Because Some Misunderstand

It shouldn't need to be said, but I guess it does. Christianity has members all over the world. It is not a kingdom made up of one people group, one color, or one nation. There are brothers in Christ all over the world. I have Christian brothers who are Chinese, Indian, American Indian (Natives), African, African American, Jordanian, Arab, etc. They come from all the nations. I have brothers and sisters that I know personally from Nigeria, Camaroon, Philippines, Indonesia, Russia, Romania, France, England, Scotland, Australia, China, Korea, Cambodia, Japan, and on and on.

When I write against Islam, it is not bigoted against any race or nation or people. To be a Christian is, and always has been to be "against" the world --contra mundum, as the ancient Christians said, "Against the World."

We believe that Jesus is the only way. We believe that all belief structures have some truth in them, but ultimately are undone if they don't have the truth of Jesus as the Lord of all at the center. I want to be clear, we know this is offensive. But we don't hate anyone. At least we're not supposed to. I know I don't. When I speak ill of Islam, I am speaking of a false belief system. I am not speaking of hating people. I don't want to hurt Muslims. I want to save them. I want to separate them from their false faith and introduce them to Christ.

I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SAY THIS EITHER, BUT CLEARLY I NEED TO: I don't want to do this by force. If someone tells me they don't agree with me and are offended that I desire that they believe in Jesus, I will not hate them, nor kill them, nor pass laws to force them to change. They are free to do as they please. I will still love them as best I can.


I ALSO SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SAY THIS, BUT I GUESS I NEED TO: geo political comments are about strategies of governments. Such opinions belong to us all. But to prefer one government over another (as I do, and most people do) doesn't mean that I hate the people of any other government or culture.

We serve a Lord who said that people from every "Tribe, tongue, and nation will worship Him." I believe that. I have seen a good bit of that in my life.

Peace.

Islam, In their Own Words

In my last post, I was lambasted by some for implying that Islam, the religion, is problematic. Please, discern the difference between criticizing a belief system and "hating" people. I do the former, not the latter. But, as I know many are ignorant of what life under Islam is like, I thought I'd let some people from that world tell you what they think. Here's one. You can find this at this site.

A Testimony from a Saudi Believer

"Born to a Saudi family, in Saudi Arabia, and living very close to Mecca, I grew up with strict principals and traditions of Islam and the Arab culture. As a teenager I went to the mosque five times a day in obedience to my parents. One night, while I was asleep, I had this horrible dream of me being taken into hell. And what I saw there brought me real fear and these dreams kept coming to me almost every night. At this point I was really wondering as to why I should be seeing hell in this manner. Suddenly one day, Jesus appeared to me and said, "Son, I am the way, the truth and the life. And if you would give your life to Me, and follow Me, I would save you from the hell that you have seen."

This came as a surprise to me, for I did not know who this Jesus was. Of course, He is mentioned in the Koran in the book Surah Mariam. He is stated as one of our prophets, but not as a Savior who could save us from hell. So I started looking out for a Christian who could give me some advise about this Jesus I have seen and possibly get one of the Christian Holy Books, which I now know is the Bible. But it was a difficult task for me to get any Christian to speak to me about Jesus. As you would know, Christianity is totally banned in Saudi Arabia and if a Christian is caught witnessing to a Muslim, he could be almost sure that he would be beheaded.

Then the Lord led me to an Egyptian Christian who was sick. I prayed for this man’s healing and this man gave me a Bible. Then I, by myself, started reading the Bible. By this time Jesus had become a close friend to me. Soon I started witnessing about the experience I had with all my family relations and friends. Soon the authorities were informed that I had converted to Christianity, and I believe this was done by one of my family members. As it states in the Koran, if someone would turn away from Islam, he is a traitor to the faith and he should be executed. So I was taken into custody and tortured. They told me that I would be beheaded if I would not turn back to Islam. But I had already made my decision that I would never turn back. So I told the authorities I’m willing to die for Jesus and that I would never come back to Islam. After much torture and imprisonment, I was sentenced to be beheaded. They gave me a date and a time and I told them, "You go ahead and execute me. I’m going to heaven to see Jesus. But I pray that what you would do to me would stay in your minds and not give you rest until you come to Jesus."

The appointed day and time came for my execution, and I was waiting with much anticipation, yet very much strong in my faith in Jesus. Generally the executions are carried out on the set time and date. But to my amazement, no one turned up. One hour lapsed, two hours went by, then it became three hours, and then the day passed by. And no one turned up. Then two days later, the authorities turned up and opened the doors and told me, "You demon! Get out from this place!" I also noticed that the main person who was determined to get me beheaded was not present when they came to release me. I asked them where this guy was. And with much hesitation they replied that his son had died on the same day they planned to execute me. Although I continue to go through much persecution, one thing I know is that the Lord’s hand is upon me.

A Brother from Saudi Arabia

The Time Is Now for Judgment to Come On Islam

Bhutto has been killed in Pakistan. What is next? Pakistan has a festering problem. It is called fundamentalist Islam --true Islam. True Islam is about politics and conquest. Saudi Arabia has this problem too. Iran has this problem. Indonesia has this problem. Egypt has this problem. Syria has this problem. Israel has this problem. Sudan and Nigeria have this problem. Uganda has this problem. Afghanistan has this problem. Turkey has this problem. Even parts of Europe are beginning to have this problem.

The time is over for saying, "this isn't true Islam, but a radical minority." The disease is too wide-spread for that. It is true Islam. Muhammed was a war-chief. His First Followers were too.

The World is being made increasingly interdependent. Money and communication (the same thing?) are making all nations more intimate with one another. And as the world gets smaller, the problem of Islam gets bigger.

The blood has begun to flow. It won't stop. The time for judgment of the world against Islam (or Islam against the world) has come.

