Herculean Reflections

Revival is Coming ... And So Is Opposition - Get Ready!

2010-10-29T10:32:00.006-04:00

Found this via the great website SermonIndex.net.

WFW: Revival at Asbury College in 1970

2010-01-20T00:00:00.002-05:00

Revival came to Asbury College, located in Wilmore, Kentucky, on February 3, 1970. These videos, available from SermonIndex.net, tell the story best. I'm sorry that the visual quality is a little poor, but the most important part of it is what is said instead of what is seen.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

We are all familiar with the words of God in 2 Chronicles 7:14, in which God outlines what His people need to do in order that they may see the revival, or healing, of their land. Many times the only part of the verse we seem to read, or think is really important, is "if My people who are called by My name will pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven," etc.

But that it not what it says in its entirety. Yes, we need to pray and seek His face. Yes, we need to turn from our wicked ways. But what God thinks is of primary importance goes deeper than our deeds; it deals with our thoughts and attitudes. Here is the entire verse:

[I]f My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Humbling ourselves is the first step. Without that, I do not think that we can prevail in prayer with God. Let the following Scriptures illustrate this truth:

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
~ 1 Peter 5:5-7

You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss that you may spend it on your pleasures. ... Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously"? But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. ... Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
~ James 4:3-7, 10

Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men -- extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.' And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
~ Luke 18:9-14

I am here!

2009-09-22T22:51:00.007-04:00

... but I am moving. Soon.

Apologies to all of my friends and readers out there. I have hardly been writing a thing on these blogs, but I am well. The truth is, my blogs are MOVING! Or will be, very soon. Herculean Reflections will be moved from Blogger to Wordpress, but all of my other blogs (The Foundation Forum, Meet the Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton Patriot, and The Founder's Bookshelf) will go to their own domain. The Foundation Forum and Meet the Founders will also merge into one blog. So as I move databases, fix coding, etc., it is not worth it to write too much on these blogs.

So take heart -- my absence from Word for Wednesday and Founding Father's Quote Friday are only temporary!

Did I also mention I am in the process of writing at least two books, writing articles online, and doing countless other non-writing jobs?!?!? Yeah. So don't worry; Herky has not been taken down by the swine flu or the Swat team. As soon as his horizon clears up, he'll be kicking again!

If you want to read anything from Herky while these blogs drift from hibernation to dormancy, visit my page at Helium.com. I probably won't be adding things there regularly, but who knows when I might? :)

Thanks to all of you for your support. :)

WFW: The Written Words of God

2009-09-02T00:00:00.002-04:00

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Today, I would like to share a little reflection that has been occupying my thoughts recently, so this post will not be very lengthy. I honestly do not recall what I was thinking about, or how this thought came to my mind, but it was more or less of a question that applied to myself, and to (I hope) many Christians throughout the world. In case you haven't noticed, there has been a growing rave in Christian circles concerning supernatural manifestations, especially prophecy. Now, I think that this rave was initially the start of a good thing: the Pentecostal movement -- people who actually believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit works among consecrated believers today, just as He did when He fell upon the Upper Room assembly in power 2,000 years ago.

We have seen an explosion in this country of supernatural healings and prophecies and similar miracles that were reported in the New Testament. This is a good thing; I'm not about to criticize it. In recent decades, however, a growing over-emphasis on the manifestation, and not the real thing, has begun to show itself among these charismatic groups. It seems to have come to the point where we will stamp anything that bears a semblance of supernatural power as coming from God, and we have ignored the standards and warnings set forth in Scripture. We have put more emphasis on the signs and wonders someone performs than upon the quality of their personal character, which the Scripture places as a high, high priority. We have put more emphasis on prophecies (whether genuine, or merely so-called) than upon the words of God, which were written down by holy men as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). This same Word is that standard by which we judge prophecy. It even instructs us to do this very thing: "Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast to what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).

So the question that came to my mind was this: In comparison to other things that we perceive as being from God, how much do we value His Word? -- the Word which God Himself breathed (the Greek word used for "inspired" in today's passage means "breathed" literally), the Word which thousands of saints have died just for copying and preserving up to the present time, the Word which God oversaw, so that what was written thousands of years ago has been accurately conveyed to us today, the Word from which neither one jot nor one tittle will pass, though heaven and earth should be destroyed, until all is fulfilled. God has confirmed this Word more than anything we can imagine, and yet, the Church in America is so ignorant of this Word. And think of this: are we as eager to read and study the Scriptures as we are to read the latest headline, or the latest prophetic ministry update? Or do we truly realize that the Bible that collects dust on our shelves contains everything that God wants to say to us; it contains everything we need for life and for godliness.

"[The Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether [the things spoken by Paul] were so" (Acts 17:11).

Word for Wednesday is hosted by Jean at Yeah, Right. Visit her blog for more!

WFW: Conformity Is the Name of the Game, Part 2

2009-08-13T17:05:00.010-04:00

I happen to be familiar with statistics and polls dealing with religion in this country in recent times. However, these results only explain the sometimes seeming contradictions between different polls of American citizens. For example, polls reveal that most Americans believe that marriage is a sacred union between one man and one woman, and that it is not anything else. The favorite television shows of this same majority, according to other polls, however, anything but depict marriage as a sacred union. Among the same majority, divorce is now quite commonplace; the last I heard, the divorce rate among unbelievers and professing Christians is the same – 50%. Half a century ago, in the Christian community of the United States, divorce was scandalous. Even more scandalous was divorce and subsequent remarriage to another person during the lifetime of their former spouse -- a practice which Jesus Christ unequivocally condemned as adulterous (Matthew 5:31-32).

How can the majority of Americans believe that marriage is sacred, protest pro-'gay' legislation one minute, and then sit down, enjoy all the hideous “entertainment” our decaying culture can provide, and divorce and remarry left and right the next minute? And then we scratch our heads like a punch of puzzled monkeys, wondering why we are losing the “culture war”?
May I suggest to my audience that first of all, we are fighting the wrong war? And second, that we are fighting the wrong war in the wrong fashion? I say that we are fighting the wrong war, because we are trying to fix the culture, without fixing what is really wrong with our nation. In all of the analyses that have been done about our cultural illnesses (all done by honorable and studied men, for whom I have great respect), I have never heard one that addresses the worldliness of the modern American evangelical community as lying at the bottom of it (though there could be such an analysis out there that I have not seen!). I hear of the complacency of Christians to get involved in politics, as being the cause of the great cultural decline. But this is a contradiction, since politics do not determine the climate of the culture. Politics, legislation, and court rulings do not determine whether a nation is moral in general or not. Rather, a nation's morality (or lack thereof) will determine the amount of governmental interference with that level of society. If there is not a considerable problem with drunkenness among the populace, then numerous laws, regulations, and interferences by the government are unnecessary, and if proposed by the governing body, will be rejected as tyrannical. Only a moral and virtuous people truly appreciate the responsibilities they have as the keepers of their liberties.

In conclusion, culture is not what lawyers, congressmen, judges, or even what celebrities, popular artists, and other cultural figures determine. Culture arises from the people themselves, from the way they act, speak, and think. These ways may be influenced by certain things like legislation, they may be influenced by popular media, but if the people are not already pre-disposed to have their behavior affected by certain stimuli, an abundance of laws and propaganda could not change it.

To demonstrate my point, let me ask a simple question: would Roe V. Wade, if passed by the Supreme Court in 1790, have resulted in mass abortions? If Hollywood was the main supplier of visual entertainment in the colonial world of the Founders, what would have been the effect upon that culture? Would they have accepted it? Imitated the celebrity world and fashion of Hollywood? No! They would have chased those judges and the whole corporation of Hollywood and all of their golden assets into the Atlantic with the British redcoats! Why? Because pastors were not prohibited by the IRS from preaching on specific cultural and political issues? No again! Rather, because the conscience of America at the time, by and large, was reinforced by biblical teachings. The Bible was the nation's conscience, and Christian and Deist alike in America felt in some way its power and the weight of its authority on their lives. God was at the core of our national conscience and consciousness.
Why is that different now? The morals of Unitarians and deists and rationalists in America in the Founders' day (although far from perfect) was more laudable than that of many professing evangelical Christians in America today. It is not, because the evangelical community is not engaged enough in our culture. It is because we lack holiness, we lack fervent dedication to God, we lack a zeal for justice and an abhorrence for everything God hates, and therefore we lack the power of godliness, first to change our own lives, and to spread that change to the world. We work and labor and strive to keep the form of godliness up and running, but because we do not deal with the problem and cleanse the vessel, the multitude of layers of paint simply have ceased forever to obscure the deterioration of the wooden structure behind it. The whole thing needs to be burned down, and the wall built afresh. We need to give up our dreams of a utopian kingdom of our own, that makes us comfortable with a pro-family values religion devoid of true godliness. We need to quit thinking that we can achieve a comfortable Christian culture, that can coexist with “lesser” sins in the church pews. Thorn bushes will never produce figs, just as a bad tree will never produce good fruit. Gluing apples to the branches of sumac trees will only waste good apples; they will only rot, and be replaced again and again until we finally learn that only apple trees make apples.
When God deals with the sins of a nation, He deals with the sins of the church first. “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17). “For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore 'put away from yourselves the evil person'” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13).
Conformity is the name of the game. Conformity tells who you follow; who is really your master. That to which you consistently conform shows who your master really is. The question I would ask then is, are you conforming to the Word of God, or are you conforming to the world? When you read the Scriptures, do you wear the lenses of the world, that presents mankind as basically good and God as basically wishy-washy? Or do you change your thinking to conform to God's Word? Are you fulfilling the commandment of God by being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” rather than being “conformed to this world”? What do you imitate?

