Letter from a Reader: Don't Vote for Obama

Recently I received a letter from a friend of mine who is the wife of the Pastor of the Baptist church I belonged to before I moved several years ago. The letter states the following:

"I went to your blog and found it interesting and informative. I have one thing to say about a candidate who is running for president - Barack Obama. I understand that he is a Muslim. I don't really care about his color, but his religious beliefs concern me. I am black so I am not against him for racist reasons. But I cannot, for the life of me, understand how a Muslim could be a good president of the USA. If he is a good Muslim, he rejects the entire Christian population as infidels and is sworn to their destruction (according to the Holy Quran). As a matter of fact, anyone who is not Muslim is an infidel. If he is a bad Muslim, then I would question his sincerity. I often wonder about political speeches of those running for governmental offices.So often we have heard one thing while a candidate is campaigning, only to see quite different outcomes once he/she was in office. I think we can only know how a candidate is to perform by looking at their lives, not their campaign speeches. All too often, that is not something we are able to do. GOD gave us logic and emotions and I believe they both have a place in selecting candidatesfor office> But the best gift for selection(I believe) is the prompting of the HOLY SPIRIT! I just thought I'd share again. Gerry"

As you know, although I am a Democrat, my main political research for this blog is to profile the Republicans for Tommy Christopher. I was surprised when I received this letter. I do thank you for your comments, Gerry. I went to The Political Machine and found an article called "Fearing Obama". This might be helpful to you and also to my readers.

In the article, there is also a link to another article called "Sliming Obama" which was written on 1-10-08 on FACT CHECK.ORG. The introduction to the article states: "Dueling chain e-mails claim he's a radical Muslim or a racist Christian. Both can't be true. We find both are false. " They detail things that are said about the church he belongs to as well as answering to these other claims. Both of these articles may contain some helpful information for you and for my other readers.

I agree with you Gerry - not only is it our responsibility to pray for those in authority, but to use the spiritual gifts that God has given us to discern who the proper candidate will be in conjunction with what we know about their beliefs, their personal lives, and their political platform. Personally, I do not know what the total truth is concerning Barack Obama. At the very least, he has been exposed to Muslim teaching and influence earlier in his life. I do not want to judge anyone, but I prefer to cast my vote for a candidate who doesn't have these various issues in their life to begin with. Not only that, but I think there are other candidates who are more experienced and well qualified to be President of the United States.

I would urge you however, to be open minded and read the referenced articles I have presented, because anyone can have allegations made against them or have things in their life that possibly may be misunderstood.

I thank you for taking the time to read my blog - hope you and others will continue to do so, and there is a small word "comments" in the lower right hand corner of the blog that you can click on to make your comments or you can e-mail me at sueladyoflight@gmail.com.

Lady of Light

God's Word is the Best Guidance for Life

Lady of Light

I read a recent article, "Mega church Leader Surrenders on Charge" The article states:
"Archbishop Earl Paulk, 80 years old, Leader of Atlanta Megachurch surrenders on perjury charge.
The longtime Pastor of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church made a deal with the Cobb Couonty Sheriff's Office to surrender within 48 hours."

"... The felony perjury charge against Paulk stems from a lawsuit against him, his brother and the church by Mona Brewer, a former church employee. The lawsuit alleges that Earl Paulk manipulated Brewer into an affair from 1989 - 2003 by telling her that it was her only path to salvation."

It is indeed a tragic situation when such allegations are brought against a church leader. It affects many people. At one time, this church had a membership of 10,000 which has dwindled to about 1500 because of allegations regarding this leader's sexual misconduct with women. The article says that eight women have come forward over a period of time with sexual allegations against him.
Whether or not these statements are accurate, let us say that if they are, what can people do to prevent falling prey to false teaching about salvation and other doctrines, and an unhealthy dependency on church leaders ?

The bible is God's inspired word and the information and answers to our salvation and all matters of faith are contained within its pages. While Pastors, leaders, commentators, radio and TV can inspire us to learn and assist us in our understanding and application of God's word, the first question we should ask ourselves is, "Does this individual sincerely attempt to live by the Word of God, and does what this person believes and says line up with the Word of God?"
Although God will hold leaders and teachers accountable for what they say, he will also hold us accountable for the light we have been given.

