Not Good Enough

Today, pro-life democrats in the US Senate agreed to a health care bill that will allow federal dollars to subsidize abortion. I had hoped in particular that Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., would have the intestinal fortitude in the senate that Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., had in the house. Stupak's amendment to the house version does not allow any federal funds to pay for elective abortions...period. The agreement that Nelson conceded to, however, allows states to decide whether or not federally funded health plans will pay for elective abortions. It also claims to "segregate" funds that are paid by the insured from funds provided by the federal government, only allowing the private funds to pay for abortion.

These differences may be intricate, but they are important. Let's say, for example, that my neighbor comes over and asks for me to pay for her abortion. I say that I'm opposed to abortion and decline to pay her anything. She replies, "That's fine. I have a car payment due which happens to be the same cost as the abortion. Why don't you make my car payment for me so that I can pay for my own abortion?" Needless to say, I'm still not going to give her a dime, because at the end of the day, it's an accounting gimmick. If I give her the money, I'm paying for her abortion.

Likewise, if federally subsidized health insurance pays for an abortion, it really doesn't matter where the money came from on paper. All the abortionist knows is that he got money from Uncle Sam to pay for an abortion. This will likely result in an increase in abortions across America.

There is another problem with the senate version. If you live in a liberal state that votes to approve federal funds for abortion, you no longer have any say in the matter. Dollars will be taken from you to pay for the destruction of innocent human life.

Stupak is maintaining his stand and says that the senate compromise is not enough. At least now we know where to go to find pro-life democrats who are true to their convictions and where to find those who merely give lip service to the rights of the preborn.

Take the Survey

The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission has a poll on their site in which you can help compile the list of the year’s "top 10 most egregious acts of anti-Christian defamation, discrimination and persecution in America."

You'll be surprised when you see just how long and how legitimate the list is...all in 2009.

The link is HERE.

I Couldn't Help But Notice

I bought a new prayer journal this past January. It's my "black book." This past year, I have written down my petitions and checked off the evident answers to prayer. I noticed this morning that I have five adults whose names were entered with the petition "salvation" who have accepted Christ this year. I have baptized four of them and will soon baptize the fifth.

Sometimes, we fail to see God's answers to our prayers because we fail to write them down and keep track. Let me encourage you to keep a prayer journal and see, over time, how powerfully God works through prayer.

Senators, It's Your Turn

Pro-life democratic members of the House of Representatives made sure that the health care bill they sent to the senate eliminates federal funding of abortions. Now it's time for the pro-life democratic senators to follow suit. A senator like Casey from Pennsylvania or Nelson from Nebraska...one is all it would take to ensure that federal funding be removed prior to acceptance. Even Harry Reid claims to be pro-life, though his voting record is pretty much 50-50 on the sanctity of life. (National Right to Life gives him a 50% rating.) Now is the time to ask these men to stand up for what they already claim to believe...that every preborn child's life is worthy of protection and we should NOT force taxpayers to financially support abortion.

Thank You Pro-Life Democrats

While we do not know what the Senate will do to the health care bill passed by the House this past weekend, we do know that it appears that any bill coming out of Congress will, in fact, be abortion neutral. This is so, thanks to sixty-four pro-life democrats who stood up to the extreme left wing of their own party and to Speaker Pelosi and said, "John Q. Taxpayer will not be forced to pay for abortions." Consider that number for a moment. We rarely get to see any kind of up or down vote on the issue of abortion, so when we do, it is very significant. That number represents one fourth of all democrats in the House of Representatives!

Personally, I'm not a democrat, but I long to see a majority of democrats be pro-life. With this vote, I'm starting to think we're halfway there! Let's pray that the day will come when both parties contain respect for the sanctity of life as part of their platform.

The Power of a Picture

The direcor of a Planned Parenthood facility resigned after actually watching an abrtion for the first time. She even joined a pro-life group in praying for the facility.

Abby Johnson said that she first became disillusioned with the process when she received pressure from the organization to increase profits by performing more abortions.

"Every meeting that we had was, 'We don't have enough money, we don't have enough money — we've got to keep these abortions coming,'" Johnson told FoxNews.com. "It's a very lucrative business and that's why they want to increase numbers."

Actually seeing an abortion on the ultrasound sealed the deal. She called it an immediate "conversion."

Planned Parenthood's response? They are suing Johnson to keep her quiet about their practices!

Those who work in Crisis Pregnancy ministries attest that the best information to give an abortion-minded mother is a picture of the life God has created inside of her. Once they see their chid's heartbeat, they will not need a textbook to interpret it for them. Nor will they believe the abortionist who calls it "potential life" or a "blob of tissue." The pictures do not lie. Those who fight legislation requiring such information be shown to women prior to an abortion do not have the mother's best interests at heart.

Where Does It End?

A report out today states that in the UK, a premature baby was left to die after doctors refused to resuscitate a child born at 21 weeks. UK guidelines state that only after 22 weeks does a child's life warrant the expensive measures required to save him/her.

I have said for some time that if life is not sacred from beginning to end, then the question must then follow, "When does a human life become worthy of protection?" The groundwork has been laid in England that a life is worthy only if it will not pose too much of a burden upon the rest of society.

Eventually, this reasoning will be taken to its logical conclusion. If a child born at 21 weeks should not receive medical care because the costs (along with the possibility of disability) will be great, then what about the four year old child with cerebral palsy? Why should government spend money that could go to entitlements on someone who will never be able to "give back?" Next, we must ask, just how disabled do you have to be before we decide that you are not doing your part and should be eliminated at worst, or denied medical treatments at best?

What Do We Do?

Comedian Larry David is getting heat for a recent episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which he urinated on a picture of Jesus. What do we do when the Savior we love is maligned in such a way?

1) Pray for Larry David and remember that we are commanded to love our enemies.

2) Communicate clearly that such behavior legitimizes harassment, prejudice and persecution against Christians.

3) Rethink your subscription to HBO, if you are silly enough to have one. Not because we should "punish" the lost world for being, well...lost. Do it because you don't need that garbage in your home.

4) Remember that the best response is to simply keep loving Jesus. The world will notice that Christians, unlike Muslims, do not issue death threats or riot in the streets when Jesus is treated in such a derogatory way. I pray that believers will not use this episode to embarrass the cause of Christ by retaliating with cheap insults or a complete lack of grace.

Not All of Us

Benny Hinn was recently interviewed by ABC's Nightline. During the interview, it was acknowledged that his ministry receives over $100 million per year in gifts. He has a mansion on the Pacific Ocean and he admitted to a salary of over a half million per year. Oh yeah, and he has a private plane. When asked to defend his lifestyle, here is what he said:

"I mean look, every man of God that I know today has a nice house...And they drive cars, and they have BlackBerrys or iPhones or whatever. It's what we need today to simply exist. ... Absolutely I need a private plane."

How far we have gone from "Silver and gold have I none!" (Acts 3:6) While the Bible, and the apostle Paul in particular, clearly defends the ministry workman receiving wages, it is also true that a pastor must be "free from the love of money" (1 Timothy 3:3). I think it's safe to say that Benny Hinn fails to meet this requirement.

