In Whom Do We Place Our Hope?

You know that game you used to play when you were kids. . .a friend would say, “Name the first thing that pops in your head when I say ____.”  Well, I wonder if we played that game with the world, and then read them the following verse, who would pop in their heads:

“In his name the nations will put their hope” (Matthew 12:21).

Are you thinking about President Obama right now?  Maybe you know that this verse is referring to Jesus, the real Messiah, not our president, but how many Americans put their hope in the fallible man, Barack Obama?  How many have placed him on a pedestal that no mortal should occupy and set their highest hopes and deepest dreams at his feet?  His campaign was known for chanting hope across all 50 states.  He promised it.  He manipulated emotions with it.  He won the presidency because of that strategy.  People are longing for hope.

But how many Americans have been disappointed?  And that’s not a statement on President Obama (although I deal with that in various other blogs), it’s more a statement on the inability of any human being–and the absurdity of such a request–to provide the hope that only God can provide, made available through Jesus Christ.

I’m not sure I’ve seen such desperation for hope as I saw last November.  It saddens me that so many people are that hungry for something readily available to all in the Truth of God’s Word and in the person of Jesus Christ, and yet they placed their hope in a man until it bordered on idolatry.  Many times I felt as if I were watching a rock concert in which women were on the front row, weeping from the emotion of being that close to. . .what?. . .greatness?  I think we’ve attached some kind of Hollywood-star-status to our president and now many hang on his every word, looking for something he says or does to bring us life and fulfillment.

Lisa Harper, in a Walk in the Word devotional, says, “We need to quit bowing at the altar of mortal charisma.”  And isn’t that exactly what many fans of President Obama have done?  They are bowing down in worship of charisma. . .and in worship of the man that made them feel hopeful and empowered.  This is a dangerous place to be.  If charisma and good feelings are all that is needed to cause people to abandon their values, then we as a nation will crumble.  And if charisma and good feelings are all that is needed to cause people to place their hope in a mere mortal rather than in a loving Savior, there is more at stake here than an election or even a country.  Eternity is on the line.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you” (I Peter 1:3-4).

Click here for real, true, and lasting hope.

Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize

So President Obama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  Too fast?  On grounds that are not convincing?  Embarrassment?

Author and scholar Judith Miller says, “The decision to award Barack Obama the Nobel Prize rewards him for not being George W. Bush and for his aspirations rather than his achievements, his promise rather than his performance.”  I could not agree more.

I’m curious though.  Will this affect his decision about whether to honor General McCrystal’s request for more troops in Afghanistan or will he continue to hem and haw, vacillating between the far-left wing of his party and the General’s informed opinion?  Ms. Miller goes on to say, “The Nobel committe chairman readily acknowledged that he hoped the prize would encourage Obama’s ‘emphasis on negotiations’ in resolving that conflict, too.”

Hmm.  Interesting.  Manipulative?  Presumptive?  How will Obama respond?

Allan Lichtman, American University history professor, says this in an article by Joshua Rhett Miller, “his [Obama's] liberal base will be pushing him to live up to this” and “this [Nobel Peace Prize] was to encourage rather than to recognize an accomplished fact.”

Will President Obama continue trying to get the whole world (enemies, terrorists, unhinged irrational people) to sit down and have tea with us or will he realize that there are people with evil intent out there that want to kill us and kill us brutally and there is no way around that?  What will look like peace on the outside will be registered to terrorists as, “Wow, look at how weak (and foolishly trusting) this country is.  We can take ‘em!” 

Will he continue to be a puppet for the fascists, socialists, and pacifists of the world?  I’d take mean ol’ President Bush who had the guts to stand up to terrorist ideologies anyday.  I want to stay safe.  I want the world to respect us.  Anyone who thinks the world respects us more when we eliminate any perception of strength is mistaken.

What President Obama is being awarded for is seen by many of us as ignorant and idealistic at best, and reckless, foolish, and dangerous at worst.

“Satan Masquerades”

“And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:11-12).

