“Gay Marriage” And Child Abuse

Dr. James White has posted an article on his blog discussing the effects on children of same-sex couples.  He says

“It is a measure of the decay of Western culture that self-deception is the activity of the day. We constantly cry, “for the children, for the children!” while abusing them to no end in the service of ourselves. It is purposefully abusive of a child to consciously deny to them a mother and a father. It is even worse to warp them, from the start, by providing two mothers or two fathers, neither of which is actually a mother or a father, since, by definition, those terms are defined by the other.”

I agree with the points  Dr. White makes in his article.  It is sad that our country has deteriorated to the point that it has.  We need God to send a revival to our country.  At this point, returning to God is the only way possible to turn us from our present course.

What do you think?

Obama’s Works Based Salvation

Obama claims to be a “committed Christian” but is he?  Read this article by Cal Thomas posted over at Baptist Press and decided for yourself?  He is quoted in the article as saying

“I believe there are many paths to the same place, and that is a belief that there is a higher power, a belief that we are connected as a people.”

and

“I don’t presume to have knowledge of what happens after I die. When I tuck in my daughters at night and I feel like I’ve been a good father to them, and I see that I am transferring values that I got from my mother and that they’re kind people and that they’re honest people, and they’re curious people, that’s a little piece of heaven.”

It doesn’t appear to me that Obama is a “committed Christian”.  It appears to me that he is a lost person.  Don’t get me wrong, this does not disqualify him from being president (although he will not be getting my vote).  It does, however, show that he has been deceived, at best, or is lying about his “Christianity”, at worst.  Either way he needs salvation.

Ronald Reagan On Perseverance

“Fellow citizens, fellow conservatives, our time has come again. This is our moment. Let us unite, shoulder to shoulder, behind one mighty banner for freedom. And let us go forward from here not with some faint hope that our cause is not yet lost; let us go forward confident that the American people share our values, and that together we will be victorious. And in those moments when we grow tired, when our struggle seems hard, remember what Eric Liddell, Scotland’s Olympic champion runner, said in Chariots of Fire: ‘So where does the power come from to see the race to its end? From within. God made me for a purpose, and I will run for His pleasure.’ If we trust in Him, keep His word, and live our lives for His pleasure, He’ll give us the power we need—power to fight the good fight, to finish the race and to keep the faith… God bless you and God bless America.” —Ronald Reagan

Source:  The Patriot Post

Does John 3:16 Disprove Calvinism?

Lane Chaplin posted a video on his blog of James White addressing this question.  Click here to watch.

If you have ever wondered about how this verse affects Calvinism, then this should be the answer for you.

To Which Priestly Order Do Christians Belong….Levitical or Melchizedek?

We had a guest speaker at church this morning.   One of the things that he said caught my attention.   It was nothing that was heretical or that could cause disention.  In fact, I wonder if I might have been the only person to take notice of it.  He was discussing the priesthood of believers.  So what did he say to inspire this post?  He said that believers were  of the Levitical priestly order.

I whole heartedly believe in the priesthood of all believers.  I have been under the impression that believers were under the same order as Jesus.  Hebrews 5:5-6 says “So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”;  (6)  as he says also in another place, “You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.” Since we are adopted siblings of Jesus I have always assumed that we are also adopted into His priestly order.  I have not done any research into this topic so I could be wrong.

Do you know which priestly order believers are part of?  If so, which and what is your reasoning/

Did People Really Live Over 900 Years?

Answers In Genesis has posted this article in response to this question.  Read the article and tell me what you think.

John Calvin On Those Who Claim Men Have Free Will

But those who, while they profess to be the disciples of Christ, still seek for free-will in man, notwithstanding of his being lost and drowned in spiritual destruction, labour under manifold delusion, making a heterogeneous mixture of inspired doctrine and philosophical opinions, and so erring as to both.  [Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin, translated by Henry Beveridge; Book 1, Chapter 15, Section 8]

I struggled with the issue of free will for a time.  I was only able to get past it once I began to grasp the concept of total depravity.  Once I began to understand how our depravity affects all that we are, the free will issue came into perspective for me.

Do you struggle with the issue of free will?  How did you get past it (if you have)?

Are The Angels Ours To Command?

I have been interacting with some on my blog who makes the point that the angels are ours to command. They have to obey us. The interaction is in the comment section of another (unrelated) post. I am unable to move the comments to this post so you will have to go to the other post to read them.

His argument was basically that God had given him a new revelation in a vision that Christians had this power. I asked for him to provide a citation from God’s Word detailing where we had this power and told him that any “new revelation” that we receive that contradicts or exceeds God’s Word is not from God and we should be wary of it.

Please read the exchange and tell me if you think his argument has any merit? Also, was my response sufficient? If not, what should I have included?

John Calvin On The Sufficiency Of God

To conclude, in one word; as often as we call God the Creator of heaven and earth, let us remember that the distribution of all the things which he created are in his hand and power, but that we are his sons, whom he has undertaken to nourish and bring up in allegiance to him, that we may expect the substance of all good from him alone, and have full hope that he will never suffer us to be in want of things necessary to salvation, so as to leave us dependent on some other source; that in everything we desire we may address our prayers to him, and, in every benefit we receive, acknowledge his hand, and give him thanks; that thus allured by his great goodness and beneficence, we may study with our whole heart to love and serve him.  [Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin translated by Henry Beveridge; Book One, Chapter 14, Section 22]

Question 15: What are God’s works of providence?

Question 15: What are God’s works of providence?

Answer: God’s works of providence are the holy, wise, and powerful acts which he preserves and governs all his creatures, and all their actions.

Scripture: Nehemiah 9:6; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; Psalm 103:19; Matthew 10:29-30.

Comment: It would be helpful to discuss this with your child in relation to the common concept of “luck.” Is there such a thing as luck in a world ruled by the providence of God? “The lot is cast into the lap, but the decision is wholly from the Lord” (16:33). You will also need to stress that many of God’s acts of providence may not look “holy and wise” (like storms that kill thousands of people). But then stress that God has his secret purposes (Deut. 29:29) that we are never great enough to see, and the Judge of all the earth always does right (Genesis 18:25).

Source: A Baptist Catechism (Adapted by John Piper)