A Fruitful Life

Closing Up Shop

2009-07-13T21:18:00.000-07:00

I know it's been months and months since I last updated this site. Now, finally, I am ready to let this one go. I will still keep this site up, but I have no more intentions of updating it.

While I will no longer be posting here at A Fruitful Life, you can find me blogging weekly at a new blog which is a combined effort with 5 other Reformed Baptist brothers. Please visit Ardent Cries and pray for the 6 of us men as we begin this new and exciting adventure in cyberspace!

www.ARDENTCRIES.com

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

2008-11-29T10:24:00.000-08:00

In light of the Thanksgiving holiday, I thought I would post a message that I recently gave at my church about the blessings of God from Psalm 103. May you be encouraged by this passage. (If the Flash Player doesn't work for you, click here.)

Spiritual Punches

2008-11-09T20:45:00.001-08:00

I was recently re-reading Josh Harris' book, Stop Dating the Church, and came across a phrase that really stood out: "spiritual punch."

A friend of mine was recently telling some of the college students at our church that it seemed they were in need of some spiritual punches. What I think he and Josh Harris meant by this is that many Christians are spiritually lazy and need a good awakening—even a painful one—so that they may be engaged and active in their local body of Christ.

In his short book, What Is A Healthy Church Member?, Thabiti M. Anyabwile lists 8 visible expressions of a committed church member:

Attends regularly
Seeks peace
Edifies others
Warns and admonishes others
Pursues reconciliation
Bears with others
Prepares for the ordinances
Supports the work of the ministry

After looking at this list, what immediately jumps out at me is that the very first item—"attends regularly"—is somehow one of the most difficult duties for many Christians to fulfill. This is troubling to consider.

The regular weekly worship service is not an option for Christians. God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for the Church, and God expects His people to show their gratefulness and exhibit humble obedience by showing up every Sunday to worship Him. As Anyabwile writes, "Being present, being known, and being active are the only ways to make Christian love possible (Heb. 1:24-25)." But for whatever reason, being not present, unknown, and inactive in church is the way of life for too many Christians.

These Christians need spiritual punches!

Not only is it difficult for some church members to show up for worship regularly, but it is likewise disheartening to see the even more noticeable lack of attendance at Sunday school and evening services. These meetings are also ordained by God for the good of His people. These are great times of teaching, encouragement, and fellowship that too many people miss out on. And they're free! How many Christians are so serious about getting an education or sending their children to get educations, but when it comes to them getting biblical education from Sunday school, so many people opt out? Think how much it would encourage the leaders of your church if Sunday school classrooms were filled and prayer services were expanded to include a majority of the congregation. Think how this would please God. And then think how discouraging it must be for your elders when only a small number of the church members make any effort at all to regularly attend these services that are meant for their benefit.

These Christians need spiritual punches!

Being that today is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, our congregation met tonight to pray on behalf of our brothers and sisters worldwide who are being severely persecuted for their testimony of Christ. It is sobering to know that Christians in other parts of the world are suffering for their faith so intensely that they must meet in secret to worship lest they be found out by their neighbors who would turn them over to the local governments for punishment. Some Christians in China travel many miles by foot to meet with their fellow believers to read God's Word and pray. What a wonderful testimony these foreign Christians provide to us in America; and what a poor example we are to them of fundamental Christian living.

We all have our excuses for our sin (yes, I said "sin"), don't we? Our excuses may include anything from driving distance to poor weather to slight headaches to oversleeping to other "pressing obligations" (work, school, house chores, etc.). But all of these excuses fail to justify the lack of regular attendance at the services of the local church. Corporate worship is just one day out of seven. Even with Sunday school and prayer service, it's only three of four hours out of 168 hours in a week. Usually all it takes is a better time management plan and re-prioritizing of one's life to find the time for God (something that should always be at the top of our "to do" list!).

What every excuse boils down to is this: a lack of desire to meet with God and his people. There is absolutely no other way to spin it—some Christians are just plain lazy.

(Because I can already hear some readers accusing me over over-generalization, I will concede that there are such things as "providential hindrances" and "legitimate reasons" why one might skip a service here and there. But I hope it is obvious that I am not referring to those examples.)

Brother or sister in Christ, if you have fallen away from regular attendance at the established meetings of the church of which you are a member, allow these words from the Lord to convict your hearts and encourage you to do your spiritual duty:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:24-25

Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
I Timothy 4:13

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:18

Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers
in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
I Timothy 4:12

If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight and the LORD's holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way and not doing as you please or speaking idle words, then you will find your joy in the LORD.
Isaiah 58:13-14

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
Matthew 22:37

We need to discipline ourselves. We need to form godly habits now. We need to feel the discomfort of carrying the cross of Christ on our backs so that we may experience the joy of walking with Him. And most of all, we're probably all in need of a good spiritual punch!

I find myself coming back to the hard-hitting words of the Keith Green song:

"Jesus rose from the dead…
And you—you can't even get out of bed!"

How's THAT for a spiritual punch?!

10 Factors

2008-11-05T15:56:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't blogged anything for quite some time now, I wanted to weigh in on yesterday's election by adding my own $0.02.

While there are many more factors that led to yesterday’s election results, here are 10 factors that I think contributed to an Obama victory:

10. G.W.B.A. Factor

Bush made things tough. His administration’s failures paved the way for Obama’s “Change” slogan to really work.

9. Grassroots Factor
The Snowball Effect—Obama really started building his campaign from the ground up. His community organizing skills came into play with the organizing of a nation of Obama voters.)

8. Media Factor
They were in the bag for Obama from the start. News outlets around the world have praised Obama for his accomplishments, failing to dig too deep into his past. From Chris Matthews to Katie Couric, news anchors shamelessly displayed their arduous feelings for Barack, thus inspiring greater appreciation for the Democratic candidate amongst the populace.

7. Broad-stoke Factor
Obama made a solid effort not to focus on individual states, but on the nation as a whole, while McCain invested his time and money into the battleground areas. Obama communicated to the entire country and won, while McCain risked and lost by narrowing his efforts to single states.

6. Age Factor
McCain’s old age made a lot of people nervous; especially considering his “inexperienced” VP choice…

5. Palin Factor
Was McCain’s VP choice of the Alaska Governor too daring?...too “mavericky”? McCain’s effort to gain disenfranchised Clinton supporters may have come off as overly-optimistic and desperate. And while “Sarah” appealed to the Conservative base, she didn’t attract enough undecided voters.

4. Economy Factor
The economy tanked over the last 6 months of the campaign. McCain made the terrible mistake of admitting that economics are his weak point. Compared to McCain, Obama was seen as the savior to America’s economic woes.

3. Messiah Factor
Speaking about being “the savior,” many actually believed that Obama himself is “the One” solution to all America’s problems. Yesterday, America drank the Kool-Aide.

2. Fundraising Factor
It’s simple: Obama knows how to raise money…and he raised a lot more of it than McCain did! Money isn’t everything, but it’s an huge benefit if you use it correctly. Obama used it right.

1. Race Factor
Anyone who denies that the color of Obama’s skin didn’t play the biggest part in his entire campaign is fooled. The “America owes it to them”-mindset had a heavy hand in tipping the scales. The historical prospect of electing the first black President added to the hype and eventually led to a much larger victory for Obama had he been just another old white guy.

Congrats to our new President-elect!

An Apologist's Take On Yesterday's Historic Election

2008-11-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

A Biblical perspective . . .

McCain V. Obama

2008-06-05T16:46:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned in a previous post, John McCain hasn't always been my candidate.

But he is now!

It has become cliche to say, "I vote for the person, not the party." Well, in this year's monumental election, that is the exact mindset that we should adopt.

Although many true Conservatives may take issue with McCain on certain policies and his history of playing ball with Senate Liberals, John McCain stands much closer to the ideals of Conservatism in comparison to the alternative candidate. For me personally there are four important areas where the candidate's values are most important to me in this election:

Iraq / The war against Islamic terrorism
Abortion
Supreme Court nominations

First, McCain--not Obama--knows what it means to persevere in spite of difficulty. He knows what it means to fight hard for the sake of individual and national freedom. He knows what it means to sacrifice for the greater good. Barak Obama thinks that he knows about sacrifice because he has worked in the southside of Chicago; McCain knows that he knows about sacrifice because he almost gave his life for the sake of his country. because of his experience as a soldier and his years in American politics, McCain knows how serious a threat Islamic terrorism is to the safety of this country and our allies (particularly Israel, of course). With this sincere understanding, McCain will continue what the current administration has begun by using America's great military power to root out terrorism in all parts of the world, thus keeping this country safe and strong. In the process, McCain will continue to work with the country of Iraq to fully rebuild and strengthen its government.

Second, McCain--not Obama--understands and believes in the value of human life starting from the time of conception. As President, I trust that McCain will not allow any legislation to pass that further opens the door to more abortions, while an Obama presidency could indeed see a rise in late-term, partial-birth abortions. This too boils down to a fundamental difference in each man's values. Simply put, McCain values the life of the unborn; Obama does not. I often wonder how this fits into the

Third, McCain--not Obama--holding closeer to conservative values will therefore nominate Supreme Court Justices who will be more likely to uphold the original meaning of the Constitution should the seat open during his presidency. This is important for every possible reason--abortion cases, 2nd Amendment issues, gay marriage rulings, and any other cases dealing with individual freedoms.

I appreciate a recent post by Douglas Groothuis over at the Constructive Curmudgeon. He writes about how, now that Hillary is another part of the 2008 Presidential Campain history, Obama is the Democratic party's presidential nominee (and if you ask any true Democrat, he's America's Savior, too). Yet Groothuis gives an honest, but critical look at the dangerous implications of an Obama victory on November 4th. I especially enjoyed his description of the Democratic candidate:

"...an inexperienced, pro-abortion, tax and spend, internationalist, racially confused (think of his church affiliation) extreme liberal who does not understand Islamic fascism or how to deal with it. "

Obama is younger than McCain.

He is black.

He has younger children.

He's a wonderful orator who inspires audiences everywhere.

And he can definitely bring change to America.

...But how many of these things actually qualify Obama to lead the greatest nation on the earth for the next four to eight years?

If these truly are the qualities that many Americans respect in the man, why him? I'm sure there are many other young, well-spoken, black, American men with young children who could also change and inspire America as Obama proposes vaguely to do.

So what sets this candidate apart as a qualified future U.S. President? Is it his Senate voting record? (I hope not!) Is it his economic or foreign relations experience? (What experience?) Is it the innocence that has followed him throughout his campaign? (Don't forget Tony Rezko and Rev. Wright!) Is it his value-system? (You mean the one that values baby-killing?) Or is it his enthusiastic charisma? (DING! DING! DING!)

I hope that on Novemeber 4th, Americans everywhere remember the importance of values and character and vote for the better candidate, John McCain.

Groothuis ends his post on a strong note with the following encouragement:

"Christians should wake up, get in gear, and make a difference. In this election, to my mind, this means: pray for, vote for, and contribute to John McCain for President."

Amen to that!

You can read the entire post here.

ARBCA General Assemby 2008

2008-04-29T22:13:00.000-07:00

11th annual ARBCA G.A.

Sycamore Baptist Church, East Moline, Illinois

Me and my dad, John Giarrizzo

Building Tomorrow's Church

Reformed Baptist Young Adults Conference

information table

Me, James Tyler, and Sam Nocita

Grace Baptist Church, Papillion, Nebraska

Chad Bennett and Robin Eckhardt

Me and Nick Kennicot

In the Service of the King

2008-04-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

I know it has been a while since I have posted anything substantial and worth reading. The reality of it is this: I have been consumed with work--both secular (how the mortgage gets paid!) and ministerial. Additionally, I think I have between 1 and 2 regular readers, so few people even notice any lapse in time between my posts (which is fine by me--less pressure to be consistent!).

While my occupational endeavors at the University of Phoenix always keep me busy, my work in ministry will wax and wane depending on what tasks the Lord has placed before me. Currently, He has put my hands to the plow in terms of church ministry: between teaching adult Sunday School (we just finished studying The Pilgrim's Progress; now beginning a series on "Church History"), co-leading our young adults group, singing in the choir, leading music on Sunday evenings, and most time-consumingly, coordinating a nation-wide conference for Reformed Baptist young adults (BTC), I am quite busy.

I just returned this week from the annual General Assembly of pastors and leaders from ARBCA churches in East Moline, Illinois. It was a terrific time, and I hope to give another post to this topic. But while I was there, surrounded by full-time church pastors, elders, deacons, missionaries, seminary students, seminary professors, and pastoral interns, I couldn't help but think about how wonderful church ministry truly is. To be honest with you, I wish I could serve Christ and His church full-time. It is a glorious thing (to borrow a now all-to-common expression) to be in the service of the King of kings! In one way, all Christians are to be in His service all the time--living godly lives in pursuit of holiness, encouraging the family of God, evangelizing the lost. But in another, more unique way, those in church leadership positions--pastors and elders--have the higher calling of serving the King by serving His people full time. Spending time with the pastors this last week was an exciting experience for me. Although I was raised in the home of a pastor and thoroughly enjoy learning from my dad, being in the company of dozens of men who have been called to the full-time Gospel ministry is a priviledged opportunity and one where the best thing I find to do is simply listen.

So I thank the Lord for the ministries with which He has blessed me. When I become overwhelmed with the stress of the load, He is gracious in reminding me of Who it is that I serve: a merciful Master, a loving Lord, the King of kings, my Jesus.

Thus I pray for the strength to give Him my all in all He's given me to do.

2008-04-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

BTC 2008

2008-03-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

“Helping young adults find their place within the body of Christ.”

BUILDING TOMORROW'S CHURCH

Reformed Baptist Young Adults Conference

August 8th - 11th, 2008
Prescott, Arizona

Featuring Pastor Bob Selph
as the keynote speaker

The goal of BTC is to help young people understand
the importance of the local church.
Our hope is that this younger generation of Reformed Baptist believers
will grow in love for Christ and His Church and will pursue
active involvement in the local congregation.

BTC is not a “single’s conference.”
This conference is geared towards all young adults,
18+ yrs old, regardless of marital status.

We hope to see the BTC conference become a regularly anticipated and attended conference
for young adults across the country for many years to come!
Soli Deo Gloria!

O Day of Rest and Gladness

2008-02-24T07:22:00.000-08:00

O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright:
On Thee, the high and lowly,
Through ages joined in tune,
Sing holy, holy, holy,
To the great God Triune.

On Thee, at the creation,
The light first had its birth;
On Thee, for our salvation,
Christ rose from depths of earth;
On Thee, our Lord, victorious,
The Spirit sent from heav’n,
And thus on Thee, most glorious,
A triple light was giv’n.

Thou art a port protected
From storms that round us rise;
A garden intersected
With streams of paradise;
Thou art a cooling fountain
In life’s dry dreary sand;
From Thee, like Pisgah’s mountain,
We view our promised land.

Today on weary nations
The heav’nly manna falls;
To holy convocations
The silver trumpet calls,
Where gospel light is glowing
With pure and radiant beams,
And living water flowing,
With soul-refreshing streams.

New graces ever gaining
From this, our day of rest,
We reach the rest remaining
To spirits of the blessed.
To Holy Ghost be praises,
To Father, and to Son;
The church her voice upraises
To Thee, blessed Three in One.

©1997 Christopher Miner Music.

Visit igracemusic for more quality hymns!

Finally, Hewitt Says It...

2008-02-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

Maybe he has said this before, but today is the first time I have heard political commentator and radio talk show host Hugh Hewitt promote the "Republicans Unite" idea.

This morning, Hewitt acknowledged that his prized candidate, Mitt Romney, is facing an "up-hill battle" against Sen. McCain, and that if McCain becomes the GOP's go-to guy for November 4th, Republicans across the country need to rally behind him early!

If you ask my friends, I've been saying this for the last 2-3 weeks: No matter who Republican party chooses as the nominee, the rest of the party will do well to fall in line and throw its support behind that man. As of the latest numbers, that man is most likely to be McCain.

If you've read any of my other recent posts, you'll know that my vote went to Romney. However, I am prepared now to give McCain my support in order to beat either Hillary or Obama.

Hewitt, in his marvelous post, mentions "Seven Reasons To Support The GOP's Nominee." I whole-heartily agree with Hewitt's assessment of the situation and will support the nominee for those same 7 reasons.

At this point let me address another Conservative radio personality:
Rush Limbaugh needs to shut up!

I heard Limbaugh mention that if McCain were elected the GOP nominee, he would not vote. Caustic Ann Coulter went even further to say that it would be better to cast a vote for Hillary than for McCain. This notion is ludicrous and illogical. It is political party suicide. To vote for anyone other than the GOP nominee, or not to vote at all, and to promote this decision to other Conservatives, deeply hurts the Republican party as a whole. It is selfish and unintelligent.

In my mind, it comes down to a "lesser of 2 evils" scenario--politically speaking. While I do not agree with many of McCain's political issues, I agree with him more than I would with Hillary or Obama. And the questions that continually come back to my mind with regards to our next President are exactly what Hugh Hewitt mentions: Will McCain select Supreme Court judges who uphold the U.S. Constitution as it was written? And, will McCain support the U.S. military in its fight against terrorism?

I believe that the answer to both of these questions is "YES."

And that's why I am willing to vote for John McCain as my next President.

I Voted Today

2008-02-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

...and of course, I voted for Romney.

However, judging by the early exit polls, Mitt may have a tougher time than I thought in a number of states on this Super Tuesday 2008.

Stay tuned for more!!

CNN's Update: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/dates/index.html#20080205

...and click here to check out Medved's USA Today column!

My Candidate

2008-01-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, I've gone ahead and decided on a candidate for whom to vote! It's taken me a long time to get to this point. I have probably changed my mind 11.5 different times between the end of 2006 and now. But after much thought, research, and analysis of the presidential hopefuls on both sides of the aisles, I have come to the conclusion that there is only one real potential President in the running at this point in time.

