I was raised in a Southern Baptist Church that taught the Holy Scriptures within the framework of the Baptist traditions of the day. Without being told, I was being taught the Holy Scriptures within a man-made framework called “Dispensationalism.” When it came to the Doctrine of Man, I was taught that while man was fallen in nature, he still had the capacity – yea, even the desire – to turn to Jesus Christ and be saved. When it came to the Doctrine of Salvation, I was taught that Jesus died for everyone – whoever was, is, or will be – and that man had a free will – unaffected by sin; consequently, while man had a fallen nature, he still could choose Christ – of his own free will. While hearing these teachings in sermons which were peppered with the mantra, “The Bible says,” I never questioned my pastor – for he was a good man. I never was taught to investigate the Scriptures for myself in order to discover what the “whole counsel of God” actually taught. Jesus had cast His vote for my salvation, Satan had cast his vote against my salvation, and that “I had to decide to follow Jesus” – I had to vote for my own salvation – with Jesus – in order to be saved. That is what I was taught.
My pastor never mentioned semi-Pelagianism or Arminianism. The positions which these two views held were foreign to me – neither did I ever hear of Calvinism. I knew nothing of the historical framework in which these views were taught. I just knew that I was a Baptist – and a Southern Baptist at that! While I was taught that the Bible had all the answers, I was never taught the importance of learning how to rightly divide the Word of Truth (II Timothy 2:15). If I wanted to know what Baptists believed, I was told to go to the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message – the Southern Baptist Convention Confession of Faith. It was in this state of mind and with these “Baptistic attitudes” that I grew into manhood.
After returning from the Vietnam War (in 1972) and being honorably discharged in 1974, I entered Criswell Center for Biblical Studies in Dallas, Texas for my seminary training. It was in courses on Church History, History of the Reformation and Baptist History that I first learned about the men: Pelagius, Jacobus Arminius and John Calvin, along with other men like Martin Luther, George Whitefield and Charles H. Spurgeon. I knew that I would like Charles Spurgeon when I discovered that he was a Baptist! It was when I began to take Systematic Theology that I learned what these men taught.
My professor for Systematic Theology I was a Briton by the name of John Pretlove. He was an excellent professor – but he was British! And I was an American! It was then that I discovered a latent prejudice against Britons that – because of history – I, along with a lot of Americans, have toward the British. When he began to introduce to the class the differences between Arminianism and Calvinism, I discovered that I had been raised by my pastor with one foot in the semi-Pelagian camp and the other foot in the Arminian camp. Each time the professor raised a Calvinistic point for discussion, I found myself rising in opposition to it – beginning my response to it with the phrase, “The Bible says!” Professor Pretlove listened patiently to my response and then would politely reply, “Brother Hopkins, where is your Scripture?” The following is one example of such a verbal exchange:
Professor Pretlove: “Calvinism teaches that Jesus came to save the Elect; that is, those sinners whom the Father gave to the Son before the foundation of the world.”
Me: “But the Bible says that Jesus came to save the world!”
Professor Pretlove: “Brother Hopkins, where is your Scripture?”
Me: “John 3:16 – ‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’”
Professor Pretlove: “Brother Hopkins, what do you do with the following Scriptures:
KJV Matthew 1:21 “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.”
And
KJV John 17:9 “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.”
And
KJV Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”
I would sit down totally frustrated. I knew a lot of what the Bible said, but I knew very few Scriptural addresses. And, since I did not have the Scriptural reference in my head, I could not adequately answer the professor. The resultant feelings ran deep inside me:
1. I greatly resented Professor Pretlove for embarrassing me in front of the class.
2. I did not dig into the Scriptures to find out what the whole counsel of God actually said on these issues. I was too busy being a full-time student.
3. I didn’t like Calvinism. It was different than what I had been taught, and it didn’t have the name Baptist connected to it. You can imagine my shock when I later discovered that Charles Spurgeon, a Baptist pastor, was a Calvinist!
I passed the course, but I maintained a distain for the professor until after I graduated from CCBS (in 1976).
In 1977, I was called by the Lord to pastor an SBC Church in Euless, Texas. I was delighted and entered into the pastorate with great zeal. Everything was going great for the first six months. One morning, as I entered my Study, I was suddenly struck with an overwhelming sense of God’s Presence. I went to my knees in prayer as a tremendous heaviness came over me. For the first time, the gravity of preaching and teaching the Word of God to His people really hit me! As I was pondering this heaviness, the following Scripture came to my mind:
NKJ Hebrews 13:17 ¶ “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
The phrase ‘as those who must give account’ really hit me hard. The fact that I would have to give an account of what I preached and taught the people of God suddenly gripped me. I became scared. The thought of my teaching something not consistent with the whole counsel of God terrified me. While in school, God had given me a great love for the Biblical languages: Hebrew and Greek. Now, I found myself being led of the Lord to begin searching the Scriptures in the languages it was originally written in, so that I could find out what the Holy Scripture truly said.
