Following the outbreak of the Civil War, a soldier of fortune by the name of Roberdeau Wheat formed a volunteer company of infantry in New Orleans, Louisiana to fight for the Confederacy. It was a company comprised of men recruited from the city docks and wharfs that ran alongside the Mississippi River. Most of the men were of Irish descent and had less than stellar records with the local law enforcement agencies of the time. They were a rough bunch of fellows, as apt to take on each other in camp as they were to fight against an enemy in battle. Because Roberdeau could not get the rank he desired from the State of Louisiana, he ended up taking his troops to Virginia and they arrived in that State just in time to take part in the first major battle of the war.
By the end of the Battle of Bull Run, they had acquired the nickname of ‘The Fighting Tigers of Louisiana’ due to their performance in one of the hottest areas of the conflict. Wheat, newly appointed to the rank of Major, was wounded in the battle and had to be carried from the field. Once the battle was over and victory had been achieved, they were sent to the Shenandoah Valley to fight in Stonewall Jackson’s army. During Jackson’s impressive valley campaign the following spring they again distinguished themselves and this more than made up for the troubles they had caused in camp during the quiet winter months beforehand. As Wheat appeared to be the only officer that could control them, in his absence they displayed a penchant for fighting amongst themselves and the other units in the army. On more than one occasion they were accused of stealing from their comrades in other units. One Confederate soldier from Virginia went on record stating that the mere sight of them (except in battle) caused both he and his fellow soldiers ‘the utmost fear’.
Later that summer, Wheat was killed in the battle of Gaines Mill. Due to their loss of numbers during the campaigns they had been a part of, the unit was disbanded and the soldiers were separated and placed into other Louisiana regiments. The ‘Fighting Tigers’ moniker, however, stuck with them and eventually all of the Louisiana troops in Virginia shared the nickname. The name lives on today in the sports programs of Louisiana State University – their teams are known today as the “Fighting Tigers of LSU”.
I know this might be a stretch for some, but I see an analogy between those miscreants from the docks and wharves of long ago and the small Christian church I find myself a part of today. We have a tendency to fight and argue with each other. We have a penchant for saying and doing the wrong things on many occasions. But we are a tight-knit group of individuals with a common purpose and goal – fighting the devil and the forces of evil that are arrayed against us on a daily basis. I’ll admit that in this battle, sometimes we are less than tigers and more often like sheep. But through faith and our trust in what God has planned for us, the battle will be won in the end.
Jesus told Peter, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Sometimes the future looks bad for our church, as with any Christian church. We encounter enemies from without and within. But we have a promise in these verses from Jesus Himself that the very gates of hell will not prevail against the church He has built. We’re also reminded that when we are at our weakest, that is when He is strongest in our lives.
Knowing this as truth, it should be easier for us as Christians to remain firm in our churches and most importantly, in our faith. We would do very well to remember that we should be more like tigers in what appears today to be the closing stages of the conflict.
Routine Housekeeping
Just some housekeeping chores today…
I hope you read the last four posts and contemplated on them – they may be the most important posts I'll ever blog. You see, without salvation through Jesus Christ, the rest of life makes no sense at all. The rest of the words you read here will be empty and pointless. Trust me on this.
Hunter-Bear turned fourteen years old. And my grand-daughter, Parker, had her first birthday over the weekend. “Time counts, and keeps counting.”
Did you see the Saints game yesterday? Wow. Beyond description - that one was.
We started a new quarter in Sunday School and our literature/books were late so I had to ‘wing it’ yesterday morning in class. The Holy Spirit had my back and even I learned a thing or two during the lesson. It’s funny how it always seems to work out that way. After church, the class met and discussed with the rest of the youth in the church our plans on caroling and giving out fruit baskets to the elderly. If you are out there reading and a member of the class, we need you to help in any way possible. Blessings are obtainable for those who do!
I think it's pretty neat that my current computer password works out in such a manner that the letter/symbol/number combination I type is in the shape of a cross - and I didn't intend or plan it to be that way. How cool is that?
