To My Daughter:

Dear Daughter,

I know you're too young to understand this letter.  In fact, you are not even born yet, but I write it knowing that one day you will be alive and able to comprehend its meaning. 

I specifically want to warn you of the dangers of adorning your body without adorning your soul.  I'm not sure what will be fashionable as you grow older, but these days American women, even professing Christian women, love to decorate the outside, often to the neglect of their internal and eternal selves.  Not only should you guard against the riches of this world that would provoke you to dress in clothes more expensive than they need to be--to impress others--but I'm sure the temptation will come to wear clothes that also show off your body in an immodest way.

I pray now for you sweetie that your heart will not be carried away by these lures of the devil.  God made you for so much more.  If you dress provocatively, to impress other women and to catch the eyes of men, you'll only be inviting sorrow into your life.  I hope you will cherish God's Word and hunger after his righteousness, and that you will reject the worldly system which says you're only as significant as your fashionable clothing. 

I pray that, by the grace of Christ, your mother and I will instill within you that your true significance can only be found as you find yourself helpless and humble before God, confessing your sin and begging for his mercy.  May you be an embodiment of the Scripture that says, "I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God" (1 Timothy 2:9-10).  Your clothes, like the words out of your mouth, will almost always be an expression of what's going on in your heart.  If your heart is pure, as you submit to Christ, then your dress and speech will also be Christ centered. 

Reject this worldly culture that seeks to undress you in public, to make your body an object a man longs after.  "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight" (1 Peter 3:3-4).  Fully embrace all that God wants to be for you in Christ Jesus.  Find your worth and significance in God as you worship him.  Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.  Taste and see that he is good--more savory and satisfying than what the world dangles before you. 

The morsels the world offers will leave you hungering for more, and, in the end, miserable.  Don't adorn your body in such a way that makes it a spectacle for lustful men or in a way that shows off an expensive taste in clothes.  Instead, adorn your body so people will not ultimately look at you, but see the glory of Christ as he shines upon you.

Your loving dad,

T

Monday Morning Humor

What is our part in the story?

Good Morning!

Review questions: throw out candy.

As most of you guys know Julia and I are planning to move to Ghana, Africa in October. Usually, when an individual finds out that I am a missionary they tend to ask one of two questions, “Why would you want to do that? Or they ask, “Don’t you know we have plenty of lost people in America, why bother to go overseas?” I want to take a few moments here at the end of Snow Camp and explain my calling into missions and why we feel God is leading us overseas.

God saved me at the age of nineteen from a horrific past filled with selfish desires and vain conceits. Shortly, after God saved me the man who explained the Gospel to me came to me and told me that now that I was a Christian I should share my faith with others. He gave me two books on the subject of witnessing, ten tracts and told me he would follow up in a few weeks to see if I had handed out the tracts. I was scared to death! I didn’t want to talk with anyone. What if they said no? What if they asked a question I couldn’t answer? What if they punched me in the face? These and other questions raced through my mind. One morning at 5:30 I was up early doing my devotions and God began to convict me over not handing out any tracts, I flippantly told God that if He wanted me to hand out tracts than someone had to be out in the hall when I opened the door. Remember its 5:30am! I opened the door and at the far end of the hall sat a young man named Sundip, a Buddhist from Nepal. I was blown away. I forced myself to walk down the hallway in order to give him a tract, and when I got close, I nervously with hand shaking asked, “If he had ever received a Gospel tract.” He said no, and thanked me for giving him one. I ran out the door into the early morning air. I was ecstatic! I had actually done it! I had handed out a tract and lived to tell about it! I was filled with excitement at being used by God to share His name. This feeling of excitement led me to go out witnessing with the man who was teaching me. Week after week I would hit the streets and share my faith. These times strengthened and encouraged me in my walk with the Lord. I grew closer to God through these times of witnessing than most people do in a lifetime.

After I had been witnessing on the streets for a number of months, a young man came and spoke at chapel and talked about missions. He shared that there were 1.6 billion people who had never heard the name of Christ. He said that every week in South Asia, alone, 220 million people die without ever hearing the name of Christ. This sentenced haunted me. I went to lunch afterwards, sitting in a cafeteria which holds 6,000 students and I couldn’t help but think that we weren’t even proportionate to the number of people dying every week who had never heard the story of Christ. God placed a burden on my heart that day. That burden is what propelled me to travel to the Amazon region of Brazil, sleeping in a hammock, bathing in the Amazon River in order to share the Gospel message with those lost in Brazil. That burden propelled me to work with the International population at my school, teaching English, basketball and the Bible to Asian students who had never heard the name of Christ. That burden propelled me to Varanasi, India in the middle of the summer where the average temperature was 115 degrees in the shade, in order to share Jesus with others. That burden is what sends us to Ghana, Africa to plant our lives among a people group who has never heard the name of Christ. A burden for the lost and a passion for God’s glory is what sends us to the nations!

For the last session this morning we are going to ask and answer the question. What is our part in the Story? God is spreading His fame among the nations and He is inviting you and I to join Him. God is already at work; all we have to do is look where God is and join Him.

Turn in your Bible to Luke 10:1-2

As you are turning in your Bibles allow me to give you a little context into the chapter. Luke 1-3 records the Christmas story or the birth of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Luke 4-6, tells the story of John the Baptist, the calling out of the first disciples and the attitudes a follower of Christ should possess. Luke 7-9, records Jesus teachings on love and forgiveness, as well as his prediction of His own death for the very first time. Luke 10 opens up with the sending out of seventy individuals. Luke 10:1-2 records the sending out of the seventy into the villages and cities in which Jesus is about to go. The sending of the seventy is important because this is the first time the Lord appoints missionaries. MacArthur writes, “Jesus first appoints the highest rank of spiritual service, the Apostles, down to the next level. And here we find what everybody else was commissioned to do and that was to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. They are set apart to be the first Kingdom missionaries.” Today, we are going to walk through two verses and ask ourselves four questions, “Who is the Lord of the Harvest, Who are His laborers, where are the fields and what are are we to do?

Read Luke 10:1-2

1.      Who is the Lord of the harvest?

The Lord of the harvest is none other than Jesus Himself. The same person who sends the seventy out and the same person who sends us out is also Lord over the harvest!

