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Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2000 10:46:16 -0500
Subject: FW: Just exactly what we need.
Message-ID: <002201c03e9a$b6863bb0$110000c0@glory>
-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Pope [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2000 11:52 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Just exactly what we need.
>
>As we get closer to election, a line is clearly being drawn
> > > > between the man of God and the man pretending to be a man of
God.
> > > >
> > > > We must keep praying!
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The founder of a national WEB devotional site said he called
> > > > Gore and Bush and asked them to send in their testimonies for
> > > > the web site-since they BOTH "claim" to be Christians.
> > > >
> > > > Gore's office said that he didn't have one in typed form-but
> > > > Bush did. Here it is...please pass this along! Very
> > > > Important!!! This could change America. (Whether Democrat
> > > > or Republican).
> > > >
> > > > If any of you are interested in what George Bush says about
> > > > his faith, here it is.
> > > >
> > > > From George Bush:
> > > >
> > > > "Actually, the seeds of my decision had been planted the
> > > > year before, by the Reverend Billy Graham. He visited my
> > > > family for a summer weekend in Maine. I saw him preach
> > > > at the small summer church, St. Ann's by the Sea. We
> > > > all had lunch on the patio overlooking the ocean. One
> > > > evening my dad asked Billy to answer questions from a big
> > > > group of family gathered for the weekend. He sat by the
> > > > fire and talked.
> > > >
> > > > And what he said sparked a change in my heart. I don't
> > > > remember the exact words. It was more the power of his
> > > > example. The Lord was so clearly reflected in his gentle
> > > > and loving demeanor.
> > > >
> > > > The next day we walked and talked at Walker's Point, and
> > > > I knew I was in the presence of a great man. He was
> > > > like a magnet; I felt drawn to seek something different.
> > > > He didn't lecture or admonish; he shared warmth and
> > > > concern. Billy Graham didn't make you feel guilty; he made
> > > > you feel loved.
> > > >
> > > > Over the course of that weekend, Reverend Graham planted
> > > > a mustard seed in my soul, a seed that grew over the next
> > > > year. He led me to the path, and I began walking. It
> > > > was the beginning of a change in my life. I had always
> > > > been a "religious" person, had regularly attended church,
> > > > even taught Sunday School and served as an altar boy.
> > > > But that weekend my faith took on a new meaning. It was
> > > > the beginning of a new walk where I would commit my
> > > > heart to Jesus Christ.
> > > >
> > > > I was humbled to learn that God sent His Son to die for a
> > > > sinner like me. I was comforted to know that through the
> > > > Son, I could find God's amazing grace, a grace that crosses
> > > > every border, every barrier and is open to everyone. Through
> > > > the love of Christ's life, I could understand the life
> > > > changing powers of faith.
> > > >
> > > > When I returned to Midland, I began reading the Bible
> > > > regularly. Don Evans talked me into joining him and
> > > > another friend, Don Jones, at a men's community Bible
> > > > study. The group had first assembled the year before, in
> > > > Spring of 1984, at the beginning of the downturn in
> > > > the energy industry. Midland was hurting. A lot of
> > > > people were looking for comfort and strength
> > > > and direction. A couple of men started the Bible
> > > > study as a support group, and it grew. By the time I
> > > > began attending, in the fall of 1985, almost 120 men
> > > > would gather. We met in small discussion groups
> > > > of ten or twelve, then joined the larger group for full
> > > > meetings.
> > > >
> > > > Don Jones picked me up every week for the meetings. I
> > > > remember looking forward to them. My interest in reading
> > > > the Bible grew stronger and stronger, and the words
> > > > became clearer and more meaningful. We studied
> > > > Acts, the story of the Apostles building the Christian
> > > > Church, and next year, the Gospel of Luke. The preparation
> > > > for each meeting took several hours, reading the Scripture
> > > > passages and thinking through responses to discussion
> > > > questions. I took it seriously, with my usual touch of
> > > > humor....
> > > >
> > > > Laura and I were active members of the First Methodist Church
> > > > of Midland, and we participated in many family programs,
> > > > including James Dobson's Focus on the Family series
> > > > on raising children. As I studied and learned,
> > > > Scripture took on greater meaning, and gained confidence
> > > > and understanding in my faith. I read the Bible
> > > > regularly. Don Evans gave me the "one-year"
> > > > Bible, a Bible divided into 365 daily readings,
> > > > each one including a section from the New Testament, the
> > > > Old Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. I read through that
> > > > Bible every other year. During the years in between, I pick
> > > > different chapters to study at different times.