(By the way, as far as I know, only America, in the last 6 years, have constructively and decisively dealt with the issue in at least two nations.)

China Moving Ahead

This Chart is emphasizing that Korea is the "most Christian" of the Asian nations, with 40% claiming Christian affiliation. However, look at China. Although their percentage is only 8%, they have 109 million Christians! An argument could be made that they might be the most Christian nation in the world! How? Because, in a communist country where most Christians are "against the law" you will have very few people claiming a Christian identity unless they really mean it. Where else in the world are there 109 million committed Christians?

Mitt Romney is not a Christian

I don't know how you plan on voting this coming year. That's up to you. But for reasons that are not political, I think I need to point out the obvious: Mitt Romney is not a Christian (He is also not a baseball mitt, but that's another subject).

Mormonism and Christianity are becoming confused in our popular media. Glenn Beck, the popular talk show host is a Mormon. He is not a Christian. Mitt Romney is a Mormon, not a Christian.

Where is the confusion coming in? It comes in here: Glenn Beck and Mitt Romney use the word "Christian" to describe themselves. Now, we can wrangle over the the meaning of the word, I suppose, but it is better to be historical. Historically, Christianity believes certain things about Jesus that Mormons don't believe. Likewise, past ages, who were more familiar with Christianity in general, did not classify Mormonism as Christian.

Mormonism was invented in the 1800's in America by a man named Joseph Smith. He invented scriptures which are filled with plagiarisms from the Bible, and fantastical histories of the North American continent and it's ancient peoples.

Mormonism differs from Christianity in many ways. For example, the definition of God: in Christianity, there is one God, and that God is three persons --Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To the Mormons, there are gods beyond number. All current gods were once men. Men today have the potential to achieve god-status in the world to come. This alone makes Mormonism unlike anything having to do with Christianity in any known historical form.

The other differences are many, but we don't really need to discuss them. If you have God wrong, you have everything wrong.

Mormonism is a strange American folk religion, no more. It is not Christianity.

My Annual Christmas Clarification

I guess the love of truth will always keep me repeating this. Enjoy.

The magi existed. They came from the east. My guess: Babylon area (there is a history of Hebrew lore in Babylon at that time due to Daniel's influence as a magi). But they came a year to two years after the birth.

As for where Jesus was born, the Bible never puts him in a stable. It says he was laid in a manger, no more. A manger is not made of wood. it is a stone feeding trough.

The Bible doesn't say there was a star above the home on Christmas. There was a star later, when the magi arrived. (How many magi? We don't know. The Bible doesn't say. Were they kings? No reason to think so).

The word translated "inn" is better translated "upper room." (Luke, the author of the account uses a Greek word for "Inn" in the same book when speaking of the story of the good Samaritan. It is NOT the same word he uses in the Christmas story. On the contrary, this word should be translated upper room or spare room.)

It is beyond reasonableness that Mary and Joseph traveled alone from Galilee. the Bible does not say this, and the situation of the day shows it was not the custom. it would have been dangerous. such travel in the holy land was more often in groups. Indeed, in Luke's gospel elsewhere, Jesus' parents lost him when he was 12, leaving him behind in Jerusalem as they headed back to Galilee. How did they miss Him? They were in a caravan and he was lost in the crowd.

It is unlikely that Mary would travel when she was nine months pregnant. The ancients were as smart as we were, and they could count to nine. No one travels on such a journey at nine months. The Bible does not say that they arrived in Bethlehem the night the birth happens. It says something different. It says that "the days to give birth were completed" while they were in Bethlehem.

In all likelihood, Jesus was born in a house, with family around. Why? Because they went to their hometown. In that area, the Bible tells us other relatives lived (Elizabeth, Mary's cousin) and in those days, where people were not a transient as today and the populations were much smaller and hospitality was a premium, it is inconceivable that with the many family members around (both Mary and Joseph were from that area), that they would be turned out of hotels and sleeping in barns. Check the Bible. There is no innkeeper, no barn, no animals, etc.

IN ancient near east homes, it was common to NOT have many bedrooms. They were a luxury. Families normally slept all in one room. If a poor family had an upper room or a spare room, and there were many relatives in town --as there certainly were--then they would indeed have slept in that room. Where do we put the pregnant mother (who will need some privacy)?

Well, in those homes there was often an area where animals could come in from the cold. It is easy to conceive that this area was converted to a nursery, and the goat had to sleep outside.

There were shepherds. They were not guided by a star, but by information from Angels. The sign of the baby was that he was lying in a food bowl (manger). When they found the house, saw the baby, they told the people in the house all they saw on the hillside. The Bible says that "all who heard it were amazed" but that "Mary saved the words in her heart." The language of the Bible points to multiple people in the house, as we would expect in a family situation.

There you have it. Check the Bible.

As for December, we don't know when Jesus was born.

But don't think this takes away at all from Christmas. God is still becoming man. In fact, it shows he was less like a spectacle and more like us when he was born. It was still a virgin birth. Shepherds, poor as they were, came to welcome Him. That is appropriate, for He Himself was to be a Shepherd.

Merry Christmas to all.

What is True Preaching?

I was given a book for my birthday called "Heralds of God," by James S Stewart. One or both of the pictures above is the author. He lived from 1896 until 1990, so you can see why both methods of portrait might have been popular in his day!

The book is blowing me away, inspiring me anew. It was written in 1946, but shows that in a sense, nothing has changed in the area of preaching. The controversies are the same. The temptations and pressures are the same.

