This was an article that my son Gabe wrote for a recent publication. Dad's, I think there is a great principle here. We should be teaching our daughters to "Treat there brothers like the men they should become, and be the lady you would want him to marry." If they will exemplify the godly qualities that they hope will reside in his future wife, he will have years of experience helping him distinguish a woman of worth from fool's gold!
“It is better to live in a corner of the roof than in a house shared with a contentious woman.” (Pr. 25:24, NASB)
It has been said that a woman has the (figurative) power to make a man or to cut him in half. This isn’t talking about decapitation- it is talking about the truth that woman, created to help man, can fulfill that role gloriously and result in encouraging and helping her man to heights beyond his wildest dreams. However, she can also become a weight on his wings, and hinder him from doing what he should have done as well as he could have done it.
A little sister can do much to encourage her brother to become a Godly man. It will not all be verbal- in fact, most of it will be by her actions, which “speak louder than words.”
You need to model by your actions things that you would be pleased to see in your brother’s wife. You wouldn’t want him to marry a whiny woman who would argue with every decision he made, would you? Then you need to show him what a godly woman looks like. When he asks you to get something for him, then do it gladly! Or if your parents already have you doing something else, then lovingly say something like “Daddy already had me doing this- may I finish?” or “I’m sorry, but Mom told me to do this- if you can wait a minute, I’ll be right there.”
Don’t be argumentative. If it’s a little thing, something that’s not important, then just give it away. Jesus Himself said that “it is better to give than to receive.” You just “seek first The Kingdom of God and His Righteousness.” That will bring more joy than fighting over the little things, even if you win. I believe it was Harvey Newcomb, in his excellent book How to be a Lady, who encourages us to take a moment in the middle of our fighting with one another and ask ourselves: “Will this matter in the great span of eternity?”
Now ask yourself this: by being an argumentative, grating sister, what are you teaching your brother? You are teaching him that women are not pleasant or loveable, that they are to be avoided, shamed, defeated in combat of the mind, if not physical struggle. If you shame your brother by showing off that you know more than he does, remember- you are teaching him that he needs to strengthen himself to defeat you. He will jump at the chance to prove himself better than you. Mind, I am not saying that he will be right in so doing- but if he doesn’t have the strength of character to withstand your misconduct, he will likely resort to that. Remember, though- I am not speaking to him. I’m speaking to you. Don’t take that sentence to say that he is the problem- “if only he would man up and treat me like he should”- no, but take the plank out of your eye, and let him be, if God so wills it, “won without a word” by your conduct.
If, however, you are a submissive, gentle, quiet- not reclusive, but quiet- sister, what are you teaching your brother? You are teaching him that women are pleasant and loveable, that they are to be protected, cherished, defended from any enemy. If you build your brother up, not only by complimenting him, but by speaking well of him to others, by bragging on him, so to speak, you are showing him that you are not his enemy, but that you love him, and you are not ashamed of him. My sisters do this all the time, so I speak from experience when I say that it tells your brother that you know you like him and you want others to know it too.
Mind, I don’t mean for you to lie about how good your brother is- but find the things that you can praise him for. I also am not encouraging flattery. Speak the truth in love. Encourage your brother, and build him up. You will make it much easier for him to take his place if you gladly take yours. By doing this, you are teaching him that he should strengthen himself to protect you. He will jump at the chance to prove himself ready to do his duties as your brother.
How can you practice a gentle and quiet spirit? My Dad and I once went to a meeting discussing a new policy that a city legislature was considering. One of my sisters also came with us. Dad and I both got up and spoke in front of the council- my sister didn’t. But by simply sitting quietly and contentedly in the back of the room, she spoke volumes about what true, godly womanhood looks like. She modeled for all those people there the beauty of following God’s ways.
So don’t take every opportunity to speak that comes your way. Practice sitting and listening. You will learn a lot that way. It has been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we talk. Even more importantly, Scripture exhorts us to be “quick to listen” and “slow to speak.” That is a very good thing to practice for sisters AND brothers.
Which do you want for a brother? And which do you want for yourself? For while it is ultimately his responsibility to walk with God humbly, it will be much harder for him to do this if you, every time he climbs nearer to Christ, pull him down to your level again with a temptation to quarrel.
Be very careful to treat your brother like a man. Obviously, he is probably not fully grown and mature (though he may be, depending on your situation). Regardless of whether he is or isn’t, don’t let the fact that he is your brother cause you to treat him with contempt, as familiarity often does. Treat him like the man you want him to become. Don’t expect perfection- that bears repeating!- do NOT expect perfection from your brother. But humbly encourage him to and let him be the man. You can do this by looking for times when you can purposefully submit to him- let him take the lead. Follow him gladly. If he takes advantage of this, and uses you for his pleasure, then he is wrong to do so, and I would have a few things to say to him- and of course, your father is the recourse given you by God. Also remember Hagar, Sarah’s maidservant, and how God told her to submit to her cruel mistress. But again, this is not about your brother. It is about you. Does he feel like he’s pulling teeth every time he asks you to do something for him? Or is he afraid to ask you, knowing that he will reap your wrath? Do you treat him like a pest or a friend, a tyrannous ogre or a respected and honorable king? Practice your role of helping now, and rejoice in it!
Also, by treating him as a man, I mean that you should not pamper him. This probably applies more to older sisters, but as you all may be future mothers- don’t teach your brother that every time he scrapes his knee he needs to come crying to momma or sissy. Don’t tell him to get down every time he gets somewhere a bit dangerous. While I’m not advocating letting him do things that are foolish, let him train himself for manhood- bloody knees and bruised foreheads are part of the process. Let him fall off the swing. Maybe you knew it was coming- maybe he did too. But let him push his limits and do dirty, bloody, sweaty things. Just because you as a girl wouldn’t enjoy it or even think of doing it, don’t make a girl out of your brother. I’m not advocating barbarous or boorish (vulgar, lowly, common) manhood. I am advocating men who are Strong and Courageous- and your role as a sister in fostering that is valuable beyond words.
So remember that when you interact with your brother, you are practicing right now how you will act as an adult. Don’t think that your family is hard to get along with, but no one else is. No, everyone is sinful. God has given you a great opportunity to grow now, in your home. Take that and praise Him for it! And remember that your brother is being raised into a man- a prophet, a priest, a king- so use this precious time that you have to invest in him. Your calling is glorious. Rejoice in it, and play your part in encouraging your brother to become a man of God. My Dad says, “One of the greatest compliments a young lady can have is when her brother refuses to court a girl because she’s ‘not like my sisters!’”
Monday, February 15, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
History of the Civil War Which I Did Not Know
A good source for the "Other Side" concerning history of the Civil War. As a Northerner, I need to hear it.
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2010/cbarchive_20100106.html
http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com/c2010/cbarchive_20100106.html
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Good Ways To Make Sure You Raise Spineless Panzies
I am still grappling for ways to teach manhood to my boys. But along the way, I have recognized some sure ways to teach them to be girls... Don't get me wrong... Girls should not be spineless. Girls ought to be tough... but, in a feminine way. Boys should not be girls! They ought to be men of vision, ready to conquer for the glory of Jesus Christ.
- Send him to public schools so the government can teach him that God has nothing to do with science, math, or any academics. The culture of the school will teach him that sex, and dating are normal worldviews.
- Buy into the myth of adolescents and let him "sow his wild Oates." He'll develop a pattern of irresponsibility, get a girl pregnant, and maybe one day go into politics.
- Put him on a sports team. Live your sports dreams through him. Maybe one day he will think the World Series is something to die for. He will be good and shallow, without vision for what really matters in life.
- Buy him a video game. Keep him entertained.
- Send him to a youth ministry so he can set up competing relationships with you. Together, with his peers, they can share their ignorance.
- When he sins, blame someone else.
- Let him sleep in.
- Make him go to church on Sunday, but do not ever do church at home Monday through Friday. He'll grow up a Pharisee just like you.
- Let your wife do all the praying in the home.
- Get angry alot. Deal with your wife and kids by raising your voice real loud to ensure that you get what you want. He'll grow up passionate about himself... a real terror to live with.
- Work alot, make alot, waste alot... he'll live for the next toy. He will not have a vision to live for something larger than the trivial.
- Whenever your wife nags, let him see you get mad, or cave in... sure enough, he will see you slink off to get what you want anyway.
- Make sure he watches alot of T.V. He will get his fill of rebellion, lust, and stupid dads.
These are just a few ways we can make our sons shallow, vain, and spineless. I am always disgusted when I see pagans raising REAL Men, and Christians raising whiners. We give away our birth rite for a bowl of soup.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Wisdom, Not Legalism
We have been chewing on “Wisdom.” More specifically the idea of wisdom guiding us between the rocks of one set of “black and whites” and another set of “black and whites” which sometimes seem to oppose each other. If we take one set without regard to another set, our “ship” shall be dashed upon the rocks. Wisdom deals with the grayer areas in between.
This is good for us, primarily because once the foundations have been laid (worldview which builds upon the words of Jesus), we must press on to building. It is like saying, “ok, we have dealt with death at the cross, now how do we deal with life in light of the cross…” This will at times get sticky, and take humility and maturity to walk out… but walk it out we must! This also flies in the face of contemporary PC. It offends people. It doesn’t line up perfectly all the time. We must be mature enough, and humble enough to work through Scripture with great joy. Instead of “dumbing down” to an un-offensive standard, we want to get at God’s heart on the matter using ALL the Word.
(Wilson illistrates what that looks like here.)
The following is from David Terry,
"God giving us his law, was an act of grace to us too! Everything God does interacting with man is always a form of his grace. We were under the Law. But no man was ever called to live “under” the law as we prisoners of modernity think of it. It was more like being under the shelter of Gods wing, the call was to live “in it” in submission to God, that ye might have life. for more: everythoughtcaptivearizona.blogspot.com/
This is good for us, primarily because once the foundations have been laid (worldview which builds upon the words of Jesus), we must press on to building. It is like saying, “ok, we have dealt with death at the cross, now how do we deal with life in light of the cross…” This will at times get sticky, and take humility and maturity to walk out… but walk it out we must! This also flies in the face of contemporary PC. It offends people. It doesn’t line up perfectly all the time. We must be mature enough, and humble enough to work through Scripture with great joy. Instead of “dumbing down” to an un-offensive standard, we want to get at God’s heart on the matter using ALL the Word.
(Wilson illistrates what that looks like here.)
