Avalon Chronicles #129: Headline: Wise Men Visit Herod

      Herod's press secretary woke the king up and said there have arrived at the palace wise men, who have traveled from the East. They asked Herod, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." (NKJV: Matthew 2:1-2). This got Herod's attention, because this was a direct threat to his sovereignty. Herod demanded of his staff, "Where is this birth to happen?" In the immortal words of Mark Twain, "I wonder who found that out?" The answer came back from what the prophet Micah had written seven hundred years previously that the birth was to have been in Bethlehem of Judea. 

     Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem with instructions to report back to him so that, "...I may come and worship him also." The wise men went to Bethlehem, but proceeded home without a return visit to Herod. Herod realized that the birth of this young boy could prove a direct threat to his reign. It is written in Matthew 2:16, "Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he set forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under." An angel had appeared to Joseph to instruct him to take the child Jesus and escape to Egypt until Herod soon died thereafter. 

     Christendom celebrates the birth of Jesus on December 25th each year with great merriment and celebration. The tradition of sharing of gifts began with those to Jesus from the wise men. But, what is the larger picture here? Again, it was the move of Satan through his instrument Herod to kill Jesus, who would be the means through His earthly ministry to bring forth God's plan for humanity's redemption. Jesus' birth would be the final nail in the coffin to disrupt Satan's plan since the Fall in the Garden to stop God's goal to establish a way by which those, who choose to believe in the Coming of the Christ, would have the privilege of living eternally with God. 

WE CELEBRATE THE GREAT GIFT OF THE BIRTH OF THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD ON THIS DAY!

Avalon Chronicles #128: Instruments of God

      The book of Isaiah is a powerful book of the Bible. I am studying the Prophecy Study Bible General Editor Tim LaHaye. It is 59% prophecy in the King James Version. My study is highlighted by NIV Halley's Bible Handbook by Henry H. Halley. Isaiah was a prophet of the southern kingdom of Judah, when the northern kingdom of Israel had already been overcome by the Assyrian Empire, which in 734 B.C. took away the population. In 701 the "Assyrians were stopped before the walls of Jerusalem by an angel of God." In Isaiah chapter ten the headline is "Assyria the Instrument of God." The footnote to Isaiah 10:5 states "Isaiah declares that Assyria was a rod in the hand of God to discipline Israel, even though the prideful Assyrians did not intend to cooperate with God. The prophet's intention is to make it clear that Assyria will not conquer Israel by her own power, but by God's permission." 

     Isaiah's main place in prophecy was to carry forth "...a series of warnings aimed at Judah and Jerusalem (chaps 1-5)" which sound the alarm to the moral decay of the Jewish nation. Eventually Jerusalem is isolated by Assyria, which conquered all of Judah except for Jerusalem. Then Assyria is overcome by the Babylonian Empire, which takes the inhabitants of Jerusalem to Babylon and only a tenth will later return. The overriding message is that nations and empires stand and fall only by the allowance of God, almighty. God will always prevail. It is God's world. He created it. He set forth certain rules of behavior and demands obedience to his laws. The Old Testament establishes his standards for humanity.

     As a Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior I have studied the laws of God. I have attempted personally to adhere to them in my daily life. I have not been perfect nor can any of us, but we can never cease to attempt to live by God's standards. Unfortunately, I am very cognizant of the moral decay in my own native land much less throughout the world. The question on my mind is when, whether and how may the moral decay so prevalent in the United States bring God's judgment. Will there be a God's instrument to discipline us? 

Avalon Chronicles #127: Worldly and Spiritual Employment and Commitments

      A few weeks ago in a sermon I heard the preacher compare/contrast an employment commitment and the analogous aspects of a dedication of faith to our Lord God, once we become Christian. As is known to all, a responsibility in employment with a company/corporation is a two way street. For an employee it requires knowledge and application of talents thereof to the actual mission and what is their part to the eventual success of the final product or service. It takes a dedication of loyalty to the employer. In return the employer has certain responsibilities to provide: a satisfactory and safe working environment; a paycheck on an agreed upon schedule according to employment contract; and support for the employee with certain benefits. 

