Asian Earthquake and Tsunami Hits Home

There is an English family in our church congregation. The wife of the family has a brother and sister-in-law who were vacationing in the Maldives when the tsunami hit. She reports that "We have not been able to contact them since the earthquake, they are in a part of the world where communication is difficult at the best of times."

It has now been confirmed that her brother and sister-in-law are okay. It seems that they lost everything in the tsunami, but they themselves are not seriously hurt. They will be flown back to England in a few days. Praise God for His protection!

Please pray for their safe return home.

Christian Social Action

For leftists, the phrase "social action" brings heavenly visions of a utopian humanistic society where everyone is perfectly equal (except for the controlling class of course) and without wants or needs. It is a place where the State (the controlling class) takes care of everyone and holds the place of savior.

Unfortunately, for those on the "right," the vision is no longer much different. Bush and the other Big Government Republicans are proving this to be true.

What should the Christian’s position be on social action? After all, in the New Testament Book of James, chapter 1, verse 27, James writes "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress ...," but to what end?

Mark Rushdoony, son of the late R. J. Rushdoony, has a great article on the purpose of Christian social action entitled "The Christian and the Social Agenda." Read it and find out why the increasingly humanistic right is looking more like the left every year (hint--it has something to do with ones view of the Kingdom of God).

Congratulations Michael and Emily!

I would like to congratulate two of my friends, Michael and Emily on their engagement! They have been dating for seven months and they have never kissed each other. Thankfully more single Christians are making these kinds of choices to keep themselves pure. And keeping with their decision, Michael gave Emily a bag of Hershey's "Hugs" instead of "Kisses" on the day he proposed (oh yea, and a nice ring too) -- Michael is such a kidder!

Michael is finishing is Masters of Divinity in Biblical Counseling. You can read his blog here.

Chrismukkah?????

While performing a search for a previous post, I stumbled across a "new" holiday celebration, Chrismukkah. Here is a brief description of this most diverse and tolerant holiday:

Chrismukkah is a hybrid holiday. While it's not found on the calendar (yet) it's the "state of mind" shared by many interfaith families during the holiday season. Chrismukkah is a gumbo of favorite secular, (non-religious) traditions from both Hanukkah and Christmas. Chrismukkah is celebrated by intermarried couples, interfaith families with both Jewish and Christian members, people with partial Jewish heritage... or anyone who just feels like it. Chrismukkah is a festive celebration of diversity and tolerance - a fresh way to describe how millions of us experience a "merry mishmash" holiday. http://www.chrismukkah.com

Hey, as long as we are taking Christ out if Christmas anyway (notice it is not CHRISTmukkah) - why not have Chrismukkwanzaa?! That way we can all pat ourselves on the back and wish each other peace, love and joy all the way to hell.

Matt. 10:33-39 NASB
33 "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. 34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 "For I came to SET A MAN AGAINST HIS FATHER, AND A DAUGHTER AGAINST HER MOTHER, AND A DAUGHTER-IN-LAW AGAINST HER MOTHER-IN-LAW; 36 and A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD. 37 "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 "He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Well, at least practicing Jews don't like it either.

The Pledge of Allegiance: How to Take a Stand, Part II

Henry Family,

I’m sorry I misunderstood your original question.

I wish I had a solid, personal example to give you, unfortunately, I do not. My children are young and we are not big sports fans, so we do not go to many games. I do understand what you are dealing with however. My stance on NOT voting for George W. Bush has earned me ridicule from Christian friends and co-workers. Similar to your situation, many Christians that I run into on a day to day basis feel that you are not a “good Christian” unless you think Bush is the man for President.

Even though I can not give you a personal example, I can point you to numerous biblical examples of believers standing up for what is right (which is better than my personal opinion anyway):

• Daniel 1: Daniel refuses to break God’s food laws.
• Daniel 3: Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego refuse to worship the golden image.
• Daniel 6: Daniel refuses to stop praying to God and pray only to the King.
• Acts (practically the entire book): The apostles and other believers refuse to stop preaching and teaching the Gospel.
• Others…

You can also read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs for many historical, extra biblical examples.