The following is from David Terry,
"God giving us his law, was an act of grace to us too! Everything God does interacting with man is always a form of his grace. We were under the Law. But no man was ever called to live “under” the law as we prisoners of modernity think of it. It was more like being under the shelter of Gods wing, the call was to live “in it” in submission to God, that ye might have life. for more: everythoughtcaptivearizona.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Difference a Wife Makes
Being an Americana man, steeped in the worthless vanities of a feministic culture, I looked at Michal and thought, “God, that just doesn’t seem fair!” Consider these things which the Bible tells us about Michal:
She was in love with David. King Saul was her father. Saul gave Michal to David to be his wife. (1 Samuel 18.20, 27-28).
Her father despised David and chased him away. Once David was out of the picture, Saul gave Michal to another man to be his wife (1 Samuel 25.44).
After she had been with her new husband, Palti, David took her back as his wife (2 Samuel 3.13-16). Paltiel (Palti) followed along behind, weeping. He could not stand the thought of giving his new wife back to David. Whether Michal liked the thought of going back to David, or not, I do not know. One thing is for sure… they weren’t asking her.
Michal saw David dancing before the Lord and “despised” him. David said it was because God chose him and not her father as king (meaning she was jealous, or bitter). (2 Samuel 6.16-23). She was cursed by God (v. 23 she remained childless… that is a curse – Deuteronomy 28.11, 18).
The American "Christian" feminist looks at this and is disgusted at the “injustices” done to Michal. A father “gives” her to a man? Her father “gives” her to another man? Her ex-husband takes her away from her current husband? She is bitter over her current husband taking the throne from her daddy, and God curses her? What is she, cattle? Is that all her life amounts to? God… that just does not seem fair. Are women created to be the property of men?
The difference between my wife and Michal is faith and obedience. It takes faith to believe that a sovereign God has a sovereign plan. People do not like that. Feminists do not like that. Spineless men do not like that. Autonomous man does not want to be told that someone created him, and has authority over him. God created us for His glory. Were you there when He created woman, and created her for the specific purpose of helping a man? Did He ask you how He should go about creating her? Did you get a choice in what her purpose would be? I did not get a choice either. God does not bother consulting with me to find out the justice of His movements… nor should He. In short, who are we to tell God He messed up?
My wife is the quintessential woman. God said it, and she does it. That is enough for her. She is not perfect. She does not always get it right. She has things to learn like the rest of us. But if she sees it in the Word, she obeys it. Many women would claim to have such faith. They do not. They are husband-cripplers. They would never trust God to work through their husband. They will not obey their husbands (1 Peter 3.6). They do not believe God will use their husbands to accomplish His own glory. They believe God is big enough to create heaven and earth, but not big enough to use their stupid, no good husband. They step in and take over. They become the man of the house. They criticize him just like Michal. They are bitter because they do not like the role of being relegated to the “back seat” of “helping a man.” Small faith says, “God made heaven and earth.” Living faith says, “God is in charge of my circumstance… even when my husband treats me like property.”
To bad Michal did not have my wife to mentor her. If so, my wife would have reminded her that God was the one shifting her from place to place. She would have reminded her that God took the throne away from her dad. She would have asked her, “If your husband dances before the Lord, and you are not happy about it… why not?” She would have helped her see, by God’s grace, bitter roots. She would point her to a God who is behind the scenes and sovereign over the affairs of man. Faith in God to “be your personal Savior” is one thing. Faith that God can save you (and has designed it for His glory) when you are receiving the fallout of weak men is another. One faith is weak, individualistic, and probably selfish. The other faith is life changing (1 Peter 3.1).
Michal’s name means “Who is like God?” In other words, “I see a Big God,” instead of “I see a weak man.” Unfortunately for Michal, she did not live up to her name. If you are a lady who finds herself bitter about her lot in life, remember Michal. Pray that God will send you a mentor that has faith that descends well beneath the surface. Pray for a mentor like my wife, who looks toward God… even as she waits upon a weak man like me!
As for my house, I will lead our children to honor such a woman. I will make memorials for all of our future generations to “rise up and call her blessed.” May they too, follow their matriarch in her example. If they do… what a dynasty my wife will have left behind!
She was in love with David. King Saul was her father. Saul gave Michal to David to be his wife. (1 Samuel 18.20, 27-28).
Her father despised David and chased him away. Once David was out of the picture, Saul gave Michal to another man to be his wife (1 Samuel 25.44).
After she had been with her new husband, Palti, David took her back as his wife (2 Samuel 3.13-16). Paltiel (Palti) followed along behind, weeping. He could not stand the thought of giving his new wife back to David. Whether Michal liked the thought of going back to David, or not, I do not know. One thing is for sure… they weren’t asking her.
Michal saw David dancing before the Lord and “despised” him. David said it was because God chose him and not her father as king (meaning she was jealous, or bitter). (2 Samuel 6.16-23). She was cursed by God (v. 23 she remained childless… that is a curse – Deuteronomy 28.11, 18).
The American "Christian" feminist looks at this and is disgusted at the “injustices” done to Michal. A father “gives” her to a man? Her father “gives” her to another man? Her ex-husband takes her away from her current husband? She is bitter over her current husband taking the throne from her daddy, and God curses her? What is she, cattle? Is that all her life amounts to? God… that just does not seem fair. Are women created to be the property of men?
The difference between my wife and Michal is faith and obedience. It takes faith to believe that a sovereign God has a sovereign plan. People do not like that. Feminists do not like that. Spineless men do not like that. Autonomous man does not want to be told that someone created him, and has authority over him. God created us for His glory. Were you there when He created woman, and created her for the specific purpose of helping a man? Did He ask you how He should go about creating her? Did you get a choice in what her purpose would be? I did not get a choice either. God does not bother consulting with me to find out the justice of His movements… nor should He. In short, who are we to tell God He messed up?
My wife is the quintessential woman. God said it, and she does it. That is enough for her. She is not perfect. She does not always get it right. She has things to learn like the rest of us. But if she sees it in the Word, she obeys it. Many women would claim to have such faith. They do not. They are husband-cripplers. They would never trust God to work through their husband. They will not obey their husbands (1 Peter 3.6). They do not believe God will use their husbands to accomplish His own glory. They believe God is big enough to create heaven and earth, but not big enough to use their stupid, no good husband. They step in and take over. They become the man of the house. They criticize him just like Michal. They are bitter because they do not like the role of being relegated to the “back seat” of “helping a man.” Small faith says, “God made heaven and earth.” Living faith says, “God is in charge of my circumstance… even when my husband treats me like property.”
To bad Michal did not have my wife to mentor her. If so, my wife would have reminded her that God was the one shifting her from place to place. She would have reminded her that God took the throne away from her dad. She would have asked her, “If your husband dances before the Lord, and you are not happy about it… why not?” She would have helped her see, by God’s grace, bitter roots. She would point her to a God who is behind the scenes and sovereign over the affairs of man. Faith in God to “be your personal Savior” is one thing. Faith that God can save you (and has designed it for His glory) when you are receiving the fallout of weak men is another. One faith is weak, individualistic, and probably selfish. The other faith is life changing (1 Peter 3.1).
Michal’s name means “Who is like God?” In other words, “I see a Big God,” instead of “I see a weak man.” Unfortunately for Michal, she did not live up to her name. If you are a lady who finds herself bitter about her lot in life, remember Michal. Pray that God will send you a mentor that has faith that descends well beneath the surface. Pray for a mentor like my wife, who looks toward God… even as she waits upon a weak man like me!
As for my house, I will lead our children to honor such a woman. I will make memorials for all of our future generations to “rise up and call her blessed.” May they too, follow their matriarch in her example. If they do… what a dynasty my wife will have left behind!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Foundational Principles (Part One)
The foundation for the Temple of Diana was built upon a marsh in Ephesus (present day Turkey). Today, only one pillar remains standing from the 127 original pillars.
In contrast to the short lived foundations of that pagan temple, Jesus said that anyone who "hears these words of Mine [Jesus], and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock." (Matthew 7.24)
There is one principle that Jesus lays out in this passage which most people continually fall over and wreck their lives with. This principle is as sure as the law of gravity, and just as devastating. This principle can account for all divorce, depression, and every kind of sorrow. Even when a person experiences the best that this life has to offer, if he violates this principle, it will catch up to him in the end.
The principle is this: No servant can serve two masters. (Luke 16.13)
It is the principle which logically corresponds to the first commandment, You shall have no gods before me. (Exodus 20.3). No man has the right to put anything before God.
We violate this principle in an untold number of ways. And when we violate it, we might not even realize we are doing it. Hence, the cycle of ruin continues.
Christians, and Atheists alike violate this principle. Both, the Atheist and the Christian who does not practice the commands of Christ, is coming from the exact same worldview... acting as if God did not exist. For the Christian, consider the cycles of sin which debilitated the Israelites and kept them from enjoying complete occupation of the Promised Land in the book of Judges. For the Atheist, I must ask you to keep reading until I can make my proof that Atheists and Christians who do not follow the commands of Christ, are coming from the exact same worldview.
Lastly, whatever provides your source of authority is the object of your worship. If you, an Atheist, say that science is your source of authority, then by definition you will view life from a particular perspective which will resemble (losely):
- Nominalism in the metaphysical
- Atheism in the theological
- Materialism in the cosmological
- Biologism (and evolution) in the anthropological
- Empiricism in the epistemological
- Utilitarianism in the ethical
- Positivism in the legal
If you follow your worldview consistently, then the outcomes will resemble these perspectives. The Christian who does not act upon God's word, is coming from your same worldview... and there are many!
The Church In Sync
The American church has become the whipping boy. Pagan belief prevails, and Barak sits on the throne. Why? It is NOT because the world has been so successful. It is not because they offer better answers. Can we not learn from biblical history, let alone, European history, and American history? Nope… we never learn. Judgment starts in the house of God (1 Peter 4.17).
In what ways is your household different than that of the humanistic environment of the day? How is the culture of your home any different than any moral pagan that you know? Our art, music, fast food, little league, church clubs, etc. are in sync with the world. Syncretism is “[the] reconciliation of different beliefs” (Latin root), or “union of communities” (Greek root). In short, syncretism is to look just like the world. The church adapts their philosophies of life and sprinkles some “Jesus” sugar on it. The church then becomes absolutely irrelevant (Matthew 5.13).