> > > >
> > > > I have also learned the power of prayer. I pray for
> > > > guidance. I do not pray for earthly things, but for
> > > > heavenly things, for wisdom and patience and
> > > > understanding. My faith gives me focus and perspective. It
> > > > teaches humility. But I also recognize that faith can
> > > > be misinterpreted in the political process. Faith is an
> > > > important part of my life. I believe it is important
> > > > to live my faith, not flaunt it.
> > > >
> > > > America is a great country because of our religious
> > > > freedoms. It is important for any leader to respect the
> > > > faith of others. That point was driven home when Laura and I
> > > > visited Israel in 1998. We had traveled to
> > > > Rome to spend Thanksgiving with our daughter, who was
attending
> > > > a school program there, and spent three days in Israel on
> > > > the way home.
> > > >
> > > > It was an incredible experience. I remember waking up at
> > > > the Jerusalem Hilton and opening the curtains and seeing the
> > > > Old City before us, the Jerusalem stone glowing gold. We
> > > > visited the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy
> > > > Sepulcher. And we went to the Sea of Galilee and stood atop
> > > > the hill where Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount.
> > > > It was an overwhelming feeling to stand in the spot where
> > > > the most famous speech in the history of the world
> > > > was delivered, the spot where Jesus outlined the
> > > > character and conduct of a believer and gave his disciples
> > > > and the world the beatitudes, the golden rule, and
> > > > the Lord's Prayer.
> > > >
> > > > Our delegation included four gentile governors-one Methodist,
> > > > two Catholics, and a Mormon, and several Jewish-American
> > > > friends. Someone suggested we read Scripture. I chose to
> > > > read "Amazing Grace," my favorite hymn. Later
> > > > that night we all gathered at a restaurant in Tel Aviv
> > > > for dinner before we boarded our middle-of-night flight back
> > > > to America. We talked about the wonderful experiences
> > > > and thanked the guides and government officials who
> > > > had introduced us to their country.
> > > >
> > > > And toward the end of the meal, one of our friends rose to
> > > > share a story, to tell us how he, a gentile, and his friend,
> > > > a Jew, had (unbeknownst to the rest of us) walked down
> > > > to the Sea of Galilee, joined hands underwater,
> > > > and prayed together, on bended knee. Then out of his
> > > > mouth came a hymn he had known as a child, a hymn he
> > > > hadn't thought about in years. He got every
> > > > word right: Now is the time approaching, by prophets
> > > > long foretold, when all shall dwell together, One Shepherd
> > > > and one fold. Now Jew and gentile, meeting, from many
> > > > a distant shore, around an altar kneeling, one common
> > > > Lord. Faith changes lives. I know, because faith has
> > > > changed mine."
> > > >
> > > > I could not be governor if I did not believe in a divine
> > > > plan that supersedes all human plans. Politics is a
> > > > fickle business. Polls change.
> > > >
> > > > Today's friend is tomorrow's adversary. People lavish
> > > > praise and attention. Many times it is genuine; sometimes
> > > > it is not. Yet I build my life on a foundation
> > > > that will not shift. My faith frees me. Frees me to
> > > > put the problem of the moment in proper perspective.
> > > > Frees me to make decisions that others might not like.
> > > > Frees me to try to do the right thing, even though
> > > > it may not poll well... The death penalty is a difficult
> > > > issue for supporters as well as its opponents. I have a
> > > > reverence for life; my faith teaches that life is a gift
> > > > from our Creator. In a perfect world, life is given by
> > > > God and only taken by God. I hope someday our society
> > > > will respect life, the full spectrum of life, from the
> > > > unborn to the elderly. I hope someday unborn children
> > > > will be protected by law and welcomed in life. I support the
> > > > death penalty because I believe, if administered swiftly
> > > > and justly, capital punishment is a deterrent against
> > > > future violence and will save other innocent lives. Some
> > > > advocates of life will challenge why I oppose abortion
> > > > yet support the death penalty. To me, it's the difference
> > > > between innocence and guilt.
> > > >
> > > > Today, two weeks after Jeb's inauguration, in my church
> > > > in downtown Austin, Pastor Mark Craig, was telling me
> > > > that my re-election was the first Governor to win
> > > > back-to-back, four-year terms in the history of the State
> > > > of Texas. It was a beginning, not an end.... People are
> > > > starved for faithfulness. He talked of the need for honesty
> > > > in government. He warned that leaders who cheat on
> > > > their wives will cheat their country, will cheat their
> > > > colleagues, will cheat themselves.