As a pastor in this age, trust me on this, there is a great deal of pressure to "be" a certain way, and to "preach" a certain way, and to manage your church a certain way. There is the purpose-driven church model, the willow-creek model, the emergent model, the traditional model, the desires of the people, etc, etc, ad nauseum. And all these pressures try to push into the sermon. The sermon must be short, says one. The sermon must meet felt needs said another. The sermon must be topical and relevant to the issues of the day. The sermon should be all stories. The sermon must not alienate. The sermon must be positive. The sermon must coordinate with a drama or the rest of the Sunday service in order to have an impact on the modern mind. The sermon must be delivered in a suit. The sermon should be delivered casually. The sermon must cast and recast the vision statement, mission statement, direction of the church. And on, and on, and on.

It is easy to forget exactly why we preach at all. And then enters this book by Stewart. Ah. It is like cool rain on a sweltering July day.

Allow me to give an excerpt. I INVITE YOUR COMMENTS.

"Do not listen to the foolish talk which suggests that, for the twentieth century, the preaching of the Word is an anachronism, and that the pulpit, having served its purpose, must now be displaced by press or radio, discussion group or Brains Trust, and finally vanish from the scene. As long as God sets His image on the soul, and men are restless till they rest in Him, so long will the preacher's task persist, and his voice be heard through all the clamour of the world."

The Old Rocker Tour that Needs to Be

Led Zeppelin played their first "practiced" concert since 1980. The reviews were great. Jimmy Page, apparently, is a stickler for excellence and did this show only after it was determined that the band could get in adequate practice before the show.

Led Zeppelin needs to have a final world tour. The Rolling Stones have never stopped touring. They should. Aerosmithe? Come on guys. 60 year old dudes in spandex singing about adolescent hormonal issues? Give it up. The Who? Let the past be past. Most old rock and rollers should let well enough alone. But Zep? No. They can pull it off. Time for another tour.

Great Book

I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars. Clarence Thomas is a good writer. The book never gets boring. This is an account of his childhood up to the time of his confirmation on the Supreme court. I would have liked a few more chapters that described his life since going on the court, but I shouldn't get greedy.

read any good books lately?

The Golden Compass: God's Latest Foe

A movie is coming out next month called "The Golden Compass." The movie is the first of a trilogy based on three books that the author calls, "His Dark Materials."

The point of this fantasy story is to show that God needs to be killed, because he isn't real anyway. My suggestion is that you don't go see the movie IF you are the kind of person, like me, who would rather not help to perpetuate those who have such designs to convince children that God is to be destroyed.

What is most insidious about the stories from Philip Pullman is that they are targeting children in our schools as well as in the marketplace. Scholastic, the world largest seller of children's books, has created quite a marketing campaign in our public schools to go along with these books. It is the perfect set up. If the Christians object to having these books in the schools, the atheists will say, "Look at those Christians, and their book banning again! They are evil." And so the books go forward and kids read them and study them and learn that all organized religion is silly and God must be killed.

Now, that said, I do not feel at all threatened by this. God cannot be weakened by anyone's books. And, God will rescue His own from such foolishness. Nevertheless, it is a pleasure to add my own voice to those who say that such drivel should be avoided, for it should.

The Boss Birthday Gift

Lorrie surprised me yesterday at lunch time with two tickets to see Bruce Springsteen in concert at the Mellon Center. We were in General Admissions, and ended up right at the stage.

What a show. This guy is 60. He "gave it all night" --or at least for 2 hours-- as if he was 25. What energy!

Great musicians. Crowd was interesting --all ages represented.

He only went into his strange policital views once, and only for a minute. Easy to ignore, thankfully.

Great time. Thanks to Lorrie.

What Hollywood Can't Figure Out

"Lions for Lambs" is the latest of the Hollywood attempts to propagandize the Iraq war. No one went to see the movie, just like the others. Why not?

If you read the pundits, the word on the street is that America is just avoiding Iraq war movies in general. We just want to be distracted from that, they say.

I say they're wrong. We just don't want to see movies that are blatant left-wing political screeds where America is the bad guy.

HOLLYWOOD, IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO SEE A MOVIE ABOUT IRAQ, LISTEN UP:
Americans know that the bad guys are the Muslim wacko's who want to kill us all. Whether we favor the move into Iraq or not, we know the bad guys are not the Americans. The majority of us, that is. We know that the bad guys are the millions of fanatics who think Jihad against the Americans is a good idea.

So, make a movie that portrays the terrorists as bad guys, and Americans who try to kill them as good guys, and people will go see your movies. Give them a happy ending, and you'll get even more people to go see it.

We are tired of hearing that our president and our military are the problem. We want personal responsibility. We have Bin Laden and his cronies on internet videos every week telling us that they want to kill us all. We have little nut jobs like the one in Iran telling the world he wants to create chaos, kill all the Jews, and bring in the great Imam to save the world, and his nation is filled with men who answer him with "Death to America!" And Robert Redford offers us one more movie where Bush is the bad guy. Okay, we've heard that old song before. We're tired of it. Give us a movie we can rally behind. One based on a more reasonable moral perspective. One that says that the guys trying to kill us all are the bad guys.

Hollywood really is out of touch with the majority. There's just not enough moveon.org people who see movies I guess.

We're All Going To Die, Eventually

Laura Ingraham wrote a book called, "Power to the People." She says she was motivated to write this book because she got cancer and it hit her that she was indeed mortal, and she began to think about the legacy that she would leave. So she wrote that book.

It is a good exercise to think about our own death (provided we are not dreading it --remember, through Jesus you can escape the experience in the emotional, spiritual, and conscious level, dying only physically).

What will my legacy be? Yours?

If you had to write a book to tell the world what you want them to know when you are gone, what would the title be?

If you had to write your own epitath, what would it say? What would you want it to say?

What do you want people to say about you when you are gone?

Click here to calculate how much time you MIGHT have left.

The Puppies Have Landed

Emma had 9 puppies a week ago. This photo is from the day of their birth.