Look at the culture of your home. Dare I say, Dads, look at what your daughter is wearing? How is her clothing any different than her pagan friends? The fact that you cry, “Legalist!” illustrates my point. Does God speak to clothing issues? Should she be looking the same, speaking the same, acting the same, going to the same places? If that is not syncretism, you will have to tell me what is. Is it only when she begins having sex that we will admit, “Ok, the world has influenced her.” She has had a worldview that arises out of 17 magazine and we thought nothing of it… all we can think of is… “Don’t be a legalist…” How sad! The Midianites (the Atheists of today’s public schools) say, “get up in them hills, Christians!” We don’t want your silly Christian shows. Why have a Christian substitute try to imitate the world, when our artists do it better. You have nothing for us. Just be quiet.” (Judges 6.1-2)
Dads, repent of being caught up in a culture of vanity. Who cares if the Cardinals are in the super bowl! Why do you blame your child’s lack of spirituality on God? Look around you and take responsibility for their spiritual training! There are no guarantees concerning the salvation of our children. But, if they reject Christ, may it not be because we did not exhaust every resource possible to pass on the covenant of Christ to them.
In what ways is your household different than that of the humanistic environment of the day? How is the culture of your home any different than any moral pagan that you know? Our art, music, fast food, little league, church clubs, etc. are in sync with the world. Syncretism is “[the] reconciliation of different beliefs” (Latin root), or “union of communities” (Greek root). In short, syncretism is to look just like the world. The church adapts their philosophies of life and sprinkles some “Jesus” sugar on it. The church then becomes absolutely irrelevant (Matthew 5.13).
Look at the culture of your home. Dare I say, Dads, look at what your daughter is wearing? How is her clothing any different than her pagan friends? The fact that you cry, “Legalist!” illustrates my point. Does God speak to clothing issues? Should she be looking the same, speaking the same, acting the same, going to the same places? If that is not syncretism, you will have to tell me what is. Is it only when she begins having sex that we will admit, “Ok, the world has influenced her.” She has had a worldview that arises out of 17 magazine and we thought nothing of it… all we can think of is… “Don’t be a legalist…” How sad! The Midianites (the Atheists of today’s public schools) say, “get up in them hills, Christians!” We don’t want your silly Christian shows. Why have a Christian substitute try to imitate the world, when our artists do it better. You have nothing for us. Just be quiet.” (Judges 6.1-2)
Dads, repent of being caught up in a culture of vanity. Who cares if the Cardinals are in the super bowl! Why do you blame your child’s lack of spirituality on God? Look around you and take responsibility for their spiritual training! There are no guarantees concerning the salvation of our children. But, if they reject Christ, may it not be because we did not exhaust every resource possible to pass on the covenant of Christ to them.
Friday, March 20, 2009
Why Family Culture Must Be Long Term (Multigenerational)
As a youth minister is seemed the focus was upon getting teens "saved." I should have stepped back and asked, "What does the Word say?"
The Bible clearly outlines that the covenant with God is passed on multigenerationally, and through families (Genesis 18.18-19). Fathers must lead. If dad is not on deck (The captain of the ship), he is teaching and training irresponsibility. He is breading rebellion against God's commands. He cannot hope to send his child to the pagan schools of humanism, and then to a "fun" youth minister and expect anything less than to raise a secular humanist.
Judges 2.10 speaks of a generation in this situation. After God had commanded them to set up memorial stones to remind their children of God's miraculous deliverances, there arose a generation who did not know the Lord. If they failed, in an era without little league, Internet, x-box, etc. etc. how much more intentional should we be?
If the culture (sights, sounds, smells, art work, conversations) of your house is not tied to the excellencies of Christ, it WILL be tied to the shallowness (or perversity) of the prevailing culture of the day.
We study history by digging up art, artifacts, manuscript fragments, etc. If they were to dig up your house 300 years from now to find out about the culture of your house... our your face book page, what would they discover?
The Bible clearly outlines that the covenant with God is passed on multigenerationally, and through families (Genesis 18.18-19). Fathers must lead. If dad is not on deck (The captain of the ship), he is teaching and training irresponsibility. He is breading rebellion against God's commands. He cannot hope to send his child to the pagan schools of humanism, and then to a "fun" youth minister and expect anything less than to raise a secular humanist.
Judges 2.10 speaks of a generation in this situation. After God had commanded them to set up memorial stones to remind their children of God's miraculous deliverances, there arose a generation who did not know the Lord. If they failed, in an era without little league, Internet, x-box, etc. etc. how much more intentional should we be?
If the culture (sights, sounds, smells, art work, conversations) of your house is not tied to the excellencies of Christ, it WILL be tied to the shallowness (or perversity) of the prevailing culture of the day.
We study history by digging up art, artifacts, manuscript fragments, etc. If they were to dig up your house 300 years from now to find out about the culture of your house... our your face book page, what would they discover?
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Perspective Suitor Questions
I recognize my responsibility as a dad, to protect my daughters in the area of transition toward marraige. I really do not relish the idea of giving them to a complete knuckle head... worse yet, some abusive, self-oriented, worthless, 2-bit, punk-of-a-man who will trample on that which I have spent years investing in. So, I prayed through a list of important questions that I want to ask this young "Knight in shining armor" to see if he really is a knight, or a dweeb.
I certainly need all the collective wisdom that I can get, so please add to, or provide perspective to the already listed questions...
I certainly need all the collective wisdom that I can get, so please add to, or provide perspective to the already listed questions...
Suitor Questions
- What is your understanding of God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Bible?
- What is your understanding of Man, Man's problem, Man's solution?
- What is your understanding of Man's purpose on Earth?
- How are you (and will you) go about practically fulfilling that purpose as a husband and father?
- How do children fit into the picture?
- What is your perspective on the role of the in-laws?
- What is your understanding of debt? How much debt do you have?
- How do you deal with conflict?
- What does it mean to "Sanctify your wife," and how is that done practically?
- How would you discipline your children? Take me through a scenerio.
- What are your top 3: Heroes, Books, Songs, Movies
- Have you EVER looked at pornography?
- Lets schedule a project with you, me, Gabe, and Micah together (maybe a 40 mile swim, hike, shooting outing)
- Do a family project with us.
- We need to do a project with your family.
- Do you have your parents blessing... when can I talk to your dad?
Obviously, this would take a little bit of time, but isn't that the point. Some may say, "Goodness... if that is the case, forget it mister..." To which I say good! This is bare minimum stuff... These are things that a man of God is hungry for anyway! If this weeds out the "riff-raff," so much the better, you are not worthy of a Proverb 31 woman.
As far as the answers for the above questions, yes, I have Scriptural answers packed and ready to disciple this young man. I don't expect that he will be ready with "all the right answers." I will start with his character, and be ready to disciple him... and any father should. We live in an age with a severe lack of male leadership. To expect a young man to be perfect misses the point. To expect him to have character and be teachable is closer to reality. But to post the answers... I am not giving him that chance! I want to know his thoughts FIRST :)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Is It Sinful To Send Your Children To Public Schools?
If someone were to ask me this 3 years ago, I would have said, "It is not a sin... show me in scripture!" I would have done what most do, and branded that person a legalist. No longer...
1. A crucial and unbiblical assumption is made BEFORE I send my child to the pagan school of humanism. It is assumed that scientific materialism is NOT a religion. Truth: ALL EDUCATION STEMS FROM A FAITH BELIEF SYSTEM. Either you will educate your child from a biblical worldview, or an unbiblical worldview. Text: Colossians
2. Would you send your child to a Mormon School, a Buddist School? Then why would you consider public school something less than a cult school? It is because you assume that public school is somehow religiously neutral. It is not. The faith of the "system" is atheistic naturalism. It is anti supernatural, and presents science, social studies, math, etc. as if God was irrelevent. THAT is a faith system. It's religious worldview is humanism (man is the ultimate decider of right / wrong).
Since I would love to say more, but someone said it already, I have copied and pasted an article from American Vision:
A Spectre is Haunting America. Don't Let itby Dr. Richard A. Jones11/12/08
Now that what some might call the “unthinkable” has actually happened, it’s certain that a vital remnant in the Church will wake up and realize that, “It’s time to start paying attention.” Had McCain won, the Christian Right likely would have given another overconfident sigh of relief, hoping that the other side would somehow not be able to advance its anti-Christian offensive in 2012. (It would have advanced anyway.) Either way, it’s folly to forget that the difference between the American Dream-killing, wealth-redistributing leftist, Obama, and the RINO McCain is negligible. A tip-off that both are operative socialists was made clear last primary season when mainstream media palmed off these two inexplicable “choices” onto us. Values voters never had a say. But that’s all spilled milk. It’s time to explore how it was that what was once essentially a Christian-leaning, U.S. voting populace was so easily set up for passive acceptance of a clear-cut socialist candidate in each party. Don’t be surprised by the major cause.
Dedication to Marxism by East Coast political, academic and media types goes back to the days of FDR and even before. But, it neared max toxicity in the 1960s with Viet Nam. By 1989 and 1990, Marxist devotion in the U.S. had not weakened in the least even though the Cold War had ended and the USSR folded. That’s because, as we’ve argued here, true socialism at its core is an intense, life-dedicated hatred of God and the Christian family. And hatred of God is ever-present. This passion is what keeps the fires of nihilism and Marxism burning on campuses nationwide (and eventually in the public schools) even though it waned (for a season) in the Soviet Motherland. Viet Nam era zealots like Bill Ayers never stopped pushing radicalism at ever-lower grade levels in the schools. So it’s no surprise that mind-programmed young voters (and plenty of church goers, per Barna polling) have slowly fallen for Washington’s “equality, compassion (and vote-buying) plan;” i.e., socialism. How did this catastrophe come to pass with nary a whimper?
Many think that a deceived Protestant Church in America was the key. It abetted the slippery slope to socialism via a century-long bad habit of effeminate pietism and its cave-in to an “it’s just about over,” irrelevance-guaranteeing, dispensationalism. (Both of which developed mainly because due to loss of the best U.S. men during the cynically contrived Civil War.) Once the shroud of pessimistic end-times resignation had smothered what de Tocqueville experienced as “pulpits aflame,” the soft undermining effect of passive church irrelevance in a fast-changing society was assured. By election time 2008, scores of feminized, liberal-leaning pulpits had been taken in by the Left’s vague slogan of “change;” a change that a “truly loving God” supposedly desires.
