Spiritual Extorsion

Just when I was getting ready to send out invitations to my reflections on the year 2007 “Pity Party”, I was led to read the Apostle Paul’s list of the woes he suffered in 2 Corinthians 11. Before my invitations made it to the printer, I canceled the order because my “party” was definitely not worth attending. Reflecting upon the year now ending in light of what Paul endured on a regular basis makes my year look like a vacation in Tahiti. I have quickly revised my opinion of 2007 and instead of it being one of the most difficult years of my life; it is now classified as one of the most “interesting” years I have lived.

When Paul was breathing out threatening to the believers, he would have had ample reason to be hated and hunted like an animal. But, many years after his conversion, he was now a pillar of the church and in charge of world-wide outreach. He spent most of his time traveling to new locations where he shared the Gospel and worked to establish new churches. The rest of his time was spent going back to previously visited areas to strengthen the disciples. This was all in addition to his journeys to Jerusalem to attend Feasts and meet with the heads of the Church occasionally.

Because Paul had turned on his Jewish friends and upbringing, he was despised and rejected by the unbelieving Jews wherever he went. Their hatred was not limited to scathing criticisms of his doctrine, but also outlandish lies regarding his personal life and character. When all else failed, they acted as common thugs and beat him senseless. Hatred spurs people to do horrific things to other people. Hatred , envy and jealousy are the biggest motives behind assassinations, “mob hits” and gang violence. The Jews hated Paul more than any other Christian on earth.

In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Paul lays out a sampling of what he had endured for the Gospel’s sake:

“Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool), I am more; in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;
In journeying often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Besides those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”

Paul lived most of his life in a constant state of danger, which is what the word “peril” means in verse 26. Keep in mind that Paul wrote this epistle around A.D. 54 or 55 and the final epistle he wrote, 2 Timothy, wasn’t written until A.D. 66 directly before his death. In those 11 or 12 years he endured even worse dangers than what he wrote about to the Corinthians. All the things written in Acts after chapter 19 came after this discourse.

Some have said this section in 2 Corinthians shows Paul to be a cranky old man who was complaining to others about all his woes. Perhaps this is correct, but until another person can honestly say they have endured all the things Paul had to go through, they have no right to criticize or condemn Paul for trumpeting his ordeals. Besides, God allowed this section to be in His Word for a reason, and that is to show what someone who really takes a stand for God and His Word must expect.

Paul never won any popularity contests nor did he want to. He was perhaps one of the boldest men who ever lived and when he shared the Gospel and when he shared his heart it was done holding nothing back and with every ounce of honesty in his soul. His enemies did not like hearing the truth and being the cowards that they were; they sought constantly to silence him and his message. Does this sound familiar? It is the exact same thing these people’s parents did with Jesus Christ. They hated his message and plotted and schemed to silence him forever.

In the Old Testament God gave ample promises of physical prosperity and financial success. That is all His people had available to them for the Messiah had not yet come. With the coming of Jesus Christ, the Old Testament physical promises were replaced with the exceeding great and precious promises we have in Christ Jesus. The New Testament is full of SPIRITUAL promises NOT physical ones. God no longer needs His people to be financially rich for they are now blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

I know I am going to catch all sorts of criticism for saying this; but the time has come for me to tell the truth concerning what is destroying the Church in not only America but the entire Western world. Whoever invented the “prosperity gospel” certainly did not get such revelation from God. Nothing has done more damage to the truth than the blatant lie that Christians are supposed to be wealthy and be making millions of dollars so they and their families can live in the lap of luxury. This is a lie straight from the heart of the devil and it is destroying the true church.

Paul tried to confront this error in 1Timothy 6 and again in 2 Timothy 2. Jesus confronted the whole subject of covetousness and tried to show by his example how God wanted His people to live. This false gospel that teaches believers to consciously seek to become rich under the guise of then having more to give to the church is insane. All this amounts to is a doctrine intended to put more money via tithes and offerings into the pockets of corrupt religious leaders who need a bigger house or to put kids through college.

READ THE New Testament and find any references to the kind of financial prosperity found in the Old Testament. They are not there, and it is because of the finished work of Jesus Christ. The top heavy ecclesiastical and hierarchal manner in which many churches are administered has opened the door to those in positions of leadership to exercise spiritual extortion over their congregations by threatening them with eternal punishment if they do not give more to the church. WOE unto those who lay this fear of Godly condemnation on the backs of innocent people who only want to do what is right before God.

I am sick and tired of seeing “ministers” steal from their congregations. I have grown weary of mega-churches taking in millions of dollars per week and spending millions of dollars per week on their own needs and salaries. I am very tired of watching the endless parade of people in long flowing robes tell the poor and downtrodden masses that they are not giving enough to the church when the people are already giving more than they have to give.

Where was the church after Katrina ruined the United States Gulf Coast? Many churches rushed to help and are still there helping. JUST AS MANY churches never sent a dime or one volunteer to help out. No way were they going to sacrifice any of the money needed for local church functions and clergy salaries to help an area devastated beyond comprehension. I personally saw hundreds of destroyed churches in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. In most cases, the pastor waited many months, and in some cases is still waiting, for someone to come and help them rebuild.

I have grown weary of the hypocrisy that runs rampant in so many American churches. I am tired of seeing believers sit back and watch unbelievers manifest more love than they do. I am so very tired of hearing all the rationalizations as to why individual believers and churches cannot reach out to help anyone besides themselves. I am so tired of seeing most church budgets reflect on average maybe 2% of their income going to Missions and other benevolent programs.

Yes, I am full of righteous indignation over the subject of where and how the church spends its money. I am mad at the lies being palmed off as truth in the realm of where the offerings are spent. I am angry at fellow-clergymen who see no problem in stealing the offerings of their congregations for personal luxuries and to support sins of the flesh. My heart is full of disgust whenever I read of yet another ministry going down the tubes because of the outlandish abuse of either money or people within the organization.

The Lord needs His Church to be honest and upright not to be as corrupt as the world. God needs His people to rise up as a mighty army and demand accountability on the part of “holier than thou” religious leaders who get away with crimes under the pretense of religious privilege. Woe to those who hide behind their robes and titles while committing unspeakable offences that even the world blushes at.

Yes, when I publish my reflections of the year now ending, I will not complain about any of the things that befell me this year. I count it all joy to suffer the consequences of daring to speak the truth in love. I have been censored before and I am sure I will be again. I have been threatened before and I expect to be threatened again. My life is not my own, I have been bought with a price. Anything I can do or give in this life for others reflects the very reason my Savior died for me. He gave His life so I can give mine.

HE GAVE HIS LIFE SO I CAN GIVE MINE. HE GAVE HIS LIFE SO I CAN GIVE MINE. There, I said what was on my mind. Let there be no question and no doubt as to how I feel about certain matters. I judge no man, but I do hold men and women accountable for their words and actions when they are injurious to God’s people and are for selfish gain. Please, before picking up stones to cast at me for writing this, stop and realize that it would not have been inspired to be written if it were not needed to be said.

HE GAVE HIS LIFE SO I CAN GIVE MINE. That is the message that needs to be shouted in this new year. No more of the “what’s in it for me” attitudes that have ruined Christianity. Jesus did not give his life so believers can be wealthy, live in mansions and sit around the pool all day getting a nice tan. He did not give his life so believers can look at their bank accounts and glory in the millions of dollars being stockpiled for a future life of ease. Jesus did not give his life so that those who supposedly represent Him as ministers could lie, cheat and steal from their congregations. Jesus gave his life so believers can have the joy and the ability to GIVE THEIR LIVES ALSO.

Paul suffered dearly for telling the truth; yet it did not stop him from telling it some more. Unless someone stands up and holds the current crop of religious leaders accountable for their words and actions as Jesus did with the Pharisees and scribes; the church will continue to sink into a state of being a meaningless factor in our society and a horrible failure regarding its very purpose. Let the truth ring loud and clear in 2008.

I fear that we in this glorious country take for granted far too many things. As much as we all despise the endless election process, at least we do not have to face either the intimidation to vote a certain way as in Russia and other “hard-line” countries, or the assassination of opposing candidates as just happened today in Pakistan. We have our own problems to deal with, but at least we still have the liberty to choose whomever we feel best qualified to lead us.

Freedom of choice is not a matter to be taken lightly. Without the freedom to make our own decisions, we must live in a state of subjection to the agenda and personal preferences of the dictator who is in control. I fear that because of the great schism that divides this country, we all fail to understand how privileged we are to live in a place that promotes freedom of choice instead of just “talking about it”.

Biblically, a generation was generally thought to be about 40 years. If we were to apply that rule today, it would mean that the previous generation ended in 1968. In an eerie coincidence, the previous generation DID END in 1968. Just as the stock market crash of 1929 totally changed the course of this country for almost 40 years; so the events of 1968 set in motion the changes that defined this country’s politics and society for the last 40 years.

On January 1st, 1968 Lyndon Johnson was the sitting President and the upcoming election in November 1968 was generating little interest due to Johnson being “unbeatable”. The country was at war in Viet Nam, but it was still viewed in a “patriotic” manner and the anti-war activists were not well organized as of yet. United States planes bombed North Viet Nam on a regular basis and the ground war was being fought in the jungles by an “invisible enemy”.

The first Presidential primary was not until March 12 in New Hampshire. Unlike now, many potential candidates were still mulling over the prospects of running. There was no two year run-up to the election process in 1968. It started in New Hampshire in March and ended in California in June. Then the candidates were selected at the nominating conventions in August to run in the general election in November. The entire process took 8 months and cost a fraction of what it costs today.