Mom is a boxer-chow mix. Dad is a German Shepherd. These are going to be some good dogs! Want one? Giving them away free beginning in about 6 more weeks. Wait? What's this? Just in time for Christmas? Wouldn't your loved one be excited to get a cuddly happy puppy for Christmas?

As a side note, I have noted that women love babies, even if they are canine. All the women of the house have spent a great deal of time visiting the new borns, and seem to enjoy waiting on the mother, changing the bedding, etc.

message to my father

Dad, I take it from you last email that you are not getting my emails. But I am sending them. Check to see if I'm in your spam filter. (a lot of people keep my address there --I'm not sure why...)

love
mike

This is NOT funny!

Okay, it's a little funny

Crocs

Real men wouldn't think of wearing crocs.

Islamic Translation

For years, the Islamic peoples who are for Jihad have been very open about their intentions towards Jews and Americans. Foolishly we have not taken the time to listen and take them seriously.

Here is a great website for it is dedicated to translating into English the words broadcast in Islamic videos. Check it often.

How About this One?

young leaders? What is their place?

Thoughts on This?

your thoughts?

The Difficult (and Really Inconvenient) Truth

The Modern Western Mindset is not prepared to RECOGNIZE or see the threat of Islamo-Fascism. One of our highest values is called "pluralism." We are not to say that any one's religious expression is "wrong." Because of this, the reaction to discussions of Islamic influenced violence is to say, "That isn't their religion, just some radicals." This response makes us unprepared to see what should be plain. Most every nation with a large population of Muslims is rife with Islamic violence. The Violent aggressors say that they kill for their faith.

We need to believe them. We need to be sophisticated enough to see that although there are some Muslims who believe their faith does not call for domination of the governments of the world, there is a large percentage who either actively or passively is working for that end or cheering on those who are. The Nigerian boys who have been burned, their sisters kidnapped and raped, their parents killed, all because they were Christians and not Muslims would tell you that there is a faith issue involved here. The people who flew the planes into the World Trade Center Towers did so with the words, "Allah Akbar!" on their lips (that means, Allah is Great!). The issue for them is faith.

The troubles in the Sudan, in Indonesia, the Philippines, Egypt, Pakistan, etc are caused primarily by people who say that for their faith they must kill the infidels. We must recognize this. Instead of seeing this, the Western mind looks for equivalents in Christianity. This is foolish. We say things like, 'Well, what about the Spanish Inquisition, or the Crusades? What's the difference between faith of Christians causing killing and Muslims?" Why is this foolish. Many reasons (one being a history of the Crusades that makes the Christians the only ones fighting for religious reasons is slanted, but that is for another day), but the main reason should be obvious: Regardless of what happened in the middle ages in some isolated places in the world, in today's world, no Christians, anywhere, are calling for a militaristic destruction of other faiths. But many, not a few, Muslims, claim that Islam does call for this.

If we do talk about history with honesty, we would see that many in Islam always have spoke of military conquest of the infidels, beginning with Mohammed. But we don't even look at history honestly because we don't want to offend the pluralism that we live --and die by.

Can You See Him?

This picture has been floating around Italy recently. Some in the Vatican claim it is Pope John Paul II making a visitation to earth. Do you think it is?

(if so, I'd hope fire isn't his eternal state! :)

He's Back

WABC radio, out of New York, the most listened to talk station in the nation, is hiring Don Imus to do their morning drive time. When MSNBC and CBS decided to fire him last year (or was it earlier this year?) I said that it was not censorship and completely within their rights as a private company to fire their employee if they thought him bad for business. Now that WABC is hiring him, I say the same. There will be some who say, "He should not be allowed to be on the radio." But why not? If WABC thinks he will gain them listeners, then it is their right. He broke no laws.

Here's a strange irony. WABC is the number one talk station in the nation and is flag ship to the number 1 and 2 radio hosts in the country (Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity). Their line up also features conservatives Mark Levin, Laura Ingram, John Gambling, etc. Don Imus, an unabashed political liberal will have their number one time, morning drive.

Update --Still Nauseated

Mindy sent me this photo. This stuff is beyond wrong. This is blasphemous. The atoning blood of Christ is beyond all the holiness we can imagine. It is holy, holy, holy. It was that atoning blood witch buys us from our vileness and sins. The Jewish Day of Atonement is to point to the cross of Jesus.

To take this day and use it as an opportunity to raise money for yourself is Satanism and Idolatry. 23,000 people attend this woman's church. Think about that number. 23,000 people. Then there are the conferences all around the country. Then there are the books and tapes and cd's. Those who follow her will be held accountable, but she will doubly so.

Have you ever wondered who it will be who says to the Lord on the last day, "Lord, did we not cast out demons in your name?" and to whom the Lord says, "Get away from Me, I never knew you," ? This is the kind of person the Lord was talking about. "You will know them by their fruit."

This Person Makes Me Sick

I am sickened by Paula White. I do not normally say such things, especially in writing, about other people, even people who are guilty of very bad behavior. But I am literally sick in my stomach reading about this false teacher who is bilking God's people and leading them astray. She is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and anyone who buys her materials or goes to her conferences will be consumed (and is being foolish).

I printed the article below in full. It can be found at this site: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/religion/stories/MYSA082407.01B.paulawhite.347acf0.html

or click here.

(I also wouldn't trust Rick Hawkins as far as I could throw him . . . avoid these deceivers)

Here's the article:

Evangelist power couple is splitting up

Web Posted: 08/25/2007 11:54 PM CDT

Abe Levy
Express-News TV evangelist Paula White, who is a frequent speaker at a San Antonio church where she recently formed a ministry partnership, and her husband, Randy, announced Thursday night that they plan to divorce after a nearly 18-year marriage.

The split was made public during a Thursday evening service for their Tampa, Fla., congregation, Without Walls International Church, which they founded in 1991 and which became one of the nation's largest and fastest-growing churches.

