A New Religion?

Why, indeed?
I think I can safely say it was not because God, in His wisdom, decided the world needed a new religion. Throughout history the world has had plenty of religion, and of course, still does. Religion is an invention of men in their effort to reach, please, or appease and find favor with some supreme being or power that has control over the affairs of humanity. This has proven to be a futile effort since the Tower of Babel.
True Christianity is not a religion. It’s a relationship. A relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. True Christianity is not man trying to reach out to God with a set of rules, rituals, and sacrifices. It is God reaching out to man. This is why the Word was made flesh. This is why Christ died an agonizing death. This is why Christ in us is the secret hidden from ages and generations. (ref. Colossians 1:26 & 27) Remember John 3:16, perhaps the best known verse in the Bible, “For God so loved the world that He gave……” True Christianity is an act of God toward mankind and not an invention of men.
The only question is, how do we, as individuals and as a Confederation dedicated to truth, respond to God? The only reasonable response is to accept His gift of life and put our faith and trust in Him. Jesus tells us in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”
God has done all the work. All we need do is, as someone once said, “Let go and let God.”
Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D                                                      Chaplain, Army of Trans-Mississippi                                                            Sons of Confederate Veterans

Standing Together!

Today, we, the Sons of Confederate Veterans, are at war. But, it is not a war we started or wanted any more than our Confederate forefathers did. They fought because they were being attacked, just as we must fight because we are being attacked. And, just like the Yankees 150 years ago, those who attack us will not be satisfied until our Southern heritage and the memory and honor of our fine Confederate history is totally destroyed. We cannot afford complacency. Our just and worthy Cause is under attack by unrighteous foes. We are being oppressed and ridiculed by those who fear us and resent our proud Southern heritage. We are being opposed by forces of darkness who will stop at nothing to stamp out the memory and honor due our brave Confederate ancestors.

There are those who would deliberately and maliciously take from us what is rightfully ours. They would steal away our fine Southern heritage. They would loot and pillage the pride we have in our Confederate ancestors. They would empty us of our history and leave us with a legacy of shame and in a condition of disgrace. They are in fact assaulting our land and all we hold dear.

Being Southerners and more particularly descendants of the Confederacy is our birthright, and something for which we should be militantly proud. We must draw a line in the sand and stand defiantly in defense of our proud Confederate history and those who lived it, and passed it on to us. But, unfortunately, many Southerners, Like Esau in Genesis 25: 27-34, are willing to trade their birthright for a bowl of pottage. They seem more concerned with the comforts, pleasures, and tasks of today. They seem to say, as Esau did in verse 32, “What profit shall this birthright do to me?” They are being robbed of their past and don’t seem to care.

Ours is a history of respect, dignity, and concern for our fellow human beings, and I believe the Lord is on our side. The Scripture says, in Isaiah 41: 11, “Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.” Then in the next two verses, “They that war against thee shall be as nothing, and a thing of naught. For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

As members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, we need to unite as Confederate Brothers and resolve to place our faith and trust in Almighty God and seek His guidance. We must also follow our elected SCV leaders, as our forefathers followed Generals Lee and Jackson. In so doing, we will defeat those who seek our destruction, accomplish the task set before us, and fulfill the mission with which we are charged.

Now let us be mindful of our commitment and duty. Let us, as the historic Sons of Confederate Veterans, do as our heroic Confederate forefathers did, draw a line in the sand, stand together, and hold our ground.

Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D.
Chaplain, Army of Trans-Mississippi
Sons of Confederate Veterans

Get Happy!

Some years ago, I was trying to encourage a man who seemed greatly depressed. I asked him to think of all the things he had to be thankful for. He looked at me as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders, and said, “Like what?” Now that’s pitiful. He couldn’t think of one thing to be thankful for, and that’s enough to make anyone miserable and unhappy.

I know a man who bought a boat. He kept it short while, then sold it. Then he bought a motorcycle, kept that a short while and sold it. After that he bought, of all things, a saxophone. I don’t know what he did with the sax, or what he may have tried next, but I can’t help but wonder: Is he happy now?

