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10 Reasons Why Isaiah's Prophecy Probably Doesn't Refer To Physical Healing

2011-08-03T00:30:00.012-04:00

This is in response to an article, "10 Reasons Why Isaiah's Prophecy Refers To Physical Healing." His assertion is that Isaiah 53:4-5 "by his wounds we are healed" means physical healing.

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Cornel,

Grace to you!

I'm on the fence about these verses and am researching the opposite points-of-view. I'm a charismatic Christian, but these verses don't seem to mean physical healing. I searched on the subject and read your list to see if I'm wrong, but I'm still not convinced.

I'm exploring the option because I can't think of anywhere that the Bible commends going to doctors; it seems to expect we'll be healed miraculously. But I can't conclusively say I am promised physical healing based on this Scripture.

Here are my observations on your ten points:

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1. "Jesus healed real people of real diseases in order to fulfil that prophecy. (Matt 8:16-17). If it were only for spiritual healing, apparently Jesus didn’t know about that interpretation…"

GREAT point. I don't think I'd ever heard this taught. Good call. May be the verse that makes me change.

It should be noted, however, that Matthew has the strange habit of reinterpreting OT verses to suit his own purposes. I don't know why that is, but I'm sure there's a good reason for it. See for example Matthew 2:15/Hosea 11:1.

I only mention it becase it could mean Matthew has reinterpreted this verse.

Richard L. Mayhue stated, "Matthew 8:16-17 uses an illustration of physical healing to demonstrate a spiritual truth about the Christian's resurrection hope of being sinless and thus in perfect health."

Could be. We should both meditate on this some more, and proceed with caution.

2. "Nobody needs spiritual healing. Your spirit wasn’t sick, it was dead (Eph 2:5). Hence the fact that you needed to be born again. You were raised in newness of life, not in an improved version of the old life."

Great point. But shouldn't the "healing" be understood the same as Luke 5:31-32 "sick" is understood? I say that because even though those verses use the words "physician" and "sick" when talking about "tax collectors and sinners." As you rightly pointed out, we don't need a physician, we need a mortician -- or a resurrector! Yet Luke uses "physician" and "sick," likely as metaphor. I don't think he intended this to be strictly interpreted.

In the same way, "healing" in Isa 53 is likely to be understood as spiritual.

3. "Your new spirit, is united with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:17). If you need spiritual healing, does that mean the Holy Spirit is sick?"

I don't see why that has to logically follow. Does the Bible say we can't be one with the Spirit and yet need "healing" (or resurrection)? Further, aren't there sick Christians who clearly have the Holy Spirit such as Joni Earickson Tada?

Would you consider backing up your assertions with verses?

4. "Even if it only refers to sin, physical healing is still available. Death entered through sin (Rom 5:12) and if sin has been dealt with, then it automatically makes death and its infant forms of sickness illegal. You don’t acquit a prisoner and leave him in jail. If you have been set free you don’t go on serving your punishment. Sickness was punishment for sin. Your sin has been forgiven therefore you punishment comes to an end also."

Are you sure the Romans 5:12 "death" is physical? When I read verses that follow, it looks to me that the death Paul has in mind is spiritual, as contrasted with the life Christ brings.

To take your logic to its conclusions, wouldn't it also mean that Christians will never physically die?

5. "If Isaiah 53:4-5 refers only to spiritual healing, why did Jesus have to suffer physically? The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), not beatings and floggings."

I don't see why that has to logically follow. Why does the Bible say He had to suffer physical pain?

Would you consider backing up your assertions with verses?

6. "The word 'griefs' in our English translation of Isa 53:4 is actually a Hebraic word, 'choliy' which means sickness. The same word appears 24 times in the old testament and in the majority of cases in reference to physical sickness."

First, are you saying that Isa 53:4 has no idea of emotional grief? Because if 'choliy' only means physical sickness, I think you'd have to say there's no room for a spiritual dimension. I know a God who heals the physical and spiritual. I hope your view of Jesus isn't too narrow.

Second, it's true that in the majority of cases the word refers to physical sickness. Good call. But does that therefore mean that it always means physical sickness?

Top Hebrew scholars disagree. Out of 17 different translations, nearly all chose to translate the word here as a type of emotional grief. That's hundreds (thousands?) of scholars:

http://bible.cc/isaiah/53-4.htm

So just because it is translated that way much of the time, does it follow that it always means that? In at least five instances, it does not appear to mean that, and one of those instances is in Isaiah (1:5).
http://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=H2483&t=KJV

Third, if "choliy" is better translated "physical sickness," then the previous verse would read, "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with physical sickness."

Think about that.

7. "This is not the only prophecy Isaiah made concerning physical healing and Jesus. See for example Isaiah 35:3-6, and Isaiah 61:1-2. Incidentally the latter passage is what Jesus Himself quoted in Luke 4:18-19."

Hmm. I checked all 17 the translations at Bible.cc, and Isa 61:1 doesn't speak of physical sickness. Same with Luke 4:18-19. Can you explain why you included these?

Isa 35:3-6 is very easy to understand in a spiritual sense.

8. "The events of the cross were foreshadowed long before Isaiah made this prophecy. In Numbers 21:7-9 the Israelites were attacked by snakes in the desert because of their sin and they became sick and some even died. Moses was instructed by God to make a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Whoever looked on the snake got healed and lived. This is a picture of Jesus becoming sin for us. He became the cause of our distress so the effects of it could be dealt with. He became sin to free us from not just from sin but also the punishment for it."

Hmm. But doesn't John 3:14 and following tell us that Numbers 21:7-9 is intended to teach us that Christ gives spiritual healing?

Don't forget, this also includes the world-famous verse 16 "for God so loved the world..."

9. "Jesus refers to His flesh as the Bread of life (John 6:51). When we take communion, we remember His body broken for us. For our what? Our sins? No. That’s what the blood is for (Matt 26:28). His body was broken for our healing because His flesh is the bread of life."

I don't see why that has to logically follow. Does the Bible tell us anywhere that the bread of life is for physical healing?

Would you consider backing up your assertions with verses?

10. "The Greek word for salvation and healing is the same word: 'soterio', as is the Greek word for saved and healed: 'sozo'. Jesus also saw them as inseparable because He healed a lame man in order to prove He actually forgives sins (Matt 9:2-7). If physical healing was not what Isaiah was talking about, then Jesus could not offer it as evidence of forgiveness."

If Jesus intended physical healing to be inseparable from forgiveness of sin, would I have been sick for the past for years? Wouldn't all Christians who were forgiven be immediately healed of everything?

Further, the lame man in Mat 9:2-7 was forgiven before he was healed, and Jesus was content to leave the man lame.

So as far as I can see, they are seperable concepts.

It's more likely that Jesus intended to show He had the authority to forgive, and the ability to do pretty much anything else he wanted, because He was God. It does seem to me that Jesus saw them as inseparable.

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I fear that some charismatics have what has been called an "over-realized eschatology." Without a doubt, I will have a perfect body -- after the resurrection. And without a doubt, God heals today, some of the time.

Another I fear some charismatics make is to forget that God has a free will, too. The leper said to Jesus, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, 'I will; be clean.'" (Matthew 8:2b-3a ESV, emphasis added)

Jesus decided to make the leper clean. He used His free will to make a choice.

I'm asking Him on a regular basis to make the same choice for me, but if my thorn in the flesh is not removed, I can be content knowing that "'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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV)

This PDF gives solid reasons to doubt that Isaiah 53 has physical healing in mind:

Isaiah 53:4-5 raises the question, "For what did Christ atone?" or more specifically, "Is physical healing in the atonement?" Outside Isaiah 53, Scriptures touching on Christ's atonement in Leviticus and Hebrews deal only with sin, not sickness. The context and language of Isa 53:3-12 address sin alone. A broad range of Scriptures teach that Christ died to deal with humankind's sin dilemma. Matthew 8:16-17 uses an illustration of physical healing to demonstrate a spiritual truth about the Christian's resurrection hope of being sinless and thus in perfect health. First Pet 2:24, studied in both broad context (2:18-25) and narrow (2:24-25), reasons that Christ atoned for sin, not sickness. Therefore, the conclusion is that physical healing is not in the atonement, but rather comes through the atonement after resurrection, because only then does the atonement eliminate the moral cause of physical infirmities, which is sin in one's personal experience.

Finally, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 alludes to something that some charismatics miss: God's purposes in allowing sickness to come to pass. Have you ever read John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Cancer"? That is POWERFUL! POW-ER-FUL!!

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/taste-see-articles/dont-waste-your-cancer

In my suffering of fatigue for almost four years, I hope that I suffer well, and I am looking to see if there are any promises in the Bible that I can claim for physical healing. I do know my God can heal, I've seen Him heal others, and I'd be delighted to tell of His glories if He heals me.

But I cannot claim the promise of physical healing from Isaiah 53 based on your list. You've got some questions to answer before my conscience will allow it.

If you would, please pray for that I be healed. It's tiring being tired, and I'm sick of being sick, and it seems my only hope to lead my family is a miraculous healing. Thanks.
Grace be with you,
Christopher

UPDATE: I'm embarrassed to say that when I first wrote this, at times I got arrogant and spoke unkindly toward Cornel. I have corrected these things, and asked his forgiveness.

10 Reasons Some Give Not to Tax the Rich. And Why Some Think These Reasons Are Bad. And Why Both Sides Are Misguided.

2011-06-17T20:02:00.016-04:00

A response to an article by Paul Buchheit.

Before I begin, I'd like to state that I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat nor a Libertarian. I'm a born again Christian, and I vote likewise, in ways that don't neatly fall into any of these categories. So it's not possible to pigeonhole me. I love ALL of the Bible, especially the commands to feed the poor. But those are not the only verses in the Bible. I'll explain later.

Also, I pledge not to be contrarian for the sake of being right. If Mr. Buchheit has a valid point I will definitely say so.

======================

We hear them all the time, the reasons for unrestricted capitalism, minimal government, lower taxes for the rich. So often that many Americans start to believe them. But the facts and common sense reveal good reasons NOT to NOT tax the rich.

(1) The rich deserve what they earn because of hard work and initiative.

They use other people's money to create assets that don't exist and then bet on them to fail. It seems like twisted humor, but it's real, all part of the murky world of derivatives and credit default swaps. Those who make the most money avoid taxes by calling their income "carried interest" instead of income.

Others not directly involved in financial chicanery still make out well. The stock market has grown 7 times faster than America's GDP since 1981, and two-thirds of the country's stocks are owned by the wealthiest 1% of Americans. That's not enough for some CEOs, though. For many of them it's 'legal' to backdate their stock options to a time in the past when the price was higher.

My response: Yes, there are some who are criminals. But if you tax them all, wouldn't you punish those who legitimately work hard as well? Isn't that what the justice system is for?

I fear that many who would be compassionate toward the poor feel as though the justice system isn't working, so without realizing it they take justice into their own hands by manipulating the tax system. Wouldn't you agree this is true?

(2) It's not fair to "soak the rich."

It's been just the opposite for the past 30 years.

Based on Internal Revenue Service figures, if the average middle-income family had just maintained its share of America's productivity held in 1980, it would be making $10,000 more per year ($45,000 instead of $35,000). Some estimates are much higher, up to $30,000 more per year based on Bureau of Labor statistics.

In 1980 the richest 1% got one out of every fifteen income dollars. Thanks to tax cuts and deregulation, they now get THREE out of every fifteen dollars. They already had a big slice of pie, then they cut a second piece, and then a THIRD piece.

My response: I don't understand why the "fair" argument matters on either side, except that as stated before, it's not fair to punish those amongst the rich who are hard workers. Isn't it far more important that tax loopholes be closed (more on that later), that the government's budget deficits be met, that those who legitimately work hard not be punished, that the poor not be oppressed unjustly, and that the government not become a bloated, far-reaching nanny state?

Meanwhile, every U.S. taxpayer contributes about $600 a year to pay for the tax cuts that give $34,000 a year to each of the wealthiest 1% of Americans.

My response: Hmm I'm not clear on this one. This statement should have been backed up with facts.

And now a trillion dollars of public money is used to bail out the failing banking system

My response: I don't like this, either. I am not a fan of bailing out banks. They are NOT too big to fail; that's socialist thinking from Republicans. Let the poor performers fail; we'll all suffer in the short run but my grandchildren will have a more hopeful future.

(3) "Spreading the wealth" and "redistribution" are other names for socialism.

Not socialism, but social responsibility. Taxes support public infrastructure, including roads, bridges, water treatment systems, railroads. Public money is used to invest in research and development for science and technology.

My response: Not social responsibility, but socialism! Redefining terms doesn't change what it is. Just call a spade a spade.

This is a misdirected answer, I think by mistake. The question is about redistributing wealth to the poor, not about building water treatment systems. When you force people to be generous toward the poor it is essentially socialism, no matter what you call it. I'm betting that Mr. Buchheit simply wasn't aware of this.

Much of the tax burden disproportionately benefits the rich: property laws protect private property and capital investment; trade pacts and national defense policies are designed to protect wealth. Bill Gates, Sr. explains, "The government that protects their business activities...that's what creates capital and enables net worth to increase."

My response: My respect to Mr. Gates Sr. for his charity. I want to be like him in that way. He's correct, the government does pay the rich back in benefits.

But are there are less oppressive ways to achieve the same ends?

It is those same property laws which protect private property and capital investment, and trade pacts and national defense policies which give people the comfort level needed to invest their money in the first place. Consider the growing prosperity of Singapore, considered one of the world's easiest places to start a business. The business world is gravitating towards this small country thanks to their unoppressive policies and low taxes. The once poor of Singapore are finding more opportunities to get ahead with so many businesses in their back yard to work for. (Though I'm sure not every poor person has benefited.)

You want to make people comfortable enough to invest. It is a good idea. If you take away the comfort, they will vote with their feet. Would you rather open a business in North Korea or South Korea?

(4) The great wealth of the rich stimulates the economy.

Low-income earners have a higher "Marginal Propensity to Consume," which means that they spend a greater percentage of their overall income on consumption. High-income earners, on the other hand, will save more. The very rich in our country have put much of their money into mansions, yachts, jewels, and art.

My response: And buying a mansion doesn't employ low-class construction workers? How about low-income drywall factory workers? Hungry lumberjacks and struggling marble craftsmen?

Buying a yacht doesn't provide wealth for a boat builder, harbor workers or a yacht pilot?

Does the money which diamond mine workers make go back into a bottomless pit somewhere in the mine?

Are there no starving artists?

Does eating a hamburger stimulate economic growth more than building a boat?

Statements about mansions and artwork don't go far enough.

And yes, high-income earners do save more. But does that necessarily drag down the economy? It gives them flexibility in rainy days. Good foresight.

The money they save is typically deposited in some interest-bearing account. The bank re-invests these assets elsewhere. The rich do not usually have a giant mattress; they're usually smarter than that.

The rich aren't stupid. They're either smart or they hire smart people, so as to make the most of what they have. The poor do benefit from their spending and saving. Mr. Buchheit is misdirecting here, I believe by mistake. Everyone needs the resourceful rich and the hard-working middle class and the poor who are hungry for opportunity.

Besides, placing an emphasis on consumption has dragged our nation into deeper debt and reduced the finite resources we have. Read about Peak Oil/Soil/Water/Phosphorus/Coal/Uranium/Everything sometime, it'll scare the pants off you.

The world needs more savers. It is a smart idea.

An analysis by the Congressional Budget Service ranked 11 strategies to create jobs and stimulate the economy. Cutting taxes for the rich was ranked lowest.

My response: This may be true. But it must equally be noted that, while this strategy maybe the lowest ranked, it is still a viable, working strategy, so don't think it won't work at all. The best approach may be a balanced attack on many fronts.

The top 500 non-financial companies are currently holding $2 trillion in cash that could be used to create jobs and stimulate new business.

My response: So these responsible companies hold on to their money. Good. They're savers for a rainy day. It is perfectly within their right to hold onto their own money. When times get harder for them, as I predict they will, that money will then begin to flow.

They're not saving that money to make paper hats, are they?

And, I'm sure the money is on deposit in some interest-bearing account, which does in fact benefit others. See above.

The U.S. government could learn a thing or two from these top companies. They didn't make it to the top by being stupid.

(5) Large incomes provide incentive for success.

Some hedge fund managers 'earned' enough money in one year to pay the salaries of every police officer, firefighter, and public school teacher in Chicago. A system that allows one man to divert the salaries of 50,000 public workers to his own pockets has gone well beyond "incentive-based."

My response: Mr. Buchheit is mistaken.

For those rich hedge fund managers, obviously the greater and greater and greater wealth is an incentive, else they wouldn't continue pursuing it. Maybe they want to drive a Lamborghini? Maybe they want to ensure their children and their children's children are well taken care of?

I'm not going to argue that it's not greed or pride pushing them on, but that's another debate. The point is, there's obviously an incentive.

Reputable studies show that life expectancy and 'happiness' increase very little after a certain threshold is reached. That threshold is about $75,000 per family.

My response: Isn't it up to the individual to determine whether he's truly happy? Aren't you glad that the government isn't in the business of regulating happiness?

As I will explain in the addendum, these studies, with their "threshold of happiness and life expectancy," can't possibly be the same for everyone. I'm grateful this isn't dictated to me by some bureaucrat.

And what if I wanted to earn more to save up to pay for the life expectancy and happiness of my children and grandchildren? That threshold wouldn't apply at all. I'd need to make much more than $75,000. I draw the usefulness of such studies into question.

(6) The very rich pay it back through taxes.

They pay less than 23% of their incomes in federal income tax. If state and local taxes, social security tax, and excise taxes are included, the lowest-earning half of America pays 24% of their incomes in taxes, almost as much as the richest 1%.

My response: Here's a fact I find no problems with.

The top tax rate has gone from 90% in 1960, to 70% in 1972, to 50% in 1984 50, to 40% in 1996, to 35% in 2008. But much of billionaires' earnings is subject to only a 15% tax because of a loophole that allows hedge fund income not to be called income.

My response: Maybe this is true, but are there some such as the elderly who live on hedge fund income?

About the higher rates. Let's take the example of 90%. Would you really want to struggle to the top, only to find that you get to keep one out of ever ten dollars you earn? If it takes ten times as much effort to increase your income by one unit of measure, is it really worth it? You'll find that those who aren't driven by greed (they are out there) will simply stop working harder, thus dragging down the economy. Heavy top tax rates create a plateau.

Perhaps the 70%-90% top tax rates were one reason why the 1970s were such difficult times, financially?

This statement actually demonstrates to me that, in general (not just for hedge funds), tax loopholes need to be closed. More on that later.

Furthermore, about 500 people a year renounce their U.S. citizenship and repatriate themselves to countries such as Belize and the Cayman Islands to avoid taxes entirely.

My response: Don't they have the freedom to vote with their feet? I'm glad our nation doesn't have a Berlin wall :-) Maybe the rich find the conditions more favorable elsewhere. Isn't that their right?

Doesn't this fact more demonstrate that conditions are becoming hostile to the rich in America, which is leading them to vote with their feet? I too had considered relocating to another country. I can see there's a coming onslaught of oppressive socialism, with the government micro-managing my life for me. I'm not alone.

I don't understand how this statement helps Mr. Buchheit's arguments. All it demonstrates for me is that America is becoming more hostile to the wealthy, and they know it. They have the freedom to leave, and they're doing so more now than ever. Taxing the rich will only increase the rate of expatriates.

(7) The very rich lost massive parts of their fortunes in the recession.

They lost money, but no more, percentage-wise, than average mid-level earners.

My response: First, I don't see why this argument belongs in a list of reasons not to tax the rich. I'd have dropped it.

But that aside, this is a good fact. It is a fact which exposes how some Republicans twist the facts. The concern is not with the amounts, but with the percentages. The Republicans who quote this should be ashamed.

Wealth data from the Census Bureau and the Federal Reserve show that the richest households have INCREASED their median incomes relative to other earners since 2006.

My response: Good for them. I'm very glad they didn't have to suffer loss. I'm sure a number of these households were prudent and saw the opportunities to invest in the midst of the crisis.

I'm equally sure that some manipulated the system. But we cannot punish everyone for the actions of some; that's what the justice system is for. See my response to point #1.

Interestingly, it was recently reported that Nancy Pelosi also had her net worth increase by 62% during the recession. Good for her. Smart business sense.

(8) "Income mobility" shows that the poor can get rich, and vice versa.

This argument relies on a 2007 U.S. Treasury Department report about income mobility that states "Among those with the very highest incomes in 1996 - the top 1/100 of 1 percent - only 25 percent remained in this group in 2005." But nearly 9 out of 10 of those in the top 1% remained in the top quintile of earners over those ten years. They may have dropped out of the most elite 1% group, but they remained close. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

My response: As with the last reason, I don't see why this argument belongs in a list of reasons not to tax the rich.

But that aside, could not falling far from the tree have more to do with the fact that the rich are successful by nature; wise, resourceful, and intelligent? Unless we forget, some poor people are poor because they consistently make foolish decisions. Not every poor person is oppressed from the outside.

And also, I don't see how taxing the rich fixes this problem? Why don't we work on the core problems instead of punishing hard workers and removing some of the incentive from the poor? What do the poor have to look forward to if there is effectively a plateau above a certain level?

Unfortunately, Mr. Buchheit would (without realizing it) have us be a nation of mediocrity, where no one is a shining star. I'm sure he isn't aware of these implications.

(9) The rich support worthwhile causes.

According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the wealthy "give their biggest donations" to colleges, hospitals, and cultural organizations and "rarely make large gifts to social-service groups, grass-roots organizations, or nonprofit groups that focus on the poor or minorities."

My response: Are Mr. Buchheit and the Chronicle of Philanthropy actually saying that colleges and hospitals are worthless causes? I think they are saying so without realizing the implications. Hospitals and colleges help the poor heal, and study so that they might get ahead.

And supposing that they did give their biggest donations to these; it wasn't explained in what proportion this generosity is to the entirety of their generosity. The statistic isn't given. Mr. Buchheit may be making the same mistake the Republicans make; the question is not about raw dollar amounts but percentages.

And as noted by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, hundreds of millions of dollars are being contributed to congressional and state election races. Especially since the Supreme Court ruled against limits on corporate contributions.

My response: Is Mr. Buchheit saying that doing everything you can to advance a political cause which you feel passionate about is not a worthwhile cause? I wonder how Misters Jefferson, Washington and Franklin might have felt about this. I think he's saying so without realizing it.

He may respond that some use their contributions as a way of manipulate politicians to pass laws which benefit themselves in the creation of wealth. But again, isn't that what the justice system is for? See my response to point #1.

(10) Inequality is necessary to sustain a healthy and productive society.

This may be the worst reason of them all. Not only is it not necessary, but it's dangerous: Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett have documented the numerous studies that correlate inequality with shorter life expectancies, increased disease and health problems, and even higher murder rates.

The statistics clearly indicate that rates of illness in an unequal society are higher at all levels of income, even for the very wealthy.

My response: Great! Now that's an argument that I can agree with! I imagine that those who say inequality sustains a healthy and productive society, say so because they think that the spending of the rich makes it into the hands of the poor. But if that were true there would no longer be an imbalance, would there?

Those who say inequality sustains a healthy and productive society need to do a little thought experiement by pushing their logic to its logical ends. If there were ten individuals who each had one hundred billion dollars, and the rest of the world each had one dollar a day to live on, how many would be alive in ten years? Likely all ten rich people, and likely less than half of the rest.

Such thinking, is somewhat akin to a different kind socialism, by the conservatives; it's just a replacement of the government for business and individuals. But there is a better way, as I will soon explain.

