THE EMMAUS WALK PRESENTS

"Who are the Shamgars of Today?"

By Ronald Ginther

I have to take issue with fellow evangelicals who attack the nationally-recognized, conservative "traditonalist" commentator, Bill O'Reilly for not being Christian enough: He is truthful, as far as he knows the truth. How about you? You don't have one ounce of his backbone and integrity, when you attack him! I pray he will be encouraged whenever you seek to discourage him.

You don't know the scriptures--whatever religious title you bear. Christ did not put down others who were not of his fold but who nevertheless preached the truth faithfully, regardless of the bitter attacks of truth's enemies. His disciples put truth-defenders down--and he admonished those sectarian nitwits ("nitwit" is John Hagee's term for Emperor Xerxes of Persia)! And then there was in the Book of Judges period (which is very much like our own, by the way) the courageous Shamgar--who it appears was not even a Hebrew but rose up and delivered Israel--which was not his country and people!

Thank God for such righteous unbelievers! He was God's chosen instrument, when no one among His people had the backbone to believe and follow God and defend His kingdom Israel. May Shamgar's noble name be ever shining with renown when Bill O'Reilly's detractors and their names are nothing but the whirling dust in the street after a truck passes.

WE MAY BE IN SUCH A PERIOD AT THIS HOUR OF COWARDICE AND BETRAYAL IN THE TOP LEVELS OF OUR GOVERNMENT. No one among the Christians has back-bone to stand up as a man God can use to lead us to safety. It may be that "deliverance will have to come from another quarter"--the Shamgars of the world. What do we know about Shamgar? Only what the Bible tells us. Judges 3: 31: "After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel." One verse! His whole biography given in one verse! Yet it is all that is needed--his parentage, place in time (after Ehud), his special place in the list of deliverers, his name, how he killed the enemies of Israel the Philistines, and what he used to kill them, the number he killed, who he killed (the Philistines), and what his act accomplished: "he saved Israel."

One sentence says more in the Bible that is lasting than whole books, whole encyclopedias, whole TV series, whole Hollywood blockbusters, whole Government programs and speeches by the leaders in Congress--dare I add: the Congressional Review and the Library of Congress?--say today. The Bible is the most perfect book on Earth--it says only what God wants it to say, not one word more, not one word less!

This one verse proves it--and there is much more in this one verse than I can know or go into. Let it be preached fully in heaven. As for now, let this be an example to us and the self-appointed judges of Bill O'Reilly and honest spokespeople like him who dare to stand up against the foul, dark, haughty, dishonest tide of secular humanism in America and Europe. This man should be hoisted on our shoulders and carried through the streets of Washington, to show him what God Almighty really thinks of him, with his detractors going before him, as Haman (the righteous Mordecai's arch enemy) went before Mordecai, shouting his praises as the king of Persia had commanded him.