Allow me this bit of philosophy: Happiness is wanting what you’ve got and being thankful for it. I don’t have everything I could wish for, I doubt any of us do, but I have everything I need, and then some. And for this, I am thankful. It may be said that being thankful for what we have is the key that opens the door to getting happy.

However, to be truly happy, it is also important to realise who we should be thankful to. In Ephesians 5:20, the Bible says, “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The Scripture tells us to thank God always for all things. If I were to run out of gas on the highway, and someone stopped, drove me to a gas station, and then back to my car, I would thank him very much. But, I would also thank God for sending him. Ultimately, God is the source of everything we have to be thankful for.

We can be most thankful that God loves us, and sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die in our stead that we might have eternal life. We can be thankful that He sends His Holy Spirit to strengthen, guide, and comfort us in our most difficult times. We can thank Him for preserving us, as we await our Lord’s return. We can thank Him always for all things, and that’s what makes me, and all who have committed their life to Jesus Christ, get happy.

To all my friends, Brothers, and Compatriots: I hope you had, and continue to have, a very happy Thanksgiving.

Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D
Chaplain, Army of Trans-Mississippi
Sons of Confederate Veterans

What We Believe!

What we do and how we act is often determined by what we believe. What we truly believe, and disbelieve, will usually determine our decisions and courses of action. Consider the following account in the eleventh chapter of the Gospel according to John.

By the time the messengers from Mary and Martha reached Jesus on the east side of the Jordan River, and Jesus made His way to their home in Bethany, Lazarus was dead. His decaying body had been anointed, wrapped, and sealed in a tomb behind a heavy stone for four days. To Mary, Martha and the many mourners there to offer comfort, Jesus had arrived too late.

As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was approaching, she ran from the house to meet Him. “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died.” She cried as they met. Jesus responded by telling her, “Your brother will rise again.” With eyes red and swollen from days of mourning and tears on her checks, she looked up at Jesus and sobbed, “I know he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Then gazing down into Martha’s tear stained face, Jesus spoke the most astounding words ever uttered in all human history. “Martha, I am the resurrection.”

“I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” A Buddhist priest once scoffed at these words of Jesus by saying, “Anyone could say that.” The Christian missionary whom he was addressing replied, “Yes, anyone could say it, but could they get anyone to believe it.” Jesus went to the tomb, ordered the stone removed, and shouted, “Lazarus, come forth!” Then, the Scripture tells us, “He that was dead came forth.” Jesus said it, then He proved it, and everyone there believed it.

Very soon, Jesus would also be placed in a tomb. He would be arrested, falsely accused, spit on, humiliated, severely beaten, and nailed to a rough wooden cross to die as God’s sacrificial lamb. He suffered an agonizing death to atone for the sins of man, and offer eternal salvation to someone as unworthy as me and you. Then the greatest of all events occurred. Early the following Sunday morning, a day we call Easter, He arose from the dead leaving the tomb empty. Thank you Lord for the empty tomb. He’s alive!

Speaking to Martha, Jesus said, “Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Then He asked a question. A question that comes storming through the centuries. A question that must be answered by every man and woman who has ever lived or will live. A question that must be answered by me and you . . . “Do you believe this?” John 11:26

Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D
Chaplain, Army of Trans-Mississipi
Sons of Confederate Veterans

Disappointed? Don’t Be!

Someone once said, “America is an insane asylum, and the inmates are in charge.” I don’t know if that’s exactly true, but it sounds about right. Because someone also said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

The American people elect the same candidates, to the same offices, to do the same work, for the same reasons, with the same results, as those who were elected before them. Then we wonder why things don’t change and just keep getting worse. We’ve put the Democrats in charge. We’ve put the Republicans in charge. We’ve elected men and women from every race and background who make campaign promises to fix all our problems. But, the end result is just more of the same.

The Bible refers to those, “Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray.” (2 Pet. 2: 14,15a) The Bible then states, “These are wells without water.” (Vs. 17) And, “While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption.” (Vs. 19) This seems to be a fairly close description of many we elect to have our best interest at heart and in mind. How can we expect different results?

