Auld Lang Syne

     We hear it and  sing it every new year's, but do we even know what it means?
 The title comes from the old Scottish language and means, "Old Long Since".
This could be interpreted today as, "The good ol' days", or "For old times' sake".
It was written by a Scottish poet by the name of Robert Burns in 1788 and it is a simple little poem about remembering the loves &  friendships that have come  and gone.


Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and old times since?
CHORUS: For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
And surely you'll buy your pint cup ! And surely I'll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
We two have run about the slopes, and picked the daisies fine;
But we've wandered many a weary foot, since auld lang syne.
We two have paddled in the stream, from morning sun till dine;
But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne.
And there's a hand my trusty friend ! And give us a hand o' thine !
And we'll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne.

Have a Happy 2013!!!

The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ

     You've all heard the Christmas story told throughout  tv, radio, and Internet.  You've seen the movies.  But I want to take it a step forward and examine who this Jesus was/is, and who He claimed/claims to be and his uniqueness in comparison to all other great religious world leaders such as Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Zoroaster, etc.

In Luke 22:70   What was Jesus' reply to the council of the elders' question as to whether He was the Son of God?   "Yes, I am."
In Matthew 27:43  What did the chief priests, scribes, and elders quote Jesus as having said about Himself?  "I am the Son of God."
         (The phrase, "Son of God", as used by Jesus Christ or in reference to Christ in His relationship to God is used in a very special sense, as that of a "unique" Sod of God.  In John 3:16,18; 1 John 4:9 the word "begotten" means a unique, unoriginal relationship:  an eternal relationship.  The very fact that He never includes Himself when He uses the term "our Father" - as He taught His disciples how to pray - and of course He never included any others when He says "My Father" or "My own Father" show that He viewed Himself as Son of God in a very special sense.)

In John 5:18, Jesus calls God is own father.  Stating this, He was making Himself out to be equal to God the Father.  How do we know this?  Well, in Leviticus 24:16, it says: 'Moreover, the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him.  The alien as well as the native, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death.'
("Blasphemy" is giving the attributes of God to a creature- which is what the Jews accused Jesus of doing.  The Jews from ancient times have interpreted the command of Lev. 24:16, as prohibiting the utterance of the name "Jehovah"- Lord or Self Existent One- and reading for it "Adanai- Master- or "Elohim" - God or one supreme deity or Creator.  Blasphemy can also mean attributing some evil to God or denying Him some good which we should attribute to Him.  see also Romans 2:24)

Again, in John 8:53-58, Jesus answers both questions in verses 53 and 57:  "Before Abraham was born, I Am."  (Jesus' response not only reaffirmed His eternal, timeless, absolute essence, which is an attribute that only God has, but also identified Him as being one in essence with Jehovah God of the Old Testament, who also said that He is the "I Am"  in Exodus 3:13,14).  Jesus calls Himself the "I Am".  God calls himself the "I Am".  Its interesting to see many false teachers in today's society are calling themselves that as well. (http://youtu.be/5WRg7nrKnkg)

In John 10:30 -38  Jesus says in verse 30: "I and the Father are one."
(the word "one" - "ev" - in Greek, which was the original language that the New Testament was written in, means "one in inner essence or substance"  See also John 1:1, 14, 18; 5:18)  For this reason, the Jews took up stones to stone Jesus, because He was making himself out to be God.  Why did they do this?  It was customary in Old Testament times to refer to some as gods.  Most especially Judges who represented divine justice.  So why did they protest and call Jesus a blasphemer when He called Himself the Son of God?  Especially since He qualified, as demonstrated through His miraculous birth, perfect life, miracles, and fulfillment of scores of prophesies?  (Psalms 82:6; Exodus 22:8; II Chronicles 19:5, 6)

Other attributes of God that Jesus claimed were:
Eternal - John 1:1, 2, 14, 18 ("In the Beginning" means beyond the beginning of creation in time to eternity.  see John 17: 5, 24) John 8:58; Micah 5:2; Revelations 22:13 (22:12,16,20; 1:8,17, 18) Isaiah 9:6

Non-Changing - Hebrews13:8; 1:10-12; Colossians 1:16

Almighty - Revelations 1:8; 22:12-16, 20; Matthew 16:27; Hebrews 1:3; Philippians 3:20, 21; Matthew 28:18

Holy - Luke 1:35; John 6:69; Mark 1:24

In Being Worshiped - Matthew 2:2; 8:2; 14:22, 33; 28:9, 17; Hebrews 1:5,6; Matthew 4:10.  Notice that Jesus did not reject or turn away this worship from Himself.  He identified Himself in equality with God.

In Forgiving Sin - Luke 5:20-24  didn't Jesus claim to have this authority?

Creation of all things - Genesis 1:1-25; Colossians 1: 13-16

Life - John 14:6; John 11:25; 1:4

Resurrection - Acts 17:30,31; I Thessalonians 1:9,10; John 2:19 -21

In Name - Matthew 28:19; II Thessalonians 2:16,17; Isaiah 9:6

And the many more attributes that is said of Jesus that only God can claim.  And upon studying the Scriptures, you will see that Jesus has fulfilled many of them.  Something no other man in history has been able to do.    This is what makes Jesus so unique.  This is what makes Jesus, God.

The Gospel:  https://net.bible.org/audio/get/46-1Corinthians-15.mp3

All Bible references were taken from the New American Standard Bible.

The Secularization of America

A young man opens fire at a middle school, killing teachers and children.  Another young man goes to a shopping mall and starts firing at random.  Yet, still, another young man goes into a movie theater and proceeds to massacre everyone in sight!  My question is why?  What would possess someone to go on a shooting rampage and kill civilians for no apparent reason?  With no regard for life?


