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On the Occasion of "Earth Hour"

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Saturday, March 28, 2009 7:10:00 PM
Lots of stuff flying around the internet on "Earth Hour."  Honestly, I'm not really too convinced by all the hysteria claiming "man-made global warming."  I'm totally unconvinced that turning off my lights for an hour will really make any difference.  But at least it got me thinking.

What I began to ponder is the Christian perspective on the environment.  What does the Bible teach me about the earth and how I should think about it?  Here's what I came up with.

1) God is the creator of  all things, including the Earth.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1 NIV)

2) Man is part of the creation and has been given special responsibility by God.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (Genesis 1:27-28 NIV)

3) Man is to be a steward of the earth that God created.
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15 NIV)

Of David. A psalm. The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; (Psalms 24:1 NIV)

4) Man has a tendency to worship the creation instead of the Creator.  Current "eco-activism" is a manifestation of this behavior.  It's adherents deny God but "worship" the earth, His creation.
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator-- who is forever praised. Amen. (Romans 1:25 NIV)
Let's tie this thing up. The earth is not our but it is for our use.  Man is to wisely manage the earth and it's resources.  Managing includes using what's here for our benefit without destroying the earth.  It seems pretty arrogant that we should think that anything that we can do will change the climate. Stop the hysteria!
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Thoughts on the Second Amendment

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Wednesday, March 25, 2009 9:06:00 PM
Sometimes it takes a awhile to come to an obvious conclusion.  Even when it should be obvious and is something that you realize sort of subconsciously, it may take awhile for the "Ah Ha!" moment to hit.  For me, it took about 50 years to realize that it was up to me to protect my wife, my children, and myself.  I can't count on law enforcement, my neighbors or my government (at any level) to do for me what God and the constitution already give me the right and the responsibility to do.

Another man, Robert J. Avrech, came to the same conclusion back in 1992 as a result of the riots that occurred after police officers accused of using excessive force against Rodney King were acquitted.  As a screen writer, he tells the story of his revelation that his safety, and that of his family, was in his own hands in a way that is riveting and compelling. The story is in three parts: here, here and here.  (You really should go read the whole thing.  It's a story right out of Big Hollywood.)

Here's how he sums it all up:

If the Los Angeles riots taught us anything it’s that you’re a fool if you count on the authorities to protect you in times of civil chaos — in fact, at any time. In the end, only I can protect my family.

I’m never, ever going to allow myself to be outgunned by the bad guys. All the gun laws that are on the books—and there are thousands of them—just make it that much easier for the barbarians to amass weapons, and for law-abiding people like you and me to be at their mercy.

If you outlaw weapons, as so many squishy liberals yearn to do, well then, only the state and the outlaws will be armed. Which leaves ordinary citizens at the mercy of an all powerful government and a variety of merciless criminal sub cultures.

When Hitler and Stalin snatched power, one of their first moves was to outlaw private gun ownership. They understood that armed citizens are a mortal threat to totalitarian rule.

Imagine history if several million Jews owned firearms between 1938 and 1945.

Is the mind capable of such a leap of faith, or is it too painful?

One week after the riots I legally purchased a pistol: A 1911 Springfield .45. It’s the pistol I trained with in Israel. Yes, it’s heavy, and yes, the recoil kicks like a Rockette; but this is the weapon I know best, and I cordially invite any mugger, rioter, criminal, and gun-hating “progressive” to get on the wrong side of my Hollywood gun.

 


Never ever allow yourself to be out-gunned by the bad guys!  Exercise your Second Amendment right, it's the one that protects all your other freedoms!
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Wrong Road Again

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Saturday, February 28, 2009 12:20:00 PM
This item from the New York Times yesterday brought to mind the refrain of the country song written by Allen Reynolds (Here I Go Down That) Wrong Road Again and recorded by Crystal Gail (and others). The chorus of the song says:
Here I go down that wrong road again
Goin' back where I've already been
Even though I know where it will end
Here I go down that wrong road again
So what happened to elicit this response from me?  The Justice Department announced that it had decided that they would treat an accused terrorist, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, to all the benefits of the US criminal justice system even though he's been held as an "illegal enemy combatant" for years.  Here's my point:  We've been down this road before, treating terrorists like criminals.  It doesn't work because when dealing with terrorism as a "law enforcement problem," we end up waiting for the terrorists to strike, THEN law enforcement springs into action.  I prefer the proactive "Global War On Terror" approach; fewer US civilians die that way.
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Where Did the Time Go?

