THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN

The people have spoken. Confidentially, it will not be the first time the majority have made the wrong decision...Remember, they overwhelmingly crucified our Lord Jesus Christ. THAT was God's Perfect Will....a plan for the salvation of all who call upon the Name of Lord. A majority have elected Barack Obama; I cannot help but believe this is God's Permissive Will. Can these beloved United States of America be truly united in hope and purpose? Only God knows, and as always, He's allowing us to "do our thing" before He pronounces judgment.

I voted for McCain/Palin...not because they were white Americans...but because they come a lot closer to adhering to the Holy Bible in their platform. I cannot fathom how any committed Christian could vote for a team that supports murder of children in the womb and the marriage of gay/lesbian couples.

Alexis de Touqueville hit the nail squarely on the head when he wrote:"America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

And Theodore Roosevelt stated firmly my belief: “We can have no "50-50" allegiance in this country. Either a man is an American and nothing else, or he is not an American at all.”

My new president was elected as an African-American. If he can drop the "African" and state that he is simply an American, there is HOPE. However, if the racist overtones of this election are not denounced, America is doomed to destruction from within.I shall do all within my power to prevent that occurrence. That "all within my power" consists of placing my faith and trust, not in President Obama, but in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob!

May God bless America!

Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3).

How can it be blessed to be poor in spirit? Surely poverty and blessing are opposites? That is how the unbeliever and the carnal believer thinks because their concept of being blessed is associated with possessing things or with worldly forms of pleasure and happiness. Even some, who think they are spiritual, find it hard to make the connection between spiritual poverty and blessedness.

This verse does not deal with material poverty, but rather, spiritual poverty. And this is not a statement about God loving poor people but rather that those who are spiritually poor are blessed. But how can spiritual poverty be blessed – surely we are blessed when we are spiritually rich?

The answer to this dilemma lies in the truth that we cannot hold onto what the world offers, or what we have in the flesh, and to what the Lord offers at the same time. If you want the world’s happiness and blessings then you cannot have God’s happiness and blessedness. We have to choose what we want. Do we want temporal happiness or eternal happiness? Do we want the riches of this world or the eternal treasures that are stored up in heaven? Do we want the happiness that God alone can give or the fleeting emotional highs that we get from some kind of sensory pleasure and that soon comes crashing down again?

Only those who are spiritually poor are willing to look to the Lord for blessing while those who think they have it all worked out have no need for the blessedness God offers because they think they can manufacture their own blessings and happiness. The truth is that it is impossible to manufacture or achieve blessedness or happiness apart from the Lord. All blessings flow from Him and from Him alone, and man cannot be happy until he finds himself in the perfect will of God and until God fills that void within man that God alone can fill.

But there is a problem with this verse. It should really say: “blessed are those who recognize that they are poor in spirit”. You see, all of mankind is spiritually bankrupt – no one has anything to boast of and every human being is in desperate need of God’s help and blessings. But very few recognize their poverty and that’s the problem. Many Christians do not recognize their bankruptcy before God and think that they can still achieve blessedness on their own merits or through their own effort.

The church of Laodicea was one such church. They said “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” but Jesus said: “[you] do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). These statements were made about both their financial and spiritual status. The church in Smyrna, on the other hand, recognized their poverty and Jesus declared “but you are rich” (Revelation 2:9).

Those who recognize their spiritual poverty sufficiently to approach the throne of grace for help are the ones upon whom the Lord pours His grace and blessing. James says “you do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). And Jesus said “Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24). It’s as simple as that. As long as we feel we do not have a need, we do not ask and when we don’t ask, we don’t receive. But when we recognize our desperate need of the Lord, and we begin to ask, seek and knock then He is able to pour all His goodness, grace, peace and joy into our lives.

I have never understood why so few of us are able to recognize our need and why we all seem to feel we can go it on our own until the Lord sends some calamity our way before we cry out for help. I suppose the answer lies in our overestimation of our ability at controlling our own destiny and our ignorance of our own weakness. I once heard about a blind girl who was convinced that she was not blind but that the world was always dark! It’s amazing how the problem always lies outside of ourselves!

