Memorial Day

As I was thinking about Memorial Day yesterday in Church, a thought occurred to me. I don't think that Christians rally around Memorial Day enough as so many people focus on solely the patriotic aspect. Now I'm not attempting to say we should honor our veterans less, by any mean. I have several people in my family who were or are in the armed forces. However, what about those who have died in the battle for Christ??

Wikipedia defines Memorial Day as a holiday that "commemorates U.S. men and women who died in military service for their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action." But too often, in the intellectual age that we now live in, an age where it is increasingly hard for many to walk by faith and believe in what they cannot see, we have forgotten the very backdrop against we are born: we are born into a world at war. What is so sad is that modern "Christianity" has often completely dismissed the battle and even the Devil, himself.

While the book of Revelation makes no doubt about the fact that Satan has already lost and the Lord's victory is not in doubt, the battle is still raging- a fight over each and every one of our souls. And don't forget, as Christians, we are called to fight in that epic battle every day of our lives. Read Ephesians 6:10-20; I don't think it's just a metaphor or something. God is telling us to prepare to fight. As verse 12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." Jesus Himself said we are to storm the gates of Hades and the gates will not stand against the onslaught of the Church (Matthew 16:18).

So on a day built to honor those who have fallen in battle defending our country and securing our freedom, I think it is even more necessary to remember those who have died defending our God and the spiritual freedom that it has brought us. Perhaps one of the best known Christian martys, Jim Elliot, once said, "That man is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose - martyr for Christ." No, make no mistake, I'm not trying to tell you to go and get yourself killed for Christ. But we all, and I'm also speaking to myself here, need to go where the Lord is calling us, regardless of the consequences. And we need to honor and remember the lessons of the great martyrs who have gone before us to pave the way and further God's kingdom. Jim Elliot was not killed because he was stupid or happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He knowingly went to a dangerous tribe in South America because he knew that they deserved to hear the Gospel. Read the following:

After their wedding, Elliot continued his work among the Quichua Indians and formulated plans to reach the Aucas.
In the Autumn of 1955, missionary pilot Nate Saint spotted an Auca village. During the ensuing months, Elliot and several fellow missionaries dropped gifts from a plane, attempting to befriend the hostile tribe.
In January of 1956, Elliot and four companions landed on a beach of the Curaray River in eastern Ecuador. They had several friendly contacts with the fierce tribe that had previously killed several Shell Oil company employees.
Two days later, on January 8, 1956, all five men were speared and hacked to death by warriors from the Auca tribe. Life magazine featured a ten-page article on their mission and death.
"They learned about the Aucas as they and their wives were ministering to the Quichua-speaking and Jivaro Indians. The Aucas had killed all strangers for centuries.
"Other Indians fear them but the missionaries were determined to reach them. Said Elliot: 'Our orders are: the Gospel to every creature."
Elliot wanted God's will. It ended in his death, but it was a death whose seed still brings forth fruit for the Gospel's sake.
Many Aucas eventually came to accept Christ as Savior when Elisabeth Elliot bravely returned to share Christ with those who killed her husband (intouch.org).

Just a few thoughts to think of on your Memorial Day.... God bless!

Being a Bug Zapper Unto Life

In my devotions last night (and I tread lightly when I call them devotions, after listening to one of Jim Cymbala's teachings on what true devotion is), I came across Matthew 9:10:

"And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples."

In this gospel, and the others that speak of the same occasion, I noticed something that kinda struck me as important. You know, we hear that "Jesus ate with sinners" just about everywhere we turn nowadays. Mostly from folks who believe that because He ate with these publicans and sinners, that he "accepted" their 'alternative' lifestyles (And why is it that today we have ventured to replace the word 'sinful' with 'alternative'?). Anyways, I noticed that Jesus sat, and then behold many [sinners] came and sat.

A few years ago I recall Joyce Meyer teaching on this verse, and she reminded her listeners that, "Jesus was affecting those folks...they weren't infecting Him". That couldn't have struck a truer chord. Jesus was one of those folks with a magnetic Spirit. And how blessed we are to have that same glorious Spirit in us! One that need not search high and low for sinners to minister to, for they are drawn unto it, like a moth to a flame.

Let us be sure that the closer they get, the more they see Christ in us. Think of it as being a bug zapper that brings 'em to life rather than death...

Oligopistis

Dangerous?

Nobody

The Age Of Information

Are You Free?

Who's To Blame?

Who Killed Jimmy Hoffa?

Memorial Day

The "9/11 Plague"

Ambassadors For Christ

Gays In The Church

Conflict

Oooh An Arguement, I Mean Lively Christian Discussion

And The Gloves Come Off

Well Said, I Think

Want To Be The Next Dr. Phil?

What Is Success?

