"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." ~ Thomas Edison, inventor
When man was placed in the Garden of Eden the world was full of possibilities. Hiding amongst the trees surrounding Adam and Eve were every kind of technology and innovation ever created or discovered. No, there were no cell phones hanging from tree limbs. There were no airplanes awaiting discovery in a cave. But, though unseen, the principles and knowledge potential were very much there.
In this sense, opportunity was in abundance, and it awaited only the rigor of man's diligence to uncover it. The prophet Isaiah declared that the wisdom of the farmer in knowing what to do with particular seeds "cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working" (Is. 28:29). Even though it is the farmer's long years of trial and error that God uses, "his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him" (v. 26).
Here we see the power of diligence and revelation. Adam needed only to work with world that was around him, and if he was diligent, he would start the long process towards compounding eras of great discovery. On the other side of Adam's first step was every technology yet to be revealed.
Revelation awaits the diligent soul. Discovery is reserved for those who seek wisdom "as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures" (Prov. 2:4). The harder you work to understand a given area, the more is revealed to you. The more you know, the more valuable you become. Education is simply equipping for greater problem solving.
The pay scale is often determined by the level of the problem solved. You certainly don't pay the kid who mows the grass the same as the doctor that treats your illness. Lawyers make more than waiters because lawyers solve bigger problems. You wanna make more money? Learn to solve bigger problems.
This requires education. It can be self-education or institutional education. Either way, increasing your knowledge and understanding equips you for more effective problem solving--and God has filled the world with problems waiting to be solved.
Even though we've had phones for a century, person to person communication is still a problem for man. More options and better technology make telecommunications the multi-billion dollar industry that it is. Even though the wire-based phones worked for decades, the cell phone was awaiting discovery for the diligent seeker.
Thomas Edison was one of the world's greatest inventors. He was known for saying that his discoveries were about 2% inspiration and 98% perspiration. That's because inspiration and discovery follow hard work, i.e. diligence in repeatedly going over the same problem again and again. C. S. Lewis stated the following from his own experience of study:
"For my own part, I tend to find the doctrinal books often more helpful in devotion than the devotional books, and I rather suspect that the same experience may await many others. I believe that many who find that 'nothing happens' when they sit down, or kneel down, to a book of devotion, would find that the heart sings unbidden while they are working their way through a tough bit of theology with a pipe in their teeth and a pencil in their hand."
We have to work our way through to discovery. This is the calling of every man and woman. No matter what the field, we must be diligent in our plowing and thoughtful when things stall. We can reduce the complexity of any subject by simply increasing the amount of study we apply to it.
You don't have to stay where you are. A world of wisdom awaits the diligent seeker. As Edison noted, we miss opportunities because they come to us dressed as hard work.
Once again the good Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is welcomed on the left-leaning Bill Maher cable program. This will obviously draw criticism from the establishment Republicans and their followers, but Ron seems to be very relaxed and enjoying himself.
Richard Viguerie - "Are You a Republican, or a Conservative?"
The Conservative guru, Richard Viguerie, on what's wrong with modern conservatism. The patriarch of political direct mail shows how the Conservative brand has been damaged by establishment Republicans.
Here, Viguerie discusses the need for a "third force" instead of a "third party." I made a similar suggestion is a recent issue of the Chalcedon Report. Since the present leaders of the GOP are not representative of traditional conservatism, groups should organize over issues, and not as separate parties. Again, this is simply one option. Third parties are another.
Viguerie highlights the fact that the most successful "third force" has been the Israel lobby. Both Democrats and Republicans embrace U.S. support of Israel, and the platform is not "tied" to any one party. Viguerie's suggestions are long term. They represent a reformatting of conservatism altogether.
Malkin ponders as to the reason behind the brutal killings. Was it theft? Not likely. Were all five of them psychopathic serial killers? Again, the odds are against it. Is it... dare I say... racially motivated?
