So, I guess I should probably start this out by first explaining what a “life verse” is to me. And that is where we hit our first rabbit trail.
I grew up in a very small church. We were huge in our faith walk, but small in numbers. I mean there were times I remember you could count the people on one hand. So what that meant is there were a lot of fads that swept threw the Body of Christ that I didn’t experience until much later, if at all. One of these was having a “life verse”.
It was explained to me that it was a particular verse or passage of Scripture that had a great significance to you. Some piece of God’s Word that seemed to give you a little more focus. Or even something that seemed to be written especially for you. It was interesting as I grew older and started to meet more Christians. More and more started sharing their “life verse” with me and that led me to examine my heart in the light of His Word to find my verse.
For those who have met me and gotten to know me there are several words that can be used to describe me. Some of them are more colorful than others. But what I found in my own self reflection was that I, like all, have fallen so short of God’s glorious standard and needed help. As I contemplated what my verse might be, I also asked God to reveal to me a particular passage that would stay with me and help me during those times of struggle. There were so many to choose from and so many great ones that seemed to make my short list. Scriptures like Joshua 1:8, Isaiah 50:4-5, John 17:3, James 1:19, Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Timothy 4:12, Proverbs 3:5-6, and even Ecclesiastes 9:11 (yes, that was during my Color Me Bad faze). But then it truly hit me. Romans 12:1-3.
Romans 12:1-3 NKJV
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one the measure of faith.
You see this passage reminded me to deny my fleshly desires. To walk by faith as I’m led by the Holy Spirit instead of feelings or my own “stinkin thinkin”. A focus on humility as God doesn’t love me any more than you. And most importantly to find my true self worth in Christ. This, along with many more thoughts, brought me adopting this passage as my “life verse”.
So, how about you? Have you found your “life verse”? What is it? Why did you choose it? Or did it choose you?
This was written and recorded by the late Paul Harvey in 1965. It is so truthful and timely that we must not take these words for granted. Do not just listen to them, but make sure you hear them.
Too often, we get wrapped up in our everyday life to stop and take a look at the big picture. All actions have consequences. Some are good. Some are bad. Our obligation as self professing Christians is to be Christ-like. That means we should be doing nothing of ourselves, but only that which the Father has told us. That means we must stop following the desires of this world and even the ramblings of well intending preachers such as myself… IF those desires and ramblings are not based in the Word of God. I’ve said this many times and I will continue to say it until the day I leave this earth; “Don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word for it.”
After prayerful consideration, I have come to the conclusion that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann is the best suited candidate to serve our great nation as President of the United States of America. For anyone who has heard her Christian testimony there is no doubt in their minds as to her commitment to God Almighty. The only questions that must follow are to her commitment to support the Constitution of the United States and the Laws of Nature and our inalienable, God-given, rights which it was designed to protect. While there are candidates who have a record of doing the right thing it usually comes with some surprises upon further examination of their career. Michele has never given us any surprises when it comes to her record and she has shown time after time that she is willing to stand for what is right without compromising or caving in order to get the ‘best deal’ possible.
I firmly believe that God has raised up Michele Bachmann for such a time as this. She is the only candidate who I feel not only knows the time that we are in, but what needs to be done. She has been on the front lines fighting to repeal ‘Obamacare’ and ‘Dodd-Frank’. She has been consistently opposed to raising our debt ceiling and putting our children even farther in the whole. She has not only pledged, but supported legislation that would prevent the continued genocide of our pre-born youth via abortion. And she has promoted and fought for traditional marriage by helping Minnesota get a Marriage Amendment on to their ballot this upcoming November.
Scripture is clear that we are to choose leaders who are not only capable and trustworthy, but whom fear God and keep his commands. Michele Bachmann has both a public and personal record of doing just that. And it is for this reason, that I am please to stand with hundreds of ‘faith leaders’ across this great state of Iowa in public support of Michele Bachmann for President. I ask all of my brothers and sisters in Christ who are looking for a candidate of conviction and not convenience to find your precinct and join us in caucusing for Bachmann on January 3rd.
Well, I was reading my Constitution the other day and when I took another look at the 14th Amendment I saw something very interesting. My question is whether or not the rest of you see the same thing. Here is the text of Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment.
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
When I read that here is what I saw within that section. The citizenship clause clarifies what type of a person can be a citizen.
