How & Why

How & Why

Isaiah 26:3

King James Version (KJV)

³ Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

            In the study of microbiology it is not HOW God designed the trillions of cells that make up the human body, but the WHY.  In dealing with enzymes, fungi (i.e. the clotting of blood, why every cell's function must work out so exact), science has always been baffled, can not reproduce or even explain this miracle of creation.

            There can be no opposition between faith and science!  It is interesting that Bill Gates, the world's richest man, promoter of eugenics and euthanasia, sends his family to church.  Gates said there is no opposition to people going to church.  Many unbelievers have always had difficulty adjusting their scientific beliefs to the supernatural beliefs of the church. 

            In Pisa, Italy, I could well imagine Galileo, a Roman Catholic, observing the heavens with his telescope.  The Catholic priest would not even look through the telescope, although Galileo's daughter was a nun. 

            From the period of enlightenment, even until this day, most scientist and some liberal theologians, think man has the ability to redeem himself.  No one can doubt the good that science has brought to mankind... travel, communication, and more comfortable lifestyles (this writer well remembers the time before air conditioning, refrigeration, air travel... I well remember when there were very few cars in an entire community, only one telephone, the time before zippers, plastic, deodorant, etc.).  Science can not determine good from evil, overcome evil and even death (with all of our government and foundation grants, the zenith in education, more people die from disease than ever before!  There are more mental health problems than ever before, for instance 22 military veterans commit suicide EVERY DAY!!!)  Science can not speak to love, the love of a child for a parent, the love between two persons of the opposite sex, love of country, love of God.  Science will never be able to define or deny the human emotions at a funeral service.  Science can not define or deny the boundary of hope! 

            In Charles Dickens' Christmas Carol, the girlfriend of Scrooge, said, "he fears too much."  God speaks of fear 365 times in His word.  Able bodied people can not picture themselves in wheelchairs, blind, bedridden.  Most of the world is caught up in depression and stress.  The annual cost to treat depression in the US is 44-55 BILLION dollars!  Most people, even very young people, are like a very taunt-stretched string... ready to snap.  They think taking drugs (and all drugs have side effects) will lessen the stress on the string.  That stress can be loosened-relieved by faith.  I am not talking a "playing church" faith.  I speak of the real thing,  a new birth-creation of repentance and belief.  Real faith is action, based on belief, sustained by confidence.  In the new birth, the old person of sin and rejection is replaced by the righteousness of Christ.  Through God's spectacles, looking at you, He sees the righteousness of Jesus.  Many who can not believe, well exposed through church and society, to the activities of faith, are far from comfortable-convinced in their unbelief... a prescription for misery.  Have you ever thought of the joy of seeing the expression in the face of our blessed Lord as he stood before Pilot?!  Here, God in man, the One who created the world, being questioned by this penny ante governor, about truth.  Pilot, only interested in his 15 year old wife, questioning God!  Can you even imagine Jesus' face as He was thinking, "One look and I could vaporize you."  When will Christians learn the blessedness of their faith?!   The contentment of overcoming anger with forgiveness. 

Matthew 11:25-27

King James Version (KJV)

²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

            When one can understand, that which science has never been able to explain, simple forgiveness... a small child still loving the parent after discipline... an abused animal still loving it's master.  We will begin to believe in love such as Jesus expressed on Calvary when he said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."  Luke 23:34

            Many think it is easier to live without faith, the boundaries of faith, or the gift of redemption.  The atheist, in fact, all people they want to believe they will go to heaven.  They don't want to spend eternity with the decadent hateful-sinful people with whom they have had so much fun with here on earth.  God hates sin and everything involved in sin. 

Proverbs 6:16-19

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

¹⁷ A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸ An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹ A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

            The TV personality, Phil Donahue, atheist, said, "Why did God not correct everything bad here on earth?"  The truth is the truth whether anyone believes it or not.  God did correct everything through His only begotten son who came to this earth, in the "fullness of time" (Galatians 4:4) to live as an example for all of us and then, because of his love for us, die a sacrificial death and, through believing in Him, become a joint heir in His inheritance. 

Romans 8:17

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁷ And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Cross Cut Saw

An articulate black woman talked to me recently at a social function. She was telling me that she had just received her Masters and was about to start on her PhD. She related how hard she had worked to achieve this academic accomplishment and how proud her parents were of her. I said, “Is there a man in your life”? She said, “Through middle school high school, college, the thought has ravaged my psyche” “Where will I find a soul mate”? “The black men I know are not worth the ammunition it would take to kill them... dropouts, hangouts, no ambition, no morals, complete lack of character.” “Why, Dr., would I give myself to such a man?” This is the greatest problem for most educated ambitious black women. “I am not going to spend my life preparing for a good life to support a nothing. I want children but I want the father of my children to be respectable.”