I haven't heard Hinn preach in some time, but back when I had cable and would see him on tv, I always listened to hear a clear gospel presentation. I never heard one. Hinn is an example of the kind of false teachers we are warned to avoid. Titus speaks of them when he says, "They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain." (emphasis mine)

Here We Go Again

Another health care reform bill has passed the Senate Finance Committee. Once again, it includes taxpayer funds for abortions, contrary to Obama's promise to the nation in September.

According to Baptist Press, the bill...

-- allows tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies for lower-income people to be used to purchase private insurance plans that cover elective abortions. The bill requires the insurance companies to segregate their internal funds and not use federal dollars to pay for the abortions. Critics call it an accounting gimmick.

-- requires that each area of the country provide at least one plan that pays for elective abortions and one plan that does not pay for them.

We need to keep the pressure on congress to strike these provisions. The time to do it is now, not after the final version arrives for a vote.

Needed: A Revival of Stewardship

Southern Baptists recently reduced the size of their international missionary workforce, falling from 5,400 to roughly 5,000 missionaries. There has been much discussion about the cause of this decline and what we must do to fix it. Currently, a task force is working to answer these questions with a focus on how our conventions can be more efficient. However, I think I've got this problem figured out.

Twenty-five years ago, SBC churches gave an average of 10.6% of all receipts to missions through the Cooperative Program. Today, we give a meager 6.08%. Think about that for a moment. If in 2008, Southern Baptists did not receive a single penny more than what was given, but if our churches were as missions-minded and selfless as we were a quarter century ago, the result would be 4.52% more to the Cooperative Program!

Think about it this way: In 2008, Southern Baptist churches received over nine billion dollars($9,013,807,646). If Southern Baptists gave 10.6% to missions in 2008 like we did in 1984, we would have contributed an additional $407 million to missions. This is enough to add almost 10,000 more IMB missionaries!

As a pastor, I know what I would tell a church member who said they could not tithe because they could not afford to live off of 10% of their income. I would say that God can do more with 90% than they can do with 100%. That is also true for churches. Too many churches think that they must sacrifice giving to missions in order to pay for staff salaries and/or programs. This is simply not true. God will always provide for His people as they are faithful with what He has given them.

I pray that our churches will return to previous levels of generosity. I expect that when we do, we will see God bless faithful stewardship.

Isn't It Amazng?

The supreme court will hear arguments today regarding the long standing cross upon the Mojave Desert National Preserve. The ACLU claims that it represents an endorsement of religion to the exclusion of others. Of particular importance is the fact that a Buddhist monument was denied on the same property. This cross has been covered, as this picture demonstrates, for the past few years of litigation.

This cross was erected to honor World War 1 veterans, none of whom, by the way, seemed to mind. It is a cross, not a wheel of dharma, because our nation was not founded upon Buddhist principles, but Judeo-Christian ones. It is a cross, not a bodhi tree, because our constitution was not based upon the eight-fold path, but the ten commandments.

Founding Father Patrick Henry said, "It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ." If the ACLU can demonstrate evidence that our fouding fathers were influenced by Buddhism or any other religion, let them present it in a court of law. But we should pray that our supreme court will not play politics with our nation's history.

It's time to uncover the cross.

What Is Your Integrity Worth?

Something pretty big happened yesterday in the news, but I think it was lost behind the president's pitch to the International Olympic Committee and talks with Iran over its new nuclear facility. A key senate committee voted 13-10 to advance a health reform bill that would provide government funding for abortions. Keep in mind that president Obama promised that health reform would be abortion neutral. He made this promise in a special address to congress that was broadcast live to the nation.

To be exact..."Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place." See the story HERE.

This means that if this health reform bill comes before the president's desk as is, the president will have two options: 1) Veto his own party's health care bill for which he has worked all this time or 2) Break a promise that he made to America. How much is a man's integrity worth? Let's pray that the president will make the right decision. Our tax dollars should not support the unconstitutional destruction of innocent, human, pre-born life.

Ring of Desperation

I was having lunch at an area grill yesterday and could not help but notice the beautiful engagement ring the waitress wore as she served our table. So I asked her, "When is the big day?"

"What day?" she asked.

"Your wedding day," I replied. "That is an engagement ring, right?"

"Uh...yes, actually it is. But there's no date. I bought it because it makes me feel good."

I thought to myself, how desperate for love and acceptance does someone have to be to buy for themselves and wear an engagement ring? This, of course, turned into an opportunity to talk to her about where real love and acceptance is found...in Jesus Christ.

Where's the Civility?

After Joe Wilson's recent outburst of "You lie" during Obama's health care address, I'm starting to get very concerned about the growing lack of civility in American politics. This is the fourth such incident that greatly disturbs me.

* During Clinton's presidency, Republicans hissed on several occasions and twenty of them even left early during a State of the Union address.

* In 2005, Democrats took it up a notch and booed during President Bush's State of the Union address.

* A year later, former president Jimmy Carter raised the ante even more by attacking a sitting president at Coretta Scott King's funeral while his backside was literally to President Bush who was seated behind him. (Somehow, this comes across as the most dirty trick of them all.)

Now, Joe Wilson chimes in with "You lie!' and refuses to even apologize in the chamber where his outburst took place.

Generally speaking, if an offense took place publicly, the apology should be public as well. And if you're Rep. Wilson, why not err on the side of graciousness towards those you have offended?

Both parties have muddied themselves in this debate. We desperately need for Christians to enter the political arena and be salt and light were both seem to be in short supply.

Gender Confusion in TNIV

I was asked this past Sunday about the new translation of the NIV, known as the TNIV or "Today's New International Version." The upcoming publication of this translation is problematic because it attempts to alter gender designations in the original text by replacing them with gender neutral translations.

At the heart of the issue is whether or not certain Greek words, which were written as masculine in the original text, should be translated as neutral when the context clearly implies both male and female are in mind.

Let me give an example and then share what I believe is a fundamental problem with the TNIV.
Matthew 5:9 says (NIV):

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the sons of God."

Now we all know that by using "sons," Jesus was not saying that only men are blessed by making peace. Common sense tells us that this applies to women as well as men. As a result, the TNIV translates the same verse by saying "they will be called the children of God." One could correctly argue that this better captures the meaning of the verse.

My problem with the above is that God chose, for whatever reason, to inspire the text in Koine Greek, or the common language of the people. As a result, the most literal translation would be "sons." While "children" would be a correct interpretation, the goal of a translation is not to interpret, but to translate. And while I realize that it is not always possible to separate the two, translation, not interpretation, must always be the goal of the committee. Some very respectable scholars were a part of the TNIV, but as bright as they are, the Holy Spirit does not need their help.

Proponents of gender neutral translations argue that gender in the original Hebrew and Greek often has no bearing on the meaning. However, gender did have meaning to the audiences for which these texts were initially written. For example, Hebrews 2:10 says in the NIV that Jesus will bring "many sons to glory." The TNIV says that he brings "many sons and daughters to glory." No manuscripts whatsoever contain the conjunction "and" or the second direct object "daughters." All of this is assumed by the fact that the plural form of "huios" is used. But the noun means "son" and it is significant because in Biblical days, the SON received the inheritance. Of course we know that this verse applies to both men and women. All believers are heirs of salvation through Christ. (Galatians 3:28) But the masculine is important because it has theological connotations that are lost by translating the text as gender neutral.