Paul discovered this truth when the truth dawned on him that the Lord’s “strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2Corinthians 12:10). Thus the spiritually poor are blessed because they have discovered that the Lord’s strength is far more powerful than their own frailty and that it is much more blessed to have Him work through them, than their own puny efforts.

The second reason the poor in spirit are blessed is because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. The Kingdom does not belong to the proud, self-sufficient and arrogant. Such are not part of, and will not enter, the Kingdom as the only way into the Kingdom is by faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). Those who do not recognize their poverty do not put their faith in Christ as their faith is in themselves and their own abilities. Only the spiritually poor and needy have any use for the wonderful grace of God and find the need to call upon Him.

The Lord does not hear the prayer of the self-sufficient even if they should call upon the Lord. “on this one will I look, on him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at my word” (Isaiah 66:2). The Kingdom does not belong to the righteous, religious, self-made, and self-sufficient – it only belongs to the poor in spirit.

Thirdly the poor in spirit are blessed because God walks with such “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). What a wonderful privilege to dwell with God in His high and holy place. Once again the special seats in His presence are not reserved for the mighty, noble and wise but for the poor in spirit. What wonderful grace!

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1Corinthians 1:26-29).

[Anton Busch Ministries (formerly Plumbline Ministries)]

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

The Starfish

The old man awoke just before sunrise, as he often did, to walk by the ocean's edge and greet the new day. As he moved through the morning dawn, he focused on a faint, far away motion. He saw a youth, bending and reaching and flailing arms, dancing on the beach, no doubt in celebration of the perfect day soon to begin. As he approached, he realized that the youth was not dancing to the bay, but rather bending to sift through the debris left by the night's tide, stopping now and then to pick up starfish and then standing, to heave it back into the sea.

He asked the youth the purpose of the effort. "The tide has washed the starfish onto the beach and they cannot return to the sea by themselves," the youth replied. "When the sun rises, they will die, unless I throw them back into the sea." As the youth explained, the old man surveyed the vast expanse of beach, stretching in both directions beyond eyesight. Starfish littered the shore in numbers beyond calculation.

The hopelessness of the youth's plan became clear and the old man countered, "But there are more starfish on this beach than you can ever save before the sun is up. Surely you cannot expect to make a difference."

The youth paused briefly to consider my words, bent to pick up a starfish and threw it as far as possible. Turning to the man, he said, "I made a difference to that one."

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN 'ELECTION 2008'

COUNTRY FIRST - McCAIN/PALIN

Unless the Lord builds the house

"Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.
Psalm 127:1 NLT

"Benjamin Franklin is best known for his inventions (lightning rod) and his aphorisms ("early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise"). But he was also a key figure when the thirteen colonies were giving birth to a new nation.At the age of 81, Franklin was the oldest representative at the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Weeks after the convention began, representatives were still haggling about the relative voting power of large states and small states. Then Franklin stood up and said,
"In the beginning of the contest with Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayers in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, sir, were heard and they were graciously answered.…Have we now forgotten this powerful Friend? Do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance? I have lived a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proof I see of this truth, that God governs in the affairs of men.…We have been assured, sir, that 'except the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it,' and without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel."The verse from Psalm 127 had its effect. A compromise was soon worked out, and a Constitution ratified by the states the following year.

Sincere....or Looking For A Quick Fix?

After giving instructions to completely destroy a town, including its people and livestock, should the people of Israel be enticed to turn to the worship of foreign gods, Moses tells the people: Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the Lord will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors.

The Lord your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him.
(Deuteronomy 13:12-18 NLT)

The above verses make it clear that God's mercy is extended to those whose hearts are sincere. The Israelites were headed for a land that, much like our society today, was infested with materialism, the craving of creature comforts and "the good life." God is not interested in sharing His mercy with those who simply need a quick fix for the problems their sinful lifestyles have created. Such people have no intention of accepting God's mercy as a new lease on life; they are simply looking for a way to save themselves from deserved consequences.

God wants to show us abundant mercy, but He is looking for those who will gratefuly accept it and allow it to change the way they live. Do you want God's mercy as a quick fix or as a permanent new way of life?

IT'S A CULTURAL THING..........

A friend emailed me the following link yesterday: http://jezebel.com/5054144/wanda-sykes-campaigns-for-cabinet-position-on-last-nights-leno

I cut and pasted, watched and once again realized just how much about "race" this election campaign is!

