“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver” Proverbs 25:11

I was born and raised in the bowels of Chicago’s south side Englewood neighborhood. I went to Harper H.S. where I was affectionately known as the crazy white boy, blonde hair, blue eyes, a baby faced bad boy. I joined the military at 17 after being expelled for truancy among other things, and served in royal Richard’s Air Force for the last year of the Vietnam conflict. It was a way to escape, the hood where my friends were dying wholesale in gunfights, and drug overdoses, and it pandered to this young man’s quest for adventure, in guts, and glory.

Upon discharge I spent the next fifteen years going through 3 wives, that bore me three children, always replacing the last with a younger model. After my third divorce I spent the next twelve years living, hard, fast, and single, a steady diet of alcohol, guns, motorcycles, fast cars, and fast women. It wasn’t until I was 44 yrs. old that I came to the end of myself, and discovered the only thing that could fill the hole in my heart was God Himself, in the person of His Son Jesus Christ.

Born again at 44 I was immediately discipled, for a year, and began doing street ministry in Chicago’s Humboldt park neighborhood. By years end I found myself head of street ministry, and served 4 yrs. under our Saviors command out in the trenches of Chicago’s most dangerous nieghborhoods. I met my present wife Nancy inadvertantly through this ministry, and having stepped down from leadership and am preparing for, and am awaiting re-assignment.

I agree with you Joe regarding prayer. Only the Holy Spirit can truly prompt us to pray specifically. It seems to me from the comments you leave, your ministry IS prayer, and a Powerful mnistry prayer IS. I certainly don’t have the same burdens you do, and I’m sure you don’t have mine either.

Ever since Obama has taken office, our Pastor has been pushing prayer for our president, and frankly, all I can do regarding prayer for Obama is pray he either get saved, or he and his party be removed from office ASAP. I pray for the leadership of America like I’d pray for the collapse of communism.

I find it next to impossible to pray for wisdom of America’s leadership, understanding that wisdom not knowledge, is power. If knowledge is truth, and truth is God’s word, which is spirtually discerned through the Holy Spirit, how can those not born again know the Truth they need to be empowered with the wisdom, that is the application of Truth in our circumstances, and relationships? Wisdom is power in that it is knowledge applied. I know a great many educated people that possess vast amounts of knowledge, and without a lick of widom to apply that knowledge to their circumstances, and or relationships, lead miserable failed lives. In other words I find it impossible to pray for wisdom for someone that doesn’t possess the Truth. The Truth, the Way, and the Life, need to come before wisdom through prayer.

With love in our Lord brother Joe,
brother Joe

” If you look at the bill carefully, it does not say any kind of meetings will be barred anywhere. Rather, it says the FUNDS re banned from being used to repair facilities that are PRIMARILY used already for religious purposes. In other words, the funds cannot be used for the repair of such things as college chapels:

“No FUNDS awarded under this section may be used for – (3) modernization, renovation, or repair of facilities – (A) used for sectarian instruction or religious worship; or (B) in which a substantial portion of the functions of the facilities are subsumed in a religious mission,”

To my reading, (A) refers to facilities that are totally used for religious instruction or worship and (B) adds that, even if they are only primarily used for religious purposes, they still cannot use these funds for renovation. That does not mean they have to change their purpose or use at all. It just means those particular structures will have to find other funding sources, …”

An interesting observation is made with this. BUT I have to question why religion is being treated like dung. Some school chapels are historic buildings (i.e. Annapolis Naval Academy chapel).

As Christians, we should take the lesson of Nehemiah and Ezra to heart – the Lord was angry with the people for not rebuilding His Temple before the people rebuilt their homes. Now I know chapels are not the Temple, but they are symbols to a dedication to faith. The bill completely devalues these structures, and in doing so spit on the face of religious expression. It’s subtle, and surrounded by “good language” – the not-in-the-Constitution expression of “separation between Church and State.” But that is how lies are best swallowed, with little subtleties followed by bigger subtleties, and before you know it you find yourself where you thought you’d never be.

Amen Brother Amen!

“As far as praying for our president goes. What am I supposed to pray for”

lol Brother Joe. You Are Too Much!

I Don’t Think Any Believer Should Demand You Must Pray For This Or For That.
The Holy Ghost Knows Better Than Any Of Us What We Ought To Pay For And He Has Eventually (I’m Stubborn Sometimes)) Moved Me Where He Wants Me.
That Said, God Did Take Me To School On My Prayers For The Leaders Of The USA.

