I know we are tired of hearing anything more about the election and only want to move ahead with the things we must regard in what lay before us now.  Due to the inappropriate comments that have been flayed at both Obama and Romney during and after the election, I feel motivated to make comment to remind us of a couple of things.

There are many examples where we have shown the world what we are made of: We’ve pulled together countless times in history for our common good with remarkable results.  There was a time we felt strongly in the right to govern ourselves and the ensuing result was the American Revolution.  During World War II, Americans stepped up to the plate in compromise by working longer hours and doing without many consumer goods in order to support the war effort.  When the terrible day of 9/11 struck, we did not allow terrorism to defeat and weaken us; just the opposite¯ we came together (once again) to protect the country we love.  Our lives were changed forever, but we grew stronger in a myriad of ways.  It is time to pull together in unison once more.

Again, the people have elected Mr. Obama as president.  Though he may have not been your choice, you must get past your pettiness and name-calling; some of the things I have heard are mortifying.  Although you may not agree with all he stands for or some of the decisions that he has handed down, I urge you to pray for wisdom for your president.  If you believe that prayer can affect people and situations, then I urge you to fill up the prayer bowls of Heaven. 

We can surmise all we want but no one knows what to expect in the days to come.  We have become terribly polarized politically and religiously.  We need to get our act together.  The people and our government need to quit pitting themselves against each other.  Let us try to find common ground; if we do not, we will pay one hefty price.

Katie Altobellis

When you think of a historic event what comes to mind¯ Apollo 11, the American Revolution or perhaps Pearl Harbor, right?  Well, yes, those events rank as such because they shaped and changed our country.  Therefore, I found it a bit stunning when I read that when Colorado and Washington recently “legalized” pot that some offered it up as a historical event.  Quite the contrary, I say.  Never mind that it’s still federally illegal and is one of the most commonly abused drugs in the US.  Nevertheless, last week, the voters in those two states passed laws to allow those over 21 years old to possess marijuana for recreational use. 

Have our states’ revenues become so starved that we have to resort to compromising our stance on something we once felt was socially unacceptable?  Does it matter that marijuana heightens the risk of lung infections, impairs short-term memory, increases the risk of heart attacks and damages the respiratory system and brain?  Besides alcohol, marijuana is the leading cause of substance abuse.  What about the increased health costs that will be incurred as a result?  But wait, those issues pale in comparison to the supposedly 13.7 billion dollars the US government would save in prohibition enforcement and the tax revenues, also in the billions, proponents say would be generated  in the next several years.  I do not care how you slice it, dice it or downplay the side effects of marijuana, legalizing it is not the answer to our social or economic ills. 

Millions of folks use marijuana and now we will see an upward rise in the numbers.  Researchers say that the costs to treat alcohol and tobacco related issues outweigh the revenues they bring in.  So what makes anyone think that the same trend with marijuana will not follow?  Those passionate for legalizing marijuana for recreational use have flawed thinking and the aftermath will not be pretty.

We are becoming more tolerant of things we once thought morally distasteful and now accept them as being essential to our survival.  What has caused this pollution in our thinking?  I cringe to think what’s next.

Defining personhood and its characteristics is as controversial as it is varied.  The US Supreme Court recently refused to examine a case by the Oklahoma Supreme Court regarding a proposed personhood amendment that sought to give equal legal protection and due process to those yet born, specifically those at the conception stage of life.  Supporters of the amendment believe that at conception life begins, opponents believed the amendment would ban abortion   Yep, here we go again but this is hardly a believable outcome, considering most of the justices are Christian.  Proponents were only asking that the amendment be put on the November ballot for the voters to decide.

Opponents to the amendment stated that if passed, this would have had devastating effects on a woman’s right to have an abortion, not their only but biggest objection.  Those against the measure clearly see no value in the human embryo and do not view it as “true” life yet. 

The issue of “personhood” is clearly defined in the Bible.  Life begins at conception and science, often at odds with Christianity, tells us the same thing.  From the very start, the genetic makeup of a person is determined, along with other characteristics, such as the sex, hair and eye color are also already established. 

God tells us in Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…” and in Psalm 139:13, David tells us that …”your eyes saw my unformed body.” 

Why we continue to pursue with such vigor that the unborn life is of no value goes against the very grain of God.  The yet unborn life still has a purpose to fulfill and who knows, your destiny may hinge on that very life you are trying to deny rights to.

