The Post Dark Knight

I'm still groggy from a 10:20 PM showing of the Dark Knight last night.... I enjoyed it, but it sure seemed long. Just first blush, it seemed like this was going to be two movies with the Joker and Two Face but Heath Ledger's untimely death pushed it into one.The Joker forever alive on plasma and Ledger never to return.

Excellent and clever movie- I loved the play on words about the Dark Night/Knight and the twists.

But with every new movie I feel us drifting farther from the Judeo-Christian world view. Recently I heard someone state that our current trend is to make immorality seem cool and righteousness seem strange. The lines of good and evil are blurred in such a way the plot lines are hard to follow and impossible to predict.

Is this a conspiracy? NO- It is the natural flow of the human heart magnified by the Maestro of the world's system. Think of the emphases: No God- conspicuously uninvolved and absent. The ad campaign is "A World of No Rules"- a final rebellion versus the forms that grant us freedom.

The anti-heroes and illogical reliance on a "good" society? The atoning sacrifice of Two-Face and the final sacrifice of Batman to play evil, knowing it is good. Ultimate good corrupted or forced to play evil- it is a world gone mad. The scarred smile and twisted heart- a fantastically disturbing movie.

I gave my money to it- is this a vote for the message? No- it is a reluctant admission of where we are headed.

Can the Lord's light come crashing through the dark night? It is my last prayer of hope.

The Hero of Mystery

In his book The Strong Name, Scottish nobleman James Stewart speaks of Christ with words that, like Jesus himself, reach out both powerfully and personally:

“He was the meekest and lowliest of all the sons of man, yet He spoke of coming on the clouds of Heaven with the glory of God. He was so austere that evil spirits and demons cried out in terror at His coming, yet He was so genial and winsome and approachable that the children loved to play with Him and the little ones nestled in his arms. His presence at the innocent gaiety of a village wedding was like the presence of sunshine. No one was half so compassionate to sinners, yet no one ever spoke such red-hot scorching words about sin. A bruised reed He would not break, His whole life was love, yet on one occasion He demanded of the Pharisees how they were expected to escape the damnation of Hell. He was a dreamer of dreams and a seer of visions, yet for sheer stark realism He has all our sheer stark realists soundly beaten. He was a servant of all, washing the disciples’ feet, yet masterfully he strode into the temple and the hucksters and moneychangers fell over one another to get away from the mad rush and the fire they saw blazing in His eyes. He saved others, yet at the last himself he did not save. There is nothing in history like the union of contrasts which confronts us in the gospels. The mystery of Jesus is the mystery of divine personality.”

The Haunting Begins

Well..here we go.

I am beginning my 17th year as a football coach and my 5th as a head coach. Too many practices and games to count. A lot of wonderful memories and special people. Many heartaches. I'm ready to go.

This time of the year begins the haunting... it is my overactive brain. I pray that I will not wake up before a normal time, but this morning, like many between now and December, I had something stir me into consciousness and the clicking and flickers begin.

It could be a dog barking, or a pop, the AC turning on, my wive turning over, a kid's cough, or just a need to pee... but my eyelids open and I begrudgingly have to accept that my day has begun.

I wish I were spiritual enough to just lay there and fellowship with the Savior. I do try to include Him early in my thoughts... "Thank you Lord"..."HELP".. "I ask Him to bless and help in some of the prayer requests that bounce along in my mind.

But eventually, football takes over... I start to think over the millions of thoughts and concerns of a football team. I mentally rehearse speeches and play plays in my head. I think about personnel. I become well aware of all the dangers and pitfalls. I play best case scenarios in my head....they are fun. I prepare for worst case stuff... my heart starts pounding and I pray "HELP" again.

So here we go.... it is 4:13 AM as I type these words.

Psalm 127:1 Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.

Lord- a new season- I need You to build our house.

THE TRUE STORY OF ERNEST GORDON

To End All Wars, the autobiographical account by Ernest Gordon, a British Army officer captured by the Japanese during World War II and assigned to the building of the Burma-Siam railway. Each day Gordon joined a work detail of prisoners to build a track bed through low-lying swampland. If a prisoner appeared to lag, a Japanese guard would beat him to death or decapitate him. Many more men simply dropped dead from exhaustion, malnutrition, and disease. Ultimately, 80,000 prisoners died.

“Death was everywhere. Men collapsed in their tracks, from thirst, exhaustion, disease, and starvation. But death did not work fast enough for the Japanese, so they tried to assist him in his grim harvesting, as they drove the work of the railway.” (67)

“Death called to us in every direction. It was in the air we breathed, the food we ate, the things we talked about…It was so easy to die. Those who decided that they had no futher reason for living pulled down the shades and quietly expired. (72)

“Cholera victims were not buried as were those who died daily; they were burned. On great blazing pyres were placed the remains of men who had once been husbands, sons, lovers, friends. While the flames crackled around them in shimmering heat, they would turn, kick, bend and reach, then rise in a macabre dance- their eerie dance of farewell” (73)

“As conditions steadily worsened, as starvation, exhaustion and disease too an ever increasing toll, the atmosphere in which we lived became poisoned by selfishness, hate and fear. We were slipping rapidly down the slope of degradation… The weak were trampled- the sick ignored. When a man lay dying we had no word of comfort for him. When we cried we averted our heads. Men cursed the Japanese, their neighbors, God. Cursing became such an obsession that they constructed whole sentences in which every word was a curse.