My King

Edmund Pevensie

The Curiousness Of Causes, Part The First

With Pen In Hand

And Into The Foray

The Monkey And His Wrench

The Man In The Mirror

IR-Relevent Half Truth

Asahel Nettleton

Self Help, Self Serve, Self Less?? Less Self

Where Faith Must Be

There's No "I" In "Me"

The Proof Is In The Pudding, So To Speak

Who Killed Jimmy Hoffa?

I read an article today about the latest FBI investigations into who killed Jimmy Hoffa, the infamous leader of the Teamsters back in the 1970's. There have been several former mob hitman and members in recent years who have made deathbed claims (that later went on to be published in best selling books for those conspiracy lovers among us) to have killed Hoffa in various ways that were often recounted in fantastic details. Some of the theories believe "that Hoffa was buried in the end zone at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., under the New Jersey Turnpike or under various plots of land in New York and New Jersey." Currently the FBI is digging in some farmland in Michigan. For a man who was legally declared dead in 1982, it is remarkable the time and money that is still invested into solving the mystery of his demise.

What I think I find most remarkable, however, is the fact that numerous people have attempted to take credit for his murder. Obviously, at most, only one of them has told the truth. Nonetheless, whether it was for notoriety, money (in bestsellers), or fame, several have simply made up stories.

But since the trend seems to be numerous people making confessions for past crimes, let me do so also. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Now, take up his cross is to essentially kill oneself. Paul echoes this in Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." So here is my confession (though, unlike so many in the news with Hoffa, mine is the truth): I have killed myself...or rather, allowed God to do so.

So what does it mean to be dead? Well, what can a dead person do for himself? Unless you are a sci-fi fan or believe in zombies, the answer is simple- not much. In fact, you can't do anything. Period. So if you put yourself to death, you can't do anything. You are absolutely helpless to follow any will but God's will. But as scripture says, God's power is made perfect (evident and fully displayed) in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Once there was a great All-American football player at Texas A&M named Joe Boyd. He was an offensive tackle during A&M's run to the national title in 1939 and was later drafted by the Washington Redskins. God, however, had a different use for him and called him to preach, turning his back on a great football career. As a result of him denying himself, Joe Boyd became a great evangelist and thousands and thousands of people will be in heaven someday because of him. He himself talks about this in his book, From the Gridiron to the Gospel. If he hadn't listened to God, if he hadn't killed himself, he might be in the NFL Hall of Fame. However, he will now be in the Spiritual Hall of Fame (read Hebrews 11). Personally, I'd prefer the later.

So there it is; I'm a killer. And praise God, He is too when I'm too weak to do so. I heard the quote once, "Sometimes God has to break both our legs to get us on our knees." Think of that the next time you feel He has left you. But then again, don't listen to me, listen to God.

The Tree That Is Planted

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” – Psalm 1:3

Do you ever feel like you’ve been planted by a trickling stream instead of a flowing “river of water”? Or perhaps a creek that goes dry, between rain showers? Some of you may feel like you’ve never experienced this “river of waters” that the Psalmist so vividly describes.

First of all, let us look at what kind of man becomes this “tree planted by rivers of water”.
In verse 1-2 we see the foundation:
“The man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful…his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

What does it mean to walk in the “counsel of the ungodly”?
Quite frankly, to live your life according to the advice of those who do not love God, or honor him with their lives. This world is overrun with ‘ungodly’ counselors. Bookstores have entire sections devoted solely to “Self-Help”, etc. But until you yield yourself to God, and His counselor, the Holy Spirit – all attempts at self-help will be a vain endeavor in human self-centeredness, and it’s end will be the destruction of the soul. Wisdom has only one source, all else is foolishness.

What does it mean to stand “in the way of sinners”?
To ‘take a stand’ for something, in today’s English, means to agree with, adhere to, and believe in. As the redeemed, we know where the “way of sinners” leads, and it is not a desirable destination by any means. To stand in that way, especially in regards to ungodly lifestyles, and unholy ‘fads’ of the day, is absolutely unacceptable for the Christian who seeks to be planted firmly in the Word of God.

What does it mean to sit “in the seat of the scornful”?
This alludes to the joining in with those who have thrown off all fear of God, and commit sin without restraint. The scorners believe they will escape the judgment of God, and openly mock him to his face; much like the Pharisees in Mark 14 – they heard the gospel, and wickedly rebuked it. To sit with these, is to join in with their corruption: see Saul in Acts 7:58-60, 8:1.

This brings us to the proactive portion of our text:
“his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
As a child doing your chores, would you say you ‘delighted’ in them? Of course not. And as a child of God, we must not see the reading of His Word as a chore to be done to receive our allowance of grace, or peace, or whatsoever we have on our “Need From God List”. The gospel of Christ is “the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” – Romans 1:16. Oh to mediate on our salvation! What a glorious day it was in eternity, that God reached down and plucked us from our sin and shame, and washed us in the shed blood of Jesus Christ! I can think of no greater delight than that, that God saved me! A vile sinner, rebellious and clothed in wickedness – but now cleansed as white as snow! Delight you shall, when you recall that gift of grace that is your salvation, and “day and night” will prove no boundary to the joy that floods each passing moment until He comes again with ten thousand of his saints.