The biggest situation brewing in the country dealt with civil rights. Dr. Martin Luther King had become the spokesman for this cause and was uniting millions of people with the common dream of racial equality. President Johnson had launched his “Great Society” approach to dealing with poverty in 1964, and now there was genuine support building to once and forever eliminate the racial walls that prevented blacks from being on equal ground with whites economically.

Between January and August of 1968, the entire history of America was changed through a series of events that rocked this nation and sent it reeling like a boxer on the verge of being knocked out. One huge event after another completely changed the landscape of American politics as well as its social structure. By the time Americans voted in November of 1968, nothing was as it had been in January. The results of the election in 1968 could not have been foreseen by anyone eleven months earlier. What took place in America 40 years ago was earth shattering and historic.

On January 23rd, 1968, the United States Navy vessel named the Pueblo was captured off the coast of North Korea and the entire crew was captured along with the vessel. The Pueblo was a sophisticated spy vessel and the whole incident was a PR nightmare for both the State and Defense Departments. The crew was not released until December of 1968, so the eleven month ordeal caused major damage to the Johnson Administration both initially and throughout the whole ordeal.

On January 31st, the entire course of the war in Viet Nam changed. On this date, the North Vietnamese launched what became known as the “Tet Offensive” because it corresponded with the start of their New Year (Tet). This huge offensive lasted for many weeks and succeeded in turning the tide of public opinion in America against the war. The “Tet Offensive” took the battle out of the jungles and into the cities in South Viet Nam. Both the South Vietnamese and the United States forces were severely stung by this surprise attack and quickly went from being on the offensive to being on the defensive.

The “Tet Offensive” galvanized the anti-war groups in America and suddenly instead of being a fragmented group of social outcasts and students; they became a huge force united in the common goal of not only ending the war but getting rid of President Johnson. Their biggest political ally was Democratic Senator, Eugene McCarthy, who had long been against the war.
On March 12th, New Hampshire held the nation’s first primary. In a stunning turn of events, the various anti-war groups became united in their support for Sen. McCarthy and he came within 240 votes of winning the primary against a sitting President. On the Republican side, former Vice President Richard Nixon beat Nelson Rockefeller and Ronald Reagan.

The combination of the Pueblo incident, the relentless negative press being given to the “Tet Offensive” and the stunning near defeat in New Hampshire rocked the Johnson Administration to its core. On March 31st, President Johnson appeared on national television to announce he was NOT seeking re-election. This announcement was totally outside the realm of possibility only three months earlier.

Before the nation had a chance to digest the announcement by President Johnson, an event shocked the nation and set in motion one of the most troubling 5 month periods in our nation’s history. On April 4th, of 1968 outside a motel in Memphis, Tennessee; a single shot was fired that totally changed history. One shot from a high powered deer hunting rifle killed Dr. Martin Luther King. In one moment of time, the country was launched into the same disorder currently happening in Pakistan.

Almost immediately, riots broke out all across America. From Baltimore to Los Angeles, downtrodden blacks rushed into the streets to take out their frustration at losing their leader to a white man’s bullet. The race riots would flare on and off for years, but the catalyst was no doubt the horrible and cowardly assassination of Dr. King. The man with “The Dream” was eliminated from being an influence in America in one moment of time. No man since has come close to rallying the hearts and causes of so many people as Dr. King. His sudden loss totally changed the social landscape in America.

After the assassination of Dr. King, the political climate changed in America. Suddenly the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy took off. Instead of simply being JFK’s younger brother, his views and stands on racial equality and social issues filled the void left by Dr. King’s death. On June 4th, in a stunning victory, Robert Kennedy won the California primary. The Democratic Party was now in total disarray with the Kennedy, McCarthy and Humphrey camps dividing the base. To make matters worse, George Wallace was mounting a third party run capitalizing on his popular segregation views in the South.

Before anyone could take in the significance of Kennedy’s victory in California he was shot. After giving his victory speech at a hotel in California he was shot in the chest as he was leaving the hotel by a Jordanian man who supposedly was upset with his backing of Israel. On June 6th, Mr. Kennedy died from the wounds inflicted upon him by either a deranged madman or someone paid to eliminate the competition.

For the second time in five years, the country went into deep mourning over the tragic sudden loss of a Kennedy. For the second time in two months, the country had to search its heart and soul as an assassin’s bullet silenced a champion of the common people. Once again, Americans had to attempt to make sense of senseless violence. Once again, this country had to prove it could rebound and move on after a bullet defeated a candidate instead of an election.

Four United States Presidents have been assassinated and died in office: Lincoln in 1865, Garfield in 1881, and McKinley in 1901 and of course Kennedy in 1963. Six other United States Presidents had assassination attempts made on their lives: Andrew Jackson in 1835, Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, Harry Truman in 1950, Gerald Ford in (twice) in 1975 and Ronald Reagan in 1981.

The summer of 1968 was one full of riots, frustration and anger throughout the United States. By the time the Democrats held their convention in Chicago in late August, their fragmented party had reached the boiling point. The convention was marred by constant protests inside and out. Finally on August 28th, the Chicago police took matters into their own hands and brutally broke up the demonstrations going on outside the convention. Hundreds were injured and hundreds more were arrested. Controversy quickly swirled as accusations of unprovoked police brutality were made and basically substantiated.

When the fateful election was finally held in November and the votes were counted, the United States had a new President, but not the one anyone expected at the beginning of the year. Historians agree that if Robert Kennedy would not have been assassinated, his momentum would have led to him being the Democratic candidate, or at least the Vice-Presidential candidate. Due to his untimely death, the nomination went to Hubert Humphrey by default. Mr. Humphrey would no doubt have won the general election except for the all the votes George Wallace siphoned off.

In a situation eerily similar to what happened in 1992 with the Ross Perot candidacy, a President was elected who did not even receive 45% of the popular vote. The final results show Nixon with 43.4%, Humphrey with 42.7% and Wallace with 13.5% of the popular vote. Since Mr. Wallace was a Democrat, it is to be assumed he succeeded in getting Nixon elected much as Perot succeeded in getting Mr. Clinton elected in 1992. In January of 1969, Richard Nixon was inaugurated President of these United States and of course the rest is history.

I pray that the election tranquility we have enjoyed in this country for many years can continue. Our secret service personnel protect every candidate and the odds of what took place in 1968 happening now are very slim. But, there is always the chance someone or some group will resort to the bullet instead of the vote to gain or keep power. I pray the events unfolding in Pakistan serve as a wakeup call to Americans to never take for granted the freedom and peace we have in this country when it comes to electing who serves us. I also pray for Pakistan that it does not sink into a civil war and terrorists get their hands on the nuclear weapons stockpiled there.

Much can change in this country before the November 2008 elections. We have no clue at present who will be the candidates. If history is as good a teacher as we know it is; then we need to learn from the election year one generation ago and see how quickly and dramatically everything can change in a matter of months. Please America, never take your rights and responsibilities for granted.

Is America Really 80% Christian? Not Around Christmas.

Here are a few thoughts which sum up my personal opinion of the "season" which either ended yesterday or revolved around yesterday. The Gallup organization just put out the results of its yearly survey on faith, and to no one's surprise, supposedly 80% of this country considers itself Christian. Just about every year the statistics are the same. 80% of the people call themselves Christian, 10% have no faith and 10% are some other religious faith besides Christian.

If, indeed, this country is 80% Christian, why are there so many attacks on the Christian ideals this country was founded upon? Why has prayer been taken out of schools and the Ten Commandments banished from the courtrooms? Why does the issue of "Christmas" come up every year? Why has the word "Christ" been pretty well obliterated from the vocabulary of politicians, actors, lawyers and even many pastors? Why, if this country really is overwhelmingly "Christian", have these things happened?

The first problem lies in the definition of "Christian". Just because a person says "I am a Christian" does not make him one. I could say that I am a "horse", but that does not mean I really am one. If the Gallup organization was more specific and defined "Christian" as one who has fulfilled the Romans 10:9 requirements of confession and belief; then the number of so-called "Christians" in this country would drop dramatically.

Jesus said "By your fruit you will be known", and this is the ultimate way to determine who is a Christian. You cannot grow apples on a tomato plant. People say a lot of things, but actions speak louder than words ever do. Those who exhibit the love, patience, peace, joy, self-control, goodness and gentleness of Christ in their lives are probably Christians. Those who live by the Ten Commandments may live righteously, but there is no guarantee they are a Christian.

I think it is a joke how this country claims to be Christian but turns around and both lives like the devil most of the time and condemns Christians for being intolerant and dogmatic the rest of the time. The "Christian Right" has been condemned, ridiculed and pushed into a corner of irrelevance. I am not sure what the title "Evangelical" really means politically, but it is not a title the vast majority of people in this country want to be placed on them. The only title worse than "Evangelical" is the dreaded "Fundamentalist" title placed on those who adamantly believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God.

Now, if this country is really 80% Christian, why would people rather be led naked through the streets and made to eat manure than be tagged with the horrible title of being an "Evangelical Fundamentalist". Take your own survey. Go out on the street and ask people the first thing that comes to their mind when you use the term "Evangelical Fundamentalist". If you get more than 20% remotely positive responses I would be amazed. Few people have anything good to say about those "Bible thumping religious wackos" who preach about a God who hates sin and threatens sinners with hell.

If we grabbed 100 people from the local mall and in the presence of each other asked them if they were Christian, the results would depend entirely upon the initial responses from the first few people. If the first 5 people said they were Christian, then the sheep would follow the leader and there could very well be 80% or more in the crowd who claimed to be Christian. But, if the first 5 were jerks and said they were atheists or devil worshippers; then the rest of the people would feel very uneasy being singled out as Christians. In this scenario, I would guess there would be fewer than 30% willing to subject themselves to the scorn of others by claiming to be Christian.

