10 March 2009 by Brian.

Funny how many Americans were worried about Bush and his Christian beliefs.  Very few worried about Obama’s faith…or even knew for sure what it was.  Now, it’s finally clear.  The author of this article agrees that Obama’s speech regarding his action on stem cell research speaks volumes…it’s just that the books aren’t very good.

Let me summarize what I heard from his speech (I will confess that I didn’t hear the entire thing): We CAN do it, therefore we SHOULD do it.  If we DON’T DO IT, our ECONOMY will suffer as other countries take advantage of the otherwise MORALLY WRONG opportunity we chose to forego.  Therefore, EXPEDIENCY trumps any other conception of MORALITY.  Or, put simply, “EXPEDIENCY is the NEW MORALITY.”

Why do I have the nagging feeling that CHANGE will not be for the better.

Maranatha.

Posted in Community, Abortion, Humanism, Naturalism, Politics, Taxes, Leadership, Evil, Trinitarianism, Trinity, Social Injustice, Radicalism, Sex, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Worldview, Spirituality, Morality, Morals, False Doctrine, Secularism | 1 Comment »

8 March 2009 by Brian.

As big government looks to get even bigger, it seems that more of our earnings will being taken by government for use in curing society’s ills.  I heard a sermon this morning that made me think and I thought I would pose these questions to you:  Once government starts taking more of my paycheck AND it has a program for every conceivable problem in our country, will I be less generous in my giving?  Would that absolve me of my God-given responsibility to love my neighbor and meet his/her needs out of love for Christ?  If it doesn’t relieve me of the responsibility altogether, is it lessened?

Posted in Community, Humanism, Social Injustice, Politics, Social Medicine, Missionaries, Missions, Taxes, Social Justice, Radicalism, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Worldview, Spirituality, Morality, Morals, Secularism | No Comments »

26 February 2009 by Brian.

For those who haven’t heard, the word ‘Islam’ actually means, “submission.”  The idea is that one submits themselves entirely to Allah.  Now, I have no argument with submitting oneself entirely to God…but the character and nature of the God to whom we submit makes (literally) a world of difference.

Wherever Islam is present, submission is required.  In fact, in contrast to Christianity, the reason for the submission isn’t nearly as important as the fact of submission itself.  So, one can submit voluntarily, under duress, or resist and incur the wrath of Allah as executed by his servants (Warning: side effects may include property destruction, rape, and/or sudden and violent death.)

This FoxNews article relates the brilliant strategy of pacification (which looks suspiciously like submission to me) being employed in Pakistan in response to the violent attacks which had been occurring in that region.

“Amir Haider Khan Hoti, the chief minister for the North West Frontier Province, said authorities would impose Islamic law in Malakand region, which includes the Swat Valley. Swat is a one-time tourist haven in the northwest where extremists have gained sway through brutal tactics including beheading residents, burning girls schools and attacking security forces.
“He said the laws would only be implemented when the valley was peaceful.”

I’m not the smartest guy in the world, but I know that when one of my children throws a tantrum, if I enjoy it and want to see another tantrum in the future, then I give them the thing they’d wanted, couldn’t obtain, and which resulted in the tantrum.  So…how did these militants react?  To no one’s surprise:

“The Swat Taliban said Sunday they would observe a 10-day cease-fire in support of the peace process. They welcomed Monday’s announcement, which did not mention any need for the militants to give up arms.
‘Our whole struggle is for the enforcement of Shariah (Islamic) law,” Swat Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said. “If this really brings us the implementation of Shariah, we will fully cooperate with it.’”

I, for one, am glad that’s all over with!  Good thing they didn’t ask them to give up any of their arms.  That would’ve simply prolonged the illegal violence.  I’m sure everyone feels much better, knowing that from now on, almost all of the violence will be legal!
Jesus said that the gates of Hell would not prevail against His kingdom.  We need to pray for believers in Pakistan and elsewhere in the Muslim world whose homes share a wall with these gates.  These brothers and sisters endure terrible conditions, often having to work menial jobs, even though they have Masters’ degrees, M.D.’s, etc., and face obstacles at every turn.  Those are the good days.  Physical violence, torture at the hands of the government, alienation, and death are real possibilities for them, simply because they have chosen to accept Jesus’ offer of salvation and a relationship with God through Him.
I urge you to pray for missionaries and for the church in the Muslim world.

Posted in Community, Social Injustice, Social Justice, Politics, Evil, Leadership, Missionaries, Missions, Religious fanaticism, Radicalism, Biblical Worldview, Contemporary Christianity, Islam, Spirituality, Morals, Religion, Morality, Sanctity of Life | No Comments »

13 November 2008 by Brian.

These two articles graphically (perhaps too graphically) illustrate the problem faced by the anti-theist when it comes to morality.  Read this article about humanist propaganda designed just for the holidays (derived from “holy days”, by the way, if you’re wondering why non-theists feel “a little alone” during the holidays).

Then, check out this story from Sweden regarding a bestiality ring, to which the Agriculture Minister (is he a 45 year old father of two?) seems to be sympathetic.

