Has Mitt Romney become a climate-change skeptic?

Has Mitt Romney become a climate-change skeptic?
The GOP presidential frontrunner always said that man-made pollution played a role in global warming. Has he suddenly changed his mind?


GOP presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney's climate change beliefs have been called into question after he told a Republican audience that "we don't know" what's causing our planet to heat up.
Once again, Mitt Romney is being accused of flip-flopping. As governor of Massachusetts, and later as a 2008 GOP presidential candidate, the Republican said he believed that man-made pollution was contributing to a planetary warming trend. But on the campaign trail last week, Romney seemed to soften that stance, saying that "we don't know what's causing climate change," and "the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us." Has Romney decided that the scientific consensus on climate change is wrong?

Romney has slowly morphed into a climate-change denier: Many people now say that "Romney has flipped on climate change," says Josh Petri at Talking Points Memo. But he didn't do it overnight. The change over the last several months has been almost imperceptible. Before he hit the campaign trail in earnest, Romney said people were at least partly responsible for climate change. By August, he was sidestepping the issue, saying "he's no scientist." And now, Romney's view is that "we don't know" the cause. As flip-flops go, it's a "very slow" one.
"Romney's very slow flip-flop on climate change"

This is not a big change: Sure, in these latest comments, Romney didn't "specifically mention that he believed humans are partially responsible for climate change," says Katrina Trinko in National Review. But that doesn't mean he's renounced that view. Romney has always "been careful to stress how little is known about what causes climate change and how he himself is uncertain over how much of it is caused by humans." Doesn't sound like much has changed.
"Romney and climate change"

Romney's position remains "squishy": Romney might be trying to sound less "reasonable" to win over conservative climate-change deniers, says Kate Sheppard at Mother Jones. But the truth is that he has "been squishy on climate [change] for a long time." His line about how the science isn't clear is a dog whistle that tells global warming deniers that Romney is on their side. That's Mitt's trademark: "He says things that sound vaguely reasonable," then "when it comes time to actually take action, he jumps ship."
"Sorry guys, Mitt has always been squishy on climate"
via: The Week

Which Mitt Romney Will You Be For Halloween?

Columbia, SC — Are you having a hard time deciding who to be for Halloween? Why not go as Mitt Romney? Like the “Man of a Thousand Faces,” Mitt is the Man of a Thousand Positions.
Pick one, dress up as Mitt, and you are guaranteed that no two Mitt costumes will be the same.
South Carolina Democratic Chairman, Dick Harpootlian, released the following statement in response to the newest SCDP video:
“Mitt Romney looks in the mirror every morning and sees a stranger. Pro-choice Mitt wouldn’t recognize Pro-life Mitt,” Harpootlian said.
“Universal Healthcare Mitt would run from Anti Healthcare Mitt like Jamie Lee Curtis did from the Halloween slasher. Republicans are welcoming Mitt in South Carolina today, we just wonder which one will show up.”
Which Mitt Romney will you be for Halloween?

(This is just a first showing of how vulnerable Mitt Romney is in the general election. Should we be looking for another choice? Yes! Uh, I mean...No! Uh, well, what I meant to say was, uh...)

Kingdom Quotes: A Defeated Enemy by Henry Blackaby

A Defeated Enemy

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Colossians 2:15

Christians are not called to defeat Satan. God has already done that in Christ! Nor is it our mandate to “bind” Satan. Jesus has already set limits on the extent and duration of Satan’s freedom. Satan, “our ancient foe,” was decisively and completely defeated by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and in His resurrection. With regard to Satan, our assignment is to trust in the victory that Christ already achieved and daily resist him with the truth of his defeat, as Jesus did.

Satan is the father of lies and a master deceiver (John 8:44). If he can convince you that God has not defeated him, then you will not experience Jesus’ victory. You will find yourself fighting battles that Christ has already won! You will fear Satan though he has already been utterly and humiliatingly defeated. Your responsibility is to resist Satan, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). When you resist him, you are acknowledging that Jesus has defeated him and given you victory over his influence. God has provided you with spiritual armor that is more than sufficient to withstand any assault by Satan (Eph. 6:10-20).

Christians can become preoccupied with battling Satan. This deceives them to invest their time and energy attempting to do something that Christ has already done for them. If Satan can divert you to wage a warfare that has already ended in surrender, he will have eliminated your effectiveness where God wants you. Fearing Satan is fearing a prisoner of war. You have no need or calling to defeat Satan; you need only to apply Christ’s victory in every area of your life and to live the victorious Christian life.

From Holocaust to Hope - the 180 movie

America in Decline by Bill O'Reilly

According to a new poll by The Hill newspaper, 69 percent of Americans now believe the USA is in "decline." In addition, a whopping 83 percent indicate they are worried about America's future.

Very sobering. So what's going on?

If you study history, you know that America was built on self-reliance and personal achievement. In the early years of the Republic, the federal and state governments pretty much stayed out of the way as folks built businesses and communities. There were absolutely no public safety nets. If you failed, it was up to you to survive.

Because of that circumstance, the citizens of America became strong. The motto "Don't Tread On Me" was absolutely appropriate. Hardship was accepted as a part of life. Self-sacrifice for the good of others was the order of the day. Cowardice and narcissism were condemned everywhere.

