We Need To Be Still

I sense that there are major battles taking place in the spiritual realm. So much is at stake: our nation's future direction, our national economy and the global repercussions. This is a time for the believer to come before the Lord and be still and seek Him. We need to remember that God is faithful and He will not desert us. I wrote in today's devotional one way to come before Him:

One of the methods that I have found successful is to find a quiet place away from distractions. Get comfortable, either by sitting in a chair or standing, and begin to meditate on a small passage of Scripture. For example, recently I focused on the phrase "God is faithful" from 1 Corinthians 10:13. Over and over I thought about God's faithfulness. I thought about how faithful He had been to me over the years even when I was disobedient to Him. I thought about His faithfulness to those I had read about in the Bible. I spoke and thought the words: "God is faithful." After 15 minutes of doing nothing more than think about His promise of faithfulness, I was now ready to petition Him for "our daily bread." Just as God provided manna, i.e. daily bread, for the children of Israel in the wilderness, He would also provide our daily bread today. Why? Because He is the same faithful God.

This is not a time to be fearful; it is a time to draw close to God and battle on our knees. God is faithful and we His people must draw closer to Him now more than ever before. Future generations (if there are any) will look back to this time and the life they have will have been impacted by what we do. Let us answer the call to pray, fast and be still before God. Psalm 46:10 says: "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."

The Beginning of a One World Government?

As you read this editorial, do you get the sense that you are being threatened if you believe that Obama is not right for America? Since when do we decide who to vote for based on the "opinion of the world?" Does any of this sound like the beginning of a one world government? A New World Order? I believe that there are major spiritual forces at work in this election. With evidence of voter fraud becoming exposed through ACORN's work,our very system of democracy is under attack. Of course, that is not the real issue; it is just a battleground for that issue. What is the real issue? The real issue is whether America will repent and turn back to its Christian foundations. Does the candidate you support stand for Bible based beliefs or is the Bible being twisted to allow sin to be accepted and protected? Read the following editorial and ask yourself, "is there more at stake than just a Presidential election?"

Subject: An editorial from Britain A succinct editorial from Jonathan Freedland of the British newspaper "The Guardian" on the upcoming US election."If Sarah Palin defies the conventional wisdom that says elections are determined by the top of the ticket, and somehow wins this for McCain, what will be the reaction? Yes, blue - state America will go into mourning once again, feeling estranged in its own country. A generation of young Americans - who back Obama in big numbers - will turn cynical, concluding that politics doesn't work after all. And, most depressing, many African - Americans will decide that if even Barack Obama - with all his conspicuous gifts - could not win, then no black man can ever be elected president.
"But what of the rest of the world? This is the reaction I fear most. For Obama has stirred an excitement around the globe unmatched by any American politician in living memory. Polling in Germany , France , Britain and Russia shows that Obama would win by whopping majorities, with the pattern repeated in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America . If November 4 were a global ballot, Obama would win it handsomely. If the free world could choose its leader, it would be Barack Obama.
"The crowd of 200,000 that rallied to hear him in Berlin in July did so not only because of his charisma, but also because they know he, like the majority of the world's population, opposed the Iraq war. McCain supported it, peddling the lie that Saddam was linked to 9/11. Non - Americans sense that Obama will not ride roughshod over the international system but will treat alliances and global institutions seriously: McCain wants to bypass the United Nations in favour of a US - friendly League of Democracies. McCain might talk a good game on climate change, but a repeated floor chant at the Republican convention was "Drill, baby, drill!", as if the solution to global warming were not a radical rethink of the US's entire energy system but more offshore oil rigs.
"If Americans choose McCain, they will be turning their back on the rest of the world, choosing to show us four more years of the Bush - Cheney finger. And I predict a deeply unpleasant shift.
"Until now, anti - Americanism has been exaggerated and much misunderstood: outside a leftist hardcore, it has mostly been anti - Bushism, opposition to this specific administration. But if McCain wins in November, that might well change. Suddenly Europeans and others will conclude that their dispute is with not only one ruling clique, but Americans themselves. For it will have been the American people, not the politicians, who will have passed up a once - in - a - generation chance for a fresh start - a fresh start the world is yearning for.
"And the manner of that decision will matter, too. If it is deemed to have been about race - that Obama was rejected because of his colour - the world's verdict will be harsh. In that circumstance, Slate's Jacob Weisberg wrote recently, international opinion would conclude that "the United States had its day, but in the end couldn't put its own self - interest ahead of its crazy irrationality over race".
"Even if it's not ethnic prejudice, but some other aspect of the culture wars, that proves decisive, the point still holds. For America to make a decision as grave as this one - while the planet boils and with the US fighting two wars - on the trivial basis that a hockey mom is likable and seems down to earth, would be to convey a lack of seriousness, a fleeing from reality, that does indeed suggest a nation in, to quote Weisberg, "historical decline". Let's not forget, McCain's campaign manager boasts that this election is "not about the issues."
"Of course I know that even to mention Obama's support around the world is to hurt him. Incredibly, that large Berlin crowd damaged Obama at home, branding him the "candidate of Europe " and making him seem less of a patriotic American. But what does that say about today's America , that the world's esteem is now unwanted? If Americans reject Obama, they will be sending the clearest possible message to the rest of us - and, make no mistake, we shall hear it."

