Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

Psalm 122:
1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.
2 Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together.
4 Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the LORD.
5 For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.
7 Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces.
8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee.
9 Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.

Comment: As headlines cry, "Israel Under Attack!" - it's good to refresh our minds with God's perspective on current events. We may be caught unaware by news reports; but know that our God, who knows the end from the beginning, is never surprised by late breaking news headlines.

Bible prophecy will be fulfilled, God's promises concerning Jerusalem, both the judgments against her sinfulness and the overweening glory He intended for "her" from the beginning, will come to pass.

Jerusalem is a focal point in God's plan and purpose. He chose it. He calls it Zion. He also refers to it as the "city of David." It plays an integral part in His redemptive plan - toward Israel and toward all mankind. What's more, the earthly city is representative of the heavenly city, New Jerusalem. (See Revelation 21:1-3.)

Psalm 48:
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.
2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
...
8 As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
9 We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple.
10 According to Thy Name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Thy judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, and go around her: tell the towers thereof.
13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that ye may tell it to the generation following.
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death.

For further study...
Isaiah 24:23; 62:1-4; 66:10-20; Jeremiah 3:17; Joel 2:32; 3:16-17; Zechariah 2:7-13; 8:20-22; 12:10.

The Duke of York...

The grand old Duke of York,
He had ten thousand men;
He marched them up the hill,
Then marched them down again.

And when you're up, you're up,
And when you're down, you're down;
And when you're only half-way up,
You're neither up nor down!

Ah, yes, the old nursery rhyme is undergirded with truth and common sense. David mourned at the death of Abner, (Saul's chief of staff,) saying, "How are the mighty fallen..!" and, "Died Abner as a fool dieth." Abner knew the rules. He knew he needed to stay in the city of refuge to be protected from the vengeance of David's chief of staff, Joab. In battle, Abner had killed Joab's brother, Asahel, (not willingly, but slew him just the same,) and that Joab was bent on revenge. Yet, he thought perhaps he could make peace with Joab and stepped outside of the walls of protection. And yes - Joab did what he'd set out to do.

How often do we read in the headlines of heroes, politicians, and other public figures who fall from grace? Their failures seem so foolish. How could they not know? we wonder. Disappointed and even disillusioned, we lose faith in even the good they may have done in the past. The wages of their misconduct is much more than monetary. The loss of trust on any and every level is costly indeed.

So what is it the bewitches humans into thinking they are somehow exempt from personal accountability? What makes them think they can escape public scrutiny - that somehow, their sins and misdeeds can be hidden? In this media-hungry society, there is always someone out beating the bushes in a hunt for a momentary lapse, or, better yet, a glaring error/sin. These take joy in exposing "feet of clay."

Public and political figures are not the only ones in such straits. Christians are the target of these "watchers" as well. The strange conundrum in all this is that while on one hand, they expect the child of God to fail, they hope deep down that he or she won't. Their mind and heart searches for something real enough to make it possible to actually overcome sin, to have the strength to live above it!

So how can we avoid this trap?

First, we must realize that the power we need is not found in human will or bootstrap determination. This strength is not human - it can only come from God through the power of the indwelling Holy Ghost (Acts 1:8).Trying to accomplish a victorious life through the power of the flesh is like an amputee with no arms or legs trying to climb Mount Everest. Like the Duke of York, human effort is a treadmill - expending lots of energy but getting nowhere.

Second, the strength we need to live an overcoming life comes over time and with experience. One does not suddenly become strong enough to resist sin - it's a daily thing. Isaiah said, "Line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, there a little..." (Isaiah 28:10) Paul said, "I die daily." (I Corinthians 15:31)

Third, part of this "daily" thing is prayer and immersion in the Word of God. The more you know of His Word, the more you know of Him. If you want to avoid the traps of the enemy and the lure of the flesh, you need to know what pleases God and what He expects of you. His Word is key to this understanding. As you open your mind to His Word, and submit your heart in prayer, you'll find your strength is renewed day-by-day. Fasting fuels holy fire that purges us from fleshly lusts. (See I Timothy 6:11; II Timothy 2:15-22.) Although Paul was addressing young Timothy specifically - his admonition is vitally important to every gender and generation.
  
Psalm 119 is chock full of nuggets proclaiming the importance of knowing and embracing God's Word. In verse after verse, the Psalmist says to value God's Word, making it the foundation of our very lives. "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to Thy Word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments. Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." (Psalm 119:9-11)

History tells us the Duke of York marched his army up the hill and set himself to the battle. Hopelessly outnumbered, (40,000 to his 10,000,) he lost the battle, marching his much depleted forces back down the hill in defeat. His position, his power, his importance,even his wealth meant nothing after that day

For those who battle in a war against sin and the flesh, going it on your own,in your own strength is going to end up in defeat. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" is the only way to victory!