Over the next three days, I prayed and fasted while I studied the Holy Scriptures. I felt impressed by the Lord to call Professor Pretlove and ask his recommendation on some books that would assist me in honestly looking at the Doctrines of Grace. To be honest with you, I did not enjoy making that call – because of my dislike for the man. I was still sinning in that area of my life. I must also admit to you that I went into the study with a determination to tear apart Calvinism. Why God would bring Calvinism to my mind, I didn’t have a clue. In my humanity, I didn’t like it. But the thought of the souls of God’s people haunted me. I knew that I could not preach or teach until the Lord and me resolved this issue.
I would read a statement, and then I would dig into the Scriptures. I would translate every verse – I didn’t trust the English. I wanted to be sure I had it right! For three nights and three days I poured over the Scriptures, and as the Spirit of the Lord began to illumine my mind, the tears began to flow down my cheeks. I discovered many things – truths that were always there in the Scriptures, but I had never seen them before. And by the end of that period of prayer and fasting, I found myself to be a thorough going Calvinist in the same camp of Charles H. Spurgeon.
That was thirty-one years ago, and I am still learning more of the precious Doctrines of Grace. I will continue to strive to teach the whole counsel of God – The Doctrines of Grace – as long as there is breath in me. The souls of God’s people are precious.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
When Revival Comes
First, let me begin by defining what is Evangelism and what is Revival.
Evangelism is introducing Jesus Christ to the lost. It is as simple as that. While there are a myriad of methods used to present the Gospel (the Good News) of Jesus Christ, evangelism is, nevertheless, the presentation of Jesus Christ and His message of repentance to lost souls.
Revival, in its simplest terms, is both the reclaiming of the regenerate who have become hardened with sin, as well as inspiring the redeemed to greater depths of holiness before a thrice-holy God. Revival is not something that man works up, but that God pours down from heaven. The agent of revival is not the machinations of man, but God Himself. An evangelistic overflow is a consequence of spiritual revival.
When Revival comes, the following observations can be made:
1. There is an unmistakable divine visitation of God Himself! Planning committees cannot plan it, cottage prayer meetings cannot make it happen – God in His sovereignty elects to come down upon a meeting, whose heartfelt purpose is to glorify God. I am not talking about a three-day meeting, a week-long meeting, or even a two-week meeting. I am talking about a movement of God upon a group of people where the message is repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This kind of divine visitation is not – cannot be – controlled by man. God takes over the services. And the effect of God’s sovereign power is so strong that the affect is felt not only by the person in the pew or the stadium seat, but it also moves into the community itself. Lost people sense the presence of God in the community; and this evangelistic overflow results in lost people getting saved.
2. Sin is seen in all of its awfulness. Saved people who have been living hypocritical lives see the awfulness of their lives as they have been grieving the Holy Spirit within them. Lost people see the sins in their lives and come to realize that they are damned for all eternity unless they seek Jesus for mercy. The lost man comes to understand that he is living under the wrath of God, and that only the blood of Jesus Christ can save him from such wrath.
3. The whole counsel of God, as perceived in the Doctrines of Grace, is lovingly embraced by those who love the Scriptures. Gone are the me-centered sermons that lift up man, and in their place are messages that preach the sovereignty of God in all His love, all His justice and all His mercy. God-sent revivals will always center on a holy God Who hates sin, a God Who covenanted with His Son, Jesus Christ, to save a people that the Father gave to Jesus before the foundation of the world, and a God Who purposes to save sinners for whom Christ died!
4. As repentance runs deep, there is a great sensitivity to sin in a person’s life. Confession of sin is common in God-sent revivals – not only between believers who have held grudges against one another for years, but also a searching out of lost people in the community where wrong has been done, but has never been dealt with. In true God-sent revival, the gray of compromise and rationalism dissolves. And all that a person is left with is “I have sinned against God and man.” This new awareness leads to the reconciliation of relationships and the restoration of lives.
5. Illumination into the Word of God grows quickly as the person is sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is showing them in the Word of God. Hunger for the Word of God becomes immense and the thirst for the Living Waters of the Scriptures cannot be quenched. Sensitivity to the clock goes out the window as people seek “Thus saith the Lord.” The preaching of the Word of God becomes paramount. Meetings will often last for hours – with no complaint from the people.
6. Churches are called back to the pattern of the Biblical Church as shown in the Bible. Traditions made by man fall by the wayside, as churches seek the Scriptures for what it means to be the church of God. There are no sectarian biases, there are no denominational agendas in a God-sent revival. God calls his churches back to Him and His Word. This is why a truly God-sent revival transcends denominational lines as the Holy Spirit moves among the churches of a community to bring about revival in God’s people.
