GOD IS IN CONTROL... I JUST HOPE WE HAVEN'T QUIT ON HIM

In CNN's exit polling in the battleground states, I want to point out some things that stand out to me:
1. 43% of American's said that they either never attend a church service or that they attend once or twice a year. With this group, Obama won with over 60% of the vote.
2. 42% of American's said that they attend church either more than weekly or once a week. With this group Romney won with over 60% of the vote.

     Our country isn't divided Red/Blue, it's divided by the godly and the ungodly. It's divided by 42% who say I believe that God is in control, and 43% who don't believe in God at all. At our greatest as a nation, we were a Christian nation. George Washington, in his farewell speech on September 19, 1796: "It is impossible to govern the world without God and the Bible. Of all the dispositions and habits that lead to political prosperity, our religion and morality are the indispensable supporters. Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that our national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

     I wanted desperately to believe that Mitt Romney was going to pull this out. If he did, he would've discredited over 10 well known religious figures that have prophesied specifically that President Obama would win this election. That our country was headed for a unique set of circumstances that would reduce our influence, and that Israel would be left alone to fend for itself. I have said privately that I believe that if our nation doesn't turn away from it's current trajectory, no matter the president, it is headed for mediocrity. This VIDEO is an interview with a Messianic Jew who wrote a book called the Harbinger. It's a book that describes some terrifying things that could be on our horizon as a nation if we don't humble ourselves before our creator.

     I don't want to seem all doomy and gloomy just because President Obama won. I have said it all along, and I'll say it again, "It is the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit which will save our nation – not politics or even necessarily godly leaders in positions of authority." That's the bottom line. I think that even with a Romney victory, would God have looked at this and said these people get it, they're humbling themselves and turning back to me. I don't think so. I don't think that we'll do it. We think that we have an economy problem, and we couldn't be further from the truth. WE HAVE A VALUES PROBLEM! We're long on talk and short on walk. Over 75% of American's identify themselves as Christians, yet only 42% come to church? No wonder the spoken word videos are so popular about why people "hate religion". Because religion says read your bible, pray, sacrifice, take up your cross, go to church. They want to talk about relationship, yet how can I have a relationship without knowing my friend and talking to him? How can I profess my belief in something without understanding the things that it asks of me? Yet 60% of American's can't even tell you half of the 10 commandments. THE MOST BASIC OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES.

     God judged Israel on multiple occasions when they repeatedly ignored his warnings toward them. He even went as far as to destroy his own temple so that they couldn't disgrace it with there hollow practices. If he was willing to do this to Israel who was the SOLE REPRESENTATIVE of his name, why wouldn't he do this to America who used to be the flagship for it? Why wouldn't we be a warning for all other nations, that when you profess me as your God, yet you disgrace my name by killing children, and openly spitting in the face of the creator with homosexuality. We've flagrantly destroyed God's first commandment with a promise to honor our fathers and mothers, and the list of our sins continues to pile on top of each other.

     When I was in Russia, with their Christian minority, they said as nicely as they could to me that they were all praying that America would be humbled. That the message that we spread with our music, movies, actions, etc. is that of the most secular nation on the planet... NOT THE MOST GODLY! YWAM coordinator Fred Markert also resonated these sentiments from his travels all over the world. That we're no longer furthering the gospel as a nation, that we're actually inhibiting the spread! Believe me when I say this to you, GOD WILL NOT STAND FOR US IF WE DON'T STAND FOR HIM. So yes, God is in control. Is that a good thing for America?

WHY I CAST MY VOTE FOR ROMNEY... AS A CHRISTIAN AND AN AMERICAN

Last week I published a blog stating the reasons that I'd never cast a vote for President Obama, no matter the opposing candidate. Tonight I want to shed light on my reasoning that is beyond just a vote against the Prez, and for a man that I've grown very fond of in the last six months.

AS A CHRISTIAN:

1. His support of Israel:
ABCNEWS: ROMNEY AND NETANYAHU ARE OLD FRIENDS

"Mitt Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been friends for more than 35 years."

"So with the Israeli prime minister turning up in yet another Pro-Romney Super PAC ad, it was only natural to ask: Had Netanyahu, his relationship with President Obama always in varying degrees of distress, formally endorsed his old pal Mitt Romney for president?"

"there’s little doubt Romney is more popular with Israel’s foreign policy hawks, Netanyahu chief among them."

Speaking about Romney: “He’s a strong friend of Israel and we’ll be happy to meet with him,” Dermer said.  ”We value strong bipartisan support for Israel and we’re sure it will only deepen that.”