  .

Gathering Our Thoughts

We live in a fractured world. Current happenings conspire on a daily basis, keeping our minds so occupied with the here and now that we have no time (or even the inclination,) to ponder much of anything past the present moment. Conider these...

• sound bytes, newsflashes, 15-second commercials, abrupt segues, streaming, tweets, the internet,
• multi-tasking, cellphones, call-waiting, crowded/conflicting schedules, the tyrany of the urgent,
• media blitzkrieg, assaults on the senses; eyes, ears, nose, tastes, touch, distracted thinking, 
• double-speak, hidden agendas, mind games, political correctness, 
• catastrophic events, disasters, and tragedies occuring simultaneously around the world,
• nature's rampages; earthquakes, hurricanes, pestilences, tornadoes, tsunamis, typhoons, volcanoes,
• man's rampages; crime, hatred, predators, revolts, riots, suicide-bombers/bombings, vengeance, violence, wars and rumors of wars...

What a list! Some days go by so quickly it seems we only just got up and here, it's way past time to go to bed again. Our days are crowded with appointments and deadlines, to-do lists and schedules - and woe be to the interruption or the interruptor. Long lines, traffic jams, road rage, reckless drivers, computer glitches, and the ever-present unexpected spoil the moment and, if allowed, can derail the whole day. We run ourselves ragged until we fall into bed exhausted and then sleep poorly because our mind is too busy with the day past and the day coming to get its needed rest. That's just in the physical - think about how all this busy-ness affects our spiritual man!

From the beginning, this rat-race mentality was never God's intent. And while He knows the circumstances of this present world, it is still not His intent for us. He told His disciples, "Come ye apart and rest a while." He spoke to us all when He said, "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

Tom Fred Tenney said, "Keep the main thing the main thing." Therein lies the key! A magazine article entitled, "Must.Focus" listed five reasons for distracted thoughts; 1.) Stress, 2.) Multi-tasking, 3.) Life change, 4.) Getting older, and, 5.) Too much on my plate. [Source: Ladies Home Journal,"Must.Focus," December 2011/January 2012, pg. 54.]  The author said sensory overloads are common today. So much so that a national magazine considered it a worthwhile topic. We all get into trouble when our priorities schedule us. What we should be doing is scheduling our priorities. This is not just a semantic difference.

"The tyrany of the urgent" is mentioned in the bullet list following the first paragraph. Urgent, my friend, does not mean what we seem to think it means. Urgent is not an emergency! It may be important, but it's not life or death. Too many times we allow what is merely urgent to usurp the crucial. An old song says, "...for one-hundred years from now, it won't matter anyhow..." It's the truth! In the light of the eternal, Adam's walks and talks with God in the cool of the day were far more important than the momentary pleasure of forbidden fruit. That one choice changed everything; yet, nothing changed - for that same choice sits before us today.

Where are our priorities? Are they temporal? or eternal? after the flesh? or after the Spirit? When our priorities are set, our choices align themselves accordingly (and our "to do" list will follow suit). Daniel "purposed in his heart not to defile himself..." That purpose affected the rest of his life. Rehoboam was the last king of all Israel (the twelve tribes). Grandson of David, son of the wisest man who ever lived, yet he did not "prepare his heart to seek the LORD." That choice made all the difference - and as a result, Rehoboam lost it all! [See Daniel 1:8; & II Chronicles 12:13-14.]

Now more than ever, we need to gather our thoughts, prepare our mind, purpose in our heart, and focus our attention on what's truly important. Majoring in minors is a tool used by both the flesh and the enemy. Jesus said tithing of mint, anise, and cummin (seeds) wasn't wrong, but omitting the weightier matters, (justice, mercy, the love of God and your fellow-man,) was a critical error. When our mind is preoccupied with the mundane, it can't recognize the glimpses of glory God sends our way. Distracted thinking prevents us from gathering our thoughts and lofting them into eternity's flow.

Here's the remedy...

• "Let [allow/permit] this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus..." (Philippans 2:5)
• "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" (I Peter 1:13, see also 14-16.)
• "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing [every misplaced priority] that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (II Corinthians 10:5)
• "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee."   (Isaiah 26:3)
• "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." (Colossians 3:2)
• "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)

A Father's Impact . . .