What her forthcoming divorce will mean for Family Praise Center in Northwest San Antonio remains unclear. White plans to keep Tampa as her base and continue preaching there, but she's putting down some roots here. She bought a nearly $700,000 home outside Boerne earlier this month, about the same time she was giving a five-week sermon series at Family Praise Center, founded by Bishop Rick Hawkins.Increasingly, White, Hawkins, his son and the San Antonio church have developed closer links.

White is a rising TV evangelist who has widespread appeal among evangelical Christians, particularly women. Her "Paula White Today" show is broadcast nationally on major networks such as CMT and BET and her Life By Design empowerment conferences, based in New York City, are spreading to cities nationwide.

The Whites told the Tampa Tribune no infidelity was involved in their breakup, which they described as "amicable."

"This has been an ongoing process and journey," said Paula White, standing on stage with her husband. "But God is always faithful. God always carries you through the dark places of life."

Talk back Do you think it's appropriate for Christian leaders to divorce?

Randy White told the audience Paula White would continue preaching all over the world and on television. "I'm going to pastor this church and focus on being a great dad," he said.

Paula White first came to Family Praise Center in November 2005 to speak at a church-sponsored conference. She began to speak more regularly here and in recent months has led Sunday morning and Wednesday night services, recorded shows for syndication and led a fundraiser for a teen-pregnancy center.

Will Norris, staff pastor and communications director for Family Praise Center, told the San Antonio Express-News two weeks ago that the church and White have a ministry partnership that includes joining forces on community outreach and receiving advice from her on how the church could grow.

Norris did not return numerous phone calls seeking details about the partnership. Reached after the church's Wednesday service, he repeatedly declined to comment, referring all questions to White's spokeswoman Sheila Withum of WDC Media. The California-based public relations firm also has done work for Family Praise Center.

Withum told the Express-News two weeks ago that San Antonio was a likely site for Paula White to establish a Life By Design center, a place where monthly conferences would be offered. The first center was established in New York City, where White has held two conferences in recent months and where she owns a Trump Tower condo.

Phone calls and e-mails to Withum the past couple of weeks were not returned.

Family Praise Center was founded by Hawkins in 1993 and his son Dustin Hawkins is pastor. Both men got divorced in February.

Norris said neither Dustin nor Rick Hawkins was available for comment. Calls this week to Rick Hawkins' home were not returned.

During the Wednesday night service, Dustin Hawkins gave the main message, noting that he and his father attended Paula White's Life By Design conference Sunday in New York City.

Paula White told the Tampa Tribune that her involvement with Family Praise Center as a ministry partner was minimal but did say she is serving as the "spiritual overseer" for Dustin Hawkins. Meanwhile, Rick Hawkins is a board member for White's newly formed PWM Life Center Inc., a tax-exempt, nonprofit agency created in February, according to documents filed with the Florida Department of State's Division of Corporations.

Rick Hawkins is known in San Antonio for founding the School of Excellence in Education in 1998, the city's largest charter school district that caters to so-called at-risk students and includes a high school named after him.

Paula White is scheduled to speak at Family Praise Center on Sept. 9 and at Cornerstone Church on the North Side on Sept. 23.

Her background — growing up poor in Mississippi and overcoming a troubled upbringing — resonates with her audiences, especially African Americans, who make up the majority at her Tampa church.

Family Praise Center counts among its members a high number of African American and Hispanic people. White and Hawkins are Anglo and have been active in inner-city outreach.

White's lavish lifestyle, which includes a private jet, a Mercedes and a $2.1 million home in an elite neighborhood in Tampa, has generated criticism. Such amenities, she says, reflect God's blessing and notes her frequent donations to worldwide humanitarian causes.

White bought a 3,300-square-foot home just east of Boerne near the Kendall-Comal county line this month. The property, appraised at $681,570, is on 3.7 acres and includes a pool, guesthouse and three-car garage.

During a speaking engagement Aug. 12 at Family Praise Center, White arrived on stage from a side entrance and took a seat at the front next to Rick and Dustin Hawkins. Several security guards stood watch nearby.

After the service, she exited into a private room. Her message that morning touched on common motivational themes she's stated in speeches and books about overcoming obstacles through faith.

"We are in the last days of the greatest outpouring of God's spirit and even though we ugly, come on, some of us have a mess," she said. "We don't look like ministry material. We don't act like ministry material. But we are fruitful because we have a heart towards God that is pure and hands that are clean."

Often, her sermon brought standing ovations.

Lucia Perez, a Family Praise Center member, said some people there were wondering why Paula White has been frequenting the church in recent months, but ultimately the only issue affecting them was how to deal with the abnormally large audiences she generated.

"At first, people questioned it. It was like, 'Wow, she's been here a lot,'" Perez said. "But the only thing different (for church members) was that the church was packed."

Great Story from Iraq

Check out this story. I'm glad to see the success. As Americans play politics with war, our papers and news outlets don't seem to like to remind people that American Soldiers are doing a great job, having liberated a country, and that it affects real people. I'm so glad our soldiers are there. I can't think of another country I'd trust with such a mission. Only Americans are willing to pay the price to insure the freedom of others. Saddam is gone. As are his nutty sons. As are the mass graves, and torture, and rape rooms, and oppression of women. There are those in America who, for domestic political reasons, are saying this is a civil war. Not so. 80% of all insurgents are foreigners. The tide is turning. Support the troops, support their mission. Ignore the media.

It's Not Mother's Day Yet, but . . .

You've got to hear this. Turn up your sound...

Iran, Carter, Ground Zero, Columbia, and Common Sense

Okay, this is going to be easy to understand. Mahmoud Adinijad (spelled wrong? who cares. We'll call him "president Tom" as labeled by others), the leader of Iran is coming to America on September 24th.

