Thursday, February 16, 2012

Living Proof

Living Proof

As Disciples of Christ we are all called on by the “Great Commission” to seek the lost and bring them to Christ by proclaiming the Gospel. Then we are to baptize them and teach them all the Christ has commanded us.

Some followers of Jesus do not do this because they are afraid of offending people, or doing it wrong and not being successful.  There are many reasons for not being evangelist. Fear is one of most powerful reasons given.

I remember an old saying from a preacher who mentored me in the 1960’s.

“Become living proof of God’s love, one person at a time.”

How easy is that? Simply live out the gospel life in such a way that others see Christ in your life. When they ask you about your faith you can respond to them in love. Not all of us are called on to be powerful evangelistic preachers. Some of us are called on to live the life of love quietly as witnesses of God’s love and grace.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Gambling In Kentucky?

The governor of Kentucky has been trying to get slot machines and casinos legalized in Kentucky. This is supposed to help our budget woes. There is the old argument that because states that border us have gambling [now called gaming] Kentucky money is flowing to those states.

In my mind this is NOT a good thing!

It is said that once Bugsy Siegel, who built the Las Vagas early casinos for the “mob,” was asked by a friend which games they should play and which games to avoid. His reply was, “They are all bad bets.”

The only real winners are the owners of the gambling establishments. Yes some money would flow into state coffers but you know what politicians do with more money. We already have lottery and that was suppose to solve all our state money problems and hasn’t.

There is a very real social cost in the form of the poor to see gambling as a way out of poverty and can not see that it only get them into deeper debt. There is an addictive side to gambling that creates even greater problems.

The gambling organization will keep pressure on our government and on voters by spending a lot of their profits made in other states on ads and lining the pockets of our politicians. We must resist!

Monday, February 13, 2012

Uniforms for Congress Members

A dear Texas friend Lesley sent me the following statement ---


"I think Congressmen should wear uniforms, you know, like NASCAR drivers, so we could identify their corporate sponsors."

I agree completely! We should know who is lining their pockets and paying for their re-election.
.
And perhaps single term limits would be a good idea.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

YOUR Freedom of Religion


“Whilst we assert for ourselves a freedom to embrace, to profess, and to observe the religion which we believe to be of divine origin, we can not deny an equal freedom to those whose minds have not yet yielded to the evidence which has convinced us. If this freedom be abused, it is an offence against God, not against man.”

James Madison to the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

James Madison was one of the founding fathers who pushed for the first amendment to the US Constitution  for separation of church and state. To deny equal freedom and protection to any citizen makes it possible to deny the same freedom to ourselves. This protection allows us to have leaders who come from all the different religions in this county. No leader can force his or her religious views on the rest of us. We must even allow for those who do not have any religious views or deny the existence of a deity.

This freedom of religion has made possible over three hundred Christian church groups to worship freely. It also makes possible the free worship of all non-Christian religious expressions. Every organized expression of faith can be found some where in this country. As individual citizens we each make our own personal choices and that is a very good thing.