Tag Christianity

Life Isn’t Fair: So Grow Up!

Allen Frederick 3 Comments

 

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways. 1 Corinthians 13:11

 

Really is that so? Are we behaving like adults or more like a child? Why are so many lamenting that life just isn’t fair? Isn’t that a bit childish?

 

English: An unfair administrator barnstarI got news for you friends life isn’t fair, and anyone who is honest will attest to the number of times they felt that they were being cheated or denied something they thought they deserved. A promotion, a job offer, a word of appreciation, an award, a gift, fame, fortune, opportunity, or any number of life’s perceived blessings. Yes it is just not fair.

 

No life isn’t fair but neither is death since death plays no favorites, does not reward nobility nor recognize wealth or fortunes. Death does not over-look ones standing nor spare the well-connected.

 

Nope my friends, death comes to us all, some sooner than later, but death is the end of life, and it does not play fair. The wicked and the saint each are buried side-by-side. Not fair but that is the way it is. And since neither life not death is fair why do we so often cry aloud like a child: “its not fair?”

 

Annie Glasel, today’s quest author, addresses this idea of fairness in her article titled: “God is Not Fair.” Enjoy!

 

God is not fair, no He’s not. He’s righteous and loving. He’s compassionate and merciful. He’s just and wise. He’s miraculous and trustworthy. God is not fair because if He was, we’d all be condemned.

Fairness implies standards. Fairness assumes morality. Fairness demands a measurement. Unfortunately, when a human speaks of “fairness,” it always means that he or she is using a standard, a morality system and a measurement that befits his or her ideals. Sadly, humanity is flawed. It is likely that any system we devise would also be flawed.

It seems rather comical to hear people talk about what’s fair. My 5 year-old’s concept of fairness is very simple if he gets what he wants, then it is fair. All else is not. Politicians with more years of public debate essentially are like my 5-year-old; they just have better vocabularies and are better rehearsed in their deliveries of eloquent, persuasive speeches that make simple issues sound more complicated. But the concept is the same.

This brings me to the recent revelation I had about 1 Corinthians 13 passage the part that reads “when I was a child” It seems that my prayer times are filled with childish complaints of unfairness, much like my 5 year olds.

I tell Him how unfair it was that “I should have to work when my other girlfriends are ‘enjoying’ full time motherhood.” I complained how unfair it was that “I am stuck with a car that I despise.” I complained how unfair that I should have a job that did not pay enough. I complained how unfair it was that I should have to live across the country from my family. I complained how unfair it was that I have been faithfully tithing but that I am not experiencing immeasurable wealth.

Of course, I do temper this with, “yes Lord, my life is not as bad as those struggling with loss of jobs, loved ones, divorce, financial ruins, betrayal, torture and diseases but nonetheless, I am miserable because you are not fair to me.” (Or more accurately, not giving me what I want, the things that I think will make me happier).

I think at this point, if God were fair, He would start to take away all those things that I take for granted and consider not good enough. And perhaps start to give me the things I deserve. (Um…I don’t really want to go down that road!)

Closer study of the Bible reveals that God does not give us what we want or what we deserve. Instead, He gives us peace, wisdom and grace. He gives us the desires of our heart. Which I had always thought meant He gives us the stuff/things/people/events/circumstances that our hearts desire. Actually, I think it means that He puts new desires in our hearts, His desires (which are better than our desires that tantamount to lusts of life). After all, His ways are higher than our ways, His thoughts higher. I think He exchanges our childish desires for Godly desires.

In doing so, we would stop speaking childish things and start to speak in the language of love. We would be following the instructions to pray ceaselessly and bring all of our supplication with thanksgiving. That sounds like the perfect antidote to turn complaining time back to prayer time.

So, I thank you God that I have a job, a home, a loving husband and child who greet me every day after work. I thank you that I have a car with air conditioning. I thank you that my pay meets all of my needs after tithe and still have left over to not have to cook every night. I thank you that I have families and they are healthy, alive and well. I thank you that I live in an age where I can call them by phone or video phone (while riding in my car). And that it only takes a plane ride to see them. And I thank you Lord that you don’t give me more money than I can manage properly.

And most of all, I thank you God for not being fair and not giving me what I deserve. I thank you for giving me the immeasurable wealth I don’t deserve in Christ Jesus, including but not limited to salvation, kindness, mercy, justice, forgiveness, love, miracles, wisdom, grace, the power of His name and the ever-present Holy Spirit.

I’ve written to ease my pain; I’ve written to hear my voice; I’ve written for vanity; I’ve written for sanity; I’ve written for fun; I’ve written for laughs; I’ve written for me; I’ve written for money. But until I write for God, this talent is for naught.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com–CHRISTIAN WRITER–MAKE A WEBSITE

 

Thank you Annie for your thoughtful words. No life is not fair it cost an innocent man his life to save the guilty from death. The good news is everyone can be treated fairly who call upon the name of the Lord because he will save them from the unfairness of this life and keep them from the death that is to come in the life here-after.

