Rand Paul is a candidate worthy of your support. Even if, like me, you don't live in Kentucky, you can support him. He will be a great voice for liberty and good sense in the U.S. Senate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2rqCOFtacE&feature=player_embedded
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sunday Morning Prayer for August 16, 2009
Prayer for August 16, 2009
Dear Lover, Redeemer, and Friend,
We know that in You dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Everything that God is, all His glory, all His majesty, all His beauty, all His perfection, is displayed in You, Lord Jesus. We worship and prize You above everything and everyone else. We delight in Your presence. We long for Your fellowship.
Father, if we’ve come here for anything else today, please forgive us and correct us.
If we’ve come to be entertained by good music, forgive us and help our souls to be enraptured in You.
If we’ve come to be pleased or to think better of ourselves through a well-presented talk, forgive us and give light to our minds to know You better.
If we’ve come to see and be seen, forgive us and help us to see only Christ and Him crucified.
Give us more of You today, Lord Jesus.
In Your precious name I pray,
Amen.
Dear Lover, Redeemer, and Friend,
We know that in You dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. Everything that God is, all His glory, all His majesty, all His beauty, all His perfection, is displayed in You, Lord Jesus. We worship and prize You above everything and everyone else. We delight in Your presence. We long for Your fellowship.
Father, if we’ve come here for anything else today, please forgive us and correct us.
If we’ve come to be entertained by good music, forgive us and help our souls to be enraptured in You.
If we’ve come to be pleased or to think better of ourselves through a well-presented talk, forgive us and give light to our minds to know You better.
If we’ve come to see and be seen, forgive us and help us to see only Christ and Him crucified.
Give us more of You today, Lord Jesus.
In Your precious name I pray,
Amen.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Prayer for August 9, 2009
Prayer for August 9, 2009
Dear Lover Of Our Souls,
May we read your tender heart towards us in the manger of Your birth, in the garden of Your agony, in the cross of Your suffering, in the tomb of Your resurrection, and in the heaven of Your intercession. Deepen in us a sense of our holy relationship to You as spiritual bridegroom and sinners’ friend. You have loved us everlastingly and unchangeably; may we love You as we are loved by You.
If temptation comes to us, give us grace to overcome evil and do what is right.
If we have important decisions to make, give us grace to choose the right way and to refuse the wrong way.
If things go well with us, keep us from all pride and from thinking that we do not need You.
If sorrow and trials come to us, keep us from despair and give us hope in You.
In Jesus’ precious name I pray,
Amen.
(Based on “Christ Is All” in The Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975 and from The Plain Man’s Book of Prayers, by William Barclay, p. 10)
Dear Lover Of Our Souls,
May we read your tender heart towards us in the manger of Your birth, in the garden of Your agony, in the cross of Your suffering, in the tomb of Your resurrection, and in the heaven of Your intercession. Deepen in us a sense of our holy relationship to You as spiritual bridegroom and sinners’ friend. You have loved us everlastingly and unchangeably; may we love You as we are loved by You.
If temptation comes to us, give us grace to overcome evil and do what is right.
If we have important decisions to make, give us grace to choose the right way and to refuse the wrong way.
If things go well with us, keep us from all pride and from thinking that we do not need You.
If sorrow and trials come to us, keep us from despair and give us hope in You.
In Jesus’ precious name I pray,
Amen.
(Based on “Christ Is All” in The Valley of Vision, edited by Arthur Bennett: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1975 and from The Plain Man’s Book of Prayers, by William Barclay, p. 10)
Monday, August 03, 2009
What Age for Marriage?
My friend Howard Fisher gives a "heads up" on his blog today on Albert Mohler's new article. The money quote from Mohler's article is:
Indeed, design reveals purpose. The fact is that young people value their freedom, independence, and opportunity for adventure more than they value obedience to the Lord in matters of sexual expression. Some delay marriage to get their education, and then to get established in their careers and finances. And their parents' generation has encouraged them to do so. And our pulpits have been silent, for the most part, in encouraging young people to marry. Mohler says:
It is time for us to boldly teach our people to marry soon if they do not have the gift of celibacy.
