Government Health Plan Chart

I don't know that you've seen this chart but is very scary to me. I haven't found that the government does anything well. The federal government is certainly not efficient. I know that we have problems with our insurance system that need to be addressed but I sure don't want this solution.

Pray for Our New President...

I thought a word of encouragement might be appropriate this morning. Some of you may perhaps be recovering from the election results with a bit of despair in your heart. Rest assured that our God is still on His throne and He is working His plan to bring the nations to Christ. Now that we have voted, I can share with you that voting is NOT the most important thing that we can do. According to God's instructions that He has personally given to us, the most important thing that we can do to influence our government is to pray! Most of the biblical writers did not know the privilege of voting for their leader. They got what they got! However, they knew that our God is a God of transformation. He is absolutely capable of using anyone to accomplish His purposes and the less likely the individual--the greater the miracle! Just take a quick look in the mirror if you need an example.

This from the Father's desk: "For the Lord's sake, respect all human authority--whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed" (1 Peter 2:13). "I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleased God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth" (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Two words express our anticipated conduct in regards to our new leaders: RESPECT and PRAYER.

Perhaps this prayer from Psalm 72 would be an appropriate place to begin. I have paraphrased the prayer to make it appropriately personal for our situation.

"Give justice to our new president, O God, and righteousness to our new vice president. Help them judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly. May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful, because the president does what is right. Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy--even the preborn, and to crush their oppressors. . . May his term be as refreshing as the springtime rains--like showers that water the earth. May all the godly flourish during his time as president. May there be abundant prosperity throughout the next four years. He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will save them from oppression and from violence, for their lives are precious to him. . . May the people always pray for him and bless him all day long. May there be abundant crops throughout the land, flourishing even on the mountaintops. May the fruit trees flourish as they do in Lebanon, sprouting up like grass in a field. May the president's name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun shines. May all nations be blessed through him and bring God praise" (Psalm 72:1-7, 12-17).

It's not enough to say the words--we must mean them! Let me encourage you to trust God enough to pray these blessings into President-elect Barak Obama's life. Keep praying until you believe it! Keep praying until you see it!

I met Governor Mike Huckabee...

I was able to meet and visit briefly with former Governor Mike Huckabee tonight. Tina was able to take a picture of me and the Governor except the camera was acting up and somehow I accidently erased it. Pride really does go before a fall. The conference was excellent with a strong theme of the need for Christians to be involved in the political and civic process. Those of you that know me well know that I have a great desire to not only lead my church to impact our society but I would very much like to run for office myself someday. State Representative Kevin Lundberg was at the event and it was great to see him again and visit. Representative Lundberg along with State Senator Scott Renfroe have both been on site in Windsor many times following the tornado of May 22. Both of these men have a strong Christian witness and represent northern Colorado well in Denver. Kevin Lundberg's website is here and Scott Renfroe's website is here. Our representative in Washington, Congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, actually remembered me from a conversation that we had in Windsor following the tornado. Windsor is truly blessed to have such godly representation. Representative Musgrave's website is here. I walk away from the evening's sessions with a strong conviction to do all that I can to get Christians registered to vote and to encourage them to vote Christian values in the upcoming elections.

Revolutionary Pastor Muhlenberg...

Rev. Peter Muhlenberg was conducting the worship service in his usual way on Sunday morning, January 21, 1776. The text for his message was from the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 3:1-8,

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time
to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to
break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time
to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather
stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time
to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to
rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to
love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace . . ."

Having read this final phrase, Muhlenberg then began removing his clerical robe to reveal his continental army uniform. He then declared, "And this is the time of war!" The next day he led 300 men from his community to form the 8th Virginia Regiment.

He would later serve in both the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate. His statue stands in the U.S. Capitol in the House Rotunda.

You can read more about Rev. Peter Muhlenberg at Wikipedia here.

Senator Hillary Clinton on Faith & Forgiveness..

I have just spent the last several minutes listening to a very candid interview that Hillary Clinton gave last July concerning her faith. Though certainly I am no closer to being a supporter, I can tell you that I was encouraged by many of the things that Senator Clinton shared. She seemed to be sharing honestly and from the heart. It's worth a listen...

Steve Camp has the audio at this website. You can check it out here.

The President & Abortion...

What can the President of the United States do to protect the preborn?

Penna Dexter has written an excellent article for Baptist Press on this subject. You can read the entire article here.

Let me share a few quotes outlining just what exactly the President can do about abortion...

• The presidency provides a bully pulpit to talk about the sanctity of human life.


• Many pro-lifers believe the best way to end abortion would be to see that the constitution specifically addresses abortion beyond what it already says about the protection of life. A president could advance that cause by endorsing and promoting a human life amendment to the Constitution


• A pro-life president can make pro-life appointments. The attorney general and the Department of Justice have considerable sway over how laws advancing abortion or limiting it are enforced. And, perhaps most of all, the federal and Supreme Court judges a president nominates have a lasting impact on abortion policy and other pro-life issues in America, hopefully even overturning Roe v. Wade and its companion decision, Doe v. Bolton.


• A pro-life president can orchestrate a pro-life foreign policy. The president can instruct the U.S. delegation to the United Nations not to force pro-abortion polices on foreign countries, but instead to encourage and support pro-life activities. And the president can prevent foreign aid from being used to support abortion.


• The president can issue executive orders that protect life.


• The president can sign pro-life legislation passed by Congress.


• The president can veto pro-abortion legislation.

Let me encourage you to take a close look at the positions and voting records of each of our presidential candidates. Don't just listen to what they say--look to see what they have done.

My Single Issue...

