Arise, O God

It is now official. The state may now practice euthanasia on its citizens. I must remind everyone, the argument that says, "I wouldn't want to live like that" does not wash. No judge in the world has this kind of power. I would like to say much against judges, but someone else has done a far better job than I could.

Three thousand years ago a man wrote about judges and how they will have to give an account for their actions. Here is it:


A Psalm of Asaph. God takes His stand in His own congregation; He judges in the midst of the rulers. How long will you judge unjustly And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.

Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Rescue the weak and needy; Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

They do not know nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness; All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

I said, "You are gods, And all of you are sons of the Most High. "Nevertheless you will die like men And fall like any one of the princes."

Arise, O God, judge the earth! For it is You who possesses all the nations.



Jesus quoted this Psalm almost a thousand years after it was written. If Jesus may apply it to the rulers of His day, then God's Word may be applied to our judges today. I fear that their actions are a plague sent by God against a stiffnecked people. Rise Up, O God and judge the earth. For no one seems to be left who rules with a righteous scepter.

Bow to the Bishop Jackson?

It was simply wrong. Jesse Jackson asked today if he could go in and pray over Terry Schiavo. I must side with Michael Schiavo at this point. Using some religious prestige to gain access onto TV stations and trying to make Michael look irreligious and disrespectful to a man of the cloth is just plain rude.

Jesse is not Terry's Overseer or Pastor. He is not her elder. He has probably never set foot in her congregation (if she even attended church). He has no spiritual authority in their lives whatsoever. Asking to go in and pray over her as if he were the Bishop of Rome is just simply pathetic. Who does he think he is anyway? So why stop at Jesse? Why should not some muslim cleric invite himself? Where does that kind of logic end?

There are plenty of other avenues that need to be exhausted. Trying to claim that he is the supreme spiritual American Bishop, who has spiritual authority over us, is not the way to go. Besides, why is the left waiting till day 13? Is it their lucky number?

The Worth of Suffering in a Culture of Death

"Quality of Life" seems to be the driving force of the public debate today on whether we should live or die. We console ourselves when a loved one passes away by saying their quality of life was very poor. Satisfying our consciences and easing our pain.

It is easy to understand that sometimes we must allow "nature" to take its course. "Heroic medicine" often keeps people "technically" alive when in fact they have turned into some kind of preserved Zombie. Some decisions in this modern technologically advanced age can be quite painful.

But does the "Quality of Life" apply? Some say they would not want to live and be a burden if they ever became severely disabled. Have we become so calloused to the meaning of life that we believe we are our own Sovereign? Is there no God who gives worth without the addition of human input? Does our station in this life determine human dignity?

I was priviledged and honored to serve my fellow human being at 4:00AM yesterday morning. The vomit, the holding over the famous toilet bowl, the encouraging one to endure, the cleanup, the stinky messy cleanup that is, and the loss of sleep were a blessing in disguise. I do not know the purpose of this suffering or poor quality of life that my daughter had, but I am grateful I was able to share in it.

It is in the dark times of suffering, we truly find the worth that God has given to His creatures. Christians have been known to suffer for Christ, even unto death. Historically speaking, the more Christians have been killed for the faith, the more Christianity spread. It was during the expansion throughout North Africa that the muslims came to understand this. They began to stop killing Christians and instead made them suffer by not allowing them to have jobs or buy and sell, and ect.. Christianity declined rapidly.

Point is, the true test of life is whether we will continually and habitually do that which God calls for us to do. Feeding and suffering with a woman in Florida is far more noble.

Oh, To Be Selfish

I was reminded today of how selfish I have been. Killing helpless animals. Raping and pillaging the landscape. Taking away Constitutional Rights from foreign citizens. Forcing the elderly to live in poverty by taking away their Social Security check. The typical banter never ceases.

During my commute this morning I was held up at two lights. This cost me sixty seconds of time. So instead of the possible 3 and 1/2 minutes, it took me almost 5 minutes to get to work. I began to realize how much of my life is being wasted. A Potential of 4 minutes a day is being stolen from me. What is the government going to do about this? I pay taxes you know.

A friend of mine is getting married. He'll probably have kids. Wait! What if my wife gets pregnant. She'll be forced to quit her job at the library and I'll have to pay for another mouth to feed. We could always have the private "A" word. Hey, the government has fixed that legal problem. Only a minor inconvenience it will be. Just think of the benefits to society. Less taxes we will need to support education and the like. Hey, I'm thinking about my fellow man here.

