SEMPER REFORMANDA

I mean, that thing is good. I wanna be friends with it.

2012-01-25T15:52:00.004-06:00

I previously mentioned the concept of being an expository listener when I recommended the book, What Is a Healthy Church Member?

If you're interested, it's on sale for $6.50 via Westminster Bookstore, a great place to buy books, incidentally.

"With a wealth of biblical insight and practical instruction, Anyabwile calls Christians to do more than just attend church, but to be the kind of faithful, engaged church members that God intends. Given the state of so many of our churches today, this book arrives not a moment too soon."
~ R. Albert Mohler Jr. (President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)

N.B. For the Providence Church book club, this is the book we'll be discussing at our June meeting.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2012-01-16T08:21:00.002-06:00

The greatest piece of music ... ever.

Read Ed Stetzer's thoughts on how we should talk about sex.

Read about the American response when General Patton urinated on the enemy.

Read about Alveda King's plea for Planned Parenthood to stop lying about her uncle, Martin Luther the King, implying he would have supported abortion.

Read about the SC attorney general looking into election fraud after 900 dead people voted in recent elections.

Check out how to shrink your church.

Check out 13 things baristas won't tell you.

Read about the re-formation of Van Halen with original David Lee Roth & Wolfgang on bass in place of Michael Anthony.

Read about that which is omitted on Planned Parenthood's description of the abortion process.

Check out why Islam should NOT be protected under the US Constitution.

Read about Tim Tebow's incredible kindness & generosity to those who are hurting.

Check out 8 Lines That Would Have Ended Star Wars Really Fast.

Read about the right attitude to have when correcting children.

Check out Martin Luther the King's "Dream."

Read about the SBC annual meeting where Mohammed was called, "A demon-possessed pedophile."

Read 13 things a burglar won't say.

Check out the 10 best survival movie lessons.

Check out 3 myths about church dropouts.

Read D.A. Carson's thoughts on whether or not the tithe is biblical.

Read Learning from Christopher Hitchens: Lessons Evangelicals Must Not Miss by Al Mohler.

Read about how to grow a church without God.

Check out 31 foregone facts Barack Obama fans should ponder.

Read about the 2 stars of TLC's "All-American Muslim" busted for marijuana.

Check out 10 reasons Ron Paul can win in 2012.

Check out why Martin Luther the King was a Republican.

Check out 50 tips for language learners.

Read William Mounce's thoughts on whether or not Jesus was rude to his mother, Mary, in John 2:4.

Check out 20 secrets your waiter won't tell you.

Read Martin Luther the King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail."

I'm not about love; I'm about showing you the money!

2012-01-12T20:39:00.010-06:00

In 2011, for the first time ever, the credit rating of the United States was downgraded.

To help explain in terms that should show financial irresponsibility, I submit the following ...

US Tax revenue ....... $2,170,000,000,000
Federal budget ........ $3,820,000,000,000
New Debt .............. $1,650,000,000,000
National Debt ........ $14,271,000,000,000
New budget cuts .......... $38,500,000,000

Remove 8 zeros and pretend this is a family's situation.

Family income ........ $21,700
Money spent .......... $38,200
New CC Debt .......... $16,500
New CC Balance ..... $142,710
Budget cuts ............... $385

Would YOU loan that family money?

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2012-01-09T13:51:00.005-06:00

Read 41 secrets your doctor would never share.

Read 13 things your pizza guy won't tell you.

Check out the 50 greatest guitar solos.

Check out this personal note to any girl who wants to get married. (PG-13)

Read John Piper's questions to ask when preparing for marriage.

Read about the man killed after posting on Facebook.

Check out "24 things you might be saying wrong" [sic].

Check out the self-explantory blog, Chicks on the Right.

Check out these hotel secrets you need to know.

Check out 8 more things your hotel desk clerk wont' tell you.

Check out Dirty Secrets: What You Need to Know About Your Hotel Room.

Read about Todd Palin's endorsement of Newt Gingrich.

Read about the very poor ratings of TLC's "All-American Muslim" show.

Check out John MacArthur's answer to the question, "Is infant baptism biblical?"

Check out 5 popular myths you shouldn't believe.

Check out Rush's prediction of the 2012 outcome.

Read about 6 things casinos don't want you to know about your odds.

Check out Jimmy Carter's endorsement of Mitt Romney.

Check out 13 things your mall Santa won't tell you.

Read about Rush's disapproval of the moderation/moderators of the GOP primary debates.

Check out top 10 SAT tips.

Check out 5 things you spend money on, then never use.

Check out 7 tips to raising financially savy kids.

Check out 6 new year's resolutions for saving money.

Check out 13 secrets to stop wasting cash now.

Read 5 steps to easier family finances.

Check out 10 things you should never buy at garage sales.

Read life lessons you can learn from the super rich.

Check out 4 tricks companies use to make you buy.

Check out 5 common mistakes people make with their money.

Read about busting the "too much credit" myth.

Check out 6 things not worth the money.

Check out things of value you may have in your garage.

Check out 13 secret tactics of marketers.

Read 10 frugal tips to happiness on a tight budget.

Check out 10 things every parent should know about colleges.

Check out 15 jobs you can land without going to college.

Check out the 10 worst mistakes of first-time job hunters.

Check out 10 cover letter disasters that won't get you an interview.

Read about the teen tortured and beheaded Oklahoma & the media's lack of reporting of this and other instances of Mexican drug cartel violence.

Check out 4 hidden stroke & heart attack symptoms (including video).

Check out reason 1,798 that liberals are just plain wrong.

Read about 10 things IT professionals don't want you to know.

Check out the chances of high school to pro ball (by sport).

Check out 10 things you didn't know about you.

Check out 50+ easy ways to lose weight.

Check out 10 "As Seen on TV" reviews.

Read "Know a Christian Who Seems to Love Movies More Than Jesus?" by John Piper.

Snowman, you got your ears on?

2012-01-05T20:00:00.007-06:00

I heartily recommend Thabiti Anyabwile's book, What Is a Healthy Church Member?

One of the things rarely mentioned in Christian literature is guidance for the church member with regard to his/her role in the preaching process. Thabiti addresses that topic in a chapter entitled, "A Healthy Church Member Is an Expositional Listener."

A few highlights:

"Expositional listening is listening for the meaning of a passage of Scripture and accepting that meaning as the main idea to be grasped for our personal and corporate lives as Christians."

What Are the Benefits of Expositional Listening?

It cultivates a hunger for God's Word.
It helps us to focus on God's will and to follow Him.
It protects the gospel and our lives from corruption.
It encourages faithful pastors.
It benefits the gathered congregation.

How Can Church Members Cultivate the Habit of Expositional Listening?

Meditate on the sermon passage during your quiet time.
Invest in a good set of commentaries.
Talk and pray with friends about the sermon after church.
Listen to and act on the sermon throughout the week.
Develop the habit of addressing any questions about the text itself.
Cultivate humility.

Buy the What Is a Healthy Church Member?
See also Mark Dever, What Is a Healthy Church? (An appetizer)

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-12-05T16:36:00.004-06:00

Something we should all know how to do, make a hobo stove.

Read about 10 things you didn't know about YOU.

Read 5 things hiring managers won't tell you.

Read about the 25th bipartisan jobs bill passed by the house awaiting Senate vote.

Check out these gifts NOT to give women.

Read these top 10 SAT test taking tips.

Check out how to shrink your church.

Read about the Senate bill that legalizes sodomy AND bestiality in the United States Military.

Read about the Lottie Moon for whom the SBC's missions offering was named.

Check out John Piper's questions to ask when preparing for marriage.

Check out how to write philosophy, 10 steps to build a solid term paper.

Read about John Owen and the “Normal” Christian Life: Or Sanctification in an Era of Confusion by John D. Hannah.

Check out the United States National Debt -- 233 years in the making.

Read about 10 common, but easily corrected errors.

Read about why income inequality is pure myth.

Read the CNN article about why young Christians aren't waiting anymore, having sex almost as much as their non-Christian peers.

Read 12 extremely disappointing facts about popular music.

Are you gonna split hairs?

2011-11-16T05:49:00.002-06:00

Since the first time I heard it, I've taken umbrage with the assertion that Jesus "says it's the same" when a person looks with lust as committing adultery.

Then and now, I say, that's NOT what the text says, nor what it means.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28, ESV)

What it says and means is that external obedience is not enough, God is concerned with the heart of a person. So, while a person may look okay on the outside, the inside of the cup is dirty and there's culpability to God. The context and Jesus many dealings with the Pharisees bears that out.

In other words, "You're not off the hook; you've committed a sin of the heart."

Some may think I'm quibbling, but a growing trend has me concerned about the practical ramifications of equating lust and adultery.

Some see adultery as a legitimate reason for a spouse to divorce and then remarry another. With the preponderance of opportunities for a man to lust (commercials, billboards, scantily clad waitresses, etc.) it's highly unlikely a husband will go the length of his marriage without ever lusting after a woman not his wife.

So, does that mean his wife may divorce him? If you equate lust & adultery and you allow divorce in that scenario, then I don't see why not.

Crazy you say, but I heard of real life examples of wives using this as their way out of a marriage. That's not my primary reason for objecting to equating lust & adultery, but it certainly gives pause for consideration.

My response, however, in such a scenario would be to go back to the text and show that Jesus does not say that lust and adultery are "the same thing," even though both actions put one in the category of guilty before God who sees even the intents of the heart.

They were Nazis, Dude?

2011-11-09T05:49:00.001-06:00

Today's history lesson ...

Today is the anniversary of Kristallnacht, "Night of Broken Glass."

73 years ago tonight, November 9th, 1938, many Jews were murdered in Nazi Germany, with some 30,000 sent to concentration camps, and hundreds of synagogues were destroyed.

"Kristallnacht" provided the Nazi government with an opportunity at last to totally remove Jews from German public life. It was the culminating event in a series of anti-Semitic policies set in place since Hitler took power in 1933. (source)

It may have been a culminating event, yet it was also the beginning of Die Endlösung ("The Final Solution") with regard to the Jews in Europe and their extermination, what has come to be called, "The Holocaust."

AND on this day in 1989, East Germany opened the "Berlin wall," the destruction of which soon followed at the hands of the people.

November 9th ... a day marking first German oppression and then later German liberation.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-10-03T13:50:00.010-05:00

Check out this offering from Evangelicals for Perry, outlining Rick Perry as the clear pro-2nd Amendment candidate: You Don't Bring Mittens to a Gun Fight.

Read about more and more parents delaying or refusing vaccines.

Check out these pictures of spooky deep sea creatures.

Check out "Homeschool Blindspots."

Check out Charles Krauthammer's warning that Obama will suffer landslide election loss.

Check out "10 Weird Things Humans Do Every Day, and Why."

Check out John Piper on how he loves Reformed Theology.

Check out church marquee signs from across the nation.

Check out these US marriage & divorce statistics.

Read about and pray for this Iranian pastor who may be executed for converting to Christianity.

Read about 10 medical myths that won't go away.

Check out Thabiti Anyabwile's contention that multi-site churches are from the devil.

Read about the "Aggie Effect," or why Gov. Perry is the way he is after his time at Texas A&M University.

Check out Charles Krauthammer's contention that the governance phase of Obama's presidency is over as he's focused on the 2012 election.

Check out President Obama's declaration that people are not better off than they were 4 years ago, "And that's why it's so critical for us to make sure that we are taking every action we can take to put people back to work."

Check out a pastoral response to online dating.

Check out these Dead Sea Scrolls pictures.

Check out 5 ways established churches should think like church plants.

Read Fran Tarkenton's thoughts on the NFL playing by teachers rules.

Check out Herman Cain's contention that African-Americans have been "brainwashed" regarding the Democratic party & conservatism.

Check out 11 facts parents should know about a baby's brain.

Check out why Herman Cain's criticism of Rick Perry over the hunting lease nomenclature my wind up hurting Cain himself the most.

Check out these top DEMOCRAT racist comments, especially LBJ.

Check out Sean Hannity's thoughts on the media's service to President Obama.

Check out thoughts on Calvinism & Evangelism from Ernest Reisinger.

Check out Dirk Nowitski's offer of support to Tony Romo.

Check out the USA Today poll showing Ron Paul to be a top tier candidate.

Check out the fact that Rick Perry's Texas created more private sector jobs in 2 months than Romney's Massachusetts did in 2 years.

Check out John Piper's Questions to Ask When Preparing for Marriage.

"Building model airplanes," says the little fairy. Well, we're not buying it.

2011-09-30T16:12:00.003-05:00

Eerily prophetic words from Ronald Reagan, befitting our present situation, reminding us we don't have to settle for a second-rate America:

"They tell us we must learn to live with less, and teach our children that their lives will be less full and prosperous than ours have been; that the America of the coming years will be a place where — because of our past excesses — it will be impossible to dream and make those dreams come true. I don't believe that. And, I don't believe you do either. That is why I am seeking the presidency. I cannot and will not stand by and see this great country destroy itself. Our leaders attempt to blame their failures on circumstances beyond their control, on false estimates by unknown, unidentifiable experts who rewrite modern history in an attempt to convince us our high standard of living, the result of thrift and hard work, is somehow selfish extravagance which we must renounce as we join in sharing scarcity. I don't agree that our nation must resign itself to inevitable decline, yielding its proud position to other hands. I am totally unwilling to see this country fail in its obligation to itself and to the other free peoples of the world."

~Ronald Reagan, presidential candidate (13 November 1979)

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-09-19T16:47:00.007-05:00

Check out the new blog, Evangelicals for Perry.

Check out the new rules for job hunting in the Internet age.

Check out this bad bull story wherein the groom is killed on his wedding day by his drunk driving brother.

Read about the Florida family awarded $4.5 million because the doctor's office didn't warn them about their baby being born without arms and only one leg, because they would have aborted him had they known.

Check out Wendy's reinvention of the burger.

Check out things you should know about the US Postal Service before it goes bankrupt.

Check out Daryl Wingerd's thoughts on "How to Find a Wife."

Check out Stacy Swimp's 3 part series, Walking off the Democrat Plantation:
Read Part 1 - The Providence of Change.
Read Part 2 - The Democrat Party's Shameful Past.
Read Part 3 - Where Black Americans Are Today.

Check out federal AIDS money being spent at the strip joint.

Check out Razor's ideas to improve the experience of watching hockey on television.

Check out Herman Cain taking on the entire MSNBC post-debate roundtable.

Check out this article about women's worth in Islam.

Check out this query as to why we still give aide to China.

Check out my scene on Twitter.

Never apologize and never explain -- it's a sign of weakness.

2011-09-19T15:41:00.001-05:00

Here we have an Illinois congressman, Mike Quigley of the 5th District, apologizing "on behalf of this country" to the American Islamic College Conference in Chicago.

I've grown weary of this and others that remind me of the "blame America first" mentality that was so prevalent in the late 70s that weakened the United States internationally.

It's like deja vu all over again. If you're not familiar with it, I high recommend Democrat Jeane Kirkpatrick's remarks at the Republican National Convention in 1984. An appetizer:

"But then, they always blame America first.

The American people know better.

They know that Ronald Reagan and the United States didn't cause Marxist dictatorship in Nicaragua, or the repression in Poland, or the brutal new offensives in Afghanistan, or the destruction of the Korean airliner, or the new attacks on religious and ethnic groups in the Soviet Union, or the jamming of western broadcasts, or the denial of Jewish emigration, or the brutal imprisonment of Anatoly Shcharansky and Ida Nudel, or the obscene treatment of Andrei Sakharov and Yelena Bonner, or the re-Stalinization of the Soviet Union.

The American people know that it's dangerous to blame ourselves for terrible problems that we did not cause.

They understand just as the distinguished French writer, Jean Francois Revel, understands the dangers of endless self- criticism and self-denigration.

He wrote: 'Clearly, a civilization that feels guilty for everything it is and does will lack the energy and conviction to defend itself.'

With the election of Ronald Reagan, the American people declared to the world that we have the necessary energy and conviction to defend ourselves, and that we have as well a deep commitment to peace."

Also published at Conservative Reformed Mafia.

This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a large squirrel predicting the weather.

2011-09-15T15:27:00.004-05:00

As one who taught junior high science in the past, I'm often amazed by the way contemporary "science" elevates specious and unprovable theories to the realm of fact. Coming to mind are the theory of evolution and the theory of human affected global warming.

For one, how can you test the theories? Can you duplicate what allegedly happened "by chance" contrary to known laws of science (e.g., 2nd law of thermodynamics or law of bio-genesis)? Can one compare to a control group to show an earth without humans to contrast how temperatures fared there over the last 150 years?

Because the media swallow these as fact, so does the common man or woman who doesn't take the time to investigate, also labeling dissenters as morons or the like.

But what about when folks in the same scientific community dissent? It's typically squashed and not tolerated. Why? Clearly, it's bad science if they don't come up with the same results. (Some of us call that assuming the conclusion.)

I was encouraged to see a Nobel prize winning physicist resign his membership in the American Physics Society because of the new official position that global warming is occurring, noting that "the evidence is incontrovertible."

I applaud Dr. Ivar Giaever for his willingness to swim upstream and suffer the inevitable repercussions.

As an aside, if these scientists "believe" the earth is (at least) millions of years old, how solid is science that uses a sample size of about 150 years of recorded data to demonstrate the "reality of global warming," particularly attributing cause? In other words, can science prove that alleged temperature increases are attributable to human causes and not something else (e.g., cyclical patterns of weather change)? Don't forget, back in the 70s there as great concern over perceived global "cooling." (N.B. April 28, 1975 Newsweek article about global cooling).

Consensus non facit veritatem.
~[Latin] Consensus does not make truth.

That's it man, game over man, game over! What are we gonna do now? What are we gonna do?

2011-09-13T15:31:00.004-05:00

In the comments section of another post, I was asked the following:

"What do you do when there are no solid churches in your area?"*

I thought it was a good enough question to not only answer, but answer in some detail as I'd be shocked if this problem was isolated.

The way I see it there are 2 options I'd suggest and a 3rd that's possible, with caveats.

