Design of the Week – No Fear
September 30, 2009 at 3:28 pm | Posted in Designs of the Week | Leave a commentTags: alcohol, ateasetees, Born Again, Christian, drugs, evangelism, fear, God, grace, hell, hope, Jesus, judgment, mercy, refuge, scarecrow, sex, sin, wrath
This week’s design is called No Fear. It’s a wonderful reminder to those in Christ that regardless of what we are going through, God is there for us. Numerous places in both the Old and New Testaments, God has told us that He is our refuge and strength. He is the One we should run to when we face any problem or trial. Continue Reading Design of the Week – No Fear…
Yom Kippur
September 28, 2009 at 5:04 pm | Posted in Christianity | Leave a commentTags: Abihu, ark, ateasetees, blood, bulls, Christian, covenant, Day of Atonement, Egypt, evangelism, Exodus, gift, goats, God, guilt, heaven, high priest, holy of holies, hope, Israel, Jesus, law, Leviticus, Moses, Nadab, salvation, scapegoat, shame, sin, tabernacle, tent of meeting, veil, Yom Kippur
Today is one of the holiest days of the year for the children of Israel. If you don’t know, today is Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur means “Day of Atonement” in Hebrew. It is a very special day, with a lot of meaning for both Jews and Christians. Some of you may not understand why this is important to Christians, but I hope to explain that.
To understand what the Day of Atonement means, we have to look at what happened on that day and what its purpose was. When Yom Kippur was started, it was as Israel was traveling through the wilderness after leaving Egypt. It was the beginning of the second year and Moses had just set up the tabernacle (Exodus 40:17). When the tabernacle was finished, the glory of the Lord descended and no one could enter the tabernacle. The Lord called to Moses from the tent of meeting, and over the next month, laid out exactly what was expected from His people and His priests. He explained the offerings and how they were to be done. He gave them laws about cleanliness, diet, and morality. He also made sure that they knew how serious this was. When two of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, came to God with strange fire, He incinerated them on the spot and told Aaron (through Moses) that He was to be treated as holy (Leviticus 10:1-3).
Crossover Blog – Jonas Bros. in Ninevah
September 23, 2009 at 3:34 pm | Posted in Designs of the Week | Leave a commentTags: ateasetees, Christian, crossover, evangelism, forgiveness, God, grace, hell, hope, Jesus, Jonah, Jonas Brothers, judgment, Ninevah, preach, salvation, sin, truth
Ok, I’ll admit it. This shirt made me laugh. My daughter went to see the Jo Bros a couple months ago and the whole thing was a farce. Although they are a “Christian” group, the ticket prices were outrageous (good thing I didn’t pay for them). On top of that, the prices for a t-shirt (A T-SHIRT) were around $40 and that was for the cheap one… Continue Reading Crossover Blog – Jonas Bros. in Ninevah…
Location, location, location
September 21, 2009 at 4:37 pm | Posted in Christianity | Leave a commentTags: ateasetees, belief, Bereans, Catholic, Christendom, Christian, context, cross, death, endurance, evangelism, faith, false, Father, fix, glory, God, gospel, grace, grave, Hebrews 12:1-2, hell, heretic, hermeneutics, hope, Jesus, judgment, justice, Lamb of God, location, martyr, mercy, platitude, preach, proclaim, race, rebel, repent, risen, run, salvation, scripture, sin, son, teach, tradition, verse, witnesses
Sometimes I look at the different things that are happening in Christendom and I just shake my head. Some of the beliefs that are being touted like they were always there and scripturally sound are sad. There are many who are proclaiming a false gospel. They twist the scriptures to make them say what they want (always out of context) and are misleading many who name the name of Christ. (Notice I didn’t necessarily say they were Christians…)While this makes me mad to say the least, what gets up my nose even more are the things that are spouted or passed on in ignorance. Many of the things that we take as “gospel truth” or “tradition” have no basis in scripture whatsoever. And yet, we keep regurgitating them like they are. Worse than that, it seems that we don’t want to be bothered with checking the scripture to see if they’re actually in there. Continue Reading Location, location, location…
The heart of David
September 14, 2009 at 2:58 pm | Posted in Christianity | 1 CommentTags: 1 Sam. 13:14, adultery, Ammonites, ateasetees, Bathsheba, character, Christian, David, evangelism, faith, God, Goliath, heart, hell, Holy Spirit, Israel, Jesus, Judge, justice, knowledge, love, man after God's own heart, moral, murder, Nathan, perfection, Psalm 51, repent, salvation, sin, Solomon, truth, universe, wrath
I’ve heard many times over the years how David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Any time the heart of God is mentioned, invariably you’ll hear about David as well. As I recall all that I’ve heard about David being a man after God’s own heart, I don’t seem to remember anyone really going into why he was this way. Usually, this sentiment is just stated as fact and the rest of the sermon is spent encouraging the listener to do everything necessary to be just like David was.
The problem is that without an understanding of what made David a man after God’s own heart, no one can do the things David did to be that way. All they are left with are shallow platitudes or “7 steps” that produce nothing more than a fuzzy feeling and certainly no lasting change. Often, when we think of David, we see the young man who was willing to face a giant of a man with a sling and a stone. Or, we see a king who was not where he should have been and ended up sinning against God by committing adultery and murdering a man to hide the sin. The first instance is usually used to inspire the youth in the church that they can do anything and the second is usually used to (sadly) soften the guilt and shame of sin. “If the king of Israel, a man after God’s own heart sinned and was still accepted by God, then the rest of us can be too!” I wonder what would happen if people actually took the time to look at David the way that scripture says he saw himself.
