Cal Thomas Cuts To The Chase

This is a brilliant and insightful article to those of us who consider themselves Evangelical Christians. We should take note.

Cal Thomas: Religious Right R.I.P.

Does this mean that we should abandon politics completely? Should we leave the public life for the cloistered life? No, but we need to understand where our true power comes from, and quit being blown about by the winds of circumstance. (I will remind you that the Apostle Paul ministered at the time Nero was using Christians as garden torches.)

Our God is mightier than any man or government, and His power working through us towards our neighbors is mighty in effecting change. The prayers of the righteous are efficacious. Be encouraged!

Scripture For Today

Psalm 91

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.
3 For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from deadly disease.
4 He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor the arrow that flies in the day.
6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
though ten thousand are dying around you,
these evils will not touch you.
8 Just open your eyes,
and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge,
if you make the Most High your shelter,
10 no evil will conquer you;
no plague will come near your home.
11 For he will order his angels
to protect you wherever you go.
12 They will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
13 You will trample upon lions and cobras;
you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
15 When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble.
I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life
and give them my salvation.”

Sonnet XIII

On The American Election 2008 - A Sonnet To My King
By Jonathan D. Eller

My God, Your wisdom far exceeds my own,
And I draw comfort from this very thing.
For by Your great omnipotence You've shown
That You determine president and king.
Yes, You know all men's hearts - this fact is true -
And render unto them a payment just,
Rewarding men and nations what is due.
Lord, in Your goodness I have learned to trust.
Your discipline is sorrowful for sure -
Your wrath and blows seem ever so severe -
But chastisement is sent to make us pure,
And by its cleansing helps us to draw near.
My God, this nation's nothing without Thee.
Please cleanse our hearts and truly make us free.

November 5, 2008

John McCain Is A Genius

OK. I'm convinced. John McCain is a genius.

I'll admit that I was a little concerned about his maverick streak when he was picking his running mate. I thought that he may pick someone like Lieberman or Ridge. But when he promised that he was going to hold true to the convictions that he has about the right to life and the protection of the unborn I began to feel much better about things.

I guess that is the problem with a maverick. They aren't status quo. They do things that don't always make the most sense politically. When you don't know the person and their character it can make things a bit nerve-wracking. My fear about John McCain came from my underestimation of his political savvy and intelligence. I couldn't have been more wrong to fear.

John McCain's selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate shows that he has effectively sized up his competition, identified its weaknesses, and recognized the strengths and weaknesses of his own campaign. Sarah Palin is a great answer to all of these things.

Is John McCain too old? Sarah Palin is young. Is McCain eloquent? Not so much, but I think that you will agree that Sarah is. Does Obama have a record of reform? No, but Governor Palin does; something that compliments McCain's platform to bring reform to the government in Washington. And she has as much experience in government as Obama - actually more executive experience.

Obama is weak militarily. Palin has a son getting ready to deploy to Iraq. Obama has a bunch of shady characters in his path to the Presidential nomination, whereas Palin has stood up to shady characters. Obama doesn't want the nation to avail itself of domestic energy resources. Sarah Palin's government in Alaska has already taken steps to help make it easier to utilize those resources.

Also consider the demographics that she covers. She's pro-life, and to her it is more than words. When faced with the knowledge that one of her children had a birth defect, she decided to keep the child no matter what. In fact, there wasn't even a question. She gives the women disappointed with the outcome of the Clinton campaign a choice. Her parents were educators, so she has an insider's perspective on the problems in the education system. And both she and her husband have been union members. She hunts and fishes. She's a member of the NRA. I wonder if she has a sister?

I don't know what John McCain's grade was when he got out of the Navy, but he would have made a fine Admiral. He has completely flanked the Obama campaign and delivered a broadside that has made this a race worth watching. Hopefully the Republican convention this week will provide a Midway style decimation for the Obama camp that will prove the handwriting on the wall for the Democrats as surely as that battle did for the Japanese in World War II.

Obama says McCain doesn't know who he is messing with? No, Barack, I think John McCain knows EXACTLY who he is dealing with, and I think that your hubris has caused you to underestimate your opponent, hopefully resulting in your defeat in November.

Quotes Of The Day

Go back to the day when Michelle (Obama) first told him (Barack) that she was pregnant with their first daughter. Was his daughter alive? If someone had desired to injure his baby girl while developing in his wife's body would he have "misunderstood" as to whether it would have been morally wrong? How deep would his anger have been if someone had robbed him of the relationship with his little girl?

And yet this flail speaks to his fundamental misunderstanding of morality and whether or not his moral judgment could be trusted as the most powerful man on earth.

- Kevin McCullough

Republicans have spent the last few weeks pleasantly surprised at the closeness of the presidential race. But they have generally chalked this up to Obama's weakness, not McCain's strength. After Saturday night, even Republicans most skeptical of McCain must conclude: "Perhaps we aren't doomed after all."

Of such small hopes are large upsets made.