======================

==Addendum==

It mustn't be forgotten that some who are classified as "rich" on a purely blind scale of numbers also have a higher cost of living. I myself make an above-average salary, but all five members of my family have expensive health problems. So I'm happy to spend the extra money on quality foods which improve our health, the best doctors to oversee our healing (and not simply manage the symptoms), and the best vitamins, minerals and medicines to bring about the healing process. I'm grateful to God to be so privileged that I can afford quality care for all of us.

We have the most modest home amongst nearly everyone we know, which is a great thing as we can contribute more money toward our health and other, more important needs. Because I have been sick, I've taken some of our extra disposable income to hire my needy friends and neighbors at very generous rates to repair our house. It's good to know I can afford to pay someone to be useful, that we may both benefit, rather than simply giving a handout. Our house is repaired, and my poor neighbor keeps his dignity.

The items I listed above (health, home repairs) are not tax-deductable, nor should they be. On a purely blind scale of numbers, we will suffer greatly as our taxes increase. There are others like me. Increasing taxes is simply not a good idea for folks like me.

Or suppose that the only employment a person finds is in an expensive city?

We've contemplated moving from Jacksonville, FL to Seattle, WA, for reasons that would be too complicated to explain here. Doing so would require an increase in salary, more than six figures, just to keep the same standard of living. But I'm not likely to find a job making that much, as the average salary in that city for my position would not be proportionate to the increase in cost of living.

So we would likely have a significant decrease in our expendable income, as we'd be squeezed from both directions (increased cost of living, decreased salary proportionate to the cost of living). We'd have to sell our affordable home and greatly increase our monthly housing costs, transportation costs, food costs, etc. This would likely mean we would give up some of our health purchases. Our health would decline.

I'd make more money, but would I be richer? No. But it may be the right move for our family, so we may move anyway.

All that to say, some of the so-called "rich" have higher expenses of living that are not truly optional, making them poorer than they seem. Blind numbers aren't sufficient to gauge whether someone is truly "rich." Does $250,000 in Billings, MT go as far as in New York, NY? Are there some families with higher costs of living, such as having a child stuck in the hospital for many years? It's not so simple.

==What should we do==

What is more important than taxing the rich is to fix the root problems for poverty so that more people can succeed. Socialst programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are unsustainable, and will ultimately ruin this country. The Republicans won't have to kill these programs. They'll die of natural causes, and the Republicans will be there to shovel dirt on the face of them.

(By the way, the same is true of overseas military intervention, a policy I'm not in favor of either. But that's another debate. The Democrats will be there to shovel dirt on this policy's face as well.)

First, the byzantine tax code offers too many places to hide. It needs to be scrapped. Quickly. The rich will always be able to afford to pay intelligent people to find loopholes. You cannot avoid this, no matter how many rules you create.

There's a better alternative. After having read the pros and the cons of a national sales tax, I'm convinced it's the right move. In fact, most of the cons against the national sales tax read more like arguments in FAVOR of it. Judge for yourself:

National Sales Tax Pros and Cons

Ten Pros and Cons of the Fair Tax

(Note: I'm not necessarily in favor of the so-called "Fair Tax," just a national sales tax of some kind.)

Second, forced generosity is unsustainable. Beginning this year, the Baby Boomers have begun to retire, many of them placing pressure on the already overburdened Social Security and Medicare. Estimates of the promises made through these socialist programs are anywhere from $50 to $150 trillion dollars. Unless these policies are IMMEDIATELY reversed we are headed straight for bankruptcy. But for politicians to perform such painful surgery would likely cost them their jobs.

The American people want something for nothing, so they have consistently voted socialistically. America the Titanic is headed directly for the iceberg, and it's nearly too late to turn the ship around. The American people need to change the way they think, and fast, or we're going to suffer greatly.

I fear it's already too late. I fear this whole article is a moot discussion.

Third, forced generosity is unacceptable. I agree that the rich should be more generous, and I have a solution to that in a moment. But forcing them to be generous is unacceptable, and here's why:

Suppose you have a friend named George; you've known him all your life. A mutual friend named Oliver is down on his luck and approaches you both for money to help pay for his kids' college tuition. You give some money because you want to be generous, but George doesn't want to. You try to convince George to do the right thing, but he still disagrees.

Is it right to threaten George with physical force to do the right thing?

Now imagine ten of your friends take a vote, and six out of the ten decide it's right to threaten George with physical force to help Oliver.

Does this democratic process make it OK to threaten George with physical force to do the right thing?

Now imagine that many thousands of people use a democratic process to create an agency, let's call them "The Agents," to ensure that they do everything they can so that George helps Oliver. George knows what will happen if he doesn't pay; soon, The Agents will come to George's house with guns and take him away. So he pays.

Is it right for The Agents to threaten George with physical force to do the right thing?

I'd read about this problem at GeorgeOughtToHelp.com. Watch a short video which explains the problem better than I can. They offer a solution called "Stateless Society," which is a type of Libertarianism. I'm not a fan of this solution, but I do agree that forced generosity isn't acceptable.

Fourth, some who feel compassion for the poor may think the only possible answer to help them is forced generosity. No wonder socialist-like thinking is heavily promoted by those who are compassionate!

I think there is a better option, the Christian option: Hearts can be changed to be voluntarily generous by the promise of knowing Jesus better as a reward for obedience. The Bible has a six-sided, balanced seesaw when it comes to providing for the poor.

On one side, you have property ownership, even in the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not steal." (Exodus 20:15) This discourages socialist thinking.

The second side is protection from abuse due to laziness: "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10 ESV) This promotes the idea of hard work and enterprise and again, discourages lazy people who want something for nothing, who often vote socialistically.

The third side is the very heartbeat of God to be generous: "Sell your possessions, and give to the needy." (Luke 12:33 ESV) This is the command of action, but it's balanced out by the other five sides of the seesaw.

The fourth side of the seesaw comes immediately before the previous verse about giving to the needy. It protects you from fear that if you are generous, you will lose too much money and starve or be naked as a consequence. The verse is a little long, but all of it is important:

"And he said to his disciples, 'Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you. Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy." (Luke 12:22-33 ESV)

The fifth side, my favorite, comes immediately after the verse about giving to the needy. It provides great incentive to give, far greater than the promise of wealth. The Bible gives the immense promise of enjoying the Treasure that is Jesus by seeing His kingdom and rule spread through all the earth:

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Luke 12:33-34 ESV)

The last side of the seesaw is that we are to reproduce Christians, both amongst the poor and the wealthy. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations..." (Matthew 28:19 ESV) We are not to simply care for the poor and send them on to hell; that wouldn't be loving at all. We are to tell them about Jesus, who takes away the sins of the world and gives us powerful motivation to be generous; namely, the joy of enjoying the resplendent Savior, the knowing of whom comes through obedient lives.

We are to replicate Jesus' heart and mind amongst the world so that people will no longer be tempted to steal, but work hard in order to give to the needy: "Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need." (Ephesians 4:28 ESV)

Both the poor and the rich are tempted to idolize money. Yes, the poor also idolize money; I should know, I've been both poor and rich. The Bible helps both groups of people find the superior Treasure, and when finding it, former idols are let go.

"Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is needful for me,
lest I be full and deny you
and say, 'Who is the Lord?'
or lest I be poor and steal
and profane the name of my God."
(Proverbs 30:7-9 ESV)

"Money is the currency of Christian Hedonism." -Doctor and Pastor John Piper

So that's the six-sided seesaw. There may be more sides. I have never found such an astonishingly balanced seesaw anywhere else. The Bible works so well with the human condition, which is one reason I remain a Christian. "If I ever find a worldview which works better with the human condition, I'll take it!" -Piper

So Jesus wouldn't put a gun to the head of others, forcing them to give. As the fifth side of the seesaw demonstrates, He would put a desire for Himself in their hearts, and, living for the joy of making Jesus look good, they are happy to be generous as a byproduct.

Consider Acts 4:32-35:

"Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need." (ESV)

One implication: Caring for the poor, the way God intended it, is freedom and a delight. Forced generosity (socialistic-like thought) is slavery and a drudgery. Consider 2 Corinthians 8:1-3: "We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord..." (ESV)

My historical hero George Mueller understood this better than perhaps anyone else in the world. Without asking a single soul for a penny, he prayed in support for the poor in the equivalent of $177 million dollars (in today's money). Numerous atheists couldn't refute his life testimony and came to Jesus as a result.

In summary: Heart change on a global scale is needed. That heart change comes about through the promise of knowing Jesus better, and enjoying Him for the treasure that He is, the knowledge of whom comes through the obedience of generosity. Then money will flow to the hands of the needy in record volumes, and being so impressed by love, they too will change, living for the glory of Christ and giving generously. "God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor 9:7 ESV)

Oh, how I pray for global heart change!

If you're reading this and you claim to be a Christian, but you don't have a strong desire to know Jesus better and make Him look better through the obedience of generosity, you've got some serious praying to do. Read Luke 12, then get on your face and cry out for help here.

In closing, I did a Google search for "tax the rich" and found Mr. Buchheit's article. I read it as I wanted to see if there were good reasons that I was not aware of to tax the rich. But he's only demonstrated the terrible folly of socialist-like thinking. I'm sure he wasn't aware of the implications of his article. I hope he considers that there may be better solutions.

Blogging break

2009-04-27T10:38:00.000-04:00

The Lord is leading me to take a blogging break. Not that I lack blog article ideas, just that I need to focus on some other issues for a short season. I do plan on covering a tomato/gardening experiment soon, but that'll be it for an undetermined length of time.

Jehovah's Witnesses, you missed a verse

2009-03-29T06:39:00.007-04:00

Jehovah's Witnesses, you forgot to change a verse in your bible:

But on catching sight of Jesus from a distance he ran and did obeisance to him, and, when he had cried out with a loud voice, he said: “What have I to do with you, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I put you under oath by God not to torment me.” For he had been telling it: “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit.” (...) However, he did not let him, but said to him: “Go home to your relatives, and report to them all the things Jehovah has done for you and the mercy he had on you.” And he went away and started to proclaim in the De·cap´o·lis all the things Jesus did for him, and all the people began to wonder. (Mark 5:6-8, 19-20 in the Jehovah's Witness New World Translation)

Can you see that Jesus equated Himself with Jehovah, since He Himself did that kind deed for the man? And that the man understood the message and told everyone that Jesus Himself did the deed?

Witnesses, your view of Jehovah is so very different than mine that I think we can both agree that you and I have a different Jehovah. You have a history of changing your bible to line up with your beliefs (for example, see these scans of a 1961 New World Translation: scan 1* scan 2 scan 3 scan 4).

* By the way, I didn't misspell Jehovah in that first scan, my friend did.

Interestingly, you say the trinitarian translators of changing the texts to suit their theology, but one wonders if the opposite is true. Besides, if they really were dinking around with the text, wouldn't you think Colossians 1:15 would have been the first target? I would.

That's why I believe the trinitarian translators are the more believable ones. They saw the difficulties that Colossians 1:15 would cause if they translated it the way it appeared in the Greek text, but they kept it the same anyway. They trusted Jehovah that He would guide us even with Colossians 1:15 in there. They seem to be the more honest ones. Nearly every trinitarian translator has kept the word "firstborn". I think they are just being faithful to the original Greek text. If they were really interested in promoting a myth of three god worship, that text would have to go, and yet they have kept it there. Changing key words seems to be unacceptable for trinitarian translators. It does, however, seem to be acceptable for Jehovah's Witness translators.

Given that it seems we have two different Jehovahs, you realize that if you're serving the wrong Jehovah you are going to be destroyed. You realize that, don't you? It is that serious.

You have a more severe problem than just having the wrong Jehovah; you believe you have basically kept the Ten Commandments. If that is the case, go here and claim your prize. That is a legitimate offer to anyone who can prove they have kept the Ten Commandments.

So go to the site above and claim your prize :-)

Fundamentalists, Repent! Hmmmm...

2009-03-08T19:33:00.007-04:00

I just found something that made me smile at FundamentalistsRepent.com. They begin:

Fundamentalism is a style of Christian belief that begins with the position that the Bible is inerrant and literally true. This is not only an erroneous approach to scripture, it also leads to numerous difficulties of doctrine.

I guess that classifies me as a Fundamentalist, though I have some issue being called that because the group who is typically labeled "Fundamentalist" does some un-Biblical things themselves, but anyway... the important part that made me smile was next:

In the essays herein, Fundamentalists are called to reconsider their approach to the Bible, and the nature of doctrines shaped by what is demonstrably an un-Christlike view of life, of God, and of human nature.

The problem is this: How do you know if one's doctrines are truly Christ-like if they are not precisely as Christ spoke them? If they are someone else's ideas of what Christlikeness should be, then they should be called "Boblike" or "Cindylike" or "Johnlike," but to call their doctrines "Christlike" is simply not true, and it actually made me laugh out loud.

Now I think I know what they're actually trying to say; I think they're trying to say that to take the Bible literally means you have to come to some conclusions that seem unloving. But the point of reference is their own opinions -- they, not God, have to become the judge of what is actually loving or unloving.

This cannot be. Let the Bible interpret the Bible, as I did in my last post.

Go up, you baldhead!

2009-03-07T22:09:00.007-05:00

Boy, this scripture really puts the fear of God in me:

[Elisha] went up from there to Bethel, and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, “Go up, you baldhead! Go up, you baldhead!” And he turned around, and when he saw them, he cursed them in the name of the Lord. And two she-bears came out of the woods and tore forty-two of the boys. (2 Kings 2:23-24 ESV)

While the commentators have given some interesting (and doubtful) interpretations of this verse, the most reasonable and helpful comment I've seen is why the boys used the term "Go up... go up..." It was most likely a reference to Elija, who was Elisha's mentor, who went up into the sky to be with King Jesus, rather than die. Possibly these boys were expressing their desire that he leave the earth and never come back. Might as well wish him dead.

Secondly, it must be noted that it was God, not Elisha, who actually sent the bears. Elisha did not send them.

Finally, the best interpretation of this verse came earlier in the Bible as a solemn warning to the parents of Israel:

Then if you walk contrary to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you, sevenfold for your sins. And I will let loose the wild beasts against you, which shall bereave you of your children and destroy your livestock and make you few in number, so that your roads shall be deserted. (Leviticus 26:21-22 ESV)

This Scripture really puts the fear of God in me. DO NOT MOCK GOD OR GOD'S ANOINTED. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7).

Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked,
and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations,
with which your enemies mock, O Lord,
with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed. (Psalm 89:50-51 ESV)

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:31 ESV)

World is awash in porn

2009-03-07T07:57:00.003-05:00

Another brilliant quote from you-know-who:

One of the main reasons that the world and the church are awash in lust and pornography, fornication, adultery, masturbation, exhibitionism, homosexuality, bestiality, rape, and endless sexual innuendo in all media—one of the reasons we are awash in all this is that our lives are intellectually and emotionally disconnected from infinite, soul-staggering grandeur. Inside and outside the church we are drowning in a sea of triviality, pettiness, banality, and silliness. Television is trivial. Radio is trivial. Conversation is trivial. Education is trivial. Christian books are trivial. Worship styles are trivial. It is inevitable that the human heart, which was made to be staggered with terrifyingly joyous dread and peace by an infinitely untouchable, embracing God—it is inevitable that such a heart, drowning in the all-pervasive, blurry boredom of banal entertainment, will reach for the best buzz that life can give: sex. (Source, emphasis added)

"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)

Christianity a crutch? Yes, period.

2009-03-03T00:21:00.006-05:00

Matthew 5:3-4
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Back in 1978 I spoke in Aspen, Colorado, to a gathering of Inter-Varsity students and people off the street. At the end of my talk one of the students asked a very common question. He said, "Isn't Christianity a crutch for people who can't make it on their own?"

My answer was very simple. I said, "Yes." Period.

What's Bad About a Crutch?

I can't remember how the conversation went from there. So let me just pick it up here. My return question would be, "Why is the thought that Christianity is a crutch considered to be a valid criticism of Christianity?" People don't usually look at a crutch and say, "That's bad. It's just a crutch." People don't in general think that crutches are bad things. Why does a crutch become a bad thing when it's Christianity?

I think the answer that most critics would give is this: if Christianity is a crutch, then it's only good for cripples. But we don't like to see ourselves as cripples. And so it is offensive to our self-sufficiency to label Christianity as a crutch.

But Jesus said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners" (Mark 2:17). In other words, the only people who will ever come to get what Jesus has to give are sick people, people who know that they are spiritually and morally and very often physically crippled.

Everybody Has a Creed

Everybody has a creed. All people believe in something and shape their lives around it. Even agnostics believe very strongly that you ought not believe anything very strongly (which is why it is so hard to be a consistent agnostic). We all have a creed that we live by, whether we can articulate it or not.

What is the creed behind the conviction that if Christianity is a crutch, it is undesirable and unworthy of acceptance? I think the answer is this: the creed behind this criticism of Christianity is the confidence that we are not cripples, and that real joy and fulfillment in life are to be found in the pursuit of self-reliance, self-confidence, self-determination, and self-esteem.

Any Messiah who comes along and proposes to replace self-reliance with childlike God-reliance, and self-confidence with submissive God-confidence, and self-determination with sovereign grace, and self-esteem with magnificent mercy for the unworthy—that Messiah is going to be a threat to the religion of self-admiration. That religion has dominated the world ever since Adam and Eve fell in love with the image of their own independent potential when they it saw reflected back to them in the eye of the serpent: "You will not die; you will be like God."

From another outstanding Piper sermon: Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit Who Mourn

Also, check out The Goal of God's Love May Not Be What You Think It Is: "Does anyone go to the Grand Canyon to increase their Self-Esteem?"

And a recent show on G3 radio called Self-Esteem vs. the Gospel. I enjoyed this one.

Don't blindly follow the church fathers

2009-02-28T10:15:00.002-05:00

Freddie Knapp wrote, "Most of the Church fathers (for example Iraeneus and Clement) were known heretics. (...) The church was corrupt in Paul's day, so appealing to what a heretic believed in 150 AD is really weightless."

Great quote. Many of the oldest Christians who immediately followed Paul are great Christians and deserve our attention, but they're still human and fallible. And as Freddie pointed out, even those in Paul's time were corrupt.

Follow the church fathers as far as they followed Christ, no further.

Steps preventing small business adoption of Linux

2009-02-26T09:08:00.007-05:00

I've been thinking very hard about how to get into the small-to-medium business (SMB) market with some fresh software alternatives. Microsoft has a HUGE chunk of this business with their Small Business Server.

They seem to be excelling in this market for three reasons: relatively low cost of startup (comparatively speaking), a comprehensive suite of software that small businesses need, and a high degree of integration. Microsoft's comprehensive suite of software is well-integrated, combined into a (relatively) seamless package, means that a small business owner can hire a single IT consultant.

And the package scales nicely; with enough money, Active Directory and Exchange can scale up to thousands of users.

If one is to compete with Microsoft in this arena, he would need to do the following:
1. Identify top point solutions that can compete well with the Microsoft point solutions. For example, Zimbra looks like an excellent Exchange alternative.
2. Install them into a test environment.
3. Integrate them, and make note of changes needed to make integration possible.
4. Write scripts and web interfaces which make those necessary changes. For example, if the domain name for your test environment is Example.com and the DNS server is 1.2.3.4, these would need to be changed on a per-customer basis. The web interface would ask for this domain name and then change it in each application (Zimbra, etc.). Respect any hand-coded changes.
5. Use one interface to make all system-wide changes, for a seamless appearance to the IT administrator.
6. Package it all up.
7. Advertise, advertise, advertise!
8. Sell support services.

There's probably a few other meta-steps, and of course countless micro-steps, but this should be enough of an overview.

For scalability, three things:
1. Use OpenVZ to containerize/separate each application (such as Zimbra) into individual virtual machines. The overhead for OpenVZ is FAR less than VMware or Xen. This lets you move the virtual machines around the enterprise later. For instance, if the Zimbra server is using too much CPU, simply buy another machine, install Linux+OpenVZ, then migrate your virtual machine over to it. It would be hard to make scalability simpler than that.

If you do this, create many small virtual machines, separating out as many applications as possible into individual VMs (OpenVZ can handle it). This way you can separate individual applications as-needed. Exchange does this, with its differing roles; you can (relatively) easily scale Exchange up to hundreds of servers by splitting the roles on to different servers.

2. Add extra redundant servers right at the front; for example, when you create a DNS server, create a primary server in one virtual machine and a secondary in another, even though both would be running on the same host server. That way, when you're ready to scale outward, simply move one of the DNS servers to a new host server and you're back in business. Set up as many redundant servers as possible (database, email, etc.) with this end in mind.

Use clustering/data replication when redundant servers are not available (Linux-HA, DRBD, etc.), initially within the single node. When the user is ready to scale up, he simply moves the VM to another host and he's immediately got a cluster. Instant scalability and clustering out-of-the-box.

3. Integrate a terminal server, which not only gives nice scalability but also solves some other problems as well: Desktop hardware costs, management costs, security, remote access, etc.

All of this would be ready-to-go on a DVD ISO, perhaps in a LiveCD format for demoing.

Over time, this company would want to offer more virtual machines such as: VoIP, firewalling, blogging, CRM, ERP, etc. Or maybe these would be integrated up-front to give an edge over Microsoft. One wouldn't want to bite off too much at first though.

This would be a very ambitious project, but I think that a project manager and a few software developers could get it started in their spare time. A project like this may take up to a year before the first release, but the long-term potential income is interesting, with things like Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). By hosting some of the virtual machines in a cloud such as Amazon's EC2, you can rent services to small businesses and let them skip housing the server locally. You can offer backup, monitoring and security services as well. Enterprise-level phone support would of course be needed, and could put some Linux aficionados or consultants to work. This company could also sell its own consultant services for further integration, scalability and development.

I've got a few irons in the fire, but this may be an interesting project. All of the pieces seem to be there, someone just needs to be the first to integrate them all.

UPDATE: After much searching, I discovered an open source company called DataSync who is doing many of these things. Since it's open source, I can just jump in and contribute. I wonder how much I can contribute? They don't do out-of-the-box clustering+instant scalability using VMs, perhaps I could start there.

Interesting post by Charice

2009-02-13T20:31:00.003-05:00

Charice dropped an interesting post on her blog yesterday, I was very encouraged to see that she is able to meditate upon God's Word during this time of pregnant difficulty in her life.

Oh by the way, I don't know if I told everyone but she is pregnant again :-)

No post-modern atheists

2009-02-08T21:40:00.003-05:00

Atheists are very strong in their opinion that there is NO God. Not Christian, not Muslim, not Hindu, NOTHING. They are unbending in this conviction.

I'll bet there are no post-modern atheists; post-modernism says that all opinions are valid. (By contrast, the Bible seems to indicate that even though all opinions are not valid, all opinions deserve to be heard. This is because all people are God's image-bearers and as such they deserve our respect.)

What do you think?

Brrrr... cold in Florida

2009-02-06T00:21:00.002-05:00

Tonight as I was taking out the trash, I noticed something you don't see very often here in north Florida: Ice. I saw ice on the trash lids. I noticed it this morning as well, so it's been there all day as far as I know.

As I write this, it is 34 degrees and a hard freeze warning is in effect. We've had several of them in the last month. I believe this morning it was in the twenties.

So much for global warming... If it gets any colder, I'm moving to Florida... I've heard it's warm there LOL

Calvinist Non-Debate with Arminian Author Roger Olson

2009-02-05T09:57:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago I wrote that I'd get a chance to talk with the famous Arminian professor and author Roger Olson. To give you an idea of the scope of this interview, it'd be like the radio show for a local high school football team interviewing the offensive manager for the Steelers. Roger is BIG NEWS, we are not.