What does the bible say about salvation? We cannot depend on the fact that we are born into a Christian family - salvation is a personal decision that each person must make in relationship to Jesus Christ.
"That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe it in your hear that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9.

"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16

The Bible trac "Steps to Peace with God" put out by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association suggests a simple prayer to pray to invite Jesus into your heart and receive salvation:

"Dear Lord Jesus:

I know that I am a sinner and need your forgiveness. I believe that You dide for my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I now invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as Lord and Savior. In Jesus name, Amen."

Then, from that point on, if you have received salvation and you know what the bible says about salvation, it will be easier for you not to have an unhealthy dependency on Leaders or to fall prey to false teaching and ideas.

I watch Charles Stanley of In Touch ministries and also Joel Osteen on Sunday mornings. I feel that both of these Christian leaders have been especially gifted from God to teach and encourage fellow Christians and to share the gospel with those who don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ but I don't take their word at total face value - I ask myself if what they say lines up with sound teaching and with the Holy scriptures. Fortunately, both of these men usually reference their thoughts with scriptures so that you can read them for yourself. So I am not saying that church leaders are not important and worthwhile for spiritual life and growth. I am saying that your personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the bible should be the basis for all else.

This unfortunate state of affairs has helped me to be grateful that I live in a country where we have bibles and can read them and learn about God. I am thankful for those gifted in teaching who are able to highlight things from God's word to help me apply the scriptures to my life. I am most grateful for my salvation and for the gift of Eternal life given to me from God through Christ Jesus.

We must remember that the bible tells us that "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 Let's not put our faith in men, but in God and only look to men to confirm and reaffirm what God teaches in His word.

The way we live and the way we think and believe not only affects us but it affects others around us. Perhaps we can become more responsible when we think of this.

The irresponsible behavior of this church leader in the article, if, in fact, it did take place, affects so many people. It is a sad situation for everyone involved, I am certain.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

Also, remember that being a church member or having a special relationship with a church leader or working in the church does not make you a Christian - trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation does.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--and not by works so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:4-9

Lady of Light

Chris Mathews: Host of "Hardball" Displays a Sexist Attitude Towards Hillary Clinton and Other Women Political Figures

Lady of Light

In a recent article"Does Chris Mathews Have a Problem With Women?", it does appear that the talk show host of "Hardball" has demonstrated a sexist attitude towards Hillary Clinton and others, based on a series of remarks cited in the article.


For example, about Hillary he stated:
"The reason why she (Hillary) may be a front runner is that her husband messed around" and that "she didn't win New York on her own merits."
Additional comments were made about other female political figures as well. (Read the article for more detail on that.)

As I look to the Word of God on the subject of women in leadership positions, I observe that in the Old Testament in the book of Judges, there is a specific instance where God puts a woman in authority as a judge: She was chosen among a series of male judges - Ehud, Gideon, Jephthah, and Samson.

""And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth-el in mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment And she sent and called Barak,...and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded saying "Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Napitalli and of the children of Zebulim? And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin"s army, with his chariots and his multitude, and I will deliver him into thine hand.." Judges 4: 4-6

Deborah was respected and recognized as one who was "raised up" by God for the purpose of leading Barak into battle and into victory over the Sisera. Not only did God specifically "raise up'" a woman for this task, but Barak recognized her power, position and authority to the point where he would not even go into battle without her going with him.

"And Barak said unto her, If thou will go with me, then I will go, but if thou wilt not go with me then I will not go." Judges 4"8

Ultimately, Barak was given victory over the tribe. If he had had a sexist attitude, he would not have had this victory, and God's purposes would not have been successfully accomplished.

In Judges, Chapter 5, verse 1, it tells us that Deborah and Barak sang together after the victory saying,
"Praise ye the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves..._

Based on this recording of bible history, I can see that it becomes necessary at times for us to take stock and examine our attitudes towards women such as Hillary Clinton, for example, and examine those influentially commenting, such as Chris Mathews. I believe this account from the bible has shown me that we must be flexible when it comes to our looking at the possibility of women in leadership - open minded.