The Scopes Trial of 1925 was won on a progressive  premise of a "theory" that says man was developed from a lower level of animals. Despite the fact that Scientists dispute that theory, it has been accepted as scientific fact by society as well.  From that trial, a host of other disputes came to surface as the Government gained control of education in America,  the banning of pray in school and the not teaching the Bible, in what has also been accepted as a "Separation of Church and State" clause that is not found anywhere  in any of our founding documents.   Completely dismissing  the fact that the American school was established as a means to read the Bible and teach puritan values.  The shared Judeo/Christian values that once encircled our diverse society has been replaced by secularism.  Most especially in our higher learning schools that were established by religious leaders for the very purpose of teaching Biblical values!

In the 1960's the deviant Marxist ideals of Herbert Mancuse brought about the sexual revolution in America.  Although Marxism had already creepted into our society long before this, it came to the forefront during this time.  His ideas brought about the notion of relativism, with an emphasis I would add in the cultural aspect. This movement brought about the breakup of the family unit, and the challenge of the Capitalistic economic structure. The "subservient" culture class became the head of the movement, and challenged every aspect of the American structure.

The 1970's brought about Economic and Foreign Policy disaster  in the form of Anti-Semite President Jimmy Carter.  His domestic policies of tax and spend buried the middle class and job creation,  and sided with radicals in International affairs in the always unstable Middle East.  It also brought about a case that would change the course of American History.  In 1973 the Supreme Court of the United States took it upon themselves to play God and impose a personal moral verdict which has led to infanticide. The case was Roe vs. Wade.  The subject was Abortion.  The problem with the case is that it was subjected to case law interpretation, instead of Constitutional law.  If the latter had been used, the case would have been thrown out and/or dismissed.  Was this a violation of the Government's own use of "Separation of Church & State"?  This case was clearly a moral issue, in which the State stepped its bounds when it determined to assume when life began.  A truly ethical violation.

The 1980's brought about domestic prosperity in the form of lower inflation, Inventions and job creation from newly elected  President, Ronald Reagan.  However by this time, both parents were forced to work to provide for their families because of the destructive policies of the last administration.  This produced the "Latchkey" kid syndrome, where more children came home to empty houses after school. 

The 1990's produced a false assumption of prosperity, but upon future studies, shows that the Clinton Presidency  was nothing more than a popularity contest at the expense of the American people. This Millennium has brought us full circle to the Godless beliefs of the past 100 hundred years or so.  Add on massive spending, continuous wars, an infestation of drug use/abuse, government & societal irresponsibility, God given and Constitutional rights being taken away, greed, and  a  lacking sense of Community. One can sense the world  spinning out of control!  We see it every day in the news and in our culture.  Is it really any wonder the kids of today are going around killing people at whim?  Who or what is to stop them from doing it? The Church and its Biblical moral absolutes  have been silenced and made irrelevant, even though the past illustrates that Biblical standards helps a society.  So if a society does not want whats good for them,  why are we so shocked when a kid goes into an elementary school and fires at point range at little kids?  After all, in today's ethical relativism,  isn't that his "right"?  If America does not come back to the moral standards it once had, I don't see how the generations of tomorrow will prosper.  How do you see America and her future?

Dont' wait, Start Now!!!

                                                                Ask me how if your ready!

     As the year is almost at a close, I'm reflecting on all the things I set as a goal for this year.  Although I haven't  accomplished them all, I did have significant success  towards achieving them.  First thing on my agenda was to lose weight.  So I made it a goal to join http://www.teambeachbody.com/mybrwnblt  to help me be accountable for my fitness actions, and  I have  made some progress.  I have so far lost a total of 20 lbs.
     Even though I still struggle with eating healthy and exercising, I have the  means and support to continue to aim for the rest of my weight lost goals.  I will lose the weight, because I have predetermined in my mind that this is  what I want.   I'm setting goals for my health and my business.  I have noticed that since losing weight, I have much more energy to do things. It also shows in my  work. My  confidence is stronger since joining Beachbody .  It's theme is about helping people break the cycle of obesity.   Something I can say is meaningful to me.  Anybody can do a job, but when you put "meaning" behind it, then you know your are making a positive difference.  I'm determined!   I'm determined not to stay in the same rut every year.  I'm determined to get out of  my rut and help those who are in the same shape I'm in. Beachbody does more than offer quality weight loss products, but it also rewards you financially, as the late great Zig Ziglar's motto says, "If you help others achieve what they want".   So here's my challenge to you.  If your serious about losing weight, I mean so serious that your sick of how you look when you see yourself in the mirror, then let me know.  Together we can kick some major fat out of our bodies and into a healthy lifestyle.   If I, the biggest skeptic, can lose 20 lbs, then I know for sure you can too.  It starts with one step at a time. Are you ready to take that first step?

Recommended Christian Books

Spiritual Leadership by  J. Oswald Sanders                                      Moody Press
Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret by Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor            Moody Press
Failure:  The Back Door to Success by Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer             Moody Press
A Survey of Bible Doctrine by Charles Ryrie                                     Moody Press
The Battle for the Bible  by Harold Lindsell                                       Zondervan
The Islamic Debate by Josh McDowell                                               Here's Life Publications
Attributes of God by Arthur Pink                                                         Baker Book House
Encourage Me by Charles Swindoll                                                     Multnomah Press
The Calvary Road by Roy Hesson                                                      Moody Press
Lords of the Earth by Don Richardson                                                Regal Books
An Outline of New Testament Survey by Walter Dunnett                   Moody Press
George Mueller by Faith Coxe Bailey                                                 Moody Press
The Kingdom of the Cults by Dr. Walter Martin                                      Bethany House
The Bible in Balance by Harold Lindsell                                             Zondervan
Who Says? by Fritz Ridenour                                                                 Regal Books
Protestant Biblical Interpretation by Bernard Ramm                         Baker Book House

 

Recommended Bible Study Books

Naves Topical Bible 

Ungers Bible Handbook

Ungers Bible Dictionary or The New Bible Dictionary

Youngs or Strong's Concordance or New American Standard Concordance   (Or NIV)

Wycliffe Bible Commentary 

Commentary on the Whole Bible   by Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old and New Testament)

Interpreting the Bible by A. Berkeley Mickelson

Small Business Saturday

Today is  Small and Local Business Day.  Let's help the economy get better by shopping at these local places.  They might just start hiring again.  Go Small.  Go Local.  For a listing of my neighborhood places, click on the tab on top.  More will be added as I discover them.  If you would like for me to advertise your business,  send me a message.  I'm everywhere!

