Senate Democrats: Abortion = Healthcare

Adding to the growing corpus of evidence that democrats in D.C. want—nay, demand—abortion funding as part of the abominable healthcare bill is a Senate committee vote that occurred this morning. In a 13-10 vote (with pseudo-republican Snowe joining twelve democrats), an amendment offered by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to "strengthen anti-abortion provisions" was defeated.

It must be remembered that President Obama and most of the key democrats in Congress have already shown clearly that they want to see abortion funding in any final version of the healthcare bill that might pass Congress.

It must also be remembered that abortion is nothing short of the cold-blooded murder of a human being.

And speaking of things to remember...if someone is so cold-blooded as to accept the murder of an innocent life, what will stop their cold heart when it comes to euthanasia? Or "withdrawal of care"?

Is McCotter Nuts?!?

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, a Republican from Michigan, is apparently seeking support in Congress for a bill that would amend the Internal Revenue Code....tell you what: I'll just quote from a letter he sent to his colleagues:

"Dear Colleague," the letter reads.

"According to the 2007-2008 National Pet Owners Survey, 63% of United States households own a pet. Indeed, the human-animal bond has been shown to have a positive effect upon people's emotional and physical well being. In families with children, pets help to create a nurturing environment and provide ample educational opportunities. For people in later stages of life, pets offer important companionship. No matter the age of the owner, pets have been shown to reduce stress, safeguard against depression, improve social skills, and even ease loss.

"In light of this, please join me in becoming a cosponsor to H.R. 3501, the Humanity and Pets Partnered Through the Years (HAPPY) Act. If enacted, H.R. 3501 would amend the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to allow an annual tax deduction of up to $3500 for qualified pet care expenses. Specifically, "qualified pet care expenses" would be defined as funds spent in connection with providing care (including veterinary care) for a legally owned, domesticated animal."

I first heard this on the radio driving home from work today (and in God's providence, I was stopped at a red light at that very moment, preventing me from driving my car off the road).

Sadly, liberals are having a field day with this—just as we Republicans often do with their loony ideas. Except this idea truly is loony! See examples here and here, if you care to do so.

Our tax code has more than its share of problems and certainly more than its share of illogical tax breaks for special-interest-related reasons. I'd rather see McCotter offer some sort of tax relief related to what I spend caring for the health care of the humans in my household. That would truly be a "HAPPY" day.

Tax breaks for pet care. Think about that.

Hymn of the Week: My Sins Are Blotted Out, I Know!

Yes, they are! The Bible teaches us that we can know that our sins are covered by the blood of Christ. We need only confess our sins and repent of them in faith—and Jesus removes them as far as the east is from the west (Ps. 103:12).

If you have repented of your sins in faith, be comforted in this. Meditating upon this thought should be a great encouragement to you.

If you have never repented of your sins, let this be the day you do so!

The words and lyrics to this song are by Merrill Dunlop (copyright 1927, renewal 1955).

My Sins Are Blotted Out, I Know!

What a wondrous message in God's Word!
My sins are blotted out, I know!
If I trust in His redeeming blood,
My sins are blotted out, I know!

Chorus:

My sins are blotted out, I know!
My sins are blotted out, I know!
They are buried in the depths of the deepest sea:
My sins are blotted out, I know!

Once my heart was black, but now what job,
My sins are blotted out, I know!
I have peace that nothing can destroy,
My sins are blotted out, I know!

Chorus

I shall stand some day before my King,
My sins are blotted out, I know!
With the ransomed host I then shall sing:
"My sins are blotted out, I know!"

Chorus

Singing the Praises of the President

By now most of us have heard about the video of the elementary kids singing the praises of President Obama. I find it repugnant, and, like so many other things, I am severely disappointed that the media isn't pouncing on school administrators for this. You know, like they would have if two years ago children were singing the praises of the last president.