He would like to go to Ground Zero and announced that he plans to do so, even though the NYPD refused him a tour.

Jimmy Carter is in the news today saying that Iran presents no present threat to Israel.

Columbia University has invited President Tom to speak when he comes.

NOW FOR THE COMMON SENSE:

President Tom is a nazi. He hates Israel and wants to wipe it out. He hates America and wants us dead too for we are "zionist infidels."

He should not go to Ground Zero. IN fact, we shouldn't allow him in the country unless we detain him in Guantanamo when he gets out. He is Hitler all over again. Should Hitler be running around spreading his hate for Jews?

Jimmy Carter, like when he was president, has no idea which way the wind blows. Ignore him.

Columbia University, like most Ivy League schools these days, is more marxist than American and can't understand why inviting President Tom to be their guest is an insult even to themselves. Ignore them too.

Thus endeth the lesson.

Not So Good for China...

When I traveled in China, one of the things that impressed me most was the modesty of the women. They dressed to be pretty, to be sure, but they did not dress in the tight shirts and low cut blouses of the American fashion industry. It was remarkably relaxing to not have to be confronted with all the details of every female body that walked by.

Unfortunately, I saw on the news today that Beijing is opening its first Hooters. I want to go on record to say that Hooters is not a place for Christians. I know, I sound legalistic on that, but seriously folks, think about it. The name has nothing to do with owls. Furthermore, tight shirts and hot pants are there for one reason: to entice men's imaginations towards women that are not their wives. The fact that our society tolerates a place with such a name is to our shame. But, in America, we are used to it, and not surprised.

But in China, it is a huge step down. "Sex sells" is what Madison Ave, NY, knows. I guess they are learning it in Beijing. May the gospel go to the people faster than the marketeers.

Thoughts?

God's Crushing Hand of Love

Okay, leadership Principle 1: God chooses leaders for His Kingdom --men do not.
That was last week.

This Week is leadership Principle 2: God breaks the leaders He calls.

Any thoughts?

You Were There

We All Were There. Just a few short years ago . . .

This is Cool

Following the Leaders!

People are sheep, and I mean that in the best sense of the word. We are followers. But, as followers, that means that we are also leaders and influencers. We all must follow someone. There is much buzz on leadership in the Christian world and many conferences and books on how to lead. If you read a few of them, and I have, you can gain some insight, but you can also become confused and even intimidated! There are so many opinions and so many skills, it would take a computer to keep up!

What are your thoughts on leadership? What makes a good leader? Are you one? Would you rather follow? If so, what do you look for in a leader?

Caution: I am preaching a series on leadership in the Bible. Anything you say, might end up in a sermon! :)

Who Is Israel?

Someone has raised a question about something called "Replacement Theology." I must admit, I don't like the label, for it is hard to categorize. So I'm going to set the label aside and talk about the issues involved.

The question is this, "How does the Church relate to Israel?"

To answer this question, let me first establish that there are two Israel's in the Bible. There is what we call "ethnic Israel" and then there is "spiritual Israel." Ethnic Israel is constituted of those who were born into Judaism or converted to Judaism. Spiritual Israel are those who are Jews in the heart. This distinction is clearly in the Scripture:

[Romans 9:6-8 6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are regarded as descendants. ]

Paul makes a distinction between Israel by birth and Israel by faith, or by promise. This is what we term "spiritual Israel."

Now, here is the issue at hand: What is the Church? Is it Spiritual Israel? Or is it a strictly Gentile institution? Or a mix?

Before answering, let's survey the theological landscape by describing the two polar positions that address this question. On one end is an extreme form of what is called "covenant" theology. On the other end is an extreme form of what is called "dispensational" theology. (By the way, I am not saying that those who hold these "extreme" positions are extremists or wacky --only that their position could be described as the polar opposite of the other. There are various views within both Covenant and Dispensational theology with are short of these poles).

First the extreme of Covenant position. This is what is often described by it's opponents as "replacement" theology. This belief says that ethnic Israel, because of her unbelief, has given up the position of being God's chosen people, and the Church has replaced Israel and receives all its promises. In the future, there is no special plan for restoring ethnic Israel.

Now, the extreme Dispensational position. God always saves by faith but interacts with man differently in different times (or "dispensations"). God saved through Ethnic Israel in days past. Now, in the New Testament times, God is saving through the mainly gentile organization known as the Church. The Church and Israel are completely separate entities. When the time of the Gentiles is fulfilled, God will remove the Church by the rapture, and leave only ethnic Israel to represent Him. At that time, ethnic Israel will return to Him by faith, and will usher in the millennial Kingdom following the 7 year great tribulation. This thousand year kingdom will feature redeemed ethnic Israel, but the church will be in the heavenlies, enjoying the presence of God, and will unite with ethnic Israel at the end of all things.

These are the two poles. Most all prominent Covenant and Dispensationalist theologians do not hold to the extreme positions, but drift somewhere towards the center.

What should we believe?

We embrace the doctrines most which we wrestle with he longest. With this in mind, I urge you to wrestle with the issue on your own. Let me also add that neither view makes one a heretic. This debate is common in our day, and is much dependent on future prophesy of the end times --and future prophecy is always dicey. I would suggest that we ought to hold our positions based on Bible study, not dogmatic stubbornness, and we ought not break fellowship with Christians over this issue.

I'll put forward my view below.


I am toward the center. I believe that ethnic Israel has not been "displaced" nor "replaced." The time will come, at the end of all things, during the Great Tribulation. In fact, I believe that all Jews at the end of time will turn to Christ in faith and that will usher in the end of all things and the millennial kingdom will soon follow.