His name is

MITT ROMNEY

To tell you the truth, in some ways I've sort of surprised myself on this one. A year ago, I would not have considered Mitt as my "fave." In fact, I was actually at one time adverse to supporting Mitt simply because of his glowing support from one Hugh Hewitt (who, although I like Hugh, seemed almost infatuated with the guy). But as the candidates have all had their time and chances to promote themselves and each explain their positions on things such as foreign policy (the war on terrorism), the economy, the Supreme Court, illegal immigration, abortion, and gay rights, Romney seems to be the only candidate to continually match my personal views on each topic.

I know that I will likely receive much flack for my decision to support this candidate due to his religion, but I believe that I'm prepared to answer such questions and objections. This is a poltical election. We are voting for a President, not a pastor. Thus, whether the candidate's personal religion is Christian, Mormon, or Catholic, I will vote for the man for his policies, not his religion.* This means that I would not vote for Huckabee solely because he is a Christian, nor will I conversely ignore another candidate because he is a Mormon.

I'm sure I will post more on this topic in the coming weeks and months (assuming that Mitt gets the GOP nod come Super Tuesday). In the meantime, as I do my best to be a thinking American voter, I am a Christian who rests on God's sovereignty. May His will be done.

* - That being said, I have concluded that I could not ever vote for a Muslim candidate. This conclusion is based off the tenents of the religion. Islam is an eastern religion that is based on, in part, the doctrine of Jihad. It is, at its core, a religion founded and continued upon violence. Mormonism, while antithetical to Biblical Christianity, maintains similar values as Christianity based largely upon the priniciples of the Bible.

1-18-08

2008-01-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

It's one thing to read about something, isn't it?
It's quite a different thing altogether to experience something personally.

For the past 6.5 months, I have spent way too many hours of my life preoccupied with researching, web-searching, and imagining what terrifying events January 18, 2008 might bring to us.

Tonight, I found out 1st hand.

It's called Cloverfield. By now most of America has seen a preview on television, the internet, or right before Transformers in July. Probably the most recognized symbol of this movie is the ominous graphic of the Statue of Liberty--without her head.

Now I know exactly why she is missing her head.

I just returned from seeing a pre-screening of Cloverfield with my wife and a friend. As the credits rolled less than 2 hours after the Paramount logo twirled onto the screen, I sat in my theater chair
motionless;
speechless;
almost smiling.

Producer J.J. Abrams is a genius. I will say nothing in this post about the movie's characters (any of them!), nor about the plot line. But quite frankly, I'm glad to know that Abrams and Matt Reeves (the movie's director and personal friend of J.J.'s) will enjoy amazing financial success from the upcoming nationwide release of this movie. I say this because Abrams (and Reeves, too) is a genius.

Without giving anything important about this movie away, Abrams is a genius not because of a completely original idea for movie (because, as you see, it's not!), but because of the way he has packaged this movie from start to finish: with the mysterious trailer at the beginning of one of the biggest movie releases of 2007 which kept geeks like me scowering for more info ever since, to the amazingly creative internet ad campaign which never seemed much like movie advertising as it did story-telling, to the entirely novel way the film was written, shot, and cut.

To tell you the truth, Cloverfield is quite a simple story--a story more about human relationships than anything else. But it's a simple story that pulls you in early, takes you for a tornado-of-a-ride, and then drops you back into your theater seat motionless, speechless, and almost smiling. While Abrams himself would admit that the generic idea of the story isn't at all original, the premise in which this idea is set absolutely is.

For your own good, I would implore you to see this movie on 1-18-08 (this Friday!). It could change your life.

And to Abrams, Reeves, and the rest of the Cloverfield team: Thank you for sharing your gifts.

-David

P.S.
For snapshots from the movie, visit http://www.1-18-08.com/.

P.P.S.
Flip the pictures over.

Lakeshore, Mississippi

2008-01-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

It's going on three years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged the shores of Mississippi and Louisiana.

On Saturday, a group of five men left from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport to join forces with 140 other people in Lakeshore, Mississippi--"Ground Zero" of Hurrican Katrina--to continue with the rebuilding project in that community for 7 days.
My brother Paul is one of those men.

Paul shared a website with me today that is an ongoing blog chronicling the work being done throughout the week: http://www.arbcainlakeshore.com/. It shows pictures of some of the devasted structures and landscape. It shows men and women hard at work to rebuild Lakeshore. And most of all, it shows the love of Christ being put into action. These 140 men and women from churches across the country and Canada have a common purpose: to shine the light of Jesus Christ to the people of Lakeshore through their words and ministry for the glory of God alone.

From what I understand, this mission was organized by Grace Baptist Church in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in conjunction with Lakeshore Baptist Church there in Mississippi and the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America (ARBCA).

Take a moment to visit this website, which is being updated daily this week, and pray for the workers as well as the surrounding community.

Below outlines how we can pray specifically for this ministry.

Please pray for us and our work in the following areas:
The salvation of men through the outward proclamation of the gospel and the good works of our hands.
The spiritual edification of the volunteers as we worship, serve, fellowship, witness, and study the Word of God.
The physical safety of our crews as they conduct difficult and often very dangerous tasks.
The health and growth of Lakeshore Baptist Church and God’s granting wisdom to pastor Don Elbourne.
The humility of each volunteer as we serve –may God keep us from being prideful and boasting in anything other than the cross.
Patience and flexibility: Hallmarks of disaster relief mission work.

My Books

2008-01-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

So I got a few new books for Christmas. I'm in the middle of a terrific book by James L. Swanson called Manhunt: The 12 Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. It's captivating to say the least; rarely a slow moment in its nearly 400 pages!

Now I can share my library with anyone using LibraryThing.com. Challies blogged about it a few times. Here he discusses how to organize a library, in which he mentions this helpful online cataloging tool.

So if you're bored or interested, have a look at some of the books in my library online!

Michael Calls It Right in Iowa...IT'S MIKE!

2008-01-03T20:29:00.000-08:00

Since my first year of college, I have been a huge respector (okay, "fan"!) of radio talk show host, movie critic, political commentator, and outspoken conservative Jew, Michael Medved. And today just proved another reason why I'm a "Medhead."

Last night/early this morning, Medved posted an article predicting the GOP winner in the Iowa Caucus today. Guess what?...He nailed it: Mike Huckabee.

Now, Medved has yet to endorse any one candidate (and I am trying to follow his example, although, as of late, I have been impressed more with both Romney and Huckabee than the others), but I sure do appreciate his recent defense of the Huck. Huckabee has faced more undue criticism over the last month or more than any other candidate. Sadly, this criticism has poured out of the mouths of critics on BOTH sides of the media (e.g. Limbaugh from the Right and Russert from the Left). Medved accurately outlines one glaring example of this harsh criticism in another article here.

Check out the above article links, and if you do, I hope you will be enlightened about one Republican candidate vying for the Presidency "of this greatest nation on God's green earth!"

Exerpt from Tim Russert's interview with Governor Mike Huckabee:

Tim, I've been asked more about my faith than any person running for president. I'm OK with that. I hope I've answered these questions very candidly and very honestly. I think it's important for us to talk about it. But the most important thing is to find out, does our faith influence our public policy and how? I've never tried to rewrite science textbooks. I've never tried to come out with some way of imposing a doctrinaire Christian perspective in a way that is really against the Constitution. I've never done that.

Happy 2008!

2007-12-31T21:23:00.001-08:00

One of my resloutions for the new year:

blog more.

Peace through Violence

2007-12-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

I recently gave a message to our college group at Grace Covenant during our annual Christmas fellowship. A few weeks before, I began thinking about what I might share with the group of young adults. Of course I knew that I would bring a message on the topic of “Christmas,” but the more I began to think about it, the more I realized how many topics and subtopics can flow out of the heading, “Christmas.” Literally thousands of sermons could be preached on the topic of Christ’s birth—the actual event and surrounding events, the prophecies foretelling it, the implications of his arrival, the essence of his person, the miracle of a Virgin birth, the faith of his parents, et cetera, et cetera!

But as I read the 2000-year old story in Luke 2 about the birth of our Lord, God seemed to bring one concept to my mind more than anything else.

As I read that passage in preparation for the devotion, it was verse 14 that really jumped out at me:
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

When the angels sang this song from the heavens on that ever-so holy night, they were both proclaiming a doxology of praise to God and passing along the very almost-unbelievable promise of “peace on earth.”

You see, it was this part about peace on earth that stuck with me after reading this passage.
And I’ll tell you why as I ask you—When you read the daily news and see the world’s headlines on TV, does it look to you like there’s “peace on earth”?
No. Of course it doesn’t.

So I had to think deeper on the matter—what exactly were the angels telling those shepherds? How would there be peace on earth through the birth of one little baby in a small town in Bethlehem?

Here’s what J.C. Ryle said about this “peace on earth”—

“Now is come to earth the peace of God which surpasses all understanding,—the perfect peace between a holy God and a sinful man, which Christ was to purchase with his own blood,—the peace which is offered freely to all mankind, the peace which, once admitted into the heart, makes men live at peace with one another, and will one day overspread the whole world.”

You see, I think that this peace on earth is a spiritual peace, not necessarily a physical peace between warring nations or peoples.

Matthew Henry said in his commentary on Luke,

“God's good-will in sending the Messiah introduced peace in this lower world, slew the enmity that sin had raised between God and man, and resettled a peaceable correspondence. If God be at peace with us, all peace results from it: peace of conscience, peace with angels, peace between Jew and Gentile.”

This peace is the peace that God makes with us when he turns our hateful and rebellious hearts of stone into obedient and humble hearts of flesh. This peace is the peace that comes with salvation! Look at these 2 verses that speak about this kind of peace…

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
Colossians 3:19-20

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Romans 5:1

So the question, and the ultimate point of that message, is this: How exactly did God the Father secure this peace on earth through that baby Jesus? The angels said that there would be peace on earth, but how would this peace become a reality? How would this peace be given, or transferred, to us??

This is where things get interesting!

Let’s read what God’s prophet Isaiah said to help us figure this out…

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5

Whoa!

How was peace brought to us?...through His punishment!
You see, the answer to the question is this: God used violence to bring peace!

I know what you’re thinking: “That’s crazy!”…”How can violence produce peace?”
Well just look at the wars of history—World War II is a good example. Through violence (war), peace was eventually established in both Europe and between America and Japan. Further, throughout the Old Testament we see God using violence to achieve His purposes. One of the most used, God-ordained practices in Israel was blood atonement which always included the killing of an animal. Why do you think God had the Israelites sacrifice to Him like this?...to point to the ultimate sacrifice which came in the person of Jesus Christ!

“In him we have redemption through his blood”
Ephesians1:7

God brought us peace through violence.

The way in which Christ was killed was one of the most violent popular methods of execution known in all of human history! The Romans were brutal when it came to punishing criminals. And yet this is the way God showed His love for us—by allowing His only, beloved Son to come to earth and bring us peace by dying this horrific death. What a Savior we have who was willing to offer Himself in this fashion! And what a Father we worship who gave us this opportunity to find peace in the Prince of Peace, Himself!

Revelation 5:12 reminds us how important an event Christ’s death was for us by telling us that in heaven, the eternal song of the redeemed will be a song about death…

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain”

So it’s as if even the manger was in the shadow of the cross—Christ’s entrance into this world was for the purpose of dying for us in order to bring eternal peace between God and men.

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

May we not forget this important lesson this Christmas season in the middle of all of our shopping and gifting and celebrating; instead, thank Jesus for coming to earth, dying for you, and may God indeed receive the glory for all these things.

Where Are You Thanksgiving?

2007-11-21T12:07:00.000-08:00

It was November 1st and I was in Target. My wife, Paige, was looking for some Thanksgiving decorations for our dining table. But we noticed rather quickly that the Halloween merchandise that was being taken down or moved to the Clearance section, was being replaced with Christmas decorations. No fall decorations anywhere.

The other day I was driving through my neighorhood and noticed at least 3 families putting Christmas lights on their houses.

Within the last week or so, I realized that the radio, and most large retail stores, are all playing Christmas music.

It's the middle of November. Have we simply forgot Thanksgiving? There's a song sung by country music star Faith Hill called "Where Are You Christmas?". Well, I would like to sing a song called, "Where Are You Thanksgiving?"

As much as I enjoy the holiday season--and admitedly, Christmas in particular--I can't help but feel bad for the Thanksgiving holiday. I mean, do people even consider the importance of this holiday anymore? What about the those Pilgrims (do I dare say "Puritans"?) who risked everything by leaving England and coming to the New World for the sake of religious freedom? What about the Indians who welcomed the Pilgrims and with whom the Pilgrims established friendship? What about the glorious good news of Jesus Christ which the Pilgrims brought with them to New England? And what about the Pilgrim's gratefulness to the God of the Bible? These things are what Thanksgiving is about.

And all of this talk begs the question: Who's to blame for shoving Thanksgiving into the holiday broom closet?

My best guess would be that we have the retailers to blame. Stores which sell Halloween items from July 5th to October 31st, then Christmas decor from November 1st to December 25th pay little respect to Thanksgiving. It's bad enough that many modern history textbooks pervert the true meaning of Thanksgiving from the Pilgrims thanking God, to the Pilgrims thanking the Indians. But now, it seems to me that Thanksgiving is dwindling to a blip on the yearly holiday radar.

Let this not be the case for you and yours this Thanksgiving! Give thanks to God for your freedom. Give thanks to God for the Puritan Pilgrims. And give thanks to God for His abounding mercies to this fallen race.

Remember the Mayflower!

Happy Anniversary...

2007-11-15T15:40:00.000-08:00

...to ME!

It has been one year this month since I first opened this site and made my debut as a blogger.

Looking back at the last year of blogging, I have learned a handful of lessons. However, one thing in particular stands out as the #1 thing I have learned--Blogging consistently is a LOT harder than I thought it would be!

The time and discipline required to make a blog worth reading is probably more than I have right now. Hence, the low number of hits this blog has received since it started. But that's okay. My reason for blogging isn't necessarily to impact a mass populace, but to fine tune my thinking and writing skills and to have an outlet for editorializing. I have enjoyed blogging so far, and look forward to future years of writing in the Blogosphere.

Happy Anniversary, A Fruitful Life.

365 Days & Counting...

2007-11-06T06:22:00.000-08:00

Today is election day in the United States, and 264.25 days from today our nation will gather at pollling stations in each of our 50 states to elect for ourselves a new President. In doing so, we will be electing both the President and his (or her) 2nd-in-command, the Vice President. The new President will then decide on a handful of close, trusted officials to serve on his or her Cabinet. Additionally, it is expected that within the next President's 4 to 8 year term, at least 2 Supreme Court Justices will need to be replaced. This, as time will tell, will be the most important role of America's next President: nominating new judges to the Supreme Court bench.

Let us be wise citizens as we listen over the next few weeks and months to the candidates discuss their principles and policies. And let us be fervent in our prayers as we are now exactly one year away from voting into office the next Commander-in-Chief of this greatest nation on God's green earth!

It's Sunday

2007-10-21T08:27:00.000-07:00

I love Sundays...

Corporate worship of God.

Fellowship with brothers & sisters.

Opportunity to minister to others.

Chance to be ministered unto.

Someone once said that the Christian life is like breathing:

You inhale God's Word, prayer, and fellowship and exhale love, mercy, and good works.
(loose paraphrase)

Here are two unrelated portions from Spurgeon, each mentioning "Sundays"...

Churches are not made that men of ready speech may stand up on Sundays and talk, and so win daily bread from their admirers. Nay, there is another end and aim from this. These places are not built that you may sit here comfortably, and hear something that shall make you pass away your Sundays with pleasure. A church in London which does not exist to do good in the slums, and dens, and kennels of the city, is a church that has no reason to justify its longer existing. A church that does not exist to reclaim heathenism, to fight with evil, to destroy error, to put down falsehood, a church that does not exist to take the side of the poor, to denounce injustice and to hold up righteousness, is a church that has no right to be. Not for thyself, O church, dost thou exist, any more than Christ existed for himself. His glory was that he laid aside his glory, and the glory of the church is when she lays aside her respectability and her dignity, and counts it to be her glory to gather together the outcast, and her highest honour to seek amid the foulest mire the priceless jewels for which Jesus shed his blood. To rescue souls from hell and lead to God, to hope, to heaven, this is her heavenly occupation. O that the church would always feel this!
Delivered on Sunday Morning, October 24th, 1869, byC. H. SPURGEON

There are a vast number of people in the world who go to church and to chapel, because everybody else does so. It is disreputable to waste your Sundays, not to be found going up to the house of God, therefore they take a pew and attend the services, and they think they have done their duty: they have obtained all that they sought for, when they can hear their neighbors saying, "Such-and-such a man is a very respectable person; he is always very regular at his Church; he is a very reputable person, and exceedingly praiseworthy." Verily, if this be what you seek after in your religion, you shall get it; for the Pharisees who sought the praise of men "had their reward." But when you have gotten it, what a poor reward it is! Is it worth the drudgery? I do not believe that the drudgery to which people submit in order to be called respectable, is at an compensated by what they gain. I am sure, for my own part, I would not care a solitary rap what I was called, or what I was thought; nor would I perform anything that was irksome to myself for the sake of pleasing any man that ever walked beneath the stars, however great or mighty he may be. It is the sign of a fawning, cringing spirit, when people are always seeking to do that which renders them respectable. The esteem of men is not worth the looking after, and sad it is, that this should be the only prize which some men put before them, in the poor religion which they undertake.
Delivered on Friday Afternoon, June 11, 1858, by theREV. C. H. Spurgeon

Candidate Considertions, Part I

2007-10-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

(I titled this "Part I" because I anticipate more blogs on this topic to follow over the coming months.)

I was recently discussing politics with a good friend of mine and dear brother. As one would expect, the topic of the 2008 Presidential election came up. Being that we are both staunch Republicans, each of us was interested in which candidate the other might support in next year's GOP primaries.

