Mudslinging

There has been a big splash in the news lately about a well-known conservative authoress. Why I don’t really know, as she been on the political scene for quite a while as a ‘champion’ for conservatives. But since she has been a little more public lately, it gave me a chance to see a video of her speaking on some sort of show. I was sickened by what I saw. This woman was sarcastic, annoying, scantly dressed, arrogant and down right rude. The liberal with whom she was talking on the other hand, was poised calm and exceptionally polite. What is the public seeing when they see or hear things like this? They see a proud, defensive, and liberal-mudslinging woman who uses a good deal of her speech to slander liberals and they possibly assume that much of the conservative world is like it. Of course, it works the other way also. Just today, I heard a Democratic Congressman who said some very needless and untrue things about the President and Vice President. What I wish people in Washington could realize is that political mudslinging is unprofessional, unhelpful, and generally is despised by the American public. The legislatures who are in Washington now were sent there to lead our country, not to start a war between Democrats and Republicans. Politics has gotten so dirty that it has become a byword for an untruthful, double-faced, and power hungry acts. I wish we could restore it to what it should be. A group of men and women who, if they wish to speak, speak on the issues and not on their political rivals, A group that looks to see what is best for America, not what they can get, not how they can be re-elected, but what the best way is to lead America. On that subject, they may debate as much as they choose. But choosing to slander the other side just because they are the other side, does neither America or Americans any good. I am a hard-core conservative. But I am sick and tired of politicians on both sides that choose to play ‘nasty words’ with each other. Certainly not all do, in fact, it is very possibly the minority, but it is there nonetheless. Sometimes I wonder how much more efficiently our government would run if they would work with each other and not against each other. I’m not saying they should compromise, no, but rather that they could disagree in a more adult like manner: that they could disagree without throwing mud at each other the first chance they get.

The Name 'Jehovah' - Fact or Fiction?

Fiction, and let me explain why as our pastor did not too long ago. God's name, YAHWEH (or YHWH in Hebrew) was so sacred to the Jewish people that they dared not speak it, lest in some way they blaspheme it. So to get the Jews in the habit of not saying YAHWEH, the scribes, when they came to God's name in the Scripture, stuck in the vowels of the Hebrew word for father in between the Hebrew consonants YHWH - creating something that, if transliterated into English, would be Jehovah. Well, it so happened that a well-meaning German scholar was translating a piece of the Old Testament, and he came upon God's name, and not knowing what had happened with the word, translated it into Jehovah. And as we know, this name has spread throughout the whole world as God's name, when in reality, it is little more than a senseless word. God's true name, YAWEH, implies the idea of the great I AM, the Ruler, the God - Supreme over all. Let us restore to our great God His true name - YAHWEH.

She's Moving Out

Well Kristi moved out on Wednesday to live with some other Bible college students in town. They live a nice house in a country subdivision and needless to say, she is very excited. The girls she is going to live with are all solid Christians who will encourage her in her faith. Being in town instead of 30 minutes out like she was will be really helpful as she is going to college this fall. So although we are happy for her, I'm going to miss her. I know she won't miss us, I mean I wouldn't if I was living in a house with three of my friends. But when you've lived with someone of your entire life...well, I guess I'm bound to miss her. Excuse me as I go have good cry... (just kidding =)

Is God Done With Israel?

Our Pastor is going through a series Sunday nights now regarding Israel and whether or not God is done with her. So I thought that I would put pen to paper, or keyboard to post, as it were on this subject.

So is God done with Israel? Certainly not. I quote from Romans 11,

1 I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel, saying, 3 “Lord, they have killed Your prophets and torn down Your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life”? 4 But what does the divine response say to him? “I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.7 What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. 8 Just as it is written:
“God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day.”
9 And David says:
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
10 Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.”

