we can fix this stuff...if we would

if i understand things correctly, the high cost of gasoline could be resolved by doing the following:

1. build refineries. we haven't built a new on since 1976.
2. abolish or at least "hamstring" the epa. too many dumb rules that have are killing our ability to accomplish item no. 1
3. drill, drill, drill! if you have to punch right through a caribou's head, drill. (see item no. 2)
4. get on the oil/sands and synthetic fuels bandwagons.
5. get over ourselves. we don't NEED huge suv's and hummers. let's be honest--it's an ego thing.
6. demand better stewardship of the taxes that are collected on gasoline sales ($0.60 per gallon and better).

on to another topic that frustrates me: illegal immigration. this one seems pretty simple to me, too:

1. close the border. close it today!
2. make the process for becoming a citizen simple and streamlined for those that really want to become citizens.
3. require some kind of secure identification for those who have started the process of becoming citizens.
4. no driver's license, no free medical services (government funded), no free social services,(again, government funded) etc. for anyone not having proper identification.
5. children born to illegal parents should not automatically become citizens.
6. stiff penalties for employers knowingly hiring illegals.
7. call them what they are: ILLEGAL. until their status is changed thru the proper channels, they are not "undocumented workers" or "guest workers." the word guest implies "welcome and invited."
8. before you get all riled up and call me "hate monger," check out mexico's stance on illegal immigrants.
9. on an even more sarcastic note: tomorrow has been designated "a day without immigrants." should they actually stay home, i will enjoy at least one day not worrying about being hit by a non-insured, non-english speaking individual on his or her way to their "cash under the table, which means no taxes" job.

catching up

it's been a couple of weeks since i've written anything, so i figured i'd do some "catching up" tonight. i've been reading mark dever's the deliberate church. in the chapter doing responsible evangelism, dever writes:

many american churches have used entertainment-based methods of evangelism-theotainment, as it has been called by some- in sharing the gospel with both adults and children. with adults, it often takes the form of surveying target audiences and creating an evangelistic service in which everything from music to the sermon is geared toward making them feel comfortable- a "sit back and enjoy the show" approach. with children, it takes the form of youth groups or sunday schools that spend most of their time thinking up fun activites that will sneak the gospel in through the back door...remember-what you win them with is likely what you'll win them to. (pg 54)

on the local level and making dever's point, last week, i received a pamplet from a church, inviting me to their easter services. "exciting music and relevant, life-changing teaching from the bible as well as a special guest appearance by six-time world champion kickboxer, denny holzbauer make this a srevice you don't want to miss!" you know, i think i'll pass. i'm having a hard time making the connection between kickboxing and the resurrection of our Lord. the one sunday a year that some people will attend a church service and the one thing they'll probably remember---"man, that guy broke a board with his face!"

the past couple of weeks have been really hectic. meetings at work last week. a three-day sales meeting this coming week, for which i'm in charge of putting together a slide presentation. i'm also in the middle of designing my son's graduation announcements and working on our church's website. oh yeah, i'm also doing some contract programming for a trucking company in town. that should be done in a couple of weeks. graduation (son's) is the middle of may and after that, things should settle down.

heal thyself

this may be somewhat "unkind" to ask, but:

if oral roberts has the gift of healing, and benny hinn has the gift of healing, how come oral roberts had to have surgery to fix his broken hip from a recent fall at his southern california home?

i'm just wondering why benny didn't jump in his private jet, head over to oral's house and take care of his affliction. or does that kind of thing only happen at the mabee center in tulsa, during a previously scheduled "healing service?" it may be crass, but i don't think it's an ufair question.

preach the gospel

i came across the following comment via a link on the fide-o blog. the article was written by douglas baker of baptist press.

many Southern Baptist churches will not abide theologically thick preaching, because every effort has been made to make the church more seeker-friendly -- to modernize the message and soften the sharpness of doctrine so as to make room for people who have never heard of the apostles let alone the specific books of galatians and jude.

this problem is not relegated to southern baptist churches. i recently spoke with a pastor whose elders informed him that he should preach sermons that were more "relevant." they told him that "expository preaching is boring" and people just don't want to hear that kind of preaching. how sad. in an attempt to get people inside the church, at any cost, we've watered down the gospel and done away with any solid teaching of doctrines. a church elder once told me: "we don't discuss doctrine here-- it's too devisive." i no longer attend that church.

