Perry’s Scope: Christian sermons, lessons, and resources for teachers

Recently Richard May mentioned in a sermon that if we spent the same amount of time in our formal schooling that we do in our formal church Bible classes, we would be in First Grade for twenty-four years! As I heard that I thought, “What would happen if our public schools could help us with our Bible study? How much quicker could we grow if we had at least one class per day in Bible study as well as our church time, family time, and personal time?” That is a reason that many people choose to send their children to Christian schools or home school.

Then it hit me. That is EXACTLY what the Founding Fathers intended for our education system. They knew the power of knowledge. They knew that America was established, as Patrick Henry said, “not on religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.” America was to be a FREE country and it was to be a CHRISTIAN nation. People needed to be able to read so they could study the Bible.

I read that Connecticut once passed a law for their citizens where the authorities would send inspectors to each home in their state. The inspectors would test the children in each household to be sure they could read at the level they were supposed to. If not, the parents were fined. What was their reasoning? They knew that legislators need accountability. They determined that if the people could read, they would be able to read the laws that were being passed by Congress. If those laws did not match the Bible, the people could protest and have the laws removed.

The New England Primer used the Bible to teach children to read and write. It was written in 1690 and used in one form or another until the early twentieth century. The children learned stories and doctrines from the Bible at an early age. Some were so adept at learning that they were able to enter schools like Harvard and Yale (once Christian schools) while in their early teens!

How far from our moorings we have drifted as a nation! How amazing the wisdom of our ancestors! How can WE get back on track?

Beginning where we are, we must make a more concerted effort to learn and to learn. Most importantly, we must learn the word of God from Genesis to Revelation. We must see His hand in the history of the world and our country. America did not happen by accident. Even men like George Washington realized that Providence established the nation, not the military or political skills of the citizens (see also Zechariah 4:6).

Turn off the TV and slow down. Take time to read the Bible daily. In the words of Jesus, “Could you not tarry one hour?” Knowing the Bible will make all the difference on all the levels!

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

In the spirit of Memorial Day I did a few patriotic and semi-patriotic things this past weekend. I flew the American flag. I participated in a ceremony at the Union Soldiers Cemetery in Oklahoma City. I watched movies about WWII.

While watching “Patton,” I thought about one of the great differences between America and so many other nations of the world. History has shown that nations rise and conquer. They subdue the defeated and rule them. Not so with America!

As we marched through North Africa, then into Sicily, then into Italy, we did not fight to rule the citizens, we came to free them. We LIBERATED Europe and Asia in the Second World War. How thrilling it must have been for our service personnel to have driven away the enemy and restored freedom to a town. It must have been sobering to liberate concentration camps and see the absolute epitome of “man’s inhumanity to man.”

We hear about how arrogant America has been in our history. We hear apologies for our role in world history. Certainly we are not perfect, there is only One is. But for all of our shortcomings, we have been a servant to the world.

How many applications are there through our history! Since the USA was founded on biblical principles, it is evident that so much of who we are and what we do comes from the Book. The spiritual qualities of sacrifice and freedom fill its pages.

Think of God bringing deliverance to the Hebrews as they were enslaved in Egypt. Think of Jesus’ coming to lay down his life for his friends and his enemies (John 15:13-15; Romans 5:8). Think of the words of Christ ringing the sound of freedom from spiritual oppression for us (John 8:32). Think of the path of freedom that Jesus has laid out for us (John 14:6)

Freedom comes at a high price. It cost our American Founders their “lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.” Our spiritual freedom cost the life of the Son of God.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Listen my children and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.

So begins Longfellow’s poem of Paul Revere’s famous ride to warn of the coming British. In particular, the Redcoats were after John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Revere’s ride was primarily to warn them. He did so, finding them asleep at the home of Minister, Jonas Clarke, he informed them of the British intentions.

Along the way, he warned other colonists of the British advance. Before the evening was over, there were upwards of forty messengers sounding the alarm. This included William Dawes, who appeared at the Clarke parsonage repeating the same warning.

Revere and other messengers headed for Concord. The British were not easily evaded and three of them were detained. Two escaped, but Revere was interrogated by an officer who held and gun to his head and threatened his life. The next day he was able to escape and went on foot to help Hancock and his family escape.

There are some spiritual lessons for us in this great tale of courage. First, there is the concentration of an important task. This ride may not have seemed that significant to Paul Revere and the others. They may have thought that it was a job that needed to be done and they were willing hands. In retrospect, of course, what Revere, Dawes, Prescott and others did was risky and of great significance to the cause of freedom.

Second, mission is infectious. As the initial riders went through the countryside sounding the alarm of the approaching British, other patriots joined the cause and rode with the same warnings. It is too bad that Al Gore had not yet invented the internet or Bell the telephone. Either would have made things much quicker.