- Michael Gerson

God Is Patient

Each year I attempt to read through the Bible using the One Year Bible. I generally switch translation from year to year to get a different flavor and perhaps increase my understanding of the scripture by reading it from a different translator's perspective.

This year I have been using the New Living Translation, and while I have found it to be very readable, I have also noticed in a number of places that the translators took quite a bit of license with the text. This has soured me somewhat on the translation, but there are still moments where I find that the translation was quite well turned.

One example came up recently as I have been reading through Romans. I really like the way that they rendered verse 4 of chapter 2.

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
Romans 2:4 NLT

As I read this familiar verse in this translation, I began to see why it is that the wicked often seem to go unpunished in this life. God is being kind, tolerant, and patient with them to give them the chance to repent.

Back shortly after I got out of college, I had a debate with a friend over a statement from another friend that I had repeated. I had quoted my friend to say "God is patient with our sin."

My other friend took exception to this and a great debate raged for several weeks over the statement. I wish that I could remember the finer points of his argument now - that has been more years ago than I care to admit - but I come back to my original position after reading this verse.

(As I continue to ponder our debate, as so often is the case in these arguments, our position was basically the same but the argument was over semantics.)

So, I declare that God is patient with our sin. But what does this really mean? Am I saying that it is OK for us to sin because God is patient? As the King James version would say, "God forbid!" That is not what I am saying at all. Am I saying that we shouldn't be concerned about our sin because God is patient? Once again, God forbid!

God is patient with our sin to give us the time to turn from it. His heart's desire is that we repent - make a 180° turn from our sin towards Him. When we do that we receive His forgiveness and the sin is wiped away.

Why would God be patient with our sin? Why would He tolerate it? I believe that one answer to that question is that God knows how dreadful His wrath and judgment are. Anyone who hasn't gotten a grip on what God's judgment would be like would do well to read Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God." As Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Consider the physical punishment that Jesus endured for our salvation, and then make it eternal. From what I have read and heard even that doesn't come close to the torment that those in hell suffer. God doesn't want anyone to be thrown into hell. That is why Jesus came, and that is why He suffered as greatly as He did. However, the scriptures clearly teach that while His offer of salvation is available to all, all will not receive salvation. Many will stubbornly continue in their rebellion against God and will receive hell as their reward.

If you read the writings of the prophets in the Bible, you will see God's patience displayed over and over again. God sent Jeremiah to the people of Judah repeatedly - right up to their destruction by Babylon - urging them to repent, knowing that they never would. The message that He gave them was that if they would repent He would forgive - even though their sins were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. Such mercy is astounding to me.

(Please notice, however, that there came a time when that patience was exceeded, and judgment came.)

Many go on blithely sinning, saying, "God doesn't care" or "God doesn't see." They think that because He hasn't acted in His wrath and because He hasn't judged them as the scriptures say that He will that they are OK and that God doesn't have a problem with what they are doing. They couldn't be more wrong. The very next verse in Romans says that they are "storing up wrath for themselves."

Some, whose conscience hasn't been completely seared attempt to justify their sin through partial obedience. I am reminded of the kingdom of Israel after they rebelled against David's dynasty. King Jeroboam built two idols and declared that the people would worship before them instead of returning to Jerusalem to worship at the temple.

In spite of their idolatry the people retained many elements of the law. They still tithed, they still had the festivals, they still did sacrifice. In their minds they were still following the Law, but God saw it quite differently. Their partial obedience did not bring them any favor with God, it merely set into motion the day in which He would execute vengeance on the country.

I believe for many the issue of homosexual marriage is an attempt to do the same thing. They think that if they obey the law on one hand it makes it OK to break it on the other. This is a grievous error - one, I fear, that will bring great judgment.

For those who are Christians, I believe God's patience takes a little different flavor. God knows us so well. He knows exactly why we sin the way we do. He understands the woundings of our soul that cause us to act the way we do, and He will stop at nothing to heal us. God works to heal our wounds and deliver us from our bondage to sin.

What is the correct response to our sin during this time? I think Romans 7:24-25 gives us a pretty good idea. We are to recognize our wretched state and cry out in faith to God for deliverance and mercy.

Are we to make peace with our sin? Never! We are to loathe that which is not holy in us and we should wrestle against it with every ounce of our being until the Lord delivers us from it. Easier said than done, I know. But God never said that it would be easy.

So, in the meantime, I am grateful for God's patience as I struggle with my fears, anger, and perversions, longing for the day when I will finally be healed and set free. And I am grateful for His grace that gives me victory over my flesh. I hope that you will allow God's kindness to lead you to repentance.

Larry Norman Awakes From The Nightmare

I have some sad (for us) news to share. Larry Norman died early Sunday morning after a period of declining health. According to his website:

Our friend and my wonderful brother Larry passed away at 2:45 Sunday morning. My wife Kristin and I (Larry's brother, Charles) were with him, holding his hands and sitting in bed with him when his heart finally slowed to a stop. We spent this past week laughing, singing, and praying with him, and all the while he had us taking notes on new song ideas and instructions on how to continue his ministry and art.

