Well, I'm back from Orlando, Fla. and would like to take this time to give a shout out to my son and his baseball team. They won the AAU National championship for their age group (11 yr. olds). What fun! Teams from all over the nation participated and while it was fairly hot the entire week, fans from all over got to see some great baseball from some superbly talented kids. My son (God bless him!) was singled out for his pitching perfomances (and a big hit)in the "most exciting game of the tournament" vs. the 4th ranked Florida Fire and in the championship game vs. the 11th ranked Virginia Storm. Yeah, they got national rankings for youth baseball.
Speaking of Orlando, I also got a chance to vist the Holy Land Experience. And how was it? Not bad. Excellent potential. It is obviously small in comparison to the other Orlando attractions, but I think it needs a bigger vision than it now has. I'd recommend it but with reservations. The temptation to "Disney-ise" some very solemn and passionate themes lurks heavily. But the architectural mock-ups are not bad at all. If this thing could be made larger and with serious eye to worship and reverence, it would be phenomenal.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
More complex than we thought...
David Brooks writes an interesting op-ed piece in the New York Times regarding the conundrum science is facing in its excursions into the human brain. In seeking to determine the source of human behavior neuroscientists and geneticists are finding the human mind to be much more complex than expected, thereby dashing initial hopes of being able to engineer human traits. As it turns out, a single gene cannot influence a single trait all by itself as was once thought.
Moreover, research is showing that genes are influenced by environmental factors. Wow. So much for the Nature vs. Nurture debate. It isn't "either/or", but rather "both/and". So I suppose creating "designer" babies is on hold for now. But look out, the geneticists are just waiting for the ethical waters to ebb.
Being fearfully and wonderfully made has its benefits.
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
Moreover, research is showing that genes are influenced by environmental factors. Wow. So much for the Nature vs. Nurture debate. It isn't "either/or", but rather "both/and". So I suppose creating "designer" babies is on hold for now. But look out, the geneticists are just waiting for the ethical waters to ebb.
Being fearfully and wonderfully made has its benefits.
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Pro-Lifers in the NAACP!
Yep, you read it right. Caught it on the First Things blog. Apparently There are some who haven't bowed their knee to Baal or Moloch or Mrs. Sanger - and others who are questioning their past allegiances. The Wall Street Journal - of all sources - provides the story that questions the previously unquestionable. Pastors are - at long last - waking up!
You go, Dr. King! Er, Dr. Alveda King! Let's hope this thing gets some serious traction.
Enjoy!
You go, Dr. King! Er, Dr. Alveda King! Let's hope this thing gets some serious traction.
Enjoy!
Mighty Victory or Martyrdom?
I watch TV ministries and Christian programming quite a bit. Daystar and TBN are constantly on. I've always been fascinated by the rapid growth and popularity of the many "mighty victory faith" mega-churches in the U.S. and have wondered, "How is it that they are seemingly unaware of the plight of the Persecuted Church throughout the world?" I mean, when you think about it, it seems peculiar to me that this subject is never mentioned in their "claiming victory" sermons. It is a fact that almost daily fellow Christian brothers and sisters are fined, jailed, beaten, and experiencing church closures; Christian women and girls are raped, pastors are beaten and even murdered merely for being a Christian, or preaching the gospel, or for handing out Bibles. The "watch" list of countries on the Persecuted Church list are numerous. These are but a few: China, Eritrea, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Russia, Somalia, Sudan, Vietnam, North Korea, and several of the Islamic nations of the world.
So my question is this: are Christians being persecuted in these countries because they are not "claiming their victory of safety and security" in Christ?
In our devotions and reflections, shouldn't we be preparing our hearts and minds to suffer for the Cross and endure its persecutions, or should we be proclaiming another gospel by offering the counter-claim that "we have not because we ask not"? If the latter, shouldn't we be telling this to our persecuted brethren who are suffering needlessly? After all, isn't it the case that we in America (the USA) are the ones suffering relatively little and they - our persecuted sister churches - suffering the most? Come to think of it, when was the last time you heard a faith preacher claim "patient endurance"?
