Why Is Christianity Superior To All Other Religions?

Many have a problem with Christianity's claim to exclusivity, yet logic demands it.  They say it is arrogant for Christians to assume what they believe is better than what everyone else believes, and that people can know anything for sure.  Everyone is prone to err, no human is omniscient, and only fools never change their mind; but I would submit to you that we can know some things for sure, Christianity demands exclusivity to the truth, and it is by far the most complete and rational worldview.

Though some may deny it, I do affirm that we know certain things for sure.  One such example is the laws of logic.  Upon the self evident truth that a statement and its negative cannot both be true, the entire system of logic and reason depends.  The entire thinking world, to my understanding, holds this as solid truth and uses it to reason between truth and error.  Monotheism understands this truth as a way for us to think according to God and therefore as eternally true and applicable.  The infidel uses it only because it works, but has no basis in his worldview for its eternal truth, other than to say it ever first began would inescapably lead to contradictions and leave the infidel without a way to reason at all.  In other words, the atheist must borrow logic from the monotheist with no way to consistently affirm it within his own worldview.

This leads us right into the reason Christianity demands exclusivity.  This does not mean that other religions don't have any truth.  I believe all religions may have a share of truth, some certainly more than others.  Even lies begin with some basis in truth before running into some concealed contradiction.  But if the God of the Bible is true, then all other gods are false.  So insofar as one's beliefs are supported by the teaching of this all-wise God, every opposite view point cannot be true, has no utility, and must be discarded.  True Christianity is based on the Holy Bible, which claims to be the inspired word of God.  Therefore, directly from the self-evident laws of logic, Christianity demands that all opposing views are not alternatives but ultimately a lie and corrosive to the good of man.  This is a death knell to the popular notion of relative truth, and the notion that if it makes you happy, then it is good for you.  For what good is it for someone to be happy with a lie?  What good is comfort in a delusion?  It is as good as not knowing that the vessel that is currently sailing you to a promising destination has a hole in the keel and will sink you before you arrive.

Seeing then that Christianity cannot abide with other religions, why should we take it over other religions?  The answer is Christ Jesus of Nazareth who said he is the way, the truth and the light. I want to share an extended excerpt from Hassell's Church History, because I cannot give a more sure evidence that Jesus proves the sublime truth of the Bible. It can be found on pp. 4-5. Thanks to pbministries.org for having this in electronic format.

