“It is curious that physical courage should be so
common in the world and  moral courage so rare.” –
Mark Twain

“But choose capable men from all the people, men who fear God, men you can trust, men who hate corruption. Put them in charge of groups of 1,000, or 100, or 50, or 10 people. Exodus 18:21 (GW)

I for one would feel far better if we were able to choose men of honor and integrity this election year. With Father’s day fast approaching I thought I would take a minute and reflect on the difference integrity makes in a society. How refreshing it would be to find men who actually stood for something good and pure and noble. To be regarded as a man of integrity, truth and honesty. To not be caught in duplicity and hypocrisy. Being found faultless and upright in the community.

I fear we as a nation have thrown the babe out with the bath water. I find it very disheartening to see a total lack of concern for the character of our elected officials. Truly if this were still a nation who feared God and honored his word then we would not find such a scarcity of righteous people in elected office. God told  Moses in Exodus to appoint men who feared God, and where trustworthy and hated corruption to be in elected office.

How well we would do to follow that sound wisdom today.

Integrity guides decent people, but hypocrisy leads treacherous people to ruin. Proverbs 11:3 (GW)

Lips that lie are disgusting to the Lord, but  honest people are his delight. Proverbs 12:22 (GW)

Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to the Lord than offering a sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3 (GW)

Better to be a poor person who has integrity than to be rich and double-dealing. Proverbs 28:6 (GW)

When someone makes you slaves, consumes your wealth, seizes your property, orders you around, or slaps your faces, you put up with it. _{2 Corinthians 11:20 (GW)}

How better to describe the current state of our political affairs. Congress keeps enacting laws that are  enslaving the population once again and it appears we the people tolerate it.

Why is that?

Could it be that we are so fearful of self-rule that we would much rather put up with those who tell us what to do and how to do it, when we can do it, for how long we can do it, and for how much?

Are we no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave? Why is it we allow our potential political leaders to slap our faces and ridicule our way of life and make us feel guilty for living in such a great nation? They hold us up to national disgrace when they march on the world stage and belittle the American way of life. And we the people sit back and take it.

But the people refused to listen to  Samuel. They said, “No, we want a king! Then we, too, will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us, lead us out {to  war}, and fight our battles.” _{1 Sam 8:19-20 (GW)}

The Lord told Samuel, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. They haven’t rejected you; they’ve rejected me. They’re doing just what they’ve done since I took them out of Egypt—leaving me and serving other gods. Listen to them now, but be sure to warn them and tell them about the rights of a king.” Then Samuel told the people who had asked him for a king everything the Lord had said. Samuel said, “These are the rights of a king: He will draft your sons, make them serve on his chariots and horses, and make them run ahead of his chariots. He will appoint them to be his officers over 1,000 or over 50 soldiers, to plow his ground and harvest his crops, and to make weapons and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters and have them make perfumes, cook, and bake. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and wine and give it to his aids and officials. He will take your male and female slaves, your best cattle, and your donkeys for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks. In addition, you will be his servants. “When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen for yourselves. The Lord will not answer you when that day comes.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, “No, we want a king! Then we, too, will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us, lead us out {to war}, and fight our battles.” When Samuel heard everything the people had to say, he reported it privately to the Lord. The Lord told him, “Listen to them, and give them a king.” Then Samuel told the  people of Israel, “Go {back} to your own cities.” _{1 Sam 8:7-22 (GW)}

However, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, search for me, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear {their prayer} from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their country._{2 Chronicles 7:14 (GW)}

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. _{Psalm 33:10a (GW)}

And if it seems evil to you to be the servants of the Lord, make the decision this day whose servants you will be: _{Joshua 24:15a (BBE)}

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. _{Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)}

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• If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the philosopher’s stone.

Jesus was getting closer to Jerusalem, and the people thought that the kingdom of God would appear suddenly. While Jesus had the people’s attention, he used this illustration.

He said, “A prince went to a distant country to be appointed king, and then he returned. {Before he left,} he called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins. He said to his servants, ‘Invest this money until I come back.’