Your justification through Christ Jesus was but the first rush of heavenly waters to your parched soul. Still today, His love is flowing out to you from His throne, much like John recalls in Revelation 22:1-
“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life…”

Prosper you He will; for you have been grafted into the true Vine, the root of Jesse.

And so we are called to delight in his law: for it is by the law, men are brought helpless and dead in their sins to the cross of Christ. Only then, can they be “like a tree, planted by rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; [whose] leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

-Come ye to the waters-

Who's To Blame??

I was just taking a momentary break from work today and read the latest post on this website dealing with America, and it made me think: Who's to blame?

I'm reminded of an email forward I read one time shortly after the Columbine School shootings. In the email, someone was speaking to God and questioning God why He allowed it to happen. God responded in the email that He wanted to stop it, but we wouldn't allow Him into public schools.

We're so quick here to attribute all the successes in our life, our company's life, and our country's life to ourselves and blame anything else, often God, for our failures. But as Isaiah reminds us, who are we to question God?

9 "Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker,
to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
'What are you making?'
Does your work say,
'He has no hands'?

10 Woe to him who says to his father,
'What have you begotten?'
or to his mother,
'What have you brought to birth?'

11 "This is what the LORD says—
the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker:
Concerning things to come,
do you question me about my children,
or give me orders about the work of my hands?

12 It is I who made the earth
and created mankind upon it.
My own hands stretched out the heavens;
I marshaled their starry hosts. (Isaiah 45:9-12)

I think that while we are often quick to question God, I think more often than not it is ourselves, not God, that prevents us from having the kind of life we say we want. In Mark 6:4-6, Jesus is in Bethlehem. The scripture reads, "Jesus said to them, 'Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.' He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith." Compare that with numerous other accounts of miracles preformed by Jesus in the New Testament, like Matthew 15:21-28 where Jesus meets a Canaanite woman. Because of her display of faith, Jesus said, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Now, could Jesus have healed more people in His hometown. Well, since God is all powerful, I suppose He could have. But as an article I came across on the internet said, "Jesus could have forced people to be healthy, but it's not his methodology to force people against their will. God (and by extension Jesus) wait for us as humans to hear their knock on our heart's door and let them in to work. Satan, on the other hand, would use a wrecking crane on our heart's door, set the lawn on fire, mutilate cattle, and anything else to get our attention and do things to us." I think there is a lot of truth to it.

Is it bad to question what may happen? Not necessarily. But don't question God. He knows what He is doing and He is Sovereign. I know in my own life anyway, God's not to blame for all the things I've done wrong. I am. And in the state that our country is in today, I don't think that's God's fault either.

America – Great Mercy or Great Wrath

“Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.” – Jeremiah 2:2

Much has been said by greater minds than mine (both theologically and secularly), about the “Christian founding of America”. One such mind is that of David Barton of Wallbuilders.com. The historical accuracy of that statement is not the aim of my post today, but I do believe it is an interesting debate; and one that liberals far and wide would cry “VICTORY!” if they could but prove that Jefferson was a Universalist, and Franklin was a devoted Deist (as devoted as one can be) – and not ‘good’ Christians.

Nevertheless, faith in the Christian God, and namely His son Jesus Christ, was the preeminent belief throughout all the colonies, and later early America. Most modern denominations will proudly trace their roots back to those early American church fathers of the 17th and 18th centuries. These “first” Americans certainly claimed God...but where does that bring us today?

Our country’s history is chalked full of revivals, and evangelical movements right up to the present day. And any historian worth his salt will tell you that it was most surely a miraculous move of God that America even won it’s independence from the British, much less, rise to the “superpower” status that we claim today. Most will agree that America has been blessed in mighty ways throughout our 200+ year existence, but why then, can we not answer the Lord’s question in Jeremiah 2:5 : “What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?”

For a country so blessed from its youth, so endowed with gifts of opportunity, and guidance from the Providential God himself – why have we “walked after vanity” and “become vain”? C.H. Spurgeon once commented, “Rejecters of great mercy must expect great wrath”. What other nation in the world can be named that has benefited as much from the mercy of God as we? Freedom, safety, health, education, and civil government – all gifts from the omnipotent Jehovah. Homosexual marriages, gay priests, abortion-on-demand, and removal of the 10 Commandments from every site deemed offensive – that is how we’ve replied to His grace.

If you can think of nothing today to thank God for – think but a moment on the incredible forbearance of God, towards our beloved America. Judgment or revival are our only options, for the Body of Christ. What are you praying for?

“Will he reserve his anger forever? Will he keep it to the end? Behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest.” – Jeremiah 3:5

Dangerous?

