tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64097896277793424232024-03-13T03:48:00.758-07:00The Informed EvangelistWatch this blog for posts on books, thoughts on reading, etc. We'll also cover issues of interest for those who do Biblical evangelism.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-89874025934424315282023-02-28T04:38:00.004-08:002023-02-28T04:38:43.401-08:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Free the States New Video on the Status of Abortion in the USA</h1><div>Check out this new video from Free the States on what abortion looks like in so-called "abortion-free" states since the overturn of Roe. In short, it does not measure up to the media or pro-life hype. <br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XGPv66ZqlEQ" width="428" youtube-src-id="XGPv66ZqlEQ"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-14269192995350029712023-02-13T15:27:00.005-08:002023-02-13T15:39:15.301-08:00The Theology of Rome Will Never End Abortion<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido3SsCW5uUYS86fvUIeQNZJiW_fQcxPm1e6Y-3JR2DVKOHNultRTk54z7ZC1C5-Sa0ODJpMnwxmS8V3UamA6jg1J2dcBxCKlt_50KUjgMwxDtKqLrjyvLX5GxqRDPzS0GhaGRnYPaTIgTJnPvUOccSOtyz_aI7M-ED0lplGTWQ7Gp4H-40veeDujfTQ/s236/f06ddad4dc414023e46c4ad2f86f1795--john-paul-pictures-of-babies.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="199" data-original-width="236" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido3SsCW5uUYS86fvUIeQNZJiW_fQcxPm1e6Y-3JR2DVKOHNultRTk54z7ZC1C5-Sa0ODJpMnwxmS8V3UamA6jg1J2dcBxCKlt_50KUjgMwxDtKqLrjyvLX5GxqRDPzS0GhaGRnYPaTIgTJnPvUOccSOtyz_aI7M-ED0lplGTWQ7Gp4H-40veeDujfTQ/s1600/f06ddad4dc414023e46c4ad2f86f1795--john-paul-pictures-of-babies.jpg" width="236" /></a></div></div><p></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Note: it's come to my attention that this content is no longer on the online sources it once was, so I am reposting it here. This was originally written in 2013, if memory serves. </i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;">Last week we went to Washington, D.C. to assist CrownRights.org with filming on the upcoming Babies Are Murdered Here documentary. Our goal was to gather interviews from participants in the March for Life. Frankly, it was stunning to see the crowd of more than 500,000 people marching on the National Mall to protest abortion. The march is organized mainly by Roman Catholics. It is quite a testimony to the organizational ability of the Roman Catholics and the March for Life that they are able to mobilize this many people on one day (one c-c-c-old day) in DC.</p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">This has been the story of the pro-life movement from the beginning. The Roman Catholics have mobilized and the evangelical Protestant church has either hemmed and hawed or they have supported abortion (in the case of the mainline denominations). Forty years later churches in the evangelical community which are sound theologically (and many that aren’t) are loathe to do very much about the slaughter of the innocents in the womb. Why? The “elephant in the room”, whenever the topic is discussed, is the Catholic church. If we stand with Catholics in front of the abortion clinics, aren’t we somehow supporting their doctrine? In good churches, doctrine matters.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">After seeing the March for Life, conducting interviews, and our own experience with pro-life Catholics I can only conclude that while we can stand in front of clinics while Catholics are present, we cannot join hands with them intentionally for the purpose of: 1) proclaiming the truth about abortion or 2) doing sidewalk counseling ministry. The theological tension between the Catholic church and the leadership of the pro-life movement effectively neuters the pro-life cause. Worse, it offers no real hope to women who have had abortions.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">At this point, Catholics reading this blog will get up in arms and point to their long record of standing against abortion. I am grateful for their willingness to act when so many of us have been silent. It is to our shame. Some will say that this kind of message will fragment the pro-life community, weakening it. I disagree. The way that truth works in the Kingdom of God is that it sets people free. Besides that, the pro-life community is already fragmented. It is fragmented into groups that call abortion murder in no uncertain terms and those that equivocate.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b>Two Important Questions</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">At the March, we asked the participants two important questions. 1) Is abortion murder? 2) Is a woman who has an abortion a murderer? The answers were not what we expected at a pro-life event.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">To question #1, the results were split. Some would say, yes, it is murder and not bat an eye. Others would hem and haw a bit and use just about every euphemism you can imagine to describe what a woman does when she has an abortion. To question #2, the results were much more uniform. I do not believe we had one person respond in the affirmative. In every case, the woman having an abortion was portrayed as a victim.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">We did a lot more filming that day, but on the way to dinner we began talking about the disconnect. Why could some say it was murder and then not call the woman having an abortion a murderer? This isn’t a great leap of logic. Further, how could you be anti-abortion, march against Roe v. Wade, and then not be clear about abortion being murder in question #1?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">As we chatted, Marcus finally asked, “What do Catholics believe about mortal sin?” This question and its answer is the keystone to not only this disconnect between the two questions, it is the keystone to understanding the present pro life movement and how ministry is done amongst women who are potentially abortive.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b>Mortal Sin</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Let’s answer Marcus’ question. What do Catholics believe about mortal sin? In order to find the answer, you have to go to their documents. You do not go to writings which are not formally endorsed. You do not go to a Catholic friend or relative to find the answer. For our purposes, we will use the Catechism of the Catholic Church (hereafter referred to as the CCC) which was published by the Libreria Editrice Vaticana (the publishing arm of the Vatican). The copy in my library is the Second Edition published in 2000 and appears to be the 7th printing of this edition.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">In the CCC, (section 1855) it states, “Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him.” In contrast, venial sin “…allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it.”</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">The big question is, “What is a mortal sin?” According to the Roman Catholic church it must meet three conditions: 1) it is a grave matter, 2) it is committed with full knowledge and 3) it is committed with deliberate intent (Section 1857). Murder falls under the “grave matter” condition according to section 1858. I submit that murder is always committed with full knowledge of its evil since Romans 2:14-15 says that the law of God is written on the hearts of all men and their conscience bears witness that this is so. Finally, murder is committed with deliberate intent whenever it is committed except in cases of self defense (Ex. 22:2-3). The CCC states, “Sin committed through malice, by deliberate choice of evil, is the gravest” (Section 1860). Note the use of the terminology “grave” and “gravest.” In the Roman Catholic understanding, a mortal sin is worse than the average sin.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">What is the penalty for a mortal sin? The CCC answers, “If it is not redeemed by repentance and God’s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ’s kingdom and the eternal death of Hell…”.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Therefore murder is a mortal sin and is deserving of Hell. This is the clear teaching of the CCC.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">The next question for the CCC is, “Is abortion murder?” The CCC answers in the affirmative. It states, “Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable” (Section 2271). The same section goes on to cite the Didache and other early writings as proof. In the next section, it states, “Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life” (Section 2272).</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">So what’s the problem? Abortion is murder and murder merits Hell in Roman Catholic theology. Why don’t Roman Catholics speak more plainly on the issue of abortion if this is all that there is to it?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b>Theological Loophole</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">It suggests the question, “Is there a theological loophole in the CCC which allows a Roman Catholic the freedom to sidestep the question, “Is a woman who has an abortion a murderer?” It turns out that there is.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Section 1860 reads, “Unintentional ignorance can diminish or even remove the imputability of a grave offense. But no one is deemed to be ignorant of the principles of the moral law, which are written in the conscience of every man. The promptings of feelings and passions can also diminish the voluntary and free character of the offense, as can external pressures or pathological disorders.” It is worth noting that in this section, there are no footnotes. There are no cross references to Biblical passages because the Bible does not teach this.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">So here is what is happening. In the pro-life movement, if you can deem the woman who has an abortion to be “unintentionally ignorant” or a victim of their own “feelings and passions”, you can conclude that she is indeed a victim, not guilty of mortal sin, and is therefore not a murderer. This is the only theological rationale that makes sense in light of the answers we received in DC at the March for Life. This victim mentality is evident at a March for Life. The vast majority of signs, usually provided by the Catholic organizers, emphasize a positive message. Their own website states, “Purposefully, the Life Principles are not framed in the negative tone of “thou shalt not,” and are framed in the positive tone of duty and responsibility of each human being and of society.” The signs at the march which state that abortion is murder are usually made by individuals and not mass produced and handed out to marchers.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">The problem is that the Bible teaches the exact opposite. We cannot plead temporary insanity regarding our sin. In Exodus 21:22-25, the situation of two men fighting in a heated emotional argument is given. If in the course of their fight, they hurt a woman who is with child unintentionally and the baby miscarries, the death penalty is given for the man who is guilty, in spite of his emotion. It is eye for eye, tooth for tooth and life for life. In the context, it does not appear that it is their intent to murder the baby in the womb. If they do, intentional or not, they are given the death penalty.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">In short, Roman Catholics who are pro-life who will not call abortion murder or women who abort, murderers are NOT in conflict with their own catechism. They ARE in conflict with the Word of God. By the way, so are evangelicals who adopt this same victim mentality of the woman at the abortion clinic.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b>The Law</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Listen, if we ever have the opportunity to repeal Roe v. Wade and abortion is illegal in this nation, then what will a woman be guilty of if she has an abortion after that point? She will be guilty of murder. I am quite sure that lawyers will plead mental duress or temporary insanity, but the charge will be murder. The law will be right to say so. Marching at the March for Life and stopping in front of the Supreme Court to protest Roe v. Wade while equivocating on abortion being murder is a contradiction in the same act of protest. It doesn’t make any sense logically and even less sense theologically.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b>The Gospel</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">I’m not Catholic. I believe in sola Scriptura, the Reformation doctrine of Scripture alone as the rule of faith and practice. The CCC carries no weight in my theological thinking. The Bible defines sin as transgression (rebellion) against God’s Law (1 John 3:4). It does not distinguish between mortal and venial sin. All sin condemns people to Hell: murdering and disobedience to parents all fall under the scope of God’s law. There is no free pass for being emotionally traumatized when you commit it.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Therefore, with this right view of sin we’re all in the same boat. We are also dealing with an extremely urgent situation at an abortion clinic. Carrying this truth to the abortion clinics, I can minister to women going in AND coming out of the clinics without internal conflict. I can say, “Please don’t murder your baby” and “You can be forgiven if you repent and believe the gospel” because I too am a sinner who has sinned grievously before God. I can talk about the gospel without referring her to the priest for the sacrament of penance (which includes confession to a priest and whatever reparation he prescribes) or requiring them to become Catholic. These things are not the gospel. They forgive no sins. What I have to offer is the righteousness of Jesus Christ credited to them in place of their sin via repentance and faith (2 Corinthians 5:21). I can tell them that Jesus Christ has satisfied God’s wrath against them and we can be declared innocent on the basis of true repentance and trust in Him, not the sacraments.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">All sin is mortal sin. All of it. It’s not just the “really really bad” people who deserve Hell. We are all really really bad: totally depraved (Romans 3:10-18). If you consider murder to be a worse sin than the average venial sin (or skate around it altogether) you’re not going to refer to abortion as murder or the woman as a murderer. What matters in most pro-life counseling ministry is the life of the baby and if you have to lie to get a save, then so be it. I want to see the baby saved AND the woman who was planning on murdering it saved from Hell. This requires plain speaking.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">If you deny total depravity and want to see Roe v. Wade overturned you win support by following the cultural trend of soft-selling sin. Yet we all know that abortion is murder. It’s self evident to anyone who doesn’t have an agenda. Our nation will not repent of a choice. No one will. It might repent over a sin. If the March for Life was a call to this nation to repent, it tried to do so without naming the sin we’re guilty of, just as it does not use the word “murder” on their website.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;"><b>The Victim Lie</b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">This may seem harsh to those who have been trained to do Crisis Pregnancy Center ministry by Roman Catholic activists, but if you have spent any time outside of an abortion clinic pleading with the women going in to save the life of their baby, you know that these women are not victims. They may be very emotional but they are not deceived by their emotions. They are murderers and in most cases, they act like it. They cuss you out, they spit at you, they threaten you and in some cases they attack you. The men who sometimes have the guts to bring them are just the same. When they come out of the clinic they often joke about having just murdered their baby. Abortion is murder. Period. No equivocation, no compromise.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">To my evangelical friends who either are doing abortion clinic ministry or plan on it: you do not help a woman find forgiveness in Christ by soft-selling what she is doing at the clinic. Biblical repentance includes an acknowledgement of the sin: they will call it what God calls it. When women justify their actions based on circumstances or emotions you are not looking at Biblical repentance. You might be able to talk them out of the abortion by sympathizing with them, but until they admit that what they were planning on doing was premeditated murder there is no repentance. Biblical repentance looks like Psalm 51 and not a session with a psychologist.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">If you have been doing pro-life ministry with Roman Catholics and have adopted their victim mentality of the women who are having abortions, you need to repent. Open your eyes to the behavior that you are seeing and call it what God calls it: murder. Only then will you have the ability to offer real forgiveness and hope to those whose lives have been wrecked by their decision to murder their child in the womb.