The Greatest of God's Children

One day I heard a commotion outside my door.
The noise was great; more than I could ignore.
I opened the door to see what was the matter.
I saw a crowd—arguing, shouting, making a clatter.

The Preacher said, “I am the greatest; oh so devout.
I have a mighty calling, of which there is no doubt.
To guide and direct God’s flock, I do commit.
Surely, I and the Father are quite close-knit.”

“Now wait just a minute,” another voice squealed.
“The Preacher is great, but the Missionary is greater still.
He makes great sacrifice, going to a distant land.
He obeys God’s calling, can’t you understand?”

Another one yelled, “You both are wrong!
Teachers are God’s chosen and at His side they belong.
They explain God’s Word, line by line.
Teachers are important, necessary and divine.”

“Listen to me,” shouted the leader of Song and Praise.
His voice was heated and his eyes were ablaze.
“I prepare the congregation to hear God’s Word.
To think me not great, would be absurd.”

Another disputed, “God needs me; this I surely feel.
I take up large offerings with my eloquence and skill.
My job is very important; one I plan to keep.
The Church needs money, for supplies and upkeep.

The Nursery Worker could not sit idly by.
“I may not be the greatest, that I won’t deny.
But, I really love children; I can certainly assert.
So, I’m better than the Janitor. He just cleans the dirt.”

Minute by minute and hour by hour, it went.
No one could agree; that much was evident.
I heard from the Choir, and then from the Prayer Team.
But, the Musicians claimed that they were supreme.

There were Greeters, Youth Leaders and Yard Men.
Before one could finish, another would begin.
They grew louder and louder and louder still.
The neighbors came out just to hear them squeal.

I stopped an old man who came hobbling by;
Perhaps he had wisdom on which they could rely.
I told him about the arguing, so long and hard,
And, so much noise, right in my courtyard.

“Who is the greatest? They just can’t agree.
Do you have an answer? Can you be their referee?
Some of them are great, and some are small.
Sir, who among them is the greatest of all?”

The old man sat down, and began to speak.
“There once was a ship’s captain, so proudly unique.
He delivered merchandise to distant ports.
Fine linens, red rubies, diamonds and quartz.”

“He could read maps and follow the stars.
He loved to praise himself, and wrote his own memoirs.
His skills were important, he did report.
Without him, his ship would never reach that distant port.”

“Before sailing, He sat down to make his plan.
He spread out the maps, and began to scan.
But before he was halfway through,
He realized—he needed a crew.”

“He needed strong sailors to raise the sails.
Without them, his mission would surely fail.
The ship needed wind, he had to agree.
Without sails, he would just drift in the open sea.”

“But what if the wind subsided, not blowing at all?
Without wind, the heavy boat would surely stall.
He must have men to row the boat, as a last resort.
Without strong men, he may never reach that distant port.”

“Might one day he step on deck, with his face aghast?
After a storm has torn the sails and broken the mast?
Skilled carpenters and repairmen, he must court,
If he hoped to reach that distant port.”

Then he thought, “There is one job I can’t overlook.
It’s a very long journey, I may need a cook.
If sailors are hungry, the mission may abort.
Then I would never reach that distant port.”

“While making his plans, he saw a rat.
He realized right then that he needed a cat.
The cat must catch the rat before it eats the food,
If the crew gets hungry, they’d be in a bad mood.

“When his plans were finished and through,
He knew he needed talented and skillful crew.
If he grew stingy and cut the crew list short,
His ship might never reach that distant port.”

“My friend, to you this day, I must report.
In order for a boat to reach a distant port,
Not one job can be the greatest of all.
And no task is considered small.”

When his story ended, the old man just stopped.
The crowd was so quiet, I could hear a pin drop.
He got up from his chair and shuffled away.
He had no reason to linger or stay.

Then I saw a sight that seemed so strange.
The attitude in the crowd began to change.
They ceased from clattering and shouting.
Instead, they began dancing and singing.

Those who before, only wanted to jeer,
They lifted their voices and began to cheer.
To those that once they did push and shove,
They began to express their love.

