I Pledge Allegiance

Religious freedom is foundational to all of our freedoms. It was a right obtained by men of faith.

John Leland in appealing to the Father of our Constitution, James Madison, for religious freedom wrote: “There is no Bill of Rights. Whenever a number of men enter into a state of society, a number of individual rights must be given up to society, but there should be a memorial of those not surrendered, otherwise, every natural and domestic right becomes alienable, which raises tyranny at once, and this is as necessary in one form or government as in another.”

Now, there is a thought! Note, “a number of rights must be given up to society.”

Acting in response to Leland’s appeal Madison acted when the First Congress convened in January 1789. Early in the session Madison presented the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution, called the Bill of Rights. In part the first of these stated: “Congress shall make no laws respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Parenthetically, neither should the courts.

This Bill of Rights was intended to do two things. One was to forbid the establishment of a state sponsored denomination as was common in Europe. Second, it restricts laws being made “prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This simply leveled the playing field for all denominations and removed road blocks to the practice of religion.

The proponents of the First Amendment wanted to insure freedom OF religion not freedom FROM religion.

To pledge allegiance or not to pledge? Somebody’s right has to be given up. If we have freedom of speech, if we have freedom of religion, if we have a pledge approved by Congress in 1952, and practiced by millions ever since —- let’s pledge.

Why should the rights of the vast majority have to be given up to appease a religious minority? Atheism is a form of religious belief about God.

Why do atheists want the Pledge of Allegiance removed from schools? Are they trying to convert Christians to their belief in no God?

A glimpse of what Congress intended is found in this Congressional Decree of 1782: “It being the indispensable duty of all nations, not only to offer up their supplications to Almighty God, the giver of all good, for his gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him praise for his goodness in general…”

It continued and concluded: “…they do further recommend to all ranks and testify their gratitude of God for his goodness, by cheerful obedience to his laws, and by protecting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness.”

In these turbulent times of terrorism we need to consider well these words of Benjamin Franklin: “We need God to be our friend, not our adversary.”

The Law of Causality

“For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4).

There is a law of causality; or the law of cause and effect. Simply summarized: for every effect there must be an equal or greater cause.

The world shows marks of design and dependence, hence of mind and management.

Everything about the universe indicates a plan and purpose.

Everywhere there are indications of origin and order.

Every building shows signs of origin and order, mind and management, plan and purpose.

Look at our vast universe and the same jumps out at you. Our universe shows signs of origin and order, mind and management, plan and purpose.

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Seeing a building, who would doubt that there was a planner, a designer, and a manager?

Why deny there to be such regarding our universe?

The effect is a universe. The cause must be equal to or greater than the effect. Enter: our Great God and Creator, Designer, Planner, and Manager of the Universe He created.

Every effect demands a cause.  Our loving Creator has put on display as evidence of His existence an entire universe.

Back to the party! It is reasonable that such a God would provide a door.

Hebrews 11: 3 states an evident reality: “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.”

Poster: “All that I have seen of God teaches me to trust Him for all that I have not seen.”

Many at this moment have needs and they can’t see how things are going to work out. As you let God work in them, they work out.

If organic evolution accounts for our being, there is no way such a material process could produce a nonmaterial soul that will survive death. Thus, evolution which proposes we came from nothing dictates we deteriorate into nothing.

The formula for Darwinian Evolution is “Nothing times nobody equals everything.”

T. N. Timinisian, physiologist with the Atomic Energy Commission, said, “Scientists who go about teaching that evolution is a fact of life are great con-men and the story they are telling may be the greatest hoax ever.”

Not only is the Lord God existent, He loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him. Trust Him and become a new creature.

The Eye and the Ear Evidence God

“The hearing ear and the seeing eye, The Lord has made both of them” (Proverbs 20:12). Consider them.

The eye is far more complex than the most sophisticated camera ever designed. The eye consists of 107 million cells.

Seven million are cones which receive and record for me the full spectrum ban of colors numbering in the thousands.

One hundred million cells are rods which enable me to see in low light.

It has infinite design, order, and plan to the eye. Consider it.

When light rays hit the cornea they are slightly bent toward each other. Next the light travels through the aqueous humor, then the pupil. The iris regulates the amount of light entering the eye. Next the light travels through the curved surface of the lens into the vitreous humor and meets at a point called the focus, which ideally is the retina. From there the optic nerve can carry multiple simultaneous electronic messages to the brain.

These rods and cones are shaped differently and numbered variously with different animals. Such effect demands a great cause and that cause is our loving Creator.

