Jack LaFountain's Blog, page 16

Lost Crusader #196 Love and Big Brother

“Every man according as he proposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

2 Corinthians 9:7

While watching a movie recently, I saw (repeatedly) a commercial featuring an esteemed church scholar referencing Jesus’ two commandments. His message was that the only thing Jesus required was that we love God and our neighbor. It’s a bit of sound Christian advice that I strongly advocate.

Alluding to James, he added that if we have it in our power to provide healthcare for our neighbor and refuse—how can we say the love of Jesus lives in us? He then went on to urge the Governor of our state to expand Medicare.

It all sounds very good. Our scholar would have us believe that this is not only the right thing to do, but our Christian duty. The tragic flaw in his thinking is found in Paul’s words to the Corinthians cited above. Love, and all the expressions thereof, must be given of a person’s own free will to merit God’s pleasure and to truly be classified as love.

Where is my free will in an edict handed down by the Governor commanding me to pay? Call me a heathen, but it is not in my heart to expand entitlements beyond their already bloated condition. And while it may be in Ms. Ivey’s power to pay people’s healthcare costs, it is certainly not in mine.

Our cleric’s thinking smacks of the modern idea that somehow the government has money of its own to spread around. The truth is the government has no money except that which it takes from its citizens. That the government should rob taxpayers and call it love is the height of idiocy. Obedience may come at the point of a gun, but love does not. But then, it is not enough to obey Big Brother, is it? We must love Big Brother.

This is not to say that I would not help a person in immediate dire straits pay for a doctor. However, coercion is not love, neither is it social justice, it is sanctioned robbery and devoid of the love of Christ.

I’ve been asked many times, “Don’t you think everyone deserves free healthcare?” The unfortunate truth is that it is not a matter of what people deserve. In my opinion, every soul alive should tremble in fear at the thought of getting what they truly deserve.

Know Jack # 402 Make Mine a Double

“Americanism: attachment or allegiance to the traditions, interests or ideals of the U.S.”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

I belong to an organization that says it stands for Americanism and I believe they do. I also realize that today, more than ever before, people have differing opinions about what constitutes Americanism. Looking up the definition in the dictionary helped clear up some things about why that is true and why new twists on Americanism are not just off base, but do not fit the meaning of the word.

What I have to say will not please everyone, but then, that has never been my goal. What I do hope to accomplish is for you to think about the subject. So, there are three elements to Americanism, traditions, interests, and ideals.

Traditions and interests tend to change over time. While it is the unwritten duty of young people to challenge the traditions and interests of their elders, the pace and effectiveness of both have accelerated over the last sixty years or so. To be fair, the number of people who admit to being naïve and downright stupid as youths seems to be a constant theme of aging. The degree of importance attached to traditions and interests is also subjective.

What is not subjective, except to the willfully blind and the enemies of Americanism, are the ideals of this country. The reason for the objective nature of our ideals is that they were written down before there was a country. Regardless of a person’s perception of the people who put pen and ink to paper, we have their guiding principles preserved for us.

Chief among these documents is our Declaration of Independence. It is the founding document and outlines the goals of those who sought separation from England and the ideals upon which the new country would be based. The Constitution, which came years later, was an outline of how those ideals would be put into practice.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the ideals everyone knows. They are not the sole ideals listed. Critics who claim the document is too dated to be of use readily point to the complaints lodged against King George. They say we’re free now, why do those complaints, which make up the bulk of the Declaration, matter?

Well, they matter because things like: trial by jury, an independent judiciary, the right to a trial, a writ of habeas corpus, confiscation of weapons, a free press, and avoiding the consolidation of the power of government in the hands of one person tend to matter to Americans. Those ideas are crucial to the just application of the founding ideals. The manner in which we serve the ideal and the degree to which we can achieve it may be questioned. The ideals themselves are the heart of true Americanism. To abandon our ideals is to cease to be American.

