MikeB: Great book list. I’ve read two of them and you will enjoy them all I am sure. Let me know your thoughts on RACE. A life changing book for me. I preached on Judas today and I was surprised at how I took a different perspective on him as a result of re-examing the doctrine of perseverance. Between Race and Ryle you are armed Bro.

I have swapped some e-mails with Mark at Kainos Press. Good site and a good guy. Read his replies to letter writers. So far, the majority of my mail is good mail, not really interesting stuff to read.

Wanted to say a word about the Al Gore retreat this past weekend. I think the Democrats know that Gore cannot win unless the country falls apart. A few corporate embarassments and some economic bumps after 9/11 aren’t going to throw out GWB. (Read this typical mongrel journalism from the UK to get an idea of how this will sound. Drudge says they are in OZ and I agree.) No, if the Democrats want to make a run for it, they need to run Leiberman. A cranky Al Gore will lose by 10 percent. In my opinion, the loss of black votes alone will keep things out of Gore’s hands, and Gore running around saying the country is going to hell, the war is Vietnam II and “We wuz robbed” will go over like a lead balloon. I really think they have a problem here, and they know it because they keep talking about the political points the GOP is getting out of the war. Complain on people but reality is reality. America has changed.

The GOP stump speech now has the war, a moderately impressive list of legislative accomplishments (which will increase post ‘02 election because of GOP gains), the Flag flap, restored confidence in the morality of the Presidency, a moral, balanced middle east policy and a sane approach to the future. The Dems have to run on this: Times are bad, but you still deserve a handout. Blame the corporations that your portfolio is shrinking and the GOP that you don’t have more $$ in your pocket. Terry Macauliffe is the worst thing that could have happened to the Dems. If they can’t get beyond Clinton-Gore they are in trouble. Leiberman-Edwards in ‘04, and Bush-Guliani drops ‘em dead.

Good link. While in Cleveland, I picked up two books on this very subject: “Slouching Towards Gomorrah: Modern Liberalism and American Decline” by Robert H. Bork and “The Death of Common Sense: How Law is Suffocating America” by Philip K. Howard. (The author notes say Howard, the son of a Presbyterian minister, grew up in a small town in eastern Kentucky. Hey, he’s one of us). I’ll probably be quoting these books quite often over the next few months, so bear with me. (Or should I say beer with me :-)

Also, on your recommendation, Michael, I purchased “The Race Set Before Us: A Biblical Theology of Perseverance & Assurance” by Schreiner and Caneday. Man, have I got a lot of reading to do.

We really need a picture like that on the front page of the Manchester paper.

Yeah, yeah, I know it couldn’t happen. But, hey, it’s my fantasy Presidency.

Eric, dude, you must have bigger ones than that guy in the picture from the Denver newspaper :-)

A more Biblical approach to what is really meant by anti-Christ. And a dead on indictment of the so called liberal tolerance of our culture.

Hmmm. Could the President do that by executive order?

I am on my way to Owensboro Ky for the next 2.5 days. That will include, I hope, at least one pass through the Moonlight Barbecue Inn. Oooooo Maaannn. Now, if I could just hit a WWE event (front row) where Triple H Pedigrees Al Gore and I get tipsy on IBC and have to be driven home by my wife who actually flies me to a resort in Mexico for a two month escapade THEN it would be a perfect day. But it will be a start.

Rigney dropped in for OBI homecoming, and actually complained- with his wife in the room- that female students aren’t coming on to him. DENY IT RIGNEY!!!! I DARE YOU!!

Yeah, it is Entwistle’s signature bass riff, but the line “hope I die before I get old” seems kinda . . . well . . . creepy. I don’t know.

If I were President for three hours, I would prohibit legislators from attaching pork barrel riders on legitimate legislation. If legislators want to pass some pork barrel project (how about $4,214,000 for shrimp agriculture research in ARIZONA or $194,000 to increase the production efficiency of tropical ornamental fish) they should have to vote on it straight up. Legislators shouldn’t be allowed to attach this crap to legitimate legislation like a budget bill.

BTW great list.

I’ve added the Operation World Link on the sidebar. You can go there to pray for and learn the nations of the world. If you aren’t familiar with OW, it an amazing project that every Christian should use and support. The book/CD is essential to understanding what God is doing in the world today. I use it all the time to keep a focus on the nations in my prayers and preaching.

And yeah, they should play it, though it won’t ever be the same. Just so people can remember those bass lines.

I visited with a Brazilian family yesterday at OBI homecoming, the Ximenes mom and two boys. One is at WKU and the other at Union. All played soccer for us and they were excited to say the least.

Yes, I was too much of an activist. Seduced by power. Just too much free time on my hands. Actually there was more, but most of that involved helicopter rides and food.

Michael: It takes seven to eight hours to make the trip to Cleveland, depending on traffic and the number of stops you make. I haven’t been to Begg’s church, but my brother has on several occasions. He said he really enjoys it but with several thousand members, he feels like he would be lost in the crowd if he became a member.

After you leave OBI, you have a promising career as a politician. First, you didn’t exactly answer the question I asked—should The Who play “My Generation?” Second, I asked for ONE thing you would change in government if President for three hours and you submit a list of TEN. Oh well. I Guess it’s that darned old Democrat coming out in ya :-)

Did someone say BHT road trip to Brazil?

It’s good to be back.

Welcome back mate. I thought you’d run off to Brazil to celebrate the World Cup. After reading the 9th Circuits tgrack record, I knew this was going no where. Cleveland is the home of one of my favorite preachers: Alistair Begg. Would love to go up and hear him sometime. How long a drive was it? (Also would love to see a game at Jacob’s Field.)

WIth three hours as President I would: 1) Order the proper authorities to get rid of Arafat by using a Palistinian agent to whack him. 2) Fire Norm Minneta 3) Order Regean on to Rushmore 4) Order copies of everything about UFOs to be delivered to me personally. 4) Exempt myself and all my friends from the income tax 5) Hire our financial officer here at OBI, Jerry Pierce, to run the government. If he doesn’t say OK, NO checks. 6) Appoint someone to draw up a plan to be disengaged from Saudi Arabian oil in five years. 7) Order nasty audits on Hillary, Bill and Al 8) Get Steve and Ron H a job. Steve with CIA. Ron as my special liason to Jesse Jackson. 9) Send Bart to find Bin Ladin. 10) Cut myself a fat retirement.

