Reminiscing can sometimes be a very discouraging thing. One can look back into past years, and think of bad decisions, mistakes, and utter regrets. However, as a born-again Christian, I can honestly say from experience that the only regrets I have are when I could have done more for Christ. I have never regretted obeying Him! Never have I thought that life would be better if I had lived for myself instead of my Savior! When I am in His will, life is simply perfect. Yes, there are trials and tests, but we have strength from God to overcome them.
Why am I reminiscing? Because I am overjoyed with the life God has given me. I do not deserve any of it. I am married to the very love of my life, I am in a wonderful church, with a beautiful home, no debt, and a whole life of serving Christ to look forward to, until He returns or God takes me to heaven.
Over the past several months, I have heard of some friends that I grew up with or went to college with. Thankfully, many are serving God with there lives. Unfortunately though, a large number have thrown away so much of their lives. Some that seemed to be godly young people are now no longer darkening even any church door. The flesh and the devil have won the battle in many lives, ruining all sense of a biblical testimony, and making a large number all but disband from the Army of the Lord.
I took this picture behind our church last Sunday night. PA is very scenic!
I have never regretted my salvation. Not once. There is no greater joy in my life than to be redeemed from sin and hell. I have a Comforter in times of struggle, a Father Who supplies every need, and a Savior Who died in my place.
I have never regretted marrying the most godly, intelligent, tender-hearted, and beautiful woman ever created. Nor do I regret being completely pure at the altar; never having even touched her, let alone holding her hand, kissing, etc. That day was, after salvation, the greatest day of my life.
I have never regretted one biblical standard that God has given my wife and I; from modest dress, to separation from this world, to abstaining from all alcohol, to conservative music, and to faithfulness to my church.
I have never regretted choosing to give my life completely to God; taking my ideals and goals off of the table, and letting Him fill in the blanks instead.
I have never regretted giving one minute of my time to God: whether it be in prayer, Bible meditation and study, or witnessing.
I have never regretted choosing, attending, and graduating from my alma mater. What I learned there was spiritually reviving, uncompromising, and altogether priceless.
I say this again: I have never regretted any decision I have made for Christ–any step of obedience–any standard. My life is overfilled with heavenly joy!
I love these Bible verses…no explanation needed:
Psalms 119:97, 101-104 “O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day…I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. “
Psalms 37:23 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.”
Colossians 1:10 “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
I know that most of you are going to be saying, “You have got to be kidding me.” “What a liberal!,” I may hear. Please, don’t rush to some judgement too awful quickly. I am about as anti-environmentalist as they come. I don’t believe in the slightest bit that government should make us “green,” or be forced to be more earth friendly, at our expense. That rhetoric is about as anti-freedom as you can get.
Nonetheless, I have been pondering the whole idea of less paper for the last few months, and am a firm believer. I am not a believer because it makes me feel good to be earth friendly–that’s not even on my mind. I am a believer because of two main things: cost and clutter.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am a despiser of paper clutter. It seems that between Andrea and I, we collect a stack of about 30 pieces of paper a week–not even counting mail. I would say that 80 percent of that is thrown away within a few days (actually, it ends up in the recycle bin–just because we have to).
Yes we have a printer. How often do we print? Very little. I really do try to avoid it if I can. Now, I do print Sunday School lessons and sermons pretty regularly. Guess what, though? I print double-sided. I love that feature! It saves on both of the c’s: cost and clutter. If I have a two page lesson, then it is very easy to print on both sides. Most printers have that feature, but I don’t think that many people use it. In fact, newer printers have an automatic double-sided option built-in–so you don’t have to flip the pages after one side is printed. I can’t stand it when I have a two page lesson on two pages! I can instead, very easily, print on both sides, cut the clutter, and I guess it even saves a little too.
I also try to have all of my bills delivered paperless too. Again, it cuts the clutter, and makes the whole payment process simpler: I get an email, pay the bill with and e-check, and get a receipt. That is so much better and more efficient than having to wait for the bill in the mail, hoping it doesn’t get lost in the clutter, open it, throw away the envelope, write a check, get a stamp, write out another envelope, and mail it. I still have to do that with one bill. Side note: please go paperless, Penn Waste!
I see the future being even more efficient. If I were a teacher, I think I would lean toward reports being emailed or given to me with a USB drive, rather than printing a stack of one-sided, double-spaced papers to turn in. I feel for some of my former college teachers with 20+ students in a class, having to haul a stack of seven page reports home to grade. I think it could be made easier and more cost-effective to use Microsoft Word’s or Adobe Acrobat’s extensive proofing and markup abilities, and send it back graded that way. Maybe someday this could be more common. One thing I do have to admit: I never once typed my notes in college. I have a bunch of notebooks in my closet, which are harder to access, search, and re-read than having digital copies of them. I regret not typing them a little; but then again, I never had a laptop in school.
