Jack LaFountain's Blog, page 15

Know Jack #407 Do as I Say.

“The essence of government is force, and most often that force is used to accomplish evil ends.” ~Walter Williams

The greatest lie since “Ye shall be as gods…” is that our modern world is too complex for everyday people to understand or to know what to do. This lie was developed in the late 1800’s and has not been expanded upon but taken as gospel. If you’re not a student of truth, at least follow the money and the power. Who has this doctrine benefited most?

The founders were students of history and that influenced the way they structured our government. But the real determining factor was that they knew human nature. They knew whatever grand scheme of government a country may espouse; it will be administered by human beings and that will always be its greatest weakness. The founders feared power consolidated in a single set of hands or a single faction for that reason.

They were right but they were overruled by people who had “evolved”. By the end of the 19th Century, even though people were better and smarter, the world was still too complicated for them to understand. Experts were needed to shepherd the unsophisticated masses. Every crisis needed governmental expertise.

As our government is gearing up for mandates and lockdowns of the populace, it’s interesting to find the former mask evangelist, who is no longer the government’s voice, says they are unnecessary. The President wants more money to spend on “vaccines that work”. There’s no real push on to make this sound true or threatening anymore. Force is enough. We as citizens should ask ourselves to what end is this force to be employed?

The original temptation hasn’t lost its strength. There are those who still seek to be as gods and will find a way to get as close to that as they can. The way is called government.

Maranatha

Lost Crusader # 200 Take a Load Off

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus Christ ~ Matthew 11:28

You’ve probably heard it said that knowledge is power. Most of those I hear speak these words seem to mean that by increasing their knowledge, they increase their power—whether that power is vibrational, intellectual, or martial. However, knowledge is a two-edged sword. It is as apt to cut the one wielding it as readily as their foe.

Consider the words of James. “Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Knowing the good and right thing to do in any given situation lays upon the possessor of such knowledge the obligation to act upon it. That is an extremely difficult task. It wore Elijah down until he asked God to just let him die. Paul urged Christians in Thessalonica, “be not weary in well doing”.

God’s people labored under the Law of Moses to keep themselves spiritually, morally, and ethically clean. So wearisome was their labor, Paul called the Law a taskmaster—imagery linked to their bondage in Egypt. Failure to keep the Law in every jot and tittle produced an enormous load of guilt.

A singular truth about people is that, in most situations, we know the morally right thing to do—and we don’t always do it. Except for the pathologically ill among us, that produces guilt. Granted some feel it more keenly than others. Some confess that they are able to ignore it. I’m skeptical about that, but I’ll take their word for it.

To those whose behavior has never produced a hint of guilt, to those able to ignore feelings of guilt, and to those who find personal guilt a social/psychological construct of a less enlightened age, Jesus has nothing to say. Keep on growing in knowledge and power.

To those whose knowledge tells them that they are less holy than God, to those who have failed to be perfect in their thoughts, words, and actions, and to those laboring under the burden of that failure, Jesus says, “Come unto me”.

Jesus offers grace when our conscience condemns us and forgiveness when our conscience is correct in its estimation. His grace frees us from working for salvation. This is not to say good works cease—only that they are no longer the way to God—they are the result of God in us. Forgiveness rolls away the burden of guilt that would crush us. We are too weak to bear it. Jesus lifts it from our backs and gives us rest.

“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but to them which are called, both Jew and Greek, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

Maranatha

Lost Crusader # 405 Take a Load Off

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Jesus Christ ~ Matthew 11:28

You’ve probably heard it said that knowledge is power. Most of those I hear speak these words seem to mean that by increasing their knowledge, they increase their power—whether that power is vibrational, intellectual, or martial. However, knowledge is a two-edged sword. It is as apt to cut the one wielding it as readily as their foe.

Consider the words of James. “Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Knowing the good and right thing to do in any given situation lays upon the possessor of such knowledge the obligation to act upon it. That is an extremely difficult task. It wore Elijah down until he asked God to just let him die. Paul urged Christians in Thessalonica, “be not weary in well doing”.

God’s people labored under the Law of Moses to keep themselves spiritually, morally, and ethically clean. So wearisome was their labor, Paul called the Law a taskmaster—imagery linked to their bondage in Egypt. Failure to keep the Law in every jot and tittle produced an enormous load of guilt.

A singular truth about people is that, in most situations, we know the morally right thing to do—and we don’t always do it. Except for the pathologically ill among us, that produces guilt. Granted some feel it more keenly than others. Some confess that they are able to ignore it. I’m skeptical about that, but I’ll take their word for it.

