Sin is a polarizing force

Monday, November 24, 2008 9:19 PM

Sin is a polarizing force in our nation and our nation's political system. It is sin and not the work of God-fearing American Christians to turn back the tide of societal ills that is the real problem. The Bible declares in Proverbs 14:34 that "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people." It is the nation's sin that has us polarized and so politically divided as we see ourselves engulfed in major cultural wars due to the secular world-view becoming more popular in America today.

So what is our answer? Jesus came to save what was lost. It's that simple. American's are lost today. We are reaping what we have sown and have a younger generation of American's today in which only 4% attend church. This news does not leave one with much hope. The Good News of the gospel is our hope. The Good News is that Jesus is just as true today as he was to past generations of Americans.

God has a great plan for our nation and He knows how to get us back on track. It is up to us to hear His voice and obey as the Spirit directs. God knows how to spare us from mistakes. He knows how to bless and prosper us despite the world crumbling around us. We have to choose Him and He will take care of the rest.

It has never been God that has been the problem but rather our disdain of Him that has been the problem. Romans 8: 31 states "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" Our largest enemy today is our own selfishness and prideful attitudes that make us believe that we can chart our own successful course in this country without God.

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Silence of the Lambs

I am grieved today. After this recent election, my soul is heavy with the plight of the unborn as many pro-life legislators were voted out of Congress, a political party with a party plank supporting Roe vs Wade expanded their power in both the House and Senate, and a person with very extreme pro-abortion views was elected President. First, let me preface this writing by saying that I am glad for black America to have reached the goal of having the first black President of the United States. However, I would have preferred that if we were to have elected a black person to be President that it would have been someone with the conservative and pro-life character of someone such as Alan Keyes.

My heart is heavy with the election of a President who has a very radical stance opposing rights to the most helpless and defenseless of human beings. Past voting records both in the Illinois State Senate and the U.S. Senate prove a "pro-choice" stance that ranges from conception all the way up to time of delivery and sadly even beyond. It has been Mr. Obama's view that if a child is marked for an abortion then that child does not have rights at all. Instead, the rights of the mother to have an abortion somehow reign as supreme. My prayer is that God will change the heart of our newly elected President. I would love to see Mr. Obama lead the Democratic party away from these views, away from abortion, and toward protecting and preserving human life at all stages of development.

It is time for the church to arise and stand for most defenseless of our citizens like never before. For too long too many of us have looked the other way and somehow compartmentalized ourselves apart from the society around us. We put blinders on and choose not to involve ourselves- except maybe only when we vote on Election Day. We have allowed this Silent Holocaust to go on day after day and year after year. Our cries have not been loud enough. Our tears have not been frequent enough. And our voices have not been heard enough.

We have the collective power to do so much more than we are. Churches in every city could take out full page ads in every newspaper in America chronicling the horrors of abortion. We could run television ads regularly on major networks that would do the same. But unfortunately, we haven't and have been as a whole church body largely silent. Our goal should be to open the eyes of those who are blinded by their sin. We must do more to bring awareness to the conscience of American citizens on behalf of those who can not speak for themselves- the unborn.

I will close with the words of German theologian Deitrich Bonhoeffer who was hung naked from a piano wire by the Nazi regime in 1945. I first used this quote in my book Dreams of Innocence. The quote follows below:

“I am guilty of cowardly silence at a time when I ought to have spoken. I am guilty of hypocrisy and untruthfulness in the face of force. I have been lacking in compassion and I have denied the poorest of my brethren... We, the church, must confess that we have not proclaimed often or clearly enough our message of the one God who has revealed Himself for all times in Jesus Christ and who will tolerate no other gods beside Himself. She must confess her timidity, her evasiveness, and her dangerous concessions. She has often been untrue to her office of guardianship and to her office of comfort. She was silent when she should have cried out because the blood of the innocent was crying aloud to heaven. She has failed to speak the right word in the right way at the right time. She has not resisted to the uttermost the apostasy of faith, and she has brought upon herself the guilt of the godlessness of the masses... The church must confess that she has witnessed the lawless application of brutal force, the physical and spiritual suffering of countless innocent people, oppression, hatred, and that she has not raised her voice on behalf of the victims and has not found ways to hasten to their aid. She is guilty of deaths of the weakest and most defenseless brothers of Jesus Christ... The church must confess that she has desired security, peace and quiet, possessions and honor, to which she has no right...She has not borne witness to the truth of God... By her own silence she has rendered herself guilty because of her unwillingness to suffer for what she knows to be right.”