As 1960’s radicals like Ayers and company wormed their way into the teacher colleges, the plan was that children…especially Dr. Benjamin Spock’s permissively trained and spoiled victims…would be progressively dumbed down to accept humanistic, anti-Christian socialism. The zeitgeist of the age was one of busy Baby Boomer parents marching resolutely to the beat of “me, mine and materialism.” While both parents took two salaries in order to pay their taxes and feed a consumption mentality, the planners knew that schools would be the perfect holding tank by day for “open minded” (read “gullible”) children who were getting, if any, only minimal moral guidance at home. What was being surreptitiously taught in the mega-compliant government schools was less critical to parents than the convenience of the handy babysitting. A passive Church, meanwhile, yawned. Only Rev. Rousas J. Rushdoony, virtually alone through the 1970s and 1980s, warned about the grave threat on the near horizon should government-controlled education be allowed to prevail. Has it prevailed? Having to ask the question gives the answer.
It was during this pivotal and still feasible-for-action time frame that others besides Rushdoony should have perked up and given the alert. Pro-active response conditions were still favorable. Post-Viet Nam, as socialist fruit began growing apace in the schools, pastors and young parents alive in the 1980s and 1990s (who would have been born at a time when the Cold War’s lessons about communism’s threat were still vivid) should have paid attention. And communism, as is well known, is merely the freedom-hating socialism of Obama and McCain worked out to its inevitable conclusion. With the facts so clearly visible, why didn’t those Boomer parents and their pastors figure it out?
It wasn’t just Dr. Spock. It wasn’t just end-times misinterpretations that led to irrelevance within church leadership. Post-Viet Nam pastors had other concerns stopping them from storming pulpits and with rhetorical swords drawn, proclaiming; “Parents: Remove God’s children from the humanist schools.” With Christianity under attack on all fronts, especially media, academia, and the entertainment sectors, humanistically-deceived moderns began leaving church. With tithing and giving down, pastors had worries other than the pesky socialism threat. They caved in to financial “reality,” very often using the wholly unjustified “salt and light in the schools” pretext. Instead of “taking a chance on God” and declaring truth, they ignored the get-them-out warning. They feared backlash from parents and public school teachers among the congregants. It was and is that simple.
But there’s plenty of blame to go around. All of the best known national power ministries on radio and TV happily followed suit. They too feared jeopardizing their donations and product-sales base. True, these national voices gave occasional, random attention to the school problem, but were quick to say, as a covering mantra, that the two alternatives, home education and private schools “are not for everyone.” Result: Only a few previously pro-materialism-leaning parents were sufficiently aroused to change gears, even for their own children. From pew to pulpit to the big production ministries, the ball was dropped, and the youth contingent response in the 2008 election reflects this failure. Millions of younger voters from churched homes (and often joined by their parents) had, in fact, succumbed to school socialism-based, pro-permissive, pro-class envy, pro-homosexual, pro-green, anti-defense and anti-capitalism deception. Twenty-first-century parents and leaders must wake up. “If you forebear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain…. If you say, behold, we knew it not, does not he that ponders the heart consider it? And he that keeps the soul, does he not know it? And shall he not render to every man according to his works” (Proverbs 24:10-11).
“Children of the State” in World Magazine for November 1, 2008, unintentionally revealed the degree of American reluctance to grasp 40 years of brutal truth…years at least somewhat reminiscent of 1930s Germany. It stated: “If you want a classic example of how fast a whole culture can be turned on a dime, redirected by 180 degrees, try this: Just when it seemed, through the 1980s, 1990s, and even well into the past decade, that a socialist mindset had been successfully put down in the United States, back it comes- with a vengeance.” No! 2008 was not a “here it comes back,” inexplicable surprise. Exactly the opposite! Since the 1970s, youth socialism-indoctrination has been like a freight train coming. And in 2008 it arrived-with a vengeance, right on schedule and just as planned. If not addressed now, 2010 will be worse. Today’s younger voters are politically illiterate, socialist-leaning, damaged goods and much of this because of a church-wide, millstone-risking refusal to protect Christ’s “little ones” (Matt. 18:6). “For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed”(Isa. 9:16).
Wiser heads in the Church; in some rare pockets of government, and we here at American Vision, know that this trend to socialism and, with it, the soon loss of our freedoms, must end. That pitiable throng of those taken in by this fairy tale must decline. Those adults-to-be of tomorrow (and already-adults of today) who would help lead us out of the trap must increase. American Vision’s specialty in the culture wars has always been to supply God-honoring materials for Christians who want to enhance their Kingdom-advancing skills. But AV’s offerings will fall increasingly on deaf ears if the adult readers of tomorrow continue “learning” in the other side’s youth training camps. Why not tell your pastor to think over the challenge? Tell him that an obedience-respecting God will honor his leadership. This is a transformational hour in history and the hour is late. As Cliff May wrote last week in National Review; “The Democrats, i.e., the Left, now have the White House, control of both houses of Congress, a majority of governors’ mansions, a majority of state legislatures, the entertainment media, the elite news media, the unions, the educational establishment, the lion’s share of the philanthropic community, and increasing power over the courts.” ACORN is on its way to OAK status. Christians need to grow trees of influence of their own, their own forests, and fast. Failure to act now guarantees that things will all only get worse, and not just in the political realm but in all of them. We ask you to join us by removing your own children and encouraging others to do the same. Set January, 2009 as your target date. We don’t have forever. Thank you.
1. A crucial and unbiblical assumption is made BEFORE I send my child to the pagan school of humanism. It is assumed that scientific materialism is NOT a religion. Truth: ALL EDUCATION STEMS FROM A FAITH BELIEF SYSTEM. Either you will educate your child from a biblical worldview, or an unbiblical worldview. Text: Colossians
2. Would you send your child to a Mormon School, a Buddist School? Then why would you consider public school something less than a cult school? It is because you assume that public school is somehow religiously neutral. It is not. The faith of the "system" is atheistic naturalism. It is anti supernatural, and presents science, social studies, math, etc. as if God was irrelevent. THAT is a faith system. It's religious worldview is humanism (man is the ultimate decider of right / wrong).
Since I would love to say more, but someone said it already, I have copied and pasted an article from American Vision:
A Spectre is Haunting America. Don't Let itby Dr. Richard A. Jones11/12/08
Now that what some might call the “unthinkable” has actually happened, it’s certain that a vital remnant in the Church will wake up and realize that, “It’s time to start paying attention.” Had McCain won, the Christian Right likely would have given another overconfident sigh of relief, hoping that the other side would somehow not be able to advance its anti-Christian offensive in 2012. (It would have advanced anyway.) Either way, it’s folly to forget that the difference between the American Dream-killing, wealth-redistributing leftist, Obama, and the RINO McCain is negligible. A tip-off that both are operative socialists was made clear last primary season when mainstream media palmed off these two inexplicable “choices” onto us. Values voters never had a say. But that’s all spilled milk. It’s time to explore how it was that what was once essentially a Christian-leaning, U.S. voting populace was so easily set up for passive acceptance of a clear-cut socialist candidate in each party. Don’t be surprised by the major cause.
Dedication to Marxism by East Coast political, academic and media types goes back to the days of FDR and even before. But, it neared max toxicity in the 1960s with Viet Nam. By 1989 and 1990, Marxist devotion in the U.S. had not weakened in the least even though the Cold War had ended and the USSR folded. That’s because, as we’ve argued here, true socialism at its core is an intense, life-dedicated hatred of God and the Christian family. And hatred of God is ever-present. This passion is what keeps the fires of nihilism and Marxism burning on campuses nationwide (and eventually in the public schools) even though it waned (for a season) in the Soviet Motherland. Viet Nam era zealots like Bill Ayers never stopped pushing radicalism at ever-lower grade levels in the schools. So it’s no surprise that mind-programmed young voters (and plenty of church goers, per Barna polling) have slowly fallen for Washington’s “equality, compassion (and vote-buying) plan;” i.e., socialism. How did this catastrophe come to pass with nary a whimper?
Many think that a deceived Protestant Church in America was the key. It abetted the slippery slope to socialism via a century-long bad habit of effeminate pietism and its cave-in to an “it’s just about over,” irrelevance-guaranteeing, dispensationalism. (Both of which developed mainly because due to loss of the best U.S. men during the cynically contrived Civil War.) Once the shroud of pessimistic end-times resignation had smothered what de Tocqueville experienced as “pulpits aflame,” the soft undermining effect of passive church irrelevance in a fast-changing society was assured. By election time 2008, scores of feminized, liberal-leaning pulpits had been taken in by the Left’s vague slogan of “change;” a change that a “truly loving God” supposedly desires.
As 1960’s radicals like Ayers and company wormed their way into the teacher colleges, the plan was that children…especially Dr. Benjamin Spock’s permissively trained and spoiled victims…would be progressively dumbed down to accept humanistic, anti-Christian socialism. The zeitgeist of the age was one of busy Baby Boomer parents marching resolutely to the beat of “me, mine and materialism.” While both parents took two salaries in order to pay their taxes and feed a consumption mentality, the planners knew that schools would be the perfect holding tank by day for “open minded” (read “gullible”) children who were getting, if any, only minimal moral guidance at home. What was being surreptitiously taught in the mega-compliant government schools was less critical to parents than the convenience of the handy babysitting. A passive Church, meanwhile, yawned. Only Rev. Rousas J. Rushdoony, virtually alone through the 1970s and 1980s, warned about the grave threat on the near horizon should government-controlled education be allowed to prevail. Has it prevailed? Having to ask the question gives the answer.
It was during this pivotal and still feasible-for-action time frame that others besides Rushdoony should have perked up and given the alert. Pro-active response conditions were still favorable. Post-Viet Nam, as socialist fruit began growing apace in the schools, pastors and young parents alive in the 1980s and 1990s (who would have been born at a time when the Cold War’s lessons about communism’s threat were still vivid) should have paid attention. And communism, as is well known, is merely the freedom-hating socialism of Obama and McCain worked out to its inevitable conclusion. With the facts so clearly visible, why didn’t those Boomer parents and their pastors figure it out?
It wasn’t just Dr. Spock. It wasn’t just end-times misinterpretations that led to irrelevance within church leadership. Post-Viet Nam pastors had other concerns stopping them from storming pulpits and with rhetorical swords drawn, proclaiming; “Parents: Remove God’s children from the humanist schools.” With Christianity under attack on all fronts, especially media, academia, and the entertainment sectors, humanistically-deceived moderns began leaving church. With tithing and giving down, pastors had worries other than the pesky socialism threat. They caved in to financial “reality,” very often using the wholly unjustified “salt and light in the schools” pretext. Instead of “taking a chance on God” and declaring truth, they ignored the get-them-out warning. They feared backlash from parents and public school teachers among the congregants. It was and is that simple.