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20)

Satan loves to disguise what is corrupt and harmful as “good.”  He takes what is good and perverts it just enough that it becomes clearly destructive on the inside, but still looks to be a “good idea” by others.  It’s like a delicious looking bacon and cheese burger that ends up making you sick all night.  And as we are approaching the end times, whether it be 10 years away or a thousand, we are seeing it more and more. 

Need examples?  What about sex?  Sex is a beautiful creation by our Lord, but Satan has found a way (many ways) to pervert and distort sex to such a degree that millions are engaging in that act without the commitment of marriage first, but yet we are told in an almost-convincing way, “What can be wrong about expressing yourself through sex with someone you are in love with?”  What about the family?  The traditional family is being torn apart at the seams because what was good (a husband and wife raising a child) has now been called “old-fashioned” and discriminatory, and is being threatened by those wanting an alternative family (two men or two women raising a child) to be fully acceptable, and anyone who wants to call that a perversion is labeled “intolerant,” at the very least.  It’s slipping into our culture, our everyday life, ever so subtly. . .or not so subtly. . .but make no mistake about the destruction it is causing. 

And now I see it here in a video full of some of Hollywood’s politically active. 

Now, let me preface, I am not saying anyone in the following video is evil.  I am not saying that the liberal agenda (or Obama) is evil or of the devil.  I am not saying that supporting the president is evil.  What I am saying is that the subtle (or not so subtle) destruction of the traditional family. . .the subtle (or not so subtle) allegiance to a human being over God. . .the subtle (or not so subtle) unwelcomed and intrusive indoctrination of our young and impressionable students with godlessness. . .is the work of the Enemy, and these Hollywood-ites are some of the pawns he is using.

And notice how it (socialism, idolatry, indoctrination) is disguised as community service, commitment, humanitarianism, and environmentalism in this video.  Satan takes what is corrupt and dresses it up with just enough appearance of good so that we are fooled.  It’s the old frog-in-the-kettle story.  We don’t know we are boiling to death until it’s too late. . .because the immoral is so subtle. . .and it looks so inviting.  Take this video for example:  What could one possibly have against helping others or working towards a better you, right (they will say)? 

So view the video and see what you think.  This was shown to elementary school students in a school in Utah and caused quite a stir.  Rightly so, in my opinion. 

onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.youtube.com');">watch?v=51kAw4OTlA0

Make no mistake about it.  If you show/feel/voice any opposition to this video, you faced being told that you are just against serving others or want to squelch the inspiration of others.  See here if you don’t believe me.  But that’s not what we are opposed to, is it?

Twice during the 4 minute video, I heard these statements:  “I pledge to be a servant to our president,” and  “I pledge to be of service to Barack Obama.”  Are you kidding me?!  Is it just me or would you be really uncomfortable pledging allegiance to our president, a human being?  Are we really being asked to be “a servant” of Obama?  I am not against community service–it is a big part of our life–but what I am against is giving any one man that much power, allegiance, and control over our individual life, and the spirit of this video is just that.  The true motivation for us loving others and serving others ought to be our love for God and what He has done for us, not our love and worship of Barack Obama.  Asking the country to care more about other people and lending a helping hand in unique and sacrificial ways does not have to turn into a video touting ridiculous political propaganda and hero-worship.  But did you see how that was slipped in?  Then again, what can we expect from Hollywood?

I pray for a day when those in Hollywood, so influencial in the United States (especially to our younger generations), will unashamedly stand for truth and espouse family values and a belief in God, rather than being used as pawns of the Enemy to destroy Truth by passing it off as good in whatever way possible.  And thank you to those few that already do.

Health Care or Child Care?

My intentions were to write something about my son’s spiritual curiosity as of late, but then I dared to open my emails and found this waiting there.  It is a piece written by Chuck Norris. . .yes, “Walker, Texas Ranger,” and it exposes a “dirty little secret” in the Obama healthcare bill that should be of utmost importance to parents especially.