“The citizens of his own country hated him. They sent representatives to follow him and say {to the person who was going to appoint him}, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

“After he was appointed king, he came back. Then he said, ‘Call those servants to whom I gave money. I want to know how much each one has made by investing.’

“The first servant said, ‘Sir, the coin you gave me has earned ten times as much.’ “The king said to him, ‘Good job! You’re a good servant. You proved that you could be trusted with a little money. Take charge of ten cities.’

“The second servant said, ‘The coin you gave me, sir, has made five times as much.’ “The king said to this servant, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

“Then the other servant said, ‘Sir, look! Here’s your coin. I’ve kept it in a cloth for safekeeping because I was afraid of you. You’re a tough person to get along with. You take what isn’t yours and harvest grain you haven’t planted.’

“The king said to him, ‘I’ll judge you by what you’ve said, you evil servant! You knew that I was a tough person to get along with. You knew that I take what isn’t mine and harvest grain I haven’t planted. Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’

The king told his men, ‘Take his coin away, and give it to the man who has ten.’ “They replied, ‘Sir, he already has ten coins.’ “‘I can guarantee that everyone who has something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have much.

Bring my enemies, who didn’t want me to be their king. Kill them in front of me.’” Luke 19:11-27 (GW)

One of the oldest and most enjoyable pastimes, the game of checkers, has been played by notable persons in history including presidents such as George Washington,  Abe Lincoln, and  Theodore Roosevelt; inventors such as  Ben Franklin, and  Thomas Edison; and, interesting folks such as  Edgar Allen Poe,  Harry Houdini, and Will Rogers.

Life lessons gleaned from a checker game

A Quiet Game of Checkers

Checkers is played on a board made up of 64 squares. They are laid out in eight columns and eight rows with alternating light and dark squares.

Checkers is a game for two players. Each player receives twelve, flat, disk-like pieces which are placed on the dark squares making sure that a light colored square appears in the lower right hand corner of the board. The darker colored checkers are usually designated black, and the lighter color is designated white. Black always moves first and play proceeds alternately.

Initially, individual checkers may only move forward. There are two types of moves that can be made, capturing moves and non-capturing moves. Non-capturing moves are simply a diagonal move forward from one square to an adjacent square. (Note that the lighter squares are never used.) Capturing moves occur when a player “jumps” an opposing piece. This is also done on the diagonal and can only happen when the square behind (on the same diagonal) is also open. This means that you may not jump an opposing piece around a corner.

On a capturing move, a piece may make multiple jumps. If, after a jump, a player is in a position to make another jump then he may do so. This means that a player may make several jumps in succession, capturing several pieces on a single turn.

Forced Captures: When a player is in a position to make a capturing move, he must make the capturing move. When he has more than one capturing move to choose from, he may take whichever move suits him.

When a checker reaches the opponent’s edge of the board (called the “king’s row”) it is crowned with another checker. This signifies that the checker has been made a king. The king now gains an added ability to move backward. The king may now also jump in either direction or even in both directions, in one turn (if he makes multiple jumps). This makes capturing opponents pieces easier and adds significantly to your ability to win the game.

The object of the game is to eliminate all opposing checkers or to create a situation in which it is impossible for your opponent to make any move. Normally, the victory will be due to complete elimination.

Today the game is as healthy as ever, with people all around the world playing at least a version of it. It can be good training in thought, logic and strategy.

Jesus told a parable one day when the disciples were wondering when he was going to set up his kingdom. In this parable, he told the story of an ambitious prince who came from a foreign country, all the way across the board to be kinged. He hired servants to go to work on his campaign, invested money in them from which he expected to get a favorable return on his investment. He hoped that the servants would be able to garner interest on his behalf. When the one servant failed to show any return on the investment, he was stripped of what little he had and it was handed over to the one who had the most.

