An Open Letter to Tim Walz

Dear Governor Walz,

I’m a traveling missionary who’s lived in Minnesota for most of my life. Like yourself, I’m 56 years old with a Lutheran background and have served in the Army National Guard. Three months ago, I returned to Minnesota shortly before the coronavirus lockdown began. Since then, I’ve tolerated not being able to sit in coffee shops where I often work on my laptop and minister to people. More unfortunate, churches have been told not to have public gatherings. This violates the First Amendment guaranteeing our right to peaceably assemble.

While I don’t want to see anyone die from the coronavirus, preventing healthy people from living normal lives is not the answer. Past pandemics have been contained by quarantining the sick. This year’s lockdowns have caused many to suffer financially such as my friend Lynda who hasn’t been able to work at her hair salon for over two months. How would you like it if your paycheck was withheld for that long? 

This past Thursday, I was at the Reopen Minnesota rally in front of the Governor’s Residence in St. Paul. There I mostly walked along Summit Avenue passing out gospel tracts. Another man there asked to interview me for his YouTube channel. One of the questions he asked was what I’d say if given the opportunity to talk with you. Although you endorse other policies I’m strongly against, I would focus on something far more important from an eternal perspective. 

Every one of us will someday stand before God to give an account of our lives. Do you know for sure you’re going to heaven when your life ends? The Lutheran church I attended never taught me the necessity of being born again (John 3:3,7). Doing good works won’t prevent anyone from going to hell (Ephesians 2:8-9). It’s knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). I pray you will decide to do that. If you’re already saved, then please study your Bible more. It will help you make better decisions as governor.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely, 

Todd R. Post

“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.” - Abraham Lincoln

The Day the Music Died

While many Americans today have their minds on the Super Bowl, pop music historians remember this being the anniversary of “The Day the Music Died.” Originating from Don McLean’s classic hit “American Pie”, that phrase summarized a horrific event that happened sixty years ago. 

On February 3rd, 1959, a chartered airplane crashed in a frozen field near Mason City, Iowa killing rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper. This tragedy has been of particular interest to me since their next concert would have been in Moorhead, Minnesota, the city where I grew up. The concert site was only five blocks from the house I would spend most of my childhood. One of the performers who filled in for the deceased musicians was Robert Velline, who went on to a successful career as Bobby Vee. My late father went to high school with Bobby and shared an art class with him. Vee himself died a couple of years ago due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease. 

Technically, the music of all these musicians hasn’t died. Their songs continue to be heard on oldies stations and other outlets. Sometimes I played their music during my years as a disc jockey in nightclubs and at wedding dances. Now as an evangelist, I’m more interested in where these musicians are spending eternity. 

Shortly after that tragic plane crash, a tribute record was released called “Three Stars.” In this song, Tommy Dee talked about Buddy Holly singing for God now. That’s a likely possibility since Buddy grew up attending a Baptist church. Hopefully, he got born again prior to his death.

“Three Stars” also mentioned God “calling” Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper to heaven. Considering these two singers were 17 and 28 years old respectively, this is inconsistent with Scripture. While some martyrs have laid down their lives for the gospel at a young age, God desires to satisfy us with long life (Psalm 91:16). In addition, we cannot assume Ritchie and the Big Bopper are in heaven. They needed to have called on the name of Jesus while alive in order to pass through the Pearly Gates.

What about you? Are you certain of your eternal destiny? You can be sure of singing with the angels in heaven (and possibly the singers previously mentioned) if you know the Lord.

“I heard a sound like massed choirs in Heaven singing, ‘Hallelujah! The salvation and glory and power are God’s—'" Revelation 19:1 (The Message)

Memories from a Cautiously Optimistic Vikings Fan

Sports fans in America love rooting for the underdog. Just over a year ago, the Chicago Cubs had many people pulling for them (myself included) as they won their first World Series in 108 years. Now another franchise with a reputation of losing big games has a chance of finally winning it all. It happens to be my favorite football team.