What are some of the characteristics of God which we talked about on Saturday morning?

We must remember that the Lord of the harvest is the same God who created everything in the Garden of Eden. God spoke and the world came into existence. Our God is a creative God; did you know that God has created 350,000,000,000 galaxies? Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head and that your heart generates enough pressure to squirt blood up to thirty feet?  The Lord of the harvest is a God of diversity, creativity, and sophistication which He has put on display in the universe, on earth and in our bodies. Have you ever seen a sunset which takes your breath away? Or a mountain range which goes on for miles or even the sun beams streaming through the trees in the middle of a dense forest? All of that is God’s artwork. Francis Chan says, “God’s art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like.” The Bible says that the Heavens display the glory of God… God is SHOUTING at you with blue skies, He is SHOUTING with white snow, He is SHOUTING with brilliant sunsets and sunrises which will take your breath away. Through it all, He is SHOUTING, worship me, trust me, surround your life to me…I take care of the flowers in the field and I will certainly take care of you.

This same God, who was around at the creation of the Earth, was around when Jesus sent out the seventy disciples and He is still around today. The Lord of the harvest is not only creator but He also has other attributes. God never changes. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. He never changes. He has no birthday. No time when He came into being, He has always existed and He will always exist. God has always been, since before there was an earth, a universe, or even angels. THERE WAS GOD!

The Lord of the harvest is all-knowing you can never tell God a knock knock joke. You would say “Knock, Knock” and God will say, “I Know.” He knows our thoughts before we think them, our actions before we commit them; He knows our lying down and our getting up. God knows all. God is holy and because of His holiness He cannot look upon sin. God is holy and because He is holy He must punish sin. This is the message that the world so desperately needs to hear. God is holy. In Him there is no sin. However we are all sinners and because of our sin and God’s holiness He can have nothing to do with us. However, in His love He sent His son, born of a virgin, lived a law abiding perfect life, died on the cross to satisfy the wrath of God, rose on the third day, ascended into Heaven and now through Him we are able to have a relationship with God. Christ is our only hope and Christ is the only hope of the nations. Who is the Lord of the harvest? The lord of the harvest is none other than the eternal creator, the all-knowing, all sufficient, everywhere, never changing, creative, and holy but loving God! This Lord is the one who sends out His laborers.

2.      Who are His laborers? (Vs. 2b)

In the immediate context these are the seventy elders who are going out and they are told to pray that God would raise up more men and women from the villages in which they are about to go in order for more people to hear about Christ. Bock writes, “The extraordinary thing about the seventy which Jesus sent out is there ordinariness. There lack of extraordinary abilities.” We should take great comfort in this quote. Let me read it again, “The extraordinary thing about the seventy which Jesus sent out is there ordinariness. There lack of extraordinary abilities.” God’s workers, God’s laborers are ordinary men and women who have fallen in love with an extraordinary God. Do you feel ordinary this morning? Do you feel inadequate? PERFECT! You are just the man or woman God desires to use. God uses ordinary people to proclaim His extraordinary love for the nations! Here is a quote from an IMB worker in East Asia:

Missionaries are ordinary, everyday people. I grew up thinking they were superspirtual: that they didn't need money to live on because they had an extra dose of Jesus and that their kids were delighted to receive old clothes and ragged toys because they were somehow "different". Now I know better. I fall under the category of "missionary," and I have one of those kids who is supposed to be different but really isn't. I thought becoming a missionary meant that I would have great stories to tell that would wow my Christian friends back home. My story however, is of an ordinary person, struggling to learn a foreign language, frustrated because there is no such thing as privacy where I live, and battling thoughts of criticism directed toward the people I am here to love. And my story is also about how God is changing this everyday gal, from the inside out, to live a life of divine proportions. Mine is a marvelous story because He brought me all the way to East Asia to show me that I am complete in Him. He is teaching this weak individual, with human limitations and hang-ups, that His power truly is manifested in weakness. God's promises become real as I encounter the world outside or as I crack open the language book to study. I am learning that it is not just about victories. It is also about obedience that costs, unrecognized sacrifices and unanswered questions. Ultimately, it is about following Christ. -Worker in East Asia. 

Jerry Falwell Senior used to say, “God does not call the qualified but He qualifies the called. Which means that every one of you can change the world. Every one of you can impact your family, your school, your church, your neighborhood, your city, your state, your nations, and yes, even the world! Who are these workers? They are ordinary men and women who have fallen in love with an extraordinary God and desire to share His name with the nations.

3.      Where is the harvest? (2b)

Jesus sends out the seventy into every city and place where He is about to go, they go into Judea and possibly Perea; which is on the east side of the Jordan River. Now; the harvest obviously is a lot bigger and includes the whole world. Did you know that there are 7 billion (with a b), 7 billion people on this planet. If you tried to count to one billion it would take you thirty seven years at one number a second and sadly over half of the world’s population has little access to the Gospel. Where is the harvest? The harvest is in every corner of every city in the United States. Did you know that in the Northeast (section of America where you live) there are 51 million lost people. 82% of the population does not know Jesus. Penns Grove is the 3^rd economic depressed area in Jersey. In Queens, NY there are 133 different nations represented. Think about where you live, do your neighbors know Jesus? Do your classmates know Jesus? What about your family members? The harvest is in Africa where there are 300,000 tribal animistic religions completely devoid of God. The harvest is in East Asia; Japan, Laos, Thailand where there are 350 million Buddhists. The harvest is in South Asia; India, Pakistan, Napal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka where there are 950 million Hindus worshipping more gods than you or I could even imagine. The harvest is in communist nations such as North Korea, China, and Cuba where individuals have grown up in an atheistic philosophy that completely denies the existence of God. The harvest is in the Middle East where there are 1.3 billion Muslims fasting, giving alms, making pilgrimages to Mecca and praying five times a day to a false god. Where is the harvest? The harvest is on every corner of planet Earth, the people are waiting, and the harvest is ripe unto harvest, what will be our response?

4.      What should we do or what will be our response?

The seventy which Jesus commissioned to be sent out had three options and I believe you and I, the church, also, have these same three options. We can go, send or disobey.

