Dead Man Blogging

From the “Beating a Dead Horse” category…

A Church in a Bar

KINGSVILLE, Texas - The Rev. Bob Gomez has, like many people, asked himself: What would Jesus do? His answer: He’d open a church in a bar.
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If Jesus were alive today, Gomez said, he would not be insisting that people come worship within four walls he had built. He’d be taking the church to them.

On Sept. 7, Gomez did just that, hosting his first services in Kingsville at a local bar.

“People used to ask Jesus why he dealt with the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the lowlifes of society. And he used to tell them that he was going where the people were hurting and needed help,” Gomez said. “I think if Jesus were alive today he would open a church in a bar.”

Owners of Christopher’s Bar and Grill in Kingsville, where The Father’s House will be celebrating services, said that for them the church was a godsend.

Owner Patty Burton said her mother had been praying that she and her husband would go back to church.

“I told her that when we found one close by that would have services in the evening, then we would go. Well, the church sort of came to us,” Burton said. “I told my mother she must have been praying pretty hard.”
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The Burtons aren’t open for business on Sundays, but did open the kitchen for hungry churchgoers anxious to taste their chicken fried steak.
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Gomez, who is an ordained Southern Baptist minister, operates his church on a concept of cells and celebration. Members meet in small groups, or cells, once a week to study Bible verses and answer tough questions about how each one relates to them. Then on Sundays the congregation gathers for a joyful service of singing and clapping before the sermon.
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“They can come in and enjoy a meal, maybe sing a little karaoke on Saturday night. And then come on Sunday night and hear some truth.”

On the other hand…

Ephesians 5:8-13
[W]alk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.

It’s been a rough couple of weeks.

A few weeks ago, my wife had a positive pregnancy test. Even though this is our third, we were giddy and told our family and some friends right away.

Last Tuesday evening (9/16) Leandra had some bleeding. We expected the worst. We were certain that this was one of the 33-50% of pregnancies that just doesn’t “take” for some reason. The more I learn about early pregnancy, the more surprised I am that there is EVER a successful pregnancy. So many things have to go just right. But God designed us well.

We called the doctor’s office the next morning, who advised us to have Leandra take it easy for a day and see what happened. There had been no more bleeding during the night, and there was none the next day, so we assumed it was just some unexplained bleeding, which is not at all uncommon. So we breathed a sigh of relief.

Until Saturday evening (9/20), that is. Leandra had more bleeding. Still not much, but two times in one week was really worrisome. We weren’t as positive that something was wrong as we were the first time, but still we were pretty upset.

Monday morning we called the doctor again, and they said to come in. They did an exam and ultrasound, and there was a heartbeat! Everything looked good. The nurse practitioner told us not to worry, we were now at a < 5% chance of miscarriage. So Leandra went home, and I went to work.

Tuesday (9/23), Leandra kind of did a lot of housework during the day. That night, more bleeding. This time, it was a lot more than the previous times. We were scared. It was in the early evening, so Leandra called a friend of hers from church and they talked. Monica insisited on coming over on Wednesday and taking care of everything so Leandra could take a break - despite the fact that Monica is like 6 months pregnant and has bad cyatic nerve pain.

Wednesday morning we called the doctor to let them know what was going on, but they said that it wasn't probably anything to worry about.

Wednesday evening, Leandra cooked some supper, we bathed the boys, etc. Nothing much - just some real minor housework.

Then she had more bleeding. This time it was even more, and much darker, than any of the earlier times. We were certain this was it. What made it worse was that we had seen the baby. In most miscarriages, there was never a viable pregnancy to begin with. That was not the case with us. We’d seen the heartbeat. It was a little life.

I stayed up half the night praying, like I don’t think I’ve every prayed before. Jesus told us the parable of the importunate woman who got justice from the wicked judge, and let me tell you I took it to heart. I was shameless. I begged Him. I didn’t just pray that sort of “padded” prayer which can be counted as a success no matter what the outcome - I prayed for a specific result.

And I got exactly what I asked for!

