Our Phantom Congress    

   If you could abolish any of the following institutions, which would it be? Listed alphabetically: banks, Congress, military, newspapers, presidency or public schools.

   A poll suggests that you might not miss Congress as much as other choices. Approval: well below 20%. 

   Our world-famous Constitution, Article 1, begins with the make-up, checks and duties of Congress. Our founders laid guidelines for the House & Senate, elections compensation, raising revenue, defense and general welfare. Also - regulating commerce with foreign nations and among the states, power to declare war and other responsibilities.

   After all that, the document addresses the executive branch and Supreme Court. 

   Now...when did Congress last pass a budget on time? When was their last declaration of war? Why did our elected reps cede their responsibility to states' attorney generals, who took the Trump Administration to court (the issues notwithstanding)? 

   For all their criticism of presidents, both sides often defer to the executive branch. Why risk voter disapproval when the president takes the heat if something goes wrong?

   Finally, what interpretation of "promote the general welfare" gives any branch of government the right to heavily regulate the private and economic life of all Americans?

      Jimmy

  

Green New Deal vs. Moon Shot      

   That night, July 20, 1969, I remember television bringing us Neil Armstrong's "...one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." 

   President Kennedy's 1962 challenge to do it "in this decade ... because it is hard..." was accomplished. They landed, walked, and returned home safely.

   During those seven years, we Americans went about our business. Relatively few engineers, contractors, astronomers and astronauts did the hard work. 

   Leonard Pitts, Miami Herald columnist, asks where is that great American vision, our can-do spirit, when it comes to the Green New Deal? 

   Why can't we supply all our power with clean, renewable energy, and retrofit every home and building for max energy efficiency? Why not provide universal access to higher education and health care, end oppression and guarantee a job with paid vacation and a livable wage to every American?

   Pitt's is quite worried. He writes about "the frightening state of our affairs and the planet's imminent meltdown." He notes "the urgency of the moment, the fracturing of our social covenant, the peril of the planet." 

   Do you see the difference? Our "great" accomplishments (WWII excepted) were singular projects involving selected business and/or government agencies. Pitts envisions all 330 million of us caught up in a hurricane of change, spending wealth without concern for how wealth is created.

   We ask, what about these great American ideals: initiative, work ethic and self reliance? If big government has to save the planet, goodbye personal liberties. Oh, well.

       Jimmy

   Your Life & Mine   

Page 11

   God provided a record of his thoughts and actions, written over 15 centuries. No one has any claim on this greatest story, other than eternal Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  

   Like Biblical characters, our short lives belong to his story, not the other way around.  

   Our faith, which God requires, is in what and who He has revealed. We are not equal to our spiritual enemy, but our God is greater. Psalm 144.

   During youth, we stumble somewhat blindly. Who desires heaven when there are so many things to do here? 

   And the Lord does have work for us to do on earth. Not to earn salvation, but to walk in the light, to love what He loves and hate what He hates. 

   Eventually, we realize we can't stay here, and we can't take it with us.

   God is holy. We're not. We fail, but his grace is greater.

   Your life & mine...we belong to him, or we belong to the condemned world.

"The Lord reminded me that if I died to myself

and allowed him to live in me, there would be

nothing in me to defend. When we die to ourselves, 

the only thing left to defend is what 

Christ did for us on the cross."

- a Gideon Auxiliary member

#

   

   

   Your Life & Mine   

Page 10

   When you are admitted to the hospital, they want to know your "religious preference." Apparently, if you give up the ghost, they need to know which chaplain to call. 

   There are a number of religions and philosophies to choose from. Do we prefer Christianity?

   Really? Of the alternatives, do we prefer the Son of God...who paid the price, dying to redeem us, rising to save us? Passion!

It is conviction or nothing.

    No one else is the life, the true light of men. No one else makes the claims of Jesus Christ. No one else sends the Holy Spirit to help us in so many ways. No one else provides a written record from creation to the first century AD, including more than 400 verses connecting history with end times.

