Winning on Wednesday - Feet To Your Faith

I had customers in town this week and have been involved with them, so I apologize (mainly to myself) for posting this late.

Feet To Your Faith. What do I mean by this? Simply, putting your beliefs to action. In Jesus' last command to His disciples He said:

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:18-20

What's the command? Simply, Go. We aren't to sit in our churches and wait for people to come to us with their hurts and their needs. But, all to often, that is exactly what we do.

I am blessed with the opportunity to go on a mission trip here shortly to help deliver food to a poverty stricken town and do some construction work on a church there. Already I have seen God working. We made a simple request of our neighbors to clean out their pantries of any food they wouldn't or couldn't use and donate it. Many in our neighborhood choose not to go to church anywhere, but the response was overwhelming. What's more, my kids are seeing all of this come together. They helped distribute the request letters to our neighbors' newspaper boxes and they are now seeing the food come in. What better object lesson for them.

What else did Jesus tell us to do?

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 22:37-40

Interestingly, the entire 10 Commandments are covered by just these two given by Jesus.

If we are to love God and love our neighbors as we would ourselves, then it's up to us to take God to them. We are to reach out to the poor, the poverty stricken, the homeless, the hungry, the unloved and the neglected.

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

Matthew 25:34-40

As we enter the holidays, I urge you to pause and remember Who we should be celebrating. Especially consider WHAT he has asked us to do. There are many ministries to become involved in within your community: Food kitchens, Toys for Tots, clothing and blanket drives, Food pantry stocking, heating assistance, and many others.

I know, I know, we're all busy this time of year. But, taking a little time to help someone else could be all that's needed to change their life.

Now Playing: "Faith Noel" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Technorati: Winning On Wednesday, God, Jesus, missions

Priceless...

After 4 years of drought... 'nuff said.



Now Playing: "2001"

Technorati: South Carolina Gamecocks, Clemson Tigers

It's Official...Global Warming Has Been Called Off

It's now official. According to unsubstantiated reports, the aliens currently responsible for maintaining our planet have decided to call off Global Warming. According to an unnamed alien source, "It just wasn't worth the trouble."

There have been no formal press conferences, although one is expected for Roswell, NM early next year.

Ahem...in all seriousness (maybe), there is proof as evidenced in this article:

With cataclysmic predictions that hurricanes would swarm from the tropics like termites, no one thought 2006 would be the most tranquil season in a decade.

Barring a last-second surprise from the tropics, the season will end Thursday with nine named storms, and only five of those hurricanes. This year is the first season since 1997 that only one storm nudged its way into the Gulf of Mexico.

According to the press last year:

STATE COLLEGE, PA, May 15, 2006-The AccuWeather.com Hurricane Center, led by Chief Forecaster Joe Bastardi, today released its 2006 hurricane season forecast. An active hurricane season appears imminent, which could have major repercussions for the U.S. economy and the one in six Americans who live on the Eastern Seaboard or along the western Gulf of Mexico.

For the 2006 Hurricane Season-which traditionally runs from June 1 through November 30-Bastardi and his team are forecasting that six tropical cyclones will make landfall in the U.S. Five of these landfalling storms are likely to be hurricanes, with three being major hurricanes of Category 3 or greater.

or worse yet, from the Washington Times:

Al Gore's new movie on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," opens with scenes from Hurricane Katrina slamming into New Orleans. The former vice president says unequivocally that because of global warming, it is all but certain that future hurricanes will be more violent and destructive than those in the past.

Yes, I am using the same alarmist logic used by Global Warming theorists. One severe season or one tranquil season does not Global Warming make (or break).

I am thankful that the 2006 Hurricane Season was less severe. But the original article I cited makes some good points:

As they say about the stock market: Past results are no indication of future performance.

This year's uneventful season provides no assurance that next year will be as calm:

• The Atlantic remains in a 20- to 30-year cycle of high hurricane activity that started in 1995. Water temperatures are above normal.
• El Nino probably won't be around to decapitate storms.
• There's no promise that the Saharan dust will be as abundant.

What does all of this indicate? In my opinion, as I've stated before, there are larger climate and weather cycles that we are just beginning to understand.

There are many, many variables that we are still learning about. The arctic has not always been as cold as it is now, according to the fossil record. Likewise, we have geologic evidence of massive ice sheets and glaciers that once covered large portions of the Northern Hemisphere. More recently, we have historical evidence (recorded history) of the Medieval Warm Period and the Little Ice Age. Interestingly enough, the Little Ice Age link discusses theories about how the Little Ice Age ended that are geologic in nature and not man made.