7. There is a distinct evangelistic overflow – the community feels the impact of a God-sent revival. Business practices are changed as God get a hold of the heart of the owner; worldliness ceases to be promoted as men get right with God. And the people of the community see the differences. Churches who have split off from one another forgive one another, and the people of the community – who have known of the splits and the hard feelings, take note of the changes. All of this leads to an openness on the part of the community to the revival, for it was the churches hypocrisy, bitterness toward one another, and an unforgiving spirit that kept so many lost people out of the churches.
8. Satan and his forces rise up against such a God-sent revival. Satan cannot tolerate the people of God repenting of their sins and getting right with God and with one another. The Evil One will do anything in his power to undermine, subvert, malign, and cripple the affects of a God-sent revival. He will use other disgruntled churches, who are jealous and envious over what is happening, to attack the preacher of the Gospel and the people who listen to what God is saying through His man. Plainly put, many churches don’t want a God-sent revival, and Satan knows this. He is all too willing to encourage them to stand against a God-sent revival.
This is the kind of Revival our community needs. This is what America needs. Oh, may God grant, in His boundless mercy, another great pouring out of His Spirit upon the churches in our land – and may Revival come!
Evangelism is introducing Jesus Christ to the lost. It is as simple as that. While there are a myriad of methods used to present the Gospel (the Good News) of Jesus Christ, evangelism is, nevertheless, the presentation of Jesus Christ and His message of repentance to lost souls.
Revival, in its simplest terms, is both the reclaiming of the regenerate who have become hardened with sin, as well as inspiring the redeemed to greater depths of holiness before a thrice-holy God. Revival is not something that man works up, but that God pours down from heaven. The agent of revival is not the machinations of man, but God Himself. An evangelistic overflow is a consequence of spiritual revival.
When Revival comes, the following observations can be made:
1. There is an unmistakable divine visitation of God Himself! Planning committees cannot plan it, cottage prayer meetings cannot make it happen – God in His sovereignty elects to come down upon a meeting, whose heartfelt purpose is to glorify God. I am not talking about a three-day meeting, a week-long meeting, or even a two-week meeting. I am talking about a movement of God upon a group of people where the message is repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This kind of divine visitation is not – cannot be – controlled by man. God takes over the services. And the effect of God’s sovereign power is so strong that the affect is felt not only by the person in the pew or the stadium seat, but it also moves into the community itself. Lost people sense the presence of God in the community; and this evangelistic overflow results in lost people getting saved.
2. Sin is seen in all of its awfulness. Saved people who have been living hypocritical lives see the awfulness of their lives as they have been grieving the Holy Spirit within them. Lost people see the sins in their lives and come to realize that they are damned for all eternity unless they seek Jesus for mercy. The lost man comes to understand that he is living under the wrath of God, and that only the blood of Jesus Christ can save him from such wrath.
3. The whole counsel of God, as perceived in the Doctrines of Grace, is lovingly embraced by those who love the Scriptures. Gone are the me-centered sermons that lift up man, and in their place are messages that preach the sovereignty of God in all His love, all His justice and all His mercy. God-sent revivals will always center on a holy God Who hates sin, a God Who covenanted with His Son, Jesus Christ, to save a people that the Father gave to Jesus before the foundation of the world, and a God Who purposes to save sinners for whom Christ died!
4. As repentance runs deep, there is a great sensitivity to sin in a person’s life. Confession of sin is common in God-sent revivals – not only between believers who have held grudges against one another for years, but also a searching out of lost people in the community where wrong has been done, but has never been dealt with. In true God-sent revival, the gray of compromise and rationalism dissolves. And all that a person is left with is “I have sinned against God and man.” This new awareness leads to the reconciliation of relationships and the restoration of lives.
5. Illumination into the Word of God grows quickly as the person is sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is showing them in the Word of God. Hunger for the Word of God becomes immense and the thirst for the Living Waters of the Scriptures cannot be quenched. Sensitivity to the clock goes out the window as people seek “Thus saith the Lord.” The preaching of the Word of God becomes paramount. Meetings will often last for hours – with no complaint from the people.
6. Churches are called back to the pattern of the Biblical Church as shown in the Bible. Traditions made by man fall by the wayside, as churches seek the Scriptures for what it means to be the church of God. There are no sectarian biases, there are no denominational agendas in a God-sent revival. God calls his churches back to Him and His Word. This is why a truly God-sent revival transcends denominational lines as the Holy Spirit moves among the churches of a community to bring about revival in God’s people.
7. There is a distinct evangelistic overflow – the community feels the impact of a God-sent revival. Business practices are changed as God get a hold of the heart of the owner; worldliness ceases to be promoted as men get right with God. And the people of the community see the differences. Churches who have split off from one another forgive one another, and the people of the community – who have known of the splits and the hard feelings, take note of the changes. All of this leads to an openness on the part of the community to the revival, for it was the churches hypocrisy, bitterness toward one another, and an unforgiving spirit that kept so many lost people out of the churches.
