Editor: Richard (Dick) Innes
Published by: ACTS International
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Vol. 12 – No. 4410 October 30, 2010
Thought for the week: "We must take change by the hand or rest assuredly, change will take us by the throat." – Winston Churchill
The minister was preoccupied with thoughts of how he was going to ask the congregation to come up with more money than they were expecting for repairs to the church building. Therefore, he was annoyed to find that the regular organist was sick and a substitute had been brought in at the last minute. The substitute wanted to know what to play "Here's a copy of the service," he said impatiently. "But, you'll have to think of something to play after I make the announcement about the finances."
During the service, the minister paused and said, "Brothers and Sisters, we are in great difficulty; the roof repairs cost twice as much as we expected and we need $4,000 more. Any of you who can pledge $100 or more, please stand up."
At that moment, the substitute organist played "The Star Spangled Banner." And that is how the substitute became the regular organist!
3. Be Wise and Very Careful How You Vote ... and VOTE
By Noah Webster, 1832
"Let it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God (Exodus 18:21) ...
"If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted ...
"If our government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands, and elect bad men to make and administer the laws."
This article is neither Democrat nor Republican, but is something that should make all U.S. citizens think seriously about. It may also apply to other countries as well. It's about 545 people vs. 300 million people, written by Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel.
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?
You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.
You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.
You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.
You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.
You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.
One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one president, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million [citizens] are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.
I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.
I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a president to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.
Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.
What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The president can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.
The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? She is the leader of the majority party. She and fellow House members, not the president, can approve any budget they want. If the president vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.
It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million can not replace 545 people who stand convicted—by present facts—of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.
If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.
If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.
If they do not receive Social Security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.
There are no insoluble government problems.
* * * * *
And why are these men and women in power? Because "we the people" put them there! Be very wise and very careful how you vote. And be Sure that you do vote.
Studies have shown that much poverty in the U.S. is sexually driven. That is, many children are poor because they were born out of wedlock. And as Robert Rector and Melissa G. Pardue write on the Heritage Foundation website, "The collapse of marriage is the principal cause of child poverty in the United States. Children raised by never-married mothers are seven times more likely to live in poverty than children raised by married parents." I've seen this close-up in the prisons over the years, where almost 90 percent of the inmates have no father role model.
What does sex have to do with ethics? Judging by the popular image conveyed on TV from sitcoms and reality shows, not much. We're led to believe that extramarital sex is primarily a recreational activity, no more personal or significant than going to a baseball game.
But no matter how modern one tries to be, this is absolute nonsense. Whether it's what we used to call "petting" or "going all the way," people of conscience cannot ignore the inescapable ethical implications of such conduct—implications that go well beyond social taboos and religious views about chastity and fidelity.
The reality is, few human actions have a greater potential to affect others' lives than sex. The ethical issues involved in unwanted pregnancy and the possibility of spreading or contracting diseases are too large and obvious for anyone to deny. Yet there's an even greater danger that casual sex will cause one or both parties severe emotional distress, especially if it's accompanied by dishonest, disrespectful, disloyal, exploitive, irresponsible, cruel, or callous behavior.
Despite pseudo-sophisticated denials, only shallow and self-absorbed people can engage in sex without putting their own or others' feelings at risk. Even with good intentions, reputations can be injured, self-image can be lowered, expectations about healthy stable relations can be altered, and intense feelings of rejection, betrayal, inadequacy, and jealousy can be generated.
Given the range of physical, emotional, social, and spiritual consequences of sex, people of character take it seriously. They think beyond the moment and care about the person they're with. They're kind, and above all, responsible.
This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts.
"The Lord disciplines those he loves ... for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."1
Earl Nightingale told how on one National Secretaries' Day he gave his secretary flowers and she remarked how beautiful they were. She also said that she couldn't understand why they didn't have any scent.
He informed her that the flowers came from a hothouse and explained that because flowers raised in this type of environment have everything done for them, they don't have to attract insects to pollinate them. As a result, they lose their scent. In the same way fruit raised in a hothouse, because it doesn't need to attract insects to scatter its seeds, doesn't taste as good as fruit grown in its natural environment.
It's similar to the child who wanted to help a butterfly out of its cocoon by putting a slit in it and, in so doing caused it to die. He didn't realize that the struggle to get out of the cocoon is needed to strengthen the butterfly's wings, which enables it to fly.
When people do too much for us or overprotect us, especially in our early developmental years, they can do serious harm to us. And even in adulthood it's the problems and difficulties we have that strengthen us, build out character, and teach us wisdom, understanding, and compassion—if we let them—and enable us to "fly." This is why God disciplines those whom he loves by allowing us to go through difficult times. The same principle applies to us if and when we want the government to do for us that which we are capable of doing for ourselves.
Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to yield to your discipline and to see in all the struggles of life that you are wanting me to 'grow in faith and love and every grace, more of your salvation know and seek more earnestly your face.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name, Amen."
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