Public Health Emergency -- Spiritual Death Is Pandemic

In the past few days we have been hearing a lot about an outbreak of the "Swine Flu," that has apparently originated in Mexico and has now spread north of the border with 20 confirmed cases in the United States, one as close as Kansas. This is, of course, not the first time that Swine Flu has spread to humans. In the 1918 pandemic, which actually lasted nearly two years, some 20 to 100 million persons worldwide died. Nearly one-half of the world's population contracted this deadly virus. Since then, there have been at least three other outbreaks, the most note able of these being in 1976, however this was a relatively mild outbreak that caused very few deaths. Thus far it appears that in the United States, at least, this is also a mild form of the virus, however, it is potentially deadly.

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. So, what can you do to avoid getting the Swine Flu? First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

I don't believe it is advisable to panic, even though this may become pandemic. Remember the scare we had over "Bird Flu?" It was going to kill tens of thousands. The government was scrambling to develop a vaccine. While in some of the less developed nations where sanitation is an issue it did cause considerable deaths, it just never really developed here. Just use good judgement. If you are sick, stay home. Cough or sneeze into your sleeve, not into your hand that you use to open doors, pick up books or shake hands. And wash those hands often.

Yes, it is true that influenza, just regular old human flu, causes thousands of deaths each year. Yes, many died from the Bird Flu worldwide and many could die from the Swine Flu. Already in Mexico there are at least 80 deaths. Cemeteries are filled with graves of those who died from Scarlet Fever, Measles, Smallpox, Tuberculosis and other illnesses. Thousands of graves hold the remains of persons who have died from war, from being victims of crime, from motor vehicle accidents, suicide and more.

My point being that, and I hope this is not a revelation to you, we are all going to die. Some of us will die at a very old age. Others may die in the prime of their life or even as infants or young children. Whenever it happens and whatever the cause, the result is the same........we are dead! Since dying is not an option, although we may have some control over the circumstances by getting regular checkups and taking certain precautions, the fact of death is not something to be overly concerned about. It will happen! Hence, the issue is what do we do about the life between birth and death? Are we living it out in a way that good physical, emotional and spiritual life? John Wesley, founder of Methodism is quoted as saying, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." This is much like what Jesus said, "Whatever you do to the least of these, my brothers (and sisters) you do it also unto me."

My suggestion is that if you are sick and running a fever, have a cough and are vomiting, for goodness sakes stay home. If you are spiritually sick, please come home. The young lad in the parable of the Prodigal Son took his cut of the family farm early and went off into the big city and "lived it up," to the point where he had no food and no friends. Funny how many friends disappear when the money goes away. So, he finally came home expecting punishment. But he was greeted instead by his father who welcomed him home, put an expensive robe on him, gave him an expensive ring and held a feast in his honor. This young man was sick, he was spiritually dead and the father said, "My son who was dead is now alive." Personally, I think the odds of you dying from the Swine Flu are very small. But the odds of you dying are 100%. But worse than a physical death, because our body is just a shell, is a spiritual death...the death of our spirit when all hope is gone, when we see no way out of the deep, dark hole we are in. That's the worst kind of death because we have removed ourselves from the family. Good news is that God is waiting for us to come home. While we may have ignored him, while we may have forgotten about him, God has never ignored us. He yearns to give us back our life, putting new wine into new wine skins. The fact is, when God notices that you have not been talking to him, when he notices you have not gathered with the family lately, God makes a pastoral call on you. He is there with open arms.

Yep! Death is coming. For someone my age, it could, of course, be anytime but hopefully it'll be another 20 plus years. For my great grandchildren I pray it will be 80 or 90 years. Regardless, it is coming and we cannot stop it. What we can do something about is life. So, go live it up! Go party! God is the author of party, didn't you know that. He turned water into wine, he prepared a banquet for us in heaven. God wants us to have some fun. All too often Christians look as if they are at a funeral rather than a resurrection. And use that joy to share the good news with someone else. Twelve disciples were all that originally followed Jesus. Then he commissioned 72 others. Think of what millions of us can do for those who have no hope. AND, if you are one that feels as if you have no hope, realize that Christ died and rose again for you. Go find a pastor and have a visit. If you want names and numbers just let me know. But let's go LIVE for HIM and CHANGE the world for HIM.