The Humanists want to, “plant a seed of rational thought and critical thinking and questioning in people’s minds.”  Mission accomplished.  So, in the spirit of rationality, here’s a question for you:  “If there isn’t a deity who defines good and evil, then what is ‘good’?”  Consider the nauseating questions posed by the Ag Minister: “Is it, and should it be, legal to spread something on the genitalia that might smell or taste nice to a dog, in order to allow the dog to lick off whatever is spread on the genitalia?  Should it be permitted to stroke a bitch’s teats with love, or should it be classified as animal sexual abuse?”  If there is no absolute moral lawgiver, then there can be no absolute moral law…only physical laws and moral preferences.  Furthermore, if we and our dogs are only the product of time, plus matter, plus chance, then why would those actions be wrong…just a little animal on animal gratification, right?

Without God, the concept of “good” and “bad” are meaningless.  There is only “is”.  We could state preferences for one situation over another, but those would be purely subjective.  In order to be rational and consistent, I challenge the anti-theists to alter their ad campaign to say, “Just act in a manner we prefer, for preferences’ sake.”  Somehow, I don’t think they want their “seed of rational thought” to grow too much.  If it does, it may just reveal itself for what it is…a useless weed.

Posted in Homosexuality, Community, Politics, Abortion, Humanism, Eurabia, Naturalism, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Christmas, Leadership, Europe, Missionaries, Evil, Missions, Social Injustice, Religious fanaticism, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Marriage, Postmodernism, Postmodernity, Radicalism, Radicals, Religion, Morality, Spirituality, Morals, Secularism | No Comments »

6 November 2008 by Brian.

Victor Davis Hanson says it well.  It’s a fair question: “After running up the annual deficit to a near half-a-trillion dollars in stimuli rebates and bailouts, now we are to send checks out again for subsidies for food, housing, and power? And how to pay for it? And the consequences of looking for others to channel money to be redistributed? At some point, there should be some overarching exegesis to explain all this. Something like: ‘Compensation is arbitrary and not based on either fairness or logic. So government is necessary to make the needed corrections and to redistribute in the way a flawed market cannot.’ At least then we could learn the logic involved.”

Posted in Community, Abortion, Humanism, Politics, Social Medicine, Leadership, Environmentalism, Taxes, Social Injustice, Social Justice, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Biblical Worldview, Morality, Radicals, Radicalism, Secularism | 5 Comments »

4 November 2008 by Brian.

It’s not like I couldn’t see it coming, but I was holding out hope as long as possible.  I am very glad that the USA has elected a black President, as I believe it makes an important statement about how far we’ve come in the area of racial prejudice.  I’m just very, very sorry that the first black President was Barack Obama.

I only hope that his desire to stay in office pulls him toward the center and he cannot implement the socialist ideas he has espoused over the last few months.  As always, let’s pray for our leaders and trust the One who is Sovereign over all our political maneuverings to work towards his good purposes.

Posted in Social Medicine, Community, Taxes, Trinity, Leadership, Trinitarianism, Social Injustice, Social Justice, Biblical Worldview, Contemporary Christianity, Spirituality, Radicalism, Radicals, Secularism | 1 Comment »

10 September 2008 by Brian.

Check out this article on the murder of babies after they are born.

It’s a good thing we’ve got Obama around to protect the ’sanctity’ of Roe vs. Wade and abortion “rights”.  Without his vigilance, the lives of the defenseless and weak might actually come to mean something!

If the facts  - not to mention the conclusions drawn therein - of the article are true, Obama (or Abubaba…see yesterday’s post) holds some horrific beliefs and seems to subjugate the sanctity of human life to his own political agenda.

Posted in Abortion, Humanism, Naturalism, Social Injustice, Community, Politics, Leadership, Evil, Taxes, Social Medicine, Social Justice, Radicals, Biblical Worldview, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Spirituality, False Doctrine, Radicalism, Morality, Morals, Secularism | 2 Comments »

5 September 2008 by Brian.

I was reading Psalm 50 and was struck by the statement God makes at the end of this selection:

17     For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.

18     You make friends with a thief when you see one,
and you keep company with adulterers.

19        “You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.

20     You sit and speak against your kin;
you slander your own mother’s child.

21     These things you have done and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.

The passage describes a community made up of people who have no regard for the righteousness of God.  They live according to their own rules, satisfying their appetites, and obeying their whims.  They disregard God’s corrective action in their lives, they disregard the moral law and freely accept injustice among them.  They speak evil, even of those to whom they should be most loyal - their own family.  So, they speak up in matters they shouldn’t and keep silent when they should speak up in opposition to evil.

God states definitively that He is completely different from this society of His supposed people.  God does not keep silent in the face of evil, but opposes it.  He does not speak evil, but doesn’t back down from the truth, even when it is uncomfortable to the hearer.  As His people (I refer to believers here), we are expected to glorify Him by living His character by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

So, if this is true, then why do I so often hear those who speak up against evil, injustice, or sin referred to as “mean” and those who keep silent and go with the flow as “nice”?  People tend to feel guilty for trying to do the right thing or requiring others to hold to a standard, whether it is simply a business policy that is the standard or its an issue of right and wrong.