      I am not sure I have ever included any humor in my years of writing this blog, but one occurred to me for this subject. Here goes. A man was applying for a job and asked the personnel manager, "Does your company pay for health insurance?" "No," the personnel manager said, "You pay for it. It is deducted from your salary each month." The applicant said, "Well, the last place I worked, they paid for it." The manager said, "Did they provide you with a life insurance policy?" "Yes." "And profit-sharing?" "Yes." "And paid vacations?" "Yes." The applicant continued enumerating all the benefits he had previously enjoyed such as bonuses and gifts, etc. etc. The personnel manager then asked the applicant, 'Well, why did you leave the company?" The applicant, haltingly replied, "They folded." Case closed!

     The preacher elaborated in his sermon on his main idea. It was, that, accepting Jesus as one's personal Savior, derives a significant gift of unlimited benefits by our Lord in return that far transcends anything we give to God. What must we give? We must believe in loyal and undiminished faith that Jesus is Who He claimed He was two millennia ago, when He was birthed in Bethlehem in human form. We must believe He was not of this earthly world. We must believe what the New Testament declared He was and what He taught humanity. Once in faith we believe He died on that Calvary cross and shed his blood for us for His forgiveness of all our sins, past, present and future, we derive the ultimate gift of Eternal Life.

     First and foremost I have believed and have faith that my benefits received are derived from an underlying understanding that God is in charge, completely and eternally in every aspect of my life and my world. He answers prayers. He heals us body, soul and spirit. What is our responsibility for this contract? It sounds simple, but it is not? We must be sinless (which we cannot be due to original sin for mankind), but we know we can be restored and cleansed by coming back to Him and confessing those sins in the Name of Jesus. We also know we must forgive all others that have hurt/slighted/wounded us in our lives or we will not be forgiven. God's benefits never change. We fail in our part of the contract. We are human, but, in our underlying belief, we serve a God, that is always there for us, even when we lose faith and lose our way. The key is to stay in the fights and battles of life (personally in military terms, tactically and in overall individual life's fights and battles) and (again in military terms the strategic battles) always in our lives of the effects of the great eternal struggle of all mankind, that of God versus Satan, who controls our earthly word.

     Final admonition: Follow up and fulfill your side of the agreement and your life will be better!

#126: Should We Then Live by the Character of Founding Father President George Washington?

      If I were imprisoned and only was allowed to have two books, one would be the Bible and the second would be Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary published by the Foundation for American Christian Education. Whenever I desire to obtain a definition for use of a word, this is my "Go to" resource. Webster produced an incredible dictionary. It reflects the linguistic derivation of words and their meaning with some very topical uses of the word in writings by well-known classical authors of the time. The 1828 dictionary by the publisher of this facsimile edition is dedicated "...to the Christian students of America, who, under the guidance of their parents and teachers, are developing a character of obedience to God's Biblical principles of life and liberty." The dedication page writes of President George Washington:

     "After eight long years as Commander-in-Chief of the army of the Republic, Washington was ready to resign his commission. He wrote from his Head Quarters at Newburgh, June 14, 1783, in his circular letter to the states, 'I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection, that he would incline the hearts of the Citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to Government, to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow Citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have served in the Field, and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all, to do Justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that Charity, humility and pacific temper of mind, which were the Characteristicks of the Divine Author of our blessed Religion, and without an humble imitation of whose example in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation.'"

     Daniel Webster, Bunker Hill Monument Address, 1843.-"America has furnished to the world the character of Washington! And if our American institutions had done nothing else, that alone would have entitled them to the respect of mankind."

#125: Desert Storm Battlefield and Answered Prayer

      At age eight I had already mapped out a goal for my then short-lived life. I set my sights on obtaining admission to West Point and becoming a regular Army officer. My father mapped out my high school experience to assist me. For ninth and tenth grades I commuted from Alexandria, VA to Gonzaga Jesuit High School just north of the U.S. Capitol. The headmaster there recommended I enroll in a boarding school for the rest of high school because my father was due for an overseas tour. I enrolled at Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire and was admitted to West Point as the youngest member of the 1963 class after my eleventh grade at Exeter, thus I became a "high school dropout." Exeter began a number of connections with another student, Chuck Krulak, who went on to graduate from Annapolis. The following story was originally related in my autobiography Wounded Soldier Healing Warrior (Zenith Press 2007).

