https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpqJ_Zq0CPM&feature=youtu.be
Streams of Life mid-week devotional:
http://www.riveroflifeIF.org go to Media and click Streams of Life
Archive for the ‘Government’ Category
People often ask me whom I’m voting for and how do they choose a candidate during elections. My short answer is in the form of a question, “How does the candidate match up to Biblical principle of living?” The Bible says,
- Human life begins at conception in the womb.
- Marriage created by God is between a man and a woman.
- We are to spend wisely and not be indebted to creditors.
- There are moral absolutes, right and wrong, and we are to adhere to Biblical principles to live rightly in the struggle between good and evil.
- There is One God and Creator, we are ultimately responsible for His creation to be good stewards of what He has made and we are to manage / steward.
- We are to show compassion and dignity to those who are disadvantaged such as widows and orphans.
It is humorous and sad at the same time that people get wrapped up in social issues not founded in God’s Word, nor issues that are fiscally responsible. Some people have the impression the government is the “savior” of all our ills. In reality, government is to represent the people, by the people, for the people; not the other way around. To place our faith and hope in government is nothing more than secularism, which is NOT what we ought to be voting for.
Allow me to quote two proverbs in closing:
“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
Proverbs 14:34
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when a wicked man rules, the people groan.”
Proverbs 29:2
“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 will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
II Chronicles 7:14
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=D9vQt6IXXaM&hd
Review the video message and consider the message and challenge to respond.
In a time where visionary leadership is critical, there is seemingly a shortage of courageous leaders who know how to make good choices. Whether you look within the government structure, the local church, or civic groups, men or women who are willing to make tough decisions without caving into peer or public pressure are few and far between. People care more about being liked or remaining popular than they care about being godly leaders who forge a right path.
The Bible says,
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.” Proverbs 29:2
If you take the time to listen, people are groaning and feeling the pain of poor leadership. Our churches, our communities, our government is in need of good leadership.
LEADERS, WHERE HAVE YOU GONE? It is time for leaders who are gifted, capable, and willing to make a difference to step up and lead; to change the culture we live. Leaders, come out of retirement. Leaders get back into the game for such a time as this.
Intimidation is what people and organizations do when they do not like who you are, or what you say or do. In other words, we live in a time when people of good character, Christian faith and morals are under attach from the far left media and extreme liberals.
As a person of faith, one must exercise commitment, and the willingness to stand up and fight against what is wrong. This calls for courage and the recognition that there is a battle raging, and if we ignore this battle we will wake up one day having lost much of what is good.
History reminds us that evil if given free reign will destroy the family, communities, and an entire nation if left to its devices. Therefore, do not remain silent, asleep, or neutral. Ignoring what is going on around us will not make it go away. Apathy is not an option. Get involved.
It concerns me that we have a national leader who is determined to fundamentally change the fabric of our nation, all that is good about the USA, and to socially, morally, and spiritually reengineer all that is RIGHT.
http://www.wallbuilders.com/LIBissuesArticles.asp?id=106938
Your thoughts?
Tired of all the opinions, polls, and surveys of what people think in the “news?” Over, and over again people speaking to the camera, writing their opinions in their news columns or speaking their mind on talk radio, people sharing few facts and a lot of bloviating. Are we any different if we sit in a coffee shop, across the living room of a friend’s house, or sit in the church pew expressing our opinions without factual truth?
Our society is caught up in passing on “juicy gossip,” all in the name of sharing ideas and opinions. Few news organizations today, including both written and televised, spend much time in doing appropriate research to communicate the whole truth and nothing but the truth. What most have found is gossip sells and people want to be on the inside of conversations, no matter if it is true or not.
Even in the “halls of education” fact based truth is of little interest. Teachers, professors, and students are encouraged to express their opinions, all in the name of ideas. Thus, the philosophy of one’s life becomes more concerned with the acceptance of one’s opinions and ideas rather than concrete absolutes.
We are quickly becoming a society that wants to HEAR OURSELVES TALK and express our opinions, whether they be true or not. Many have become more concerned with making sure others hear what we say, verses finding out what is true. And when this happens, we no longer care about what is true, but we quickly become more concerned whether or not people are listening to us express our ideas. All you need to do is turn on the TV, or pick up a newspaper or news magazine to see this being played out everyday.
The Lord God has a lot to say about gossip, slander, malice, and lying. IT’S NOT GOOD! There are no such things as white lies, or half-truths. Either we are telling the truth or not, we cannot have it both ways. We should not give news organizations the dignity of calling themselves “news,” but call them for what they are – rumor mills and gossip streams.
With this in mind, when we sit in our living room, the local coffee shop, or church pew, our conversations need to reflect the edification of others and speak the truth in love, and not have the attitude or mindset of HEAR ME TALK.
Now the big topic in the news these days are Wall Street protesters and bloggers who claim: what is yours is mine, and I deserve what you have. Forget earning what you receive, or delayed gratification – waiting until you can buy it. NO, the “ME” mentality has taken things to a whole new level: ENTITLEMENT.
I do NOT see anywhere in God’s Word where the Bible says “we deserve what others have”, or we deserve something for nothing. On the contrary, what the Bible does say is we deserve death and punishment for our sins. We are ALL sinners: “There is no one righteous, not even one . . . For we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Bible: Romans 3:10, 23)
And if we do not work, and are not willing to be men and women that put our faith into action, then we are considered lazy, and we will NOT receive rewards from our Lord.
“He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgments.” (Proverbs 12:12) Or how about this proverb: “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.” (Proverb 26:14)
The Apostle Paul said, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” (2 Thess. 3:10)The bottom line is we are lazy if we are not willing to do something with our life and simply depend upon others to give us something we are not willing to work for. Yes, this is ENTITLEMENT mentality and it is prevalent within our society today.
Entitlement is laziness at its worst. It’s not only being unwilling to work, but also expecting others to give us what they have worked for.
Mr. Meant-To
Mr. Meant-To has a comrade, and his name is Didn’t-Do;
Have you ever chanced to meet them? Did they ever call on you?
These two fellows live together in the house of Never-Win,
And I’m told that it is haunted by the ghost of Might-Have-Been.
Benjamin Franklin
“How long will you lay there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest – and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.” (Proverb 6:9)
Rob's Reasoning 