The biblical case for early marriage is even stronger than Regnerus indicates. Our bodies are not evolutionary accidents, and God reveals his intention for humanity through the gifts of sexual maturation, fertility, and sexual desire. As men and women, we are made for marriage. As Christians, those not called to celibacy are called to demonstrate our discipleship through honoring the Creator's intention by directing sexual desire and reproductive capacity into a commitment to marriage. Marriage is the central crucible for accepting and fulfilling the adult responsibilities of work, parenthood, and the full acceptance of mature responsibilities.
Indeed, design reveals purpose. The fact is that young people value their freedom, independence, and opportunity for adventure more than they value obedience to the Lord in matters of sexual expression. Some delay marriage to get their education, and then to get established in their careers and finances. And their parents' generation has encouraged them to do so. And our pulpits have been silent, for the most part, in encouraging young people to marry. Mohler says:
The vast majority of Christians who have gone before us would surely be shocked by the very need for a case to be made for Christian adults to marry. While the New Testament clearly honors the gift of celibacy for the cause of the Gospel, the eight out of ten evangelical young people admitting to sexual intercourse before marriage are clearly making no claim to the gift of celibacy.
It is time for us to boldly teach our people to marry soon if they do not have the gift of celibacy.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Plans and Prayers
We all have plans for our lives. Consciously or unconsciously, we have an idea of a timeline with major events or a direction with milestones along the way. But man’s plans don’t always coincide with God’s plans. Proverbs 16:9 A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. Proverbs 19:21 There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD's counsel—that will stand. Seldom does life turn out the way we expected nor are all the events ones we would have chosen. But our God, who is equally wise and loving, directs our steps in the way that is best for us and for His glory…the way they ought to go.
How can we be sure that we are going with God and that our life-path is right?
First, trust in the truth of God’s Word, His promise. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. God is actively at work in your life, fulfilling His purpose in and through you. God in never working just one purpose in your life; He’s working a thousand purposes. And He knows the impact of the thing He is doing in you that will touch and influence others in your circles of influence, not only through six degrees of separation, but to the furthest degree of separation! Just trust Him to do good to you and through you. Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Second, humbly and consciously submit yourself and your plans to God. Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Planning isn’t wrong. In fact, it’s good stewardship. But when we do it with hubris or with confidence in our own abilities or without considering the Lord, it’s sinful and self-centered. James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"--yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." So be sensitive to the Lord’s direction and mindful of His superintending control.
Third, pray about your plans, your hopes and dreams. And pray for them! If you’re humbly walking with God, you can have assurance that He is helping you want the right things, the things that please and honor. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. God wants you to ask. He wants to say, “Yes!” So, ask.
How can we be sure that we are going with God and that our life-path is right?
First, trust in the truth of God’s Word, His promise. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. God is actively at work in your life, fulfilling His purpose in and through you. God in never working just one purpose in your life; He’s working a thousand purposes. And He knows the impact of the thing He is doing in you that will touch and influence others in your circles of influence, not only through six degrees of separation, but to the furthest degree of separation! Just trust Him to do good to you and through you. Psalm 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
Second, humbly and consciously submit yourself and your plans to God. Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Planning isn’t wrong. In fact, it’s good stewardship. But when we do it with hubris or with confidence in our own abilities or without considering the Lord, it’s sinful and self-centered. James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"--yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." So be sensitive to the Lord’s direction and mindful of His superintending control.