All persons born
Whereas inside the due process clause of the section it does not give the same clarity.
nor shall any State deprive any person of life
The emphasis on persons born also contains an implication that there are also persons unborn. And by the due process clause specifying ALL persons, that would include the implied persons unborn.
Seems pretty cut and dry to me when applying common sense, logic and reason. But then again, maybe not because so called “Constitutionalists” like Ron Paul do not draw this same conclusion when they plead the 10th Amendment. Is it my biblical worldview allowing me to see the truth and brilliance of the 14th Amendment while Dr. Paul’s medical (scientific) worldview has blurred it, or is the exact opposite true?
When I first saw this last week, I was in utter amazement. This is one of the most eye opening and brilliant videos I have EVER seen. I highly recommend you watch this. After you’ve seen it, share it, and let me know what you think.
Ten years has come and gone since the terrorist attacks on this country. September 11th, 2001 our country was changed forever… and so was I.
I remember that morning vividly and am still filled with so much emotion. A lot of the emotion lies in regret. And a lot of it lies in sorrow. It should come to no surprise that there was a time not all that long ago when I was a much different person than the man I am now. It’s amazing what can happen in 10 short year, especially with God’s hand involved in it.
That morning I was working for Best Buy on their new store in Waterloo, IA. I was part of the “project team” that went in before the grand opening to make sure everything was working properly. I had only been working with the team for a few weeks and was still trying to impress the boss. And then, I was informed of what happened. I, like many Americans, thought it was a joke. I didn’t believe what I was being told. I remember saying something about not even caring, because it was half way across the country and I had a job to do. I try not to beat myself up about a heartless statement like that, yet I do realize I was still in a state of unbelief and was worshiping myself instead of God.
A few minutes went by and I realized I was alone in the store. I got upset and headed toward the break room to find everyone. When I opened the door, I saw the television as the second plane collided with the second tower. Then the reality hit me and I entered a state of shock.
I don’t remember much after that, that day. I know I was plagued with the thought of my comments and lack of compassion I had shown. I know I expressed the pain I was feeling through anger and frustration. And yet as I sit here now, 10 years later, and remember what happened, why it happened, and who the target was, I am more moved with compassion than I ever realized possible.
I will always remember this date and use it as a reminder of how quickly our world as we know it can come crashing down around us. In the twinkling of an eye our way of life can be snatched away, when we walk out from under God’s protection. I will use this date as a warning to seek God’s protection. But, I often wonder if the rest of our nation will use it as the same. I will use this date to pray for our nations healing. But, I often wonder if the our nation will ever truly heal.
Ten years later, ask yourself these questions. Where was I at? How did I react? How has it affected me? And most importantly… What have I learned?
If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14
I have learned that God’s ways are the best ways. I have learned to trust in His ways instead of arguing with Him. And I have learned that His formula for success cannot be altered and expected to work. 2 Chronicles 7:14 works, if we will work it. But it still seems like there is one piece of the puzzle that we as a nation are refusing to put in its place. Our wicked ways have only brought us trouble. So, maybe it’s time this nation turns away from them and towards Him.
Last night I had the honor and privilege to attend the Fox News/Washington Examiner GOP Presidential Debate, live from Ames, Iowa. With this event being held just two days before the Iowa Straw Poll this was bound to be exciting. To preempt this blog, I must make a couple things known. The atmosphere at a live event is completely different than it is when you are watching it on TV. This might make for a little different thought process on it, but then again there may be more similarities to many thoughts than I realize. Also, I think I’m gonna do a rundown of each candidate’s performance starting from left to right, as they stood on stage.
Rick Santorum Santorum was one of the candidates I was looking forward to seeing at the debate. This was mostly due to the vast amount of time he has spent in Iowa over the last few weeks traveling from county to county. Santorum has also had moments in previous debates and speeches where he has impressed me and bored me. I was anxious to see which Rick Santorum would show up. Overall, his performance was very impressive. He lands in my top 3 for the night. I wasn’t able to give him the ultimate “win” because at times his passion translated as desperation. When it came to his statement about the sanctity of life, he hit the nail directly on the head without a missing a beat. I’m not sure I, myself, could have given a better answer nor do I think that any of the other candidates could have. He took several shots at other candidates, some which were brilliant others which were questionable. He got in a good shot on Ron Paul with simplicity by showing the major flaw in taking “state’s rights” to the extreme libertarian position. Then he attempted to hit Michele Bachmann, but unfortunately made a statement without backing it up. When you add that failed pot-shot to the repeated pleas to let him speak, he came off a little too desperate for my taste. Other than that, he was very well spoken and gave all the right answers. The Rick Santorum campaign will and rightfully should see this performance as a win. After sleeping on it, I give the former Senator a very close 3rd place coming out of the debate.
