Who gives us our rights?

Our nation's Founding Fathers had an understanding of where our "rights" as human beings came from; something of which would do our nation well to understand today.  I suspect that most people either out of ignorance or denial forget the words penned by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.  Here are the first several lines which make very clear the answer as to where our rights as human beings come from:

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.


We hold these trust to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness. -- That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,--That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, at to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration.html

So the answer is that our rights are given to us by the Law's of Nature and of Nature's God (simply affirming what is already known in the Holy Scriptures).  Rights are not given by men, by government or any other entity that is of this world, but by God alone.  Don't believe me, you try to extend your life by just one day in any given situation.  The death rate for every person, regardless of "stature" is 1 for 1.

When I see comments such as the one's made my Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City I take issue and must take a stand against them.  The excerpt below is from the following linked article:

"Stand aside, privacy-rights protectionists. The bombings in Boston prove the nation needs to change how it interprets the Constitution to give government greater power to protect citizens, New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said." ~Emphasis added

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/apr/23/ny-mayor-michael-bloomberg-constitution-must-chang/#ixzz2RfzvGfWw

Consider for a moment the words of Benjamin Franklin in 1755 to the Pennsylvania Assembly: Reply to the Governor, Tue, November 11, 1755:

"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
http://www.ushistory.org/franklin/quotable/quote04.htm

Benjamin Franklin is right on.  Anyone who is foolish enough to believe that their safety depends on a government or someone other than God and themselves does not deserve either.  This falls right inline of the rights given to us by our Creator, we have the right to live, to pursue happiness and safety.  We are responsible for our own actions and accountable to our God (regardless of whether you believe in Him or not) for those actions. Bloomberg's assertions of how we need to "change how it interprets the Constitution" is completely wrong.  Makes me wonder if he has ever even read the Constitution.  The Constitution starts off by saying:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

"We the people"... this right to safety is firmly in the hands of its people clearly defined by the Constitution.  Some might say well it was to form a government and that government is responsible for our safety, to a certain extent it is.  If you know your American history the original purpose of the Federal Government was to provide defense for our borders, regulate interstate commerce and to provide infrastructure (infrastructure being roads, communication, etc., not welfare, that was/is the responsibility of the Church... or aka the PEOPLE of God) for this nation.  The states are responsible for all other components of government.  Additionally it is the citizens of this nation  that are responsible for there own safety.  We wouldn't go walking through grizzly bear country without protection so why would we walk through this world that does have evil people in it without protection, regardless of the weapon used?  There are wolves, sheep, and sheepdogs in this world.  (If you don't know what I mean read the following http://www.gleamingedge.com/mirrors/onsheepwolvesandsheepdogs.html.  Which one are you?

So getting back to "Who gives us our rights", if your answer is that our rights come from people or a government then who is to say those "rights" are actually rights at all and not just subjective ideas defined by whatever we feel in that particular moment?  However, if our rights come from the one true God, our Creator, then our rights are clearly given to us through the Holy Scriptures of the Bible and are forever timeless regardless of how we feel.  Of course the latter is true and our Founding Father's were right on!
"The constitutions of most of our States assert that all power is inherent in the people; that … it is their right and duty to be at all times armed; … "
Thomas Jefferson - letter to Justice John Cartwright, June 5, 1824. ME 16:45.

http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/presidents/thomas-jefferson/letters-of-thomas-jefferson/jefl278.php

We live in a world where evil exists.  The culture in which we live is determined to remove any reference to God from it.  We are not the first nation to do this.  Read 1 & 2 Kings, and 1 & 2 Chronicles, Israel attempted the same, and you can read the outcome and about how evil prevailed.  Many other nations have followed suit since then, we aren't any different.

Serving One Another in the Midst of the Trials

One of my struggles of late has been with my job.  Last September I was moved into a role that required significantly more travel, something I absolutely despise.  I hate being away from my family, the hassle of flying and all the preparation that goes into that.  It makes it hard being on the road a lot of weeks, something of which I am convinced is not the Lord's will for a long period of time.  As I have wrestled with this for several months, along with some other things, one aspect of God has become very clear to me.  That is the Lord's sovereignty over my life.  For whatever reason, like it or not, we are asked to walk through certain things in our lives that we may not like.  The book of Ecclesiastes makes that very clear, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven;" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  Ecclesiastes also tells us that, "there is nothing new under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 1:9).  I have asked the Lord to remove this from me, to allow me to find another job, to take whatever it is that I am struggling away from me; however, He has not.  Over the months I have instead begun to ask the Lord to give me the strength to endure, grant me courage, hope, and full and complete trust in Him, regardless of the wind and waves that might be crashing about (I'll write more on this in another post at some point).  This season in my life has been a trial for me, teaching me more about who the Lord really is.  While our God could be a tyrant and take joy in our misery, He is nothing like that.  Our God in all His might and majesty tempers that might and instead in His perfect holiness reveals Himself in love to us.  That perfect love of God the Son.

I was reminded today of the love of God in the midst of my trials and how He exemplified that love through His son.  Take a look at John 13:1-17.  It is the account of Jesus' washing of His disciples' feet after they shared supper on Jesus' last night on this earth.  Obviously there was no greater love shown than what Jesus endured during His passion leading up to and on the cross; however even in the midst of what Jesus knew he was going to endure he served his disciples.  Once he was finished washing their feet he says, "If I then, Your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."  The Lord clearly reminded me that even in the midst of trials and various seasons that we go through we have to serve one another, for isn't that true love?  Later in that same chapter Jesus states, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34, 35).

We can get so wrapped up in our own trials, our own desires, thoughts, ideas and totally forget that in all of those things we are called to love one another, and by that love the world will know we are Jesus' disciples.  Perhaps that is why such a darkness has fallen across our land is that the disciples of Jesus are not washing one another's feet and loving well, even in the midst of trials.
 