And so the world's greatest and strongest country was built. Not by pinheaded bureaucrats, but by the blood and sacrifice of hardworking folks. Each generation had strong role models to follow. There were rules of conduct, and there was a dominant Judeo-Christian signpost. As Superman well knew, it was "truth, justice and the American way."

But things have changed.

The collapse of tradition began in the late 1960s when the Vietnam War raged. For the first time, Americans could see the horrors of combat in their living rooms. And that war was largely undefined, especially for younger people. What the heck was the USA doing in Southeast Asia? Why were young men being drafted into a conflict few understood? In order to win any war, you need dynamic leadership. President Lyndon Johnson failed to provide it.

Out went the baby with the bath water. In came drugs, free love and a suspicion of authority. No longer was the United States a noble nation in the eyes of many of its own citizens who began to see their country as an oppressor.

America became a divided nation. Traditions eroded quickly, as many people began doing their "own thing." No longer was there a widely accepted code of conduct.

Self-reliance remained the key to success in our capitalistic system, but for those who declined to compete, the federal government stepped in to lend support. As the family structure collapsed, entitlements became more common, as children and single mothers had to be supported. The vexing issues of racial inequality and persistent poverty brought about ultra-expensive social engineering. Liberal Americans looked to the Western European model of cradle-to-grave support as a panacea for "income inequality." The view that Washington has a moral obligation to provide a decent lifestyle for everyone took root.

That philosophy, currently embraced by President Obama, has led to massive debt, which, in turn, has created chaos in the private marketplace. In this world, a strong economic base is the foundation of power. America has lost that base.

And so, once again, the folks are right. The United States is in decline. And only we the people can reverse that. We have to depend on ourselves.

via: Townhall - (pssst...I added the cartoons. - Cliff)

Wow: George Will Savages Mitt Romney - by Guy Benson

Politico lands a sneak preview of George F. Will's weekend column, and leaks out a single, powerful paragraph.  Suffice it to say that Will -- a card-carrying member of the elite Beltway conservative establishment -- has a very, very low opinion of Mitt Romney as the possible GOP presidential nominee.  Brutal:

Romney, supposedly the Republican most electable next November, is a recidivist reviser of his principles who is not only becoming less electable, he might damage GOP chances of capturing the Senate: Republican successes down the ticket will depend on the energies of the tea party and other conservatives, who will be deflated by a nominee whose blurry profile in caution communicates only calculated trimming. Republicans may have found their Michael Dukakis, a technocratic Massachusetts governor who takes his bearings from ‘data’ ... Has conservatism come so far, surmounting so many obstacles, to settle, at a moment of economic crisis, for THIS?

Using ALL CAPS to drive home a point is an abused play in the blogosphere, but it is rarely, if ever, employed by the staid Washington Post columnist.  Couple that abberation with his Dukakis comparison, and it's pretty clear that Will's disaste for Romney is unusually visceral.  We'll have to wait until Sunday to see if Will uses the balance of his column to promote another candidate, but his scathing assessment of Romney is newsworthy enough to merit its own discussion.  The Examinerpoints out that a key ingredient to Romney's steady momentum is widespread ignorance among Republican voters about his signature Massachusetts healthcare law:

Among those Republicans who actually expressed an opinion on Romneycare, the results weren't even close: 23 percent said they had an unfavorable view of the law, compared with just 3 percent who had a positive view. That's a nearly 8 to 1 margin of opposition to the law that was Romney's signature legislative accomplishment as governor. What's working to Romney's advantage, however, is that a whopping 70 percent of Republicans surveyed said they didn't know enough about the law to have an opinion. (Among all Americans, it was even higher at 76 percent.)

As I've written on numerous occasions, MassCare is a gaping chink in Romney's formidable electoral armor, yet few of his Republican opponents have even attempted to vigorously exploit it.  It's baffling.  According to recent polls, the former Massachusetts Governor leads in the first five primary and caucus states.  If someone really to separate himself from the pack and emerge Romney's top challenger, mounting a relentless voter education campaign on Romneycare could go a long way to overturning the apple cart.  But that would involve a lot more than lobbing in an ad or two, or briefly raising the issue in debates.  The 'anti-Romney' must become as acquainted with the details of the healthcare law as Romney is, and fashion very specific and detailed critiques.  He must be prepared to puncture Romney's slick four-point response and effectively articulate why this issue matters.  Is anyone up to that challenge?

UPDATE - The same healthcare poll shows Obamacare plummeting to an all-time low in public support:

Only 34% of Americans now support Obamacare, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation monthly tracking poll. The previous low was 39% back in August of this year. The law's popularity peaked at 50% in July of 2010. A bare majority, 51%, now have an unfavorable view of the law, the highest percentage ever.

I wonder if this has anything to do with the public's continued loss of confidence.  Democrats aren't worried, though.  They'll just ban the term "Obamacare," blame everything on the "Republican Congress," and everything will be just fine.  Party of ideas.

via: Townhall

Common Threads between Islam and Mormonism - Michael Youssef

A number of years ago, I was on Larry King Live and was asked point blank if I had a problem with the appointments of Justices Roberts and Alito (both areRoman Catholics). My answer was very clear that I did not, as long as they shared my own conviction of upholding the Constitution — not trying to rewrite it — and as long as they were committed to the biblical values of the Founding Fathers. I was certain that both men were.

