Wanted: Real, Fearless Men for Leaders

This morning, I was digesting this great article from Boundless, a ministry of Focus on Family - Real Men Risks Rejection - and I learned some vital issues that guys will need to consider in a Biblical relationship (and marriage): taking leadership. In spite of the current-day (radical) feminist movement, where women say, "*bleep* guys! We can take care of ourselves," I have met many women throughout my life who have confided to me a counter-culture statement:

Where are the godly men who are willing to risk it all to pursue my heart?"

A few years ago, I had no idea what it means and the potential cost it would be for me to pursue a girl's heart. I have always liked to have a relationship with girls because of the benefits that comes with it (note to my readers: by the word "benefit," I mean someone who listens and share feelings well with, someone who I can spend time with doing fun things, and someone who I can talk with - all short of sexual intimacy). However, I have been learning slowly over the past few months the great beauty of committing myself to a single woman for a whole lifetime, and to take the "until death do we part" vow to a whole new level.

One of the biggest hindrances faced by all single men is pride. While this is not an acceptable excuse for our lack of leadership, we struggle with many kinds of fears in our life - all stemming from the curse of pride. The writer puts it succinctly about the forms of fear guys face:

"Maybe we don't want to risk her rejection, because we've invested a lot of ourselves in what she thinks of us. Maybe we don't want to risk failure, because our self-image is wrapped up in success, including relational success. Maybe we don't want to risk the ridicule of the guys, who'll tease us for not landing someone "better." Maybe we don't want to risk commitment, because we fear being that exposed to another person."

Ladies, I'm speaking here in behalf of all struggling single guys. Please forgive us if we have failed to express our interest in pursuing you. We ask you for your grace and patience while we garner the courage and humility needed to take leadership (and even risk rejection). We are flattered if you are interested in pursuing us, but we ask you to allow us madly and passionately pursue you within the context of a Biblical relationship. That is what drives us to be fully alive, just like the passion God has for His people. And yes, you have our permission to reject us if you are not interested in us.

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By the way, single guys, I have a few great links for you to explore and help you become bold and fearless godly men!

- Boundless.org just released a free resource: "A Guy's Guide to Marrying Well," and it looks awesome! To get this, go to this link, http://www.boundless.org/guys/, and enter your e-mail address to get this guidebook. It is definitely something I plan to read soon!

- There is a "Define The Relationship" (DTR) assessment that you can take any time you are wondering about whether to initiate a relationship with a girl or to take your dating/courting relationship to the next level: marriage. A great find!

Render to Obama all things that are Obama's

"Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." ~Matthew 22:21

Since Barack Hussein Obama was elected as a president, a friend of mine mentioned this verse to me, and I've been meditating on it for well over four days. To be honest, the election results was a bit disappointing for me because I wanted McCain to win, in addition to my distrust for Obama due to his questionable history and associations with a few radical individuals.

What exactly does "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's," and what implications it has to my own spiritual life?

Jesus was discussing the importance of paying taxes to Caesar and giving God our "first fruits" in terms of time, talent, and treasure, but this verse also has an important degree to the current selection of the successor for President Bush.

Although Obama claimed that he would reduce taxes for 95% of the middle-class Americans who earns less than $250,000 per annum (that number has been muddied recently - $120,000 according to Gov. Richardson of New Mexico), I have a strong feeling that our taxes will be increased once Obama takes the presidency. And when taxes increases, people will be more tempted to evade taxes. When people evades taxes, the IRS will be hot on their tails to throw them in the slammer. You know, IRS probably would swallow the key and leave those people to rot until they pay their taxes.

"Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." ~Romans 13:7

Render unto Caesar all the taxes.

Render unto Caesar all the revenue.

Render unto Caesar all respect.

Render unto Caesar all deserved honor.