Don't Be Deceived

Don't be deceived; true Christians are not supporting Obama in this election. However, the opposite would appear to be the case. Articlesofinfo.com reports:
"The Democratic Party's outreach to young people and to people of faith seems to be paying off. A new survey on faith and American politics shows Democratic nominee Barack Obama making inroads among some believers and moving ahead of Republican John McCain among Roman Catholics, largely because of young Catholics' support.
In the biggest shift over the past four years, Senator Obama now wins the backing of 60 percent of voters who attend religious services once or twice a month, a jump from the 49 percent the Democratic nominee won in 2004.
Senator McCain holds the advantage only among the highly religious who attend once or more a week. Moreover, more Americans say Obama is more friendly to religion than is McCain (49 to 46 percent), an image booster for a party long seen as not particularly faith-friendly.
The survey titled "The Young and the Faithful" was released Wednesday by Faith in Public Life and was conducted by Public Religion Research (PRR). It involved interviews with a representative sample of 2,000 Americans and an oversample of 1,250 young people ages 18 to 34."

A careful reading of this report will reveal that Obama is attracting people not committed to their Christian faith. Those that attend services weekly are more likely to vote for McCain. Those that have "added a little religion" to their life like a new coat, are more likely vote for Obama. Isn't it obvious? It is what we have been saying: you CANNOT BE A CHRISTIAN and vote for Obama unless you are just unlearned about the Holy Scriptures. ABORTION IS MURDER! HOMOSEXUALITY IS AN ABOMINATION! Obama supports both; he is not a Christian at heart and neither are his supporters. Pray for our country; pray for Obama's supporters that they will see the truth of the Gospel before they face their judgment day.

Something to Think About

I received this today in my E-Mail and it really caused me to stop and think. I trust it will do that for you. I do want to point out that I think the real cause for this economic disaster is not all the politicians fault; it is that our country moved away from its Christian foundations and embraced secular humanism. The way out of this mess is to go back to where the country went wrong and re-establish America as a Christian nation by repenting of our national sins. Declare abortion murder and homosexuality an abomination. That is the way back and until we do, it is just going to get worse.

"Joe Biden, the Vice Presidential nominee and Democratic senator from Delaware, said recently, “paying taxes is patriotic!”
Now, think of this; he just may be a heartbeat away from the most important job in the nation…wow, that’s pretty scary! Now for more scary stuff…read on!
Is this scary or what
How many zeros in a billion?,
This is too true to be funny.
The next time you hear a politician use the
word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about
whether you want the 'politicians'
spending YOUR tax money.
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it's releases.
A.
A billion seconds ago i t was 1959.
B.
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
C.
A billion hours ago our ancestors were
living in the Stone Age.
D..
A billion dollars ago was only
8 hours and 20 minutes,
at the rate our government
is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain...
let's take a look at New Orleans ....
It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.
Louisiana Senator,
Mary Landrieu (D)
is presently asking Congress for
250 BILLION DOLLARS
to rebuild New Orleans . Interesting number...
what does it mean?
A.
Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans
(every man, woman, and child)
you each get $516,528.
B.
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in
New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.
C.
Or... if you are a family of four. ..
your family gets $2,066,012.
Washington , D. C
HELLO!
Are all your calculators broken??
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.
We had absolutely no national debt...
We had the largest middle class in the world...
and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.
What happened?
Can you spell 'politicians?'
And I still have to
press '1'
for English."

How Does A Disciple Of Jesus Christ Live?

