Welcome, Our New Readers 

     When we share our views with you, please don't snitch. We don't want the FBI coming to our door, weapons drawn, at 6 a.m. 😊

     Okay, our son-in-law encouraged me to start blogging about 12 years ago. I write Views by the Sea on Florida's west coast. Almost. 

     I am Jimmy Donut. The IRS knows me by a different name. 

     I've been breathing since December, 1938...a depression baby. And WW II allowed little time to stimulate children's brains. And no one knew I needed glasses until I was in fifth grade. 

     In college I switched from business to journalism, finding my niche at last. Later in Westinghouse Electric Corp. they taught us how to write with the readers in mind...in this case, factory workers. I have you in mind whenever I touch my keyboard.

     I retired after eight years with Westinghouse under the Dept. of Energy at "the bomb plant," not far from where they play the Masters golf tournament. Five nuclear reactors were decommissioned, and me as well.  

     In Florida someday I might be "retired" by a python. Meanwhile, allow me to explain why I often quote the Bible. 

     I married at age 30, and we became active in church. After 18 years, she wanted both God and me out of her life. I hurt badly for our kids. Did I say, "badly"? Then, working about 60 miles from home, I couldn't convince them to leave their home and friends. Not good.

     Evenings after work, I was on my apartment floor reading the Bible, appealing to God. How could he allow this? I even questioned his existence. From October into January, my health was failing. 

     The first Sunday night in January, I attended a Pittsburgh church. Nothing. As I opened my car door in the dark, awesome joy flooded over me. I drove up the highway laughing and crying, pounding the steering wheel. God does exist!!! This lasted three weeks, although I behaved myself in the office, and most everyone saw the new Jimmy. 

     Fast forward. No desire to remarry. Unkown to me, a woman in my former church told her sister in Pittsburgh that I needed a church. Her sister said, "I don't know about a church, but I have a wife for him." 

     Marge and I met for dinner - a blind date. Talked for three hours. No sooner had I retired in my apartment, the Lord spoke seven words - silently to my mind: I have reserved her for your wife. 

     Our generation sang hymns...which resonated with me more than sermons. Now, I sometimes wake up with the music of a hymn on my mind. Tuesday morning, it came with the words: What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear...

And I wish to be your friend.

  

    

       

     

A Rift, a Wedge and a Muddle 

     Here in our royal chair, April 29, staff in hand, servants on their knees, we ponder judgment. 

     Today, pro-Palestinian students and/or outsiders are daring authorities at Columbia University to arrest and expel them. The truth - they are anti-Semitic, not pro anyone. We rule: arrest and expel.

     President Biden is under pressure to roll back support for Israel, for votes, creating a rift. We rule: roll back the president. 

     The issue is driving a wedge within the Democratic Party. We rule: drive the wedge larger.

     US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer wants new elections in Israel. We rule: elect a new Senate Majority Leader. 

     The UN Security Council voted in favor of a Gaza cease-fire. More people will die over time if Israel doesn't destroy Hamas. Death and hardship can't be avoided. Terrorism's defeat will be best for Palestinians and the region. We rule: destroy Hamas. 

     Donald Trump's rhetoric has been "muddled" as he avoids alienating swing-state voters. We rule: ??? Even a king can be stumped. 

Tomorrow: Time out for a message to our newest readers

     

     

Uncle Sam Wanted Me? 

     I took off work and drove to Harrisburg for three days including the drive. The tests were not formidable, and the interview seemed friendly enough. One catch: I would need to gain 15 pounds. 

     It was fall 1961, and Russians were bent on interrupting my career, which had only begun. Guys as old as 22 were getting drafted. (For young readers: When the government wanted you in the military, they sent a letter telling you when and where to show up for the bus.) 

     Now where was I? Oh, in early December, I opened my mail. Draft notice! What would Uncle Sam want with a 6-foot, 130-pound Remington Ranger? 

     Remington typewriter, that is.    

     I told our Uncle I was expecting a decision by his Air Force, and he kindly delayed me one month. Most important, I avoided frostbite so many guys suffered at Ft. Knox early that January. 

     January 22, 1962. Yours truly, then 145 pounds (thanks to bananas), road the night train from Pittsburgh to Ft. Knox along with two fellow employees of our newspaper, and a few other guys I knew. 

