Even If All Perish in Hell, Love Still Wins.

There are many bloggers who are catching flak for making critical comments about Rob Bell's book Love Wins, when the book hasn't even been released.  They are basing their criticisms on the book's promotional video and a blurb by Brian McLaren.  So, I watched the video.

While hesitant to recommend such a video, I will quote a major portion of it here.  Bell says,

Will only a few select people make it to heaven?  And will billions and billions of people burn forever in hell?  And if that's the case, how do you become one of the few?  Is it what you believe or what you say or what you do or who you know or something that happens in your heart?  Or do you need to be initiated or take a class or converted or being born again?  How does one become one of these few?

Then there is the question behind the questions. The real question [is], “What is God like?”, because millions and millions of people were taught that the primary message, the center of the gospel of Jesus, is that God is going to send you to hell unless you believe in Jesus. And so what gets subtly sort of caught and taught is that Jesus rescues you from God. But what kind of God is that, that we would need to be rescued from this God? How could that God ever be good? How could that God ever be trusted? And how could that ever be good news?

This is why lots of people want nothing to do with the Christian faith. They see it as an endless list of absurdities and inconsistencies and they say, why would I ever want to be a part of that? See what we believe about heaven and hell is incredibly important because it exposes what we believe about who God is and what God is like. What you discover in the Bible is so surprising, unexpected, beautiful, that whatever we have been told and been taught, the good news is actually better than that, better than we could ever imagine.

The good news is that love wins.

The video alone is enough to at least alarm those who embrace Christ alone by faith.  I agree whole heartedly with Kevin DeYoung who says, "We don't have to guess if Bell will say something dreadfully, horribly, disgracefully wrong [in his book].  He already has."  I would suggest you read DeYoungs full post here.

Not only can every one of Bell's questions be answered clearly from the Scriptures; but the Scriptural answers themselves leave Bell in a place that is foreign to Orthodoxy.

For example,  Bell says (asks), "But what kind of God is that, that we would need to be rescued from this God?"  The Scriptures are clear.  Christ died to save us from the wrath of God (Romans 5:9).

It seems as if Bell's main proposition is that if hell is inhabited then Love has lost - God has lost.

But this denies the very foundation of the Christian faith - the Trinitarian love of God.  God is not love primarily because He loves people; but because He loves Himself.  All people could perish in their sins, in hell, and God would still be Love.  Why?  Because He was Love before the foundation of the world (John 17:24).  Humans cannot change this, though they are an expression of it.

Let me be clear.  Hell is a sobering reality.  I do not sit and enjoy the fact that "I, in my orthodoxy, am right about hell, while others are not!"  The doctrine of hell is something that I struggle with.  The Cross of Christ, however, soothes my struggles.  It puts hell in perspective.

I believe a quote from Timothy Brindle is in order: Forever will I tell... in three hours, Christ suffered more than any sinner ever will in hell.

God forbid that we should struggle more with Hell than the Cross.  In Hell, man suffers the just payment for his sins.  At the Cross, the Son of God suffered the just payment for our sins.  Hell is not scandalous.  The Cross is.  This Cross we must preach.  It is a stumbling block for many.  I pray it is not a stumbling block for Bell.

Simply put, Christ suffered my hell on the Cross.  And in doing so, Love has won.

What I Learned About Prayer That I Learned From My Kids

I finally laid my head down last night, exhausted.  Fridays are Field-Trip-With-Daddy Day.  To give the wife a break, I take the kids out of the house on some new journey - to the Battleship, Fire Station, Starbucks (YES!); any place as long as it is away from Mamma!

I guess this is the age when they want EVERYTHING!  It is almost as if they are constantly hungry, thirsty or deprived of some toy.  Oh...and don't let one ask for something around the other!  If one gets it, the other looks with an envious eye and says, "Daddy...can I have that too?"  Amazing.  Frustrating.  Exhausting.  Seriously, I don't know how you people do it (Mommies, that is)!