All of the above could be ignored as troublesome, but irrelevant were it not for one thing: The publisher of the NIV has decided that from now on, the TNIV will be referred to as the NIV. When someone orders a NIV, they will no longer be getting the gender accurate translation they think they are getting. They will be getting the gender inclusive translation instead. This means that when someone asks me what translation I preach from and I say "NIV," the NIV they buy at the local Christian bookstore will not be the same one I am using, even though it has the same name!

For this reason, I will soon be switching to another translation in my preaching ministry. It's too bad, because I have memorized a lot of Scripture in the original NIV. I'll always know those verses and quote those verses in the NIV. This also means that when I preach, I'll have to read verses I would normally just quote if I intend to put them up on the screen. It will also mean that we must change out all of our pulpit Bibles in the Sanctuary, which is also too bad because they are only five years old and were given by a man in memory of his recently deceased wife. But the integrity of the Word of God cannot be compromised.

And while I'm at it, some will, no doubt, use this episode as an excuse as to why we should have never stopped using the King James Version. However, new translations are always needed because, as I indicated above, God chose to give us the Word of God in the common language of the people. I have previously asked my KJV only friends "Why is it that God originally wanted His Word read and heard in common language but now wants it read and heard in a classical language that requires much effort for some to comprehend?" I also ask, "When exactly did this change from common to classical take place?" If you are going to argue for KJV only, you must answer these questions. However, I have yet to hear even a remotely plausible reply. Newer translations are needed, not only because all languages constantly change, but also because many of us live in a part of the country where those who hear us proclaim the Word of God do not have English as their mother tongue.

I will probably be making a switch to the Holman Christian Standard Bible. We'll see.

A great article on the controversy can be found HERE.

Pray for Rifqa Bary

Rifqa Bary is a seventeen year old Sri Lankan girl raised in Ohio. She is also a runaway currently hiding from her parents here in Florida. While many children and teenagers run away from home, Rifqa's story is unique because she claims that she fled because her Muslim father threatened to kill her for converting to Christianity. The father claims that no such threat was made, but I don't think anyone hearing her story can deny that something took place or was said to make her genuinely fear for her life. She was so certain that an honor killing would took place, she hitch hiked and bused her way across the country to get away.

Personally, I tend to believe her, not because all Muslims are fire breathing monsters who would murder their own children for accepting Christ. I believe her because it appears that she truly felt threatened by her father's response and carefully calculated what she had to do in order to live.

Currently, she has been placed uder the protection of Florida DCF. A Florida judge will decide whether or not she must return to Ohio, which will likely mean returning to her father. Pray for God's will to be done as for her living arrangements and that she would be protected from those who wish to bring her harm on account of her faith. Most of all, pray that her faith would remain strong.

You can watch her plea for her life here. An ABC news report is here.

His Name Is Not An Expletive

I pray for my President and Vice President regularly. However, when the Vice President of the United States uses the name "Jesus Christ" as an expletive in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, we should communicate our disapproval. Why? Because we expect lost people to revere the name of Jesus? No. Because we expect those who 1) profess to be believers and 2) represent our nation by holding such a high office to at least show basic respect to the name at the center of our faith.

When the Vice President doesn't think twice about denigrating the name of Jesus but would not think of denigrating the name of Muhammad, it not only demonstrates his approval of a grossly unfair double standard, it also paves the way for worse acts to follow which demean Christians.

Join me in expressing your disapproval (in a Christ-like and loving manner) here.

God's Sense of Humor

As I was leaving church yesterday morning, I couldn't help but think about the fact that numerous men and women who do not know Christ were in our services that morning...and none of them, to my knowledge, received Christ. A little discouraging. However, as I was about to drive off, I saw a man who'd pulled up on a motorcycle pointing at me, so I drove over to say hello. "I need to talk to you," he said.

"Sure, about what?" I replied.

"I want to become a Christian," his answer.

Needless to say, I got out of my car and had a long chat in the parking lot with Mr. Biker. We kneeled in the grass and I got to hear him call upon the Lord. That night, he came to our service for the first time and made his profession public. This week, he'll take our baptism class.

At the end of the day, I realized just how awesome is God's sense of humor. I prepared all week to preach my heart out on Sunday, praying that the lost would be saved. God, however, does not need my preparation or my preaching to save the lost. He can drop the Philippian jailer at my doorstep any time He wants.

She May Have Been a Kennedy...

Eunice Kennedy Shriver passed away this week. She is known as the sister of former president John F. Kennedy and more importantly, the founder of Special Olympics. She was inspired by her intellectually disabled sister and that inspiration led her to create an Olympic event catering to such persons.

What you may not know is that Kennedy was pro-life. This may surprise us considering the political dynasty to which she belonged, but not when we consider her commitment to equal rights for every human being. To Shriver, all human life is worthy of protection. She understood that if the preborn child is not worthy because he/she failed to pass someone's "personhood test," eventually the intellectually disabled would fail as well.

I am saddened that none of the news outlets I heard report on her passing made mention of her commitment in this area.

"It is my deepest hope that the world can begin to look at our friends with special needs and, for once, tell them, 'Yes, you do belong; yes, you are wonderful; yes, you can be a shining light of hope for the world!"
— Eunice Kennedy Shriver

Sotomayor's Christian Oath

Sonia Sotomayor took the oath to become our newest member of the Supreme Court. I couldn't help but notice that she made this vow with her hand upon...the Bible. She ended her oath with the words..."So help me God." Let us pray that she will remember both when she is asked to rule on the First Amendment.

Ignorance in Pennsylvania

The Pennsylvania legislature rescinded its invitation to a Gettysburg pastor to open a session in prayer because the pastor included the name of Jesus in that prayer. (Advanced written copies of all prayers must first be supplied before the visiting minister is allowed to pray.)

The folks of Pennsylvania must not know much about our nation's history; how, for example, just days after Thomas Jefferson wrote his "wall of separation letter," he went to the capitol to hear a visiting Baptist preacher proclaim the gospel..at the invitation of congress! Obviously, the wall of separation between church and state didn't prohibit the full preaching of the gospel within the walls of government. That prayer in Jesus' name would have been considered contrary to the first amendment would be laughable were it not for the ignorance required to hold that position.

Pray for Our Brothers and Sisters in North Korea

A North Korean woman has been publicly executed for distributing Bibles in that nation. We should remember this entire family in prayer.

Members of our church recently had Bibles confiscated by the Cuban government during a trip to the Island nation to our south. In both cases we see how frightened these communist governments are of the Word of God. Even nonbelievers recognize the power of this book to transform hearts and lives...and societies. Furthermore, once someone has tasted real freedom in Christ, they will long for freedom in every realm of life and they will rarely support regimes that seek to deny it.

Gee, Ya Think?

A new study finds that sexual activity among teens is correlated to tv viewing. Gee, ya think? The sooner children view adult content, the sooner they are sexually active, the study claims. What's really fascinating is that for every hour that children ages 6-8 watched adult content, their chances of having sex during early adolescence rose 33 percent.

