BIlly Graham

Billy Graham began his evangelistic crusades with a primary focus on the current state of the people living in the area. He addressed the common fears and worries of the people. He focused on the family and political issues of that group of people. I think one of the keys to his success was the fact that he addressed sinfulness and selfishness in the hearts of believers, primarily. Once reconciliation and repentance had time to take root in the believers hearts this prompted them to action of inviting and provided the atmosphere of prayer and thankfulness which are keys to any evangelistic outreach. In all of Billy’s messages however the gospel was provided in clear and urgent terms. The immanence of our meeting with Christ at the end of our time on earth was the threshold through which he presented the gospel.
These crusades produced vast numbers of converts, but there was a commitment to biblical truth that made these messages ring. Whether in success or failure the truth was preached to the lost and men without Christ were given an opportunity to choose Him.

"Why good works don't cut it with God."

Good works are enough to warrant acceptance from God, right? This cannot be correct if one is seeking to understand salvation from the biblical perspective. Paul’s letter to the Romans clearly does not advance the notion that salvation (from ones enemy or from sin) is an obligation on God directed toward those who maintain “good” works. Specific focus will be directed toward three arguments from the book of Romans that defeat the concept of works righteousness.
The purpose of the law is to prove that mankind is incapable of attaining right relationship with God apart from the work of Christ. The whole story of Jewish history declares man’s inability to procure the favor of God by works. If one attempts to define “good works” in terms of what the God of the Bible desires; then that leads one to the Law of the Old Testament. Romans (Rom. 7:5) tells us that the Law was powerless to bring salvation but simply exposes that sin is real and leads to condemnation and death. The Law (good works) points man in the direction of the cross. When one arrives at the cross however they are left empty-handed before God without one plea to righteousness that is from works. Even Abraham the father of the Nation of Israel and holder of the promises of God took hold of them prior to the good works of the Law. So that even Abraham (Rom. 4) would be justified by faith by obedience and trust in God prior to the Law. So that Abraham is a testimony of the truth that faith must precede any work that is truly “good” in God’s eyes.

The sacrifice of Christ was unnecessary for salvation if works alone can accomplish it. To think the King of heaven would abandon His home and come to earth to walk as His creation only to die needlessly creates a serious violation of biblical truth. Jesus Christ came because from the first sin of man He was to be a type of Adam (Rom. 5:14). So that as in Adam all men were enslaved to sin, so that through the one sacrifice of Christ all who believe would be set free. Were works capable of generating right standing with God this sacrificial gift of Jesus Christ would not only be redundant, but completely foolish. For this reason we ponder deeply the great pain and sacrifice Jesus suffered (which is our only hope for salvation) for our sins so that we may echo Paul as he says in Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments and unfathomable His ways.” God’s ways are sometimes just far too lofty for our human minds to grasp; and we love Him for it!

Works righteousness focuses on the action of man, rather than the action of God. God receives no glory for mankind doing “good works” apart from Him. God has chosen to arrange the salvation history of mankind to the praise of His glory and no one else. Glory is a very important theme in Romans and Paul is trying to emphasize this point to his audience by referencing it [1]fifteen times. Glory is part of what salvation attempts to restore, mankind has lost his God-given glory and seeking to regain it by works. Paul asserts that this is impossible in Romans 3:23, so that all men are found to be “lacking” in their attempts to procure glory. Not only is man unable to attain glory but it is God alone who will receive glory for the redemption of human souls. If works were capable of bringing about salvation glory then would belong to he who has achieved God’s moral standard, even through human strength. As it stands God alone can declare or impute righteousness, and thus must and will always receive the glory for this mighty and gracious deed.