“Health care reforms are turning into health care revolts. Americans are turning up the heat on congressmen in town hall meetings across the U.S.

While watching these political hot August nights, I decided to research the reasons so many are opposed to Obamacare to separate the facts from the fantasy. What I discovered is that there are indeed dirty little secrets buried deep within the 1,000-plus page health care bill.

Dirty secret No. 1 in Obamacare is about the government’s coming into homes and usurping parental rights over child care and development.

It’s outlined in sections 440 and 1904 of the House bill (Page 838), under the heading “home visitation programs for families with young children and families expecting children.” The programs (provided via grants to states) would educate parents on child behavior and parenting skills.

The bill says that the government agents, “well-trained and competent staff,” would “provide parents with knowledge of age-appropriate child development in cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor domains … modeling, consulting, and coaching on parenting practices,” and “skills to interact with their child to enhance age-appropriate development.”

Are you kidding me?! With whose parental principles and values? Their own? Certain experts’? From what field and theory of childhood development? As if there are one-size-fits-all parenting techniques! Do we really believe they would contextualize and personalize every form of parenting in their education, or would they merely universally indoctrinate with their own?

Are we to assume the state’s mediators would understand every parent’s social or religious core values on parenting? Or would they teach some secular-progressive and religiously neutered version of parental values and wisdom? And if they were to consult and coach those who expect babies, would they ever decide circumstances to be not beneficial for the children and encourage abortions?

One government rebuttal is that this program would be “voluntary.” Is that right? Does that imply that this agency would just sit back passively until some parent needing parenting skills said, “I don’t think I’ll call my parents, priest or friends or read a plethora of books, but I’ll go down to the local government offices”? To the contrary, the bill points to specific targeted groups and problems, on Page 840: The state “shall identify and prioritize serving communities that are in high need of such services, especially communities with a high proportion of low-income families.”

Are we further to conclude by those words that low-income families know less about parenting? Are middle- and upper-class parents really better parents? Less neglectful of their children? Less needful of parental help and training? Is this “prioritized” training not a biased, discriminatory and even prejudicial stereotype and generalization that has no place in federal government, law or practice?

Bottom line: Is all this what you want or expect in a universal health care bill being rushed through Congress? Do you want government agents coming into your home and telling you how to parent your children? When did government health care turn into government child care?

Government needs less of a role in running our children’s lives and more of a role in supporting parents’ decisions for their children. Children belong to their parents, not the government. And the parents ought to have the right — and government support — to parent them without the fed’s mandates, education or intervention in our homes.”

Feel free to continue reading the entire article here.  Or see the 1000+ page bill from the government’s website here.  In addition, read up on the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child.  Could this move by the Obama administration be a back-door way of reaching this ultimate end?

When I think of what is important to me as a wife, mother, Christian, and parent (things that are in play with myself and my family on a daily basis), these things come to mind:  my freedom to worship God, the sacred union of my marriage to my husband, my health and the health of my family, the choices I have in how to raise my son as a God-fearing young man, my schooling choices for him, the financial choices my husband and I make in order to have a worry-free retirement or send our son to a college of our (and his) choosing, and what we do with our hard-earned money. 

Then when I think of the ways that President Obama has threatened, weakened and in some ways destroyed some of those exact things (those things most important to me) in a matter of 6 months, I have all I can do to not be physically sick.  He’s threatening the union between husbands and wives all across the U.S., he is reversing the life-saving efforts others have put in place to save innocent babies from physical torture through abortion, he is squeezing God out of any and every public place he can get his hands on, he is driving my son so far into debt he will likely be owned by the government (think Orwellian) before he even graduates, he is tampering with health care in such radical ways that I can scratch my health and that of my family off my list as something I will have any control over anymore, and now he’s trying to mess with my son. 

Let me tell you, I’ll be darned before I let the government and their meddling hands, their anti-God values, and their bottom-line power-driven greed come into my home and take away those very things that I treasure so much–those things promised to me by our Founding Fathers, the Constitution of the United States, and my Heavenly Father Himself!