Now we learn more about the principal of the school. Dr. Denise King (someone please tell me who granted her a doctoral degree) is an Obama fan, and attended Obama's inauguration last January. Consider the following:

• Pictures she took at the inauguration made it into the school yearbook...despite the fact this was not a school field trip.
• Pictures of the president adorned the halls and various classrooms of the school. I have no problem with hanging a picture or two of the president on the wall (students, after all, should know who the president is and be able to identify him), but it sounds like this school went a bit overboard.
• Photos of "Obama-themed activities" were in the yearbook. I wonder what exactly those were....?

However, there were two facts about the principal that I found particularly troubling:

• According to parents who spoke with Dr. Denise King, "The principal of a New Jersey elementary school where young students were videotaped singing the praises of President Obama is making no apologies for the videotape and says she would allow the performance again if she could" [Emphasis mine].
  
• According to public records, Dr. Denise King hasn't voted since 2004! The article states, "A search of public records revealed that King, 46, of Cinnaminson, N.J., last voted in 2004 and had not declared any political affiliation. No records of political contributions could be found."

On the upside, the article made me feel better that my children are not in public schools.

Hiding Money Offshore? Be Warned!

As a professional tax preparer for part of the year, I have signed up for the IRS e-mails that are put out several times a week. This one I received struck me as rather interesting.

Context of the e-mail: In its never-ending quest to see that all income taxes are, in fact, collected, the IRS will soon be "cracking down" with greater penalties for those who are caught hiding money in foreign ["offshore"] bank accounts.

The e-mail is copied below. It is also found on the IRS website here. Consider this a sort of public service announcement.

WASHINGTON ─ The Internal Revenue Service today announced a one-time extension of the deadline for special voluntary disclosures by taxpayers with unreported income from hidden offshore accounts. These taxpayers now have until Oct. 15, 2009.

Under special provisions issued in March, taxpayers with these hidden accounts originally had until Sept. 23, 2009 to come forward. Those taxpayers who do not voluntarily disclose their hidden accounts by the new deadline face much harsher civil penalties, where applicable, and possible criminal prosecution.

IRS officials decided to extend this deadline after receiving repeated requests from tax practitioners and attorneys around the country following an influx of taxpayer requests. By extending the deadline for a short period of time, the IRS is providing relief for those taxpayers who had intended to come forward prior to the deadline, but faced logistical and administrative challenges in meeting it. The extension will allow tax preparers and attorneys the necessary time to interview and advise their backlog of taxpayers with these hidden accounts, and prepare the necessary paperwork to qualify for the special penalty provisions.

The IRS also announced that there will be no further extensions.

Hymn of the Week: I Need Thee Every Hour

The message of this hymn is both self-explanatory and profoundly true. No one can survive and have joy without the presence of the Lord. Meditate upon these words today.

(Words by Annie S. Hawks, 1872)

I Need Thee Every Hour

I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord;
No tender voice like Thine can peace afford.

Refrain

I need Thee, O I need Thee;
Every hour I need Thee;
O bless me now, my Savior,
I come to Thee.

I need Thee every hour, stay Thou nearby;
Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, in joy or pain;
Come quickly and abide, or life is in vain.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour; teach me Thy will;
And Thy rich promises in me fulfill.

Refrain

I need Thee every hour, most Holy One;
O make me Thine indeed, Thou blessèd Son.

Refrain

The Bob Jones University Creed

My alma mater has had the following creed, unchanged since the school's opening in 1927. It succinctly and accurately states the core doctrinal beliefs of the university, and more generally, of true Protestantism throughout most of the past five centuries. It is said in every chapel, in every Sunday worship service, and at Commencement. Students are required to memorize it; some of us can quote it word perfect decades after graduating.

The first two words are, as you can see, "I believe." I do, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I present it here without further comment:

I believe in the inspiration of the Bible (both the Old and the New Testaments);

the creation of man by the direct act of God;

the incarnation and virgin birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ;

His identification as the Son of God;

His vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross;

the resurrection of His body from the tomb;

His power to save men from sin;

the new birth through the regeneration by the Holy Spirit;

and the gift of eternal life by the grace of God.

How Bad is the Big Ten?

No one, except the deluded and the dishonest, is claiming right now that Big Ten Football is the greatest in the land, for the simple reason that the evidence speaks otherwise.

