Of Free Will and Anarchy

Judges 17:6
In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

I will do.

I will go.

I am free.

It is my life and I will do what I want with it.

Libertarian free will and its philosophical offspring libertarianism will by necessity lead to anarchy.

According to Funk and Wagnall's Dictionary

lib-er-tar-i-an, n. 1. a person who advocates liberty, esp. with regard to thought or conduct.... advocating liberty or conforming to principles of liberty.

We, especially as Americans, love our liberties, our pursuit of happiness, and the American Dream with little or no hindrance to what I want and when I want it.  We have been taught to varying degrees that we are free and have the ability to freely choose whatever we want.
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Freedom Apart From God

The leading opponent, Democratic Sen. Ruben Diaz, was given only a few minutes to state his case during the Senate debate.

"God, not Albany, settled the issue of marriage a long time ago," said Diaz, a Bronx minister. "I'm sorry you are trying to take away my right to speak," he said. "Why are you ashamed of what I have to say?"

After days of contentious negotiations and last-minute reversals by two Republican senators...

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The United State of Man

Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death

Patrick Henry, 1775

We in America have a long history of autonomy, rugged individualism, pragmatism, and the pull yourself up by your bootstraps mentality that many ( not all ) relate to.  We want to be our own person, do our own thing, and go our own way without the government, our elders, or any authority directing our actions or limiting our " freedom ", but are we truly free?

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Lights, Camera, Action!

My playground was the theatre. I'd sit and watch my mother pretend for a living. As a young girl, that's pretty seductive.

Gwyneth Paltrow

As I was reading this week I came across an article detailing The Top Ten Historical Impostors and I began to thinking: Who am I and is what I portray to the world who I really am?  Am I doing what is quoted above and pretending for a living and  by doing such am I seducing and being seduced at the same time?

 

Hypocrisy : a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.

Pretending on stage is referred to as art and theater, but offstage it is hypocrisy and here is what Scripture has to say about it:

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The Church, Parents, and Universities Oh My!!

On this Friday I only have one link to share and I feel that it is a good read for everyone who claims to be a Christian and parents at the same time. Mike Duran, at His blog DeCompose, wrote about the failure of the Church to produce young adults who are strong in their faith and can withstand the pressures of secularized higher education.

For many years, especially in the United States, we have abandoned the intellect to anecdotal wisdom and emotional outbursts which are a poor substitute for rigorous and faithful study of the Scriptures and the history of the Church. 
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Can Christians Sin? The Answer

1 John 1:8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

There is a pernicious doctrine making its rounds over the Internet and through our churches today called sinless perfectionism.  Sinless Perfectionism quickly defined is:

The belief that once saved someone can and does obtain perfection in this life since they are " in Christ " and they are a " new creation ".  It is the belief that one has arrived at the destination of ultimate glorification and believers are completely and wholly free from sin.

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Can Christians Sin?

I have been going the rounds of the Internet the last few days and I have seen something that is rather alarming: The notion that Christians cannot sin. 

I have been aware of the doctrine of sinless perfectionism for quite some time but I did not know that it apparently had become so prevalent.  I have seen quotes ranging from " those who are in Him are unable to sin " to " I have not sinned for weeks ".  This sentiments are both dangerous and unbiblical.  They place a burden upon the believer that they are in no way capable of carrying to its logical and practical conclusions. 

We are not yet perfect brethren and we are still living in the confines of this flesh.  We are not yet ultimately glorified and as such we must deal with the curse of sin.

Tomorrow I am going to deal with this more thoroughly so please read Here to find out more!!

Faith, Religion, and Politics

I would rather be ruled by a wise Turk than a foolish Christian.

Martin Luther

It seems that here in America we are now in a never-ending political campaign season.  The ads never stop,  the politicians are always politicking, and we are inundated with news flash after news flash.  Yahoo, Google, Bing, MSN, Fox, MediaMatters, and a vast array of others vie for our attention to keep us informed about our leaders sex lives, their choices of schools for their children, and what type of aftershave or perfume they wear.

We are not a theocracy, I am not a theonomist, and God has never commanded anyone presently living to establish His present and future Kingdom upon this Earth.
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Life's Narrative

Luke 12:20-21

 ²⁰But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?
 ²¹So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Why, after Tressel admitted in March that he played ineligible players and lied to the NCAA about it, did people still rush to his defense, claiming him an otherwise perfect coach who made one little mistake?

Because Tressel, Ohio State and a compliant media -- yes, I'm just as guilty as the other two parties -- sold that narrative so well.- Andy Staples, Sports Illustrated

 I do not know what kind of man Coach Tressel is; I have not never met him and I probably never will, but he does have something in common with all of us.  His life is a narrative, a story, and a journey from the cradle to the grave filled with triumphs and failures.  How we travel down that road, how we conduct ourselves, and the way we relate to others will fill the pages of our lives with the saga of who we are and what God would have us become.

