Cash the check; don't be a miser.

Yesterday, Sun., a pastor at my church used a great example of not using God's blessings for good. In 1912, one Hetty Green died and left over a million dollars to no one! She ate cold oatmeal every day. She even let her son die because she would not send him to a hospital which she deemed too expensive for her! She died , cold, dark, alone and bitter. She could have cashed her checks and saved her son, helped others and given her money to charities. She did nothing. She was a miser. Many people are misers when it comes to their faith. If and only if they meet Jesus as Savior, many will never cash that check to get its full potential and benefit. They fear to change. They hold on to blessings instead of spreading them to others. They grow cold, dark and alone of heart. They are misers when sharing Christ if they ever do. They live as if they are still in the dark, still in the level of sin, death, defeat and depression. I understand such feelings, such fears but we must all remind each other that Jesus never held back. He was not a miser with his life, grace, salvation, love or sacrifice. It is time we stop being misers, cash the check and live to bless as we have been blessed by our good fortune in Christ!

Tend to Caesar's business, tend to God's

Once again, I note that in this 8-9 days until the Nov. 7 election, papers, media outlets like CNN, op-eds are bewailing the fact that there are just too many Evangelical voters. These are said to be bad for democracy! Of course, it if fine if secular humanists, socialists like Bernie Sanders in Vt. win a Senate seat and his votes all come from liberals, but those wascally Christians just should not have any influence on any Congressional outcome. The Net has had an ongoing debate over whether religious people should be influencing elections. Imagine that! Forget our history where in the Revolution, the Civil War, Manifest Destiny, the Spanish American War, Woodrow Wilson in WWI and many religious people on all sides in WWII right here in America(pacifists like the actor Lew Ayers as well as pastors, such as Fosdick, FDR,and other Politicians and Military Christians as MacArthur) all had great influences on not only our elections but our domestic and national security agendas too. Only today, if the Left had its way, should Christians be put at the back of the bus!!! Odd isn't it that it is fine for women, gays, blacks, Hispanics (illegals if the Left had their way) to vote but not Christians. Wow! What a double standard! Christians should not be afraid of the Media, the IRS or the Govt. when it comes to voting. The First Amendment covers Christians too my friends.

Christians, church people, voters with spiritual reasons, should blog

As I blog, I hope somebody actually reads the column. I think it is important that Christians get a place at the table of communication in our nation. Whether it is on the Net, blogs, op-eds, letters-to-the-editor, people of a Judeo-Christian worldview should blog and write . Why? Because there are so many smears out there today in the MSM, or the 'old media' and with many politicians, writers and university profs, that unless Christians who not only want to stand for their Faith, the Bible, Christ, but their role in economics, business, education, politics,speak out, write, call in to Talk Radio; wrong impressions, lies, distortions will detract from the Truth of Christianity. Much of the problem of communication for and about Christians and Christianity is that the opponents believe lies and biases about them and it. It is time to speak and write out so all can learn the truth about their fellow citizens who are believers . Blogging can aid this effort. For example, if you wish to see just my political views, you can also turn to http://phillyfanatic.spaces.live.com/ Christians have a point of view on all of life. It is about time that the truth be told so real dialogue can begin instead of just launching charges.

Pastors involved

If anyone ever reads this, is a pastor or a Christian, please read Doug Giles' article on Townhall.com,Oct. 22, today on his views of pastoral involvement in America's issues: culturally, politically, economically, socially. It is much like I commented upon in my last post. I have always believed that Christians cannot sit around waiting for Jesus' Second Coming and not do anything about the society in which we live. Voting, of course. But, also, what should pastors advise and what should Christians do when dealing with poverty, illegal immigration, court decisions which deny Christian and Judeo religious rights under our Constitution? What should we do and advise when more than abortion headlines hit us in the stomach? How do we deal with child abuse, rights of innocent people in jail,( and there are some who are innocent), welfare fraud and welfare for those working poor who really need a hand up? How should pastors advise their congregants on war, peace, the military? How does the Word of God help them to do so? Is it always clear how the Word applies to many questions today? We shall never know unless we study it and then apply it the best we can. Sitting at home on election day when parties and candidates we know do not apply Biblical decisions to their political decisions is apathetic and I believe a sin of omission. One can sin with commission of course. But, not doing things one knows is right is also a sin. Going to Bible studies is a must. But, after them , how do we help people in an active way? How do we get them to see they are lost without the Lord God, Jesus Christ? That is action my friends. That is faith applied and acted upon. Faith without works is dead James wrote. So true and so more true as November 7 approaches and every day we can use our opportunities to do God's work on this Earth.