In these times of uncertainty, can you think of a more important question than this? If we claim to be followers of Jesus Christ should we not live as He did when He walked the earth? Dallas Willard has written an article and in part he answers this question:

"Living as Jesus’ disciple, I am learning from him how to lead my life in the Kingdom of the Heavens everywhere I am, in every activity I engage in. There are three dimensions of this learning.

First, I am learning to do the things which Jesus explicitly said to do. It is quite literally nonsense to call Jesus “Lord,” and not do what he said. “Lord” means nothing in such a case. (Luke 6:46-49) But because I do accept him as Lord, his instructions on behavior are my treasures for living life. Of course I cannot do what he said by just trying. I must train! I must, through appropriate courses of action, become inwardly transformed by grace to become the kind of person—in my inmost thoughts, feelings, attitudes and directions of will—who will routinely do the kinds of things he said to do. I will then not be governed by anger, contempt or lust. And I will be able to bless those who curse me, love my enemies, and so forth, because I am one in whom the character and power of Christ has come to dwell through the processes of discipleship to Christ.

Second, I am learning to conduct the usual activities of life—in home, school, community, business and government—in the character and power of Christ. Jesus himself, of course, spent most of his life on earth as an “independent contractor” or businessman. Jesus could have led the ordinary life of the ordinary citizen in all of its legitimate respects. He can show us how to live now, as a mother or father, banker or computer programmer, teacher or artist, in the Kingdom of the Heavens. His character and power and personal guidance will lead us into life as it should be in all of these areas of human existence.

Third, I am learning to exercise the power of the kingdom—of Christ in his Word and Spirit—to minister good and defeat evil in all of the connections of earthly existence. “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good, and healing all who were oppressed by the devil; for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38) Apprenticeship to Jesus means that, in tiny steps, we learn to exercise this power seen in Jesus. Growth in character is primary, for power requires substance of character if it is to be used for Christ’s purposes. Christ had no character problems, but we do. Prayer, in its aspect of training for Kingdom life, is primarily a matter of learning to exercise power in a way that is both profitable and safe. Through it, in the usual case, we take our first steps in “receiving abundance of grace” and “reigning in life by One, Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:17) So character is more important than power for us, but it does not replace power. The fruit of the Spirit (thoroughly Christlike character) flourishes only in a context of regular communal manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. And this manifest power of the Spirit in life is not something restricted to “church services.” In this matter also, Jesus is our example and our teacher. He acted with the Kingdom wherever he was. The “rivers of living water” which, as he said “shall flow from the center of the believers life” (from his “belly,” John 7:38), will continually flow from us, as it did from him, wherever we may be."

Dr. Willard has provided a good answer to the question. He has combined the confession of discipleship with the action of discipleship. Our speaking words of submission to God are important but so are our actions in living out that confession. There are many good Biblical confessions we can make but they will all be wasted air unless they are accompanied by the action of faith. The action of faith describes the walk with the talk. We need to live as a disciple if we are going to say we are disciples; if we are not going to walk the talk, it would be better to be silent. Too many today talk Christianity but live a life based on human philosophy. Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ? If so, act like it.

Dancing With God

I received this today and thought it contained some good points. While theologically some of the exegesis is suspect, the central message is good. Some times we need to lighten up on the deep things and approach God seeking the simpler things. This short piece does just that. Enjoy!

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw "G: I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i".
"God, "u" and "i" dance."
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.

My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies be upon you on this day and every day.
May you abide in God as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
This prayer is powerful, and there is nothing attached.

Christians Gather On Capitol Hill To Fast and Pray For America

CBN News reported:
Christians are gathering on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to fast and pray all week.Leaders say they are humbly calling upon God in a time when our country needs it the most.With the upcoming presidential election and the recent financial problems, these believers are asking for God's mercy and divine direction."God is really our only hope," said Katie Mahoney."Now is the time to pray that the right leaders will come," explained Nathan Rummage.The non-partisan prayer group also placed a 16-foot cross on the west lawn of the Capitol building.

These believers have the right idea. Yes; we are to vote and get involved in the political process. However, we must never forget that the most important thing you can do is fast and pray for our nation. Have you prayed for America today? When was the last time you fasted for America? The answers to these questions may in part explain why our nation has left its Christian foundations. However, it is never too late to change; we must begin to fast and pray for America and specifically the November elections. In addition to the Presidential election, there are many seats in Congress that will be decided. Let us commit to fast and pray for revival in our land and for a return to righteousness.