This Terry Schiavo problem has got me thinking. What if that were my wife? It might take me a lot longer to get to work. My career might be troubled. I might not get that promotion. Worst of all, no companionship. I suppose I could just shack up with someone else though. I got a better idea. Just starve her to death, then all of society won't have to put up with the burden of feeding her. Just think of all the food we could save. Doctors, who have to waste their time helping her, could be helping real patients. Lawyers won't have to waste all their time suing each other. It'll be convenient for everyone. Utopia will be achieved if we allow the unwanted to kill themselves.

Please note the sarcasm. Rush quoted an agnostic lesbian leftwing woman confined to a wheelchair today as saying, "I would rather have a conservative Christian determining the end of my life than an ACLU lawyer."

There is an old saying, "Be a hero, save a whale. Save a baby, go to jail." Perhaps one of you readers of this could come up with a new rhyme. Something that conveys the idea that heroes are those, who save terrorists that seek to destroy the Constitution, and belittle those who defend the weak. But then, perhaps I am being just a bit too selfish.

CNN's Interview

Several nights ago I watched Rick Warren and his Pupose Driven Life interviewed on CNN. Then John MacArthur was interviewed to explain some of the problems of the book. For those of you who see the inherent problems of The Purpose Driven Life Gospel and the obvious bias against MacArthur during the interview, you can read a little more about the MacArthur interview. Click Here.

Why most Christian leaders seem to remain quiet on this issue I am not sure. MacArthur is right. The Gospel is a stumbling block for those who are perishing. If the gospel becomes popular due to some marketing scheme, we need to ask "Why?" Is the Gospel being watered down? Is the Gospel really about finding oneself? Or is it about denying oneself, taking up the cross of Christ and following Him? Simplifying theology is one thing. Making the Gospel so simple that it does not reflect the Gospel of Scripture is quite another.

I simply can not think of any preaching of the Gospel that says, "Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life" anywhere in Scripture. In fact, it is just the opposite. Peter preaches the first sermon that convicted men of their wickedness and rebellious sin (Peter holds men accountable for murdering the Son of God). When men recognized their sin, Peter then preached a Gospel that demanded repentance and forgiveness in Christ. Believing in Christ alone for salvation is the only means of receiving Eternal Life.

Are We Sinners In Need Of Salvation Or Not?

I am always impressed what deceived men will do for a lie. This afternoon I had two guests who are of the Jehovah's Witness persuasion. They talked and talked and (I know, we've all experienced it) and talked. Yet, if I had not forced the conversation into the direction of Paul's letter to the Romans, we would never have talked about salvation.

What are the issues in evangelization? Are Tim LaHaye's books the main way to convince people to come to Christ? How about rock'n for Jesus at a concert? How about throwing a party at church to show that men need to repent? That seems to be the method today. We could have a Super Bowl party for Jesus.

I am not saying there are not different ways to evangelize. We all use different methods to "springboard" our conversations into the Gospel message. I am simply wondering if we often compromise or miss the message altogether. Have we become like the JWs and missed how the Spirit of God commands us to proclaim God's Word faithfully? Just a thought.

Here is one of the most powerful sermons I have heard in a long time. John Piper preaches on Romans 9. How should we proclaim the Gospel? Click Here.

Fletch Lives and God's Remnant

I went to Atlanta City GA, not Atlantic City. Apparently, my co-worker thought went to the latter. While the driver was taking us through the city my co-worker asked, "Where are the casinos?" To which the driver responded, "Casinos...are you kidding (asking with the utmost incredulous look on his face as if he were from Massachusetts, "What ahre ya retahded or sumptin") this is the Bible belt. There are no casinos here. By the way, there is a girly dancing club just over there." Permanently impressing in my mind the truth of the doctrine of Total Depravity, even among those in the Bible belt.

After my eleven hours of traveling, I made it into my hotel room. It was late so I got into bed and did the typical guy thing. You know, get the remote and click through the channels. There must have been atleast five or six stations that had Fletch Lives on. I don't mean the movie with Chevy Chase. I mean the character that Chevy impersonated being a TV evangelist. Healings, healings, and more healings. There were more false teachers than I could have possibly believed existed. It is pretty sad when the Bible belt needs more Reformation than those who do not have the Scriptures.

