Outreach and Private Business Part 1

The whole area of Christian outreach is one that continues to confuse me. We are the wealthiest nation on earth and even the poorest people here in the US would be considered rich in the rest of the world. We spend billions of dollars as a nation both through governmental programs and non-profit outreach, trying to "help" people in need, yet the problems only seem to grow worse. In addition, when you begin to understand and truly see the breadth of the problems, it seems almost overwhelming. The more these organizations do, the more handouts they give, the more it seems that people become dependent on them, and people who are dependent on other people or the government, never develop a real sense of self worth. They eventually become bitter and resentful, people need to feel and believe they have a hand in solving their own problems. The "welfare" type solutions just don't work. The real way to help others is to give them a hand-up, not a handout. To develop a program where the people you are trying to help are part of creating the solutions, where they are being allowed to develop long term social economic solutions that work within their particular community. In addition, it needs to involve a component that allows them in turn to "reach out" to those who are less fortunate than them. If we could integrate an outreach component to the outreach we are doing it would radically change the way all of us look at need.

Our New Presidents First Official Interview

Does anyone find it odd that the first official interview granted by President Obama is with the Arab TV network Al-Arabiya? Not to mention that in the interview he trashes past US policy towards the "Muslim" world, commits to repairing those mistakes and talks about his "upbringing in Indonesia. Indonesia? I thought he was raised in Kansas! These Muslim Countries he is worried about reaching out to are some of the most barbaric, backwards countries in the world. Their record on human rights and in particular women's rights is abysmal. Women in these countries are almost treated like property; they have no real rights at all. And yet I am sure all of Obama's sheeple from women's rights groups to celebrities will applaud his bold move. What are we coming to.

Christian Churches, Morality and Politics

Now that the election is behind us and our new president is in office, there is a nagging question that keeps bothering me; why is it that so many Christian Churches are afraid to stand up for what is right? Whether it is issues such as abortion, homosexuality, appropriate dress and behavior towards the opposite sex, or many other issues, in the context of an election, it seems like most supposed conservative Bible based churches have elected to stay mute. I would go even further and say that most Christian churches (my own included) have elected to stay mute on those subjects even outside an election. That they have bought into this whole idea of "political correctness". It is almost as if most churches are more concerned and afraid of what the world might think and than they are about what God might think. Even more, it almost seems they are more concerned with attendance and financial support then they are about standing up for what is right. At the same time, the more liberal "Christian" churches are becoming more and more outspoken about their liberal stance on those same issues, not just preaching their beliefs from the pulpit but even taking it to the media. Many "Black" Churches even go so far as inviting high profile politicians to preach from their pulpits DURING ELECTION TIME!!! And no one seems to think twice about it. For some reason it is only conservative Christians that this false adherence to "Separation of Church and State" seems to apply to. Then again, Christ warned us that we would be persecuted by the world so perhaps it should not be a surprise. However, what does surprise me though is how easily conservative Christian leaders fall into the trap, how easily we have done this to ourselves. If we aren't willing to stand up for the truth even amongst ourselves how will we ever stand up for it out in the world?

The Sheeple of Obamanation

Is anyone as alarmed as I am by the absolute adoration President Obama is getting from both the press and a substantial part of the American population? "News" people and commentators are almost gushing in their praise of a man who has yet to do anything; a man whose very beliefs are opposed to all America is founded on. Celebrities by the score stood with tears in their eyes looking up in worshipful awe at a man who has little or no concept of what real sacrifice and the "American Dream" are about. Ordinary people by the millions, listened with rapt attention as this man and his followers ridiculed and condemned the very fabric of what makes us great, while promising them they would "level the playing field" by taking from those that have and giving it all to them. This is a man who promises "Change" and inclusion while promoting one of the most biased and divisive agendas in the history of our country. This is a man who promises "Openness and transparency" while bullying anyone who asks too tough a question and practically closing the White House to any real scrutiny. How can so many people have been duped? Are Americans really that dumb? Have we truly become a nation of sheeple? It just seems like Americans can no longer think for themselves, that Americans have become so accustom to the comforting arm of big brother government taking care of their problems that they are almost gleefully giving away their freedoms. And what of our military? Has anyone stopped to think about how dangerous a world we live in? Is this really the time to become a "friendlier more gentle" nation? There are people out there who would gladly cut our heads off and parade them in front of a cheering world. Is this really the time to worry that some of their "human rights" are being violated? As far as I am concerned they gave up their rights when the towers fell. Not to mention President Obama's stand on the unborn, he has barely had time to sit at the desk in his new office and he has already issued executive orders allowing the funding of abortions in foreign nations. My fear is that we have started down a road that will be very hard to return from, a road that will ultimately lead to the end of America as we have known it. I pray that I am wrong.