We had no church, no chaplain, no services. Many had prayed, but only for themselves. Nothing happened. They has appealed to God as an expedient. But God had apparently refused to be treated as one. We had long since resigned ourselves to be derelicts. We were the forsaken men- forsaken by our friends, our families, by our Government. Now even God seemed to have left us.

Gordon could feel himself gradually wasting away from a combination of beriberi, worms, malaria, dysentery, typhoid, and diphtheria. Paralyzed and unable to eat, he asked to be laid in the Death House.

The floor in the hut was a sea of mud. And there were the smells; the tropical ulcers eating into flesh and bone, overflowing latrines, unwashed men, sick men. Worst of all was the sweet, evil smell of bed-bugs by the million, crawling over us to steal the little fresh air that still clung to our bones. The swarming flies struck me as obsene.

THE BATTLE WITH REASON AND A TURNING POINT

This time death seemed so much more matter-of- fact. I was resisting the idea.
When? For me was NOT NOW.
ERNEST: Doctors are naturally pessimistic. They are wrong. I am not going to die.
REASON: In case you kick the bucket- leave your affairs as tidy as possible- write your parents what to do when you die. There is no escape.
ERNEST: Life has to be cherished. I’m not one to surrender. But what do I do about it.
THE VOICE OF FAITH: You could live. You could be. You could do. There’s a purpose to fulfill. You become more aware of it each day you endure. This is your task and your’s only
ERNEST: GOOD ENOUGH- I’ll get on it.

THE MIRACLE ON THE RIVER KWAI

A Christian named Dusty appears in the Death House- talked, cared, comforted, washed, soothed, salved- “ I’ll clean out the pus”- fed- served- sacrificed- indomitable optimism- gets Ernest to a clean hut

CHRISTIANITY IMPRESSES ERNEST

“On occasions we marched into the countryside on labor details- we saw the difference in Christian natives, we saw the differences between the Christian way and the Oriental one.
Usually we were treated with indifference and contempt. Our plight meant nothing to the yellow –robed Buddhist priests. Why should it? They were on their way to salvation by non-attachment… there was no place for mercy in their philosophy.

But we once came to a village where we received a treatment so different it astonished us. There was mercy in their eyes. We were given cakes, eggs, bananas, medicine, and honey. Later we learned that this village had been converted to Christianity by missionaries. The Japanese found out about their friendly behavior and punished them severely for it.”

CHRISTIANITY IMPRESSES THE CAMP

One event in particular shook the prisoners. A Japanese guard discovered that a shovel was missing. When no one confessed to the theft, he screamed, "All die! All die!" and raised his rifle to fire at the first man in the line. At that instant an enlisted man stepped forward and said, "I did it."

Enraged, the guard lifted his weapon high in the air and brought the rifle butt down on the soldier's skull, killing him. That evening, when tools were inventoried again, the work crew discovered a mistake had been made: No shovel was missing.

One of the prisoners remembered the verse, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Attitudes in the camp began to shift. With no prompting, prisoners began looking out for each other rather than themselves.


ERNEST DEBATES DUSTY
ERNEST: Why doesn’t God do something?
DUSTY: Maybe He does… maybe He does… but we just can’t see it right now. Maybe our vision isn’t so good right now. “for we see as in a glass darkly”. I suppose that eventually we will see and understand.

BEGINS TO HEAR THE BIBLE- Dusty reads John out loud.

“I lay back on my sleeping platform and let my mind dwell on these words. There was truth in them. Both Dusty and Dinty exemplified it.

For the first time I understood. Each man had a faith that lent a special grace to his personality. It was a power and presence greater than themselves. There was a life infinitely more complex and beautiful that I had ever imagined. True, there was hatred… but there was also love. There was death. But there was also life.
GOD HAD NOT LEFT US. HE WAS THERE WITH US- He was calling us to live the divine life in fellowship. I was beginning to be aware of the miracle that God was working in the Death Camp by the River Kwai.

THE MEN MAKE ERNEST THE ‘CHAPLAIN’-

ERNEST: I can’t possibly do that.
“Our men think you can do it. They know you are a fighting soldier and you’ve been to the university”
ERNEST: What good will it do?
“Perhaps we haven’t understood Christianity right in the past. We need to know if it’s absolute ‘dingo” or not.”

“I had to throw out the doctrinal expression that Christianity was only for nice people who had been brought up in nice homes and gone to nice schools where they had learned to do nice things. Heaven for this group was a kind of perpetual tea-party with thin cucumber sandwiches and smoky-tasting tea served in fine bone-china cups.”

At each successive meeting the numbers grew.

Through our readings in the gospels we gradually came to know Jesus. He was one of us. Like us, He had no place to lay His head, no ffod for His belly, no friends in high places. He too had known bone-weariness from too much toil; the suffering, the rejection, the disappointments that make up the fabric of life.

As we read and talked, he became flesh and blood. He was suspended on the cross and tormented with the hell of pain; but he had not been broken. He remained free and alive, as the Resurrection affirmed.

We experienced His love…passionate, other-centered…in fellowhip of freedom and love we found truth, and with truth a wonderful unity, of harmony and peace.