We both admitted our unsurety on the matter at the present, however my friend assured me who he would most likely not be voting for either in the primaries, nor the November election if need be: Rudolph Guliani.

I will concede that I understand the reasoning behind this notion: Guliani has a track-record of pro-choice and pro-gay rights advocation. Based solely on these issues, I would rather not vote for the man either.

However, I think we need to think smarter than that. The office of United States President is larger than one or two issues. As soon as February's primary election results surface, we Republicans need to unite together as a party behind the GOP's candidate, whether that be Rudy, Romney, or Fred (sorry Tancredo, Huckabee, Brownback, Paul, & McCain, but I think your chances for the GOP nod are quickly diminishing). If we do not, and instead split our votes between the GOP nominee and any other third party candidate, we are shooting ourselves in the foot.

The recent "threats" from members of the religious right, such as Dr. James Dobson, to disavow itself from the Republican Party if Guliani is the nominee and support some third party candidate is utterly ridiculous and completely ignorant of the broader landscape of American politics. Consider these powerful words from Carol Platt Liebau on the matter:

In short, if the religious right decided to support a third candidate, it would become the biggest loser in a Giuliani-Clinton contest, whatever the outcome. Even so, it is tempting for those opposed to Giuliani’s pro-choice stance to speculate that a Hillary Clinton presidency might shock the country into greater receptivity to policies espoused by people of faith. But it’s worth remembering that similar hopes, coupled with discontent with the presidency of George H.W. Bush, inspired some to vote for Ross Perot in 1992. As a result, America endured eight years of a Clinton presidency – and set Hillary Clinton on the path she’s pursuing now.

And National Review columnist John Podhoretz wrote in a recent post, "A third-party candidacy on the Right undertaken by even a minimally serious person will, it is true, almost certainly doom any GOP chances in November 2008."

Justin Taylor posted these of his own thoughts on his blog last week:

I do not want Giuliani to be nominated for the Republican ticket. For those who are convictionally pro-life and want to see justice for the unborn prevail and Roe v. Wade overturned, it seems difficult to support Giuliani's candidacy at this stage when there are other viable pro-life candidates.
The ballgame changes if the race comes down to a pro-choice Republican vs. a pro-choice Democrat.

One has to ask whether or not it can be reasonably ascertained if one pro-choice candidate would be better than the other in terms of the cause of life. The key word, I think, is reasonable. We're not talking infallibility here.
The next president will undoubtedly get to nominate justices to the Supreme Court. No one doubts that Hillary Clinton will nominate judges with a judicial philosophy at odds with constructionalism and originalism.
I think there are good reasons to believe that Giuliani would appoint constructionalists and originalists, as he has promised to do--in part because I think he will want to placate the Republican base. (Even if he does this for only one term in order to win reelection, which I think is doubtful, then the next point still stands.)
One must recognize that if it comes down to Guiliani vs. Clinton, a vote for a third-party candidate will undoubtedly guarantee a Clinton presidency (likely for the next eight years). Read that sentence again. Now read it one more time. I think it's incontrovertible, and I'm not sure some pro-lifers have sufficiently recognized this.
The irony, then, is that being a single-issue voter on the cause of justice for the unborn can actually lead to increased injustice for the unborn.
At the end of the day, perhaps we can categorize the two positions as (1) principled pro-life purity and (2) principled pro-life pragmatism.
It seems that the Religious Right (by which I mean the James Dobson Republicans--the elite evangelical political influencers of soccer moms and the like) are in a pickle: Mitt Romney is a Mormon, Fred Thompson doesn't seem like a Christian, and Mike Huckabee doesn't seem electable. From my seat in the bleachers, it seems like they should pick one and stick with him.
It is a valid, legitimate point that if the Republicans nominate a pro-choice candidate, then this precedence opens the door for the nomination of pro-choice Republican candidates in the future.

While I may or may not agree with all of Justin's points, I appreciate the fact that he is putting some deep thought into this election race and not taking a lazy or passive approach to choosing our nation's next potential leader.

May we all do the same as we pray for God's will to be done.

I Have Returned

2007-10-16T18:08:00.001-07:00

I know, I know...it's now officially been over a month since my last blog post. Sad, but true. I could run off a list of excuses, but that would be both time consuming and pointless.

Instead, I can more easily summarize my absence in a word:

life.

But now I am back and am recommitting to blog at least twice a week (at least through the end of the year.)

Another Smokey Post

2007-09-12T21:36:00.001-07:00

One of the first blogs I posted on this site was on the topic of smoking. My basic thesis was that smoking in moderation is not a sin because the Bible does not call it a sin. Instead, our culture has decided that smoking will not be a norm today as it was in the 1st 2/3rds of the 20th Century.

Thanks to a few other blogs, the subject of smoking (and drinking, for that matter) is being rehashed. In light of this occurrence, I simply wanted to redirect people to my previous post and guide them to the newer articles on smoking.

Enjoy!

FIDE-O: Where's There's Smoke There's Fire

Steve Camp: Smokin' In the Boy's Room

Triablogue: What's Wrong With This Picture?

A Godly Man's Legacy

2007-09-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

Dr. D. James Kennedy
1930 – 2007

Founder of a church, an international evangelistic ministry, a radio broadcast, a television show, a Christian school, a pastoral seminary.
Minister of the Gospel of Christ
Defender of God’s Truth
Innovative in Media
Political Spokesman
Educational Visionary
Advocate of Morality and Social Justice

http://65.240.226.104:8080/Life.aspx

Poodwaddle

2007-09-05T06:03:00.000-07:00

I came across this very intriguing website recently. Check it out for yourself.

This and That's

2007-08-21T21:20:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post a few more links to quality blogs...

Have you ever considered how the cartoon strip Calvin and Hobbes could relate to modern Evangelical Christianity? Read a terrific and insightful post over at the Scriptorium!

Emergent Church Motivational Posters
(You just have to experience this for yourself!)

Hell

2007-08-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Again, Tim Challies posts another quality blog. This time Tim introduces a discussion on a not-so-popular topic in modern society.

It is the topic of Hell.

Although many evangelical churches may shy away from mentioning the reality of hell in today's feel-good, consumer-friendly world, Challies rightfully notes in his blog, "...it is good and healthy to think about hell." He continues with this: "It would not be healthy to think about it too much or to have a long and deep-seating fascination with it, but because God has revealed to us that there is such a place and because He has seen fit to give us a glimpse of it, it does us good to pay attention."

I encourage you to read the rest of his post here. As you think on such a weighty truth as Hell, consider this important reminder:

"Life is short;

Death is certain;

Hell is real;

But Jesus saves!"

My Faith Looks Up To Thee

2007-08-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

My Faith Looks Up To Thee

My faith looks up to Thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine!
Now hear me while I pray, take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day be wholly Thine!

May Thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart, my zeal inspire!
As Thou hast died for me, O may my love to Thee,
Pure warm, and changeless be, a living fire!

While life’s dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread, be Thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day, wipe sorrow’s tears away,
Nor let me ever stray from Thee aside.

When ends life’s transient dream,
When death’s cold sullen stream over me roll;
Blest Savior, then in love, fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above, a ransomed soul!

Words: Ray Palmer Music: Lowell Mason

Random Friday Stories

2007-08-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Woman Chokes Raccoon to Death, Saves Boy

"Man vs. Wild" is not so wild

Everything's Made of Ice at Dubai Bar

[Homo]Sexual Harrassment in San Diego, Firefighters abused in "Gay-Pride parade

Upcoming Marvel Movies

CNN's 'Stardust' Review

Our Failures, God's Mercy

2007-08-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

Our church recently retreated to beautiful Oak Creek Canyon outside of Sedona for our annual summer Family Camp. It was a wonderful weekend of solid messages from God's Word, as well as good food and great fellowship. Pastor Don Lindblad from Kirkland, Washington was our guest speaker for the weekend. Pastor Lindlad's messages were terrific. The weekend's theme was taken from I Samuel 30:6--"But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God." But to explain that one verse, Pastor Lindblad took us back to chapters 27, 28, and 29.

In these portions of Scripture we see the depression of David, God's beloved [future] king of Israel. We see David fall into such a deep pit of unchecked depression that he becomes irrational and disobedient to God (chpt. 27). We are shown King Saul's sin as he ultimately falls away from God (chpt. 28). We are shown God's providential intervention and deliverance of David (chpt. 29). And in chapter 30 we find David recovered from his depression and encouraged in the LORD.

It is a beautiful part of Scripture that I had never pondered so deeply before that weekend. While it is sad to see David in such a miserable state throughout chapters 27 through 29, we understand through it that unlike Saul, David recovered from his inner affliction. As Pastor Lindblad so astutely pointed out, chapter 28 ends with Saul and his men going out into the night, while the next chapter concludes with David and his men rising up in the morning. The symbolism here is clear: Saul, going out into the night, without the Lord's protection or guidance, would soon meet his end. David, however, is rescued from his despondency by God and rises victorious.

After studying these chapters, we should find praise to God rolling from our lips. Like David, we all can fall into self-delusion, depression, or disobedience. But like David, may we too be prompted to strengthen ourselves in Jehovah. There will always be consequences to our conduct (or misconduct), but to those who God calls His own He will uphold and show mercy.

The following verses are from a 20th Century hymn composed by Christopher Miner, but taken from the very words of David in Psalm 51. We sang this song at our camp and it fit well with our lessons on the mercy of God to sinners who continually fall short.

God, Be Merciful To Me

God, be merciful to me;
On Thy grace I rest my plea
Plenteous in compassion Thou,
Blot out my transgressions now;
Wash me, make me pure within;
Cleanse, O cleanse me from my sin.

My transgressions I confess;
Grief and guilt my soul oppress.
I have sinned against Thy grace,
And provoked Thee to Thy face.
I confess Thy judgment just;
Speechless, I Thy mercy trust.

I am evil, born in sin;
Thou desirest truth within.
Thou alone my Savior art,
Teach Thy wisdom to my heart;
Make me pure, Thy grace bestow,
Wash me whiter than the snow.

Broken, humbled to the dust
By Thy wrath and judgment just,
Let my contrite heart rejoice,
And in gladness hear Thy voice;
From my sins O hide Thy face,
Blot them out in boundless grace.

Gracious God, my heart renew,
Make my spirit right and true.
Cast me not away from Thee,
Let Thy Spirit dwell in me;
Thy salvation’s joy impart,
Steadfast make my willing heart.

Sinners then shall learn from me,
And return, O God, to Thee
Savior all my guilt remove,
And my tongue shall sing Thy love
Touch my silent lips, O Lord,
And my mouth shall praise accord.

©1997 Christopher Miner Music. Words: Richard Redhead. Music: Christopher Miner.

Bourne Ultimatum: Not Your Average Action Flick?

2007-08-09T20:48:00.000-07:00

I saw The Bourne Ultimatum last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. For a thought-out review of the film, check out the link below.

Here's a sample from the review:

Some movies are fast paced, but are still full of filler of one sort or another. There is not an ounce of filler in this movie. Everything is important, and requires close attention-- not good for those who have tiny attention spans and are easily distracted. The Bourne Ultimatum does not rely on gimmicks, CG effects, or razzle dazzle. Even its chase scenes seem mostly tame compared to the one near the beginning of 'Casino Royale', for example. This is because you are watching a psychological drama--- Jason Bourne is searching for his true identity, by trying to remember his past. The issue has to do with character development, or in this case character revelation.

The Pastor's Wife

2007-08-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

The topic of caring for one's pastor is dear to my heart.

I am the son of a pastor and his wife. I am grateful to God for my parents and the environment in which they trained me. Having observed and experienced the finer details of a pastor's personal life, the recent blog by Pastor Erik struck a chord with me.

While the role and responsibilities of a pastor are often many and trying, a married minister does not bear the burden of his calling alone. I firmly believe that when a married man is called into the ministry, so is his wife. God created Eve to be Adam's helper. It is understood from Scriopture than wives are their husband's helpmeets in whatever the husband is called to do. The pastor is called to evangelize, shepherd, disciple, counsel, encourage, correct, and love the parishiners within his church. The pastor's wife, as her husband's helper and co-minister of the love of Christ, should involve herself in similar endeavors. In doing so, the pastor's wife encourages her husband by doing the Lord's work along side of him.

With this in mind, churchmembers should be keen to encouraging and uplifting not only their pastors, but their pastors' wives as well.

Pastor Erik begins his post with these words:
I have commented before on the 'burn out' rate of pastors as being somewhat of a crisis in the church. I truly believe that the neglect of the home and family is a big part of the problem. But, the problem doesn't come only from the pastor's neglect of his family, but also from the church's neglect of the pastors families. Pastor's are reticent to call the church to care for their families- it seems self serving and manipulative. But, it is a necessity- if we take the strain upon pastors and their families seriously.

Please read the rest of this post here, and put into action the practical ways to take care of our pastor's wife.

The church pastor wears a great burden upon his shoulders. Bu let us not forget our pastor's better half--the pastor's wife. May we make opportunities to encourage our pastors and their wives and show our appreciation to them for the persevering love which they continually demonstrate to us.

Broken, Burning Bridge

2007-08-02T11:29:00.000-07:00

In light of this week's catastrophe in Minneapolis, I want to point you to two important writings on the tragedy. One is from John Piper who lives and pastors near the disaster in Minnesota; the other from Charles Spurgeon. You can access both articles via Fide-o.blogspot.com.

As we think on this sad providence, may our prayers go up on behalf of the surviving victims and affected familes, and more importantly, may our hearts and minds be lifted to to know see and know "the God of all grace" who administers both mercy and wrath. May many people's hearts be moved by the Spirit to understand the dire state of their lives away from Christ and flee to Him for eternal salvation, comfort, and peace.

A Sovereign God for Tumultuous Times

2007-07-18T06:29:00.000-07:00

Foreigners slipping over (or under) our borders into America's heartland illegally is scary enough. Add to that the idea of crazed Middle Eastern Islamists sneaking past our border security and quietly becoming a part of everyday American life is even scarier.

Well, that may be exactly what has been happening for some time now.

How many of us have really been naive enough to believe that Mexicans are the only ones crossing the border illegally? Haven't we all understood that illegal border crossing and alien smuggling can lend itself to potential terrorists?

You bet we've known!

Now there is some substantiated evidence coming to the surface showing a smuggling operation involving the trafficking of Iraqis and other Middle Easterners in New Mexico. According to the ABC News blog,

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico.

An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. Joint Terrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year.

In light of Secretary Chertoff's "gut feeling" about the raised likelihood of another stateside terrorist attack in the near future, this information is not surprising, just frightening.

We live in tumultuous times. But we serve a sovereign God, creator of the universe, sustainer of our lives. Let us remember to praise Him for His goodness and trust Him always.

Psalm 37

Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;
for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.
Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:
He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

Live Earth = Lame Effort

2007-07-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

I'll gladly admit that I did not pay any attention to what Al Gore and a large handful of popular music artists were doing with this "Live Earth" campaign to focus the world's attention on Global Warming.

But from what I'm reading online, this worldwide concert was a major flop. Why am I not surprised?

Additionally, Boundless explains how completely repulsive the attitude and mood of the whole event was.

What a waste of time, energy, money, and musical talent.

Lame.

498 Years Ago Today...

2007-07-10T21:55:00.001-07:00

...John Calvin was born.

Check out James White's brief post on the eventful day.

(Thanks for the FYI, Dr. White.)

When Sinners Say 'I Do'

2007-07-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

Paul David Tripp gave a raving review of a new book on marriage entitled When Sinners Says 'I Do'. The title alone grabs my attention, nevermind Tripp's review in which he claims, "It blew me away!"

Sounds like it's worth checking out!

Told You So!!...

2007-07-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

Transformers set a new record for a non-sequel movie bringing in over $152 million in the first week! I knew it was a good movie and it definitely deserved its profit!

And to think that my $9.50 contributed to that milestone!
[Pats self on back and says to self, "Well worth it, Dave! Good job.]

Founders Conference: Raymond Perron

2007-07-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

ARBCA/RBMS missionary in Quebec, Pastor Raymond Perron, recently spoke at the SBC Founders Conference in Owasso, OK, on the subject of "Preaching the Gospel in a Secular Culture." Thanks to the great live-blogging by the guys of TeamPyro, session notes and summaries can be viewed here.

A True Summer Blockbuster!

2007-07-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

As I bought my ticket online approximately 9 hours ahead of time, I was already very excited about the movie. To tell you the truth, I bought into the terrific marketing hook, line, and sinker. 2 hours and ten minutes after Transformers began, I was ready to buy myself another ticket to see it again.

Transformers is what every movie that calls itself a summer blockbuster should be! Forget Jack Sparrow; I’ll take this cartoon-turned-action flick over a washed-up pirate tale any day!

[Secretary of Defense Keller]: We're facing war against a technological civilization far superior to our own! Our enemy can take any shape! They could be anywhere!

With some of the best visual and audio effects ever experienced, and action scenes too large to even wrap your mind around, this Michael Bay-directed movie transformed the 1980’s kid’s cartoon into an intense, over-blown sci-fi/action epic for boys and girls of any age, especially those now grown-up fans in their 20’s and 30’s.

Bay takes the viewer on a wild ride from the sands of the Mid-East to urban big-cities of America. With fantastical imagery, heart-pounding action, wonderfully timed comedy, and a familiar “high school dork has mega-crush on teen-aged babe”-love story, this film rouses a medley of emotions bound to leave any movie-goer pleasantly satisfied.

