Government is an addicted child; taxpayers are enabling parents.

**Disclaimer** The following post is not a comment on Christianity, nor do you have to agree with me to be a devoted Christ-follower.  I am writing from the standpoint of an American citizen, not as a minister who is preaching God's word.  This is my specific commentary and is not a commentary on Scripture nor does it have anything to do with following Christ.

As a minister, I am very often approached by people who want something from me.  They know I'm a minister and therefore have a decent chance of getting what they want. After all, that's my job, right?  Give people what they want?

I remember one guy who was in desperate financial straits.  He had lost his apartment, had his car repossessed, and all the stuff that goes along with it.  I hated it for the guy.  I really did.  I felt for him and I would never want to be in his position.  But something happened that changed my mind towards him.

He demanded that I help him.

He didn't ask.  He flat-out told me that I was supposed to give him money.  He implied that if I didn't take care of him, that I was not a Christian.

In further discussion, I found out that he didn't have a job, not because he couldn't get one, but because he had quit because the boss "was a jerk."  He also had been driving a car that was much nicer than what he could afford, and his credit cards were maxed out on dining out, movies, expensive entertainment systems, and vacations.

In other words, he had lived beyond his means, and when it went south, expected me to pay for it.  No mention of changing his habits, no mention of wrongdoing, no mention of mistakes, no mention of doing anything different.  Just wanted money.  What person in their right mind would help out a guy like that?  The answer:  no one . . . .  in their right mind.

I see the same thing with our government.  You and I didn't rack up $16 trillion in debt.  The government did that.  They spent it.  The government is the one who has lived beyond its means, spending money like a drunken sailor, throwing away tax money on irresponsible projects like Solyndra, and now that reality hits, they come to the American taxpayer demanding that we pay for it.

Just like the guy that approached me.

Why did I refuse to help the guy?  Had I given him money, it would have been wasted.  He would be back the next day, demanding more.  His lack of money wasn't the problem- it was his lifestyle.  And he wanted, no not wanted- DEMANDED- that I pay for it so he could do what he wanted to do.

Same is true of government.  Do any of us think that more money to the government will solve anything?  The government has never once admitted that its "lifestyle" is out of control.  Our politicians truly believe, like this guy, that it is my responsibility to solve the problems they have created.

Are any of us stupid enough to believe that raising taxes on Americans will change the government debt situation?  Let's use an example from daily life- all people who have ever gotten a raise at work will know the answer to this question.  After you got your raise, did you have more money left over at the end of the month?  Of course you didn't.  Unless you were serious about saving and budgeting, that money disappeared and was GONE.  More money doesn't mean more responsibility.  More money means more spending.

This is why I am against raising taxes.  The government is like an immature child without financial sense who spends without any sense of discipline, overdraws his account, and comes to the parents demanding more and more.  We are the enabling parents who keep subsidizing him.  Has any parent, who has enabled a child's addiction to spending or drugs or anything else, ever had the child come to them and say, "You know, I think you are giving me enough.  I don't need any more?"  No!  The child who is addicted to spending, or drugs, or anything else will ALWAYS want more.  He will always DEMAND more.

So, the more we give the government, the more it will demand.  It will never stop wanting more and more.  We need to stop feeding the addiction and we need to stop enabling our government's irresponsibility.  The best thing a parent can do to an addicted child is to cut them off completely.  Let them hit rock bottom.  Refuse to enable their out-of-control lifestyle.

The same thing has to happen to the government.  We, as the taxpayers, have to refuse to give any more in taxes to the government.  It already taxes everything we do.  We pay taxes on the houses we live in, the cars we drive, the water we use, the phones we use, the natural gas we use, the gasoline we use, the electricity we use, and everything we buy.  Then, the government takes a third of our paycheck.  Then the state takes a percentage.  Then the city takes a percentage.  Then, if you send what's left to the stock market, the government takes a portion of already-taxed money out of that.  Then, when you die, it wants to take fifty percent of your estate that you would leave to your children.  And now, the government wants more.

Right now, there is a dysfunctional relationship between taxpayer and government, like the dysfunctional relationship between enabling parent and addicted child.  Only when we start thinking in terms like these will we see the folly in calling for higher taxes to solve our problems.

