Who Do You Trust?

I was in a remote village in Thailand, there were three older people with me in a car, and a guide. We were there to see a famous Buddhist temple, as in most of the impoverished villages of the world, children everywhere...all begging, all in need. The three other tourists were much older than me, our guide being the youngest in our group. You are always told in these situations not to give “baksheesh” to anyone. These children's parents probably make a dollar or two a week, the children will never go to school, never work, if they find that by begging they can make enough money to live, as much as a working parent. The old man with us, a former concert pianist from San Francisco, with a complete lapse in his senses, took some candy from his pocket and gave it to two of the “cute” children. When he did, they launched on him, taking him down to the ground, going through all his pockets and almost killing him. He was so wounded that he had to be taken back to the car. You can describe these things forever, but few, unless they were there, will believe you. I gave this illustration recently in describing to someone why survival classes are should be taught in our schools and colleges. Don't we have enough sense to know that at any minute, any day, America can be thrown into a state of anarchy? People will be frantic to survive.

You have seen this in times of disaster: hurricanes, earthquakes, etc. Store shelves will be empty, no large delivery trucks on the highways, gas stations closed, as are all restaurants and healthcare facilities. The police, the fire fighters, doctors, nurses, all will be at their homes trying to protect their own families. I asked an elderly patient recently, “do you have your meds in a bag, so if you are forced to leave on short notice, you can have them with you? Do you have good walking shoes? There will be no gas for your car and no public transportation. Do you have some survival foods, and containers of drinking water that you can take with you?” Those who depend on the government to take care of them in good times, will surely depend on the government to take care of them in horrible times. But, those of us who have accepted responsibility for our lives, should act responsibly in preparing for a time of disaster. It will just take one nuclear explosion in America and the entire world will come to a standstill, no public transportation, planes, buses, trains, etc. No water coming out of any faucets.

The true test of Christianity will come when you have to protect your home and your meager supplies from hungry, desperate people. I lived through the great depression, there were desperate people then. 7 million Americans starved to death, that was a time when 90% of people lived on farm lands where some sparse food was available. Today, 90% of the population lives in cities, spoiled to fast food places.

One hundred years ago, 1910, life expectancy for my parents, born in that year, was 47. Most of my uncles and aunts died around the age of 50. There was no running water in the White House until 1900, in 1910 only 14% of American homes had running water, and much fewer had electric power. I have a kerosene lamp here in this room which gave me light when I studied as a child. I well remember our first electric lights, we were so happy to have that one light hanging down from the ceiling. In the United States of America there were only 144 miles of paved road, in 1910 there were only 8,000 automobiles. The average wage was 22 cents per hour, I remember working all day, as a child, to make one dollar. The average US worker made between $200 and $400 the entire year, an accountant could expect to earn $2000, a dentist $2500, an engineer could make around $5000. At least 95% of all births took place at home, and most healthcare practitioners, like lawyers, had no college education, just studied with an older practitioner. Now this was just 100 years ago and I still remember some of those doctors and lawyers, who made a good living, great contributions to their community, learning by doing, not depending on contacts at an ivy league school, nor the rewards of the good ol' boy network.

Technology has changed the world, but human nature has never changed. One race, one nation, the Jewish, are a history concerning God's providence, promises, punishment, for those who he had predestined. This nation was delivered from the unbearable slavery of Egypt, delivered toward the promised land, but, like today's church members, Gentiles, who have been redeemed, delivered, it takes just a short while, in the desert to long for the “flesh pots”, cucumbers, melons, of sinful Egypt. The promised land lies ahead but we simply do not believe God has the power to get us there.

The greatest power in all the world, is the power of God, made available to us (Ephesians 1:17-19). There is a condition with this power, we do not pray to a God unaware of our worship, fasting, giving...unaware of our devotion to him. If ye love me, keep my commandments (John 14:15) Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (John 14:12) Those of us who are just playing church, who do we think we are fooling? This is the reason that Christians and the church are powerless.

When you get my age, you need people who you can trust. Think about it, no immediate family, who can you trust, whether going on a trip or going to the nursing home? Do you have a friend, family member, or even a lawyer, that you trust with your credit card, your check book? Someone has said that a friend is someone you can go to and ask for $100 and they go in their wallets and give it you without making a statement, asking a question. How many of us have such a friend? Someone has said that a Christian is someone who acts in a large, far away city at midnight, where no one knows him, the same way he acts at his home town at midday, where everyone knows him. Do we know many Christians? Your greatest expenses are additional costs added on to everything you buy because of thievery in the store from employees. Very few people will accumulate an estate any more because of high taxation. Local, state, and federal politicians who enjoy spending your money, not theirs. Do you know a politician, a pastor, a neighbor whom you can really trust? The midverse of the entire Bible states, trust in God and put no confidence in men (Psalm 118)