Pleasant smiles replaced scowls.
No longer were there any howls.
A great transformation was underway,
As the crowd dispersed and drifted away.

The old man’s story caused me to groan.
I went into my house and picked up the phone.
I called my church and asked what I might do.
To which I heard, “We have many jobs for you.”

“I’m so glad you’ve listened to God’s call.
Is your calling Great, or is it Small?”
I smiled when questioned, and quietly replied,
“Any task you give me, I will do with great pride.”

“The church has been chosen to spread the Good News.
Each task is important; I don’t know which to choose.
Any job you give me, whether it be Great or Small,
To God, it will be THE GREATEST OF ALL.”

Copyright by Larry Tate 2006

Origin of Christmas

Christmas is the festival celebrating the Nativity of Jesus. The story of Christmas is based on the biblical accounts given in the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband, Joseph in the city of Bethlehem. According to popular tradition, the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals. A manger is mentioned in Luke 2:7 where it states "She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem were told of the birth by an angel, and were the first to see the child. Christians believe that the birth of Jesus fulfilled prophecies from the Old Testament.

There is a very long tradition of producing depictions of the nativity. Nativity scenes are traditionally set in a barn or stable and include Mary, Joseph, the child Jesus, angels, shepherds and the Three Wise Men, who followed a star, known as the Star of Bethlehem.

In the U.S., Christmas decorations at public buildings once commonly included Nativity scenes. This practice has led to many lawsuits, as groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union believe it amounts to the government endorsing a religion, which is prohibited by the United States Constitution. In 1984, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Lynch vs. Donnelly that a Christmas display (which included a Nativity scene) owned and displayed by the city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island did not violate the First Amendment.

No Christmas Decorations on Campus are Permitted

In 2008, Florida Gulf Coast University decided to ban all holiday decorations from common spaces on campus. Prior to this incident, the Christmas tree had already been referred to as a sensitive-sounding, “giving tree” due to someone’s effort to adhere to political correctness. However in 2008, that area had been renamed, “giving garden.” After an upheaval from employees, the university eventually allowed staffers to display Christmas decorations on their desks, but not on their office doors, or in common areas.

Who is giving in to the belligerent demands of the humanist minority? It is the Christians who are giving in, and they are the majority segment of the American population. What we seem to be forgetting is that Christmas is our celebration! Christmas isn’t about Buddhists, Moslems, secularists or atheists. Christmas is not about the Winter Solstice either. Christmas is about the birth of Christ and nothing else. Yes, other groups may have holidays of their own around the same time of the year, but we are forgetting that those others are in the minority. Just as majority rule determines who our elected leaders will be, majority rule should be the only determination used to consider the manner in which we celebrate our holidays. If the secularists or the minority religions ever become the majority, then they will be able to make their own determination on how to celebrate the holidays. It is an alarming irony that if Christians don’t begin standing up for their rights, the secularists will soon become the majority.

What Do I See?

I opened up our album,
And what did I see?
A youthful picture of you and me.

When I turned the page,
A different picture, I did see.
Instead of two, I saw three

Then I turned another.
Were there really more?
Sure enough, I saw four.

Time continued to travel on.
One child grew up, didn’t she.
On the next page I saw only three

We didn’t stay three for long.
For, married he was to be.
Again, it was just you and me.

The years continued to march by.
Turning several more pages, what did I see?
I saw a much older you and me.

Over the years, we took on each other’s traits.
I became you, don’t you see?
And you became me.

Now, we are one and the same.
When I see myself, I also see thee,
When I see you, I also see me.

Could I imagine a life without us two?
I turned another page and what did I see?
A blank page, showing neither you, nor me.

If it weren’t for you to share my life,
I’d only be a blank page.
Nothing to see, nothing to be.

My love, if I don’t have you,
I also don’t have me.

April, 2006

You Are Always With Me

Whatever I do, and wherever I go,

You're always with me, this I surely know.

In everything I see, and everything I do,

I can't keep myself from seeing you.

When all is secure, and the birds break into song,

I feel your comfort and assurance all the day long.

As the sun bathes me in it's warmth and glow,

Your love and consolation warms my soul.