My point in all this is very simply that what a person says to an interviewer in the privacy of their own home on the telephone is far different than what most would say in public to a real person with a microphone. The apostle Peter bears this out perfectly. As long as he was with Jesus he said over and over again that he would never deny him or forsake him. Once Jesus was apprehended and hauled before the religious leaders to judge and condemn him of crimes worthy of death, when different people confronted Peter and accused him of being a follower of Jesus, he vehemently denied it three separate times.

I do not believe a true Christian denies his faith when confronted by an unbeliever. A true Christian wears his faith as a badge of courage and honor. Anyone ashamed of being a Christian probably isn't one to begin with. "Closet Christians" are a dime a dozen. Look around your workplace and see how many fellow workers are not ashamed of their faith. Anyone ashamed of being a Christian is ashamed of Christ. Anyone ashamed of Christ has some major problems according to the Word of God.

In Egypt, before God led his people out of the land of bondage to the freedom of the desert; God demanded a public display of their faith. Every door which had the blood of the sacrifice upon it was "passed over" by the destroyer. Every door which did not have the blood, was visited by the destroyer and the oldest son was slain. God demanded His people obey His Word and not be afraid to publically display their faith in that Word which had been given to them.

If the United States of America is really 80% Christian, then the United States of America is worthy of all the wrath of God mentioned in the Old Testament and the book of Revelation. Why? Because it is a country full of hypocritical people who claim to be one thing and live just the opposite. The things done and said in the name of "Christianity" are more horrible than those done by unbelievers many times. People need to "put up or shut up" when it comes to their faith. Either you are a true Christian or you are not.

I would rather associate with a rank unbeliever than a so-called Christian who is so ashamed of their faith no one knows their faith. I would rather go to Mississippi or Alabama and give all I have to the so-called "scum of the earth" than to keep giving my money to religious groups who are so self-centered they never give a dime to help anyone but themselves. I would rather face the anger and indignation from "religious" people for telling the truth than to cozy up to hypocrites that smile while they stab you in the back.

This so-called holiday season has really gotten me in a foul mood. Not because of anything done by the world, for their unbelief is to be expected. What has really bothered me is the apathetic and lukewarm attitude on the part of those who claim to be "Christian". I know a little about the Bible and I know what the Bible says to do with your heart, time, money and abilities. Nowhere does the Bible say that God "blessed" you with a good mind and body to make millions of dollars to spend on yourself and your family and never share a penny with someone in need.

Giving over-priced secular presents to unthankful people under the guise of "giving" is not what this season was supposed to be about. Back before television and its non-stop commercials promoting yet another gadget everyone just "has to have" was around, people enjoyed the Christmas holiday as a time for warm fellowship and the joy of being together. If you can even find the movie anymore, the old black and white version of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is worth watching any time of the year. I love the movie because of the simplicity of the times. A big goose for dinner was the only present a family needed to have a wonderful holiday.

In the absolute height of hypocrisy; Americans have given Christmas over to the world and other faiths and have willingly removed Christ from the day set aside to honor his birth. One city government after another has "caved into" the demands of a handful of unbelievers to get rid of any trace of Christ in Christmas. University and other choirs have removed all references to Christ in their holiday programs. Schools have even done away with trees. All that is left of a once beautiful holiday is all that the world holds near and dear. Unbridled greed, lust and selfishness are honestly all Christmas is about anymore.

Closet Christians have no one to blame for the demise of their cherished holiday but themselves. Christians have allowed the Grinch to steal the real meaning of Christmas and replace it with this catch- all holiday celebrating every faith's tradition except of course Christianity, since that offends people. I honestly pity the poor Christians who still think Christmas is a Christian holiday because they go to church on Christmas Eve or they have a Nativity scene in the pile of decorations in the living room.

The so-called 80% Christians in this country can have what is left of Christmas. I don't want anything to do with this soon to be 100% secular holiday. I have decided to have "Christmas" in September next year. I will write on Christ's birth and give anything I want to give others at that time. This time next year I plan to be relaxed and unfazed by the lights, camera and action of what should be called "World Marketing Day" instead of something so blatantly hypocritical as "Christmas". I'd like to think many people would miss me not celebrating Christmas next year, but I really don't think anyone would notice.

America: Please Remember What Made You Great

Very rarely do I feel strongly enough about a subject to risk the consequences of telling the truth concerning it. Most times wisdom dictates taking the side door instead of the front. There are times the back door is the only way to tell a little bit about something without causing too much commotion. I have wrestled with the spirit of God over this and He has won. I cannot but speak the things I have seen and heard.

America, the land of the free and home of the brave, is on the verge of falling from its perch it has prominently sat upon for well over 200 years. That which has kept America strong and prosperous through World Wars, terrorism and economic upheaval has been the overwhelming generosity in the hearts of Americans to reach out to those in desperate need domestically as well as overseas. The consistent giving to help others has allowed Almighty God to prosper and bless America and those honored to be called its citizens.

Americans have always been willing to "give the shirt off their own backs" if their neighbor genuinely needed it. Americans have raced to disasters to offer assistance no matter where on earth they have occurred. Americans have given millions upon millions of dollars in aid to help those deprived of the necessities of life wherever they live in this world. Americans have generously supported charities and the work they do for the disadvantaged. Americans have opened their checkbooks time and again to help, restore and rebuild communities and neighborhoods devastated by natural disasters.

Americans have rushed to the Red Cross when they hear the blood supply is low. Americans have given millions of dollars every year to the Salvation Army and their holiday season red kettles. Americans have supported research into finding cures for diseases once thought incurable. Americans have faithfully shared of their tithes and offerings to support not only their local church, but the social services many of them provide to their communities. Americans have always been ready, willing and able to help the guy on the street who hasn't a dime to his name.

Americans have always been willing to give, even if no one knew they did it. Americans have seen needs and sought to supply them, seen hurt and sought to heal, seen pain and sought to comfort, seen suffering and sought to relieve it. Americans have always had what amounted to a ministry of mercy when it came to putting the welfare of others ahead of their own. Americans have always been the leaders in compassionate care for those who have suffered loss.

America used to take great pride in its ability and willingness to share of its resources regardless of whether they were appreciated or even asked for. America used stand alone at times in its compassionate response to starvation, torture and genocide in the world. America used to shine as a beacon of light, providing a refuge for those who barely survived elsewhere in the world. America used to be the land everyone wished to immigrate to and it was immigrants who made America who she is.

God has truly blessed America. This country has never been invaded by a foreign nation. This country has never suffered a truly catastrophic natural disaster which would render the entire nation crippled. This country has always enjoyed freedom to speak and serve God as one sees fit. This country has always encouraged its citizens to go and serve wherever and however they felt God wanted them to. Except for wartime, this country has not forced its young men to serve in the military and has not demanded a certain number of years of service to be a citizen.

America has a problem. For many reasons she has cut back on her giving. This is not a good thing for the country or its inhabitants. For America to stay strong and be the leader she has always been, Americans must never forsake the willingness to give to those who are in need. I beg you, America, please do not quit doing what made you who you are. It was not your intellect or brawn which brought about your rise to glory, it was your humility and compassionate giving which enabled God to make you great.

Too many times recently, resources that once were designated for those in need have been diverted to meet the needs of the givers. Too many times excuses have been offered instead of offerings when needs have been made known. Too many times personal lack has been magnified at the expense of looking at what could be given without incurring hardship. Too many times the attitude of "I can't" has replaced the previous "can do" attitude which previously opened doors when none were there.

I fear people have allowed the economic negatives which bombard them daily to influence their decisions to give. A "hunker down" mentality appears to be what is needed in difficult times, but in reality the old cliché of "when the pressure is on—give" would be a far better one to live by. When people stop giving they clam up and cease to be of any benefit to others. Cessation of giving spells doom for any person or group. Giving is the lifeline to receiving God's abundant promises of blessings.

I have heard recently from numerous groups encompassing the whole spectrum of care-giving that donations are way down this holiday season. Food pantries have had to close their doors and facilities that disperse not only food but other vital necessities of life have had to go on "hiatus". Many organizations seeking to provide toys for disadvantaged children this holiday season have seen a drop of over 50% in donations due to all the recalls. Many groups which have in the past provided holiday meals have had to cut back or even eliminate them this year.

Beyond all these distressing things, there is a dramatic downturn in end-of-the-year giving. Many charities depend on the late December flood of donations to pull them through until late spring. Due to economic problems, faithful donors have cut back or even ceased giving. However understandable this is, it leads to a cessation of services among organizations essential to many communities.

I pray that as we enter the final days before the day set aside to honor our Savior's birth; that we remember what charity is all about. Charity is simply the Love of God in manifestation. Charity is loving thy neighbor as thyself. Charity is doing unto others as you want done unto you. Charity is faith in action. Charity is actively working to help another by giving of yourself and your resources. Charity is reaching out to help another, realizing their need is far greater than your own.

The true heart of America will always be found in its benevolent giving and sharing of resources. Please, America, don't give up on those who need you. Not now, not ever. Keep opening your heart, your home and your wallet to help those who need what you have to share far more than you. Please remember that Christmas is to be a time of sharing and giving more than anything else. I ask you to please remember those in need and reach out in some way to help them be able to enjoy this beloved season.

What Exactly IS the Purpose of the Church?

I was speaking recently with an associate who was telling me about the problems being encountered attempting to hold a silent auction for a local charity. Although the person in charge was very experienced and skilled in auctions, he was not acquainted with the local area enough to understand how and why people think as they do. He was attempting to get the people to place bids on brand new donated merchandise. The people wanted to start the "bids" at a penny and work up to a dollar. The problem was that the donated items sold for over $20 new in the stores.