The WHo should finish this tour as a tribute to Ox, then hang it up.

‘Ello, mates. I just returned from a week long vacation in my hometown, Cleveland, Ohio. I never realized how much there is to read here after one week. I must admit, though, that I am somewhat surprised there weren’t more posts concerning the Ninth Circuit’s ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional.

Anyhow, since I can’t possibly respond to everything, I’ll just throw out some random reactions and you guys can figure out to whom they apply. Ready?

Do what?

Really.

I’d never try that.

That’s not a shadow.

Uh, ha, ha. . . . you said missionary :-)

Now for some news from Cleveland. Some guy was arrested on charges of domestic violence. When he was brought before the judge and told he was being charged with a felony, he went nuts, broke loose from the police, ran across the room, and, with his hands still handcuffed behind his back, rammed his head into a wall. He impacted with such force that he made a hole in the wall (reinforced plaster, nonetheless) and loosened light fixtures on the ceiling. Unfortunately, the impact also left him a quadriplegic. Now he is suing the city, alleging the police knew he was mentally unstable because of prior arrests, yet they failed to adequately protect him from . . . well . . . himself.

Speaking of diversity . . . My sister-in-law works for the third largest bank in the world. The Cleveland office has a “diversity club.” One of the members is a man who makes no attempt to conceal his homosexuality. That, in and of itself, does not bother me. What does bother me, however, is the fact that the company is flying this man to Orlando and paying for his hotel so that he can represent the diversity club at a gay-pride seminar. I told my sister-in-law she should ask the company to fly her to St. Louis as a representative of the diversity club at a Joyce Meyers conference. (She’s a big fan of Joyce, but don’t hold that against her). If they refuse to pay her expenses, I think she should sue the crap out of the company. What say ye?

In light of John Entwistle’s early demise, should The Who play “My Generation” during the upcoming tour? (I can’t believe they’re actually going to do the tour).

Finally, George W. wasn’t President for about three hours yesterday. If you could be President for three hours and change one thing about our government, what would you change?

I am really influenced in my own thinking by the fact that I grew up on this steady diet of SBC missions. Nationals simply were not in the picture. At all. Now that I have had a chance to work with international students, including vibrant Christians from Africa, India and Asia, I see the problem. The World Christian Encyclopedia confirms it. Christianity in the 3rd world is dark skinned, pentecostal, poor and structured very differently than American churches. So many of our definitions of things like pastor, preparation, church, worship, etc have little appreciation for what indigenous means. I’ve learned through my association with GFA that a lot things we just assumed in the SBC are not true in Asia. Americans, frankly, may not like what they see in the next wave of Christianity, or they may like it. I mean, there are different results. South Korea and Africa are very different, and that comes from a lot of factors. On tentmakers, I am in contact with several and the movement is, from my point of view, doing really well as the only way westerners can get into a lot of places. One of my close high school buddies and family are in a closed Arab country as a businessman. He has actually worked for a large parachurch for over 20 years, but this is what he wants to do. Pray for him and his family please, because if they are caught it will be a bad deal.

Japan is a special case. Why has a country that absorbs everything American been so resistant to Christianity? One of my thoughts- coming from working with Asian students- is that their absorption of our culture never came from a sense that we were superior. They always believed they were (and are) superior, and therefore the Japanese religious worldview would never give an inch to Christianity, even while they sang country music and dressed in Levis. What is strange is that the Chinese are the most superior minded culture on the planet and they have been very open to Christianity. Of course, SHinto and Confucianism are quite different. One of my most vivid memories here at OBI was a Christian Thai family coming to visit their son. The parents had become Christians during their university days and were now ministering in Thailand. We had a lot of Thai students and we invited all of them to eat lunch with the visiting family. They refused to speak to them or sit at the table with them. For teenagers to treat adults like that was unreal, but that is the contempt they held these people in for being Christians.

RonH: Thanks for reading and commenting. A bit of a response.

I think at some point a personal connection will develop, but I don’t think it should be the primary goal or the major missions effort. Let’s say my church adopts a people group. Sending a team to the area is a natural part of the unfolding process, but I think good leadership can put a lot of energy into the connection between church and what is already happening before the personal connection is made. The “tourist” type mission trips are mostly a colossal waste. I know from our work here at OBI (where we get a LOT of volunteers) and my work in inner city missions, that a lot of tourist “missionaries” are a burden not a blessing. But a team that knows what is happening and is a vital, informed link between a mission point and a church is a blessing to both.

I do think that the matter of finally admitting that we have to hand the leadership and the resources over to the nationals is a big and important step in finishing the task. To me, there is a spiritual principle here (the body of Christ) that Americans really have trouble with. I have to take my hands off quite a few things in my ministry and trust others and it is very hard. Certainly harder in missions settings. Letting the native movements develop their own schools, accountability structures, methodology, etc in their own cultural context- its just crucial. You may recall an issue of ModRef I linked to a couple of times where a lot of third world church leaders told the Willow Creek gang to STAY AWAY. They sensed that the American values at work could destroy them. I see that in, for instance, seminary training. The training I received would kill someone on the field in Asia. Too much information. It is part of what is wrong with us- a bad balance of doing/knowing. So I would probably err on that one in handing a lot of resources and responsibilities out of the country. We are, in many ways, like the public schools in their reluctance to admit that all their expertise is part of the problem, and alternative schools are necessary to break the cycle. Doing it “our way” has to give way to doing it the way the Holy Spirit is leading.

