Entitlement Programs?

I listen to public radio most of the time that I listen to radio. With the upcoming election looming large, there are many discussions happening in political debates and in conversations around the water cooler regarding Entitlement Programs such as Medicare and Social Security. Democrats largely believe that our government should captain the programs (and therefore, tax payers - Democrats would say that the wealthy should pay more in taxes..) because they don't trust the wealthy fat cats to give support to poor people. Republicans largely believe people should give to the poor outside of government influence. (Now... I know that this is generalization but that is what I believe the major political parties think.) Sometimes I get caught up in the discussions and I think, "Who's right?"

The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently (August 19, 2012) released a study of giving patterns in the United States. Here's an excerpt:

"The nation’s most-generous ZIP codes aren’t its richest. And when large numbers of rich people live in one neighborhood, their giving is even more likely to drop to well below average rates.

A new Chronicle study of tax records shows that of the top 1,000 ZIP codes that give the biggest share of income, only nine are among the nation’s 1,000 richest ZIP codes. In city after city, it’s the low-income residents who lift giving levels."

So it would seem as if the Democrats are right - a valid way to get the wealthy to contribute to the people that need it is to force them to by collecting taxes and then distributing it to those that need it.

But wait! The study also looked at states that voted for McCain (red states) and ones that voted for Obama (blue states) and found that the top 8 states giving to charity were red states and the lowest 7 states giving to charity were blue states. In fact, only 6 of the top 20 states were blue states and only 6 of the bottom 20 states were red.

What does this say? Republicans voluntarily give more but are not as wealthy as Democrats? Now I'm really confused...

It's time for me to go to my SOURCE... the one that helps my understand the larger picture than what's happening in the US of A here and now... the Bible!

I read in Deuteronomy 15:

The Year for Canceling Debts

At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. ² This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. ³ You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. ⁴ However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, ⁵ if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. ⁶ For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you. 

⁷ If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. ⁸ Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. ⁹ Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelites and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. ¹⁰ Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. ¹¹ There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land. 

What I get out of this that pertains to the Entitlement discussion is:

•  I NEED to give to those in need - it is a reflection of the blessings of God - the more I'm blessed, the more I should (and can) give. 
• The amount that I'm to give is not defined by what I want to give - it is defined by what the person in need NEEDS. Wow! What if that's more than what I feel comfortable in giving!
• I should not be hardhearted or tightfisted about it.
• If I don't give to them what they need - it is SIN!
• If I do this...God promises that He will bless me in ALL my work and EVERYTHING I put my hand to... WOW!

SO... Who's RIGHT? The Democrats... The Republicans... I believe that there may not be a CORRECT choice as far as God is concerned because God is most concerned with what is in your heart and the actions - no matter which they are - are directed by your heart to love and serve our God! Below is what Jesus had to say about it and below that are 24 verses that refer to what's in our heart...

The Greatest Commandment

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.³⁰ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ³¹ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

1. Deuteronomy 4:29
   
2. Deuteronomy 6:5
   
3. Deuteronomy 10:12
   
4. Deuteronomy 11:13
   
5. Deuteronomy 13:3
   
6. Deuteronomy 26:16
   
7. Deuteronomy 30:2
   
8. Deuteronomy 30:6
   
9. Deuteronomy 30:10
   
10. Joshua 22:5
    
11. Joshua 23:14
    
12. 1 Samuel 7:3
    
13. 1 Samuel 12:20
    
14. 1 Samuel 12:24
    
15. Proverbs 3:5
    
16. Proverbs 4:4
    
17. Jeremiah 29:13
    
18. Joel 2:12
    
19. Zephaniah 3:14
    
20. Matthew 22:37
    
21. Mark 12:30
    
22. Mark 12:33
    
23. Luke 10:27
    
24. Colossians 3:23
    

God's Universe

This is God's universe and He does things His way.

You may have a better way - but you don't have a universe!

Bloody Sweat and Tears

Reading John 17....

I think about this time for Jesus…on the Mount of Olives…knowing what is to come – earthly pain followed by a descendance into Hell(!) and then a brief time again on earth and then ascendance into Heaven. The first two trips sound like not so much fun…cause for stress and angst…An angel appeared and strengthened him (Luke 22:43) and his sweat like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). Wow, I’m not sure if he was just praying hard or whether Jesus was anxious. I like to think that he felt as I would feel and how I often feel – anxious! Jesus’ earthly companions were absolutely no help…no one to talk to or get strength from…they were sleeping! (Luke 22:45).

