Chuck Baker is Right!

RePost: Cows, The Constitution, & The 10 Commandments

2011-07-01T09:37:00.000-07:00

A Friends sent this to me and I wanted to share it with you.)

Think about this:
1. Cows
2. The Constitution
3. The Ten Commandments

COWS

Is it just me or does anyone else find it amazing that during the mad cow epidemic our government could track a single cow, born in Canada almost three years ago, right to the stall where she slept in the state of Washington? And, they tracked her calves to their stalls. But they are unable to locate 11 million illegal aliens wandering around our country. Maybe we should give each of them a cow.

THE CONSTITUTION

They keep talking about drafting a Constitution for Iraq. Why don't we just give them ours? It was written by a lot of really smart guys, it has worked for over 200 years, and we're not using it anymore.

THE 10 COMMANDMENTS

The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments posted in a courthouse is this -- you cannot post 'Thou Shalt Not Steal' 'Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery' and 'Thou Shall Not Lie' in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians because it creates a hostile work environment.

Rock Me Amadeus

2011-06-29T08:17:00.001-07:00

FUNNY!!!!!! LOVED THIS SONG AS A KID!

The Teacher and the Little Girl

2011-06-28T20:19:00.001-07:00

A Teacher was going to explain that God did not exist.
The Teacher asked a little boy: “Tommy, do you see the trees outside?
Tommy replied: “Yes.”
The Teacher then asked Tommy: “Do you see the sky? “
Tommy said: “Yes”
The Teacher then asked: “Did you see God?”
Tommy said: “No.”
The Teacher said with a smug voice: “That’s my point. We can’t see God, because he isn’t there. He doesn’t exist.”
Not really a bright argument, but she thought children wouldn’t know. Just then a little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions. The teacher agreed.
The little girl asked Tommy: “Tommy, do you see the Trees Outside?”
Tommy again said: “Yes.”
The little girl asked: “Do you see the sky?”
Tommy said: “Yessssssss.”
The little girl then asked: “Tommy, do you see the teacher?”
Tommy a little surprised answered: “Yes.”
The little girl asked: “Do you see her brain?”
Tommy said: “No.”
The little girl then said: “Then according to what we were taught today in school, she must not have one.”

Persecution can come in many forms. It is not always the violence we read about in countries far away. Sometimes persecution can come from jokes that people tell. It can come from the condescending words from co-workers, friends, and family. As Christians we should expect to be persecuted and welcome it. The fact is when others try to tear us down for our faith it is because they are scared. They don’t understand it and it bothers them. Paul says this about persecution, “The fact that I am still being persecuted proves that I am still preaching salvation through the cross of Christ alone.” (Galatians 5:11b, NLT)

If you’ve never experienced some kind persecution, then you made need to check your actions. If people don’t know you’re a Christian by your actions and by your love, then you’ve got some work to do. As the song goes, “they will know we are Christians by our love.” And we should remember that we will be blessed if we are persecuted. Acts 5:41 tells us, “The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus.” (NLT)

And even our Lord, Jesus Christ suffered persecution. He was mentally persecuted in a mockery trial and while drying on the cross. He was physically persecuted by being beaten and nail to a tree. Christ suffered persecution for us, so that we will one day suffer from persecution no more. Until then let us rejoice for our persecution for we have been found worthy.

Lion of Judah

2011-06-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

In Revelation 5:5, Jesus is called the Lion of Judah. “Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed…” If we read on in verse 6, we see Christ as a lamb. “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders” (Revelation 5:6). Jesus is pictured as both a Lion (symbolizing his authority and power) and a Lamb (symbolizing his submission to God’s will).

Christ the Lamb was the perfect sacrifice for all of our sins. Christ the Lamb won the greatest battle over evil by dying on the cross. The role of Christ the Lion will be to finally defeat evil and Satan. Christ the Lion is victorious, because of what Christ the Lamb has already done.

Chuck E's In Love

2011-06-23T05:25:00.001-07:00

This is a song from my childhood that people would tease me with. It should give you a laugh.

Re-Post: Keep Moving Forward

2011-06-17T07:12:00.000-07:00

In the movie, “Rocky Balboa,” Rocky tells his son, “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit, how much you can take and keep moving forward.”

This is what life is about. It is not always about the big successes and wins, but how we overcome hardships. It’s about not giving up in times of suffering, but continuing to press on and grow through our suffering. This reminds me of Jesus. He didn’t come to conquer, but to suffer and die. It wasn’t about all the miracles, it was about the willingness and the strength to continue up the hill of Calvary. It was about how much Christ was willing to take and keep moving forward.

Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." (NIV Bible)

Even in the face of trails and hardships we must move forward with Christ. Like Christ we must be willing to do our Fathers will even when there is suffering. There will always be hardships and trails, but we must keep moving forward. When we think we can’t go any further, remember Christ and how he kept moving forward. Christ is with us, encouraging us, pushing us, and carrying us. Keep moving forward, because what is ahead is the gift of the glory of the Kingdom.

The Greeter at Church

2011-06-16T08:39:00.001-07:00

Quote from Washington

2011-06-15T09:56:00.001-07:00

Firearms are second only to the Constitution in importance; they are the peoples' liberty's teeth.
George Washington

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/g/george_washington.html#ixzz1PMfgfh6J

Marriage

2011-06-14T08:02:00.001-07:00

Game Changer

2011-06-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

There is a phrase in politics that has really caught fire and I’m sick of it. The phrase is “game changer.” Let me give you some general examples.
1. The Paul Ryan budge is going to slash Medicare and this is a game changer.
2. The passage of Obamacare is a game changer in the 2012 Presidential race.
3. It will be a game changer if we raise the debt ceiling.
The fact is not everything that happens in politics is a “game changer.” Both Republicans and Democrats used stupid rhetoric to mislead and confuse the American people. I don’t want to hear politicians telling what is and is not a “game changer.” I want politicians to tell me what they believe and why they think they are right. I’ll decide if it is a “game changer.”

RePost: What's Next

2011-06-10T07:46:00.000-07:00

This is an except from a book titled “All In, Gambling on Life, Love & Faith in a World of Risk” by Michael DiMarco.

“Only miles away from our home in Middle Tennessee, a devastating tornado-spawning storm cut a swath of destruction, leveling homes, businesses, and churches at random. My wife was in that neighborhood just hours before, and we could see the black storm wall move across Summer County from our home in Wilson County on the opposite side of Old Hickory Lake. Sadly, some of those affected are asking, “Why?” not realizing that isn’t the operative question in life. Instead, they must face the question “What’s next? How can I go on and make a difference?” Thousands of people in our community aren’t asking why but are giving their time and resources to do something that is moral and isn’t selfish, something that says, “This is what I can do. This is how I can make a difference.” (All In, pages 191-192)

Tragedy can strike at anytime. It can come in the form of loosing your job, death of a family member, a sickness, a economic downturn effecting your retirement, or a storm that rips through a community destroying homes and lives.

In June of 2008, the Midwest was hit with sever weather resulting in massive floods. In my home town of Columbus, Indiana we were no different. A creek that had not flooded in a hundred years, rose above its banks destroying homes and damaging the local hospital, which had to be evacuated. I’m proud to say that my community like many others in the Midwest and my church like many others did not stand around long asking why. Instead they said, “What’s next?” The community and local churches began to work to repair homes and lives.

The same could be said after Katrina. It was people, churches, and businesses that truly began the rescue and repair of those communities destroyed by the hurricane. While the government wasted time asking why, It was the people of America and our churches that truly served and said, “What’s next?”

After the death of Christ, the disciples were first afraid, unsure, and asking why. But after Jesus’ resurrection, Jesus told them, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19. And so, they went out and began the greatest spiritual awaking in the history of man.

When we face tragedy. When we are uncertain of God’s purpose in our lives. We should turn to God in prayer and ask, “What‘s next? What will you have me to do? How can I make a difference in Your Name?” When we focus on this we will grow closer to God and bring others to Him. For people will know God by our loving acts during adversity.

Jars Of Clay - Work

2011-06-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

A Valuable Service

2011-06-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

We expect the people who serve us in stores to be there for us. But are we there for them? A man was talking on his cell phone as a clerk rang up his purchases. Suddenly, he said into the cell phone, “I need to hang up now so I can be with the clerk.” The clerk looked into his eyes and she said, “Thank you, You just made me valuable.” (From the book, “You Don’t Need a Title to be a Leader”)

The fact that I work in retail makes this story really hit home. I don’t know how many times I’ve been trying to help someone and they just kept talking on their cell phone. If I was talking on the phone while I rang them up they would likely complain to my boss. But what really hit me is that I’ve done the same thing when I was the customer. I didn’t realize how rude it was and how disrespectful it is to the other person. Even though they are being paid to help me, doesn’t mean I shouldn’t give them the respect of my attention. Today we are all so busy and in such a hurry. We forget to just be in the moment and be with the person we are with. As a retail professional I should treat other retail professionals the same way I want to be treated. And as a Christian I should show everyone I encounter respect and love. I need to remember that this might be my only moment to ever have an impact on this person’s life. And who knows God may open a moment to share the message of His Son’s Love. I’m not saying that I need to start preaching to every clerk that rings up my purchase, but in everything I do I need to be ready to share to love of God, even if it just by showing someone respect.

RePost: Hold Fast

2011-06-04T08:00:00.001-07:00

"To everyone who’s hurting. To those who’ve had enough. To all the undeserving, that should cover all of us. Please do not let go. I promise there is hope. Hold fast, help is on the way. Hold fast, He’s come to save the day. What I’ve learned in my life, one thing greater than my strife is His grasp, so hold fast."

This is a song from Mercy Me and is one of my wife’s favorite songs. She tells me that when she hears the verse “Help is on the way. Hold Fast. He’s come to save the day.” it makes her think of Christ as a superhero, showing up just in time to save the day.

Think about the superhero movies, comics, and TV shows. Just when it looks like all hope is lost, the hero shows up just in time to save the day. Sometimes God works in the same way.

In our lives we suffer trials and troubles. Many times in my own life I’ve wanted to just give up. I’ve even thought at times that God just doesn’t love me. He just doesn’t care how hard things are for me. But when I felt I couldn’t take anymore, just when I thought all hope was lost, that was when He lifted me up. That was when He came and saved the day.

1 Peter 5:10 says, “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

We must remember that Christ also suffered and died for us. He promised us that we may suffer for a little while now, but we can take heart that our reward we be that much greater later.

If you are suffering, if you are weary, then go to Christ in prayer, fellowship with other Christians, and seek His Word in the Bible. When it seems that all hope is lost, hold fast for Christ will come and save the day.

Red Eye

2011-06-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

Revelation 21:2-4

2011-06-01T08:54:00.001-07:00

“And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”” Revelation 21: 2-4 NLT

Disciple: Dear X (You Don't Own Me)

2011-05-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

"Taking Chance" Movie Review and Communion Devotion

2011-05-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

There is an HBO original movie called Taking Chance. The story is based on actual events about how a Lt. Col. Michael Strobl who volunteers to escort the body of 19 year old Marine Chance Phelps back to his home in Wyoming after dying while serving his country in Iraq. The movie is less about the war as it is about our country and its heroes. It is a quite movie that is patriotic without the fanfare. The movie shows how our military honors its dead and how we as Americans honor our fallen.

Throughout the movie you see people show respect and honor to the fallen soldier. As you watch the movie you see the respect that is shown by those in the military as they prepare the body to make sure it is in the best condition possible. You meet a young man who while he doesn’t agree with the war, he volunteers to drive the bodies of fallen soldiers from the base to the airport. The ticket agent at the airport who upgrades the Lt. Col. to first class as a tear rolls down her face. You see the stewardess as she quietly hands the Lt. Col. a cross. When the body exits the plane and the passengers are getting off the Lt. Col. stands at attention saluting and the passengers stand and wait in respect. And when the body is being driven to his home town cars line up behind not passing.

With today being Memorial Day I think this movie is a perfect film to remind us why we celebrate Memorial Day. It is not about the big budget movies, the backyard BBQ, or even the Indianapolis 500. Instead it is about remembering those who have served and given their lives in service.

We celebrate the soldiers who willing volunteer to put their lives on the line for their fellow Americans. We celebrate the soldiers of today and yesterday from the American Revolution to the War on Terror. We celebrate those who stormed the beaches of Normandy and faced death at Pearl Harbor. We celebrate those who fell in the jungles of Vietnam and fought for freedom in Korea. On Memorial Day we celebrate the American Soldier, a friend to every American Citizen.

Christ said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay downs his life for his friends. (John 15:13)

On Sunday mornings we come to the communion table to remember what Christ did for us. This is our Memorial service for Christ who laid down his life for his friends those of the Kingdom of God. Let us show respect and honor this morning to Christ our Lord.

Re-Post: Give It Away

2011-05-27T05:17:00.001-07:00

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is all these things, but “love isn’t love, ‘til you give it away. There is a song by Michael W. Smith called “Give It Away.” Here is a verse from the song:

“A father lived in silence. Saw his son become a man. There was a distance felt between them, cause he could not understand. That love isn’t love, ‘til you give it away.”

My father and I did not have a close relationship. I loved my father, and I know he loved me. He showed me how to be a man. He taught me to be respectful, to have integrity, and to be a man of my word. But their was very little love shared between us. My father died of cancer some years ago. It was not until the end of his life that he finally realized that we had not developed that relationship of love. You see he did not learn until it was too late that “love isn’t love, ‘til you give it away.”

John 15:12-13 says, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this , that he lay down his life for his friends.”

Christ told us to love one another. And the way to do this is to give our lives over to love. Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for love, by giving up His live for love. Love is a verb. Love without action is not love, and love that is not given away is not love. Do not come to the end of your life only to say, “I have not given love away.” Christ’s gift is love. Receive His gift of love and then give it away to others.

Thor Ramsey: Homeschool

2011-05-27T05:15:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Day

2011-05-25T05:20:00.001-07:00

Make each success, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant be your motivator throughout the day.-Jen Gilbert

Michael W. Smith - Healing Rain

2011-05-24T06:27:00.000-07:00

L.O.V.E.

