"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." - Colossians 3:2
The Bible clearly teaches that God and His kingdom must have top priority in our lives. Listen to these words from the book of Haggai:
Then the Word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?" Now this is what the Lord almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." (1:3-6)
The people of Haggai's day were so wrapped up in their own concerns that they had completely neglected God, His worship, and His house. Self had marched to the front and commanded their complete attention.
When we neglect God, the very things we seek begin to elude us. Why? Because the things of this world cannot satisfy the hunger of our souls. Both Old and New Testaments testify to this truth. To neglect God and turn our minds and hearts inward and not upward is self-defeating. So Haggai challenged the people to give careful thought to the set of their hearts and the direction of their lives.
Christian, where are your priorities today? Only God can give meaning and ultimate satisfaction in life. And it comes as a by-product as we obey the words of Jesus: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"(KJV).
Prayer
"Lord, nothing I can attain in this world can take the place of intimacy with You. I will wait on You to bring the "added things" to my life. Amen. "
What gives meaning and satisfaction to your life? Are your eyes fixed on Jesus and HIS Glory and Grace? GO then and SHARE Jesus with a friend, a relative, "whosoever" ...
Grace to you!
Blest Be The Poor Music
Blest are the poor, whose spirits know their need;
God’s heav’nly kingdom will be theirs indeed.
Blest, those who mourn; God’s comfort will be known.
Blest are the meek; the world will be their own.
Blest, those who seek God’s righteousness each day;
They will be filled and never turned away.
Blest are the kind, for mercy will be giv’n.
Blest are the pure in heart; they’ll see God in Heav’n.
Blest, men of peace; they will God’s sons be named.
Blest, those who suffer slander and much shame.
Blest, faithful ones, enduring for your Lord.
Rejoice, be glad, for great is your reward.
I see my need and humbly seek Your face.
Show me Your mercy; all my cares erase.
Keep my heart pure; I long for righteousness.
I know that as Your child I’m fully blest.
While visiting my son on his Army base, I chatted with a colleague of his.
"What rank are you?" I asked.
"I'm relieved to say that I've just been promoted from captain to major."
"Relieved? Why?"
"Because," he replied, "my last name is Hook."
In The News:
Census: U.S. Poverty Rate Spikes, Nearly 50 Million Americans Affected
WASHINGTON (CBSDC/AP) – As President Barack Obama is set to begin his second term, new statistics on America’s poverty rate indicate that nearly 50 million Americans, more than 16 percent of the population, are struggling to survive.
New figures released by the Census Bureau this week found a spike in poverty numbers last year, going from 49 million in 2010 to 49.7 million last year. The numbers may come as a surprise to Congress, which estimated in September that the poverty rate would drop to 46.2 million. One of the most startling findings showed that almost 20 percent of American children continue to live in poverty.
The Associated Press reports that the new figures are based on an updated formula devised by the Census Bureau to help give the government a better understanding for how to use safety-net programs.
The numbers found that Hispanics and people living in urban areas had a higher chance of struggling to make it financially. Poverty among full-time and part-time workers also saw a jump from its 2010 numbers.
Based on the formula implemented by the Census Bureau, California tops the list as the sate most likely to bring about poverty. The top five is rounded out by the District of Columbia, Arizona, Florida and Georgia.
“We’re seeing a very slow recovery, with increases in poverty among workers due to more new jobs which are low-wage,” Timothy Smeeding, a University of Wisconsin-Madison economist who specializes in poverty, told The Associated Press. “As a whole, the safety net is holding many people up, while California is struggling more because it’s relatively harder there to qualify for food stamps and other benefits.”
Adults in the age groups of 18 to 64 and 65 and older saw spikes in their poverty rates. Hispanics and Asians saw greater spikes than white people, according to the statistics. Black people saw a slight decrease in poverty, but still have a rate of 25.7 percent.
The Real Lesson Behind the General Petraeus Affair
Jim Daly
Posted by Jim_Daly Nov 14, 2012
Retired general and now-former CIA director David Petraeus was
originally scheduled to testify today before Congress to answer
questions about the deadly terrorist attack on the American consulate in
Benghazi, Libya.
Instead, the man some believed a likely candidate for president is reeling from his admission of an extra-marital affair and subsequent resignation from the Central Intelligence Agency. The scandal is continuing to unfold and expand, almost hour by hour.
Even with so many details still unanswered, it’s a sad and sordid story, an example of how quickly a person’s life and reputation can be marred by moral indiscretion.
“He deeply hurt the family,” a confidant told the New York Post.
What’s often missing in the telling of extramarital affairs are the broken hearts of the many innocent individuals attached to both sides of the sin.
Scandals of this magnitude are like raging rivers with many tributaries. The implications will be far reaching, especially given political realities of the day. Analysts and pundits are already speculating and drawing conclusions, but I will defer and simply speak to the sorrow surrounding some social commentary on the subject.