The police maintain it was a carjacking gone bad. You think? What if it was five White guys raping, torturing, and killing a young Black couple? First, would the mainstream media cover the story? Absolutely. Would it be described as hate crime? Absolutely. What if it was five White guys ganging up on a Jewish couple? Same results. Race crime. All over the news. Likely the top story with constant references to the Holocaust.
If it was a White on Black crime, we would be subject to the torturous pulpiteering of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. They would demand the death penalty. The Black Panthers would march on Tennessee as they did during the early stages of Duke Lacrosse incident. Cable news networks would be drenched with on the ground coverage from Knoxville.
But, it wasn't a crime on Blacks, Jews, or anyone else. It was a crime on White kids. Well, how do we respond to that? We don't. We ignore it. White people deserve it. They had it coming. There will be no march on Knoxville. There are no Sharpton-like advocates for middle-class White kids. If there were, they would be dismissed as racist lunatics -- another "David Duke."
The crime itself is racially motivated, and the resultant silence is racially motivated. Most Whites are reluctant to voice their anger because they fear being labeled a bigot. That's so terribly sad. I'm glad that ethnic groups have their advocates. You need those voices to help insure the well-being of your constituency. The crimes perpertrated against Blacks during the 60s were heinous and evil. But, so is this crime perpertrated against Newsom and Christian. Yet, nobody says a word. Repent, America!
I'm having a delightful time -- if you can't already tell -- with watching Congressman Ron Paul educate every pretentious media pundit in the basics of Constitutionalism and the free market. Next up is FOXNews' Neil Cavuto:
Cavuto suggests that Paul will cause a "firestorm" if he mentions some of his policy suggestions like following George Washington on foreign policy, balancing the budget, and a smarter approach to medicare and social security. Ron Paul understands the problem is with the constant borrowing that is blowing up our national debt, and the inflation that is resultant of printing more money. Cavuto is dumb enough to suggest our economy is booming, and Paul responds appropriately with the reality that anybody's economic activity would be booming if they were borrowing as much money as the United States.
He's a silly man taking orders from Wall Street, but maybe some semblance of truth can penetrate the impervious mind of former Mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani. His tutor in U.S. history and the Constitution is none other than Congressman Ron Paul.
Only a media-mezmerized Republican can even continue to call the party conservative. The GOP is in fits over the Texas fly in the ointment, Congressman Ron Paul, who is highlighting the longstanding Republican tradition of a non-interventionist foreign policy. He's making every other potential candidate a "war-monger," and forcing each one to gamble on the position they'll hold to for the rest of the campaign cycle. Here's Ron's run-in with the fascistic, cross-dressing Rudy Guiliani--notice the crowd's cheers for Fruity Rudy's NONSENSICAL explanation that 9/11 was the result of Muslims hating America's freedom:
And as happened in the previous debate, Ron Paul's cable news poll numbers are higher than most of the other candidates. On the FOXNews poll, Mitt Romney came in at number one receiving 29% of the votes while Ron Paul placed second with 25%. The silly children at FOXNews could not accept this reality and blamed the poll results on a "mysterious" skewing of the numbers by some secret group:
Worst of all was the usual performance by Sean Hannity. Watch how he ridicules Ron Paul about the notion that America's foreign policy has ever committed an international sin:
Rev. Jerry Falwell is presently being hospitalized in what a Liberty University executive described as a "gravely serious" condition. Falwell was found unconscious in his office this morning after missing a morning appointement.
Though a great many heathen might desire his demise, it is incumbent upon God's people to pray for their own. The story is developing.
Faith for All of Life Podcast - Interview with Louis Sette on the National Debate Over Christianity and the U.S. Constitution
Chris Ortiz and Louis Sette discuss the neglected realities of the U.S. Constitution, the proper meaning of Christian political action, and the Constitutional identity of America. Answers to questions like "Is America a nation, or a union?" "How much power should the president have?" "Is the war unconstitutional?" "What does separation of church and state mean?" "Does Congress or the Supreme Court have greater authority?" And much, much, more. Listen online.