We must be careful, always realizing that our judgment isn’t perfect and that humility and grace should always be present in the believer’s life.  But, there are many issues in our society about which God would have us speak up on behalf of Right and righteousness.  If God is who He says He is, then we should be faithful to do so.  The weak and vulnerable in our society need our voices.  People need to see us living the life of Christ at work, in our families, in politics, and, yes, even in church!

Do we dare to ask God to show us just how far short we fall and then trust Him to re-mold us in His image whether it’s comfortable or not?

Posted in Naturalism, Humanism, Abortion, Homosexuality, Eurabia, Social Injustice, Bible study, Inductive study method, Inductive Bible study, Social Justice, Community, Politics, Missions, Missionaries, Europe, Leadership, Evil, Environmentalism, Social Medicine, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Israel, Religious fanaticism, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, Postmodern Philosophy, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Marriage, Postmodernity, North Korea, Morality, Religion, Radicalism, Radicals, Morals, New Age Spirituality, Spirituality, New Age, False Doctrine, Secularism | No Comments »

20 August 2008 by Brian.

Ravi Zacharias has edited a very helpful book entitled, “Beyond Opinion.”  I found one chapter in particular especially intriguing.  It was the chapter on, “The Role of Doubt and Persecution in Spiritual Transformation.”  You see, I’ve read a lot, studied a lot, and even done a little teaching on the topic of evil and how its existence can best be understood within the Christian worldview.  However, the author of this particular chapter (Stuart McAllister) does a great job of addressing the existential reality that we would often prefer to avoid.  In fact, I would argue that God attributes great value to the growth and the glory produced in the “desert experiences” of our lives, while those experiencing them (at certain stages, at least) are under the impression that nothing has any value whatsoever.  In order to understand the context, you need to know that earlier in the chapter, he shared his experience of having been imprisoned in a Czechoslovakian prison after being caught trying to smuggle Bibles behind the Iron Curtain.  Here are two brief paragraphs, which I hope will motivate you to read the entire chapter:

“The Trinitarian vision of God has served to sustain me in many different ways.  What do I mean?  As I journeyed into my life of faith I came to grasp (not very well) the historic teachings regarding the nature of God.  To see that God is a community of love, that he existed in self-giving relationships before the creation, and that he took on himself flesh in order to redeem us, was an awesome discovery.  The gift and life of the Holy Spirit was the final link in tying together what was for me, a vague notion.  This universe is a relational order, and I was now tuned in by virtues of God’s grace, mercy, and enabling love.  This understanding of God allowed me to dwell on God the Father, the Sovereign, the ruler, the God who humbled Egypt and led his people in the wilderness.  It also allowed me to consider Jesus as the incarnate one, the suffering servant, who although God in the flesh, restrained himself, sought out sinners, and gave his life in such an unselfish way.  The Father ruling, governing, guiding; the Son in his example, service, and sacrifice, followed by the Spirit in his comfort, keeping, power, and presence (John 14:26).  All these have been vital in my reflections.

How has this helped me practically?  It has meant that many times I could rest in the assurance of God’s ultimate and good control over life and circumstances.  Even though I had to face questions, I recognized my limitations and found comfort in the sense of God’s sovereign rule.  The example of Jesus continues to inspire and fuel a longing to be more like him: to follow his way, to respond as he responded, to treat people as he treated them, to love as he loved.  The assurance of the Spirit’s presence and help has met me in many ways, as I travel, preach, face questions, and seek to wrestle through issues.”

Posted in Humanism, Homosexuality, Community, Politics, Naturalism, Eurabia, Bible study, Social Justice, Social Injustice, Social Medicine, Taxes, Missionaries, Europe, Leadership, Missions, Evil, Trinity, Trinitarianism, Environmentalism, Religious fanaticism, Radicals, Sex, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, Postmodern Philosophy, Contemporary Christianity, Relativism, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Marriage, Postmodernity, North Korea, Morality, Religion, Radicalism, Morals, New Age Spirituality, Spirituality, New Age, False Doctrine, Secularism | No Comments »

31 July 2008 by Brian.

Dr. Henry Cloud says that great leaders learn to hate the right things well.

What is the role of ‘hate’ in your life?  When should we hate?  Care to comment?

Posted in Homosexuality, Community, Politics, Social Medicine, Abortion, Humanism, Social Injustice, Quotes, Eurabia, Naturalism, Taxes, Trinity, Europe, Christmas, Larry Norman, Leadership, Missionaries, Missions, Trinitarianism, Environmentalism, Evil, Social Justice, Israel, Biblical Worldview, Postmodernism, Postmodern Philosophy, Postmodernity, Sex, Contemporary Christianity, Sanctity of Life, Islam, Marriage, Relativism, North Korea, Spirituality, Religion, Radicalism, Radicals, Religious fanaticism, Morality, Morals, New Age, False Doctrine, New Age Spirituality, Secularism | No Comments »