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; margin: 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px;"><span face="Raleway, sans-serif" style="color: #333333;">Jon Speed & Marcus Pittman</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-6819971252177668642022-10-31T12:06:00.000-07:002022-10-31T12:06:53.648-07:00The Procedure, Animated by [Names Redacted], On LOOR.tv<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwmWMy5Oi8bluYls5lH3qBfcHco4EH-gNP6_pcfss_3qM0UIw7Q7H0wLdtJF4C8KblFOh7WkMkhZW0rpkPoM25v26xhKXai4w07r9Z60xGYIAi-3IfFr5BJgxYY-Nh-tgVXkz8kk_3PptvCFh_foQF7OXR-lO1WUKGC0xwHBGSWCOoA8VXBt8U1tJSA/s1920/Procedure_20221028_FINAL-watermark.00_01_10_11.Still002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSwmWMy5Oi8bluYls5lH3qBfcHco4EH-gNP6_pcfss_3qM0UIw7Q7H0wLdtJF4C8KblFOh7WkMkhZW0rpkPoM25v26xhKXai4w07r9Z60xGYIAi-3IfFr5BJgxYY-Nh-tgVXkz8kk_3PptvCFh_foQF7OXR-lO1WUKGC0xwHBGSWCOoA8VXBt8U1tJSA/s320/Procedure_20221028_FINAL-watermark.00_01_10_11.Still002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small; text-align: start;">Why did this medical professional quit after what he witnessed?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><br /></span><p></p><p><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z">What do you get when you put Kevin Sorbo’s voice over talent, Aaron Fullan’s musical gift, top tier animators</span><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z s-lbracket"> </span><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z h-lbracket">[names</span><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"> redacted] and Laura Klassen’s passion to end abortion? </span></p><div><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z">You get </span><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><b>The Procedure</b></span><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z">. </span></div><div><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><br /></span></div><div>CHOICE42 and Loor have partnered to bring the truth about abortion in an animated short. The four minute video tells the true story of a hospital ultrasound tech who assisted on a second trimester abortion and then quit his job over it. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z">On October 31st </span><span class="attrlink url author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><a class="attrlink" data-target-href="https://www.loor.tv" href="https://www.loor.tv" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Loor.tv</a></span><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"> and </span><span class="attrlink url author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><a class="attrlink" data-target-href="https://www.choice42.com" href="https://www.choice42.com" rel="noreferrer nofollow noopener" target="_blank">CHOICE42</a></span><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"> released the video for free. And now you can watch the trailer here. </span></div><div><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwUvEPJ03O2wR0FwohskZZdozdxdu8-gltlB5Grn7Tvt7wUE3rXchD3IXRhqi-CPQFTxTp-UFwSHLkqRO800g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><br /></span></div><div><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><br /></span></div><div><span class="author-d-1gg9uz65z1iz85zgdz68zmqkz84zo2qowz82zfd7z76zz71zz75zz82zz69zz71zz74zur5pz84zcla5z76zz78zz90zz82zz71zz122zi5jrz87z"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-56319354103258650912020-10-31T08:27:00.002-07:002020-10-31T08:27:51.609-07:00Molech is Alive and Well in the United States<p> This is the best 2 1\2 minutes of animated film you've seen from a Christian worldview. <br /><br />Please share this on social media, email lists and blogs.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Hs7SHV5o9M" width="320" youtube-src-id="1Hs7SHV5o9M"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-45441913895106556242018-10-23T12:24:00.001-07:002018-10-23T12:27:27.062-07:00Trick or Treating for the First Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxRsuZtdHobMGOX0ksxMxTPP6L8bl920hKjgipStDrcSEHMGWN3V1CeiiG7VZEQemd__uQfbck57hnAa2tHDcfJE4MlddTUej8SI3Gwb2JtFzmYVaMV9Wnp1oRpoQRhU3DgKQKaNztTd-/s1600/Trick_or_Treating_First_Time1-642x336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="642" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxRsuZtdHobMGOX0ksxMxTPP6L8bl920hKjgipStDrcSEHMGWN3V1CeiiG7VZEQemd__uQfbck57hnAa2tHDcfJE4MlddTUej8SI3Gwb2JtFzmYVaMV9Wnp1oRpoQRhU3DgKQKaNztTd-/s320/Trick_or_Treating_First_Time1-642x336.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="line-height: inherit;">Trick or Treat!</b></div>
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<span class="s1"><b style="line-height: inherit;">Editor's Note: First published November 6, 2014. I still have not lost my salvation in subsequent years. However, the publishers are still trying to sell books to scare evangelicals about Halloween on social media, so I am re-publishing here since the original site seems to have been hacked. 10-23-18</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">On Friday night I took my kids trick or treating for the first time.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">They're not three and four years old.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>My boys are eight and ten and my eldest daughter is twenty.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>She had never been trick or treating before. My youngest daughter, Samantha, preserved the family's salvation by staying home and passing out gospel tracts with the candy that we gave to 100 plus kids.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Amazingly I did not awaken Saturday morning with an unnatural desire to sacrifice an animal, dance in front of a fire or worship satan.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Whew.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>That was a close one.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">This year I began to ask myself early in October, Why haven't I taken my kids trick or treating?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>After all, I went trick or treating as a kid. The answer goes back to dispensational fundamentalism.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">When our daughters were just pre-schoolers, we made the decision to keep the girls at home, buy them a bunch of candy, and pass out gospel tracts to the kids who came to the door.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As a pastor, I was vocal about it. I encouraged our congregations to do the same thing.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Halloween is evil.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I knew because I read the Jack T. Chick tracts and comic books.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I knew because Dr. Rebecca Brown (who has since been thoroughly discredited as a fraud) warned about opening your soul to satanic influence with the briefest of exposures to Halloween.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I knew because Mike Warnke, a Christian comedian who said he had been a Satanic high priest (and was also later exposed as a fraud), warned us all in the 80's about trick or treating.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">So, as a loving father and as a caring pastor I was duty bound to warn people about the evils of trick or treating. Love not the world. [There is an amazing irony here.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>While I was warning my family and church about the evils of Halloween I was addicted to pornography. I wasn't even saved.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I sure am glad I purged myself of trick or treating. Yes, that is how legalism works.]</span></div>
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<span class="s1">There's no doubt that we are commanded to stay away from the occult. Ouija boards, seances, tarot cards, necromancy, astrology are all condemned in the Word of God. That much is obvious. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Dressing your kids up and taking them out to the neighbor's house for free candy? That isn't satan worship.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>That is free candy and dress up. Unless of course, you dress your kid like Freddy Krueger or Jason from the Friday the 13</span><span class="s2"><span style="line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span></span><span class="s1"> series. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">But what about the jack-o-lanterns the Druids invented to scare off the demons? And the human sacrifices?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And how trick or treating was invented by bands of Druids who would roam the countryside and kidnap children from castles in the middle of the night as they knocked on castle doors? And the satanists urinating in the candy corn as part of a satanic ritual?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">First of all, that is Jack Chick (among others), who has been known to have some credibility issues when it comes to his sources. It sells a lot of sensational comic books but this is not real research.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Second, none of that has anything to do with kids dressing up in costumes and getting free candy. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>None of it. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>As a parent I let my fear of the devil's ability to steal our souls keep my kids from participating in a pretty fun and harmless event. </span></div>
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<span class="s3"><b style="line-height: inherit;">The Theology of Trick or Treating</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">There has been a bit of a discussion lately between a couple of men I respect. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Kirk Cameron on one hand is challenging us all to lighten up a bit about the origins of Christmas and our Christmas traditions. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In the process he has challenged us as believers to have the best Halloween parties in town.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>After all, Jesus is Lord of the calendar and He conquered death. Much of the devil with a pitchfork and tail imagery is nothing more than mockery of a defeated foe.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Use the day to mock satan. Get the gospel out there in the process. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">On the other hand, Mike Gendron warns us that Halloween is a Roman Catholic holiday where pagan practices were the M.O. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>He cites a Catholic Encyclopedia as his proof for these practices. Now, I know Mike fairly well; he has spoken at evangelism conferences I have organized and at the church I am planting here in Syracuse.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I have sold his books in my book store.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>He is a man of God and great integrity.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>He has provided resources for the Church to proclaim the gospel to a deceived group of people: those who hold to the Vatican's teaching on salvation. I do not doubt for a moment that what he says is true about the superstition surrounding the Catholic observance.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I AGREE with him that such observances are pagan and often are part and parcel of the Roman Catholic expression of their belief in areas around the world.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>That superstition has nothing to do with trick or treating. Neither does Catholicism. </span></div>
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I am not sure which encyclopedia Mike is referencing, but there are two major encyclopedias produced by the Catholics in the 20<span class="s2"><span style="line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span></span><span class="s1"> century.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I have had both of them: the older edition was for sale in my store. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The newer edition I have as a reference in my personal library. The newer edition, which is far and away much more scholarly, does not get into the pagan practices of Roman Catholics on All Saints Day. It does however painstakingly attempt to trace the origins of the observance.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>There is some evidence that there was a special holiday set aside to remember the martyrs of Edessa on May 13</span><span class="s2"><span style="line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span></span><span class="s1">. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The earliest reference to this observance is in a hymn from 359A.D. It appears to have switched to November 1</span><span class="s2"><span style="line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">st</span></span><span class="s1"> sometime around 799A.D. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The purpose of the holiday was to honor the martyrs, but evolved later to become an observance of almost any church member who had died (<u>New Catholic Encyclopedia</u><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>NY: McGraw-Hill, 1967.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Vol. I.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>318-19). None of this is crystal clear historically speaking.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The language of probability saturates the discussion of All Saints Day and Halloween. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">When I research Halloween in perhaps the most scholarly encyclopedia ever published, the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica (also for sale in my store: shameless plug) the origin of the celebration of Halloween itself is extremely muddy. Any proof that occult practices on the holiday preceded religious observances is conjectural at best. At the very least, it is unclear. However, the conjecture gets repeated (as is often the case in articles in encyclopedias, almost to the point of brazen plagiarism especially in theological encyclopedias). So much for the pagan roots of Halloween preceding even a Catholic observance.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">So what are we doing?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>We choose to believe the conjecture because those who are marketing Halloween focus on the evil side of it. We are keeping away from every appearance of evil.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Right?</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Wellll, sort of....</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b style="line-height: inherit;">Clouds Without Rain</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Those who are criticizing Kirk Cameron over his idea of retaking Halloween are a bit disingenuous. If you really believe that trick or treating is supporting witchcraft, what are you doing giving out candy on that night at all?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Handing out a gospel tract with the candy does not change the supposed origins of the holiday! By passing out the tract with the candy aren't you doing the same thing you condemn Kirk for?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Aren't you trying to reclaim the holiday for Jesus Christ? Yes, you are and I applaud you for it. So what is the harm in taking your kids out to get some free candy? </span></div>
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<span class="s1">And by the way, those who criticize Kirk for finding meaning in the Christmas traditions that could be made to point to Jesus need to likewise go the whole way.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>If you think that the observation of the Lord's birth on December 25</span><span class="s2"><span style="line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span></span><span class="s1"> is a Roman Catholic attempt to hijack the winter solstice, then pray tell, how do you justify observing it at all? Is this criticism out of Worldview Weekend going to result in a mass exodus of evangelical Christians from the department stores this holiday season? Are Christmas trees in Christian homes going to be relics of a bygone era? Are Reformed dispensational pastors who have "concerns" over Kirk's direction with Saving Christmas going to cancel their Christmas services? Are Christians going to tell their employers, "Ah, skip it. December 25</span><span class="s2"><span style="line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span></span><span class="s1"> is pagan. I will be at work tomorrow." <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Scrooges everywhere sure hope so. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">While I highly doubt it, I will give them the benefit of a doubt. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I look forward to the Reformed dispensational exodus from any observance of Christmas.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Watch for it on a podcast near you. Just don't hold your breath.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Speaking of Halloween, this is a witch hunt.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>A witch hunt that is being orchestrated simply because Kirk left behind Left Behind's eschatology and now embraces post-milennialism.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>This is the same old stuff you hear at dispensational prophecy conferences about the evils of those who don't believe in the same future for national Israel.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The difference being that this time, they are accusing Kirk of preaching a false gospel. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Ironically their "concerns" for Kirk may have their own origins in a false gospel.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">You cannot divorce dispensationalism from its easy-believism roots. Dispensationalism held to easy believism from its academic beginnings which is why MacArthur had to write a book (The Gospel According to Jesus) to combat it as a dispensationalist.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Extra-Biblical rules were instituted by dispensational local churches to protect the products of the sinner's prayer. The gospel message they responded to was man centered and didn't call for nor did it expect true repentance.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>They had to get goats to act like sheep. If Christianity could be defined as people who do not listen to rock music, wear suits and dresses to church, wear their hair in a certain style and skip Halloween all you had to do was make those unwritten rules the expectation and you might be able to conserve some evangelistic fruit. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Of course, it doesn't work. Unbelievers who have responded to a false gospel will not be preserved by extra-Biblical rules. They abandon the faith--not because they took their kids trick or treating--but because they were never regenerated. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The doctrines of the Reformation fear nothing from trick or treating. Remember, "the prince of darkness grim? We tremble NOT at him?"<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>The doctrines of dispensational fundamentalism (i.e. easy believism) do. They ought to tremble because their gospel could not save a flea. </span></div>
