Line Upon Line

"Dearly loved friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else..."
-- Jude 1:3 (New Living Translation)

I was awakened early last Saturday morning by the Spirit of God. I got a pen and my notebook and began writing as He spoke to me.

Over the next couple of hours I received an outline for a book on the love of God.

You know, "What the World Needs Now..."

Well, it's what the Church needs, too!

So, I'll be taking some time out from writing Line Upon Line to work on this.

I will, however, update you with any important news, or share any thoughts that God might put on my heart for you.

Howdy, y'all!

Well, I'm home from my recent trip to Tulsa, OK. I went to visit the family of Kenneth Hagin and to attend the memorial service remembering and honoring Brother Hagin's life and ministry.

Because of the high cost of a last-minute airplane ticket, I decided to drive to Oklahoma. I left early on Saturday morning the 20th, and ended up driving straight through to Tulsa -- about 15 hours and 1032 miles.

It was around 10:30 pm CST when I arrived at my hotel room.

I slept late the next morning. When I got up I went to Applebee's for lunch.

You really need to hear about my lunch.

I thought it was really neat that they were playing praise and worship music at the 71st Street Applebee's in South Tulsa.

The first song I noticed was, "You Can Still Pray in the U.S. A."

Then, as my waiter was arriving to refill my iced tea, he was singing along with the music that filled the room -- "Come, Now is the Time to Worship."

Cool!

To top it off, I was blessed to hear one of my favorite Bryan Duncan songs, "Love You With My Life", just before I left.

God really speaks to me through that song -- and spoke once again.

Hey, an Applebee's House Sirloin and country potatoes tastes even better in an atmosphere charged with the presence of God!

I went to RHEMA Monday evening to view Brother Hagin's body and to visit with the family.

I spoke briefly with Kenneth Hagin, Jr. and his wife, Lynette, and then greeted Mom Hagin and other family members.

Lynette told me that arrangements had been made for me to sit in a special section of the auditorium for the memorial service, have reserved parking, attend the committal ceremony at the cemetery, and join the Hagin family for dinner following the services.

The memorial service was held at 12:30 pm, Wednesday, September 24, at the RHEMA Bible Church auditorium, on the campus of RHEMA Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow.

When I arrived at 11:00, there were already thousands of people lined up all the way around the building, waiting in the near 90 degree heat.

My "V.I.P." pass allowed me to enter the building and find a seat.

There were many familiar faces in the crowd, including, Kenneth Copeland, Fred Price, Jerry Saville, T.L. Osborn, and others. There were thousands of ministers, RHEMA students, and friends of the Hagin family and ministry who filled the room.

The service started closer to 1:00 than 12:30, as the ushers worked, trying to get as many as possible seated in the auditorium.

Hundreds of others sat in classrooms and chairs that were set up outside in front of the building. They listened through portable loudspeakers and watched the service on closed circuit TV's. Others around the world watched via live Internet transmission.

The service lasted nearly 4 1/2 hours.

I remember looking at my watch a couple of times thinking that maybe 10 minutes had passed -- but it had been an hour, instead! That was weird. But time really does stand slow down -- and even stand still -- when you're in the spirit.

There were songs by David Ingles (including his classic, "There's a Whole Lot of People Going Home") and family and friends shared memories of Brother Hagin.

I could relate to many of their stories and experiences. I found myself "amening", laughing, and nodding in agreement as they shared.

Letters were read from others who were not able to attend.

Oral Roberts sent a note expressing his appreciation for the impact that Kenneth Hagin's ministry has had in training up and sending men and women throughout the world with the message of Christ.

Brother Roberts also wrote that he was feeling "the tug of Heaven" himself.

I find it interesting that Bill Bright, Loren Cunningham, Kenneth Hagin, and Derick Prince have all recently gone home to be with the Lord.

I do believe that these are signs of the time in which we are living.

The presence of God at the service was powerful -- and a challenge went forth for everyone to continue the work of the ministry that Brother Hagin began nearly 70 years ago.

At the conclusion of the memorial service, I joined the funeral procession as we made our way to the cemetery for the committal service.

The setting was beautiful -- and inspirational, too.