At a coffee shop in Canada, I picked up a copy of the Toronto Star, which was there for customers to read while drinking their coffee. It was full of reports on the G-20 and G-8 conferences being held in Ontario. An article on an inside page caught my eye. The lead line spoke of "different dads" and "father issues."

It said most of the world leaders are themselves fathers and a couple of them have fathered twenty or more children! But coming from all walks of life, the fathers of all these leaders have affected (for good or for ill,) the lives of these who are now shaping our world.

While the Canadian Prime Minister was very close to his dad, others grew up without their father’s influence. For instance, Barack Obama, Sr. herded goats in Kenya during his youth. Though educated in Harvard as an economist, he returned to Kenya after his divorce from President Obama’s mother. His son saw him only one more time before he died in an auto accident in 1982. In his book, "Dreams From My Father," Mr. Obama speaks of how hard it was to grow up without his father; a man deemed highly intelligent yet profoundly flawed. He said, "My father was missing. Nothing my mother or grandparents told me could obviate than single, unassailable fact."

The first French President in modern times whose parents are living, Nicholas Sarkozy’s father, Pel, a Hungarian immigrant, (who says he loves women and high living,) came to France penniless. He started his own advertising agency, then left Nicholas’ mother. In succeeding years he’s had three more wives, more children and numerous affairs. From age 4, Nicholas never saw his father again until after he became President.

The father of South Africa’s President, Jacob Zuma, was a policeman who died at the end of World War II, while Jacob was just a child. He soon had to go to work to help his mother and family eke out a living, which prevented him from receiving a formal education.

The fathers of today's world leaders have held many occupations; some were highly esteemed and some would be considered menial. One was a Lutheran pastor, another a bank employee. Others include a cattle ranch hand, a dairy farmer, a glass manufacturing plant executive, a stock broker, a professor, a bus driver, and an accountant.
[Source: "Who’s Their Daddy?" Pg. IN-3, Toronto Star; Sunday, June 20, 2010.]

So, although some had good relationships with their fathers, others came to the present through negatives and deficiency. Some consider they’ve achieved earthly recognition despite circumstances and backgrounds. Others see limitations, (thrust upon them by the lack of a father’s guidance and/or by the difficulties they endured,) affecting their ability to lead effectively. While overcoming obstacles is always a possibility, it is also a challenge. For many, it is the crayon that colors everything else in life.

Over the years, I’ve heard Bro. Grisham teach that the best example a father can set before his children is to love God, love his wife, and love his children. The fathers I’ve observed who have modeled this wise advice are without exception, honorable men worthy of godly emulation. Children raised in such a setting have advantages beyond monetary measure. The example godly fathers set provides insight and perspective capable of holding their children steady throughout life’s ebb and flow.

Moses commanded, "Teach your children diligently; when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." (Deuteronomy 6:7 niv) Fathers who failed in this task handed their children over to idolatry and sure and certain judgment. Subsequent generations did not even know God. As judgment fell, the prophet spoke of the proverb, "The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge." (Ezekiel 18:2) But this was not God’s plan. He wanted reconciliation and restoration. "Behold, I will sent you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6)

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul balances the ledger, "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath; but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." (Ephesians 6:4. See also Colossians 3:21.)

Fathers, you have an unction from the Holy One. Your children are your deposit into the future, your bid in making an impact on the world to come. The only contribution that will truly last is the one that affects and enhances eternity. Everything else is wood, hay and stubble.

~ mjkinnee
July 2010

Audacious Hope

The week of January 20, 2009 - what an amazing week it was! Observing the inaugural events, one couldn’t help but note the overwhelming numbers and the cross-section of cultures, races and creeds that crowded into our nation’s capital. One photo showed a woman gazing adoringly toward the podium, hands clasped as though in earnest prayer. Many a face was streaked with tears as old and young alike stood in awe. The sheer power of a unified mass of people was evident and electric as throngs around the world pinned their hopes on a promise of change. In interviews, one man said it was “more like a coronation than an inauguration.” A woman described the festivities as “Mardi Gras, without the nudity.” Over and over, there were comments on the patience of the crowds with the cold, the long lines and the waiting. Goodwill hung in the air like an aura, infecting even the dour. The New York Times featured stories like; “Obama Takes Oath and Nation in Crisis Embraces the Moment” and, “A Portrait of Change: In First Family, a Nation’s Many Faces.”