<div class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: "droid sans"; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px;">
<span class="s1"><b style="line-height: inherit;">Just Stop It</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">For some reason, those who are in the Reformed dispensational camp have not allowed their theology to inform their consciences.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Some habits die hard. They have rejected the easy-believism without rejecting its manmade rules. At this point you have an option. You can continue to hold on to the rule making or you could just stop it. There is no solid evidence that trick or treating is a soul damning activity. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>If you choose to remain the weaker brother in the face of a lot of evidence that your conscience is poorly informed and continue to insist that every Christian bow his knee to your conscience, you are a spiritual tyrant who would probably spiritually abuse your followers if you were in the position to do it. So stop it. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">There are alternatives.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>You could rejoice that Christ has conquered death and that satan is a defeated foe who happens to be on a leash that God Himself holds. You could take your kids out to meet the neighbors. You could enjoy the excitement of seeing your kids run up to a house that has its porch light on and see them run back to you chattering about how much candy your smiling neighbor gave them. You could smile with your kids. You could remember being a kid.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>You could give your neighbors a tract. You could praise God that your kids are having innocent fun.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And you could use Halloween to explain to your kids the defeat of satan and the triumph of the gospel. THAT'S discernment.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>That's freedom. That is also the way the Lordship of Christ works in a family. </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-40747597894641552042014-01-22T07:27:00.002-08:002014-01-22T07:27:01.361-08:00Babies Are Murdered Here: RELEASE!!! Watch it now. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dxDyfSHEq5g" width="560"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-24818205626750984492014-01-21T14:50:00.000-08:002014-01-21T14:50:07.353-08:00Babies Are Murdered Here: New Trailer <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2S8Hum8PB9Q" width="560"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-43940280546164745512013-09-24T20:24:00.000-07:002013-09-24T20:24:49.162-07:00Unstoppable: A Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Why do bad things happen to good people? Kirk Cameron's new movie, <b><i>Unstoppable</i></b>, answers this age old question both Biblically and beautifully. <br />
<br />
The movie is Biblical, using the scope of redemptive history as an explanation of how God is in the business of redeeming the world from the curse. In that process, He has reversed the curse of death at the cross and paraded it in the resurrection. This process is "unstoppable". What Adam failed to do in the Garden of Eden (crush the head of the serpent that came to deceive Eve in his role as care taker of the Garden) Jesus did at the cross (Genesis 3:15) when He crushed satan's head on behalf of His Bride. <br />
<br />
What this means for people passing through tragedy and suffering is significant. It means that when we bury a loved one who is in Christ it is not the end. For them, it is the beginning. <br /><br />This is an old story. In fact, it's 2,000 years old. You might have heard of it. It's the Gospel. <br />
<br />
What makes this film unique is the beauty in which this story is told. The movie is visually striking. So striking, that I will venture to say it is the most beautiful movie that I have ever seen out of a Christian production company. There are moments in the movie that take your breath away--the depictions of Adam and Eve in the garden, the depiction of Cain killing Abel, and some of the b-roll footage. Simply put, it's art. This movie has raised the bar for documentary type films and not just for Christian documentaries. Hollywood may not recognize it but if Christian producers can consistently make documentaries as visually pleasing as this one, Hollywood's opinion will be irrelevant. In fact, Hollywood itself will be irrelevant. <br />
<br />
The inspiration for the movie is the death of a teenager who Cameron met through his Camp Firefly ministry. His sincere depiction of the illness and death of this young man as well as the reaction of the family to his death (including footage from the funeral) is a powerful testimony to the truth that Cameron lays out in the film. It is part of what makes the film beautiful; a glimpse into the life of a family who has faced tragedy head-on and triumphed because of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. <br /><br />My wife, Kim, wept through much of the movie. We are coming up on the one year anniversary of the death of my mother-in-law. She succumbed to melanoma cancer on October 9, 2012. As a family we are all dealing with the inevitable sadness which comes when you face such an anniversary. Additionally, we have been passing through a difficult season this past month as we have received news of the moral failures of a couple of friends in ministry. <br /><br /><i>Unstoppable</i> has been a great reminder about the triumph of the gospel. In spite of our personal loss and personal pain--and perhaps because of it--the Lord is redeeming this world unto Himself. <br /><br />Go see <i>Unstoppable</i>. A <a href="http://www.fathomevents.com/#!second-showing-unstoppable" target="_blank">second showing</a> is scheduled for October 3rd. <br />
<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-5759771114671447062013-07-01T06:51:00.001-07:002013-07-01T06:54:06.293-07:00Copperhead: The Movie<a href="http://ssl.gstatic.com/movies/tbn_f7182de9b570d4f9.jpg?size=100x150" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ssl.gstatic.com/movies/tbn_f7182de9b570d4f9.jpg?size=100x150" /></a>Last night my wife and I went out to a small theater in Manlius, NY to watch the latest Ron Maxwell film (<i>Gettysburg</i>, <i>Gods and Generals</i>) on the Civil War. When we got there we were surprised to learn that the screen writer for the movie (<a href="http://billkauffman.net/" target="_blank">Bill Kauffman</a>) was there and going to do a Q&A afterwards. This isn't Hollywood, this is central New York State. What in the world was he doing in Manlius? <br />
<br />
<h3>
<i>Local Interest</i></h3>
It turns out that <i>Copperhead</i> is set in 1860's Oneida County, NY. It turns out that the book, <i>The Copperhead</i>, was written by Harold Frederic (author of <i>The Damnation of Thereon Ware</i>) who was a resident of Utica, NY. And it turns out that the screen writer, author Bill Kauffman, is from Batavia, NY and currently lives in Elba, NY. (In fact, when I told him that my hometown is Oakfield, NY (four miles west of Elba) he asked me my last name. When I told him, "Speed", he said that he used the name of a distant cousin of mine who was quite elderly when I was young, Anson, in the script to give it some local flavor. The Speeds settled in the Oakfield\Elba area in 1850.)<br />
<br />
So, this movie has more than the usual historical interest for me.<br />
<br />
I had always hoped that the next Ron Maxwell film I would see would be the film version of <i>The Last Full Measure</i>, the conclusion to the Civil War trilogy by Michael and Jeffrey Shaara. Rumor has it that we'll never see that since Ted Turner, the financier of those projects, was less than impressed by Maxwell's honest depiction of Stonewall Jackson in <i>Gods and Generals</i>. After all, he is depicted as a somewhat eccentric but a very much Christian man. Since the movie bombed at the box office, he was probably even less impressed. Nevertheless, movies that are actually good artistically regularly bomb at the box office. You cannot trust American movie-going sensibility to define art. Since making epic films requires epic money, we will probably have to be content to read the book. <br />
<br />
<h3>
<i>Not the Status Quo Civil War Flick</i></h3>
<br />
This movie is different than any Civil War movie you have ever seen. The reviews that are out right now, just a couple of days since the release, are critical because the movie starts slow. This was intentional on the part of the producer. You are about to watch a movie set in Oneida County, NY in 1862. The pace of life in general is slower than 21st century America. One of the great things about independent films is that they are not bound by Hollywood restrictions on art. <i>Copperhead</i> is a beautiful film and the pace is part of what makes this art and not a mere blockbuster. <br />
<br />
What you see in <i>Copperhead</i> is the effect of the War on a northern community which is divided over the Constitutionality of the Civil War. Abolitionism was strong in this part of the state. It's not depicted in the movie, but Auburn, NY would become the home of Harriet Tubman. Frederic Douglass was based in Rochester, NY, as was Susan B. Anthony. Gerrit Smith, one of the financial supporters of John Brown's (of North Elba, NY) Harper's Ferry raid was from Peterboro. Obviously northern support was strong in this northern region, but there were Democratic (as in the party, not the ideology) dissenters named Copperheads. They were so-called because they were considered dangerous, like the snake. They embraced that label and began wearing the Liberty symbol clipped from copper pennies on their lapels. They did not necessarily support slavery, but they opposed Lincoln's unconstitutional measures during the Civil War (recruiting young boys to fight, the draft, unilaterally declaring the slaves free without support from Congress). <br />
<br />
For anyone who has grown up in this part of New York State, this movie is a bit of a shock to the system. We were taught that Abraham Lincoln was a hero. We believed that the abolitionists were always level headed and right thinking activists. Our known Underground Railroad sites are the pride of historical societies in every upstate county. I took pride in the fact that a man named Joshua Speed (no direct relation that I can trace) was Abraham Lincoln's best friend. <i>Copperhead</i> shows that the ugly side of human nature can manifest itself even in righteous causes. These causes can lead believers to forget one of the most basic teachings of Jesus. The theme is repeated by a couple of the characters: "Whatever happened to 'love thy neighbor'?"<br />
<br />
I hate reviews that give away plot details so I am going to refrain from doing that here. I do want to make some comments on an issue that is parallel to 19th century American slavery. I've been giving this some thought lately. <br />
<br />
<h3>
<i>Parallels</i></h3>
I am co-producing a film with <a href="http://www.crownrights.org/" target="_blank">Crown Rights Media</a> called <a href="http://www.babiesaremurderedhere.com/" target="_blank"><i>Babies Are Murdered Here</i></a>. The film is a documentary on one of the great evils of our day: abortion. Over the last couple of years there have been many in the pro-life movement who have seen the parallels between abortion and American slavery and have found inspiration in the abolitionists. I, and many others, are unequivocal in our goal: we want to see abortion end. We make no apologies for that and work tirelessly toward that end by producing media that will accomplish that goal. Why? Like the abolitionists of the 19th century, we believe that it is immoral to rob the defenseless of life. We believe the Bible has clearly spoken about the value of human life in the womb and that to take it is premeditated murder, "with malice aforethought." We believe that abortion should be criminalized. <br />
<br />
Not a popular message, to be sure. My family and I have been threatened, cussed out, and otherwise harassed. A popular leader IN the pro-life movement threatened to call the FBI on myself and Crown Rights Media. Churches have opposed us. What many do not realize is that even in the pro-life world, few are willing to take an unequivocal stand. Most are incrementalists who believe, as many did in the case of 19th century slavery, that abortion ought to be gradually phased out using legislation that limits abortion but not ends it. We do not believe that murder should be phased out any more than anyone believed that the Nazi Holocaust should have been gradually phased out. <br />
<br />
As you might imagine, we're kept on the fringe of the pro-life movement and that is as we would have it. We don't identify as pro-life. We identify as anti-abortion. <br />
<br />
But here's the problem. What does it say about my Christianity if I am so passionate about ending abortion that I am willing to forget the second greatest commandment to love my neighbor as myself? Now we will quickly point out that we ARE loving our neighbor enough to call them to stop murdering their babies. And that is true. <br />
<br />
But what about:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>the pro-lifers who I don't agree with?</li>
<li>the churches and other believers who have actively opposed what we do?</li>
<li>the abortionists and their staff?</li>
<li>the men and women who are brazen in their pursuit of abortion?</li>
</ul>
Do I love them? Do they know it? If I do love them they will know it. <br />
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<br />
In <i>Copperhead</i>, you see activism on both sides run amok. You see activism's potential to destroy families, communities and churches. <br />
<br />
I will continue to stand in front of abortion clinics with signs that warn, <i>Babies Are Murdered Here</i>. I will continue to preach the gospel to abortionists and the mothers and fathers who are paying them to murder their own sons and daughters. I will continue to call the pro-life world to repentance over its pragmatism. But if I cannot do it with genuine care for those who oppose me, I should stop. <br />
<br />
The Bible still says, "<span class="text 1Cor-13-1">If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-13-2" id="en-ESV-28651">And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.</span> <span class="text 1Cor-13-3" id="en-ESV-28652">If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned,<sup> </sup>but have not love, I gain nothing.</span>" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). <br />
<br />
To take it a step further, am I willing to forgive those who oppose me? Jesus said, "<span class="text Matt-6-15" id="en-ESV-23298"><span class="woj">but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:15). Am I willing to forgive the abortionists who have swerved their cars at me and my children? Am I willing to forgive the pro-life leader who threatened to call the FBI? Am I willing to forgive the pastor who told me that I cannot use his church's parking lot to park my car as I stand in front of the abortion clinic across the street from his church? By God's grace, and <u>only</u> by God's grace, I am. <br /><br />That may chafe a little bit with some of my friends. Remember this. While Jesus was being nailed to the cross, He repeated over and over again, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). <i><b>While they were nailing Him to the cross!</b></i> Those Roman soldiers were not repentant at that moment. Jesus' attitude was still forgiveness even though He did not grant it without their repentance. </span></span><br />
<span class="text Matt-6-15" id="en-ESV-23298"><span class="woj"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><i>Copperhead</i> ought to be a sober reminder to all of us who
wish to abolish abortion that the commands of Scripture are full orbed
and not limited to our c<span class="text_exposed_show">ause celebre.
