The Journal

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Below are journal entries, eclectic commentary, and information bulletins for site additions in 2006.  Kind thanks to my dear wife for proof reading these comments from time-to-time.  Most recent posts are shown first:

July through December 2006 is being published as a separate page due to the large file sizes for this year.    

6/30/2006

Exactly one month ago, 5/30/2006, I called readers' attention to a 'power ploy' being used by liberals "progressives", both secular and religious, to seduce and neutralize conservative Christians...if possible.  Given repeated election defeats, these progressives have been forced to acknowledge the reality of America's conservative mainstream and readjust their stratagem in the attempt to regain power.

This past week, the eloquent Illinois Senator Barack Obama provided a classic example of this seduction.  Obama was the keynote speaker at the Call to Renewal's Pentecost 2006: Building a Covenant for a New America conference sponsored by Jim Wallis and his Sojourners organization.  Wallis was raised in the Open PB Assemblies, rejected the orthodoxy of his youth, embraced religious liberalism, and became a '60's "evangelical" radical.  A real man's man...from the liberal perspective.

Senator Obama's speech was on the "connection between religion and politics," and the "mutual suspicion that sometimes exists between religious America and secular America."  Gee...who would have thought!  Having spent time with some religious "friends," (leftist Jim Wallis, syncretic Tony Campolo, globalist Rick Warren, and T. D. Jakes), he chided fellow Democrats for failing to "acknowledge the power of faith in the lives of the American people."  The Democrat Senator perceptively sees that unless liberal hate and contempt "suspicion" is hidden from view reigned in and moderated, he and his party may continue to loose elections.  The following are quotes from his speech.  My comments are in brackets.

"I am not suggesting that every progressive suddenly latch on to religious terminology - that can be dangerous.  Nothing is more transparent that inauthentic expressions of faith.  As Jim [Wallis] has mentioned, some politicians come and clap--off rhythm--to the choir.  We don't need that."  [Moral: when attempting to fool the religious right, use inauthentic expressions of faith sparingly.]

"...I do not believe that religious people have a monopoly on morality, I would rather have someone who is grounded in morality and ethics [how grounded? who's morality?, and which ethics?], and who is also secular, affirm their morality and ethics and values without pretending that they're something they're not."  [Moral relativism has proven that all tertiary morality is transient.  The truth is, the Bible exclusively has a monopoly on morality.]

"...secularists are wrong when they ask [liberal] believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square.  Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, Williams Jennings Bryant, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King - indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, but repeatedly used religious language to argue for their cause.  So to say that men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into public policy debates is a practical absurdity.  Our law, by definition, is a codification of morality, much of it grounded in the Judeo-Christian tradition."  [As mentioned later in his speech, Obama believes that conservative believers should leave their Bibles at the door.  Liberals arrogantly believe they own the public square.]

"...we [progressives] have the ability to reach out to the evangelical community and engage millions of religious Americans in the large project of American renewal."  [His so-called renewal project is the decades-old "social gospel."]

Obama then began to establish his liberal terms of dialogue.

"...each side will need to accept some ground rules for collaboration.  While I've already laid out some of the work that progressive leaders need to do, I want to talk a little bit about what conservative leaders need to do--some truths they need to acknowledge."  [Behold the liberal arrogance.]

"Moreover, given the increasing diversity of America's population, the dangers of sectarianism have never been greater.  Whatever we once were, we are no longer just a Christian nation; we are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers."  [This is postmodernism's multicultural disaster.  And the so-called "dangers of sectarianism" led to the total secularization of America's public schools.]

"Democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concepts into universal, rather than religion-specific, values.  It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason [i.e., defeat].  I may be opposed to abortion for religious reasons, but if I seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church or evoke God's will.  I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all."  [Genuine democracy makes no such demands!  He fails to see and understand the philosophic absurdity of this statement.  The so-called "democracy" Obama has in mind is the principle of the lowest common denominator, which led America's public schools into atheistic secularism.]

"And even if we did have only Christians in our midst, if we expelled every non-Christian from the United States of America [no need to "expel," they are free to stay, live under, and be assimilated into our Judeo-Christian culture], whose Christianity would we teach in the schools? Would we go with James Dobson's, or Al Sharpton's?  Which passages of Scripture should guide our public policy?  Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is ok and that eating shellfish is abomination?  How about Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith?  Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount - a passage that is so radical that it's doubtful that our own Defense Department would survive its application?  So before we get carried away, let's read our bibles. Folks haven't been reading their bibles."  [Barack Obama hasn't read his Bible; if they own one, Democrats haven't read their Bibles.  Barack is illiterate regarding the principles of sound government found in the Bible when viewed dispensationally and interpreted with commonly-accepted principles of hermeneutics.]

Barack Obama advocates the identical path taken by America's educators in the past (particularly 1870 to 1890), which led to the absolute secularization of public education.  See Kraig Beyerlein's superb and scholarly treatment entitled, Educational Elites and the Movement to Secularize Public Education, in THE SECULAR REVOLUTION mentioned in my 6/17/2006 Journal comment.

As I mentioned on 5/30/2006, "They are quick to set the agenda according to their own concerns and priorities.  This is soon followed by the subtle, or not so subtle, demand that any and all discussion exclude mention or reference to 'divine revelation'"--i.e., reference to the Bible.

According to Obama, it is "democracy" which demands that reference to Bible be excluded from the public square, while religionists holding flexible humanistic tenets will be permitted.

"Now this is going to be difficult for some who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, as many evangelicals do.  But in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice."  [ "No choice" but to bar you from the public square and national dialogue.]

Obama's vision for America is one where religious liberals and secularists are in control.  Despite the religious rhetoric, liberals of all stripes continue to push America toward a radical secularism. 

6/25.2/2006

WithChrist.org contains biblical teaching which can be categorized as "milk," "meat," and much in between.  Since an important dimension of this ministry is one-on-one, personal correspondence, we seek to tailor the truths we share to the level of those who reach out in need.  However, I recently discovered a valuable resource to pass along to readers.  258 Theology Question and Answers is an impressive collection of online video 'snipets', on a variety of apologetic, biblical, and theological subjects, extracted from various classroom lectures held by The Theology Program.  You'll need a media player which can handle the .wma file format.  The questions are classic in nature and the answers are generally evangelical/dispensational in perspective.  Some questions are also designated “essential,” “controversial,” and “essential and controversial.”  The speaker/facilitators are C. Michael Patton and Rhome Dyck.  See their bios here.  Consider setting a bookmark for easy reference.  PS.  I have only listened to half a dozen and so my 'bump' is understandably not an endorsement of every comment you might encounter with this group.  WithChrist.org sets forth its own doctrinal positions.

6/25.1/2006

Dear Dan:

I have been reading the stuff on your website as well as some other material and have come to realize the error of my previous Arminian, humanist logic--my standing in judgment of God's justice and sovereignty.  I want to thank you for that; your website has some of the best apologetics I have ever read and does a very good job of destroying the Arminian arguments, without overreacting and heading into Calvinism.

[signed]

6/25/2006

Excerpts from Albert Mohler's blog:

Theological liberalism became evident in the mainline Protestant denominations by the early 1920s. Historian William R. Hutchison of the Harvard Divinity School has traced the erosion of mainline Protestant denominations throughout the twentieth century⁽¹⁾. Hutchison notes that the denominations affiliated with the liberal National Council of Churches have all experienced steady decline. Accommodating themselves to the spirit of the age, these churches embrace theological and moral relativism in an effort to remain "relevant" to a pluralistic culture.

Several years ago, sociologists Dean R. Hoge, Benton Johnson, and Donald A. Luidens described the result of this process as "lay liberalism" that constitutes the belief system held by Protestant baby boomers. This "lay liberalism" rejects orthodox Christian doctrines such as belief that faith in Christ is necessary for salvation, and renegotiates Christian moral principles in line with permissive sexuality.

In Vanishing Boundaries: The Religion of Mainline Protestant Baby Boomers, Hoge, Johnson, and Luidens explain that lay liberalism erases clear boundaries separating believers from unbelievers. Without a clear "faith boundary," identification with Protestantism--and Christianity itself--becomes socially meaningless.

The Vanishing Boundaries study, along with the NORC report, acknowledges the continued growth of conservative Protestant groups, commonly designated as evangelical. These evangelical denominations and churches continue to grow [actually embattled and thriving in a relative sense], even as they maintain clear boundaries between belief and unbelief. The existence of these boundaries explains the strong sense of membership and the high rate of participation commonly found in evangelical congregations. As Hoge, Johnson, and Luidens observed: "Our findings show that belief is the single best predictor of church participation, but it is orthodox Christian belief, and not the tenets of lay liberalism, that impels people to be involved in church."