A Worthy Promotion

While I was as surprised as anyone to hear about Sarah Palin's resignation as Governor of Alaska, I have been sickened to hear and read the political commentary surrounding it. Everyone is debating whether or not this is a good political move or whether it helps or hurts her chances to become president. Let me tell you what I have yet to hear: I haven't heard anyone asking whether this is a good parenting move or whether it helps or hurts her chances to raise godly children. Frankly, as much as I supported Palin, her resigning as Governor is a promotion. In fact, I'll take it one step further. I believe that the role of a mother is so important and so honorable and so worthy of respect that if Palin were to go from being a full time mother to being president, THAT would be a demotion.

A Funny Surprise

I looked inside the cover of a book I have to read for my next Doctor of Ministry class and I was surprised to see that I had an autographed copy. (I'm not going to publish the author's name online.) The author had written a personal note to a "Jim and Nancy" in which he said "Thank you for putting up with my son." It turns out, "Jim and Nancy" sold me their copy of this book on Ebay. So the question is, just how hard was his son to put up with?

Only One King in Heaven

Yesterday, Michael Jackson died. His real name, of course, is Mikaeel, having been changed upon his conversion to Islam last November.

If you've watched any of the coverage, you know that there is an overwhelming assumption that Mikaeel is in heaven based upon the millions of adoring fans whose lives were touched by his music. Besides, he's the "King of Pop." Certainly God is impressed, right?

This would be a good time for all of us to remember that "it is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27)." This week, Mikaeel, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon were just individuals standing before a holy God. At that moment, earthly accomplishments ceased to matter and all that now matters is what they have done with Jesus Christ.

Rankin Hit a Home Run

I listened to Jerry Rankin's address to the Southern Baptist Convention last night. He knocked it out of the park. Due to financial constraints, the IMB has had to reduce the number of missionaries that it will support, lowering the number by 400 missionaries in the next year. Rankin asked Southern Baptists whether or not they believe that 5,000 missionaries (what we will have after the cuts) are enough to reach the world? The obvious answer is "No!"

Frankly, if the SBC is going to make cuts, the last place where cuts should be made is the IMB missionary force. I cannot help but think that an organization that raises $17 billion per year can find somewhere else to begin downsizing. Yes, cuts are painful, but they are more painful when millions of people will never hear the name of Jesus as a result.

We Knew It Was Offensive

I hate urban legends. I rarely go a day without getting one in my email. Someone received an email about some company or some politician attacking Christians when such attack never took place. Some evidence supporting our cause comes out when such evidence never existed. Snopes is my constant friend and I'm amazed that people don't evaluate slander before they send it...especially Christians who should actually care about the truth.

All of that being said, I am going to post something that will almost sound like an urban legend, but it is an email from a pastor I know in Utah regarding an experience he had with Wells Fargo Bank. Read the email, and do whatever you feel right, if anything at all.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hello All,

I first want to let you know that this email is not meant to offend anyone. If you read this and are offended please accept my personal apology and delete this email. If you receive this it is because I think you might be someone who is a friend and would want to know.

This is not a scam or an urban myth. This is a conversation I had myself with Wells Fargo Bank. I talked to customer service, online service and their executive office. I am still in contact and have more to do, but I wanted you to be updated on what Wells Fargo Bank sees as inappropriate.

If you have an account with Wells Fargo Bank, you can customize your debit or credit card to fit your personality or needs. That is the way they advertise it.

“The Wells Fargo Card Design Studio service is a free feature that lets you customize the design of your personal and business credit and debit cards. Customizing your card online is easy-and free. We'll provide a library of images for you to use, or you can upload your own. Simply make sure you have your digital image ready to upload, then get started below.”

I went online to do this for two of my cards that I use for the Church account and the Missions account. That way I could at a glance know the different cards. I read the rules and saw nothing wrong with the pictures I submitted. I submitted a picture of our Church building (which has a sign of the Church name on the building) and a picture that I took of our flag stand that we have for missions. Both of these pictures were denied without reason. So I called the customer service person and she said it was because those were religious and political images and are inappropriate. I asked her why and she said because they might offend other customers or retailers taking the cards. It might be perceived that Wells Fargo indorses our church. I asked her if she saw how ridicules her statement was? She said “no”. Here is their rule that they used to deny my pictures copied from their website:

Imagery or messaging that is violent, offensive, or anti-social; contains nudity or obscenity; or is political or religious in nature

It is sad to see that an American company that began as a home town Bank thinks that a picture of my Church building is offensive in the same line as nudity and obscenity! I would understand if I had a cross (burning or not), swastika, or an anti-America slant – but the picture of the front of our building… come on!

I do not want to do anything rash or harsh or start a political faction of anti-Wells Fargo, but I do want to inform as we see our country going further and further away from our heritage. I will be reviewing our options as we go forward and see where this leads me. If you have any thoughts, comments, or ideas please feel free to let me know.

Serving Him Because Of Who He Is!
Blake Alling
Pastor
Springville Baptist Church

If the Daughter's Name Had Not Been Palin?

Michelle Malkin hit the nail on the head with her response to David Letterman's attacks on Sarah Palin and her 14 year old daughter. Letterman, of course, recently created a stir by joking that Alex Rodriguez "knocked up" the underage girl during her visit to a Yankee's game.

This follows a recent incident in which Playboy magazine (which I don't read, by the way) ran a story by Guy Cimbalo in which he listed the top ten conservative women he wanted to rape.

Where is the backlash from feminists? Where is Nancy Pelosi's angry response? What if the name of the underage daughter had been Clinton or Obama? What if Michelle Obama's name had been on Cimbalo's "rape list?"

Feminists in America today seem to only be concerned with the rights of liberal women. No others are apparently worth protection or respect.

I Signed

After a couple weeks considering it, I have joined 3,409 others in signing the "Great Commission Resurgence Declaration."

You can read the document HERE and add your signature if you feel led.

Back in the Saddle

As most of you know, I was at a Doctor of Ministry seminar at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary last week. The month prior was spent preparing for the seminar, so I had to take a hiatus from blogging.

Anyway, I was very impressed by the plans of a church in California. Cornerstone Church in Semi Valley has decided that for their new sanctuary, they are going to save money by building an outdoor ampitheatre. From their website...

"The idea of building an outdoor sanctuary rather than an auditorium sprung from a desire to save millions of dollars. It came from a belief that God would rather we spend that money in other ways. It comes from a thought that God would receive more glory from seeing His children sacrifice for others- namely, those around the world who lack basic necessities. The idea then evolved into developing the property into more of a park-like setting that could be enjoyed by the church and community throughout the week. In this way, we would be giving to our community as well as to the needy around the world."

This won't work everywhere, but I am impressed that Cornerstone is taking on the issue of worship space in a radically different way.

Our Response to So-called "Art"

I've been getting emails lately about the "art" being displayed in New York City's Union Square by Michael D'Antuono. In it, our president is depicted as a Christ-figure. This work comes complete with a crown of thorns on his head, the ripping of veiled curtains in the background and arms uplifted, almost as if nailed to a cross. Obviously, this is offensive to any sincere believer. At least, I would hope so.

