So America is up for alot of Change apparently. Or at least that's the word. Congrats Obama.

A note to all Christians. (If you're not a Christian then I suppose you don't claim the Bible as any kind of authority, so alot of this note would be rather meaningless to you).


"Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resists will bring judgement on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear teh sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor." Rom 13:1-7

"Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to the governors, as to punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will og God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men-- as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." 1 Peter 2:11017

That being said, in America we have been given by our government, the freedom (and duty) to let our voices be heard.

Our president elect, is a big supporter of a womens ability to chose whether or not to carry a child to term, or to terminate the child. This is an abhorrance. If you think you have a defensable position to say how it's ok for a woman to be free to chose if her child lives or dies, then I'd like to hear it. If you think that loving a young girl who is struggling with the question of whether or not to kill her child, or one who has already, I completely agree with you. We need to love them. But that still does not wash the blood from your hands if you keep silent, or remain inactive about getting abortion made illegal. Loving that girl, will not bring justice to the fact that she, and her doctor took innocent life. Forgiveness needs to be given, love needs to be shown, but we still need to do what we can given the rights given to us by our government to get the government ban this practice. At the very least you need to make your voice heard to so that hospitals are mandated to take care of children who survive an attempted murder.

Here in michigan we just voted yes on a proposal to fund more embryonic stem cell research. For those of you who have heard the promises made by supporters. Let me tell you somthing, embryonic stem cell research hasn't made good on any promises yet. Adult stem cell reasearch has already proven it's worth. Many things are being fixed using adult stem cells, and it doesn't even involve the cannibalizing our children. We need to have our voice heard here.

On the issue of gay marriage. Think for a second what marriage is.

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband." Eph 5:22-33

Marriage is a representation of the relationship Christ has with His church. Don't mock it! Don't let it be mocked! A mockery of marriage is a mockery of the relationship Christ has with His church. And if you're a Christian, you're eternity hinges on that relationship.

Are we to love homosexuals? Yes. Are we to ever say that their sin is any more (or less) acceptable than any other sin? No. If you think you are loving someone when you do not warn them against sinning and bringing more judgement on themselves, you're not. Love may bear no records of wrong....but it also chastens, and will give warning to prevent unrighteousness.

Love people out of their sins. And at the same time, let your voice be heard in an effort to prevent the mockery marriage.



Obama has made alot of promises, and many of them sound good. But really start to think about them. Really think hard if they do infact help you to follow Christ closer. And also think about how you can best address the bad things this guy supports. Act within what is right and good. Be respectful and when this guy takes office, give him the honor due him. He will be our President, and God will have put him in that position. However, Obama can still act outside of the will of God, and with the rights given us as citizens of this country we need to push that Obama would keep himself accountable to God. Use your voice to do this.

But more importantly, pray for the guy. Pray God grants him wisdom. Pray that he acts, and judges righteously. Pray that, this one party controlled government keeps itself checked and balanced and in line with God.



one last tidbit, If you're not a strict covenant theologian in your escatology.....you really ought to be praying hard for how Obama supports Israel.


{Edit: two more thoughts. 1. If you didn't vote for Obama and are upset, watch you bitterness. Don't let it consume you, don't let it rule over you. Being upset is fine, acting sinfully because of it is not. I'm guilty of this too. 2. If you are extremely excited for Obama's win. Make sure you're showing grace to those who arn't. Don't get puffed up and let pride blind you to some ligitimate concerns that are bothering other people.}

Anyway, so the mens group at my church has been going over the book of Romans. Recently we've gone through chptrs 12 and 13. Read 'em, it'll be good for ya.....infact read the whole book. Anyway, chapter 12 has a good deal to say about how we as Christians are supposed to live. (funny I just typed 'live as love'....that's in there too). How we are supposed to act as citizens and followers of Christ. Getting into chapter 13 it opens up talking about how we are supposed to submit to the authorities above us, and that no authority is set up that God didn't put there. Now the Bible doesn't have alot of details that I'm aware of too many passages telling us how a government ought to be run...I mean I have a couple references listed under my political views....but lets be honest the Bible wasn't written to an audiance that was made up mostly of governmental officials. It was written to those under that kind of authority. So we have to just take what we're given and decide what a good government looks like, while submitting to what ever one we happen to be under.

All that being said, I'd like to point out that Romans 13 does make clear that governments are set up to deter and punnish people who are thinking of doing, who are doing, or have done evil. That is one thing we know governments are for. It also lets us know that (if you catch the tail end of chpt 12 and don't stop at the chapter break) governments flat out have authority to use capital punnishment (but that's a bit of an aside).

Now, a big topic in Christian circles as this election year is heating up is one about issues relating to social justice. Which canidate will be better (I say neither of the canidates are all that great...). But here's that thing....which part of social justice are you thinking they need to preform?

I'd say if you want them to stop those who opress, and bring them to justice, I'd say from reading those passages you'd be in the right mind set. Though if you want them to go and heal all the wounds left from that opression...I'd say....I don't think you can pull that from the Bible. Now wait a second, I figure some of you are saying "but didn't Jesus even tell us to take care of the poor, etc.?" And I say exactly! We are supposed to take care of the poor. I think if you reach into your own wallet, while I reach into mine, and we both start putting more money into the benevolant offereing when the church passes the plate around then we'll be better living as God told us to.

Government was established by God so that it would have authority from Him that He did not want everyone to have....because that would be chaos. We are not supposed to carry out vengence or wrath upon people ourselves, that authority is given to our leaders. However we have been given the responisbility to take care of those around us by providing for their needs. Though I do not see the governments of this world tasked with that same responsibility to the same degree. I think their first responsibility is protection of their people and keeping order. If there is a surplus of resources then at that point a good leader would give some back to the people if they were in extreeme need. But I think God has charged us with taking care of those kinds of needs first, and has charged our governments with the responsibilities of using that special authority He gave them first.


and just to be a punk I put this last part in. Abortion is an important issue in considering electing people, as it is an injustice of the type the government has authority to and ought to be taking care of. Universal health care is not. That's OUR job to be seeing to. If you are truely convicted that everyone should get all the healthcare they need, quit asking the government to do your job, and start giving out of your own pocket. Man up to your responsibilities.