A Proclamation of Praise & Thanksgiving

     The Continental-Confederation Congress, a legislative body that governed the United States from 1774 to 1789, contained an extraordinary number of deeply religious men. The amount of energy that Congress invested in encouraging the practice of religion in the new nation exceeded that expended by any subsequent American national government. Although the Articles of Confederation did not officially authorize Congress to concern itself with religion, the citizenry did not object to such activities. This lack of objection suggests that both the legislators and the public considered it appropriate for the national government to promote a nondenominational, nonpolemical Christianity.
     Congress appointed chaplains for itself and the armed forces, sponsored the publication of a Bible, imposed Christian morality on the armed forces, and granted public lands to promote Christianity among the Indians. National days of thanksgiving and of "humiliation, fasting, and prayer" were proclaimed by Congress at least twice a year throughout the war. Congress was guided by "covenant theology," a Reformation doctrine especially dear to New England Puritans, which held that God bound himself in an agreement with a nation and its people. This agreement stipulated that they "should be prosperous or afflicted, according as their general Obedience or Disobedience thereto appears." Wars and revolutions were, accordingly, considered afflictions, as divine punishments for sin, from which a nation could rescue itself by repentance and reformation.
     The first national government of the United States, was convinced that the "public prosperity" of a society depended on the vitality of its religion. Nothing less than a "spirit of universal reformation among all ranks and degrees of our citizens," Congress declared to the American people, would "make us a holy, that so we may be a happy people."

Happy Thanksgiving!

Click on Picture or links below for reading of Proclamation privileges.


                                                    Index

           Religion and the Founding of the American Republic 
           Religion and the Congress of the Confederation, 1774-89
                                            Broadside 
            Rare Books and Special Collections Division (109)
           http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/vc006494.jpg
       
                     Another Thanksgiving Proclamation
          Congressional Thanksgiving Day Proclamation October 11, 1792
                                         Broadside
          Rare Books and Special Collections Division (110)
           http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/vc006491.jpg
      
         
           

Pandering for Votes

     The election has come and gone. Half of the country is celebrating, while the other half is preparing for the ship to sink. I can sense the anxiety in people that know what has just happened. There is so much talk as to what needs to change, that some are willing to lose their integrity and standards in order to appease a certain group of people so that their party will win on the next election! I can't help to think that this is exactly what the other party wants. I happen to believe that the Republican Party's platform is fine. I don't think that's the problem. I think the way the party presents their message is outdated. I think the way they try to reach people is outdated and I think how they run elections is outdated. No, the Republican Party doesn't need to compromise their conservatism. The tent is big enough for all. You don't change your convictions to suit other people. They either like you or they don't. Republicans don't need to pander to Hispanics. They don't need to accept amnesty. They don't need to do anything that goes against their core values. What the Republican Party is lacking is being true to their own beliefs. You don't run a McCain or Romney, two very liberal candidates, and then expect everyone to be fine with it. Find a real Conservative candidate, stand beside them, & present your platform to the people in such a way  they can understand why your party is best for all. That's how I believe you will win an election. Until this party gets its act together, the ship  will continue to sink.

VOTE!!!

This coming Tuesday is election day.  I can't stress enough how important every vote will count.  The race is very close.  I've heard from Christians who say they are not going to vote.  I've heard some voted 3rd party.  That is your choice.  But do not forget that if you do not vote, you have no voice.  Your giving up  responsibility to make an impact in your state, city, and community.  So as much as you dislike both Presidential Candidates, lets not forget there are other candidates you can support.  Let's stand with them.  Get out and VOTE!

History of a Party

  I recently took a look into the Republican Party to find out why most Minorities believe they are racist and anti-minority.  This is what I found.


The Republican party was formed in opposition of slavery  in 1854   http://www.ushistory.org/gop/origins.htm

The Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1863  http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?doc=34

Radical Republicans against slavery formed  the American Society of Anti-Slavery in  1833  http://www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform/articles/historical-background-antislavery

The 13th Amendment:  The Abolition of Slavery  was passed through Congress mostly from Republicans and passed in 1865  http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=true&doc=40

Territorial Suffrage Act  introduced by Republicans and finally passed in 1867  http://www.blackpast.org/?q=primarywest/territorial-suffrage-act-1867

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 Introduced by Republicans  http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1866.aspx

The 14th Amendment:  Equal Protection to All  passed by Republicans in 1868  http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/July-August-08/On-this-Day--Fourteenth-Amendment-Ratified-.html

The 15th Amendment:  Voting Rights Act (for Black Men) ratified & passed by Republicans  in 1870 http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/15thamendment.html

First Ku Klux Klan Act (Civil Rights Act of 1870) passed  by Republicans  http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1875.aspx

Second Ku Klux Klan Act (Civil Rights Act of 1871) passed by Republicans  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/grant-kkk/

Third Ku Klux Klan Act (Civil Rights Act of 1871) passed by Republicans  http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/ku-klux-act-passed-by-congress

Republican Party Platform of 1872  First to Introduce reference to Women's Suffrage  http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29623

Civil Rights Act of 1875 passed by Republicans  http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/brown-v-board/timeline.html

1st  Women to be elected to House of Representatives   http://womenincongress.house.gov/member-profiles/profile.html?intID=202

The 19th Amendment:  Women's Suffrage Right is adopted.   http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment19/  26 of 36 state legislatures who voted to ratify it were under Republican control.


Add Individual rights, Low Taxes and small government, and you have the making of a Republican Party.  It's not perfect.  But I would hardly call it racist and Anti-Minority. 