It’s often said that you can best tell what someone’s character is when they are in a horrible situation. It’s the whole tea bag in hot water cliché. During his life David found himself in a number of bad situations. From the lion and the bear, to the showdown with Goliath, to the numerous times that Saul (his father-in-law) tried to kill him, David faced tough times. And he faced them all the same way. David was convinced that God would protect him and help him. He had faith that God would keep his promises. There is one time though that I think truly shows David’s heart and why God chose to call him a man after His own heart.
One year, while David was king, Israel was going off to war to fight the Ammonites (2 Sam. 11:1). There was one problem: David, the king of Israel, stayed behind in Jerusalem when he should have been with his army fighting. Evening came and David walked along the roof of his house. While he was walking he saw a beautiful woman bathing. David asked about the woman and was told that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite (who was one of David’s mighty men). He sent for her, and proceeded to commit adultery with her. Not long after, she told the king that she was pregnant. David sent for Uriah and tried everything that he could think of to get the man to spend the night with his wife, but Uriah was too noble for that. He wouldn’t do that while his brethren were fighting a war. David even went to the point of getting him drunk and Uriah still wouldn’t do it. Finally, David sent Uriah back to the war with a note to Joab, the commander of the army. Sadly, Uriah didn’t realize that he was carrying his own death sentence. The note was a plan to make sure that Uriah was killed in an attack on the Ammonites. After Bathsheba heard about her husband’s death, she mourned for the appropriate time and then the king took her as his own wife. Shortly thereafter, the prophet Nathan came to David and told him a parable about a rich man who had many sheep and took the only ewe lamb of a poor man to use in a feast for a guest. David was outraged…until Nathan told him that he was that man. God, through Nathan reminded David of all the He had done and all that He promised him. He also told the king what would happen because of his sin. When David heard all of this, he immediately repented of his sin. But David’s sin would still have consequences. The child that Bathsheba was carrying would die because of the sin David committed.
This is a sad tragedy in the life of any man or woman. And it should always be remembered that this is the result of man’s sin. But we’re looking at the character of David and why he was a man after God’s own heart. As most people know, David wrote many of the Psalms. He poured out his heart and soul into them and expressed everything that he was feeling. In Psalm 51, we see his response to his sin with Bathsheba and get a window into the character of a man that we are always encouraged to be more like:
Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, let the bones which You have broken rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will be converted to You.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, that my mouth may declare Your praise. For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices. In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.
As soon as David was confronted with his sin, he repented. He saw things for what they were and took the steps he needed to take to be reconciled with God. This was only possible because David knew some things that allowed him to come before God correctly and allowed God to immediately say (through Nathan) that his sin was forgiven.
First, David understood himself. He knew that he was a sinful man from conception. He knew that if he were left to himself, he would constantly rebel against God because of the man that he was. Instead of expressing his own goodness and trying to make himself feel good about who he was and what he was doing, he was truthful. He knew that there is nothing good in him.
The next thing that helped David was the fact that he understood sin. He knew that sin was ultimately against God and Him alone. While certain sins may involve other people (willingly or unknowingly); all sin is an open rebellion against God. It is a full frontal assault on His character and nature by His own creation. Sin has been man’s doing from the beginning and will continue to be so until all is said and done. David also understood his need to be cleansed from sin. He knew that he couldn’t be reconciled without having his sin removed. This (along with other Psalms) also shows that David understood the truth about the Messiah and the Christ’s role in the salvation of men. David’s understanding of sin also includes the knowledge of what sin does to us and our relationship with God.
David also understood God. Look at how much David focuses on God and His character. He knows that God is gracious, merciful, and compassionate (v. 1) in the act of removing sins. He understands that God is able (and willing!) to wash him of his sins. Not only that, but David understands that God is completely right in what He says and blameless when He judges sin. David understood that God IS moral perfection and therefore His judgments against sin are also perfect. We may not understand them, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t correct. David didn’t just see God as the Judge though. He also saw Him as the One who could restore him and create a clean heart in him. He saw Him as the One who could renew his spirit and create a clean heart in him. David longed for God and it shows. He didn’t want God to take away His Holy Spirit or cast him away from His presence. It wasn’t only about what God could do for him, it was about God Himself. He knew that the Law had its purpose but that the Law didn’t satisfy God and neither did the sacrifices of bulls and goats. He understood what God desired from man and what would allow man to be cleansed of his sin and restored to God. But, there is one more thing that he knew and it is this that I believe truly shows David as being a man after God’s own heart.
David wasn’t just concerned about himself! He didn’t focus on just his own trouble, he was concerned about others. He tells the Lord that when he is cleansed he will teach other sinners the ways of God and they will be converted to Him. That is the heart of God. While He knows that men will sin and that many will reject the free gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ, it is not His wish that any perish but that all come to repentance. David understands the need for those who do know Christ to go out and tell others who don’t know about Him the truth of the gospel and what truly saves men from their sins.