How do we respond? Are we supposed to join a crusade demanding that the Jesus we love be honored by those who do not know him? I think not. I read a quote today by Al Mohler that I'll pass along. Dr. Mohler is the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

"Let me point out that we serve a Christ who was scorned and rejected of men. We are never called upon to defend the honor of the Gospel. We are called upon to defend the Gospel. God will defend His own honor."

I understand that some well meaning Christians will not understand this line of thinking. But frankly, I expect Jesus to be hated by the world because that is exactly what Jesus said would happen. I am not going to spend time protesting, boycotting, organizing, notifying, vilifying, etc. because Jesus' words were actually fulfilled!

"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me." John 15:18-21

Michael D'Antuono's so-called art fulfills Jesus' words as well as anything I have seen. So what do we do when men insult our Lord? Preach the gospel and love people. Overcome evil with good. No fuss required.

If "the Name" Offends You...

It has been reported that Georgetown University covered up an inscription representing the name "Jesus" during the president's recent speech in one of their halls. Georgetown Univeristy, a private Catholic institution, should have nothing to hide. When a president visits a religious institution, that institution does not have to temporarily abandon its faith or the expression thereof in order to avoid a government stamp of approval on a particular religion. Georgetown should have respectfully told the president, "If the name of Jesus offends you, give your speech somewhere else." God forbid that we be so willing to sacrifice the expression of our faith in order to appease political power.

Four's a Crowd!

Levi McCall Harden

Born: April 3, 12:19 PM

7 lbs. 10 oz.

Mommy and baby are home and doing great. And Levi only got up once his first night at home. (We'll see if that continues!)

Mistakes Parents Make, Part 4

Our first response from an FBCH mom...

The first thing for me has to be the internet. The internet is the most wonderful yet the most harmful thing that has been introduced in our society. If it does not have NUMEROUS filters they are handing their child right over to Satan and his lies. My space is one of the most harmful and damaging items as you cannot see what is posted (said by or to your child) unless your Teen gives you access. It has never been allowed in our home and my kids have survived.

Parents do not know what they are reading, listening to or what they are watching (movies). Ask questions, pick up the book and read the back or skim through a few pages. Pick up the i-pod or at least let them know that if you find any questionable material, you will get rid of it.

Know their friends-who they are hanging out with. We always have the new friend over our house so I can find out a little more about them (their character and so forth). Why would we let or want our kids to hang out with people we know nothing about.

I know this is a touchy subject but why would Christian parents put their teen (the most venerable time of life) in a public school? I understand that sometimes it is a hardship financially but I do not think that is the majority. The school (and all of it's effects) have our children 7-8 hours per day. Besides the exposure and the general bad element of some teens, they teach our children contrary to everything we have tried to instill in them. It can put doubts in the minds of the already mixed up teen mentality. They will be taught evolution-have(outward) homosexual teachers-they will be taught how to disrespect their parents and adults from their peers as this is an epidemic in my opinion. Everything they will see and learn will be contrary to what is taught in the home-or at least what should be.

The parents are not showing their kids what a Christian marriage looks like. The parents are estranged to one another and that in and of itself can shake a kids security and safety about their own place and life. If the home is not a place of peace and safety-where you are loved-then they will look elsewhere. Peers can make you feel accepted-especially when you are going along with the gang-like doing drugs with everyone else. There is a saying that goes- THE MOST IMPORTANT THING A FATHER CAN DO FOR HIS CHILDREN IS TO LOVE THEIR MOTHER. Of course this goes both ways, but they NEED to see it. We must look like a bunch of hypocrites to our children. They see families fight and are torn apart and then walk in church and pretend. What does that say to them.

Parents and teens need to spend time together. Families don't even eat together anymore. It's a funny thing what happens when we sit down at dinner together. The conversation just starts (no TV on of course) and we are sharing and laughing and talking about our day without it being planned or forced.

I hear this a lot from parents-I don't have time for this-regarding dealing with their kids. "HELLO" they are your time-or at least they should be. For some reason they just don't want to be bothered-like it is someone else's responsibility to teach them and put in the time and hard work. They don't regard scripture enough and do not look at their children as a gift. I believe with all my heart that it is the most significant thing I will ever do-if I am successful in raising people who love the Lord and share their faith.

I also see women who do not want to do what God has called them to be and Husbands who will not lead. We are putting the cart before the horse when we try to teach and train these teens when we -their own parents - are a mess and not fulfilling the roles that God has laid out for us-clearly laid out for us. Where are the seasoned Christian saints telling and mentoring these younger women along? Why is it so hard to find men who will lead their families or just love their wives as Christ loves his church? How or why do we expect our teens to be any different than the world? Are we?

NO RESPECT! They have a complete lack of respect for adults. I have been disrespected before by my children but they were disciplined and it was made known that it was not acceptable-always! They have done it less and less over time the more consistent we are. It is tiring but commanded by us to train them up in the way they should go. I think the training applies to social graces, such as kindness, courteousness, respect for others and their property and so forth along with scripture.

Mistakes Parents Make, Part 3

From an FBCH Dad...

1) Allow them to choose not to go to church or youth, not an option, period! As long as they are under your roof or even supported by you during college they will attend church on Sundays. I believe that this will allow them to mature more, so they can make a decision to continue on their own, we hope.

2) Do not do family devotions or even pray together, God will always bless these no matter how unpolished.

3) Spare the rod of punishment, as they become older teens and spanking is no longer an option they are still (as all of us are) desperately wicked. They must have consequences for their negative actions as they will have them when they are adults and they are usually much more severe then.

4) Allow them to choose who they talk to or hang out with, without looking into who these individuals really are or what is deemed OK by their parents' standards.

5) Allow them to make up their own mind about what they believe is proper dress. Some of these fathers need to get some backbone as well as realize what they were thinking about at that age.

6) Allowed to watch TV that is not filtered or is in their bedrooms. Almost all programing has things that are contrary to the word of God.

7) Allowed to listen to music that the lyrics have not been screened for inappropriate content. Most parents would be shocked if they knew some of the garbage that their kid's are listening to.

9) Allow them the opportunity to be alone with someone of the opposite sex. (Never!)

8) Allow them to have little or no responsibility, wake them up, clean after them or no chores.

10) Do not eat dinner together as a family. WOW, how informative could that time be each day.

I should have numbered this one towards the top: Model to them how you love your spouse as Christ loved the church (remembering that it is a work in progress, that is never finished).

We Knew This Was Coming

A British scientist from Oxford University is recommending that the organs of aborted babies be donated to those in need of transplants.

"I am sure very few of those on the transplant list would rather die than accept an organ from an aborted fetus," Richard Gardner said.

If it's okay to destroy a human life to harvest stem cells, why is it not okay to destroy a human life farther along in gestation to harvest organs? You cannot draw a line between the two and maintain any level of serious logical consistency. This is why God's policy is best...respect life, PERIOD.

Read the whole story HERE.

Mistakes Parents Make, Part 2

I recently began posting some of the responses I received from FBCH members about the biggest mistakes parents make. Here's another...