Just like the guy who approached me demanding that I pay for his lifestyle, the government is approaching us demanding that we pay for its lifestyle.  I didn't create the problems for this guy: he is the one who lived extravagantly beyond his means.  You and I didn't create $16 trillion in debt: the government is the one who has lived extravagantly beyond its means.  He created the problems and they were his responsibility.  The government has created its problems and it is the government's job to fix it, without demanding any more from you and me. 

There are no material, or legal, solutions to spiritual problems

I have been as shocked and saddened by the CT shootings as the rest of you.  I've also tried to stay away from the media circus and the politicians never letting a good crisis go to waste, but even the little I've heard is enough to make me sick.  This is my take on what is actually going on.

The problem is that everyone I've heard from thinks that there can be material solutions to spiritual problems.

This isn't hard to understand.  For years, advertisers have been trying to get us to believe that material things will satisfy spiritual needs.  Are you lonely?  Bud Light is the cure!  You never hear a beer advertiser say, "Bud Lite- it tastes a lot like beer!"  Instead, you see friends kicked back around a campfire, laughing and enjoying one another's company- and everyone has a Bud Lite.  Beer manufacturers don't sell beer- they sell friends, fun, community, acceptance, and love.

We've been bombarded with so many advertisements telling us that spiritual problems can be solved by material things that we practically believe it now.  Depressed?  Buy some new clothes!  The material possession of new clothes will solve your spiritual problem of depression!

Because of this inundation of advertising, we will readily accept that spiritual problems can be solved by material things.  So, it's not too hard to realize why people think that a material thing, such as a law, will solve a spiritual problem here in this country.

Back in the roaring 20's, people thought that the spiritual problem of alcohol addiction could be solved by the material law of prohibition.  It didn't work.  We found out very quickly that a law can't change the human heart.  A material law doesn't solve a spiritual problem.

We think that the spiritual problem of drug addiction can be solved by laws against drugs.  We see how that is working out.  My home community of Nicholasville/Lexington has major problems of drug abuse, particularly the legal ones.  This is because a material law cannot solve a spiritual problem.

In light of the CT shootings, I'm hearing all kinds of calls for gun control laws.  I'm also hearing cries for more mental health help- more prescriptions, more health care, etc.  We as a society think that more laws and more pills can solve the spiritual problem of evil in our country.  How mistaken we are.  We have misidentified the problem, and because we have misidentified the problem, we have also misidentified the solution.

The problem in our society is that we, as people, are evil.  Yes, I said it.  We are evil.  There isn't much difference between me and a mass murderer- the difference is, I have chosen not to do it.  However, I would be a fool- and very blind- to deny the fact that I have the ability to be as cruel and heartless as any cold-blooded killer.  Yes, I have that nature inside me, and so do you.  The Bible refers to that as "the sinful nature."  We were born with it as a result of the Fall in Genesis 3, and it is the reason the world is in the shape it is in today.

Because the problem is spiritual, the answer must be spiritual.  The answer to my sin nature is faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus does more than just forgive- He wages war against the sin nature that is natural within us and changes us to people that live under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that people that are under the leadership of the Holy Spirit exhibit, "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

Every one of these things was absent from the CT shooter.  His life was not under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  His life was completely led and devoured by his sin nature.  A gun control law, or a pill, will not get rid of the sinful nature.  It won't even touch it.  Only the blood of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit can change someone.

So, let's stop looking for material solutions to spiritual problems.  Let's stop looking for legal solutions to spiritual problems.  They won't work.  Our country is rife with spiritual problems, and it's about time we start looking for spiritual solutions for what is wrong with this country.  This country needs God.  This country needs the cleansing grace of Jesus.  We need to bring the fear of God back into our culture and into our homes- realizing that we will be held accountable by God for every action and belief.  We have too long acted as people who will never face judgment.  We have too long acted as people who will never be held accountable for our actions.  We see the results- a society that does not fear God will have more and more incidents like this one.

When we as a people return to God, He will heal our broken land and bless us.  This is our only option and our only hope, because it is the only solution to the problem.