This is just common sense, of course. But it is precisely the kind of common sense that is commonly ignored or discarded by those who would rather believe otherwise. The churches that are most insistent on being relevant are those most willing to sacrifice biblical truth and the structure of Christian doctrine in order to prove their commitment to cultural expectations. Eventually, these churches become so identified with the culture that all distinctiveness disappears.

The sacrifice of truth for a constantly changing concept of relevance leads necessarily to the relativizing of the Gospel itself, and the undermining of biblical authority. Once these are sacrificed, authentic Christianity is abandoned and all motivation for membership disappears. If beliefs do not matter, the churches themselves do not matter.  Bracketed comments mine.

(1) This "erosion" was brought about by a combination of internal and external forces.  For an introduction to the internal, read my brief article, THE UNHOLY ALLIANCE.  For an in-depth, comprehensive, and scholarly analysis of the immediate external forces, see Christian Smith's THE SECULAR REVOLUTION, University of California Press, 2003.

6/24/2006

At the heart of the clash between Islamic and current Western culture lies the failure of both to understand biblical anthropology and its related concepts of human “freedom” and genuine obedience to God.  Referring to Himself, Jesus said "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."  Neither Islam nor the West possess this variety of freedom.  With links to the humanistic Enlightenment, the West thinks of freedom in the sense of absolute autonomy.  Islam and Islamic cultures put forth a legalistic theonomic order and slavish obeisance as a matter of religious duty.  Neither concept is capable of sustaining the related values of responsibility and self-government which exclusively flow from biblical Christianity and the Protestant/evangelical tradition.

President Bush and his Cabinet have spoken with passion regarding the so-called “universality of freedom.”  "I believe in the universality of freedom.  I believe deep in everybody's soul is the desire to be free," states the American President.  Of course, one must assume that the context in which he speaks is the political, specifically freedom from political oppression.  Also, it is [erroneously?] assumed that this freedom can be implemented through a top-down application of democracy.  By contrast, America's Founders held no such assumptions.

Today’s politicians have failed to learn the most fundamental lessons of history. The long slog of Western civilization testifies to the fact that freedom from oppression is rooted is the concept of a biblical freedom which includes responsibility and self-government.  The establishment of the original American Republic was an experiment in the application of the biblical concept of "freedom."   As seen by the chaos in both Islamic and Western societies, cultures in bondage to sin cannot act responsibly nor exercise self-government in the political realm.

All of these truths are to be found on display with Israel’s history as a nation, documented in the OT.  Multiculturalism is not true.  It is radically false.  Materialistic secularism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Judaism, or Islam are not, nor will they ever be, the spiritual or moral equivalent of biblical Christianity.  “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”  1 Peter 2:16 

6/18/2006

Father's Day is not a happy event for tens of millions of American men.  For nearly a half century, males in Western culture have been under vicious and relentless attack from feminist, lesbians, and 'gender-equality' women and their so-called "empowerment" movement."  The wounds run deep.  There are even 'evangelical' versions of these perversions.  With some there is a self-destructive pathology not dissimilar to that found among Islamists who are willing to immolate themselves and others to prove a point and supposedly advance their cause.  The social carnage is huge; a sizeable percentage of families have been left in ruin.  The cause of this phenomena is complex--a "secular revolution" in higher education, an ill-designed system of public education--doomed before it even began, a legalistic/worldly* and impotent Christian church, and the list goes on.  Yet amid the ash and rubble there is a cultural revolt in the making...and it's gaining ground.  Increasing numbers of younger women are seeing the social devastation for what it is and are making progress to unshackle themselves from the destructive legacy of modern feminism.  For example, using large doses of 'common-sense realism,' Alison Armstrong** has designed the PAX PROGRAMS: e.g., Celebrating Men, Satisfying Women®.  In 1995, after four years of studying men for her personal benefit, she began creating workshops to share her extraordinary findings (about men) with women across the nation.  Originally with a burden for homeless children, Armstrong shifted her focus to a deeper cause of dysfunctional families and subsequently established the grand PAX*** mission of “altering society’s culture by transforming the way women relate to men.”  These seminars are not religious-based, rather they speak to the very broad audience of women, both young and less-young, who have traditionally been the most vulnerable to the radical ideology of feminism.

* Apart from the Cross for the self-life and Christ in you for daily living, one’s options are either legalism or worldliness—or both held simultaneously in schizophrenic tension.

** Alison Armstrong can be frequently heard in talk-radio interviews, e.g., The Dennis Prager Show.

*** PAX, the Latin word for “peace” and an acronym for Partnership, Adoration and Xtasy.  PAX seeks to create peace between the sexes by providing unique and immediately useful information to women.

6/17.1/2006

How to know when Howard Dean is lying?  Answer:  When he moves his lips.

Today's headline at INSIGHT On The News reads: Dem strategy calls for courting Christian conservatives.  I told you this was coming.

The Democratic Party has decided to exploit conservative dissatisfaction with the Bush administration for the midterm congressional elections in November. The Democrats have been running ads that reach out to voters in the Bible belt and Midwest, which warn of the Republican Party’s policy on Social Security reform. The ads warn that the GOP-proposed revisions would destabilize the system and result in a massive increase in the federal debt. "One of the misconceptions about the Democratic Party is that we're godless and that we don't have any values," Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said. "The truth is we have an enormous amount in common with the Christian community, and particularly with the evangelical Christian community."

PS.  So does Dean feel the evangelical Christian community share the Democrat belief below?

WASHINGTON, July 6 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement in response to the decision by the New York Court of Appeals that the state constitution does not guarantee the right to marriage for same-sex couples, but that the state legislature could provide this:

"As Democrats, we believe that every American has a right to equal protection under the law and to live in dignity. And we must respect the right of every family to live in dignity with equal rights, responsibilities and protections under the law. Today's decision by the New York Court of Appeals, which relies on outdated and bigoted notions about families, is deeply disappointing, but it does not end the effort to achieve this goal."

"...evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."  2 Timothy 3:13

6/17/2006

Diane recently came across a series of articles written by Dr. Benjamin Wiker on the subject of secularism.  The series leverages off the book, The Secular Revolution, written by Dr. Christian Smith.  While I haven't yet read the book...yet, I like Wiker's reviews and the summary of the content/reviews shown at Amazon.com.  We have linked to the several of the Wiker articles on our Contemporary Issues page under "Secularism."

6/11/2006

In America, no-fault divorce is a legal product of 1970s.  Well-known president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Albert Molher, in his June 9th blog post cites an article by Stephen Baskerville, political scientist at Howard University, who has researched the subject in depth.

 Based on Baskerville’s study,

“no-fault divorce laws emerged in the United States during the 1970s and quickly spread across the nation. Even though only nine states had no-fault divorce laws in 1977, by 1995, every state had legalized no-fault divorce.”

But what caused the legal phenomena of easy divorce?  Molher writes:

Behind all this is an ideological revolution driven by feminism and facilitated by this society's embrace of autonomous individualism⁽¹⁾. Baskerville argues that divorce "became the most devastating weapon in the arsenal of feminism, because it creates millions of gender battles on the most personal level." As far back as 1947, the National Association of Women Lawyers [NAWL] was pushing for what we now know as no-fault divorce. More recently, NAWL claims credit for the divorce revolution, describing it as "the greatest project NAWL has ever undertaken."

Further, Molher cites:

Researcher Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, author of the influential book, The Divorce Culture, points to the therapeutic seduction of the culture as a contributing factor. "According to therapeutic precepts," she explains, "the fault for marital breakup must be shared, even when one spouse unilaterally seeks a divorce [or abandons the marriage]."

In other words, no-fault divorce laws actually assume that both parties are equally at fault, since no party could be innocent. The perverse assumption inherent in this argument is that if any individual is unhappy, someone else must necessarily be at fault. Once no-fault divorce became a reality, spouses found themselves simply informed of the fact that their marriage was effectively over. Many of these spouses were not even aware that the marriage was in trouble--and trouble is not even necessary.

 

What is further interesting, or disturbing, is how many conservative church leaders (pastors and elders) accepted the rhetoric that “both parties are equally at fault” and that “no party could be innocent,” fully knowing that the NT contains calls for integrity, accountability, and justice within the community of believers.  Church leaders should not accept any 50/50 blame game, but should seek to identify which party is morally in the wrong and make it known to the congregation.