The bright blue expanse of Oklahoma sky stretched out above us and reached down to meet the perfectly manicured garden setting below. Scriptures were read and prayers were offered for the Hagin family as we paid our final tribute to this servant of God.

The dinner that followed provided an opportunity to renew friendships and share stories with many friends -- some I hadn't seen for 20 or 30 years.

I left Tulsa Thursday and traveled to Kansas City, MO to visit with Leo and Barb Grabowski. Many of you know Leo and Barb from Life of Faith Fellowship in Port Huron.

We enjoyed a Longhorn steak dinner together, and afterward, a time of fellowship and prayer in their home in Lee's Summit.

Ready to get back home (and sleep in my own bed), I hit the road early Friday morning.

The trip was uneventful until the rain started falling -- falling hard -- I mean really hard!

I was about 10-12 miles west of St. Louis on I-70 driving through the torrential downpour when it happened...

I noticed a car was coming up fast behind me as I traveled the inside lane of three lanes of traffic.

I decided to move over to the center lane and let this guy by.

(I really hate it when people come up behind me like that.)

As he attempted to pass me (going too fast for conditions if you ask me), he lost control of his older model white Lincoln Continental.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the missile coming, but there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

His car slammed into my left fender, and "in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye", we were both heading south on the east-bound highway. We slid side-by-side across two lanes of traffic, over the shoulder, and down into the grassy ditch by the side of the road.

He shot past me and ended up on the top of the hill. I spun 180 degrees and stopped with the car's nose wedged down in the ditch.

I know it was the hand of God that got me safely from where I met my new friend to my parking spot on the side of I-70.

When the car stopped (and I started breathing again), I pushed the OnStar button on the rear view mirror. A comforting voice called me by name and asked if I was okay. Other than reaggravating a "just about healed" neck injury, I was fine.

Eileen (if memory serves me) summoned the police, a tow truck, and medical technicians -- all who promptly arrived on the scene.

After the exchange of vital information, they were able to pull my injured car out of the ditch and back up onto the shoulder of the road.

By this time, the three lanes of traffic were backed up as far as I could see.

I would have much preferred the role of "gawker" this Friday morning in St Ann, MO, but 'twas not to be.

Thankfully, I was able to drive the car home, arriving in Port Huron late Friday night.

I'll have to call my insurance agent and body shop this morning to get the repair process underway. I could think of things I'd rather do, but such is life.

I want to thank all of you who prayed while I was on this trip. God's hand of protection was truly on me.

Hey, it's really good to know that when you are totally out of control, God's still in control!

That, my friend, is good to know!

What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see. God gave his approval to people in days of old because of their faith.

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God's command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. God accepted Abel's offering to show that he was a righteous man. And although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us because of his faith.

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying -- "suddenly he disappeared because God took him." But before he was taken up, he was approved as pleasing to God.

So, you see, it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that there is a God and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
-- Hebrews 11:1-6 (New Living Translation)

As many of you know, I am a 1976 graduate of RHEMA Bible Training Center and was part of the RHEMA faculty from 1978-1981. I was originally ordained through Kenneth Hagin Ministries.

My wife, Debbi, and I are grateful for the life and ministry of Brother Hagin.

His simple message of faith in God and His Word have helped countless numbers of people experience God's love, power, and faithfulness.

I will be taking a few days away from "Line Upon Line" while I travel to Tulsa to attend the memorial service for this exceptional man.

The following was posted today on RHEMA's website...

Broken Arrow, OK – September 19, 2003 – Reverend Kenneth E. Hagin, founder of Kenneth Hagin Ministries, went home to be with the Lord on September 19 at 7:00 a.m.

On Saturday evening September 13, Reverend Hagin went to bed feeling well. Sunday morning, he woke up and prepared for the day. Friends came over and cooked breakfast for he and his wife, Oretha. After finishing his breakfast, Rev. Hagin sat at the end of the table, smiled at Oretha, sighed, and his head fell to his chest.

He was quickly transported by ambulance to a local hospital where he was admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit. He remained hospitalized with his family at his side until the time of his passing.

Rev. Hagin was born August 20, 1917 and was in the ministry for nearly 70 years from the time God miraculously healed him of a deformed heart and an incurable blood disease at the age of 17. He was raised from a deathbed in 1934 by the revelation of faith in God’s Word.

