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Placebo of The Soul In the cauldron if history, man's relationship with other men, and from the beginning, the need for a relationship and worship of a Higher Authority. There has been a ceaseless rebellion... it is nothing new... an attempt at a placebo or catholicon for the soul, a replacement for Almighty God. Of course, this writer well understands that there are those atheists, postmodernists, meta-narratives (story about a story) who in their own wisdom worship the creature not the Creator. There is no category or grouping for this type mentality. Academics, scientists, elitists are found in this demographic but so are the most ignorant among us. It is not necessary to sing like Sinatra to believe “I did it my way.” It is time to face the reality of what is happening to the soul of mankind. It started with the first of us, Garden of Eden, when man could have lived forever, free of all human foibles... work, disease, etc. He could not keep one commandment, so tempted by the fallen morning star, prince of the air, who could not obey from creation. Lucifer is only mentioned one time in the Bible. (Isaiah 14:12) From our first parents until this moment, Satan and his cohorts have manipulated our lives limited only by God. Weak, erring, human beings, have not been controlled by conscience, laws and commandments of the Bible, prophesies or promises leading both to the cross, the central point of history, and away from the cross. “God is love” (1 john 4:16) and because God wants goodness for us shows mercy toward us, the atheist cannot comprehend sin, evil, bad things happening to good people. He never questions why good things happen to bad people. Those who are most angry with God, who consider God immoral because He allows suffering, disasters, do not want to see hypocrisy or even shortcuts. The rules of the game do not allow the Olympic runner to cut across the end zone. The least informed among us understands Hitler’s promise that he would deliver the world from the oppression of Mount Sinai. Even the pirates of the 17th century and today's Somalian pirates have rules. Blackbeard did not allow his pirates to bring women aboard ship, they had strict routines, bedtime, wake up time. The early church knew absolutes, right and wrong. The Apostle Paul, chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) to whom we owe most of church scripture, knew that the time would come that men would no longer believe in the atonement of Christ, no longer believe in the Gospel of the church, sin's ruin and Christ's redemption, would only want a tasty cocktail for itching ears. (2 Timothy 4:3) It is not just the new age agnostics, Oprah and her crowd, but mainline churches, particularly Episcopalians who tell us that the historical gospels no longer apply (Heterodoxia Jan. 28, 2007) and so, young people raised in the church. Those recent graduates in pulpits from Bible colleges and seminaries, those on pews entangled with the attractiveness of the world, now seek a placebo instead of the spirit of grace, faith, provided by God not only to die with but live by. Even Christ said, “When I return will there be any faith on earth.?” I feel sure there are clones around us but, more important, in nations where Western Civilization has been blessed by the knowledge of the Sovereignty of God. Many are now involved in computer worship, having humanized the computer, in many places, robots, becoming humanized. There is a frightening attempt to minimize Christianity, to maximize sin (abortion, romanticism of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, etc.) We see the slaying of evangelical Christians in Nigeria and other Muslim countries, the disenfranchisement of the disabled, those who do not fit our ideal of acceptable. I will never forget my aunt, genetic problem, obese her entire life. She cried as she told me how she had been treated by her fellow human beings, particularly her family. (people who play church) only the disabled, such as this writer, a 100% disabled veteran, knows the tumult of disability. Unless you have been called a “nut”, “fanatic” by your own family, you are not a real Christian. No sane, inquisitive mind can doubt the historicity, reliability, of God's Word. The parents of King Cyrus of Persia, conqueror of the Middle East thought they had named their son but, years before, the prophet Isaiah had named and prophesied about their son, ruler of Persia. God named John the Baptist, spoke directly with Moses and Abraham. The son of God, Jesus Christ was prophesied 700 years before His birth. On the fringes of time, punctuated most by geography, there are many religions, people seeking to fill a “whole” in the human heart. For the last 50 years, heart disease has been the number 1 killer in the world. The only cure for heart disease, no placebo is needed for the soul, a relationship with the Creator of the universe.