---

(1)  The roots and history of American feminism are a vast subject.  However, the Supreme Court's disastrous 1973 decision of Roe vs. Wade did far more than invent a woman's so-called "right to privacy", it fundamentally changed the way in which women--and subsequently the 'public' think.  In a primal and mind-altering way, the ruling reinforced an ancient heretical lie--that humans are autonomous and sovereign beings--even over the issues of life and death.  drs

6/4/2006

Today, having engaged in several hours of research, we came upon the writings of Wesley J. Smith, who is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, Seattle, WA, and a special consultant to their Center for Bioethics and Culture.  Mr. Smith is an attorney and has been a leading voice (author, speaker, and advocacy consultant) in the various fields of bioethics for more than 10 years.  While not evangelical or even religious, Wesley Smith does share the widely-held view of the intrinsic value for human life, what he labels “the philosophy of human exceptionalism.  He writes on subjects of medical ethics, assisted suicide/euthanasia, cloning and genetic engineering, stem-cell research, and the anti-human values of the animal rights/liberation movement.  I found his review of Pamela Winnick's A Jealous God: Science’s Crusade Against Religion and his article, Do U.S. Scientists Have a Right to Perform Human Cloning? extremely engaging, since I seldom spend intellectual time in these areas.  I highly recommend his blog, Secondhand Smoke, as an excellent source of up-to-date information of the scienceXmedical world.  Given my own condition, I also ordered his book, Power Over Pain: How To Get The Pain Control You Need.

6/3/2006

In addition to his safe and sound teaching on the subjects of spiritual growth and Pauline dispensationalism, Miles Stanford had the ability to craft tightly-worded viewpoints--masterful communication.  In reviewing one of his polemic papers, I came across these zingers.

NO COMPROMISE! -- A Dispensationalism that includes ground for the charismatic, is a danger to the Church. There may be the claim of "complete separation" of Israel and the Church, while at the same time including charismatic ground, i.e., secondary application of the Sermon on the Mount, the "spiritual" blessings of Israel's New Covenant, plus aspects of the "present/future" millennial kingdom.

A Dispensationalism that provides ground for Covenantism, is a danger to the Church. There may be the claim of "complete separation" of Israel and the Church, while at the same time including Covenant ground, i.e., secondary application of the Sermon on the Mount, the "spiritual blessings" of Israel's New Covenant, plus aspects of the "present/ future" millennial kingdom. Such compromised, inclusive Dispensationalism is the spawning ground for charismatic craziness, Lordship salvation, Covenant legalism, Reconstructionism, etc.  [bold emphasis mine]

A Dispensationalism that does not include ground for the charismatics, or Covenantism, is a blessing to the Church. The home ground of the Body, her growth ground is in the glorified, heavenly Lord Jesus Christ, who is her Head and her Life. Her doctrinal ground is centered in the Pauline Church Epistles. Carefully note Ephesians 3:9-11. I would a thousand times rather be accused of making the Synoptic Gospels secondary to the Pauline Church Epistles, than to make Paul secondary to anything!

6/2/2006

6/1/2006

I have scanned and added Chapters 2 & 3 to Miles Stanford's polemic paper compellation entitled--MacArthurism.  One dispensational pastor recently confessed:

What is hard for me to understand is MacArthur's writings on this [sanctification] because on the one hand he preaches freedom from the Law and on the other hand he mingles in the Law.  I believe he is not clear in his writings because he is not clear in his own thinking on this.  But at Master's Seminary the leaders and professors take a stronger stand on dispensationalism than Mac does.  This is what confuses me.  I would agree with you that Mac has been too influenced by Reformed thinking.  I went to his Shepherd's Conference in 2005 (which was very good) but the main speakers were Covenantal.  This truly bothers me and I did not go back this year because he had the same speakers.

Sadly, this pastor is not a young man (sorry, but we can commiserate together) nor new to the ministry.  The real truth is that John MacArthur will likely never be "clear in his own thinking," largely because the Reformed/Puritan traditions MacArthur so reveres have been unable to find theological clarity in the nearly 500 years they've been working on the subject.  This claim is fairly well documented in the late Kenneth Good's book, Are Baptists Reformed?  Read Chapter 2 of the above mentioned book, John MacArthur, Jr. - Dispensationalist?

5/30/2006

Given prior election wins by middle-class conservatives, both secular and religious liberals oscillate between contempt/ridicule of the "religious right" and disingenuous calls for "dialogue" on various issues of both global and personal consequence.  I say "disingenuous" because the calls most often include their a priori assumption of having tight control over the terms of dialogue.  This is identical behavior to the college activists of the '60s.  They are quick to set the agenda according to their own concerns and priorities.  This is soon followed by the subtle or not so subtle demand that any and all discussion exclude mention or reference to "divine revelation."  Consequently, the cosmos and all of life must be viewed, according to them, through the lens of secularism and its materialistic foundational philosophy.  Logically, only humanistic solutions will integrate and thus be found acceptable.  Of course, this effectively marginalizes all who have a theistic worldview and denies them a 'place at the table'.  For both secular and religious liberals, this is the way the modern world should work.  If fundamentalist and evangelical Christians detect the 'stacked deck' and object to the prejudicial framework, the liberal crowd will simply withdraw invitations and redirect them to so-called "spiritual" leaders (e.g., Dali Lama, and even some so-called evangelicals) willing to accept the limitations in exchange for the worldly prestige of getting a seat at the table.  Beware of this ploy!

5/14/2006

Diane and I are taking some long-overdue vacation and will return May 30th.  Upon return, I will respond to all the email correspondence.

5/13.2/2006

The libertarian and Democrat protest over the NSA's analysis of phone call data is utter nonsense.  The computer analysis seeks to identify statistical correlations between known and potential terrorists outside the United States as they repetitively make connections to domestic phone numbers.  What's the problem!  For libertarians and their spirit of anarchy, the problem is government in any form.  Romans 13:3 reads, "For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong."  For Democrats and a few moderate Republicans, the problem is their utter inability to discern between "right" and "wrong," the fruit of decades of moral relativism.

5/13.1/2006

Both the author of the book and the film producer for The Da Vinci Code are loving the religious opposition.  All the "free" publicity contributes to the success of the film and their financial profit.  Apocryphal accounts of Jesus Christ and attempted refutations of both the crucifixion and resurrection are nothing new, e.g., The Koran, The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus The Christ, The Gnostic Gospels, The Urantia Book, The Book of Mormon, Who Moved the Stone, etc., just to name a few.  What's new is the power over the masses of today's cinematography.  Without an anchor on reality (the Bible), film has the ability to "create reality" in our postmodernist world.  Rather than pay for theater tickets, we'll wait to see and review the movie via NetFlix's.

5/13/2006

Dispensational disintegration was again driven home to me this past week.  I had an opportunity to review a critical portion of the doctrinal statement of Chafer Theological Seminary, (CTS) Orange, California.  CTS was founded by former graduates of Dallas Theological Seminary, the institution established by Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer.  Today, both of these institutions and their professors are far from the original theological and dispensational perspectives of Dr. Chafer.  Dr. Chafer would be sadly disappointed to find his name associated with a seminary which rejects the doctrine of unconditional election and is promoting the humanistic doctrine of philosophic indeterminism.  Under CTS's section heading, Soteriology (The Study of Salvation), is printed the following:

Genuine Offer of Salvation. Since it is impossible for God to be unfair to any person, and since He loves all men equally, desires all men to be saved, is not willing that any should perish, and invites all men to be saved, He freely and graciously offers salvation to all men. The drawing ministries of the Father and the Son and the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit make it genuinely possible for any member of the human race to receive the Lord Jesus Christ..."

Election. We believe Scripture reveals two clear and indisputable lines of evidence. One line shows God sovereignly choosing His own in Christ; the other shows man possessing the function of volition, able to receive or reject God’s uniquely born Son..."

Means of Salvation. God neither overrules nor implants mankind’s volition in accepting or rejecting His provision of salvation.

Similar to most varieties of Wesleyan/Arminianism, CTS does not acknowledge the traditional and limited use of the term "volition," rather they mean libertarian/autonomous free will.  Hear and take note of a few of Dr. Chafer's remarks on the above subjects.

"That some of His creation serve one purpose and some another is itself a matter of divine [His] choice.  Human resentment* arises only when it is indicated that some are more favored than others respecting destiny.  Were God thought to be an ungoverned tyrant, it could be allowed that He might do as He pleases with His own, whether this prove right or wrong; but when it has been disclosed [in the Word] that He is infinitely righteous and holy and that He is actuated by infinite love, difficulty will arise in the natural mind over how God can have elect people for whom He achieves more than He does for others or how some can be blessed while others are not.  There is no doubt whatever about the Bible teaching that God has chosen an elect people..."