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[1] Rom. 1:23, 2:7;10, 3:7;23, 4:20, 5:2, 6:4, 8:18;21, 9:4;23, 11:36, 15:7, 16:27

Cell Phones: The Root of all Evil

Cell phones create in this world the greatest evils the world has ever seen! Cell phones are not only the cause cancer (one of the greatest blights on the world today) but also are responsible for juvenile deaths across the world in driving accidents. Young drivers are victimized by the evils of cell phones on a daily basis. Texting causes the innocent teen drivers to be forced into focusing on the happenings of their friends rather than the road. Cell phones destroy strong marriages by creating constant distractions to genuine face-to-face conversation so that no marriage can legitimately survive in this cellphone engrossed society. I hereby declare all cellphones to be the carriers of all that is evil and wicked in this new and bright world and suggest that they all be sold and the proceeds sent to me in cash form.

Butler VS. Duke

I am watching the NCAA mens basketball championship game. Duke is winning by 5 points with 2:04 left in the game. What a prime example of big-dog verses little-dog knock-down drag-out fight. I can help but be impressed with the poise that a team with consecutive impressive seasons can continue with such strength and renewed power for each season. On the flip side, we have Butler, a team with the fewest students of any school that made it into the tournament. Yet they display the same poise and concentration that the dominant Duke puts out as well. How fascinating that the same fire can be maintained for years that is equal to the fire that is produced by the new and hungry players of a no-name team.

Birth Control

Much debate is occurring recently on the topic of birth control. Is it biblical or not? Is it living by faith or not? I would argue that with all topics the answer is somewhere in that hazy area that requires living by the word but also living by faith and dependency on the Holy Spirit. Living by the Word helps me to see that there is some birth control that is evil and not to be used (day-after pill) and also abortion is out of the question if you are allowing scripture to dictate your understanding. Also scripture I believe is silent (and purposely so) about birth control that prevents the joining of the sperm and egg (traditional birth control, condoms and so on...) this I believe must depend on the maturity of the believer and their reliance upon the Spirit to either convict or validate the action the couple is pursuing. Subnote: It should be emphasized this is an argument that requires two things; First, that the couple are both believers; Second, that they are in a marriage context.

Web 3.0

Well my friends the days of the decrepit and outdated web 2.0 have come and gone. Now we are in the age of web 3.0. This new dawn will mark a revolution in thinking and expression so that the world will experience a revival of unity and hope as I make money off of this venture. I will receive 10-15% of income received on the Internet as of May 10 when web 3.0 officially launches. You can expect increased joy and possible feelings of inexpressible happiness when web 3.0 is launched. No actual changes will occur but will find themselves more encouraged and possibly even more in tune with the global community after 3.0 goes public. You are welcome for this great gift I have given you and I hope that you enjoy it as much as web 2.0!

U.S.S.A. Revolution!

Well welcome everyone to the new and bright world that is dawning in America! As the title eludes we are on the verge of a repeat of history with our very own socialist state (United Socialist States of America). Apparently Obama and congress never heard the quote "Those who refuse to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." They seem quite content to walk down the paths that Stalin and Lenin paved so eloquently. It requires immeasurable arrogance to just hop into government run health care and business (the government has already taken control of most of the automotive industry in America.)

As I see it the government has a few (and very specific) responsibilities. The protection of the citizens from enemies foreign and domestic. This is fulfilled by police and the military. Government exists to represent not misrepresent or coerce their constituents. Government is not supposed to be running business! You want to help business people Obama? Reduce the deficit and reduce useless government programs...not add to the them (like Obama-care.)

Authority in Marriage - Conflict or Partnership?

This post is in response to a few select chapters in a book called "Preaching to a Shifting Culture." in which the authors submit that the God we serve is gender-neutral and the roles specified in scripture are a cultural neuance and nothing more.

What then is the problem? Why is modern man (and woman) so confused about roles and responsibilities of each gender respectively? I believe the issue is tied to the fact that Lord said these issues would be so.

Why the conflict?

Genesis 13 talks of the post-fall way of life, that man and woman would have. She will "desire" her husband, but this is not referring to a love but rather a desire to supplant. We know this by the following line in the text "...and he shall rule over thee [God speaking to Eve]." Now the implications of this are very broad. The natural bent of human nature (both men and women) is to oppose authority in whichever form we find it, but for women God specifially says that the husband will have authority over the wife in the marriage context.

