By Tom Suhrbur
This year is likely to be the most important election in our nation’s history since 1932. The stakes are extremely high. Far right politicians — backed by wealthy conservative donors now dominate the Republican Party agenda. They are now poised to retake control over the federal government.
If the Republicans win in November, their agenda has been clearly expressed as witnessed by the presidential candidates debates and the legislation passed since 2010 in states that are under Republican control such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Indiana. It includes the following items: Cutting taxes, especially for corporations and the wealthy; deregulation of corporations and banking; raising the retirement age and cutting the benefits of Social Security; privatization of government services including Social Security, Medicare and public education; sharply reducing environmental and workplace safety standards; expanding free trade agreements; reducing enforcement of civil rights laws for gays and minorities; making voting more difficult for low-income, elderly and students to vote; undermining union organizing and collective bargaining; repealing Obama’s health care legislation and restricting or eliminating abortion rights.
Even if a moderate conservative like Mitt Romney is the Republican presidential nominee, he will be pushed by his party to support most, if not all, of the above goals as president.

Wisconsin
Wisconsin is the first battleground in a yearlong political saga. Backed by the Koch brothers, Americans For Prosperity and a host of other right wing political groups, Governor Scott Walker ended collective bargaining for most public employees. In fact, under Act 10, the so-called “Budget Repair Bill,” Wisconsin has the most draconian anti-union laws in the nation. Public employee unions are now required to have annual certification elections in which 51 percent — not a simple majority — of all employees must vote for union representation.
In an 850 member bargaining unit, a simple majority is 426 votes, but 51 percent is 434. If a person fails to vote for whatever reason — sickness, forgetfulness or otherwise, it is, in effect, a ‘no’ vote. Moreover, unions must pay the state to conduct the annual certification elections. Fair share (agency fee), payroll deduction of union dues and grievance procedures ending in binding arbitration are now outlawed. The list of prohibited subjects of bargaining is so inclusive that it basically ends the ability of a certified union to negotiate on behalf of its members.
Act 10 is the anti-union wish list of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC is a national organization of lobbyists, think tanks, business executives, elected Republican officials and various conservative groups. It meets annually and prepares legislation for conservative officials to introduce to their respective legislative bodies.
Act 10 is the greatest achievement of ALEC and a template for others to follow. That is why the efforts to recall Gov. Walker this year are especially important. The recall movement has compiled enough signatures to recall the governor. The recall movement needed 540,000; it collected 1,000,000 signatures to recall the governor. The recall movement also filed petitions to remove Lt. Governor Kleefisch and four Republican state senators including the majority leader.
Recall elections may be held as early as June. If the recall succeeds, it will send shock waves among Republicans and will inspire progressives across the nation to rally against the right wing agenda. If you want to contribute to these efforts, contact: www.wisdems.org/RecallHQ.

Occupy Wall Street
Another key to the 2012 election is the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement. OWS has successfully raised public concern about the growing economic inequality and the power of corporation elites over governmental institutions. What remains to be seen is whether OWS will emerge as a powerful political force in the November election, as did the Tea Party in 2010.
Fox and Friends, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich and other right-wingers recognize that OWS is a threat to their political goals. That is why they are trying to trivialize the OWS as a bunch of young unemployed, lazy neo-hippies who just want to smoke dope and have their student loans forgiven. This is a gross misrepresentation of OWS. There are many students but also union members, senior citizens, Gulf War vets and people with good paying jobs who share a concern about the growing inequality in America. OWS has the potential to become a mass movement that could turn the U.S. in a progressive direction.
OWS will remain non-partisan and rightly so. Instead of endorsing candidates, it needs to focus on progressive reforms. Will OWS coalesce as a national movement with clearly articulated political objectives? Will it be able to mobilize voters across the nation to support a progressive agenda? If the answer is ‘yes’ to these questions, OWS might reverse the descent towards corporate plutocracy.
To accomplish this objective, OWS must organize a coalition of labor, environmental, students, women, minorities and other progressive organizations. OWS must overcome the deep cynicism that many voters feel about our political system that discourages political participation. If OWS is going to make a difference in this critical election year, it must articulate a vision of hope for a just and more democratic society.