Consider the ear.  You can listen to an orchestra and enjoy multiple sounds at once, sounds so faint that they flutter my eardrum one billionth of a centimeter. These sounds are transmitted to the brain by three bones called the hammer, anvil, and stirrup.

If they register the sound of a piano emitted at 250 vibrations per second, they know it is middle-C.

There is a design, a plan, and order to the ear. It is a great effect. The cause? Our loving Creator God.

The eye, the ear, the universe feeds your faith.

My eyes have seen the Alps and Andes, the Congo and Nile rivers, the Sahara and the Judean deserts, the seven seas and the five continents.

My ears have been flooded with the sounds of joy and sorrow, pleasure and protection, wisdom and wit.

BUT, the Scripture says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard … the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (I Corinthians 2:9).

Order, plan, and design of everything from the universe to your eyes and ears stimulate your faith. There is an effect: you. Where there is an effect there must be a cause. The cause is our loving Creator God. Trust Him as Savior.

Jesus explains why He came and offered Himself as the door to immortality.  He said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10: 10).

What Is on Your “Must Do List”?

In the days just before Jesus faced Calvary it was written: “He said, `I must go to Jerusalem…” (Matthew 16: 21). Thus, summarily He said there was something He “must” do. For Him, and for us it was imperative that He must go.

Jesus was definitive as to why He must go to Jerusalem. It was to “suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and be raised the third day” (Matthew 16: 21). Not an easy assignment, but a critical one. Jesus was laser-focused on going. He was saying He must die that we may live.

Peter, who insisted that He not go. Later in Gethsemane Peter resisted Jesus’ arrest. Often one’s best friend becomes his biggest obstacle in following Jesus. Hence, it becomes Jesus or me. In being an obstacle the friend is indirectly living out, “It is me of Jesus, you choose.”

Here is the clincher. Jesus said,“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way” (Matthew 16: 24). Most people don’t grasp the seriousness of this calling. Giving up our own way is challenging. Such is demanding, but rewarding. Think of an occasion of having done so as a result of commitment. Remember the sense of fulfillment? You win by losing.

Giving up our own way is contrary to the concept of Jesus. We want gain without pain.

Some indirectly teach it’s all about me. Jesus wants me  healthy, wealthy, and happy. He wants His followers well or rich. and if you aren’t all those things, they don’t have enough faith or they aren’t sending them enough money. Farcically they are teaching Christianity is designed for you to get everything you need and want. NOT!

By way of contrast Jesus is the paramount example of true commitment.. He was willing to stay committed to His mission because He realized the reward was worth the effort. Make sure the things on your “Must List” are worth the effort. What is the payoff?

The ultimate reward is said to be Jesus will reward us along with His angels (Matthew 16: 27). This teaches us there are degrees of rewards in heaven. All who trust Him are saved. However, the extent of faithfulness thereafter will determine one’s rewards in heaven. The nature of the reward is unspecified. Whatever it is it will be worth it because of the one who gives it, Jesus.

“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matthew 16: 24 – 27).

Work It Out

“But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance” Timothy 4: 7 – 9.

In an attempt to defend themselves against physical exercise some extract part of this text in their defense: “…bodily exercise profits a little…” True, but…

This is a relative term meaning compared to spiritual exercise it is of little importance. Most persons readily agree spiritual exercise is vital because not only of the benefits here and now, but those of eternal benefits.

Bodily exercise profits a little because it has some value. Many know the health benefits of exercise and devote themselves to it. Exercise gyms, physical trainers, and personal workouts are popular. It is to be encouraged.

Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.

A total of 150 minutes of physical exercise a week can lower your blood pressure and reduce the likelihood of a heart attack, or a stroke.

Exercise is essential in order to gain these benefits, so JUST DO IT!

Admitting the benefits of physical exercise, turn now to spiritual exercise and “exercise yourself toward godliness.” The word godliness comes from the old English word Godlikeness; it means to have the character and attitude of God. This is a worthy goal, much more so than the potential attainments of physical exercise.

Spiritual development and physical development share some similarities. With each, growth only comes with exertion and proper feeding.

This modern translation makes the contrast between physical and spiritual discipline evident.

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

The Greek word “discipline” is “gumnazo.”  The word “gymnastics” comes from it. The word “discipline” pictures a person going to the gym to work out. It is not a physical workout referred to, it is spiritual discipline: “for the purpose of godliness.” “Eusebeia” the Greek word referred to means “good/practice towards God” and refers to the duties we owe to Him.

Regular Bible study, meditation, prayer, Christian fellowship, and prayer are good spiritual exercises.

Christians are to discipline themselves for the purpose of Godliness. Again, JUST DO IT!