Christmas, the wonderful season of gift-giving, continues. And there may be one gift you have neglected to give –a gift another would love to open – a gift that was given to you because of Christmas. Just as Paul warned the Corinthians to observe the festival of Passover – which they did coming to the Lord’s Supper – by getting rid of the yeast of malice and wickedness, so you should take care to observe Christmas in the same fashion.
In this season of gift-giving, the central gift that all of us must receive is the gift of forgiveness – which gift God gave us in His Son. But it is also the central gift which we must give – fully – and completely – and quickly – just as God has given to us. His name is Jesus – the angel told Joseph, for He shall save His people from their sins. Never forget the point of the coming of Jesus.
And never forget what Jesus requires as well. In the strongest possible terms He demands that we give the same gift we received to one another – in an open-handed, joy-filled way – He teaches us to pray “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” You cannot honor Jesus in Christmas without honoring these words. Are there any whom you have not forgiven? Are you carrying any resentments? Are you harboring the yeast of malice in your heart? Do you reserve the right to grumble and criticize others? If you will not forgive, your giving of any other Christmas gift in the name of Christmas is hypocrisy. But such hypocrisy cannot be resolved by asking for the gifts back, throwing away the presents, and keeping the bitterness. Lay it all down – get rid of it – drop what you are harboring in your heart. Jesus Christ was born – for heaven’s sake – do you not know He will take care of any injustice done to you – consider the injustice you have brought upon Him? Forgive – open and give this Christmas present – you must have missed it – it’s right there – under the tree…
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Thomas Jefferson and Terrorism
From an article by Attorney Jonathan Emord
In March 1785 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams met with Tripoli’s Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja. They asked the Ambassador why his nation waged war on American shipping. In a response that could have been given by Osama bin Laden, the Ambassador stated: “It was written in the Qu’ran that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet [Mohammed] were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave, and that every Muslim who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise . . .”
Terrorism in the 18th century.
In March 1785 Thomas Jefferson and John Adams met with Tripoli’s Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja. They asked the Ambassador why his nation waged war on American shipping. In a response that could have been given by Osama bin Laden, the Ambassador stated: “It was written in the Qu’ran that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet [Mohammed] were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave, and that every Muslim who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise . . .”
Terrorism in the 18th century.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Rival Deck Stewards
While I am grateful for the brakes being put on the liberal-elite agenda in these 2010 mid-term elections, I remain quite concerned, even pessimistic, about idolatrous America.
George Forell is noted as describing our political movements that cross the spectrum from left to right as "rival deck stewards competing with each other about the arrangement of the deck chairs just before the Titanic hits the iceberg."
Of course, what we need is a prophet in our midst who will shout out the obvious - we are on a course with that iceberg. Our only course is to cry out to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, to repent, as a nation, of our sins, and to turn as a nation in faith to Jesus who is the King of kings and Lord of lords and who warned "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little."
George Forell is noted as describing our political movements that cross the spectrum from left to right as "rival deck stewards competing with each other about the arrangement of the deck chairs just before the Titanic hits the iceberg."
Of course, what we need is a prophet in our midst who will shout out the obvious - we are on a course with that iceberg. Our only course is to cry out to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for mercy, to repent, as a nation, of our sins, and to turn as a nation in faith to Jesus who is the King of kings and Lord of lords and who warned "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little."
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Reforming Washington
H.L. Mencken once trenchantly observed that trying to reform Washington by electing new guys was like trying to reform prostitution by staffing all the brothels with virgins. - Douglas Wilson
Friday, May 14, 2010
Bizarre Forms of Sacred Hermeneutics
From Peter Leithart's "Deep Exegesis" -
"I begin from the assumption that the apostles are not employing some bizarre form of sacred hermeneutics when they find Christology and ecclesiology around every corner of the Old Testament. They are giving us pointers to the nature of reading itself: clues to the meaning, the functions of language, and the proper modes of interpretation." - viii
Yes. We are to learn more from Paul when he tells us that the rock that followed Israel in the wilderness was Christ. We are to learn from Paul how to read the Old Testament.