God made a promise to Israel, and once "I [God] have sworn by My holiness; I will not lie to David: his [Israel's] seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before Me "(Psalm 89:35,36) God has sworn time and time again that He will not forsake Israel. And God cannot lie. Has He set Israel aside? Yes, but only temporarily. Has He darkened their hearts? (Rom. 11.10) Yes. He has darkened their minds and hearts so they cannot choose Him, because for so long, they chose not to choose Him. But will this darkness be forever? To use the words of Paul, certainly not! Soon God will bring back His chosen people to Himself. I am looking forward to the upcoming weeks to know exactly what that will mean, but I know it will happen, because God said it will happen. Pastor H---- recounted many parts of Israel's history that showed Providential protection over the tiny country. More than once, by human reasoning, it would seem that Israel should not be on the map today, but continually, God has protected her. And will until He restores her to Himself.

Saying Goodbye

It's been a trying week, in more ways than one. At work we are installing a new software, and like anything new, it's trying and sanctifying working through it. But also this has been a week of saying goodbye and getting ready to say goodbye. A good friend from work and his wife just returned to his home state, not to come back for several years. A MK from Tanzania who was here on furlough this last year will return to the field on Monday. Not to mention that my sister Kristi is moving out next week. She's only moving about 15 miles away but it's still hard not to live with someone whom you haved lived with for all of your life. I wonder at why the human mind feels sorrow when someone you've become attached to leaves. Maybe its because that person won't be there to talk to, or be with whenever you want to. Or maybe there's a deeper psychological reason. But all in all, saying goodbye is very difficult part of life. I look forward to the day when we will have to say goodbye no longer to our brothers and sisters in Christ but live forever with them in God's presence.

Wonderings

"Without faith it is impossible to please God, he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him."

