.
.
.
Clark's musings on events and trends, hopefully from Christian worldview. These represent my thoughts as an individual not those of my church, denomination, or even family.
Is everybody happy with their vote for Obama? Apparently not with his approval rating below 50%. Remember the election showed his approval was over 50%. In fact, when he got a "bump" after his joint session speech, (which will go down in History as the "You Lie" speech because Congressman Joe Wilson R-S.Car. shouted that at him during the speech) his bump only took him up to 49%! WOW, that's a bump? Look, He looks like a nice guy. He's already had a beer summit with a cop and a professor and he even invited the V.P. Who hardly ever gets to do anything. Can you picture Biden on the day he found out about this, asking his secretary if she/he was sure this was on his calendar because it hadn't been so blank since he was first elected to congress! I propose he has a cigar summit with Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. Not Glenn Beck, he gets too discombobulated when he's excited. And not The Great One (you know...Mark Levin?) cause he's too abusive. We want the cigar summit to be a happy place! But here's what prompted today's post. I actually talked (via FB) to a young Christian man whom I love dearly who is STILL happy Obama got elected. Hmmmmm! I'm not sure but it could be the old, "At least he's getting something done!" attitude at play here. Although, he might be a socialist! Hey! Its a free country and The Bible never says you shouldn't be a socialist. At least not in so many words. (See my previous post: Is the USA a Christian Nation?) But whatever the reason he's STILL happy about it, you need to know that I still love him. And while I may gently try to show him the error of his ways, I believe God is STILL IN CHARGE! And I don't really care about His poll numbers if HE doesn't!
I don't, personally, like what Obama has done. Oh maybe a few things. I'm glad he kept GM afloat, but not HOW he did it. Did he ask Lee Iacoca his opinion? Just curious. I don't like ObamaCare. If they want to make sure the 15 million or so people in the US get health care there must be a better way to do it than to ruin the system for EVERYBODY! I don't want anyone to die for lack of an appendectomy or chemotherapy. But thats the least important thing to this president. I don't like blaming the banks COMPLETELY for the housing crisis. Congress needs to step up to the blame and fix all their meddlesome ways first. I don't like The increase in BABY-KILLING (abortion for those of you in south-east Austin) that will come with ObamaCare. I don't like Him breaking His promises (OK, like every other president has but he promised it wouldn't be "Business as usual". "You Lie!" to Quote Joe Wilson.) I don't like him villyfying corporate executives for taking elaborate trips etc. on the public dole due to bail-out money, when he and his family DO THE SAME STINKING THING! And his trips and fancy living are even more on the public dole. Obama needs to remember this is a temp job as Kevin Kline said in "Dave." And he's here to make things better for people, not worse. So far he is failing in that ideal - ACROSS THE BOARD. Let me say before I close, I apologize to those under 50 for letting this man get elected and mortgage the future of the US in a veritable ponzi scheme of spend now and tax later when inflation is incredibly high. But then it was George W. that started this ball rolling with his late term give-aways. What should we expect? Maybe this is all a sign of the apocalypse. Even so come Lord Jesus!
I'm glad we're seeing the First Black president being sworn in. Really! Should have happened long ago. I would have been glad to see J.C. Watts get elected or at least run. Oh, and Colin Powell would have been a better choice than Bob Dole a few years back. (Libby Dole would have been a better choice.) But, I'll be glad when the novelty of a Black President wears off and people will think in terms like "Big deal, so he's black." Then we can focus on his policies!
