Monthly Archives: February 2008

Feb 29 2008

“..if I should die before I wake…”


Today we buried an associate. A 60 year old woman who had been selling real estate since 1972. Dying at 60 is way premature to this almost 63 year old.

Where is she now? With the Lord I think, I hope, but I don’t really know do I? I shared the very good news with her and she assured me she was “satisfied”. Though in some way I wish I could do more, I suppose I did what I could. I will take her word and find some measure of peace in the knowledge that she had found peace with God.

I have decided that if I must err, (and we all must err) that I should err on the side of the love and grace of God. After all God does love people more than you and I do. And, He has done something remarkable to prove His love by giving His only Son to completely pay for the sins of wicked people. Wicked? Yes wicked!

I don’t hear the word “wicked” used to describe humans much in sermons any more, except for my own. According God’s book, at the center of every man is a spiritual heart which is “deceitfully wicked” and only God can really know it. (Jeremiah 17:9) And, Christ died for the “ungodly”. 

The problem with you and me is that we measure ourselves by ourselves (each other). God on the other hand measures us by Himself. We lose every time!

Christ did not come into this world to condemn it but that people might be saved through Him. I don’t think I will be in the business of condemnation either since I am to be used in His stead in some mysterious way.

I will tell folks the very good news about His love, and how their sin debt has long been paid, and God’s gracious offer is forgiveness of sins and eternal life along with all the trimmings described in the Bible. I will tell them that by simple child like trust they can know the peace of God and have peace with God through Christ. And not by ritual, religion, saying certain phrases, going certain places, and going to certain houses of worship. Nope, only take Him at His word and expect Him to do what He has promised.

Every one of us, saved and unsaved, are flawed human beings. A remedy has been provided for every one of us. His name is Jesus. In the words of comic/song writer/singer Mark Lowery “I catch them God cleans them”.

Each of us contributes one sinner each to the formula of salvation. That is about it. Jesus has done and will do the rest. Have you put your whole trust in Him? You’ll sleep better once you have……”and if you should die before you wake….”

His peace,
Royce Ogle

Feb 7 2008

Choose your liberal


This Saturday Louisiana voters will go to the polls to vote for local candidates and for Presidential candidates as well. I have restrained myself from writing any political commentary on this blog but decided to make an exception this time.

I have never been more frustrated and disgusted with the crop of candidates we have running this cycle. Gov. Mitt Romney, the most hated by the largest, most influential news outlets, is also the most conservative. The Super Tuesday results made it clear that he will not be the eventual Republican nominee. National politics is driven by bloggers, cable news networks, talk radio, major newspapers, and to a lesser degree the major TV networks. With the exception of some talkers and Fox News, all of the above detest any conservative.

My guess is that in November we will be given the choice of voting for Sen. John McCain or Sen. Obama. Of course it could be McCain vs. Clinton but I doubt it. Clinton is already short on funds having to dip into personal funds to the tune of $5 million and having staffers to go unpaid. Clinton’s greatest sin is that she has not been fervent enough against the war in Iraq. Other than that issue there isn’t a nickles worth of difference between the two. Sadly, McCain is not much better.

McCain has the endorsement of most large liberal news papers, left wingers like Chris Matthews, Wolf Blitzer, and others love McCain who they tout as being “bi-partisan”. Of course in the general election they will savage him in favor of any Democrat. Sen. McCain is a Ross Perot with slightly more common sense. Both have huge egos and both espouse nutty positions on an array of issues.

Sen. McCain says “I will get Osama..”, “I will stop pork barrel spending”, “I will appoint only strict constructionist judges”, bla bla bla, All political election time hot air. If John McCain is a conservative I am a Pygmy astronaut. Again and again McCain has proved that he is a liberal. He can say what he wants but his record is there for anyone to see who cares to check him out. Taxes, immigration, First Amendment rights, and a host of other issues have found the war hero on the wrong side time and time again.

The sickening truth is that the godless left wing nuts are winning. The United States is slowly marching toward Socialism or Communism. More dependency on government, more intrusion of government into our lives, more government approval and empowerment of perversion and immorality and even folks who claim to be conservative Christians are falling in line and by their votes approve the decline of the greatest society in history.

Possibly the best thing that can happen for the short term is to give the liberals both houses of Congress and the White House for four years and then we can perhaps get conservatives back in power and turn the tide of political correctness, amorality, and the mind numbing buzz of left wing idiots unleashed. Sometimes giving people what they think they want is the best way to prove to them it is not what they need.

I have not mentioned Gov. Huckabee because like Dr. Ron Paul he has no chance of winning the nomination. He is a likable fellow but he to is tilted way too far to the left on far too many issues.  He might possibly earn a shot at VP but I seriously doubt that McCain wants a proud Christian on his ticket.

Well, its off my chest. What do you think?

Still hoping,
Royce

Only moments after I posted this, Gov. Romney dropped out of the race. Here is a link to the address he gave as he left the contest. http://thepage.time.com/transcript-of-romneys-speech-withdrawing-from-the-race/ It is one of the best I have ever read.