Teddy Roosevelt - An American Lion DVD

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who
points out how the strong man stumbles or where the
doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit
belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose
face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives
valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and
shortcoming; but who does actually try to do the
deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great
devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who
at the best knows in the end the triumph of high
achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Teddy Roosevelt

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When John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ had done. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for someone else?”Matthew 11:2-3 (GW)

Are you the one or should we look for someone else seems to be the big question this election year. As the Presidential candidates ponder their picks for running mates perhaps it is time we the people take stock of what choices we are presented with. Our current Presidential candidates leave many of us wondering if we should be seeking another because we are not sure exactly where these candidates stand on key issues. It is troublesome that when choosing a President this election cycle we are more interested in whom each chooses for a Vice-president than we are with the current Presidential front runner.

Whoever walks with wise people will be wise, but whoever associates with fools will suffer. Proverbs 13:20 (GW)

Don’t let anyone deceive you. Associating with bad people will ruin decent people. 1 Cor 15:33 (GW)

Choosing associations is a good indicator of a person’s leadership abilities. Therefore whoever each candidate picks as a running mate will say a great deal about who that person has decided to form allegiances with. Two people can not walk together unless they are in agreement. Two candidates must have something in common in order for them to serve together in a leadership capacity.

Many conservatives have expressed concerns about Senator John McCain in regards to where he stands on issues important to the conservative base of the Republican Party. Considering his record of voting with Democrats on legislation conservatives found distasteful, and voting against the President on several key issues, many conservative Republicans are leery to cast a vote for him. Many feel a vote for McCain is a vote for a democrat. His association with democrat leaders on major legislation adds to their sense of unease. McCain Feingold, McCain Lieberman, McCain Kennedy are just a few of the legislation sponsored by Senator McCain that many on the Right side of the aisle find bothersome.

In a similar manner many wonder who Barack Obama is and what he stands for exactly. Barack Obama’s earlier associations stirred quite a bit of controversy for their non-mainstream viewpoints and opinions. Obama’s 20 year association with Reverend Jeremiah Wright along with his friendship with William Ayers and the work he performed for the controversial community activist group ACORN brings into question Obama’s choice of associations. These personal and professional associations cause a conservative voter to question Obama’s judgment. One or two bad associations can be overlooked as just bad apples but the list continues to grow with each major appointment to Obama’s political election machine. Names like Mazen Asbahi, Rashid Khalidi, Jim Johnson, indicted Chicago Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and Tony Rezko continue the long line of controversial associations plaguing Obama’s campaign.

Although quoting from the gospel of Matthew on national TV the verse which states whatever you do unto the least of these you do unto me, Obama supports the killing of the very least among us in the form of abortion, even as far as supporting the withholding of medical care for a child born after a botched abortion. Doesn’t the death of the innocent fall under the protection of the least of these?

Because of these questions surrounding both candidates we are now looking at their choice of a running mate to help solidify in our minds whether we can support them or look for yet another.

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Do not associate with those who always insist upon change, because disaster will come to them suddenly. Who knows what misery both may bring? Prov 24:21-22 (GW)

The mantra this election year is change. Change the way we do government, change the way we tax our citizenry, change the way we fight our battles, change the way we appoint leaders and judges, change the way we negotiate with enemies, change the way we protect the innocent.

Change can be good as long as the changes are for the betterment of a society. Many perhaps would feel that this year’s campaign slogan for change is just that, a change for the better. Apart from any biblical foundation I guess any change could be considered good but we are warned in scripture to not associate with those who always insist upon change.

There are people who change their minds on every issue depending upon the circumstance. They change their viewpoints depending on the pressure applied by those who oppose those viewpoints. They are like ships without a rudder who change direction every time the winds of public opinion changes. They have no core values, no solid beliefs, nothing to hold them on a steady course. They are like empty clouds that blow in and bring no rain, or like the waves of the ocean tossed about by the wind. They can not be held to one position because they will change their minds if enough people oppose them. They can not be counted on to stick to a position on anything.

These people we are warned to avoid in scripture. Wishy washy panderers make for bad leaders because you never know where they are going to lead you. One minute you could be headed toward safety and then the next minute you are being led out to sea. I for one would not feel comfortable sailing in a rudderless ship. Nor do I find much comfort in a leader who changes their mind, all the time, on everything.

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