No joke, these kids were asking for something every 5 minutes (on average).  Some asking-streaks had to be record-breaking.  We were at the coffee shop.  I ordered everything on the menue it seems (I had a Groupon) - ice cream for Emma, a cookie for Jude, a muffin for me.  But then Jude heard that Emma was getting something that he wasn't getting..."Daddy, I want ice cream too."  "Can I have gummy bears on it?"

Some guy after us ordered a piece of cake.  Jude says, "Daddy, I want cake."  As I tried to gather all of my edible merchandise, it was all I could do to keep them from finding something new to want.  Then Jude needed to go potty.  Amazing.  Impeccable timing.

So there I was, at the end of the day, laying on the bed.  The kids were finally asleep.  After saying a small prayer asking for God to give me more patience with my children, He spoke to me.

It was not an audible voice; but it reached a deeper part of me than any voice ever could.  A new vision of my Lord overwhelmed me.  I have only three children.  He has millions (if not more).  I spent the day wishing my children would stop asking me for things.  He eternally lives longing for His children to ask Him for everything! (Matt 7:7)

He never sleeps.  He never gets tired of giving.  He is never frustrated by the simplest requests.  He graciously corrects our selfish and envious desires.  And even when He does, He never ceases giving!  He never ignores us!  We never have to call his name ten times before he responds, "What?!"

He answers the first time, every time!  Even when we fail to ask, He considers that asking - and He gives accordingly!  He is God.  He is our giving, hearing, patient, faithful, merciful, gracious, and loving Father.

He is holy other than I am.  And yet, He saved me.  He lives in me.  He changed me yesterday, knowing exactly what I needed even before I asked.  I don't have bad kids.  They were doing exactly what they were supposed to do.  I learned that I should be more hesitant to discourage their practice of asking.  

Yesterday, I learned what it means to ask Daddy for things.

Fearful of the One We Have Offended

One of the most alarming statements I have ever heard comes from the Apostle Paul.  He wrote to Timothy, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness.  God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth..." (2 Timothy 2:24-25).

This verse throws every man and woman at the mercy of God.  In unbelief, it seems that God is at our mercy.  He desires for us to love Him, but is waiting for us to use our faculties (esp., our knowledge) properly in order to make a willful consent in His direction.  The unbeliever will even take this scenario a bit further.  He says God has not given enough "clues" and therefore has no right to demand allegiance.

As I read and interact with modern atheism - and even historical atheism - I find the common rational to follow this line of thought:  The ultimate problem is not ours.  Our knowledge and reasoning processes are sufficient enough to ascend toward God, should He exist.  Our knowledge and reasoning processes have not yet done so, therefore, God does not exist.

Many atheists have understand the logical contradiction in the absolute negation above and have restated it.  They say something like, "I lack a belief that God exists because I have found no evidence to prove otherwise."

Paul's statement confronts this position with an earth-shattering proposition.  The problem is not with God, but with man.  In unbelief man's knowledge and reasoning abilities are highly flawed.  In unbelief, a person is unable to reason to God.  He, according to Paul, does not yet have knowledge of the truth.  It follows then that premises without truth lead to conclusions without truth.  In short, unbelievers don't have the ability to make theistic conclusions.

But there is more.  The Apostolic statement not only states a lack of ability, but also a lack of permission.  The knowledge of the truth is not a right, but a gift.  It is not something we have (after the fall), but something we need.  It is not something we can create, but something that must be granted by our Creator.  In short, unbelievers don't have the right to make theistic conclusions.

This is a fragile position.  The unbeliever is completely at the mercy of the One he has offended every day of his life.  Belief in God is the greatest pleasure humanity can be afforded.  In our sin, however, we don't have the ability to buy it.  Nor do we have permission to have it.  Bad boys don't deserve glorious gifts.

The Gospel doest not therefore call the unbeliever to reason his way to God; but to repent of his sins to God.  Should God grant such, he is then in a position to reason properly.  Given the knowledge of the truth the reason is liberated.  Once we have the Truth, we may then conclude the Truth that God is the Sovereign, gracious King with whom we all must reckon.  I will quote the great St. Augustine yet again, "We must believe in order to understand" not vise versa.

