The Presence of God

I think it was yesterday that I heard a quote that I have been thinking a lot about. The basic idea is as follows. Too many in the church today (particularly in the pentecostal church) are seeking the supernatural, the power. Rather we should be seeking the presence of God. Where the presence of God is, there will be His power, the supernatural power of God. If we are seeking the supernatural - the signs and wonders - the power, there may not be the presence of God. Which of course, means it would be the power of someone else. Not good. The concept the speaker was trying to communicate was to seek the presence of God first and then the other things, the supernatural works of God, will follow. I like that.

Priorities

It almost goes without saying that our country is in dire straits politically. The economy, foreign affairs, and health care are all areas that are hurting and in need of help. However, more importantly is our country's spiritual state of affairs. As a country, we must not abandon our Judeo-Christian foundation. I personally believe that we must first have our spiritual house in order before we will see the blessing of God that we have seen often in our history. Once we again begin to honor God, welcoming his standards for guidance for our country, I believe then our economy will prosper, we will again be a respected world leader. One issue we definitely need to be on the right side of is respecting life or putting an end to the countless abortions that occur each day in our country. Not only should we be pro-life, but we should respect all stages of life. Another critical issue is our relationship to Israel. We need to support Israel in her fight for life and freedom. I believe God continues to have a unique relationship with the nation of Israel and we need to be a supporter of Israel too. Our very existence as a nation may depend on how we treat Israel.

We need to have our own spiritual lives in order too. Are we worshiping God or things, God or power, God or prestige? We need to put God first and be the salt and light to our culture.

Moving to the political side of things - we need leadership who understands these principles and desires to bring our country back to it's roots. I believe Mike Huckabee would make an outstanding president. He has the values our country so desperately needs. Mike is a leader!

If we get our priorities straight again, if we elect great leadership like Mike Huckabee, our nation can again be blessed and also be a blessing to others.

Random Thoughts

Just few random thoughts today . . .

1) The world scene is just a bit more dangerous today with the recent actions of North Korea. I hope and pray the President Obama will act wisely. This is a time to stand strong and firm in defense of our country.

2) The president's recent nominee ( Judge Sotomayor) as the next justice of the Supreme Court is troubling. She readily admits on camera to the courts making policy. Ok, Senate Republicans, time to step up to the plate. If she is confirmed, it will be a sad day.

3) Had a great day in church this past Sunday. The presence of God was strong and He touched several people during the service. Looking forward to more.

National Council for a New America

I guess maybe I am a little troubled by the direction and purpose of the National Council for a New America . . . for at least a couple reasons. First off, other than Sarah Palin (quite possibly the best vice-presidential candidate of all time), the membership of this new group seems to consist of a mixed bag of political moderates and a few conservatives. Palin is a true conservative whom I admire greatly. Sure, there are other conservatives involved, but the direction of the organization seems to be headed down a particular road. That road seems to be one of fiscal issues only, as if that is all we need to be concerned about. This is my second concern, where is the interest in social issues? The social issues like life and traditional marriage are strategically and vitally important to the Republican Party. These are issues that not only the social conservatives support, but serve as rallying points for others of like mind - particularly the ethnic communities who still have a strong conservative social fabric woven through them. We must not neglect the social issues! Finally, this new group wants to go out on listening tours. Shouldn't they already be listening to their constituents? Have they been neglecting keeping in touch with Main Street? Back in the last presidential candidate Mike Huckabee promoted himself as a candidate of Main Street and not Wall Street. I appreciated that comment and believe that approach is a better one.

Iowa Governor's Race '10

There have been a number of names thrown around as potential candidates for the Republican nomination for the 2010 Iowa governor's race. I don't think anyone knows exactly all who will throw their hat in the ring - I sure don't. However, that hasn't stopped me from thinking about some of the potential candidates. Here are some of my thoughts on some of the candidates who have been mentioned.

Bill Northey - A good guy, I like him a lot. Currently he is the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and seems to be doing a good job - I voted for him in 2008 and am glad he won. I am not sure as to his ideas on the state as a whole, but it may not matter - right now - as there have been reports that he has decided not to run for governor at this time.

