Matthew 11:15-19 ~ deeds

 Matthew 11:15-19

  He who has ears to hear, let him hear. ¹⁶ “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,

¹⁷ “‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
    we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’

¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ ¹⁹ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”



The teacher said, "Let's begin by reviewing some American History. Who said
'Give me Liberty , or give me Death'?"

She saw a sea of blank faces, except for Little Akio, a bright foreign
exchange student from Japan , who had his hand up: 'Patrick Henry, 1775' he
said.

'Very good!' Who said, 'Government of the People, by the People, for the
People, shall not perish from the Earth?'

Again, no response except from Little Akio: 'Abraham Lincoln , 1863'.
'Excellent!', said the teacher continuing, 'let's try one a bit more
difficult...'

Who said, 'Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for
your country?'

Once again, Akio's was the only hand in the air and he said:
'John F. Kennedy, 1961'.

The teacher snapped at the class, 'Class, you should be ashamed of
yourselves, Little Akio isn't from this country and he knows more about our
history than you do.'

She heard a loud whisper: '%$^$ the Japs,'.

'Who said that? I want to know right now!' she angrily demanded.

Little Akio put his hand up, 'General MacArthur, 1945.'

At that point, a student in the back said, 'I'm gonna puke.'

The teacher glares around and asks, 'All right!!! Now who said that!?'
Again, Little Akio says, 'George Bush to the Japanese Prime Minister, 1991.'

Now furious, another student yells, 'Oh yeah? &%* this!'

Little Akio jumps out of his chair waving his hand and shouts to the
teacher, 'Bill Clinton, to Monica Lewinsky, 1997!'

Now with almost mob hysteria someone said, 'You little %^&&.
If you say anything else, I'll kill you.'

Little Akio frantically yells at the top of his voice, 'Michael Jackson to
the children testifying against him, 2004.'

The teacher fainted. As the class gathered around the teacher on the floor,
someone said, 'Oh *%$%, We're *&$^%^*&!'

Little Akio said quietly, 'The American people, November 4, 2008 .'


Age wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.
Douglas MacArthur

I am concerned for the security of our great Nation; not so much because of any threat from without, but because of the insidious forces working from within.
Douglas MacArthur


Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.
John F. Kennedy

My grandmother Anita was very interested in classical literature and ideas. I think she'd be appalled today at television. We are a nation of fast food and simple ideas and tastes.  My own dad would be appalled at the crudeness passing for humor in our household. Even Mitt Romney has confessed to this humor.

Why? The fast pace we live in. It must hit us fast - or we are bored.

Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.
John F. Kennedy

John Kennedy lived some of what we experience today. The media feeds us, we believe it and our deeds become much more crass without deliberately engaging in moderation.  John Kennedy wanted to teach history at Harvard and chase girls. He'd have lived longer.

Where valuable ideals and convictions form-
Grandmother Anita Richardson Willard

A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it.
George W. Bush

And the First Bush President:

It's a very good question, very direct, and I'm not going to answer it.

George H.W. Bush

I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them.

George H.W. Bush

God wanted Israel to self-govern. Apparently the Bush family self-governs themselves. A worthy thing.

America is never wholly herself unless she is engaged in high moral principle. We as a people have such a purpose today. It is to make kinder the face of the nation and gentler the face of the world.

George H.W. Bush

And after wading through several unappealing quotes:

In a world with no systems, with chaos, everything becomes a guerilla struggle, and this predictability is not there. And it becomes almost impossible to save lives, educate kids, develop economies, whatever.

Bill Clinton
 

Franklin Roosevelt relied upon gracious discernment in the media. Today, we must employ our own gracious discernment.  The media will serve up what is salacious and interesting, it is up to us to see what is good, noble and pure. We know for sure these emailed quotes exist, due to sound bytes, and have to dig and have faith remembering the quotes of the pure Presidential intentions exist.  The good, the noble, the pure exist - but unlauded. We're so unlauded, the people caring for the ones we love, we wonder if others exist. And yet God decides each day - His creation goes forth.

Start now, believe in the good, the noble, the pure -act upon it. It's badly needed. One positive thing about the email received - it does not attempt to be like a whitewashed tomb. Pure on the outside, but rotten within.

President Ronald Reagan's first Inaugural speech... "You will once again believe with expectation and genuine hope that God is sovereign and will preserve our great country no matter the winding road we will travel together the next four years."--Ronald Reagan

Never be the salmon who swims with all the others up the stream, without considering if it is the direction you really should be going.

Psalm 51:6
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.


Proverbs 8:1
Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?



Psalm 90:12
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.


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