Unfortunately, the people involved had a "yard sale" mentality and not a "fundraising" one. In their minds, they were looking for a "bargain" not a means to donate to a cause. The auction was a miserable failure due to the lack of understanding on the part of the audience as to auction's purpose. This whole situation brings up some interesting points to ponder.

Charities and organizations of all types have been doing silent auctions for years. Groups that range from PBS to politicians to the local church, set aside an evening to have a dinner or banquet for the sole purpose of raising funds for their group, cause or the next year's budget. A key part of these events is the silent or active auctions. It is understood (usually) that the purpose of the auction is to raise funds for the cause, group or event. Most of the time, the winning bid on these items is many times more than the actual value of the article.

Recently Rush Limbaugh put a letter up for auction on eBay written by the leader of the Senate. The letter, which had no actual value, fetched a couple million dollars for charity. The purpose of an auction, when being conducted by a charity or service organization is to solicit donations to the cause. It is that plain and simple. If a $25 gift card is auctioned at a fundraiser, the STARTING price would usually be at least $40 or more. That may seem unfair to some, but remember the purpose of the auction is to show support for the cause and not to get a "bargain".

The reason there was a problem in this situation is found in the attitude of the people toward "giving". The people involved were from a black church in southern Mississippi. These were faithful members of their local church who attend services every week, volunteer for various activities and make up the very backbone of the congregation. They give on a regular basis to the church.

Generally speaking; the poorer the people, the greater the chance they attend a church where they have been taught that all giving is to be done to the church. Sure, it is fine to drop a nickel in the red pot at Christmas time, but "giving" is to be limited to the tithes and offerings the minister is to receive and disperse at his or her discretion. It is drilled into people's minds that any giving that interferes with what they are supposed to give to the church is wrong and that any tithes have to be given to the church.

Now, if the church has an active outreach ministry that is helping the poor, the widows, the homeless, the elderly and disabled; then people should simply give to the church and be done. But, if the church is limited to a couple of services on Sunday and possibly a prayer meeting on Wednesday; where are all the gifts and offerings being used? Interesting how many of the "ministers" of these kinds of churches have closets full of designer suits, drive new Cadillac's and eat out a fine restaurants on a regular basis. All the while, the people doing the giving live in poverty, have one beat up old car and eat beans and rice.

When God designed the concept of "giving", was it to provide wealth and excess for the "minister" in charge? When God urges people to give throughout the Bible, is it to pad the bank accounts of "ministers" whose only duties are to preach a couple of sermons a week and perform a wedding or funeral occasionally? Was the idea of giving only to support the priests, or was there a bigger purpose?

Any government or governing agency needs resources to carry out its responsibilities. The purpose of paying taxes was to provide income for the government to defend the country and provide for the general welfare of the citizens. The purpose of tithes and offerings in a church are to provide the means to fund programs that benefit the congregation and facilitate outreach to others. They also provide the means to maintain the building and the pastor's residence.

Between 1976 and 1985 I worked "full time" as a minister for a non-denominational church group. My "salary" ranged from $100 to $250 per month. That's right, PER MONTH. Of course I was given a car to drive, a home to live in, utilities and gasoline paid for, clothing allowance, and a fund that covered most expenses that came up including medical expenses. My "salary" was to pay for food and personal items, and for the most part it did.

When I see ministers receiving salaries in excess of $100,000 per year; I cringe. When I see large churches paying salaries to several ministers that add up to over a million dollars per year; I really cringe. When I see ministries taking in hundreds of millions of dollars per year and NOT being actively involved with missions and other outreach programs; I applaud the United States Senate for conducting an investigation. Honestly, is the reason for ministering God's love and Word supposed to be to make money or help people?

Far too many times a church will start accumulating a lot of money and instead of using it to help needy people; they inevitably use it to build a bigger and better church building. Millions of dollars are then spent on designing and building a "mega church", complete with basketball courts, coffeehouses and other facilities that look like good outreach ideas, but rarely do anything but provide entertainment for church members. So the building is built and the new facility is in place. The bank account is empty but for the moment the church has "bragging rights" to being the newest and biggest church in town. Then the next church builds a bigger and better building, and so on.

If a fraction of the money that is spent on new church buildings were spent on helping the poor, the elderly, widows and orphans, drug addicts and the homeless; then there would be no need for community outreach programs to do the job the church should be doing. Reading, studying and talking about the Bible is all well and good, but without active works of charity; it is all vanity. A church needs to reach out and help the poor and needy in their community, not sit in their plush pews once a week and pat themselves on the back for having the nicest building in town.

What is the purpose of having a church if it is not to provide a place of help, rest, resources and hope for those who are hurting, suffering, addicted and at their wits end? In a recent disgusting phenomenon; far too many churches in America have turned into huge social clubs with no desire to drag into their pristine structures the lowly, dirty, homeless and suffering people off the street. If a church is going to build a huge structure, then at least provide facilities for cooking meals for the hungry and not just to host fancy receptions for weddings.

In the book "Money Matters: Personal Giving in American Churches" by Dean R. Hoge, the entire subject of personal giving as well as church giving was studied thoroughly. Among the many findings was that since the 1950's,most Protestant churches have given less and less every year on missions and instead diverted more and more to local church matters. This is plainly apparent when one looks at the structures, programs and salaries needed to keep a local church "in business". The sad reality of seeing where all the money goes is that most of it stays "in house" to support the house.

On average, most churches give less than 3% of their income to "missions". It is a truly a sad and disheartening fact to know that all the various projects, programs and people who care for the sick, poor, needy and dying are only worth 3 cents of every dollar given. Obviously the "worth" of those who minister far exceeds the value of those being ministered to in many cases. No doubt the "worth" of the structure is far greater than the people who might be helped by anything going on in that structure.

It has been estimated that if every church would give 10% of its income to missions, the world as we know it would never be the same. If this were done, there would literally not be ONE SINGLE starving child left in the world. Every single child could receive enough food daily to be healthy. If all the churches did this, every country in the world could enjoy missionaries whose efforts were directed at helping and ministering to the needs of the people instead of constantly looking for funding. If the churches all gave 10% to missions, there would be NO NEED for most not for profit charities. The need would be met by the churches, where it is supposed to be.

Even in the most conservative of all denominations, the average amount given by those in the congregation is under 10%. Despite all the sermons on tithing and endless appeals for more money for this project and that; most people still only give what they genuinely don't need to their church. If the church led the way and started giving 10% of its income to missions, then the people in the church would be inspired to give more themselves. As it stands, amazingly, the percentage of giving by those in the church to the church is roughly equal to that which the church gives to those in need—3%.

If those who attend church on a regular basis only give about 3% of their income to the church, and these same people claim they have nothing left to give to other groups providing charity services; where exactly are these groups supposed to gain funding to do what the churches should have been doing to begin with? If the church is not going to help those who cannot help themselves, and private groups cannot help due to lack of funding; that leaves the government to pick up the slack.

In a crazy case of extreme irony; the very people who will not take care of the poor end up paying to take care of them anyway through higher taxes. So, which is it going to be? Pay more and more money to the government to do yet another thing the church was supposed to do, or release more from church coffers to fund programs that genuinely help the disadvantaged. Those are the choices and the way things are going, we can expect the government to pretty well take over all aspects of "charity" because the Christian churches are too busy building structures and hosting basketball games to go out and help a homeless person get back on his feet.

I pray the gentleman finds success in his next silent auction. But I doubt if he will. The funds that should go to charity inevitably end up in offering plates which pay to keep the church open for business. It is truly sad that the "business" of the church cannot and many times does not include one of the very reasons for having a church to begin with.

Living Through An Ice Storm

Unless one has lived through a major ice event, there is no way to describe the impact that would begin to communicate how bad things get. It is not so much the icy roads, although they certainly cause accidents and at times prohibit travel at all. It is not the cold, for the temperatures are hovering right around the 32 degree mark. The problems being faced by all of us directly in the path of this event is power outages and tree damage.

This past Sunday morning we were awakened at about 4:00 a.m. by a violent thunderstorm. This would not be unusual except that the temperature at the time was 26 degrees. All the heavy rain quickly turned to ice, especially on tree branches. By 6:00 a.m., huge tree limbs began crashing down and we lost power about 6:30 a.m. Why do ice storms cause power outages? The answer is quite simple. As ice accumulates on tree branches and limbs, the weight of the ice increases to the point the branch or limb snaps and comes crashing to the ground. If there happened to be a power line near, it goes to the ground also. In a matter of a few seconds, power goes out to all those "down line" from where the incident occurred. When this same scenario starts being repeated over and over again, the outages start multiplying rapidly to the point whole neighborhoods and cities lose power.

If the roads are covered with ice, then the power company trucks cannot get out to fix the problems. They must wait for the road crews to put chemicals or sand on the roads. This all takes times. Once the crews make it to the site or sites of the problem, it many times is a maze of broken tree limbs and wires all tangled together. The situation must be dealt with great caution due to the power of electricity. There can be no "quick fixes" allowed.

We were without power (the first time) from 6:30 a.m. Sunday until around 9:00 p.m. that evening. 15 hours is a long time to go without power. We, thankfully, have a generator but since I had been remiss and had not started it for well over a year, it took me many hours to finally get it going. By late morning we had enough power to run the pump for our well, the sump pump and a few outlets. Later in the day I got my small generator running I used to take in my van when I travelled. It provided just enough power to run two low wattage space heaters. As difficult as our situation was, we were in heaven compared to hundreds of thousands of people who have no generator and are still without power.