I then look at the substance of Jesus’ prayer he was praying so hard – prays for himself, his disciples, and all believers. My prayer for myself sounds miserably small and short of the mark. One like…”Father, please help me…tomorrow is a big day…help me to stay strong and complete the mission”. Jesus instead prays “Glorify me so I can glorify You! You know better than I that this is all so people can have eternal life…what is eternal life… it is knowing You and me! So again, glorify me in Your presence with the same glory I had before the world began”    Uh, wow again! Pretty much by my limited mind, creating the world and everything we know (and don’t know i.e. space, world, animals, people, etc) seems like the most glorious thing ever – yet Jesus points to how important this moment is – it is just like making everything from scratch – yeah, THAT glorious!

Then Jesus prays for his disciples – he knows that they know who Jesus is…Jesus knows that the disciples know God…Jesus asks God to protect the disciples so they will be one like Jesus and God are One….that’s how we are supposed to be…ONE. Jesus doesn’t ask that the disciples would leave the world…only that they be protected from the evil one. That’s something I don’t think of much – how do I need to be protected from the evil one… in what ways? Jesus also asks that God set the disciples apart for sacred use…sanctify…Jesus sets himself apart for sacred use so that his disciples can be set aside, too.

Finally Jesus prays for all believers….again Jesus prays that believers will be one as Jesus and God are One…and that all believers can be “in them”. This next part is cool to me – Jesus wants the believers to know that God loves them just as much as He loves Jesus! Jesus want us to be with him and to see the glory God gave Jesus…the same glory as when everything was made?!

Lots to “hear” here. 

once a cheater, always a cheater

Most of us have heard the phrase "once a cheater, always a cheater". Some of us have said the phrase and I would guess, most of us believe it... to some degree. It is a little piece of worldly wisdom...it means to me - "Look at the past of a person and beware, what they've done previously - they'll do again". It is logical and I've employed this regularly throughout my life.

This morning I was thinking about grace (giving others what they do not deserve)... I also read the following:

Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

...and the parable of the lost son (below).

I began to realize the greatness of God...To Him, "once a cheater, always a cheater" does not exist. It is possible for us to transform! Not be what we were! Now...Let me also say that I do not think I am supposed to deny what I was and what I've done...God doesn't! I see two messages from God to me that I will share with you.

For those struggling with their past...maybe sins, maybe actions, shame, abuse, etc.:
You do not have to be the person you were forever...When you... (Mark 12:30)  "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength", you will be transformed! Not of the same form...different - more and more like Jesus! You are not what you were...

For those that are transforming:
You do not need to be ashamed of your past. You are not what you were...but...you know that God is in full control of our lives. He knows what you did and who you were, and, He - the King of kings - is not ashamed of you! He wants you to use your past to relate, give grace, and love others so they can see the fullness of God's grace and love!

Thank Jesus, who removes our sins, for the grace extended to us so that the saying " "once a cheater, always a cheater" does not have to describe us!

Luke 15:11-32

 The Parable of the Lost Son

 ¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.    ¹³ “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
   ¹⁷ “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.
   “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
   ²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
   ²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
   ²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
   ²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
   ³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

I've got my gift all picked out!

So Black Friday has come and gone... and .... to be honest... I'm dismayed at our addiction to things. We (I'm just speaking for what I see going on around me and in America) are so addicted that we cannot even see how bad it really is. I'm one of several million people that watched several other million people crawl all over items in a store like hungry fire ants and said "Whew! That's crazy! At least I'm not like that..."

But is it true? Do I not desire a vacation with the family (I mean that's basically something that is a necessity...right?)? How about a computer for the kids to do homework? My wife and kids need new clothes....

... or so I think. It is my addiction to things...fueled by all those around me. We're in it together...enabling each other with comforting thoughts like... "I'm not like so-and-so, they are SO materialistic". Please don't get me wrong I'm in no way saying that material things are inherently bad... God delights in providing material things for His children.... What I'm saying is I see in me...around me... in our country, a focus on the material and not a focus on God. It is a matter of where my heart is... where our hearts are.

