Out In The Fields

Out in the fields,
Among the flocks,
Shepherds rest,
Upon some rocks.

Up in the air,
A sound is heard,
Angels sing,
About the Birth.

In Bethlehem,
In a stable-bed,
The King has come,
His Blood to shed.

Among the sheep,
And cattle lay,
This little King,
Upon the hay.

Around Him were,
His mother, dear,
And Joseph, too,
Is standing here.

By God’s command,
The shepherds came,
To see God’s Son,
And hear His Name.

To worship Him,
The Son of God,
Those shepherds bowed,
Upon the sod.

To God they praised,
Those shepherd men,
For what they saw,
Had never been.

Throughout the land,
They made it known,
Messiah had come,
To Redeem His Own.

About these things,
Mary was amazed,
And pondered them,
While cattle grazed.

For everyone,
From sin to save,
God sent His Son,
To Free Sin’s Slaves.

On this joyous day,
Let us proclaim,
The Son of God,
And praise His Name.

Out in the fields,
Others heard,
Only sound and noise,
Not any words.

For they had not,
The Messiah sought,
Only concerned,
With their earthly lot.

Out in the fields,
Among the flocks,
Shepherds rest,
Upon some rocks.

Up in the air,
The sound is heard,
The angels sing,
About His Birth!

By D. Ray Perdue, Jr.

© Copyright 2006 Ray Perdue. December 21, 2006.

Christmas 2006

First of all, Merry Christmas to all of the readers of the OpenDoor News! Those that have subscribed to receive the email updates from ODN should have received an eChristmas Card by now. A few other friends of ODN were also sent eChristmas Cards.

As this Christmas season winds down (personally, I celebrate Christmas through January 6; and if you want to be technical, we should celebrate Christmas all year around), many of us turn our thoughts to past Christmases. And for many, this is not always the most pleasant thing to do. Many have lost loved ones since last Christmas, making this one complicated. Others have experienced other forms of heartache - disease and illness, or emotional or financial trouble. Not everyone is having a good time, something which we need to remember.

It's important to do something for others at Christmas. The greatest blessing comes when you do something for those that you do not know at all, or do not know well. The old story called "The Christmas Guest", which has appeared on many Christmas albums over the years, is a good explanation of this. Jesus said when you do something for "the least of these my brethren", then you have done it to Him. Whether it is feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, no matter the task, just do it for Christ. Maybe visit a nursing and take some simple gift bags to the people there, many of whom will not have one person to visit them on Christmas.

Sadly, many of us are so selfish and greedy at this time of the year. The last thing we think of is doing something for others. We probably would have been the the innkeeper that sent Joseph and Mary away to the barn on that Night. Or, we may have been one of the many relatives and distant relations that shunned the couple because of Mary's strange pregnancy. We would rather think of our prestige or ego rather than doing what is right.

It's still not too late to do something. Bake some cookies for that widow, take a meal to that older couple, buy some toys for some kids that will not get any this year - just do something! You may not have a whole lot, but odds are, you have more than what others have.

Editor/RP

Does It All End In Dictatorship?

In 1777 a loose "union" of new States came into existence in the North American Continent under the Articles of Confederation. A few years later in 1787 the first states began to agree upon a new Constitution which solidified that "union". A few states did not join until a few years later in 1791 when the Bill of Rights was finally adopted. And so the Liberty, Freedom and Independence that was paid for in blood, property and human life has managed to survive for over 200 years. But are all those things about to die an agonizing death? We have enjoyed this freedom for so long, that many Americans no longer understand what it is to be free. They no longer comprehend this Liberty, and as a result it may soon be forever lost.

In October of this year, Army Times proudly proclaimed that "US Army North reached full operational capacity...which means it is fully manned, equipped and ready to assume it's mission." (See note 1). And what is that mission? According to some, to overthrow that last vestiges of freedom and establish a military dictatorship. Others say it is to enforce the coming North American Union. And the government? What does the government say about the purpose of this USARNORTH, as it is referred to in military-speak? To protect Americans, of course! (See note 2).