We called the doctor’s office this morning, and they said we should come in. Another ultrasound revealed that there was apparently nothing wrong at all, and a ten minute conversation with the nurse practitioner put many of our worries to rest. She explained more clearly just what symptoms warranted us worrying, and which ones didn’t. She says 20-25% of healthy pregnancies include bleeding in the first trimester, and there’s nothing to worry about.

The best thing about the ob/gyn Leandra uses is that it’s a Christian place. The nurse practitioner is perhaps a little less up front about her faith, but she said things like “this is not really in our hands” and “you know, this is how God designed us”. The two ob/gyn doctors are great Christian men. The senior doctor looked for a partner for years, but would not accept anyone who was not a Christian and 100% pro-life. He finally found one - a guy just coming off the missionary field as a medical missionary in Africa (I think). There is just something so different about a doctor who prays with and for you, or a nurse who acknowledges God’s sovereignty in such difficult and scary situations. We are so blessed to have them taking care of us.

This has been quite a roller coaster. We’ve gone from being ecstatic to devastated in just a couple of days. But apparently all is well. My parents, our friend Monica, and our doctor’s office have been fantastic blessings through it all. And I understand John 16:24 better now.

Why is it that I consider a $90 phone with lots of features to be a great deal and buy it right away, but I hesitate to spend $65 on a new study Bible?

Why am I considering purchasing an $800 laptop but yesterday balked at buying $100 worth of theological books?

Why can I find time to blog, but not pray?

It’s been said that one look at a man’s checkbook and day runner will tell you what his priorities are and where his heart is. I hope nobody checks mine.

I was thinking about evangelism for the theology class I’ll soon be teaching and something struck me as odd. Aside from the “Great Commission”, I can think of almost no verses that emphasize personal evangelism, particularly in the epistles. All I can think of is:

• Inferences from Matthew 5:13-16 (”salt and light”) - this is too vague for me to build a solid case from
• Christ’s actions (He was an itenerant preacher)
• The example of the apostles (also as itenerant preachers / full time missionaries)
• The Great Commission
• A discussion about the importance of sending missionaries (Romans 10:14-15)
• Instructions to Timothy, a preacher, to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Timothy 4:5)
• Instruction that we should be ready to share the gospel (1 Peter 3:15) if anyone asks.

The best case I can build out of this is:
* Live such a good life (obedience to God from a sincere heart) that people will see it and glorify God, and ask you about the gospel. Explain it when they ask.
* Send foreign missionaries (called “preacher” in Romans 10) to preach the gospel

Where are the verses that tell me to share the 4 Laws, the Roman Road, use “relationship evangelism”, knock on doors, pass out tracts, and so on? Why aren’t these things elaborated on in the epistles?

I’m told (heard Allistair Begg say it on the radio this morning) that the primary purpose of the church is to evangelize the lost. I’m also told that we have a personal responsibility to aggressively share Christ. If these things are true, and I’m not doubting that they are even a little bit, why don’t we get more Biblical instruction in it? Instead Paul spends chapters discussing the sovereignty of God in electing His saints, and John explains (1 John) why some people have apparently fallen away, and James and the author of Hebrews go and confuse us about our eternal security. But nary a word is written about personal evangelism in a layman’s life. Why is this? What am I missing?

Assistance would be greatly appreciated. I’m not challenging anything, I’m just trying to understand.

Matthew 5:13-16

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men.”

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. ”

I memorized Matthew 5:13-16 the other day. As part of our church’s new vision statement, we’d been discussing in a small group Bible study just what it means to be light.

One thing I noticed is the context. It comes right after the beatitudes, and right before Christ asserts that He’s not here to abolish, but to fulfill, the Law. He tells us that we must have a righteousness greater than the Pharisees. Then He “tightens” up the Law, so to speak, by extending it from merely outward acts to the attitude of one’s heart. He commands us to go the extra mile, to turn the other cheek, and to love our enemies. He identifies this as being “perfect” (5:48). I could go on, but why outline the whole sermon? You get the point.

Christ, by definition, is the greatest preacher who ever preached. The Sermon on the Mount was not a bunch of disjoint ramblings. It flows logically.

