Archive for the ‘Politics’ category

Joseph’s Recession: A history lesson for today

March 18th, 2009

The Bible tells us the story of a kind, intelligent ruler named Joseph who through Divine revelation, tells the Pharaoh that there will be 7 years of plenty and 7 years of famine.

Now, the years of plenty were amazing; wealth you can hardly imagine. During this time, the people are taxed and the grain is stored so that they would have food for the years of famine. For seven years they meticulously saved 20% of their wealth while still enjoying the bounty.

Of course the seven years of famine followed. This was a deep and dark famine. People are forced to come to Egypt to buy grain. Joseph’s families, the Israelites, come and eventually settle in the land of Goshen.

During this famine the people run out of money to buy grain, so they exchange cattle for grain. Then, there is nothing left to sell so they sold their land and themselves in exchange for grain. Imagine the desperation of these people. I cannot even imagine the kind of hunger where I would sell myself to the government to pay for food, but that is what it came down to for these people. Even with the warning that hard times were coming they were still unable to prepare adequately for their suffering. Not only did they sell themselves to the Pharoah, but as part of the agreement, they were forced to pay an additional 20% of their income to the government. They were so desperate that they sold themselves and were still taxed on what they produced.

I cannot help but see the parallel between this time in history and our nation’s current financial tempest. We have had several years of plenty but during that time our nation wasted what could have been saved. As citizens, we went into debt to pay for a lifestyle we wanted. It seemed ok at the time because we were earning decent money and the banks were willing to give out the credit in exchange for exorbitant fees and interest rates. Banks gave people credit to buy homes they could never afford. It seemed ok though because they would be able to just barely pay the bank and the bank would still be making their income. We lived in a way that seemed ok at the time. There has been little concern in our society about the time of financial famine. Our lack of concern, however, did not stop the recession for coming.

It seems as though the actions of the Egyptian government saved their people from starvation and certain death. In the short term this is absolutely true, but another result of Joseph and Pharoah’s plan was the enslavement of a nation — not only financial enslavement but personal enslavement to the government. Government acted on the fears of their people and the people gave up everything they had in order to have grain. The people’s government was changed forever because of their immediate hunger. The help that they received in the short term took everything away for the foreseeable future. This was done with the best of intentions but the motivation did not change the ramifications of their actions.

The Israelites would remain in Egypt for years and would be the slaves of the Egyptians. They had food but it came at a price. They would be beaten, treated poorly, face persecution, and would be forced to serve their master. Yes, they are eventually saved from their horror, but it takes years and their suffering is real. Their eventual escape is the result of God’s intervention.

As Americans, it seems we are unfortunately headed down this road. We may not be physically beaten, but we are slowing giving away our freedoms and finances over to the government with the hope that they will save us.

They will not.

The result will be personal enslavement to a big, wealthy government. Even worse, since our government has spent tax dollars they did not have, American citizens will also be beholden to enemy nations. We are giving away what we have earned with the hope that the government can save us from our problems. We are giving it to a government who has not shown financial wisdom in the past. We may not feel all the effects of giving away our freedoms, but our children will. We are choosing to give away their ability to live financially free. I have no reason to think that the Egyptian leaders intended slavery to be the result of their intervention. However, their good intentions did not change the result.

Unlike these ancient times, we have history to teach us. We should use our knowledge of what has happened in the past to positively affect what we will allow to happen in our society. The power is still in the hands of the American people. Do not let go of your financial freedom for short term security. Even the most well meaning leaders can do irreparable harm. We must stop our nation from entering a recession of Biblical proportions.

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Posted in Joseph, Politics

A Call for Change: A Christian’s response to our government and world

January 19th, 2009

I’ve been thinking about this inauguration. Even though I disagree with Obama’s ideology, I am thrilled that the ultimate glass ceiling has been broken. This is a historic time in our nation’s history. It has given me cause to reflect on how we got to the election of a liberal president. What was his appeal? Why did people vote for him? I think I have come up with an answer. I think it was the idea of having someone positive in office. Someone who appealed to people’s need for hope in their lives and change in our government. If you voted for him, I would be interested in your reasoning if it varies from that analysis.

Regardless of whether you voted for him or not, I believe for Christian’s regardless of political persuasion we should see opportunity. Obviously people are attracted to a message of hope, peace and change. As Christians we have the answer to all those desires in Christ. However, at the root of the issue a politician is not the answer that Christ is for the hurting heart. A politician cannot solve the problems that plague souls in need of a Savior. All Christians, regardless of political persuasion need to get busy sharing Christ with the world around them. I believe the Bible gives us a prescription for sharing the love and hope of Christ in our world.