Walking in the Light

 "We are not told to 'walk in the light' of our conscience or in the light of a sense of duty, but to 'walk in the light as He is in the light...' (1 John 1:7).  When we do something out of a sense of duty, it is easy to explain the reasons for our actions to others.  But when we do something out of obedience to the Lord, there can be no other explanation--just obedience.  That is why a saint can be so easily ridiculed and misunderstood."  ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, February 28

This exhortation could not have come at a better time for myself.  Earlier in his exhortation he brings up Proverbs 3:5, 6 - "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths."

To me that is a verse so many folks know but, it seems to me, forget that the emphasis isn't so much in verse 5 as it is in verse 6 (yes first we have to trust, but the trust requires an action in acknowledging the Lord).  It harmonizes so well with 1 John 1:7 which states in it's entirety - "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."  In all our dealings in this world, walking in light means to first trust in the Lord, in trusting we will then acknowledge the Lord in all of our dealings and turn to Him first for everything.  We will not rely on our own conscience, or what we "think" is right or what the culture (either the worldly or church) has taught us, instead we will turn to His word and test all things in light of His word.  From there He will direct our paths and guide us.  We must seek to understand His will, not seek to harmonize his will with ours, but rather ours with His.

What Changed

For those that have known me for a long time you might wonder what has changed in me that I post so much about the firearms?  What caused me to want to move to Colorado and make some other changes.  Those have all stemmed from changes that have occurred in my heart.  It all started with a prayer out of brokenness, and directly from Psalm 139:23, 24, "Search me, O God and know my heart; Try me and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Several years ago I found myself in the midst of almost losing everything from some very poor errors in my judgment.  I stood at the brink of a precipice and there was no one there to pull me back.  The Lord literally intervened and saved me.  That was some 6 years ago.  Prior to that I had lived the "nice guy" Christian life, but felt like I was dead inside, I chased fruitless dreams, seemed to wander around a bit.  I even had a "friend" and whom I thought was a mentor tell another friend of mine that I was "wishy washy".  Later this same person, after things had come to light, stated to me that "I knew something didn't seem right with you."  I don't disagree with those things that were said of me, I just wish that he had confronted me directly on those things, maybe it would have uncovered the deeper, darker things in my heart, maybe things would have gone differently.  I was "aloof" in my heart,  and even though I knew the scriptures I was very much like a Pharisee, I had not let the Word of God pierce my heart or break me.

After the set of circumstances in 2006 and upon the realization that I was broken I began to pray Psalm 139, I really took to heart Proverbs 4:23-27, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.  Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put perverse lips far from you.  Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids right before you.  Ponder the path of your feet and let all of your ways be established.  Do no turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil."  God really began stirring in my heart.  It was at that time we joined a small church, where, I have met some of the most honorable men I know to this day.  They surrounded me.  Kirk, my dear friend and at that point in time my new Pastor had a true Shepherd's heart, (he still very much does, we talk fairly regularly).  Us men began the study of the book Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzerro.  That book taught me so much, what it means to love well, how experiences and my past had shaped me and my actions both present and future.  It taught me to love incarnate.  I highly recommend that book.

It was also during this time that I really began to wrestle with the nature of God, who God is.  I found that I didn't really understand His grace, I really didn't understand why He didn't just strike me down because of my sin.  I read the whole Old Testament during this time.  I knew the New Testament pretty well, but it wasn't until I read the Old Testament that it really opened up to me who the Lord really is.  It also reshaped so much of what I thought I knew in the New Testament.  I found out about how the Lord has perfect mercy, perfect grace, and perfect wrath and judgment.  I learned more about His eternal nature.  I began to think critically about what I believed about the Lord.  One of the biggest struggles I had was with my own mortality, I was afraid to die; of course, who isn't?  Most of the men in the Old Testament, didn't seem afraid to die (neither did those in the New Testament, especially for their faith in Jesus).  One book I struggled with the most was the book of Job.  Man, what a story!  It had a profound impact on the way I viewed the Lord.  The history of Israel, amazing, how God deals with people's hearts on such a personal level, but when it comes to nations it is in judgment.  The Old Testament has shaped much of the way I view our nation today and why I mourn for the people of our nation.  God hasn't changed.

During a set of counseling sessions that Shannon and I had in 2006 our counselor recommended to Shannon and I that we read the book Wild at Heart by John Eldredge.  Shannon bought that book for me in 2007, I finally picked it up in 2010.  It took me about 2 weeks to read the book.  Since that time I have reread that book (as well as the others) about 3 times now.  Again Wild at Heart is a must read.  It helped me to uncover a lot of what I knew in my heart, but really couldn't articulate.  It dealt with me on things like why just being a "nice Christian guy" is killing me.  Why I need to make a stand for what is right and to be an example to my sons.  As Kirk would say, "more it caught than taught."  The aspect of God that is a fierce warrior, but tender at the same time and that us men are made in that same image.  Again it helped me peel back the layers of my heart and it continues to this day.

The other book I read during this time period (among some other theologically deep books on "end times", the sovereignty of God and some others) was a book by Steve Farrar called King Me.  This is a must read for any father out there, young or old.  One of the struggles I had early on was that I wanted to do great things for this world, I wanted to change it and be "great for God".  Many know this, but I love to sing, I thought that one day I would have that as my "ministry" to the Lord and be great.  I pursued it, even to the point of being gone practically every night doing "church" things.  I left my family at home.  I had, at the time, two sons at home who really didn't know their daddy (which at that point may have not been a bad thing).  I was an angry man, frustrated, lost my temper often, my values were not real good, but I really did desire and love the Lord.  What I didn't understand at that time is that love required that I value the things that are important to the one I claimed to love more than what I valued.  That is true love.  That is what the Lord requires of us, if we are to truly love Him.  I can relate to the David's historical account in many ways.