Brokeback features graphic scenes of two men having sex. According to the lawsuit, the child was traumatized by being forced to watch these scenes.
A substitute teacher, of course, is supposed to follow the lesson plan left for the day by the regular classroom teacher; but in most cases there is no one on hand to make sure she does so. There is nothing to stop a substitute from bringing in a movie from her own private collection and showing it in class. So, just because Brokeback Mountain appeared nowhere on the published curriculum didn't prevent it from being added at the whim of a substitute.
We keep wondering how many of these outrages it will take before faithful Christian parents finally understand that such incidents are rife within public schools. What will be the straw that finally breaks their backs?
39% of Europeans believe Jews have too much power in the business world. 44% of Europeans think Jews have too much power in international financial markets. 47% of Europeans believe Jews dwell too much on the Holocaust. 51% of Europeans believe Jews are more loyal to Israel than their country. 20% of Europeans blame Jews for the death of Jesus. 25% of Europeans said their opinions of Jews are influenced by Israel's actions. 52% of Europeans said their opinions of Jews are worse because of Israel's actions.
These are statistics generated by the Anti-Defamation League. ADL National Director Abraham H. Foxman said: "Millions of Europeans continue to accept a wide range of traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes and conspiracy theories, including the charge that Jews are more loyal to Israel than to their home country. These attitudes help incite and legitimize anti-Semitism, including violence against Jews, and give us great concern."
It seems the Europeans also have "great concern," Mr. Foxman. Maybe that's why Jewish elites are pushing to make trivializing or questioning the Holocaust a crime punishable by three years in jail. Maybe that's why hate crime legislation is so important right now.
Why bring this up on the Chalcedon blog? Simple. If the positions of power currently held by Jews in the areas of banking, investment, entertainment, news media, the justice system, lobbying, setting defense policy, etc., were held by conservative Christians, the Christophobics would be marching in the streets over the religious tyranny. All to say, why is nothing said about Jewish control over these important spheres, and such a fuss is made over Christian influence in culture? Might it be the threat of being labeled "anti-semitic?" Does any secular critic fear being labeled a "Christophobic?" Of course not. They would embrace it!
If you question the story of the Holocaust, you could go to jail. But, as Michael Hoffman points out, you can produce movies that deny Jesus ever existed (The God Who Wasn't There), and you receive plenty of press coverage. The L.A. Times called the movie "provocative."
It goes to show the bias against Christianity and the influence of Christians. That only goes to demonstrate that men hate God, and will not be ruled by Him. It's not only a "Jewish conspiracy," that's complained about today--it's a "Christian conspiracy." When will an ADL for Christians begin?
Two thinkers go at it to determine whether or not "Christianity is Good for the World." In one corner is the capable Douglas Wilson: author, senior fellow at New Saint Andrews College, minister at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, and editor of Credenda Agenda. If you read Rush, you've probably been enjoying Doug's stuff as well. In the other corner is Christopher Hitchens, author of the new release God is Not Great: How Religions Poison Everything.
This friendly debate is being hosted by the folks at Christianity Today.
A letter has been circulating to various homeschool oriented groups and individuals that calls for organizations to disassociate themselves from Doug Phillips and Vision Forum. You may have received or read such a correspondence. As an organization that is friendly to the Phillips family and Vision Forum, we recommend that you disregard this correspondence and any and all web sites espousing such defamation and strife. The husband and wife team that sent this letter are currently under church discipline, and the accuracy of their personal complaints are contradicted by reputable ministries.
Please pray for Doug Phillips and Vision Forum that the Lord will dissuade these fellow Christians from this needless campaign. Since the letter calls for organizations to disassociate with Doug, I want to make clear that the Chalcedon Foundation continues joyfully in it's friendship with the Phillips family and Vision Forum. I suggest you do the same.