(11-06-08)

Cast your Vote for biblical righteousness.

As the people of God it is our duty to carry our Cross and oppose all those seeking public office who stand upon a party plank or platform that is contrary to the Word of God. When we vote for someone who opposes restrictions on abortion or promotes the gay agenda then we in effect become partners with them in their anti-blical stand. We will be guilty before God in voting for someone who promotes sin. And God hates sin because it damages or destroys people that he loves.

If righteousness exalts a nation then sin destroys it. Sin destroys whomever and whatever is taken in by it. When a government, business bases itself upon sin then destruction will result in the government or business entity just the same as sin will work destruction in an individual's life. Proverbs tells us that sin brings shame and disgrace to people.

Please read over the platforms of the two major political parties. Please pray for change within the democratic party so that there will become conformity with the laws of God.

Reforming our Public Schools

School is often a lifeline for many kids. I am not for the destabilization of our country's public schools. However, I am in favor of their reformation. I can tell you first-hand having been a teacher myself and working in public schools that they public schools do serve a valuable purpose in the life of many kids. However, many schools are failing these same children because they are not well organized enough to keep up with the demands or pressures that society and legislators put on us.

It is organization that is largely the culprit for leaving kids behind and not teachers failing to meet a certain government standard. As far as the kids go we have been putting round pegs in square holes. We simply can not keep doing this anymore.

There are many kids who would love a vocational oriented education that could prepare them for the world of work rather than for the rigors of a college education. Many kids neither have the ability or the desire to go to college- but put a wrench in their hand and watch out. However, we are forcing these kids into the mold that requires them to meet the standards and curricula of preparatory collegiate education rather than offering them the education that best suits their unique personality, talents, and desires.

I believe that with a new approach many of our current discipline problems would disappear as students become more interested in what they are learning. We have been churning out students who are prepared for college. For many of our upper level ability kids this is a very good thing. Although, we have been missing out on preparing many students for a world of work that awaits them soon after graduation. Our public dollars would be best spent identifying and giving opportunity to the kid who would rather learn to work on an aircraft engine than spend endless hours in a classroom that would be preparing them for a college that they will never attend. We need to think more in terms of preparing kids for a good job by giving them the opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience in various promising vocational and technical areas during their tenure in the public school system.

Charter and magnet schools are a step in the right direction. I believe that by setting up all schools as a magnet for a particular type of preparatory track is the wave of the future for schooling our children in America. Wouldn't it be neat and motivating for a child to choose from a large number of various schools who would each be focused around certain types of tracks. For example, there could be a school set aside just for students who would be geared toward medicine or health care while others could be geared around computer technology fields such as managing networks or web design. Yet others could teach kids how to work in mechanical fields.

Another step in the right direction would be to reinstate the traditional American biblical Christian ethic back into the public schools. When we allowed our judiciary to legislate the tradition of prayer in our public schools out of public schools, and then later the removal of the Ten Commandments from public school walls, we gave fair ground to the hosts of hell to unleash their unholy and demonic plans upon our schools. Beginning to place this important American ideals back into the schools would be a first step toward closing that door. (10-18-08)

A Call to Repentance

I went outside for a minute to perform a small errand. I was coming back inside and had one hand on my door when I overheard my neighbor across the street talking very loudly and emphatically on his cell phone. He was preaching to whomever he was talking to about how we have separated God from our money. He was talking about the economic times and the desperate situation that we are currently in at this time in our country. My neighbor compared what we were going through to 9-11 and how the President had went on television and at various times had called for the nation to pray. His big beef was that the President should be doing that now. The words that he spoke struck me from where I stood gripped by the significance of his words.