Go ahead and try, President Obama, but you will find that this otherwise shy and reserved housewife and mom will become a fierce lioness who has been backed into a corner one too many times by your socialistic agenda, and I will fight (legally and respectfully), but I will fight.  And based on all the town hall meetings across the country in which more people than expected are rising up and voicing opposition, I have a feeling I won’t be the only one.

“The National Debt Road Trip”

Not to become a “one note Johnny” with blogs on politics, big spending, and national healthcare all in one week, but I came across this today and it is excellent. I’m planning a break from all this depressing news and working on a blog on nutrition and possibly homeschooling for the coming week, but for now, view this video and stay informed.

onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.youtube.com');" >watch?v=P5yxFtTwDcc&feature=channel_page

Healthcare Reform: “The Devil is in the Details”

Tonight President Obama will appeal to (beg, plead, scare) the public in order to convince us (manipulate, instill fear, make empty promises) to quickly get on board with his healthcare reform (read government-run Universal Healthcare).  As we speak it is being debated in congress.

This morning on the Fox News Channel, Jon Scott used a common expression after guests expressed concern that a 1,000+ page bill has not been read by the very people that are being asked to vote on it–”the devil is in the details”–shouldn’t we know what we are voting on before our great country is changed forever and our children and grandchildren are bridled with trillions of dollars of debt?

“Causes for hesitation include, among other issues, the massive price tag, the number of people covered, the elimination of insurance options, the fear of long lines and inability to access physicians, the increase in taxes to pay for it and concern that the 1,000-page bill is not being vetted enough as it is moves quickly through Congress.  The Congressional Budget Office upset Democratic supporters of the plan by last week projecting that the House legislation will cost $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years, depending on the plan adopted. The price tag sent shock waves through Washington and beyond”  (source).

This morning, I received this email from the Family Research Council, a very trusted source and opinion, as they are on the front lines fighting for our families and our faith.  President, Tony Perkins, had this to say about Obama’s rush to reform, and I quote:

“Four national polls (USAToday/Gallup, ABC News/Washington Post, CBS News and Quinnipiac University) are now showing that at least half of all Americans disapprove of President Obama’s handling of health care reform. This diagnosis is striking: Although the President is appearing virtually everywhere trying to make the case for his more than $1 trillion proposal for the government to take over the American health care system, support for his plan is sinking.

Why? Because the more our friends and neighbors learn about the content and implications of what Mr. Obama is proposing, the more concerned they become. The Obama plan would erode and deplete employer-based health insurance–and instead of replacing it with personal responsibility, it would compel tens of millions of people to become dependent on Uncle Sam for their medical needs.

It would suffocate everyone from small business owners to upper-income taxpayers with incalculable new taxes. And it would mandate taxpayer funded abortion, abortifacient drugs and limit end-of-life care. From the inevitability of rationed care to diminishing human dignity, the President’s plan amounts to a prescription for a health care disaster.

The people are catching on, and they’re rightfully dismayed. There’s a difference between public opinion, as reflected in the ups and downs of various surveys, and public judgment, as reflected in the data from multiple polls about a serious issue. When it comes to health care, that judgment is in — and it’s a big thumbs-down for government-run health care.

The Heritage Foundation says this:

“Like the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee bill,[1] the House bill would create a new public plan to compete with private health insurance in a national health insurance exchange; impose mandates on individuals and businesses to buy health insurance coverage or be subject to tax penalties; and allow the federal government to control, standardize, and regulate health insurance, defining what is and is not “acceptable coverage” for American citizens. . .Under the House bill, Congress would not forge a federal-state partnership; rather, it would enact federal domination of the states. It would also undermine, not advance, state innovation in the provision of new health insurance options” (source).

My hope and prayer is that everyone, regardless of political party or persuasion, will inform themselves about exactly what President Obama and Congress might do to our country.  This is not the time to idly stand by and allow apathy and indifference consume our hearts and minds.  This is also not the time to be sucked in by the flowery language of the President that has so mezmerized the nation.  Read the details of what is being proposed.  You may just find a devil in there.