Herman Cain I was an early Cain fan and have loved his straight talk throughout this election cycle. Because of some ups and downs here in the state and with some of his staff, I felt that all Herman really needed to do to get a “win” from this debate was to make it through it without any missteps or major flops. He did this brilliantly. To be completely honest, it looked as though there may be a “bro-mance” in the works with a VP position in mind between Herman Cain and Mitt Romney. Herman was very VERY respectful of Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith and made sure not to step on the former Governor’s toes. There was nothing that really stood out as a memorable moment, but for his campaign, that’s a good thing. Again, I think the Herman Cain camp will see this as a win, but for the overall debate, I give Herman Cain 5th place.
Ron Paul Ron Paul was brilliant for part of the debate and then bombed the rest. One of the things that has bothered me about Ron Paul for the longest time has been some of his supporters. The “Paulista’s” as they have been referred to are some of the most disrespectful, obnoxious and down right rude individuals involved in the process. They actually remind me more of supporters from the other side of the aisle, rather than the average Republican supporter. When the Congressman would get called on the carpet by his colleagues, his supporters would make so much noise to try and defend him that it actually hurts him more. Santorum, Bachmann and ,to my surprise, Romney were able to explain the major flaw in the 10th amendment proponents in different, yet brilliant ways. Ron Paul’s largest downfall came when the Iran question came about. It reminded me of those people in the world who believe that all humans are essentially good and have not tendency to lean towards evil. And what was worse for him, was that when he started to get rattled, he broke down and his frustration started to appear as aggression. That in itself lead to more outcry’s from the Paulista’s which just really turns off so many people. Not sure what I’m talking about, well ask Bret Baier about the guy at the end of the show interrupting him. To the Ron Paul supporters, he could pull a Barney Frank and fart on national television and it would be a win in their book. To me, this was a huge loss, and it could allow him to loose what many believed would be a 2nd place finish in the Iowa Straw Poll on Saturday. I give Ron Paul a 6th place finish.
Mitt Romney Romney, just like his VP in the making (Herman Cain) had a simple plan coming into this debate… make it through. It reminded me of Professional Wrestling battle royal where a guy just decides to curl up in the fetal position in the corner of the ring to avoid any attention and last as long as possible. There were questions that he answered correctly and I did love his explanation on his willingness to support the 10th amendment when it comes to certain things, but not to support it on others. And to be honest, when Tim Pawlenty finally got around to taking a shot at him this time around with regards to “Obamneycare”, his response of “I liked his answer better, last time” was brilliant. He was able to more or less look back at Pawlenty with amazement that this “kid” is actually trying to stand here with the adults. Romney did a very good job of making it through and looking presidential. His campaign should see this as a win. I give Romney a 4th place finish in the debate.
Michele Bachmann Being the only woman in the debate creates in interesting dynamic. When you see a man attack a woman on the issues, it works if you stick with the facts, logic, reason and do it with meekness. But if you try to do that with aggression, you come across as a bully and make yourself look week. Bachmann took the shots gracefully and responded with “truth in love”. She drew clear distinctions between herself and the other candidates and also took the right shots on others when the opportunity arose. The question about “submission” was very interesting. By even asking that question, you have went after her faith and her family in one fell swoop, which get’s everyone rooting for her to do well in her response. And she did. She took the question without it rattling her cage and answered it with such precision that it felts inspired by God Himself. Bachmann had the most to loose in this debate as she has been the front-runner in the Iowa Polls. She had to make it through the debate with out a debacle putting her on the loosing side. I’m sure the Bachmann Campaign is sending out thank you notes to both Byron York and Tim Pawlenty, because their failed attacks have pushed Bachmann into a better position for the Iowa Straw Poll. This was a definite win and I’ve given her a 2nd place finish for the debate.