2011-05-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

So I’ve done lessons on F.A.I.T.H. and H.O.P.E. and now L.O.V.E. and as you know scripture says the greatest of these is Love (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Light

Love is like a light and when it is bright people can see it in our lives.

Matthew 5:14-16; “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

How can the love we show others be a light?

When we show love to others it becomes a light in the darkness. When people are hurting they may feel there is a shadow or darkness in their life. Love can break through that darkness and pull people to a light of goodness and to light of God.

Obedient

Love is obedient to God’s Will.

John 14:21; Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

Why must we be obedient to God’s commands to show we love Him?
When we love someone we want to please them. If we love God we will want to please Him and God is pleased with us when we obey His commands. God wants us to be obedient, because He knows what is best for us and wants what is best for us. God knows what’s in our heart, but we show others what’s in our heart by how we live.

Valuable

Love is valuable. It is more valuable than money, gold, or diamonds. The person who feels loved will do more for kingdom of God, than any amount of wealth could every do.

Luke 12:24; Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!

God sees us as valuable and he want us as Christians to instill value in others.

How do we instill value in others?

Everyone is important to God. We don’t get to choose who gets to be part of the family of God. We instill value in others by helping those that are in need, welcoming those that don’t look like us, and proclaiming Christ’s love to everyone. A person’s value has nothing to do with their bank account or the home they own. A person’s worth comes from the love of God.

Engaging

Love is less of an emotion, but an act. Love is something engage in and not just something we feel.

Matthew 22:37-40; Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So what does it really mean to” love your neighbor as yourself?”
If we want to be respected, then we should treat others with respect. Loving others like yourself is to sacrifice your own personal comfort for the benefit of others. This is not always easy to do, but it is what we should do. Here is a story from the blog, Stuff Christians Like by Jon Arcuff to explain love.

“Loving Issues, Liking People” by Jon Acuff of Stuff Christians Like
I’ve told you before about my friend that injured his knee goofing around at a youth group retreat. He was holding on to the side mirror of the youth group leader’s pick up truck, sliding along on the New Hampshire snow when my leader brushed him off against a tree as a joke. He fell and got hit by the pickup truck with all our luggage in it. Although his injury was eventually minor, I will never forget that first moment when he was on the ground screaming and cursing in pain. One of the youth leaders leaned over him and said, “Sean, language!”

That is my favorite example when it comes to showing how we Christians sometimes hone in on the issue instead of the individual. For that youth leader, the idea of Sean swearing was more important than the pain he was physically in. The person did not matter as much as the issue.
I think we all know the phrase, “love the sinner, hate the sin,” but I think one that is just as important is, “love the person, not the issue.” I think so often we fail at that one.

I was reminded of that yesterday when I posted about a church using the word “ballsy” in a billboard. Some of the online response to that billboard was negative. My site was fine, but some other sites had long, heated debates about the use of that word. The biggest point made, which someone also commented about on this blog, was that the billboard was located where lots of kids could see it.

Honestly, I don’t want my kids saying the word “ballsy.” I think it’s kind of crass and not something a kid should say. (But I wouldn’t want them using some words I use, like “sucktacular,” so I can’t pretend I get this one right.) I think the person that commented on my site made some good points. I think though that arguing sometimes about words like ballsy or other issues, can make us forget the people that are involved. The issue can sometimes cloud up our vision and we forget to love the person first, which is ultimately what Christ called us to do. (Love God, love others, love yourself. Matthew 22: 36-40)

That’s why I am inventing the “Love First” machine.
It will be pretty simple. I imagine it looking like that machine in the Tom Hanks movie, Big. (I love that movie. “Down down baby, down by the roller coaster, sweet sweet baby sweet sweet I love you so , jimmy jimmy coco puff jimmy jimmy rye…”) You put a quarter in and then you type out your issue. For example, you might type, “My issue is that a church used the word ‘ballsy’ in a billboard and I am really angry that children are going to see it.”

The machine would whirl and hiss and then a slip of paper would pop out. It would read:
“Children? Four hours away from this billboard in Charlotte, is Atlanta, one of, if not the, worst cities in America for child sex trafficking. Volunteer there and save lives. Love first.”
And then you’d take your piece of paper and think, “Wow, I had no idea Atlanta was like that. Protesting the word ‘ballsy’ is going to have to wait. I have some slaves to free.”

Now I agree, that’s an extreme example and one that is maybe far fetched. The idea of relating concern over vulgarity to slave trading is a huge leap. Fair enough, let me use a more reasonable example and a confession from my own life.

I was unkind to a widow.

There’s a widow in our neighborhood, in her 50s, that lets her dog use the bathroom in our yard. My two young kids were unable to play in parts of the yard because of her dog. So I wrote her a note. And then a second note. And then a third note. These were not loving notes. These were not Christ-like. Was I wrong? I don’t think so. What she was doing, opening the door and letting her dog just run out for five minutes as if what he was doing was just magically disappearing and not in fact being put in someone’s yard, is not cool. But I promise I could have loved her better. I could have done a much better job showing her God’s love. Here is what I think the “Love First” machine would have told me to do on that slip of paper:

“Dog issues? Go to her house and volunteer to walk the dog when she gets home from work. Your children will love it and it’s a great way to see if you could handle one of your own. That dog was her husband’s, who is no longer alive. She is overwhelmed by taking care of it and will welcome your compassion, which will show her God’s face.”

I’m not recommending we stop caring about issues. I think we need to, passionately so. And if getting upset about swearing is your thing, that’s cool with me. There are certainly lots of verses that deal with that in the Bible and I think you have every right to protect the content people push on your kids. I respect that you are loving your children by protecting them from filth. I think that is beautiful. That’s not what I am arguing against. In fact, there is nothing I am against in this post. There is however something I am for, and that’s more love. And not just more love, but love first. I have a really simple faith and when Jesus says something is the greatest and the second greatest commandment, I’ll do whatever it takes to live that out. Even if it means building a “Love First” machine.

Faith, Hope, and Love…How do you love?

Re-Post: Be Renewed

2011-05-20T08:37:00.001-07:00

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will,” (Romans 12:2).

Sometimes the demands of life can really drain you. When things are difficult it can rob you of the joy you have in life. Are you in need of a new beginning? If so, turn your heart toward God in prayer. Are you worried? Take time to read God’s Word. Are you weak? Then call upon your fellow believers for support. Are you spiritually depressed? Then call upon Christ to renew your joy. Even on your darkest day, you can take comfort that God has the power to renew your spirit and your life.

Max Lucado wrote, “I wish I could make it all new again; I can’t. But God can. ‘He restores my soul,’ wrote the shepherd. God doesn’t reform; He restores. He doesn’t camouflage the old; He restores the new. The Master Builder will pull out the original plan and restore it. He will restore the vigor; He will restore the energy. He will restore the hope. He will restore the soul.”

Christ said “Behold, I am making all thing new.” If you need to be renewed, restored and transformed, then come to Christ and let the Holy Spirit renew your heart, restore your soul, and transform your life.

Have a Twinkie for Jesus

2011-05-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

Steven Curtis Chapman - Not Home Yet

2011-05-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

H.O.P.E.

2011-05-16T08:15:00.000-07:00

Like the lesson on F.A.I.T.H. I’ve done the same thing here with hope by breaking up the word into four parts: Happiness, Optimistic, Perspective, and Encouragement.

Happiness

When we have hope in Christ, we come to know true happiness.

Ecclesiastes 2:26; To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

“Money can’t buy you happiness.” Just look at Hollywood and all the people that have all the money they could ever need and still they are unhappy. And how many people do you know who have very little, but are some of the happiest people you know. Money is fleeting, but happiness and joy are eternal when it is grounded in God. Happiness is internal and not external. “You can’t take it with you,” is a saying about money, wealth, and death. When we die our wealth will mean nothing. Those that have stored up treasures here on earth and not in heaven will lose everything when their time of judgment comes.

Optimistic

The optimistic person is optimistic because of their hope.

2 Timothy 2:11-12; And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard d what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Even though Paul was in prison he still had an optimist attitude. But not all Christian have an attitude like Paul. I talked about this in the blog “Serving God.” The pessimistic Christian is always finding fault in others and spends more times tearing people down as opposed to lifting people up. The optimistic Christian will focus on how we can reach out to others and show love. The optimistic Christian will find ways to serve instead of excuses not to serve.

Perspective

With hope comes perspective. Things are not as bad as they seem if God is in control.

Leviticus 26:40-45; “ ‘But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their fathers—their treachery against me and their hostility toward me, which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the LORD their God. But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the LORD.’ ”

We can look through the entire Bible and see examples where God’s people went through hardship only for God to have a purpose for it. We see it with Joseph and how God used him to save his family. We read about David and how God protected him when Saul was trying to kill him, only to make David king. We even see it with Christ on the cross. At the time the disciples thought everything they had been standing for was gone. They didn’t see God’s perspective.

God sees things far beyond what we can see. Apart of having hope is that when times are toughest we need to praise God first instead of saying, “poor me.” Jenny and I have been trying to have a child for a few years now, but it is not looking like it will happen. We must have hope that God has a reason for us not having a child. If it is His will we will have a child, but if not then we need to continue to love and trust Him.

Encouragement

Our hope comes from the encouragement we get from Scripture and from each other.

Romans 15:4-6; For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How can we do a better job of encouraging each other? First we must love each other. When someone falls our first responses should not be to point a finger, but to show them love. When need to be that shoulder for someone to cry on. As Christians let us find encouragement from the Holy Scripture that has provided. And let us share that encouragement with those around us who so desperately need it.

I ran across this story from Scott Webber the pastor of Christian Church of Estes Park.

“Kurt Cobain died about 8 years ago. I remember the day I picked up the newspaper and read about it. He was the founder and lead singer of the rock group "Nirvana." His death was a suicide. He took a shotgun, pointed it to his head, and killed himself. The newspaper was filled with the words of fans and commentators in disbelief saying "Why? It makes no sense." "He had it all . . . a great career, a huge following, plenty of money, a wife and a 19 month old daughter . . . Why?" To most people it made no sense. But I remember sitting at my desk thinking. "Yes it does. It makes sense. Kurt Cobain was living out his beliefs to their logical extreme." You see, Kurt Cobain was a self-professed humanist and nihilist. In other words, he believed there was no God and that there was no meaning or purpose to life. His music (poetry) could not be clearer on this matter.
Kurt Cobain’s music was grunge rock. He pioneered this type of music. The alternative rock style of today has evolved from grunge rock. Kurt had a disdain for anything mainstream or acceptable to society. He was a child of divorce. At the age of eight he began to be shifted from home to home, sometimes even being homeless. He was very vocal about his bitterness from that experience. He developed his belief that life was basically rotten and meaningless.
His music often spoke of his anger and disillusionment. One of his most famous songs was called "Nevermind." Its recurring line was "Oh well, whatever, nevermind." Another song he wrote never got released. It was too objectionable to the label company, but Kurt liked it. It was called, "I Hate Myself, And I Want To Die." In another song called "Smells Like Teen Spirit," a well-known line says, "I feel stupid and contagious, here we are, now entertain us." The video of that song was voted best video of the decade of the 90’s.
Friends of Cobain say he lived up to his music. He often acted without reason. He was constantly on an emotional roller coaster. But his dips into despair got deeper and deeper. Once, a member of his road crew asked him why he was moping around so much. Cobain replied, "I’m awake, aren’t I?" Kurt Cobain was a young man fueled by nihilism. He had passion, but for nothing. He had a void in his heart that nothing he pursued could fill, and he believed that nothing could or ever would. He had no purpose, no meaning, and he simply lived out his belief in his worldview to its logical conclusion.
He reminds me of another man. Solomon. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes of pursuing all of the things the world has to offer. He also wrote of the despair they brought him. They offered no meaning. Solomon, however, concluded differently than Kurt Cobain. He concluded that purpose and meaning were found in the living God. Only knowing and serving Him could you rise above that level of despair. And there is even better news than that. Now, God has declared through His Son how much He loves us, and that He wants to spend eternity with us.”

Those that don’t know Christ are doomed to be without hope. But those that know Christ have hope in this life and the next.

So what does Hope mean to you?

Ecclesiates 11:5

2011-05-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

Just as you cannot understand the path of the wind or the mystery of a tiny baby growing in its mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the activity of God, who does all things. (NLT)

Re-Post: A Friend in Jesus

2011-05-14T07:23:00.000-07:00

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “I didn’t find my friends; the good God gave them to me.” And what a Friend, God gave us when he sent his Son. Jesus was the ultimate friend, because he was willing to have his body broken and his blood shed for us. He calls us His Friends.

In John chapter 15, Jesus was talking to his disciples when he said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.”

I find it amazing that after Jesus spent 33 years here on earth, he still wanted to call us Friends. After seeing our sins, our weaknesses, and our faults he still loved us enough to call us Friends and die on a cross. There is a wonderful old hymn call:

"What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and grief’s to bear! What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!"

This song is inspired by Proverbs 18:24 that says, “There are “friends” who destroy each other, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Jesus is that Friend and He wants us to give Him all of our pain, our grief, and our heartaches. He wants us to join Him in His Kingdom; today and forever.

Original post day, February 25, 2009.

Zig Ziglar

2011-05-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

If God would have wanted us to live in a permissive society He would have given us Ten Suggestions and not Ten Commandments.
Zig Ziglar
Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/z/zig_ziglar.html#ixzz1M5WCVV3D

Review of the book: Quitter

2011-05-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

The new book by the national bestseller and creator of the blog Stuff Christians Like, Jonathan Acuff will be on sale starting May 10th. The book is called “Quitter: Closing the Gap Between Your Day Job & Your Dream Job.” I was honored to be one of just a few people to get a chance to read an advance copy of the book. Today I would like to give you my review of the book.

Quitter is the story of how Jonathan Acuff was able to turn his dream job into his day job. Jonathan was working for Auto Trader as a tech writer, but what he wanted to be was a book author. Jonathan talks about some on the struggles of realizing his dream job without destroying his life. The book encourages people to find ways to reach their goals and look for unique ways to do what they love. The two ideas that I found the most helpful were “Removing the ‘I’m’ from Your ‘But’” and “Falling in Like with a Job You don’t Love.”