Getting Back to Biblical Hebrew

After I bought my new MacBook, I was devastated to learn that the program mainly responsible for my acquisition of Hebrew vocabulary would not run on Snow Leopard.  Intelex would be leaving my life - and along with it, Hebrew vocabulary!

Ever since that day, I have been on a quest to find something that would work as well.  Though I am still on that search, I did find a pretty good resource.  Quisition is a website that provides its users with online flash cards.  OTProf has been so kind to add countless Hebrew flash card "decks" to this site.  All you have to do is register - with only a username and password (no strings attached - they don't even want an email address).

After you register, you can search for certain decks.  I typed in Biblical Hebrew and voila! countless resources (specific to my textbook! BBH) appeared.  I'm pretty stoked.  Though Quisition won't vocalize the words, it will quiz you and recycle missed words.

So, to all my hommies out there with slippery minds...let your Hebrew slip no more!

Piper on The Temptation of Technology

I used to wonder how in the world the old theologians produced so much good material.  John Owen penned at least 16 volumes, plus an additional 7 just on the book of Hebrews!  John Calvin's commentaries on the Bible remain a must have, 20 volume, set.  The first time I saw the works of Spurgeon, it lined the top of two of my professors book cases.  And St. Augustine...we won't even go there.

Then it hit me the other day.  The video below does a good job capturing it as well.  These guys didn't have facebook!  Wow, and I thought it was because they were smart...

Everyone is Religious

What is this thing we call Religion?  I spoke with a guy the other day that constantly referred to himself as "not a religious person."  Many would even place religion and reason at opposite ends of the philosophical spectrum.  Because of this culturally ambiguous treatment many theologians have labored to clarify its true nature.  In his Summary of Christian Doctrine, Louis Berkhof begins by laying out three important aspects about religion.

The Nature of Religion.  "The Bible informs us that man was created in the image of God.  When he fell in sin, he did not entirely cease to be the image bearer of the Most High.  The seed of religion is still present in all men, though their sinful nature constantly reacts against it...In light of Scripture we learn to understand that religion is a relation in which man stands to God, a relation in which man is conscious of the absolute majesty and infinite power of God and of his own insignificance and absolute helplessness."

Berkhof is saying here that, because man is created by God and in the image of God, he is not able, because of his nature, to be irreligious.  This fact flies in the face of the modern notion of neutrality - that a person decides, on a neutral ground, whether he is religious or not.  In reality this ground does not exist.  As a child does not decide his intrinsic relationship to his parents, neither does a person decide his intrinsic relationship to God.  Every person acknowledges God and is therefore religious.  The further matter is whether we kiss Him as Father or kick Him as Foe.

The Seat of Religion.  "Some think of religion primarily as a sort of knowledge, and locate it in the intellect.  Others regard it as a kind of immediate feeling of God...And still others hold that it consists most of all in moral activity, and refer it to the will...However, all these views are one-sided and contrary to Scripture...Religion involves the whole man, his intellectual, his emotional, and his moral life."

Because religious is what we are, it pervades all that we do.  All of our thoughts, motives and actions rightfully fall under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  We do all things unto the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31).  Any action, therefore, that is called irreligious, the Scriptures would define as sinful.

The Origin of Religion.  Over the years, "repeated attempts were made to give a natural explanation of [the origin of religion], but without success."  Some spoke of it as an invention; some as the worship of lifeless objects, spirits, or ancestors.  In all of this the question still remains, "How did people ever hit upon the idea of worshipping lifeless or living objects?"  All of these theories start out with a man who is already religious.

In other words, all of the theories can indicate a religiosity in man, but they cannot explain where it came from.  Berkhof continues, "The Bible gives the only reliable account of the origin of religion.  It informs us of the existence of God, the only object worthy of religious worship.  Moreover, it comes to us with the assurance that God, whom man could never discover with his natural powers, revealed Himself in nature and, more especially, in His divine Word, demands the worship and service of man, and also determines the worship and service that is well-pleasing to Him."

Putting Porn to Death (Part 3 of 3)

I was watching this documentary on steroid use the other day.  One of the guys was being interviewed said something to the effect of, "It's my body and I am willing suffer the repercussions."  I was very intrigued by the comment given that he was both a husband and a father.  The individualistic bend of what he said is only indicative of the self-centeredness that infects all of humanity.