Voter Turnout
The size of the voter turnout will likely determine the outcome of the November election. In 2010, Republicans swept into office in many Democratic-leaning states and took over the U.S. House in a low-turnout election. Large turnouts generally favor Democratic candidates. Realizing this fact, many Republican-controlled state governments have passed voter identification legislation under the guise of preventing fraud even though there is very little evidence that fraudulent ballots are being cast. If there is widespread fraud, why have these states failed to investigate and prosecute the offenders? The real purpose of these laws is to make it more difficult for the elderly, young and low-income voters to participate. Coupled with these voter suppression laws is the post-census redistricting of legislative districts that followed the 2010 Republican election victory; Democrats have a very difficult road ahead.
To counteract the Republican efforts to limit voting, progressives need to organize voter registration campaigns and voter assistance in states that have passed voter ID laws.

November 2012
The Republican Party has moved further to the right since 2008. The Bush Administration’s conservative policies ended in total disaster. Instead of rejecting the failed policies of the Bush years, the Republican Party leadership has doubled down in calling for more of the same. In the recent Republican presidential debates, all the candidates claim the conservative mantle and often attack each other for being politically moderate.
If Republicans win in 2012, they will regain complete control of the federal government that they enjoyed under George W. Bush. The House is already solidly Republican. At least 22 Democratic senators will not seek re-election this November. Republicans need to win only four more seats to control the Senate. In addition, a Republican president will likely have the opportunity to appoint numerous federal justices and at least two Supreme Court judges, moving the federal courts even further to the right. The Supreme Court will have a solid conservative, anti-union majority for years to come.
The 2012 election will be a pivotal event shaping America’s future. It may be too much to expect that Obama will be the transformational progressive that we wanted. The money power of the corporate elite will continue to have an inordinate sway over government. The Citizens United decision ensures that wealthy donors for both parties will control the media messaging. Nevertheless, Obama will be a hedge against the more extreme conservative elites such as the Koch Brothers, DeVos Family, Richard Mellon Scaife and others who want to privatize and de-unionize the economy. However, if unions and middle-class progressives organize a mass movement, demanding a more just and democratic society, a re-elected Obama administration may respond accordingly.

Tom Suhrbur currently is the Vice President of the Illinois Labor History Society. He recently retired after 26 years as a union organizer for the Illinois Education Association. Prior to his work with IEA, he taught social studies for 17 years. His last teaching job was at Geneva High School. Suhrbur also co-authored the book “Union Brotherhood, Union Town: The History of the Chicago Carpenters’ Union, 1863-1987.”

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications. In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me (Psalm 86:5-7).”

By Dan Richardson
When scripture says prayer requires faith, it is not referring to an individual’s faith in his own ideas of God; but rather faith in God’s ideas of Himself. Plainly said, to come to the God of the Bible in prayer, one should know God as presented in the Bible. Clear biblical thinking is crucial in a day where false ideas creep in homes like cockroaches.
Psalm 86 describes God as good. He is perfect. Perfect in wisdom, strength and love. He lacks nothing. He is entirely complete and self-sustaining. He doesn’t need anything or anyone because He has created all things. His goodness is perfectly displayed by the sacrificial death of His Son, providing complete forgiveness for the sins of His children.
If great love is seen in compassion and servanthood, no love matches the love of Jesus. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).”
Everyone enjoys the benefits of God’s common love. Sunshine, rain, grain, family and friends are signs of God’s love for His creation. Yet, the matchless, abounding love of Christ comes to those who call upon Him, those who know they are poor and sinful. Christ’s love abounds because it is greater than soul-destroying sin.
When He saves, does He continue to serve? O Yes! On top of complete forgiveness, the Lord sends His Holy Spirit to live in us. The Holy Spirit teaches and brings God’s Word to our remembrance. He unites our heart with His so we may live for His glory.
Jesus said, “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me (John 17:22-23).”
Many trials await God’s children. Temptation, fear, sickness and strife plague us day after day. It is comforting to call upon the Lord in the day of trouble because He answers us. His answer is packaged in steadfast love. His love gladdens and strengthens our soul. In prayer, we are satisfied in good times and in bad.

“Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land Taught my benighted soul to understand That there’s a God, that there’s a Savior too: Once I redemption neither sought nor knew. Some view our fable race with scornful eye, ‘Their color is a diabolic dye.’ Remember, Christians, Negroes black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train.”
—Phillis Wheatley, 18th century slave and poet

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity. What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? (Ecclesiastes 1: 1b-2).”

By Dan Richardson
You can find everything the world desires is wrapped up in a person named Solomon. He had wealth, wisdom, sex and the honor of nations. His access to fun and thrills was unlimited. The numbers are extreme. For example, he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Inspired Scripture notes these embarrassing details of “Bible Heroes” to show that seeking pleasure outside of God’s design inevitably leads to corruption.
Entertainment is supposed to be a blessing; but what has it turned into? God gives us what we want, hundreds of channels into our home, and we aren’t any more happy than before. In fact, the more we seek contentment in things apart from the true God, the more cynical and hopeless we become.
That was Solomon’s problem. Imagine living in his country. Your king is supposed to be copying and reading God’s word and instead, he is bowing to idols. Strange. But it is not too strange, is it? Aren’t we much like Solomon? Many things draw us away from God. We place our trust in retirement, government and self-empowerment. When calamity hits close to home, we are left saying, “It is what it is. Nothing matters. In the end, all prevention and planning doesn’t mean a thing.”
A grandeur “life under the sun” perspective has little meaning. Yet, beyond our little life under the sun there is true substance and hope.
Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10).” What kind of things does Jesus offer? His forgiveness and righteousness are the two things we need for lasting satisfaction. Jesus calls us to forsake our idols and receive Him as Lord and Savior. Those who place trust in Him see life beyond the sun. They see Christ at the right hand of God praying for them, angels rejoicing, a table and a home. These are eternal realities.
When calamity hits, the saying “whatever” is replaced with confident prayer. Hope is grounded in Christ who said, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”
What you live for has eternal implications. You are either storing us wrath for the days of judgment or treasures in heaven for the days of salvation.

“Love of my heart, my steam runs dry,
O Fountain of the heavenly hills,
Love, blessed Love, to Thee I cry,
Flood all my secret hidden rills.
Waters of love, come, pour through me;
I must have love, I must have Thee.”
—Amy Carmichael, (1867 – 1951), missionary in India, (source: amycarmichael.org)

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

“Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? (Galatians 3:2)”

By Dan Richardson
Contrary to what is taught in schools, the slippery slope is no fallacy. If mom says, “Okay, you can go there but only for an hour,” what happens next? The new boundary is tested again. Days later, mom is asked to extend the time another fifteen minutes. Consider the job site. If the boss allows five minutes late, what happens? It’s stretched to 10. In a political context, groups defend their turf because one inch lost leads to several more. The slippery slope argument makes a lot of sense in curbing unacceptable behavior.
But it works the other way as well. Some religions, including sects of Christianity, try to reform culture by telling people to do what is right. They say, “Don’t drink, don’t divorce, don’t abort, and don’t be lazy.” Then they say, “Eat healthy, be a good spouse, take care of those kids and be industrious.” The idea is that if people would just stop being bad and start being good, God will bless America again. Such is a slippery slope of moralism. It too is a slow slide to misery and hopelessness.
Moralism falls short because it doesn’t have the Gospel. Moralism says, “If we do what’s right, we’ll be blessed.” The Gospel says, “If we place our faith in Christ, we are blessed.” With moralism, the conscious is never at peace because there’s always more good to do and bad to make up for. Alternatively, the Gospel is an easy and light burden because it says the Lord Jesus already did the heavy lifting by bearing the wrath of God on the cross. He only asks us to follow Him.
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light (Jesus words in Matthew 11:29-30).”
The goal of moralism is a civility. The goal of the Gospel is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. Incidentally, increased worship of Jesus leads to peaceful societies. Persecution is the exception, with hundreds of Christians harmed every day by intolerant zealots. Ultimately, Christians win because of Jesus’ resurrection.
The Gospel works in paradox. As a child of God grows, she is more aware of her sin and subsequently, more amazed at the love of God in Christ. She upholds the Law of God because it is good. She waves the banner of grace that says, “The work of Jesus Christ is sufficient for my forgiveness and my obedience.” Jesus not only removes sin, He credits His obedience to her account. There’s no better, kinder, more supreme love than that anywhere in the universe.
The love of God in Christ is the fuel for worship and work.