King Me is about the legacy that David passed down to Solomon, and then from there on down the line.  If you are familiar with the account, it eventually leads to the destruction of Israel.  Is our nation any different than that?  We did not get to the place that we are overnight, it started some generations ago, the exact timing could be up for debate, but more than likely it started around the turn of the 20th Century.  It's not something we can fix overnight either.  It will take generations to fix, and honestly, (and I am sure folks will disagree with me on this) but we aren't ready to fix it.  The fields are NOT white with snow, they are dead in their hearts.  The people are still in the mode of turning from God, there is no brokenness, only disobedience.  The hearts of the people are hardened.  Our model to know when the heart is ready is with Jesus' words in Matthew 5, or what most know as the Beatitudes.  There was none more guilty than I; I was not around for my wife nor my sons and my heart was very hard.  The legacy I was going to leave was not going to be that much different from the rest of our culture.  I bought into the culture, I was a micro-chasm of the culture, just like many of the churches I attended. (Save for Living Springs, which to this day is very counter-church culture and yet I know the Spirit is working mightily among them.  They are an organic church.)  Then it hit me... What sort of legacy am I leaving, what am I instilling in my sons.  What will their grandchildren remember me as?  I realized that I would not be remembered for the "great" things I did in my life or any of my accomplishments, but that I would be remembered by how I lived my life.  Not necessarily in specific events, but by how my sons will have grown up to be men and then what traits and values they will have passed along.  Will they pass along the love of the Lord?  How can they if I do not live that way.  The Scripture defines what that looks like very clearly and no I am not talking about generational curses or anything like that, no such thing exists; however, what does exist is what they will "catch" from the way I live.  Our children WILL learn it and take it to the next level, they will amplify whatever it is we do, both the spoken and unspoken, both the good and the bad.  I came to the realization that my GREATEST LEGACY will be my sons.  That is how we change the world, by living out our 70, 80 years, or whatever time we have on this earth and living in such a way as to teach our children but to also walk the journey out with them.  Again more is caught than taught.

Men, it is time to be men, that is to stay the course, be steadfast, men after the Lord's own heart.  To turn away from the darkness; it is clearly defined in the scriptures as to what that is.  If you have any doubts, look at the evil that abounds in our world today and ask yourselves how did we get here?  History is the greatest teacher about the future.  We are not the first nation to go down the current path we are on, and it is very clear about what happens to the nations that do continue down this path.

This is just a brief glimpse into what has shaped me into what I am today, and this journey is by no means over, far from it.  There is also no single answer to the question on what has changed, this has been a step-by-step journey, the Lord reveals new things to me with every step.  Because of where I am at and what I have learned, by heart breaks for our nation, it breaks for my sons and the type of world they will have to live in.  I want them to be able to defend themselves from evil, both spiritually and physically.  They will have to raise families in this world, I want them to be able to do it in a free nation; however because of the evil it very well could be in bondage, and they may have to once again fight for their freedoms.  I want them to be prepared as men, men of God.  I want them to live passionately for the Lord, because it is that passion that future generations might need to be able to live freely for God, the Creator of all things and they just might have to fight for it.

Wolves, Sheep and Sheepdogs

I know that I have mentioned and posted this before; however it is such an important mindset, issue of the heart to remember.  We live in a fallen world, evil abounds.  Whether you believe in him or not we have an enemy, if you don't believe in him then he has already won the battle, subterfuge is his best weapon along with complacency.  Dave Grossman has written a book called On Killing.  I have yet to read the book (although I plan on doing it soon); however I have read the article he wrote On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs.  This is an article that has shaped my mindset on evil, and I am not only talking about whether I will carry my pistol or not, more so it is being aware of the evil in this world.  Paul states it so eloquently in Ephesians 6:10-18.  I want to focus just on the first couple of verses.  Starting in verse 10 Paul states, "Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the full armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."  Ultimately we are fighting an enemy of our hearts.  Just as we are under his attack, so are others.  John states in the Gospel of John the following, starting in John 3:16, and skipping ahead to verse 19.  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." and then vs. 19, "And this the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."  The two verses in between talk about how Christ came into the world to not condemn the world.  Please be sure to read it in context.  Notice how God redeems the world through His son, but because people love the darkness, they reject Him.  The enemy has enticed people in their hearts to love the darkness.  It is an age old problem.  No matter what we do while we are on this earth evil will exist.  God will set that wrong to right at the final judgment, until then we must do what Paul states in Ephesians.

With all that being said God gave us the ability to be prepared for that evil both in the spiritual, as outlined in Ephesians, and in the physical.  Nehemiah was tasked with rebuilding Jerusalem after it had been destroyed by the Babylonians because the nation of Israel had turned their hearts against God.  The first task that Nehemiah set out to do was to rebuild the wall that protected Jerusalem.  While he did this his enemies set out to stop the rebuilding, their hearts were set on lawlessness and evil.  So let's pick up the story in Nehemiah 4 (again please read in the entirety, I am going to focus on the highlights) where Nehemiah sets a watch day and night (vs9).  He positions men and their families near the unfinished portions of their walls with their swords, their spears, and their bows (vs13).  He then has half the people worked at construction and the other half  held the weapons (vs16).  Even those that worked, while they worked one hand built the wall and the other held a weapon (vs17).  Nehemiah armed the people, he prepared them for the wolves, they were sheepdogs, they were prepared for the evil.