The truth is that his body is not his; and if steroids affects him negatively, others will also suffer the repercussions.

In Part 3 of Putting Porn to Death, I discuss how individualism is one of the pillars of porn-addiction.  As long as a person remains convinced that porn only affects his/herself and that he/she alone is able to overcome it, porn will continue to have its way in their life.

Read more about this here on HolyCulture.net.  You may be directed to the home page with this link.  If so, click on "content" then on "articles" - you will find it there as well.

On The Birth Control Pill

I did not address the birth control pill directly yesterday for a specific purpose.  The issue is too large to address objectively in a blog post.  It is also very touchy. Therefore, as a pastor, I must be careful not to use an axe when a scalpel is needed.

I have decided to address the issue now because I received emails and comments that were directed toward the pill specifically.  When I talk about birth control, this is typically what happens.  I was not surprised.  I do want you to know that I will write this post from a more subjective perspective rather than an objective one.  In other words, my purpose at this time, is only to give reasons why my wife and I do not use the pill.

First, we do not use the pill because there is nothing broken that we need to fix by taking medication.  When people object to our perspective, they will often draw a false analogy by asking if we take a pill for a headache or some other sickness. I usually respond by saying, yes, I take medication when something is not working properly.  In our case, Katie's "reproductive cycle" is working just fine.  I am more hesitant to take medication when it causes something to work improperly.  We decided initially to ditch the pill because it made all sorts of things go wrong.

I understand that, for many, the pill makes some things work properly.  However, for reasons stated below, I would highly caution a purely pragmatic approach.  In this case, the end does not always justify the means.

Second, we do not feel that we have the "right" to tell God, who is Lord (even of the womb), "No, we will not have children."  We feel that it is our duty to be open to having children.  The pill, in our estimation, deadbolts a door that should at least remain unlocked.  Because of this, the pill also flirts with presumption in the having-children-arena.  And presumption is less than a humble posture toward our Sovereign King.

Third, we have not found any personal account in Scripture that was decisively against having children.  Stated positively, it seems that every woman represented in Scripture in this way longed to have children; and if she could not, she considered herself cursed.  This is at least something to consider.

Fourth, in researching many pharmacology reports, we have yet to find a pill that was not intended to be an abortifacient.  It is our conviction that life begins at conception.  We do not want to provide a hostile environment for this child.  Simply put, we are not willing to actively risk an abortion.

Finally, we found that natural family planning is a better method for us.  There are many reasons for this, the primary being we both are involved in our family planning.  I have also found that it keeps me from objectifying my wife for purely sexual purposes.  Not to mention it is just as effective as the pill.

In summary,this is an issue that demands more than simply a doctor's recommendation.  It certainly demands more than a passive acceptance of a cultural norm.  Christians need to know why they either take or do not take the pill.  I would argue even further that Christians need to know why they either have or do not have children.  Simply put, we must pioneer these waters rather than follow the secular trends.

For an exhaustive perspective on the pill and how it relates to abortions I highly recommend Randy Alcorn's book Does the Birth Control Pill Cause Abortions?  This is a very cheap and helpful resource.

Birth Control

Katie and I broke up one time because, I thought, we just had too many differences.  One of those differences was on children.  I wanted one or two.  Katie wanted four or five.  This, for me, was a deal-breaker.

After about four or five months, I was too "Katie-sick" to care about kids anymore.  I would have had ten just to have her back.  Once she was gracious enough to take me back, I put a ring on her finger.  At the same time, she started taking the pill.

We were married in the Catholic church.  Consequently, we had to go through their pre-marital counseling.    It was just a matter of time until we got the whole "NFP" spill - that is, the natural family planning pitch.  I went to the presentation very closed minded.  I wanted to have sex without worrying about having kids.  I left the presentation convicted.

We decided to ditch the pill (for many reasons).  And we started NFP.  Five months later...pregnant!  Many have said, "See, I told you!  NFP doesn't work."  To this we have always responded, "No.  NFP did work.  And it worked very well."

