An historical observation

I came across an interesting quote today, and I want to share it with you:

"We have a dangerous trend beginning to take place in our education. We're starting to put more and more textbooks into our schools. ... We've become accustomed of late of putting little books into the hands of children containing fables and moral lessons. ...

We are spending less time in the classroom on the Bible, which should be the principal text of our schools. ... The Bible states these great moral lessons better than any other manmade book."

Now, does anyone know who said this? It sounds like the kind of rant that I, and many other Baptist preachers have made and are making today. Well, except it states that "We've become accustomed of late" of using textbooks instead of the Bible. Hardly a recent problem, as I don't remember using the Bible in government schools growing up, at least not since we left Alabama in 1985.

So, who said it? Whose opinion is that above?

It's the opinion of a Congressman from Massachusetts. In fact, it's the opinion of one of the first Congressman from Massachusetts. He's a man named Fisher Ames (sometimes spelled Fischer). Why is Congressman Ames significant? Well, first of all, he beat Samuel Adams for his seat in Congress! That's right, Ames defeated the man called "the greatest incendiary of the empire" by the British, participant in the Boston Tea Party, hardcore American Revolutionary!

Why is Congressman Ames significant? Because he was influential in persuading Massachusetts to ratify the Constitution. How? By helping promise the Bill of Rights! And he served in the Congress that drafted the Bill of Rights that were added to the US Constitution.

In fact, his motion gave us the wording of one of the Amendments. No, he's not to blame for the current liberal confusion about the 2nd Amendment, and whether it means the Army gets guns or the people get guns (um, duh....nobody would be so dumb as to field a disarmed Army, would they? Why would you need an amendment stating that?)

And no, he wasn't the author of the Cruel and Unusual Punishment line. Neither did he write on the free press, search and seizure, quartering troops or state's rights. He instead, is the one who recommend this wording:

"Congress shall make no law establishing religion, or to prevent the free exercise thereof, or to infringe the rights of conscience." on August 20, 1789. A few weeks later, a conference committee slightly modifed this to "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The words are slightly different, but when you read the previous wordings,you see that Ames is responsible for the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment. Not Madison's orginal wording, which was longer, nor Thomas Jeffferson, who penned the famous line 'Separation of Church and State' which I have heard equally cited as being postively received by Christians and negatively received.

Why then do our courts seek out Jefferson? Because they would not want to consider the opinion of Ames. Yet I challenge you to do so. Consider Fisher Ames. Who said: "Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a schoolbook? Its morals are pure, its examples captivating and noble. ... In no book is there so good English, so pure and so elegant, and by teaching all the same book they will speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as of faith."

America was founded based on the Christian principle of religious tolerance, but not founded to be devoid of a national understanding of the Bible. Our morals, our ethics, must come from something and somewhere greater than ourselves and our ideas. That source was, at the beginning, the Bible, even for those who were not Christians. When we see our chaos, our crime, our failing government education systems (yes, they are. Why else do we keep hearing how Americans lag compared to the world in education? Check this article, especially the references to our education system being 24 out of 30 in science and 25 out of 30 in math. These are subjects with definite answers, that cannot be fluffed, and we can't hang with the industrialized world. What good is that our education is better than a country that hasn't mastered indoor plumbing?), our business issues, our healthcare problems, our lack of concern for life, for the poor, for the helpless?

Isn't it time we listened to the man who put into motion that Congress make no law establishing religion? And realize that never intended to place the Bible at the bottom of a stack of world religions books? That it never intended for the Bible to be in a stack at all, but to stand alone as the chief text for education?

Doug

May 4 2009

Motivational Quote: "There seems to me no greater misfortune than having so much that all of it becomes meaningless; than wanting what you haven't, rather than what you have. Seven of the wisest words I know are, "Only those are rich who desire little." -Channing Pollock

Thought: Ecclesiastes 1:2 anyone?

Proverbs 4:27(NKJV) ->Do not let bad things or good things pull you from obedience!

1 Samuel 15:22 ->It may be easier to get forgiveness than permission, but it is better to live in obedience.

1 Samuel 15:23 ->Heart behavior is what God judges.

1 Timothy 5:16 ->Let individual families take responsibility for their kinfolk; let those who can, individually help, help, then bring the needs that remain to the church.