It is a reminder that while we ought to be very passionate about
abolitionism we cannot let it consume us to the degree that we allow it
to override our love for our own families, our love for our neighbors
and even our love for our enemies. This is a MUST watch. <br /><br />Whether this movie IS a sober reminder or not will depend on whether or not you will seek it out or just keep paying for super heroes and teenage vampires. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-68397323051160112772013-05-28T07:38:00.002-07:002013-05-28T07:38:54.227-07:00Culture Shifts and a Wake Up Call<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Christian:
if you find yourself surprised by the culture shift that has made
Biblical Christianity passe and bordering on illegal, I have two words
of exhortation for you. You might want to jot this down. Are you
ready? Here they are....<br /> <br /> WAKE UP!!!<br /> <br /> What have you
been doing for the last twenty years? No one flipped a switch or pushed
a button to get this culture to go into immorality and rela<span class="text_exposed_show">tivism
overdrive. We've been too busy with building programs. Church softball
leagues. Gathering men together to get in touch with their inner
child\man\woman\extra terrestrial. Gathering women together to get
inner healing. Gathering children and teenagers together for pizza and a
movie. Trying to prove the Bible. Ecumenical worship services with
heretics and apostates. And on and on, blah, blah, blah, blah. <br /> <br />
Man up. Pastors, it may not be too late. A dark age may yet be
avoided. Teach your people to study the Bible, yes. And then teach
them to not only live it in their home, family, job, etc., but in the
public forum. Show them how to engage the postmodern thinking of our
day with truth. Get a spine. Get up out of the study for an hour or
two each week and go to your local college campus. Talk to students
about the gospel. Go to the abortion clinic. Tell people not to murder
their baby. Offer them help. Go to a gay pride parade and talk to the
people there. Give them the gospel. Bathe the whole thing in prayer.
Pray. Call your church together to pray. Start up that archaic
Wednesday night prayer meeting again. Read. Read the Bible on your
knees. Read Ravenhill. Tozer. Lloyd-Jones on revival. Iain Murray on
revival. Jonathan Edwards. Whitefield. The Puritans. Bonhoeffer. <br /> <br />
Repent. Stop waiting for a rapture because "look how bad everything
is" and start preaching and living as if Jesus is the King He says He
is. <br /> <br /> Do it, not to save our culture, but because it's what we should have been doing all along.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-91807335174739306542013-04-25T06:24:00.003-07:002013-04-25T06:24:34.638-07:00Is Rocky Your Convert, Pastor? <span class="userContent"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gfmYuERhSFk" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Is Rocky your convert, pastor? <br /> <br /> Consider this:<br /> <br /> 1. Rocky believes that she is a sinner. <br /> <br /><span class="text_exposed_show"> 2. Rocky believes that Jesus died for her.<br /> <br /> 3. Rocky believes that Jesus is God.<br /> <br /> 4. Rocky was baptized. <br /> <br /> Conclusion: Rocky would be considered saved and could be a member at most evangelical churches. <br /> <br /> Also consider:<br /> <br /> 1. Rocky drops the f-bomb several times every 60 seconds, among other things.<br /> <br /> 2. Rocky is a homosexual. <br /> <br /> 3. Rocky is either drunk or high or both. <br /> <br /> 4. Rocky has had an abortion and is proud of it. <br /> <br />
Question: When someone gets saved, does it make any difference in
their lives at all? Or is this what the true gospel produces? My Bible
says that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. My Bible still
says that if any man is in Christ he is a new creature. Why have I
caught flack from evangelicals on this? Because it exposes the results
of their easy believism. I could crank converts out like this all day
long but since I have to answer to God, I won't. <br /> <br /> P.S. We
have an interview that we have not aired yet with Rocky that we did
about 20 minutes later where she listened to the gospel, took a gospel
tract with my email on it, and actually listened. So before anyone
passes judgment on me or any other street preacher for being too harsh,
you might want to get the whole story. More importantly, you might want
to evaluate your own theology which created Rocky and countless
millions like her.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-92015676865063857192013-04-04T07:14:00.004-07:002013-04-04T08:40:17.371-07:00You Don't Have to be Nice to Be Effective, part 1<h3>
The Doctrine of Niceology </h3>
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The evangelical Christian culture has believed for the last few decades that in order to be effective you have to be nice. The basis for a whole genre of Christian publishing on friendship evangelism (in the eighties and nineties) which has been replaced with another genre on "missional living" (popular in the so-called Young, Restless and Reformed movement and anyone who does church planting) reinforces the doctrine of Niceology. The seeker sensitive church movement has taken this doctrine and made it an essential of the faith. <br />
<br />
This is why almost every seeker sensitive church (and many that are not) trains people to be nice to you when you visit so you will come back. It's called "the welcome center." You will invariably walk away from it thinking, "Wow, those people were nice. They gave me coffee, showed me where to dump off my kids so I don't have to look at them during the service, and they are well groomed. This guy (or gal) is my new best friend! I wonder if they are married?" Just don't ask yourself the obvious question: why don't I ever see that nice person ever again unless I see them at the welcome center? Don't forget the follow-up question, "Why didn't anyone else in this church say hello to me?" <br />
<br />
Niceology says that nice equates with "love." The Bible says that love is part and parcel with sacrifice. It also commands us to speak the truth with love. It's pretty easy to make the case that if you are not speaking the truth you do not love. <br />
<br />
And there is the rub. In our culture that views the slaughter of the unborn as a form of birth control, views homosexual marriage as just another option for couples, and is becoming more and more post-modern (and therefore more and more atheistic) if you speak the truth you will violate the fundamental tenet of Niceology: "Whatever you do, don't say something that could offend someone." <br />
<br />
The second tenet is like it: "Do not act as if you know the truth and someone else does not." On these two laws hang all of the doctrine of Niceology. We will refer to these two tenets as the "fallacy of nice." It is a logical fallacy which states, "If you want to bring someone to Jesus you have to be nice." <br />
<h3>
Nice and Culture Do Not Mix </h3>
In our culture you will have to say things that are considered "not
nice" in order to communicate truth that can either save someone from
Hell or confront them in their sin or bad thinking. This may involve
the unpleasant term "sacrifice": as in you may have to sacrifice your
reputation as a nice guy. Or you may have to sacrifice a friendship. Ironically, that may be the most loving thing you could do. Jesus made Himself of no reputation in order to sacrifice Himself for our sins. No one would accuse Jesus of being unloving, but He said some pretty direct things to those who opposed the truth as well as those who He brought to salvation. <br />
<br />
Was Jesus "nice" when He told the woman at the well that she had had five husbands and that the man she was currently living with was not her husband? <br />
<br />
Was Jesus "nice" when He called the Pharisees whitewashed tombs full of dead men's bones? <br />
<br />
Was Jesus "nice" when He drove the money changers out of the temple? <br />
<br />
How "nice" was it of Jesus to tell the rich young ruler that he needed to sell everything he had and give it to the poor to enter the Kingdom? All the poor guy wanted was to follow Jesus! As Kirk Cameron said in an old episode of Way of the Master, maybe Jesus would have benefited from a class in friendship evangelism! <br />
<h3>
The Fallacy of Nice in Action</h3>
I have seen the fallacy of nice play out on my Facebook wall. Here's what you need to know about my FB profile: I don't use my FB profile to post pictures of kittens, fortune cookie
quotes, what I am having for dinner or comments on my favorite reality TV show (for the record I don't have one). I have more than 2700 friends, many of whom are people who
bought my book on evangelism or are into street evangelism, a few family members, and some unbelievers
I have either known personally or who I have met on FB. I use FB to
address cultural and doctrinal issues with the truth. <br />
<br />
So here's how it works: some friend of mine who is a Christian sees something controversial that I have posted as a status update (BTW, this has happened more than once so if you think I am talking about you I suppose I might be, but it's happened enough times now that I might not be). I get a private message from the Christian friend who: 1) is concerned that I am going to drive unbelievers away with such outrageous behavior, 2) thinks what I am doing is unBiblical, and 3) suggests a teaching or their own opinion on what an effective Christian does in evangelism. <br />
<br />
The essence of what they are saying is this: I know a better way than you do and for proof, here is an experience that I have had which proves you wrong, a verse or two taken out of context to prove you wrong, and\or a book from another evangelism expert that proves you wrong. Apparently my experiences, Scriptures in context and my own book mean nothing. The whole thing is tied up with a bow when they make (my personal favorite) the Westboro Baptist fallacy, comparing what I do to the Westboro Baptists who protest at military funerals and host websites and carry banners that say that God hates fags. <br />
<h3>
Are They Right? </h3>
Of course not. I have never received a private message like this from the unbelievers on my FB profile. Bear in mind that I have had post-abortive women, gay rights activists, Mormons, atheists, Muslims, liberals and so on on my wall for years. This explains why some of the threads run to more than 100 comments. Many of these I know from face to face interaction (much like the Christians who criticize plain speaking). Do you know what they say in private conversation? <br />
<br />
<i><b>"I don't agree with what you say, but I respect your bravery." </b></i><br />
<i><b><br />"Hey, I just moved across country and the people who were supposed to help me and my parents unload the truck aren't here. Can you find someone to help us?" </b></i>This one came the same day I was catching flack from a believer from the town that this person had moved away from on a different issue. We had contacted them to get this person help with food assistance but they never did it. And I am the one who is not loving enough? By the way, we found a group of believers who unloaded the truck in a couple of hours and left this family with the gospel. <br />
<br />
<i><b>"If you Christians are so loving and all that, why don't you help me with some food?"</b></i> This came from a homosexual rights activist who we met at a gay pride event. We raised $800 in a few days and bought her a couple of months worth of groceries. It gave us the opportunity to buy her dinner, share the gospel with her for a couple of hours, and then continue an ongoing relationship that has lasted a few years where we've been able to share the gospel with her again. <br />
<br />
<i><b>"I know you are a man of God. Would you pray for my wife? She has a rare cancer and is not expected to live. Maybe God will hear your prayers."</b></i> Not much to comment on here since just typing this makes me tear up. I cannot imagine. Pray for Scott and Marilyn. <br />
<br />
<i><b>"Would you read this paper I just wrote? I would like your feedback."</b></i> I have had this a few times and haven't always been able to do it. These requests have come from Mormons and atheists.<br />