Allowing your kids to stay overnight at a friends house when you don't know the family well enough.

Leaving your teenager home alone on a night when there is a science experiment due the next day! You might return to find the house has burned down to the ground (almost happened).

Here is a third, not monitoring you teenager's "My Space" on a surprise basis. On a related note, not stressing that "My Space" account is a privilege not a right.

Finally, allowing our kids to believe that leisure, recognition, and the accumulation of "stuff" is what gives meaning to life.

The Bulls Eye on Homeschooling

Millions of children are homeschooled in America. The reason why most of these are not in pubic school is because they have Christian parents who are concerned about the worldview their children would be taught. Others are simply concerned for their children's safety and cannot afford private school. Regardless of the reason, there is and has been a bulls eye upon homeschooling in America. A state appellate court ruled it illegal in California last year, unless the parent has a teaching certificate.

The latest? A judge in North Carolina ordered a homeschooling mother in the midst of divorce proceedings to send her children to public school. Judge Ned Mangum issued the ruling, even after acknowledging that her children were excelling academically. (Two of her three children are two grades above grade level and the other is at grade level.)

Tomorrow there is a big protest by homeschoolers across the state. I hope the turnout is strong.

Straight Talk About Cloning

In yesterday's Baptist Press, assistant editor Michael Foust wrote what I believe to be the best article on stem cell research and cloning that I have ever read. It is straight forward, simple, well argued and dead-on accurate. I don't say this often, but this article is almost a must read.

In this article, Foust says...

If America is going to have a debate about cloning -- as it appears we're on the verge of doing -- we all should at least be honest. There are two types of cloning: 1) reproductive cloning, in which a cloned embryo is placed inside a woman in hopes that it will implant and grow into a full-sized baby, and 2) research or therapeutic cloning, in which an embryo is cloned in order to harvest its stem cells -- a procedure that of course destroys the embryo. In each instance, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is used to create the embryo. The only difference is what is done with the embryo.

Read the entire article HERE.

Mistakes Parents Make, Part 1

I recently asked the parents of my church to tell me the most common mistakes they see parents make. In other words, how do parents hinder themselves from reaching the goal of raising children who will fear and love the Lord? I'll be posting some of the responses I got, without names, of course. There will be some overlap, but that's okay. Repetition is good!

Here's one parent's answers...

Failing to have a set breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner time together (this creates unity, security, and order and an opportunity to dialogue with your children)

Failing to tell your children that you love them and that you're proud of them. Building their self-esteem and teaching them to be verbally expressive of their feelings.

Christians kids shouldn't "date". This is a cultural norm - not biblical. Believers should court, but not date. Believing the fallacy that you must date several boys/girls before you'll know who to marry is unbiblical .

Unfiltered TV and/or unlimited TV

Unfiltered movie viewing (PG-13, Rated R movies with foul language, sexually suggestive content, etc)

Allowing them to wear suggestive clothing

Parents who send their children to public schools when they can afford private school or can home school them. They're turning their children over to the enemy - (directly by what is being taught and indirectly by allowing them to be influenced by non-believers and their behaviors). Believers should not send them to Athens to be educated, but to Jerusalem.

Failing to discipline them (from placing them in a corner to "the rod"...belt or switch)

Playing psychologist with your children...too much pop psychology de-emphasizes the parental role (which is necessary for them to learn if they're to learn to submit to their heavenly Father). They're not the parent or adult!

Allowing children to make too many choices or making big choices to early in life. Leads to insecurity.

Failing to know the Word of God...can't answer the basic questions of the faith leading them to lose their "authority" on matters of life and the spiritual realm (your sermon this past week hit a bulls eye!)

No chores leads to not understanding responsibility or failing to teach children that work is a high calling (Puritan work ethic) leads to a "welfare mentality". Privileges must be earned...this leads to disciplined work ethic

Unruliness during worship - disrespectful to the Lord (maybe a little off center on this one, but I see parents allowing this which means they don't understand the nature of worship which is we go to give to God rather than receive from God).

Allowing them to eat whatever they want (sugar/caffeine laden foods) which leads to poor nutrition. Then wondering why their kids misbehave.

The Joshua Challege

I recently preached a three week series on parenting, wrapping it up this past Sunday with Joshua's challenge from Joshua 24:14-15. ("As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.") I kept asking myself, "What would this challenge look like in the 21st century?" Obviously, the basic principle would not change, but how would such a challenge apply to the challenges today's parents face? I wrote the following version of "The Joshua Challenge" and challenged our members to sign it and keep it this Sunday. Have any suggested additions? Let me know. Regardess, I encourage YOU to take this challenge today.

The Joshua Challenge

I will model for my children a genuine fear of God and a life of service to Him.

I will ensure that my children always have a father/mother praying for them, with them and over them.

I will practice loving, Biblical discipline so that my children will know that there are consequences for wrong doing.

I will take seriously my responsibility to remove from my home and my children’s sphere of influence anything that might influence them to reject God’s Word or turn away from God’s authority over their lives.

I will do my best to be aware of the friends my children keep, the music they listen to, the publications they read, the web sites they visit and the entertainment they enjoy. Furthermore, I will have the final say regarding all of the above that may enter my home.

I will be aware of the worldview and values that my children are being taught at school, whether public or private. I will do everything I can to ensure that they are taught a Biblical worldview and godly values.

Living Hope

Peter said that we have a "living hope" through Christ's resurrection from the dead. Perhaps you'll find no greater example of how that hope expresses itself than the testimony of Cindy Winters, wife os slain SBC pastor Fred Winters from First Baptist Church of Maryville, Illinois. Fred was shot while preaching in the early service at his church on March 8.

CLICK HERE to see Cindy's interview on the Early Show, or scoll down to the bottom to see the funeral service. (Cindy's testimony is at the 88 minute mark.)

Who Would You Play?

Imagine that you're the manager of a baseball team. You're down by a run and the bases are loaded in the bottom half of the last inning with two outs. You have to make a choice. You have two potential pinch hitters available.

One is an all-star with a batting average over .300. The other player has struck out every time. To be honest, it's time he's sent back to the minors because he has yet to do anything that proves that he belongs in the big leagues. Which one will you choose?

Our president had the same decision to make on stem cell research. Adult stem cell research, the kind that does not destroy human life, has helped to provide treatments and cures for over 70 diseases. Not bad. Embryonic stem cell research, the kind that destroys actual human life (and not potential human life)...zero. Yet, Barak Obama decided that our tax dollars should go to research which has yet to produce a cure, in spite of the fact that it has received tremendous funding through the private sector and from other governments.

Of course, even if embryonic stem cell research produced many cures, that would not justify destroying innocent human life. The fact that it has repeatedly struck out only makes this decision all the more baffling.

"In the Garden"

"In the Garden" is the first of three messages I recently preached on the topic of failure. We can not only learn from our own failures in life, but also from the failures of others. John 18 gives us the opportunities to do just that. In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see Jesus confronted by Failure #1...Judas Iscariot.