As we understand more about Climate system cyclicality, I believe we will discover that the current "Global Warming" is a part of those cycles.

Now Playing: "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee

Technorati: Global Warming, Hurricane Season 2006, climate change

Winning on Wednesday - Being Thankful

Winning on Wednesday, or Thursday. Sorry this is late, but the holiday week has really messed me up. Anyway...Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday. How should we as Christians show our thankfulness on a daily basis. I mean beyond the understood thankfulness we should show God for our Salvation. I've picked a couple of examples.

First, in Mark 8:1-8:

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance."

His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?"

"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.
"Seven," they replied.

He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

We should all be familiar with this miracle performed by Jesus. There was not enough food to feed the crowd of 4,000. To be exact, during that time, only the men would have been counted. So, the assumption can be made that the crowd was much greater.

There were only 7 loaves of bread, but it was more than enough. Notice that even though Jesus is the Son of God, He still gave thanks to God for it. Jesus gives us the perfect example that we should thank God for the blessings he has given us and recognize that everything we have comes from God.

The other example is similar. The passage comes from Acts 27:29-38, and tells about one of the mission trips of Paul:

Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.

Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food—you haven't eaten anything. Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. Altogether there were 276 of us on board. When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.

Notice, even under the stress of potentially being shipwrecked and having crew abandon the ship, Paul still gave thanks before they ate.

So, what should these examples tell us? Simple, we should always be thankful to God for His blessings in our lives. Even when we don't see how we'll have enough, or even when we face the daily stresses of our lives...thanking God should come first.

Why choose this for Thanksgiving? Simple, today we should stop, much like the early Pilgrims did, and thank God for his provision and protection during the last year.

Now Playing: "Tonight" by Pax 217

Technorati: Winning on Wednesday, God, Thanksgiving

Finally - A Bathroom With Instructions

I had Thanksgiving lunch with my son today at his pre-kindergarten school. It was fun. As small kids are prone to do, he had to go to the bathroom. While we were "taking care of business", I looked into the urinal and noticed they had instructions for what to do. How nice! Too bad I didn't have my digital camera with me.

Thankfully, a few quick Yahoo! searches helped me find an example that I can share with you!



I feel better knowing that the school is looking out for our preschoolers and teaching them at every opportunity.

Here's hoping this brightens your day!

Now Playing: "Lift Me Up" by Benjamin Gate

Technorati: toilet, toilet instructions, funny pictures

Pelosi and the Dems Reaching Out to Conservatives?

Did you really listen to Nancy Pelosi's speech yesterday? I personally believe it was a concession speech, but we'll just discuss the content.

After John "cut and run", "I don't respect our troops" Murtha was soundly defeated by Steny Hoyer for 2nd in Command of the House, the Democrats had to say something. So, let's cut to some key quotes from the transcript published by The Washington Post (emphasis added):

PELOSI: I extend great congratulations to him -- and we will hear from him in a moment -- but look forward to working with him in a very unified way to bring our country to a new direction for all Americans, not just the privileged few.

Before handing over to him the microphone, though, I want to acknowledge the magnificent contribution of Mr. Murtha to this debate on the war in Iraq.

I thank him for his courage in stepping forward one year ago to speak truth to power. He changed the debate in this country in a way that I think gave us this majority in this November.

Mr. Murtha has won J.F. Kennedy's Profile in Courage Award for his courage. He's a great member of Congress. I was proud to support him for majority leader, because I thought that would be the best way to bring an end to the war in Iraq. I know that he will continue to take the lead on that issue for our caucus, for this Congress, for our country.

So I want to salute Mr. Murtha for his leadership.

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

As I said, Steny came out a big winner today. It was a stunning victory for him.

We've had our debates; we've had our disagreements in that room. And now, that is over.

As I said to my colleagues, as we say in church, let there be peace on Earth and let it begin with us. Let the healing begin.

First she fawns all over John Murtha before allowing Steny Hoyer to speak. That really leads to healing her ongoing rift with Steny Hoyer huh?

Anyway, I think Pelosi is reading the press and has realized that Democratic Moderates (I still can't call them Conservatives) now have a broader voice. They got elected by espousing Conservative values. That means that those people that go to church and believe in God probably voted for them to a significant degree.