I hope you pray for the president! Sincerely, from the heart. I'm praying he truly upholds and defends the constitution, and does everything he can to defend the USA. I'm praying he fosters freedom and justice, here and around the world. I'm praying he gets a good education in his daily security briefings and his economic briefings. And, I'm praying that he doesn't do anything that will encourage the slaughter of pre-born citizens of the USA. (OK, you can debate whether they are citizens or not, but they are protected by law in other ways.) The numbers of abortions in America has been dropping for some time now. Has cutting off federal funds helped achieve that? I don't know. I sincerely hope it's just the way things are going because people are realizing that killing their pre-born babies is wrong. But if changes in policy occur that enable more and more folks to abort their inconvenient offspring, that will be tragic, and God has promised he will require blood at the hands of those that shed blood. Every president will stand before the judgment seat. (Inconvenient offspring. Maybe Al Gore could make a movie about that and call in "Inconvenient Babies"!) Interestingly, we now have a black president, who, if he enables more abortions to occur, will be playing right into Margaret Sanger's hands. Remember her? She founded Planned parenthood and saw it as an excellent way to practice eugenics. Even the Guttmacher institute reports that there are more black babies killed than any other part of our population, even though they only make up 15% of the population. It doesn't take a genius to do the math and figure out that enabling blacks to kill their babies has kept their percentage of the population from growing even more! Maybe that's why we didn't have a black president sooner. Democrats have been supporting the killing of pre-born blacks! (Over a third of the 45 to 50 million aborted babies have been black.) That might sound harsh. I'm not saying there is some great left-wing conspiracy to keep the black man down. well...OK, maybe I am saying that. I'm not necessarily saying that black abortions were part of that. But the liberal leadership in America doesn't seem to upset about it.
Martin Luther King Jr. was right when he said the content of character is more important than the color of our skin. Would somebody please stop noticing the color of Obama's skin and begin to weigh the content of his character. I have a dream...
The recent election was not so much a product of a vast left-wing conspiracy, or even Republican ineptitude. It wasn't even a victory of leftist, Socialist, or Marxist ideas. It was a Personality cult run amok, fueled by White guilt, and promises to the masses. And yes Virginia, there are some Obama Koolaid Drinkers.
Not everyone who voted for Obama is a Koolaid Drinker. There are those who genuinely support a liberal politic. The are in favor of wealth redistribution because, after all, the wealthy are making their millions on the backs of the working class, and by taking advantage of the underclass. They believe that the government's role is to provide for the "poor" and produce social programs that insure not only food and shelter, but health care, education (to any level desired), retirement, a car, a vacation, a large screen TV....but I digress. These people voted for Obama out of principle and I applaud them for their thought-out convictions and participation in the peaceable transfer of power.
Then there are those who bought into the cult of Barack Hussein Obama. The Koolaid drinkers greedily drank in His personality, the way he delivers his lines, his winning smile, his beautiful family, and maybe most important of all he is the Anti-Bush. He would have kept us out of Iraq, even though we have been defeating terrorism there, and there were in fact WMD's. (Sarin Gas and Yellow-cake plutonium to name a couple). He will provide for the poor. (How, doesn't matter, it just needs to happen). He wants us all to come together as one in one Brave New World. Isn't that wonderful? As Peggy the Moocher said on national TV, she won't ever have to worry about food or a car payment again. Hallelujah!
When the "crisis" hit McCain lost his lead and never got it back. The undecided's, who I just don't think are very bright about this kind of stuff anyway, swang to the New messiah. (Pardon me if I use a little "m" for that title.) IF they were voting political convictions they wouldn't be undecided that close to an election. Surely each party had a few folks that didn't want to support their party's candidate, but they would most likely stay home if they were truly voting convictions.
What convictions you ask? Well there are the liberal convictions listed above. Some people really believe that Karl Marx was smarter than our founding fathers. Then there are the Conservative Convictions; (notice I didn't say Republican) that the economy is run by the marketplace not government. The definition of Capitalism is not a constructed economic policy or way of doing things, its Economic FREEDOM! There is the conviction that the federal government should defend this country against all hostility at home or abroad. There is the conviction that Government has no right to overturn the only definition of marriage this world has ever know. There is the conviction that Life is sacred, as even our constitution recognizes, and that the unborn need protection from murder. There is the conviction that tax money is the property of the people who are loaning it to the government to use wisely and in upholding the constitution. It is to make all our lives better through national defense, sound courts, a representative government, and defending human rights, no matter of race, creed, or gender. Everything else is optional! Public schools? Nice idea but optional. Highways-great! But Optional. Care for the poorest and disabled? Wonderful-but optional!