Jonathan found that when he was talking to people about what they did for a living or for life they would say, “I’m a ____, but I want to be ______. I know for me that I’ve said at times that I’m only doing this job, until I can get a real job. And in some of my jobs I’ve thought were dream jobs, turned out to be nightmares. This book has helped me look at my career, my profession, and my dreams in new ways. And the chapter on falling in like with your job has encouraged me to see my job and career as a tool to my dreams.

I think this book is great for those who just feel they are spinning their wheels in their job. It can be an encouragement to spouses who want to support their loved ones with their dreams. And it is a fun read about how someone worked hard to reach their dreams. I encourage you to give it a read.
Here are a few places where you can purchase the book online:

Dave Ramsey

http://www.daveramsey.com/store/prodquitter.html

Books-A-Million

http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Quitter/Jon-Acuff/9780982986271

Amazon: Not on sale here yet.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982986270/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=stufchrilik05-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399349&creativeASIN=0982986270

You can also get more information and read the first chapter at the Quitter website:

http://www.quitterbook.com/home

The Lord's Prayers by Andrea Bocelli

2011-05-09T04:56:00.000-07:00

Mother and Daughter-In-Law

2011-05-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

Ruth 1:6 Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 7 With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.
8 But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. 9 May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.
10 “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”
11 But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 12 No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? 13 Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”
14 And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. 15 “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. (Ruth 1:6-18)

I love this story from the book of Ruth. It reminds me of the relationship that my wife and mother have together. And I know that if something were to ever happen to me, my wife and mother would stay with each other and take care of each other. They are two wonderful women.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom
Happy Birthday, Jenny

Love,
Your Son and Your Husband

Re-Post: A Banqueting House

2011-05-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

In a small book called “How to Find Forgiveness” it says, “Christ is not only a remedy for your weariness and trouble, but He will give you an abundance of the contrary: joy and delight. They who come to Christ do not only come to a resting-place after they have been wandering in a wilderness, but they come to a banqueting-house where they may rest, and where they may feast. They may cease from their former troubles and toils, and they may enter upon a course of delights and spiritual joys.”

The world outside of the church is the wilderness were we find troubles. Church should be a special place where people come to find rest and peace. A banqueting-house where we share in the love of Christ and partake in the Lord’s feast. When we come to the church and to Christ it should bring us joy, delight and peace.

Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27

If your heart is troubled today, go now to the Lord in prayer. Ask for His Holy Spirit to renew you. Seek His Son for salvation.

I encourage you to find a church home, a banqueting-house where you can feast on the Lord’s love. It will not be a perfect place, because the people inside are not perfect. But it is a place where sinners come together to meet the Lord, confess their sins, let go of their guilt, and find peace.

(Posted on 2/28/2009.)

Mike Pence for Indiana Governor

2011-05-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

Mike Pence will make a great Governor for Indiana.

Lifehouse - All In

2011-05-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

Quote of the Week

2011-05-03T08:17:00.000-07:00

Bin Laden’s body was identified to a 99% certainty by DNA. They just need to check it against his personal goat and it’s a done deal. -Ann Coulter

The Dead Church

2011-05-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

A new minister to a one church town went to visit the people in his new town to invite them to church on Sunday. When Sunday came hardly anyone showed up, so the minister put an ad in the newspaper. The ad said, “That since the church is dead it deserves a proper Christian burial. Please come to church next Sunday for the funeral of the church.” The town wanting to know what a funeral for a church would be showed up the next week. In front of the pulpit was a coffin with flowers all over it. The minister gave his address, and then invited the people to pay their last respects to the dead church. As the people walked up they looked inside the coffin, then turn away with a guilty look. Inside the coffin, place just right, was a large mirror.

Is the church dead? Do we have a passion for worship? Do we love one another? Are we on fire for God? If the church is dead what is our excuse? Do we serve a God that is dead?

Revelation 3 talks about the church in Sardis, “I know all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.” (Revelation 3:1-3)

What are Christ’s expectations of the church? He wants us to worship, fellowship, and sever each other. He calls us to love one another and love Him. God wants a church that is passionate and on fire. What excuse do we have? We serve a God that is not dead, but is alive.

“Yet there are some in the church in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes with evil. They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine. “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” (Revelation 3:4-6)

Church let us be alive for we worship Jesus Christ who is alive.

“In the villages of Northern India a missionary was preaching in a bazaar. As he closed, a Muslim gentleman came up and said, "You must admit we have one thing you have not, and it is better than anything you have."
The missionary smiled and said, "I should be pleased to hear what it is."
The Muslim said, "You know when we go to Mecca we at least find a coffin. But when you Christians go to Jerusalem, which is your Mecca, you find nothing but an empty grave."
But the missionary just smiled and said, "That is just the difference. Mohammed is dead; Mohammed is in the coffin. And false systems of religion and philosophy are in their coffins, but Jesus Christ, whose kingdom is to include all nations and kindred and tribes, is not here; He is risen. And all power in heaven and on earth is given unto Him. That is our hope."

1 Peter 3:10-11

2011-05-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

The Platinum Rule 2.0

2011-04-30T21:34:00.000-07:00

My brother responded to my post about the "Platinum Rule." I wanted to share what he told me. I felt it was insightful and inspired.

"Chances are the individual that came up with the platinum rule was just trying to put a new spin on an old principal and make it his own. Just using the word platinum makes it sound better. A turd made of platinum is still a turd.

Here is something to think about:

1.) Gold is very diverse and with the help of certain alloys it can become many different colors. Platinum can't.

2.) Gold can be forgiven of its flaws by buffing out the imperfections and immersing into the ultrasonic. Platinum is harder to flaw, but when it does the flaws are usually much deeper and harder to remove.

3.) Gold is easily made to shine. Platinum actually needs the help of rhodium to over come its natural dull appearance, so I guess you could say its a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Not too smart, but a fun way to think about it?"

Skillet - Hero

2011-04-30T07:33:00.000-07:00

Here is a song to get you going today...Jesus is our Hero.

The Platinum Rule

2011-04-29T12:59:00.000-07:00

Recently I had to take my companies online video diversity training. (And no it wasn’t because I did something wrong. It was just something I hadn’t done yet.) Anyways, while taking the course there was a reference to the “Golden Rule.” A group of employees were talking about how they should treat other people. One of the people brought up that she didn’t like it when people hugged her at work. Another employee (Christian) said she likes to give and receive hugs at work. And she tries to treat others how she wants to be treated, the Golden Rule. Her boss (Muslim) corrected her that the Golden Rule doesn’t always work and in diversity she should live by the Platinum Rule. The Platinum Rule says that you should treat people like they want to be treated. I have no problem with what the Platinum Rule means, but I have a problem with how they defined the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule has nothing to do with giving people hugs or not. The Golden Rule is about treating others with respect. It is about being kind, good, and merciful towards others. In reality the Golden Rule and the Platinum Rule is really the same thing. But this course discounts the Golden Rule as not being good enough. It is also saying that the Platinum Rule is greater than a person’s religious beliefs. The fact that it was a Muslim that tells a Christian she is wrong is also a little concerning. I also find it interesting that a course on diversity would even make any reference to faith or scripture. The Golden Rule is not just some saying, but it is a part of the foundation of the Christian faith.

This training was not made by the company I work for, but was made by another company that makes employee training material. This is not the first time that I’ve heard of the Platinum Rule. It is widely used in business for diversity, customer service, and business relations training. But I guess I just never made the connection that the program is really giving a backhanded slap to the Christian faith. What would have happen if they would have taken some text from the Koran, Torah, or other religious material? Would that have been acceptable?

I’m not really mad about this. My faith is strong enough to take these “quiet” percussions. But I’m wondering if I should say something. I kind of feel like maybe I should tell my company that this course misrepresents scripture and discriminate against Christians. What do you think? Do you think I should bring this up to my company or am I making a big deal out of nothing?

Wisdom from Reagan

2011-04-27T21:10:00.000-07:00

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today's world do not have.
Ronald Reagan

Read more: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/ronald_reagan.html#ixzz1KmtKnuwY

Solution for Customer Service Crisis

2011-04-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

This is why I got into retail.

A Call for Prayer

2011-04-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

This message is dedicated to my friend Mark, who will soon be heading off to basic training. Please keep him and his family in your prayers.

A Weird Easter

2011-04-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

F.A.I.T.H.

2011-04-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

While I was listening to the book “Coming Back Stronger,” by Drew Brees he talked about how at the beginning of one season he used the word faith as a motivational tool for the team. He broke up the word into the five parts from each letter: Fortitude, Attitude, Integrity, Trust, and Humility. Using this model I created a Sunday School lesson. I would like to share it with you and ask that you consider each question in the lesson. I would also love to hear some of your responses to the questions.

Fortitude

Faith gives us the fortitude to stay strong when we are under struggles, persecution, or hardships.

Matthew 5:11-12; “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (NIV)

When has your faith sustain you during times of trouble?

This question is somewhat hard to answers, because my faith has been so important so many times when I’ve experienced struggles, persecution or hardships. When times have been tough, it has been my faith in God that has seen me through.

Attitude

Faith gives us a new attitude, so we can be new in our minds and more like God.

Ephesians 4:22-24; You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (NIV)

What does it mean “to be made new in the attitude of your minds,” and why do so many people have so much trouble in changing their attitude towards God?

I think one of the hardest things for people is change. People don’t want to change who they are or believe that maybe they are wrong. In the book “Fish” it talks about choosing your attitude. In everything we do we have a choice in what kind of attitude we are going to have. The same is true when turning our lives over to God. We must choose an attitude that surrenders to God’s Will and not our own.

Integrity

Your integrity is a sign of your faith. The way we live will shows the faith we have.

Proverbs 11:3; The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. (NIV)

How has your integrity been a witness for others?

I’ve talked about this before how when I was in high school as a sophomore a fellow football player told me that the whole Christian thing was dumb and it would be the death of me. I didn’t start preaching to him how he was wrong, but just continued to live my life for Christ. After the finally football game of our senior year before we walked off the field, that same player grabbed my hand and asked me to pray.

Trust

Faith is a trust between us and God. God has made us a promise to guide our lives if we trust in Him.

Proverbs 3:5-6; Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (NIV)

How can we show our trust in God in our everyday lives?

I think when someone is cruel to us, we can show them love. I think when times are tough, we can pray to God. I think when things are going well, we can praise God. I think we can look for ways to serve and not ways to complain.

Humility

To have faith we must be humble. We must understand that there is One that is greater than ourselves.

James 4:10; Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (NIV)

When has God humbled you to bring you closer to Him?

I remember in college when I started to get a little full of my-self and was not behaving like the person I should be. A girl that I kind of liked called me out on this with a personal letter. She told me that she really liked me when she first met me, but after getting to know me she didn’t like who I really was. It really hit me and made me rethink of how I was behaving. I wasn’t being the person that I should be and not someone that was living like a Christian. That letter likely saved my marriage. While that girl and I never developed any further relationship, if I had continued down my path Jenny might not have ever falling in love with me.

Now I would love to hear your responses to some of the question above.

Friends and Family Weekend

2011-04-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

Friends and Family Weekend
Friday, April 15th-Sunday, April 17th

East Columbus Christian Church
3170 Indiana Ave
Columbus, Indiana
www.eastccc.net

Friday, April 15th @ 7pm
Main Session 1
Theme: Faith
Speaker: Jeff Bridgewater
Music: Firm Foundation

Saturday, April 16th @ 12pm-4pm
Join us for an afternoon of Fun, Food, and Fellowship. We will have Praise Concerts, Bouncers, Easter Egg Hunts, Scavenger Hunts, and Corn Hole. Concessions with the World Famous Markland Burgers will be sold to raise money for Hilltop Christian Camp.

Saturday, April 16th @ 7pm
Main Session 2
Theme: Hope
Speaker: Tim Bond with the Pregnancy Care Center
Music: Grafted

Sunday, April 17th
Sunday School @ 9am
Combined Worship Service @ 10am

Sunday, April 17th @ 2:30pm
Adults vs. Kids Basketball Game

Sunday, April 17th @ 6pm
Main Session 3
Theme: Love
Message and Music: IU Christian Student Fellowship

After Main Session 3 there will be an ice cream social in the fellowship hall.

Admission to all events are FREE and OPEN to the public.

Kristen Brown for Mayor

2011-04-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

I'm supporting Kristen Brown for Mayor.

Who Do You Trust More?

2011-04-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

I’ve got a question. Who do you trust more than the government and why? Here is a list of the 10 things I trust more than the government.

1. My God (I think this should be obvious.)
2. My Family (Specifically my wife, my mom, and my brother.)
3. My Close Friends (You know who you are and if you don’t that should tell you.)
4. My Church-ECCC (While we as a church whole are not perfect, we try to do God’s Will and we work to love each other. There is no other place I want to worship.)
5. Wal-Mart (I want to say Macy’s since I work there, but I’ve only been there for 4 months. I need at least a year. Wal-Mart was very good to me as a part-time employee and come on they got the best prices on just about everything. If the government was run like Wal-Mart we would be debt free and our taxes would be the lowest in the world.)
6. Rush Limbaugh (He is almost always right 98.6% of the time.)
7. Ken Blanchard (As a Christian and a Business Leader, Ken has inspired millions with his books, videos, and seminars. Most of what I use in Management came from Ken’s teachings.)
8. Sylvester Stallone (When it comes to movies he almost never lets me down. Even the worst Stallone movie is better than most others. And who can’t trust Rocky.)
9. Ruth Chris Steakhouse (I’ve never had a bad meal there.)
10. The American People (While it was a majority of the American people that elected Barack Obama and sent the Democrats to Washington, overall the American people work hard, take care of their kids, and do what is right for one another. I believe most American live a Conservative’s life, but sometimes they just don’t vote that way. But we know from times like 9/11, when the chips are down the American people stand together united.)

The government lies to us, takes our money and wastes it, they try to manipulate us, and they try to control us. Our Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to protect the people from the government. It is not the people who cause trouble, but governments.