   No one else satisfies any of the 115 prophecies about the Messiah. Jesus satisfies every one.

   We are free to be lukewarm, and Jesus who gave it all is free to spit us out of his mouth. Revelation 3:16. Passion!

   In prosperity, contemporary culture emphasizes physical appearance: skin products, hairdos, body shaping, artificial teeth, mirrors, etc. Jesus came in our likeness, and allowed it to be destroyed for higher good. 

   Most of his closest followers also gave their lives. Christians around the world still suffer persecution, displacement and sometimes death. Passion! 

   God of the Bible cares deeply about the poor, the oppressed, the blind, the lame and the children. There isn't much to comfort the rich and famous, although God wants all to be saved.  

Tomorrow:conclusion

   

   The Lord Will Fear the Lord?   

    

Sometimes we wonder, what does "fear of the Lord" mean?

There are some 65 verses in the Bible referring to fear of God.

Most but not all appear in ancient scriptures.

We know that God loves us, and we're to love him back.

So, what's this about fearing someone who loves us?

The few commentaries we looked up avoided

a definition, focusing instead on love, trust, etc.

If only we could find an example to follow, whatever the

definition of fear may be - respect? reverence?

Oh, wait, there is an example.

Isaiah wrote about the Branch from Jesse (David's father). 

Among other descriptions in scripture, Jesus is a Branch. 

Seven hundred years before his first coming, Isaiah previewed 

the Lord's second coming, when He will reign with

power and wisdom for a thousand years.

Jesus, the Lord himself, not limited as before,

will have the Spirit of the Lord - one of seven gifts - 

and He will delight in the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11:3

Whatever fear means, if the risen Christ has it,

maybe we should delight in it also.

Clicketyclack  
The Big Engine That Couldn't     

   Why does Japan have bullet trains and the U.S. can't? 

   A week ago, we wrote about the $2.5 billion that Washington offered to Florida a decade ago. Actually, it was $3.5 billion, which California eventually accepted ($2.5 billion awarded to date). 
 

Conception

   California now says current plans for the project would cost too much and take too long. Estimates for the bullet train between San Fran and LA have risen from $33 billion...to $45...to $77...with no secure financing plan.

   The Golden State is in serious debt. What were they thinking to begin with?

   How many passengers at what ticket prices would it take to recover $77 billion, plus operating costs? For what ultimate benefit to the country at large? 

   The U.S. Dept. of Transportation will not award the final $1 billion, and wants the $2.5 billion already awarded reimbursed. The state, which has sued the Trump administration 46 times, says, "no way." 

   There are 12 high-speed train systems around the world. Why can't the U.S. do this?

   Answer: lawsuits, engineering problems, geological obstacles, bureaucracy, and delays that lead to inflated costs. U.S. costs are higher to begin with, and our environmental laws are stricter. Connecting cities must be densely populated. 

   If a rail system was built, and if trains were full, rail travel - even though powered by petroleum - would be less costly per passenger mile than air travel, with fewer emissions. 

   But right of way, rails, bridges, tunnels, huge parking lots etc. are not in place, while airports are thriving. Air travel gave us something we never had. We already have high speed......emissions notwithstanding.

      Jimmy (operator of a local Lionel system in Pennsylvania, 1946-1952)





   

   Your Life & Mine   

Page 9

   Thanks to our resourceful daughter and sons, we trampled around an Ohio farm I had never seen. It was the last of several farms in that area owned by our German-American ancestors.  

   Dad's cousin worked this farm in the early 1900s, followed by his son. The vacant house and barns are padlocked, but some equipment remains in the yard. It looks like a farmer might return in the Spring to plow once more. 

   We grew up in a small town, but we know this much about farming: Before they planted seeds, they plowed - cultivate is too gentle a word. The plow disrupted and unsettled the soil. 

   Seeds that landed in softened soil produced. Matthew 13. 

   Author Alan Noble describes our world as an ocean of preferences. With thousands of options, many people are shielded (buffered) from thoughts beyond the natural.