“I only look to the gracious protection of that Divine Being whose strengthening support I humbly solicit, and whom I fervently pray to look down upon us all.”
—Martin Van Buren (1782-1861), 8th President of the United States.(Source: presidentialprayerteam.org)

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another (Job 19:25-27b).”

By Dan Richardson
My wife and I know three faithful strong women. The youngest is in her mid-forties and the older in her late sixties. One is a welder, the other a fund-raiser, and the other a realtor. We witnessed each one sacrificially give their time to those who can’t give back. They truly are encouraging. They believe that Jesus Christ is the most satisfying person; and these beliefs motivate them to go and do what they can to make our communities places of peace. To our dismay we learned all three have colon cancer.
The passage above was said by a man who lost his children, his health and home. Through it all, his faith stayed intact because it was a special kind of faith. It wasn’t faith in self, in family or in technology. It was saving faith whose object was the Lord Jesus Christ. Saving faith understands eternal redemption accomplished by the precious blood of Jesus. It is a faith that enjoys the benefits of being in the family of God.
Saving faith doesn’t seek its own final victory. Instead, it looks to Him who will be left standing. At the end of the age, all will bow in joy or regret. But Jesus Christ will stand because He is God. The LORD’s final appearance to the world will be terrific and terrible. We all will admire His splendor and justice.
While the supremacy of Christ has global implications, it maintains an intimate side. Each of our three friends will see the face of God. Death is their friend because it is the gateway to Christ. The One Who stumbled while carrying His cross to Calvary will escort His beloved by His mighty arm into His presence forevermore.
Saving faith doesn’t rule out healing. It is Christ-like to work and to hope for a cure because of our innate love for life. We pray for healing and remember God’s blessings sometimes come in ways we don’t expect. But they are still blessings – reminders to the world that He is kind and most desirable.

“Finally, it is my most fervent prayer to that Almighty Being before whom I now stand, and who has kept us in His hands from the infancy of our Republic to the present day, that that He will so overrule all my intentions and actions and inspire the hearts of my fellow citizens that we may be preserved from dangers of all kinds and continue forever a united and happy people.”
—Andrew Jackson, 7th President, From his Inaugural Address, March 4, 1833. (source: presidentialprayerteam.org)