Many people today are quoting a statement reputedly made by Martin Luther, the great reformer, that he “would rather be ruled by a competent Turk (a Muslim) than an incompetent Christian.” First of all, there is no evidence whatsoever that Martin Luther ever said these words. But even if he did say them, it would have been a gross exaggeration used to make a point. He never lived under a Muslim ruler and did not know what that would be like. But I did. And I can tell you, there is no such thing as choosing between Muslim and non-Muslim leaders under Islam.

In America, we have the great privilege of choosing candidates based on our core values, rather than how they identify with our theological point of view.

In looking at some of the candidates for the 2012 election, one cannot help but notice the controversies that have arisen regarding the Mormon religion. As I considered Luther’s quote and the concerns regarding electing a Mormon president, I noticed some peculiar similarities between the Mormon faith and Islam as they relate to orthodox Christianity.

It's hard to believe that two religions that are worlds apart geographically have so many things in common. Here are some examples:

1. Both believe that Christianity was corrupt and incomplete until their respective founders came on the scene. For Islam, it was Muhammad; for Mormons, it was Joseph Smith.

2. They both have their own book of “sacred scripture.” While both tip their hats to the Bible, each see God’s Word as insufficient by itself. Both Islam and Mormonism use many biblical themes, narratives and personalities. But the Qur’an draws heavily from the apocryphal books rather than the authoritative cannon of the Bible.

3. In both cases, Islam and Mormonism see their religion as complete within itself. Above all, both repudiate biblical Christianity and identify orthodox Christianity as a false faith.

4. Both religions reject the doctrine of the Trinity. The Mormon’s concept of god includes many gods, not just one. Muslims view god as one, but as an aloof, remote god who could never become a man or relate to humanity. Allah can have mercy if he wants to, but he is also a cunning god.

5. Both religions reject the Bible as the sole and sufficient authority of faith. For Mormons, the Book of Mormon and other writings of the Latter Day Saints represent God’s final revelation. For Muslims, the Qur’an and the Sunna (traditions of Muhammad) constitute God’s final authoritative word.

6. They both reject the biblical teaching of original sin. Muslims believe Adam did not become completely depraved after disobeying God; he merely slipped but quickly recovered. Therefore to Muslims, humanity does not need redemption. Salvation in Islam is very uncertain, even when keeping the Five Tenants of Islam; although some teach that jihad will help in that quest for salvation. Mormons believe that they are not condemned by what many call “original sin.” In other words, they are not accountable for Adam’s transgression in the Garden of Eden.

Here are two questions Christians must ask when considering political candidates:

First, has the candidate been consistent in his/her political and moral values, or is he/she pandering? Second, has the candidate upheld their philosophical convictions throughout their public and private life, or did they change their political convictions to suit their audience?

All believers need to be good stewards and spend time in deep prayer before exercising their right to vote. God will give us wisdom so that we will not be persuaded by the slickest and the cleverest. We can trust Him to help us choose those who have proven core values.

Tea Party or Occupy Wall Street?

Christians Need Not Apply - by David Cortman

How exactly do we move from a nation whose founders and first public servants included many Christians, to a place where Christians are no longer fit to participate in public life? Because if the “Freedom From Religion Foundation” (FFRF) has their way, that’s exactly what our country will look like.

Let’s take a recent example. A school district in Texas implements a “character initiative” program for its students and decides to include an assembly on that same topic. Sounds pretty good so far, so what is the problem? Of all the people that it could possibly invite to speak, whom does it choose? A Christian group called “The Seven Project.”

This is nothing less than a constitutional crisis, according to the FFRF.

How could Christians possibly have anything relevant to say about character? And by the way, this objection is not even about the assembly itself being religious, the school district ensured that it would not be. The objection, as expressed in FFRF’s own words, is: “regardless of the motives of the presenters, allowing a Christian organization access to your student body gives the appearance that Northwest IDS endorses the program’s message.” But if the program has a secular message of character development, where is the objection?

Ok, let’s try again. The FFRF goes on to say that “it would have taken only a cursory glance at the Seven Project’s website to verify its religious agenda.” Now we got it. Because the group is Christian, they should be automatically disqualified from ever presenting at any school. After all, if they identify as a Christian organization, and have a Christian agenda, it must be unconstitutional to allow them to speak.

Or is the FFRF turning the constitution on its head? Is it permissible to disqualify someone from public service simply because of their faith? Not a chance. This idea is so radical, so distorted, that there have been few cases that even discuss the concept. One was heard by the Supreme Court several decades ago.

You see, in Tennessee there was a law that prohibited ministers of the Gospel from serving as delegates. Sound like a familiar theme? The Court had no problem striking down the law as unconstitutional and stating that the prohibition “effectively penalizes the free exercise of constitutional liberties.” So too does FFRF’s request.

With no evidence of any impropriety, FFRF demands that the school disinvite the Seven Project from speaking at the assembly merely because they are a religious group. But what would the FFRF say if a school refused to invite an atheist to speak on character just because they were atheist? Yep, they’d be crying that it was a constitutional violation. Can anyone say double standard?

FFRF is one of the most far-left radical groups in our country, and one of the most aggressive religious censors. They send out threatening letters to schools across the country on a regular basis. They wish to impose their (religious) atheistic views on the rest of us, while crying foul anytime a Christian worldview – or even a Christian – is involved. Their lack of “tolerance” and lack of attention to the actual facts of many situations exposes their true agenda – as stated in their own words – “Imagine no religion.”