As for money to organizations, I think personal connection and conviction is vital. You have to trust that 100% is going where it should and that the organization is honest and focused. So some churches may be sending money to organizations, some to churches, some to missionaries, some to nationals. That is a missions committee’s work- to find the right connections and be accountable. But I do believe American churches need to transfer a LOT of resources into the unreached world, as well as into mercy minsitries and church planting here. I like to go into a church and see a “wall of missions” projects that says a lot of funds and resources are going out and the people can see they are impacting the world. Our financial resources can result in thousands of evangelists and church planters on the field, and that has to be a priority pursued sacrificially. Thanks again for reading. (Others may comment of course.)

RonH: Would you give me your thoughts about my new article?

As was said of me in the long ago by a previous poster- Some can dish it out but can’t take it. (Iran was a real hell hole under the shah compared to now, and Daniel Ortega was St. Francis with a mustache.) I really meant that the guy is the best debater up there. Look at how many posts have his name as the last post on any given day. He bites and won’t let go. Gotta respect the tenacity. Like I said, needs a Scottish Ale to calm him down.

I am writing my new article about “World Christianity.” It is homecoming here at OBI and in two hours I will eat the best Bar B Que around these parts.

We saw Minority Report. Liked it, though it was kind of a mess the last 30 minutes.

Michael S: I failed to thank you yesterday for one of the funniest posts I have ever read. Of course, I’m a big fan of sarcasm, so…

Movie Recommendation of the Week: Since nothing good is on, the wife and I took a quick spin by the local Hollywood Video store, with the firm intention of picking up some quality movies. Well… we almost succeeded – I’m not a big fan of “Tomb Raider”. In fact, I can only think of 2 things I like about that movie…

Anywho… my movie recommendation this week is for ya’ll to expose yerselves to something a little more classic. Wife and I picked up “Duck Soup”, the Marx Bros. classic (we didn’t stop laughing all the way through the movie), and the 1957 “12 Angry Men”, which just rocks. So go out and rent a classic for the kids.

Jonah wisely talks about how America is different from Canada, and the fact that there really is an American culture, despite the left’s attempts to say there is no such thing.

I keep inviting that good brother to come up here. I want him to taste a Bart brewed Scottish ale. ;)

Frank Luntz, GOP pollster, just reported a poll that says if a draft were instituted this year, 37% of college students would evade, and 20% would refuse to fight overseas. Only 25% of American college students think our values are better than those of other countries. The legacy of the Left. Quoting Dr. King, and not realizing that in any other country Dr. King would have been murdered by the government.

I think many Christians on the left are woefully underinformed about Marxism. Redistribution of wealth, the evils of captialism, conspiracy theories it’s all Marxism, but todays leftist clones don’t have a clue. They think Daniel Ortega was another Ghandi.

I can’t figure out what Oddball’s beef is, either. I have a feeling he’s cozy towards liberation theology.

Our local dinosaur (oops, I mean Marxist) quoted Dr. King in his interview with the local newspaper: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it leans toward justice”. Very typical, since Marxism is envy masquerading as justice. I wrote a long message back to our newspaper’s web forum, quoting Dr. King at length, from his autobiography, about his extreme differences with Marxism.

If only Karl hadn’t written those pesky words about killing people with property and money, it would be a lot easier to make a gospel out of Marxism. But, because of those pesky words, about the best thing a conscientious Marxist can do today is hang out a lot with the labor unions. Now THERE’s an effective way to show your true moral colors.

ScottW: I’ve experienced an Epiphany. I now hate America. The President is a criminal. I will tell my children the truth- our government is a thugocracy run by corporate dictators. We will take down our flags and pray that God will destroy this nation in revenge for all the evil we have done. I feel so liberated.

If you read his last post, then you have learned that Dr. King is now on his side. If I have time, I will post some Dr. King quotes that he will overlook. Dr. King was a patriot and would have had nothing good to say about someone who called the President a butcher. This is so typical of Oddball. He uses an emotionally flammable term, then moves a mountain to defend it rather than say it was a bit excessive. I admire you for staying in there with him, but he has the high moral ground because he is more offended than you are.

Micahel: The child is victimized by the pledge. You should see those scars. Or, is that just all of the other kids beating the crap out of him for having such stupid parents?

I disagree with a lot of this. More later- right now I am hungry.

Here’s an excerpt from a post by Rob over at DB. It’s part of alonger post on his views about restricting voting rights a la Madison:

From a biblical perspective, all men are certainly not created equal, nor are they endowed by their [deistic] creator with certain “inalienable rights.” All one has to do is go back and read Locke and it is fairly obvious where he was getting his views. [Locke was the son of a Puritan preacher. He rejected his father’s Calvinism…Whoops! There’s the dreaded “C” word again!] It was the Enlightenment that inspired Jefferson…not the Reformation.

I personally think that voting rights should be more restrictive. I think the founders were correct to limit it to land owners or those who were well-educated — the real “shareholders” in the society. Also, in those times, husbands would vote as the head of the home…quite understandable. Of course, all of this is utterly unthinkable today. I would be in favor of restricting voting rights to those people who could show some basic competence, however.

I really think, as part of our “apologetics”, we ought to be challenging Americans to really think through the foundations of our government. The postmodern mindset leaves no room for either Jefferson or the Bible. Instead of propping up the pledge of alliegence, I would argue that Christians should compel the courts to go even further: to ackowledge that there is absolutely no basis for “rights” anymore. If the living and the true God — The God Who Is There — is dead, and all we have is religious sentiment or experience, how can we possibly do anything but laugh at Jefferson’s naive and misleading statements? Why not expose it for what it is—“the emperor has no clothes” and all…

Note I said we should argue the point. No one will accept the challenge…they can’t. People can’t live that way. The point is to disturb them…

As Schaeffer would say, we need to push the unbeliever to embrace the real consequences of his worldview — to “take the roof off the house” so that he is exposed to the fill weight of “his universe” pressing in on him. It is terrifying — as many of the art films of the 50s and 60s show. It is only then that he will turn and say, “what must I do to be saved?” We can then offer him shelter in the Gospel.

Yeah, I’ve got a bat, and I’m taking it over there.

I’m not certain what that spinning feeling is… it’s either from the ale, or from trying to debate at Dialogue Box with someone who honestly believes that everything about the US is evil. Anyone got a bat?