The composition of the New Testament in the first century of the Christian era inevitably implies not only the pre-existence of the Old Testament for hundreds of years before that time, but the reverent belief of Christ and His Apostles in the divine inspiration of the Old Testament. Christ is both the main substance and the chief witness and guarantor of the truth of the Old Testament Scriptures.  Believers before the flood dimly beheld Him as the suffering but victorious seed of the woman. Abraham rejoicingly saw Him as his own seed in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed. Jacob viewed Him as the descendant of his son Judah, the Shiloh, unto whom the gathering of the people should be. Moses saw Him as the Prophet whom the Lord God would raise up like unto him, from among his brethren, to whom they were to give ear. Job, in the depth of his affliction, beheld Him as his Divine Redeemer, who should stand at the latter day upon the earth. David saw Him as his own Son and the Son of God, the anointed King of Zion, yet agonizing before God, and pierced in His hands and feet by the assembly of the wicked, and going down into the dust of death, but not seeing corruption, and rising from all the humiliation of His earthly life, and passing, as the King of Glory, within the everlasting gates, and sitting down on the right hand of God, the almighty and gentle Shepherd of Israel, ruling in the midst of His enemies, making His people willing in the day of His power, making them lie down in green pastures, leading them beside the still waters, restoring their souls, leading them in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, accompanying them all the days of their lives with His goodness and mercy, giving them the victory over every foe, even death, and making them dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Isaiah beheld Him as Immanuel, God with us, a child born, a son given, whose name was Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father and the Prince of Peace, the sure foundation-stone laid in Zion, tried and precious, and as the man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, bruised for our iniquities and healing us with His stripes. Jeremiah saw Him as the Lord our Righteousness. Ezekiel beheld Him as a man and yet as the Lord, of a bright, fiery appearance, seated upon a sapphire throne, and encircled with a rainbow.  Daniel saw Him as a little stone cut out of the mountain, breaking in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold of Nebuchadnezzar’s image, and as the Son of man coming with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of days, and acquiring universal and everlasting dominion, and as Messiah the Prince, who should come to the holy city, and be cut off but not for Himself, and should make an end of sins, and bring in an everlasting righteousness, and seal up the vision and prophecy, a short time before the destruction of the city and sanctuary. Micah beheld Him as the Ruler of Israel, whose goings forth had been from everlasting, coming out of Bethlehem-Ephratah.  Haggai saw Him as the Desire of all nations, coming to the second temple, and filling it with greater spiritual glory than the first temple, and in that place giving peace. Zechariah saw Him as the King of Zion, just and having salvation, lowly, and riding upon a colt the foal of an ass into Jerusalem, betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, pierced by the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but bringing them to mourn with a great and solitary mourning for Him, and opening to them a fountain for sin and for uncleanness—as the Shepherd of God, a man, and yet the equal of the Lord of hosts, smitten by the sword of God, who them turns his hand of mercy upon the little ones.  And Malachi beheld Him as the Messenger of the covenant, the Lord suddenly coming to His temple, and purifying the sons of Levi as gold and silver in the furnace, that they might offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, and as the Sun of Righteousness arising, unto all that fear His name, with healing in His wings. And Jesus always refers, in the most reverential manner, to the Hebrew Scriptures as the infallible, the literally and perfectly true testimony of God. The same books of the Old Testament that we now receive were then received by the Jews and by Christ as canonical and inspired. Christ, in His sayings recorded in the New Testament, alludes to every period of the Old Dispensation. “He speaks of the creation of man, the institution of marriage, the death of Abel, the flood in the days of Noah, the destruction of Sodom, the history of Abraham, the appearance of God in the burning bush, the manna in the wilderness, the miracle of the brazen serpent, the wanderings of David, the glory of Solomon, the ministry of Elijah and Elisha, the sign of Jonah, and the martyrdom of Zechariah—events which embrace the whole range of the Jewish record.”  Whatever, therefore, may be said by self-constituted, pretentious, ungodly and ignorant critics in regard to what they presume to call the incredible myths of the Bible, the children of God may be as perfectly assured of the literal truth of every word of the Old Testament, as well as of the New Testament, as if every word had been written by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

 Clearly Jesus didn't just show up on the scene and claim for himself that he is the Son of God, he was foretold in detail by the law and the prophets.  Only God can predict the future in this level of detail, and as a further proof of his work, he used many writers in many different times and places.  He also declared himself God by the deeds he did, which only God can do.  The writers of the new testament were not just relating stories that they heard, but things they saw first hand.  2 Peter 1:16.  Christianity is a religion based not on blind faith; but on prophecies which are mathematically impossible for these prophets not to have been inspired, works which had multiple eyewitnesses sacrificing their lives even to death affirming it, by Jesus' own perfect doctrine, and ultimately his own resurrection.  The huge masses who have believed this truth throughout the Christian age, have not put trust in one man's vision, but in an entire system of revelation indicative of only God.  The Bible is not just a book.  It is a hundred times better documented than any other book of antiquity, was written by some forty different authors in multiple regions and ages, with one spiritually unified message.  It presents not just a contemporary answer to difficult questions, but timeless truth.  Therefore it is always fresh and applicable to our life and the questions to which human philosophy is utterly blind.