WFW: Conformity Is the Name of the Game, Part 1

2009-08-13T16:13:00.018-04:00

OK, this is starting to become an irregular "Word for Thursday." Sorry Jean! I'll try to be more consistent here!

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Romans 12:2

Those who read my writings on the Internet know that if my writings could be classified under one category, it would be the category of showing how popular opinion, particularly popular perceptions of problems and their respective popular solutions, are wrong. This piece that you are reading now will be no different. Plain and simple, the majority of what the majority believes is not founded in truth, and therefore needs to be contradicted, not with another opinion, but with the truth. My goal is to tell the truth as much as is in my power. I believe in absolute truth, but this absolute truth is not the truth according to me. It is absolute truth according to God, and He has made His standards and His truth very clear. It is irrational to say, as many seem to say (even those in the 'church'), "Who can know what God really said? After all, doesn't the Bible have a lot lost in translation?" To believe this is to make one or two irrational assumptions:
(1) that God is unwilling to reveal His word to us, whom He made in His special image, or
(2) that He is unable to reveal His word to us in a manner which we can understand, even though the very fact that He is God means that He is omnipotent (having all power).

Why then, if popular opinion is so unreasonable, is it so prevalent? The answer is simple, but it is also so obvious that we often miss it: People do not love truth. While they have the capacity to reason, they are not rational by nature. They love what makes them feel good about themselves. They love what feels smart, what feels profound, what feels good at any given time. If we stopped to think about the rationality of everything we did in life, I think we would quickly discover how inherently irrational we are. This truth in itself (that humans are not rational by nature) contradicts yet another false popular opinion. And yet even we who claim to be Christians miss this fact. We think that we can reason the world into believing the Bible is true. We think we can argue people into the kingdom of God, that we can reason with people, and they will be saved.

And then we see masses of 'Christian' or at least, church-going, youth going off to high school and then to college for one to four years, coming out believing that there is no God, because evolution disproved His existence. They no longer have an interest in the things of God, and they quit attending church. Our response to the problem? They need apologetics. They need proofs that the Bible is a scientifically and historically-validated book. They need to know that faith and reason are not contrary to one another. They need to be able to defend the faith with tangible, historic (etc.) evidence. The reason why the polls say that 75% of Christian youth who attend college stop coming to church and leave their faith is because their Christian environment at home and at church did not adequately prepare them for the onslaught of arguments wielded by professional “evangelists for Satan.”

I answer, that yes, we do need apologetics. We do need to be able to give a reasonable defense for the tenets of our faith, as the Scriptures plainly declare we must. Young Christian people should not have a milk-toast view of Christianity of something abstract from reality, that is only by blind faith. They should have thought these things out for themselves. And yes, Christian churches and homes should encourage and help prepare these young people for what they are going to encounter in the world. I am encouraged that this is beginning to be a growing "favorite subject" of believers in America. We definitely need to be more familiar with this kind of material than we are; in free and prosperous America, we have no excuse to be ignorant.

HOWEVER, the lack of factual knowledge is only a very small fragment of the real problem to this enormous drop-out of Christian churches. This is something that I have slowly come to realize in the last year or so, and I think that the real problem, is the same underlying thing, that sums up everything that is going wrong in this country. The real problem is, that many of these youth that are dropping out of church after their high-school or college term, are doing so because, they were never converted to begin with. How in the world can I make such a drastic claim? I can make such a claim for two reasons: first, I have observed this myself. No matter how much truth you can drill into someone's mind, if that truth does not change their heart, and convert their most fundamental nature, they are unconverted, and nothing will keep them from following the dictates of who they really are, underneath the cover of their Christian sub-culture. Christianity, in its true form as manifested on the part of the individual, is a change of heart (and therefore a fundamental change of nature), and not merely a change of mind. Apologetics can merely change the mind. This branch of study is merely intellectual. It does not change the heart when it changes the mind, unless by a miracle of God's grace.

The second reason I think I can make such an earth-shattering claim, is inference. By now, stories of harsh persecution in nations like Communist China are familiar to us. We often hear of Chinese farmers-turned-evangelists who boldly preach the Gospel far and wide, at the expense of their own lives, the security of their families, and the preservation of their churches and property. They are abducted by the Communist authorities, put in prisons in the most ghastly inhumane conditions, starved, beaten tortured, interrogated, pressured in every imaginable way. These uneducated farmers (certainly no theologians, in the American sense of the term) withstand such enormous pressure, never denying their faith, even though everything turns against them. Their faith does not shrink, but rather thrives in these conditions. They couldn't tell you the scientific, historical, archaeological, and philosophical reasons to believe the Bible. Many of them have never seen a whole Bible. These people withstand not only the physical torture, but state-of-the-art Communist indoctrination (in sessions which last for countless hours) and brainwashing, the psychological torture, and so on. And yet we suppose that it is merely for lack of factual knowledge that our American youth, who have grown up with the knowledge of Christian things all of their lives are turned away by the, oh-so-intimidating arguments forwarded by evolutionists, existentialists, atheists, and religious humanists? No, the problem is a heart problem by and large, not a head problem.

I am not saying that there are not Christian youth who were sincere believers, but were overcome with doubts as to the Bible's validity. And when it comes right down to it, if the children have been raised in public schools (yes, raised – the average student, from kindergarten to twelfth grade spend about 14,000 seat hours in school, and that doesn't include recess, where peer-pressure does its work) all their lives, it won't matter if they go to church or Sunday school or have an average American Christian family. Their behavior and habits will be shaped by the most powerful forces in their environment. Here, the parents take more responsibility for what happens to the child. So in such cases, I do not necessarily put all of the blame upon the child. (Voddie Baucham recently delivered a message entitled "The Children of Caesar," and it is being released on DVD by American Vision and other such groups. I have never seen it, but based upon this preview, which contains some fantastic quotes, I highly recommend it.)

But by and large, our youth do not know God. It shows, even in the circles of Christian youth who still profess Jesus as Savior. Their lives are in perfect harmony with the sinful lifestyles of the world, and when someone takes a stand for righteousness, that person is usually mocked and ostracized. Our Christianity, by and large, is one that is merely outward. We wear "Christian" T-shirts, listen to "Christian" punk rock, and watch "Christian" television shows. It is a subculture, that only affects how we look, but it does not change us fundamentally. The reason why so many church-going youth change their behavior when they leave their Christian subculture is because their Christianity was only an outward conformity to their environment. But then, when they began to stretch their wings, become more independent of their parents and their church, and they became initiated into the “real world,” their environment drastically changed. They didn't merely conform to their environment; they were free to be who they truly were on the inside – people devoid of the knowledge and love of God; people with a form of godliness, but no power (the power of a changed life) to show for it (2 Timothy 3).

This essay will continue in Part 2, which will discuss the root of the problem.

WFW: Cultural Mandate?

2009-06-24T00:00:00.001-04:00

Shame on me. I haven't participated in Jean's great meme in ... forever. But then again, I also haven't been doing any blog work whatsoever, which means I have also neglected (for several weeks) my own meme, Founding Father's Quote Friday. I don't know if I will ever get back into the blogging saddle any time in the near future. So don't worry; my absence (total silence for that matter) doesn't necessarily mean that the USCC Facility has gotten me yet! ;) Soon, I hope to post a video for a future WFW, citing several portions of Scripture dealing with the state of the church in the Last Days.

Today, I would like to just write about something that I have been thinking about for a while, concerning one of the pieces of Scripture that is often called the "culture mandate." It is Matthew 5:13-16:

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

This passage, which states that Christians are the salt and light of the earth, is, as I have just said, referred to as the "culture mandate." Now, as we are so often prone to do, we accept such explanations concerning the Scripture, when such explanations sound good to us, and we take such claims for granted, and consider them to be true. This is what I did rather unconsciously until I found myself thinking through this "salt and light" passage again, particularly in light of its context. While this statement has been used to encourage Christian in the United States to "get out of the shaker" and take an active part in the political process, in education, and in media (and it is commendable that Christians take part in these things and propagate godly standards in those places of life), that is not the command that Christ is trying to give us here.

Notice that Jesus does not say "You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt stays in the shaker, how shall the earth be seasoned?" Notice now, what He does say: "You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?" The last clause may be read accurately both ways: "If the salt loses its flavor, how shall it [earth] be seasoned?" and "If the salt loses its flavor, how shall it [the salt] be seasoned?" The implied answer is, of course, nothing else can season the earth, because nothing else can season the salt of the earth.

Jesus is not telling us to go out into the world and change our culture for Him. I think that, compared to our Great Commission, which is preaching the Gospel to every creature and making disciples of every nation, is of far greater importance and urgency in God's eyes, than keeping the culture afloat.

This is the thing I think that many believers in America are missing. Polls reveal that American Christians find it easier to discuss politics than the Gospel, and that Christians are more associated with conservative political views than with the power of Christ that transforms lives. I think that we have so under-emphasized that Gospel, and that we are trying so hard to maintain the shell of a Christian culture, that was the product, and not the cause, of an active working of Christ and the message of the Gospel in our nation's past.

We forget that God's intent for America was not to bring democracy and prosperity to the nations of the world. It was to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the earth. We are missing that. All of us need to repent of this sin that we have committed, by putting country and patriotism before Christ, and in effect, taking from the reverence that our nation should hold for Him.

Rather than simply making the point of this post a correction of some wrong ideas, I would like to present a personal challenge to my readers (including myself -- didn't you know I read my own posts? :D): are we doing what we can to be salt and light? Are we tasteless? Do we hid beneath our baskets? Are we letting our good works shine before men, and if so, are we doing it so that our Father in heaven may receive the glory, or do we have other reasons for doing good works?

Word For Wednesday is hosted by akaGaGa at Yeah, Right ... Check out her blog for more information!