GO:

I believe God has been working in someone’s heart this morning and He is placing a burden on your heart to reach the nations. We need individuals to go! Specifically, we need more men to take up the mantle and carry the name of Christ to the nations! We need men and women to go to every corner of every city in the United States because there are hundreds of millions of people who are going to a Christ less eternity and we should long to see them worship God. We need men and women to go to Africa and tell the tribes that there is a God and He is worthy of every single one of their praise. We need workers in East Asia and South Asia because Buddha is not worthy of worship, Jesus Christ is! Hindu worshippers must be told that there is ONLY one God and He is the way the truth and the life. We need workers in the Middle East working with Muslims because Allah is not worthy of praise, NO, only Jehovah is worthy of their praise. We not only need men and women to commit to go and plant their lives overseas but we need short term mission teams to travel overseas for a few weeks or months in order to help encourage believers and share the Gospel. Would you be willing to give up vacation time in order to travel overseas for a few weeks to share the Gospel? Would you be willing to leave behind comforts of America in order to serve overseas for a few years?

SEND:

The second option is to send. Senders are those who for whatever reasons are unable to go to the mission field for a variety of reasons maybe age, (this is where the majority of you in this room fall), sickness, kids, job but God is going to use these individuals through another avenue. This avenue is sending. Look at verse two; look at what the senders are commanded to do: we are commanded to pray. We are commanded to pray for the nations. Do you own a map or a globe? If not, I encourage you to go out and buy one. The IMB sells maps on their website which helps to show the needs around the globe. Pray over the nations. Pray that God would open the eyes of those whom the enemy has blinded. Pray that God would send missionaries to the unreached peoples of the world. Pray that God would encourage missionaries serving overseas. Pray and ask God what your role will be in taking the Gospel to the nations. Second, partner with other missionaries which your church sends out. Do you know the missionaries which your church supports? Talk with your elders or pastors for information and then send the missionaries a word of encouragement. Ask them what you could pray for, if they need anything? Ask about their family, ministry, likes and/or dislikes? Love on your missionaries! I am the contact person for my Sunday School class and every month around the 1^st I send out an email to the missionaries which are SS supports asking them three questions; 1) How was ministry last month? 2) What may I be praying for this month? 3) How is your family? Third, send. Every little bit helps. Do you have a job? Do you give money to your church? Did you know that if you make more than $2 a day you are rich in the eyes of the world? Please, use what God has given you in order to send out more missionaries. Prayerfully consider sacrificing one dollar a day for the cause of missions or maybe more. Please, pray for what God would have you to give to the cause of world evangelization.

3) Disobedient:

The seventy elders could have chosen not to go when Jesus sent them out. They could have chosen to stay at home, enjoy time with their families rather than listen to their king, but instead they went. The disciples could have stood around forever staring off into the sky or they could have just shared the story of Jesus amongst themselves but they went and God used them to change the world. Who took the time to share the Gospel with you or invite you to church for that very first time? What would have happened had they not shared? Where would you be now if you didn’t know Christ? Let me make one thing crystal clear, God does not need you or I to do His work. God’s hands our not tied by our inaction. However, God may not need us but He desires to use us. If we choose to be disobedient the nations will not suffer, God will just rise up another convention, another church or another person to reach the nations and we will miss out on the blessing which comes from serving God.

For whatever reason God has chosen to use finite, fallible human beings in order to accomplish his infinitely perfect plan! God desires to use your youth group to reach the nations! We don’t need to be disobedient because of the encouragement found in these verses. We are told that the harvest belongs to the Lord. God loves the nations more than you or I. God desires to reach the nations more than this youth group or that youth group down the road. We must remember that the same God who called us out of darkness and into His wondrous light, the same God who adopted us into His home, the same God who commissions us to reach the nations with the Gospel is the very same God who has empowered us with the Holy Spirit to accomplish His purpose. Have no fear God will not fail!

Conclusion:

In conclusion, William Wilberforce after revealing the horrors of the slave trade to the English parliament said, “having seen all this you can choose to look the other way but you can never again say I didn’t know.” You now know the need, so, what will be your response? You know that the lord of the harvest is none other than the eternal creator, the all-knowing, all sufficient, everywhere, never changing, creative, and holy but loving God! What will be your response? You know that the laborers are ordinary men and women who have fallen in love with an extraordinary God. What will be your response? You know that the harvest exists in every continent on planet Earth and you know that you have three options to go, send or disobey. What will be your response? Will you serve your neighbors, friends, classmates, family? Will you partner with missionaries in order to encourage and pray for them? Will you commit to go on a short term mission trip in order to see the need first hand? Will you commit to leave behind family and friends in order to plant your life among an unreached people group? What will be your decision?

What does it mean to be transformed?

·         Welcome:

o   What is theme of Snowcamp?: The Story: How it all began and how it will never end.

o   What did we talk about on Friday night?/Four questions asked?:

o   What did we talk about Saturday morning?

§  What is one characteristic you remember?

Story about China:

            Han dynasty vs Mai Ling: divers

Story about Armagedon:

            Bruce Willis and Ben Aflec

Story about Tale of Two Cities:

            Takes place in Paris and London and is set in the years of the French Revolution. The plot is complex but it reaches a never-to-be-forgotten climax when Sydney Carton, the dishonorable character in the story, substitutes himself for his friend Charles Darney, who is being held for execution. Darney, who has been condemned to die, goes free, and Carton goes to the scaffold for him, saying, “It is a far, far better thing I do, than I have ever done; it is a far far better rest I go to, than I have ever known.”

Story of Jesus

What do all of these stories have in common? What is the common theme? Sacrifice.

Tonight, we are going to talk about sacrifice. If you are taking notes the title of tonight’s talk will be, “Roadblocks: Transformed NOT Conformed.” If you have a Bible, please open to Romans 12:1-2, Romans 12:1-2.

Read Romans 12:1-2

Point One: The Mercies of God

Paul begins Romans 12, with a therefore, any time you see a therefore in the Bible you should always ask what’s it there for. Romans 12 Paul wants to remind his readers and us of everything he has talked about in the first eleven chapters of Romans. For eleven chapters, Paul has declared God’s mercy to you and me. The mercy of his unconditional election, of his justifying grace, of his sanctifying Spirit, of his fatherly adoption, and of his providential love that works all things for the good of those who love him – mercy after mercy God has shown us. None of them are deserved. In fact, all we have ever deserved is God’s just condemnation and death. But God has given us what we do not deserve – mercy. Now here, in chapter 12, Paul makes an appeal based upon God’s mercies to us in Christ.

