Confessions of a Raging Calvinist

A Lump on a Blog

2009-11-07T10:40:00.002-05:00

Oh, this thing! What do that call this again? A blog, is it? Yes, I remember. I also remember having way more time to do things like this. Not so much anymore. Work, family life, things to do around the house, trying to stay healthy, reading things I need to read, etc., there just isn't much time left after doing things that need to be done. Oh, well. Neglecting one's blog isn't the worst thing in the world, I suppose. Maybe one of these days, I'll get back to making this place an interesting place for readers. Yeah... maybe one of these days.

Of God's Love

2009-05-09T12:51:00.002-04:00

There is much confusion concerning God's love, what it is, what it isn't, upon whom does it rest, etc. The Hyper-Calvinist denies that God loves the reprobate in any way whatsoever, while the Pelagian and the Semi-Pelagian Arminian applies God's love equally to all mankind. One error they seem to hold in common, is that they do not understand what God's love is, and often consider God's love to be a passion, a feeling, like we men have. As a result, the Hyper-Calvinist cannot understand how God can be said to love, and not love, the same person. The Pelagian, and the Semi-Pelagian Arminian, likewise, cannot understand how God can love all mankind, and yet not love all mankind.

I have recently been reading James Ussher's Body of Divinity, and found this lovely section on the topic of God's love. It was so good, I needed to type it up and share it. To avoid copyright issues, I went and found an old copy of it and typed this up out of that, with a bit of my own formatting, including the way the Scripture references are typed).

Ussher will show that God's love is not a passion, that God loves all his creation in a way, and loves mankind especially in a way, and loves the elect especially in a way, and that from hence we have some things to think about and some things to apply in our life.

I hope this is edifying and enjoyable to the reader.

James Ussher, on the Love of God, excerpted from A Body of Divinity, or the Sum and Substance of the Christian Religion:

What is the Love of God?
It is an Essential Property in God, whereby he loveth himself above all, and others for himself, 1 John 4:16; Rom. 5:8; John 3:16; Titus 3:4; Mal. 1:2, 3.

What learn you from hence?
That we should love him dearly, and other things for him.

That we may the better know what the Love of God is, declare first, What Love is in our selves?
It is a passion of the Mind, whereby we are so affected towards the Party whom we love, that we are rather his than our own, forgetting ourselves to do him good whom we so love.

And is love such a thing in God?
No: the true Love of God is not such as our Love is.

What difference is there?
There is great difference two ways. First, In time: for Love was in God before it was in us, or in anything created; for he loved himself and us also before the World was, John 17:23. Secondly, They differ in nature and quality: for that Love which is in God is most perfect and pure, without passion; but in us it is imperfect, and matched with Passions, with impure Affections, and grief of the mind.

After what manner doth the Scripture express the Love of God?
In the Scriptures God doth compare himself to a Father and to a Mother loving their Children; to a Hen gathering her Chickens together under her Wings; to a good Shepherd seeking up his Sheep, and to divers other things.

And wherefore serve these Comparisons?
They are for our profit two ways. First, To shew us that God's Love towards us, is most vehement and sincere. Secondly, To make us bold in coming to him, and calling upon him. So for this Love Christ Jesus calleth us by all the Names of Love: as his Servants, his Kinsmen, His Friends, his Spouse, his Brethren, and by many names more: to shew, that he loveth us with all loves, the Father's Love, the Mother's Love, the Masters Love, the Husbands Love, the Brothers Love, &c. and if all Loves were put together, yet his Love exceedeth them all: for all could not do so much for us as he alone hath done.

If Love doth not signifie any Affection or Passion in God, as it doth in us: What then doth it signifie?
In God it signifieth three things most perfect. First, The eternal good Will of God towards some Body: for the Love of God (suppose towards the Elect) is his everlasting good Will, or his purpose and determination to shew them Mercy, to do them Good, and to save them, as in Rom. 9:11, 13. Secondly, The effects themselves of this Love or good Will; whether they be temporal concerning this Life, or eternal concerning the Life to come, as in 1 John 3:1. Thirdly, The pleasure and delight which he taketh in that which he loveth: and so it is taken in Psalm 45:7.