But there’s plenty of blame to go around. All of the best known national power ministries on radio and TV happily followed suit. They too feared jeopardizing their donations and product-sales base. True, these national voices gave occasional, random attention to the school problem, but were quick to say, as a covering mantra, that the two alternatives, home education and private schools “are not for everyone.” Result: Only a few previously pro-materialism-leaning parents were sufficiently aroused to change gears, even for their own children. From pew to pulpit to the big production ministries, the ball was dropped, and the youth contingent response in the 2008 election reflects this failure. Millions of younger voters from churched homes (and often joined by their parents) had, in fact, succumbed to school socialism-based, pro-permissive, pro-class envy, pro-homosexual, pro-green, anti-defense and anti-capitalism deception. Twenty-first-century parents and leaders must wake up. “If you forebear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain…. If you say, behold, we knew it not, does not he that ponders the heart consider it? And he that keeps the soul, does he not know it? And shall he not render to every man according to his works” (Proverbs 24:10-11).
“Children of the State” in World Magazine for November 1, 2008, unintentionally revealed the degree of American reluctance to grasp 40 years of brutal truth…years at least somewhat reminiscent of 1930s Germany. It stated: “If you want a classic example of how fast a whole culture can be turned on a dime, redirected by 180 degrees, try this: Just when it seemed, through the 1980s, 1990s, and even well into the past decade, that a socialist mindset had been successfully put down in the United States, back it comes- with a vengeance.” No! 2008 was not a “here it comes back,” inexplicable surprise. Exactly the opposite! Since the 1970s, youth socialism-indoctrination has been like a freight train coming. And in 2008 it arrived-with a vengeance, right on schedule and just as planned. If not addressed now, 2010 will be worse. Today’s younger voters are politically illiterate, socialist-leaning, damaged goods and much of this because of a church-wide, millstone-risking refusal to protect Christ’s “little ones” (Matt. 18:6). “For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led of them are destroyed”(Isa. 9:16).
Wiser heads in the Church; in some rare pockets of government, and we here at American Vision, know that this trend to socialism and, with it, the soon loss of our freedoms, must end. That pitiable throng of those taken in by this fairy tale must decline. Those adults-to-be of tomorrow (and already-adults of today) who would help lead us out of the trap must increase. American Vision’s specialty in the culture wars has always been to supply God-honoring materials for Christians who want to enhance their Kingdom-advancing skills. But AV’s offerings will fall increasingly on deaf ears if the adult readers of tomorrow continue “learning” in the other side’s youth training camps. Why not tell your pastor to think over the challenge? Tell him that an obedience-respecting God will honor his leadership. This is a transformational hour in history and the hour is late. As Cliff May wrote last week in National Review; “The Democrats, i.e., the Left, now have the White House, control of both houses of Congress, a majority of governors’ mansions, a majority of state legislatures, the entertainment media, the elite news media, the unions, the educational establishment, the lion’s share of the philanthropic community, and increasing power over the courts.” ACORN is on its way to OAK status. Christians need to grow trees of influence of their own, their own forests, and fast. Failure to act now guarantees that things will all only get worse, and not just in the political realm but in all of them. We ask you to join us by removing your own children and encouraging others to do the same. Set January, 2009 as your target date. We don’t have forever. Thank you.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
The Height of Hypocrisy
This is a good example of where we are at today... This is put out by Associated Press, November 5, 2008 - 2 days after the election).
Exit polls on Tuesday revealed dramatic demographic gaps in the homosexual-marriage vote. While about six in 10 voters under 30 opposed the ban, about the same proportion of those 65 and older supported it. There were sharp racial discrepancies as well. Even as black voters overwhelmingly backed Barack Obama -- a homosexual-rights supporter -- in the presidential race, about seven in 10 of them voted against same-sex marriage, compared with about half of white voters.
Hello... So, because I am black I vote for Barack EVEN THOUGH I DISAGREE WITH HIM ON THE ISSUES??? What do we call that?
Again, humanism leads to insanity...
See here for article: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=312706
Exit polls on Tuesday revealed dramatic demographic gaps in the homosexual-marriage vote. While about six in 10 voters under 30 opposed the ban, about the same proportion of those 65 and older supported it. There were sharp racial discrepancies as well. Even as black voters overwhelmingly backed Barack Obama -- a homosexual-rights supporter -- in the presidential race, about seven in 10 of them voted against same-sex marriage, compared with about half of white voters.
Hello... So, because I am black I vote for Barack EVEN THOUGH I DISAGREE WITH HIM ON THE ISSUES??? What do we call that?
Again, humanism leads to insanity...
See here for article: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=312706
College?
Here are some informative links
http://www.collegeplus.org/
http://www.ameprogram.com/
http://www.biblicalconcourse.com/
http://www.collegeplus.org/
http://www.ameprogram.com/
http://www.biblicalconcourse.com/
Senate Bill 08-200
I don't know what surprises me more: Homosexuals getting away with banning the bible in Colorado and outlawing boys / girls bathrooms, or Christians NOT believing that it was actually happening.
I talked to a precious loved one. I told her about Colorado's recent ban on the bible. She merely said, "No... I don't believe that... they can't do that..." It was similar to me cocking my head like a dog the first time I tried to comprehend partial birth abortion.
It is insanity to call the murder of a child "legal abortion" as long as the head is still in the birth canal when you kill the baby. If you move the baby 1 inch out of the birth canal, the doctor goes to jail as a murderer. It is insanity to make laws which allow boys to enter into girls restrooms. Humanism leads to insanity.
The specific part of this bill in qustion (SECTION 4: 24-34-601: Discrimination in places of public accommodation). It can be found on pages 7-8 at the following link. http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2008A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/BD7A295EB6F4460E872573F5005D0148?Open&file=200_01.pdf
Some will say that this bill does no such thing. The fallacy here is that quite honestly, he who defines the terms of the argument wins. When you take this bill to court, it will depend upon the interpreters of this bill (judges). If you have a liberal homosexual judge reading this bill, what definitions do you think that he will give to this bill?
I talked to a precious loved one. I told her about Colorado's recent ban on the bible. She merely said, "No... I don't believe that... they can't do that..." It was similar to me cocking my head like a dog the first time I tried to comprehend partial birth abortion.
It is insanity to call the murder of a child "legal abortion" as long as the head is still in the birth canal when you kill the baby. If you move the baby 1 inch out of the birth canal, the doctor goes to jail as a murderer. It is insanity to make laws which allow boys to enter into girls restrooms. Humanism leads to insanity.
The specific part of this bill in qustion (SECTION 4: 24-34-601: Discrimination in places of public accommodation). It can be found on pages 7-8 at the following link. http://www.leg.state.co.us/CLICS/CLICS2008A/csl.nsf/fsbillcont3/BD7A295EB6F4460E872573F5005D0148?Open&file=200_01.pdf
Some will say that this bill does no such thing. The fallacy here is that quite honestly, he who defines the terms of the argument wins. When you take this bill to court, it will depend upon the interpreters of this bill (judges). If you have a liberal homosexual judge reading this bill, what definitions do you think that he will give to this bill?
Seceding from the union? Conservatives and Libertarians
I copied this off a blogger's comments. He is an example of what the libertarians will not get, and what the Christians will not speak up about.
What I’m really interested in is how to get from where I am to Liberty, and I will gladly join up with other Americans who are willing to submerge all their differences and create an organization that has one and only one aim: LIBERTY. That means Liberty for me, for you, and for everyone else. That includes people we disagree with on all sorts of issues. If we understand that Liberty means that you choose your own governance and I choose mine, exclusive of interfering with one another violently, then we can unite under this one banner: LIBERTY.
While the Libertarians climb in bed with all sorts of flea-bitten ideologues, Christians will continue to put a bushel over their lamps (Matthew 5.15). Libertarians are fond of the founding fathers of the American Republic, but, they are not particularly concerned about the source of our fore father's ideas... namely the bible.
It will be interesting to watch libertarians try to come together when the major tenet of their system is: Smaller Government brings liberty. For Neo-Libertarians (Yes, my term for the contemporary Libertarian, Ron Paul types) this major tenet still springs from the same well that the socialist tenets flow from... humanism. Humanism (man can decide for himself what is right and wrong) is no foundation for moving forward.
Although the founding fathers were a mixed bag of Christians, and deists, they had a common source that they used for their foundation... The BibleIt is interesting to listen to a libertarian talk. He says the same things that a pagan would say (NO, I am not saying that he is satanic... hear me out). A major tenet of the Pagan is "Do whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt anyone else." The major tenet of the Neo-Libertarian is, Liberty for all to do as they want as long as they don't hurt anyone else.
The founders of our nation built their case for liberty based upon the immutable truth of God's Word. The neo-libertines base their opinion for liberty on man's reason... a sure foundation for failure. They come about their propositions for small government the same way the liberals come about their propositions for big government... the humanistic sand box of "My opinion is..." On the contrary, The founding fathers built their defense of liberty from the perspective of "God's opinion is..." I predict that soon there will be some rumblings for some state (or many) to secede from the union. See here for Oklahomo's version: http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:6XWE5iSZHPAJ:webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08HB/HJR1089_int.rtf+ok+house+joint+resolution+1089&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us
See here for Iowa's. http://www2.legis.state.ia.us/GA/76GA/Legislation/HJR/00000/HJR00007/
If that ever happens, you will have pot smoking libertines dancing with conservative right wing Christian Humanists. But the moment the Christian says, "Hey, we should have prayer in school," the homosexual libertarian will say, "NO, Absolutely not!" All will be coming from the same worldview of humanism. All will be building their argument from the same premise: Big government is bad because big government limits your personal freedoms. What you do in private is your business as long as you don't hurt nobody. Therefore, government should be small and limited so that people can be free to do as they please.
This argument sounds good. Christians will jump on board. But the argument is built upon the sandy foundation of humanism... it won't work. There must be a unified guiding principle base for ALL to agree to.
The Founders agreed upon the Bible... not the Mormon bible, or the Jehova's Witness bible... but the Orthodox Christian (and particularly reformed Geneva, or KJV Bible). No Bible, no common standard. No common standard, no personal restraint. No personal restraint, no liberty. Liberty cannot exist where there is no common standard. The Christian Libertarian in his newly seceded state will still proclaim homosexuality to be sinful. When that happens, the Homosexual libertarian will not be content to "keep his private actions in the closet."