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Saturday, February 28, 2009 11:47:00 AM
Just noticed it's been a month since my last blog post.  That doesn't mean that I haven't been communicating with the electronic world though.  I've actually fallen in love with Twitter and have become fairly active there.  Catch me on Twitter as @Mysterious_1.  My most commonly used hash tags are #tcot and #hhrs.
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Is It Just Me ...

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 1:22:00 PM
... or is Townhall.com's blog editing software unwieldy?

I have really struggled to be able to get the format for my posts the way that I want it.  It seems if I write them using the web-based editor there are some sorts of glitches that make it difficult to change fonts, font colors, and other formatting elements.  Frequently I'll select a section of text to format, apply the format change, then be left with a blank spot where my text was.  Frustrating and unsatisfactory.

If I try to us MS Word 2007 I am unable to post because of the way that Word formats the HTML.  Grrrrrr!  Even using the "Paste from Word" functions, problems persist.

So here are my questions:
1) Is there something about Townhall.com's editing tool that I'm missing that if I knew about it the job of formatting my text the way I want it to be formatted would be made easier?
2) Is there some better tool to use to write my postings then transfer them to Townhall.com in my preferred format without all the hassles?
3) Is there some blog hosting site that I should consider moving to?  (This is probably the least desirable option. I like Townhall.com and would prefer to continue to post in an environment that is not hostile to my views.)

Help!  I'm just about frustrated enough to quit blogging!
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Darwinism and Atheism, or Truth

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Wednesday, January 28, 2009 11:31:00 AM
Bill Murchison had an interesting column that appeared on Townhall.com today. His column titled “God and Mr. Darwin” dealt with the continuing conflict between creationism and evolution. In it, he made the following comment:
What we all intuit about the debate, to the degree it really is one, rather than a shouting contest, is what our Victorian forbears intuited: that evolution is less about fossil records and genetic adaptations than it is about the Lord God Almighty. It's the great religious controversy of our times: Did He or didn't He? Because if He did, major consequences ensue; if not, same story.
What makes Darwin’s Origin of the Species and the doctrine of evolution (yes, it too, is a “faith”) so compelling to so many? To me the answer is a simple one. I think that the biggest draw of evolution is that it eliminates God from the universe.

As Mr. Murchison points out, if God created the universe, our solar system, the earth, and all life on it, there are consequences that flow from that reality. Mr. Murchison didn’t lay out those consequences but I’d like to suggest at least one of them.

This is probably the most important consequence of all: If God created us; we have an obligation to Him. We are bound by His moral laws just as surely as we are bound by His natural laws. This is extremely uncomfortable to those who do not have a relationship with God through Christ Jesus. The natural inclination of man is toward evil. If God created me but I refuse to live by His Word, I have conflicts internally and externally that cannot be resolved. If, on the other hand, I am a product of the evolutionary process, I can rationalize my behavior by believing that I live a better, more decent life than most. That is how I can justify myself. That doesn’t really make my conflicts go away but at least it’s easier to try to make myself believe that there are no eternal consequences for my behavior.
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Just Too Much

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 10:10:00 PM
I know that everyone is entitled to an opinion.  I know that not everyone's opinion will agree with mine.  That's okay.  That's one of the great things about this country.  But there are some things that just ought not to be said in certain venues.

