Monthly Archives: June 2012

The Prayer of an Arminian

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I have often said that when an Arminian prays, they pray like Calvinist when it comes to the salvation of others. What I mean by this is that Calvinist believe that the Spirit of God must move in a person’s heart before they are saved. The Spirit moves, causing them to be born again, and THEN they have the ability to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. God gets all the glory for our salvation because we are completely dependent upon Him.

Whereas the Arminian goes around spouting the damnable doctrine of free will. They say that we have the freedom to choose God of our own and when we trust in Christ for salvation, it is because we are just infinitely smarter than everyone else. The focus is always on what we “do.”

Yet, when it comes to their prayers, Arminian’s do not pray consistently with their doctrine. Instead of praying that God need not move in the hearts of the unbeliever, since they are wise enough to make the choice on their own, they pray that God would move and change their hearts… O Lawd!!!

Jerry Johnson, with Against the World, demonstrates this by giving us a consistent Arminian prayer in the following video:

Use Obamacare to End Abortion

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Yes, I’m extremely disappointed that the Supreme Court rule that Obamacare is nothing more than a tax increase. That being the case, the Court said that Congress has that right, so the country was just handed the largest tax increase in history.

I also recognize that there are those who do not have insurance and need it, however, I don’t believe this was the way to go. Since we are on this trajectory, now is time for Republicans to formulate a plan to end abortion through Obamacare. How? Simply by using this bureaucratic monster to delay women in getting abortion.

When a woman seeks to get an abortion, require that she must sign up for a three month course that teaches her the full implications of abortion, both biologically and psychologically. This way, she is not duped into believe that the life in her womb is just ”pregnancy material.”

Once this course has been completed, then she needs to apply to a special board of health officials that will interview each candidate for the surgical procedure to take place. Then, she must file the appropriate paper work in triplicate… submitting it to all the appropriate branches of Health and Human Services, or department heads, who must read the forms, agree that she is a candidate for aborting, and grant her the service. At this point she must apply to another committee for an assigned and appropriate physician to perform the procedure and once he has passed all the legalities to perform the abortion, then he can do so.

But wait, there is more. Since the abortion doctor must also have the right number of nurses, they must apply for permits and be authorized to help the physician in this procedure for THIS patient, and once that is approved, then they too can assist in the procedure.

Once all this is done, the child, who is now 18 years old and graduating from high school, can be aborted… only by then, it will be too late.

Honestly, I’m trying to find some empty silver lining in all this. I really am shocked that it was Justice Roberts that sided with the liberals on this issue. What an absolute disappointment.

We Cannot Put God into a Testtube

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In a recent post, I argued that an atheist’s attempt to deny the existence of God by saying we cannot prove His existence scientifically was playing on our ignorance of science and their ignorance of knowledge. What I meant by this is that we know quite a bit of what we know, without the advantage of science. Science truly is limited in it’s ability to help us know and understand our world and God. After all, you cannot put God in a testtube.

Just the thought of putting God in a testtube is beyond any level of reason since the God who has revealed Himself to us through His Word is outside of nature itself. Theologians have known this for years because we have been willing to look to His word to know what we know about Him. How are we to take that which is unknowable outside of special revelation and test Him using aspects of His creation? In other words, how do we test something or someone that is completely “other” than creation with creation itself?

When we say that God is “other” what we mean by this is that He is NOT His creation. God is something “other” than His creation. Therefore when we do look to creation, as theologians and believers, we do see His fingerprints, but we do not see Him. True Christianity does not believe in pantheism, which is the belief that God is actually creation itself. The living and true God exists outside of creation and is “other” than it. We do not know what this “other” is, but we do know that God is “other” and not the chair that I sit upon as I write this.

This is why the Bible is so necessary for us to know the God who is. This completely “other” being that created all things, in His love and kindness, not only revealed Himself to us, but also stepped into the created world to become the God-Man, known as Jesus Christ. This is why the incarnation is such a miracle: that which was “other” became a part of creation in order to save those who rebelled against the Supreme Other behind creation. He did not just sit off at a distance and judge us as was His right to do. He came after those that belonged to Him in order to save them from their rebellion.