This Supreme Court may have reinforced their decision about the starting point of life but the real question I would like to ask those brilliant scholars is, “What will you tell your maker when you see Him as to why you took the position you did on a life He created in His own image, not yours? 

I sometimes think we forget how blessed (I deplore when someone uses the word “lucky” to describe the gifts they receive) we are in this country.  Also, all too often we tend to read about the barbaric behavior occurring in other countries and write it off to that just being their way of life…as long as we are not affected, right? 

Malala Yousafzai is the Pakistani schoolchild who was shot in the head by extremists earlier in the month because of being an outspoken supporter for girls’ education in her country.  The Taliban has taken responsibility for the shootings of her and two other classmates.  Her assailants were apparently opposed to her stand because it promoted Western culture. 

Though it is hard to believe because she is so young, she has been on the radar of the Taliban since at least 2009.  In her aim to champion the cause of education in her country, she wrote anonymously for the BBC and her blog included, among other issues, how the Taliban burned girl’s schools.  For all her efforts, she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize.  But her aspirations for herself and others does not end there-also made known were her desires to set up her own political party in addition to starting a school for deprived girls.  Where does a young child get such wisdom, maturity and concern for others?  Her parents named her after an Afghan heroine and she certainly has lived up to her namesake.

So, this young lady wanted others to be treated better and stood up for what she knew was right.  What does the Taliban have to fear from her and those she wants to empower…loss of control?  Additionally, they have vowed to kill her should she survive. The shootings are deplorable and I pray that the world will not soon forget her courage and bravery.

This article is written to give remembrance to her and ask that you hold her up in prayer.  It is reported that her chance of survival is 50/50....she is but fourteen years of age.

Katie Altobellis

I think it is interesting that in this election year (especially), how much God’s name has been brought into the political arena not that that is a bad thing.  But I also do not think that it is necessary for a presidential candidate to have to constantly wave a big red flag for all to see in order for voters to know that he has God in his heart.  Jesus clearly tells us that we will be known by the fruit we bear.

As mentioned in an earlier writing, this ministry does not endorse any candidate or political party.  However, what I mean to do here is remark on a comment made by a writer for the Washington Post.  She said that one of the candidates handed the other “the God vote” by mentioning the Creator’s name during the debate.  I do not disagree with the comments made during the debate but the reporter’s statement of opinion is interesting.  She stated Obama “needed to wear God” if he wanted to win the next debate.  I get what she is saying but on the other side of the coin, no one can manipulate the name of God by “wearing” Him or just invoking His name and then think they will win anything…it goes deeper than that.  The mere use of God’s name is not to be used as some good luck charm in order for us to get a higher standing with Him.  God knows fake when He sees and hears it.  Incidentally, have you ever been around people who have said absolutely nothing but you still knew God was with them?  It is by the words of our mouth but we also represent God by how we act, how we carry ourselves and how we treat others.  What God stands for, his people will also stand for (or against). 

It is quite easy to see if someone is truthful when it comes to his belief in God.  His words and actions will line up with the Word of God.  And by the way, God owns us, not the other way around.

 Katie Altobellis

Conflict in the Middle East continues to rage on. It is not new and I will bring no revelation about what is going on regarding the civil war in Syria.  But what prompts me to write this article is the number of comments I have read from people who express this attitude:  why should we care about what is going on with this struggle which is not our own anyway?

We should all know that what goes on in any part of the world, especially in the Middle East, affects us globally.  A short list of concerns we should have about this war is¯ our economy, no matter whose side we take, is affected.  Our reputation as a world power that staunchly defends democracy and opposes brutality of a people by any regime stands in question and finally, yet importantly, why would we not be actively involved in deposing any government that supports terrorism?  We have intervened in other countries situations so why have we chosen to sit back and take a passive stance with the strife that engulfs Syria. 

There should be growing pressure by others on us to become more involved¯ at least for the sake of our futures.  How could a possible domino effect of falling governments over there affect us in days and years to come?  I know we have enough on our own plates and an entanglement in others’ affairs may not interest many but I think we walk a dangerous tightrope to sit back and be passive. 

President Assad does not care who he raises the sword against and it appears that thousands more lives will be lost before this internal war is over.  He could care less about humanistic rights of his people but the United States has always been the champion of those in crisis.  There is no easy or quick fix to this situation or it would already be over.  War is risky business and I am not suggesting it but horrible crimes against humanity are being committed.  Justice must prevail. Should we stand by idly?  Inaction will not bring change nor will it save lives.