That things doth God love besides himself?
Besides himself, God loveth all things else whatsoever he made: but he loveth not sin and iniquity; for he never made it, as St. John saith, 1 John 2:16. Again, he loveth his Son, being manifested in the flesh; and he loveth his chosen Children for his Sons sake, with whom he is well pleased, Matt. 3:17.

Object. 1. The Scripture saith, That God doth hate all that work Iniquity: How then can God both hate and love one and the same Man?
In every wicked Man we must consider two things. First, His Nature. Secondly, His Sin. His Nature is the Work of God, and that he loveth: but his iniquity is not of God, and that he hateth.

Object. 2. God doth afflict his Children; therefore he doth not love them.
Whom he loveth he correcteth, (Prov. 3:12) and therefore he correcteth them because he loveth them; even as a Gold-smith tryeth his Gold in the fire, because he loveth it.

Whether doth God love all alike, or no?
No: he preferreth Mankind before all his other Creatures; for which cause God is called Philanthropos, that is, a Lover of Men. And this appeareth by three effects of his Love.
First, He made him according to his own Image; that is, in Righteousness and true Holiness, Gen. 1:26; Eph. 4:24.
Secondly, He made him Lord over all his Creatures, Psalm 8:5, 6.
Thirdly, He gave his own Son to death for his ransom.

Doth God love all men alike?
No: for he loveth his Elect better than the Reprobate. For the Elect he calleth effectually by his Spirit in their Hearts, when he calleth others but by the outward Voice of the Gospel, &c.
Again, amongst the Elect themselves, some are actually Wicked, and not yet reconciled nor called; as was Paul before his Conversion. But the rest are called and already made holy by Faith in Christ, as Paul was after his Conversion. And of these, he loveth the latter sort with a greater measure of love than the former, as the Scripture testifieth, Prov. 8:17.

What manner of Love doth God bear to his Elect?
It hath three adjuncts or properties. First, It is free without desert.
Secondly, It is great without comparison.
Thirdly, It is constant without any end.

How is the Love of God said to be free?
It is free two ways. First, Because nothing caused God to love us, but his own Goodness and Grace: and therefore St. John saith, that his Love was before ours, 1 John 4:10.
Secondly, It is free, because God in loving us, did not regard any thing that belonged to his own Commodity: for, as David saith, Psalm 16:2, he hath no need of our Goods; but only to our own Salvation he loved us.

Wherein doth the Greatness of God's Love appear to his Elect?
It appeareth two ways. 1. By the means which God used to save us by, that is, the death of his Son: and so St. John setteth forth his Love, John 3:16; 1 John 3:16, when he saith ου'τω, that is, So, (as if he should say, so vehemently, so ardently, so earnestly, so wonderfully) did he love us, that for our Salvation he spared not his own only begotten Son, but gave him to the death of the Cross for our Salvation.

What else doth set forth the greatness of God's Love unto us?
The consideration of our own selves. For he did not only give his only Son to death for us, but it was for us being his Enemies. And this Circumstance is used by the Apostle to express the same, Rom. 5:7, 8.

Where find you it written, that God's Love is constant and perpetual?
That is manifestly shewed in these Scriptures following, Hos. 11:9; John 13:1; Rom. 11:29. For as God is unchangeable in His Essence and Nature; so is he unchangeable in his Love, which is his Essence and Nature: and therefore is God called Love in the Scriptures, 1 John 4:8.

What use must we make of God's Love?
First, It filleth our hearts with gladness, when we understand that our God is so loving, and Love itself: and what is this but the beginning of eternal Life? if eternal Life consists in the true knowledge of God, as our Saviour Christ saith, John 17:3.

Secondly, Out of knowledge of this Love, as out of a Fountain, springeth the Love of God and our Neighbor. For St. John saith, He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is Love, 1 John 4:8.

Thirdly, When we consider that God loveth all his Creatures which he made, it should teach us not to abuse any of the Creatures, to serve our Lusts and beastly Affections. For God will punish them which abuse his beloved; as he punished the rich Glutton, which abused the Creatures of God, Luke 16.

