God in my pocket

How do we use God? Is God an idea or philosophy we pull out of our pocket when we are in need? Do we use God as a reason for our political alignment? Do we say He is our lifestyle or that we live our lives around His laws? In times of trouble we often pray to God for help and/or protection, but what happens when things are great? And what of those athletes that thank God for their great play; does the other team denounce Him? Does God even care about who wins the Ohio State vs USC game? I know my wife cares and so do I, but what does it really matter in the end of all things? How is OSU beating USC fulfilling God’s plan for mankind?

I know, a lot of questions with some obvious answers, but let me make this point: God is not money. Well, what does that mean? It means God is not to be used as an object to buy or get something from someone else. I’ve often heard on Christian television a person say “This is the year of God’s _____” or “God will bless you if you send _____.” This is done in an attempt to invoke a blessing from God to you (and their ministry) by way of the promises of God. They say God promises to do this if you do something for God’s work. Then they tell you what that something is and that they are doing the work of God.

Who does God bless? Does God bless both political parties? Every political party member seems to ask for it no matter which party. Does God bless nations or individuals or both? Well, lets take a look at the Bible to find out. Matthew 5:3-12

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.”

“Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy”

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”

verse 11 and 12 I have left out on purpose in hopes that you read it on your own.

If America is consistent with these qualities then it will be blessed. If not ….

The Change We Need

Barack Obama says this country needs change. I totally agree with this statement, but not how you might think. When I hear the statement “The change we need” I see coins. Coins in a savings jar or piggy bank. Americans are typically not inclined to save. We live right at or above our means. Credit cards certainly don’t help the issue of savings or living below our means. You might say “Why should I live below my means? I have every right to do whatever I choose with my earnings.” This is very true, and I agreed with that statement 15 years ago. But now economic conditions are not so good, and we are cutting back on our spending. Those who were saving before the current economic down turn are starting to live right at their means or are cutting back even more. With the dollar losing value, banks failing, and jobs continuing to go over seas, I am see the importance of savings now more than ever.

Monetary policy is rarely a topic of debate among presidential candidates. Two reasons i believe this to be the case. First, it’s complex. Campaigns have financial and economic advisers. That’s not the job of the candidate or at least that’s how it appears. They do have economic plans, but how they are tied into monetary policy is not mentioned. Second, the media does not like talking about it either. They will talk about a candidates pregnant daughter rather than deal with stagflation or the value of the dollar. It is a sad state of affairs, yet at least one former candidate did mention monetary policy. Do you know who it is?

In this year of historic presidential importance I urge you to dig down deep into your pockets, pull out that “change” and remember the future truly is in our hands. What we do with our “change” is up to us not the politicians, at least not yet…

Hello world!

Hello World!

Well, this is it. I’ve done it. A blog! Now all the world can know what makes me tick, and what ticks me off. Lets get things going by having you read -about Jeff- , then we can talk about what’s wrong with me. The format of the Blog is this: Monday-Tuesday will focus on politics, and finance. Wednesday-Thursday will focus on Religion in a wide spectrum. While Friday-Sunday will try to tie it all together in a pragmatic way. This, of course, will result in more questions, which is what I’m counting on if this is going to last more then a week.

well then, off to write my first real post …