 

No He does not promise you a bed full of roses, nor does he promise that life will treat you right, in fact he says the world will hate you because the world hated him first. But in the end that is when you will receive your reward, the gift of eternal life with Christ.

 

Some may not think that is such a grand thing since they are looking for rewards in the here and now. Well my friends get used to it. Life is just not fair!

 

And that is the way I see it. What say you?

 

This has been A View from the Nest. The statements, comments, or opinions expressed are solely that of the author and do not represent the views or opinions of the host of this site or any affiliates thereof. Any questions or comments should be directed to myself and not to the host or hosts of this site.

 

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Don’t Be Duped by the Enemies Ruse

Allen Frederick 4 Comments

“The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD” (Joshua 9:14).

The Israelites Leaving EgyptWhen Joshua and the Israelites entered the Promised Land, they fought many battles. In fact, they fought 39 battles in the Promised Land compared to only two in their exodus from Egypt. God instructed them to wipe out all their enemies completely.The very reason God was giving the land to the Israelites was because of the sin of these nations Israel was to now occupy. God said he was going to drive out all the inhabitants of this land because they had a long history of sin against God. God had instructed Joshua to not make any compromises with these people because God had rejected them and wanted them defeated not befriended.

The more battles the Israelites won under the direction of God and Joshua, the more their reputation preceded them as they entered new territories. The enemies knew they were toast if they came against the Israelites. The enemies knew God was marching with the Israelites and their demise was eminent. Success was on the side of the Israelites.

Such was the case when Joshua and the people came into the land where the Gibeonites lived. The Gibeonites knew they were as good as dead if they didn’t do something. So, they dressed up in old, worn clothes and posed as foreigners passing through. They asked Joshua and the people to make a peace treaty with them.  They pretended to be wanderers from a far off country and was seeking refuge among the Israelites. The feigned to be interested in working with their opposition to infiltrate the opposing camp and then work from within to weaken the Israelite’s resolve,

The scriptures tell us that Joshua and the people made a treaty with them because they did not inquire of God about these people. They assumed what they said was true. The leadership along with the people made a fatal mistake by not seeking out the true intentions of those who were seeking to make a treaty with them. They did not inquire of God to see what the TRUTH was behind the Gibeonites actions. They took them at their word, they trusted that they were being truthful, they trusted the Gibeonites had pure intentions.

They were wrong!

They had been deceived. They now had to pay the consequences. Those consequences resulted in having to work to avoid cross-tribal marriages while they had to make an entire people their slaves. This was something God never intended them to have to do. The relationship was a source of compromise for the Israelites that made them susceptible to future compromises. Trying to keep the infestation contained to only the Gibeonites was next to impossible since the enemy was now living within their own ranks. This day-to-day contact with the opposition weakened the Israelites position since now they had to constantly monitor their own ranks to watch for compromise among the ranks and file.

This initial compromise weakened the position of the entire nation because now their message was no longer pure and their mission was now distorted. How could they drive out and defeat the remaining enemies of the land after having made a COMPROMISE deal with one group? How could they justify continued annihilation of the remaining occupants of the land while they had in their own ranks survivors of that culture?

Thus is the problem with making deals with those who are opposed to your viewpoints or way of life. If the Gibeonites were honorable people they would have begged for mercy based on their TRUE IDENTITIES and admit their true intentions and offer to change their position and embrace the beliefs and pursue the same purpose as the Israelites. But they did not do that, they pretended to be someone they were not to play upon the mercy of the Israelites. They tricked them into believing they were not the enemy but were somehow mistreated by others and were seeking the sympathy of the Israelites.

We see this RUSE today in our own country as foreigners move in among us pretending to be victims of some injustice in other parts of the world. These modern-day Gibeonites play upon America’s compassion to help those who are less fortunate, but these folks have no intentions of conforming to the American way of life, nor adopt the American traditions and customs, instead they adhere to their own identities and infiltrate our institutions to corrupt them and get them to compromise and gradually accept the foreigner’s world view and agendas.  This weakens the county.

Israel today is being asked to COMPROMISE with an occupying force the Palestinians while the Palestinians have no intentions on compromising their position or intentions. They are intent on eliminating Israel and taking over the country for themselves. Therefore it would be a fool’s errand to make a treaty with these enemies of the state. And yet that is exactly what they are being asked to do. And that is exactly what the enemies of the American way of life want us to do as well.

Let us not make the same mistake Joshua made, instead let us inquire of God and seek out the TRUE identities and intentions of these strangers among us.

That is the way I see it! What say you?