"I begin from the assumption that the apostles are not employing some bizarre form of sacred hermeneutics when they find Christology and ecclesiology around every corner of the Old Testament. They are giving us pointers to the nature of reading itself: clues to the meaning, the functions of language, and the proper modes of interpretation." - viii
Yes. We are to learn more from Paul when he tells us that the rock that followed Israel in the wilderness was Christ. We are to learn from Paul how to read the Old Testament.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Salvation and Sovereignty - part 2
So what did Rushdoony mean, and why did I post this?
The main idea I was struck with was this: Without an exhaustively sovereign God, any so-called freedom for man is ruined. It is only because God is sovereign that, in His sovereignty, man is granted freedom. This is the nature of God and the gift and outworking of His character to man, made in His image.
The main idea I was struck with was this: Without an exhaustively sovereign God, any so-called freedom for man is ruined. It is only because God is sovereign that, in His sovereignty, man is granted freedom. This is the nature of God and the gift and outworking of His character to man, made in His image.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Salvation and Sovereignty
From Rushdoony in an essay with the same title -
"Only because God is sovereign is man's life and salvation even possible. The Greco-Roman world in the day of the early church affirmed the absolute freedom of man from a divine predestination, and also the ultimacy of chance. However, just as Sartre introduced "the force of circumstances," so the thinker of that day introducted and developed the force of circumstances, of the stars, fate, and other aspects of man's environment, so that man's freedom was destroyed, and man became the determined product of a meaningless environment and passive before the world, his maker. The Christians, on the other hand, affirmed predestination and freed man from his environment, so that, instead of being a product of his environment, man became lord over it and a free man under God...
In the joyful ascription of St. Jude, the believer has the certainty of total meaning, total salvation, and the fulness of victory and joy:
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)...
It must be acknowledged, however, that men like Skinner, Marx, Stalin, and others have been very much in the right in seeing the link between sovereignty and salvation. As a prelude to their plans of salvation, they insist on total sovereignty by an elite group whose plans constitute a new decree of predestination by the new gods. Sovereignty and salvation cannot be separated. The pertinent question must therefore always be raised with respect to all would-be saviors: to whom does their plan of salvation give sovereignty, and what is the nature of their plan or decree of predestination?
The sad fact is that not only is this question not asked, but the false ministers and priests of Christ are busy denying God's sovereignty and His decree of predestination. Practically, this means that they are denying salvation by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
But sovereignty denied does not disappear. It is simply transferred to another source. To deny the God of Scriputre is implicitly to affirm other gods." - Salvation and Godly Rule, pp 31, 32, 33
"Only because God is sovereign is man's life and salvation even possible. The Greco-Roman world in the day of the early church affirmed the absolute freedom of man from a divine predestination, and also the ultimacy of chance. However, just as Sartre introduced "the force of circumstances," so the thinker of that day introducted and developed the force of circumstances, of the stars, fate, and other aspects of man's environment, so that man's freedom was destroyed, and man became the determined product of a meaningless environment and passive before the world, his maker. The Christians, on the other hand, affirmed predestination and freed man from his environment, so that, instead of being a product of his environment, man became lord over it and a free man under God...
In the joyful ascription of St. Jude, the believer has the certainty of total meaning, total salvation, and the fulness of victory and joy:
"Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 24-25)...
It must be acknowledged, however, that men like Skinner, Marx, Stalin, and others have been very much in the right in seeing the link between sovereignty and salvation. As a prelude to their plans of salvation, they insist on total sovereignty by an elite group whose plans constitute a new decree of predestination by the new gods. Sovereignty and salvation cannot be separated. The pertinent question must therefore always be raised with respect to all would-be saviors: to whom does their plan of salvation give sovereignty, and what is the nature of their plan or decree of predestination?
The sad fact is that not only is this question not asked, but the false ministers and priests of Christ are busy denying God's sovereignty and His decree of predestination. Practically, this means that they are denying salvation by the grace of God through Jesus Christ.
But sovereignty denied does not disappear. It is simply transferred to another source. To deny the God of Scriputre is implicitly to affirm other gods." - Salvation and Godly Rule, pp 31, 32, 33
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