     "In the summer of 1992 Major General Charles Krulak, later to become commandant of the Marine Corps, was a guest speaker at a Veterans Affairs Department religious group. General Krulak had been a class behind me at Exeter Academy and was the quarterback of a club football team with which I had limited playing time due to my broken rib. Chuck was responsible(among many other heavy responsibilities) for locating and providing water in the amount of one hundred thousands gallons per day for the coalition assault in Desert Storm the previous year. The area where he was based was typically dry and dusty and many miles from the coastal desalinization plants, and no water was to be found. He said they asked tribal members, petroleum engineers, and anyone with knowledge of the area, but to no avail.

     He had been accustomed to having prayers as a regular part of his morning meetings with his staff, and he said prayers were sent up to find water so the ground assault would not be delayed. A morning meeting was interrupted one day and a fellow Marine asked the general to follow him as they proceeded down a road heavily traveled every day by the coalition forces.

     Off the road about fifty yards, General Krulak came upon an amazing sight. Protruding from the ground was a pipe that had at its base a green generator(already containing one thousand gallons of diesel fuel), a red pump and four new batteries. No one could explain who dug it nor how it had not been seen before. Krulak did the honors and pushed the ignition switch and you know the rest of the story. It produced one hundred thousand gallons of water per day!

     Doubt that God answers big and little prayers offered in true faith and it is your loss!

#124: Spiritual Warfare Against Nations and Individuals

     The Old Testament Book of Daniel is full of prophecies of the secular world that were later fulfilled. Daniel, as a young Jew, in 605 B.C. was taken into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jerusalem fell to a Babylonian siege in 586 B.C.. The ruler of Babylon was Nebuchadnezzar, who had a dream one night, and only Daniel could interpret the dream, after which Daniel was elevated in power. Later in Daniel's life in 534 B.C. (two years after the return of some Jews in captivity to Jerusalem). Daniel was again moved to prayer in chapter 9 and in chapter 10. "God...showed some realities of the unseen world---conflicts going on between superhuman intelligences, good and bad, in their effort to control the movements of nations." (Comfort: 405). The purpose of Satan in those times was to stop the first appearance of Jesus. In today's world Satan in my opinion has a mission to keep a veil of deception over the world's people to block the propagation of the Christian faith.

     Daniel's prayers were received in Heaven immediately and an angel was sent down, but was held back and the Archangel Gabriel, guardian angel of Israel, was sent as reinforcement to join a "'...fight with the prince of Persia" (Daniel 10:20). This supernatural conflict between God's angels and a negative spirit indicates the possibility "...that Satan, who is 'the prince of the power of the air' (Eph.2:2) may well have his demons currently indwelling world rulers, attempting to thwart the plans of God for mankind. This scene should alert all believers that we are indeed in a great spiritual conflict in which we need to walk holy before God in order to enjoy his supernatural protection." (Lahaye: 915).

     As individuals we are subject to domination and infiltration by Satan's demons, if we have unconfessed sin and unforgiveness toward others. We are indeed in a massive spiritual battle for our own soul and spirit. Every day in the secular world we are engaged in a personal war of good versus evil. This battle is an actual war! "The war in which we are involved is with the demonic realm...The Bible says that we 'wrestle' against demonic forces (see Eph. 6;12)...This is a spiritual battle for your life. You aren't the enemy, but the Bible says that you have been taken captive by him (see 2 Tim. 2:26) and that Satan has blinded your mind (see 2 Cor. 4:4)." (Evidence: 1217). This is the key issue in the world for every single being. Do we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, crucified on a cross as a sacrifice for all of us, and if, we accept that, then we have won the ultimate personal battle and the earthly war and will have eternal life. 

References: Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook (NIV). Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI. 2007.

                     Lahaye, Tim. Prophecy Study Bible (KJV). Power Publishing. Korea.

                     Comfort, Ray. (Commentary). The Evidence Bible (NKJV). Bridge-Logos:Alachua, FL. 2011.

#123: "Iron Dome of Prayer" For the Nations of the World

      As a seriously wounded soldier in the Vietnam War, the conflicts and killings in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza bring back very vividly to me the horrors of war! These three locales, much less what I understand are a total of approximately thirty worldwide conflicts, are lands where combatants and families are suffering immeasurably. I remember from June 17, 1967 in Vietnam my own excruciating pain, causing both legs to be amputated, when my Special Forces camp was pounded by a North Vietnamese Communist mortar and rocket barrage. 

