Dad... Fix It

I guess it is nice to realize that kids sometimes think that dad can fix anything...

My daughter just expects it. I got a phone call one morning after she had gotten to school to tell me that she could not get the keys out of the car. I said "did you put it in park?" She said "of course!" but I told her to try it again and she said "OK they came out..."

A few days later I got a call while I was at work and the first thing I hear is "Dad I'm trying to get gas, but I cant get the gas cap off." We went over how to take it off several times (this is just a screw off- no key or anything), but she still couldn't get it off. Her friend tried, but could not do it either. I told her that I could not leave work right then to help her take the gas cap off. She got mad and hung up on me. When I got home and asked her if she was able to get it off she said "no, but some guy was watching us and laughing and then he came over and took it off for us."

About a month ago I got a call and she said "Dad I'm in the Hasting's parking lot and the car won't start." I first asked her if it was in park (remembering our previous issue with the keys). She assured me that it was, so I said "when you turn the key does it turn over?" "I don't know what that means" she replied. I was kind of speechless after that thinking "why do you have a car?" I said that I would be there in a few minutes to help her and she said "I won't be here, my friends and I have someplace to go." Sigh... Turned out to be a dead battery. I couldn't find my jumper cables and found a cheap pair that had been in a little tool box some old neighbors had given me. I can understand selling cheap items, but what I don't understand is having a product that doesn't actually do what they are supposed to do. The wire in these cables could not carry enough current to jump a car...? Those went in the trash. After getting some new ones it was too late and I had a meeting to go to. Made my day when I got home to hear that my oldest son came home and helped my wife jump the car and bring it home (but I digress).

My daughter is going out of town for college soon, and I am very nervous about her having a car out of town from where I am.

I've saved the best for last though- A year ago she went to France with a high school class where she had a great time. One night (in the middle of the night- which was morning in France) my cell phone rang. The middle of the night phone ringing is always a concern. I jumped out of bed and said "hello." I heard "Hey dad... my hair straightener won't work..." I said "do you have any idea what time it is here?" She didn't respond to that- just back to the hair straightener. "Well are you using the adapter that we sent with you." "Yes dad, but it still won't turn on." She told me that her cousin's was working, and when I suggested that she just use hers, she was mad at me and told me she had to go or she was going to be late." Sigh. I went back to bed.

The Lord's Economic Plan

What is the Lord's economic and social plan?

Let's take a look at the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30- What can we learn from it? First the Lord says that “the kingdom of heaven is…” like the parable of the talents. Just this tells us that socialism is contrary to the law of the Lord. The master did not give to the servants equally nor did he give to them according to their need, but he gave to them their stewardship according to their ability “unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability…” Notice they were not treated equally nor were their needs considered- only their abilities.

Next what did the master expect of these servants (to get gain). The servant that gained 5 and the servant that gained 2 additional talents were told- "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Notice that it did not matter that one earned 5 and the other earned 2, they both got to enter into the joy of Lord, so it isn't important that one earned more than the other- only that they were both productive and gained an increase with their stewardship.

Finally the unprofitable servant was the one who had been given one talent and instead of working to gain more, "...he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money." He did not work to get gain and as a result did not get to enter into the joy of the Lord. His talent was taken from and given to him that had the most, and the unprofitable servant was "cast ... into outer darkness: [where] there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Where does a person's needs and other's compassion come in with the Lord's economic order? Before we review that, let's first look at how salvation is obtained- One works out his individual salvation between himself and the Lord. Salvation is not a communal activity. You can't save a family member, friend or neighbor. In Paul's letter to the Philippian saints he said "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." (Philippians 2:12). In the end it is about each individual's personal righteousness, repentance, and relationship with the Lord.

But what about when people are struggling and NEED help? This is not a contradiction to the Lord's economic plan or plan of salvation. Again in Mathew 25:35-36 "For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me." That is what ministering to the needy is about, but as vitally important these things are (note that those who do not do these things are sent to everlasting punishment Mathew 25:46) these ministrations do not save the person in need, but helps them get through challenging times so that they can stand again on their own to work out their own salvation spiritually and financially.

The Rule of Law

We are supposed to be a nation where the rule of law is supreme based on the Constitution and on laws passed by our legislature. Well today the idea of the rule of law is more lip service than actual substance. Take the following examples-

Obamacare has been ruled unconstitutional and yet the administration ignores the ruling and continues to implement it.

DOMA (defense of marriage act)- This is a federal law that is being challenged in courts. The administration is refusing to represent the government in the court cases. This is a fundamental responsibility for an administration to defend existing laws.

Oil drilling ban- A federal judge twice ruled that the administrations ban was “arbitrary and capricious” and that it should be lifted immediately. The administration ignored the rulings and was held in contempt of court (someone should have gone to jail). Finally the administration “technically” lifted the ban in that they came out and said the ban is lifted, but it took them a very long time to award any permits at all- in fact some previously existing permits have been revoked.

Voter intimidation case against the new black panthers- Despite compelling evidence of voter intimidation the administration has stated that it will not prosecute minorities who are guilty of civil rights violations.

Cap and trade- While this has been rejected by our legislature (while democrats controlled both houses and the presidency) the EPA has started putting regulations in place to implement it on their own.

Internet regulations- both congress and federal courts said that Internet regulations are outside the authority of the FCC. This has been ignored and the FCC issued their “net neutrality” regulations anyway.

Czars- The legions of Czars who are nothing more than bureaucrats and operate outside the oversight of the Congress or Senate are a law unto themselves. Their power and authority can not be found in the rule of law, but only in the power of tyranny.