It is interesting to note that the name of the male leader was Barak, the first name of Democratic candidate Obama!




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Our Guest Poet - Thanksgiving WIll Soon Be Here

Although this poem is titled for Thanksgiving, it can be read anytime of the year as we are ever grateful for God's many blessings. Recently, I read an article on "Beliefnet" about celebrating friendships and relationships with family - we won't always have our parents with us forever and who knows how long our friends will be with us? My guest who wrote this poem shared with me that she wrote this and shared it with her parents while they were still alive. She suggests that you try to write or express your feelings to your parents and loved ones while they are still here, if possible. If they have already passed, memoriam writings can also be a blessing to those who are still here.

THANKSGIVING EQUALS MOM AND DAD

Thanksgiving day will soon be here,
My blessing I shall go back in time to peer...
The folks dressed me like a beautiful doll as a child,
And the toys were up to the ceiling piled.
I always had everything I could think of,
But most of all, I had love.

WHAT A LIFE I HAD, BECAUSE OF MOM AND DAD!

We as a family dear went on vacations each year,
To the mountains, the amusement parks, and the shore.
How could I ever ask for more?
As I grew and reached my teens,
They gave me the best of things,
Meaning the jeans.
Albums galore...The Beatles and The Stones:
They even took me to see Humperdinck and Jones.

WHAT A LIFE I HAD, BECAUSE OF MOM AND DAD!

They hated mini-skirts--our ideas didn't always jive;
But can you imagine? when I received my license to drive,
The Rambler was mine and to the bus Dad walked;
Hours on the phone, and they never minded the time I talked.
I won't ever forget their sending me to business school,
Instead of buying the new car and the back yard pool.

WHAT A LIFE I HAD, BECAUSE OF MOM AND DAD!

Much time has flown, but the seeds they've sown,
Make Thanksgiving a special day
To tell them in this special way...
What they've done for me, a million billion dollars
couldn't pay.

AMEN.

My friend was truly blessed to have loving, caring parents and a good life. Whatever your life has been like, I know that if you search, you will discover the special ways God has blessed you - make every day "Thanksgiving".

Prayer: "Lord Jesus, I thank you that you are a kind and loving God and that you have given us salvation, and blessed us also with many things here during our time on earth. Even in those situations where there have been trials or difficulties, I thank you that you have used them for my best I thank you for my family...my parents, my sister, aunts, uncles, cousins, my husband, children and grandchildren. I thank you that you continue to help me to think on the blessings of life and all of the good memories of those family and friends who are no longer here. Help me to make each day a Thanksgiving - keep me in your love, guard my heart and mind, and continue to put gratitude in my heart!"
AMEN

Lady of Light

Quck One-Dish meal for Sunday Football Game

For sports fans, it will be a Giants game between the Giants and the Green Bay Packers this evening. For others, a relaxing family time. Either way, I thought you mght enjoy a simple stew recipe that is a little different - instead of stew beef, I use small meatballs, which are easier to chew for young folks and older folks as well.

Enjoy the following recipe which I am going to prepare for my husband as we watch the Giant game later. Of course, you all know I am a Patriots fan but it will be interesting to me to see who they will be playing against in the Superbowl in a few weeks.

SUE'S SIMPLE MEATBALL STEW

10-12 red potatoes, peeled and cut in wedges
1 pound of fresh carrots, peeled and sliced
1 can of french style green beans
2 cans Heinz fat-free gravy - 1 chicken, 1 beef
1 pound of lean chopped meat
bread crumbs
onion powder
salt
pepper
galic salt
basil
french dressing
1/4 cup oil
1 egg

1. Mix egg, bread crumbs and spices to taste
2 Shape small meatballs and place in fry pan with heated oil
3. sprinkle two tblspns. of french dressing on meatballs
4. Brown meatballs, turning for five to ten minutes
5. Add two jars of gravy and simmer with lid on pan for 20 minutes
6. In large separate pot, cook carrots and potatoes together in lightly salted water for about 25 minutes
7. Drain vegetables and add meatballs and gravy to po
8. Drain a can of green beans and add
9. Add spices to taste and stir all ingredients
10. Bring to a biol and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes minimum
11. Serve with bread and butter or dinner rolls

I hope that you enjoy this stew and also that God will bless you on this Sunday.