One false teacher claimed that since the disciples of Christ were able to heal others, and since he was a disciple, therefore he was able to heal too. So he held his hands up to the camera and asked the audience to just believe he was touching them. Ahhh, I got a dumb question. By that logic, I should not need the faith healer because I believe I am a disciple too. Therefore I should be able to heal as well. Therefore, I will just heal myself, thankyou. Right?

In the midst of this "pagan/Christian" Bible-Belt society (blend the names for a more accurate picture), I was priviledged to meet JohnMark and Redgoatee. Two men I have talked to for a couple of years in a reformed irc channel. We went to dinner at the Outback and had a great time of fellowship that reformed Christians may have. We talked about DrO behind his back. Redgoatee gave me a bunch of Piper sermons on CD (quite a gift I think). I learned JohnMark is a good man of great character.

It was truly a blessing to see God still has His elect hidden among the lost and being faithful to His calling. Perhaps if we remain faithful, God will bring true revival and not this church growth movement that preaches an evanjellyistic gospel which doesn't seem to save anyone. I often keep in mind what DrO says, "God is able to draw a straight line with a crooked stick."

Off To Atlanta

Yes, the secret is out. I have to fly to Atlanta tomorrow. Something about meeting other people and having to learn something about my job. I'm not really sure what the purpose is. I have already met other people, and I am already doing my job (for over four years now), but I have to go anyway.

Last year my co-worker went and was "witnessed" to by some Jewish guy. The Jewish guy was then proselytized by some Christian guy who probably was fresh out from Waco Texas. Which brings another thought to mind, is there a difference between Georgia and Texas? I sure hope so.

The last time I traveled alone through an airport some hari-Krishna guy tried to give a free copy of the "Book With All of Life's Answers" for a mere $$. I thought the gospel was free, maybe he was just trying to cover his costs. Whatever the case was, it has been quite some time since I have had to deal with looney people. Big cities just don't excite me anymore.

I like life in Scott City. It is fast paced if you get involved. I have never been so busy in all my life. My commute lasts all of 3 minutes, yet I still feel like I am stuck in traffic. Trucks actually run the red light in order not to wait the extra thirty seconds it will take them to get through town. My wife wonders where I am and calls my cell phone. My son, was I supposed to pick him up after school today and take him to practice? Wait, I'm the coach. I'm supposed to be at practice. Rachel, could you pass me that gray crayon please?

On second thought, maybe going to a lunatic city like Atlanta, where people just shoot each other and walk away, is a vacation. Naaahhh. I love my family. Be back in a few days!

Where Are The Overseers of God's People?

I hate to even mention them, but I keep hearing their popularity grow, even among us western KS conservative churches. I read on one site that Benny Hinn and T.D. Jakes are two of the most popular tele-evangelists on TV. If you are a clicker with that remote control and pass through the cable channels with any regularity, you will see them on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network).

Why anyone would would give a penny to a completely fake charlatan such as Benny Hinn is beyond me. He is a demonstrably false prophet and teacher. He has said God has spoken through him. When a little research is done, you will find that his prophecies have been proven false and his healings a sham. Deuteronomy 13 warns us that God Himself will send false prophets to test us to see if we are of the true faith. I am afraid we are falling far short of passing the test.

T.D. Jakes is a modalist. That means he denies the Trinity. Is it not ironic that he appears on the Trinity Broadcasting Network. I actually listened to Paul Crouch (the owner of TBN) say that the doctrine of the Trinity is not important enough to keep Mr. Jakes off the network. Imagine that. The doctrine of the Trinity is not important. I wonder what Jesus thinks of people who reject His truth and yet claim to be teachers of God?

So much of the New Testament is warning that false teachers and false brothers will arise among us and lead astray those who reject the truth of God. It is truly a difficult work for Elders. I pray for my own Elders, that by God's grace they will keep the flock of God from this constant danger.

Hubble Bubble, POP!

For several years I have spoken to an aquaintance in an mIRC channel. His screen name is Baltazaar, and he is an astronomer in Hawaii. He recommended to me a good book by John Byl, God and the Cosmos. Balt is one of those really smart people. You know. He's kind of like the family strange guy that people wished they could understand. As an astronomer, he rejects the Big Bang Theory and the idea that the universe is billions of years old.

I also have a friend at the University of New Hamshire, Paul Kursewich, who teaches astronomy extension courses to lay people. Paul is another one of those really smart guys that when you ask a question, you better take some "keep awake pills", since his answer may go a mile over your head.