While all of this is interesting and it’s wonderful to see what scripture says, now comes the hard part. Are you like David? Do you truly understand yourself? Do you recognize that you are a wretched sinful person who needs a Savior daily? If you’ve been saved, do you understand where you (should) stand in regards to sin? Do you stand there? Do you understand that sin, transgression of the Law (Ten Commandments) is a horrible action worthy of death and hell in the sight of God? Do you understand that if you die without your sins being paid for that you will find yourself in hell for eternity? Do you understand your need to be cleansed from your sin and that the only One that can do this is God Himself? Do you understand who God is? Do you see Him as the just Judge of the entire universe or is He just some “doting Daddy” who has no backbone or gives in to everything (which is idolatry, by the way). Do you understand that He is angry at sin and that His wrath abides on those who practice it? Do you understand that there is nothing that you can do in and of yourself to bring about your own salvation? Do you understand that God is holy, just, righteous, and perfect and expects the same from those who follow Him? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be that way, even if it means changing or letting go of friends, family, or objects that God shows? Do you long for God like David did, wanting Him and His Word more than anything else in existence? Does it concern you that others around you may be on their way to hell because their sins aren’t forgiven? Does the plight of others concern you so much that you are willing to do whatever you can to tell them the truth of the gospel, even if it means going out and witnessing to others; teaching them the ways of the Lord? Or, are you content to just sit back and pray that someone else does it because you’re too shy or it just won’t come out right or you don’t know enough (which are all cop outs by the way)? Is the comfort of your own salvation keeping you from being a laborer working to see souls saved from an eternal hell?
This is not something to be taken lightly. The Bible makes it clear that we only have on chance on the earth and that none of us are promised tomorrow. What are you doing? Are you a man/woman after God’s own heart? Are you someone who sees and understands God, sin, yourself and the need of others to be saved? If you are, and you are going out into the world proclaiming the true gospel of Jesus Christ, then let me both commend and encourage you. Do not give up the fight! It is vital to those you are witnessing to that you continue even when things get hard. If you understand these things and you are not going out to tell others, then please consider what you are doing. You are basically keeping what other need to yourself. Instead of giving them the one answer that will help them escape the wrath of God and the eternal punishment for sin, you are turning a blind eye to them. Can you honestly say that you love them? If you do not understand these things at all, then you need to look at your life and make sure that you are saved. Have you repented of your sins? When? How do you know? Does you life look differently now? If you haven’t repented – why? What makes you think you’re a Christian if you haven’t repented? This is a literal life and death situation and each of us holds the key in our own hands. Either we will see ourselves in truth and run to the One who can save us, repenting of our sins and putting our trust in Him alone; or we will continue to delude ourselves into thinking that we’re ok and we don’t need saving, eventually causing us to go straight to hell.
Who’s heart are you after?
Newslinks – 09/12/09
September 12, 2009 at 9:24 am | Posted in Newslinks | Leave a commentTags: 1.2 million, 15 year olds, abortion, anti-American, ateasetees, atomic bomb, bailout, billion soul summit, Bin Laden, biological attack, cartoons, Catholic, Chavez, Christian, Christianity, Chrysler, citizenship verification, clergy, climate czar, divorce, drug sting, earthquake, economy, ELCA, evangelism, family friendly movies, Fannie Mae, fat cells into stem cells, GM, God, gospel, government, healthcare, healthcare claims debunked, healthcare petition, I Hate Obama, illegal aliens, independent, India, Indonesia, insurance, Iran, Jesus, Kenya, legal bills, liar, Lieberman, malpractice, march on DC, Medicare, misconduct, music, Muslim, Obama, Obamacare, obesity, Orissa, Pakistan, parenting, pastor, peace, Pelosi, persistent prayer, Planned Parenthood, recession, reconciliation, religious song banned, sex lives, shot, Sudan, suicide bombings, surgeon general, swine flu, taxpayers, Tea Party, terror attacks, test ban treaty, town hall, Uganda, unemployment, UNESCO, US history, Venezuela, virtual church conference, Yale, you lie
Saturday’s Newslinks brought to you by At Ease Tees
ELCA Leader Urges Flock to Continue Conversation
Gospel Music Association Head Steps Down
Massive Christian Festival Kicks Off Labor Day Weekend
Web Site Invites Churches to Engage in Online Mission
7.0 Quake Leaves 28,000 Homeless in Indonesia
Schools Should Teach Christianity’s Role in U.S. History, Say Evangelicals
Health Care Bill Would Reduce Abortion, Says Progressive Think Tank
Indonesia Quake Toll Expected to Pass 100
Poll: American Giving-Away Trend Continues
Baptist Pastor Fatally Shot by Police in Drug Sting
Global ‘Ecological Board of Directors’ Envisioned by State Department’s Climate Czar
(CNSNews.com) – Todd Stern, now the State Department’s special envoy for climate change, once pushed for the creation of an annual “E8” summit to address environmental issues. Stern represents the United States in international environmental negotiations, including the upcoming United Nations Conference on Climate Change taking place in Copenhagen in December.
Chief Treasury Economist Says White House Economic Forecast is ‘Smoother’ Than Can Be Expected in Reality
(CNSNews.com) – Alan Krueger, assistant secretary for economic policy and chief economist at the Treasury Department, told reporters that the economic projections used by the White House–which foresee a decade of uninterrupted economic growth ahead–are “smoother” than what can be expected in reality. Krueger, speaking to reporters at a Friday briefing, said numerous factors could affect and alter those estimates.
Administration’s Suggestions for Teachers: Read Books about Obama, Post Obama Quotes on Classroom Walls
(CNSNews.com) – The “corrected” lesson plans from the U.S. Department of Education suggest that schools around the country use President Obama’s speech to students on Tuesday as a “teachable moment.” The “menu of classroom activities” still calls for teachers to read books about Obama and to post quotations from Obama in large print on classroom walls.
Study Shows Sharp Increase in TV Ads Soliciting Plaintiffs for Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
(CNSNews.com) – Democrats demanding health-care reform are not saying much about medical malpractice lawsuits. But a new study indicates that tort reform should be included in any meaningful health care overhaul. The study — conducted for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform – says television advertisements soliciting plaintiffs for medical malpractice lawsuits increased nearly 1,400 percent in four years.
