Well Then, Make it Higher…

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A lot higher…

A mainstream Arizona newspaper wrote an article chronicling the hardships that can ensue for illegal immigrants trying to cross over a 14-foot-high primary fence section of the Arizona-Mexico border. An article titled “Border Fence Jumpers Breaking Bones” includes anecdotes about “several women who broke bones and were treated extensively to healthcare and surgeries at the expense of U.S. taxpayers,” according to Defund.com. However, the article did not cite the initial purpose for the why “a segmented border security fence exists,” according to Defund.com. The fence “was built largely to stop violent criminals from their routine entering and existing of U.S. communities.” The article instead contests that the “very nature of a fence is that it poses a difficulty or risk to unauthorized crossings in an area, such as in the recent issue of Barack Obama’s White House raising the height of their fence to keep unwanted people from crossing.” The article also doesn’t cite the impact of having sections missing

Source: Arizona Newspaper: Border Fence Too High, Illegals Can’t Cross Safely | LifeZette

Hillary Admits She Didn’t Know Coal Used to Produce Electricity

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Probably not far from the truth….

The Barbed Wire

WEST VIRGINIA (The Barbed Wire) – Hillary Clinton has been talking tough in recent months about driving coal miners and their industry out of business. Her talk caused voters to swat her away and give the state to Bernie Sanders in an easy victory in West Virginia’s primary.

Immediately going into damage control, and realizing she would need West Virginia’s electoral votes in a general election, Hillary explained to the state’s voters that she only recently found out that coal is used to produce most of the country’s electricity.

“I had no idea!” she said. “I just thought it was a dirty business that does bad things to our environment, is given as Christmas presents to children who misbehave each year, stuff like that. But I can promise you, before November I will be coached on all the right things to come back and tell you to make you…

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Are You Becoming Secularized?

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Are You Becoming Secularized?

May 11

"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen" (Rom 1:24-25).

There is a story told about a frog in a kettle. The frog is placed in a kettle of warm water. The frog does not notice that the water temperature is being turned up gradually until it is too late. He dies from the heat of the water not realizing the danger he was in.

Societies are suffering from the "frog in the kettle" analogy. They make decisions that seem innocent enough, only to realize later the impact these decisions bring to their society. Whether the issue is gay rights, abortion, euthanasia, or simply a lack of spiritual influence over society, the changes seem logical to the unregenerate mind but reveals the moral compass of the nation has been removed.

In 1945, a book was written about the spiritual condition of England. "We are convinced that England will never be converted until the laity use the opportunities daily afforded by their various professions, crafts and occupations."* During the time of this writing, 30% of England attended church. Today, less than 7% attend church in England. It has become a secularized nation.

During this same time more than 40% of America was attending church. Today, less than 30% attend church and it is rapidly declining. The reason is that more and more believers are seeing the local church as irrelevant to the world they live in. Surveys reveal that up to 90% of church members believe they are not being taught how to apply the Bible to the complex world of work where they spend 60-70% of their time. It is not a question of them being taught the Bible; it is a question of making it relevant to their world.

*"Towards the Conversion of England"(1945).

Aquiescence – or control?

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Aquiescence – or control?
For reading & meditation: Philippians 4:10-20
"I am ready for anything through the strength of the one who lives within me." (v.13, Phillips) Day by day, as we unfold this thrilling theme of The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die, it is becoming increasingly obvious that God gives us a choice – a choice of either to live or to die. We can live for the fulfilment of our own desires, or we can die to our desires and live for His. This is perhaps the moment that we should come to grips with the question which people often ask when this issue of "dying to self" is raised: "Isn’t this a terribly passive attitude to life? And doesn’t it tend to diminish personal responsibility and self-control?" John Dewey, the famous American educator, held that view. Once, when lecturing to his students, he drew a line down a blackboard and on one side listed those systems of thought which teach control, and on the other those systems that teach acquiescence. On the "control" side he put "science", and on the "acquiescence" side he put "religion". To be fair, he should have written, "Some forms of religion". The religion of Jesus Christ does not produce passive and acquiescent disciples, but surrendered disciples – surrendered to God, but surrendered to nothing else. They rise from the dust of self-surrender to lay hold on the raw materials of life – good, bad and indifferent – and use them. Would you describe the early Christians as passive and acquiescent? I wouldn’t. Surrendered – yes. Acquiescent – no. Surrendering to God so that He may work in and through us may at first seen passive, but actually it represents the most amazingly positive and active method of dealing with life. Other ways are possible, but no other way is as powerful.

Prayer:
Gracious and loving heavenly Father, I am so thankful that You show me a way of life that doesn’t demean me, but develops me. I fall at Your feet, and lo – I rise to new purposes and new achievements. I am eternally grateful. Amen.

For further study:
Philippians 2:12-30; Ephesians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 9:8
1. What are we able to do when God works in us?

2. What does God’s grace produce in us?