> > > >
> > > > Pastor Craig said that America is starved for honest
> > > > leaders. He told the story of Moses, asked by God to
> > > > lead his people to a land of milk and honey.
> > > > Moses had a lot of reasons to shirk the task. As the
> > > > Pastor told it, Moses' basic reaction was, "Sorry,
> > > > God, I'm busy. I've got a family. I've got sheep
> > > > to tend. I've got a life. "Who am I that I should go to
> > > > Pharaoh, and bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?
> > > > The people won't believe me, he protested. I'm not
> > > > a very good speaker. Oh, my Lord, send, I pray,
> > > > some other person," Moses pleaded. But God did
> > > > not, and Moses ultimately did His bidding, leading his
> > > > people through forty years of wilderness and wandering,
> > > > relying on God for strength and direction and inspiration.
> > > >
> > > > "People are starved for leadership, "Pastor Craig
> > > > said, "starved for leaders who have ethical and moral
> > > > courage."
> > > >
> > > > "It is not enough to have an ethical compass to know
> > > > right from wrong," he argued. "America needs leaders
> > > > who have the moral courage to do what is right for
> > > > the right reason. It's not always easy or convenient for
> > > > leaders to step forward," he acknowledged. "Remember,
> > > > even Moses had doubts."
> > > >
> > > > "He was talking to you," my mother later said. The pastor
> > > > was, of course, talking to all of us, challenging each
> > > > one of us to make the most of our lives, to assume the
> > > > mantle of leadership and responsibility wherever we
> > > > find it. He was calling on us to use whatever power we
> > > > have, in business, in politics, in our communities, and
> > > > in our families, to do good for the right reason. And
> > > > his sermon spoke directly to my heart and my life.... There
> > > > was no magic moment of decision. After talking with my
> > > > family during the Christmas holidays, then hearing
> > > > this rousing sermon, to make most of every moment,
> > > > during my inaugural church service, I gradually felt more
> > > > comfortable with the prospect of a presidential campaign.
> > > >
> > > > My family would love me, my faith would sustain me,
> > > > no matter what. "During the more than half century
> > > > of my life, we have seen an unprecedented decay in our
> > > > American culture, a decay that has eroded the foundations
> > > > of our collective values and moral standards of conduct.
> > > >
> > > > Our sense of personal responsibility has declined
> > > > dramatically, just as the role and responsibility of
> > > > the federal government have increased. The changing
> > > > culture blurred the sharp contrast between right and
> > > > wrong and created a new standard of conduct: 'If it
> > > > feels good, do it.' And 'If you've got a problem, blame
> > > > somebody else'." "Individuals are not responsible
> > > > for their actions," the new culture has said. "We are
> > > > all victims of forces beyond our control." We have
> > > > gone from a culture of sacrifice and saving to
> > > > a culture obsessed with grabbing all the gusto.
> > > >
> > > > We went from accepting responsibility to assigning blame. As
> > government
> > > did
> > > > more and more, individuals were required
> > > > to do less and less. The new culture said: if people were
> > > > poor, the government should feed them. If someone had no
> > > > house, the government should provide one. If criminals
> > > > are not responsible for their acts, then the answers are
> > > > not prisons, but social programs.... "For our culture to
> > > > change, it must change one heart, one soul,
> > > > and one conscience at a time. Government can spend
> > > > money, but it cannot put hope in our hearts or a sense
> > > > of purpose in our lives."... "But government should
> > > > welcome the active involvement of people who are following a
> > > > religious imperative to love their neighbors through after
school
> > > > programs, child care, drug treatment, maternity group
> > > > homes, and a range of other services. Supporting these
> > > > men and women - the soldiers in the armies of compassion
> > > > - is the next bold step of welfare reform, because I know that
> > > > changing hearts will change our entire society."
> > > >
> > > > "During the opening months of my presidential campaign, I have
> > traveled
> > > our
> > > > country and my heart has been warmed. My
> > > > experiences have reinvigorated my faith in the greatness
> > > > of Americans. They have reminded me that societies
> > > > are renewed from the bottom up, not the top down. Everywhere
> > > > I go, I see people of love and faith, taking time to
> > > > help a neighbor in need... These people and thousands
> > > > like them are the heart and soul and greatness of
> > > > America. And I want to do my part. I am running for
> > > > President because I believe America must seize this
> > > > moment, America must lead. We must give our prosperity
> > > > a greater purpose, a purpose of peace and freedom and hope.
> > > >
> > > > We are a great nation of good and loving people. And
> > > > together, we have a charge to keep."
> > > >
>____________________________________________________________________
>
>
>________________________________________________________________________
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