Upside Down

For many years, I owned a Manhattan apartment near the United Nations building, knew many people who worked at the UN, and because of my extensive travels all over the world, was invited by UN friends to certain receptions. I know more than I even wanted to know about the United Nations. It is a useless group. Just a party place for the international jet set. In front of the UN secretary building, is the Dag Hammarskjold boulevard. Dag Hammarskjold Swedish diplomat was secretary general of the UN. He was killed in a plane crash on his way to Moise Tshombe in 1961. In his Bible were found these words written by him, “If you are a Christian, you can always face death when it comes.”

A story which we have all heard, involves one of the worlds greatest warriors, Alexander the Great. A soldier was brought to him for some infraction, Alexander the Great asked him his name, it just so happens that the soldiers name was Alexander. Alexander the great said, “either change your name or change your way of living.”

Once in Northern Greece, I was at a historical event where supposedly was located the home of Alexander the Great. It was all so near there that a farmer plowing in a field discovered the sculpture of 'Nike” the Greek goddess of victory. Most of you have heard of athletic shoes by that name but if the sculpture was standing when Alexander the great was living there he probably grew up thinking about victory, and the thinking of victory always leads to victory whatever the task. In speaking to the minister of music at a local baptist church, he expressed his disdain of the liberalism of the church and said, “You will never hear “Victory in Jesus” at the church.”

And so it is in this upside down world, and it has been turned upside down in my lifetime, we do not think of victory anymore in anything, anywhere. We do not considered “victory in Jesus” anymore then we consider victory in some teenage, ragtag, uncivilized pirates molesting the world's greatest naval powers.

This is an age when bad is called good and good is called bad. A person is born healthy, physically and mentally, parents spend hard earned money to give this child the very best specialized care, nutritious food, designer clothes, and yet will send this child to a totally broken education system where the child is exposed to more decadence in one hour than the goodness and decency can be instilled in the child in many hours.

If a foreign power had come to this country and installed the insane education system, which we endure, we would declare war on that foreign power for having destroyed the education system and the future progress of our nation. If a foreign power, had come to this country and jeopardized our health care system with toxic chemicals in pharmaceuticals easily purchased over the counter and even more toxic chemicals in the pharmaceuticals for which the FDA is responsible, we would declare war on that foreign power.

If a foreign power, had come to this country, taken over the entertainment industry with the forfeiture of every decent story, replacing it instead with the slimiest features a depraved mind could imagine, we would declare war on this power. If a foreign power had come to this country, published the most decadent comic book characters, the most intrusive pornography including nudity and perversion, we would declare war on that country. If a foreign power had come to this country, had declared bacteriological warfare on our foods, while they were being processed, while we were watching, we would not be withdrawing many more from the shelves than we are at present and we would declare war on that country.

Albert Einstein, mathematical genius, said, “The most incomprehensible thing about our universe is that it is comprehensible.” Millions of our tax dollars will be spent by atheists in the fields of science and astronomy, trying to prove the “big bang”, trying to find the “black hole”, and even trying to find “antimatter”. Aristotle said, “Politics is nothing more then three people trying to reach a decision about “common welfare” without one intimidating the others. There are 1,189 chapters, 31,300 verses of scriptures in the Bible, but if all the precious words of God were destroyed except John 3:16 this is sufficient to save your soul. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Dwight L Moody, who only had an eighth grade education but became one of the worlds greatest evangelist, founder of the Moody Bible institute, memorialized at the Moody church in Chicago, used John 3:16 in every sermon he preached. In the public square, in the pulpits of the nation's churches, in the homes where children are being reared to the glory of God, this verse should become a matter of our soul's existence as we become more embattled by Satan's demons who have “almost” successfully turned the world upside down.

Perversion has replaced the peace of God.

Political correctness has replaced patriotic Christianity.

Greed has replaced grace.

Filth has replaced faith.

Same-sex marriage has replaced security of the family.

Government checks has replaced dependence on God's mercy.

Lies and deceit have replaced love and decency.

And, this could go on and on, you have your own list. It is past time to choose sides, who's side are you on? I believe that 90% of faith is just raw courage, it takes a lot of faith for this old blind man to face everyday in darkness as he has done for over 40 years. Those of you who do not have faith and even those of you who have given up, you need to get your brain in “gear”, your soul replenished, start using the backbone which God gave you.

To have faith is to defy logic. It takes faith to think positively. It takes faith to believe that there is a loving God who cares deeply about our pain. To believe in life, the universe, or yourself after numerous failures is to have courage. Faith is an act of courage. It is choosing to get up in the morning and face our fears and believe that God will help us. Faith is choosing to believe that even though we may have failed one hundred times before that we can succeed the next time.