Character determines destiny. The lack of character in males is not just a black problem. I am totally amazed with the feminization of males. I am told that there is no longer a competitive spirit in males... athletics, female conquest, or even personal and business ambition. Time after time, year after year, hiring young men to work for me and I can only use college graduates, I find their zest for accomplishment wanting, respect for an older accomplished person totally lacking. Three young men, working for me, fresh from military service, on the job, just walked off. Even before I left the military, many years ago, it was obvious that most young men entering the military were mamas boys. One after another, still holding on to the apron strings rather than go through the rigors of basic training would find some reason to get a chaplain or psychologist's excuse. Esprit De Corps is the greatest weapon the soldier possesses. Like team spirit on the athletic field, maleness is essential in war, athletics, religion.

I remember, when a woman could not use a female name after having written a book , she used a male nom de plume. I have not forgotten a woman on one of my arctic trips. She told me that even though she had graduated medical school she had never practiced because she was a woman. In the 1950s, when I was in school there was only one girl in my class. Dr. Margaret Swanson, professor of pathology (UNC-CH) said to me the time will come when women doctors can do something other than teach . From 1980 until now women graduates in all of the health care fields, law and most other professions, have doubled. Females now outnumber males in most professions, business, even politics. Unlike Michelle Obama, picking the pockets of the treasury in her mad flame as “Queen of the good life” (42 days , $10M spent on vacation this year) Many women politicians are consecrated conservative concerned Christians.

From the founding of my family at Morristown, NJ to the colonial Lucas family, who owned most of Wilson county, I have had a profound ancestry. It took me many years to realize it, outstanding ancestry, exceptional parents... all this, my life, made COMPLETE in my commitment to Jesus Christ. My father got much smarter when I went to college. I realize now that the entire community., the entire church had watched my parents, in their youth, and then marry. It was the Great Depression, few remember how hard it was. I was their first child, their wealth. I know now that the entire community and church watched the development of a child of these exceptional parents... the most attractive, social couple in the community. I remember the first time I came home from college, the large church built in 1874 by may ancestors, all so excited that Thomas was home from college. It was not me but my parents they were honoring. Time after time, people I hardly knew, church members,preachers, people I hadly knew would say to me (my parents attended all churches, loved to sing) “our church revival does not get started until we hear your parents in the congregation”.

Times were hard. My parents were the hardest working people I have ever known. My father was determined to make a man of me. The other boys in the small country school may have stayed after school and played ball. My father had me on one end of a cross cut saw, sawing wood for the “cook stove”, the “wood heaters” in the house, even the wood curing tobacco barns. Later, my younger brothers were not exposed to such hard work. Oil was used in the curing barns and heat for the house but, during those hard times my father owned 300 acres of woodland and wood was cheap. It just took two men with a cross cut saw to fell the trees saw, split, and prepare the wood for use..

I Started plowing early, one of our mules, “Nell”, taught me to plow. Treasure the memories of hard work, the competitive spirit, giving even your eyesight in warfare for your country.

GOD, give us men!
A time like this demands
Strong minds, great hearts, true faith and ready hands;
Men whom the lust of office does not kill;
Men whom the spoils of office can not buy;
Men who possess opinions and a will;
Men who have honor; men who will not lie;
Men who can stand before a demagogue
And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking!
Tall men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog
In public duty, and in private thinking;
For while the rabble, with their thumb-worn creeds,
Their large professions and their little deeds,
Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps,
Wrong rules the land and waiting Justice sleeps

God Give Us Men: Gilbert Holland

My Mean Parents

Before he died, Dr. Benjamin Spock apologized to the world for his book Baby and Child Care, the book translated into 39 languages, that sold 59 million copies was the epistle of the child-rearing culture for over thirty years. Spock encouraged parents to see children as individuals, very permissive, bringing on a spoiled generation seeking immediate gratification, and having few rules in their lives. This is the present day baby boomers.

I do not know of a book in memory that has caused as much excitement as Amy Chau's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, in this book she discusses the rearing of two daughters, using the model of Chinese/Asian mothers. It is no secret that Asian students excel, almost all university valedictorians are Asian. She speaks of how each Asian students, her daughters, must excel, no grades less than an A, no extracurricular activities, no sleepovers, no complaints, must play one of two instruments, piano or violin. She describes how the student must have perfection in the instrument, practice until accomplishment. The mother, herself, is a professor at Yale Law School, this is the way she was reared, and indeed, the way most Asian students are schooled.

On a personal note, my own two grandsons were reared in Asia where their parents Dr. and Mrs. John Morris were on the foreign mission field of the Southern Baptist Convention. Both parents have graduate degrees, my son, medical school, and now a Ph.D professor at Southwestern Seminary. They did not accept anything less than an A from these two grandsons, I believe the two grandsons, like their father, my son, received all As in their scholastic careers, except for one B. The grandsons, lawyer and engineer, both played musical instruments, played on athletic teams.