Gregory, I believe that “frog” is not the correct PC term for the Frenchies. They prefer to be called “courage-challenged” or as I like to say “Cheese-eatin’ surrender monkeys!” Why are the streets of Paris lined with trees? So the Germans can march in the shade.

I’m off to Arkansas for the weekend so I can spend time with my Mamaw who recently had a stroke. See ya’ll Monday.

Mid summer break arrives. Tomorrow is OBI Homecoming, but I don’t have to do much more than run sound and eat. (THe food is awesome.) Looks like a rainy weekend, but we can have some nice weather too. I will be out Mon-Wed but I will have laptop access if I want to use it. Third quarter begins a week from Monday.

This flag flap continues to make me wonder when our legal minds shifted into the mindset that we are obligated by “diversity” into putting together a country without reference to God? Here is my silly observation: the generic use of the idea of God is not a specific religion. You cannot exile an idea from the discussion of public life. You have to discuss all kinds of ideas, both good and bad, to have a civic public square. One nation under God means that- if you happen to believe in God- this nation ain’t over him but vice versa. The idea- expressed in the ruling- that one nation under God is the same as one nation under Vishnu or one nation under Jesus, is absolutely ridiculous. A generic discussion of God is not an establishment of religion. In fact, I cannot understand why CHRISTIANS are always endowing this generic term with meanings both Christian and pagan, like saying that saying the pledge is allegience to Jefferson’s Deist God. Isn’t it possible for a person to use the word God without infecting everyone who uses his work with an explicit belief in his own worldview? I don’t care if Jefferson was a Satanist, the Declaration is talking about a generic, monotheistic God.

The worst part is the atheist parent saying his child is victimized by the pledge. What a great parent. Define your whole life by being an obnoxious victim who resorts to the tyranny of the minority. Make sure Jesse Jackson bares his butt so this guy can kiss it.The great race to be oppressed, offended and victimized. The empowerment of victimization has the potential to ruin our civic life and our private lives. Look at what it has done to the families of many of the 9/11 victims. I can’t stand to listen to them anymore. Just heard one trashing Mike Bloomberg. “We need him to listen to the hearts of the victim’s families.” Please have some dignity people.

My friend Shawn pointed out that the most interesting thing about “the” picture is that you can see the man’s testicle and his, um, er, “other word for cat.”

My mother-in-law bought me a parenting book this week called Raising Confident Girls. Now, I do not mind reading books, but here is the opening of the first paragraph:

Everything seems to be going right for girls. Their confidence, exam results and career opportunities are rising. Released from the prison of domestic life, they have a freedom that was unheard of fifty years ago.

Excuse me? Prison? Domestic life is neutral. There are burdens that come from staying home and taking care of children, but there are also blessings. I get to spend a couple of hours with my children each day, and I wish I had more time. But, the assumption that women were once imprisoned, and they are now set free, is a large part of the reason feminism has the smell of rotting rubish.

This bass player takes a moment of silence for a great one. (Raising his Diet IBC) Here’s to you, Ox.

Here’s the link, Michael.

Michael: Note, I did not suggest it was a good movie, just one of the best of the Christian Apoco-dramas to come out.

Bart: Congress defiantly emphasized that portion in their opening yesterday, and a caller on WLAC remarked that “all men are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights,” so those who are athiests must have no rights. Interesting statement, but God exists (or does not—being fair to any athiests in here. LOL) regardless of our belief. If it were otherwise, God would appear and disappear just like our weak faith.

Scott: But, I like that lady with the giant hair (that is TBN, isn’t it?). I watch TBN every time I am captured by the FBI for parole violations. As I am not on parole … well, I think you see my point. Actually, not quite true. I was channel surfing the other day and came apon a children’s show on either TBN, CBN, etc. It was praise and worship music videos with children singing, er lip syncing … and, very badly, I might add. It was quite funny, so I watched for awhile.

Steve S: No, Amy’s not laid off due to the shuttle fix. Her group has plenty of rats to kill, regardless of whether an EVA gets postponed or not. Besides, you know that feds don’t get “laid off”. They just sit and suck up our tax money, right ;-)

Actually, she is leaving the office for 3 weeks to care for Angus while I am offshore. We have been doing this tag-team routine since he was born in January. She exhausted her sick leave and vacation in February, and has been on unpaid leave since then. Angus starts day school at JSC in August (a terrific place.. imagine a non-profit, limited-enrollment day care run by a bunch of type-A rocket scientists). Her management has been very progressive in how they treat maternity leave, and have jumped through lots of hoops in order to give the moms there much more leeway than standard federal practices usually allow. Her increment schedule has worked out very providentially as well; she worked a big flight when she was 8 months pregnant, and it just so happens that her next flight doesn’t ramp up until fall. Perfect timing for us to do our Mr. Mom/Mrs. Mom routine.

Being offshore for 3 weeks at a time has its disadvantages—but one of the rare advantages, which makes a lot of my friends jealous, is that I can spend oodles of time with Angus while I’m home for my 3 week breaks. Come August, I will probably keep him home a lot rather than send him to daycare, although we still have to pay the full rate. Otherwise I will really miss the little stinker.

Mir was a huge lesson to the Americans. Essentially it began to pound into our heads the concept that “the Russians are in this for the money”. The people in the trenches—like Amy—are learning firsthand how to do amazing things on a shoestring. These same people will be the upper management someday- and they will have A LOT more appreciation for grubby Russian-style ingenuity than the current managers, who are still steeped in non-efficient bureacracy.

The new administrator (the Irish guy, can’t remember his name) has a pretty good vision. Politics being what they are, there are no guarantees, but if George Abbey (the JSC director, who got re-shuffled to Washington after the Irish guy took over) ever ends up as director, some good things may happen. He’s one of the ones who learned from the Russians. The rank-and-file at JSC were terrified of him, but the confidence which he inspired was nothing short of amazing.

O ease up. The President of the U.S. is portrayed as everything from a skunk to a jackass. But the king of Thailand in an ad, and they freak out. Then again, what do we do to God most Sundays? Hmmmmmmm

Remember the picture of the guy sitting in front of his burned out house in Colorado? Now they have admitted it….it was exactly what it looked like it was. A Front page testicle. It may still be linked on here somewhere.

