The Big O


Obama knocked it out of the park! I have been a political junkie since before Nixon and tonight was one of the best speeches I can remember. Few of Obama’s contemporaries can equal his oratorical skills. I know of no politician today who could come close to amassing some 75,000 eager listeners, with many standing for the whole speech, some moved to tears, perhaps all full of hope. Congratulations to Senator Obama for a historic moment for African Americans and a job well done.

The sad news is that for Democrat faithfuls who for eight years have longed to regain the White House, tonight’s speech, when sifted through the screen of rational thought and common sense, is sorely lacking. Yes, he promised to give specifics, but did he? He promised a great education for every child, the same level of health care as those in the congress for every American, to regain global respect for America, to cut taxes on most American families, etc., etc., but how? He didn’t say how and he will not because there is no answer to this sort of upside-down logic. Democrats have been saying the same things for decades, just not as well as Obama. It is not unlike the little boy standing in the open door of a barn loft with a bath towel around his shoulders summoning the courage to leap out expecting to fly. He is full of hope, expecting change, until he leaps into the air only to have the ground below jolt him to reality.

Obama and O’biden and the Democrats are ready to give a tax break to the worker while at the same time financially raping the employers of the workers. Here is a short lesson in economics. When the cost of doing business goes up there can only be one of two results. Goods and or services must be decreased in amount or quality, and or prices to the consumer must be increased. It makes no difference if the cost of doing business (overhead) is increased because of an increase in materials, labor, fringe benefits, or higher taxation, the end result is the same. A government policy that punishes success in business is folly. Higher corporate taxes means less spending for research and development, less funding for business expansion to more markets and manufacturing locations, less money for higher salaries, and less incentive to go into business in the first place.

The opposite view, and the logical one, is to allow business to flourish, encourage expansion, research and development, and the creation of millions of good jobs that will never exist unless the bottom line is in the black. For many years I worked for a family owned business in the DFW area. They started with one small auto dealership. Today they own about 16 and one of the most solid banks in Dallas. Had they been taxed the way Democrats envision they would never have gone past one tiny location with meager profits if any at all. Instead of employing about 25 people, today they employ perhaps well over one thousand. Just in our location there were 190 employees about 30 of which were under my supervision. They earned up to $85,000 each year. They bought houses, cars, boats, paid college tuition, bought insurance, groceries, and clothing, went on vacations, and paid lots of taxes to state and federal coffers. All of this is due to the free market, the American dream that expects business to earn profits and provide jobs. Democrats do not understand this concept.

Another reality that many of our liberal friends don’t seem to understand is this. Government does not have any money, doesn’t earn any money, and doesn’t create any jobs. Every dollar Obama or McCain promises to spend comes out of our collective pockets. It is taxpayers who foot the bill. It is easy for a candidate to promise a billion here, a billion and half there, it is quite another for men and women to sweat out the 40 plus hour weeks to earn the money and pay their taxes. Even an accounting student in a community college should be able to understand that it is not possible to give every one in America everything they want and balance the books without major tax hikes across the board. Obama clams he will go over the federal budget line by line and cut out the fat. Which programs will you cut Sen. Obama? What policies will you change to save the taxpayers money? The answers are not coming I promise you.

The promises offered in our founding documents are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The federal government is charged to defend our borders and leave us alone. There are no “rights” to health care, education, cars with great fuel economy, and HD TV.

It is one thing to give a rousing speech, it is quite another to deliver the goods. All of the smoke and mirrors will not make me and millions of others forget that Sen. Obama has little experience, questionable wisdom, and a faulty world view to lead the free world. Perhaps he will be the next president of the United States. If so he will be my president and I’ll hope for his success. I tend to think that in the end common sense will prevail. I can’t conceive that there are enough people in America who make critical decisions like the O.J. jurors, “Don’t confuse me with the facts!”

I am proud that we have matured so that a woman and a black man can rise to the loftiest places of our society. We still have a long way to go. My hope is that in another forty five years we will still be the proud republic called the United States of America. Sadly, the chances are not very good in my view.

For liberty,
Royce Ogle

Chronicle article about WFR church


http://www.christianchronicle.org/

A very nice, well written article that gives the reader a glimpse of who we are.

They did not have the space to mention many of our ministries including some at home and several international outreaches by our members.

What a rich blessing to be able to worship with, love, and be loved by such a wonderful family.

His peace,
Royce

Why can’t you be exactly like me so we can have unity?


There are ongoing discussions in the blogisphere, in joint meetings, in Christian periodicals, and in individual congregations about “Unity”. What is “Unity” and on what basis can Christians have unity with other Christians? Is Christian unity based on theology or ideology? Are we to be unified based on central historic biblical truths or are we to be unified based on what we do “at church” or how we do it?

Church folk born of the rich heritage of the Restoration Movement, churches of Christ and Disciples/Christian churches, have had meetings specifically to address the lack of unity between the two groups who split many years ago primarily over the use of musical instruments to accompany singing in worship services.

Interestingly, both groups are almost identical twins except for how they choose to worship God. Both groups preach Christ’s sacrificial death, His burial, and His resurrection. Both preach water baptism for the remission of sins. Both groups tend toward the Amillennial view of eschatology, and both groups are largely Armenian, or “free will”. Both groups believe a person can loose their salvation, and then curiously be “restored” without the essential baptism for the remission of sins. Both celebrate the Lord’s Supper each Lord’s day and share a multiple eldership form of church government.