Our nation has fallen on hard economic times as a result of the collective sin in our land that has produced negative consequences. The Bible makes it clear that the wages of sin is death. You may get by with certain sins for a while but if you continue in them the mercy of God runs out. We have continued to espouse abortion on demand and allowed our teenagers to get an abortion without letting their parents know about it. Selfishness and greed has become widespread as the masses are "looking out for number one." Our television networks produce shows that are full of adultery, violence and murder. Our movies are frequently filled with the same or even worse. We have a serious pornography problem as evidenced by the billions of dollars that it generates in this country. Our politicians and judges legislate God out of public life and have worked to be inclusive to other false god's in the name of "diversity." In essence, we have traded our forefather's biblical wisdom for the wisdom of a fool.

Is it time to pray? It is beyond time. Prayer should always be the first step. However, we need to go one step beyond prayer this time and set aside time to repent from our national sins. It is time to purge the nation of evil in its various forms. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Our laws will need to change in order to line up with the Law of God once again. It is time to once again give the Bible a place of priority in the judicial and legislative affairs nationwide.

You can't thumb your nose at God and expect not to pay a price for it. Prayer would be a good place to start to make amends but it can not stop there. Our actions must speak louder than our words. Are we One Nation Under God? Or are we just paying lip service? It seems as if we are paying the price for a nation of people that have forgotten God and no longer wish to obey him. I have seen a whole lot of lip service as evidenced by increasingly empty churches as many would rather play with their toys on Sunday than they would to take themselves or their families to church.

We have a choice collectively as an American people and each of us have choices to make as individuals. If we are stiff-necked and fail to receive correction then things will only get worse for us. God has not given these times to us. Our choices have produced them and God allows us to choose and be responsible for the consequences of our actions. There is only One True God and we must again connect with him as a nation and decide to put Him and His things first. It is my prayer that we will do just that.

Is it a time for a call to prayer? Absolutely. However, more importantly it is a time for a national call to repentance.

Freedom Sunday

Recently, I heard about a group of pastor's that pledged to speak out publicly in their pulpits about moral issues and how today's political candidates are measuring up to them. This is despite IRS regulations which attempt to muzzle churches and religious organizations involvement in the political process. Current IRS regulations have prohibited the longstanding American tradition on behalf of pastors in publicly speaking from their pulpits regarding moral issues in our nation and our nation's politics.

The IRS has had this power over churches and church pulpits since the 1954 Johnson Amendment was passed by then Democratic Senator Lyndon Johnson. Ironically, President Johnson would later have Billy Graham frequent the White House more than the other President's of his era. However, his amendment would effectively neuter the church from speaking out on the issues of the day over fear of losing their tax exempt status.

Today, we have many Christians who are supporting ungodly candidates and supporting the promotion of sin through their vote. Christians have become blind in part by the inaction of pastors who are no longer free to speak out against political leaders who promote abortion, gay rights or anything else that the Bible (the book that provided the foundation for our nation) would declare to be wrong.

I was disappointed to read an article by columnist Cal Thomas in which he declared that the amendment was actually doing Christians a favor. He went on to say that there were both Republicans and Democrats in his church and that they simply did not want to hear the political opinions of their pastor from the pulpit. I was outraged by his statement. It became obvious to me that due to an unjust law (the Johnson Amendment) that many of God's people have become wicked or twisted up in their thinking.

God always stands on the side of righteousness. Freedom of Speech as guaranteed by the First Amendment should be fought for in order to be restored and preserved to the church. Freedom was never meant for the sinner to control and abuse in the promotion of their pet sins. Freedom comes from God for the purpose of advancing His plans and purposes in the earth.

This is why it is important for the righteous to be in power. It is time to be courageous and take a stand- willing to risk your life if necessary for the cause of freedom. It is time for the church and the church leaders to stand up and say "NO MORE!" It is time to once more put our trust in God rather than in our money. It is time to put first things first and to put God first rather than our tax exemption.

We must either promote his plans or be willing to accept the consequences of silence and inactivity. The continued erosion of our freedoms and the continued advancement of sin rests in our hands. Defending righteousness in our national fabric is the traditional American duty of the American church. It is time to once again restore this important American tradition if we wish to see healing in our land from the decay and stench building as a result of national sin.