Christmas parade in Picayune tonight. My truck is located specifically where my wife wanted it parked, although not exactly. But it is within a quarter of a mile of her instructed location. If it rains and the parade is cancelled I will have a long walk from work to retrieve the vehicle, anyway.
I signed two copies of Fast Asleep last night for a lady who purchased them for her sons as Christmas presents. I appreciated the purchase and always feel humbled when I sign one of my books for someone else. I appreciate even more the emails I receive from readers telling me how they liked or disliked the novel, and most of all when they ask questions about the characters in the story. It makes me feel like they ended up caring for each fictional person in the book as much as I did when I penned it.
I hope to be back to my regular posts in the morning, but today I have so many things going on that this is the best I can do at the moment. Let me leave you with this:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
That’s good stuff!
I hope you read the last four posts and contemplated on them – they may be the most important posts I'll ever blog. You see, without salvation through Jesus Christ, the rest of life makes no sense at all. The rest of the words you read here will be empty and pointless. Trust me on this.
Hunter-Bear turned fourteen years old. And my grand-daughter, Parker, had her first birthday over the weekend. “Time counts, and keeps counting.”
Did you see the Saints game yesterday? Wow. Beyond description - that one was.
We started a new quarter in Sunday School and our literature/books were late so I had to ‘wing it’ yesterday morning in class. The Holy Spirit had my back and even I learned a thing or two during the lesson. It’s funny how it always seems to work out that way. After church, the class met and discussed with the rest of the youth in the church our plans on caroling and giving out fruit baskets to the elderly. If you are out there reading and a member of the class, we need you to help in any way possible. Blessings are obtainable for those who do!
I think it's pretty neat that my current computer password works out in such a manner that the letter/symbol/number combination I type is in the shape of a cross - and I didn't intend or plan it to be that way. How cool is that?
Christmas parade in Picayune tonight. My truck is located specifically where my wife wanted it parked, although not exactly. But it is within a quarter of a mile of her instructed location. If it rains and the parade is cancelled I will have a long walk from work to retrieve the vehicle, anyway.
I signed two copies of Fast Asleep last night for a lady who purchased them for her sons as Christmas presents. I appreciated the purchase and always feel humbled when I sign one of my books for someone else. I appreciate even more the emails I receive from readers telling me how they liked or disliked the novel, and most of all when they ask questions about the characters in the story. It makes me feel like they ended up caring for each fictional person in the book as much as I did when I penned it.
I hope to be back to my regular posts in the morning, but today I have so many things going on that this is the best I can do at the moment. Let me leave you with this:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
That’s good stuff!
Playing in a rare McNeill snowfall
Accepting God
I’ve had problems in my life I thought I could handle on my own. And I’m bad about letting them 'go on and on' without resolving the issue. In the end, what usually happens is they will spiral out of control; growing larger and more complex, until I find myself wishing I had asked for help in the beginning instead of waiting until it was too late to do so.
I’m an ignorer. I let things go. That never solves anything. Left unresolved, small problems grow into larger problems and denial is no excuse. When it reaches that point, then my nature is to blame someone else. Unfortunately you can only get so much mileage out of the blame game before you are back at square one, facing your problem all over again and by this time it is much worse. They grow, you know?
When everything else is exhausted, then I usually throw my time and energy into the situation, hoping to pound the problem into submission by brute force. My will-power and stamina versus an ever-worsening situation, head-to-head and man-to-man. Sometimes I make a little progress, but again, it is a hard realization when you come to grips with the fact that the problem is too tough and you are in over your head. It is when I reach this stage that I give in, give up, and ask for help from someone stronger than me.
When it comes to judgment, we can’t ignore G_d. We cannot distract G_d by pointing our finger at someone else. We do not look better when we do so, except maybe in our own eyes. Finally we cannot work our way back into G_d’s favor with our own good deeds and careful planning. The chasm between us and G_d is too wide and too deep. In the end, we fail to meet the standard that has been set for us by His Law as recorded in His Word. This is truth. This is honesty. This is… reality.