     I have always wondered about the Iron Dome system in Israel and how it operates. The system has a radar that very detects incoming missiles from the Hamas or Hezbollah territories and shoots up its own missile to destroy the incoming deadly missiles. 

     It is time for the Christians of our world to set up an "Iron Dome of Prayer" for the nations of the world to have peace. I know it is expected that there will always be "wars and rumors of wars," especially in the End Times, prophesied in Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation. However, we cannot just sit in our comfortable and peaceful living rooms and turn on the news and view the disgusting ravages of warfare, especially the barbaric attack on Israel by the Hamas! I feel totally powerless. However, in the Evidence Bible page 1157 there is something all of us, who believe in prayer, are capable of committing to prayer, which our Lord God taught us through the life of His Son, Jesus, when he walked, talked and ministered in today's Holy Land, embattled and besieged by enemies on every side. 

      Ezekiel 22: 30-31.

Stand in the Gap. We must stand in the gap and plead for this world. Had it not been for the prayers of the godly, the wrath of God may have already judged many nations. Never underestimate the power, influence, and authority God has given you through faith in Jesus. Through His name you have the ear of the Father in heaven. See Psa. 106:23.

E.M. Bounds wrote: "Prayer is far-reaching in its influence and worldwide in its effects. It affects all men, affects them everywhere, and affects them in all things. It touches man's interest in time and eternity. It lays hold upon God and moves Him to intervene in the affairs of earth. It moves the angels to minister to men in this life. It restrains and defeats the devil in his schemes to ruin man. Prayer goes everywhere and lays its hand upon everything."

     Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and all peoples impacted by warfare, brought on by the evil forces of our adversary, constantly prowling around to bring his death and destruction to satisfy the greed and deceptions of the evil ones of this world. 

Avalon Chronicles #122: Taming the Tongue

      The Evidence Bible (NKJV) James 3: 5-10. "...See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell....But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God."

     The Everyday Life Bible with notes and commentary by Joyce Meyer has some incredible thoughts about our tongues. Life Point(2055) in James 1: "Our words are verbal expressions of our souls. Until our mouths are brought under control and submitted to the Lord, He usually does not redeem and restore our souls-our minds, wills, and motions." Her commentary (2056): "There is power in the tongue indeed for good or evil. We can bless ourselves or curse ourselves by the way we speak. When we bless, we speak well of something; when we curse, we speak evil of something. By the words of our mouth, you and I can bless our own lives and bring joy to them, or we can curse them and bring misery upon ourselves."

     What we say, when we say it and how we say it, is one of the most critical aspects of everyone's life. How often do we get home or after a conversation look back and question how we spoke? Sometimes our tongue can hold the power to uplift or embarrass, lose a career, lose friendships or just place us in an unfavorable light. It establishes positively or negatively who we are and what is our reputation. Better to hold our tongue than to perhaps be known in a negative light. Each day we are prone to express ourselves in supposedly innocent conversation and hurt someone or even ourselves. It is a natural human instinct to desire to express our opinion, especially in supposedly innocent personal conversations, but those are the ones that are most liable to be misunderstood or worse to be understood!

     Remember we learn nothing when we speak and do not listen. 

Avalon Chronicles #121: How to Pray for Others

      Admittedly it is not every day I pray for others within all the following categories; Provision, Comforting, Blessing, Healing and Recovery, but, as I reflect on relationships and friendships, I do bring before our Father prayers for others. I do not leave out myself!

     My first and overriding prayer for others is that they know Jesus as Savior. He died on the cross at Calvary 2000 years ago so that we, believing in the shedding of His blood for the remission of our sins, can very attain eternal life at earthly death. It takes a proclamation by each of us that we believe He is the Son of God and we desire to live by His standards proclaimed in the Bible, not by the example of the world's standards. To walk and behave by His guidance requires a giving up of much for most of us to gain much more in peace and tranquility every day. We must confess sin and forgive all others!

PROVISION: There are so many individuals in each of our lives that need more earthly substance, a more satisfying and fulfilling career or life's purpose, a life mate to overcome loneliness, a raise to be more comfortable financially or a myriad of other needs. Many of my friends are very forthright in indicating their needs. I pray with them in person and on the phone immediately, when I become informed of their needs. I do not leave them and say, "I will pray for you!" I do it there and then.

