OCPAC e-mail - A Christian option to Obamacare & another near beheading in OKC?

[Charlie Meadows]

Members and friends of the Oklahoma Conservative Political Action Committee (OCPAC))

++  AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S MEETING

++  THANKSGIVING

++  OPTING OUT OF OBAMACARE - FOR CHRISTIANS ONLY

++  SENATOR ANDERSON, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

++  UAE - LABELS “CAIR” AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

++  DID OKC RADICAL MUSLIM TRY TO KILL A CHRISTIAN LAST WEEK?  

++  AGENDA FOR THIS WEEK’S MEETING

Our 12 noon meeting for Wednesday, November 26th 2014, will be held at Olivet Baptist Church, 1201 northwest 10th street in OKC. It is very timely for our speaker this week, but it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday). Our speaker will be Avi Lipkin, though we are not going to allow him to give a talk, but rather have him field questions from the audience and oh boy is it ever time sensitive. 

Linda and I were in Israel in March and it wasn’t more than a few weeks after we left that things began to get dicey in Jerusalem and especially on the Temple Mount. My first question will be, what is the justification for Palestinian Arabs to lay claim to the land of Israel, more particularly Jerusalem and especially the Temple Mount? We have been to Israel twice, once with a Jewish guide and once with a Palestinian guide. I have peppered both of our guides with these historical questions and received different answers. We will see what Avi has to say. If you have been following the news, there is an uprising going on inside Israel and even in Jerusalem. Just last week 2 radical Muslims killed 3 or 4 Jewish Rabbis (2 of them were Americans) and wounded several others before they were killed. You will not want to miss this meeting! 

++  THANKSGIVING

With Ferguson burning, Obama in office for another 2 years, the middle East in turmoil and many other problems, it might be easy to get down in the dumps. However, we have faced bleak times in the past and we should never lose sight of the many things to be thankful for.

God is still on the Throne and his purposes of blessings and curses are still going forward toward a moment in time he will right all wrongs. In the mean time, I would rather be on the blessings side of God’s dealing with mankind and intend to live my life in such a manner, honoring God and thanking him for all He does. May you remember him in all you do this Thursday.

++  OPTING OUT OF OBAMACARE - FOR CHRISTIANS ONLY

We are now in that period of time for people to sign up for Obamacare, in Oklahoma that might be through the Federal Government’s Insurance Exchange. Don’t like that idea, there is an option, but it is for Christians only. 

The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) mandates that all Americans purchase health insurance that complies with all federal requirements. Congress recognized the importance and value of health care sharing ministries which provide care that possesses the reliability that comes with historical practice. Because of their desire to protect religious freedom, Congress exempted participants of health care sharing ministries from the required mandate that all Americans purchase health insurance.

Members of these ministries share one another’s medical needs through a unique and exciting ministry that doesn’t involve health insurance but rather strengthens personal freedom and responsibility. Linda and I joined Samaritan Ministries nearly 3 years ago and every month the more than 36,000 Samaritan households (representing more than 120,000 individual members) send their monthly shares, not to an insurance company, but directly to fellow members whose needs have been assigned to them-household to household. We also minister to each other by agreeing to pray for our monthly recipient as well as send a note of encouragement.

Our members, as of July of this year, are currently sharing more than $10 million in medical needs each month. The monthly share for a family of any size has never exceeded $405 dollars per month. In fact over the past 2 months the needs were less than the monthly share so our share amount was reduced by 5% for November and 10% for October. The monthly share amount is less than the $405 for singles, couples and single-parent families and less for those 25 and under.

If you go to a doctor to get a shot or for a sniffle, that won’t be eligible for a share. If however your sniffle turned into pneumonia and you had to be hospitalized, your needs would be eligible for the share to cover. There are no co-pays and no deductibles other than the first $200 dollars and then that is waived if you successfully negotiate down your charges because of directly paying rather than going through an insurance company. 

Whether I only save a few dollars all the way up to serious money each month, or, even if I had to pay a little more, we will stay with Samaritan because we believe in the concept of the body of Christ taking care of each other rather relying upon an insurance company. In addition, we are not sending our premiums each month to a insurance company which may now be forced to cover abortions or the consequences of various unbiblical practices.

There are at least 2 of these ministries, Christian Medishare being the other one. We chose Samaritan believing it to be the best at the time we became a member. There are more benefits than I have described, if you are interested in finding out more about Samaritan Ministries, you can call toll-free at (888) 268-4377, contact by e-mail at in...@samaritanministries.org or log on to their web site at www.samaritanministries.org. 