so what should we, be preaching? "christ and him crucified!" (1 cor 1:23). this is the gospel (cf. 1 cor 15:1-4). to many this is offensive or maybe too "churchy." we are told that we must meet the felt needs of church attenders. those who advocate such, fail to realize that the utmost need of any sinner is salvation, which is found only in Jesus Christ. failure to preach the "whole counsel of God" will do nothing but fill our pews with deluded believers--people that are simply hearers rather then doers.

religious smackdown

it's been pretty hectic the past couple of weeks, but things are finally starting to settle down. it's a cold, rainy day-- perfect for being inside and catching up on some reading, blogging, and polishing off my lesson for Bible Study tomorrow morning.

we're wrapping up the first chapter of james. tomorrow we're focusing on verses 22-27, "prove yourselves to be doers of the word, and not mearly hearers who delude themselves..." it's not enough to just listen to a sermon or read a portion of Scripture. the proof of our faith is revealed in our response to the Word of God. simon kistemaker comments:

do what it says. the christian faith is always active and stands in sharp contrast to other religions that practice meditaion and general inactivity. [the apostle john wrtote] 'dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.' (1 john 3:18) -kistemaker nt commentary, pg 60

john macarthur, commenting on the same passage states:

...how we behave is proof of our salvation or of our lostness. in light of that truth, there is good reason to believe that there are countless men, women, and children who come to church regularly and make a strong profession of being a christian, but whose lives testify that they are not. -macarthur nt commetary, pg 81

shifting gears to the "i'm not making this up" department, the tulsa world reported today that a tulsa-based professional wrestling company, Tornado Professional Wrestling, entertained members and guests of [a local congregation] after church Sunday to raise money for church outreach. [a company spokesman] said the wrestlers go to churches four or five times a year. the pastor of the church, donned wrestling clothes and joined the professionals in the ring under the name "Pastor of Disaster." approximately 200 people attended the event.

i purposely didn't use the name of the church or the pastor. i actually know some people that attend the church. this is the kind of thing that just makes me [fill in strong emotion here]. the sad thing is that this kind of activity isn't considered "outlandish" by many. church has become more of an entertainment venue than a place where the Word of God is proclaimed. old truth's website has a great post along this same line.

a blessed week: 2006 shepherds' conference

(l to r: me, scott, and gabe)

well, the 2006 shepherds' conference is history. actually, it is a sweet memory (history sounds kinda 'dead.') there is NO WAY to describe the preaching, the worship, or the atmosphere of the shepherds' conference. i am tired, but excited to get back to teaching the Word. a challenging and uplifting week.

for me, the best sermon was delivered by dr. steven lawson of christ fellowship baptist church, mobile, alabama. dr. lawson preached from nehemiah 8:

And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. Then Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it before the square which was in front of the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law. Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose... Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground...[and] the Levites explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place. They read from the book, from the law of God, translating to give the sense so that [the people] understood the reading. (Neh. 8:2-8 )

dr. lawson pointed out that Biblical preaching requires:

1. preparation. ezra had been digging into the Word for fourteen years. ezra 7:10 says: "...Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."
2. reading the Word. we must begin with the authoritative Word of God.
3. a lengthy treatment. no 20-minute "positive talks" here.
4. an authoritative posture. ezra didn't sit on a stool and "share." the Word of God was open, on the podium.
5. a God exalting thrust. ezra blessed the Lord, and the people cried "amen!"
6. a precise explanation. "the meaning of the text is the meaning of the text." (i think dr. macarthur made that comment.)

the consequences of Biblical preaching is that the people repented and they rejoiced.

this sermon (and other sessions) can be be ordered from the shepherds' conference website. dr. lawson's sermon is listed as "general session #6."

headed to the shepherds' conference

i'm headed to the shepherd's conference in a few days. this will be my third sc--my last one was in 2004. i need some time away from work and some extended time in worship and preaching. i may try to post from the conference, if not--pictures and comments when i return.

i've spent the past two days working on our church's website--complete revamp. it's nothing flashy, but it's functional. i still have a few pages to update. that will also have to wait until i return from ca.

blogging from my pda

i'm testing a program called pocketblogger which allows me to post to my blog from my pda. i don't have a huge need for that ability, but i'm hoping that while i'm at the shepherd's conference, i can post one or two updates. the software does exactly what it says it will do. very little editing capabilities though. i can't gripe-- it's "donationware."

i've been reading "heart aflame - daily readings from calvin on the psalms." today's entry:

'as for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is tried...' - psalm 18:30. the phrase, the way of God, is not here taken for his revealed will, but for his method of dealing towards his people. the meaning, therefore, is that God never disappoints or deceives his servants, nor forsakes them in the time of need...but faithfully defends and maintains those whom he has once taken under his protection.

