BLOGWORTHY

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

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"

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.

© David J. Giarrizzo
January 30, 2005

Cultural Contradictions...

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

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

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

"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

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!!

“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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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!!

"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

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