Should Christians vote?

This question if easy for me. Since I was 15, writing letters to William F. Buckley Jr., I have been involved in politics. I believe Christians cannot afford not to vote. The American Revolution had pastors asking people to stand for freedom against the British. After the Revolution, pastors asked their congregants to vote when they were able. It has been a tradition in this nation for religious people to cast votes, take stands on things such as slavery, poverty, expansion, war and peace. As in the days of Lincoln, we are in a Great War against an enemy far and near. It is not a Civil War, thank God, but it is a war which affects every voter in this nation. Robert Hutchins, of the U. of Chicago, used to say, ' ideas matter.' And so they do. Issues matter to Christians. It is more than abortion. It is more than war . There are cultural issues with which to deal. There are economic issues: high taxes vs lower taxes. There is who decides law in this nation: liberal jurists or conservative jurists. There is the issue of law and order and crime and punishment. All politicians have feet of clay. But then so do pastors , bakers and candle-stick makers! In a democratic-republic, citizens need to be informed voters and then need to vote. Staying home is to give up: to cut and run as it were. Christians know that Jesus is our King but now we live in this dimension where humanity has free will and makes decisions: good and evil. We Christians need to vote for those politicians who while not perfect, and may infuriated us sometimes, make policy that looks like the ones we favor. I will be voting for men and women of integrity. Ones who will cut my taxes, shore up our cultural values, win the war against Islamofascism, and appoint judges who follow our Constitution and not their own opinions. You bet Christians should vote. And Nov. 7 is that next day!

The world, the devil, and ourselves

One of the most tempting propositions for Americans especially is to get caught up in the world. Not only the troubles, but the material, the tempting via sex, drugs, rock n'roll. The wealth, the family only, just our own little plantation. It is easy to do. Worry then enters in with all of this stuff. Then there is the devil, evil, demonic forces which attack us not only in our minds, bodies, mentality and emotions but against our own families, our locale, our nation. Foreign and domestic enemies who are geared up to do real evil are supported invisibly by demonic forces the Bible says. Of course, our elites poo pooh this idea but James does not in the Scriptures. Finally, there is our own self centeredness, pride, hubris, addictions, personalities, biases et al. That too is warned against by James in the Bible. These three attacks hit all of us. All 6 billion of us on this globe. Yet, when people pose the facts, the hope and the help of the Judeo-Christian option and worldview which says a loving God in the person of the Savior-Creator-Lord of the Universe, Jesus Christ has for 2000 years given humanity an answer to evil, sin, self-centeredness, demonic attacks and death, people poo pooh that in greater numbers than ever before. The Bible even warns that this would happen. The evil of the Islamofascists, the Koreans, Chinese, Russians , domestic gangs, criminals can stumble even the strongest of believers in that humble, loving, saving God. But, I posit, Jesus is the ONLY answer to all of these 3 attacks listed above and the domestic and foreign problems we all face. Will He solve all these problems? Well, at the end of history, He will. But, as for now, He told us to use the time we have to work out problems, create loving solutions, defeat evil and the devilish people and nations who work such deeds of darkness, and to offer the Gospel as an everyday answer to life's problems. Will anyone listen nowadays??