Known as the “father of the modern faith movement,” Rev. Hagin was a dynamic preacher, teacher, and prophet known for ministering healing and for the message of faith. His teachings and books are filled with vivid stories that show God’s power and truth working in his life and the lives of others.

“He wrote in his Bible, ‘The Bible says it, I believe it, and that settles it!’” said his son, Reverend Kenneth Hagin Jr., Executive Vice President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and Pastor of RHEMA Bible Church. “Brother Hagin was not a man who merely practiced what he preached,” said Rev. Hagin Jr. “He preached what he lived. His great legacy of faith will live on in the countless lives that have been healed, touched, and changed through his ministry.”

Since its inception, Kenneth Hagin Ministries has expanded to include numerous media outreaches and ministries that will continue to grow and impact the world. These include Faith Library Publications, which has more than 65 million books in print; RHEMA Praise, a weekly television program; Faith Seminar of the Air, a radio program which is heard on scores of stations nationwide and on the Internet worldwide; The Word of Faith, a free monthly magazine with nearly 250,000 subscribers; crusades conducted throughout the nation; RHEMA Correspondence Bible School; and the RHEMA Prayer and Healing Center.

Rev. Hagin long carried a passion to help those who suffered in pain and sickness the way he himself had once suffered. In 1979, he founded the Prayer and Healing Center to provide a place where the sick could come and have the opportunity to build their faith. Healing School continues to be held free of charge twice daily on the RHEMA campus.

In 1974, Rev. Hagin founded RHEMA Bible Training Center USA, which has 23,000 alumni. There are RHEMA Bible Training Centers in 13 other nations of the world: Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Peru, Romania, Samoa, Singapore, South Africa, and Thailand.

“Brother Hagin traveled and ministered throughout the United States and Canada as part of his goal to raise funds to underwrite the Training Center. The best tribute we can give him is to keep that going forever,” said Rev. Hagin Jr.

Rev. Hagin is survived by his wife, Oretha; two children, Kenneth Hagin Jr., and Pat Harrison; 5 grandchildren; and 8 great-grandchildren.

Visit www.RHEMA.org for more information on Kenneth Hagin Ministries.

Someone who purchased a winning "quick-pick" lottery ticket on March 12 from a Miami area food market had won themselves a cool $50 million dollars -- but they'll never enjoy their windfall.

They failed to claim their prize before the 180 day deadline passed.

Lottery spokeswoman Sheila Griffin said, "There is no second chance. Too late."

No second chance -- too late.

That's sad.

That's much like the gift of salvation that God offers through Jesus Christ, His Son -- if you don't come forth and claim it, you'll lose it forever.

When I hear of the death of another well-known person -- most recently Johnny Cash, John Ritter, Bob Hope, and Charles Bronson -- I wonder if they claimed their prize before their demise.

Only God knows for sure.

But one thing I do know for sure, if you don't receive by faith the gift of salvation that God has freely offered in this life, you will forfeit eternal life.

Don't wait until it's too late -- God's offer has an expiration date -- it expires when you expire.

________________________________________________

think on these things...

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."

-- Hebrews 9:27,28

"For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.'"

-- Romans 10:10-13

Here's a insightful and timely word from Francis Frangipane that I wanted to pass along to you.

WHAT WILL YOU GIVE IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR SOUL?
by Francis Frangipane

"In the last days, perilous times shall come" (2 Tim. 3:1).

When Paul writes that, "perilous times shall come," with holy fear we ought to consider his words. Indeed, we might expect the apostle's warning about the last days would focus upon coming persecutions or specifics concerning the Great Tribulation. But what Paul actually describes as "perilous" is a world full of obsessive self-fulfillment and readily attainable, and almost unbridled, opportunities for pleasure.

Consider well his warning. For his spiritual analysis reads like the advertisement section of a local newspaper. He continues,

"For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God" (2 Tim 3:2-4).

It would be difficult enough if Paul were warning of the world's condition. However, the conditions he describes are not isolated to pagans or atheists, for such attitudes have always run rampant in the non-Christian world. Paul is warning about the worldly attitudes of people in the church. His concern is that many Christians will be intoxicated with the pleasures of this world. He then tells us that a religious veneer will mask this preoccupation with pleasure: Christians will hold "to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power" (2 Tim 3:5).

