Hollywood Agenda

Last November California voters passed Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. It was a hotly contested measure but in the end it was approved by a margin of 52-48 percent. One of the most vocal opponent groups came from Hollywood.

For years Hollywood has pushed their homosexual agenda. We've seen it clearly in both motion pictures and television. Nowhere have we seen their bias more clearly than in their opposition to Prop 8. George Lucas (writer and producer of Star Wars) gave $100,000 to Prop 8 opponents. Director, Steven Speilburg gave $50,500. Since the passage of Prop 8 their opposition has only escalated. Tom Hanks said, "There are a lot of people who feel that it is un-American, and I am one of them." Most recently, Sean Penn, accepting an Oscar for his role in "Milk," a movie that tells the story about the first openly homosexual person elected to office, ranted, "I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their great grandchildren's eyes if they continue that way of support."

Who will be ashamed as all men stand before Christ on that Great Day? Will it be those who have stood for holiness in spite of opposition or will it be those who openly despised God and His Word? It is a fearful thing to consider the harm Hollywood has done to our culture. They have done much to shape the steady decline of morality in our nation. Psalm 2 rings loud today: "Why do the heathn rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure."

Who will be ashamed on that Great Day?

The Pursuit of Excellence

As I watch these athletes I'm absolutely blown away by their skill. In fact, I question if the video is even real or doctored. After all, they are talking about "Fantasy" football. But the point I want to make is the attention athletes give to their sport. How many hours of practice does it take to acquire excellence in their sport? These men (and women) give themselves to excellence in something they are passionate about. It makes me wonder, though. As Christians we claim to have a passion for Christ. How much do we invest ourselves in our pursuit of Christ? How much do we invest ourselves in the pursuit of holiness? How much do we invest ourselves in God's Word that we might be skillful in handling the word of truth?

I believe the Apostle Paul was a sports fan. He often used the games as illustrations. While bodily exercise has its place, Paul stressed the great value of excellence in spiritual pursuits. Read how he places the priority. "But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Tim. 4:7-8). "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may win. And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable" (NAS 1Cor. 9:24-25).

The point is, developing expertise in any discipline demands great energy and effort. The greatest pursuit is the pursuit of Christ. Paul wrote, "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ" (Philippians 3:8). If we are truly passionate about Christ we must also be passionate in our pursuit of those things that will enhance our relationship with Him. We should be as skilled in self-control as athletes; their mastery over the body in order to have excellence in their sport, ours that we might live in holiness to the honor of Christ. We should be as skilled in handling the Word of God as these athletes are in handling the football. It demands great effort, but effort is joyous in those things you are passionate about.

Irrational Sin

Human beings in their fallen condition have a love relationship with their sin. Jesus said, "Men love darkness rather than light" (John 3:19). People continue their rebellious behavior in spite of the consequences, and there are consequences, both temporal and eternal. Philosophically, all sin is irrational; yet, we blindly continue our pathway to destruction unless God rescues us through the Gospel.

Sometimes, we see the irrational nature of sin displayed vividly. During the 2008 Olympics swimmer Michael Phelps won an incredible eight gold medals. At 23 years of age he had the world in his hand. Sponsors were lining up at his door offering lucrative contracts worth millions if he would endorse their products. It was an opportunity most people could only dream of. Last week a photo was released of Mr. Phelps smoking marijuana at a party. What! I couldn't believe it. What foolishness. I had to remind myself, however, that all sin is just as foolish, just as irrational, and we've all filled our cups full of such irrational behavior. And all sin carries its own consequences.

Already the consequences for Mr. Phelps are coming to light. Cereal manufacturer Kelloggs has dropped its endorsement deal with Phelps stating that his behavior is "inconsistent with the image of Kellogg." Phelps may recover from this scandal in time, but he still has to stand before God. His only hope, the hope of all men, is true repentance and a full resting upon the atonement of Christ.

Sadly, Michael Phelps is demonstrating the attitude most people have concerning their sin. They enjoy the pleasures of their sin and when exposed they make whatever excuses they deem necessary to acquit them. In response to his sin coming to light Phelps issued a statement, "I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again." While it is commendable he did not deny his behavior and offered an apology he did not accept full responsibility. True repentance is to have the heart of David, "I have sinned against the LORD." David did not try to offer excuses to justify his actions. There was nothing that could justify his sinful behavior. Notice carefully the words of Phelps. "I am 23 years old . . . I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way." In other words, he shouldn't really be held accountable because, after all, he is only 23 years old. Because he is young he doesn't feel he should be held to full accountability for his actions; that we should hold a 23 year old to a different standard. This isn't true repentance.

