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Friday,
April 30 1:00 PM "When chaos shows its head," Radetski said, "we need an anchor for our faith. You need that rock that God promises to be. I consider it an honor to fulfill their request." Thank God for our chaplains.
8:30 AM I was asked yesterday what we as a nation can actually do to stop abortion. Here are a few suggestions from David Brownlow:
We now know one thing for sure, the carnage will not stop with the compromises and false promises made by insincere politicians. Thirty years of endless talk has proved that. Congress has the authority to end abortion tomorrow by defining the 5th Amendment "person" to include unborn American persons - and there is nothing the courts could do about it! Why do our "pro-life" leaders refuse to even talk about this?
Congress could also throw a major wrench into the works of the death peddlers by invoking Article 3, Section 2 provisions in the Constitution to overturn Roe vs. Wade. The inaction of our "pro-life" leaders in Congress can either mean they have no intention of taking even the slightest political risk to end the slaughter, or they really do not think the killing of an innocent child is that big a deal.
When bloodthirsty madmen drove those planes into our buildings and killed 3,000 Americans, we knew exactly how to respond. How do we stand by and watch the slaughter of 3,800 Americans every single day by men just as bloodthirsty, and just as mad, and not have the same outrage?
We need leaders who will fight for the lives of our precious children. We need leaders who will not compromise and who will never back down! Brownlow also has some perceptive comments on the partial birth abortion scam. Yes, this issue is a hill on which to die, as Baptist pastor John Piper has also noted:
Dr. John Piper is a one-issue voter. If you're not, why not? 6:45 AM The pollsters and pundits have been busy lately. On the Wall Street Journal's opinion site last week, Peggy Noonan insisted that recent polls indicate Americans love Bush: "They can tell that George W. Bush is looking out for America." She stressed his "popularity continues high." According to the latest Gallup/CNN/Time poll, 56 percent have a favorable opinion of Bush, compared to 42 percent who had an unfavorable one. But just three months ago, 65 percent had a favorable opinion of Bush, while 35 percent were unfavorable. That's a 16-point shift away from Bush already in 2004. Fox News recorded a 21-point swing in the favorable/unfavorable category since January. And in the latest Zogby International poll, the president's favorable rating was just 53 percent, the lowest ever. All of which raises questions about Bush's vulnerability in the fall campaign. Earlier this year I asked:
If the trends noted above continue, Bush's "popularity" will continue to plummet, perhaps even making him unelectable. Time will tell, but a third party candidacy is making more and more sense in this volatile year of politics-as-unusual. Above all, it is a time for national repentance. As I speak in churches across the nation I have reiterated continually that when nations turn their back on God their fate is clear: "The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God" (Psalm 9:17). 6:30 AM The latest Freedom Watch contains this classic quote by former Sen. Barry Goldwater, a Republican conservative:
How far we have fallen - and yet what a tremendous opportunity, I believe, for all true conservatives to take an uncompromising stand for God and the Constitution this election cycle. Thursday, April 29 1:35 PM Bernard Goldberg's Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distorts the News is a good reminder of why I refuse to get my news from TV. 1:29 PM Last night I read the story of Jessica Lynch and was reminded of the words of John Chrysostom (AD 344-407):
If you need to explore this area in greater detail, please see my essay "Women in Combat: Still a Bad Idea" as well as the numerous links on this excellent page compiled by Michael Marlowe. 12:27 PM Political machinations are nothing new in the GOP, but the president's support of a pro-aborticide, pro-sodomy Republican Senator in Pennsylvania over a pro-life candidate reaches a new low. Does anyone really think that Specter is going to go to bat for Bush after receiving such undeserved support? Such political cowardice is mind-boggling. Tomorrow I will post more on this subject, which will dog the Republicans all the way to the November polls. 8:25 AM Joseph Farah on just how "conservative" Republicans are in Pennsylvania. Truth be told, those of us who voted for Bush in 2000 didn't leave the Republican Party; the Republican Party left us.