If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, ice storms or earthquakes; I highly recommend you "INVEST" (and it is an investment) in a generator and have it professional hooked up to your home's circuit breaker. That way, if the power goes out for any length of time, all you have to do is start the generator and then flip a few switches near your "breaker box", and you have enough power to run things such as a well (if you have one), a sump pump (very important) and outlets for the refrigerator, lights, computer and possibly a small space heater. For a substantial investment, generators can be installed that run on propane and automatically go on whenever the power goes out. These generators allow hospitals and other emergency facilities to keep limited power during "blackouts".

If you don't have the $2,500-3,000 do get a big gasoline generator wired to the circuit breaker; please at least get a generator that can have heavy duty extension cords hooked to it and can at least run the refrigerator and few outlets. These kinds of generators can be purchased for $500-800. I do not sell generators nor do I promote any brand. I am simply trying to get people to understand how to keep from becoming a victim when massive power outages occur.

People always say they will fire up the oil lamps, use flashlights, build a fire in the fireplace and put on warm clothes. The trouble is that most people never buy enough oil to last more than one night, don't have enough batteries to run the flashlights for more than a few hours and have no wood to burn in the fireplace. Thus, most people immediately find themselves in a crisis situation when the power goes out for any length of time, especially during the winter months.

When the National Weather Service issues an Ice Storm, Winter Storm, Hurricane or Flood warning; they always provide details as to what should be done ahead of time to prepare for what is coming. Most people just run to the grocery store to get bread, milk and other "necessities". Very few people realize the first thing they run out of is water, and then prescription medicines. Things such as food that does not need heat to prepare, gasoline for the generator, candles and spare batteries are all items usually forgotten in the mad dash to get "bread and milk" before a storm. Everyone from FEMA to the Red Cross have detailed lists available for emergency provisions to have on hand. Numerous places on line sell pre-packaged backpacks full of everything needed to endure 3-5 days without power and access to stores.

In all my attempts to "be prepared", I forgot one vital thing; a battery powered radio. Before I got the generator going, we wanted to know what was going on but had no way to do so. I had also forgotten to run the dishwasher the night before the storm as well as getting all the laundry done. No portable generator is strong enough to run appliances. No portable generator can run an electric hot water heater, furnace or stove. No portable generator is strong enough to do anything but provide emergency power.

Although we had land line phone service Sunday, we lost phone service most of the next day. That puts a premium on the cell phone. It is the only means of communication many times during a power outage. Again, if you do not have a generator, a cell phone battery will go dead in no time. The only way to recharge it would be to go to the car and do it there.

At least because this is a winter storm, we do not have to deal with spoiling food in refrigerators and freezers. During severe summer storms this is one of the biggest problems people must deal with. Again, a portable generator, along with spare gasoline to run it, can easily provide enough power to run all the refrigerators and freezers in the house. What takes power is any device that generates heat. That is why generators cannot be used to run heaters, microwaves and other items that produce heat.

Last night, at 11:00 p.m. our power went out again. Not because we were having any severe weather, only because somewhere "up line" a tree limb broke the lines. I am so thankful all I had to do was step outside and yank on the cord to fire up the generator. Then I went downstairs, flipped a few switches and lo and behold we had enough power to not "suffer". I went out on another porch, fired up the small generator and was able to run the two small heaters. My wife was able to work on her computer doing eBay business, and I was able to get some sleep. We did not get cold and this morning I had my normal few cups of coffee and listened to my worship music as usual. About 7:30 a.m., the power came back on and I simply had to turn off the generators and flip some switches.

A few years ago, we purchased this home and had it remodeled so my elderly mother could spend her remaining years living with my wife and I. She insisted I get the generator and have it wired into the house circuit before she moved in. She had lived many years in Kansas and had suffered through many nights without power due to storms. She did not want to worry about such things in her old age. I did not want her to worry either. Thus, we did as she requested. In fact, we had a 250 gallon tank full of unleaded gasoline delivered just so we would never run out of gas for the generators. In the time she lived here I had to use that generator quite a few times, once for almost a full day. My mother was greatly stressed that day, but nothing like she would have been if we had no power.

PLEASE, if you live in a disaster prone area, figure out a way to get a generator and have it professionally wired into your home's circuits. Like any "insurance", it will probably not be used for long stretches of time; but also like "insurance", when it is needed it will be worth its weight in gold. Trust me, I know this by personal experience.

Jesus Christ; The Antitype of “Success”

What did Jesus do from the time he was old enough to read, write and talk intelligently? The Bible does not tell us much. We do know of one incident when he was forgotten by his parents in Jerusalem after celebrating Passover. Somehow Joseph and Mary didn't realize their twelve year old son was missing for a day. They went back to Jerusalem and went to all their friends and relatives homes looking for him. After three days they finally found him in the temple. Luke 2:46b-49 says:

"Sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions.

And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

And when they (Joseph and Mary) saw him they were amazed; and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? Behold , thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

And he (Jesus) said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? Wist (knew) ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

And they understood not this saying which he spake unto them."

The phrase "about my Father's business" could perhaps better be translated "in my Father's house". That is where Jesus logically should have been considering who he was and what his destiny involved. After this, they went to Nazareth and verse 51 says that Jesus was "subject unto them" as an obedient and dutiful child. Mary kept these sayings in her heart, pondering them for what turned out to be 18 years. All we know about Jesus from the time he was 12 until when he was 30 years old is recorded in one verse. Luke 2:52 summarizes 18 years of Jesus life:

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man."

For 18 years Jesus grew in both soul and body becoming the perfect "man". Biblically, a male was not considered a "man" until he was 30 years old. Unlike today, a 28 year old was not considered an adult in Biblical culture. A person was looked upon as a child until they were 12, and then for the next 18 years they were to grow up physically and mentally. Finally, when they became 30, they were granted all the privileges of adulthood. Thus, Jesus could not start his "ministry" until he was 30 years old. He, along with everyone else, had to first "grow up" before being allowed the responsibility of teaching and serving others.

Not only did Jesus grow up physically and mentally during those 18 years, but he grew in favor with God and man. He carried out his duties, whatever they were, perfectly during all those years. He was godly, benevolent, kind, humble, obedient and diligent. Both God and man regarded him with increasing favor. We can only assume that Jesus spent hours upon hours reading the scrolls of the Old Testament. He spent hours and hours at the feet of the elders learning the meaning of the words he read. He had to have spent hours and hours meditating upon what he had read and heard.

We also know that Jesus had to have spent hours and hours in prayer, for that was the culture of the time. We know that Jesus worked as a carpenter in his physical father's business. He was the "good kid" all the other parents wished their kid was like. He did as he was told by both his Heavenly Father as well as his earthly parents. He grew and became more mature each year until he was finally old enough to accept the responsibility of leading others.

So many of the problems we encounter in our society are brought on by kids being in a rush to "grow up". Somehow we now consider someone who is 18, old enough to be granted almost every privilege of adulthood (except drinking hard liquor). By the time a person is 21 they are considered an adult and expected to be married, have children, work at a profession etc. I am quite aware that the biggest difference between the Biblical culture and the current one is education. In Bible times, there was no public education that kids went to for 12 years. There were "colleges" for the privileged, but not for the vast majority of people.

Kids were taught by their parents, grandparents and religious leaders. They became apprentices at their family business and worked and learned about life for many years. Biblically, most kids got married when teenagers and continued to live with their parents long after getting married. Biblical culture was centered on what was practical not what was fun, wild and crazy and could generate the latest "high".

Jesus led, by today's standards, the most boring and lonely life of anyone on earth. He lived with his parents until he was 30. He never married nor had kids. He worked as a carpenter most of his life. His main interest was in studying the scrolls of the Torah and learning from his elders what it all meant. His "free time" was spent in prayer, study and meditation. He probably went to bed soon after sunset and awoke before sunrise to go pray.

If teenagers were subject to this kind of lifestyle today they would scream "child abuse". If twenty-something young adults were expected to live this kind of disciplined quiet lifestyle, they would revolt and flat out refuse. If newly married couples lived with their parents for years after they were married today; the parents would rebel and leave. If unmarried children lived at home until they were 30; they would be looked upon as "freeloaders".

What was then was for then and what is now will not be changed. Cultures have changed, and what the western culture has become cannot be reversed. But in our rush to educate and then force young people on to the fast track for financial prosperity before they have matured; we have, as a society, created a generation of leaders who are too immature to really lead. We have pushed countless young people into levels of management, and the related stress, that their lack of experience and maturity cannot handle.

Throw into this mix the drive to be number one in everything, and the total devotion to business success that motivates many under 30 and what you end up with are people "burned out" before they hit 40. So much of life's energy is spent receiving education for 16-20 years and then running the first few years after graduation like a 100 yard dash, that when people realize it is a marathon; they do not have the stamina to stay in the race. Because of these things, the phenomena of people wanting to "retire" when they are 50 years old or less have evolved.

Jesus spent 30 years preparing for a 3 ½ year ministry. He never went to "seminary" to learn how to be the world's greatest teacher, counselor, evangelist, prophet or leader. He never attended a day of "school" in his life. There is no record of Jesus making a fortune in his years as a carpenter apprentice. He was content to spend years learning and growing so as to be ready when his ministry began.

When Jesus "graduated" at his 30^th birthday, he immediately left home and began a lifestyle that by everyone's standards was considered impoverished. He never bought a home, or even had a home for that matter. He never worked a job, started a company or lived off of Joseph's inheritance. Jesus himself said that foxes had holes and birds had nests, but the Son of man had nowhere to lay his head.