Remember every tax dollar given is done at the end of a gun. Why? Just stop paying taxes and find out! Therefore, since the state uses coercion to raise its funds, it ought to at least stick to the constitution.
Should the wealthiest country in the world abide people dying of hunger or lack of basic health care? Of course not. That's a travesty. Will we rise to the occasion to take care of those poor and disadvantaged? Yes! We have and we will.
But the Koolaid drinkers didn't think about all this. They just decided it was time for a Black Man to get elected. And personally I think that's wonderful! I'm happy to see a person of color with the middle name Hussein in the white House.
Now, if we can just keep him from screwing up The USA! Or freedoms will be lost, our borders will be less safe, and babies will die!
Clark
(These are my personal opinions and do not represent the opinions of my fellow church members or denomination.)
1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
In 1883 in Allentown, New Jersey, a wooden Indian -- the kind that stands in front of cigar stores -- was placed on the ballot for Justice of the Peace. The candidate was registered under the name Abner Robbins. When the ballots were counted, Abner won over the incumbent by 7 votes. In 1938. The name Boston Curtis appeared on the ballot for Republican Committeeman from Wilton, Washington. Actually, Boston Curtis was a mule. The town's mayor sponsored the animal to demonstrate that people know very little about the candidates. He proved his point. The mule won![1] That may have been the first time that both a donkey and an elephant were on the same bumper sticker.
Our national election day is just 9 days away. I hope you are registered and planning to vote. More importantly I hope you are going to vote your convictions according to the scriptures. In other words I hope you know why you’re voting as well as who you’re voting for, at least by the time you step into the box.
As much as we complain about our presidents and representatives, and we DO complain, we are in a unique situation in human history. Until just a couple hundred years ago people had no real say in who their political leaders were. Can you imagine anybody with a bumper sticker that said “Impeach Julius Caesar.” Or how about, “King George lied and people died”? It wasn’t done very often because those folks who made those kinds of statements didn’t last very long as a general rule.
But here, in the USA, we don’t select a King we select a man to ‘preside’ over our republic. And it’s only a temp job, (as Kevin Kline said in the movie Dave.) S, we have more power than the president, we put them there, we can take them out. Christians should take that kind of power seriously and prayerfully consider what they should do.
Texas isn’t considered one of those “battleground states” this year and I don’t imagine that anything I say here will influence the election. But I don’t really care to influence the election at all. I’m called of God to shepherd this flock and they are the only folks I want to influence. And then, I just want to influence you to be more like Jesus!
Someday we will all stand before God and give an account. God just might ask me if I taught His people to be good stewards of their political responsibilities and I want to answer yes. Someday God may ask you what you did with your political responsibilities and I hope you have a good answer for Him. Cause remember, God NEVER asks a question that he doesn’t already know the answer to!
So let me tell you four things, BRIEFLY, about being a Christian in today’s political world.
1. First, we are to pray for our leaders. What does that look like? I have prayed for Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and another Bush. Can’t remember if I prayed for Nixon and Kennedy. I prayed that each one would seek to do God’s will, and that God would guide them. Did I like them all? Not really, but then I didn’t really KNOW any of them did I? But notice one thing that Paul told Timothy. Along with prayers and intercessions we are to offer Thanksgivings for those in authority.
Sometimes it’s hard to thank God for your Pastor, much less a president that you don’t respect. But even though presidents may do things we don’t like, they are our God given leaders. And we are to pray for them and give thanks for them.
I know you’ve heard before how important every vote is but let me impress it on your minds as well. In the last presidentioal election over 121 million people voted. If one person in every 75 had changed his vote, we would have had a different outcome. One in 75!
In 2000 we know that bush got fewer total votes than Gore but more electoral votes and we all remember it coming down to Florida. 5.9 m illion people voted in Florida. If one person in every 21,481 voted for Gore instead, the outcome would have been different. One in 21000 is an awesome responsibility we should take seriously and prayerfully.
2. Second, Jesus has called us to be Salt and light in our world.
Mat 5:13-14 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city set on an hill cannot be hid.