The Minnesota Vikings began playing in 1961 as an NFL expansion team. Eight years later, they appeared in their first Super Bowl but lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. Three years after that, I started watching Vikings games on TV while growing up in Moorhead, Minnesota. The following season, they reached Super Bowl VIII, which was played on my tenth birthday. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a Super Sunday for me as the Vikings lost to the Miami Dolphins.

Nevertheless, I remained a Minnesota Vikings fan with quarterback Fran Tarkenton as my favorite player. Throughout the rest of the 1970s, I watched almost every Vikings game on TV. They consistently won their division but never went all the way through the playoffs. Among the disappointments I endured seeing were two more Super Bowl losses and the infamous Hail Mary game against the Dallas Cowboys. By the end of the decade, I was watching fewer games and spending more time at the roller rink.

In December 1980, I was home one Sunday afternoon watching the Minnesota Vikings play poorly against the Cleveland Browns. I left the living room just before the game was over. Suddenly, I heard Mom and Dad cheering as Ahmad Rashad caught a winning touchdown with no time left. Since then, my parents jokingly asked me to leave the room whenever the Vikings faced defeat. They often seemed to play better when I wasn’t watching them. Similar incidents happened with come-from-behind playoff wins over the New York Giants in 1997 and last week’s “Minneapolis Miracle” against the New Orleans Saints. I had been watching the latter game from a restaurant but left early thinking the Vikings would let that game slip away.

Dad had talked of us seeing a Minnesota Vikings game as a family but that never happened (he passed away last month). My parents went to a game by themselves in 1984 when the Vikings had one of their worst seasons ever. They barely won that contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

I attended my first Vikings game two years later after moving to Minneapolis. One night I was at a club where the disc jockey announced he had two free Vikings tickets for the first person who could tell him who played keyboards on the Beatles’ song “Get Back.” I knew the answer was Billy Preston and rushed to the DJ booth to claim the tickets. A college classmate went with me the next night to see the Vikings beat the Dolphins in a preseason game.

Due to the high prices plus preferring the comfort and convenience of seeing games on TV, I never sought to buy Vikings tickets. Still, I’ve been to a few other games. In 1999, a friend’s mother had season tickets and offered to let her son and me attend the home opener. The Vikings lost that one to the Oakland Raiders.

Starting in 2013, I’ve spent part of the year living with a Vikings fan who’s also an occasional evangelist. As Mr. Minnesota, my roommate dances around near the stadium in a Mask-like outfit attracting crowds and then hands out specially-designed gospel tracts. In exchange for filming him, Mr. Minnesota bought both of us tickets for that day’s game if he found a pair from a scalper who wasn’t charging too much money. I haven’t been to a winning game with Mr. Minnesota except for one.

Prior to a Vikings game against the Houston Texans in 2016, I approached a homeless man sitting near the stadium displaying a sign asking for help. After offering him a bag of Doritos, this man offered me a ticket someone had given him. Mr. Minnesota later bought one off the street. Both of us got to see the Vikings win 31-13. At that point, they were 5-0 for the season but then slumped to finish with an 8-8 record.

This season I initially shied away from watching NFL games in response to many players not honoring the national anthem. Gradually I relented as the Minnesota Vikings played better than expected and finished the regular season at 13-3. I’m still a bit reluctant to watch today’s NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. As much as I want to see the Vikings win, I don’t want to get my emotions stirred up and then experience another letdown. The Vikings have lost in their last five NFC Championship appearances including two in overtime. But if they win today, the Vikings will compete in their first Super Bowl in 41 years…and in their home stadium to boot!

Here’s something else worth noting. Back in late 1976, I had a dream of having been in some kind of coma and then asked my mother if the Vikings had won the Super Bowl. She said they did by beating the New England Patriots. In real life, the Vikings eventually lost that season’s Super Bowl to the Raiders who had narrowly beaten the Patriots in an earlier playoff game. However, this dream would become prophetic if both the Vikings and Patriots win their respective games today and then if the Vikings come out victorious in Super Bowl LII.