Beloved, Paul is warning about the conditions in many of our churches in the western world.

We need a deep, cleansing revival that returns us to passionate, biblical Christianity. I am not talking about a "flopping, hopping, run around the church sanctuary" emotional experience, but an all consuming return to the pursuit of Christ's character and power.

Amen, Francis!

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think on these things...

"Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, `If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, `but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.'

"Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.

"O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name...''

-- Nehemiah 1:8-11 (NKJV)

"Arise, shine; For your light has come! and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

"For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you."

-- Isaiah 60:1,2 (NKJV)

"Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right.

Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you."
-- Philippians 4:6-9 (New Living Translation)

A couple of years ago I bought a Canon PowerShot S300 digital camera and began taking pictures (anybody seen my golf clubs?).

A few months ago I bought a Canon PowerShot S50. I gave the S300 to my oldest son, Christopher, so he could take pictures of our first grandchild, Kayla.

In Randy's PhotoGallery you'll see photos I've taken around the Port Huron, Michigan area, in Southern California and St. Louis. You'll also find some pictures of my wonderful family.

I'll be adding more from time to time -- I'll let you know when I do.

P.S. You'll probably need a high-speed Internet connection to view these pictures -- the files are quite large.

Psalm 91:1-16

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

This I declare of the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I am trusting him.

For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from the fatal plague.

He will shield you with his wings.
He will shelter you with his feathers.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor fear the dangers of the day,
nor dread the plague that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.

But you will see it with your eyes;
you will see how the wicked are punished.

If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your dwelling.

For he orders his angels
to protect you wherever you go.

They will hold you with their hands
to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.

You will trample down lions and poisonous snakes;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

The Lord says, 'I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.

When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue them and honor them.

I will satisfy them with a long life
and give them my salvation.'"

New Living Translation

No, I didn't just swear -- but it does sound like something you might blurt out if you bashed your thumb with a hammer, or rammed your forehead into the corner of the cupboard door.

"Ipse dixit" just happened to show up in this morning's email -- the A.Word.A.Day word of the day.

And how appropriate -- after viewing portions of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute / Fox News Channel Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate last evening.

"Ipse dixit" (IP-see DIK-sit) is defined as "an assertion without supporting proof."

The word is from the Latin, literally meaning, "he himself said it."

That is, "It's so because I say it's so!" or "It's a fact because I say it's a fact, and that's all the proof you need."

Well, "ipse dixits" ruled the night in the Gilliam Concert Hall of the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.

One after another, the candidates slung accusations, made innuendoes, cast aspersions, and generally stood upon the ground that "it's so because I say it's so."

Well, get ready -- we've got 14 more months of "ipse dixitizing" to look forward to -- from every segment of the political spectrum.

Yippee!

My advice -- check out the facts, dig out the truth, and realize that just because somebody said it's so, it ain't necessarily so!

Why?

Because I said so, that's why!

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think on these things...

"Only simpletons believe everything they are told! The prudent carefully consider their steps."

-- Proverbs 14:15 (New Living Translation)

"A wise person is hungry for truth, while the fool feeds on trash."

-- Proverbs 15:14 (New Living Translation)

"Are you tired?

Worn out?

Burned out on religion?

Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life.

I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me -- watch how I do it.

Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.

Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Jesus -- Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

I was going through some old sermon notes and came across "Church Pray!", a monthly bulletin insert published by Intercessors For America. The issue is dated September, 1991.

The heading on this little paper caught my attention: "Practical Steps to Revival", by Dr. George Sweeting.

Although written a few years ago, the message is timely for the Body of Christ today.

If revival is a desire of your heart, Dr. Sweeting's seven "Steps" are worth prayerful consideration.

1. Be Dissatisfied With Yourself

Develop a holy dissatisfaction. The contented Christian is a sterile Christian. Paul said in substance, "Jesus arrested me on the Damascus road. Now I want to lay hold of all that for which I was arrested by God." Be thoroughly dissatisfied with your spiritual posture.

2. Do a Thorough Job of Repenting

"Create within me a clean heart!" David sobbed. For a whole year David was out of fellowship. But he confessed his sin; he turned from that sin and then he could sing again; he could write again; he could pray again.