Surgeon General Post Unfilled as Obama Pushes Health Care Reform and Swine Flu Concerns Grow
(CNSNews.com) – As President Barack Obama welcomes Congress back to Washington with a joint address on his health care reform agenda and federal officials advise the public on preventing the spread of the H1N1 virus, the U.S. Surgeon General post remains unfilled.
Controversy Surrounds Frontrunner in Race to Head Major U.N. Agency
(CNSNews.com) – A major United Nations agency will choose a new director-general in the coming days, and although promoting freedom of expression is among UNESCO’s key functions, the leading candidate is backed by some of the world’s most repressive governments. Farouk Hosni, who has been Egypt’s culture minister for more than two decades, has made provocative comments about the Israel.
Defiant Over Nuclear Issue, Iran Wins Sanctions-Busting Pledge From Chavez
(CNSNews.com) – As the first of a series of crucial meetings on nuclear issues began Monday, Iran’s government reiterated its defiance of the international community, saying that as far as it was concerned, the question was settled. “We will never negotiate Iran’s undeniable rights,” President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters.
Stanford Researchers Transform Fat Cells into Stem Cells
Sudanese Archbishop Appeals for Int’l Action in Struggle for Peace
Iraqi Political Groups Use Dwindling Christian Community as ‘Tools’
Church Leaders, Climate Experts to Urge World Leaders to Focus on Poor
‘I Hate Obama’ Pastor Draws Protesters Outside Church
Yale under fire for removal of Muslim cartoons
Yale University has removed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad from an upcoming book about how they caused outrage across the Muslim world, drawing criticism from prominent alumni and a national group of university professors. VOTE IN A RELATED POLL
Independents dissatisfied with Obama
A political analyst says President Obama’s support is eroding among a group of voters that was pivotal to his election in 2008 — independents.
Perspective: Listening to a liar
If people think that the words Barack Obama says are what matters, they can be led into something much worse than being swindled out of their money.
Perspective: An open letter to liberals
I’ve often thought of writing an open letter to those who assume my views are repugnant because of the conservative label. So guess what?
Studios now see value in family-friendly films
Noted entertainment critic Ted Baehr says Christians are making a difference when it comes to the availability of family-friendly movies.
Obama Pitched Health Care Reform to Students in Meeting Prior to His Speech on Education
(CNSNews.com) – Although President Barack Obama avoided controversial topics in his nationally broadcast speech to students on Tuesday, he did promote health care reform in a face-to-face discussion with ninth graders at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Va.
Hoyer: Media ‘Misrepresented’ Town Hall Protests
(CNSNews.com) – House Majority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) says the national news media, particularly television networks, “misrepresented” the extent of opposition to health care reform voiced at various town hall meeting in August. By focusing on the rowdy few, the television cameras prevented the public from seeing the majority of people who are either open to reform or support health care reform, Hoyer said.
Obama Promises to Give Us ‘A Much More Detailed’ Health Care Plan Wednesday Night
(CNSNews.com) – In a nationally televised speech Wednesday night, President Barack Obama will explain to the American people “what I think is the best way to move forward” on health care reform. According to his press secretary Robert Gibbs, Obama “will discuss pretty robustly the public option tonight.”
Many of Obama’s Claims about Health-Care Reform Have Been Debunked
(CNSNews.com) – While President Obama tells a joint session of Congress what he wants and is willing to accept in a health care reform bill Wednesday night, he may also repeat some of the points he has made over the past few months that have been refuted by non-partisan sources. The president, for example, has said health-care reform will be deficit neutral and will not steer tax dollars to abortions. He also says there are 46 million uninsured Americans. But each of these claims has been disputed by non-partisan sources.
U.S. Government Paid 15-Year-Olds to Answer Graphic Questions About Their Sex Lives
(CNSNews.com) – From March 2002 to March 2003, the federal government paid more than a thousand 15- to 17-year-olds $40 each to answer questions about their sex lives, including intimate questions about specific sexual acts, whether they had ever engaged in homosexual acts, whether they had used contraception, and what sorts of discussions they had had with their parents about sex.
Lieberman: U.S. Needs to Be Prepared for Biological Attack
Washington (CNSNews.com) – Sen. Joseph Lieberman, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, says the U.S. is in no better position today than it was in December 2008, when a government commission warned that Americans were not safe from an attack with biological weapons — and that a terrorist attack involving a WMD was likely to occur somewhere in the world by 2013.
Test-Ban Treaty Advocates See ‘Window of Opportunity’ Opened by Obama
(CNSNews.com) – Proponents of a global ban on nuclear weapons testing are optimistic that President Obama’s support for ratifying the pact will encourage other holdouts to follow suit, speeding up its entry into force. But the prospect of a U.S. shift is causing unease in India, and there is no sign that either Iran or North Korea is willing to embrace the test-ban agreement.
Dems’ healthcare ‘compromises’ mislead public
A healthcare policy expert says both the “trigger” and non-profit cooperative proposals being pushed by Democrats resemble the “camel’s nose under the tent” of government-run healthcare. POLL: What advice would YOU give Congress? VOTE
Perspective: A self-serving healthcare savior
Tom Daschle evaded IRS rules for years – yet he remains a top White House confidante and policy strategist who’s now leading the drive to save Obamacare.
Federal probe should include Planned Parenthood
Prominent pro-life leader Alveda King has some advice for the Justice Department in a probe of racism.
Taxpayers footing legal bills for former Fannie execs
Many U.S. taxpayers are unaware that they are now paying for the legal bills of three top former executives for government-run mortgage firm Fannie Mae.
Parenting: Damage control for teens of divorce
Divorce piles on emotional problems for a teen a little higher than there would normally be for an already emotional adolescent.