Third, pray about your plans, your hopes and dreams. And pray for them! If you’re humbly walking with God, you can have assurance that He is helping you want the right things, the things that please and honor. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. God wants you to ask. He wants to say, “Yes!” So, ask.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Believing The Right Things About God
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” So says the Holy Spirit through the writer to the Hebrews. Exercising faith is central to our Christian life. It’s a defining aspect of being a Christian for Baptists and other Evangelicals. And yet having faith, or believing, is not an end in itself. Rather that faith or belief must be exercised in reference to some object, some person. And it is only useful or praiseworthy when it is exercised towards the Triune God, and most especially towards the Second Person of the Trinity, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Throughout the Bible, trust in God is associated with knowing and doing His Word and His will. In other words, the Lord expects us to know certain truths about Him and to live in ways that are consistent with those truths we know about Him. There are definite facts and doctrines that are vital to your being right about God and, therefore, being right with God. In the New Testament, Paul emphasizes the vital nature of right doctrine, or beliefs, about the Lord to the young pastors Timothy and Titus. In his three short letters to them, he mentions it fifteen times. John writes about it his second letter. Jude says that we should “earnestly contend for the faith” in his letter. Jesus rebukes two of the seven churches in Asia for their lack of right doctrine in Revelation chapters two and three. The Lord takes right beliefs, or doctrines, seriously. Are we wiser or more sophisticated or more tolerant than our Lord? We cannot afford to take doctrine lightly or to brush it aside as if it were trivial. We need to consult the Bible in order to know the truth and specific truths.
That’s why some modern Christian books are so troubling. Men and women who are gifted writers but not careful students of the Bible or trained theologians are planting wrong ideas about God into the Body of Christ. I would prefer to think that this is often unintentional. But whether or not it is unintentional, the danger and the damage remain. Sometimes the books are nonfiction, relating personal experiences or devotional impressions. Other times they are fiction, hiding their erroneous teachings behind the fig leaf of artistic license. In either case, their purpose is to change our understanding of who God is and what He is like. Be discerning as you read. Just because it is sold at a Christian bookstore or website doesn’t make it good or right.
Here are some ideas and questions to help you interact with a book as you read it:
A good book should reinforce the authority of Scripture. Does it make experiences, impressions, nature, or anything else as important as the Bible in understanding God or your walk with Him?
A good book should represent God the way He is represented in the Bible. For example, God always refers to Himself as masculine rather than feminine whether He is speaking of Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. And while God is Three in One, each person of the Trinity has specific functions. There is also a hierarchy, or authority and submission relationships, within the Trinity. Does it represent Jesus as the unique God-man and that He is the only One of the Trinity who became man?
A good book should represent the Gospel and salvation the way the Bible presents them. Does it reinforce that Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God or to have forgiveness and everlasting life and that any other way leads to eternal ruin?
A good book should show God to be a God of grace, mercy, and love. Does it cast the Lord in a positive light as active, benevolent, and in control of everything?
My list is not exhaustive. But it is a helpful starting place for us to be discerning. I encourage you to read and to read widely. The Bible and books are your best tools for growth and broadened understanding. Please read with a discerning mind and heart.
Throughout the Bible, trust in God is associated with knowing and doing His Word and His will. In other words, the Lord expects us to know certain truths about Him and to live in ways that are consistent with those truths we know about Him. There are definite facts and doctrines that are vital to your being right about God and, therefore, being right with God. In the New Testament, Paul emphasizes the vital nature of right doctrine, or beliefs, about the Lord to the young pastors Timothy and Titus. In his three short letters to them, he mentions it fifteen times. John writes about it his second letter. Jude says that we should “earnestly contend for the faith” in his letter. Jesus rebukes two of the seven churches in Asia for their lack of right doctrine in Revelation chapters two and three. The Lord takes right beliefs, or doctrines, seriously. Are we wiser or more sophisticated or more tolerant than our Lord? We cannot afford to take doctrine lightly or to brush it aside as if it were trivial. We need to consult the Bible in order to know the truth and specific truths.
That’s why some modern Christian books are so troubling. Men and women who are gifted writers but not careful students of the Bible or trained theologians are planting wrong ideas about God into the Body of Christ. I would prefer to think that this is often unintentional. But whether or not it is unintentional, the danger and the damage remain. Sometimes the books are nonfiction, relating personal experiences or devotional impressions. Other times they are fiction, hiding their erroneous teachings behind the fig leaf of artistic license. In either case, their purpose is to change our understanding of who God is and what He is like. Be discerning as you read. Just because it is sold at a Christian bookstore or website doesn’t make it good or right.
Here are some ideas and questions to help you interact with a book as you read it:
A good book should reinforce the authority of Scripture. Does it make experiences, impressions, nature, or anything else as important as the Bible in understanding God or your walk with Him?