When admiring the Oak tree,

I feel your unmoving love soothing me

Like a pet whose faithfulness is unheard of,

You are always ready to serve and to love.

Nothing matches the beauty of flowers on display,

Until I see the delicate loveliness you express everyday.

As the ever-extending fingers of grass make a law complete,

You spread your grace and mercy to everyone you meet.

Like a sparkling diamond so perfectly reflecting the light,

Everything coming from you is quite a delight.

The multitude of stars, twinking through the night,

Is a reminder of your infinite goodness, and wonderful insight.

Like the moon, which guides me in the dark of night,

You are a beacon and my torch light.

All of nature reminds me of you,

This much is very true.

Happy Birthday Ginger!

6-12-08

Your Gender Is Whatever You Want It To Be

We have often heard the statement, “As goes California, so goes the rest of the nation.” California has long been the trend-setter for our nation. California’s Senate Bill 777 is setting up a humanist agenda that is likely to spread into all of the nation’s public schools within a very short period of time. SB777 requires textbooks, instructional materials and school activities to positively portray cross-dressing, sex-change operations, homosexual marriages, all aspects of homosexuality, bisexuality and gay history.

Shadow Truth isn’t content to stop there. That is just the beginning. This law also redefines the term gender. Until recently, gender had been defined as having to do with the biological gender of a person. People are born either male or female. But that simple definition is far too black and white for today’s humanists. SB777 redefines gender to be whatever sex a person wants to be. If a boy feels like being a girl, then the schools will be required to register him as a female. If a girl feels like being a boy, then the schools will be required to register her as a male. If a boy decides that he wants to be a girl, then he may be permitted to participate in any activities formerly restricted to girls only. Boys will be able to run for Homecoming Queen, and girls will be able to run for Homecoming King. As if that is not enough, boys who decide that they want to be girls will be permitted to use the girl’s locker rooms and rest rooms. The same policy will apply to girls who prefer to live the life of a boy.

Many distraught parents began speaking out against this bill. In its defense, one of the bill’s sponsoring senators said that SB777 does not create a radical new definition of gender that allows boys and girls to shower together. She was right to a certain degree. Senate Bill 777 only reinforces prior policies! Before SB777 came on the scene, the Los Angeles Unified School District had already implemented a policy stating that a boy perceiving himself to be a girl may use the girl’s restroom and locker room, and a girl perceiving herself to be a boy may use the boy’s restroom and locker room. Project 10 of the LAUSD clearly spells out restroom and locker accessibility in its Reference Guide No. REF-1557. Teaching against the discrimination of homosexuality is not enough for the sponsors of this bill. Teachers will be required to promote these activities. Schools will be forced to teach and support the homosexual lifestyle. Any schools that dare not to teach such subjects will be sued by California state attorneys.

The California sex agenda will be taught to our children without any prior parental consent or permission. The only way a parent will be able to keep a child from involvement in these policies will be to put that child in a private school environment, or in home schooling. But Shadow Truth doesn’t want anyone to be exempt from its deceit. In order to influence children who are not in public schools, Shadow Truth is making inroads to discredit home schooling. In 2008, the California 2nd District Court of Appeals in a unanimous decision ruled that parents do not have a constitutional right to home school their children. Should this decision stand, more and more students may be influenced by Shadow Truth’s agenda.

Christians have no business in the White House

In 2007, a U.S. judge ordered the Secret Service to disclose records of visits by certain Christian leaders to the White House. According to those initiating the complaint, visiting Christian leaders have the potential to significantly influence the President and others who are leading our country. Under their loosely-defined definition of Separation of Church and State, they are attempting to prevent Christian leaders from influencing policies and laws that are contrary to secular standards. In effect, they are suggesting that discussions between Christian leaders and government leaders are illegal under the provisions of the First Amendment. Shadow Truth wants to destroy any and all Christian influence on our society. Our Founding Fathers fought for our right to express our religious beliefs, not suppress them. If current trends continue, the Church will be excluded from everything meaningful in life and God will be no more than a mythical figment of our forefathers’ imaginations.