1. Move. People move all the time for better schools, better jobs, etc. Why not move for a "better" (i.e., solid) church? Even in this economy, it can be easier to find a good job than a good church.

2. Plant. Consider yourself a missionary in a dark land and set about God's task of putting a church there. Labor to that end and meet with likeminded believers as able as a church that meets in a home, which is not the same thing as a church that's one family. Over time and after prayerful diligence, I'd be surprised if God didn't raise up converts and other believers. There may come a time when necessity dictates a qualified and called elder/pastor from outside the congregation to be a part of it, but there's no rule that says that can't come from within.

3. Minimize. Find the "best" option among non-solid churches and try to minimize the theological damage done to your family, all the while hoping and praying for reform in the church, knowing it's VERY unrealistic while not in any position of influence. But, God is omnipotent and may have mercy on that congregation. (The great caveat I have here is the nature of the family. Spiritually mature believers are one thing, it's much more difficult and dangerous to pursue this option with children.) If the church is too far gone or gets that way, see options 1 & 2 above.

*Full comment: "What do you do when there are no solid churches in your area? Stay home. What do you do when you have given every dime you had to a church, served until you dropped to only find out you're in a cult.
Stay home or keep looking.
You may have to develop a new category for this one. No, there are no perfect churches, but I will not be a part of a heretical, non-biblical church.
Color me with those characteristics if you like, but the church is not what it used to be. There are only seeker friendly and charasmatic churches in my area.
Good luck with explaining this category of church hoppers."

Apology accepted. But only because you stammered.

2011-09-02T03:58:00.001-05:00

True or False?

"Apologies are like monsters: They're only real if you believe in them."
~Justin Feinstein"

God is not on our side because he hates idiots also.

2011-08-09T15:54:00.004-05:00

How can I be out of money if I still have checks left?!

Don't worry about the US credit rating. Alan Greenspan thinks we will never have any debt or default problem, because we can always print more money.

(On Meet the Press Sunday, August 7th)

I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.

2011-08-08T21:03:00.005-05:00

I can longer put any fiscal confidence in the government.

"If the US Government was a family, they would be making $58,000 a year, they spend $75,000 a year, & are $327,000 in credit card debt. They are currently proposing BIG spending cuts to reduce their spending to $72,000 a year. These are the actual proportions of the federal budget & debt, reduced to a level that we can understand." ~Dave Ramsey

We are advancing constantly and we're not interested in holding onto anything except the enemy.

2011-08-01T15:01:00.001-05:00

Coinciding with Ramadan (August 1-30), there is a concerted prayer effort for the spiritual liberation of Muslim people.

Islam has infiltrated much of the planet, even the United States, but I will join with many others in prayer that the light of Christ will infiltrate the spiritual darkness of the lands deceived and imprisoned by Islam.

Whilst Muslims consecrate themselves to Islam and its false prophet Mohammad, I will be praying that God has mercy on them to show them the folly of following such a depraved man that they might instead turn from their sin and trustingly follow the impeccable one, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For those who love Christ and long to see His bride realized (cf. Rev 7:9-12), I invite you to join your brothers & sisters these next 30 days in praying against the spread of Islam and praying for the spread of Christ's kingdom.

Read more about unifying in prayer for the salvation of Muslims.
Read more about unreached people groups in need of Christ.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
-Ephesians 6:12, ESV

Hey, Lou, don't you think we should have a prayer? We're all not savages like Cerrano.

2011-07-29T22:44:00.003-05:00

Some thoughts regarding prayer ...

"Don't pray for easy lives; pray to be stronger people. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers; pray for powers equal to your tasks. Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle, but you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at yourself, at the richness of life which has come to you by the grace of God."
~Phillips Brooks

A prayer written by Blaise Pascal: “I ask you neither for health nor for sickness, for life nor for death; but that you may dispose of my health and my sickness, my life and my death, for your glory … You alone know what is expedient for me; you are the sovereign master, do with me according to your will. Give to me, or take away from me, only conform my will to yours. I know but one thing, Lord, that it is good to follow you, and bad to offend you. Apart from that, I know not what is good or bad in anything. I know not which is most profitable to me, health or sickness, wealth or poverty, nor anything else in the world. That discernment is beyond the power of men or angels, and is hidden among the secrets of your providence, which I adore, but do not seek to fathom.”

"But how is a life, in a great measure prayerless, consistent with an holy life? To lead an holy life is to lead a life devoted to God; a life of worshipping and serving God; a life consecrated to the service of God. But how doth he lead such a life who doth not so much as maintain the duty of prayer? How can such a man be said to walk by the Spirit and to be a servant of the Most High God? An holy life is a life of faith. The life that true Christians live in the world they live by the faith of the Son of God. But who can believe that man lives by faith who lives without prayer, which, is the natural expression of faith? Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life; and to say a man lives a life of faith, and yet lives a prayerless life, is every whit as inconsistent and incredible, as to say, that a man lives without breathing. A prayerless life is so far from being an holy life, that it is a profane life. He that lives so, lives like an heathen, who calleth not on God's name; he that lives a prayerless life, lives without God in the world."
~Jonathan Edwards, from sermon "Hypocrites Deficient in the Duty of Prayer"

"But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted."
~Jesus in Luke 18:13-14

Previously posted on Conservative Reformed Mafia

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-07-25T18:16:00.008-05:00

Read the Texas Monthly article explaining Governor Rick Perry to the Yankee.

Read about 5 reasons the pro-life movement is winning.

Check out Conservative Reformed Mafia's new page detailing the contributing bloggers.

Read this reminder that social security is not an "entitlement."

Read 6 things Americans should know about the 2nd Amendment.

Read about shooting on a shoestring, for the thrifty who would don't want to outsource home defense.

Read about the most inexpensive firearms to own & shoot.

Read about the woman arrested for groping a TSA agent's breast.

Read about federal funds used for sidewalks to nowhere.

Read about dog heroes needing new homes.

Read about President Obama's use of executive order to pass gun restrictions in border states.

Read about the origin of the 21 gun salute.

Check out 10 characteristics of good leadership.

Read about Tim Kurkjian's description of the Cardinals vs. Reds rivalry as a "heated" one.

Read the Harvard report that 4th of July parades are right-wing.

Read the article about his focus & fire being the things that still drive Cardinals' manager Tony LaRussa to success and toward Cooperstown.

Check out these truths we dare not speak about illegal immigration.

Check out these 50 US health care statistics that will absolutely astonish you.

Read about 10 things you might not know about America's independence.

Read Congressman Allen West's newsletter where he documents grievances regarding the Declaration of Independence.

Read about the niece of Martin Luther the King drawing parallels between slavery and abortion.

Read an explanation of Charles Krauthammer's success.

Check out the website "Answering Muslims."

Read Al Mohler's article, "When the Church Bows to the State: Gay Bishops in the Church of England."

Read about the TSA standing by the actions of the agents who accosted the 95 year old woman in Florida, including the removal of her adult diaper.

Check out the top 10 Lakers moments of 2010-11.

Read this tipping guide.

Read about the Peoria mob terrorizing the neighborhood, including shouts of "Kill all the white people."

Read about the security breach at JFK airport after a man flew to Los Angeles without a ticket or an ID.

Read the Washington Times article arguing that Ronald Reagan's vision lives on ... in Texas.

Read about the TSA missing a loaded .40 cal Glock in a man's carry-on bag.

Read the USA Today article about how Texas wins in the economic shift.

Read "Defending Darth: Death Star PR Gripes About TIME's 'Top 10 Worst Fictional Fathers' List."

Read about Muslims, and only Muslims, getting prayer rooms in San Diego public (i.e., taxpayer funded) schools.

Read about the Norwegian 14 year old who committed suicide after being gang raped by Muslim immigrants.

Read about the TSA expanding pat downs and check points to other modes of transportation.

Read about the problems in England with pedophile gang rapes by Muslims who feel justified via the Koran.

Read about affirmative action's demoralizing and racist results.

Check out what teachers' unions won't tell you about school layoffs.

Read about welfare at its worst as this baby-maker is the family's breadwinner.

Check out this groundbreaking US Supreme Court decision regarding the 9th & 10th amendments.

Read about why other people's children matter too.

Read about (recipient of bailout) General Motors to invest $540 million in Mexico to build automobiles.

Read about Sheila Jackson Lee's concerns that "Christian militants" might bring down this country.

Read these top 10 pet owner mistakes.

Read about Michael New, a soldier in hot water for refusal to wear the UN insignia & uniform instead of that to which he pledged allegiance.

Read about Kosovo Muslims desecrating a church, using it as a public toilet, waste dump.

Read about Texas & California being two different options of examples to follow regarding fiscal policies.

Read about the document imaging expert informing the FBI that President Obama's certificate of live birth is a forgery.

Read about the Tennessee Planned Parenthood business losing tax payer funding.

Check out the FoxNews video clip suggesting that the mainstream media is "picking on" Sarah Palin.

When you put your hand into a bunch of goo that a moment before was your best friend's face, you'll know what to do.

2011-07-21T11:19:00.007-05:00

"Likewise, the church in our day is to be holy. The church is not a voluntary association to be governed as its members see fit, but a dwelling place of God. It ought to be structured according the orders of its commander, the Lord Jesus Christ. Our families and our homes are to reflect the spiritual purity, beauty, and orderliness that was temporarily pictured through the tabernacle and is now supremely set forth in Jesus Christ Himself."
~Vern Poythress, The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses

But, Vern ... and I hope it's okay to call you "Vern" ... methinks a big problem in the churches in the US of A is that they are seen as and operate as "a voluntary association to be governed as its members see fit."

Consequently, their families don't "reflect the spiritual purity, beauty, and orderliness" they ought. It may or may not be a uniquely American problem, but "We the people" is great for ordering a nation, but for a church it must be "You, the Lord, Jesus."

Friends can tell each other anything, if they have their "friends" hats on.

2011-07-10T16:02:00.003-05:00

Some notes (including some things cut in delivery) from my sermon today ("How to Win Enemies and Influence People") at Providence Church on Galatians 4:16

Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? (ESV)

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie
Fundamental Techniques in Handling People:
1. Don't criticize, condemn, or complain.

In contrast, Paul doesn't soften the truth to make or keep friends, nor should we.

Paul’s potentially harsh words:
• 1:6 embracing another gospel, deserting Christ
• 3:1,3 "foolish" Galatians who’ve been bewitched
• 4:8-9 implied they’re becoming idolators

Ironically, Paul had been warmly received because of the truth, in spite of his limitations. Now, in spite of the former great relationship, Paul is treated like an enemy because of the truth.

3 Areas wherein we might make enemies by telling the truth:

Evangelism – Telling someone they are sinners in need of an exclusive Savior. (N.B. Solus Christus - "His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.")
Sin (hypothetically/generically defining sin & specifically ("You are sinning by doing X."))
Doctrinal Precision (e.g., Reformed theology & orthodoxy)

“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.” ~John Calvin

“There is no justification without sanctification, no forgiveness without renewal of life, no real faith from which the fruits of new obedience do not grow.” ~Martin Luther

You probably won’t make many enemies being tolerant and accepting all ideas as equally valid.

"He that hath truth on his side is a fool as well as a coward if he is afraid to own it because of other men's opinions." ~Daniel Defoe

3 Practical Suggestions:

1. Speak the truth in love. (Eph 4:15)

Far too many of us pursue certainty over truth. (Prov 23:23)

• Truth – Don’t compromise … but don’t be an obnoxious, arrogant, petty nitpicker.
“Doctrine divides” … yes, it divides truth, from error & blasphemy from praise.

• Love – Prioritize what’s best for Christ and the person, not yourself. Beware of cowardice under the guise of being loving.

Evangelism - These are the words of Jesus, not mine. (e.g., John 14:6)
Not arrogant or perfect - I recognized that I'm a sinful human being who can only be right with God because of another (i.e., Jesus).

"To disagree, one doesn't have to be disagreeable." ~Barry Goldwater
Rom 12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Proverbs 28:23 Whoever rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with his tongue.

Check your motives … love?
Q: Am I really saying this because I care about this person and I can care about Christ’s reputation?
N.B. I’m not asking myself do I love that person and do I love Jesus? I’m asking myself is that what’s motivating me in this moment. It may very well be that I learn something about myself and get to speak the truth in love to myself in the process.

2. Reckon yourself dead in Christ (Gal 2:20)

Phil 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

It will probably never happen here (though it's happening worldwide), but determine beforehand the worst they can do is kill you and you're already dead.

John 15:18 If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
Matt 10:22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.

Risk hurting feelings …
"You've got to run the risk of offending the people you love the most, to bring them to Christ." ~Walter Martin

3. Be open to receiving a rebuke, especially from those who care about you.

Remember, you may very well be God’s instrument of restoration.
James 5:19-20 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

I meant I was implying I didn't understand.

2011-07-06T06:27:00.005-05:00

Some grammatical clarifications, not that I'm implying that you're ignorantly misusing the Queen's English.

I.e. vs E.g.

I.e. (Latin, id est = "that is") - The abbreviation is used to express the sentiment "in other words." Usage: We went to a movie (i.e., "Star Wars"). In other words, the movie seen was "Star Wars."
E.g. (Latin exempli gratia = "for example") - The abbreviation is used to suggest applicable examples. Usage: Let's go to a movie (e.g., "Star Wars"). Here, "Star Wars" is one among many movies you might go see. So, the e.g., could have been "Star Wars," "Jaws," or "Rocky," etc.

Sympathize vs. Empathize

Sympathize - the emotional affinity in which whatever affects one person affects another person
Empathize - the ability to recognize and experientially feel the emotion of another, typically as a result of a prior similar experience (empathy typically encompasses sympathy)

Presume vs. Assume

Presume - to believe something to be true without proof of non-contradictory evidence (e.g., The defendant is presumed innocent.)
Assume - often used similarly, but assume means to suppose, postulate, or claim something is true without checking or confirming it

Farther vs. Further

Farther - refers to physical distance
Further - refers to an extension of time or degree (It's "furthermore," never "farthermore.")

Who? vs. Whom?

Who - used when referring to the subject
Whom - used when referring to the object (Use the he/him method to decide which pronoun is correct: He=Who & Him=Whom, for example, "Who kicked whom? He kicked him.") (see my previous post for more)

Implying vs. Inferring

Imply - for the giver of information to suggest indirectly; to put the suggestion into the message
Infer - for the receiver of information to make a guess or conclusion in light of certain evidence; to take the suggestion out of the message (A speaker can imply, but a listener can only infer.)

Alas vs. Alack

Alas - used to express sorrow or grief
Alack - more old school way to say "alas"

Regardless vs. Irregardless

Regardless - without regard for or despite something
Irregardless - commonly used the same way, though somewhat nonsensically, since the "ir" should be used for negation rendering the term a double negative meaning "not without regard for/to"

We're not gonna fall for the banana in the tailpipe.

2011-07-01T13:37:00.005-05:00

Last night I noticed the Cardinals had played 82 games, pretty much the halfway point of a 162 game season.

Any surprises this season?

I'm thinking 2. First, the Cleveland Indians. Who expected them to do much? I know I didn't. Pretty much the division winners are playoff teams, so no shock there.

However, the biggest surprise of 2011 so far has been the St. Louis Cardinals and their improbable success that has at least kept them competitive.

If you've been following them, it's nothing short of unfathomable that they're in first place in the division at this point. Granted, the competition in the division seems down this year, but still.

Former Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter started the season 1-7 and looked like he was aiming at the sweet spot of the opposition's bats, giving up far too many home runs. The Cardinals lost the best starting pitcher (Adam Wainwright) for the season in Spring Training. They would have been better off had they lost their all-star closer (Ryan Franklin) before the season, since all he could do was blown saves or surrender leads. Last year he had 2 blown saves. This year, he blew 4 of his first 5 saves chances, before losing that role. Sporting a 8.46 ERA, he was completely cut from the team this week.

But it's not just the pitching staff that's taken a hit. The starting 3B Freese has missed significant time with injury, necessitating a move of Albert Pujols at times to play third. But, Albert himself has had his worst start ever. He got record streaks for games without a homer and no extra base hits. He seemed to have turned a corner and then broke his arm/wrist, putting him on the DL for 4-6 weeks. So, far they have a losing record in his absence.

All-star Matt Holliday has missed some time with injury and you'd think there's no way they'd be anywhere but the division's cellar, right? Well, some young kids have stepped up, but on a team that's been surprising this season, the highlight surprise has been Lance Berkman.

Berkman gets my vote for Cardinals MVP so far. It pains me so to applaud the former disAstros slugger who was always my most hated opposition player. He was always such a Cardinals killer.

It was almost as bad for me as when the Cowboys signed Terrell Owens. I remember when I heard the announcement thinking, C'mon, we're not gonna fall for the banana in the tailpipe, are we? This can't go well, can it?

But, unlike Owens, Berkman bounced back from a sub-par 2010 that left many convinced he was done. Now, I'm a fan. He's been the most consistent offensive player and it's been consistently good. In fact, he leads the team in homers & RBI and much of that has been rather clutch.

I said all that to say this. With Wainwright's season ending injury, Albert's slow start, and Franklin's meltdown, I thought the team should start thinking about 2012 back in April.

But, if Albert can come back healthy and if they can string together a few nice runs, they can win the division. Regardless of what happens the rest of the way with Berkman, fans are indebted to him for keeping hope alive in 2011.

Adieu, auf wiedersehen, gesundheit, farewell.

2011-06-29T05:33:00.000-05:00

Some of us, like my bad self, who lived in England during her tenure, remember her fondly. But for those less familiar, here's some good Margaret Thatcher for ya.

This is from what we might consider her farewell "address" to the British parliament. Incidentally, she's right on the money identifying the liberal approach to the gap between the rich & the poor.

There is ... just one more thing.

2011-06-24T15:12:00.003-05:00

No stranger to our household is the beloved Lt. Columbo, LAPD, homicide.

With Thursday night's passing of Peter Falk, the actor who played him, I feel burdened to make sure he's no stranger to your house either.

If you've never seen it, the show is a murder mystery show with a twist. You know the killer. The beauty is watching to see how Lt. Columbo will figure out the killer & how he will trick him/her into doing something revelatory.