In the interest of full disclosure, should you investigate this and believe it the best thing for your family, when you apply there will be a box to recognize a member that influenced your decision to join. If you believe that person should be me, please put my name in the box or our member number which is 39175. There is a benefit to us by reducing our share by half for one month only. Regardless, investigate the ministry and prayerfully make the decision which best benefits your family and your Christian convictions.    

++  SENATOR ANDERSON, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?

A few days ago Senator Partick Anderson (R-Enid) issued a press release announcing a change of position regarding funding for the American Indian Cultural Museum which is unfinished and has been stuck on high center for the past 3 years. Senator Anderson was the first person I know of that exposed the language in the original bill that called for an estimated annual subsidy in excess of $10 million to keep the doors open. 

About 3 years ago the proponents of borrowing another $40 million to be matched by $40 million in private donations began to suggest it might only need $5 million annually and in the past couple of years the proponents have suggested (out of thin air in my opinion) that the museum, once opened, will be profitable and able to repay the tax payers for the hundred million plus they will have borrowed to build the museum. 

Last year, Senator Anderson was adamantly opposed to using money out of the Un-claimed Property Fund to finish off the museum (unfortunately Republican budget negotiators swiped those monies from that fund, not for capital expenditures, but for reoccurring expenditures).

Even though Senator Anderson claimed last year that there were no tribes in his district and the people of his district had no interest in using more tax dollars to finish the project, he is now singing a slightly different tune. He plans to sponsor legislation this year to use dollars which flow into the state’s general fund as a result of gambling compacts between the tribes and the state of Oklahoma. In other words, he now cares if we use dollars that come from the tribes as if that makes a difference. 

Let me ask thinking people these 3 questions. What spending cuts will be made to make up for losing $40 million dollars from the general fund? Or, will the first $40 million in new growth revenues be consumed for this boondogle, assuming there is new growth monies? Third, where do the tribal casinos get their revenues? Is it not from the general non Indian public? In reality, this project really isn’t so much the desire of the 39 federally recognized tribes as much as it is about the desire of OKC having another tourist feature, similar to the new Oklahoma History Center about 2 miles North of this museum. In addition, this project will always be second class compared to the Crazy Horse monument and complex in South Dakota, which is being built without using a single penny of government funds.  

Senator Anderson, we need you to stand firm against the taxpayers of Oklahoma having to pay any more money to finish this albatross. We could let Oklahoma City claim the property and do with it what they want or perhaps OKC would let one or more of the tribes finish the project and take control of it. Either way, we should erect a monument at the gate, a monument to the newly awakened taxpayers who refused to finish this project and never do they want another borrow and spend project such as this to ever happen again.     

++  UAE LABELS “CAIR” AS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

Early this past week, one of the United States’ coalition partners in the bombing war on ISIS, the UAE (United Arab Emirates), issued a statement claiming the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim American Society are terrorist organizations aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood. 

State Representative John Bennett (R-Sallisaw), Chairman of the Oklahoma Counterterrorism Caucus issued a press release with this information and asked a great question. Not that the UAE has outed CAIR as a terrorist front group, will CAIR try to hang the label of “Islamaphobic” on the largely Muslim nation of the UAE?  

++  DID OKC RADICAL MUSLIM TRY TO KILL CHRISTIAN LAST WEEK?

I am sure you saw it all over the news last Monday, nearly as big a story as the radical Muslim be-heading the woman in Moore a couple of months ago. Well, actually not, as far as I know the only news outlet giving any coverage to the story was KFOR Channel 4 news. I didn’t see the program but heard about it. 

Turns out, we have a connection to the victim in the event. The Christian attends Olivet Baptist and works there part time. It seems he met the Muslim fellow while riding the bus together. Like any Christian that is passionate about his faith, he was witnessing to the Muslim fellow and at some point in time invited him over to his home. While visiting the Muslim fellow begin to speak of Jihad and violence. When the Christian fellow stated he didn’t agree with the violence the Muslim fellow began to become agitated. He was asked to leave and did so.

However, he returned a couple of days later and with a knife. When the Christian answered the door a scuffle ensued with the Christian enduring a non life threatening wound. Fortunately the Christian fellows mother was in the house with him and she helped in the scuffle by hitting the Muslim fellow with a baseball bat. The alleged perpetrator is now in jail. I believe we narrowly missed another Muslim beheading right here in good old central Oklahoma. 

I look forward to seeing everyone this Wednesday.

Charlie Meadows

Charlie...@gamil.com