Tuesday, November 28, 2006

An Unfortunate Burn Out

The London Times reports that on November 3rd a man named Michael Ritscher burned himself to death in Chicago in protest of the War on terror in Iraq. He meant it to be a public protest, but ironically people thought he was just a burning statue and took little notice of him at the time. Here is what he said in a suicide note:

"If I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country...Maybe some will be scared enough to wake from their walking dream state am I therefore a martyr or a terrorist? I would prefer to be thought of as a spiritual warrior."

Death is always tragic, but when someone takes their own life it is incredibly tragic. Death is always a product of sin (Romans 5:12). It is not that death is a direct cause of a particular sin that brings about the demise of the deceased. Instead because man sinned against God and because men are sinners the penalty of this is death (Romans 3:23). This death is physical, spiritual and eternal. However, when one commits suicide he brings about his own death by his own direct sin. There is nothing bold, brave or heroic about self murder. Let's just call it what it is: a violation of the 6th commandment. It is rebellion against God. We are made in the image of God for His glory. Everywhere in scripture the sanctity and preciousnessnes of life is upheld. When God says "you shall not murder" He is telling us that the taking of life without due cause is against His law and against His holiness.

Sadly this man who made himself a human torch does not offer any true light to the world, but only hopelessness. Not only was his opportunity for public protest wasted, but his suicide is an incredible waste of life. We find hope and light in Christ alone. There is something worth living for! We proclaim faith in Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and the redemptionion of mankind!

1 Timothy 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially believersB95

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Kramer's Racist Tirade

USA TODAY Reports:

Comedian Michael Richards, better known as the character Kramer from TV's Seinfeld, apologized Monday night for a racist tirade at a West Los Angeles comedy club that was
captured in a grainy cellphone video and seen by millions of people on the Internet Monday.

"I lost my temper on stage," Richards, 57, said on Late Night With David Letterman. Excerpts
were shown on CBS Evening News.

"I was at a comedy club trying to do my act, and I got heckled and I took it badly and went
into a rage," Richards said. "For me to be at a comedy club and flip out and say this crap —
you know, I'm deeply, deeply sorry. I'm not a racist. That's what is so insane about this."

Does the "I lost my temper...I was in a rage" excuse really cut it? Someone has said what comes out of you when you are shoved is what was inside of you all along. But Jesus said it better:

Mark 7:14-23 After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. [“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”] When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”NASB95

So what we have in all of this is a window into Michael Richards' heart. What comes out of our heart when we are bumped? We all have the same fundamental problem. Our hearts are wicked. The only solution is that God gives us new hearts. Thankfully God is in the business of doing just that!

Ezekiel 36:25-27 “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.NASB95

This is called the New Covenant and it is only possible for those who turn away from their sin and turn to Christ as their Savior and Lord.

Monday, November 20, 2006

"On Faith" Online Discussion

The Washington post is hosting a discussion amongst religious panelests about faith called "On Faith". The first question is this: "If some religious people believe they have a monopoly on truth, then are conversation and common ground possible? If so, what would be the difficulties and benefits of such a conversation?"

Al Mohler has given a response that is worth checking out. It is also very interesting to follow the discussion and see what kinf od responses Mohler gets.

Here is the comment that I left on Mohler's response page:

You hit the nail right on the head Dr. Mohler. There is no point in having a discussion about what we believe unless we really believe it. The best thing to do is just be honest about what you believe. Why must everyone become offended when one says that he simply believes the Bible? Everyone, no matter what they say, has a standard of truth. That standard may simply be their own opinion, or it may be the consensus of scholarship, or it may be the holy book of their religion, or it may be an institution. But the fact remains that everyone appeals to something to define their reality. The question is what truth is really true? A good discussion, then, cannot take place on a superficial level. Instead it must begin with ones standard of truth. The question then is: Does your standard of truth give you the capability of understand life as it really is. I am a born again Christian. I only understand myself, the world, God, others, the future because God's word defines reality. It is only because of this that I can make sense of anything. These are the questions that need to be asked: How do you make sense of everything? Does it really make sense? Do you have answers to ultimate questions?