<br />
Many of these folks, and others, will private message me with specific questions about the gospel and cultural issues.<br />
<br />
<br />
Perhaps the most recent example comes from an incident that happened
just two weeks ago. I was preaching on Hollywood Boulevard after we did
some "man on the street" video interviews for our upcoming documentary
on abortion called Babies Are Murdered Here. We ran into one of the
stars from the reality TV show, Bad Girls Club. Rocky Santiago began
heckling me as I preached the gospel and we dove into the issues of sin,
hell, homosexuality and abortion. A couple of videos circulated of our
confrontation and I began to be labelled as a hateful preacher in a few
places. <br />
<br />
What they did not see was the interview she granted us
about ten or fifteen minutes later. In that interview she began
sharing about her rough upbringing and her desire to change her life. I
gently shared the gospel with her, she listened and even took a gospel
tract with my email address on it. We've not released this interview
yet because we have plans for it on the documentary, but it proves the
point. Rocky respected me, probably because I was willing to take her
abuse for a few minutes over the issues of the gospel. And probably
because she's not used to a man who will listen to her and tell her the
truth rather than abuse her.<br />
<h3>
The Lies of Experts</h3>
Here's the deal: Christians have been lied to by the experts. They have us believing falsely that confrontation and effectiveness are diametrically opposed to each other. They say it cannot work. What I have discovered is the exact opposite. When you speak the truth in love--backing up the hard hitting truth with acts of love--people in our culture appreciate it because they cannot find too many Christians who will shoot straight with them. They know we believe in sin, in Hell, in a God of wrath as well as a God of love. They have seen too many Christians dance around the issues for fear of offending. Do you know how they interpret that jitterbug around the truth? They do not see you as loving. They might think of you as nice. But they will see you as nice in an insincere way. They're not really sure that you believe what you claim to believe because in some cases they know what you believe better than you do.<br />
<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I expect that as long as I keep posting things about our ministry at abortion clinics, the issue of homosexual marriage, calling out false teachers for their false teaching, and calling out the heresy of Roman Catholicism, I will be attacked by the Christians as being irrelevant. From now on, I am going to ignore it. I know what I do, what the Scriptures say and how this works. <br />
<br />
In part two, I will provide the Scriptural evidence for this approach.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-86069067080242815302013-02-14T06:35:00.001-08:002013-02-14T06:35:14.298-08:00Local Church RelationshipThis is an excellent message by my friend, Michael Coughlin.<br />
<br />
A must listen.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZYR9dOaj8f4" width="560"></iframe><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-12704234811884617352013-01-14T07:00:00.003-08:002013-01-14T07:03:59.190-08:00Jodie Foster, "Coming Out" and Loneliness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-VZ063_foster_G_20130114084308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/OB-VZ063_foster_G_20130114084308.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
OK, I don't know how many Jodie Foster movies I have seen in my life. Not too many. Contact, The Panic Room and a couple of the movies she made when she was a kid. She seems like a great actress and the Golden Globe committee was right to honor her with a lifetime achievement award.<br />
<br />
There's a lot of debate going on within the Hollywood community about her speech. There seem to be two angles: 1) it was a little confusing or 2) it was pure genius. I guess this will contribute to the mystique that is Jodie Foster. Maybe that was the point. Whatever her goal was, there are at least four lessons that come to mind for anyone who cares about the intelligentsia and media elite of this nation. There is also a message for Jodie Foster, a talented woman who is created in the image of God. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Communication</span></b><br />
<br />
<i>Lesson #1:</i> <i>Hollywood actors and actresses can only communicate when a professionally paid writer is drafted to write script for them. </i><br />
<br />
I am sure some will scramble to defend the intelligence of someone like Foster on this front, but one sign of intelligence is the ability to communicate what you are thinking without paid help. By the way, I do understand that this could also be a dig against American presidents. You can draw your own conclusions.<br />
<br />
So, dear reader, what did Foster mean when she said, ""I am single. Yes I am, I am single. No, I’m kidding — but I mean I’m
not really kidding, but I’m kind of kidding. I mean, thank you for the
enthusiasm. Can I get a wolf whistle or something? [Audio is silent for
seven seconds]." Seven seconds? That is eternity in dead air terms. And why was it silent for seven seconds? Because no one knew what the heck she was talking about.<br />
<br />
This little whatever-you-call-it introduced a sort of "coming out of the closet" moment for Foster--at least that is how it is being interpreted. This in spite of the fact that she has been apparently living with another woman for a couple of decades. <br />
<br />
What this part of the speech was is still being debated by those who observe the odd habits of the cultural elite because it wasn't clear. Perhaps Foster's speech is an example of post-modernism taken to its logical conclusion. However, here in the United States that exists outside of Los Angeles and New York City, we use clear terms to reveal what we're trying to say. Especially if it's supposed to be a ground breaking moment like she built this up to be.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Genius</span></b><br />
<br />
<i>Lesson #2: If said Hollywood actress is a recluse then her strange mumblings will be regarded as "genius." </i><br />
<br />
Maybe this is because they are just happy to get something out of their mouths other than "No pictures please!". Even the Bible says that it's better not to talk so much because it is wise to keep your mouth shut (Proverbs 17:28). This has been the perception with Foster because of her reclusiveness. People have thought the same thing about author J.D. Salinger and Gretta Garbo. It turned out later that they were just self absorbed narcissists who went crazy trying to protect their own god--themselves. This just shows that someone appears to have the aura of wisdom because of their silence and good decisions they make about their careers. Self worship is nothing more than insanity and Hollywood as a whole is Exhibit A. People are created to give worship to the true and living God. No one was ever created to receive worship. When they do attempt to receive worship, it's awkward at best. Anyone remember Sally Fields' much parodied, "You really like me!" Oscar speech? <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Depravity</span></b><br />
<br />
<i><span class="userContent">Lesson #3: Total depravity and the accompanying spiritual blindness that comes with it is praised as "bravery</span>" in our culture. </i> <br />
<br />
If nothing else, Foster at least introduced the merest possibility that she considers herself to be a lesbian. Homosexuality is one of many, many sins that are condemned in Scripture. This sin does not condemn Foster (if indeed she is guilty of it) any more than her past lies, stealing, disobedience to parents, greed, self worship, etc., etc. condemn her. It is all sin.<br />
<br />
It's been more than fifteen years since Ellen Degeneres came out on her sitcom and every single time it's done it's called "brave" in spite of the fact that several states have legalized gay marriage and it's more likely than not that most of the rest will do so in the next five years. <br />
<br />
Foster's sexual posturing is not brave. It's not bravery when people flaunt their sin, no matter what it is. The Bible has another word for it, at least in the old King James Version: "lasciviousness." The word in the Greek means the public display of sexual promiscuity. You can veil it with confusing words or postmodern humor but the fact remains that Foster stated that her view of sexuality does not measure up to God's and national television seemed to be a good place for her to announce it. This is the natural outflow of total depravity and Hollywood is all too eager to push it in front of our faces. In the meantime we are all too eager to support what they do when we buy tickets to their movies. We've created and given them the platform.<br />
<br />
If you're not convinced regarding the theology of total depravity, please read the Biblical description of human nature in Romans 3:10-18 and then we can talk. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Cry</span></b><br />
<br />
<i>Lesson #4: Foster's speech was more likely than not a cry for help.</i><br />
<br />
In spite of all of the people she thanked, all of the joy she claims to have, and all of her success, her speech was a cry for help. It's evident in the punch line at the end of it: "Jodie Foster was here, I still am, and I want to be seen, to be understood deeply and to be not so very lonely." <br />
<br />
Wait a minute. We were treated to six and a half minutes of your assertions that the road you have chosen to walk in solitude has been "beautiful". A few minutes later you are "lonely." <br />
<br />
There's not a chance that Jodie Foster will ever read this, but I hope the readers will humor me for a moment. Jodie, I believe that you <i>are</i> lonely. Success does not bring happiness. Anyone who watches coach Bill Belichick's face after the New England Patriots win yet another playoff game can see abundant proof of this truth. Joy can only be found in the Author of it: God. What you have done is what everyone does at one point: they pursue their rebellion against the Author of joy thinking they will find it only to find emptiness after fifty years of the pursuit. You will never find joy in yourself. You will continue to be lonely as long as you have yourself as your god. <br />
<br />
It's interesting that God has existed from eternity past and never had a single human being to worship Him during all that time and yet He was perfectly content to express love within Himself being the Trinity. As He stated at the baptism of Jesus, He was "well pleased" with Jesus and He was the object of His Father's attention ("beloved Son"). The truly beautiful thing is that God can love sinners if (and only if) they are "in Jesus". God chooses to save sinners through Jesus Christ and only in Him can we be accepted and loved. It is all for His glory and not our own. Bow the knee to King Jesus and you will fulfill the purpose you were created for: to give Him glory and praise. Jesus died for sinners and rose from the dead. Turn away from your self worship and turn to Jesus in faith. <br />
<br />
"To the praise of His glory and grace wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:6) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-85254066937708131642013-01-09T08:47:00.001-08:002013-01-09T08:50:34.811-08:00Babies Are Murdered Here: A New Documentary<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/S5iePBTji1I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Please take two minutes and watch this video. Please consider donating to support the production of this full blown documentary on preaching the gospel at abortion clinics. This video project is intended to mobilize the church to preach the gospel at abortion clinics. Before you ask whether or not we preach the gospel instead of "just" saving babies, the answer is we DO preach the gospel there. Do you? Do you love your neighbor enough to defend their lives? Please consider supporting this project.
