Hoping and Figuring

Today, all news reports concerned the Obama budget being presented to Congress. The $3.8 trillion is beyond the comprehension of most Americans. After 15 days laying under the rubble of the Haiti earthquake, the 17 year old college student who was pulled out alive is perhaps the only human being who can talk about the crush of so much weight on life. Every parent should realize the debt with which their children and grandchildren, for many generations, are involved. Statistics is a very bewildering science and the statisticians at the White House, the Treasury Department, and every other federal agency, are just busy “hoping and figuring” that things will not get any worse as far as the economy is concerned.

On each side of the Flood, mankind has faced perilous problems. Those who have finally gotten off the fence, not knowing which way to go, are now standing on the brink of an almost bottomless cliff. From the very beginning, man has sought refuge in a power greater than himself. 95% of the world's archeology has yet to be unearthed but no civilizations have been explored that did not have deities to worship. In traveling the world (8 round the world trips, passport stamped in 157 countries), I have been amazed with religious systems and structures which evidently brought satisfaction to someone. I will never understand how an idol can be carved out of something, the idol worshiped, the excess wood, clay, gold or silver just thrown away.

On one of my trips to Burma I visited the Buddhist shrine caves of Pindaya. In the southernmost Pindaya cave there were 8,000 images of Buddha. As was the case in the temple to Buddha at Kandy, Sri Lanka, the devotees were lined up to view the images. Four men were standing over to the side and they beckoned for me to come over and, in broken English, one asked, “ Are you a Christian?” I said, “I am not Christ-like but I do believe God, I believe in Jesus Christ and I am a Christian.” They understood, smiled broadly and said, “We are Christians.” I made their photograph, shook hands and wished God's blessings upon them and, as always, gave each a business card. Then, much to the consternation of the Communist, Buddhist guard, who inquired about their talking with me, I said, “They wanted to meet an American.” There are more stupas in Burma than there are people. Stupas are religious shrines much like tombstones in our cemeteries. Some very large, some very small, all offered as worship to Buddha, most contain the ashes of a deceased Buddhist. Buddha taught that nirvana is a relief from suffering and a rebirth. There are probably 350 million Buddhists in the world today, mostly in Asia.

In the world's more recent religions, Witchcraft is certainly the fastest growing. From Witchcraft grew the early Grand Lodge of the Masons, a more-or less labor union of early stone cutters who built the cathedrals and temples of western Europe using many of the symbols found in early Egyptian and Judaism. From the Masons came the Mormons. Joseph Smith, considered the founder of the Mormon group, was an outstanding mason and husband of 27 wives. Through a “supposed” prophet, Moroni, and the help of certain tablets, he established the Mormon group which is one of the fastest-growing American denominations. There are an estimated 14 million Mormons in the world today. Because of legalism in the establishment of the state of Utah,and other problems with polygamy, like most religious groups there are several factions.

Charles Taze Russell founded a bible study group in 1876 which has become known as the Jehovah's Witnesses...a rapidly growing cult in American religious denominations. This group now numbers around 7 million...rapidly growing because of their proselytizing efforts. For instance, in the city here where I live, there are 8 Kingdom Halls. I have had several Jehovah's Witness followers work for me. I can tell a male Jehovah Witness as soon as I talk to him for a few minutes...always alert, always extremely likable. Like the Mormon missionaries, they grow because they believe in what they are doing and they carefully prepare themselves for their work. They are convinced, and you don't easily unconvince them.

Most large denominations have spent too much time with Oprah Winfrey as their spiritual advisor, believing nothing themselves (Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, etc.), they are easily led into the entrapment of cult or new age thinking. 75% of all young people reared in the large “Ivy League” denominations leave the church because they only saw hypocrisy in the faith professed. Take note, in the large denominational churches the members want front seats at concerts and athletic events, get real excited about worldly things, but in the church, sit in the rear and generally want to hide from God's presence...in their living, in their giving, in testifying. In the large Protestant, Baptist, non-denominational groups (Joel Osteen, etc.), the atheist or agnostic can feel perfectly at ease in a so-called worship service. As one black preacher told me, “I figure I will hold onto the church just in case there is something to it, hoping for heaven and to escape the wrath of God.” So, we have millions “hoping and figuring” in religion, as well as in patriotism.

The Bible is a Jewish law book. The rest of us (Gentiles) are important only as we affect the Jewish religion, the Jew. The Old Testament prophet, Nehemiah, was the King's cup bearer, the first line of defense between the King and his enemies. In the course of today's royal families, he was the food taster...the one who tasted the King's food first to make sure no one had poisoned him. It is still done with royalty and with people of great power and wealth (King Hussein, late King of Jordan before his son, the present King Abdullah went to the thrown at the death of his father, was said to have had many dead cats in the palace. Cats were used as the food tasters).

The Muslim world, numbering over one billion, will use any form of death (suicide bombers, gas, dogs) to enforce their religion. Muslims figure that they will take over the world through the death of infidels or the conviction of non-believers. Their rapid move into Europe and America, the high birthrate of their children, surely should be defined. For every church building in England which is sold because of non-use, two Muslim mosques are built. There are more Muslims in the United States than Jews. For instance, in Yemen (population 23 million) 50% of the Muslim population is under 15 years of age. There are 48 predominate Muslim countries. I found in traveling through each that the populations were mostly children. I found the same in Mexico, a population of children...in Muslim countries, as predominate Catholic countries, religious zealotry is anti-American and pro-drug culture.

Like our great American bankruptcy (all American systems expected to be bankrupt in eight years), we just “hope and figure” that we are wrong, that our eyes have deceived us...that we really do not understand what we see down the road. Like the new mortgages (pick and pay), you pick to pay interest only, a never ending mortgage of a certain amount ($1 million house, $500-$800 per month as far as the eye can see) or a (hoping and figuring) new mortgage contract every five years. Can one even imagine the lack of sobriety in the financial world...none of the technical graphs work anymore...only disaster seen in the future. Even those with doubts and despair...those who did not trust...are flaying and grasping at the straws of any hope...even in the hope of new age, cults or even Witchcraft.

80% of those in mental hospitals are there because they could no longer figure on hope. FAITH IS A GIFT. There are certain absolutes in the world, regardless of what your college professor told you...Good and Evil...Right and Wrong...Heaven and Hell. Twenty seven times in one book of the Bible, Psalms, “the mercies of the Lord endure forever”. Learn to depend on His mercy, His atonement, His redemption.