CHRISTIANITY TRANSFORMS THE CAMP

Organized service teams- they start to minister and improve conditions. Assign duties- visit sick- listen- encouraged- diligently did our daily charge-

The cross became central- God was not indifferent to suffering- He suffered so we could serve. No one knew the answer to the mystery- but we saw that much of suffering was caused by man’s inhumanity- selfishness- greed- some suffering was inexplicable- but we knew that God was not indifferent to pain.
We stopped complaining- we were not absent from pain, but faith allowed us to walk through it. Suffering was no longer locked up in our house of self-pity.

Laughter was heard in the camp- Worship services were started- A school was started- language and music was taught. Christmas came to camp.

THE LAST IMPOSSIBLE HURDLE- FORGIVENESS

“IT’S HARD TO BE A DISCIPLE, LORD”

We were beginning to understand that there were no easy ways for God- so there were no easy ways for us.

Carloads of Japanese wounded begin to pour in. The Japanese did not care a tinker’s damn for their own wounded. These men were in a shocking state. I have never seen men filthier. They were the enemy, more cowed and defeated than we had ever been.

Without a word most of our officers begin to help them.

An Allied officer screamed from another section in the train, “What bloody fools you are! Don’t you realize that those are the enemy?”

“Have you never heard the story of the man going from Jerusalem to Jericho?”

“That’s different- that’s in the Bible- these are swine!”

“We are called to the least of these whether we like it or not.”

It was time to let Jesus be my Savior and my LORD.


“As I journey with those of the Way I see the victory over the impersonal, destructive and enslaving forces at work in the world has been given to mankind because of what Jesus has done. This is good news! God, in Christ has shared his suffering. He has not shunned the responsibility of freedom. He shares in our saddest and most painful experiences. He comes into our Death House to lead us through it.”

On Being Inspired to WIN

Ernest Shackleton is most noteworthy for leading the unsuccessful Trans-Antarctic Expedition, often known as the "Endurance Expedition", between 1914 and 1916. Although Shackleton failed to achieve his goal of crossing the Antarctic continent on foot, he demonstrated the qualities of leadership for which he is best remembered when the expedition ship Endurance became trapped in the ice and was destroyed. Shackleton, known by his contemporaries as "the Boss", led his men to refuge on Elephant Island before heading across 800 miles (1,300 km) of the Southern Ocean to South Georgia, in an open boat with five other men. Upon reaching the remote island, Shackleton and two others crossed severe, mountainous terrain to reach a whaling station, from which he was able eventually to rescue his men on Elephant Island. All the men on Endurance survived their ordeal after spending 22 months in the Antarctic.

In the book, “Endurance” by Alfred Lansing there is a lot of insight to what made ‘the Boss’ such an inspirational figure.

“ Shackleton was not an ordinary individual. He was a man who believed completely in his own invincibility and to whom defeat was a reflection of personal inadequacy. What might have been an act of reasonable caution to the average person was to Shackleton a detestable admission that failure was a possibility.

This indomitable self confidence of Shackleton took the form of optimism. This set men’s souls on fire as some said just to be in his presence was an experience. It was what made Shackleton so great a leader.”

As a football coach- I will be having some open discussions on this will to win. Where does it come from? What gives a Tiger Woods or a Michael Jordan that competitive fire? How can it become more evident on a team?

Shackleton gives us a little insight into some of the seeds of this attitude:

1) Preparation and Experience
2) No thoughts of even the possibility of failure- no bailout
3) Willingness to rise above the ordinary
4) You take defeat personally

I will be including our coaches and players on this over the next several weeks. I have to give proper inspiration from Ernest Gordan and well as Ernest Shackleton.

MEDIAMANIA- Attitudes, Signs, and Self-fulfilling Prophecy

I just finished an incredible book entitled “Endurance- Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage” by Albert Lansing. It is the true story of survival in Antarctica during the years of 1914 and 1915.

I will include in later blogs some of the great quotes from the book and a look at Shackleton’s undefeatable will- but I was struck this morning with a quote by one of the crew in his journal.

While the men were locked on an ice flo- they began to exhibit an unhealthy obsession with the wind reports. They were dependent on the wind to move their flo closer to land. If the wind went in one direction they were closer to freedom, if it changed, they were pressed hard to hold on to hope.

This obsession with the wind was labeled ‘amenomania’ – literally, ‘wind madness’- The crewman commented “ This disease may be exhibited in two forms: Either one morbidly anxious about the wind direction and gibbers continually about it, or else a sort of lunacy is produced by listening to the other amenomaniacs.”

As I read this, I couldn’t help to think of our modern disease of ‘mediamania’ where we are constantly bombarded with 24 hour cable news about the state of the world and nation. Then talking heads waste hours gibbering about their worldviews and pre-suppositions.

The constant drumbeat of the messages has produced division and cynicism in our world today. Our extreme negative views are supported and encouraged in the news desire to sell the things that make us watch. We are disturbingly drawn to the tragedies and bloodbaths.

I’m getting closer to believing that we may need a media-fast to pull down this influential and destructive idol in our society.

Shackleton's Endurance

This must be the summer of survival stories:

I just finished my second book of summer break- 'Endurance, the Story of Shackleton's Adventure' .

Sir Ernest Shackleton's third polar expedition came in the wake of the tragic death, in the Antarctic, of Robert Falcon Scott, the famous English explorer, and as Europe was preparing for the First World War. With England having lost both poles to the Norwegians, Shackleton was determined to be the first to cross the Antarctic by foot and claim the last prize in polar exploration for Britain. A week after the war began, Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven seamen and scientists set sail on the Endurance, not to be heard from for nearly two years.