As a bass player, I can tell you a giant has passed. Who bassist John Entwistle was amazing. Motionless and those spider hands making the bass go places no rock bassist ever thought of going. I sure hope he knew Christ. I know he knew a lot of Christians. Bye John. Let’s drink one for a man who will never be replaced.

Thank you Bart. I have that sound bite and I play it often. Red Skelton was a big part of my childhood and I love this piece. BTW, the 9th circuit has put their own ruling on hold. (Wouldn’t you love to hear their answering machine messages? “Judge, this is Osama- you da man.”) You didn’t make a quick trip to SF to do a Scottish rectal exam on the good judges did you?

And thank you Eric for making the point better than I ever could. I hope everyone who has puzzled over my claim that Left Behind is an aspect of an overall pessimism from this kind of eschatology will give it another try while singing the national anthem of pre trib eschatology. Such a shame that while millions of Christians around the world are being persecuted, we are waiting for the tribulation. A friend today told me the pledge thing showed that we are declining, and while I agreed, I said he should consider a world Christian perspective. Great things are happening, but not in the USA and Europe in comparison to the rest of the world. A shame. We talk so much about revival, but we really don’t know what it means. We have privatized spiritual warfare and really given up on evangelism and missions. American Christianity has become the child of Christian marketing, church growth/entertainment and individual spiritual gnostic lunacy.

Gregory: You pay for the rentals, tie me to a chair, drug me and I’ll watch. (Is Jan’s hair on fire in either movie?) That NRO review cracks me up. My kids were forced to watch the LB movie in so many classes the last year that I was tempted to put a sign on our school: “All Left Behind, All the Time.” My son is forever innoculated against pre trib as a result. (Eric held the fort, God bless him.)

The following words were spoken by the late Red Skelton on his television program as he related the story of his teacher, Mr. Laswell, who felt his students had come to think of the Pledge of Allegiance as merely something to recite in class each day.

Now, more than ever, listen (read) to the meaning of these words.

“I’ve been listening to you boys and girls recite the Pledge of Allegiance all semester and it seems as though it is becoming monotonous to you. If I may, may I recite it and try to explain to you the meaning of each word?”
ทI - me, an individual, a committee of one.

ทPledge - dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self pity.

ทAllegiance —my love and my devotion.

ทTo the flag - our standard, Old Glory, a symbol of freedom. Wherever she waves, there’s respect because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts freedom is everybody’s job!

ทUnited - that means that we have all come together.

ทStates —individual communities that have united into 48 great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose; all divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that’s love for country.

ทAnd to the republic—a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.

ทFor which it stands, one nation - one nation, meaning “so blessed by God”

ทIndivisible - incapable of being divided.

ทWith liberty—which is freedom —the right of power to live one’s own life without threats, fear or some sort of retaliation.

ทAnd Justice—the principle or quality of dealing fairly with others.

ทFor all—which means, boys and girls, it’s as much your country as it is mine.

Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country and two words have been added to the pledge of Allegiance…
UNDER GOD
Wouldn’t it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer and that would be eliminated from schools too?

Sorry I’ve been in absentia lately (unless you like me gone, then you’re welcome :) I’m teaching from 6 to 9:30 two nights a week, and I am in the community theatre production of The Music Man, which takes up every other night of the week. I say hello and goodbye to my family (and before anyone calls Dr. Dobson to give me a spanking, let me say that my schedule will be much lighter about mid-July. This situation is very tentative).
If anyone wants a road trip to western KY to see me make a fool of myself on stage, the play is July 12 and 13 at 8 pm CST, and the 14th at 2 pm CST.
Ah, the memories…
Life was filled with guns and war
And all of us got trampled on the floor
I wish we’d all been ready

Children died, the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we’d all been ready

There’s no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind

A man and wife asleep in bed
She hears a noise and turns her head - he’s gone!
I wish we’d all been ready

Two men walking up a hill
One disappears and one’s left standing still
I wish we’d all been ready

There’s no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind

Children died, the days grew cold
A piece of bread could buy a bag of gold
I wish we’d all been ready

There’s no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind

The Father spoke the demons died
How could you have been so blind

There’s no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind

I hope we’ll all be ready you’ve been left behind
I hope we’ll all be ready you’ve been left behind
I hope we’ll all be ready you’ve been left behind

Nope, not a bit pessimistic ;)

Greg B: Are you telling us to spend our hard-earned time and cash on TBN? Moderator? MODERATOR!

Forget everything you saw on television, it was all a cinematic trick. Oh, yeah, go to New York and Washington, you frog!

Michael: The Left Behind movie was one of the better of the Christian produced Apoco-epics. Look at the two TBN nightmares to see what I mean.

Over at DBox, some have said that the pledge is idolatrous worship of Jefferson’s God, and not the God of the Bible. I don’t get it. Other than the fact that TJeff didn’t write the pledge, why can’t a Christian say the pledge and recognize who the true God really is? This argument against civil religion saying any public reference to God must be explicitly Christian rather than generic (and subject to the conscience of the individual believer) seems weak to me. Didn’t all the Founders have different commitments, and still addressed God as they each understood him? The point is that we can be a country of diverse views and each can follow his/her own conscience. When I pledge, the God we are under is the God and Father of Jesus. Am I mistaken?

I am in the school’s computer lab and there is a blocker that edits out BAD WORDS. (So all of Rigney’s posts were shredded.)

Their Mom is what? That part got lost.

My hell room would be crowded by people like Maureen Dowd and Bill Mahr and they would all be calling me Matt.