Jesus Christ, the son of God, was by today's standards—HOMELESS AND UNEMPLOYED. There is no other way to put it. Thus, Jesus spent 30 years preparing to live the rest of his life in the most deplorable state men judge other men to ever end up in—the state of having no home, no job and no wife or children. By the world's standards, Jesus was the perfect example of FAILURE.

An associate of mine is a medical doctor. Years ago, he closed his practice and devoted his life to taking medical teams of Christians to the remotest parts of Siberia in Russia to provide free medical care and to preach the Gospel. Every year he takes a team, by dog sled, to small villages in the Arctic to administer medical care and share the good news of Jesus Christ. This man is the happiest, most fulfilled and satisfied person I have ever known. He lives off his Social Security and demands nothing more. He is truly content to look at his life and all his training as a gift to others as opposed to a stepping stone to untold riches and fame.

Another associate of mine recently stepped aside from an executive position making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to run a non-profit community outreach program for NOTHING. Asked if they felt bad for "squandering" all their years of education and training, they said; "Absolutely not; all those years were preparation for their life's true calling." This person is happy, blessed and totally at peace with himself.

Life is more than making money and establishing a name for yourself. All the wealth and honor in this world cannot bring true happiness or contentment. Those things come only with fulfilling one's life's destiny through giving of oneself in service to others.

Jesus ended up being the most contented man who ever lived even though he did absolutely nothing, by the world's standards, to ever distinguish himself as a success. Through his complete failure to live up to the world's standards of success, he established himself as the greatest person who ever walked on this earth. That is why I want to be like Jesus and find my greatest joy in following His example.

Spotlight Group: Tri Coastal Community Outreach

Deep in the bayou of southern Alabama, thousands of people live in a state of poverty unmatched anywhere in this country. Unlike more publicized areas which receive constant media attention and help from many large charities; this predominantly rural area is both unknown and uncared for. There are pockets of prosperity down there as there are everywhere in this country. But there are also scores of people of all types of ethnic origin that have "fallen through the cracks" and do not receive much if any assistance from the government or charities working in the area.

When hurricane Katrina roared ashore in western Mississippi, its effects were felt as far east as southern Alabama. Unfortunately, little if any media coverage extended past the central Mississippi coast. It is not as though agencies such as the American Red Cross did not arrive to help, for they did; the problem was the smaller relief groups were stretched too thin to provide any assistance. Once FEMA and the other large groups left the area, a void quickly was created that festered long term needs.

Directly on the Gulf of Mexico coastline are thousands of "boat people" (meaning they came over on boats) mainly of Vietnamese origin. Due to longstanding prejudices going back to the Viet Nam war, these poor people live meager lives with very little outside help. They do have major advocates working on their behalf out of Washington, but until very recently most available resources were directed to New Orleans and very little aid actually trickled down to southern Alabama.

Scattered throughout the bayou are families who have lived in the area for many years. Many of these people are fishermen whose entire income is derived from what they can catch out of the Gulf of Mexico. Everything they own in life is wrapped up in their boat and humble abode. They stay there because they love to fish and because their ancestors have been doing the same thing for centuries.

The average annual income of a Gulf fisherman is under $15,000 per year. The only reason these people are able to survive is because most of them live in an older home that had long been paid for. Their income provides just enough to live on. There is no margin for error, sickness, bad fishing conditions or a hurricane. As long as everything goes as planned, these people are happy to live a simple life without the frills of modern America. But once an unexpected situation arises, these are among the hardest hit people in the bayou.

As in most of the South, there are individual African American families living in houses that have been passed down from generation to generation scattered throughout the bayou. In some cases the people living there do nothing but live off of the government. There are these types of people everywhere and of all colors and ethnic origin. To single these few out and stereotype them as the norm is both unfair and repulsive. Yet, this has been done not only in the Alabama bayou, but in just about every inner city in America as well as much of the rural South.

What northern white people do not understand is that the rural black people in the South are people of dignity. They take unbelievable pride in their ability to NOT accept charity, to NOT live off the handouts of condescending white people and to NOT be a burden to anyone. These are proud people who absolutely DO NOT fit the horrible stereotyped perception the majority of northern white people have of rural southern black people.

Many of these people are quite elderly. They live in a home that most people would immediately place a "condemned" sign on. Their furniture is simple and functional. Their vehicles are nothing but a means to get from point A to point B. Their clothing reflects their simple attitude toward life instead of a designer's logo. Their meals are full of carbohydrates but also full of homemade flavor. These are truly "salt of the earth" people if ever there were any on earth.

The economic hub for this entire area is a small town called Bayou Le Batre. Until recently, its claim to fame was Forest Gump. Around 2800 people live in Bayou Le Batre and the economy revolves around the fishing industry. Over one third of the residents are Southeast Asian and just three years ago there were more than 300 fishing vessels docked there. This area is no stranger to major hurricanes and suffered extensive damage from Camille in 1969, Carmon in 1974 and Frederick in 1979. In each case the city clawed back and reassembled its fishing industry enough to survive.

Bayou Le Batre is not a wealthy town but far more prosperous than Coden which lies on the coast to its south. Coden is not a pleasant area for it is deeply impoverished. In fact, the majority of southern Mobile County would be considered the same. The area lives and dies off the fishing business. Like any area in this country which has a one dimensional economy, there is great risk of economic collapse if the one industry in town fails.

Sitting like a horizontal toothpick out in the Gulf of Mexico is Dauphin Island. This barrier island is roughly three miles from the mouth of Mobile Bay and is accessible only by bridge or ferry. Almost 1500 people live on the island permanently and during the spring and summer months the island is flooded with tourists. Due to its location, it has been in the bull's eye of many hurricanes. Yet, it has persevered due to the tourist industry. The western part of the island is strictly private residences and is not commercially developed. Many senior citizens live on this part of the island and have most of their lives.

When hurricane Katrina came ashore it brought with it a storm surge of monumental dimensions. Directly east of the center, this surge was estimated at over 25 feet and wiped large areas of Hancock County, Mississippi literally off the map. The farther east of the center, the surge diminished until it was only a few feet. A few feet is all it takes to cause massive damage in coastal communities, especially ones with river outlets or small bays.

Although southern Mobile County sits almost 100 miles to the east of Katrina's landfall, there was enough power left in the storm surge to flood Bayou Le Batre, western Dauphin Island, Coden and many rural areas of the bayou. Bayou Le Batre perhaps suffered more than any other place due to its geography. Well over two thirds of the houses and businesses in town were either destroyed or heavily damaged. Almost all of the fishing vessels were destroyed or swept up onto dry land. Low lying areas all around Bayou Le Batre were flooded with 3-6 feet of water.

Katrina's winds were strong enough to rip shingles off roofs and in many cases rip the actual roofs off. Once a roof has been compromised, rain water is given free access to the dwelling. Water is drywall's mortal enemy. Nothing destroys drywall quicker than water; whether coming up from a flood or going down from a hole in the roof. Not only do walls suffer, but also ceilings, floors, electrical wiring, carpeting and furniture. As if all this were not enough; if the problem is not immediately corrected black mold quickly grows and becomes not only a destroyer of all it grows on, but the people who touch it and breathe it.

What few people understand is that Katrina's winds caused roof damage to thousands upon thousands of homes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and even in Tennessee and Georgia. Winds from any kind of storm in any part of the country can rip off shingles on a roof. Once the shingles are damaged, water gains entrance to the wood roof and in due time to the house itself. In a severe storm that hits a city, the local contractors usually manage to fix the majority of roofs soon enough to prevent major structural damage. In Katrina's case, there were so many thousands of heavily damaged roofs, all that could be done was hope the blue tarps put on the roofs immediately after the storm would hold far longer than they are designed for.

Due to the double impact of Katrina and Rita happening within a month of each other; the entire Gulf Coast from east of Houston, Texas all the way to Pensacola, Florida was a sea of blue tarps by late September of 2005. Thousands upon thousands of homes, businesses, schools and churches had a thin layer of blue plastic protecting the building from nature's elements. The biggest enemy blue tarps have, besides the sun, is wind. Anyone who has covered a trailer or a car with a tarp knows what becomes of that tarp after exposure to wind, rain and sun. Blue tarps provide excellent immediate protection but were never intended to still be protecting a roof two or more years later.

Compounding the problem is the unfortunate fact that many buildings didn't get a blue tarp for days or weeks after the storms. That means moisture was allowed free access during that time. Then, that moisture was trapped with no way to evaporate once the tarp was placed on the roof. This became a breeding ground for black mold. Black mold is literally like a cancer. It grows and spreads and destroys all in its path. Given enough time, mold can totally destroy the wood frame of a house along with everything else that is not metal or cement.

Countless thousands of people filed disaster claims with FEMA immediately after Katrina. Inspectors were dispatched and an initial damage estimate was given. This estimate was for the actual damage inflicted by the storm. Over and over again the same scenario has played out. Homes suffered minor to moderate wind damage to the roof. Damage assessments were made reflecting this damage. Blue tarps were placed on the roof. Money was given to the homeowner to help repair the damage. All went according to plan up to this point, but then the problems set in.

Due to the staggering number of buildings needing roof repairs and replacement along with the more important need to "gut" buildings which had been flooded; there was no one available to fix the vast majority of roofs that had incurred damage. Even wealthy homeowners could not find anyone to fix their roofs. There are homes in Florida which still have blue tarps on their roofs from hurricane Charley. There are homes in Pensacola, Florida which still have blue tarps on their roofs from hurricane Ivan. This is not a problem limited to Katrina; it is a problem that comes up with every major hurricane.

