.
With the wild-eyed euphoria of the Inauguration beginning to die down,
here are just a few thoughts on what we've just witnessed:
Enough Already
From my observations in the past few months -- most especially in the past 48 hours --
the primary groups showing their slap-happy-drunk Giddiness over the Obama presidency
are the Liberal Media and Black Democrats. The young girl who took my ticket as I
left the parking garage yesterday nearly leapt out of her booth as she beamed about
"Barack Obama"... And the media is indulging in an absolute ORGY of coverage over the
tiniest and most minute details surrounding Obama... You cannot turn on the TV or
tune your radio these days without more "coverage" assaulting your eyes and ears...
It's time for the "party" to be over and to see what the much-vaunted "Change" will
bring us (so far it ain't been much... Most of Obama's appointments have been what
Hannity calls "Clinton-era Re-treads)... It's time to put some substance into
what "Time" magazine labeled "the Triumph of 'Hope'"... "Hope is not a strategy",
they say, so enough with all the pomp and circumstance and let's see if the vocal Criticizer
of Bush can do any better, himself. I truly do hope so, but I'm already way past WEARY
of all the hub-a-loo...
No Class
I heard that there was a large section of people, in the millions that packed
the area surrounding the speaker's podium at the Inauguration, who, when seeing
George W. Bush taking his seat on the stage, started up with that college sports
taunt, a tune, that goes, "Nah-nah Nah Nah, Hey Hey-hey, Good-BYE..." This was
truly class-less and extraordinarily disrespectful, and yet the
frenzy of some -- stemming from this whole "savior" complex they have about Obama --
makes it easy to see why Common Deceny is of no concern to them.
The Next Election
It occurred to me on the drive home last night that the election of Obama, and
the historical installation of an African American to the office of president,
has now thrown wide open the door for ANYONE, from ANY social group, to push for
"one of their own" to hold that office, as some sort of bellwether that they,
too, have finally been "accepted"...
So expect a Woman candidate to run a strong campaign leading up to 2012 (let's hope
it's someone with the Looks and Style of Palin, the polictical muscle of Clinton,
and the conservative Values of Liz Dole)... But are you ready for a GAY candidate?
A Latino candidate? A Jewish candidate? How about a Handicapped candidate?
My only point is that Obama's appointment has radically and permanently changed
HOW and WHY we put a person in that office, and it is now far more about finding
a Poster boy (or girl, or... well...) than it is about finding a Statesman.
The Future
It's easy to be discouraged at this point, as a Conservative and as a Christian:
Washington is throwing away hundreds of BILLIONS on pork; Unborn children are in
more danger now than at any other time in history; the Strength of the Christian
message has been being watered down for years, and now seems imminently threatened
by even "liberal" so-called "Christians"; The Gay Agenda is more violently aggressive
than it has ever been; this Recession ISN'T going to go away; it will be followed
by deep Inflation, as the Dollar grows weaker as it flies off the printing presses;
nations who HATE us are threatening our (and our Allies') destruction at every turn.
Oh yeah, and the Earth is quickly running out of its natural resources.
Despite all this, true Believers in the lordship of Jesus Christ, and His eventual
return, and all that is ahead for us -- hopefully very soon -- can be at peace,
knowing The One who is sovereign over all of it. The Promise of Glory is not a
"MIGHT gonna happen", it's a GUARANTEED To Happen... Let's pray for strength as
we wait, work for Justice and Peace and Truth in the meantime, and find Peace
as we rest in that Promise.
.
.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Obama becomes president
.
Today our country witnessed the inauguration of the first African American president
in the nation's history; we have been completely saturated with coverage of Obama for
over two years now, and today the "talk" begins to be the "walk". Let's hope, for
the sake of America herself, that he does well.
In the absence of any compelling "theme" for this post, I'll just list some thoughts
and concerns that I have about this particular president, and what his assumption of
the office may mean for America's present and future well-being:
1. I'm very happy about the legitimate encouragement that Americans-of-color, those
who used to be called "minorities", seem to be finding in the fact that "one of
their own" is now the President of the United States. This is certainly a shining
moment in the Civil Rights movement, and it should go a long way toward advancing
the idea that ALL men are created -- by God, and having a JOINT Ancestry in Adam --
as equals.
