A "Public Character"

A few years ago, unbeknownst to most people, President Bill Clinton passed a new notion along to the people of this nation, especially our nation's youth. What was that new notion you ask? The notion that a person can seperate his private life from his public life. His affair with Monica Lewinski became the focal point of the media and the source of every commedians jokes. And while we all laughed at the jokes, a subtle change was taking place. Now, its almost as if a new mindset has been established concerning this issue in our culture. One that says, "as long as you can play the part in the public, what happens in private really doesn't matter." What foolishness!! What is happening in private will ultimately determine what happens in public! So in other words, your private life affects others. No one lives "to themselves." The true character of a person is defined in the confines of privacy. The place that no one can observe the conduct or actions of a person. Yet we are observed. How?
>God Sees! The Bible reminds us that there is nothing hidden from God. That means your thoughts, motives, how you treat your family, what you watch on TV, what you read, etc.. God Sees it all.
>People See! Jesus taught us that the sins that are committed in private will be shouted from the housetop - Or CNN, ABC, FOX, or the local news! Just ask Bill if you don't believe it.
>You See! It's almost impossible to hide from yourself. The closest thing to that is the worst kind of deception - It's called self-deception.
I will continue with this thought in my next blog. But, may we all recognize the need to live a private life that we're not afraid of having exposed. Your private life matters. It will ultimately determine your "Public Character."

Simple

It is amazing as to how the Church is perceived as the "food bank" in our society today. I, for one, believe that the government has had to intervene in acts of benevolence, that the Church should be taking care of. According to an article on ChristianityToday.com, the Christians in America kept 143 billion dollars in the the tithe(1/10 of an individuals income) to themselves last year. Enough money to feed every hungry person in the world right now. Just imagine the tax cuts that our government would be able to allow if the Church could take that 143b and create a legitimate "welfare" system.

If I were in charge of that system, here's a few guidelines that would be introduced.
1)Provide for the Orphans. The children must be a priority. Take care of the children who have been subject to the loss of their parents.
2)Provide for the Widow/Widower. Take care of those who are not capable of pursuing an income. Honor and respect the elderly.
3)Provide for Single Parents. Make resources available to them such as childcare, continuing education, job training, etc.. Empower them to rise above poverty, and have a healthier self -image. What an example for the kids too?
*Warning - The next three guidelines are a little more extreme. If you are a mamby-pamby, just..."love everybody and be nice" person, STOP reading now!
4)Starve the Lazy. The Apostle Paul told the Christians at Thessolinica "...If you don't work...You don't eat!" Seems fair to me!
5)Get Rid of the Infidels. If there are parents that refuse to try to provide for their children, then away with them!
6)Work'em. That's right! Put those lazy rascals in a work camp and let them earn their keep. Just imagine how clean our highways and towns could be if we provided the employees to do the work through the "No Work-No Food" camps.

Almost a perfect system, ha? You may think that I am being a little over-simplistic, but don't we complicate things anyway! Many of our world's problems have very simple solutions. You see how easy it is to solve the problem with welfare. All it would take is to get every American Christian to start tithing. How Simple is That?

Crash!!

Crash! It happened once, can it happen again? The crash of the stock market that led to the era known as The Great Depression. They called it "Black Tuesday" - October 29, 1929 - the day the market hit the lowest point in its history. With what has happened this week with the stock market, you can't help but wonder if something like those events are in the near future. Most of you take note of the market in your retirement funds or something like a 401k. That's where it makes the most sense to those of us that are not experts in the stock market. Just "Show me the money!" Who cares about points, The Dow Jones, etc.? The "account balance" is the indicator of how the market is fairing. (It would probably be good, in your health's best interest, to not check the balance this week.) With this in mind let me ask, what would you do if our economy collapsed, and life as we know it in America, changed in a 24 hour span? Hard to imagine, but a conceivable reality!

Here are some things that I must consider with this reality.
Life is Fragile. Life can change without a moments notice. Remember 9/11 and how our lives were interrupted by the terrorists that day. If you have ever been through personal tragedy, you know exactly what I mean when I say "life is fragile." One phone call can change your life forever. There are no guarantees to what tomorrow may bring.
Trust. In whom have I placed my trust? It's easy to say we trust God in the abundance that we enjoy in this great nation. I hope that I could trust Him like Job, when everything is lost. My trust can not be in money or the things that make me comfortable.
Perspective. God help me to live life with an eternal perspective. When I live only for the here and now, the pressure and anxiety can be overwhelming. God is always working for my eternal good.


If you don't know me personally, you may think I'm a real pessimist - Which is the furthest thing from the truth! I'm not getting ready to write "The Late Great Planet Earth" - Vol.2. But, I am a realist, and only God knows what the future holds. I hope we all live into a "...happily ever after...". But, if things do go "CRASH!!", with God on my side, everything will be alright!

For Goodness-sake!