Fourthly, We are taught to love all the Creatures, even the basest of all, seeing that God loveth them, and for the love he beareth to us he made them: and we must (if we love them for God's sake) use them sparingly, moderately, and equally or justly. To this end we are commanded to let our Cattle rest upon the Sabbath day, as well as our selves: to this end we are forbidden to kill the Dam upon her Nest; and to this end we are forbidden to muzzle the Mouth of the Ox which treadeth out the Corn, Deut. 25:4; 1 Cor. 9:9.

Fifthly We are taught from hence to love Mankind better than all other Creatures, because God doth so: and therefore we must not spare any thing that we have, that may make for the safety of his Body, and the salvation of his Soul. And for this cause, we are commanded to love our Enemies, and to do them good; because our good God doth so.

Sixthly, From God's Love, we learn to prefer the Godly Brethren, and those that profess sincerely the same Religion that we profess before other Men: because God's Love is greater to the Elect, than to the Reprobate: and this doth the Apostle teach us, Gal. 6:10.

Seventhly, Whereas God's Love is freely bestowed upon us, this teacheth us to be humble, and to attribute no part of our Salvation to our selves, but only to the free Love of God.

Eighthly, From hence ariseth the certainty of our Salvation. For if God's Love was so free and great when we were his Enemies, much more will it be so, and constant also to us, being reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, Rom. 5:10.

Free Wyclife

2009-04-24T22:02:00.001-04:00

Free Wyclife... Enjoy!

An Intervention for Christopher

2009-04-23T23:46:00.003-04:00

Below is an attempted intervention for delusional atheist Christopher Hitchens, held by William Lane Craig, Douglas Wilson, Lee Strobel, and Jim Dennison. Not all of the arguments from the theists on the panel were wholesome or helpful, for example -- the appeal to man's free will, and God's need to have it so. But overall, this intervention for Christopher is a good indicator of where the debate lies between today's theists and the "new atheism." If you don't have the time to listen to the whole thing, you wouldn't miss much by skipping ahead to about minute 115:35 and listen to Dr. Craig sum up the whole discussion.

This Just In: Cuthbertson Serves Communion

2009-04-22T21:55:00.001-04:00

"On August 23, 1752, the country's first Covenanter minister, John Cuthbertson, presided over the first communion in the New World at Junkin Tent -- a few rough benches in the shade of a tree -- in New Kingstown.

"Hundreds in horse-drawn wagons came from miles away to attend the service."

Yes, this is in the news.

I ordered mine

2009-04-17T23:57:00.003-04:00

Get 'em while they're hot: James Ussher's Body of Divinity for $12.50

Today 3/19

2009-03-19T09:46:00.003-04:00

It's Thursday, and I have off of work today. That usually never happens. My co-worker needed a switch, and I'm always happy to oblige. It's nice having a day off in the middle of the week. However, it does mean that I have to work the next two days. Work has been pretty stressful lately, as the downturn in the economy has meant that the mental health treatment business if booming. It's fascinating to me how it can be that so many can be struggling while others seem to thrive. I guess this is one of those Ecclesiastes type "under the sun" mysteries of life. I spent some time last night chatting with a friend about spiritual things. I enjoy that. I really enjoy that. It's satisfying to me to know that some of the things I've learned about God and life and sorrow and marriage and everything can be of some use to others. The Lord be glorified.

This post sounds like a diary entry. I guess that's ok to blog like that, right?

Wherein Does Blessedness Consist? Part 2 -- Wherein it DOES consist.

2009-03-15T10:31:00.003-04:00

Wherein Does Blessedness Consist? Part 1 -- Wherein it does NOT consist.

2009-03-08T09:41:00.001-04:00

An excerpt from Thomas Watson:

Wherein does blessedness consist? Millions of men mistake both the nature of blessedness and the way thither. Some of the learned have set down two hundred and eighty eight several opinions about blessedness, and all have shot wide of the mark. I shall show wherein it does not consist, and then wherein it does consist.