     Three weeks later, Dad called me to say the Air Force - not aware I was learning to march and carry a rifle at the same time - accepted my application. I could immediately leave KP and 4 a.m. wakeups and show myself in Texas on April 1. And serve four years. 

     I thought hard for five seconds - the cook in our division was really good. Besides, I never could get a model airplane to fly. About half the guys in our barracks were headed to the infantry. I returned home on leave weighing 170, unable to button the top of a dress shirt. 

         Jimmy

      

Western Civilization - Part 4

     From the speech at Hillsdale: "You can have proportional diversity, or you can have meritocracy. You cannot have both."

     "In the post-George Floyd era, black juveniles are shot at 100 times the rate of white juveniles. Blacks between age ten and 24 are killed in drive by shootings at nearly 25 times the rate of whites in that same age range. The country turns its eyes away."

     Police cannot restore law and order without having a disparate impact on black criminals. So, our political class has decided not to restore law and order (for you and me). As long as racism remains the only allowable explanation, the Left wins, and our civilization will continue to crumble." 

"We must stop apologizing for Western Civilization. The ongoing attack on colorblind excellence is putting our scientific edge at risk. China, which cares nothing for identity politics, throws everything it has at its most talented students. China ranks number one in tests of K-12 math, science and reading skills. The U.S. ranks 25th." 

     "China is racing ahead in critical defense technologies. The American Mathematical Association declares math to be racist. President Biden puts a soil geologist with no background in physics at the top of the Department of Energy's science programs."

     "What do we do? We proclaim that excellence is not racist. We assert that categories like race, gender and sexual preference are never qualifications for a job. I know for a fact that being female is not an accomplishment. I am equally sure that being gay or black are also not accomplishments."

     "It is the progressive elites, not their conservative opponents, who are engaging in cultural revolution! Most conservatives today are not even playing defense. Conservatives should promote the virtues of free markets and limited government, but the diversity regime is the nemesis of both."

     "Lowering standards helps no one. High expectations are the key to achievement. We must speak the truth, and never apologize and never back down."  

Tomorrow: your Remington Ranger

     

Western Civilization - part 3

     "Some stores people need are closing because confronting shoplifters would be - you know - disproportionate. Historic Macy's in New York City was sued because they were 'racist' in their response to shoplifters."

     "Even colorblind technology is racist. Speeding and red-light cameras disproportionately identify a certain race. Throw out the cameras."

     "The result of this has been widespread urban anarchy. Thousands more black lives have been lost to drive-by shootings. Dozens of black children have been fatally gunned down. No one says the names of the assailants, because they were not police or white supremacists. They were other blacks."

Uncomfortable facts

     "The racial (imbalance) across a range of meritocratic fields is the academic skills gap. The racial (imbalance) in the criminal justice system is the crime gap. If we cannot acknowledge the skills gap and the behavior gap, we are going to continue destroying our civilizational legacy."

     "Thousands within underperforming groups out-perform those in their own group and great numbers of people within other groups as well. Politicians and others vilify Americans as racist, without considering why disparities exist and how to close them."

Jimmy's story 

     In the 1980s I was the human resources guy in a Westinghouse office of 100+ engineers, clerical and managers. Every year I had to complete a government report about our percentage of whites and non-whites, and I think men & women also. 

     We had a married couple from India in sales engineering. But no black engineers. Those qualified to work for us were more interested in stimulating occupations - not designing electric transformers. How dull! 

     Before my time, after Pearl Harbor, American & Hawaiian Japanese were isolated - no day in court. Westinghouse had a Japanese American engineer in its large transformer plant. Management came to his defense and prevailed. I met him years later. They could have thrived without him, but he deserved his liberty.  

 Tomorrow: Diversity or meritocracy

Western Civilization - part 2

      "After the George Floyd race riots of 2020" institutions from big law, big business and big finance adopted the racial discrimination theme. Even museums and orchestras. 

     "The fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics are all in. The American Medical Association insists that medicine is characterized by white supremacy. Nature magazine and the Smithsonian Institution" denounce "totalitarian whiteness." 