8:23 AM Another good reason to live in Virginia. (Hat tip to Pieter at Deux Ego. By the way, Pieter: You and your family are welcome to stay on our farm while y'all are looking for your new home in the Old Dominion state.) 7:45 AM Yet another response to my essay "Suffer the Little Children":
If you have a moment, you might take a look at the Family of Faith website mentioned above. 7:02 AM Douglas Southall Freeman's biography of Robert E. Lee is perhaps the finest treatment of the character and military genius of that great Southern gentleman. While I prefer reading the hardcopy version, an electronic version is also available, free of charge, here. It is my privilege from time to time to speak on Lee in schools and clubs. I usually give my talk, "How Tall Was Robert E. Lee?" In ten lifetimes I could never be the man he was, but his example, I believe, is one we can all aspire to. Wednesday, April 28 12:45 PM Fox News is running an interview it had with Constitution Party presidential candidate Michael Peroutka and former Alabama chief justice Roy Moore. Don't be surprised to see the CP candidates (Peroutka/Baldwin) getting more such attention from the mainstream media in the very near future. 9:07 AM A few more Hunley funeral pics from Charleston (Pvt. Black - the bearded feller - is dead center in second photo from left): 8:35 AM Just came across this disturbing report about SBC membership/attendance statistics. Most troubling, perhaps, are these stats: (1) of 16.5 million members, less than 6 million regularly attend primary worship on Sunday mornings; and (2) more than 10,000 SBC churches didn't baptize a single person last year. In an essay entitled "Deadly Evangelism," SBC pastor Tom Ascol has noted:
The truth is that there is no such thing as "inactive" church membership according to the New Testament. I don't have the solution to this problem, but Ascol may be right: perhaps we are more interested in decisions than discipleship. Let us remember that pastors are teachers, that all things are to be done for edification (1 Cor 14:26), and that discipleship is every bit as important as evangelism. 7:50 AM This Sunday I have the privilege of kicking off a series of messages at Front Street Baptist Church in Roxboro, NC. The schedule is as follows:
If you are interested in attending any of these services please contact pastor Lance Murphy for times and location at rlancemurphy@earthlink.net. 7:05 AM Now THIS is interesting: a Republican telling Republicans on a Republican website why it's foolish to continue to vote for Republicans like Bush and Specter (who just defeated Pat Toomey in the PA primary):
6:50 AM I've been meaning to subscribe for a long time, but finally took the plunge today. Pat Buchanan and Taki Theodoracopulos are stirring up the establishment like no publication has done in some time, and that alone is worth the subscription price. If you are unfamiliar with The American Conservative, it deserves a look-see. Tuesday, April 27 1:05 AM When I heard the news today that Pastor Chuck Baldwin will officially be Michael Peroutka's running mate on the Constitution Party ticket I immediately fell upon my knees in praise and adoration and thanksgiving to God. If man can influence history, he can influence it for evil as well as for good. The Bible says that God created history - in contrast to what Eastern religions teach - and that history is real and significant. I believe that this is a truly historic moment in our nation's life. My joy is in seeing many who have come to the end of themselves and of all human solutions to our cultural problems and who seek to return to the old paths under the aegis of the Sacred Scriptures and the U.S. Constitution. Tomorrow I will have more to say about this, but for now, heartiest congratulations to you, Pastor Baldwin, and to the Constitution Party. In multos annos! 8:24 AM The Biblical Studies Foundation posted this interesting essay on marriage and the husband's role specifically. It contains sound teaching on the kind of selective, sacrificial, and servant love a husband must express toward his wife. Here's the conclusion:
7:13 AM A reader sent the following response to my essay “Suffer the Little Children”:
I’m grateful that this brother raised this issue. It gives me an opportunity to address an extremely crucial question for modern church reform that deserves a careful answer. Contrary to what the reader might think, those like myself who are calling for a return to New Testament ecclesiology are not asking Christians to implement practices that were clearly cultural (e.g., using candles in our meetings, wearing tunics or sandals, writing on parchment, etc.). Neither are we exalting first-century Christianity (the early churches had many problems as exemplified by the Corinthians and the Galatians), except where a distinctive apostolic pattern is established. However, it is an absurdity to think that only those things that are directly commanded in the New Testament should be practiced by our churches. For instance, since there is no direct command in the New Testament to meet on Sunday, should we meet on Mondays? Since no passage commands us to meet weekly, should we meet every other month (incidentally, this would “technically” fulfill the command in Heb.10:25)? Since there is no command to observe the Lord’s Supper weekly, should we do it once a year? Since there is no explicit command that every church have a plurality of elders, should we install one man as our sole leader? A great Southern Baptist theologian, J.L. Dagg, in his Manual of Church Order, spoke directly to this issue of direct command (and its absence) in matters of church practice. Please read what he said prayerfully and carefully.