The purpose of this post is not to discuss why we believe this way.  If you would like to hear my thoughts on birth control, email me (or comment) and I'd be glad to send you my ethics paper on the subject.  This is not a subject that I typically shy away from.  I believe that Christians are highly un/misinformed on the issue.  That is why I recommend this article by Doug Wilson.

Please read it.  While I would probably add more, this article is a good start.

We live in a culture that is anti-children.  When couples get married, they hardly ever see it in the context of building a family.  It is almost always an "option" that they may get around to after they have had some fun together.  Children, in this way, are seen as a burden and hinderance to the relationship.  They are a threat to separate rather than a blessing to bring the couple closer together.  Not all couples, I understand, think this way; but this is our culture's trend.

During our marriage ceremony the minister asked if we would accept children from the Lord.  We both said "Yes."  Then he asked, "What about ten children?"  We said, after hesitating for a minute, "Yes."  Three children later, we are tired.  But we are also very happy.  Children are an amazing blessing.  Yes, they may break us - but that doesn't mean we are not blessed.  Will we have more?  Probably.  I hate to presume about gifts from God.  But I have always heard that after three, it just gets easier!  And, as far as I know, there is only one way to find out!

Science Has Never Spoken One Single Word

In our day and age, it seems that science alone carries the authoritative gavel for making judgments about knowledge, reality and ethics.  When worldviews collide - especially theistic and atheistic ones - all eyes look to this judicial chair to decide the matter.  Both parties wait for the verdict.  What is Science going to say?

And why wouldn't we want to know what it has to say?  Science is speaking so clearly today that atheist authors are not at all reluctant to quote its heralding voice: "Science says," "According to science," "Science provides," "Thanks to science," "Science has discovered," and "Science has proved to us..." With every citation it seems that the Christian's creed, "God has said..." takes more of a back seat in our world.  After all, we have heard science say there is no proof for the existence of God.

What is the Christian response to this?  What do we say when confronted with what science says?  The answer is simple.  Science has never spoken one single word.  When we hear something like, "Science tells us so and so..." We say, "No it doesn't.  Science can't talk."  When people use the word science this way, either in discourse or in writing, they commit at least two logical fallacies.  In order for honest communication to take place, these must be pointed out.

First, the fallacy of ambiguity.  Attributing all kinds of powers to the abstract idea "science" (which, in reality has no causal powers to make, speak, or give us anything), misrepresents the truth by obscuring it or clouding it.  It keeps the hearer in a position of unclarity, thus stunting his/her ability to respond promptly, clearly, and effectively.  This cloud is quickly removed by pressing the issue - "Did science tell you that?  Or, did a scientist tell you that?"  While it is quite difficult to test the faithfulness, credibility and accuracy of science, it is an easier and clearer task to test a particular scientist of the same.  This leads us to our next fallacy.

Second, the fallacy of dogmatism by appealing to the illegitimate and incorrigible "authority" of science.  By appealing to "science" the hearer is supposed to accept the predication based on the ambiguous authority of science.  Now, many will say that we are to accept the predication based on the evidence; but this is hardly ever communicated.  Rather, I find that many who appeal to science have never really conducted the method themselves, but are simply trusting in what someone else (science, philosopher, or friend) has written or said.

The simple fact is, this fallacy assumes a link between authority and truth that does not exist.

We must also understand that the abuse of this fallacy does not mean that the argument in question is necessarily wrong.  The argument simply remains unproven; but not disproven.

For a better understanding of the different types of fallacies that are commonly employed, I highly recommend McDurmon's book called Biblical Logic: In Theory and Practice.

Free Kindle Book - What the Bible Says About the Doctrines of Grace

You can download this book by Nathan Pitchford here in Kindle format.  Enjoy!

About This Blog

After blogging for a little over a year now, I have concluded that it is something that I would like to do for as long as I am able.  I have noticed that the site has adopted a certain nature.  I am overall pleased with this and have decided to communicate the "core values" of  TheRestofSunday.com.