1.2 Million Sign Anti-Health Care Bill Petition to Congress
1,200 African Church Leaders Attend Billion Soul Summit in Uganda
Church Leaders Abuzz About Virtual Conference
Businesswoman to Church: Financial Crisis Golden Opportunity for Economic Justice
Christians in Pakistan Fear Further Firestorms
Obama heckled by GOP during speech: ‘You lie!’
The nastiness of August reached from the nation’s town halls into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday as President Barack Obama tried to move his healthcare plan forward.
‘Anti-American counterculturists’ found among Obama’s czars
Iowa Congressman Steve King says he’s pleased that President Barack Obama’s so-called “green jobs” czar has resigned — but it’s just a start, he adds.
Perspective: Media bite into ‘vetting’ apple
The media basically ignored the growing controversy over Van Jones’ communist background as it built over the past couple of weeks.
Religious song banned from graduation
The Rutherford Institute is taking another school free-speech case to the Supreme Court.
Persistent prayer reaps rewards
A well-known pastor and author says desperation, prayer, and persistence will lead to true revival.
Obama Won’t Give Federal Insurance Benefits to Illegal Aliens; He’ll Make Them Legal First
(CNSNews.com) – In his speech to a joint session of Congress last night, President Obama said that his health care reform plan will not insure “illegal immigrants.” It is true that both the House and Senate health care bills as they are now drafted would make illegal aliens ineligible for federally funded health care. But President Obama has stated as recently as last month at a press conference in Mexico that he will seek “comprehensive immigration reform” legislation that will put illegal aliens on a “pathway to citizenship.”
Democrats’ Health Care Bills Do Not Require Citizenship Verification
(CNSNews.com) – Rep. Joe Wilson’s shout-out Wednesday night came in response to President Obama’s claim that illegal immigrants would not be covered by the Democrats’ health care plan. “You lie!” Wilson (R-S.C.) yelled. Republicans, in a post-speech “fact-check,” suggested that Obama is making a promise the legislation does not keep.
Health Experts Call Obesity A Threat to National Security
(CNSNews.com) – Health care experts, including two former U.S. surgeons general, said on Wednesday said that obesity has reached epidemic proportions and is a threat to security in the United States and abroad. It also affects the future of health care, said Richard Carmona, who served as surgeon general in the Bush administration.
Republicans: Why Wait? Tackle the Biggest Health Care Problems Right Now
(CNSNews.com) – In the Republican response to President Barack Obama, Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana offered what he called a faster, more affordable way to bring about the health care reform. Boustany said Congress should scrap the Democrat-authored bills currently under consideration – particularly the call for a public option — and start over with a “targeted approach that tackles the biggest problems.” He outlined four areas where “we can agree, right now.”
Obama Adviser Hopes Catholic Bishops Will Find A Way to Support Democrats’ Health Care Reform Legislation, Despite Abortion Concerns
Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) – A top adviser to President Barack Obama told CNSNews.com the White House hopes the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will come to understand that the Democrats’ health care reform legislation does not cover abortion. “This should not be turned into a debate about abortion,” David Axelrod said.
White House Won’t Rule Out ‘Reconciliation’ Maneuver to Pass Health Care Reform Bill
Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) – President Barack Obama is still hoping for a bipartisan health care reform bill, White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod said, and he will support whatever it takes to get a health care package through Congress.
Congressional Report Questions Legality of GM and Chrysler Bailouts
(CNSNews.com) – A report issued by the Congressional Oversight Panel tasked with overseeing the implementation of the 2008 Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) questions whether the Bush and Obama administrations had the legal authority to use TARP funds to bail out General Motors and Chrysler. The report, issued Wednesday, confirmed what CNSNews.com had previously reported: that the law which created TARP–the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act–did not grant the government specific authority to use taxpayers’ funds to rescue the auto industry.
Organizers Predict Thousands of Tea Party Activists Will Attend Saturday’s March on Washington
(CNSNews.com) – Thousands of angry taxpayers are expected to come to the nation’s capital on Saturday, Sept. 12, to march on the National Mall. These are many of the same Americans who staged “tea parties” this Spring to protest the $700 billion mortgage bailout and passage of the $787 billion economic stimulus bill — and the same people who turned out in droves over the August congressional break at town hall meetings around the country to express their outrage over a proposed trillion dollar health-care “reform.”
Deepening Venezuela-Iran Alliance Stokes Concern
(CNSNews.com) – The United States watches closely and follows links between Iran and Venezuela “very seriously,” the State Department said in response to fresh claims of a deepening collaboration between the two governments hostile to the U.S. Spokesman Ian Kelly said allegations made by veteran Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau this week – that Iran and Venezuela were “creating a cozy financial, political, and military partnership” — were serious and would be looked into.
U.S. Envoy Warns Iran Is Almost Capable of Building Atomic Bomb
(CNSNews.com) – With a deadline to cooperate or face tougher sanctions fast approaching, Iran has presented a new “proposal” relating to its nuclear program to a group of leading governments. Iran’s response came on the same day that a U.S. envoy told the United Nations nuclear watchdog that Iran was nearing “breakout” capability – the point at which it could, if it took the decision to do so, build an atomic bomb.
Obama: Now is Time to Deliver on Health Care
American Congregations Show Some Signs of Vitality
ADF Receives $9.2M to Defend Free Speech at Universities
Ky. Church to Ordain Registered Sex Offender
Court Rejects Disgraced Baptist Leader’s Bid to Stop Election
Eight Years After Terror Attacks, Threat Remains Real and Evolving
(CNSNews.com) – Despite counter-terrorism successes and the absence of a major and dramatic attack in the West, the security threat posed by radical Islamists remains real and dynamic, as al-Qaeda mutates into an increasingly unstructured but no less dangerous entity, according to experts monitoring the organization.