This knowledge that we have been given through His word is historical in nature, not scientific in nature. This is the means and method God has chosen to reveal Himself to us. While science is very helpful in our world, it is not the end all and be all of what we know. It is actually quite limited in its capabilities for understanding the world in which we live, and if you study scientists and their theories long enough, you will find that quite a few of them have their own set of “beliefs” as well, since science is so limited.

For another take on science and knowing God, read David Glass’s article: The Evidence for God.

Texas Tech Stands Strong in Face of lhn!

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I have to hand it to Texas Tech. They are standing strong against ESPN and the now failing network lhn. For those of you who do not know, lhn is the “longhorn network,” a television network started by ESPN that was to cover the texas longhorns exclusively. In other words, 24 hours of longhorn coverage 7 days a week. (Sounds like purgatory to me!) The idea was to market this o so wonderful brand of t.u. to the nation, sort of like NBC did with Notre Dame.

The problem for ESPN is that they didn’t realize the resolve of other schools in the great state of Texas. The resolve is so great that the alumni for those schools called up their local cable networks and told them that if they carried lhn at all, they would go and find another provider. To this date, only two cable networks are providing lhn, and the network is dying a quick death (not quick enough as far as I’m concerned).

The lhn was the straw the broke the camel’s back concerning Texas A&M, and the reason they left the Big 12 conference for the SEC. The problem was that Dan Beebe, then chairman of the Big 12, would bend over backwards to do what was necessary to make t.u. happy. This was why Colorado, Missouri, and Nebraska all left the Big 12 as well. The rest of the schools were simply pawns in t.u.’s quest to exalt itself.

Until recently at least. In an attempt to keep the lhn alive, ESPN is trying to designate the network as a regular ESPN platform sort of like ESPN2, or ESPNU in order to expand coverage. They have added football games from the Western Athletic Conference in order to do this because there just isn’t enough t.u. to fill 24 hours of programming for even the most avid t.u. fan.

It seems that one of the games that the lhn wants to broadcast is the Texas Tech game with Texas State University, which is a member of the WAC. When Texas Tech learned of the possibility of it being aired on the lhn, they stated that they would cancel the game and pay the buyout costs rather than appear on the lhn. Red Raider Sports reports:

ESPN announced earlier this month that the game would be carried on one of its platforms, but did not specify which.

Tech learned of this possibility several days ago, and according to the source, is “adamantly opposed to playing on the Longhorn Network” and is “putting serious consideration into canceling the game and playing an 11 game schedule” this fall.

“We are extremely disappointed,” the source told RRS. “Our hope is that the Texas State game will be played on a primary ESPN platform.”

Can you see some of the passion that is dooming the lhn? Tech would rather pay the buyout costs than do anything that would aid and abet the lhn in it’s survival. What do you bet that there were quite a few Red Raiders calling their cable companies, along with Aggies, Sooners, Cowboys, Bears, Cougars, Horned Frogs, Mustangs, and others telling them “no lhn!”

That is because we know the diseased underbelly known as t.u. We know how their recruiters will badmouth other schools to prospective recruits. We know the giant-sized egos down at that junior college in Austin who think the entire Big 12 exists for the purpose of exalting t.u. We know how they believe we should just bow down in humble compliance with the demands of their athletic department. We also know we are not going to. Nothing would say this more than the failure of the lhn.

I’m glad Texas Tech is standing strong against the lhn, just as I rejoice that A&M bolted the Big 12 for the SEC. Hopefully, the Big 12 will become a thing of the past in the future and t.u. can have their ultimate desire, to become independent like Notre Dame, and end up with the same record. It is sad that schools like TCU and OU are nothing more than canon fodder for the egos in Austin. May the canon fodder humble those involved with t.u. and the ill-advised lhn.

Baptist Vote to Keep “Sinner’s Prayer”

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The Southern Baptist Church voted this week at their convention to keep the “sinner’s prayer” as a form of conversion. Some might think this an odd thing, but the there have been those Baptist Calvinist who have questioned the use of the “sinner’s prayer.” They have done so because it gives the allusion that by saying the “sinner’s prayer,” one is actually saved.