1.  Gospel-Centered.  This year has been a life-changing one to say the least.  I have learned more about the gospel this year than any in my Christian life.  More than this, I have seen the Good News embodied among my family and friends.  As a result, the communication of such experiences and truths is something that is, and has been, very important to me.  Therefore, I am committed to making TheRestofSunday.com a place where the gospel of Christ is communicated regularly, clearly and faithfully.

2.  Honest.  I am a Christian living in a fallen world.  There are times, even as a pastor, when I struggle; when relationships get flat out messy - even ugly.  There are times when I fail - as a minister, as a parent, as a husband and as a friend. And there are times that I feel as if heaven itself has come down.  I think it is important to communicate what I am going through.  My goal is to be as transparent and honest as I possibly can.  The only ground for this is Christ who bought me and who has promised to finish what He started in me.  Walking in light is the liberating way.

3.  Pro-Active.  I'm not sure if I was supposed to hyphenate that word or not :).  Anyway, I do feel strongly about a few social issues.  If you have read for any length of time, you probably have a good idea of what these issues are.  I am dedicated to doing whatever I can to have pornography and abortion done away with.  The process, however, is gospel-centered - that is, from the inside out.  These practices exist because there is a demand for them.  As the gospel changes hearts - hearts will demand them less.  Consequently, they will be redeemed.  I am dedicated to fighting for justice in these matters as well.

4.  Concise.  I have come to realize that long posts are a bit intimidating.  I have therefore resolved to condensing each post to under 500 words.  There are a few types of posts that simply do not allow the brevity - but, most will be manageable and respectful of people's time and energy.

5.  Giving.  I try to make everything posted something that the reader can learn/benefit from.   My tendency for a weekly routine has been to give a summarized study from a book (like Plummer's book on interpretation), a post on apologetics, some theological/biblical insight that is relevant to everyday life, and one or two posts that share what I find interesting.  It has been my goal from the beginning to provide a place where one is never the same after leaving the site.  After all, the gospel never leaves a person the same way it found them (not my quote).

At the end of the day, TheRestofSunday exists to give "biblical rest to the continually reforming."  May it be a means, in the hands of our Maker, of conforming us into the image of His Son.  Grace and peace to all who read this blog.

Absolutely Certain Proof For The Existence of God

Many Christians struggle with trying to give "proof" for God's existence.  When they have doubts themselves, or are engaged in conversation with those who do not believe, they quickly look to certain evidences for the existence of God.  The fact is, this can be quite frustrating as it can only reach as far as some level of probability - or, "This is why God probably exists."

As a Christian probability is simply not good enough.  We are called to lose our life for the sake of Christ. And I am just not built to rest in the possibility of losing my life for a Christ that probably lived, died, and was resurrected on my behalf.  I need absolutely certain proof.  And that is why I love Van Til and the presuppositional apologetic.  Van Til writes:

[T]hat the existence of the God of Christian theism and the conception of his counsel as controlling all things in the universe is the only presupposition which can account for the uniformity of nature which the scientist needs.  But the best and only possible proof for the existence of such a God is that his existence is required for the uniformity of nature and for the coherence of all things in the world...Thus there is absolutely certain proof for the existence of God and the truth of Christian theism.  Even non-Christians presuppose its truth while they verbally reject it...

Many unbelievers that I converse with say things like, "I don't believe in God because science has not given any proof for his existence."  At this point the presuppositional response is, "The fact that you are doing science is proof that you believe he exists."  That's what Van Til means when he says, "Even non-Christians presuppose its truth while they verbally reject it."  His analogy is that of a child climbing on his father's lap with the intent to slap him.

But the Christian should not be surprised by the unbeliever's attempt to disprove God by the very method faith in God provides.  Van Til notes, "It is the effort of every man to put the blame for his failure to serve God upon the elusive character of the evidence for God's existence."  In other words, man in his sinful state will always blame God for being unclear, rather than repent of his own skewed and rebellious understanding.  Simply put, unbelief is God's fault, not man's.

It is our goal and mission to bring the glorious gospel to a world that so desperately needs it.  A gospel that proclaims that God, in Christ, became man, to die for sinners like you and me.  This is a truth that is far more certain than mere probability.  Lord forbid we should boast of a gospel that says, Christ probably died and rose again.