Each of the eleven conference teams has played two games; a total of four losses have been recorded. Three of those were in home games. Ohio State played respectably against a very good USC team, but the other losses are a bit embarassing.

So are these facts: The "directional Michigan" teams (Western, Central, Eastern) went 1-2 against the Big Ten last week and were collectively outscored by only 5 points. And Western should have beaten Indiana. Wisconsin needed two overtimes to beat Fresno State at home. Iowa had to block two last-moment field goals at home to win its first game against Northern Iowa.

Here's a breakdown of the conference so far.

At the top: Penn State. Two solid games, won by wide margins. Against powderpuff teams? Well, yes. But unlike some of the conference brethren, they made their opponents look like powderpuff teams.

Near the top: Michigan. Notre Dame blew their chance to win at Michigan. Nevertheless, Michigan is 2-0 and is crawling into the ratings again.

Not as close to the top as they should be: Ohio State and Wisconsin. Ohio State nearly chokes up a big fourth-quarter lead to Navy, and then can't keep an opponent from driving the length of the field at the end of a game. Wisconsin has barely beaten two powderpuffs.

2-0 for only a limited time: Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern, Iowa.

If this keeps up, more embarrassments to come: Purdue, Illinois, Michigan State. I know MSU, in particular, has developed gut-wrenching losses into an art form. It appears they might be taking it to the next level.

Schools other than OSU should take note: It does not impress the rest of the college football universe when you do not schedule teams against worthy opponents. If Big Ten football is to show itself the greatest in the land, they have to play the rest of the land!

Hymn of the Week: Tell Me the Old, Old Story

The theme of this song (at least, to me) is that we should want to hear that "old, old story" again and again—that story of "Jesus and His love."

It should never bore us to hear about Jesus Christ and what he did. It should never "grow old" to hear again that He was born of a virgin, that He lived a holy life, and that He died and rose again to provide the necessary sacrifice for our sins. We should never tire to recall how He loves us and blesses us.

And in addition to hearing the story, we should be always ready to tell those who have not heard it. Are you?

Tell Me the Old, Old Story

Tell me the old, old story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love.
Tell me the story simply, as to a little child,
For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled.

Refrain

Tell me the old, old story, tell me the old, old story,
Tell me the old, old story, of Jesus and His love.

Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in,
That wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin.
Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;
The early dew of morning has passed away at noon.

Refrain

Tell me the story softly, with earnest tones and grave;
Remember I’m the sinner whom Jesus came to save.
Tell me the story always, if you would really be,
In any time of trouble, a comforter to me.

Refrain

Tell me the same old story when you have cause to fear
That this world’s empty glory is costing me too dear.
Yes, and when that world’s glory is dawning on my soul,
Tell me the old, old story: “Christ Jesus makes thee whole.”

Refrain

Another Reason to Like the KJV, from Luke 22:31-32

I wrote once before that I prefer to use the King James Version of the Bible, and gave some reasons for doing so.

This evening I was continuing to read the phenomenally well-written book, Not By Chance, by Dr. Layton Talbert, on the subject of the providence of God. On pp. 175-6, in a discussion of Luke 22:31-32, Dr. Talbert made some simple yet significant observations. First, read the verses, noting the italicized words; then read what he wrote:

31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Despite our modern impatience with the "thee's and thou's" of Scripture, the effort to eliminate this archaism necessarily sacrifices an element of accuracy and understanding. In modern English we use "you" for both singular and plural. The advantage of the older English in the Authorized Version is that you always know whether the pronoun (in Greek or Hebrew) is singular or plural. "Thee" and "thou" and "thy" always signify a singular pronoun in the original, whereas "you" and "ye" and "your" always indicate a plural. Unfortunately, modern English versions erase that distinction by the use of "you" for both singular and plural. Many English readers are unaware of this distinction even when they read the KJV.