Frankly, I was surprised by the well-roundedness of the film. I expected the amazing CGI and in-your-face cinematography, as I likewise anticipated the Biggie-sized action sequences seen in many of Bay’s other movies (Bad Boys, Armageddon, The Rock, Pearl Harbor, The Island). But it was the acting that truly took me unawares, specifically Shia LaBeouf’s tremendous job playing the primary protagonist. He was funny, fast, and fun to watch. Additionally, his character’s parents gave me the most laughs by their chemistry as a couple with great idiosyncrasies. Kudos to the filmmakers for a job well done with the casting of all the characters!And while I'm sure some critics may fault the writers for the film's cartoonish dialogue (especially bewteen the robots), I argue, "That's the point--it's a live-action cartoon!"

[Optimus Prime]: Before time began, there was... the cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them... with life. That is how our race was born. For a time we had lived in harmony, but like all great power, some wanted it for good... others, evil. And so, began the war. A war that ravages our planet until it was consumed by death. And the cube was lost to the far reaches of space. We step in across the galaxy hoping to find it and rebuild our home. Searching every star. Every world. And just when all hopes seem lost;message of a new discovery took us to an unknown planet called... Earth. But we were already too late.

These opening lines from the movie allude to the powerful and time-old “Good versus Evil” struggle. This theme is central to the film and is communicated effectively, especially in the movie’s finale when the Autobots and Decepticons battle it out between the skyscrapers. Apart from many contemporary movies produced by post-modern Hollyweird, Transformers contains a concrete conclusion satisfying to the whole audience.

It is also interesting to note the many familiar images from current pop culture and shameless plugs of well-known brands such as Microsoft, HP, Apple, GMC, and Panasonic that litter the movie and allow it to hit its audience dead-on in 21st Century reality.

Exploding with action sequences bigger than Independence Day and faster than Spiderman, and tough enough to make even John McClane wet his pants, Transformers will make my summer of 2007 memorable for years to come. If you haven’t seen it yet, go now! (And if you do, don’t forget to stay through the credits for an additional teaser!) Now please excuse me while I go to see it again.

Moving On Up

2007-07-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry I have been out of the game lately, but I believe I have had good reason: Paige and I have just closed on the purchase of our first house!!

We are praising the Lord for His goodness to us through the entire process. It is quite the improvement from the apartment which we were rapidly outgrowing with our continual accumulation of "stuff" (books, furniture, decorative pieces, books, and more books). We are completely excited to be proud homeowners as we near the 2-year mark of marriage (7/16).

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lam. 3:22-23

We look forward to many joyful years in this home. Our hope is that this home may be a place where we grow closer together in our marriage, raise obedient children who come to know Christ, and serve and show hospitality to others, all to the glory of our great God.

Luther Myths

2007-07-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

James Swan recently posted on AOMin.org a series of Martin Luther myths--debunked. Some of these are just plain funny!

Here is a sample:

Luther's Evangelical Breakthrough Occurred in the Bathroom
Luther's Hymns Were Originally Tavern Songs
Luther Spoke in Tongues
Luther Was a Drunk

Check it out ...You may be enlightened!

Ruth Bell Graham's Promotion to Glory

2007-06-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today Ruth Bell Graham, the beloved wife of Reverend Billy Graham, went to be with her Savior in Glory. For more complete information, visit Between Two Worlds.

Thanks to Justin Taylor for his post on this topic.

Songs for the Ages

2007-06-07T15:33:00.001-07:00

Music and lyrics have been an essential part of Christianity since it's conception. Even before Christ's bodily existence on earth, the Old Testament people understood the importance of singing in worship. As Paul admonishes the New Testament Christians in Colossae,
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

I am thankful that God has placed me within a congregation which seeks to adhere to the idea of worshipping the Lord through the singing of "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs." I am thankful for our church leaders and their discernment in this area. In a day when music in worship is such a divisive subject for many churchgoers, it is good to know that there are indeed those church bodies which seek to follow God's principles of corporately worshipping Him. Reformed Baptists in particular are well-known for their keen sensitivity to the Word of God in this subject. Growing up in a Reformed Baptist church, I believe that the Bible alone should be our guide for what is acceptable in worship. It only makes sense, doesn't it, that God's own Word should provide the standards for what the way God wants to be worshipped by His people? Of course.

I have heard many good brothers and sisters of mine tell me that they too are a part of a reformed church. In hearing this, I always get excited for there are relatively few truly "reformed" churches out there. And yet I have come to the point where I no longer get my hopes up. Too often when people say they are reformed, what they really mean is "Calvinistic."
There IS a difference.

We have friends who call themselves "Charismatic Calvinists." Without going into much detail in this post, let me just say that it is oxymoronic to be both Reformed and Charismatic. Simply put, Reformed theology involves full subscription to a confession of faith which also puts forth the Regulative Principle of Worship. The Regulative Principle of Worship (RPW) is contrary to a belief in modern revelatory gifts such as speaking in tongues and ongoing prophesy. Additionally, the RPW goes against the modern methods of individual church congregations deciding what is right in worship.

Here is an exerpt from the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America's (ARBCA) position paper on the RPW:

The regulative principle emphasizes the instituted elements of worship as the priority. Scripture reading, significant exposition of Scripture, prayers, congregational singing, the sacraments, etc., mark the priority of worship according to the regulative principle. Worship according to the regulative principle examines the order, elements, priorities, and musical selections from a regulated biblical perspective. It does not reject an old hymn simply because it is old nor does it reject new hymns and songs simply because they are new. Reformed hymnology was “new” when it was instituted. Worship according to the regulative principle does not jump on the bandwagon of high church liturgy, exclusive Psalmody, contemporary music, or normative additions of any kind from the motive of personal tastes. It examines the order, elements, priorities, and musical selections from a regulated biblical perspective. God regulates his worship. Worship is prescribed and commanded, and the elements of his worship are revealed. . . .

In determining what music is acceptable in worship, we must acknowledge that the words that we sing ought to be as biblical as the prayers that we pray and the words that we preach. As we study the psalms we generally note that they possess certain qualities: God-centeredness, dignity, biblical ideas, theme, order, resolution, etc. The hymns and songs we sing should follow that pattern.

Our church regularly uses the Trinity Hymnal (Baptist Edition) in worship. This hymnal also includes many psalms. To add to our wealth of music resources, we have also embraced a good handful of modern hymns (1900's--present day) and Scripture songs.

In conclusion, music is an important part of worship to God. Therefore, it should be an important part of worship to us as well. There are so many good resources out there to highlight reformed hymnody. I hope to post more on this topic in the future. But for now, check out this short slideshow of Christians around the world singing to the Lord from their hymnals. Keep on singing!

Which Is Worse?...

2007-05-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

Movies with all-out nudity and explicit sex scenes . . . OR . . . Movies with smoking and unhealthy food-eating?

Now the latter may receive a harsher rating than the prior.

Read it for yourself!

What strange, sad times these are. Welcome to relativism/non-absolutism/post-modernism at its best.

(Should I be laughing or crying. I do not know.)

Christ-Follower VS. Christian

2007-05-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

I found this funny.

Shed Not Tears For My Poor Soul

2007-05-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem six years ago after a long struggle for assurance of my salvation. My thoughts as I look back: Thank you, Jesus!

Shed Not Tears for My Poor Soul
(To Mother)

Shed not your precious tears for me:
My heart, my body, nor my soul;
For I have found the remedy
To death itself, my self of old.

My sins were nailed upon a cross
So high and lofty, with Him they died.
My old self dead ‘neath dirt and moss,
And newly found joy with Him in Life.

Yet still I stumble when accosted
By the ghosts of days since past;
I often doubt and fear I’ve lost it,
The happy thrill I once held fast.

Further still I think of giving
Up all hope of reaching freedom;
But in His words continue living
I stand my ground and won’t succumb.

So see me not for my sad blunders,
View me not in shades of black.
But behold me under God’s grace-wonder
And catch me when I do fall back.

Shed not tears for my poor soul,
Though once bankrupt, now rich as gold.
Refrain, dear mother, now from your sorrow
To see the truth of yesterday’s ‘morrow:
Salvation today indwells my soul.

If We Are the Body...

2007-05-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

I recently heard a song by the band Casting Crowns which really hit home to me. The words speak about Christ’s church. "If We Are the Body" alludes to I Corinthians 12 where Paul writes in verse 12, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.” Here’s the song:

If We Are The Body

It's crowded in worship today
As she slips in trying to fade into the faces
The girl's teasing laughter is carrying farther than they know
Farther than they know

But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way

A traveler is far away from home
He sheds his coat and quietly sinks into the back row
The weight of their judgmental glances
Tells him that his chances are better out on the road

Jesus paid much too high a price
For us to pick and choose who should come
And we are the body of Christ

Jesus is the way

Therefore, if we are the body…
“…Why aren't His arms reaching?”
Are we using our arms to reach out and pull people into our churches on Sunday mornings? Are we embracing them in love when they come, especially when they probably feel out of place and uncomfortable? Are we doing our part to welcome them? Are we being like Christ and truly loving the sinner?

Too often I observe even in my own congregation on Sunday mornings at least a few people who continually keep to themselves and their own small group of confidants. These professing believers fail to get out of their circles of familiarity and extend hospitality to newcomers. Thus, these individuals are hindered in the greater fellowship of believers and hamper the outward demonstration of love that Christ desires within His body, the church.

Lord, let my arms reach far, faithfully, and lovingly.

“Why aren’t His words teaching?”
What sort of words are being preached from pulpits? What kind of words are being taught in small groups? Are they words of truth? Are they Biblical words? Are they words like “sin” and “conviction” and “repentance” and “justification through faith alone”?

Too many pastors fail to teach their congregations using the right words, the Bible’s words. Sin has become “mistakes;” conviction is just a strong feeling about something; repentance, if referred to at all, is no more than “saying sorry;” and justification through faith alone is almost an unused expression outside of reformed circles. Because of these watered-down vocabulary and definitions, churchgoers have a false view of biblical reality. It is time that each of us do our part in teaching ourselves and each other with the words of God:

“There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rm. 3:22-23)

“…Unless you repent, you too will all perish."(Lk. 13:5)

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out.” (Acts 3:19)

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Heb.10:23-25)

Lord, let my words boldly teach your Truth always.

“Why aren’t his feet going?”
Are we a missions-minded people? Do we heed the Great Commission and actively participate in evangelism? What are we doing to advance the Kingdom of Christ? Are we even praying about the global reach of Christ’s Church? Are we asking God to use us as instruments of evangelism for His glory and the expansion of His kingdom? And then are we using the opportunities He is daily giving us to talk to others about Him?

I don’t think that there is any Christian in the world who could say that he or she is doing the best they can do to tell others about Jesus. This is an area that everyone can do better in. I know that I am lacking in my zeal for missions. I may often talk highly about the subject, but when it comes to converting my thoughts and words into physical actions, I fall very short. I think the same goes for most Christians in the church. Thus, the church’s feet are standing motionless. May this be not so.

Lord, let my feet carry me to share the Gospel with those who don’t know You.

Home Team Shout-out

2007-05-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

GO SUNS!

Despite yesterday's disappointing game result, the Suns are playing very well as a team. With Steve Nash as the team's backbone and driving force, the Suns' chances at winning it all are very good. I appreciate and agree with Gene Wojciechowski's words on ESPN.com yesterday:

"The more Suns, the better."

At the very least, the Suns deliver a very entertaining show for every audience member. It is a team like this (reminicent of the '92-'93 Barkley/Johnson-led team) that reminds us how much fun basketball can be for both the athlete and the fan. Keep it up, Phoenix!

Authentic Christianity, Part 2

2007-04-30T22:15:00.000-07:00

What did Jesus mean when he said, “By their fruit you will recognize them”? The idea being put forth is that of evidence. James describes authentic Christianity like this: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (1:27) James also writes this about true faith that is demonstrated by visible works. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.” (2:18) This faith, this religion, is proven true based in part on the evidence of a person’s life, words, and actions. Once again, J.C. Ryle writes these important words:

The Lord Jesus bids you "occupy." By that He means that you are to be "a doer" in your Christianity, and not merely a hearer and professor. He wants His servants not only to receive His wages, and eat His bread, and dwell in His house, and belong to His family,—but also to do His work. You are to "let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works." (Matt. v.16.) Have you faith? It must not be a dead faith: it must "work by love." (Gal. v. 6.) Are you elect? You are elect unto "obedience." (1 Pet. i. 2.) Are you redeemed? You are redeemed that you may be "a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Tit. ii. 14.) Do you love Christ? Prove the reality of your love by keeping Christ's commandments. (John xiv. 15.) Oh, reader, do not forget this charge to "occupy!" Beware of an idle, talking, gossiping, sentimental, do-nothing religion. Think not because your doings cannot justify you, or put away one single sin, that therefore it matters not whether you do anything at all. Away with such a delusion! Cast it behind you as an invention of the devil. Think of the house built upon the sand, and its miserable end. (Matt. vii. 24-27.) As ever you would "make your calling and election sure," be a doing Christian.

To summarize Ryle’s points here and elsewhere, here are five questions to test the authenticity of your own religion:

1. What place does religion occupy within you? Does love for God completely consume your entire being?

It is not enough that it is in your "head." You may know the truth, and assent to the truth, and believe the truth, and yet be wrong in God's sight.
It is not enough that it is on your "lips." You may say "Amen" to public prayer in church, and yet have nothing more than an outward religion. It is not enough that it is in your "feelings." You may weep under preaching one day, and be lifted to the third heaven by joyous excitement another day, and yet be dead to God. Your religion, if it is authentic, and given by the Holy Spirit, must be in your heart. It must hold the reins. It must sway the affections. It must lead the will. It must direct the tastes. It must influence the choices and decisions. It must fill the deepest, lowest, inmost seat in your soul. Is this your religion? If not, you may have good reason to doubt whether it is "authentic" and true. (Acts 8:21; Romans 10:10)

2. What are your feelings toward sin? Do you absolutely abhor it?

The Christianity which is from the Holy Spirit will always have a very deep view of the sinfulness of sin. It will not merely regard sin as a blemish and misfortune, which makes men and women objects of pity, and compassion. It will see in sin the abominable thing which God hates, the thing which makes man guilty and lost in his Maker's sight, the thing which deserves God's wrath and condemnation. It will look on sin as the cause of all sorrow and unhappiness, of strife and wars, of quarrels and contentions, of sickness and death--the curse which cursed God's beautiful creation, the cursed thing which makes the whole earth groan and struggle in pain. Above all, it will see in sin the thing which will ruin us eternally, unless we can find a ransom,--lead us captive, except we can get its chains broken,--and destroy our happiness, both here and hereafter, except we fight against it, even unto death. Is this your
religion? Are these your feelings about sin? If not, you should doubt whether your religion is "authentic."

3. What are your feelings toward Christ? Do you truly love Him?

Nominal religion may believe that such a person as Christ existed, and was a great helper to mankind. It may show Him some external respect, attend the celebration of the Lord's Supper, and bow the head at His name. But it will go no further. Authentic religion will make a man glory in Christ, as the Redeemer, the Deliverer, the Priest, the Friend, without whom he would have no hope at all. It will produce confidence in Him, love towards Him delight in Him, comfort in Him, as the mediator, the food, the light, the life, the peace of the soul. Is this your religion? Do you know anything of feelings like these toward Jesus Christ? If not, you have every reason to doubt whether your religion is "authentic."

4. What visible evidence is there of your religion?

The Christianity which is from above will always be known by its fruits.
It will produce in the man who has it repentance, faith, hope, love, humility, spirituality, kindness, self-denial, unselfishness, forgiving spirit, moderation, truthfulness, hospitality, and patience. The degree in which these various graces appear may vary in different believers. The germ and seeds of them will be found in all who are the children of God. By their fruits they will be known. Is this your religion? If not, you should doubt whether it is "authentic."

5. Do you participate in and enjoy the means of grace?

Prove it by the Sunday. Is that day a time of fatigue and pressure, or a delight and refreshment, and a sweet anticipation of the rest to come in heaven? Prove it by the public means of grace. What are your feelings about public prayer and public praise, about the public preaching of God's Word, and the administration of the Lord's Supper? Are they things to which you give a cold assent, and tolerate them as proper and correct? Or, are they things in which you take pleasure, and without which you could not be happy? Prove it, finally, by your feelings about private means of grace. Do you find it essential to your comfort to read the Bible regularly in private, and to speak to God in prayer? Or, do you find these practices boring, and either slight them, or neglect them altogether? These questions deserve your attention. If means of grace, whether public or private, are not as necessary to your soul as food and drink are to your body, you may well doubt whether your religion is "authentic."

With these questions of self-examination, may each professing Christian test the authenticity of his religion.

In conclusion, consider this encouraging admonishment from Ryle:

If there is anything which a man ought to do thoroughly, authentically, truly, honestly, and with all of his heart, it is the business of his soul. If there is any work which he ought never to slight, and do in a careless fashion, it is the great work of "working out his own salvation" (Philippians 2:12). Believer in Christ, remember this! Whatever you do in religion, do it well. Be authentic. Be thorough. Be honest. Be true.

[Ryle quotes taken from http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/PRACT3.TXT and http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/occupy_till_i_come.htm]

Authentic Christianity, Part I

2007-04-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have long contemplated the idea “reality.” It is indeed an intriguing concept to ponder: What is really real?

Within the Church, the Body of Christ, there continually exists the question of reality, or as J.C. Ryle (1816-1900) calls it, “authenticity.” Ryle confronts this question in his writings on “Authentic Religion” in which he begins,

What do I mean when I use the word "authentic?" I mean that which is genuine, and sincere, and honest, and thorough. I mean that which is not inferior, and hollow, and formal, and false, and counterfeit, and sham, and nominal. "Authentic" religion is not mere show, and pretense, and skin-deep feeling, and temporary profession, and works only on the outside. It is something inward, solid, substantial, intrinsic, living, lasting. We know the difference between counterfeit and authentic money--between solid gold and tinsel--between plated metal and silver--between authentic stone and plaster imitation. Let us think of these things as we consider the subject of this paper. What is the character of our religion? Is it authentic? It may be weak, and feeble, and mingled with many defects. That is not the point before us today. Is our religion authentic? Is it true?