     "Disparate impact analysis ... replaces meritocracy. Hospitals choosing residents can no longer distinguish between high and low achieving students. A quarter of the questions on the Medical College Achievement Test (include) focus on social issues and psychology. Heads of medical schools and departments are being selected on the basis of identity, not knowledge." 

"What is at stake?" she asks. "Future medical progress and ultimately, lives. President Biden announced he would no longer submit judicial nominees to the Bar Assocation for a preliminary rating. That would be incompatible with the 'diversification' of the judiciary. State bar associations are also watering down standards." 

     "If you wonder why police officers are not making certain arrests, or why district attorneys are not prosecuting categories of crimes ... it is because (that would) have a disparate impact on black criminals."

 Tomorrow: Uncomfortable facts 

Western Civilization at Stake 

     "The West has liberated the world from universal squalor and disease, thanks to scientific method and the Western passion for discovery and knowledge," said Heather Mac Donald, a Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, in a speech at Hillsdale College. 

     "It has given the world plumbing, hot showers, flight, clean water, steel, antibiotics, and just about every structure and every device that we take for granted." 

     She spoke of our "privileged" existence. referring to anyone whose life "has been transformed by Western ingenuity...that is, virtually every human being on the planet. It was in the West that the ideas of constitutional government and civil rights were born." 

     "Stop apologizing for Western Civilization," she said. "To be sure, slavery and segregation were grotesque violations of America's founding ideals. Black Americans suffered injustice and cruelty. Today however, every mainstream institution is twisting itself into knots to hire and promote as many 'underrepresented' minorities as possible." 

      "To our shame, we had slavery. What civilization did not? But only (British and American) expended lives and capital to end the universal practice. Every ideal that the Left uses today to bash the West - such as equality or tolerance - originated in the West." 

Tomorrow, Part 2: the George Floyd riots. 

Hear That Roar? 

     It's not a plane. It's not a truck, or a motorcycle. 

     At my computer keyboard I am keeping company with three machines that are sucking moisture out of the wall and floor of this room, my den. 

     They capture the moisture, which becomes water that is forced through a plastic line, emptying into the sink in the nearby bathroom. 

     The reason for all this fun? 

     For months, maybe longer, a sprinkler close to the house was partly watering the house instead of the grass.  Water went through the wall, or more likely, soaked the ground such that it found its way under the wall and then - defying gravity - soaked part of the rug, the cement blocks, and even rose 9 inches up the side of a wood cabinet. 

     We don't have snow in Florida. But we let our sprinklers aim badly.

     So, we tell this woe, while wishing we had earmuffs. But there are no earmuffs in Florida. 

     The man says this operation might continue through Thursday. So we'll have to provide you with more valuable information, all the while wishing we could cover our ears. 

     Bloggers have it tough sometimes. Our cabinet went to the dump.  

            Jimmy 

  

 American Cities Unsafe

Conclusion of this series

     Three of every four respondents in a survey of New Orleans residents said their city is unsafe, and police reports concur. Homicides nearly doubled in three years. Carjackings tripled. 

     And this isn't even about illegal immigrants. 

     The New Orleans DA isn't the only one of Soros' prosecutors facing heat for soft-on-crime policies. A lawsuit was filed seeking the ouster of St. Louis prosecutor Kim Gardner. A teenager from Tennessee lost both her legs when a speeder in downtown St. Louis struck her. 

     The driver, 21, was out on bond on a robbery charge. He had almost 100 bond violations and other wrong doings. Critics saw dysfunction in the DA's office. She resigned three months later, and she wasn't alone.

     Twelve Soros-backed DAs left their posts in 2022, some by election defeats, but most by resignation or removal. 

     In San Diego, Summer Stephan defeated a Soros-backed opponent who had more money. But her broadcasts about the progressive prosecutor movement won the day. San Diego County is now one of the safest jurisdictions in the nation.

     We can only hope the voters come to their senses. 

Progressive DAs; Violent Crime

     As with Chicago, Baltimore suffers from violent crime. DA Marilyn Mosby was convicted on federal charges of perjury, and may never practice law again.

     Philadelphia's DA Larry Krasner starred in his own PBS documentary series. His show was considered one of the best in 2021, though homicide in the city hit a historic high, 562 killings, double the rate before he took office. 