2. His stance on abortion:
This was supposed to be a "gotcha" moment for the left. It was an off-air conversation with a left wing radio host. He was trying to trap the Gov into saying something negative about Mormonism or abortion. He gets testy and I love it. It's five minutes and it's worth it: VIDEO

3. His stance on traditional marriage:
This is a two minute video where the Gov was the keynote speaker at Liberty University's graduation ceremonies in May of this year. It's a two minute cut from that speech. If you're a Christian and you want to know where this man stands, here it is: ROMNEY ON MARRIAGE AND VALUES

4. His belief system:
Explaining his worldview (2 MINUTES): CNN VIDEO

ROMNEY'S TAX RETURNS
First of all, his first name is Willard... didn't know that. He made 13.7 million last year...
"Mitt Romney gave about $2.6 million to the LDS Church in tithing last year, though he only claimed a little over $1 million on his federal income tax filings to ensure a higher tax rate."

"In addition to Romney’s direct contributions to the LDS Church, he also gave to the faith through his charity for a total of $3.07 million last year."

5. The selection for SCOTUS:
CBSNEWS: WHEN WILL SCOTUS ENTER THE DEBATE?
"The next president will get one or two Supreme Court nominees. That's how close Roe v. Wade is," Biden said. He went on to predict that Romney, if elected, would appoint justices like Scalia who would vote to "outlaw abortion."

ONE COULD ONLY HOPE...

AS AN AMERICAN:

1. His view toward government:
LIBERTARIANS FOR MITT
-Gov. Romney reformed Massachusetts’ welfare state, having Medicaid recipients make co-payments for some services, and successfully pushed for legislative action forcing new state workers to contribute 25% of their health insurance costs, up from 15%.


-Romney worked to revolutionize the Massachusetts state pension system by moving it from a defined benefit system to a defined contribution system.

-Romney aggressively pushed to deregulate Massachusetts’ auto insurance industry, which is the only state in the nation in which the government mandates maximum insurance rates and requires insurers to accept every applicant.

-Mitt Romney favors unrestricted free trade, saying “We have to keep our markets open or we go the way of Russia and the Soviet Union.”

-Romney supports drilling in ANWR, and opposes government regulations on energy production.

-Romney opposes raising Social Security taxes, and supports personal accounts.

-Romney strongly advocates in support of repealing McCain-Feingold.

-Governor Romney supports “the Second Amendment as one of the most basic and fundamental rights of every American.”

-Romney opposes and would veto the Fairness Doctrine.


2. His success in business:
LATIMES: SALT LAKE OLYMPICS WAS ROMNEY'S GOLDEN MOMENT AS A LEADER
"Mitt Romney wanted to send a message when he took over as chief executive of the Salt Lake Olympic Games. So he moved the organization's Washington office from a well-appointed K Street law firm to a barren third-floor walk-up, wedged between a burrito shop and hair salon near the U.S. Capitol."


"It was furnished with broken desks cast off by federal agencies. Its stairs were so steep that Cindy Gillespie, the head of federal relations for the Olympic committee, refused to have guests visit. "It was a nightmare — I couldn't stand it," Gillespie recalled. "But Mitt just adored it. He thought it was totally appropriate."

"The message, of course, was that frugality was the new watchword of the organization."

"Recruited in February 1999 to take over the beleaguered Olympic committee, Romney deferred his $280,000-a-year salary until the Games were over and its finances secure, then donated it to charity."

"Romney frequently touts his success running the Olympics as an example of his strength as a chief executive. The experience also demonstrated his skills as an agile politician — one who touted the committee's new frugality."

"The controversy faded by the time the Games rolled around. Even before the opening ceremony, Romney was applauded for producing a successful event, leaving a nearly $100-million surplus on a pared-down $1.3-billion budget. He told reporters that he could never imagine an experience that would top the Olympics."


AS GOVERNOR OF MASS. ROMNEY FACED SIMILAR CHALLENGES AS THE PRESIDENT:

"In many ways, Romney inherited a state economy in 2003 similar to the one President Barack Obama found entering the White House in 2009, one marked by a deep recession, huge job losses, and a widening budget deficit."

"Romney spent much of his first two years in office focusing on the state’s budget crisis. Romney succeeded in closing the budget shortfall without raising the state sales or income tax -- a notable accomplishment."

"Romney also took on natural allies in the business community when he undertook an effort to change the business tax code by closing what he called “loopholes.” It was a controversial step, but Romney said the rules allowed many companies to avoid paying taxes at a time when the state could hardly afford it. Some banks, for example, avoided taxes by sheltering holdings in Real Estate Investment Trusts."

"Romney also increased government fees on a host of services, from marriage licenses to property deeds, raising another $375 million annually."

"State unemployment fell to 4.7 percent from a peak of 6 percent."

"One of his biggest wins came near the end of his term in 2006, when Massachusetts won a bidding war with other states, convincing pharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb to build a $750 million plant at the former Fort Devens army base."