It was a particularly cold winter, and the pack ice of the Weddell Sea extended further north than anyone could remember. The Endurance began following leads to navigate through the pack ice, on route to its intended landfall. Just one day's sail from the Antarctic continent, temperatures plummeted and the ship became trapped. Frozen fast for ten months, the Endurance was about to be crushed by ice pressure, forcing Shackleton and his men to abandon ship.

After five months of camping on drifting ice floes, open water appeared, and the men sailed their three lifeboats through stormy seas to a rocky, uninhabited outcropping called Elephant Island. Knowing that his men would never survive on the desolate spot, Shackleton decided to attempt an incredible seventeen-day, 800-mile journey, in freezing hurricane conditions, to the nearest civilization - South Georgia Island. The James Caird lifeboat miraculously landed on the island, having achieved what is now considered one of the greatest boat journeys in history.

Once on land, Shackleton and two of his men trekked across the mountains of South Georgia, finally reaching the island's remote whaling stations where they organized a rescue team, and returned to save all of the men left behind on Elephant Island.

Shackleton's words, written after the expedition, express the enormity and the extremity of the adventure: "Not a life lost, and we have been through Hell."

In comparing Ernest Gordon's survival in the jungles of Thailand and Shackelton's survival in the antarctic region I see many similar themes:

The Will to Not Lose- In both stories, the men refused to lose. It was not allowed at al- thoughts of loss were forbidden.

The Value of Team- In both stories, the men worked as a beautiful team with toughness and good cheer in horrible circumstances.

Skill Needed- Hard Work Required- Great skill of talent was shown in both stories including navigation skill, ingenuity, resourcefulness.

A Base of Faith- The Bible and prayer seems to always show up!

I'm on the story of Stanley and Livingstone now!

Through The Editor's Eye to End All Wars

I just finished one of the most inspiring biographies I have ever read. I picked up Ernest Gordon's true story of his experiences as a POW in a Japanese Internment camp during the building of the death railway in Thailand during WWII. What a story! It is the same circumstances that spawned "Bridge Over the River Kwai".

Originally entitled "Miracle in the Valley Kwai", the book is now sold under the title, "To End All Wars". The book is a master piece- Ernest Gordan writes his story with a warm humility and honest truth that is stark and troublesome at the same time. He tells a journey from skepticism to faith and shows how the Christian faith overcame the most severe of human conditions.

I will have many more posts on the book in later blogs.... it is now time to address the movie. I had my doubts that hollywood could tell the story as it is written. I rented the 2001 release that included Keifer Sutherland and made under the title "To End All Wars".

Positives: the movie did attempt to keep the themes of redemption and forgiveness. It did weave a storyline of endurance of good over evil.- But in the attempt to globalize the message- it lost all the power.

The directors had to do a few things to make the film more politically correct.

First, they had to elevate the Japanese. In the documentary included with the DVD- the director explains that he had to show a more sensitive side to the Japanese and tell their side. He had to do it to secure top, authentic Japanese talent- it would have to be sold to Japanese audiences, and I am sure has Japanese financing in the structure.

They did this by inventing a soft, warm Japanese guard who speaks english and sympathizes with the POWS. The book did have a Columbia trained guard in it- but Gordon mentioned his utter hatred of them. Gordon had no warm fuzzy about the Japanese at all in the book. He saw their religion and worldview as false. He saw their tactics as barbarian. His hardest step of faith was to follow Christ down a path of forgiveness... which he did slowly- but make no mistake, the Japs were true enemies.

The movie shows a real life meeting with Gordon and a Japanese captor that happened on the site. The movie tries to point out that Gordon became a Presbyterian minister and the Japanese man became a hindu priest- like they found two sides of the same coin. I will point out later that Gordon saw an infinite abyss between Christ and the other religions. It was only the real Jesus who addressed the atrocities of human suffering. The real Christ, the one who hung on the cross and suffered was the only one who causes Ernest to forsake skepticism and make reason be ruled by his savior and Lord.

The movie removed this Jesus and replaced Him with Plato. Yes, there was a school started at the concentration camp- but only after the real Jesus was discovered. It was Jesus who was the reformer, not Plato. The education was a gift from the Lord- but it was not the Lord. There was a resurgence of service and the arts at the camp- but it was a result of worship of the Creator. The movie elevated deed over Creed, which is our biggest sliding point. We pervert the gospel of grace into a social service. The greatest testament to God's grace in the book was Christmas in the camp. Never mentioned in the movie.

Finally, America had to be pushed down in the movie. Keifer Sutherland's character, "Yanker", was never in the book. The first American we see is almost at the end and it is a paratrooper who confirms the end of the war.

Yanker is invented to show greedy American capitalism and bravado. He is the barter, the stealer. Yes, Yanker is converted... but only through suffering and humility. Do we have to play that message over and over. Is it so important to tell that we actually place a fictitious character in a movie based on facts?

So Hollywood took one of the best books I ever read on the reality of human suffering and the glory of the cross of Jesus Christ and.... cut Jesus out, lifted the Japanese up, bathed in a pool of multi-cultural feel good, took a nice slap at the Americans, paid lip service to redemptive themes- and patted themselves on the back for a job well done.

I am beginning to grieve more and more that we are being pulled away from any chance of truth and revival by the single eye of media world view. There is an editor- and his story is often not the truth. How can we get through? When the son of man returns... will He find faith on the earth?