Support for Suicide Bombings and Bin Laden Still High Among Some Muslims
(CNSNews.com) – A new survey gauging Muslim attitudes indicates that backing for suicide bombings against civilians, while generally down from earlier years, remains significant in some Islamic countries – challenging the assertion that Muslims supporting terrorism constitute a “tiny minority.”
Obama’s Speech Prompts Ten Questions from Republicans
(CNSNews.com) – House Republicans on Thursday issued ten “common-sense” questions arising from President Barack Obama’s Wednesday-night speech plugging health care reform. The questions – and the words that prompted them – appear here verbatim…
Pro-Life Congressmen and Planned Parenthood Agree: Health Care Bill Funds Abortion
(CNSNews.com) – In his address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night, President Barack Obama said the health care plan he is pushing will not provide federal money for abortions. But pro-life congressmen and Planned Parenthood agree that abortion would be covered under the plan under an amendment sponsored by Rep. Lois Capps (D.-Calif.).
Pelosi: We’ll ‘Squeeze’ Medicare to Pay for Health Care Bill
(CNSNews.com) – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said today that Congress will pay for half of the $1 trillion health care reform bill that President Obama wants enacted by “squeezing” Medicare and Medicaid to wring out what she called “waste, fraud, abuse, redundancy, obsolescence and whatever it is.”
Conservative Pollster Defends CNN Poll on Audience Perception of Obama’s Speech
(CNSNews.com) – Conservative pollster Kellyanne Conway Thursday defended the integrity of CNN’s Wednesday night poll of those who watched President Obama’s speech to Congress on health-care reform. On Thursday, some conservatives in Washington were buzzing about the poll’s sample – and questioning whether it might have been partisan or slanted, since only 18 percent of respondents “identified themselves as Republicans.”
Despite Recession and Rising Unemployment, Rate of Uninsured Did Not Increase, Says Census Bureau Data
(CNSNews.com) – Even though the nation was in a recession and unemployment rates were rising, the percentage of people lacking health insurance in the United States did not increase during 2008, according to data released today by the Census Bureau. There was also a slight movement of people from private insurance into government insurance — including seniors moving into Medicare.
Obama speech ‘a litany of lies’
The Media Research Center is demanding that the media reports President Obama’s “lies, distortions, and exaggerations” delivered in his speech on healthcare reform Wednesday night.
9-11 widow still finding hope, healing
Author Jennifer Sands has a special reason to remember the September 11 terrorist attack in 2001.
Perspective: How Obama cronyism threatens rail security
Why has President Obama neutered the nation’s most highly trained post-Sept. 11 counterterrorism rail security team?
Yale ripped for kowtowing to Islamic extremism
Gary Bauer and John Bolton both agree with recent criticism of Yale University for publishing a book about how cartoons of the prophet Muhammad caused outrage across the Muslim world — without including the actual cartoons themselves.
ObamaCare circumvents confession of abortion funding
Three pro-life leaders are voicing concern over President Obama’s healthcare plan. They believe President Obama may not be telling the truth about taxpayer-funded abortion as it pertains to his healthcare reform plan.
Pro-Life Leaders: Obama Still Misleading Americans on Abortion Funding
Survey Reveals Prevalence of Clergy Sexual Misconduct
Pakistani Bishop: Muslim-Christian Tension Unlikely to be Resolved Soon
Relief Groups Sound Alarm as Kenya Faces Drought, Hunger Crisis
Teach Your Children Well
September 8, 2009 at 4:39 pm | Posted in Christianity | Leave a commentTags: abortion, America, ateasetees, budget, change, Christian, climate change, Constitution, crime, discrimination, doctor, education, end of life care, euthanasia, evangelism, faith, fishy, founders, free market, freedom, future, global warming, God, Great Depression, healthcare, Hinduism, history, homelessness, hope, Islam, Jesus, justice, love, nurse, Obama, patriots, Pharoah, police officer, poverty, repent, resposibility, revolution, Sal Alinsky, school, sin, stimulus, taxes, teach, teacher, train, transparency, truth, vacation
Today, President Barack Obama gave a speech to a number of school children around the country for “President Barack Obama’s Back to School Event”. And while I didn’t hear the speech itself, I did read the transcript. If his teleprompter showed exactly the same thing as the transcript, then this speech wasn’t as political as it could have been. Somehow I have a hard time believing that he stuck to the script, seeing as he hasn’t done that yet. Adding to the controversy is the supposed lessons that were to go along with the speech. With all of this, I can’t help but be skeptical.
Even so, a quick read of the transcript shows a shallow but somewhat encouraging speech. The problems come when you look deeper and compare what he is saying to reality and to the president’s own agenda. From the beginning, the president plays on emotion (like he always does) to “touch” people. I wonder if the president realizes that the state the nation is in is “no picnic for any of us” and that everything he plans on doing will only make it worse.
