Faith Revolution

Maybe you’ve heard of him.  Maybe you haven’t.  He passionately lived what he believed.  He died in a car accident back in 1997 but he inspires me to this day. 

Whether you have heard of him or not, watch this video clip.  It’ll do you good.

My Dad in heaven gave me an answer today.  It was concerning a doctrinal issue that I had been toiling over for some time.  Today was the day that God decided to bring clarity to my thinking.

I can now rest.

Thanks, Dad

It’s getting too weird…and sacrilegious.

A recent commenter thinks that I am nuts because of my political views.  I guess I have to admit that compared to mainstream American thought, I could be perceived that way.  I am ok with that.  I actually kind of like it.  But if you’ll indulge me for a few moments, I would like to explain a little why I think the way I do.

As I look over my life prior to the last 5 years, I have been a professional dabbler.  I have studied, read, worked and dabbled in a lot of different pursuits and interests.  I grew up in a conservative Christian home where my father and mother chose to sacrifice so that they could themselves care for my severely disabled brother rather than turn him over to the government for care or abort him, for that matter.  I have studied a little bit of political science, as well as constitutional and criminal law at Penn State in addition to my ministry degree.  I have worked for a major insurance company, the third largest bank in Pennsylvania, started two highly regulated businesses from scratch (an insurance agency and investment firm) and was a partner in a third (real estate investment).  I understand insurance, business and taxes and to some degree, law.  It is now my privilidge to be serving in my second church as a pastor.  I tell you all of that, not to boast, but to give you some idea of the experience, work and study that has shaped my thinking.  I don’t just listen to Fox news and Rush Limbaugh (haven’t listened to him in years) and let them tell me what to think.  I have studied intensly the principles that our nation was founded upon socially, politically and economically.  I am grieved over how those principles have been lost, at least to a large degree.  One of those principles was self-rule and responsibility.  I am responsible for me and the people that I love in my family, church and community.  We were founded as a bottom-up representitive republic of free and independent people and free and independent states not a top down socialist democracy where a strong central government micromanages our lives.  I love that freedom and responsibility and appreciate the price that was paid so that we could have the opportunities and the responsibility that freedom affords.  That is the way I have lived my life to this point.  But it is changing, though not by my choice.  I believe in the people of this nation.  I believe it is the people who are free to be all that God created them to be that have made and continue to make this country great.  I don’t believe that government has.   

But more than that, I have come to realize that the only answer to all of life’s problems is salvation that only comes through Jesus Christ.  Obama cannot and will not fix things in your life.  McCain will not fix things in your life.  Just like Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan, Carter, Ford, Nixon, Johnson, Kennedy, etc. did not fix our problems.  The government institution is ordained by God and is necessary, but He is our only hope and future.  I am distressed by the number of Christians who are depending on, trusting in and looking to government to fix things for us.  Our civic duty is important, but it is not where our faith and trust belong.  Our lives should not be so affected by who is in the white house.  It should make no difference who is in there because our lives are guided by the voice of the Holy Spirit and God has promised to take care of all our needs.  That is where our faith should be. 

Don’t trust government.  Trust God.  Vote your conscience and then let Him care for you.  He will.  Republicans and Democrats won’t.

I saw this video and it got me thinking:

Why do many Christians despise the concept of tithing and yet apparently don’t mind paying incredibly high taxes in the name of taking care of thier neighbor and “rendering unto Ceasar”?

Just imagine how much we could help the needy in the community if we gave 50% of our income to the Lord’s work through our local church and 1-5% of our income to the government.  Socialist government slave wage confiscation and spending wouldn’t be necessary.  It would be less costly to administrate and be more effective.

It’s really funny when you think about it.

Government gets 50% taken off the top.

God gets 1-10% if it’s available.

Amazing.

I guess government is our god.

In ObamaBidenMcCainPalin we trust.

Patriotic?

Ridiculous.