How Should a Christian Vote?

Date October 18, 2012

Author Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer

Voting with a Christian Conscience

I believe the evangelical church has finally been forced to conclude that we cannot depend upon politics to turn this country around, bring us back to biblical principles, or reverse the anti-Christian bigotry developing in the courts, the media, and the wider culture. Only the church, armed with the Gospel, is able to bring lasting change in the hearts and lives of people. God’s House—and not the White House—holds the key to the future of our nation.
If there’s ever been a time for the church to stand tall, it’s today—whether it’s with or without support from our political leaders. As you look back at history, you’ll see times when God has given nations better leaders than they deserved—at other times, far worse (think of 20th century dictators). Still other times, the leader was a perfect fit for the people. But regardless of the leader, the church must remain faithful to its calling.
I refuse to endorse political candidates because (1) no one candidate is right on all the issues or, for that matter, wrong on all the issues, and (2) the Gospel should never be tied to a politician or political party.
We should never give the impression that one party or another is the “Christian party.” We must be able to say to Democrats, Republicans, and Independents—and everyone in between—that unless you believe in Jesus, you will be eternally separated from God.
I agree with Lyndon Johnson, who said in his inaugural address, “Under this covenant of justice we have become a nation—prosperous, great, and mighty. And we have kept our freedom. But we have no promise from God that our greatness will endure. We have been allowed by Him to seek greatness with the sweat of our hands and the strength of our spirit … If we fail now, we shall have forgotten in abundance what we learned in hardship: that democracy rests on faith, that freedom asks more than it gives, and that the judgment of God is harshest on those who are most favored.”
We must pray not only that our candidates believe in God, but that their belief means something to them and their policies. At a minimum, they ought to be convinced that our laws are to be derived from God, through both the writings of Scripture and natural law.
How will I vote? Below I list seven biblical issues. Amid the welter of negative ads and campaign hype, I will vote for the candidate who best represents these issues.
Run your candidate through this grid, and you will be given guidance as you cast your ballot. And let us pray for whomever wins!

How Should a Christian Vote?

Whether we are enthusiastic about our political candidates or disappointed with our choices, we should not shirk our duty as good citizens.
In my opinion, we should vote for the person who best represents our convictions on the following issues, which I list without further comment and in no particular order.

1. Character and integrity
   “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people mourn…The king by judgment establishes the land but he that receives gifts overthrows it…If a ruler listens to lies, all his servants are wicked” (Proverbs 29:2, 4, 12).
   
2. Sanctity of human life—abortion, stem cell research using human embryos
   “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13).
   
3. Same-sex marriage or civil unions among same-sex couples
   “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination” (Leviticus 18:22).
   
4. Freedom for religious speech
   “So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard’” (Acts 4:18-20).
   
5. Racial equality
   “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth” (Acts 17:26).
   “…and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God” (Revelation 5:9-10).
   
6. National Security“And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night” (Nehemiah 4:8-9).
   
7. Taxation and government spending“We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards…we are forcing our sons and daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards” (Nehemiah 5:4-5).
   

Whether our preferred candidate wins or loses, we have a God-given responsibility to pray for our leaders and to support them in whatever way we can. Paul, addressing the Romans when Nero was on the throne, wrote, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).
Be assured I will vote with prayer, seeking wisdom from God. And I hope you will vote with the same values in mind.

Democrats, Republicans and Blacks

Thomas Sowell
September 28, 2000

No group votes more solidly for the Democrats than blacks – and no group suffers more as a result than blacks. Political spin makes Democrats the best friends of blacks, the party of civil rights laws, the party of affirmative action and the party of social programs to help the poor in general and blacks in particular. But spin and facts are very different things. The fact is that a higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Despite all the media hype about the confederate flag flying over the state capitol in South Carolina, no Republican put that flag there.

The Democrats' Senator Fritz Hollings, who was governor of South Carolina in the 1960s, put that confederate flag there at a time when it was used all across the South as a symbol of resistance to the civil rights movement. With all the criticism of Texas Governor George W. Bush for not telling the state of South Carolina what to do, there was scarcely a word anywhere about Democrat Fritz Hollings. That's the media for you.

Democrats can claim credit – if that's the word – for all the government social programs that have played such a role in the disintegration of families. These programs have done little to reduce poverty. Blacks did more to reduce their own poverty than the government ever has.

Between 1940 and 1960, the poverty rate among black families fell from 87 percent to 47 percent. Yet there was no major federal civil rights legislation or welfare state programs created during that period. The continuing rise of blacks out of poverty during the 1960s, when their poverty rate fell an additional 17 points, cannot be arbitrarily attributed to the Great Society programs, since this trend was already decades old before these programs were created. As for the first decade of affirmative action – the 1970s – the poverty rate among blacks fell by only one percentage point then.

Education had much to do with the rise of blacks. As of 1940, black adults averaged just 5 years of schooling. By 1960 that was 8 years and by 1970 it was 10 years. Obviously, doubling your education within one generation tends to increase your income, regardless of which party is in power or what policies they follow.

In our own high-tech era, education is even more important. Nothing is more of a handicap to blacks today than inadequate education. There are many reasons for these inadequacies. How do the Democrats and Republicans compare, when it comes to the education of black youngsters?

Democrats are too completely dependent on the teachers' unions to be able to break the public school monopoly or to get rid of incompetent teachers or even to insist on the teaching of the basics, instead of the dumbed-own education and amateur social engineering that the education establishment likes.

Republicans have a golden opportunity to offer blacks something that the Democrats cannot possibly offer – the right of parents to choose where their own children go to school. Whatever political support there is for vouchers has come almost exclusively from Republicans. Democrats are totally opposed – and have to be, if they want to continue getting the millions of dollars contributed by the teachers' unions.

