STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES

It's a sad kettle of fish when Americans don't expect anything but lies from leadership.

Didn't these schemers have a Mama that taught them the truth will out?  How in the world did they expect God to bless something built on a crooked foundation?  You don't do wrong to do right.

Dr. Jonathan Gruber, the MIT economist and senior advisor to Obamacare, went to the White House nine times in his consultant role.  We paid him $400,000.  Other states contracted with him for another million-and-a-half.  Economically, it was a very good year for the professor.

Then he "stepped in it" when his comments from 2013 showed up.  At first, it was only Fox reporting and the mainstream media ignored it.  Gruber made a shallow apology, saying "I spoke off the cuff".  Then more videos came out with him saying more of the same.  What did he say that was so noteworthy?

Bottom line was...Dr. Gruber said they lied on purpose.  He said if Americans had known what Obamacare really did, it wouldn't have passed.  We were too stupid to understand how good it was.

In fact, Obamacare sits atop a hill of doozies which were used to (as Charles Krauthammer has said) "lead the masses to the promised land".   We were told:

"If you like your doc/if you like your plan...you can keep your doc/you can keep your plan."  "The website is ready/the website is secure."  "A family will save $2,500."  "It's NOT a tax!"  "It won't fund abortions."  And, "It's not wealth redistribution."

ALL WERE KNOWN TO BE UNTRUTHS WHEN THEY WERE SPOKEN.

Americans are beginning to figure out the fraud, as evidenced by the midterms which kicked to the curb twenty-eight Senators who voted for O'care.  So we are THAT smart, Dr. Gruberomics.

But thanks anyway for offering us a comic book with pictures so we could understand.  At 160 pages, it must be the longest comic book known to man.

And by the way, we do have a bit of buyers remorse for the slug of cash we paid you, Sir...when you've never held a job in the private sector or run a business.  Your tenured position at MIT is full of theory.

Another thing.  Would someone please tell Ms. Pelosi that no one believes a word she says?  LINK   On the other hand, Jay Carney was forthcoming when he called Dr. Gruber "the architect of the President's Affordable Care Act".

In 2008, if the country voted for TRANSPARENCY (tired of political spin), IMPROVED RACE RELATIONS (tired of rancor) and a desire to HELP THE POOR...

...we sit here in 2014.  We're reeling from the lies and lack of transparency... reeling from Ferguson (where comments by the President and Eric Holder did not help)...and reeling from the reality that it's only the 1% who have prospered under President Obama.

Things haven't exactly panned out. But here's what IS encouraging...

Even in the professor's arrogant and elitist attitude, the truth came out shining.  For all its false promises, Obamacare was exposed to be a fraud.

"Fraud is a form of compulsion.  False choices are not free choices. If you promise someone bountiful goods in exchange for their signature on a contract, and then fail to deliver the goods, they did not make a “free choice” that turned out badly.  You robbed them, as surely as if you stuck a gun in the poor sap’s back and took his wallet.  That is why we empower the government to prosecute fraud. Robbery and fraud do not become acceptable because the perpetrators say they are acting in the best long-term interests of the victims."  Eric Erickson

Prof. Gruber's video began to surface on Monday (the 10th) and this LINK to Megyn Kelly's report is from Tuesday (the 11th).  The mainstream guys waited days to even mention it; CBS picked it up on the 13th and at that time neither ABC or NBC had given it any time.  The University of Pennsylvania (where Gruber spoke) tried to take the video down.  We want a free press who don't circle the wagons.  

Contrary to what Jack Nicholson said in "A Few Good Men"...WE CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH.

RED GOVERNORS

Yeah, I know.  It's a little early.  But do you think a governor might be the next president?

It makes sense.  Governors are tasked to make budgets and keep them (versus just printing more money), and governors understand the impact of policies on their people.  That front-line experience could translate to the larger scale.  It has happened before.  From Jimmy Carter forward, four of our last six presidents were governors.

Americans feel threatened by the economy (jobs), terrorism, and government overreach.

Before the election, there was a strange defeatism that permeated the national mood.  We felt like our children will not have it as good as we've had it.  We feel like the government efforts to help...have hurt.  And we don't feel protected.