So tell me who do you trust more than the government and why?

Quitter Book Trailer by Jon Acuff

2011-04-05T20:28:00.000-07:00

Quitter

2011-04-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Recently I was honored to read the unpublished manuscript of “Quitter” by Jon Acuff. Jon is the author of the blog “Stuff Christians Like” and national best-selling author of the books “Stuff Christians Like” and “Gazelles, Baby Steps and 37 Other Things Dave Ramsey Taught Me About Debt.” I was asked to read the manuscript and give my feedback on the book. I will be doing a full review of this book when it is released on May 10th, but let me say now that I loved the book. It really spoke to me and gave me some insight on what I want to do with my life. I recommend that you take a look at the promotional video and read the first chapter of the book. Just cut and paste the web address below into your URL.

http://www.quitterbook.com/?ectid=1103jonacuff.launch_1

Heaven's Top Ten

2011-04-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

When I did the blog “Forsaken” about hell I heard from some people that I scared them a little. So today I want to talk about something a little less scary and that is heaven. While working on this I ran across a sermon by Steve Malone call, “Top Ten Reasons Why Heaven Will Be A Blast.” I’m going to use some of his outline for my blog.

#10. We will get new bodies.
I don’t know about you, but my body is not one of the best. I’ve got bad knees, I suffer from planter fasciitis, and I tend to lean towards the heavy side. But in heaven this weak and fail body will be gone and an eternal one will replace it.

#9. We will get to live in a Big House.
The Christian group Audio Adrenaline has a song called “Big House”...it’s about God’s Mansion in Heaven that is waiting for us. The chorus goes like this:
“Come and go with me to my father’s house
It’s a big big house - with lots and lots of rooms
With big big tables with lots and lots of food....
A big big yard were we can play football
It’s my father’s house...”

#8. We will get to eat at a great banquet.
I love to eat. One of my favorite places to eat is Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. The steaks are huge and tender. The desserts are amazing. Even the salads are good. But in heaven there will be a banquet with food that will be far greater than any that has been known here on earth.

#7. We will get to meet famous Bible Characters.
“We’ll get to:
Ask David what it was like to fight Goliath....
Ask Noah what it was like living in the ark...
And Ask Moses about parting the Red Sea...”

#6. We will get to see our past loved ones.
I’ll get to see my father again. I will get to meet my mom’s dad (my grandfather) for the first time. Everyone we’ve loved that has loved the Lord, we will see again.

#5. We will get to participate in the greatest worship service ever.
How many times have you came to church and just had a great worship service. Where you don’t want to leave and the rest of the week just seemed to go so much better. Even our best worship service here on earth will not match the worship we will have in heaven.

#4. There will be no darkness.
The glory of God will be out light forever.

#3. There will be no-mores.
There will be NO MORE: hunger, no more thirst, no more scorching heat or bitter cold, no more tears, crying, pain, sickness, or death.

#2. It will be that last time we fall.
In heaven we will no longer fall to sin. Instead the “the last time I fall, and the last you will fall, will be when we fall to our knees to worship at the feet of our God....”

#1. We will get to be with God.
I talked last time about the worst part of hell was being separated from God. Well the greatest part of heaven will be living in full presence of God.

And Jesus said, "AND IF I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM..."
JOHN 14:3

God has made a place so wonderful that we can’t even imagine. But we are unable to reach this place on our own. And so all these reasons and more was why it was so important to God, to give us a way to heaven. It was only through the sacrifice of Christ that we are able to reach heaven. Because of what Christ has done for us, those that have accepted Christ’s gift will be with Him in heaven.

Friends and Faimly 2011

2011-03-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

Join us April 15-April 17 for the East Columbus Christian Church Friends and Family Weekend 2011.

Friday, April 15 at 7:00pm
Main Session 1
Theme: Faith
Speaker: Jeff Bridgewater
Music: Firm Foundation

Saturday, April 16 at 12:00pm-4:00pm
Gavin Harvey's CCS Senior Project for Hilltop Christian Camp
Praise Concerts, Bouncers, Corn Hole, and Concessions with the World Famous Markland Burgers
Easter Egg Hung @ 1pm
Scavenger Hunt @ 1:30pm

Saturday, April 16 at 7:00pm
Main Session 2
Theme: Hope
Speaker: Tim Bond from the Pregancy Care Center
Music: Grafted

Sunday, April 17 at 9:00am-11:00am
Sunday School @ 9am
Combined Worship Service @ 10am

Sunday, April 17 at 2:30pm
Adults vs Kids Basketball Game

Sunday, April 17 at 6:00pm
Main Session 3
Theme: Love
Message and Music: IU Christian Student Fellowship

After main session Ice Cream Social in the Fellowship Hall

East Columbus Christian Church
3170 Indiana Ave
Columbus, IN

Obama at War

2011-03-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

When Barak Obama was running for President he was going to end the war in Iraq within 18 months. He thought the surge in Iraq was wrong. He believed that Guantanamo should be closed. And he wanted to build peace in the Middle East. Things have not changed the way he said it would. After 2 years in office we are still in Iraq. He had to create his own surge to keep Afghanistan from falling. Guantanamo prison is still open and military trials are beginning again. And the Middle East is tearing itself apart with protests. Obama has even begun his own war with Libya.

Now let me say that I think we should still be in Iraq. We must finish the job. The surge in Afghanistan was needed and Obama should have done even more. As for Guantanamo, I know I feel safer that it is still open. But I’m worried about the protests in the Middle East and the new war in Libya. What is the end game? How much more can we spread our military? What happen to the great peacemaker, Barak Obama? Didn’t he win the Nobel Peace Prize? And where is the liberal outrage? I see no weapons of mass destruction in Libya. Is this about oil? Are we going to police the entire world for violence? Did Obama get authorization from Congress? Obama at war seems a lot like Bush at war. But unlike Bush, Barack Obama is in over his head. He has spread our country thin with his out of control spending. And he’s not a leader in the world, but just another player. I only hope we can survive another 2 years of Obama.

Serving God

2011-03-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

As a Christian I have the great privilege to serve God. I have the honor in searching and fulfilling God’s Will in my life. And I am grateful for the chance to be a servant of God. Sadly there are times when serving God has seemed like a burden. There have been days where I don’t feel I’m doing God’s Will. And there have been times when I resented being a servant of God.

I think if we were all honest we would have to admit that we’ve all felt this way one time or another. We’ve all had the good times and we’ve all felt the bad times. But what we must do is focus more on those good times and not on the bad times. I’m concerned when church leaders focus more on how much longer they have to serve and not on how much time they get to serve. I’m sadden when people complain about cooking meals or planning events for the church, instead of rejoicing that they are making fellowship possible in the church. I’m troubled by teachers who feel burden in their roles, rather than honored that they get to foster spiritual growth and lead people to Christ. It disturbs me that people focus on the things they don’t like about a worship service and not that fact they are worshipping God. And it pains me to see those that just sit in pews and miss out on the joy of service.

In most churches 20% of the people do 80% of the work. And of those that do serve, 80% of them complain about having to do it. Those stats are not likely correct, but I’ll bet they are not too far off. But why is it this way? First, other Christians like to throw stones at those that serve. For every compliment I get for my service there will be 2 complaints not far behind. Second, Satan whispers in our ears that no one cares about what we do. He tells us we are not needed. He makes us think we are not good enough. Third, when things get tough we give up. When things get a little harder at our jobs, we work a little harder. But then things get a little harder in serving God we just complain or give up. Fourth, we forget that it is not man that we serve, but God.

I’m the first to admit that I’ve been one of the 20% who complain 80% of the time, but that is not who I want to be. God has made me for more. God has made me for His purpose. God has made me to be a servant. We who serve should do it joyfully. Let us not complain about serving. Let us not tear down those that do serve. Let us all find our place of service in the church. Let us lift each other up and make serving God a wonderful experience.

22 Secrets HR Won't Tell You

2011-03-22T08:08:00.000-07:00

1. “Once you’re unemployed more than six months, you’re considered pretty much unemployable. We assume that other people have already passed you over, so we don’t want anything to do with you.” –Cynthia Shapiro, former human resources executive and author of Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn’t Want You to Know

2. “When it comes to getting a job, who you know really does matter. No matter how nice your résumé is or how great your experience may be, it’s all about connections.” –HR director at a health-care facility

3. “If you’re trying to get a job at a specific company, often the best thing to do is to avoid HR entirely. Find someone at the company you know, or go straight to the hiring manager.” –Shauna Moerke, an HR administrator in Alabama who blogs at hrminion.com

4. “People assume someone’s reading their cover letter. I haven’t read one in 11 years.” –HR director at a financial services firm

5. “We will judge you based on your e-mail address. Especially if it’s something inappropriate like kinkyboots101@hotmail.com or johnnylikestodrink@gmail.com.” –Rich DeMatteo, a recruiting consultant in Philadelphia

6. “If you’re in your 50s or 60s, don’t put the year you graduated on your résumé.” –HR professional at a midsize firm in North Carolina

7. “There’s a myth out there that a résumé has to be one page. So people send their résumé in a two-point font. Nobody is going to read that.” –HR director at a financial services firm

8. “I always read résumés from the bottom up. And I have no problem with a two-page résumé, but three pages is pushing it.” –Sharlyn Lauby, HR consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

9. “Most of us use applicant-tracking systems that scan résumés for key words. The secret to getting your résumé through the system is to pull key words directly from the job description and put them on. The more matches you have, the more likely your résumé will get picked and actually seen by a real person.” –Chris Ferdinandi, HR professional in the Boston area

10. “Résumés don’t need color to stand out. When I see a little color, I smirk. And when I see a ton of color, I cringe. And walking in and dropping off your resume is no longer seen as a good thing. It’s actually a little creepy.” –Rich DeMatteo

11. “It’s amazing when people come in for an interview and say, ‘Can you tell me about your business?’ Seriously, people. There’s an Internet. Look it up.” –HR professional in New York City

12. “A lot of managers don’t want to hire people with young kids, and they use all sorts of tricks to find that out, illegally. One woman kept a picture of two really cute children on her desk even though she didn’t have children [hoping job candidates would ask about them]. Another guy used to walk people out to their car to see whether they had car seats.” –Cynthia Shapiro, former human resources executive and author of Corporate Confidential: 50 Secrets Your Company Doesn’t Want You to Know

13. “Is it harder to get the job if you’re fat? Absolutely. Like George Clooney’s character said in Up in the Air, ‘I stereotype. It’s faster.’” –Suzanne Lucas, a former HR executive and the Evil HR Lady on bnet.com

14. “I once had a hiring manager who refused to hire someone because the job required her to be on call one weekend a month and she had talked in the interview about how much she goes to church. Another candidate didn’t get hired because the manager was worried that the car he drove wasn’t nice enough.” –HR professional at a midsize firm in North Carolina

15. “Don’t just silence your phone for the interview. Turn it all the way off.” –Sharlyn Lauby, HR consultant in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

16. “If you’ve got a weak handshake, I make a note of it.” –HR manager at a medical-equipment sales firm

17. “If you’re a candidate and the hiring manager spends 45 minutes talking about himself, the company or his Harley, let him. He’s going to come out of the interview saying you’re a great candidate.” –Kris Dunn, chief human resources officer at Atlanta-based Kinetix, who blogs at hrcapitalist.com

18. “There’s one website that drives all HR people crazy: salary.com. It supposedly lists average salaries for different industries, but if you look up any job, the salary it gives you always seems to be $10,000 to $20,000 higher than it actually is. That just makes people mad.” –HR director at a public relations agency

19. “On salary, some companies try to lock you in early. At the first interview, they’ll tell me to say, ‘The budget for this position is 40K to 45K. Is that acceptable to you?’ If the candidate accepts, they’ll know they’ve got him or her stuck in that little area.” –Ben Eubanks, HR professional in Alabama

20. “You think you’re all wonderful and deserve a higher salary, but here in HR, we know the truth. And the truth is, a lot of you aren’t very good at your jobs, and you’re definitely not as good as you think you are.” –HR professional at a midsize firm in North Carolina

21. “Be careful if a headhunter is negotiating for you. You may want extra time off and be willing to sacrifice salary, but he is negotiating hardest for what hits his commission.” –HR professional in New York City

22. “I once hired someone, and her mother didn’t think the salary we were offering was high enough, so she called me to negotiate. There are two problems with that: 1) I can’t negotiate with someone who’s not you. 2) It’s your mother. Seriously, I was like, ‘Did that woman’s mother just call me, or was that my imagination?’ I immediately withdrew the offer.” –HR professional in New York City

(Found this on Shine by Yahoo from Reader's Digest Magazine, March 4, 2011, and I just had to share it.

Sportsmanship in Iowa

2011-03-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Recently at the Iowa High School State Championship Wrestling Tournament there was a controversy over a male student that forfeited his match against a female student. Joel Northrup said this about why he chose not to wrestle Cassey Herkleman, "As a matter of conscience and my faith, I do not believe that it is appropriate for a boy to engage a girl in this manner.” Joel’s father who is a pastor said, “We believe in the elevation and respect of women, and we don't think that wrestling a woman is the right thing to do. Body slamming and takedowns -- full contact sport is not how to do that." And Cassey’s father Bill Herkleman had this to say, "I sincerely respect the decision of the Northrup family especially since it was made on the biggest stage in wrestling. I have heard nothing but good things about the Northrup family and hope Joel does very well the remainder of the tourney."

It seems the only people who had a problem with the decision were the media and sports writers like Rick Reilly. Reilly wrote that Joel was “wrong” and “If the Northrups really wanted to ‘respect’ women, they should've encouraged their son to face her.” As a former wrestler I never had to face a decision like this. I’m not sure what I would have done in the same situation.

But the fact is this was a personal matter of faith for Joel. Joel shouldn’t be persecuted for doing what he felt was right. He made his decision based on a respect that he has for women. In our society where women are objectified, it is nice to see a young man show respect for a young woman. Joel didn’t complain that it was unfair that he had to wrestler a girl. Instead he made the decision that winning was not as important as being true to his values.