There was one last binding ideal of note. They were willing to place their lives, their property, and their future in one another’s hands with only a pledge of their sacred honor to seal the deal.

My apologies if this is hard to read. It seems black is no longer an acceptable font color at Wix. Let the buyer beware.

Know Jack # 401 Make Mine a Double

“Americanism: attachment or allegiance to the traditions, interests or ideals of the U.S.”

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

I belong to an organization that says it stands for Americanism and I believe they do. I also realize that today, more than ever before, people have differing opinions about what constitutes Americanism. Looking up the definition in the dictionary helped clear up some things about why that is true and why new twists on Americanism are not just off base, but do not fit the meaning of the word.

What I have to say will not please everyone, but then, that has never been my goal. What I do hope to accomplish is for you to think about the subject. So, there are three elements to Americanism, traditions, interests, and ideals.

Traditions and interests tend to change over time. While it is the unwritten duty of young people to challenge the traditions and interests of their elders, the pace and effectiveness of both have accelerated over the last sixty years or so. To be fair, the number of people who admit to being naïve and downright stupid as youths seems to be a constant theme of aging. The degree of importance attached to traditions and interests is also subjective.

What is not subjective, except to the willfully blind and the enemies of Americanism, are the ideals of this country. The reason for the objective nature of our ideals is that they were written down before there was a country. Regardless of a person’s perception of the people who put pen and ink to paper, we have their guiding principles preserved for us.

Chief among these documents is our Declaration of Independence. It is the founding document and outlines the goals of those who sought separation from England and the ideals upon which the new country would be based. The Constitution, which came years later, was an outline of how those ideals would be put into practice.

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the ideals everyone knows. They are not the sole ideals listed. Critics who claim the document is too dated to be of use readily point to the complaints lodged against King George. They say we’re free now, why do those complaints, which make up the bulk of the Declaration, matter?

Well, they matter because things like: trial by jury, an independent judiciary, the right to a trial, a writ of habeas corpus, confiscation of weapons, a free press, and avoiding the consolidation of the power of government in the hands of one person tend to matter to Americans. Those ideas are crucial to the just application of the founding ideals. The manner in which we serve the ideal and the degree to which we can achieve it may be questioned. The ideals themselves are the heart of true Americanism. To abandon our ideals is to cease to be American.

There was one last binding ideal of note. They were willing to place their lives, their property, and their future in one another’s hands with only a pledge of their sacred honor to seal the deal.

My apologies if this is hard to read. It seems black is no longer an acceptable font color at Wix. Let the buyer beware.

Lost Crusader #195 The Profit Joel

“Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good.”

Matthew 20:15

I have found myself, once again, attempting to speak reason in defense of Joel Osteen, everybody’s favorite object of derision. Before I expound upon that theme here, let me say unequivocally that I am not a fan of Mr. Osteen or his message.

I have listened to him a few times and have not heard him say a word contrary to the scriptures. This is not to say I agree with what he had to say, only that I find the very limited perspective of his preaching tedious and skewed. So, this is not a defense of the man per se nor his lifestyle. It is a defense of freedom.

It seems that in the world within and without the church, Joel Osteen wears a huge target on his back because of the wealth his preaching and writing have brought him. It’s not my place to justify or condemn him. I seek only to defend his right to be paid and do with his earnings as he wills. You know, much like you and I wish to do.

I readily admit that I don’t know how his church (whatever the name of it is) is designed to operate. I am speaking from generalities and pastoral experience with several denominations.

I have read several critics say, “he pays himself”. If this happens it is the exception, not the rule. Churches, for the most part, are governed by a council of some sort. The people who make up these councils tend to keep a very tight rein on finances. The council or the denomination also set salaries for ministers that are usually based on the size of the congregation. So success in growing the number of members has its rewards—as well it should. We all like getting a raise for doing our job.