One is not saved by saying the “sinner’s prayer.” I agree with the Calvinistic Baptist and this in one of the reasons I left the SBC back in the 1990s. Too much emphasis is put on what we do as opposed to what God does in saving us. No where does the Bible ever tell us to utter this prayer, it truly is an invention of men, specifically that bastard of revivalism known as Charles Finney. Sorry but I must call him that. He did more damage to the church in American than a hundred liberal courts or seminaries with the implementation of his new methods, i.e., the sinner’s prayer. More churches have been led down a hell-bound path by adopting such practices as altar call than any liberal professor could ever dream of. It would boggle our minds to know the number of people who were led to believe they were saved by trusting in these damnable actions of their own, instead of trusting in Christ. You hear it today every time the sinner’s prayer is put forth, and once a person says this prayer, they are told to write the date down so they can remember when they were saved.

This is all focused on what the sinner does and not what Christ does. If we are truly to be saved, we must believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. We are not to “say” a prayer, although prayer will result after true belief comes about. We are not told in Scripture to walk an aisle, go to the altar or do any other thing in order to be saved. Simply believe in Christ and His work for salvation. We are saved by faith alone in Christ alone, and this is NOT of ourselves, but is a gift of God. We are merely passive recipients of God’s grace.

To take and add altar calls and sinner’s prayers to the gospel is no different than the Roman Catholics calling for indulgences in order to be saved. It is Christ plus our works that ends up not saving us at all.

So I am saddened by the actions of the Souther Baptist Convention. They have added works to our salvation. This should be rejected by all Christians, Baptist and non-Baptist alike.

Here is a bit from the story about the SBC:

The resolution was originally presented by Eric Hankins, pastor of First Baptist Church in Oxford, Mississippi, though the version approved by the committee omitted language designed to refute the denomination’s increasingly Calvinist membership. (An effort to put much of the language back in was defeated in a floor vote, as was an effort to remove references to the phrase “Sinner’s Prayer.”)

Indeed, Hankins says his resolution was sparked by a talk from one of the SBC’s Calvinist stars, David Platt. Speaking at the Verge church leaders’ conference March 1, the pastor of the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, said the emphasis on the Sinner’s Prayer is unbiblical and damning.

“I’m convinced that many people in our churches are simply missing the life of Christ, and a lot of it has to do with what we’ve sold them as the gospel, i.e. pray this prayer, accept Jesus into your heart, invite Christ into your life,” Platt said. “Should it not concern us that there is no such superstitious prayer in the New Testament? Should it not concern us that the Bible never uses the phrase, ‘accept Jesus into your heart’ or ‘invite Christ into your life’? It’s not the gospel we see being preached, it’s modern evangelism built on sinking sand. And it runs the risk of disillusioning millions of souls.”

Speaking at the SBC Pastors’ Conference preceding the Baptist’s annual meeting, Platt referenced his Verge sermon, lamenting that his messages “can become three-minute YouTube clips.” But, preaching from John 2-3, he reiterated his statements that believing in Jesus is not enough. “Many assume they are saved simply because of a prayer they prayed,” he said. “It’s not that praying a prayer in and of itself is bad—but the question in John 2 and 3 is what kind of faith are we calling people to?”

The Sin of Class Warfare

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As the presidential elections heat up during the year, I’m sure we will be exposed to new levels of class warfare since this has been a part of the Democratic National Committee’s plan of attack for the past 50 or so years. The idea is that we are to elect Democrats so that they will go after the greedy, selfish, self interested rich and make them pay their fair share. No attempts are made to ever clarify what their “fair” share is, but we can assumed that according to the greedy Democratic National Committee, it’s one dollar more than they are collecting now in taxes.

Just this fact alone is dishonest in it’s approach and should be rejected. If we are going to be fair, then let the tax system be truly fair: everyone pays 10 percent of their income to the government. Not just rich people. Not jus the middle class. Fair is for all to pay, even those on welfare need to pay their fair share. Whatever the tax rate is, we should all be paying the same rate of taxes for this is the only way to be truly fair.

However there is more sin to the notion of class warfare than just this dishonesty. This attitude toward the rich, whether put forth by the DNC, or anyone else, is a sinful attitude that needs to be repented of for several reasons.