That's why I think she added the phrase I highlighted above. But, as a good Liberal, she can't quite admit that although the phrase may be SAID in church, the ORIGIN of being a peacemaker is in the Bible. You know, that whole "Blessed are the Peacemakers..." and "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." stuff. I guess saying, "As the Bible says..." would REALLY tick off her San Fran Liberal constituents.

Looks to me like Nancy realizes that unless they (the Dems) can solidify some sort of relationship with Conservatives, then their victory will be short lived. Sorry, but I believe she's just trying to throw a bone to Conservatives here. Keep watching, this won't be the first time she and other Dems will try to reach out to Conservatives.

Unfortunately, Democrats are not like Mutual Funds. Past performance is a PERFECT indicator of future performance.

Now Playing: "What If" by Jadon Lavik

Technorati: Nancy Pelosi, Democrats, John Murtha, Steny Hoyer

Winning on Wednesday - When We Don't Believe

I hope you'll find today's post encouraging, yet challenging.

Life isn't fair....a Fair is where you go to get funnel cakes and elephant ears. I've told this to my daughter before when she complains about the fairness of life. No one ever said that life would be fair. Far from it. Jesus even told his disciples they would be persecuted for their beliefs. Gee...how encouraging, huh?

Our lives are filled with many disappointments and injustices (perceived or real) that it can really get us down. Our car breaks down...AGAIN, we don't get the promotion, we receive a rejection letter from that school or job we applied for, someone else gets (or, we perceive, TAKES) credit for something we've done. The list is virtually endless. We harbor bitterness, anger and want to seek revenge. Nothing would make us happier than to see our perceived enemy "get what's coming to them." But that doesn't square with our Christian faith.

One of my favorite movies is The Count of Monte Cristo. The basic story line is that Edmond Dantes, an innocent man who early on believes the best of everyone, has his life ripped from him unjustly. He is falsely imprisoned where we see his faith tested and, finally, shattered. It's not a religious movie per se, but there are some valid spiritual points.

While imprisoned, he accidentally meets (or Providentially) an imprisoned priest who is trying to tunnel out of the prison. The priest sees that Edmond has a window in his cell. This is where the dissolution of Edmond's faith is laid bare:

Priest: I have not seen the sky these 11 years. Thank you. Thank you, God.
Dantes: There is no talk of God in here, priest.
Priest: What about the inscription? (Ed. note = it's an inscription that reads: "God will save me")
Dantes: It’s faded, just as God has faded from my heart.
Priest: And what has replaced it?
Dantes: Revenge.
Priest: (chuckles and hands Edmond some stone slabs) Hold these. Follow me. Perhaps your thoughts of revenge are serving God’s purpose of keeping you alive these seven years.
Dantes: To what end?
Priest: Escape.

The priest offers to teach Edmond many things in exchange for his help with the tunnel. One day, as they are working in the tunnel, the priest sees roots and they begin to work harder. Suddenly there is a cave in in the tunnel burying the priest.

Edmond digs the priest out and drags him back into the prison cell. The priest realizes he is dying and the following exchange takes place:

Priest: When you escape, use it only for good.
Dantes: No, I will surely use it for my revenge.
Priest: Here is your final lesson - do not commit the crime for which you now serve the sentence. God said "Vengeance is mine".
Dantes: I don't believe in God.
Priest: That doesn't matter. He believes in you.

No matter what happens to us, no matter how bitter we become and refuse to acknowledge God, He still believes in US. Sobering huh?

Wouldn't it be easier to turn to Him and let go of our anger, bitterness and desire for revenge? That's a hard lesson to learn. I do not claim to have learned it yet. This is an area that, I admit, I'm still struggling with. But, what I can do is keep working to incorporate this in my life. As Paul wrote in Romans:

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:19-21

This week I hope you have the opportunity and, with God's help, the desire to "overcome evil with good".

Now Playing: "The Way I Feel" by 12 Stones

Technorati: Winning On Wednesday, God, Count of Monte Cristo, encouragement, forgiveness

2006 Election: Democrat Mandate or More Confusion?

I bet both of my readers were wondering if I'd comment on the recent elections. For what it's worth, following are some observations.

Since I am a Conservative, I am concerned about the direction of the country now that the Democrats are back in control of Congress. My concerns are related to:

• Increased taxation
• An overall anti-business tax environment
• Increased interest rates
• A push toward the disaster of socialized medicine
• Expansion of "rights" through the discrimination, both overt and otherwise, against Conservatives
• Increased attacks (legal, etc) on traditional family values
• Continued runaway spending to fund the increasing welfare state
• Zero Immigration reform
  

To clarify, I voted for President Bush both times. However, I have been aggravated by his free spending ways a la: Medicare drug plan, expanded and increased Federal programs, and no real plan for Immigration reform. His "plan" amounts to an amnesty plan and no effective enforcement. So, as a Conservative, I am aggravated by those issues.

