Of Church and Congress

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Daily Jot by Bill Wilson

News analysis from a prophetic Christian worldview
Of Church and Congress

NOTEWhen writing about God and Jesus, The Daily Jot means YHVH as God and Yeshua Ha Mashiach as Jesus–the actual original names and the true nature and character of them.
Friday, September 13, 2019
Recent polling data by Gallup, Reuters, Monmouth, the Economist, and Statista.com indicates that 79% of Americans disapprove of the job Congress is doing, with only 17% approving. These numbers have been consistent within about three percentage points over the last 10 years. Rasmussen polling analysis indicates “Voters are more critical of the job Congress is doing, and most continue to believe the legislators should work more with President Trump. They also think the president, not Democratic congressional leader Nancy Pelosi, should set the agenda…Most Republicans (57%) and unaffiliated voters (52%) say Congress is doing a poor job, but only 34% of Democrats agree.”
With such a dismal approval rating haunting Congress, it doesn’t show up at the ballot box. According to the Congressional Research Service, in every election since 1950, 90-to-98% of Congress has been reelected, except for 1964 (87%), 1966 (88%), 1974 (88%), 1992 (88%), and 2010 (85%). Over 69 years, Congress has been reelected at least 85% of the time despite Americans believing Congress is doing a terrible job. When I was in politics, we knew that it was an uphill battle to unseat an incumbent congressman. We knew the answer instinctively from talking to the voters as we went door to door. You could ask how they felt Congress was doing and receive a bunch of cuss words. But they sure liked their Congressman.
In 2013, Gallup explained, “Although Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the job Congress in general is doing, voters re-elect most members of Congress in every election. This phenomenon is partly explained by the finding that Americans have significantly more positive views of their own representative than they do of Congress overall. About half (46%) of Americans say they approve of the job the representative from their own congressional district is doing. This is on the low end of what Gallup has found historically, although it hasn’t asked this question often and not since 1992. From 1990-1992, Gallup asked Americans this question eight times, with approval ratings ranging from 49% to 66% and averaging 58%. In a lone 1977 reading, 55% of Americans approved of their congressional representative.”
How does all this relate to the Church? The moral and spiritual fabric of American society is falling apart. Young people are leaving the Church in droves because they say it is irrelevant. Many of these issues can point specifically to the Church as a whole-being a club, teaching bad or extra-biblical doctrine, being judgmental, legalism, money grubbing, accepting anti-biblical precepts to attract pew sitters, and the list goes on. When this is pointed out that the “Church” is far from what the Lord would have it be, people will agree wholeheartedly, but at the same time say that their church is not part of the problem. So we have the same phenomena as with Congress. Christ said in Matthew 24:4, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Sometimes self-deception is even worse. Things need to change.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
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 Gray
For the children in rural Ghana, the need is great

By Pastor William Agbeti
“Father, we have a huge challenge!” That was the alarming prayer that sprung up in my heart when we registered the 181st child that showed up for our feeding program this month, against an invited number of 150! The makeshift auditorium of the local rural church, Bread of Life Sanctuary, that we are supporting and where we fed the children, was packed to full capacity by both invited and uninvited rural children. These started showing up in their numbers, with great excitement, hours before the announced time of 1:00 pm! They came from poor rural communities spread miles apart.
As a result, we were compelled to set up an overflow area outside the auditorium to contain the extra numbers that kept pouring in! Many were reported to have come very early in the morning to survey the area to assure themselves that the feeding program was for real! We ran out of rented chairs and could not get any to rent in the whole of the Kojonya community where the program was held, forcing us to go for benches and other types of chairs for the children.  An hour before the official start of the program, which was held under the theme, JESUS – OUR BREAD OF LIFE!, we had 200 rural children on our hands to feed with both spiritual and physical food! 
Naturally, I started panicking! How could we possibly feed all these needy children? And we were still counting! Just then, definitely by divine intervention, a volunteer stepped up unto the platform where the musical instruments were and started singing: “We serve a Miracle working God who never fails!”
Immediately, the spirit of panic left me and I dashed down to where the cooks were. I asked the chief volunteer cook if we have enough to feed all the children. She reported they had noticed the situation and had reduced the size of the fried chicken by half, thereby creating 300 pieces! Thankfully she confirmed also there was going to be enough rice for all, if the intended portions were also reduced by half! Thank you Father, I exclaimed silently! Half a portion is better than no portion at all! I tried to convince myself!
It turned out to be a
The Daily Jot supported ministry in Ghana feeds, clothes and provides clean water for hundreds of children
first-time experience for the 200 children.  Many of these had never eaten fried rice! They were treated to a popular nutritious local drink called SOBOLO, made out of the hibiscus flower. They also had popcorn and a received donations of clothing. Our regular musical chairs and dancing competitions were held and the winners were presented with Bibles. At the tail end of the program, majority of the children took decisions to accept Christ and were invited to attend church. These were given summarized lessons about the Old and New Testaments. They learned there are 66 books in the Bible, with 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New. 
The need for them to have their own Bibles and carry them at all times was emphasized. We had a head count of the children who had Bibles and it turned out only a handful of them had bibles. Well over 150 had no Bibles. We promised to organize Bibles for distribution to them. 
As usual, I observed four developments that greatly humbled me and brought tears to my eyes! First, the portions of meals were obviously not enough for some of the children!  Secondly, many did not have popcorn to eat and were openly disappointed! Thirdly, when we assembled to have a group photograph, scores of children came over to cling to me, and will not let go; making me almost fall down! I had to control the tears welling up in my eyes! Lastly, after it all, a small boy aged about four walked to me and pointed out to something on a table somewhere. 
It was another child’s pair of shoes! I checked his name on the register of names, asked a volunteer to find out where he came from, and promised to bring him a pair of shoes! How can I ever fail to deliver on this promise?  Meanwhile, I am still thinking about how to address the overwhelming food needs of the children, with a regular monthly, if not weekly, feeding program for at least a year! This is my newest burden I have chosen to carry, so help me God!
Against above backdrop, we have purposed to have follow up activities to help establish the children in local churches, give them Bibles, supply some of their personal needs and win them and many more away from the reach or influence of Islam, traditionalist and other pagan and oppressive religions!
Hopefully, with a rippling effect and impact on our target children and rural communities, we would make a profound mark on rural Ghana with the feeding program! On the whole we had two local rural churches and two local NGOs supporting the program with children they bused to the venue, biblical literature and volunteers! To God be the Glory for a power-filled program like this!
William D. Agbeti

The Daily Jot is totally reader supported. My wife, Chris, and I do not take a salary or receive any remuneration for this work. Your gifts go directly to assisting us in maintaining this column, the website, outreach, and the Lord’s work we do in Ghana, West Africa. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Have a Blessed and Powerful Day,

Bill Wilson
The Daily Jot

The Daily Jot, 5257 Buckeystown Pike, #314, Frederick, MD 21704

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