     It's estimated that George Soros has spent more than $40 million getting rogue prosecutors elected. Facebook founder Dustin Moskovitz and his wife pour millions into races. Their website makes clear their philosophy: Better to spend money on individuals than working for specific reforms. "System actors are able to quickly adapt and push different polities. [This approach] avoids the danger of signaling too clearly ... what the intended target is."   

     In New Orleans, DA Jason Williams's office convicted only 17 percent of felony cases. Staff purges, standard procedure for progressives, swept out nearly all of the city's most experienced prosecutors. 

     Writes Kim Henderson, "the cornerstone of justice is the rule of law - that all citizens are equally accountable to the same laws. Although not in our Constitution, the rule of law is a central tenet in our government, as American as apple pie. In Common Sense, Thomas Paine wrote, 'in America, law is king.'"  

     "Ancient thinkers also wrote of the rule of law. Aristotle: 'It is more proper that law should govern than any one of the citizens.'"

     Author Zack Smith says, "Their job is to seek justice. Sometimes that means dismissing charges or pleading down the case. But these DAs are engaging in prosecutorial nullification. They're saying, 'There are laws we don't like, and we're not going to prosecute them. We think we know better than our states' elected representatives.'"

Tomorrow:  12 Soros-backed DAs out of work

Connecting the Dots  

Trouble in our justice system, continued. 

     Author Zack Smith heard similar accounts coming out of cities like Chicago and St. Louis. He began to connect the dots, finding the progressive movement spreading nationwide. 

     He traces its ideology to a 1970s prison abolition movement. "Most people don't understand, because it seems absurd to think that no one should go to prison, regardless of what crime they commit. Many of the goals the prison abolition movement supports have been accomplished through this current movement."   

     In an effort to lower incarceration rates, many rogue prosecutors refuse to prosecute entire classes of crime - like trespassing, shoplifting, drug possession and resisting arrest. Instead, they promote resources to help rehabilitate. 

     They also want to eliminate cash bail, which progressives say criminalizes poverty and disproportionately affects communities of color. In New York, 20 percent of defendants busted for burglary or theft in 2021 committed a felony within 60 days of their release. 

     Will the rule of law survive?

     In San Francisco, smash-and-grab crimes went viral. In Los Angeles, gang members like DA George Gascon so much one vowed to get "Gascon" tattooed on his face. In Chicago, low morale in the office of DA Kim Foxx led more than 235 staff members to resign. 

Tomorrow: What about violent crime?

More Crime, Less Punishment  

     by Kim Henderson

     Prosecutors in our 2,300-plus DA offices hold much power. Until recently, elections for DA offices were low-profile. Campaigns began to change in 2015 when outside money poured into Parish, La. George Soros tested his new philanthropic plan, funneling more than $400,000 into a district attorney election with no statewide significance. 

     The city is known for death penalty convictions. Soros wanted an anti-death penalty DA in the office. The gamble paid off. Soros and other liberals realized a relatively small amount of money could elevate cherry-picked candidates. 

     What began as a quest to unseat pro-death prosecutors quickly morphed into a much larger objective: overhauling a justice system "progressives" claim is warped by racism and needless imprisonment. 

     In 2019, a new prosecutor in Virginia pledged to not seek the death penalty, and promised he wouldn't oppose release for most criminal offenders. Author Zack Smith began hearing stories from victims' families. The prosecutor received $659,000 from Soros-backed groups.  

     Among crimes the DA would not prosecute > assaulting a schoolteacher - setting off a smoke bomb - prostitution - participating in a riot - resisting arrest - falsifying a police report - aiding in the escape of a prisoner - possessing and redistribution of certain drugs - and stealing goods valued at up to $1,000. 

Tomorrow: Can the rule of law survive?

     

     

Busy Busy 

     Thursday began with breakfast and devotions, then hours with my wife helping her sister, followed by a couple hours trimming shrubs for tonight's garbage, and finally an HOA board meeting. 

     How's a guy, somewhat tired, supposed to deliver a worthy blog for his readers? 

     Thanks to a magazine's "quotables," we have this to offer:

"Only God can change this place because from where I'm sitting, I can't see where any other change is coming from." 

     - Farah Oxima, a displaced Port-au-Prince, Haiti resident. 

"I'm here at this healthcare clinic to uplift the work that is happening in Minnesota as an example of what true leadership looks like." 