God wants us to preserve what is good in society, to be a light in the darkness, to bring the truth of God to bear on society. We can do that in many ways, but one of those ways is by voting. It may not be the most influential way to affect society. But it is a powerful statement.
We need to take biblical concepts into all walks of life. You don’t have to shove the Bible down people’s throats in order to stand up for what is right and give people intelligent answers for why you believe the way you do. We need to delve into the why of things. Why does God say that if a person doesn’t work neither shall they eat? Or, a man that does not care for his own family is worse than an infidel.[2]
Why does God say not to commit murder? Why does God say not to steal? We need to be influencing people wherever we are. Voting is important but it won’t change a heart like the love of God and truth of God can.
3. Third we are to be a champion for those that cannot stand up for themselves. Not just for the poor but specifically for those who are held in poverty by the rich and powerful. Many people are poor because they aren’t trying very hard. Others try and are oppressed. We should stand against that like Jesus did.
Mal 3:5 I will come near to you to judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, adulterers, false swearers, and those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger… and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
We should be a champion for those who suffer injustice.
We should be a champion for the unborn who are slaughtered in the one place that should be the most secure place in all the world, right in their mother’s wombs. And so many young women are lied to and told its not a big deal then they live forever with the guilt of what they’ve done. And nobody seems to notice or care that for years most of those aborted babies were the children of minorities.
We should stand for life and justice and equality just like Jesus would today!
4. Forth, we need to render unto Caesar whatever belongs to Caesar. (Luke 20:19)
We owe taxes and we should pay them. But what else do we owe? We owe our prayers as we said earlier. What else? Do we owe loyalty? Fidelity? Respect to the Flag? Respect to the offices of the president and other elected officials? I would say yes to all of those. God put us in this country. God has ordained the government of this country. The Greatest Country on earth I believe. Sure there are good people all over the world. There are people with a greater work ethic. There are nations with excellent social structures. There are other democracies, too. But nobody has a constitution as good as ours. And nobody has exported more humanitarian aid around the world and may I also add more Christian missionaries than any other country. Yes we’ve exported some wars too. But we also ended some wars that we didn’t start.
We should render unto Caesar a well informed – prayerfully considered- vote on election day.
Well informed, prayerfully considered.
And when the counting is done, we need to thank God for another peaceful transfer of power, and thank God for the elected officials that we have, EVEN IF WE DIDN’T VOTE FOR THEM.
How can we possible do that? Because if you have trusted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you belong To Christ! He is already Lord whether people want Him as their Lord or not. Jesus is not on the Ballot! We are citizens of His perfect Country.
Are you unsure of your standing with Jesus? You can take a stand with Christ today! Give Him your failures and sins. Beg His forgiveness. Call on His name to save you from eternal Hell. Whoever calls on Him Shall be saved!
So Sarah Palin's daughter is pregnant out of wedlock. Bummer. Thats a sin. Its going to affect her the rest of her life. That makes her family like so many other families in the USA. In fact it proves she "just like" every other family in the USA and in the world. We're all made up of sinners. Barack Hussein Obama has taken the high road it seems and I for one appreciate his class in this area. He seems to have a wonderful family life and I praise him for that. Of course his little ones aren't old enough to have done any "major bad stuff," still, he knows that all families have problems. But Mr. Obama points out accurately that this election is about the issues not our families. That is different from saying character doesn't count as some said when Mr. Clinton was running for office. His character did in fact count. Unfortunately not enough because he still got elected. But family does not necessarily equal character. Sometimes the best of parents have children who do things that disappoint us. One of my daughters died her hair red, another blue. I was disappointed. But I still loved my daughters and I think they would say I'm at least adequate as a father. (Well. my oldest may say I'm a good father with a little tiny mean streak.) So lets follow BHO's advice here and not base our election decision on the one time decision of a 17 y.o. girl and her teen boyfriend. Let's instead look at our own families, and our own mistakes, try to love one another, be the best parent we can be and vote responsibly. Because we are blessed to be US citizens and we should fulfill our duties to protect our freedoms and liberties. May God Bless America.
Posts