Dagg’s conclusion is well-supported by numerous New Testament texts that point to the vital importance of apostolic precept:
The point is this: the church should be continually reformed by the criteria of God’s Word – that is, the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42). But it does not seem possible to me to be truly faithful to the apostles when we hold firmly to their orthodoxy but hold loosely (or not at all) to their orthopraxy. Robert Saucy, my good friend and former colleague at Talbot School of Theology in California, wrote a classic text on the church called The Church in God’s Program. In it he has written (pp. 7-8):
To which I say, Amen! Monday, April 26 12:30 PM Just received this insightful response to my essay "Suffer the Little Children":
I could not agree more. Nowhere in the Bible are young children removed from their parents for biblical teaching. The same thing is true for teenagers. Where fathers are delinquent in their responsibility, churches should not focus on the un-taught children but on the delinquent fathers. I say this as a former youth pastor in Hawaii, who has come to the conviction that the flaws and dangers inherent within youth groups far outweigh whatever benefits they might provide. 10:23 AM What do the ACLU, the Episcopal Church USA, Planned Parenthood of America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the National Organization for Women, and the United Methodist Board of Church and Society all have in common? 10:20 AM This day in history:
Thus the words of the first English settlers in America, who landed in Virginia on April 26, 1607. 9:47 AM Just two weeks to go to the 140th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Spotsylvania, Virginia, May 7-9 at historic Belvedere Plantation near Fredericksburg. If you live near the event I hope you can attend. And be sure to introduce yourself to us. Just look for the 30th North Carolina Troops (Army of Northern Virginia camp). 9:30 AM Mark Dankof's latest essay tackles the tough questions of war, empire, Iraq and the Middle East, the 2004 election, and the coming demise of the neoconservative movement. An excerpt:
Read more here. 7:45 AM My essay "One Christian's Case Against George Bush" elicited this response from a reader in New Jersey:
Thank you, sir, for stepping up to the plate (even if you feel it was by default). I will keep you in my prayers. Saturday, April 24 7:35 PM Sheldon Richman shows how 9/11 could have been prevented. 7:30 PM A few months ago I began a class in Norfolk that met at the First Baptist Church's excellent facilities. Today that class came to an end. After my final lecture (it just happened to be on the number 666 in Revelation 13) each of my students shared with the rest of the class an overview of the term papers they wrote, and they did an absolutely fantastic job. Topics ran the gamut - from eldership in the church, to the weekly observance of the Lord's Supper, to the home church movement, to the seeker-sensitive model (come and see) versus biblical evangelism (go and tell), to the "contextualized" church on the mission field (written by a young man who has already served as a missionary in Asia for two years), to worship music and styles. I had a blast doing the class and will miss these young men and women. Thanks to all for your excellent notebooks, term papers, and Christ-like attitudes, and best to you as you write your final exam in the following weeks. I look forward to reading (and grading) them. Finally, special thanks to Sandy Alberson of FBC Norfolk for his assistance in setting up the room each month, fetching and/or copying materials for the class, providing me with a write-board and pens, and, in general, just being a great guy with a servant's heart. Friday, April 23 9:30 AM A reminder that our chapel messages are available at our seminary's website. I would especially encourage you to listen to Dr. Akin's excellent exposition of Philippians 2:1-11 for a resounding call to unity and humility in the Body of Christ. You will be blessed and challenged! Thursday, April 22 9:45 AM Miscellany: Our 2005 Reformation Tour package is almost complete (pending final pricing); hope to post it shortly...off to Norfolk this weekend to finish up my New Testament Introduction class with some really great students; their papers have to deal with any aspect of ecclesiology from the epistles; I expect some good treatises...my sabbatical for the fall was approved by the seminary's Board of Trustees...after preaching in Wylliesburg (VA) last night I met a Farrier who "just happened" to be in attendance; I had been looking for a horse shoer who works in Southside Virginia for weeks...had a good showing at our home near Oxford (as my wife likes to say, "It'll sell when it sells")...we are gearing up for our next reenactment - the 140th Spotsylvania; should be gobs of fun...off to chapel! 9:10 AM Once again the Bush administration is boasting about its pro-life position. In a recent speech to the National Right to Life Committee, Dick Cheney said, "It doesn't matter if you're Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative, male or female, black or white, ... north or south, east or west, all that matters is your respect for the claim of every life." The facts, of course, belie this claim, as David Brownlow notes in reference to the Partial Birth Abortion Ban:
8:40 AM Revelation - the Musical. 8:29 AM Bush's befuddled responses to questions at his recent news conference are costing the Republicrats. 8:15 AM Lutheran pastor and good friend Mark Dankof wrote this response to Joseph Farah of WND. The establishment drones won't want you to consider what Mark has to say - which is precisely why you should read this letter.
