was in the late nineteenth century that William James, Charles Pierce, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and John Dewey, the father of modern education, met at Harvard and formed what was called the metaphysics club--although their philosophy began with skepticism about metaphysics and theology. In essence, they argued that one cannot know truth, so good can only be measured by what works, and what works is therefore good. As James said, “Truth is the cash value of an idea.” Holmes went on to substitute the notion of social engineering for transcendent truths in law.

"Today, without a moral compass to gauge direction, “Does it work?” has replaced “Is it right?” If it works for you, then go right ahead .The 1960s adage, “If it feels good, do it,” has been updated to: “If it works, do it.” The history of the last 80 years should teach us that large and powerful central governments are dangerous. But the history of the last century should teach us that unchecked pragmatism is even more dangerous. In fact, it’s how tyrants gain power. Mussolini became El Duce on the promise that he’d make the trains run on time. Pragmatism is the handmaiden of utilitarianism—the idea that you should do the greatest good for the greatest number. But this means people on the margins of society—the poor, the weak, the vulnerable—get cast aside, as happened in Nazi Germany, and as we in our pragmatic view of life may soon do in our country."

"This is why it is so important to fully understand worldviews. Pragmatism, you see, is antithetical to a biblical worldview. A biblical worldview is based on revealed moral absolutes. Clearly, the revealed truth of the Bible is truth that “works,” but our basis for decision-making isn’t “if it works, do it.” Our basis for decision-making should be an attitude that if God’s revealed Word tells us we should do some things and avoid other things, than by all means, we should do as Scripture shows, both to honor God and because he knows the deepest good in ways we cannot conceive. But it’s not just a few words that concern me with our President. In his first week in office, he showed an alarming tendency to choose pragmatism over principle. For example, I applauded the President ordering higher ethical standards for lobbying. “If you are a lobbyist entering my administration,” Obama said, “you will not be able to work on matters you lobbied on, or in the agencies you lobbied during the previous two years.”

Unless, that is, your name is William Lynn. Obama appointed him as deputy secretary of defense—despite the fact that, right up until the time he was appointed, he had been a lobbyist for Raytheon, one of the nation’s biggest defense contractors. When the press challenged him on this, Obama said Lynn was uniquely qualified to do the job, so he issued a waiver. How was he uniquely qualified? He knew how the system worked. Pragmatism trumped principle. Obama used the same argument when it turned out that his choice for Treasury secretary, Tim Geithner, had neglected to pay $35,000 in self-employment taxes for a number of years. Senator Robert Byrd—a member of Obama’s own party—called Geithner’s behavior “inexcusable negligence.” He’s right. Again, pragmatism trumped principle

[Part 2 of this essay in the next posting.]

#8 - Thoughts on MOTHER’S DAY

Have a Happy Mother’s Day, Moms!

My Mom. My mother was incredible in that between the 1950’s and 1980’s, she and my Dad not only ran their own Mom/Pop restaurants successfully despite having only a 6th (and he only a 4th grade education). Besides this full time job, she also kept our house in the best condition all the time. (I wish she involved me in more of how she did that as my friends will tell you I’ve always had a lot to learn about taking care of my living environment.) In their 6 day a week business (they also spent Sundays giving the place a more thorough cleaning), she was THE waitress (and he the cook) for obvious reasons. Unlike him, she spoke English well and was very outgoing with her customers. To her, they were not just people she served but they were friends whom she usually addressed by their first name. While my father was a great cook, I believe her personable way was key to why, even though franchise fast food places would spring up around their anything but commercialized business, their customers continued to come to our family restaurant.

On the other hand, as a Mom, because she was she hardly home and because of her Asian-American upbringing, she (and more so my Dad) did not engage my brother and I very much and was never someone I felt comfortable going to about anything personal. In that sense, she and my Dad were good providers but fell short in being the kind of parent I (or any child) needed. With this in mind, I have high praise for stay-at-home Moms who not only labor hard to give their children more than just a home that’s well maintained but who are also there to speak into their lives and provide encouragement and hands-on guidance. If you have or have had such a mother, I cannot say enough how much you are (were) blessed and how grateful you should be.