A valuable lesson can be learned from this. When someone gives you something, expecting a return, it is never in your best interest to accept such a “strings attached proposition”. As with most government programs, there is that “hidden string” attached, that will take what little you may have and give it to someone who has much. Thusly it is rightly stated ‘I can guarantee that everyone who has something will be given more. But everything will be taken away from those who don’t have much.’

To this day government handouts work much the same way. When money is dispensed, certain requirements are placed on that money. Those who fail to meet the requirements will have the money taken from them and it will be given to someone who has a great deal because they are producing the results the rulers wish to receive back.

Those who knew this man best, did not wish to be ruled by him because they hated him and sent a delegation after him to ask the people to not “king” Â this man. These, who opposed the king, were later killed in his presence.

The game of checkers is much like a political campaign, in that a player strategizes over each move to ascertain the best possible way to achieve success- being kinged. Jumping over opponents, stepping over people, removing any and all opposition, is in the best interest of the player who wants to be king.

In checkers no one gets hurt, but in real life that is not the case. When a politician resorts to doing whatever it takes to get elected (kinged) they sometimes will stop at nothing when opposed. Such was the case of this prince who desired to be king. All those who opposed his reign where ordered to be killed in his presence. He stood there and presided over the executions. Even his own workers were chastened if they failed to produce the desired results-gain interest for the candidate. Those who pleased the king were given choice seats in his government, they were rewarded with political favor and power. They were able to EARN their seat. They went from being ruled, to ruling, from enslavement to empowerment, from serving to being served.

Of course Jesus was using this parable to teach about the Kingdom of Heaven, and that those who oppose making Jesus, King of their lives, will suffer the punishment of being banned from his presence for eternity. Those who hated Him sought to have him killed in attempts to end his influence amongst the people. That plan failed because they failed to understand that He would indeed die, but three days later He would rise again from the grave and ascend into heaven to rule and reign forever. His kingdom has no end.

Unlike the ambitious prince who killed those who opposed him, Jesus forgave them. Instead of handing the opposition over to death, He chose to die in their place. I can get behind someone who sacrifices himself for the sake of others, I have a very hard time supporting one, who will do whatever it takes to get ahead, even the total destruction of those who oppose him.

I can work for a campaign which seeks the best interest of those whom they are seeking to rule, I can not get behind anyone who only seeks to serve himself  by enslaving those whom he seeks to rule over.

I can support a ruler who gives gifts to men for the sole purpose of enriching their lives and giving power to the powerless, so they can overcome their problems. I have a real problem supporting one who uses power and influence in order to buy votes and support, and then rewarding those who do their bidding with seats of power and control.

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” _{Mark 10:42-45 (ESV)}

I do not know about you, but as far as I am concerned, I think I like the way Jesus ran his campaign for kingship far better than the way we see others running their campaigns. What say you?

Image by Andrew Pescod via Flickr

The majestic eagle has been admired by many cultures down through time. The ancient Sumerians, the Romans, and Napoleon all utilized the awe-inspiring bird as a symbol of greatness. 230 years ago, the bald eagle was adopted as the official emblem of the United States. As this young nation was about to spread forth it’s wings of freedom and set its mark on the world, the eagle became a fitting symbol of freedom.

The shadow of beauty cast across the land as the bald eagle wings its way across the broad expanse of sky is a powerful symbol of strength, freedom and independence. Gently gliding on the air currents ever vigilant and watchful, undeterred by sudden storms. As the storm approaches the majestic eagle faces it head on and soars even higher.

Although at one time endangered, the bald eagle has made a dramatic return and can be seen in even greater numbers. Just like the bald eagle, we, as a nation, have faced opposition to our freedoms and way of life, and have overcome. As the symbol of our nation has returned in greater numbers we too as a nation shall long endure with the help of Almighty God.

May God Bless America again!

One thing our Founding Fathers could not foresee...was a nation governed by professional politicians who had a vested interest in getting reelected. They probably envisioned a fellow serving a couple of hitches and then looking...forward to getting back to the farm. _{Ronald Wilson Reagan}