Shallow Thought Of The Day

There Is Still Good In This World

I know, I know-there are darker than dark clouds coming over most horizons these days.
But we still have Good.
Baseball is good; it is a game of hope, of small moments and sometimes larger triumphs...the world is better when we have Baseball playing.
Once upon a time I enjoyed a game at Coors Field, seen above. 18 years later, it is still
one of my favorite memories.
Memories. Memorials. Memorial Day.
Recently a friend brought to mind another good memory. My Dad and I had stopped at her house to see her new British Lab pup-and the puppy was so excited he nearly jumped through the car window into my Dad's lap.
Monday is Memorial Day and, as usual, I will be at the local assembly. My Dad was a Korea-era veteran who never left Fort Sill, Oklahoma. This Summer will be 5 years since he passed away, preceding my Mother by just a few months. 
So yeah-remember the Good of the past, and don't allow the world's recent tumults to overshadow the fact that there is also Good now.

Isis Bad

Been listening to an interview with a Pastor, formerly a Muslim, who shared insights about Islam with R.C Sproul on his program, "Renewing Your Mind".
The long and the short of it: when a Christian commits acts of violence, he or she is going against the clear teachings of Christ found in the Bible.
When a Muslim commits acts of violence, his or her actions are in agreement with the Koran, are in line with the teachings of Mohammed.
This has been a season of innocent blood being spilled by Islamist terrorists across the world. More to come.
Liberals find themselves nodding along in agreement with Muslims who trumpet that the Christian Bible is corrupted, the Christian God is not Allah, and that Christians serve a false Messiah in ignorance.
Of course, Islam also teaches that abortion is wrong, so I'm conflicted.
What happens when we die?
If Muslims are correct, all non-Mulims are in hell. And many billions of Muslims will join them there if their bad deeds out-weigh their good deeds on a scale. No grace. No hope.
An Islamist can win a 'stay out of hell for free' ticket, the gates of Paradise WILL open to those who happen to be killed while fighting for Islam, destroying the enemies of Allah.
Christians? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, ask Him for forgiveness. All your sin and bad deeds, if placed on a scale opposite the Sacrifice of Christ on your behalf...will be as light and intangible as sunbeams, less than sunbeams. Because where sin did abound, Grace did all the more abound. When Christ said, "I have overcome the world." that included all of the world, through all time, including our present troubled age.
A thought that you may not want to consider:
If I, Doug, were to be killed, whether by a terrorist or accident or through trying to win a hot dog eating contest....I go to Heaven.
If YOU die...

Future Unfutile

A few measured bon knots to get your thinker workin'.
As our friend Criswell has stated, "We are all interested in the future, for that is where you and I are going to spend the rest of our lives."
The FUTURE will not see Man in charge-Christ will rule Creation from Jerusalem.
Creation.
Not just Israel.
Nor only Sea to shining Sea.
EVERYTHING.
There  will be no people group not under His control.
Every nation will obey His rule.
Nations. Some will be known by the names they have now;  Zechariah 14:18 makes mention of 'the family of Egypt', so there will at least be an Egypt. Other nations are also named as existing through the Millennial reign.
But will America still be called America? Only if Christ decrees that to be the case.
Cheer up, non-Christian buttercups. If you survive through the 'End Times', yes, you will be obliged to submit to Christ as King and Lord.
But the world, the harsh, evil sinful world you have known will be redeemed.
"And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them.
⁷    Also the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the lion will eat straw like the ox." Isaiah 11:6-7
There will also be no war in your lifetime. No crooked politicians lying to garner power to themselves. No more hungry children. No more abused children!
The King of Peace will indeed rule from the city of Peace. Your life will be better in unimaginable ways, if you survive to see that Kingdom.
I hope to see you there.

No Lie

Upfed With Religion

"ISIS threatens controversial blogger Pamela Geller in message boasting of '71 trained soldiers in 15 different states'"

This is the headline from a newspaper, the NY Daily News.

Whatever Geller has said or done or promoted-what has been happening all over the world is now here.

ISIS-simply put, Islamic terrorists-are attempting to restrict the free speech of an American on our own soil. 

This isn't new. 

ISIS is attempting to hold US hostage.

No.

Every American from President Obama on down to you and me should stand with Pamela Geller TODAY.
'71 trained soldiers in 15 different states'.
I don't care.
I wouldn't care if it were 71 million soldiers in all 50 states-how we respond to threats, extortion and bullying will determine whether or not the bullying will continue.
Give in, give up, mollycoddle...and you lose.
Stand up, stand together, and reject ISIS.
Now is the time to not blink.

 

 

Infantilization Of America

Sure, sure-babies and kids are cute.
They are also emotional tyros who don't understand why what where when or how the world works. All they know is that they NEED THAT COOKIE!!!!!!
Or that their diaper rash is acting up again.
Or a tooth coming in is a world of pain.
They know nothing of responsibility or consequences of actions.
Good parenting teaches both.
But where kids are raised without good parenting...sometimes those lessons go unlearned.
And all of a sudden...teenagers.
And then young adults old enough to vote who have no concept of responsibility or consequence of actions.
Nothing is ever their fault.
They will live forever.
And if it's a terrible world, someone else ruined it.
Is it any wonder that kids flock to the Democratic party?
Conservatives and some few Republicans blather on about personal accountability and individual effort.
Logic.
All Democrats need do is point at Conservatives and pronounce them Evil.
Emotion.
Which political party benefits from the infantilazation of America?
Second question: Which political party better serves the needs of America?
Have a fun election, USA.

 

Insight

I feel that I should explain myself a bit, to the world @ large and certain possibly mystified persons.
I wrote something recently which might have come across as more harsh than intended.
Here's the cutline-I have respect for most people, greater respect for those who are being battered about by circumstance such as illness. I KNOW that it is tough to have Cancer, for example. Tough and harsh and brutal.
I've been to enough funerals in the past couple of years to fill my quota for a lifetime.
Here's what I need to explain, the part that might seem harsh:
I respect people too greatly to treat them any differently because they have an illness.
I won't treat them as 'delicate objects' but rather just as I did before illness came into their lives. As my fellow human beings.
We lost another of our church family to Cancer this past week.
I apologize if I have seemed callous. But to me, it seems right.