In conclusion, Christianity alone gives the only worldview which give a complete, non-arbitrary, and consistent explanation of the existence of the world and the purpose for our lives.  It is not arrogant for us to belief fully and, because we didn't discover or devise this, it has been revealed and proven to us.  I believe it and therefore offer no apology for its exclusivity--however unpopular it may be--other than the law of contradictions, which is an essential aspect of the basis of all rational thought.  May the love and peace of God, which surpasses understanding be with you all, and may we never be ashamed to say to anyone "Let God be true, but every man a liar."

Tell Us Plainly

John 10:24.  Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt?  If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

God was manifest in the flesh doing many wonders and miracles that no man can do. Consider a little earlier in John 9:32, Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.  Yet in the face of the miracles...they believed not.  Jesus' response to this was going back to the man who was born blind and asking, Dost thou belive on the Son of God?...And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.  And Jesus said, For judgement I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

John 10:25  Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not; the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

Before Jesus brought Lazarus forth, he said to Martha, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?  Is it not peculiar that Jesus did all his awesome miracles in the sight and knowledge of all people, yet some continued to ask, How long dost thou make us to doubt? And others saw the same works in belief and worshipped Jesus, because through their belief, they saw the glory of God.

Though men will always say that Christ hasn't given them enough reason to believe...If he were true then this or that.  They are blind because they think they see without the Light.  But in reality, Christ gave us more than enough evidence that he is the master of heaven and earth.  He is the good shepherd and knows his sheep; we hear his voice, know it, and can forget all fear.

Press Into The Kingdom

The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. Luke 16:16

It is clear from the old testament that Christ would come in the family of David and establish a glorious kingdom that would rule over the whole world. In our vanity, we are blind to how glorious that kingdom is.  Men value things externally from an earthly perspective and are unmoved by Jesus and his kingdom. He doesn't impress our human fancies.  Jesus explained that if his kingdom was of this world, then his servants would fight that Jesus not be delivered to the Jews who condemned him, John 18:36.  He kept men who savor not the things of God in blindness to his divine kingdom; as they carried on with their wicked works, he was meekly establishing something much greater than any earthling can imagine.  Undaunted by the spite of the rich and famous, Jesus continued in obedience to the Father according to all of scripture and became the head of the corner, building a spiritual house refused and disdained by man from the beginning. 

I declare that the kingdom established by Jesus Christ is reigning supreme now.  He doesn't reign, nor ever did, by external letter or decree; he never reigns with grand human armies; and he never reigns with buildings made with gold or other stones.  He doesn't reign after the similtude of human kings. He reigns from within the hearts of his people formed for his praise.

 20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.  Luke 17:20,21

The Holy Spirit, abiding in our spirit, is our access and teacher of the True Kingdom.  Since Jesus preached hope, he has been ruling and reigning so majestically above the most glorious and powerful humans earth can produce, because only he can move within people everywhere without limit.  History has powerfully witnessed the preeminence of this kingdom in the face of the wise and powerful of the world through the ages,  who have discredited and sometimes violently attacked this kingdom, only to find that they have exhausted only themselves.  The child of God has a fire within himself that cannot be touched by the world.

It is still easy for Christians who have tasted truth to be discouraged.  Don't be surprised, when we take a worldly perspective, that the church will look weak and helpless and on the road to extinction.  Even Christians have tried to build empires and institutions that agree to our natural senses, and have succeeded to a great degree to gain the respect of the world.  But don't place any confidence in external measures of success, because Christ warned against it and it goes out of style like everything else.  Put on the spiritual armor of God--that is the ONLY defense that sustains the church in truth.  And from a spiritual frame of reference, I rejoice in the victorious reign of Christ in the church and his church in the world.

Poor and afflicted, Lord are thine;
Among the great unfit to shine;
But though the world may think it strange,
They would not with the world exchange.

Poor and afflicted, yet they trust
In God, the gracious, wise, and just;
For them he deigns this lot to choose,
Nor would they dare his will refuse.

Poor and afflicted, oft they are
Sorely oppressed with want and care;
Yet he who saves them by his blood,
Makes every sorrow yeild them good.