David Cortman
David Cortman serves as senior legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund at its Atlanta Regional Service Center in Georgia, where he heads litigation efforts to defend and reclaim the First Amendment rights of public school students across the nation. Cortman joined ADF in 2005, and is admitted to the bar in Georgia, Florida, and the District of Columbia. He has practiced law since 1996 and graduated magna cum laude from the Regent University School of Law, where he earned his J.D.

via townhall.com

Sing us a song of flip-flops, Mitty! (cartoons)

How Can Joel Osteen Say Mormons Are Christians? - Dr. Albert Mohler

How Can Joel Osteen Say Mormons Are Christians?

9:37AM EDT 10/27/2011 DR. ALBERT MOHLER

Joel Osteen (AP Images/Pat Sullivan)

Here we go again. Joel Osteen is in the news once again, this time for saying that Mormonism is just another form of Christianity. Osteen, pastor of “America’s largest church,” as the media repeats over and over, was speaking to The Washington Times in an interview that covered a variety of issues. It was the quintessential Joel on display.

Speaking to the newspaper on Monday, Osteen said, “I see faith in America at an all-time high.” His comments came just as a major research project detailed a significant loss of vitality in America’s Christian congregations. That loss of vitality can be traced, among other things, to a loss of theological and biblical conviction. Joel, of course, is proof positive that you can build a crowd without building a church. He is not inclined to deal in much theological conviction.

In the interview, he distilled his message in these words: “Part of our core message is that seasons change, and when you believe, if you don’t get bitter, and you don’t get discouraged, you may not change overnight, but you can get peace.”

He also told the newspaper: “People need to be reminded that every day is a gift from God, and bloom where you’re planted and be happy where you are, and to make that choice to get up every day and be grateful.”

That message includes some truth, of course—but it doesn’t even come close to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hell will be filled with people who bloomed where they were planted.

On Mormonism, Joel said:

“I believe that [Mormons] are Christians. ... I don’t know if it’s the purest form of Christianity, like I grew up with. But you know what, I know Mormons. I hear Mitt Romney—and I’ve never met him—but I hear him say, ‘I believe Jesus is the Son of God,’ ‘I believe he’s my Savior,’ and that’s one of the core issues.

“I’m sure there are other issues that we don’t agree on. But you know, I can say that the Baptists and the Methodists and the Catholics don’t all agree on everything. So that would be my take on it.”

Osteen just stated his belief that Mormons are Christians. He then expressed the thought that Mormonism “might not be the purest form of Christianity, like I grew up with,” but he affirmed Mormon statements that Jesus is the Son of God and that He is Savior.

Evaluating Osteen’s boyhood understanding of Christianity would be a project unto itself, given the shifting theology of his preacher father, the late John Osteen.

The main point of concern in Joel’s latest comment is the lack of any biblical standard of judgment and the total abdication of theological responsibility. He relegates doctrinal disagreements between Christians and Mormons to the status of theological debates between Protestant denominations and then includes Roman Catholicism. There are plenty of issues there, and the issues are not the same when comparing Baptists to Methodists, on the one hand, and Protestants and Roman Catholics, on the other. Comparing any form of Trinitarian orthodoxy with Mormonism is another class of question altogether.

Joel reminded the paper’s staff that he has never attended seminary. This is true, of course, but there are thousands of preachers who never had the opportunity to attend seminary who have a sufficient grasp of and commitment to biblical truth that would prevent such carelessness.

By now, it is clear that Joel Osteen’s carelessness is deliberate and calculated. This is not the first time that he has encountered the question of Mormonism. Back in 2007, he told Chris Wallace of FOX News that Mormons are indeed Christians:

“Well, in my mind they are. Mitt Romney has said that he believes in Christ as his Savior, and that’s what I believe, so, you know, I’m not the one to judge the little details of it. So I believe they are.”

The little details of it? Mormonism does not differ from historic biblical Christianity in only the “little details,” and a faithful Mormon would be the first to point this out. Mormonism begins with a plurality of gods, not with the monotheism of the Bible. Jesus Christ is an exalted man—not the incarnate Word. The list of categorical doctrinal differences continues throughout the entire belief system.

The very essence of Mormonism is the claim that historic Christianity is fundamentally in error, and that true Christianity did not exist on earth from the time of the Apostles until Joseph Smith. Mormonism can hardly be charged with hiding their movement’s teachings—the Book of Mormonand the other fundamental texts of the Latter-day Saints are published in plain sight.

In a remarkable exchange with Chris Wallace, Osteen muddied the waters further:

WALLACE: So, for instance, when people start talking about Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, and the golden tablets in upstate New York, and God assumes the shape of a man, do you not get hung up in those theological issues?

OSTEEN: I probably don’t get hung up in them because I haven’t really studied them or thought about them. And you know, I just try to let God be the judge of that. I mean, I don’t know.

Here we face a fundamental dilemma. When Joel Osteen hears a summary of Mormon belief that mentions God assuming “the shape of a man,” does he lack the theological discernment to hear how that differs from biblical Christianity, or does it not concern him? In other words, does Joel not know, or does Joel not care?

In the end, we have to conclude that he does not care enough to know, and that is the greater tragedy for a Christian minister. He doesn’t “get hung up” on doctrinal issues, nor has he “really studied them or thought about them.” His own words indict him.