What I’m really interested in is how to get from where I am to Liberty, and I will gladly join up with other Americans who are willing to submerge all their differences and create an organization that has one and only one aim: LIBERTY. That means Liberty for me, for you, and for everyone else. That includes people we disagree with on all sorts of issues. If we understand that Liberty means that you choose your own governance and I choose mine, exclusive of interfering with one another violently, then we can unite under this one banner: LIBERTY.
While the Libertarians climb in bed with all sorts of flea-bitten ideologues, Christians will continue to put a bushel over their lamps (Matthew 5.15). Libertarians are fond of the founding fathers of the American Republic, but, they are not particularly concerned about the source of our fore father's ideas... namely the bible.
It will be interesting to watch libertarians try to come together when the major tenet of their system is: Smaller Government brings liberty. For Neo-Libertarians (Yes, my term for the contemporary Libertarian, Ron Paul types) this major tenet still springs from the same well that the socialist tenets flow from... humanism. Humanism (man can decide for himself what is right and wrong) is no foundation for moving forward.
Although the founding fathers were a mixed bag of Christians, and deists, they had a common source that they used for their foundation... The BibleIt is interesting to listen to a libertarian talk. He says the same things that a pagan would say (NO, I am not saying that he is satanic... hear me out). A major tenet of the Pagan is "Do whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt anyone else." The major tenet of the Neo-Libertarian is, Liberty for all to do as they want as long as they don't hurt anyone else.
The founders of our nation built their case for liberty based upon the immutable truth of God's Word. The neo-libertines base their opinion for liberty on man's reason... a sure foundation for failure. They come about their propositions for small government the same way the liberals come about their propositions for big government... the humanistic sand box of "My opinion is..." On the contrary, The founding fathers built their defense of liberty from the perspective of "God's opinion is..." I predict that soon there will be some rumblings for some state (or many) to secede from the union. See here for Oklahomo's version: http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:6XWE5iSZHPAJ:webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08HB/HJR1089_int.rtf+ok+house+joint+resolution+1089&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us
See here for Iowa's. http://www2.legis.state.ia.us/GA/76GA/Legislation/HJR/00000/HJR00007/
If that ever happens, you will have pot smoking libertines dancing with conservative right wing Christian Humanists. But the moment the Christian says, "Hey, we should have prayer in school," the homosexual libertarian will say, "NO, Absolutely not!" All will be coming from the same worldview of humanism. All will be building their argument from the same premise: Big government is bad because big government limits your personal freedoms. What you do in private is your business as long as you don't hurt nobody. Therefore, government should be small and limited so that people can be free to do as they please.
This argument sounds good. Christians will jump on board. But the argument is built upon the sandy foundation of humanism... it won't work. There must be a unified guiding principle base for ALL to agree to.
The Founders agreed upon the Bible... not the Mormon bible, or the Jehova's Witness bible... but the Orthodox Christian (and particularly reformed Geneva, or KJV Bible). No Bible, no common standard. No common standard, no personal restraint. No personal restraint, no liberty. Liberty cannot exist where there is no common standard. The Christian Libertarian in his newly seceded state will still proclaim homosexuality to be sinful. When that happens, the Homosexual libertarian will not be content to "keep his private actions in the closet."
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Obama, Socialism, Public School, and Marxism
The fact that Obama will not admit that his political strategy is socialistic is telling. Why is Barak afraid to admit that redistribution of the wealth is the economics of Marxism. That socialism is the economics of communism is plane to see for anyone who can google "Communist Manifesto." Surprisingly, Obama will not admit this is his idea of a good government.
More surprising is the American lack of understanding. I wonder if Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh are getting frustrated yet. They have not asked for my input... I do not think they will either. But in my humble opinion, they ought to be nailing the worldview and education issue.
The contemporary worldview is humanism. It is ingrained into the heads of all public school students. The fruit of humanism is socialism. All the conservatives who I love to listen to should be hitting this one daily! The crises is one of worldview. Obama is consistently Marxist in his ideology. I do not know why he is afraid to admit the obvious. What is wrong with being Marxist? Most university students and professors do not even seem to mind admitting it anymore.
The Humanist worldview:
This worldview judges people. Humanists hate truth. They say, "Capitalists are selfish... If you do not want the government to take your wealth and give it away, then you are bad, bad, selfish." They judge people, and hate those who will not agree with their humanism. The homosexual humanist hates the Christian, and judges him most severely. He hates anyone who will not affirm HIS beliefs. His thinking is irrational. Humanism is irrational.
But Christians, and conservatives still send their children to public schools. They continue to produce irrational children taught to think irrational thoughts like: redistributing the wealth is good... it cares about people... and anyone who disagrees must be a judgmental, selfish person.
Glenn, Shawn, Rush, and Christians especially... if you want to hit the target, expose the source. Public Schools teach humanism. The public school is involved in faith based education... the faith of relativism, humanism, socialism, atheism. All education is under girded by presuppositions. Public / Government schools presuppose that God is irrelevant. Yesterday's students are today's liberals. They have bought the lie that you can have education void of political biases. All education has a bias. All facts will be viewed from some set of predetermined lenses.
In short, public schools teach facts about the world (science, economics, sociology, etc) and tell students that they can form their own definitions, propositions, and arguments about these facts. THIS IS A RELIGIOUS BELIEF. To teach students that God is irrelevant in the interpretation of facts concerning life IS a religion. Whether you call this religion atheism, socialism, agnosticism, materialism, etc., they all are a result of a humanism worldview. Humanism is, "Man determines what is right." The opposite is Theism which says, "God determines what is right."
Christians should have consulted the Bible (Deuteronomy 6.4-10) and never sent their children to the public schools of humanism. Conservatives should recognize (as the homosexuals do) that the source to changing worldviews is teaching the children...
For further explanation on the absolute bankruptcy of socialistic economic policy, see Gina Cobb here:
http://ginacobb.typepad.com/gina_cobb/2008/10/the-horrors-of.html
More surprising is the American lack of understanding. I wonder if Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and Rush Limbaugh are getting frustrated yet. They have not asked for my input... I do not think they will either. But in my humble opinion, they ought to be nailing the worldview and education issue.
The contemporary worldview is humanism. It is ingrained into the heads of all public school students. The fruit of humanism is socialism. All the conservatives who I love to listen to should be hitting this one daily! The crises is one of worldview. Obama is consistently Marxist in his ideology. I do not know why he is afraid to admit the obvious. What is wrong with being Marxist? Most university students and professors do not even seem to mind admitting it anymore.
The Humanist worldview:
- Short-term (decisions are pragmatic, or utilitarian: "What works for right now" determines what is right)
- Individual (what is right is determined by each individual)
- Consumer (each individual fights for personal rights)
This worldview judges people. Humanists hate truth. They say, "Capitalists are selfish... If you do not want the government to take your wealth and give it away, then you are bad, bad, selfish." They judge people, and hate those who will not agree with their humanism. The homosexual humanist hates the Christian, and judges him most severely. He hates anyone who will not affirm HIS beliefs. His thinking is irrational. Humanism is irrational.
But Christians, and conservatives still send their children to public schools. They continue to produce irrational children taught to think irrational thoughts like: redistributing the wealth is good... it cares about people... and anyone who disagrees must be a judgmental, selfish person.
Glenn, Shawn, Rush, and Christians especially... if you want to hit the target, expose the source. Public Schools teach humanism. The public school is involved in faith based education... the faith of relativism, humanism, socialism, atheism. All education is under girded by presuppositions. Public / Government schools presuppose that God is irrelevant. Yesterday's students are today's liberals. They have bought the lie that you can have education void of political biases. All education has a bias. All facts will be viewed from some set of predetermined lenses.
In short, public schools teach facts about the world (science, economics, sociology, etc) and tell students that they can form their own definitions, propositions, and arguments about these facts. THIS IS A RELIGIOUS BELIEF. To teach students that God is irrelevant in the interpretation of facts concerning life IS a religion. Whether you call this religion atheism, socialism, agnosticism, materialism, etc., they all are a result of a humanism worldview. Humanism is, "Man determines what is right." The opposite is Theism which says, "God determines what is right."
Christians should have consulted the Bible (Deuteronomy 6.4-10) and never sent their children to the public schools of humanism. Conservatives should recognize (as the homosexuals do) that the source to changing worldviews is teaching the children...
For further explanation on the absolute bankruptcy of socialistic economic policy, see Gina Cobb here:
http://ginacobb.typepad.com/gina_cobb/2008/10/the-horrors-of.html
Conservatives, Libertarians, and Seceding From the Union
I copied this off a blogger's comments. He is an example of what the libertarians will not get, and what the Christians will not speak up about.
What I’m really interested in is how to get from where I am to Liberty, and I will gladly join up with other Americans who are willing to submerge all their differences and create an organization that has one and only one aim: LIBERTY. That means Liberty for me, for you, and for everyone else. That includes people we disagree with on all sorts of issues. If we understand that Liberty means that you choose your own governance and I choose mine, exclusive of interfering with one another violently, then we can unite under this one banner: LIBERTY.
While the Libertarians climb in bed with all sorts of flea-bitten ideologues, Christians will continue to put a bushel over their lamps (Matthew 5.15). Libertarians are fond of the founding fathers of the American Republic, but, they are not particularly concerned about the source of our fore father's ideas... namely the bible. It will be interesting to watch libertarians try to come together when the major tenet of their system is: Smaller Government brings liberty. For Neo-Libertarians (Yes, my term for the contemporary Libertarian, Ron Paul types) this major tenet still springs from the same well that the socialist tenets flow from... humanism. Humanism (man can decide for himself what is right and wrong) is no foundation for moving forward. Although the founding fathers were a mixed bag of Christians, and deists, they had a common source that they used for their foundation... The Bible
It is interesting to listen to a libertarian talk. He says the same things that a pagan would say (NO, I am not saying that he is satanic... hear me out). A major tenet of the Pagan is "Do whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt anyone else." The major tenet of the Neo-Libertarian is, Liberty for all to do as they want as long as they don't hurt anyone else. This sounds good, but has no foundation. The founders of our nation built their case for liberty based upon the immutable truth of God's Word. The neo-libertines base their opinion for liberty on man's reason... a sure foundation for failure. They come about their propositions for small government the same way the liberals come about their propositions for big government... the humanistic sand box of "My opinion is..." On the contrary, The founding fathers built their defense of liberty from the perspective of "God's opinion is..."
I predict that soon there will be some rumblings for some state (or many) to secede from the union. See here for Oklahomo's version: http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:6XWE5iSZHPAJ:webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08HB/HJR1089_int.rtf+ok+house+joint+resolution+1089&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us See Iowa's at bottom.