Interestingly, though we disagree on a sensitive subject (which usually gets people angry), we didn't debate. We had an hour-long discussion about how to discuss Arminian/Calvinist theology (and other doctrines like Semi-Pelageanism or Hyper-Calvinism, etc.) without disobeying Jesus' words:

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35 ESV)

It was a GREAT show. I loved doing it. Please have a listen: Gospel, Gifts and Grace - The Clash of Calvinists and Arminians

We showed an unbelieving world that even people who vastly disagree can still love each other. Wonderful!

UPDATE: Abortion is human sacrifice

2009-02-05T09:07:00.008-05:00

This is an update on Sunday's article on abortion.

Some of you who read Sunday's post may think, "What a jerk! This guy has no clue just how difficult it can be to face an unwanted pregnancy. How insensitive."

First, I will admit that it was a hasty post. I didn't put much time into it. And I deeply apologize, it probably seemed insensitive, because it probably WAS insensitive. I can be insensitive at times.

Now that I've had time to think about it, I confess that you are indeed right; Indeed, I cannot know how difficult it must be, but I can speculate: NINE months of torturous living; headaches, back pain, swelling, misshapen figure, weight gain, swollen ankles, cravings, nausea, constipation, constant prodding of your body, all climaxing into several weeks of sharp, painful contractions, diarrhea, hot sweats, painful weight gain, followed by many hours of terrible pain in labor, IVs, spinal taps, difficult body posture, excruciating final labor. Or possible C-section surgery, or even threat to your life.

And then there's the costs: Delivery time off from work, painful, exhausting recovery time, who will help out (if you have no husband or faithful boyfriend), who will pay the hospital, the doctors, the pharmacies, the formula, the baby food, the clothing, the late nights, the early mornings, the bigger car, the car seat, lugging twenty-eight pounds of equipment everywhere you go, constant diapering, worrying that someone will harm it...

And then there's the toddler years: Getting into everything, feeding, diapering, clothing it with increasingly-more-expensive clothing (which is rotated in size well before it is worn out), the rebellion, the screaming, the crying, the hitting, having to discipline, getting a bigger house to fit your growing family, feeding it, the added expense of health care, doctor bills, groceries...

I could go on. Elementary years with its bullies and school programs. Teen years with all of its worries and rebellion, "I HATE YOU MOM!" College years with its expenses and concerns. To say nothing if the baby is born handicapped. Oh, the challenges that mothers of handicapped children must be facing! My ponderings on the burdens of childbearing have probably only touched the surface of the iceberg.

NO WONDER A WOMAN WOULD WANT TO ABORT HER BABY!! A quick, $500 procedure can eliminate ALL of that misery before anyone even knows you are pregnant. I can understand the draw and attraction of abortion, believe me I can. My wife is about to have her third child, and I can tell you that the first two weren't cake, and neither will number three be.

But is that all there is to it?

Many people today speak of abortion as though it is cutting out a painful tumor. And if that were all to it, why in the world am I getting so upset about it? It is because a baby in the womb is a life, a human being. The Maker of heaven and earth wrote a book called a Bible, and He uses the same word "baby" for the child in the womb and the child out-of-the-womb. See this five-minute video, which gives a short Biblical defense: It's a Baby!

If you went door-to-door and asked one hundred people this one-question survey: When is it right to take an innocent person's life, the overwhelming answer would be, "never."

NEVER!

Consider this: People just one-hundred years ago were beginning to have the opinions that are common today: There are too many people in the world, children are a drain on an economy's resources, we need to promote some sort of birth control, etc. Have you considered that if they were successful and unrestrained in their campaigns, that there is a significantly good chance that you would not be alive today? YOU are the life they were seeing in their future. Some day, people -- yes, real people -- will come out of wombs and live their lives.

It is NEVER right to take an innocent person's life, no matter HOW painful or costly.

So... what's a woman to do? Where will she go for the support that she will need for (oh my... this is staggering) the next twenty years? (Or fourty, if you consider the burden that grandchildren also can be.)

She goes to God's very promises!

* God promises to provide for His children. Read Habakkuk 3 and Matthew 6:19-34 out loud. Go ahead, read it out loud, I'll wait :-)
* God promises to comfort us in our difficulty. Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 out loud.
* Jesus went through difficulties that were not unlike child bearing; see Hebrews 4:15. Indeed, if you had been innocent but drank your loving Father's wrath against you for what someone else did, you would be facing temptations, pains and difficulties far GREATER than child birth.
* God says that children are a blessing, no matter how you feel about them. Read Psalm 127 aloud. It is true that while children are a burden, the blessing does indeed outweigh the pain. I speak for my wife, but she would say the same thing. When I consider that I am raising future men who may become soldiers for the glorious army of King Jesus, I am given strength to press on.
* God says that the pain of childbearing is because we have rebelled against Him, NOT because we are basically good people. Read Genesis 3 aloud.
* When she makes mistakes, God promises to give her His own "goodness" (righteousness) as though she had never made a single mistake in her life. Read 2 Corinthians 5:21 aloud.
* God promises to reward those who faithfully, humbly, and persistently serve their children as Jesus served us. Read Hebrews 11:6 and Matthew 6:19-21 aloud again.

And on and on. God's Word is RICH with promises. I can tell you that He has never failed us, but if you need a stronger testimony, listen to or read the biography, "George Mueller of Bristol, and His Witness to a Prayer-Hearing God." In it, you will read such testimonies as this:

One morning the plates and cups and bowls on the table were empty. There was no food in the larder, and no money to buy food. The children were standing waiting for their morning meal, when Mueller said, "Children, you know we must be in time for school." Lifting his hand he said, "Dear Father, we thank Thee for what Thou art going to give us to eat." There was a knock on the door. The baker stood there, and said, "Mr. Mueller, I couldn't sleep last night. Somehow I felt you didn't have bread for breakfast and the Lord wanted me to send you some. So I got up at 2 a.m. and baked some fresh bread, and have brought it." Mueller thanked the man. No sooner had this transpired when there was a second knock at the door. It was the milkman. He announced that his milk cart had broken down right in front of the Orphanage, and he would like to give the children his cans of fresh milk so he could empty his wagon and repair it. No wonder, years later, when Mueller was to travel the world as an evangelist, he would be heralded as "the man who gets things from God!"

Secondly, she can go to God's people for strength, refuge and support. She should seek to find a GOOD church, one where the pastor practices these nine principles from the Bible. Yes, I am aware there is hurt and hypocrisy inside the church, but generally speaking, the more a church practices those nine principles, the better they are. God's people have become for us like our extended family. We are deeply blessed to have them. If you are in Jacksonville, consider joining us at Grace Covenant Church.

Therefore I plead with you: Do not murder. Do not encourage anyone to murder. Do not lust after someone else, which is as Jesus said, adultery (see Matthew 5:27-28). If you have lusted after someone else, or even hated them in your heart, you will stand before God on Judgment day; not as Father, but as Judge, guilty of adultery and murder (see Jesus' words in Matthew 5:21-22). You know it's wrong to hate, you know it's wrong to lust after what God did not give you through marriage. I urge you, repent and trust in His promises before it is too late!

So to summarize, I'm not taking back what I said Sunday, it is true. Abortion is as human sacrifice to the gods of convenience and fornication. But truth needs to always be a companion with grace, and I made a mistake.

Abortion is a human sacrifice

2009-02-01T14:56:00.006-05:00

IMPORTANT This article has an update to it. click here.

Abortion is a human sacrifice to the gods of fornication and convenience and an abomination to the Lord of Glory. The salvation from sin that He offers through Jesus Christ His only begotten Son is the only thing that will turn the hearts of the people. (From Joshua Black)

That's a great quote! Here's another one I like:

You desire and do not have, so you murder. (James 4:2 ESV)

Women (and men) who desire free sex and convenience but cannot obtain it take it out on innocent people. Wow. If this is you, there is a Lord of Glory who is very angry, but who is graciously giving you the chance to turn while you still can.
IMPORTANT This article has an update to it. click here.

What a non-Calvinist says, what a Calvinist hears

2009-01-30T12:00:00.005-05:00

What a non-Calvinistic Christian says: In order for God to justly judge a person, he MUST retain the power of contrary choice.

What a Calvinistic Christian hears the non-Calvinistic Christian saying: In order for God to justly judge a person, he MUST retain the power to choose that which he hates.

The Calvinistic Christian, though, realizes that the problem is not "Can they?" but "Will they?".

Tree of the knowledge of good, more thoughts...

2009-01-30T00:38:00.004-05:00

To continue a discussion I started yesterday, I was writing tonight to a friend and I said this:

It also seems as though Adam and Eve had no knowledge of good. Goodness was all around them, but having never experienced the pain of evil, they never knew what good really was in contrast to that painful evil. Had they a heart grasp of the goodness of God, most likely they would have rejected satan. It was only when they bit into the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of GOOD that they could understand goodness through experience. It was the bitter experience of the fall which made them aware, experientially, of goodness. It was through the experience of evil which gave them knowledge of evil that they had a ruling stick by which they could measure good. Without the bitter fall it seems to me they would have been just two ignorant people, unaware of God's real goodness. How sad.

By ordaining that evil come about, God actually gave us a gift. It is by the experience of evil that we can have any appreciation for the goodness of God. Without it, we'd probably be like animals, unaware and uncaring.

How sad.

How much better off I am now that I have a ruler by which to measure the love of God for me. Which of course, causes me to bring praise to His name, because this kind of love is so very glorious!

Tree of the Knowledge of Good... oh, and Evil too

2009-01-28T22:36:00.011-05:00

You know, I've heard a few pastors explain Genesis 2:9:

And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (ESV)

The best explanation I've heard of what "knowledge of good and evil" meant is the simplest: By eating the fruit they would rebel and thus have knowledge by the experience of good and evil. They would have an experience of what good was like, and what evil was like, and by experience thus have knowledge of these two states.

Pastors dwell upon the sin act (rightly so!) and how we now know what evil is. But have you heard any pastor dwell upon the phrase, "knowledge of good"? I haven't.

Apparently, Adam and Eve had no idea what good was like. And that may be why they sinned, too; had they understood just how GOOD God really is, they probably would have told that serpent, "GET OUT OF MY FACE! There is only one being that deserves to be God, and that's God! I don't want to be like Him, only He should be like Him and that's good enough for me!"

So let's see how they became aware of goodness through their experience. Though they had just rebelled against the Most High, and though He would have been just in immediately executing judgment upon them, He let them live. He did NOT immediately cast them into hell; He let them still live, and possibly enjoy Him yet more.

We don't know for sure if they walked in righteousness after they were cast out of the garden, but we do know that at least one of their offspring were godly, which infers that Adam and Eve told Abel about the good God who made them. It is likely that the fall experience scared them from rebelling even further.

Interestingly, God was good to satan, too. He could have immediately cast satan into hell, but instead He let him rule an entire planet for a season. A LONG season. How good is that??

Here is an allusion to the gospel; on what basis could God offer them mercy and give them life? By Christ's sacrifice! Romans 3:21-26, particularly verse 25, show that God did not simply pass over people's sins on no basis. Oh no, there was a cost. There HAD to be a cost in order to give them life, or else God would be seen as an unjust judge (see Romans 3:25).

Secondly, He gave them grain for bread (see Genesis 3:18). Bread must be worked for, unlike in the garden where you could just pick your food off the tree, and it's not as healthy as raw fruits and vegetables, but bread is still food. Given that they deserved to starve for rebelling, God still gave them food. What a kind God!

And the gift of life-giving physical bread alludes to the gift of life-giving spiritual Bread -- Jesus Christ. He called Himself the "Bread of Life" in John 6:35. We don't deserve either the physical bread or the spiritual Bread, and both are kindnesses from God. Fortunately, although we must work by the sweat of our brow for physical bread, we need not (see Isaiah 55:1), cannot (see Ephesians 2:8) and MUST NOT (see Ephesians 2:9) work for the Bread of Life that is Jesus!

Thirdly, though they deserved to be cold and naked, exposed to the wind and rain until they made their own clothes, God Himself sacrificed an innocent animal (see Genesis 3:21) in order to show kindness to them. What a kindness!

And here again we see another allusion to the glorious gospel of King Jesus. Their sin caused them to become aware of their nakedness, and they felt shame at this. The body of an innocent animal was sacrificed in order to cover Adam and Eve's bodies and thus remove the shame. In the Old Testament, the sacrifice of innocent animals is always intended to point us to Christ's sacrifice to come (Hebrews 10:4), and thus we can see the intended picture quite clearly: Through the slaughter of Christ, the innocent lamb, our shame has been removed by His covering us over with the sacrifice of His body (see Hebrews 10, particularly verse 20).

So by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve became aware of God's goodness through: A.) not immediately casting them into hell but giving them more time to enjoy here on earth, B.) giving them food, though they deserved to starve, and C.) giving them clothing though they should have made clothing themselves. Clearly, none of these gifts were as good as they had it in the garden; in the garden they had no threat of death, they didn't have to work hard for their food and they didn't need clothing.

But isn't it good to know that one day, everything will be made right again? With Jesus some day, we will never die. With Jesus we will be given a table, a feast to enjoy. With Jesus we will be clothed in linen, white and pure (see Revelation 19:8). With Jesus we will no doubt walk in the cool of the evening through His new garden.

Had Adam and Eve never eaten of the tree of the knowledge of good, would we humans ever know good such as this? Apparently, no.

I thank God that He ordained that Adam and Eve fall! I'm certain He did this because He wanted to show us just how good He is at rescuing evil creatures. It would not have been possible to display that unless a fall was ordained. Christ's sacrifice would have never been known had they never rebelled. Adam and Eve (and probably me too) would have never known God's goodness.

And by the cross, justice is upheld. It cost God a LOT to give man the knowledge of good. He could not possibly just give man goodness without it also being just. With this in mind, feel the weight of Romans 5:8: "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (ESV)

People are always talking about how Adam and Eve introduced evil to us humans. But I now believe that they also introduced good to us as well.

One more thing needs to be said: The "problem of evil" that atheists charge Christianity with is merely a mirage. They say, "If God is all-powerful and all-good, He could have prevented evil from coming into the universe in the first place. This is a contradiction, therefore He does not exist." Atheists should really be concerned with the "problem of good." If God is just and all-good, how can He express the goodness of His love toward sinful, undeserving creatures without compromising His justice? Answer: The cross!

God allowed wickedness to come into being so that He would be able to be glorified as a loving rescuer by creatures, which causes them to experience everlasting joy. We will enjoy God by considering His majestic redemption act forever and ever! This will cause us to give Him the praise that He deserves, which will in turn give us joy, which will in turn cause us to praise, which will in turn give us joy, which will cause us to praise...

What an amazing infinite loop of the majestic joy-causing gospel. I cannot believe I get to experience this! I cannot believe this God calls me His own! What a Savior!

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24-25 ESV)

Cheap backup to replace Mozy

2009-01-27T20:55:00.004-05:00

OK so the economy has forced me to cut Mozy.com (an otherwise stellar backup company with $5/month all-you-can-eat backups). But I cannot, I repeat, cannot leave my computer not backed up. WAY too much data. So what will I do?

I have an old 80GB SATA drive, and I'll be buying another one in a few days. I attached the SATA drive to the system using a USB-to-SATA adapter. I'll create an encrypted filesystem inside both drives using TrueCrypt.

I'll then copy all of the files to the encrypted partitions residing on both hard drives (one at a time obviously, I only have one SATA adapter). One hard drive will go offsite, to my buddy who always comes to church. I'll have him keep it in his car, in a foam caddy or something. Theft is a concern here, but not a severe concern as the data will be encrypted. Here, convenience is king; I'll be able to swap the offsite hard drive every week and he won't have to remember to do anything except show up to church. Anyway his car is an old beat up piece of junk so I doubt someone will break in :-)

OK so every week I'll be swapping the drives. That gives me weekly protection from fire, theft, flood, hurricane, tornado, and large hard-drive eating birds. But what about daily protection?

Every night I'll have the system sync the contents with the onsite drive using probably RoboCopy (though HoboCopy has some great features which RoboCopy lacks -- for example, the ability to copy locked files).

So I'll get a nightly copy to a separate hard drive, which covers hard drive failure, and a weekly copy to a different part of the city, which covers hard-drive eating birds. It won't require much labor; RoboCopy can be set to automatically run nightly with Task Scheduler, which means I just have to remember to bring the hard drive to church every week. Not bad.

How about costs? The cost of the USB-to-SATA adater was $21, and although it's clumsier than one of the nice new SATA hard drive docks they're selling, it's cheaper, too. And it also can handle good old-fashioned PATA, 1.8" or 2.5" laptop drives, CD drives, whatever. It's got Molex connectors plus an adapter for the new SATA power connector (which in my opinion is WAY too large, but that's a topic for another day).

The first SATA hard drive is a carryover from another computer, so that's free, and the second, a Seagate 250GB SATA drive at CompUSA (yes they're still open in Jacksonville) is $49. Seagate has an amazing 5 year warranty :-)

So for a total of $70 I get daily and weekly offsite backups. Granted, I don't have multiple revisions of files as Mozy does, but that's a possibility if I want to skip RoboCopy and use a better backup program which would give me the option of creating differential/incremental backup files. Since Mozy is just $5/month it'll pay for itself in 14 months.

Oh, and since I recently reinstalled Mozy, and on top of that I also recently added many gigabytes of data to my hard drive, I thought I might be facing an enormous upload, which hurried me along to getting this solution in place. My DSL is slowwww (but cheap!). The computer only has USB 1.1 which means the total copy will take slightly longer than a day, but if it were Mozy I'd be facing a backup taking weeks! (Not joking.)

I might have to buy yet another hard drive if the first drive (75GB) won't cover all my data. Which would mean another $49 and 10 more months before payoff. But perhaps I can just skip some of the content. Most of the hard drive space is made up of music, and I keep two copies: One in the closet and one in the car (and of course, one on the hard drive). I would like to make a complete offsite backup, but I guess I can compromise.

If you're computer-savvy and you'd like to save some blow, consider this method of backup. It'll save your butt if you are attacked by a hard-drive eating bird.

By the way Mozy users, if your computer slows to a crawl like mine did, disable the explorer icon overlay in the Configuration screen. I forget where it is. When I did that I got my computer back :-)

Revelation 22:19 and John Piper

2009-01-27T03:58:00.007-05:00

"and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." (Revelation 22:19 ESV)

Piper, a preacher who affirms that the Bible teaches that we must persevere to the end to be saved, has not specified his interpretation of Revelation 22:19, but I suppose if he did, it would go something like this: Just as with Hebrews 6, the threats of Scripture are PROOF POSITIVE that God intends to keep the elect until the end. They are always intended to warn the one who is tempted to stray from the Lord, "Don't go there! You may be lost! Don't do it!"

How many countless godly Christians have been rescued by the warnings of Hebrews 6??

If this interpretation surprises you, consider this: people like John Piper do NOT believe in "Once Saved, Always Saved" or "Eternal Security." Oh no. They believe in the classical Calvinistic doctrine of "Perseverance of the Saints."

You MUST persevere to the end to be saved.
You WILL persevere to the end and be saved.
You MUST.
You WILL.
You MUST.
You WILL.

Both are true.

This stands in stark contrast with "Once Saved, Always Saved" and "Eternal Security." Perseverance is just that -- PERSEVERANCE. It means that those who are truly born again will PERSEVERE in faith to the end.

Consider this doctrine when you read verses like Hebrews 3:14: "For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." (ESV) If you hold your confidence firm to the end, you will come to share in Christ. Seems drop-dead simple to me.

"Once Saved, Always Saved" and "Eternal Security" are to me covers for lawlessness. "Oh no," say their proponents, "it's not lawlessness. You still might lose your rewards, and you'll suffer pain in this life." Threats like these did not stir me to repent when I was living in lawlessness for three years. I told myself that I was born again, even while I was plotting to start a porn website! Had I meditated upon Hebrews 3:14 I might have turned sooner, but my "Eternal Security" church had me asleep in the pews!

Here is John Piper's thought on the topic of perseverance: Click here

It's not just John Piper that believes this. Here's the Calvinistic evangelist Paul Washer sharing his thoughts on Revelation 22:19: Click here

I believe this doctrine is classic Calvinism. I believe this doctrine has been distorted over the years into "Eternal Security" or "Once Saved, Always Saved" (also known as OSAS). This distortion is tempting many to believe they are soundly saved when they're going to face God one day as a Judge, not as a Father.

I learned about this doctrine from this website: Click here Please, just take 4 minutes to read it to understand the differences.

Another REALLY GOOD and gripping video on this subject is True and False Conversion by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. A definite must-see.

UPDATE: I feel the above interpretation really holds water when simply comparing Scripture with Scripture: "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out." (John 6:37 ESV) "and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book." (Revelation 22:19 ESV)

(Both were written by the same author, by the way.)

"...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you..." (Philippians 2:12b-13a ESV)

(These Scriptures plainly tell me that both points are true. You MUST, you WILL persevere. It is seemingly paradoxical situations like these that bring me to enjoy my buddy Derek's blog THEOparadox; he's doing a great job over there.)

The roles women play in society - the frank truth..

2009-01-20T14:34:00.002-05:00

Linkage From My Blog

Just posting on our main blog for those who don't have a link to my (Charice's) personal blog.

Lost my job

2009-01-11T05:30:00.008-05:00

"Jesus saves from the American dream." -- John Piper

So true. This week I lost my job; my company down-sized. I saw the writing on the wall months ago and so we had been preparing, but still the shock overwhelmed me. I didn't want to talk to anyone and I had to sit alone and read a book for several hours to get my mind off things and come down off the shock.

I'm OK now, and looking forward to what's next. I'm updating my resume -- this link looks very good -- and will be reading What Color Is Your Parachute?, a book that has been ranked in the top 25 most influential books of all time.

God is good, all the time. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21 ESV) I look forward to how He will provide when the situation looks tough. He will care for us.

This section of Scripture spoken by Jesus is very, very helpful:

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:19-34 ESV)

If anyone knows of a need for a systems engineer or administrator or PHP web developer let me know.

Will there be free will in heaven?

2008-12-29T13:58:00.015-05:00

I once asked this question:

Do you think the saints in heaven will have free will to rebel and
sin? Satan did, but then I've always been taught we'll be there forever, guaranteed.

Why or why not free will in heaven and based upon what Scripture?

(By the way, I believe this will have an impact on your daily life, as I will discuss in another post.)

A friend named alan4jc replied:

Daniel 7:18: "But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever."

(Source)

I replied with this:

But alan4jc, I thought that in order for love to be genuine man had to
have a free will?

"...love by nature must be voluntary, and God's will is that all voluntarily love Him and each other..."
"...God's will is that people would voluntarily love Him, of their own free-will, and His will is not that they should be forced or made to love Him by force, as though they individuals were mere machines..."
-- Jesse Morrell

By the way, Jesse openly embraces Finneyism, Open Theism and Moral Government Theology. I view these, not Arminianism, as Calvinism's opposite.

Jesse Morrell replied:

I was actually going to cover this in my article, "The Relation of the Nature & the Will" because many believe that a sinful nature forces individuals to sin, and their hope is that a glorified body (a good nature) will force them to live holy. (Satan and Adam sinned with good natures).

It seems many people have misplaced their hope. If you do not stop sinning in this life, there is no reason for you to believe that you will stop sinning in the next life. If you don't get your heart right with God before you die, there is no reason for you to believe that you will get your heart right with God after you die. This life is the only chance you have at repenting, believing, and persevering, and then comes the judgment.