   The good news falls on buffered ears and distracted hearts. New technology only adds to the problem, as we prioritize the sovereign individual, he writes. 

   This series you've been reading is an attempt to break through.

   The Holy Spirit works his will. We are hired hands, able to plow soil, allowing his seeds to take root. 

   As Jesus taught, some won't understand, some will abandon the faith when suffering comes, and some will cling to the cares of this world.

   We can't guarantee outcomes, but we can do something. Alan Noble urges believers to plow the ground. 

Monday: conviction

   Your Life & Mine  

Page 8

   While people are working, playing, eating, shopping, watching TV...the Lord will return - partly - for his own. 1 Thessalonians 16-18. The rapture. 

   After seven years of tribulation, He, the Lamb, will return with the armies of heaven to the Mount of Olives, from where he ascended, this time as a Lion. Revelation 19:11-21. 

   Jesus will rule on earth. Revelation 20:4. 

   You saints will return to rule with him. Revelation 5:10; Daniel 2:44-45; 

Psalm 2:6-9; 22:27-31; Isaiah 11. 

   After 1,000 years, the Lord will remove the heavens and earth, leaving no trace of sin, and make all things new.

   We exist for the glory of God. He alone is sovereign. For his good pleasure, we were created. 

God shows his superiority...

1. In creation - Psalm 19:1.

2. In Lordship - No one can rule for long, independently of God. Psalm 2:4.

3. In loving - Not sentimentally, but sacrificially. Romans 5:8.

4. In judgment - God is holy.

5. In relationship - Some yield to him, no matter what. Eventually, every

    knee will bow and every tongue confess. Philippians 2:10-11. 

   

   "We cannot understand how hideous sin is to God. We can only appreciate his love by first comprehending our own rebellion." - Dr. Leutzer.

Tomorrow: plowing ground

   Your Life & Mine   

   Page 7   

   Why do we sometimes side with the enemy, in conflict with our Savior?

   Our lifespan is like a fleeting shadow.   Psalm 144:4. 
   Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath...   Isaiah 2:22.

   What is your life? You are a mist...   James 4:14. 
   Our days are like grass... Psalm   103:15. 

   Are we sufficiently humbled?

   After living a life of pleasure and materialism, Solomon reflected:

   As for men, God tests them so they may see that they are like the animals. Man's fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both. As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; man has no advantage over the animal.  Ecclesiastes 3:18-20.  

   Our few days are truly blessed if we take refuge in God our fortress, our deliverer. Psalm 144:2. 

   We have examples of those who sided with God, no matter what.

      Abraham chose obedience despite an alarming command. Genesis 22:2.

      Joseph refused to sin, costing himself two years in prison. Genesis 39:7-9.

      Job praised God when he could have accused him. Job 1:20-22.

      John the Baptist relinquished his fame when Jesus appeared. John 3:30. 

      Peter walked on water, later denied the Lord, then died for him.

      Paul boldly preached the Word despite many troubles, and death threats. 

   John, the disciple, wrote: The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:17.

Tomorrow: He is coming again

   Your Life & Mine   

Page 6

~ God Almighty works justice despite injustice. ~ 

   They captured him one night up on the mount, a mob with torches for light. He had no attorney, no defense team, no court-appointed defender.

   His associates scattered. 

   It would be a long night of hatred, lies, shame, humiliation, spitting, taunts and scourging...all by men who didn't realize what they were doing. This is not their story. It is the Lord's story, from creation to great white throne judgment.

   He did not protest. He did not plead innocence.

   He had in mind, your life & mine. 

   Roman justice would have set him free. But the governor washed his hands of his own verdict...violence against one to keep the peace of many. 

   When John Newton saw the light, he called himself "a wretch." We believers are inclined to accept the general term: sinner. Digging deeper, we might discover our specific, personal description. 

   There is our list of iniquities; and there are sins we might have committed, if given the chance. 