A good book should represent God the way He is represented in the Bible. For example, God always refers to Himself as masculine rather than feminine whether He is speaking of Father, Son, or Holy Spirit. And while God is Three in One, each person of the Trinity has specific functions. There is also a hierarchy, or authority and submission relationships, within the Trinity. Does it represent Jesus as the unique God-man and that He is the only One of the Trinity who became man?
A good book should represent the Gospel and salvation the way the Bible presents them. Does it reinforce that Jesus is the only way to have a relationship with God or to have forgiveness and everlasting life and that any other way leads to eternal ruin?
A good book should show God to be a God of grace, mercy, and love. Does it cast the Lord in a positive light as active, benevolent, and in control of everything?
My list is not exhaustive. But it is a helpful starting place for us to be discerning. I encourage you to read and to read widely. The Bible and books are your best tools for growth and broadened understanding. Please read with a discerning mind and heart.
Friday, March 06, 2009
Silly, Shallow "Sermons"
In the following video clip, Matt Chandler powerfully exposes the shallowness of some so-called preaching or teaching that is popular in evanjellycalism today. He not only reveals the lack of seriousness involved in the preparation, delivery, and consumption of such worldly pottage, he inspires us to something much better.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
God As A Commodity
Here is an excellent excerpt from Dan Phillip's offering today at Pyromaniacs:
Too many times, we unconsciously think of God as someone to bend to our will, someone to achieve our ends for us. What an insufficient view of God! What a short-sighted agenda we have!
We should unveil the glorious, transcendent majesty of God. We should expose the pathetic, inexcusable, guilty, doomed vulnerability of man. We should set out God's terms of reconciliation, through Christ, because of His work on the Cross. We should call man to immediate and unconditional surrender, by repentant faith.
That's what we should do.
What the church does instead is to try to repackage God, as if he were yesterday's widget, and sell Him as useful. I wish I could say this is seldom done, but you'd know I was lying. I've seen books, I've heard sermons, I've seen ads that present God as the best way to get what we want, to achieve our dreams, and as the ultimate Enabler of our agendas.
Too many times, we unconsciously think of God as someone to bend to our will, someone to achieve our ends for us. What an insufficient view of God! What a short-sighted agenda we have!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Piper on Obama and Abortion
John Piper is one of my favorite preacher-theologians. Below is an excerpt from his sermon this past Sunday.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Pray for America
Here is what an Antichrist looks like:
An antichrist does not necessarily come with anger, threats, and outright persecution. He comes with a smile and smooth words of peace and unity, offering hope...a messianic figure.
This President is enthusiastically in favor of the worst of abominations, homosexuality and abortion. He states on the White House website:
We need Christians and pastors whose first inclination is not to be lulled into complacency and good feelings by the pervasive media. It is too easy to be co-opted by wanting to join in the euphoria of the historic election of a black man to the nation's highest office. Many erstwhile Bible-believing pastors are taking a jelly-spined approach because they don't want to be offensive or to lose popularity. God deliver us from such quislings! Now is the time to lift up our voices and spare not! This is not a time to be sanguine or to bury our heads in sand saying, "Our only legitimate work is church work." We are called to be prophets of the righteous and holy God. Standing against sin is an indispensible component of real gospel ministry. Announcing God's displeasure and wrath towards sin is not primarily political, but it is public, powerful, and purposeful.
"Dear Father, grant us repentance as a people for we have chosen a president in our rebellion against You and Your laws. Forgive our sins of idolatry of self and of money. We are wrong, O Lord, in calling evil good and good evil. Lord Jesus, forgive us, your pastors, of loving popularity and men's applause more than we love You and Your truth. Help to have holy boldness and to have godly spirits, too. I ask these things in Your Name. Amen."
An antichrist does not necessarily come with anger, threats, and outright persecution. He comes with a smile and smooth words of peace and unity, offering hope...a messianic figure.
This President is enthusiastically in favor of the worst of abominations, homosexuality and abortion. He states on the White House website:
Support for the LGBT Community
"While we have come a long way since the Stonewall riots in 1969, we still have a lot of work to do. Too often, the issue of LGBT rights is exploited by those seeking to divide us. But at its core, this issue is about who we are as Americans. It's about whether this nation is going to live up to its founding promise of equality by treating all its citizens with dignity and respect."