     - Vice President Kamala Harris during a March visit to a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Minnesota. Yeah. Healthcare. 

"I'd like to thank my veterinarian - I mean wife, Susan Downey. She found me a snarling rescue pet and loved me back to life." 

     - Robert Downey Jr., best supporting actor at the Academy Awards.

More Crime, Less Punishment...starts tomorrow

              Jimmy

Small Nation Struggles to Live

     If you haven't seen the news lately, the little nation of Slovzimgolia has been attacked by terrorists, and the world seems to have sided with the attackers.  

     Protesters in the U.S. and around the world are clamoring, blocking traffic and otherwise hating the little nation that is despised more than China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, to name a few.

     If the United Nations is evidence, this country of 9-1/2 million people - a little smaller than New York City - gets scolded by the world. Its people have been despised for centuries, although they have never started a war that we know of. For relief, people of this heritage moved into the land their ancestors once called home. Not without resistance and bloodshed.

     They treat neighbors and residents who don't share their heritage as best they can, but hatred is stubborn. One nation in particular makes no secret of its desire to wipe the Golians off the map. We can think of quite a few countries that peace-loving people could do without. But the mannerly Golians? 

     So, there are agendas, strategies, risks, pressures, calculus, rhetoric and various interests. And lies. Oh, the lies!  

     The U.S. has been a supporter, but even that "friendship" may be waning due to concerns over our 2024 election, which of course matters more than any other factoid.  

     Oh. Mistake!!! The little nation we're writing about is Israel. 

 

Bloody Holiness 

From a column in WORLD magazine

     Blood sacrifice was common in the ancient world. Those prescribed by God's law reassured his people their sins would be forgiven, and their guilt removed by substitution. 

     Holiness was understood by everything from clothing to food to homes to special days and more. 

     But the Tabernacle represented a sharp contrast between the people and their God. They could never conform to God's standard of holiness. And neither can we.

     They expected their Messiah, not Jesus. He overturned God's laws of holiness. He touched corpses and lepers. He invited the blind and lame into Temple courtyards. He called scrupulous law-keepers "blind guides." He honored women and children. 

     They maneuvered the reluctant Roman governor to execute him.

     Ancients understood holiness better than moderns. They understood the gap between human and divine, and that blood was the holiest thing they could offer - their own, or a substitute's. 

     Jesus bridged the gap. How do we explain his breaking so many Levitical rules? Did he invade the world of holiness to open holiness to all? 

     One final sign: The temple curtain was torn from top to bottom. 

     Decades later, in John's vision, Revelation, chapter 5, 24 elders in heaven sang to the Lamb: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God and they will reign on the earth.

-  Janie B. Cheaney             

Do We Wanna Go Back?

     Lately, yours truly has been reminiscing about school days. How different ... the 1950s. And safe, at least for whites. The years between our wars and rioting of the 1960s were without fear, at least in our small town. 

     We could be somewhere half the day without Mom and Dad knowing where "somewhere" was. We knew to show up for dinner at 5 O'clock, without cell phones. There was school, church, band practice, Boy Scouts, pick-up ball games, and drive-ins (okay: Indians were not portrayed fairly) and more. My only fear was our algebra teacher. 

     The folks didn't have a TV until after I left for college, and it was black 'n white at that. CBS, NBC and ABC newscasts were 30 minutes, and there was little if any talk of misinformation. Comedy was rich. 

     Parents were of the "greatest generation." They didn't hover over us, nor did they need to. Divorce was rare. Newborns were celebrated. 

     I could live happily without Alexa, Zoom and everything in between. It's called the "joy of the Lord."

     Okay. Cell phones are handy. Computers can be used for blogging ... so they say. 😏 Advances in communications, healthcare, travel and so much more make us rich. Are we happier than Americans in the 1950s, who were not rich?  

     The gradual elimination of prayer in schools etc. has been good - for people here and around the world who desire to be master of all of us.

     Kids can be sent to all kinds of lessons, sports, classes, therapists, etc. But is there time to be kids?   

     Now this: No matter our culture, the Bible says our lives are just a moment in time. Far more important: getting right with the Savior is our most critical decision. When our moment is up, our souls are welcomed in heaven, or banished to the fiery place called hell. There is no evidence to refute that biblical fact. 

