Christian Living

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Larry Lilly’s Letter Wednesday July 19, 2006

Having been on this globe we refer to as Earth for over 6 decades it takes a lot to really ‘wow’ me. Yet I never cease to be amazed at how true Christian doctrine comes very close to real life. I say this due to the unreal world many of my friends try to fabricate for the tender sheep of their flock whom they honestly feel will be totally unable to cope with a non-Christian General Motor’s plant, to say nothing of a tough office staffed by sophisticated women’s libbers. (Rush’s term, not mine).

An article on the Associated Press line got the old brain running a little warm. The article is about the Federal Witness Protection Program. I have never been a witness for the state or the feds, but I do witness on a regular basis for Jesus. In many places around the world to witness for Jesus is more dangerous than to witness for the United States Government.

Gerald Shur, the man credited for starting and shaping the witness protection program made a profound statement that ‘old time’ Christians understood, but the super smart moderns seem to miss. Mr. Shur stated concerning certain policy of the program:

“Don’t find a counterfeiter a job in a printing plant.”

The governments reasoning behind this policy is simple for a number of reasons, one of them being that type of work is among the first places those wishing to do harm to the fair haired witness would look. The second is also rooted in common sense, the witness, even though the name has been legally changed as have those of his/her children may revert to type and use the printing facilities to make worthless paper appear valuable. Sort of like Willie Sutton robbing banks because as he said, “That’s where the money is.”


Many Christian groups would in all sincerity place the counterfeiter in a position at the United States Mint basing this placement on the reasoning that this would enhance his/her esteem and all would live happily ever after. Sure. Still others would place Mr. Sutton in the position of bank examiner as this would help him to see how serious other people take their money. It could be noted that Mr. Sutton seriously took their money.

One of the tenants of the generation that has pretty much passed was the principle of having women minister to women and men to men. Departure from this plan could lead to disaster of African Queen proportions. One man became the prophet to the ladies of the night in New Orleans. Need I rehearse what happened? Recently the pastor of a large church in a Western state proclaimed the wonders of his ministry to the ‘gays’ in the seedier section of his city. Need I say more?

It’s hard for me to admit that the government has more sense than many of my fellows in the Lord’s work. In Christian work, it is imperative to grasp that in effect God is using counterfeiters to work in his print shop, in that we are all sinners, just plain sinners or sinners saved by Grace and as such we must find ways to conduct our ministry above reproach. To be slack in this area is to invite disaster.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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