For a thorough and clear presentation of Van Til's apologetic I HIGHLY recommend Greg Bahnsen's book Van Til's Apologetic.  This work is priceless and is one of my top three favorites.

Thoughts on the Flu

I just had to give myself a pep-talk to get from the shower to the bed.  When I bent over to dry off my toes, my eyeballs felt as if they were going to fall out of my head.  And when I came up from drying my big feet, I almost took a not-so-graceful fall.

Simply put, I think I have the flu.  I have been this way since early Thursday morning.

Needless to say, I haven't felt much like writing anything.  I read a bit today (Oliphint's Reasons for Faith).    I am a bit nervous for the wife and I are scheduled to go to a church-planter's assessment most of next week.  Please pray that I will get better.  While you're praying ;) I'd like to share some thoughts on the flu - or, thoughts that I've never had because I didn't have the flu.

1.  My wife makes the best chicken-noodle soup.  And she did it from scratch!  I must admit when she said she was making me some CNS that I was a bit disappointed - I really like Campbell's.  But my girl blew them folks out-tha-park!  As my buddy Trelle always says, "Katie put her foot in dat!"

2.  I miss my family and friends.  I used to long for time alone (and still do b/c I am technically an introvert); but I tell ya, sitting in bed all day is about as boring as hunting for any four-legged animal.  I want to hug on my wife and kids.  And ohhhhh how I miss my friends at Starbucks...and the beverage they serve me day in and day out!

3.  I did, for a short time, reflect on how wonderful medicine is.  That there are probably billions of people who do not have the ability to make a headache go away within a 45-minute period.  I prayed that I would live more gratefully and with a greater heart for those who live in poverty.

4.  I thought about how much I hate sin and death.  Flu only exists in a fallen world.  Come Lord Jesus!

5.  Finally, to those who call and text me during this time.  I love you...but don't be calling me or texting me with jokes that make me laugh - it makes my eyeballs hurt like crazy!" and if I don't call or text back, its because I am simply out of order.

I guess that's about it.  I am hoping to be up and about by Sunday.  I am so grateful for my wife, who has been slaving to keep the house and kids in order.  She did get a bit pissed when Jude kicked her today.  I haven't told him yet, "Now son, your mamma will whoop your you-know-what if you ever kick her..."  He learned the hard way.  Over all, all is well.  I am alive, and I have a great family and lots of great friends.

Depravity, Sex-Trafficking, Planned Parenthood and the Gospel

While the video below is enough to turn one's stomach, it should not be an occasion for surprise.  What you will see in this video depicts the irrationality of depravity.  This is a woman, who represents a government-funded organization, locking arms with a pimp and a prostitute to further the sex-trafficking of minors, as well as the murdering of the "industry-hindering" unborn.

The ease with which this woman accepts (and even aids) abortion, underage sex-trafficking, and prostitution must remind and awaken us to the intrinsic "oh crap!" that should follow our reading of passages like: "For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened" (Rom 1:21).

Sure, we can read these passages, hear them preached, and even argue for the validity of the truth they represent concerning God and mankind; but until we understand the real-life moral implications, until we bring our heads out of the theological clouds where we say things like, "Life is great because I know the doctrine of depravity!" - then we are doomed for immobility after being surprised into evangelical paralyzation (the adj evangelical here used to reference the sharing of the gospel, not to describe a particular Christian [Protestant] culture).

We who fail to see this sort of depravity in our own lives, tend to look down our theological noses at such scenes; but those who look down their noses rarely find themselves looking up to heaven for the sake of the depraved.  It is right to pray for justice and that God would bring His judgment upon these acts.  It is not right, however, to fail to see the redemptive purposes, plainly recorded in our Scriptures, of the Biblical episodes of judgment.  Simply put, in judgment God always brings forth a remnant - and this remnant must come through the glorious gospel.

I wonder if there is a remnant in cultures of depravity, sex-trafficking and abortion.  Upon further thought, I must conclude that there is.  After all, he saved me.  Watch the video.  Share your faith.



You can also see a great article on this here.

Almost - P4CM Poet - Amazing.

No comment needed.  Just watch.



Thanks P. Holmes for the feed.