Christmas Time is Always Special

Another great Christmas season. Last night (I know, Christmas was Saturday) the Paynes (my wife's family) had their family gathering. Yes, I am still full. Grandma Payne sure knows how to feed a crowd. Oh, she didn't cook. She had it catered at the bowling alley. My stomach is still distended about a foot. And watching kids get more than they deserve just reminds me that I am most certainly spoiled by God too. ;-)

Visiting family is always special, but getting to visit Chris Gorman is just a little extra benefit. He is now pastoring a church plant in South Dakota. To hear what God is doing through ministries like his and some of the things that we are all learning from John Piper's church is uplifting to the soul. I say "we" since I also attempt to read and listen to whatever Piper teaches.

We are very fortunate to have men of God in this country who are faithful to His calling. May God bless us with more men like Chris Gorman. Oh, by the way, Cory Kitch is coming to hang with me this weekend. I am truly blessed to be in the company of such God fearing men who rightly divide the Word of God and are faithful to the proclamation of His Word.

Is It Really God's Fault?

Ministers line up to blame man for the tsunami. There is some truth to that though. If man had not sinned in the garden, the earth would not be cursed. It is still always amazing to me though how Christian ministers will say anything to make God have nothing to do with any evil situations or events here on earth.

Remember 9/11? Everyone was saying that God had nothing to do with the fall of the towers. There are even audios played in churches where God tells us He was right there when the towers fell, but He had nothing to do with them falling. They were the result of some crackpot religious extremists. God was simply uninvolved with their lives (the terrorists). Somehow He was involved in ours?

For years, Isaiah 7 & 10 plagued me. How could God decree that the Assyrians would be a tool in His hand to destroy the Israelites and then destroy them for their intentions? By God's grace I was able to put 2 & 2 together. If God is the Creator of all things, and ALL things have a purpose, then God is truly Sovereign over all.

In other words, all things have a purpose because God made them. As the Scripture says in Proverbs 16:4, "the Lord has made everything for its own purpose, Even the wicked for the Day of Evil."

Job once had a conversation with God and His right to do with His creatures as He sees fit. In Job 40 God asks Job if Job will really bring a charge against Him. Can we really sit in judgment of God? Can we really tell God things should be done differently? Can the creature say to its Creator, "Why have you made me like this?"

So when you are in doubt as to why evil comes in this world, do not despair as a Christian, but truly know that God is working all things for His glory. All events glorify God. All men will glorify God. God's wrath shall be displayed and glorify God. God's mercy will be contrasted with His wrath and also Glorify God.

To the Creator most wise and blessed, to Him alone be all the Glory.

Merry Christmas

Are you ready for Christmas? Got the spirit of Christmas yet?

Well, this past weekend I went caroling with the kids and the Christian school (yes, that is still legal here) and reading the "hosting" parts (narrator) of the Christmas Cantata in church and shopping for Christmas presents for mom with the kiddos. Tonight I took my family for a drive around town to see all of the Christmas lights. There is just something magical about Christmas lights, don't you think?

I realize that the news may be bad. Liberals may spew their hatred for God's Law and the Gospel of Christ. ACLU style lawyers may dream up new ways to remove the Ten Commandments and Nativity scenes. Men may commit horrible acts of violence and give ample evidence of the doctrine of "Total Depravity"(eg: woman in Kansas City).

It is the time of year when Christians still have the opportunity to proclaim what the Prophet Isaiah said so long ago in chapter 9 verse 2, "The people who walk in darkness will see a Great Light." Yes, there is hope in Christ. As Christ's ambassadors, please be encouraged to remain faithful to our calling and know that when men revile us, we are to plead with men as if God were pleading through us!

Out of every nation God calls His people who were chosen in Christ. Let us be faithful to God. Let us glorify God this Christmas by proclaiming His Gospel to sinners who need a Savior.

Have a Blessed Christmas.

No Separation of Church and Hosptial Here

A big kuddos to our local Scott County hospital Administrator, Greg Unruh.

Last night, the Hospital had it's Christmas dinner at the Majestic. It's the only restaurant in town that can handle the hundreds of people.

Apparently Greg is not too worried about being too politically incorrect. He spoke of the reason for the season, and once again he invited a group that performs Christmas music. The group last night, The Seraphim Strings, did an excellent job playing their Hammer Dulcimers. They are a group that has formed over the last four years and have started playing mainly in churches together.

In past years Greg has invited choirs to sing Christmas music. The local talent around here just amazes me sometimes. May God keep blessing those who love the true reason for the season!

The Girl Next Door Isn't So Nice

Well, it is happening right next door. The Canadian Supreme Court ruled today that same sex unions should be legal. Prime Minister Paul Martin will be submitting legislation to redefine Marriage.

Martin says that, "this is a difficult issue involving personal and religious convictions." What is so difficult? Did God define marriage or not? This is the problem when man becomes the center of the universe and the standard by which truth is determined.

The court actually went so far as to say that the Constitution was open to be interpreted with the changing of times. Sounds similar to the U.S. Supreme Court. They also cited foreign nations as an authority. "They are doing it, why shouldn't we?" seems to be the reason.

So if the courts rule that man is the standard, where does this end? The court re-defined marriage as being between two persons. Why stop there? What about polygamy? Polygamy has been in practice for centuries. Don't polygamists have more of a precedant than homosexuals?

I think we may have to tackle this one on Salt & Light. I have some local letters to the editor we can discuss. I also have The Same Sex Controversy by White and Niell. We'll take a solid look through that book. It is one of the best, exegetically sound books I have read to date on the topic.

We may also need to review some portions of a debate between Dr. James White and Barry Lynne. Rev. Lynne, the great free speech guy, lost so badly that he tried to sue Dr. White for selling the DVDs of the debate. Ironic, heh?