   Praise the Lord. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay according to our iniquities. Psalm 103:10.

   Morning broke. The public was invited...a scene so disturbing that among his followers, only a few grieving women including his mother, and one disciple dared to watch. For three hours darkness fell over the spiritually dark land.

   The sacrificial Lamb was dying. Isaiah 53:6. 

   God...did this to demonstrate his justice...so as to be just and the one who justifies the man who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:25-26. Isaiah 53:10-11. Galatians 6:14. 

   They laid him in a tomb, as prophecy foretold. But, the third day...

Tomorrow: siding with the enemy

   

   Your Life & Mine   

Page 5

   If Jesus destroyed the devil's work, why do "good" people still suffer, and bad things happen to innocent children? 

   We may not have a satisfactory answer. Columnist Mindy Belz writes of "upside-down rejoicing." 

   Psalm 22 describes Jesus' horrible experience, centuries beforehand. In Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame...

   Luke reports in Acts 5:41 the apostles were flogged, but left the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. Peter wrote, In this you greatly rejoice, though for a little while you may have to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 1 Peter 6-7. 

   Disciples became so convicted of the Truth, they were willing to die if that was the cost of preaching to a pagan world. Most of them, including Peter, did give their lives, and believers still do.

   The light of men entered this dark world to show the way out. He is the way, the truth and the life. 

   Darkness remains until the day of the Lord. We need to remember the difference between two kingdoms, to understand our need and the Lord's provision. 

   If all trouble ended with Christ's ascension, how could we please him with faith, trust and obedience? No battles; no victories.

   God is working in the midst of evil. He adopts the lowly and needy. He raises churches in squalid refugee camps, and He strengthens followers in countries where his name is not hallowed. 

   Upside-down indeed.

Tomorrow: Greater than social justice

Taking Faith to Darwin     

   Rev. Franklin Graham is on an Australian Tour of six cities. One of the cities where he preached Christ is none other than Darwin, Australia. How about that?

   Meanwhile, here and around the world, more and more doctoral scientists express doubt about Darwin's theory of evolution. 

   The Discovery Institute announced that more than 1,000 scientists have signed a "Scientific Dissent from Darwinism." Collectively, they state, 

"We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation 

and natural selection to account for the complexity of life."

   Included are professors and researchers at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, Berkeley, MIT and UCLA, and in countries such as Brazil, Czech Republic and Russia. A senior fellow at Discovery said this list under represents the actual number of skeptical doctoral scientists, because fear of professional repercussions keeps them silent.

   Secular scientists make it nearly impossible for skeptical researchers to publish their work in peer-reviewed journals. Then, they point to the absence of published work as proof that creation isn't scientifically credible.

Upside-Down Rejoicing   

   Tomorrow, Your Life & Mine resumes with a discussion of "bad things" that happen, despite the fact that Jesus already destroyed the devil's "work." 

      Jimmy

All Aboard for Oz      
   
   ...Told ya so, California... When the Obama Administration offered Florida $2.5 billion (I think) to develop a high-speed train connecting Orlando and Tampa, then Gov. Rick Scott saw a boondoggle.

   After the "free" money was spent, Florida would have ongoing expenses with no assurance the train would pay for itself. And if the choo-choo project derailed, Uncle Sam wanted his/our money back. Gov. Scott was ridiculed for lack of vision.

   So, California eagerly took the money for a San Francisco/Los Angeles showcase. This week, after months of construction, the state admitted failure. They'll still work on it, so as to keep Uncle's money until Trump is gone.

   Funny thing. This news broke just as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the fresh-woman in Congress, revealed the left's plan to save the planet, while saving America from capitalism: Green New Deal.

AOC

   FDR should see this! She would replace air travel (CO2) with high speed trains (using what fuel?). 

   Okay. We survived without airplanes until the evil Wright Brothers went to Kitty Hawk. We figure, 60 dual tracks 50 miles apart, connecting our northern and southern borders, and about 35 east-west routes, this will make a suitable grid.

