As many of you know, I really enjoy baseball. But with the news of steroids, HGH, spoiled mega-millionaires, and the Braves' return to near-doormat status, there is very little of virtue and interest going on in baseball - except maybe in youth sports. But alas, here's a story from the Christian Post about Fernando Tatis' return to the game after a two-year layoff. Why'd he do it? To build a church! He generously credits the Lord's hand in making all things possible. It's not easy to come back into professional baseball - the major leagues much less - after sitting out for two years. A heart warming story.
“To me, I take it this way: it’s a blessing for me to be here,” said Tatis, who is hitting .319 with a .519 slugging percentage in 160 at-bats as of Wednesday. “God has blessed me every day just to be here in the big leagues, to be alive. That’s the way that I take it right now. And it’s amazing.”
Psalm 21:2-6
Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah. For thou preventest him with the blessings of goodness: thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever. His glory is great in thy salvation: honour and majesty hast thou laid upon him. For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
Maybe there is still virtue in the game. Enjoy!
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
It had to happen...
How sad! This article from Christianity Today opened my eyes to the raggedy theology of the "name it - claim it" prosperity movement. The theology itself is a parody of scripture that opens the Bible up to wild interpretations and only in the context of wealth and the gullibility does it succeed. Like Mormonism, it is a parasite of Christianity that only has life in a pre-Christianized context, where people already know who Jesus is and who He died for, but who are deceptively open to additional non-scriptural claims about Him and His word. As a missionizing force "you can have what you say" is inevitably compromised by the very people groups under mission - themselves coming from demonic strongholds, false religions, and idolatry. What more can be said?
"There is the mentality, especially in African Initiated Churches, where the prosperity gospel is preached, that you do what you've got to do to get ahead. You rely on the powers available to you. You are hopeful that Christ will help, but when he can't come through on Sunday, you may take out a different insurance policy at night."
For further reading try Robert Bowman's book, "The Word-Faith Controversy", and D.R. McConnell's book entitled, "A Different Gospel".
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
"There is the mentality, especially in African Initiated Churches, where the prosperity gospel is preached, that you do what you've got to do to get ahead. You rely on the powers available to you. You are hopeful that Christ will help, but when he can't come through on Sunday, you may take out a different insurance policy at night."
For further reading try Robert Bowman's book, "The Word-Faith Controversy", and D.R. McConnell's book entitled, "A Different Gospel".
Baruch Hashem and Soli Deo Gloria!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
2008 Youth Baseball Championship
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.
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.
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!
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