His supposed purpose for the speech is to remind the kids of what’s expected of them. That they are to be responsible. He told them that they are responsible for their own future. Amazingly, I actually agree with the president on this point, but later on in the speech he tells the kids that the goverment is doing all it can to help. I find talk about responsibility pretty funny coming from a man who doesn’t seem to know what the word means (along with the words transparency, freedom, and justice). He tells the children they are responsible for their own education and if they fail, then they not only fail themselves, they fail the country. Maybe the president should start with his own responsibilities and actually fulfill those before he tries to tell others what they need to do. It is because the president has failed to be responsible that we are in the situation we’re in. He has already spent more money than all the other presidents combined and he hasn’t even been in office a year yet. Much of the money has been wasted and has failed to produce any positive effect on anything. The president has failed to be responsible to America by allowing the bills he supports (those meant to stave off “catastrophe”) to be rushed through Congress and avoiding any kind of debate on the issues. The bills have been passed in the dark of night by Congressmen (who are supposed to represent you and I) who didn’t read them at all (and at an average of 1000 pages each, who would want to?). How is that responsible? How does the president expect people to be responsible when he continues to push them to depend completely on the government for everything? On top of that, the man has taken vacations that would make Robin Leach jealous (some costing $35,000 a day!) on the taxpayer’s dollar! Tell me again how that is responsible when there are now millions of people without jobs and the economy is suffering?
He tells the children that if they want to have a good job and help the nation, they will have to work hard and train for it. How much training did Mr. Obama have for his job? Does Sal Alinsky’s book really teach the things that the president of a free republic needs to know? I doubt it… He then lists a number of jobs that they need an education for. If they want to be a doctor they will need an education. He fails to tell them that if his healthcare plan gets passed, there will be no need many doctors because the government will be deciding who gets to practice, what they get to practice, and where they get to practice. They will need an education to be a teacher. But, the president fails to tell the kids that teachers are so overworked and underpaid that it’s not funny. He doesn’t tell them that the public (government run) schools are so bad in many places that teachers fear for their lives. The teacher’s union doesn’t make things any better…Another job they’ll need an education for is police officer. What he forgot to tell the kids is that if they actually do their job, they will be labeled racists or worse (I mean, really, how many beer summits can the president have anyway?). Maybe they want to be nurses, architects, lawyers, or be part of the military. Out of the entire list, the only ones that may make money are the lawyers. There is a shortage of nurses, but in many places even those nurses who are working are having their hours cut because of the economy. Architects are feeling the crunch of the economy as well. And for those going into the military, he forgot to mention that he cut the defense budget. This means that the soldiers we have (and the new ones coming in) will have to do without more than they already do and still do the same job (reminds me of Pharoah taking away the straw…). All of this on top of the fact that they are fighting his war in Afghanistan.
He then tells the kids that their classes will help them get the skills they need to “meet our greatest challenges in the future”. They will need math and science to gain problem solving skills needed to find cures for AIDS and cancer. Of course, we need to ask if it is really science or if it is the evolutionary trash that they are talking about? Or maybe it’s the “climate change” pseudo-science? Not only that, he doesn’t tell them that their cures will be rationed to the people that the government determines are most needed and viable (which kind of ignores the whole Hippocratic oath doesn’t it?). They will also need these skills to develop “new energy technologies” (except nuclear power) and protect our environment (from things like global warming – oops! – I mean climate change). They will also need critical thinking skills from things like history and social studies to “fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and free”. What history will they be taught Mr. President? Will it be the revised one that removes much of the truth that liberals have been pushing for decades or will it be the true history of our country that includes the faith of the founders and their dependence on God? Will it be the one that shows how atrocious things get when the government takes control of things or will you leave those parts out because they don’t fit your agenda? Will is show how lazy and complacent people get when they depend on the government for everything or will the oversized, “big brother”, federal government be painted as the hero? Will they have to fight poverty by stealing from one who is successful (which could very well be them!) and giving it to someone who has no desire to do what it takes to acheive anything? He also tells the kids to develop their creativity and ingenuity so that they can start new companies and “boost our economy” but fails to tell them that his administration (and those like him) is destroying small businesses through taxation, legislation, and the erosion of the free market.
He tells the children that we need every single one of them to help solve our most difficult problems, but what about the millions of unborn children who were not fortunate enough to make it to school age because they were unwanted and aborted? Don’t we need them too? Don’t we need the senior citizens to teach up and coming generations what made this country great, how to live within their means, and what honor and integrity are; instead of pushing for “end of life care” and euthanasia to eliminate them (except the ones in Congress of course…)? He talks about the stuggles that many of the kids face but fails to admit government’s role in many of them. Are those situations tragic? Yes! Should they be addressed? Yes! But, it should be with something that works and the government isn’t that something.
He calls on each child to set goals for themselves and meet them. He doesn’t tell them that they’ll be fighting the government every step of the way. Maybe they’ll get involved in extracurricular activities or voluteer in the community (like with ACORN Mr. Obama?). Maybe they’ll stand up for those being bullied and teased because of who they are and what they look like (unless they’re Christians – because we can tolerate everyone but them…). The president says that he believes that every child deserves a safe environment to study and learn in (provided they make it out of the womb alive). I agree with the sentiment but I don’t think that a public school classroom is that place.
He tells the kids that being successful is hard (and it is) but they can do it if they persevere. He tells them that they shouldn’t let their failures define them. Instead they should learn from them. Sadly, his own words and actions don’t line up. He says that failures should teach us but completely ignores his own failures, continuously lies to defend them, or attacks those who point them out for what they are. His stimulus package just had to be passed but it has failed to keep the unemployment rate below 8% (which was promised), it has failed to produce millions of “shovel ready” jobs to boost our economy(another promise), it wasn’t debated or put up for 5 days so the public could read it (still another promise), and it has failed to responsibly spend the taxpayers money (yet another promise). Not only that, it saddles the children he talked to with about $100,000 in debt before they can ever make a dime (and he’s not done yet). He claims that no one is born good at things, but he sure acts like he is (hence the Messiah title given to him by some of his followers).