Peter was not the only one to be sifted by Satan. Luke 22:32 reads, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you [plural; that is, all of the disciples], that he may sift you [plural] as what." Jesus was informing and warning Peter—even in the face of Peter's promise of loyalty to the death—that Satan desired all of the disciples to test them to the uttermost. Moreover, the vocabulary and tense of the phrase "hath desired" indicate that Satan's desire had, in fact, already been granted. Satan had sought and already obtained permission from God to test any and all of the disciples.

...."But," Jesus adds to Peter (Luke 22:32), "I have prayed for thee [singular; that is, "for thee, in particular, Peter"] that thy [singular] faith fail not: and when thou [singular] art converted [that is, turned around after this trial], strengthen thy [singular] brethren" who were also severely tried.

[All emphases are in the original text.]

This is a great book. You can purchase it here. I hope to teach a S.S. series on the topic this winter and will be blogging about elements of it as I go along. Great stuff!

Thoughts on President Obama's "School Speech"

Today, President Obama went to a high school in Arlington, Virginia, and gave a televised address to school children across the nation (video is available at whitehouse.gov). His remarks were controversial in advance of their release on Monday, but as it turned out, the bulk of the speech was a very acceptable encouragement to students to work hard and do their best and complete their education. Any president—or governor, or school board member—could have delivered most of this without any controversy whatsoever.

There were a few lines of the speech which he could have done without ["I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn."], but the quotes below are actually quite accurate and worth the time required to speak them:

"But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world - and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.
And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education."


"And no matter what you want to do with your life - I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it."

[Personal Note: In my professional employment, I meet a lot of school dropouts who would have done much better had they heeded those last two sentences.]


"Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.

But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying."

"But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute."

[Personal Note #2: I am a math teacher. That last sentence is unalterably true. Focus on the word "seem."]


"So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you."

There comes a time when it is appropriate to agree with something your political opponent says, simply because it's right. As a parent and a teacher, I have no problem agreeing with the President on the quotations above. Student do need to recognize that education is important, that it sometimes requires a lot of effort, and that some things are more desirable or easier than others; and they must remember that perseverance is a desirable and important quality. As teachers and parents, we need to expect great things and great efforts from our students.

If the President had given me the responsibility of delivering the speech, aside from a handful of edits, I could have done so in good conscience with a smile on my face.

The only other issue was whether schools should have showed the speech to their students. As with many other public school things, I think this is an issue best left to local consideration. The local superintendent, principal, or appropriate authority figure should have been able to make the call.

As it turned out, public pressure probably forced the President to shift his focus to the above, less controversial topics. That's a good thing. There is nothing wrong with the President of the United States delivering a non-political encouragement to school students to give their best efforts. Indeed, it's a good idea!

Government, Charity, and Grover Cleveland

I was inspired today after reading a post over at theblogprof which cited a great article from Daily Inter Lake, a newspaper in Montana. The issue was how Rep. Davy Crockett, when serving in Congress, responded when a voter demanded why he voted to spend federal funds for the relief of people who lost their homes in a fire in the 1820's. Here are a few excerpts from that article (I encourage you to read the whole thing):

"Where do you find in the Constitution any authority to give away the public money in charity?"

That question was asked not of President Obama nor of Sen. Max Baucus or Rep. Nancy Pelosi, but of the less well-known Tennessee congressman, David Crockett.

It was a question that Rep. Crockett was not well-prepared to answer, but his constituent wanted to know why he had voted to spend federal funds for the relief of families that had been left homeless as the result of a ravaging fire in Georgetown....

But back to our story, which comes from an 1884 biography, "The Life of Colonel David Crockett" by Edward S. Ellis, it is instructive to note the puzzlement of Rep. Crockett when he was challenged by his constituent Horatio Bunce while out stumping for votes. Bunce told Crockett in no uncertain terms that he could not vote for him again.

"You gave a vote last winter which shows that either you have not capacity to understand the Constitution, or that you are wanting in the honesty and firmness to be guided by it. In either case you are not the man to represent me," Bunce said in the story, as allegedly recounted by Crockett....

[Crockett:] "When I began to think about it, I could not remember a thing in the Constitution that authorized it. I found I must take another tack, so I said: 'Well, my friend; I may as well own up. You have got me there. But certainly nobody will complain that a great and rich country like ours should give the insignificant sum of $20,000 to relieve its suffering women and children, particularly with a full and overflowing Treasury, and I am sure, if you had been there, you would have done just as I did.'"