God is Awesome

We had an awesome time washing cars today. We definitely got to share the gospel with more people and on a deeper level than we would on an average day doing traditional visitation. A few signs of God at work:
* The first vehicle that pulled up had a mother and a daughter from Fort Lauderdale on their way to the Keys for a day of fun. The mother was TOTALLY new age. The daughter, however, has visited Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale and had had numerous seeds that had been planted. She clearly did not agree with her mother's theology. Long story short, the daughter prayed and accepted Christ, even while her mother was telling one of our church members about her new age beliefs just a few feet away.
* A Haitian man showed up for a car wash who turned out to be a believer. However, he told his boss this past week that he wanted Sunday's off so that he could go to church. Tomorrow is his last Sunday working. I said, "That's great. What church do you attend?" He replied, "I going to be looking for one. But I'll start with yours!"
* At the end, we were recounting the wonderful stories the Lord had given us that day. As we were doing so, I said, "Boy, I sure would love to do this about once a month." I went inside to thank Don (owner of Homestead Rex Tire) for allowing us to wash cars at his shop. Don said, "This has been great. You should do this once a month."

Who's Who?

Check out the two pictures below. Can you tell which one is Brenda and which one is Rachel?

Washing Cars for Jesus

Pray for us on Saturday. We'll be washing cars for FREE at Rex Tire on US 1 starting at 10:00 am. Why? To communicate the love of Christ in a visible way, to meet new people with the goal of establishing relationships with the unchurched in our community and, if God gives us divine appointments, to share the reason for the hope that is within us. Pray that all of the above will take place!

Stem Cell Research Lecture by David Prentice

Dr. David Prentice is the Senior Fellow for Life Sciences, Center for Human Life and Bioethics at the Family Research Council. He gave a speech on embryonic stem cell research that is worthwhile. You can watch it HERE. Of course, embryonic stem cell research sounds like Christian compassion because it offers to alleviate the suffering of those with various diseases who hope this research will provide cures. However, the research itself destroys human life which was made in the image of God. Christians need to understand why this type of research should not be supported legally or financially.

It's Gonna Take a Team Effort

The president is set to sign the $787 billion dollar stimulus bill that the house and senate just approved. This debt, of course, will have to be repaid, so I've been thinking about some ways we can do it. Today being Valentine's Day, it hit me.

Americans are spending about $14 billion per year on Valentine's day, including cards, candy, dinner and flowers. What if we all agree to forgo Valentine's day for awhile and instead, send what we would have spent to Uncle Sam as payments on this bill? If we start next year, and if everyone in America agrees, we'll finally have the principle paid by 2066. I'm not sure what interest rate the Chinese are giving us for this loan. But suffice it to say, my son Levi (about to be born) will probably never live to see Valentine's day if we follow this plan. His life expectancy will have passed before this bill, meant to stimulate the economy today, is finally paid off. Maybe we could all send consolation notes to the would be recipients of our goodies. A card in the year 2055 might say, "Dear ______. in lieu of flowers, I just sent $112 to the Internal Revenue Service in your honor. Just think, thanks to our sacrifice, our grandchildren will once again experience the joy of Valentine's bliss and the 2009 stimulus (which we weren't around to enjoy) will be repaid. Love, __________."

Of course, I haven't run this by my wife yet. But let's get some momentum going on this thing. Maybe we can use Christmas to knock out the bank bailout. What do ya think?

Lessons From the Lord's Prayer

Many people confuse the "Lord's Prayer" with a model prayer that Jesus used in Matthew Six as a means of teaching the disciples how to pray. However, the real Lord's Prayer - in which we get a glimpse of Jesus himself praying to the Father - is found in John 17. The following is a four part series I recently preached on this prayer.

"Lessons From the Lord's Prayer"
Part 1
John 17:1-5
January 4, 2009

"Lessons From the Lord's Prayer"
Part 2
John 17:6-12
January 11, 2009

"Lessons From the Lord's Prayer"
Part 3
John 17:13-19
January 18, 2009

"Lessons From the Lord's Prayer"
Part 4
John 17:20-26
January 25, 2009

How Ironic

A local woman is suing a Miami abortion clinic after the abortionist failed to show up on time and an actual birth took place. The baby, at 23 weeks, was then placed into a garbage bag, hidden in a closet and left to die. A tip to the police enabled them to discover the body.

The ironic thing is that this mother went to the abortion clinic for the purpose of terminating the life of her child. The end result was exactly as she had intended. However, something happened in the process that changed everything...she saw her baby girl gasping for air. Suddenly, her desire to end this child's life was overwhelmed by a desire to preserve it.

This is why stricter laws are needed to ensure that babies that make it past the mother's womb in an abortion clinic be given every chance of survival. This is why every mother should be given adequate information about the life inside of her. And this is why we should never stop praying and working for the end of abortion.

A Good Arrangement

I have had several friends who started churches renting public school facilities that went unused on the weekends. The church benefits because it provides them a place to meet for worship without having to build a facility they cannot yet afford. The schools benefit because they increase their revenue without having to make any changes to their weekly operation. And there is no blurring of the line between separation of church and state.

Apparently, this arrangement may come to an end. Some of our friends on Capitol Hill are using a stipulation in the much discussed stimulus bill to refuse federal funds to any school that rents its facility to churches (or any religious groups, for that matter) on weekends. This would mean that schools right here in Homestead would be forced to choose between kicking out the renting churches or losing funding. Churches in our own backyard could suddenly be without a place of worship.

Let's make this a matter of prayer and make sure our representatives know that this is an arrangement that does not need to be federally terminated.

Where Am I?

There's only one place on this map that is over 70 today, much less over 80...and I live there. This map says it all. Not gloating, just speaking the truth in love. God bless South Florida in January!

Let All God's People Say "Amen!"

Since I'm on the theme of prayer for the new president, here is one by Dr. Al Mohler that is the cream of the crop. I was both inspired and encouraged by it, and I pray that we will all endeavor to do our part to make it a reality in the years ahead.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our Father, Lord of all creation, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: We pray today with a sense of special urgency and responsibility. We come before you to pray for our new President, Barack Obama, and for all those in this new administration who now assume roles of such high responsibility.

We know that you and you alone are sovereign; that you rule over all, and that you alone are able to keep and defend us. We know that our times are in your hands, and that "the king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord" [Proverbs 21:1]. Our confidence is in you and in you alone. We come before you as a people who acknowledge our constant need for your provision, wisdom, and protection.

Father, we pray today for Barack Obama as he takes office as President of the United States. We pray that you will show the glory of your name in our times and in these days, confounding the wisdom of the wise, thwarting the plans of the arrogant, and vindicating those who do justice and practice righteousness.

Father, we pray with thanksgiving for the gift of government and the grace of civic order. Thank you for giving us rulers and for knowing our need for laws and ordered life together. Thank you for this nation and the blessings we know as its citizens. Thank you for freedoms unprecedented in human history. We understand that these freedoms come with unprecedented opportunities.

Lord, we pray with thanksgiving for the joy and celebration reflected on millions of faces who never expected to look to the President of the United States and see a person who looks like themselves. Father, thank you for preserving this nation to the moment when an African-American citizen will take the oath of office and become our President. Thank you for the hope this has given to so many, the pride emerging in hearts that had known no such hope, and the pride that comes to a people who have experienced such pain at the hands of fellow citizens, simply because of the color of their skin. Father, we rejoice in every elderly face that reflects such long-sought satisfaction and in every young face that expresses such unrestrained joy. May this become an open door for a vision of race and human dignity that reflects your glory in our differences, and not our corruption of your gift.