The assumption of many is that personal wealth is contrary to a godly life. Wealth, like poverty, has unique obstacles. The patriarchs were all very wealthy men. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, both followers of Jesus, were no slouches.

Money in the ministry becomes a problem only when people judge that a preacher has too much. If the preacher and his family are living hand to mouth or he has to work a second job to make ends meet—no one is the least bit concerned about his pay.

It’s a matter of humility some say. The assumption is that if you’re poor, you must be humble. However, humility is not a function of wealth or poverty. I’ve met many a poor man who has an inflated ego. An overblown sense of entitlement is rampant in our society among all socio-economic groups.

Another misconception is that wealthy ministers must be either thieves or deceivers. They “trick” people out of their money with false promises. People say that as if preachers are the only ones capable of the feat. I have found most television preachers are pretty straightforward about what they offer. I must admit they do remind me of those who market diet medicines.

“Our pill combined with a sensible diet and exercise will take the weight off and keep it off.”

This is probably true. But then, diet and exercise will do the job without the pill. The TV evangelist will pray for you and God will bless you. Probably true, but you can pray for yourself, and God will bless you.

Many also object to how Joel Osteen spends his money. This is the most outrageous judgment the “Don’t Judge me, Bro” generation has ever uttered. Think, for a moment, about what this means and could be applied to you.

You and your employer agree on a salary that pays you X number of dollars a week. However, your neighbor who makes only B number of dollars thinks you make too much and spend it too freely. So, your neighbor insists you give “your excess wages” to the poor. Excess wages are the difference between what you make and what he makes. Furthermore, to reduce your frivolous spending, your neighbor is appointed to decide how you spend the money you earn.

Furthermore, how good a person you are is indexed to your compliance with the neighbor’s plan. How does that sound to you?

This is exactly what people advocate for Joel Osteen. I can say, been there, done that. Perhaps it is an experience everyone should undergo for a season.

St. Paul, a minister with detractors of his own, wrote:

“Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink the milk of the flock? Do I speak as a mere man?...For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while it treads the grain.’ Is it oxen God is concerned about?”

Maranatha

Know Jack #401 Principal Principles

In the movie Silence of the Lambs, Starling has a conversation with Hannibal Lector who points her to Marcus Aurelius and the idea of first principles—what a thing or person does. In an effort to know Jack, I’ve thought about that recently.

I can’t say I sought out that bit of reflection. It was more like being dropped into it without warning. What prompted this unaccustomed bout of thinking was the feeling of being stretched so thin that I was slowly coming apart. That the situation was of my own making pretty much goes without saying.

I’m not complaining—now. At the time such was not the case. I was editing eight manuscripts, designing ads for the company, maintaining two websites, writing three blogs and a monthly newsletter, taking over the duties of finance officer for a veteran’s organization, teaching a weekly Bible study, and trying to write four books this year. Like a jack of all trades, I was mastering none.

My initial solution was to quit everything except my own writing. I decided writing was my first principle, that it defined me. When asked why I write I have answered “for the same reason I breathe, to stay alive”. That’s true enough. It’s just not the whole picture.

You see, I thought that all those other things were sidelines. I thought I could abandon them, write, and still be me. I was wrong. There are some things that I am simply compelled to do by my true first principle—service to Christ.

If I have too many tasks to do, I am confident that I have them for a reason. They are important to my well-being and the shaping of my life for the time beyond this present world. I still need some convincing that I am doing an adequate job. I do not need convincing to keep slugging it out every day.

In the garden of God, I’m a dandelion. There are better things to be. I suppose there are worse things to be. There is only one thing I can be—the me that God designed.

Maranatha

Lost Crusader #194 What Are You Making?

“Woe unto him who strives with his Maker! …Shall the clay say to him who forms it, ‘What are you making?’”

Isaiah 45:9

The requirements set forth by Jesus for a good life are simple. Love God with your entire being and love your neighbor as you do yourself. They are easy to say—harder to accomplish. Simple, in this case, does not mean unsophisticated, unintelligent, or unthinking. On the contrary, it means exercising all three in an informed, open-minded, orderly manner.