          Jimmy

Conclusion of the Matter  

     Solomon, David's son, spent his life searching for meaning and significance. He concludes that life is wrapped up in "fearing God." 

     "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man's all." 

     King David himself wrote, "He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." 

     And Joshua, "Fear the Lord; serve Him in sincerity and in truth..."

     From our book: "Times of spectacular spiritual revival have always been sparked by a renewal of the fear of God. The first Great Awakening brought a sense of terror over the audiences." 

      A Methodist evangelist wrote, "It seems as if many more sinners are moved by fear than love." An author wrote, "...the fear of God was so powerful that whole communities came to Christ. Hardened men began weeping. Miracles occurred. Addicts were made clean, homes were restored, and local crime was all but wiped out." 

     "Today (this, written in 2013), as a culture we have no fear of God. We see no miracles. We see addictions, broken homes, and rampant crime. The road to love leads through the fear of God." 

     "I am thankful that my God is a fearsome God. My love for Him is all the deeper for the fear that his love has answered. The storm rages, but I am safe and secure. I love my God. And I fear Him. I love him because I fear him." - Dr. David Jeremiah

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Astounding Mercy

     "I believe 'the fear of God...constrains adoration and love. It is the fear which consists in awe, reverence, honor and worship, and all of these on the highest level of exercise. It is the transcendent majesty and holiness of God.'" - theologian John Murray

     "When we truly fear God, our fear of other things and other people begins to wane." - Pastor David Jeremiah. 

     When other fears take precedence over God, that is when we get into trouble. 

     To Isaiah (57:11), God said, Of whom have you been afraid, or feared, that you have lied and not remembered Me. Nor taken it to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old that you do not fear Me? 

     "It is easy to lose the wonder. The spirit of the age is against us. The love of many waxes cold. We do not exult in the wonderful news that Christ died and rose again." - Vance Havner 

Learning to Fear 

     God instructs Moses: Gather the people to Me and I will let them hear My words, that they may learn to fear me...and that they may teach their children (Deuteronomy 4:10). 

     "Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord" (David. Psalm 34:11). Teach me your way, O Lord; I will walk in your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name" (David. Psalm 86:11).

     "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom..." (Psalm 111:10).

Tomorrow: conclusion

Are You Sure?

Are you sure you want to meet God face to face?

Abraham "fell facedown" (Genesis 17:3) 

     Moses "hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God" (Exodus 3:6)

Balaam "bowed his head and fell flat on his face" (Numbers 22:31) 

     Joshua "fell on his face to the earth and worshiped" (Joshua 5:14)

Gideon "cried out in alarm lest they should die" (Judges 6:23) 

     Manoah: "We are doomed to die. We have seen God" (Judges 13:22)

Isaiah said: "Woe is me...my eyes have seen the King" (Isaiah 6:5) 

     Ezekiel "fell on his face" (Ezekiel 1:28) 

Daniel "felt like a man...drained of all his strength (Daniel 10:8) 

     Three disciples who saw Jesus' face shining like the sun "fell on their faces and were greatly afraid" (Matthew 17:6)  

Jesus answered, "I am he," and "they drew back and fell to the ground."

     Saul "fell to the ground" (Acts 9:4-9), and "the brilliance of the light blinded me" (Acts 22:11)

     John "fell at his feet as though dead" (Revelation 1:17) 

Fortunately, Jesus is also known for mercy and grace.

Enemies, Made Friends 

     One bad decision (Adam and Eve) and the human race became enemies of God. One substitutionary death (and resurrection), and sinners have hope (Romans chapter 5).

     The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy; he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread (Isaiah 8:13).

     There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus...the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:1). 

     Therefore...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:12).

     Since you call on a Father who judges ... impartially, live your lives as strangers here (on earth) in reverent fear (1 Peter 1:17).

Why fear God, who loves us? 

     If parents and elementary school teachers and law enforcement and military officers need a measure of fear to win respect, why wouldn't God couple fear with love to encourage our obedience? We - no matter how successful - must learn humility, because...

     All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever (Isaiah 40:6-8; quoted in 1 Peter 1:24-25). 

Tomorrow: Are you sure?

