gingrich: "do the right thing"

Gingrich to GOP: Stop negotiating on fiscal cliff

Greta Van Susteren interviews Newt Gingrich on the looming "fiscal cliff".

fiscal cliff or crepe

Lemme see if I understand this  "Fiscal Cliff" correctly.

 If The BAD GOP does not give the GOOD DEMOCRATS every and all concessions regarding raising taxes, and agree to NO TAX CUTS on anyone or for any program, then our economy goes over the cliff and we be in REAL fiscal "trouble".   Right?  But isn't this the same thing we've been facing for the last four years?

What about the non-tax paying screaming illegal gay alien wall street squatters that are homeless, jobless and clueless? Why do they get no attention now? Isn't Mr President gonna help them or is he gonna let the unions handle them?

The Real mystery in this go round is, of course, whether one man or woman in Washington, of any party, can or will do the right thing at any time; "right" being defined as good for the American people as a whole and putting ZERO dollars in any politicians pocket.

what's your glimpse?

Randy Alcorn, in his book, "Heaven", states, "The best of life on earth is a glimpse of heaven; the worst of life is a glimpse of hell.  For Christians, this present life is the closet they will come to hell For unbelievers, it is the closest they will come to heaven.  The reality of the choice that lies before us in this life is both wonderful and awful."

Alcorn leads us into a wonderful journey, searching for Biblical truth and enlightenment on the realities and expectations of our future home.

Is my mind set on my future home?  Is yours?

Randy Alcorn leads us on the journey in "Heaven".

the not so humorous side of religion

Merriam Webster defines religion as "a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices", and " a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith". 
  
By these definitions, I would qualify that I am a religious person, as should anyone with any type of belief structure, be it faith based, political, regional, organizational, etc..I think, however, when someone probes my character with the "religious" question they are more looking for my faith based structure.

I maintain a relationship with The Lord Jesus, but I don't consider myself part of a religious faction or of  the trappings of formality. I believe that The Bible is God's Word to humanity, both to me and to you.  Whether or not each of us follows the instructions remains a personal choice.  When we follow along with a group of others, to also adhere to a formatted list of additional rules, proceedings, tenants and coordinated agreements, we step into my definition of religion.

Merriam-Webster defines "Christian" as "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ".  I fall into that defined category, so, for me, let's leave it there.

According to Mary Fairchild, About.com Guide , "Today in the U.S., about 79.5% of adults (247 million) identify themselves as Christian."  She also notes, "Of the approximate 2 billion Christians in the world today, 279 million (12.8% of the world's Christian population) identify themselves, as Pentecostals, 304 million (14%) are Charismatics, and 285 million (13.1%) are Evangelicals, or Bible believing Christians.".


Clearly, if we are all reading the same book, one has to wonder why there are so many differing views on the contents.  We can not logically blame the Writer, though millions of "non-believers" would argue this point, so we are left with "religion".

The precipitate of this train of thought  was the following article brought to us by our liberally canted but always thought provoking guardians of the news at CNN: "Birthplace of Christ" to be first Palestinian World Heritage site?.

I was bemused by several of the passages and the (possibly unintended, though I think not) portrayal of the fallacies of organized "religion" combined with regional politics and tourism.

"Bethlehem, situated in the West Bank, about eight kilometers south of Jerusalem, is considered the Palestinian Territories' top visitor destination partly due to the religious significance of the church."

"She said the center considered Bethlehem's inclusion on the list "as a Palestinian dream, and as a reward of 11 years of work in the field of preserving the cultural and natural heritage in Palestine."


"Visitor numbers have hit record highs in recent years, but, according to a report into developing tourism in the town, Bethlehem has yet to properly capitalize on its potential. The majority of the visitors were day trippers on short visits, meaning the full economic benefits of tourism did not flow into the town."

So, while the Palestinians want to kill all the people of Israel, they also want to make sure they get their fair share of tourism dollars associated with the "Christian" shrine.

The local "Christians" looked even worse, "The condition of the church, which has suffered extensive earthquake damage in its history, has been of concern. One of the issues is that responsibility for its administration is shared between three religious authorities -- the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Roman Catholic churches. On occasion, tensions between the groups have spilled over into violence; in December, about 100 Greek Orthodox and Armenian clerics fought with brooms when a tussle broke out while cleaning the church."

Yup, It's a "Holy Place", according to the tour guides, but watch out for jihadists and infighting among the caretakers!

Money.  Prestige.  Power.  A strong Travelocity rating. Oh, how that "Little Town of Bethlehem" has grown.