Besides being interested in politics, national security issues, the intersection of faith and culture, and a number of other "issues," I'm also interested in technology.  I subscribe to several technology-related e-mail news letters.  Technology would seem to me to be a somewhat apolitical topic.  At least that's what I though until this morning.  This morning I opened my copy of "Download Dispatch, Windows Edition" from Cnet.com.  Here's what Peter Butler Senior Content Manager, CNET Download.com had to say in his article entitled "Worst Downloads of 2008":
Sure, you're all jazzed about Barack Obama and looking forward to a brighter 2009, but what about the catastrophes of 2008? I'm not talking about the financial meltdown, Sarah Palin, or The Love Guru...I'm talking about the worst downloads of the year.
Okay, we're all "jazzed" about the inauguration yesterday.  We should be, this is America.  This is how we transfer power after an election.  I'm sure that we're looking forward a brighter 2009.  No matter how 2008 was for us, we all hope for better things in 2009.  That's just human nature.

Here's where Mr. Butler flies of the rails as though he were a Huffington Post or Democratic Underground blogger.  When he lists Sarah Palin as one of the "catastrophes of 2008" on par with the financial meltdown he reveals himself as either another journalist in the tank for the Democrats or as a man with an extremely poorly tuned sense of humor.  Like I said, somethings just ought not to be written in certain venues.  Surely technology in and of itself, is apolitical.  I expect I wasn't the only person that was mildly bothered by this ridiculous comparison of Sarah Palin to the financial meltdown.  Almost half of the voters in the Presidential election voted for Sarah Palin for Vice President.  I hardly consider that a "catastrophe."
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Congratulations, Mr. President! Congratulations, USA!

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 9:48:00 PM
I'm pleased to see Barack Obama sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.  It was a great day for him and for his family.  Mr. President, I wish you well.  I want to see you succeed in your position as our chief executive.  I know that you have your work cut out for you.  The job that you have begun is immense, it brings with it the enormous weight of being chief executive, commander-in-chief, and head of state.  Any one of those jobs alone would be gigantic.  You have all three and all the responsibilities encumbunt in each position.  You have the opportunity to lead America in very trying times but you also face the consequences of the choices you make, the policies you implement, and the manner in which you interpret and enforce our laws.  I pray that God will give you wisdom and a heart that is open to being directed by His Word and His Spirit.

I am also pleased to see you sworn in for another reason.  It speaks volumns about our constitutional republic.  Here, after a long and sometimes rankorous election campaign, we have witnessed the smooth transition from the previous President to the new President in a peaceful and orderly fashion.  As Yakov Smirnov would say, "What a country!"  Congratulations USA!

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The Blogs I Read

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Thursday, January 15, 2009 8:10:00 PM
Blogs are a great thing.  I find that they provide news, analysis, insight, and entertainment.  I've been a fan of blogs since 2003 or 2004.  During that time I've developed a few favorites that I read everyday or at least most days.  I'll give you the list of the ones that I find "essential."

1) Powerline - Powerline is probably my favorite blog.  It's the first blog that I read each day.  For all the impolite, unflattering comments that are made about lawyers, the three lawyers that contribute to Powerline are nothing less than real gentlemen.  Even with their deeply held beliefs, they present clear arguments in a civil fashion.  For me, they set the standard of what a blog should be.

2) Hugh Hewitt - Hugh's blog is also on my list of "essentials."  I have to give Hugh some of the credit for inspiring me to start to blog.  I read his book Blog several years ago.  Even though I didn't begin blogging at that time, I saw from his book that in today's world if one has something to say, blogging was the way to get the message out.  Several of Hugh's recent columns (here, and here) also encouraged me to expand my "technological outreach" through Twitter and Facebook.

3) Big Hollywood - This is a new blog on my "must read" list.  (It's a new blog!)  It is operated by Andrew Breitbart and deals with entertainment, media, and culture.  I have been taken by the insights that the contributors have and the courage that they have displayed by coming out as Republicans/libertarians/conservatives/Christians (anything but the regular, run-of-the-mill "Hollywood Liberal") in Tinsel Town.  (What they've done would be like someone coming out as a "Hollywood Liberal" in my little town.)