<a href="http://crownrights.org/support">You can do so here</a>. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-59516773550095294222012-12-05T09:35:00.001-08:002012-12-05T09:44:37.012-08:00The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: A Review<a href="http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn.volusion.com/ehk4j.nhtn2/v/vspfiles/photos/MIS85-2T.jpg?1338290483" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://a248.e.akamai.net/origin-cdn.volusion.com/ehk4j.nhtn2/v/vspfiles/photos/MIS85-2T.jpg?1338290483" /></a><i>The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey Into Christian Faith</i> by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield<br />
<br />
Published by Crown & Covenant Publications (www.crownandcovenant.com). 154 pages, including a six page "Bibliography and Resources". <a href="http://www.crownandcovenant.com/The_Secret_Thoughts_of_an_Unlikely_Convert_p/mis85.htm" target="_blank">Available from the publisher for $12.00. </a><br />
<br />
When a friend recommended that I read this book, I wasn't terribly interested until I found out that the author was a former professor of English at Syracuse University who converted to Christianity. When I found out that she is also married to a pastor who had done church planting with the Reformed Presbyterian Church, the combination was enough to compel me to spend the twelve bucks and give it a go. You see, I am a Baptist church planter in Syracuse, NY who has had the privilege of evangelizing students at SU. If there's ever an "unlikely convert", it would be any professor from SU. <br />
<br />
When I got the book I discovered that Butterfield was not only a professor at SU, but that she was also prominent in their feminist Women's Studies program and a lesbian. What I discovered in reading this book is that my attitude has a lot to do with the reason why my ministry amongst the liberal is so ineffective and not the perceived cultural strength of their worldview. More on this later.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">A Reservation</span></b><br />
<br />
I am reformed in my theology; perhaps not as reformed as Butterfield would like, but I do hold to the doctrines of grace. Our understandings on conversion and the gospel are very much the same. What is different is the unique perspective the author brings to the table having come out of not only the LGBT community, but having come out of academia. Academia is a setting I know only a little bit about because of my work doing open-air preaching on college campuses over the last seven years. I know the attitudes towards the gospel on campuses that range from small community colleges to Ivy League campuses. <br />
<br />
Some of her writing betrays the fact that the author is either still holding on to some postmodern presuppositions or is infusing a forced relevance into her book to buy credibility with postmodern readers. In the first chapter, "Conversion and the Gospel of Peace", she goes on a bit of a rant. She complains that Christians lost the cultural battle with the universities and aren't relevant to the culture based on a flawed line of reasoning: "Here's what I think happened: since all major U.S. universities had Christian roots, too many Christians thought that they could rest in Christian tradition, not Christian relevance. Too often the church does not know how to interface with university culture because it comes to the table only ready to moralize and not dialogue. There is a core difference between sharing the gospel with the lost and <i><b>imposing a specific moral standard on the unconverted</b></i>" (7, emphasis mine).<br />
<br />
Butterfield's husband is a pastor in the Reformed Presbyterian Church. It is to the Presbyterians that we owe a huge debt for their understanding on the moral law of God as expressed in the Ten Commandments. The Westminster Catechism, which Butterfield cites later in the book, is clear on the use of the Commandments. The reason why Christians "impose a specific moral standard on the unconverted" is because GOD imposes that standard on all men. As Butterfield's own testimony bears out, conversion doesn't happen through a dialogue which pretends that there are no moral standards. Dialogue is valuable but it must be based on truth and part of that truth will be an appeal to the God who the atheists know is there (Romans 1:18-20) and to the moral law which has the power to bring sinners to the Cross (Galatians 3:24).<br />
<br />
Have Christians assumed too much when it comes to the universities? Sort of. Like much else in our culture, we surrendered the universities in favor of a monastic existence. It wasn't a passive act of resting in tradition. It was an active, conscious decision largely influenced by theology which is reclusive rather than aggressive. However the answer to the dilemma is not to pretend that we don't have the answers or that Christ is not King of the university. We do not need to negotiate the truth with unbelievers. We need to proclaim it in Biblically saturated conversations, in the power of the Holy Spirit in a context of love. That's how conversion works. In the university setting at this point in history the people who deny what they know to be true have all of the power, as is evidenced in Butterfield's own post-conversion story. You can own the ontological high ground but in universities it does not matter. Those who hate the truth run the university. And, as the twisted version of the Golden Rule goes, "He who has the gold makes the rules." <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Conversion</span></b><br />
<br />
I am willing to overlook the author's minor shortcoming when it comes to this area because otherwise the book is so solid theologically, so well written, and because it exposes so many sins within the modern understanding of Christianity. It exposes some of my own sins--my own lack of love, my own lack of effort. <br />
<br />
One of those flaws is how we view conversion. Butterfield is right when she points out that Christians have distorted the concept of conversion. She writes, "This word--conversion--is simply too tame and too refined to capture the train wreck that I experienced in coming face-to-face with the Living God (page x). Everything she writes in this book about conversion has this radical, all encompassing aspect to it. She rejects easy believism, she denounces Rick Warren's seeker sensitive drivel in no uncertain terms and she emphasizes that God chose her; she did not choose God. How could it be any other way? In fact, it IS no other way with anyone. A feminist, lesbian tenured professor at a liberal institution of higher learning is not any more of a sinner or any more depraved than anyone else. Romans 3:10-18 doesn't describe the worst case scenario; it describes ALL of us. <br />
<br />
If you're trying to see a liberal feminist converted and you are approaching her based on the myth of her free will, read these words carefully. "I didn't choose Christ. Nobody chooses Christ. Christ chooses you or you're dead. After Christ chooses you, you respond because you must. Period. It's not a pretty story" (81).<br />
<br />
When conversion does come to the totally depraved it changes everything. The author's conversion led to the loss of a secure, tenured position. She lost respect in her community. She lost friends. She gained a church she is committed to. She gained a husband and children. She gained Christ and all that He is. She says, "I sometimes wonder, when I hear other Christians pray for the salvation of the 'lost', if they realize that this comprehensive chaos is the desired end of such prayers" (page 27). Later, closing the wonderful chapter on "Repentance and the Sin of Sodom, she says, "This was my conversion in a nutshell: I lost everything but the dog" (63).<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Love </span></b><br />
<br />
Consider the other flaw in modern American Christianity: how we love our enemies. In short, we don't. In fact, we're not even that sure about those who have converted if they have a pre-conversion background which isn't squeaky clean. Some of this book is hard to read because the author has experienced the hatred of professing believers both before she was saved AND afterwards. By the way, other parts are hard to read because the author is going to expose you to truths you might not have considered before. <br />
<br />
Example number one: while counseling a lesbian who was a member of a Bible believing church, the counselee said, "Rosaria, if people in my church really believed that gay people could be transformed by Christ, they wouldn't talk about us or pray about us in the hateful way they do" (25). Read that sentence a couple of times, think about your church, think about your own contribution to this, and ask yourself if you really do believe that homosexuals can be converted. If a homosexual overheard those prayers or those conversations, would they feel loved? <br />
<br />
Example number two: when Butterfield moved to the campus of Geneva College in Beaver Falls, PA, the hub of the Reformed Presbyterians, the Scripture signs posted on the front lawns of believer's homes gave her pause. She asked, "Perhaps I or one of my drag queen friends would be welcome to have a cup of coffee at one of these Bible-loving houses, resting our cups between sips on vinyl tablecloths in country kitchens. Perhaps we would be talked with as people made in God's image. But perhaps not" (67). She follows this up with the poignant questions, "Do these Bible verses that sit as placards take up the same cultural space as the rainbow flag that once resided on my flag pole? Are these 'Welcome' signs, or signs that read 'Insiders Only'?" (67-68). Answer honestly: could you invite a drag queen and a lesbian into your home and genuinely love them while presenting the gospel? Would you? Would I? How you answer this question determines, in part, how much you understand much of what Jesus taught on love and how much (or how little) you understand about your own depravity. For my part, I don't like what I'm discovering about myself. <br />
<br />
Example number three: years after her conversion her husband was going through the process of candidating at a RPC church and in the process one of the elder's wives read one of the drafts of one of the chapters in the book. Here is her reaction with the author's commentary on it:<br />
<br />
"A week later she came to talk. She took a deep breath. All the color drained from her face. She looked like she had just witnessed a crime scene. Manifesting disgust and horror, she told me that she wished that I hadn't shared this with her. She quickly added, 'Oh, I'm fine with this information, but B (the other elder's wife) could never handle it. Do you have to tell people about <i>this</i>?' <i>This</i>. <i>Rosaria's unmentionable past. </i> Rahab the Harlot. Mary Magdalene. We love these women between the pages of our Bible but we don't want to sit at the Lord's Table with them--with people like me--drinking from a common cup. That's the real ringer: the common cup--that is, our common origin in depravity. We are only righteous in Christ and in him alone. But that's a hard pill to swallow, especially if you give yourself kudos for good choices" (138). <br />
<br />
Not surprisingly, Butterfield's husband did not get that position. Surprisingly, the Church of Jesus Christ doesn't know much about Him. <br />
<br />
This is just a sampling of what you will be smacked upside the head with when you read this book. It deserves a wide audience. Because I believe that, and because I believe that this book could be used of God powerfully amongst postmoderns and Christians, I plan on buying this book by the case to hand out. I hope you will buy one copy, read it, and act on what you discover. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-43863437887710090072012-12-01T08:43:00.000-08:002012-12-01T08:43:17.678-08:00Unborn Twins "Fighting" in the WombWhen scientists captured this cinematic MRI of a pair of twins in the womb jostling for position, the media has billed it as an example of babies "fighting" in the womb.<br />
<br />
Note to the media elite: when you campaign for a woman's right to murder her baby in the womb and call the unborn baby "tissue" on one hand and then turn around and claim that these babies are "fighting" in the womb, you have a logical contradiction.
<b>You see, tissue doesn't fight. </b><br />
<br />
I also can't help but think of Genesis when Jacob and Esau are described as wrestling in the womb. Of course, we've been told by liberal "enlightened" Bible scholars that this is not possible. I wonder what they say now? Don't expect much of a response. They have a tendency to go as silent as the grave when science or archaeology jumps up and bites them in the butt. <br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<b> </b>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-9932027874356233672012-11-21T12:46:00.002-08:002012-11-21T12:46:42.808-08:00Keeping Christ in Christmas As An Evangelist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cjaronu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/img_1828_becky-kelley-wheres-the-line-to-see-jesus-christmas-song.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://cjaronu.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/img_1828_becky-kelley-wheres-the-line-to-see-jesus-christmas-song.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
**First published in The Evangelist, December 2010<br />
<br />
It would seem that the mission to keep the Lord Jesus Christ the center of the upcoming Christmas season should not be a big deal. After all, we are all about Jesus Christ: we walk with Him, love Him, serve Him and preach Him. If anyone should be able to focus on the Lord this time of year it ought to be us. Right?<br />
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But let’s be honest for a moment: we are flesh. We are weak. As I was reminded recently, our biggest problem is not the “world out there” that is in opposition to all that Christmas means. Our biggest problem is not corporate America that bans Christ from the word “Christmas” or the local town council that bans nativity scenes from the town square. Our biggest problem is us. My biggest problem is me. I sin.<br />
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I spend too much money on Christmas presents. I spend more time reading Dickens’ A Christmas Carol rather than Gospel accounts of the Lord’s birth. I get pulled into the fuzzy emotionalism, the sentimentality, and the nostalgia that this culture (aka “the world”) sugar coats this holy-day with. Christmas becomes, for me, too much about It’s a Wonderful Life and too little about the advent of God made flesh as He began His victory march to Good Friday, Resurrection Sunday and His return. Christmas becomes about big elaborate feasts with family rather than the Lord’s table (after all, what are we celebrating this time of year if it is not the fact symbolized by the bread: the Word became flesh and dwelt among us?). If you are like me, we put our theology on the shelf this time of year and end up looking more like Joel Osteen living our best lives now rather than the Lord who calls us to come and die.<br />
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How do we keep Christ in Christmas as evangelists? Not by protesting the actions of a post-modern world that does post-modern things. Not by succumbing to a materialistic world that is driven by marketing. We can only do it if we purposefully covenant to meditate on the theological meaning of the incarnation of Jesus Christ and then do something about those meditations. In other words, apply that meditation to your evangelism.<br />
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<h3>
Meditation </h3>
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Meditation is a dangerous word in our culture. New Age practices like TM, yoga, and centering are what most people think of when they read the word “meditation”. In short, the world says meditation is the act of emptying your mind, either as a stress reliever or as a channel to discovering some new, previously undiscovered truth. The Biblical conception of meditation is far different: in fact, it is the opposite. Biblical meditation focuses on filling the mind with the revealed truth of the Word of God.<br />
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The Puritans had a unique way of doing this. Joel Beeke writes of this in his excellent work, Puritan Reformed Spirituality (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2004) in a chapter entitled “The Puritan Practice of Meditation”. He cites Thomas Watson who said, “A Christian without meditation is like a soldier without arms, or a workman without tools. Without meditation the truths of God will not stay with us; the heart is hard, and the memory slippery, and without meditation all is lost” (79). How did they meditate? When they read the Scriptures, they asked questions of the text and (much to the chagrin of the Emergent Church) they answered them.<br />
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The memory is slippery. My slippery memory is what gets me into trouble this time of year. I am more apt to remember Christmases past with loved ones than the advent of the One who first loved me that I might love Him. This is where meditation comes in.<br />
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You don’t have to be a theologian to do this; you might just be the average family. The other day my family was working on the church memory verse for the month. We were having some trouble memorizing it: “Great indeed we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).<br />