Regardless, I won’t base my happiness on the outcome of a football game. Some might call me a fair-weather fan but I disagree. The Minnesota Vikings will always be my favorite team. But even former head coach Bud Grant told one interviewer, “Football is entertainment. It’s not life or death.” In response to his being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bud stated, “We’re stars. We’re not heroes. We’ve done nothing heroic.”

As Christians, we can always be winners. In fact, Romans 8:37 says we are more than conquerors. After throwing last week’s winning touchdown pass, Vikings quarterback Case Keenum told a Fox Sports reporter that the most important moment of his life was meeting his Lord and Savior. Go Team Jesus!

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” - Colossians 3:2 (KJV)

An Appeal for Unity (An Open Letter to Old Paths Baptist Church in Northfield, MN)

At UNITE Twin Cities

Dear Brothers in Christ,

I’m an evangelist who mostly does one-on-one witnessing in reaching individuals with the gospel. Still, I appreciate brethren who step out to do open-air preaching. It definitely brings a Christian outside his comfort zone particularly amongst audiences that sometimes become hostile.

This past Thursday night, the UNITE gathering led by Pulse Movement took place outside US Bank Stadium. After doing some witnessing in downtown Minneapolis that afternoon, I arrived at the stadium early to get a seat at one of the purple tables across the street. My legs were tired from walking and would have preferred not having to stand while watching the service. Just before it began, your group set up a loudspeaker and banners in front of where I was sitting. Your subsequent preaching hindered me from hearing what was being said from the stage.

As I walked closer to the stadium, one of you offered me a gospel tract. Eventually, I asked how he would feel if another Christian group held a meeting outside your church that disrupted one of your services. 

This man replied, “We’re preaching the word.” 

I responded, “So are they.” (referring to the ministers and musicians on stage who quoted Scripture and exalted the name of Jesus throughout the night) 

He then said, “They are preaching false doctrine.”

Despite this man’s claim, I perceived the presence of God at that service but chose to leave early. Your continuous preaching behind me was an unnecessary distraction. That prompted me to look up your church’s website when I got home. While I agree with many of your stated beliefs, one caught my attention:

“We believe that this statement of faith is a basis for Christian fellowship, and that all born-again men and women who sincerely accept it can and should live together in peace, and that it is their Christian duty to promote harmony among the members of the Body of Christ, who are walking separately from the world both in theory and in practice.”

Judging from your actions that night, you didn’t promote harmony amongst the Body of Christ. Other ministers I know tried reasoning with you. You persisted with your loud preaching without being considerate of those who showed up to pray and worship the Lord. Your church could have joined us instead of sowing discord and competing for our attention. I thought of what Jesus said in Matthew 12:25 (KJV), “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.”

I noticed one of you wore a sign quoting Deuteronomy 22:5. It appears your ideas of “walking separately from the world” are based on the clothing Christians wear and the types of music they listen to. When someone professes Jesus as their Lord and Savior, we should believe the best about them instead of demonizing those who don’t fit our religious mindsets.

In John 17:20-23, Jesus prayed that all His disciples become one. Christian unity is not based on outward appearances but our shared life in Christ. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That includes Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, and Pentecostals as well as Baptists. I don’t agree with some doctrines taught in certain churches. Every church has imperfections (including yours). That shouldn’t stop us from coming together from time to time in reaching our communities with the gospel. We don’t need to “major on minors.”

I hope this letter doesn’t fall upon deaf ears but you will prayerfully consider what was written here. Paul stated in Romans 15:20, “Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation.” Instead of “preaching to the choir”, I encourage you to focus on reaching the lost by speaking the truth of God’s word but showing more compassion and grace. Perhaps then more Christians will want to team up with you in fulfilling the Great Commission.

“Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” - Colossians 3:11

Teacher of the Ear

Jace Lahlum at a water ski club reunion

There’s a popular bumper sticker that says, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” Most of us can recall having a favorite instructor while growing up. Mine was one I had as a high school sophomore in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Despite enjoying math during elementary school and junior high, I was never fond of geometry. Just before starting tenth grade, my parents and I met with a guidance counselor to discuss my schedule. Mom and Dad sided with my resistance to geometry but the counselor insisted I should take that subject.

During the first day of the 1979-1980 school year, I entered a second-floor classroom for my third-period geometry class. After the bell rang, in walked 35-year-old Jace Lahlum. To my surprise, this teacher had an energetic personality unlike any I’d seen before. Halfway through that first class, I realized Mr. Lahlum looked and sounded like comedian Steve Martin. If he put on a white suit, dyed his hair, and stuck an arrow through his head, Mr. Lahlum would closely resemble the "wild and crazy guy.”

However, Jace Lahlum was no Steve Martin impersonator. His unique sense of humor was expressed in various ways. During the second week of class, Mr. Lahlum walked in a couple of times without saying a word and turned on his boombox. His voice was heard saying, “Mr. Lahlum cannot be here today. This is his robot.” Later while going over that day’s assignment, Mr. Lahlum’s voice from the tape said, “The robot will now point to someone and that student will give their answer.”

One of the first things Mr. Lahlum wanted us to know was the Father of Geometry…an ancient Greek mathematician named Euclid. A classmate named Patricia couldn’t remember the exact name when initially called upon and guessed “Escalus.” That became her new nickname.

Another thing Mr. Lahlum taught us was writing out two-column tables called proofs. An answer that often came up in the proofs was CPCTE, which stood for “Corresponding Parts of Congruent Triangles are Equal.” While going over a proof in class, Mr. Lahlum called upon someone to define CPCTE. Even if that student got the answer right, Mr. Lahlum jokingly said, “Nope, it stands for…” and then made up a funny acronym like “Cold Pizza Causes Tongue Erosion” or “Certain People Call That Escalus.”

I still didn’t care for geometry as a subject but looked forward to Mr. Lahlum’s class. Every afternoon upon coming home from school, I described to my mother what my favorite teacher had said and done that morning. Before getting into the daily lesson, Mr. Lahlum usually shared stories that sometimes took up half the class period. He talked about incidents from his childhood, previous classes he taught, and his experiences as a barefoot water skier.

Prior to one water-skiing competition, Jace Lahlum made a bet with a friend that the announcer would correctly pronounce his name (the surname appropriately rhymes with “slalom”). Then he secretly introduced himself at the judge’s stand figuring he would win the bet. Moments later, Mr. Lahlum’s friend walked up to that same judge offering money if he mispronounced Jace’s name. When it came time for his turn around the lake, a voice on the loudspeaker said, “The next contestant will be Jock Laloom!”

Mr. Lahlum often got hungry during our mid-morning class. Not wanting to “offend” us, he grabbed something from his sack lunch, ducked behind the podium, took a bite, and then put the rest of his food back in the closet. One morning Mr. Lahlum decided he didn’t want a sandwich brought with him. After giving us our “home fun” assignment (instead of calling it “homework”), Mr. Lahlum turned on the radio and said, “Name that tune and win a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” I correctly identified the song as “Get It Right Next Time” by Gerry Rafferty. Mr. Lahlum then exploited my knowledge of popular music. Many times he stopped in the middle of a lesson, called my name and said, “name that tune” before turning on his radio. I almost always got the song right. 

Students were allowed to play cassette tapes on Jace Lahlum’s boombox after the “home fun” assignment was given. One guy brought in Pink Floyd’s then-current album “The Wall.” I was curious to see how Mr. Lahlum would react to the group’s infamous hit “Another Brick in the Wall.” When he heard the lyrics “Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone!”, Mr. Lahlum had a surprised expression on his face and briefly left the classroom.