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Be Quick to Listen but Slow to Speak

Allen Frederick 1 Comment

Remember this, my dear brothers and sisters: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and should not get angry easily. James 1:19 (GW)

James 3:5-6 – Power of Tongue Papel de Parede Imagem
Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

I do not know about you but I am growing weary of all the TALK going on and on and on. Primarily I am talking about endless 24 hour a day news cycle. There are several CABLE channels devoted to nothing but NEWS all the time. And each one has their cadre of talking heads all offering an opinion on the days HOT TOPIC ITEM. You would think with all this talking going on that SOMETHING positive would come of it all… aw not really… since most of the talk is NEGATIVE one can get really depressed if you listen to too much NEWSSPEAK.

The bible tells us…

When there are many words, sin is unavoidable, but the one who controls his lips is wise. Proverbs 10:19 (HCSB)

Proverbs insists that with so much talk going on ERROR (sin) is unavoidable. As Christians we are supposed to use SPEECH to build up and encourage those who hear us.

Finally, brothers and sisters, keep your thoughts on whatever is right or deserves praise: things that are true, honorable, fair, pure, acceptable, or commendable. Philippians 4:8 (GW)

We should be attempting to SPEAK TRUTH in a loving way. No one has all the answers, and although NEWS REPORTERS like to appear IN THE KNOW, I fear they are leading many astray just by the huge volume of WORDS they have spoken.

An old folk adage goes something like this.. Let the words you speak be sweet for you do not know how many of them you may have to EAT.

Or perhaps put a little better.. If you do not have anything GOOD to say, say nothing at all.

And that is the way I see it!  What say you?

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Self-Rule or Subjugation: It’s Your Choice

Allen Frederick 12 Comments

 

God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Genesis 1:28 HCSB


Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jeffe...

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration of independence (1776) were all of British descent. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

To “reign over” something is to have absolute authority and control over it. God has ultimate rule over the earth, and he exercises his authority with loving care. But he chose to share authority with mankind.

In the beginning God created man and placed him in a garden and commanded him to subdue it, to tend to it, and procreate. God gave man the power to rule his domain, to work and provide, and to take care of his responsibilities. Man was to be responsible to tend the earth, subdue his environment, and be responsible for the outcome of his choices.

Failure on Adam‘s part to control his environment well resulted in the serpent being free to beguile Eve which cost him his home. God drove him from the garden. By not subduing the serpent Adam relinquished his authority over his own domain to Satan.

Each time Israel refused to do things God’s way they ended up in bondage and servitude, driven from their own country and forced to labor for another. Sin causes us to lose our ability to self-govern and places us into bondage to whatever we subject ourselves to. Failure to recognize God ordained authority places us under the failed leadership of fallen man.

Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. There can be no liberty without the Spirit of God. Without acknowledging God as our source and ultimate authority we can not retain self-rule. Our founders knew this and said as much.

in a speech to the military in 1798 warned his fellow countrymen stating, “We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” John Adams is a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and our second President.


Benjamin Rush, Signer of the Declaration of Independence said. “[T]he only foundation for a useful education in a republic is to be aid in religion. Without this there can be no virtue, and without virtue there can be no liberty, and liberty is the object and life of all republican governments.  Without religion, I believe that learning does real mischief to the morals and principles of mankind.”  

Noah Webster, author of the first American Speller and the first Dictionary said,  “[T]he Christian religion, in its purity, is the basis, or rather the source of all genuine freedom in government. . . . and I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of that religion have not a controlling influence.” 

Gouverneur Morris, Penman and Signer of the Constitution.  “[F]or avoiding the extremes of despotism or anarchy . . . the only ground of hope must be on the morals of the people. I believe that religion is the only solid base of morals and that morals are the only possible support of free governments. [T]herefore education should teach the precepts of religion and the duties of man towards God.”

Fisher Ames author of the final wording for the First Amendment wrote,  “[Why] should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a school book? Its morals are pure, its examples captivating and noble. The reverence for the Sacred Book that is thus early impressed lasts long; and probably if not impressed in infancy, never takes firm hold of the mind.” 

John Jay, Original Chief-Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court ,  “The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts.”  

James Wilson, Signer of the Constitution; U. S. Supreme Court Justice, “Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants. Indeed, these two sciences run into each other.”

Noah Webster, author of the first American Speller and the first Dictionary stated, “The moral principles and precepts contained in the scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. . . All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”

Robert Winthrop, Speaker of the U. S. House,  “Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or by a power without them; either by the Word of God or by the strong-arm of man; either by the Bible or by the bayonet.”

George Washington, General of the Revolutionary Army, president of the Constitutional Convention, First President of the United States of America, Father of our nation,  “Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society.” 

Benjamin Franklin, Signer of the Declaration of Independence “[O]nly a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.”