Christ tells us we ARE salt and light (not that we should be, but we are). He tells us what our priorities are as salt and light - keep yourself salty (5:13), let your light shine (5:14-16). He also tells us HOW to retain our saltiness and let our light shine - through our sincere obedience to His commands. Such obedience, in order to be superior to the Pharisees’ righteousness, flows from who we are as children of God. It is not external conformance alone, but first an inner conformance that manifests itself.

I believe this is what it means to be salt and light. It’s not about being nice. It’s not about mowing your neighbor’s yard. It’s not about building community, works of service, being cultural leaders, investing in others’ lives, or having your neighbors over for supper. Those are all very good things which should generally be manifested in our lives, but it’s not the point. The point is obedience to God from a pure heart because of who we are in Him.

I am not one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. I am not just another sinner. I am not (to quote someone I respect) living “a life of trudging through religious duties and earning points through church attendance and the like”. I am not trying to behave myself so God doesn’t smack me down and kick me out.

I am a saint of God, chosen by Him from the foundation of the world, redeemed by Him at the cost of His only begotten Son, filled with His Spirit, washed in His blood, and loved without condition.

As I live as who I am, I will be salty salt and visible light.

As I read the Sermon on the Mount, I do not read Christ telling us what to do. He’s telling us who we are, and giving us a few examples of what that ought to look like. This is the Spirit and that’s what makes it different from the Law! It’s not about behavior modification but about changing your heart. Of course, your changed heart will modify your behavior, but it’s an effect instead of the focus.

Jesus was quite clear over and over that loving Him and obeying Him are inseperable.

So what will I look like as I retain my saltiness and let my light shine before men? What does a follower of Christ look like?

I won’t flirt with sin. I’ll flee from temptation. I’ll spend time in God’s word and in prayer and meditation. I’ll join with God’s people for worship. I’ll be reverent. I’ll take life seriously. I won’t be materialistic. I will control my temper. I’ll avoid licentiousness. I’ll avoid unnecessary strife. I won’t be jealous. I will build up the body of Christ by serving as He gifts me. I will bear the burdens of other Christians. I’ll do good as I have opportunity, especially to those of the household of faith. I’ll always be ready to explain the gospel when my life causes others to inquire. I’ll separate myself from ungodliness and the ungodly (as appropriate). I will assume my God-given role as leader of my family, and lead diligently. I won’t tolerate sin, error, and ungodliness. I will set an example for others in my speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity. I’ll be sensible, produce good works, have pure doctrine, and be dignified. I’ll put away ungodliness and worldly desires, and live sensibly, righteously, and godly. I’ll store my treasure in Heaven instead of on earth. I’ll count myself dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, and put aside anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech. I’ll put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. I’ll discipline myself to be godly.

I could go on and on, but you get the point.

A non-trivial piece of Christ’s description of His followers as light was the location of the light. The city is set on a hill. The lamp is set on a lampstand. It’s up and visible. The city is not in the valley, but on the “holy hill of Zion”. The lamp is not hidden under a basket, but hung up where it can give light to all in the house. Christians, individually and corporately, are similarly set apart and set above the world. It’s who we are - a holy nation, a royal priesthood.

That all sounds well and good, but what does it look like? That’s the question that’s been bugging me. For instance, Tozer and MacArthur say the church should be radically different from the world. But, as Bill asked in a comment, what would that look like? I’m not sure I have the answer, and to some extent if we focus too much on what it ought to look like we’re in danger of turning it into an almost legalistic question. But I tend to be a legalistic, box-checking kind of guy, so I think it would be helpful to give some examples of what a salty, well-lit Christian life ought to look like, and what a church ought to look like, as far as I understand all this. (Remember, these are just some examples!)