Sin is irrational. A failure to repent is pure lunacy.

Octuplets

Last week a story hit the news of a lady who gave birth to eight, yes eight babies. At the time the mother refused to give any information and the details were sketchy. Most people reacted, “How nice, eight babies.” Now we are getting “the rest of the story.” The mother now has 14 children, all conceived by in vitro fertilization. She is a single mother and received the sperm from a donor, which brings up the whole question of bio-ethics.

On one hand, in vitro fertilization might seem a wonderful medical breakthrough for a married couple where the mother is unable to conceive through the normal process. It allows a childless couple to enjoy the gift of parenthood. On the other hand, in a world of Godless ethics the whole process is wrong. When a couple chooses to go this route the normal procedure is to harvest a number of eggs, fertilize them with the father’s sperm, and freeze the embryos. The problem lies in what to do with the unused embryos – more properly referred to as “children.” To destroy them is abortion – more properly referred to as “murder.” And then, in a world of Godless ethics, what is to prevent a single mother from giving birth to 14 children without a husband or a lesbian couple from bringing a child into their sinful relationship.

These are important issues. In a Godless world many of these medical and biological breakthroughs have no gatekeepers. If you cast away the Bible as God’s rule of moral behavior there is no end to the perversion that the human mind might invent. Without this standard the ethical debate has no basis of truth. “In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Oh God, save us from the folly of our own devices.

The Inauguration

Here's an amazing photo of the inauguration. The resolution is incredible! Former president Bill Clinton looks particularly sober (Zoom in to President Obama's right next to George H.W. Bush).

Click for Inauguration Photo

What About Obama

January 20, 2009 marked the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th president of the United States of America. The media displayed the hoards of people cheering with great joy for their new leader. For most Americans, Obama is the hope of a new era of prosperity and happiness. For most evangelicals, however, his election brought great trepidation. After all, our new president has demonstrated support for gay marriage, stem cell research on fetal tissue, and partial birth abortion, as well as a fiscal policy of big government. So how should we view our new president and the prospect of the next four to eight years?

First of all, we must treat him with honor and respect. “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. “For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God” (Romans 13:1). He is our president. God has given him authority over us. His sinful behavior does not exempt us from God's command for us to honor him.

Second, we must pray for him often. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-2—”I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we might live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” We must resist the temptation to rejoice when he does poorly. It is of no benefit to us or our nation if our president doesn’t do well. How wonderful it would be if God saved him and give him a heart of Godliness. That being said, it is also permissible for us to pray that God would replace him if he doesn't rule with justice and righteousness.

Third, we must remember that our wellbeing is not ultimately controlled by who occupies the office of president. Most people are looking to the government to solve all of the problems of life and to provide their happiness, but not us. We know that God rules over all. He has determined the outcome of history. Obama’s heart is in His hand. Our joy and contentment is found in Christ, not in who holds the office of president. May we continue to stand for justice and truth and live for the glory of the One whose Kingdom is not of this world—regardless of who holds the office of president.

Back from the Storm

After five months of distraction from Hurricane Gustav it's time to resume my blogging. God was most merciful and kind through the ordeal. Our congregation demonstrated great maturity. We met the next Sunday after the storm in the dining room of a sister church. The temperature was soaring and we were without electricity. As I preached sweat dripped off my arms. But the Trinity Baptist Church congregation took it all in stride. Our attendance was great and there was almost no murmuring about the inconveniences of being away from our building. God's grace was evident upon His church.

We are now back in our own building. Everything is new! One of my personal blessings was my library. I'd originally feared that most would be lost. After the storm we moved my books to one of the dryer rooms in our building. Many were dripping with water. Most were wet. We threw away a number of books on the spot and packed away the rest in boxes and moved them to the home of a deacon -- his home was the only one with electricity. I assumed the mildew would destroy the lot. While most of my books are marked by water stains and mildew they dried and are still usable. I'll replace them a few at a time (except those what are out of print). I received some gifts that will aid in this. Praise God for His goodness.

