The Answer for America

How do you deliver on such a title? For years politicians have failed to provide such an answer. So what contribution can a preacher make to such an audacious task as to have "The Answer for America?" I do believe there is such an answer but it is not one of my own making or a product of intense polling of political opinion. The answer for America is not a political solution, a think-tank conclusion, or a scientific collusion. It does not come from anything that man has done, is doing, or can do.

It comes from the number one selling book in the world. This book once purchased, often goes unread and unheeded. The solution comes from the God who created us and thus knows what makes us tick. Physical obesity is not our number one issue, spiritual starvation is. The answer for America is Spiritual. The "change we can believe in" is the change that comes when a person believes in Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17).

The Bible tells us to pray for our government, to be good citizens, and to support those who rule over us ( Romans 13:1-7). The government is not always right but we have the opportunity to work to make it better as citizens. Voting is important and whom we vote for should always be a result of our Christian principles, but the Bible does not indicate that we can change the world for the better by politics.

Our first and primary action as citizens of the Kingdom of God is to love God and people with our whole heart (Matt. 22:27). Our prime directive is to enlist new members into that Kingdom (Ephesians 2:19-22; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8), include them in the church, and teach them the truth. When we do this well we will have found the answer for America and the world.

Any self seeking, self serving, or self promoting answer will fall flat and ultimately bring dishonor on the name of the One we serve. Our task is to share with others so that God can change one heart at a time and by doing so change America and the world. We cannot do this under our own power or abilities. It is not change we must believe in, it is Jesus.

Now, with God's help, lets go change the world.

Prayer for Haiti Team

I covet your prayer for a group of Southern Baptist members who have been arrested in Haiti. They were trying to help orphaned children and did not go through the proper channels in a disorganized government so they have been jailed. An update on their situation is explained in the link below:

http://www.bpnews.net/

One the group is a pastor of one of the churches from Idaho and is a close friend of our family for many years. Paul Thompson was the son of my pastor when I was a teenager. His dad is the primary reason that Chris and I met when I began to pick her up to interpret for a deaf member in our church. We have counted Clyde and Shirley as mentors and friends for a number of years. It is under their ministry that I surrendered to preach. Paul has the same integrity level as his dad and I know would not intentionally do anything illegal as you may have heard in the news.

We have recieved a regular email from his mom for many years and so have been praying for them ever since we heard about this event. Please pray that God will work this out for His glory and protect His children. As the article I have referenced above indicates there were better ways to be involved than what this group choose, but I know that their hearts were to help the children.

Thanks for your prayers on their behalf.