Funny Stuff

Okay folks, most of the time this blog is pretty serious, but today I'm departing from that and will just have a little bit of fun.

Once there was a little boy who lived in the country.  For bathroom facilities, they had to use an outhouse.  All his friends had indoor plumbing, and he hated the outhouse because it was hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and smelled bad all the time.

The outhouse was sitting on a bank of a creek and the boy determined that one day he would push the outhouse into the water.

One day after a spring rain, the creek was swollen so the little boy decided today was the day to push the outhouse into the creek.  So he got a large stick and pushed.  Finally, the outhouse toppled into the creek and floated away.

That evening his dad sternly told him to sit down.  Knowing he was in trouble, the little boy asked why.  His dad replied, "Someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today.  It was you, wasn't it, son?"

The boy answered yes.  Then he thought a moment and said, "Dad, I read in school today that George Washington (our first president for our international readers) chopped down a cherry tree and didn't get in trouble because he told the truth."

The dad replied, "Well, son, George Washington's father wasn't in that cherry tree when he chopped it down!"


And if that wasn't enough, here are the top ten WORST pickup lines ever:

10.  Can I have your picture so I can show Santa what I want for Christmas?
9. Hi- I'm Mr. Right.  I heard you were looking for me.
8. If I had a nickel for every woman who was a beautiful as you, I'd have five cents.
7. Girl, you must have a license to drive me this crazy!
6. Is it hot in here, or is it just you?
5. I've lost my number.  Can I have yours?
4. Your dad must be a weapons expert because you are the bomb.
3. Drop the zero and get with the hero, baby.
2. Are you tired?  Because you've been running through my mind all night long.
1. Are you a parking ticket?  'Cause you've got FINE written all over you.

Life is too short . . . .

Life's too short to worry about what others think of you.  Be yourself.

Life's too short to hate.

Life's too short to stay off the dance floor.  Nobody cares if you can't dance.  Just get out and dance.  Look like a moron- try it, it's fun.

Life's too short to worry about expressing yourself in worship.  Get as crazy in church as you do at a football game.

Life's too short to go around with a pessimistic attitude.

Life's too short to be constantly worrying about your weight.  Think about all the people who passed up the dessert cart on the Titanic.

Life's too short to be consumed with yourself.

Life's too short to be consumed by things.  Things don't count.  People do.

Life's too short not to laugh.  When you stop laughing, you stop living.

Life's too short not to love the Bible.  Too many people go from cradle to grave without ever experiencing the greatest love letter ever written.

Life's too short to neglect your family.  They are the ones most likely to stick with you when you fall.

Life's too short to worry about how much money you make.  In the end, your financial situation will be determined by how much you spend, not how much you make.

Life's too short not to tell jokes.

Life's too short not to share a hug.

Life's too short to take everything you hear personally.

Life's too short to let popularity consume you.  So what if you aren't popular?  95% of the people in the world aren't popular, and if the 5% who are popular moved somewhere else, they'd join the other 95% of us.

Life's too short to let this world write a script for your life.

Life's too short to watch commercials.

Life's too short to listen to music or watch tv that kills your joy- depressing, suicidal, hopeless music or sex-saturated, violent shows.  Those things only bring you down.

Life's too short not to love- God, your friends, your family, your enemies, nerds, geeks, dweebs, morons, skinheads, losers, winners, and everyone in between.  Just love.

Life's too short not to pray.

Life's too short not to find your purpose.  You have a purpose, a design, and a Creator who loves you.  To go through life without finding your purpose is to live in a constant state of despair.  Despair will choke the life out of you.  Like William Wallace said:

Everyone dies, but only a few truly live.

Not me.  When I reach my final day, I want all the music inside of me used up.  I want to have laughed every laugh, loved every love, and have invested myself in people.  I don't want tons of possessions, tons of awards, or tons of money.  I do want peace, happiness, and a strong relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus.  I want my Bible to be worn out from all the times I read it.  I want my knees calloused because of hours of prayer.  I want my voice completely gone because of all the laughter, all the jokes I told, and all the words of encouragement that have come from me.  I want my ankles to be worn out because I never sat out a dance.  I want a large family around me.  I want the people who didn't like me to be confused because I still loved them.  I want my tear ducts to be empty because of the tears of joy and sorrow that have been cried out.  I want the world to know that children are important.