Some marks of a Christian life, in no particular order:
* Spends lots of time with God in prayer, meditation, solitude, and in God’s word.
* Is marked by love and kindness in all interactions.
* Is serious instead of foolish.
* Does not flirt with sin and temptation.
* Maintains a Biblical family model and fulfills his responsibilities to love and lead his wife and to teach and discipline his children. (For a wife, this is different of course.)
* Generosity and financial responsibility.
* Participates fully in his local church, exercising his gifts to build up the body.
* Focuses on what is profitable rather than what is permissible.
* Is disciplined.
* Does not use foul language, spread rumors, or talk badly about others - instead builds others up (except where they need to be corrected).
* Takes care with regards to what he watches, reads, and listens to, and what he permits his family to watch, read, and listen to.
* Is intentional in all his relationships, particularly those with unbelievers. Never values the relationship above God, his walk with God, or the other person’s spiritual well being. Will sacrifice a relationship when needed. Keeps distance in relationships where needed. It is logically impossible for a believer and an unbeliever to maintain a long-term, close relationship unless the believer is compromising. Light and darkness CANNOT have any fellowship, because the light drives out the darkness. Either the believer will compromise, the unbeliever will get saved, or they will have to go their separate ways.
* Able to share gospels with others, particularly as a result of those intentional relationships he builds.

And some examples of a church that is salty and a bright light:
* Emphasizes personal spiritual development over programs.
* Trains believers for the work of the ministry (Eph 4)
* Convicts believers of sins, challenges and encourages them.
* Convicts unbelievers of sinfulness, brings them to repentance. Unbelievers cannot be comfortable, long term, in a church that is faithful to God. Either the church will compromise, the unbelievers will get saved, or the unbelievers will leave.
* Identifies and develops the spiritual gifts of all the members and finds places for all of them to serve in order to build up the body (Eph 4:16)
* Conducts orderly, reverent worship services (1 Cor 14:26-39)
* Relies on preaching the word of God, and the ministry of God through properly trained and serving members being light in their own spheres of influence, to produce fruit instead of “faking it” through worldly means.
* Exercises Biblical control over the qualifications of members to serve in certain functions (Acts 6:3, 1 Cor 14:34-38, 1 Timothy 2:8-15, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9, and so on)

To get even more specific with some controversial examples:

Will I be friends with my unsaved neighbors? I’ll maintain a cordial relationship, but in all my interactions I’ll be intentional in my efforts to model and share Christ with them. I will terminate our relationship if it appears they are pulling down me or my family. Will I watch R-rated (or even PG-13) movies? If I do, it will be the exception rather than the rule. Will I watch sitcoms, soaps, dramas, etc? Not a chance. There are a few that are not offensive, and maybe even contain some good, but I don’t feel like sifting through it. I have much better things to do with my time anyway. Will I picket abortion clinics? If I thought it would do any good, I might. I think giving to our local crisis pregnancy center is more effective.

Will homosexuals be welcome in our churches? A professing Christian who is an unrepentant homosexual cannot be. Unregenerate homosexuals will either be convicted of their sins and repent, or get tired of being convicted and stop coming. What about kids with all kinds of piercings? If they are lost, they will be convicted by the preaching and either get saved or stop coming. If they are saved, then their new spirit plus the teaching ministry of the church will show them the need to get rid of their rebellious appearances. Will our churches minister to recovering homosexuals, women who’ve had abortions, divorcees, and so on? Of course, but always in the context of sin and repentance and sanctification. Will we minister to the poor? Naturally, but not without primarily addressing their spiritual poverty. Will we attempt to change society through laws and the like? Probably, but we have to remember that our commission is to change hearts, not laws, and spend our energy accordingly. Will a church sing hymns, or praise choruses? Whatever a church does, it should be reverent and theocentric.

Salt and light is not something you try to do. It’s who we are. We maintain our saltiness, and let our light shine from the high places we’re set in, as we obey God’s commands found in His word from a pure heart. If we’re not salty, or if our light is too dim to be seen, or if the darkness oddly isn’t driven out by what we think is our light, then we must look to our identity and our nature, not our methods. Methods and disciplines and programs are great as tools to help us, but they are not the goal.

Something to ponder from 1 Corinthians.

1 Cor 14:24-25
But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God.

Here are some commentaries:

Darby

Prophecy, reaching their conscience, would make them feel that God was there-was present in the assembly of God.

Gill

he is convinced of all, he is judged of all;
of all the prophets or preachers; they all reprove him, and detect his secret … This must be understood of such persons whom the Spirit of God, under, and by the ministry of the word, powerfully works upon; whose hearts he opens to receive the word, and to whom he effectually applies it; whom he convinces of sin, righteousness, and judgment, shows the evil of their hearts and ways, reproves their errors, convicts them of their mistakes, and informs their judgments, and condemns all their principles and practices which are not agreeably to the word of God.

