
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Bats Are Still Our Friends: Southern Indiana Resident Killed by Rabies

Monday, October 19, 2009
New Dyson Fan: A Leap Forward in Cooling Technology

Thursday, October 1, 2009
Theology Plus: Vocations of Grace
Jenny and I had agreed that we wanted our labor and delivery to be about glorifying God and, in the process, being a witness for his grace to our doctors, nurses, aides, and any visitors we might have. We were careful in what music we would play during labor; we brought our bibles and our hymnal; and we prayed a lot. If nothing else, we wanted to bring this baby into the world in prayer and thanksgiving, remembering that this child was the answer to years of petition and desire.
Our doctor was talking with us when she was suddenly and visibly distracted. Caedmon's Call's We Give Thanks was playing on our ipod speakers. "We give thanks to you, oh God, for you have brought us here. You chose this time, you chose this place; you chose these people to show your grace. . ." She continued talking, but with a sort of puzzled look on her face. I had never asked if she was a Christian, and I didn't in that moment (as my beautiful wife was having another contraction). Our doctor already knew I was a seminary student, but in that moment there was a brief connection - a realization that there was more to this birth than merely bringing another human baby into the world. This was God's grace displayed to his own and radiating from them to the world.
As I was reading a missionary biography for a class this morning, Sam James's Servant on the Edge of History, I was struck how the author had, at one point, desired to leave the mission field in order to become a surgeon, so that he could return and care for the sick of Vietnam in the name of Jesus. He realized, however, that his was a different calling, to equip ministers there to support their own people spiritually as the communists were taking over the nation.
We who are called by the name of Jesus Christ, Christ-ians, are called to so much more than just worship services on Sunday mornings. We are called to serve fellow people as priests and prophets; to stand for and deliver the Gospel to all of fallen humanity in specific capacities. Those capacities are our "callings" or vocations. Some of us are called to the pastorate, some to the mission fields, but some of us are called to become lawyers, doctors, architects, scientists, archaeologists, nurses, politicians, mechanics, laborers, etc. Each Christian should be well educated in their faith (Christian college or even seminary is incredibly helpful), but many should take the next step and be educated in other areas, where they feel called or well suited. What a difference there would be in our nation if there were more believing Christians in politics or the judiciary, or in medicine.
There are several problems that face us Christians in selecting education. Most colleges and universities have become bastions of secularism, occasional professors even requiring assent to their views to in order to pass classes. Many "Christian" schools have compromised on core beliefs and commitments, which have opened them up to secularism or heresy in many forms. Further, many schools that have maintained their commitment to solid theological education, are not requiring (or in some cases, even offering) classes that equip young Christians for anything except the ministry or missions.
Our world is changing. We need Christians in every facet of life, shedding the light of Christ in places where the gloom of sinful darkness has been gathering. We need more doctors who minister to their patients in the name of Jesus, more public school teachers willing to push back against recent secular mandates, more lawyers and judges who are concerned not with winning cases or gaining recognition, but with applying Christ's justice in an unjust world.
Young Christian: figure out your calling. Don't figure that you must become a pastor or a missionary just because you are a Christian (also, don't think because you stay close to home that you are not doing missions). Still, pursue some sort of theological education from sound, evangelical sources. Your commitment to the Gospel in the world is only as strong as your theological worldview. If your worldview is weak, so will your faith be. Then, with your commitment to Christ firm and your calling sure, pursue education to fulfill that calling. If you feel called to study ancient Peruvian native cultures, do so in the name of, and for the glory of, Jesus Christ. If you feel called into the military, to fight for your country, fight well as a soldier of your nation and as a soldier of your God. Make sure your actions at the battlefront demonstrate your firm commitment to Christ and biblical instruction.
Vocation is calling; a calling from God, through the Holy Spirit's urging, to work out the Gospel within this fallen world in a particular way. You are salt, you are light. Go and live faithfully for your God, praising him in light of his constant faithfulness through salvation and blessing.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Problems in Micah 4:5
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Chavez about Obama: "Smell of Sulfur Is Gone"
Monday, September 21, 2009
Carter on Political Disagreement and Racism
Health Care Bills Play Fast and Loose with Monetary Projections
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
I Pledge Allegiance to Myself and to the President of Obama-Nation.