We wanted change and hope.

Enter some fresh faces and re-elect winners that defy the stereotype given to Republicans.

These aren't the "old white guys".  They're diverse (but not hyphenated) Americans.  Three  are strong, proven women...and one is in a wheelchair.

Take a look at the Republican governors-elect  and re-elected:

HOMEGROWN
Arkansas voted red for Governor-elect Asa Hutchinson.  We are historically a blue state, but we've had a few red ones (think Mike Huckabee).

Asa and Susan Hutchinson have been married for 41 years and they have four grown kids and five grands.  Asa practiced law for 21 years, and at age 31 was named the youngest United States Attorney in the nation.  Then he began a career of government service which included a term in Congress, Director of the Drug Enforcement Agency, and head of a division of Homeland Security.

TRUE BLUE
Illinois has a reputation for being blue across the board, but this year they elected a red businessman and philanthropist named Bruce Rauner.  Some think Governor-elect Rauner is red in name only, but that is yet to be seen.

Two other strongly blue states also put red governors in charge.  Maryland elected businessman Larry Hogan (head of a commercial real estate brokerage firm).  And in Massachusetts, Charlie Baker (former CEO of a healthcare corporation) can trace his roots to the colonial era.  With a strongly conservative father and liberal mother...it would have been fun to sit around their dinner table.  Governor-elect Baker has already said he is not in favor of providing illegals a driver's license.

WILD WEST
In Texas, Greg Abbott defeated Wendy Davis in an incredibly unkind and untrue campaign.

Texas didn't like it.  Can you tell?

In Arizona, Jan Brewer left the state in the hands of Doug Ducey, a businessman (CEO, Cold Stone Creamery).  He married his college sweetheart Angela, and they have three boys.











RE-ELECTED
Republican governors were re-elected with the exception of one (Pennsylvania).

Red votes went for Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin (with the same 5.7 point margin with which he won the last election).  Gov. Paul LePage won in Maine...and a sliver margin of 1.1 point re-elected Governor Rick Scott in Florida.

Over in Tennessee, Governor Bill Haslam was re-elected by 47 points, winning every county in the state.  

Governor Nathan Deal beat Jimmy Carter's grandson Jason Carter by an 8.0 spread in Georgia and Governor Mary Falin had a 14.8 point margin in Oklahoma.  In Iowa, Governor Terry Branstad takes the prize for re-election to a SIXTH term by 21.8 points.

Alaska, Vermont, and the Virgin Islands are still counting votes, but here are the known results:

The Republican Southern governors are in AZ, NM, TX, OK, AR, LA, MS, TN, NC, SC, AL, GA, and FL.  The Republican Mid-American governors are in NV, ID, UT, WY, ND, SD, NE, KS, ID, WI, IL, MI, IN, and OH.  In the East, there are governors of ME, MA, MD, and NJ.

Perhaps there is a Presidential candidate in one of these 32 governors.

LIGHTBEARERS

Who doesn't want all things to work together for good?  The verse says they do for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

Are you one of those?  What is His purpose for you?

Most people wonder about God's demands on them.  They just want to know what it is He wants.  The Old and New Testaments both use exactly the same words to describe what He wants.

Did you think the Old Testament has an expired shelf life?  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  And we remember Jesus said "Don't think I came to abolish the law; I came to fulfill it."

In our Exodus study at BSF, we just have read how God saved Israel out of Egypt and now is about to give them the law on Mt. Sinai.

Here's how God explained His expectations to Israel:

"You yourselves (Israel) have seen what I did to the Egyptians 

and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself.

Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant,

then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples

for all the earth is Mine;

and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation."
Exodus 19:4-6

He wants a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  Wanting to know more about what that phrase "kingdom of priests" means, I found this summation from Dr. Matthew S. Harmon, a prof at Grace Theological Seminary.  He melted the phrase down to four "I's".  See if this job description for Israel doesn't match our job description, too.

INCARNATE

As they lived, Israel was to be an example to the people of other nations who would see her holy beliefs and actions - and be impressed enough to want to know personally the same God Israel knew.