Poor and afflicted--yet they sing,
For Christ, their glorious, conq'ring King,
Through suff'rings perfect, reigns on high,
And does their every need supply.

Poor and afflicted--yet ere long,
They'll join the bright celestial throng,
And all their suff'rings then shall close,
And heav'n afford them sweet repose.

Poor and afflicted, filled with grief--
O Lord, afford us kind relief,
To cheer the heart that heaves a sigh,
And wipe the tears from every eye.

Thomas Kelly 

Press into the kingdom.  Don't believe the world's lies, nor be impressed with it.  Beauty, wealth, fame, and amusement profit nothing without the seasoning of truth; time has proven.  There are so many mysteries of the kingdom I don't understand.  In time, with the guidance of the Spirit that guides to all truth, I will learn more and more.  Why did Jesus speak in parables?  I'm not really sure, but what we have to work at obtaining, will be held much more dearly.  Jesus clearly didn't reveal the mysteries of the kingdom to anyone all at once, and to some didn't reveal it at all.  How much more now, without the physical presence of the Great Teacher, should we expect to search and beg for a better view of that sublime truth.

In conclusion, I am convinced that pressing into that kingdom, though difficult and contrary to the approval of mankind, will be rewarded spiritually, and therefore, much more profitable than man's idea of value.

12 Days

Twelve more days until I touch down in Arkansas.  I am so looking forwarded to seeing everyone, and more, worshiping with my brethren.  I need the fellowship in a great way.  Pray the Lord provides.  The doubts I have about not getting the soul food I desire, is not due to any lack of faithfulness and mercy I have received in the past, but from my own degenerate faithlessness and apostasy.
For worship to be proper, I can think of five necessary conditions: truth, obedience and humility in the subjects, and worthiness and acceptance of the Object.  Worship is veneration, reverence, praise; if God is the object of our worship, anything but the truth is a crime against the character and reputation of our Lord.  In the Navy's honors and ceremonies, when an admiral or president arrives, eight bells are rung in his honor.  Imagine if the president arrived on a ship and only six bells were rung for him.  The president may be slightly embarrassed, but he would still be the president, but all the sailors would not be aware of the rank of the officer who is visiting their ship (six bells are for rear admirals).  I would imagine that boatswains mate would be fired from that job and would return to painting and scrubbing the decks all day.  How much more disrespectful it is for us to proclaim falsehoods about God, knowing it is robbing him of glory.  Humility and obedience are similar, because humility isn't genuine without obedience.  If God is all wise, and he is the real object of our desire, we would perform only that which he commands.  Anything more or less is not appropriate for a perfect lawgiver.  I don't feel adequate to say anything here of the worthiness of my Blessed Redeemer, so I will just say that provided we offer everything we have in the most appropriate way in our power, according to God's commands, he is not obligated to accept our feeble attempts.  Without the visitation of his Spirit, it isn't properly worship, and we are left miserably wanting.