I Was Raised About Forty Miles North Of You In The Little Town Of Zion And Was Taught As A Child To Pray For God’s Hand Upon All Our Political Leaders. My Dad Even Went So Far As To Allowed Me To Work In General Eisenhower’s (I Like Ike!)1952 Presidential Campaign Against Adlai Stevenson.

I Mostly Ignored The Praying For The Sitting President Part Of My Upbringing Until In The Middle Of My Naval Service My Skipper John F. Kennedy Was Assassinated By A Communist. Especially Because He Was My Commander-In-Chief, Kennedy’s Death Really Broke My Young Sailor’s Heart. This Brought To An Abrupt Stop Any Laziness On My Part In Praying For Any President Whatever My Likes Or Dislikes.

I Still Did Not Apply My Prayers To Candidates Running For President Until As He Celebrated His Victory In The California Primary An Islamic Assassin Murdered Robert Kennedy (For The Kennedy’s Support Of Israel).
Now I Pray For All Folk Running And For Their Families.

Candidate Obama Was Especially In My Prayers Over These Last Two Years Because Of The Claims Of Ownership Some Islamics Make On Barack Because Of His Supposed “Birth Religion”.

So I Praise God For His Protection Over This Young Man And His Dear Family.

I Pray The LORD Will Guild Him And The Rest Of Us To Honor The Convent The LORD Made With Israel And The Lands.
I Pray We Would Honor And Protect The Child Forming In The Mother’s Womb.
I Pray The Gospel Will Freely Go Forth Within And Without The USA.
I Pray We As A Nation Praise And Honor The Name Of Yeshua.

I Know All Nations Carrying The Eagle Standard Have Come Against Israel And I Have No Doubt The USA Will Due So But Still I Pray.
Oh Mighty God Turn The USA To Honor The God Of Abraham, Issac And Jacob.
Move Us To Support Israel Against The Killers Surrounding And Hounding Her.
LORD Move Us To Pray For The Peace Of Jerusalem.
Thank You For Your Faithfulness.

“Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.” Psalms 121:4

Hallelujah!

Joe, Thanks For Reading
Be Blessed Beloved Of The KING
Love, Joe

As far as un-patriotic corporate America moving overseas to make a killing? More hogwash. Once you understand that business is in business to make money, and that most all of the industries you mention are in dire straits due to the union representation of, “private sector” greed, manifested in a membership, that will always be hungry for more, only then will you begin to grasp it’s a two way street. The labor union will continue to indoctrinate it’s membership with: “the MAN is getting rich of the backs of the workers” and, the company will concede as long as it can turn a profit, until it can no longer compete in it’s market. At which point your options become limited to: either relocate overseas to regain the competitive edge in a reasonable labor market, or close the doors and call it quits. As a potential stockholder with your IRA’s tied into the companies continued existance, what would YOU prefer M. it’s YOUR money? You know whats coming don’t you? That means that MUCH of corporate greed really trickles down to individual private sector little guy greed, with IRA’s, money market funds, etc. You know M. little guys like you, and me trying to put kids through college, or span the gap between what social security will provide and what we will need to buy needed medication, or eat on.

As far as praying for our president goes. What am I supposed to pray for, that a wicked man succeed? NOT! I will oppose him and his policies, until he either gets saved (which is all I can pray for) and has a genuine change of heart, or he is removed from office. I’m not much for playing nice, nice, at the expense of the truth, which some people have absolutely no problem with playing fast, and loose with. I’ll call a spade a spade. YES, GREED= SIN is the reason why America is where it is now, but the answer is NOT to elect a president, and his party that CHAMPION sin WHOLESALE, in the interst of filling their pockets first, and tossing a few pennies to the rest of us, in the name of the poor. I sincerely doubt in God’s economy it’s about the money, and neither should it be in ours.

AS far as Christian universities, and Christian churches go, the answer is simply. COME OUT FROM THEM! Don’t take their money, you don’t need it. Our job is to evangelize the lost, we’re not in the REAL ESTATE business. If you take government money sooner or later their going to get around to telling you how your going to spend it. EXERCISE seperation of church, and state. Abandon 501C, and kick your slice of the stimulus pie to the curb, OR don’t you trust the Lord to supply what His Church needs in an abundance?

It all sounds good M. if you buy the candy their selling you, but personally I’ve been in the world long enough to recognize BALONEY when I hear it.