April 2015 Articles

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Just Rambling April 2015

Just Rambling:

Our front page shows the American Flag that flies over the cemetery behind our church, Antioch Church of Christ, located on highway 3121 North of Spearsville, Louisiana. This flag is illuminated so it can be seen both day and night. It is a beautiful sight at all times, but especially at night. It stands tall and proud, breaking the dark of night with the beautiful stars and stripes representing this great nation of ours. This flag flies over many veterans buried in this cemetery, including my Father, who was a veteran of World War II. This flag was really the inspiration of a young man, Brother Greg Taylor, who is a member of our congregation. Greg is also a veteran himself. What does the American flag mean or represent to you? To me it represents freedom –the freedom enjoyed in this great nation by all its citizens, and many in this nation that are not citizens. When we look at this flag, both you and I , we should be thankful to our Founding Fathers and to all men and women through the years that have given their time and many their lives defending the flag and our freedom. Regardless of where it flies in America, it stands tall and proud demanding honor and respect. It is saluted, it is cheered, and it is revered throughout this nation, or it should be. This brings me to the main point of this writing-recently at the University of California in Ervin, Ca., there has been a movement to ban the flying of the American Flag on campus because it is offensive to foreign students. This was reported on National News, and it was reported as a student led movement . After the anti-American Flag movement failed, it was reported that sixty professors at this university took up the anti-American Flag movement. Apparently the professor’s movement failed as well, but just the fact that both students and professors at this university wanted to ban the American Flag because they considered it offensive and racist to foreign students goes against everything this nation stands for. We open our borders and our universities to foreign students from all over the world, and American taxpayers pay the salaries of these professors, yet we offend them with our American Flag. American taxpayers send hundreds of million of dollars to other countries throughout this world, but yet we offend foreign students and professors with our flag. My solution to this problem is—Honor and Respect the American flag if you are living in America and if America is providing you an education or livelihood. If you can’t, then don’t take a slow boat out but take a fast boat or a fast plane out of this country, and don’t look back, because we don’t want to offend you if you should happen to see an American flag on your departure. Wake up America before it is too late!

I hope each of you had a blessed Easter Sunday celebrating the death, burial, and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We had a wonderful Easter service with a full house– so many young adults with their children came home to worship and to see their families. A special part of this service was the main prayer being led by Brother Pat Risinger. Brother Pat has had heart problems since his late thirties—he has had many heart operations including two open heart surgeries. Last July 3rd, at age 68 , he had a heart transplant. His recovery has been amazing and to hear him pray is inspiring to all. What a great country we live in where surgeons are trained to do these types of operations and what an awesome God we serve that allows these operations to be successful. As Dr. Nanda told me before I was operated on, “I'm just the surgeon to handle the operation but God is in control. Amen! Brother Pat’s prayer was inspiring, not only by what he said but by the fact that he was here to say his prayer. By God’s grace Brother Pat is here and by God’s grace we are all here enjoying life and enjoying this great country, America. Let us never forget that and always put God first in everything we do. Van Bennett

Phil. 4:6-7 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding., will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” NKJV
The photograph on the front cover was taken by Velvet Roberts.