INVITE

Israel was to proclaim the truth of God and invite people from other nations to accept Him in faith as shown by confession of belief in Him and acceptance of His covenant.

INTERCEDE

Israel would intercede for the rest of the world by offering acceptable offerings to God (both sacrifices and right behavior) and thus ameliorate the general distance between God and humankind.

INSCRIBE

Israel would preserve the promises of God, preserving His word already spoken and record His word as it was revealed to them...so that once the fullness of time had come, anyone in the whole world could promptly benefit from that great body of divinely revealed truth, that is, the Scriptures.

Priests serve, and Israel was called to be servant lightbearers.  So are we.  In 1Peter 2:9, the exact same message is given to believers.  

"You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

We are set-asides...consecrated for God's purposes...a holy nation employing intentional missional living.

We were not saved just for going to heaven.  We were saved to carry His good news to the whole world so they might come out from underneath their heavy burden of guilt...and go to heaven with us.  Doesn't that stand starkly opposite to those who make believers at the tip of the sword?

In Revelation 5:10, it says believer priests will "reign" on the earth.  That's not a "lording it over others" rule, but a continuation of service as we take our cue from Jesus, the Servant Leader who came not to be served, but to serve.

GLORY!

"...all the earth will be filled with the glory of the LORD."

Well, that sure has happened THIS fall.  The photo on the left (made by D. R. Keck Photography) may be my favorite fall blaze of glory picture.  It was made around the golf course at Bella Vista on October 30th.

Mike and I have spent time this month at our "little cabin in the woods", which is waaay out in the Ozark Mountains and square in the middle of nowhere.  It's where my husband breathes freely and there's even an unexpected cell tower to keep me connected.

God has said He makes everything beautiful in its time and we agree as we see the maples and hickory and gum and understory dogwoods and sumac.

The blaze of this sumac is made brighter with the backdrop of an overcast day and the brown woods.  We took this picture on the way to Hawksbill Crag in the Upper Buffalo River wilderness.

Mike hiked down to Whittaker Point (Hawksbill Crag) while I waited and read up at the trailhead.  It was three miles total and he got some nice shots along the way.

This is spectacular unless you have trouble with heights.

Mike says the people on the trail were all very chatty and friendly; their cars were from several different states.  There was a group of Mennonites (with their hair gathered under their white pleated caps) happily having lunch on the point.

We have heard this place is the most photographed in Arkansas.

And then on the way back to the cabin, had to stop for this tree with soft orange leaves...

...and this creek in the woods.












Our BSF study this year has been in Exodus and several lessons ago we talked about the burning bush. I remember our discussion about how the Angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Christ) appeared to Moses in a flame of fire from within a bush that was not consumed.

One morning we had a mini-burning bush of sorts at the cabin.  We had finished breakfast and were sitting, contemplating the view over coffee.

The day was overcast, but the view is always quieting...so I took a picture.

It wasn't two minutes until I thought I was seeing things.  All of a sudden one of the sun's rays broke through in a pinpoint.  You can see it lighting up the trees in front and then the light running up the hill.

Pretty cool, eh?  It made the trees look like they were  on fire.  God's glory made our day.

What is God's glory, anyway?

We see creation and call that glory. We read that we were made for His glory.  Sometimes we hear heaven described as "going to glory".

The heavens declare the glory of God, and so do the blazing trees.  But material things don't last; all the gorgeous leaves will blow away.  A deeper understanding of glory expressed as brightness...is the essence of God's character.  It's His goodness and purity and kindness and mercy and justice that are all the fountainhead of glory.

Later in Exodus, Moses asks the LORD to show him His glory.  God told Moses he couldn't see His face and live, so Moses was hidden in the cleft of the rock.  God covered Moses with His hand while He passed by.  God was sheltering Moses from the dazzling light that comes from God's purity.  In the presence of a holy God, man sees his corruption.  

Moses' sheltering rock was Horeb, the rock that had previously brought gushing water to sustain two million Israelites in the desert.  Now the rock hid Moses from God's justice.  In 1 Corinthians 4 we learn the rock is Christ.  He shelters and provides and covers us from God's wrath.

Glory, hallelujah!