We had a banquet a couple weeks ago in honor of Cedarcrest Baptist Church, the church that housed us while we were displaced. They were so gracious to us. Not once did they hint that we were an inconvenience to them, though the presence of our 20+ children cannot go unnoticed. The banquet was a joy as we reunited with these gracious people.

God demonstrated once again His sovereignty through the storm. He again proved Himself mighty in coming to the aid of His people. And He demonstrated again His goodness in giving good gifts to those He loves. Soli Deo gloria!

Our New President

The following is an article by Albert Mohler. It expresses well the proper attitude we must have after Tuesday's historic election. May we all pray for our new president and for our nation. DC

The election of Sen. Barack Obame as the 44th President of the United States came as a bang, not a whimper. The tremors had been perceptible for days, maybe even weeks. On Tuesday, America experienced nothing less than a political and cultural earthquake.

The margin of victory for the Democratic ticket was clear. Americans voted in record numbers and with tangible enthusiasm. By the end of the day, it was clear that Barack Obama would be elected with a majority of the popular vote and a near landslide in the Electoral College. When President-Elect Obama greeted the throngs of his supporters in Chicago's Grant Park, he basked in the glory of electoral energy.

For many of us, the end of the night brought disappointment. In this case, the disappointment is compounded by the sense that the issues that did not allow us to support Sen. Obama are matters of life and death -- not just political issues of heated debate. Furthermore, the margin of victory and sense of a shift in the political landscape point to greater disappointments ahead. We all knew that so much was at stake.

For others, the night was magical and momentous. Young and old cried tears of amazement and victory as America elected its first African-American President -- and elected him overwhelmingly. Just forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, an African-American stood to claim victory as President-Elect of the nation. As Sen. Obama assured the crowd in Chicago and the watching nation, "We will get there. We will get there." No one hearing those words could fail to hear the refrain of plaintive words spoken in Memphis four decades ago. President-Elect Obama would stand upon the mountaintop that Dr. King had foreseen.

That victory is a hallmark moment in history for all Americans -- not just for those who voted for Sen. Obama. As a nation, we will never think of ourselves the same way again. Americans rich and poor, black and white, old and young, will look to an African-American man and know him as President of the United States. The President. The only President. The elected President. Our President.

Every American should be moved by the sight of young African-Americans who -- for the first time -- now believe that they have a purchase in American democracy. Old men and old women, grandsons and granddaughters of slaves and slaveholders, will look to an African-American as President.

Regardless of politics, could anyone remain unmoved by the sight of Jesse Jackson crying alone amidst the crowd in Chicago? This dimension of Election Day transcends politics and touches the heart of the American people.

Yet, the issues and the politics remain. Given the scale of the Democratic victory, the political landscape will be completely reshaped. The fight for the dignity and sanctity of unborn human beings has been set back by a great loss, and by the election of a President who has announced his intention to sign the Freedom of Choice Act into law. The struggle to protect marriage against its destruction by redefinition is now complicated by the election of a President who has declared his aim to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. On issue after issue, we face a longer, harder, and more protracted struggle than ever before.

Still, we must press on as advocates for the unborn, for the elderly, for the infirm, and for the vulnerable. We must redouble our efforts to defend marriage and the integrity of the family. We must be vigilant to protect religious liberty and the freedom of the pulpit. We face awesome battles ahead.

At the same time, we must be honest and recognize that the political maps are being redrawn before our eyes. Will the Republican Party decide that conservative Christians are just too troublesome for the party and see the pro-life movement as a liability? There is the real danger that the Republicans, stung by this defeat, will adopt a libertarian approach to divisive moral issues and show conservative Christians the door.

Others will declare these struggles over, arguing that the election of Sen. Obama means that Americans in general -- and many younger Evangelicals in particular -- are ready to "move on" to other issues. This is no time for surrender or the abandonment of our core principles. We face a much harder struggle ahead, but we have no right to abandon the struggle.

We should look for opportunities to work with the new President and his administration where we can. We must hope that he will lead and govern as the bridge-builder he claimed to be in his campaign. We must confront and oppose the Obama administration where conscience demands, but work together where conscience allows.