You can read all about the Des Moines Register Poll from the source here. Governor Huckabee appears to be maintaining his lead going into the Iowa Caucuses on Thursday. It's interesting to me that the Republican establishment appears to quite opposed to the possibilility of a Huckabee nomination. You've got to wonder what they are so afraid of. Clearly they don't think that he can win against whoever the Democrats end up nominating. Fortunately, it's up to the people and not the establishment. It's quite amazing that Huckabee has done so well in Iowa. He has been outspent 20-1 by Mitt Romney and the last few weeks have been filled with a relentless attack from not only Romney but also Republican media icons like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. In spite of this full court press--Mike Huckabee leads Iowa! I don't think that the Rupublican establishment or the media really understand what motivates the conservative Christian vote. It's true that I'm a fiscal conservative interested in smaller government and lower taxes. I believe that the church and individual charities do a much better job of caring for the poor and the indigent than the federal government ever can. Yet, the most important issue for me is the issue of life vs abortion. I will work tirelessly for a truly pro-life candidate! But I will have a difficult time casting a vote for any candidate that supports or even carelessly looks the other way when babies are being killed daily in America. Yes, I am a "single-issue" voter! I am tired of candidates who simply say what I want to hear but do not have "life" as a core conviction. Of all the candidates, I believe that Mike Huckabee, at his core believes that abortion is wrong and will work to save the lives of these innocent preborn. This is how serious I am--I would support a Democrat, an Independent, or even a Libertarian who opposes abortion. It is the most important issue for me! Go Huckabee!

CBN Responds to My Question...

The following is the email response that I received from the Christian Broadcasting Network in reply to my email questioning Pat Robertson's endorsement of Rudy Guiliani:

We appreciate this opportunity to respond to you on behalf of Pat Robertson. Because of the large amount of mail received daily at CBN, Pat is not able to reply to you personally. Pat Robertson as a private citizen has recently endorsed a candidate for political office. As a private citizen he has the right to participate in the political process, and is entitled to express his personal views. CBN, as a public charity, does not support or oppose any candidate for public office, and as a result cannot address or comment further on this matter. If we can serve you in any other way, please do not hesitate to let us know. Thank you and God bless you.

The Christian Broadcasting Network
Website - http://www.blogger.com/www.cbn.com <http://www.cbn.com/> The 700 Club Prayer Counseling Center - 1-800-759-0700

Robertson is Wrong...

The Washington Post is reporting this morning that Pat Robertson intends to endorse Rudy Giuliani for president. According to the Post, "Robertson's support was coveted by several of the leading Republican candidates and provides Giuliani with a major boost as the former New York City mayor seeks to convince social conservatives that, despite his positions on abortion and gay rights, he is an acceptable choice as the GOP nominee." You can read the story here. I can only speak for myself. This "social conservative" will not support or vote for any candidate who supports the status quo when it comes to abortion rights. Life is sacred and the most defenseless humans among us, the pre-born, must be protected.

I Will Not Be Voting for...

I'm not sure at this early date who my favorite presidential candidate will end up being. I have eliminated a few contenders, however.

I will not be supporting Hillary Clinton.

I will not be supporting Mitt Romney.

I will not be supporting Rudy Giuliani.

I will not be supporting John Edwards.

I will not be supporting John McCain.

I will not be supporting Ron Paul.

I will not be supporting Barack Obama.

Polital Party Matching...

Which political party belongs to each of the four statements?

#1 The __________ Party is committed to keeping our nation safe and expanding opportunity for every American. That commitment is reflected in an agenda that emphasizes the security of our nation, strong economic growth, affordable health care for all Americans, retirement security, honest government, and civil rights.
Click here to see which party this statement belongs to.

#2 I BELIEVE the strength of our nation lies with the individual and that each person’s dignity, freedom, ability and responsibility must be honored.
I BELIEVE in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability.
I BELIEVE free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative have brought this nation opportunity, economic growth and prosperity.
I BELIEVE government must practice fiscal responsibility and allow individuals to keep more of the money they earn.
I BELIEVE the proper role of government is to provide for the people only those critical functions that cannot be performed by individuals or private organizations, and that the best government is that which governs least.
I BELIEVE the most effective, responsible and responsive government is government closest to the people.
I BELIEVE Americans must retain the principles that have made us strong while developing new and innovative ideas to meet the challenges of changing times.
I BELIEVE Americans value and should preserve our national strength and pride while working to extend peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world.
Click here to see who this statement belongs to.

#3 As ___________, we seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others.We believe that respect for individual rights is the essential precondition for a free and prosperous world, that force and fraud must be banished from human relationships, and that only through freedom can peace and prosperity be realized.Consequently, we defend each person's right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. The world we seek to build is one where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power.
Click here to see which political party owns this statement.

#4 We seek a future without war, exploitation, inequality, and poverty. We strive to build a brighter future, one based on democracy, peace, justice, equality, cooperation, and meeting human needs.
Click here to find this political party.

How did you do?

From Pastor to President?

I have been watching the gathering of Republican and Democratic candidates for president with great interest. I have to be honest--I have not been impressed! That is until today, when I was reading Tim_Ellsworth's_blog and discovered that Mike Huckabee, Governor of Arkansas, has thrown his hat into the ring. Huckabee is a former Southern Baptist pastor who seems to have a good head on his shoulders. Newsweek has an article and some video that you can see here. Governor Huckabee could be the light in the darkness for conservative Christians in the 2008 presidential election.

Reagan's Legacy...

Where would you expect to find a statue giving honor to President Ronald Reagan? California? Washington, D.C.? How about Katowice, Poland and Poland's capital, Warsaw? Both Polish cities are in the process of building tributes to the man that most Poles believe was most responsible for the fall of the Soviet Communist empire. You can read more here. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could honor our nation's heroes with the same enthusiasm? Any chance that there could one day be a statue of President George W. Bush in Afghanistan or Iraq?