On the church of Christ side of the equation, there are factions and splits that are so numerous it is difficult to keep track of them. There are “One cuppers”, who will use only one common cup in serving the Lord’s Supper. There are “Non Sunday School” groups, groups against any sort of support for orphanages or missions out of the church purse (anti’s) , etc, etc. To my knowledge all of these smaller factions are solidly in the “a cappella” churches compared to the few “Liberal” churches that use instruments in worship.

On what basis is it possible for such diversity of belief and practice to achieve true unity?

First, what is biblical unity? Psalm 133:1 says “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Surely if people in civic organizations like the Lions Club or a bowling league can get along why is it that people who claim to be “only Christians” can’t get along with each other? You would think that people who have a mandate to love their enemies could get along rather well with brothers and sisters in Christ. Sadly, they don’t.

Other than the one I have mentioned in Psalm 133, the two passages in Ephesians about unity are the ones most of us are most familiar with. In Ephesians 4:3 when the word “unity” is used it is “the unity of the Spirit” and later in chapter 4 the word is used again and this time it is “the unity of the faith”, it is the same “unity” described in different ways. Of course there are many places in the Bible that show us clearly that we are to live in unity, or be together, or as “one”. Psalm 133:1; John 10:16; John 17:11; John 17:21-23; Romans 12:4; and Romans 12:5 all teach the same truth. The John 17 passages are from the high priestly prayer of Jesus when he prayed for “those who will believe because of their (the disciples) witness”. That includes each of us who are believers. Perhaps part of the question about the problems of “unity” among Restorationists is that Jesus was only praying for the saved. I am not implying that none of the Restoration Movement church folks are saved. What I am saying is that perhaps some aren’t.

The oneness that Jesus prayed for and the “unity” discussed in the two Ephesians passages are the same result and the only basis for true biblical unity.

Ephesians 4:1-3 “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”.

Ephesians 4:11-16 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

These two passages clearly show what the problems really are between the “a cappella” churches and the instrumental churches, the “one cuppers” and the multi cuppers, the Sunday school and the non-Sunday school, the ones who have a praise team and those who don’t, and on and on ad nauseam.

Consider:

1. The “Unity of the Spirit” exists and we are to “keep” it. How? By walking worthy of our calling as God’s people, treating each other “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love. I have seen precious little “lowliness”, “gentleness”, “longsuffering”, and “bearing with one another in love” in the unity discussions have you? In fact, far too often the opposite is true, thus we can’t get along with each other. Carnal Christians, whose motives are fleshly, are going to fight.


2. The reason God has given apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor/teachers is to build us up until we all come to “the unity of the faith” and of the knowledge of the Son of God and that we become mature so that we are like Christ. We must have each other! There is not an option. Verse 16, “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”

There is no doubt that if you and I are walking with the Lord we are going to be able to get along with each other and LIKE doing it.

The “Unity” problem exists for two main reasons. Well meaning people are trying to create a counterfeit unity, based not on our common faith in Christ but on our common, or uncommon, acts of worship and service. The former requires only that we walk in the Spirit and love each other. The later requires all sorts of conformity, selfish demands, changing of traditions, pseudo repentance, and catering to huge egos.

Why under heaven should I worry if you raise your hands in worship when you worship across town from me, 200 miles from me, or across the isle from me? Why should I become exercised and call you “liberal” if you have six song leaders and I only have one? I’m sure you get my point. The disagreements have nothing to do with theology, doctrine, or salvation, but are the fruit of immature men who are fearful of their precious identities. When “the way we have always done it” is challenged the person himself is threatened because that is his identity or who he is.

Most of this infighting is born of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of what someone might think, and fear of being wrong.

There will be no true biblical unity within Restoration Movement camps as long as we are only concerned about ourselves. I say this to the discredit of the majority on both sides. The test of “fellowship” should be on the truth about Christ and faith in Him, not based on a variety of less weighty issues as varied as the people who espouse them.

I have purposed in my heart to love every person who declares his faith in Christ and claims to be my brother. God sees the heart, I don’t. I doubt that I will be in serious jeopardy at the judgment seat of Christ because I have been kind, gentile, and otherwise loving to a person who claims Christ as Lord as I do. I promise you this; I am willing to take that chance.

Grace and Peace

Royce Ogle

God’s Soldiers United – Bro’ Mark Robbins


Since hurricanes katrina and Rita I have met scores of great folks who have given of themselves tirelessly to serve others who are less fortunate, hurting, and often homeless. I am amazed at the lengths people will go to help people who are devastated by natural disasters. One of these amazing people is Mark Robbins of Sebring, Florida.

Carol and I met Mark in Bayou La Batre, Alabama not long after Katrina left her ugly mark on the small fishing community. After loosing his girl friend in a motorcycle accident Mark was moved by the Lord to go help the helpless rather than spend his time feeling sorry for himself. The mayor of Bayou La Batre introduced Mark to Daphne German and the Bayou Recovery Project. He went right to work that day and for about 9 months Mark was an invaluable servant in the releif effort in BLB. There is nothing Mark cannot do or will not do short of brain surgery. He laid tile in the Hemley Road church building, cooked the best BBQ bacon wrapped shrimp on the planet, cleaned and repaired houses, delivered food, furniture, and clothing and did anything else that was asked of him.

Mark’s most recent work was in the Iowa floods. He worked out of the Burlington church of Christ and was a wonderful blessing to the folks there where again he demonstrated what a servant looks like. You can visit his website ( http://godssoldiersunited.com/ ) to learn more. Mark Robbins is worthy of your support. He is now raising funds and working at anything he can find so he will have money to go to the next catastrophe ready to help. He has no formal support, only the gifts of people like me and you allow people like Mark and others to serve those in need.

Thanks for your prayers on his behalf.

His peace,
Royce