He's great at getting the high class fancy and/or famous killer to underestimate him due to his slovenly appearance and simpleton persona. But don't let that fool ya; he's crafty, that Columbo.

You can sometimes find reruns on cable and we've seen them all via Netflix. I even own the first season on DVD, if you'd like to borrow it.

Read more about the legendary television character of Lt. Columbo.
Buy his book, Just One More Thing: Stories from My Life.
Check out Peter Falk's acting work via IMDB.

The Chinaman is not the issue!

2011-06-22T06:19:00.000-05:00

Did you see this story about a man who pranked the Muslim folks by putting ham in their shoes whilst they were praying?

Whether or not his action was good bull or bad bull is not the issue for me, so much as a trend I've noticed.

Those who don't like or don't respect the religious/political ideology of Islam are being labeled as "racist."

The title of the newspaper article is "Racist who filled Muslims' shoes with ham as they prayed in a mosque walks free from court."

Since when was religious persecution "racist"? Last I checked Islam was not a "race" or an ethnicity, but a set of beliefs that impact behavior.

Perhaps I'm just whipped by the overuse of calling someone racist who has a disagreement with a person who's white when the accuser is too lazy to actually interact on an ideological level.

To be fair, someone who hates the religious/political ideology of Islam may be many things, but of necessity one of them is not "racist." And I should know, because I'm not a racist and would resent any such insinuation.

In case I want to read it more than once.

2011-06-20T05:48:00.001-05:00

If I could require just one book for political education it would be this 122 page gem, The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater. The following are some quotes from that which was a very formative book for me politically, through you'll miss out on much of the gold that could be mined without the argumentation and further support found within.

Rereading it again , I'm shocked by how timely his 1960 words are in our era of an ever expanding government.

Secondly, the Conservative has learned that the economic and spiritual aspects of man's nature are inextricably intertwined. He cannot be economically free, ore even economically efficient, if he is enslaved politically; conversely, man's political freedom is illusory if he is dependent for his economic needs on the State. (12)

The conscience of the Conservative is pricked by anyone who would debase the dignity of the individual human being. (13)

Throughout history, government has proved to be the chief instrument for thwarting man's liberty. (16)

The turn will come when we entrust the conduct of our affairs to men who understand that their first duty as public officials is to divest themselves of the power they have been given. (23)

The Republican Party, to be sure, gives lip-service to States' Rights. We often talk about "returning to the States their rightful powers"; the Administration has even gone so far as to sponsor a federal-state conference on the problem. But deeds are what count, and I regret to say that in actual practice, the Republican Party, like the Democratic Party, summons the coercive power of the federal government whenever national leaders conclude that the States are not performing satisfactorily. (25)

States' Rights means that the States have a right to act or not to act, as they see fit, in the areas reserved to them. The States may have duties corresponding to these rights, but the duties are owed to the people of the States, not to the federal government. Therefore, the recourse lies not with the federal government, which is not sovereign, but with the people who are, and who have full power to take disciplinary action. If the people are unhappy with say, their State's disability insurance program, they can bring pressure to bear on their state officials and, if that fails, they can elect a new set of officials. (28-29)

Not only does [the Constitution] prevent the accumulation of power in a central government that is remote from the people and relatively immune from popular restraints; it also recognizes the principle that essentially local problems are best dealt with by the people most directly concerned. (29)

Nothing could so far advance the cause of freedom as for state officials throughout the land to assert their rightful claims to lost state power; and for the federal government to withdraw promptly and totally from every jurisdiction which the Constitution reserved to the states. (30)

A civil right is a right that is asserted and is therefore protected by some valid law. It may be asserted by the common law, or by local or federal statutes, or by the Constitution; but unless a right is incorporated in the law, it is not a civil right and is not enforceable by the instruments of the civil law. There may be some rights--"natural," "human," or otherwise--that should also be civil rights. But if we desire to give such rights the protection of the law, our recourse is to a legislature or to the amendment procedures of the Constitution. We must not look to politicians, or sociologists--or the courts--to correct the deficiency. (32-33)

The intentions of the founding fathers in this matter are beyond any doubt: no powers regarding eduction were given to the federal government. Consequently, under the Tenth Amendment, jurisdiction over the entire field was reserved to the States. (34)

The Constitution is what its authors intended it to be and said it was--not what the Supreme Court says it is. (36)

The teaching of the Constitution on this matter is perfectly clear. No power over agriculture was given to any branch of the national government. (39)

Where is the politician who has not promised his constituents a fight to the death for lower taxes--and who has not proceeded to vote for the very spending projects that make tax cuts impossible? (58)

We have been led to discount, and often forget altogether, the bearing of taxation on the problem of individual freedom. We have been persuaded that the government has an unlimited claim on the wealth of the people, and that the only pertinent question is what portion of its claim the government should exercise. the American taxpayer, I think, has lost confidence in his claim to his money. He has been handicapped in resisting high taxes by the feeling that he is, in the nature of things, obliged to accommodate whatever need for his wealth government chooses to assert. (58-59)

Government does not have an unlimited claim on the earnings of individuals. One of the foremost precepts of the natural law is man's right to the possession and the use of his property. (59)

It has been the fashion in recent years to disparage "property rights"--to associate them with greed and materialism. This attack on property rights is actually an attack on freedom. Is is another instance of the modern failure to take into account the whole man. How can a man be truly free if he is denied the means to exercise freedom? How can he be free if the fruits of his labor are not his to dispose of, but are treated, instead, as part of a common pool of public wealth? (59)

Therefore, if we adhere to the Constitution, the federal government's total tax bill will be the cost of exercising such of its delegated powers as our representatives deem necessary in the national interest. But conversely, when the federal government enacts programs that are not authorized by its delegated powers, the taxes needed to pay for such programs exceed the governments rightful claim on our wealth. (61)

What is a "fair share?" I believe that the requirements of justice here are perfectly clear: government has a right to claim an equal percentage of each man's wealth, and no more. (61)

I do not believe in punishing success. To put it more broadly, I believe it is contrary to the natural right to property to which we have just alluded--and is therefore immoral--to deny to the man whose labor has produced more abundant fruit than that of his neighbor the opportunity of enjoying the abundance he has created. (61-62)

The graduated tax is a confiscatory tax. Its effect, and to a large extent its aim, is to bring down all men to a common level. (62)

I believe that as a practical matter spending cuts must come before tax cuts. If we reduce taxes before firm, principled decisions are made about expenditures, we will court deficit spending and the inflationary effects that invariably follow. (62-63)

I do mean to say, however, that neither of our political parties has seriously faced up to the problem of government spending. ... The root evil is that the government is engaged in activities in which is has no legitimate business. (65)

The only way to curtail spending substantially, is to eliminate the programs on which excess spending is consumed. (66)

The government must begin to withdraw from a whole series of programs that are outside its constitutional mandate--from social welfare programs, education, public power, agriculture, public housing, urban renewal and all the the other activities that can be better performed by lower levels of government or by private institutions or by individuals. (66)

By reducing taxes and spending we will not only return to the individual the means with which he can assert his freedom and dignity, but also guarantee to the nation the economic strength that will always be its ultimate defense against foreign foes. (67)

Socialism-through-Welfarism poses a far greater danger to freedom than Socialism-through-Nationalization precisely because it is more difficult to combat. The evils of Nationalization are self-evident and immediate. Those of Welfarism are veiled and tend to be postponed. People can understand the consequences of turning over ownership of the steel industry, say, to the State; and they can be counted on to oppose such a proposal. But let the government increase its contribution to the "Public Assistance" program and we will, at most grumble, about excessive government spending. The effect of Welfarism on freedom will be felt later on--after its beneficiaries have become its victims, after dependence on government has turned into bondage and it is too late to unlock the jail. (70-71)

Conservatism is through unless Conservatives can demonstrate and communicate the difference between being concerned with these problems and believing that the federal government is the proper agent for their solution. (71)

Indeed, this is one of the great evils of Welfarism--that it transforms the individual from a dignified, industrious, self-reliant spiritual being into a dependent animal creature without his knowing it. (73)

I agree with lobbyists for federal school aid that education is one of the great problems of our day. I am afraid, however, that their views and mine regarding the nature of the problem are many miles apart. They tend to see the problem in quantitative terms--not enough schools, not enough teachers, not enough equipment. I think it has more to do with quality: How good are the schools we have? Their solution is to spend more money. Mine is to raise standards. Their recourse is to the federal government. Mine is to the local public school board, the private school, the individual citizen--as far away from the federal government as one can possibly go. (76)

The truth, of course, is that the federal government has no funds except those it extracts from the taxpayers who reside in the various States. (80)

The money that the federal government pays to State X for education has been taken from the citizens of State X in federal taxes and comes back to them, minus the Washington brokerage fee. (80)

... federal aid to education inevitably means federal control of education. (81)

In the main, the trouble with American education is that we have put into practice the educational philosophy expounded by John Dewey and his disciples. (83)

Responding to the Deweyite attack on the methods of teaching, we have encouraged the teaching profession to be more concerned with how a subject is taught than with what is taught. (83)

We have forgotten that the proper function of the school is to transmit the cultural heritage of one generation to the next generation, and to so train the minds of the new generation as to make them capable of absorbing ancient learning and applying it to the problem of its own day. (84)

We should look upon our schools--not as a place to train the "whole character" of the child--a responsibility that properly belongs to his family and church--but to train his mind. (84)

If an enemy power is bent on conquering you, and proposes to turn all of his resources that that end, he is at war with you; and you--unless you contemplate surrender--are at war with him. (89)

But the Constitution does not empower our government to undertake that job in foreign countries, no matter how worthwhile it might be. Therefore, except as it can be shown to promote America's national interests, the Foreign Aid program is unconstitutional. (95)

For many years now, our allies in Western Europe have devoted smaller portions of their national budgets to military forces than we have. The result is that the American people, in the name of military aid, have been giving an economic handout to these nations; we have permitted them to transfer their domestic economy funds which, in justice, should have been used in the common defense effort. (96)

Our present Foreign Aid program, in sum, is not only ill-administered, but ill-conceived. It has not, in the majority of cases, made the free world stronger; it has made America weaker." (99)

Unlike America, the Communists do not respect the UN and do not permit their policies to be affected by it. (113)

Not so with us; we would rather be approved than succeed, and so are likely to adjust our own views to conform with a United Nations majority. (113)

Finally, I fear that our involvement in the United Nations may be leading to an unconstitutional surrender of American sovereignty. (114)

In all our dealings with foreign nations, we must behave like a great power. Our national posture must reflect strength and confidence and purpose, as well as good will. We need not be bellicose, but neither should we encourage others to believe that American rights can be violated with impunity. We must protect American nationals and American property and American honor--everywhere. We may not make foreign peoples love us--no nation has ever succeeded in that--but we can make them respect us. And respect is the stuff of which enduring friendships and firm alliances are made. (119)

We must adopt a discriminating foreign aid policy. American aid should be furnished only to friendly, anti-Communist nations that are willing to join with us in the struggle for freedom. (119-20)

I don't know how to put this, but I'm kind of a big deal.

2011-06-17T06:32:00.001-05:00

I attended the Dallas Mavericks championship parade yesterday and thought about what makes that team so beloved nationally. By way of contrast, I think it's related to another question: Why is Lebron James so hated in the world of basketball?

What would motivate the people of Cleveland to root for anyone playing the Heat, even creating "Cavs for Mavs" fan wear? Why would the governor praise the Mavericks for beating James' Heat to the extent of making them honorary Ohioians?

I think there are two issues here, one betrayal and the other arrogance.

Cleveland feels betrayed, but is that valid? People leave teams all the time, right? If they just do it for money, they catch a certain amount of wrath. But, what about if a player does it in order to win championships?

Shouldn't we praise a guy who cares more about winning than about the money?

Well, you have to understand the context. Lebron is from Ohio. He was gifted to Cleveland, a city that hadn't won a championship in anything since ... well, since before I was born. He was their best chance.

But, that might legitimately only explain the disappointment of getting so close (including the NBA Finals), yet not betrayal.

Well, the problem is that he'd given many indications that he was committed to Cleveland and winning there ... not just winning. In fact, as recently as the end of March 2010 in an interview on NBA TV he stated, "I have a goal and its a huge goal and that's to bring an NBA championship to Cleveland and I won't stop until I get it."

But he did stop. He stopped only a few months later.

But, it's not just that he stopped. They broke up. Break ups are rarely easy. But this wasn't just that they broke up, but how they broke up.

Playing coy with a team that fired the head coach in what could be deemed an appeasement to Lebron James, he jilted his former lover by announcing in a media circus of a one-hour "decision" special. He was taking his talents and his affections to South Beach.

Was it, "I don't love you anymore"? Or was it, "I never really loved you anyway"?

Either way, feelings of rage which sparked jersey burnings are understandable.

For those outside of Cleveland, that's all perceived as pretty crummy. Yet, beyond that is a guy who some want to regard as potentially the best of all time, but yet seems to have taken the easy way out.

Instead of sticking with a team and doing whatever it took to get that team a championship, he left for easier waters.

Contrast Lebron with Dirk Nowitski, who had also made a finals appearance and was a free agent. He stuck with his team of alleged spares and won. That story inspires people. Lebron's does not.

I think that contributed to people rooting for Dirk's Mavericks and against Lebron's Heat.

Couple that with James' boasting about winning multiple championships (at least 8) at the Heat's over-the-top pep rally and you can see how folks might like to see the proud humbled. You can see how some might take pleasure in Lebron being the 3rd best scorer on his team in the NBA Finals ... in a losing effort.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure just about everyone would want him on their team. But, whatever transpires from here on out, I don't think you'll ever have any serious arguments in favor of Lebron being among the NBA's best of the best of all time.

He's no Michael Jordan. He's no Magic Johnson. As well, he's no Dirk Nowitski.

Your mom goes to college.

2011-06-15T06:25:00.003-05:00

Folks in America often think of education as the panacea to cure all that ails a society. But is it? Or could it be used to the detriment of a society?

I heartily recommend the following lengthy video which questions the legitimacy of some assumptions in our society with regard to a college education. It also exposes the problem of indebtedness being necessary to getting an education, due to absurd costs.

Check out "The College Conspiracy."

In related news, check out a SWAT team invasion being used by the Department of Education to collect on defaulted student loans. It's another incident raising concerns about the overuse of police force upon the American people and confirmation for me that the federal government should have NOTHING to do with education.

Really, check this stuff out, folks.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-06-13T10:51:00.003-05:00

Check out the relaunch of Conservative Reformed Mafia, a group blog of which I'm a part.

Read Charles Krauthammer's National Review piece wherein he asks and answers the following questions: Is It Incompetence or Ideology? Should Republicans run against Obama’s hyper-liberalism or his abysmal economic stewardship?

Read about middle-aged men having "hotness delusion syndrome."

Read about the fight in which one man bit off and actually swallowed the ear of another.

Check out James MacDonald's post: "Congregational Government is From Satan."

Read about how the Gov. Sarah Palin email frenzy backfired on her media antagonists.

Check out Norman Mailer's Top 10 Favorite American Novels he read.

Check out Ted Nugent's pick for president.

Read Outlawing Abortion: Making the Case for an Incremental Approach.

Read this USA Today piece further detailing our financial demise as "U.S. funding for future promises lags by trillions."

Read about the NM free speech controversy sparked by a jilted boyfriend who used a billboard to advertise that his ex-girlfriend got an abortion.

Check out 50 Awesome Things about Babies.

Read about the mother planning to transfer her womb to her daughter.

Check out TV executives admission in taped interviews that Hollywood pushes a liberal agenda (Exclusive Video).

Check out this Washington Times story, "One law for us, another for you," an attempt to expose legislative hypocrisy.

Read about talk of MLB realignment.

Check out the follow up to the Elizabeth Smart Case--Street preacher gets life in prison for kidnapping, rape.

Read about the Australian Naval Cadet's allegations that she was raped and forced to cover it up by the Navy.

Read about RC Sproul, Jr's addressing the topic of the moral law & polygamy.

Check out tough questions of justice raised by a Kansas City 5 year old girl who drowned an infant to stop it from crying.

Read about alleged comedian Titus joking about killing Sarah Palin if she gets elected president.

Read about the man arrested on an aggravated assault charge over not getting a free refill at McDonald's.

Read about how the US Supreme Court has allowed for in-state tuition for illegal aliens (i.e., criminal trespassers, but not legal US tax-paying residents of other states, of course).

Read about how the head of the NJ teachers union makes $550,000 a year, 2x that of the governor and 10x that of the average American.

Read Dan Phillips' thoughts on voting skin color.

Read Vern Poythress' thoughts on the problematic outlook of some scientists.

Read about the propaganda technique of transfer.

Read about the ad hominem fallacy.

Read about the red herring fallacy.

Read about International Criminal Court's charges that Quaddafi ordered mass rapes and even gave his soldiers "Viagra-type" drugs to encourage his troops to attack women.

Read a case against the (ab)use the of the Em Dash.

Read Thom Rainer's tutorial for Millennials regarding email communication.

Read about 28 Pro-Life senators defending Indiana against Obama Administration.

Read about Fidel Castro's denunciation of the hit on Osama Bin Laden.

Read about Thomas Sowell and the popular notion/myth that the rich get rich by [necessarily] making the poor poor.

Read about growing concerns over the Obama Administration's minimization and/or denial of press access.

Read about President Obama signing a proclamation to designate June as LGBT Pride Month (i.e., Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender)."

Read about potential implications of research showing only 1.4% of population is gay.

Read about the ACLU suing over prisoners' rights to pornography.

Read about the Lakers plans to retire Shaq's jersey.

Read about Egyptian women being forced to undergo virginity tests.

Check out the difference between Palin, West, Bush and Obama, in pictures.

Check out before & after pictures of Joplin, Missouri.

Read about NY Representative Anthony Weiner's inappropriate joking about allegations made about him, which he initially vehemently denied.

Check out this collection of Anthony Weiner coverage, including initial reports that he was a Republican. (He's actually a NY Democrat.)

Check out this chronicle of stories showing the development of the Anthony Weiner story.