And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest?
Not to the prophets, or preachers, or to the rest of the congregation, but to himself; the word preached being in the hands, and trader the influence, direction, and application of the Spirit of God, a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart; showing the plague and naughtiness of it, discovering the lusts that are in it, detecting the errors of the mind, and filling the conscience with a sense of guilt, and a consciousness of deserved punishment; so that the person looks upon himself as particularly spoken to, and as if the person speaking had knowledge of all that was within him, and adapted his discourse on purpose to him, and delivered it for his sake alone; concluding, that there is, and must be, something more than human in it:

and so falling down on his face:
either publicly before the whole congregation; or when retired, as one ashamed of his sins and errors, and not able to look either God, or good men, in the face; and being in an adoration posture; or however, being truly humbled before God under a sense of his iniquities,

he will worship God;
pray unto him, and earnestly entreat he would be merciful to him a sinner, and blot out all his transgressions, and forgive him all his sins; and will ever after acknowledge him to be the true God, embrace his Gospel, submit to his ordinances, and attend his service:

Jamieson, Fausset, Brown

prophesy–speak the truth by the Spirit intelligibly, and not in unintelligible tongues.

one–”anyone.” Here singular; implying that this effect, namely, conviction by all, would be produced on anyone, who might happen to enter…
judged–His secret character is opened out. “Is searched into” [ALFORD]. Said of the “one unlearned” (compare 1 Corinthians 2:15).

secrets of his heart made manifest–He sees his own inner character opened out by the sword of the Spirit (Hebrews 4:12, 1:23), the word of God, in the hand of him who prophesieth. Compare the same effect produced on Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:30 and end of Daniel 2:47). No argument is stronger for the truth of religion than its manifestation of men to themselves in their true character. Hence hearers even now often think the preacher must have aimed his sermon particularly at them.

and so–convicted at last, judged, and manifested to himself. Compare the effect on the woman of Samaria produced by Jesus’ unfolding of her character to herself (John 4:19,29).

Matthew Henry

If, instead of speaking with tongues, those who minister plainly interpret scripture, or preach, in language intelligible and proper, the great truths and rules of the gospel, a heathen or unlearned person, coming in, will probably be convinced, and become a convert to Christianity (v. 24, 25); his conscience will be touched, the secrets of his heart will be revealed to him, he will be condemned by the truth he hears, and so will be brought to confess his guilt, to pay his homage to God, and own that he is indeed among you, present in the assembly. Note, Scripture?truth, plainly and duly taught, has a marvellous aptness to awaken the conscience, and touch the heart.
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Note, Religious exercises in Christian assemblies should be such as are fit to edify the faithful, and convince, affect, and convert unbelievers.

I don’t know what labels we might give to preaching in such a manner as to convict unbelievers of their sins (and challenge believers to growth), but “Biblical” might be one such label. I don’t really see Paul encouraging the Corinthians to “hug people up close to Jesus” in their church service.

My church has recently adopted a new purpose statement which is clear and concise. “Knowing Christ and Making Him Known.” It defines all we do and all we are. Everything we do must be evaluated by the degree it helps us know Christ and/or make Him known.

I’m excited about it. It gives a lot of clarity to what we do and why.

In presenting the new vision statement, our pastor tied it in with some of the key programs in our church. He used words, and images centered around the idea of light (Matthew 5:14), to explain each part.

The first image is a lightbulb, and the name of that stage is “Illumination”. This is a couple of seminars that acquaints visitors and new members with the basics of the gospel and the way our church works. A lightbulb will light up a dark room so you can see where you are going. In the same way, these seminars will illuminate what our church is about.

The second image is a lighthouse. The name of this stage is “Instruction”. This includes a two-year small group Bible study program that covers some essential areas for Christians. It tries to teach basic beliefs, establish Godly disciplines and habits, teach you how to “do” evangelism, and so on. This is also the area that our Sunday School classes fall under. The reason they chose a lighthouse is that a lighthouse does not move. It is constant and you can navigate by it. God’s Word is similarly unmovable and can be used to navigate our lives.