COMFORTING: When one of my friends indicates a malaise of spirit perhaps for a loss or a need, it is time for a prayer of comfort. That is simply a prayer of consoling, one of "I cannot really understand, because I have not personally faced that, but I can empathize with you."

BLESSING: One day I spoke at the Dallas County, Texas Jail to perhaps fifty incarcerated men. I spoke and related my own blessings from God that I was spared death on June 17, 1967 at my Green Beret camp in Vietnam, where a mortar round shredded my legs, causing their amputation. Afterwards two men, much younger than I, approached me and asked, "Will you bless me?" I put my hand on their head and called for blessings on them for the multitude of their needs. 

PROTECTION: This need is predominant at a time when there is much lawlessness, criminality and danger.. I pray protection from one's own benign neglect, malignant intent to one from another, intersection of evil and our own "stupids.'

HEALING and RECOVERY: At age 81 I find so many with ills of body, soul and spirit. Each may be brought before the Father in the Name of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit for healing.

Avalon Chronicles #120: Parenting

      Early in August 2023 I was awaiting a plane and in front of me walked a mother and six children, beginning perhaps early teens down to age four or so. I observed them for perhaps an hour and the entire group of children were quiet, well-behaved and close. A couple at a time would share a chair in the waiting area. They were active, but remained very contained in the area near their mother. After a period of time, I could no longer confine myself in not inquiring of the mother as to what was her secret to parenting success as evidenced by the model behavior of her children. I went over to her, introduced myself and indicated how I had been noticing her well-behaved children. She introduced herself as the wife of a pastor. That indicated a probable explanation for her children and their calmness and peace. In retrospect I recognized that it would not take being a ministerial family only to raise children with their degree of extraordinary behavior. I asked her to relate, if she would, three reasons for the apparent success she exhibited with her children. She expressed her principles.

     CONSISTENCY: She said she and her pastor husband proclaimed the same uniformity and constancy in their oversight and communication with their children. They did not deviate from what they believed should be how they raised their children. Simply put, they set standards and stuck with them together so the children always knew what their standards were and there was no questioning. 

     DISCIPLINE: They were not reticent in the youth of each child to "Spare the rod and spoil the child." (Proverbs 13:24). She indicated they spanked the children, when they were young, and the children recognized there were consequences to misbehavior.

     PARENTAL AGREEMENT: Together they maintained the same standards for guiding the lives of their children. They agreed to preserve cooperation and express together the same level of expected behavior to impart to their children. None of this "Go ask your mother or your father" to avoid taking a stand on morals, scruples, ethics or behavior. 

     PRAYERS: As a parent couple they prayed often for and with the children and were committed to raise their children in a Godly fashion.

     Simple response full of wisdom. The proof of their success was exhibited in the six children I watched for perhaps two hours! 

Avalon Chronicles #119: The Titanic: Are you on one of the Lifeboats?

      The recent sad story of the destruction of an undersea vehicle with five passengers, seeking a "sightseeing" trip to the deep burial site of the Titanic ship, struck by an iceberg in 1912 off the coast of Newfoundland, has generated an immense amount of attention. The Titanic story came to my attention recently by "accident" in the NKJV of The Evidence Bible (Bridge-Logos 2011 page 175) in a commentary by Ray Comfort. 

    Allow me to paraphrase from the commentary. The sinking of the ship in the freezing cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean has its comparability to the plan of salvation instituted upon the sacrifice on the cross of Jesus, the Savior of mankind, sent to earth by the Creator God to establish a way by which humanity has the Lifeboat of the Savior that takes us from this world, wherein we can live forever and not perish and not sink due to our sins. So many of us know there is a World with all its enticing entanglements of living lustful, hateful, jealous, acquisitive and thieving lives. God provided us an alternative to the Worldly life and that is a life based upon the Word of God. A great moral code, the Ten Commandments, was established by God to the Hebrews seeking the Promised Land after their Egyptian captivity. 

     There will be those, who attribute no value to these timeless truths, embodied in the Commandments. However, living by them does provide us a lifeboat. Obviously, the crew members of the Titanic marshaled rescue of the women and children first. There never were enough lifeboats for all anyway, but, even had there been, there were those on the ship that believed the ship was unsinkable and would not have taken advantage of rescue with the boats. The life jackets they wore were not enough. A life jacket today of only "good works" will not be enough for salvation. Only living a righteous life through true faith in Jesus will be enough to save us. 