Systematic Theology, Vol. VII, p. 133

 

"In the first instance, it is well to observe that God did not create the human will as an instrument to defeat Himself; it was created rather as a means by which He might realize His own worthy purposes. Through as Sovereign He could do so, God does not coerce the human will; He rather works within the individual both to will and to do of His good pleasure (cf. Phil. 2:13). An efficacious call to salvation, then, is a call which none ever finally resists (cf. Rom. 8:30). Everyone whom God predestinates He calls, and everyone whom He calls He justifies and glorifies. There could not be failure in one instance among the millions who are called. The vision which He creates in the heart and the limitless persuasion He exercises induce a favorable reaction on the part of all thus called, which reaction is rendered infinitely certain. The important truth to be observed in all of this is that, though divine persuasion be limitless, it still remains persuasion, and so when a decision is secured for Christ in the individual he exercises his own will apart from even a shadow of constraint. The divine invitation still is true that "whoever will may come." However, it also is true that none will ever come apart from this divine call, and that the call is extended only to His elect. What God's righteous relation is to those whom He does not call is another doctrine quite removed from the teaching of election."

Systematic Theology, Vol. VII, p. 136

* Read Matthew 20:1-16.

5/6/2006

Dr. Jerome Corsi, author of Atomic Iran and Black Gold Stranglehold, was interviewed by Coast To Coast George Noory on several critical subjects surrounding Iran and its 'prophetic' President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (mentioned below at 4/16.1/2006, 1/22/2006, and 1/8/2006), Iran's move this past Friday to establish a euro-denominated oil bourse, and international finance.  A euro-denominated oil bourse could likely have an adverse affect, over time, on the already declining value of the US dollar.  However, market analysts are skeptical of Iran's oil bourse plan as well as its overall effect on the global market.  There has been a great amount of speculation that a similar move (euro-petro) by Iraq's former leader, Saddam Hussein, was the tripwire for the U.S. led invasion and that the situation is looking to repeat itself. 

4/30.1/2006

Those who are regular readers know that I will occasionally do a brief movie review if the subject matter and acting is worth mentioning.  This weekend's movie of note was MY DOG SKIP, based on the book and real life accounts of author, William ("Willie") Morris.  This is a heart-warming book (1995) and movie (2000) of a 9-year-old boy (only child) bonding and coming-of-age with his dog, while living in 1942 Yazzo, Mississippi.  Excellent cinematography.  The cast includes Willie (Frankie Muniz), Willie's mother Ellen (a younger Diane Lane), father Jack (a younger Kevin Bacon), and a wonderful terrier by the name of "Skip".  This movie triggered a similar fond memory from my own childhood--circa 1952.

 

4/30/2006

I have updated my comments at 4/22.1/2006 to include Miles Stanford's critique of Dr. Woodrow Kroll's book, The Joy of Belonging.  The fact that Back to the Bible Broadcast's founder, Theodore Epp, had a deep appreciation for The Green Letters and his broadcast printed and sold thousands of them under the title, The Principles of Spiritual Growth, the organization's movement away from dispensational distinctives surely would be a heartbreak to its founder.  See Back to the Bible & One-Naturism.  In the critique, Miles deals with the often misunderstood terms, the "flesh" (p.5), condition vs. position (p.5, 6), "death" (p.6, 7), and "body of sin" (p.7).

4/28/2006

Given the rising tensions with Iran and it leaders, my mailbox is filling up with questions about End Times Prophecy.  As I've mentioned through the years, this is not an area in which I'm well versed.  There is a diversity of reasonable opinions in the field of premillennial and pretribulational eschatology.*  Nevertheless, I'm dusting off several books and pamphlets in my library and finding renewed interest in what they have to say.  I highly recommend readers obtain a copy of Thomas Ice and Timothy Demy's The Truth About ARMAGEDDON AND THE MIDDLE EAST.  This is a short and concise overview of the subject of Armageddon.  Interestingly, the authors identify the "kings of the east" and the "Antichrist" as arising from the area which is today--IRAN!

"Why does the Bible speak of Armageddon?  Because it affirms God's sovereignty over history and reminds us that there is a divine purpose and plan that will not be thwarted.  God will one day right all wrongs, judge all evil, and establish a universal reign of righteousness (The Millennium).  The hope of Christians throughout the centuries will be realized with the second coming of Jesus Christ and the defeat of those who oppose Him at Armageddon.  It is because of this hope that we study prophecy, waiting for the fulfillment of God's promises."

* Numerous articles are available at the Pre-Trib Research Center.

4/22.1/2006

One correspondent recently sent me a copy of, A Critique of the "Exchanged Life" from the April-June edition of Bibliotheca Sacra, the 72 year-old theological journal of Dallas Theological Seminary* (DTS), Dallas, TX.  The lead article is written by Dr. Robert A. Pyne, Professor of Theological Studies at DTS, along with doctoral candidate, Matthew L. Blackmon.  The correspondent had hoped for me to write a formal response and to address the various errors, confusion, and most specifically, the authors' inclusion of Miles Stanford's writings in their critique of the Exchanged Life movement.  For now, my comments will be most brief.

The article is an attempt to document, understand, and refute the crazy-quilt, theological landscape of the Exchanged Life movement.  The authors' critique wrestles largely with the eradicationist and one nature teachings of Charles Solomon,  Bill Gillham, Neil Anderson, Steve McVey, Tony Evans, Charles Stanley, Dwight Edwards, Richard Hall, David Needham, John Best, June Hunt, and their respective publications.  As mentioned above, they unintentionally or intentionally scoop up Miles Stanford into the camp of "Exchanged Life" by referencing The Complete Green Letters and one of Miles polemic papers epublished here, without making any critical distinctions.  Many of the "exchanged life" doctrinal teachings/errors and their proponents are reviewed in the Miles Stanford's Polemic Paper library.  For example, read Back to the Bible & One-Naturism.

In short, the article is not a survey of the history of identification teaching and teachers; rather, its focus is upon the more contemporary errant expressions of this doctrinal emphasis--e.g., The Association of Exchanged Life Ministries.   For example they write, "The language of the Exchanged Life is often traced to J. Hudson Taylor"  but later add, "It is unclear whether Taylor actually advocated the ideas now associated with Exchanged Life theology."  In footnote 20 of 85, they comment, "Though Exchanged Life theology has no "founder," [Charles] Solomon is as likely a candidate as any."  However, had they done more homework, the authors might have discovered that eradication and one naturism errors pre-date Solomon and have roots deep in both Wesleyan/Arminian and Reformed/Covenant traditions.  See MJS's two-part exposé on One Naturism.

The authors' list several concerns, but summarize as follows: "...this article has been written because of pastoral concern that those believers will be left ill equipped by a shortsighted approach to spirituality that cannot withstand sustained examination.  The authors are convinced that a perspective other than that of the Exchanged Life is significantly more encouraging, more helpful, and more deeply refreshing."  The authors' understanding of alternative spirituality is LifeSpace--a communal rather than "individualistic" approach to the Christian life.  Dr. Pyne is co-founder of LifeSpace, together with ordained minister Joni Powers,   "LifeSpace promotes a life with God that abandons the box for an unbounded, expansive experience of God’s glory. The LifeSpace community is an organic conversation."  Bob and Joni host both a forum and a blog (caveat emptor), and Dr. Pyne is also associated with the 'progressives' over at Bible.org, see here and here.

Despite the authors' desire to encourage "a fruitful and continuing conversation," their poorly researched scholarship and 'broad-brush' approach have done a disservice to the truth and the Body of Christ.  The article is clearly oblivious to the historical theological tradition of the doctrine of identification, as well as the extensive labors of Miles Stanford to craft clear and concise presentations of these Scriptural truths.  Miles Stanford's works also take account of the experiential side of Pauline identification, including refutations of the eradication and one nature errors mentioned above.

* - Both DTS (1924) and its journal (1934) have moved far, far away, theologically speaking, from the dispensational perspective of its founder, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, and Dr. Chafer's link to Pauline Dispensationalism.

4/22/2006

Susan, a long-time reader, made sure we didn't miss the opportunity to repost this fine piece of satirical humor.  Headline news from the Sacred Sandwich....PURPOSE-DRIVEN CHURCH SNUBS CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY

4/16.3/2006

The Alliance for Separation of School and State has a new website.  Check it out!

4/16.2/2006

J.W. over at Red Giants blogspot, has a solemn thesis (Rome is Burning) about the current U.S. illegal immigrant problem.

4/16.1/2006

On the world stage, things are more than tense.  The President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has made his intentions rather clear.  He will wipe Israel off the face of the map and...