I am sure that you are familiar with all of these examples, but please know that they are not given lightly. I know it is easy for me to point you to others who have been persecuted for their faith, but these are real people who really lived and really died for their faith. So how does this apply to the Pledge of Allegiance? Christians can not pledge allegiance to the flag for the same reason they can not simply use the phrase “higher power” in place of Jesus. The flag and a “higher power” do not stand for anything except current cultural philosophies. Everything we do is an expression of our religious beliefs.

Besides, when you do not say the Pledge, I'm sure that someone will be bold enough to ask you why, which gives you the opportunity to share the truth (and gives your children the opportunity to see you do it)!

New "Wall Builders" Link

I wanted everyone to know that I have just added a new resource link under the "Related Links" section on left-hand sidebar. The organization is called "Wall Builders."

Here is an excerpt from their "About Us" page:

WallBuilders is an organization dedicated to the restoration of the constitutional, moral, and religious foundation on which America was built—a foundation which, in recent years, has been seriously attacked and undermined. In accord with what was so accurately stated by George Washington, we believe that "the propitious [favorable] smiles of heaven can never be expected on a nation which disregards the eternal rules of order and right which heaven itself has ordained."

The Pledge of Allegiance: How to Take a Stand

Henry Family,

Thank you for the kind words and the great question!

My wife and I homeschool our children so this is not an issue that I personally have had to deal with, but here are my suggestions:

Regardless of where your children attend school, God has placed you, the parent, as the child's protector, guardian and spiritual guide. They are YOUR responsibility and as such it is up to you to first teach your children what is right in the sight of God, and second to communicate the same truth to those to whom you have delegated your children’s education.

I was not homeschooled. I attended public (State) school for all but one or two years of my K through 12 education. I distinctly remember during one semester of Junior High school in which part of our Physical Education curriculum was to learn how to square dance (I grew up in Texas). At the time my father was the pastor of the local Southern Baptist church and he did not approve of dancing. Therefore, the PE teacher was notified that for religious reasons I would not be participating in the dancing classes. This is one example of a parent doing what he thought was necessary to protect his children.

I do not know the specifics of what my father did or said to excuse me from this activity, but I do not recommend simply using a "religious reasons" excuse (I am not saying this is what my father did). Spell it out for them. If possible, find original documentation of the issue at hand. Print out the two articles I referenced and put together an informational document explaining why you have made this important decision for your family.

Fathers showing their children HOW to take a stand AND teaching them WHY you are taking a stand is one way to build a future generation of strong, principled Christians!

Two Great Articles on the Socialist Pledge of Allegiance

To argue whether or not the addition of "Under God" should left in the Pledge of Allegiance is somewhat of a moot point. Why? We should not be pledging allegiance to a flag anyway. The flag doesn't stand for anything except the philosophy of the current culture - this is why the pledge was written in the first place.

Here are two great articles on the history of the Pledge of Allegiance:

1. With Or Without "Under God," the Pledge Is Still a Bad Idea by Dave Black
2. The Forgotten History of the Pledge of Allegiance by Gary DeMar

In What are You Rooted?

As mainstream American Christianity abandons the preaching of the pure Word of God for pithy, humanistic, topical, twaddle, the American Church becomes less and less effective in battling the prevailing humanistic worldview. In short, American Christians no longer think like Christians; they no longer think Christian thoughts. While the average American Christian will claim to have a Christian worldview, they actually think and act like humanists. They have been so saturated by the current culture, that they do not even realize that the words coming out of their mouths better reflect the philosophies of Dr. Phil, Oprah, or the latest "reality" program instead of the Word of God. In fact many modern churches take pride in the fact that they have "cultural appeal." The only problem with churches becoming more like the culture is that THEY ARE BECOMING MORE LIKE THE CULTURE! Biblical Christianity is supposed to reform and mold the culture to God's standard, not the other way around.

So What Is the Solution?

The solution is the same as it has always been; Christians are to immerse themselves in God's perfect Word. Husbands are to immerse their wives in it (Eph. 5:25-26). Fathers are to immerse their children in it (Deut. 6:6-9). Pastors are to immerse their congregations in it (2 Tim. 4:2). And since Jesus is the Word made flesh (John 1:14), every Christian is to "put on the Lord Jesus Christ" thus immersing himself in it (Rom. 13:11-14).