Read about how last night's Mavericks' championship pulled the highest rating for a Game 6 in 11 years, and wonder, "Were viewers Mavs fans or Heat haters?"

Read reasons why President Obama's birth certificate has been deemed as phony.

Read about the 8th grade field trip that included lunch at Hooters.

Read about how a mother of a "Family Guy" actor thinks the show is corrupting America's youth and she hopes it gets canceled.

Read about TSA's response to Texas legislation which would make it a state offense for any public servant to touch a person’s private areas, or touch them in a way a reasonable person would consider offensive, as a condition of travel or entering a public building.

Check out Mark Levin's displeasure over conservatives bashing other conservatives (i.e., Palin, Bachmann, and Cain).

Read about Florida requiring drug testing for welfare recipients starting July 1st.

Check out this cool Google Chrome YouTube commercial. (HT Jade)

Read about the 17 year old not allowed to wear her US Marine Corps uniform at her high school graduation.

Read about the family of the man who shouted "Allahu Akbar!" while he stormed the airplane cockpit defending his actions, suggesting he was probably just looking for the restroom.

Check out this National Review piece that exposes what really radicalizes Muslims ... Islam.

Juuust a bit outside

2011-06-11T20:37:00.005-05:00

Did you see this? Major League Baseball is considering team realignment ... again.

Someone other than me finally realized it was unstable to have 14 American League teams and 16 National League teams.

The AL West has only 4 teams while the NL Central has 6. Which means the Texas Rangers, for example, only need to better 3 teams to make the playoffs, while the Cardinals must beat 5 teams to do the same.

There's talk of moving a NL team to the AL.

Well, part of the foolishness was moving the Milwaukee Brewers from the American League to the National League to begin with. I hope they'll move the Brewers back instead of further cagging up baseball by moving a longstanding NL team to the AL.

The disAstros were mentioned as a way to get a rivalry going with the Texas Rangers. However, anyone who follows the NL Central knows there's been a pretty nice rivalry going between them and the Cardinals since the mid-90s.

I said all that to say this, I hope somewhere along the line MLB gets a lick of sense and fixes the following things:

Designated Hitter - I've written about this before, but here I'll just say it's insulting to the game and unstable to have different rules for different ballparks.
Different sized playing fields - It's unstable to have a home run in one park be a fly out in another. Oh, and what's with that incline in center in Houston?
Different quantities in divisions - 30 teams and you want 6 divisions? How about six 5-team divisions, like my first-grader would suggest?

There are things to fix, but as students of presidential politics might tell you, change isn't necessarily good. Just don't make it worse, MLB.

Look, I go to church every Sunday. Every "other" Sunday.

2011-06-09T16:40:00.001-05:00

After the 6th day of creation, God rested on the 7th day to marvel at the goodness of His creation (Gen 1:31; 2:1-3). He would later explicitly command His people to rest from their labor on the 7th day, that they might likewise marvel at the fruit of His labor.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
~Psalm 19:1

After Christ's work on the cross, His people would gather on the 1st day to reflect on Christ's work of redemption in making atonement for His people. Jesus appeased the wrath of God for His people who are new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) and we marvel at what Christ's has done on the cross and what the Spirit is doing in those new creatures. (cf. Phil 2:13; Gal 5:22-23)

"We gather together on the first rather than the seventh day of the week because redemption is even a greater work than creation and more worthy of commemoration and because the rest which followed creation is far outdone by the rest which ensues upon the completion of redemption. Like the Apostles, we meet on the first day of the week and hope that Jesus may stand in our midst and say, 'Peace be unto you.' Our Lord has lifted the Sabbath from the old and rusty hinges where on the law had placed it long before and set it on the new golden hinges which His love has fashioned. He has placed our rest day not at the end of a week of toil but at the beginning of the rest which remains for the people of God. Every first day of the week we should meditate on the rising of our Lord and seek to enter into the fellowship with Him in His risen life."
~Charles Spurgeon

Only dogs are to obey.

2011-06-03T14:01:00.006-05:00

Obedience is often mocked in our era, but that's a mark against our society, not against the concept or the implication of divinely appointed roles. In addition, the necessity of obedience cannot be in human redemption.

The following from John Murray elucidates the fuller significance of the death of the second person of the trinity, Jesus the Christ, particularly with regard to His obedience to a "sin avenging God" (HT Jay Porterfield).

What the obedience of Christ involved for him is perhaps nowhere more strikingly expressed than in Hebrews 2:10-18; 5:8-10 where we are told that Jesus "learned obedience from the things which he suffered," that he was made perfect through sufferings, and that "being made perfect he became to all who obey him the author of eternal salvation." When we examine these passages the following lessons become apparent.

It was not through mere incarnation that Christ wrought our salvation and secured our redemption.
It was not through mere death that salvation was accomplished.
It was not simply through the death upon the cross that Jesus became the author of salvation.
The death upon the cross, as the climactic requirement of the price of redemption, was discharged as the supreme act of obedience; it was not death resistlessly inflicted but death upon the cross willingly and obediently wrought.

[The above is from Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray. Read the whole chapter: The Nature of the Atonement. Buy the book.]

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
~Philippians 2:5-11 (ESV)

You not expendable.

2011-05-30T05:29:00.000-05:00

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
~G.K. Chesterton

This Memorial Day, we remember our love for those who laid down their lives for a country and its people. We also remember today how we need to show that love to our present soldiers, loving them in life, not merely in death.

Any man don't wanna get killed better clear on out the back.

2011-05-28T06:31:00.000-05:00

Much has been said about the negative impact of immigration, particularly illegal immigration, in this country. However, it's a problem in Europe as well.

In Oslo, Norway, there's a particular problem their having with foreigners being rapists. In fact, ALL rapes in Oslo last year were committed by "men of non-Western background."

"From 2005-2010 a total of 86 sexual assaults involving rape was reported. In 83 cases the man was described as having 'non-western appearance'; these are all the cases in which the perpetrator could be identified by the victim."

It would appear the religion (e.g., Islam) plays a part in such treatment of women, as the following news clip shows.

"I think when a person has been found guilty of rape he should be castrated. That would stop him pretty quick."
~Billy Graham

You're breaking up with me, because I'm too ... blonde?

2011-05-26T17:30:00.004-05:00

During a recent password audit, it was found that a blonde was using the following password:

MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofy

When asked why such a big password, she said that it had to be at least 8 characters long.

My hypocrisy only goes so far.

2011-05-21T13:37:00.004-05:00

Thursday, President Obama called for a return to the 1967 boundary lines with regard to a solution to the friction between Israel & the Palestinians.

Friday, KISS's Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz in Israel) responded to the man he voted for, criticizing his suggestion. Check out this video clip where Simmons also addresses the moon, the UN, insects, and the death penalty [questionable language has been bleeped].

Let me just say, in general, I think it's hypocritical for the US to champion the idea of independence given our own history of denying that type of endeavor (e.g., the Civil War).

Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.

2011-05-20T13:50:00.005-05:00

What a country?! We'll let any weirdo post any kind of doggerel online it seems, present company included.

In pondering Dirk's recent respectability and the question of whether or not he's a "Top 10" player of all time, James Day loses all credibility in a Top 10 all time list that doesn't include Magic Johnson.

To be fair, there are some greats on his list:

Centers: Kareem, Shaq, Wilt and Russell
Forwards: Bird and Erving
Guards: West, Robertson, Jordan and Kobe.

Perhaps he felt it was already too Laker heavy with 5 of his 10, I don't know. But who would honestly prefer to have Kobe over Magic?

All time starting five is another discussion, but to me a top 10 list is like the draft, these are the first ones you pick.

My top 10 of all time:

Magic Johnson
Wilt Chamberlain
Michael Jordan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Bill Russell
Larry Bird
Julius Erving
Shaquille O’Neal
Jerry West
Oscar Robertson

Honorable Mentions: Hakeem Olajuwon, Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, and James Worthy.

Perhaps I'm too hard on those without championships or presently playing, but it's hard to be top top if your team wasn't the best ... EVER.

Don't give that man a statue. Give him heart.

2011-05-19T17:07:00.003-05:00

Apparently, Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (aka Lew Alcindor) is upset that he doesn't have a statue of himself outside the Staples Center.

To be fair, Kareem is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, a 6-time champ, and the reason I became a Lakers fan in 1979. I certainly think he's "statue-worthy" and a would also be my choice for statue #3, behind Jerry West & Magic Johnson, whom I've argued is the best of all time.

Kareem's tender he doesn't get the love Magic Johnson does?

"When you look at what (owner Jerry Buss) did for Earvin and what he did for me, big disparity there," Abdul-Jabbar said.

The Lakers have already said the next statue will be of Kareem, but I wouldn't be surprised if it takes longer now. I'd be in favor of adding an extra year just out of principle.

C'mon, man. You can't demand a statue of yourself. That's not the way honor should work.

I know Kareem's not a Christian, but Proverbs 27:2 comes to mind:

"Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips."

As a player, I have nothing but the utmost respect for "The Captain," but I lost some respect for him as a human with this, "Where's my statue? Where's the love, man?" bit.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-05-09T06:27:00.002-05:00

Check out what educated non-Muslims don't like about Islam in a nutshell.

Check out these answers to objections when you talk about Islam.

Check out Charles Spurgeon against Legalistic "Holiness" and Morbid Self-Examination.

Read about 5 things that will happen to you when America goes bankrupt.

Read about UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter convicted of child sex crimes.

Check out a list of the best last lines in literature. (HT Brent Thomas)

Check out President Obama's vision for America: "A vision where we live within our means ..."

Read about the suspicion that Moammar Gadhafi is planning to unleash mustard gas on Libyan rebels.

Reflect on the death of David Wilkerson.

Read an article about the significance of Anselm by RC Sproul.

Check out overlawywered.com, a website chronicling the high cost of our legal system.

Read about the mother of 11 who was killed after complying with every one of the armed robber's demands.

Check out some downloadable Sunday school curriculum from ARBCA (Association of Reformed Baptist Churches of America).

Read about the Rabbi convicted of groping an Israeli Army officer on the plane.

Read 5 specific reasons why church membership matters.

Check out these FREE online language courses.

Read about Pakistanis "celebrating" the death of terrorist Osama Bin Laden by Muslim prayers for him and burning American flags.

Read about the Arab-American response in Dearborn, Michigan, to the news of Osama's death, proof that "American Muslims are in the United States to escape Sharia law — not to import it."

Check out the flak Chancellor Merkel of Germany got when she said she was "glad" Osama was dead.

Check out the recently clean-shaven teacher who vowed nearly 10 years ago not to shave until Osama was confirmed.

Read about sightseers flocking to Osama's compound as it becomes a "ghoulish tourist attraction."

Read about how the White House, CIA, and Pentagon botched the death of Osama storyline.

Read about Osama's unrealized plans to attack American trains on the anniversary of 9/11.

Check out Graeme Goldsworthy's Main Chapters in the Biblical Storyline in chart form, with elaboration.

Read about Pittsburgh Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall creating quite a stir with his Osama tweets.

Read about Pittsburgh Steelers' Rashard Mendenhall losing his Champion endorsement over his comments regarding Osama.

Read this rebuttal to the absurd argument against showing Americans pictures of dead Osama along the lines of "Imagine how the American people would react if Al Qaeda killed one of our troops or military leaders, and put photos of the body on the internet."

Read "Is God glad Osama Bin Laden's dead?" by John Piper. (HT Chaplain Galyon)

Read speculation as to the American Idol judges' beef with Haley.

Read about the words mistakenly attributed to Martin Luther the King: "Anatomy of a Fake Quotation."

Check out these fast facts on Freemasonry.

Learn about Social Darwinism from Gene Edward Veith.

Check out Stuff White People Like: Black Music that Black People Don’t Listen to Anymore.

Check out these poll numbers the media ignores.

Watch Jim Gaffigan address the Bible, Catholicism, and Easter traditions.

Check out Adrian Warnock's thoughts on CS Lewis, John Stott, Hell, and Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins.

Read about the intellectual dishonesty of Nancy Pelosi.

Check out these resources recapping the GOP Presidential debate in SC. I urge you to check out Herman Cain's video clips.

Check out Herman Cain's presidential exploratory website.

Read Puritan Thomas Watson's All Things for Good.

Read about plans for a Godfather prequel. (HT Jason Kearney)

Read about Pacifism, "A naive and dangerous approach to life." (Say what you will about the tenants of national socialism ...)

Check out Foxnews' poll: Should the American flag be banned--in America?

Read President Al Mohler's thoughts on why conservative churches are growing.

Read about FEMA's lack of assistance with the wildfires in Texas.

Read about how 70% of illegal aliens in Texas receive welfare.

Check out Stuff Christians Like: Ranking the 7 Deadly Sins.

Read about nearly half of Detroiters being functionally illiterate.

Read 21 things NOT to say to a hurting friend. (N.B. These things were actually said.)

Read about the thoughts of the children reading with President Bush on 9/11 nearly a decade later on his initial response.

Read about church steeples being put on the endangered list.

Check out 2003 Miss USA's traumatic account of being sexually assaulted (i.e., "groped") by the TSA.

Check out the uproar over a 6 year old girl getting the "enhanced" TSA pat-down, including the YouTube clip of the event.

Read about Mexico et al buying up huge amounts of gold, in an attempt to diversify in the face of the "faltering dollar."

Read about the Muslim & Christians clashes in Egypt that killed 12 and injured hundreds.

Check out Texas, creating more new jobs in the last 5 years than all other states combined.

Read "Only One Way" by Bruce Ware, learning about pluralism, inclusivism, and exclusivism.

Read about the Australian man who stabbed to death his 2 year old daughter, after announcing his plan to the world via Facebook.

Read about the teaching of Muslim (Sharia) Law at the University of Montana.

Check out Chaplain Galyon's All-Time Favorite Quotable Movies.

Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?

2011-05-06T05:47:00.004-05:00

It's rare I do so, but I joined with another congregation for worship not too long ago. I wasn't wearing my customary "church clothes."

In conversation with a presumably well-meaning lady, she said, "God doesn't care what you wear." She was speaking in the context of what one wears when assembling to worship the true & living God.

I give her the benefit of the doubt as to her intentions, but I differ. While you'd be hard pressed to argue the Bible requires a suit or a fancy dress or even long pants on men folk, to say He's apathetic regarding attire in the assembly to to overstate the matter.

Modesty inclines us to not dress in such a way that draws attention to ourselves, especially when attention should be focused on God and our adoration & appreciation of Him.

Conventional wisdom inclines us to afford God at least the same respect we'd afford others we deem important by dressing in such a way that doesn't communicate our apathy. Again, that may not mean your "Sunday best" as other generations have put it, but I think it necessitates being "presentable."

If I had to guess by your eyes, I'd say you were 50.

2011-04-29T06:10:00.000-05:00

"These Are the Things You Don't Say to Your Wife," by Tim Hawkins.

Are you trying to say, "capiche"? Well don't do it, 'cause it hurts my ears when you do it.

2011-04-27T06:13:00.000-05:00

These aren't so much pet peeves as they are my contentions about how words ought to be pronounced.

AGAIN - It should rhyme with "pain," and "rain," like the kind in Spain that stays mainly in the plain. I can only assume we changed this to spite our friends in Canada and/or the UK.
KANSAS & ARKANSAS - It should either be "Can-Zes" & "Are-Can-Zes" OR "Ken-Saw" & "Are-Ken-Saw." The current inconsistency is unstable.

I don't know if usage has changed and what I'm proposing is how it used to be or if it's always been cagged, but regardless of what you've heard, I'm right on this.

While on the subject of pronunciation, I find it odd that "Course" and "Horse" and "Hoarse" and "Force" all rhyme.

BONUS: Check out one publisher's Top 40 Pronunciation Pet Peeves.

I mean, that thing is good. I wanna be friends with it.

2011-04-22T20:31:00.005-05:00

Some Good Friday thoughts ...

From Mike Gendron's address tonight at Providence Church regarding Christ's 6th saying on the cross: "It is finished." (John 19:30)

Q: What does Jesus mean by "it"?
A: 10 accomplishments of Jesus when "it" was finished:

Jesus' blood was shed.
Divine justice was satisfied.
Atonement was achieved.
Sin was forgiven.
Redemption was paid.
Reconciliation was accomplished.
Death was conquered.
Righteousness was perfected.
Salvation was secured.
Heaven was opened.

From Ted Winton's address tonight at Providence Church regarding Christ's 7th saying on the cross: "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit!" (Luke 23:46)

Q: What does this saying mean?

A: What it means to Him ... A commitment and dedication to His Father's plan for His life.

A: What it means to us ... Something we must share with Jesus, trusting in the Father's will for our lives, our futures.

To hear these or any of the 7 sayings of Christ on the cross addressed during our Good Friday service, check out the Providence Church sermons page.

I'll have four fried chickens and a coke. And some dry white toast.

2011-04-19T20:30:00.002-05:00

I was reminded of this in response to my rant about Country Burger switching from sweet, clean Coke product to Pepsi, one of my pet peeves.

"No Coke, Pepsi."

I like what you've done here.

2011-04-14T06:37:00.000-05:00

Some folks will fight you over Bible version choice with the vehemence of lifelong sports rivalries.

I have my own preferences as well, but I stumbled across a passage that gave me a greater appreciation for the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible).

New versions are often loathe to deviate from some of the more nostalgic renderings, even those which don't accurately convey the meaning of the original Hebrew or Greek.

One such example for me is John 3:16 ... "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (KJV)

Taken out of context, it's easy to understand how the verse is interpreted that God "sooooooooooo very much loved the world ... ," a comment on the degree of God's love.

However, I'd suggest to you the preceding context shows us that the verse is really a comment on the manner in which God loved the world (i.e., in the same way as the Israelites were saved by looking upon a bronze snake on a pole (Num 21:1-9), so now God's love is demonstrated to all types of people as Jew & Gentile alike are saved by looking in faith upon Him who was on a cross).

The Greek word translated "so" (οὕτως) means "in this manner" or "thus" or "in this way." The first version I've seen that clarifies that meaning in John 3:16 is the HCSB, putting an emphasis on "world."

"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

I'm no expert on the HCSB and got my copy for free, but I've seen some things I like in there and would commend it for a look see.