   With solar panels on the roof, your slow, electric auto will get you to a fast train in less than an hour. You can still fly all over the world; just take a train to Toronto and go. 

   We wanted to ask AOC, as she is known, if the U.S. Air Force also will be grounded, but an aide said she is hiking a yellow brick road somewhere this weekend, out of touch. 

   Kimberly Strassel, Wall Street Journal, says that Ocasio-Cortez "is making California look sensible." 

   We would list all the socialist ideas that declared presidential candidates are backing, but we're out of breath. Anyway, when the Democrats oust Trump, keep the House and take the Senate in 2020, you'll face the facts soon enough. All aboard! 

       Jimmy




   

   

   Your Life & Mine   

Page 4

   In Hebrew scripture, time after time evil forces opposed God's people. Time after time the Lord responded with the most unlikely means. 

A young man with a slingshot. An exile.

A young slave. An old sheep herder.

A woman. The least man in the weakest tribe.

Men blowing trumpets to destroy a fortress.

   We want to know why God doesn't intervene as He did in ancient times. 

   He wants to know who will trust and obey, no matter what. 

   We want him to reward our goodness.

   He wants us to confess and kill our badness.

   We see our lifespan.

   He sees the beginning and the end.

   While Satan roars like a lion, the Lion of Judah uses conflict to demonstrate his many attributes - love, grace, mercy, kindness. The battle is his. 

   We want significance, and strive to achieve it.

   With our loving Christ, we have all the significance needed.

   He approves those who are alive in Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7. 

   If the Lord approves, why crave the approval of mere men? 

   The Son of God destroyed the devil's work. 1 John 3:8. He gave the Spirit.

   There is no more use for slingshots, trumpets and religious rituals.

About that timeline, from creation to final judgment...

   The day of our birth is of no eternal significance. 

   The day we are newly born and begin our journey of trials, our faith will be worth more than gold. 1 Peter 1:6-7.

Monday: Why bad things happen

   Your Life & Mine   

  Page 3  

   Have you walked on water?

   Peter did it. Never mind his moment of doubt. The man walked on water.

   The Lord of power over gravity offers to give us power over the flesh and the devil: 

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.

 Rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matt. 10:28

   The Lord who offers peace for the soul, comes with a sword to separate sheep and goats, even within families.

Whoever wants to find his life will lose it, 

and whoever loses his life for me will find it.

Matt. 16:25

   The Lord would have us walk on our flesh, as taught by St. Francis of Assissi:

 Sow love where there is hatred; pardon where injury; 

faith where doubt; hope where despair; 

light where darkness, and joy where sadness. 

Seek to console more than to be consoled; 

understand more than to be understood; 

love more than to be loved; give more than to receive, 

and pardon more than to be pardoned. 

   The enemy would have us walking in the flesh. One year ago, some, not all, of those who fear the Lord were being persecuted in 58 countries. Today, it is 73 countries. (Open Doors World Watch List.) North Korea and China are the most dangerous places for Christians. Most anywhere is a concern for Jews.  

   But Jesus...the life, the light of the world...

Tomorrow: It's not about us

   

      

   Your Life & Mine   

  Page 2  

   Only 10 months to Christmas season, another celebration of the birth of Christ. 
Not just any birth. An impossible birth! But, the Holy Spirit...

   The angel informed Mary, 

The Holy Spirit will come upon you, 

and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. 

So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 

For nothing is impossible with God. Luke 1:35-37.

   God had created the world, summoned waters, parted waters...and spoke to selected prophets. Time for the "great light" Isaiah prophesied centuries ago. 
 

The Lord forms a body for himself, 

the miracle He had planned from the beginning. 

   Reset the calendar here. Freedom from Satan's slavery is coming. Hallelujah! 

   Months later, in an insignificant town, with angels inviting lowly shepherds to come see the child, Mary gives birth in a stable for livestock. Will this child of no human privilege become the shepherd of the people, the King of kings? 