Evangelical Christians are going to face many questions in this season, and the question of Mormonism is now front and center. It will call upon all of us to do what Joel Osteen proudly has not done—to study and think about these issues. In this political moment, we will have to think carefully and act judiciously without confusing the theological questions. We will need the full wealth of Christian conviction.

We will also need deep doctrinal discernment mixed with urgent spiritual concern. The Latter-day Saints include some of the most wonderful and kind people we will ever meet. They put a great emphasis on character and on the moral values of our common concern. They talk freely and passionately about their own beliefs, including their beliefs concerning Jesus Christ. Furthermore, they put action behind their commitments, sending their young people on mission and fueling a worldwide movement that remains one of the fastest-growing on the planet.

But their beliefs concerning Jesus Christ are not those of historic Christianity, and their understanding of salvation differs radically from the message of the New Testament. It is the responsibility of every Christian—and most certainly every Christian minister—to know this.

Joel Osteen told The Washington Times that he is constantly “looking for new ways to influence the culture.” Our culture admires those with low theological commitment and high emphasis on attitude. In Joel Osteen’s case, it is the secular culture that has influenced the minister, and not the minister that is influencing the culture.

What is God like? #9 - God is Sovereign

God is Sovereign

    In much of the writing and studies that I have seen concerning the attributes of God, the concepts of God's Intentionality and His Sovereignty overlap somewhat. God is most assuredly a Father, watching over all of His plans for His children, and He is the Architect of History, placing His loving hand upon the world and reaching forth to bless His loved ones with His ever watching eye. And yet there is one more aspect that needs to be added to bring the picture of God's sovereignty into focus, and that is that He is THE King of the universe, owing no allegiance to any created being and being below no other so-called god, demi-god, power or principality. On His desk is the motto: "The buck REALLY stops here!" His is the ultimate authority. 

    This issue of authority is very important. Many people own guns for one reason or another, but only certain people have the authority to use a gun to protect the public. A police officer has a gun, which is a kind of power or force, but it is the badge that the officer is wearing that gives him the authority to use the power of the gun to do his work. In fact, usually the badge is sufficient to do most of what the officer must do in a day. Simply displaying the authority as an officer of the law is enough for people to obey the directives and receive the protection, and occasional correction, from the officer. 

    God's authority is undiluted by delegation and absolute, and every creature and created thing is accountable to Him. In fact, the most common phrases for God are those associated with kings and rulers. He is called a great King, "For the LORD is the great God, the great King above all gods(Psa. 95:3). King Jehoshaphat prayed and said, “O LORD, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you"(2Chr. 20:5). The book of Acts quotes the Apostle Paul as having said this about this issue of the sovereignty of God, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live."

    This business of being the Absolute Authority of the entire creation is so important to God that the first thing He said to His people to obey was the very first commandment, the command to have no other Gods, “You shall have no other gods before me.(Ex. 20:3)" As you may know, this issue of having other gods, idolatry, is a major theme of the history of God's people throughout time. Like annoying weeds in your garden, idolatry just keeps coming up over and over again. So much of the pain and destruction in our lives revolves around idolatry. Sure, none of us bows down to actual idols much anymore, but we have idols in our hearts. These are things like pride, greed, envy and jealousy, and the like. They lead to depression, loss, all kinds of addictions, and even death. Much of what we are doing in our lives with God is toppling these idols and finally setting up God as the only God in our hearts. In the book of Revelation there is a description of our future free from idols, in the new heavens and the new earth, when this problem eventually gets resolved, complete with a wedding, a great big party and a feast, and then a huge time of direct worship of God, complete with the greatest light show and music and sound of all time. When you think of it in these terms, putting down a little idol isn't that much of a big deal, is it?   

    And in the end, God, the Sovereign, Reigning, Loving Father, will have His way;

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son."(Rev. 21:1-7)

    So you see, it's the end of the Prodigal Son story on the Grand Scale, with the Intentionally Loving Father having gathered all of His wayward sons together in the planned inheritance He had in mind for them from the beginning when He said "Let there be..." 

It's (Past) Time for a Charismatic Reformation - J. Lee Grady

In honor of Reformation Day, here are some complaints I’m nailing on the Wittenberg door.
Long before there was an Occupy Wall Street, Martin Luther staged the most important protest in history. He was upset because Roman Catholic officials were promising people forgiveness or early escape from purgatory in exchange for money. So on October 31, 1517, Luther nailed a long list of complaints on the door of a church in Wittenberg, Germany.

Luther’s famous 95 theses were translated from Latin into German and spread abroad. Like a medieval Jeremiah, Luther dared to ask questions that had never been asked, and he challenged a pope who was supposedly infallible. Through this brave monk, the Holy Spirit sparked the Protestant Reformation and restored the doctrine of grace to a church that had become corrupt, religious, dysfunctional, political and spiritually dead.

“I’ve grown increasingly aware that the so-called ‘Spirit-filled’ church of today struggles with many of the same things the Catholic church faced in the 1500s. We don’t have ‘indulgences’—we have telethons. We don’t have popes—we have super-apostles.”

