Wednesday, September 29, 2010
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Obama: 'Christian by choice'
ALBUQUERQUE, NM – President Barack Obama, in a rare discussion about his religious beliefs, described himself on Tuesday as a "Christian by choice" who arrived at his faith in adulthood because "the precepts of Jesus Christ" helped him envision the kind of life he wanted to lead. (Read reaction: "A muddled Christian testimony?")
Obama talked about his beliefs when he was asked, "Why are you a Christian." The question was posed by a woman at a backyard conversation here, part of a series of meetings Obama is holding to talk informally with Americans.
Some conservatives and political opponents have questioned Obama's Christian faith. In fact, a Pew Research Center poll in August found that 18 percent of people wrongly believe Obama is Muslim - up from 11 percent who said so in March 2009. Just 34 percent said they thought Obama is Christian.
"I'm a Christian by choice," Obama told his audience here. "My family didn't - frankly, they weren't folks who went to church every week. And my mother was one of the most spiritual people I knew, but she didn't raise me in the church.
"So I came to my Christian faith later in life, and it was because the precepts of Jesus Christ spoke to me in terms of the kind of life that I would want to lead - being my brothers' and sisters' keeper, treating others as they would treat me," he continued.
"And I think also understanding that Jesus Christ dying for my sins spoke to the humility we all have to have as human beings, that we're sinful and we're flawed and we make mistakes, and that we achieve salvation through the grace of God," Obama said. "But what we can do, as flawed as we are, is still see God in other people and do our best to help them find their own grace."
Obama said he seeks to do that through daily prayer and public service. "That's what I strive to do. That's what I pray to do every day," he said. "I think my public service is part of that effort to express my Christian faith."
Story continues below ...
What troubles you the most about President Obama's views about Christianity?
Obama is the son of a Muslim father from Kenya. His mother was from Kansas. As a boy, he lived for several years in predominantly Muslim Indonesia with his mother and Indonesian stepfather. Some think his full name, Barack Hussein Obama, sounds Muslim.
Obama turned his extended reply to the question about his faith into a subtle call for religious tolerance.
"One thing I want to emphasize, having spoken about something that obviously relates to me very personally, as president of the United States I'm also somebody who deeply believes that part of the bedrock strength of this country is that it embraces people of many faiths and no faith," he said. "That this is a country that is still predominantly Christian, but we have Jews, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Buddhists, and that their own path to grace is one that we have to revere and respect as much as our own."
"That's part of what makes this country what it is," Obama said.
Obama was a longtime member of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. But during the 2008 presidential campaign he resigned from the church and cut ties with its pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, after videotapes surfaced of sermons in which Wright shouted "God damn America" and accused the government of creating AIDS.
Wright had helped Obama embrace Christianity, officiated at his wedding and baptized Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha.
Obama and his family have worshipped at several churches in Washington, and aides say the president enjoys attending services at the chapel at the Camp David presidential retreat. But he has yet to join a congregation in the nation's capital.
Obama's questioner said she had three "hot topic" questions for him. Her other questions were about abortion and whether he'd take home some of her husband's chili peppers.
Obama said abortion should be "safe, legal and rare" and that such a decision should be made by the woman involved, not the government. And, he said, he'd take some of the peppers to go.
"I like spicy food to go with your spicy questions," Obama said.
Pastors as leftist shills?
Posted: September 25, 2010
1:00 am Eastern
© 2010
1:00 am Eastern
© 2010
Once again the Texas State Board of Education has erupted into the national news scene, this time by considering a resolution shedding light on anti-Christian bias in some history textbooks. Such bias is old news to anyone following the direction of the government education complex over the past 40 years. However, once again Texas can serve as a counterbalance simply due to the volume of its textbook purchases.
Compared to its peers of California and New York, it is also the only large state with any remaining conservative philosophy present at the decision-making level. Hence, the only reason for the attention to the battles in Texas is because a battle is present at all.
The conservative members of the SBOE are essentially serving as the Alamo for the nation's children in government schools. As usual, the Texas Freedom Network (founded by Planned Parenthood of America Federation president Cecile Richards), Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the ACLU were present and protesting loudly that the resolution and its claims are "political." It's always political when you disagree with the left.