I had a carpenter working at my house a week or so ago.  I made mention of not being at Bible study on that particular day, which led him to say something about the Lord.  I jumped right in and he eventually opened up a little more.  I could tell he was sincere and he led me to believe he was trying to maintain direction, biblically speaking.

Eventually, he said, “I’m spiritual, but not religious.”  I said nothing about his comment at the time but later thought, What do people mean when they say this and what do they want you to understand about them? 

I believe in Christianity as a religion, i.e., I follow Christ.  So when someone says they are not religious but only spiritual, does that mean that they adhere to no set beliefs?  What disciplines do they follow and what are their core values?  Do they mix a little of this and a little of that to come up with what they believe in?

To me, it sounded rather trendy and cosmic to use this term and it sounds like people are rejecting doctrine of any kind.  I fully understand that what has come to light in today’s society to many is the fact that there are those who try to sell religion as something feel good and only you reaping. 

I believe that we have to have some kind of framework by which we live our lives.  I do not call myself Catholic, Baptist or Methodist but I am bound by the absolute truths found in Christianity.  When we share our beliefs with one another, we are sharing our religion.  So, I have to tell my carpenter friend when I see him again that he was sharing in religion, whether he saw it that way or not.

Whether you reject being religious or not, the bottom line is we do not need to label ourselves.  As long as we know God and do all we can in our lives to learn “the more” of Him and share Him with others, that is all that is important in this whole wide world.

Katie Altobellis 

Revelation of a so-called discovery brought new debate among the masses and made international headlines this week.  A piece of papyrus, supposedly originating from the fourth century, purports to contain speech attributed to Jesus.

The story goes that a Professor of Divinity at Harvard was contacted in 2010 by a collector (who chooses to remain anonymous) asking her for help translating and authenticating a piece of papyrus.  Supposedly, this fragment has been referred to by the professor as “The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife.”  She presented this fragment to a conference in Rome this week.  Text on the papyrus claims, “Jesus said to them, ‘My wife.’  We are told that the rest of the sentence is cut off.  Nothing else is known about the circumstances of the papyrus or its discovery.  However, it is assumed to come from some Gnostic Christian text.  (The Gnostics are a completely different story and is too much to get into here.)  Even with this scant bit of information, this scrap of paper that is no larger than a business card  has ignited new claims and renewed interest in whether Jesus took an earthly wife or not.  Here we go again…did we not get enough of this in 2003? 

This whole thing is rather silly to me.  Additionally, I find it quite interesting that folks find this writing bears further scrutiny because the “jury is still out” on the matter.  Also amusing are the number of folks whose comments I read who go along with the idea that Jesus probably was married (in the literal sense) because as a Jewish man, He would have been expected to marry. 

If you know Christ and know what He says in the Word, there is no debate here and you already know the answer to this “debate.”  What is newsworthy and important about all of this is that Jesus is still making news.  At least this has caused people to talk about Him.

Forget the suggestions that we need to “rethink” Christianity, no matter what “new finding” comes along.  All you need to know is the truth…it never changes.

What appears to dominate the news and international politics is America’s relationship with the Middle East.  Certainly, the events of September 12 with the burning of the American consulate in Benghazi and the attack on the US Embassy in Cairo put further strain on that teetering relationship.  But, could the events of that day been avoided?

Could it be that some folks take free speech too far in order to carry out their own agenda, knowing that they are protected by the First Amendment?  Some forget or do not care that people in other countries care nothing about free speech and they work hard at suppressing it in their own countries.

Extremists have no use for an apology from the US regarding Terry Jones’ movie, which depicted Mohammed in ways offensive to Muslims.  This country houses radicals who just sit with baited breath, looking for behavior on our part that will give them the license (in their minds) to wave their guns and set off bombs.  Intolerance breeds hatred that knows no limits.

But hold on…could this movie have been prevented from going viral in the first place?  I thank God for the rights that I have but I do not purposely use them to trample on or insults others’ feelings, even though I may not agree with what they stand for.  The aftermath of this movie could have had global proportions. 

We talk in this ministry about assessing a situation first before taking action.  Had folks allowing this movie to be shown thought first and been concerned about its possible repercussions rather than fearing their rights being restricted, this situation would not have happened and lives would not have been lost.

I call America a civilized society and that sets us apart from numerous other societies.  Many will disagree with me on this but we should have known better.  These militants were not justified but why did we allow this insult to happen?  Terry Jones was not the only one culpable here.  We took steps backwards that day under the guise of free speech.  Shame on us.