Although they tried to shut him out of the debate in South Carolina, Congressman Ron Paul continues to baffle media pundits and force establishment Republicans to define their conservatism. This edited video features the numerous responses by Ron Paul at the recent GOP Presidential Debate. He may not win, but he has honored all of us with his courage and incomparable consistency. There is NO conservative or liberal candidate that can match his sense of values and Constitutional emphasis. God bless him.
Joel Osteen can't make up his mind "who" might end up in hell. He's just not sure he wants to judge atheists, muslims, Judaics, etc. How can one be a minister of the gospel and espouse such nonsense. If it's simply a matter of judging the heart, what need is there for the death of Jesus Christ? Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the winding down of evangelicalism:
...Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. Revelation 18:4
Will America's biggest Protestant denomination someday, soon, take the lead in a mass exodus of Christian children out of the anti-Christian public schools?
Since 2004, attorney Bruce Shortt and preacher Voddie Baucham have submitted resolutions to the Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, urging delegates to call for such an exodus. They'll be there again this summer with their latest resolution, this one inspired by a public statement from the SBC's new president, Dr. Frank Page.
Dr. Page recently told the Agape Press that he prays that more churches will begin offering Christian schools, even to parents who could not otherwise afford to send their children to a Christian school.
The new resolution by Shortt and Baucham calls on Southern Baptist churches to provide "Christian educational alternatives to government schools," using "existing buildings and other resources." The teachers in these schools are to be "many adults, including pastors," utilizing "satellite, DVD, internet-enabled multi-media computer technology, and other more traditional forms of self-paced learning."
With tens of thousands of "free" public schools available (they're only "free" if you don't count school taxes as tuition), why should it be necessary for churches to set up schools for Christian children?
For those who have kept abreast of the ongoing deterioration of the public education system, the question need hardly be asked. Those who still think the public schools are adequate ought to read Bruce Shortt's book, The Harsh Truth About Public Schools.
In the words of the resolution, "the fruit of our government school habit is unregenerate children." That's putting it mildly! Shortt's book amasses a mountain of evidence to prove that public schools are no place for Christian children. Crime, violence, sex, and drug use abound, not to mention incessant indoctrination for sodomy, New Age superstition, and anti-Christian secularism. Those public schools have only gotten worse since Shortt's book came out.
Chalcedon has long advocated Christian education, either in a Christian school or at home. We pray the Messengers at this summer's SBC Annual Meeting will adopt Shortt and Baucham's latest resolution--and then back up their words with action. If the SBC finally makes up its mind to remove its millions of Baptist children from the public schools, it could be the start of something big. If other denominations follow suit, it could lead to a genuine regeneration of our country.
Answers provided by Martin Selbrede, Chalcedon Vice-President
Where do you see Reconstructionism in terms of influence and growth in the future both on a national and international scale?
Given the explicit promises that God has graciously enunciated in the Holy Scriptures, we hold that one day all people will be reconstructionists. We find ourselves currently in the situation described in Hebrews 2:8 -- "... In putting everything under Him, God left nothing that is not subject to Him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to Him." The certainty that this partial subjection will slowly transition into a total subjection is not pitted against the current situation as opposing it, but mere as a stepping stone during the centuries-long transition to fulfillment. The promise of Isaiah 2:2-4 will be fulfilled on the national and international scale -- the fourth verse of this prophecy promises the permanent cessation of war between the nations. As the leaven spreads into the three whole measures of meal, as the mustard seed grows into a tree so large that "every bird under heaven lodges in its branches," we will come to the era when "no man need teach his neighbor, saying 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Him, from the least to the greatest." Psalm 87 enunciates the trans-national nature of Zion, where the various nations are announced by God Himself as those who are "knowers of Me," such that "each and every man shall be born in her (Zion)." The translation "each and every" rather than "this man and that man" follows from the correct rendering of this clause that also appears in Esther 1:8, as noted by Hengstenberg.
