A flabby mind is no bade of spiritual honor.”
–J.P. Moreland

“He kept an on-deck list of books, but unfortunately, it never diminished.”
–John Vermillion

One thing I have always believed in, though not always practiced, is the idea that we are supposed to study to show ourselves approved.  My mercy!  If we could get this through to our students today, but with a “ho-hum” attitude it is hard. 
I realize that it is speaking of studying and knowing God’s Word, but we are also supposed to do everything as unto the Lord.  When I taught Bible classes, the first unit I would teach was “Reading as Worship.”  Today, people, not just youth, are so tied and actually devoted to their devices.  Call them “smart phones”, but actually they tend to move us toward dependency and not toward study and knowledge.
As far as Christian study is concerned there are really two types:  devotional reading and intellectual reading.  Devotional reading is usually short and there is not a real purpose to learn something new.  The goal of devotional reading is to nourish the soul; to become more aware of God and in developing a relationship.  Intellectual reading involves time and study.  There are particular purposes or goals which are to gain knowledge and to improve oneself and ministry.
We should also develop professional reading.  This enhances our career, plus it should be part of doing everything as unto the Lord.  We should seek to become the best we can professionally, and part of that is gaining knowledge about our profession.  As a history teacher I would spend the summer reading books on areas in which I felt I was weak.  There should also be general reading in which we read to gain knowledge about other subjects.  This can also include fictional works because they give insight into our culture.
J.P. Moreland wrote that we say we love God with all our heart, but we often forget the rest of the Scripture.  We are to love Him with all of our mind as well.  To do this we must get rid of “flabby minds.”  Our minds should be strong.  However, in all that is read, it is imperative that it be filtered through God’s Word.
For some reason the list of books that I want to read keeps getting longer.  I fully understand what Vermillion means when he states that his list of books is never diminished.  It’s hard to be bored or in bad company if a person has a quality book under his arm, and yes, I will have to include books on Kindle.  The danger in that is that my list grows even larger.
By the way, if you have a good book that you would suggest I should read send the title to me.  I’ll check it out and it may get onto my never-ending list.

“Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”
–2 Timothy 2:15 (AMPC)

Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all.”
–George Washington

“There is a Destiny which has the control of our actions, not to be resisted by the strongest efforts of Human Nature.”
–George Washington

Maybe I should have written this on Monday for Presidents’ Day.  If you get the chance, go back and read some about that terrible winter at Valley Forge.  There was no shelter and it was bitterly cold.  The first thing that General George Washington did was to set his men to build shelters.  Over two thousand soldiers died that winter due to exposure, starvation, and disease.  Only a third of the men had shoes, and they literally left bloody footsteps in the snow.
I read a story that really symbolizes the idea that came forth from that terrible winter in Valley Forge.  When you think of a forge, what comes to your mind?  “The most common definition of the word is ‘to hammer out.’  Our nation got forged here in Valley Forge, where there was a iron forge.  When our young Army came out of that winter, it had been forged into something tough and strong as iron.  The perseverance they showed that winter forged their will, a will that carried them ultimately to victory.”  (John Vermillion).
Perhaps that is what jerks my jaws when I see people so willingly ignorant of the sacrifice of men like those who gave so much.  We tend to make excuses for what happens to us, but those men, and others like them in similar dire circumstances, stood the test that nature and the enemy brought to bear against them.  The saying is so true, “All Gave Some, Some Gave All.”  There are few that now recognize or can relate to that saying.
However, many have faced the forge of a different sort.  There is the forge that works on a person’s spirit.  The enemy of our soul brings his forces to destroy, and if spirit and soul are not forged into a sort of spiritual steel then it is possible that a person could fall on the wayside.  Don’t despair when circumstances, no matter the type, come against you for it may be the Holy Spirit trying “to hammer out” your life.
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“By the all-powerful dispensations of Providence, I have been protected beyond all human probability and expectation; for I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet escaped unhurt, altho’ death was levelling my companions on every side.”
–George Washington

Another thing that gets to me at times are those “historians” out there that desperately and purposely try to destroy the character of those who have gone on before.  True, all people have their flaws, but how they deal with them and how they continue to go forward and face life is really more important.  There is talk of “fake news” but that is nothing new.  With revisionist eyes they look to the past and conjure up things that were not really there.
Men like Washington and Lincoln were not flawless, but they were men who were devoted to seeing their task through.  With them it was a sacred trust; a duty that must be faced.  These men set their hearts toward the duty that was before them, saw it through despite the difficulties, and ultimately came through victorious.
Instead of looking for defects we should take heart from what they did.  We should recognize that victory can often be ours if we dedicate ourselves to finish the course.  To maintain, despite defeats, the course that the Lord has before us.