To those whose behavior has never produced a hint of guilt, to those able to ignore feelings of guilt, and to those who find personal guilt a social/psychological construct of a less enlightened age, Jesus has nothing to say. Keep on growing in knowledge and power.

To those whose knowledge tells them that they are less holy than God, to those who have failed to be perfect in their thoughts, words, and actions, and to those laboring under the burden of that failure, Jesus says, “Come unto me”.

Jesus offers grace when our conscience condemns us and forgiveness when our conscience is correct in its estimation. His grace frees us from working for salvation. This is not to say good works cease—only that they are no longer the way to God—they are the result of God in us. Forgiveness rolls away the burden of guilt that would crush us. We are too weak to bear it. Jesus lifts it from our backs and gives us rest.

“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom: but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but to them which are called, both Jew and Greek, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

Maranatha

Know Jack #406 Marked Safe

I’ve heard that curiosity killed the cat. Though that is mutated from the original line it has stuck around for a long time. Having been declared the least curious person in the world by multiple sources, I’m running with it. I have found sufficient evidence in such sayings and the media to predict I just might have a long life.

It is true that, except for my characters, I don’t spend time pondering why people do things or how they come up with their ideas. I run like crazy from celebrity news, pop culture, and modern entertainment. I just don’t want to know. I don’t bother about the relevance of the ethics and scruples of presidential candidates or their families. I have a rather fatalistic view of modern politics in general which makes curiosity in the subject a non-starter for me.

Since only the good die young, I feel pretty safe there too. I’m too bland to be good and lack the zing to be bad. I don’t think you will ever see my neighbors on the news proclaiming my death a tragedy because I was such a saint. Well, that and I’m past young already.

I’ve seen intelligent people come to a tragic end when they do stupid things. Strangely though, it seems stupid people can do stupid things with impunity. Yet one more principle that seems to promise me reasonable longevity. As time and chance happen to all men, perhaps a factor in being among the fittest of our species is blind, dumb luck. That more than talent or intelligence works in my favor.

There are two more factors in favor of my continuing to age. The first is completely out of my hands and has occurred more or less by default—I’m already older than I ever thought I’d be. The other factor I stumbled upon (blind dumb luck?) later than most.

There may be one of the Ten Commandments that I haven’t broken. And wouldn’t you know it, that one comes with a promise. If you honor your mother and father, your days may be prolonged. It would be to my credit to say I did this by design, but that’s not true. It just came naturally.

I keep growing older, but you can mark me safe from ever growing up. I still laugh at puns involving the seventh planet and nursing humor involving bodily functions. I can’t resist those buttons on toys with the TRY ME sign. And I will watch every Three Stooges film I can find as many times as I can while quoting my favorite lines.

Niagara Falls!

Lost Crusader #199 Caveat Emptor

“Ask, and it shall be given you…”

Matthew 7:7

This single phrase is often extended to those in distress as a blank check in which anything might be written, and happy results ensue. Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it. Now, those words are not in scripture, but the principle behind it is.

In conjunction with Jesus’ exhortation to ask, he illustrates the role of God as Father giving gifts to His children. “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask Him.”

This is where a lack of knowledge about the nature of God the Father fails so many petitioners. God, as Father, is not a modern-day parent held hostage in a check-out line by the tantrums of his children. Everything we desire is not good for us. When we finally come to terms with and make peace with God, we agree to enter into a Father-child relationship. We may not take our role seriously, but God does.

Every gift God, as a good Father gives to His children has a lesson attached. The gifts God gives are designed to promote our growth as individuals and the deepening of our relationship with God. As a good Father, He will say, “No” to that which does not lead to those ends.

But sometimes, He will say, “yes” to our ill-conceived requests to teach us a lesson we will not soon forget. I’m going to share just three examples of this.

In the wilderness, God gave His people manna from heaven. They had only to go out and gather up a day’s supply. But they grew tired of bread from heaven and wanted meat. After much crying, like that child in the grocery store, He sent them quail. They ate quail until it came out their nostrils.

That story always reminds me of the time I wanted to try one of my father’s cigars. He finally let me—I puked my guts out the rest of the day.

In the next instance, God’s children asked for a king to rule over them so they could be like all the other nations. God told them what life would be like under a human king, but they were not deterred by His warning. God gave them a king. A great deal of the Old Testament is filled with how their kings were their undoing.