And if we didn’t already know the Bible’s story, could we ever utter God’s name and mercy in the same breath? His execution of justice is expected; his mercy is not. He is perfectly righteous and just, and warned man that the wages of sin is eternal death. His condemnation of sinful man is all that we have any right to expect. But from the third chapter of Genesis onward, God extends his mercy to sinners. He should have killed Adam for eating the fruit but He extended mercy, Noah should have been destroyed in the flood along with everyone else but God extended mercy to Noah, David should have been killed for sleeping with Bathsheba but God extended mercy. Christ should have never appeared to Saul and saved him and used him a former murder to write over half of the New Testament. Let me ask you a question, how many lies have you told, did you know God should have killed you for just telling one, how many times have you looked with lust upon a woman, how many times have you talked back to your parents, put God first? God should have killed you for each offense but He extends mercy.

And his mercy is all the more remarkable because God does what no man can do. A king or president may commute the sentence of a man condemned to die; he can reduce it to life in prison. That would be mercy. But once a man is dead, he is beyond hope of human mercy. After all, who of us can grant life to the dead? But granting life to the dead is the very essence of God’s mercy – we who were dead in trespasses and sin are made alive in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:1,4-5). In Christ, men and women become alive to God, both now and forever. Mercy is God’s sovereign granting of life to the dead. 

Think for just a minute about the mercies which God has extended to you. You were born a sinner yet in God’s mercy He placed you in a home with Christian parents. Did you know you could have been born in the middle east into a home that had no access to the Gospel? He orchestrated events so some of you would come to know Him as Savior, Lord, and friend. He brought you to Snow Camp. Evidence enough that God loves you.

Point Two: We are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice

According to biblical law, priests took a sacrificial lamb without spot or blemish, which represented the moral purity of the victim. Then they laid their hands on the lamb, confessing the sins of God’s people. By that act, guilt was transferred from the people to the lamb. The lamb was killed, the morally innocent in the place of the unrighteous. All of this pointed God’s people to the coming of his Son, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus dies, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might reconcile us to God. He bears our guilt, and removes our shame. In Christ, God’s mercy comes to us.

Sin brings guilt, and with guilt comes fear and shame. In the sacrifice of Christ, our guilt is removed, and along with it our fear and shame. In response to God’s mercy in Christ, we offer ourselves, all that we are, to God in gratitude. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a…sacrifice.” With the death of Christ, all sacrifices that took the life of a victim came to an end. Free from guilt, fear, and shame, we present ourselves as sacrifices, alive to God.

We do not present our bodies as a sacrifice for our salvation, remember your salvation is complete in Christ.

Story of Joe and Marianna sacrificing frogs to atone for sins.

We present our bodies to God because it makes sense. Look at what Paul says at the end of verse 11, “this is your reasonable worship.” Paul is saying that when we examine all that God has done for us in Christ it just makes sense to present are bodies as a living sacrifice. Dr. Schreiner says, “Since God has been so merciful, failure to dedicate one’s life to him is the height of folly and irrationality.” And if I could go one better, “Because of all that God has done for us in Christ failure to present your body as a sacrifice is STUPID.” What does this look like?

Point three: Transforming NOT Conforming:

“Do not be conformed to this world.” Here “world” means the world in opposition to God, in rebellion against his sovereign rule. The world seeks to shape us according to its own pattern of defiant ungodliness. Too often we think conformity to the world means gross immorality or out of control materialism or blatant profanity. To limit conformity to the world to scandalous behavior is not only wrong but also spiritually dangerous. A person can be quite moral, admirably generous, and impeccably courteous, and still be conformed to this world. Why? Because his thinking and his decisions and his lifestyle are all conducted without reference to God or his glory. Life is lived without saving faith in God’s Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The world wants to conform us to its image – a world without the holy God revealed in scripture and savingly known only through his Son, Jesus Christ. Paul knows that the mind is the great battleground where victory is won or lost. Our minds – rebellious and unruly and poorly disciplined – must be brought into conformity to God’s will.

Ways we are conformed to this world:

Friends:

            Who do you hang out with? Do you spend the majority of your time with individuals who don’t know Christ? How much time do you spend with friends in youth group? Did you know that the people you hang around influence you and conform you?

Women:

            How do you treat women? The World tells you that they are nothing more than objects, take what you want and move on. Did you know that women are God’s children? How are you treating them? Do you open doors? Do you allow them to go first in line? Etc.

Lust:

            Struggling with porn, or masturbation. Talk to us, get X3 Watch or Open DNS to block sites. Maybe there is someone in here struggling with same-sex attraction, please come and talk with us. We will not judge you. Satan wants to trick you into shame and not sharing. Don’t listen please come and share with us.

Entertainment:

            How many hours do you spend on-line? Checking Facebook, Twitter, ESPN, Hulu? How many hours do you spend playing Angry Birds, Call of Duty, etc? How many hours do you spend watching movies and wasting your life? The world wants to conform you into taking everything in. We have NETFLIX where you can watch movie after movie after movie and never leave your house. I’m not against entertainment don’t hear that. (STORY about Star Wars Vs. Nick Mecimore).

The world desires for us to be conformed BUT God wants you and I to be transformed. Look at verse 2. The word transformed is in the passive tense meaning it must be done to us by an outside force, and that outside force is God.  So how are we to be transformed? We are transformed by God through the Holy Spirit inside of us. The Holy Spirit works through the Bible and the local church, therefore, in order to be transformed we must be reading are Bible and involved in the local church.

Reading the Bible:

The best way that God can change your mind is with His Word. It takes reading God's Word. It takes meditating (or thinking on God's Word.) It takes memorizing God's Word.

This verse of Scripture is itself a very good verse to memorize.

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. 
(Romans 12:1-2 HCSB)

Sustaining and Deepening Bible Reading

Example football practices (August (Two a days; deepening), vs October (Sustaining); Example Julia’s basketball practice.