Back to the topic at hand. So, the recent Democratic gains in Congress represent a clear Liberal win right? Not so fast. As this article states:

Conservative Democrats will have more political muscle to flex in the next Congress thanks to victories by Heath Shuler and eight other House challengers on election night.

“I think it means we finally have the ear of the leaders of the Congress,” said Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla.

Conservative Democrats? I thought that was an oxymoron. But the article goes on to state:

The Blue Dog Coalition, a group of Democratic fiscal hawks whose politics run from moderate to conservative, endorsed candidates in 16 races from Florida to Nevada. Nine candidates won, pushing the coalition numbers to 45 when the 110th Congress convenes in January.

The fate of a 10th candidate in Florida will be decided in a recount.

To outsiders, 45 members out of 435 may seem small. But the Blue Dogs will be about one-fifth of the Democratic majority and on controversial issues where every vote counts, Democratic leaders will be courting interest groups within the party. The Congressional Black Caucus also represents a significant voting block, with 42 members.

Hmmm...so "Conservative" (still not convinced) Democrats will hold some significant sway within the majority. Interesting.

Interestingly, the Liberal side of the Democratic Party has now started calling in their favors. Surprisingly, this article was in the LA Times (news leader of the Left Coast). Note how the article starts:

After toppling the long-dominant Republicans in a hard-fought election, the Democratic Party's incoming congressional leaders have immediately found themselves in another difficult struggle — with their own supporters.

Some of the very activists who helped propel the Democrats to a majority in the House and Senate last week are claiming credit for the victories and demanding what they consider their due: a set of ambitious — and politically provocative — actions on gun control, abortion, national security and other issues that party leaders fear could alienate moderate voters and leave Democrats vulnerable to GOP attacks as big spenders or soft on terrorism.

Take a look at the expectations different special interest groups have for the new Democratic majority:

Lobbyists for the American Civil Liberties Union, for example, are all but counting on Democrats to repeal the most controversial provisions of the Patriot Act, the anti-terrorist law pushed by the White House that some critics call unconstitutional. They also want to end President Bush's domestic wiretapping program.

...Similar vows are coming from lobbyists for abortion rights, who want to expand family-planning options for poor women and scale back Bush's focus on abstinence education, and from gun-control advocates, who hope to revive a lapsed ban on assault weapons. Labor unions, a core Democratic constituency, are demanding universal healthcare and laws discouraging corporations from seeking inexpensive labor overseas.

...The day after the election, labor leaders declared a mandate for their causes and called on the new Congress to immediately reverse anti-union policies enacted by the Bush administration and promote affordable healthcare "for all."

And of course, there's the militant side:

Eli Pariser, executive director of the political action committee associated with the liberal activist group MoveOn.org, warned that Democratic leaders would be ill-advised to ignore the party's base.

"A huge number of people were involved in putting them over the top," Pariser said. "There's a huge group of people engaged and energized and ready to support Pelosi and company when they boldly lead — and to hold them to account if they stray."

The article lists many other groups and desires - as well the LA Times should, but that's more than enough to get the idea.

Looks like the Democrats may have won the battle but the war is still up for grabs. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid have admitted that they'll need to stay more toward the center. However, the self-proclaimed base of Liberal Democrats appear to have made their demands. It'll be interesting to see how these demands square with the "Conservative" Democrats and others in Congress.

As a Conservative, I'm hoping the "Conservative" Democrats can help moderate the extreme views and desires prevalent on the Left side of their party.

Now Playing: "The Art of Breaking" by Thousand Foot Krutch

Technorati: 2006 Election, Democrats, Republicans, Liberal, Conservative

Winning on Wednesday - We're Called to Do Our Part

First of all, I know it's Thursday and this is late. I apologize to both readers (I have no visions of grandeur)! Anyway, on to this week's post.

God expects each of us to do our part. Each of us has different gifts that God has blessed us with. Not all are teachers, or preachers, or leaders, or administrators. Scripturally:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

So, each of us has specific gifts that God has blessed us with. Some may say, "What good is my gift?" or "I don't sing, teach or preach, so I don't seem to have an impact on others ." Sometimes we feel as if the gifts and talents God gave us really don't matter in the whole scheme of things because we don't see anyone's life being changed. It can be discouraging at times. But it's ok. Why?