A glorified body will not automatically stop you from sinning anymore then the original good natures of Adam and Eve stopped them from sinning. Sin is a voluntary action of the will to rebel against known truth. It cannot be forced, or else there would be no guilt, because it was not your willful consent that did it. You cannot be morally accountable to that which is outside of your control or consent.

Both on Earth and in Heaven, intelligent creatures are "free moral agents". Just as we can choose between evil and good on earth, so can those who dwell in the Heavenlies choose between evil and good. If there was no choice, there would be neither virtue in obedience nor guilt in disobedience.

But ultimately, who will make it to Heaven? Those who voluntary sin every day? Absolutely not! God will not allow His Kingdom to become the Kingdom of devils. Only those who abide in Christ, who continue in the faith, who persevere until the end shall be saved. Those who daily choose to reject Christ, reject the faith, and surrender to sin will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

So only those who in this life are obedient will inherit the Kingdom of God. Christ is the "author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him". Heaven will be filled, for all of eternity, with those who are voluntarily obedient. The Bride of Christ will be made up of those who are blameless, spotless, without fault or blemish.

So theoretically, "could" an individual sin in Heaven? Yes of course. They did not lose the power of contrary choice when they received a glorified body. But "would" an individual sin in Heaven? I don't believe so. The scriptures declare only those who persevere until the end will be saved. Why would they, after persevering through all the temptations of earth, choose to rebel in Heaven (where they will not face the extent of the temptation that they do on earth) once they finally make it to the place where they persevered to make it to?

Just as there is no reason to believe a person "could" not sin in Heaven, there is absolutely no reason to believe that anyone who finally makes it to Heaven "would" or "will" sin.

(Source)

Strangely, even though I affirm all seven points of Calvinism, I am mostly in agreement with Jesse.

What will be free, I believe, is our ability to sin. Should we so choose, we could choose to sin in heaven. This is just as Jesse said.

Why then won't we ever sin? Alan4jc is correct when he quotes Daniel 7:18, but if there is the possibility of sin how can it be? Why do we have the promise of Revelation 21:4 to look forward to?

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (ESV)

What sets me apart from Jesse is I think there is more to it than what he says. I believe the reason these are so is that what will never be there in heaven is the desire to sin! Thanks to the Holy Spirit perfectly and completely loving the Son through us, we will desire Him more than anything else. It is out of that desire that we will never ever want to sin.

Think of it like this: Because of the Holy Spirit within us, we will find Jesus so winsomely gloriously beautiful that we will never want to even turn our eyes away from Him, and the opportunity to sin, if placed in front of us, would be utterly despised.

Imagine it is a hot day. I'm talking middle-of-July, Arabian desert hot. Hot, hot, hot! Now imagine you were presented with the opportunity to eat either of these two items: A steaming pile of rotted opossum carcasses mixed with liquid bat vomit and elephant diarrhea -- OR -- a mound of fresh, red, sweet, fragrant, watermelon hearts. Which would you choose? (Assuming of course that you're not allergic to watermelon) :)

In the same way, the Holy Spirit's love expressing itself through us would give us such affection toward the Son that we would NEVER want to choose ANYTHING but loving obedience to Him. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15 ESV)

God’s unwavering allegiance to his own glory shows us that our own passion for God is not merely our own but is in fact the Spirit-giving passion of God for God shed abroad in our heart. We are not left to ourselves to work up a passion for the glory of God. God’s Spirit is the actual personal presence of God’s very love for the Son and the Son’s love for the Father.

(Source)

I have a picture of our side of salvation that it is God within us giving us taste buds -- faith taste buds -- in our spiritual "mouths". We instantly crave more of Jesus and long to be like Him, because the Holy Spirit is within us loving King Jesus within us and through us. How, then, will our taste buds dance when we see Him face-to-face??? The Spirit will pulse with passion for Jesus through us like an electric river of love, directed toward our bridegroom forever! And we'll say, "Sin?? Not even interested!!"

Jesse said that Adam and Eve had a good nature and therefore it isn't one's nature that makes one sin. I say that an evil nature is not at all necessary; the only thing we must lack is the Holy Spirit. Read this post (click here) for thoughts on why Adam and Eve rebelled.

Jesse said that because people won't have the extent of temptation they had on earth in heaven that they won't be tempted to fall. That doesn't explain satan's fall; only a doctrine such as this explains why even satan fell in the presence of God. It is likely that he did not have the Spirit (or not enough of the Spirit) which gives, among other things, self-control (Galatans 5:23).

UPDATE: Conversely, Jesus was surrounded with temptation here on earth and He never sinned. So I don't believe the lack of -- or presence of -- temptation brings about obedience, as Jesse seems to suggest.

Jesse said that because people will be persevering to get to the wonderful place called heaven they will not choose to fall away from such a wonderful place. He's on to something, but truly what makes heaven "heaven" is Jesus Himself. It isn't the place that is attractive, it is Jesus Himself. If you were offered streets of gold, friends, family, food, drink, sunsets, sports, mansions, no more sickness, no more pain, no more trouble -- but Jesus isn't there, would you want to go? I wouldn't! And the only reason I wouldn't, according to the Bible, is I desire Christ because of the Holy Spirit loving Jesus from within me.

Some verses...

I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them. (John 17:26 ESV)

The love that the Father has for the Son will be within us. Amazing! That is some astounding love, and it will be within us!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, (...) goodness, faithfulness, (...), self-control... (Galatians 5:22,23 ESV)

If the Spirit is within us, it will bear fruit such as love (for the Son), joy (for the Son's presence), goodness (not sin), faithfulness (not sin), self-control (not sin)...

A pair of verses from Ezekiel:

And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19,20 ESV)

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.(Ezekiel 36:26,27 ESV)

I love that! Because God gives us a heart of flesh, and because His Spirit is within us, we will be caused to walk in His statutes. Also, notice the end of 11:20: "I will be their God." The book of Revelation echoes this phrase in verse 21:3, at the end of the book when all evil will be wiped away. And the very next verse in Revelation says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4 ESV) So there is significant reason to believe these verses in Ezekiel are in relation to God's New Covenant, instituted by Christ at the last supper (Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25)

I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. (Jeremiah 32:40 ESV)

This verse is blatantly clear: The everlasting covenant that will be made some day will ensure God will not turn away from doing good to us. How? By putting the fear of God within our hearts that we may not turn from Him! To put it another way, the way that God ensures He will always get the opportunity to do good to us is by giving us a fear of Him such that we will always have that fear and never leave His covenantial love covering over us.

UPDATE: Just thought of another verse to add... I think there are MANY verses to add.

...in [Christ] all things hold together. (Colossians 1:17 ESV)

If you are "held together" and do not rebel it is only because Christ holds you.

One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord... (Psalm 27:4)

Contextually this verse is speaking of the earthly house of the Lord, yet how much more will this desire be amplified once in the VERY house of the Lord?? How much we will, like this Psalmnist, desire to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord??

Delight yourself in the Lord... (Psalm 37:4 ESV)

"Delight yourself" is a command, just like "Do not murder" is a command, and when the love for Jesus is within us we will never not delight ourselves! We will always obey this command because we will always want to obey this command.

With those things in mind, feel the weight of the hope shown below: "...who is able to keep you..." And be lifted up in worship "with great joy"! To God "be glory, majesty, dominion and authority"!

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24,25 ESV)

So to sum it up, Jesse believes that people who freely choose never to sin again will continue to freely choose in heaven not to sin. And while I basically agree, the most significant gap in his doctrine is the explanation why someone would never choose to sin again. He has not explained why here. Maybe he would like to comment below why some people would freely choose never to sin again. But I present to you a God-exalting and God-centered doctrine which totally requires God for every single fiber of one's righteousness! We will have the Holy Spirit within us giving absolutely full vent to the love for Jesus such that if we didn't have our glorified bodies we would EXPLODE with joy! And this joy for the Son would cause us to say, when presented with the opportunity to sin, "not even interested!"

Would we ever want to turn from that??

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. (Jude 24,25 ESV)

This doctrine unfortunately leaves some questions unanswered, which I plan to address in a future post. I also hope to talk about how this matters to you in your daily routine of life.

Exciting organic gardening methods

2008-12-29T12:35:00.005-05:00

I am a brown thumb when it comes to gardening, but with the recent shift in the economy I thought I'd better pick up that skill (thanks to a recommendation from The Complete Tightwad Gazette.

So I've been doing some reading and learned many interesting new things. I wrote an article summarizing those things over here (click here). I discuss some exciting organic gardening methods, which may turn me from a brown thumb into a green and help save us hundreds of dollars per year.

Check it out!

Something that is forgotten in the "problem of evil"

2008-12-27T02:40:00.003-05:00

Something that I don't recall ever being discussed in the discussion called "the problem of evil"* is the idea that God Himself took the brunt of the force of evil.

* I.E. how can God be good and perfectly omnipotent and see perfectly into the future and yet evil exists.

For example, David sinned against Bathsheba and killed her husband Uriah to cover it up (2 Samuel 11). Then the Lord rebuked David through the Prophet Nathan. David repented and wrote about it in Psalm 51. Even though he sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah and indeed the whole country of Israel by bringing judgment upon them, he wrote "Against [God], [God] only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight..." (verse 4a ESV)

God knew that by creating David, he would bear the pain and anguish and dishonor that David directed against Him. I believe this explains how God is just for creating some that will never hear the gospel and allow them to perish, even though they have sinned against God by lying, dishonoring their parents, lusting (which is as adultery) and hating others (which is as murder).

I think perhaps this is why David continues, "...so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment." (verse 4b ESV) It bears up God's justice in all cases when He judges against someone who never had any opportunity otherwise.

I have seen this in other places; In Nahum 1:9a, "What do you [(Ninevah)] plot against the Lord?" (ESV) Apparently they did many wicked things to Israel, but the Lord identifies these things as though directed at Himself. And Paul's own testimony of what Jesus said in Acts 9:4: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" (ESV) Notice Jesus didn't say, "why are you persecuting the church?" He said, "why are you persecuting me?" God personally identified with Paul/Saul's attack, and I believe that this is because all wickedness is directed at Him.

If God Sovereignly created (not authored) evil, it would behoove the student of the Bible to remember that He created evil knowing that He Himself would bear the pain of evil upon Himself. This would incur wrath, because God loves His own glory and cannot bear to see it disdained.

What is even more amazing is that this same God, who decided to allow all evil to be directed at Himself, would also choose to send His own Son for evildoers such as me and pay the penalty that was due!

More thoughts on this to come...

The complete failure of Freewill (22 words)

2008-12-27T02:20:00.007-05:00

Freewill's complete failure is that it never explains why a decision is made. Why did Eve choose the apple and not God?

(22 words)

WOW I get to debate with famous Arminian professor Roger Olson!!

2008-12-21T17:46:00.004-05:00

Roger Olson, the famous Arminian professor at Baylor University who wrote dozens of books, including Arminian Theology: Myths And Realities, has agreed to do an internet radio debate with me and Jeff Fuller on our internet radio show on January 4th, 2009, 4pm, about Arminianism and Calvinism.

We plan on doing this in such a way that I have never heard before, it'll be unique. It was so unique it got Roger's attention, which is why he's willing to debate us lightweights.

This is intimidating to me; I've never even been to college! Will the famous college professor and author tear us apart? Will the truths of Calvinism be able to finally triumph over one of Arminianism's best?

Tune in and find out! :-D

God in His underwear

2008-12-21T17:19:00.002-05:00

The purpose of Bethlehem is Calvary. The purpose of the manger is the cross. Jesus had to clothe Himself with skin at Bethlehem so that nails could be driven through it!

Given that, I thought it would be appropriate to share this quote from Joni Eareckson Tada's book, When God Weeps.

As the soldier swings the mallet, the Son recalls how he and the Father first designed the medial nerve of the human forearm--the sensations it would be capable of. The design proves flawless--the nerve performs exquisitely. "Up you go!" They lifted the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breathe.

But these pains are a mere warm-up to his other and growing dread. He begins to feels a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being--the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father’s eye turns brown with rot. His Father! He must face his Father like this!

From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shriveling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.

"Son of Man! Why have you behaved so? You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped--murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed, overspent, overeaten--fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh, the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned! Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name? Have you ever held your razor tongue? What a self-righteous, pitiful drunk--you, who molested young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques, and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end! Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp--buying politicians, practicing extortion, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves--relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate, I loathe these things in you! Disgust for everything about you consumes me! Can you not feel my wrath?"

Of course the Son is innocent. He is blamelessness itself. The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement, and the unthinkable must now take place. Jesus will be treated as if personally responsible for every sin ever committed.

The Father watches as his heart's treasure, the mirror-image of himself, sinks drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah’s stored rage against humankind from every century explodes in a single direction.

(Emphasis added.)

Who cares about living forever

2008-12-20T20:26:00.001-05:00

"Who cares about living forever... if you're bored!" -- John Piper, from this sermon: From His Fullness We Have All Received, Grace Upon Grace

Pondering Eve's rebellion

2008-12-12T13:04:00.006-05:00

Saw something interesting in Genesis 3 the other day. I asked myself, how would Eve have responded to the serpent if she had the absolutely full measure of the Holy Spirit, brimming to the top, overflowing with Joy toward the Father?

Hint: "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV)

I think the answer may hold the key to understanding how evil came about into the universe, and may give a good answer to the scoffers and atheists.

Have a look at that chapter and ponder it for yourself: Genesis 3 in the ESV

Then leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Is God self-centered? Part 2

2008-12-03T22:32:00.005-05:00

Read part 1 first.

"God is love" says the Bible, and yet the Bible also says He does everything for the sake of God. God is centered upon God. How do you reconcile this?

This is the "third rail" in this situation which brings these two apparently opposing truths together without damaging either truth:
What if God were to give you riches, power, popularity, wisdom, a good family, health, no guilt, even forgive you of your sins -- but not give you what would satisfy you most, would He be loving toward you?

He would not! In order to fully satisfy you, He must give you what must satisfy you most, namely, Himself. He knows that nothing -- nothing -- else satisfies like Himself.

And so He is always in the business of getting you to seek Himself from your heart. Not just external worship; the Pharisees did that without a heart change. When He loves you, He does whatever He can to bring you to a place where you will find Him more satisfying than riches, power, popularity, wisdom, etc.

Whatever it takes. Even if He must give you poverty, humility, loneliness, etc. in order to drive you to the all-satisfying fountain.

Jeremiah 2:12 says,

Be appalled, O heavens, at this;
be shocked, be utterly desolate,
declares the Lord,

What could be so appalling that the heavens would be shocked/desolate? Verse 13 continues,

my people have committed two evils:
they have forsaken me,
the fountain of living waters,
and hewed out cisterns for themselves,
broken cisterns that can hold no water.

God, who is the fountain of living water, was UTTERLY self-sufficiently happy without us before we were created. We exist merely because He is love. He wanted to display and lavish that love and so conceived a universe that allows the maximization of our pleasure in Him through Christ. This universe DID go as He expected it to, there WAS no "plan B" when Adam sinned, this IS "plan A."

And so sin is actually a pitiable thing. When you sin, you're just driving a wedge between yourself and what is your most satisfying joy. Any time for example you are angry with someone (Matthew 5:21-22) or you fail to love your wife as Christ loved the church (Ephesians 5:25) you are defaming His glory. And at the same time, you are distancing yourself from what is going to satisfy you.

Lots to think about here; this is the deep end of the pool.

Some verses to think about:
"Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God..." (1 Peter 3:18 ESV)
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. H leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake." (Psalm 23:1-3 ESV)

This one is a command:
"Delight yourself in the Lord..." (Psalm 37:4 ESV)

Did you know God commands us to be happy? Seems annoying to be commanded to do anything, but then again the command is to be delighted, so it's a mixed emotion.

I couldn't possibly conceive of a deity as amazing as this! The fact that He is so passionate for His glory and this is not at odds with my passion to be happy and satisfied -- only in Christ are they united! In every other false religion they are at odds, but not here, oh no!

Good news like this must be shared; that's why I'm always trying to share the gospel.

Have questions about what I'm sharing? First listen to this. You may also want to read this.

A Beautiful Mess

2008-11-30T08:43:00.001-05:00

This is my other blog that I spend time on, it's called "A Beautiful Mess" because we are a mess but we're God's creation walking through sanctification. Here I'll put tips on saving money, saving to get your own homestead, parenting, shopping, share poems and much more. It's more of a play zone for my thoughts and hopes for down the road.

A Beautiful Mess

Hopefully, the information on my website will help out other families who are interested in saving money, raising babies to the Glory of God and working towards home(stead) ownership.

Charice D :-)

Thankful for what Jesus gave me (22 words)

2008-11-27T20:18:00.000-05:00

Thankful that Jesus gave me love for God's law (Jer 32:40, Ezk 36:26-27, 1Co 11:25). He gave this to none in hell!

(22 words)

Encouraging others to love God’s sovereignty

2008-11-22T19:08:00.001-05:00

John Piper was asked the question, "What if you like the sovereignty of god in all of its fullness, but what if you're surrounded by people who are hostile to that? You love it, you would like them to love it, do you have any advice?" I really liked his response. Listen here (6 minutes 5 seconds).

Got it from How to Fight for Joy: Questions and Answers. There are MANY good things to hear from that series, which you can listen to here.

Also, I always try to remember these points when I talk with others about God's sovereignty and reformed theology. They are very helpful.

Freedom of choice? Wrong question.

2008-11-21T11:34:00.005-05:00

Micheal Ramsden said,

What is the issue of abortion about in most every pro-abortionist's eyes? Choice. The question is about whether I'll have the choices I want.

What does it say if I tell you I'm a Christian and my God says abortion is wrong? That my God takes away choice. Who else takes away choices? Dictators. I don't recall the last time I sang a hymn that said "Oh God, what a wonderful dictator you are... I marvel at your oppression." (laughter)

See the question is wrong. The issue is not about choice.

Go door-to-door and ask a one-question survey: "When is it right to take an innocent person's life?" The overwhelming response would be "never." Yet that's what abortion does.

THAT is the question we should be asking ourselves.

-- Paraphrased from Conversational Apologetics

There is a Bible verse speaks with great clarity on the problem of abortion: "You desire and do not have, so you murder." (James 4:2 ESV) Men and women desire not to be encumbered with yet another mouth to feed and diaper. And when they cannot obtain what they desire, they murder.

If you have had an abortion, have considered having an abortion or have encouraged someone to have an abortion, God urges you, repent! Read Acts 17:30 and Luke 13:1-5, then make Psalm 51 your prayer. Come to the foot of Jesus' blood-stained cross for mercy!

Is God self-centered?

2008-11-20T17:25:00.013-05:00

Two imaginary people, Alfred and Bob, are having a conversation.

Alfred: "What is the basic content of the Psalms?"
Bob: "Praise God, praise God, praise God!"
Alfred: "Who wrote the Psalms?"
Bob: "The Psalm writer."
Alfred: "Yes I know, but according to Christian theology, who inspired every single word?"
Bob: "God."
Alfred: "So did you realize that the Psalms are God telling us, 'Praise me, praise me, praise me!'?"
Bob: "No, I didn't realize that."
Alfred: "Does that mean God is self-centered?"
Bob: "I don't know... but if that were true, I couldn't see how that could be reconciled with 1 John 4:8 which says, 'God is love'."

Blog reader, what do you think? There is a truth which will help you make sense of these two apparently contradictory truths which has an application on things like evangelism, but you're going to have to tune in later for that. In the mean time, ponder these things deeply.

Read part 2...

(Photo source)

Humanists' ad is sickening

2008-11-16T00:07:00.006-05:00

Humanists are running a Christmas ad now; it shows someone in a Santa outfit and says, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake!"

The whole basis of the ad makes me want to vomit. "Be good for 'goodness' sake"?? What's the point of that??

Humanists, your god is mankind; Behold, your Messiah!

(Source)

God must love being love

2008-11-10T22:19:00.002-05:00

If God is love (1 John 4:8) then He must really enjoy that. I'll bet God really loves being love, doesn't He?

(22 words)

Sweet smell of grace and love in the air

2008-11-10T20:12:00.002-05:00

Lately, in our house there has been the sweet smell of grace and love in our house. I am so thankful for my wife, she is being sweet and loving and desires to please God in all that she does, the kids are happy and both of us enjoy playing and tickling them. Dominic has been giving many hugs and kisses and wants to plop down in our laps. John Paul is accelerating in mental growth and the doctor said he is advanced for his age.

So much kindness and blessing from God. Much love and grace and peace in our home.

"...rejoice in the wife of your youth..." (Proverbs 5:18 ESV)

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the children of one's youth.
Blessed is the man
who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate." (Psalm 127:3-5 ESV)

Christ will make you healthy, wealthy and prosperous

2008-11-02T07:06:00.005-05:00

A friend sent me an article (click here) that David Wilkerson wrote which I believe is spoken from the Lord Himself. You should read it for context for the rest of this article. And I gave my friend a hearty Amen! in reply and wrote her this response.

Read these Scriptures and ask yourself, what is the great reward? What is the better resurrection? What is the joy set before us? What is the city that is to come?

"But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward." (Hebrews 10:32-35 ESV)

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6 ESV)

"By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward." (Hebrews 11:24-26 ESV)

"...others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;" (Hebrews 11:35 NASB)

"looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2 ESV)

"So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come." (Hebrews 13:12-14 ESV)

The rewards and better resurrection and lasting city to come is all wrapped up in the pronoun "him" in 13:13. Christ! Christ is our exceeding reward (Genesis 15:1 KJV). He Himself is worth having our property plundered. Moses "considered the reproach of Christ (Christ?? Hm. This is Moses... thousands of years before Christ...) greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward." (Hebrews 11:26 ESV)

I love what John Piper said at his "When I Don't Desire God" conference:
"I am not coming with a health, wealth and prosperity gospel, or on a health, wealth and prosperity mission. I am not bringing the message that Christ will make you healthy, Christ will make you wealthy, Christ will make you prosperous in this life so that you can have joy! That's not my message. I am bringing you a message that Christ will give you Himself so that you don't need health, wealth and prosperity in order to be happy, but can have so much invincible joy in the durable Christ you can give up health, wealth and prosperity in the sacrifices of love if God so calls."

AAAAAAAAAmen!!!!

I heard the things above in a highly recommend sermon by John Piper: How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice

Oh MY it's stirring! Please have a listen.

Christ, our Proverbs 31 Lord

2008-11-01T22:11:00.003-04:00

Ladies, had it ever occurred to you that Christ performed Proverbs 31 for you? Not as a woman, but as your substitute?

(22 words)

How to hand out hundreds of tracts in one night

2008-10-31T07:45:00.003-04:00

Ray Comfort at Living Waters recommends that when people come to your door you give them candy and tracts (which we will do), but what about dressing up and going door-to-door handing out candy & tracts?

I've done this for years. I dressed in something silly, knocked on the door and said, "Reverse trick-or-treat! I'm giving out candy this year!" The overwhelming response of the adults was joy.

Next year I plan on getting friends together and giving out perhaps as many as 1,000 tracts.

The key is to pick candy that adults like; my favorite is Ghiradelli chocolate. A bit more expensive but parents "ooh" and "ahh" and sometimes ask for more. As you walk up to a house, get the candy and the tract ready in hand.

It might be even more effective if the kids dressed up and handed them out with you. They might be even more cute and effective than an adult :) Ask the kids not to accept candy (we're trying to be generous people). You can reward them with candy when they get home.