Don't compromise. Compromise is a language of the devil. Run in God's name and let the world stand back and in wonder.

2011-04-12T13:01:00.005-05:00

Today marks the 150th anniversary of Captain George S. James sending the first mortar round through the air at Fort Sumter (SC). It was April 12, 1861. The Civil War was begun.

Abraham Lincoln was a polarizing figure, to say the least. On his agenda was dealing with a issue for which there really was no satisfactory compromise--slavery.

Were black folks afforded the same unalienable rights by the Creator?

I wonder how we'd feel about a president who split the nation and effected the death of more than 600,000 Americans if it happened today. What issues are worth that much bloodshed? Was the liberation of the slaves worth the price?

Suppose feelings about abortion were apportioned along geographical lines. How would we feel about a president whose conviction that pre-born babies are endowed by the Creator with the same unalienable rights as others moved him to drastic measures? Suppose the effects of that conviction led to a civil war and great bloodshed. Would their liberation be worth the price?

History has been kind to Lincoln, though it helps that his side was militarily successful. But, how would Americans 150 years later regard a president in our day who forced the issue on an issue for which there is no satisfactory compromise?

I honestly anticipate generations after us will see us as barbaric in our national lack of regard for the rights of those without a voice in our society, much as we view the proponents of slavery today.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-04-11T12:37:00.011-05:00

Check out this Joshua Harris video clip: "Don't waste your [participation in] church."

Read about the Marine sergeant who took a sniper bullet to the head in Afghanistan and was smokin' & jokin' 15 minutes later.

Check out 100 things to make your home safer.

Read some thoughts on forgiveness by Paul Tripp: A Bitter Harvest?

See Graeme Goldsworthy's Outline of Biblical History.

Check out illegal immigrants protesting for access to higher education. (N.B. illegal immigrants)

Check out Herman Cain's thoughts on why he thinks he could beat President Obama in 2012.

Check out Stuff Christians Life #954: Using a fear of legalism as an excuse to be lazy.

Check out the possible response had Paul's letter to the Galatians been published in Christianity Today. (HT Audrey)

Read Jim Elliff's thoughts on a Different Style of Evangelist: Laborers on the Loose.

Check out this CNN story about the US military burning boxes of unsolicited Bibles in Afghanistan. (One Koran burning and it's an outrage. Bibles burned and it's all good?)

Check out Chaplain Galyon's book review of Randy Alcorn's If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil.

Read Christopher Hitchens' thoughts on Roman Polanski's rape of a child in a global context: "What does Roman Polanski's victim have in common with a Yemeni child bride?"

Read about what happened at the "Ten Cent Beer" baseball promotion game between the Rangers and Indians.

Read Steve Baldwin's article "The Mystery of Barack Obama Continues."

Check out Jason Leeman's presentation of his book The Church and the Surprising Offense of God's Love in four talks.

Read What To Choose For Home Defense: Pepperspray, Shotguns, Pistols, or What?

Read about Texas considering the highest speed limits in the country.

Read Thom Rainer's thoughts on what churches can learn from Southwest Airlines.

Read about President Obama's occasions of longing for a simpler, more "anonymous" lifestyle. (Kudos to him for using the term "kabuki dance.")

Read as Mark Noll considers the potential benefits and dangers of The Gospel Coalition. (HT Brent Thomas)

Browse this list of some outrageous executive perks. (HT Brent Thomas)

Read about the return of the Commodore 64. (HT Brent Thomas)

Check out this National Geographic video detailing the "World's Most Typical Person."

Check out the Top 4 Snottiest Comebacks.

Check out Chaplain Galyon's all time favorite military movies.

Watch this great CBS News segment on Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Read about the black man indicted for making racist threats on behalf of the KKK to authorities in O'Fallon, IL. (I can't help but think of Dave Chapelle as Clayton Bigsby, Black White Supremecist.)

Read about the most dangerous thing about disobedience according to Thabiti Anyabwile.

Check out the controversial ban of Islamic veils going into effect today in France.

There's a snake in my boot!

2011-04-08T05:37:00.000-05:00

A modern day Rikki Tikki Tavi, mongoose vs. cobra.

That was so fetch!

2011-04-06T11:35:00.000-05:00

Whoop! A hearty congratulations to Sydney Colson & her fellow Aggies winning the NCAA Women's Championship!

It was an amazing and impressive drive, beating a 1-seeded Baylor team that had handed them 3 of their 5 losses on the season. Then they another 1-seed, Stanford, the only team that had given 2 time defending champs UConn a loss this season. Then they sent the Fightin' Irish home sad.

It's a good day to be an Aggie. Thanks, gals!

(Here's another great Aggie video, though the man wouldn't let me embed.)

Good answer. Good answer. I like the way you think. I'm gonna be watching you.

2011-04-04T11:11:00.000-05:00

Bible scholar Matthew Henry (1662-1714) was once robbed of his wallet. Knowing he was to give thanks in everything (cf. 1 Thess 5:18), he reflected on this incident and recorded the following in his diary:

"Let me be thankful, first, because he never robbed me before; second, because although he took my purse, he did not take my life; third, because although he took all I possessed, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed."

To hell with them fellas. Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.

2011-03-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

Is Josey Wales more orthodox than Rob Bell?

Bell is the founding pastor Mars Hill Bible Church, a megachurch in Michigan, and a popular author, most recently of Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived.

As you may know, there's much controversy concerning Bell, particularly accusations that he's officially left the realm of orthodoxy with his denial of hell.

I've not read the book, so I can't speak to that subject as of yet, but I would like to offer a few comments as well as a few links for further reading.

First, I'd like to address what's been termed "optimistic inclusivism," which is in contrast to an exclusivist view.

Evangelical (assuming for a moment that term still has meaning) Christians adhere to the biblical concept of exclusivity where salvation is concerned. That is, salvation from the wrath of God only comes through Jesus Christ, the crucified & risen Son of God (cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

As you might imagine, that's among the least popular tenants of Christianity. It's much more popular to assert that (a) because God is love/loving, (b) He saves everyone, regardless of their theological allegiances. Hence, love wins.

As Ed Stetzer points out, this is not an original thought with Bell, though his attempt as an alleged evangelical to seemingly persuade evangelicals is perhaps what's setting him apart.

The error, of course, is in starting with a concept of love and then attempting to conform God to it, including His actions. Rightly, we start with God and a recognition of His various attributes as well as an understanding that God's actions define love, rather than vice versa. We also must clarify whom it is God loves and how He loves various people in various ways.

As I understand it, the rationale is that we can hope that because God is loving that He will act in a certain way, particularly with regard to hell.

Second, I have to say I wonder if, at least practically speaking, many of us haven't unwittingly succumbed to such an optimistic inclusivism. Theoretically, sure, everyone who's not been saved from God's wrath by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone is justifiably sentenced to hell to pay for their sin.

Yet, when was the last time you heard a person say, "So and so is in hell"? Won't we more than likely say, "I don't think he/she was a Christian, so he/she might not be in heaven."

Even if folks are content to express such about public figures, with whom we typically have little firsthand knowledge, what about family members? What about people we are confident had little to no interest in the things of Christ?

Do we practically become optimistic inclusivists? "Well, I hope Uncle Fester's in heaven, though I have my doubts."

I ran across an interesting article accusing 99.9% of pastors of agreeing with Rob Bell, at funerals, at least.

"I think pastors honestly have the hope that — despite evidence to the contrary — the deceased finds himself or herself in the presence of God."

At some point, I intend to read Bell's book and to give a fair and informed assessment. Until that time, I will only contend that, according to the Scriptures, hell is not just an idea; it's a place, a place of eternal torment and punishment.

XX. The Judgment - God has appointed a day, wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when every one shall receive according to his deeds: the wicked, those apart from Christ, shall go into everlasting punishment; the righteous, those who are justified, into everlasting life. (Providence Church statement of faith)

To negate (universalism, even optimistic) or minimize (annihilationism) hell is to do disservice to the Scriptures and those in whom the fear of God needs surfacing. Additionally, the character of God is attacked, as He is portrayed as "more loving" than He portrays Himself.

Rob Bell's Bridge Too Far - The controversial pastor raises crucial questions, but offers answers that may sabotage his goals. (Mark Galli)
We Have Seen All This Before: Rob Bell and the (Re)Emergence of Liberal Theology - In this new book, Rob Bell takes his stand with those who have tried to rescue Christianity from itself. This is a massive tragedy by any measure. (Al Mohler)
Who's in Hell? Pastors' Criticism of Eternal Torment for Some Sparks Fierce Debate (Foxnews, HT Oilcan)

Being a good reader's gonna help me get a good office job.

2011-03-25T05:29:00.001-05:00

It was suggested to me that I share what I'm reading. So, in spite of the risk of appearing (even more) narcissistic, here's what I'm reading, what I've read, and what I intend to read in the near future, Deo volente.

(Incidentally, I'd be interested in your lists as well, especially if you've read something you'd highly recommend.)

Presently Reading:

Holiness of God, Sproul* (Christian Audio's March free download of the month)
The Castle in the Forest, Mailer
When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search, Brauns
Old Testament Theology, Waltke
The Dragon's Treasure: A Dreamer's Guide to Inner Discovery through Dream Interpretation, Cole
Less Clutter. Less Noise, Meyer
A Theology of the New Testament, Ladd
De Inventione, Cicero

Recently Read:

God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible, Roberts - It's my favorite Bible overview book, tracing the theme of the King and His kingdom throughout Scripture: "God's people in God's place under God's rule and blessing." It's accessible to the rookie as well as advantageous to the veteran, reinforcing the unity of the Scriptures and motivating one to deeper research therein.

Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception, MacArthur - It's hard to go wrong with Johnny Mac, and here he gets it very right regarding the trenches and what's at stake. In his sights we see Postmodernism and its subsequent rampant skepticism. I do slightly take issue with the subtitle. I think the pursuit is of truth, not certainty, though the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. It's a nice attempt to exegete Jude 3-4 with an exhortation to follow through against our contemporary threats to apprehending truth.

Stop Dating the Church!: Fall in Love with the Family of God, Harris* - If there was one extra-biblical reading I could require of (prospective) church members, this would be it. Most church members commit to a congregation until something better comes along or until feelings are hurt, etc. Serial monogamy is not the pattern for couples or churches. Harris challenges the reader to elevate the church in life's pecking order and to ultimately value it as Christ does, His bride for which He bled. What more can I say? Superlatives have been drained of their meaning through overuse, but this book really is all that and a bag of chips.

Keep Your Greek: Strategies for Busy People, Constantine - I wish I'd had this during or before seminary. It's a quick read, but is jammed packed with practical insights. I most appreciated his thoughts on the benefits of Greek study beyond showing it off in the sermon, all the while encouraging us not to be afraid to share things relevant from the Greek. He also reminds readers it's easier to resurrect Greek already learned than to get it the first time, an encouragement to backsliders to get back on the horse.

Ten Stupid Things that Keep Churches from Growing: How Leaders Can Overcome Costly Mistakes, Surratt - Clearly, there are more than 10, but some of these befall even those churches committed to the biblical authority in the church and a pursuit of God's glory above all else. My 3 favorite chapters were on "Promoting Talent over Integrity," "Letting Committees Steer the Ship," and "Copying Another Successful Church," and the author doesn't even suggest imitation of his church. I liked the interview component concluding each chapter wherein he shares insights of those with firsthand experience of the 10. There is much with which I disagree, but I do feel at least a little more prepared to avoid that which is stupid, though I make no guarantees.

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, Taraborrelli - I discerned an attempt to debunk some of the myths concerning Marilyn's life, particularly regarding her childhood and fostercare. I most enjoyed the accounts of her friendship/relationship with Frank Sinatra. The book was easier on the Kennedys than I think is prudent.

Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples, Rainer & Geiger - It's a nice reminder to major in the majors, not caving to pressure to equate quantity of activity with the quality of ministry. The oft unrealized the consequence of such deviation is the minimization of the mission among lesser competitors. There are many questions the book doesn't answer, which could disappoint many, but I tend to prefer the questions to be raised with the onus on the reader to cogitate further.

Future Reading (D.V.):

The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic?, Rydelnik
The Price of Glory: Verdun 1916, Horne
A Stone of Hope: Prophetic Religion and the Death of Jim Crow, Chappell
The Shack, Young
The Somme: The Darkest Hour on the Western Front, Hart
Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Bradberry & Greaves
Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People, Metzger*
Lonely Are the Shadows, Reece
Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, Bell
Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America, Norris
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Foer
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, Piper*
Children of Fire: A History of African Americans, Holt
Shepherding a Child's Heart, Tripp*
Four Voices of Preaching, The: Connecting Purpose and Identity behind the Pulpit, Reid
Just Do Something: How to Make a Decision Without Dreams, Visions, Fleeces, Open Doors, Random Bible Verses, Casting Lots, Liver Shivers, Writing in the Sky, etc., DeYoung

*Read before, but (re)reading for Providence Church book club.

That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought-out objection. Overruled.

2011-03-21T05:53:00.001-05:00

For a while I was seriously interested in becoming a lawyer, including LSAT study. Perhaps that's why I have such an affinity for what we might call "courtroom" movies.

For your consideration, the Top 10 Courtroom Movies:

A Few Good Men
12 Angry Men
My Cousin Vinny
To Kill a Mockingbird
Helter Skelter
The Music Box
A Time to Kill
Miracle on 34th Street
Men of Honor
Runaway Jury

I have two books at my bedside, Lieutenant: The Marine Corps Code of Conduct and the King James Bible.

2011-03-16T05:20:00.000-05:00

This year we celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible, authorized by King James for use in the Church of England.

Admittedly, there are times when a bias toward the KJV can be detrimental in translation. However, in honor of the 400th anniversary of what I affectionately call, "The King Jimmy," I offer you a few passages that I love and/or prefer in that version.

Isaiah 53:4-6
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Romans 12:1-2
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

Matthew 6:9-13
9After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11Give us this day our daily bread. 12And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Exodus 20:3
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Matthew 7:13-14
13Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

James 4:8
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Psalm 23
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

1 Corinthians 15:55
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

A boy's best friend is his mother.

2011-03-14T06:28:00.001-05:00

An elderly woman walked through the doors of a church. The friendly usher greeted her and helped her up the flight of steps. He politely asked her, "Where would you like to sit?"

"The front row, please," she answered.

"You really don't want to do that," the usher said. "The pastor is really boring."

"Do you happen to know who I am?" the woman inquired.

"No," he said.

"I'm the pastor's mother," she replied indignantly.

He asked her, "Do you know who I am?"

"No," she said.

"Good," he answered, as he hurriedly left.

That's not a knife. This is a knife.

2011-03-10T06:41:00.000-06:00

Because I want to address a topic next week that mentions the "spiritual one-upper," I thought I'd define and describe him or her ahead of time. I've mentioned the phenomenon previously with regard to modesty/pride, but wanted to elaborate.

The one-upper is a person who can do you one better, at a dinner party or wherever. You've been to Europe, he backpacked from New York to London to Berlin to Moscow and back again, never even needing transportation assistance.

Whatever the category, you're outdone. That's bad enough in regular life, but what about the spiritual one-upper? (cf. The "Jesus Juke")

This is the person who can be relied upon to say something more spiritual than what you said, often rebuking you for not being more spiritually minded. The spiritual one-upper seemingly waits for a chance to pounce on you when you seemingly say or do something, anything, that might give the appearance that you were thinking of something less than the eternal glory of God or the eternal destiny of a fellow human being.

Perhaps some dialogue examples will help.

Lovely warm weather today, isn't it?
Really, how can you even think about yourself and the warmth when you know there are those in hell right now who know what real heat is like?

I can't believe how expensive gasoline has become.
God is in control of the world, brother, don't lose your faith. OR I wouldn't know. I ride my bicycle instead. I sold my car and we donated that money and the money used to spend on fuel to the missionary giving out Bibles in the jungle. OR Brother, that's nothing compared to the cost of a human soul in danger of the fires of hell. You should thank God you had an opportunity to share Jesus with the cashier.

That was a great sermon today.
Whenever I hear the Word of God preached, I feed on it richly, so I don't evaluate the sermon. It evaluates me.

We had to get the air conditioner fixed at our house.
We gave our air conditioner away so we could better empathize with those on the path to an eternal and fiery hell. The money we used to spend on utilities we now send to the "innocent native in Africa" so he can have bus money for the 8 hour trip to church.

I've been praying that God would give me a husband.
I'm too busy dating Jesus to be concerned about a relationship with a mere mortal man.

You get the idea and may have heard some yourself.

This is a tough one to combat, because the spiritual one-upper can get you every time, unless you give that money to (a) your church, (b) international missions, or (c) the homeless, orphans, etc.

Hopefully, I've not given you the impression that the spiritual one-upper is the more spiritual person. Often, it's the opposite, though he or she will always see him or herself as the more spiritual.

Sometimes it's clear to others, though they are so lacking in self-awareness that they won't see it. I'm talking about the person who doesn't attend church stuff because only people like you need that. I'm talking about the person who might say with a straight face, "I don't have a problem with pride like you do." (inside joke)

Truth be told, we can all fall into this trip and come across as arrogant, or worse, as spiritual. Be careful that in your desire to be spiritual you're not becoming the spiritual one-upper, wearing your spiritual growth on your sleeve for all to see.

Let's face it. You really can't win with the spiritual one-upper, because even if you win, you lose.

The best you can do is beat him (or her) by being a better one-upper. Even if you lay in weight and spring one on him, all you've really done is inflate your pride and feed your dark side by making someone look like the hypocrite he is.

For your entertainment, I share with you the garden variety one-upper.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-03-07T05:04:00.004-06:00

Read about Why We Have Children.

Check out how to provoke your children to anger.

Check out "Jokes I Like to Tell" collected by Doug Wilson.

Read about Charles Finney and his (an)other gospel.

Read Michael Card's thoughts on the biblical imagination.

Check out How Eating Breakfast Can Keep You Thin: Healthy Breakfast Ideas.

Read What To Choose For Home Defense: Pepper spray, Shotguns, Pistols, or What?

Read about alternative self-defense items.