(1) Wherein blessedness does not consist. It does not lie in the acquisition of worldly things. Happiness cannot by any art of chemistry be extracted here. Christ does not say, ‘Blessed are the rich’, or ‘Blessed are the noble’, yet too many idolise these things. Man, by the fall, has not only lost his crown, but his headpiece. How ready is he to terminate his happiness in externals! Which makes me call to mind that definition which some of the heathen philosophers give of blessedness, that it was to have a sufficiency of subsistence and to thrive well in the world. And are there not many who pass for Christians, that seem to be of this philosophical opinion? If they have but worldly accommodations, they are ready to sing a requiem to their souls and say with that brutish fool in the gospel, ‘Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease . . .’ (Luke 12:19). ‘What is more shameful’, says Seneca, ‘than to equate the rational soul’s good with that which is irrational.’ Alas, the tree of blessedness does not grow in an earthly paradise. Has not God ‘cursed the ground’ for sin? (Genesis 3:17). Yet many are digging for felicity here, as if they would fetch a blessing out of a curse. A man may as well think to extract oil out of a flint, or fire out of water, as blessedness out of these terrestrial things.

King Solomon arrived at more than any man. He was the most magnificent prince that ever held the sceptre. For his parentage: he sprang from the royal line, not only that line from which many kings came, but of which Christ himself came. Jesus Christ was of Solomon’s line and race, so that for heraldry and nobility none could show a fairer coat of arms. For the situation of his palace: it was in Jerusalem, the princess and paragon of the earth. Jerusalem, for its renown, was called ‘the city of God’. It was the most famous metropolis in the world. ‘Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord’ (Psalms 122:4). For wealth: his crown was hung full of jewels. He had treasures of gold and of pearl and ‘made silver to be as stones’ (1 Kings 10:27). For worldly joy: he had the flower and quintessence of all delights — sumptuous fare, stately edifices, vineyards, fishponds, all sorts of music to enchant and ravish the senses with joy. If there were any rarity, it was a present for king Solomon’s court. Thus did he bathe himself in the perfumed waters of pleasure.

For wisdom: he was the oracle of his time. When the queen of Sheba came to pose him with hard questions, he gave a solution to all her doubts (1 Kings 10:3). He had a key of knowledge to unlock nature’s dark cabinet, so that if wisdom had been lost, it might have been found here, and the whole world might have lighted their understanding at Solomon’s lamp. He was an earthly angel, so that a carnal eye surveying his glory would have been ready to imagine that Solomon had entered into that paradise out of which Adam was once driven, or that he had found another as good. Never did the world cast a more smiling aspect upon any man; yet when he comes to give in his impartial verdict, he tells us that the world has vanity written upon its frontispiece, and all those golden delights he enjoyed were but a painted felicity, a glorious misery. ‘And behold all was vanity’ (Ecclesiastes 2:8). Blessedness is too noble and delicate a plant to dwell in nature’s soil.

That blessedness does not lie in externals, I shall prove by these five demonstrations.

(i) Those things which are not commensurate to the desires of the soul can never make a man blessed; but transitory things are not commensurate to the desires of the soul; therefore they cannot render him blessed. Nothing on earth can satisfy.

‘He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver’ (Ecclesiastes 5:10). Riches are unsatisfying:

Because they are not real. The world is called a ‘fashion’ (1 Corinthians 7:31). The word in the Greek signifies a mathematical figure, sometimes a show or apparition. Riches are but tinned over. They are like alchemy, which glisters a little in our eyes, but at death all this alchemy will be worn off. Riches are but sugared lies, pleasant impostures, like a gilded cover which has not one leaf of true comfort bound up in it.

Because they are not suitable. The soul is a spiritual thing; riches are of an earthly extract, and how can these fill a spiritual substance? A man may as well fill his treasure chest with grace, as his heart with gold. If a man were crowned with all the delights of the world, nay, if God should build him an house among the stars, yet the restless eye of his unsatisfied mind would be looking still higher. He would be prying beyond the heavens for some hidden rarities which he thinks he has not yet attained to; so unquenchable is the thirst of the soul till it come to bathe in the river of life and to centre upon true blessedness.