Forest and Trees “In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning: Gift Edition For this writer's entire life, in thinking of excellence, I have heard the expression, "You cannot see the trees for the forest..." other times, "You cannot see the forest for the trees." For the sightless person, you cannot see the forest or the trees, but, the sounds and smells tells you the woodlands are there. I still remember the day my father's oldest, I was a teenager, when he took me through hundreds of acres of woodlands to show me the boundary lines. I'm sure his father had done the same for him. This was before the time of spray paint, often it was just a large post driven into the ground. In fact, reading the descriptions on land deeds, the surveyor would refer to posts-rocks-certain trees etc... as boundary lines or corners. Landowners were very careful about their own land, he did not want an adjacent landowner coming across the line and selling some of his fine trees. Much of my father's woodlands had come down through many generations and much of it was virgin timber. He knew the value of certain wood, certain trees, oak, poplar, pine etc. Woodlands were sold and appraised by the value of individual trees. I can still see, from my childhood, oxen pulling the logs from the forest. Warning flares always indicate danger. Albert Einstein, perhaps the world's greatest mind, said, "Only two things are infinite, the Universe and man's ability to be stupid." The twentieth century saw mankind put his trust in men rather than God. We just refused to believe that there are exceptional people... that some trees stand out even in a forest. It sometimes takes a while to recognize these people. Of the eighty greatest personalities in the bible, most discussed, just a few were religious leaders. Such men as Abraham, Joseph, most of the disciples, like Luke the physician, would not be considered religious leaders. Moses, perhaps the educated man of his time, "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds."- Act 7:22 (Herded dumb sheep for 40 years before God saw fit to use him.) But God knew where he was the entire time. God knew where this child of Amram and Jochebad was, even when he was in a small basket in the Nile as his sister Miriam watched from a distance. At Myraba, Moses knew what it was like to deal with the three million "stiffnecked" former slaves whom he had led out of Egypt, led through the Red Sea, water piled up on two sides. Really, not one of them deserved to drink of the water. Salvation that neither he nor the children of Israel had done one thing about. For the entire history of the Jewish people, it was always God. When anyone tells you to prove the bible, just say there is a three letter word to prove the bible, J-e-w. We live in a time of stupid voters, genuflecting before politicians who ride around on private jets... eat from gold plates and laugh at you. Most of today's opinion molders-power brokers, no longer look for the exceptional mind, the exceptional morality, the exceptional integrity, rather, the lowest denominator of man who will bow to any decadent incredulity. They just want a "yes man". That "blah" individual that will never stand out in a crowd, those who would put forth the effort and faith to achieve. 90% of the christian faith is just raw courage. It takes courage to stand out, to be the exceptional person, to always present the best version of yourself whether in the classroom, on the sports field, their place of worship, in your chosen vocation. I live in the town in which Michael Jordan, one of the world's greatest basketball players, was raised. He had a passion for sports. In high school, college, even during his NBA career, he continued to practice every day. He paid the price for excellence. This writer knows discouragement, to never have been encouraged about anything, anytime. Many years ago, at a small baptist college, now a university, I established financial awards for excellence... two senior excellence awards of $3000 each, each year, faculty and staff financial awards for excellence of $4000 each, other financial awards for outstanding students. I feel that money is something which proves ones worth. My giving was continued for many years until liberal administrators did not want awards of excellence... let everyone "get a trophy just for playing." Likewise, and this is not to impress anyone, God knows my heart, I gave financial awards for outstanding pastors, Sunday School personnel, superintendents and teachers. I have letters from sunday school personnel that tell me they taught for thirty years and never received any recognition. If it is nothing but a gold star beside a child's name in a public school or sunday school, any child appreciates recognition... standing out from the crowd. With most personal fortunes, everything is gained with a wink or something diabolical. Former president L. B. Johnson, never made much money in his lifetime but retired as president with a $53 Million fortune. Other presidents, and you know who they are, compromising-conniving, have retired with great fortunes... so have the goldbrickers of industry-education-political intrigue. Many did not gain wealth or notoriety because of their ability but because of their notoriety. Never confuse accomplishment with celebrity. Remember Helen Keller and Madonna. "There are no such things as divine, immutable or inalienable rights. Rights are things we get when we are strong enough to make good our claim to them." -Helen Keller My friend, Dr. John East, ECU professor, U.S. Senator, spent most of his life in a wheelchair. He said to me one time, "The disabled life is hardly worth living." He later killed himself. You are not stuck where you start, or stuck in any suffering that befalls you. Give the best version of yourself and recognize the exceptionalism of others.

Friends, and all others that's concern about my welfare, I am well, we lived through the storm with little difficulties. We are concern about our friends and everyone else facing the same problem, power off, we was without power for a little while all my employees was able to get to work with no difficulties. We praise God for his goodness to us here in Wilmington. We rejoice in the knowledge that he is always going to take care of his own, just a matter of trust and faith. Continue to keep our world in your prayers many places were not so fortunate. We pray that God will keep us all close to his heart of love not just in times like these but all the time. This comes from a heart of gratitude and gratitude for his love. I pray Gods blessings on all of you especially those in our area affected by everything that causes one to cling to the household of faith, not just this day but everyday. I am always happy to hear from you and to know that you are concern. Blessings Tom