I am no Luther, but I’ve grown increasingly aware that the so-called “Spirit-filled” church of today struggles with many of the same things the Catholic church faced in the 1500s. We don’t have “indulgences”—we have telethons. We don’t have popes—we have super-apostles. We don’t support an untouchable priesthood—we throw our money at celebrity evangelists who own fleets of private jets.

In honor of Reformation Day, I’m offering my own list of needed reforms in our movement. And since I can’t hammer these on the Wittenberg door, I’ll post them online. Feel free to nail them everywhere.

1. Let’s reform our theology. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is God and He is holy. He is not an “it.” He is not a blob, a force, or an innate power. We must stop manipulating Him, commanding Him and throwing Him around.

2.  Let’s return to the Bible. The Word of God is the foundation for the Christian experience. Any dramatic experience, no matter how spiritual it seems, must be tested by the Word and the Holy Spirit’s discernment. Visions, dreams, prophecies and encounters with angels must be in line with Scripture. If we don’t test them we could end up spreading deception.

3. It’s time for personal responsibility. We charismatics must stop blaming everything on demons. People are usually the problem.

4.  Stop playing games. Spiritual warfare is a reality, but we are not going to win the world to Jesus just by shouting at demonic principalities. We must pray, preach and persevere to see ultimate victory.

5. Stop the foolishness. People who hit, slap or push others during prayer should be asked to sit down until they learn gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit.

6.  End all spiritual extortion now. Christian television ministries must cease and desist from all manipulative fundraising tactics. We must stop giving platforms to ministers who make outlandish claims of supernatural financial returns, especially when Scripture is twisted, deadlines are imposed and the poor are exploited.

7.  No more Lone Rangers. Those who claim to be ministers of God—whether they are traveling evangelists, local pastors or heads of ministries—must be accountable to other leaders. Any who refuse to submit their lives to godly discipline should be corrected.

8. Expose the creeps. Churches should start doing background checks on traveling ministers. Preachers who have been hiding criminal records, lying about their past marriages, preying on women or refusing to pay child support should be exposed as charlatans and shunned if they do not repent.

9.  Stop faking the anointing. God is God, and He does not need our “help” to manifest Himself. That means we don’t sprinkle glitter on ourselves to suggest God’s glory is with us, hide fake jewels on the floor to prove we are anointed or pull chicken feathers out of our sleeves to pretend angels are in the room. This is lying to the Holy Spirit.

 10. Let’s return to purity. We’ve had enough scandals. The charismatic church must develop a system for the restoration of fallen ministers. Those who fall morally can be restored, but they must be willing to submit to a process of healing rather than rushing immediately back into the pulpit.

11. We need humility. Ministers who demand celebrity treatment, require lavish salaries, insist on titles or exhibit aloofness from others are guilty of spiritual pride.

12.  No more big shots. Apostles are the bondslaves of Christ, and should be the most impeccable models of humility. True apostles do not wield top-down, hierarchical authority over the church. They serve the church from the bottom up as true servants.

13. Never promote gifts at the expense of character. Those who operate in prophecy, healing and miracles must also exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. And while we continue to encourage the gift of tongues, let’s make sure we don’t treat it like some kind of badge of superiority. The world needs to see our love, not our glossolalia.

14.  Hold the prophets accountable. Those who refuse to take responsibility for inaccurate statements should not be given platforms. And “prophets” who live immoral lives don’t deserve a public voice.

15. Let’s make the main thing the main thing. The purpose of the Holy Spirit’s anointing is to empower us to reach others. We are at a crossroads today: Either we continue off-course, entertained by our charismatic sideshows, or we throw ourselves into evangelism, church planting, missions, discipleship, and compassionate ministry that helps the poor and fights injustice. Churches that embrace this New Reformation will focus on God’s priorities.

J. Lee Grady is contributing editor of Charisma. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady. He expounds on these topics in his 2010 book The Holy Spirit Is Not for Sale (Chosen).

Perry's Flat Tax - A Quick Picture

CUT, BALANCE, AND GROW

CUT Taxes and Spending.  BALANCE the Budget by 2020.  GROW Jobs and the Economy.

FIX THE TAX CODE

 Institute Individual Flat Income Tax Rate of 20%

o Allow Individuals to Choose Existing Tax Code or Simple Flat Tax System

o Preserve Deductions for Mortgage Interest, Charity, and State/Local Taxes

o Include Standard Exemption for Individuals/Dependents of $12,500

o Standard Exemptions and Other Deductions are Phased Out for Filers with Annual 

Incomes Above $500,000

 Eliminate Tax on Social Security Benefits

 Eliminate Tax on Dividends and Capital Gains 

 Eliminate Death Tax

 No Federal Sales Tax or Value-Added Tax

 Reduce Corporate Income Tax Rate to 20% to Enhance American Competitiveness

o Eliminate Corporate Loopholes and Special-Interest Tax Breaks

o Transition to a Territorial Tax System

o Allow Locked-Up Overseas Capital to be Brought Back to the U.S. at a Reduced Tax