Got this over at Relevant’s blog. What do you guys think? How would you advise? I think the young ladies are wrong (if l-bianism is the only issue.) “Two Christian teenage sisters ran away from home because their mom is l-sbian. “I do think it’s a bad influence because I don’t want to be l-bian. I don’t want to have to like women,” Nikki Green, 15, said. “I won’t go home unless she changes… She doesn’t even realize that what she’s doing is hurting us. What she sees is that we left. We’re rebellious. We didn’t obey.” The mom filed an interference with custody report against the church her daughters attend — Houston’s Body of Christ Ministry. The sisters, though, said their stand had nothing to do with the church; they just don’t want to live in a environment ”

Landover Baptist usually runs a spoof on that that will knock you over laughing. I think IM needs to design one this year. Any suggestions for rooms? My hell room is a Continuous showing of Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood with Rosie O Donnell touching my leg. (Something tells me Steve S will have never heard of this. Minnesota will have missed it.)

Oh, the Judgement House! Those things crack me up. Every Halloween there are at least a dozen Baptist and Pentecostal churches in the greater Lexington area with one of these things. The “Hell” parts of these things are like a Chick tract in 3D. Unbelievable.

Oh yeah I got it. The memory was still too much to talk about. I also know about in baptistries. And on church buses. (Caught a giving a hand job to a guy once.) And on mission trips. Hence the name of course.

I think you guys are talking about THIEF IN THE NIGHT and other Rigney favorites. Talk about scarred!! These things are beyond horrendous. The only things worse- JUDGEMENT HOUSE and other scare the hell out of you evangelism methods. My boss wanted to take the entire school to one a few years ago and I said fine, but I will be outa here in the morning. I won that one- barely.

The hilarious on target review of the Left Behind Movie from NRO.

I remember watching a couple of those movies on some Christian TV station when I was in college. The only thing I remember is the Larry Norman song “I Wish We’d All Been Ready” and some girl running away from men with Korean letters on their foreheads who were driving vans. I seem to remember a guillotine (I might be mixing movies).

Did you get my E-mail, Michael? I never know when mine is working.

RonH: I was at post mil camp, where all the films were about Saddam Hussein getting saved and building 10,000 churches in the Arab world. ;) (It’s a Joke)

The FLAG FLAP: I think that every so often, the left just does something unreal to remind people of their absolute moral vacuity. There is a huge silence out there on the left side of the fence as the usual suspects let this one twist in the wind. From a purely political standpoint, this is an election year Gold mine. Imagine JUST IMAGINE what the GOP will do with this in ads and speeches!! Makes me want to become a politcal consultant. It’s too rich. (Imagine what you could do with this in a debate! The GOP always has to own up to the last looney thing from Pat Robertson on BJU, now every Democratic candidate is doing to have to renounce this decision, and it still won’t matter. It will stick. The party that s the Pledge. Good luck guys. (BTW, this makes it more likely that Leiberman will run in ‘04. He is the only one who I think can dodge this, since his spiritual commitments are apparently real. Imagine Begala and Carville and Co!! Ha!!

RonH: And Rayford picked up the pencil. It was a yellow pencil with black writing … (5 books later) ... and he placed the pencil to the paper and wrote “when I read the critics writing about the novel, they said it was full of fluff.”

Bart: And she doesn’ t have a flat head, right? (did I say that outloud?) shiver

MS: you know, martina is only one factor short of being the “perfect woman”. She is not 3 feet tall.

What Would Clinton Say (WWCS?). Boy, that’d be something to start writing on body parts…

Micahel: From Martina’s comments, I assume she is talking about the fact that many Repubs oppose homosexuality, as I find it is more often that the liberals suppress free speech. But, then, we do see things through our own glasses (rose colored or otherwise). As for WWJD? He would not write on his pecker, that’s for sure.

As for the interim pastor: There are a few of the deacons that support him wholeheartedly, which makes me begin to wonder. Many of the more well-versed congregation members just avoid going to church when he is teaching. He is ready to go on to Texas, where his wife has already moved.

On Tim LaHaye: Overall, the series is bad fiction. Of course, LaHaye has done very little for the book other than checking it for his own biblical (per-Mil rapture) view. I do begrudge the two for expanding the series. When the first book exploded, the series expanded. It happened again after a few more. If there were material, it would be one thing, but it seems they have just stretched it. My wife is still reading them. I gave up on book two. Not sure I see the pessimism angle, but I do not agree with the pre-Mil crowd.

darn it guys, there is just too much good (or at least entertaining) stuff here to read! You all quit reading, thinking, writing, reacting etc. etc. so much! I can’t keep up! I’m awash! (might have something to do with the 6-month old I’m caring for…) well, today I go back offshore for 3 weeks- if I work a few nights, might have time to catch up on the blog. Drat. Like trying to drink from a fire hose.

Steve S: No offense. Amy’s got you beat—she actually subscribed to Nasa Watch’s pager service, which beeps her whenever a news item breaks. She has actually got the jump on some things over her colleagues, who have to wait for “official” channels. She is greatly amused by trying to guess who the “moles” are (the civil servants who break news stories to the nasa watch guy). She reads it religiously.

FYI, Nasa Watch was started by a disgruntled NASA employee, who was a victim of one of the rare civil servant layoffs… no aspersions on him, he does a great job; apparently his sour grapes are outweighed by his sense of civic duty.

I still maintain that U.S.-Russian detente is one of the best “immediate” benefits of the space program, specifically ISS. Shaky, yes. Crazy, yes. But much, much better than each of us “going it alone”. Read “Dragonfly”, about the Mir. Fascinating.

Tonight’s game to play while I go to the movies. (Let’s see some good work while I am gone.) Reaction to the ruling came swiftly, with President Bush leading a chorus of opponents. “The president’s reaction was that this ruling is ridiculous,” White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

WHAT WOULD CLINTON HAVE SAID?

I wasn’t edited on Dialogue Box. I am now in a slugfest with Oddball, who told me to moderate my Limbaugh intake and still insists Reagan is a butcher.

I love my job.

MatthewJ: BUY WAYNE GRUDEM’S SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY. It is the essential book. Really.

Sex in SS rooms. I have seen it. Not done it. (yet) But seen it.

SteveS: When I first read your post about the pamphlets, the puncuation registered in my head this way: I don’t know if they are keeping the kids from having sex in the Sunday School room I get to use for the Singles study on Thursday nights. I was almost appalled. Who on earth would have sex in a Sunday School room!!!! Then I re-read it and understood what you wrote.