...he boasts that the [Hidden] Imam* gave him the presidency for a single task: provoking a "clash of civilizations" in which the Muslim world, led by Iran, takes on the "infidel" West, led by the United States, and defeats it in a slow but prolonged contest that, in military jargon, sounds like a low intensity, asymmetrical war.

In Ahmadinejad's analysis, the rising Islamic "superpower" has decisive advantages over the infidel. Islam has four times as many young men of fighting age as the West, with its ageing populations. Hundreds of millions of Muslim "ghazis" (holy raiders) are keen to become martyrs while the infidel youths, loving life and fearing death, hate to fight. Islam also has four-fifths of the world's oil reserves, and so controls the lifeblood of the infidel. More importantly, the US, the only infidel power still capable of fighting, is hated by most other nations.  The frightening truth of why Iran wants a bomb, Amir Taheri, 4/16/2006, telegraph.co.uk.

* The 12th and last of the imams--Mahdi, is Islam's messianic figure who went into "grand occultation" (mystical displacement) in 941 A.D., but who has now returned and supposedly communicates directly and in private with Mahmoud.  According to Islam, Madhi is the true [theonomic] Sovereign of the Universe and savior of mankind.  Islamic eschatology borrows from the Judeo-Christian prophetic tradition, but then spins it tp cast Islam and Muslims in a good light.

4/16/2006

Limelight Christians are late to the party.  Back in February, the evangelical crowd split over the issue of so-called "global warming."  According to the NYT, "...86 evangelical Christian leaders have decided to back a major initiative to fight global warming, saying 'millions of people could die in this century because of climate change, most of them our poorest global neighbors.'  Among signers of the [Evangelical Climate Initiative] statement..." was "...the presidents of 39 evangelical colleges, leaders of aid groups and churches, like the Salvation Army, and pastors of megachurches, including Rick Warren, author of the best seller The Purpose-Driven Life."  Everyone wants a piece of the action.  Apparently, other leader in the evangelical community weren't ready to follow Rick Warren's impersonation of Al Gore* on the environment.  The article further states that "Twenty-two of them signed a letter in January declaring, 'Global warming is not a consensus issue.'"  The letter was addressed to the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) and asked the organization to not issue any statement on global warming nor allow its officers or staff members to take a position.  "E. Calvin Beisner, associate professor of historical theology at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., helped organize the opposition into a group called the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance. He said Tuesday that 'the science is not settled' on whether global warming was actually a problem or even that human beings were causing it. And he said that the solutions advocated by global warming opponents would only cause the cost of energy to rise, with the burden falling most heavily on the poor."

The following insightful article and exposé was published Wednesday, April 12th, in the Wall Street Journal.  CLIMATE OF FEAR - Global-warming alarmists intimidate dissenting scientists into silence by Richard Lindzen, Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Atmospheric Science at MIT.

* Why is it when I hear Gore speak I think of Foghorn Leghorn?

4/8/2006

With some time for play, I recently stumbled across a feature of the Windows XP operating system that I want to share with readers.  It is the font rendering technology called ClearType.  ClearType is a software technology developed by Microsoft that improves the readability of text on existing LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays), such as laptop screens, Pocket PC screens and flat panel monitors.  (It also improves the look of fonts on older-type CRT monitors as well.)  With ClearType font technology, the words on your computer screen look almost as sharp and clear as those printed on a piece of paper.

How to turn on ClearType font rendering -  On the Windows desktop, right click the mouse.  Select "Properties," "Appearance" tab, and then the "Effects" button.  Make sure a checkmark ( ) appears before the sentence "Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts," then using the drop down menu, select "ClearType."  The default is "Standard."  Click the "OK" button in the "Effects" window, then the "OK" button for the "Display Properties" window.  That's it!  You should immediately see the difference in the clarity of the fonts.

4/2.1/2006

More proof (as if any more was needed) regarding the liberal bias of mainstream media.  "Jill Carroll, a freelance reporter for the Christian Science Monitor who spent 82 days held hostage by terrorists in Iraq before being set free Thursday, yesterday disavowed remarks she had made in captivity and shortly after her release."  This news was carried widely in new media, but buried in the Washington Post, New York Times, etc.

4/2/2006

Consider the following spiritual principle, little understood and even less experienced by Christians today...

"... wherever and whenever the identification truth of the Cross is not central, the emphasis shifts to the filling [and gifts] of the Spirit. Important as is His fullness and control, He does not fill the new life until the old is firmly established in the death of the Cross.  This principle of life out of death is inviolate! “Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24)." MJS

Contrary to charismatics who claim to "work the power" and "do the stuff" [God does not grant "power" for power's sake] or those who advocate the Puritan spiritual disciplines of past centuries, the Holy Spirit does not energize our life and work apart from His life-out-of-death principle.  Nothing of lasting value comes cheap!

3/31/2006

Having toured a bit this past week at Bible.org's "progressive" forum, the point is again driven home to me how utterly confused the evangelical world has become regarding the question, "What is the Gospel?"  With the drift away from dispensationalism comes doubt, uncertainty, increased questions, and apparent conundrums.  More and more, these evangelicals cannot formulate a consistent and coherent answer that brings spiritual, intellectual, and psychological resolution.  The confusion and lack of salvation assurance isn't new when view in the context of 2,000 years of church history.  The backdrop is one of general darkness, interrupted by the light of occasional awakenings.  Nevertheless, the recent confusion in dispensational circles can be traced to the middle of the 20th century and the downgrade influence of Dallas Theological Seminary.  If you're unclear on the NT Gospel messages, then please read Distinctive Gospels. 

3/25.2/2006

Many Christians and political conservatives have long suspected that gays and lesbians are disingenuous in their legal bid for same-sex marriage.  Their agenda is much larger than obtaining "equal benefits" (e.g., hospital visitation or inheritance rights) for so-called "loving couples."  This smoke-screen is being exposed by proposed legislation in Colorado, which homosexuals are fighting.  The homosexual agenda secretly believes that everything negative in their lives, including any and all mental angst, is attributable to so-called intolerant Bible-believing Christians and Judeo-Christian culture.  In their bid for psychological relief, their goal is to destroy, as best as possible, the source of their mental torment--i.e., both Christians and Judeo-Christian culture.

3/25.1/2006

I've added the BabelFish foreign language translation link to our Search this Site page.  Click on the text to bring up BabelFish, then input the webpage URL and select the language.  Of course, since I'm not fluent in any language other than English, I'll depend on others to inform me about the quality of the translation engine.  My youngest son (USAF), who currently lives and works in France, says it's fairly accurate.

 

3/25/2006

A handful of posts at Bible.org's forum have proved interesting and insightful into the ongoing trends in the dispensational downgrade.  Another theological tent has been erected--Progressive Covenantalism.  I'm not yet clear on how this "new" theological model (supposedly originating at Dallas Theological Seminary) differs from mainline Reformed Covenantism or how it will affect either the Reformed or Dispensational realms.  Here's the downgrade landscape:

Pauline Dispensationalism

↓

Scofieldian Dispensationalism

↓

Progressive and Ultra-Dispensationalism

↓

Progressive Covenantalism

 

For those with appreciation of Dallas Theological Seminary (Old School), you'll be happy to hear your alma mater referred to as the "... academic institution long known for its dispensational leanings."  How incredibly sad.  What would DTS founder Lewis Sperry Chafer think today?

 

PS.  Just received notice from one of the admin at the Bible.org forum informing me that my posts will be censored on account of "self-promotion."  I wondered how long it would take before these Progressives became uncomfortable.  I guess they didn't appreciate my Dennis Prager quote, "Clarity, not agreement."  Of course, the Bible.org (Hampton Keathley IV) suffers from a bit of schizophrenia.  IV makes money from Miles Stanford's CD (long story), includes the Green Letters at his website, but is an ardent Progressive, and thus foe of Pauline Dispensationalism.  Go figure.    

3/19.1/2006

A note to the forum-junkies.  I posted a response to questions raised regarding Miles Stanford on the Bible.org forum.  See http://netbibleinstitute.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=952

3/19/2006

BIBLIOLOGY:  While we acknowledge use of figurative language as an acceptable literary form used by authors of the Bible, Christians who adhere to normal principles of interpretation (hermeneutics) embrace the fact that the Bible typically speaks about reality in a literal fashion.  Literary discernment on the part of the reader is typically necessary to determine the writer's mode of expression.  The universal rule used by authors and readers is to assume literal, unless told otherwise.  The Bible begins with a literal description of creation, and at no point does the author suggest we interpret the words otherwise.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.  God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.  And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day.  Genesis 1:1-5

Since the Bible is not a science textbook, readers are not provided technical explanations for: heavens, formless, empty, darkness, surface of the deep, waters, and light.  However, much has been written seeking to show the correlation between these first five verses of Scripture and the so-called "facts" of past and present-day scientific cosmology.  It is very important to keep in mind that 1) the so-called scientific "facts" have radically changed over the past few centuries, and 2) there is much, by self-admission, the scientific community doesn't understand about the universe.  For example, "...about 4 percent of it [the universe] is ordinary matter, with 22 percent composed of so-called dark matter and 74 percent made up of a mysterious dark energy..."  Think about it.  Only 4 percent of the universe is made from atomic "stuff" we think we understand, the rest is a scientific mystery.  See, scientists aren't so smart after all.  However, what scientists have discovered in the past few decades is astonishing.  