Tim Pawlenty T-Paw had himself going into the Iowa Straw Poll in the top three. I personally thought it would be a 3rd place finish in Ames on Saturday, but after the debate I’m not sure he can make that happen. He had two brilliant opportunities to take the gloves off and go after the candidates. However, when he tried to lay out Michele Bachmann it ended up with him being compared to Barack Obama instead of him looking better than his fellow Minnesotan. Then when he tried to attack Romney on the health care plan he enacted in Massachusetts (which many feel was too little, too late), Romney responded in a way which showed that Pawlenty wasn’t even in the same league as Romney. Pawlenty came in with some desperation and was hoping that he could translate that over to passion, but unfortunately it just looked like aggression. The question about he cigarette tax – eh hem – sorry… cigarette fee put Pawlenty in a position where he was destined to fail. The thing that had me feeling bad for him was how he answered it. He’s in Iowa where we’ve had an issue with activist judges deciding how words are defined and here T-Paw says that the court decided it was a fee. To me, and many who heard that, they will see Tim Pawlenty as just another politician who is not willing to hold the judicial branch accountable for their actions. This was a big loss to his campaign and has let me to give him the 7th place spot in this debate.
Jon Huntsman Huh? What? Did you seriously just say that? You’re for civil unions and you think John Boehner did a good job? Oh, wait how many jobs have you created here and how many did you send over seas? That’s what I thought. LOSS! 8th place.
Newt Gingrich Any guesses what place that leaves for Newt? You’re right… 1st place goes to the former Speaker of the House. With what has been happening internally with his campaign, Newt Gingrich had absolutely nothing to loose and he left it all out on the table. This was the Newt Gingrich that I remember from days of old. He looked very relaxed and ready for everything. The bad thing was that Chris Matthews and Bret Baier, along with the rest of the press and media, wound up on the wrong end of this debate with Newt Gingrich. He easily deflected every “gotcha” question they threw at him and wound up coming out smelling like roses instead of ruins. There was only one time, I remember, that Gingrich decided to go all policy hound on us. For the most part, he avoided the onslaught of attacks and spoke plain and clearly. He sounded like someone who truly understood what was wrong with our nation and having the plans and solutions to get us headed in the right direction. I still have some issues with Gingrich, but as far as this debate goes, he won.
With the hours dwindling down until the Iowa Straw Poll is over and a few short months until the first in the nation caucuses are held, each of these debates really matter. The thing I think I love most about this process is that we have the opportunity to vote for our principles and based on our convictions instead of just voting for “lesser of two evils”.
What are your thoughts? Who do you feel won the debate? I’m not talking about who you wish won the debate, but who do you think really won? I can guarantee that when I cas my ballot tomorrow at the Straw Poll it will not be for Newt Gingrich, but I do believe he won this debate. What say you?
Word, n. An articulate or vocal sound, or a combination of articulate and vocal sounds, uttered by the human voice, and by custom expressing an idea or ideas; (1828 Webster’s American English Dictionary)
There is a huge battle going on across this great nation and within this world. It’s an ideological battle. And in order to win this battle the expression of those ideas must be done effectively with our words.
Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit-you choose. ~ Proverbs 18:21 (the Message)
Noah Webster was one of the great founding fathers of this nation and he understood how powerful words are. He unlike many of us understood that in order to promote our ideology, propagate knowledge, and effectively proclaim the Gospel we had to first come to a common understanding of the words needed to do so. This man spent an enormous amount of time learning dozens of languages to compile the first American English Dictionary.
These definitions served their intended purpose for many years, but recently our language has been hijacked and our words have been redefined. This hijacking has allowed for a different set of ideas to be expressed through these words.
Don’t for a second believe that there are not spiritual forces behind this, because in John 10:10 it tells us that the thief comes to steal, to kill and to destroy. And our words and definitions have been stolen. Satan is also referred to the father of lies and when you start calling good-evil, you are lying. When you start calling black-white, you are lying. When you start calling a duck – a goose, you are lying.
This is what is happening to us and this world in two different forms.