     The "ship" carrying many through their lives will sink. There is a way out. That is to believe that the story of Jesus, dying on that cross two thousand years ago at Calvary outside the Old City of Jerusalem, was real and that believing the story told and retold for two millenia is what will be our ultimate lifeboat. 

     All of us need saving from something or other than the ultimate spiritual salvation to guarantee eternal life, but, as we swim our way through life's challenges, I believe my favorite scripture as one to live by is 1 John 3:22: "And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." With this scripture as a guideline we can keep our head above water daily as we face the traumas and travails of life.

The Honorable Allen B. Clark

Author Soldiers Blood and Bloodied Money

Avalon Chronicles #118: Exodus From Human Bondage The Declaration of Independence of America

                                   July 4, 1776 a Day in History that will Endure Forever!

     A treasured book in my personal library is Unto the Generations The Roots of True Americanism        written by Daniel L. Marsh and published by the Long House Publishers in Connecticut in 1968. Author Marsh, at the time Life Chancellor of Boston University, writes of certain historical events, documents and speeches of America's past. He adopts a rather unique rendering for our nation of these special aspects of our history as they relate to Biblical times, Old and New Testaments. Very compelling is his comparison for the signing of our Declaration of Independence to the Exodus of the Hebrew people from Egypt. A student/reader of the history of this ancient time will recall how Moses gathered up the Hebrews, who had endured 400 years of oppression and slavery under Egyptian domination. They broke free and began their journey to the Promised Land.

    The British colonies in America had developed from the original landings at Jamestown and Plymouth and had blazed trails south and west and established new frontiers of settlers, who had become very independent. One of the historical facts of complete historical significance is that the trails were blazed through lands occupied by many native Americans, who were dispersed to other areas. Over the decades the rule and control of Great Britain became tighter and tighter in governance and especially in taxation. It was not a slavery as experienced by the Hebrews, but nonetheless it was most oppressive. The colonists in America decided it was time to break free and that we did with the establishment of a nation that had never been nor ever would be again.

     Many documents established throughout history are very much secular, but in our nation we developed a different approach. It had its roots in several evangelistic happenings centered around Great Awakenings, when many colonists developed strong personal spiritual roots in the decades preceding our Revolutionary War. Hamilton Long in 1963 wrote Your American Yardstick another classic book in my possession. Recall that fundamental foundation in our Declaration of Independence, "...all men are created...and endowed by their Creator..." He wrote, "The fundamental principle underlying the traditional American philosophy is that the Spiritual is supreme" The adoption of our Declaration of Independence reflected that we have a nation founded upon, "This governmental philosophy is, therefore, essentially religious in nature...it is uniquely American; no other people in all history have ever made this principle the basis of their governmental philosophy."

     What we established in 1776 is unique in recorded history and, if ever lost, would most assuredly never be repeated. Let us ensure that our Exodus to our own Promised Land is permanent!

The Honorable Allen B. Clark 

Author Soldiers' Blood and Bloodied Money

      

Avalon Chronicles #118: The Ultimate Father's Day

     17-20 June every year are most consequential and emotional days in my life! Each June 17th I reflect back to June 17, 1967, at Dak To Green Beret camp in Vietnam. An enemy battalion, after ambushing two of our patrols miles west of our camp, was moving toward us. I was ordered by my detachment commander to be ready for evacuation at 9:30 AM  that Saturday morning. I was a military intelligence officer under cover as an infantry officer with an assumed name. I missed that flight because at 4:30 AM, when the fast-moving enemy unit mortared our camp, I was wounded to the extent that I had both legs below the knees amputated. Miraculously, my Father in Heaven saved me on that battlefield through two Green Beret combat medics, who treated me. Otherwise I would have died and never been able to be a father to my loved two daughters. I wrote them yesterday that "To be their father was reason enough to be saved that day so many decades ago!"

     Coincident always in this time frame is Father's Day and my 81st birthday is June 20. Obviously, a special time of year always! Both my daughters called me this morning and others messaged me to have a Happy Father's Day. But, really most significant in my life is wrapped up in the fateful day in 1967, which we combatants, who suffer serious wounds, term our "Alive Day." I woke up yesterday praising my Father in Heaven, who allowed me to continue with life and breath itself. 