Read about the "Christian America" of Martin Luther the King.

Check out 17 cute/ridiculous animal videos.

Read a summary of the book of Revelation in one sentence by Vern Poythress.

Read about the Iowa wrestler who forfeited his match rather than wrestle a girl. (HT Jade)

Read about 5 signs of a bad boss.

Check out 10 disturbingly violent biblical stories depicted with Legos.

Check out John Piper on the importance of church membership.

Read about being real.

Check out Stuff Christians Like: Saying you’re having a hard time “connecting” at church.

Read about Utah considering a return to gold & silver coins. (HT Oilcan)

Check out PeopleGroups.org.

Learn about "What is a People Group?"

Read about the recommendation of court martial for the Fort Hood terrorist.

Read about how to disarm an angry person.

Read 5 Steps That Can Change Your Life ... ”How To Buy A Gun Correctly.”

Read about Tom Elliff's nomination to be the next IMB president.

Check out 5 acronyms for ACRONYM.

Read 8 Tips for Talking to Your Kids About the Sermon.

Check out some thoughts on baptism & small children.

Read about why most self-help books stink, and which don't.

Read Chaplain Galyon's thoughts on "God's Will."

Read about how to encourage your pastor.

Check out the odds of a soldier dying in various American wars.

Read about what folks with great credit scores do right.

Check out Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the question of the public invitation system in evangelism.

Check out the recap of the short-term missions series on the Desiring God blog.

Check out Things Christians Like: The Jesus Juke.

Read about the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to not revisit the constitutionality of "Ten Commandments" displays. (HT Oilcan)

Check out these tips to help save your life and the lives of your loved ones.

Read these Questions to Ask When Preparing for Marriage by John Piper.

Read about why not to mess with Texas women.

Check out the best 13 movies ever (according to votes at IMDB).

Read Top 10 Reasons I am Optimistically Pro-Life by Trevin Wax.

Check out this woman who survived an abortion attempt.

Check out various attempts at the message of the Bible in one sentence.

Read about the end of an era: RIP tape decks in cars.

Read one man's thoughts on our destinies: "Control is an illusion. Dependence is the reality."

Check out one person's thoughts on the type of people he likes to be around ... and the type he doesn't.

Read about Ten Tough Questions for a Personal Great Commission Resurgence by Thom Rainer.

Read what doctors wish their parents knew.

Check out D.A. Carson on the intolerance of tolerance.

Read this appeal to wives to be open to a husband's options regarding the safety and welfare of the family.

Check out this great song about church membership.

Read about how too few doctors tell their patients they're overweight.

Check out Ed Stetzer's series of posts on 7 Top Issues Church Planters Face.

Learn how to be ready for your pastor's next sermon dud.

Check out these questions to ask if you're thinking about going to seminary (or are already enrolled).

Check out this flow chart to help determine which baseball team you root for.

Read Things My Dad Didn’t Do: Act Surprised At My Sin.

Read about losing relationships due to coming out as a conservative and, consequently, a "racist."

Read about the Groundhog Day Preacher.

Check out the best 5 toys of all time. (HT Chris Brauns)

Well, it's one louder, isn't it?

2011-03-04T05:25:00.000-06:00

Is it just me, or is 93% of the music in restaurants too loud and/or inappropriate ?

I mean, I can't hardly hear myself, let alone others close by.

It's like I'm at a seeker-sensitive church service or something. Zing!

And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked them up.

2011-03-02T05:52:00.005-06:00

Some quotes Ann Coulter's book How To Talk To A Liberal (If You Must)

"Torturing randomly chosen people on the off chance that they might be up to something -- as was routinely done in liberals' favorite country, the USSR -- clearly doesn't work. Torturing the guy you know for a fact is withholding information actually works quite well. There may be good and sufficient moral reasons for not torturing people for information, but efficacy is not among them." (6-7)

"When was the last time you heard someone say, 'The help here is way too slow and incompetent. Why don't they hire some civil service people?'" (79)

"Why is it so difficult for people to grasp the advantages of a free market? It's never going to get any easier than this. Only a little over a decade ago, the centralized planning of the Eastern bloc was exposed as having created a squalid, poverty-stricken abyss. Meanwhile, corrupt running-dog lackeys of the capitalist system here in American managed to produce a society in which the poorest citizens have televisions, refrigerators, telephones, and the opportunity to appear on the Jerry Springer Show." (135)

"Republicans made Southern Democrats drop the race nonsense when they entered the Republican Party. Democrats supported race discrimination, then for about three years they didn't, now they do again. They've just changed which race they think should be discriminated against." (145)

"In the United States, more than 30 million babies have been killed by abortion since Roe v. Wade versus seven abortion providers killed. Yeah -- keep your eye on those Christians!" (165)

"In fact and needless to say, it is the Democrats who have turned the Confederate flag into a federal issue, because they relish nothing more than being morally indignant. Not about abortion, adultery, illegitimacy, the divorce rate, or a president molesting an intern and lying to federal investigators. Indeed , not about anything of any practical consequence. Democrats stake out a clear moral position only on the issue of slavery. Of course, when it mattered, they were on the wrong side of that issue, too." (171)

"Demonstrating their famous appreciation of "nuance," liberals believe the Confederate flag is pure evil and anyone who flies the flag is pure evil -- and George Bush is a moron who sees the world in simplistic black-and-white terms of good and evil. I guess that's what liberals mean by 'nuance.'" (171)

"Guns are our friends because in a world without guns, I'm what's known as "prey." All females are. Any male -- the most sickly 98-pound-weakling -- could overpower me in a contest of brute force against brute force. For some reason, I'm always asked: Wouldn't I prefer a world without guns? No. I'd prefer a world in which everyone is armed, even the criminals who mean to cause me harm. Then I'd at least have a fighting chance." (306)

"What the arms-control faithful really want is a world without violence -- not a world without weapons. These are the ideological descendants of the authors of the Kellogg-Briand Pact, which purported to outlaw war. But we can't have a world without violence, because the world is half male and testosterone causes homicide. A world with violence -- that is to say, with men -- but without weapons is the worst of all possible worlds for women. As the saying goes, God made man and woman; Colonel Colt made them equal." (306)

"Stupid Argument No. 2: Prohibition failed. No it didn't. Prohibition resulted in startling reductions of alcohol consumption (over 50 percent), cirrhosis of the liver (63 percent), admissions to mental health institutions for alcohol psychosis (60 percent), and arrests for drunk and disorderly conduct (50 percent). That doesn't mean Prohibition was a good thing. Christ's first miracle wasn't turning wine into water. But Prohibition is one of the strongest arguments against legalizing marijuana. The reason Prohibition failed was that alcohol had become a respectable libation, it was part of the social fabric in high society and low. Once the genie is out of the bottle (so to speak), it's hard to put it back in." (312)

"Whenever politicians say they want to restrict something by taxing it, you know they're lying: The very fact that they are taxing it means they need people to keep doing it. Otherwise they'd run out of revenue." (312)

"The quintessential Libertarian argument for drug legalization is that people should be allowed to do what they want with their own bodies even if it ruins their lives. But that's not true. Back on earth, we live in a country that will not allow people to live with their own stupid decisions. Ann has to pay for their stupid decisions." (313)

"The entire dating system runs on implicit understandings. If the hunter male doesn't like a girl, he doesn't call. That's the end of it. If the hunted female doesn't like the boy, she's unavailable without a good excuse three times in a row. No explanations, no hurt feelings. When you start fiddling with a centuries-old system like this, you're just asking for trouble." (315)

"Among the stupidest theories that liberals have about conservatives is the idea that we are a well-oiled political machine. Hillary Clinton somberly warns of a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. The New York Times has actually published a flowchart of the "neoconservative" cabal. Conservatives couldn't put together a three-car funeral without producing six books denouncing each other. It is doubtful two neoconservatives could agree on where to have lunch -- which is going to complicate their secret plans to trick the nation into perpetual war." (322)

Liberals never argue with one another over substance; their only dispute is how to prevent the public from figuring out what they really believe. Meanwhile, it is a source of constant alarm to conservatives that the public will not understand what they really believe." (322-323)

"Back in the prelapsarian fifties, women worked if they happened to fall into the .01 percent of the population who are able to have interesting jobs or they retired in their twenties to raise children and, incidentally, do what all serious people would like to do anyway -- be a dilettante in many subjects. As far as I'm concerned this was a division of labor nothing short of perfect. Men worked and women didn't. So when our benefactors come under attack as "patriarchs" and "oppressors," I realize, someone has to put in a kind word for the oppressors. For cocktails alone, I figure I owe the male population several thousand dollars. So I will be the one to step forward and say: To the extent one gender is oppressing the other, it's not women who should be complaining." (327)

"(L)et's say I don't care about my country, politics, or civil affairs. All I want to do is make porno movies. I could spend a million dollars producing speech of the Debbie Does Dallas variety. But if I want to engage in speech of the "Vote Against Chris Shays" variety, I can only spend $2000. It is easier to pander obscenity in this country than it is to engage in core First Amendment speech." (332)

"My argument is that the First Amendment doesn't just apply to working journalists. The First Amendment protects speech that is robust, wide open, etc. etc., and not just speech that is robust, wide open, etc., as between competing newspapers (like the Post and the Times). The First Amendment refers to 'the people,' not to 'the newspaper editors.'" (335)

"Perhaps the greatest disservice of Hollywood movies is their cartoonish villains. In real life, I promise you, the devil will look more like Julia Roberts than Snidely Whiplash. Evil does not arrive with a flashing neon sign: MEPHISTOPHELES! LUCIFER! SATAN! FOR ETERNAL DAMNANTION, APPLY HERE! Evil arrives packaged as a winsome movie about a long-legged brunette who manages to marry a rich, handsome bachelor and live happily ever after -- all by turning tricks on Hollywood Boulevard! There's a reason Beelzebub is known as the prince of lies." (342)

Sorry I had a fight in the middle of your Black Panther party.

2011-02-28T06:31:00.003-06:00

My offering for Black History Month: Examining Black Loyalty to Democrats.

Don't yell at me; we're only pretending to be married!

2011-02-23T06:41:00.001-06:00

One of the common arguments in favor of couples living together prior to marriage is a practical one, namely that it minimizes the probability of divorce.

However ...

"If it were really true that living together is a trial of marriage, then divorces would be more common among couples who hadn’t first lived together than among couples who had. Actually, just the opposite is true: Divorces are more common among couples who have lived together first than among couples who haven’t. The reason isn’t hard to find. The very essence of marriage is having a binding commitment. The very essence of living together is having no binding commitment. That’s why living together can’t be a trial for marriage, because in everything that matters, the two conditions are opposites. And that’s why not having a binding commitment is less like training for marriage than like training for divorce."
- J. Budziszewski, How to Stay Christian in College

No smoke, no lights, just me and my guitar. Think anybody would buy that?

2011-02-21T05:59:00.001-06:00

BONUS: Check out this video clip of those less persuaded of the truth expressed in the song I shared recently, especially "Real Preachers of Genius."

Carpe Diem. Seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary.

2011-02-16T05:42:00.002-06:00

With a few other Providence Church lads, I got to see/hear Tim Keller recently. He spoke to the "Character & Marks of Revival (or Spiritual Renewal)".

For your edification and spiritual renewal, I share some of my notes.

Definition: Revival - an intensification of the ordinary operations of the Holy Spirit in the life of our people; ordinary operations of the Holy Spirit greatly intensified in a church

What happens practically in revival?

Sleepy Christians wake up (repentance)
Nominal Christians get converted
Secular/skeptical people get attracted to the church (as the hypocrisy departs)

Means of inducing/promoting revival:
(Prepare for fire of God, but don't presume it. These things don't necessarily cause revival, but accompany it and it's manifestation is accompanied by the following.)

Extraordinary prayer (kingdom centered, corporate, prevailing, for city & selves, repenting, and seeking His anointing & renewal)
Recovery of the Gospel (cf. Phil 3:9)
Formal and informal spiritual leaders, changed/transformed by the Spirit of God and visibly so (e.g., Fruit of the Spirit)
Places where people can discuss and process their experiences, "experience meetings"
Creativity - getting the Gospel out to people in a new way (some unique factor, like George Whitefield preaching outdoors, but what works in one revival probably doesn't in another)

Keller contends that normally a church will prioritize and do well in one of the following areas, with other churches doing well in the neglected ones. But, in times of revival, a church will prioritize and highly function in each of these five areas.

Per Dr. Richard Lovelace, a church in the midst of revival will have the following:

Theological Depth
Vibrant Worship
Intimate Community & Fellowship
Aggressive, Assertive Evangelism
Compassion Social Concern & Social Justice

When revival is not in a town, different churches/denominations might have one of the above "vitamins" (to the neglect of the others), "and we throw bricks at the other denominations because they don't have our vitamin." When revival comes, those churches tend to look more alike because they combine those things and more are present. (That church will probably now look different than others in that denomination in some ways.)

John Newton: "Thou art coming to a king, large petitions with thee bring, for His grace and power are such, none can ever ask too much."

"You're not asking for enough. I can tell you, you're not asking for enough. He is both rich and generous and you will show Him [you regard Him as such] by being bold in prayer."

You're breaking up with me, because I'm too ... blonde?

2011-02-11T05:34:00.002-06:00

The veterinarian told the blonde that her dog needed some exercise.

Try playing fetch," the doctor said.

"I can't play fetch with my dog," the blonde said.

"Why not?" the doctor asked.

"Duh," she replied, "Because he can't throw."

The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the force.

2011-02-08T05:05:00.001-06:00

In the comments of a previous post, the question arose of God's grace as something active, or powerful. I thought the topic important enough to merit its own post.

When I was in seminary I encountered many who equated grace with leniency. For example, "I know our papers were due today, but how about a little grace, prof?"

God being gracious to us only meant letting things slide with regard to our behavior.

But, God's unmerited favor is something far beyond that. It's the manner in which He works in us, both to will and to do according to His good pleasure (Phil 2:12-13) unto our sanctification. We are confident that He will complete the good work in us (Phil 1:6), but not because we deserve it, but because of His grace ... which is efficacious.

"I know that I would surely fall away, except for grace, by which I'm saved."
-Keith Green, "Grace by which I Stand"

Though not known as a theologian, and we are not lockstep in agreement across the board, I think Keith gets it. God's saving grace is a preserving grace, a sanctifying grace.

Two texts immediately come to mind, where you see God's grace equated with His power.

1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.
2 Cor 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

When we say something has happened by His grace, we are not only attributing to God a recognition that we didn't deserve it, but also that it was something He actively did, not merely something He passively allowed.

"Grace doesn’t free a man to live as he will; instead, it empowers a man to live as he ought!" -Robert Lewis

No smoke, no lights, just me and my guitar. Think anybody would buy that?

2011-02-07T18:08:00.009-06:00

For your edification and sola Scriptura solidification, the following are two verses from the hymn, "We Have an All-Sufficient Word."

6
Yes, help us preach Your Word alone,
For it alone is true;
We need not clowns or luring games
To draw men unto You!

7
We have an all-sufficient Word,
God-breathed in every part;
A piercing Power to penetrate
Depraved, cold human hearts.

(Words: Kenneth A. Puls; Music: William Croft)

BONUS: Check out this video action of those less persuaded of the truth expressed in the above song, especially "Real Preachers of Genius."

Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.

2011-02-02T05:46:00.005-06:00

My most recent book acquisition is When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search: Biblical Principles and Practices to Guide Your Search, by Chris Brauns. (N.B. The title says "Word," not "World." Nuff said.)

Ideally, a church wouldn't need this book for many years, as the pastor puts down roots and commits, enjoying decades of service to Christ & His people. But, we keeps it real, so ... a book like this is more than necessary since longevity is rare.

In fact, if the search process is successful (i.e., a good fit is found), then the church will have little to no experience on which to lean for the next pastor, since the pastor stayed awhile. Conversely, the churches that might get proficient at the pastoral search due to frequency, may be suffering from not doing it well (i.e., a good fit is not found).

I intend to post a review of When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search upon completion, but to increase awareness of such a resource in the Church and to whet your appetite ...

10 Common Mistakes Churches Make Looking for a Pastor, each of which contains elaboration in the book:

Not choosing the right people for the pastoral search committee.
Prayerlessness.
Being people-centered rather than Word-centered.
Lack of follow-through and due-diligence by the pastoral search committee.
Impatience that leads to the wrong decision.
Failure to properly administrate the pastoral search.
Inadequate communication.
Failure to adequately budget for the pastoral search.
Allowing the experience with the previous pastor to direct the calling of the next pastor.
Spending too much time trying to call pastors who are not "reasonably gettable."

Learn more about When the Word Leads Your Pastoral Search, including where to purchase.
Read endorsements.
Buy Brauns' Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2011-01-31T06:33:00.006-06:00

Read about 18 common work email mistakes.

Check out the truth about Facebook. (HT Tim Challies)

Check out the Fifty Fruits of Pride: A Self-Diagnostic. (HT Tim Challies)

Learn how to deal with pride in your life.

Read about Alveda King's plea for Planned Parenthood to stop lying about her uncle, Martin Luther the King.

Read about training your pet cat.

Read William Shedd on the divine decrees.

Read about the Houston store owner who killed 3 would-be robbers.

Read about the sexuality in Twilight, despite the abstinence.

Read about how different cultures handle credit cards.

Watch D.A. Carson give the central message of the Bible in 6.5 minutes.

Check out this collection of links honoring the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

Check out John Piper's comments on nomenclature: Saying What You Believe Is Clearer Than Saying “Calvinist.”

Read about the woman who defended her home with a handgun after her husband had already been beaten and shot by two violent assailants.

Check out 20 things that became obsolete during the past decade.

Check out 20 Things That You Should Not Read If You Do Not Want To Become Very Angry.

Read about why Russell Moore thinks Facebook (and your church) could be making you sad.

Read Vern Poythress' free online commentary on Revelation entitled, The Returning King: A Guide to the Book of Revelation.

Read 7 Habits of Highly Frugal People.

Read Jerry Rankin (President Emeritus of International Mission Board) on the Sovereignty of God and the Gospel Mission.