Paul writes to the church in Rome:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek

There is a part of the nature of Adam's race to shy away from truth, to resist conflict, to avoid confrontation. Many think that standing up for what is right is only acceptable if it doesn't cause divisiveness. Yes, Christ is the Prince of Peace. He will bring an everlasting peace to our helpless race when He reigns in Truth and Power. But Jesus also said

I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.

While 25% of the world's population dies without the Gospel, passive Christianity is not something to aspire towards. Jim Elliot wrote

We are so utterly ordinary, so commonplace, while we profess to know a Power the twentieth century does not reckon with. But we are "harmless", and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle-to-the-death with principalities and powers in high places. Meekness must be had for contact with men, but brass, outspoken boldness is required to take part in the comradeship of the Cross. We are 'sideliners', content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us, we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous!

The Curiousness of Causes, Part The First

Well, at least I hadn't had time to unpack before the last move. Being technologically inhibited by a slow moving connection this morning, I have not yet transferred that sum of work from the previous blog (being 1 post) and so I will simply copy and paste enough to introduce the purpose of this diatribe and include it at the end of this post.

Part, the First
"Christians and non-Christians readily unite over 'secular' causes and it seems the Church is at least willing (if not eager) to accept, without qualification, the help of any of those who claim a belief in God "

There is no shortage of projects to be found where you will find both Christians and non-Christians working together. The majority of Christians are employed by secular organizations and work with non-Christians every day and there is nothing wrong with this. In fact, that's exactly what we are called to do. God is not in need of us to bring light to Him, but rather light to those dark places where the Son has not yet reached.

There are other places where we work towards a common goal-- humanitarian causes, sports teams, education, etc -- all of these are causes for which the believer and the non-believer unite and work together. These are not all truly the same, but for the sake of this argument their differences are not of great importance. We will justify them with the sweeping and inclusive claim of 'bettering' society, though I will not argue that society's bettering is a Good task in and of itself. In fact, I would argue quite differently if that were the topic at hand, but again this is not what concerns me most.

My greatest concern is those areas where the Christian and Secular cultures meet which we have not yet discussed and that is in doing God's work. Now, I realize that's a vague term, but this is a blog, not a book, so I'll simply define 'God's work' as that work done by the believer through the power of the Spirit for the express purpose of building the Kingdom of God. Now, it's quickly seen from our definition that it would be impossible for a non-believer to perform Kingdom work because they do not have the Spirit. That, brothers and sisters, is precisely the problem. Let's look at Ezra 4:1-3. To set the stage, Zerubbabel was leading the Jewish exiles from King Cyrus back to Jerusalem for the purpose of rebuilding the Temple (around 538 b.c.).

"Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the returned exiles were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel,2 they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers' houses and said to them, 'Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here.' But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses in Israel said to them, 'You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

Here we have people coming to the men of God and saying, look, we know about your God, we've been worshipping him for a long time, this project it going to be pretty tough and it looks like you could use a hand, why don't you let us help you out? How large does the task facing the Body of Christ seem? Is it not ominous to look at the darkness in the world and think of what work is left to be done? Is it not tempting to take the outstretched hand of the world when it offers its services, be it money or advice or ideas or strategies or any of those things which at the moment it may seem we lack?

I fear this is exactly what has happened throughout much of the church in America. We have accepted wolves into the fold (see this commentary from Dr. Albert Mohler) and quite willingly. How many churches take the tithes of unbelievers who are members and how many churches have pastors who have been ordained without professing a belief to those most basic doctrines of the Christian faith and how many churches employ the strategies of secular business which plays on the baseness of man in running their own operations? You will not have to look far to see the hand of the Enemy working among the saints of God. What better way is there to kill, steal, and destroy than from within?

Oh, that we could be as strong and as steadfast as those men who said 'You have nothing to do with us in building our house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD!' In our culture of tolerance and acceptance and pluralistic truth, we cannot afford to employ wolves to guard the henhouse (so to speak). It may seem like a grand notion to think of all humanity, all religions and non-religions, joining together for a common cause, uniting to fight some great evil or injustice, but that is only an illusion, a deception from the great deceiver himself. Do not forget the canvas upon which that picture is painted. It is a world of good and evil before he picks up his brush and the sides are not decided by 'causes' but by salvation. God alone is good and it is His cause and that only that we must fight for and that.. is the topic of Curiosity, the Second..

Until we meet again, 'keep your hand at the level of your eye.'

"I'm sure many of you have noticed the readiness with which we all join together for a common cause. The cases are endless, but here's a few examples from very recent news: -A community comes together, a nation really, rallying around the trapped miners in Australia -Our nation (and our school and county) rallying around relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina. -A global response to the Tsunami disaster last year -Just last week, thousands around the country, hundreds here at Texas A&M (myself among them) gathered for the cause of Invisible Children. On and on and on it goes. We are quick to rally around almost any and every cause, regardless of nation, race, religion, or creed.