Another factor in the decline of American education in general and education in low-income minority communities in particular, is the difficulty of either punishing or expelling disruptive and violent students who destroy the education of the other students. Liberal judges have made it literally a federal case when schools crack down on disruptive and violent students. Who appoints liberal judges? Usually Democrats, though Republicans have slipped up and appointed a few as well.

One of the other huge handicaps that black students face is the attitude that trying to learn is "acting white." Self-destructive as this notion may be, it is a logical corollary of the social vision that says whitey is out to get you and it doesn't matter how much you know or how hard you try. Which party panders to this victimhood vision? Which party cuddles up with race hustlers like Al Sharpton, who promote this paranoid tribalism? The Democrats in general and Al Gore and Hillary Clinton in particular.

These are the facts. But how much weight do facts carry on Election Day.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/493722/Reconstruction 

My Faith, My Vote

I have struggled for months on deciding whom to vote for. I debated my conscience on the issues. I did the pros and cons. Regardless of who wins this election, God is ultimately in control! Yet as a Christian, I am commanded to elect leaders with good moral standards to govern. For this is how we can impact our society. I get upset at so called Christians who say they are not going to vote this year. That Christians should have nothing to do with governmental issues. However this is not scriptural! This is a lie perpetuated on Christians who segregate themselves from the outside world, when in fact, its the outside world we are to be impacting! The script has been turned around in arrogance to suppress the Church and it seems that a lot of them are falling for this. If you are a Christian, you are to elect leaders of sound moral judgement. (2 Peter1:5-10)

So would you elect someone who you knew nothing about? Or who gave a blank check to anybody for any reason? Would you want a leader who didn't know how to balance a budget? Would you still vote for someone who called themself's a Christian, yet in all his dealings, did the complete opposite? Would you vote for someone who cannot decide whether he is for one thing, then change his mind like the wind the next? I cannot support Infanticide!http://youtu.be/hSNGJd3wCes and I cannot support Injustice.  http://youtu.be/UDeUTIGFypQ
At this point, it is clear. I cannot support either on the moral issues, so the answer has to come fiscally, and this too is very clear. The only candidate who has ever held a job, built a business, has a budget and created jobs is Gov. Mitt Romney. Therefore, as a Christian, I am voting for him as the next president of the United States!
May God have mercy on us all.

A Strong Foundation

  

  Have you ever worked with  a boss who deliberately lied to you on a constant bases, was never around when needed, and always hired the worst person for a job?  Those people are usually shunned by others because of their incompetence, and you know in the corporate world, nobody wants to associate with  someone with a bad reputation. A bad leader makes for a bad team.  If the leader is not leading properly, then what makes the team do so as well?  Or are you one of those people who stick up for that boss because he lets you get away with things, or gives you gifts?  Could you respect a boss who did things you knew he was not suppose to be doing?  

     We've all worked in a place where playing favorites is the norm in some businesses.  If your not the favorite, it seems you have to ask permission for everything, and well, that just makes people more resentful of the others who can because you do all the work, but they get all the attention and raise.
      The same could be said in the home.  Would you spoil one child and ignore the other?  Do you let one get away with things, and say no to the other?  Is that being a good parent?  If we don't do these things with our family, and we don't do these things in our business, why do we allow these things with our government leaders?
     The parents are the head of the home.  They set rules and chores for kids to obey. Kids will have a curfew, they will take out the trash, clean their room, and be respectful to parents. They have established a foundation.  The same is set in a business.  Owner sets the rules on how he/she wants to run their  business.  You agree to work for them on the basis of how you like the business.  They set the foundation.  The laws of the land are not any difference.  We have a set of laws set in place for the nation that tells each and every one of us how we must govern. The leader the people elect to represent that foundation to the world, has to themselves be governed by those laws, because if not, the nation can spin in a chaotic mess.  If the leader is being disobedient, then what makes the nation become obedient?  If the leader is not being a good example to others, then he is influencing for the bad.  A leader who plays favorites only brings about resentment, envy, strife and chaos to a family, a business, or a nation.  A leader can always strive for progress.  But without leadership strongly set on  foundational rules, are blown like the wind, and destined to fall.  (I Corinthians 3:10)  ( Matthew 7:24 -27)

The Federalist Papers

The Federalist Papers

The Feast of Trumpets

The Bible shows that the Rapture will occur during Rosh Hashanah!  At least this is what the speculation is being talked about in the religious circles.  An  in depth study is what's needed on this, but I have come across some videos explaining what it is, and its quite fascinating!  I would love to hear from Jews about the accuracy of the video, and I would love to hear from Christian Scholars who believe this to be true. 

Happy Rosh Hashanah!

My 911

 

     I was running late for work as usual. Seeing as I worked 15 minutes from the Galleria, I could take my time. It was close to 9am and I was about to turn off Good Morning America when they announced a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Just as I was about to turn the tv off to head for work, I saw the 2nd plane coming in the background of the smoking towers and slam into the 2nd tower. As that happened, a synchronized gasp between myself and the hosts of the show was what I remembered. I stood there in disbelief. "What is going on?" I remembered thinking. I finally composed myself enough to go to work. At that time, I was working in an International Building. People from all walks of life. and that Tuesday, we were scheduled to have a fire drill. well, we didn't have the drill that day. Thank God! With all the commotion of the day, everybody just figured that it was postponed. Come the next morning. Another beautiful day. I went to work but I couldn't concentrate. I hadn't heard from friends in New York and I wanted to hear from everybody I knew. I kept calling friends and getting calls asking if they had heard from so and so. Everyone was accounted for but one. All at once, the fire alarm goes off! All you see is lawyers and secretaries running down the stairs in frantic! I saw one lady who kept on typing in her chair like nothing was happening, and me thinking how crazy the woman was. Once we got down to the outside of the building with everybody else, we're all standing around wondering what was going on. I took it upon myself to ask the building people, and that's when he shouted for all to hear that it was a false alarm! They had gotten the date of the fire drill wrong and forgot to turn it off! Needless to say, everyone was on pins and needles at work. Nobody wanted to be there. But we knew we had to keep things going. At night time, it was like living in a Terminator movie with the black hawk helicopters hovering over the city. Nobody could sleep. we watched the news all night. Oh yeah, That one unaccounted friend who nobody had heard from was one of the many who walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to stay at a coworkers apartment because she couldn't get to her home.  We found out a few days after. And today, Sept. 9th, well, today is her birthday.
     This was my 911. What's your story?

