Echoes From the Campfire

Either he must enter the unknown to seek, to strive, to find, or turn back and fail and never know and always haunted.”
–Zane Grey  (The Rainbow Trail)

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
–Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
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“Terrorist attacks can shake the foundations of our biggest buildings, but they cannot touch the foundation of America. These acts shatter steel, but they cannot dent the steel of American resolve.”
               –George W. Bush

“Maintain the Rage” was the cry by many.  And what has happened since that fateful day in 2001?  Timidity.  Indecisiveness.  Groveling.  Overly tolerant to the point of political correct insanity.  When a country like North Korea dares to challenge the United States and in that, the world, what happen?  How did this come about?
But today is not the time to cast blame or point fingers.  Today, is a day to remember that tragedy sixteen years ago.  A time when war was actually brought to the civilian population of the United States.  For about a week, the politicians, or most of them, were united.  Remember the scene when Congress stood on the steps and sang “God Bless America”?  Now we are more divided than ever.
Let Patriot Day be the day when America comes to its senses.  When they recognize that there is a great moral code given by the Creator of mankind.  Tearing down statutes, violence and riots, only add fuel to those that already hate us.  With that is another good question:  why is the United States hated?  The main reason we are hated is because of our freedom.  With that freedom the people had a mind to work and built up a strong, powerful nation.  
Patriot Day is not the day to throw up our hands in despair.  There are so many good things happening.  Harvey was a good example of people coming together to help one another.  Again, salutes to the first responders of Harvey.  Patriot Day should be the day when we see the unification of the nation.  When people work on problems, legitimate problems, properly through the system that was created in the Constitution.  Patriot Day should be a day when common sense is again gained and used by the populace instead of casting blame and making excuses.
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Let me throw a few thoughts out to you.  I just finished reading David Jeremiah’s book, “I Never Thought I’d See the Day!”  He discuss some things he thought he would never see in the United States.  A challenge was made in the last chapter of the book to believers.  He says that Christians must have a rational determination.  That is a word that needs to become major in every Christian’s life and vocabulary.  Failure to make this determination will weaken us and we will not be able to stand against the conforming powers.
          1)  We will come to question the very existence of God.
          2)  We will be victimized by Satan in spiritual warfare.
          3)  We will be fearful of identifying publicly with Jesus Christ.
          4)  We will question the necessity of entering into, or remaining in, marriage.
          5)  We will lower our moral standards.
          6)  We will find ourselves spending less and less time reading and studying the Bible.
          7)  We will become disinterested in and uncommitted to our local church.
          8)  We will grow fearful and confused about the rise of rogue nations.
          9)  We will put America at risk by growing complacent about the future of Israel.
If any of these things have crept into your life, go back to the altar and “determine” that you will take the stand that God has called you to in these days and times.
Some of the words of that old chorus come to mind.

                “I am determined, I’ve made up my mind,
                 I’ll serve the Lord.
                 I’ve left this world and its treasures behind,
                 I’ll serve the Lord…”