I believe that there is far too much “benefit of the doubt” passed around within churches today. Apparently, Ryle thought the same of the churches of his day:

They call us unchristian, and harsh, and censorious, if we doubt anybody's goodness of heart. In short, they destroy the value of authenticity by regarding it as a thing, which almost every one has.This widespread delusion is precisely one of the causes why I take up this subject. I want men to understand that "authenticity" is a far more rare and uncommon thing than is commonly supposed. I want men to see that "unreality" is one of the great dangers of which Christians ought to beware.

I wish that I could say that we are far too kind within our churches to doubt another’s relationship with Christ, but I’m afraid the matter is worse. I think that in actuality we are far too unconcerned about others. The issue is apathy, not graciousness. Week after week we sit next to someone in our Sunday morning worship services. When was the last time any of us felt any amount of concern for the state of their souls? When was the last time we said to another, “How’s your walk?” Do we just pass them off as genuine believers without even asking them? [I will admit at this point that more than one issue needs to be addressed in this situation, such as the problem of believers being disconnected to the people and ministries of their churches. However, the issue at hand is “authenticity.”]

Anyone who has spent much time in the church or around professing Christians can attest to this sad but true fact: there are “fake Christians” among the true believers. They are identified in Scripture by a variety of names: “Hypocrites;” “Wolves;” “Pharisees;” “Snakes;” “Brood of vipers;” “Liars;” “White-washed sepulchers;” “Bad trees;” “Rocky soil.” As J.C. Ryle points out, Christ devoted more than a few parables to contrasting the true convert and the nominal disciple.

The parables of the sower, of the weeds, of the net, of the two sons, of the wedding garment, of the ten virgins, of the talents, of the great banquet, of the ten minas, of the two builders, all have one great point in common. They all bring out in striking colors the difference between authenticity and unreality in religion. They all show the uselessness and danger of any Christianity which is not authentic, thorough, and true.

Ryle continues by illustrating the breeding ground for hypocrites: the church.

How much religion among some members of the Church consists of "nothing but churchmanship!" They belong to the Established Church. They are baptized in her baptistery, married in her sanctuary, preached to on Sundays by her ministers. But the great doctrines and truths preached from her pulpits have no place in their hearts, and no influence on their lives. They neither think, nor feel, nor care, nor know anything about them. And is the religion of these people authentic Christianity? It is nothing of the kind. It is a cheap imitation. It is not the Christianity of Peter, and James, and John, and Paul. It is "Churchianity," and no more.

A perfect example of a good churchman, but not at all a Christian, is Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve original disciples of Christ. Judas was so good at playing the part of “disciple of Christ” that not even the eleven other disciples had any clue it was he who would betray their Lord. Judas healed the sick and drove out demons and performed many miracles all in the name of Jesus Christ, and yet on that Last Day, he will receive no reward, no mercy, no second chance when he hears the word of the just Judge saying to him, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' So it will also be for all those who profess to love Christ, but in their hearts deny and betray Him.

Jesus warned his disciples to beware of fake Christians who dress like Christians, talk like Christians, morally walk like Christians (Matthew 7:15-20). These individuals are nothing more than wolves who will harm the fold of Christ, His Church. As an aside, I also find it appropriate that Christ speaks about these fraudulent people in the context of the Narrow Way in Matthew 7:13-14. “For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Thus, even within our own congregations are found “the many” and “the few.” Those that will last, however, as we know, are the few who entered in at the gate, which is Christ, and continue on the narrow road that leads to the Celestial City.

All of this begs the question, “How can we know the wolves from the sheep?”

The answer is simple: “By their fruit you will recognize them.”

[Stay tuned for Part II...Coming Soon!]

Ryle quotes taken from http://www.biblebb.com/files/ryle/PRACT3.TXT

"Hardcore Christian"

2007-04-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

A co-worker of mine was recently talking to one of his friends about me and in his story referred to me as "a really hardcore Christian." When he related the discussion to me using the same terminology, it got me thinking.

What is a "hardcore Christian"?

I think that in the way my friend used the expression, he was meaning to say, "this guy actually practices what he professes." I can be fairly sure of this translation due to the context in which he was talking about me. We had discussed movies and how there are certain films that I will not see because they fall short of meeting the definition of true art which glorifies God. He also mentioned how I go to church every Sunday, and more than that, he knows how very involved I am in the local body of believers. He knows that I can go to Happy Hour after work with him and the gang for a little while, throw back a few beers, but not get drunk out of loving obedience to the Lord. Moreso, I make a conscious effort not to be rude, proud, or overly judgmental; I'm not legalistic.

Yet he knows where I stand on religion and politics. By the strength of Christ within me, I do not fear talking about Him and His Word. I do not back down or concede in the midst of argument, but defend what I hold to be true with as much gentleness, respect, and knowledge that God's grace has granted me. Nor am I a "Bible-thumping, religious wierdo." I try to stay as down-to-earth as possible while continually remaining heavenly minded.

This is part of what it means to bear fruit. Those who come in contact with the true Christian should say, "Aren't you one of Jesus' disciples?"...or, "Hey, you're one of those hardcore Christians, aren't you?" Let us not be like the ashamed Peter who denied his Lord three times, but let us seek to be like the enboldened Peter on the Day of Pentecost who spoke mightily of the Lord before all the people:

Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.
Acts 2:36

And whether the name-calling is said with disdain or not, bear it with honor, dear fellow pilgrim. Wear the name of Christ as it were the beautiful robe of a King. After all, our filthy rags have been stripped away, and we have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

I delight greatly in the LORD;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Isaiah 61:10

So I guess that I don't mind being called a hardcore Christian after all. If a nonbeliever sees the evidence of true regeneration in my life, then may the Lord be praised and doors be opened for the enlargement of His Kingdom!

Post Scriptum:
Although I used myself as an example in this one instance, I am no way setting myself above anyone else; neither am I intending to exhibit pride for my life or deeds. Instead, let my life be a testament of God's grace alone and the work of the Holy Spirit in my heart. Without Christ I am nothing. SDG!

Good Friday

2007-04-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

The following is a message that I delivered at Grace Covenant Church at the 2005 Good Friday service. It has been mildly edited for the purpose of this blog. --DG

‘When he received the drink, Jesus said,
“It is finished.”
With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’

It has been said that these words were
“The greatest words ever uttered by the Greatest Man who ever lived!”

Allow me to briefly set the stage: Just over 33 years before these words were spoken, an angel named Gabriel was sent from heaven to a young virgin girl in Nazareth in Galilee. Gabriel told this girl, who we know was called Mary, something that greatly troubled and confused her. But the angel comforted Mary and said, “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High!...” And to Mary’s betrothed, a man named Joseph of the line of David, the angel spoke, “Do not fear...that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins!” And so it was as the angel Gabriel had said.

As the years passed, this baby named Jesus, from the town of Nazareth, grew and became a man. At the right time, He called twelve men out from their professions to forsake all to follow him and become his disciples. He began to travel and testify to others about God and himself. He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, even raised the dead to life....and then on a day which we refer to today as Palm Sunday, as Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, we see what is likely the biggest false profession of faith in history, as the Jews there waved their palm branches high and threw there coats at his feet shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna!”

Just five days later, those same people were standing on those same Jerusalem streets, but this time, there were no palm branches in their clenched fists and no shouts of joyful celebration. Instead, Jesus met a mob of his accusers and murderers. This time they shouted “Crucify him! Crucify him!” and it was done as they requested.

As we look at the Apostle John’s account of the last moments of Christ before His death, we are told that Jesus spoke three important words, “It is finished.” In the Greek text, however, the phrase actually just one word: tetelestai.

“IT...IS...FINISHED!” and he died there on that tree.

The question that is begged is simply, “WHAT is ‘finished’?”...

Well, I believe that Scripture clearly shows us elsewhere, outside of this passage in John, exactly what Christ meant when He made this proclamation.

Here we are going to look at 3 ways in which Jesus Christ finished the job.

I. He fulfilled prophesy.

Matthew Henry: "[At the moment of this utterance], The hatred of his persecutors had done its worst!" They had finished their evil deed of crucifying a faultless man.

But what many, if not all of his persecutors did not realize was that they were playing a huge role in fulfilling Old Testament prophesy.

The first prophetic words in the Bible were given by God Himself in the Garden:

Genesis 3:15—“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and hers; and he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.”

Though God was specifically addressing the serpent here, He said it for Adam and Eve to hear the promise He was making so that in this they could hear the hint of grace and see the door of hope opened to them in spite of their tremendous fall from perfection. We are also led to understand that it was by faith in this promise that the patriarchs were justified—they believed God’s promise of a Savior to be true.

And now, here in our passage in John, we see the fulfillment of this promise—the seed of the woman was Jesus. And we can see as Christ hung on the cross with nails through both of his feet that Satan had now truly struck and bruised his heel. But at the same time, when Christ said “It is finished,” and he gave up his spirit, he put the head of Satan under his foot, and I believe that on the Last Day, He will crush him forever!

He fulfilled the first prophecy in the Bible in three simple words, “It is finished!”

Elsewhere in the Old Testament, we see prophesy pointing to the crucifixion of Christ.

Isaiah 53:5—“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
(also Psalms 22 and John 3:14-15; 12:32-33)

When Christ said, “It is finished,” he was saying, “All of the types and prophesies of the Old Testament pointing to the sufferings of the Messiah, I have now accomplished and answered.”

It is finished!

II. He did the will of His Father.

Just a year ago a motion picture came to movie theaters that caused quite a stir in Hollywood

and around the world. The movie, of course, was The Passion of the Christ. Before its World Premiere, a number of outspoken Jews criticized the film for being anti-Semitic because it portrayed the Jewish people as the ones responsible for Christ’s crucifixion. Obviously, those offended Semites had not read the New Testament Gospel account very closely! And I wondered also why the Italians were not speaking out because it likewise portrayed the Roman soldiers as rude and violent and torturous, and just as responsible for putting Christ on that cross.

At the center of the controversy was the movie’s creator, a very wealthy and charismatic Catholic man named Mel Gibson. In a post-premiere television interview with Gibson, Dianne Sawyer asked him a very pointed question, “So who is responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus?”

Gibson gave a reply to the effect of, “Well, we all are; I am, you are, everyone is responsible for the death of Jesus.” While I was surprised and initially pleased with his bold response and agree with it from one perspective, I think that we need to consider a greater, ultimate perspective.

We must realize that the death of Christ was on one hand, the doing of sinful men while on the other hand, at the same time, the will of God the Father. Christ could have in an instance leaped from the cross upon which He hung and swept every last one of his murderers into hell! But he didn’t!

When Jesus gave his disciples the Lord’s Prayer—a prayer by which to pray by—he prayed to His Father, “Thy will be done.” And now, it was as if he was saying, “Thy will IS done!” Christ told his disciples in John 4:34,“My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work.” He was on a mission from the Almighty, a divine, heavenly errand which only He could complete! Later on in Acts we see that the whole thing was part of God’s plan and purpose:
Acts 2:23—“This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge...”

What an amazing God we have who would love us enough to give up His only Son to die for us! And what an amazing Savior we have who would do the will of His Father, though it meant humiliating Himself as a man and dying a torturous death on the cross! Thank God it is finished!

III. He finished the work of atonement. (John 19:30)

First, Christ did not come to merely set us an example. In his book, Manly Dominion, author and pastor Mark Chanski shows his readers how Christ was a good example for men to imitate and follow:

He lived his life serving and helping others, while simultaneously, He was the greatest leader to ever live!
He was obedient to God in all circumstances.
He was patient in suffering and affliction.
He was humble.
He was loving.
He set the standard for love by His own sacrifice.
Et cetera.

Throughout history there have always been those who refuse to see Christ as anything more than a good man and a wise Jewish teacher. They’ll say he was a role model, a good example, an icon of morality, but they will refuse to accept Him for who he really is!

In his gospel account, John gets to the point right off the top: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”

I was teaching this to my third and fourth grade Sunday School class just a few months ago, and they came to understand that the “Word” that John speaks of here is the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, God’s only Son! And we need to accept that Jesus is not only the Son of God, but is God Himself, otherwise, His atonement was useless and empty.

In the final hours leading up to Jesus’ death, he faced, what Chanski calls, “wholesale desertion.” First, one of his own twelve closest friends betrayed him for a meager 30 pieces of silver. Then, in the Garden, in the moments of extreme mental and emotional agony, his disciples slept while he prayed, and once they woke, they fled. Then one of his dearest disciples, Simon Peter, denied—not once, not twice, but THREE times—that he even knew this man named Jesus!

But the ultimate desertion came at Christ’s darkest hour—as he hung upon the cross under the unbearable weight of the sins of you and I as the sole object of His Father’s wrath. But it was at that moment of Christ’s death that mankind’s liberation from the bondage of sin was procured by a merciful Lord!

Spurgeon: The last word but one, "It is finished." There is the complete justification of the believer, since the work by which he is accepted is fully accomplished.

He hung there until His Father’s will was accomplished, until his errand was completed, until his chore was done, until His people had been redeemed, until He said resolutely, “IT...IS...FINISHED!”

Philip Graham Ryken: When Christ said, “It is finished,” he was not merely uttering a sigh of relief or a moan of resignation...He was announcing a victorious proclamation: “IT IS FINISHED!”

Secondly, He came to deliver us from the wrath of God and to take away our sins.

(Romans 1:18, 3:21-26, 5:6-11) When John the Baptist proclaimed in John 1:29, “Behold, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,” he was giving Christ more than a name or title. He was supplying us with a wonderful description of Jesus the Messiah!

In the Old Testament, the priests would shed the blood of animals which symbolized a covering of one’s sins. But Christ’s death and the shedding of his blood did much more than cover the sins of sinners, it took their sins away entirely!

Matthew Henry says that with Christ’s statement, “It is finished,” came an end to transgression and the bringing in of an everlasting righteousness to those who call upon His name!

Many people have criticized Christianity for holding the cross in such high esteem. They see the cross as a symbol of death and suffering; but as Christians we look at the cross and see life! “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.”

Hebrews 9.27-28—"Just as it is appointed for man to die once and then to face judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for Him!"

He came and died once to bear our sins on himself, and after that...It Is Finished!

APPLICATION:

Hebrews 12:1b-2—“...And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We must understand that as Christians, we have been called of God to live a life holy and pleasing to him. We have been called out of our worldly pasts, out of our sinful lives, to be lights that reflect the Glory of God! However, it is important for us to acknowledge that this was not of our own choosing! If it were left to us, as many professing believers believe that it is, we would still be clinging to our much-loved sinful flesh, doing the works of evil, in complete rebellion to God’s Law, and under the full condemnation of God’s judgment! But God, in his infinite mercy and grace, decided before the foundation of the world, before the beginning of time and space, to call a people for His own, not by anything good in themselves, but entirely because it pleased Him to do so!

Though the Christian life is long and hard and full of trials and temptations, Christ said it: “It is finished!” God, through the death and resurrection of His Son, has given us an object to put our faith in, a faith that He Himself initiates in us and carries out to completion! He gave us this promise in I Thes. 5:24—“He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it!”

Let me share with you a quick story that Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on John, gives. It’s the story of a rather eccentric evangelist who was once approached by a young man. The young man asked the evangelist flippantly, “What must I do to be saved?”The evangelist was quick to respond, “It’s too late!” and continued what he was doing. Naturally surprised, the boy asked, “Do you mean that it’s too late for me to be saved?!... Isn’t there something that I can do?!?”

“Too late,” said the evangelist. “It’s already been done...Now just believe!”

To the unbeliever: There is no one work or series of works that you could do that would add to the one work that Christ finished that day on Calvary! Just as “money can’t buy you love,” money can’t buy you heaven! Nothing can get you to heaven, save the righteousness of Jesus.

Anything that we in our own devices may attempt to do to earn our own salvation is done in vain. WHY?—Because Scripture says that all of our deeds are sinful, like filthy rags before Him who is holy.

But consider Jesus Christ, the spotless Lamb of God, who came to earth as a baby boy, lived a life of perfection, and then died a faultless man at the hands of angry sinners just like you and I! It was for you that He came! It was for you that he suffered! It was for you that he poured out his life unto death and rose again on the third day! Put your faith in Jesus! Turn from your sins with a repentant and sorrow-filled heart and call upon the name of the only one who saves you, the name of Jesus Christ!

And to you, dear Christian, take comfort here in that you do not have to work for your own salvation—It has already been worked out for you! Even if you tried your best to work toward heaven, as some teach that we can do, you would fall miserably short and would only find eternal death and damnation as the fruit of your labors! Stop trying to win His favor! Stop trying to climb to heaven! Jesus has already climbed that mountain for you and at the end of your life, He’ll carry you to the top with him!

In conclusion dear friends, when Christ cried, “Tetelestai!......It is Finished!” he sealed our pardon with his blood. It was all done. There was no more pain to be inflicted upon this spotless lamb. He had suffered all that the Father willed, and now He died with the weight of the sins of the world upon His back.

It had been completed. The law and prophesies of the Old Testament had been fulfilled perfectly throughout his life, and now, ultimately in his death.

The debt had been paid. The holiness and justice of God demanded a penalty for Adam’s sin; and now Christ, the one and only Son of God, had paid that ransom which relieved men from God’s eternal judgment.

The door had been opened. Now there was a way for sinners to directly meet with God the Father through God the Son. At Christ’s death, the curtain in the temple tore, symbolizing a new-found access to the very throne room of the Almighty. Christ became the new High Priest and Mediator between God and man.

And it could not be reversed. The death of Christ was once-and-for-all! It was a perfect, eternal atonement that could not and need not be altered or added to. Praise God for His Infinite Love!

The Captain of our Souls has already won the Victory! And on that Last Day, the trumpets will blare, the clouds will part, and Christ, the Servant-King, will ride triumphantly threw the ranks of His servants and will take each faithful follower up into Heaven to eternally live with Him!