Less Than a Month

I will be home in less than a month. I just noticed that my note book was made by the Arkansas School for the Blind, and my Skippy peanut butter was made with pride in Arkansas...everything just keeps reminding me.
But just when I get used to what I'm doing and maybe a little complacent, bad things tend to build on each other. While I was playing a basketball game at the court, my wallet and keys were stolen. These were not just my keys, these were the keys to the van that all the officers on my ship share. And wallet contained the only way I can pay for anything, and most importantly my identification. I have to have my identification to get anywhere I need to. So just when I thought I would have a good evening at the base then go home and rest, I am looking all over the base for my wallet and tearing myself up. When the activity center on base closed down, I went and filed a report to document that I lost my wallet. We all had to get back to work some other way. Thankfully the van wasn't stolen, so later that day someone had to get another key made and fetch the van. Well because I didn't have a wallet I had to go back to base the day following to get a new ID. I used the van for which we just got a new key. On the way back to the ship, I ran into a truck and trailer, badly denting my passenger door and breaking the glass. The door wouldn't open. I waited for the police to arrive not thinking it would take long because I was right by the Grand Mosque and the palace...but no, after several minutes when I finally called them, they told me to drive to the station to file the report! like I knew where that was. The owner of the van arrived and at first I didn't know who he was, but he finally identified himself and led us to the station. We got to the station and discovered a major problem--I didn't have my driver license. I just lost my wallet! If I couldn't show them a driver license, I was financially responsible for all the damages, not to mention the legal consequences whatever they are here. But I remembered packing per chance (or Providence) a copy of all my important ID papers. They wouldn't let me leave the station to get my copy of the license, and I didn't have keys to my flat so I couldn't send my partner to get them either. So they told me they would get an immigration officer who works with the Navy who could release me to find the license. He showed up, Identified me, then let me go find my license. I found that copy and resolved everything and I owed only 40 USD in fees. It got better from here, but I feel really bad...I just wanted to crawl in a hole and not touch anything...But I ended up driving home from work that afternoon just to show I wasn't shaken. I think I couldn't catch a break last week.
It is tough to be dependent on other people for everything. For a day I had no ID, I felt like a nobody in a strange land. I still have no way to buy necessities--I hate begging. It is a good reminder of our real worth: to be nameless, broke, and without the resources to do what we have to do. Remember the thank the LORD  for everything we have.

Staying Occupied

Time keeps marching, fast at times but slow at others. I try to stay focused on my job at hand, but that only lasts so long. Filling in the evening hours with basketball and other activity, and taking online courses in computers and networking for a CompTIA A+ certification--I just found a site with a lot of great training that the Navy provides free of charge. Keeping my brain active is better than just sitting around watching movies or playing games.

My Soul Doth Magnify The Lord

I woke up this morning happy to be alive, counting only my blessings. It feels great. I thought last night as I was trying to pray, why I didn't pray more and with more faith. There is no shortness in God's riches and gifts. He is not stingy. God has promised to give us the good things we ask for, so why not ask? If we ask and He doesn't provide, we know there must be a better reason or that we haven't asked enough.

Isaiah 61:10,11 

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

New Boss

I have a new department head. I reported to my previous department head for the first fifteen months of my Navy career. Now he is moving on to his next duty station and I have a new boss. It's funny how we start to love people and things just because they are familiar. I could wear myself out by listing traits of his I admire, because he is a good officer. But that's not even close to the reason it hurts me to see him go. Change brings some kind of pain; I love the familiar. I loved him because I had learned from him, because I was used to him and his expectations, and because through shared trials and victories we earned each others' trust.
I am excited, too, that I have a new DH. Even if he turns out to be half the officer my first DH is, there are still perspectives and attributes of my new DH that I can learn from and grow by. Change is not always welcome, but it should cause me to refocus and make me better and stronger.

Getting Closer

Wow it's been a crazy few weeks here. Our ship stayed very busy in May and June, but it seem all our plans in June were foiled one by one. We were one day away from a four day liberty port in Dubai, UAE when, for reasons beyond our control we had to turn around and go back to home port. So instead of enjoying all the fun and games we had planned, we ended up working on the ship in Bahrain. That was just one example, there were other instances in the first half of this month where our plans just had to change at the last minute. But we keep working hard.
Our crew has a basketball team I am a part of. It is a lot of fun; we are pretty good.
We are down to less than two months from returning home. I am afraid this will seem a very long time to me; please pray. I had a good day off last Saturday. I listened to a good sermon online from the first chapter of Hebrews referencing the 45th Psalm. The message was that Jesus is a King forever. He set up the kingdom on earth he has ever intended and will not need to return so He can get it right. I sang some songs to myself from the Old Baptist Hymns and felt refreshed. I am looking forward to the RMA so I can renew my strength. Consider this passage from Isaiah 46: 9-11: Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from the ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

We pulled in from the longest underway of the deployment. It's good to be on a ship that is fulfilling operational commitments. We got to lead a large liquified natural gas tanker on a route with another mine countermeasure vessel (MCMV) from the UK. We and the UK mcmv were abreast at 500 yards and the tanker was five hundred yards behind the center of us (close for open ocean). This simulates leading through a cleared route through a mine field. We work very well with the UK mcmv's.
I am happy with how cool it has been. I know it can get much hotter out here, so I am standing by for that.

