Lilies of the Field

  We have all heard the expression, “History has a tendency to repeat itself.” Someone has said this is because our memories fade to the point that events from the past become events of the present. Some historians believe this is due to the cyclical nature of history based on generations. They say four generations are needed to cycle through before similar events begin to occur. Some have even gone so far as to have predicted back in early 2019 that based upon this theory, our current age should parallel the events of the early 20th  century. One article I read said that if this is true, American society is inching dangerously close to mirroring events of a century ago. History tends to repeat itself because we tend to want to forget the difficulties in life. Everyone in prison wanted out of prison! Duh, right? Those who were unexpectedly released were ecstatic beyond belief. In fact, everyone around them was ecstatic at the news because that gave them hope, too. Most who are incarc

  What happens when a society ignores or tries to do away with the law? Anarchy. Anarchism is the theory that a society will be better when people are able to freely rule themselves apart from all laws. For the believer who knows Scripture and the God of Scripture, this theory is foolish, sinful thinking. When the authorities of a society have been overruled or removed, usually by force, what results is anarchy—every person becoming a law unto himself, or his own authority. We see this, with our very own eyes—the riots, the looting, the destruction of other people’s property, and even murders. The one factor that is absent in thinking this is a better way for society to operate is that man’s heart is desperately wicked. (See Genesis 6:5; Romans 3:10; and Jeremiah 17:9.)   Ronald Reagan said: “Law and freedom must be indivisible partners. For without law, there can be no freedom, only chaos and disorder; and without freedom, law is but a cynical veneer for injustice and oppression”. H

  “You don’t need an army to conquer a nation; all you need is fear!” That quote was from a recent interview Allie Beth Stuckey did with Pastor John MacArthur relating to the present-day Covid-19 “pandemic” crisis of 2020. He also said this: “You need to decide what your priorities are. This country has sacrificed tens of thousands of lives to gain our freedom, and people are going to give it all up if the government will protect them from some nebulous virus? It shows you the weakness of this generation; it shows you the susceptibility to suggestion and the ease with which fear can dominate people not related to reality.” Statistics and reality have proved that Covid-19 was not a legitimate fear. It is not an epidemic; there is something else going on. We must ask ourselves this: Will people realize their fatal mistake too late? “Judgment is coming! Judgment is coming! Judgment is coming! Judgment is coming! Judgment is coming!” For five chapters, the message in the book of Jeremiah

  Death is around the corner for every one of us. For some, the walk around the block is longer than for others. In other words, we never know when we are going to reach the end of the block and be forced to turn that corner. People think they can somehow delay the inevitable by eating right, living “right”, staying physically active, and mentally sharp. Eager to enlighten themselves with the newest fad promising greater longevity, the masses spend money like it is water from the fountain of youth to be ‘in the know’; not so much to impress others, but to apply to themselves the latest, most newly-discovered secrets. It is our sinful human nature that does not want to think about death. Somehow we know we were created eternal beings, yet we are born loving and wanting to hold on to this world. We see death all around us, and our flesh recoils at any thoughts that death is coming for us, too. While death is a reality for all of us, the fact that you can do nothing to stop it, is also tr

  I like to think that I am a very structured person, until I realize I am not as structured as I want to be.   For as long as I can remember, I have been a list maker who is known to have lists for everything. Chaos and confusion are unsettling to me and threaten to overwhelm me when circumstances beyond my control creep up on me—hitting me in the face when I least expect it. A person who is structured is happiest when her meticulously planned out day comes to fruition. The problem is: it seldom does. Something that is structured is arranged according to a specific plan. It is definite and highly organized. It is anything that has been put together in an organized, deliberate way. I like all my ducks in a row, I deliberately place them where I think they should be. The problem is: they never stay where I put them! In an environment that is very much out of one’s control like prison, I found I adjusted quite well to the structured life ‘within the gates’. However, when there was any

  “Nag, nag, nag, that’s all my parents do,” says the cocky teenager who thinks he knows best what is good for him. He learns to tune out that voice of authority because it goes against his adolescent desires and fleshly lusts. Even when another friend comes along and says, “Hey, didn’t your parents say you weren’t supposed to do that?”, his thoughts are already, “I can do whatever I want because I have my parents wrapped around my little finger. They may be mad for a little while, but they won’t follow through with any of their threats.” Sadly, this is probably true for most teenagers today, and the evidence around us is anything but subtle. This is the same teenager who has been raised to believe that he can be all he wants to be, that he deserves a trophy for just suiting up for the game, who should never let anyone crush his little ego by doing or saying anything to him that is offensive…even if it’s only offensive to him. Even if a neutral comment is made to him stated without