Here are some more resources. . .stay informed. . .and vote in our poll below.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124776550788052671.html#mod=WSJ_topics_obama?mod=rss_topics_obama

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-2547-Watchdog-Politics-Examiner~y2009m7d21-World-reknown-medical-clinic-thumbs-down-Obamacare

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/07/22/doctors-wage-war-obamas-health-care-overhaul/

http://www.thefoxnation.com/media/2009/07/22/newt-gingrich-obamas-health-care-bill

Does President Obama Hate America?

Gerald Warner is a writer for the Telegraph.co.uk and has written an excellent blog that would be well worth reading here (although I do not condone any name calling of the President, no matter how angry we get–it is the substance of what Mr. Warner says to which I call attention).

Does President Obama hate America?  He is a man who sat in Reverend Wright’s church for 20 years as that man spewed hatred of America without apology.  This is the same man whose wife was caught verbalizing some anti-American sentiment during the campaign.  This is the same man who went on what Sean Hannity terms an “Apology Tour” (seemed to apologize overseas for America’s weaknesses and failures), and did this within months of taking the oath of office to “faithfully execute the Office of President” and “defend the constitution”.  This is the same man who is driving America into the ground with record-breaking budget deficits, his hard-core agenda to push universal healthcare and policies that are unraveling the traditional family at every turn.

It is this hatred for America and all that she has stood for, in my opinion, coupled with Obama’s lust for power and acceptance at any cost, that will, at the very least, be the beginning of the end.

Obama’s 100-Day Review

So we’ve passed the 100 day mark in Obama’s presidency and as everyone asks, “How is he doing,” this Family Research Council video sums up my beliefs completely.  My heart is heavy with the damage one man and his administration is doing to the unborn, the family, traditional marriage, religious freedom, charities that care for the “least of these,” and the future of children all over America. 

It is difficult for me to not see these last few months (and years if you count the vile and vicious attacks against our Christ-following former President Bush) as a direct attack against Jesus Christ.  The world is becoming more hostile to righteousness, to morality, to absolutes.  I certainly feel the persecution myself, as you may experience as well as you stand up for truth.  But let’s remember what Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first” (John 15:18).  We also learn in 2 Timothy 3 that in the last days, there will be Godlessness and we will encounter people that are “never able to acknowledge the truth.”   

Please watch this video and let’s join together in deliberate, consistent, and fervent prayer that God will (1) change Obama’s heart regarding the destruction he is doing with the simple stroke of his pen, and that (2) Christ-followers all over America and the world will be the salt and light that is desperately needed, pointing unbelievers to the Savior — that we will be a loving, but strong, voice in this world, clearly defining and defending what we know is biblically right.  Let’s also remember that no matter how it looks in the media, Jesus Christ has the last word (Revelation 12).

onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.youtube.com');">100 Days of Change for the Family

Stimulus or Socialism?

So the Senate passed the President’s Stimulus bill about an hour ago.  Don’t you feel better now?  The dow is scared out of it’s mind, down nearly 400 points with another hour until closing for the day.  Maybe we should be too.  Is it just me or is there very little stimulus in the nearly 1,000 page stimulus bill? 

“The so-called American Recovery and Reinvestment Act amounts to nothing more than an $825 billion earmark designed to expand government on the backs of the American taxpayers using money we do not have. There is little guarantee of any short-term gain, but there is no question of the irreparable harm we can expect by saddling our children and grandchildren with trillions of dollars of additional debt.”  (Source:  Politico.com)

Here are just a few things meant to stimulate our suffering economy:

$650 million for digital-TV coupons, so the government can control even more of what we do, what we watch, and how we watch it.

$600 million to convert the federal auto fleet to hybrids.  This is to appease the go-green environmentalists, but will it stimulate the economy?

$20 billion for food stamps, or is this redistributing wealth?