First, class warfare is based upon envy and covetousness. This is a sin according to God’s Moral Law found in the Ten Commandments, which states: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

Class warfare exists on the basis that it’s OK to look at what our neighbor has, determine if it is too much, and take it by force through the use of the government. This is not only stealing, which breaks the Eighth Commandment, but also the Tenth. What our neighbor has, be they poor or rich, belongs to them and we are not to covet those things nor take them by force. This principle of owning private property has been a foundation of this country since its inception.

Secondly, class warfare actually works against God’s hand as well. Proverbs 22:2 The rich and the poor have this in common, the LORD is the maker of them all. This means that if someone is rich, they are rich because of God’s hand, not their own. We tend to think that the rich get where they are in life because they work harder, have more talent, etc., than anyone else. Proverbs even supports part of this reality. Those who do work hard, will be made rich and not poor. But we also must concede that those are placed in the position of being rich by God’s hand. He gave them the talents, desire, drive and opportunity to become rich. It is God’s hand that raises up the rich.

Therefore, to rail against that is to rail against God’s sovereign hand. It is to rail against God Himself.

Now, I’m not saying that the rich have God’s eternal favor on them just because they are rich. The bible is full of warnings about trusting in riches and looking to riches in the day of wrath. That is another aspect all together. What I’m saying is that class warfare is a sin because it involves coveting, and railing against God’s sovereign decree.

We should actually be grateful for the rich. The rich spend money, buy things that help keep the economy going, which helps employ those who are not rich, but looking simply to  work and live in our society. We should be grateful God has allowed us to live in a country where we have rich, middle class and poor.

Third, class warfare is also sinful in that it makes being rich a sin, which God has not declared. Yes, we have the warnings about being rich, but no where does the Bible condemn being rich simply for being rich. There are many pitfalls to being rich, but the simple act of being rich is not sinful in and of itself. Declaring it so, is making something sinful in which God has not done so, IS sinful.

So the next time you hear someone practicing the art of class warfare, reject the notion all together and the one espousing this sin.

The Need For Christ Crucified — J.C. Ryle

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The following is from J.C. Ryle’s Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, on John 6:1-14 when Jesus fed the 5,000.

Let us never doubt for a moment, that the preaching of Christ crucified, — the old story of His blood, and righteousness, and substitution,– is enough for all the spiritual necessities of all mankind. It is not worn out. It is not obsolete. It has not lost its power. We want nothing new,– nothing more broad and kind,– nothing more intellectual,– nothing more efficacious. We want nothing but the true bread of life which Christ bestows, distributed faithfully among starving souls. Let men sneer or ridicule as they will. Nothing else can do good in this sinful world. No other teaching can fill hungry consciences, and give them peace. We are all in a wilderness. We must feed on Christ crucified, and the atonement made by His death, or we shall die in our sins.

Even today, with all of man’s inventions and technological advances, we still need the same old gospel of Jesus Christ for salvation. Nothing will ever replace that need for mankind because no matter how we rationalize, we are still sinners in need of God’s grace.

Texas Aggies Update

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It’s been a while since I did an Texas Aggies Update. You have to know that Texas Aggies everywhere are really excited about the inaugural season of football with the SEC and this has us really excited. But there is more to this excitement than just joining the SEC.

First, Kevin Sumlin, the new head football coach, has really begun to assemble a great recruiting class for 2013.  He has done this by promoting the reality that Texas A&M is playing in the best league in the nation, and confronting the lies put forth by those on the recruiting trails from the likes of t.u. Those in the great state of Texas have known for years that t.u. will trash talk all the other schools to recruits. It’s typical coming from that institution. Former A&M coach Mike Sherman ignored the problem, choosing to take the higher road. Sumlin has chosen to confront the attacks with the truth.

Here is what Miketag from Just Wait Til Next Season wrote:

The coaches that Sumlin brought in have a different approach. If a college negatively recruits against A&M, they will get down and dirty in the trenches with them. When Mack Brown tells a wide receiver recruit that A&M has moved out of state and all the Aggie games will be too far away for his parents to watch, the Aggie coaches simply point out Texas’ pedestrian passing game to that recruit.