A "tract in disguise" such as Living Waters' million dollar bill is perhaps the most effective. It looks like you're giving them candy AND money :)

Hit several neighborhoods if your feet can handle it :)

Know the neighborhood; for instance if there are many seniors I might give out Living Waters' "Remember When?" tract.

Lastly, the method probably won't work two years in a row; each year you should probably hit a new neighborhood. We live in a large city so it would take years to hit all of our neighborhoods. After a while you could return to the first neighborhood. If someone is in a small city it would be worth considering driving out to a larger city; to bring one life to the gospel, I would drive across America!

Remember to leave one adult at home to hand out candy & tracts to kids as Ray recommends. I like to hand out Living Waters' "Hey Kids" tracts with GOOD candy; as a kid I used to (ungratefully) despise the people who gave cheap candy. It was sinful, but that's how the mind of a kid works. We give Capri Sun fruit juice pouches. Expensive, but a small price to pay if even one child comes to accept Christ.

Please consider trying this next year. What a great opportunity to hand out hundreds of tracts in one night!

Frugal: Ridiculously low cell bills

2008-10-26T03:35:00.004-04:00

My office pays for my cell phone, but my wife is on her own. She hardly uses any minutes but when she does use the phone it's extremely handy, enough to justify the cost. Net10 has the absolute best deal anywhere for minimal users: $16.05 after taxes gets us 150 minutes per month, and she still hasn't used up the introductory 300 minutes. It's prepaid BUT you can sign up for Easy Minutes which automatically deducts from your CC and adds the minutes to your card every month. Not bad!

We even ported our old cell number, but be forewarned: These people are very low tech; porting from AT&T to Net10 took almost a week, during which time the old phone number was not operational (crazy!). Porting my phone from AT&T to Sprint at the same time took just 30 minutes. Customer no-service is so-so but improves if you have a friend who speaks Spanish ;-) Net10 uses the high-quality GSM network along with AT&T/T-Mobile, etc.

Other prepaid services have daily fees or lower-cost minutes but monthly fees. For the amount she uses, Net10 is super.

One downside to Net10 is calls to voicemail and nights+weekend are not free.

If you use more than 150 minutes, it may be time to consider one of the unlimited plans. We have a few in our area such as MetroPCS. I can't speak for their quality.

Hope that helps! Since my office pays for my phone, our monthly bill is ONLY $16.05 after taxes. WOW!

Frugal: Keep your water heater going like the Energizer bunny

2008-10-26T03:11:00.002-04:00

An ounce of prevention... I came across this site which has a simple maintenance tip that can dramatically extend the life of your water heater: Periodically check its sacrificial anode.

They say, "In brief, (...) anodes corrode slowly and by doing so, protect a small amount of exposed steel inside a water heater. There's a reason that water heaters are warrantied to six years. That's how long the makers think the anodes will last. But their consumption depends a lot on water quality, and that varies widely across the country."

I'm definitely planning on checking my anode! Could be a HUGE money saver.

Click here for this and other simple maintenance tips.

Vast conspiracy

2008-10-15T01:30:00.003-04:00

Upon pondering the purpose of evil, it could be the purpose of the universe is a vast conspiracy to magnify the Godhead.

(22 words)

Very excited, next level

2008-10-15T01:16:00.001-04:00

Wrote this to a friend:

I'm very excited because today I felt like I ought to ask the Lord to take me to the next level of maturity, and you know that's a request He loves to answer.

I think this radio show may be the path to that. Forcing myself to think in terms of the gospel instead of figuring out Calvinism (as has been my default habit for the past few years) will probably cause me to grow closer to Christ. I'll still enjoy trying to figure out Calvinism as it has direct ties into the gospel, but it's certainly not the gospel.

Interesting Wordle.net pic

2008-10-13T19:03:00.002-04:00

Here's a Wordle.net picture of the various words on my blog. Click the picture for a larger view.

Fascinating, eh? Found it on Agonizomai.

First radio show went very well

2008-10-12T18:06:00.004-04:00

I sure enjoyed our first radio show! Click here to listen.

David Jeremiah & 2 Pet. 3:9, he failed the pop quiz

2008-10-11T20:30:00.013-04:00

A year ago I posed a pop quiz on 2 Peter 3:9. Without looking, can you quote that verse? Now look it up in the Bible. How did you do?

Dr. David Jeremiah delivered a stunning sermon on radical Islam that I highly recommend you watch. It was stirring, powerful, emotional, and the last 15 minutes will give you an excellent apologetic when discussing the differences between Christ and Islam. Click here to watch or listen to it.

But Dr. Jeremiah failed the 2 Peter 3:9 pop quiz.

He quoted this verse in support of the statement that Muslims will indeed be redeemed some day (which I absolutely agree with). Though I would not agree with this interpretation of that Scripture, I would basically agree that God doesn't desire that any perish. Accepting Calvinism doesn't have to mean you have to reject this. Even John Calvin himself basically agreed upon this.

But don't mis-quote Scripture, please. He left out some of the first part of the verse which I believe defines who the "any" and "all" are in the latter half of the verse.

Leave it out on accident and you're guilty of proof texting.
Leave it out on purpose and you're under a curse, as Revelation 22:19 says.

I love Dr. Jeremiah, I listen to him when I can and I enjoy his teaching. Though I would disagree with his Arminian tendencies I love his gospel preaching and good teaching and I recommend him to you.

Update on health

2008-10-07T22:13:00.002-04:00

Doctor said I have both low thyroid and the testosterone levels of a seventy-year-old man. Haha... eh, um, hm...

Not sure I wanted to hear that news. But at least it's fixable.

Last few days since I started taking the medicine have been difficult, but I think it's turning around today. Today I feel pretty good, like I did when I wrote about my multi-vitamin. They say thyroid medicine starts rough and gradually improves.

I am so grateful for everyone's prayers. You have been terrific saints, obeying 1 Thessalonians 5:14:

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

(Which part, Chris, the part about admonishing the idle? Haha.)

I'll be on Internet Radio soon

2008-10-07T21:39:00.003-04:00

I was floored when back in July, Jeff Fuller from ReformedEvangelist.com asked me to co-host an internet radio show with him. I thought, "Me?? I'm humbled."

God must certainly be doing a significant work through me for me to be noticed and asked. By my nature I am arrogant and sinful. I have nothing to offer. But God has been changing me!

It's just internet radio, so we'll probably only have tens and tens of listeners, but you never know where it can go.

So please have a listen this Sunday, October 12th at 4pm to... (drumroll)

You can expect a radio show filled with wit, humor, and intelligence, airing live on the internet every other Sunday at 4pm. On Gospel, Gifts, & Grace we will discuss reformed theology and charismatic worship... and at the center of it all will be the gospel!

Charice's REALLY IMPORTANT post

2008-09-23T21:18:00.003-04:00

Charice made a REALLY IMPORTANT post a few days ago and I don't want my post about Mark Altrogge's God to steal her thunder. Please have a look.

The giving God of Mark Altrogge

2008-09-22T00:56:00.015-04:00

A few years ago, I happened to get the work email address of Mark Altrogge, pastor and songwriter of well-known, powerful songs such as "I Stand in Awe" and "I’m Forever Grateful." To give you an idea how popular his songs are, we used to sing "I Stand in Awe" in the church I used to attend -- which was not a member church of Mark's Sovereign Grace Ministries. I understand the song even got played on Christian contemporary radio. I've seen the CD in our local Christian music store, so I know it indeed got some serious popularity.

I love many of his songs but my most prized songs are on his Hide the Word CDs. These are Scripture memorization CDs and they do work! I'm a bonehead when it comes to memorizing Scripture, but I can do these. Lately, I have been intentionally listening to these more than any other music and they are shaping my life.

Anyway, as I said I got his email address (and no, I won't share it with you, that would not be nice to him) ;-) A couple of years ago, I fired off an email to express to him how much Hide the Word was helping me.

For example, if I say something to Charice that I think the Holy Spirit isn't pleased about, I just quote 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and see if I need to confess a lack of love:

Love is patient and kind, it does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

(And yes, thanks to Mark I was able to write that from memory!) So if I think the Holy Spirit is convicting me that something I said or did is wrong, I just quote that Scripture to myself to see if it's true and -- oops -- the Spirit is right, I just insisted on my own way. So I know that I need to confess a lack of love to Charice and seek forgiveness from God.

So I told all of this to Mark. I told him I had four of these CDs. I didn't tell him the reason that I had not bought the other three was because I was watching our budget. But Mark, who serves and loves the God who gives, asked me, "so which three don't you have? I'll send them to you." My jaw about hit the floor! I now possessed all seven CDs and I didn't break my budget.

A year or two passed, and I decided to send Mark yet another email telling him how Hide the Word is helping to shape my life, how I am listening to them almost exclusively, etc. Mark replied that my email was extremely encouraging, and that he had just finished CD number eight and he would send it to me.

WOW.

Clearly, he has the spiritual gift of giving (Romans 12:6-8) and CERTAINLY, his God (my God) is the giving God, who gave His son for undeserving rebels. Mark even signed the CD upon my request! :-)

Now before you try this at home, remember: The point of encouraging someone is not to get free music. LOL. I had no idea that he'd been working on another CD when I wrote, the Holy Spirit just moved me to send him another encouragement, just to bless him. So if you try this at home, be careful of your own motives :-)

Our God is so very generous. He moved Mark to give. Mark is an ordinary man. Without Christ he is nothing. The Trinity is the star performer here. The Father's giving nature is on full display through Mark's simple gift of his personal resources.

What I admire most about Mark is that he has been a senior pastor at his church for over 25 years. WOW. FAITHFULNESS. And again, God does that, for without Christ we will not persevere.

I told him, "When at the reward Judgment of Christ, who will be judged more faithful? C.J. Mahaney? John Calvin? Jonathan Edwards? John Piper? A lowly housewife? Or Mark Altrogge? According to Todd Friel, the answer is "I don't know. Because the Lord judges upon faithfulness, not success." Amen, Todd. 25 years at one church, through thick and thin? Cutting records and Scripture memory music and blogs for the church and all the while pastoring a church and parenting some very godly men... THAT IS DOWNRIGHT FAITHFUL.

I continued, "Clearly the Holy Spirit is at work in your life. It is people like you who make Sovereign Grace a great place to be right now. The power of God is upon men and women all over the place. It is unbelievable. What a thrilling ministry we are in, eh? God is on the move here!

I am convinced that the role of pastor is one of the most important roles a human being can have in all of the world, above even the President. It is only because our world is so upside-down that pastors are generally looked down upon. Pastors are truly important in the issues that matter most for eternity. Pastors, if you are reading this, you are all very important to me.

If you know Mark or if you happen to have his email address, I urge you to encourage him forward as a faithful pastor. If you read his blog you will find a humble, wise pastor. If you are in his church, you have MUCH to be thankful for. Clearly, God is at work in His life.

Thank you, Mark, for sharing the giving God with us. I stand in awe of Him -- in part thanks to you.

UPDATE 12/07/2009: The Giving God of Mark Altrogge strikes again. Mark just shot me Hide The Word Nine. I didn't even know it was out yet. Stunned.

Love these songs on the CD, they're catchy: Psalm 92:1-2, 1 Peter 5:5, Micah 7:19, 1 John 1:17, Isaiah 41:13, Proverbs 23:17-18, Psalm 43:5 and Lamentations 3:31-33. Revelation 4:11 and Lamentations 3:31-33 are very pretty and worth hearing all on their own.

I heartily recommend this and all of the Hide The Word CDs. Mark's "spare time" (!) project is definitely underappreciated, this stuff is pure gold!!

Sins, Suffering, Scars and the Sovereignty of God (Charice)

2008-09-21T19:48:00.007-04:00

Hey, Charice here!

One of the things that unites us (besides Christ) is the sins and suffering that many people in the church of God have gone through. Despite our part that we play in life, and though we are very much responsible for our sins, God is sovereign over our life.

I realized today, that I'm not alone in some sins and sufferings that I have experienced in my life. I'm not the only person who sought out nicotine to "calm" my nerves, drank liquor because the liquor was there, had sex before marriage or struggled in the position that God had obviously placed me in. As sobering as it is unnerving, I'm also not the only female who has suffered from rape or molestation. Strangely, there's an odd sense of comfort knowing that others have not only gone through the things that I have, but have actually survived much worse.

The sad state of humans however is that we tend to want to hide those things that are part of the fabric of who we were and who we are today, and in and of that, we fear man. We don't hide things because we feel they are not important, we hide things because we fear how others will respond and treat us. We really crush the opportunity to use these things that could minister to people who have suffered and need to know that God can bring beauty out of your suffering and mistakes. We rob the opportunity for God to get the glory and for the suffering to be healed. Now God could get the glory and heal people without us, but how would we learn and benefit if that happened? We wouldn't and in fact, would continue down a path where we solely relied on ourselves and snobbishly sit on our own laurels.

In my personal experience with sin and suffering I've gone through a darn close brush with alcoholism (it's like a genetic thing in my family), molestation, rape, physical abuse, mental abuse, nicotine idolatry, adultery (whether mentally or physically, it's all equated as the same; read Jesus' words in Matthew 5:27,28)), sexual identity problems, an alternative lifestyle, fornication, spiritual abuse, lust and promiscuity. In my very young years I was exposed to the drug lifestyle, though I never tried them (one "field trip" as a youngster was to take a relative to buy weed from another relative....what education!), drunken violence, racism, more rape and even incest. After dealing with all that, I still struggle with a multitude of sins and sufferings, but in the end God gets the glory for redeeming me.

I know it's me who calls out "Abba, Father" and it's my spiritual Father who lifts my head up and pulls me from the muck and mire that have at times, almost consumed me. I'm still in a spiritual state of not being able to always stand up against temptation to fall back into some of those habits, but God is my shepherd and he is always faithful to show me where sinful paths can truly lead us.

I only hope my sharing this will (1) encourage others who have suffered and make them aware that they are not the only one who has struggled with a sin or suffered an event (2) encourage others to be more open about what they have gone through so that they may be spiritual physicians (3) encourage others to speak with those who have struggled or suffered the same.

While writing my blog I had two things come across me spiritually that seem important to share. Hopefully, this will touch whoever it's meant for.

"For I have always been with you, will always be beside you and will never abandon you. I am your rock and your salvation."

This Scripture also came to me while I was writing this:

Romans 8:1-11

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Please know, you are not the only one who has suffered in this way. Please share your testimony -- you will give others courage.

The apparent paradox of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility

2008-09-09T07:32:00.006-04:00

So I wrote this on a messageboard:

2 Chronicles 30:6-12 (Hezekiah’s call for repentance)

“O sons of Israel, return to the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and are left from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield to the LORD and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve the LORD your God, that His burning anger may turn away from you. For if you return to the LORD, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive and will return to this land. For the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him.” So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.

Just so you don't miss this, the call was for humans to freely repent -- of their own will, and "the hand of God" gave them one heart to repent.

Fascinating :-)

I got this reply:

Since the call went out it isnt ""freewill"" its a choice ;-)

if the call didnt go out would they have been able to have a choice?

and since it was the ""hand of God"" dosent that negate ""freewill"" RIGHT?

am i missing something?

He was missing something. He didn't quite understand the nature of the problem. I responded:

I'm working on a theory which explains how the apparent paradox of God's sovereignty over man's choices, as seen here, and the requirement that man be held responsible for his own choices, works together in harmony. Those in this story who laughed and scorned will be held responsible -- even though God's hand was not upon them to move them to repentance.

Until I can flesh out the theory better, I must accept that it is an apparent contradiction only in that I don't understand how it works. The failing is on my part, not the Scriptures.

My friend Derek over at TheoParadox once told me, "there are many truths in Scripture which seem to have an equally opposing truth and it would appear we have a paradox. But usually there is a third principle (which he calls the 'third rail') underneath both principles which upholds and explains both sides of the apparent paradox, and does not destroy either one of the sides but only strengthens the whole." I am seeking to find that third rail in this debate.

Until then, I must accept that both truths are consistently trumpeted in Scripture:
* God is sovereign over man's choices
* Man is responsible for his choices
* God is sovereign over man's choices
* Man is responsible for his choices
* God is sovereign over man's choices
* Man is responsible for his choices

Deny one at the expense of the other and you cut out many clear Scriptures. Uphold them both with equal tension and you will be a consistent, healthy Christian.

Derek is doing some great work over at his blog, you should check it out if you have questions about these things.

I'm NOT back -- fatigued again

2008-08-31T22:34:00.010-04:00

This is an update on this post.

* Bad news, the vitamin boost only lasted a few days.
* Good news, Alive multivitamin does NOT, from what I can tell, contain any hidden stimulants, and when I DO have energy I feel very, very good. So I think I'll keep taking Alive; the price is right and I have rarely seen so many good ingredients in one place.
* Even better news, I think I've discovered that I do indeed have hypothyroidism, though it is merely subclinical hypothyroidism. This is good news because it is so easily treatable.

I found this, which describes my situation perfectly:

Normal [TSH] values are from 0.4 to 4.0 mIU/L for those with no symptoms of abnormal thyroid function. (Mine is 4.17.) However, those without signs or symptoms of an underactive thyroid who have a TSH value over 2.0 mIU/L (which I do!) but normal T4 levels (which I do!) may develop hypothyroidism sometime in the future. This is called subclinical hypothyroidism (mildly underactive thyroid) or early-stage hypothyroidism. Anyone with a TSH value above this level should be followed very closely by a doctor. (Source)

In addition to the apathy and sleepiness I have several other symptoms (for example cold intolerance) and have had these for many years, well before the vegan diet. All of the symptoms are said to be a result of hypothyroidism and I have no symptoms that cannot be explained by hypothyroidism.

Hypothyroidism is not thought to be caused by nor cured by what you eat, so I am not so sure I'll switch to a standard omnivore diet except as a very last resort. It can be hard to go back to eating vegan again, so if that's not the problem I want to wait until I have tried everything else.

This (subclinical hypothyroidism) may explain why the vitamins worked well for a few days; perhaps they were trying to kick-start the gland. They contained many thyroid-helping items.

I would like to ask my doctor to give me a course of Armour thyroid (from pigs, there goes the vegan diet LOL) as an experiment. Obviously he knows if that is a bad idea, but I really would like to give it a shot. I don't think it could hurt.

Three things I know:
1.) God is completely sovereign over malfunctioning glands.
2.) He allowed this because He loves me and will use it to cause me to change to be more like Christ.
3.) I have a wonderful wife, who understands that I am weak.

Today I talked with a brother in Christ, Ken Neikirk, who also suffers fatigue along with his wife (I hope they don't mind me sharing this!). And yet they are active politically, just adopted 3 kids from Africa (with their other three makes for 6 total), are active in the church, and Ken (and maybe his wife Erin too, I don't know) is GOING TO RUN A HALF MARATHON. They take the kids to sports and church and oh by the way, Erin home-schools all six of them.

I'm sure I'm forgetting the other things they are doing, but the point is: God is powerful! And I want that grace, too. So I walked away realizing I am not leaning upon God as much as I could in this trial. I really want to mature in this area, and it is very tempting to just lay around; the apathy affects my motivation very much.

Thank you, Ken, for your stunning example of godly motivation. You have always been a dear brother in Christ, and what an example of God's power!

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-11 ESV)

I love that phrase, "that we may share HIS holiness"!!!! His holiness! God's perfect, set-apartness, He gives to us through means of discipline such as these!

Lord, teach me to remember this during this trial. Make me like Your Son Jesus.

Global warming dream

2008-08-29T07:46:00.003-04:00

I just had a vivid dream that the oceans rose quickly and a tsunami-like wave first covered all of the beaches, and soon after it spilled over levy-like barriers into the rest of the city. The flood destroyed everyone. The dream ended with me in a rubber boat, floating around looking for food and water.

Perhaps it was my brain envisioning what may happen if the liberal scientists are actually right, and global warming creates a rapid "Day After Tomorrow"-like destruction of the entire earth (but unlike the movie, with water instead of rapid cooling).

I have no idea why I dreamed this, but the flood actually happened twice; I saw it once and then my mind rewound the "tape" and played out everything with more details. I haven't been watching any movies like this, or even thinking about global warming or anything like that.

As I woke, I realized there was no way possible for this to happen. Why?

I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. (Genesis 9:11 ESV)

(Interesting, that the verse is 9:11.)

Thankfully, God promises that no sudden global catastrophe of water will overtake us. My dream was just a dream.

However, there is another kind of global warming coming, and it has nothing to do with whether I am driving a Prius or not:

...scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, "Where is the promise of [Jesus'] coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. (2 Peter 3:3-7 ESV)

There is a day of "global warming" coming. One day, you and I will stand before the Judgment seat of God. If you have dishonored your parents at all in your life, even though God gave you those parents, you have broken the entirety of the Ten Commandments. James 2:10 (ESV):

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

If you have ever in your life coveted someone else's things (that is, held and nursed a strong desire for someone else's things) or their husband or wife, even though God did not give them to you, you have broken the entirety of the Ten Commandments.

If you have ever hated someone or even called them a fool, Jesus said you are guilty of murder (Matthew 5:21,22). Have you ever done that? You have broken the entirety of the Ten Commandments.

Jesus is indeed coming, He is merely being patient:

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9 ESV)

"Global warming" will one day consume the earth and you will stand before the Judge. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Good deeds never compensate for Laws broken, not in this life before an earthly judge, not before the living Judge of the universe.

Are you prepared?

I'm back, baby! Chronic fatigue -- I think it's gone!

2008-08-15T23:09:00.011-04:00

Some of you know I have been struggling for the past NINE months with chronic fatigue. NINE MONTHS is a very long time when you have no energy. You look around at things that must be done around the house and it tempts you to despair. And do believe that I fell into that temptation many times!

I know that Jesus was with me, and He calmed my fears about the despair. I knew that whatever happened, He would be right by my side. And He was. Even though I was always dragging down to uselessness, He ensured that no serious disaster (or even, as memory serves, no benign disaster) overtook us in those nine months.

The problem began about the time when my second son John Paul was born; at the very same time, I was moved into a different office at work. For a long time I thought it might be our new son keeping me awake; Charice graciously took 24 hour responsibilities of the baby. Indeed, through all of this she has SHONE as a help mate.

When that didn't solve the problem, I asked people to pray, and the fatigue instantly went away; approximately 1 hour after asking people to pray, it was gone. But only for a while.

So I thought about what was different in my life; I realized it probably was the new office. I tried staying out of that room and -- wow -- the fatigue improved! But only for a while.

Some days I could not avoid working in that room, and of course I would come home utterly exhausted. PRAISE GOD the fatigue rarely affected my work, just my home life. At work I was often sharp and alert, and sometimes I would drag around but PRAISE GOD, only when there weren't many problems; the conditions were just right for being slow in mind. PRAISE GOD, my job was never in danger; I've been able to meet the jobs' demands all nine months, and then some; I'd say my performance has actually been great, on the whole.

So some days I could not avoid working in that room, but on others I could avoid it. And I noticed, sometimes (but not always) the fatigue came back.

I tried working out of the office entirely; a few days I actually worked the whole day in my car! I ran the car's air conditioner, plugged in the laptop and connected via our wireless network and did my job from the car. I could always walk into the building if they needed me urgently. And the fatigue improved! But only for a while.

I tried exercise, I tried eating a 100% raw vegan diet, I tried using fish oil instead of flax seed oil, just in case the flax seed wasn't sufficient. (Flax seed oil provides Omega-3 acids, a huge brain booster. And since I don't eat fish or eggs, I actually begin stuttering and losing my short-term memory if I miss a few days' worth of flax oil! Isn't that amazing, how strongly it affects me? Anyway.)