(ii) That which cannot quiet the heart in a storm cannot entitle a man to blessedness; but earthly things accumulated cannot rock the troubled heart quiet; therefore they cannot make one blessed. If the spirit be wounded, can the creature pour wine and oil into these wounds? If God sets conscience to work, and it flies in a man’s face, can worldly comforts take off this angry fury? Is there any harp to drive away the ‘evil spirit’? Outward things can no more cure the agony of conscience than a silken stocking can cure a gouty leg. When Saul was sore distressed (1 Samuel 28:15), could all the jewels of his crown comfort him? If God be angry, whose ‘fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him’ (Nahum 1:6), can a wedge of gold be a screen to keep off this fire? ‘They shall cast their silver in the streets; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord’ (Ezekiel 7:19). King Belshazzar was carousing and ranting it. ‘He drank wine in the golden vessels of the temple’ (Daniel 5:3), but when the fingers of a man’s hand appeared, ‘his countenance was changed’ (verse 6), his wine grew sour, his feast was spoiled with that dish which was served in upon the wall. The things of the world will no more keep out trouble of spirit, than a paper sconce will keep out a bullet.

(iii) That which is but for a season cannot make one blessed; but all things under the sun are but ‘for a season’, therefore they cannot enrich with blessedness. Sublunary delights are like those meats which we say are a while in season, and then presently grow stale and are out of request. ‘The world passeth away’ (1 John 2:17). Worldly delights are winged. They may be compared to a flock of birds in the garden, that stay a little while, but when you come near to them they take their flight and are gone. So ‘riches make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven’ (Proverbs 23:5). They are like a meteor that blazes, but spends and annihilates. They are like a castle made of snow, lying under the torrid beams of the sun. Augustine says of himself, that when any preferment smiled upon him, he was afraid to accept of it lest it should on a sudden give him the slip. Outward comforts are, as Plato says, like tennis balls which are bandied up and down from one to another. Had we the longest lease of worldly comforts, it would soon be run out. Riches and honour are constantly in flight; they pass away like a swift stream, or like a ship that is going full sail. While they are with us they are going away from us. They are like a posy of flowers which withers while you are smelling it; like ice, which melts away while it is in your hand. The world, says Bernard,’ cries out, ‘I will leave you’, and be gone. It takes its salute and farewell together.

(iv) Those things which do more vex than comfort cannot make a man blessed; but such are all things under the sun, therefore they cannot have blessedness affixed to them. As riches are compared to wind (Hosea 12:1) to show their vanity, so to thorns (Matthew 13:17) to show their vexation. Thorns are not more apt to tear our garments, than riches to tear our hearts. They are thorns in the gathering, they prick with care; and as they pierce the head with care of getting, so they wound the heart with fear of losing. God will have our sweetest wine run dregs, yea, and taste of a musty cask too, that we may not think this is the wine of paradise.

(v) Those things which (if we have nothing else) will make us cursed, cannot make us blessed; but the sole enjoyment of worldly things will make us cursed, therefore it is far from making us blessed. ‘Riches are kept for the hurt of the owner’ (Ecclesiastes 5:13). Riches to the wicked are fuel for pride: ‘Thy heart is lifted up because of thy riches’ (Ezekiel 28:5); and fuel for lust: ‘when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery’ (Jeremiah 5:7). Riches are a snare: ‘But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in perdition’ (1 Timothy 6:9). How many have pulled down their souls to build up an estate! A ship may be so laden with gold that it sinks; many a man’s gold has sunk him to hell. The rich sinner seals up money in his bag, and God seals up a curse with it. ‘Woe to him that ladeth himself with thick clay’ (Habakkuk 2:6). Augustine says that Judas for money sold his salvation, and the Pharisees bought their damnation; so that happiness is not to be fetched out of the earth. They who go to the creature for blessedness go to the wrong box.