Replace the term "Caesar" with "Obama," and you still have the same meaning within this context. Paul encourages us to pay all applicable taxes, report all revenues, give respect and honor to government officials. In fact, it was God who established the government to maintain law and order in this fallen world (Romans 13). God commands us to honor our governmental officials and follow the law of the land, as long as they do not violate God's commandments.

Many of you probably are disappointed with the results of the election, and wish that it would have turned out differently. I share the same sentiments with you, but the American people have spoken on November 4th, 2008. As God's people, we must pray for our nation and the president-elect so that he may successfully lead our nation. We will disagree with some of his decisions, and maybe even become angry with what he does. But do not lose hope, for God is in control here and He has our best interest in His mind.

Remember, my friends: our God is sovereign, and whatever happens in the future is a part of His plan. He will rise up godly and ungodly leaders to lead a nation (look at the Israeli kings throughout 1 and 2 Kings for evidence) in order to accomplish His divine purpose. Barack Hussein Obama was already predestinated by God to lead this nation, and we who profess Christ as our savior and lord of life must give Obama all respect and honor he deserves, and pay our taxes if he demands for money. The money we have are not ours, for they belong to God alone - he just "loaned" them to us to use for His kingdom.

Render unto Obama all things that are Obama's, and to God all things that are His. AMEN.

Election 2008

At 8:01 am, I used the right endowed by the Creator to cast my first ballot for the 2008 Presidential Election. I voted for the following items:

- McCain/Palin as the next president for United States of America (this is is a better alternative than Obama/Biden)

- Roscoe Bartlett as a representative for District 6 of Maryland

- Fischer and Hartings for the Washington County school board

- "No" on Amendment 1 to allow for early voting

- "No" on Amendment 2 to allow video gambling in Maryland

I'm hoping that the following items will be put on the ballot for decision in the future elections:

- Amendment to define marriage between one man and one woman

- Amendment to ban stem cell research on embryos and supporting research on adult stem cell - a more ethical alternative

Tonight after my meeting with a mentor, I will be hunkering at my home to watch the election coverage on Fox News, the most fair news station on the cable.

No matter what happens, God's sovereign will will be accomplished - no president can change his predestinated plans!

TVs Make Teens Pregnant

Here's an interesting tidbit I got from an e-mail newsletter this morning. This article reminds me of the important role people who work with the youth have to help our students to make right media choices. Enjoy the read!

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"A new report suggests that television may be playing a starring role  in your child's sex education. In a study of 2,003 teens aged 12-17, scientist Anita Chandra of RAND Research found that children who watched programs with "high levels of sexual content" were almost twice as likely to become pregnant as kids with limited exposure to such shows. The study, which was released today in the journal Pediatrics, is said to be the first to establish a real link between teen pregnancy and racy programming. When asked what shows they preferred, kids admitted to watching "Sex and the City," as well as the innuendo-heavy "Friends," "That '70s" Show," and reality fare. "This might surprise people, but sitcoms had the highest sexual content," Chandra said. Yet for all the glamorization of sex, very little attention has been paid to its consequences. "If teens are getting any of their information about sex from TV, they're very rarely going to get a balanced portrayal," Chandra said. "When there is [sexual content], how often is it coupled with a discussion of [the risks]?" Not very often, according to the Kaiser Foundation. A few years ago, it found that only 10 percent of shows with adult content made a passing reference to the dangers of sexual activity. Of course, RAND's research is far from the first blemish on television's record. Scientists have compiled quite a case against TV, which includes everything from early sexual activity and heightened aggression to an increased rate of STDs. Now that teen pregnancy has been added to the list, I can't help but wonder-when has television been associated with anything positive? While it's easy to become enraged with Hollywood, the burden of protecting our children falls on us. We cannot be complacent about what our kids are watching and expect them to take our values seriously. Sex education-or the lack of it-starts in the home. Don't let your television do the talking. Send your kids a clear message on abstinence before their innocence goes right down the tubes."

Additional Resources: Reuters- Study links teen pregnancy to sexy TV shows

~FRC Action Update, November 3, 2008