-- Barack Obama, June 1, 2007
Expand Hate Crimes Statutes: In 2004, crimes against LGBT Americans constituted the third-highest category of hate crime reported and made up more than 15 percent of such crimes. President Obama cosponsored legislation that would expand federal jurisdiction to include violent hate crimes perpetrated because of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical disability. As a state senator, President Obama passed tough legislation that made hate crimes and conspiracy to commit them against the law.
Fight Workplace Discrimination: President Obama supports the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and believes that our anti-discrimination employment laws should be expanded to include sexual orientation and gender identity. While an increasing number of employers have extended benefits to their employees' domestic partners, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the workplace occurs with no federal legal remedy. The President also sponsored legislation in the Illinois State Senate that would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Support Full Civil Unions and Federal Rights for LGBT Couples: President Obama supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples. Obama also believes we need to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and enact legislation that would ensure that the 1,100+ federal legal rights and benefits currently provided on the basis of marital status are extended to same-sex couples in civil unions and other legally-recognized unions. These rights and benefits include the right to assist a loved one in times of emergency, the right to equal health insurance and other employment benefits, and property rights.
Oppose a Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage: President Obama voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2006 which would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman and prevented judicial extension of marriage-like rights to same-sex or other unmarried couples.
Repeal Don't Ask-Don't Tell: President Obama agrees with former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Shalikashvili and other military experts that we need to repeal the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The key test for military service should be patriotism, a sense of duty, and a willingness to serve. Discrimination should be prohibited. The U.S. government has spent millions of dollars replacing troops kicked out of the military because of their sexual orientation. Additionally, more than 300 language experts have been fired under this policy, including more than 50 who are fluent in Arabic. The President will work with military leaders to repeal the current policy and ensure it helps accomplish our national defense goals.
Expand Adoption Rights: President Obama believes that we must ensure adoption rights for all couples and individuals, regardless of their sexual orientation. He thinks that a child will benefit from a healthy and loving home, whether the parents are gay or not.
Supporting Stem Cell Research: President Obama and Vice President Biden believe that we owe it to the American public to explore the potential of stem cells to treat the millions of people suffering from debilitating and life-threatening diseases. Obama is a co-sponsor of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, which will allow research of human embryonic stem cells derived from embryos donated (with consent) from in vitro fertilization clinics. These embryos must be deemed in excess and created based solely for the purpose of fertility treatment.
Reproductive Choice
Supports a Woman's Right to Choose: President Obama understands that abortion is a divisive issue, and respects those who disagree with him. However, he has been a consistent champion of reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority in his Adminstration. He opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in that case. Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: President Obama was an original co-sponsor of legislation to expand access to contraception, health information, and preventive services to help reduce unintended pregnancies. Introduced in January 2007, the Prevention First Act will increase funding for family planning and comprehensive sex education that teaches both abstinence and safe sex methods. The Act will also end insurance discrimination against contraception, improve awareness about emergency contraception, and provide compassionate assistance to rape victims.
We need Christians and pastors whose first inclination is not to be lulled into complacency and good feelings by the pervasive media. It is too easy to be co-opted by wanting to join in the euphoria of the historic election of a black man to the nation's highest office. Many erstwhile Bible-believing pastors are taking a jelly-spined approach because they don't want to be offensive or to lose popularity. God deliver us from such quislings! Now is the time to lift up our voices and spare not! This is not a time to be sanguine or to bury our heads in sand saying, "Our only legitimate work is church work." We are called to be prophets of the righteous and holy God. Standing against sin is an indispensible component of real gospel ministry. Announcing God's displeasure and wrath towards sin is not primarily political, but it is public, powerful, and purposeful.
"Dear Father, grant us repentance as a people for we have chosen a president in our rebellion against You and Your laws. Forgive our sins of idolatry of self and of money. We are wrong, O Lord, in calling evil good and good evil. Lord Jesus, forgive us, your pastors, of loving popularity and men's applause more than we love You and Your truth. Help to have holy boldness and to have godly spirits, too. I ask these things in Your Name. Amen."
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