“I See Through the Eyes, Not With Them.” William Blake

Freedom and Fear

Well, I have been having to fight the fear factor lately. My oldest daughter is driving. She got her permit and has been on the road. On top of that, she just left this morning for a 10 day short term mission trip in Central America- her first time out of the country.

Whether I am next to her in the car or watching an airplane icon travel over the gulf of Mexico- the feeling is the same....HELPLESS.

All I can do is give her to the Father- she is His. When she was a tiny baby, I used to rock her to sleep and pray so hard as I held her 'Lord, put Your angels over her- please protect her' and that prayer has not changed in 15 years.

I just tremble a little more now as I say it.

My Subtle Sin

“Go, and say to this people: “‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
10 Make the heart of this people dull,
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.”Isaiah 6

G.K. Beale does an excellent job in pointing out that 'sensory organ disorder' is the language that Scripture uses in reference to idolatry.

In all cases- we become what we idolize. In this case, the Israelites had become the same as their gods. Eyes that could not see- Ears that could not hear- Mouth's that could not speak- spiritually inanimate- a form of godliness with no power.

His phrase is "What we revere- we resemble- either to ruin or restoration."

I am guilty of idolatry. It is when I run to anything but the Lord Himself for comfort and security. I take good things and cling to them.
It leaves me powerless and prayer less.
My gods can be a simple as food and complex as my children. I use a smorgasboard of gods to numb the pain of living in a sin sick world.
When god becomes silent, I get angry at Him. But it is not His fault- it is the betrayal of my false idols.

Lord, help me smash my idols of this world. Teach me to be more aware of their consuming power. Let me stay empty and long for You. Let me long more for heaven.
Nothing in this world satisfies....... this is not a morbid statement- it is the reality that leads to true joy.

McCain and Ellen

John McCain appeared on Ellen’s show recently and had to answer questions regarding his opposition to Gay marriage. Whether it was a good decision to appear on the show will be left to the pundits. I wanted to comment on his answers- He really gave no reasons for his stance.

Part of the problem in this post-modern relativistic anti-absolute age is we just say “this is my belief” without compelling information for ‘why’ we believe this to be true.

As the debate continues about homosexual/lesbian issues- we must pray through and reason through (with Scripture as our guide) why we believe what we believe. It is the measure of truth itself that causes some arguments to stand while others fade away.

We must also be ready to attack the pre-suppositions and arguments of those belief systems that are contrary to the truth.

Ellen portrayed McCain’s view as an antiquated dogmatic and unenlightened. She respectfully compared her plight to those of who struggled through women’s suffrage and discrimination. She sees homosexual rights as equal to the civil rights battles of the 60’s.

As Christian’s we applaud the removal of slavery, racism, and sexism. Scripture approves of those who stood on the truth and prevailed. However, no sincere reading of God’s Word gives any allowance for a lifestyle that is characterized as perverse, not progressive.

One question for society is always where to draw the line? My question for Ellen would be what type of behavior is legitimate and what behavior is not? If we are in a civil rights type of battle for sexual preference- what type of sexual preference is taboo? Sex with animals? Sex with children?

There are a number of good reasons for supporting the institution of marriage as between a man and a woman- the number 1 reason is for the stability of our culture.

When you allow rights based on behavior and not birthright, you open up tremendous problems for society. To categorize or legitimize someone based on sexual preference presents several ethical dilemmas.

One Christian social commentator defined “worldly” as any culture’s attempt to make sin seem normal and righteousness seem strange.

I know this view is seen as mean and archaic…outdated. But I must say, in love, that there is no way I can compromise on this issue.

If I did have that ability- I often wonder- If I said, I will accept homosexuality as a legitimate lifestyle IF the gay community would make a commitment to monogamy, I doubt I would get any takers.

Ellen has such a warm personality- but the message for her is the same for all of us. Without the covering of Christ- there is a terrible judgment coming. The time for repentance is now.

Homosexuality is a sin as is adultery and covetousness is a sin. But we have lost the fact that God hates sin. The best proof of this is the cross of Christ.

The Value of a Mother

Who can count the value of motherhood? What an impossible task!
During this time of celebration we want to do two things:
1) Try to communicate our gratitude…. Impossible!
2) Try to support moms in the promised pain of Genesis 3:16

To all the moms out there I say, “You do not have to be super mom. It is still the work of the Lord. The Proverbs 31 woman is a checklist like I Corinthians 13 on “love”. Trust God to see you through day by day. Ultimately, He blesses through the circumstances of your life and you will be blessed by leaning on Him.

I hold up as an example Sarah Edwards, the unknown, beloved wife of famous theologian and pastor, Jonathan.

Sarah had a hard life. Much of it is recounted in a wonderful book entitled “Marriage to a Difficult Man- The Uncommon Union of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards”, written by Elisabeth D. Dodds.

The mother of 11 children, Sarah had the typical puritan wife’s role of hard work at home and support of a husband who spent a lot of his energy to ministry (I’m not condoning that, by the way. I need to be a great helper to my wife and children).

In the book, there is a reference to a study done by A.E. Winship comparing a family named ‘Jukes” and the Edwards family. The ‘Jukes’ (anonymously named to protect the family) were a notorious band of renegades who cost the state of New York 1.2 million dollars in welfare and custodial charges. They all originated from one immigrant who settled in that area in 1720 and produced a ‘tribe of idleness, ignorance, and vulgarity”.
Only 20 of the 1200 Jukes had ever had gainful employment!

