Thursday, October 13, 2016

Word for November 8



Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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"No one can serve two masters...You are for Me or against Me."

Jesus

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    Because I've been wrong about every election since 1972, I won't predict who will win on November 8.

    Of course, I'd never tell people who should get their votes during a worship service; not because LBJ started the injustice of proscribing 1st Amendment rights from Christians so happily expanding under "progressive" politicians, jurists, educators, entertainers, media, and mainliners but because of what I just said in the previous sentence-paragraph.

    I've been wrong so often about the qualifications and character of candidates as well as election outcomes that I don't pretend to know who's best for anything with absolute certainty.

    I'm just guessing when I vote for politicians who, like the rest of us, are so, uh, human.

    Besides, it's not my job to tell people who should get their votes.

    It's my job to tell people who say they're Christians to vote like it!

    That means people who say they're Christians should vote with Jesus in mind.

    Jesus is the focus and filter for everything said and done by Christians no matter who, what, where, when, or why.

    Christians are Christians in all things with all people in all places at all times.

    Christians are Christians in public and private; saying and doing the same things no matter who, what, where, when, or why.

    Christians don't pander to any audience and don't agree with the last person talked to like bad sentences ending in prepositions.

    Christians aren't accused of lying because they always tell the truth with Jesus as Master, Bible as manual, and common sense as governor.

    Christians only change their stories if corrected by Jesus, Bible, and common sense; and then they confess error, pledge change, and ask forgiveness.

    If I have to explain that to you, you're not a Christian.

    Obviously.

    Back to November 8, I'm thinking anyone who campaigns for their candidate for the big house as thaaaaaaat much better than the other has two feet planted firmly in the air; and when Hillary and Donald go after each other's past, present, and predicted futures, I wanna scream rhetorically, "What's that I see in your eye?"

    Frankly, admitting there's still time for my mind to be changed, I'm not inclined to vote for either of 'em.

    Donald comes off as a mostly mouthy offensive and often offensive while being defensive donkey; noting donkey is a synonymatic euphemism for what's really on my mind.  He has turned avoiding taxes into an art form and can't brush off his boorish brusqueness as lockerroom banter; recalling the adage, "What's deep in the well comes up in the bucket!"  Really, does anyone really know what Donald really believes?  I mean, c'mon, he's changed his positions on, uh, just about everything as often as Hillary's "husband" has changed paramours. 

    Hillary is a pathological liar who doesn't blush at the butchering of babies a la partial birth abortion, accepts money from sworn enemies of America and Israel, has played politics with the lives of our women and men in uniform, and doesn't recognize her shameless hypocrisy in claiming her opponent is a misogynist while she enabled a sexual predator for a decade at minimum and did her worst to discredit, defame, and destroy his and her victims.

    Both belong on the Mount Rushmore of condescendingly smug egomaniacs.

    So, again, when either say the other is not "fit" to be P, I wanna scream rhetorically, "What's that I see in your eye?"

    I was leaning toward one over the other as a roll of the dice because I just can't imagine having a notoriously scripted criminal as P; but then my jurist-in-training son reminded, "Dad, you always taught us that the lesser of two evils is still evil.  You taught us that Jesus always has a better way.  So how can you now say you're going to vote for ___ because she/he is the lesser of two evils?  How are you going to explain that to Jesus?"

    Geez.

    I can't stand it when people quote me to correct me.

    My boy brought Cliff to mind.

    Cliff is one of the most faithful pastors, husbands, and dads that I've ever known; and I'll never forget when he went to the microphone of a large church meeting in Pittsburgh and yelled during a very contentious debate, "Vote for Jesus!"

    He's was right then and now.

    Vote for Jesus!

    It's the only Christian thing to do.

    I'm not saying I know for sure how that plays out when it comes to Donald and Hillary.

    I'm not suggesting a write-in ballot.

    I'm not suggesting the other two make more sense.

    I'm just saying Christians vote with Jesus in mind.

    Which of the two or four or more best reflect Jesus in their words, actions, past, present, and promises?

    I'm not saying I know for sure.

    All I'm saying is Christians vote with Jesus in mind.

    It's the job of Christians to do that and remind their sisters and brothers to do that.

    Thanks, son!

    Thanks, Cliff!

    Vote for Jesus!

    He's the only Savior around.

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Blessings and Love!

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Salt! Shine! Leavenate!
Look up! Stand up! Speak up! Act up for Jesus!

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Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Uncommon Courtesies



Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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    We've got a problem in our church.

    People are afraid of the dark.

    Really.

    Related to the miracle of the last person using the stapler and duplicating machine having exactly the right amount of staples and paper for them obviating any need to consider anyone else may need staples or paper because they had exactly the amount needed and didn't know the stapler and duplicating machine ran out after they used the exact number needed by them, it seems there's never a last person leaving the church to turn off the lights and lock the doors.

    It's a miracle!

    Or people are afraid of the dark...or...

    I had a really neat wedding in Buffalo, New York back in September.  Some of my favorite people were there; and the couple had signs on the way to seating that announced the nuptial as an "unplugged" service.

    It was the first time after about a thousand weddings that I'd ever seen that; and I really like it.

    I've had church ladies in the past direct me to announce no flash photography during the service, which I've always ignored because people like to have keepsakes of such things and I never read anything about cameras at worship in the Bible and never picked up the bill for any of that which means I should be more selective about rubrics as a common courtesy, but cellulars are a lot different and a lot more annoying than some aunt or uncle running up and down the aisle with a flash camera.

    Unless they're powered off, cellulars will start playing Dixie or Eight Days a Week or Sweet Home Alabama or Goodbye Earl or some other loud and obnoxious and inappropriate electronic nightmare during the exchange of vows or committal at the graveside or consecration of sacramental elements or a plethora of other awkward moments.

    It happens!

    Maybe people just forget to turn 'em off...or maybe they don't really care about anybody else but...

    Is it just me or do people seem to, uh, banter and moan a lot more these days?

    Maybe it's terrorism...crime...the specter of November 8...up and down and all around prices at the pumps...or...just gas.

    I don't know.

    All I know is everybody as well as me is noticing it.

    People are crankier than ever before.

    Then there are volunteers.

    Correction.

    There are fewer and fewer and fewer volunteers.

    It doesn't matter if it's the church, booster club, service organization, or...

    Volunteerism is waaaaaaayyyyyyyy down and seems to be about as attractive to most folks as Colin Kaepernick on the sidelines.

    Is there a solution?

    Can anything be done about people whose concerns seem to end with the reflections in their mirrors?

    Sure.

    Jesus provides the answer to every question; and here's His for this one: "Do for others what you would like them to do for you."

    My mother-in-law explained this to her children as common courtesies.

    Apparently, some parents did not do the same.

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Blessings and Love!

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Salt! Shine! Leavenate!

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Look up! Stand up! Speak up! Act up for Jesus!

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