Time Marches With Me

It was one of those days. The kind that every sluggard loves, and every tired sailor welcomes. The day when the seas are too rough to really plan anything or expect anyone to get actual work done. So many people sick from the constant and unpredictable rocking and rolling around all three of the ship's axises. Today it was best to just go right back to bed after watch, if there wasn't (and there wasn't) any emergent issue. In bed the motion is comfortable like a hammock. From inside the skin of the ship, I thought it was a nasty day for weather. I had imagined overcast skies with a gloomy, depressing hue. I was pleasantly surprised. The sun was bright, the skies a bright baby blue, and the seas an intense indigo color. The cap of each wave splashed white and the space just below the whitecap where the light shone through the wave was emerald green. The wind blew at a steady 30 knots and waves averaged six feet, occasionally reaching twelve. Because my ship is wooden, it is highly affected by the weather. Imagine a cork bobbing on the surface, blown around by the wind. We are wooden, light, and slow so we can sneak into an underwater mine field and do our job without being detected by a mine.
The past couple months has been extremely busy for me. We have been underway or away from Bahrain 28 of the last 35 days. That includes two days visiting Oman. I have been enjoying the challeng of standing officer of the deck underway, which is the Captain's watchstander who has overall responsibility of the navigation and safety of the ship. I also earned my surface warfare qualification while underway--a very big milestone for me. This has led to a significant increase in my confidence around the ship.
Having met my required qualifications, though, there is a tendency to relax and slow down. But the less I focus on work, the more I look forward to returning to the US, the slower that time moves. It seems that time only marches with me: If I am moving time will move.

Thoughts on Integrity

Integrity is the quality of moral strength and consistency. It is a quality of inestimable value. To obtain integrity requires conviction. Doubt and contradiction eat away and waste a person's core; conversely, truth and conviction build integrity that support a conscience through the greatest adversity. I need integrity. Integrity is not directly measurable but must be induced from observable traits over a period of time. Everyone has the ability to strengthen their integrity with self-discipline and a lot of conviction. Integrity cannot be attained by selling what is right for what is pleasant or convenient.
It is impossible to have integrity without being sure of what is morally right. Integrity requires truth because that which isn't true is bound to fail. Conviction is then built upon truth. Doubting the truth allows spiritual turbulence that wears down one's conscience and obscures the benefits of truth.
 

The Navy Surprises

"Free ships make free goods. This is bold language to utter to a nation who's seamen have successfully beaten every power in Europe into a confession of their superiority--a nation whose fleets have beaten in succession, those of Spain, Holland, France, Russia and Denmark. Our maritime superiority is, in fact, part of the law of nations....Is Great Britain to be driven from the proud eminance, which the blood and treasure of her sons have attained for her among the nations, by a piece of striped bunting flying at the mastheads of a few fir-built frigates, manned by a handful of bastards and outlaws?" London Evening Post, 1812.

The first ships built for war by the US dominated the sea. For our independence and respect as an independent nation, we cut our teeth against the most dominant force in the world. It took a lot of guts, sweat, blood and conviction.

Back to Work

I had a good flight back to my ship. It took me a week to get used to the drastic time change of being on the other side of the world. Standing officer of the deck underway was very rewarding. I feel like I am getting things accomplished and not too stressed. I thank the Lord for his mercy and goodness.