***********************
I’m sorry that I have to say this (esp. after 3 freaking years of seminary), but I have no clue what pre-, post-, and a- millenial are. Here’s why I want to be a missionary (and you can catagorize me accordingly): Pardon the plagarization of Piper, but I believe that Christ has paid the price. So, I’m going to go and preach the gospel and let Him reap the reward of his sacrifice.

RonH: OK, I think we are fairly much in agreement on much of this, and a lot of what I am calling pessimism you are describing in other ways. Maybe we can sort out what I mean by pessimism later.

I am NOT DEFENDING POST MIL. Absolutley true that post mil probably sends as many poor missionaries to the field as any other view. I make no connection between the doctrinal aspect of eschatology and the missionairies on the field and their mindset. What I am claiming, and with considerable personal experience, is that Scofield Dispensationalism has an aire, a tone, an attitude, a mindset, a presupposition, etc that says the world is getting worse and worse and the church is this REMNANT community in the midst of a world that is about to be ruled by the antichrist and already belongs to the Devil. If that is not descriptive of the attitude of dispensationalists you know, then our disagreement is simply experience. See Ron, I think Left Behind is selling like hotcakes because it says the world is going to hell in a handbasket but there is some coherence to the crash. God will rescue his lifeboats. Left Behind is telling Christians to build shelters and prepare to either leave, or if you are left, to survive. “Tribulation saints,” the ultimate game of survivor. That makes great fiction. It doesn’t make great missions.

I simply believe the entire approach of the Bible- particularly in Isaiah and the Gospels/Acts- is different. It expects the knowledge of the Lord to cover to earth. It expects the nations to come to Christ. Yes, there will be persecution along the way, but the ultimate direction is optimism. (Piper, Let the Nations be Glad.) I’m not defending post mil, I am saying that the Dispy system has said this world is a pit, save as many as you can, build the church and wait as things get worse. I think the note is pray, give and support the church around the world and watch what God does that changes history. I am not trashing dispensationalism or selling post mil. (I doubt if most post mils would see me as one. I am more of an optimistic a mil.) But what I am saying is the eschatology of Spurgeon and the Puritans. (Murray, The Puritan Hope.) There may be kinds of dispensationalism that are optimistic, but the Scofield-Lindsey dispensationalism I took in at Hall Street Baptist Church was ultimately pessimistic about everything except the rapture heaven and the mil. Now, I am optimistic that the church’s greatest days are still ahead, even as its greatest persecutions may be ahead.

Your description of the desire for something tangible is describing PESSIMISM about the conversion of the nations as far as I am concerned. Try it out at any meeting of church leaders. Spend $75,000 on a new AV system or on training indegenous pastors. They will choose the tangible, but I believe one reason is they believe the missions investment would be a waste of money and effort in a Muslim or Hindu nation. They don’t see how eschatology influences that, but I agree with Steve (!!!!) in that I think eschatology influences everything. An optimistic church will risk and let go and invest and see what happens.

Good discussion. I’m optimistic we agree substantially. (BTW, I wish you would go to www.gfa.org and ask for info, read the FAQ, get Yohannon’s free book. You would like it I think.)

Michael S: May I suggest that, on your voyage to SanFran, that, along with the tar and feathers, that you also pack in your overhead, a large, rowdy Scotsman with a penchant for boulder-tossing?

Lesbian Millionaire Tennis Star hates America. So hey Martina, why not give back all that endorsement dough you made in this capitalist sewer? This kind of crap makes me wanna puke. I made my billion, and now I hate America. Needs a date with Bart.

The Pledge of Allegience is now unconstituional and a violation of separation. It’s true. I am flying to San Fran with tar and feathers. Anyone else?

What a rowdy group today. Who’s buying because I missed it?. You guys need to go to Minnesota and help this guy. (I still like the condom Idea. I’m writing Zondervan.)

Let me try to pull this together a bit better. I do not think pessimism means a lack of dedicated western missionaries. I said that pessimism/optimism has to do with the winning/converting of nations and people groups. Get the difference? First off, that MUST be an indegenous church movement, and not a missionary movement. RonH: Western missions as traditionally practiced was inherently pessimisitic because it was seeking to grab a few converts from a culture in the grip of the evil one or a deceptive religion. But optimism says that an indegenous movement of churches can turn the entire nation upside down. (South Korea, Kazakistan, What will happen in China, Latin America) Guilt and desperation- win ‘em before the rapture- is the pessimism I am talking about. As an SBCer who has watched mission strategy closely, I don’t think anyone has even started to grasp this until very recently. The missionary church in the missionary compound model was pessimistic imo.

How is that connected with Western Churchianity excess? Seems obvious to me. SteveM can’t have his fund raiser for missions because God’s global purpose is so far down the menu at his church. Why? Well, things are so bad int he devil dominated world that you aren’t going to see great things in Seattle or Afghanistan or Nepal or Indonesia. You are going to see great things when we raise $750,000 and build a gym. It’s BEYOND pessimism. It’s total abandonment of missions to a few ladies handing out missionary birthdays. If that church thought it could fund 750 indegenous evangelists for a year or build a seminary that would train thousands of pastors, then they would do it. Right? Wrong. They’ve largely given up on the nations. God’s work is in the good old Christian USA where we can have basketball leagues and keep our kids from having sex. Heck. We’ve given up on missions right here!!! How many churches are interested in a church planting movement in their own community? Eastern KY is dead on the vine church wise. Why not invest in reaching Appalachia? Because the devil has us in his grip, so its back to the gym.

Maybe the lines from Scofieldism to this are not clear, but think about it this way: C’mon now. WILL LEFT BEHIND MOTIVATE CHRISTIANS TOWARDS OR AWAY FROM MISSIONS? Yeah, we need to get a few before the rapture, but we aren’t changing the face of the planet with the Gopel. It’s too late. I think it sends us to the bunkers, not to the battlefields. And if we are in the bunkers, then let’s make it a nice bunker for us and our children.