There is nothing wrong with either approach. Mike Sherman is a stand-up guy and you cannot ask him to be something he is not. These new assistants are young and aggressive and they are not going to take lies from other coaches sitting down.

The response to Sumlin and his coaches so far has been nothing short of amazing. With two cornerbacks giving their verbal pledges yesterday, the Ags now have 19 commitments in the 2013 class and it is only June.

Sumlin has gained commitments from four defensive linemen and two linebackers. He has immediately addressed the glaring issues in the front seven. Aggie fans can expect to see the Ags add two more defensive linemen and two more linebackers to the class before signing day. Bringing in 12 players in the front seven is a great way to fix depth issues.

Sumlin and his staff have achieved their success not only by countering the negative recruiting from other programs, but by changing the perception of the A&M program entirely. Texas A&M has an image as a conservative university, but this football staff is young and hip. Recruits want to play for coaches who are laid back enough to play rap music during the practices like the Aggies do.

Sumlin held a “Friday Night Lights” event where he invited all of the elite recruits in the 2013 and 2014 class to come and watch a scrimmage under the lights at Kyle Field. He and his assistants went on the road and put on satellite football camps at different high schools across the state.

The other issue that should give some Aggies a cause to rejoice is that Bleacher Report did a ranking of the most loyal fans in the nation and Aggies came in at number 7. They rank higher than Arkansas, LSU, t.u., Texas Tech, Notre Dame, Florida, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The only teams that rank higher in fan loyalty are: Penn State, Auburn, Alabama, Nebraska, Ohio State and Michigan, in that order. I think that is deserving of a big Aggie whooooop!

Armageddon

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Well, maybe not exactly, but it sure looked like Armageddon on Sunday afternoon as the smoke from forrest fires over in Lincoln National Forrest descended upon our community. I was hoping to capture the gloominess of the moment, but I don’t think I quite got it.

I’m not one to look at all the signs and wonders around the world and say, “The end is near!” But I am one to say that Christ could return at any moment. Some believe that there are certain things that must happen before Christ returns, like the gospel going forth to all nations and peoples, or the temple in Jerusalem must be rebuilt, etc. I don’t believe that anything must happen before Christ returns because all that is necessary for His return has already happened.

Remember, the gospel has gone forth to all nations. Yes, I know there are un-reached people groups around the world, but that doesn’t mean that the gospel hasn’t been there before. Places like India, China, and that area all had the gospel there back in the 10th Century because of the Apostle Thomas. There are places, like South America, that didn’t get the gospel until the last 100 years or so, but that shows us it has been there.

The point is that Jesus could return at any moment. Our goal is to be ready for His return by believing in Him while it is yet today.

Gay Marriage IS the Church’s Business

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Why do I say that? Because it will effect the church, those associated with Christianity and anyone who opposes same-sex unions.

How do we know? We know because it is effecting those Christians in Canada who are trying to stand for the truth. Apparently the gay community there wasn’t happy with legalized unions (what they call marriage). Canada passed a law in 2005 stating that two men/women could enter into such unions. This isn’t enough for the gay community. They also have made it illegal to speak out against gay unions. In other words, if you teach/preach/believe, that same-sex unions are sinful, you can go to jail.

That is the way it is with the gay community. To give them any concessions at all, will never be enough because that is the nature of sin. Once you enter into sin in any manner, especially in an attempt to justify and legalize it, and you will want more and more before it is all said and done. That is the sinfulness of sin and the gay community fully rejects this truth.

No matter, we are seeing this truth displayed before us in their demands. Remember back in the 1970s, the gay community told us that all they wanted was to be left alone to do as they wished in the privacy of their own bedrooms (although this too was a lie. They wanted to do as they wished in the privacy of public parks, forests, bridges, etc.). None of that was enough and even legalizing their sin isn’t enough as we are seeing from the example of the gay community in Canada.