Read Tim Keller on how to receive criticism.

Check out John Piper's great message on Race & the Cross.

Read Ron Paul on Gun Control and Violence.

Check out Christianity Today's 2011 book award winners.

Read Bob Kauflin's response to the question, "Should worship be fun?"

Read about the controversial Muslim cleric caught being smuggled into the US via Mexico.

Read Tullian Tchividjian's collection of "Gospel tweets."

Read about the felon lamenting he can't vote for gun control.

Read about the study revealing that 89% of networking is nonconsensual. (N.B. satire from The Onion)

Check out this call for an American Christian Reformation.

Read an argument that firearms rights are a gender equality issue too.

Read about 6 expenses you should never put on a credit card.

Read John Newton's thoughts on criticizing others in public.

Check out 40 celebrities who are Republican.

Read Topics for Conversation When a Man and a Woman Are Considering Marriage by John Piper.

Check out 15 gut check questions for leaders.

Read about Email Addiction: 5 Signs You Need Help.

Read about the woman who shot & killed the rapist who came back to rape her a second time.

Read about developing a theology of pastoral compensation.

Read this silly plea to never use 2 spaces after a period.

“I cannot give you the formula for success, but I can give you the formula for failure: which is: Try to please everybody.” -Herbert B. Swope

You're breaking up with me, because I'm too ... blonde?

2011-01-28T06:04:00.002-06:00

A brunette goes to the doctor and says, "Doctor, I'm hurting all over my body."

"That's odd," replied the doctor. "Show me what you mean."

So, the girl takes her finger, pokes her elbow, and screams in pain. She touches her knee and cries in agony, and so on.

The doctor says, "You're not a natural brunette are you?"

"No, I'm a blonde," she replies.

"I thought so. Your finger is broken," replied the doctor.

Oh no, my young Jedi. You will find that it is you who are mistaken, about a great many things.

2011-01-26T05:52:00.003-06:00

Contrary to the idea that somehow Christ is again re-sacrificed in the Lord's Supper ceremony, I share this Erwin Lutzer tidbit:

However, the New Testament Book of Hebrews explicitly states that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for God,* thus it was offered once for all. Four contrasts are made between Christ's sacrifice and those of the Old Testament (Heb 10:10-14):
In the Old Testament many priests offered sacrifices; in fact, they worked in shifts. But now there is only one High Priest who lives forever.
Many sacrifices were offered, day after day, whenever sin was committed. But Christ offered "one sacrifice for sins for all time." His work ended the sacrificial system forever.
The Old Testament sacrifices could only take care of past sins--which was the reason they had to be reoffered. But of Christ we read, "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified" (v.14).
The former priests were not allowed to sit down while working their shift. But Christ sat down on the right hand of God the Father because his work was finished. (The Doctrines that Divide, 109)

10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. (Hebrews 10:10-14, ESV)

*N.B. In addition to these contrasts, key to an understanding of the atonement is that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient for God. Plus, nothing else could appease His wrath or justice, so anything else being offered in its place, or in addition to Christ's sacrifice, is an insult to God who accepted it and to the Christ who offered it.

Give in to your anger. With each passing moment, you make yourself more my servant.

2011-01-24T16:38:00.004-06:00

A solicitation of volunteers at the Providence Church members meeting last night brought to mind the following quote:

"It is bothersome to me when people claim they 'want to go deep' but have splinters in their rear ends from sitting around all day and doing nothing. Spiritual maturity is not only measured by knowledge; if that were the case, then the devil would be more spiritually mature than anoy pastor on the planet, because he knows way more than all of us! But maturity is developed when people do what Jesus did by serving others." (Perry Noble)

Of course, he's right. In fact, that's the measure of greatness in the kingdom, being the greatest servant of all ... according to Jesus.

Mark 9:34-35 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.”
Mark 10:42-45 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Then there's also that great Christological passage from Paul in Philippians 2:5-11, but often forgot is that the impetus is to be like Jesus ... with regard to His example of one who serves others to the detriment of Himself.

Philippians 2:3-4 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:5-11 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Remember as well ... a call to "ministry" or a call to be a "minister" is a call to service or being a servant. That's what the word means. (cf. Mark 10:43-45 KJV)

Being a slacker is not congruent with spiritual maturity.

You're breaking up with me, because I'm too ... blonde?

2011-01-21T06:43:00.003-06:00

A blonde with two red ears went to her doctor. The doctor asked her what had had happened to her ears?

"I was ironing a shirt and the phone rang, but instead of picking up the phone I accidentally picked up the iron and stuck it to my ear."

"Oh Dear!" the doctor exclaimed in disbelief. "But ... what happened to your other ear?"

"The jerk called back!"

To him, all good things, trout as well as eternal salvation, came by grace and grace comes by art, and art does not come easy.

2011-01-18T16:05:00.004-06:00

As I cited in Sunday's sermon, a solid and succinct quote from Johnny Mac regarding the "grace of Christ" (e.g., Gal 1:6):

“The grace of Christ is God’s free and sovereign act of love and mercy in granting salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus, apart from anything men are or can do, and of His sustaining that salvation to glorification.”

Here's a good idea: Have a POINT. It makes it SO much more interesting for the listener!

2011-01-16T06:39:00.000-06:00

I had a big bag of nuthin', so ... nuthin' on the blog last week. But they say, "A picture's worth a thousand words."

(HT Cody Dixon for the pictorial good bull.)

Give me a word, any word, and I show you that the root of that word is Greek.

2011-01-06T06:10:00.002-06:00

For my pastoral colleagues who have given up and/or rusted up where their Greek is concerned, I recommend Keep Your Greek: Strategies for Busy People, by Constantine R. Campbell.

Here's a snippet for the utilitarian:

"Sometimes students ask me whether or not it is good to talk about Greek in their sermons. I usually caution against talking about it unnecessarily, though I think it is fine to do so if your hearers will really benefit. So then the inevitable question is: If Greek doesn't make it into my sermon, then what's the point? To which I will answer: If you think that way, you've missed the point. The usefulness of Greek is not so that you can tell people about what the Greek says in your sermon. The usefulness of Greek is that it will give you understanding of the text, which will shape what you do say in the sermon. It's for your preparation, and it usually remains behind the scenes. Sure, sometimes it might need to come out from behind the curtains, but generally speaking it will do its work unseen by everyone but you. But to you, the Bible teacher, Greek will make a huge difference."

Preview Keep Your Greek here.

Just because you are a character doesn't mean that you have character.

2011-01-03T07:07:00.000-06:00

I grew up hearing this and just assumed Grandma Hartman made it up. However, I didn't realize until now that Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832) was stealing her material.

Oh! what a tangled web we weave
When first we practise to deceive!

-from Marmion, Canto VI. Stanza 17.

Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know?

2010-12-31T05:58:00.000-06:00

A little something provocative for those pondering New Year's resolutions:

"Effort is the single most overrated trait in producing success. People rank it as the best predictor of success when in reality it is one of the least significant factors. Effort, by itself, is a terrible predictor of outcomes because inefficient effort is a tremendous source of discouragement, leaving people to conclude that they can never succeed since even expending maximum effort has not produced results."

-M. Scherneck (1998) "The Relationship Between Self-Esteem and Academic Performance," PhD dissertation, State University of New York at Albany

You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig.

2010-12-28T05:13:00.002-06:00

True or False: There is a difference between being a Christian who is an American instead of being an American who is a Christian.

If true, what's that difference?
If true, which, if either, would you use to classify yourself?

All this happens pretty soon and you ain't ready.

2010-12-25T08:53:00.003-06:00

By request, the following is a poem I shared in our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service last night at Providence Church.

'Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!
(author unknown)

He will change poopy diapers. -- Does he have to use the word "poopy"?

2010-12-22T05:43:00.003-06:00

Children are a blessing, a great gift from God. However, that doesn't mean that every aspect of every stage of their life feels like a blessing.

As my children get older, I am enjoying the blessing of certain things no longer being a part of our lives.

The following are the top 5 things I'm glad are no longer part of our lives and I hope to never revisit them ever again:

Diapers
Runny noses that need to be wiped by someone else
Sippy cups
Teletubbies
The Wiggles

There are more those 5 beat me down like nobody's business and I'm glad they're in my rear view mirror. Any you might suggest?

"To whom," brother! "To whom," brother! "To whom," brother!

2010-12-15T03:38:00.000-06:00

One of the more confused issues of grammar is the "Who" vs. "Whom" usage. "Who" is nominative case, while "whom" is accusative case.

Rule: Use the he/him method to decide which word is correct.

he = who
him = whom

Examples:
Who/Whom wrote the letter?
He wrote the letter. Therefore, who is correct.

For who/whom should I vote?
Should I vote for him? Therefore, whom is correct.

We all know who/whom pulled that prank.
This sentence contains two clauses: We all know and who/whom pulled that prank. We are interested in the second clause because it contains the who/whom. He pulled that prank. Therefore, who is correct. (Are you starting to sound like a hooting owl yet?)

We want to know on who/whom the prank was pulled.
This sentence contains two clauses: We want to know and the prank was pulled on who/whom. Again, we are interested in the second clause because it contains the who/whom. The prank was pulled on him. Therefore, whom is correct.

Source: GrammarBook.com

It's over, Anakin; I have the high ground.

2010-12-13T05:03:00.003-06:00

I've never actually got up and walked out on a movie, though I've been tempted many times. But, I was never so close to leaving in disgust as when watching Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. That's the one where Anakin becomes Darth Vader and the bridge is made between Attack of the Clones (II) and A New Hope (IV).

I can vividly still remember the exact point in the movie, because I still cringe when I encounter it. I checked out when Obi Wan exclaimed, "It's over, Anakin; I have the high ground."

While I was ranting about this again at Whataburger, Cody Dixon came across another blog post feeling my pain.

The blogger does a nice job of examining all the evidence for and against having the high ground in battle. The results might surprise you. For example, "Yoda vs. Sidious : Sidious vs. Luke : Vader vs. Luke ...They all had the high ground but lost!!!!!!"

This is but one of my criticisms of inconsistency of the series, but it's the biggest groaner, even trumping Obi Wan's, "So, what I said was true ... from a certain point of view" in Return of the Jedi (VI). But, of course, only a Sith deals in absolutes. (HT Obi Wan)

Read the entire post: The High Ground?!....Really!?

Watch Obi Wan jump the shark.

We're on a mission from God.

2010-12-10T05:17:00.002-06:00

John Piper asks and answers the following intriguing question: Is the unique biblical task of the church's missionary enterprise

to win as many individuals to Christ as possible before He returns, or
to win some individuals (i.e., plant a church) among all the peoples of the earth before He returns?

How would you respond?

As a hint, I offer the following texts: Rev 5:9-10; Gen 12:1-3; Ps 67:1-3; Rom 15:18-21.

Let me suggest that this is an important question and one that ought to drive our missions & evangelism efforts and resource allocations.

Not only am I convinced of my answer, I'm also convinced that sometimes the other option is used to justify efforts toward the alternative.

In other words, I'm convinced that the mission really is some from every tribe, tongue, people, and ethnicity. I'm also convinced that some believe it's the first option (as many as possible), but will try to validate resource allocation to the seemingly more difficult missions work by speaking to the great (numerical) fruitfulness in a foreign land.

In other words, "Send your missions money here (with me), because I can get you a better ROI (Return on Investment). Why send it where there aren't droves of people professing faith in Jesus?"

The answer may well have to do with the difficulty of walking an unpaved road, but a road leading to those without the Gospel.

“I only want men who will go where the road is not paved.”
~ Dr. David Livingstone, missionary in Africa

“I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, but as it is written, 'Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.'”
~ Paul, apostle to the ethnicities (Rom 15:20-21)

For John Piper's answer and explanation, read "The Tension Between Domestic Ministries and Frontier Missions" at the 1988 Western Seminary Missions Conference.

And this here's the TV. 2 hours a day, either educational or football, so you don't ruin your appreciation of the finer things.

2010-12-08T06:27:00.001-06:00

Keeping with acrostics, I spend time in pre-marital counseling talking about S.M.I.R.K., 5 areas of potential conflict in marriage. I encourage couples to think and talk through these issues ahead of time, preferably prior to engagement ... but who am I kidding?

S … Sexuality

To what extent have you shared your sexual past?
What boundaries have you set prior to marriage?
How important is the sexual side of a marriage relationship?
How important is it to your potential spouse?
How have past experiences impacted your views regarding sexuality?
How does Bible address these issues so that your views might differ from the culture's?

M … Money

Who will write out the checks, etc. to pay the bills?
Who will balance the check book?
Have you constructed a budget?
How will big decisions be determined? Small decisions?
Will you both work? Either way, how will household tasks be performed?
Have you written a will?
What are your thoughts and goals regarding debt, savings, and retirement?
How does Bible address these issues so that your views might differ from the culture's?

I … In-Laws

What boundaries have you established where family is concerned?
What are the in-laws’ expectations of their new son/daughter-in-law?
Have you discussed how you will handle family holidays?
If there is divorce in your families, what have you learned from such exposure/experience? What are the grounds for divorce for you?
How does Bible address these issues so that your views might differ from the culture's?

R … Religion

How are your religious journeys/backgrounds different?
What spiritual/church issues have you already discussed?
Any compromises reached?
What is your plan for developing the family’s spiritual growth?
What is your anticipated participation in your church (e.g., attendance, finances, responsibilities, etc.)?
How does Bible address these issues so that your views might differ from the culture's?

K … Kids

If both parents work, who will look after the children?
To what extent have you discussed your plans regarding children (e.g., how many, contraception, discipline, attire, religious instruction, schooling, etc.)?
In the event of your deaths, who would raise your children?
How do your children feel about the marriage? How have you discussed the upcoming changes?
How does Bible address these issues so that your views might differ from the culture's?

General Questions:

Why do you think you should get married?
What counsel did you receive to encourage you to marriage?
How do your families feel about you getting married?
Are you in love? How do you know?
What do you enjoy doing together?
If one spouse is not going to be a stay-at-home parent, how will you allocate household chores?
How do you demonstrate love to your potential spouse? How does your spouse prefer to be loved?
What are your plans for conflict resolution?

Any man forgets his number spends the night in the box.

2010-12-06T06:50:00.000-06:00

A few acrostics I've found useful teaching devices, especially with die Kinder.

FAITH
Forsaking
All
I
Trust
Him

GRACE
God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense

ACTS
Adoration
Confession
Thanksgiving
Supplication

FROG
Fully
Rely
On
God

BIBLE
Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

JOY
Jesus first
Others second
Yourself last

TULIP*
Total Depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited Atonement
Irresistible Grace
Perseverance of the Saints
*Though not an acrostic without difficulties.

Any other ones you've found helpful?

You're killin' me, Smalls!

2010-12-03T06:02:00.000-06:00

If I was before a congressional sports tribunal, I would repeatedly assert that, "I'm not here to talk about the present." This NFL season was over before it warmed up.

However, I am here to talk about the past, the NFL past. In particular, I can't hold my tongue after watching the NFL Network's Top 100 NFL players of all time.

The Top 10:
10. Dick Butkus, LB
9. Don Hutson, WR
8. Peyton Manning, QB
7. Reggie White, DE
6. Johnny Unitas, QB
5. Walter Payton, RB
4. Joe Montana, QB
3. Lawrence Taylor, LB
2. Jim Brown, RB
1. Jerry Rice, WR

Up front, I'm a Cowboys fan, but I found the list to be rather biased in an anti-Cowboys fashion.

The top Cowboy? Bob Lilly at #26. Emmitt Smith at #28.

Jerry Rice at #1?! Really? I'm not gonna argue that Emmitt should be in the top 10, but I will argue that if Rice is #1, then clearly Emmitt should be in the top 10.

Rice: Most receiving records ... over 18 years. Not a big surprise there. Emmit: Most rushing records ... over 14 years.

Rice & Emmitt ... both 3 Superbowl rings and both one Superbowl MVP. Emmitt: 1 NFL MVP. Rice: Zero. (Manning 4, and many others 3)

Yeah, but Emmitt had that great line! But, didn't Rice have some pretty decent QBs (namely, Hall of Famers Montana & Young)?

I'm not saying Emmitt should be #1, but #28? It seems to me that the criteria used to elevate Rice would naturally secure a high ranking for Emmitt, but clearly that wasn't the case.

Much of the top 10 didn't bother me, but that seemed a strange #1. Jim Brown would be my #1.

Anyone else feelin' me on Rice at #1?

FYI: Cowboys in the Top 100:
#26 Bob Lilly
#28 Emmitt Smith
#46 Roger Staubach
#62 Randy White
#77 Tony Dorsett
#80 Troy Aikman
#92 Michael Irvin
#95 Larry Allen

Callin' it your "job" don't make it right, boss.

2010-12-01T03:49:00.000-06:00

7 quotes from "Touching Sensitive Areas, or TSA For Short" by Doug Wilson. (HT Ron H)

"I do not say this as one who believes that the radical Muslim threat is tiny. I think that I actually take it more seriously that our government does. If they were worried about terrorists, they would be looking for terrorists, and not for my nail clippers. Their procedures are risible, their hubris astounding, their reasons justifying that hubris minimal, and their folly incandescent."

"We are being told that we must surrender some of our liberties because we are in a war on terror. I see. And when is this war likely to end, and will we, or our grandchildren, or great grandchildren, get our liberties back at that time? Ah, I thought not."

"Some might object that my invocation of Orwell above is overblown, but if Orwell were to come back now, what do you think he would be more shocked by -- the number of cameras all over the UK or the number of people who had read his book and yet did not see any connection?"

"So then, let's talk about political correctness and sexuality for a moment. As it stands, the ladies are patted down by women, and the men by men. Could we agree then, that lesbians and homosexual men ought to pat down nobody?"

"Not satisfied with having their panties in a wad, they are now trying to help us rearrange our panties. There needs to be a way for a civilized people to say, 'Back off, perv,' and not have to then worry about being frogmarched out of the airport, and fined for maintaining your decency."

"We need to spend all that money on hunting terrorists. We should be looking for certain kinds of people, not certain kinds of objects."