2. Ironically, one of my concerns turns on this very point: I'm encouraged by the
installment of a Black man in the Oval Office, but this Black man??
Some of the delight of seeing African Americans finally get representation at the
highest levels of American government is tarnished by the fact that the first to
accomplish this significant achievement is arguably the most liberal of
political figures to ever move about in Washington, D.C.... And then, I recall that
this is the city who voted in a Black mayor, who then was convicted of, and served
jail time for, felony involvement with drugs, and who THEN eventually was voted
back into the Mayor's office...
And of course there are representatives of every ethnicity who've lowered the
Character bar in American politics, so Color, here, is not the point at all...
The point is that the content of one's character -- which the iconic Civil
Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. held up as the standard by which ALL citizens
ought to be judged -- seems to be FAR less important to minority constituents than
"minority" status itself; and it's becoming more and more evident that "minority"
status is very often used as a smoke screen for ushering in Liberal politics...
Just look at the way "Women's groups" treated Sarah Palin, a Conservative: Those
groups turned a blind eye to the sexism that the Media aimed at her; if she had been
a Liberal, that same sexism would have been angrily condemned by those same groups,
if it even occurred at all, as a "cover" for the real agenda:
The advancement of Liberal politics.
3. I have been disappointed to hear a couple of men whom I respect say things such
as, "Obama is a good man", and "I think he might make a fine president". Good???
By what standard? "Fine", if he tramples the Constitution?? I'll happily point out
here -- in contrast to all the "Obama-mania" -- that this Emperor has no clothes:
One has to wonder how "good" a man is when he holds EXTREME Pro-Abortion
positions, and who has pledged to do everything he can to advance those
positions... How "fine" can a person be as president who has zero Foreign
Policy experience, zero Military experience -- and who, on that score,
is determined to force an establishment that already does not respect him to
allow openly-gay service members in -- and who maintains long-term, on-going ties
with some extremely questionable characters, some of whom are virulently
anti-American?? THIS is "good" and "fine"?
4. A Liberal will - by definition - hold to the idea that Government is the
answer to most (if not all) of the country's ills. This is never more true than
when deciding how to spend the government's money. Among the scores of details
swirling around Obama's plans to pass out Federal money, there are these nuggets:
This comes on the heels of numerous news stories exposing the Fraud, Waste and Abuse
of hundreds of BILLIONS of Fed dollars that have already gone out the door under
this "TARP" program; and we've watched in disbelief as entities from the State of
California to porn slinger Larry Flynt, and just about everyone else in between,
stepping up with their hand out, whining for "bailout" money...
This free-for-all Money situation going on in Washington -- sure to be made worse by
a Liberal Democrat and his "spend our way to Utopia" visions -- should be of very
grave concern to ALL Americans...
5. Most of all, it's what I might call "the Religion question" that concerns me the
most: Obama might very well be a Christian, and ALL of us fall short of
living out what we say we believe... But I'm troubled by the idea that Obama's
version of Christianity will come to be seen as "orthodox", and that traditional
doctrines of the Faith will increasingly be seen as "radical" and "extremist".
"Even the demons believe," the Scriptures tell us; let us hope and pray that a real
sense of humility before God, and a new allegiance to the Absoluteness of God's Will
-- as revealed in Scripture -- takes place in Obama's heart and mind.
This is, of coure, what I pray for myself, as well.
.
.
Today our country witnessed the inauguration of the first African American president
in the nation's history; we have been completely saturated with coverage of Obama for
over two years now, and today the "talk" begins to be the "walk". Let's hope, for
the sake of America herself, that he does well.
In the absence of any compelling "theme" for this post, I'll just list some thoughts
and concerns that I have about this particular president, and what his assumption of
the office may mean for America's present and future well-being:
1. I'm very happy about the legitimate encouragement that Americans-of-color, those
who used to be called "minorities", seem to be finding in the fact that "one of
their own" is now the President of the United States. This is certainly a shining
moment in the Civil Rights movement, and it should go a long way toward advancing
the idea that ALL men are created -- by God, and having a JOINT Ancestry in Adam --
as equals.
2. Ironically, one of my concerns turns on this very point: I'm encouraged by the
installment of a Black man in the Oval Office, but this Black man??
