I praise the Lord for my niece Lauryn and love her very much. Here is a cute video of her singing to her Granny.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Immigration and Arizona
Posted as a response to a Facebook discussion on Arizona's new law giving law enforement agencies in the state "the power to question anyone they suspect might be in the country illegally" (Maiman,B. Populist Examiner. http://www.examiner.com/. posted April 24, 2010. Retrieved from "blogger won't allow cut and paste...boo." Last updated 4/24/2010).
------(Edited and Revised)
Racial profiling is never okay constitutionally because we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights... "All men," from the Declaration of Independence, does not simply refer to citizens of the United States of America, but to all people created in the image of God. That said, Arizona's new law does further extend and encourage police action as it regard a certain ethnic group, mainly those of those of Mexican, Latino/a, and Hispanic, non-white heritage and descent.
However, "all men" also includes citizens of the United States of America who are fed up with lax immigration laws and regulations that only perpetuate and encourage corporate greed, mainly the underpaying of "said" ethnic group in many of the jobs that help sustain this nation. If you've seen the documentary Food Inc., you'll know what I'm talking about. Not only do we as a nation face the outsourcing of jobs to other countries whose labor laws are unlike our own; and not only do we face the underpaying of illegal workers here in our own country. We come face to face with a large, clandestine network of systems secretly established to unlawfully "credential" many immigrants who are here illegally. That too is unjust.
In Jeremiah 22: 13, Jehovah declares, Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor." Both illegal immigrants working here in America, outsourced laborers employed by U.S. companies in other countries, and unemployed or underemployed U. S. citizens who could benefit from some if not many of those jobs are hurt by the kinds of unjust labor practices that impact the immigration debate.
In the end, what is the goal of Arizona's new law: love, grace, and compassion or law for law's sake?
And to answer poster's question in the strand as it relates to pressuring the federal government into seriously tackling the immigration conundrum: I could see this valid perspective; to go as far as to pass a law that verges on Jim Crow, in a hope to seriously shine a spotlight on the impact of not seriously tackling the issue of immigration at all. The law will more than likely be get overturned by the courts.
------(Edited and Revised)
Racial profiling is never okay constitutionally because we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights... "All men," from the Declaration of Independence, does not simply refer to citizens of the United States of America, but to all people created in the image of God. That said, Arizona's new law does further extend and encourage police action as it regard a certain ethnic group, mainly those of those of Mexican, Latino/a, and Hispanic, non-white heritage and descent.
However, "all men" also includes citizens of the United States of America who are fed up with lax immigration laws and regulations that only perpetuate and encourage corporate greed, mainly the underpaying of "said" ethnic group in many of the jobs that help sustain this nation. If you've seen the documentary Food Inc., you'll know what I'm talking about. Not only do we as a nation face the outsourcing of jobs to other countries whose labor laws are unlike our own; and not only do we face the underpaying of illegal workers here in our own country. We come face to face with a large, clandestine network of systems secretly established to unlawfully "credential" many immigrants who are here illegally. That too is unjust.
In Jeremiah 22: 13, Jehovah declares, Sure to be judged is the king who builds his palace using injustice and treats people unfairly while adding its upper rooms. He makes his countrymen work for him for nothing. He does not pay them for their labor." Both illegal immigrants working here in America, outsourced laborers employed by U.S. companies in other countries, and unemployed or underemployed U. S. citizens who could benefit from some if not many of those jobs are hurt by the kinds of unjust labor practices that impact the immigration debate.
In the end, what is the goal of Arizona's new law: love, grace, and compassion or law for law's sake?
And to answer poster's question in the strand as it relates to pressuring the federal government into seriously tackling the immigration conundrum: I could see this valid perspective; to go as far as to pass a law that verges on Jim Crow, in a hope to seriously shine a spotlight on the impact of not seriously tackling the issue of immigration at all. The law will more than likely be get overturned by the courts.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Vox Dei
"Everyone who belongs to the truth, listens to My voice." One way that those who belong to Jesus listen to His voice is by reading, knowing, and heeding the Word of God. Because "the word of the Lord endures forever," "as new born babes," believers are charged to "desire the pure milk of the word, that (they) may grow thereby if indeed (they) have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (I Peter 1: 25; I Peter 2: 2, 3).
And as believers grow "thereby" effectively and productively in the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, becoming skilled in the "word of righteousness" (Hebrews 5: 13) by which we are saved (James 1: 21), we become rooted and established in the present truth; truth that is eternal, immutable, infallible, inerrant, and yes, powerful... So, "let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom" (Colossians 3: 16). That is if you have tasted His grace. If not, permit your mind, and soul, and heart to savor the immeasurable, wonderful, marvelous grace of our God and Savior. The kitchen is open, and the Lord is cookin'. Bon appetit!
And as believers grow "thereby" effectively and productively in the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, becoming skilled in the "word of righteousness" (Hebrews 5: 13) by which we are saved (James 1: 21), we become rooted and established in the present truth; truth that is eternal, immutable, infallible, inerrant, and yes, powerful... So, "let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom" (Colossians 3: 16). That is if you have tasted His grace. If not, permit your mind, and soul, and heart to savor the immeasurable, wonderful, marvelous grace of our God and Savior. The kitchen is open, and the Lord is cookin'. Bon appetit!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Quid Est Veritas?