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

By Tom Suhrbur
Soon after the collapse of the economy in 2008 and the election of President Barack Obama, Fox and Friends, Rush Limbaugh, Newt Gingrich and other conservatives came up with a narrative that blamed the economic turmoil on the Democrats.
According to this narrative, the federal government forced banks and the home mortgage industry to loan money to poor people who could not afford the homes that they were buying. When these poor people started defaulting on their loans, the economy collapsed.
In particular, conservatives focused their blame on liberal Democrat Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, for pushing the financial services industry into making bad loans. By inference, conservatives blamed the federal government, Democrats and the poor for the Great Recession. The banks were innocent victims of liberal Democrat’s excesses. Of course, for many Americans, “poor people” are code words for African-Americans and Hispanics — a subtle but clear appeal to racist sentiments.
What is the truth? It is true that Frank and Democrats supported policies to help low income people to own home, but so did President George W. Bush and Republicans.
When Bush took office in 2001, he announced his vision of an “ownership society,” which included expanding home ownership to more Americans. Bush strongly supported the deregulation of the financial service industry to take on more risk, in part, to achieve this goal.
Even though the U.S. lost millions of manufacturing jobs to overseas investment in low wage countries, the Bush economy grew from 2001-07. The growth was fueled by deficit spending on foreign wars and, domestically, by the financial bubble that spurred the housing industry.
It makes no sense to blame Frank and Democrats for the Great Recession. Republicans controlled both houses of Congress from 1994-2006. In 2005, Frank and Republican Mike Oxley co-sponsored a bill to impose tighter regulation on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac when it became apparent that their lending practices were getting too risky.
The bill easily passed the House with bi-partisan support, but died in the Senate under a veto threat by President Bush. According to Lawrence Lindsey, a former economic adviser to President George W. Bush, Frank “is the only politician I know who has argued that we needed tighter rules that intentionally produce fewer homeowners and more renters.”
Frank did not become the chair of the House Financial Services Committee until 2007. By that time, defaults on mortgages were already increasing largely due to subprime lending practices by Countrywide and other mortgage companies. Republicans still controlled the Senate as well as the White House until 2009 after the economic collapse. Somebody other than Barney was at fault.
How about the poor? If you want to blame low-income people for the bubble, you must assume that they are much more powerful that the banks and other financial service corporations. In fact, mortgage companies and banks successfully lobbied for deregulation and the easy credit.
They believed the risks were worth the potential for profit. It was assumed that housing prices always go up, thereby, lowering the risk on loans, even if some people with low down payments defaulted. Why not take the risk? Lenders could make huge profits as the volume of mortgage transactions increased due to easy credit.
Lured by easy credit terms, many middle-class homeowners also refinanced during the housing bubble and later defaulted. When the financial bubble burst, a large number of very expensive homes went into foreclosure.
Some of the most unscrupulous lending practice actually targeted low-income people. When Countrywide — the largest U.S. mortgage company fell into bankruptcy — Bank of America purchased it.
Last December, Bank of America agreed to pay a $350 million penalty for Countrywide’s subprime lending practices that targeted African-American and Hispanics homeowners who qualified for conventional (prime) mortgages but were steered into risky, high interest sub-prime loans that they could not possibly afford. Many of these people later defaulted. Had they been given conventional loans, they most likely would not have defaulted. In these cases, minorities were victims.
Conservatives also like to blame the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) because they are Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs).
The federal government created Fannie and Freddie to help lower income citizens to purchase housing. Fannie Mae was chartered in 1938 and Freddie Mac in 1971. As deregulation of the financial services industry gained momentum since the 1980s, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are into quasi-private, for-profit corporations and, like the banks and mortgage companies, got caught up in the financial mania of the Bush years.
The fact that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac served the public interest for so many years — under federal tutelage until era of fiscal deregulation — points out the fatal flaw of unregulated, free market policies and privatization. It should be noted that the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), an agency of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that lends to low-income homeowners, did not face financial ruin like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
During the Bush years, Wall Street became a giant casino: Easy credit for all and making a fast buck became the norm in the financial services industry. Derivatives, easy credit cards, sub-prime mortgages, swaps and other “exotic” financial arrangements caused the financial bubble.
Fox and Friends and the right-wing media have tried to shift the blame for the economic meltdown away from the policies that they have championed, rather than recognize the basic fact that unregulated greed is not a virtue and, certainly, not good public policy.
Currently, Tom Suhrbur is the Vice President of the Illinois Labor History Society. He recently retired after 26 years as a union organizer for the Illinois Education Association. Prior to his work with IEA, he taught social studies for 17 years. His last teaching job was at Geneva High School. Suhrbur also co-authored the book “Union Brotherhood, Union Town: The History of the Chicago Carpenters’ Union, 1863-1987.”

Tom Suhrbur currently is the Vice President of the Illinois Labor History Society. He recently retired after 26 years as a union organizer for the Illinois Education Association. Prior to his work with IEA, he taught social studies for 17 years. His last teaching job was at Geneva High School. Suhrbur also co-authored the book “Union Brotherhood, Union Town: The History of the Chicago Carpenters’ Union, 1863-1987.”

“For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height — to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 2:14-21).”

By Dan Richardson
Why is it important to learn prayers from the Bible? Doesn’t God honor every prayer? While it is true God knows our desires even before we pray, He only commits to those requests that are in accordance to His will. One sure way to pray in His will is to learn the content of the prayers found in the Bible such as the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians.
Material blessings are peripheral when God is found as most desirable, admirable and soul satisfying. But is it natural for us to find God as most desirable? Or, do we need His help? I think we do. Let’s see how Paul’s prayer helps. Note how its overtly Trinitarian nature outlines three requests.