Compare that to the legacy of Sarah Edwards. Her humble reliance on God allowed her to be a vessel of greatness to God’s kingdom. Of the 1400 Edwards linked to Sarah, the family produced:
13 college presidents
65 professors
100 lawyers (including a dean of an outstanding law school)
30 judges
66 physicians and a dean of a medical school
80 holders of public office including,
3 US senators
Mayors of 3 large cities
3 state governors
a vice president of the US
a controller of the US treasury.
Along with 135 authors and hundreds of missionaries!

Mr. Winship commented: “Much of the capacity and talent, intensity and character, of more than 1400 of the Edward’s family is due to Mrs. Edwards.”
My prayer is that our moms will see the fruit of this hard, frustrating, and beautiful labor of love!
Bless you!

John Calvin On Enjoying Life and Enjoying God

“Scripture gives us plenty of teaching about proper use of earthly blessings and as we plan our lives, we must not ignore it. If we are to live at all, of course we need certain essential supports. But we should not exclude many things which seem to have more to do with pleasure than necessity. We must find a happy medium, so that we use everything in the right way, with a clear conscience.

(The Lord says)… that this life is a kind of pilgrimage through which we press on to the heavenly kingdom. If we are only passing through we must, of course, use temporal blessings only as they assist our progress and do not hinder us.

This world is a slippery place and there is real danger of falling, so let us set our feet where we can stand securely.

There are some good and holy men who when they saw constant overindulgence wanted to curb and correct it, but thought there was no other way than to allow men only the bare necessities. This is godly advice but unnecessarily severe, because it binds our consciences in closer fetters than they are bound by God’s Word.

Necessity, according to them, meant abstinence from anything desirable, so that bread and water was the rule.

At the opposite extreme, many today look for an excuse for excessive self-indulgence in the use of material things. They take for granted their liberty must not be restrained in any way, but that it should be left to every man’s conscience to do whatever he thinks is right.

I agree that conscience should not be bound by rigid laws, but because Scripture has laid down general principles for the use of material possessions, we should keep within the limits laid down.”
John Calvin
From “the Institutes of Christian Religion”
Book 3 Ch 10
How to Use the Present Life and Its Comforts

What Obama Should Say

I am a Christian first. This means that I willingly submit to the governing authorities (Rom 13) but I do not believe that the government can solve most human misery. The church is God's instrument for serving man's misery . The welfare state is a drain and massive bureaucracy is a burden.

I have voted republican all of my adult life. My decision to side with conservatives is that they presume to be for smaller government and traditionally have stood for values that confirm my world view.

The republicans have not followed the Reagan formula, in my opinion, and have not fulfilled my desires for what government should be.

All of this is a lead in to what I believe Barak Obama should say in regards to the Wright controversy. If he said this, and meant it- I might be persuaded to support him.

He won't say this- but it was fun typing it!



My Fellow Americans,

I’m standing before you today as I have throughout my campaign for President wanting to serve this country and lead.

My faith has been a foundational part of this quest and strengthens me even now. I know that I am in the exact place where God wants me. I wish the process were easy, but I also know that an easy process would not be a proper preparation for the office.

I addressed the nation some weeks back in an effort to make sense of the controversy surrounding my former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright. He calls me a member and a politician and I call him a mentor and friend.

My relationship with Christ compels me to bear with others and forgive. The message of the gospel is one of universal flaw and individual responsibility. The gospel message is Christ’s atonement that covers man’s sin. Christ himself spoke of the potential divisive applications of his message. A holy God and flawed men creates constant dilemmas. This current dilemma regarding my pastor actually foreshadows the dilemma of being the highest executive officer of a pluralistic and free nation.

I am a Christian, and yet I will lead the hopes and dreams of people of many faiths. I am an African American, but will have to make decisions with no regard to color. The political lobbyists will hope to assume their usual roles in drafting the game plan for their President for what they want him to be. I am under no compulsion from any special group.

When Rev. Wright’s statements first hit the media, I realized the difficulty of the position I was in. To distance myself outright would appear disloyal and political, the very ideals I want my presidency to escape. It also puts my relationship with the black community in jeopardy because Rev. Wright couches his views behind the curtain of the black church.
I used the last situation with Rev. Wright to make a commentary on the complex issues of race in our country today.

I recently reviewed what I have said in my response to my former pastor. The words I spoke were true and filled with a desire to bring healing to our land.

Then I heard Rev. Wright’s answers to the media yesterday and I am appalled. I held out an olive branch, and he stripped off the leaves and used it as a switch to brow beat the American people.

I now am fully convinced that part of my Presidency should be to bring an end of this race baiting- not from the white community, but, sadly, from the black community.

I now openly condemn the bitterness of Rev. Jeremiah Wright and many others who see America in the lens of hatred. I believe firmly in their right to proclaim their views, but I boldly accept my responsibility to condemn it. In this country we treat addictive behavior, but we have an equal problem with cynical hearts.

America is not a terrorist nation. America did not invent the aids virus to use against the poor. Any person who espouses some of these ridiculous conspiracies, including the self-demolition of the World Trade Center, should be silenced by objective evidence and civilized discourse.