He says that the kids should be afraid to ask questions, but I can’t help but wonder if he set up an email where other kids could rat them out if the questions they asked were “fishy”? Why should the kids ask questions if they will only get the same tired “party line” or be reprimanded for actually disagreeing with the administration? He tells them to go to others to ask for help, but who should they go to Mr. Obama? You mention family, teachers, and coaches. Family would be best (if they have that option), but teachers don’t often have the time (or don’t have the right things to say) and coaches can get in severe trouble if they give what is deemed to be Christian advice (you know, that whole separation of church and state thing that’s not even in the Constitution…). He does mention counselors. Does this mean that he’s planning on setting up a new government department (there’s those shovel ready jobs!) so that kids can call an “anonymous” hotline for help?
He then tries to tie in history (which is something that he hasn’t been too good at) to his agenda, telling the kids that out country’s story is one of people who never quit when things got tough. They loved their country “too much to do anything less than their best”. I find it ironic that the people from 250 years ago he’s talking about were fighting against a bigger than life, tyrannical government that wanted to take away their individual liberties and freedoms (kinda like the current administration!) They fought oppressive government who failed to represent them and tried to tell them exactly what they could and couldn’t do. Not only did many of them fight for their freedom, many died for it too. How far have the American people fallen. Today, if the government offers us the same old thing in a shiny new wrapper, we jump all over it and seem to forget that they’ve continually lied to us for decades. Today, we don’t vote for elected officials based on character, honor, and integrity. Instead we vote for them based on party affiliation, charisma, and rhetoric. The people who were there 75 years ago overcame a Depression that was made worse by constant, ill-conceived government intervention by a government that was larger than it had ever been up to that point. It was a raw deal complete with numerous wasteful government programs (basically the ancestor of the current administration). They destroyed crops at a time when people were starving (and still do!). It destroyed the economy and the job market, leading many to commit suicide. The world war we fought was something that our nation didn’t need to be in and something that the president of the time (Woodrow Wilson) promised the country he would keep them out of. We may have changed the way we communicate, but unless we’re telling each other the truth, nothing has really changed.
So, what has the president contributed? He’s contributed to the national debt, mocked our nation, lied to the American people on numerous occasions, surrounded himself with people who promote everything that America has always been against, and enlarged the federal government to a size that defies the Constitution. He hasn’t solved any of the country’s current problems (it’s hard to do that when you’re always on vacation) and has added numerous new problems to the pile. If there is a president in the next 20/50/100 years, I hope that he sees this generation as the one who said they’ve had enough and turned back to God and the Constitution. Mr. Obama says that he’s trying to fix the classrooms but that’s not his job. He tells the kids to get serious, but he fails to do the same. He then adds what has become a cliche in America: “God bless you, and God bless America”. Which God are you talking about Mr. Obama? Is it the god of Islam? Is it one of the gods of Hinduism? Or is it the God of the Bible? If it’s the latter, then he is just deluding himself (or trying to delude us). Barack Obama neither knows or has seen the God of the Bible. If he really had, then the things that he does and says would be much, much different.
If we’re going to see true change in our country, we have to so something other than what we’ve always (recently) done. We have to go back to our moral foundations. We have to start living by the word of the Lord. We have to teach our children to fear God and obey what the Bible says. We have to restore the traditional (Biblical) family to its position of prominence in our nation. Proverbs says, “Train up your child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will never depart from it”. We’ve stopped training our children in the way they should go and we’re paying for it. We’ve have ignored God’s wisdom and it is now catching up to us. The only ones we have to blame are ourselves…
Get the Word out! 
Newslinks 09/05/09
September 5, 2009 at 9:37 am | Posted in Newslinks | Leave a commentTags: 9/11, abortion, Afghanistan, agro terrorism, Assemblies of God, ateasetees, audio bible, bailout, bank, Baucus, Ben & Jerry, Big Labor, borrow, budget, Bush, Campus Crusade, capture comments, cash for clunkers, charter schools, Christian, cyber security, czar, evangelism, Facebook, faith, family, Focus on the Family, founding fathers, freedom, Gaddafi, gay, Gaza, Gitmo, global warming, God, government, great awakening, Hamas, Harry Reid, health coverage, healthcare, Holocaust, homeschool, homosexuality, indoctrination, Internet, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jesus, Jew, Kennedy, Libya, Lockerbie, marriage, mosque, Myspace, NEA, Newslinks, nuclear, Obama, obesity, Ohio, Palestine, peace, public option, Rangel, reform, regulation, Rifqa Bary, school speech, sin, South Africa, Switzerland, third rate, transgender, U.N., union, Vermont, weapons, Youtube
Saturday’s Newslinks brought to you by At Ease Tees
More handouts in store for big banks?
A leading free-market economist says because of the bank bailouts authorized by the Bush and Obama administrations, any big bank that runs into trouble is both so large that it has to be dealt with and has the expectation that it will be bailed out by the federal government. VOTE IN A RELATED POLL
London newspaper claims Lockerbie bomber not so ill
A conservative British scholar says he believes Scottish authorities might have been conned into believing that the recently released Lockerbie bomber was more ill than he actually was.
Teen Gitmo detainee sues U.S. for mistreatment
A senior Army strategist and Pentagon advisor says he is not surprised that a terrorist suspect recently released from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba would try to sue the United States over his treatment there.
Healthcare reform bill a ‘feeder system’ for abortion
A Catholic pro-life leader calls H.R. 3200 the “Planned Parenthood economic stimulus package.”
Feature: Forgotten – Christians in Palestine
A combination of threats and intimidation from Muslim extremists and the fallout from the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict are driving many Palestinian Christians from their ancestral homes. Continue Reading Newslinks 09/05/09…
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