Keys to the Kingdom

My Dad, Morris J. Hayward, served in Germany on the front lines in the 90^th Infantry Division, Company B, under General George S. Patton’s Third Army. General Patton is the most famous and celebrated U.S. general of that era. He was an outstanding motivator and one of the best tacticians of the time. He was the most colorful general, known by the troops as “Blood and Guts” Patton. My Dad further defined that nickname by explaining, “Yeah, his guts and our blood.” With a mighty combination of blood and guts, the U. S. and our allies defeated the Nazis and won the victory in the European Theater.

It usually takes a combination of things working together like a well-oiled machine to achieve successful results. “For God sent Christ Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to end all God’s anger against us. He used Christ’s blood and our faith as the means of saving us from His wrath” (Romans 3:25 TLB). Jesus died on the cross so that all might live victoriously and be saved from hell. But it takes faith to believe in Jesus, and the guts to stick with it, in order to achieve the abundant life here and eternal life in heaven.

When General Patton devised his incomparable battle plans, what would have happened if he hadn’t been able to find any soldiers with enough guts to carry it out? It takes guts for believers to take a stand for Christ — it always has. It takes guts to not go with the flow (any old dead fish can float downstream). It takes guts to love the ugly-hearted and extend forgiveness. It takes guts to live according to God’s Word when the world wants to live like the devil.

Even in the face of terrible odds, believers can choose to go with God and have victorious outcomes. I’m not talking about just going to heaven when we die, I’m referring to having victory right here, right now. “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NLT). The Son of God loved everyone so much that He was willing to shed His blood in order to save us from ourselves (a life of selfish misery). There’s more power in the blood of Jesus than a Sherman tank. There’s more power in Jesus’ blood to free a person’s soul than a B-24 Liberator.

We’d all be dead in the water if it weren’t for the blood of Jesus. “In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22 NLT). Jesus has done His part once and for all and it’s up to everybody else to do their part. He provided the blood.

We are marching through a world that’s not our true home. “Dear friends, I warn you as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’ to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors…(1 Peter 2:11,12 NLT). Believers aren’t in a physical war like Patton’s Third Army, but we are in a spiritual war. We must be determined to hold our position and never give up or give in to the enemy of our souls. And that, brother and sister, takes guts.

The Key: With His blood and our guts, believers can be more than conquerors.

Poverty

Economic development is not about the rich getting richer. It should be about lifting all sectors of our economy by giving everyone a chance to succeed. That includes supporting education, health care and charities that target short-term help to those in immediate need. As individuals, we should also look charitably on our neighbors in need and help as we can in safe and productive ways according to the resources we have been afforded. An economy cannot be considered successful that leaves a segment of the population behind.

There is good news on the poverty front. According to a 2019 article entitled “Global Extreme Poverty” by Max Roser and Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, 1.9 billion people worldwide lived in extreme poverty in 1990; by 2020, estimates are that the number was 479 million, a 74.8% drop over the last 30 years. Estimates are that the number will stabilize and be about the same in 2030.

Looking back further, the article observes that 94% of the world lived in extreme poverty in 1820; now, that number is 9.6%. The big winner has been Asia. The losers? Sub-Sahara Africa and the Middle East; both regions have lost ground to poverty. All other regions have improved their poverty percentage. There is no question that the wave of freedom initiated in the 18^th century, including the American and French Revolutions, have had a positive, long-term economic impact on the world. For the first time in modern history, a high percentage of the world had the power of self-determination.

What about Bourbon County, Kansas? In 1990, the rate was 19.7%, well above the State number of 11.5% and higher than all surrounding counties. By 2010, the number had lowered to 15.9%, which was still above the State average of 13.2%, but below neighboring counties. Since then, the number has gone up and down significantly, cresting at 20.9% in 2012, and mitigating to 15.6% by 2019; that number leaves us below the surrounding counties to the South, but remains above the State percentage at 11.3% and Linn County at 12.0%.

What can we do about poverty in Bourbon County from an economic development perspective? First, we need to define the size and nature of the demographic. Who are they and where do they live? Only then can we make sure that all new development and investments in Bourbon County have elements that help the impoverished, not further isolate or marginalize them.

Additionally, we need to support charitable and governmental programs and outreaches to those below the poverty line, including health care and education, both public and private. Community development must consider all segments, geographies and entities within out county and encourage positive investments in the totality.

As we begin the process of a third party analysis of Bourbon County, we will be mindful of the whole county. We need everyone to come along with us if our community is to be the best that we can be.

The world watches, abhorred that a bully is at work, not just a normal, schoolyard bully, but an evil bully who cares not about the sanctity of life. We applaud as other nations criticize Vladimir Putin’s actions because I’m afraid in many ways, we Americans have become desensitized to evil. Yesterday, a friend shared that his daughter-in-law’s parents are hunkered down in Ukraine. Another prayer list from Fort Scott listed a family member in the same boat. My son Adam is there, bringing humanitarian aid in and taking orphans and the wounded out to Romania. Once it becomes personal, this slaughter takes on a whole new meaning, doesn’t it? At some point, we need to be bothered. Prayerfully bothered. In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus speaks through the apostle John to the church of Laodicea: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. What was going on there that angered the Lord? I’ll tell you what: The church members had become numb, lethargic, desensitized to evil, and Jesus clearly was displeased. Is there a chance that we are of the same mindset? Or are we zealous, abhorring evil, as God wants us to be? Christians, beware. When we turn on our televisions, do we…

• “Tsk-tsk, another slaughter of human life!”
• “Tsk-tsk, the Russians are raping the Ukrainian women.
• “Tsk-tsk, the statistics on abortion are alarming.”
• “Tsk-tsk, how many F-words can Yellowstone use before I opt to watch something else?”
• “Tsk-tsk, a few more Afghanistan rescues; too bad I can’t do something to help.”
• “Tsk-tsk, homeless people have taken over our cities. Glad I don’t live there!”

A few days ago, Peter and Melinda, the heads of The Gems of Mazatlán, a philanthropic organization that raises money for the five local orphanages, called to share that one of the orphanages had no working toilets. An underground pipe, once repaired with plastic bags, was leaking. I had told Peter that my Fort Scott friend had sent money with me, instructing me to use it at whichever orphanage needed it the most. Eenie-meenie-minie-mo. All are understaffed and underfunded. This need, however, was urgent. Peter called and asked if the money could be used for the pipe repair. It would cover only about 1/6 of the cost, but it was a start. I was frustrated. That particular orphanage is affiliated with one of the largest denominations in the world, yet there never is enough money. We volunteers have renovated, painted, sewn, repaired, pruned, and met all of its manual-labor needs for the past few years. The Gems of Mazatlán had even hired a teacher when Covid restrictions forbade the kids to go to school. How could such a large denomination become so desensitized to the needs of these youngsters and not step in to help? Oh, I don’t know, Patty. Probably the same way you didn’t go to the orphanage to work last week because you had a challenging tennis match. Or probably the same way you were in too big of a hurry after your pedicure to stop and give money to the man on the street with no feet. Or probably the way you… Yea, once it becomes personal, this takes on a whole new meaning.