The Prosperity Deception

 

     It saddens me to see so many people being caught up in the false teachings of the Prosperity Gospel. This is the preaching that says that God wants you to be healthy and wealthy, and all you have to do is claim it and believe in order to get it.  This is nowhere  found in the Holy Scriptures, but yet, people are being deceived by this notion at alarming rates. (Galatians 1:6-10)  This new age positivity gospel that says you can twist God's hand and demand He give us the desire's of our heart is a false premise.  This thinking deify's man and reduces God. It cheapens the true Gospel of Christ and what He did on the cross for our sins.  Because if God can be manipulated in to giving us things, then there is no need for a Savior and God is not really who He claims to be. (1 John 4:1-6) Is it any wonder that so many people are being turned off by Church and God, when the message preached night and day is a self worshiped gospel?  The focus should not be on you and what you can get, but rather on what He did and how He can work within you to fulfill His will for your life.  (James 4: 1-3)  God never promises  health, wealth and prosperity to all.  For even Jesus didn't have these things! In other words, it's not about you.  Its about Him.  Your best life now is found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, not in  fallen man.  God never promised that the Christian life would be easy, but through Christ, you can have peace in any circumstance, because HE is in control! (Philippians 4:19)

http://www.campuschristians.info/articles/joelosteencritique.html

Good News

My Life of Misery, Agony and Torture (A Personal Testimony)

      (My friend Glenn  recently shared his testimony to his friends about what's  been going on in his life these past few years, and he's allowed me to share it with you) 


I would classify much of the last 10 years of my life as misery, agony and torture. (Torture defined as anguish of body or mind. Agony)

I'm working on writing a personal testimony with more details. But suffice it to say that medicine destroyed my sleep mechanisms. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night feeling like someone has put poision in my brain. Sometimes I have moaned out loud asking God to have mercy. I've gone hundreds of nights feeling like I am being tortured. The white of my eyes have been completely red from the feeling of poision and the stress in my brain it produced. A sleep study showed I get 5% restful sleep. etc.etc.

I have been diagnosed with a heart condition as well and can go through periods in which its difficult to go to the store or even cook my own meals. It can make me feel totally miserable....and then I can't fall asleep. From 2002 to 2008 I layed down on a couch in misery all day and night...everyday and everynight. etc. etc.

Sometimes I eliminate 90% of foods because they intensify my suffering with sleep. etc. etc.

Everyone thinks I look and sound great. But I've thought about dying often...even wanting to die. At times it felt like the pain was just too intense to bear. If I did not believe that Jesus Christ was sovereignly in control of all things happening I would have probably commited suicide long ago. 

I've had my moments of 'despair' ... how about you ? We may experience the death of a loved one, divorce, emotional issues that seem to intense for us to endure, health problems, etc. etc. Unlike a lot of false teaching today God never promised an endless life of 'happiness' for the Christian. 

I may not always feel 'happy'. But I can choose to be content in Jesus Christ. To be content does not necessarily imply 'happiness' or 'satisfaction' - it means that you are at peace with the circumstances. In the Bible Job had his moments of complaint and despair. He lost his wealth and most of his family died. He became extremely ill and suffered greatly. HIs friends and wife gave him no emotional support. Yet when his wife said to him, "Are you still trying to be godly when God has done all this to you? Curse Him and die." Job's response was , "... Shall we receive only pleasant things from the hand of God and never anything unpleasant? So in all this Job said nothing wrong." (Job2:9,10 Living Bible) Job also said, " I came naked from my mother's womb, " he said, "and I shall have nothing when I die. The Lord gave me everything I had, and they were His to take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. " In all this , Job did not sin or revile God. " (Job 1:21,22 Living Bible)

While I definetly have not been perfect through all this, my main point to share with you is that my desire is to always trust and hope in the Lord who is always good. :-)

" I remember my afflictiion [SUFFERING]... I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. " (Lamentations 3:19-23 New International verision) Great chapter on suffering. 

Curse God and die? No. How can I do that to someone who has given and done everything for me. Because of His giving His Son Jesus Christ to die for all my sins I wil receive the FREE GIFT of heaven with no more crying , death, sorrow or pain. (see Revelation 21)

No response needed or desired. I will be writing a longer version of this. You can request a copy if you know someone who would be helped by it. I praise Jesus Christ for hope and for Him. :-) God bless :-)

If you could be so kind to pray for him, It would be much appreciated.

A Little Reminder

     Got home the other day from work and turned on Little House on the Prairie.  I love coming home and relaxing and watching this show.  It has so many examples that we can use today in our lives.  This episode reminded me of how fortunate I am to live in the greatest country in the world!  It's not perfect, but thank  God, it is still free! 

The Free Market Gospel

     The Free Market Enterprise is much like The Gospel.  Both will only work with individual responsibility.  When you accept the Gospel as your personal faith, you are taking responsibility for your actions.  You are  taking the initiative to nourish your relationship in order  to preserve your faith.  The same is with the Free Market Enterprise. Applying individual accountability towards the preservation of the system and not taking advantage of it to pursue your own selfish desires will it work for everyone.  Just as if you let the Gospel become corrupted, then it does nothing for the individual, the community, nor the country. It cheapens and nullifies the message into just another failed  system. When the Free Market is taken advantage and corrupted by greedy narcissists, it makes the system imbalanced, therefore not providing the structure for people to produce effectively. In essence, its as if you were seeing the affects of a prosperity pimp on television, abusing the Gospel in order to make himself rich!  Both lead people away from a good message, and destroys their lives and everyone else's around them.  Only when we exercise discipline and personal responsibility to maintain the system in  accordance  with its structure, will they both flourish. 