The third phase is “Impact” and the associated image is a lantern. (I sort of helped come up with that image, but do I get credit? No!) The idea of a lantern is that it is small, personal, and casts enough light for the person carrying it and those immediately around him. A lantern casts out the darkness wherever it is carried. It represents the impact Christians ought to have in the lives of others. This little light of mine, I’m gonna’ let it shine. This image is by far the most powerful one to me. In our church programs, once a person has completed the 2 year small group Bible study, he’s expected to select an existing ministry, or start a new one, and make a 1 year committment to it. Some ministries are to the church body. Others minister outside the body. Others are not affiliated with our church, like the crisis pregnancy center.

If the rest of the church is motivated by this vision and if we keep it in focus, I think we’ll really have a great impact for God.

Baptist Press has an article about John MacArthur’s address at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

MacArthur also was adamant that the church should not be influenced by the world or take its cues from culture. Stating that the church should be a reflection of heaven, he said it is a travesty to make sinful people comfortable in a church.

“I’m not trying to make the church as much like the world as I can,” MacArthur said. “I’m trying to make the church as much like heaven as I can. People should walk into church, and it should be nothing like the world.”

I took some flack for earlier posting something by A.W. Tozer insisting that we should “plant ourselves on the hill of Zion and invite the world to come over to us, but never under any circumstances will we go over to them.” Lo and behold, here’s John MacArthur saying almost the same thing!

MacArthur also had this to say about “seeker-friendly” churches

Throughout his messages, MacArthur took a stance against the modern seeker-friendly movement, which he said is often guilty of exchanging biblical exposition for cleverly crafted yet shallow messages, omitting potentially offending truths and conforming itself to resemble a lost world.

MacArthur noted that this kind of failure to exposit the Word usurps the Lordship of Christ over His church and hinders the work of the Holy Spirit.

“At the beginning is the question of authority,” MacArthur said. “Who is sovereign? Who has the right to be heard? I have no authority in my church unless I say, ‘Thus says the Lord.’ I’m there to be the voice of God, nothing less.

Two years ago today, Muslim Arab terrorists attacked America and killed almost 3,000 people. Since that time, we’ve waged two wars, killed thousands, spent billions, and plunged the world in diplomatic crises. We’ve overthrown two oppressive governments and liberated many people. We’ve also created chaos and anarchy in some cases. We’ve tested friendships, exposed false friends, and risked much. We’ve prevented terrorist attacks in many cases, and endured new ones elsewhere. We’ve earned the gratitude of some, and undoubtedly make enemies of others.

Two years ago today, Mason Woodward was born. Since that time, he’s learned to walk, to talk (although he talks so fast it’s sometimes hard to understand), and to walk around the house chanting “ooh-dah!” He loves VeggieTales, and has a dog named Sadie. He will have a great set of play equipment in the backyard when his father finishes putting it together.

Mason’s birth, right after the 9/11 attacks, is a reminder that the darkness cannot overcome the light. In the midst of unspeakable horror and fear, two of my dearest friends experienced the indescribable joy of the birth of their first child. One of God’s great blessings followed on the heels of one of Satan’s attacks.

Some people have claimed absolute certainty about why this happened. Liberals told us it was because America is too rich, too evil. Isolationist paleoconservatives tell us it was because of our interventionist foreign policy. Because we had troops in Saudi Arabia. Because we support Israel. Some prominent Christians claimed it was punishment by God because of abortion, sexual perversion, etc. All agree that it was a call to repentance - they only disagree about which sins we need to repent of.

I’m not nearly so certain. Yes, America is guilty of much sin, and we must repent. But was this an unmistakable call from God to repent? Was it a warning? I don’t know.

I do not understand the ways of God. Aslan is not a tame lion. When I read the Old Testament I am amazed by God’s sovereignty. He raised Pharaoh up, and hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so He could utterly destroy that proud man. God freely manipulated history to serve His ends. He sent Israel to destroy the inhabitants of Canaan to both fulfill His promise to Abraham and to punish the wickedness of those pagans. He raised up and casted down empires according to His purposes.