God Bless You and God Bless America.

"We Can't Leave Now"

I have the high privilege of meeting and visiting with a number of military personnel on a daily basis. I am amazed at two things. First, I am amazed at how young they all look, but I have trouble telling age the older I get. Some of you can understand that. Second, I am amazed at their dedication to the mission and the cause of freedom. I have visited with PFC's, Sergeant Major's, Crew Chiefs and a few officers. These men and women have been deployed multiple times and they all, without exception, tell me they are ready to go back.

Today I asked both the Sergeant Major and an E-7 why they felt that way. "Because to leave now would be a defeat. It would also mean that a lot of people died for nothing." I asked if they thought we were really making a difference and they both replied, "Without question." You see, these folk are not politicians. They are men and women dedicated to the cause of freedom, whether it's here or somewhere half way around the world. To leave now would simply be another VietNam, where a lot of people died and nothing was finished.

I talked to these two men about the prospect that some individuals might be prosecuted for water boarding and other forms of interrogation. They were both angry, but especially the E 7, who is also Airborne. He hit the counter and said, that President Obama was more concerned with the enemy than with his own people. He said something about it being a disgrace. And you know, he is absolutely correct. Remember the song, "Have we forgotten?" I remember September 11 like it was yesterday, but today there are no, or very few, churches who hold services in remembrance of the events of that day. For about 90 days following September 11, churches were full. People were reaching out to God, but soon things were back to the way they had always been. It would be a national disgrace to prosecute people for water boarding! Especially so since Congress knew about it at the time and gave their blessing.

But you have to remember, we are talking about the same President who has apologized for the actions of the United States. He called us arrogant. He shook hands, not once, not twice but three times with Hugo Chavez who made a laughing stock out of him. He wants to be nice to the President of Iran. He has nothing but good to say about Castro. I really hope that all those who said, "Change Now," are happy with the changes they see, because this writer isn't. Change is not always a good thing. And change, just for the sake of change is seldom positive. As the leader of the free world, this President has to first ask, "is this in the best interest of Americans?" I don't think he has asked that question, and my gut says he never will.

I can respect most people and I could have lived with Hillary Clinton. She, at least, knows the dangers and warning signs which is more than I can say for Barack Obama. First, he has never stopped campaigning. Somebody needs to tell him that he won and now he needs to step up to the plate, stop being nice to everyone and be the President. I watch of a lot of football and basketball and I never once saw a team win by being nice to the other side. They can play fair, but those linemen are there to hit the other team as hard as they possibly can and drive the ball into the endzone. So far, Obama has just opened up a nice hole and invited the other side to run through it.

Let's remind him that he is able to be President because a bunch of people fought and died for his right to do so. A lot of blood was shed to allow him to take the oath of office. "Has he forgotten what it felt like that day?" Regardless of anything else, let's all write to him in support of our troops, in support of freedom (which is never free) and tell him "Not until the mission is accomplished."

God Bless You and God Bless America!

You're Right John.....He Is Greater

In recent days and weeks I have become increasingly frustrated by what I see going on with our government and some of our leaders. In particular I am frustrated and worried about the actions of our President and others in his cabinet. My concern centers around what I believe to be a move from a nation that protects the innocent, defends the cause of the poor, homeless, sick and elderly to one that is more concerned with becoming all inclusive to nations that have proven track records of denying basic human rights and freedoms. I am not opposed to allowing more travel between Cuba and the United States as this will allow Cuban Americans to visit their families still living just a few miles away. But until we see and end to the atrocities that the Castro dictatorship's commit on a daily basis, until we see free and open elections, until we see the end of a campaign of fear I am against the normalization of relations with them. Then, when I see my President shaking hands, not once but three times, with an evil dictator by the name of Hugo Chavez I am heart sick. This is the same man who called our former President "the devil." This is the same man who cares little, if anything, about the people of his country. He was a friend of Saddam Hussein and remains a friend with the Castro's and with the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is the leading supplier of weapons to the terrorists in Iraq and other places. And then he apparently bowed to the Saudi King. There is only one King that we, including our President should bow to and that's the King of kings.