“Whereas true religion and good morals are the only solid foundations of public liberty and happiness . . . it is hereby earnestly recommended to the several States to take the most effectual measures for the encouragement thereof.” Continental Congress, 1778

God created man to rule but  man relinquished his authority to  satan and now America by turning her back on God is relinquishing self-rule for subjugation. By refusing to take authority and  personal responsibility, we reject God’s  way and opt instead for an inferior way.

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Our Children Bear the Burden of Our Sinfulness

Allen Frederick 4 Comments

Nancy Pelosi, Representative from California.

Nancy Pelosi, Representative from California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

House Minority Leader Nancy has announced that she intends to push for national childcare reform, supposedly modeled after Obamacare

Pelosi started by recounting her own experience saying,

“‘I could never get a babysitter — have five kids in six years and no one wants to come to your house. … And everywhere I go, women say the same thing’ about how hard it is to find the kind of reliable care that would make their family lives calmer and work lives more productive.”

And of course her solution is MORE Federal Government.  Personally I do not see why reform is needed just require children from BIRTH unto age 35 to go to a government-run institution (school) so that they can be instructed in the ways of liberalism. OH wait liberalism teaches that parents should KILL THEIR CHILDREN and not let them be born. Okay so if the abortion fails and they are actually born – no scratch  that – liberals have a policy for that too, they let them die. Oh never mind!

Seriously folks what has happened to our country, to our culture, and to our families? To think that a parent, who has children, would be looking for someone else to raise them baffles my mind.

Can a woman forget her nursing child? Will she have no compassion on the child from her womb? Although mothers may forget, I will not forget you. Isaiah 49:15 (GW)

“Look, everyone who uses proverbs will say this proverb about you: Like mother, like daughter. You are the daughter of your mother, who despised her husband and children. You are the sister of your sisters, who despised their husbands and children. Ezekiel 16:44-45 (HCSB)

Being childless myself I would welcome an opportunity to raise a child or two or three. I do understand how difficult it is to afford to live in our over taxed, liberal utopia that the progressives have handed us. We have to labor almost 40% of our time to pay for government, its agencies and personnel and to think that many of them actually earn more than those who actually pay their wages. Not only must we labor to pay their salaries and benefits we must also labor to pay for their fat retirement plans. Since we labor so hard for the government it leaves little time to actually work for our families and secure their futures.

Our heritage is given up to men of strange lands, our houses to those who are not our countrymen. We are children without fathers, our mothers are like widows. We give money for a drink of water, we get our wood for a price. Our attackers are on our necks: overcome with weariness, we have no rest. We have given our hands to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians so that we might have enough bread. Our fathers were sinners and are dead; and the weight of their evil-doing is on us. Servants are ruling over us, and there is no one to make us free from their hands. Lamentations 5:1-8 (BBE)

With the national debt consuming our entire gross domestic product our children will be lifelong indentured servants of the state. They will not be able to acquire for themselves anything since their entire existence will be consumed by the state.

For children are not obligated to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. 2 Corinthians 12:14 (HCSB)

Liberals hate conservatives because our solutions result in the person keeping more of their hard-earned money, as well as their property, and we promote allowing people to pursue their own happiness and not having the state steal their labor to give to someone who has not earned it. We believe parents should be responsible for raising their children and not the STATE, or like Hillary put it in her book, ‘It Takes a Village.’ No Pelosi and Clinton it takes a FAMILY.

Honor widows who have no families. The children or grandchildren of a widow must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents. This is pleasing in God’s sight. A widow who has no family has placed her confidence in God by praying and asking for his help night and day. But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead although she is still alive. Insist on these things so that widows will have good reputations. If anyone doesn’t take care of his own relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the Christian faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 1 Timothy 5:3-8 (GW)

Liberal and progressive policies have assailed the family for decades and has led to the ruination of this great country. Parents are forced to choose between tending to their children or earning a living to pay the heavy burden of taxation placed upon them.  The huge welfare state has practically destroyed the black families in America. Irresponsible behavior is rewarded while those who try to do the right thing are penalized by having their wealth stolen to be given to those who have become wards of the state. The poor would be far better off if they were encouraged to excel and not be manipulated by unjust government programs and policies.

The heritage of the good man is handed down to his children’s children; and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the upright man. There is much food in the ploughed land of the poor; but it is taken away by wrongdoing. Proverbs 13:22-23 (BBE)

Father’s provide for your children! Mothers nurture and love your children! Children respect and honor your parents! And government get out-of-the-way of STRONG PRODUCTIVE families. Your system has failed and continues to fail which is why you are always asking for more, and begin more programs. God’s program works fine, how about we get back to doing things HIS way?

And by him the hearts of fathers will be turned to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers; for fear that I may come and put the earth under a curse. Malachi 4:6 (BBE)

This is a view from the nest. What say you?

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

Along for the journey

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