We are to be a light in a world of darkness(Matthew 5:14). That means that we show Christ to the people we meet who do not know him. How we do this is by our good works and by displaying the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

I’ve been trying to analyze the good work I do that will show others Christ, to be honest it’s embarrassing. I need to be doing more for the world around me. Not just work within the church although that work is important, but work for the poor, needy, widows, and fatherless. That is real religion (James 1:27). That is how the world sees our light

The world should also see the fruit of the Spirit working in our lives. What I mean by that is that we are a people of love and peace. Often conservative Christians shy away from those titles because it just seems too liberal. However that is a type of liberalism that God requires. In three passages in the New Testament we are admonished to submit to our authority and to make peace and do good works (1 Peter 2:13, Romans 13, Titus 3) . This is something God takes seriously. We must do it, since it allows us to show God to those looking for hope and change.

Christians must change from a worldy attitude of cynicism and evil-speaking to one of love. We must not only speak kindness but must show real sacrificial love to the needy around us. That does not mean we back down from our morals. We show love for God when we stand for what God calls right. However when at all possible we must avoid the desire to speak hate against those who disagree with us, and instead speak truth in love and promote leaders who share our moral values.

Christians are to be a people set apart to peace. People without Christ react with hostility to those who do not agree with them. What causes people who don’t know Christ to see the difference in our lives? If we claim that Christ has changed our lives yet react the same way as everyone else, why would someone believe us? They shouldn’t. If we choose to live in the Spirit and love peace people will see the difference in us. They might be attracted to that difference and come to know Christ. When we respond to the world with anger, cynicism, and mockery simply because we don’t “get our way” we are giving into the flesh and are not living by the Spirit.

Christians in the community should be leading the way in the areas of doing good instead of relying on politicians to do it for us. We should not wait for our government to do what the Lord has already commanded of us. For conservative Christians who did not vote for Obama, I ask you to examine your life. Have you been doing all you could for a needy in a lost and dying world? Or are you of the mindset that “they need to work harder”, or “it’s not my responsibility”. I think as Christians we have been corrupted by a world view that says we should work hard for as much as we can and let everyone else fend for themselves. While that world view is “The American Dream”, it not the Bible’s view. The Bible teaches us to be self-sacrificing, work for the good of others, and give the glory to God. Blessing is the recompense for these actions, but “blessing” does not always mean financial reward (2 Corinthians 9).

In light of these observations, I will mirror Obama’s call for community service but for different reasons. We should help the needy not just because we should serve those around us, but because there are lost souls who need to see the change a Savior can make. They see that change clearly through Christians who are God-loving and People serving.

As a Christian we possess the real Hope. Don’t let secularism take away our chance to share truth. Let’s reclaim Hope and change within the Church and make a difference to the World. The call for Christians everywhere is that we embrace change in our own lives. Regardless of your political leanings and the result of the recent election, if Christians live with our minds set on Christ, our actions will follow and positive actions will result.

God Bless America.

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Posted in Love, Politics

America Did Not Elect God

November 11th, 2008

I must admit shock at the behavior of some Christians. I supported John McCain because of a few key issues, but he lost. That’s disappointing, but not upsetting to me. I have a hard time understanding the angst and fear exhibited by Christians over the election of Obama. I am troubled by Christians involved in groups where they put President Obama’s head superimposed in a poster of Osama Bin Laden. That is offensive and shows no respect for the highest office in the land. I am angry when I see countries in the Middle East defaming our President, what is being done here in our country is no different, maybe worse.

Our God is Almighty and Sovereign no matter whom the President is. The Bible has a lot to say about kings (in our case a president) and our response to them and our government. I’d like to share a few passages with you.

In Matthew 22:17-22 the Bible shows a dialogue between people and Jesus: Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Caesar overtaxed his people. He was not someone who was loved by Israel. These Pharisees thought they could ignore Caesar because of his wickedness, but Jesus give them a surprising answer. They are to give Caesar what is his. Interesting to think this instance compared with our culture.

Another passage on submission to governmental authority is Romans 13:1-7: 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. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Submission to authority sometimes just goes against the grain doesn’t it? Yet God’s Word commands us to respect and be in subjection to our ruling authorities. They are appointed by God and He demands that we respect their authority. President Obama deserves our respect because he is going to be our President. We need to show the love of Christ to him, his family, and supporters. I see no evidence of Christ supporting actions which defame our leaders. I also see evidence in this passage that God will not bless those who are not in subjection to their leaders. I see no evidence that this President will impede on our rights to freely worship, we should be grateful to God for this, it is our most important freedom.