7:45 AM Here are a few pictures my wife took at the Hunley funeral in Charleston last Saturday (click to enlarge): Wednesday, April 21 12:33 PM A letter from the Peroutka Campaign website indicates growing support for constitutional principles in America:
9:20 AM Robert Sheer says Bush broke the "Pottery Barn" rule: you own what you break. 8:25 AM Deja vu all over again.
8:00 AM Today is Secretary's Day. The secretary in our quad of offices deserves much more than the card and hanging fern I gave her today. My secretary is as competent, considerate, gracious, and efficient as any assistant I've had in 27 years of teaching. Hat's off to Mrs. Keith on this her special day. Tuesday, April 20
9:02 AM "Alle Welt schaut
auf Spanien." ("The whole world is looking at Spain.") Thus begins
this interesting essay
about the "Zapatero effect" in today's Die Zeit.
No doubt about it: the Empire is engendering more chaos than it anticipated.
Today
Honduras,
8:25 AM Prayer of David Brainerd, born this day in 1718:
8:22 AM Quandary for GOP-ers? 8:02 AM Constitutionalist and libertarian pundit Harry Browne has some observations on what it means to live in a "free" society. Read it and weep. 7:30 AM Just received this:
Thanks, Bryan. The GOA link has been added.
6:48 AM Once again, some
good news on the pro-life scene. I've just been informed that from May 10 -
21, 2004, Missionaries to the Preborn will
travel to various cities in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and
Georgia. At each stop, the missionaries will line the streets with large
five foot photographs of murdered preborn babies. They will also pass out
100,000 pieces of literature during the twelve day tour that expose the
atrocities committed against preborn children. Since 1973, after the
infamous Roe v. Wade decision, over 42 million preborn babies have been
killed by abortion here in the United States. Now the people of these four
states will be able to see for themselves exactly what a preborn child looks
like after he or she has been in the hands of an abortionist. 6:45 AM A long-time reader graciously sent this email: Thanks for your superb site. Yours is the best I know of to help one follow Paul's admonition given in II Cor 10:5. Blessings to you! Monday, April 19 11:40 AM Time to head home and begin weeding, edging, and mowing. It seems we have more Dandelions in our 5-acre yard than ever before. But I enjoy yard work, especially on a gorgeous day like today, and it's especially necessary when you've just put your house on the market. We will be gradually moving all our things up to Bradford Hall in Virginia, and we should be moved in by summer. Meanwhile my teaching series continues at Wylliesburg Baptist Church in Southside Virginia. Yesterday my topics were "Have You Crossed the Jordan?" (Josh 3:1-3) and "How Not to Raise Teenagers" (Luke 2 and 1 Cor 13:11). Beginning with tonight I'll deal with "Jesus and the Age Thirty Transition" (Luke 3:23), "The Most Important Question Ever Asked" (John 21:15-17), and "The Gospel According to Four Women" (Matt 3:3-6). The people at Wylliesburg are wonderful, and it was great meeting Edwin Sineath, a longtime DBO reader, who drove all the way from Winston-Salem (NC) to attend last night's meeting. 11:30 AM The latest from Tom Ascol:
Read more. 9:45 AM Don't take a horseman to appreciate this cartoon by Clay Bennett: As Paul Craig Roberts observed in a recent piece:
9:35 AM Deborah and Frank Popper try to contemplate an America without small family farms (as opposed to large-scale agribusinesses). Here is an especially interesting excerpt:
As for me and mine, I think you already know where we stand. 8:12 AM Yes, my legs ache, but marching in the Hunley funeral procession was an honor I will never regret or forget. Charles Porter, a faithful DBO reader, sent in these remarks:
Let us never forget: Constitutional principles of government are still worth defending today. 7:35 AM This letter came to me from Soledad Prison:
Needless to say, the books are in the mail (gratis). 7:33 AM After preaching last night I was asked by a visiting pastor what my thoughts were about The Passion of the Christ. Most of my reasons for not viewing the movie have been summarized in this essay by Andrew Webb. 7:30 AM I hope everyone has a great week enjoying the spring sunshine, the dogwoods, and just getting outdoors again. Thanks to all who so faithfully read DBO and write to tell me about it. May I ask each of you to pray daily for this ministry - that God would be glorified and the church edified through the efforts of your editor? Thank you so very much. Sunday, April 18 8:25 AM WND is at it again: Pay up or else. Here’s a question for you: Can God supply the needs of a God-ordained ministry without it pleading for money? Where do you see Jesus asking for cash? Where do you see the prophet Agabus asking for green stuff? The truth ought to be free. Al least free from begging. The correlation between ego and money is just too strong to be ignored—or fed. (For more, see my essay False Prophets, Pro$perity, and Website Woes.) 8:15 AM The Germans ought to know something about open flanks, wouldn't you think? 8:10 AM How many pixels is your church?