In the Bible, reading through a chapter, sustaining and deepening Sunday morning, Wednesday night, SnowCamp, etc.

Church Involvement:

Surround yourself with other believers. Learn about God and His word. You are able to be encouraged that you are not the only one trying to run hard after God. You will be encouraged that you are not the only one with the same struggles and you can find help and accountability. You will be motivated to seek after God.

Conclusion,

In conclusion, we have talked about the mercies of God. We have examined all that God has done for us in Christ and because of that we are to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. We are to offer our entire bodies every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every week, of every month, of every year. We are also to no longer be conformed to this world and it’s attitude concerning who we hang out with, entertainment, and women; but we should be transformed through daily times of reading the Bible and weekly being/becoming involved in our churches. I close with just an exhortation. It’s reasonable to give everything you have for God because in the end only that which is spiritual will last. “Only one life, twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.” One day this building will be destroyed, one day your home where you live will be gone, the trees outside the window will be gone and the snow hill will one day have no more tubers on it, only what was done here, spiritually will last forever. Jim Elliot wrote as a young missionary, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” He gave his life to God in what he judged to be the most reasonable service, and he gained a spiritual inheritance forever. Another missionary, William Borden, came from a wealthy priviledged family, was a graduate of Yale University, and had the promise of a lucrative career before him. But he felt a call to serve God as a missionary in China and left for the field even though his family and friends thought him a fool for going. After a short time away and even before he reached China, Borden contracted a fatal disease and died. He had given up everything to follow Jesus. He died possessing nothing in this world. But Borden of Yale did not regret it. We know this because he left a note as he lay dying that said, “No reserve, no retreat, and no regrets.”

Let’s pray.

Who is the author of the story?

Who is the author?

GOOD MORNING!

Ask questions throw out candy:

            What is the theme?

            Name at least one section of the Story:

Story about traveling to India, monkey temple, meeting the flute man, describing God

Flute man’s god: Brahma; eight arms, strong, over 200 wives, able to steal any beautiful woman he wants from Earth, strong.

My Response: Long before everything that we see existed there was God. God was before the oldest living tree in the dark reaches of the Amazon. God was before the farthest star whose light is just now permeating our solar system. God was before your oldest living relative. God was before the Civil War, Revolutionary War, Christopher Columbus, dinosaurs, before everything that we see existed there was God! God was one in nature but three in substance. There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit and God formed a covenant amongst the Godhead to create the world. God created the whole world for one reason which was for His glory! God created the world to display His glory throughout everything that you and I see even the things we do not see. Everything on this planet exists to bring God glory. God is all-knowing, all-powerful, all-wise, never sleeps, authoritative, majestic, beautiful, magnificent, revered, loving, just, good, holy, etc… The Bible says that the mountains melt like wax before the presence of God. We could use every word in the English language and still not come close to encompassing the whole range of who God is.

At the end of my rambling, all the man could say was, WOW, that’s an amazing God!

This morning I would like to take a few minutes and direct our eyes upward to observe the greatness and the grandeur of who God is. If you get one of thing out of this sermon understand this, God cares about you. He cares about your problems, circumstances, and situation. God is big, mighty, and holy; however, He cares about you! This morning I am going to attempt to be like a hummingbird that flies near a flower in order to examine the flower on every side, or a bee that spends all day flying around a particular flower in order to examine the flower from every angle. Let us be like the bees this morning but instead of examining a flower let us examine God. Please open with me to Isaiah 6 in order to behold six attributes of God.

Read Isaiah 6:1-4

Sometimes the sermon is able to preach itself just by reading the text. Lets re-read and tick off what we notice about God. Isaiah 6:1-4…

1)      Uzziah is dead, but God is alive

2)      God is seated on His throne

3)      God’s throne is high and lifted up

4)      God is majestic

5)      God is revered

6)      God  is holy

1.      God is Alive:

King Uzziah is dead, but God is alive. If you were living during this time period you would understand the turmoil which existed every time a king would pass on. The nation of Israel was dependent on its king for protection and rule. When a king died the individuals who were living in the country did not know whether another army would come in and attack or if the nation would collapse. Israel did not know if the next king would be a good king who feared God or an evil king who did what he wanted. The death of a king was a very scary time, however, Isaiah records that even though Israel’s king may be dead, God is still on His throne.

God was the living God when this universe was created. He was the living God when dinosaurs roamed the earth. He was the living God when the English arrived in America and established the Plymouth colonies and He will be the living God long after all of us have departed from this planet. John Piper says, “God will be the living God ten trillion ages from now when all the puny potshots against his reality will have sunk into oblivion like BB’s at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.”

We are coming up on an election, Republicans are beginning to decide on who the candidate will be who will run against President Obama and regardless of what happens, regardless of who wins the elections, GOD will still be on His throne. God will still be ruling and reigning from Heaven. In a brief 110 years this planet will be populated by a brand new set of people and all seven billion of us alive today will have vanished off the earth like Uzziah. But not God! He never had a beginning and therefore depends on nothing for His existence. He always has been and always will be alive.

2) God is seated on His throne, God is Lord or God is authoritative:

Isaiah looked into Heaven and saw the Lord sitting upon a throne. God’s throne represents His authority over all. God see’s and knows all. Nothing takes God by surprise. Nothing causes God to worry or fret. Nothing takes His breath away. No one will ever catch God off guard. No one will ever find God not paying attention. No one will find God asleep at the wheel. You can’t tell God a knock knock joke because He already knows the answer. God sits on His throne and rules over the entire world. God is able to hear the prayers of everyone on this planet at the same time. God hears the prayers of the eight year old who prays that her dogs ear will be healed at the same time as He is hearing the prayers of the single mom who is barely providing for her family and praying for help to make it to the next pay check at the same time He is hearing the prayers of the elderly grandfather who praying for his wayward grandchildren. God hears it all and is in complete control. There is nothing God can’t handle. God is in control!

Do you believe that? What are you worried about? What are you fretting over? What or whom are you trying to control...Give it to God in prayer.

