What brings about war? In my pacifist days, I would have likened it to “control” as an umbrella that shielded all manner of evil rationalizations and actions.
But true war is about freedom. It’s about surrendering your life to a cause greater than oneself so that you and the ones you are protecting will not have to surrender to evil’s strangling grip.
While the barbecues’ smoke rises on the back deck’s of many American homes, The Fourth of July should also be remembered as the date when the smoke cleared on the battlefields of Gettysburg
and the
"fog" dissipated within the City of Vicksburg. These simultaneous victories for The Union Army essentially rescued America from schism and the evils of slavery.
Why does freedom have such monumental costs? Why would men sacrifice their lives or both hands or lose a leg? It’s because evil is determined to break the back of freedom and resistance is the only answer.
When the smoke rises from your cookout, may the poignant joy of freedom never be snuffed out by the very tasty morsels of freedom itself.
PORTAL TO HEAVEN: The portal of spiritual war’s cost must never be forgotten and earthly war is an accurate picture of this conflict. The “control” of sin was eradicated by the freedom of salvation. Jesus sacrificed his brow, back, hands, feet, side and every drop of His blood still drips today. May our hearts beat with freedom’s blood and flush our faces with its exuberance.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed…And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Isaiah 53:4,5 NIV,Colossians 2:15 NIV
COMMENTS:
On "There Were Loose Sheep On 46th Street"
You are absolutely right Bob without God – without Jesus – there is no real meaning or purpose to our lives! I think that’s why you see so many people walking around with a kind of vacant look.
Frank Wray, Delmar, NY
As I get older I realize how much I enjoy my quiet time. Every morning I get up at 4:45 , it's my time to pray read and enjoy quite moments before everyone else . Then it all begins , and before you know we are all out the door beginning our day. Yet our days are nothing compared to the running around a native New Yorker does . I love New York , for what it has to offer . When I go there I come home refreshed, excited maybe a bit tired , tired in a good way. There are many things I enjoy in New York , museums , restaurants ,small shops , but most of all the Broadway shows . The shows just have a way of taking me out of reality for a few hours , no concerns . If there is a conflict , there is a solution . Your life is written out you have a part to recite , it seems so simple , and believable . When the play is over reality is facing you. You are back in the crowd being pushed and shoved by people unlike the characters in the play .Sometimes the stage can leave us with the question who's script are we reading
Antoinette Renzi, Guilderland, NY