True land ownership & the end of property taxes

As of the time of writing this, I have to admit that I haven't done allot of research on the origins of property taxes in America. As interesting and insightful as that may be, I really don't have to though. We have become so used to the way things are now that we can't see any other way. After all, there are schools to pay for and state, county and city budgets to fund. These are all good causes and no one would disagree with that. However, in our current system of property taxation, there is no true ownership of property. In reality, property is owned by the government. If you don't believe me then don't pay your taxes and find out what happens.

I really believe that we need to end property taxes and let me tell you why. It is unjust to tax someone on something that they are supposed to own. People's land and houses should not be government cash cows. Land and home ownership should not be discouraged by a system of taxation that penalizes you for the property that you supposedly own. That concept is unjust and fundamentally flawed. It turns people into land renters that rent from the government rather than land owners with the rights of true property ownership that can never be taken away from them by the government or exploited in order to fund government budgets.

Now, I can hear you say, "Wait a minute! How are we going to pay for all of those government services without paying or collecting taxes?" And I know why you think that way. Why do you think that way? Because we have been trained to think that way. There are ways that can even be invented if necessary in order to righteously and justly pay for these costs. What I am proposing to you that the system of penalties on ownership, particularly those in the thousands of dollars per year for the typical homeowner, is the wrong way. Additionally, it has fed a growing addiction by those in government for the revenues that these taxes imposed on homeowners produce. This addiction has created a dependent system of government programs that do not know how to operate any other way than through the generation of these tax dollars. Many of these programs are failing.

The current system actually discourages wealth and wealth creation through taxation that increases when the level of property value increases. The property values are nothing more than the common opinion as to what a piece of property is worth according to what the majority of people are willing to pay. It is unjust that anyone has the right to up the amount of money that a supposed land/homeowner has to pay just because the popular opinion as to the value of their property has increased. That is unjust as it penalizes the owner in much the same way as a lone shark would by breaking the legs of someone who can not repay them the loan. Isn't a pretty big gun to the head of a property owner that they have the threat of losing their home if they can not repay the rising property tax rate?

I have noticed that where I live in Florida that property tax rates have drastically escalated due to the leadership that we elected here in our county. What is amazing to me is that it was a Republican (supposed to be fiscally conservative & low taxes, right?) that did it. Rates that used to be a few hundred dollars out in the rural areas rose over the past few years to over two thousand dollars for the same property. I can only wonder how many of the working poor who were doing all to hold on to what they had, were adversely affected by this change and driven out of their homes. The advantage that traditionally always was a part of my county which encouraged many people to live out in the county was sadly taken away.

We need to change the way we think about ownership in this country. When people have true ownership then everyone stands to benefit as ownership builds the collective wealth. A person should not be penalized for owning property. Furthermore, taxes put a drag on spending. Property ownership without strings attached by the government is really the only way that it should be done in a country that promotes the essentials of freedom- life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

God has a plan and system of finance for this country that is fair and just. People who choose not to seek Him for answers will never know his plan. It takes faith to make changes. Fear is like a wrench thrown in the gears of progress. Fear keeps you from seeing the unknown by focusing on the known. There have been so many great accomplishments that we have made over the years in our nation. Certainly, we can ween ourselves from unjust systems of taxation by replacing them with God ordained systems of provision for the many needs that our government has.

Possibly some of the needs need to change. Maybe, just maybe, may of the so-called needs are really not needs at all but instead are drains of our financial resources fueled by an unjust system of taxation. If God desires that we give him 10% of our income then why does government think it is somehow just to ask for so, so much more?? It takes most people until sometime in May before they actually will make a profit as up until then their earnings to that point will only cover their taxes for the year.

In case someone would want to somehow take what I am saying as an excuse not to pay property taxes then please finish reading. We need to render what belongs to Caesar and obey our laws. What I am proposing is not a movement in which everyone suddenly stops paying property taxes like a one big Boston Tea Party. Although that idea may be appealing, it would be better to work through the political system that we have by seeking reform for both the governmental system itself and taxation laws.