Some of the delight of seeing African Americans finally get representation at the
highest levels of American government is tarnished by the fact that the first to
accomplish this significant achievement is arguably the most liberal of
political figures to ever move about in Washington, D.C.... And then, I recall that
this is the city who voted in a Black mayor, who then was convicted of, and served
jail time for, felony involvement with drugs, and who THEN eventually was voted
back into the Mayor's office...
And of course there are representatives of every ethnicity who've lowered the
Character bar in American politics, so Color, here, is not the point at all...
The point is that the content of one's character -- which the iconic Civil
Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. held up as the standard by which ALL citizens
ought to be judged -- seems to be FAR less important to minority constituents than
"minority" status itself; and it's becoming more and more evident that "minority"
status is very often used as a smoke screen for ushering in Liberal politics...
Just look at the way "Women's groups" treated Sarah Palin, a Conservative: Those
groups turned a blind eye to the sexism that the Media aimed at her; if she had been
a Liberal, that same sexism would have been angrily condemned by those same groups,
if it even occurred at all, as a "cover" for the real agenda:
The advancement of Liberal politics.
3. I have been disappointed to hear a couple of men whom I respect say things such
as, "Obama is a good man", and "I think he might make a fine president". Good???
By what standard? "Fine", if he tramples the Constitution?? I'll happily point out
here -- in contrast to all the "Obama-mania" -- that this Emperor has no clothes:
One has to wonder how "good" a man is when he holds EXTREME Pro-Abortion
positions, and who has pledged to do everything he can to advance those
positions... How "fine" can a person be as president who has zero Foreign
Policy experience, zero Military experience -- and who, on that score,
is determined to force an establishment that already does not respect him to
allow openly-gay service members in -- and who maintains long-term, on-going ties
with some extremely questionable characters, some of whom are virulently
anti-American?? THIS is "good" and "fine"?
4. A Liberal will - by definition - hold to the idea that Government is the
answer to most (if not all) of the country's ills. This is never more true than
when deciding how to spend the government's money. Among the scores of details
swirling around Obama's plans to pass out Federal money, there are these nuggets:
- 485 BILLION to the UN, to "help" them fight "world hunger"
265 BILLION on various "Community Development" programs
300+ BILLION to prop up Medicare and Medicaid
BILLIONS for government-controlled Health Care
BILLIONS to "help" private citizens with their mortages
Dozens of other "initiatives"
This comes on the heels of numerous news stories exposing the Fraud, Waste and Abuse
of hundreds of BILLIONS of Fed dollars that have already gone out the door under
this "TARP" program; and we've watched in disbelief as entities from the State of
California to porn slinger Larry Flynt, and just about everyone else in between,
stepping up with their hand out, whining for "bailout" money...
This free-for-all Money situation going on in Washington -- sure to be made worse by
a Liberal Democrat and his "spend our way to Utopia" visions -- should be of very
grave concern to ALL Americans...
5. Most of all, it's what I might call "the Religion question" that concerns me the
most: Obama might very well be a Christian, and ALL of us fall short of
living out what we say we believe... But I'm troubled by the idea that Obama's
version of Christianity will come to be seen as "orthodox", and that traditional
doctrines of the Faith will increasingly be seen as "radical" and "extremist".
"Even the demons believe," the Scriptures tell us; let us hope and pray that a real
sense of humility before God, and a new allegiance to the Absoluteness of God's Will
-- as revealed in Scripture -- takes place in Obama's heart and mind.
This is, of coure, what I pray for myself, as well.
.
.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Priorities for the Christian
.
Why are you living? What is the purpose of your life? Is it to go to work...
to earn a living... to support your family... to pay your bills... to save for
retirement? Is it to exercise your skills, either on the job or in some sports
activity? Is it to "achieve your human potential"?
The Westminster Confession tells us "the chief end of man is to glorify God
and enjoy Him forever". While I'm sure most believers would agree in principle
that this is the ONLY reason to live, the practicality of living that out is
perhaps a little less clear. What does that look like?
Perhaps it's best to answer that with the idea of PRIORITIES in mind:
What are God's priorities for me? What does HE want my life to be all about,
above everything else?