Remember God is the potter we are but the clay. The potter has every right to do with His creation what He pleases. If God chooses to create pottery for honorable use than praise God, but if He chooses to create vessels for dishonorable use than praise God. God is the potter, we are but clay! We are created He is creator. We are the paint brushes, He is the painter. We are petty cash in the Lord’s hand to use as He pleases. We are but tools in the Master’s hand. Listen up gang, God is authoritative over the universe the same way your parents rule over you. The way you submit to your parents teaching is a micro picture of how you submit to God. How are you doing? Do you talk back when your parents give you a simple direction? Are you constantly looking for ways to rebel or go against their wishes? If so, you can take it to the bank you will have a hard time submitting to God. Few things are more humbling, few things give us that sense of raw majesty, as the truth that God is sitting on His throne and is utterly authoritative. God is the Supreme Court. God is the legislature. God is the Chief Executive and after him there is no appeal.

3) God is omnipotent or all powerful:

The throne of God’s authority is not one among many. It is high and lifted up. John MacArthur writes, “That God’s throne is higher than every other throne signifies God’s superior power to exercise his authority. No opposing authority can nullify the decrees of God.” God’s power is clearly demonstrated in our salvation. The Bible teaches that we were dead in our trespasses and sin; all we knew was sin and all we could do was sin. John Piper provides a helpful illustration in which he says, “We were like a woman living in a dark cave and we touch our neck and tell ourselves that we are wearing a beautiful broach (pin), we touch it and tell ourselves how beautiful it is. BUT suddenly the light comes on and we suddenly realize it is not a broach but a ROACH! We are disgusted and fling off the roach.” In the same sense at one time are sin appeared fun, we loved our sin and thought we looked good sinning. However, God flooded our eyes one day with the light of His truth and we suddenly saw are sin as horrible and disgusting. We realized it wasn’t a broach but a ROACH! The Holy Spirit opened our eyes and revealed to us our sin and through the work of the Holy Spirit we were driven irresistibly to the cross where we found Christ.  If God was powerful enough to save you from yourself at your salvation than He is powerful enough to continue to save you every day from yourself. Did you know there is nothing you can do to make God love you less and there is nothing you can do to make God love you more…HE LOVES YOU!

4) God is majestic:

Fourth, God is majestic. “I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and His robe filled the temple.” Raise your hand if you have ever seen a wedding. Did you see when Edward and Bella tied got married in the latest twilight movie? Maybe last year you saw watched the royal wedding on TV and saw the bride’s beautiful train (back part of the dress) as it flowed down the steps and into the aile. We have all seen pictures of brides whose dresses are gathered around them covering the steps and the platform. What would the meaning be if the train filled the aisles and covered the seats and the choir loft, woven all of one piece? The length of the train represents wealth. That God’s robe fills the entire heavenly temple means that He is a God of incomparable splendor. The fullness of God’s splendor shows itself in a thousand little ways.

God created hundreds of different bananas, He put 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon, He created hundreds if not thousands of different kinds of laughs. He created plants to defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins; He created spiders which produce three different kinds of silk.

I’m not sure if they still sell these but growing up I would receive Zoo Books in the mail. This magazine was dedicated to different types of animals, one magazine talked about the different kinds of fish in the ocean. Did you know that there is a species of fish that live deep in the dark sea and have their own built-in lights—some have lamps hanging from their chins, some have luminescent noses; some have beacons under their eyes. There are a thousand kinds of self-lighted fish who live deep in the ocean where none of us can see. They are spectacularly weird and beautiful. Why are they there? No one can see them! Why not just a dozen or so efficient streamlined models? Because God is lavish in splendor. His creative fullness spills over in excessive beauty. And if that's the way the world is, how much more magnificent must be the Lord who thought it up and made it!

Whatever God’s reason for such diversity, creativity, and sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our bodies, the point of it all is His glory. God’s art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like. God is majestic!

5) God is revered:

Fifth, God is revered. “Seraphim were standing above Him; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.” No one knows what these strange six-winged creatures with feet and eyes are. Given the scene however, we had best not picture chubby winged babies fluttering around the Lord’s ears. According to verse 4, when one of them speaks, the foundations of the temple shake. What power these angels must possess if when they speak the walls of the temple shake. When I was a kid my dad used to take me to the air shows on the military base. I would love to walk around and see the different planes and sit in the cockpit and pretend that I was flying a plane. The highlight of the day was watching the Thunder Birds show. These airplanes would do barrel rolls and other tricks to amaze the crowd, the highlight of the show would be when they would fly low  and break the sound barrier with a loud BOOM! They would appear to zoom over the crowd and than twenty seconds after they had zoomed off you would hear the BOOM as they broke the sound barrier. This is probably a better picture than cute, chubby babies. According to Dr. Piper, “The point of this picture is that not even they can look upon the Lord nor do they feel worthy even to leave their feet exposed in his presence. An angel terrifies a man with his brilliance and power. But angles themselves hide in holy fear and reverence from the splendor of God.” How much more will we shudder and quake in his presence who cannot even endure the splendor of his angels? God is revered.

6) God is holy:

Sixth, God is holy. “And one called to another: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth.” The repetition of the word holy refers to God’s perfection; there is no blemish or defect in which God is. God’s holiness refers to His separateness. Think about it like this: When you are making Christmas cookies and you have the dough and you cut off a piece from the dough in order to make the cookies that piece you have cut off is separated from the dough. That’s kind of how it is with God. God is separate from us. God is incomparable. His holiness is his utterly unique divine essence. It determines all that He is and does. His holiness is what He is as God which no one else is or ever will be.

God is holy and because He is holy He can have nothing to do with sin. We are not holy. Every day we sin both in thought and in-deed. Consider these questions, how many lies have you told this month? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever had bitter feelings in your heart towards another? Have you ever lusted over someone of the opposite sex or maybe even the same sex? We are all sinners and because of our sin we are separated from God. No matter how hard we try we are unable to get to God on our own. Remember, God is holy meaning he is separate from us, however, God is not just holy, He is also loving. God in His love sent His Son, Jesus Christ. Consider this, the God who is separate from us, came and dwelt among us. The infinite, holy, God took on the form of a finite man. Jesus lived a perfect, law abiding life, he never sinned, and however, Jesus was put to death in order to satisfy the wrath of a holy God. Jesus lived the life we should have lived and He died the death we deserved to die. Jesus did not stay dead however because on the third day He rose again. Jesus resurrection proved that He was who He claimed to be, God! If you put your trust in Jesus and in Jesus alone, God will credit Christ’s death to your account and your trespasses to Christ’s account.