I find myself somewhat agreeing with Steve (shocking, I know :) Could it be that this guy’s worst mistake was being unwise? I wondered as I read the article if maybe he had the right motives in mind, but just went about it in a stupid way. If he was really trying to fight for this kid’s sexual purity, homosexual or otherwise, sometimes extreme measures seem necessary. Now, as I said, the dude should have thought through his methodology a bit more, but perhaps his motives were true. I mean, as far as we can tell, he didn’t offer to write it on there himself with lipstick or something, and he didn’t try to, ahem, massage the problem out of him, like that doctor trying to remove the pen cap. But who knows—maybe he was just one more sick-o? Based on the information we have, you never know.

I wonder how our WWJD guy would solve lesbianism?

Michael S: I saw a post at the Dialogue Box from you to Oddball concerning exactly that subject. Was there a 2nd post after his response?

Getting back on my spaceship a second. American success is almost always symbolized with an image of an astronaut on the moon. It is distubing to think that image was captured nearly 40 years ago. It is an image that is symbolic of contemporary advances in technology. That astronaut stands still, but time marches on without much over the past several decades to stand in his place. How many would have thought that the image of Armstrong on the moon would be the last image of
man’s accomplishment in space? It is time to declare the Apollo program historically over and done with, and call those images what they really are: forty years old and outdated.

As for the debate about American church campus expansions, I too am a part of a major relocation that will ultimately cost my church in the neighborhood of $12 million. How many homes could be built? How many missionaries sponsored? How many smaller churches started? How many college scholarships offered? I would love to find one American church that is willing to embark upon a capital fund raising campaign that is solely ministry and not facility driven. It is unfortunate that American
Christians have equated being in the center of God’s will with building a gym and bigger worship center.

Steve S: Yeah, I pointed that out to him in an earlier conversation. I also described one of the practices we do know the Celtic pagans performed, involving gutting a yellow bull, eating the meat until you pass out, and then waiting for a dream (which I’m sure you’d have when you were infected with massive amounts of E-Coli). This particular practice went at odds with his vegetarianism. After talking to him, I figured he was really just a mismash of new-agey crap with a pretty label. I ended up in a dialogue with him about his beliefs, and his understanding of Christianity. Seems that a few years back, he got burned at several SBC churches. He also was angry with his mother, who is dedicated SBC. He surprised me with a visit last night, when we sat down and talked about what he did believe. I encouraged him to take baby steps, and to call me with any questions he had. I also encouraged him to check out a couple of good churches in our area (one SBC, one non-denominational leaning reformed) that are geared toward people his age. He’s a little nervous about the one that’s SBC, but I encouraged him that it wasn’t like any Baptist church I had ever been to. Like I said, the proof will be in the pudding, but at least he’s looking at the right path.

On End Times: A college professor of mine put it best. “There are pre-, post-, and a-millenials. I’m a panmillenial. It’ll all pan out in the end.”

ALERT!!! I am not making this up. Some Sunday School teacher is in trouble for telling a kid to write WWJD on his…..on his….well, let’ just say this idea probably has Zondervan developing a WWJD condom.

ANd this quote has me in disbelief: “”The Evil One has struck a tremendous blow to our congregation,” Gahagen wrote.

From the Corner: “Americans age 65 and over spend, on average, about $700 a year on prescription . This is a “crisis,” and Congress is tripping all over itself to pick up the tab.
But consider all the other senior-citizen “crises” that are going woefully unaddressed.
Seniors, on average, spend $1,200 a year on dining out. The elderly could save so much on “blue-plate” specials if only the government paid the tab.
Seniors drop $800 a year on furnishings. How many recliners—perfect for pushing back and watching the Golf Channel—go unbought because Congress refuses to help pay this bill?
65-and-overs spend $1,000 a year on entertainment. But we persist in forcing them to pay for their own subscriptions to large-print edition of Reader’s Digest…”

As I said, I have no problem with what Pre mil Christians do. They are obviously zealous. But the purest form of the system abandons the world to the evil one and checks out. It does not believe in the conversion of the nations in a way as optimistic as I think scripture does.

On the millenium: Obviously I am in a minority report. But Here is the short version on the start. I take every single number in Revelation as symbolic. Why is 1,000 an exception? (Someone needs to delete me before I fall into this!!!!) My best source is Michael Wilcock, I saw heaven Opened (Or Revelation in the IVP BST series).

Matthew’s post was on another list we both used to frequent. He was raptured out. I was left behind. (For my low view of scripture ;) ;-) It’s a JOKE.)

MatthewJ: Thank You. I will be devoting an essay to the notion of what it means to be a World Christian, and a big part of it will be stopping this nonsense that our need for a facility bigger than the Trump Taj Mahal even deserves to be considered alongside the possibility of shifting resources to the unreached world. I support Gospel for Asia and will be pushing it a bit more on here in the future. For about $100 a month, a missionary in India, Bangladesh, Nepal or 11 other nations can live an work for a month. 1200 a year. GFA has 11,000 missionaries doing this. All native. All living on the level with the people they reach. They start 6 churches a day. They 6,000 of them attended or are in 20+ Bible schools. They travel on bikes, worship in building that cost less than $1000. (This all sounds like Oneida Eric!) How could I build a gym for $750,000 when I could send 750 missionaries for a year?!!?

For all of you who think I never get treated like YOU….it appears that a post of mine was deleted over at Dialog Box. Some guy – Oddball for those who read over there- said Reagan was a butcher, while defending the North Vietnamese, Sandanistas and Castro as legitimate. I took exception, pointed out his America Bad, Communist ers good syllogism, and asked if he considered Al-Queda to be our fault as well?. Today the post is gone. So, for those of you who have prayed that God would do to me as I have done to others, your prayers were answered. Apparently lefty political speech is tolerable but noting the moral outrages involved is not. Too bad. I genuinely like and respect Rob and I hope it was just a boo boo in my posting, but I don’t think so as I saw my name up as last poster yesterday. It’s that KingdomNow side of things over there. Calvinism OK. Reagan a butcher OK. ???