It's strange how one hour in the presence of a Spirit filled church can change one's perspective, or is it? As I listened to one of my pastor's this morning and the the song's of praise that were offered I was instantly reminded of my favorite Bible verse, 1 John 4:4, "Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." The world has always been filled with people who embraced evil and corruption, sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally. I pray that what I see happening in Washington is not intentional, but either way "Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world."

Throughout the pages of Scripture, which is the inerrant Word of God, we see evil, corruption, hatred going on. Go back and read the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Every evil we can think of was going on and God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and we think covered them with the Dead Sea. The world was, as we might say today, "going to Hell in a handbasket," in the days of Noah so God wiped out everything except Noah and his family and the animals that were brought aboard the ark. That should have been a purification, but it was short lived. God was saddened by what soon began to take place. God was heartsick and, I think angered. I know how much I love my children, but when I rescue them from self-destruction and then they turn around and do it again I get more than a little upset. Now, God had already promised never to destroy the world again with the water's of a flood, so what was God to do.

God could not tolerate such a Godless world. Even his chosen people, the Israelites, were filled with sin and corruption. They were not much better than the Romans. At least the Romans didn't profess to be God fearing people as did the Jews. There was only one thing left to do and that was a blood sacrifice. In seminary I used to have an old friend from Kentucky who was fond of saying, "There is no worship without sacrifice." David was right in those words. And in the Jewish culture there was no forgiveness without sacrifice. So God decided that he would provide one sacrifice good for all time and for all people. He became flesh and dwelt among us and His name was Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, The Christ, Christos, Dios, Jesu, the Lord of lords. God, allowed his one and only Son to die for the sins of the world, for you and for me and for a Godless and corrupt world that did not deserve it. But that's the beauty of grace. It doesn't just come to those who deserve it. If it did, nobody would ever received grace because none of us deserve it, although some perhaps think they do. Grace is "God's Riches At Christ's Expense." He was and is the Passover Lamb who was slain. Christ offered forgiveness from the cross that you and I hung him on when he said, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." "He who was without sin, became sin for our sakes." The sky turned black when he took our sin upon himself and then he breathed his last and offered up His spirit. But when he rose on Easter morning he had defeated the last enemy.

So now, I say that despite all the corruption in the world, in the Untied States, in Washington, in Nebraska, in my home, "He who is in us (you and I) is greater than he who is in the world." God defeated Satan long ago and cast him out of heaven and one day, "by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ," we will enter the gates of heaven. I do not believe in universal salvation, but I do believe it is universally available. It doesn't come by shaking hands with a corrupt leader, but it isn't denied by that either. It comes when one bows to the one true King, Jesus Christ our Lord, who is in those who believe and is greater than the one who is only in the world. Believe, be at peace, don't worry about the stock market, or anything else. Simply "know Jesus and know peace." In four to eight years we'll have new leadership, but we will always have one Savior.

God Bless You and God Bless America.

What's So Good About Friday?

This is Friday and it's been one of those weeks today. Just about anything that could go wrong, as Murphy says, did.

I nearly overslept this morning and that's never a good way to start a day. I got to work and my inventory count was messed up, so I had to recount but to no avail. I think it's the database that's giving me fits. Next, my weekly order of merchandise arrived today but was short about 90% of what I had ordered. I had to wait until 7:30 to call the company in Omaha and, you guessed it, they lost my order. After some pleading and begging they filled the most critical items and a salesman delivered it late this afternoon.

The rest of my daily paperwork went without a glitch until I went to the bank. I had called in a change order which included $140 in $5 bills. I never looked in the bag until I got back to my office and when I did I discovered they had given me $140 in $1 dollar bills.........so back to the bank we go.