Now there are three curious things I want to make note of, which I will follow up with in later posts though perhaps not in the order in which they appear below.

Curiosity, the First: -Christians and non-Christians readily unite over 'secular' causes and it seems the Church is at least willing (if not eager) to accept, without qualification, the help of any of those who claim a belief in God

Curiosity, the Second: -Those who find a common ground in a 'cause' find little else to dispute over in the course of seeking that end for which they both endeavor

and

Curiosity, the Third -Christians have a very difficult time uniting over anything "

Are You Free?

Now let me just start this with a short preface. The idea for this post came about 1AM last night, but I was too lazy to get up out of bed. However, after several minutes of internal strife of get up vs. go back to bed, I compromised and grabbed a notebook next to my bed that had long been buried in some books that I had recently moved as I am starting to pack for my new apartment.

Before I begin to get to the heart of the matter here is something else the Lord reminded me of as I was writing out my thoughts last night. The reason I was still up is because my roommates and I have yet to turn on our air conditioner this year in an effort to save money. Now, lately, this has made sleep, and time in my apartment as a whole, to be pretty miserable. But I was reminded last night of a billboard I saw on the highway once that said, “You think this is hot? –God.” While I am amused by the song that says “They don’t serve breakfast in Hell,” I think by Jars of Clay, I think a far greater issue for me is I doubt there is air conditioning; I can live without my raisin bran and cheerios. In all seriousness though, I’d most be grieved by eternal separation from the Lord and my Savior, so thank God, literally, He has secured me by His grace in the book of life.

So now that I am onto a more serious mood, I think I’m safe to broach into the essence of my blog: Are You Free?

Now what is freedom? Now among other things, Webster defines it as “The condition of being free of restraints, and liberty of the person from slavery, detention, or oppression.” With all due respect to the good ole Webster, I think it’s far more than that. I think it is something that words can’t really do justice. Let me give you an example that will probably relate to you guys out there better. Think of the movie Braveheart. Now, this movie is one of my favorite movies. I can not watch it without getting my blood pumping and my adrenaline going. I think, in fact, that if I ran into a British person immediately after viewing it, I might actually attack them! But something about that movie speaks to me on a level beyond words. Something that moves me at my very core, as if we were designed to crave and fight for freedom just as the famous William Wallace. Something in me relates to him because I too have felt like a slave too often in life; I too have craved freedom with my whole being. And yet so much of my life, even now on occasion, I feel like a slave to my duty in life, my job, school, society as a whole, etc. The list goes on and on.

If I accept then that it seems like I was hard-coded by God to crave freedom and that something in the world seems to be constantly at odds with that desire, then that means some monumental things. But first, let me give you a little more background info on myself.

I grew up in a Bible believing family filled with devout church goers. I’m eternally grateful for this fact. And while I grew up in the church and knew the Lord practically from birth, deep down something was missing, and I didn’t discover it until college. The church I grew up in was a very by-the-book kind of church. If is says to do something in the Bible, you do it. If it says not to, you don’t. And if the Bible is silent on it, then in theory, so is the church (although history is replete with contradictions to this last fact). However, in this effort to be by the book, I started to be a Pharisee that was burdened by all the dos and don’ts. And as scripture says in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.” However, when I graduated from high school and really begin to grow in my walk my freshman and sophomore years, I was eventually convicted by the Spirit to leave the church I grew up in and go to a new church, one which stresses a relationship with Christ, rather than rules. Now, I recognize that there is a balance there that even Paul could foresee by people manipulating grace to give them a way to conveniently ignore those dos and don’ts. But Grace is so much bigger than that. Jesus died on the cross, not so we could do anything (even the best things we can do are like filth to Him), so that He could save us and have a relationship with us. That’s the Gospel in a nutshell.

So now let me get back to my original question. Are you free? Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Now, call me crazy and call me a heretic, but I don’t think that living a life of following the rules is an abundant life. And if it was, why did Jesus come? That’s essentially what the Jews were already doing. And I’m also not saying that gives you a license to do what you want (Romans 6:1-2). I recognize that not everything that is permissible is beneficial (1 Corinthians 6:12).

But God has made it abundantly clear that He has a great plan for me (Jeremiah 29:11-14), and that relationship with Him is so far beyond what I can and can’t do. Now, as John says and Jesus said is John 14:6, if you love Him, you will obey my commandments. But they will follow naturally. They will not be burdensome. If you don’t believe me, read Romans 7 and 8. See the difference. I’m not saying this or making this up. It’s in the book. And I recognize that many have said and will continue to say this better. So if you question this, dig on your own but dig in His word for your answers.