Father, protect this president, we pray. We pray that you will surround this president and his family, along with all our leaders, with your protection and sustenance. May he be protected from evil acts and evil intentions, and may his family be protected from all evil and harm.

We pray that the Obama family will be drawn together as they move into the White House, and that they will know great joy in their family life. We are thankful for the example Barack and Michelle Obama have set as parents. Father, protect those precious girls in every way -- including the protection of their hearts as they see their father often criticized and as he is away from them on business of state. May their years in the White House bring them all even closer together.

Father, we pray for the safety and security of this nation, even as our new president settles into his role as Commander in Chief. We know that you and you alone can be our defense. We do not place our trust in horses or chariots, and we pray that you will give this president wisdom as he fulfills this vital responsibility.

Father, grant him wisdom in every dimension of his vast responsibility. Grant him wisdom to deal with a global financial crisis and with the swirling complex of vexing problems and challenges at home and abroad. May he inspire this nation to a higher vision for our common life together, to a higher standard of justice, righteousness, unity, and the tasks of citizenship.

Father, we pray that you will change this president's heart and mind on issues of urgent concern. We are so thankful for his gifts and talents, for his intellect and power of influence. Father, bend his heart to see the dignity and sanctity of every single human life, from the moment of conception until natural death. Father, lead him to see abortion, not as a matter of misconstrued rights, but as a murderous violation of the right to life. May he come to see every aborted life as a violation of human dignity and every abortion as an abhorrent blight upon this nation's moral witness. May he pledge himself to protect every human life at every stage of development. He has declared himself as an energetic defender of abortion rights, and we fear that his election will lead directly to the deaths of countless unborn human beings. Protect us from this unspeakable evil, we pray. Most urgently, we pray that you will bring the reign of abortion to an end, even as you are the defender of the defenseless.

Father, may this new president see that human dignity is undermined when human embryos are destroyed in the name of medical progress, and may he see marriage as an institution that is vital to the very survival of civilization. May he protect all that is right and good. Father, change his heart where it must be changed, and give him resolve where his heart is right before you.

Father, when we face hard days ahead -- when we find ourselves required by conscience to oppose this president within the bounds of our roles as citizens -- may we be granted your guidance to do so with a proper spirit, with a proper demeanor, and with persuasive arguments. May we learn anew how to confront without demonizing, and to oppose without abandoning hope.

Father, we are aware that our future is in your hands, and we are fully aware that you and you alone will judge the nations. Much responsibility is now invested in President Barack Obama, and much will be required. May we, as Christian citizens, also fulfill what you would require of us. Even as we pray for you to protect this president and change his heart, we also pray that your church will be protected and that you will conform our hearts to your perfect will.

Father, we pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, the ever-reigning once and future King, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. He and he alone can save, and his kingdom is forever. Above all, may your great name be praised. Amen.

Inaugural Prayer

I didn't watch the inauguration, but I did go back and watch the video of Rick Warren's prayer. Definitely better than Robinson's, but I just have to say, if Martin Luther King Jr. is shouting in heaven, it's because of the glory of Jesus, not the inauguration of Barack Obama.

That being said, kudos to Warren for praying in the NAME.

A video of Warren's prayer is HERE.

"god of our many understandings?"

Here is the prayer that Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson prayed at an inaugural event on Sunday. This prayer is a perfect example of just how confused is the state of mainstream denominationalism in America. My comments follow...

“O god of our many understandings, we pray that you will bless us with tears – tears for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women in many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.

Bless this nation with anger – anger at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of color, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

Bless us with discomfort at the easy, simplistic answers we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth about ourselves and our world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.

Bless us with patience and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be fixed anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.

Bless us with humility, open to understanding that our own needs as a nation must always be balanced with those of the world. Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance, replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences.

Bless us with compassion and generosity, remembering that every religion’s god judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable.

And god, we give you thanks for your child, Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States. Give him wisdom beyond his years. Inspire him with President Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr. King’s dream of a nation for all people.

Give him a quiet heart, for our ship of state needs a steady, calm captain.

Give him stirring words. We will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.

Make him color-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.

Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.

Give him strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.

And please, god, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking far too much of this one. We implore you, O good and great god, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity, and peace. Amen"

First of all, God is not the "god of our many understandings." God is not who we make Him. He is who He has revealed Himself to be. This opening title perfectly embodies the attempt by many to conform God into our image instead of the other way around.

Secondly, Robinson asks "god" to give us anger against discrimination. He is quick to mention discrimination against the GLBT community, as if any form of dissent, including Biblical dissent, is discrimination. He does not, of course, mention the real discrimination against born again Christians.

Perhaps most insulting, Robinson prays for "freedom from mere tolerance, replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences." It is no longer enough, in Robinson's mind, to merely tolerate the practice of evil. We must endorse it. Robinson essentially prays that right will be wrong and wrong will be right, ignoring the "Woe" of Isaiah 5:20.

Let's pray that our new president will be wise enough to ignore this kind of wisdom and seek the true counsel of the Word of God.

You can actually watch the prayer by clicking here.

Name That Quote

Let's play a game. I'll post a quote and the first person to guess who said it gets a free ice cream cone. Ready...set...go...

"When history looks back to this era it should recognize this generation as one which cared about human beings enough to halt the practice of war, to provide a decent living for every family, and to fulfill its responsibility to its children from the very moment of conception."

Hmmmm, was it:

A. Nancy Pelosi

B. Ronald Reagan

C. Ted Kennedy

D. Pope John Paul II

E. Jerry Falwell

F. Gerald Ford

G. Jimmy Carter

Bravo Bott

BP ran a story about a Christian radio network that was required under FCC regulations to air Obama commercials during the recent presidential campaign. However, there is no law that says that Bott Radio Network must actually keep the money. So what did this Christian network do with Obama's money? They gave it to pro-life causes!

"We spread his wealth around," Rich Bott said.

Way to go.

Uncommon Wisdom

Wachovia bank had a slogan a few years back called "Uncommon Wisdom." They argued that when it came to handling your money, they possessed uncommon wisdom. That can be argued, but here is something that cannot from the book of Deuteronomy.

"For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none." Deuteronomy 15:6

What was good wisdom in Moses' day is good wisdom for the US OF A. We should not borrow from other nations...period. However, compare this verse with the following quote from our president-elect:

"We're already looking at a trillion-dollar budget deficit or close to a trillion-dollar budget deficit, and that potentially we've got trillion-dollar deficits for years to come, even with the economic recovery that we are working on at this point," Obama said.

Trillion-dollar defecits for years to come? Why? When a single party controls the house, senate and the White House, what's stopping them from balancing the budget right now? An unwillingness to face the music is what. The republican party, of course, was just as wrong when they controlled virtually all of Washington but refused to give us a balanced budget either.

The bottom line is both parties need to sit down with open Bibles and learn the real uncommon wisdom from God's Word.