CURRENT COSMOLOGICAL SCIENCE:  I highly recommend THE PRIVILEGED PLANET.  While the book, written by two scientists, is likely more technical than most will enjoy, the DVD video is professional quality and an excellent introduction to the subject of cosmology from an intelligent design perspective.

This past week, NASA released information regarding recent findings from its Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) mission.  Some of these findings are fascinating.

NASA's WMAP Project involves a robotic space probe, launched from Earth on June 30, 2001, which is able to look at the afterglow (background light) from the Big Bang and assists scientists in forming theories over "unprecedented detail about the earliest moments of the cosmos."

Keep in mind that when scientists say (and the media echoes) that our universe is "13.7 billion years" old, they are using a simple mathematical formula and employing the physical distance measurement together with the speed of light (assumed fixed at 186,282.4 miles per second) to obtain the time variable*.  Solving for time using the mathematical formula is based upon the assumption that the speed of light is fixed--an assumption which is uncertain and thus also subject to change.

"We have new evidence that the universe suddenly grew from sub-microscopic [possibly nothing?] to astronomical size in less than the blink of an eye," said Dr. Charles Bennett, principle investigator for the WMAP Project. 

"This tremendous inflation of the universe happened in much less than a trillionth of a second."

When the "tremendous inflation" occurred, the speed of expansion was near infinite, and thus this data seems to hinder our ability to measure time with any precision.

* Time remains a profound mystery, yet some very interesting theories are forming and evolving.  For example, see STARLIGHT AND TIME, Solving the Puzzle of Distant Starlight in a Young Universe.  Dr. Humphreys, following Einstein's theories, believes that gravity distorts time--time dilation. 

3/18/2006

It's hard to know what to write about.  Too many choices!  The world, while never "stable," seems to have come really unhinged.  The same can be said for the West, Christendom, and even the so-called evangelical churches.  It's hard to know from which direction the hate will pour forth next--orthodox Islam, homosexuals, or others.  These groups unconsciously wrestle with the well-defined effects of being under the wrath of God.  Both Muslims and homosexuals have consciously targeted Christianity as their object of hate--so-called "love and tolerance" in this Orwellian-doublespeak 21st century.

Believers often fail to understand that the worldly "church" is subject to various fads...but typically 5-25 years behind the rest of the crowd.  For those churches peddling entertainment, the material can't become too stale.  So, these pastors and their flocks are always in search of something "new and exciting."  Believe it or not, the Purpose-Driven and Emergent movements will crest and fall by the wayside, to be replaced with some new gimmicky program.  Such has been the case for Promise Keepers (PK), the evangelical men's group founded in 1990 by football coach, Bill McCartney.

A local newspaper reporter did some backtracking and caught up with the current spokesman for PK--Steve Chavis.  Here are some comments by Chavis.

"The mythology was, by going great guns that way it was going, we'd reach every man in the country and we'd finish the job.  The fact is, encouraging men spiritually was a much bigger systemic cultural nut to crack."

Duh....  Has he broken free of myths?

"Now that we're smaller, what kind of impact can we make?  I think we're going after a deeper conference experience so that Friday night, all-day Saturday experience is hopefully more profound and has more impact."

These experience-based (non-doctrinal) meetings, whether widely attended in the '90s or more modest today, are a total joke and failure--spiritually speaking.  They fail to rise above the level of a high school pep rally and can only appeal to the lowest, common denominator among American men.

Folks, do not look to sports figures, rock stars, or entertainment types for spiritual leadership! 

3/12/2006

I recently came across an online version of Paul Wilson's ARMINIANISM versus CALVINISM, at Biblecentre.org. This short booklet (first appeared in Christian Truth magazine; later reprinted by Bible Truth Publishers) is an introduction to J. N. Darby's biblical views.  He was neither Arminian nor Calvinist.  Back before the great inflation of the '70s, Miles Stanford mailed this booklet (then 35¢) to many of his correspondents.  Of those Arminian-bent believers who claim to have known and appreciate Miles Stanford, I often wonder if they failed to receive a copy.

For a glimpse at the global reach of the PBs, click on the "Languages" tab in the menu bar of Biblecentre.org.  The PBs also have a rich tradition of hymnody.  I also discovered the wonderful collection of MP3 music recordings, 500+ simple piano melodies from the 1978 edition of the Spiritual Songs (American-Canadian) hymn book.  This site also features French, German, and Russian.  See SpiritualSongs.net.  Someone put in a lot of hours here!!  Here's how you can use this resource for home worship.  If you have a copy of Spiritual Songs, you're set.  If not, open your hymn book to your favorite, identify the hymn tune (typically listed under the title) then do a search to find the MP3 audio.  Click on the 'rabbit' or 'turtle' for fast or slow connection speed, respectively.  Note: the library is large, but not exhaustive. 

3/5/2006

For withChrist.org, 2006 marks our ten-year anniversary of the website's Internet ministry.  We extend a "Thank You!" to each and every 'grassroots' supporter.  We fully believe we have and continue to make a difference in this very dark hour.  The condition of evangelical-fundamentalist churches in the Western world remains shockingly low due to the cultural affects of postmodern relativism and political correctness.  The willingness of Christians to support the cultural cancer of government-funded, taxpayer-financed (public) education is much to blame.  The modern Christian church is much like the city of Nineveh mentioned in the OT, in which lived inhabitants who could not "discern between their right hand and their left..." (Jonah 4:11).  Many so-called born-again Christians are still uncertain as to whether it is morally permissible to exercise discernment and "judge" in doctrinal and moral matters.  Those who do are still erroneously viewed as "unloving."  Again, we call attention to our response--Our View of "Love" in Relation to Doctrinal Error and Those Who Hold It      

3/4/2006

Due to some of those "details of ordinary life," Journal entries have been sparse.  I have responsibility for several large projects connected with my day job, but hope to resume commentary in the third week of March.  See you then.

2/19/2006

"Divine truth ever connects the commonest details of ordinary life with the highest privileges.  That which loosens the bonds of common life is not the testimony of God, but strange doctrine which none should heed.  Whatever are the privileges of the saints, they are brought to the light; and  it is by the light everything is tested.  Those who have the Lord Jesus can afford to have it so."

"Truth always justifies the conscience in a man in his commonplace responsibilities.  The truth ever would lend to the fulfillment of those common duties which all own to be duties; and this is the grace of Christ."

2/18/2006

My grandson, Caleb, came to visit this weekend...and yesterday, it was very cold outside.  To keep this six year old engaged, my oldest son (Jeremiah) allows him to listen to select programs on HIS KIDS RADIO.  The source of these broadcasts are Cornerstone University and Grand Rapids Theological Seminary.  Here you will find a mixture of Reformation confessions with dispensational Baptist tradition.  When it warmed up, it was time for sledding fun!

2/12/2006

Spam email advertisements can truly be annoying.  I get as many as two dozen weekly.  Some online retailers use automatic programs to harvest email addresses from across the Internet, while others pay individuals (pennies in the Third World) to search and build lists.  These lists are then sold and resold.  I even suspect that malicious individuals are supplying Christian website addresses to these spam lists as a form of harassment and attack.  The spam email advertisements can contain stealth features which makes them difficult to filter.  But, here's an effective and simple way to fight back.

If you use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express mail program, employ the "Rules" feature and build custom rules.  Despite all the stealth, the email typically contains a legitimate link (domain address) back to the online merchant.  Identify this link, right click the email, and select "Create Rule."  Choose "Advanced Options," scroll down and check "with specific words in subject or body," and then click on "specific words."  Paste in the merchant's root web address, click the "Add" button, and then "OK."  (You can also paste in any obnoxious words that appear in the subject or body of the email.)  Outlook will now identify this garbage when it arrives. Click the "Next>" button to move to the selections which instruct Outlook how to handle the pesky solicitation.