It is my faith that had me bear with Rev. Wright. It is that same faith today that has me denounce his venomous, non-biblical message. I want to be a human being who spares coat and service to those in need. However, I have erred. My mistake was walking miles too long with a man who I love for pointing me to Christ. This man has now pushed Christ out of the spotlight and is enjoying it all to himself.

I want to lead this nation past the debate of race. Dr King’s dream of’ judging the content of the character’ instead of the color of the skin needs to be seen in my desire to lead.
I ask your forgiveness in waiting too long to carry the mantle well and, as President, I will make sure it is a mantle for all Americans.

Prayer for America- Re-post

originally in November 2004

Dear God Our Father,
In this time of great division and danger, we ask that you help us. Not that we deserve it, but we want to continue to be a beacon of hope and a model of success. This life is a mixed bag and a temporary host. May you allow us to continue being a preservative of the natural entropy of order.
Lord, the churches are dark in the old land and selfishness reigns. Intellectual imperialism tickles the ears but salve no wounds. Our churches are flickering. Please revive us- give us soft hearts of love and united hearts of courage. We wimper in our prosperity and hoard our greed.
Be gracious to our leaders and heal our land.
In the name and example of Christ,
AMEN

What's Wrong About Wright?

II Timothy 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

I write this particular post with great sadness. After listening to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright over the last two days, I have felt my heart torn into when I see the disunity of our country and particularly the church.

At the National Press Club, yesterday, I saw this disunity personified in the comments of Rev. Jeremiah Wright. I heard a man who is so off the mark of true, Biblical Christianity that I bristle when I hear men call him a ‘scholar’….( “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth”).

Where do you begin attacking such faulty theology and practice? His views are so outrageous. What is Rev Wrights source of truth? It can’t be the Scriptures. He spoke of being accountable to God, but He is dangerously accountable to no one and is a poor representative of the God he says he represents. He is enjoying his spotlight time so much. It almost seems he is enjoying taking his 'member' down. Great shepherd, huh?

He mangled the gospel of forgiveness by implying that if it is not asked for and proven in restitution, it is not given.

News agencies do not want to solve any conflict- they sell the controversy.

Some leading African American leaders profit from the controversy.

No white person will even dare touch it.

We are in trouble if this downward spiral is not brought under control. Our only hope is repentance and revival.

I will re-post my prayer for America.
And the call is now to the church- we have to stand on the truth of God’s word and boldly proclaim the true gospel.

Lord, please forgive us and save us. Turn our hearts back to You.

The Wealth of Wisdom- Help When I'm Weary

This is a Monday.

This is one of those Mondays where my head is spinning. I have a lot going on right now and it all seems to be pressing in on me.

So in the quietness of the morning I will pray. It will be an earnest prayer.

Then I will get up and take it one step at a time, trusting my Savior to lead me in the paths of righteousness.... for His name.

Read the passage below from Job. Mankind does some amazing things. But there is only one place for wisdom. When I'm in over my head... I'm thankful that I don't have to trust in me.
Father, I need Your wisdom!

Job 28:1 "People know how to mine silver and refine gold. 2 They know how to dig iron from the earth and smelt copper from stone. 3 They know how to put light into darkness and explore the farthest, darkest regions of the earth as they search for ore. 4 They sink a mine shaft into the earth far from where anyone lives. They descend on ropes, swinging back and forth. 5 Bread comes from the earth, but below the surface the earth is melted as by fire. 6 "People know how to find sapphires and gold dust – 7 treasures that no bird of prey can see, no falcon's eye observe – 8 for they are deep within the mines. No wild animal has ever walked upon those treasures; no lion has set his paw there. 9 People know how to tear apart flinty rocks and overturn the roots of mountains. 10 They cut tunnels in the rocks and uncover precious stones. 11 They dam up the trickling streams and bring to light the hidden treasures. 12 "But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? 13 No one knows where to find it, for it is not found among the living.

14 'It is not here,' says the ocean. 'Nor is it here,' says the sea. 15 "It cannot be bought for gold or silver. 16 Its value is greater than all the gold of Ophir, greater than precious onyx stone or sapphires. 17 Wisdom is far more valuable than gold and crystal. It cannot be purchased with jewels mounted in fine gold. 18 Coral and valuable rock crystal are worthless in trying to get it. The price of wisdom is far above pearls. 19 Topaz from Ethiopia cannot be exchanged for it. Its value is greater than the purest gold.

20 "But do people know where to find wisdom? Where can they find understanding? 21 For it is hidden from the eyes of all humanity. Even the sharp-eyed birds in the sky cannot discover it. 22 But Destruction and Death say, 'We have heard a rumor of where wisdom can be found.' 23 "God surely knows where it can be found, 24 for he looks throughout the whole earth, under all the heavens. 25 He made the winds blow and determined how much rain should fall. 26 He made the laws of the rain and prepared a path for the lightning. 27 Then, when he had done all this, he saw wisdom and measured it. He established it and examined it thoroughly. 28 And this is what he says to all humanity: 'The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.'"

Pillars of Purpose

I will turn 44 this August. I keep thinking at some point I will get a mid-life crisis. I can't remember having one or if I did, it was such a mild case there wasn't even a blip. If it is still to come, it make me feel better about mid-life. I'll take 88 or better.

I want to take a few posts to ramble about 4 foundation stones that have supported me, so powerfully, that my life is filled with excitement and peace. The architect of these stones is God the Father and the cornerstone is Jesus Christ. May all the glory go to Him as I relate these pillars of Purpose.