Later, when the kingdom was destroyed, a group went to the prophet Jeremiah. They wanted him to ask God to tell them what to do. The prophet came back to tell them that God said to stay where they were. He would protect them. But they had already decided on a plan and that wasn’t it. They went into hiding in Egypt, but all the things that they feared would happen to them at home followed them—and as they feared, killed them.

When you ask God for something, He answers. The answer may not be what we wish to hear, but it is the Father’s answer nonetheless. That answer, though it may be unpleasant, is for your good. Accept it, reject it, or ignore it, God gave you the right to do any of those things. And every choice has its own set of consequences.

Maranatha

Know Jack #405 Never Satisfied

“The first draft of anything is s**t.” ―Ernest Hemingway

I do enjoy my Hemmingway quotes on writing. I think most writers would agree with him. As with anything related to human beings, it must be many and not all. I’ve heard writers say, “I ran it through Grammarly, it’s good to go”, so there is that view too. I remember taking classes in Literature in which the instructor went into great detail describing what the author was really saying. I recall thinking maybe the woods were just a bunch of trees, or a cigar is just a cigar and not disguised psychological inferences.

Now, I am not a great or a successful writer. My books are never going to be discussed in Lit Class. Perhaps those things are true because I just don’t have the intelligence to lace my words with those deep insights. That said, in this post, I am going to play literature teacher.

In doing so, I would like to point out something about Hemmingway’s statement. He may be talking about more than writing. I don’t believe he’s trying to hide what he means when he says “anything”. I think that’s just what he means; whether it’s writing or life. Knowing his end, maybe one more revision might have changed the story. I am not in a position to say.

Several years ago, I opted to go the one-more-revision route. I’m satisfied with how it turned out. But that particular instance aside, I have revised myself and the life I was writing quite frequently.

I’ve been an aircraft mechanic, a preacher, a retail manager, a sewage treatment plant operator, a nurse aide, and a registered nurse before landing in my current writing position—oh, and publisher too. That’s just in my adult life. Somewhat strange for a kid who, growing up, only ever wanted to be a veterinarian.

“Nobody’s perfect” should never be used as a justification balm. So, you're as good as the next guy. Have you taken a really hard look at the next guy? That’s not setting your sights very high. But then, there are those writers content with Grammarly.

That nobody’s perfect is a personal challenge to be better than what you are today. It is a call to be pleased with who you are while not being satisfied with how far you’ve come. If you can receive it, this is how God looks at us. He is pleased with our smallest efforts. Yet He will not be satisfied until we ride the high places of the earth with Him. Keep revising, and re-editing until He types The End.

Maranatha

Lost Crusader #198 The Best Defense

“And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18

Christians debate about the rock—and that’s a good, healthy thing to do. However, they are in agreement that the church shall prevail. Though not all of them understand just what that means and its possible implications for the present day.

City gates in scripture are defensive in nature. Breaching the gates of a city means to break its defenses opening the way for your forces to defeat and plunder the city. It is an old military adage that “the best defense is a good offense”. This is the strategic offensive principle of war. The idea is to attack and keep attacking so that your opponent is so busy defending himself that he is unable to mount an attack of his own.

It is not a foolproof strategy. It failed Hitler in World War II and George Foreman in The Rumble in the Jungle. Constant offense requires limitless resources in order to work. Christianity has the resources and a secure supply pipeline in the person of the Holy Spirit. The church’s present weakness is an unwillingness to use what God has given. Most Christians have been frightened into passivity, lest they offend.

They did not learn this from Christ. Jesus spoke the words the Father gave Him. According to Isaiah, that word accomplished what God sent it to do. When His disciples “said unto Him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?” He answered, “let them alone, they be blind leaders of the blind…”

It is equally true that a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city and we are not to give offense to the weak in faith. So, there is a fine line to walk in an offensive strategy. But nowhere in scripture is it implied that spiritual warfare is easy, pain-free, bloodless or to be avoided.

Cowering on the defensive will never prevail against the forces of evil. Victory comes through offensive action. The message of the Gospel is both confrontational and offensive to those who oppose it.

I ask you, brothers and sisters, when has the Holy Spirit ever chosen not to offend you and so say nothing about your errors? I have never experienced it—and I don’t want to. Whom the Lord loves, He chastens. It is not often a pleasant experience. It will offend your sensibilities. It will also save your soul.

Know Jack 404 Never-Never Land

Forget about Peter Pan we’re talking all the things conventional wisdom says you should not do. For example, if you should never judge a book by its cover, why the heck do authors pay through the nose for cover designs? Because your book has to jump out and grab them to get them to open it.