I have a theory. Call it an intuitive guess. Devote at least six hours a day of programming to Christian suffering and persecution - and sprinkle it liberally throughout prime time where faith evangelists predominate - and let's see if the faith programming will survive. My theory is that it can't survive. Or could it? Consider what sort of signals would be sent out when just after a Voice of the Martyrs telecast has ended, a Kenneth Copeland show or a Creflo Dollar telecast would come on. Perhaps a Christian program about the martyrdom and persecution of the early church afterward. Then on to Joel Osteen. The theological tension could be cut with a knife! One show would be suggesting that suffering is part and parcel of the Christian experience while the other would be claiming that suffering is due to a lack of faith. One would suggest that suffering builds a critical component of the fruit of the Spirit like patience, for example. The other would propose that a lack of faith is the reason why those jailed for the Savior's sake are not experiencing their "Paul and Silas victory". How does one reconcile that? An even better question, is such a reconciliation possible? Imagine pastor Rod, or bishop Jakes, "I bind the government of Eritrea, of Sudan, and of China!" "I claim the release of Christian prisoners and captives, worldwide!"
Cynicsm aside, I do believe that miracles are possible for our day, and I do believe in praying to set Christian captives abroad free. And I would greatly rejoice to hear a TV evangelist lead his congregation and television audience in praying for the Persecuted Church. But somehow I'm not sure if that would ever happen. There's entirely too much ease in Zion - and too many prophets of Baal on the loose.
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
So my question is this: are Christians being persecuted in these countries because they are not "claiming their victory of safety and security" in Christ?
In our devotions and reflections, shouldn't we be preparing our hearts and minds to suffer for the Cross and endure its persecutions, or should we be proclaiming another gospel by offering the counter-claim that "we have not because we ask not"? If the latter, shouldn't we be telling this to our persecuted brethren who are suffering needlessly? After all, isn't it the case that we in America (the USA) are the ones suffering relatively little and they - our persecuted sister churches - suffering the most? Come to think of it, when was the last time you heard a faith preacher claim "patient endurance"?
I have a theory. Call it an intuitive guess. Devote at least six hours a day of programming to Christian suffering and persecution - and sprinkle it liberally throughout prime time where faith evangelists predominate - and let's see if the faith programming will survive. My theory is that it can't survive. Or could it? Consider what sort of signals would be sent out when just after a Voice of the Martyrs telecast has ended, a Kenneth Copeland show or a Creflo Dollar telecast would come on. Perhaps a Christian program about the martyrdom and persecution of the early church afterward. Then on to Joel Osteen. The theological tension could be cut with a knife! One show would be suggesting that suffering is part and parcel of the Christian experience while the other would be claiming that suffering is due to a lack of faith. One would suggest that suffering builds a critical component of the fruit of the Spirit like patience, for example. The other would propose that a lack of faith is the reason why those jailed for the Savior's sake are not experiencing their "Paul and Silas victory". How does one reconcile that? An even better question, is such a reconciliation possible? Imagine pastor Rod, or bishop Jakes, "I bind the government of Eritrea, of Sudan, and of China!" "I claim the release of Christian prisoners and captives, worldwide!"
Cynicsm aside, I do believe that miracles are possible for our day, and I do believe in praying to set Christian captives abroad free. And I would greatly rejoice to hear a TV evangelist lead his congregation and television audience in praying for the Persecuted Church. But somehow I'm not sure if that would ever happen. There's entirely too much ease in Zion - and too many prophets of Baal on the loose.
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
God is not dead...yet!
A great article from William Lane Craig graces the cover of the July issue of Christianity Today. Great stuff! God is not dead...yet! Apologetics is back!
Friday, July 11, 2008
"Those who bless you I will bless"
I am a firm believer in Genesis 12:3's covenant promise to both Jew and Gentile. My devotional this AM was especially uplifting. We have blessings coming our way when we bless the Jewish people and Israel.
The Lord has kindled a fire...
I hate to read too much into the headlines, but doesn't it seem as if the fires in California are burning with an unusual fervor, multiplying at will? It has an almost chastening vibe to it given that now high temperatures are an added threat. This calls to mind the following scripture:
Lamentations 4:11
The LORD has accomplished his fury; he has poured out his fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured the foundations thereof.
Gov. Ah-nold Schwarznegger has called for federal assistance. And conventional wisdom said it would be the San Andreas fault to do the Golden State in.
Raging fires, gloomy economic tidings on Wall St. , enormously high gas prices, threatening talk from Iran, Russia, and the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could be signs of America's decline. Don't forget to pray every day for our nation and its leaders.
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
Lamentations 4:11
The LORD has accomplished his fury; he has poured out his fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has devoured the foundations thereof.
Gov. Ah-nold Schwarznegger has called for federal assistance. And conventional wisdom said it would be the San Andreas fault to do the Golden State in.
Raging fires, gloomy economic tidings on Wall St. , enormously high gas prices, threatening talk from Iran, Russia, and the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could be signs of America's decline. Don't forget to pray every day for our nation and its leaders.
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