I concur that I have not gotten into the Kindle/iPad/eReader fad. I think that eBooks are a good idea, but I still like, and will continue to like real books much more than books on an electronic device. Someday, I might try reading a good non-fiction book on one, but for now, I am a real book person. If you don’t believe me, just look at our home library.
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One other point: There is absolutely no reason to buy recycled printing paper; whether it be 50%, 75%, or 100%. Go to the store and check the prices. The recycled paper is more expensive, by several dollars a ream! Now, why would one want to waste their money on less quality and higher price? No…wait. It will make you feel good. May even that feel-goodiness will help clean up that oil spill in the gulf. Not!!! I say light it up, and let it burn! I would rather pay to see a good fire show at the beach in Mobile, than pay an extra $4.00 for Lean Green Junk 100% Recycled paper. Good day!
The 24 hour news cycle can become very mundane at times. I admit that I enjoy listening to conservative talk radio, and follow the general movements of my state and federal governments pretty regularly. Even more than politics and current events though, I love history. One subject that has absorbed much of my attention for the last two years or so is the modern state of Israel–their founding, struggles, and successes. I think that my interest is so high because I am a Christian who knows that everything that has happened in Israel’s short history, and the Jews’ long history is did not just happen by random chance. Our God has His hand in all of it.
My goal in this post is not to list off a multitude of prophecies and fulfillments–I think I may do that another time. But I do want to present all of this logically and from our point of view as we can see in recent history.
The Hebrew writing says, "Don't Tread on Me."
The survival of the Jewish people
From biblical history, we know the nation of Israel was founded with Jacob and his twelve sons, or we could go farther back to Abraham. That nation went through several bouts of people who tried to eradicate them: from Pharaoh, to Midian, Assyria, Babylon, and then to Rome. All of these failed. After the Roman conquest of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, then Masada in A.D. 73, the Jewish people were either voluntarily or purposefully scattered throughout the Roman Empire. Instead of the Jewish population centers being in Palestine as had been for 1500 years, they became populous in places like Germany, France, Spain, Greece, Russia, and Persia.
Miraculously, for almost 2,000 years, the Hebrew language, Judaism, and the Jewish identity survived intact in these places. During the Dark Years, the Popes and Roman Catholic Church attempted to eliminate all traces of the Jews. Instead of discouraging them, however, the Jewish people became even more resilient and determined to keep their identity and religion (though the religion is false: Jesus is Messiah!). In the late 19th century, something called the Zionist Movement was formed in the Jewish communities throughout Europe. They were wearied by the persecutions and bigotry they had endured for so many generations. At first, the Zionists proposed settling in one general area somewhere in Europe, and eventually founding their own nation, possibly in southern France or Germany. However, the extremists in the group proposed resettling in their ancient homeland in Palestine. Slowly, first as just a few dozen at a time, Jewish families immigrated to Palestine–where they found they were greatly outnumbered by Arabs and Christians.
The Formation of a Nation
The First World War erupted across Europe in 1914. Jewish people fought on both sides of the conflict. Some died for their country of Germany, while others fought and died for their country of France. One area of particular interest in the war was the Middle-East. The Ottoman Empire had controlled the great portion of that area, including Palestine, for a millenium. The Ottoman Empire sided with the Germans during the war, but Great Britain wanted to eliminate the Empire, and grab some of its territory in the process. (I don’t think the UK knew what they were getting themselves into!) With the help of a famous hero, Lawrence of Arabia, the British captured Palestine from the Ottomans in 1917. Palestine was now out of Muslim hands for the first time in 1400 years (except for 100 years or so during the Crusades). Even during the war, Jewish immigrants slowly continued to trickle in, until they made up 11% of the population at the end of the war. During the war, the British Foreign Secretary made a general declaration (the Balfour Declaration) that Jews should be able to settle in Palestine.
In between the two World Wars, the Jewish population in Palestine continued to increase at an even more steady pace. When Hitler and Nazi Germany began to put into practice their ethnic cleansing of Europe in the early 1930’s, the immigration skyrocketed at an alarming rate to the British. In 1939 the British forbade all but a small trickle of Jews into Palestine, so as not to upset the Arab population.
We all know what happened during the Second World War. Nazi Germany murdered around six million Jews in concentration camps, and left the survivors in terror and homelessness. The call for a nation specifically for the Jews began to ring out throughout the world. However, the British still discouraged immigration. From 1945-1948 tens of thousands of Jews still attempted to immigrate into Palestine, the majority of which were rounded up, arrested, and put into detainment camps by the British. The British knew, though, that they were fighting a losing battle, and decided to turn the whole problem over to the United Nations. Soon afterwards, the UN voted to create a Jewish and Palestinian state side-by-side. The Arabs despised the idea of a Jewish state, and rejected the whole plan, deciding instead to drive the Jews into the sea.