~Hebrews

Wanderings
Tracy Anryms
~~~
God was distant,
He seemed so far away!
Why was this so? Thus I cried.
Was not I God’s child inside?
*
I knew I had believed,
I had repented: this is true.
I saw my life changing,
Surely, this was proof in my life of God’s rearranging.
*
So I was saved - it seemed to be true.
But the feelings there were not.
But are emotions what we are to seek?
If they are, then our future is indeed bleak.
*
If God’s Word cannot be trusted
When He says what He will do
Then a Christian’s life, above all
Is that one dubbed Pity’s call.
*
But rejoice! God’s Word is sure.
When our Savior says, ‘believe’
And we believe in truth,
We must have faith that God will to it not be aloof.
*
For this I believe, and I know it is true
That God cannot lie and of mercy is abounding.
If purely from my heart, I love and believe,
I can trust the Savior myself to retrieve.
*
Then when I purpose to seek Him out
When I love Him with all of my being
Thereafter I can know that they will come from above:
The feelings of closeness to my Lord, joy, and love.
*
All praise our Father, Who sent His only Son,
All praise to the Savior, who chose to spill His blood
All praise to the Spirit, who helps us grow in Him.
For our salvation, and His love, may our hearts rejoice to the very brim!

His Plan For Me

His Plan For Me

Rowland Victor Bingham

A Flame of Fire p. 30

No life that is, is a life unplanned

From birth to death, unbridged, unspanned

By purpose wise, counsel true-

Haphazard chance, and unthought thought!

*

Behind the scenes where we cannot see

A Hand Divine works the things that be,

And brings to my path the scheme devised

By the Maker of earth, Who built the skies.

But He leaves me to choose the life He plans

Or to walk the way of self's demands-

To build on the Rock or the shifting sands.

*

But the life from Him is the life for me;

For the path He plans the best must be

And every step will delightful prove

When all the way is planned by love.

To vote or not to vote, that is the question

I could say it's our civic duty to vote, but according to the Bible , what is the directive? Where in the Bible does it talk about electing godly officials? It is amazing how many Christians don't vote. But without any biblical backing, I cannot convince them otherwise. I do believe, however, we can use biblical principles to guide us to and in the booths.

~Voting is good stewardship: God has graciously allowed us to live in a country where voting is not only allowed but encouraged. It would be poor stewardship to let that blessing go to waste.

~"Grant to Ceaser what is Ceaser's..." We all know that this applies to taxes, but it can be applied to voting in this way: our government has asked for our opinion in who rules our country, is it disrespectful not to give it?

~We have an amazing opportunity to influence in some way at least which direction the government takes. An opportunity to either give way to an advance of God's kingdom or let the freedoms we have to worship and witness slowly go to nothing. We should make the most of that opportunity.

There are undoubtedly more, and if anyone has more to say, please do. But for now, I think we may safely say that according to the Bible, to vote, or not to vote, isn't so much an option.

Also, consider, what kind of country will we leave our children or grandchildren if we vote, or if we do not? What kind of country would you wish them to grow up in? If only for them, consider.

This is a speech I wrote for toastmasters a while back.

The Validity of Scripture


Throughout time, various men from every class of life have tried to refute the Bible with such passion that no other Book has received such a beating . . . and survived. The Bible has stood the test of time. Destroying all accusations and dumbfounded all attempts to prove it wrong. So what does make this book so attack-proof?
I would like to share with you three basic things that make the Bible so very valid in all its claims, statements, and teachings.
Number 1 is the facts surrounded the book itself. For instance, over 40 authors wrote the Bible over a period of 1500 years. These authors were everything from shepherds to kings, from fishermen to tent-makers. The Bible was also written on three different continents, and in three different languages. Yet, the Bible has NOT ONE CONTRADICTION!
The second thing that I see that backs up the scripture is the many scientific and archeological facts that are found in the Bible. For example, Isaiah told us that the earth is round, in Job we learn about the water cycle and also the fact that the earth is suspended in space. Moses tells us in Leviticus that blood sustains life. We also learn much about the stars from books like Job, Genesis, and First Corinthians. And Doctor Luke in the book of Luke tells us that the earth rotates on an axis. Other men did not discover these facts until many years later. Also, the Hittites mentioned in the OT were once said to be fictitious, that is until archaeologists discovered the land of the Hittites. Or consider the fact that for many years critics of God’s Word said there was no Pontius Pilate that is until men discovered his name written on the cornerstone of a theater in the Middle East.
The third thing I would like to point out is that many prophecies made in scriptures that were fulfilled to the very day years later! Like the one in Is. 44 that says that, a man named Syras was to rebuild the temple. Keep in mind that the temple was still standing when this prophecy was made. 100 years later the temple was destroyed, and then 160 years later a Persian by the name of Syras rebuilt it, just like Isaiah said. Or consider the prophesy in Daniel chapter 9. let me read verses 25-26a for you; “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times. And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off..." The word ‘weeks’ here in this passage refers to 7 years, not 7 days. It happened just as Daniel said under the inspiration of the Spirit. Exactly 49 years later Jerusalem was rebuilt. And then exactly 434 years later Jesus, the Messiah, rode into Jerusalem. And when Daniel says that after 62 weeks the Messiah shall be cut off, he is referring to the crucifixion of Christ. And, as most of you know, all this did happen, just as predicted by Daniel, 483 years before it happened. Coincidence? I rather think not.