WFW: Why the Gospel Is Different from the Religions of the World

2009-05-13T17:47:00.015-04:00

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. I find them a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.

For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 7:19 - 8:4

It seems that the prevailing message in our culture today is that all religions are the same, worship the same god, present the same basic message, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. I am surprised to hear, every now and then, that this view is tolerated, to some degree, by those with prominent standing in the 'evangelical Christian' community. How many times have you heard of distinguished evangelists and mega-church leaders ashamed to say that without Christ, an individual cannot be saved, no matter nobly sincere they may be in their religion? Examples of postmodernism becoming prevalent in the Western churches are frequently being pushed in our faces by the secular media, especially the news outlets, who wish to convince the world that Christianity has nothing significant to offer, since it is just like all other religions.

But I do not wish to simply combat more false views in the post. (It seems that the majority of what I write is an effort to convince the majority that the majority of what they believe is false. Not that combating error is a bad thing; but, there are other equally worthy, if not better, reasons for writing.) Here, I wish to bring out what makes the Gospel of Christ different from the religion of the world. I wish to remind myself and other Christians why we believe, because such reminders help us to be continually grateful to God, and to guard ourselves against the deceitfulness of sin, which is the foundation of the world's belief system.

The above passage from Romans summarizes the whole essence of the Gospel. Man, upon observing the moral perfection of the law of God, agrees that it is good and right. Man's conscience, whether the individual ultimately cooperates with it or not, affirms what his intellect discerns as true and good. And yet in spite of all his good intentions to follow those standards, he finds that his natural desires hold a greater sway over his sense of duty.

The various religions and belief systems of the world are the responses that mankind has had to this obvious dilemma. Some religions set up a system of good works, religious rites, denial and/or abuse of the body, sacrifices to false deities, and so on. And then there is the secularist attempt to deal with the problem, by denying that it even exists; it disposes of the possibility of God's existence, and of a discoverable and universally absolute moral standard.

But the Gospel of Christ fixes the problem. It doesn't cover a dirty wall with a new coat of paint; it cleans the wall, repairs it, and then paints it. Christ's blood doesn't just cover our sins; His blood forgives us and cleanses us. He gives us new desires; He gives us a heart after His heart. We are then to walk according to the new spirit that He gives us through conversion. When we are converted, our spirit is changed; our flesh remains the same. But because our spirit is changed, we do the righteous works of God. The hope that we have, according to the Scripture, our body will be transformed also, when we are reunited with the Lord.

Herein lies the power of the Gospel. And if the Gospel were nothing, it would not change so many people. And if the Gospel were nothing, those who oppose it would not be so afraid or concerned about it.

Word For Wednesday is hosted by Yeah, Right ... Go there for more!

WFW: The Importance of Thanksgiving

2009-05-05T20:23:00.004-04:00

A recent and prominent theme in sermons at my church has been the importance of giving thanks to God, and remembering to always have an attitude of gratitude for His promises, blessings, and oversight, in good times, in bad times, and in difficult situations.

I recently maintained on my FFQF post that America is indebted to God and God alone for her existence, and her success. When our politicians eloquently praise the virtues of the people, and laud man's accomplishments in creating our country, and then perhaps give a little credit on the sidelines to God (and they insure that their identification of the Deity is amorphous and undefined -- can't offend anybody, you know), they are reflecting their own ingratitude, as well as the ingratitude of our nation in general. If you challenge that statement, all you have to do is look at the way the nation responds to God's standards, both moral and spiritual.

But I think that even we Christians can fall into ungratefulness; things don't go the way they should, or they way we want them to. We become wrapped up, so to speak, in our little problems, and we forget all about the One who is to be the center of our attention. And furthermore, we miss out on what God has in store for us, if we just humply called upon Him, and waited for His answer, and His provision.

As we are finding out in our investigation of the Scriptures, God intentionally places a great emphasis upon calling upon His name in the time of our troubles, for thanking Him in advance, and for thanking Him after we have seen the answer, taking no credit to ourselves. Here are some passages of Scripture that bring this truth out:

First of all, it tells us that it is because of the choice of men to be ungrateful to God that they have fallen away, and that God has given those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, when they should know better, up to unrighteousness:

Romans 1:18-23:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who supress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, beause, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man ..."

Next we see the importance of giving God thanks, from the beginning to the end of the day.

Psalm 92:1-2
It is good to give thanks to the LORD,
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning,
And Your faithfulness every night ...

Philippians 4:6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 5:1-4, 18-19
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. ...

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one anoter in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Read more about Word For Wednesday on Yeah, Right ....

WFW: What Does God Honor?

2009-04-14T22:06:00.004-04:00

"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight," says the LORD.
Jeremiah 9:23-24

"Heaven is My throne,
And earth is My footstool.
Where is the house that you will build Me?
And where is the place of My rest?
For all those things My hand has made,
And all those things exist,"
Says the LORD.
"But on this one will I look:
On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit,
And who trembles at My word."
Isaiah 66:1-2

For your listening enjoyment ...

2009-04-09T19:27:00.004-04:00

A number of you saw and enjoyed the music video that I posted not too long ago. I would like to share with you a few more gems from the Tangle website. Enjoy!

Abide With Me - Libera

Be Still My Soul - Libera

Once in Royal David's City - Libera and Aled Jones

Gaudate - Libera

O Holy Night - Aled Jones and Libera

Te Lucis (Before the Ending)

And finally, I found this while searching for this wonderful Wesleyan hymn. I love the words.

Jesus, Lover of My Soul - Aled Jones

WFW: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5

2009-04-09T13:54:00.004-04:00

(Sorry that this post is a day late, Jean. :( But, better late than never, I suppose!).

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

Notice here that Paul does NOT say that he does not examine himself; in fact, he penned the following instruction in his second Corinthian epistle under the inspiration of the Spirit:

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Notice that Paul addressed the above to Christians, not to unbelievers. He is telling them to examine themselves, to see if they are in The Faith, if Jesus Christ is in them. If the answer is "yes," then all we need to do is keep our eyes on Jesus. We are His stewards commissioned to do His service; therefore, He is the one who decides if our service is sufficient. If we need to amend, He has His ways of letting us know.

If we are continually "judging ourselves," we begin to think and live self-centeredly (what? that's not a word?). We take our eyes of Jesus, and we lose sight of our goal -- staying focused on Him, believing what He says even when we don't see it with our eyes, and doing what He says. Like Peter, we become concerned about the wind and waves around us, and we foolishly worry about our ability to walk on stormy waters; when in fact, it is through Christ that we walk on water.

We must keep our eyes on Him. We should not seek the approval of others, or even of ourselves. We should seek HIS. And the Scriptures make it clear what is necessary to be pleasing in His sight.

He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8

The Word for Wednesday meme has moved to Jean's blog, "Yeah, Right ..." Please visit to see who else has participated!

TWFW: A Heavenly Country

2009-04-01T15:43:00.006-04:00

With the signs of the end of the age coming closer and closer at hand, this Scripture from Hebrews 11 has been recurring to me, and for this week, I intended to post it. It just so happens that my family and I read this passage together during our devotions for this Wednesday morning:

By faith he [Abraham] dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. ... These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.
Hebrews 11:9,13-16

Having this on my mind, I often find myself humming the last stanza of the British patriotic hymn, "I Vow to Thee My Country." The first two stanzas sing the praises of the author's country (which would be England), and I think that it's taken a bit too far. However, the last verse speaks of the Heavenly Country, the one which far surpasses any of the pitiful glories of our earthly habitation:

And there's another country I've heard of long ago,
Most great to them that love it, most dear to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul, and silently, her shining bounds increase,
And her ways are ways of gentleness,
And all her paths are PEACE.

The melody to this hymn comes from a portion of Gustav Holst's rousing composition, "Jupiter" from his work, "The Planet Suite." You can play or download it here, courtesy of FreePlayMusic.com. At 3 minutes and 15 seconds into the music is the melody to this verse. Please listen, and sing along!

TWFW: Change of Heart = Conversion

2009-03-24T23:49:00.004-04:00

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [that is, your intellect and will], that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Matthew 15:18-19
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man unclean. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
(Notice here that what Jesus just listed the things forbidden in the Ten Commandments. Notice also that He listed "evil thoughts" first. The evil contents of man's heart produce evil desires and evil thoughts in him, and from that starting point comes the commission of the crimes.)

Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Conversion is more than a change of opinion. Conversion is a change of heart, for according to the above Scriptures, the heart is the spring of action, and the spring of man's nature. Being a Christian does not mean that we sin, only our sins are forgiven forever. No; being a Christian means being fundamentally changed. Your nature is substituted for God's, and the things we practice in our meditations, words, and actions reveal the extent to which God has changed us.

Why didn't Ron Paul win the election??

2009-03-21T13:29:00.006-04:00

Why oh why oh why???? Maybe it wouldn't have saved our country from its inevitable downfall, but at least we wouldn't have the Federal Reserve ripping us to bits.

Instead, we voted in a guy who carried with him nothing good but good slogans. We had absolutely no idea what they meant, but by gar they sure sounded good! We had a whole generation that just graduated from the government indoctrination camps, and they did their patriotic duty to vote the government into government again. They always know what they're doing, right? They always know how to fix the problems, right?

OK, here is the meaning behind those popular slogans:

HOPE -- Hope that you keep your job so you can pay the taxes and pay the bankers and pay the Fed and pay your social security. If you don't, we'll bail out the bad bankers who gave you bad loans.

CHANGE -- Changing the value of change, forcing our country to give up its own currency, and adopt a UN global currency instead. After all, there's no better way to solve a crisis than creating a crisis to solve!

BRIGHT FUTURE -- Kablooey.