8. Satan and his forces rise up against such a God-sent revival. Satan cannot tolerate the people of God repenting of their sins and getting right with God and with one another. The Evil One will do anything in his power to undermine, subvert, malign, and cripple the affects of a God-sent revival. He will use other disgruntled churches, who are jealous and envious over what is happening, to attack the preacher of the Gospel and the people who listen to what God is saying through His man. Plainly put, many churches don’t want a God-sent revival, and Satan knows this. He is all too willing to encourage them to stand against a God-sent revival.
This is the kind of Revival our community needs. This is what America needs. Oh, may God grant, in His boundless mercy, another great pouring out of His Spirit upon the churches in our land – and may Revival come!
Friday, August 22, 2008
We Need Revival!
You don’t need to read the newspapers to know that America is in trouble. Discipline in the schools continues to be a major issue, as the hands of the teachers are tied by the ropes of federal regulations. Illegal drug use continues to rise; the demons of drug trafficking are strong in Osage County. Marital problems plague our families as more and more physical and mental abuse in the home becomes the norm. Weak preaching of the Gospel from our pulpits is producing weak church members in the pews. Morals are lax, Christian ethics are thrown out of the schoolroom, and the average citizen knows not what they can do to change any of it.
We have tried throwing more money at our schools, mistakenly thinking that the problem with education is financial in nature. It is not! Preachers have filled the ears of their church members with sermons of love, goodness, prosperity and health – and still we have a continuing decline of attendance in our churches. Self-help courses and self-improvement classes are at an all time high, yet depression, despair and despondency rages on unhindered in the hearts of an ever increasing number of people. People are loosing hope in their churches, their schools and their government at the local, county, state and federal levels. Something must be done, but what? If we don’t change the status quo, we will lose our beloved America in a generation. If we are not careful, we will wake up one day in a Marxist regime that will strip us of our individual liberties for the sake of the State. Yet, we should not make the mistake of thinking that our problems are political in nature. They are not!
The problem we have in Osage County is the same problem we have in our Country as a whole – we have rebelled against the Sovereign God and have turned our backs on Him. Unless we repent of our sins, and cry out to God for mercy, God’s judgment on us and America will be strong and swift. God has told us in the Holy Scriptures what we need to do:
2 Chronicles 7:14 14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
This call to repentance is not to the lost, but to the people of God! Our churches have more of the world in them than they have Christ in them. Revival is only realized in the hearts of His people! And this is what we need – revival of the individual Christian and revival of the churches. Only when repentance is realized in the heart of the believer, will lost men see the difference and be drawn to Christ. We need to seek God’s face and cry out to God for His mercy. Only then will God forgive our sins and heal our land.
We have tried throwing more money at our schools, mistakenly thinking that the problem with education is financial in nature. It is not! Preachers have filled the ears of their church members with sermons of love, goodness, prosperity and health – and still we have a continuing decline of attendance in our churches. Self-help courses and self-improvement classes are at an all time high, yet depression, despair and despondency rages on unhindered in the hearts of an ever increasing number of people. People are loosing hope in their churches, their schools and their government at the local, county, state and federal levels. Something must be done, but what? If we don’t change the status quo, we will lose our beloved America in a generation. If we are not careful, we will wake up one day in a Marxist regime that will strip us of our individual liberties for the sake of the State. Yet, we should not make the mistake of thinking that our problems are political in nature. They are not!
The problem we have in Osage County is the same problem we have in our Country as a whole – we have rebelled against the Sovereign God and have turned our backs on Him. Unless we repent of our sins, and cry out to God for mercy, God’s judgment on us and America will be strong and swift. God has told us in the Holy Scriptures what we need to do:
2 Chronicles 7:14 14 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”
This call to repentance is not to the lost, but to the people of God! Our churches have more of the world in them than they have Christ in them. Revival is only realized in the hearts of His people! And this is what we need – revival of the individual Christian and revival of the churches. Only when repentance is realized in the heart of the believer, will lost men see the difference and be drawn to Christ. We need to seek God’s face and cry out to God for His mercy. Only then will God forgive our sins and heal our land.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Take a Vacation
I know the price of gas is through the roof - and it is not going to get better in the near future. But taking a vacation can take many forms, it doesn't necessarily cost an arm and a leg to take one with the family.
In a recent study concerning the benefits of taking a vacation, one point stood out to me. It has been found that time away from the everyday grind is a positive thing relative to easing the tension that builds up over time in a person's life. In fact, the survey stated that taking a vacation will actually peal off so much tension in a person's life, that the effect would actually lengthen a person's life. I like that.
Distance from home and work is not the critical factor, it is the total detachment form home and work that makes a vacation work. Don't bring work with you, turn your cell phones off, and refrain from checking into the office - these are some of the things that you must do if you are going to have a successful vacation with your family.
Another thing that makes a vacation work is to totally focus on the family. If that is accomplished, then you will definitely make a good memory for the entire family - and isn't that one of the major reasons for taking a vacation - making a memory.
So, take a vacation. It is worth it.