He speaks now from on high,

“Behold, I am coming soon!

My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

I am the Alpha and the Omega,

the First and the Last,

the Beginning and the End.”

It is finished, indeed! Amen.

Effects of Democrat's Military Cutbacks

2007-04-05T16:25:00.000-07:00

Mesa Temple Pageant Woes

2007-04-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

Over the last nine years during the week before Easter, I have stood with the Alpha and Omega Ministry guys on the sidewalks around the Mormon Temple here in Mesa sharing the Gospel with our Mormon friends and neighbors. This year, however, I have consciously decided to refrain from heading out to Main Street and Hobson due to my recently acquired relationships with some LDS friends.

Every year was slightly different. Over the nine years I attended, I remember many different moments: the Roman Soldier "Brute Squad;" the black tar put on the grate; the Samoan mammoths who physically surrounded me; the man who threw 4 large Arby's sodas on us; the teenagers who I was able to share with on youth night; Dizzy ("Yo tengo gozo!"); and the thousands and thousands of lost souls who will no longer even have the opportunity to hear the gospel presented to them by the caring hearts of true Christians at the pageant.

According to a post that James White put up on his blog this evening, last night was the last time Alpha and Omega Ministries will attend the Mormon Temple Easter Pageant in Mesa, Arizona. For James' reasoning on this, please visit Alpha and Omega's website HERE.

Thanks for your 23.5 year ministry to the Mesa Mormons, James, Rich, and the rest of the crew at A&O!

One final note:
James White remarks that he had witnessed at the Mesa Easter Pageant since his first time in 1983. I like to remind James that I was born in 1983. I think it really makes him feel good and young!

The Gospel in a Hymn

2007-03-30T06:38:00.000-07:00

"Not What My Hands Have Done"

by Horatius Bonar

Not what my hands have done can save my guilty soul;

Not what my toiling flesh has borne can make my spirit whole.

Not what I feel or do can give me peace with God;

Not all my prayers and sighs and tears can bear my awful load.

Your voice alone, O Lord, can speak to me of grace;

Your power alone, O Son of God, can all my sin erase.

No other work but Yours, no other blood will do;

No strength but that which is divine can bear me safely through.

Thy work alone, O Christ, can ease this weight of sin;

Thy blood alone, O Lamb of God, can give me peace within.

Thy love to me, O God, not mine, O Lord, to Thee,

Can rid me of this dark unrest, And set my spirit free.

I bless the Christ of God; I rest on love divine;

And with unfaltering lip and heart I call this Savior mine.

His cross dispels each doubt; I bury in His tomb

Each thought of unbelief and fear, each lingering shade of gloom.

I praise the God of grace; I trust His truth and might;

He calls me His, I call Him mine, My God, my joy and light.

’Tis He Who saveth me, and freely pardon gives;

I love because He loveth me, I live because He lives.

Blair's Stand: "No Quid Pro Quo"

2007-03-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

While Britain is no Israel, at least they are willing to stand their ground for their captured soldiers in Iran.

(Israel would have already rescued their soldiers, bombed the heck out of Tehran just to teach them a lesson, and hopefully killed Ahmadinejad in the process!)

15 Royal Navy personnel were captured by the Iranian government last week based upon faulty charges by the Iranians that the sailors were illegally inside Iranian waterways. Britain's Ministry of Defense can prove otherwise.

Now Iran wants to charge the sailors with espionage, an offense punishable by execution.

Now it is time for the prisoners to be released. Iran is an extremist regime led by a wacked-out Muslim terrorist and they have no right to hold the British sailors. I'm hoping that if the prisoners are not released promptly, Blair sends in the SAS to get them. I would like to think that we would do similar for our soldiers.

Blair seems resolved on this issue:

"The important thing for us is to get them back safe and sound, but we can't enter into some basis of bargaining," Blair said. "What you have to do when you are engaged with people like the Iranian regime, you have to keep explaining to them, very patiently, what it is necessary to do and at the same time make them fully aware there are further measures that will be taken if they're not prepared to be reasonable.

"What you can't do is end up negotiating over hostages; end up saying there's some quid pro quo or tit for tat; that's not acceptable," he said.

Gettysburg Without Chamberlain

2007-03-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

Imagine the Battle of Gettysburg without the leadership and courage of men such as Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamerlain of the 20th Maine Infantry, a.k.a., the Lion of the Round Top. Thanks to Chamberlain's quick-thinking strategic maneuver and bold stand in the face of defeat, the Union Army held their important position atop Little Round Top on July 2, 1865, and in part turned the tide of the battle which turned the tide of the Civil War. Without Chamberlain's efforts on that fateful day, it is unknown whether or not the North would have won the war.

As Hugh Hewitt points out in a recent article, the Republican party is currently in need of a Joshua Chamberlain in Congress to stand the high ground on Iraq and defend the purpose.

Here is Hewitt's insightful yet discouraging read about the current state of the GOP.

Blogs

2007-03-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

Hugh Hewitt was right about blogs!...More and more they are becoming an incredible wealth of information and opinion. As Hewitt called it, it's the "'Information Reformation' that's changing your world." Here are just two links to Blogs in the national headlines:

Bush Cites Baghdad Bloggers...Even the President recognizes the importance of bloggers.

A Blogger's Code of Conduct...good idea or bad idea??

What do YOU think?!

It Isn't the Church, It's You!

2007-03-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

If you want to have the kind of a church
Like the kind of a church you like,
You needn't slip your clothes in a grip
And start on a long, long hike.
You'll only find what you left behind,
For there's nothing really new.
It's a knock at yourself when you knock your church;
It isn't the church--it's you.

When everything seems to be going wrong,
And trouble seems everywhere brewing;
Just take a look at yourself and say,
"What's the use of being blue?"
Are you doing your "bit" to make things "hit"?
It isn't the church--it's you.

It's really strange sometimes, don't you know,
That things go as well as they do,
When we think of the little--the very small mite--
We add to the work of the few.
We sit, and stand round, and complain of what's done,
And do very little but fuss.
Are we bearing our share of the burdens to bear?
It isn't the church--it's us.

So, if you want to have the kind of church
Like the kind of a church you like,
Put off your guile, and put on your best smile,
And hike, my brother, just hike,
To the work in hand that has to be done--
The work of saving a few.
It isn't the church that is wrong, my boy;
It isn't the church--it's you.

--Anonymous

March 15th

2007-03-15T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today is the Ides of March. (Whatever that means!)

5 years ago today things changed in my life.

March 15^th, 2002, was a Friday: the last day of spring break. I had just returned home from lunch with my mom and brother. I walked in the door and saw the answering machine light flashing. I pressed the button to check the messages. There was only one. It was my dad.

In the eighteen years of my life up to that point, I had seen my dad cry less than four times. He was a strong pillar in our family. But this time, without even seeing his face, I could hear his voice shaking and could imagine the tears welling in his eyes as he spoke his recorded message. “I just got a call from Dan’s brother Pat. Dan was in a terrible accident about an hour ago. He didn’t survive. The worst part is, the driver of the other vehicle was Dan’s older brother Ray.”

The words “He didn’t survive” were a devastating echo in my mind. “He didn’t survive.” This was the day after I was forced to say goodbye to my girlfriend, not knowing when I’d see her again (because she and her family were moving away to Kansas), and now I was forced to say goodbye to another dear, dear friend, never to see him again in this life.

Dan Mehan was thirty years old the day he was killed. He had been the music leader at our church for the previous five years. He was also my personal vocal coach, mentor, and a close friend. Just the previous summer, Dan and I were co-leaders on a mission trip to Mazatlan, Mexico. The circumstances surrounding his death were bizarre; his own brother was the instrument that sent Dan to eternity. However, there was great peace knowing Dan was now singing with choirs of angels in heaven. Less than two weeks before his death, Dan admitted to a friend that he had finally come to a point in his life where he felt that if God wanted to take him home, he was ready. Dan struggled with the fact that he was thirty and had never been married. But just before he died, Dan saw a glimpse of God’s plan. After he died, the rest of us saw the bigger picture.

There were over a thousand people at Dan’s funeral. Like with the death of my great-grandma, I was compelled to write a song after receiving news of Dan’s passing in honor of Dan and the God he loved. I was asked by Dan’s mother, Rosie, to play and sing this at his funeral. I did with humble gladness. I struggled with the rest of the semester that year. I was a senior looking forward to graduating, but found it difficult to find as much happiness in my life as I had felt when Paige was near and Dan was alive.

Here is the song that I wrote 5 years ago, "Danny's Song":

Oh Danny Boy, we'll miss you friend
And though you're gone I know we'll meet again.
Now you're home and you feel fine,
And all things work in God's time.

You're finally home, you've made it before us,
But we'll meet you there somewhere down the road.
But Dan, we know you won't wait for us
To bow in praise before the throne.

You're singing now with a choir of angels
With a voice that's even greater than the one you shared with us!

And you sing,
Hallelujah to a sovereign God
Who loves us in life and is with us in our deaths;
Creator, Sustainer, and Taker of life--
Let His holy name be blessed!

Oh Danny Boy, it's hard to let you go--
Our eyes will cry but our minds know
Though it seems you're lost, you're finally found
In His arms, on solid ground.

Fear no more, and goodbye pain!
Life and joy evermore the same.
Eternal rest and pleasant songs
Sung by you with angelic throngs.

You're singing now with a choir of angels
With a voice that's even greater than the one you shared with us!

And you sing,
Hallelujah to a sovereign God
Who loves us in life and is with us in our deaths;
Creator, Sustainer, and Taker of life--
Let His holy name be blessed!

While you lived, Christ lived in you;
He was your God, your Savior, too.
And now in Christ you live again
This time dwelling in heaven.
And to Jesus you sing...

Hallelujah to a sovereign God
Who loves us in life and is with us in our deaths;
Creator, Sustainer, and Taker of life--
Let His holy name be blessed!

Death

2007-03-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

For those who know me best, you probably know that the subject of death is one that I actually enjoy thinking about and discussing because, in part, it causes me to think about my life, my God, and the destiny that awaits me.

This last week John Piper's father passed from this world into another. Today, his soul rests in heaven.

As I read what Piper wrote concerning his father's last moments on earth and his own personal thoughts at the time of his dad's death--and thereafter--I was deeply moved. More importantly, I was encouraged. It made me think about how much of an impact Christian parents can have upon their children, and how their children may be used of God. I think about men like John Piper who have been used of God to preach, shepherd, write, and teach for the advancement of Christ's kingdom; and I think about the parents of men like these. While some of the parents of great Christian leaders are/were not believers, many men--like Augustine, Spurgeon, Piper, etc.--did have parents who were faithful to introduce their children to a knowledge of Jesus Christ and pray diligently for God to save them. These children grew up to call their parents blessed.

Please take a minute to read Piper's account of his father's death:

Tuesday, March 6, 2007. 2 a.m.

The big hospital clock in room 4326 of Greenville Memorial Hospital said, with both hands straight up, midnight. Daddy had just taken his last breath. My watch said 12:01, March 6, 2007.

I had slept a little since his last morphine shot at ten. One ear sleeping, one on the breathing. At 11:45, I awoke. The breaths were coming more frequently and were very shallow. I will not sleep again, I thought. For ten minutes, I prayed aloud into his left ear with Bible texts and pleadings to Jesus to come and take him. I had made this case before, and this time felt an unusual sense of partnership with Daddy as I pressed on the Lord to relieve this warrior of his burden.

Read the rest of the story here.

Zodiac Movie Reviews

2007-03-08T16:45:00.000-08:00

Typically I like to write my own reviews of movies that I've recently seen. However, I came across the following review of Zodiac and found it very insightful and close to my own thoughts of the film.

What would you do if you knew who a serial killer was, but the circumstantial evidence, however strong, was not enough to bring that person to justice? What if you were dealing with a case that had gone cold some time ago, with police exhausting all their leads and options? What if only you were obsessed and persistent enough to pursue this to the end? What if you would have to lose your marriage in order to bring this person to justice? What if your obsession doesn’t find resolution?
Such is the very remarkable story of Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist for a San Francisco newspaper beginning in the late 60s who would not let this matter drop and ended up writing two best selling books on the Zodiac killer. Jake Gylenhaal does a compelling job of portraying this truly obsessed man’s quest for the truth of this matter even after the police had long since given up hope.
The story begins in 1968 when there is a grisly double murder in Vallejo California, and carries on with numerous killings in San Francisco and elsewhere. The killer sends coded messages to the San Francisco Chronicle which Robert is able to decode. We are regaled with Marvin Beli the famous lawyer who goes on TV to try to talk the killer into giving himself up-- all to no avail. But an important clue is given one day when the killer calls Beli. A clue missed by the police is only much later picked up by Robert. In painfully slow fashion the evidence mounts and points in a particular direction.

Continue reading Zodiac review here.

Fearing God

2007-03-07T06:42:00.000-08:00

My wife Paige has an uncle and aunt--Bill and Naomi Hayes--who are traveling ministers/evangelists. We were blessed last year to have been able to spend some time with them while they were here ministering to churches in the Valley of the Sun. While Bill preaches mostly within Assembly of God and Pentecostal circles, he is the first to admit that his message is not typical among many Pentecostal preachers. He preaches themes like "Sin," "Repentance," and "Fearing God." He cuts away the fat to get to the meat and preaches the raw truths of Scripture to people, many of whom are used to having their ears tickled with positive, self-esteem-building words.

The following is an email I received last week from Bill on the topic of Fearing God.

Here we are in the Bahamas, more precisely Nassau, where all the hoopla of the Anna Nicole Smith saga is being acted out. I can hardly get any other news on TV than endless reporting of the body and the baby. Who has the jurisdiction of the body and who is the father? It was reported on one of the cable networks that this is what the people want to see and hear in the news; in fact it has doubled some of the stations’ ratings. One network said 80% of Americans are deeply interested in this story. Does that tell us something about our culture today in America?

A repeated statement by news outlets, “Let her be buried next to her son in the Bahamas, so she will find that rest and peace in death that alluded her in life.” What a pagan way of looking at life and death. Jesus gives no such comfort! In Luke 12:18-21 Christ gives us a glimpse of the result of a wrong connotation placed on prosperity,

“And he told them this parable…a certain rich man said, this is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I'll say to myself, 'You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.' 20 But God said to him, 'you fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 21 This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (NIV)

Here is another example from Luke 16:19ff-- "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day… 22 the rich man also died and was buried. 23 In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away.” Rest in peace! How is it possible? Too late! As the writer of Hebrews states in Heb 9:27 “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (KJV)

Is it surprising how easy we have made it for men to enter the kingdom of God in modern times? No need for a radical new birth, “Except a man be born again he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” No need for “REPENTANCE.” Jesus said, “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” The first word of the Gospel! What we have today is a new version of “Cheap grace,” a phrase used by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in describing the German evangelical posture during the rise of Hitler. Here is a quote from Bonhoeffer:

“The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ. Such a man knows that the call to discipleship is a gift of grace, and that the call is inseparable from the grace. But those who try to use this grace as a dispensation from following Christ are simply deceiving themselves.”

Here in the Bahamas the church, the nation, and even the schools are very religious, “evangelical religious.” They can even pray and read the Bible in the public schools and do! But what do they have to show for it? A nation where crime is even higher then America, the murder rate nearly four times higher then the U.S. Sunday morning a pastor of a Baptist church, four robbers kicked open his door, took everything he had, shot him through the heart while his wife and twin daughters watched. Here is a country where STD’s are rampant and HIV is one of the highest in the west. Where single parented families are the norm, the fathers are not deadbeat dads but “Millstone men,” and yes “Millstone women” too. (Read what Jesus said a millstone man is in Matt. 18:5 & 10.) We in America are embracing a similar “cheap grace” Christianity. The most popular preaching centers in, “Your Best Life Now.” Barbara Walters, in a recent interview with a pastor who proclaims this narcissist Christianity stated, “Your gospel has no sin, suffering or sacrifice in it.” And I might add “And we Christians now love to have it so!” Self-help Christianity centers in, “It’s all about me.”

This book and minister are not the only offenders (he merely sits at the top). Leading Pentecostal magazines have almost nothing about a God who is to be greatly feared by his people and the inhabitants of planet earth, – nothing!! Am I being too hard? I tell the congregations where I minister, “I’m not the hard one; it is you that have no fear of God in your message and life; that is hard!” Then I quote Proverbs 28:14, “Happy is the man who fears the Lord always but he who hardens his heart shall fall into trouble.” Isn’t that where we in the evangelical church find ourselves these days: “IN TROUBLE.” Our families disintegrating, divorce higher among people of faith than those with no faith at all, drugs and alcoholic addictions, STD’s spreading like wild fire and every dilemma of a postmodern era has found itself in the heart of the church. Why? Where is the “Keeping power of His Grace?" Where is the power of the cross?

THE CAUSE FOR THIS TRAGEDY IS...
“The way of peace they have not known, (why?) there is no fear of God before their eyes.” (Rom. 3) Paul the Apostle says this of the world. Today it is characteristic of the church. I am not the only one who is saying this! Henry Blackaby states “The distinguishing characteristic of the church today in America is no fear of God.”

THE CURE...
A revival of the fear of the Lord; God showing up in our churches. A cry from our hearts, “Restore unto us a holy fear of the Lord,” but for that to happen we must have a change of thinking, a realization that indeed God is to be greatly feared.

[bold & italics mine]

Teach Your Children Well

2007-03-05T07:53:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, my parents were very diligent in reading regularly to me and my brother. In doing so, my parents instilled in me from a young age the importance of literature, especially the value of knowing God’s literature, the Bible. In addition to reading Scripture with us, my mom and dad were consistent in introducing us to other quality books, most memorably, Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress and The Holy War, Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia, along with countless biographies of men like William Carey, George Mueller, Teddy Roosevelt (“Bully!”), Robert E. Lee, Jim Elliot, and other accounts of God’s providence in the lives of real people in history.

