| Thought For The Week November |
| 4 to 10 November 2002 A Sniper and Fear |
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| The people in Maryland feel a great relief with the apprehension of the sniper. Their terror has been lifted after these past few weeks. However, the phrase, "-these past few weeks.", seem absurd to many others. What about those who serve our nation elsewhere in the world? Both civilian and military? Those who live in places like South Korea, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Kosovo, Spain, France, Germany, Colombia, Peru, Chile, etc.? They live in fear of a sniper's bullet everyday for a year or more. What of their terror? Yes, Maryland is here in the U.S. and things like this just don't happen here. Until now. But now the terror is past. The sniper has been caught. We can go back to our normal lives. To include forgetting about those who still continue to live in fear while they serve our nation. And those who serve in our armed forces are walking targets while wearing their uniforms. Then there are the families living with the service men and women in a few of these countries. I remember, in 1976 while I was stationed in West Germany, of an incident. A terrorist group called the Baron Mienhoff Gang had stolen some nerve gas and were threatening to use it. We were placed on a high alert and we worried about our families. However, this was just one of many times. You learn to push the worry to the back of your mind and go on with your day to day duties. The fear was always there, but you refused to live in fear. Now November 11th, Veteran's Day, will soon be upon us again. I need not remind you to remember those who gave their lives, either in whole or in part, for the freedoms we enjoy today. However I would ask you to set aside a few moments to remember those wives and husbands of the service members as well. In their own way, they also serve our nation. Also remember those civilians who serve our nation at our embassies around the world. As I write this, there is a report on the radio of a sniper who has shot and killed a member of our embassy in Jordan. Do not forget those who live daily, year after year, with that which the people in Maryland lived with for a few short weeks. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. - John 15:13 (NLT) |
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| 11 to 17 November 2002 What's Your Favorite Verse? |
| "Watch this. It's my favorite part of the movie." "Listen to this. It's my favorite part of the song." "Smell that? It's my favorite part of the meal." We have all said one or more of these lines to friends and relatives. But how many times have you shared your favorite verse of the Bible? When we share our favorite part of anything else, we expound on it with lengthly and verbally laden sentences. We want those whom we speak to, to fully understand what we feel is important about the movie, the song, or even the meal. So why don't we do it with our favorite verse of the Bible? We should feel just as comfortable with discussing a Bible verse as we are with a scene in a John Wayne movie. The other day at my job I was asked by a co-worker how he should select a Bible verse for himself. He had just finished with a year long study of the Bible, but could not seem to find any one verse that he could call his favorite. My answer to him was to look into his heart. If he truly believed in his heart that Jesus is his Savior, then his heart will also show him what is truly important in his life. With this knowledge, he should be able to find a verse that means the most to him and he can make it his own. But not to keep it to himself. Share it with others and what it means to him. Pay attention, my child to what I say. Listen carefully. Don't lose sight of my words. Let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they bring life and radiant health to anyone who discovers their meaning. Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do. - Proverbs 4:21 - 23 (NLT) |
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| 18 to 24 November 2002 Thanksgiving or Giving Thanks? |
| The last Thursday of November is the day that we celebrate Thanksgiving. As we all know, this is the day that the Pilgrims feasted with the Indians in celebration of a good harvest, freedom from religious persecution, and peace with the native people. So on this day we gather with our families to celebrate. We pray to the Lord giving thanks for what has been good for us during the past year. Now I have always thought that this day was named wrong. Instead of being named "Thanksgiving Day", it should have been named "Day of Giving Thanks". But why should we have to wait for a special day of the year to give thanks? I know that I do not wait for a special day. All of the days of the year are special to me and should be to everyone. We all should be thanking God everyday. If nothing else, we should take the time each and every day to find at least one thing about that day, clasp our hands and bow our heads, and render up to God our thanks for it. I would like to share with you my daily prayer of thanks. On this day, O Lord, I give thanks to you for my 1parents. It was their love and teachings that made me what I am today. for my 2wife. She is my streangth and moral compass. for my 3children. They completed the joy in my life. for my 1grandchildren. They are the precious jewels in my crown. for my 4friends who have stayed with us thru the bad times as well as the good. But above all, I give thanks for 5God's love and the love of the Son, 6Jesus Christ. Bless us all, O Lord, for now and forever more. In the name of Jesus I ask. Amen 1(Proverbs 17:6) 2(Proverbs 31:10 - 31) 3(Psalm 127:3 - 5) 4(Proverbs 19:24) 5(John 4:16 - 17) 6(John 10:14 - 16) 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 then the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6 - 7 (NLT) |
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| 25 November to 1 December 2002 Church and State "One nation under God" "In God we trust" "So help me God" God's Laws (The Ten Commandments) |
| All of these are being removed under the statement of seperation of church and state. But is this the seperation of church and state or the seperation of God and state? Now the church is a group of people that are guided by God's word. The first four of God's Laws deals with our belief in God, Himself. It is the responsibilty of the church to keep these Laws and be our spiritual and moral guide. The state is a group of people that are guided by man's laws. However, man's laws are based on the last six of God's Laws. It is the responsibility of the state to keep these Laws and protect the people. It is easy to seperate the church from the state by recognizing what each is responsible for. But to seperate God from state, we have to do several things first. Number one we have to throw out all of our laws as they are based on God's Laws. (Exodus 20:12 - 17) Next we have to eliminate all our judges as God established them to act on His behalf on earth. (Deuteronomy 16:18 - 19) Finally we would have to eliminate the state itself as God not only established the guidelines for the officials of the state, but also for the head of state. (Deuteronomy 17:15 - 20) So now what do you have left? Anarchy? Our nation was established on the fundamental beliefs that we were created equal with the same freedoms for all of us. (Genesis 1:26 - 29) The founders of our nation believed, and rightly so, in the seperation of church and state. However, I have never seen, nor do I believe that they called for the seperation of God and state. And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city, and said to the judges. Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgement. - 2 Chronicles 19:5 - 6 (KJV) |
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