Both of these guys have one thing in common. Both are Christians. Now I know what you're thinking. No way. Smart people who are scientists, especially astronomers, know full well that evolution is true. God is simply not relevant to science.

Tonight, I received another DVD from answers in Genesis, Hubble Bubble. A really really really smart guy (astronomer) showed that the Big Bang theory is breaking down rapidly. The more observations are made, the more scientists have to twist and bend the Big Bang in order to make it work with the evidence.

Anyway, in conclusion, this scientist showed that the universe as seen on earth may still be "day 4" of the creation week or shortly after. If you start with God's revelation, explanations that you may never think of, they may just lead us back to God. If you start with man's stories, you may never get home.

Frog To Prince?

My family watched a video on creationism verses evolutionism tonight. The evolutionist that was being interviewed was Richard Dawkins. Richard Dawkins believes that over time, mutations in the right condtions could produce new species with new genetic information.

He was asked to demonstrate with evidence how evolution occurs. Let me summarize his answer on the nature of the evidence for mutations leading to evolution:

There is a misunderstanding that evolution would have transitional fossils and that there would be massive amounts of evidence for transitional forms, even today. But evolution doesn't work that way. So, in other words, the theory of evolution requires that there be no evidence and when we look at the scientific evidence in the world, we find no evidence. Therefore evolution must be true.

I haven't heard that line of reasoning since Gould put forth his "Gap Theory". Simply stated, the Gap Theory surmises that evolution happens in leaps, leaving behind no transitional fossils. Then Gould looked to the fossil evidence to find there were no transitional fossils. Therefore his theory must be true.

Amazing! A theory that actually looks for no evidence to prove itself, and when it finds no evidence, the theory is considered true. With logic and reasoning like that, no wonder science is in trouble.

Jesus Is Bread and Wine?

Today I listened to a debate on whether the Roman Catholic Doctrine of the Mass is biblical. Now most evangelicals misunderstand the Mass and therefore reject it on straw man arguments. Christians ought not to be judging before they know the facts about another person's beliefs.

The debate was a little different in that the RC used Hebrews 7 and 9 in order to demonstrate that the sacrifice is a perpetual sacrifice and needs to be redemonstrated over and over again. I noticed two errors the RC made. First, was the assumption of the treasury of merit being imposed on the text. It was simply an assumption that the speaker had and the author of Hebrews nowhere teaches. Neither debater even addressed this issue which I thought to be so obvious.

Second, it takes away the object of faith. What I mean is, Jesus finished the work at the cross. He actually bought His people. He does not represent His purchase over and over again. He does not repurchase someone who may have "lost" their salvation. Jesus either bought you, or He did not. Therefore, when Jesus purchases His people, there is a past action with a present condition.

In conclusion, the Mass can never take away sins. The writer of Hebrews speaks of Christ having perfected those who draw nigh unto God. So the question is, are you perfected by the finished work of Christ, or are you still trying to get perfected through some man-made system.

Stick Your Necks Out Just a Little Farther

Today the U.S. Supreme Court once again legislated from the bench. They declared that captial punishment for captial crimes is "cruel and unusual punishment" for murderers under the age of 18. They once again cited foreign law to support their decision.

Only a liberal court could possibly think, "Uh, who cares if the American people are moving to a more conservative viewpoint. Who cares if they hate us. Who cares if we are wrong in our decisions. Who cares if the will of the people and their elected representatives are overruled. We are going to overthrow this country's foundation, even if it means our necks are on the chopping block."

Well, U.S. Supreme Court, keep going. You have just made the case for Bush's nominees. You have just reinforced the beliefs of conservatives that leftwing radical judges are trying to overthrow the government. You have given more evidence for Mark Lavin's book, Men in Black, that it is fair and accurate.

Hey, all of you leftists out there. Keep up the good work. I love demonstrating the problems with the leftist mindset, but now, you are doing the work for me. Anybody got an axe? Looks like this turkey is ready for dinner.

Philly Four Have Charges Dropped

I just received an e-mail from the American Family Association that reports the charges against the Philly Five have been dropped. In case you might have forgotten, the Philly Five were the ones arrested on bogus charges, even with a video demonstrating their innocence and the misconduct of the homosexual activists!

I must be technically correct here though. There were only four left. So today's decision was to drop charges against the Philly Four. Praise God for bloggers who give us more news than the left wing propaganda machine.

Click Here for the whole story.