Thursday, November 16, 2006

The Apple Has Rolled Down The Hill

Tony Campolo has grown more liberal over the years. He has joined in with the emergent church crowd which claims that the message of scripture is often fuzzy so we need to give much latitude for various doctrines. Well, the apple has not fallen far from the tree, but it has rolled down the hill a ways. His son Bart has popped off recently. He has decided that he doesn't want any God except one he can fashion for himself. As Justin Taylor says, this would make him an idolater. If we hold the truth loosely our children may just let it go altogether.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Hmmmmm Do You Think He Did It?

Well, if there was every any question as to if O. J. did it, those questions must now be answered. Simpson is to do an interview with FOX called "If I did it." This is to be followed by a book by the same title. Let's just be honest here. If somone were to murder a loved one of yours and you were to be wrongly accused of the murder, would you ever, ever, ever consider writing a book discussing how you would have committed the murder even though you didn't? Come on now. This is too much! I hope that Simpson some how perjures himself and he is brought to justice.

But do be sure that you know that a day of justice is coming.

Ecclesiastes 3:16-17 Furthermore, I have seen under the sun that in the place of justice there is wickedness and in the place of righteousness there is wickedness. I said to myself, “God will judge both the righteous man and the wicked man,” for a time for every matter and for every deed is there.NASB95

Changing Your Sex Is Getting Easier

In NY City at least it is going to be as simple as having a note from your doctor. Once you have that all important note, your birth certificate can be altered to identify you as the opposite sex. This is such a testimony to the confusion of our times. If you an one specialist think that you are a man instead of a woman or vice versa then it is so. What if I think I am a lion and one specialist agrees, can I change my birth record to read "lion."

Isn't it a bit more simple to just accept ourselves the way that God has made us?

Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.NASB95

Anything less is really just rebellion aginst the creator. Christians call that sin, but there is an answer to the problem: Christ.

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.NASB95

Are Disabled Babies Worth Saving?

Al Mohler has posted a blog today entitled "Overriding the Protection of Life? A Shocking Development in England."

The Church of England is now suggesting that their are some babies whose lives are not worth saving! Perhaps they should have consulted Jesus first.

Luke 18:15-17 And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”NASB95

Monday, November 13, 2006

Not a Lone Wolf

Al Mohler posted a blog last Friday about the new presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA, who just happens to be a woman! Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori exemplifies the utter lack integrity that has plagued pulpits around our country under the name of "Christianity." When you read Mohler's blog you will see that she is clearly preaching another gospel (Gal. 1:8-9). What is more is that in doing so she is dishonest because the contradicts her own church's Articles of Faith:

Article XVIII:

They also are to be had accursed that presume to say, That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law, and the light of Nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.

This would then make Schori a wolf in sheep’s clothing, would it not? She runs with quite a pack.

These are interesting times that we live in today. We have a woman pastor leading a Christian denomination violating (1 Tim. 2:12) who is accursed because she is preaching another gospel (Gal. 1:8-9) and who is lying to the whole world by serving a church whose confession she does not agree with.

I wish she would just have enough honesty to go and start a new religion.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

The Key Of Knowledge


As I was thinking about the results of the elections I was reminded again that our hope is not in government. Some will see the loss to so many conservatives as a crushing blow. What is so ironic is that people place there hope and trust in government and yet again and again government lets people down. Historically in America whatever party has been leading the nation is ousted the very next term in favor of the other party who people think will fix everything.

Look at what our Lord Jesus said in Luke 11:52

Luke 11:52 "Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you yourselves did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering."NASB95

The experts in the Law of God had failed to understand and apply the true meaning of God's Word. They held people in bondage to their sin rather than teach the life giving truth of the Messiah. Now they were rejecting Christ and carrying on the awful legacy of their wicked fathers who killed the prophets from Abel to Zechariah. Notice that when the did not teach the truth of God's word they took away the key of knowledge.

Well God has committed the key of knowledge to His church today: His Word! The answer to all of the problems in our country will not be found in government. It is found only when Christ's church clearly teaches His Word: the Gospel! May we not fall under the condemnation of Christ as the scribes did.

May we take the key of knowledge and unlock the door to paradise through His Spirit for the lost world around us!