Our government's excessive taxation at all levels of government has fueled allot of government waste. It has also curtailed a mindset of ownership and entrepreneurship that would have fueled greater prosperity for our nation by which all of us would benefit. We must ask ourself if what we want is a large socialist state full of lawless peasants dependent upon the government or a nation that is chocked full of responsible people who are owners, well paid employees, and entrepreneurs that contribute greatly to our society. (8-19-08)

Deuteronomy 28:15-68. The curse of the law:

Currently, in our nation we are fighting the curse that has resulted from our nation's sin or disobedience against God. This curse is not something that God sends but is something that is permitted. It is a direct result or consequence of the choices that people make as doors are opened to demonic forces to wreak their havoc and destruction in the earth. The door can be shut by genuine repentance toward God and beginning to place the principles of the Bible into action in the various political, social, and business affairs of our nation.

As I was reading through this passage of scripture the other day, I noticed something that I have never noticed before. Beginning with verse 42, "Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land. The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail." I immediately could relate this to the plummeting value of the dollar and the erosion of the middle class in our nation as our jobs, many of which are the so-called "white collar" jobs, are now going overseas to people of other countries and nationalities. I also could relate this to the illegal immigration problem which is a direct result of corporate greed in our country and fear of not being profitable without them. Additionally, I can relate this to higher costs for everything we need to live- food, energy, housing, and gasoline for our cars while wages remain stagnant or decline.

My point in all of this is to say that as we have progressed further away from God in this country we are seeing more manifestations of the curses listed in Deuteronomy 28. This is not God's will. You can't have your cake and eat it too- enjoy a little bit of darkness and at the same time hope to reap the blessing of walking in the light. It just doesn't happen that way.

We are a product of our collective obedience to God as a people and where we are right now is an indication of where we are (or maybe more accurately where we are not) spiritually with The One True God. As we have more and more embraced the secular or gravitated towards false religion, we have become more and more ungodly as a nation. Some of our nation's pet sins measure into the billions of dollars in profits each year. We have to repent and begin to be seekers of God. Our future success and prosperity depends upon it. (8-17-08)

Political expediency & the plight of the unborn:

Recently, I was watching Meet the Press and one of the politicians on the show claimed to be a pro-life practicing Catholic. This person is a Democrat and was asked if there is a pro-life plank that is forming from within the Democratic party. He replied by saying that there was but believed that "we should embrace people of different views." I was immediately reminded of a statement that I have heard Kenneth Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries say so many different times. He says that you lose what you compromise to keep.

Now, it is one thing to overlook some things now and then that really don't mean all that much in order to maintain good relations with others. However, we are talking about the literal destruction of a human life. I know that what I am about to say seems heavy but it is true. If you embrace a view of others that is abhorrent you in effect partner with that view. If you promote such a person who would further promote this sin toward a political office you literally making yourself an accomplice to what they will promote. Most people don't seem to see this and do not realize that their actions of support make them jointly responsible for the little babies that will die today and tomorrow. They don't realize that in effect they are turning their back in order to gain some political "grease" that would in some way be of benefit to them personally or financially.

It is always easier to go along with things and maintain the status quo rather than to rock the boat and possibly even jeopardize your own political career. You can certainly understand someone not wanting to damage their own career and financial stability. However, I am reminded of what the Bible says... "what does it profit for a man to gain the whole world and to lose his own soul."

Maybe, just maybe it is better to lose a career or some financial stability in order to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and feel good about what you see looking back at you. I would rather save one child from the fate of abortion than to quietly look the other way in order to protect my money and career. What loving dad out there wouldn't risk their own life to save their own child who is suddenly in harms way? These are real lives that we are talking about when we talk about abortion and they are God's kids.

Really, this is what the Spirit of 1776 is all about... giving your life, your fortune and your sacred honor if need be in order to do your part to both promote & preserve righteousness in America and the earth. I am not talking about some type of prideful self-righteousness either- but instead the God kind of righteousness that serves the people in our world around us with the love of God working through us as we serve. And what abortionist out there can call his instruments that take human life and call them instruments of God's love that produces life?

How selfish are we to not hear the cries of the suffering and attempt to do something about it in order to do that which is politically expedient? I know that it is a heavy subject but we as an American people must confront it. Everyone in support of this sin has their reasons and those reasons seem good to them. The Bible says that "what seems right to a man in the end leads to death."