Dave Grossman in the following article talks about the mindset of being prepared for evil, protecting those that we love and guarding against murder.  Please read the article and consider what you are and what you would like to be.  Here is the Article

Lastly, watch this 20 minute video (located here).   It is an interview with Dave Grossman and Tim Schmidt, President of the United States Concealed Carry Association.  Keep in mind this interview was done several months ago.  I am interested in any healthy discussion on the topic so please leave any comments below.

I will end this post with this thought:  We must be prepared for evil both spiritually and physically.  Our nation, which means the people of this nation, have wholly rejected God and His commandments.  God did not make us robots and will allow us to walk the path we have chosen (as a nation), he has given us over to our depraved minds (Romans 2:24).  There are consequences to every action.

Perspective

A couple of great articles with perspective on the mass murders.  This is such a terrible tragedy and  unfortunately is "nothing new under the sun" Ecclesiastes 1:9.  Take a look at this Wikipedia article on a very early mass murder in America dating back to the French/Indian War:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac%27s_Rebellion_school_massacre

Some additional reading.

Good article on the firearm issue:
Massad Ayoob
http://backwoodshome.com/blogs/MassadAyoob/2012/12/15/against-monsters/

Great article on the heart of the issue.  I highly recommend this one!
http://tybenbow.blogspot.com/2012/12/reflecting-on-american-tragedy.html



One last thing I will say.  I have observed a lot of discussion on Facebook between "friends" on the gun issue.  I would encourage everyone to have an actual conversation about the issue, debate vigorously but don't divide.

Step by Step

It has been just over a year since we have moved to Colorado.  It has been a journey of full of mountain top experiences, hikes through the valley and even crawling through some dark places; however the Lord has been faithful through it all.  I want to share just some of what I have learned over the past year and what I still learning to this very day.  This will take several posts, so please be patient with me as I step through this journey. 

I updated my playlist to start off with Rich Mullins' song Sometimes by Step.  That song has been such an incredible guide for me.  Our last Sunday at Living Springs Community Church back on Sunday, September 18, 2011 Pastor Kirk taught a message to us that he called "Step by Step: Abraham: Genesis 12-25".  There were five key ideas he shared about vision and letting the Lord lead you step-by-step (Shared with permission from Kirk and Livings Springs Community Church).  This has been a guide to me over the last year and has become more real to me that I ever could have imagined.  I have experienced in some way each of the points covered below:

I.    Being called & Led
    a.    Be available to be led by a vision
    b.    Build altars along the way
        i.    Serve as reminder of our vision
        ii.    encourage us to continue the journey
        iii.    inspire faith in us when times are dry
    c.    call upon the name of the Lord
        i.    make your vision about honoring God with your life
        ii.    worship the Lord along the way
        iii.    walk with God, step-by-step
II.    Fighting for your vision
    a.    There are forces against your vision
    b.    there are allies standing with you regarding your vision
        i.    share your vision with these people
        ii.    have these people pray for you
        iii.    Allow the Lord to bring people into your life that He will use to help your vision along the way
    c.    Giving so the Lord gets the glory
        i.    A form of trusting God with your vision
        ii.    The way of honoring God with your blessings
        iii.    Generosity strengthens your vision but also the faith of those around you
        iv.    Makes our outcome reliant upon God’s blessing   
III.    Believing
    a.    Genesis 15
IV.    Growing through mistakes as we pursue vision
    a.    Abram lies to Pharaoh about Sarai, Genesis 12:10-20
    b.    Sarai gives Abram Hagar to bear them children, Genesis 16
    c.    Sarah lies to the Lord about laughing, Genesis 18:13-15
    d.    Abraham lied to Abimelech, King of Gerar about Sarah, Genesis 20.

Proverbs 24:16 – for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity NIV

V.    Living Your Vision
    a.    Carrying the marks of your vision, Genesis 17
    b.    The birth, Genesis 21
    c.    Growth, Genesis 22
    d.    Tests of obedience, Genesis 22:12 (The test of Abraham over sacrificing Isaac)
    e.    Even through loss, Genesis 23:1, 2 (Sarah died)
    f.    By passing it on, Genesis 25:5-11
Conclusion:
    Proverbs 16:1-3
    Proverbs 16:9

This sermon had a profound affect on us.  I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with Abraham's story in Genesis 12-25 before continuing onto the subsequent posts.  This journey has been and will continue to be step by step for Shannon and I.

Innocents Betrayed - True Story of Gun Control

A friend shared this video with me.  I hesitated sharing it here simply due to the extremely graphic nature of the video, there are pictures where it displays death and destruction so please be forewarned on this.  With that said, I think knowing history is extremely important because if we do not learn from our past we are going to repeat it.  While this deals with gun control, evil men, and evil regimes, that principle can be applied in every aspect of our lives.  Proverbs 26:11 reminds me of this in my own life:

"As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."

The video can be fount at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=137bWHaAA1o&feature=related

I write this for my sons, because one day I fear that either my sons, or their children will have to one day fight again for their freedom, not just because of what our government has become, but because there are enemies of God and His people.  For me, it hearkens back to what Nehemiah did when he was rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem and there were enemies all around them that were trying to murder the workers and destroy the people:

Nehemiah 4:18: "Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built."

Men it is our responsibility to protect our families and to protect those we love.  It starts in the home with principles, being men after God's own heart.  This is a just one principle.

Senators Call for Gun Ban

So we knew it would be just a matter of time before before folks would call for gun bans in light of the recent tragedy in Aurora.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/21/mass-shooting-prompts-calls-from-capitol-hill-and-beyond-for-tighter-gun-laws/?test=latestnews

So while the 44 - 50 million Americans that legally carry and own firearms and don't go out and commit mass murder Senators will call for gun bans because of a single deranged individual.  I highlight my previous post where more people are killed every year because of drunk drivers than because of assaults with guns.  If we use the same line of thinking or logic that these Senators use we need to ban vehicles and alcohol.  People need to think critically, think for themselves and do what is right here.  It was ALL about this deranged psycho and not about the guns.  Again it goes back to the heart.

