Bailout or bad business?

I've been inspired to blog about our countries status by the lblog of the leader of the company that I work for, Restek. To mirror what he shared .....

He posed the question to us, "Is anyone else concerned about the $876 Bazillion “stimulus” package that our government just passed? I know I am.

“The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced. The arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. Payments to foreign governments must be reduced, if the nation doesn’t want to go bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”
Marcus Tullius Cicero, Rome 55 BC

I find it interesting that over 2,000 years ago leading thinkers were concerned about the same type of things that we’re seeing in today’s government and society. The bottom line is that there is no “bailout”. Our results are based on our efforts to create positive change and accept personal accountability for our actions."

WOW <---- this is my only contribution

We are nothing but talk

Talk is cheap. So why is it that we like to talk so much? This is another thing I've been pondering lately. A lot of people, who have no place to talk, are the quickest to give their input and advice. Strange isn't it? Is it too hard to keep our mouth shut and just live a holy life .... to do what is right and let our actions speak for themselves? Will God not defend us?

In my life, I have found that a majority of the time the people that talk the most are the people you should listen to the least. I found a few scriptures along these lines that I thought were pretty interesting. Proverbs 10:19 says, "When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, But he who restrains his lips is wise." James 3:2 says, "If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well."

Another scripture that really grabbed my attention is James 2:14-20, "What use is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,' and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, 'You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.' You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?"

Is there really a faith that cannot save? The Bible says there is. We cannot be nothing but talk. We cannot talk about helping people and do nothing. We cannot talk about living holy and then live like the devil. We cannot claim that we have a saving faith when we have no works. If we claim to have faith, let us stop yapping all the time, and starting backing up our claims with the lives we live. St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

A not so little rant

Many Christians use the term "sold out" for Christ. I question, however, whether most of them truly know the term that they are using. When I read Chapter 16 of "The Challenge of Missions", I really started to think about this topic.

In Chapter 16, Oswald J. Smith talks about encounters he's had with other religions and their cruel traditions. He talks about a mother having to suffocate her baby to appease the spirits, or a widow being sacrificed because she must escort her husband to the afterlife, or a man in Mohammedanism torturing himself and lighting himself on fire. These people are making enormous sacrifices for a dead religion. As Christians, we have found the answer, we have been born again. We have relationship with Christ and the answer to eternal life.

But even with the truth that everyone needs to hear, we complain about having to drive to church and fit bible study into our schedule. We are unwilling to make even the smallest sacrifice or go through the least inconvenience. Are you telling me that you are "sold out" for Christ when a Mohammedan will go through torture and give up his life .... but we won't even go out of our comfort zone for Christ, who we know gave His life for us? May God change our hearts!

We MUST be "sold out" for Christ and remain "on fire" for Him always, not just occassionally or when it is convenient for us. Revelation 3:15-16 says, "I know your deeds that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were either cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spit you out of My mouth." Being cold or lukewarm are not options. If we claim to be Christians and want to please God we need to be hot. Christ is the only answer for the witchdoctor, the evil spirits, the Mohammedan, and all the rest. We must be radical. We must love God above all else. We must take Christ to these dead religions and make sacrifices so the gospel can be spread. Let us not be put to shame by the heathen who are more committed to their dead religion than we are to Christ!