Former megachurch pastor Ted Haggard recently conducted a prayer meeting in his home where he was surprised by the outcome.

Three years ago, Haggard's ministry collapsed while the church which began in his home and grew to be New Life in Colorado Springs survived. The former minister admitted to connections with what turned out to be homosexual liaisons and involvement with drugs. He still lives in Colorado Springs and recently told KUSA TV in Denver he was surprised by the attendance at his first in-home prayer session last week.
 
"I thought we'd have between 10 and 20, [but] we ended up with 150," he reports.

( I wish Haggard the best. I do hope he has people he is submitted to. His fall not only hurt his family but the family of God.  I think it would be better if his return to ministry was not in the spotlight. I also think he should not be the head person but under others far as leadership goes. I do hope he has truly come to repentance. Read more on this issue Former pastor holds home prayer meeting.) 

A decision by the country's largest Lutheran denomination to allow homosexual pastors to serve as clergy is leading a conservative opposition group to try to form an alternate Lutheran church body.

Leaders of Lutheran CORE said at a news conference in a Minneapolis suburb on Wednesday that they disagree with this August's decision on gay pastors by Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. (Gay pastor controversy prompts new Lutheran group  )

( It is time that people who are under the Lordship of God's Word leave churches who have leaders who no longer follow God's Word.) 

Sen. Joe Lieberman’s threat to filibuster any health care bill with a public option could kill health reform this year — and embolden Democratic challengers who’d like to send him packing in 2012.

But Lieberman doesn’t seem worried.

“I don’t think about that stuff,” Lieberman told POLITICO this week. “I’m just — I’m being a legislator. After what I went through in 2006, there’s nothing much more that anybody [who] disagrees with me can try to do.”

Lieberman left the Democratic Party in 2006 after liberal Ned Lamont beat him in Connecticut’s Democratic Senate primary. Lieberman defeated Lamont in the general election and returned to Washington as an independent, where he continues to caucus with Democrats — even though he accuses them of engaging in a bit of bait and switch when it comes to the public option.

“It’s classic politics of our time that if you look at the campaign last year, presidential, you can’t find a mention of public option,” Lieberman said. “It was added after the election as a part of what we normally consider health insurance reform — insurance market reforms, cover people, cover people who are not covered.

“It suddenly becomes a litmus test. I thought Democrats were against litmus tests.”

Despite the strong words against some in his old party, Lieberman still entertains the idea of a reunion. Asked this week if he might run again as a Democrat in 2012, Lieberman smiled and said, “Yeah, sure.”

“I’m for health care reform,” Lieberman told POLITICO. “And, of course, this will all be over by then, and I hope we will be strongly supporting health care reform. I haven’t changed my thoughts about 2012, which is, I’m keeping all my options open.

(Good for Lieberman. We must stop forced government health care! Read more of this story by  clicking right here.)  

The White House's forthcoming state dinner with the Prime Minister of India is expected to be larger than those of President Barack Obama's predecessor, George W. Bush. But another upcoming White House event will be smaller than in years past: The White House's annual Hanukkah party.

The guest list is expected to be shrunk by more than half, according to the Jerusalem Post. "Though several Jewish leaders expressed understanding for the economic and other reasons behind the cut, they acknowledged that it would likely help feed feelings in some quarters of the American Jewish community that the White House is giving them the cold shoulder."

(Perhaps I am wrong for reading something into this but I just wonder if  this is another way to stick it to friends of the Jewish State which Obama has not backed like other  American Presidents. I wonder if  a holiday to honor an Islam holiday  will be cut back. If it is then I will not question this move but until I see that happen I will question this.)

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday night criticized Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) for voting against the Democrats’ signature healthcare bill.

“We even have blacks voting against the healthcare bill,” Jackson said at a reception Wednesday night. “You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man.”

The remark stirred a murmur at the reception, held by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation as part of a series of events revolving around the 25th anniversary of Jackson’s run for president. (JESSE JACKSON PLAYS RACE CARD AGAINST BLACK CONGRESSMAN ON HEALTH CARE)

Davis referred to Jackson’s 1988 run for president in a statement, issued through his office, that said he would not engage Jackson on his criticism.

“One of the reasons that I like and admire Rev. Jesse Jackson is that 21 years ago he inspired the idea that a black politician would not be judged simply as a black leader,” Davis’s statement said. “The best way to honor Rev. Jackson’s legacy is to decline to engage in an argument with him that begins and ends with race.”

Jackson said later that he "didn't call anybody by name and I won't."

He added that he wasn't saying that black lawmakers must vote a certain way. Instead, they should vote the interests of the people in their districts, and he said the healthcare bill would help Alabama because it's one of the poorest states in the country.

(So if you are black you must always vote in line with Jesse Jackson. What if you believe this bill is going to  hurt the people who elected you by making them pay higher and higher taxes. That doesn't  matter to people like Jackson who has gotten away too often with playing the race card. Jackson should no longer be taken as a black leader but as a man who just wants to play the race card with health care and every other issue in the world. )

Traditional marriage advocates in Washington, DC are telling city officials "We'll see you in court." 

The DC Board of Elections and Ethics ruled yesterday that a measure to let voters decide whether to ban same-sex marriages in DC cannot go on the ballot.

Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., who heads the group Stand for Marriage DC, says an important civil right of same-sex marriage opponents is being violated in the District.
 
"The Home Rule Charter tells us that we should have the same rights as the DC Board of Elections and as the DC City Council," Jackson contends.  "In other words, if they can vote on something, we can vote on something.  If they can initiate a law, we should be able to initiate a law, as what is done in Maine and California." (Christian leader fights for public vote on DC gay marriage  )

(So the people of D.C. won't get a chance to vote. I wonder if this is because those who are pushing this believe the people would reject same sex marriage.)