"When they are done securing our liberties, we can all rest easy. The radical Muslims can never get at our liberties now. We don't have them anymore. Our liberties are in a box in a TSA warehouse, along with 10,000 nail clippers."

Please read the whole article here.

To get anything of value, you have to sacrifice.

2010-11-29T03:57:00.001-06:00

In a sermon from Matthew 10:16-31, John Piper suggests 6 costs and 10 blessings of frontier* missions.

6 Costs of Frontier Missions:

The cost of being arrested by authorities. (10:16-18)
The cost of family betrayal. (10:21)
The cost of being hated by all. (10:22)
The cost of being persecuted and driven out of town. (10:23)
The cost of being maligned. (10:25b)
The cost of being killed. (10:28)

"For two thousand years, thousands of missionaries—unnamed people of whom the world is not worthy—have counted this cost and put their lives at risk to reach the lost with the only message of salvation in the world. And the reason they could do this is because the blessings so outweigh the costs."

10 Blessings of Frontier Missions:

The blessing of being sent by Christ. (10:16)
The blessing of being given words by the Spirit of God. (10:19-20)
The blessing of experiencing God’s fatherly care. (10:20b)
The blessing of salvation at the end of it all. (10:22b)
The blessing of knowing that the Son of Man is coming in judgment and mercy. (10:23b)
The blessing of belonging to Jesus’ household. (10:25b)
The blessing of knowing that the truth will triumph. (10:26)
The blessing of having an immortal soul. (10:28)
The blessing of having a heavenly Father who sovereignly rules the smallest details of life. (10:29)
The blessing of being valued by God. (10:31)

Listen, download, or read the entire sermon here.

*"Frontier missions is crossing a culture to plant the church where the gospel has not already taken root. This is the mandate that is still valid for us today. The job is not done. And the word of our risen king Jesus is binding on us today as much as when he first gave it."

Fear does not exist in this dojo, does it?!

2010-11-23T06:30:00.001-06:00

Yes, the terrorists have already won.

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2010-11-22T17:03:00.006-06:00

Read President Washington's presidential proclamation of Thanksgiving (1789).

Read about 10 Bigoted Remarks Made by the ‘Tolerant’ Left In Obama’s ‘Post-Racial’ America.

Check out this Bible Q&A with John MacArthur: Should Christians Be Hospitable to Cult Members?

Read Why Do Blacks Still Buy The Government Plantation Lie? by Star Parker.

Read Tom Elliff's 10 Truths about Thanksgiving from Luke 17:11-19.

Check out this Washington Post piece arguing that Obama should intentionally be a one-term president: One and done: To be a great president, Obama should not seek reelection in 2012.

Check out the patriotic bicycle ride of Cody Alicea, the middle school by ordered by school officials to remove his American flag from his bike.

Read the Top 10 Boneheaded Parenting Trends From the Left.

Read the Top Ten Reasons Why Conservatives Should Not Be Celebrating the Election Results.

Check out what Clinton had to say about Bush's new book, Decision Points.

Read about Bill Clinton joining the cast of Hangover 2.

Read about Why Left-Wing Women Hate Women on the Right.

Read about J.I. Packer, the "One-Point Calvinist."

Read about the "Church as 3rd Place," after home & work, instead of Starbucks et al.

Check out Pat Sajak's confession/lamentation that he was the one who first put Keith Olbermann on national television.

Read about how the U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Splits with President – Opposes Homosexuals in the Military.

Read In the Reagan Mold: 10 Conservative Men in Hollywood.

Read about Christian Music for Children from Tim Challies.

Read 18 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I Was 18.

Read about the schoolboys punished with detention for refusing to kneel in class and pray to Allah.

Read about the US giving an additional $150,000,000 to the Palestinian authority. (Hey, aren't we in debt in this country? Aren't Americans needy?)

Read about the presidential panel recommending we freeze military pay for the next 3 years in an effort to reduce the deficit.

Read Stuff Christians Like #14: Dating God instead of me.

Read about in-state tuition upheld for illegal immigrants in the state of California.

Read about how Republicans May Yet Have Upper Hand in Senate according to this Wall Street Journal article.

Read about How to Identify a Reliable Preacher by Tullian Tchividjian.

Read about Michelle Obama wearing a Muslim headscarf whilst touring an Indonesian mosque, which caused a bit of controversy.

Read about How Christians can best witness to Muslims by Thabiti Anyabwile.

Read about the Problem of Pastor as Rock Star by Ed Stetzer.

Read about how Planned Parenthood got $349,600,000 in OUR tax dollars, performed 324,008 abortions, and paid its president $385,163 in 2008.

Check this out: Couple Lets You Vote on Whether They Get an Abortion.

Read about the CA supreme court unanimously ruling that illegal immigrants may receive in-state tuition.

Read about the Texas A&M student senate voting to end in-state tuition for illegal residents.

Read about the incoming NM governor vowing to repeal driver's licenses issued to illegals.

Read about the state of Texas' intentions of a tough crackdown on illegal immigration.

Check out NJ Gov. Chris Christie warning the GOP about overreacting to Islam.

Read about criticism over Obama completing the largest arms deal in US history while congress was in recess. Apparently, Saudi Arabia should have guns, even though Americans shouldn't.

Read for FREE online D.A. Carson's book, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God. (HT Chaplain Galyon)

Check out the most violent country in Europe: Britain.

Check out the most violent city in the US: St. Louis.

Check out 10 Transformations in Social Media Monitoring — And What It Means for Businesses.

Read 9 reasons the SBC is in trouble if Calvinism is a threat.

Read 9 MORE reasons the SBC is in trouble if Calvinism is a threat.

Watch a MSNBC video about huge gap in educational outcomes between black males and their white counterparts.

Read about patrols in Afghanistan being ordered to use weapons without a chambered round.

Read about how using the "7 Deadly Sins" you can turn visitors into customers. (HT Tim Challies)

Check out the timeline showing the changes in economy class vs. first class airline travel. (HT Tim Challies)

Read this Wall Street Journal piece: Will Turkey Day Fliers Cry Foul?

Check out the news story about a shirtless boy getting the pat-down from the TSA.

Check this out: German Activists Protest Body Scanners by Stripping Down.

Check out Ed Stetzer's 4 Reasons You Should Resist the New TSA Security Procedures (and How You Can).

Check out this CBS News piece about a traveler left covered in his own urine after experience with the TSA pat down.

Read this ABC News piece covering a plethora of cag related to the airport security slooge.

Check out Rush Limbaugh's rant against the TSA's practices.

Read about the passenger who chose "strip down" over pat-down.

"Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can't lose." - Bill Gates

There is no racial bigotry here.

2010-11-19T06:42:00.001-06:00

My Reformation Day sermon was on Revelation 7:9-12 and dealt with the ultimate goal of Reforming/Reformation.

Along those lines, I thought it might be helpful to share Providence Church's official statement on church desegregation:

A Vision for Racial Harmony & Integration* (pdf)

Scripture teaches that the church is comprised of those the Lamb ransomed with His blood, a group consisting of every tribe and language and people and nation. (Revelation 5:9)
Within the body of Christ God has indeed redeemed His church from among each and every socio-economic status, language, people group, race, and ethnicity.
Those who are born again to believe in Christ are redeemed and are all equally children of God and equal in Christ, for they are all heirs. (John 1:12-13; Galatians 3:26-29)

ETHNIC DIVERSITY: A CHURCH VALUE
Since God is concerned about building a church comprised of all people groups …

those in His churches should also be concerned about all people groups.
local churches should be a microcosm of the church universal in reflecting God’s concern for all people groups.
local churches should strive for heterogeneity, at least to the extent of the community’s demographics.

A DEFINITION OF CONGREGATIONAL RACIAL HARMONY
The harmonious intermingling of all types of peoples in a community of redeemed, baptized Christians who live to follow Christ by loving God and other people, thereby impacting lives to the glory of God. However, such a church does not comprise doctrinal fidelity, God’s standards of holiness for the believer, or its commitment to the great commission of making disciples of all nations nor does it presume to be able to love God or His people apart from divine assistance.

A CHURCH RESOLUTION FOR RACIAL HARMONY

“Contrary to the history of the American church and contrary to the contemporary mindset of many churches in our land, we will follow God’s leading in demonstrating love across racial boundaries by striving for a congregation that better reflects the demographic make up of our community as a testimony to God’s love for all people and as a testimony to the world of the transforming power of God’s love to unite across racial boundaries so that, ultimately, God will be glorified.”

• “Contrary to the history of the American church ….”
We repent of past wrongs committed in the name of Christianity in our country whereby some people groups were mistreated because of the color of their skin. We repent of anything in the history of our church and/or denomination that might have contributed in any way to such sin. We lament the fact that the non-Christian world has been more concerned about racial reconciliation than the church and that the church has been dragging its feet rather than leading the way in showing the non-Christian world the transforming power of God’s grace to bring together people of all races. We will keep our eyes open to social injustices in our land and declare them sin, being counter-cultural in our Christian witness when necessary.

• “and contrary to the contemporary mindset of many churches in our land ….”
Far too many churches are not concerned about racial reconciliation or even concerned about those people God has placed in their geographic proximity. This is seen in lack of outreach and/or fleeing the inner city areas to the suburbs. Other churches are particularly striving for homogeneity by actually targeting only certain types of people for their congregations.

• “we will follow God’s leading in demonstrating love across racial boundaries …”
God has demonstrated love throughout the pages of human history and in the pages of sacred Scripture, but most clearly in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus’ love transcended educational levels, classes, and ethnic backgrounds. As our example, our commitment should be to mirror that love that transcends culture and ethnicity.

• “by striving for a congregation that better reflects the demographic make up of our community …”
Just as the early church was comprised of both Jew and Gentile, so should our church reflect the different groups represented in our community. Just as there were challenges in the days of the early church, so should we anticipate difficulties, but only those that can be overcome through our bond in Christ which transcends other identifying factors (e.g., ethnicity, gender, educational level, and income).

• “as a testimony to God’s love for all people …”
Ironically, Christianity is at times viewed as a “white man’s religion.” Although God is concerned about and loves all types of people, His love is more easily seen when congregations in Christ’s church are visibly constructed of different types of people.

• “and as a testimony to the world of the transforming power of God’s love to unite across racial boundaries …”
Sadly, the watching world sees the church as apathetic, at best, and hostile, at worst, regarding racial harmony. Government, educational systems, sports, and employment agencies have led the way in equity among the races, demonstrating a greater concern for all races. To our shame, churches are among the last bastions of segregation. But only God’s love has the real power for lasting transformation across racial boundaries and His people need to show that to the world.

• “so that, ultimately, God will be glorified …”
As a church and people of God, we strive not for our glory, but for God’s alone. As we embrace the notion of Soli Deo Gloria, we realize that this goal will be furthered when the world and God’s people see God’s transforming grace glorified in the harmonious congregations of those redeemed from every ethnic group, worshiping and growing together in community.

PRACTICAL STEPS TOWARD REALIZATION OF OUR VISION

Organizationally:

Embrace such a vision officially.
Examine with vigor the church and its practices to determine if there is anything that is, intentionally or unintentionally, unappealing and/or repelling to those of other ethnicities.
Strive to show Christ’s love to our community by concerted outreach strategies to see people come to Christ and come to join our congregation.
Strive to help those underprivileged financially who may also be different that us ethnically.
Remind the congregation of our value on racially representing our community.
Pray for God to show us where we have been wrong in this area so we may repent and change where necessary, by His grace.
Pray for God to build His church in a diverse fashion.
Pray for God’s grace to assist us in loving those that we do not find as easy to love.

Individually:

Become a student of other cultures, particularly those in geographical proximity, to assist in developing a real love for people of other cultures.
Recognize that the tendency of human nature is to gravitate to people like us (e.g., age, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender, etc.) and contend to develop relationships with those unlike you, especially racially.
Pray for an ethnically diverse congregation that glorifies God’s transforming grace and educates the world as to the only true and lasting basis of racial reconciliation.
Ask God to show you any sinful behaviors or prejudices that you might repent of them, also asking for the grace to change.
Ask God to show you just how pervasive racism is in our culture so that you might fight against it.
Ask Christians of other ethnicities, especially in our congregation, how you might be more sensitive in your efforts to love them.
Love your neighbor as yourself.

*Inspired by a similar statement of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota and adopted by the congregation of Providence Church on recommendation of the elders on April 29, 2007.

Click to listen to, The Goal of Reforming, a sermon based on Revelation 7:9-12.

Read also the Southern Baptist Convention's Resolution on Racial Reconciliation on the 150th anniversary of its formation. (HT Oilcan)

You're born into a family. You do not join them like you do the Marines.

2010-11-17T06:11:00.000-06:00

During a recent pastors luncheon, Bruce White asked a question, the gist of which was, "Would your kids want to grow up and have a family like the one of which they are a part?"

In other words, would your kids say, "When I grow up, I want to have a family just like this one"?

That's a sobering question, isn't it?

When I was your age, television was called, "books."

2010-11-12T06:45:00.000-06:00

Providence Church deacon & youth director, Cody Dixon, has started a reading club of sorts and asked the elders for an "approved" reading list from which to choose. Each month, the plan is to read the book and gather to discuss it.

The following 13 made the list, but I'm open to suggestion as to what would be good for a church reading group.

Hannah, John. Kregel Pictorial Guide to Church History
Harris, Joshua. Stop Dating the Church: Fall in Love with the Family of God
Horton, Michael. Putting Amazing Back into Grace
Luther, Martin. The Bondage of the Will
MacArthur, John. The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception
MacArthur, John. Twelve Ordinary Men: How the Master Shaped His Disciples for Greatness, and What He Wants to Do with You
Metzger, Will. Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by Whole People
Pink, Arthur. The Sovereignty of God
Piper, John. The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God's Delight in Being God
Roberts, Vaughan. God's Big Picture
Sproul, R.C. Chosen by God
Sproul, R.C. Holiness of God
Tripp, Tedd. Shepherding a Child's Heart

P.S. Others I'd recommend based on prior Sunday school usage:

Alcorn, Randy. The Treasure Principle
Atteberry, Mark. The 10 Dumbest Things Christians Do
Dever, Mark. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
Packer, J.I. Knowing God
Piper, John. Desiring God
Piper, John. Future Grace
Thomas, Gary. Sacred Marriage: What If God Intended Marriage to Make Us Holy More than to Make Us Happy?

Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.

2010-11-08T09:01:00.000-06:00

Read 8 Things I Wish I’d Known (or Remembered) When I Was a Leftist by Kathy Shaidle.

Read Writing Checks Your Faith Can't Cash, by R.C. Sproul, Jr.

Read A Republican Correction Of Errors: We Could Have Won More by Melissa Clouthier.

Check out 40 Practical Tips for an Ordinary Rubber Band.

Learn How Members Can Serve the Church on Sunday Morning at the IX Marks blog.

Learn how the conservative women's movement is using social networks.

Read Top 10 Reasons You Should Attend a Small Church.

Check out "10 Easy Ways to Keep Me from Visiting Your Church Because I Visited Your Website."

Read about selecting a gun for home defense.

Read about this unbelievable story of a Michigan woman accused of discrimination for soliciting a "Christian" roommate via the church bulletin board.

Read the FoxNews version of the same "Christian" roommate civil rights discrimination story.

Check out Stuff Christians Life #880: Distancing Ourselves from the Word "Religion."

Read about Bad Writing and Bad Thinking by Rachel Toor.

Check out John Piper's helpful acrostic for what to pray before reading Scripture.

Watch Everything You Need to Know about Planting a Church in 3 Minutes.

Read Church Planters: Stop Wasting God's Money.

Check out 3 Questions and Quotes that Demand an Answer from the SBC.

Read the True History of Islam, Mohammed and the Koran.

Read about Child marriage, child abuse and muta’a, (temporary marriage) — Winds Of Jihad By SheikYerMami.

Learn about the Bible Memory Version.

Read about Detroit, Oregon, wanting to change its name to distance itself from Detroit, Michigan.

Watch a video montage of Lebon's "Rise" commercial interspersed with Cleveland fan reaction.

Read about the young mom who murdered her 3 month old baby who was distracting her with her crying whilst trying to play FarmVille on Facebook.

Check out insight from Thomas Cranmer on how to pray better in public and private courtesy of Tim Keller.

Check out 6 Reasons to Love Church History.

Check out 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me (about Christian ministry) by Brady Boyd.

"Television – a medium. So called because it is neither rare nor well done."
~Ernie Kovacs

I won't say a hero, 'cause, what's a hero? But sometimes, there's a man. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place.

2010-11-04T11:31:00.000-05:00

30 years ago today, this country made one of its greatest decisions ever, electing Ronald Wilson Reagan to be president of the United States of America.

Those who really lived through it know you'd be hard-pressed to come up with a president better suited for that era and the challenges specific to it.

I have a feeling President Reagan's closing remarks in the presidential debate with Carter will be useful in 2012:

"Are you better off now than you were four years ago? Is it easier for you to go and buy things in the stores than it was four years ago? Is there more or less unemployment in the country than there was four years ago? Is America as respected throughout the world as it was? Do you feel that our security is as safe, that we're as strong as we were four years ago? And if you answer all of those questions yes, why then, I think your choice is very obvious as to whom you will vote for. If you don't agree, if you don't think that this course that we've been on for the last four years is what you would like to see us follow for the next four, then I could suggest another choice that you have."

Among other things (e.g., economic recovery, strengthening of military, restoring respectability internationally, etc.), President Reagan appointed the first woman to the Supreme Court, despite claims by the other party to the pro-woman party.

Of course, he was known as the "Great Communicator," so I leave you with a few of his quotes.

"A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. A depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."
[to Carter] "There you go again."
[about Mondale] "I want you to know that also I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent's youth and inexperience."
"Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives."
"Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves."
"Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets."
"But there are advantages to being elected President. The day after I was elected, I had my high school grades classified 'Top Secret.'"
"We should measure welfare's success by how many people leave welfare, not by how many are added."
"The problem is not that people are taxed too little; the problem is that government spends too much."
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"
"Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem."
"Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but Democrats believe every day is April 15."
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall."
"If we ever forget that we are 'One Nation Under God,' then we will be a nation gone under."