War and Christians

The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. And then pray that Israel keeps its powder dry. The same can be said for the USA. St. Augustine wrote centuries ago of a just war. WWII was a just war. Period. Evil must be countered not appeased. Appeasement never works. Pacifism never works. Now we have N. Korea supposedly blowing up an A weapon. Maybe they did; maybe they did not. Still, the world needs to be aware that these guys lie, forge our money, cheat on agreements. Praying for their change is a good thing. Still, none of these leaders there are Christians, none are reasonable and there is no opposition party to take over if the nation collapses. God could intervene, of course. So far, He has not. Diplomacy has never worked with Iran, Korea, Syria, and other thuggish nations. Therefore, the West needs to not only pray for these enemies, but that we pray for their downfall and repentance of their evil. And they are evil. To avoid that description is pure suicide. Evil and cancer have a lot in common. One must kill it. Compromising with cancer usually makes the patient dead. Compromising with evil nations usually leads to war. Tough love may indeed by the answer as Dr. Dobson advises with unruly kids. And we better better keep our powder dry and continue to pray for the safety of our nation, our military, our President and our allies. Then too, pray for the conversion of our enemies to be open to the grace and salvation of Jesus. It certainly won't hurt and may well soften the hearts of our evil enemies.

Culture watch

Went to the gym on Friday after teaching my college class with 20 plus seniors debating the issues of the day. We always cover culture questions whether it is on music, books, plays, and things that cover American life on a secular or spiritual level. Heard some song which was either a cross between hip hop, rap and just nonsense. The guy mumbled that it was OK to do anything that one wanted as long as it made one feel good and one had fun. Now Cosby, even Sharpton, Juan Williams have been warning black culture to shape up or go the way of the barbarians. But, song writers, producers, entertainers who are not black also are producing more fever swamp renditions that destroy our morality, our self worth, civic pride and virtue. These songs, even plays and surely movies attack Christian values, make fun of the military, want to assassinate President Bush, and glorify sex to the point where our kids are not only over-sexualized but filled with hate for their own culture, families, and traditions. Schools don't help much with course in appreciating homosexuality and transgender politics. Churches seem to revel in ordaining gays and denouncing fellow Christians who are Bible based and Christ Centered. Not tolerant , don't you know. What to do is the Question for me? What are churches, families, even government and educational activities and agendas doing to restore some sense of civility, fairness, respect, integrity and moral views of the universe? I would love some media outlet to do stories on that. A list of churches, non-profits, agencies, even private schools and families who are teaching and doing by example to restore our Judeo-Christian Western civilization would be a help to others who are getting very discouraged when looking at our culture. Even at the gym!

The culture of corruption

Did you know that a mission group reports that in the USA, there are 221,000,000 unchurched people in the USA? Wow! Since we just reached 300,000,000 in population, that makes the USA a secular humanist non-Christian nation. Is sin reigning in our nation? Seems so. Where are the moral stops? No political party seems to have them but at least the Pubs deal with their sinners. The Dems applaud them and keep them in Congress. What if this Dem blogger who is a leftist radical actually releases more Pub gay names? Will he do the same for the Dem gays in Congress? Will the sewer be released? An election is near and this is not happening by accident. And yet the media, the Dem Party and other liberals do not want any, any Biblical injunctions to be used in public policy. No prayer. No 10 Commandments. No church activity in voting or campaigning. Oh no. It is the fundamentalists who are the real danger in this nation. Not the leftist pacifist socialists who proclaim all morals are equal and people should do what they want. Except , of course, if it is Pubs, conservatives, Christians, religious Jews et al. that we are writing or talking about.This is beyond hypocrisy. For nearly 70 years, secular liberal humanism has attacked our culture. It is now coming to fruition that our nation is now in worse moral chaos than at any time in our history; including the '20's or '30's. My answer is to turn back to our Judeo-Christian traditions, spirituality and absolutely to our historical view that Jesus Christ is the only one to change our moral morass. Intolerant? Well, it seems tolerance has gotten the USA in more trouble than anyone could have foreseen since our Founding. Tolerance of evil, that is!