If blessedness does not consist in externals, then let us not place our blessedness here. This is to seek the living among the dead. As the angel told Mary concerning Christ, ‘He is not here, he is risen’ (Matthew 28:6), so I may say of blessedness, It is not here, it is risen; it is in a higher region. How do men thirst after the world, as if the pearl of blessedness hung upon an earthly crown! O, says one, if I had but such an estate, then I should be happy! Had I but such a comfort, then I should sit down satisfied! Well, God gives him that comfort and lets him suck out the very juice and spirits of it, but, alas, it falls short of his expectation. It cannot fill the hiatus and longing of his soul which still cries ‘Give, give’ (Proverbs 30:15); just like a sick man. If, says he, I had but such a meat, I could eat it; and when he has it, his stomach is bad, and he can hardly endure to taste it. God has put not only an emptiness, but bitterness into the creature, and it is good for us that there is no perfection here, that we may raise our thoughts higher to more noble and generous delights. Could we distil and draw out the quintessence of the creature, we should say as once the emperor Severus said, who grew from a mean estate to be head of the greatest empire in the world: I have, says he, run through all conditions, yet could never find full contentment.

To such as are cut short in their allowance, whose cup does not overflow, but their tears be not too much troubled; remember that these outward comforts cannot make you blessed. You might live rich and die cursed. You might treasure up an estate, and God might treasure up wrath. Be not perplexed about those things the lack of which cannot make you miserable, nor the enjoyment make you blessed.

Update!

2009-03-03T09:10:00.003-05:00

"It's getting to the point where I'm no fun anymore... I am sorry." -- Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Noticed that I don't blog anymore? Yeah, me too. It's not that I don't want to blog -- I like blogging. It's not that I don't have anything to say -- ask anyone around me, I have a lot to say. There are several factors, which I won't bore you with. Suffice it to say that I'm going to make and effort... wait, let's back that up a bit... I'm going to try to make an effort... or, uh... I'm going to make an effort to try to make an effort to blog more. How's that for commitment?

At the risk of being awfully random, here's a quote from Matthew Henry that I wanted to share:

Corrupt nature is impatient of restraint. It is a foolish, pevish thing for men to abandon the comforts of this life, because of the crosses that are commonly woven in with them. No, whatever our condition is, we must bring our minds to it, be thankful for its comforts, submissive to its crosses, and make the best of that which is.

Playing the Pharisee Card

2009-01-20T09:50:00.001-05:00

Here's an article for those of us who have been called Pharisees because we take our (confessional and scriptural) faith very seriously.

Something else I found....

2009-01-10T10:54:00.002-05:00

Thomas Shephard's Theses Sabbaticae is online. Read it.

Looky what I found...

2009-01-03T09:42:00.002-05:00

Samuel Rutherford's Lex Rex in a nifty looking PDF file.

This book was once burned by tyrants. How do you burn electronic text?

A Good Lord's Day to you, friends.

2008-12-28T10:04:00.004-05:00

We visited some friends yesterday, and the Lord blessed our fellowship, which fellowship itself was a blessing.

Due to some objections presented to me (rather, to my wife, who in turn brought the material to me), I've been studying a bit on the topic of the moral law, summarized in the Ten Commandments, as a rule of life for the Christian. In my research, I bumped into Samuel Bolton, who served on the Westminster Assembly. I pass this along, hoping that it will prove profitable to others too.

Indeed, the law, as it is considered as a rule, can no more be abolished or changed than the nature of good and evil can be abolished and changed. The substance of the law is the sum of doctrine concerning piety towards God, charity towards our neighbours, temperance and sobriety towards ourselves. And for the substance of it, it is moral and eternal, and cannot be abrogated. We grant that the circumstances under which the moral law was originally given were temporary and changeable, and we have now nothing to do with the promulgator, Moses, nor with the place where it was given, Mount Sinai, nor with the time when it was given, fifty days after the people came out of Egypt, nor yet as it was written in tables of stone, delivered with thunderings and lightnings. We look not to Sinai, the hill of bondage, but to Zion, the mountain of grace. We take the law as the image of the will of God which we desire to obey, but from which we do not expect life and favour, neither do we fear death and rigour. This, I conceive, is the concurrent opinion of all divines. For believers, the law is abrogated in respect of its power to justify or condemn; but it remains full of force to direct us in our lives. It condemns sin in the faithful, though it cannot condemn the faithful for sin. Says Zanchius: 'The observance of the law is necessary for a Christian man, and it is not possible to separate such observance from faith.' And as Calvin says: 'Let us put far from us the ungodly notion that the law is not to be our rule, for it is our changeless rule of life.' The moral law, by its teaching, admonishing, chiding, and reproving, prepares us for every good work. The law is void in respect of its power to condemn us, but it still has power to direct us; we are not under its curse, but yet under its commands.