Under such leadership, as a nation, we have “forsaken the right way, and are gone astray.” So, what happened? How did we go astray? I’m sure most of us know. We have abandoned the policies and politics of our founding fathers, and have amended the Constitution until it is barely recognizable as the one they intended. And, as a nation, we have forsaken their Christianity as well. But, I see a glimmer of hope.

Even the most complacent American will eventually say, “Enough is enough, and I’ve had enough.” This is reminiscent of our Revolution. Also, more and more states are proclaiming their sovereignty and States Rights. If fact, if my information is correct, since our election, or reelection should I say, three states, Texas, Louisiana, and North Carolina have petitions circulating requesting a peaceful withdrawal from the United States. I don’t know how far this will go, but it’s a sign of the times. It seems that many Americans are beginning to see things the way our Confederate forefathers did, whether they realize it or not.

So, if you’re disappointed, don’t be. Perhaps we are on the verge of turning back to the “right way.” But, I believe it must begin with turning back to our Christian Faith. This is true of our nation, and it is also true of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. We must remember the course laid out for us by those who fought for Southern independence. This is not only a responsibility, but an honor. However, to be successful, we must also remember the Christian faith practiced by the officers and men of the Armies of the Confederate States of America.

It is my prayer that God bless the Sons of Confederate Veterans and our most worthy Cause. When we put our faith and trust in God, we are never disappointed.

Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D
Chaplain, Army of Trans-Mississippi
Sons of Confederate Veterans

Just Being Honest!

Someone once said, “To thine own self be true.” So, let’s be honest with ourselves. We need help. We need help in our daily lives, and we need help to fulfill our mission as members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. We need strength, we need wisdom, and we need guidance. We need God!

It is pride which leads some to think ultimate success can be achieved without God’s help, and the Scripture says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16: 18) The Bible also tells us, “He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.” (Acts 17: 25b) The strength, wisdom, and guidance we need is freely given to us by God.

Some years ago a Russian Astronaut went up into space and when he returned he made this declaration. He said, “I looked everywhere up there for God and I couldn’t find Him. Therefore I declare to you that there is no God.” The Psalmist was thinking of him, and those like him, when he said, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.” (Ps. 14: 1)

But God is there, and God is here. The omnipresent, eternal God is everywhere. He is big enough to fill the universe, and small enough to live in our hearts. It’s been said that, “He is closer than hands and feet, and nearer than breathing.” In Acts 17: 27, we read, “He (God) be not very far from every one of us.”

Men seek God in different ways. The savage seeks God by inflicting punishment on himself thinking that somehow God will look upon him with favor. The pagan seeks God by bowing down before idols of wood and stone. The more civilized man will seek God through religious forms and rituals. But, they all end in failure. There is only one way to enter into a relationship with God, and that is God’s way.

Jesus said, “No man cometh to the Father, but by me.” (Jn. 14: 6) And in that same verse our Lord says very plainly, “I am the way.” God is the full and final answer for all our needs both now and for eternity, and Jesus Christ is the only way to God. Simply put, without Christ we lose. We lose as individuals, and we lose as a Confederation. In John 15: 5, Jesus tells us that, “Without me ye can do nothing.”

In every poll I’ve seen, the vast majority of people are in no way opposed to the Confederate Battle Flag, statues of our Confederate heroes, or any other symbol of our proud Southern heritage. And yet, if one person claims to be “offended” our politically correct leaders will rush to remove them. It seems that even when we come out ahead, we can’t win. We need help!

In the Gospel of Luke, Chapter one, verse 37, God’s Word assures us, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.” The strength, wisdom, and guidance we need to overcome the forces of evil that beset us, protect the honor due our brave Confederate forefathers, and preserve our noble Southern heritage, can only come from God. And that’s just being honest.

It is my prayer that every member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and everyone else reading these words, will put their faith and trust in Jesus our Lord and completely rely on God’s presence and power.

Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D
Chaplain, Army of Trans Misissippi
Sons of Confederate Veterans

An Honor!

It is an honor and privilege to be members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. (This can also be said of our Sisters with the United Daughters of the Confederacy.) It is an honor to uphold and defend the brave Confederates who stood against the invaders of our country with courage, faith, and determination. It is a privilege they bestowed upon us, their descendants. They intrusted us with their story, their history, their memory, and their sacred honor, and we must not fail them. Against all oppressors and obstacles, we must stand together united in that purpose.