Here is a disturbing video found on You tube. This video - "I Pledge" - is supposed to be played in the public schools alongside President Obama's speech to schoolchildren today.
This video is a great example of liberal propaganda at its finest. These people are committed to changing our society into a utopian human construct and protecting our planet. These are noble sentiments indeed. But how do they plan on creating such an ideal place? By "smiling more" and "never giving the finger." By "not using plastic bags" at the grocery store and trading in their traditional "obnoxious" cars for hybrids. These stars are also committed to giving money to and stumping for liberal, U.N., and government run charities. By changing their actions, these celebrities will usher in a new era of prosperity - salvation itself!
The ultimate example of liberal snobbery is their utter devotion to Barack Obama. The celebrities' final pledge is to "be of service to Barack Obama." The initial and closing scenes are of an idealized image of Barack Obama, stoically facing the future.
This is the image of an "Obamessiah," a man elevated to a sort of god-hood, expected to rid the world of ignorance, suffering, and unhappiness, if only those backward conservatives would leave him alone! One gets the distinct impression from the video that these people believe that this is the true belief, the one way to achieve human happiness and fulfillment.
This is the height of idolatry, reminiscent of Roman Emperor-worship. But even as Obama is emperor of the moment, these celebrities are worshipping themselves. They look to themselves and their wealth to achieve utopia. They have forgotten that it is not they, themselves, who gave them all they have. Just as Israel forgot Yahweh, even as he saved them from Egypt, these people have forgotten He who formed them. They give no praise to God or mention of his works, his blessings, his Church, or his Church's work.
This president is a far cry from Bush and his "faith based initiative." This president is unapologetically humanistic and government-focused. Government, his government, shall not fail in their purpose. Change is coming and he asks you to be that change. Throw off any dedication to your creation myths and your theistic superstitions. Join the ranks on ranks who pledge support to one man - Barack Obama - and his government may bless you with bread you did not earn and the waters of dependency. Be the change and you will bless yourself!
This is a bankrupt ideology. While there are some "good" intentions within these pledges, there is no deeper meaning or purpose underlying them than living for oneself. The appeal of the video is to do the right thing, but we are not told why it is right or why it is important, except that through doing what we are told, we may be "on this planet forever." Certainly there is no understanding (or love) here of God's Laws or his character. This is a man-centered, and thus futile, philosophy.
Humanistic idolatry has come full circle - The same religion of self-worship that led the Israelites into sin and exile has taken words from Christianity and reformed itself from the ashes in a new cloak of piety. Now, only if we worship at the throne of Obamessiah, only if we cry out to the government upon his shoulders, only if we humble ourselves before him, will he hear us from Washington, give us pragmatic half-solutions, and heal our land.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Guns And Protests: How Should Christians Protect American Freedoms?
Monday, August 17, 2009
Town Halls and Socialism: Why Barack Obama's Health Care Solution Is Flawed
In recent news, town hall meetings - concerning President Barak Obama's proposed nationalized health care reform bill - have begun to turn violent as opposing activists clash. One man in St. Louis ended up in the emergency room after being attacked by liberal activists as he handed out flags which read, "Don't tread on me." similar scenarios have begun to play themselves out in several other cities as well.
The Viewpoints
There are two main views at play within this debate, both of which have merit. One view disapproves of the current expense of private health care plans and the machinations of HMO's and insurance providers, who they see (in part, rightly) as the exascerbators of health care costs. Their solution is the nationalization of health care, or at least a competitive nationalized health care option. Adherents of this view would further cite the millions of
The second view disapproves of a nationalized health care option for several reasons: a) they do not trust that the government has the ability to organize and handle the process of nationalized health care well; b) they see nationalized health care as a stepping-stone for tighter government control over U.S. citizens; c) they do not want to pay more in taxes in order cover other people's treatment (which constitutes a redistribution of wealth - a basic tenant of Socialism).