You can read the rest, and I recommend that you do that, here.

May the Lord bless His day to you, and you in His day.

UNFAITHFUL PREACHER

2008-12-21T10:08:00.003-05:00

Rick Warren explains why it's ok for him to do Obama's inauguration invocation:

The 54-year-old pastor and founder of Saddleback Church in Southern California told the crowd of 500 that it's unrealistic to expect everyone to agree on everything all the time.

"You don't have to see eye to eye to walk hand in hand," said Warren.

Thus he throws aside his mandate, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Mat 28:19-20).

It's sure ain't easy

2008-11-29T09:41:00.002-05:00

I'm very much impressed with the fact that it is quite the struggle for me to be good at everything I want to be good at -- some things are of course more important than others, but there remains a frustration related with each goal not achieved proportionate to the value of the goal. I find great difficulty in being a good Christian, a good husband, a good father, a good son, a good brother, a good friend, a good worker, a good neighbor, a good home-owner, a good karate practitioner, a good blogger, etc. May the Lord give me grace. I sure need it.

Prayer for a reconciling heart.

2008-11-16T15:04:00.002-05:00

"My God, heal the breaches of cordiality and mutual regard which now bear heavy upon my heart; and may I know what it is to be on terms of reconciliation and amity with all, even to the worst of my enemies."

-- Thomas Chalmers, Sabbath Scripture Readings (on Acts 7).

Hurts so good

2008-11-12T07:59:00.005-05:00

Yeah, I'm sore all over. But I'm happy about it. You see, it was about two months ago that my left hamstring went *pop* during deadlifts. Since then I backed off the weights considerably, got plenty of rest, and slowly worked my way back up. Yesterday, I got back to the weight at which I injured myself, and did it 5x5 (when I was injured, it was only on the first rep of the second set). So, while I'm nowhere near my personal best, I am quite pleased to have come back from what at the time seemed like a scary injury that could have been really really bad).

It could be worse, but...

2008-11-08T16:53:00.001-05:00

I feel sad today. I guess I'm mourning some loses -- past, and pending.

That's all I have to say right now.

Meet the New Boss...

2008-11-05T19:01:00.006-05:00

It's a magical day. All of our hopes and dreams will come true, because the American people have chosen the man who promises to fix it all, to change everything, and to give us all hope.

Blah!

"Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help" (Psalm 146:3).

Now, don't go supposing I'm bitter because my man was not elected yesterday. The fact is, I didn't have a man yesterday. My issues go deeper than the issue of which man we should vote for.

There are moral evils essential to the constitution of the United States, which render it necessary to refuse allegiance to the whole system. In this remarkable instrument [the U.S. Constitution], there is contained no acknowledgment of the being or authority of God -- there is no acknowledgment of the Christian religion, or professed submission to the kingdom of Messiah. It gives support to the enemies of the Redeemer, and admits to its honours and emoluments Jews, Mahometans, deists, and atheists -- It establishes that system of robbery, by which men are held in slavery, despoiled of liberty, and property, and protection. It violates the principles of representation, by bestowing upon the domestic tyrant who holds hundreds of his fellow creatures in bondage, an influence in making laws for freemen proportioned to the number of his own slaves. This constitution is, notwithstanding its numerous excellencies, in many instances inconsistent, oppressive, and impious.

Since the adoption of the constitution in the year 1789, the members of the Reformed Presbyterian Church have maintained a constant Testimony against these evils. They have refused to serve in any office which implies an approbation of the constitution, or which is placed under the direction of an immoral law. They have abstained from giving their votes at elections for legislators or officers who must be qualified to act by an oath of allegiance to this immoral system. They could not themselves consistently swear allegiance to that government, in the constitution of which there is contained so much immorality. In all these instances their practice has been uniform.