To love God with all your heart, mind and strength encompasses far more than a saccharine sweet, greeting card sentiment. Love is more than a feeling, it is a fidelity to the purpose, and so, the will of God. To say you love God and to walk in a way that denies His purpose for your life, is to lie not only to God but to yourself.

How does a person know God’s purpose for their life? Ah, that is where study, prayer, mediation, and some trial and error come in. We are to work out our own salvation under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit. When Saul became the first king of Israel, he did not get a copy of Being King for Dummies. But that is not to say he was left in the dark.

To be a good king, he was to be a good person. He was to seek God out and do as God asked. Samuel’s admonition when Saul failed was a reminder that obeying God was the way to success. God has a plan for you too and to fight with Him about it only brings sorrow.

As far as loving your neighbor, or yourself for that matter, don’t think of taking on that task in any serious fashion until you first love God. You will end up frustrated and unhappy. You can never really know love until you’ve known God’s love.

That process begins with your personal surrender to God. Repentance is to change your mind about who is going to run your life and give control to God. If you choose to do that, God will not give up and go away. He will see the job through to the end.

The good news in that is that while God is hard to satisfy, He is easy to please. He’s happy with baby steps—as long as you’re a baby. When you grow and discover more about Him, baby steps won’t do. You are expected to mature into an adult life that is producing spiritual fruit. That is The will of God in whatever circumstance you find yourself.

Maranatha

Lost Crusader #193 Of Judgment and Hypocrisy

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

Matthew 7:1-2

“…Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Mark 7:6

Judging and hypocrisy to do the first, is to be charged the second. Interestingly enough, those leveling the charge of hypocrisy are blissfully unaware that they have violated their own prohibition against judgment. Judging others has almost become a sport these days.

Open a web browser and what do you see? An article describing a situation with a seemingly outrageous outcome. The crux of the article is to elicit the reader’s judgment of the situation and assign blame. How many times have you seen someone on social media describe something that happened to them or something someone said to them. Why do people post such things. They want you to judge them the offended party and sympathize with them.

These are the same folks that keep “judge not” buckled to their side like a sword with which to strike down their critics and any criticism pointed their way. Saying one thing and doing the very thing you condemn—what’s the word for that? Hypocrisy.

Am I doing the same thing here? Absolutely not. I believe people should (and do) form judgments about every, single, thing. How can that be right? The problem with most folks understanding is that they read, “judge not that ye be not judged” and stop. Read the next line. You will be judged, not only for your faults, but with the same intensity that you judged others.

Judgment, as Jesus would have it, is tempered by love and mercy—especially to the repentant. Furthermore, His commandment is to love my neighbor as myself.

How do I love myself? I love myself when: I do something stupid, do/say something rude, I’m mad at myself, and I’m being obnoxious to name a few. I’m not perfect and I don’t always do the right thing, but because I love myself, I’m merciful to me and go right on loving me.

The huge prohibition in “judge not” is condemnation. If someone is on a course that is ruinous to their life or health, and you turn a blind eye to their plight, that is not love. Of course, if you must issue a warning, do it out of genuine care. Do not harangue or shame, speak with love and mercy.

This post is lovingly addressed to the hypocrites in the “Don’t judge me, bro” crowd.

Maranatha

Know Jack #400 The Simple Life

“Men are such simple creatures.” ~Women

The above oft-quoted bon mot illustrates for me the difference between what is spoken/written and what is received. When women say this, they mean it in a derogatory sense (yes, you do.) However, when men hear/read it, we bask in the sublime blessing of its truth. We are simple creatures, and we love it.

Simplicity, that is, a simple life, may lay buried under an Everest-sized Mountain of what we must do, what we are called upon to do, and what we may be forced to do, but it is the simple life that is the dream of every man.