So this year, starting now... in this Advent season... (yes Advent started quietly maybe silently in comparison to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday reporting by the media...) to change my heart and focus it toward God and the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ!

I would like to propose a prayer for all Christians this holiday season. I would ask that we pray for God to prepare something special in our hearts...that we HEAR His call, are WILLING to respond, and are immediately OBEDIENT to act. I pray that it is our LOVE for each other as followers of Christ and LOVE for others that they see and are drawn to know more about our Creator!  

It is this gift...the free gift of salvation, I pray has the biggest impact this Christmas!

Christopher B

This is for a premie baby, Christopher B - my cousins son - who passed away this weekend. His time on earth was short but he was able to connect people to God...interesting work for a human 27 weeks premature. This is a post from the Caring Bridge journal my cousin posted (I did not ask permission, but I'm hoping that since the journal is public, she won't mind). I love the way that when God gives you a glimpse of Him....you see SO much....

"A friend from monument came to visit me and Christopher yesterday. Like everyone, she was speechless in his presence, not even attempting to find words to describe the experience. We marveled at Christopher and all of his little victories and shared some good conversation. As she got ready to leave she said, "Well, I'm gonna go home and tell my husband that I saw God today." My eyes opened wide and I looked at her with glassy eyes. "You know, its a country song...George Strait sings it." I told her that I'd never heard the song, but that I LOVED that expression used in relation to seeing Christopher, and that I would go home and listen to it right away.

Once home, there were too many things to do so, of course, I forgot to ever listen to the song. But I was able to pull it up on my IPOD as I drove to the hospital this morning. The chorus says "I've been to church and I've read the book, I know He's here, but sometimes I just don't look..." I was suddenly overwhelmed with how appropro the verse was. It's easy to get caught up in our days of work, school, dishes, laundry, gossip, news, and headlines. We get distracted from seeing God right in front of us...until something, or someone, like Christopher comes along.

Not only did I see God today in the purest, tiniest miracle of Christopher, but I saw Him in the SCHWANNS delivery man who showed up yesterday with several frozen dinners, paid for by friends from Denver. I saw God in my neighbor who knocked on our door last night and asked if she could plant our trying-to-survive-but-really-dying mums. I saw God in the hundreds of beautiful emails and texts we've received over the course of the last few days. I saw God in the nurse who gave Christopher the gentlest bath I've ever seen. I saw God in my fifteen and sixteen year old daughters who came to visit their brother today before going to school.

Truly, I am overwhelmed at the magnitude in which I see God, working in ALL our lives through the birth of this tiny person. An entire community coming together with such love and support...there is no doubt in my mind who's hand is behind this...God's!"

Rest in peace little Christopher B...

1 is More Than 99?

The right thing to do is not always the most logical...that is what I've been thinking about lately. Strategic planning sessions, lawyers, savvy CEO's, mentors and friends alike often give advice for the right thing to do often based on logistics...probability of something happening and providing a risk assessment. Then the "correct" answer is the one that limits risk and/or has the best probability of happening. I've given advice based on these concepts.

In Isaiah 55: 8-9 God says: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." 

Good thing... Jesus told a parable about a lost sheep in Mathew 18: 12-13 "What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off."

That does not seem to make logical sense...why leave ninety-nine to go get one ? Why be so happy about it? I've been taught in school and logical thinking as an engineer that that is a stupid move...Yeah...God's ways are not my ways... I want them to be...I want to be happy I found one when I just left ninety-nine. So often I'm busting my hump to corral the remaining ninety-nine so I don't lose any more! That's the logical thing, right? It doesn't cross my mind that I should go after the one!

I am even worse than that, though... You see... I expect Jesus to come after me when I am the one out of ninety-nine that is alone. I feel like the man that brought his son that was possessed to Jesus and Jesus says that everything is possible for those that believe...the next is my favorite..."Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”...the story can be found in Mark 9:14-32.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father that You sent Your Son after the one! Thank you that each of us can identify with that one and that we can experience Your love. Please help me, Lord to better understand Your ways and help me to go after the one....even when it is not the logical thing to do!