My Mom died in January, 2003. She was never open to the gospel of Jesus Christ and so I am thankful that, as she lay in a coma her final day as a “captive audience,” I was able to read her for many hours from Genesis to Revelation in the Bible and to share with her of her need to place her trust in Jesus Christ. I can only hope that I will see her one day in Heaven. But wherever she is in eternity, I trust that my Heavenly Father has her just where His mercy and His justice has determined she needs to be.

A Mother’s Day prayer. “Heavenly Father, thank you for all whom you have called to be mothers. Theirs is among the highest callings anyone can have, as they are called to serve their families in a myriad ways that will never be adequately or often enough recognized. From the moment their child is conceived, they are already Moms caring for their unborn child until he or she is ready to be born. I pray that you will enable each Mom to be sustained physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as they face the daily challenges of not just being a homemaker but also one to whom her children can come to for encouragement and guidance. Be with them when they feel unappreciated or feel keenly the need for wisdom to fulfilling their calling. May all those are the recipients of her sacrifices, beginning with her children, remember to take more than just one special day a year to affirm her in every way they can. I pray this in the name of He who was our Servant-King, the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”


(The following is from MikeysFunnies.com It is a family friendly,free subscription service that I encourage you to sign up for. (I’ve also provided a link on this blog site.) As you will see below, while it does have writings that will make you smile if not laugh, it sometimes has things like below that really touches the heart and not the “funny bone.” Enjoy!)

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."

[forwarded by JR Whitby]


today'sTHOT============================

On your birthday, send a thank you card to your mom. [I, Stan, wish I had done so.]


today'sFUNNY [5/07/09]===========================

REAL MOTHERS...

Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried Playdough doesn't come out of shag carpets.
Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask, "Why me?" and get their answer when a little voice says, "Because I love you best."
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade. It is marked by the progression of Mama to Mommy to Mom...

=======================================

THE IMAGES OF MOTHER

4 years old: My Mommy can do anything!
8 years old: My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 years old: My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 years old: Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 years old: Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 years old: That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 years old: Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 years old: Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 years old: Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 years old: Wish I could talk it over with Mom

Also check out MikeysFunnies.com for 5/08

Finally, check out the Coral Ridge Ministries’ Mother’s Day video http://www.coralridge.org/equip/Mothers-are-special/default.aspx?eid=K8809&utm_source=EmailCampaign&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=K8809

#7 - “My Friend Jack Kemp”

NOTE: I am trying to limit my postings on this site to twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday, and so please try to check this site on those days for the latest posting. Once in a while, because of the timeliness of something, I will make an extra posting, to which I will alert you. Such is the case this Sunday, as I have a special Mother’s Day article, in part a short essay about my own late Mom. As always, I hope that after reading the posting, you will take the time to make even a one sentence comment to give me some feedback. Thank you.

Action Alert: I recently alerted you about a “Hate Crimes” bill that was up for a vote in the U.S. House. Not only did this very deceptive bill pass the House, but now it is already about to go to the Senate floor for a vote. [Note that you have not heard anything at all about this bill from any of the major news outlets. This is very typical of how the people of this country have their attention directed to what the Media decides demands the public’s attention. The speed with which this bill has moved through the Congress in stealth fashion is a classic example of what is known as “fast-tracking” a piece of legislation.] Yes, honestly, there are not enough votes in the Senate to prevent this bill from passing and from the President signing into law. Despite what seems inevitable, we must not withhold letting our representatives know our views if only to remind them that not all the people support this action of our federal government. Also, every contact from a citizen represents thousands of voters to every politician that they know they cannot disregard.

I therefore urge you to go to the website of The Liberty Counsel, www.libertyaction.org and to please sign their petition as soon as possible. Thank you.

“Man of Virtue” By Chuck Colson 5/6/2009 BreakPoint Commentaries (Breakpoint.com)

“My friend Jack Kemp died this past weekend [May 2nd] at 73. His obituaries list many accomplishments: seven-time all-star quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and the American Football League’s most valuable player in 1965. Eight-term congressman from Buffalo, New York, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the 1996 Republican vice-presidential candidate. As our mutual friend Fred Barnes wrote in the Weekly Standard, it’s hard to think of any congressman in recent memory who accomplished more, setting the stage for the Reagan Revolution and economic opportunity for all Americans.”