Although Martin has asked the court three questions a year ago, a fourth one was added to decide what is constitutional when it come to marriage. It is this fourth question that I have noticed for years is causing the biggest stumbling block for conservatives. The question is, "Is the traditional definition of marriage constitutional?"

That's hitting the nail on the head. Conservatives really don't have a good answer for that one. If they say that nations have followed this tradition for thousands of years, then the opposition will say, "so what." If they say it is better for children, they'll say "you are homophobic." If conservatives say, "God says so", they'll say, "that is your private religious beliefs." Remember, you can't legislate religious beliefs!

This is what happens when nations reject the Ten Commandments and the Law of God as a whole. Either God defines reality and the Law, or man does. Last I checked, man can't seem to make up his mind.

Liberals Can't Hide Who They Are Forever

Hannity and Colmes had a special town house style meeting tonight. The role of religion taught from a historical perspective was being debated. I think Colmes was getting frustrated since no one was buying into his poor logic and argumentation.

He even tried the Kerry scare tactic and it backfired immensely. He tried to divert attention away from the Declaration of Indepenance to a controversial statement made by John Adams. The conservatives simply asked what is wrong with teaching what was said? History is history. So be it!

Then Colmes tried to say that the school was teaching about God since the Declaration was "posted" in the school. If that is true, then why the suspension and lawsuit?

What has really impressed me is that the liberals are coming out swinging, they are trying to be more open, they are yelling louder. I say, "Keep coming." The more they come out of the closet, the more they'll lose. When Americans learn of their true history and the obvious lies the liberals are using to rewrite it, we conservatives win the debate every time.

Liberals usually hide their agenda in the courts because they have always known they lose in public arguments. Thank God for blogs! ;-)

Bring It On, Time, Bring It On

"Behind the First Noel Who were the wise men? What about that star? And is it possible Jesus was born in Nazareth? How the story of Christ's birth came to be"

I am always impressed with just how smart jouranalists are. With no real investigation and no work they always manage to get the same scholars to say the same things year after year. Simply refering to that loud mouthed minority of Scholarship sometimes refered to as the Jesus seminar, who use refuted and outdated methodologies, seems to be the end all of all things.

I discovered years ago that the media is only interested in bashing those of the Christian faith. So for those of you who are concerned, consider this. The overwhelming view of Scholarship, either liberal or conservative, is that Jesus was a real man, that He suffered under Pontius Pilate, that He was crucified, that He died, that He was buried in Joseph of Arithamea's tomb, that on the third day the tomb was empty, that His followers believed they saw Him after these events.

Liberals tend to explain the emtpy tomb and appearances with naturalistic explanations. Conservatives tend to explain these events from a view that Jesus actually rose from the dead. You are simply going to have to make up your mind on which explanation fits all of the evidence.

I say, bring it on Time Magazine. The more you liberal elitists try to maintain your power by ignoring the competition, the less people are going to listen to you. We are tired of having our faith bashed as being only a fable. Soon you will be out of power. Oh wait, did I just hear Fox news is now on the radio instead of ABC news?

Campolo and Sexism

Just reading more information on Tony Campolo. He spoke at Cooperative Baptist Fellowship where he stated that we who believe that women are not called to be Elders/Pastors "change the Bible to fit [our] theology."

Now please understand this. I am a member of the American Baptist denomination. I know they allow women pastors. I know they have no biblical warrant for doing so. But to say I am changing the Bible to fit my theology is quite a charge. Please demonstrate this Dr. Campolo. Oh, wait! Your training is in sociology. Never mind.

It doesn't stop there though. If it did, I could take the little heat that he generates. He also stated at one time that, "It's one thing to be wrong, but that isn't wrong, that's sinful." So now the men who have exegeted Scripture for hundreds of years are sinful? Maybe. But how does saying it without exegetically demonstrating this prove he is right? I guess our final authority should be Tony Campolo? Without his sociology degree, I just don't see how the church will ever be free from its traditions of male sexism. ;-)

Eschatology

Just in the last week I have had two people ask me about my views on eschatology. Now there's something that I can't remember ever talking with anyone about. Most people just don't think about it unless they are reading Tim LaHaye's books. But when they do talk about it, dispensationalism is usually assumed and therefore the conversation usually degenerates into pre-trib, post trib ect..

This week however, one fellow member of First Baptist asked me about other views. I have learned of church squabbles because a prior pastor was not a "dispy". Well, guess what! Neither am I. I do see that historic-premillenialism and amillenialism are much more Scriptural. Which one am I? hmmmmmmm

To make a looooong conversation short. I do not believe there are two sets of God's people. I do not believe unbelieving Jews (national Israeli Jews) are God's people when they reject Christ as the Messiah. I do not believe they co-exist with God's people. The church consists of JEWS AND GENTILES and is the people of God. Could the Jews in Israel convert to Christ as a whole? Sure. But let us not become stuck on some pharisaical Messiah who will deliver us from the Romans.

The Old Covenant has passed away folks. The earthly Jerusalem is in bondage according to Paul in Galatians 5. The Jerusalem Temple is but a shadow of Christ. Jesus said in John 4 that the Father seeks those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. The context is of which mountain to worship on, Jerusalem or where the Samaritans were. They were both wrong!

We, who are of Christ, are looking for a heavenly Jerusalem, with a heavenly King who IS seated on His throne at the right hand of power. Why look anywhere else?

Randy Alcorn's Book

Just uploaded the a new archive for prolife answers to prochoice arguments. We take a look at the first five arguments in the book. Excellent book for anyone needing tolearn why Prolifers believe what they do.

Tony Campolo's Book is Reviewed

Just listened to an archived Dividing Line and guess who the topic was. Tony Campolo. Listen to a review of Tony' new book. Click here.