Well, first we have to remember that WE don't change anyone's life. God does. WE can't forgive anyone of their sins and provide salvation. Only God can do that. To use a phrase I'm sure you've heard in church, "God doesn't need us to execute His plan, but He CHOOSES to use us." And there is more encouragement from Paul.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.

1 Corinthians 3:6

Now, get out there, some of you plant seeds, others of you water them and let God do the growing.

Have a great week.

Now Playing: "Never Alone" by Barlow Girl

Technorati: Winning on Wednesday, God, Spiritual Gifts

Facing the Giants - Another update..

Well, the movie has now been out in theaters for 6 weeks. How's it doing? Pretty good, I would say.

From Box Office Mojo:

As of November 5th, 2006, Total Revenues = $7,238,256

This is kind of amazing considering the $100,000 budget. If you haven't seen it, I would highly encourage it. While the film and acting quality may not be Hollywood "picture perfect", there is a genuineness to the acting and the message of the movie. This film has the potential to be life changing for you and especially for young people.

Go see it before it leaves the theater...or put it on your DVD wish list. It's on my wish list.

Now Playing: "Lift Me Up" by The Benjamin Gate

Technorati: Facing the Giants, Sherwood Baptist, Kendrick

Kerry for President in '08

The botched joke was just John Kerry's ploy to begin preparing for his 2008 Presidential run.

My uncle sent this to me. I believe this originally appeared at Free Republic.

But you know, there are some that see John Kerry as the leader he really is. In fact he already has some supporters asking for his help.


Thanks Mr. Kerry, for showing your true leadership style.

Now Playing: "I Want to Know You" by Sonic Flood

Technorati: John Kerry, Election, Iraq, Irak, 2008

Winning on Wednesday - Christians and Voting

Yesterday I posted on the abysmal Registered Voter turnout in the US. Many times, the US is held up as the "leader of the free world", yet many of our citizens choose not to honor those that have fought and died for their right to vote. But that was yesterday. Today's post is on Christians and voting. What is our role regarding voting and political discourse.

I believe God expects us to participate in the political process. At no point during His time on Earth, did Jesus ever say, "Run Away! Don't participate!". Instead he told us:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:19-20

Some may say I am making a stretch here. But I disagree. We are God's representatives in this world. He has commanded us to spread the Good News. By voting, I think we can take a stand against beliefs that are contrary to what the Bible states. Look at what Paul wrote in Romans:

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

Romans 13:1-3

In the US, we have a Representative form of government. If we are to submit ourselves to the governing authorities, then I believe it is imperative that we participate in the political process. As society becomes more secularized, there is no moral compass. Moral relativism becomes the primary ideology.

One day Christians may wake up and wonder what happened. Why can't I worship the way I want, where I want and how I want? It could be that secularists, in the name of acceptance and tolerance, will push for restrictions and perhaps even criminalization of certain aspects of Christianity. Why? Because the Bible doesn't accept alternative lifestyles, family units, alternative behaviors, etc. Speaking out against any of these could one day be lumped into hate legislation.

So, how should we as Christians approach the political process? I have a few suggestions (all IMHO):

1. Pray about the candidates and issues. Ask for God's guidance as you make decisions.
   
2. Research your candidates. Look at their platform statements, their voting record (if an incumbent) and their political associations - who they associate themselves with.
3. Measure your candidates beliefs against God's Word. Do their beliefs and voting record stand-up to Biblical scrutiny?
4. Research all ballot measures and initiatives to learn exactly what they mean and how they will affect your community.
   
5. Measure ballot measures (amendments, initiatives, etc) against God's Word. How do they compare?
6. Engage in calm, rational, and reasoned discussion with others regarding the candidates or issues up for consideration (hat-tip to Paul). The easiest way to ruin your witness is to attack the other person because they believe differently than you believe. Discuss the facts of the matter.
7. Above all, remember that it is OK to AGREE to DISAGREE. God renders ultimate justice. We are not called to change someone's mind, heart or beliefs. Only God can do that. We are simply called to tell His Story. As Paul wrote:

   I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
   

   1 Corinthians 3:6

I urge you to prayerfully consider your ballot this year. Don't let Election Day be the first day you've thought about how you'll vote. Know how you should vote and why.

Now Playing: "Something We Can't Be" by Project 86

Technorati: Winning On Wednesday, Christians and voting, Ralph Norman, John Spratt