First, the definitions are being changed. One example of those words that have been redefined is “tolerance”. The original definition of this was basically to put up with, or endure a different belief. Now the word has been redefined to respect and give acceptance to a different belief. When this new definition is used it is now telling someone they need to respect and accept my beliefs instead of just putting up with them. The word “gay” once meant to be happy, merry and full of glee and now it means homosexual. I understand this tactic, because if my way of life had a negative word like sodomite used to describe it, I too would prefer something more positive. And even the word “rights” as found in the Declaration of Independence signified something that comes from God and imposes no man’s will upon another’s. But now, we are to believe that right’s are actually entitlements and privileges given by man and governments. The idea expressed is that I can impose my will upon you without your consent because it’s my “right”!
The second method of hijacking has come from giving the definition a new name. “Liberal” has long been used as a term to define the opposite ideology of a conservative. It signifies that you are not restrained by the Law or God’s morals, but are willing to conform to societal standards and redefine what morality is. But with the negative connotation that this term conveyed, it is no surprise that the same contents have been repackaged as “progressive”. The idea expressed here is that if you are not like the bearer of this title, you are stuck in the mud and idle. The word “socialism” also brought with it negative feelings, but now it’s being referred to as “public-private partnership”. It almost makes you warm and fuzzy on the inside until you realize what it truly is. The ideas in public private partership are some of the most recent hijackings that we must be aware of, because I have heard not only President Obama use this term liberally, but it has also come from the lips of our own Governor Branstad.
In this heightened political environment we need to use our ears more than ever. We need to not only listen to the words being spoken, but the ideas being expressed. The greatest teacher that ever walked this earth summed it up better than anyone else I know. He was quoted saying…
“For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” ~ Jesus of Nazareth
This past week God has been dealing with me on this exact question. I’m sure it’s a safe bet to say that I pray more than a lot people, but yet so much less than others. And yet, I’ve asked myself if there is such a thing as praying too much.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ~ Never stop praying.
The Apostle Paul told us throughout his epistles that we need to continually be praying or that we should never stop praying. I often wonder what that looks like. I’ve found ways to multi-task and pray as I’m doing other things, but sometimes I’d like to carry on a conversation with those I can see. Don’t get me wrong I love my time with God and wouldn’t change it for the world, but he did give man woman for more than one reason.
The more I meditate on this, the more I wonder and start to believe that like most spiritual things, prayer is not a legalistic by the letter approach. It is more about the intentions and spirit of the act. God truly wants us to just keep Him in the loop and keep ourselves mindful of Him. He is very mindful of us and in this relationship we call Christianity, we must stay in a constant state of communication in order to grow in that relationship.
Heavenly Father, I ask that You would help us all in our daily walks to include You more. Show us where we can be spending more time with You and how we can pray continually. I thank You for the open door of communication that You have given us and for Your willingness and desire to listen to us. I love You and I give You all honor and praise. And in Jesus’ name, I pray.
Simply put… it is how we view the world. Everyone of us has one whether or not we realize it. I like thinking of it as the set of lenses through which we view everything (or at least attempt to). As a Christian I rightly put on my biblical worldview glasses when I wake up in the morning and don’t take them off until I’m back in bed at night.
Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ-that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective. ~ Colossians 3:2 (The Message)
The things the majority of us look at through our worldview will be topics like romantic relationships, crimes, the church, etc. The major issue that leaves us with is that we don’t look at the issues like our jobs, finances, education, entertainment and friendships through these same lenses.
If Christians don’t look at everything through a Biblical/Christian worldview, then that leaves them like a double-minded fool. They start to look at the big issues from God’s perspective (heavenly minded) but look at the little issues the way the rest of society does (worldly minded). And James tells us that those people are unstable in all their ways.
I’ve found myself falling short of applying my worldview to every area of life and have found that the peace of God is missing as well. When I am diligent to apply that worldview to even the smallest aspects of my life such as what I should and shouldn’t eat, I find it so much easier to make the big decisions in my life. In the bible God has clearly spoken about almost everything in one way, shape or another. He has done this so that we would know what His will is. In those areas that He hasn’t specifically spoken, He has shown us His nature and character, so that we may understand how He would answer.
Everyday, I make more of an attempt to ask myself a simple question. “What does God have to say about this?”
I’ve found that asking myself this question keeps my focus on Him and keeps me on that narrow path. I pray that we all may rise up, take the stand and truly be the Body of Christ.
“… narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” ~ Matthew 7:14 (NKJV)