Prayer: Lord God, help me today go forward with joy in my heart.

Note: I've been going through 1 Timothy, and there are some strange passages there. One of them is 1 Timothy 2:15. Dr. Bill Mounce, who knows Greek better than feta cheese, has a blog post today about it. Some of the Greek explanations are tough to grasp without knowledge of the language, but wade through that to get to the last couple of paragraphs. Insight there is useful. Read it here: Koinonia: Women are saved through the bearing of children.

Moving toward the Horizon,

Doug

And the media wonders why we don't listen....

I punched up my computer at work today, and hit the AT&T/Yahoo home page I use to read news, check sports scores, etc. One of the things I use on this page is the customization that allows me to get news headlines from multiple sources, like AP and Reuters, and that I can have different types of headlines. I have 3 main news groupings: "Top Stories," "Top Stories from Reuters" and Yahoo's "Today's Highlights."

Now, naturally, one of the things I'm keeping up with is the swine, I mean H1N1, flu outbreak. So, First, a story caught my eye that headlined "UN Sees no need to raise outbreak warning level." That wasn't the headline on the actual article once I clicked the link, that headline was "Mexico says flu ebbing, lowers alert level."

Then, 2 boxes down, I find a headline that says "WHO head indicates full flu pandemic to be declared."

Now, understand this: The World Health Organization uses a 6 level coding system to warn on infectious diseases. Level 6 being the highest warning, and 1 being, well, the warning for "there is no disease of this type." Currently the WHO has the H1N1 Influenza warned at level 5. (As of right now.) Another important fact: the WHO is connected to the UN. The UN doesn't warn on diseases, the WHO does, through the UN. Ok, now, look at the headlines again. Scroll up, I'll wait.

Now, do you see the problem? If you go read the articles, you'll see it even better. One news agency is reporting the UN/WHO is not going raise the alert level. The other one is reporting that the alert level will be raised. In other words---The news media has no idea what they're talking about. And apparently, the UN can't figure out what they're doing either.

And this agency is about to report, based on a disease that fewer than 1/1000th of a percent of the world population. That's right. And this is to be considered by world governments to activate crisis plans. What are these crisis plans?

Well, Egypt is using the opportunity to kill off the pigs that the minority Christian population raises for food. It's one of the few things the Christians can farm that the Muslims will leave alone. Now, they get the excuse to take away the food of a religious group they don't like.

China has simply locked up Mexican travelers in hospitals, even those with no symptoms.

Mexico shut down all the businesses they could.

Alabama and Texas canceled high school athletics.

Detroit closed a school over one case of a student with possible symptoms. (maybe confirmed by now)

California has closed all prison visitations over one prisoner with swine flu.

The Vice-President of the United States told his family not to fly, ride subways, trains, buses or be in confined public spaces.

What will be the next step? Banning all public gatherings? Based on what? The WHO? They can't even get their own public stories straight.

Every year there is a warning that a new flu 'pandemic' will kill millions, as 'pandemics' have in the past. Now, they are going ahead and using the word 'pandemic' even though there are fewer than 2,000 cases of this disease. What level of freedom are we going to surrender to the scare tactics? What injustices will be covered up in the name of "Preventing a Pandemic?"

After all, if people are so confused and scared by what they hear from the WHO that the Baghdad Zoo killed the 3 Wild Boars in their display, what else will they do?

Stop the madness. Wash your hands, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and if you have a high fever, see a doctor! If you're sick, stay home from work! Bosses, let people take the day off when they are sick, rather than finding that infecting the whole workplace is a sign of dedication! Use your heads folks, and some basic sanitation.

And don't believe everything you read on the internet.
Doug

May 3 2009

Motivational Quote: "The brain is not, and cannot be, the sole or complete organ of thought and felling." -Antoinette Brown Blackwell

Thought #1: We are certainly more than just the sum of our parts---but it's not the biology, it's the soul!

Proverbs 3:7(NLT) ->Don't get overexcited by your education---or someone else's! Just because someone has a Ph.D. doesn't make them wise. Or right.

Proverbs 3:5(NLT) ->Only consider God's point of view. It's the only one that really matters.

1 Timothy 5:9-10 ->I see here the idea that the continual support that the church gives should only go to those who support, agree with, and practice what the church teaches. Generosity in all things, to all people, but the family of faith should only commit continued support to those within the family!