However, I do not believe in the dispensational timing of the rapture of the church because I do not believe that the church is completely separate from Israel. There is nothing in the scripture that indicates a secret return of Christ to steal away the Gentile church before the tribulation period. This doctrine arises solely from dispensational reasoning.

I do believe that the Church is spiritual Israel, but doesn't "replace" (to use the loaded term) ethnic Israel. Why? Because of the New Testament teachings on the relationship between Gentiles and Ethnic Jews. A good study of Romans 9-11 tells the story.

Paul teaches that all who believe in Jesus are sons of Abraham by faith.

[Galatians 3:7-9 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. ]

That means that Gentile believers are members of Spiritual Israel. No where in the Bible does Paul nor Jesus speak of the church as distinct from Israel. In fact, the language of the Bible speaks of Gentiles entering into Israel. Gentiles are the "wild olive branches" that are grafted into the olive tree which is Israel. In another place, Paul says this:

[Ephesians 2:11-13 11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision " by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ]

Paul is clear that by faith, Gentiles become part of Spiritual Israel. No where does he say, "Gentiles become the Church, and ethnic Israel are true Israel."

So then, the Gentiles join spiritual Israel. And that collection of people, Gentiles who are citizens of spiritual Israel, become the Church, built on the foundation of the prophets (old testament) and the (apostles) New Testament (Ephesians 2:20). So we see a continuity between Old and New Testament. The Church does not replace ethnic Israel, but it is the expression of True Israel, or Spiritual Israel.

What about ethnic Israel? Are they without the promise? Not at all:

[Romans 11:1-2 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? . . . . ]

God loves ethnic Israel and has remembered His promise to them. Those who think that God is done with them are mistaken. In fact, the reason why ethnic Israel does not yet believe is so that we Gentiles can become "sons of Abraham" by faith. Look at this text:

[Romans 11:12-15 12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! 13 But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, 14 if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? ]

Note that last phrase. Ethnic Israel will have a day of "acceptance" by God, and it will result in "life from the dead." What can this mean except that ethnic Israel will return to God, ENTER INTO THE CHURCH WHICH IS SPIRITUAL ISRAEL, by believing in Jesus, and usher the resurrection of the dead? This is what I believe.

One more text:

[Romans 11:25-26 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery-- so that you will not be wise in your own estimation-- that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved;]

God has brought a hardening on ethnic Israel so that the Gentiles can enter spiritual Israel. But that hardening will go away at some point of time (the end of the "time of the Gentiles") and all Israel will be saved. This means that ethnic Israel will embrace the Savior.

A final note. There is a strong resistance by many to embrace this plain teaching. On the Covenant side, I can't help but wonder if, historically, pride or anti-semitism might have influenced theology (not to say that those who hold such a view today do so for such reasons). On the Dispensational side, there is a strong love for the extra-biblical doctrine known as the pre-trib rapture. To give up the idea the church and Israel are completely separate would mean letting to of the pre-trib rapture.

Do I believe in the rapture of the church? Of course I do! "We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, the twinkling of an eye." The question is when. I believe the rapture happens at the end of the tribulation, and like a Roman General, calling out his people from the city before the triumphal entry, the Lord will return with the sound of a trumpet (not secretly) and with a shout, and we will all, Jew and Gentile believer, meet Him in the air, and come in to usher in the millennial kingdom.

Well, that's it.

From China

Questions? Comments? I'm in China in this pic. I won't say where. It is a Buddhist Monestary.

Of Dogs and Men

Here's the deal. John O Neal is dead because he put himself in traffic in order to save his dog. My hope is that he died by accident, not realizing his danger, and that if he did, he would have let the dog die instead of dying himself. Read the story here.

We cannot know what he was thinking in that last moment. However, I am certain of this: a large percentage of people in our country will think and say that even if he knew he was risking his life, what he did was good and heroic, on par with saving a human being.

Such sentiments reveal a bankruptcy of common sense due, I believe, to being cut off from God-based thinking.

The Judeo-Christian God, the One of the Bible, paints a picture of man as being the crowning achievement of Creation. All creatures are under his dominion, for his pleasure, and for him to rule. Of course, God, being good, expects man to be responsible, to care for the growing things of the earth in a way that shows respect for their maker. Destroying the beautify of a forest or a mountain, or wiping out entire species of animals would be thoughtless, and thankless towards God. Likewise, cruelty to animals who are helpless and dependent on our oversight would also dishonor God, as we are the only creatures capable of morality and should therefore not seek pleasure from enjoying the pain of another.

That said, God makes it clear that the land is there for us to manage for OUR benefit. We can eat the food, tend the garden, cut down trees here and plant them over there. We can eat the animals, wear their skins, etc. Dogs and cats are indeed unique gifts to mankind as they both can be domesticated and serve man without eating him or going to the bathroom in the house (if trained). We should treat them with respect because of their maker.

But a dog's life never, ever, ever rises in value to that of a man. Ever. Why? Because, according to the Bible, man was made in the image of God in a way that dog was not. Furthermore, man is to rule over the animals, and not vice-versa. This way of looking at human life has revolutionized history, planted the seeds that ended slavery, brought the idea of equality of all under the law (women, children, minorities, etc), and the idea of human freedom being given to each one by God Himself. No doubt, fallen man doesn't administer this high ideal as consistently as God intends, but man is at his best when he begins by embracing the ideal.

Our society no longer is taught such things. Instead, the difference between an animal and human is minimized by many. Some will read of John O Neal and think him noble if he laid down his life purposely for his dog. Such people do not realize that they are not elevating the value of the dog, but reducing the value of the man. I would hope that John O Neal was careless, foolishly so, rather than that he laid down his life for a dog.

"Let Us make man in Our image" is God's view. Let's stick with that. Thoughts?

From China!