SUNSHINE --

Be Still For the Presence of the Lord

2009-03-16T11:35:00.004-04:00

I found this beautiful rendition of the great song, "Be Still for the Presence of the Lord," sung by Aled Jones. The choir in the background is the amazing soprano boy choir, Libera.

I wish I could find more on the history of this hymn. It's one of my favorites!

Word for Wednesday: Philippians 1:3-11

2009-03-11T17:34:00.006-04:00

Philippians 1:3-11 may sound like a formal greeting to the Philippian Christians, but it is so full of the Gospel:

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Word For Wednesday: The Just Shall Live By Faith

2009-03-04T14:43:00.004-05:00

This statement in Scripture, repeated throughout the Bible, has been recurring to me lately. I thought I'd share it with you all:

Habakkuk 2:2-4:
Then the LORD answered me and said:
"Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.
Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith."

Romans 1:16-17:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Galatians 3:10-14:
For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them." Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Hebrews 10:35-39:
Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise:
"For yet a little while,
And He who is coming will come and will not tarry.
Now the just shall live by faith;
But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him."
But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.

Word for Wednesday: 1 John 2:3-11

2009-02-18T15:55:00.003-05:00

I have been going through the three epistles of John, and have been meditating on them lately. The permeating theme in these letters is "love" -- that is, God's definition, and not the world's. Love is the nature of God. All of His justice, mercy, glory -- all of these atributes spring from His perfect love.

Since God is love, we, having been born again to Him are to partake of His nature. God wants us to be perfected in love. Love is the mark of the true believer, for it cannot be counterfeited or faked for long, especially in the hour of trial. God tests the hearts, and He knows how much we truly love Him and love those who have fellowship with Him.

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.
He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Word For Wednesday: Isaiah 55

2009-02-11T15:51:00.005-05:00

I read this chapter recently.

Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you --
The sure mercies of David. ...

Seek the LORD while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the LORD,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways, says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55: 1-3, 5-11

Please visit Jean at Mohawk Valley Christians to learn more about the "Word for Wednesday" meme.

Word For Wednesday: 2 Peter 1:2-11

2009-02-04T17:11:00.003-05:00

I read this yesterday, and wanted to share it with you all, as I participate in Jean's meme, Word for Wednesday.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I put the phrase "for this very reason" in bold, to bring out a fact that can be so easily missed as we read this verse. Peter charges us to add to our faith virtue, and so on and so forth. It is the human tendency to suddenly take such charges as some sort of legalistic charge, to work something up that we don't have, that we may gain something from God. But according to the context -- specifically, the first portion of the chapter, Jesus Christ, by His glory and power has already given these things to those who have put their faith in Him (after all, don't virtue, knowledge, self-control, etc. pertain to "life and godliness"?). This fact makes sense when we also notice that Peter says to add to our faith.

Of course, these things must be exercised diligently, as this passage exhorts us. We do not simply wait for a lightning bolt from the sky, and *BANG!* we are filled with everything from virtue to brotherly love.

One of the interesting things about God is that He always wants the submission of the will of man. He is not satisfied with outward works, with grudging concessions; rather, he wants the will and the heart of man. It is even more interesting to think along this line, keeping in mind that God created man as a "free-will creature." The original purpose, it seems, for the creation of man, was the voluntary service and willing worship of beings fully capable of reason, of choice, and of love.

And as we see in this passage, love is the end and aim of all things.

"Love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:10

"Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:5

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:7-8

Well, there is your Word for Wednesday!

Al Gore actually put on his mittens today ...

2009-01-27T14:34:00.003-05:00

when he spoke at this conference:

Hat-tip to Patriot Humor. Their caption for this image is:

Despite the severe winter storm warnings, these demonstrators are making ready for Al Gore's appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday morning to testify on the "urgent need" to combat global warming.

ROFL!!! I guess they are combating it pretty well!

The only thing I find strange, is that the northeastern states are supposed to be those most sympathetic to ultra-liberal, whiny hanky-wavers like Al Gore. But how can we be that stupid?!?! (I'm excluding myself, of course.) Here in New York, our temperatures plummet below the ordinary winters temps of Alaska!

At this point, my toes are literally numb, and I'm stuck trying to figure out how "global warming" can make sense to my local New Yorkers! Oh wait ... they all work for the school board and the government. That means they get paid winter vacations to Florida. That means they probably don't freeze their toes off. That accounts for their shameful ignorance.

Problem solved! I always knew that my blogging helped somebody think around here, even me.

Keep fighting the good fight, fellow New-Yorkers! Don't let the cold take your toes in the name of global freezing!

Your Not-So-Typical Sunday Sermon

2009-01-24T23:41:00.004-05:00

This is not preaching that is popular on TBN, or even in most churches in America today. But it is the message that Christ preached. He attracted large crowds, but now we now why He also did and still does attract the hatred of a sinful world.

I hope these sermons bless and encourage all who hear them.

Word For Wednesday: Matthew 7:13-27

2009-01-21T12:32:00.010-05:00

Today, my friend Jean over at Yeah, Right ... has announced that she has started a great Bible meme today, called "Word for Wednesday." Instead of a meme that has only a picture for a post and no words, she has decided to replace the Word of God with images -- a good policy :).

So, I have decided to participate. Any Christian blogger can participate. Simply select a text of Scripture, and post it on your blog. And be sure to check back with jean at her great blog Mohawk Valley Christians, and leave a comment on her meme post for Wednesday, with a link to your post.

The verse I would like to share today is one that has never ceased to amaze me. These are the words of Jesus, from Matthew 7:13-27:

(13-14) Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Many of us are familiar with this verse; many of us, no doubt, have used this verse, reciting it from memory, for evangelism. However, I think that many of our distinguished evangelists today have forgotten it.

I am amazed that some of the most acclaimed ministers in the Christian evangelical community, when challenged about their views on Jesus, heaven, hell, and who will end up where, out of one side of their mouth they say they whole-heartedly agree with the scripture where Jesus declares that "no one comes to the Father except through Me," but out of the other side of their mouth, they openly assert that God may allow those who do not repent and believe the Gospel (it is Jews and Muslims who are usually named) may very well be admitted into heaven! Their explanation? "I cannot judge their heart, only God can; therefore, I cannot decide who will and who won't enter heaven, because only God knows their heart."

What?!?!?!? Just because you can't judge their heart means that God might make some exceptions to His sacred word?? Is it not impossible for Him to lie? God does not judge people by their intentions (it seems that "heart" in our modern vocabulary is synonymous with "good intentions" -- that definition is grossly contrary to Scripture). He judges us by our fruits.

Grand coincidence! Guess what Jesus says next?

(15-19) Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

No, we are not just poor ol' sinners saved by grace, who go to heaven because God knows that we had good intentions. Good intentions were not an issue to Jesus when He said that "every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

This raises the question, "What exactly are the fruits that are evidence of being a 'good tree'?" If Jesus asks us to judge the good from the bad (good and false teachers in this case), what kind of fruits is Jesus pleased with?

I think it has become popular in the mainstream American Christian community to judge ministers and teachers by their "success" rate (i. e., how many people attend their church, etc.), or by the wonders and supernatural manifestations that are evident in their minstry. While these things are important in their proper place, this is not the method by which we are to judge others or ourselves, according to Jesus. And if we think about it, it is a dangerous way to judge, misleading people into heresy, and possibly, eternal damnation. Harken to the next statement by Jesus:

Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, "Lord, Lord," have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?" And then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!"

Youch. Scary.

There is a general cry among Christians in America for revival. When we picture revival, we picture one or two things: large crowds on their knees asking Jesus into their hearts, and/or supernatural manifestations of power and healing. To us, this is our picture of revival, and it seems that we have put every means in our power to generate these kinds of outcomes.

But if we are really honest with ourselves, we realize that all of our attempts to work up revival have done very little to change the face of our nation. The Church in America still wallows in the mire of immorality and of the humanism that produced it, and the rest of us can't seem to find the emotional booster to get us excited about the things of God.

And then we look at the passage above, and realize that not even the wonder-workers can get into Heaven on account of their miraculous works. Heck, these people prophesied! They cast out demons, et cetera, et cetera! Isn't that the common perception of the highest degree of spirituality among so many Christians today?

Many preachers whose ministries have revolved around signs and wonders have come and gone, without leaving revival in their wake. Many of these ministers, I am regretful to say, did not lead holy lives, and when their depravity was made known to the world, their so-called "revivals" came to a screeching halt, and once again, the name of Christ was blasphemed among the ungodly. Signs and wonders do not bring revival. Signs and wonders are not always a sure proof that God is working, because the Scriptures speak of a time when there will be a great apostasy, that is, a falling away, in which even God's elect will be in danger of being deceived, by the false signs and wonders which "the beast of Revelation" will perform in the eyes of the world (2 Thessalonians 2).

You want to know what God is looking for? Do you want to know what His will is? Here is a big part of it, that the Christian Church in our country would do well to heed:

Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. ... For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God.
1 Peter 2:11-12, 15-16

Why has the American Churh miserably failed to do this? A big part of it is that we have believed and preached a false Gospel, and many who call themselves Christians are not genuine Christians. I will not expound on the particulars here, but I will recommend a sermon by Paul Washer from seven years back, in 2002, preached on this very selection from Matthew. Using Scirpture and plain common sense, he makes havock of the modern method of evangelism, saying that all it involves is a little prayer, but no repentance, no change of heart.

It is not enough to "believe" in Jesus. In fact, I think that we have the wrong definition of "believe" to begin with. The Bible commands us to believe, but it's definition of believe is much different than ours. According to the Bible, real belief (James would call it "living faith," as opposed to dead faith, which is no more faith than a dead body is a human being) produces action. The modern concept of "belief" and "faith" is simply mental assent. To agree that Jesus is God, died for sin, rose from the dead, etc., is not enough to make one a Christian. Heck, the devil knows all those things for a sure fact! But he is not saved anymore than the person who refuses to repent from sin, and seek to know God.