Rate of 5.25%

FIX THE FEDERAL REGULATORY SYSTEM

 Immediate Moratorium on All Pending Regulations

 Full Audit of Every Regulation Passed Since 2008

o Regulations that fail audit will be repealed

 Federal Regulations Automatically Sunset Unless Congress Renews Them

 Institute Annual Regulatory Budget for Each Agency

 Create a Searchable Public Database with All Regulations Currently in Force

FIX SOCIAL SECURITY FOR ALL GENERATIONS OF AMERICANS

 Preserve Benefits for Current and Near-Term Social Security Beneficiaries

 Protect Social Security Trust Fund

 Allow Younger Workers to Invest In Personal Retirement Accounts

 Allow State Employees to Opt Out of Social Security

 Gradually Increase Full Retirement Age to Reflect Gains in Life Expectancy

 Use Price Growth to Index Benefits for Higher-Income Beneficiaries

FIX MEDICARE AND MEDICAID TO IMPROVE HEALTH CARE

 Reform Medicare to be Sustainable for the Long-Term

 Return Medicaid Responsibility to States to Increase Health Care Quality and Access

BALANCE THE BUDGET

 Cap Federal Spending at 18% of GDP and Balance the Budget by 2020

 Reduce Non-Defense Discretionary Spending by $100 Billion in the First Year

 Demand a Balanced Budget Amendment that Does Not Raise Taxes

 End Baseline Budgeting and Require Common-Sense Scoring Rules

 Reform the Budget Process

o Institute Automatic Government Shutdown Protection

o Give Annual Budget Resolution the Force of Law

o No More Earmarks

o Require Emergency Spending to be Spent Only on Emergencies

o PAYGO for New Federal Programs

 Freeze Federal Civilian Hiring and Salaries Until the Budget is Balanced

 No More Bailouts

REPEAL JOB-KILLING FEDERAL LAWS

 Repeal ObamaCare

 Repeal Onerous Sarbanes-Oxley Regulations on Small Businesses

 Repeal Dodd-Frank 

Should Harold Camping Be Jailed for False Prophecy?

Harold Camping (AP Images/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Friday came and went and the world didn’t come to an end.
Now, Harold Camping, the so-called doomsday prophet whose repeated failed rapture predictions have caused many to fear and some to mock the church, has gone silent.
Camping’s false prophecies have made international headlines, but the 90-year-old founder of Family Radio isn’t offering any explanation for why the world didn’t come to an end on Friday—or when he thinks Jesus will return now.
“I'm sorry to disappoint you, but we at Family Radio have been directed to not talk to the media or the press," Camping's daughter Susan Espinoza told the Associated Press on Friday.
Here’s the history of Camping’s false prophecies: In a 1992 book, he predicted the world would end in September 1994. When that didn’t come to pass, he shifted gears and pointed to a faraway date in the future: May 21, 2011. And when that didn’t pan out, Camping said he miscalculated and predicted the end of the world would happen on Friday.
Many are weary of Camping’s predictions, but one prison minister is arguing that the elderly preacher should be jailed. Marty Angelo spoke out harshly against Camping after the latest failed prediction.
“I know prison convicts who are serving life sentences for much lesser crimes than what this Christian ‘Bernie Madoff’ Camping keeps committing,” Angelo says, noting that evangelist Jim Bakker went to prison for lesser crimes than what he believes Camping has committed. “Camping has fleeced his followers out of millions of dollars over the years without one law enforcement official ever looking into what he was doing was against the law.”
Do you think Camping should be investigated for fraud?

via: Charisma News

What is God Like? #8 - God is Intentional

God is Intentional

    It's another one of those famous refrigerator-and-magnet verses, so often quoted that we forget the deep impact and importance they have. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." This was spoken to a broken and bedraggled brood of leftover people who in the course of their lives had seen their beautiful nation devastated and parceled out over the then known world. They had lost their homes and lands and any sense of what was normal, and all they had left in common was the God of promise pursuing them with His prophetic words of restoration and hope and return. Years before God had sent His covenant attorney, Jeremiah, to serve notice to His people that God had sued them for a divorce for their spiritual unfaithfulness. What these poor people were experiencing was the result of a cosmic covenant divorce. They were in the very clutches of a family breakdown in the house of God's people. And so His encouragement that He still had a future and a hope for them and a  plan for their restoration was a great encouragement for them, and by extension, us.
    When we speak of God as intentional, we are appealing to God as a Faithful Father, and not necessarily a Great Architect. And while He certainly did plan and engineer the world as it is, this picture of an extension in exaggerated form of Thomas Edison or the Wizard of Oz, constantly inventing and tinkering with things from behind a curtain, or Santa Claus, always working on toys and gifts but only showing up once a year, are far short of the true nature of a loving, benevolent and faithful God the Father. He acts always as a Father to all that He has made, watching over with rapt attention, teaching in moments of openness and clarity, and bringing fair discipline and lessons while picking us up when we stumble or fall. This picture of God as purposeful, deliberate, and forward thinking while also being caring and concerned, and always loving and accepting is hard for those of us who live in the fatherless world of today.
     It is interesting to look at the art over the centuries, and particularly the depictions of God the Father. The further you go back to the New Testament, you see a view of God as sitting in focused attention watching over the world, which He usually holds in His left hand, while holding His right hand up in the universal sign of covenantal blessing. His face is at once stern, but serene, and filled with love for all He has made. But the closer you get to modern times, this view of God the Father is replaced with a stern, angry looking King, usually looking disappointed or disgusted with the way things are, but still raising His hand in sign of blessing. Could it be that our view of fathers has changed and that is what is keeping us from seeing God as our Father in a positive light?
    Knowing this problem existed, Jesus taught his followers that "If you have seen me, you've seen the Father." This was meant in the more figurative sense of seeing. Jesus was saying that if He has been revealed to you, that you can also have the Father revealed to you as well, that as you watch Jesus do the things He did that you could be confident that Jesus only did what His Father told Him, thus revealing the heart of the Father through the Son. Jesus begins his life in the search for His Father's house, and He tells Mary that He has not yet ascended to "My father and Your Father." His constant message was of His Father's kingdom,  love and concern, and He said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!(Matt:7:11)"
    Even the Old Testament is full of references to God as a Father, intentionally blessing and watching over His people. In the book of Isaiah it is said of God, "Doubtless You are our Father, Though Abraham was ignorant of us, And Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O LORD, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name,(Isa. 63:16)" and "But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of Your hand(Isa 64:8)." Psalms 33:11 states, "But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations," and Psalms 40:5 says, "Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare." In Isaiah 46:10 we see the idea of God as Intentional Father: "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."
    Jesus leaves us with probably the most lasting and memorable picture of God the Father in the parable of the prodigal Son, which has often been said to really be the story of the Prodigal Father, prodigal being the word for extravagant, overflowing and even wasteful. So as we consider this aspect of God called His intentionality, We see a God who reaches out to establish, strengthen, and bless, we see "Our Father."