Now while I’m on this tangent, let me briefly touch on a soapbox for me now. It deals with Romans 14:13, also known as the stumbling block verse. “But rather, determine this- not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.” Now, I recognize that we are called to be above reproach so as not to defame Christ by our actions. That makes sense to me. But so often in life, I have been so concerned with not offending people or being a stumbling block that I have hindered the work of the Lord. Case in point, I have before on several occasions passed up an opportunity to witness that the Lord provided because I didn’t want to come across judgmental and harm someone’s walk with God to someone who was living in sin. Well, I certainly didn’t come across judgmental… and I didn’t share the Gospel either. What do you think is more important? If we are spending our whole lives trying not to be a “stumbling block,” we might as well be living by the law. One, it’s not possible, and two, you’ll lose you focus on what others think from what God has said. If you are focusing on God, you will not be a stumbling block, you will not be going against the very essence of grace on a continual basis, and He will take care of you. God is Sovereign; love Him, trust in Him, and Serve Him. Focus on that, not what you can and can’t or should and shouldn’t do.

Let me close it with Galatians 5:1. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” Need I say more? Don’t take my word on it. I’m nobody… take God’s.

New site - same Spirit

Sorry for the constant changes folks. With the addition of new bloggers, and hence, new personality -- we decided to bring a fresh page to you. Bear with us for a few more weeks until we get all the bugs worked out, and let us know if you have any suggestions for content/design.

Solus Christus

Peace In Northern Ireland?

Famed Irish preacher and politician, Ian Paisley could be the very man to bring about a path to peace in N.Ireland, the Washington Post reports.

Those familiar with Paisley's preaching know that he is an uncompromising and unapologetic supporter of total separation from Rome, being the seat of world catholicism. As a politician, he is known as "Dr. No", for his unwillingness to budge on any issues of conscience or expedience.

Now before him, however; is the very real chance at lasting peace in the war torn land of IRA terrorists and their protestant counterparts. The chance lies in a new local government made up of both Protestants and catholics, charged with governing their own local districts. In a country that has lost over 3,500 to terrorist activities in the last 36 years...this opportunity for peace is long over due.

But will he compromise? Should he?

Martin Luther once said, "Peace if possible, truth at any rate." With serious questions about the disarmament of the catholic Irish Republican Army, another famous "NO" may be in order from Dr. Paisley. A hastily composed and compromised assembly of falsehoods and 'good intentions' has no hope of spelling the kind of lasting peace that is needed in N. Ireland.

Christians should pray for peace, both home and abroad -- but never venture to compromise the gospel for the sake of peace or prosperity. And oft remember that Luke 2:14 did not say, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, goodwill to men" , but rather "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill to men". We can never have peace on earth until Christ returns and restores it, but we can and do (as born-again believers) have peace between us and God through Jesus Christ our Lord: Colossians 1:20 "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven."

Take a cue from Dr. Paisley and say "No" "Never" and "Absolutely Not" to compromise, and seek after the peace which Christ alone can provide.

The Age of "Information"

To anyone who is reading, no, I'm not Brother Hank with an identity crisis. I happen to be a friend of a friend, and he enlisted me to help provide an occasional blog through a mutual friend. So for any innocent readers, that just means that now you'll have to suffer through multiple peoples' often incoherent ramblings!

I came across a website today that just reminded me of the irony that is that internet. In the "Age of Information" that we now live, it has never before been so easy to have access to knowledge from a variety of perspectives, which it seems would lead to the widespread perpetration of truth. And yet, ironically, it seems that despite this universal access to billions of websites, truths are found boring and forgotten while lies and rumors spread like wildfire. I read an article today where some research center studied the growing use of terrorists using the internet to spread propaganda. According to them, "more than 6,000 Web sites that raise money for terrorist groups and teach related skills, such as bomb building."

While technology continues to grow at an exponential rate, it seems that we end up with smart bombs but dumb kids, precision guided missiles but hopelessly misguided youth across the globe. And in this "Age of Disinformation," as I often think of it, it has become all the more essential to stop looking on the internet, the best sellers list, or even a church pulpit for the truth. Ultimately, even well intentioned people are people- imperfect people, often with their own agendas, and while I try to be an optimist, I'm sad to admit that it often seems that well intentioned people are the minority these days. In John 14:6, Jesus says, "I am the truth, the way, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." So while I may be a technological junkie when it comes to some things (after all, I've blogged before when blogging was a word only known in internet chat rooms), I think I'm going to opt for the good old fashioned (and yet never out of date) book, The Bible. Moses had his burning bush, and praise Jesus, we still have one too in His written word. And with that, I think I’ll call it a day and end my first blogging experience in a couple years. Hopefully it has been as relatively painless of you to read as for me to write.

Fun Friday

A must read by the Pyromaniacs: "The Semi-Pelagian Narrower Catechism"

Centuri0ns rants on: Burlesque and Bovine Male, and I'm a Nutter

Dr. Al on grandma's: Pregnant at Age 63?