Money Power

In Luke 16, Jesus put His finger on the heart of the subject of finances. His message was clear: Scriptural growth is tied directly to the way we handle our money.

With wry wit He used the improbable illustration of a shrewd manager (vv. 1-8) to make His point. The manager’s master, who was a rich man, had turned over responsibility for all his money to the manager, who was later accused of squandering the rich man’s wealth. In accord with his culture, he faced the prospect of being publicly fired and humiliated. Such shame would prevent him from again being employed as a manager.

Threatened with having no means to earn a living, the manager planned ahead.

‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the management people will welcome me into their homes.’ And he summoned each one of his master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty’ (vv. 3-7).

The manager schemed to buy the help of his master’s debtors by putting them in debt to himself. Each adjusted account would be worth so many months or years of room and board which the debtors would be obligated to provide the manager in return for his favor to them. This clever scheme quickly secured his retirement needs.

This action won grudging praise from the manager’s master. “And his master praised the unrighteous manager because he had acted shrewdly” (v. 8). The manager recognized his need to provide security for his future, and so he aggressively accomplished his goal.

Shocking words?

In commenting on this story, Jesus said,

For the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings’” (vv. 8-9).

Do these words shock you? Read His statement again. What is the shrewdness that the people of the world possess and God’s people lack? Is it not in their fore­sight, and in their ability to influence one another to achieve their ends?

A typical business executive’s bookshelf abounds with books on how to manipulate, motivate, and otherwise influence people to achieve management goals. But such pur­poses are often selfish, and always limited to this present life.

God’s people belong to a different realm. Yet, unfortunately, believers often fail to recognize the fact of their heavenly orienta­tion. Such disorientation prevents them from influencing others heavenward. Chris­tians may even find themselves playing the same game as the rest of the world, fran­tically scrambling for ultimately mean­ingless goals.

Jesus spoke of our being “received into the eternal dwellings” (v. 9) after using wealth wisely. He was obviously referring to heaven. Heaven is the future of the believer, and he must prepare for it.

Just as the shrewd manager was able to influence people for the future, so the Christian must learn to use his wealth – such as it may be – to influence people toward heaven. A day will come when wealth is useless and meaningless. But those who are wise will learn to use money while it is useful to bring people to Christ. We can use whatever wealth we have to in­fluence people to become eternal friends.

Your welcome committee in heaven

But can we really buy Christians?

Picture yourself walking up to heaven’s gates. As joyous music resounds, a crowd of radiant faces surges toward you with happy cheers. Your eye is caught by a banner that has your name in large letters underneath the words WELCOME HOME.

“What is this?” you stammer.

“We are your eternal friends,” the joyful strangers say. “Your giving brought the gospel to me in Ecuador,” one of them says. “And in Kenya,” says another. “And in In­donesia.” “And in New York.” And so on.

Do you think you’ll have a welcome com­mittee in heaven like this? We can ex­change wealth for people! We can invest in proclaiming the gospel and making dis­ciples all over the world.

Wealth is more than money

Money is only one aspect of wealth. Your wealth may include a home, a car, gadgets, or even the prestige of your position. All that we have, then, can be used to influence others in a positive way for the gospel.

David Livingstone said, “I will place no value on anything I may possess except in relation to the kingdom of Christ.” He said he would use all his possessions to “pro­mote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes in time and eternity.”

Whatever we possess must be viewed in relation to eternity and to whether it is help­ing influence people to become disciples of Jesus Christ. Doesn’t it excite you to realize that everything you have can be used for such a purpose!

Ready for true riches

With the parable of the shrewd manager, Jesus helped us understand how to use wealth. He then explained why we should use our wealth in this way.

Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own? (vv. 10-12)

Will the Lord entrust you with much? For Him to do so, you must be faithful and trustworthy in little things – such as how you use worldly wealth. Make it your aim to use your wealth to extend the kingdom of God. Those who do this are counted by God as being worthy of “true riches.”

What are the true riches? They are the truths in God’s word, answered prayer, a fruitful witness. How definitely Jesus ties our spiritual development to faithful use of our money! if your life is lacking in true riches, perhaps you should take a look at your checkbook. How are you handling this “very little” thing?

Jesus spoke in this passage of our need to be trustworthy “with someone else’s prop­erty.” How much of what we have belongs not to us, but to God? A tenth? No, of course not. Everything we have has been given as a trust from Him, and He holds us accountable for what we do with it.

No fence-sitting

There can be no fence-sitting in this matter. Hear the words of the Lord Jesus:

No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money (v. 13).

Either we are servants of God using His money for His kingdom, or we are servants of money. Those who do not use their money to serve God are being used by money to serve it.

The Pharisees understood what Jesus was teaching here, but because of their devotion to riches they did not want to ap­ply his truth to their lives. “The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus” (v. 14). They were the servants of money – not of God.

Why give money away?

In A Spiritual Clinic, J. Oswald Sanders referred to Jesus’ statement in Acts 20:35 – “It is more blessed to give than to receive” – as the “neglected ninth beatitude.” Sanders said this teaching underscored “the superior blessedness of liberality.”

Do we really think of giving money away as better than getting it? Or are we like selfish children in this area – missing out on the joy of giving?

The blessedness Jesus spoke of refers to the happiness and peace that marks the life of a person who gives. Jesus would have us enjoy the bliss of the giver.

In this teaching, as in every area of in­struction, God asks of us only what is for our own good. God – the Creator, the Omnipo­tent, the self-existent Jehovah – certainly has no need for our gifts. Should we fail to recognize this, He has spoken directly to our delusion:

For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is Mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and all it contains. (Psa. 50:10-12, NASB)

Why then does He ask us to give?