1 Timothy 5:11-12 ->A couple of things: 1.) Don't pounce on a person's tragedy to make them dependent on the church. Allow them to go back into life. 2.)There is a concurrent commitment, that the church will provide, and the supported one will do certain things. This commitment should not be taken lightly.

Prayer: Lord God, I pray I'll represent You and Your word well today. Be with our efforts as churches to work together for the gospel of Jesus Christ. And be with David Mitchell at FBC, since he's hurt and still plans to preach. Thank You for examples of stubbornly determined men of the Word.

Moving toward the Horizon,

Doug

Tips for teaching Toddlers

Since I didn't write them, I won't just copy and paste all of Abraham Piper's 7 Ideas for Teaching Toddlers God's Word. I will link the article, like I just did, highly recommend you click through and read it, and then give you a sample:

1. Have an open Bible on your lap during story time. This reinforces where the story comes from—God's word.

5. Use repetition to cement biblical concepts in children's hearts and minds.

Now, click here and read the rest!!! (Yes, I know, the original has 2 #3's, and no #7. We all have typos.)

While you're there, check out some other info on Children and Youth Ministry.

One of the things I'm liking about these links is that they are not heavy in specifics that can't be applied anywhere. For example, anyone teaching kids can hold a Bible in their lap, and ought to do so. In fact, anytime anyone teaches in churches, you ought to have your Bible there. "Why do I need my Bible, I've got my Sunday School quarterly?" BECAUSE THE LESSON IS FROM THE BIBLE! The suggestions are practical principles that anyone can utilize, whatever your church format or size.

And the nice folks at the Desiring God blog are willing to give away ideas that are better than many you'll pay for.

Doug

Doug

May 2 2009

Motivational quote: "If wrinkles must be written upon our brows, let them not be written upon the heart. The spirit should not grow old.." --James A. Garfield

Thought #1: Let this be true of us!

Proverbs 2:4(NLT) -> This would be a very diligent search.

Isaiah 55:1 ->Every one->Each individual is personally invited. And personally responsible.

1 Timothy 5:8 ->Does this specifically require the man to provide? Or is this a generic 'he'?

1 Timothy 5:8 ->Moreover, this is about extended family, especially the older generation. This is not about a man paying for his children to go to college.

1 Samuel 14:52 ->Severe war - all his days - Saul's disobedience gave no rest to the land.

Prayer: Lord God, we want to follow you. We ask for Your wisdom to accomplish Your plans in our life.

Moving toward the Horizon,

Doug

Random Observations

Here are some of this week's random observations:

1. Swine flu, H1N1 influenza, whatever it may be, you don't want it. But if you are at home, hiding from it as our Vice-President encouraged, you'll want to consider this book list! Things you don't want to read when you have swine flu.

2. I'm thinking about using a riding mower to get to and from work. I could do community service on the way there and back.

3. The yard looks better when mowed. it would look even better as astroturf.

4. The Bulls/Celtics series needs to decide the NBA Champion. Use the swine flu as an excuse if you need to.

5. Sometimes it's aggravating to sit in seminars led by people younger than you. Than I realize, this guy's on the road doing seminars. I'm going home to my wife. Best of luck, kid!

6. Wal-mart is not my favorite place to be.

7. I did Famous Dave's a disservice when we were in Kansas. I said Dave wasn't famous in Arkansas. He's apparently working on it...he's got a place in Little Rock. Going to check it out tomorrow if anybody wants to join in.

8. If anybody's wondering, Dave has good barbecue chicken and beef, if you're kosher!

9. Preachers are incredibly stubborn. On that note, pray for Dr. David Mitchell of Monticello, First Baptist. He was in a pretty intense car accident Wednesday night, and is still planning to preach Sunday.

10. Pray for Journey Church, Monticello, too. They have to listen to a preacher in a tie this week, which is different for them ;-)

11. Some days, I'd like a tamer career. Like herding cats.

12. Why does the cat want out, then freak out immediately and want back in?

13. Cats have no brakes, which is pretty funny when two slightly pudgy felines are chasing each other on hardwood floors. They change directions, but never stop, until they go tail-first into the wall. It really does look like a Looney Tunes cartoon...

14. That's all folks...