What is authority?

I wish to clarify a fundamental difference between ideas of superiority and authority. Superiorioty is defined as "surpassing others in something, for example, intellect, achievement, or ability." declaring one thing better qualitatively than something else. Authority however is a unique word, for the Christian we must believe that all authority is external. Meaning that we cannot generate genuine authority of our own will. True authority is dispensed from God unto whomever He chooses (Matthew 28:18, Mark 1:22). Hence why we are called to pray for secular leaders and submit ourselves to those who govern over us in a political sense, because God has provided them with that authority for a time and for his purpose. Authority is therefore based on nothing more than the will of God to place it on whomever He chooses.

Luke 7:6-9 I believe this passage teaches us much about faith but it also clearly shows us the levels of authority. The centurion appeals to Christ on the basis that he understands Jesus level of authority and submits himself to the power of that authority. Whereas even he (the centurion) has men under his command which he has authority over. Lets draw some conclusions from this picture.

Marriage, and Submission?

This is where men fall short, because God has given us authority over our wives, but what does that mean we must do? Men in our modern culture have abandoned the thought that all authority (work, military, government, and marital.) is originated in God's complete authority. Men are not looking at God for the foundations of good leadership and are greatly damaging those under his authority by continuing to do so. Men abuse their wives and children, when the Bible calls them as protectors. Men abandon the leadership of the home in spiritual matters for economic opportunities. Men domineer and create an atmosphere of fear, while God calls men to love their wives as Christ loves the church! All of these cause dissention and opposition from those under his authority (and it should!).

Returning to the military analogy. Consider each believer as a soldier in Gods army. A sargent for example may have authority over a few men. Each one of those men has been given a command from the general (God) to obey those in authority over them (i.e. the sargent). The willfull submission of the soldier to the sargent does not decrease the value of the soldier, inversely it increases the potential strength of the platoon as a whole! The sargent who has been given the authority must be constantly aware of the needs and thoughts of the soldiers under him and be willing to sacrafice his desires for the betterment of the platoon and for the ultimate goals and desires of the general. The worth of the soldier is not dimished by his position, in fact the soldier may be more talented or gifted than the sargent, but this fact does not remove the sargent's authority as recieved from the general.

Men as faithful stewards of the authority we have received let us solemnly consider the great weight of responsibility we have to our families and our households. For any man that lightly considers the needs of his wife is unfit for the authority, we are to love her as Christ loved the church. 1 Timothy 5:8,
1 Peter 3:7, Ephesians 5:28.

Women as faithful stewards of the position you have recieved consider the great measure of love that God and your husband has for you. Help and encourage your husbands in his role of leadership. Respect him and be free to trust him completely. 1 Peter 3:1, Ephesians 5:22;24.

Final Thoughts

Women, would it be hard to respect and submit to a man who was 1) Fully commited to Jesus Christ and 2) Fully commited to sacrafice his own life and desires for the benefit and safety of those under his authority?

Men, would it be too hard for us to humbly lead our families in the fear of God? Would it be too hard to lay down our lives for our wives, daily?

Pete Carroll

I have found a truly delightful bit of information! Pete Carroll has come to the Seahawks as head coach but this just creates the scenario for the beautiful information. He is being replaced at USC by Lane Kiffin. What a wonderful turn of events for an anti-USC fan that I am! Lane Kiffin may be the most over-rated under-qualified replacement possible for the position. With his stints in Oakland as a professional coach as well as at Tennessee last season, Kiffin has produced mediocre to bad records. Yet he keeps moving up in rather shocking fashion. I believe this current tenure may be his worst and most public failure. The Trojans may endure with above-par play for a few seasons but under Kiffin they will quickly lose recruiting power and many of the best athletes will find alternate opportunities elsewhere. This is a win scenario with Seattle, a win scenario for Tennessee, and a loss for USC. Not a bad trade if you ask me...