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)

The Sword That Divides

Nathan Bedford Forrest (July 13, 1821 – October 29, 1877) the only known general of the Civil War to enter the Confederate army as a private, and at the end of the war was a lieutenant general, could neither read or write, but was considered a Calvary tactician.  He was best known for his hatred of blacks other than slaves, famed for his actions at the Battle of Shilo.

In direct contrast, Major General Lewis “Lew” Wallace, Adjutant General of the state of Indiana, appointed colonel, who rose to the rank of major general, who likewise was at the battle of Shilo. A brilliant military mind, whose superior intellect enabled him to write Ben-Hur which was published in 1880. The novel was a phenomenal best-seller; it soon surpassed Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1852) as the best-selling American novel and retained this distinction until 1936. Here is an example of two great generals: one, educated, the other uneducated. One, after the war, participated in a hate group, the other, after the war, a distinguished writer, both thoroughly exposed to God’s word, and the evils and despairs of war.

I recently sold, among my civil war memorabilia, all my civil war swords.  I remember one of my great aunts, born during the civil war, while her father was away at war, who died at age 99, had his sword hanging in her house. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” ( Hebrews 4:12)

All warriors have within them, whether it becomes evident or not, an inner crucible of predetermined conviction made manifest in their actions.  Forrest had a hatred for black people shown in his fighting (conflicting evidence at the Battle at Fort Pillow where black POW’s were slain) and Wallace who was more the “gentleman” officer, the true intellectual.

I still believe Franklin D Roosevelt could have prevented many of the holocaust deaths if he had bombed the railroad track leading into the death camps.  He only had the attention of 2 Jews, Henry Morganthua (Secretary of the Treasury under FDR, he addressed the matter of food and medicine for Jewish refugees), Ms. Cordell Hull (Secretary of War under FDR longest serving secretary of War, 11 years. Cordell Hull is buried in the floor of the National cathedral) was married to a Jew but FDR told her and Morganthau that this is a Christian country and he was reluctant to get involved in a Nazi-Jewish war. Perhaps this is the reason the ship load of Jewish refugees, the S.S. Saint Louis was refused entry to the USA by Roosevelt, to Canada and to Cuba, finally returning to Europe where 288 disembarked in Great Britain. The remaining 619 passengers disembarked at Antwerp; 224 were accepted by France, 214 by Belgium, and 181 into the Netherlands, where they were safe until Hitler invaded these countries.

The sword of truth does not seem to cut very deeply into the minds of Jews since they vote almost as a block for Roosevelt’s Democrat party. Jews account for 2% of the US population, yet control much of the entertainment and financial activity in this country. Jews voted 78% for Obama, and Obama is Israel's greatest enemy. I reject the notion that the Jews are God’s chosen people, since all the records were destroyed when Jerusalem was burned by the Romans in 70 AD . It is difficult to establish Jewish ancestry. Many Gentiles have converted to Judaism including Marilyn Monroe and Sammy Davis Jr. 

Once, on one of my several trips to Israel, I was in the Hilton hotel in Jerusalem talking with Totie Fields (comedian and entertainer) and her husband, she was already in a wheelchair at the time, and this was her first trip to Israel (Totie died in 1978).  Frank Sinatra was there at the time because I remember him passing by and speaking to us, his philanthropy for Israel is well known.  I was telling her about my problems in getting to Hebron from Jerusalem, she said, “Dr. Morris, what is wrong with this part of the world?”.  I said,” The same thing that caused the civil war in our country: religion, racial hatred, and economics”.  Men have always chosen to solve these problems with the sword rather than with truth and benevolence. 

In the final analysis, when Christianity enters into the final conflict against Islam we can forget the participation of the Jewish nation. Israel has used conflicting Muslim countries to her advantage on the international stage. Why crying foul, Israel has controlled much of the economic activity around her, certainly on the West Bank.

The machete, (a different shaped sword) are being used to chop up fellow human beings by political parties in Uganda, Rwanda, Congo, Sudan, and other African countries. These implements of violent death are being shipped by manufacturers in Latin America in boxes marked “garden tools”.

Former Chief Justice Warren Burger has stated “Pornography destroys the very fabric of human life“. Around 1988, most church denominations started on their trek to liberalism, same sex marriage, welcoming homosexual members and even ministers and bishops,  ambiguity toward world social problems ( warfare such as Angola, Somalia, Sudan, etc). We have never been able to synthesize the difference in pornography in our homes (the dirty book store via computer in every home) with the ravishing of women and children in third world countries. The political payout of money to promising dictators, just to keep the cap on nuclear destruction (Pakistan, India, North Korea, etc). 

With the hordes of antagonists ready to fight for a false God and false prophet (population Cairo 17 million). The Islamic portraits of faith put at the top of their list those who die as martyrs killing infidels (suicide bombers among civilian and military) In the Judeo-Christian faith, our portraits of faith honor those who have given themselves for good.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
(Hebrews 11:1-6)

One of my mothers friends, Laura Belle Barnard, went to India in 1930 as a foreign missionary.  She wrote the book, “One World”.  I don’t know how many converts she made to Christianity in India, probably not very many, but she was willing to go there, live among the people and share the gospel of the “good news of love and life”.

Once, when getting off a boat at the Ganges river, I felt something hanging onto my legs (I am a totally blind 100% disabled service connected veteran) I asked my guide, “what is hanging onto me?” He said, “children that are professional beggars”. Then, I learned about the most pitiful in the world's most populated country, who would go to a village, steal children, chop off some limbs and make professional beggars of them. They would stay around tourist places to keep from being abused, begging coins to give to their owner. Are the world's power-brokers, including the elected and appointed officials of the world's only superpower, any better than the “owners” of these begging children?