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I realized that my kids did not understand the text, so we meditated on the text. We asked it some questions and looked to the Bible for the answers. Why is Jesus called the “mystery of godliness”? What does the word “mystery” mean? When was Jesus manifested in the flesh? How was He vindicated by the Spirit? When was He seen by angels? Who proclaimed (or proclaims) Him among the nations? What does the word “world” mean, and not mean, in this context? How was Jesus taken up in glory? What does glory mean?<br />
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I’m not going to give you the answers to these questions, but we had a precious twenty minutes in the van talking about the Scriptures and the depth of this verse. After that, we all had an easier time of memorizing the verse. Why? We understood it and could follow the flow of the Spirit of God’s statement on Jesus. By the way, memorization should not be the rote repetition of words but it is meditation on the text.<br />
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<h3>
Christmas Meditations </h3>
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When was the last Christmas season you spent asking questions of the texts that speak of Christ’s birth with your family? They have become such a part of our culture that the Charlie Brown Christmas Special includes part of Luke 2, quoted by Linus during the Christmas play! When I was pastoring, I used to dread Christmas because everyone was so familiar with the Gospel accounts. I would rather preach texts that people were not familiar with or that people did not “expect” me to preach.<br />
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Please let me encourage you to do this. Spend some time slowly going over Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 2:1-38 and ask many questions of the text. Use a study Bible and chase down the cross references; the Thompson Chain Reference Bible is especially helpful for this. Pray that the Lord would reveal Himself in a deeper way as you meditate on the Word of God.<br />
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But don’t limit yourself to the typical Christmas passages. Have you ever considered that John 1:1-18 is a “Christmas” passage? It is the doctrine of the incarnation; it is the theological side of what we celebrate this time of year. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Why is Jesus called “the Word”? What is His glory? How did the apostles see it? Will we ever see His manifest glory? How was it revealed at Christ’s birth? What is grace? Truth? How is His glory “full” of these two things?<br />
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We all want to guard our children against the heresies of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormons. One important way to do that is to take advantage of Christmas time in order to teach them that Jesus’ existence did not begin in the manger. He is eternal God, the eternal Son, the Second Person of the Trinity. Meditate on the passages that deal with Jesus’ pre-existence. Passages such as Hebrews 1 and Colossians 1 are important texts to ask questions of.<br />
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Consider meditating on the Messianic prophecies; specifically, the prophecies that foretell the Lord’s birth. Passages such as Isaiah 7:14 and Micah 5:2. Use your study Bible to see where the various details given in the Gospels of the Lord’s birth were prophesied and ask questions of those texts. It is equally important to look up the fulfillments to these texts in the New Testament to see how the Holy Spirit led the authors to view these texts as prophecies of the Lord Jesus Christ.<br />
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A word of encouragement to the overwhelmed: you don’t have to do all of this in one season. Perhaps this year you will focus on Luke 2 and Hebrews 1 and next year you will focus on John 1 and some of the Messianic prophecies. Split the verses up over the month of December. Spend some time preparing before you sit with your family so the time is guided and doesn’t ramble.<br />
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This is just an outline of a few ideas on what to meditate on this Christmas. Fill your mind with these Scriptures and lead your family to do the same. This practice is a protection against the materialism and pluralism of our culture.<br />
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<h3>
Christmas Classics </h3>
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We all love great writing, great acting, and great music. Every year the major networks and cable stations replay the classic Christmas movies, some of them do marathon replayings of different movies. “You’ll shoot your eye out!” is a pop culture cliché because of the popularity of The Christmas Story (which ironically has nothing to do with Christmas). Most of us could name more than a dozen favorite Christmas classics.<br />
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When it comes to meditation, reading books by human authors in no way compares to reading the Word of God. But as Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “It seems odd, that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves should think so little of what He has revealed to others.”<br />
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But do you know the real Christmas classics? Most Christians are not familiar with Wilbur Smith’s three volume (reprinted as one volume) work Great Sermons on the Birth, Death and Resurrection of Christ. In the original edition, the first volume was dedicated to nothing but sermons on the Birth of Christ. Here you will find sermons by Charles Spurgeon, Alexander Whyte, Martin Luther, G. Campbell Morgan and others. There is real food for the soul here and will provide the street evangelist and open-air preacher with ideas for springboards in street preaching. Reading like this is a sure guard against sounding like every other street preacher.<br />
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The same author wrote an interesting chapter in a book called Chats from a Minister’s Library called “Five Famous Poetic Interpretations of Our Lord’s Nativity”. Most of these many will be unfamiliar with, but this is our own loss. I am going to reproduce this article on my personal blog at www.informedevangelist.blogspot.com since this book is out of print and hard to find. This kind of reading is different than sermon reading because now we enter into the realm of Christian literature. True literature, as opposed to the piles of slickly marketed Christian fiction in most Christian bookstores today.<br />
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While we are talking about books, may I ask you what is the greatest work on Jesus Christ you have ever read? Many of us have feet of shelf space devoted to the writings of Ray Comfort and other evangelistic trainers. But when was the last time you read something truly great on the person and work of Jesus? Sadly, most pastors are not even aware of some of the best books on the life of Christ and their Christology sections are notable by their absence. If I can recommend one to you, which has much material on the birth of our Lord, it is The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim. Edersheim was a brilliant Messianic Jewish believer of the late 19th century. This is a scholarly work, but is readable by those who are not used to reading theological works. Edersheim provides amazing background information from the Jewish traditional writings which help us understand much of what Jesus addressed in His teachings and sheds light on many of the actions of our Lord recorded in the Gospels. A study of his chapters on the birth of our Lord will give you a deep understanding of the issues from a Jewish Christian perspective.<br />
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Have you ever listened to Handel’s Messiah? This year, instead of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” why not get a copy of this and listen to it? There is a popular Youtube video circulating right now that shows the Philadelphia Opera Company singing the Hallelujah chorus in Macy’s to a pipe organ accompaniment. Most Christians who have seen this video have wept (including me) to see the deity of Christ proclaimed so beautifully and boldly in public. Listen to this and worship Christ in addition to your meditations from the Scriptures.<br />
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So we’ve gone from Scriptural meditations as a family to the realm of classic sermons, literature and in-depth Bible study. You have been able to train your mind to reject the tinsel and trappings of what corporate America wants you to think Christmas is to what it truly is: Jesus Christ. Now, as an evangelist, especially as an open-air preacher, you actually have something to say.<br />
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You see, too many of us go out onto the streets with stock sermons in tow, or nothing in particular to say. We go out and follow a presentation or we might read a text and then revert right back to our presentation. Do you think this is how George Whitefield or John Wesley prepared their open-air messages? Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” If you have nothing in your heart but countless ten minute Youtube clips from a favorite open-air preacher, you are going to sound like a countless ten minute Youtube clip from your favorite open-air preacher, complete with their inflections, mannerisms, and methods. Break out of that box.<br />
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<h3>
Christmas Application </h3>
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Now that your heart is full, what do you do as an evangelist this Christmas season? Since your heart is full of the great truths of the incarnation, preach those truths! Read John 1:1-18 in the open-air. Explain it. Go to the cross and preach the Cross as well as the manger. Preach Luke 2:11 and explain what Jesus came to save us from. Use the Christmas carols as a springboard and launch into the glories of Jesus Christ from your meditation and study.<br />
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Preach from a heart that is warmed to the truths of the incarnation and the Person of Jesus Christ and your preaching will be warm with the presence of the Holy Spirit. One of His works is to exalt the Person of Jesus. Do you want your preaching to be anointed? We all do. Then exalt Jesus this Christmas out of the overflow of your heart and watch the Spirit of God attend your preaching with Christ-exalting power (John 16:12-15). Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-25180642974748125052012-11-21T08:23:00.000-08:002012-11-21T08:23:15.702-08:00Genius: The MovieThe latest creative outreach from Ray Comfort is coming December 8th. Ray is a master at putting together high quality evangelistic tools that make people think and challenge the culture. I hope that our ministry can play a small role in distributing these DVD's locally. <br />
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<br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZW2lhWfa28g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-88891153337964767592012-11-14T09:44:00.001-08:002012-11-14T10:16:50.485-08:00President Obama & Persecution Complexes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
Persecution </h3>
Since President Obama won re-election as our nation's president, the chatter on Facebook has been somewhat amusing. In response to that chatter, I posted the following status update:<br />
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<span class="userContent">"All of this talk about Christian persecution
coming under four more years of Obama is amusing. The only Christians
who get persecuted are those who: 1) share the gospel when the
government says not to (check the Book of Acts) or 2) stand against evil
when the majority are toeing the line (see the Book of Daniel). If you
haven't already been doing these things when you had the freedom to do
it, </span><br />
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what in the world makes you think you
will do it when you don't have those freedoms? The government WILL
NOT CARE if you keep the gospel inside of your church walls and only
vote against evil. Every oppressive government has allowed churches to
meet just as long as they keep their mouths shut (Nazi Germany, Soviet
Union, China even has state controlled churches). If persecution is
coming, don't worry, you won't see any of it just so long as your
Christianity is limited to your church attendance."</div>
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I've been somewhat pleased to see this get reposted on Facebook. I hope it goes fully viral and people think seriously about these statements because they reflect a reality that few in church leadership are willing to admit. <i><b>What we do in the church building is not impacting society because the church membership is not taking what they know outside of the four walls. </b></i> If they do, it is thickly masked under the guise of friendship evangelism which involves no real gospel proclamation in most cases (not all). As long as this is the case, we cannot expect any persecution. </div>
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The Cause</div>
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Many prominent evangelical leaders hold to a type of theology which emphasizes the "not yet" aspect of the Kingdom of God while ignoring the many Scriptures which say that Jesus Christ has always been King and His clear teaching that the Kingdom arrived in manifestation when He arrived. They ignore the massive amount of Biblical data regarding the Sovereignty of God over ALL nations, not just Israel. They minimize the work of the Kingdom to be a sort of theological "show and tell" where believers gather mainly to gain information in a semi-gnostic exercise where the things of the soul are good and everything in the physical realm is evil. </div>
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As long as this thinking is prominent in evangelical churches, the idea of pending persecution is a sort of sadistic fantasy for those who hold it. If you believe what the Bible says, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15) it will impact how you view the issues of our day. Even more, it will deeply concern you that anyone rebels against King Jesus and it won't be enough to complain about it on Facebook or vote once every couple of years. </div>
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An Example</div>
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For example, consider the issue of abortion. </div>
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Many would say, "Well, yes, I am against abortion. I think it is murder. But what else can we expect from this world? We know that when Jesus comes back that He will set all things right and until then, things will only get worse. In fact, the worse it gets, the better off we are since it means that Jesus will come back sooner. We're told to expect this so we should not be surprised. Maranatha! Come quickly! In the meantime, I will vote pro-life."</div>
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The believer who holds to what the Bible says about the Kingdom would say, "Yes, I am against abortion. It is murder. This is rebellion against the Law of God. Abortion must end. It's not enough to be pro-life. I must go intervene for the lives of the unborn and live out the Kingdom on this earth as one of the subjects of His Kingdom. I must work to end abortion because that is my responsibility as a servant in His Kingdom. While I do, the gospel goes with me and is proclaimed to every mother, father, and politician I meet in the process." </div>
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Of course, there are those who hold to bad thinking who advocate for the unborn. I don't mean to say that they don't exist. But in most cases, they are not the product of their theology. They are an exception and not a rule.</div>
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Since Kingdoms that are in force have laws, a Biblical understanding is logically consistent since the only Biblical ethic against the evil of abortion comes from the Old Testament. There is no specific New Testament Scripture which speaks against abortion. Yet many will say that we are under the New Covenant and not the Old, as if the Old Testament is suddenly irrelevant. Nevertheless, it is the New Covenant which, referring to the Old Testament, says "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable..." (2 Tim. 3:16). Therefore, it is right to fight to end abortion based on the Word of God. </div>
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If you take all of this seriously, a sanctity of life Sunday isn't going to cut it. Voting for pro-life presidents, congressmen, senators, and having Republican-appointed pro-life Supreme Court justices won't cut it (ever notice how having the majority in these positions has never overturned Roe v. Wade?). The only thing that will pass muster will be a living out of true religion which advocates for the fatherless (the baby in the womb) and the widow (the mother at the clinic who doesn't have a man to provide for her) as outlined in James 1:27. </div>
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Consequences</div>
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Now you need to know this. If you advocate for the unborn, here are some real outcomes. These are outcomes that have been experienced by me or friends I have done abortion clinic ministry with. </div>