That was the complaint of Christ on the last day, against those who thought they were saved: "I never knew you. Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity."

If we do not know Christ (and if we know Christ, we will not practice iniquity), than we are not fit to be in the place where He is. Knowing Him is what Jesus says constitutes eternal life. "And this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." John 17:3

If we truly believe in Jesus, we will do what He says. If we love Him, we will keep His commandments.

(24-27) Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that hous; and it fell. And great was its fall.

Do you know Him? Are you seeking to know Him more? Do you love his holiness? Do you walk in His ways?

"Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity ..." Jeremiah 29:12-14

The Exhortation of Scripture

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"Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the LORD, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,"
Says the LORD of hosts.

"But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner's fire
And like launderers' soap.
He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the LORD
An offering in righteousness.

Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the LORD,
As in the days of old,
As in former years."

... "Your words have been harsh against Me,"
Says the LORD,
"Yet you say,
'What have we spoken against You?'
You have said,
'It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance,
And that we have walked as mourners
Before the LORD of hosts?
So now we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are raise up;
They even tempt God and go free.'"
Malachi 3:1-4, 13-15

"‘And it shall come to pass in all the land,’ says the LORD, ‘that two thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, "This is My people," and each one will say "The LORD is my God.’"
Zechariah 13:8-9

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin. And You have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons:

"My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives."

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection tot the Father of spirits and live?

For indeed for a few days they chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiles; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.
Hebrews 12:1-17

You have dealt well with Your servant,
O LORD, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
The proud have forged a lie against me,
But I will keep Your precepts with my whole heart.
Their heart is as fat as grease,
But I delight in Your law.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
The law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of coins of gold and silver.
Psalm 119:64-72

"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another,
And the LORD listened and heard them;
So a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the LORD
And who meditate on His name.

'They shall be Mine,' says the LORD of hosts,
'On the day that I make them My jewels.
And I will spare them
As a man spares his own son who serves him."
Then you shall again discern
Between the righteous and the wicked,
Between the one who serves God
And one who does not serve Him.
Malachi 3:16-18

Ten Shekels and a Shirt

2008-12-21T12:13:00.005-05:00

For those of you who may have taken the time (about 30 minutes) to watch the video I posted a while back ago, you may remember that I pointed out that one of the speakers heard from was Paris Reidhead, who in his younger years, served as a missionary to the African nation of Sudan, in the early half of the 20th century. The selection in the video (which is called "The Revival Hymn") was from his most famous sermon "Ten Shekels and a Shirt," preached in the mid-1960s at Bethany Fellowship Summer Conference. He himself described how he was led to preach what he preached:

I remember praying, "This morning I am utterly cast upon You because I am not really prepared." In my heart I seemed to hear His response, "Well is that so bad, already" (being from New York City it was given in a idiom I would understand.)

I delivered the message and gave an invitation. Shortly the altar across the front of the auditorium was filled with broken people seeking God.

The summer conference was soon over and I returned to New York City and the ministry there.

About ten years later, one of the Bethany Fellowship staff was in Washington, D.C., where we had moved and from where we still minister. His word was, "Paris, I want to tell you that God has repeatedly used your messages, but the exact message itself was preached only that once.

A week or two later Harry Conn from Rockford, Illinois was in Washington. He invited me to have dinner with him. In the course of the meal he said, "I buy that message of yours 'Ten Shekels and a Shirt' by the dozen to give people. God is really using it in lives." My response was that if you have a copy, I would like to have it sent to me so that I can find out what it is I have said. In a few days the cassette arrived.

Since I don't have a tape player in my office, I put the tape into the Sony dictating machine on my desk and listened through the little playback on the hand-held microphone. The element of distance in terms of time, and the distorted sound through the miniature speaker, let me listen to the message with no real awareness of who was speaking. From time to time I felt like exclaiming, "That's right! I wish I had said that!"

Then it dawned on me that it was my voice, but God was speaking through me. I realized that on a Tuesday morning during a summer conference, God had been able to get His message across because of my utter and complete helplessness. Here it is, just as the Lord gave it.
Paris Reidhead (How Ten Shekels and a Shirt Came to Be)

I would encourage you to listen to the full audio of this sermon, or to read the text. He preached it forty years ago, but it is still all too relevant today. God is speaking to the Church of Christ in America today -- by and large, it is the message that He gave to the Church in Laodicea -- and His message hasn't changed.

And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

"These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

'I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing' -- and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked -- I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and while garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock.If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."
Revelation 3:14-22

The history of Laodicea sheds considerable light on this passage. It was one of the most wealthy and prosperous cities in the Lycus Valley of Asia Minor (Turkey). The prosperous trades of banking, textile manufactures, and eye salve had made the city dwellers feel secure in their wealth and prosperity. The Church in Laodicea had also settled into the apethy of momentary material security, as this letter to the church indicates. How notable it is, that of the seven churches whom Jesus addressed in this first portion of Revelation, Laodicea receives no praise from Christ in any way. They had become so secure in their wealth, and so distracted by pleasure, that Christ no longer meant anything to them, other than as a religious appendage to their lives.

While not all churches in America fall under this description, many American "Christians" do. It is the only thing that can account for the fact that 86% of the American population professes Christianity (only an 13% difference from the profession of the American population in 1776) but our country has become a byword among other nations for its flagrant immorality.

Now don't get me wrong. Material prosperity is not evil. The tendency of human nature to worship blessings and not the Giver is where the sin lies. However, we Christians have no excuse. First of all, as Christians, we are supposed to be saved from our sinful nature, by the blood of Jesus, and by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Second of all, we have all of human history behind us to give us repeated warning of the dangers of such complacency. But we have ignored the Holy Spirit and history in our churches for so long.

Perhaps it is not too late, but God must refine us like silver.

(See my next post for Scriptures which apply).

Good Question

2008-12-13T22:08:00.002-05:00

I think some atheists are asking to be the subject of comedy.

OK, OK. I was having fun. :D

Paul Washer speaks about America's future

2008-11-01T16:13:00.004-04:00

Not long back, I found these two brief but excellent videos of Paul Washer speaking about America's future -- and in particular, the future of the American Church -- and the right relationship of a Christian to government. I would really like to share them with all of my readers. Your thoughts are invited.

Paul Washer: Persecution or a Great Awakening?

Paul Washer: Obeying the Government

Reflections on Revival

2008-10-03T23:20:00.006-04:00

I've been dwelling on the subject of revival lately, and on the future of America, and particularly the American church. I think that many of us pray for revival, but we must realize that when God revives a country, or a people group, He usually doesn't start with the sinners. Why? Because the fact that so many sinners are not saved, is not His fault. It is largely the responsibility of we who claim to be believers. God works mightily, but He created man so that He might use man as a tool through which to do His work.

The Church of America has fallen asleep, and many who sit in its pews, and wear its T-shirts, and hand out its tracts, and sing in its choirs, are spiritually dead. They have no desire to serve God, apart from gain, or a feeling of acceptance among their Christian peers. But most others have never been challenged to completely surrender themselves and their all to God, and they do not know that there is more to being a Christian than being accepted in Christian circles. They do not know what God requires of all of us. I like the statement Paul Washer once made. At a recent conference, he said, "This country is not Gospel-hardened. It is Gospel-ignorant." It has not heard enough of the Gospel, in black-and-white, to be Gospel-hardened.

The Church, many years ago, began to be influenced and infiltrated by humanism. But unfortunately, that influence of humanism has not stopped with "liberal theologians" or churches that compromise on issues like evolution or biblical literacy. It has disguised itself in such a way as to deceive the "fundamentalists"(*gasp!*)

Why has humanism been so pervasive? Because it is human nature to look at and focus upon self. This is one of the great reasons why sanctification and holiness need to be taught and emphasized in America's Christian churches and teachings again, because it is through sanctification that we learn how to be true and consistent followers of God -- our nature is exchanged for His, by the power of His Holy Spirit working in us.

Below is a video I found some time ago on GodTube. It is a very harmonious conglomeration of the teachings of various "revival leaders" (if such is a proper term to use in God's kingdom, because HE is the "revival leader"!). It is eye-opening.

One of the sermons from which you will hear often, is the once-famous "Ten Shekels and a Shirt," by Paris Reidhead, who became a missionary to Africa in the 1940s. Sometime, I intend to include these, and discuss them, in a near-future post here. The sermon is worth a post (or two) of its own. To get a head-start, you may listen to the audio here, or read the text here.

In the meantime, please watch the video. May God move you through it.

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Herky Humor

2008-10-03T00:01:00.005-04:00

OK, I have a confession to make. Today, I had a little bit of a lax in my schedule. So I decided that today would be a good day to update my blogs. And do they need it! The only one I have been updating lately has been my blog Meet the Founding Fathers (did I mention it's only one of my five blogs?), because of my weekly meme, Founding Fathers' Quote Friday. By the way, stay tuned for my newest post there tomorrow, because it begins our next monthly theme of VIRTUE. If you have a blog (it doesn't have to be a history blog), and if you know the words of the Founders, feel free to join my meme! Be sure to leave a comment, so I can bring readers' attention to your FFQF posts!

And now you are impatiently awaiting my confession. OK, here it goes. Somehow, I got distracted with a little "toy" I found at www.despair.com. It's pretty much a mockery of motivational gear, and of the relationships in the workplace between employer/employee. But they let you make some of your own "de-motivators," and I couldn't help but make a few. Here they are:

Voice of Jeremiah

2008-08-24T13:09:00.006-04:00

Today I would like to share some media presentations that I have found over the course of time, that have encouraged me and challenged me. But beware; this is not your peppy "positive and encouraging promise Scripture for the day." Sometimes, truth is not always comfortable; truth challenges us to face the uncomfortable squarely, and to deal with it. Sometimes truth pricks our consciences, or opens our eyes to an uncomfortable reality around us. When confronted with truth, we see evil for what it really is, and the world seems more evil than it did before. However, if we accept the truth, and yield to God's Spirit, we have a peace inside -- the peace of being fully and finally reconciled to God, and being able to confidently show others the way.