As an American people we need to do some serious reevaluating of what is truly important to us as a country. Is it worth our nation losing it's very soul to pursue our selfish ambitions? I must leave this to you the reader to decide this for yourself. The Bible says to work out your salvation with fear and trembling knowing that you will have to stand before God one day to give an account for your life.

God loves us as people who He created in his own image and likeness but hates the practice of sin that brings death to the creation that He loves. I don't want to be one of those with a millstone tied around my neck and thrown into the deepest sea. According to Jesus, this is the consequence for harming the littlest of these children. Certainly, if we are going to be selfish then we can find something less benign to be selfish about.

I am not going to pull any punches here with what I am about to say. It is just too serious of an issue that I am writing about. I only know one way to say it and that is to say it plain. Abortion is a stain upon our land. The stain is one of blood. It is coarsening the collective conscious and is producing death in the soul of our culture. (7-01-08)

The new tyranny- legislation from the bench:

Recently, the California Supreme Court overturned an amendment in California that was passed due to a vote of some 60% of the voters in that state. They declared the passage of this amendment nearly some eight years later as unconstitutional. Now let me tell you what I think is unconstitutional. How fair is it that the majority of the people in California saw that this amendment would be a good fit for their state only to be trumped by a judge & jury (so to speak) of only eight state Supreme Court justices? I can't tell you how just how much that just burns my butt!!! How is it that eight people can somehow be given the privilege not only make judgments as to how a law is applied but to legislate law as well.

You know, back in my high school days I remember my teacher Mr. Cunningham telling all of us students in his history class that the judicial branch was supposed to be the weakest branch in government. Today, it seems that many judges in our judicial system seem to think just the opposite. Many judges now seem to see that it is their patriotic duty to redefine or socially engineer our country through legislating from the bench.

The decision by the California Supreme Court that stated that the 2000 amendment was somehow unconstitutional and mandated gay marriage in the state is an outrage and a slap in the face not only to Californians but to American democracy as well. What enables this type of behavior is only our indifference to it. I wonder how much of a public outcry there really will be to this absurd and tyrannical decision. We all get kind of comfortable and wrapped up in the affairs of our life and this means that we often do not speak out as we should. We may need to call on our congressional leaders for some resignations for abuse of the office in which these justices were given. (6-18-08)

The level of God's involvement in government affairs is our choice:

You know, God loves this country. And He loves it so much that He raises up candidates to put before the American people. God has never failed us. However, we have failed God many times. Our failures have come as we have frequently voted for candidates at all levels of government that God knew would do His people harm. Of course, this harm increases as the responsibility and influence increases with service at higher levels of government. We should want people to serve us who God can best work through at all of the levels of government.

Through it all God has been faithful to us in our country when we have made mistakes and voted in a candidate that He did not ordain for us to choose. Many times we have been spared of harm that would have come if God was not intervening on our behalf in order to protect us. God created us with the power to choose. This is what love does. Love always gives a choice. It is up to us as Christians and also as the American people to hear the voice of God as to which candidate would be His choice for us.

It is my prayer that we will not accept anything less than the perfect will of God for us in this time where we are deciding for the future direction for this country. God desires to be intimately involved in all of our affairs. However, we have to let him. (2/10/08)

Underneath all of that noise:

I was playing a drum kit that I have set up at my house. No, I am not a drummer. I am a musician (electric guitar) but not a drummer- at least not yet. I bought the drums really for real drummers to play when they came over to my house. Anyway, that aside, I was "playing" the drums this morning. At one point, I was really getting into it and began to feel almost like I was playing outside of myself. It seemed easy and natural for me to be playing and it felt as if I was playing very well. After a few minutes of working up a sweat like this, I went in my house from where I was out in the garage. I asked my wife (a former music major and high school band tri-tom drummer) if what I was playing sounded good or sounded like noise. She said, "sorry to tell you this but it sounded more like noise." What got me is that she kind of chuckled as she was saying it.

