Lyle's Blog

Peace, that elusive place where rest is possible and the violence of man is absent, is the utopian dream of frightened people. Knowing the ravages of war, we strive for peace which is the righteous thing to do.

There seems to be a consensus among the young that if we forbid the speaking of “hateful words” we will eliminate the possibility of war. What they do not understand is this one simple thing; men are evil. Evil can only be defined by God. We’ve spent more than a hundred years killing God for the sole purpose of taking His place. We decide what is good; we decide that we are good and that we can know good from evil.

But we turn a blind eye to the depravity and violence around us. The media keeps bombarding us with unsettling news. They even dredge up murder stories of old lest we forget our heroes. We are enamored with the macabre, the decadent, the despicable actions of unrepentant people. We are drawn to violence; maybe we justify our little sins when we look at the worst of men.

Whole nations can come under the spell of racism. Nazi Germany is just one of many examples in history. In the United States, this infatuation with race is rising up. The left in this country are demanding their voices be heard and everyone else must be silenced. They are the superior race. Violence will become a necessary tool to bring deplorable people into submission.

Jesus said He came into the world to bring a sword, not to bring peace. His message would separate families, businesses, countries, and even your closest friend from you. A person either loves Jesus Christ or they don’t. He wants us to make a decision and that is simply this: are you good (self-righteous) or are you evil (needing a savior). If you need a savior the mockers will avoid you or persecute you. That is your cross to bear, being separated from the lust of the world.

Technology, science, and feelings have become the new, triune god. The new god is in town, politically correct, tolerant of your sins, and sings an intoxicating. song. We now have that generation who, being ignorant of the passion of Jesus Christ, spits on His cross which freed men from the penalty of sin. With itching ears they listen to only what they want to hear.

Our prayer must be that God would free them from the bondage of their self-determined value and open their ears. As Christians, we must pray for our enemies. If we don’t pray for them, the holy spirit probably won’t call them to repentance. People, including ourselves, must be convicted of sin; that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

So, ask the impossible. Fight the good fight. We don’t fight because we know we’re going to win; we fight because the enemy of our soul wants to kill us. Fight, stand, don’t be afraid to speak the truth to lost people.

Like many others I’ve subscribed to newsletters that bolster our view on a certain category of our personal lives. For many, including me, it’s financial.

Financial writers have a knack for hyping you up and making you think there is some benefit to their monthly advice. Our money is of maximum importance and I venture to say anyone who doesn’t educate themselves can very well end up in ruins.

Much of what I’ve read is useful and usually entertaining and enlightening. But what I’ve found is this: don’t get nailed down to following anyone’s advice including your broker. Everyone wants your money and all have a vested interest in skimming some off the top.

I subscribed to Early Warning Report by Richard Maybury. He helped me understand many things not the least of which is the need to put your money where government puts your tax dollars. His advice is sound and he never makes these urgent pleas to invest now. He’s a reasonable man and one can learn much from him. I dropped my subscription only because he has a somewhat closeted case of TDS.

Everyone has their prejudices and like it or not, some view of a perfect utopian world. Mr. Mayberry is a libertarian (as myself) and figures after the love affair with Keynesian economics is over, the world will have nowhere to go except Austrian economics. I believe this stems from a belief that there are good men who, when the collapse comes, will have that magic moment when the light bulb flickers on and truth will again be valued.

We learn much about how life works from the example of Israel in the Bible. Good kings meant good times; bad leadership meant suffering. We are no different today. We’re not born good, smart or anything else. We’re born; we need to be born again. If we were good we wouldn’t be twenty trillion dollars in debt and have a hundred trillion in unfunded liabilities.

Saul was the first king of Israel. He was handsome, self-confident and I would guess charming. Everyone approved. Moses, on the other hand, took a while for the public to warm up to. He stuttered, was old, and even murdered a guy that was hurting a fellow Jew and it couldn’t have helped that he spent the first forty years living in luxury.

If any of this sounds familiar it’s because nothing changes ever; as the wisest king who ever lived said: ” There’s nothing new under the sun”. We can’t expect too much from politicians or for that matter, our neighbors, and even less from ourselves. There is none righteous, no not one.

If we followed the Ten Commandments, we’d live far better lives. But as long as money is our god and we like our neighbor’s stuff and want it for ourselves, nothing changes. It’s the end game. We’ve torn the Ten Commandments from our view and disdain the people who paid the price for what we now have. We must return to our founding or liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness will become nothing more than wishful thinking. Wishful thinking is for children. America needs to grow up.