Lday of Light

Somone Cares

Lady of Light

My husband and I had an interesting experience last week. To extend the Christmas holiday, we were invited to a Three Kings Celebration - a tradition practiced by the Hispanic people in our neighborhood bible study. God forgive me but I made baked ziti for the occasion - what can I say but my "specialty" is Italian food? We read with the Pastor from the book of Luke, and I was reminded of two facts which I had forgotten.
1) We don't really know if it was actually three kings that went to bring gifts to Baby Jesus because we only think that because it mentions three gifts. It could have been more or less, although we assume that it was one gift apiece.
2) Baby Jesus was not a baby but was two years old because that is the length of time it took the wise men to make the journey.

After this study, we exchanged gifts and I was given an interesting book put out by the Bible League by the Pastor. It is called "Someone Cares " In small writing it says God cares for you when you are ill. As I opened this book I saw a basic quote which I would like to share with you:

"The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble..He cares for those who trust in Him...."

Nahum 1:7

Now I had really liked this clear simple reminder about God being good and caring for me. I was surprised it came from the book of Nahum so I went back and looked to see what this book was about. The prophet Nahum had a prophecy that was, like that of Jonah, against Ninevah. God's judgment against the Assyrians was postponed because they repented at Jonah's preaching, but now the destruction of Ninevaah was imminent. It ws in fact destroyed by the Babylonians in 612BC

Though Nahum contains this golden message of the goodness of God for those who trust in him, we learn that although God may postpone the destruction of the wicked, their doom is nonetheless inevitable.

So I think this means "Watch your own "P"'s and "Q"'s and don't worry about evildoers because God, who knows all things will be good to those who trust in Him and take care of everything else in his own time and in his own way.

This was a very good book and you can get copies of this and other materials from The Bible League located nearest to where you are.

God bless you. Have a good day.

Lady of Light

A Respite From The Hullabaloo of tthe Upcoming Elections

Today is an exciting day because we face the Michigan Primary in which we will find out, I am told, at 9:00 tonight on TV if Mitt Romney made it in his own state as he hopes or if we will be surprised by another victory. The news is filled with all kinds of exciting stories about the candidates, and we are ruffled by the ongoing feud between Hillary and Obama, as well as by the different opinions about the issues flying in the air.

Time to take a breather and open the faithful Word of God for a quiet renewing meditation. Today I went to Psalm 63 which was written by King David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.

First, David states his relationship to God and his need to cry out to him :

"Oh God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is:"

It is so very important that we seek God in all things, including who to vote for and how to discern the abilities and platforms of those who wish to lead our country. And, as I have said before, to pray for those who are in authority on a daily basis.

And, in verses 2-4 David tells what his responses is to a loving God. These verses are special to me because years ago, when I was a member of Terrill Road Bible Chapel, we always learned to sing the Psalms in folk music and it was a terrific way to retain and to express praises from the bible. I know other churches do this also and these verses are actually sung as lyrics:

"Thy lovingkindness is better than life; my lips shall praise thee, thus will I bless thee while I live, I will lift up my lands in thy name."

To meditate on these verses and sing or simply lift up your hands brings such a sense of renewal, love, joy and peace. In a world where so many negative things happen, where the news is filled with contentions and vain babblings of men, it is so great to simply see that when David was in the wilderness, he simply recognized his relatiohship to God, his need and desire to seek God and to recognized the lovingkindness of his creator.

I am glad I took the time to read and think on this particular Psalm today because in the end he even tells what will happen ultimately to the leader or the King that was tantamount to a President back then:

"But the king shall rejoice in God: every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped."

Eventually, the elections will take place and one will gain victory as the new leader of our country. Hopefully then, the lies, the backbiting and all the negative things that go along with campaigning will come to an end.

Meanwhile, I will continue to take my meditation breaks and write about them from time to time. God's word is the only true source of comfort in all situations.

Lady of Light