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--Your name could end up on a "no fly" terrorist list. </div>
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--You could be physically assaulted. </div>
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--You could be hit by a car outside of a clinic.</div>
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--You could be falsely accused of sexual assault. </div>
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--You could be questioned by the FBI because the abortionist has made a false charge stating that you plan on blowing up the clinic. </div>
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--Your family could be threatened by the abortionist if you take them to the clinic to intervene (an abortionist in Fort Worth swerved his car at my family as we stood outside). </div>
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--You could go to jail.</div>
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--You could be cited for criminal trespass if you mistakenly stray onto an inch of the clinic's property while protesting. </div>
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--You most certainly will be cussed out, threatened, have the police called on you, called a terrorist, and more. </div>
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None of these things will happen if you are voting for pro-life candidates while reading the Left Behind series.<i><b> </b></i><br />
<i><b> </b></i> </div>
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What's my point? This is what persecution looks like. "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12)</div>
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The same thing is true in street evangelism, by the way. My experiences there have included:</div>
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--Watching a dear friend be arrested while passing out tracts and falsely accused of public drunkenness. </div>
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--Getting spit on by a drug addict.</div>
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--Getting punched in the side of the head. </div>
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--Ticketed for using an amplifier in spite of complying with the law.</div>
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--Threatened with arrest.</div>
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--Having my property destroyed by hecklers.</div>
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--"Christians" opposing the preaching of the gospel. </div>
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--Being drowned out by bag pipers.</div>
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--Being drowned out by gay pride activists. </div>
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--Watching gospel tracts get confiscated as "contraband" by the Secret Service and then testifying against them in Federal Court. </div>
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<span class="userContent"><div class="text_exposed_show">
Fruit</div>
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What else have I seen?</div>
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--Teenagers in tears repenting of their sins. </div>
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--Mothers coming out of clinics beaming with joy because they have chosen to have their babies.</div>
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--Praying with a repentant man in front of the hotel where he was planning his adultery. </div>
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--Seeing college students repent at a parade. </div>
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--Seeing another college student repent and get grounded in a local church. </div>
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--Seeing Muslims listen closely to the gospel.</div>
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--Having dinner with a gay pride activist and sharing the gospel, beginning a relationship that has lasted a few years.</div>
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--The opportunity to preach the gospel to a gathering of Mormons at an LDS Training Institute and pursuing the friendship that brought that about. <br />
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Is it worth the first two lists to get the third? I think so. I think any reasonable person could see these as worthy outcomes. But there is a price to pay and frankly, I don't think too many are willing. Too often we are content to become miniature Bible scholars who love our knowledge and our comfort more than we love the Lord or people.</div>
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By the way, I would have seen NONE of these things if I limited my thinking about the Kingdom of God to four walls on a Sunday. </div>
<span class="userContent"></span><span class="userContent"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-80931494818304123212012-11-08T07:10:00.001-08:002012-11-08T07:23:55.060-08:00Vote with Your FeetThe question has been brought up, and will be analyzed over the next four years and beyond, who is to blame for the re-election of President Obama? <br />
<br />
Well, the short answer is God. He is Sovereign and He sets up kings and takes them down. Read the Book of Daniel for an in-depth commentary on this truth. This ought to cause us to tremble; God has given us one of the most inept presidents in history for a second term. He supports homosexual marriage and the murder of every baby in the womb that Planned Parenthood can get their hands on. The judgment of God continues to roll down on this nation. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://youtu.be/NlEqseCKI84" target="_blank">Todd Friel has come up with a pretty good diagram</a> of what the problem really is. It's just a crying shame that he didn't come up with this BEFORE the election. If he had thought it through perhaps he would not have voted pragmatically for Mitt Romney (and encouraged his viewers to do the same). Romney does not and cannot know the difference between good and evil since his worldview is patently false and he doesn't follow it anyway.<br />
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Yes, you heard it here. Romney is not even a good Mormon in spite of the fact that the visitors center in Palmyra, NY for the Hill Cumorah quotes his wife in one of their displays. A good Mormon would be pretty clear and consistent in his opposition over abortion in the one arena where it counts in politics: his record. He would also be pretty clear in his opposition of homosexuality, which he is not. This betrays the utter lack of principle that Romney has on the moral issues. Nevertheless evangelicals, being the most gullible voting block in the history of the world, believe the cliched promises offered at election time rather than holding people accountable for their record.<br />
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Let me ask you a question. I never saw a voting guide in this election based on Romney's record. I wonder why? <br />
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The Republican Party is completely clueless, which is why I left it in 2008. They have not put up a seriously principled candidate since Ronald Reagan. There is a war going on within the party between moderates (a la Romney) and social conservatives. Unless the elites in the party make some kind of public statement involving sackcloth and ashes you can expect more of the same in 2016. <br />
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In the next couple of years the Republican leadership will evaluate their strategy for 2016. I wonder how they will determine who to put up? There is only one thing that political strategists look at: statistics. In other words, how did the party VOTE. Those of you who voted for the "lesser of two evils" have almost guaranteed a similar moral dilemma in the next presidential election because the leadership has already seen that you are WILLING TO COMPROMISE YOUR PRINCIPLES IF THE ALTERNATIVE IS LIBERAL ENOUGH. They do not care about the conflicted consciences of conscientious Christians within the party. They discovered what makes you tick in this election: panic and pragmatism. <br />
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As an evangelical "conservative" bear in mind that you voted for a candidate who:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Invested (and thereby made money) in Stericycle, the company which services abortion clinics with the disposal of "medical waste" (baby corpses) across the nation.</li>
<li>Consistently upheld the "right to choose" in Massachusetts. </li>
<li>Viewed the abortion issue as a non-presidential issue; he said it was a Supreme Court issue and thereby hoped to appeal to voters based on that. </li>
<li>Has said vocally in 1994 and in August of 2012 that homosexuals should be admitted to the Boy Scouts</li>
<li>Came up with socialized health care in Massachusetts, providing a model for President Obama's version </li>
</ul>
Listen, we all make mistakes. The problem is I'm not seeing anyone own up to them. Repentance is the word of the day for evangelicals. Repentance. Repent for your compromised principles and for voting in a way that did not glorify God. <br />
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Do you want to reform the Republican party? You don't think that you have the power to do anything? Do you want them to sit up and take notice? Leave the party. Vote with your feet. Re-register as something else. Now there is a statistic that will help the elites "get it." <br />
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Two words: <a href="http://www.constitutionparty.com/" target="_blank">Constitution Party.</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-2830757392394761302012-10-31T05:20:00.002-07:002012-10-31T05:20:49.899-07:00Rock the Vote: Vote Biblically<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In recent weeks I have heard all kinds of bad advice from evangelicals about how to vote on November 6th.<br />
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"Vote for the lesser of two evils." I guess we should be thankful that Stalin and Hitler aren't running for office.<br />
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"We are not voting for a pastor. We are voting for a president." I agree. We are not voting for a pastor. We are voting for a deacon. According to Romans 13:4, we are voting for a diakonos, a "minister".<br />
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"Don't throw away your vote on a third party candidate." Abraham Lincoln was a third party candidate. Did those who voted for him waste their vote?<br />
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Do you really want to "rock the vote"? Then vote Biblically.
On Sunday I preached this sermon called <a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=102912753404">Rock the Vote: Vote Biblically</a>. Please take the 35 minutes or so it takes to give this a listen. It's important. If we are to glorify God in how we eat and drink (1 Corinthians 10:31), shouldn't we glorify God with our vote?
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-82441536154891425082012-10-27T10:26:00.002-07:002012-10-27T10:26:27.299-07:00Paul Washer on Biblical Street Preaching<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/42790294" width="407" height="229" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>
Please note what Paul Washer says about the requirements for a street preacher as well as the need for compassion and level headedness. The time for everyone with an attitude and minimalistic training to give it a go in the open-air is over. Let's hold the street preacher to the same standard as the pulpit. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-4341844181335765922012-10-19T06:49:00.000-07:002012-10-21T05:18:07.428-07:00Central NY "Saints" Canonized<a href="http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2012/10/mother_marianne_cope_kateri_te.html" target="_blank">The news that two Central New York Roman Catholics from history will be canonized</a> as saints this weekend is being met today with excitement by many Roman Catholics in the area, including a couple hundred who have traveled to Rome to participate in the big doings.<br />
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The news is met by me with one word, three syllables: "Whoop-de-doo!"<br />
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Mother Marianne is a Syracuse native who went to Hawaii and set up a leper colony in Kalaupapa. She served there from 1883 until 1918. Kateri Tekawitha was a Mohawk Indian convert to Catholicism in the 17th century and lived near present day Albany, NY. Her claim to fame is that she took a vow of chastity and lived as a virgin until her death at the age of 24.<br />
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I don't mean to make light of Mother Marianne's sacrificial service, or Tekawita's virginity, but service to lepers and purity is not the issue here. The issue is what the Roman Catholics claim when they declare someone to be a saint. By the way, what's the big deal about someone actually doing what is commanded of all believers? How bad has it gotten that someone who remains sexually pure needs to get rewarded? Doesn't that fall under what Jesus talked about: being an unprofitable servant doing only what He has commanded?<br />
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In order to be a saint in the Roman Catholic Church, one must have some miracle attached to their lives, either during their lifetime or later. In both of these cases, the miracles are attributed a long time after they actually walked this earth. One Central New Yorker claims to have been healed from a pancreatic ailment by praying to Mother Marianne in 2005. A kid from Washington State claims to have been healed of a flesh eating disease because of praying to Tekawitha in 2006.<br />
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I don't question the validity of their healing. I do question the source.
You can pray to dead people all day long and it is a waste of time. God hears prayers. Nowhere in the Bible are we commanded or is it even suggested that we should pray to dead believers. However, the Scriptures are full of admonitions to pray to God. We are encouraged to "pour out our hearts" to Him in Psalm 62:8.<br />
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Were these people healed? Very possibly. The source of their healing was not a superstitious prayer to a dead person, but God. He causes the blessing of rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Because God is merciful, He allowed these people to be healed. Until they repent of falsely crediting their healings to dead people and start crediting them to God, they are guilty of idolatry and will not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).<br />
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Question: when I have an invitation from the very God who created this universe with spoken words, why would I waste my time going to dead saints? Just set aside the question of how do we know that these people had anything whatsoever to do with these healings for a moment. How these things are "verified" by the Vatican can also be set aside. According to the Bible, who answers prayer? Dead believers or God? 1 John 5:14-15 makes it clear that it is God who answers prayer. He hears us when we pray according to His will and He answers.<br />
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The issue of Tekawitha's post-death appearances is another issue which fails the test of Scriptural support. She is reported to have appeared to three people and told them that they were to tell others that she was on her way to Heaven. Let's assume for a moment that she was not trusting in the doctrines of salvation that the Roman Catholic Church taught (not likely considering her beatification and canonization), especially in the 17th century, and that her faith was actually Biblical. If so, why would she need to tell others she was headed to Heaven? Jesus told the story of the rich man and Lazarus and it is recorded that the rich man's brothers would not repent even if one rose from the dead to plead with them. Did Tekawitha know something Jesus didn't? Considering that the Apostle Paul said that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, then why would she be "on her way". The truly saved believer is ushered at the moment of his or her death into the presence of Jesus Himself. There is no need for a GPS or to pack for a journey.<br />
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The Roman Catholic Church is not Christian by any reasonable definition of the term. It is a pagan institution, incorporating elements of pagan idolatry in their worship and denying the source of truth that all true Christians embrace: the Bible.
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6409789627779342423.post-47466243303397182732012-10-11T09:29:00.001-07:002012-10-11T09:29:27.471-07:00Vote BiblicallyHere is an excellent resource from Go, Stand, Speak on the issue of how to vote Biblically. There is precious little that has been written or produced on this important topic. As we approach this election, we must consider what the Bible has to say and honor the Lord by submitting to it, regardless what we may have heard about this issue in the past. <br />
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<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31055095?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="400" height="300" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2