“I have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith.”
–2 Timothy 4:7 (AMPC)

This world promises us so much.  Why, what can be denied, just look at the commercials on TV?  Drink this and you will have fun and all of the women/men you ever dreamed of.  Drive this car and see what will happen.  Dream big, the world awaits you.  Come on people, let’s party-hardy.  This gives me the good life; one that is robust.  What is the old beer commercial, “Go for the gusto!”?
Be careful, for it is all deceitful. There is only the illusion of happiness, and it is only for a short season.  Change it for the song that can only come through the Holy Spirit.

          “There is a song in my heart today,
           Something I never had;
           Jesus has taken my sins away,
           Oh! say, but I’m glad.”
                    –Jas. P. Sullivan

You may have found this life to be dark and dreary.  There is no sunlight and only darkness pervades.  It seems to be an unending night with no hope for a brighter tomorrow.  Maybe you’ve even been dragged down to the pit of despair and darkness.  You live in a cave and never venture out or hope for the light of a better and brighter day.
     However, if you let Jesus take control of your life; allow Him to remove the sadness and sorrow then you’ll be able to sing even in the darkest tunnel.

           “Wonderful, marvelous love He brings,
            Into a heart that’s sad;
            Thro’ darkest tunnels the soul just sings,
            Oh! say, but I’m glad.”

More and more as we travel through this world of care we need to realize that the Holy Spirit gives us a special song to sing.  The world can be rough and wear on the soul if we let it, but through the Spirit we can rise above those wearisome days.

           “We have a fellowship rich and sweet,
            Tongues can never relate;
            Abiding in Him is a real treat,
            Oh! say, but I’m glad.”

Give Him a chance and you’ll never be sorry.  Give Him your cares and you’ll see He is the great burden lifter and bearer.  Give Him your sadness and weariness and you’ll find that the way is much lighter and brighter.  The so-called “good life” of the world will be dim and truly look dreary when you have that song in your heart that He has given you.

           “Won’t you come to Him with all your care,
            Weary and worn and sad?
            You too, will sing as His love you share.
            Oh! say, but I’m glad.

                    Oh! say, but I’m glad, I’m glad,
                    Oh! say, but I’m glad;
                    Jesus has come and my cup’s overrun;
                    Oh! say, but I’m glad.”

I read something totally absurd on Saturday.  The “historians”, whoever they may be, state that Obama is the 12th greatest president.  It almost made me gag, for a couple of reasons.  The first is, what history?  It will take years to see the effect of his administration.  Out of office a month and they are able to make that statement?  There must be something mystical about them, almost prophetic.  Secondly, since I am not a “historian” of their caliber, I perceive him as one of the worst Presidents to ever hold that office.  If you have read the Paine, then you know that I normally referred to him as a pseudo-president.  He was one to begin to really tip the scales reversing right and wrong, and advocating the immoral as being moral.
One more thing, then I’ll get off the politics.  I have seen several articles on how much President Trump has used his pen for executive orders.  There has been much ado about it.  Hmmm, seems to be that the pseudo-president that I just mention made the comment that “I have a pen and a phone.”  Don’t give me this nonsense about executive orders.
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I have read several books of C.S. Lewis and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.  In the near future I plan on devoting some time to the writings of Dorothy Sayers and G.K. Chesterton.  The following is from Chesterton, and I challenge you to ponder it a bit.
“They took the body down from the cross and one of the few rich men among the first Christians obtained permission to bury it in a rock tomb in his garden; the Romans setting a military guard lest there should be some riot and attempt to recover the body.  There was once more a natural symbolism in these natural proceedings; it was well that the tomb should be sealed with all the secrecy of ancient eastern sepulture and guarded by the authority of the Caesars.  For in that second cavern the whole of that great and glorious humanity which we call antiquity was gathered up and covered over; and in that place it was buried.  It was the end of a very great thing called human history; the history that was merely human.  The mythologies and the philosophies were buried there, the gods and the heroes and the sages.  In the great Roman phrase, they had lived.  But as they could only live, so they could only die; and they were dead.
“On the third day the friends of Christ coming at daybreak to the place found the grave empty and the stone rolled away.  In varying ways they realized the new wonder; but even they hardly realized that the world had died in the night.  What they were looking at was the first day of a new creation, with a new heaven and a new earth; and in a semblance of the gardener God walked again in the garden, in the cool not of the evening but the dawn.”
WOW!  Did you get it?  Who used to walk in the Garden with Adam?  Now He walks in the Garden of Life, sowing seeds of salvation and righteousness.  Don’t scoff.  Don’t mock a new heavens and a new earth at the Resurrection.  When Jesus ascended what did He begin to do?  One of the things that He did was to put His carpenter hands to the construction of beautiful edifices for His children.  Amazing!
Resurrection did indeed bring new creation.  For in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ man can now become a new creation.  He can actually be born again!

“That nature (creation) itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption [and gain an entrance] into the glorious freedom of God’s children.”
–Romans 8:21 (AMPC)