First, check "forward it to people or distribution list," and then click on "people or distribution list."  Using the merchant's domain name (e.g. "ompoun.com" an offshore Rx pusher located in the British Virgin Islands that sends out millions of spam emails), type in "mail@ompoun.com."  This will forward their spam back to their own email account, were their email server will hopefully, in time, choke to death.  Another variation here is use Whois to look up the owner of the domain name.  Often the registrar requires an email address from the domain owner, so use that email address for the forward.  Check "permanently delete it," which fully delete's the spam from Outlook.  You will need to repeat this process for each spam your receive.  In summary, when the spam arrives, Outlook will autoforward the email back to the source and delete the spam, all in the background without you having to do any thing more.  Out of sight; out of mind!!! 

2/11/2006

Hamas wasted no time in issuing edicts to Western governments as part of its information war, efforts at intimidation, and gradualist plan to impose sharia law and Islam on all Western societies. 

"Hamas’ political chief laid out conditions today under which it would work to calm anger in ‘‘the Muslim street’’ over cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad published in western media.

"Hamas would try to soothe the outrage only if western governments apologies to Muslims and begin drafting laws and other measures to make sure such ‘‘attacks’’ will not be printed again."

This will certainly prove to be one or many tests to see how deep the multi-culturist rot has penetrated the West.

Of late, the Internet (one of the last bastions of free speech) seems besieged with various forms of spam and viruses.  It wouldn't surprise me if the so-called Muslims 'warriors' continue their effort to cripple this communication media or shut it down.

That Western secularists and liberals remain concerned about the influence of Christian fundamentalism, in the face of spreading Islamic theocracy, is a mind-boggling irony that can only be explained by their extraordinary degree of illiteracy and bigotry in matters of religion. 

2/5/2006

Whether it's understood, the two seemingly unrelated posts of yesterday and very much related.  Every genuine Christian leader should be working to establish the veracity of the Word of God.

2/4.1/2006

Recent public accusations of "Islamophobia", similar to those of "homophobia", are most often efforts to besmirch any and all who oppose either Islam or homosexuality.  Muslims, with their Islamic theocratic agenda*, are simply borrowing a political maneuver from the gay and lesbian war-of-words (postmodern) playbook.  The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines phobia as an "...inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation."  The Western world's traditional opposition to both Islam and homosexuality is not inexplicable (incapable of being explained, interpreted, or accounted for) nor illogical.  Judged by the Word of God--the Bible, Islam is religious fallacy, and homosexuality is sexual perversion proceeding from reprobate minds.  Over six thousand years of Western cultural history is rationally built upon this foundation--that the Bible is knowledge.

*  "...Rumsfeld warned that radical Islamists 'have designed and distributed a map where national borders are erased and replaced by a global extremist Islamic empire.'

"He cautioned 'that this is not war between the West and the Muslim world' but instead primarily 'a struggle between the relatively small fringe groups of extremists -- violent extremists -- who seek to hijack an ancient religion against the overwhelming majority of Muslims'."

If only this "hijack" theory were true, there would reason for hope.  But the rhetoric from leaders in the Western world simply doesn't fit with history--particularly the broader history of Islam.  If the West is in the process of loosing its mind (rational thought) due to the effects of postmodernism, it is only a matter of time, and not much of that, until it looses its will.

There are some isolated re-evaluations taking place in the West regarding the nature of Islam and its view of the Koran.  See the interesting set of articles and comments by Daniel Pipes, The Pope and the Koran, and related links.

Islam has a total organization of life that is completely different from ours; it embraces simply everything. There is a very marked subordination of woman to man; there is a very tightly knit criminal law, indeed, a law regulating all areas of life, that is opposed to our modern ideas about society. One has to have a clear understanding that it is not simply a denomination that can be included in the free realm of a pluralistic society. When one represents the situation in those terms, as often happens today, Islam is defined according to the Christian model and is not seen as it really is in itself. In this sense, the question of dialogue with Islam is naturally much more complicated than, for example, an internal dialogue among Christians.  The Church at the End of the Millennium, an interview with Peter Seewald (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997)

2/4/2006

At the other end of the very long religious spectrum exists the New Age interspirituality movement.  Dubbed the "living spiritual teachers project," these gurus speak the mantra of pure religious syncretism. 

We are open to all points of view on spiritual questions, drawing on the world's wisdom traditions as well as science, psychology, sociology and medicine.

Perhaps the simplest way to make the distinction is to say we're talking about experience, not doctrine. Though spirituality is a part of all religions, no religion can own it, and those who aren't comfortable with organized religion are no less involved in the journey. This approach honors questions, mysteries, and journeys of discovery over dogmatic answers, closed systems, and now-you've-made-it destinations. Respecting and drawing upon the world's great wisdom traditions (religions) as well as the latest insights from medicine, psychology, sociology, ecology, and the natural sciences, we speak to people from various religious traditions or no religious tradition at all.

Project leaders include: Marcus Borg, Joan Chittister, Pema Chödrön, William Sloane Coffin, Barbara Crafton, Frederick Franck, Thich Nhat Hanh, Andrew Harvey, Edward Hays, Alan Jones, Thomas Keating, Harold Kushner, Lawrence Kushner, Ram Dass, Joyce Rupp, Sharon Salzberg, Rami Shapiro, David Steindl-Rast, Robert Thurman, Jim Wallis, Macrina Wiederkehr, and Marianne Williamson.

Syncretism, a long standing principle in liberal Christian churches, has been spreading among evangelicals for several decades and is at the core of the newer, postmodern emergent church movement.          

1/29/2006

With all the serious trouble building in the Middle East, believers need to be clear on some important, "big picture" chronological events.  The following is from R. A. Huebner's Elements of Dispensational Truth, Volume 2.  Click on the title just below to see his chart.

The Interposed Heavenly Calling

"Israel is God's nationally recognized people - Ammi - only while they have both Calling [active election] and Government given to them.  The reason why God continued working with the people of Israel after declaring them Lo-ammi is because they still had Calling.  This Earthly Calling is restored in the 70th week, when Jehovah works with the Jewish remnant to form them to receive Messiah.  And when He reigns, Israel, as his nationally recognized people - Ammi - will again be the center of His earthly seat of government."

1/28/2006

Without control of the White House, the House, or the Senate, the Left looks to liberal activist judges rather than to the American voters or their elected representatives to create "new rights."

The SCOTUS confirmation of Roberts and nomination of Alito, two white males, has Democrats frothing at the mouth.  Despite current commitments by Senators to vote in favor of confirmation, I have a hard time believing Democrats won't attempt a filibuster and fight cloture next Tuesday for the opportunity to expel more hot air.  They must make a passionate showing for their radical supporters.  Their decades-long tool for cramming a liberal social agenda down the throat of American society (the "Activist Court") is threatened with hiatus.  Well...maybe.  Both Roberts and Alito may prove a disappointment to both Republicans, Democrats, and others as well.  Given the various philosphies that originally went into creating the American Constitution and Bill of Rights, together with the judiciary's principle of stare decisis, more confusing opinions are guaranteed.  While all of the Founders shared a Judeo-Christian worldview, more-or-less; several were adherents to the notion of "libertarian freedom"--a philosophic and theological cancer.

This question-and-answer below was generated by Charles Pickering's new book, SUPREME CHAOS, The Politics of Judicial Confirmation and the Culture War, and can currently be found here.

Fort Myers, Fla.: If the President selects nominees on the basis of their judicial philosophy (how they will vote in certain cases), why can't the Senate, under its constitutional power to offer "advice and consent," reject nominees for the same reason?

And please, do not insult my intelligence by suggesting that the president does not have an ideological litmus test for choosing his judicial nominees. We know better.

Charles W. Pickering Sr.: The Constitution says the President will nominate. The Senate is given no role under the Constitution in the nomination of nominees. The Senate only has a role in "advice and consent". From the earliest writings of our founders, it is obvious that this was intended as a check on the appointment of unqualified individuals and the President having won the popular vote was given wide discretion so long as he nominated qualified persons of integrity. Throughout most of our history, this was the process. Only since the concept of a living, changing, Mystery Constitution emerged full-blown were all of the hot-button social issues like abortion, definition of marriage, reference to God in the public arena, and pornography moved from the political arena-- the election of state legislators, congressmen, and senators to the confirmation of judges. The special interest groups opposing the Bush nominees and some Democrat Senators say that judicial philosophy should enter into the evaluation by the Senate, but then rather than rest their case on this argument, they try to destroy the reputation and character of the nominees as they did in accusing Judge Alito of ethical lapses and bigotry.

1/22/2006

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday, Palestine [Israel] is the center of the final stages of the battle between Islam and arrogance [Western nations personified in the Muslim mind], saying the Palestinian Intifada is progressing.