All during this time (which drug on for well over a year or more in many cases), rain, winds and the sun slowly destroyed the tarps and more and more water entered the "protected" buildings. Water damage, mildew and mold started appearing in homes that were only marginally damaged by the actual storm. Homes that perhaps had a few thousand dollars of storm damage (and this is how much the homeowner received from insurance and/or FEMA), now had damage estimates of $50,000 or more due to "damage after the fact". Insurance doesn't cover these losses, FEMA certainly doesn't cover them and most people didn't have the money to cover them. What are these people supposed to do?

In southern Mobile County, Alabama, the city of Bayou Le Batre succeeded in receiving a fair amount of both government as well as private charity aid. Teams of volunteer groups started coming in earnest in the spring of 2006, six months after the storm. During the summer of 2006 a lot of progress was made to clean up, repair and rebuild the city of Bayou Le Batre. This same thing happened in many areas devastated by Katrina. But in rural and isolated areas the work progressed far slower.

Unless one has had to deal with the mountains of problems that arise after a catastrophic storm, there is no possible way to comprehend the frustration and stress these problems cause. For many, they have no idea who to call for what. They are bombarded with enough telephone numbers to fill a phone book. Even when they do call for help, they do not understand the rules and procedures they must abide by. To make matters worse, those rules and procedures many times change in mid-stream, leaving both the victim and the administrators of various programs confused and bitter. People who have lost their jobs, their homes and at times their loved ones are ripe for innumerable psychological disorders as well as scammers.

Soon after Katrina hit, thousands of unsuspecting people were inundated with unscrupulous scam artists who took their FEMA and insurance money as deposits for work that ended up never being done. The initial relief of finding someone in a hurry to fix their roofs and other damage was soon replaced with the anger, frustration, bitterness and desperation of knowing they had lost any chance of ever getting their homes repaired. If there was one common emotion felt by all these unfortunate people, it was despair. Feeling lost, forsaken, abused and left to be fed to ravenous wolves' intent on destroying them; these victims of our nation's worst natural disaster also became victims of what should be considered a national disgrace.

Through a combination of factors, millions of people were thrust into situations they never expected to encounter as a result of Katrina. The bayou area of southern Mobile County provides an ideal microcosm of the far reaching effects of Katrina. Where New Orleans and Biloxi received the vast majority of media attention; places such as Bayou Le Batre and the surrounding rural areas were just as devastated. Because there were no big news stories in Alabama, the area never received the level of national assistance that other more publicized areas did.

The region has started to rebound from the devastating blow Katrina dealt it. Bayou Le Batre has been greatly helped by some very generous grants. Of course there are still many hurting families, but much has been done to repair and rebuild the city and its fishing industry. In the rural areas, the situation is far different. Individual homes still sit in various states of disrepair. Individual people and families run the gamut from being well taken care of to one step from total devastation.

Sitting on a small plot of land south of Theodore, in rural Mobile County, is Pilgrim Rest AME Zion Church. Actually there are two churches, one small old one and one big partially built new one. Immediately after Katrina hit, the daughter of the Pastor of the church, Carolyn Thompson, started a disaster relief and recovery center utilizing the partially built, but damaged new church building. For many months she provided hot meals to those who were hungry and slowly became a distribution center for clothing and canned goods.

Contrary to the prevailing trend of such centers arising after a disaster and then quickly shutting down when the resources ran out; Carolyn stuck with her dream of seeing a true community outreach program develop. When things would get tight and supplies would start to run out, she would manifest the faith of Abraham and persevere instead of giving up. God blessed her and has allowed her small disaster relief and recovery center to grow first into a fully recognized 501(c)3 charity and now a full service community outreach program known as Tri Coastal Community Outreach, operating out of nice rented warehouse near Grand Bay, Alabama.

Not only has Tri Coastal not quit helping people, it has picked up the slack from other groups disbanding or leaving the area. It serves more people now than ever before. Due to the ongoing need among Katrina victims, many of the resources of Tri Coastal still go to families unable to make ends meet due to structural damage, illness or job loss. Senior citizens attempting to live on Social Security alone, families with a member suffering from mold exposure or other disabilities, single parent families, unemployed, homeless and many other hurting people look to Tri Coastal as a beacon of light in the dark Alabama night.

Tri Coastal has helped hundreds if not thousands of families in a variety of ways. It has been a constant source of essential food and other supplies for well over two years. It has been a place to find "case management" so as to receive benefits available from the government and other charities for storm victims. It has provided assistance in repairing homes and supplying materials for restoring and even rebuilding homes. It has provided resources for those with disabilities, physical ailments and psychological trauma. It has been a refuge for people to find the comfort of others enduring the same problems. It has been a place to pray and be prayed for, a place to love and be loved. It has provided an avenue of giving through volunteering for many people who needed that outlet to receive healing.

Tri Coastal has been and still is all these things and many more. Tri Coastal has made the leap from a disaster relief service to a permanent fixture in the community. Tri Coastal is not going anywhere except where it can help supply more needs. The commitment found in the heart of not only Carolyn Thompson, but the entire volunteer staff of Tri Coastal is amazing and astounding. They have succeeded in enduring a bitter separation from their original location, constant attempts by others to hinder and obstruct what they are doing, and staggering health problems endured by most of their volunteers.

Through it all, the foundation of Tri Coastal stands firm; for it is built on the faith that they are doing God's will. Tri Coastal IS indeed doing God's will or they would have closed long ago. Tri Coastal fills a vacuum created by the departure of other groups. They provide services no one else provides. They help people who have "fallen through the cracks" of the social safety nets. And they do all this on a 100% volunteer basis. They accept no government money and, though applied for, very little grant money. Their ability to keep doing what they are doing is totally dependent upon the giving of those who choose to be "Partners Who Care".

The reputation of Tri Coastal is growing every day. More and more people around the Mobile area, the state of Alabama and throughout the country are becoming acquainted with what Tri Coastal does and wishes to do. In November, Carolyn Thompson was the recipient of the first "Edward Parker Award" given by the Salvation Army in Mobile, Alabama for her work in starting directing Tri Coastal. Recently, Tri Coastal was able to host its first "Benefit Banquet" to help raise funds for the coming year.

Tri Coastal Community Outreach is a success story in a field of miserable failures. For every group that hangs in and makes it over the hump, so to speak, there are five which must fold due to lack of resources, lack of volunteers or lack of administrative skills. A group such as Tri Coastal is entirely made up of volunteers. No one ever receives a penny for what they do. At their recent Banquet, the handful of people making up the core of the group spent hundreds of hours and hundreds of dollars of their own money preparing for and "pulling off" the event.

Every week, in addition to the two distribution days, someone must keep up with inventory, drive trucks to get supplies, unload trucks, keep up with the mountains of paperwork, do "case work" with clients, make and answer endless phone calls, plan for future events and numerous other duties. All these things are done by volunteers who in some cases, put in 25 or more hours per week of work. The director, Carolyn, easily donates a minimum of 40 hours per week of her time to the group. An organization run totally by volunteers is difficult to organize initially and nigh unto impossible to keep going for any length of time. Tri Coastal has defied the odds and is still going and growing.

Next time an occasion arises to perhaps share resources with a group "doing it right"; I pray you would consider Tri Coastal in Alabama. I do not work for them, I simply respect what they do and lend my support to what they are doing. My prayer is that others could do the same. For more information onTri Coastal, please visit their website at: http://www.tricoastalcommunity.org/, or contact Carolyn Thompson at: carollynnla@bellsouth.net . God Bless you.

Wind, Fires and Water

Numerous stories have bombarded all news media recently dealing with weather. Funny how such a huge subject is rarely featured in the news unless there is either a hidden agenda or something profound takes place in a major television market. I am sorry to be cynical, but I have studied weather and enjoyed making amateur forecasts for years. Weather is not something that fills the gap between news and sports for some of us.

There ARE some absolutely huge weather related situations going on and I feel it necessary to balance the hype with some sobering truths. If "global warming" or "climate change" were taken out of all the stories floating around, and just the facts regarding the situations were presented; there would still be plenty of news to get good ratings. But, the current trend is to somehow tie every single weird weather event into the global warming debate. This is not fair nor can the facts sustain doing this.

Many years ago I lived in California for two years. The first year (1976-77) there was "the worst drought in the history of the state". The news featured stories of dried up reservoirs and mountains with no snow. Restaurants could only serve water if requested and all the lush green lawns were brown due to watering restrictions. This was not last week, this was thirty years ago.

The second year (1977-78) ended up being one of the wettest and snowiest on record. I shall never forget driving down to California from Oregon and seeing a huge reservoir that was woefully low one year earlier filled to capacity because of all the precipitation. One year the ski resorts were crying they were about to go out of business, and the next year they had so much snow people couldn't drive up to ski. The winter of 1977-78 nationwide was one of the worst winters in history. The headlines everywhere warned of the coming "ice age".

I do not wish to belittle the horrible tragedy that happened in San Diego and other southern California locations with the wildfires. But, there have been Santa Ana winds for ages. After dry winters, there have been major fires when there were intense Santa Ana winds. Certain things are just to be expected if one chooses to live in the California "paradise"; fires, earthquakes, mudslides, droughts, floods and an occasional Santa Ana windstorm.

In 1970 the population of San Diego was 696,769 and for the county it was 1,357,854. In just 30 years, by the year 2000; the city of San Diego's population had doubled to 1,256,951 and the county had more than doubled to 2,813,833. When an area undergoes this kind of rapid population growth, there are bound to be environmental problems. Without a doubt, the biggest problem comes in moving more and more people farther and farther out into areas that had been "wilderness" previously. When asphalt and cement replace dirt and vegetation, there is bound to be some problems come up.

In an average year, the coastal portion of San Diego receives about 10 inches of rain. The coastal mountains to the east of the city usually receive substantially more rain in an average year. Last year (2006-2007), San Diego received 3.85 inches of rain which was only 36% of normal. What is worse, the mountains did not receive much more than the city.