   Not if Satan can help it. He enlists King Herod to order male babies killed in Bethlehem. But the angel of the Lord...

   When the boy grows up in another insignificant town, people will assume Mary's husband is the father. 

  All returns to normal for 30 years. But John the Baptist...

  Jesus of Nazareth, fully human and fully God, emerges from the crowd. Priority - Spirit, as He fasts 40 days while his heavenly Father prepares him for ministry. He alone in all history refuses to sin, using Scripture to overcome the deceiver's temptations.

   Then He begins to teach: Rejoice and be glad - He says to those who seek righteousness, mercy, purity, peace...and are persecuted - because great is your reward in heaven.  

Tomorrow: A man walks on water

   

   Your Life & Mine   

  Page 1  

   

   Our ancestor Adam was there. God gave him - and us - what no other animal enjoys...a spirit, a mind able to communicate with our Maker.

   Backed by the power of God, this first natural man had authority over all other creatures, including a particular serpent. But his infamous test didn't go well.

   Satan wasn't going to tolerate dominion by mere man without a fight. After a partial victory over Adam and Eve, he convinced Cain to kill his brother. More wickedness followed. But, Noah...

   Then Nimrod established himself as "god" of the people. Much later, Pharaoh's final solution was infanticide of male, Hebrew babies. But, Moses... 

   Through the years: Goliath, but David... Idolatry, but a remnant...

   Nebuchadnezzar, but Daniel... Enemies, but King Darius... 

   Broken Jerusalem, but Nehemiah... Haman's plot, but Esther and Mordecai...

   Satan himself, but Job... Reluctant Jonah, but a fish... 

     Satan incites David to take a census.
  

Satan in the New Testament:

     Incites Herod to murder male babies in Bethlehem.   

     Attempts to bribe Jesus. 

    Incites religious leaders to plot Jesus' death.  
  

          Incites Peter, Be it far from you, Lord.

          Jesus responds: Get behind me Satan.

    Satan enters Judas. But an empty tomb...

Tomorrow, the impossible

   

   Your Life & Mine   

INTRODUCTION

   To My Fellow Animals:

   This line represents all the centuries from creation to the day when earth and sky will flee from the Lord's presence. 2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 20:11.

<-------------------------------------------------------------------------------> 

   Can you locate your life span here? Probably not, since our appearance in the flesh is only a fleeting shadow. Psalm 144:4. 1 Chron. 29:15.

   We are oriented to our surroundings. Each of us began in a place shaped by endless prior decisions and events, dating to the garden of Eden.

   Heaven knows, the circumstances of your life and mine developed long before our birth. 

   None of us chose the starting line in our race of life. And we don't know what will happen tomorrow. James 4:14. 

   So, who? Whose story is your life and mine? 

   There is a war above and among us. Creator God vs. rebellious angel. 

Light vs. dark. Good vs. evil. Spirit of truth vs. spirit of falsehood.

   Without our consent, we are caught in the battle. The fallen angel and his demons are predictable - deceive, divide and destroy. 

   God, however, works in mysterious ways. We wonder, what is He up to?

   In Eden, home to many animals, a talking serpent would not have seemed so crazy to the world's first two humans, special creatures though they were.

Tomorrow: Teachable moment

   

Preview of 12-Part Series  

   Weekdays, starting Monday, we consider our lives in the context of the big picture. 

   Based on Pastor Irwin Leutzer's booklet, What is God up to? and Bible commentaries, plus a few personal observations, we hope to encourage readers who may need a lift.

Following are a few items 
from upcoming blogs: 

      God...works in mysterious ways. 

      He forms a body for himself...

      Have you walked on water lately?

      The Lord fought back with the most unlikely people.

      Upside-down rejoicing.

      He had in mind your life and mine.

      Why do we sometimes side with the enemy?

      The Lord will destroy our jewelry, cell phones... 

      Plow the hard ground before scattering the seeds.

      It's conviction or nothing.

      We can't stay here and we can't take it with us.
  

Jimmy

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