Everything seemed to work for a while, and then I was back to where I started. And having to work in "the bad room" as I call it, didn't help any. It confused me, for I couldn't be sure if what I was doing was helping any.

The fatigue was awful. It wasn't any kind of exhaustion, it was just a serious lack of desire to do anything. And when you have no desire to do anything, procrastination comes very, very easily, especially on items in which procrastination is an option, such as balancing our checkbook. It wasn't as though I had no energy, I just had absolutely no desire to DO anything with the energy that I had.

The lack of desire to do anything was usually (but not always) accompanied with strong sleepiness. So some days I might sleep 11 hours, get up, go to work, take a 15-minute cat nap mid-day, come home, sleep another 11 hours, rinse, repeat. Ugh. Charice was so very patient. "In sickness and in health," she vowed.

I began running out of options. I was ready to try two more things and then give up and see a doctor: 1.) Try a very strict, low-fat raw vegan diet. 2.) Try a normal, standard American meat-and-potatoes diet. I even ate some meat this Sunday, thinking I might as well get going on the meat-and-potatoes diet. And yes, it was delicious :-) My wife is an excellent cook. Hey, I never said I don't like meat, I just gave it up for health reasons, out of respect to Genesis 1:29 :-)

I encountered a website, Diagnose-Me.com, which has a VERY thorough questionnaire that asks you many detailed questions, some of which are embarrassing. For example, "How offensive does your stool smell? A.) very offensive, B.) somewhat offensive, C.) not offensive." Haha.

A computer examined my questions and suggested I may have hypothyroidism. This is borne out also by other symptoms such as cold intolerance, but the blood test I took back in February from my regular doctinr didn't say I have hypothyroidism. I've heard those blood tests can be inaccurate, or that some can have hypothyroidism when the blood tests say things are OK.

The most common way to treat hypothyroidism is with hormones (artificial: Synthroid, natural: cow's thyroid), but another way for those like me who may only be borderline is to simply boost the body's ability to make the hormone naturally. And that is done with a proper diet, exercise and good vitamins/minerals.

The computer at Diagnose-Me.com suggested several vitamins/minerals I ought to try. So I hoofed it down to our favorite health food store Native Sun (wonderful, beautiful place, you've got to see it some time!). I purchased every vitamin the computer recommended.

I began with a multi-vitamin that I'd tried in the past, Nature's Way Alive! multi-vitamin. I'd tried it a few years ago (before the fatigue) without noticing much improvement. But since it had most every vitamin and mineral the computer suggested, I thought I'd start with it and add anything else not found in the Alive! formula. Alive! is so very comprehensive I didn't need to add much more.

What I noticed this time was that I took only 1/6th the necessary dosage the last time I used Alive!; I wasn't reading the box carefully back then. So I thought I'd give it another try.

Since I bought 7-9 different kinds of vitamins, including the Alive!, Charice thought it would be best to take just one new product every day, rather than taking them all on the first day. Drug interactions can be ugly, and if it improved we wouldn't know what worked.

That was yesterday at 11am. Within just two hours I started to notice improvements; I did feel the need for a nap at about 1pm, but when I laid down I didn't quite get to sleep. I worked for the rest of the day and didn't need any more sleep. I was able to stay up until 11pm last night, feeling pretty good.

Today has been a power day! I did have a short period of tiredness later in the day, and when I came home no tiredness that I can recall. Tonight I felt good enough to straighten up the house, something I hardly have wanted to do in the last nine months. WOOHOO!

It's too soon to tell if Alive! solved the problem. Today I also took TMG (Trimethylglycine) along with the Alive! and both in higher doses than recommended. When I first took Alive! yesterday morning, it was NOT in a high dose (I spread the high dose out over the day) but even so, I had a mild headache. The headache got a little worse as I took the second round of Alive! yesterday (at that point, not higher than the total daily recommended dose). But the headache went away by the evening dose (at this time, more than the recommended dose) and the headache has not returned.

This morning after taking a normal daily dose of TMG, I felt shaky. But when I took more TMG at lunch (making my total daily dose a double), no shakiness and it has not continued. Perhaps both were just initial reactions. I don't think these reactions will continue, but in a few days I'll stop taking higher dosages.

It is too soon to tell if the fatigue is actually gone. As I said above, there have been periods when I make a change and the fatigue goes away. But I feel different today. Something inside tells me this is it. I sure hope so. Chronic fatigue is awful. I wouldn't wish it on Barack Hussein.

I was already taking a multi-vitamin, but it was a generic Wal-Mart multi (Equate Complete Multivitamin) that was patterned after Centrum with Lycopene. If Alive! works, I'll be writing Wal-Mart and asking for a partial refund of what I haven't taken yet.

I think perhaps Alive! works for a couple of reasons: It has more quantities of almost everything than Equate, it has other items Equate does not have (Tyrosine, for example) and Alive! is supposed to be a whole food; by that, I mean that many vitamins are too pure; they contain ONLY that vitamin and lack every other supporting mineral that comes in the source plant which helps the body actually digest that mineral. For example, when patients have trouble with table salt, doctors sometimes recommend they supplement their diets with magnesium, potassium, and other minerals. Well guess what is in sea salt? Magnesium, potassium, and other minerals. God knew what He was doing when He made food for us! Whole foods work because they bring the balance God intended, instead of hitting a few vitamins/minerals here and there. Alive! is supposed to be a whole food, and I believe it must be.

Again, I may not be out of the woods just yet. Although I feel marvelous tonight, I am going to try the low-fat raw vegan diet again, high in leafy greens and fruit and low in fat. I feel very clean inside when I go 100% raw, it is hard to mistake. Eating just one piece of cooked food, even if it's vegan, quickly reduces my ability to sustain on the 100% raw diet and I fall back into eating cooked food again. Cooked food is very addictive. I don't quite know why, perhaps it is all mental. But it is addictive.

One thing I find to be fascinating about this whole episode is the way God orchestrated the events of my life so that the fatigue was not more than I could bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). See if you can follow the interesting chain of events that happened: Months before the fatigue started I bought a Noel Piper book called Treasuring God in our Traditions. I wasn't really looking to buy this book, but when John Piper put on a $5/book sale, every book was just $5, I bought it to complete my John Piper collection. While reading this book, I became convicted that I should stop doing the second job I had started working.

I was fixing computers, trying to become a full-time computer consultant in my spare time. My current job at Harte-Hanks, as nice as it is, was showing potential instability due to the economy and -- out of fear of the future -- I decided to start working on plan "B," which was to become a computer consultant full-time. I should have trusted God for the future, but I was afraid. Things were going good with those plans, I was getting some decent customers and things looked like they would progress to my desired goal.

But as I said I read Noel's book on Traditions. She came to a section that talked about the tradition of every day eating as a family around the dinner table. I realized there would be no way to do that if I were out working every night. Convicted, I decided to stop the second job and just trust God for income, trusting that time with my family was more important than fear of the future.

Just two or three months later, John Paul was born and the fatigue came on. I cannot imagine better timing than this! Had I decided to stop the second business AS the fatigue arrived or AS John Paul was born, I surely would have added too much stress into my life from angry customers and trying to work late nights while extremely exhausted. My Lord, you have such wonderful timing!!

And what's more, it seems to actually be easier to pay the bills since I stopped the second job. Income is actually flowing better than when I had two jobs. How ironic! How much like God that is, isn't it? He did not have to, and for some people He does not make things better for them. But He did for me, in a way I could not have imagined. What a mighty God we serve!

OK, I have rambled on and on. I'm only rambling because I feel so very good! I could keep talking, but I must close.

Again, I may not be done fighting this battle, but it really, really feels as though it is over. Charice hugged me tonight and said, with emotion, "I sure hope you're done with this."

She has been such a strong help in this time. She hasn't given me difficulty about not being able to help her around the house, not fixing things that are broken, not watching the boys, etc. She has been patient, has let me go to sleep when I felt tired and has done things that I could not. If I didn't have her hard work, our family surely would have collapsed under the constant onslaught of daily living. God is at work in her life, I can see it!

Thank you, Lord, for being with me. Thank you for showing me what may be the correct fix for this fatigue. Thank you for Genesis 1:29. Thank you for my dear Charice. Thank you for Alive! multi-vitamin, TMG and Native Sun. Thank you for Noel Piper. Thank you for protecting us when I quit my second job, when we had another son and when the fatigue came and I couldn't stand up in the flow of daily life.

And I even thank you for the fatigue, for you forced me to lean upon you in this time of difficulty, trusting you that you would take care of us and protect us when I could not.

What a tremendous blessing to have you, Jesus. You are my treasure, Jesus.

Lessons learned:
* Trust in Jesus like you would trust a parachute
* My wife is strong and patient and loves me very much
* The raw vegan diet really does work, you must watch your vitamins with care

Again, it is too soon to tell if the fatigue is over. Would you please say a quick prayer for me, that I have found the solution? And if not, that I would continue to lean upon Jesus for support? Thank you.

Election according to foreknowledge: Creates vessels prepared for wrath?

2008-08-15T23:00:00.007-04:00

So I was having this discussion with someone I love about election according to foreknowledge which is usually taught in John Wesley-style churches (such as our family's Nazarene church, of which I no longer attend). And actually this doctrine is quite common in many churches that didn't follow in Wesley's footsteps.

I wrote:

We know that it is the Lord who opens the womb (Genesis 29:31, Genesis 30:22). If election according to foreknowledge as the Arminian Christians understand it is true, God knows that by opening the womb in the mother of some of people that He knows would never choose to repent of their sins and trust in Christ will effectively damn them. It would have been better had they never been conceived. Doesn't that therefore mean that God desires to show His wrath and make known His power by enduring with patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy?

She replied:

I don't get it. Maybe I need a better analogy or something.

I replied:

I think this is an extremely difficult question for those who believe that the Bible teaches election according to foreknowledge (hereafter, EAF). I'm not trying to say here that EAF isn't taught by the Bible, it's just that if someone accepts EAF in order to avoid the Calvinist's doctrine that God creates some simply for the purpose of being a vessel of wrath, it is still inescapable. They accepted EAF for the wrong reason. They didn't accept EAF because it's in the Bible, they accepted it to avoid a conclusion they don't like.

That is, Calvinist Christians and Arminian Christians and everyone in between have the same problem. I think the only people who can successfully avoid this are those who say God doesn't know (open theists), God doesn't exist (atheists), God is weak (Rabbi Kushner), or God made the best possible choice He could possibly make, given all possible contingencies (Molinism). Since none of those are solid, Biblical conclusions, Bible-believing evangelical Christians are left with the same problem
no matter where they turn.

If EAF is taught by the Bible, believe it! But know that it doesn't avoid the conclusion that God CAN save some or help some avoid hell but chooses to let them live, die and burn. He chooses to do nothing for them except display incredible patience, benevolence (rain, food, sex, pleasures of life), etc. But truly, it would have been better for these had they never been conceived.

Let the day perish on which I was born,
and the night that said,
'A man is conceived.'
(Job 3:3 ESV)

UPDATE
Someone else wrote me this response:

As for opening the womb, I suppose you could also infer that the womb was closed prior to being opened and done so for cause. I am not at all convinced all wombs are closed and therefore must be opened. The passage your refer to deals with the struggles between two women and the man from whom the lineage of the LORD comes. I think you might be reading too much into the matter in assuming that all wombs are by nature shut and need opening by the LORD. You will need to scripturally convince me with further scriptural evidence of this matter and if it is true I will readily embrace it.

I replied:

Sure, thanks for being open to the possibility.

If God knows someone will not choose Him, will NEVER choose Him, how simple would it be for Him to prevent the sperm from meeting the egg? How simple would it be for God to prevent that? Like, with His feet up, OK?

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13 ESV) (I know that Scripture doesn't exactly answer the question of conception, but I think it's a neat Scripture for this discussion all the same.)

Furthermore, while parents can make the decision to have unprotected intercourse, they can never, never choose to conceive. NEVER. This is ONLY by the hand of God.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward." (Psalm 127:3 ESV)

What's more, if God prevented a sperm from fertilizing an egg, no human would ever know it happened. God could do this without ANY human knowledge, will or intervention. Conception is 100% God's work.

You might want to read:
Hebrews 11:11
Judges 13:7
Ruth 4:13

And perhaps even consider Luke 1:31.

What is your other alternative to this? Can't be that parents freely willed to conceive, that's not possible.

Or is it due to the atheist's pet god named 'Random'? Granting this, the god 'Random' might be able to allow conception to happen, but can't the God of Abraham stop 'Random'; that is, can He stop a sperm from fertilizing an egg? Of course! With His feet up.

Children are "from the Lord" (Psalm 127:3), not from 'Random'.

People who God knows will reject Him are clearly born for a purpose. Clearly, God desires to show His wrath and make known His power -- by enduring with patience vessels of wrath (such as Pharoah) prepared for destruction in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy.

And we must NEVER forget: GOD SUFFERED. It was COSTLY to God to raise up people like Pharaoh. He had to be PATIENT. And in one sense, He has no pleasure in putting people like Pharaoh to death (see Ezekiel 18:23 and 33:11).

But in the grander sense, as He pulled back the lens of redemption and is pleased with the way the whole plan is coming to pass to display the full range of His glory, with the crown jewel being the glory of His grace (Ephesians 1:6).

Never forget, the Lord opened the womb (Genesis 29:31, Genesis 30:22) of the mothers of all those people He foreknew would never choose Him. He didn't have to. He chose to allow them to be conceived.

"Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps." (Psalm 135:6 ESV)

Please pray about this, friend. It's clear to me that EAF does not solve the problem of reprobation, unless I'm just blind to something, which indeed is possible. Thank you for being open to consideration, your response indicates humility.

Lord, make me a robot!

2008-07-13T23:13:00.002-04:00

I don't want free will, it is a curse if it means I might turn away from Jesus. Make me a slave!

(22 words)

"I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me." (Jeremiah 32:40 ESV)

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Ezekiel 36:26,27 ESV)

"For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification." (Romans 6:19 ESV)

God is self-centered, and I'm OK with that now. (Chris)

2008-07-09T00:26:00.005-04:00

My soul has been feasting on the very Biblical doctrine that God is all about Himself in everything that He does. He is infinitely happy, and that happiness is rooted in the delight found in Himself.

Naturally our flesh hates this for two reasons:
1.) It sounds wrong.
2.)
We crave to be at the center of the universe. That's the nature of arrogance, it is self-worship. Our self-worship actually paints a picture of a God that -- can you believe it -- doesn't find its most delight in the most glorious being in the universe???

The Bible shouts this doctrine loud and clear from everywhere!
* Why did God create us? Isaiah 43:6-7
* Why did God rescue the Israelites from Egypt? Psalm 106:7-8
* Why did God raise up Pharaoh? Romans 9:17
* Why did God defeat Pharaoh? Exodus 14:4
* Why did God spare Israel in the wilderness? Ezekiel 20:14
* Why will God not reject believers? 1 Samuel 12:20-22
* Why did God restore Israel after the exile? Ezekiel 36:22-23, 32
* Why does God answer our prayers? John 14:13
* Why does God forgive sins? Isaiah 43:25
* How could David ask God for forgiveness? Psalm 25:11
* What is the Holy Spirit's ministry? John 16:14
* What should motivate everything we do? 1 Corinthians 10:31
* Why did God strike Herod dead? Acts 12:23
* Why is Jesus coming back? 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10
* What is God's plan for the earth? Habakkuk 2:14

Or what about Psalm 23?

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness....................

(You finish the verse. What does it say?)

Can think of something other than Himself that God delights in more than anything else? If it is not God -- how is He not an idol worshiper?

With that in mind, please read this devotional. Particularly the last sentence: "Our broken and contrite heart is a sweet smelling savor to Him, because its main ingredient is the deep need for Christ." MMmmm. Wonderful. I've been turning that principle over and over again in my mind like a lozenge for the past few days; Clearly there is NO GOOD IN US for God to find any love in. What He loves is the vacuum, because He can then be the vacuum filler and see Himself in us.

That's the picture coming out of the Bible; God created the universe with the intention that grace be displayed, which of necessity requires that sin and sinners come into existence, and therefore He loves the deep need in us -- because He gets the opportunity to display grace (HIS grace!). This is mind-bogglingly-good.

You Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons and Hindus and yes, even atheists serve a weak, inferior god. I mock your inferior gods! Atheists, your god is called "Random" and your messiah is called "Human Race." "Random" is flaccid and "Human Race" is blind, deaf, dead and wasting away every day. What a mighty God we serve!

If you want to be as affected as I have been, watch this video:
Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

Then listen to this sermon right after it:
Where is God (UCF)

Then read this:
Desiring God

You might want to buy this:
The Pleasures of God

And finally, you may want to check out some of Jonathan Edwards.

Rich, rich, rich stuff!!!

What happens to people who don't hear the gospel? (Chris)

2008-05-29T21:55:00.006-04:00

I'd like you to meet an Indonesian woman named Arti. Arti is 26 years old. She has never heard the gospel, because she lives in one of the largest unreached people groups of the world.

Arti has cancer.

She has suffered heavily for three years, without good health care, because she lives in a rural part of Indonesia. The cancer has reached a critical stage. Her short life is about to come to an end. Arti is going to die in exactly 43 minutes and 28 seconds.

Arti will never have a chance to hear and respond to the gospel.

What I have just described is fictitious. I don't know anyone named Arti and I've never been to Indonesia. But events like this happen every minute of every day, therefore I can say with confidence that this could be happening right now.

My question is this: Why doesn't God do something on Arti's behalf? Why doesn't He send a missionary right now? Why doesn't He write a gospel message in the sky? Why don't the rocks cry out (Luke 3:8)?

God could save Arti in a variety of different ways without violating anyone's free will, but He doesn't. He simply doesn't.

Arti is by the world's standard a "good person." She has never by murdered anyone or robbed a bank, but by God's standard she is guilty and deserves hell. She has hated others (who hasn't) and thus by God's standard is guilty of murder (See Matthew 5:21,22 and 1 John 3:15). She has stolen at least once in her life (who hasn't), and that makes her a thief. She has coveted, lied, dishonored her parents, etc. She has probably looked with lust on another person and is guilty of adultery, by God's standard (see Matthew 5:28,29).

By God's standard, she deserves hell! She will have to face Him on Judgment day, and her conscience has been telling her all along that what she was doing all along was wrong, wrong, wrong! Someone must pay the penalty for her crimes against a Holy God; either her or Jesus.

And yet God does nothing to help her hear the good news that Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins. He could, but He doesn't.

There are a variety of explanations for this:
1.) God doesn't exist. Ha ha, I know Him personally. Next!
2.) As a friend of mine tried to explain (click here and here), Acts 10:35 and Romans 2 teaches, in his words, "The Lord LOOKS AT ALL MEN, and surely He knows who WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE MESSAGE HAD THEY HEARD, and will judge accordingly." I have argued here that such doctrine undermines the gospel itself by teaching works-based righteousness. As he said, "Far be it from God to destroy people for technicalities!" Technicalities?? Technicalities?? Are we going to bend God's requirements because we don't like the implications? I would have had more respect for him if he'd have told me, "I don't know" rather than invent a doctrine. I honestly cannot distinguish this doctrine from works-based righteousness.
3.) Everyone is going to heaven. I'm not going to spend any time on this one.
4.) God passes them by because He hates them. This is hyper-Calvinism and I whole-heartedly reject it because I think it's manipulated out of the Bible; it is a logical conclusion that some come to, but I cannot see it has having been taught by the Bible.
5.) God passes them by because, although He loves His enemies, He chooses to do nothing to save them but lets them continue to be wicked and do wicked things -- against Him, by the way (He endures it all with patience!). He does this because He has something greater in mind: His glory. He desires to endure the rebellion of some people because He desires to demonstrate His patience and His wrath and therefore also His holiness. Arti's unrighteousness serves to demonstrate His righteousness. And don't forget, He suffers Himself the whole time! He also desires to demonstrate mercy toward us, the undeserving. And all of this is done for the praise of the glory of His name!

I think this is the clear testimony of Romans, particularly chapter 3 verse 5 and chapter 9 verses 22 and 23.* Indeed, I think it's the only answer that makes any sense without contradicting the wonderful gospel of grace or going into universalism or atheism.

* Yes, I'm aware there are other interpretations of Romans 9. I'm talking about the straight-up, normal, simple reading just how it appears on the page. It's the only interpretation that makes sense in Arti's situation.

Now you may not agree, but I'd like to hear what you think is truth. Tell me, what other option is there? I think some of you will reluctantly accept option 2, but honestly I feel this is teaching works-based righteousness. And in my estimation, works-based righteousness is the earmark of any and every false doctrine; at some point it falls back to how good you are, and that is a damnable lie.

It is NOT how good you are, but how good HE is!!! And I love that doctrine! It breaks me, it humbles me, it helps me. I worship when I consider it is Christ and Christ alone!!

So what happens to people who don't hear the gospel? Leave a comment.

Update: Someone said to read Luke 12:47-48. That's good.

.

Kosher or not? That's the question (Charice)

2008-05-28T12:03:00.006-04:00

First, let's define what Kosher means: "Food that is permitted according to a set of dietary restrictions found in the Old Testament". Basically, there's unclean and clean animals and your not permitted to eat of the unclean. There are also other things that signify an item as Kosher but there's to many rules to write out here.

Now alot of Christians feel that they shouldn't have to adhere to Kosher laws, which I to a point agree on, because in Acts 10:15 ("Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.") it states that if the Lord provides then you do not call unclean what he has made clean. Other scriptures that correlate are 1 Corinthians 8:8-10 (But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols?") and finally Romans 14:2-3 ("One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.")

So from reading these scriptures I would absorb that what is being said is that if you are in the presence of someone who is unsaved and not close to your family, you should eat whatever is put in front of you. Even if you have the tendency to eat what is healthy and good at home, you should sacrifice your body so that you do not sin by going against the Lord's word.

Back to Kosher! What for example, signifies that a fish is clean or unclean? Take a stroll in Leviticus 11: 9-12 and you'll note that clean fish *must* have fins and scales. So that would mean fish such as Cod, Bass, Flounder, Perch, Salmon, Sardine, Trout and Tuna are all considered to be clean fish. Whereas shark, monkfish, catfish, eel, swordfish and sturgeon are unclean and are in an either/or type category. If you think about it the unclean fish tend to be the janitors of the ocean. See God created this amazing organ known as the liver, it's a beautiful creation that we owe so much to. Why? Because it's what allows our body to filter toxins out of our system so that they don't shut our bodies down. Fish have these as well and it's been speculated that the job of the bottom feeding, unclean fish is to filter toxins out of the water as well as clean up all the dead sea creature carcasses that end up on the bottom of the water bed. The same of these things can be said of crustaceans such as shrimp, prawn, crab, lobster and so on. What also is a danger, is that the larger a fish is, the more mercury it contains per pound. So even if you buy a small can of tuna, it came from a pretty good sized fish. Just a side thought, anybody taken a look at our oceans or the closer to home St John's River lately?

Now, we are all gonna croak and end up six feet deep someday but for now we must be good stewards of the body the Lord gave us so that we can care for his people and live out our days seeking to serve him who gave his body up for us. When we read Old Testament scriptures we should whole heartedly ponder why God originally gave these scriptures to the people and why they are in our bible today. Our God is so wonderful to hand down laws to us, not because he has a desire to hinder our enjoyment, but because he takes pleasure in our enjoyment and chose to give us certain laws to keep us safe.

For our health and safety, we must "separate the wheat from the chaff" and partake in that which enhances our health, not that which diminishes it.