As for Cassey I wish her the best over the next three years of her high school wrestling career. I hope she is successful and has many victories. But no matter how many victories she has, she showed her class by not lashing out at Joel for his personal values. I’m sure both of these two young people will go far in life. They both showed true sportsmanship.

Pray Today

2011-03-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

In the book, “Stuff Christians Like,” by Jonathan Acuff of the blog http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/ he talks about praying. In the book he references the times when he tells someone he is going to pray for them, but later forgets to do it. The way he has learned to combat this problem is to pray for that person the very next moment after he tells someone he will pray for them.

When I read this it really hit home. I can’t remember all the times that I’ve told someone I would pray for them, but then not do it later. It wasn’t because I was lying, but more because my own personal prayer life was not what it should be. Actually my prayer life is still not what it should be. Like many people get so busy in life that I forget to take time to pray. I’ll pray when things are going wrong or I’m having trouble, but if things are going well it just seems the day will pass away and I never remember to pray. I’m not trying to make any excuses; it is just what it is.

But because of the book “Stuff Christians Like,” I’ve gotten better at praying for people when I say I’m going to pray for them. Now when I tell someone, “I’ll pray for you,” I actually do. Once I’ve parted ways with that person, I’ll take a few moments and say a prayer. My prayer will go something like this:

“Lord, please be with (name of person needing prayer) as they go through (the reason for prayer). Give them comfort, guidance, and your love during this time. Let you will be done as we trust your wisdom. I pray this in your Son’s name, Jesus Christ. Amen.”

I’m not saying this is the exactly what I pray, but you get the idea. It really works. It has helped me turn to God more and kept me honest about actually praying for people. For those of you that have a strong prayer life and have no trouble remembering to pray, then I’m sure this will not be helpful and I congratulate you. But for those of you like me who struggle, I hope this will be helpful. I know it has helped me.

Final Four

2011-03-14T17:32:00.000-07:00

Here are my picks for this year’s Final Four:

Ohio State Over San Diego State

Catholics (Notre Dame) over Mormons (BYU)

Ohio State will win it all.

Who do you think will win it all?

Sanctus Real - Lead Me

2011-03-12T18:58:00.000-08:00

God calls men to love our wives like Christ loves the Church. Every man needs to watch this video. It is powerful.

Hero by Abandon with lyrics

2011-03-12T18:45:00.000-08:00

Who Do You Support?

2011-03-11T18:26:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of charities and it is hard to know which ones are good and which ones are not. Some charities barely give any of its funds to the actual cause it supports. Instead most of the money gets spent on staff, lobbyist, and high paid executives. Then there are those charities that give money and support to other side causes that you would never support. There are charities that we would all think we could all support when in fact those charities support things against our beliefs.

At my last job I was required to raise funds for the March of Dimes. Actually future promotions in my career were dependent on me raising money for the March of Dimes. The problem for me is that the March of Dimes has supported Planned Parenthood and supports embryonic stem cell research. I am Pro-Life and I do not support either Planned Parenthood or embryonic stem cell research. The March of Dimes does a lot of good things, but for those who are Pro-Life they should really consider and think about their support for the March of Dimes.

The March of Dimes is not the only major charity that supports embryonic stem cell research, abortion, or Planned Parenthood. Here is a list of charities that support embryonic stem cell research:

Alzheimer’s Association, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association, Lance Armstrong Foundation, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, March of Dimes, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the Susan G. Korman for the Cure

Those groups that support abortion and/or Planned Parenthood:
Amnesty International US, Planned Parenthood, March of Dimes, Susan G. Korman for the Cure, United Way, UNICEF, YMCA, and YWCA.

(Source for this information is from the American Life League and the Life Issues Instuitue)

These lists do not include all of the charities that support abortion, Planned Parenthood, or embryonic stem cell research, but it is a lot of those charities that we have likely all supported at one time or another. I’m not saying you can’t support these groups or that you are a bad person if you do. All I’m saying is that if you are Pro-Life, then you need to consider who you are supporting. It’s your money and your time and it should go to what you support. Know who and what you support.

Forsaken

2011-03-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

What is Hell? When we read scripture we get a lot of descriptions of Hell.

Mark 9:43 says that in Hell there is an everlasting fire.

Luke 16:23 says that in Hell there is torment.

Matthew 24:51 says that in Hell our bodies are destroyed and there is constant weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2 Peter 2:4 say that Hell has many gloomy dungeons.

And Revelations 20:14 says Hell is a lake of fire and the second death.

For me Hell is something much worse than fire, torment, or dungeons.
Have you ever read the book Dante’s Inferno? In the book a man is led by a spirit down the different levels of hell. At the end he comes to final stage of hell where hell is actually frozen over. One of the people there is Judas.

I would love to write my own version of this, maybe call it Baker’s Inferno. I envision a reporter being led down the different levels of hell with an angel. As he goes through each level he sees some of the most horrific sights ever seen and hears the screams of those in torment. Then he comes to an empty room that is completely dark. A shiver runs over his body and he says to the angel, “What is the place? I don’t like it here. Where have you brought me?” The reporter breaks down and begins sobbing. The angel replies, “This is the complete separation from God.” “Take me from this place, I can’t take it anymore,” cries the reporter. The angel response, “You didn’t want God in your life. You wanted to live without Him. So now here you must stay just as you wished, separated from God.” The angel leaves the reporter weeping and gnashing his teeth, forsaken by God.

Hell is the complete separation from God. Those in Hell are completely cut off from God. God will no longer see them and no longer acknowledges them.

2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 says; “He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.”

We don’t know what it is like to be separated from God. We don’t know what it means to be forsaken by God. We may sometimes say that we don’t feel God’s presence, but truly we do not know what it means to be outside of God’s presence. Only Christ has known that torment. Only Christ has lived here on earth and felt true separation from God.

Matthew 27:46; About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice…, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Only Christ has been forsaken by God. This is why Christ asked if the cup could be passed. It was not the pain, but the separation from God that caused him to sweat blood. But because of Christ’s wiliness to suffer the cross and be forsaken; He now holds the keys to death and Hell.

Revelation 1:18; I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Those that do not want to be a part of God’s family will get what they want. And it will more than they could ever imagine. But those that accept the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will live in the presence of our Lord for all eternity.

Interview with Satan on his views about church

2011-03-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

Tim Hawkins - The Government Can

2011-03-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Are You A Conservative or A Liberal?

2011-03-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

Take this quiz and see if you are a Conservative or a Liberal. Write down your answers then add up your score at the end.

1. On the issue of Abortion, I would say that I am…

A. Anti-Abortion (All Abortions Illegal)
B. Pro-Life
C. Pro-Choice
D. Pro-Abortion (Abortion on Demand)

2. On the issue of Gay Marriage, I believe…

A. Marriage should only be One Man and One Woman.
B. This is a state’s rights issue and each state must make their own laws.
C. This is a matter for the courts to decide and states and the federal government should do what the courts say.
D. Gay marriage should be legal throughout the entire U.S.

3. On the issue of Capital Punishment, I believe…

A. The death penalty is the correct punishment for crimes like murder and rape.
B. The death penalty is a strong deterrent for crimes.
C. It should only be used in very rare cases and life in prison is more cost effective.
D. The death penalty is just another form of murder.

4. On the issue of energy and global warming, I believe…

A. Drill Here, Drill Now. We must start looking for new sources of oil here in our country. We must also start using nuclear energy. We need more refineries and more clean coal plants. Global Warming is a myth.
B. In an “All of the Above” approach. We must open some new areas for oil drilling, we must spend more on renewable energy sources, and we must look into nuclear energy. We still needs more research on Global Warming.
C. We must focus on renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and biofuels. We must cut our use of oil. We need more hybrid cars and trains. Global Warming is real and we must address it.
D. “Green Energy” is our only hope. Oil, gas, and coal are killing our planet. Global Warming is the greatest threat to mankind. We must pull back on our energy consumption. We need to sign United Nations energy treaties to reign in our destructive use of the planet.

5. On the issue of Taxes, I believe…

A. The IRS should be abolished and we have a Fair Tax.
B. In a Flat Tax or a similar more simple Tax code.
C. In a Progressive Tax system that taxes people at higher rates if they make more money.
D. The rich should pay most of the taxes and wealth should be spread around.

6. On the issue of our economy, I believe…

A. In Free Market Capitalism with very little government regulations.
B. In Capitalism, but the government must have some regulations to protect people.
C. The government needs to regulate business to keep a level playing field.
D. In Socialism, with the government controlling the markets.

7. On the issue of Social Security, I believe…

A. People should have the option to opt out. If people do and they don’t plan for their future, then they will be at the mercy of charities.
B. People should be able to take a small portion of their FICA and invest it in personal retirement accounts.
C. We need to strengthen Social Security, but private accounts are too risky.
D. Social Security must be protected and the promise of Social Security is a right as an American. We need increased taxes to save Social Security.

8. On the issue of Health Care, I believe…

A. If the government would just stay out of it, competition would take care of the market. We also need to privatize Medicare and Medicaid.
B. We need some reform to protect those that fall through the crack, but it should be done mostly through the market and not the government. We also need an option for people to enter the private market for Medicare is they choose.
C. We need major healthcare reform to protect people. We need a safety net and affordable healthcare for everyone. Medicare and Healthcare is a right. I like Obamacare.
D. We need government controlled healthcare. I think Obamacare didn’t go far enough. We need a system like Canada.

9. On the issue of the Federal Budget, I believe…

A. We should pass a Constitutional Amendment for a balance budget based on what we take in taxes. No debt spending. We must balance our budget by reforming Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, and cutting wasteful programs, and pork barrel projects. This will also require a line item veto for the President.
B. We should balance our budget based on our GDP. We need to cut wasteful spending and limit earmarks.
C. The government must raise taxes if it is going to balance the budget. We need to go through every line of the budget and cut the waste in government.
D. Government spending is needed in a recession. It is okay to run up deficits to pay for important projects. Our biggest wasteful spending is in the military. We need to bring our troops home, then we could balance our budget.

10. On the issue of immigration, I believe…

A. We should enforce our current immigration laws, build a fence, and put the military on the border.
B. We should build a fence and reform our immigration laws that will allow illegal immigrants a path to citizenship, but they will have to go back home first.
C. We should reform our immigration laws to make it easier for undocumented worker to become citizens.
D. We should reform our immigration laws, but first we should give amnesty to undocumented workers, so they can come out of the shadows.

11. On the issue of the War on Terror, I believe…

A. We must track down and kill every terrorist, where ever they are in the world. We should not tolerate any country that harbors terrorists. Terrorists are not soldiers and do not deserve the same rights are soldiers. We need to keep Gitmo open.
B. We must bring liberty to counties that are overrun by terrorists. Only by spreading freedom can we defeat terrorists. We need to use military trials for terrorists to determine what we will to do with them.
C. We must defend ourselves, but we can’t oppress other nations. We need more diplomacy with countries that disagree with us. Terrorists must get trials in our courts to show the world our mercy.
D. We are at fault for some of the hate terrorists have for us. We must work to make terrorists see we are not their enemy. The war in Iraq was wrong and we need to bring our troops home now. We also must close Gitmo.

12. The purpose of the military is to…

A. Kill people and break things.
B. Protect our national interest.
C. Fight battles and wars only when it is approved by the United Nations.
D. Be a humanitarian organization first and only fight when we are attacked on our soil.

13. The Constitution is…

A. A document to limit the government and protect the people.
B. The ruling law of the land, which establishes our government procedures.
C. A living and breathing document that change with the times.
D. Founding document of our government, but very flawed and needs changing.

14. My favorite President is…

A. Ronald Reagan
B. Abraham Lincoln
C. JFK, John F. Kennedy
D. FDR, Franklin D. Roosevelt

15. I get most of my news from…

A. Rush Limbaugh and Conservative talk radio.
B. Fox News and the Wall Street Journal
C. CNN and USA Today
D. MSNBC and the New York Times

Now is the time to score you answers. Give yourself 1 point for every A answer, 2 points for every B answer, 3 points for every C answer, and 4 points for every D answer.

A score between 15-25 means you are a Conservative/Right Wing.
A score between 26-37 means you are a Republican/Center Right.
A score between 38-49 means you are a Democrat/Center Left.
A score between 50-60 means you are a Liberal/Left Wing.

Some of you will say that you are a moderate or an independent, but that is not likely true. A moderate is someone who just puts their finger in the air and goes with whatever is most popular. How many books have been written on the great moderates of the world? NONE! A true independent is someone who doesn’t take part in the political process. A true independent would not vote. The fact is people say they are independent because they don’t want to be labeled. But if they were honest they would agree that most of the time they either vote more Republican/Conservative or more Democrat/Liberal. There is not an independent party and those few in Washington that are independent currently vote with the Democrats 90% of the time. Not very independent.

Some of you will ask about Liberians. The fact is Libertarian Party is not a viable party in American. Just like the Green Party, the Reform Party, and the Socialist Party, the Communist Party, or Fascism these parties are not real options in America. And actually socialism and communism are types of economies and not political philosophy. The fact is we are a two party country and that is what this quiz is focused on. This quiz is focused on 90% of America and our general political beliefs.

Just because you are a Conservative or a Liberal doesn’t mean you will always vote Republican or Democrat. While you will vote mostly on those lines, a true Conservative will not vote for a RINO (Republican In Name Only). And a true Liberal will not support the Democrats if they go off the liberal political map. As an example in the 2008 election, I did not vote for John McCain. He was a RINO and I didn’t feel right voting for someone I didn’t support. Also primaries are the time when I can voice my conservative values. During the last election in my Congressional District there were a lot of candidates for the 2nd District. The top two candidates were Travis Hankins who was the true Conservative and Todd Young the Republican Party favorite. I supported Travis with my vote, my money, and my time. When Todd Young won primary I did vote for him in the general election, but I didn’t work for his campaign or give him money. Is that wrong? No! This is what I felt was right. Todd is a good Republican, but time will tell me if he is a good Conservative.

If you don’t agree with my answers, well too bad. Come up with your own quiz. This is the Chuck Baker Is Right Quiz. Now let me know…Are you a Conservative or a Liberal?