And the Angel of the LORD said to her: "Behold, you [are] with child, And you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, Because the LORD has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; His hand [shall be] against every man, And every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren." Then she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, "Have I also here seen Him who sees me?" Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi; observe, [it is] between Kadesh and Bered. So Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram named his son, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.  Genesis 16:11-15.

For us, Iran's nuclear chess game with Western powers signals a pending cataclysm for Israel, the Middle East, as well as the rest of world.  Many are emailing us with questions about End Times prophecy (eschatology).  Most often we recommend J. Dwight Pentecost's classic, Things To Come, as a good starting point.  Come Lord Jesus!

1/16/2006

A key distinction must be made when viewing the table below.  The statistics represent different things to different groups of Christians and religious bodies.  Some, like myself, see the Internet as a communications tool similar to the printing press (see 1/2/2006 comment below); others, a sophisticated marketing tool capable of selling "ice to the Eskimos."  Like all media, the Internet serves both ends.

For religious marketers, application of marketing techniques is basic to their "outreach."  Fundamental to these techniques is the "principle of accommodation."  The method is to "descend to the level of those whom they attempt to reach in order to gain rapport and thus a response."  In using the world's [marketing] methods, the Christian is "inevitably pulled down to the world's level instead of drawing the worldling to a spiritual level.  The price paid is infinitely too high for what little is gained."  Here a list of the 50 Top "Christian" Marketers.

As mentioned on our AboutUs page, we rely upon the Holy Spirit's work to move hungry hearts to search and find us.  We don't identify "target markets" or "target demographics" because our interest is in making contact with those believers who the Spirit has prepared to hear and embrace our message. 

1/14/2006

The table below shows Internet penetration as a percentage of Earth's 6.4+ billion population.  What's not shown is the same statistics based on language, English vs. other, etc.  Any way you look at it, the potential reach is huge.  Assuming that a least half of all Internet users speak English as a first language, potential coverage approaches 500 million households.  Thanks again to those who support withChrist.org.

1/13/2006

This week's Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Samuel Alito on CSPAN provided a good look at the heart of America's anti-theist Democrat Party and the intense cultural polarization.  Of course, many of us experience this form of hostility, up front and personal, on a daily basis due to working in secular careers.  Alito's pending confirmation is making my liberal colleagues absolutely sick to their stomach.  How do I know?  Their foreboding silence.  Also read Hugh Hewitt's analysis, Alito-Induced Panic Disorder-1/13/2006, of how the left sees the situation.

1/8.1/2006

This morning, Diane and I added some MP3 audio to withChrist.org.  Now you can hear the voices associated with the picture!  See the controller buttons on the AboutUs page.  Am I ready to begin narration of THE NEW BIRTH EXPLAINED or other portions of the websites?  Let us know.

1/8/2006

Much of the content of Islam is a twisting or perversion of basic truths found in either Judaism or Christianity.  In fact, Islamic tradition has crafted its own versions of so-called "last days prophecy" (Qiyamah).  For example, see Identification of the Promised Messiah.   It is estimated that 20 percent of Iran's Shiite Muslim population are looking for the return of Imam Mahdi, the "hidden" 12th Imam who disappeared as a child in the year 941 and is expected to return to impose justice, spread peace, and salvation for a duration of 7 years.  A Google search for Mahdi brings up several Islamic explanations of Qiyamah.  Is Mahdi either the Antichrist or the False Prophet (the first and second "beasts") of Christian eschatology?

1/7.2/2006

A young chaplain recently ended his protest hunger strike over a 1998 internal Navy policy which favors "inclusive" religious expression, and thus is hostile toward evangelical Christianity's more exclusivistic messages.  Per a search of Google, the Evangelical Episcopal priest, Lt. Gordon Klingenschmitt, has to his credit a history of getting sideways with his military commanders who are increasingly postmodern in their views.  (To understand the dynamics, see and read The New Tolerance.)  These situations continue to be exacerbated by George Bush's less-than-evangelical "faith" and his ecumenical efforts to legitimatize the religion of Islam.  Current, White House policies favor emphasizing the value of all "faiths," and thus must undermine the exclusive claims of "fundamentalists" no matter in which religious tradition they may be found.  This, along with the remainder of liberal insanity, appears to render the West impotent against the building storm of hatred toward secular Israel and America.  For example, Iran's leaders represent a serious and pending holocaust directly and indirectly against both nations, respectively.

1/7.1/2006

Events this week bought to my attention the book, The Trouble With Islam, authored by Irshad Manji.  Ms. Manji is a Canadian feminist-lesbian journalist, who not surprisingly was raised in a liberal "Western Muslim household" and who struggles to reconcile her non-traditional understanding of Islam with historic and contemporary expressions of that religion.  Like "Christian" liberals, she seek to encourage "reform," i.e., create her own version of Islam to her own liking.  However, she does understand an important fundamental.  An Amazon reviewer writes, "...she rejects the notion, popular since 9/11, that the problem isn't Islam but that Islam has been 'highjacked' by murderous psychopaths.  No, she says: Mainstream Islam IS the culprit; it is cruel and even brutal toward women, toward Jews, toward Christians, toward all other infidels--even toward other Muslims.  Dissident Muslims can be and have been beaten, imprisoned, killed.  Muslims who aren't religious enough (e.g., those impious, kite-flying Afghanis) have been crushed."

1/7/2006

Why Pat Robertson is Wrong—In Simple Terms

God does not recognize secularist Ariel Sharon’s actions relative to Israel’s prior covenant land grant.

In the past, God chose[1] Israel and gave them the title, “Ammi” – “my people.”  Then, earthly governmental power was given to that Nation.  At that time, Israel along with its priests, kings, and prophets, had status or legal standing with God.  Because of the Jew’s rebellion and spiritual adultery, God has set Israel aside for a time (temporary divorce); the time is called “the time of the Gentiles,” and earthly governmental power was temporarily transferred to the Gentiles nations.  "Gentiles" simply means non Jews.  Further, the Gentile nations have not and never will assume Israel's "Ammi" status.  At the present time, God is NOT dealing with Israel (or Israel’s leaders) as a Nation—they are “Lo-ammi,”—“not my people.”  In short, Robertson (a Southern Baptist charismatic amillennialist) is oblivious to this important dispensational distinction.

[1] Deuteronomy 14:2  Out of all the nations on this earth, the LORD your God chose you to be his own. You belong to the LORD, so don't behave like those who worship other gods.

See Graphic Chart

1/2.1/2006

Based on the nature of quite a few emails received in 2005, a brief comment regarding online "discernment ministries" is in order.  First, we believe that discernment is the progressive and logical result of biblical spiritual growth...

"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment; so that ye may distinguish the things that differ" (Philippians 1:9,10, marg., ASV).

...and that the spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 were of a temporal nature, being confined to the Church prior to 100 A.D.  Read: Signs Retired.

This view immediately places us at odds with a number of so-called ministries or individuals who lay claim to "special powers of discernment."  Typically, these sites have former charismatic or even occult/New Age connections, are conspiratorial in tone, and women outnumber men by a large margin.

Many of the current crop of anti-cult and discernment ministries are run by individuals who were once adherents to Pentecostal/charismatic craziness, or occult and New Age.  Burned by the bizarre emotional and psychological excesses, upon departure they mount crusades to expose both the inner and outer workings of the religious deception.  This is good as far as it goes; but it doesn't go far enough.  For many, their objections are simply limited to the former excesses, not suspecting any fundamental problem with their overall doctrinal or religious framework.  For example, a recently-formed association, Apologetics Coordination Team (ACT), is an eclectic group containing several ex (?) Pentecostal/charismatics, a majority still retaining belief in active "spiritual warfare" and the "demonization" of believers.

PS.  In doing research for the comments above, I spent several hours following the enormous labyrinth of Internet linkage among religious/Christian sites.  Like the cults' marketing efforts decades ago, the Pentecostal/charismatics have gone to great lengths to cloak their doctrinal identities.  Gone are the denominational monikers.  For the past several decades, "non-denominational" and "community church" labels have become widespread, all in step with our postmodern society and non-doctrinal emphasis in the churches.

1/2/2006

As we all now realize, "new media" and the Internet are powerful communication tools.  Society is undergoing a major transformation with this near real-time delivery of knowledge, the consequences of which are not clearly understood.  For perspective, consider that in the year 1455, Johann Gutenberg sold "copies of a two-volume Bible (Biblia Sacra) for 300 florins each.  This was the equivalent of approximately three years' wages for an average clerk, but it was significantly cheaper than a handwritten Bible that could take a single monk 20 years to transcribe." Wikipedia 

Click on the book image to jump to the Gutenberg Bible Exposition at the British Library, UK

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