In closing, I would like to accredit most of this material to David Moore in his sermon called “What is so Special about the Bible?” and some of the information to my A Beka Biology book. I have at times wondered how a book as big and sometimes as complicated as the Bible, could not once contradict itself, but as I have studied the Bible it has become evident that the only way this feat is possible is because God Himself wrote it. Indeed, He inspired every word. Only Yahweh could have orchestrated such a masterpiece as the Bible without a glitch. And no glitch it has, for indeed, the Bible is a very valid book.

I have fought the good fight...

Have you ever wondered what it means to fight the good fight of faith? I have. What does it mean to say at the end of one's life, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race..." Looking at what the Scripture says it seems this involves at least three things...

A great deal of self control and discipline...

~ 1Corinthians 9:25-27 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

To fight the good fight, to run the good race, is to lay every distraction aside. To live with a purpose, not as won who races just for fun, or when they feel like it, but as won who has set their sights on the Olympic medal. For indeed, we have something much greater than that to run for.

A letting go of our old desires, and a holding on to God's...

~Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When the author of Hebrews talks of a runner, it brings the picture of an intense athlete. An athlete that lays aside every weight. Can you imagine trying to run while carrying a heavy object? Or trying to run a race with 100 lbs of excess weight? Failure is written all over that picture. What in my life am I holding on to? What have I refused to cut loose so I can run my best? Where have I trapped myself in the corruption of this world? It was in the context of this world's corruption and evil desires that Peter said,

~ 2 Peter 1:5-9 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

Because of the lusts of this world it is imperative that all diligence be given to add to our faith those attributes essential to spiritual sight. At the core of fighting the good fight, it seems to me, is a whole-hearted effort at growing in Jesus. Not just in actions and words, but in the center of our being: the mind.

And discipline and self-control in the battle field of our minds...
~ 1 Peter 1:13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

This kind of effort is a tremendous amount of work and discipline. An amount that I'm not up to. But with God, I am. I can do absolutely, totally, and completely nothing good for any length of time without Him...

~ 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

...but God is faithful, and although it at times seems impossible for me to say 'no' to my sinful desires, I know that God will provide a way of escape. Yes, we can fight the good fight of faith, not with our hands or our will, but with God's enabling and our subjection to Him.

With disciplined mind, and diligent heart, Lord help me to fight the good fight of faith.

Gripped by the Greatness of God

In an excellent CD series (and book) by Pastor James MacDonald called 'Gripped by the Greatness of God' Pastor MacDonald tries to get across, at least a glimpse of the greatness of God. It is amazing how this is paramount to everything else in life. If we do not have an accurate picture of who God is, then what we do in life is futile. If I don't understand how truly awesome God is, and how much He loves the world, then I won't 'get' why I am supposed to live for Him, and why I should tremble at His word.

God is great. Isaiah chapter 40 says that He measure the waters in the palm of His hand, all the waters of the earth in the little cup of His hand. He measures the Heavens with a span. This was a huge one for me. At the creation conference I just went, I began to realize how gigantic this universe is, yet God measures it with His span. Just with His span! That makes me realize how almost invisible I am on that scale. With this in mind...

Man is nothing in the sight of God. All the nations and rulers thereof, are but a drop in the bucket. We are so insignificant to this awesome God. Yet....

God's love is great. God, the holy, holy/sovereign/measures the heavens with a span - God, loves me. He sent His holy Son, a Son that had dwelt in the splendors and glory of Heaven, to die a barbaric, humiliating death. The Son of God was spit upon for my transgressions. The Holy Son of God was brutally hung on a tree, cursed by God, for the peace I know have with God. And how great my sin is before our God. If the holy, righteous, just, blameless Son of God had to come to take our sins how great they must be and how incredibly high God's standard must be, a standard I could never, ever, reach. As I meditate on this, it awes me how great God's love is. Many people have twisted God's love to say that 'God loves you because your special'. But the truth is that God loves us, not because of who we are, but because God chose to love us. That is comforting. I mean of God does not love us, because of who we are or what we've done, then we can't do anything to loose God's love. God made us for His glory, God loves us for His glory, and because of this great love He has for us, we can be motivated to live for His glory.