(Chris's turn to talk.)
Clap clap clap, very good Charice. Now before someone shouts "LEGALISM," let us be careful to define what legalism is: Doing good works to earn justification before God. That's it. What Charice is talking about is NOT,
NOT,
NOT,
NOT a matter of sin! This is most certainly NOT a sin issue! When I go to a friend's house and they serve pork, I say "MMMMMmmmm, pass the applesauce!"

Three verses you forgot, Charice: Jesus declared all foods spiritually clean (that is, not a sin to eat them) in Mark 7:18 and 19. The context is spiritual. Does the Bible tell us anywhere that excluding certain foods for health or dieting reasons is a sin?? Is it a sin for anyone to stop drinking beer because it's bad for his health? I want to stress that Charice is talking about a health issue, NOT a sin one.

The other two verses you forgot are 1 Corinthians 10:23 and 1 Corinthians 10:31: "'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up." (ESV) "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (ESV)

The question I have is, while pork is indeed lawful to eat, is it helpful? Even science (usually) agrees it is not. I find this fascinating and faith-affirming, for ancient nomadic people would NOT have known which fish were better for their bodies. Only recently have we discovered the function of the liver; they would not have known. That's our Creator revealing to ancient, nomadic people the diet that's best for them! That's why I eat Genesis 1:29 (raw vegan), but that's another subject.

Whatever you eat or drink, do all to the glory of God. I intend to keep my body as fit as I am able so that I can work hard in the kingdom. (Charice can tell you, the "work hard" part doesn't always happen, but I'm growing.) ;-) Can you eat pork to the glory of God? Do it. Just know that you will be more likely to be crippled some day, and if so will you be able to serve king Jesus or will you be stuck in an easychair? I hope you make wise, healthy choices as a good steward of the resources our wonderful God has given us!

Not Being Lonely (Charice)

2008-05-27T13:48:00.003-04:00

I was watching a preview for a movie and a scene came on with a female character stating, "I think everyone's just trying not to be lonely". Does this touchy feely sentiment give excuse for sin?

I believe the statement above does speak truth because most people feel like their alone and therefore seek to fill a void in the heart with another human. So much in our life we seek to fill a void inside us with sex, relationships, food, drugs, alcohol, smoking and other addictions. Each one of us will have some manifestation of this indwelling sin that comes from a lack of relationship with the Father.

When in reality what we need to do is drop to our knees and cry out to the Lord, "You are all satisfying my God, in you I am filled". Now, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with seeking out a mate but your focus needs to be on serving the Lord and finding a mate who has the same passion in life. Find joy in the grace of God in other peoples life, pray for God to reveal what place he would have for you in the church, and above all make God your main focus so you have your needs met by him. Trust that if the Lord has a plan for you to be married, in time he will bring your path and theirs together at the same time.

We serve a dangerous God (Chris)

2008-05-25T23:37:00.005-04:00

Just got done reading Jonah, then the first three chapters of Richard Wurmbrand's Tortured for Christ, then 2 Timothy. All I'm going to say is we serve a dangerous God.

Update: And then, providentially, read Piper's biography of Brainerd and THEN, later the same day, providentially again, heard Piper's biography of Tyndale that he spoke at New Attitude. Wow. Lots of testimonies to the dangerous God we serve.

What Makes A Family (Charice)

2008-05-21T15:52:00.003-04:00

In today's world what we see much of is far from the "old school" imagery that was the "nuclear family". Wherein the Father was the financial provider, Mother stayed at home and the children went to public school or were home-schooled. Well, the school part hasn't changed but the positioning of the parents have. What ripple effect has this change in the "nuclear family" truly caused?

Now Mother works full time and Father stays home, or both parents work full time while the children are shuttled to and from child care centers. With the first situation, the Mother takes on the brunt of the "working man" which can exceed over 40hours a week of stressful situations and comes home exhausted and unable to spend any real quality time with her husband and children. Father grows exhausted with the seemingly cumbersome job of keeping up with the home and kids. And the children see very little of their Mother and end up in an almost single parented home.

What about the second situation? It's not looking any better either! Children of parents who both work full time are shuttled to and fro in an attempt to keep the children "busy and out of their parents hair" while their parents attempt to juggle numerous debt that never seems to go away. All the while the kids are constantly sick and their parents never seem to be happy.

What was the catalyst of all this? Many would whole heartedly blame what we now refer to as the "sexual revolution" of the 60's, but I believe that was just one of the many moments in our history that brought about such a disheartening change. I believe the first catalyst can be located in Genesis 3:1-19, which is a chapter in the book of Genesis that reveals many things. (1) Woman took it upon her self to eat of the forbidden fruit, instead of seeking out her husband to point her back to the command of God: "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."(2) Her husband was lax in his leadership by allowing his wife to firstly pluck the fruit from the tree and then by partaking in it himself. (3) They allowed something to come between their relationship with God, essentially they chose to believe the lies of the serpent versus the truth of God. I'm sure many pastors could find more in this small snippet of scripture but I must move on.

What aspect did the "sexual revolution" add to an already unstable family life? As women argued for their equality and rights to vote they really were arguing against a natural setting that God had placed woman into. They were unhappy with staying at home and deemed it to be a lowly job and that they deserved better. What love they felt towards God and his positioning of women in the home. (NOT!) During this time men chose to cave to the towering voice of these women seeking independence from their home lives. God gave them the job of being leaders over women and children and this directive was disregarded at both times.

Where are we now? Children are left at child care centers where they are often neglected and/or abused and end up sick every time you turn around. If their not in a child care center of some sort they are shuttled from one relative to another being exposed to various things their parents normally would not allow them to be exposed to (ex.: alternative lifestyles, various spiritual beliefs, sex, drugs, alcohol, etc). Women are rarely at home, and when they are their stressed and unable to be attentive to either the husband or children. Husbands become fed up in a position that they are unsuited for and lash out at their family. And I'm sure on some if not most occasions, one of the spouses commits adultery because of neglect and unhappiness.

So how do we begin to fix this process? Salvation is one of the many keys to open our eyes that will allow us to see what we need to do in order to glorify God and to rear a family up in the way of the Lord. Attending church, moving into a position where the husband can work full time, pulling the children out of the "shuttle" lifestyle their in, all help to move your family into a place where God would have you.

There are a few exceptions but the vast majority of people live life in the ways described above. I know this because the family that I know who are unsaved all resemble these families.

Relapse..Ugh! (Charice)

2008-04-16T20:07:00.003-04:00

Well, I was doing good for a bit but got sneezed on Sunday by some little guys and come Monday I woke up with a sore throat and cough. To make matters worse I had a bowl of Crispix cereal and Rice Dream Rice Milk that I thought was gluten free, but within minutes I started feeling like I had wheat/gluten exposure. Come to find out, Rice Dream Rice Milk contains 0.02% of gluten, which is written in tiny little letters on the package and the Crispix contains Barley Malt which also contains gluten. Ugh! After taking a dose of Honey Chestal this morning my cold is retreating and the exposure to the gluten is slowly leaving my system.

We have also discovered that Dominic seems to have a gluten allergy as well, so today I ran over to Native Sun to pick up some Pacific Rice Milk to see if we get any improvement.

Oh, and on a happy note for moi (yay!), my fingernails and toe nails are growing at a fast pace! I've always had short boyish little nails but now they are actually growing. I hate to sound girly-fied (my word) but I might have to purchase some natural/organic nail polish soon. :-)
I can't help but be happy because if my body is healing, that means the villi in my intestines are slowly absorbing vitamins and minerals.

I'll write some theological later, but for now I'm going to get some more rest. (And ponder nail polish colors....teehee)

An infinite and holy God (Charice)

2008-04-13T23:44:00.002-04:00

Now that my brain is off the toxic wheat/gluten I'm free to have thoughts that last longer than five seconds. And as such...I've been pondering again!

I have alot of family and friends who have lost children in various ways and they all seem to handle it differently. What troubles me most is when I meet mom's who almost take God out of the equation completely, and assume that it's the doctor's fault. Now, I whole heartedly believe that if a doctor does not perform their duties in which they are fully capable, then you should pursue legal ramifications.

"How can God understand my suffering?" Sometimes in all the pain a parent goes through, they tend to lose sight of the cross. It's something we sinfully do quite often. The Father truly loved his son but both were aware of the sacrifice needed to cover so much sin, therefore God allowed his one and only innocent child to be humiliated, flogged, mocked and crucified. He's a just God so therefore he can't over look sin, so of course there had to be a pretty big valuable sacrifice made.
If you need a visual, check out "The Passion of Christ". God ordained the birth of a child and the death of a child, which scripture supports in Psalm 139: 13-16

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written,
every one of them, the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them."

As well as in Job:1:21
"The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

I truly don't believe the question any parent should ask is "How can God understand my suffering?" but more so, "In my hour of weakness, what should I do?"

I believe the Word for those parents would be found in 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 "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. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

It's late so I'm signing off for tonight. :-)

Weekly Ponderings - Charice

2008-04-09T22:47:00.005-04:00

(Charice speaketh her mind... --Chris)
This week has yielded quite a bit for me both emotional and spiritually, and I'm up to Wednesday! See, this wheat free/gluten free/dairy free diet is the bomb! Ack! I've just aged myself.

(1) I've learned that my oldest son can pee on the wall while sitting next to it on the toilet -- what an amazing talent! For his next stunt he will write his name in the snow -- blind folded!

(2) I've learned that the Lord will bring all his works full circle, if he starts something in your life he WILL bring it to completion.

(3) I've re-realized that my husband is my best friend and therefore DOES have my best interests at heart. Now somebody remind me of that when I'm arguing *my* point with Chris.

(4) I've realized that I should see the blessing that my children are rather than focus on their sins.

(5) My husband recently expressed a realization that he feels the Lord may one day draw him to be a pastor --my first thought was "Am I the clay that would end up being a Godly pastor's wife?". Did this man forget who he married? Did he forget he married an unsaved sinner at one point? But again I suppose if it's the Lord's will, my body will bow to his hands.

(6) I realized that out of all the jobs I've ever had -- motherhood yields the best "pay".

(7) My children need a savior -- just like mommy, daddy and the whole planet.

(8) I need no mother, father, sister or inlaws as long as I have my God, my husband and my children by my side. Not to say they don't have a place in my life, but God's word says I'm to cleave to my husband and I feel as though I've reached a maturing point where that has happened.

(9) God has your interest and it's because of that that anything he allows to happen in your life, will happen because he willed it. You don't need more money, fancy clothes, a fancy car, etc. but you do need sanctification and salvation.

(10) I'm blessed to be surrounded by elders who God has blessed with much wisdom.

"The gospel according to Oprah"?

2008-04-08T21:10:00.005-04:00

(Charice gets up on her 'lil soapbox :-) --Chris)
After watching the youtube video (click here), I'm just blown away at the blasphemy, it's sad there's a huge number of people that are following behind this woman. Then again, when you have no shepherd to lead you, you wonder around aimlessly looking for anyone to care for you.

Ugh! I feel like satiating myself in a little scripture, so let me drop a few on you.

John 10:2-5
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

John 10:9-11
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:14
"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. "

Romans 1:18-24
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Romans 1:24-25
Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Deuteronomy 4:2
You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

Okay, now I feel better.

Wait....as strange as it seems, I felt a great need to gleen Psalm 1 and found this juicy tidbit.

Psalm 1:5-6 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Oh My Word! I do believe the Lord has spoken and he's waaaay older and wiser than Oprah Winfrey. I think I'll listen to wise words of the Lord.

Psalm 7:9-17
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end, and may you establish the righteous—
you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God! My shield is with God,
who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow; he has prepared for him his deadly weapons,making his arrows fiery shafts. Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies. He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has mad .His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends. I will give to the Lord the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High.

I feel much comfort in the Word of God and therefore I'm ready for my sleep.Wait..one more
Psalm 127:2 for he gives to his beloved sleep..okay it's not about getting to bed on time but he does bless me with sleep which I truly need. :0)

Charice's testimony

2008-04-06T22:19:00.001-04:00

I'm not really sure how to start my testimony of what the Lord has done for me recently but the important thing is that God gets the glory for it. For over the past two and a half years I've been deeply burdened by the realization that for me it was impossible to absorb the word of God not only on Sundays, but when I would have Home Group as well. After much distress I had reached my boiling point and felt as if I would never be able to focus on scripture again. It was a very distressing thought as I looked around every Sunday seeing others jot down notes as the preacher spoke. What was wrong with me that I couldn't focus for one simple hour, let alone one minute during the sermon? Over the month's my spiritual well continued to get drier and I knew that something was stopping me from getting even the tiniest spiritual crumb.

Now many people know that I've had to go on a elimination diet to remove artificial colors, flavors and preservatives but that seemed to only help with my physical ailments. So after doing about 6 years on this diet I thought I had gotten to the very core of the problem but still seemed to have constant sinus problems and was never able to sit down in a large group of people and concentrate on anything. To say I cried out to God for help, well that's sort of an understatement. I still remember to this day walking into the church and praying, "God, I won't get this but somehow please do a work in me so I will one day get this stuff. I need you to change me because I don't know what to do."

About two months ago I happened to be in the parking lot of Native Sun and a woman stopped at the end of my car and out of blue recommended I look into celiac disease. What had prompted this woman to stop at my car in the first place? I have a sticker on my car that reads ADHDDiet.com and after speaking with her, she had once thought she had ADD/ADHD but later found out she had celiac disease. After a few pleasantries she went on her way and I went on mine, a little shaken that a complete stranger would stop to talk about my health. I mean, how often do complete strangers walk up to you and discuss your health?

I was shaken, but I knew this had to be God using this stranger to tell me something. I figured if I couldn't hear God in my own head, maybe he had to send someone with their own voice. A few weeks ago our pastor spoke on Ananias and Sapphira and for the first time I was able to not only keep up with the sermon but I was understanding what was being said. In fact, I probably bugged my husband during the sermon as I was constantly telling him everything that I could comprehend. (Not really :-) --Chris) I left church that day a little apprehensive that this wasn't going to last, but still prayed for good things to come. Every day I feel things changing little by little and know that the best is still to come.

I've been unable to attend church the last few weeks due to illness in our family, but this morning I was able to attend the worship and really felt the Holy Spirit move in me and speak to me, in ways I haven't had in a long time. Someone in our church spoke this morning on not looking back to the past but to the future, and I realized that over the past few weeks I had become a little concerned about all the sermons I had missed. How could I possibly make up for two and a half years of sermons? I can't, now all I can do is look to the future and eagerly anticipate what new things the Lord will reveal to me.

As I sit here pondering back on those times, there was probably a spirit of covetousness for those foods that "normal people" we able to eat. Those yummy wheat, gluten and occasional dairy laden treats were my idol that kept me from my God. Do I still have the temptation to eat foods that have those ingredients? Absolutely! What may seem like a harmless, momentary pleasure can in fact push us further from the true thing we need most. Yet, God allows all things so that when our eyes are opened, we see just how much he cares for us. AS yummy as many foods are, from now on when I'm offered something I will remember just how far away from God I felt two and a half years ago, and graciously decline. No matter how good something may seem, it's not more beneficial for us than the Father.

(It is a great pleasure and relief to see my wife speak with wisdom and bring such glory to God. I had been praying, "Lord change her" for years, but God revealed that I must pray "Lord, change ME!" And ironically, God changed her when I stopped focusing on her problems and started focusing on mine, and the solution of my problems: the gospel. Glory to GOD! --Chris)

National Atheist Day, April 1

2008-03-29T09:24:00.002-04:00

This Tuesday (April 1st) used to be called April Fool's Day, but now we are calling it National Atheist Day! "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" (Psalm 14:1 ESV)

The interesting thing about atheism is it strikes the heart of every man, whether he be a believer or an unbeliever. Here's how you can tell: Suppose Jesus knocked on your front door tomorrow morning and told you, "I will be following you around, observing you, for the rest of your life." Wouldn't you act differently?

So why the difference? Unbelief!

And yet believers in Christ do have a mustard seed of faith. Their lives give evidence of that belief.

So let us be as the father of the demon-possessed child in Mark 9 and say, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (ESV)

(Thanks goes to my friend Bridget for passing the first two sentences along, from which I built this post.)

Calvininsts teach Perseverance, NOT Eternal Security/OSAS!

2008-03-16T19:31:00.004-04:00

Are you guys aware that Calvinists classically taught "Perseverance" as opposed to "Eternal Security" or "Once Saved, Always Saved"? It is my conviction that the latter is so dangerous it's inches from heresy; it has given false assurance to countless millions of false Christians. While I think that the former embraces every statement about the loss of salvation that a non-Calvinist can make. It just adds the promises of God.

Read the Westminster Confession:

"They, whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called, and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved." Westminster Confession of Faith 17.1, drafted by the Westminster Assembly at the request of the British Parliament 1643-47, emphasis added by me

It's not as important to me whether Calvinists taught it; what's more important is to know whether it's what the Bible teaches, and I believe it is. Even so, let's not burn Calvinist straw men.

So when I read Colossians 1:21-23, 1 John 1:5-10; 3:3-6, Hebrews 10:26-31 or Hebrews 12:1, I just nod my head and say, "yep, that's true." And when I read John 6:38-40, John 10:28-29, Romans 8:28-39, Philippians 1:4-6, Philippians 2:12-13 and 1 John 2:19, I say "yep, that's true."

I love the doctrine of perseverance because it embraces all of what the Bible teaches about the subject. It teaches that God is SOVEREIGN in salvation. It teaches that man is RESPONSIBLE in salvation.

It's all true!

You MUST persevere to the end.
You WILL persevere to the end.
You MUST.
You WILL.
You MUST.
You WILL.

I don't know where one ends and the other begins, I just know that Scripture says both are true and therefore I believe it. Here's how I think it works: God's Word says that losing one's salvation is indeed something that, while it technically could happen, won't -- and that is God's promise. Therefore you can take it to the bank as if it were in Fort Knox. He will see to it that you will never ultimately reject Him and He will always provide the strength -- that you MUST use! -- to persevere until the end.

Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that God uses the warnings His very Word as a means to prevent true Christians from faltering. These warnings are in themselves proof that God will prevent His children from being cast into hell. The Scriptures that you non-Calvinistic Christians point to are the very proof of God's preserving effect! They are the very means to the end He will effect!! 1 John 1:5-10 is proof-positive that God intends to preserve His chosen, because countless thousands have read that passage and been cut to the heart of their hypocrisy. 1 John 1:5-10 is proof of God's preserving work through the ages. Where would those countless thousands be without the warnings in God's Word???

Do not burn Calvinistic Christians at the stake, we are your brothers in Christ. And the ones who disallow a lawless, antinomian, licentious lifestyle are actually closer brothers than you may be aware. Join us in refuting "Eternal Security" and "Once Saved, Always Saved", but don't burn straw men. And consider whether you're missing out on God's amazing, heart-warming, soul-thrilling, faith-enriching, long-cherished promises of perseverance and preservation until the end. They are choice jewels!!

...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you... (Philippians 2:12,13 ESV)

P.S. You might want to have a look at this link, it was very helpful for me:
Can a Christian lose his or her Salvation? Arminianism, Antinomianism and Classic Calvinism

Jesus told us to sell everything we own!!

2008-02-24T19:10:00.000-05:00

I was wrestling with Luke 12:33. I thought it said, "Sell all that ye have, and give alms." (KJV) I thought, "Everything, Lord? My house and car and clothes off my back?"

I wrestled and wrestled and told God I would do it, if that's really what he meant.

I surrendered.

Then I prayed for wisdom from the Holy Spirit. And I received!

Just an hour later, I saw that the word "all" is not in the King James or any other translation. It's not in the original Greek. I had imagined it.

In the context, Jesus is encouraging us not to treasure things here and encourages us to make use of the treasures we have by giving to the poor. He is calling us to live simply so as to maximize our resources for the Kingdom. He is calling us to keep very little, except what we need to survive.

Now surely that is a radical calling, but not nearly as radical as "Sell all that you have"!

What can you learn from this?
1.) Live simply and give your goods away for the poor.
2.) Be willing to surrender to the Word of God. If it says to jump, you should be willing to say, "Yes, Lord. How high?"

Ben Stein on Darwinism and free speech

2008-02-22T04:01:00.003-05:00

The more I thought about the situation, the more I wondered why we tolerate free speech in every other area of the society, but not here.

What makes this situation so different? In my experience, people who are confident in their ideas are not afraid of criticism. So that tells me the Darwinists are afraid. They're hiding something.

-- Ben Stein, trailer on ExpelledTheMovie.com (emphasis added)

Proof that the Jehovah's Witnesses have the wrong Jesus!

2008-02-11T23:13:00.000-05:00

Isn't it true that the Jesus of the Jehovah's Witnesses is so radically different that he could not rightly be called the same Jesus that the one the Christians worship? They could only be two different Jesuses.

Therefore, JWs, if you've got the wrong Jesus, you're going to hell. You know that, don't you?

I am utterly confident that I have the right Jesus. Here's how I know: I have a personal, active, experiential relationship with Him. He guides me with the Word, with wisdom, discipline, companionship and strength. He leads me by the inner Spirit dwelling within me in obedience to the Ten Commandments and other Biblical Laws. I desire to obey, not because I have to, but because I want to, because His Spirit lives within me, prompting me to, because I love Him so much. My conscience has been sharpened to the slightest disobedience to God's Laws. I cannot get away with rebellion on any level. I have an incredible companionship with the Messiah that no person on earth will ever replace. I love Him, I worship Him, I would die for Him, I can't wait until He returns or calls me home.

I have enjoyed this relationship since approximately the Summer of 2000. This relationship was promised in Jeremiah 31:33,34 and fulfilled in Matthew 26:28. Therefore, when I read your literature I immediately know that you are mistaken.

"WHAT? That doesn't prove anything!" It does to me ;-) For me, it is completely, unarguably self-authenticating. I am willing to die for this Messiah, and seeing the direction this Spirit is taking me, a martyr's death is likely.

"But that doesn't prove it for me!" That's understandable. If you want to prove it for yourself, take the good person test.

The stakes couldn't be higher. I invite you to know the Bringer of the New Covenant personally and therefore be confident that you will be judged "not guilty" on the Day of Judgment.

Atheists fear George Mueller

2007-12-23T21:37:00.000-05:00

Atheists must fear George Mueller or something. I just did a Google search for any atheist who might try to make a case that he was a fraud, or even that they could say anything about him.

Zero.
Zip.

Many atheists have been converted by reading his testimonies!

Read
OR
Listen

I want to be like George, and so be used by God to put to silence the arguments of unbelievers. God, please use me like he!

Now here's a TBN show I wouldn't mind watching

2007-12-17T13:55:00.001-05:00

I'm really not a fan of the "Praise the Lord" show but here's one show I wouldn't mind seeing! It had:
Kirk Cameron
Chip Ingram
Todd Friel
Tedd Tripp
Paul Washer

And two others that Kirk appreciates, even though I'd never heard of them. But if Kirk appreciates them, they must be good.

Woohoo! I'll have to watch it later...

Here it is. Open it in Windows Media Player. Here's the URL so you can copy/paste if you need to (I had to):
http://tinyurl.com/2d4kou

Aren't there many roads to heaven?

2007-12-17T13:19:00.000-05:00

Q: Aren't there many roads to heaven? Just as there are many paths to the top of a mountain, there are many roads to heaven.
A: Where do you have to be to see if all paths lead to the top of a mountain? You have to be above the mountain, don't you? Therefore don't you have to be God to make that statement?

What if those roads only appear to go to heaven but at the end lead to destruction? It'll be the day of Judgment before you find out, won't that be too late?