That was the question Pontius Pilate asked of Jesus as he inquired of His kingdom and of His testimony as recorded in John 18: 38. And for generations, philosophers and thinkers alike have posed the same question: "What is truth?" Jesus emphatically says when Pilate affirms that He is a king, "You say that I am a king. For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world --- to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to My voice" (John 18: 37). If we rewind, however, several months before this encounter, that during the earthly ministry of Jesus, He declares "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14: 6). Since Jesus is the Truth, then everyone who belongs to Jesus listens to His voice. So, the real question isn't "what is truth," but appropriately "Who is Truth?"
As the hour approached that He would be betrayed into the hands of evil men with a kiss in the garden by Judas, Jesus prayed to the Father, "Sanctify them by your truth. Your Word is truth" (John 17: 17). In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, a revealing truth is made manifest to us: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning" (John 1: 1, 2). Who is Truth? The Word is Truth. Who is the Word? Jesus is the Word because Jesus is the Truth. Pray tell, "Who is Jesus?" Jesus is God.
Question: Do you belong to the Truth? If so, do you listen to His voice? Hint: the second question should not be a question at all if you belong to the Truth.
As the hour approached that He would be betrayed into the hands of evil men with a kiss in the garden by Judas, Jesus prayed to the Father, "Sanctify them by your truth. Your Word is truth" (John 17: 17). In the first chapter of the Gospel of John, a revealing truth is made manifest to us: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning" (John 1: 1, 2). Who is Truth? The Word is Truth. Who is the Word? Jesus is the Word because Jesus is the Truth. Pray tell, "Who is Jesus?" Jesus is God.
Question: Do you belong to the Truth? If so, do you listen to His voice? Hint: the second question should not be a question at all if you belong to the Truth.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Strays
This afternoon, God taught me a lesson about what concerns His heart most about the world. When I went to Aldi, a young man asked if I could support his cause by purchasing a candy bar. I said, "Not today." He asked again if I could at least give a donation, hoping in his heart that I'd change my mind. His hands visibly soiled and his gumpy disposition finally caught my attention, but I still said, "Not right now." My mind was concerned with other things. So, I moved on.
After taking care of another "urgent" errand, I left the Jewel-Osco only to be confronted by another "person in need." At first he appeared more engaged with the coversation he was having with a woman it seemed was familiar to him. However, he briefly interrupted it to ask as I exited through the automatic door, "Can you help me out?" His frumpy, old bag and dark-skinned legs drew my attention, his eyes calling out for compassion; I responded, "Can't help you out. Sorry." I was in a rush to get home, in a rush to prepare for small group, in a rush to not be too concerned with what could have been a gospel moment.
As I neared the house, just a quiet block away, I saw a small, wire-haired dog in the middle of Wrightwood Avenue. He was almost hit by a car. My heart went out to it. I slowed my car in an apparent attempt to catch up with it, to keep track of it. The driver behind me blew his horn. I pulled a u-turn in the middle of the street in order to pull over, in order to "catch" the dog.
A man on foot had the same endeavor it seemed. He carried earbuds in his hand. We were fruitless in our effort to keep up with it. The dog proceeded to walk down an alley way. I called out to it, and the little thing stopped and turned around. It seemed to have my attention now, both of us making eye contact. I proceeded to get out of my car and walk toward it. The wire-haired dog, unconcerned about my "apparent" compassion, turned around and ran away from me, around the corner into the other alley way.
The man with the earbuds in his hand who seemed to be just as concerned about the dog as I was, caught up with me. I asked him from my car if the dog belonged to him. He replied no. I assumed that the dog was "lost" although it appeared that around its neck was a collar with a tag. I told the man with the earbuds in his hand the the little, wire-haired dog had run around the corner into another alley way. He peered into my eyes from a distance and frankly replied, "I guess it knows where its going," and continued to follow the dog's unmarked trail.
Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Matthew 9: 35 - 38
Question. Do you view people the way God views people, or are you chasing down the wrong strays?
After taking care of another "urgent" errand, I left the Jewel-Osco only to be confronted by another "person in need." At first he appeared more engaged with the coversation he was having with a woman it seemed was familiar to him. However, he briefly interrupted it to ask as I exited through the automatic door, "Can you help me out?" His frumpy, old bag and dark-skinned legs drew my attention, his eyes calling out for compassion; I responded, "Can't help you out. Sorry." I was in a rush to get home, in a rush to prepare for small group, in a rush to not be too concerned with what could have been a gospel moment.
As I neared the house, just a quiet block away, I saw a small, wire-haired dog in the middle of Wrightwood Avenue. He was almost hit by a car. My heart went out to it. I slowed my car in an apparent attempt to catch up with it, to keep track of it. The driver behind me blew his horn. I pulled a u-turn in the middle of the street in order to pull over, in order to "catch" the dog.
A man on foot had the same endeavor it seemed. He carried earbuds in his hand. We were fruitless in our effort to keep up with it. The dog proceeded to walk down an alley way. I called out to it, and the little thing stopped and turned around. It seemed to have my attention now, both of us making eye contact. I proceeded to get out of my car and walk toward it. The wire-haired dog, unconcerned about my "apparent" compassion, turned around and ran away from me, around the corner into the other alley way.
The man with the earbuds in his hand who seemed to be just as concerned about the dog as I was, caught up with me. I asked him from my car if the dog belonged to him. He replied no. I assumed that the dog was "lost" although it appeared that around its neck was a collar with a tag. I told the man with the earbuds in his hand the the little, wire-haired dog had run around the corner into another alley way. He peered into my eyes from a distance and frankly replied, "I guess it knows where its going," and continued to follow the dog's unmarked trail.
Then Jesus went throughout all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, He had compassion on them because they were bewildered and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, "The Harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest." Matthew 9: 35 - 38
Question. Do you view people the way God views people, or are you chasing down the wrong strays?
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