Steve King - What can I say about Steve? Steve is a strong, outspoken conservative currently representing the 5th District of Iowa (western Iowa) in the US House. Steve has been quite vocal on many issues and I have to admit that I agree with him a large majority of the time. He is a true patriot. I have voted for Steve every time he has run. While I like him, I am not sure how well he would do in a statewide race. Western Iowa is the most conservative part of the state and he does well here. Eastern Iowa is more progressive, ok, it is more liberal so the sledding may be a bit rough for Steve there. Personally, I would like to see Steve run for re-election to his seat in the US House.

Chris Rants - Chris serves in the Iowa state legislature representing the Sioux City area. Chris has potential. Maybe I don't know him well enough, but I don't think his time is now. Perhaps in a few more years?

Bob Vander Plaats - Bob is my choice for governor. I will get the negative out of the way first. The knock on Bob is that he is old news. He has run twice for the nomination already and was unsuccessful both times. True, he has run for the office before. However, my response to that is - Abraham Lincoln. Look up his track record. Bob is a great communicator. He reminds me of Ronald Reagan and Mike Huckabee in his communication skills. More importantly is what Bob communicates - the truth. Bob is right on the issues. He is a true conservative with great common sense. Bob has the right blend of social and fiscal conservatism that appeals to people of all across the state. I appreciate how Bob has run to the battle to keep traditional marriage as the standard. He is not afraid to speak out on the issues. I have yet to see him dodge an issue. While Bob is a conservative, he also has a strong sense of compassion - a valuable asset. Bob truly cares about people and the good people of Iowa deserve someone who is willing to put the people above political ambition. I will be supporting Bob Vander Plaats in the Republican primary next year.

Any of the above candidates would be a tremendous improvement over our present governor - Gov. Culver. As I started to write this my intention was to simply write a review of some of the candidates - sort of thinking out loud. In the end I guess it became an endorsement statement. So be it.

Vander Plaats for Governor!!
By the way, look for a Huck PAC endorsement of Bob to come in the future.

Weekend Wrap-Up

Had a great church service yesterday. It was very cool to see and feel the Holy Spirit moving in our midst. The service centered around the testimony of a man from Ft. Dodge, Iowa who was instantly and totally healed of MS. At the end of the service we had an altar call where people could come forward to be prayed over for healing. I am looking forward to hearing the testimonies of those who were prayed for. God is still in the healing business, that is for sure.

Caught the Huckabee show on Fox last night. It was good. Mike had a couple of guests that I really enjoyed. Darryl Stawberry, former major league baseball player, was on and gave his testimony of how God saved him. Darryl was caught up in a lifestyle that included habitual drug use. It was great to hear that Darryl is now a believer with a personal relationship with God - and has kicked the drug habit. Woo! Hoo!

Bob Vander Plaats was also on Huckabee last night. Bob shared the details of what is going on in Iowa with the same-sex marriage court decision. He did a great job of giving the legal background of all this. If you live in Iowa, you should seriously consider supporting Bob Vander Plaats for governor next year. Bob is right on target on the issues - a true pro-life, pro-family advocate. He is not afraid to take a stand!

Where Will We Be Headed?

I have lived in Iowa for most of my life. For the most part it has been very good. However, recently there have been some new developments here that concern me. Recently the Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that Iowa must allow same-sex marriages. Here in the heartland of America it seems as if we are now trying to outdo California and New York as the leading edge of social liberalism. Generally I am pretty laid back, an easygoing type guy, but this is crossing the line for me. God's Word - the Bible - is very clear on what is acceptable and what is not acceptable as sexual relationships go. We here in Iowa now find ourselves on the wrong side of God's Word. I am encouraging everyone to stand up and to make your voice of opposition heard. Christians, this is not the time to continue sitting on the sidelines. We are privileged to live in a country where we can have a say in how our country - or our state - is run. Let's stand for the principles as outlined in God's Word. If we don't, it makes me wonder where we will be headed.

Here in Iowa we are blessed to have one potential candidate for governor who is willing to take a strong stand in support of traditional marriage - the way God intended it. That soon to be official candidate is Bob Vander Plaats. (You can catch Bob this weekend on the Huckabee show on Fox News Saturday at 7 pm Central and again on Sunday at 7 and 10 pm Central.) Bob would make a great governor. I encourage you to consider supporting him. Check out his website at http://www.teamvp2010.com/ .