Tag Archives: Christianity

•

Q. How does President Obama avoid the accusation of putting earmarks into the budget?

A. Have his name edited off the earmark.

~~~

Factcheck.org on Obama's speech

~~~

John Samson (Reformation Theology) visits Mars Hill Church (Seattle)

~~~

MommyLife:  Conservatives seeking divorce and settlement

~~~

A review of "The Shack"

~~~

Where religion meets politics

The Obama administration may rescind the "conscience rule"

~~~

The Wall Street Journal on the Obama/Ayers connection (from 2008).

~~~

Andrew Bolt on "the most sweeping ethics reform in history . . ."

~~~

•

It occurred to me, as I was reading the first chapter of "Atlas Shrugged", that there is a similarity between the "John Galt" question and the current issue of people leaving the organized church.

I read about the railroad worker in chapter one, who was whistling "Halley's Fifth Concerto".

He didn't stop doing what he had been doing.  He was still writing, he had only left the system.

Many of the people leaving the church...they don't stop loving God.  They don't stop serving Him.

Many of them feel that it is the church that doesn't want them.  They might be too single, too divorced, too strong, too weak.  Too egalitarian, too complementarian.

They are not stopping doing what they are doing...they are only leaving the system.

I'm not saying that it's a good thing...it's not.

But I understand.

•

Wake up to the sunlight
With your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress
Use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes
Have what you want
But want what you have
And don't spend your life lookin' back

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
Cuz it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So go to the ballgames
And go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children
Dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night
Don't run from the truth
'Cause you can't get away
Just face it and you'll be okay

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Let it all out
You won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

Oh wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin

So give to the needy
And pray for the grieving
E'en when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
Make peace with God and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end there's nobody else

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances
Let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Lookin' back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

It's how you live...

NO.IT.IS.NOT.

It is how Christ lived.

it's not who you knew...

YES.IT.IS.

I want to know Christ...and Him crucified.

• 5 Comments

•

There is a reason that so many people are reading "The Shack" as if it were a non-fiction book.

The reason?  It's written as if it's a non-fiction book.

Some quotes and comments from and about the Forward.

The forward of a book is usually by someone other than the author and I believe is meant to tell the reader the purpose of the book.

I have known Mack for a bit more than twenty years, since the day we both showed up at a neighbor's house to help him bale a field of hay...

Mack was born in the Midwest, a farm-boy...

In a world of talkder, Mack is a thinker and a doer...

Although he communicates well enough verbally, Mack is not comfortable with his writing skills - something he knows I am passionate about.  So he asked if I would ghost-write this story -- his story...

What you are about to read is something that Mack and I have struggled with for many months to put into words...

Whether some parts of it are actually true or not, I won't be the judge...

Memory can be a tricky companion at times...

I would not be too suprised, in spite of our concerted effort toward accuracy, if some factual errors and faulty remembrances are reflected in these pages.  They are not intentional.

I can promise you that the conversations and events are recorded as truthfully as Mack can remember them, so please try and cut him a little slack...

The forward is signed "Willie"

In short...the reason that so many people are treating this book as if it is non-fiction is that the author presents it in the forward as NON-FICTION.

In the forward (which tells the purpose of the book) we are introduced to the person who lived this story, Mack.  We are told his family history, we are told that the author was asked by Mack to ghost-write the book.  We are further told that the book is recorded as accurate.

Is this the forward of a book that the author wants to be read as "fiction"?

series of my posts on "The Shack"

•

Two pursuits, yet very similar.

Jerry Bridges wrote two books, "The Pursuit of Holiness" and "The Practice of Godliness".

Holiness and Godliness are two callings of a Christian; similar, but Bridges makes a distinction.  In the book on holiness, he talks about putting off the old man, Godliness is about putting on the new man.

Neither one of these works unless you include a generous sprinking of the Gospel.  Unless we have a full understanding that we are called to be perfect, but the only perfection we can rely on is the perfection of Christ, we will run into deep anger and dispair at the failure of our efforts.  If we don't understand that we cannot to it on our own, we run into deep pride.

And still, we are called to holiness, Godliness; we are called to be perfect, for the Lord our God is perfect.

What does it mean to be "holy"?  We turn away from that which is sin.  We love what is good and we hate what is evil.

What makes God angry also makes us angry.

In the call to holiness and Godliness, we strive (with the Spirit's sanctification) to become more like Christ.

What made Christ angry?  Those religious people who took what was evil and called it "good".