According to an article by Michael Corin, published at National Review, Canada is now using force against those who do not fully agree with same-sex unions. (Hattip: Wintery Knight)

Same-sex marriage became law in Canada in the summer of 2005, making the country the fourth nation to pass such legislation, and the first in the English-speaking world. In the few debates leading up to the decision, it became almost impossible to argue in defense of marriage as a child-centered institution, in defense of the procreative norm of marriage, in defense of the superiority of two-gender parenthood, without being thrown into the waste bin as a hater. What we’ve also discovered in Canada is that it can get even worse than mere abuse, and that once gay marriage becomes law, critics are often silenced by the force of the law.

The gay community in our country doesn’t just want legalized marriage, they also want full approval of and protection from the government. They want to make it so that anyone who opposes gay unions in any way will fill the full heat and weight of the government thugs. They will tolerate no one who disagrees, being the tolerate bunch that they are.

As Coren writes:

In 2011, for example, a well-known television anchor on a major sports show was fired just hours after he tweeted his support for “the traditional and TRUE meaning of marriage.” He had merely been defending a hockey player’s agent who was receiving numerous death threats and other abuse for refusing to support a pro-gay-marriage campaign. The case is still under appeal, in human-rights commissions and, potentially, the courts.

The Roman Catholic bishop of Calgary, Alberta, Fred Henry, was threatened with litigation and charged with a human-rights violation after he wrote a letter to local churches outlining standard Catholic teaching on marriage. He is hardly a reactionary — he used to be known as “Red Fred” because of his support for the labor movement — but the archdiocese eventually had to settle with the complainants to avoid an embarrassing and expensive trial.

In the neighboring province of Saskatchewan, another case illustrates the intolerance that has become so regular since 2005. A number of marriage commissioners (state bureaucrats who administer civil ceremonies) were contacted by a gay man eager to marry his partner under the new legislation. Some officials he telephoned were away from town or already engaged, and the first one to take his call happened to be an evangelical Christian, who explained that he had religious objections to carrying out the ceremony but would find someone who would. He did so, gave the name to the man wanting to get married, and assumed that this would be the end of the story.

But no. Even though the gay couple had had their marriage, they decided to make an official complaint and demand that the commissioner be reprimanded and punished. The provincial government argued that, as a servant of the state, he had a duty to conduct state policy, but that any civilized public entity could accept that such a fundamentally radical change in marriage policy was likely to cause division, and that as long as alternative and reasonable arrangements could be made and nobody was inconvenienced, they would not discipline their employee for declining to marry same-sex couples. Anybody hired after 2004 would have to agree to conduct such marriages, they continued, but to insist on universal approval so soon after the change would lead to a large number of dismissals, often of people who had given decades of public service. This seemed an intelligent and balanced compromise. Yet the provincial courts disagreed, and commissioners with theological objections are now facing the loss of their jobs, with the situation replicated in other provinces and also at the federal level.

So far, churches have been allowed to refuse to consecrate same-sex marriages, but a campaign has begun to remove tax-free status from religious institutions that make this choice. When asked about how this would undermine charitable efforts in behalf of the poor and homeless undertaken by numerous Christian churches, one of the leaders of Equality for Gays and Lesbians Everywhere, a Canadian gay-rights advocacy group, replied: “We’ll only take away charitable status from the buildings where the priests live and where the people pray.”

You see, this is why it is the business of the church to speak out against these gay unions, stating that they are unbiblical, sinful and detrimental to the community, but to also recognize that if the gay community gets their way, I could be thrown in jail or threatened with lawsuit for publishing such words.

People will say that I shouldn’t worry since we have the First Amendment. Never mind that BHO had made a ruling violating the rights of organizations who do not provide contraceptions for women, even though it goes against that organizations beliefs. Never mind that just last week, a court in New Mexico ruled against a photography studio that refused to take pictures of a gay-union ceremony. Never mind any of that…

According to the gay community and those who prop them up, the First Amendment be damned. They get preferential treatment even if it means throwing Christians in jail. This is why it is the church’s business and all of our business to oppose gay marriage and the gay community. It is like they have achieved royalty status in our country among the intelligentsia. They are the ones that are making it the business of the church because they cannot tolerate opposition. Since true believer/Christians know the score biblically on this issue, they will see fit to get into the business and beliefs of the church. Anyone who stands in the way of their demands must be silenced and unless we oppose this, we will be.