     Linda and I had an extraordinary time of prayer and conversation this morning. Actually for the first time ever I focused on gratitude that the Ultimate Father is He in Heaven above. Secular Father's Day is the focus culturally, partially focused as always commercially on gifts, etc. But, today I focused on Him, the Father of Jesus the Christ, and Creator of all in Heaven and this earth below. 

     My favorite dictionary is the 1828 original Noah Webster American Dictionary of the English Language. In looking up "ultimate" Webster wrote "The ultimate end of our actions should be the glory of God, or the display of his exalted excellence. The ultimate end and aim of men is to be happy, and to attain to this end, we must yield that obedience which will honor the law and character of God." A life in obedience to the Father yields many "Alive Days" in life and the ultimate gift of life after death.

Avalon Chronicles #117: 7 Reasons You May Not Hear From the Lord

This is outline from a message Mar. 12, 2023 delivered by Pastor Ryan Binkley at Create Church Richardson, Texas. Commentary is by Allen Clark

1. Disobedient: One of the major ways in which we are disobedient is to sin and not confess our sins. Reflection: "I confess my sins of thought, word and deed, known and unknown in the Name of Jesus and I ask forgiveness." This is the major way to put disobedience behind us. We all pretty well know about the Ten Commandments we should obey, but one must also evaluate that we do those things that, "...are pleasing in His sight." This takes a bit more reflection. 

2. Distractions: This relates to how one spends their time. Do you pray? Do you read your Bible? Do you waste time?

3. Disbelief: This is a major impediment to one's Godly life. This relates to not believing at all there is a Supreme Being that was the Creator of all. This is unbelief that here is a supernatural presence that is available to be connected to us in all aspects of our life. Our Lord is One, who may be called on to assist us in all issues, if we call on him.

4. Disingenuous: I had to go to my Webster's for this definition. I use the original Noah Webster 1828 dictionary, which is the classic. When one is disingenuous, it is reflected in an attitude or behavior that is, "Unfair; not open, frank and candid; meanly artful; illiberal(not free or generous, not noble, cold in charity, uncharitable in judging."

5. Demonic Attacks: When one has unconfessed sin, lack of forgiveness, or an addiction,etc. that allows one to not have the protection of our Lord, then pathways of evil allow the aspects of spiritual warfare to predominate in our lives and demonic spirits have the legal authority to infest us until cast out.

6. Desert Seasons; These are times of dryness, when we are demonstrably not walking a life of faith. These are times we are disconsolate, angry, irritable and not praying.

7. Don't Read One's Bible: Our Lord wants our hearts and minds. The best way for that to happen is to read and study the most important book ever written, the Bible. 

With a personal family legacy of Hispanic heritage I like to end by saying "Vaya Con Dios!"

Avalon Chronicles #116: The Basics on God and Us Mortals

      

     The 1990s television series "Touched by an Angel'" was a recent discovery we made. I had recollected viewing the series intermittently back then, but, have been recently reintroduced to these programs, which star Roma Downey and Della Reese, who are sent to earth as angels to minister to earthlings, who are involved in all sorts of troubled conditions separated from God and his world of peace and contentment and satisfaction. I have found the thirteen seasons, which consists of numerous episodes, to be of immense entertainment, but, more importantly as almost each episode is a story of healing from past hurts and pains with a path to redemption. 

     The episodes each stand by themselves with a story. The following key points are stressed:

                GOD LOVES YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL JUST THE WAY YOU ARE.

                GOD WANTS THE BEST FOR YOU.

                GOD'S JUDGMENTS ARE THE ONLY FAIR ONES, NOT THOSE BY EACH OTHER.

                OUR LIVES ARE DETERMINED BY OUR CHOICES AND EXPRESSION OF FREE WILL.

                WE CANNOT CHANGE EACH OTHER. WE CAN ONLY ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES.

                 PRAYER WORKS. HE ANSWERS.

                 A TURNING TO GOD, NOT DRUGS OR ALCOHOL OR SELF-PITY, WHEN TROUBLED OR CHALLENGED, IS THE WISEST DIRECTION.