In a recent study concerning the benefits of taking a vacation, one point stood out to me. It has been found that time away from the everyday grind is a positive thing relative to easing the tension that builds up over time in a person's life. In fact, the survey stated that taking a vacation will actually peal off so much tension in a person's life, that the effect would actually lengthen a person's life. I like that.
Distance from home and work is not the critical factor, it is the total detachment form home and work that makes a vacation work. Don't bring work with you, turn your cell phones off, and refrain from checking into the office - these are some of the things that you must do if you are going to have a successful vacation with your family.
Another thing that makes a vacation work is to totally focus on the family. If that is accomplished, then you will definitely make a good memory for the entire family - and isn't that one of the major reasons for taking a vacation - making a memory.
So, take a vacation. It is worth it.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Memorial Day and Remembering
For most Americans of the 21st century, Memorial Day represents a three day holiday in which you can spend time with your family. Nothing more. And this makes me very sad. Why?
As citizens, we have lost the need to remember the almost one million Americans who have given their lives in battles on this earth for the privileges which we, by and large, take for granted. All of these privileges, which are just assumed by the average American - as a given - can be found under the umbrella called "freedom." To get into your car and drive wherever you wish - is a freedom. To be able to stop where you want, eat what you want, buy what you want, and basically do what you want - all comes from - freedom. Americans have gotten used to freedom so much that the average American is hard pressed to define it when asked. When you are born with it, it is hard to explain it and easy to take advantage of it.
I believe this is one reason why Americans find it hard to understand much of the world; it is just as hard for much of the world to understand Americans for the same reason. The average American has had to pay little or nothing for the freedom they enjoy; whereas, the average citizen of the world would pay almost anything to have such freedom. There is a danger that lies in the human matrix of the mind when it comes to freedom. If freedom is not held precious but mundane, it can be lost overnight. On the other hand, if freedom cannot be realized by a human, that human will overtly seek to destroy the other human who takes freedom for granted. We must remember this.
This is what we are seeing played out on the world scene today. Islamic countries have been under religious bondage for centuries. And the radical elements of Islam, who manhandle their own people, are in earnest to destroy any person, people, or country who enjoys the freedom they do not have. Because their religion does not provide the freedom the human spirit seeks, the radicals seek to destroy the religion that promotes such freedom, and the adherents of such a religion. We must remember this.
America was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles that promote freedom of the soul. The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, stated that He came to set men free. He made good on such a claim by dying on a cross for the sins of His people, and sending the Holy Spirit to guide sinners to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Once a person receives Christ as their Lord and Savior, a whole new worldview opens up to that individual. And at the heart of this new worldview, is the concept of freedom. We must remember this.
Islamic radicals understand the connection between the Christian worldview and freedom. Liberals in our beloved Country do not understand the connection. They think that Christianity is an old time religion that needs to be forgotten. Secular progressive thinking that promotes the political correctness of today teaches that Americans must become more pluralistic in our thinking. Being absolute in anything is not appropriate in today's society - especially when it comes to faith and politics. Herein lies a dangerous weakness for our beloved USA. Politics simply is a reflection of our faith. Strong, vibrant Christian faith will display itself in a vibrant, strong politic of the people. Our Country was founded upon just such a strong, political ethic. We must remember this.
It is this Judeo-Christian foundation that liberals, with their existential thinking, are in earnest to destroy. What they deem to be irrelevant is the very thing that Islamic radicals want so much to destroy. Why? Because the Islamic radicals understand that the Judeo-Christian principles, upon which our Country was built, are not obsolete but rather essential to our very existence as a Nation. Bad politics make strange bedfellows; those who appose Christianity and are in earnest in trying to remove God from the political history of our Country find themselves in bed with the Islamic radicals who have the same goal in mind - the annihilation of the Christian worldview that has made America the world power that she is. We must remember this.
We must remember the strong faith displayed by the pilgrims when they first came to America. That faith carried them through their first hard winter wherein they realized a loss of half of their people. The pilgrims did not survive because of their politics, rather because of their strong faith. Their Christian worldview can be easily seen in every aspect of their life - including their politics. By acknowledging God and their need of Him, God blest them and carried them through their trials. We must remember this.
Throughout our American history, this dependency on God can be documented time and time again. Whenever Americans confessed their dependency upon God, God blessed them. By following His principles, as shown in His Holy Bible, America grew mighty and strong for the first two hundred years of her existence. We must remember this!
Nazism and Marxism were no match for a Country based on a Christian worldview. America was proud of her Christian heritage. We must remember this.
But times have changed. Today, radical Islam and terrorism is a two-headed hydra that is biting at our feet. But these are not the greatest enemies we have to fear. Our greatest enemies lie in the seditious waters of relativism and existentialism that are steadily eroding the very foundation of our Country. Since the 1960's we, as a Nation, began to lose our faith in our government leaders and in our religious leaders. That skepticism eventually has led us to lose our faith in all expressions of authority - from religion, to government, to family.