They say the board should stick to education because, of course, these liberal, anti-Christian organizations are truly interested in quality, accurate and excellent education for our children, right? Right. However, I expect this of these groups because I know who they are.
Once again, my guns are aimed at the pathetic preachers, pitiful pastors and compromised clergy that TFN, AU, ACLU and their ilk trot out as props for their leftist agendas. They disgust me. Their list of "nearly 100 religious leaders from Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths" who signed a letter opposing the resolution represents a tiny cadre of liberals who have all rejected the fundamentals of their own faiths.
Among them are "Rev. Larry Bethune, senior pastor at University Baptist Church in Austin; Rev. Bobbi Kaye Jones, district superintendent of the Austin District of the United Methodist Church; and Rabbi Neil Blumofe of the Congregation Agudas Achim in Austin." Liberal, liberal and liberal.
These same clergy are used by these groups to support abortion on demand, sexual diversity, same-sex marriage, secularized education, cleansing the public square of biblical Christianity, etc. What we have to realize is that if conservative, Bible-believing pastors do not engage and contend with them, they are left as the de facto voice of the church.
Not on my watch, and fortunately we have increasing numbers of pastors who are stepping into the fray. With that said, we are not enough and there are still too many sitting safely in their pastor's study letting others take the bullets for them. Others like Terri Leo, David Bradley, Don McLeroy, Ken Mercer, Gail Lowe, Barbara Cargill and Cynthia Dunbar – the "Magnificent Seven" who voted to adopt this resolution (on a seven-to-six margin) and who will certainly again be vilified by the media, education elites and the sorry excuse for clergy mentioned above.
It was my joy to testify at the hearing and represent the hundreds of "real" pastors around this state we speak for as well as all those who share our values but have not yet suited up for the game. What I am reminded every time I attend a meeting of an elected body is the significant influence that comes just with showing up. Far too often, it is not those with an interest of putting government back in its biblical and constitutional restraints who do so.
My challenge to you every pastor today is to not let one more battle go by and wish you had done something. Don't let one more baby be murdered through abortion, one more attack against God's design of marriage, one more assault on religious freedom and free speech, one more grievance against private property and freedom pass without your voice.
The wave of national course correction that is rising through the tea parties will have its impact – but let the church arise with boldness, courage, humility and determination so it will no longer be said of us:
Woe, shepherds of Israel … You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. (Ezekiel 34:1-6)
This victory in Texas was again a victory for the nation. However, the government still controls the education of most of the nation's children, and the religious and anti-religious secularists are not going away.
Friday, September 17, 2010
How to Be Happy in Life Today February 12, 2010 by Robert Filed under Christian Articles
Happiness is a choice. Everyone is in the pursuit of happiness. Entire sections of bookstores are devoted to finding it. Women’s magazines feature quizzes with titles like, “How Do You Rate on the Happiness Scale?” People climb mountains, take Pilates, and run marathons. People drink, take drugs, and take unsafe risks. All in the quest for happiness.
Obviously, happiness is not easily obtained. Some people believe it is a myth. Yet some people claim that they are truly happy. People have been claiming this for centuries. The truth is, happiness can be found in a life with Jesus Christ.
Bad things still happen. Happy people still get sad, still get angry, but they have somewhere to take these feelings. They have a personal relationship with a personal God, a God who knows all their wants, all their needs, before they even ask. When they feel unhappy, they are able to go to God. This brings peace. This brings joy. This makes them happy.