Totality It Is 

     This Monday millions of people in the direct path of the eclipse watched our moon totally block the sun for a few minutes. They call it totality. 

     God, who made the sun, moon and earth, also designed totality for people throughout the world. Those who believe and follow Him will spend eternity in his new heaven and new earth...totally. 

     Those who don't "trust and obey" will spend eternity in misery. The only exceptions we know of biblically are children who die before the age of accountability. As for "children" who die in the womb, we hope their souls are received and they "grow up" in a far better "home." 

     The claim that babies are not human until born is nonsense. 

      Continuing with our series, many Christians assume the Incarnation eliminated the need for fear. Jesus was, is, gentle, compassionate and loving. How gentle was he, taking a whip and chasing money changers out of the temple. How loving was He to the religious leaders who opposed him, interfering with his mission to the Israelite people? 

     How friendly did the risen Christ look when He appeared to his disciple John, years after his resurrection? John fell, as if dead. Revelation chapter 1. Look it up.

     When Jesus performed a miracle with fish, Peter fell at Jesus' knees and said, Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man! 

Tomorrow: One trespass - condemnation; one death - justification 

 No Fear in Love?

     There is no fear in love; perfect love casts out fear...fear involves torment. He who fears has not been make perfect in love.  

     Question: Is it possible to love God and fear Him at the same time?

     In Deuteronomy 10:12, Now Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him...with all your heart and soul? Our source says, "The mingling of love and fear captures our response to two attributes of God: mercy and judgment." 

     Paul wrote: Consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.  

     His mercy endures forever (Psalm 118:4). Addressing God himself, You are to be feared, and who may stand in your presence when once you are angry? (Psalm 76:7).

     There is a God to love and to fear. He judged his own Son. And He raised him from the dead. 

     Consider our fallen world. Those without fear of God, be they criminals or presidents and governors, and everyone in between, will normally follow their own inclinations. 

     King David: ...concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God... (Psalm 36:1).

Tomorrow: Gentle Jesus?      

 

Do You Ever Shudder? 

     There are unexpected events that give us a scare. But nothing compares to the fright fallen angels have.  

     About 15 years after the resurrection, James, half-brother of Jesus, wrote to the 12 tribes scattered among the nations (James 1:1): You believe there is one God? Good. Even the demons believe that - and shudder (v. 2:19). 

     These demons know their Creator better than we do, and they know their horrible destiny. As with other books of the Bible, God himself provided James with "wisdom" in heavenly matters. 

     A.W. Tozer, a 20th century pastor, wrote:

     "The self-assurance of modern Christians, the levity in many of our gatherings, the disrespect shown for the Person of God...are evidence of blindness of heart. Many talk about God, and pray to Him sometimes, but evidently do not know who He is. 'The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,' (Proverbs 14:27) but this healing fear is hardly found among men." 

     Every breath we take is a precious gift of God's grace. God deserves our fear - our never-ending devotion. 

Tomorrow: what about "perfect love casts out fear?"

1 John 4:18

Why Fear God? 

     We should fear God for three reasons: because of who He is, because of what He has done, and because of what He continues to do. 

     1. There is no one like him. His majesty, magnificence and glory should cause us to fear Him. 

     Psalm 89: Who in the heavens can be compared to the Lord? No one. God is to be held in reverence by all.

      2. When the Israelites were liberated from Egypt, they saw the great work the Lord had done; the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and His servant Moses. Exodus 14:31. 

     Who is like you, O Lord? ...glorious in holiness. Fearful in praises, doing wonders. Exodus 15:11.      

     Most spectacular: Creation itself. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made. Let all the earth fear the Lord. Psalm 33:6-9. 

     We're only grains of sand on the shore of His infinity, fleeting seconds in His eternity. 

     3. He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men. Psalm 66:5.

     Just one of many "works" - forgiveness - should move us to fear Him. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. Joel 2:13. He has every reason to harm us in anger. 

     Forgiveness is a work God is doing now, putting our sins away and remaking us into His own image. 

The above, from our book

We Are Dust 

     Those are not my words. King David wrote this in what later became Psalm 103. 

     Before we continue, in the post (Korean) war 1950s, our algebra teacher, Miss Christy, ruled her classroom. She made girls cry, and guys nervous. She did her job, teaching. But, woe to the student who answered her question in error. We suffered her for two years: algebra 1 and algebra 2. 