Karl Marx or Robin Hood? - cartoon

A saying on a wall in a mission in Calcutta...

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.

LOVE THEM ANYWAY.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.

DO GOOD ANYWAY.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.

SUCCEED ANYWAY.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.

DO GOOD ANYWAY.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.

BE HONEST AND FRANK ANYWAY.

The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.

THINK BIG ANYWAY.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.

BE THE UNDERDOG ANYWAY.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.

BUILD ANYWAY.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.

HELP THEM ANYWAY.

Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.

GIVE THE WORLD THE BEST YOU"VE GOT ANYWAY.

by Dr. Kent M. Keith 

(as quoted in The Rhythm Of Life by Matthew Kelly)

What is God like? #7 - Mysterious in Immanence

God is Immanent

    A quick survey of online dictionaries can give you a good sense of what the word "immanent" means: "Naturally part of something; existing throughout and within something; inherent; integral; intrinsic; indwelling." In particular, when we are using the term with regard to God, we define God's immanence as "Permanently pervading and sustaining the universe." It's hard to put your finger on something that is in your finger, and the thing your finger is reaching to touch upon, and the space in between your finger and the thing. Think of a glass of water when you drop coloring into it and the color pervades the water. Often this concept comes upon us as a sense of the divine or sublime in nature particularly. Standing on the top of the great mountain peak, we breathe in the mountain air and "experience" the presence of God in the moment. As we look up into the stars and feel the vastness of the universe, and our own smallness within it, we feel that special sense of awe and wonder and touch the finger of God in the Heavens. For many people this is their first thought of anything approaching an idea that there might be a God. Their experiences of life, nature, love, excitement and death lead them to this place of feeling a oneness with the world, other people, and God.
    You may have heard of this guy way back in redemptive history named Patrick. They have a day where they supposedly celebrate his life with parades, wearing green things like shamrocks and drinking enough alcohol to drain the great Shannon river dry, and generally trying to be as stereotypically Irish as possible. Well, truth be told, the great island nation of Ireland was known to have been converted from pagandom to Christianity in one generation. The people of the island then call Erin were particularly enamored of the beauty and wonder of the natural aspects of their homeland. They had developed deeply held beliefs and reverence for the land, the trees, the woods, rivers, dells, and hills there. They worshipped nature, because it was the place they felt the closest to the divine presence. Saint Patrick, knowing this, rather than rebuking them for their bad theology, encouraged them to draw near to God by seeing Him in the things of the creation He had made. And so there was developed a great understanding of God's presence, or immanence, within the very rivers, stones and trees. In the famous prayer attributed to Saint Patrick, called the Breastplate of Saint Patrick, there is a short section invoking the divine within creation;

 I arise today
through the strength of Heaven,
the rays of the sun,
the radiance of the moon,
the splendor of fire,
the speed of lightning,
the swiftness of the wind,
the depth of the sea,
the stability of the earth
the firmness of rock.

This poetic sense of God's presence within His creation is a great testament to the power of the potential of a life changing experience of a life giving Spirit, who is the God of all creation.
   
    David, the warrior poet of scripture, put it like this: "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me(Psa. 139:7-9). This is beautiful language that describes the two essential parts of this concept of immanence. David says that no matter where he goes, God is there, and that wherever he is, God sustains him. Later, David's son and successor to his kingdom, Solomon, said, “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built! (1Kings 8:27) And later God speaking through the prophet Jeremiah said,
 "Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD(Jer. 23:24).
    The apostle Paul probably had the best approach of all to this concept of the immanence of God. When he spoke before the philosophers at the Areopagus in Athens, he made a connection to their understanding of a God that was worshipped as the "unknown god". He then said,  "Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone — an image made by man’s design and skill." (Acts 17:24-29) When Paul used the phrase "In Him we live and move and have our being" he was appealing to their natural understanding of God through nature and the mere experience of life. And when he spoke of God's sustaining work by saying "he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else" he was explaining the very nature of God in His immanence. The next time you feel that closeness, or amazement, or wonder at the beauty or intricacy of the Creation, know that you have experienced God through the fact that God is close and continually keeping us all going.