Addicted

As of today, the US national debt is very close to $37 trillion. [1]  By the American system of reckoning, a trillion is a thousand billion.  Please check my math as it is not my strongest subject.  However, if I am correct, and if the United States reduced the national debt by a billion dollars per year, it would take about 37,000 years to pay it off. 

Estimates vary, but on April 28, 2025 CBS News reported “Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, says it has saved $160 billion through its push to root out wasteful or fraudulent government spending.” [2] DOGE does not, however, control the federal spending. 

The constitution gives the US Congress the power of the purse.  The executive branch must, eventually, spend the money appropriated by congress.  It is hard to sort through all of the mumbo-jumbo surrounding the “Big Beautiful” spending bill that is under consideration, but it does not look like it will provide the amount of spending cuts DOGE recommended.  Elon Musk does not think it will, and he is being pretty vocal about his displeasure.  Nevertheless, President Trump will probably sign off on it because it includes tax cuts and other provisions he wants. 

Regardless, it doesn’t matter because neither the DOGE cuts, or the savings provided by the “Big Beautiful Bill” will fix the problem.  The annual budget deficit in FY 2024 exceeds the spending cuts they provide. 

“In FY 2024, the federal government spent $6.75 trillion and collected $4.92 trillion in revenue, resulting in a deficit. The amount by which spending exceeds revenue, $1.83 trillion in 2024, is referred to as deficit spending.” [3] 

If the Unites States does not stop the growth of our national debt the possibility, (or perhaps the probability), exists that we will be forced to default and even revalue our currency.  The economic consequences of these actions would be catastrophic. 

Our currency is not backed by precious metals or any other thing of value, except the “good faith and credit” of the US Government.  Most of the world’s currencies are the same.  Further, the value of other nations’ money is based on the dollar. Additionally, our market is a major economic engine driving the world economy.  In short, if we crash there is a good chance we will take a lot of other nations’ economies down with us. 

I am not a fan of Elon Musk, but he is a brilliant businessman.  The opinions of knowledgeable people must be taken seriously.  It is apparent that Mr. Musk is very concerned about the budget deficit and our national debt.  We all should be. 

One of the characteristics of addiction is that the addict continues abusing the source of the addiction after experiencing negative consequences.  Our federal government is addicted to spending.  Congress is primarily responsible, but the chief executive is complicit. 

Frankly, it may already be too late to remedy budget deficits and the national debt.  The legal action and constitutional amendments needed begin with the addicted party – the US Congress. 

Prayer is not the least we can do. It is the most we can do.  Please pray for the United States of America. 

Then step out in faith.  Write, email, or call your Senators, Congressional Representatives, and the White House.  Vote for candidates who seem to recognize the enormity and seriousness of this situation.  God bless you.

 

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[1] https://www.usdebtclock.org/

[2] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/doge-cuts-cost-135-billion-analysis-elon-musk-department-of-government-efficiency/

[3] https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/national-deficit/

Love God and Cast Off Worldly Desires

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.” (1John 2:15-17 NLT) [1]

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[1] https://biblehub.com/nlt/1_john/2.htm

Their Deeds Will Give Them Away

Jesus Said:

 

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.  You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?  So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.” (Matthew 7:15-20 ESV) [1]

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[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/matthew/7.htm

 

The Golden Dome

Those of us who were in grade school during the 1950’s may remember participating in civil defense air raid drills.  The teacher would have the class get down on their knees and elbows under their desks.  We would put our heads down so that our eyes were covered by our forearms, and we would cover the back of our necks with the other hand.  It was uncomfortable, but we had to remain that way until the teacher called all clear. 

We were told that hiding under our desks like that would help us survive if the Russians (Soviet Union) dropped an A-bomb on us, and to seek shelter in a storm drain if the air raid siren went off on the way to or from school.  I asked my mother what an A-bomb was, and she said it was a terrible thing that could destroy a whole city.  I recall a couple of movies that brought home the horror delivered by nuclear weapons. 

It was a frightening experience for a child, and I lived with the die Angst that I would not get to experience life fully – that we would all die before our time in a nuclear war.  As the years went by, the fear lost some of its immediacy.  Nothing happened yesterday, or the year before that.  Therefore, maybe nothing will happen today or tomorrow.  That is faulty situational awareness.  We all have become somewhat complacent.  However, the uneasiness about the risk of nuclear war is still there, buried in the back of our consciousness. 

We hope the leaders of the world’s nations will realize how dead-from-the-neck-up stupid the use of nuclear weapons is, and that they will collectively agree to get rid of them.  That has not been the case, though.  Rather, the countries with nukes keep adding to their arsenals, and rogue nations that do not have them are striving to acquire them … mostly for nefarious purposes.  Insanity. 

There you have it.  Humanity is self-destructive.  We are left without recourse, except to find a way to defend ourselves.  Hopefully, we can come up with something more effective than hiding under our furniture.  

It is for this reason that I support President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome initiative.  It is the constitutional responsibility of the US Government to defend our people.  It’s about time the government did something about it. 

I for one am sick and tired of living with the fear that some foreign aggressor, or some madman, will turn us all into crispy critters.  Please ask your Senators and Congressional Representatives to fully fund President Trump’s Golden Dome now.

 

Become What God Planned for Us to Be

God will make of us all that He planned for us to be.

“Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.  You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.  All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. 

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.  So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. 

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.  Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:1-10 NLT)

 

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. (Luke 16:13 NLT)

 

“… choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve … as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15 NIV)

 

The choice is ours to make.  I urge everyone to turn away from your sinful, disobedient style of living – a way of life that serves the purposes of the devil.  Accept the sacrifice Christ made for you and believe that it is sufficient to make you righteous in God’s sight – to save you by His grace and grace alone.  Trust and obey.  God bless you.

 

Acknowledgement: All verses quoted were copied from https://biblehub.com/

 

At the Name of Jesus

Jesus paid it all so that we can have it all.  Praise the name of Jesus.  He is Lord of all. 

“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,  complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:1-11 ESV) [1]

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[1] https://biblehub.com/esv/philippians/2.htm

 

You can Receive the Holy Spirit Who is Freely Given

Dating from the Fourth Century, the Nicene creed eloquently states what has always been Christian doctrine.  The Third Person of the Holy Trinity proceeds from God the Father and God the Son: 

“We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.” 

Jesus said: 

“And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.  What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;  or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?  If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:9-13 ESV) 

“Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7 ESV) 

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”  (John 15:26 ESV) 

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.  All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." (John 16:12-15 ESV) 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,  even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:15-17 ESV) 

John also testifies: 

“By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” (1John 4:13 ESV) [1] 

God the Father and God the Son give us the Holy Spirit.  Please accept this most wonderful gift, Who is given to us when we are saved.

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[1] All of the verses quoted were copies from:  https://biblehub.com/