3. Ask God to Transform Your Life

I think of Jacob wrestling with God. He wanted blessing. He wouldn't be denied. Throw your entire life into the will of God. Seek God's very best.

4. Put Yourself in the Way of Blessing

If we desire revival and neglect prayer, that's hypocrisy. To pray for growth and neglect the local church is absolute foolishness. To pray that you'll mature and neglect the Word of God is incongruous. Put yourself in the way of blessing.

5. Make Restitution Whenever Possible

If you owe debt, pay it. Or have an understanding with the people you owe. Zacchaeus said, "Lord, the half of my goods I will give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." (Luke 19:8) As much as possible, make the crooked straight.

6. Develop a Seriousness of Purpose

Keep off the detours. Let nothing deflect the magnetic needle of your calling. If there is anything that is a Trojan horse in our day, it is the television set. Beware lest it rob you of your passion and your purpose.

7. Deliberately Narrow Your Interests

The Christian life requires specialists. Jesus said in effect, "Be a one-eyed man." (Luke 11:34-36) Paul said, "This one thing I do." Too many of us burn up too much energy without engaging in the things that bring us nearer to God.

These are excellent points - not only to ponder, but to embrace. The Lord is moving in many places in various ways. He is awakening a sleeping church to get busy about the Father's business.

We must remember that revival is not an end in itself. It is only the first step in preparation for the work God has called us to.

My prayer for you is that you will experience God's life-changing presence in such a way, so that the desire of God's heart burns in you and the power of His love flows through you!

think on these things...

The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?'' So I answered, "O Lord God, You know." Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, `O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!'"

Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord.''

So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.

Then He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.'''

So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
-- Ezekiel 37:1-10

Revival in your family, your church, and your world begins with you!

According to the September 5, 2003 edition of Charisma Online News Service, Federal Judge Thomas Russell recently ruled, that,

"...a Kentucky library's dress code that prevented a Christian employee from wearing a cross necklace was an unconstitutional violation of free-speech rights. Kimberly Draper was fired from the library in Logan County in April 2001 after she refused to take off the pendant. She filed a suit in February 2002, challenging a library policy that read: "No clothing depicting religious, political, or potentially offensive decoration is permitted." Judge Thomas Russell said the library policy violated the free speech and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment. He noted that Draper's wearing of her cross was "neither disruptive nor controversial until the library dress code made it a source of contention..."

"Way to go, Your Honor!"

Evidently this whole matter went to court because someone was "offended" by Kimberly's cross.

The Constitution or Bill of Rights does not guarantee that we will be protected from anything that might be offensive to us. And certainly, what one finds offensive might be totally acceptable to another. (Hey, I'm offended by most of what I see advertised as ABC Television's new fall program lineup. I choose not to watch, thank you. Oh, and I'm offended that Madonna wears a cross, but I really haven't thought about taking the matter to court.)

Anyway, the case of Kimberly's cross was another reminder that the god of this world doesn't want any us of to think about the One True God, or acknowledge the fact that there even is a God.

The recent dispute and decisions over the display of the Ten Commandments in a federal courthouse in Montgomery, Alabama, also serve to make the point.

That battle is not really about a 5,000 pound stone replica of the Ten Commandments -- it's about removing all traces of God from public life -- so we don't have to think about Him -- so our conscience won't be troubled by the thought that there might be a God to whom we must give an account.

You need to remember that behind most every headline you read, there is a spiritual reality -- and what often appears to be the issue, is not the real issue at all.

I hope you get that.

Cultural commentator Bill O'Reilly gets it.

In his Thursday, August 28, 2003, Talking Points Memo, "What's Really Behind the Controversy in Alabama?" he wrote:

It's not about the commandments monument in the Alabama hallway. This is about a significant power in this country that does not want any mention or reminder of spirituality in public, period.

On the radio today, a guy called me, named Sean from Virginia, and he admitted it. He said it offended him to hear the word "God". And he didn't care if it were attached to any religion or not. He just didn't want to hear the word.

So that's what this dispute in Alabama is all about. But if you look deeper, there's another reason why people like Sean want to banish God. The secularists in America have an agenda. They want total personal freedom. That means no judgments about anyone's behavior...

