There is an essential difference between the decease of the godly and the death of the ungodly. Death comes to the ungodly man as a penal infliction, but to the righteous as a summons to his Father’s palace. To the sinner it is an execution, to the saint an undressing from his sins and infirmities. Death to the wicked is
the King of terrors. Death to the saint is the end of terrors, the commencement of glory.
Spurgeon, C. H.
Here is a letter that I sent to our senators and representatives. The stuff in quotes was written by someone else. While I am only outlining the most basic problems with the health care, it is a good overview of why this CANT pass. After reading this letter, I urge you to take a similar action while there is still hope:
I would like to speak as thousands have spoken and ask you to vote against healthcare “reform.”
Personally, I do not want to be coerced into my insurance plan; I want to choose my insurance company. I even have friends who have chosen to join a network of healthcare support among their acquaintances, for both moral and financial reasons. Regardless of our different methods to finding healthcare coverage, Obamacare would limit the choices that we now make as free Americans.
Our government is already in trillions of dollars of debt because of its numerous programs. Taxes are already high; inflation is out of control. If we look at our options sensibly, we should be cutting programs and privatizing, not adding more obligation to spend, tax, and inflate. Thus, Obamacare would further destroy our already fragile economy, which ultimately would damage the very people that Obamacare is trying to benefit.
I am aware that not everyone has healthcare. Some of these people choose not to have healthcare and others really can’t afford it. However, would you go against the will of most Americans, destroy the economy, and limit our choice to benefit a minority?
In the medical field we sometimes do not see much competition in the system (leading to rising prices, and lack of excellence among healthcare providers) caused by a system dominated by insurance companies. However, at least we still have the option to choose between our insurances. Imagine how much worse the situation would become if we eliminated ALL competition and gave the whole operation to one umbrella organization: the government.
Lack of competition limits freedom, raises prices, and allows for a mediocre product. If the customer has choice, he will buy the best quality for the best price. We can see this in other countries with healthcare. To be sure, Canada has lower drug prices. But Canada has higher taxes. And we must not forget that many Canadians come here to get their healthcare because much of it is so poor north of the border. Europeans get many “benefits” from their healthcare, but they have no CHOICE and they have oppressively high taxes. That might be alright for them. But freedom, quality, and affordability are the stuff of which America was made. At least that was my impression.
If you really must pass this bill, at least include yourselves in it. If you don’t want to be a part of this plan then don’t impose it on us. Passing this bill while excluding yourselves would show that you are not really concerned about the general good or even the will of the people. For your own sakes, don’t create that image for yourselves.
“The people of Massachusetts have spoken. Exit polling data found that healthcare “reform” was the number one issue on the minds of Massachusetts voters and they were opposed to the so-called “reform” bill in Congress. Give up and move on!
“This liberal agenda of socialized medicine, abortion-on-demand, and tax hikes cost the Democrats Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat. That speaks volumes.
“Face reality. The Massachusetts Senate race was a referendum on government-run healthcare, and the voters of the Bay State said loud and clear: “No, We Won’t!” So, don’t try and force it on the rest of the nation now.”
I agree that our healthcare system is riddled with problems in that not everyone does have healthcare and that the domination of the insurance companies limits vital competition. However, I hope that you will agree with me that this bill will worsen these problems and stands against the general will of the people.
Please oppose ObamaCare.
As rivers, the nearer they come to the ocean whither they tend, the more they increase their waters, and speed their streams; so will grace flow more fully and freely in its near approaches to the ocean of glory.
Owen, John
Roses are red
Violets are blue
The government’s job
Is not to rule you!
Take from the rich
Give to the poor
The government says
That this is the cure.
China is bad
Russia was worse.
The communists fail
They can’t reimburse
Yours is the purse,
Yours is the choice;
‘cause freedom is yours
So trader rejoice!
Tariffs are “blah”
Taxes aren’t cool
“hands off!” is the key—
The laissez-faire rule
Have is supply
Need is demand
Together they work:
“invisible hand.”
Roses are red
Free market’s true
It benefits me;
It benefits you!
When I consider my crosses, tribulations, and temptations, I shame myself almost
to death thinking of what they are in comparison to the sufferings of my blessed
Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Luther, Martin
This is a song that a friend of mine wrote…I hope you find it as encouraging as I did…Personally, my enemies right now are finals, and fear about the future.
When I’m against the enemy
And I’m at my breaking point
Lord, You fight for me.
Lord, You fight for me.
When I’m on the battlefield
And I can’t protect myself
Lord, You lift a shield.
Lord, You lift a shield.
When the darkness is around me,
Lord You are still with me.
Though I cannot see You,
Let Your peace become true.
You are victory.
You are victory.
When the enemy draws near
And I feel all alone
Lord, You cast out fear.
Lord, You cast out fear.
When the darkness is around me,
Lord You are still with me.
Though I cannot see You,
Let Your peace become true.
You are victory.
You are victory.
And not death, not life,
No angels or demons
Not now, not then
No power or might
No depth, no height
Not anything else
Could take away
My victory in Christ!
When the darkness is around me,
Lord You are still with me.
Though I cannot see You,
Let Your peace become true.
You are victory.
You are victory.