I heard a startling statistic the other day. Only about 15 million of the over 60 million Evangelical Christians in the United States voted in the 2006 elections. That is actually less than 25% of the total. You may be asking - "What is an evangelical Christian?". Without getting into the beliefs or the factors that may determine that, let me say that group includes most every protestant denomination, and ones with like doctrines, in the USA. Probably 95% of the Christians that you know fall into that group. That is a sad turnout of people who supposedly believe that Jesus is the hope of this world. Just for comparison with a people-group that would fall on the opposite end of the spectrum of Evangelical Christians, the Gay community turned to vote to the tune of 92% in those same elections in 2006. No wonder the politicians listen to them so much. Here are some suggestions for you that are not voting.
1)Go VOTE! Get registered if you are not already. It's as easy as going to your county offices and signing up. Get your butt out there and VOTE.
2)Vote Morals! Vote for candidates who vote right on moral issues according to the Bible. That's right - The Bible - It's the standard for what is right and wrong. Stop listening to the media outlets, look at the candidates voting records and vote accordingly.
3)SHUT-UP! That's right, Shut-UP! If you are not taking your God-given responsibility to vote, then why complain about the politicians, the government, or taxes. You are allowing these things to happen if you do not vote.
4)Get Ready! There are major changes coming in this nation if people like you "non-voters" continue in your same old ways. Changes for the worse, so "get ready!"


If you are a voter, please share some of these thoughts with someone you know who doesn't vote. Maybe they have that "..what's the use..." mentality. Their vote does matter! Proverbs 29:2 says "...when the righteous rule, the people rejoice." I understand that there are no "saints" running for an office right now, but there are some candidates who vote right. I'm not asking you to try and elect the guy that you think will pad your pocket with some extra cash. I'm asking you to vote for righteousness, for goodness-sake!

Feeling Better

I have been battling through some sickness over the past week. Nothing like living with "crud" in your lungs. I ran a fever several days, and man, talk about a wimp - Here is ONE! I can deal with most of the symptoms that come along with this kind of stuff, but if a fever comes along..."mama"....I'm a big baby! I'm sure many of you know exactly what I mean, whether you admit it or not. I'm sorry for the inactivity on the blog, but this stuff has been kicking my backside. This is what I have been doing to deal with this stuff.
>Keep on Keeping on...I don't know if this is the right thing to do or not, but I feel better if I can stick with my routine as much as possible. Again, this might not be the best road to recovery, but it works for me. Go ahead, stick your finger down your throat, you'll feel better!
>Walk well...I believe the word declares that we were healed when Jesus took stripes on his back for our infirmities. Does that mean you will always see the manifestation of your healing immediately? No. But you will never see your healing if you don't recognize that it has already been paid for.
>Get a Shot...Man, I didn't think they gave those "hip-bruisers" any more. But when the nurse came in with that needle and said "..bend over...", I gladly obliged! "Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights." That includes a good shot of medicine.
I hope none of you have to face any of this "junk." If you do, do what is best for you to get past it as quick as possible. I probably waited a little longer than I should have to seek a doctors help, but there are a lot of people that probably take off to the doctor too quick. Maybe I'll find the right balance one day. One thing for sure right now, I'm feeling better!

Resolute

Well here we go! The first full week of the new year is the time to set all of the resolutions in place. Read more. Eat better. Exercise. Pray more. All good things that I need to do in the new year. Question is, will those things actually happen? Maybe? Here are some thoughts that help me in reaching resolutions or achieving goals.
1)Keep the long term in mind. We live in a 'drive-thru' world, and waiting is one of the most difficult things in the world for most of us. Patience is a virtue. Remember Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Don't Give up before your season arrives.
2)Don't let failure be your end. It is so easy to give up when we fail. If you do drop the ball along the way, pick it up and keep going. Resilience is a must in this thing called life. Your ability to get back up is key not only this year's resolutions, but in every area of life.
3)Will-power is not enough. What happens when it runs out? As much as we try to live with a mentality that says, "...roll up your shirt sleeves, and git-r-done...", will-power will run low! You will need strength from above. God's grace is sufficient for everything in your life. Look to him when you're running a little low on "will-power."
I hope that you are able to live into all of your new year's resolutions. If not fully, look for increase and improvement in those areas. Increase your knowledge of the word, lose a few pounds, improve your health-habits, grow in Christ, become a better parent, be a better spouse! All good ideas. Be RESOLUTE!

This Is It!

'2008' - WOW! I thought Jesus' return would have already taken place by now. But, here we are, continuing in the work that he has called us to do. I remember back in the early 90's, I would stand and boldly proclaim the eminent return would take place before the end of the decade. I really believed that! The only problem is that either I was wrong, or we've all been "Left Behind". So here we are, entering the last third of the first decade of a new millennium. What should we do?
1)Seize the Day! We've been given another benchmark for life with the new year. Don't squander the opportunity that has been given. In Ephesians 5, the Apostle Paul encourages us to "... redeem the time, because the days are evil." Don't blow it!
2)Look for Open Doors! This could be the year that the "big break' that you've been waiting for is really about to happen. If the door opens, be ready to step in!
3)Live the unprecedented! Don't wait for the things that you can always relate to past experience. One of the greatest deterrents in life can be living with the safety net of precedent! God may want to do some things in your life for which there are no precedents.
4)Start and stay clean! "God's mercy is new every morning," according to Me and Jeremiah. (And believe me, We Know!) Realize that you can have a clean slate to work with in God's economy. Don't let the past hold you back!

Let's get after what God has for us in the New Year! Who knows what the next twelve months may have in store for us? Well, God does! But, he will allow us to go through the process of discovering it all. So here we go, full throttle into the New Year of 2008. In the word's of the old song by Kenny Loggins - "...This is it...make no mistake of where you are..." - Hard to believe, but true!