--Reformation Principles Exhibited (What the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America used to believe and practice).

Yet there is something to be said for the truly awful choice that was made yesterday. Comrades, did the People's Republic of the United States of America just place over them a man who's policies are virtually indistinguishable from Socialism, who had the support of such defenders of freedom as Fidel Castro and Communist Party USA? Did this nation just pick a leader that had the backing of the Nation of Islam's voice, Louis Farrakhan? Did Americans elect for themselves a man who, if he did convert from Islam, converted to a poisonous mixture of black radicalist marxism called Black Liberation Theology, which teaches "God damn America!"? Yes, I do believe this is what happened. The good news (or is it the bad news, I forget?) is that all the promised change will not take place, at least not as promised. Because liars promise us the moon, and deliver nothing but a puff of smoke.

Well, meet the new boss: Barrack Hussein Obama. Same as the old boss?

There's nothing in the street
Looks any different to me
And the slogans are replaced, by-the-bye
And the parting on the left
Is now the parting on the right
And the beards have all grown longer overnight

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around me
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

Big date

2008-11-04T17:28:00.002-05:00

Last night I had a big date with two beautiful girls. I met someone yesterday who reminded me of how important it is for little girls to have an affectionate dad. So, I came home an told my two daughters that daddy wanted to take them out and spend some time together. We went out to eat at Friendly's (btw, there is NOTHING cheap on their menu!). We had a good time together.

In other news: It's election day, and I have no dog in this fight. I am particularly disgusted with the thoroughly secularist idea of the government delivering us from all of our troubles. It's like America is electing their messiah today -- "Vote for me, and I'll set you free." What an empty and hopeless promise!

Someone had to do it.

2008-11-03T07:59:00.001-05:00

Repeat Rapist Shot by ~~Intended Victim~~ Brave Defender of Her Life and Chastity.

Something New

2008-10-29T20:06:00.004-04:00

Here's something new...

I got to take my wife out, just the two of us, to a restaurant, for dinner last night! It was really nice.

We dropped the kids off at Gampy's for a birthday bash for Cole. As we pulled our van to the curb, and opened the side doors, two spanish girls started climbing into the van, even pushing through my kids to get in. I noticed a van pull in behind me, and said to the girls, "Whoa whoa whoa! I think you have the wrong van, honey." And they quickly left our van and got into the other. So that's something funny right there.

Then out to eat we went. I had a succulent prime rib sandwich and a Guinness. Rachel got a crab melt sandwich (yum). Then we came home and just hung out and chilled in a quiet house.

Who knows when this will happen again?

What's new?

2008-10-27T22:27:00.004-04:00

"What's new?" This is a question that friends and family seem to ask me a lot. I never really have a good answer for it. "Not much," is all I usually can think of saying most of the time. And I guess that's fine by me. I'm not really about "what's new." I'm more about "what's the same." I work, I come home and do the family thing. When I have time, I do some other things like read, or practice karate, or something else I enjoy. That's pretty much what I do, and it's not really new. I suppose this is one of the reasons I'm so poor on the phone, or with coming up with things to blog about. I'm content with that though. I like when things are the steady, consistent, normal. New? Well, that could be good, but that could be bad too.

Now, having said that, here's something new: My baby niece is back home from the hospital after having heart surgery, and then a staph infection, and then a minor surgery in install some kind of a port thingy. But she's home now, and that's new, and we're all happy about that.

Prayer Against Vile Affections

2008-10-19T09:39:00.003-04:00

"Thou knowest, O God, the sin which doth most easily beset me; enable me to cast it aside, that I may ever breathe in the clear element of purity and a safe conscience. O bless me by turning me from mine iniquities; and save me from that most damning and idolatrous of all iniquities -- the iniquity of a heart charged with vile affections, and setting them on the things which are beneath; and having no affections to set on the things which are above, as to supplant or subordinate all the evil desires of an evil and accursed nature. In me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing."

-- Thomas Chalmers, Sabbath Scripture Readings (on Acts 3).