3. His sacrifice in the public sector:
SNOPES: ROMNEY SERVES 28 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, NO PAY
ENOUGH SAID...

4. The repeal/replacement of Obamacare:
MITT'S PLAN TO REPEAL AND REPLACE
You need to look at his plan, it's the bee's knees : D

"Nearly Three-Quarters Of Small-Business Owners Blame Obamacare For Impeding Job Creation. “As part of the explanation for the general economic pessimism, 78 percent of small businesses believe that taxation, regulation and legislation from Washington make it harder for businesses to hire more employees — and 74 percent blame the recent health care reforms passed by the Obama administration for creating an impediment to job creation.” (Tim Mak, “Chamber Poll: Small Biz Blames D.C.,” Politico, 1/18/12)"

"As President, Mitt Romney Will Take Steps To Repeal And Replace Obamacare Starting From Day One. “Days before President Obama's signature healthcare law goes in front of the Supreme Court, GOP front-runner Mitt Romney vowed to repeal and replace the law, speaking to a supportive crowd in a suburb of New Orleans. ‘It's critical that we repeal Obamacare and, by the way, also replace it,’ he said. ‘I think I'm the only person in this race who's laid out what I would replace it with.’” (Alana Semuels, “Romney Vows To Repeal And Replace 'Obamacare' On Law's Anniversary,” Los Angeles Times, 3/23/12)"


5. His choice in VP:
I just have to say that I'm a HUGE Paul Ryan fan. His work with the budget is a libertarian's dream. Get the government out of our lives, period. Get it out of education, get it out of healthcare, get it out of religion, get it out. The best parts of our society are the parts without government interference. Let's move on from these dead end schools, and look at the independent model for our success!

So, I hoped that you learned about my decision making process for why I'M WITH MITT. I'd love your opinion and thoughts!!!  

WHY I WOULD NEVER VOTE FOR OBAMA... AS A CHRISTIAN AND AN AMERICAN

As a Christian:

1. He supports abortion (early, late, post-birth)
A. Four times he voted for bills that refused rights to babies born despite attempted abortions. This is what he said, “That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. I mean, it would essentially bar abortions”
B. He would rather kill babies that were born despite failed abortions, than to stop abortions.
C. His key legislation, Obamacare, makes the American tax payer liable for every abortion cared for under the act. 

2. He supports breaking the 10th commandment (Don’t covet)
A. Coveting is defined as feeling a desire for that which is another's. Its basic premise is that I don’t want to have while you have; I want to have what you have. I don’t want to earn the kind of money you earn; I want the actual money that you earn.

3. He supports gay marriage.
A. Quoted in 2012: ““I was sensitive to the fact that for a lot of people the word `marriage’ was something that invokes very powerful traditions, religious beliefs and so forth.” Now, he said, “it is important for me personally to go ahead and affirm that same-sex couples should be able to get married.”
B. 1 Samuel 15:29 (NLT) - And he who is the Glory of Israel will not lie, nor will he change his mind, for he is not human that he should change his mind!”

4. He doesn't allow his “faith” to affect his decision making.
A. Joe Biden said, “I can’t allow my religious beliefs to affect my decision making process.”
B. Colossians 3:17 (NLT) - And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

As an American:

1. His disdain toward our founding fathers.

2. His position toward American influence.
A. Colonialism- the establishment, exploitation, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory.
B. President Obama’s reaction to his grandfather thanking colonialist England for his success, “What Granny had told us scrambled that image completely, causing ugly words to flash across my mind. Uncle Tom. Collaborator. House nigger.”
C. President Obama’s quote on the constitution: “The Constitution is a charter of negative liberties, says what the states can't do to you, says what the federal government can't do to you, but it doesn't say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf.” This thinking enable him to do for us the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)

3. His policies toward free-enterprise.
A. 2008 we ranked #1 in competitive rankings, today we rank #7. 2008 we ranked #66 in macroeconomic stability, today we rank #111. Our government is ranked #76 in efficient spending of resources. We rank #140 of #144 in government deficit as percentage of GDP. 2008 we were #50 in government regulations of business, today #76. 2005 our infrastructure was ranked #1, today #16.

4. His tax policies. 
A. Trickle-down economics vs. trickle-down government
B. You’ve heard President Obama say things like, “They need to pay their fair share, others need a fair shot, etc…”
C. The socialist model of taxation says that you tax the highest earning among you an astronomical rate, and you remove all taxes from the poorest. 47% of the country didn’t pay income tax. The top 10% of Americans pay 70% of the taxes in this country. They only earn 43% of the income.

5. Then there's this:

Remember though, if you think this election will change the course of our nation you're wrong! It is the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit which will save our nation – not politics or even necessarily godly leaders in positions of authority.