Evangelical Christians face another challenge with the election of Sen. Obama, and a failure to rise to this challenge will bring disrepute upon the Gospel, as well as upon ourselves. There must be absolutely no denial of the legitimacy of President-Elect Obama's election and no failure to accord this new President the respect and honor due to anyone elected to that high office. Failure in this responsibility is disobedience to a clear biblical command.

Beyond this, we must commit ourselves to pray for this new President, for his wife and family, for his administration, and for the nation. We are commanded to pray for rulers, and this new President faces challenges that are not only daunting but potentially disastrous. May God grant him wisdom. He and his family will face new challenges and the pressures of this office. May God protect them, give them joy in their family life, and hold them close together.

We must pray that God will protect this nation even as the new President settles into his role as Commander in Chief, and that God will grant peace as he leads the nation through times of trial and international conflict and tension.

We must pray that God would change President-Elect Obama's mind and heart on issues of our crucial concern. May God change his heart and open his eyes to see abortion as the murder of the innocent unborn, to see marriage as an institution to be defended, and to see a host of issues in a new light. We must pray this from this day until the day he leaves office. God is sovereign, after all.

Without doubt, we face hard days ahead. Realistically, we must expect to be frustrated and disappointed. We may find ourselves to be defeated and discouraged. We must keep ever in mind that it is God who raises up nations and pulls them down, and who judges both nations and rulers. We must not act or think as unbelievers, or as those who do not trust God.

America has chosen a President. President-Elect Barack Obama is that choice, and he faces a breathtaking array of challenges and choices in days ahead. This is the time for Christians to begin praying in earnest for our new President. There is no time to lose.

I'm attending the 2008 Expositor's Conference with Stephen Lawson and Ligon Duncan as the featured speakers. The conference is filled with young men with a hunger for expository preaching. In an age where it looked as if the powerful preaching of days past was nearing extinction it is wonderful to see such renewed interest. Oh for the days where men will once again herald God's Word as did Whitfield and Edwards; oh that pastors might spend hours in their study laboring over God's mighty Word; oh that they might once again feel the weight of men's souls as they approach the pulpit, and oh that every pastor might know his great dependence on the Holy Spirit to make his preaching powerful and effectual.

Thanks to Stephen Lawson and Christ Fellowship Baptist Church for their desire to advance the glorious work of preaching.

Trinity Baptist Church After Hurricane Gustav

Hurricane Gustav blew through Baton Rouge with power never before experienced in our city. Six days after the storm many are still without power. I'm writing this with my router plugged into a generator. While there have been many cities who have experienced much more powerful storms with much more catastrophic damage this is new for us. It seemed surreal when Don Elbourne, pastor of Lakeshore Baptist Church, paid a visit on Thursday snapping photos with his camera. It was only three years ago that we were at his church after Hurricane Katrina snapping photos. The only thing left of their building was the steeple. Lakeshore also suffered damage from Hurricane Gustav.

I am reminded again of who rules this world. He sovereignly governs all things according to His good pleasure (Daniel 4:35); He owns all things (Psalm 89:11); and He does all things for His own glory (Romans 8:36). Our church facility belongs to God. Does He not have the right to do with it as He pleases? We belong to God. Does He not have the right to direct our lives as He is pleased (Romans 9:20-21)?

I found out on Friday that we could be out of our building for over four months. God has already proven Himself mighty and faithful in His grace and mercy towards us. The insurance company has sent a crew to begin restoration. Special thanks to Pastor Philip Guay and Cedarcrest Baptist Church in allowing us to hold services at their facility on Sunday afternoons. We can only say, "To God be all the glory, Amen."

Be Fruitful and Multiply

I read in a recent article that American women are having fewer children if any at all. There are more American women in their 40's who are childless than ever before. The fertility rate in the U.S. is now at 1.9 per woman in contrast to 3.8 children in 1959. The replacement rate in developed nations stands at 2.1 births per woman. This means our nation is currently in negative population growth. We are no longer having enough children to maintain our population. This trend will have a dramatic effect upon the next generation as the labor force declines dramatically while, at the same time, the aging population continues to rise. There are always negative consequences to ignoring God's purposes for the earth. This is but another testimony to our nation's dramatic slide into secularism.