The additional factor causing the fire situation to be so critical was the humidity levels at or below 10%. When there is no humidity, vegetation is dried out, winds barrel in approaching 100 miles per hour; all it takes is one smoldering cigarette butt or a careless spark from a welder and the inferno begins. There is no stopping, or even slowing down, a fire with plenty of dry fuel and winds of hurricane velocity.

Earlier this summer fires burned out of control in Idaho and Montana for weeks. The same scenario resulted in the same results. The big difference was the lack of population and the corresponding lack of property damage. The fires in southern California will end up costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Amazingly, this is about the same amount as if a category 2 hurricane hit the area. Seeing images of burned homes is heartbreaking, but it is no different than seeing images of homes destroyed by tornados, hurricanes or earthquakes. A destroyed home is a disaster no matter how it happened.

People who insist upon living in areas prone to natural disasters MUST accept the responsibility of potential loss. Anyone living next to the ocean cannot expect someone else to pay to rebuild their home after a huge storm or tsunami. Anyone living on a fault line cannot expect someone else to pay to rebuild their destroyed home when it is finally ruined by the "big one". People who want to live in high risk areas need to have insurance to cover potential losses; no matter how much it costs. It is not fair to expect the government or private charities to always rebuild after a major disaster.

Southern California is a high risk area, especially parts near what's left of the forested mountains. People who want to live in areas prone to fires (and later mudslides) should have to use materials in building that are fire retardant and do things to set up natural firebreaks around their homes. Our society is not very good at taking personal responsibility for much of anything, especially where homes are built and how they are built.

The frightening part of this whole discussion lies in the potential for identical fires in the future. Many of the areas hit hardest this week in the Malibu area were just devastated by major fires a few weeks ago. Many areas that were burned a few weeks ago were just starting to recover from serious fires only a few years ago. Unfortunately, these same areas will continue to face fire dangers every year after a dry winter. It just goes with the territory, literally.

The bigger issue in all this lies in the upcoming water crisis. That subject is far too involved to get into at this time, but I will address it soon. I think if people understood how serious the water situation is, they would quit being so afraid of many other doomsday scenarios. There is only so much fresh water available and when it is gone, it is gone until the next big rainstorm. Water has been squandered more than any other natural resource, and very soon humanity will pay dearly for wasting one of the two things needed for life. Without air and water people cannot live. Both of these things have been polluted and squandered mercilessly.

I sincerely hope and pray that people who know little about the weather don't get distracted from the real issues environmentally, which are pollution and inexcusable wasting of natural resources. Whether the climate is changing as radically as many are saying now, cannot be proven conclusively by anyone. What can be proven is that there has been a rash of strange weather events in the past year. Something is causing the weather to "misbehave", and that much is for certain. Whether the root cause is global warming, natural earth cycles or solar issues; something is causing the weather to change in a radical fashion.

Rather than make weather a political toy, people should be seeking answers on how to preserve and steward what we have left. This is the issue that needs to be debated and publicized, not just scaring people with wild projections which are based on computer models and speculation. Instead of worrying about melting icecaps, why not figure out how to capture the water and store it for the future. Instead of pointing fingers at everyone else concerning emissions and other minor things; why not be working feverishly to harness the sun's power, desalt the oceans and figure out how to fit the billions of people on this earth into the parts of this planet capable of sustaining life. We can help this earth if we will not turn the entire subject into just another political football.

Financial Ethics

There was a time when honesty ruled financial matters. Evidently that time has long since disappeared. Not a day goes by where there is not a story decrying the obnoxious and repulsive greediness that rules the western world. I am left with one overriding question; when is enough ever going to be enough? At every turn the rules of sanity have been turned upside down to where what is totally absurd is considered normal and what should be the norm is looked upon as crazy.

A bike has handlebars. Can we all agree on that? It does not have a steering wheel, it has handle bars. A brand new bike has handle bars that are squarely in alignment with the bike. If a person sits on the seat of the bike, the handle bars form a U or a V directly in front of the rider. This is the correct (and logical) way to position handle bars on a bike. If a person rode the bike with handle bars in this position, they would have no problems steering.

But, take that bike and turn the handle bars to one side and tighten them. Now the U or the V of the bars is pointed to one side or the other. If an experienced bike rider got on the bike and tried to ride, he would immediately wreck the bike. It would not be possible to drive with handle bars turned sideways. But, if a person who never rode a bike before was taught how to ride using the sideways bars, guess what? They could learn to ride and steer with no problem.

Now, put the person who learned to ride with sideways bars on a normal bike. The result would be an immediate crash. That person would have the same problems adjusting to what is "normal" as the previous rider would have adjusting to the abnormal. The question then becomes; what are we going to establish as normal and what is going to be askew? Once the norm is set up, then everyone should abide by the norm. Everyone should have handle bars that face forward and not to the side.

In England cars are driven on the opposite side of the road than in the United States. Is one country right and the other wrong? Of course not, it is a matter of the established norm. People from the United States must conform to the English norm when driving in England and vice a versa. No one takes offence at this agreement. In fact, St. Ambrose is credited with stating: "When in Rome, do as the Romans". Whether dealing with situational conduct or driving etiquette, few wiser words have ever been spoken.

The age old conundrum in all this is; what if Rome is wrong? Is one to still "do as the Romans" even if doing it is not ethically right? Let us say I visit someone's home and they have a household rule that everyone in the house must slap the person next to them every hour on the hour. As a guest, not wanting to offend the host, am I to start slapping people on the hour? If I refuse, I will be escorted out and miss the fellowship. If I "do as the Romans", I compromise my own principles and betray myself.

We live in an age where laws are made to be broken and many people deliberately strive to "push the envelope" as far as possible, to get away with as much as possible. Is the longstanding defense of; "everyone else does it" grounds to do whatever one wants to do whenever wanted? Is it allowable to do whatever one feels like doing regardless of the harm it may cause others? These questions define ethics and ethical questions hold few definitive answers.

People become very defensive when ethics are brought up in the context of financial compensation. Capitalism is a very controversial subject when ethics are brought into the equation. Just how much profit should one person be allowed to make off a transaction with another person? Capitalism, or free market theory, would suggest the answer is; "as much as the other person allows him to make". This idea sounds legitimate except that it breeds dishonesty and opens the door wide to those whose character is shady and whose "sales skills" are slick and well sharpened.

I used to sell used cars many years ago. I hated every minute it. The whole business is built on lying to people. The determination of the value of a trade-in is one of the most devious tactics ever devised by anyone to "rip people off". So what if a blue or yellow or black book says a vehicle is worth so much in such and such condition. It is all objective. It is impossible to be subjective in this situation. There are a few truly honest vehicle dealers, but there are far more dishonest ones lurking as vultures waiting to pounce on a gullible naïve person who doesn't know or forgot how to "play the game".

I recently had a van break down while away from home. There had been many problems before, so I decided to see if I could find a replacement vehicle instead of trying to fix the broken one again. I succeeded in negotiating what I thought was a fair deal on a five year old Dodge pickup that had less than 100,000 miles on it. I had told the salesperson I was willing to let the dealership make $500 if they would just be fair with me. He came back beaming for the manager agreed to the arrangement. After a long day I drove home thinking I had made a fair and honest deal.

The next morning I started the truck and the "check engine light" came on. Driving to the nearest auto shop, I found out the truck needed $1,500 of work just to get the light to go out! I was furious and called the manager where I had purchased the vehicle. He proceeded to yell at me over the phone saying: "You bought the vehicle AS IS so it is your problem". When I threatened legal action I was cussed at and hung up on. This was coming from the used car manager at the biggest Chevrolet dealership in all of central Missouri.

Ethically who was right and who was wrong in this situation. Was I wrong because I trusted a car dealer to tell me the truth? You bet I was wrong, and I paid dearly for my stupidity. Was the used car manager at the dealership wrong for lying to me and yelling at me and refusing to fix a problem he knew existed prior to the sale? In his mind he was not at fault, for in his business, lying is allowable and acceptable because "everyone does it".

I took the truck to a Dodge dealer where it was established that a "quick fix" had caused the "check engine light" to not be lit up when I first drove the truck, but came back on after a day. In other words, the dealership knew there were problems, covered them up, stuck an "As Is" sticker on the window and placed the truck on the lot. I don't know if this is legal, but I do know it is NOT ethical.

I traded the truck in the next day to a "Five Star" dealership who upon hearing what had happened wanted to do things right. They showed me the paperwork for the van I wanted. They brought in the used vehicle broker who showed me exactly what the truck I had purchased was really worth to a dealership. They were willing to make a deal if they could make a profit of $250 with no tricks. I agreed and have been happy with the van ever since. Oh, by the way, they figured the previous dealership made around $2,500 profit on the transaction I was told was a $500 deal.

When dealing with those who smile and tell you "trust me" but all the while are lying through their teeth, what can you do? If the adage of doing what they do in Rome holds true, then I guess you should lie right back at them. When I first was taught how to sell cars back in 1986, I was told it was allowable to lie to the customers because they always lied to the salesperson. How is that for a new slant on; "when in Rome…"?

Is it possible to be an honest salesperson? Of course it is and there are plenty of them out there. But, in our greed driven society there is no profession more prone to dishonesty than sales where deals must be negotiated, especially with "trade ins". Is it right to "rip someone's head off" if they allow you too? Is it right for me to make a huge profit at your expense if I lied to you? These are ethical questions that need to be addressed in our selfish, "it's all about me" culture. There is still a need for defining what is right and what is wrong, especially when your hard earned money is at stake.