Freeing the Oppressed

Just watched an academy award-winning movie from 1947 called “Gentlemen’s Agreement” staring Gregory Peck.  It depicted how Jewish people were marginalized here in the United States.  Nothing was said but it was an agreement between non Jews that  Jews were to be excluded from restaurants, hotels, clubs, and housing.  The message of the movie was that we must not just go along with the crowd.  If we believe something is wrong we should stand up for what is right. 

I attended high school with many Jewish people.  I wasn’t even aware that they were Jewish until years later.  Now I’m praying that they will know that Jesus is the Messiah. 

Listened to a sermon by Peter Hubbard pastor of North Hills Community Church in Greenville, SC.  He talked about oppression.  There are so many being oppressed that we don’t even know about. 

This blog tells the story of Christians who are oppressed:  http://www.persecutionblog.com/

In Hungary a soccer match had to be moved inside because of violence against Jews: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/hungary-s-soccer-team-sanctioned-by-fifa-over-fans-anti-semitism.premium-1.492960.

Albinos in Africa live in fear because of superstition and murder: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/16/tanzania-humanrights

In the Czech Republic Roma women are sterilized without their knowledge: http://www.un.org/en/letsfightracism/gorolova.shtml

Bihari children were not allowed to go to public schools: http://www.irinnews.org/Report/90304/BANGLADESH-Bringing-education-to-the-Bihari-minority

Not to mention Muslim women under Sharia Law.  http://islamrevealed.typepad.com/islam-revealed/2010/01/oppression-of-women-under-islamic-sharia-law.html

Then there are the homosexual activists and abortion minded and those who approve of such things who are under slavery to sin.

Many Christians are working to right these wrongs.  Jesus, when He was here, read this prophesy in the temple: Luke 4:18 "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, 19 TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD."

We can be free in our souls no matter what is happening to our bodies.  I pray that the oppressed will hear the Good News and follow Jesus.  Meanwhile, only by the power of the Holy Spirit will the freeing of the oppressed be done on earth until Jesus comes!

God is Winnowing out the Tares

Warning Against Refusing God
14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. 16 See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. 17 Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears. 
The time is short.  Jesus will be here soon!  May all the prodigals come into the fold before it is too late!

Taking Responsibility

The situation was that big sister was opening little brother’s birthday present.  Feeling powerless he let others know about the situation.  Upon advice from parents he took responsibility and succeeded in retrieving his own present and opened it.  Big sister was advised that, "Watching is helping."  Now in our family we don’t lay the blame we just say, “Mistakes were made.”  Here is what Dr. Ben Carson’s mother taught him:

Yourself To Blame

by

Mayme White Miller

If things go bad for you

And make you a bit ashamed

Often you will find out that

You have yourself to blame

Swiftly we ran to mischief

And then the bad luck came

Why do we fault others?

We have ourselves to blame

Whatever happens to us,

Here is what we say

"Had it not been for so-and-so

Things wouldn't have gone that way."

And if you are short of friends,

I'll tell you what to do

Make an examination,

You'll find the faults in you...

Your the captain of your ship,

So agree with the same

If you travel downward

You have yourself to blame

Optimists and Pessimists

-Frederick Langbridge, 1896

"I feel like there's a need for both optimists and pessimists. An optimist might get stuck in mud or drown while trying to get a better view of the sunset or stars!" Jes Brown

March Snow

One year we had snow in April.  The flash turned everything blue!

Life is Like a Booster Shot

On the way home from Bible study I came upon a wreck.  A tanker truck had collided with a traffic light.  My way home was blocked off.  I prayed—“What do I do Lord?”  I switched on the traffic radio station.  The report was that they were detouring cars onto Shelby road.  Oh, all I have to do is go north and then turn around and head south and turn on Shelby, I thought.  But as I neared the desired road I was waved off and forced to go on the freeway.  My adrenaline rushed, my heart pounded, my eyes watered—I can’t take any stress because of my fibromyalgia.  For some reason my brain doesn’t work right.  “Why am I like this, Lord?” I questioned.  A normal person wouldn’t be upset like this.  I tried Lamaze breathing.   I exited at the nearest exit and then snaked my way on one road after the other trying to go north and turning off before the detour.  After several missed turns I saw my street.  I made it home in one piece.  “Thank you Lord!”  I survived!  Maybe I should have prayed for the poor driver of the tanker truck too.  I was focused on myself.  Maybe next time I will think of praying for the other person!

Even with the Lord we will have trials and tribulations.  We shouldn’t think it is strange when these things happen.  God didn’t promise us a rose garden but He did promise us that He understands what we are going through and He will send the Comforter.  He will be with us wherever we go.  This is all about learning perseverance.  Life is like a booster shot—it stings sometimes but it will do us good.  Thank You Lord!

Cheer up!

I’m planning to attend an Anne Graham Lotz Church Awakening Conference one evening this week.  Our prayer group at church has been praying for a third great awakening in this country.  We rest in the knowledge that God will do what He said He would do!  Revelation 22:20 says,  “He who testifies to these things says, surely I am coming quickly.”

Our country is being led astray by the flesh, lust, and the pride of life. Even believers seem to be buying into the lies of Hollywood and television.  One blogger was attacked on the Internet for saying that she was teaching her children abstinence education.  How times have changed.  In the past, a couple that was courting was chaperoned at all times.  In the 50’s and 60’s a good night kiss was permissible.  Now a person who remains a virgin until marriage is made fun of and called abnormal.  Here's what the left claims the right is trying to do--("Conservatives are trying--again--to block access to birth control. This time, they want the court to decide that a woman's boss should be able to make choices about what type of birth control she can use. Can you sign this petition from EMILY's List and UltraViolet to tell them to stop messing with birth control?")  Since when is it a right to have your employer pay for your birth control?  Employers are not messing with birth control!  Most people are capable of getting these things from a pharmacy.  There is no way that employers should even be involved in this personal decision.

Kay Arthur has published a book on teaching teen girls about what God's word says about sex and life style.  It is called "The Truth about Sex."  Apparently it has helped many girls to achieve a proper self image--made in God's image.  I pray that all kids and adults will no longer practice “free love” but will limit themselves to a good night kiss until they are married!  This is the only way to have stable families.  I pray that parents and churches will take on the responsibility to teach this by role-playing, or some other reasoning together.  I pray that schools will get out of the business of teaching sex education and stick to teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic taught to the tune of a hickory stick!   Maybe a little history, geography, and science could be thrown in!  Drama, music, art, and physical education are good things to have in schools too.  I pray that schools and the military will no longer be “social and cultural experiments.”

A letter writing or e-mail, Facebook, or Twitter writing campaign to newspapers, magazines, both print and Internet, and to the President and Congress encouraging good moral laws and fiscal responsibility could make a difference.  But only God—by the power of the Holy Spirit—will awaken this country to do the good works that He has ordained in advance for us to do.  Soon Jesus will come back so we need to bring as many as we can into the fold before it is too late.