Other blogs that I read with some regularity:
Michelle Malkin
Roger L. Simon

Others that I read occasionally:
Little Green Footballs
Black Five

Not a blog, but frequently read:
Pajamas Media

Okay, now you know the sorts of influences I surround myself with.
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Some Notes From Sunday's Sermon (With Commentary)

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Wednesday, January 07, 2009 11:02:00 AM
Last Sunday morning our pastor continued a series of sermons entitled "What Now?"  This series is focused on getting us, both as individuals and as a congregation, prepared for this year and the major changes that it will bring (including a new building and all the new ministry opportunities that entails.)

The message presented four core values that we should embrace and carry out during this year.  These were obviously pointed at our church but I think that they have universal application to all Bible-believing people.  I'll present each of these core values and give you some of my own thoughts about them.

1) We must passionately proclaim Jesus as Savior, Healer, and Soon-coming King!

This was the message of the Apostles during their days of ministry.  It was also the message of the church when I was a boy.  Yet in  recent years we seem to have gotten away from the message of Jesus as the Soon-coming King.  We've been pretty good about proclaiming Jesus to be Savior and to some extent Healer but we've lost the passion for His return and the urgency that it will be soon.  I fear that in some ways we've fallen into the trap that Peter warned of when he wrote:
They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." (2 Peter 3:4 NIV)

2) We must violently take territory.

Okay, to some this may sound scary, however this is not about organizing an army for the violent conquest of nations.  Jesus did not come to earth to overthrow governments.  He came to destroy the works of the devil.  What we're talking about here is what Jesus said in Matthew:  From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. (Matthew 11:12 NIV)  The church needs to be willing to forcefully confront sin and bring the good news of Christ to those around them.

3) We must make strategic investment in the next generation.

This brings me to an issue that I've been thinking about a great deal lately.  What has happened to Christianity in Europe?  Less than five per cent of Europeans are Christians.  Why?  At least partly this has come as a result of a failure to invest in the next generation. 

Part of this deliberate investment in the next generation is changing the approach the church uses in ministering to the young.  The gospel does not change but the manner in which it is presented must be appropriate to the audience.  Not "dumbed down" but made relevant to the circumstance and culture of today and tomorrow.  If we want to reach the youth of today and tomorrow we must embrace change in the way we've always done things.

Any organization that does not have a "succession plan" will collapse when the current leadership is gone.  The church must plan for an orderly transition to being led by those who come after us.  They must be trained and groomed to take there places in the church, not just as pew-warmers but as active participants in the full sphere of ministry.

4) We must be authentic.

It really can't be any plainer than that.  We must be who we are.  We can't hide behind a facade of "holier than thou" or pretend w have no problems.  Part of the problem we face in reaching our communities is the perception of some that we are not like the people who live in our communities.  We are seen or we want to be seen as having everything together.  The reality is that we are real people with real problems looking to a real God for real answers.  That's appealing, that's something that should create a hunger in those around us to know Christ.

Thanks, Pastor Larry.  You've really challenged me to put these things into practice.
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You're Kidding, Right?

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Tuesday, January 06, 2009 6:30:00 PM
The big story of the last 24-hours, for me at least, has been the shocking appointment of former Congressman and White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta to head the CIA (AP reporting here).  As the old saying goes: "Who'd a thunk it?"  As someone who's spent 20 plus years in the the intelligence business (and who continues to toil there), I could have never conceived of such an "off the wall" selection to lead the nation's top spy agency.

I have to say that I don't have anything against the man as a person, I don't know him.  I'm sure that I disagree with him on most policy issues since he's a Democrat and I'm a Republican.  From what I've read, he does have bureaucratic skills and he knows the ins and outs of the Washington scene, a result of being part of that culture for many years.  All that being said, I fail to see what his qualifications are to lead the CIA.  Though bureaucratic, all government agencies are, to my way of thinking, it takes more than being a "good bureaucrat" to be able to keep the nation safe facing the sorts of threats we face.  That's what the CIA's mission is -- to collect and analyze information that will give us the early warning that we need to defend the nation.