Dedication- I begin with dedication. What is the source of the sustainable desire to live for God and practice His truth? My dedication is wholly due to the glorious providence of God. Before the very foundation of the world, He graciously chose to adopt me into His family. At the right time, His spirit called be with an irresistible draw to which I responded by repentance and faith in the death of Christ as the covering of my sins. I am now being sustained by the power and working of His spirit. It is a persevering power. When I was little, I would 'turn over new leaves' and be a good boy for a little while. I actually made my bed everyday for 2 whole weeks! But every endeavor always wore thin and fizzled out. Since God's spirit has been in my life I have endurance to live and love. So when I say, "I'm dedicated"- it is due to His preserving sustenance and nothing within me. Sometimes, when I think I am at the end of my rope, tired and doubting, He comes to the rescue and fluffs the sails. Praise and thanks to Him alone!

Preparation- This dedication leads to preparation. God has given me a voracious appetite for truth. It begins in His word, which is my only rule of life and faith. But He has also given beautiful blessings of music, preaching, writing of other Christians and non-believers to push and prod, teach and transform. The internet can be used for evil, but it is my favorite source of knowledge. My hats off to monergism.com for pulling together the greatest resource of reformed ideas on the web! I could spend the rest of my life there. But with that I enjoy Ravi Zacharius, tons of itunes music, and random news from Matt Drudge. The Bible study, understanding doctrine (especially the Westminster Confession of Faith) and church history, and outside sources has prepared me even though I have miles to go. I am especially indebted to Covenant Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary for putting some of their courses online. I especially recommend Dr David Calhoun's courses at Covenant (all free!).

Proclamation- Preparation leads to proclamation. I am growing more excited about sharing my faith. Not just in a teaching ministry, but one on one. The Lord is making me aware of people that I need to share the gospel with and I am getting where I truly love doing it. Evangelism is not an activity for me to earn brownie points with God, but it is a privilege to be my Father's ambassador in this world. I want my words and actions to proclaim Him at all times!

Celebration- Finally....worship. Why has it taken me so long to learn how to worship my Creator and Savior? I can't explain how.. but my worship has been transformed. It is not a 'style'- I can worship in any environment. It is not a building- I can worship in a garbage can Worship is where I come to cry out to my God in celebration of all He has done for me. It is prayer and praise! It is hearing the Word being preached. It is especially sweet in the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's table.

I still have a long way to go in these 4 pillars. But my prayer is that you would find the sweetness of Christ in just this same way!

Reformation Men’s Club Travels to Princeton University

The Reformation Men’s Club (RMC) traveled to historic Princeton University April 18-20 with Covenant Seminary Professor, Dr. David Calhoun. The theme of the weekend retreat was "Grace to Eternity: A History and Vision of Service to Christ's Kingdom."

Dr. Calhoun has authored a two- volume history of the University and Seminary. He writes, “From 1812 – 1929, Princeton Theological Seminary presented a coherent, continual effort to teach and practice what the Princetonians believed was historic Reformed Christianity. In this they were, in my opinion, successful. They taught theology as they found it in the Bible and it honored the faith and findings of Augustine, Calvin, and the Westminster Standards. They not only taught it, they lived it. They may have made mistakes, but they stood squarely in the great stream of historic Christianity and orthodox Calvinism.”

The group of 15 men stayed at the historic Nassau Inn in the heart of Palmer’s Square and enjoyed ‘the best spring day of the entire year’ according to a local shop owner. The Cherry trees were in full bloom and showered the campus with snow.

Dr Calhoun began Saturday morning with a history of Princeton before leading the group on a campus tour. This tour included an inspiring lecture in the famous “Oratory” of Alexander Hall. The group also had a pleasant and unscheduled encounter with Dr. Bill Frist, a Princeton Alum and current guest teacher.

After watching Princeton defeat Penn in an afternoon baseball game, the group then joined Dr. Calhoun at the Princeton cemetery often called ‘the Westminster Abbey of America’. Dr Calhoun shared stories of heroes of our faith as the group visited the tombs of Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, B.B. Warfield, President Grover Cleveland, and others.

Sunday morning included worship at Nassau Inn with Dr. Calhoun preaching a sermon on applying lessons from Princeton to both CPA and Covenant Seminary and concluded with a time of prayer and meditation in Princeton’s beautiful chapel, the 3rd largest on-campus chapel in the world.

In the end, the trip allowed the group to see the fruit of Dr. John Witherspoon’s Vision to “produce consecrated Christian students with an integrated and thoroughly Biblical world view”. This vision produced 114 clergy, the founders of ten colleges, 13 college presidents, 1 president of US (James Madison), 1 VP, 9 cabinet officers, 21 US senators, 3 supreme court justices, 12 state governors and 39 judges during his administration of 26 years.

RMC Goes to Princeton

We have 15 men leaving from Nashville tomorrow headed to Princeton for a weekend trip with Dr. David Calhoun of Covenant Seminary.

I am really excited to see history up close and meditate on what made Princeton one of the most stalwart institutions for the historic reformed faith in America and what may have led to the dimming of that light.

As a Christian educator, I want God to make our school in Nashville like that renowned place of old. We want to be in the historic stream of the gospel and see men and women prepared to impact culture for Christ.

Hope to give a good report soon!