The first view recognizes a very real problem and offers a possible solution. The second view is reactive against that proposed solution. Given the history of rhetoric and public perception, the latter view, because of its more reactive nature and its lack of a proposed solution, is less likely to win the day. As long as this is framed as a solution vs. reaction argument, the human knee-jerk reaction is to be optimistic about the "solution".
With the latter view's antagonistic nature notwithstanding, the arguments against the President's "solution" to public health care problems are very good ones. We must shy away from any option that increases public dependence on our government and the redistribution of wealth. Therefore it is important that we recast the debate. A different and viable solution needs to be presented. The reason why involves history and philosophy.
The American people are no longer the "bootstrap" generations of World War I and II. We are the "Baby-boomers" (the resulting generation after the war that have enjoyed the ease and prosperity that came from the victories of their parents and grandparents) and the "me generation" (the children of the boomers who have seen their parent's ease and expect the same in life). We are a people who live for entertainment and by the subtle (and not-so-subtle) perspectives that we are fed by entertainment. We expect to be taken care of and are angry when we are not. We are consumers.
As consumers, then, when we see our margin of enjoyment shrink, we are disturbed. This results in sometimes very creative solutions to regain our standard of living. Corporations may "cook the books," falsifying profitability to retain investment and stay afloat (Enron, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, etc.), individuals may do other things (robbery, theft, fraud, etc.). One of the most interesting, collective, and possibly fatal solutions, however, is Socialism: expropriating and redistributing the wealth built by others.
Socialism as A Philosophy
Socialism is portrayed by some as a viable solution to corporate greed and economic inequality, but in the end it proves itself to be a bankrupt philosophy. The reason Socialism cannot maintain itself is that it preys on, rather than rewards, motivation. Those who make more will give more, whether they want to or not. There is no praise and no reward for giving; no altruism. What you have worked hard to earn is demanded as the right of others. The result is that those individuals who would have been motivated to succeed avoid success instead. When there are no more wealthy people to prey on, Communism arises. In the Communist version of Socialism, no one has more than anyone else (except the government and its administrators - who have proven themselves in almost every instance to be corrupt). Each works for a similar wage, picked for career paths by administrators of the government. The lack of motivation and the spirit-crushing drudgery of life removes not only the vibrancy of community, but the richness of culture. All facets of individualism are largely expunged; distilled into the collective. This is how the
The question each of us must ask ourselves is this: is the above scenario possible? I believe it is. Czarist
Solutions to The Health Care Problem
Returning to the health care debate, Socialistic (nationalized) health care is a possible solution. And despite its numerous problems, it will win the day if a better solution is not presented to oppose it. As a democracy which has adopted capitalism as its economic philosophy, what should we do instead? My humble suggestion is, as I have presented before, self-regulation.
Health care, while a blessing, is not always essential. A pinch of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Each of us should take responsibility for our choices of nutrition, exercise, and fun - avoiding what is dangerous. We should also take responsibility for our own decisions, including what medical procedures we have done, rather than sue doctors when things don't turn out as we would have liked. In short, stop being a mindless consumer. Beyond this, I think the more viable solution is to enact policies that make it more rewarding for doctors to develop competing private practices rather than teaming together under the HMO conglomerates. Find ways to protect small and medium-sized businesses and give them incentives to compete.
Nationalizing necessities will only make life more difficult for society. Think of a trip to the doctor’s office being like a trip to the DMV or the Human Services Office: long lines, poor treatment, cynical workers, and very long waits to receive results from tests. Would you like insurance that denies your claim because you don’t fall into the correct bracket this month? This is what we can expect from a public option. But we don’t have to embrace this option. Rather, we can push to see private practices and smaller insurance agencies succeed. The more competition there is, the lower the prices and the better the service. The lower the prices and the better the service, the more likely it is that most will be able to afford health coverage and doctor’s fees.
A Christian Response
We who are Christians have a peculiar calling. We are to be in the world but not of it. How can this basic concept be applied to health care problems and solutions? Christians look to God, not government for our ultimate help. If we are serious about that trust, we may endure many sufferings in order to maintain that trust (this may also include inadequate health care in some cases). Doctors and health care are not immoral or evil in general, even if some individuals in the field may be. God made man in his image, which includes the artistry of the mind. We create many wonderful, beautiful, and helpful things – including medicine and physical care. We do not place our trust in medicine, we place our trust in God; but medicine may help. It would be foolish not to accept that help. After all, when we have to pull a stump out of the ground, we use tools and science to do so (pry bars, chains and winches; pivot points and fulcrums). We do not say that because God created us with only hands and trust in him that we cannot use those tools. The same is true with medicine – it is a tool/science for the maintenance of the body.