By Miranda Bartolucci
God hath but three things dear unto Him in this world, His saints, His worship, and His truth; and it is hard to say which of these is dearest to Him.
Goodwin, Thomas
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands!”
Psalm 100:1
The first verse of Psalm 100 just proves so stunning… it gives the reader no time to think but calls him to praise the Lord without reservation…the rest of the Psalm only builds on the exuberance of the opening verse. Read it. If you read it, and meditate on it, and then read more Scripture to reflect on God’s holiness, it will revolutionize the way you live and think. Slowly, life will become less of a pursuit of pleasure or personal achievement and will become a pursuit to please the Creator.
I am going to make this theme verse for the holidays…for reasons that I will outline below.
This fall, I was extremely disappointed over some things I saw during the holidays. Halloween was HUGE, thanksgiving apparently was non-existent except that it gave us a break…and let’s just say that Christmas has been going on for a very long time for the wrong reasons.
Boy, I sure had fun when I came home from fall break! On Friday night, the ballroom dance instructors dressed up as (you guessed it) ballroom dancers. Soon it was my turn because my roommate hosted a costume party/food fest/movie night in our room. On Saturday our hall had a party, a pumpkin carving contest, and a lighting ceremony. On top of all this, there was dorm-wide trick-or-treating! (Disclaimer: I did NOT go to all these events. I DO study 
Now I appreciated this for several reasons, the first being that I like a good party. It was fun to help my roommate plan her big bash, the food was good, and the fellowship was best of all. Plus, even if you are planning on studying it is nice to have a festive mood permeating campus. Finally, when I know that there is something going on, it is nice to plan ahead and take a study break. We never celebrated Halloween at home because we felt that it originated as and celebrated a satanic element in life. However, even in the town of Grove City, I was hard pressed to find any witches or tombstones. It was just a fun celebration of fall…and sugar.
Yet that was all it was: fun. Everyone made such a huge deal about the holiday, but it had no purpose but to give the students pleasure. It was not CERTAINLY not a Satanic holiday here at GCC, but neither was it Christian. While I am certainly not against fun in any way, shape, or form, perhaps we went just a bit overboard on the partying.
It went straight from flying pumpkins to falling snowflakes here on campus before Thanksgiving break. I guess people assumed that they would celebrate Thanksgiving at home because at the dorms, people were already anticipating Christmas. True, our cafeteria did a “Thanksgiving dinner,” complete with turkey, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie, but that was the only celebration that occurred. People were excited about thanksgiving because it meant free time, food, family…and, of course, the Steelers. In fact, it was commonly referred to as Turkey Day. Turkey Day?!?!?! Last time I checked, I think they had venison and popcorn on the first Thanksgiving, not turkey and cranberry sauce.
But that is not the point. Thanksgiving originated as a time of fellowship between the Pilgrims and the Indians. And contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims actually set the day aside to thank GOD, not the Indians (although I would assume that they did thank the Indians on that day as well). They were expressing the joyfulness of Psalm 100 because God had preserved them in their venture in the Americas. They were thanking him for their LIVES, not just looking for an excuse to party. Among the student body, Thanksgiving deserved more attention than it got. And in the future, we really do need to start celebrating it as THANKSGIVING rather than “Turkey Day.”
So many books and speaker expound upon the True meaning of Christmas, so I won’t repeat that. But seriously, the day that we got back from Thanksgiving break, Christmas was in the air. I will rephrase that. Snow and Santa and elves and presents and BREAK were in the air. My roommate made an origami manger scene and wrote on a poster that “Jesus is the reason for the season,” but I haven’t seen much more than that.
Do you have a favorite holiday tradition that is rather secular in nature? KEEP IT! I, for one, love lights and Christmas trees. Celebrate Halloween! Enjoy your parties!!!
But above all, remember Psalm 100 as you celebrate. Make sure that Jesus really IS the reason for the season and you aren’t just saying that. Make your New Year’s resolution to celebrate because of HIM.
Merry Christmas!
“Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.”
Titus 1:15
People often accuse me of being naïve. I certainly know that I am. People say that if you look hard enough and are aware of what is going on around you, you can find drugs, alcohol, the party scene, and questionable Greek initiation activities. So far, I haven’t found them. I am not culturally literate, and I know it. I don’t hear obscenities in songs (I don’t even know most of the songs), I am gullible and don’t often catch sarcasm, and I obviously don’t have the quick wit that I need to converse with many people.
I am often ashamed of it. Even on a Christian campus, I am so different than others, and it can get lonely. I am so grateful to have a Christian environment because in a pagan university environment know that I simply won’t survive. In many ways, I feel that this has to change. While I don’t want to be absorbed by it, I SHOULD be more aware of what is going on in my culture.
At the same time, Titus 1:15 comforts me. So what if I don’t see the bad in everything? Who cares if I am trusting and don’t discount everything as a lie or a joke? Why SHOULD I be cynical? Why shouldn’t I take people seriously? In many ways, this culture has lost its earnestness and we can no longer trust anyone or anything. We read into things and see sin, even if it is not really there.
So I do need to become more involved in my culture. But this verse comforts me by showing that maybe I am not quite as far off the mark as people think.
What a mercy was it to us to have parents that prayed for us before they had us, as well as in our infancy when we could not pray for ourselves!
Flavel, John