Hello to All,

I'm in China! Cool! More later.

mike

John Piper on the Bridge

John Piper wrote what is beneath here, not me. You can find the source here.

Putting My Daughter to Bed Two Hours After the Bridge Collapsed

August 1, 2007 | By: John Piper
Category: Written Posts by John Piper, Current Events, Don't Waste Your Life

At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a mile from the bridge.

There are no firm facts at this point about the total number of injuries and fatalities. When we crossed the bridge Tuesday on our way out of town, there was extensive repair work happening on the surface of the bridge with single lane traffic. One speculates about the unusual stresses on the bridge with jackhammers and other surface replacement equipment. This was the fortieth anniversary of the bridge.

Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This is surely no coincidence. O that all of the Twin Cities, in shock at this major calamity, would hear what Jesus has to say about it from Luke 13:1-5. People came to Jesus with heart-wrenching news about the slaughter of worshipers by Pilate. Here is what he said.

There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."

Jesus implies that those who brought him this news thought he would say that those who died, deserved to die, and that those who didn’t die did not deserve to die. That is not what he said. He said, everyone deserves to die. And if you and I don’t repent, we too will perish. This is a stunning response. It only makes sense from a view of reality that is radically oriented on God.

All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This is a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.

The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world.

We prayed during our family devotions. Talitha (11 years old) and Noel and I prayed earnestly for the families affected by the calamity and for the others in our city. Talitha prayed “Please don’t let anyone blame God for this but give thanks that they were saved.” When I sat on her bed and tucked her in and blessed her and sang over her a few minutes ago, I said, “You know, Talitha, that was a good prayer, because when people ‘blame’ God for something, they are angry with him, and they are saying that he has done something wrong. That’s what “blame” means: accuse somebody of wrongdoing. But you and I know that God did not do anything wrong. God always does what is wise. And you and I know that God could have held up that bridge with one hand.” Talitha said, “With his pinky.” “Yes,” I said, “with his pinky. Which means that God had a purpose for not holding up that bridge, knowing all that would happen, and he is infinitely wise in all that he wills.”

Talitha said, “Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.” “Yes, Talitha,” I said, “I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.”

I sang to her the song I always sing,

Come rest your head and nestle gently
And do not fear the dark of night.
Almighty God keeps watch intently,
And guards your life with all his might.
Doubt not his love, nor power to keep,
He never fails, nor does he sleep.

I said, “You know, Talitha, that is true whether you die in a bridge collapse, or in a car accident, or from cancer, or terrorism, or old age. God always keeps you, even when you die. So you don’t need to be afraid, do you.” “No,” she shook her head. I leaned down and kissed her. “Good night. I love you.”

Tonight across the Twin Cities families are wondering if they will ever kiss a loved one good night again. Some will not. I am praying that they will find Jesus Christ to be their Rock and Refuge in these agonizing hours of uncertainty and even loss.

The word “bridge” does not occur in the Bible. There may be two reasons. One is that God doesn’t build bridges, he divides seas. The other is that usually his people must pass through the deadly currents of suffering and death, not simply ride over them. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2). They may drown you. But I will be with you in life and death.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35-38)

Killed all day long. But not separated from Christ. We go through the river. Not over it. He went before us, crucified. He came out on the other side. He knows the way through. With him we will make it. That is the message we have for the precious sinners in the Twin Cities. He died for your sins. He rose again. He saves all who trust him. We die, but because of him, we do not die.

Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25)

Talitha is sleeping now. But one day she will die. I teach her this. I will not always be there to bless her. But Jesus is alive and is the same yesterday today and forever. He will be with her because she trusts him. And she will make it through the river.

Weeping with those who weep, and those who should,

Pastor John

Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again.

One More Gone, But Hope

Shim Sung-min, not a household name in the West, is well-known in his native South Korea, as a martyr for Jesus. He is the second man killed by the Taliban. The picture above is from his memorial service.

This is not a good situation, with the other 21 hostages still very much in danger. However, God works even bad situations for good for those who love Him.

One of the good things happening here is that Muslims are beginning to speak out against the Taliban. Why is that good? Because Muslims in general seem hesitant to speak out against atrocities done to Americans or Jews or Western Europeans. I don't know why, but when terror happens to these groups, there is little public outcry from the Muslim communities of the world. However, for some reason, Muslim organizations are stepping out and saying that what the Taliban is doing with these South Koreans is wrong and against the teachings of their faith.

For that, I am grateful. Perhaps religious freedom will get a foothold among the Muslims. Lack of religious toleration, indeed, is what stops Muslim countries from being just and fair places.

On Friday, the chairman of the 30-million strong Muhammadiyah Muslim organization in Indonesia labeled the Taliban’s action as “in violation of Islamic principles and teaching,” according to Agence France-Presse. He criticized the Taliban for undermining the image of Islam and Muslims around the world.

This Is A Great Post

Warning, it is political.


Check it out here.


feel free to comment on this blog if you like.

What Do We Say To This

This man, Bae Hyung Kyu, has lost his life to the Taliban. He was leading 22 other South Korean Christians on a trip to Afghanistan. His crime was telling people about Jesus. Should we hate the Taliban for this? No, for Jesus said of his own killers, "Forgive them, they know not what they do."

What do we say to this, then?

First, we should not be surprised. The Taliban will kill any "infidel" they view as in their way, and all the more so Christians who are preaching a faith other than Islam. But also, Bae Hyung Kyu's Master told him this:

"For this reason also the wisdom of God said, 'I will send to them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and some they will persecute,

and also this:

"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

Jesus promised persecution for those He sends out to new places with the news of Jesus. This brother was persecuted, arrested, brought before the governors of many, and even killed, for the name of the Person he represented. For this, he has not lost his reward:


"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

However, for the sake of sorrow in this world, let us remember in prayer the family he left behind and the lives of the other 22.