But on top of all of these terrific books, there was one exercise which my parents were dedicated to helping Paul and I do: catechism.

About a year ago I heard Alistair Begg speak at a local church here in Gilbert. In his message that evening he discussed the lack of doctrinal knowledge and spiritual maturity in churches today. He attributed this in part to poor training in Christian homes and in another part to poor preaching in Christian churches. He mentioned the Puritans, and even more recent generations of Christians, and how they were extremely thorough in the doctrinal training of their young people. But somehow in the latter days, children are being raised in homes and churches where there is very little emphasis placed upon theological understanding and training.

I have been to different youth groups, Sunday School classes, Christian school chapekl services, conferences, and churches, and I can truly agree with Alistair Begg’s diagnosis of the problem with youth today. They are not being given a solid, doctrinal foundation upon which to grow spiritually. The Christian leaders in their lives are not working hard to teach even the basics of Christianity to their youth. In other words, the baton is being dropped.

Just last month I attended a conference at which author and speaker Josh McDowell was speaking on a similar topic. He mentioned how the generation of his grandchildren—today’s teens and pre-teens—is being bombarded with postmodern thinking on every front: at school, on television, in Hollywood, in magazines, on the internet, in the news media, at home, and even at church. Spirituality has become little more than a personal feeling, experience, or opinion. Even the fundamentals of the faith are forgotten or ignored. As Pastor Begg accurately mentioned, this is mostly why the Da Vinci Code was such a huge phenomenon for Christians. As he said,
Why do you think so many books were printed for Christians on the subject of Christ’s divinity and the authority of Scripture?
Because so many Christians were confused and bewildered by the ideas that Dan Brown was presenting.
And why were Christians confused?
Because they are ignorant as to some of the most essential tenets of biblical Christianity.
And why are so many Christians so ignorant?
Because the Bible is not properly being exegeted and expounded in by church pastors.

O that parents would teach and pastors would preach the fundamental doctrines of the Bible again!

God has given us so many tools by which we can learn about Him. One of these devices is catechism. Catechism is a systematic way of teaching someone the basic (and not-so-basic) truths of the Bible. A good catechism thoroughly covers topics such as God (His being, nature, attributes, tri-unity, etc.), Christ, sin, repentance, substitutionary atonement, justification, sanctification, God’s Word, heaven, and hell. These are the exact things that Christians need to know, but often don’t. Thus, it’s no wonder so many Christians are afraid to witness to unbelievers—they hardly know what they believe for themselves, how could they share that with someone else? It’s no wonder Christians shrink back in fear when another article or book or movie comes out in an attempt to discredit the deity of Jesus Christ. It’s no wonder young people buy into the philosophies of the day taught to them by their college professors, movies, or magazines. They were never taught by their parents the fundamentals of the faith.

I am so thankful for the biblical education with which my parents blessed me! I thank the Lord that I was warned about Mr. Worldly Wiseman, Vanity Fair, and the Flatterer before I became too set in my ways. I thank the Lord that I was taught to guard Eye Gate, Ear Gate, and Mouth Gate. I thank the Lord for men of character who were moral leaders and examples of godliness. I thank the Lord that I was raised in a good church with sound preaching from caring elders and biblical teaching from loving Sunday School teachers. And I thank the Lord that on at the age of five I was able to share with two Mormon missionaries at our door what the “chief end of man” is.

Please take another moment to read Pastor Tom Chantry’s post on the Benefits of Catechism.

God bless!

Important Iraq Find

2007-02-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday U.S. forces found a major weapons cache in Iraq. What makes it so important?

...the weapons are from IRAN! (Like we didn't see that coming!)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. officers said Monday they had discovered a factory for assembling sophisticated roadside bombs from Iranian-made components _ the first such facility uncovered in a religiously mixed province north of Baghdad.

Read more...

Da Vinci Code, Part Deux

2007-02-27T20:26:00.000-08:00

Well, I guess James Cameron wants to share in Dan Brown's infamy. His latest project is similar to Titanic in that it's just another sunken ship (not literally, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about yet!).

According to a soon-to-be released documentary produced in part by Cameron, archaeologists have found a tomb in which they found bones which they believe to be the physical remains of Jesus Christ.

Instead of going on about this, just check out some other blogs...

James White

Tim Challies

Larry King transcripts

President's Day

2007-02-21T05:17:00.000-08:00

[I intended to post this on Monday, but due to technical difficulties, I haven't been able to access the internet from home. Thankfully, however, God has now blessed us with permanent internet capability! SDG]

In an age when Secularists deny that God had anything to do with the founding of this great country, I thought it would be appropriate to post a few quotations from some of America's past Presidential leaders.

George Washington

Excerpt from 1st Inaugural Address:
"Such being the impressions under which I have, in obedience to the public summons, repaired to the present station, it would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the universe, who presides in the councils of nations, and whose providential aids can supply every human defect, that His benediction may consecrate to the liberties and happiness of the people of the United States a Government instituted by themselves for these essential purposes, and may enable every instrument employed in its administration to execute with success the functions allotted to his charge. In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure myself that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency; and in the important revolution just accomplished in the system of their united government the tranquil deliberations and voluntary consent of so many distinct communities from which the event has resulted can not be compared with the means by which most governments have been established without some return of pious gratitude, along with an humble anticipation of the future blessings which the past seem to presage. These reflections, arising out of the present crisis, have forced themselves too strongly on my mind to be suppressed. You will join with me, I trust, in thinking that there are none under the influence of which the proceedings of a new and free government can more auspiciously commence."

Proclaiming the first Thanksgiving Day:
"Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to commend to the people of United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness, now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next, to be devoted to the service of that great and glorious Being, Who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or will be." October 3, 1789

John Adams
"The general principles on which the Fathers achieved independence were the only Principles in which that beautiful Assembly of young Gentlemen could Unite...And what were these general Principles? I answer, the general Principles of Christianity..." In an 1813 letter to Thomas Jefferson.

"It is the duty of all men in society, publicly, and at stated seasons, to worship the SUPREME BEING, the great Creator and Preserver of the universe. And no subject shall be hurt, molested, or restrained, in his person, liberty, or estate, for worshipping GOD in the manner most agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience; or for his religious profession or sentiments; provided he doth not disturb the public peace, or obstruct others in their religious worship."

John Quincy Adams

Excerpt from Inaugural Address:
"To the guidance of the legislative councils, to the assistance of the executive and subordinate departments, to the friendly cooperation of the respective State governments, to the candid and liberal support of the people so far as it may be deserved by honest industry and zeal, I shall look for whatever success may attend my public service; and knowing that "except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain," with fervent supplications for His favor, to His overruling providence I commit with humble but fearless confidence my own fate and the future destinies of my country."

Abraham Lincoln

"I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated through this Book; but for the Book we could not know right from wrong, All the things desirable to man are contained in it."

"It is the duty of nations as well as of men to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, and to confess their sins and transgressions in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon, and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in Holy Scripture, and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord. And, insomuch (sic) as we know that by His divine law nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisement in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war which now desolates the land may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole people? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which has preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness." March 30, 1863

Theodore Roosevelt

"To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society."

Woodrow Wilson

"America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of the Holy Scripture."

Harry Truman

Excerpt from Inaugural Address:

"Steadfast in our faith in the Almighty, we will advance toward a world where man's freedom is secure. To that end we will devote our strength, our resources, and our firmness of resolve. With God's help, the future of mankind will be assured in a world of justice, harmony, and peace." January 20, 1949

"The fundamental basis of this nation's law was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teaching we get from Exodus and St. Matthew, from Isaiah and St. Paul."

Ronald Reagan

Excerpt from 1st Inaugural Address:
"I am told that tens of thousands of prayer meetings are being held on this day, and for that I am deeply grateful. We are a nation under God, and I believe God intended for us to be free. It would be fitting and good, I think, if on each Inauguration Day in future years it should be declared a day of prayer." January 20, 1981

Sources:
http://www.bartleby.com/124/index.html
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/inaug/inaug.htm
http://www.earstohear.net/Heritage/quotes.html
http://members.tripod.com/~greatamericanhistory/gr02004.htm

http://www.geocities.com/cott1388/valley-forge.html
http://www.eagleforum.org/educate/washington/advice.html
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g011.html
http://www.theodoreroosevelt.org/life/quotes.htm

BLOGWORTHY

2007-02-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the recent lapse in posts. I hate when that happens! But as we all know, sometimes the important circumstances life hit with avengence and one must recognize his priorities.

Since it has been awhile since my last substantial blog, I thought I would make up for it with the following uber-post. As ecclectic it may be, hopefully you will find some interesting reading below. Enjoy!

Hillary: "I'm with Him!"

As we all by now know, Hillary is a frontrunner for the Democratic Presidential nomination. The question that has been begged for some time now, though, is, "What will Hillary do with Bill?"
(Read Michael Medved's thoughts on this matter!)

Now, finally, after weeks of campaigning, Hillary has finally drawn the "King of Hearts" card: her husband.

Read the story.

Obama: "Prince of Peace?"

Another Presidential hopeful, Illinois Senator Barak Obama, is looking to be Hillary's biggest competition in 2008. He's likeable, Liberal, and black! What more could we ask for?

According to DesMoinesRegister.com, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said this of Obama: "Imagine President Barack Obama in the world, as a world leader . . . Diplomacy would work, the world would be more peaceful, and more safe, and a better place to live."
How nice.

But I know for a fact that Australian Prime Minister John Howard isn't too excited about an Obama Presidency! Howard recently expressed his fears of a "President Obama" with regards to the present War in Iraq. Australia has approximately 1,400 troops in the country and would lose its closest military ally if America pulled out as Obama promises to do if he wins in 2008.

In a nationally televised interview on Sunday, Howard said Obama’s plan meant
al-Qaida leaders in Iraq should “be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats” at presidential elections in November 2008. MSNBC

Here was Obama's response:

“So if he is ginned up to fight the good fight in Iraq, I would suggest that he calls up another 20,000 Australians and sends them to Iraq, otherwise it’s just a bunch of empty rhetoric.”

Sounds like the would-be U.S. President already has a great start in the international diplomacy department!

Anna Nicole Smith

[I wasn't even going to mention this until I came across a good blog on the subject.]

As you know, she died. My first reaction: "So what?"

But here is a great article to remind us of the dangers of Vanity Fair and our desperate need of a God's grace. Here's a sneak-peak:
Everything that she wanted she had, and everything that she had led to her
death. Such is the story of a life wasted by the world, ruined by its supposed
benefits, duped by its fleeting promises. What did Anna Nicole need?
She needed the gospel.
She needed forgiveness of sins.
She needed a man who could tell her all that she ever did.
She needed to hear the words, “Go and sin NO more.”
She needed Jesus.

Romney's Announcement

And here's another one.

Massachusetts' Republican Governor Mitt Romney gave the official word yesterday that he will be one of many other Republican candidates running for President in '08.

But he's Mormon. Will that matter?...You bet!

I'm anxious to see what becomes of this guy!

Alistair Begg, Prayer Request

2007-02-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

It has been recently reported that Pastor Alistair Begg has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Here is his personal note on Truth For Life's webpage.

For many of us, Alistair Begg has been used of God to minister to our hearts and minds. Let us pray that God will heal and protect Pastor Begg physically and encourage him so that he may continue the important work to which God has set him!

"I'll Love You on Sundays"

2007-02-06T15:09:00.000-08:00

I’ll love you on Sundays
But tomorrow is Monday
And Mondays are rough days
And love is the last thing on my mind during football.

I’ll love you on Sundays
But Tuesday’s still early
In the week and at work:
I’m so tired and stressed out I don’t have love to give.

I’ll love you on Sundays
But it’s hard when it’s Hump-day
And my spouse calls from home
Wanting my love when I’m feeling out of love already.

I’ll love you on Sundays
If Thursday is easy
But if the house keeps falling down
I still may not be loving by the time it is Sunday.

I’ll love you on Sundays
And maybe Fridays and holidays
When my spirits are happy
And I’m not thinkin’ about my job, my boss, or yard.

I’ll love you on Sundays
If Saturday’s a good day,
But if Saturday’s a dump-day
It will be awfully hard to show much love at church.

I’ll love you on Sundays
At most, but that’s it!
Because the week’s full of work
And there’s so little time to love, but I’ll try to be nice.

Cultural Contradictions...

2007-02-05T12:41:00.000-08:00

Robin over at Cigar Theology posted a very thought-provoking citation from a book by Edward Donnelly entitled Heaven and Hell.

Here's the excerpt:

"Contemporary society is in a state of ethical chaos. Imagine a group of young professionals enjoying a meal in any big-city restaurant. Not an eyebrow will be raised if someone mentions that they have recently had an abortion. A reference by another to their same-sex partner will elicit no disapproval. But if one of the party were to light a cigarette in a no-smoking section of the restaurant? Shock, horror, unanimous disgust! Is exhaling tobacco smoke more reprehensible than sexual perversion or killing an unborn child? Are such people competent to make moral judgments, to decide how God should deal with sin?They cannot even distinguish between wickedness and bad manners." (pg 25)

Dennis Prager once discussed a similar topic on his radio show when he posed the hypothetical question to parents: "If your child were addicted to one or the other, which would you rather your child be addicted to--television or tobacco?" (paraphrased). He said that a great number of parents that he spoke with on this topic were quick to respond with "Television."

Interesting.

What do YOU think?!

Birth Control

2007-02-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

I have come to realize that this subject is much more controversial among Protestant Evangelicals than I originally thought! But whatever your opinion on the topic of birth control, here's another good read by Tim Challies.

I would say that this post is more of a discussion-starter than any kind of comprehensive answer. And with that in mind, I think Tim does a fair job of opening another can of worms!

C.S. Lewis on Love

2007-02-04T16:19:00.000-08:00

My good friend Stephen over at Vigilant Studios recently posted this C. S. Lewis poem on the topic of love. I liked it, so I thought I would link to it.
Check out his site when you have a chance. He's got a lot of cool stuff there, especially his photography and design work.

Happy Lord's Day!

Pastors

2007-02-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

"Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor...." I Timothy 5:17a

I just came across another great post from FIDE-O: How Much Is Your Pastor Worth?

As the son of a pastor, I think I may have a better idea than most of what is truly required of a pastor. I remember my dad telling the story of one young boy in our congregation who excitedly told my dad, "Pastor John, when I grow up I want to be a pastor like you!" With a smile on his face, my dad replied, "Well that's great! But why do you want to be a pastor?" The child was quick to respond with "Because I'll only have to work one day a week!"

All joking aside, I think that a lot of people in the church today are much like this young boy: ignorant to what the role and responsibilities of a pastor are.

A pastor is a shepherd--an under-shepherd of Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd--whose duty it is to watch over, protect, and feed Christ's sheep, the Church. A pastor's job isn't preaching; it's shepherding the flock. Yes, while that does involve the corporate proclamation of God's Word ("feeding the sheep"), standing in the pulpit is but a part of the many duties of a pastor. It is the personal interaction that truly makes a man a shepherd. I mean, there are a great many preachers in the Church, but I would guess that only a portion of them are shepherds. A pastor who truly shepherds his flock is one that knows his members by name; who meets with church families in their homes and has families over to his; who teaches and disciples the members with love and truth. Sometimes a shepherd must use the curved crook in his staff to discipline the sheep and bring them back to the fold. Other times the shepherd must warn the sheep of impending danger. And other times the shepherd must simply comfort and calm the sheep.

I've met men in my life who have referred to themselves as pastors and yet were extremely unfriendly and did very little to reach out to the flock. Instead, it was if their goal was to wow their listeners with their big words and "deep thoughts" from the pulpit. But once they stepped down from the pulpit, the magic was gone and they were just ordinary men with no right to be calling themselves pastors.

The job of a pastor is unlike any other occupation in life. It is not one that is sought after or applied for. A man who intends to be an under-shepherd of Christ does so only after receiving a divine calling from God to the pastoral ministry. A certain pastor once told a inquiring young man, "If you are having a difficult time deciding whether to pursue the ministry or some other occupation--choose the other!"

The role of a pastor is serious and his responsibilities difficult. It is not something to be considered lightly. (And for those of you still wondering, a pastor does in fact work more than just on Sundays!!)

I think that if church members were truly in tune with their pastor as a person and what exactly he does--(for them)--local church bodies would be generally healthier. I wish I had the time and energy to conduct some sort of survey of church members across the country to find out how many actually know their pastors. I would ask 2 questions: 1.) What do you believe to be your pastor's responsibilities? and 2.) How well would you say you know your pastor personally? (Go ahead and take a moment to ask yourself these questions.)

In conclusion, I know first-hand how difficult the job of a pastor is at times (in fact, a lot of times!). With this in mind, allow me to list just 2 things that each of us can do to help make our pastor's job easier:

First, as Hebrews 13:17 says, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you."

And second, let us regularly lift up our pastors in prayer. Pray that the Lord would be gracious to our pastors, keeping them from sin and giving them wisdom and discernment as they seek to guide and feed and protect us, the flock!

I welcome your comments.

McDonalds

2007-02-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

Look!...Now Americans can get fat at McDonald's any hour of the day, everyday of the week!

Actually, despite my tongue-in-cheek humor, I'm quite pleased by the news! There have been various occasions when I would have paid a hefty price for a Sausage McMuffin Meal ®(with Hashbrown, of course!) around 4 in the morning. Now, that wish can become a reality!!

Also, McDonald's coffee is in the news too! According to Consumer Report, McDonald's coffee outranks even Starbucks!

Again, whoever conducted that study didn't consult me!

(Starbucks is still better!...Right, Rusty?)

Retreat Isn't an Option!!

2007-01-31T13:06:00.003-08:00

“Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.”
George Washington

Amidst the popular news media's continual assaults against the war in Iraq, there are those few sages who properly speak out in favor of the US troops and their important mission.

Liz Cheney is one of those spokespersons for freedom.