Can the government be the agent of help to us? Sure – it would be wrong to only assume negative things about the government. Yet our present government (not just this recent iteration of it) represents a largely non-Christian body of policy makers who do not look to Scripture first for their inspiration. These men and women are often given over to their personal desires as are many of their constituents, our neighbors. We cannot implicitly trust our government to do the “right thing” or to honor God in more than a superficial way. The current administration’s view is especially theologically shallow and even possibly antagonistic. President Barack Obama has made himself very clear in several statements that he is both theologically and politically liberal. He has accepted Darwinism (and Social Darwinism?) as his gospel. The consistent Christian cannot implicitly trust Barack Obama’s policies (although I hope Christians would not implicitly trust the policies of any law-maker or religious leader, for that matter).
If Christians cannot be humanistic Socialists, what should we support instead, seeing as we are in this world and called by God to work in it (which includes politics)? Capitalism, while corruptible, is a system that works with Christianity very well. In fact, Adam Smith, the man credited as the father of modern capitalism, was a Christian and wrote from a Christian perspective. His time was also known as the height of Christendom, before enlightenment philosophy and higher criticism had gutted the Gospel in most of the universities. Smith’s philosophy was based not on selfish greed, but on self-interest. Within his view there is plenty of room for altruistic self-sacrifice, and voluntary dispersing of wealth. In fact, when capitalism works properly and with its Christian heritage, it can do great good for society at large. There have been many examples of Christian men and women who made wealth in business (without trampling on others to do so) and who gave much of that wealth away to help others.
Capitalism is not bankrupt – our society has only lost its moral compass as it has disbelieved the Gospel of Jesus Christ en masse. But Christians can make a big difference in our society by self-regulation – living the Gospel out in all areas of life. Let the Gospel affect what you buy, eat, wear, think, spend money on, what you are entertained by, how you vote, and what health care choices you make. What may seem easy now (the government stepping in and taking over health care) will inevitably lead to servitude later. This is the recurring theme of governmental history. I urge you, Christian man or woman, to avoid nationalized programs and to suggest to your representatives that we should develop policies that allow for more competition. It is not the quick fix, but it will be the better solution for your nation and your faith in the long run.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Scripture as Two-Edged Sword
Jesus gave [the Jews] this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out-- those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me. "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid. "You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light. "I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. "I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God? "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"
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What weighty and convicting subjects! Jesus will be our just judge as Revelation portrays (the Lamb on the throne). The Father, God of the ages, shares his power and authority with the Son. And Jesus clearly pointed out the fault of man. Jesus made this response to "the Jews", but this accusation stands against any and all who stand opposed to him. We who are Christians should even apply this Scripture to ourselves.
As Christians, do we fall into the mindset of performing good works to "get to heaven," or do we question (or ignore) what was written of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures? Do we accept the latest that Oprah or Joel Osteen have to say, merely because they say it? Do we work to earn the praise of men (our bosses, our government, or friends, our parents)?
If we reject Jesus, even by forgetting him, we have rejected all of Scripture and stand condemned. Moses, prophets and writings (the Hebrew Scriptures), shortened in this passage to "Moses," reveal Christ and glorify him as God. The stone that the builders rejected (Psalm 118:22-23; Acts 4:11-12) is also the Rock that is higher than we are (Deut 32: 4-6, 15; Psalm 61:2-4).
Let us search the Scriptures and meditate on them (Psalm 1:1-3), allowing them to do the work of conviction which motivates us to repentance. Scripture is a sharp, two-edged sword, which we must use on ourselves daily (Hebrews 4:12-13). Jesus alone is our sacrifice before a holy God and is our holy God himself. Our God gave himself that we might be saved from his own righteous wrath. We must look to our Rock for salvation.