And last but not least, ScrappleFace: Pope Shocks Easter Crowd

Enjoy!

Kennedy: 'I Was Disoriented From the Medication'

Fox News reported today:

"Rep. Patrick Kennedy crashed his car near the Capitol early Thursday, and a police official said he appeared intoxicated. Kennedy said he had taken sleep medication and a prescription anti-nausea drug that can cause drowsiness. "

So, let me get this straight Mr. Kennedy. You say you were disoriented from some medication you had taken? So disoriented in fact, that you got in your car at 2:45am and drove down to the Captiol believing you "needed to vote" (when voting had ended a good 6 hours earlier?) Sounds plausible...

I say we ask for the badge of that two-bit cop that said you "appeared to be staggering when [you] left the vehicle after the crash about 3 a.m". I mean, evidently all that training they take to be able to identify signs of intoxication was wasted on this officer.

I wonder if Mr. Kennedy got his "one phone call" at the scene, because evidently "the officers involved in the accident were instructed by an official "above the rank of patrolman" to take Kennedy home." Without a sobriety test I might add...(For more on this: go to ScappleFaces "High Court May Replace Miranda Rights With Kennedy Right")

ATTN Rhode Island: I know you are extremely close to Mass., but that does not excuse YOU from using common sense in electing your govern'mental' officials. For a guy that's been to drug rehab, and is open about his bipolar disorder -- I would hope he's doing a fantastic job representing you on the floor of the House -- cause it sounds like that's where he spends his time when he leaves Capitol Hill as well...

Moussaoui Spared - Justice Done?

The BBC reports:
"Al-Qaeda plotter Zacarias Moussaoui is to face life in jail, rather than execution, for his role in the 9/11 attacks, a US jury has decided."

They say time has a way of healing old wounds, and I guess that even goes for those so deep as 9/11. It is hard to imagine, if Moussaoui's trail had been in 2001 or even 2002, that he would walk away with his life. But in 2006, he did indeed walk away alive, and indignent. After his sentence was read aloud in court, Moussaoui gleefully shouted, "America, You Lost!"

Did we, Mr. Moussaoui? It seems the only folks you'll have to share your thoughts with now are the likes of Terry Nichols, and Ted Kaczynski. I hear the federal pen is piece of cake, compared to County or State. Considered yourself blessed. I'm certain there are many an inmate who has not forgotten the terror you masterminded that September morning, and are just aching to give you a prison welcome.

I am concerned however about the American system of "justice" as we call it. I am not ignorant enough to expect true justice this side of eternity (nor would I be pleased with verdict at the Judgement Seat- if not for the precious blood of the Lamb), but I am constantly amazed at our judicial hypocrisy. We forego executions for folks like Nichols, Moussaoui, and Kaczynski -- but the very weakest of our Nation are executed in nearly every major city for trivial reasons such as - they were unexpected, unwanted, or conceived unwed. The justice system is fine killing those whom do not deserve it (as far as secular law goes- no treason has been committed, no murder, in fact, no action whatsoever, except being conceived), and yet there is no media uproar, crying INJUSTICE!

Speaking of the Moussaoui case, the former Mayor of New York, Rudolph Giuliani added, the verdict had reinforced his faith in the US justice system. "The greater value is demonstrating what America is like, he said. "America won tonight." Well, Mayor, that is very patriotic of you -- demonstrating what America is like and all; but while you are at it, why don't you explain how being Pro-Choice "demonstrates what America is like"?

America, we have lost something. Our mind and our conscience. As a country, we must return to the Word of God, repent of our ideas of "justice" and cling to those of God. Like all of us - Moussaoui will be judged by the Judge of all Judges - and depending upon His state of Faith in Christ - then justice will be done.

My Confession of Chain Letters

Alright. How many of you brothers and sisters in Christ have received a chain letter or email that said something along these lines?:

"If you aren't ashamed of Him, pass this along. Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father."

I'm sure all of you have seen an email or two like this over the years, and many have forwarded them all too eagerly to their christian friends to show that they are in fact 'unashamed' of Christ.

All to often however, these messages leave a false impression of the true meaning of the verse in question: Matthew 10:32-33 -
"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (some translations use the words 'ashamed' instead of 'deny').

It's surprising, I know, but refusing to forward a chain letter to 10 (50, or sometimes 100) people has very little bearing on the state of your confession of Christ. When Matthew speaks of those who "deny" Christ, or as some say "are ashamed of" Christ, he is not speaking of irritating chain leters - nor is he speaking of one time events. Peter himself denied Christ. In fact, Peter did it 3 times in one day! (Matthew 26:69-75). What Matthew is explaining in the tenth chapter, is an entire lifelong resistance to Christ. Therefore, a single act of denial does not make one unworthy of being a disciple (although it is a sin), but a refusal to confess Christ at all, eliminates one from being a true follower of Jesus Christ.