We expect the promise to be true that "the isles shall wait for Thy Law," thus reversing the situation described in Psalm 2 where the heathen seek to "cast His cords away" and "burst His bonds." Isaiah 19 explicitly enunciates the coming-in of Egypt and Assyria (bitter enemies of Israel) into God's fold prior to Israel's coming in ("as the third part"), in keeping with the covenantal interpretation of Rom. 11:25-26. (I note in passing that hard-core exegetes -- such as H.A.W. Meyer -- adopt a brutally literal interpretation of passages like this, or of John 12:32, that fully supports the validity of reconstruction's claims. It is NOT as though reconstructionism has no exegetical basis -- it is rather, as Meyer states it, that critics routinely turn their back on exegesis (e.g., "Luther was induced to depart from literal exegesis out of dogmatic considerations..."). As Meyer said in response to a long list of specious attempts to evade the literal sense of Rom. 11:25-26, wherein the critics offered up their eschatological conceits to battle the straightforward exegesis of the text, that Paul's "simple, clear words do not cease to offer resistance" to the compromised distortions promoted by even the most eminent commentators. Lutheran scholar Lenski all but admits this to be the case when he scornfully notes that "only an exegete" would take the Romans 11 passage literally. THAT is where the issue stands, and has always stood. Painting it in such a way as to suggest reconstructionists have failed the exegetical challenge is gross dishonesty: the opposite is actually the case. Reconstructionism is, first and foremost, exegetical in outlook. This compounds its offense in the eyes of its critics.)
In short, I resort to Scriptural representations to predict the influence and growth of reconstructionism, insofar as I believe that reconstructionism is the most consistent application of the Scripture and its truths, duties, and promises that has yet been articulated. While non-reconstructionists may find this identification to be gratuitous, I've not seen a credible refutation as of this date, although I've often seen a "counsel of despair" floated in lieu of reconstructionism. The offense of reconstruction is its unapologetic appeal to the Scripture for every matter, in keeping with Isaiah 8:20's assertion that unless men speak according to the Law and the Testimony, there is no light in them. If reconstructionism is hated, it is the same hatred that is directed to God's light in general: "we will not have this man to reign over us." The stone the builders have rejected WILL become the head of the corner: that is our confidence. One day, all Christians will be reconstructionists, as Warfield effectively asserts in his extraordinary exposition of Matt. 5:18 (cf. his article "Jesus's Mission According To His Own Testimony" published in "Biblical Doctrines").
Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs--he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I'm saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. ~ 2 Timothy 2:3-7
Mark Driscoll, the quasi-emergment masculine-touting metrosexual pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle, WA, is not altogether pleased with the reaction to a video he submitted to a church planting event. The criticism that brought Driscoll disappointment was that of megachurch leader Bill Hybels who said the video did not highlight female church planters.
Driscoll whined because he "spent half a day in freezing weather at a military cemetery shooting scenes" and sent a team to the Florida event with "suitcases of videos" to be handed out. Allegedly, Driscoll "spent thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours of wasted effort." He then posted it on YouTube (see below).
The video is entitled "The Good Soldier: A Conversation with Pastor Mark Driscoll" and is shot in a military cemetery filled with standard white military grave markers and sprinkled with statues of soldiers. The obvious theme is the symbol of the soldier and the hardship that entails.
Isn't that what we've all been looking for? A "conversation with Pastor Mark Driscoll?" The ego-centric audacity of these guys is staggering. What's next, Pastor Mark? A book entitled "Humility" with your picture on the cover?
"Macho, Macho Man. I've Got to Be a Macho Man!"
Driscoll is simply forcing his "brand" of what he thinks Christianity should be. He blends the Starbucks culture of the emergent movement with the chest-thumping of the modern men's movement. This video is intended to highlight all the "manly" traits a modern pastor must have in order to contend and survive in modern church warfare.