Our society is fast becoming a pluralistic society that stands for nothing - and will fall for anything! In rejecting man-made religion, we have rejected the one true God and the revelation of Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. The liberals cry, "Separation of church and state," and then misuse the phrase as they strive to eradicate any mention of God in any of our history. Relativistic thinking has coined the phrase "pro-choice," and then abuse such a freedom by taking the lives of millions of defenseless babies - who were given no choice! Existentialism has proclaimed the essence of
me-ism with the statement, "If it feels good, do it" - and has deceived millions into thinking that they are not responsible for their actions - someone else is! "Let someone else do it, it is not my responsibility!
With the aforementioned mentality greasing our national skids, we are quickly sliding downhill into the pools of depotism and anarchy. In seeking to be free from all restraints to our subjective me-ism, we are becoming enslaved to rational nihilism. We have forsaken God!
We, as a Nation, must repent of our sins of selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-righteousness and cry out to God for His mercy. We have been so blest, with so much, that we have turned from God and have begun to worship the gods of materialism and humanism. God will not take second place in our lives. As long as America honored God, God blest us. Now, we have forsaken Him. Pray that He will not forasake us!
As citizens, we have lost the need to remember the almost one million Americans who have given their lives in battles on this earth for the privileges which we, by and large, take for granted. All of these privileges, which are just assumed by the average American - as a given - can be found under the umbrella called "freedom." To get into your car and drive wherever you wish - is a freedom. To be able to stop where you want, eat what you want, buy what you want, and basically do what you want - all comes from - freedom. Americans have gotten used to freedom so much that the average American is hard pressed to define it when asked. When you are born with it, it is hard to explain it and easy to take advantage of it.
I believe this is one reason why Americans find it hard to understand much of the world; it is just as hard for much of the world to understand Americans for the same reason. The average American has had to pay little or nothing for the freedom they enjoy; whereas, the average citizen of the world would pay almost anything to have such freedom. There is a danger that lies in the human matrix of the mind when it comes to freedom. If freedom is not held precious but mundane, it can be lost overnight. On the other hand, if freedom cannot be realized by a human, that human will overtly seek to destroy the other human who takes freedom for granted. We must remember this.
This is what we are seeing played out on the world scene today. Islamic countries have been under religious bondage for centuries. And the radical elements of Islam, who manhandle their own people, are in earnest to destroy any person, people, or country who enjoys the freedom they do not have. Because their religion does not provide the freedom the human spirit seeks, the radicals seek to destroy the religion that promotes such freedom, and the adherents of such a religion. We must remember this.
America was founded upon Judeo-Christian principles that promote freedom of the soul. The founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ, stated that He came to set men free. He made good on such a claim by dying on a cross for the sins of His people, and sending the Holy Spirit to guide sinners to receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Once a person receives Christ as their Lord and Savior, a whole new worldview opens up to that individual. And at the heart of this new worldview, is the concept of freedom. We must remember this.
Islamic radicals understand the connection between the Christian worldview and freedom. Liberals in our beloved Country do not understand the connection. They think that Christianity is an old time religion that needs to be forgotten. Secular progressive thinking that promotes the political correctness of today teaches that Americans must become more pluralistic in our thinking. Being absolute in anything is not appropriate in today's society - especially when it comes to faith and politics. Herein lies a dangerous weakness for our beloved USA. Politics simply is a reflection of our faith. Strong, vibrant Christian faith will display itself in a vibrant, strong politic of the people. Our Country was founded upon just such a strong, political ethic. We must remember this.
It is this Judeo-Christian foundation that liberals, with their existential thinking, are in earnest to destroy. What they deem to be irrelevant is the very thing that Islamic radicals want so much to destroy. Why? Because the Islamic radicals understand that the Judeo-Christian principles, upon which our Country was built, are not obsolete but rather essential to our very existence as a Nation. Bad politics make strange bedfellows; those who appose Christianity and are in earnest in trying to remove God from the political history of our Country find themselves in bed with the Islamic radicals who have the same goal in mind - the annihilation of the Christian worldview that has made America the world power that she is. We must remember this.
We must remember the strong faith displayed by the pilgrims when they first came to America. That faith carried them through their first hard winter wherein they realized a loss of half of their people. The pilgrims did not survive because of their politics, rather because of their strong faith. Their Christian worldview can be easily seen in every aspect of their life - including their politics. By acknowledging God and their need of Him, God blest them and carried them through their trials. We must remember this.
Throughout our American history, this dependency on God can be documented time and time again. Whenever Americans confessed their dependency upon God, God blessed them. By following His principles, as shown in His Holy Bible, America grew mighty and strong for the first two hundred years of her existence. We must remember this!
Nazism and Marxism were no match for a Country based on a Christian worldview. America was proud of her Christian heritage. We must remember this.
But times have changed. Today, radical Islam and terrorism is a two-headed hydra that is biting at our feet. But these are not the greatest enemies we have to fear. Our greatest enemies lie in the seditious waters of relativism and existentialism that are steadily eroding the very foundation of our Country. Since the 1960's we, as a Nation, began to lose our faith in our government leaders and in our religious leaders. That skepticism eventually has led us to lose our faith in all expressions of authority - from religion, to government, to family.