Could it be that He still does so? Could the heart of the king still be in the hand of the Lord, who turns it wherever He wishes? Does God look at the rulers of nations today and say “for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth”?

I do not understand how God works, but I trust Him and know that He is in control.

To the victims of 9/11 - We remember you and mourn for you.

To the heroes of 9/11 - Thank you. We will never forget you. You forced a plane down over rural Pennsylvania to prevent greater loss. You charged into burning buildings to rescue those inside. Some of you didn’t make it out.

To our soldiers, both of America and our allies, our real friends - Thank you. You are making the world safer for us all.

And to Mason - Happy birthday. You’re a bit of light on an otherwise very dark day.

My friend Barry, who neither reads nor comments on this blog, sent me a link to a column by Michelle Malkin: Madonna and the children.

Up on stage for the raunchy performance of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” was 6-year-old Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon. Little Lourdes was dressed in First Communion white, decked out in lace gloves, a crucifix, and a studded belt with the words “BOY TOY.” Paving the way for the entrance of Madonna and her entourage of sexual exhibitionists, Lourdes tossed flower petals on the dance floor while a mosh pit of fans writhed in front of her and the porno soundtrack throbbed behind her.

Lourdes is Madonna’s firstborn child.

This inspired the following rant from me, which I’ll now share with all of you.

I didn’t know Madonna’s daughter was onstage at all. Malkin is right, that’s worse.

I know I’m a self-righteous legalistic Pharisaical judgmental fundamentalist, but may I suggest it’s time that Christians started being a bit less involved in the world and more of an example to it? Perhaps a city on a hill, or a lamp hung on a lampstand, would be an appropriate metaphor (Matt. 5:13-16) - something set apart, elevated, that gives light for all to see. Maybe we ought to read 2 Corinthians 6:17-18: “Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty.

What if, for example, we stopped having anything to do with entertainment that contains profanity (even taking the Lord’s name in vain), glorifies violence, contains nudity, celebrates fornication, adultery, or homosexuality, demeans people for laughs - particularly teaching us that men are buffoons or parents are idiots, or otherwise promoted an ungodly lifestyle or worldview? We wouldn’t have anything to watch. Except VeggieTales, and they are bankrupt now.

What if we turned off the godless conservative political commentaries that we are hooked on and spent the time gaining a godly perspective? Is it surprising to realize that Jonah Goldberg, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, and Sean Hannity are not Biblically rooted Christians, yet are so popular among us? With all that time, maybe we could actually read and meditate on the scriptures and spend time in prayer.

What if we worried less about our careers, 401(k), bank accounts, 3/2/2 brick homes in the suburbs, nice cars, cellphones, broadband internet, fast computers, and so on, and glorified God with our money and our lifestyles? We might not have treasures on earth, but maybe we could see our way clear to store up treasures in heaven.

What if we honored Sunday as a day truly set aside to the Lord?

What if we worried less about our child’s social and educational development than about their spiritual and moral development?

What if we spent less time watching TV, going to movies, and reading fiction, secular political works, self-help books, books on dieting and weight loss and finances and other books that are all about _us_, and spent time reading some books about God?

What if we tried to build and maintain appropriate relationships with our neighbors with the goal of letting our light shine before them in such a way that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven, rather than being content to wave at them while we’re mowing the grass. What if we were willing to risk our friendships and other relationships for the sake of the gospel? What if we weren’t so afraid of losing a relationship to talk to people about their spiritual life? What if we realized that there are offensive elements to the gospel? What if we remembered that Christ’s presentation of the gospel was sometimes offensive, and didn’t worry if ours was offensive, just if it was accurate? What if we remembered that a prerequisite to a man’s salvation is his realization that he is a depraved sinner who needs help?

What if we thought of the world in scriptural terms - two kingdoms at war - than in our worldly terms, like “one beggar telling another one where to find bread”? What if we acted like soldiers instead of spectators?

What if we took some risks? What if we risked our status, our friends, our amusements and worldly pleasures, our treasure, for the kingdom of God?

I dunno, just some goofy ideas I had.