Public opinion and policies

Our government has been working toward a premise that all of us need a college education to be an effective member of society. That is not so. A quote from an article that I read earlier says this:

“A good job requires a field of action where you can put your best capacities to work and see an effect in the world. Academic credentials do not guarantee this.“

There is proof of this since there are many with credentials up to PhD. that are working in jobs that do not require such lofty educational degrees. I am working as a technician on PC’s and I have a BS in Medical Technology but laboratories are cutting back on the number of employees rather than hiring. Although I do enjoy my work my degree is not being used at all. That is not to say that my talents are not being used, just my degree.

In other “policy” areas I have seen stories of legislation that is trying to bring about a “year of the Bible” but it will likely fail because there aren’t enough Christians with backbone enough to stand up for their own beliefs serving in Congress. On the other hand, there are plenty of lobbyists for the atheist side with comments such as this:

“Right now, we’re seeing atheism on such a rise,” said David Silverman, vice president and national spokesman of American Atheists, a group dedicated to fighting for the civil rights of atheists.

“We are seeing Christianity on such a dramatic decline that we’re not particularly worried about it. We’re thinking that this kind of old-style George W. Bush Republicanism is about to go away,” Silverman said, referring to the latest Pew Forum survey of American religious life, which showed non-religious Americans as the fastest-growing group.

Our country was founded on Christian beliefs and principles regardless of what the atheists would like for us to believe. The actual separation between church and state that Thomas Jefferson was speaking of was to keep the government from regulating our religion, not eradicating it entirely from the government itself.

There seems to be a growing public opinion that our country is a country of secularists and not Christians and the evidence seems to be pointing in that direction. Those of us who are Christians are just sitting back and watching this happen and not voicing our concern or our opinion at all. I am using this forum to at least get the word out although I am not sure if anyone is reading this or not. I pray that God will use me and my small voice to get some people upset enough to do something or say something in the right venue that may have some effect before it is too late.

Our time is short but His message is timeless

God is the creator of the Universe regardless of what science tells people. He placed the stars and galaxies exactly where He wanted them to be and they will stay that way unless He says otherwise. Our lives should be the same. We should strive to do His will in our lives and in the place where He has placed us. Non-believers, take heart, God loves and cares for you too.

He is only waiting for you to decide to place your faith in Him. He knows exactly what you need and when you need it. Your life is in His hands and always has been, because He formed you in the womb! He knows exactly and perfectly about you. More intimately than anyone on earth could ever know you is the way that God knows you.

Don’t put off your decision to join in partnership with Him. Jesus stands at the door of your heart and knocks, gently. But, He knows exactly when you will answer. Give Him that answer soon, won’t you? God doesn’t love you because of what you have done in the past, He loves you because of who He created you to be! He knows what you can do for Him and His kingdom and the limitations that you may have, but He also knows how much you can accomplish that someone else may not be able to do.

We are each given a measure of talents and gifts by God to be used in His service, with no regard to our present circumstances. He knows exactly what you can and cannot do and will give you the words to say when they are needed.

Do what you can for Him while you still have the time to do so! He will reward you with far greater value than earthly things can be measured.

Eternity! That is a loooong time!

My life these past couple of years has been eventful and rewarding. God has taught me a lot about Himself and about me. I regret to say that there are still things about myself that I don't like but I suppose God looks over them and forgives me for them. I am not perfect and never will be until I am in Heaven with Him. At which point I won't have to worry about this world and its troubles anymore, and I will serve Him forever.

That word implies that our lives don't end and, if you are a child of God and have accepted Jesus as your Lord, they won't end. Oh, the earthly body will die unless Jesus comes before your time on earth is up, but either way eternity will be glorious. My acceptance of this was not easy and I did not come to this lightly. My grandparents and my parents died before I became truly committed to my walk with God. I am still not sure why I held so tightly to my own ideas and ways, but until my dad died about seven years ago, I wasn't ready to cling to God's way. I think God used my son and my responsibility to him as a way to get me to really commit to His service.

In reference to eternal life, whether you accept Jesus or not your soul will live forever. The big question is what will you be doing and where you will be for eternity? Eternity is a very long time and we cannot comprehend with our human mind the magnitude of it. It is hard for me to think about life as it was two hundred years ago or so. Jesus' followers lived two thousand years ago. Scientists say that our sun and planets are over four billion years old (although I don't believe it). Jesus is still alive and was alive before there was anything so regardless of the age of the universe, He is.

Just knowing that you will live forever is enough to make me commit my life to Jesus. I don't understand why anyone would want to spend eternity in hell. I know that many people think that it will be a big party, but it won't. There will be no laughter or merry-making there. If you have rejected God's provision of eternal life with Him through Jesus, you will be in torment and agony forever. Those are facts spelled out in God's word so they are set in stone and will not be changed. The only way to avoid that fate is to accept Jesus as your Saviour and live for Him and His kingdom.

Many people think that it couldn't be that simple and it really isn't. All you have to do is accept Jesus as your Saviour, then the work begins! Just because you accept Him your old nature won't go away, you will have to struggle against it for the rest of your life. But when you get closer to Him and study his word, it gets easier because you are becoming more like Him. You are not becoming a god, but you will become more like Christ by doing His will for your life. That can be as simple as doing a good job at your work whatever it may be. As long as you are following Him and studying His word to become a faithful servant of His, He will direct your life and “God causes everything to work together for the good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” Romans 8:28

My life in His Service

There are so many ways of looking at service to our Lord. The most important is that you look at your job, whatever it may be, as an outlet for service to Him. Everything we do should be a testimony to our life in Him and our service to Him. If you ask God to empower you to do His will every morning, then your day can be filled with opportunities for witnessing or for showing your faith.

God loves all of humanity regardless, as I have said before. No matter what religion you follow or what "denomination" you happen to be, He loves you because He formed you in your mother's womb. An artist has affection for his creations and so does God. He is the creator of all things and no matter what or where your life happens to be, in service to Him or not, He still cares about you more than you could know or even realize.

In the Bible, God says "My ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts." (Is. 55:8) That is why it is hard to understand the Bible, but if you read it without trying to make it harder than it is you can understand it. That is why Jesus said "Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." (Luke 18:16) The faith of a child simply comes to Him with no "baggage" like an adult. That is also what makes it so hard for scientists and political leaders who may not know Christ to come to Him. They can't understand how it can be as simple as believing in Him and the salvation He brings to us without cost.

Our lives would be so much easier than they are if we would simply come to Him in prayer every morning and start the day that way all the time. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you." (Luke 12:31) My life and service to Him has not been perfect. I "gave" my life to Him twenty-eight years ago, but I didn't really begin to serve Him like I should until about five years ago. Why did I wait so long? I am not exactly sure, but I know that by the time I started serving Him I was a father and my son was starting to ask questions.

So it was a child who started the process, not me. I had been able to feel His influence on my life but I was still doing mostly what I wanted to and not what He wanted me to do. I don't mean that I was out drinking or other things but I wasn't serving God like I should. My spirit knew it and I knew it too, but it took a long time before I really did anything about it, and now I have and will continue to do as much as He will give me the strength to do. Please don't wait like I did. Ask Him to come in and give you the will and the strength to do what needs to be done so your soul won't be tormented forever for refusing His call on your life.