By this time I am grumbling and using the number system since we clergy are not supposed to swear. I was up to about a 7 on the list and I said to myself, "What in the #6 is so good about Friday?" This is a horrible day. Nothing has went right. At one point I was so upset I felt myself begin to hyperventilate. "I see absolutely nothing good about this Friday!!!" Then it hit me. Good Friday is not good because everything went right that day, but because it didn't. Jesus, God incarnate, may not have seen the good in that day either. He was kicked, spit upon, beaten to a point where most people would have died. He was made to carry his own cross up a hill. They drove large spikes through his wrists. The pain was horrible and he would have agreed that this was not a good day.

But, you see, the worst that human kind....you and I, could do to God was turned into the best God could do for us. I didn't even blink when I drove a nail into his wrist, how about you? God didn't blink either when, from the cross, he said, "Father, forgive them...." Forgive someone who would do such a horrible thing to one of my children? Not in a million years! But that's exactly what God did. Had Jesus came to condemn the world we wouldn't be here today. But this was the good of Good Friday, that God sent Jesus to save the world. When I die I am going on to perfection where I will be made perfect in love. There will be no more pain, no more suffering, no more tears......only joy, eternal joy. I am not going to get there by my own efforts, because they are meager at best. But I will get there, as will you, because of God's efforts and because of what happened on the Friday we call Good. God showed his grace, this forgiveness, this love and his salvation from the cross that day and by that grace we are saved.

Come to think of it, this hasn't been such a bad day all things considered. I have a wife I love more than all the world. I have children and grandchildren that are my joy. I have a God who knows me and still loves me. I have a brother who suffered and died on a miserable day to make it a Good Friday.

Lord, forgive me when I grumble about small things that simply don't matter in eternity. Forgive me Lord when I look down upon a brother or sister. Forgive me when I utter a harsh word to people I love. Forgive me Lord for the thoughts that I think. I praise you Lord, because I know you have forgiven me. Now let the world know of your forgiveness and let me be a messenger of your salvation. Amen.

Happy Easter

Did You Know?

Do you know who hires your boss? Even better, do you know who hires employees at your company? You would probably say that a Board of Directors is responsible for hiring your CEO and your companies Human Resources Director is responsible for hiring the employees at your firm.

In the traditional way of thinking you would be absolutely correct. Normally your boss, unless it is a sole proprietorship, is hired by a board of directors or something similiar. And chances are, you were hired through an application and interview process with your HR Director or, in some cases, your boss. But did you know, that the United States Government may soon pick out your CEO and whats more, Big Brother may soon dictacte your salary......not the minimum, but the maximum.

I don't know about you, but this sends chills up my spine and scares me to death. This is not the American way. This is not the free market way or the capitolist way. This borders, not just on socialism, but communism. When the government begins to control businesses in such a manner they have over stepped their constitutional authority.

Now, did you know that President Obama wants the authority to control the internet. I am not talking about taxing it, but actually controlling what websites you can visit. The site would require government approval before it could be posted. The pretense is that this would be done in cases of national security, but we all know how broad and wide that term can be.

I, like some of you, lived through the 1960's. I spent many nights at Camp Ashland in full combat gear in case we were deployed to Omaha for riot duty. Civil disobedience was widespread and not just by the hippies. I believe we are about to see that again. I am not a proponent of violence, but peaceful civil disobedience is not always a bad thing. The majority of voters elected our government and the majority of voters can elect new leaders. No, unfortunately we cannot elect a new President for almost four years. However, we can elect new Senators and Representatives who will listen to the voices of the people, who are supportive of the America we know and love. Nebraska is fortunate to have good leadership in Washington and in state government, but we can still have a voice. Many of us spent hundreds of hours calling for candidates in other states. Many of us wrote letters to the editor and posted blogs. This is a "government of the people, by the people and for the people," and it's time that the people reclaim control of their government. This is not President Obama's government. This is not Speaker Pelosi's government. This is not Majority Leader Reed's government and it sure as the world is not Secretary Geithner's government.