In conclusion, we must remember the greatness of our God. God is alive! God has no birthday! He has always existed and He will always exist. God is authoritative. God is sitting on His throne. Nothing takes God by surprise and He can handle anything, therefore, we are to daily, hourly, minutely, every second bring our requests, cares, and worries to the throne of God. God is all powerful both in salvation and in every day. God is at work in this world drawing His elect to Himself for the praise of His glory and His grace. God is majestic and His majesty is put on display in this world for all to see. God created beautiful sunsets, mountain ranges, etc to give us a glimpse of His beauty and majesty. God is revered and worshipped by angels, therefore we should revere and worship Him. Finally, God is holy meaning He is separate from us, however, in His love He sent His Son and all those who trust in Christ will be saved. This is the God we worship, this is the God we praise.

Let me ask a dangerous question, you have heard all this about God, but do you truly believe it? Have you always put God first every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every month, of every year? Did you know that ANYTHING you put over God is an idol? Idols are not just plastic figures which other religions worship, rather idols are anything that takes the place of God and more often than not idols are usually good things which we have made into gods.

Examples:

Sports: do you focus more on your foul shot than you do on spending time with God; School: extracurricular activities, clubs, etc;

Lust: checking out girls, porn, masturbation

Body image: comparing yourself to others, obsessed with losing weight

Family: no love from earthly father, disobey

Self-esteem: Not sure if God could ever love you because of what you’ve done or could never forgive you.

Good Christian Kid: know all the  right answers, enjoying that…

 Take time to ask forgiveness and place God on His throne.

Ron Paul 2012

Title: Why Ron Paul?

Author: Voddie Baucham

Link to original article: http://www.gracefamilybaptist.net/voddie-baucham-ministries/blog/why-ron-paul-2012-01/

I have been following the Republican Nomination rather closely this year and until a week ago my mind was not made up on who to vote for. After reading the article below I now have a better understanding of Ron Paul and I am leaning towards him for the Republican nomination. Below are a few reasons why...

I. Ron Paul is a Christian Conservative

While I am not looking for a “Pastor-in-Chief,” it is important to me that the man for whom I cast my vote be a Christian, if at all possible. And though I recognize that there is not always a clear Christian choice (i.e., the 2008 election), I agree with Chief Justice John Jay who wrote, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."[1] For indeed, “Before any man can be considered as a member of Civil Society, he must be considered as a subject of the Governour of the Universe.”[2] John Witherspoon concurs: “Those, therefore, who pay no regard to religion and sobriety in the persons whom they send to [public office] are guilty of the greatest absurdity and will soon pay dear for their folly.”[3] I think we are seeing this on display right now.[4]

My desire is not to see a president who will usurp the authority, responsibilities, or privileges of the Church. However, I do not wish to see those things hindered either. I also want to know that the foundational ideology motivating a man’s decisions is biblical. I know it will not always mirror my own, but I trust God’s word, and appreciate those who look to it for aid in making decisions. To that end, I support Dr. Paul because he is not just a conservative, but a Christian Conservative.

Dr. Paul does not beat his Christian faith like a drum in his public/political life. Unfortunately, that is off-putting for the “Christian Right”. However, in a world full of ‘posturing’ in an effort to win over evangelicals, I find Paul’s public demeanor refreshing. And it is not as though he is a ‘closet Christian,’ either. “I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, and I endeavor every day to follow Him in all I do and in every position I advocate,” wrote Paul on his Web site.[5] I have also had the privilege of talking with both him, and one of his five children about his faith and how it influences his policy positions.

Nevertheless, the more important aspect is the fact that this Southern Baptist (raised Lutheran) is a regular church attender. What would motivate a man to attend church, but not beat a drum about it in an effort to win over evangelicals in an age when political figures play at Christianity (while living totally contradictory lives, and holding heterodox beliefs) in order to assuage the fears of the Christian Right? Having met and talked to Dr. Paul, I would say it is authenticity, and humility more than anything else. He wants “to avoid any appearance of exploiting [his faith] for political gain.”[6]

II. Ron Paul is a Constitutional Conservative

Not only is Ron Paul a Christian Conservative; he is also a Constitutional Conservative. He holds himself accountable to the Constitution of the United States, even when it means he has to vote against legislation that may be otherwise beneficial. This has cost him on numerous occasions as people use the “Ron Paul voted against so-and-so” tactic to paint a caricature of him and play “gotcha” politics.
This is actually an important quality in a President. I don’t want a man in the White House making decisions based on what “feels” right. I’m not looking for a conscientious King; I want a Chief Executive. I want a man whose decisions are predictable because of a long track record of constitutional conservatism. I may not always agree with a man like that, but I will always know why he did what he did, and I can live with that. Especially in several crucial areas facing our Republic, like money, war, States’ Rights, and foreign policy, for example.

Constitutional Money

I support Ron Paul because he has a constitutional view of money. He is the only candidate consistently to confront the Federal Reserve Bank (which is not federal, has no reserves, and is not a bank), and address the issue of fiat currency (a.k.a. unjust weights and measures; Lev 19:36; Prov 16:11), which debases the dollar, manipulates business cycles, creates inflation, and always benefits the rich at the expense of the poor and disenfranchised. And he talks about the issue in just those terms.

Congressman Paul is also the only candidate who has a budget that will cut a TRILLION DOLLARS in spending in year one.[7] He is the only candidate who has committed to defund and eliminate expensive, unconstitutional agencies. This is crucial for a country headed for an economic cliff. Our debt is larger than our GDP and we simply must address it NOW (Luke 14:28)! This is arguably the most important issue we face, and while others want to tinker with the status quo, Dr. Paul wants to do the hard thing; the right thing; the biblical thing; the constitutional thing.