When my grandsons returned to America to enter college, they were so far ahead of students here, both received outstanding full-scholarships. This aging grandfather did not have the opportunity of the preparation afforded my son and grandsons. I went to a small, poor eastern North Carolina country school. Today's youth would not identify the schools of poverty-ridden eastern North Carolina with today's modern matriculation. There was no air conditioning, carpeting, special equipment of any kind, just rented books, chalkboards, and the old uncomfortable wood desks, in rows. There was thirteen students in my high school graduating class, of course, I was class president and valedictorian...but ill-prepared for college.

My mean parents, however, made sure that their four children were in school everyday unless hospitalized, and I do not believe any one of us ever went to the hospital. My father was determined that his children would get a college education. I do not believe there is any man who ever lived who worked harder than he did toward that goal (all his children did graduate from college). In the early 20^th century, there were few college graduates, he too had come from an exceptional family, most went to college, but during the depth of the early 20^th century depressions, he could not go.

My mother, who only had a 6^th grade education (today, probably equivalent to a college education), one of the brightest women I have ever known. Pushed us every step of the way, like the Chinese mother, tiger mom, we did not have much choice in many things. We ate breakfast before we went to school (you will eat breakfast so you can learn). Think of the children bussed from neighborhoods who need education most, who are fed at the schoolhouse, parents too disinterested to even feed their children, mornings or summer vacations.

As poor as we were, we all had piano lessons. I remember the day that beautiful Verdi, mahogany upright was delivered to our house. As poor as we were, a newspaper was delivered to the house everyday including Sunday, several magazines each month (Look, Progressive Farmer, The Baptist). We had schedules, table rules, behavior rules at home, and especially away from home. We had duties, keeping the wood boxes filled, yard cleaning, livestock feeding etc. The most important education pushed on us, the one from which you will never recover, the value of a dollar, the saving of money.

My mean parents made sure we were at the church house just as at the schoolhouse, we had no choice about that either. There was never any talk about options, we were at the church, participating at all church activities, as was our parents, grandparents, great grandparents, ancestors before us. I do not believe that my mean parents ever expected to find one of us in jail.

On radio talk shows, many modernistic psychologically warped parents do not agree with the tiger mom, nor Asian parents in general. Many believe that children are born trained and educated. The Bible, the One who wrote it, the One who designed the cell as well the stars in the Milky Way, the One who designed every snowflake that has ever fallen, the One who designed every feature of their body, including the clotting of blood, think God is just ignorant. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) You do not have to teach your child to lie, cheat, or steal. It is up to the parent to train them not to do such. The older I get the more I realize the absolute innocence and ignorance of children. There have been many quotes about the molding of children, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, perhaps Billy Graham said it best, “Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children.” Jails, mental hospitals, counseling offices, are filled with people whose parents wanted their children to like them, to be their friend, rather than enforce the discipline to train them.

In one of my hospital trips to one of the world's greatest hospitals, Massachusetts General, I ate one evening with a PhD professor friend. It is rare for me to have ever eaten at an elitist restaurant. I could tell there was a child running around in the place, jerking things off of diner's tables. My friend recognized the parents of the child, both professors in the psychology department of Harvard University. They were trying to pretend that they did not know the child. My friend said, “they have written peer-reviewed papers on child-rearing, child behavior.” My mean parents loved us too much not to keep us close, not to be identified with us. They realized that our training was the most important thing for our life, now and for eternity.

From the Same Litter

The most astounding biological and genetic fact of human life is the very evident birth of children from the same parents who are so very different. The largest cell of a human body is that of the female cell that is impregnated by the sperm of a male, resulting in a new life containing the genetic-hereditary characteristics of both the mother and father. Whether one cell or a million cells later in the gestation period, this is a new life; a new individual, named and selected by God for life. After 37 days, the heartbeat begins, but from the very beginning, one molecule in each cell of that human body contains all the hereditary genetic characteristics of both parents which would fill many pages. This precious child is to be birthed, to be trained, and raised, as we are told, in the very image of God. One would think that the offspring of parents would be very much alike. Even identical twins have their differences.

I have enclosed a marvelous 1989 Abbot painting of a mother dog and her litter. This is sent to you, with my compliments, since I have the complete and wonderful set. But, even in a litter like this, each puppy has his own character; his own behavior patterns. There is not a parent who will read this who will disagree that there is a tremendous difference in their own children. They look very much alike as to physical appearance just as my son and grandsons have certain of my facial characteristics. The older we get, the more we realize how much more our actions resemble those of our parents and grandparents, even to the kindness shown to others.

This very morning, as my driver and I arrived at a fast food restaurant to get some breakfast, I opened my door and a black older woman made my day by blessing us with her greeting and quoting scripture to us about God's blessing. Now, I don't know who this lady is. She did not know me, but one must not go to the depths of Africa to be a witness to the graciousness of our blessed Savior.