You may not be familiar with Larry Norman, but most folks that are consider him the father of Christian rock and roll. He was the first. He paved the way for the folks that you hear on Christian radio today, taking the criticism and punishment that always seem to come when someone starts doing something new in the church.

Larry's message was often raw and not religious, but clearly pointed out sin and communicated the truth of the gospel message. It is sad that so few Christian artists today communicate as boldly and clearly as he did.



Larry realized that his death was approaching and dictated this message to us before he died:

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.

My brother Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help.

My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.

I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.

Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.

Larry

Larry Norman will be missed. I'm not sad for him, though. I'm confident that he is delighting in heaven and enjoying the presence of the God who saved him. One day I'll be there too and will get to meet this brother that I have appreciated for so many years.

A Surprising Amount of GOOD News

An interesting thing happened on June 30th in Iraq - NOTHING.

Analysts and experts had been prophesying massive attacks surrounding the transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi government. Oddly enough, there were no major attacks and the streets didn't run with blood. How strange!

It seems to me that the early transfer of power to the Iraqi government took alot of the wind out of the sails of the foreign terrorists on Iraqi soil. And everyone in the media (even Bill O'Reilly) seemed to think that it was an unwise move! However, in spite of the doom and gloom, I heard Brit Hume comment that the expected wave of violence never materialized. Perhaps the President is a little smarter than everyone seems to think? Hmmm?

The rest of the news that day was pretty good too. The economy seemed to be continuing its growth, unemployment continued its decline, Wall Street was happy, and things were generally going pretty well for President Bush. I like it when the news is like that.

I often suspect that what we get from the various news sources regardless of whether they lean left or right is the most negative spin on the news possible. I hear from military people all the time that we're not getting the whole story from Iraq. Well, if we're not getting it from there, it is likely that we're not getting it from any other place.

I wonder why that is. Are we humans THAT pessimistic as a species? Of course a good story always requires some sort of crisis, but the great stories always have a positive ending: Frodo destroys the ring, the Soviet Union collapses, Jesus raises Himself from the dead... So why is it that we so seldom get the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey puts it?

My guess is that it has alot to do with the spiritual condition of the people in control of the media. I have met very few people who would say that all they want is bad news. I can't enumerate the times that I have heard people rhetorically ask, "Why doesn't someone make a newspaper of good news?" While there is alot of bad news out there we often don't ever get to hear "the rest of the story."

Now many people don't want to believe that there is a devil out there, but according to the Bible that I read there is one and his personal mission is to steal, kill, or destroy anything that he can. This spirit moves the people under his sway to do his bidding often without their knowledge.

So what does all of this talk about devils have to do with good news and bad news? Well, the Bible also talks about three great gifts that God has given to each of us, namely, faith, hope, and love. It is God’s gift of hope that helps us to persevere in the face of bad news. It lets us know that He’s going to work it all out in the end in spite of how bad it looks now.

Remember, the devil wants to destroy anything that is good, thus, he influences those in control of the media to remove any chance that hope will be instilled in people by keeping good outcomes out of the headlines. If people lose hope, there is much collateral damage – faith falters and love grows cold.

It is hard to imagine a hopeful world, but I am convinced that one day – even with all of the gloom, sadness, and imperfection of this world – that we will see that God was indeed in control and that the end was worth it all.

Reason for Hope

I may live in a state that believes that taxation is something that everyone is entitled to, whose budget has been ridden into the ground by a string of Democratic governors, and that was dumb enough to be conned into voting Johnny Boy Edwards in as our Senator, but we've still got a couple of really great things going for us: 1) We have overwhelmingly supported every Republican presidential candidate since Reagan at least (that's as long as I can remember) and 2) today we told an activist judge that he could stick his reforms in his ear. These two items give me much hope!

District Judge James M. Honeycutt decided that he would take it upon himself to change courtroom procedures. According to the article,

The high court ordered Honeycutt to stop using a revised oath missing the phrase "so help you God," and administer the witness oath as spelled out in state law. The court also ordered the judge to allow bailiffs to begin court sessions with a proclamation that includes "God save the state and this honorable court."

The article went on to say that "Honeycutt had threatened to hold several bailiffs in contempt of court if they continued to use the phrase."

Fortunately this little Brown Shirt in a black robe's term will be expiring in 2006. I am going to make it a personal goal to try to prevent his re-election.

Apparently, quite a few court clerks and bailiffs refused to obey der Furher's orders. This left the judge to swear in his own witnesses. I'm sure that really instilled confidence! It's too bad this sort of resistance doesn't happen more often. However, it is exactly this type of resistance that gives me hope. Just like when Val Prieto writes about dissident activities in his native Cuba, there is something about American people finding their backbone that just excites me.

So, it is with hope that I view North Carolina's voting record (for President anyway) and resistance to the court's fascism. Of course, my hope will grow by leaps and bounds if we put a Republican in the Governor's mansion, a second Republican in the Senate, and follow our usual course and support President Bush in November.