Constitutional War

I support Ron Paul because he is a military veteran (yup... he refuses to beat that drum too, which is why you may not have known that little tidbit). And though I do not believe it is necessary for a man to have served in the military for him to serve as President, the fact that Congressman Paul knows and hates war lends credibility to his desire and commitment to ending the wars and bringing our troops home. Moreover, he has a constitutional understanding of war (only Congress can send us to war), and a Christian commitment to historic Just War Theory (rooted in the Sixth Commandment... HIS WORDS).[8] He, unlike other candidates, can be counted on not to commit to acts of war without congressional authority (i.e., unilaterally deciding to bomb a sovereign nation if they advance their weapons technology in a region several thousand miles away from the U.S., under the watchful eye of a nation with over 300 nukes who can stop them in a heartbeat... but I digress).

There is a reason Dr. Paul has received more support from members of the military than all other candidates (Republican and Democrat) COMBINED! The top three employers of Ron Paul’s donors are the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, respectively. Dr. Paul will not use our military to hunt down and overthrow heads of state without Congressional authority (i.e., Libya), kill American citizens without warrant,[9] detain citizens indefinitely without benefit of a trial,[10] or chase warlords in central Africa.[11] When it comes to war, Dr. Paul understands that, “Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.” (Proverbs 26:17)

Constitutional States’ Rights

I support Ron Paul because he not only understands, but believes in the Tenth Amendment. I know many Christians have been scared off by the “Ron Paul wants to legalize drugs, gay marriage, and abortion” rhetoric. However, looking beyond the rhetoric reveals Paul’s true constitutional conservatism (and biblical understanding of jurisdiction). He has personal convictions, but those will not be allowed to steer him away from his constitutional oath. The presidency, and the Federal Government have limits.

The President is not “Pastor in Chief.” It is not the President’s job (or the job of the Federal Government) to set such policies. The “War on Drugs,” for example, has been a monumental, unconstitutional, fiscal failure (to the tune of more than $3 BILLION)![12] The Federal Government must be held within the confines of its enumerated powers. This is important for Christians because we will not always have people in the White House with whom we agree (in fact, politicians will always let us down). What happens when we send a man to the White House with the express purpose of “changing the moral standards” of America in our favor, then, down the line we have a president who uses the same un-cheked powers to promote moral standards with which we disagree? How’s that workin’ for ya’?

But what about the moral issues to which we, as Christians, must speak? First, we must speak to them at the local level. I have no right to look to Washington, D.C. for remedies when I am not preaching on Mars Hill at every opportunity. The Roe v. Wade, for example, started in Texas; not D.C.. Furthermore, there is not a single institution more prolific in the spread of moral decay than the government education system, and Ron Paul is the only man who plans to get the federal government out of that business by ending the (unconstitutional) Department of Education IMMEDIATELY (Luke 6:40).

Beyond that, if there are issues we wish to address on a federal level, we have a federal remedy, and it is not the election of a President; it is the amendment process. This is less favorable to those who do not wish to do the hard work of changing hearts and minds in the marketplace of ideas. However, the alternative is a quasi-monarchy (or oligarchy) that changes with the wind, and a view of the presidency that is both unbiblical and unconstitutional.

Constitutional Foreign Policy

I support Ron Paul because he has a constitutional view of foreign policy. Ironically, our foreign policy has been so unconstitutional for so long that many people recoil at the idea of getting it back in line. Moreover, the semantic game Paul’s opponents play (using “isolationism” as opposed to “non-intervention” to define his position) doesn’t help. For most Christians, this is where they believe I’ve left the reservation. They may not say, “We have to be the world’s police force,” but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “Do you know his position on Israel?” “Surely you can’t support a man who doesn’t support Israel!”

Actually, nothing could be further from the truth. Ron Paul does support Israel. It is our current foreign policy that does not support Israel! However, there is a deeper issue here. There is a sort of misplaced Dispensationalism that governs people’s sentimental attitude toward Israel. Let me state clearly that I do not believe the Bible demands that the U.S. support Israel. I do, however, believe that it is wise to do so for geopolitical reasons. To do so for theological reasons, I believe, is actually misguided, and quite dangerous. Nevertheless, Israel is our only true ally in the Middle East, and that is important.

But there’s a more important question: “What does it mean to “support” Israel?” Does it mean that Israel remains God’s “Chosen People,” and we must stand with them in anticipation of the coming Armageddon? Is the President to act as “Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces” and “Supreme Defender of Israel”? Or are we simply to make sure the foreign aid dollars don’t stop flowing? Here are a few things I took into to consideration in evaluating Congressman Paul’s foreign policy.

1. Israel is the most powerful nation in the Middle East... BY A LONG SHOT! In fact, Israel could potentially defeat all the other military powers in the Middle East simultaneously if they had to.
2. We not only give money to Israel; we give money to their enemies as well. That is not supporting Israel! That is using money to buy influence in a region thousands of miles away from us in the name of oil, when we happen to have the largest repository of oil on planet earth right here in the US, but refuse to go and get it (in the name of Earth-worshipping environmentalism)!
3. Israel is a sovereign nation, and we have no right to treat her like a child. Our foreign aid has been a tool used to influence Israel’s domestic policy for far too long. If we are their friends, we should allow them to exercise their sovereignty without our interference, and certainly without our condemnation. Who do we think we are? No, I disagree with my Christian brothers and sisters who think a country who supports Israel’s enemies, interferes with Israel’s domestic policy, condemn’s Israel in efforts to keep ties with oil-rich countries in the region, and helps to destabilize and radicalize one of Israel’s historic foes lurking on her southern boarder is engaging in a foreign policy that supports Israel.

III. Ron Paul is a Consistent Conservative

Finally, I support Dr. Paul because he has been a consistent conservative. He has been married to the same woman for more than fifty years; delivered over 4,000 babies as an OB; never performed a single abortion; has never voted for an unbalanced budget, a tax increase, or a bailout; forecasted the economic debacle long before it happened;[13] and gave back $140,000 last year through his office to pay down the national debt (100,000 in 2010). This man is so principled that he refuses to claim his congressional pension!

Ron Paul is the real deal. He is not perfect. He needs a savior just like you and I do (as noted by his trust in Christ as his redeemer). But when it’s all said and done, he is a man with whom I agree in principle. I know where he’s coming from, and it’s not based on his “personal story,” or his sense of what’s going to get him elected. It’s the same thing he’s been running on (and governing from) for over three decades; the Constitution of the United States (viewed through the lens of a basic biblical world and life view). And I’m glad to support a man like that.