At Midnight, on May 15, 1948, the nation of Israel declared her complete independence. For the first time since the days of King Josiah, Israel was a sovereign nation. Many countries hesitated to recognize the new nation. The President of the United States was the first to recognize Israel, against the counsel of his closest advisors. President Truman faithfully declared that the land was promised to the Jews in the Bible, so he would recognize Israel. At the same moment, five populous Arab states surrounding Israel (Syria, Transjordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq) attacked simultaneously, hoping to drive the new nation, whom they didn’t recognize anyway, into the sea.
The Survival of a Nation
Over the course of the few decades before independence, the Jews had formed militias with semi-archaic weaponry, but fearless leaders. At first, it appeared that Israel would be driven into the sea. Miraculously though, the Jewish militias (named the Haganah) fought back with a vigor, and eventually routed their five Arab neighbors within a few months. Israel had survived once again, and even increased their land more than what had originally been mandated to them.
The Haganah in 1948 marching off to battle the Egyptians
Small wars were fought between 1948 and 1967, with Israel every time outwitting her neighbors. In 1967, Israel’s neighbors againplotted to wipe Israel off the map. Israeli intelligence caught wind of the plan, and preemptively attacked Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. By this time, though, the old Haganah had become the modernized and highly trained Israeli Defence Force (IDF). The IDF, along with Israel’s new Air Force, decimated the armies of all of the other nations, and captured the Sinai Peninsula, Golan Heights, the West Bank of Jordan, and the grand prize: Jerusalem.
Again, in 1973, Egypt and Syria plotted to recapture their lost territory, and destroy Israel. By this time, the Soviet Union had propped up the Egyptian and Syrian armies and air forces to contest with Israel’s. On the Day of Atonement, one of the most sacred holidays in Judaism, the Arabs made a surprise attack on Israel, and caught her off guard. The Egyptians routed most of the Israeli’s in the Sinai, and the Syrians took some ground in the Golan Heights. It looked as if Israel might be eliminated. At this time, another miracle happened. Israel’s Air Force came to the rescue, while the army counterattacked against heavy odds on the ground. Israel drove through the Egyptian lines, crossed the Suez canal and even threatened Cairo, while in the north, Israel’s army was approaching the Syrian capital of Damascus. The UN declared a ceasefire, and Israel had survived the greatest threat to its existence.
The nation of Israel has never taken its existence lightly. Iraq had started to research nuclear weaponry in the late 70’s. In 1981, Israel made the first successful attack on a nuclear reactor, completely surprising Saddam Hussein, and destroying their nuclear capabilities for a generation. In 1982, Lebanon and Syria began launching terrorists into Israel through Hezbollah, which prompted the IDF to invade Lebanon. Syria did not take too kindly to this, so they launched the bulk of their much larger air force against Israel to teach them a lesson. The ensuing aerial jet dogfight, the largest in history, was a grand victory for Israel. They shot down 83 Syrian jets, with no losses of their own. It is no mistake that God has preserved the Jewish people in ancient and modern times.
Conclusion
I find all of this miraculous. A persecuted people throughout history, survived some of the most horrific cases of genocide and conflict, to become one of the world’s powers today. I do not promote extreme prophecy or anything like that, but all of this makes me wonder just what God’s plan will be for his people. He is not done with them yet…
One of the few points where Dustin and I disagree…He likes Soundforth music, and I generally do not!
(For anyone not familiar with Soundforth, it is a Christian music publisher in South Carolina. You can reach their website here. )
Let me explain: I do like the fact that the music is good and clean. We both agree that some songs they have put out are weak; but as a rule, Soundforth music is good, Godly music. I also appreciate very much their music publishing ministry. They have some very good sheet music for sale, and while I do not prefer their choir/vocal pieces as much, I am very thankful for the instrumental sheet music and music books that I have, and use often. I should say here, that in the remainder of this post, when I refer to “Soundforth” or “Soundforth music,” I am referring to their choir music or vocals in general. To me, the vocal pieces lack feeling, or maybe heart behind it. It is exactly in rhythm, and you will not find a note awry, but that’s it, in my opinion.
I am a simple person, and prefer simple, heartfelt music. —And Dustin just turned on Soundforth!— I like vocal music with only a piano or even a capella. I like instrumental solos and duets by themselves, without the “ooooooo” sound of orchestration ALL THE TIME! And I love the hymnbook. Have you ever pondered the words in those old hymns? I know you have, and you know as well as I the power they hold. They are so real and strong that you know the author’s heart was overflowing as he wrote. They described something that really happened in his heart; they were more than ‘words and tunes cranked out for a music industry,’ as someone once said. And speaking of hymns, how, oh how, can they change those precious, old melodies for new and different tunes? If I had to pinpoint one thing I do not like about modern songwriters it might be this. Keep those old, favorite tunes! Please don’t exchange them for the new, flowy “oooooo” sound! —Dustin is teasing me now!—
But, of course, these are just my opinions, based only on my own preferences. As I said before, I know it is good music for the most part. I would strongly recommend it over much of modern “christian” music today (which is not christian at all in many cases!) I just do not prefer it for myself! What do you think? Please give your opinions…we have to solve this disagreement somehow!
