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Rush Limbaugh issued public apology to Fluke

Talk show host, and leader of the Republican Party, Rush Limbaugh, has issued a public apology to Sandra Fluke for derogatory comments he made against her a week ago.

Fluke had recently testified about contraception before a Democratic panel, which placed her in the conservative talk show host’s crosshairs.

Fluke, a law student at Georgetown University who was advocating for health insurance plans to cover the cost of contraception, became the target of a series of attacks by Limbaugh. Besides calling her a “slut,” he also called her a “prostitute,” said that he wanted her to make sex tapes and post them online, and speculated that she only had a problem paying for contraception because she was having “so much sex.”

Limbaugh’s comments caused advertisers to flee from his show, and even promptedPresident Obama to weigh in. The statements also became an issue in the Republican presidential race.

Limbaugh — who has a long history of making incendiary remarks, and is not known to take them back — issued the rare apology on Saturday afternoon, saying he was “sincerely” sorry about his “insulting” characterization of Fluke. But he maintained that the birth control debate was about “personal sexual recreational activities,” not any broader health questions, and compared contraception to sneakers.

“For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke. I think it is absolutely absurd that during these very serious political times, we are discussing personal sexual recreational activities before members of Congress. I personally do not agree that American citizens should pay for these social activities. What happened to personal responsibility and accountability? Where do we draw the line? If this is accepted as the norm, what will follow? Will we be debating if taxpayers should pay for new sneakers for all students that are interested in running to keep fit? In my monologue, I posited that it is not our business whatsoever to know what is going on in anyone’s bedroom nor do I think it is a topic that should reach a Presidential level.

My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices.”

Let the Holy Spirit guide your speech

“Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile” (Psalm 34:13).

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). “A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit” (Proverbs 15:4).

As you walk with God, He is concerned about the words that come out of your mouth–the things that you share, confess, affirm, and speak into the lives of others. It is a good thing to ask the Holy Spirit to be the guardian of your speech. The Bible tells us that we should be more involved with listening than we are with speaking (James 1:19).

It is freeing to know that God doesn’t ask you to speak all the time, talk about anything, and have an opinion about everything. God does, however, gives you great encouragement to speak things that are good, things that build others up, things that are bathed in grace, and things that come from His heart directly to yours.

Have you seen anyone speak discouragement and pain into someone, a spouse, a child, a friend, a coworker? “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21). That person will bring destruction into their own life because of it.

Our words can justify us or condemn us (Matthew 12:37). They can bring us joy. (Proverbs 15:23), or corrupt and dishonor (Matthew 15 :11). What we say can either build up or break down the soul of whomever we are speaking to (Proverbs 15:4). The consequences of what we speak are so great that our words can leads us to ruin or save our lives (Proverbs 13:13)

Everyone has a choice about what he or she says, and there are rewards for making the right one. “Whoever guard his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23). “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34).

Let the Holy Spirit be the guardian of your speech and you will never speak ill of anyone again. Won’t you lift someone up with encouraging words today? God bless you!


Because Christ died, I can have victory over sin

“O sing unto the LORD a new song; for He hath done marvelous things: His right hand, and His holy arm, hath gotten Him the victory” (Psalm 98:1).

A mother once overheard her five-year-old daughter singing the popular hymn Victory in Jesus. The little girl finished the hymn with a slight change in the ending, “He loved me ‘ere I knew Him, and all my love is through Him”

When the mother heard the words “through Him,” something registered deep within her heart. Suddenly she realized that she is inadequate, and incapable of doing good. By her nature, like the rest of us, she has and continue to flirt with sin. But because Christ died on Calvary she can do all things through Him. So, in her own words she shares the following

English: Resurrection of Christ

Image via Wikipedia

All my love is through Him, who is the very essence of love. This truth sets me free. I cannot love but He can. I cannot be patient, but He can. I cannot be kind, even if I want to. I cannot help but envy. I can neither swallow my pride nor control my anger. I cannot forgive or trust again and I cannot keep on giving–but Jesus can. Jesus can and does love others. Through Him it is possible for me. And that is victory.

The Messiah and the Samaritan woman

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well (Photo credit: Lawrence OP)

The Samaritan woman found Jesus (the Messiah) in an unlikely place (at the side of a well). Her brief but historic meeting with Him would forever change her life. She was so overwhelmed that she left her water jar by the well and went back to the town to spread the good news. “Come; see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

John chapter 4:7-26, tells us that Jesus was resting by the side of Jacob’s well one day; after a long journey from Judaea to Galilee, when a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”

The woman was shocked that a Jew was asking a Samaritan for a drink. Back in those days Jews and Samaritans (Gentiles) did not mix. Gentiles were considered unclean and unrighteous.

The Samaritan woman who was more concerned about tradition than about helping Jesus with a drink of water, said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?”

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God (the gift of God is eternal life), and who it is (the Messiah) that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

“I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

“Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”

The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, He will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am He.”

The moral of the story is; the gospel of Jesus Christ knows no boundaries. It is for anybody who will accept it.

The Vine and the Vinedresser

Smith's later theology described Jesus and God...

Image via Wikipedia

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bear much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. (John 15:1-10, ESV).

There is something that you can always be certain of as you abide in the vine—Jesus Christ and God  the father are deeply and intimately involved in your life; and they will never leave you nor forsake you.

The relationship of a branch to a vine signifies one of the closest relationships possible in creation. The branch is in the vine, the life of the vine is in the branch, and the vine-dresser [Jesus] is cutting back everything [the baggage] that will hinder it [you] from bearing much fruit.

Jesus uses the relationship of the branch and the vine to remind you of how dependent you are upon Him.

Like branches on a vine, our Christian life is a growth process. We mature more every day. As we abide in Jesus, we learn to know him better and trust him more. Cautiously, we reach out to others. We love them. The greater our trust in Christ, the greater our compassion will be.

This is a lifelong challenge. When we are rebuffed, we have the choice to draw back or give our hurt to Christ and try again. Abiding is what matters. When we live that truth, we can begin to love like Jesus.

Jesus doesn’t command you to bear fruit, but He does command you to abide in Him. Fruit is the outcome of your abiding, and that fruit will always glorify the father.

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