Our God is great, and greatly to be praised. And I pray that I will be continually gripped by the greatness of our God.

President 2008

I will cast my first presidential ballot in 2008. I wish to be very careful whom I vote for, as I have seen the power of a vote and I want to use mine carefully. When I look the candidates, I have 8 major qualifications that they must line up to.

1. Pro-life; working hard to preserve human life.
2. Pro-family; anti-gay, pro-homeschooling, pro-parental rights.
3. Pro-religious rights.
4. Immigration; supports strong border control on Mexican and Canadian borders.
5. Constitutionally minded; looking at what the founders said as law.
6. Intent on stabilizing Iraq.
7. National security; making sure there is enough military power available to protect the United States against attack and aid the states in various disasters.
8. Working towards lowering taxes and demolishing the bureaucracy.

If a candidate lines up to all of these, he is doing well, and will receive my vote. The only possible spot where I would compromise is on issue 6. I believe firmly that we must finish what we started (see, Iraq) but if a candidate has a good plan for withdrawing our troops without destroying what so many have worked for in Iraq I would be very open to hearing it. At the moment, Mike Huckabee is top on my list. As far as I know, he lines up quite well to my list. But as I do not watch the news to hear of other candidates, I would be happy to hear of any others candidates that are in the running.

Eternity

My cousin David was football player. He had a heart that was tending toward God, and the ability to be friends with all, even kids that were ten years younger. David passed away from cancer the year my parents were married. He was, I believe, 19. Today was his birthday. I believe he is in Heaven now, so I hope someday to meet him. But remembering his birthday today, reminded me of how good I have it, and how real and imminent death may be. I am not as thankful as I ought to be for just being alive and that all my family is here and well. It has reminded me of the fact that today may be the day I go to meet my Savior. That thrills my heart to think of going to Heaven, but shames as well when I think of standing before an Awesome God and giving an account of what I've thought, and said. May God give me grace to live in light of eternity! For today or tomorrow, or next week or month might find me standing in the presence of God. That is an exciting thought, to finally meet God. But it is also a good incentive to live in light of that moment; to make sure that I live in such a way that I would never be ashamed to stand before my Savior in eternity.

The 10 Categories

In a definition of Aristotle's ten categories this was said in regard to the first of the categories, substance.
"A substance of a thing is something essential about it; something unchangeable...after substance the other nine categories are accidents, things or qualities that are not essential to the things...without one exception, no substance can exist apart from accidents; in other words, all substances have changeable characteristics. The only exception to this is God. Since He is unchangeable, He is a substance with no accidents. All that God is is essential to Him; there is nothing accidental about Him."
"Material Logic" by Martin Cothran

Class of '07

To a great and godly sister and friend, congratulations!

Justine is graduating and indeed she is very thrilled. She does not wish to go to college although I do believe she will pursue, to a certain degree, biblical counseling. At the moment she is very involved with ministry and that is what she intends to continue doing. After 12 long (shall I say grueling? =) years of schooling, she is at last free of the oppression of academic slavery.

America, America!

I look at what is happening in the world, specifically in regards to America, and I can't help but wonder what in the world is going on. Is it only me, or are things spiraling out of control? Certainly God has it all perfect in His all sovereign plan, but it looks awfully messy this side of Heaven, and in many ways that is our fault. This following poem is true of where I think that America is, and what is happening here. Let's face it, no matter how much I love the America of 1776, we have fallen so far. Oh how we need to pray for America! For many people here, God is but something people wish a blessing from, but never bother to bless.

America, America!
Tracy Anryms

America! America! How you have fallen.
America! America! Where have you gone?
Have you not been warned?
Has no one told you?

God will not abide with you forever,
Indeed His judgment now is.
Has God blessed you?
Is His face toward you in goodwill?

God has blessed you,

God's mercy has surrounded you

Will He bless for long?

Is not God also a God of justice?

How can it be that God would long bless
A nation without redress of sins;
Children are killed, God's named blasphemed,
To fornications there is no end.

Will you not see the error of your ways?
Will you not repent?
God forgive America,
For America has forsaken God.

His wrath comes not only in fire
It comes not alone in pestilence and calamity,
But He has given us over to our sins
He has let us have our way.

It is better to be punished and corrected
Then to be given over to our own desires.
Let us turn, let us repent
Let us fall on our knees before the King of Kings.


America, America! There is hope for you yet.
God will see the contrite heart
God will hear the penitent prayer.
America, America! Turn to God and live.

Iraq

Iraq....
Let us begin in the beginning, why did we go?