Showdown On Unions

2011-02-27T17:01:00.000-08:00

Currently in states like Wisconsin, Indiana, and Ohio there are changes on the agenda for budget, education, and union reform. At the heart of these issues is money and power for the unions. Our state budgets are out of control and public schools are failing our students. Most of these problems can be traced back not to teachers, but to the unions that back the teachers. Unions are not concerned with what is best for the state or for the education of the children. Unions are concerned with keeping their power and taking as much as they can from the taxpayers.

I think most teachers want what is best for students and do a good job, but the same is not true for unions. A union’s purpose is to take as much as it can and then more. Also unions like the teachers union are mostly campaign fundraisers for the Democratic Party. The teachers unions give millions to the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates. What this means is that taxpayer dollars are spent on salaries for teacher, then unions take those taxpayer salary dollars in union dues, and then forwards it to the Democratic Party. Every taxpayer is supporting the Democratic Party. And the same is true for every public employee that is respected by a union.

What we need is the elimination of all unions for public employees. Unions in the private sector are fine, but why do we need unions to protect employees from the government? A union is supposed to protect employees from employers. They are supposed to make sure companies are treating employees fairly. But the government sets the rules on what is fair in business. Why do public employees even need unions when the government is the one who makes the rules? The fact is the average public employee make more money, has better benefits, and more time off than those who work in the private sector and pay for their benefits. Public schools are failing because teacher unions protect failing teachers and failing schools. The Postal Service is failing because they are not truly competitive with other services like UPS and FedEx. And our Federal and State governments are going bankrupt because we have too many people doing too little work for far too much benefit. Our country cannot continue on the path that the unions have set up. We will not last much longer and it is time for public unions to take a hike.

My Blog and Your Help

2011-02-22T09:02:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite blogs that I follow is Stuff Christians Like, by Jonathan Acuff. It is relevant and funny. The writer has a great way of really connecting with his audience. Recently I purchase his new book online, before it was release to the public. Because I did purchase his book, Jonathan Acuff checked out my blog and gave me a few suggestions to help grow my blog. The first was that I needed to try and write at least 1 blog update every week. So that will be my first goal. Every Tuesday I will submit a new blog for people to check out. The second was to have more blogs with lists, so people could add to my lists and get more involved in the blogs. Third, if I want more people to follow my blog, then I need to follow more blogs my-self. So here is a list of the blogs I currently follow. What I want is a few suggestions of blogs you think I might like to follow. Let me see how many blogs you can come up with.

accordingtothebook.blogspot.com
ecccamicus.blogspot.com
christian-with-a-view.blogspot.com
connorscooking.blogspot.com
ecccfs.blogspot.com
mypersonalrablingsandopinions.blogspot.com
herterhousehold.blogspt.com
haascouple.blogspot.com
ecccsimplescribbles.blogspot.com
jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike

On another note you will notice at the top of my blog is a banner for The House FM. Click on the banner and it will take you to their website and you can listen to their live stream. Great Christian Music. Enjoy!

You Might Be A Christian If...

2011-01-18T16:56:00.000-08:00

-You think Welch’s grape juice is only used for communion.
-You say “God Bless You,” after someone sneezes and you actually mean it.
-You are on your knees so much that you have holes in your jeans.
-Your Sunday schedule consists of church, lunch, football, church, dinner, football.
-One of your favorite movies stars Kirk Cameron.
-You think living with the Duggers might be fun.
-When asked what your favorite books are you say “Psalms, Proverbs, and Acts.
-The only luck you believe in is potluck.
-Having dinner with friends is called fellowship.
-Unlike your non-Christian friends, dying doesn’t seem that bad.
-You understand that the Evolutionary Theory is just that…a theory.
-You spell it Christmas and not X-mas.
-You think Easter is more than just eggs and bunnies.
-Your financial guru is Dave Ramsey.
-Your fashion style is modest is hottest.
-When you see a John 3:16 sign at a sporting event you actually know what it means.
-Your sons are named Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
-Your Bible is used for more than just a coffee table decoration.
-You say blessed instead of lucky.
-You believe saving yourself means for marriage and not prom.
-Being an elder or spiritually mature has nothing to do with age.
-You own more than 4 Bibles and they’ve all been used.
-You love Chick-Fil-A and you know the reason why they are closed Sundays.
-You have brothers and sisters that you are not related to by blood or marriage.
-You can relate to most of the things on the blog “Stuff Christians Like.”
-You think any of this is funny.

If you have your own “You might be a Christian if…” ideas let me know. Make a comment on my blog, Facebook, or email me. I’d love to add your suggestions to my list.

Rainbow Bridge

2011-01-16T18:39:00.001-08:00

“Pets offer us a type of unconditional love that is rare and difficult to find in other human relationships. Many people describe this type of love as pure and constant. Pets don’t care about our appearance, how much money we make, what kind of clothes we wear, or any other type of status level. They simply love and accept us for who we are, including all our faults and eccentricities.” (Understanding Your Feeling, Pet Angel)

When my Dog, Ditto passed away we had his remains cremated. When I picked up his final remains we received a very nice little book about dealing with the loss of a pet. The booklet reminded me of God’s love for us. I think pets and especially dogs give us a glimpse into the love that God has for us. Like our beloved pets, God doesn’t care about how much we make, the clothes we wear, the house we own, the car we drive, or the job we work. God loves and accepts us even though he knows all our faults and failures. Paul tells us that God has shown Himself in nature. “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20).

While I don’t believe animals have souls, I do believe God gives us these special friends to make life here on earth a little better. But I do have hope that maybe I will see my faithful Dog again. My hope lies in the fact that God loves us and sent his Son as our savior. Through Christ we have been promised eternal life. He has promised to wipe away every tear and take away every pain. Revelation 21:4 says; “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
There is a poem called “Rainbow Bridge,” and for those who have lost a loved pet it may offer comfort. Especially to those who believe in a merciful, loving, and wonderful God.

“Rainbow Bridge”

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Evil Has No Party

2011-01-13T12:01:00.001-08:00

The tragic shooting in Arizona is horrible, wrong, and evil. It was the act of an evil person for evil reasons. This person has no place in civil society or the political realm. But the same night of this terrible event some in the media were asking if the Tea Parties or even Sarah Palin were to blame. There was talk from a local sheriff and even President Obama that the tone of the political discourse in America was to blame. This reminds me of the Oklahoma City bombing when then President Clinton blamed talk radio. The only person to blame is the shooter. People are responsible for their own actions.

What we’ve already learned is that this person had no party. He didn’t see himself as Republican or a Democrat. He was not part of the Tea Parties and isn’t a fan of Sarah Palin. What has come to light is the fact that this person hated the government in general and was outside the norm. This person is no different than the terrorists on 9/11. Both wanted to cause death and destruction based on an evil belief system.

We should not turn on ourselves when evil strikes out against free speech. It is sad that instead of uniting during this tragedy we see people tearing down others. When we fail to blame evil for evil acts, we will soon not know what evil looks like. Evil has no party.

Ditto

2011-01-07T18:21:00.001-08:00

On January 6, 2011, my wonderful dog Ditto passed away. He was apart of our family for 14 years. He did things his own way and was very stubborn. He was also very loving and loyal. He would do anything to protect his family. We always knew that if anyone would try to hurt us he would give his life to protect us.

Pets are very precious. They love without condition. They are always excited to see you and forgive easily. While I know that animals do not have souls, I do believe that somehow I will see Ditto again in heaven. God is so wonderful that he gives us these wonderful pets to love and to love us. I thank God for the time we had with Ditto and for every pet that anyone has every loved.

2010-12-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

Recently I was at the Edinburgh Premium Outlet at the $5 Christian Book Store talking to the manager. He said to me, “Did you know that Jesus is not the reason for the season. I’m the reason for the season.” After thinking for a moment I agreed. We talked about how Jesus didn’t come off His throne in Heaven for Himself. The reason Jesus came to earth and was born as a baby was because of His love for us. Let us remember the reason why we praise Jesus during Christmas. The real reason for the season is Christ's love for you and for me.

I hope this Christmas Season is special for you and for your family. Find time to prasie God for His Son. Find time to show love to those around you. Find time to tell someone Merry Christmas. Find time to feel God's love. Even if you don't feel loved during this Holiday season, know you are loved by God. Remember John 3:16, "For God so over the world, He gave His only Son." God loved you and so He gave you His Son.

Merry Christmas.

Tithing to the Government

2010-12-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

Malachi 3:10; “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

God was speaking to the Hebrew nation that if they would give to Him just 10% of their wealth, then He would bless them beyond their imagination. I find it interesting that God only asks for 10% of our income, but the government takes much more than 10%. Can you imagine if the government only took 10% from the people and gave back 10% to God? How much more we would be blessed as a nation?

So this is my tax plan. The Federal government will tax individuals, families, and businesses at 10% of their total income. There will be no deductions except for one. All cash donations will be tax deductible. Also only income that is above the poverty line will be taxed. This will help to protect those incomes of struggling families.

Now I’m not going to get into Social Security or Medicare taxes. The fact is the program is currently set up to be retirement and medical insurance for those that retire. But let me say that we need to separate it from the general fund and let people opt out if they choose to fund their own retirement. And Medicare needs to be made private, but this is a whole other blog.

My point is that the government takes a lot more than what God asks and it doesn’t give back as much as God does.

The Plege to the Bible

2010-12-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

“I Pledge Allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, its words will I hide in my heart, so that I might not sin against God.”

I: An individual.

Pledge: Give my all. To Surrender all.

Allegiance: My love.

To the Bible: The written word of God. The way in which God has explained His plan to us. For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messages from God. (2 Peter 1:20-21; TLB)

God’s Holy Word: Breathed by God, fulfilled by Jesus Christ, and made Holy by His Spirit. All Scripture is God-breathed. (2 Timothy 3:16; MLB)

A lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path: You show me the way and will not let me fall. Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path. (Psalms 119:105; The Book)

Its Words: The Bible

Will I hide in my heart: To keep close to me as to know it when I need it. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for your commands are my constant guide. (Psalms 119:96; The Book)

So that I might not sin: The Bible help you stay away from sin. I have refused to walk on any path of evil, that I may remain obedient to your word. (Psalms 119:101; The Book)

Against: To be the opposite of.

God: I Am, the Holy One, the Alpha and Omega, the Creator. “The Sovereign God,” was the reply. “Just say, I Am has sent me!” (Exodus 3:14; TLB)

The Needle's Eye

2010-12-06T13:57:00.000-08:00

Matthew 19:24, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

While reading my Archaeological Study Bible I ran across the Legend of the Needle’s Eye. I’m sure like me when you’ve heard this verse you’ve assumed that when Jesus was talking about the eye of a needle, He was referring to the actual opening or eye to a needle. And you would be correct in thinking of this interpretation, but there is another interpretation that I would like to share with you today.

During Jesus’ time some homes had large doors or gates that would allow a fully loaded camel to enter. Because these doors where so big and heavy there was a smaller door cut into the door so people could pass through easily. This door was call the Needle’s Eye Gate. For a camel to pass through this smaller door it would have to get on its knees to enter the home. And so for a rich man to enter heaven he too must get on his knees.

If we were all honest with ourselves we would have to agree that compared to past generations and other nations we are very rich. My guess is that most of you own your own home, have at least 1 car, own 2 or more TV’s, and 99% of you likely have a cell phone. We are all very blessed and have many riches. And so like the rich man, it is impossible for us to get into heaven unless we first get on our knees.

Matthew 10:25-26, “When the disciple heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, ‘Who then can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’”

Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross all things are possible. And that is what should bring us to our knees.

Black Friday Success

2010-11-28T05:25:00.000-08:00

Reports show that this year’s Black Friday was a success for most retailers. It might be one of the best years in quite a long time. But the question is why? Is it because the Obama economic plan is finally working? Is it because Americans are feeling better about the country now that the Republicans are in control of the House of Representatives? Or maybe it is that America’s success is based on the American people and not those in Washington? I think we sometimes give too much credit and too much blame for the success and failure of American based on what goes on in Washington. The success of America is based on its people and not its government. I think we sometimes forget this and we put too much stock into elections. Don’t get me wrong bad policies from Washington can have a negative impact on the country, but we must remember that it is the American people that make this country great. Elections are important and we must work hard to hold those elected in Washington, our states, and locally accountable for their actions. But we must not place our hope and trust in our government. Instead our hope should be in the great people of this nation. And our trust should be giving to our family and friends who have earned it. American will continue to be a great nation because of its people and not because of its government.

TEA Party Teeth

2010-11-10T18:59:00.001-08:00

The TEA Party has teeth, but they are only baby teeth. While the TEA Party was able to help the Republican Party win back the House of Representatives, they were not able to take back the Senate. TEA Party candidates won in many races around the county, but they also lost in many. One example is in Nevada where Harry Reid was able to win re-election. While the TEA Party has made some great strides in getting the American people more involved in the Political System more is needed. Now the TEA Party must do two things: have patience and stay active.

First we must understand that the Republican Party will not be able to make a bunch of changes during the next two years. They won’t be able to reverse the Stimulus or Healthcare reform. The fact that the Republican only have control of the House and the Democrats control both the Senate and the White House will make it very hard for the GOP to get much passed. What they will be able to do is slow down the liberal agenda of Barack Obama and the Democrats. They can control spending and keep the White House from spending us into oblivion.

Second the TEA Party must stay active in the political arena. We must continue to call, write, and email our Congressmen and Senators about important issues. We must continue to rally for lower taxes and less government spending. We must continue to Facebook, Twitter, and Blog about politics. We cannot let down are guard for a minute or we will see the rise of the liberal machine again.

Yes, the TEA Party has teeth, but they are only baby teeth. Over the next two years we see if the movement can grow and if those baby teeth will turn into full grown adult teeth with some real bite.

Election Day Takeover

2010-11-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

Election Day is tomorrow and it will be big. In 2008, the country wanted “Change,” but now it has learned what change really means. Liberal “Change” brings out of control government spending, higher taxes, and less freedom. Barak Obama and his liberal friends have done their best to destroy this country with their overreaching laws. We must send a message to Washington that big government and wasteful spending cannot continue.