In the 1780s and 1790s many of the "Founding Fathers" of our country were opposed to a central unification of the States under the Constitution. They feared it would ultimately lead to the destruction of the very things many of their brethren had given their lives for. While James Madison, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton were busy writing the Federalist Papers in order to encourage the various states to accept the Constitution, others, like Patrick Henry, were busy writing the Anti-federalist Papers. Patrick Henry and other Patriots were convinced that the Constitution would prove to be unable to withstand the attacks against Liberty, and one day the Republic would fall. Many of the things written about by the Anti-federalists have already come to pass. An enormous national debt, the fatally flawed fiat currency, a central bank, standing armies, attacks on gun rights, and the assault on freedom of speech are all key things that are happening now that the Anti-federalists warned their contemporaries about. Those warnings have been passed down to succeeding generations, but have largely gone unheeded. (See note 3).

Ultimately, whether in the near future or in our children's days, Americans will pay the price for their apathy and "willful ignorance". But how will that payment be exacted? Will it cost all of our freedoms, just so that we can be told that we are "safe and secure"? Or will the price be even higher, costing untold loss of life? In all likelihood, it will cost all of that and more than we can possibly imagine.

Many of our ancestors risked everything they had so that their children and families could be free. Will we reward their sacrifice with the destruction of all that they believed in? Will Liberty die without even a whimper and end with a dictatorship? Things are changing rapidly, and time is against those that love and cherish Freedom and Liberty.

Notes:

1. "U.S. Army North up and running", Staff Report, October 17, 2006, ArmyTimes.com, http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2274936.php

2. Ibid.

3. Anti-Federalist Papers, Constitution.org, http://www.constitution.org/afp/afp.htm

Editor/RP

215th Anniversary of the Bill of Rights

This past Friday, December 15, was the 215th anniversary of the Bill of Rights. This should be a cause for celebration, but instead, it passed without the barest mentioning in hardly any newspaper or television program. Why? Because the Bill of Rights is no longer important to most people. Most Americans, of any stripe, cannot tell you what the Bill of Rights is, let alone what "rights" it is supposed to protect. Who cares? After all, the government will take care of us. Right?

There may not have even been a bill of rights, had it not been for the incessant hard work of some dedicated, freedom-loving Americans. Those that worked the hardest to secure the establishment and passage of a bill of rights were Christians, many of whom were Baptists. Religious freedom and the freedom to keep and use weapons were extremely important to these people. They had risked their lives to secure independence to have these freedoms, and were not about to lay them aside just because they were told by a Congress that everything was "OK".

Each of the rights protected in the Bill of Rights helped protect and preserve the other rights. Should one be cast aside, the others soon would follow. The right to own guns could not be preserved without the freedom of speech. Freedom of speech could not, in turn, be preserved without the right to own guns.

The newly independent citizens understood this interlocking system, and liked it that way. Several states had refused to join the union of independent States unless a bill of rights were approved. Most of the states had themselves approved various "declarations of rights", but if they were to join a "union" of States, then a broader protection system must be established in order to keep them safe from the potential of a overreaching central government.

215 years later, one must wonder: how much longer will the Bill of Rights be around? Will it survive another 215 years? That is doubtful. Even more so, will the Bill of Rights survive another 21.5 years? Things are moving fast in the wrong direction. If the Bill of Rights is to continue protecting us, then Americans must stand up for those rights. An ever-expanding Federal government promises to eat away at every bit of liberty and freedom unless it is checked. Freedom is dying from a cancer of apathy, and most Americans have no idea. There is a cure, and that cure is called action. Get active, or face the dire consequences.

Editor/RP

Sign this petition to help the border patrol agents

+ + + + + +
Ray Perdue:

This is your Link message.
Please forward the below message to your friends and
encourage them to join with you in this national
grassroots movement to pardon these two U.S. Border Agents.

+ + + + + +


12/16/2006

Two U.S. Border Patrol Agents have been sentenced to a
decade long prison terms for apprehending an illegal
alien at our border!

Almost as outrageous is that the illegal alien drug
smuggler, who was given immunity for testifying against
the agents is now suing the U.S. for $5 million, claiming
he was permanently injured!

I have just signed a petition calling for the President
to pardon these two Border Agents and I’m asking you to
join with me by clicking here for the full story and the petition:

http://www.grassfire.org/142/petition.asp?PID=12054821&NID=1
Thanks!


Ray Perdue