Lean and earnest, clad in the traditional presidential black cashmere overcoat, a man of eloquence delivered a carefully crafted inaugural address that acknowledged the challenges and the need to face the future with a shared sense of responsibility. Everywhere you looked, the crowds seemed ready to buy into his hopefulness and promise of change to come.

Mankind longs to be the master of his own destiny, so he seeks for strong leadership that promises to move in the direction of his own leanings. Add to that the realization of long sought victory and the fulfillment of hopes long denied, and a potion more powerful than the most potent drug results. For hope is an emotional thing, enduring in the face of formidable odds.

Paul said, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” (Romans 8:24) The wise man said, “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12) Realized hope is a generating force – with the power to foster both great good and unimaginable evil.

But we are living in a day when the hopes of a vast cross-section of diverse opinions and ideologies have married the good and valid with the evil and unthinkable, making its weakness visible. (See Daniel 2:41-43.) As iron and clay cannot be mixed or mingled, so two cannot “walk together, except they be agreed.” (Amos 3:3) The problem is one side has to give in to the other. Elementary science says when you mix cold and hot water; cold water does not become warmer, hot water cools down. (Note God’s opinion of lukewarmness – Revelation 3:15-16.) Because such combinations make a weak foundation, King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is alive in today’s headlines.

“…Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar…” (Romans 3:4) and, “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34) The world is tottering because it’s founded on flawed hope, which cannot succeed. Man’s broad way panders to the unthinkable for political advantage.

God’s way is straight and narrow. The solid foundation, built on the Rock declares, “The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in Him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:24-26)

The old hymn declares, “On Christ, the solid Rock I stand – all other ground is sinking sand.” The hope of the believer is founded on His Word and His promise. God’s Word cannot fail. It is the nail fastened in a sure place! This hope is the anchor for the soul of man. It’s sure and steadfast. It’s a good hope... a blessed hope... a lively hope... a glorious hope... an audacious hope... a hope that maketh not ashamed. “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.” (I John 3:3) Blessed is every man, woman, boy and girl who puts all their hope in the Lord!

~ mjkinnee

Incendiary Remarks

Washington Post Political Cartoon

September 9, 2008

Incendiary remarks stir up strife and focus negative attention on people of faith and obedience.

See link:

http://wpcomics.washingtonpost.com/client/wpc/po/2008/09/09/

This cartoon is highly offensive to Pentecostals everywhere. It brought quick letters of protest to the Post and has garnered a generally negative response by people of faith everywhere. I've heard that a number of letters have been directed to the editor. But in checking the Washington Post website this morning, I found these letters of protest had not been posted. Instead, only e-mailed comments supporting Mr. Oliphant were on display. But as I thought on all these things, the following Scriptures came to mind...

1. "But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used." (Hebrews 10:32-33)
2. "Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be [treated] as reprobates. For we can do nothing against the truth but for the truth." (II Corinthians 13:7-8)
3. "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets." (Luke 6:22-23)
4. "So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them which trouble you." (II Thessalonians 1:4-6)
5. "For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lust, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: who shall give account to Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." (I Peter 4:3-5)
6. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit and glory of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified." (I Peter 4:12-14)
7. "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good..." (Genesis 50:20)
8. "In every thing give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (I Thessalonians 5:18)
9. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7)

I am not a fatalist, nor am I passive. But we need to exercise caution, to take heed that our response to persecution of any sort is measured and seasoned with the very Spirit of the One they mock and deride. We dare not retaliate in kind or bring railing accusation. This would put us squarely in the place where angels fear to tread.

We proclaim that our trust is in the Lord Jesus. We declare He is God all by Himself. Building on these two premises - my conclusion is... He is well able to defend Himself.

In this cartoon, Mr. Oliphant has not lampooned an individual, (as he may think,) he has mocked the Spirit of God. In matters public and private, wherever and whenever great wrong has been done, God has declared, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay."

I submit to you today, that even though Mr. Oliphant's cartoon is egregious and offensive, and even though it focuses negative attention upon Pentecostals as whole, it just may be that what Mr. Oliphant intended as mockery and ridicule will turn again and bring great good! Whatever the outcome, God is well able to take care of mockers and we can trust Him to protect His church and prosper the truth.

Therefore, if men are going to call us into question as was done in the book of Acts, let us respond with an Acts-inspired holy boldness!

• "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto Thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word, By stretching forth Thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of Thy Holy Child Jesus."' (Acts 4:29-30)
• "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets." (Acts 24:14)

We are the people of the Name. We claim to be thoroughly Apostolic in belief, practice and teaching. That means we take our cues from the patterns set forth in the book of Acts...