i've got a lot going on in my life right now, but nothing so big that God cannot and will not see me through it. and as promised, "the testing of your faith produces endurance" - James 1:2.

president's day

i went to work today...i think george and abe would have wanted it that way.

my schedule for the shepherd's conference (march 1-5, 2006). three of us are traveling together and meeting some friends from kansas at the conference. looking forward to a GREAT week in Word.

wednesday, march 1

• morning general session: john macarthur
• preach the word: a case for expository preaching (dan dumas)
• justification: defending the heart of the gospel (phil johnson)
• evening general session: john macarthur

thursday, march 2

• morning general session: mark dever
• on the shoulders of giants: snapshots from church history- george whitefield (steve lawson)
• cutting it straight: understanding difficult passages- genesis 1/2 (bill barrick)
• evening general session: al mohler

friday, march 3

• morning general session: steve lawson
• absolutely not!: exsposing the postmodern errors of the emerging church (phil johnson)
• keynote panel q&a
• evening general session: r. c. sproul

saturday, march 4

• cbmw seminar: al mohler
• cbmw seminar: ligon duncan
• local attractions (in 2004, we went to a usc/stanford baseball game)

sunday, march 5

• the Lord's day at grace community church
• head home

save the planet

several days ago, i caught a news story re: rick warren and a host of phd's who are concerned about global warming. they have issued a document ("call to action") entitled evangelical climate initiative. during the press conference, warren stated: "millions of people could die in this century because of climate change, most of them our poorest global neighbors..." i made some comments on another blogsite that raised the ire of one particular canadian. we exchanged a couple of comments, but the dialog appears to be dead.

several bloggers, much better at this than myself, have checked in on this topic. steve camp had some really good (and funny) comments. as i stated in my other blog (currently in the process of being abandoned), i don't think we should trash the earth, but at the same time, i'm not worried that God can't take care of things himself. quoting isaiah 40:12-- "[God] has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and marked off the heavens by the span and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure and weighed the mountains in a balance, and the hills in a pair of scales." it doesn't sound like God needs our help to save the earth, if that is what he chooses to do.

along the same line, steve camp points to john calvin's comments "about man's relationship with God's creation:"

"It is clear," cites Jason Foster, "that for Calvin, the creation is subject to the ongoing sovereign and providential governance of God. Commenting on Psalm 104:4. Calvin says, 'By these words we are taught that the winds do not blow by chance, nor the lightnings flash by a fortuitous impulse, but that God, in the exercise of his sovereign power, rules and controls all the agitations and disturbances of the atmosphere.'(11) Calvin rejects the view that created things are infused with the necessary inherent energy to sustain themselves absent divine providence, and instead, insists upon the necessity of God’s sustaining activity in governing the world.(12) So even though God... commands man in the pre-Fall period to maintain the quality of the creation, it is God who ultimately controls and cares for it, both directly and indirectly."(13) (Reformed Perspectives Magazine, Volume 7, Number 51, December 18 to December 24, 2005 )

Note: References may be viewed at steve camp's blog warren's wacky environmental agenda

i think i once heard john macarthur (touching on a similar subject) say: "shoot a deer, eat a steak, walk on the grass."

calvinism?

my dad very much dislikes the "concept" of calvinism. mainly, i think it's because he really doesn't know what it is (or isn't for that matter.) one of his main arguments against calvinism is john 3:16. he says: "God...loved the world, therefore salvation is available to everyone. if God loves the world, there's no way that 'election' means that God sovereignly chose some for salvation and passed over others." i've tried to talk to him; given him some literature, but he's pretty much made up his mind.

here's a good blog on what calvinism is not.

edit: i'm pretty excited. i found a new, un-opened set of hendriksen commentaries on ebay this weekend for $135. the seller says they'll be here in 4-9 business days.

self portrait

i'm trying to learn a little about html, etc. spent some time today playing with the template tags and threw together a "self-portrait" for my profile. i wish i could put the picture on my driver's license.

the shepherd's conference begins two weeks from tomorrow (03.01). i'm pumped.

symptoms of PDL

nothing much going on today. gym, work, home, bible study. a good day.

i read several blogs today by people that were asked to leave their church because they didn't agree with the purpose driven model. it made me sad to know that there a more people like myself that were labeled and eventually ostracized because they believed that church or worship should center around the word of God and not around programs. symptoms of a purpose-driven takeover.