While Republicans made mistakes the last few years of the Bush Administration, I feel they have made some big changes to improve. A lot of the Republican candidates this year are Tea Party candidates and if they don’t make the right choices the Tea Party will hold them accountable. But it should not be just Tea Party members that hold our elected officials accountable. We must all hold those in Washington accountable. We cannot let Democrats or Republicans destroy this country. It is “We the People,” not “We the Democrats” or “We the Republicans.” We the people have a chance to be heard on Nov. 2nd. We the people have the power for an Election Day takeover.

The Brick Wall

2010-09-16T08:06:00.000-07:00

Jenny and I were listening to a song by Lifehouse and there was a line that says, “I guess we hit a wall and we couldn’t get over it.” I then told Jenny that if we hit a wall that we couldn’t get over, I’d breakdown the wall.

This reminded me of when I decided to get baptized. My youth minister come over to my house to talk with me. I don’t remember everything he said, but I do remember the wall. He told me that Satan and sin put a wall between us and God. And it was Jesus who tore down the wall with his body and blood.

Isaiah 2:15 says, “He will break down every high tower and wall.”

You see we are not able to get over the wall on our own, but with Jesus all is possible.

Psalms 18:29, “In your strength I can crush any army, with my God I can scale any wall.”

The Pledge to the Christian Flag

2010-09-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

The Christian Flag has a red cross which stand for the Christian Faith, God’s love for man and the promise of eternal life. The blue represents Christ’s faithfulness unto death. The white background signifies purity, innocence and peace. The Christian Flag is the only Free flag in the world. It is not controlled by any one denomination, church, or country. It is independent and universal. Christ is the Master of it alone.

“I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands, one brotherhood uniting all Christian’s in service and in love.”

Here is a breakdown of this pledge in the same way that Red Skelton’s teacher broke down the Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag.

I: An individual, a committee of one.

Pledge: To give everything I have without remorse.

Allegiance: My love, my devotion, my all.

To the Christian Flag: The red cross stands for faith, love and life. The blue stands for Christ’s Faithfulness, and the white is the purity and peace of Jesus.

And to the Savior: Jesus, King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Perfect Sacrifice. "Jesus replied, 'I am the Bread of Life. No one coming to me will ever be hungry again. Those believing in me will never thirst.'” (John 6:35; TLB)

For whose kingdom it stands: This is the salvation that Christ brings through his death. “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure a man discovered in a field. In his excitement, he sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field-and get the treasure, too!” (Matthew 13:44; TLB)

One Brotherhood: One family of Christian brothers and sisters, where no one is above the other. "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:10; NIV)

Uniting: Bring together. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25; NIV)

All Christians: Everyone who profess that Jesus is Lord and that through Him alone, one is Saved. "For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9; TLB)

In Service: We must serve as Jesus served. “Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give my life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 21:28; TLB)

And In Love: We must love one another. “And so I am giving a new commandment to you now-love each other just as much as I love you.” (John 13:34; TLB)

The Christian Flag is a symbol of what Christ has to offer. It is good to pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag, because you a pledging your allegiance to Christ.

Burning the Koran

2010-09-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

I do not agree with any type of Koran burning. I do not agree with any type of book burning. I don’t care if the book is religious, political, sexual, non-fiction, or fiction. I don’t even agree with the threat of burning any type of book. The only people who burn books are those who are afraid of freedom. The freedom of thoughts and ideas are apart of the foundation of our society. As a Christian the Koran is nothing more than a book. It has no power and we only give it power if we treat it as something special. As an American if we show disrespect to others ideals and beliefs, then why should anyone respect our ideals and beliefs. In my opinion any American that would burn the Koran or any other book is Un-American. And any Christian that would destroy and incite violence does not represent Christ. Let us all be above reproach, so no one will have cause to question are actions.

2010 NFL Season Picks

2010-09-09T14:31:00.000-07:00

2010 NFL Season Picks

I know it has been a long time since my last blog, but this summer has been really busy. Now that Labor Day has come and gone I hope to start doing my blogs again. As my first order of business I need to give my picks for the upcoming NFL season.

Here are my picks:

AFC East: NY Jets
AFC Central: Baltimore
AFC South: Indianapolis
AFC West: San Diego
AFC Wild Cards: New England and Cincinnati
AFC Championship: Indianapolis over Baltimore

NFC East: Dallas
NFC Central: Green Bay
NFC South: New Orleans
NFC West: San Francisco
NFC Wild Cards: Minnesota & NY Giants
NFC Championship: Dallas over New Orleans

Super Bowl: Indianapolis over Dallas or Dallas over Indianapolis
Dallas and Indianapolis play each other on Dec. 5th. Whoever wins that games the other will win the Super Bowl. That’s my pick!

I Am A Criminal

2010-08-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

I am a criminal. You are a criminal. We are all criminals on a cross.
Luke 23:39-43; One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us.” But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (NIV)
This story is a great example of the choice we all must make in our lives. Both men were criminals. Both men were sinners. And both men deserved their punishment. But it was only one that accepted Christ and was given eternal life.
We have all sinned. We all deserve death. But if we accept Christ we will be given eternal life. Our choice is simple; which criminal on the cross are you going to be?

The Best 15 Years

2010-08-04T11:31:00.001-07:00

On August 4, 1995, Jenny and I were married. Over 15 years we have had many ups and downs, but those ups and downs have made our marriage strong. While I’ve not been able to give Jenny everything she has wanted (a convertible and a trip to Hawaii) she has given me more than I could’ve expected. I know God sent me Jenny, because no one could love me more than she does. And she more than loves me; she respects and honors me. She makes me feel like I can do anything. She builds me up when I’m down. She never tears me down or belittles me. My goals are her goals and her goals are my goals.

I still remember why I asked Jenny to marry me. I was telling my Grandpa Baker about this girl I loved and how we were going to get married as soon as we both graduated from college. Well my Grandpa had a different opinion on this matter. He told me if this girl was the person that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, then I shouldn’t wait. My dad about had a heart attack right there. I always respected my Grandpa and his opinion had a lot of influence on me. Over the next month his words rang in my head. Then one day I took Jenny to my room, got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. That was on a Monday. Over the next few days I worked on getting us an apartment. On Thursday we told our parents that we were getting married. My mom actually knew on Monday and she gave me her engagement ring. Friday afternoon at the Bartholomew County courthouse with my parents, Jenny’s parents, her sister, and some of my closest friends, Jenny and I were married. People were shocked that I would do something so unexpected. While things were hard the first few years everyday was wonderful.

Now kids don’t get any crazy ideas. I’m not suggesting that it is a good idea for two 19 year olds to get married. It was very hard for us and the odds were against us. Most people would not make it, but I will never regret getting married. I had all types of plans for my life, but my plans changed when Jenny came into my life. So today I want to say to the most wonderful wife in the world, “I love you.” Thank you for the last 15 years and I’m looking forward to the next 15, 30, and 45 years together. Happy Anniversary!

The Pledge of Allegiance

2010-07-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

In 1969, one of the most famous recording of the Pledge of Allegiance was preformed by Red Skelton. He leaned an explanation for the Pledge from his teacher Mr. Laswell. I would like to share what he learned.

I: Me, an individual, a committee of one.
Pledge: Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.
Allegiance: My love and my devotion.
To the Flag: Our standard; Old Glory; a symbol of Freedom; wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, Freedom is everybody’s job.
United: That means that we have all come together.
States: Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that is love of country.
And to the Republic: Republic--a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
For which it stands, One Nation: One Nation--meaning, so blessed by God.
Indivisible: Incapable of being divided.
With Liberty: Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one’s own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.
And Justice: The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.
For All: For All--which means, boys and girls, it’s as much your country as it is mine.

Red finished by saying: “Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: ‘Under God.’ Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from school, too?”

I Can Do Anything For...

2010-06-29T17:53:00.000-07:00

I have a saying that I like to say when I have something to do and I'm either very tired or it is very hard. Whenever I have to do something I just tell myself that "I can do anything for..." and the amount of time that I have to do it. So if I have to go to work at night for 4 hours I might tell myself "I can do anything for 4 hours." No matter how long it is, I know I can do it . Even if it is hard or I'm tired or I'm in pain, I can fight to get the job done when I make this statement. This works for me and I hope it might be something that might work for you as well.

Where's God

2010-06-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

Two little boys were best friends at church, but they both had a reputation for getting into trouble. One Sunday, one of the boys was home sick, but the other boy, not wanting to let his friend down, was twice as bad as normal. As he was running through the sanctuary after church, the pastor grabbed him and angrily said, “Where’s God?” The little boy was frightened and didn’t know what to say. The pastor continued, “I want you to go home and think about it and I don’t was you to come back until you can tell me where God is.” The boy went home and called his sick friend on the phone. “Guess what,” he said, “They’ve lost God, and they’re trying to blame that one on us, too.”

http://jokes.christiansunite.com/God/

"Later Cain suggested to his brother, Abel, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were there, Cain attacked and killed his brother.
Afterward the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”
“I don’t know!” Cain retorted. “Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?”
But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen-your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!” (Genesis 4:8-10, NLT)

Just like his parents Adam and Eve, Cain could not hid his sin from God. You cannot sin without sinning in the presence of God. If you are tempted to tell a little white lie to someone you don’t know, God knows. If you are tempted to falsify your income tax report in the privacy of you own home, God is present. If you watch internet porn on your computer, God is there. You cannot sin without sinning in the presence of God. We must all remember that no matter where we go or what we do, God is always there.

Who Is To Blame?

2010-06-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

So who is to blame for the BP oil leak in the Gulf? The first place we should look is BP. BP is responsible for making sure that their equipment is safe and up to date. BP will have to pay billions to clean up the gulf and they should have to pay. But BP is not the only ones we should blame. The United States Federal Government is also to blame. Because the government’s strict policies on off-shore drilling oil companies like BP have to drill out in the deep sea. This increases the chances for the leaks and spills. It is also harder for the oil companies to stop the leaks and make repairs in the deep sea. If we allow oil companies to drill closer to the shore and not in the deep sea, they could easily repair leaks and prevent spills.

While this is a great tragedy that will cause billions in damages and last for many years it is just a part of progress. With life and progress comes risk. There is risk in anything that is worthwhile.

The Third Person Is God

2010-06-17T08:10:00.000-07:00

Once when a, great British surgeon, had finished operating before a gallery full of distinguished visiting doctors he was asked how he could work with such a crowd present. He replied: “You see, there are just three people in the operating room where I operate—the patient and myself.” “But that is only two!” his questioner commented; “Who is the third?” the surgeon responded, “The third is God.” (ENCYLOPEDIA OF 7,700 ILLUSTRATIONS:SIGNS OF THE TIMES)

God is here. God is there. God is everywhere. God is with you and He is with me. God is with the sick in the hospital. He is with the soldier in combat. He is with the baby about to be aborted. God is always with you. No matter where you are, God is there. No matter where we go, God is there. We can take comfort for God is here. He is not watching us from a distance, but He is here with us.

Psalms 139:7-12; Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

When All Hope Is Gone

2010-06-08T16:32:00.000-07:00

When all hope is gone, turn your eyes upon Jesus.
When all hope is gone, lean not on your own understanding but on the wisdom of God.
When all hope is gone, get on your knees and pray.
When all hope is gone, cry to the One who will bring you comfort.
When all hope is gone, sing praises to the Lord.
When all hope is gone, be still and know He is God.
When all hope is gone, love one another as He has loved you.
When all hope is gone, feel His spirit rain down on you.
When all hope is gone, let Christ carry your cross.
When all hope is gone, remember that He lives.
When all hope is gone, do not be afraid for God is with you.
When all hope is gone, listen to His voice say “I am by your side.”

And Jesus said, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trails and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33-NLT

So where do we put our hope? Our hope is in the Lord. (Psalms 39:7-In my words.)

Champions for Christ

2010-06-03T14:12:00.000-07:00

A young teacher told her class of small children that she was an atheist. She asks her class if they were atheists too. Not really knowing what atheism is, but wanting the teacher to like them they all raised their hands. However, one girl name Lucy did not raise her hand. The teacher asked her why she wanted to be different.
“Because I’m not an atheist,” said Lucy.
“What are you then,” asked the teacher.
“I’m a Christian,” answered Lucy.
The teacher a little perturbed asked Lucy why she was a Christian.
“Well, I was brought up knowing and loving Jesus. My mom is a Christian, and my dad is a Christian, so I am Christian.”
The teacher now angry said, “That’s no reason. What if your mom was a moron, and you dad was a moron. What would you be then?”
Lucy answered, “I’d be an atheist.”

Lucy is a Champion for Christ. In Webster’s Dictionary the definition of a champion is, “one who fights for another or for a cause; a defender.” We read in Ephesians, about the armor of God and being able to stand our ground against evil.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” (Ephesians 6:13; NIV)

The knights of the Middle Ages were the champions for the king. They were the defenders of the kingdom. They were the ones to go into battle on behalf of the king. Many times two kingdoms would compete against each other by pitting the two champions of the kings against each other. Today the soldiers who defend our freedoms are champions. Those men and women who served during World War II, to fight back the Nazis and Japan were champions not just for America, but for the world. The men and woman of the Vietnam War who went to battle in the jungles to fight communism were champions. The men and women who are fighting against terrorist in places like Afghanistan and Iraq are champions today.

We are call to be like the knights and soldiers by putting on our spiritual armor and to go into battle. It is not a literal battle. We do not put on an actual breastplate or carry a sword. We do not need stock piles of weapons or military commanders. It is a battle for the hearts and minds of every soul. Satan is fighting against us to steal as many souls for himself as he can, and if he can take a few Christians with him as well, then all the better. We must be ready to die for this cause. We should be willing to lay down our life for Christ, as Christ laid down his for us. God calls us not to be afraid, but courageous.

“Have I not commanded you, be strong and courageous do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God is with your wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9; NIV)

Cassie Bernall is known as the Columbine student who died confessing her faith. She was asked if she believed in God. Instead of say no and saving her life, she said yes and was killed. She was a Champion for God. What would you do if your were faced with the question to deny God and live? While most of us will never have to face that questions, how many times do we have opportunities to be Champions for Christ, but fail because of political correctness.