Honestly, I’ve never been good at taking “don’t try this at home” advice. I’m more a “here hold my beer” kind of guy. Tell me no, don’t, or never and you can be almost certain I will try it. It’s either the scientist in me that must test every hypothesis or I’m just not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Whichever may be true, I’m probably going to bust a gut trying to prove it just ain’t so.

That’s one reason why I’m still a writer. I have never lacked for those who told me that my writing was a game, a hobby, or a wild pipe dream. Had no one ever said those things, I might have given up after the first try. Now, here I am fifteen books later, still determined to prove them wrong. I may not be talented, but I’m persistent. Of course, there’s a saying for that too. “Never speak ill of yourself, you can count on your friends for that.”

When I started nursing school my instructors had plenty of advice for students. “You cannot do this and work a full-time job,” they said. As a prep for nursing school, I went out and got a job as an aide in a nursing home, working 40-48 hours a week, depending on how many co-workers called in sick on Saturday. I spent my downtime between classes and at lunch tutoring nursing math. Since I was working so many hours, I did not join a study group—another “got to” for success.

I credit my success, not to intelligence, but stubbornness. I did learn in nursing school that it was unwise to choose answers with the word “always” or “never” in them. So, I perhaps I just wanted to be the odd exception more than the success.

I recently ran into a new bit of advice related to this post. Mike Bender has said, “Never moon a werewolf.” Oops, too late. My most successful books involve "mooning" werewolves.

They say never drink alone. So, if I find a fly in the bottom of my wine bottle—does that mean I wasn’t drinking alone?

Lost Crusader #197 Love Is All You Need

“Jesus said unto him, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”

Matthew 22:37

There is a second commandment most people are familiar with, but it is really the same commandment. When stripped to its essential truth, the words of Jesus above are the whole truth about God, the message of scripture, and Christianity. Love is all you need, and it is all you must do.

It sounds simple, doesn’t it? And it is until you begin to live it. Proof of that is evidenced by its adherents’ struggles to achieve even a modicum of success and their critics’ mockery.

What about belief, faith, and righteous behavior? What about going to church, saying prayers, and reading the Bible? What about the Ten Commandments?

Those are all very fine things. None of them, on their own, will bring you peace with God or an opportunity to share His life, His peace, and His joy. We are made for God and without keeping that commitment to love God, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

Just what does it mean to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind? It means total surrender of oneself to the will and purposes of God. It means, like a child, believing all God says, completely trusting in His care, and earnestly desiring to imitate all He does. It means obeying God at all times simply because you love Him and to do less is infidelity.

Those are the broad principles of loving God. Once you accept those terms, the Holy Spirit will provide you with the specific lessons necessary for your unique transformation. He will supply you with the power to successfully accomplish all the details. Don’t worry. There are tests along the way in which the Holy Spirit will shine a light upon how well you’re doing. There are also remedial learning opportunities if at first you don’t succeed.

So, there you have what God wants from you. You have also just been given an opportunity to accept or reject God’s terms for an abundant life filled with love. There are two schools of thought on how long you have to decide on an answer. One idea is that only God knows how long that may be. The other school of thought says that you just decided.

“And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.”

Maranatha

Know Jack #403 Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…”

Charles Dickens

In what has become an annual event, time shoved me a step closer to the threescore and ten that the scriptures compare to a tale that is told. St. James compares life to a vapor.

Those much more skilled than I in mathematics and physics declare that time is relative. I’m sure that is helpful information to somebody. It has never been a question to those of us who have been around a while. We know time is relative. How else could days last forever and decades pass in a moment? I’m sure years used to last longer than they do now. Whether time flies or strolls, when it passes, it is gone until we are freed from its grip.

Not only is the passing of time relative, but so is its value. People of different cultures, genders, and ages do not reckon time the same way. Though everyone has a finite number of days, no one knows just how many they possess. At times, I think we all forget to spend time wisely. That may be because it sometimes happens that a seemingly foolish investment of time, in the end, turns out to pay the highest dividends.

The secret to getting the most out of life is knowing what time it is. Divine wisdom declares there is a time to every purpose. A time to weep is as desirable as a time to laugh—each has its own season.

In this last year before becoming a septuagenarian I have one question that haunts me. If with age (time) comes wisdom, then how is it that I know less now than when I was in my “prime” and ready to rule the world?

That and the answer to the musical question, “Does anybody really know what time it is?”