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In Memorandum

Memorial: Serving to Preserve Remembrance

We memorializes our heroes and often our villains.  We memorialize our triumphs and our failures.  We have grand days of remembrance celebrated throughout our land and our own personal days where we sit in introspection dwelling on things that have gone by.  I would like to urge you now, this weekend, and this coming Memorial Day to remember those who gave their lives in service to this country.  Some were good and Godly men and women and others were not.  Some gave up families, homes, and jobs while others were looking for a way out of difficult circumstances but they all served and died for those of us who live here now and for future generations.  Regardless of your views on wars and whether any can ever be " righteous " these men and women gave their all so that you could hold that opinion in the freedom entrusted to all Americans.  So please put aside partisan politics and petty differences to remember those fallen soldiers on Memorial Day.

As a Christian what do you memorialize?

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The Command has Been Given

Acts 17:30-31 (New American Standard Bible)

 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

I need to ask everyone reading this a question and you in turn need to ask your friends and loved ones.  If you were to stand before Christ the Righteous Judge, whether through death or His return, what would His reaction and judgment be?  Every knee will bow before Him and give an account of the works done in the flesh, the talents we had, and the wasted opportunities that litter our lives, but will your bowing be with grace to the Lord who has redeemed you or will it be in continued rebellion against the One who created you?

I am not into silly sentimental revivalistic rhetoric with the pleading organ playing while false converts line the aisles, but I am into the command of God for all men everywhere to repent for He will no longer overlook the  ignorance as  in times past but will judge everyone according to the One He has raised from the dead ( Acts 17 ).  Pray to God that He would have mercy on you and grant you the faith to believe unto repentance.  Give God the glory as He softens your heart and causes the Word to take root and grow.  Do not harden your own heart with the deceitfulness of sin but rather call on Him while He may be found.

Where will you stand on the day of Judgment?

Quick Thoughts

Just a few quick thoughts today.

1. Should Harold Camping be held accountable for the violent crimes committed by those trying to avoid the Tribulation?
2. Should Camping and Family Radio reimburse the money given to them by their Rapturites?
3. Do not get drawn into a debate with non-believers over End Times scenarios.  Why would they believe in the return of the one they refuse to believe in?
4. Present the Gospel to them instead.  You plant the seed, let someone else, water, and God will give the increase.
5. Know that the Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation and not numerology and carnival side-show prognostications
6. If you were foolish enough to believe Camping this time learn from your mistake and don't listen to date setters.
7. If you don't believe in Christ fall on your face before God today and beg Him for forgiveness.
8. Fellow Believers, when all else fails, Love the Lord your God with All Your Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength.  That is our goal.

The Scripture and Harold Camping

Matthew 24:36

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.

Much has been said recently about Harold Camping and his once merry band of followers in the recent days and because of this I have been personally leery of commenting further so as not to prolong the man's infamy. This is not because I have not thought, pondered, and offered the offhand conjecture but rather because both the secular and Christian media have beaten this dead horse again and again and in that saturated market I was not sure I could add anything to the discussion. However, here I am forging ahead and offering one more voice to the sea of madness.
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The Transforming Gospel: Man's Best Effort or God's Grace?

Rich in Mercy and Grace

Previously we explored  how  man's efforts at moralism is a bankrupt system and the difficulties that come from trying to earn a priceless gift.  Every false religion ranging from Buddhism to New Age, Jehovah's Witness to Mormonism, or any derivative of the Social Gospel and Moralism are either man's best effort at appeasing God or a corruption of the doctrines of grace.  The false assumption that anything we can do apart from God's grace is no Gospel at all, but a misplaced trust in the goodness of man.
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Church time Tomorrow

Are you going to fellowship with a body of believers tomorrow?  Will we congregate and worship the Lord with thanksgiving?  When we feel that we must complain about the Church we should remember some things:

1. The Church is the Bride of Christ and He loves Her
2. The Church is the Body of Christ made up of believers and He will defend it
3. The gates of Hell cannot prevail-they are rusted through and have no foundation
4. No local church is perfect-after all you are there
5. Be forgiving of your local Pastor-he is the leader of some smelly sheep
6. Remember that both tares and wheat grow in the field
7. Hypocrites are not confined to the church

I will end with this: No pastor ( or you ) lives up to what he preaches. If he does, he is preaching too low

Now go to bed and and get up ready to go and serve the Lord who has redeemed you

 

Christians have Lost

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Have we Lost??