But Horatio Bunce, a one-man "Tea Party" of his day, was having none of it. Rather than be hornswoggled by Crockett's attempt to deflect the argument away from the Constitution, he circled right back to it:

"In the first place," he said, the Government ought to have in the Treasury no more than enough for its legitimate purposes. But that has nothing to do with the question. The power of collecting and disbursing money at pleasure is the most dangerous power that can be entrusted to man... [W]hile you are contributing to relieve one, you are drawing it from thousands who are even worse off than he. If you had the right to give anything, the amount was simply a matter of discretion with you, and you had as much right to give $20,000,000 as $20,000. If you have the right to give to one, you have the right to give to all; and, as the Constitution neither defines charity nor stipulates the amount, you are at liberty to give to any and everything which you may believe, or profess to believe, is a charity, and to any amount you may think proper. You will very easily perceive, what a wide door this would open for fraud and corruption and favoritism, on the one hand, and for robbing the people on the other. No, Colonel, Congress has no right to give charity. Individual members may give as much of their own money as they please, but they have no right to touch a dollar of the public money for that purpose."

"The people about Washington, no doubt, applauded you for relieving them from the necessity of giving by giving what was not yours to give. The people have delegated to Congress, by the Constitution, the power to do certain things. To do these, it is authorized to collect and pay moneys, and for nothing else. Everything beyond this is usurpation, and a violation of the Constitution."

The well-spoken farmer concluded his presentation thusly: "It is a precedent fraught with danger to the country, for when Congress once begins to stretch its power beyond the limits of the Constitution, there is no limit to it, and no security for the people."

The only hope we have now is that our congressional representatives and senators have a smidgen of the integrity of Davy Crockett, who having been instructed in the truth was man enough to accept it.

This was not the first time I read about this issue in 19th-century American politics. Several years ago I read a biography of President Grover Cleveland, who served as president 1885-1889 and again 1893-1897. One of the big issues of his day was pensions for Union Civil War veterans. Like many issues today, congressmen both individually and collectively were trying to funnel federal money back to people in their districts, and veterans were one very public, very heart-stirring illustration of this.

In the book Grover Cleveland by Henry F. Graff (Times Books, The American Presidents Series), p. 85, is written this about President Cleveland:

In Cleveland's view, the president was simply what the Constitution said he was, the chief executive, a referee making sure that no individual or group is granted special favors or deprived of their rights. In this regard he was not different from many of his predecessors. Nevertheless, new issues were arising, and an assertive public opinion, made more animated by the coming of the modern media, would change the scene.

Cleveland did not see any of this as altering his proud office. he vetoed a bill that would have provided assistance to Texas farmers largely wiped out by a severe drought. In his accompanying message he declared in words that seemed ordinary but that would be unacceptable today: "I do not believe that the power and duty of the general government ought to be extended to the relief of individual suffering which is in no manner properly related to the public service or benefit." He stated a principle: "Though the people support the government, the government should not support the people."

Cleveland—a democrat—was right. It has never been the constitutional duty of government to provide charity or other handouts to people, no matter what situation the people find themselves in. The current healthcare debate is but today's most obvious example. Our federal government has for decades ignored this; Social Security, Medicare, welfare, Katrina relief, and the like are all unconstitutional abuses of the power to tax and disburse monies.

President Cleveland would certainly condemn the current plans to provide "healthcare for all," and probably more than many Republicans in Congress. He would probably find little difficulty in maintaining a balanced budget (which was the case through most of his presidency), and he would probably lose little sleep over the finer philosophical points of today's political debates.

America needs to get back to the Constitution and reject the healthcare-for-all plans circulating today.

Hymn of the Week: To The Work

With Labor Day weekend upon us, a hymn about "Work" seemed an appropriate choice. When searching for such a hymn, I encountered this one, previously unfamiliar to me, in a familiar hymnal.