I'll continue to follow the teachings of Jesus, because that is what I believe God wants me to do, as outlined in His instruction manual, The Holy Bible.  I'll go to church and fellowship with like-minded believers, as also outlined in the book; and I'll do the best I can to be a good neighbor to mankind.

But I'll shy away from swinging brooms and selling souveniers to "the place where Jesus slept".

growing the body

Greg Laurie shares a few thoughts on church growth.

"I would suggest that one reason they don’t work is because they tend to approach church as if it were a business. For example, some church growth experts are telling pastors their “customers” no longer attend to commune with God, but to “consume” a personal or family service. In a recent survey of 1,000 church attenders, respondents were asked, “Why does the church exist?” According to 89 percent, the church’s purpose was “to take care of my family’s and my spiritual needs.” Only 11 percent said the purpose of the church is “to win the world for Jesus Christ.”"

"A careful reading of Acts 2:42-47 shows that the early church didn’t make bigger and better their business. Instead, they focused on five priorities: worship, prayer, evangelism, learning, and loving. The passage ends with the words, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved”(KJV). The first church didn’t have a problem with growth because God took care of the growth as they took care of honoring His principles"

Read the  entire article on Greg's Blog

listen, and respond in peace

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." ~ James 1:9, NLT

This is really hard sometimes (especially for me), but by letting God lead the way, we can manage. In these trying times of political adversity, financial uncertainty and social upheaval, let's all try to take it just a bit slower and listen just a little closer.  Hug and love on each other and receive the same with joy.  You and I can do it, because Jesus took it all for us.




K-LOVE's Encouraging Word is a daily Bible verse to help brighten your day.

we can't say that there were no warnings ...

Micah 6

8 No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

9 Fear the LORD if you are wise!  His voice calls to everyone in Jerusalem: "The armies of destruction are coming; the LORD is sending them.*

10 What shall I say about the homes of the wicked filled with treasures gained by cheating?  What about the disgusting practice of measuring out grain with dishonest measures?*

11 How can I tolerate your merchants who use dishonest scales and weights?

12 The rich among you have become wealthy through extortion and violence.  Your citizens are so used to lying that their tongues can no longer tell the truth.

13 "Therefore, I will wound you!  I will bring you to ruin for all your sins.

14 You will eat but never have enough.  Your hunger pangs and emptiness will remain.  And though you try to save your money, it will come to nothing in the end.  You will save a little, but I will give it to those who conquer you.

15 You will plant crops but not harvest them.  You will press your olives  but not get enough oil to anoint yourselves.  You will trample the grapes but get no juice to make your wine.

16 You keep only the laws of evil King Omri; you follow only the example of wicked King Ahab!  Therefore, I will make an example of you, bringing you to complete ruin.  You will be treated with contempt, mocked by all who see you."

to my (far left wing) liberal neighbors

I am trying to understand your logic, but, so far as I understand, it defies understanding.

You call me a "hater" because of my belief system.  You take an alternate point of view than my own, and then label me with derogatory, demeaning, hateful labels.  You call me a "hater" because we disagree, but you are the person displaying hatred, toward me and toward others who believe different than you.  The intolerant and hate filled person here, clearly, is not me.

You label me as a "homophobe", "a person who fears or hates homosexuals  and homosexuality"*, with absolutely no indication, realistic inclination or justification that I fit that description, simply because I choose to believe and follow (try to follow) God's Word, The Holy Bible, which does not preach hatred toward anyone.

You label me as a "racist" because I don't like or agree with President Obama's political ideology, when no evidence exists to show that my dislike of the President has anything to do with his skin color.  The obvious person making this a racial issue is you, not me.

Are there ignorant, bigoted, racist, idiots who vote Republican?  Sure; just as there are ignorant, bigoted, racist, idiots who vote Democratic!

Are there folks who label themselves "Christian"  (on all sides of the political spectrum) who display a totally un-Christian, un-Biblical attitude toward others?  Sure, and I don't care for them any more than you do, but I don't hate them.

Reason and logic dictate that there are various of demeanors, attitudes, perspectives and views on every side of the political spectrum. No one label fits all; so how about backing up, slowing down the hate speech and showing just a bit more tolerance yourself?

Thanks,

Steve

* http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homophobe

"I met those of our society who had votes in the ensuing election, and advised them: 1. To vote, without fee or reward, for the person they judged most worthy; 2. To speak no evil of the person they voted against; And, 3. To take care their spirits were not sharpened against those that voted on the other side."   ~  John Wesley, October 6, 1774