“But as remarkable as Jack’s accomplishments were, Jack the man was even more so. He personified all of the classic virtues—temperance, prudence, courage, and justice. But today I want to focus on one especially—courage. Jack was indomitable. “Too small” to play college football, never mind professional ball. He was cut five times before sticking with the Chargers. He became a star despite often playing hurt. He suffered a dozen concussions over his career, two broken ankles, and a crushed hand. Courage also marked his life after football. While he didn’t hesitate to describe himself as a conservative Republican, many conservative Republicans were hesitant to call him one of their own. That’s because his sense of justice sometimes put him at odds with his own party.”

“While much of the party was winning over white Democrats in the South, Jack was embracing civil rights. Whereas many Republicans saw labor unions as the “enemy,” Jack, a co-founder and five-time president of the AFL Players’ Association, fought hard for the interests of working Americans. Then, in 1994, when the GOP in his native California appealed to fears about illegal immigration, Jack opposed them. That cost him dearly with the national party. Many split ways with him at that point. Jack might well have been President—and would have been a great one—were it not for two things: He would never compromise his convictions, nor would he attack his opponents. Sadly, it’s hard to resist those things and still get to the White House.”

“His courage was on display to the very end. During the times I visited him over the last months of his life, I was taken by how he kept his spirit up even as the cancer devastated his body. Jack was a giant in our midst. He had a heart for the same kind of people Prison Fellowship serves—the poor, the oppressed, and the downtrodden. His wife, Joanne, has been a board member at Prison Fellowship for many years. He also shared our Christian commitment to human life, telling the New York Times how a personal tragedy made him “more aware of the sanctity of human life, [and] how precious every child is.” This and more is why Jack’s death is such a great loss to me personally. Joanne and his four beautiful children—all Christians—are in my prayers. How proud of them Jack was. This family’s Christian witness has touched countless lives. I’ve been humbled by being asked to give the eulogy at the National Cathedral this Friday [May 8th]. What a privilege to celebrate a life so richly lived in service to his Lord and nation. I thank God for my friend, whom I and a grieving nation will sorely miss.”

#6 - National Day of Prayer, (this) Thursday May 7

(Note: This Sunday, May 10th, “The Coral Ridge Hour,” the weekly broadcast of messages by the late Dr. D. James Kennedy (whom I view was one of the most articulate and brilliant pastors of our time), will also feature an interview with a pastor who was arrested (how scandalous?!!) and spent 14 days in jail for passing out pro-life literature and seeking to counsel women outside an abortion clinic. Please check your Christian television station(s) to be sure to either view or videotape for later viewing this and other weekly broadcasts of this program. You will not only hear a great message from God’s Word each week but will also learn about how things happening in our country relate to you as a Christian.)

“Heavenly Father, there are no words to adequately thank you for how graciously you have blessed America. Please forgive us as a nation that for too long we have failed to bless YOU in our public policies and personal lives. Just our coming to “live with” the daily slaughter of over 4,000 of our most innocent – our unborn ( for 36 years now) -- should be enough reason for you to withdraw your favor from our land, if you have not already. May we who long to have our nation once again be rooted in righteousness and preserved from further decadence not lose heart. May we come to set our face firmly in persevering in words and deeds “against the gates of hell” just as our Lord set His face firmly against those hostile to Him (Luke 9:51) We pray that, as our brave military men and women fight against our sworn enemies around the world and seek to protect our freedoms, you will enable us to be watchmen (Jeremiah 62:6a) and warriors here on the home front against our enemies who threaten us from within. Grant us successes, Lord, not just for our sakes but for the sakes of the generations of Americans yet to be born. We pray this in the Name and Authority of He in whom rests ALL authority in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”

May we all find time this Thursday, and on some regular basis thereafter, to pray for our country. Several years ago, Chuck Colson’s Breakpoint ministry came out with a list of the “Top Ten Moral Issues Facing America.” I present this list to you here that it might serve as a guide of things about which to pray for America. I hope in future postings on this website to offer information and updates on the issues mentioned.

Top Ten Moral Issues Facing America

1) Terrorism: Strengthening America in the War on Terrorism and in the clash of civilizations against radical Islam.

2) Sanctity of Life: Preserving sanctity of life by resisting the encroachment of abortion, euthanasia, cloning, and embryonic stem cell research.

3) Marriage: Protecting by law the traditional heterosexual definition of the family.[I would also add the strengthening of families and greater resistance to the easy divorce mentality of our culture.]