7:57 AM A two-faced Jesus?
7:55 AM Kinda curious, but I have yet to meet a Southern Baptist who uses the HCSB. 7:30 AM Having just returned from visiting several federal land holdings (Bryce, Grand Canyon) I found this article on de-federalizing federal lands to be interesting and persuasive.
One memory stands out on my trip in this regard. At one site we were "granted" a special discount because one of our passengers happened to be a senior citizen (no, it wasn't me!). After we had expressed our appreciation, the irony hit me: here we were, taxpayers all, expressing our thanks to the government for its "generosity" to us with our own money! 7:00 AM Just back from the Hunley funeral in Charleston (photos shortly). At one of the many memorial services I ran across my friend Chris Sullivan, editor of Southern Partisan and Commander of the SCV's Army of Northern Virginia. Also bumped into Mike Tuggle at the Hunley display. Mike is doing a great job editing the LOS website. I told him I would be speaking at the Constitution Party National Convention in June, and I think he'll be there. Meanwhile I'm gearing up to preach a series of messages this week in Virginia on Forgotten Truths from the Life of Christ, starting today. Checking my emails I received the great news that the Right to Life Act of South Carolina has passed the first hurdle. A subcommittee of the General Assembly has taken the first step in recognizing unborn human beings as “persons” from the moment of fertilization. This is a historic act on their part and makes the Hunley burial pale in comparison. Let's keep on praying, and working. Wednesday, April 14 12:59 PM A few vacation photos (Lake Powell, Grand Canyon, Sunset Crater). What a blast! (Click thumbnails to enlarge.) 12:52 PM Conservative university students are coming out. 12:40 PM Madonna, newest member of the "God-squad." 12:30 PM The latest board (bored?) game. Them Episcopalians may be on to something here.
9:30 AM Pat Buchanan has some wise words about our ability to win militarily in Iraq. Among other things he notes:
8:24 AM I
knew the president was in trouble the moment he opened his mouth in last
night's so-called news conference. The very first statement in his prepared
remarks contained this grammatical monstrosity: "This has been tough weeks
in that country." (Oh, my....) The remainder of his speech was replete with
the repetitive staccato we have become accustomed to hearing from the
Commander in Chief: Nobody could have
On vacation last week I read Against All Enemies, the insider book by Bush's former Assistant Secretary of State for Politico-Military Affairs, Richard Clarke. Clarke shows how there never was any real and imminent threat from Iraq and how America's intelligence community has failed and is failing the nation. Worse, he shows how Bush is using the War on Terrorism politically - a fact noticeable in last night's news conference. I could cite many passages from Clarke's book, but I will leave you with just this one (p. 264):
Friends, if the way the president is handling the terrorism crisis and the war in Iraq doesn't scare you, I'm scared of you. 7:45 AM On Feb. 17, 1864, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley slipped into Charleston Harbor, its crew hand-cranking the cigar-shaped vessel toward Union ships blockading the port. Later that night the Hunley managed to spear the USS Housatonic with an explosive device, sinking the Union warship. Mystery surrounds what happened next. After signaling toward shore, the Hunley disappeared, not to be seen again for more than 130 years. Author Clive Cussler discovered the Hunley in 1995. It was raised amid much ceremony and celebration in 2000. Today it is undergoing painstaking conservation in Charleston. Many artifacts and remains of the eight-man crew have been removed, including the pocket watch belonging to Lt. George Dixon pictured below.
There are only three more days to go until Saturday's funeral for the Hunley crew in Charleston. My son and I will have the honor of marching in the procession. Some 100,000 spectators are expected. If you can't attend yourself, perhaps you can catch this historic moment on TV. Tuesday, April 13
4:15 PM God
bless Columbia Christians for Life, who just announced a second public
hearing for the Right to Life
Act of South Carolina (H.3190). (See direct link to bill at
www.ChristiansforLife.net), or go to
www.scstatehouse.net). The bill is being considered by the Constitutional
Laws
Subcommittee of the SC House Judiciary Committee.