The Pharisees asked Jesus essentially the same question: "What command takes
top priority over all the (thousands of) others?" His answer was as simple as it
was comprehensive: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul
and all your mind, and, Love your Neighbor as yourself." And then I just LOVE
the "stinger", the knock-out punch, He tacked on: "ALL the Law and the Prophets
hang on these two commands." I call this a "stinger" because He said it to an
audience that was concerned about thousands of commands in the Law; in two
sentences, Jesus not only summarized the whole Law but simultaneously trashed
their belief that mere strict adherence to "Law" is the point of faith.
Pretty clear, eh? So the bottom line is that a Love relationship with God,
and a Love relationship with those around me, IS what my entire life
should be centered around, it would seem... PERSONS -- God, and
those around me -- and building Love relationships with them: THIS, and nothing else
and nothing less, should be the predominant PRIORITY in my life, every single day.
And here is the "triangle of Love" that I try so hard to talk about here on this
Blog: God loves ME... God loves the people AROUND me (wife, children, family,
church family)... I am to love the people around me, as the primary way of
loving GOD in return... THEY are to love ME, as their primary way of loving God in
return...
It's fascinating then to ponder the idea that the very NATURE of God is this very
same "triangle of Love", God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit loving
one another in community... And it's this Community of Love that God wants to
establish between each of us, with Him, focused on -- serving and loving -- those
around us...
So NOW how does the question of PRIORITIES look? How can any of us blow off the work
of Love relationships with spouse, children, family, church family, community, and
World and focus instead on Career, or School, or Parenting, or Home Improvement, or
Sports, or... name your poison... ?? Again, what is the purpose of my life?
If my focus, every single day, isn't on developing and deepening these Love
relationships, (and they often require a great deal of work and sacrifice and
self-denial), then I can confidently say that my Priorities are backwards and
upside-down.
May God help us all to constantly re-align.
.
.
Why are you living? What is the purpose of your life? Is it to go to work...
to earn a living... to support your family... to pay your bills... to save for
retirement? Is it to exercise your skills, either on the job or in some sports
activity? Is it to "achieve your human potential"?
The Westminster Confession tells us "the chief end of man is to glorify God
and enjoy Him forever". While I'm sure most believers would agree in principle
that this is the ONLY reason to live, the practicality of living that out is
perhaps a little less clear. What does that look like?
Perhaps it's best to answer that with the idea of PRIORITIES in mind:
What are God's priorities for me? What does HE want my life to be all about,
above everything else?
The Pharisees asked Jesus essentially the same question: "What command takes
top priority over all the (thousands of) others?" His answer was as simple as it
was comprehensive: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul
and all your mind, and, Love your Neighbor as yourself." And then I just LOVE
the "stinger", the knock-out punch, He tacked on: "ALL the Law and the Prophets
hang on these two commands." I call this a "stinger" because He said it to an
audience that was concerned about thousands of commands in the Law; in two
sentences, Jesus not only summarized the whole Law but simultaneously trashed
their belief that mere strict adherence to "Law" is the point of faith.
Pretty clear, eh? So the bottom line is that a Love relationship with God,
and a Love relationship with those around me, IS what my entire life
should be centered around, it would seem... PERSONS -- God, and
those around me -- and building Love relationships with them: THIS, and nothing else
and nothing less, should be the predominant PRIORITY in my life, every single day.
And here is the "triangle of Love" that I try so hard to talk about here on this
Blog: God loves ME... God loves the people AROUND me (wife, children, family,
church family)... I am to love the people around me, as the primary way of
loving GOD in return... THEY are to love ME, as their primary way of loving God in
return...
It's fascinating then to ponder the idea that the very NATURE of God is this very
same "triangle of Love", God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit loving
one another in community... And it's this Community of Love that God wants to
establish between each of us, with Him, focused on -- serving and loving -- those
around us...
So NOW how does the question of PRIORITIES look? How can any of us blow off the work
of Love relationships with spouse, children, family, church family, community, and
World and focus instead on Career, or School, or Parenting, or Home Improvement, or
Sports, or... name your poison... ?? Again, what is the purpose of my life?
If my focus, every single day, isn't on developing and deepening these Love
relationships, (and they often require a great deal of work and sacrifice and
self-denial), then I can confidently say that my Priorities are backwards and
upside-down.
May God help us all to constantly re-align.
.
.
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