And, how is that to be done? Consider the story of Gideon as told in book of Judges, chapters six through eight. The land of Israel was being oppressed by great hordes of Midianites and Amalekites. Under God’s direction, Gideon sent out a call to arms throughout Israel, but only 32,000 responded. God told Gideon that it was too many, and the number was reduced to 10,000. Again, God said it was too many and ultimately reduced Gideon’s force to a mere 300 men. Gideon and his small band were victorious, and the vast army of the oppressors were totally destroyed.

The point is, that without God 32,000 Israelite soldiers would not have been nearly enough. But with God, 300 was plenty. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul writes, “God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Cor. 1: 27b) God wants us to know that, “with God all things are possible.” (Mk. 10:27b)

Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans face many challenges. We are challenged to recruit and retain members. Something that should be a priority to each of us. We are challenged to carry out the Charge delivered to us by General S.D. Lee over a hundred years ago, which should be our defining characteristic. And this we will do. But like Gideon, we are confronted by great hordes of oppressors.

There are many who would tarnish the memory of our brave and noble Confederate fathers and deny them their honor, and who would reduce our proud Southern heritage to a legacy of shame. And perhaps as Gideon, we may wonder how we can be successful against the determined forces that beset us. But, we can succeed if we put our faith and trust in God, and seek His guidance and direction.

However, we must be ever mindful of our dependency on God and His direction and power. Then in the midst of victory, we can say as Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Dr. Len Patterson (Thd)
Chaplain, Army of Trans-Mississippi
Sons of Confederate Veterans

That’s Wise!

The Scripture tells us in Psalm 111:10, “The fear (fearful reverence) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

At some time in the past something snapped in America. It may not have happened all at once, more likely it was a gradual movement, but we lost something and it has never come back. Perhaps that “something” is wisdom. Progress had not yet run us crazy. We still had time to live. The old virtues were still preached and practiced. We still believed the Bible. Then the world went crazy and we have been in a madhouse ever since. Higher criticism denied the Scriptures, minimized sin, reasoned away atonement, and air-conditioned hell. Man was deified and God was humanized. Liberalism dismissed the devil, and now we have more devil than ever, and fewer people who believe there even is a devil.

It might offend some egos, but the outstanding characteristic of today’s generation is ignorance. We have never had so much smartness and stupidity at the same time. We know a lot about a lot of things, but of God’s Word and will this generation seems to be of all men most ignorant. There has never been a time when people prided themselves more on their cleverness, intelligence, sophistication, and education than we see today. But, they have no wisdom. Jesus tells them, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matt. 22: 29)

Several times in the New Testament (Rom. 11 :25; 1 Cor. 10:1, 12: 1;2 Cor. 1: 8;1 Thess. 4: 13; 2 Pet. 3: 8) we read, with slight variations, “I would not have you ignorant.” But today’s generation is ignorant, willfully ignorant as the Bibles says, and they continue to live in error. It has been said, “As scarce as truth is, there is still a greater supply than there is demand.” Most people are ignorant because they want to be. But we need not be ignorant. We can know Him and the power of His resurrection. We can know in whom we have believed. We can know He abides in us by His Spirit. We can know His Word and His will for us. We can know God.

The answer to ignorance is Christ Himself, who is the Truth and Wisdom of God. Mark Twain once said, “You can’t argue with a pig. It’s a futile effort, and all you do is aggravate the pig.” Just as futile is the plan of any man to build against God’s program for the ages or God’s will for his life. The only man who can understand the times is the man who views them in light of the Living and Written Word of God.

I believe God in His wisdom has a plan for my life, and I am certain God has a plan for your life. I am also quite convinced that God has a plan for the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Of course, I don’t know the details of God’s plan, but I do know He has one. And, no man can interfere with God’s plan and win. So, let us stand on God’s sure Word. Then our hearts will be fixed, trusting in the Lord, not disturbed by evil tidings. For, “great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” That’s Wise!

Bro. Len Patterson, Th.d
Army of Trans-Mississippi Chaplain
Sons of Confederate Veterans