If you are, 'truly' ashamed of Christ, throw yourself at the feet of Christ and ask for forgiveness. Pray that the Spirit may indwell you and enable you to stand and confess the true Light of the World to all the nations.

If you are a born-again child of God, unashamed of the blessed work of salvation that Christ has wrought in you - then don't worry about forgetting to forward that next chain letter. I promise you that God knows your heart, and that is a louder confession that any chain letter can utter.

Paraphrased Scripture + T-Shirt = Suspension

Lately you've heard of students being discliplined for wearing t-shirts bearing Rebel Battle-Flags inciting racism, or flying Mexican Flags inciting immigration debates, and just about any other action that upsets ANYONE.

So what about wearing a T-shirt bearing an idea straight from scripture?

Well, evidently that is against Oakmont High School's 'tolerant' policies:

"A dozen high school students who were suspended Thursday for wearing T-shirts expressing their religious beliefs are considering filing a lawsuit.
Kathleen Sirovy, principal of Oakmont High School, insisted the school's actions were justified as many students "were upset" because the shirts "were rude".

So what exactly did these upsetting and rude t-shirts have to say?

"Homosexuality is sin. Jesus can set you free."

Oh yeah that is RUDE! How dare someone try to quote scripture on an article of clothing. Next thing you know, they will be handing out gospel tracts! Christians...psh...always walking around like they got the Word of God in their back pocket. I mean really, aren't they supposed to be tolerant???

Actually, nowhere in the Word is it said that believers are to be tolerant of sin. In fact, we find just the opposite.

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." - Ephesians 5:11

The word tolerance in it's deepest meaning alludes to a belief that the 'thing tolerated' has a rightful place in soceity or culture as a whole. Webster's says that tolerance is: sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one's own. Sympathy for sin is not a luxury that Christians are called to afford. Sympathy for the sinner is a different story.

Plain and simple - Sin has no rightful place in soceity, and therefore should not be 'indulged'. These kids sporting quotes from Galatians 5:1,19, are right in their actions, techniques, and adherence to Truth. If only, those offend would look past it's 'shock value' and see it for what it is: An appeal for repentance, and offer of Salvation and freedom from the bondage of sin through Christ Jesus

From Mary Worship to Miracle Worship

The Shift of catholics to Pentecostalism

This shift may be surprising to folks at the The Washington Post , but not to those of us who have tested the 'spirit' of both of these movements and found that they "art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting" - Daniel 5:27

Both groups have shown contentness to worship anyone and anything but Christ himself. From sightings of 'the blessed virgin Mary' in Tree Trunks across the country to the ever present Bennie Hin tele-revivals, its quite evident these branches have come from the same diseased trunk.

Politically, this may be a help to the conservative party in the coming years; but spiritually, this is just another symptom of a deeper problem with American/Global Christianity. People want to FEEL God, they want to SEE God (or in some cases, they will just settle for Mary or one of the "saints"). Experiential religion is sweeping the Nation and the World, at a pace that threatens to overshadow even the Mormonic proselytizing phenomenon.

The time of 2 Timothy 4:3-4 is well upon us:
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

But hallelujah, God has given us the remedy for this "Charismatic Corruption of Protestantism" as Dr. Alan Cairns calls it:
"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." - 2 Timothy 4:2

Charles Spurgeon addressed this same issue when he said: "The Lord may be very close to thee, dear child, when thou canst not see him, perhaps closer than ever he was when thou couldst see him. The presence of God is not to be measured by thy realization of it. Brethren, we miss a thousand blessings because we are too busy to commune with God. We are here, there, and everywhere, except where we ought to be."

The sad fact is, these 'converting' catholics are only trading one false doctrine for another -- and in the end, neither will lead them to Christ. Pray for them.

--A Good Read - "Charismatic Chaos" - by Dr. John F. MacArthur

Our 'Ascent' Into Blogdom

There has been much ado lately about the comments by Daniel Henninger of The Wall Street Journal in looking at the explosion of Web logs (or "blogs"). His analysis is that:

"the world of blogs may be filling up with people who for the previous 200 millennia of human existence kept their weird thoughts more or less to themselves."

Well, I guess I am now adding myself (and a few fellow contributors) as one of those 'people' who just can't bare to keep their "weird thoughts more or less" to themself. I hope and pray that this blog may become an educational, encouraging, inspiring, but more importantly - edifying addition to your busy daily schedule; and may guide us all into a closer relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

I guess the determining post that convinced me personally, that I too should join in on this momentous shift into Cyberspace Theology, was the Karate Exegesis by the Pyromaniacs. I just sat there in awe, but also excitement, as I realized that the Lord has been speaking those same kind of common sensical words of wisdom to me in my own walk with Him. From that, I have taken the leap of faith into blogdom and look forward to sharing my thought, opinions, and just plain old rants with the entire world.

Soli Deo Gloria