     Fear. It worked for her. 

     In Psalm 103, David wrote, For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him.

     We all want God to love us. Which He does. 

      David continues, As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him, for he knows how we are formed; he remembers that we are dust. 

     So, there's a caveat.

     David pours it on, But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him... 

     We can fear many things - tornados, earthquakes, snakes, burglars, heights, cancer, death - but only death is guaranteed. Regardless of the cause, God determines where our souls will spend eternity. 

     About the time we were taking algebra, theological discussion of the fear of God began to decline. Is our world ascending, or descending? 

Continued tomorrow

  

Secret of Living a Good Life

     And more.

     We're beginning a new series Friday evening on Views. Of all we have written over our 11 years here, this must be the most challenging, the most helpful, and the most serious. 

     Moses used this four-letter word. Early kings of Israel were required to live it. It was among King David's last words. And his son Solomon, after a lifetime of experimentation, called this word his "conclusion" about life.

     Living this word leads God to provide: 

provision, protection, purity, prosperity, prolonged days, 

privilege and perpetuity (the state of lasting forever). 

Yes, every promise begins with p.

     What we do with this word is most important in our relationship with God. Understanding protects us from falsehood. It appears in both testaments of the Bible, about 65 times. 

     If you are a Christian, you may wonder why you haven't heard this before. Why isn't it emphasized in most churches as in former days? 

     If you are not a believer, we invite you to read along. This is so instructive your heart and mind just might be curious. 

        Jimmy

 

Four Charges Against Donald Trump

     Here's what we know...........? 

Four Life Lessons

1. I can't convince anyone to receive Jesus. That's God's job. 

    I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom...I resolved to know nothing except Jesus Christ and him crucified...I came to you in weakness and fear...My message was not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom but on God's power. (1 Cor. 2:1-5)

2. Do before you can say. Earn the right to be heard.

     Show respect...

     Meet needs; minister to them; serve.

     I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.......say, "Peace to his house." Tell them, "The kingdom of God is near you." (Luke 10:2, 3, 5, 9)  

3. I don't have to have all the answers.

     All I know is, I was blind, and Jesus gave me sight. (John 9:1-27)

4. Love the Lord (1st commandment)

    Love others (2nd commandment)

         - compassion

         - forgiveness

         - remember where I once was 

Coming soon on Views: an extremely important four-letter word

Things to Do, Not Just Feel  

     Repentance. In the Bible, when tax collectors asked the prophet what to do about money they stole, he simply tells them to stop it. 

     When Jesus healed an invalid by the pool, He said, "Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you."

     When a lawyer tries to get Jesus bogged down in follow-up questions, He answers: "You already know your duty; do it and you will live." 

     The risen Christ, through John the disciple, sent letters to seven churches. In each case He wrote, here is what you are doing right; here is what you are doing wrong and what you must desist...immediately. 

     Maybe we pray that God changes our ways. He must do everything. We do nothing.

     No. He simply commands us to stop sinning. In John chapter 8: 

     Teachers and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery to Jesus, hoping to trap him, to have a basis for accusing him. "In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women." Jesus said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 

     One by one they began to go away. None condemned her. Jesus told her, "Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin." 

     We are called to "fight the good fight of the faith" (I Timothy 6:12). Paul doesn't mean do battle with our enemies. Instead, we fight off our inclinations to fall into temptation, follow harmful desires, or love money for the sake of riches. 

     We don't just set aside our old nature. We "Put to death what is earthly" (Colossians 3:5). 

     

 Seeking Justice  

 Sharing what we read.

     In the book of Deuteronomy - all God's ways are justice.    

     In Job, that God has established His throne for justice. 

     Jeremiah: He would execute justice and righteousness in the land.

     Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would proclaim justice to the Gentiles and that His very throne would be upheld by justice - forever. 

     The Bible includes the words "just" or "justice" 131 times. Is our system of justice following the heart of God?

A Hymn

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"I am this dark world's Light;

look unto Me, thy morn shall rise,

and all thy day be bright."

I looked to Jesus, and I found

in Him my Star, my Sun;

and in that Light of life I'll walk,

till trav'ling days are done.

               -Horatius Bonar, 1846