Our society is fast becoming a pluralistic society that stands for nothing - and will fall for anything! In rejecting man-made religion, we have rejected the one true God and the revelation of Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. The liberals cry, "Separation of church and state," and then misuse the phrase as they strive to eradicate any mention of God in any of our history. Relativistic thinking has coined the phrase "pro-choice," and then abuse such a freedom by taking the lives of millions of defenseless babies - who were given no choice! Existentialism has proclaimed the essence of
me-ism with the statement, "If it feels good, do it" - and has deceived millions into thinking that they are not responsible for their actions - someone else is! "Let someone else do it, it is not my responsibility!
With the aforementioned mentality greasing our national skids, we are quickly sliding downhill into the pools of depotism and anarchy. In seeking to be free from all restraints to our subjective me-ism, we are becoming enslaved to rational nihilism. We have forsaken God!
We, as a Nation, must repent of our sins of selfishness, self-centeredness, and self-righteousness and cry out to God for His mercy. We have been so blest, with so much, that we have turned from God and have begun to worship the gods of materialism and humanism. God will not take second place in our lives. As long as America honored God, God blest us. Now, we have forsaken Him. Pray that He will not forasake us!
Monday, May 19, 2008
An Institution of God: Marriage
The hatred toward God and all that He stands for continues to be seen in the actions of the exteme leftists in our beloved Country. By now, all of you have heard of the California's court decision (a 4 to 3 decision) to make same sex marriage legal in the state of California. The court has taken a moral issue - the holy institution of marriage that was created by God Himself - and has turned it into a political issue. Those who support such an outlandish position have told Christians and churches, at large, to stay away from politics. Now, these extremists have taken the institution of marriage - an institution that is NOT political, but moral - and has ripped it away from the moral foundation upon which God originally built it. By their own actions, they have forced churches and Christians to get into the face of politicians concerning this issue of redefining marriage. The action of these liberal judges is not only against traditional marriage but it also against the very authority of God and His Holy Scripture.
What can we do? First, we can PRAY for the Christians who are in California. They are fighting a tremendous battle. If this decision is not overturned by the voters in the November election, then the affects of this liberal court decision that, in affect, is legislating public policy, will be seen in other states across our Country. It is a sure thing that this is headed for the Supreme Court; but we need to be fighting it - now!
Secondly, we can be contacting our own representatives and telling them of our concerns about this moral atrocity. The men and women that represent us must stand up and declare their own position on this matter of the institution of marriage.
Lastly, Christians need to be standing on the Word of God and defending the moral integrity of the traditonal institution of marriage. It is easy to take the position that as long as it is not in my state, then I don't have to really take a stand on this. There is no point in causing waves, is there? This kind of thinking is dangerous because of its numbing affect that it has on the conscience of the average citizen. We must view what is happening in California as analogous to our fighting terrorists in Iraq. If we don't fight and deal with terrorism in Iraq, then we shall fight it on our home soil. In the same manner, if we don't help our California Christian brethren fight this issue in their state, then we will one day see it in our state as well. It is as simple as that.
What can we do? First, we can PRAY for the Christians who are in California. They are fighting a tremendous battle. If this decision is not overturned by the voters in the November election, then the affects of this liberal court decision that, in affect, is legislating public policy, will be seen in other states across our Country. It is a sure thing that this is headed for the Supreme Court; but we need to be fighting it - now!
Secondly, we can be contacting our own representatives and telling them of our concerns about this moral atrocity. The men and women that represent us must stand up and declare their own position on this matter of the institution of marriage.
Lastly, Christians need to be standing on the Word of God and defending the moral integrity of the traditonal institution of marriage. It is easy to take the position that as long as it is not in my state, then I don't have to really take a stand on this. There is no point in causing waves, is there? This kind of thinking is dangerous because of its numbing affect that it has on the conscience of the average citizen. We must view what is happening in California as analogous to our fighting terrorists in Iraq. If we don't fight and deal with terrorism in Iraq, then we shall fight it on our home soil. In the same manner, if we don't help our California Christian brethren fight this issue in their state, then we will one day see it in our state as well. It is as simple as that.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Movie Review: "Expelled"
Ben Stein's Expelled is a must see documentary! It is a cinematic cry in the academia wilderness of America for freedom of speech and honest inquiry. The movie exposes the hypocrisy that is going on in the scientific community as it relates to scientific research - in any field - and how it relates to Darwin's Theory of Evolution and the possibility of Intelligent Design being a possible answer to some of the perplexing questions that are being raised.
