The RECORD

By Myrl Allinder

It is the right as well as the duty of all men in society, publicly and at stated seasons, to worship the Supreme Being, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping God in the manner and season most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience... Massachusetts Bill of Rights

Separation of church and state is one thing. Separation of faith from home, family or work is quite another. After the Admiral soundly cursed everything and everyone within earshot... including me...I smilingly asked, "Admiral, may I ask you a question?"

"Well, what the blankety-blank is your question, you blankety-blank Marine?"

"Sir, do you believe in freedom of speech?"

"Freedom of speech? You better blankety-blank-blank know I believe in freedom of speech!"

Whereupon I raised both arms in the air, and shouted at the top of my Marine Corps lungs, "Praise the sweet lovely name of Jesus my Redeemer! Alleluia!", then politely assured the Admiral that in future I would have least ten public "Praise the Lords" for every one of his public blankety-blanks.

For a businessman, a working man, any man, to have a Biblical worldview, it stands to reason that the man must have read the Bible through from Genesis to Revelation at least once. Unfortunately, this is not the case with the majority of Christian men; less than 10% have read the Bible through even once. Consequently, 90% of Christian business/working men (and, of course, 100% of non-Christian business/working men) have a worldview at variance with a Biblical worldview.

There is to be no separation of faith and work; faith in God is to permeate work, family, worship, all that we do in word or in deed. (Col 3:17, 22, 23)

Standards and measures are to be consistent. It's eight hours of labor for an eight hour pay check, it's also 16 oz. of meat per pound charged. (Prov 20:23)

A non-religious English butcher, out of curiosity, went to a Billy Graham crusade in London. His wife began to be concerned -- they lived on the 2nd floor over the shop -- when 11 p.m. came, and the husband had not returned. At last she heard the front door unlock, but instead of coming directly upstairs, the husband bustled around the butcher shop below. At last he came trudging up the stairs with a dazed look. "Where have you been all this time?"

"At the Graham meeting."

"Well, what did Mr. Graham say?"

"I'm not really sure."

"You look strange, what happened to you?"

"I don't really know."

"Well for heaven's sake, man, what have you been doing in the shop just now?"

"I put the honest weights back on the scales."

The Ten Commandments give instruction regarding relationship/duty/worship toward God; for relationships and duty toward parents and family; and duty towards fellow men in the work place. The problem: most Christian men cannot write down the Ten Commandments. They do not remember them, if they ever read them. Christ told the rich merchant that only reading Moses (Ten Commandments) and the Prophets would increase the faith of his five rich brothers...not miracles. (Luke 16:28-31)

And there's the problem again: neither the rich merchant burning in Hell nor his five alive rich brothers, all sons of Abraham, none of them read/studied/ remembered Scripture.

Scripture is written for believers, not unbelievers. (2 Tim 3:16-17)

Remembering Scripture is so important that Jesus promised He would send the Holy Spirit to cause believers to remember all things that He said to us. (John 14:26) It is rather difficult to remember Scripture one has not read.

God desires to be in partnership with farmers in all their labors; but in Georgia they say, " God don't plow; He's in charge of rain, lightning and sunshine."

There are three words for manin the Hebrew: adam, ish,and zechar. Interestingly, zechar has a second meaning: remember. The inference is, the true man remembers; he remembers what Scripture has to say regarding daily life in vows, work, commerce, duty, government. Solomon searched for the true man, couldn't find him. (Prov 20:6) Christ repeats the puzzle question of Solomon, and then answers the question in John 7:18 ...the true man seeks the Glory of Him Who sent him¦ If there is a true man, it follows there is also a false man. In fact, Scripture indicates that most men are false men. (Matt 7:13) The false man seeks his own glory (John 7:18), seeks his own profit ...... and does not/will not remember the Biblical worldview and way of life, family, commerce.

Psalm 15: "Blessed is the (true) man, who keeps (remembers it, does it) his word, even to his own hurt". Thank God, He remembered... and kept His Word, even in the market place, even to His own hurt...the Cross.

Myrl Allinder is married to the former Martha E. Smith of Augusta, GA since 1956. They rejoice in 4 children, and in 5 grandchildren. Myrl retired as a Colonel of Marines in 1986 after 29 years, 375 combat missions, and command of 3 squadrons. He served on the staff of the Secretary of Defense for 3 years, and as a Strategic Planner for the Department of the Navy at the Naval War College, Newport, RI for 4 years. His final job was Chief of Plans, Joint Deployment Agency, Joint Chiefs of Staff, developing Logistics War Plans for all Theaters, including the Middle East.

Upon retirement he served as a missionary in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America from 1987-2000. Today he volunteers in the Pinellas County Jail (4,000 prisoners, 1000 arrests per week), in the Suncoast Haven of Rest rescue mission (7,000 homeless); and as a Gideon distributes thousands of Bibles each year to students and foreigners in the Tampa Bay area. He is an usher at Bayside Church of God in Safety Harbor, FL, serving on the Missions Committee.