I think sometimes it is easier to stand tall when it is life and death, but it can be a lot harder to not let yourself fall into the trap of political correctness. We can’t be afraid if we offend someone. We must fight the big issues. As Christian we must stand up for the unborn. Abortion is wrong and we must be willing to say so. We must stand up for marriage. Marriage is between a man and a woman. We must not lay down and let what God has made to be torn down. We must make our voices heard and not let over zealous judges say “Under God” is a prayer, so children can’t say the Pledge of Allegiance in school. As Christians we must stand for the weak, the sick, the ones without a voice. We cannot be afraid. Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear, but fear it-self.“ As Christians we don’t even have fear to fear, because through Christ all things are possible and He will see you through anything.

We may never have to choose to lay down our life for Christ, but everyday we have the opportunity to be Christ’s Champions, by professing Jesus to those around us. We can’t say that we are not allowed to talk about religion at work. If someone is asking about Christ or if someone is denouncing Him, we must defend Christ and tell others of His love. We must tell the family and friends we love that don’t know Jesus about Him. We can’t be afraid that we might loose friendships, if we talk about Jesus. In reality what kind of friend are you really if you are not telling them the Good News of Jesus.

Friends let us be Champions for Christ. Let us be bold and unafraid.

Thank You to My Teachers

2010-05-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

With the End of another school year it got me thinking about some of my teachers when I was in school.

Mr. Campbell was my World History and Economics teacher. He liked to play the devils advocate to invoke thought and emotion into a subject. I remember him once turning our class into a totalitarianism society. He would punish us with extra homework for talking out of turn or not answering a question correctly. The next day I lead a revolt and had the students sign a Declaration of Independence. It worked.

Mrs. Paffenburger was my World Geography teacher. I learned so much about Islam and the Middle East. I also appreciated that she had a soldier from Desert Storm come to our class to show us what he worn in the desert and talk to us about what he was doing.

Mr. Wellman was my Journalism teacher. It was Mr. Wellman that figured out that had a learning disability. He took the time to talk with me about my problems with spelling and reading. He also helped me with getting tested for my learning disabilities.

Mr. Russell was my U.S. History teacher. When I had knee surgery I had to walk with crutches. While I could leave my classes early to get to my next class on time, the class before his was my geometry class. I was having trouble in that class and didn’t want to leave early. Mr. Russell would wait to start class until I could make it. He would say as I walked down the hallway, “Here comes Chuck, step drag, step drag.”

Mr. Martin was my Biology teacher. He was truly excited about teaching and enjoyed each moment. Even to this day when he sees me he says, “The man with the plan,” which was my campaign slogan when I ran for Junior Class President.

Coach Gobert was my Health teacher and football coach. He led our football team with class and integrity. He taught our health class with humor and stories about his life. He was passionate about being a teacher and a coach.

Coach King was my offensive line football coach. Coach King challenged me to be my very best and never accepted anything less than 100% effort. People think Coach Bobby Knight was tough, but he was nothing compared to Coach King. And I’m thankful for how tough he was, because it helped me be the man I am.

Coach Perkinson was my wrestling coach. He was soft spoken, but tough. Even though I had a lot less talent than most others, he always got the very best from me. I remember that instead of yelling at you when you were not doing something right, he would instead just use you to show how to do a certain move correctly. He was a lot stronger than you would think.

Mr. Powell was my Vice-Principal. He was also the person who oversaw the student council when I was the Junior Class President. He helped and encouraged me to be a leader and a person to respect.

Mr. Major was my councilor. He also looked out for me and always tried to find ways to help me to be better. He sent me to the American Red Cross Leadership Camp and he always signed my student driver discount voucher even when I might only have a B average instead of the B+ I needed. He knew I was always giving my best.

Mr. Greenlee was my 8th grade American History teacher. I loved his grading system that if you could get 50%, then you passed. He would say that if you could remember at least half of what he says then that was good enough. I think I got a 104% in his class.

Ms. East was my 6th grade teacher. She had a great reward system for grades and good behavior. We earned credits to buy candy and other fun stuff. It encouraged you that hard work would be rewarded. She also allowed us to choose are own spelling words. This challenged us to learn how to spell words that we never thought we could.

Ms. Curry was my 1st and 3rd grade teacher. I had always been a good student and a good kid, but during the last 9 weeks of my 3rd grade year I got a little attitude. Ms. Curry called me out and said I was not acting like the Chuck she knew. It worked and I worked a lot harder to act a lot better.

Ms. Eriksenson was my kindergarten teacher. All I can say is that she was just as sweet as apple pie.

While I’m sure there are others I hope you all know how much I appreciated everything you have done for me.

Chili's

2010-05-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my wife and I went to our local Chili’s restaurant in Columbus, IN. While we were eating we noticed that the music that was playing was Christian music. Today we went back to Chili’s for lunch and noticed again that they were playing Christian music. When the manager came by my wife told him that we really liked the music. He told us that the owner sent out a memo to his stores and told them to start playing Christian music. While I don’t know the reason why the owner made the decision to start playing Christian music, I’m glad he did. It is so nice to have dinner without having to listen to annoying pop music that mostly sings about sex. The selection of Christian music is very good and enjoyable. I would like to encourage anyone living in the Columbus area to have lunch or dinner at Chili’s and let the staff know how much you like the music. It is important for Christians to support businesses that choose to have a positive message. Wouldn’t it be awesome if over the next few weeks and months the Chili’s in Columbus was packed with Christians? Jenny and I are heading back tonight for dinner.

The Time for Enlightment

2010-05-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Recent email and memos have been discovered that show that many of the leading experts on global warming have been suppressing, hiding, and even changing data that shows global warming is not as great a threat as once believed. Even more it is likely that the idea a man-made global warming is a myth. Some leading scientists have even admitted that for over a decade the global climate has actually cooled. One scientist even admitted that it might have been hotter during the Middle Ages. Questions are even being raised on some of the date that NASA has presented on global warming. In all this we still have not heard from Al Gore.

Those in the global warming community will not let this recent information deter them easily. The fact remains these people stand to make millions and even billions from global warming. Scientists get millions in grants for global warming research. Al Gore and GE will make billions from different products, technologies, and carbon credits related to global warming.

Americans and the world have been lied to about man-made global warming. Billions have bee taken from people for this lie. Now is the time for the truth to finally come out. We must not sign any treaties on global warming. We must not pass any bills related to global warming. The debate must now really begin. We have spent the last 30 years in the dark age of science, now is the time for enlightenment.

The Old Prophet

2010-05-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

If you live in Columbus, IN you’ve likely heard of the Old Prophet. The Old Prophet is man that claims to have learned how to consult and interpret answers from God. The Old Prophet even claims to predict the future like his prediction of the fall of Rush Limbaugh, but Rush is bigger than he has ever been. The Old Prophet has a radio program on the local news station and puts articles in the local paper. He also likes to protest, picket, and pass out flyers at local churches. You see he thinks all the churches are full of lazy Christians and unrighteous teachings. He has been known to even cause disturbances in the churches. Recently, while a young kid was giving his testimony about a mission trip he had been on, the Old Prophet interrupted the child and complained that the church was having a kid do a man’s job. In my opinion this goes against what Jesus said about how we should not hinder the children (Mark 10:14).

Recently, I had an encounter with the Old Prophet at my church were I’m an Elder. I tell you that I’m an Elder, because it is my duty to protect the church from false prophets and teachings (2 John 10-11). I told the Old Prophet that while we are happy to have him attend our services we ask that he not pass out his flyers or harass our members. His first response was that I should have him arrested, so he could talk about it on his radio show. This is the first sign that the Old Prophet is not about Jesus, but only himself. He wants attention on him, so he can claim to be persecuted by the "evil" church. Of course we didn’t have him arrested.

I confronted the Old Prophet on a personal matter. You see years ago when my father was dying of cancer he met the Old Prophet. My father was sacred and confused. The Old Prophet told my father that he had laid hands on people while praying and brought healing. My father asked for the Old Prophet to come to his home. The Old Prophet did come and prayed for my father. My father told me that the Old Prophet told him “Kenny, you are healed.” My mother who was there can’t remember what was said word for word, but there was no doubt that the Old Prophet knew that my father thought he had been healed by the Old Prophet. The Old Prophet swore to God with his hand to the air that he did not promise my father he would heal him. He then went on to basically declare that I was going to hell because I’m overweight. Yes, folks he went to attacking my weight. He was yelling at me at this point and soon left.

First, the Old Prophet took advantage of a dying and scared man. The Old Prophet wanted to make him-self feel superior. He thinks he can heal, so preys on the weak. His actions put a riff between my father and me. It made his last days harder on everyone in the family. Second, the Old Prophet swore to God. This goes against the teachings of Jesus that we should never swear (Matthew 5:34-37). Third, I have trouble with the idea that Christ’s grace is not strong enough to overcome my weight. I am overweight. Actually, I’m fat, but I admit that and ask God to forgive me. I struggle with this sin and many other sins, but the grace that comes from Jesus Christ has washed away my sins. Jesus' grace is strong enough to lift even me up to heaven (Romans 6:23).

What really sadness me about the Old Prophet is that he will never know a full relationship with Christ. Church is full of sinners and that is why I‘m there. I come as a sinner with other sinners to ask for Christ's forgiveness and to worship Him. We are a family and we love each other. God wants his children to come together to worship him and love each other. The Old Prophet spends all his time condemning those who go to church, so never gets to know the feeling of being in the presence of God when 2 or more Christians come together (Matthew 18:20). I pray that the Old Prophet will see his error and instead of fighting the church become a driving force of good in the church. Until the Old Prophet changes his ways, in my opinion he should not be called the Old Prophet, but the False Prophet.

What Happened to the TEA Party Movement?

2010-05-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

That is the question I have after the results of the Indiana Primary. I thought the people in the TEA Party were tired of politics as usual and wanted to send the political parties a message. What I saw though was a weak turnout of voters and party favorites winning elections. In the Senate race for Indiana we saw the former Indiana Senator Dan Coats win the Republican Primary beating outsiders like Marlin Stutzman and Don Bates Jr. We also saw in the Congressional 5th District the re-election of long time Republican Dan Burton. And in the 9th District while the former Congressman Mike Sodrel did come in 3rd, the Republican party favorite Todd Young did win over the party outsider Travis Hankins who came in a close 2nd. The Democrat Primaries were no better with party elites Baron Hill and Andre Carson winning easy re-elections. Congressman Brad Ellsworth will soon be chosen to replace Evan Bayh as the Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate.

My fear is that nothing has really changed. The parties still seem to be in control and it is their people that get elected. And when November comes around will we see a strong turnout of people ready to send the career politicians and big government leaders back home or will we just see the same people going back to Washington? I pray and hope that men like Dan Coats and Todd Young will be a force for good and fight to bring our country back to a smaller more constitutional government. Only time will tell.

My Primary Endorsements

2010-05-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Tuesday is primary election day in Indiana, so I would like to share with you my personal endorsements for the Congress and the Senate. Now since Bartholomew County is represented by two Congressmen I will be giving my endorsements for both districts. I am choosing to endorse those candidates in the Republican primary as I feel none of the Democrat candidates deserve my vote or yours.

For the Republican nomination for Congress in the 9th District, I am supporting Travis Hankins. Travis Hankins is a Christian and a Conservative. Here are just a few of the things that Travis supports: the Right to Life, a strong missile defense, term limits, traditional marriage, abolishing the IRS, balancing the budget, cutting spending to 2002 levels, no new federal programs, enforcing all immigration laws, a completely secured border, the right to bear arms, free market healthcare, and energy independence; “Drill Here, Drill Now.”

Here is a quote from Travis Hankins: “The focus of my campaign is to re-establish the importance of self government. Of all our founding principles self government is the most important because it ensures all the others. Without self government there is no Freedom. The federal government is good at national security and infrastructure but they are really bad at spending our money and raising our kids. The more the government expands the more Liberty we lose. America is the greatest nation in the history of the world because for two hundred years we have governed ourselves. It is time we got back to that basic understanding.”

I have complete faith that Travis Hankins will serve the interests of those in the 9th District, Indiana, and America. He will be a statesman and not a politician. Travis Hankins is the right man at the right time.

In the 6th District I endorse the re-election of our Congressman Mike Pence. Mike Pence is a Christian, a Conservative, and a Republican in that order. Mike has been a leader in Congress and might even be a possible candidate in 2012 for the White House as a VP or President. Mike has done a great job in Congress and deserves another term.

For the Senate seat that is being vacated by Evan Bayh I have decided to endorse Marlin Stutzman. To be honest one of the big reasons I am supporting Marlin is because of the endorsement of radio talk show host Mark Levin. I respect Mark’s opinion and agree with his decision. Marlin is Pro-Life and a member of the NRA. He opposes Card Check, Cap and Trade, and Obamacare. He supports tax credits for kids to either be home schooled or go to private school. Finally, Marlin believes in cuts in two major areas: taxes and spending. Based on these things I am supporting Marlin Stutzman.

In summery I will be voting for Marlin Stutzman for the Republican nominee for The U.S. Senate. I will also be voting for Travis Hankins for Congress in the 9th District. Finally, I support the re-election of Mike Pence for Congress in the 6th District. I hope you will join me in voting for these men.

Which Disturbs You More?

2010-04-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

A soul lost in Hell … or a scratch on your new car?
Your missing the worship service … or missing a day’s work?
A sermon 10 minutes too long … or lunch half hour late?
A church not growing … or your garden not growing?
Your Bible unopened … or your newspaper unread?
The church work being neglected … or housework neglected?
Missing a good Bible study … or your favorite TV program?
Your tithes decreasing … or your income decreasing?
Your children late for Sunday school and Church … or late for public school?
The millions who do not know Christ … or your inability to keep up with the neighbors?
The cry of the multitude for bread … or your desire for another piece of German chocolate cake?
Which really disturbs you most?

ENCYLOPEDIA OF 7,700 ILLUSTRATIONS:SIGNS OF THE TIMES