Third, there is the matter of seeing a task completed. Revere was captured, interrogated, intimidated, and escaped. Many of us would have found the quickest way home and gone. Our famous silversmith did the honorable thing. He went back to where he could best serve the cause and helped the people he came to warn.

Jesus lived out these lessons and impacted the believers of the eighteenth century. Jesus came with a job to do – the will of his Father (John 4:34). He intended that we all catch the vision he presented and share the message of both warning and good news (Matthew 28.18-20). He made sure that he completed the task that was set before him (John 19:30).

Paul Revere and the patriots of old are heroes. They risked life and property for the American cause. In doing so, they imitated some of the great qualities of the Son of God. Perhaps a reason that they did so was because they spent great amounts of time coming to know him.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I recently read of Marine Gunnery Sergeant, Nick Popaditch.  Sgt. Popaditch (his friends nicknamed him, “Gunny Pop”) is running for a Congressional seat in a California district that borders Mexico. This decorated Marine veteran fought in Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm and, more recently, Operation Iraqi Freedom.

In 2003, Popaditch’s unit helped topple the Saddam Hussein statue in Baghdad’s Firdos Square. He was awarded the Silver Star for combat action in Fallujah after he was hit in the head by a rocket-propelled grenade and blinded in one eye on April 7, 2004, during Operation Vigilant Resolve. The blast left him with only eight percent vision in his other eye. A proud Marine, Popaditch now sports a prosthetic eye emblazoned with the Marine Corps’ eagle, globe and anchor logo.

I have to say that I am impressed with America’s Patriots. Popaditch and others have put themselves in harm’s way for the cause of Freedom and the safety of America. Unlike the Vietnam days, Americans tend to appreciate these veterans and their sacrifices. Maybe we are realizing that the cost of Freedom is high for each generation.

It is too bad that so many of our politicians can’t see what Sgt. Popaditch can in spite of his vision impairments. He knows the value of America to the world. He knows that if America goes down the hope for freedom will be lost to countless peoples all over the world. America has to stay strong. America has to follow its Constitution. America has to resolve to be the people our Founders intended for us to be.

If you read the original writings of the Founders you will see a great emphasis on character. I personally do not believe that they intended for Americans to check their character at the door of the Capitol or the Oval Office and resort to deceptive behavior as our current Administration does.

John Jay, America’s first Supreme Court Chief Justice said, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”

Patrick Henry stated, “Bad men cannot make good citizens. A vitiated state of morals, a corrupted public conscience are incompatible with freedom.”

Thomas Jefferson (yes, Thomas Jefferson) said, “The only foundation for useful education in a republic is to be laid in religion.”

The Founders knew that only GOOD PEOPLE can lead a GOOD NATION.

“Gunny Pop,” good luck in your quest for a Congressional seat. We need dedicated patriots to lead our country. Certainly the Marine Corps (pronounced as ‘core’ not ‘corpse’) emphasizes honor and integrity as they develop quality citizens.

Why leave it up just to “the Corps”? Isn’t this a call for ALL Americans? Shouldn’t we All develop integrity? Shouldn’t we all base our actions on a code that is higher and greater than we? Isn’t this where the word of God impacts our lives and our way of life (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

I recently heard Dan Fisher of Yukon, OK tell a story about a church in Germany during WWII. A member of that church said that their church building was located near a railroad track. Each Sunday during their worship services, trains would come by at a particular time. When they discovered that the trains were loaded with Jews going to concentration camps, the church members would sing louder to drown out the noise of the trains. If they heard any screams from the people on the trains, they would sing even louder to cover the cries.

The man said, “Years have passed and no one talks much about it anymore, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God, forgive us who called ourselves Christians yet did nothing to intervene. Now, so many years later, I see it happening all over again in America. The response is the same as it was in my country – silence.”

Dietrich Bonheoffer, a Pastor in WWII Germany said, “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”

Ecclesiastes 3 reminds us that there is a time for everything. There is a time to shut up and a time to speak up. In this time of active national Socialism, American Christians are in a unique position to speak up for God and America. If we do not, we are guilty of taking the nation down.

The Hebrew Bible reminds us that silence is consent. A possible translation for Leviticus 19:16 is, “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.” God has expected his people to take a stand when necessary. The watchman of Ezekiel 33 would be guilty of the blood of his people if he failed to sound the alarm. His silence was consent to the enemy.

Martin Niemoller was attributed with saying, “First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”

Who will stand up for America if we don’t? Who will stand up for the gospel if we don’t? Who will sound the alarm if not us?

FDR was correct when he said, “Americans would rather die on their feet than live on their knees.” The only one to whom I want to bow the knee is to our God, the Giver of Liberty. Let us stand against those who would seek to take the blessings of God from our children.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Somewhere along the way Americans have allowed a separation between “on the job performance” and the character of the individual. Perhaps we are afraid that if we speak out about character, our own words will bite us in our imperfections. Perhaps we just don’t care about character as long as we have “a chicken in every pot.”