I would like to share a video with you, of a sermon preached by Keith Daniel, an evangelist and missionary from South Africa. He preached this sermon in the United States, and it is entitled, "A Warning to America." The two major themes in his sermon (which expounds upon Ephesians 6:10-17) are prayer and holiness.

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Keith Daniel is one of several preachers who are staying faithful to the Gospel that is preached in the New Testament, and they are not ashamed to preach repentance and holiness from their podiums, worldwide. Many have been ostracized for taking a bold stand against the heresies of modern American "evangelization."

Paul Washer, American-born missionary, is a case in point. The following video shows perhaps his most famous sermon, preached at the Southern Baptist Youth Convention in 2002, which was "so biblical, he was never invited back."

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I have said before, and say again now, that the responsibility for the downward spiral America has taken ultimately rests on the shoulders of the Christian Church, that is, those who name the name of Christ. And while this has been acknowledged by many in the "culture war," it is important to specify (and I don't think it has been sufficiently emphasized) that our fault has more to do with our lack of repentance from sin (and this "adulterous and evil generation, ") than it has to do with our lack of voting, petitioning, and so on. It takes virtue to sustain a free form of government, and Christians, as "salt and light," are to be the examples and promoters of virtue in society. But instead we have adapted to the ungodly culture around us, making us just like the world, and ineffective.

Many have said, and many will say, that Paul Washer is preaching "legalism" -- salvation by works. Those who listen to his sermons and come to this conclusion do not understand the Gospel, or the logic of the New Testament. We are saved by faith in Christ, yes, but that faith is to cause a progressive following of repentance from sin and good works. Without working out faith, faith is dead (James 2).

But for people (like myself) who tend to slide to the extreme of forcing works to gain repentance (when it should be the other way around) here is another excellent snipit from Paul Washer, explaining the "happy medium."

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Paul Washer is also one of the founders of the HeartCry Missionary Society, an outstanding missionary organization that sends missionaries in several countries all around the world. Here, Paul discusses his group. It is an excellent video. Whether you are a missionary or not, I encourage you to watch it.

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If I may, I would also like to add the testimony of the conversion of his wife, Charo Washer, on audio. It is more than just a nice story; listening to it may expose many of the deceit the devil uses to get even youth raised in Christian homes to think they are saved, when they are not.

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I hope that these presentations have inspired, encouraged, and challenged you to serve God in sincerity of heart, and to stand up for the truth in this modern perverse generation.

A Tag from a "Buddy"

2008-07-29T21:48:00.006-04:00

OK, it looks like this blog is becoming my tag blog right now. I hope to put up some posts here (sometime), but right now, I have so many projects to work on and so little time to complete them.

In the meantime, however, my blogger friend Fida Abbott is getting tagged and passing them on to me. She recently tagged me, and gave me the "Great Buddy" award. Thanks, Fida. Congratulations for winning 15th place in the Personal Blogs Finalist at Christian Indonesia Blog Festival 2008! I am very happy for you!

So, here goes the tag! Here are the rules:

Save the image above to be forwarded;
Choose several person;
Give the reason why you chose those person.

OK, here is the image: The people I would like to choose are those faithful readers (and ones who leave comments) on my blog. I choose the following, because they have have encouraged me, cross-examined my work, given me input, and helped me make my blogging venture a success, simply by their participation. Congratulations!

If I may, I would also like to return this award to FIDA ABBOTT! She is a really good blogger buddy, too. Thanks, Fida.

P. S. I would also like to alert my blogger friends that they have a chance to sign the Declaration of Independence, via Stephen Palmer's blog, The Cause of Liberty. Your opportunity is unique, for any remarks you make won't have to be passed through tradition, like to words of our Founders, as they signed. Rather, you can record your own words (no more than 225 characters) beside your signature.

One note of precaution, however. As was the case with our Founders, signing the Declaration was no show. It was a very serious and dangerous commitment. Before you sign, I would ask you to seriously consider the rules laid forth for becoming a member of my Friends of Liberty blogroll. In 1776, our Founders knew their commitment could cost them their lives, and more. Maybe a look at the signature of Stephen Hopkins would give you an idea of what they were feeling at that time. His reported words match his signature: "My hand trembles, but my heart does not!"(1)

I've Been Tagged AGAIN!

2008-06-04T22:52:00.008-04:00

Well well well. My relatively new blogger friend Fida Abbott has tagged me again. I have a set of questions that I need to answer. I will (bravely) do my best. :)

1. At what age do you wish to marry?
Honestly, I have no plans to marry, so I guess my answer would be "0"?

2. If you can turn into anything, what do you wish to turn into?
Oh boy. Brainstorming here. I guess I would turn into an eagle, so I could fly on my own (I always thought that flight would be an exhilarating experience), but I would probably want to change back to me. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, eh?

3. If you were on a desert island, who are three blog buddies you would take with you? Why?
Well, I don't know that many bloggers, but I would list three qualifications for the buddies I would choose:
1. One who knew about desert island survival.
2. One who needs (and can stand) a good skin tan.
3. Anyone but a blond who suggests packing a car door (I'll talk about that later).

4. Where is the place that you want to go most?
Heaven, God's place.

5. If you had one dream to come true, what would it be?
Just one dream? I would choose to be instrumental in the genuine conversion of even just one person. Human souls last eternally. Human projects and earthly ambitions last for only a while. Dreams of eternity are those that are the greatest, In My Humble Opinion.

6. Who is on your mind right now?
My new friend Fida, who tagged me. I am hoping she likes my homework, and gives me a pass. :)

7. What are you afraid to lose the most right now?
Well, two things: 1) my blogs, because I've heard that some are being arbitrarily deleted, and 2) my cat, who is aging. He is such a nice fellow; very loyal, very useful, very well-behaved and affectionate.

8. Do you want your firstborn to be a boy or a girl. Why?
I guess my answer to Question #1 would disqualify me to answer this one. But I probably would never be able to make up my mind anyway.

9. If you met someone you love, would you confess to him/her?
Hopefully I would have nothing to confess! :)

10. List three things about the person who tagged you:
1) She is a very kind and considerate person,
2) She is polite and encouraging,
3) She has a love of learning and developing potential -- excellent qualities

11. What colour do you like? Why?
I have four favorite colors: deep blue, deep green, deep red, and indigo. They are very rich, and they go well together.

12. What type of person do you hate the most?
The one who uses and abuses other people for his own selfish gain.

13. What would you do if you had a million dollars?
Oh boy, this is a hard question. I would do many things with it, including giving it to people who need it much more than I. I might invest part of it in travel, and another part of it in some much-needed home renovation.

14. What is your ambition?
A single ambition? My ultimate ambition is to be used of God to point people to the truth -- ultimately to Him. And that my life would be used of Him for an enduring legacy that would inspire people with a holy zeal for His namesake.

15. What would you wanna be after you're dead?
Hmmm. Hard to make up my mind here ... I sure don't want to be tiger food!

16. If you have a chance, which part of your character would you like to change?
I would like to change from being very timid to being more personable.

17. What do you most want to achieve now?
I want to achieve some good credit for a book I plan to write.

18. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Serving God and man, in His love.

19. If there’s one thing in your life you want to do but yet unable to, what would it be?
Fly! :)

20. Among all the questions asked, which one do u like most? Why?
I like Question #3, because I laughed to myself after I read my answer. :)

Whew! Well, Fida, I finished my homework! I hope I passed my "exam"!

Thanks for tagging me.

The Intolerance of the Tolerant

2008-02-23T21:11:00.004-05:00

It. Stinks.

I found this (semi-) hilarious parody of the atheistic movement, at the website of Gary DeMar's group, American Vision.

Think about that the next time someone reminds you of the Crusades or the Inquisition. Also remind them, that they need to brush up on their history.

Ron Paul is Right

2007-12-26T14:38:00.000-05:00

Some days ago I was reading some of the speeches of Congressman Ron Paul, a Republican from Texas, and a candidate for the Presidency in 2008. I support Paul because of his strict adherence to the Constitution, our Founding Fathers original intent, his Christian worldview, and his unimpeachable voting record. I am very sorry to understand that the mainstream evangelical Christian conservative Right is not supporting him as much as they should be, and that they seem more comfortable with candidates like Huckabee, Romney, and even Guliani (here is a blog who addresses the issue well).

But back to the point. I was reading this speech by Ron Paul, delivered before the U.S. House on March 10, 2004, entitled "An Indecent Attack on the First Amendment." Here, Ron Paul discusses the "Broadcast Indecency Act of 2004," which was soon to be debated on the House floor.

We will soon debate the “Broadcast Indecency Act of 2004” on the House Floor. This atrocious piece of legislation should be defeated. It cannot improve the moral behavior of U.S. citizens, but it can do irreparable harm to our cherished right to freedom of speech. ... Though [it] may be motivated by the good intentions of improving moral behavior, using government force to do so is fraught with great danger and has no chance of success.

This act was no doubt sponsored by many concerned citizens, most of them Christians, who, with the best of intentions, wanted to take some sort of action against indecency on the airwaves. However, as Ron Paul points out in this address, this bill, and others like it, will do more harm than good in solving the problem with society which we are witnessing today. Ron Paul explains:

Regulating speech is a dangerous notion, and not compatible with the principles of a free society. The Founders recognized this, and thus explicitly prohibited Congress from making any laws that might abridge freedom of speech or of the press.