In the Book of John, Chapter 15, Christ tells us that He is the vine, and that God is the gardener. We, the believers, are the vine’s branches, and we bear fruit. This is an apt metaphor, because it shows us that God wants us to be fruitful. Verse 8 says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” By living well, by bearing fruit, we glorify God. God wants us to be happy. Our happiness glorifies Him. Our happiness makes God happy. In this same chapter, Jesus tells us that we cannot bear fruit unless we remain in the vine. Is it possible that true happiness is actually impossible, unless we try it via the vine, via Jesus Christ? In Verse 7, Christ says, “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given to you.” This sounds too simple, doesn’t it? If we remain in Christ, if we meditate on His Word, keep His Word in our hearts, we can ask for anything our hearts desire. And according to this verse, it is God’s true desire to grant us our desires. In Verse 11, Jesus says, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Sometimes it is not easy to believe in these promises. No, faith is not supposed to be easy. If it were, then everybody would be faithful. Faith requires a willful submission to beliefs that sometimes won’t make sense to us. Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” It’s not supposed to be easy. But we are called to do it anyway. In Matthew 17, Christ says, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” If faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains, if with faith in God, nothing is impossible, doesn’t that make our individual happiness seem like a fairly simple task? Not only does God want us to be happy, but it is a simple undertaking for Him. He’s the God of the universe, of all that has been and will be. Surely He can make me happy. But I have to have faith.
Even when things go wrong, we need to have faith. The Bible says, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Belief in God does not create a protective bubble around us. We see crime. We see cancer. We see war. We see these things, and we ask ourselves, why? We ask God, why? We wonder, how we can ever be happy in a world so torn? But Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him.” All these things happening in the world, all these things that hurt us and confuse us, all these things are somehow going to work for good. How do we know? We have to have faith. We’re back to the mustard seed. When something bad happens, we have to believe that it is for a greater good, that it is all part of God’s plan.
Sometimes, we even feel guilty for our happiness. This is the world talking, not the Holy Spirit. We should never feel guilty for our joy. Our joy is a gift from God, and by letting the world see our joy, even in the midst of so much pain, we let the world see our faith. By showing the world our faith, we show them our God. Our happiness glorifies Him. Our happiness is a gift from Him. All we have to do is reach out and accept it.
Sometimes, we even feel guilty for our happiness. This is the world talking, not the Holy Spirit. We should never feel guilty for our joy. Our joy is a gift from God, and by letting the world see our joy, even in the midst of so much pain, we let the world see our faith. By showing the world our faith, we show them our God. Our happiness glorifies Him. Our happiness is a gift from Him. All we have to do is reach out and accept it.
Robert Moment is an innovative forward-thinking “throw the box away” inspirational life coach, marketing expert, speaker and author of God Will Always Be There For You. Robert is passionate about empowering individuals on how to experience God’s love, peace, power and prosperity in their lives. Visit http://www.ChristianInspirational.org and sign-up for the FREE online bible study titled, Christian Living. Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/ChristiansFaith.
Faithful Young Woman
Faithful Young Woman...
One night in a church service a young woman felt the tug of God at herheart. She responded to God's call and accepted Jesus as her Lord andSavior.
The young woman had a very rough past, involving alcohol, drugs,and prostitution. But, the change in her was evident. As time went on shebecame a faithful member of the church. She eventually became involved inthe ministry, teaching young children.
It was not very long until this faithful young woman had caught the eye and heart of the pastor's son. Therelationship grew and they began to make wedding plans. This is when theproblems began. You see, about one half of the church did not think that awoman with a past such as hers was suitable for a pastor's son.
The church began to argue and fight about the matter. So they decidedto have a meeting. As the people made their arguments and tensionsincreased, the meeting was getting completely out of hand.
The young woman became very upset about all the things being brought up about her past. As she began to cry the pastor's son stood to speak. He could not bear thepain it was causing his wife to be. He began to speak and his statement wasthis: "My fiancee's past is not what is on trial here. What you arequestioning is the ability of the blood of Jesus to wash away sin."
"Today you have put the blood of Jesus on trial. So, does it wash awaysin or not?" The whole church began to weep as they realized that they hadbeen slandering the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Too often, even as Christians, we bring up the past and use it as a weapon against our brothersand sisters. Forgiveness is a very foundational part of the Gospel of ourLord Jesus Christ.
If the blood of Jesus does not cleanse the other person completely then it cannot cleanse us completely. If that is the case, then we are all in a lot of trouble. What can wash away my sins?... Nothing butthe blood of Jesus! End of case!!!!
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