Expelled makes it very clear that there is a big difference between Creationism and Intelligent Design. With Creationism, you have as a premise, a Supreme Being called God Who takes an active interest in the creation He has made. With Intelligent Design, you have as a premise, some kind of Intelligent Designer - whether it be called God or something else - who is behind all the incredible designs scientists are discovering in a plethora of scientific fields. With ID, you do not have to acknowledge or deal with the matter of faith or religion. You are simply acknowledging a Superior Intelligence other than, and greater than man.
Therein lies the rub! Darwinists are appalled at the thought that there could possibly be a higher intelligence than themselves. Their arrogance on this point is quite apparent in the film. Ben Stein does a superb job at drawing out scientists, who are darwinists, and have them display both their foolishness in their support of darwinism, and their animosity toward anyone who suggests that there might be flaws to Darwin's theory of evolution.
Prior to Charles Darwin's publication On The Origin of Species in 1859, the pervading thought at the time was that there was a Creator behind creation. Using the axiomatic proposition that scientists have a responsibility to question the status quo, Darwin was unhindered in his publication of his work. The point of the movie Expelled is that scientists do not have that same freedom today!
There is no room for free inquiry in the realm of science when it comes to the subject of Darwinism. This presents a tremendous problem. In Darwin's day - and in his writings - he took the cell to be the simplest form of matter known to man. Because of nanotechnology, we have discovered that there are literally galaxies of molecular material in a cell. As one scientific mathematician puts it, it would be mathematically impossible for all of what makes the cell to have just happened - even if you take five billion years to do so. The complexity of the cell demands the probability of an Intelligent Designer behind it all. This possibility causes fear to run rampant in the hearts of Darwinians.
I am persuaded that Darwinism will one day fall by the wayside along with all the other theories that man has proposed in written history. There is just too much new information being presently gathered that refutes the theory of darwinism. You can't hold down truth forever! And no matter how hard the scientific establishment tries to hold back the truth that is being discovered, the internet and other channels of communication will continue to present to the world what the present opposition to truth does not want the public to know.
It is understandable why the scientific community cannot tolerate the possibility of a Creator - much less an Intelligent Designer. If there is, indeed, a God Who is actually superintending Creation, then there is a God Whom man will one day have to face. That thought terrifies a Darwinist who rejects the existence of God. And this is why ID is too close to sounding like the Creator in their mind; consequently, they have to reject the possibility - or even the discussion of Intelligent Design. And as they reject the possibility of ID, they must also reject anyone who talks about it.
See the movie while you can - the opposition is doing everything possible to stop the showing of it.
I wonder why?
Expelled makes it very clear that there is a big difference between Creationism and Intelligent Design. With Creationism, you have as a premise, a Supreme Being called God Who takes an active interest in the creation He has made. With Intelligent Design, you have as a premise, some kind of Intelligent Designer - whether it be called God or something else - who is behind all the incredible designs scientists are discovering in a plethora of scientific fields. With ID, you do not have to acknowledge or deal with the matter of faith or religion. You are simply acknowledging a Superior Intelligence other than, and greater than man.
Therein lies the rub! Darwinists are appalled at the thought that there could possibly be a higher intelligence than themselves. Their arrogance on this point is quite apparent in the film. Ben Stein does a superb job at drawing out scientists, who are darwinists, and have them display both their foolishness in their support of darwinism, and their animosity toward anyone who suggests that there might be flaws to Darwin's theory of evolution.
Prior to Charles Darwin's publication On The Origin of Species in 1859, the pervading thought at the time was that there was a Creator behind creation. Using the axiomatic proposition that scientists have a responsibility to question the status quo, Darwin was unhindered in his publication of his work. The point of the movie Expelled is that scientists do not have that same freedom today!
There is no room for free inquiry in the realm of science when it comes to the subject of Darwinism. This presents a tremendous problem. In Darwin's day - and in his writings - he took the cell to be the simplest form of matter known to man. Because of nanotechnology, we have discovered that there are literally galaxies of molecular material in a cell. As one scientific mathematician puts it, it would be mathematically impossible for all of what makes the cell to have just happened - even if you take five billion years to do so. The complexity of the cell demands the probability of an Intelligent Designer behind it all. This possibility causes fear to run rampant in the hearts of Darwinians.
I am persuaded that Darwinism will one day fall by the wayside along with all the other theories that man has proposed in written history. There is just too much new information being presently gathered that refutes the theory of darwinism. You can't hold down truth forever! And no matter how hard the scientific establishment tries to hold back the truth that is being discovered, the internet and other channels of communication will continue to present to the world what the present opposition to truth does not want the public to know.
It is understandable why the scientific community cannot tolerate the possibility of a Creator - much less an Intelligent Designer. If there is, indeed, a God Who is actually superintending Creation, then there is a God Whom man will one day have to face. That thought terrifies a Darwinist who rejects the existence of God. And this is why ID is too close to sounding like the Creator in their mind; consequently, they have to reject the possibility - or even the discussion of Intelligent Design. And as they reject the possibility of ID, they must also reject anyone who talks about it.
See the movie while you can - the opposition is doing everything possible to stop the showing of it.
I wonder why?
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