I feel like it is such an advantage in life to have a purpose--for there to be a reason to live and to live well. Too many people, I'm afraid, don't see a big picture like I am blessed to see, and have to create or borrow a purpose in life. Anyone who isn't a fool can see it's better to have a purpose and for things to matter, but it's even a better blessing to have a good reason and authority to believe. Arbitrary worldviews are unstable.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1:5-8

Freedom at a Cost

I must say it's good to be home. I got to stop by the house for a few days enroute back to the ship by taking advantage of a fortunate situation. I am glad to have the opportunity. I was blessed by meeting with the good saints at Old Union PBC in Saline County. I was lovingly reminded to be patient with God, that patience has a perfect work, and that we cannot be wrong with faithful obedience to God.

I got to visit Boston and the freedom trail last weekend. I was inspired by the scenes of the patriots who stood up to a government with too much power. I hope we continue to remember the legacy of courage and tenacity they left for us without sacrificing law and good order. I want to share an excerpt from a good book by George C. Daughan, If By Sea. (2008, Basic Books, New York)
 The quote begins right after Gen Howe nearly seiged our capital in Philadelphia in December of 1776. In all likelihood he would have had a good chance of crushing the patriots if he had tried at that time, but citing the tenacious patriots who wreaked havoc from their row-galleys on the Delaware River, was afraid to try.

 "Alarmed at how low the patriots' fortunes had sunk, Joseph Reed wrote to Washington on the 22nd, 'Something must be attempted to revive our expiring credit, give our cause some degree of reputation, and prevent a toral depreciation of the Continental money, which is coming on very fast; that even a failure cannot be more fatal than to remain in our present situation; in short, some enterprise must be undertaken in our present circumnsances or we must give up the cause.... In a little time the Continental Army will be dissolved....The scattered, divided state of the enemy affords us a fair oppurtunity.' Reed advocated an action of some sort around Trenton.
  Washington wrote back the next day, 'Our numbers, sorry am I to say, being less than I had any conception of: but of necessity, dire necessity, will, nay must, justify an attempt.'
  The attempt began at six o'clock on Christmas night, as twenty-four hundred patriots marched from their evening parade to McKonkey's Ferry on the Delaware, nine miles above Trenton. The river was only a thousand feet wide at the ferryway, and Washington once again called on Colonel Glover and his Marblehead mariners to ferry the troops across. It was a horrendous task. A blizzard was bloing snow and freezing rain, and large blocks of ice were flowing downriver. Herny Knox recalled that the men 'passed the river...with almost infinite difficulty, with eighteen field pieces. The floating ice...made the labor almost incredible....The night was cold and stormy; it hailed with great violence.'
  Glover's men had to operate unfamiliar Durham boats, river craft desgned to move bulky loads up an down the fast-moving Delaware. Open, forty to sixty feet long, with eight-foot beams and shallow drafts, they were ideal for transporting troops and heavy equipment. A steering sweep, which could be placed at either end, guided the boat while pole men on both sides pushed it forward. In spite of never having managed such vessels before, Glover's patriots, as they had done on the East River in August, performed brilliantly.
  At daylight the army gathered on the Jersey side of the river, and Washington went up and down the ranks. 'Soldiers, keep by your officers,' he shouted. 'For God's sake, keep by your officers!' And they did. Trudging through snow and ice, many of them with bleeding feet, they surprised fourteen hundred Hessians under Colonel Johann Rall at Trenton, routing them and winning the critical victory that kept the Revolution alive."
 

 Never forget the cost of freedom and always dutifully consider what freedoms are important enough for us to keep at any cost.

USS CONSTITUTION
Commissioned 1797

 

Cold in Rhode Island

I am in Newport at Surface Warfare Officer School (SWOS) Advanced Shiphandling And Tactics (ASAT) course. It's great to have the break and be able to return to the states in the middle of deployment. One month here and I have to return to Bahrain. But soon I will earn my pin and be a qualified surface warfare officer. That will be a great relief.
I heard that my class date for nuclear power school in Charleston, SC is November.