I was confronted with something tonight. Something that was shocking, although it probably shouldn’t  have been considering all I have seen of and heard about the American church in recent years.  Maybe what I encountered was common in Third World Countries, the dark jungles of  Africa,  or behind the old Soviet Iron Curtain, but not here, not in my community.  There was no way this was happening,  not tonight, not so close to home…..
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An Eye Catching Video

Check out this video and make a determination for yourself.  If human life is  created in the Image of God as the Bible states at what point does that image appear?????

The Case Against Abortion: Prenatal Development

Losing Hell??? A Critique of an Emergent View of the Afterlife

There has been an uproar recently coming over the Internet from the Emergent Community and their opposition fueled by Rob Bell's new book, Love Wins, and the charge of universalism.  An entry located on Emergent Village Web log details the journey of one author's departure from historic orthodox Christianity to a more universalist approach to the doctrine of Hell.  In , What I Lost Losing Hell, Chad Holtz says, "I was raised in the church....I believed in an eternal Hell    ( rightly so )..(but) this all changed about three years ago....the past few years I have given thought to what I lost by losing Hell..."  Mr. Holtz is apparently unaware that by abandoning an orthodox view of Hell he is also abandoning an integral tenet of Christianity found in Scripture.
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THE BLAME

George Washington: It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.



Who is to Blame? Just whose fault is it as to why this had to happen? Is this the America we want or the one envisioned by those who came before us?  Is this the place we want to raise our families, where they can and are being destroyed?  How can we live with ourselves if we sit idly by and do nothing to rectify what is transpiring?

Noah Webster: If the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted.

Finger pointing, political grandstanding, self-righteous aggrandizement by our authorities, and the ever increasing vitriol and violent rhetoric by those in power are bombarding our senses daily but is this what we want?  Who are we as a people that we have allowed this to happen?  What is the nature of this once great melting pot of every creed and color?  Is this the same nation that once declared, " We find these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights...."".  Is this the same United States that threw off the shackles of tyranny by defying the British Empire and earning its freedom by standing upon these truths now to be enslaved by a lack of principles and a Godly Morality?

James Madison:  We've staked our future on our ability to follow the Ten commandments with all our heart.

We are not perfect, we never have been, and we never will be: but our founders had a vision of a free land for a free people governing themselves with a strong self-determination whose foundation was and is Sacred Scripture.  We have often failed in our quest to build such a society with these ideals; they have often slipped through our grasp like an early morning mist fleeing before the Sun, but there has always bee the ideal.  The mountaintop, the thing to be sought for, and through much labor and growing pains we have ever strove to attain to that ideal.  The vision of freedom and goodness; A people coming together to make America a better place and a land to be proud of.  How and where have we gone wrong?

Noah Webster:  In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, out to be instructed....No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.

This is not about Left or Right, Democrat or Republican, but rather of fanning the embers of what once made this country great: courage, sacrifice, freedom, and the unshakable knowledge that a Biblical morality was and is essential to the governance of this democracy.  This is about knowing that judgment begins at the House of God and that, " If My people who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven, then I will forgive their sin and heal their land."  Evil men will do evil things and as C.S. Lewis said, "...educating them will only make them a more clever devil."  This is about knowing right is right and wrong is wrong and that it is God who determines both.

Charles Carroll: Without morals a republic cannot subsist and length of time; they therefore who are decrying the christian religion, whose morality is so sublime and pure,...are undermining the solid foundation of morals, the best security for the duration of free government.

We need a revival, a renewal, another Great Awakening, and a move of God upon His people to stir us unto repentance and drive us towards holiness.  We need men and women of God to stand for what is right regardless the cost and reclaim their families, friends, and futures from the spiritual blindness that permeates this land.  WE need to stand together by the grace of God and proclaim His truths to a lost and dying world and to humble ourselves under the might hand of God and plead with our Creator for forgiveness and mercy.  There are no more excuses and the lines have been drawn; we cannot serve two masters and we are either for God or against Him.  There is no middle ground.  There is no lukewarm service.  There is no friendship with the world for it is enmity with God.

I asked who was to blame.  I have now come to a conclusion and it is a difficult one.  I could blame the perverseness of society or the decadence of western civilization but I honestly cannot.  I am to blame.  I and any one who has ever neglected our duty to elect principled men and women to office and let our government be ruled by the fringes of society.  I and anyone else who has ever relegated the commands of God to philosophical discussions or conducted the worship of the Almighty as a weekend social club.  I am to blame and it shames me to know that I am responsible, at least in part, for the the decline in the Christian morality of this country.  We as the people of God must stand up before the congregation of the saints and before the world and declare, " As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.."  Count the cost.  Look to the cross and remember upon what our lives as believers have been built; the sure foundation of Jesus Christ and recall that many of those who fashioned this country believed that was this country's  foundation also.