Another principle to think about is Ecclesiastes 10:20 Do not revile the king even in your thoughts, or curse the rich in your bedroom, because a bird of the air may carry your words, and a bird on the wing may report what you say.

I am convinced that with the amount of vitriol I see on the internet or hear from Christians about Obama, that there are even more bad thoughts about him in hearts and minds. This behavior is not winning souls to Christ. It is turning them away.

I believe that on issues that are against God’s law such as abortion, Christians should stand their ground firmly. Surely God’s law comes first. This kind of stand against wrong doing can be done while still respecting the office of the Presidency. It is what we should strive to do.

I am sure some who have read this will disagree with me, feel free to tell me why. I pray that some will consider their part in this nonsense, and show real Christian love to those with whom they disagree politically.

God was on His throne when Obama was elected, God will be on His throne when Obama is no longer our President, and God will be on His throne forever and ever, Amen!

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Posted in Love, Politics, Submission

My Political Choice

October 28th, 2008

I have stayed away from anything political on my blog because I want the focus to be on Christ. Since I run this blog though, I’m giving myself one exception. The reason for the exception is that I want to give real reasons for my vote. I have a lot of Christian friends who disagree with me politically, so I wanted to put down specific reasons for my choice. That being said, if you do not like politics, feel free to skip this post and I promise to post something “normal” again soon!

This is an important election. As Americans we have the choice between the most liberal Senator in the United States or a moderate Republican Senator for the Presidency. In a country of people who love to speak about bi-partisanship I do not see much evidence of it. If Obama is elected and the House and Senate remain under Democratic control, conservatives will not have much of a voice in Washington. There is not much evidence from his record that he will work closely with the remaining Republicans. In the above scenario, bi-partisanship is over. We will be left with liberalism being the pervasive ideology in our nation’s Capitol. The McCain Palin ticket brings balance to the White House. He has a proven track record of working with Democrats and Independents throughout his long history.

For those of us who are truly conservative Republicans it is somewhat difficult to vote for John McCain because he does not completely stand with us. However there are several reasons why we should vote for him.

Palin

Even though McCain is a moderate Republican, he chose a conservative Republican for the Vice Presidency. This was a smart move on his part. If he had not chosen someone truly conservative he would left the base of his party out entirely. My conservative values are better represented by Sarah Palin.

War

McCain understands war, the military, and how it works together. Not only did he grow up around it, but he enlisted and fought for our country himself. Twenty years is a significant amount of military experience. I want our men and women who are serving our country to have a leader who understands their needs. Whether you agree with the war or not, we are still in the middle of one. That is a fact that does not change. Obama does not have any experience in this area.

Terrorism

McCain is willing to identify evil in our world. One’s definition of evil is important. This issue came up at Saddleback Church when both Obama and McCain had their interview with Rick Warren. Obama claimed that while evil exists he qualified his answer with the following statement “Now, the — the one thing that I think is very important is for us to have some humility in how we approach the issue of confronting evil, because, uh, you know, a lot of evil has been perpetrated, uhhh, based on the claim that we were trying to confront evil.” Contrast that with John McCain’s answer “Defeat it…Of course evil must be defeated. My friends, we are facing a transient challenge of the twenty-first century: radical Islamic extremism.” The tone is different and their beliefs are different. We need a Commander-in-Chief who can clearly point out the evil and rally our nation to fight against it.

Human Rights

McCain is pro-life. This is an issue that still matters to me. I have been told by many supposed conservatives who are voting for Obama that this issue is just the Republican Party’s way of keeping conservatives in their camp. That is true, do you know why? Because this issue matters, it is important. The truth about abortion is that its practice takes the lives of a staggering 1.37 million babies per year. Think about that number. It is astounding. Of the 1.37 million, ninety-three percent are based solely on social reasons, meaning that only 7% are because of the health of the mother or abuse. McCain will work to protect the lives of these innocent children. It is not “above his pay grade” to know when life begins. Civil Rights is a very important issue and abortion is a clear violation of the civil rights of the unborn children.

Fiscal Responsibility

McCain will cut spending in Washington. He has never once asked for pork to be added to a bill for his constituents. Obama has asked for 320 million in earmarks, or pork, in his 3 ½ years in the Senate. While both candidates say they will cut spending. Obama has yet to tell us what he will cut, and his record shows that he likes to spend money. McCain on the other hand has a long history of not spending. McCain practices what he preaches.

So in these uncertain times of war, a potential recession, and terrorism, I choose the candidate with experience. I choose the candidate who will stand with me on issues about which I care deeply. I choose someone with the character necessary to be Commander-in-Chief. I choose the candidate who will help to preserve some of my voice.

I choose John McCain.

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Posted in Politics