Although he goofed around a lot, Jace Lahlum had a serious side. During one class he talked about a hair lip joke he used to tell until having a son with a speech impediment. In a school newspaper interview, Mr. Lahlum revealed that during his third year of teaching one of his students committed suicide. That made him realize there were more important things than learning geometry theorems. Mr. Lahlum became the overseer of the Key Club, a student-led organization encouraging leadership through servicing others. A phrase he often said was, “It’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice.”

The same year I had him for geometry, Jace Lahlum was named Moorhead’s Teacher of the Year. A Saturday article in the local newspaper mentioned that along with a misprint declaring him eligible for Minnesota’s “teacher of the ear” award. Two days later after class, I approached Mr. Lahlum’s desk and said, “Hey, I read you’re up for Minnesota’s Teacher of the Ear.” 

He pointed to one of his ears asking, “Yeah, you like it?” 

I replied, “You got a good chance. You got two of them.”

Jace Lahlum was one of eleven finalists but didn’t win Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year award. More unfortunate, he was absent during the latter part of the school year due to a water skiing accident that required back surgery. One day I bought my teacher a get well card along with a bottle of Mountain Dew (his favorite soft drink). I showed up at the hospital but Mr. Lahlum had already been discharged. I ended up giving him those things on the last day of school. He recovered in time to personally give us our final exam.

Four years before, a classmate taught me this sarcastic poem: “God made bees, bees make honey, we do all the work and the teachers get all the money.” In reality, teachers are vastly underpaid compared to other professions. As one Facebook friend posted, “Teachers don't teach for the income. They teach for the outcome.”

An Internet search revealed Jace Lahlum and his wife now live in Arizona. Since they are in their 70s, I’m assuming he retired from teaching. Although I never used geometry as an adult, I’m still grateful for sitting under an instructor who taught more than facts and figures. He shared important lessons in life while still having fun with his students. Hopefully, Mr. Lahlum knows the Lord so that someday I’ll get to see the “teacher of the ear” again in heaven.

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” - 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

St. Peter and the Pearly Gates

Three days ago I took a road trip from Minneapolis to Sioux Falls, South Dakota with another evangelist. One of our pit stops was in St. Peter, Minnesota. The name of that city had me thinking about the proverbial belief of the apostle standing by the gates of heaven. This is based on some people’s interpretation of Matthew 16…

15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 

18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 

19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Jesus was actually talking about kingdom authority. The power of binding and loosing is available to every believer. One who is born again already has citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3:20) for God “…made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2:6)

Recorded testimonies of individuals who received glimpses of the other side refute the idea of people waiting in line to see if they made it through the Pearly Gates. Individuals not in right standing with the Lord immediately descended towards hell. Conversely, Jesse Duplantis said the first man he saw in heaven was Abraham (not Peter) in his book and video “Close Encounters of the God Kind." A friend of mine told me Kat Kerr has a similar testimony.

The term “Pearly Gates” originated from the description of the New Jerusalem that will be transplanted from heaven to earth after the Great White Throne Judgment. The first half of Revelation 21:21 says, “The twelve gates were twelve pearls: each individual gate was of one pearl.” As I heard another minister point out, “How would you like to see the size of that oyster?”

Regardless of who may be standing by the gates of heaven, one must know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior to go through them. Are you ready for eternity?

“Those gates are the way into the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there.” - Psalm 118:20 (TLB)

Minnesota Not-So-Nice

In the state where I’ve lived most of my life, you sometimes hear the phrase “Minnesota nice.” Wikipedia defines it as “…the stereotypical behavior of people born and raised in Minnesota to be courteous, reserved, and mild-mannered.” That certainly wasn’t the case last weekend in the capital city of St. Paul. A protest on Interstate 94 turned violent resulting in 102 people being arrested and 21 police officers injured.