Driscoll attacks the straw-man caricature of the "nice guy" pastor who sets up chairs, exercises tolerance of strange Christians, and counsels well. Instead, Driscoll shows the church planter as a "scrapper" and one that is quite adept at "rebuking" strange Christians as "the woman with the tambourine" or the "guy with the end times eschatology charts."
He highlights the alleged decline of modern church planting and concludes that the first and most important factor in a lasting church is "the leadership ability, and the quality of that senior leader; that founding pastor; that man who is to endure hardship and fight like a good soldier."
He mentions the high "body count" is due to all the pressures and stresses of contemporary church planting. Men fail for financial pressure. They fail because of the "demonic" attacks. Quite a bit fail because they simply burn out.
In addressing the second aspect to a successful church plant, Driscoll believes church planting men do not have, or are losing, their sense of mission. They are not able to gather and inspire people--especially young twenty-somethings. This demographic Driscoll describes in a profane way. Here's a fine example of the nonsensical macho rhetoric that men like Driscoll use as their "brand":
"The least likely person to go to church in the United States of America is a young man in his 20s. These are guys who have absolutely made a wreck of everything. They're banging their girlfriends. They are guys who are blowing all their money, staying up all night playing World of Warcraft; finding free porn on the internet, and trying to figure out how to get bigger subwoofer into their retarded car."
Driscoll represents the next step in a long line of American church fads. We're already suffering as more young pastors are adopting this "tough guy" persona in order to reach their constituencies. This is what men do when they are not reformed, theonomic, and presuppositional. Their starting point is man--especially successful men--and they'll mimic whomever can assure them ministerial career success. I expect more from men like Driscoll since he's allegedly reformed in theology.
Postmodern Reactionism
Driscoll's crowd is a reaction. They are a reaction to the alleged "postmodern age." This goes also for the Left Wing branch of emergent leaders such as Brian McLaren (Driscoll refers to his branch as "resurgent). I find it disturbing that the church allows itself to be shaped by the prevailing culture and its philosophical trends. We are not of this world, but Driscoll and others look and sound no different than the host of American Idol. In fact, they probably have the same stylist.
Postmodernity is a fraud and should not be taken seriously. Sinful man is enormously creative when he's seeking to evade the pervasive eye of God Almighty. Postmodernism is contrived to avoid the responsibility all men owe to their Creator. The Bible refers to such philosophies as foolish. For churchmen to conform their ministries to such philosophical foolishness reeks like Laodicean vomit.
Apostles vs. Emergent Church Planters
Driscoll's video focuses on one analogy that Paul uses in his letter to Timothy--that of the soldier. However, the apostle (Paul, not Driscoll) expands his point in comparing apostolic ministry (what Timothy was actually doing in Ephesus) to that of an athlete competing according to the rules and the justification of a hardworking farmer receiving a share of the crops (2 Tim. 2:5-6).
The enduring of hardship has greater meaning to the genuine struggles of the first century church. Let's not compare that to the "stress" of setting up chairs at the local high school cafeteria every week. Financial pressure, and the pressure of time upon families, is not the kind of hardship the Bible mentions. In fact, if you can't deal with this stuff, you aren't cut out for the task.
Apostles were like soldiers in their focus upon their God-given tasks. They were like athletes in that the winning of the prize must only come by competing according to the rules--the "rules" being suffering in this case. They were like farmers in that they were guaranteed to taste the firstfruits of their harvest. These passages reek with eschatological promise for the faithful apostolic/evangelist. The "prize" and the "harvest" is granted to the faithful in the last day:
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. ~ 2 Timothy 1:12
Much of our modern church problems stem from this warped ecclesiology of the one-man rule that Driscoll espouses. That's probably why the macho persona is exploited. The domineering leader must use the force of his personality to maintain rule in a dysfunctional church setting. This too will fail. It's the deterioration of 20th century Protestantism.