She's entitled to her opinion....even when she wants to make an ass of herself (and her race) to do it! That's what I'm fighting for....the individual's right to freedom (That's America!)

I wonder........$700 million to keep the banks open. Hmmmmm....seems like just a drop in the bucket when you consider all the welfare payments to women and their children who are being supported by the taxpayers because "Daddy" is too immoral (and lazy) to bear the consequences of his inability to keep his pants zipped!

Even more of a disgrace when you think of the thousands of childless couples who desperately want children and would welcome the opportunity to give these "love" children a home. This would enable those "single" Moms to go to work and turn their lives around. Unfortunately, most of them would rather lie down and spread their legs than go to work!

Granted, some single Moms need help because of circumstances beyond their control (death of spouse, serious injury of spouse, or divorce); these we should help by providing childcare, housing and food.

But I suppose there are some.....present and future...... retirees who will gladly forfeit money they paid into Social Security in order that the "entitlements" which so many think are their RIGHT may continue to be handed out!

Jesus said, "the poor you will always have with you." But, in America, there is absolutely NO REASON why any person cannot find a job in order to have a roof over their head and food in their belly. The Constitution does not....and should not....guaratee EQUAL RIGHTS to every citizen. It does....and should continue to....provide EQUAL OPPORTUNITY. The difference comes from ethnicity and culture.....I for one want to continue to maintain the American culture, regardless of ethnic background.

We've lost our way in America.....and until the TRUE COMPASS is back in place (where the Founding Fathers placed Him), we will continue our downward spiral into the muck and mire of captivity.

Should the biased media's prognostications become reality, America will be taken into captivity by those who are part and parcel of the plan to force One World Government upon us! The indoctrination to such a World Government began with the New Age Movement in the Schools in the 1970s; it has accelerated greatly in recent years. Insidiously, it has crept into mainline churches also, and God's Word is being compromised daily from the pulpits.

The media and the education gurus have been attempting to brainwash America and indoctrinate her children for years. They have zeroed in and pinned their hopes on Barack Hussein Obame as the "Savior of the World". (See http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=77957 ). See also Obams's plans for beginning to train children from birth to be citizens of the world.

I am reminded of a poem, To Althea, From Prison, by Richard Lovelace (required reading in 11th grade history class in my high school era).

Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take
That for an hermitage;
If I have freedom in my love
And in my soul am free,
Angels alone, that soar above,
Enjoy such liberty.

From out of the past, the theme of the poem remains....No one can "imprison" or enslave the human mind. A human being remains free to think and dream-as well as to hold fast to controversial opinions-even though his body has limited mobility. Obviously, this theme can apply not only to a prisoner in a cell but also to anyone limited by circumstances and conditions, such as a blindness, paralysis, geographical isolation, economic deprivation, and so on.

Don't just HOPE for change......VOTE for change.

McCAIN-PALIN '08

When I read Barack Obama’s quote from his book, Audacity of Hope that “I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction”, I was more than a little disturbed that a man seeking the presidency of the United States of American would make such a statement revealing that he would not support his own country in every situation.

During the primaries, Barack Obama was filmed with other Americans during the playing of the National Anthem. Others were standing at attention, with their hands over their hearts, facing the flag of our nation; Obama was pictured with his back to the flag, his hands clasped below his waist, in a slouched position.

An email I received gives Obama’s “explanation” of his refusal to no longer wear the flag pin, or observe the flag code when the flag is displayed.
I hope you find this action as significant as I do:

“On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 18:48:04 -0400, 'LTG Bill Ginn' USAF ret. forwarded the following:

“Hot on the heels of his explanation for why he no longer wears a flag pin, presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama was forced to explain why he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

According to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171, during rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.

"As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides," Obama said. "There are a lot of people in the world to whom the
American flag is a symbol of oppression. And the anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all. It should
be swapped for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing.' If that were our anthem, then I might salute it."

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this could possibly be our next president!! “

This doesn’t exactly evoke confidence that our possible future leader would stand with the nation he is elected to represent! If he refuses to “take sides” when the situation demands it, he is, in essence, “throwing this nation to the wolves”!

PRAY, CHRISTIANS, PRAY….. !