Now I know that it was noise but to me it seemed that I had played really good! Later as I had thought about this it sort of hit me and this brings me to my point. There are times when politicians & political leaders think that they are doing something or saying something that just seems great. They may even get an audience of people that applauds them and cheers them on in whatever tune they are banging out on those drums of theirs. However, what they don't realize is that they are really pounding out nothing but noise. In truth, what they are saying/doing is just hoopla, hype and much ado about nothing. In the eyes of God (who is not unaware of what's going on) the music is unappealing and the person(s) involved are doing nothing that would produce any fruit that would be either healthy & productive or long lasting. No matter how intentioned the person may be in what they are saying and doing, the fact of the matter is that it is just noise.

In this current political cycle, we have to be careful to filter out all of the noise. There is plenty of fanfare and plenty of hoopla out there by Presidential candidates who are vying for our interest and attention. Beneath all of this noise, what is God saying to us? What is his desire that he would will for us to carry out? Which candidate is espousing things that are near and dear to His heart? As we near the upcoming election that will determine the destiny of our nation in the upcoming years (choices determine destiny) then we must ask ourselves questions such as these. And more importantly go to ask God by going to the Lord in prayer and asking Him. (1/27/08)

Decisions determine destiny or why your vote counts:

Have you every wondered if God actually had a man or woman that he desired to be our next President? Someone who he had raised up over a long period of time in preparation for the difficult job that lies ahead. Does God really care enough about our nation to raise up such a person? If you believe as I do that God cares watchfully for this nation and has His hand upon it then you would have to answer yes to the previous questions.

There are many people that I have found who through religious thinking are fatalistic about what this idea. They think that God is so much in control that he manipulates and controls everything. Fortunately, despite this thinking, God is not like that at all. God is love and love always gives responsibility and choices to others. It is against the very nature of God to manipulate and control events.

God is our co-laborer not our manipulator. In other words, he does according to what He promises in His word (the Bible) that he will do when we ask him. He is awaiting our petition for Him to do that which he has already said that He will do for us when we ask. God moves by our prayers of faith. To make a long story short, we are given the responsibility to be caretakers (take ownership over) the earth that He has given to us. When we as Christians sit back and do nothing politically speaking (we don't vote for example) then we will be held responsible when someone who is very carnal and will do evil things gets elected to a political office.

I have found that there are a few too many people who seem to want to shun a sense of responsibility for who is elected into political office. People like this have the idea that "whatever will be will be" and anything that they do "can't really change anything. " I like what Kenneth Copeland of Kenneth Copeland Ministries says about your vote. He says that our vote is our seed. This means that when we vote we are actually like a farmer sowing our vote into a future harvest field. How we vote (or don't vote) is the measure of the harvest that all of us Americans will collectively reap.

When evil people rule the Bible says that righteous people groan. Why? Because these people will do things that will contradict the Word of God. They will either promote abortion or sit back, look the other way and do nothing about it. They will promote homosexual unions (and don't be fooled that this somehow isn't marriage because it is). Evil leadership may also very well turn the other way when genocide occurs somewhere around the world rather than using our resources to stop it.

The bottom line is that we as Christians will get what we deserve. If we are lazy and greedy then we will get someone who will take advantage of our laziness and exploit our greed. We have to be diligent about the things of God and judge ourselves so that we can avoid reaping judgment upon ourselves. We have to vote and prior to voting or doing anything else we are to diligently pray in order to hear the voice of God as to the person that we should vote for in the election. Our future harvest and the ability that God has to use our nation to touch the other nations of the world depends upon it. (1/24/08)

My philosophy:

Largely, it is the Christian conviction and belief that our America was founded by God through the hands of influential men who overwhelmingly desired to live in a nation that was founded upon Jesus Christ. "No King but Jesus" was often a statement of theirs in renunciation of a tyrannical king who ruled over them. The biblical ethic was esteemed in a new nation developing a new system of law for itself. This provided the foundational backdrop for our American experience.

It is my desire to inspire those who love God to once again take hold of the above ideals. It is my belief that many men and women in this American experience have a heavenly mission to make a difference - no matter how seemingly insignificant the individual contribution may seem. In the words of John F. Kennedy, "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country."

Thank you for visiting my web blog. I hope that I have provoked your thoughts or otherwise inspired you. I really believe that if enough of us work together to promote good things then we can make positive changes and be a force for good in our country.

Sincerely,

Todd Nessa

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