We pray for holy boldness; we rejoice when counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name's sake; we fight not against flesh and blood but against rulers and principalities, against spiritual wickedness in high places; the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty to the pulling down of strongholds; our minds and our thoughts have been renewed and transformed by the very power Mr. Oliphant mocks; we are clothed in the whole armor of God.

Our method of counterattack is not one of railing accusation, it is the Lord who raises the standard against the onslaught. When His Name, His glory, His Spirit comes into the fray - He will defend and make it abundantly clear not only Who He is, but also the difficulty inherent in "kicking against the pricks."

I feel more than a little sorry for this man - he must not know Jesus. If he did he would not treat the Holy Spirit of God with such disdain, nor would he presume to put words in the mouth of the Almighty. As it is, if he does not seek and find a place of repentance, it might be wise not to be anywhere in the vicinity of Mr. Oliphant.

Then again, who knows? At the moment it is almost the unthinkable considering his track record, but Mr. Pat Oliphant just might be about to have a Damascus Road experience. It wouldn't be the first time an enemy of Christ was transformed into a bold defender of the Truth. Just think, even now the Lord may be preparing some presently unknown Ananias to show him what he ought to do...

Is anything too hard for God?

Shared Sorrow...

A "Hmm..." moment regarding recent disasters around the globe.

China doesn’t want workers, just money and machinery. Politicians assure everyone that they are doing everything they can; complete with photo-ops, hugs and televised speeches, but the magnitude of the earthquake and the sheer quantities of victims stagger the mind and belie the words. Exhausted relief workers sit by the sides of roads trying to catch their breath before heading on into more carnage. People, too afraid to sleep in buildings, choose to sleep on the ground out in the open as the earth continues to rumble beneath their feet. The media is filled with images of parents weeping over their dead children. For many, it’s their only child, (due to governmental birth control regulations). Mothers Day just past, the photos are a striking reminder that life is fragile and tragedy can transform a normal day into continual temblors of grief. Face after face, each one different, yet each one sharing a common denominator, sorrow. So many faces, so much distress, it numbs the mind... and the numbers keep climbing.

The rulers of Myanmar (Burma) claim they don’t need help. Ask the Burmese people whether they need help as thousands swell the cyclone’s toll. Yet with frustrated hand-wringing and "for shaming," the world sits on the sidelines, plane and boatloads of help at the ready, waiting for permission to enter, while millions huddle in misery out in the open or in temporary shelters, enduring heat and the stench of dead bodies all across the landscape. Disease opens her mouth to swallow the residue. Under pouring rain and sodden skies, with the threat of a second cyclone looming, they sit exposed and defenseless, an unwilling sacrifice to implacable gods. Their leaders spirit away the trickle of relief they allow into the country, while doling out rotten rice to a fraction of those who so desperately need nourishing food. Words from long ago echo across time, "Is it nothing to you, all ye who pass by?"

Throughout, there have been reports of bravery, courage and selflessness. It is right and proper that such be recognized, but when and wherever these stories are told, you can be sure there is an even greater number of unsung heroes. And in their lives and actions the world sees the truth of the words, "Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for a friend."

Thus it is that in the midst of horrendous suffering and chaos, the gold in the human spirit gleams brightest. Spurred on by inner strength beyond their own, they plunge forward into the unknown intent on saving, helping, rescuing, doing what they can to bring hope and light into troublesome times and events. It was this spirit that sent the NY firemen into the World Trade Towers. It was this spirit that sent one lone man in his own boat into the flood waters of Katrina's aftermath to rescue hundreds who were stranded on rooftops and upper floors. It was this spirit that urged the good Samaritan to forget about his own safety and minister to the needs of the wounded man laying by the side of the road. We are not given his name, just his nationality. But he not only ministered on the spot, he also put himself out to take the wounded man to further help and provided for the man’s continued care when duty called him on. That Samaritan’s actions became an illustrated sermon in answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?"

"Love your neighbor as yourself" – strong words, convicting words, words to remember, but not only in times of tragedy. The hardest part of loving your neighbor as yourself is constancy – becoming the illustrated sermon throughout your life. One thing is sure. Those who make a practice of caring and sharing in the lives of others and who consider others’ needs ahead of their own are legitimate heroes in anyone’s book. When it comes to character – the man or woman, boy or girl who fleshes out this commandment day in and day out far surpasses the shallow, self-centered attention grabbers of this world. And in the end, when we all give an account, this kind of gold, where’re it may be found, can stand the closest of inspections.