But we have in recent decades seen a steady erosion of this protection of free speech. ...
And it will be assumed [by the Right, who endorse the bill] that if one is not with them in this effort, then one must support the trash seen and heard in the movie theaters and on our televisions and radios. For social rather than constitutional reasons, some on the left express opposition to this proposal. [emphasis added]

But this current proposal is dangerous. Since most Americans – I hope – are still for freedom of expression of political ideas and religious beliefs, no one claims that anyone who endorses freedom of speech therefore endorses the nutty philosophy and religious views that are expressed. We should all know that the 1st Amendment was not written to protect non-controversial mainstream speech, but rather the ideas and beliefs of what the majority see as controversial or fringe.
The temptation has always been great to legislatively restrict rudeness, prejudice, and minority views, and it’s easiest to start by attacking the clearly obnoxious expressions that most deem offensive. The real harm comes later. But “later” is now approaching.

What Congressman Paul continues to say, and what is his whole point is that the government bill

is not constitutional, since it contradicts the Bill of Rights by regulating speech and press; if any act should be passed by a legislature banning garbage on the air, it should be the state and local legislatures, not the federal legislature.
will be completely ineffective in fulfilling its own aim: improving the moral character of the nation, or at least curbing the immorality so boldly expressed nowadays.
will eventually make the way for future government officials to pass bills restricting permissible content on the airwaves, such as Christian evangelism or making a stand against immorality in society.

Paul continues, in a style and train of thought reminiscent to that of the late Dr. Francis A. Schaeffer's speech A Christian Manifesto at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Paul argues:

Merely writing laws and threatening huge fines will not improve the moral standards of the people. Laws like the proposed “Broadcast Indecency Act of 2004” merely address the symptom of a decaying society, while posing a greater threat to freedom of expression. Laws may attempt to silence the bigoted and the profane, but the hearts and minds of those individuals will not be changed. Societal standards will not be improved. Government has no control over these standards, and can only undermine liberty in its efforts to make individuals more moral or the economy fairer. ...

We should not ignore the smut and trash that has invaded our society, but laws like this will not achieve the goals that many seek. If a moral society could be created by law, we would have had one a long time ago. ...

If it is not recognized that this is the wrong approach to improve the quality of the airways, a heavy price will be paid. The solution to decaying moral standards has to be voluntary, through setting examples in our families, churches, and communities – never by government coercion. It just doesn’t work.

If the Christian conservatives and voters, and other concerned citizens would learn this lesson, which Schaeffer and other like him (not to mention our long-lost-friend the Holy Spirit) has been trying to teach us, than we would be winning the "Culture War," and not struggling in the mud. We would realize that our victory lies not in the number of professing born-again Christians in our government, or in the proclamations they make which pander to Christians, or in bills and acts and court decisions which ban abortion, sodomy, etc., but rather in the ability of the people to govern themselves. Right now, Americans do not have that ability. To demonstrate this, let me ask if, in actual practice and not merely in creed, the majority of Christians in this country base their views and their morals (in everyday circumstances) upon the Word of God, or on what the majority thinks at any given time. Even in Christian circles, if someone were to object to something, and cite Scripture as the authority, that person often gets blank stares and is ignored, if not slighted and patronized. Our own daily lives demonstrate that we are not, as a nation, morally and intellectually prepared for what we riotously clamor: a smaller government. Until the moral character of this country changes, which, as Congressman Paul rightly deduced, must begin, not in the legislature, but in "our families, churches, and communities," and it MUST being in that precise order, than we will always need big government.

Nevertheless the foundation of God still stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," and "let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity." 2 Timothy 2:19 (NKJV)

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:15-22 (NKJV)

I Didn't Say It; Hamilton Did

2007-10-31T14:34:00.003-04:00

Anyone who has followed my blog and the past "discussions" that transpired there probably remembers my post "Thoughts on Reason, Revelation, and the Bible." The proponent of the "theistical rationalist-Founders" theory did not answer the post itself, probably because he believed the post to be a dissertation on the subject. True, the post did not directly address the issue at hand ("Did the Founding Fathers believe that revelation was inferior to man's reason?"), but it did, I believe, draw the line between reason and revelation in Christian theology. With those ideas in mind, I believed that it would provide a clear view into what the Founders meant when they praised reason (NOTE: In none of the Founders' writings, except those of the men who were definitely not Christian, such as Jefferson, did they say that reason was superior to the divine revelation.)

Of course, I was accused of misinterpreting the Founders' writings and intent. I don't mind that accusation when presented at first; however, I have a very difficult time retaining my patience when I quote the Founders, and their meaning is indisputable, and then that meaning is construed by the reader over and over again.

I knew that I had a case in point, but I was delighted when, upon doing some research, I found a near replica of my "Thoughts" essay, not in the book of a theologian, but rather in The Federalist Papers.

The "essay" to which I refer is found in the beginning paragraphs of The Federalist No. 31, which is one of the issues that was indisputably written by Hamilton. (1)

Of course, in this issue of the Federalist, it was not Hamilton's goal to discuss religion or to teach a course on philosophy, exactly. But it was the habit of the authors of The Federalist Papers, and it was the lifetime habit of Hamilton, to, before delving immediately into the issue at hand, to begin by laying the groundwork for basic truths and principles, and then flesh them out into whatever the issue at hand was. This method is what made The Federalist Papers, and indeed Hamilton himself, so convincing and so persuasive, or, in the words of his opponent Jefferson, "a colossus."

Here is the "essay":

To the People of the State of New York:

In disquisitions of every kind, there are certain primary truths, or first principles, upon which all subsequent reasonings must depend. These contain an internal evidence which, antecedent to all reflection or combination, commands the assent of the mind. Where it produces not this effect, it must proceed either from some defect or disorder in the organs of perception, or from the influence of some strong interest, or passion, or prejudice. Of this nature are the maxims in geometry, that the whole is greater than its part; things equal to the same are equal to one another; two straight lines cannot enclose a space; and all right angles are equal to each other. Of the same nature are these other maxims in ethics and politics, that there cannot be an effect without a cause; that the means ought to be proportioned to the end; that every power ought to be commensurate with its object; that there ought to be no limitation of a power destined to effect a purpose which is itself incapable of limitation. And there are other truths in the two latter sciences which, if they cannot pretend to rank in the class of axioms, are yet such direct inferences from them, and so obvious in themselves, and so agreeable to the natural and unsophisticated dictates of common-sense, that they challenge the assent of a sound and unbiased mind, with a degree of force and conviction almost equally irresistible.

The objects of geometrical inquiry are so entirely abstracted from those pursuits which stir up and put in motion the unruly passions of the human heart, that mankind, without difficulty, adopt not only the more simple theorems of the science, but even those abstruse paradoxes which, however they may appear susceptible of demonstration, are at variance with the natural conceptions which the mind, without the aid of philosophy, would be led to entertain upon the subject. The infinite divisibility of matter, or, in other words, the infinite divisibility of a finite thing, extending even to the minutest atom, is a point agreed among geometricians, though not less incomprehensible to common-sense than any of those mysteries in religion, against which the batteries of infidelity have been so industriously leveled.

But in the sciences of morals and politics, men are found far less tractable. To a certain degree, it is right and useful that this should be the case. Caution and investigation are a necessary armor against error and imposition. But this untractableness may be carried too far, and may degenerate into obstinacy, perverseness, or disingenuity. Though it cannot be pretended that the principles of moral and political knowledge have, in general, the same degree of certainty with those of the mathematics, yet they have much better claims in this respect than, to judge from the conduct of men in particular situations, we should be disposed to allow them. The obscurity is much oftener in the passions and prejudices of the reasoner than in the subject. Men, upon too many occasions, do not give their own understandings fair play; but, yielding to some untoward bias, they entangle themselves in words and confound themselves in subtleties. (2)

What is interesting to note here, is that not only are his views and logic identical to those presented in my essay "Thoughts on Reason, Revelation, and the Bible," but that it was written YEARS before "his son died." Obviously, from this selection of the Federalist Papers, Hamilton had a conviction in Christianity that went deeper than his brain, and into his conscience. Without this inner conviction, Hamilton would probably have blamed God for the death of his son, instead of resting in the assurance of God's mercy and justice.

As far as the historical evidence shows, Hamilton never believed himself to be a deist OR a theistic rationalist.

One quick note: When Hamilton makes reference to the "mysteries of religion," the religion he is obviously referring to is the CHRISTIAN religion. How do I know that? So far as I know, Islam, or Zen Buddhism were totally irrelevant to influencing Europe and America at that time, and so those kinds of religions would not have suffered under (quoting Hamilton) "the batteries of infidelity." "Infidelity" is not a positive term, so obviously Hamilton's use of that word, as well as the context of the portion of The Federalist which is being discussed makes it clear that Hamilton was DEFENDING, in some way or other, the validity of "religion." Today, we are exposed to different religions in this nation on a daily basis, but this was not the case in America. Usually, the Founding Fathers used the word "religion" to reference to Christianity, because an overwhelming majority of the people at the time considered themselves to be, really or nominally, Christian. And so far as I know, and so far as applies to the sphere of the Founders, no other religion suffered under the "industrious leveling" of the "batteries of infidelity" (at least not that the Founders were concerned about) than Christianity. Also bear in mind that Hamilton never evinced sympathy toward any other religion than Christianity. So here, he is discussing Christianity.

In addition to this, Hamilton cannot be a theistic rationalist, because he is obviously defending the "mysteries of religion," that is, those tenets of religion which cannot be completely solved by human reason, which theistic rationalism holds as the highest authority. So Hamilton seems to be expressing a religious and philosophical difference with theistic rationalism, or rationalism of any kind.