$87 million for a polar icebreaking ship.  I’m sorry, but what?

$246 million in tax breaks for Hollywood production companies got taken out of the bill, according to Washingtonpost.com, but what was it doing in there in the first place?  What did pass is $50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts.  So Hollywood did get a bailout after all!

(source:  National Review Online)

Is this stimulus?  The subtle start of nationalize healthcare in this bill?  The fact that much of the stimulus doesn’t even begin until 2010 or beyond?  Why does so much of this bill seem to be benefitting the governement, not the American people?  I’m concerned that socialism is on it’s way (I’m sure that I’m not the only one) and it began with a man who promised change.  Are we sure we wanted THIS change?

~~~ The late Dr. Adrian Rogers , 1931 to 2005

For an excellent breakdown of this monstrous stimulus, check out this link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2009/02/01/GR2009020100154.html

 

Inauguration Day

I chose not to watch the Inauguration of Barack Obama. . .In fact, I chose not to watch the five previous days of festivities either.  But yes, I am still quite patriotic.

Let me be clear.  I acknowledge and celebrate today for the historic moment that it is.  The first African-American has taken the oath of office and has promised to faithfully execute his presidential duties for the next four years.  I applaud the progress that we have made as a nation. . .the racism that we are eradicating step by step. . .the hope that President Obama’s election inspires to all people of color, especially young children who now know that, for them too, “It is possible!”

This is a historic day. . .the American flags waving, the military marches, the great Constitution being honored, the democracy of our beautiful nation at work.  But for me, it is hard to not see what else is being celebrated in five days of over-the-top, borderline worship of another human being.  Yes, this day celebrates what America is all about–democracy, our historical roots, overcoming oppression and indignities–but it also symbolizes what has gone wrong.  As a conservative and as a Christian, I am disheartened that this country has elected a man not based on qualifications, experience, or even an outstanding record of superb character (do we really even know it yet?).  We have elected a man based on three things.  (1)  He made us feel a certain way, and in this day and age, when we are such slaves to feelings, that was key.  (2)  He was the anti-George Bush, and with the vicious and deep-seeded hatred of our 43rd president among a small group with a loud voice via the liberal media, that persuaded many.  (3)  He is black.  Can we really deny that race had a lot to do with this election?  I cannot count the number of times a voter on the nightly news was asked why he or she was voting for Barack Obama–what one principle or policy he or she supported and felt qualified him to be president–and they said because it was about time we had a black man in the White House.

So I sat Inauguration Day out.  I cannot celebrate, with half of the nation, a man that promises enough anti-life, pro-choice legislation to choke us.  I only hear the cries of unborn babies being denied life.  I cannot watch as the Hollywood elite, who, for 8 years have opened their mouths, here and overseas, to trash America, resist patriotism, limit to the best of their ability the conservative and Christian voice, and treated our leader so inhumanly, now praise America as if they stood by her all along.  I cannot condone an extended celebration that costs double what Bush’s inauguration cost when we are in the middle of a military war abroad and an economic crisis here at home.  Where are all of those who had a problem with Sarah Palin’s wardrobe now?  I cannot understand how environment-loving celebrities and politicians flying in on 400-500 private jets for what can only be described as a self-glorifying party in D.C. is not considered hypocritical.

I love America.  Today I mourn what will inevitably be the beginning of her end.  A socialist agenda, a man who will not protect life, marriage, the family, or freedom, and a nation of individuals who either have no absolute truth to stand on, have abandoned it for the feel-good man of the hour, or have sat it all out in silence–these are not the things that I am proud of and they are not what I can celebrate today.  As a Christian, I believe the end of this world is fast approaching.  With President Obama’s policies, we may be reading prophecies out of the book of Revelation in every newspaper around the globe before long.

With God’s help, I will never treat the leader of the free world, President Obama, as many of those without decency and respect have treated President Bush, but I will also not celebrate in such a lavish way the beginning of an administration that has promised such detrimental things for the country I love.