In her article in the Washington Post, she addresses the incessant anti-war propaganda spouted off by...well, just about everyone on the Left and in the media (and now even some Republicans, too!). The following are some of her astute observations about this war we are in.

Quitting helps the terrorists.
Beware the polls.
Retreat from Iraq hurts us in the broader war.
Our soldiers will win if we let them. Read their blogs. Talk to them. They know that free people must fight to defend their freedom.
We must be in it to win.

In the President's State of the Union address last week, I believe he truly got to the core of the matter with the following:

In the mind of the terrorist, this war began well before September the 11th, and will not end until their radical vision is fulfilled. And these past five years have given us a much clearer view of the nature of this enemy. Al Qaeda and its followers are Sunni extremists, possessed by hatred and commanded by a harsh and narrow ideology. Take almost any principle of civilization, and their goal is the opposite. They preach with threats, instruct with bullets and bombs, and promise paradise for the murder of the innocent.

This war is more than a clash of arms -- it is a decisive ideological struggle, and the security of our nation is in the balance.

But our nation's Lefties, along with the popular news media, do not understand this fact: that America is not fighting a national people but an ideology! The Islamo-facist against whom we wage war hates us--not because of anything we did to them, but because it is a part of their religious worldview to hate the Infidel!

And this is why America cannot hesitate, slack off, or give up in its fight against these terrorists who have held Iraq--and much of the Middle East--hostage for far too long.

Ladies and gentlemen: On this day, at this hour, it is still within our power to shape the outcome of this battle. Let us find our resolve, and turn events toward victory.

Amen, Mr. President. AMEN!

Let the political pundits and common bandwagoneers (some with whom I am personally acquainted) say what they will. But at the end of the day, after the car bombs cease and the dust settles again in Baghdad, I believe that President Bush will be positively remembered for his lonely stand to defend the freedom of the Iraqi people and to ensure America's continued protection from terrorism.

At least the Iraqis will thank him.

For some well-written thoughts on the importance of the war against terrorism, read the following articles:

"No Third Way in Iraq"

"Turning Surge into Victory"

Here is a site with some pictures from the war. [Warning: Some of these photos are graphic!]

Laser-beams & Plasma-bombs

2007-01-24T20:33:00.000-08:00

Interesting news about our Asian..."allies"?

Washington Times:
The anti-satellite weapon was identified by U.S. government officials as a nonexplosive "kinetic kill vehicle," which destroys its target simply by colliding with it.
...The report, produced by defense analyst Michael Pillsbury, revealed that China has plans for secret space weapons that include ground-based lasers, air-to-space missile interceptors and an exotic plasma bomb that would destroy orbiting satellites by enveloping them in an electronic cloud.

Illustration courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk

Don't Lose Heart, Republicans!

2007-01-23T20:56:00.000-08:00

Here's a little "lift" for those Republicans who have been recently overwhelmed by the late, negative news of the Democratic Left (i.e. Hillary's news media monopoly) and pejorative opinion polls on topics like Bush and Iraq.

2008 is still a long way off, and a lot can happen between now and then.

(Thanks again for the reminder, Michael!)

Featured Hymn #1

2007-01-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

For the last few years our church has been faithful in introducing a "new" or relatively unfamiliar hymn to the congregation each month. After the first of the year, we take one Sunday evening service to sing all twelve hymns that were featured the previous year. Beginning with this post, I plan on featuring various hymn lyrics that may or may not be known to my readers. But I pray that the words of each featured hymn-writer--whomever he or she might be--will encourage, convict, and/or teach your heart. Enjoy!

Send Thou, O Lord, To Ev'ry Place

Words: Mary Cornelia Bishop Gates, 1890.
Courtesy of The Cyber Hymnal

Send Thou, O Lord, to every place
Swift messengers before Thy face,
The heralds of Thy wondrous grace,
Where Thou Thyself wilt come.

Send men whose eyes have seen the King,
Men in whose ears His sweet words ring;
Send such Thy lost ones home to bring;
Send them where Thou wilt come.

To bring good news to souls in sin;
The bruised and broken hearts to win;
In every place to bring them in
Where Thou Thyself wilt come.

Thou Who hast died, Thy vict’ry claim;
Assert, O Christ, Thy glory’s name
In every place to bring them in
Where Thou Thyself wilt come.

Gird each one with the Spirit’s sword,
The sword of Thine own deathless Word;
And make them conquerors, conquering, Lord,
Where Thou Thyself wilt come.

Raise up, O Lord the Holy Ghost,
From this broad land a mighty host,
Their war cry, “We will seek the lost
Where Thou, O Christ, wilt come.”

Best Movies of 2006

2007-01-18T06:14:00.000-08:00

Relatively speaking, I saw fewer movies in 2006 than I typically do in a year. (I'm still debating whether or not that fact is positive or negative.)

Nevertheless, I figured I would do a limited recap on the previous year's movies...or at least those movies which I did see!

These are my favorites in a few different categories from the movies that I saw in '06:

Overall Best Picture: United 93 (An extremely factual story about one of the fatal flights on 9/11/2001. This film by its very nature is bound to deeply impact every single viewer! I walked into the theater knowing that I would shed a few tears. When the credits rolled, there wasn't a dry eye or untouched heart in the room. It's a good reminder as to why America as a nation should be adamant about doing everything possible to find terrorists and kill them!)

Best Action: Casino Royale (Craig is definitely a tough guy!...the opening chase scene was the best Bond chase scene EVER!)

Best Comedy: Night at the Museum (Clean, laugh-out loud humor! Fun for any age!)

The following list represents some of the films that I saw and enjoyed in 2006 (some, I'll admit, don't rank very high on the asthetics scale; however, for whatever crazy reason, I was entertained or intrigued by them!). This list is not exhaustive of all the movies I saw in 2006, but just a sample of those 2006 films that I think are worth the time to watch.

Notables:
World Trade Center (A naturally moving story. I cried.)
The Prestige (Unsurprisingly magical!)
The Da Vinci Code (Not as good as the book. Despite most critics' reviews, I still enjoyed it.)
Inside Man (Twists, turns, and a clever surprise ending.)
Cars (Another good one from Pixar.)
Over the Hedge (The squirrel made me laugh out loud!)
Glory Road (Not quite Remember the Titans, but still good!)
The Break-Up (Finally! A movie with a realistic ending!)
Superman Returns (fun, though kinda cheesy at parts)
Click (I think almost every guy has wanted a remote control like that at some point or another!)
Deja Vu (Denzel in a cool, sci-fi/action flick. (Isn't that Jesus playing the part of the bad guy?))
Scoop (Woody Allen, Hugh Jackman, & Scarlett Johansson in a fun, murderous comedy)
Flyboys (clean & entertaining portrayal of WWI pilots)
Tristan and Isolde (Knights, swordfights, and a lovestory.)
X-Men: The Last Stand (Colossus was cool! Wolverine is still my idol.)

I welcome your comments on this list......even better, add your own "Best of '06."

50 Most Influential Christians in America

2007-01-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Kevin Cawley for sharing this *interesting* article.

Quick question: Doesn't the title "The 50 Most Influential Christians in America" lead you to believe that everyone on this list is a Christian?...

Hmmmm. Doesn't look that way!

(I don't know what morons were surveyed to come up with this list, but I know that I certainly wasn't asked my opinion!)

Guess who's #1?....
Good Idea of the Day: Use this list to play some games with the family: "Spot the Wolf" or "I Spy a Heretic."

On the Lot

2007-01-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here's a new reality show that may be worth my time.

ON THE LOT

Just knowing that Spielberg is behind this grabs my attention! Check it out for yourself.

2007 Movies

2007-01-11T19:55:00.000-08:00

The following is a list of movies that are anticipated to be released in 2007. Obviously, this list is not an exhaustive list of all 2007 releases, but instead, a list of movies that at first glance seem to interest me. I am sure that by the time I see the trailers to some of these movies, I will change my mind about wanting to see them, and I am also sure that there will be more movies than those on this list that will interest me as the year progresses.

For now, however, enjoy researching some of these flicks and decide for yourself whether or not you think you will see them in 2007! Have fun!

January
5 th Thr3e
19 th The Good German
27 th Seraphim Falls

February
16 th Ghost Rider
23 rd Amazing Grace, The Number 23

March
9 th 300
16 th Shooter
30 th Blades of Glory

May
4 th Spiderman 3
18th Shrek the Third
25 th Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

June
15th Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer
22nd Evan Almighty
29 th Die Hard 4: Live Free or Die Hard

July
4th Transformers
27 th Stardust, The Simpsons Movie

August
3 rd The Bourne Ultimatum

November
16th Beowulf

December
21th National Treasure 2

Release Date TBA:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Pride and Glory
The Brazilian Job

2008 Expectancies:
Iron Man
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Dark Knight
James Bond 22
Halo
Indiana Jones 4
Speed Racer
Toy Story 3

End of Days?...Read For Yourself!

2007-01-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

Here's an interesting article about an asteroid that may be set to hit earth in less than 30 years from now!

AAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!.....
We better start making preparations now! Quick! Call Bruce Willis to help save the world!

More than likely, it will have less of an impact than did Y2K.

...Anyone worried?

Q&A with President Bush

2007-01-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

For those who don't pay attention to the news, President Bush gave a much anticipated address to the nation tonight. I would encourage everyone, whether you watched the presentation or not, to take a look at the following blog for a unique and terrific take on the President's speech:

Between Two Worlds: Address to the Nation

For the full transcripts of the speech, click here.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2007-01-02T00:15:00.000-08:00

"Goodbye 2006...

and Hello 2007!!"

Instead of posting my own resloutions, I thought that these resolutions of Jonathan Edwards would be of greater benefit to my readers.

"...Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Peter 3:18

Have a blessed New Year in the service of our Lord!

Steve Camp on Saddam's Execution

2006-12-30T21:55:00.000-08:00

I would be doing a disservice to anyone who reads this blog if I didn't post a link to Steve Camp's excellent post on Saddam's execution. I am always blessed by his posts, and as usual, was very pleased to read his thoughts on the death of Hussein. Here's an exerpt from the post:

But God “takes no delight” in Saddam’s death… Because at the moment of his last breath he entered everlasting perdition and now has knowledge of his torment; of the Lordship of Jesus Christ; the eternal plight of his sin; the futility of the Islamic faith; and has but tasted of God’s holy wrath—for one day, he will receive a physical body in which he will suffer and be tortured night and day forever and ever without relief or reprise by the wrath of a holy God. It is a punishment the weight of which no man can fathom in this life. Saddam has been under the wrath of God all of his life (John 3:36); but he now knows the realty of such divine anger. He is conscience; he is suffering; and he is eternally damned. All who reject Jesus Christ and His gospel are under God’s wrath—and there are no exceptions (John 14:6).

To tell you the truth, I am still mulling over the following words from Camp’s blog:

Beloved, our lives are a vapor (James 4:11); we live once, we die once, and then the judgment (Heb. 9:27). So may I entreat those who do not know Christ to flee… flee to Him; and "flee from the wrath to come" (Matt. 3:7). Do not harden your heart while “today is called today” (Heb. 3:-4) and it be too late for you as it is for Saddam. Do not be contented by thinking you have already fled to Christ. Make certain! Beg the Lord to search your heart and show you yourself. Test yourself to see if you are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5). And if not, repent of your sin, trust in Christ alone, through faith alone, by grace alone for the hope of the salvation of your souls (Roms. 3:21-26). Flee all other means to salvation whereby you may find some glory in your own works, deeds or religious practice. Come to the end of yourself--"deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Him" (Matt. 16:24). "If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation" (Roms. 10:9-10).

Thanks, Steve, for this very biblical perspective on our world’s current events and a very personal exhortation to each and every reader, both saved and unsaved!

Related News Article:
New York Times

DING, DONG, SADDAM IS DEAD!

2006-12-29T21:26:00.000-08:00

"Criminal Saddam was hanged to death," an al-Iraqiya announcer said. The station played patriotic music and showed images of national monuments and other landmarks. [Source: BBC News]
According to reports, Barzan al-Tikriti--Saddam's half-brother--and former Iraqi chief judge Awad Hamed al-Bandar were also hung alongside Saddam today, Saturday December 29, around 6:00AM (10:00PM EST) in Bahgdad.

My initial thoughts when hearing the news:

Justice is served!...(and I hope it hurt!!)

(...Now let the popular news media pundits begin their tongue-wagging!)

The looming question in my mind is this: How will the capture, conviction, and execution of Saddam Hussein impact the Presidency of George W. Bush in the scope of history? Or more presently: How will other nations view the United States in the shadow of Saddam's recent death?

My prediction is this: To answer my latter question, I think that many countries will praise the death of the murderer as a just punishment and the ultimate will of the People of Iraq. However, I doubt that much, if any credit will be given to the U.S., especially not to Bush.

To answer my prior question, however, contrary to all popular opinion, I still truly believe that George W. Bush will be remembered, hopefully even in my future grandchildren's history books, as one of the greatest and most courageous leaders of the 21st century, among the likes of other strong, modern Presidents such as FDR, JFK, and Reagan. Additionally, I think that the political and physical downfall of Saddam Hussein, the genocidal dictator, will only enhance the legacy of our nation's 43rd President.

In the eternal scheme of things, however, the end of the matter is as such: the One and only God of the Bible is a holy and just God! No matter how Saddam died, in order for us to understand his eternal fate, it is important for us to know how he lived. With this in mind, I rest assure knowing that Saddam Hussein is, at this very moment, facing God's righteous judgment and will pay for his sins against God in the fires of hell. As the author of Hebrews notes, “It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (10:31)

This understanding of God causes me to both reverentially fear Him and take comfort in Him.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Related News Articles:
USA Today (1)
USA Today (2)
FOX News
BBC News
Yahoo News (1)
Yahoo News (2)
Reuters
New York Daily News
Zee News Imam Husham Al-Husainy of Dearborn, Mich., second from left, celebrates with other Iraqi-Americans after hearing of Saddam Hussein's execution on Friday. By Gary Malerba, AP

Nota Bene: I plan to post more on this topic as further information comes to light. Additionally, I fully intend to post or link to the video and/or photographs of Saddam's hanging when either become available on the web.

Christians & Culture: Love, Death, & Weinerdogs

2006-12-29T10:36:00.000-08:00

I read this blog a few days ago and was really struck by its truth. Here's a snippet of what he says:
As a people, we Christians have adopted one of the worst attributes of the anabaptist tradition, and that is a rather sincere disdain for things which are true and beautiful. Here's what I mean by that: we have set up a false dichotomy between "true" and "beautiful" so that anything which is "true" must be plain or otherwise homely, and everything which is "beautiful" must be the work of the devil because it appeals to our eyes and ears. And we have also let the world dictate to us what is "beautiful" so that we don't even know it when we see it anymore.

Read the rest of what Frank Turk of TeamPyro has to say about Christians and the Culture at the Pyromaniacs blog.

Three Letter Word

2006-12-27T21:03:00.000-08:00

Here's another good post by Tim Challies. The funniest thing is that Paige and I were just recently discussing the same problem on which Tim sheds light here at Challies Dot Com.

As it has been said before, "How can you present the cure without first diagnosing the problem.

C'mon! It's time for churches to come back to calling it by name: sin.

Christmas in Baxter Springs

2006-12-23T21:37:00.000-08:00

My wife and I flew into Tulsa last night from Phoenix and drove up to see Paige's family for the holidays. They live in Baxter Springs, Kansas, which is about an hour and a half north of Tulsa and an hour west of Springfield, Missouri. There's a lot of history here in Baxter Springs. There was a Civil War battle (or skirmish) fought here; the former Route 66 passed through the town; and baseball legend Mickey Mantle was first spotted by a Yankees scout as he hit 3 homeruns for the Baxter Springs Whiz Kids at a ball field in the tiny town.

It's beautiful here in the Ozarks; so green compared to Phoenix! We're hoping for a white Christmas; not too sure why, though, because snow usually doesn't make life easier.

Anyway, I hope you all have a very blessed Christmas. From what I hear, "it's the most wonderful time of the year." I'll let each individual be the judge of that! But one thing is for sure: it is the perfect time to meditate on Jesus Christ--the baby that was born to die for the purpose of saving sinners like me. What wonder and mystery are wrapped up in the thought of His virgin birth and the fact that God took on the nature of man in order to save men from His wrath and their sin. As I think about Christmas this year, I see it as the beginning of the story. It's the Introduction and first chapters of the story of Christ's life, a life which was lived and given entirely for others. He was born and lived 33 years in the shadow of the cross. He was the greatest example of true service, humility, and love. And most importantly, in the thankful words of Philip Bliss, "Hallelujah, what a Savior!"

“The Noblest King”

The noblest King was born in a stable;
A blessed baby boy would later die for His people.
Raised in Nazareth, He was the Savior.
Though killed and abused, He was Creator!

We sing of Jesus Christ
Born that glorious night!
From Bethlehem God brought us
The world’s only Light.
O Prince of Peace, the Mighty God,
The King from David’s line;
Emmanuel, our true Messiah—
We sing of Jesus Christ.

“Glory to God!” sang the angels from heaven.
Incarnate Deity from Mary, God’s servant.
From shepherds to sages, the start guided many
To the place where he lay: the holy baby.

We sing of Jesus Christ
Born that glorious night!
From Bethlehem God brought us
The world’s only Light.
O Prince of Peace, the Mighty God,
The King from David’s line;
Emmanuel, our true Messiah—
We sing of Jesus Christ.

Unimaginable love that hung on a cross!
He gave us His life by giving His own.
From a crying little baby to Redeemer of many,
The noblest King died to win victory!

We sing of Jesus Christ
Born that glorious night!
From Bethlehem God brought us
The world’s only Light.
O Prince of Peace, the Mighty God,
The King from David’s line;
Emmanuel, our true Messiah—
We sing of Jesus Christ.

© David J. Giarrizzo, 2002