There are a several possibilities. I have here the two I think most plausible. One, to oust Saddam Hussein. An evil, brutal dictator; a murderer of his own people. Isaiah 1:17 says, "Learn to do good, seek justice, rebuke the oppressor..." Although these words were written to the nation of Israel under different circumstances, I think in some ways, the U.S. was doing that; seeking justice, rebuking the oppressor. Reason number two, weapons of mass destruction. I have it from an eye-witness source that there were indeed WOMD, even though Iraq said there were none. Now, the first reason seems like a plausible reason to go. Who would not, when such brutal crimes against humanity were being committed. The second reason is slightly more skeptical. So they did have WOMD, did that give a right to go? Unfortunately, I am not knowledgeable on international laws or the U.N.'s rules, so I don't know what violation there was there. But the greater question is if the U.S. had any threat of danger from it. Maybe, maybe not. But it could be that the government decided not to take a chance. So these could be why we went. There are thousands of factors I don't know, therefore, I may not say whether we should have gone or not, but we must move on to more important questions.

What do we do know? It is best and biblical not to ponder on what is past, but live today and press forward to tomorrow. By invading Iraq we made a commitment of sorts; not to leave until the job is complete. Mainly, getting Iraq back on its feet. Iraq is getting there; they have a government, unstable though it may be, and a military and police force. So I believe we are doing our part. Unfortunately, the news media of today tends to focus on what's going wrong rather than what things are going right. There are good things going on over there, right along with the bad things. But this still leaves a most important question: When do we pull out? Thankfully, I don't have to decide. And I believe our president has put qualified generals in charge of that who will make good decisions to the best of their ability. But I will say that having a time-deadline within the next couple of years is a very bad plan. You can't time a war. I do believe that having a project-deadline might work. In other words, if our troops and Iraq's troops can get certain things done by a certain time, than that many troops get to come home. I don't really know, but I do know this, that the U.S. made commitment when we went to Iraq, and whether we should have gone or not, we need to fulfill it to the best of our ability.

Peace?
Iraq may become its own nation, but will that bring peace? Is peace made when democracies are established? Obviously not. Bryce has an excellent post that makes a great point on this subject. Indeed, Muslim nations, or any other nations, will never have peace without Christ. So, in one sense the war in Iraq is futile. When millions of people are believing that killing is part of their way into Heaven, then obviously no amount of military interference is going to change that. On the other hand, this invasion has opened up a door into Iraq: a door for Christ. After the invasion, the door was open for us to send Bibles, precious Arabic Bibles into the hands of our brothers and sisters in Christ and others in Iraq. It opened up a door that wasn't opened before. Christ will continue to advance His kingdom. Even in something as hellish as war, God's plan, perfect in every way, will prevail.

Christ Centered Living

"He died for all so that those who live should live no longer for themselves but for Him who died for them and rose again."
- 2 Corinthians 5: 15

"To live for Christ, and not for ourselves, is to devote every physical gift, every mental capacity, every moment of time, and every fragment of thought to the glory of Jesus Christ. This mode of living is motivated by our awe of God's marvelous love and enabled by His unfathomable grace."

~1 Cor. 10:31 ~ Col. 3:17 ~ Phil. 4:8 ~ 2 Cor. 5:14-15 ~ Col. 3:2 ~

Phil. 3:10

Creation Conference

This last weekend my sister and I attended a very informative creation conference taught by several Americans and an Australian all proficient in their fields of physics and other areas of science. I learned so much, and was again reminded of the accuracy of the Bible. I would attempt to relate what I learned, but alas much of it I could hardly understand much less describe. I will say that it covered many topics from faulty dating methods, to Mt. St. Helen's, from the stars, to a discourse on the origin of man. Again, and again, all the evidence was in line, and supportive of the Bible. One of the last sessions talked about the "ancestors" evolutionist say we have. One by one the were refuted by the speaker. The speaker, a Dr. Gish, concluded with the following, and with it I will conclude as well, as it the conclusion I hope many came to by the end of the conference:

"Some of my ancestors my have hung by the neck, but none of them ever hung by the tail."
- Dr. Gish

Suffering for Evil

Not too long ago we received several e-mails requesting that we voice our outrage at the prosecution of Homeschoolers in Germany. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany, and apparently several families were being prosecuted for doing it. We did not send any outraged e-mails. Frankly, we were not outraged. In Romans, I believe, it says that if we break the law we should be afraid, for it is the civil authority's job to keep the law and punish evildoers. And as there is no biblical command broken by not homeschooling, as a general rule there is no excuse for those homeschooling in Germany or other countries where it might be illegal. Let me clarify by saying that homeschooling is a freedom we have here that I would not part with without a fight, and I may be sorely tempted disobey laws against it, if it came to that. But the point is one is not a martyr when they are punished for doing wrong. Only when man's laws contradict the laws of God is there a reason to disobey the authorities God has put in place.