And most of all, I want my funeral to be a celebration of the life I lived, not a mourning of the life I COULD have lived.

We only get one shot at this life.  Make it count.

Do this one thing to make Sunday morning 1000 times better

I didn't get serious about being part of a church until I was in college.  Actually, there was an extremely gorgeous college-aged woman that I knew was going to be there, so there was extra incentive to not miss a Sunday.

Being in college, and therefore having a college-style sleep schedule (which basically meant in bed between 3-5 am and sleeping until noon), getting up on Sunday mornings was particularly difficult.  However, I had plenty of incentive (see above paragraph), so I rolled out of bed at 10:45, threw on clothes, sped, ran red lights, rolled into the church parking lot on two wheels, ran into the service ten minutes late . . .  and wondered why I didn't get much out of the service.

I wouldn't treat work in this manner, or a job interview, or a date with my wife, or anything else that would be seen in my life as important.  So why would I treat my one chance per week to worship God with my church family? 

What I just described bothers me, because although it may not have been sinful, but it certainly wasn't my best.  I hate that.  I hate that all those years that I went to church I never gave God my best on Sunday morning.  Oh, I gave other things my best- the college soccer team, studying, my fiance, working out- but not Sunday mornings.  At the corporate worship service, the time to worship God with my church family, I gave leftovers.  I brought an unprepared mind, an unprepared heart- I treated it like an afterthought.

At the height of Israel's devotion to the Lord- under the leadership of Joshua- they were about to enter the promised land.  The Lord said, "Consecrate yourselves, because tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you." (Joshua 3:5)

In other words, spend today getting ready for your encounter with God tomorrow.  The next day, the Lord stopped up the Jordan river, which was at flood stage, and the entire nation went across on dry land.  They then took the city of Jericho without a single siege ramp or battering ram.  Truly, the Lord did amazing things among them.

When I read this, I realized with sadness how many amazing things I have missed because I had never "consecrated" myself the day before.  I had never gone to bed at a decent time (like I would before a soccer game, a big test, or anything else important) so as to be fully rested and at my best in the morning.  I had never spent concentrated time in prayer on Saturday night, preparing my heart for worship, God's word, and the presence of God in the church community.  I had never been still, listened for the voice of the Holy Spirit, fearful and awestruck that tomorrow I would be allowed into the presence of the Almighty to worship Him with my heart, soul, mind, and strength.

I had missed all that.  Plus, I had missed all the amazing things God wanted to do.

Here is what I suggest to all of you who truly desire to worship God:

1) On Saturday night, pray for your pastors, because we really need it.  Pray for the visitors God will bring, pray for the volunteers that will serve, pray for the teenagers and children who will be there.  Blanket the worship service in prayer before you go to bed Saturday night.

2) Go to bed at a decent hour, so that you will be able to present to God your best attention.  He definitely deserves it.

3) If you have a family, refuse to deal with anything Sunday morning.  Don't deal with homework issues, marital issues, housework issues, etc.  That is not what Sunday morning is for.  Sunday morning is for only one thing- worship of God.  All that other stuff can wait until later.  Don't give any time or energy or attention to something that would take away from your worship of God.

4) Leave the house so that you arrive at church thirty minutes before the service starts.  Don't rush.  Walk into the church building with a sense of expectancy that God will do amazing things that morning.  Pray for the pastors, the volunteers, the unbelievers that will be there.  You might even want to walk the aisles in the sanctuary, praying over each chair that God would touch the person that sits there. 

5)  Maybe for the first time- thoroughly ENJOY worshiping God, because you were ready for it.

Maybe one of the reasons we don't see more amazing things from God is that Christians simply don't consecrate themselves before worship.  We enter worship with the wrong mindset, with the wrong heart, with the wrong attitude, and absolutely no preparation, and therefore miss an amazing encounter with the God of the Universe who loves us and wants to bless us. 

What would Sunday morning be like for you and your family if you approached worship this way?