Aurora Tragedy and Guns

The shootings in Aurora are tragedies for all those involved so first and foremost pray for those affected.  With that said it never ceases to amaze me how when something like this happens folks immediately attack the guns, and not those behind the guns.  Let’s look at some statistics:

 The National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 60, No. 3, December 29,2011 that shows the death statistics compiled for the year 2009 we have the following (see page 93 of the link below):

Assault (homicide) by discharge of firearms:                          11,493

Assault (homicide) by other than discharge of firearm:          5,306

Total Homicide:                                                                       16,799

Drug-induced deaths                                                                39,147

Alcohol-induced deaths                                                           24,518

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr60/nvsr60_03.pdf

Additional Statistics from other sources (documented below the stat:

2010 DUI Deaths:                                                                    13,365

http://www.bts.gov/publications/by_the_numbers/drunk_driving/index.html

2010 Homicide Deaths by firearm:                                          8,752

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/expanded/expandhomicidemain

Number of Americans who legally own firearms:                   45 million to 50 million (depending on various websites you look at)

Observations about those statistics:

1.       When it comes to assault-homicide (the act of murdering another human being) a firearm is the preferred method of performing the act, as opposed to say a baseball bat or knife.  It is effective.

2.       The 2010 numbers show that there was a decline in murder by firearm from 2009, while the number of firearms owners is at an all-time high: http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/28/gun-crime-continues-to-decrease-despite-increase-in-gun-ownership/

3.       A human being was either behind the trigger or driving the car after drinking alcohol.

I think what the numbers above reveal is that guns don’t pull their own triggers just like cars don’t drive themselves.  So is the gun evil, is alcohol evil, and is the car evil?  The answer is no, it’s how those things are used.  So that brings us to what is the cause, well it is a matter of the heart.  This young man in Aurora decided in his own heart that he would perform these evil acts; he just used guns to carry out his intentions.  I personally know of many people that willingly get into a car under the influence of alcohol and that have also hurt or killed folks because of that action.  My question is what is the difference?  Well at the root of it, it’s a matter of the heart.  Unintentional selfishness can be just as devastating as intentional selfishness.  This young man in Aurora was very selfish and as a result had very evil intentions in his heart and used tools to carry out those intentions.  Guns, just like an automobile are tools.  Guns can be used for recreation, feeding your family (hunting) and for protecting yourself from people whose hearts have evil intentions.  The interesting thing about a criminal is that they don’t care about the law.  So is the criminal act of driving drunk any different than the criminal act of murdering someone with a gun?  Neither person cared about the law, much less the person that they injured or killed. 

Those that are hell-bent on hurting others will find a way, whether by a gun, a baseball bat, a pen, a knife, a car, whatever it is all about their heart.  They will find a way to accomplish what they want.  Let’s deal with the root issue, people’s hearts.

Here are some other interesting facts about Gun use:

http://gunowners.org/fs0404.htm

Google Joins the Anti-gun club

Google Joins the Anti-gun club which is why I will be discontinuing my use of Google mail, unfortunately there are no real competitors to Google when it comes to blogging.  I have watched over the last few years how anti-gun groups have used subterfuge to quietly accomplish their anti-gun agendas.  Doing business with like minded individuals used to be easier; however in today's internet age and "global economy" that has become harder and harder to do.  We end up doing business with companies that use our money against the very ideals and values that we spend money to support, which essentially negates those funds and even worse supports (indirectly) the very thing we are against.  Please understand that I don't think that this will make any dent in Google's business or in their anti-gun agenda and left wing thinking; however it is important that I uphold the values, principles and ideals so that my sons and their children will take note and one day make those same types of decisions.  Please visit my new blog at http://www.dontmissthejourney.com.  Also, please be patient as it will take me some time to get things updated and functioning again.

Here is a link to some of the news around Google's new policy on guns.  While I understand that this only affects the shopping aspects there is no way to know how Google adjusts their search results and I have to believe that their money is going to anti-gun PAC's and politicians.

http://nation.foxnews.com/google-banning-firearm-sales/2012/07/01/google-bans-firearm-accessories-its-shopping-services
http://www.forbes.com/sites/frankminiter/2012/07/05/google-sadly-joins-the-anti-gun-brigade/
http://news.yahoo.com/google-crosshairs-over-gun-ban-222640258.html

Great Men

There have been so many great men that have lived through the ages. What intrigues me more is how they got that way, what was their makeup? Great men (or women) are not created overnight they are usually born in adversity and had to really work (although they would call it living) through life.

I have been reading Sergeant York and the Great War and am almost half way through the book. It is really just a collection of Sergeant York's journals and reflections on his life through World War I. For those who don't know, Sergeant York was considered one of the greatest heroes of WWI. Here is an excerpt as to why:

Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964) was one of the most decorated American soldiers in World War I.^[1] He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, taking 32 machine guns, killing 28 German soldiers and capturing 132 others. This action occurred during the U.S.-led portion of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France, which was part of a broader Allied offensive masterminded by Marshal Ferdinand Foch to breach the Hindenburg line and make the opposing German forces surrender.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_C._York)

York did not act in that moment because of who he was in that moment, rather he acted that way because of who he was. Here is an excerpt from the book that so far sums up what I have read and the sort of man that Alvin C. York was:

"So I was saved!
And that is the greatest victory I ever won. It's much harder to whip yourself than to whip the other fellow, I'm a-telling you, and I ought to know because I done, both. It was much harder for me to win the great victory over myself than to win it over those German machine guns in the Argonne Forest. And I was able to do it because my mother's love led me to God, and He showed me the light, and I done followed it." (Sergeant York and the Great War, pages 60-61)

After those amazing feats of bravery and leadership, Sergeant York was offered a life a fame and money, a movie was even made about him and to this day folks still talk about his bravery. Sergeant York wanted nothing more than to return to the mountains of northern Tennessee to live the life that he'd always known, he turned that life of fame and money down because he felt that he did what he must. It was all he knew and that made him a great man.