A World of Worldviews

2007-10-24T21:48:00.000-04:00

The Constitution, and our whole American philosophy of government of law, is rooted in the Biblical worldview. One does not have to be a "Doctor of Divinity" to know that all other worldviews (and every worldview is grounded in a religion) are diametrically opposed to Christianity. Christianity and any other religion cannot co-operate, or compromise. This reality does not mean that Christians are to force people of other religious beliefs to convert, or that a society in which Christianity is the established religion must persecute or treat as less human those of other faiths. However, in such areas as government and education, the vital organs of society, all religions cannot be treated as equally valid, nor can they all be looked upon as having no direct relationship to a person's political (or other) convictions and actions. All religions that do not fall under the category of general Biblical Christianity are not to be established by any branch of American government, nor are their principles to be promulgated as dogma in American schools. Those who profess those foreign religions are welcome in this country; however, they are under obligation to respect our nation, and the basic principles which forged our nation. They must owe their absolute allegiance to the law of the land. Therefore, some individuals may be restricted in exercising their religion to its full extent in this land. In the case of radical Muslims, for example, they will not be allowed in this nation to practice "jihad" or "holy war against unbelievers" in this country, because our laws forbid murder and terrorism. Therefore, although it would be equally wrong to murder a Muslim as it would be to murder a Christian (since both are human beings created in God's image, and therefore have the same right to life), Muslims may have more restrictions than Christians in fully exercising their religion.

The Founding Fathers agreed that people from other religions are welcome to find asylum in this country. However, they never said that those religions stood on an equal political basis with Christianity in this country. Freedom of conscience is extended to all; however, freedom of establishment is not. The Founding Fathers let the states establish whatever Christian denomination the states themselves chose, if they chose to establish a denomination(s) at all. When the Founding Fathers said that religious establishment was reserved to the states, "religion" did not include foreign religions; that was simply out of the question. How can a state(s) of the Union, who, by its very membership of the Union is obligated to support and submit to the Constitution of the United States (the essential pillar of which is Christianity) have a foreign religion (automatically OPPOSED to Christianity) as its established religion? The only possible definition of "religion" in this case is Christianity; otherwise, the Founding Fathers would be allowing the states to plant seeds of suicide to the Constitution within the American Union itself! The federal government (the US Constitution is its charter) is therefore "neutral" to all Christian denominations (general Christianity); it is not neutral to all religions.

It is true that the states are sovereign in their own affairs; HOWEVER, they owe their allegiance TO THE CONSTITUTION, and therefore, have certain restrictions placed upon them. Such was the whole reason the Founding Fathers abandoned the Articles of Confederation and made a new Constitution with a new federal government. If the states were not held accountable in something, such as whether or not that could ESTABLISH a foreign religion, there would be no real American Union. If a state(s) decided to break the Constitution by officially establishing another religion, than what is left but for the federal government to exclude that state from Constitutional protection? I don't know if the feds can come in and simply war against that state for the establishment of a religion contrary to the Constitution -- the Founders never said what the federal government should do in such a case.

And now to some particulars which the host of Our Founding Truth and I discussed:

I said:
"However, the Founding Fathers, so far as I am aware, never said that the states are permitted to establish Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, secular humanism, etc."

To which Our Founding Truth replied:

"Mr. Spaight in the state convention clears this up; the people can choose whatever religion they want, the feds cannot tell the people which God to worship, they aren't to have that power:
...
'As to the subject of religion. . . . no power is given to the general government to interfere with it at all. . . . No sect is preferred to another. Every man has a right to worship the Supreme Being in the manner he thinks proper.'
The Debates in the Several State Conventions on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution, Jonathan Elliot, editor (Washington, D. C.: Jonathan Elliot, 1836), Vol. IV, p. 208, Richard Dobbs Spaight, July 30, 1788."

Here, Mr. Spaight does not seem to be refferring to foreign religions as well as Christianity; the word "sect" which he uses, as well as the fact that almost always the Founders were referring to the different DENOMINATIONS in Christianity when they use such language like "worship God in the manner he himself thinks proper," convinces me that Mr. Spaight was referring to GENERAL Christianity, and not including foreign religions as well.

Take into account that just before Spaight spoke at this meeting, Samuel Johnston stood up and made this statement, which would today would be tortured to bits by the media, ACLU, etc.:

"I read the Constitution over and over, but could not see one cause of apprehension or jealousy on this subject [the exclusion of a religious test by the Constitution]. ... It is apprehended that Jews, Mahometans, pagans, &c., may be elected to high offices under the government of the United States Those who are Mahometans, or any others who are not professors of the Christian religion, can never be elected to the office of President, or other high office, but in one of two cases. First, if the people of America lay aside the Christian religion altogether, it may happen. Should this unfortunately take place, the people will choose such men as think as they do themselves. Another case is, if any persons of such descriptions should, notwithstanding their religion, acquire the confidence and esteem of the people of America by their good conduct and practice of virtue, they may be chosen. I leave it to gentlemen's candor to judge what probability there is of the people's choosing men of different sentiments from themselves." (emphasis added) (1)

Remember also that John Jay said:

"Real Christians will abstain from violating the rights of others, and therefore will not prevoke war. Almost all nations have peace or war at the will or pleasure of the rulers whom they do not elect, and who are not always wise or virtuous. Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as the priviledge and interest, of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers."
John Jay to John Murry, Jr., October 12, 1816 (The Life of John Jay, vol. 2, p. 376, by William Jay [John Jay's son])

And remember that Alexander Hamilton, one of the delegates who proposed the "no religious test" clause, was almost literally up in arms at the prospect of the election of Thomas Jefferson, whom Hamilton called "an atheist in religion," to the office of United States President. Hamilton said that any effort to prevent the election of an atheist to federal office was "a legal and constitutional step" (emphasis original).(2)

So while the Constitution is neutral in letter towards other religions, it is not neutral to foreign religions in spirit.

Thoughts on the Miraculous

2007-10-05T17:58:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know what you are thinking. "It's a miracle Hercules can run all these blogs!" Actually, I am barely running them now. This is just an outlet for my thoughts, and for my continuous desire to experiment with blog templates.

But I couldn't help thinking the other day about what miracles are. Some time ago, there was a discussion on one of my other blogs about the beliefs of theistic rationalists, because the individual who brought that group into discussion believed that most of the Founders could be put into that category (I beg to differ, even though not all of them were Christian). He said that theistic rationalists, unlike deists, accept the possibility of miraculous occurances; rationalists, he said, just don't believe in the miracles that "break the laws of nature." The commentator did explain that he was not a theistic rationalist himself, and so I am not accusing him of this belief. But it ridiculous to believe in miracles that don't "break the laws of nature," for two reasons. First of all, miracles don't "break" the laws of nature (I'll explain why in a moment), and second, miracles are not to be judged by the laws of nature, because the laws of nature make no room for miracles. To say that you accept miracles that are within the confines of the law of nature is equivalent to the statement that one believes in clouds, as long as they do not hold moisture.

Lately I have been reading Dr. Francis Schaeffer's book A Christian Manifesto again. I have read it before, and was very impressed with his style of presentation, his research, and his ability to see the big picture and get his reader (who would be paying attention, of course) to see it, too. Presently, I have been reading the part in his book where he is discussing higher law, and the concept of a government of law (one of my favorite subjects). Of course, Dr. Schaeffer has written all of this from a Christian perspective, and he brings into focus that an absolute submission to just law is the hallmark of the very nature and character of God. God abides by His own law. That is quite an amazing thought when one takes into perspective the fact that men in places of authority do that.

And then I began to apply that same line of thought to the relationship between miracles and the laws of nature. It suddenly dawned on me that the laws of nature are simply the summation of how the mechanism of nature works on its own. The laws of nature do not rule out miracles, and they do not rule out God.

A good analogy that will help my reader understand this line of thinking is an electric toy racetrack. Most of us, I am sure, have seen them or played with them at one point or another. The track is put together piece-by-piece, the cars are put on the track, and the switch is turned on. The cars go around-and-around on the track, and never change their course. In a way, the electric mechanisms that make the machine work, and that make the cars spin around the track are akin to the laws of nature. Their simply state "This is the way that things are when they run their natural course, and when no one steps into the picture to change anything." But let's say that as the cars are circling round the track, that the little boy to whom the set belongs lifts one of the cars of the track, turns it around, and sets it back on the track to continue its course. Such is the case when God steps in to do things that supersede the laws of nature. The electric mechanisms in the track cannot explain how the car began to go backwards; and the fact that those mechanisms provide no explanation for how the car was turned around (just like those mechanisms cannot explain how the track got manufactured and assembled, and how the mechanisms were put together to make the track perform its function) does not mean that the track created itself, or that the fact that the car is now circling the track backwards is imaginary. It is silly to limit oneself to the world of the mechanism, without acknowledging the power of the one who made the mechanism. Evolutionists, agnostics, deists, and yes -- theistic rationalists, are also being silly when they purport the laws of nature as being the only and the final reality.

One other thought:

If miracles really "broke" the laws of nature, then the whole universe would fall apart, according to Newton's Third Law of Motion, "To every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." A genuine breaking of the laws of nature would result in a devastating chain reaction that would destroy the entire universe. There is evidence for miracles everywhere we look, and the world hasn't blown up yet.

God has authority over His own creation, and He can supersede it whenever He sees fit. It is against His nature to do it arbitrarily, but He will supersede the laws of nature to interven on the behalf of those whom He has called, and those who love and serve Him.

Just in case you didn't know ...

2007-10-04T22:06:00.000-04:00

I love to blog! I love artistic creativity (although this template is bland), and so I am just testing.

I seriously doubt that this blog will be my actual thoughts upon various and unclassified subjects. However, it was just fun to tinker with!