Under the last Democratic administration (the one Mr. Panetta served in) the U.S. intelligence agencies were allowed to atrophy and deteriorate.  This was a result of the short-sited approach taken by the President and Congress that decided that since the cold war was over, the world was a friendlier, safer place in which we had less need for "eternal vigilance."  This caused less money to be spent on maintaining the capabilities that we had and on the development of new ones and was coupled with the misguided belief that America shouldn't "do business" with governments, militaries, and intelligence agencies that didn't support human rights to the same levels as we did.  The attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001 and the lead-up to our entry into Iraq are just the two most glaring examples of these failures of U.S. intelligence.

So, what is the compelling reason to appoint Mr. Panetta to head the CIA?  The AP article (linked above) may shed some light: 
"Neither Panetta nor Blair are tainted by associations with Bush administration policies, in large part because they both come from outside the intelligence world. Blair was posted at the CIA for about a year."

Dianne Feinstein, the incoming Democratic chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee was surprised  by (and apparently unhappy about) Mr. Panetta's selection.  Her reaction, as quoted by the AP:
"My position has consistently been that I believe the agency is best served by having an intelligence professional in charge at this time."
This will come as a shocker, for once I agree with a Democrat.
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Reflection On My Blogging Experience (To This Point)

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Thursday, January 01, 2009 2:32:00 PM
Reflecting on where my blogging has taken me so far, I'm surprised to find that most of what I've written is related to my faith.  I expected that some of my writing would deal with issues of faith and/or how faith impacts  other areas of life, but I never dreamed that almost all of it would be oriented that way.  I actually expected to deal more with political, military, and national security issues.  The writing process is strange and leads me to unexpected places.

As far as the blogging experience goes, so far, so good.  Now, if I could only get people reading my posts!  ;-)
Tags: blogging  
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Letting The Light Shine

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Thursday, January 01, 2009 9:46:00 AM
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16 NIV)

I came across this article yesterday: As An Atheist I Truly Believe Africa Needs God by Matthew Parris (HT: MKH at Weekly Standard Blog).  Here are Mr. Parris' conclusions.

Christianity, post-Reformation and post-Luther, with its teaching of a direct, personal, two-way link between the individual and God, unmediated by the collective, and unsubordinate to any other human being, smashes straight through the philosphical/spiritual framework I've just described. It offers something to hold on to to those anxious to cast off a crushing tribal groupthink. That is why and how it liberates.

Those who want Africa to walk tall amid 21st-century global competition must not kid themselves that providing the material means or even the knowhow that accompanies what we call development will make the change. A whole belief system must first be supplanted.

And I'm afraid it has to be supplanted by another. Removing Christian evangelism from the African equation may leave the continent at the mercy of a malign fusion of Nike, the witch doctor, the mobile phone and the machete.

(Please read the whole thing!)

I found the article to be extremely thought provoking.  Here are questions that the article brought to my mind:

1) What is it about Christians in Africa that would make an atheist "believe" that Christianity, not just resources, are the cure to what ails Africa (and probably the rest of the developing world)?

2) What are Western Christians doing (or not doing) that causes someone to have to visit Africa to see the life-changing reality of Christ?

Please, God, send revival to the western world and give us the grace to let our lights shine for You!
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All I Really Want For Christmas...

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Tuesday, December 23, 2008 8:30:00 PM
...Is The Perfect Government.

Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress...  The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:1,2, 6-7 NIV)

The United States completed the l-o-n-g-e-s-t presidential election cycle ever in November 2008.  It was an election campaign that, for some candidates (and those of us who closely follow politics) began prior to the 2006 congressional elections.  It was long.  It was brutal.  It's over!

The underlying theme of the election was "Change."  Both major parties envoked the mantra of change.  And eventually, change won the day.

In January 2009 the new, more heavily Democratic congress will be seated.  Shortly after that, the new Democratic President will be inagurated.  It is certain that we will have change.  Will it be the change that we need?  Will it change we can truely believe in?  I doubt it but I'll reserve judgement until after the new congress is in place, the new president is sworn in and they actually have an opportunity to address the challenges that certainly await them.