Sonship

I have been reading more of Fathered By God and there was an idea in the book that John Eldredge talked about and it was this idea of sonship, stating that "Forgiveness is not the goal. Coming home to the Father is the goal." (Page 32) How often do we as Christians focus on the fact that we are forgiven rather than on the fact that because we are forgiven we once again have relationship with the Father, the Lord of all creation. As Eldredge further makes this case he speaks about the Prodigal Son and points out that the story is "Not primarily about the prodigal son. It is about the father's heart." (Page 33) That really struck me because how often have we thought about that story and focused on the prodigal son as I am that son (or daughter). Well, while that's true we are all prodigal sons and daughters, it isn't about us; but rather it is about the Father's desire to love us, to have relationship with us. It is ALL about the relationship with Him. He gave His son so that we can have relationship with Him, that is the heart of our God.

On Youth

A dear friend gave me this in light of our recent move. I thought I would share this as well. I pray that I will always be youthful!

On Youth
Oh, the eagerness and freshness of youth! How the boy enjoys his food, his sleep, his sports, his companions, his truant days. His life is an adventure, he is widening his outlook, he is extending his dominion, he is conquering his kingdom. How cheap are his pleasures, how ready his enthusiasms! In boyhood I have more delight on a haymow with two companions and a big dog - delight that came nearer intoxication - than I have ever had in all subsequent holidays of my life. When youth goes much goes with it. When manhood comes, much comes with it. We exchange a world of delightful sensations and impressions for a world of duties and studies and meditations. The youth enjoys what the man tries to understand. Lucky is he who can get his grapes to market and keep the bloom upon them, who can carry some of the freshness and eagerness and simplicity of youth into his later years, who can have a boy's heart below a man's head.
- John Burroughs

This helps me keep perspective. Like any place Leadville Colorado has it's own challenges and what others would call work. For me what better playground is there than deep snow, mountains, or a plow on the front of a truck and a long drive way ;)

Life and all that is in it is an adventure to be lived, not a problem to be solved.

Take a look at Ecclesiates 11:8 - 12:14

Leaving a Legacy

As I reflect on our past year and what incredible changes have occurred in our lives I am left with the thought of the effect that our move will have on generations to come. We made this move to forever change the lives of our sons, and their children, to forge a new path, to allow them to grow up in adventure to explore the majesty around them. This will be a legacy.

Today I embark on a journey that I invite all those that read this to join me on. Today I start on a journey to that will change my heart so that I will in turn be able to leave a legacy to my sons so that they will see my walk with the Lord. I started to read the Bible in it's entirety using the Legacy Reading plan by Hank Hanegraaf. The reason I like this plan is because it groups the books of the Bible together by genres, you aren't simply reading from Genesis to Revelation, instead you read by Hebrew History, Prophetic Books, etc. You can find out more by taking a look at the actual plan: http://www.equip.org/site/legacy_bible_reading_plan. The other aspect is that you read at your own pace, their are goals for each month, but it's not something you have to do everyday. This is something I hope to do each an every year, not because I have to but because I want to. God has spoken to us, He has only spoken to us through His Word.

So what does this have to do with a legacy? As I have shared in the past, no matter what a person does during his/her life it will eventually be forgotten. Man is a vapor. The absolute greatest impact one can have on this life is the legacy that is left with his/her children. Whether you know it or not there is a legacy that is left. That legacy may be one like Enoch where it was said of him that he walked with the Lord. I want that to be said of me. Or, that legacy might be one of David, who, because of his sin with Bathsheba, the sword never left his home. Yes, he was a man after God's own heart, but sin has consequences. He lived and died with those consequences and it affected many generations after him, Israel and Judah didn't fall in one day, it took many generations. That was the legacy that was left. Our nation isn't where it's at today because of what people are doing today, those affects will be felt by future generations; no what we see today is because of the legacy that was left by the previous generation. I want my legacy to be that I loved the Lord, my sons saw that I loved the Lord and by loving the Lord with all my heart, by being a man after His own heart they knew I loved them. By knowing the Creator's Word and applying it in my life I will become that man, there is no other way. That's leaving a legacy.

Join me on this journey, wrestle with God and His word, I promise (and He promises) it will not leave you unchanged.

How many ropes do you hold?

I have had several situations come up over the last few months where folks tend to take on more than what is they should be responsible for. Trust me I know as I was very guilty of this. I thought I would share this story that I read from the book Emotionally Healthy Church by Peter Scazzero. I highly recommend this book as it deals more about your own Christian health as opposed to the Church itself. This is a direct excerpt from the book:

Rabbi Edwin Friedman tells the story of a man who had given much thought to what he wanted from life. After trying many things, succeeding at some and failing at others, he finally decided what he wanted.

One day the opportunity came for him to experience exactly the way of living that he had dreamed about. But the opportunity would be available only for a short time. It would not wait, and it would not come again.

Eager to take advantage of this open pathway, the man started on his journey. With each step, he moved faster and faster. Each time he thought about his goal, his heart beat quicker; and with each vision of what lay ahead, he found renewed vigor.

As he hurried along, he came to a bridge that crossed through the middle of a town. The bridge spanned high above a dangerous river.