If that ever happens, you will have pot smoking libertines dancing with conservative right wing Christian Humanists. But the moment the Christian says, "Hey, we should have prayer in school," the homosexual libertarian will say, "NO, Absolutely not!" All will be coming from the same worldview of humanism. All will be building their argument from the same premise: Big government is bad because big government limits your personal freedoms. What you do in private is your business as long as you don't hurt nobody. Therefore, government should be small and limited so that people can be free to do as they please.
This argument sounds good. Christians will jump on board. But the argument is built upon the sandy foundation of humanism... it won't work. There must be a unified guiding principle base for ALL to agree to. The Founders agreed upon the Bible... not the Mormon bible, or the Jehova's Witness bible... but the Orthodox Christian (and particularly reformed Geneva, or KJV Bible). No Bible, no common standard. No common standard, no personal restraint. No personal restraint, no liberty. Liberty cannot exist where there is no common standard. The Christian Libertarian in his newly seceded state will still proclaim homosexuality to be sinful. When that happens, the Homosexual libertarian will not be content to "keep his private actions in the closet."
What I’m really interested in is how to get from where I am to Liberty, and I will gladly join up with other Americans who are willing to submerge all their differences and create an organization that has one and only one aim: LIBERTY. That means Liberty for me, for you, and for everyone else. That includes people we disagree with on all sorts of issues. If we understand that Liberty means that you choose your own governance and I choose mine, exclusive of interfering with one another violently, then we can unite under this one banner: LIBERTY.
While the Libertarians climb in bed with all sorts of flea-bitten ideologues, Christians will continue to put a bushel over their lamps (Matthew 5.15). Libertarians are fond of the founding fathers of the American Republic, but, they are not particularly concerned about the source of our fore father's ideas... namely the bible. It will be interesting to watch libertarians try to come together when the major tenet of their system is: Smaller Government brings liberty. For Neo-Libertarians (Yes, my term for the contemporary Libertarian, Ron Paul types) this major tenet still springs from the same well that the socialist tenets flow from... humanism. Humanism (man can decide for himself what is right and wrong) is no foundation for moving forward. Although the founding fathers were a mixed bag of Christians, and deists, they had a common source that they used for their foundation... The Bible
It is interesting to listen to a libertarian talk. He says the same things that a pagan would say (NO, I am not saying that he is satanic... hear me out). A major tenet of the Pagan is "Do whatever you want, as long as you don't hurt anyone else." The major tenet of the Neo-Libertarian is, Liberty for all to do as they want as long as they don't hurt anyone else. This sounds good, but has no foundation. The founders of our nation built their case for liberty based upon the immutable truth of God's Word. The neo-libertines base their opinion for liberty on man's reason... a sure foundation for failure. They come about their propositions for small government the same way the liberals come about their propositions for big government... the humanistic sand box of "My opinion is..." On the contrary, The founding fathers built their defense of liberty from the perspective of "God's opinion is..."
I predict that soon there will be some rumblings for some state (or many) to secede from the union. See here for Oklahomo's version: http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:6XWE5iSZHPAJ:webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08HB/HJR1089_int.rtf+ok+house+joint+resolution+1089&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us See Iowa's at bottom.
If that ever happens, you will have pot smoking libertines dancing with conservative right wing Christian Humanists. But the moment the Christian says, "Hey, we should have prayer in school," the homosexual libertarian will say, "NO, Absolutely not!" All will be coming from the same worldview of humanism. All will be building their argument from the same premise: Big government is bad because big government limits your personal freedoms. What you do in private is your business as long as you don't hurt nobody. Therefore, government should be small and limited so that people can be free to do as they please.
This argument sounds good. Christians will jump on board. But the argument is built upon the sandy foundation of humanism... it won't work. There must be a unified guiding principle base for ALL to agree to. The Founders agreed upon the Bible... not the Mormon bible, or the Jehova's Witness bible... but the Orthodox Christian (and particularly reformed Geneva, or KJV Bible). No Bible, no common standard. No common standard, no personal restraint. No personal restraint, no liberty. Liberty cannot exist where there is no common standard. The Christian Libertarian in his newly seceded state will still proclaim homosexuality to be sinful. When that happens, the Homosexual libertarian will not be content to "keep his private actions in the closet."
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Democrats, Republicans, Bailouts... What Can I Do?
I know that I am not the only one who wants to scream when they read the headlines. It is as if the common man is the whipping boy for all the government's stupidity... and then they blame Joe The Plumber! I want to gather the troops for the big march on Washington to tell the crooked Mr. Potters in Washington, "NO, We don't want to bail out crooked thieves... I mean YOU Guys..."
But, alas... the false prophet Joel O'steen has arrived with his message of faith and hope. Surely he will refocus us on ourselves. I am starting to feel warm and fuzzy all over. But then, I feel the cold slimy hand of Mr. Potter shaking my hand, trying to make a deal with me, and I say, "NO... NO... !" I will NOT deal with the Devil.
Therefore, I did do something! I went to war! I started firing my cannons into the darkness at the enemy. I had family worship! But wait, there's more... I didn't just do family worship with our family alone. No... I wanted to increase the troops. We gathered and did family worship with 2 other families! Together, we watched REAL history about Jamestown. We all gathered in the living room and listened to Doug Philips combat revisionist history with more factual history.
I didn't have combat boots on. I wasn't holding an M-16 in my hand... actually, I was holding the remote control. I was holding that most important piece of military equipment NOT because I am a guy! Rather, because I wanted to stop, and drill the FACTS into my little warriors. It's kind of like our personalized bombs that we dropped during Operation Desert Storm. We'd write on them things like, "Greetings from America." Obviously, no one would read them. It was the personal satisfaction of knowing you were bombing the enemy (Now, Now... I am NOT advocating getting satisfaction out of bombing Iraq!). I am advocating getting satisfaction out of sending Nuclear Missiles into the future to fight the spiritual battle claiming the crown rights of Christ!
Lord willing, my great grandson will go to Jamestown one day. When the tour guide speaks revisionist history to my future progeny, by God's grace, he will refute him with facts which will drop like ICBM's from the past. On the side of those bombs, it will say, "Greetings humanist... from Legacy Baptist... from Rob Hudelson... from family worship 2008!"
I do not have the audience of thousands (that is only in my mind... delusions of grandeur). My voice is small. BUT... By God's grace, we do battle with passion and zeal! WE DO FAMILY WORSHIP! Can you here the Gladiator soundtrack in the background??? The music is rising to a great crescendo... the family has mounted their horses... we are converging upon the living room with swords in hand!!!! We sing praises to the King. We throw ourselves at the enemy! With reckless abandon we will spend the next hour with daddy preaching & teaching until he sweats! I will pound my chest, extend my arm with sword in hand, and say to the troops... "For the King and the Kingdom!!!!"
But, alas... the false prophet Joel O'steen has arrived with his message of faith and hope. Surely he will refocus us on ourselves. I am starting to feel warm and fuzzy all over. But then, I feel the cold slimy hand of Mr. Potter shaking my hand, trying to make a deal with me, and I say, "NO... NO... !" I will NOT deal with the Devil.
Therefore, I did do something! I went to war! I started firing my cannons into the darkness at the enemy. I had family worship! But wait, there's more... I didn't just do family worship with our family alone. No... I wanted to increase the troops. We gathered and did family worship with 2 other families! Together, we watched REAL history about Jamestown. We all gathered in the living room and listened to Doug Philips combat revisionist history with more factual history.
I didn't have combat boots on. I wasn't holding an M-16 in my hand... actually, I was holding the remote control. I was holding that most important piece of military equipment NOT because I am a guy! Rather, because I wanted to stop, and drill the FACTS into my little warriors. It's kind of like our personalized bombs that we dropped during Operation Desert Storm. We'd write on them things like, "Greetings from America." Obviously, no one would read them. It was the personal satisfaction of knowing you were bombing the enemy (Now, Now... I am NOT advocating getting satisfaction out of bombing Iraq!). I am advocating getting satisfaction out of sending Nuclear Missiles into the future to fight the spiritual battle claiming the crown rights of Christ!
Lord willing, my great grandson will go to Jamestown one day. When the tour guide speaks revisionist history to my future progeny, by God's grace, he will refute him with facts which will drop like ICBM's from the past. On the side of those bombs, it will say, "Greetings humanist... from Legacy Baptist... from Rob Hudelson... from family worship 2008!"
I do not have the audience of thousands (that is only in my mind... delusions of grandeur). My voice is small. BUT... By God's grace, we do battle with passion and zeal! WE DO FAMILY WORSHIP! Can you here the Gladiator soundtrack in the background??? The music is rising to a great crescendo... the family has mounted their horses... we are converging upon the living room with swords in hand!!!! We sing praises to the King. We throw ourselves at the enemy! With reckless abandon we will spend the next hour with daddy preaching & teaching until he sweats! I will pound my chest, extend my arm with sword in hand, and say to the troops... "For the King and the Kingdom!!!!"
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Salt & Light
Israel was given land by God, and told to take possession of it in Deuteronomy & Joshua. They were told to follow God’s laws and He would bless them abundantly. When they were blessed, the surrounding pagan nations would see that Israel’s God was THE REAL God (as opposed to their worthless idols). Israel did not follow obediently, and thereby incurred God’s judgments. The surrounding pagan nations (Assyria / Babylon) carried Israel off in judgment. Their witness to the idolatrous nations was a disaster.
America is God’s land (so is Africa, Australia, etc.) which Christ claimed to have authority over (Psalm 24; Matthew 28.18-20). The Pilgrims came to America to present the gospel to pagan savages who were idolatrous. They claimed America for Christ. The gospel was the “weapons of our warfare.” The method of taking America for Christ was NOT with bows and arrows, but gospel witness, appealing to the hearts of men & women… hence, Pochohantus. Their early family lives, and governmental lives were replete with biblical narratives.
The pilgrims desired to establish their lives according to biblical law. They were blessed. We still reap the fruit of their submission to God’s law. The pagans in the nation could not stop the pilgrims from getting blessed by God. The infidels could not stop God’s blessing upon America. America was blessed because pilgrims aligned themselves according to God’s Word. “God bless America” meant something. It meant God bless America because we want to follow God’s ways. Not so today. America despises God’s ways. And I am NOT talking about the homosexuals in San Francisco!