What triggered the protest was a police shooting the previous Wednesday in a St. Paul suburb. A black man named Philando Castile got pulled over for a busted taillight. Accordingly to fiancée Diamond Reynolds (who rode in the passenger seat), Philando was reaching for his wallet when a Latino officer fired four shots at him. Diamond then used her cell phone to live-stream the aftermath on Facebook. A ten minute video of Philando bleeding to death and Diamond’s subsequent arrest quickly went viral.

Claims of police targeting African-Americans resulted in the formation of the activist group Black Lives Matter. Personally I’m turned off by the BLM movement because of their practice of blocking highways. I would be furious if I found myself caught in a traffic jam caused by one of their protests. It certainly doesn’t earn sympathy from people trying to get to work (or worse delaying emergency vehicles). All lives matter...not just theirs.

It’s unfortunate the United States has a history of racism. Sadly some African-Americans respond with violence such as the one who shot and killed five police officers in Dallas, Texas on July 7th. In response to this and other recent shootings, Dallas-based African-American pastor T. D. Jakes said, “At the end of the day the blood that is shed on the streets is not black, it is not white, it is not brown – It is red.” Acts 17:26 says, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth…” There is no Scriptural basis for discrimination based on race.

Five decades ago a Baptist minister named Martin Luther King, Jr. experienced discrimination much worse than what most African-Americans face today. Yet Dr. King never used violence to take a stand for his civil rights. As a result, many streets and places are named after him today plus a federal holiday honoring his birthday.

So how should Christians respond to police shootings that are purportedly race-related? First we need to pray for our nation’s leaders especially those in law enforcement. Policemen are not perfect but still deserve our respect. Romans 13:1 says, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

We must also reach out to hurting people with the gospel. Jesus called us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9) and as His ambassadors we can be ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). A Facebook friend went with a friend of hers to minister and pray with BLM protesters standing outside the Minnesota Governor's Residence. She and her friend were well received after asking for forgiveness for the church’s past mistakes regarding racism.

One of my neighbors has a bumper sticker that says, “Just be nice.” There’s more we can do than telling people to do random acts of kindness. Changed hearts will result when we obey the Great Commission and people become born again.

“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.” - 1 Corinthians 6:17

A Pain in the Butt

Last Sunday a friend and I went to the Minnesota Vikings home opener against the New England Patriots. One key player was missing in action. Running back Adrian Peterson was deactivated for the game due to child abuse charges resulting from him using a wooden stick to punish his four-year-old son. After a brief activation by the Vikings, Adrian has now been banned from all team activities until his legal situation is resolved.

Seeing released photos of the cuts and bruises on Adrian’s son was disturbing even though that kind of corporal punishment is common in Texas where Adrian is from. Nevertheless, I pray Adrian will be redeemed from this incident because he’s cooperating with authorities plus he’s my brother in Christ. Last year I met the pastor of a church Adrian attended at that time.

In these days of political correctness, parents face increasing challenges with raising children. Unless your kids are homeschooled or enrolled in a Christian learning institution, they are likely bombarded with ideas contrary to Scripture. I would think twice about sending children to public schools that nowadays hand out condoms and teach it’s okay to have two homosexual parents.

The law has gotten more invasive in how we should discipline our children. Nearly four years ago, another parent in Texas lost custody of all three of her kids for spanking one of them! As part of a plea deal, Rosalina Gonzales of Corpus Christi was sentenced to five years probation, ordered to take parenting classes, and make a $50 payment to the Children’s Advocacy Center. Gonzales was told she wouldn’t get her children back from their paternal grandmother (who reported the spanking incident) until the court deems her “capable.”

I could agree with this decision if child abuse happened but the prosecutor described it as a “pretty simple, straightforward spanking case.” Gonzales didn't use a belt nor leave any bruises. During the sentencing, Judge Jose Longoria stated, “You don’t spank children today. In the old days, maybe we got spanked, but there was a different quarrel. You don’t spank children.” 