That God grants you strength in your inner man via His Holy Spirit
Why strength? So that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith. Notice what the strength is not for. It is not for overcoming obstacles, not for positive thinking, nor for obtaining a material blessing. It is simply for you to crown Christ as Lord and Savior in your life everyday. Such simplicity is profound. We need to hear the Gospel everyday. Everyone needs to be reminded that the punishment for our sins was laid upon Christ on the cross. He died and rose again from the dead. He sent the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to abide in us and to guide us into all truth (John 14:17, 16:13).

That you may possess the love of Christ that grounds and nourishes you
The verb comprehend is not limited to the cognitive realm because the sentence continues to say the love of Christ passes knowledge. Earlier, Paul said the riches of Christ are “unsearchable” (v. 8). The original Greek word for comprehend is katalambanō and it means to take eagerly, to seize, apprehend or possess. Now Paul identifies the Christian as being rooted and grounded in love. That is our security. We are secure and nourished by God’s love (Romans 8:35-37). Yet as we mature in God’s love, we see how it is not only for our security, but for sacrificial serving as well. Christ’s love cannot be contained. More for our enjoyment, we grasp and give His love to others as well. God’s love is not to be isolated and mastered by picky professors, but to be embraced and expended for His purposes.

That you may be filled with all the fullness of God
The final request seems impossible. How can all the fullness of God fill us? Isn’t Paul going a little overboard? I think he is referring to the Christian as a vessel, being filled with the presence of God. Other passages come to mind. “You anoint my head with oil, my cup runs over (Psalm 23:5b).” The waterpots containing the water that Jesus turned into wine were filled to the brim (John 2:7). Jesus said anyone who believes in Him, out of his heart would flow rivers of living water (John 7:38).
Practically speaking, the fullness of God is related to our time spent studying the Scripture. God uses our Scripture study as a means for Him to fill us with His love.

Do you belong to a Christ-Centered Church?
Although Paul’s prayer may be prayed alone, it is corporate in context. Paul prayed because he wanted all people to see what is the “fellowship of the mystery.” Do you know what that is? It is a community of believers who, by God’s grace, have found Jesus Christ as their Savior, Lord, and most precious possession. “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).”
Imagine your friend saying he likes you, but hates your spouse. You wouldn’t consider him a friend, would you? Yet, that is exactly what we tell Jesus when we say we love him, but hate the Church. The Church is His Bride (Ephesians 5). Yes, there are many reasons to be frustrated with churches these days. It is important to remember no church is perfect. We are all under construction, a work in progress. A follower of Christ loves the Church. If you are looking for a church, e-mail me for a checklist to help you find a good one.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“… The Smiles of Heaven can never be expected On a Nation that disregards the eternal rules of Order and Right, which Heaven Itself Ordained.”
—President George Washington

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

“For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in (Psalm 27:10).”

By Dan Richardson
One thing I am learning is when my desires follow after wrong things, I come up empty, unsatisfied and sometimes hurt. The enemy of my soul encamps around me everyday with ideas that tempt my weaknesses. Every day, sexual immoral images demand the affections due only to my wife. Pop culture raises my gaze to the highest performance man has accomplished and no further. The world of materialism tells me if I have more things, I can be happier.
These are the sort of enemies the Psalmist writes about. We don’t war against people. We war against corrupt desires. It seems like a hopeless battle. It goes on and on and on. How do I find pure joy and refreshment?
Remember the Lord Jesus Christ. He saved me from the kingdom of darkness. When I was a servant of sin, God gave me His life and revealed His Son to me. I saw what Jesus did to my sin. He nailed it to the cross and He died for me. He then gave me His righteousness so I can call myself God’s child. Because of His gift of righteousness, I don’t fear God’s anger. I don’t fear the enemy. The death and resurrection of Christ gives me all the confidence I need.
He is the Light that makes my dark world full of light. When I thought there was no other way to think, no other way to go, His light showed me a level path. Jesus gives me discernment so I can know right from wrong.
Faith satisfies the soul. The LORD only bids me to seek His face. Hope on His promises. Wait for His faithful servings of bread to nourish my soul. He is patient knowing I will stumble. I give in to sin. He doesn’t expect perfection. He only asks me to look to Him. When I remind myself of His love, I enjoy Him. He is my joy.
As I mature, I see the ones I learned to trust the most prove inadequate in satisfying my deepest need. Family love was never meant to replace the enduring, patient love of God the Father. Better than the best of all friends, I need to know the love of God found only in His Son, Jesus Christ.

