The United Order

A Letter to the Editor:05/29/2012 6:20 PM

On May 18, I read the opinion “It may be that God would prefer Communism.” I’d like to respond to two biblical interpretations made by R. Steele Selby.The first opinion I’ll address suggests God prefers communism based on the Book of Acts. In the Book of Acts, Christian converts did turn over all that they had to the church. They were in commune with the church, not Rome. They did not turn them over to Caesar to redistribute.In Matthew 22:21, Christ said “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars; and unto God things that are God’s.”Who would you rather give all that you have to, your church or to your government? I choose my church, just as the early Christian converts did.If you’re not Christian, it would make sense to give to your government. If you are a Christian and you choose to give unto Caesar rather than your church; maybe you’re at the wrong church.

Second, the opinion stated that Ananias and Sapphira died because they “kept half of their net worth for themselves.” That is only a part of the story. Verses 3, 4 and 9 of Acts chapter 5 explain that the couple was guilty of lying to God.Specifically, verse 3 reads “…why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost…” and verse 4 reads “…thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.” Their transgression was lying to the Holy Ghost and God.

While we’re in chapter 5 of the Book of Acts, let us remember what Peter and the other apostles said when they were commanded not to teach in the name of Jesus Christ. They said, in 5:29 of the Book of Acts, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”Likewise, I encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to obey God rather than men.

Don Bishop
Cumberland

Vision Quest

What is a vision? One of the definitions I've found says a vision is "the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be." I ask, because I hear so many "successful" professionals discuss the importance of having a vision for success. Well, I've been trying as long as I can remember to come up with a professional vision. I can't.

No matter how hard I focus. No matter how long I try. I can't "anticipate that which will or may come to be", professionaly. This, I think, contributes to my bouts with depression and anxiety. I desperately want to professionaly achieve all that God has made me to achieve, but I have no clue what it is. Sometimes I wait for the "right job" to present itself. Other times I try to make the most of the job that I have. Neither satisfies me.

Am I the slothful servant?  I hope not! Because, personaly I have a vision. I dream of the day that I stand face to face with Jesus Christ. I desperately want to hear "well done, thou good and faithful servant." I pray that I am doing Gods will. I hope that His vision for me is to love my wife and kids and to teach them His Gospel. When I do these things, I feel joy. I feel love. I am able "to anticipate that which will or may come to be."

I will continue to press forward in my career, praying for His will to be revealed. Maybe He doesn't care where I work; just that I work. So long as I pursue my personal vision. 

What will make me happy?

My mother in law called today. She wanted to speak to her husband, who is helping us out with some much needed concrete work in the basement. But, before I gave him the phone she asked me to update my blog. The timing of this request was perfect, because I've been thinking about writing for some time.

You see; I just haven't been myself. In fact, I have been down for quite a while. I can't point to one particular thing or incident that has caused me to feel the way I do. Its just happened. And, it sucks!

It sucks because I'm usually the happiest guy in the room. Others expect me to make them happy. I expect myself to make others happy. That's what I do. That's what I've always done, but lately, its more of an act. I feel like there is somebody inside me trying to get out. Somebody with something to say. Something important to do and I don't know exactly how to release it.

I've thought and prayed, pondered and considered, and I always come back to these 2 things:

1) free yourself through obedience and self mastery

2) express yourself by writing

So, I'm going to do my best to follow the revelation I've received. I hope my mood will soon improve. I hope to release whatever it is that's inside me. And I hope my mother in law knows how much I appreciate her timely challenge. It was just what I needed.

Do you know how to eat an elephant?

Letter to the Editor Cumberland Times News:

Sure, you know how to eat an elephant…one bite at a time; but do you know how to turn a democratic republic into a communist/socialist society? You do it pretty much the same way. One new law, one new ordinance, one new regulation at a time and before you know it, you’ve squandered your rights. You will have lost your freedoms; not because you’ve allowed them to slip away, but because you have asked for them to be taken away. There are many examples of well intentioned laws/ regulations that have done little more than make us less free and give us fewer rights.

Locally, a debate about sprinklers is going on. Should we or shouldn’t we be made to have sprinklers in our newly built homes? The debates have been pretty one sided thus far. The local volunteer fire and rescue association has clearly defeated the home-builders association in the eyes of the public. Their argument of public safety and a safe work environment is more compelling than the home-builders cost objection. Cost, though an important factor, has little to do with why this code should not be implemented. Sprinklers will save lives, they will provide a better work environment for our bravest, but they should not be mandatory. We are citizens of the United States. We are the freest country on the Earth. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, “…where will we go when freedoms are lost here? There is no other country to run to…the United States is the last chance for freedom on the Earth.” When will we stop eating this elephant? More and more regulations, laws and orders are not what our forefathers imagined when they declared their independence or when they wrote the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

Independence Day is fast approaching. Stand and be heard! Declare your independence from “Big Brother” no matter how well intentioned his arguments or how well he delivers a speech. Take back your country. Start here in the City of Cumberland and/or Alleganey County. Say NO to more regulations! Say NO to fewer rights and fewer freedoms! Say NO to mandatory sprinklers in your new homes. Say NO to communism/socialism. Demand choice! Remember, we are the land of the free and the home of the brave. Surely our fire and rescue volunteers are among the bravest and one could say that we are the land of the free because of the brave, but let’s not forget that we are the land of the FREE. FREE to choose for ourselves, FREE to live as we’d like, FREE to vote for or against politicians/councilman based on how they serve their constituents versus special interests groups/fire and rescue associations and unions.


Don Bishop
Cumberland, MD