In Osceola, Nebraska, our home prior to moving to Lincoln there was a T-shirt that was worn by a number of youth and adults. It simply said, "Be Afraid.....Be Very Afraid." That shirt should be worn by conservatives everywhere. We should be afraid......afraid enough to stand up and say, "I'm mad as hxxx and I'm not going to take it anymore." This is the government "of the people," and we are the people so let's get fired up.

God Bless You and God Bless America!

When Two and Two Do Not Equal Four

This afternoon Maggie and I enjoyed a late afternoon of Husker Volleyball as they took on Missouri State in an exhibition game at the Coliseum. The weather even cooperated. It was dry when we went in.....rained during the game and then the sun came out as we were walking to our car. Now that's when two plus two equals four. But what do we do when it doesn't? I happened to be sitting next to a wonderful gentleman in his 70's from Bellevue, who was extremely intelligent and knowledgeable about sports and schools. We struck up and almost instant friendship as we talked mostly about Husker sports. He knew nearly all of the girls, where they went to high school, who their parents were and what their strengths were. I asked him what he had done for a living to which he replied, "I was in the school business." Never got much more than that, but at one point I remarked, "You were more than 'just in the school business.'" He said, "well, let's just say I enjoy athletics." Never did find out his name, but that didn't keep us from becoming instant friends. I told him that I was a second career pastor and just retired after nearly 25 years. Finally he said, if it won't offend you I may have something that would make you chuckle. He said that when most people pray they are hoping that two plus two doesn't equal four.

In other words, he was saying that we somehow hope God will change the mathematical equation of our situation. I chuckled, but instantly thought how absolutely right he was. That is very profound. We go to God and say, "please make two plus two equal anything but four." It doesn't work that way. It always comes out to be four regardless of how much we beg and plead with God. Very often the Lord will take a situation and rewire it a bit to make it turn out differently. I have seen people with a "terminal illness," graduate from Hospice and live many years. I have seen people receive a miraculous healing. I have seen drunks and addicts suddenly become dry and clean. So, does that mean God changed the course of history and made two plus two to equal something other than four? No, not in the least. You see, two plus two is a logical equation that always and everytime equals four. Three times three equals nine. Ten times twenty is always 200 and so on. God designed it that way. Every situation, like a mathematical equation, is intended to turn out for our good and God's glory. "All things work together for the good of those who love the Lord." "I know the plans I have for you, 'says the Lord. Plans for welfare and not for evil. Plans to give you a future and a hope."

God's design for humanity is that we fall madly in love with Him and with each other. God's design for us is good and perfect and that two plus two always equals four. Bad things happen to be sure, but that doesn't mean the answer is something other than four. Sometimes our problems are brought on by ourselves. For example, if I smoke for fifty years and get lung cancer was that God's doing or mine? If I drive my car down the road at 90 miles per hour with bad tires and I crash, who caused that.....me or God? Then there are times that it is not our doing at all, but someone else's. If I get hit by a drunk driver and am killed or disable, is that God's doing? Hardly. It is the doing of someone, who for whatever reason, drank too much and then got behind the wheel. Can God change those things? Absolutely! But when He doesn't we can't blame God. Two plus two still equals four although we pray that the answer is something else. What I am saying is that if God heals one person and not me, then is it fair of me to blame God? No, because the final answer to the equation is not found in this life anyway, but in eternity. The plans "for hope," that I mentioned is not always and earthly thing. The perfect hope is in God.

So, do you pray that two plus two equals 3? Sure you do and so do all of us from time to time. But remember that tomorrow is Palm Sunday. The crowds wanted two plus two to equal three, but that was not to be. They had their hopes that Jesus would overturn the corrupt Roman government and restore political and financial security. They had "fuzzy math," as we say. Jesus had something else in mind, something more perfect, something that would provide the correct answer, something that would bring eternal hope. That meant he must also suffer and die and that meant that his followers believed that the answer was wrong. But they were proved wrong. When he rose from the grave he showed them that two plus two was four. It is the only answer just as He is the only answer. Do yourself a favor. Just pray that God will provide the right answer, not the one that we may have decided would be better. He will not disappoint you.

God Bless You and God Bless America!