Over a lifetime, I have attended many churches. I have given much money to God's work (awards, scholarships, missions, etc.). It is a rare thing indeed for a recipient to even thank me for the generosity of God given and extended through me. I wish I knew there were five people who prayed for this totally disabled, totally blind man each day. The country church, built by my great grandparents in 1874, supported by both parents, parents and grandparents, always showed appreciation for my gifts because I was one of the first to break the cycle of poverty and be able to be guided by God to give. From the time I was in college, the pastors always asked me to give a word of greeting and prayer each time I visited. In recent years, they care nothing about my prayers or my greetings.

The older people in that country church as well as the much larger city churches which I have been associated, know that I have the right to live my life according to God's will; that my trust is entirely in Him. GOD IS BOSS! Most of my relatives, like my friends, just “play church.” God has assured me, that this is the least of my worries. When, this week, we learned of Michael Jackson's unexpected demise, my assistant reminded me of the many recordings which I own along with the almost 50,000 others in my hobby collection and, of course, we have already begun to sell them. My first thought, at his death, was his “soul direction”. If, somewhere, he had learned of sin's ruin and Christ's redemption perhaps in the last seconds he, like anyone else, could have made a “course correction”. Many times, in many places, I have made the statement, if one could ask any deceased person, regardless of destination, “What would you have done differently?” I believe the answer would always be, “Trust in God.” My prayer for my siblings, my cousins, the many with whom I have come in contact in a very busy life that they would find the true answer for living “to God be the glory”.

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. “ 1 Corinthians 10:31

We only go around one time and we know how quick the trip. The precious arteries in our body carry blood 12,000 miles a day. One of the three big ones: heart attack, cancer or stroke, will eventually get most of us. I had a pastor tell me once, “It bothers me when I walk up to a group of men and they cease talking and laughing.” I said, “Don't let this bother you. They are laughing and talking about something which most the time, does not honor God and they honor you and me by knowing such.” This has been my experience, my entire life, even among family members. Most people are much more interested in soap operas, gossip columns, political trash or some overpaid ball player than God's work or His workmanship. If the Governor of South Carolina, if the Senator from Nevada, if many of these other snakes and vipers had any honesty and integrity such as they profess when making promises seeking your vote we would not have a country steeped in bankruptcy, seething with debauchery, actually thinking and hoping that the whores in cat-houses on the Potomac in Washington DC and Jones Street in Raleigh, NC would give you reason to have some patriotic hope for this nation. I told one of my assistants, this very morning, what would people think if she denied food to her young children? Yet, the voters of this nation, having voted for Obama and his ilk, having trusted the lobbyists and their elected protégées, have so indebted this nation that your grandchildren will not afford to eat. Just yesterday, in a vote of 219-212, congress voted in favor of the major energy-climate bill, capping months of negotiations and days of intense bargaining among Democrats. Republicans were overwhelmingly against the measure, arguing it would destroy jobs in the midst of a recession while burdening consumers with a new tax in the form of higher energy costs.

In every century, God's people have been deceived. Moses' greatest problem, when delivering the children of Israel from 400 years of bondage, was the “mixed multitude” interspersed with them, non believers, complainers, deceivers. Today's greatest problems are the deceivers. There is always, a password, to determine if you are in a mixed multitude, just ask, “Are you a saved, born-again Christian?” As in the computer, this password will determine the difference and you are wise to escape the deceivers. “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17 To escape deception, to please God, you may lose family, friends, business, you will probably seek another church but God will not hold you guiltless, if you have not placed Him first in your life. Just because you came from the same parents, ate at the same table, does not mean you are related. Be careful who you call brother. The unbelievers in your family, in your church, even in your civic clubs, are not your brothers. (1 Corinthians 5:11) He may have on a Roman collar, he may be able to recite much scripture, but he is not to be called father. (Matthew 23:9)

In this world, corruption, lies, felony, such government acts as the cover-up act of the murder of a president (JFK), the unimaginable cover-up of the Oklahoma City bombing where 169 Americans were killed, the downing of a TWA flight in which hundreds were killed and which cost $36 million tax dollars to bring up 95% of the plane from the New York Harbor, revealing no answers at all, and many other cover-ups of your government, such as the manipulation of oil prices, drug prices, even financial fraud. You may feel like a voice crying in the wilderness, but even if you have no respect left for yourself think of the future welfare of your children and grandchildren.

There is no one word in the English language, that describes the corruption, cover-up insane activity of present day government. To think that we can pay our debts by spending more money, to think that we can pay social security taxes by killing more children and marrying more same-sex individuals, to think we can prosper by making everyone poor is only to verify that it will take the justice of God to purify this contamination.