The noted presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin was a guest on this past Sunday’s Meet the Press. Unfortunately, I suspect her comments will resonate with a good many people:
I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected their public responsibilities. What would we have done if FDR had not been our leader because he had an affair with Lucy Mercer? Think of the productive years that Clinton could have had if Monica Lewinsky hadn’t derailed him. We've got to figure out a way that we give a private sphere for our public leaders. We’re not going to get the best people in public life if we don’t do that. This thing is really sad. This man was a great general, a great leader, and for his career to come to an end because of a private matter that affects his family and him and evidently doesn’t have national security concerns. I don’t know how you unravel it, but I wish we could.
We all wish the affair could be unraveled, but I strongly disagree with Ms. Goodwin’s main premise that private lives are more or less inconsequential to public service, specifically among leaders.
For the sake of the argument, let’s set aside momentarily the religious basis of a person’s morality. Instead, let’s consider simply the importance of truth and trust in a leader’s life, especially someone responsible for the safety and security of others.
Let me ask you:
Are those two characteristics – truth and trust – dispensable or absolutely critical to leadership?
It would seem that Ms. Goodwin is suggesting the former, that the importance of trustworthiness and truthfulness are contingent upon one’s affinity for the person or party rather than bedrock principles on which to build strong leadership.
The idea that high standards somehow discourages the “best” to apply is also curious to me. From my seat, the establishment of high standards doesn’t discourage. Instead, it encourages young people to aspire to greatness and meet those high standards with excellence.
Modern critics have grown weary of the conservative argument that a person who cannot be trusted in private can somehow be trusted in public. But fatigue of the facts doesn’t negate the authenticity or veracity of the principle.
Scandal of this nature highlights the brokenness of humanity and the reminder that we’re all just one step from making a bad decision with dire consequences. It is the wise person who acknowledges his or her own frailty and humbly steps forward with the attitude, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
In the aftermath of a contentious election and now a scandal that leaves many heartbroken, let’s commit to praying for this nation as well as those individuals directly and personally hurting over this story.
RNS photo
ALSO: NYC Mayor Bans Food Donations? and Why this School is O.K. with Man Exposing Himself to Young Girls
Follow me on Twitter @Dalyfocus
Follow me on Facebook
Keep up with Focus on the Family on Facebook
Instead, the man some believed a likely candidate for president is reeling from his admission of an extra-marital affair and subsequent resignation from the Central Intelligence Agency. The scandal is continuing to unfold and expand, almost hour by hour.
Even with so many details still unanswered, it’s a sad and sordid story, an example of how quickly a person’s life and reputation can be marred by moral indiscretion.
“He deeply hurt the family,” a confidant told the New York Post.
What’s often missing in the telling of extramarital affairs are the broken hearts of the many innocent individuals attached to both sides of the sin.
Scandals of this magnitude are like raging rivers with many tributaries. The implications will be far reaching, especially given political realities of the day. Analysts and pundits are already speculating and drawing conclusions, but I will defer and simply speak to the sorrow surrounding some social commentary on the subject.
The noted presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin was a guest on this past Sunday’s Meet the Press. Unfortunately, I suspect her comments will resonate with a good many people:
I wish we could go back to the time when the private lives of our public figures were relevant only if they directly affected their public responsibilities. What would we have done if FDR had not been our leader because he had an affair with Lucy Mercer? Think of the productive years that Clinton could have had if Monica Lewinsky hadn’t derailed him. We've got to figure out a way that we give a private sphere for our public leaders. We’re not going to get the best people in public life if we don’t do that. This thing is really sad. This man was a great general, a great leader, and for his career to come to an end because of a private matter that affects his family and him and evidently doesn’t have national security concerns. I don’t know how you unravel it, but I wish we could.
We all wish the affair could be unraveled, but I strongly disagree with Ms. Goodwin’s main premise that private lives are more or less inconsequential to public service, specifically among leaders.
For the sake of the argument, let’s set aside momentarily the religious basis of a person’s morality. Instead, let’s consider simply the importance of truth and trust in a leader’s life, especially someone responsible for the safety and security of others.
Let me ask you:
Are those two characteristics – truth and trust – dispensable or absolutely critical to leadership?
It would seem that Ms. Goodwin is suggesting the former, that the importance of trustworthiness and truthfulness are contingent upon one’s affinity for the person or party rather than bedrock principles on which to build strong leadership.
The idea that high standards somehow discourages the “best” to apply is also curious to me. From my seat, the establishment of high standards doesn’t discourage. Instead, it encourages young people to aspire to greatness and meet those high standards with excellence.
Modern critics have grown weary of the conservative argument that a person who cannot be trusted in private can somehow be trusted in public. But fatigue of the facts doesn’t negate the authenticity or veracity of the principle.
Scandal of this nature highlights the brokenness of humanity and the reminder that we’re all just one step from making a bad decision with dire consequences. It is the wise person who acknowledges his or her own frailty and humbly steps forward with the attitude, “There but for the grace of God go I.”
In the aftermath of a contentious election and now a scandal that leaves many heartbroken, let’s commit to praying for this nation as well as those individuals directly and personally hurting over this story.
RNS photo
ALSO: NYC Mayor Bans Food Donations? and Why this School is O.K. with Man Exposing Himself to Young Girls
Follow me on Twitter @Dalyfocus
Follow me on Facebook
Keep up with Focus on the Family on Facebook
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