Even if the New Year were to bring a new Republican majority congress and a President of the GOP persuasion, I would hold out very little hope for the sort of government that I'd really like to see.  Sure, there's a chance that a Republican controlled Washington would do what I would judge to be a better job of addressing the nation's problems, but based on recent experience (2001-2006), I'm skeptical of that.  They're all still people and people, ultimately, disappoint.

Ah, but Christmas is a time for hope.  This brings me to my Christmas wish -- a perfect government. Christmas is not a time for hope because of a politician's promises.  No, Christmas is a time for hope because of God's promises.  God has promised us that one day the world will be ruled perfectly.  All injustice will be remedied; all wrongs will be righted.  It will be a perfect world, ruled by the perfect king.  I'm looking forward to that day and praying for it's soon arrival. 

Now, that's a hope that will change us and change that we can hope for!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
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Christians and Politics (Part 2)

Posted by Mysterious_1 on Tuesday, December 16, 2008 9:31:46 PM
In a previous post (Christians and Politics – Part 1) I discussed my observations concerning the attitudes that Christians have had about politics since the early 1960s.  I observed two rather contradictory approaches that Christians have taken toward politics.  One approach (prevalent in the 1960s and 1970s) was to eschew the political process altogether or to do no more than vote because of the perception that politics was corrupt and corrupting.  The other approach was to become immersed in politics, fully committing to party, candidate, or issue with the belief that the political process will be the “salvation” of the nation.  I also noted that I believed that both of these approaches to politics were wrong.

The question we have before us now is: “How should Christians take part in politics?”

CITIZENS OF ANOTHER REALM
But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:20 NIV)
It is essential that we remember that as Christians our true citizenship is in heaven.  Yes, we are also citizens of the nation we live in.  We are obligated to fulfill our civic duties including:  paying taxes; obeying the laws; respecting the authority of the government; and rendering due respect to those who hold positions of leadership.

However, since our citizenship is in heaven, we have an obligation to represent our true king – Jesus Christ.  We are obligated to obey His commands and to represent Him, as ambassadors, here on earth.  An ambassador represents the ruler who him, not himself.  Once an ambassador begins to push a personal agenda instead of advancing the goals of the nation who sent him, he is no longer fulfilling his assigned role.  When the ambassador resists the instructions of his government and favors the positions of the country he is sent to, he’s “gone native.”  


INFLUENCERS IN THIS WORLD
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16 NIV)
Jesus told His disciples that they were to be salt and light in the earth.  Both salt and light play vital roles in the physical world.  Salt preserves and gives flavor.  Light illuminates and dispels darkness.

Certainly as we look around we can see that the world and our nation are full of corruption and moral decay.  As Christians we should be providing the preservative that inhibits the corruption of the world around us.  We should be influencing the world we live in, creating an atmosphere that is conducive to moral uprightness.  All too often the world changes us rather than being changed by us.

We live in a dark place.  As Christians we should be a bright, shining beacon illuminating the world around us and sending darkness into retreat.  All too often we are overcome by the darkness rather than overcoming it.  In reality, darkness does not swallow up or dispel light; darkness is the absence of light.

IN BUT NOT OF

Where does this leave us?  On one hand, we are here.  We are surrounded by the culture.  Unless we become hermits, we cannot escape the culture.  On the other hand, we are not of this culture.  We have an obligation to understand the culture and the people in it but we must not be overcome by it, we must not “go native.”
We must be engaged with the culture, including the political process.  We must make a positive, Biblically-based impact on the cities, states, and nation we live in.  That can include supporting, or being, candidates with Biblically-based views of the issues that face our nation.

We must also keep in mind that politics, the political process, and politicians cannot change America and the world into what we would like it to be.  If we want to live in a nation that espouses Biblical values, we must realize that people need to be changed.  Only when the hearts of the people of the nation are changed by God and His Word will the ills of the nation and the world be remedied.  The Old Testament prophet, speaking for God, put it this way, "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.”  (Jeremiah 31:33 NIV)

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