The agenda goes on and on, but the message is that the USA should be a place where all non-criminal conduct is permitted and moral judgments about right and wrong should never be made.

If you take the God factor out of the country, that agenda is easier to impose. But that would lead to social chaos…

In my upcoming book, Who's Looking Out for You?, I prove that the Founding Fathers (search) wanted a spiritual presence in the public arena for a very practical reason. They understood the new government did not have the power to control behavior. They rightly figured that a God-fearing people would behave better than people with no moral boundaries.

So in every debate about the Constitution, God was mentioned. I have all the letters written between [James] Madison and [Thomas] Jefferson in my home library. There's no question those two men, who forged the Constitution, wanted God on the minds of Americans.

But now we have powerful judges and politicians who reject the intentions of the framers. And that is what we are seeing in the Ten Commandments debate. Those slabs in Alabama do not establish any religion, nor do they intrude on any sane person's sensibilities. They are simply a reminder that our laws are based on Judeo-Christian philosophy. And the Alabama debate is a reminder that our freedoms and traditions are under assault by secular forces.

Bill's right.

There are those in our country who'd like to think God does not exist -- that there is no higher power to which we must answer or moral law by which we will be judged.

This is just another of the many fields upon which a spiritual battle is being waged for the hearts and minds of people.

This struggle can also be seen in the confirmation process of federal judicial nominees.

Take the case of Miguel Estrada, who was nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Recommended for appointment by President Bush, his confirmation was stonewalled by a handful of Senators who were concerned about Mr. Estrada's view of abortion. This week, an otherwise highly qualified individual withdrew himself from further consideration. He'd had enough.

The abortion issue has become "the test" as to whether or not any particular nominee is "qualified" for the bench. This has been true in regard to the Supreme Court for some time -- but now it is increasingly being seen as the measure by which any candidate to the federal court is judged, also.

We could speak more about these things, but we need to ask,

“What we can do to turn this rising tide?”

Well, I'll tell you this, the battle is not going to be won by picketing, shouting, protesting, chaining ourselves together, boycotting, or demanding our "rights."

(Think here, "What Would Jesus Do?")

No, if things are going to change, we need to begin by praying and asking God to forgive us for forgetting Him, for sinning against Him, and for violating His law.

We need to understand the nature of the battle and who the enemy is.

We need to exhibit the character of Christ in our personal lives.

We need to be salt and light in the world.

We need to remember that God didn’t send us to condemn the world, but to show people the love of God and demonstrate His righteousness.

We also need to elect God-fearing men and women to state and federal government positions.

We need to know that those who serve in the Senate and House of Representatives have a respect for God and for the law of God – people of integrity who will support legislation and pass laws based on the truth and morality of God’s law -- and when called upon, will approve men and women to the courts who will judge righteous judgment.

You see, to a great degree the course of this nation -- including our freedom to worship and serve God without interference from government -- lies in the hands of the nation's judges -- many of whom are appointed and approved by our elected officials.

This is a battle that must be fought and won -- for the sake of the Gospel of Christ, and for our children and their children.

The worst thing we could do is to choose not to fight.

We must count the cost of doing nothing -- or, of doing the wrong thing.

May God grant us wisdom in the critical hour.


think on these things…

Francis Frangipane writes...

Beloved, in powerful and amazing ways, the Spirit of God is raising up true followers of Jesus Christ. He is choosing ordinary people with extraordinary callings. Indeed, the Lord is transforming men and women so He can transform cities and nations.

To fulfill this eternal mandate, the Holy Spirit is guiding the church back to the simplicity and purity of conformity to Christ. Whether your desire is to see your family transformed or your nation in revival, today is not the time to despair, but to prepare. There were many terrible problems in the world when Jesus began His ministry, but Christ knew a great harvest was coming. Thus, Matthew tells us that, 'when [Jesus] saw the multitudes, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And opening His mouth He began to teach them' (Matthew 5:1-2).

Jesus saw the multitudes and, in response, began to train His disciples. They would not only represent Him in a theological sense, they would actually represent Him in the fullness of His power, character and message; everywhere they went, they transformed the world around them.

// posted by theChurchGuy @ 9/06/2003