Dr. Greg Bahnsen aptly states this in his book, Always Ready: Directions for Defending the Faith.

"The believer is directed to avoid philosophy which is rooted in worldly, humanistic, and non-Christian presuppositions (Col. 2:8). Instead he is called to be rooted in Christ and established in the faith (v. 7); his presuppositions must be the precepts and doctrines of Christ, not the futile traditions of men (cf. vv. 3, 4, 22; 3:1-2). This precludes the claim to neutrality and prohibits seeking after it. Neutrality is in actuality veiled agnosticism or unbelief--a failure to walk in Christ, an obscuring of Christian commitment and distinctives, a suppression of the truth (cf. Rom. 1:21, 25).

Thus Paul commands us to be rooted in Christ and to shun the presuppositions of secularism. In verse 6 of Colossians 2 he explains very simply how we should go about having our lives (including our scholarly endeavors) grounded in Christ and thereby insuring that our reasoning is guided by Christian presuppositions."

So ... in what are you rooted?

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

Proverbs 1:7 (NASB)
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:10,11
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

For by me your days will be multiplied,
And years of life will be added to you.

Pro 10:27
The fear of the LORD prolongs life,
But the years of the wicked will be shortened.

Pro 14:26, 27
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence,
And his children will have refuge.

The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life,
That one may avoid the snares of death.

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The Basis of all Our Civil Constitutions and Laws

“The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scripture ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evil men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible.”
- Noah Webster

Not a Creature was Stirring, Not Even a Mouse

Last night I was watching Gods and Generals with my children when my 9 year old asked me (again) who were the good guys and who were the bad guys. Instead of answering the questions directly, I talked to her and my other children about the fact that the United States was originally formed as a voluntary unity of Sovereign States, i.e. each state was free to govern itself and the Federal Government had VERY limited control. What happened as a result of the Civil War was that the idea of a "voluntary" union was abolished and the Federal Government stripped most of the States sovereignty away from them. The war started when the Federal Government invaded the Sovereign State of Virginia.

Ever since the "South" was defeated the Federal Government has gained greater control and the idea of Sovereign States has all but been lost. Now while we were all sleeping (hence the title), the Intelligence Reform Bill (you'll have to register with the Washington Post to read it) has passed through both houses and is going to the Presidents desk. What this bill (soon to be a law I am sure) does is remove more sovereignty from the states and sets Big Brother in motion. So much for having "conservative" Republicans win the election!

To read more about this visit Carmon Friedrich's blog.

On the Virtues of a Godly Woman

Part II of Misogyny

Further proof that Biblical Christianity does not result in misogyny:

It is true that there are many passages in the Bible which speak of the degradation of women. What most people who use these passages to debase the Bible and its followers forget (or choose to ignore) is the fact that the "offending" passages are addressed to wicked women, not women in general. These women are the temptress of youth and adulterers; they are the road which leads to death. God also addresses the wickedness of women who are contentious, jealous, and extravagant wives. This is not misogyny! Throughout the entire Bible, God speaks of sin and its punishment, death. The point of the entire Bible is to show men (that's "human-kind" for all you PCers out there) that they are wholly unable to save themselves and require a savior to remove their sin from them and reconcile them back to their creator. This Savior , or Messiah, or Christ is God's Son, Jesus. Salvation will never be found in "liberation," but only in surrender to the Lord Jesus, the Christ!

The Bible has much to say about virtuous, godly women and they are thoroughly praised! To quote the Pulpit Commentary's Introduction to the Proverbs:

"[T]he author delineates a woman of the highest attainments, strong-minded yet feminine, active, practical, prudent, economical. Her husband trusts her wholly; she manages the household, keeps her servants to their work, and herself sets an example of diligence; she always has funds in hand to make purchases at the right moment, and to provide for the needs of her household. She is as wise as she is beautiful, as generous and charitable as she is just; her virtue redounds to the credit of husband and children, and all connected with her."

"Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
'Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.'
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
Give her the product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates."
(NASB, Proverbs 31:28-31)

Furthermore ...

