Ezra 4 – 5 and Psalm 137; Social Security

Ezra 4 – 5 and Psalm 137

Yesterday, we read about the beginning of the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. Often, when the Lord’s people do what the Lord tells them, enemies rise up to oppose them. This was true when the people started to rebuild the Temple. These enemies were sneaky and approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders to offer to build with them. They refused. Then the local people tried to frighten the people to stop the work. They did this for quite a while, during the entire reign of King Cyrus and until Darius of Persia took the throne.

You have to give them kudos for persistence. Even years later when Xerxes bean to reign, the enemies of Judah wrote him a letter of accusation and during the reign of King Artaxerxes they sent a letter to Artaxerxes about the rebuilding of the Temple. They tried to convince Artaxerxes by telling him that Jerusalem was an evil, rebellious city. They warned that, once the Temple was completed, the Jews would refuse to pay their tributes, etc. to the King. The King ordered that the rebuilding was to stop. This continued until the second year of King Darius of Persia. At this time, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. As a result, Zerubbabel and Jeshua started to rebuild the Temple of God.

As a result of this, Tattenai, governor of the province west of the Euphrates River and others came to ask who had given them permission to rebuild the Temple. I love the way Ezra writes that “because their God was watching over them,” the leaders did not prevent the rebuild until a report was sent to Darius and he made the decision. Tattenai sent a letter to King Darius asking him to check the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus ever issued a decree to rebuild the Temple.

A scroll was found showing King Cyrus had made a decree that the Temple was to rebuilt. He ordered the leaders to not only allow the Temple to be rebuilt, but also to pay the full contruction costs, “without delay” from his taxes collected in the province west of the Euphrates. He ordered also that young bulls, rams, and male lambs be given to the priests in Jerusalem for the burnt offerings to be presented “to the God of heaven.” He also ordered them “without fail” to provide them with as much wheat, salt, wine, and olive oil as they need every day.

What a set back for God’s enemies! Imagine how joyful that first Passover after the Temple was completed was, the remembrance of the God that brought them out of Egypt and gave them the Promised Land.

Tomorrow, we’ll read Haggai.

Social Security

A History Lesson on Your Social Security Card
1934 – 1980
With the elections just a little over 3 months away you'll soon be hearing some Democrats running for political office, warning how the Republicans want to take away the old people's Social Security.
Just in case some of you young whippersnappers (& some older ones) didn't know this it's easy to check out, if you don't believe i

t. Be sure and show it to your family and friends. They need a little history lesson on what's what and it doesn't matter whether you are Democrat or Republican.
Facts are Facts:
Social Security Cards, issued in 1934, and up until the 1980s expressly stated the number and that card were not to be used for identification purposes. Since nearly everyone in the United States now has a number, it became convenient to use it anyway and the message, NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION, was removed.
When Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:
1.) That participation in the Program would be completely voluntary,
No Longer Voluntary
2.) That the participants would only have to pay 1% of the first $1,400 of their annual Incomes into the Program,
Now 7.65% on the first $90,000
3.) That the money the participants elected to put into the Program would be deductible from their income for tax purposes each year,
No longer tax deductible
4.) That the money the participants put into the independent 'Trust Fund' rather than into the general operating fund, and therefore, would only be used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program, and no other Government program.
Under Johnson, another Democrat, the money was moved to The General Fund and Spent
5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees would never be taxed as income.
Under Clinton & Gore, Democrats, Up to 85% of your Social Security can be Taxed
Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and are now receiving a Social Security check every month -- and then finding that we are getting taxed on 85% of the money we paid to the Federal government to 'put away' for us -- you may be interested in the following:
Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from the independent 'Trust Fund' and put it into the general fund so that Congress could spend it?
A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the Democratically controlled House and Senate.
Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?
A: The Democrat Party.
Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social Security annuities?
A: The Democrat Party, with Al Gore casting the 'tie-breaking' deciding vote as President of the Senate, while he was Vice President of the US
Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving annuity payments to immigrants?
AND MY FAVORITE:
A: That's right!
Jimmy Carter and the Democrat Party.
Immigrants moved into this country, and at age 65, began to receive Social Security payments! The Democrat Party gave these payments to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!
Then, after violating the original contract (FICA), the Democrats turn around and tell you that the Republicans want to take your Social Security away!
And the worst part about it is uninformed citizens believe it!
If enough people receive this, maybe a seed of awareness will be planted and maybe changes will evolve. Maybe not, some Democrats are awfully sure of what isn't so.
But it's worth a try. Spread the word.

Until next time…