Today there is a headline that reveals the IRS and FBI are investigating Bishop Eddie Long's church in Atlanta for holding investment seminars which have caused several people to lose their savings.
First off, to give Bishop Long the benefit of the doubt, the economy is not in a good investment cycle- so duh, somebody is losing their money. But aside from the obvious, there is a deeper problem with "investment seminars" held by a church.
It's called greed. It's called the "love of money" being a root of "all kinds of evil." For the life of me I can't figure out why Christians are so hell bent to seek after the almighty dollar. Don't they READ their Bibles?
Jesus told His followers that if they loved money they would end up hating God. "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." Matthew 6:24
And yet, all over the Body of Christ there are get-rich-quick-schemes, followed by the statement "you need the money for ministry." Bull pucky.
Many a scheme has snared Christians, and has caused them to lose things.
I met with a couple one day who were convinced that if I would just buy a website from them I would make lots of money for my "ministry." As I sat across from them - in my police uniform by the way- I tried to explain that what they were proposing was a "pyramid scheme" and not legal in our state. They refused to believe it and walked away in a fog of deception.
No, they didn't make lots of money, and neither did anyone else involved in the scheme.
From "health products" to websites, "investments", to "give to get offerings," to every other trap, Christians are guilty of worldy thoughts. It's all based in greed and the love of money. They need to repent and wake up to the truth. God's economy works differently than the world. Will we EVER learn?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Polls and Politics
According to varying polls, people don't think they want Mr. O as President anymore. Well, duh. Mr. Spend, Spend, and Spend-Some-More simply doesn't need to continue. All that tax and spend policy places huge hardships on all of us. Undoing it is going to be a nightmare and a half.
The thing about polls is that they are often flawed and give a false sense of complacency. So my advice is to watch over the course of time and not give in to their alluring results.
Example: Ron Paul won a "straw poll" from Value Voters. He won because his wealthy supporters were on site at the convention. He didn't win it outright, nor did he win it because he was "favored." That kind of twisting goes on ALL THE TIME with politicians on both sides of the road.
Let's think for a minute about the "Occupy Wall Street" crowds and their buddies in Portland, etc. They have sucked in numerous people from all over the political spectrum, but they are socialist to the max. They are "share the wealth" people. Their agenda is simply wrong for America, no matter how many people are hanging out in the streets. It's like a twisted poll- don't believe everything you think you see.
So what's the answer? Honesty. Integrity. Truth. Love of Country. Love of people. Across the aisles of politics there can be a working together, but it takes some unvarnished truth and a large dose of compassion to do so: 1)the kind of compassion that refuses to hand everyone a credit card and tell them to go spend themselves into debt; 2) the kind of compassion that tries to give wisdom as a handout instead of free money; 3) the kind of compassion that causes our citizens to be responsible, hard-working, and truly free.
So, what do you think?
The thing about polls is that they are often flawed and give a false sense of complacency. So my advice is to watch over the course of time and not give in to their alluring results.
Example: Ron Paul won a "straw poll" from Value Voters. He won because his wealthy supporters were on site at the convention. He didn't win it outright, nor did he win it because he was "favored." That kind of twisting goes on ALL THE TIME with politicians on both sides of the road.
Let's think for a minute about the "Occupy Wall Street" crowds and their buddies in Portland, etc. They have sucked in numerous people from all over the political spectrum, but they are socialist to the max. They are "share the wealth" people. Their agenda is simply wrong for America, no matter how many people are hanging out in the streets. It's like a twisted poll- don't believe everything you think you see.
So what's the answer? Honesty. Integrity. Truth. Love of Country. Love of people. Across the aisles of politics there can be a working together, but it takes some unvarnished truth and a large dose of compassion to do so: 1)the kind of compassion that refuses to hand everyone a credit card and tell them to go spend themselves into debt; 2) the kind of compassion that tries to give wisdom as a handout instead of free money; 3) the kind of compassion that causes our citizens to be responsible, hard-working, and truly free.
So, what do you think?
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Healthcare in America
For a moment, let's talk about healthcare. Medicare patients have pretty decent care, by and large. But those of us in the middle between Medicare and employer insurance are guaranteed disaster.
My first employer's insurance was awesome- but it cost $800 per month.On a retirement income, that is simply not possible. I tried to get a regular policy, but was denied because of several "pre-existing conditions" - like migraines, for example. I currently have a crappy policy that is nigh unto worthless with a $5K deductible. The bottom-feeders who have it know full well that all of it will end up on the "deductible." And I will have all of it out of my own pocket.
So here we are in 2011, and the other day I had a "brain bleed" caused by those migraines, as well as a couple of other issues. Two CT scans and an MRI later, the bill was racking up exponentially. Down to the $6 or $7 box of kleenex in my room, it started to get ugly. I tried to tell the people who kept entering my room that my insurance was so crappy it wouldn't pay for all of that, but it fell on deaf ears. They gave me a private room, something my insurance NEVER pays for. They must have thought I had a "cadillac" policy!
Then there were the physical therapists, the occupational therapists, and the speech pathologist. I kept saying "no" so they insisted "yes." It seemed as though everyone was working against me. Then the doctor dropped by my room and decided I needed an angiogram on top of it all. At this point all I could do was nod my head like an idiot and pretend I was acquiescing.
It was difficult to even listen to anyone after that. Am I supposed to worry? No. Am I supposed to be calm and in control? No Doubt. At least I have Jesus. Other people- I honestly don't know what they do. With the bills mounting, the insurance company refusing to pay, and our leaders in Congress playing Russian Roulette with our health, I'd really like to cry, but simply don't have the energy.
My first employer's insurance was awesome- but it cost $800 per month.On a retirement income, that is simply not possible. I tried to get a regular policy, but was denied because of several "pre-existing conditions" - like migraines, for example. I currently have a crappy policy that is nigh unto worthless with a $5K deductible. The bottom-feeders who have it know full well that all of it will end up on the "deductible." And I will have all of it out of my own pocket.
So here we are in 2011, and the other day I had a "brain bleed" caused by those migraines, as well as a couple of other issues. Two CT scans and an MRI later, the bill was racking up exponentially. Down to the $6 or $7 box of kleenex in my room, it started to get ugly. I tried to tell the people who kept entering my room that my insurance was so crappy it wouldn't pay for all of that, but it fell on deaf ears. They gave me a private room, something my insurance NEVER pays for. They must have thought I had a "cadillac" policy!
Then there were the physical therapists, the occupational therapists, and the speech pathologist. I kept saying "no" so they insisted "yes." It seemed as though everyone was working against me. Then the doctor dropped by my room and decided I needed an angiogram on top of it all. At this point all I could do was nod my head like an idiot and pretend I was acquiescing.
It was difficult to even listen to anyone after that. Am I supposed to worry? No. Am I supposed to be calm and in control? No Doubt. At least I have Jesus. Other people- I honestly don't know what they do. With the bills mounting, the insurance company refusing to pay, and our leaders in Congress playing Russian Roulette with our health, I'd really like to cry, but simply don't have the energy.
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