Israel was not carried off into captivity because the Philistines rejected God’s law.... No, they were carried of because THEY had rejected God’s law. Likewise, America falls under judgment because the church refuses to acknowledge God’s law (practically & principally interpreted & applied) in every sphere of life. America does not fall under economic judgment because the pagans do not submit to God’s ways. America falls under judgment because Christians, Churches, and Christian organizations are ashamed of the gospel. We say that we should “vote ‘Yes’ for prop 101” but we WILL NOT say that marriage is between one man, and one woman BECAUSE GOD SAID SO IN HIS WORD. We are too ashamed. The church sounds more like Joel Osteen’s gospel at this point.
The typical excuse is that we could never even get a hearing in the public arena if we used the Bible as our source. In other words, “There are giants in the land, and we are like grasshoppers in our own eyes.” This is an admission that we have rejected God’s ways. Instead of being in a powerful blessed state of affairs, we are in economic crises. Instead of building upon what God wrought in our forefathers, we have lost our legacy. Legalized abortion in America is an admission that the church has rejected God, NOT that pagans have rejected God. I suspect that we want to hold on to the good life more than we want to glorify God. We want to live in a land where our children are not subjected to homosexual teachers, and socialist thieves. Yes… comforts without cost. Christians want God’s blessing, but they don’t want to stand up and say, “The Bible says.”
Before long… Babylon… or China. How’s your Mandarin Chinese?
America is God’s land (so is Africa, Australia, etc.) which Christ claimed to have authority over (Psalm 24; Matthew 28.18-20). The Pilgrims came to America to present the gospel to pagan savages who were idolatrous. They claimed America for Christ. The gospel was the “weapons of our warfare.” The method of taking America for Christ was NOT with bows and arrows, but gospel witness, appealing to the hearts of men & women… hence, Pochohantus. Their early family lives, and governmental lives were replete with biblical narratives.
The pilgrims desired to establish their lives according to biblical law. They were blessed. We still reap the fruit of their submission to God’s law. The pagans in the nation could not stop the pilgrims from getting blessed by God. The infidels could not stop God’s blessing upon America. America was blessed because pilgrims aligned themselves according to God’s Word. “God bless America” meant something. It meant God bless America because we want to follow God’s ways. Not so today. America despises God’s ways. And I am NOT talking about the homosexuals in San Francisco!
Israel was not carried off into captivity because the Philistines rejected God’s law.... No, they were carried of because THEY had rejected God’s law. Likewise, America falls under judgment because the church refuses to acknowledge God’s law (practically & principally interpreted & applied) in every sphere of life. America does not fall under economic judgment because the pagans do not submit to God’s ways. America falls under judgment because Christians, Churches, and Christian organizations are ashamed of the gospel. We say that we should “vote ‘Yes’ for prop 101” but we WILL NOT say that marriage is between one man, and one woman BECAUSE GOD SAID SO IN HIS WORD. We are too ashamed. The church sounds more like Joel Osteen’s gospel at this point.
The typical excuse is that we could never even get a hearing in the public arena if we used the Bible as our source. In other words, “There are giants in the land, and we are like grasshoppers in our own eyes.” This is an admission that we have rejected God’s ways. Instead of being in a powerful blessed state of affairs, we are in economic crises. Instead of building upon what God wrought in our forefathers, we have lost our legacy. Legalized abortion in America is an admission that the church has rejected God, NOT that pagans have rejected God. I suspect that we want to hold on to the good life more than we want to glorify God. We want to live in a land where our children are not subjected to homosexual teachers, and socialist thieves. Yes… comforts without cost. Christians want God’s blessing, but they don’t want to stand up and say, “The Bible says.”
Before long… Babylon… or China. How’s your Mandarin Chinese?
Monday, October 13, 2008
Are There Qualified Women?
My son is preparing for marriage. He has a vision for living for the King and the Kingdom. Does Grandma think he has lost his mind? Yes... well, she probably agrees with some of you. He is 14 years old.
Admittedly, we are not taking a passive stance on this issue. It is God's design for man to "take dominion of the earth." It is God's design for man to "be fruitful and multiply." If you think 14 years old is to young, you would really hate our dinner conversations. I am training my 5 week old to be a man, and get ready to take a wife. Be responsible and productive. Get ready NOW to take a wife and have children. Teach them to love Jesus, and be so productive that they can bless the poor and needy. Your life has meaning and purpose! Reject Americana Adolescent "sow your oats of humanism" garbage.
I want my precious children to know what life is REALLY about. I want my future generations to have a vision and passion for life which far outweighs the shallow Americana Churchianity Culture (John 10.10). I say to my 5 week old, "Two Kingdoms are at war. Be a man. Fight the battle. Have children, disciple them, and become mighty in the land (Psalm 127.5; Psalm 112.2)!" I talk to him like this, in hopes that I will continue to impress God's truth upon him every day of his life (Deuteronomy 6.4-10).
Ok... Rob, go decalf, right? NO! And again, I say "NO!" (well, it might be good for me to go decalf). But, Life is short (1 Peter 1.24). Reject passivity (Ephesians 6.11-18). Get a vision. Live with passion!
Therefore, as I pray, and look out at the landscape to find that woman whose price is "far above rubies," I am looking for...
Admittedly, we are not taking a passive stance on this issue. It is God's design for man to "take dominion of the earth." It is God's design for man to "be fruitful and multiply." If you think 14 years old is to young, you would really hate our dinner conversations. I am training my 5 week old to be a man, and get ready to take a wife. Be responsible and productive. Get ready NOW to take a wife and have children. Teach them to love Jesus, and be so productive that they can bless the poor and needy. Your life has meaning and purpose! Reject Americana Adolescent "sow your oats of humanism" garbage.
I want my precious children to know what life is REALLY about. I want my future generations to have a vision and passion for life which far outweighs the shallow Americana Churchianity Culture (John 10.10). I say to my 5 week old, "Two Kingdoms are at war. Be a man. Fight the battle. Have children, disciple them, and become mighty in the land (Psalm 127.5; Psalm 112.2)!" I talk to him like this, in hopes that I will continue to impress God's truth upon him every day of his life (Deuteronomy 6.4-10).
Ok... Rob, go decalf, right? NO! And again, I say "NO!" (well, it might be good for me to go decalf). But, Life is short (1 Peter 1.24). Reject passivity (Ephesians 6.11-18). Get a vision. Live with passion!
Therefore, as I pray, and look out at the landscape to find that woman whose price is "far above rubies," I am looking for...
- A woman In covenant with God (Gen. 18.18; 2 Cor. 6.14; Matthew 26.28)
- A woman with a vision for fulfilling her God ordained role as a helper to a man who takes dominion of the earth (Genesis 1.26-28)
- A woman with a vision for multigenerational faithfulness (Gen. 18.18; Psalm 78.1-7)
- A woman with a desire to bear children. (Gen. 1.2; 1 Timothy 2.15; 5.14; )
- A woman with a commitment to disciple (home school) her children (Deut 6.4-10; Proverb 1.8; 6.20; 31.1)
- A woman with an understanding of biblical submission (1 Timothy 2.9-11; Ephesians 5.22; 1 Peter 3.1)
- A woman with an understanding of biblical beauty (1 Timothy 2.9-10; 1 Peter 3.1-6)
- A woman with the practical skills and character to be a homemaker (Titus 2.5)
- A woman with a passion for industry, production, and generosity (Proverb 31)
If you are a dad who is not sitting back thinking things are just "going to happen," I am praying for you, and taking resumes.... ;)
Friday, October 10, 2008
Irrational Argument for Pragmatic Voting
Christian Humanists do not look to the Word to find qualifications for voting. They look to circumstances, and their own judgment. They counsel within themselves. That is why they confront me with my sin of voting third party. Their argument is:
A vote for third party is a vote for Obama
A vote for Obama is sin
Therefore, a vote for third party is sin
Hmm… Why is a vote for Obama sin? To which the humanist says, “Obama is pro abortion… and that is sinful.” When pressed, they FINALLY say, “the Bible says you shouldn’t murder.” At that point I want to say, “So the Bible is our standard?” Notice, however, the Bible did not come up in their argument. Their argument reveals the TRUE motive… namely one of pragmatism. McCain’s biblical qualifications never seem to come up until I bring it up! Then the defenses kick in… “Oh,” they say, “I feel McCain is biblically qualified.” NO… I don’t think you do… You already gave away your argument… You are voting for McCain, NOT because he is biblically qualified, but because Obama is NOT qualified by YOUR standards. That is like saying, I am voting for this lesbian because at least she is not an ax-murdering lesbian.
To place biblical standards on one of the candidates, but not the other, is hypocritical. Truth is, McCain doesn’t smite my Americana senses like Obama does… but what about God’s senses? Shall we not refuse our own humanistic standards, and ask God for HIS standard? If you think McCain is biblically qualified, then vote for him. (I would hate to be in your shoes trying to justify it, but that is between you and the Lord… I won’t love you any less… I have enough of my own sin to worry about). And if that is your point of view, it should not bother you that others find him unqualified and are voting for a 3rd party candidate.
The argument should be “Is this guy qualified? What are the biblical qualifications?”
A vote for third party is a vote for Obama
A vote for Obama is sin
Therefore, a vote for third party is sin
Hmm… Why is a vote for Obama sin? To which the humanist says, “Obama is pro abortion… and that is sinful.” When pressed, they FINALLY say, “the Bible says you shouldn’t murder.” At that point I want to say, “So the Bible is our standard?” Notice, however, the Bible did not come up in their argument. Their argument reveals the TRUE motive… namely one of pragmatism. McCain’s biblical qualifications never seem to come up until I bring it up! Then the defenses kick in… “Oh,” they say, “I feel McCain is biblically qualified.” NO… I don’t think you do… You already gave away your argument… You are voting for McCain, NOT because he is biblically qualified, but because Obama is NOT qualified by YOUR standards. That is like saying, I am voting for this lesbian because at least she is not an ax-murdering lesbian.
To place biblical standards on one of the candidates, but not the other, is hypocritical. Truth is, McCain doesn’t smite my Americana senses like Obama does… but what about God’s senses? Shall we not refuse our own humanistic standards, and ask God for HIS standard? If you think McCain is biblically qualified, then vote for him. (I would hate to be in your shoes trying to justify it, but that is between you and the Lord… I won’t love you any less… I have enough of my own sin to worry about). And if that is your point of view, it should not bother you that others find him unqualified and are voting for a 3rd party candidate.
The argument should be “Is this guy qualified? What are the biblical qualifications?”
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