Officer Of The Deck

I qualified officer of the deck the day before yesterday. It is a major milestone. I know just have to attend a three-week advanced shiphandling and tactics course in Rhode Island then pass another oral board with my captain and I will earn my surface warfare pin.
I am living a very fast-paced life. There is so much going on every day, everything is time-sensitive, there is always something coming up and always something due. I have experienced a lot of change in my education and work life. It is funny to me how I have incrementally become a part of larger and larger communities. I was homeschooled (6 siblings), went to small public high school (graduated with 115), went to major university (18,000 students), and now in the Navy (323,000 active duty Navy). Of course with each jump, I get a more accurate perception of just how insignificant being one person in the whole world really is.

Peace

What a thought: To have peace with God. What does it require to have peace with God? We have to be cleansed from our filth and sin. To eat at the Lord's table, we must be washed clean. Making peace with God isn't a two way compromise. If God ever lowered his standards to be at peace, he wouldn't be God. To earn peace with God, I would have to have always lived righteously: I don't get more chances than Adam did. But I'm not perfect. My hope of peace with God is utterly dependent upon Jesus being true and loving me. Oh what a blissful thought there is peace between me and the Thrice Holy God. Now I can sing: "My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness".

Happy 2013

2012 was a great year for me.
Recap:
Rang in 2012 in Arkansas.
Jan: Started living in San Diego
Jan: Flew to Bahrain to meet my crew for the first time
Feb: Flew back to San Diego for naval training
Apr: Went back to Bahrain to rejoin my crew
May: crew came back to San Diego to take over a different ship
Jun-Oct: San Diego
Nov: Back to Bahrain

Highlights:
Meeting wonderful Primitive Baptists in California
Conning a ship in formation with other Naval ships from US, UK, France, and Oman
Driving to Louisiana with my little sisters and a crawfish boil
Spending a long weekend with my oldest sister's family, and two younger sisters in San Diego
Spending a weekend with parents and grandparents in San Diego
Seeing two of my pastors from home preach a meeting in Madera, CA
Getting to go back home for the Salem Association
Meeting wonderful Primitive Baptists in Purcell, OK

Lessons Learned:
Often the toughest decisions made end up being the best.
Often the church meetings that are the most dificult to attend are the most blessed -I've never yet regretted the decision to travel to a PB church meeting.
As a leader, it's not enough to do my job well; I have to motivate and ensure others do their job well.
Negative motivation is as essential as positive motivation.
Sometimes I am unaware when I am doing something that later I will really cherish.
Great results can come out of bad situations.
Great improvements in life are most often the result of small changes in habbit.
The problem isn't when things don't go my way, focus on doing everything according to the Lord's will- often my will is what I mistook to be the Lord's will.

Goals/Resolutions for 2013:
Pray without ceasing
Spread a sense of pride and self motivation in my sailors
Earn a surface warfare officer pin
Qualify TAO/MCM Evaluator
Move to South Carolina

The Lord is good and He has been good to me. He is always pre-eminent and in all things is worthy to be praised. The following is the hymn that is most often on my mind heading into 2013.

Jesus and shall it ever be
A mortal man ashamed of thee.
Ashamed of thee whom Angels praise,
Whose glory shines through endless days.

Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far,
Let evening blush to own a star.
He sheds the beams of light divine
On this benighted soul of mine

Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon,
Let midnight be ashamed of noon.
'Tis midnight with my soul when He,
bright morning star bids darkness flee.

Ashamed of Jesus! that dear friend,
On whom my hopes of heav'n depend.
No, when I blush be this my shame:
That I no more revere his name.

Ashamed of Jesus! yes, I may,
When I've no guilt to wash away,
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fear to quell, no soul to save.

Till then nor is my boasting vain,
Till then I boast a Saviour slain;
And oh! may this my glory be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me.

His institutions would I prize,
Take up my cross and shame despise,
Dare to defend his noble cause,
And yield obedience to his laws.

By Joseph Grigg