Every one of us who claim the name of Christ should be actively working to do His will. We often confuse work with the "supervisor who sits around" or the office guy who fritters away his day playing computer games and surfing the internet. This is not Christ's idea of work, particularly spiritual work.

Spiritual work involves a variety of activities: Praying, reading and studying Scripture, witnessing, doing good works, serving others, training up children, and much more. What spiritual work are you doing today? What will you be doing tomorrow?

Notice, too, that the hymn is upbeat: Work is not perceived as a burden, nor a duty—it is spoken of in a manner that encourages and uplifts the worker.

What spiritual work are you doing?

To The Work

To the work! To the work! We are servants of God;
Let us follow the path that our Master has trod;
With the balm of His counsel our strength to renew,
Let us do with our might what our hands find to do.

Refrain

Toiling on, toiling on,
Toiling on, toiling on,
Let us hope and trust,
Let us watch and pray,
And labor till the Master comes.

To the work! To the work! Let the hungry be fed;
To the fountain of life let the weary be led;
In the cross and its banner our glory shall be,
While we herald the tidings, “Salvation is free!”

Refrain

To the work! To the work! There is labor for all;
For the kingdom of darkness and error shall fall;
And the love of our Father exalted shall be,
In the loud swelling chorus, “Salvation is free!”

Refrain

To the work! To the work! In the strength of the Lord,
And a robe and a crown shall our labor reward,
When the home of the faithful our dwelling shall be,
And we shout with the ransomed, “Salvation is free!”

Refrain

Random Thought on an Important Bible Verse

The verse is Mark 12:17:

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.

This verse clearly teaches we must pay our lawful taxes.

But why is it that Caesar demands so much more of our earnings than God does?

Should We Pray for President Obama to Die?

The biblical answer, of course, is No.

But that doesn't seem to seem to be stopping a certain Baptist pastor (and I use "Baptist" loosely here, as nearly every Baptist I know would condemn this fellow) in Phoenix from not only praying to this end, but telling his congregation they should, too. Here's the relevant part of the news article:

A Phoenix-area pastor has started to draw protesters to his congregation after he delivered a sermon titled, "Why I Hate Barack Obama," and told his parishioners that he prays for President Obama's death.

Pastor Steven Anderson stood by his sermon in an interview with MyFOXPhoenix, which reports that the pastor continues to encourage his parishioners to join him in praying for the president's death.

"I hope that God strikes Barack Obama with brain cancer so he can die like Ted Kennedy and I hope it happens today," he told MyFOXPhoenix on Sunday. He called his message "spiritual warfare" and said he does not condone killing.

Compare that with the words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 5:43-45:

43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Even if you find it hard to think of our president as "your enemy," it is clear that the Bible teaches us to love everyone, regardless of what we think of their actions toward us or anyone else. The Bible also teaches us very clearly in Romans 13:1-2 that God ordains all earthly "powers"—in fact, we know that God Himself allowed Barack Obama to win last year's election [Neither I nor any man can explain why this happened, but it is not ours to know the mind of God].

I could write on this at length, but my brother wrote a fine piece on this very topic first, so I will encourage you to read what he has to say.

Is the Obama Presidency Going to Implode?

Why the Obama Administration Will Implode in Weeks

The article linked above gives an encouraging yet serious perspective on the prospect of the Obama administration going down in flames due to Americans' long-delayed rendezvous with the realities now being proposed in Washington. Consider what Obama has been doing just in the past few months:

• The pushing of a healthcare "reform" that Americans neither want nor care to pay for;
• Support of a cap-and-trade bill that amounts to nothing less than the largest tax increase in the history of our country;
• Beginning to hem and haw about whether or not there will be higher taxes, when nearly everyone paying attention knows it must happen;
  
• Making disingenuous comments about the above; and
  
• Standing at the helm of a record-shattering budget deficit, with no apparent concern for the ramifications.

Americans are waking up. Some of us never fell asleep, but we weren't in the majority of voters last November. The Tea Party movement and the fantastic responses at the various "town hall" meetings across the country are illustrating this.

May God give our country grace and our leaders wisdom!