Did you know that the US Constitution does not authorize lifetime appointments for Federal Judges? According to Article III, Section 1 they are to” hold their offices during good behavior.” There are accounts of Judges who were impeached for being drunk or using profanity in their courts. These were not examples of good behavior for American citizens.

God does not separate conduct and character. They go hand in hand. Jesus reminds us that it is the heart of a man that makes him unclean, not the foods that go into him (Matthew 15:11).

This is why the “first and greatest commandment” is so important. We are to love God with all of our hearts, soul, and might (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 22:37). This is not only inward, it is outward.

As we enter this New Year and new decade, let us resolve to work out what is within (Philippians 2:12). Let us resolve to “shine like stars” (Philippians 2:15). Let us resolve to do this, not only through knowledge of the scriptures, but in displaying it in our lives as well.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

Dr. Benjamin Rush was a delegate to the Continental Congress during the American Revolution. He and John Adams became close friends even though they were from different states. Rush was in charge of the Continentals’ medical facilities. During the first year we amassed great losses.

Deeply discouraged, Dr. Rush returned to the Continental Congress, sat down by his friend, Adams, and asked, “John, do you think we can win this war?” Adams’ reply was remarkable. He said, “Yes, if we fear God and repent of our sins.” He put the Revolution on a spiritual level, not merely a physical one.

Our Founders believed that they were establishing a Christian nation. They believed America would be like the “city set on a hill” that would point nations to God. They dedicated themselves to spiritual principles which are found in the pages of the Bible. As a result, we did win the War and America prospered.

You and I face all kinds of battles in our lives. Can we win? Certainly – If we fear God and repent of our sins! What we are engaged in goes beyond church programming. It goes beyond physical concerns. It rests in the spiritual.

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

For years I have heard and said, “It is not what you know, it is WHO you know.” That is often true in finding employment. It is true in making things happen once you are employed. A person’s influence is hude.

Having said that, let me remind us of Jesus statement in John 8:32, “You shall know the TRUTH and the truth shall make you free.” One thing that jumps out at me about this statement is not only the need for truth, but that we must KNOW it. Truth is always there, but if we are unaware of it, it does little good.

Americans are waking up to the anti-American behavior of some of our political leaders. The truth has been there, we just did not see it. Now we do. Now we are acting.

The same is true about our God. He is always here. We may be unaware, but He is here. Once we “get it,” all manner of life changes because we learn His truths and HE frees us.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

PFC Amber Bahr is an American hero! During the shooting at Ft. Hood, Texas she managed to put a tourniquet on a wounded soldier. She then helped him and others to safety. After caring for some of the shooting victims, she discovered that she also had been shot.

Selfless spirit is one of the most commendable qualities we can see in an individual. This spirit has caused members of our military to act in heroic ways on the battlefield. The results of their actions have saved lives and brought Congressional Medals of Honor. Sometimes the heroes on the battlefield have made the ultimate sacrifice for their “battle buddies” and us.

In John 15:13, Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.” He certainly laid down his life for his friends (i.e., his disciples). He went even further, Jesus laid down his life for his enemies. This is why he could pray, “Father, forgive them” for the Jews and the Romans as he hung on the cross.

Through Jesus, God went even further than those people who were literally killing his son. Hear Paul, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Before we get too high and mighty, we need to remember that WE are as guilty of crucifying Jesus as Pilate or Caiaphas.

PFC Bahr and others display the same kind of selfless spirit as Jesus. The willingness to put oneself in danger for the sake of others is admirable. Amber showed it at a Cavalry post; Jesus at Calvary.

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene

  I recently had a rare privilege. I met Charles Cox, a 97 year old man who is the SON of a Union soldier from the Civil War! We in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War are descended from such soldiers but most of us fall into a 3^rd – 5^th generation of such men. However, this man was ONE generation from the conflict!

When the men from the SUVCW met Mr. Cox, we eagerly listened to the stories he told of his father’s exploits. He had marched with Sherman. He had been captured and survived Andersonville!. After the War he brought his family to Oklahoma.

As I reflect on the encounter I think of the term, “Real Son.” Then I think of the privilege we have, not in being a real son or daughter of a Civil War soldier, but of the God of Heaven! Paul says that God treats us as sons (children). When you have time, read some of these key passages: Romans 8:12-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 6:23-29; Galatians 4:1-7; Ephesians 1:3-10; and 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11.

God has given us such a privilege to be his “REAL Sons and Daughters!” How does that impact us? The SUVCW heard Mr. Cox recount tales of his father and the Union Army with pride. Do we Christians tell with pride of our Father? Do we tell of the exploits of His Army?

Keep The Light Burning!

Perry Greene