4) Religious Liberty: Defending the persecuted Church and others of faith in the United States and around the world. […and in the U.S. The story of the pastor above is just one of many about the growing hostility towards Christians happening every day in our country as well as around the world.]

5) Human Rights: Protecting human rights, whether it’s stopping sex-trafficking, slavery in Sudan, or the spread of AIDS. [Did you know that President (George W. Bush not only addressed slavery in Sudan and promoted repeatedly the giving of financial assistance to countries in Africa dealing with the AIDS crisis, but that he is the only world leader I know of who spoke about sex-trafficking at length on one occasion when he spoke to the United Nations (and was ridiculed by some in the press for it)?]

6) Media: Challenging the negative impact of the mass media on culture-including speaking out against pornography, sexual exploitation, and violence. [Especially in light of the last election, I would also add challenging the media’s slanted and bias promotion of just one side on different issues and of their favored political candidates.]

7) Marginalized Citizens: Caring for the poor and restoring prisoners. Also, preserving the financial stability of health care, especially for the elderly and disabled.

8) Faith-based Solutions: Advocating the consideration of faith-based ideas and the involvement of faith-based organizations in presenting solutions to societal problems.

9) Judiciary Roles: Restoring the constitutional role of the Supreme Court and restricting judicial activism. [With the recent retirement of Justice Souter, we need especially to be praying for the replacing justice to be one who (despite his/her political views) will faithfully INTERPRET the Constitution and who will not try to “legislate from the bench.”]

10) Education: Improving education and promoting choices within the educational system. [If 36 years ago, seven Supreme Court justices decided that there was a “freedom of choice” provision in the Constitution – in regards to abortion, than why is it that that freedom does not also apply for parents in choosing which schools will educate their children with our tax dollars?]

#5 - An Economic Manifesto

(The following is from a petition prepared by Coral Ridge Ministries (www.coralridge.org), signed by thousands of Americans, and sent on to our national leaders. I present it as an excellent example of a Biblical worldview of our economy.)


“A Call to America’s leaders: Reverse our nation’s disastrous economic policies!”

“I firmly believe our federal government is the most fiscally irresponsible in the history of our nation. The volume of waste in our national budget is beyond anything ever seen in this country…or any country. For the sake of preserving the very future of the United States of America, I am honor-bound to call for his nation’s disastrous economic policies to be reversed. I respectfully ask that you read the truths below and seek to put a final end to the bankrupting of America. I will await your reply at the address below.”

"WE BELIEVE ...

“Government is not God. It cannot be America’s economic savior.”
“Neither Scripture nor the Constitution gives our federal government the authority to “bail out” the American economy. Our help comes from the Lord, not from Washington.”

“Free enterprise, not Washington, is the source of America’s wealth.”
“Free enterprise, which harnesses and rewards thrift, hard work, and initiative is the source of America’s economic well-being—not bailouts or fiscal stimulus packages.”

“’You shall not steal’” applies to government, too.”
“‘You shall not steal’ (Exodus 20:15, NKJV) applies to government, just as it does to private individuals. Tax policy to redistribute income, to take from the rich and give to the poor, and economic policy to steal from everyone to bail out the rich, amounts to
‘legalized theft’ and violates God’s law.”

“Socialism threatens freedom.”
“Man is sinful (Genesis 3, Romans 3:23), and any system that places economic and political power in the hands of a few is a threat to liberty. Socialism concentrates economic authority in government and empowers politicians to impose their will and ‘wisdom’ on the marketplace by force of law.”

“Government should not play favorites.”
“The proper role of government is to ensure a level playing field by providing equal justice to all. Federal policy should favor neither poor nor rich: ‘You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty’ (Leviticus 19:15 NKJV)”

“God requires fixed standards for economic exchange.”
“Inflating the money supply to prop up the economy reduces the value of the dollar and impoverishes those on fixed incomes. It violates the biblical standard of honest weights and measures: ‘Diverse weights and diverse measures, they are both alike, an abomination to the Lord’ (Proverbs 20:10 NKJV)”

“The national debt burdens and enslaves this generation and those to come.”
“America’s $10.6 trillion debt (more than $34,000 per person) not only burdens taxpayers and their children, it also makes America’s vulnerable to the dictates of debtholders from abroad. ‘The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender’ (Proverbs 22:7 NKJV).”