He asks because giving is God-like. God redeemed and restored us by giving freely the most priceless Gift in all the universe:

“He gave His one and only Son.” God is a lavish giver.

From Genesis to Revelation we discover God giving freely and bountifully to man­kind. Jesus said, “He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matt 5:45). We even discover God withholding judgment to give men time to repent from their wicked ways. And to those of us who place their faith in Jesus Christ, “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Rom. 5:5).

Such is the giving nature of the love of God. No wonder John can ask, “But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (1 Jn. 3:17).

Generosity is one of the glorious char­acteristics of God. Those who bear His im­age ought to manifest this same quality.

Give, and you are acting in harmony with the Lord of the universe.

To whom should we give?

What do we wish to accomplish through our giving? In one of the many passages in which He dealt with materialism, Jesus con­cluded by urging His disciples to make it their first order of business to seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness – and He said that in doing so they would see God take care of their true needs (Matt. 6:33).

Therefore, our giving should contribute in some way to extending God’s kingdom and His righteousness.

The Scriptures identify two broad categories of people to whom we are to give: ministers of God, and the poor.

Give to the ministers of God

When God had Moses set aside the tribe of Levi to serve the Tabernacle, He established a professional reli­gious group supported by the tithes of Israel. God did this rather than require service in the Tabernacle from the first­born son in every family (Num­. 3:5-9 and 3:44-45). All the Levites stood in the place of a representative from each family. Today the method is different but the principle remains the same. The work to be done for God’s kingdom requires the full-time efforts of some. These professionals are to be sup­ported by the gifts of the remainder of God’s people who have other avenues of income. Paul drew upon this Old Testament prin­ciple in 1 Cor. 9:13-14.

Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.

When Jesus sent His disciples on a mis­sionary journey, He commanded them to ac­cept the food and lodging offered to them because “the laborer is worthy of his wages” (Lk. 10:7). God has made the Christian ministry an honorable work, and the accept­ance of gifts a legitimate means of livelihood for Christian workers.

Paul wrote to the Galatians, “When anyone is under instruction in the faith, he should give his teacher a share of all good things he has” (Gal. 6:6, New English Bible). Each of us has an obligation to help those who are ministering to us. Those whom God is using in your life are those whom He would have you support.

This principle is simple, but as in many things the practice often gets confusing. The local church is not the only Christian ministry supported by the contributions of God’s people. There are hundreds of groups in varying degrees of relatedness to the church all clamoring for attention and help. The myriad of financial requests is staggering. How do you determine which one to support?

A proper guideline is to first support the local fellowship to which you belong.

Koinonia is the Greek word used in the New Testament for the fellowship of Chris­tians. It is rich with significance. In the business sense, the word was used in the an­cient world as a term for a partnership in which financial burdens as well as profits were shared. In the same way, your local fellowship deserves your financial commit­ment.

Then consider two other categories.

First, there may be a special group or in­dividual who has had a significant ministry in your life. It is scripturally proper for you to support such a ministry. Second, God may have placed special interests in your heart that are being met by churches and other Christian groups elsewhere, and you can properly provide financial support for these as well.

Here are essential questions you should ask before giving to a group or individual outside your local church:

·          Is this group serving the interests of the kingdom of God?

·         Do I know the beliefs and teachings of this group, and do they agree with the Bible in context?

·          Is this group accountable for its use of finances?

·          Is this group “delivering” on its stated goals?

·          What do I know of the character of the people in this organization?

Give to the poor

We are also to give to the poor. “He who op­presses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God” (Prov. 14:31). “If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered” (Prov. 21:13). “When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed” (Lk. 14:13-14).

In the New Testament, the apostles in Jerusalem asked Paul and Barnabas to “continue to remember the poor” (Gal. 2:10). James particularly stressed in his epistle that Christians meet the needs of poor Christians.

If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,’ and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that (Jas. 2:15-16)?

How much should we give?

Giving is a matter of the heart. This is an Old Testament concept as well as a New Testa­ment teaching: “Tell the sons of Israel to raise a contribution for Me; from every man whose heart moves him” (Ex. 25:2).

And Paul wrote,

Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).

As you can see, the Scriptures make the matter of how much to give an issue of in­dividual decision and conscience.

“Yes, of course,” you may say, “but how much specifically should I think of giving?” Consider these verses and let your heart respond to them:

There is one who scatters, and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered (Prov. 11:24-25).

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously (2 Cor. 9:6).

Paul gave a better guide in 2 Corinthians 8:12.

For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.

Paul was echoing God’s instructions to Is­rael through Moses: “Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you” (Deut. 16:17).

How has God blessed you? Let this be the measure of your giving.

But it is at just this point that many fail in giving because of poor financial manage­ment resulting in indebtedness. They have been blessed materially, but they can give little. They have learned the harsh truth of Proverbs 22:7 – “The borrower is servant to the lender.”

Of course, some are in debt because of circumstances beyond their control. But a great majority are in debt by choice. Years ago, Paul’s words in Romans 13:8 pene­trated my heart: “Owe no one anything, ex­cept to love one another.” I resolved to clear all my indebtedness as soon as pos­sible and to weigh very carefully any future commitments. One benefit of such a deci­sion is that the debt-free man is free to give.

Have a plan

Every good manager knows that budget planning is essential for running an effec­tive business. This need is no less for a fam­ily or individual. A wise steward will plan his expenditures and will have some form of systematic giving.

Paul provided a pattern for regular giving in his instructions to the Corinthians re­garding a collection for the poor: “On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper” (1 Cor. 16:2). Regular saving for the purpose of giving will allow you to meet your goals.

God has granted us the high privilege of involvement in His work in this world. Giv­ing to the support of His ministers and workers and to the relief of the poor is one way we can share in His work.

Our gracious Lord lays no burdensome obligation on us. He awaits the response of a forgiven, glad, and generous heart.

Roger Fleming, Discipleship Journal, Issue 12, 1982, pp. 27-30.