4:07 PM My
good friend David Allen
of the Criswell College in Dallas has been appointed Dean of the School of
Theology at Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth.
9:45 AM A dozen quotes by the great Virginian Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, who was born this day in 1743:
9:40 AM Ten days apart from my Sheltie "Shiloh" was almost too much for this dog lover. If you too are a hopeless pet lover, click here. 9:30 AM Having recently paid $2.29 a gallon for gas in Arizona, I can identify with the latest from Clay Bennett:
8:45 AM My essay on the Pledge of Allegiance elicited numerous responses, including this one from a Vietnam veteran:
Another reader offered this alternative pledge:
8:30 AM A friend of mine sent me this report from Baghdad, where the ever-worsening conditions have parents of soldiers in Iraq more concerned than ever: The people in the Shi'a slums of Baghdad who are now furiously resisting the Americans hate Saddam with a passion to this day. They suffered under his repression and they also suffered from neglect, especially under the sanctions -- scarce resources and repairs went to politically more favored areas. They expected great improvements when the United States took over. Shaykh Sadun al-Shemary, a former member of the Iraqi army who participated in the 1991 uprising and now a spokesman for the al-Sadr organization in Shuala, told me, "Things are exactly the same as in Saddam's time -- maybe worse." 8:25 AM A DBO reader from South Florida sent me this heart-warming email:
8:15 AM If you're a fan of Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas (as I am), then you must read this essay by Mark Dankof. 7:15 AM Warm greetings, friends. Just back from a ten day vacation to visit my in-laws in Dallas. Also spent time at Durango, Mesa Verde, Bryce National Park, the Grand Canyon, the Petrified Forest, and the Meteor Crater. Deo volente, will post photos shortly. Had a great vacation but it's time to get back in the saddle. Friday, April 2 6:47 AM How's this for a holiday destination? 6:40 AM If you are new to the KJV only debate or just want to understand it better, here are two websites from opposite sides of the issue that can help: 6:35 AM The power of television to desensitize our children toward killing is discussed by Berit Kjos in her essay, Toying with Death. 6:33 AM On the Discussing Reformation Forum, this British moviegoer expresses some reservations after viewing The Passion:
6:30 AM Brad Edmonds has some helpful advice on what to do when you receive Christian chain letters by email. Thursday, April 1 8:30 AM Today in history: Okinawa. More people died during this battle (including an estimated 100,000 civilians) than all those who perished in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. U.S. military authorities were overly optimistic about how easily they would win the battle. For a fascinating audio report from the island on April 2, 1945, click here. 8:11 AM What's the deal with Regent College? Don't they realize how well fluff sells? 7:40 AM Many odes to Dietrich Bonhoeffer could be written. I have written mine. His distinction between cheap and costly grace is one I think about frequently. But Bonhoeffer never spoke of foolish grace, a point made by Ben Cole in a recent blog. Iraq, as Ben points out with irrefutable logic, is a war zone, and we don't need to be sending our missionaries into harm's way to die, not as evangelists, but as Americans. But I'll let Ben speak for himself:
7:10 AM This day always brings to mind a certain memory. Growing up on the Island of Oahu, I can recall being awakened several times in the middle of the night by the Tidal Wave warning sirens. Everyone in Kailua evacuated to higher ground until the tsunami passed. We took the warnings very seriously in light of what transpired on the Island of Hawaii on this day in 1946. During the 1946 tsunami, there was extensive damage to the town of Laupahoehoe and great loss of life. The school and teachers' cottages were near the ocean and destroyed. Many students and teachers were washed out to sea. In all, 16 school children, 4 teachers, and 4 town residents lost their lives. Below is a photo of a tsunami wave taken April 1, 1946.
6:47 AM I remain deeply concerned about the purpose-driven model, and here's yet another reason why. 6:30 AM Is Clarke or Condi telling the truth? Yesterday I stumbled across the following timeline of events surrounding the 9/11 attacks that sheds a great deal of light on this question. It's lengthy but well worth your time. 6:00 AM From my morning Andacht:
To that list I could add preparing a sermon, playing in seminary orchestra, teaching a Greek class, doing family finances, checking on the chickens and goats, feeding the horses, meeting with students - all this in one day. Schaeffer goes on:
I trust, dear reader, that together we might seek the things which are above, that is, see everything from the perspective of God's existence and what is taught in Scripture - as uncomfortable as that might make us with our traditions and daily habits. May you have a wonderful day serving the King of kings.
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