This judge should take time to open that Bible people in his courtroom swear an oath on (if they still do that there) and read the following verses…

“He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” - Proverbs 13:24

“Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction.” - Proverbs 19:18

“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” - Proverbs 22:15

“Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.” - Proverbs 23:13

“The rod and rebuke give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” - Proverbs 29:15

I once heard a children’s pastor advise that we shouldn’t spank kids with our bare hands. He pointed out that hands are for holding and loving.  

When I was little and got mouthy with my mother, she threatened to take out a wooden spoon and occasionally used it on my behind. Certainly, I didn’t like the punishment but have to honestly say it worked. Frequent sittings in a “time out chair” would not have the same effect.

An American pediatrician once proclaimed we shouldn't spank our children. In his 1946 book “Baby and Child Care” Dr. Benjamin Spock wrote, “The American tradition of spanking may be one reason there is much more violence in our country than in any other comparable nation.” I totally disagree. We have since seen a dramatic increase in divorce, youth crime, and teen suicide.

In addition to disobedient children, I believe some of our politicians and judges who legislate from the bench could use a good spanking. Maybe that would stop them from passing laws and making ridiculous decisions that are ruining our society.

“Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” - Hebrews 12:11

The Law of Love

This past Tuesday in front of the State Capitol in St. Paul, Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill making same-sex marriage legal in Minnesota effective August 1, 2013. This so-called “history-making” event was attended by thousands of people. I happened to be in St. Paul that evening but was evangelizing by a lake five miles from the Capitol.

A few hours before the bill was signed, an old childhood friend who I reconnected with through Facebook posted the music video for “Love is the Law.” This song by the Suburbs was a regional hit thirty years ago. I used to like this song but was saddened to learn the Minneapolis-based group had donated use of it for the cause of “marriage equality.”

The Bible has a few things to say about the law of love…

“Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.” - Romans 13:8

“Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” - Romans 13:10

“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!” - Galatians 5:13-15

Same-sex marriage activists who claim to be believers need to study the Bible more. It’s hypocritical for them to preach about love when they often express hatred toward God-fearing individuals who don’t agree with their beliefs. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” One of those commandments is to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). That includes homosexuality (see Romans 1:18-32 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

Jesus also said this about the last days: “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12) People who willfully disobey God’s commandments can harden their hearts to where they become desensitized to His voice. It is only through the Holy Spirit that one can truly walk in God’s love (see Romans 5:5).

Non-Christians may demonstrate acts of kindness but cannot fully obey the law of love unless they first become born again. Then they must be willing to lay aside their own selfish desires and follow all of God commandments instead of cherry-picking those they agree with.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.” - 1 John 4:7-9

What’s Your Crutch?

While he was governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura made this statement; “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers. It tells people to go out and stick their noses in other people's business.” In the New Oxford American Dictionary, one of the definitions of crutch is “a thing used for support or reassurance.” An example cited by the dictionary is “they use the Internet as a crutch for their loneliness.”

Everybody has a crutch. For some it is cigarettes. How many of you know people who cannot go a short period of time without smoking? During winter, I’ve seen workers willing to brave freezing temperatures outside just so they can smoke on their breaks.

For other people, their crutch is alcohol. Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx once told Hit Parader magazine, “The thing that inspires me the most is my bottle of Jack Daniels. It's my best friend in the world. Ol' Jack will never let you down. He's always there when you need him.”

Many individuals look to the government as a crutch. They think having a certain politician in office or a particular law passed will solve their problems.

What’s your crutch?

Non-believers may think believing in God is a crutch for weak people who cannot make it on their own. But the Lord doesn’t want His people to be weak-minded at all. Ephesians 6:10 commands us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.”

King David certainly wasn’t a coward. He was a mighty warrior who defeated the giant Goliath and later became king of Israel. But even with all his armies and weapons, David repeatedly humbled himself and sought the Lord for direction. The strongest person on earth is infinitely weaker than God.

The best crutch for people to lean on is not a church, denomination, or minister but in the person of Jesus Christ.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” - Psalm 46:1