Immediately, Gene Robinson comes to mind.  Those religous people who look at abortion and call it a good, human right.

Those who look at women and call them inferior, denying them an education and a voice.  Men who abuse their wives and call it "leadership".

You see, there are extremes on either side.  To examine the extreme on one side without examining the log on your own side...

• 2 Comments

•

It resonates in my brain; no, in my soul.

For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures…1 Corinthians 15:3

This is what I come back to over and over again.

And everything we think and do should relate to the "Sola" - Solus Christus

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle—I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying—a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. 1 Timothy 2:5-7

Our focus on Christ should not be on "Christ is the ultimate example"...NO!  Jesus Christ our Lord gave Himself a ransom for all.

He died so that we might live.

Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Hebrews 9:12-14

Nor did He come to earth to start us on the path to social justice.

Jesus Christ our Lord came to earth to die on the cross; to offer Himself as the once and for all sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin.

First, we bid a man to begin by examining himself, and this not in a superficial and perfunctory manner, but to cite his conscience before the tribunal of God, and when sufficiently convinced of his iniquity, to reflect on the strictness of the sentence pronounced on all sinners. Thus confounded and amazed at his misery, he is prostrated and humbled before God; and, casting away all self-confidence, groans as if given up to final perdition. Then we show that the only haven of safety is in the mercy of God, as manifested in Christ, in whom every part of our salvation is complete. As all mankind are, in the sight of God, lost sinners, we hold that Christ is their only righteousness, since, by His obedience, He has wiped off our transgressions; by His sacrifice, appeased the divine anger. (John Calvin)

If we call people to works, not godliness, we fail them.  If we don't give them the gospel, we fail them.

If we do the good works created for us without the gospel, we are attempting to earn our salvation.  We fail ourselves.

• 28 Comments

•

On Complegalitarian, Don Johnson tells us how a complementarian can be a poor witness based on how they react when a woman teaches.  A complementarian is not to question, not to raise a fuss, they should either not attend if they know ahead of time or slip out quietly if caught by surprise.

How to turn this table?

If a woman is in a complementarian church and suddenly believes that she is to be in leadership over men, should teach authoritatively in the assembly - against the leadership of that church.

Should she stay and try to convince that church that she is right and they should put her in leadership, should she speak within that church against the leadership of that church and what they believe or should she leave quietly and go to a church who would put her in leadership?

I have asked that question before and an egalitarian answered that of course, she should stand her ground and fight the leadership.

•

Let the earth now praise the Lord.
Who hath truly kept His Word
And the sinners’ Help and Friend
Now at last to us doth send.

What the fathers most desired,
What the prophet’s heart inspired,
What they longed for many a year,
Stands fulfilled in glory here.

Abram’s promised great Reward,
Zion’s Helper, Jacob’s Lord,
Him of twofold race behold,
Truly came, as long foretold.

Welcome, O my Savior, now!
Hail! My Portion, Lord, art Thou.
Here, too, in my heart, I pray,
Oh, prepare Thyself a way!

King of Glory, enter in;
Cleanse it from the filth of sin,
As Thou hast so often done;
It belongs to Thee alone.

As Thy coming was in peace,
Quiet, full of gentleness,
Let the same mind dwell in me
That was ever found in Thee.

Comfort my desponding heart:
Thou my Strength and Refuge art.
I am weak, and cunningly
Satan lays his snares for me.

Bruise for me the Serpent’s head,
That, set free from doubt and dread,
I may cleave to Thee in faith,
Safely kept through life and death.

And when Thou dost come again
As a glorious King to reign,
I with joy may see Thy face,
Freely ransomed by Thy grace.

Text: Luke 24:27
Author: Heinrich Held, 1659
Translated by: Catherine Winkworth, 1863 (st. 7 unknown)
Titled: "Gott sei Dank durch alle Welt"

•

This verse is at the top of my "to do" list on my iPod this week (I have 2 "to do" lists - one for Bible reading, the other for "stuff")

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

A friend of mine called me on Saturday and told me that her husband's mom had passed away earlier in the week.  She had been sick for a long time; sick and in pain.

For Christians, funerals are a much different event than the funderals of the lost...

At the right hand of our Heavenly Father, there are pleasures forevermore...in His presence we find fullness of joy.

For the lost, this life is as good as it's going to get.  For the elect, this life is as bad as it is going to get.

Leaving this life is not a tragedy for the one "going home".  We miss them, yes.  But for them...it's their invitation to the wedding feast.