After starting across the bridge, he noticed someone coming the opposite direction. The stranger seemed to be coming toward him to greet him. A the stranger grew closer, the man could discern that they didn’t know each other, but yet they looked amazingly similar. They were even dressed alike. The only difference was that the stranger had a rope wrapped many times around his waist. If stretched out, the rope would reach a length of perhaps thirty feet.

The stranger began to unwrap the rope as he walked. Just as the two men were about to meet, the stranger said, “Pardon me, would you be so kind as to hold the end of the rope for me?”
The man agreed without a thought, reached out, and took it.

“Thank you,” said the stranger. He then added, “Two hands now, and remember, hold tight.” At that point, the stranger jumped off the bridge.

The man on the bridge abruptly felt a strong pull from the now-extended rope. He automatically held tight and was almost dragged over the side of the bridge.

“What are you trying to do?” he shouted to the stranger below.

“Just hold tight,” said the stranger.

This is ridiculous, the man thought. He began trying to haul the other man in. Yet it was just beyond his strength to bring the other back to safety.

Again he yelled over the edge, “Why did you do this?”

“Remember,” said the other, “if you let go, I will be lost.”

“But I cannot pull you up,” the man cried.

“I am your responsibility,” said the other.

“I did not ask for it,” the man said.

“If you let go, I am lost,” repeated the stranger.

The man began to look around for help. No one was within sight.

He began to think about his predicament. Here he was eagerly pursuing a unique opportunity, and now he was being sidetracked for who knows how long.

Maybe I can tie the rope somewhere, he thought. He examined the bridge carefully, but there was no way to get rid of his new found burden.

So he again yelled over the edge, “What do you want?”

“Just your help,” came the answer.

“How can I help? I cannot pull you in, and there is no place to tie the rope while I find someone else who could help you.”

“Just keep hanging on,” replied the dangling man. “That will be enough.”

Fearing that his arms could not hold out much longer, he tied the rope around his waist.
“Why did you do this?” he asked again. “Don’t you see who you have done? What possible purpose could you have in mind?”

“Just remember,” said the other, “my life is in your hands.”

Now the man was perplexed. He reasoned within himself, If I let go, all my life I will know that I let this other man die. If I stay, I risk losing my momentum toward my own long-sought-after salvation. Either way this will haunt me forever.

As time went by, still no one came. The man became keenly aware that it was almost too late to resume his journey. If he didn’t leave immediately, he wouldn’t arrive in time.

Finally, he devised a plan. “Listen,” he explained to the man hanging below, “I think I know how to save you.” He mapped out the idea. The stranger could climb back up by wrapping the rope around him. Loop by loop, the rope would become shorter.

But the dangling man had no interest in the idea.

“I don’t think I can hang on much longer,” warned the man on the bridge.

“You must try,” appealed the stranger. “If you fail, I die.”

Suddenly a new idea struck the man on the bridge. It was different and even alien to his normal way of thinking. “I want you to listen carefully,” he said, “because I mean what I am about to say.”

The dangling man indicated that he was listening.

“I will not accept the position of choice for your life, only for my own; I hereby give back the position of choice for your own life to you.”

“What do you mean?” the other asked, afraid.

“I mean, simply, it’s up to you. You decide which way this ends. I will become the counterweight. You do the pulling and bring yourself up. I will even tug some from here.”
He unwound the rope from around his waist and braced himself to be a counterweight. He was ready to help as soon as the dangling man began to act.

“You cannot mean what you say,” the other shrieked. “You would not be so selfish. I am your responsibility. What could be so important that you would let someone die? Do not do this to me.”

After a long pause, the man on the bridge uttered slowly, “I accept your choice.” In voicing those words, he freed his hands and continued his journey over the bridge.

Again I highly encourage you to pick up that book to get a good context of what this story relates to. Would you let go of the rope?

Moved In

We have officially been at 10,050 ft now for a little over a week and absolutely love it in our new home. It has been an adjustment. We have grieved the loss of the familiar but are excited about the new adventures that lie before us. We really didn't have any issues acclimating to the altitude, God's grace I guess, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous! I think one of the biggest misconceptions about the mountains is that it is cold. While the temps are lower, the proximity to the sun, the amount of sunshine and the dry air really make it pleasant, heck I was out in jeans and a t-shirt in the morning while it was about 25. As I write this there is snow on the ground outside, probably about 50 degrees and a majority of the windows are open just to keep the house cool.

Yes I did mention snow, it snowed yesterday here. It probably dropped 2-3 inches, but most of it has melted away. On the top Mount Elbert and Mount Massive the storm yesterday probably dropped 2-3 ft! They look absolutely beautiful against the blue sky. The snow did come a bit early this year, or so I'm told, and we are expecting another 3 inches tomorrow. It will all melt off by Monday. One of the misconceptions that we have, or so we've been told, is that even though the snow around here piles up we don't get it in a few big snow storms, rather we get all of the snow over many, many little snows usually 4-8in at a time. The temps don't allow the snow to melt. The roads are very well maintained, the sun usually melts the snow off the pavement very quickly, or the snow simply evaporates. It's kind of weird. All that said, we love the snow and the cooler temps.

Another aspect of living up here that we are adjusting to is how quiet it is and how dark it gets. We are only a mile from the Leadville main street (Harrison Ave), but we don't live in the city limits and at night you can actually see the cloud of stars. (I will try and get a pic of this at some point.) The boys and I walked the perimeter of our property (we have 11 acres) at night and turned off the lights. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face! It was kind of eerie but when you looked up and saw the stars... WOW!

The boys are loving it, they have so much room! They are eagerly awaiting the migration of the elk down from the mountains and the other animals to show up. On the property we have seen the evidence of wapiti (elk), mulies (mule deer), fox, bear, coyotes, and possibly mountain lion, although it's hard to tell the difference between the scat of mountain lions and coyotes. We have seen the tracks, but they looked pretty old.