                 Allen B. Clark

                 www.combatfaith.com      www.combatfaith.blogspot.com 

Avalon Chronicles #115: The Gift of Joy and Rest

      Today on the first day of this New Year in the ninth decade of my life (and that sounds so old) Linda and I discussed "The Joy of the Lord." She and I are both reading the words, thoughts and teachings of Derek Prince in separate works. She wrote this, imparted to her from today's meditation and study. 

     "Joy is the energy source from and given by the Holy Spirit. As Jesus said, 'The wind blows where it pleases and no one can see where it comes from or where it is going.' So it is with the 'energy' the 'joy' given by Jesus by way of the Holy Spirit. Joy lifts up, gives strength and creativity and brings healing. Joy is the energy source of the Lord. His joy is imparted to the spirit of man."

    The flesh can know pleasure. The soul can know happiness. The spirit can know the "Joy of the Lord"

                                                                        Derek Prince

     In his book Through the Psalms by Derek Prince he writes about David, who faced
"...tremendous pressures, surrounded by enemies on every side, his very life threatened." In Psalm 4:6-7 it is written by David, but God: "You have filled my heart with greater joy than when their grain and new wine abound."

     David amidst all his travails and circumstances knew "...the blessedness of untroubled , restful sleep." With all his stressors he was renewed with a joy and peace that came "...not on circumstances, or on material provisions, or on the fragile promises of men, but, on the eternal, unchanging promises of God's Word." Prince wrote David was able to sleep peacefully and "...he could awake without anxiety, without fear, without the torment of sleeplessness."

     One of the major scriptures I recollect and attempt to live by to impart my needed joy and bring on restful sleep is I John 3:22: "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we obey his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." This relates to confession of sins, obedience and discipline in our daily lives. God listens to my prayers and addresses my needs, but not necessarily my wants. This is the spiritual formula to achieve joy and sleep peacefully.

     

     

Avalon Chronicles #114: 2023 Looking Back and Forward

      For my Christmas greeting this past year I began to say, "May your Advent season be blessed." Christmas has become so secularized and defined as a rushed time to send cards, buy and wrap gifts and attend end of year social gatherings. We have focused so much on Santa Claus and do not even recognize or know anything about the true origin of Santa. William J. Bennett wrote The True Saint Nicholas Why He Matters to Christmas. The secular Santa Claus is based on a true historical figure, Saint Nicholas, a Christian bishop from Myra, Turkey. Interestingly enough is the story of the original Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Lower Manhattan. It was destroyed on September 11, 2001, when the South Tower fell. The church is in the process of being rebuilt today. It is up from the ashes of that horrendous day in our nation's history. Christmas has evolved so far from its true meaning 

     Much of earth's history is that of ashes. In Genesis 3:19 the Bible expresses the phrase "dust to dust." In the 1662 version of the Book of Common Prayer for the English Burial Service the Priest shall say, "...we therefore commit his body to the ground; earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust;" This past Advent (Christmas Day) I reflected on my blessings for the year in my safe and secure and warm home. I thought about the trouble and turmoil experienced by the people in Ukraine and having been a wounded soldier myself, I was immeasurably cognizant of the suffering of the combatants on both sides of the war zone. I realized how many have been and will be committed in burial services to the dust and ashes of the earth.

     I opened my 1828 original Noah Webster Dictionary and read the definition of Advent, "A coming; appropriately the coming of our Savior,...It is intended as a season of devotion, with the coming of Christ in the flesh, and his second coming to judge the world." Jesus was sent in the flesh by his Father God to be an example of how lives should and could be lived as expressed so elegantly and wonderfully in the New Testament. The Old Testament is a history of pain and sorrow and suffering and misery of mankind. It saddened me to think of our world today and how little has changed even after 2000 years since the Advent. Christianity came upon the world and millions have followed Christ's teaching, but, today the evil one, Satan, has his hooks on so much of the world and so many people. I question why we have not made better progress in putting an end to the horrors of our history. The enemy has been relentless. Our faith has not always been so relentless!

    It is for me only to play my own small part as a member of the earth's cast, but I am secure in my conviction that the end of the play will be a great crescendo of the orchestra to announce the conclusion, "Jesus the Christ will prevail" and as Webster said and we learn there will be a second coming for the Judgment. I will seek to be proven not guilty of denying the eternal truth that the person of Jesus, who was birthed 2000 years ago, was a true and believable event for a person that we, who now know, must proclaim until our own remains become ashes.