"Let the mother of the family realize her high position, and be the crown of her husband (Prov. ch. 12:4), and build up her house (Prov. ch. 14:1).... Be it far from her to imitate the contentious wife, whose peevish ill temper is like the continuous dropping of a leaky roof, and renders the family life insupportable (Prov. ch. 19:13; 25:24). "

Men and women are treated the same by God. Godly men and women are praised while wicked men and women are cursed. Do men and women have different roles? Yes, but that is not an assignment of value, only of function (is the eye more valuable than the tongue?).

Misogyny

My wife and I homeschool our 5 children. Okay, only two or maybe three are really of “school” age, but you would be surprised at how much younger children pickup while they play at the feet of their parents and siblings. The oldest two are active readers and my third is just starting to learn phonics and has gleefully mastered a few simple words. Often when my children are reading, they will ask their mother and I what certain words mean. Our response is usually “Look it up.” My favorite tool for such times is Noah Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary. It was both the first American dictionary and the first Christian dictionary.

Today while reading an email newsletter from one of my favorite authors of the day (Gary DeMar of American Vision), I came across the word "misogyny." In an effort to practice what I preach to my children, I looked up the word in the dictionary. Being at work however, I did not have Noah Webster’s dictionary at hand so I searched for the definition of the word at http://www.dictionary.com/. Below is the first entry taken from their search results:

mi·sog·y·ny: Hatred of women: “Every organized patriarchal religion works overtime to contribute its own brand of misogyny” (Robin Morgan).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth EditionCopyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

I am not sure why I was surprised at the quote chosen by the editors of The American Heritage Dictionary, but I was. Both modern day historians and linguists have been on a systematic and methodical course to change the way people (especially our children) think about God, mankind, history and really life itself. After a little research I discovered that Robin Morgan (quoted in the definition above) was a feminist activist who worked in the civil rights, antiwar and feminist movements in the 1950s through 1970s and came out as a lesbian in the 60s.

Compare The American Heritage Dictionary’s entry for misogyny to that of Noah Webster’s (which I gladly found online at http://www.cbtministries.org/resources/webster1828.htm):

MISOG'YNY, n. [supra.] Hatred of the female sex.

Obviously the definition has not changed, but what has changed is the world view that is being communicated. Where Noah Webster’s dictionary was written from a Christian worldview, The American Heritage Dictionary is written from a secular humanistic one. Feminists, lesbians and the like hate Christianity because they hate the God of the Bible. They have made themselves gods and therefore live by their own moral standard. This type of thinking is the direct result of buying into the unsustainable lie of evolution which separates the life of man from his creator (the God of the Bible).

The facts are that biblical Christianity is both patriarchal and holds a very high view of women. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians wrote,

“25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body.” (NASB, Ephesians 5:25-30)

You see, Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, loved the church so much that he died for her. But the death he died was not just any death, he took our sin upon himself and paid the price that was demanded for it:

“He [God] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Jesus].” (NASB, 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Jesus did what we were unable to do for ourselves, he paid the price for our sin and reconciled us back to His Father by giving us His righteousness! Now connect this truth to Ephesians 5:25-30 quoted above: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her….” Does this sound like biblical Christianity results in misogyny to you?

For more insight to the meaning of Ephesians 5:25-30, read Romans 5:6-10:

“6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

“[W]hile we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” That is, while we were unlovable, while we hated God, while we where without any merit of our own, Christ died for us! NOW THAT IS LOVE! Biblical Christianity does what no other religion (including Feminism) can do; it elevates women to their highest level. Are women to be submissive to their own husbands? Yes, read Ephesians 5:22-24:

“22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.”

Once you understand what a woman is supposed to be submissive to (the same love that Christ showed the Church) you can understand that her submissiveness is not repulsive; instead, it is glorious! I have to submit myself to Jesus, and I do it with gratitude and joy, and if I am doing what God has commanded me to do, my wife can submit herself to my leadership with the same joy. My wife’s submission to me is not subservience. She is not my slave. We are equal in the sight of God. We were both lost before we submitted ourselves to Christ, and we are now both called His children after our submission to Him.