Already Over the Fiscal Cliff

Going over the fiscal cliff? we are already over it, and have been for a long time.  We are a nation $16 trillion in debt for heaven's sake!
Sadly there is not a politician in sight with the guts to CUT anything.  They are scared to CUT government spending and entitlements.  All they think about is the next election.  Staying in power; regaining power.  We now have a class of people -- professional politicians.
  the days of a government "by the people, for the people, and of the people" are long gone.  Now it is a government "by the politicians, for the politicians and of the politicians."
  The fate of the nation seems to be of no concern.  The big concern in Washington is winning the next election.
  More taxes = more spending (waste) = more debt = more decline.

  How much faith can I have in a class of politicians who took us over the cliff to get us out of the mess?

Nauseated

I am nauseated at the mamby-pamby, dudley-do-rights, so called "preachers" or "ministers" who are scared, cowards who will not stand on the truth of God's Word. What is the matter? Are we scared of man? Or do we fear the Lord our God? Who will we stand before on the day of judgement, and to whom will we give account? I read the headline in our local paper today, the vote on the upcoming constitutional amendment stating that marriage is between one man and one woman has caused consternation for some local clergy. Nauseating. It isn't "tricky". Ask yourself -- where do you stand? What is tricky about that? Either you stand on God's word or you don't. If you choose not to stand on the word of God, then don't call yourself a man of God. If you don't believe, preach, teach, obey God's word, then ask youseself "do I love God?" Jesus says that if we love Him we will keep His word. Do you love God? The God of Holy Scripture or the god of your own making? Man, "be not deceived, God is not mocked." Settle it: do you serve the Most High God or do you serve Satan?

Self-effacing Leaders

I wanted to send the following quote to some of our SBC leaders, but wouldn't you know it -- they don't have contact e-mail address on "their" websites. I am sure you have to go through somebody to get to them - they are so busy and important. So anyway here is the quote:

"Until self-effacing men return again to spiritual leadership, we may expect a progressive deterioration in the quality of popular Christianity year after year till we reach the point where the grieved Holy Spirit withdraws - like the Shekinah from the temple." -- A W Tozer

The Way Things Look

In our age, image is seemingly everything. The power of marketing is hard to overstate. The way things look send a message, and rightly or wrongly, people make decisions based on appearance.

Today, at the drudge report, there are two pictures. At the top is a picture of our president, Barrack Obama -- he is shown on vacation at Martha's Vineyard, riding a bicycle (an old-timey one, not a mountain bike) smiling gleefully, in his long pants and golf shirt. He is wearing a helmet, and following along behind him is a girl (I assume his daughter) on another smaller bicycle. Of course there is nothing wrong with a man enjoying a bike ride on vacation with is child. However, some facts to keep in mind with this picture -- here is the leader of the USA, a nation that is seemingly on the brink of economic Armageddon, fighting two (three if you include Libya) wars with soldiers dying everyday and the ten year anniversary of 9-11 coming up with the threat of more terrorism always looming. (I would not want the president's job -- then again I didn't run a national campaign to get it either.)

The other picture on the drudge report is a little lower on the screen, but visible (above the fold if you will). It is a picture of Mr Putin -- leader of Russia. He is standing with a dark suit on, wearing a red "power" tie, with a Russian military officer to his left and some other official on his right. He is wearing aviator sunglasses and has a stern glare.

A contrast. USA looks soft; Russia looks hard.

Just an observation.

See The Glory of God

I think for 2011 I will adopt a verse of Scripture that will be my "life verse" for the year (and really why not for all of life - every year?)

John 11:40 -- Jesus saith unto her, "Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?"
I know (Heb 11:6) that without faith is impossible to please God; this year (and throughout all of my life) I desire to please God -- by exercising genuine faith in Him; to believe Him; to trust Him; to walk (live) by faith and not by sight. Why? Because like Moses I desire to see the glory of God. I desire to see the glory of God on display in my life, in the life of this His church, in this community and in this world. Oh God! Be glorified! This is His mission; I desire to be a part of that mission.

Now, may I get out of the way with "my" will and "my" way; Lord, help my unbelief, may I not sin by not believeing You and trustuing you and obeying you completely. Lord, may this year, this day, this moment, may we behold Your glory and be forever transformed.

Who Hates Us?

John 7:7 - "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil."

I get fretted when I hear self-appointed, evangelical "leaders" tell us how to live "missionally" and be men-pleasers so then we can witness to them the Gospel of Jesus.

I never see Jesus trying to win friendship with the world by being like the world or catering to them -- He loved the world, evidenced by His death for sinners (surely) but also by telling the truth -- in fact He is the Truth. He exposed the evilness in the heart of man; He exposed the evil works of man as evil; He shone light in darkness, and darkness hates the light.

As Christians, "little Christs", I ask, "who hates us?" Does the world hate us, or do they simply tolerate us? Perhaps they laugh at us, and that really upsets some of us -- its like we want the world's apporoval and friendship.

I don't make a big deal out of it, but some Christian "leaders" have been sneering down their noses at some of the brethern for making a big deal of not patronizing stores that refuse to use the word "Christmas." So be it. When did it become OK for Christians not to stand up for Jesus' name? OK, you may think it silly to boycott said stores, that we're not going to impact the Kingdom by such foolishness. But at least these brethren are standing up for something and not just letting the world forget Jesus -- the reason for the season. Let the stores hate us Christians; let the world hate us Christians -- then we might be looking more like our Master.

I'm not advocating being a jerk. Jesus wasn't a jerk. But may we so live and conduct our lives in this darkness that it will be unmistakeable that we have been with Jesus. May we not be so consumed with winning the friendship of the world, but may we be consumed with being Jesus-pleasers.

Be Ye Holy

" . . . holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord" - Psalm 93:5

I recently came across a story where a church in South Carolina rocked out to Poison's "Nuthin' But a Good Time" one Sunday morning during "worship."

This is not all that uncommon in 2010 America. This is scary, however.

Scary, becasue our God is a holy God. Scary, becasue He demands His people to be a holy people. Scary, becasue we don't seem to fear God as being perfectly holy and righteous. Scary, because we approach Him very casually and with the incense and worship of Baal. Holiness and evil do not seem to mix well together. Scary, because how long will God tolerate this blasphemy among those who are called "His people?"

I pray that we will have a fresh vision of God, like Isaiah recorded in chapter six of his book. Read it. Does this sound like modern worship on Sunday mornings?