The Lord has been so faithful to us. We did attend services at the Community Church of Leadville and have already made some great friends. The boys have spent a couple of days over at their houses which was such a help while our movers were here delivering all of our stuff! Folks have been extremely friendly, we look forward to forging those new relationships.

So far so good, our first week has been filled with joy and with tears, all in all good. We miss our old friends and family, and look forward to the new. Our first week of this journey is over, now onto the second!

All of the pics below are taken from our back deck.

Sunset over Massive and Elbert:


Mount Elbert (Tallest Peak in the Rocky Mountains):


Mount Massive (Second tallest peak in the Rocky Mountains):

Go West Young Man

"...Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country." - popularized by Horace Greeley


I am not so young anymore, but I feel it and my sons are young!

As you can probably tell from earlier posts Shannon and I have long had a dream of moving to Colorado, and I don't mean to Denver or other areas in the front range, but to a place where the mountains touch the sky, the elk and bear still run wild and the snow falls deep! We have spent the last three years praying about moving to Colorado, at first it was simply because we loved the scenery and the weather; however over those three years the Lord revealed to us exactly what was truly in our hearts.

God's favor was upon me when I had three sons, each of my sons has their own personality and tastes but they are all boy. They love to run, wrestle, explore, and be dangerous. As I have grown older and watched my boys get bigger I began to realize that all my dreams, anything that I wanted to accomplish was trumped by what legacy I would leave in my sons. Whatever in life I would do, whether be someone famous, make a lot of money, or just be the ordinary person that somehow makes their way through life succumbing to the culture all of those things would eventually be forgotten. The one thing that would not be forgotten is the legacy that I leave with my sons. That starts out with loving my wife. (That could be a whole other post in and of itself) It also starts with being actively involved in my sons' lives. Now I can do those things regardless of where I live. So much of what we pass to our children though is through how we live, there is the saying that "much more is caught than taught" and that is the truth.

What the Lord has so carefully revealed to us about ourselves is that we must go west so that we can learn to live again, out of the safety of the familiar, out on our own if you will. We are blazing a new trail that will have repercussions for many generations on my family, on my sons, on their, children, and on their children's children. You get my point. Living out there where we can all explore together, live in the unfamiliar together, my boys will get a chance to "catch" how to live amongst the challenges, amongst those mountains that call a young man to reach the top, the white water rivers that dare us to ride them if you can and after all that to sit quietly in the solitude of it all and pray together. Well one might say that those challenges exist wherever you live, they do; however it is a call to my heart that only the Lord truly understands. Some people are awe inspired by the majesty of a thunderstorm, some by the intricacies of a flower, I am awe inspired by the mountains. Watch that scene at the beginning of A River Runs Through It where the two young brothers are running in the mountains, some folks will through their cynicism and own hurting heart will trash it, but those that admit their brokenness and seek the awesomeness of God will be stirred. I was.

I don't expect anyone to truly understand the fullness of our move, read Wild At Heart by John Eldredge to catch a glimpse. We are truly heading on another great adventure, it won't be an easy one by any means. This moving journey so far has been filled with ups and downs, but the Lord constantly reminds me, Matt, "Don't miss the Journey". I am trying not to.

Exactly two weeks from today our house will be packed up and we will be on our way out west to settle in Leadville, CO. It is about 100 miles west of Denver nestled between the Sawatch Range and the Mosquito Range. On average it receives about 150 inches of snow each winter, has an average summer high of 71 degrees and averages 310 days of sunshine a year. Leadville sits at 10,200 feet above sea level.

We are very excited, albeit right now it is very surreal, we are also nervous and scared. It is very different from everything that we are familiar with. The Lord will see us through it. Don't miss the journey.

A promise

This morning as I prayed to the Lord He spoke to me a promise. I was specifically praying about Colorado, my new job that is to be made available in July and my family. I knelt on the floor of our living room. The blinds in the kitchen were open. The cloudy sky was breaking apart and then the golden sun shone on me. As I prayed the Lord stopped me, spoke to me. Matt as sure as the sun rises each day I will fulfill your dream. I will move you to Colorado. Matt you have to honor me, honor me with your life, your thoughts, your body, sin no more, be a changed man. Rid yourself of the anger and the selfishness. Honor me and I will honor you. Use Colorado and what I give you there for my glory, open your home, lead your family. - December 1, 2010

A time for everything

It's pretty ironic that I read the book of Ecclesiates while coming home from my trip to Denver this week. I am not sure if you have ever read Ecclesiates but it basically starts out with that everything is meaningless, or as the NKJV would put it, it's all vain. King Solomon with all his riches, experiences, fame, etc. came to the conclusion that it's all meaningless. As he continued on he realized that without God everything is truly meaningless, a chasing after the wind, for: "Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals. For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other." (Eccl 3:18-19) You see today we had to put Kody our cat down, very, very hard.

We had Kody for 12 years, Shannon surprised me with him about 5 months after we were married. So while on the one hand we realize that he is just a pet, on the other we are faced with the realization that we live after the fall and that this is the path we all must travel both men and animals. Earlier in Eccl. chapter 3 King Solomon goes into the Time for Everything, a time to be born and a time to die... a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. So while we mourn, mourn the passing of a family pet, mourn the passing of time, mourn the fact that we all must pass away; we must remember that it is only for a time. Solomon also writes in Eccl. 7:1 "A good name is bettern than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of one's birth...". Better is the day of death than that of birth, that was written for the believer in Christ, the day of death will have us standing before the Lord of all creation. So while now is our time to weep and mourn, our weeping will turn to lauging and our mourning to dancing.

So long Kodiak Bear