Here Piggy, Piggy, Piggy... sooey!!!!

I don't know about you, but I am tired of all this talk about the $700 billion dollar "bailout" that is being voted on in Washington. For something that is, supposedly, necessary for the country, our elected officials sure know how to drag their feet. I am not the best in the world at economics, but I hear the critics of this proposal have a lot to be upset about. Apparently, there is a lot of "pork barrel spending" attached to this bill. For those that don't know "pork barrel spending" usually "refers to spending that is intended to benefit constituents of a politician in return for their political support, either in the form of campaign contributions or votes (Wikipedia)." To the layman, like myself, that means that millions of our tax dollars are going to be spent on unnecessary and wasteful projects that nobody will ever benefit from. Not to mention that at a time these politicians are deciding on the economic future of our country, they still feel it necessary to line their pockets in the process. According to Glenn Beck, radio and television talk show host, here are just a few of the expenditures added to this bill.

• Section 325 provides essential tax breaks for the wool research fund.
• Section 503 gives tax breaks ($6 million dollars worth) for the manufacturer of wooden arrows used in toys for children.
• Puerto Rican and Virgin Island rum producers get $192 million so they can make more booze.
• Section 317, a tax break for racetracks.
• Section 502, qualified television and film productions given an extension of favorable expensing rules, $10 million.

This is only a snapshot of what has been added to this bill that has nothing to do with the predicted economic collapse we're headed for in this country. All week long, television, radio, the internet and the local newspapers, have been screaming about the second Great Depression that is in our future. And all the politicians are pointing out how they believe they have the answers to prevent it. Yet what they do is ruin that which they say they are trying to fix!

"The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." Revelation 22: 17-19

Assume for one minute that this bailout is like the Gospel. We hear how necessary it is and how if it is not accepted we face certain doom. Then look at how messed up it gets when people started adding things to it and taking things away from it. The central message gets lost or watered down and those who suffer are the people who need it the most. We all know that the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He died to take the penalty for the sin that separated us from God. He rose from the dead to offer us the life of God that we had lost in Adam. Simple. Yet, just like with the bailout bill, tons of unnecessary pork gets added the Gospel. So much so, that the pork gets accepted right along with the Gospel message. Just look at some of the things added to the Gospel.

• Water baptism.
• Church attendance.
• Tithing.
• Confession of sin to get more forgiveness.
• Religious works to earn, keep or prove your salvation.

All this added "pork" just keeps everybody guessing about their faith and at odds with their fellow Christians. As the politicians fight and fuss about what political measures need to be added to this bill or taken away from it, so it is with Christians. Entire religions have survived for centuries on the "pork" that has been added to the Gospel and passed on to the people. It is to the point now that many people don't know what the Gospel is anymore. And that is why the Bible says that those that add to or take away from the Gospel will pay severely for their transgression.

"You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough." I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be. Brothers, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!" Galatians 5: 7-12

The lesson to be learned in all this economic and political turmoil is that you have to look out for yourself. Much of the nation holds their breath because for many years we have lived in a society that expects the government to take care of us. For these people, they effectively live and die based on the decisions passed down from the government. When you expect the government to tell you what to do, you have effectively robbed yourself of the ability to determine your own outcome in life. As a Christian, I am led by the indwelling Holy Spirit. It is His internal guidance that leads me through my daily life and helps me make decisions that best suit myself, my loved ones and that glorify Christ. It is when we allow ourselves to be influenced by those things that have been added to the Gospel that we end up hurting our Christian walk. We run a good race when we are learning to depend on and trust in the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we allow even a little yeast to enter our lives we end up throwing ourselves into confusion. Ultimately, we end up at odds with those that threw us into that confusion, and with fellow Christians, because we don't know what to believe anymore. The end result is that we don't want anything to do with any of them and sometimes we question our faith altogether. So whether it is "pork barrel spending" or "pork barrel doctrine," those that promote it need to go and emasculate themselves or we risk allowing them to cut in on us and keep us from obeying the truth.