Is there any hope at all left for us? Is there a way for us to be made right in G_d’s eyes? Can we escape His righteous judgment which we know is waiting for us in the end? In the first few chapters of Romans, Paul has given us a spiritual beat-down. He has explained how we are all sinners and how we have missed the mark. Finally we move on to chapter five, and he records a grand statement, maybe the most profound verse you’ll find recorded in the Bible:
“But G_d commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Once we understand how lost we truly are, then we can begin to comprehend where we stand on the totem-pole of spirituality. We are sinners, lost, helpless, and unable to take care of the problem on our own. But G_d has made a way. While we were in the depths of sin and despair, He sent His Son to die on the cross as payment for our sins.
That verse, the one everyone knows? After reading the first few chapters of Romans, its truth becomes apparent and we can better understand the meaning behind, “For G_d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
We are lost without hope, facing a dark and dreary eternity ahead of us. We can’t disregard G_d and hope He will look the other way or pretend He doesn’t exist. We can’t distract G_d by pointing out all of the faults we see in our neighbors. Finally, there is no way we can make the grade by simply performing enough good deeds or living a decent life. We have to give in and accept what He, G_d, has already done for us. He provided the solution to our sin-problem that we inherited honestly from Adam.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that G_d hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” It is that simple. You just give in and accept what he has already done for you. No strings attached. No hidden meaning or fine print to mull over. Just a mere acceptance of what He did by faith and a belief in the One He Sent. In fact, you can accept Him today, taking care of your sin and thereby making yourself right in His eyes. You’ll be glad you did!
Take it from someone who has learned when to face a problem and also knows when to ask for help.
I’m an ignorer. I let things go. That never solves anything. Left unresolved, small problems grow into larger problems and denial is no excuse. When it reaches that point, then my nature is to blame someone else. Unfortunately you can only get so much mileage out of the blame game before you are back at square one, facing your problem all over again and by this time it is much worse. They grow, you know?
When everything else is exhausted, then I usually throw my time and energy into the situation, hoping to pound the problem into submission by brute force. My will-power and stamina versus an ever-worsening situation, head-to-head and man-to-man. Sometimes I make a little progress, but again, it is a hard realization when you come to grips with the fact that the problem is too tough and you are in over your head. It is when I reach this stage that I give in, give up, and ask for help from someone stronger than me.
When it comes to judgment, we can’t ignore G_d. We cannot distract G_d by pointing our finger at someone else. We do not look better when we do so, except maybe in our own eyes. Finally we cannot work our way back into G_d’s favor with our own good deeds and careful planning. The chasm between us and G_d is too wide and too deep. In the end, we fail to meet the standard that has been set for us by His Law as recorded in His Word. This is truth. This is honesty. This is… reality.
Is there any hope at all left for us? Is there a way for us to be made right in G_d’s eyes? Can we escape His righteous judgment which we know is waiting for us in the end? In the first few chapters of Romans, Paul has given us a spiritual beat-down. He has explained how we are all sinners and how we have missed the mark. Finally we move on to chapter five, and he records a grand statement, maybe the most profound verse you’ll find recorded in the Bible:
“But G_d commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Once we understand how lost we truly are, then we can begin to comprehend where we stand on the totem-pole of spirituality. We are sinners, lost, helpless, and unable to take care of the problem on our own. But G_d has made a way. While we were in the depths of sin and despair, He sent His Son to die on the cross as payment for our sins.
That verse, the one everyone knows? After reading the first few chapters of Romans, its truth becomes apparent and we can better understand the meaning behind, “For G_d so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
We are lost without hope, facing a dark and dreary eternity ahead of us. We can’t disregard G_d and hope He will look the other way or pretend He doesn’t exist. We can’t distract G_d by pointing out all of the faults we see in our neighbors. Finally, there is no way we can make the grade by simply performing enough good deeds or living a decent life. We have to give in and accept what He, G_d, has already done for us. He provided the solution to our sin-problem that we inherited honestly from Adam.
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that G_d hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” It is that simple. You just give in and accept what he has already done for you. No strings attached. No hidden meaning or fine print to mull over. Just a mere acceptance of what He did by faith and a belief in the One He Sent. In fact, you can accept Him today, taking care of your sin and thereby making yourself right in His eyes. You’ll be glad you did!
Take it from someone who has learned when to face a problem and also knows when to ask for help.
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