Not all roads lead to the same God. The God of Abraham, Issac, Jacob and Jesus says that if you lie you'll be found guilty of lying on the day of Judgment and will be cast into the lake of fire. If you look with lust on another person you're guilty of adultery. If you hate someone you're guilty of murder. No other "road" gets that personal, requiring holiness down in the inward parts. Clearly all roads cannot be leading to this God, for this God is more pure than any other.

And of course this God gives grace, which is not found on any other "road," not even Islam.

So let's lay down this business that "all roads lead to heaven." You're not God, you cannot make that statement.

Want free solar for your house?

2007-12-17T08:43:00.001-05:00

Want free solar for your house?

A new program makes it incredibly easy to get free solar for your house. Read this. Basically, the way you save money is A.) by locking in utility rates for up to 25 years and B.) if your free solar grid generates more electricity than you normally use. Someone else installs it, someone else fixes it if it breaks. Sounds exciting! I signed up.

Trick question: Are you ready for Christmas?

2007-12-13T16:35:00.000-05:00

Here's a test to prove that Christmas has gotten to be too much about shopping: Ask anyone, "Are you ready for Christmas?" The reply will almost always be, "No, I'm not done shopping yet!"

When I first started asking the question I had in mind, "Are you glad it's the Christmas season now? Isn't this a wonderful time of year?" But I'd get the reply above, which puzzled me. I soon discovered that what everyone seems to think I was asking was, "Have you prepared yourself for everything that you must do (or believe you must do) before December 25th?"

People tend to do what they think they must do this time of year: please everyone. Without the grace of God and His direction that is impossible.

So ask the question of others, and see what the responses are. Then ask yourself if you're spreading yourself too thin this time of year. If so, see the previous post, and ask God for grace (unmerited favor) and direction.

Are you spread too thin?

2007-12-12T14:57:00.000-05:00

Readers, are you spread thin because you have so many opportunities for good things you don't know which to spend time on? You could benefit from a values assesment.

Go here and just do the first three days, it'll help you get focus. Of course you can read the whole thing, especially as it pertains to your finances, but I found just those three days applied to my time as well.

If you're having trouble with the values section as I did, look here.

My values:
Gospel
Family
Prudence (as in, saving for the future, planning wills, frugal living, etc.)
Friends
Giving
Truth (as in, any truth that changes lives but is not the Gospel itself)

The Bible was written by men!

2007-12-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

Statement: The Bible was written by men!
Reply: You are absolutely correct. But when you write a letter, who chooses the words? You or your pen?

That's what Peter was trying to explain to his audience:

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21 ESV)

He was trying to say that, yes the Bible (prophecy) was written or spoken by men but the words were chosen and directed by God's providence.

And by the way, I'm not trying to use the Bible to prove the Bible, I'm only trying to re-express my point with Scripture. Also, notice that this objection is at least 2,000 years old :-)

Of course the Bible was written by men; that fact gets us nowhere. The question is: Did those men write every word God wanted them to, or did they make them up? That's the $64,000 question, NOT whether the Bible was written by men.

And really, if the Bible had fallen out of the sky, would people today believe the witnesses?

I don't believe in trains!

2007-12-06T18:04:00.000-05:00

HONNNKKK!!!!!!!

The man stood on the lonesome country train tracks in the dark of night. Only corn and open sky surrounded him.

HONNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKK!!!!

The train was just a quarter of a mile away. The man didn't budge.

"I don't believe in trains!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, trying to drown out the horn.

HONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!

"I DON'T BELIEVE IN TRAINS!"

Seven more times the train honked. It couldn't stop; there were too many cars and the distance was too short.

...
...
...

The mess was gruesome.

The train of judgment is barreling toward you whether you believe in it or not, and I'll show you proof: The Ten Commandments.

10. You shall not covet. Who do you know who has never wanted something that didn't belong to them?
9. You shall not give false testimony. Tell one lie, white lie, fib, half-truth, whatever, and you're a liar. I'm a liar, and "as for [...] liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur" (Revelation 21:8 ESV) I lied to my wife just last night. I confessed it to her and am forgiven by the blood of Christ.
8. You shall not steal. Take even one thing that belongs to someone else and you're a thief. God doesn't care about the value when it belongs to someone else.

Ever taken the company's time? You're a thief. God is helping me with this one, but I've been so guilty of it.
7. You shall not commit adultery. Again most people think they've passed this one, until confronted with Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:27: "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."

God judges the heart. I think every breathing person alive is an adulterer at heart.
6. You shall not murder. Most people think they've gotten away from this one, but consider what the apostle John said: "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer." (1 John 3:15)

See God judges the heart. In this country, if you even conspire to kill the president you'll go to prison. In the same way, God judges the heart.
5. Honor your father and mother. I was like any teen, rebellious to the brim.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. God gave me breath and life and more than I deserve; so often I haven't given Him just one day out of the week.
3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. That's called blasphemy; it's replacing a four-letter filth word with God's name, the one who gave you breath and life. If I used your mother's name as a filth word you'd be extremely upset; how much more almighty God? This is a serious crime, and I'm guilty of it too.
2. You shall not make for yourself a carved image. This can be done with the hands or the mind. I've run after money, friendship, food, etc. I've broken this commandment.

You can also break this commandment like this: "My God is a God of love. He wouldn't create hell." You are 100% correct, because your god doesn't exist! Your god has no sense of justice. You are guilty of creating a god in your mind.
1. You shall have no other Gods before me. Have you always, every waking moment, in everything, put God first in your life, to the point that love for mothers, brothers, sisters, husbands has looked like HATRED in comparison? I'm guilty of breaking this commandment. Who isn’t??

Listen to the voice of your conscience. You know it's wrong to lie, don't you? You know it's wrong to steal. God's judgment is as sure as the sunrise and your conscience bears witness that His law is true. Jesus said, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." (Luke 13:3 ESV)

God’s Word says, "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3:19)

Jesus stood my place. He shoved me off the tracks and let Himself be hit by the train of judgment -- that's why "gospel" means "good news." I am incredibly and eternally grateful for what He did for me.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE repent and believe in Christ's finish work for sinners like you and me. It's your only hope.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD! I DON'T BELIEVE IN JUDGEMENT!"

HONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!

How to stand for reformed theology without being a jerk

2007-12-03T11:29:00.000-05:00

Jen Guerriero had an excellent point on last night's "Two Reformed Brothers" blogcast: Some who affirm reformed theology can really be a jerk about it. It's tempting, but that's because of our sin, NOT because of the doctrine itself; there are many humble reformed Christians.

Here's how I've learned to fight this tendency:
1.) Affirm --and practice -- the doctrine of total depravity. "What?? Of course we affirm that!" But do you keep that in mind when you listen and speak to others? Sin clouds everyone's mind -- even non-Calvinistic Christians -- and so we need to take Jesus' example of looking with compassion on those who disagree with us, keeping in mind that coming to grips with God's sovereignty sometimes takes years. It can be very offensive to the natural mind, and it takes patience.
2.) Listen. Listen more than you speak. Reflect and reiterate the views of the other person.
3.) Understand. Seek to understand the other person's views. If you think you understand, explain what you know to the other person and see if they agree. This can help avoid burning straw men, and can actually serve to strengthen your own doctrine, particularly if you argue their points with yourself.
4.) Agree to disagree. If the issue is not heretical, and Arminianism is NOT heretical, exersize Christian charity.
5.) Find common ground. For example, I don't take any fault with the Arminian's statement "Jesus died for the world" because they only mean sufficiency. Of course Jesus' blood is sufficient for all, but is there more? Did Jesus die to provide more than sufficiency? Read more...
UPDATE: The cool thing about doing this is it disarms them. "Oh, you agree with that point? Hmm." In their mind, they have you out to be worshiping a horrible god that doesn't give anyone a chance. By finding common ground, you can actually see them letting their guard down and giving you a chance to speak.
6.) Assume they have honest problems with our doctrines. I know there are some who disagree with what Calvin taught for dishonest reasons (for example, perhaps they don't like it because it bashes their pride), but I'll bet most are honest. They either don't understand it fully or have honest questions about apparent contradictions. I even have honest questions about apparent contradictions. So does John Piper, as he confessed in his messages on TULIP. You can listen to them on DesiringGod.org; I highly recommend them.
7.) Make it a Scriptural issue, not an experiential or logical issue. I cannot stress this enough. We must not agree with Calvin because of fallible, easily manipulated logic or our own subjective personal experience but because SCRIPTURE says so! This will put you in a much stronger state anyhow, as many non-Calvinistic Christians argue from easily manipulated human logic. Scripture overrules logic, always.
8.) Recognize that you could still be wrong. Even John Calvin, as meticulous as he was, surmised that the best theologians were still probably only 80% correct. What?? John Calvin was 80% right?? Where does that put me, at 40% on a good day? This knowledge will keep you humble and will keep you on the pursuit of more and more truth.
9.) Read and practice this.
10.) Read it again.
11.) Memorize John 13:35 and 2 Timothy 2:24-25. That second one is hard to memorize. I'm a bonehead when it comes to Scripture memorization, but I was able to memorize it with the help of one of the "Hide the Word" CDs.
12.) Affirm -- and practice -- the doctrine of total depravity. "Chris, you're repeating yourself." No, this time I am referring to your own state. You weren't born with TULIP tattooed across your forehead, and God did not reveal these doctrines to you because you were something special. You didn't figure this stuff out on your own, God had to give grace. Thank Him for revealing truth to you, and then keep that in mind as you talk to others. It will keep you humble.

To summarize:
1.) Affirm --and practice -- the doctrine of total depravity for them
2.) Listen
3.) Understand
4.) Agree to disagree
5.) Find common ground
6.) Assume they have honest problems with our doctrines
7.) Make it a Scriptural issue, not an experiential or logical issue
8.) Recognize that you could still be wrong
9.) Read and practice this
10.) Read it again
11.) Memorize John 13:35 and 2 Timothy 2:24-25
12.) Affirm -- and practice -- the doctrine of total depravity for yourself

If you do nothing else I suggest, practice humility. Seek to be like Christ above all. He has PERFECT doctrine, and it offends Him when we misrepresent Him, but He doesn't smack us around when we don't get it! He is humble, patient and loves us just the same. Seek to be like Christ.

Jen is right, by the way. Humility should be the by-product of being gripped by the doctrines of grace. If your interactions with others is not marked by humility, you have a mere head knowledge of these doctrines and have not applied them to your own heart.

"I'm a Christian" and a quarter can get you a cup of coffee

2007-12-02T14:29:00.000-05:00

Many people these days claim to be a Christian. They usually anchor this claim on one or more of the following:
* They attend a Christian church
* They believe in God
* They believe in Jesus
* They said a prayer
* They raised their hand in a meeting in response to an invitation
* They came forward during a meeting in response to an invitation
* They 'asked Jesus into their heart'
* Their parents also claim to be Christians
* They were baptized
* They attended catechism classes and attended first communion
* They once had a very 'spiritual' experience

But are any of these sufficient? Here are five warning signs that should concern you; if you express any of these, please keep reading.

* When you accepted Christ, you had an immediate result, with impressive changes occurring quickly, followed by a quick fading away.
* You lack the life-giving and life-sustaining power of God's Word, regarding the Bible as dry and uninteresting.
* You have weak "roots," that is, depth of Godly character.
* You come into salvation with joy and gladness at first, but later lost that joy/gladness and "backslid."
* You actually believed for a season, but then ended up renouncing that belief later.

Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'" (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)

These are chilling words. Many people assume that when they die, they will be welcomed into the gates of heaven, but Jesus here says that many who think they are saved will be cast out. Frightening!

So what makes the difference between a true and false Christian conversion? I think that motive is the key.

Here's a question to stimulate thought: Would you want to be in heaven if Jesus weren't there? You could have all the health you wanted. You could have all the relationships with friends you wanted. You could have a clean conscience. You could have your favorite toys and recreation - just no Jesus. Would you want to be there?

If your motive for becoming a Christian was to be given heaven or to avoid hell, you probably came to Christ for the wrong reasons and your conversion is in question.

Imagine you're standing as a defendant in a court room. The jury had been deliberating for hours, but it has just been announced that they are being called back in. Sweat trickles down your brow -- what will the verdict be? Minutes pass like hours as you wait for the jury to file in to the room. The walls feel like a coffin.

"Have you reached a verdict?"

"We have, your honor. On counts of rape, murder in the second degree, cocaine smuggling, prostitution, we find the defendant guilty, your honor."

The Judge turns to you and spells out the penalty: Death.

Just as the Judge is about to bring down the gavel...

--- Intermission ---

When you die, you will stand before the just Judge of the universe. Revelation 20:11-12 says, "Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. (...) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. (...) And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done." (ESV)

What have you done in your life? Examine yourself with the Ten Commandments:

1. "You shall have no other gods before me."
Have you always put God first in your life? Jesus said to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength-- so much, that your love for your parents, brothers and sisters, friends, and even your own life is like hatred compared to your love and devotion for God. Have you ever failed to put Him first in your life?
2. "You shall not make for yourself any idol."
Who is God to you? Is he only a god of love and mercy who would never judge anyone and never cast anyone into Hell? If that's your god, then you're right. Your god couldn't cast anyone into Hell because he doesn't exist. He's a figment of your imagination. You've created a god in your own mind that you're more comfortable with. You may call it your "personal belief," but God calls it idolatry. It's the oldest sin in the Book, and the Bible warns that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of heaven.
3. "You shall not take the name of God in vain."
Have you ever used God's name as a curse word? If you have, you've taken the holy name of God-- who gave you your life, your family, and everything precious to you-- and used it as a filthy, four-letter word. Hitler's name wasn't even despised enough to be used as a curse word! If you have used God's holy name in that manner, you are a blasphemer and the Bible says "God will not hold him guiltless who takes the name of the Lord in vain."
4. "Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy."
God commands that we set aside one day in seven. Have you ever been guilty of breaking this Commandment?
5. "Honor your father and your mother."
Have you always honored your parents in a way that's pleasing in the sight of God? Ask Him to remind you of the sins of your youth. You may have forgotten them, but God hasn't.
6. "You shall not murder."
Jesus warned "Whoever is angry with his brother without cause, is in danger of judgment," (Matthew 5:22) and the Bible says, "He who hates his brother is a murderer," (1 John 3:15). God sees hatred in the heart to be as wicked as murder. We can violate His Law by attitude and intent.
7. "You shall not commit adultery."
Jesus warned,"You have heard...'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Have you ever looked at another person with lust? The Bible says that adulterers and fornicators (those who have had sex before marriage) will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
8. "You shall not steal."
Have you ever stolen anything (even if it was something small)? The value of the thing stolen doesn't matter; petty theft is still theft. Have you ever taken anything that belonged to someone else (from the office, school, parents, etc.)? If you have, that makes you a thief.
9. "You shall not lie."
Have you ever told a lie? Then you are a liar. How many murders do you have to commit to be a murderer? Just one. If you have told even one lie, that makes you a liar. The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8). You may not think deceitfulness is a serious sin, but God does.
10. "You shall not covet."
This means we should never desire anything that belongs to another person. Not their house, nor their car, nor their money, nor their wife, nor their lifestyle, nor anything that belongs to our neighbor.

Surely there is no one alive who has never broken just one of these great Commandments. And may I remind you that James 2:10 says, "whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it." (ESV)

With this in mind, let's return to the court room.

Just as the Judge is about to bring down the gavel, you object, "Your honor, may I say something?"

"Go ahead."

"I've heard that you're a good Judge. Surely you understand. I won't do it again."

The Judge says, "You're right, I am good, and because I'm good, I'm going to see to it that justice is carried out."

With that, the Judge lifts up his gavel. Just as the Judge is about to bring it down...

--- Intermission ---

Many people excuse their sins on the basis that "God is good and he'll overlook my sins; He understands..." But only a corrupt judge would overlook crimes.

God is good, but He is also just. He is righteous. He is holy, which means he will not tolerate any evil in His presence, including the evil in your heart.

With this in mind, let's return to the court room.

Just as the Judge is about to bring down the gavel, a soft-faced man steps into the court room. "Stop, your honor!"

The Judge pauses, gavel hanging in mid air.

"Your honor, I love that man. I know that he deserves to die, but I am willing to stand in his place. I have committed no crimes so I can pay for him. Nail me to the courtroom wall. Let my life blood drain out of me as payment, and let me die. Only let this man go free."

Dumbfounded, you watch as the Judge agrees and declares the soft-faced man guilty in your place. He is led over to a corner of the courtroom where a cruel whip with glass and broken pottery tears into his flesh 40 times. A crown of thorns is jammed into his brow.

He is then led over to the wall where the Judge himself nails him to the wall. Hours pass as in great agony the soft-faced man slowly dies, taking every breath in great agony as his bloody back scrapes against the rough wall.

"It is finished," the soft-faced man whispers, as he breathes his last. There is silence in the court room for several minutes.

The Judge turns to you and says, "You're free to go, son. This man took your penalty."

Shocked, stunned, you slowly gather your things and head for the door. The sunlight hits your eyes and you breathe in a sigh of relief, as if seeing the sun for the first time. Amazement fills your mind and you tell everyone about your experience in the courtroom. For the rest of your life, you remember with great love the soft-faced man. You want to be like him.

Are you a Christian? If so, why? Did you come because someone promised you heaven? Or joy? Or purpose? Or to fill a God-shaped hole in your heart? Do you even remember why?

Or did you come to be made righteous? To be made clean? To be forgiven of breaking God's Law, fearful of the judgment that would be due to you were you to die and stand before the just Judge of the universe?

I hope that after reading this, you will no longer hang your hat on a prayer prayed years ago, or your membership in a church, or anything else but Christ's finished work. You must repent of your Law breaking and trust in the Savior's work on your behalf! He is your only hope.

Whew, I think I've finally gotten organized!

2007-11-30T22:26:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say that Julie Morgenstern's book "Organizing from the Inside Out" is worth its weight in GOLD. I have hope now of streamlining our house and keeping it that way. I worked on my office last week. I have some before shots with my camera, I'll try to remember to upload them. As of today it's about 80% there, but I'm able to use the room again, and I'm able to keep it clutter-free. Amen!

Get this book. I checked it out from the library, but I'm going to actually buy it.

John Paul de Vidal born!

2007-11-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

The newest member of our family has been born!

11/17 @ 4:02a
7 pounds 13 ounces
20 1/2" long
Reddish hair

Wanna see pictures? Click here. You will need a password, drop me an email.

Can you refute Calvin's theology if you don't understand it?

2007-11-04T20:52:00.000-05:00

Very few people who disagree with what John Calvin taught hundreds of years ago actually seem to understand what he was teaching. Very few. I've seen book after book, article after article, web forum post after web forum post of disagreement with his theology that does not represent it fairly and accurately.

And how can you refute what you don't understand?

Here's where I want to help: Even if you come to disagree with Calvin's theology, at least try to understand it first! As a Bible-believing God-fearing born-again Christian, I want to hear where you disagree -- BUT -- if you want to be effective, you MUST refute it with accuracy or I will be tempted to simply write you off.

(How 'bout a little fire, scarecrow?)

This is why I have deep respect for men like Steve Noel over at the OpenAir message boards, or Roy Ingle at ArminianToday; THEY GET IT! They don't refute false enemies, they stand up against classical Calvinism and represent it fairly and then refute THAT.

I'll tell you this: it's MUCH harder to understand those who disagree with you, but it's also MUCH more rewarding!!

With that said, I would like to introduce for you a great tool that, over the years, has helped me to understand Calvin's theology. I like to think of it as a lens. A lens that will help you bring into focus what Calvin was trying to teach. If you then come to agree with Calvin, WONDERFUL! If you use this lens to fight Calvinism, so be it. But at least you'll fight fairly, and you'll have my respect when you do, and I will listen to you very carefully to see if you are right.

God's Sovereignty and Man's Responsibility

Classical Calvinistic Christians know that they must fully hold to a well-rounded view of God's sovereign rule over every part of every event of history -- including man's choices.

ALSO

Classical Calvinistic Christians know that they must fully hold to a well-rounded view of man's responsibility over every part of every choice he makes.

That's it.

"That's it? That's your lens? But that's utter contradiction!" Hey, I never said I understood it! :-) I just say that it's all over the Bible.

Take for example Philippians 2:12,13 in the ESV:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

A Christian who forgets God's sovereignty in man's choices points to the first half of this section and shouts, "You see? God demands that we choose righteousness!" Meanwhile, a Christian who forgets man's responsibility to make right choices points to the second half of this verse and shouts, "You see? God is the one who works!" I would like to politely raise my hand in this shouting match and quietly affirm both statements.

How does this help you understand what Calvin taught? Let's have a look at five very famous, hotly debated doctrines to see where both God's full and perfect sovereignty and man's full and perfect responsibility work together:

Total depravity Mankind is unable to respond to the gospel unless God frees them from chains (sovereignty) and yet God will hold all mankind responsible for their depravity (responsibility) and lack of willingness to obey the call of the gospel (responsibility).
Unconditional election God chooses men based upon zero good deeds or decisions (sovereignty), and yet mankind MUST choose Christ to be saved (responsibility).
Limited atonement God applied the blood of Christ (sovereignty) to anyone who would believe (responsibility). The blood of Christ is indeed sufficient for everyone and anyone who would believe. God wants EVERYONE to repent (responsibility) and yet not all repent, or even hear the gospel (sovereignty).
Irresistible grace God calls people in such a way (sovereignty) that they will only and always freely choose Christ (responsibility).
Perseverance of the saints You WILL persevere to the end (sovereignty). You MUST persevere to the end (responsibility).

So let's take for example this favorite non-Calvinist Bible verse:

Choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15 ESV)

"See?" says the non-Calvinistic Christian, "Right here it says that everyone must choose which God they serve!"

You are absolutely correct, mankind must choose.

And why do some men choose the gods of the Amorites and why do some men choose the gods of the region beyond the River and why do some men choose the Lord? What is over and below and before and behind and around and through their choices, unseen and unaware to them? God's sovereign hand. His sovereign hand is unseen and the chooser is unaware of His work, but He is nonetheless providentially at work in all of our decisions. My non-Calvinist brother in Christ, I'm sorry to say it: Your proof text proves very little.

It took me years to get this. I would either disallow God from being fully sovereign at the expense of man's responsibility, or I would prevent man from being fully responsible at the expense of God's sovereignty. But now that I see both truths all over Scripture, I could never, ever abandon either truth. I will try very hard to hold both truths with equal tension.

Here's some more examples:

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. (responsibility) God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth... (sovereignty) (2 Timothy 2:24,25 ESV)

Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect (sovereignty), that they also may obtain the salvation (responsibility) that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. (2 Timothy 2:10 ESV)

For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he
will. (sovereignty) (...) Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (responsibility) (John 5:21,24 ESV)

All that the Father gives me will come to me (sovereignty), and whoever comes to me (responsibility) I will never cast out (sovereignty)." (John 6:37 ESV)

Here's more verses with God's sovereignty and man's responsibility side-by-side. Click here.

Doesn't it hurt your brain to think that both of these things are true and also not contradictory?? WHAT A WONDERFUL, COMPLEX, MYSTERIOUS GOD WE SERVE!! :-)

Worship Him, you non-Calvinistic Christians!
Worship Him, you classical Calvinistic Christians!
Worship Him, you hyper-Calvinistic Christians!
Worship Him, all you saints!
Worship the LORD!

Do you remember when...

2007-11-01T09:33:00.000-04:00

Do you remember when Pep Boys sold car parts?

Do you remember when MTV (which stands for "Music TeleVision") showed music videos?

;-)

CUTE answering machine message

2007-10-04T12:44:00.000-04:00

My 22-month-old son Dominic decided to pick up my wife's cell phone and he clicked the redial button. He left me this cute message.