“When I left the house of bondage, I left everything behind. I wanted to keep nothing of Egypt on me, and so I went to the Lord and asked him to give me a new name.”
—Sojourner Truth, African-American abolitionist, (1797-1883). (source: presidentialprayerteam.com)

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

“Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places (Ephesians 1:15-20).”

By Dan Richardson
Since we often do not know what to pray, our Lord provides many prayers in His inspired Word. The one above, especially helpful before Bible study, can be parsed in three sections: Thanksgiving, petition and confirmation.
Politeness begins a conversation with kindness and common ground. So in talking to our Father, a likely place to start is by giving thanks for His gifts of faith and love. For it was by grace we were saved through faith. He loved us with the gift of faith, and by faith we adore Him in love.
The petitions are well understood as a three-fold request: to know Him more fully, to know the hope of our glorious inheritance, and to know the greatness of His power. Ever-satisfying, overflowing joy is contained in these three desires. The knowledge desired is not merely trivial or informational — it is detailed, deep and definite. No genuine Christian says, “I know enough therefore I need not pray that way,” because he knows food for survival is the God’s Word, even Jesus Christ, the Word incarnate.
The last petition ties to a triumphant conclusion. After requesting knowledge of the exceeding greatness of God’s power, a brief understanding of that power follows. God’s power catapulted Christ from the dead and seated Him in the heavenly places. It is further described in verses 21-23. Here Christ’s position is defined as supreme over all other powers, rulers and authority. It is triumphant because it is undisputed and decisive. Though more is said, there is more to know.
How do we use this power? When reconciled with chapter 6:12, we understand our adversaries are not people, government or big business, but “spiritual forces of evil.” Therefore, God’s power is given to overcome indwelling sin that works against us. “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members (Romans 7:23).”
Lasting joy is found in the Lord. In heaven, it comes as a breeze. On earth, it is won in battle. Our prayer confirms confidence by declaring Christ as our Head and we as His body. Rewrite the prayer in your own words. Pray and live for His Name, and rejoice as He works in your life.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD (Jeremiah 9:23-24).”

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.

“Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people, from this day forth and forevermore (Psalm 125:1, 2).”

By Dan Richardson
What causes us to shift or snap? Our well-being depends on all being well. If stress pushes us to a brink — we can free fall into careless actions. If tapped beyond our means — we can lose everything.
Psalm 125:1 says those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion — immovable. Now trust is only meaningful when its object is significant. Therefore, if one knows that those who seek the Lord lack no good thing (Psalm 34:10b), then he doesn’t need to shift or compromise his character. Cheating to survive is foolish. In Christ, his ideas and affections are raised to a higher place, “like Mount Zion.”
As a child rests high upon the shoulders of an adult, amazed at a different view, so we see ourselves with Christ for eternity because He has set us in heavenly places (Ephesians 2). Trusting in the Lord sets our mind on things above, not on things of the earth. We can weather the storms knowing our life is hidden in God, in Christ (Colossians 3).
Verse 2 describes God’s relationship to His beloved. His constant presence is as a mountainous surrounding. With peace and joy come the humbling admonition of His Lordship and preeminence. We need a reminder because we forget Him when things are okay. Even when delivered from troubles, God remains like mountains that surround us. We are always low Jerusalem. He is always high, watchful and sovereign. We are needy and weary. He is all sufficient and mighty.
A child of God expects seasons of hardship and lack. In those times he sees how the currency of trusting in Christ never loses its value.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him (James 1:12).”

Dan Richardson’s e-mail address is danrichardson@foxvalleylabornews.com.