Now, it is my contention that whenever one is speaking about the way people—men and women—feel, think, and act, the words “always” and “never” are falsehoods. In such cases, one is speaking in generalities. Granted, some of those generalities are cultural conditioning. Others are part of our biochemical makeup. Neither origin requires apology nor does either denote superiority/inferiority.

Men are stronger than women. I can say it with no qualms whatsoever. This is not to say all men are stronger than all women. The same generality applies when people say men are simple creatures. It is also true when we speak about pleasure in simplicity. Men find pleasure in simplicity.

Which is more productive, to construct a net, build a boat and sail out onto the lake to catch fish or sit on the riverbank with a cane pole? It depends on what you’re trying to achieve. It is my opinion that the complicated option produces a bigger catch and the simple one delivers more pleasure. One feeds a family while the other feeds but one soul. I am not a fisherman, but I understand how the simplicity of this activity produces peace.

I think most men associate the concept of peace with simplicity. There is a straightforward order in simplicity I think men find attractive. I also understand that affinity for order has its dangers. Frustrate that simple order and I go from gentleman to not a nice person in seconds.

So, men are simple creatures. It’s okay to say it. But to quote Owen Wister’s character, “When you call me that, smile!”

Maranatha

Lost Crusader #192 Making Old Things New

“Then I went down to the potter’s house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.”

Jeremiah18

When God looks at a person, He sees the person as he is, the person as he will be, and the person as he can be. Like the clay on the potter’s wheel, people are marred. We wear “Nobody’s Perfect” and “Don’t Judge Me” like badges of honor. In truth, they are testimony that we are so marred and so powerless to alter that fact that we would rather pretend our imperfection is without meaning.

This type of imperfection is true of nothing else in nature. We may say a tree is imperfect because it grew in a bad spot or into an ugly shape. But we don’t seriously mean it had a choice and could have done otherwise.

People talk about the “Universe” as acting with intelligence, intent, and preferences about what is good and just and what is bad and unfair—that is, acting like a mind. But when you take that step what you are really talking about is God. You may not be talking about the Christian God, but a God nonetheless.

If people are marred and not what they should be, then we must have in mind a time when that was not the case and an ideal to measure our current state against.

The lesson to Jeremiah and his people was that like the lump of marred clay, they could be remade by divine hands. The transformation will take the rest of our earthly life. God will do it for us, but only if we agree to the process.

Maranatha

Know Jack #399 The Real Authors

“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

C.S. Lewis

Children seeing things that adults cannot is a favorite horror theme. The idea is that imagination and openness fade as we age. I don’t think that is true in the way most storytellers would have us believe. The ability to imagine the impossible, the improbable, and the unseen is in the nature of human beings.

Of course, I believe we are fashioned in the likeness of the Creator, and you have only to look at Creation to see imagination at work. The platypus jumps immediately to my mind.

The problem with “adult” imagination lies in a change of focus. We shift from an imagination that causes wonder and amazement to one aimed at production and manipulation. Nature and Creation become something to bend to our vision rather than an awe-inspiring, all-is-possible, environment to find our place in. Imagination gives way to invention.

Thankfully, we have the ability to reinvent—to put ourselves back where we belong. As Lewis points out, fairy tales become a delight once more. Yes, I know some of these tales are horrific. For the writer in me, all the better to scare you with, my dear.

There is one other aspect of a return to imagination that I enjoy—invisible friends. They are the real writers. They come from the imaginary(?) worlds in my head to visit and tell me stories.

When I try to write them down and fail to get it right, they correct me.

My body has lost the vigor of youth. I have metal in my back as a reminder of the wear and tear of life. But my mind has recaptured what it lost in my quest to “earn a living”. Paradise was lost in trying to manipulate the world. I have found that daydreaming—being transported to worlds known and unknown—is our purpose in life—it is paradise regained.

“I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.” ~Bob Dylan

Maranatha