After God created man He commanded him to, "Be fruitful, and multiply" (Gen. 1:28). After the flood this command was repeated to Noah (Gen. 8:16-17). Again, God gave the command to Jacob (Gen. 35:11). While this is not a command to have as many children as one possibly can without regard for other issues involved in the wise ordering of the family, it does place a high value upon children. Raising many children should be seen as a blessing rather than a curse. It is also a reminder to us that a part of being responsible adults is having children.

We live in a generation that has produced scores of self-centered, immature adults. Past generations have not done an adequate job in preparing children for adulthood. We have invented a category of life called adolescence in which childish behavior and irresponsibility are considered the norm. This period of life sometimes extends well past the age of 30. In an interview on CNN in 2005 Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary said, "Parenthood is a part of helping to create adults. We grow up by having children. Without that responsibility, we have a generation of perpetual adolescence just growing old."

We need to be training our children to understand the responsibilities of adulthood. By the time they reach their teenage years they should be seriously considering the future. At the age of 12 Jesus was in the Temple considering the issues of life, not bouncing about as a child. Not every adult will enter into marriage. We need to understand, however, that as married adults it is our responsibility and duty to have children. "Be ye fruitful and multiply." We need to understand that maturity means looking beyond our selfish interests and seizing the responsibilities that are a part of adulthood.

Is Baptism Essential? A Response to Piper's Position

Three years after John Piper and his elders put the lid on the boiling issue of allowing unbaptized Christians access to church membership they have decided to revive the issue. John Piper has decided to preach three sermons on the issue. The first sermon was titled, "How Important is Church Membership?" and the second was titled, "What is Baptism and How Important is it?" I assume the third, not yet preached as of this blog entry, will be something like, "How Serious is it to Exclude Christians From Church Membership?"

Let me say at the very beginning that I have high respect for John Piper. His passion for preaching and his great love for Christ is not to be diminished. His ministry has been a blessing to many Christians. However, I believe his wisdom is flawed on this issue. To restate the issue, John Piper and his elders are arguing that if a person has been baptized as an infant and believes his baptism is valid, he should be not be denied membership into a baptist church (Bethlehem Baptist Church). They believe the issue of excluding a Christians from membership into the local church is of greater importance than the issue of baptismal correctness. Their premise is the local church should mirror the Universal Church. If a person is a part of the Universal Church he must not be denied membership into a local church.

Let me state just a few inconsistencies in Piper's reasoning and dangers in his position. In his first sermon he did a wonderful job in laying out the importance of the local church. He stated that church membership involves discipline, submission to the elders, and accountability. Submission, however, must include the acceptance of doctrine. We must understand that while the local church should seek to mirror the Universal Church, we must also understand that the local church will never be absolutely pure this side of glory. The local church does not perfectly mirror the Universal Church. This is why we have confessional statements and why we have associations of like-minded churches. A confession of faith states what a local church believes about the Bible. Local churches do not always share the same beliefs . Our church holds to a particular confession (The London Baptist Confession). We believe that our confession reflects the teachings of Scripture. We do not believe that the differing views of other churches have equal validity. This would be tantamount to relativism - that there is no absolute truth. While we believe that every believer has error mixed in with his theology we also believe we must stand upon what we know to be the truth. Trinity Baptist Church believes that Biblical baptism is to be administered to believers alone by immersion. A person cannot claim to come under submission to our church and at the same time refuse to submit to this baptism.

In his second sermon Piper correctly states that baptism is big, huge. He says, "When we talk about baptism we are not talking mainly about religious ritual. We are not talking about a church tradition. We're talking about Christ!" Baptism reflects the glorious Gospel of Christ. He states that baptism is "uncompromisingly commanded" by Christ, "universally administered" by the church and "uniquely connected to conversion." With these glorious statements about Biblical baptism one has to wonder how Piper can conclude that Baptism is optional for church membership. His position is that if a Christian is convinced that his infant baptism is valid he should be allowed membership and hopefully, at some point, come to an understanding of the truth. We must be absolutely clear here. A person who has been baptized as an infant HAS NOT been baptized, period. It doesn't matter whether he believes he has been baptized. According to the Biblical definition of baptism he has NOT been baptized. Piper makes two essential statements in his sermons. In his first sermon he states that church membership involves submission. In the second sermon he states that baptism is "uncompromisingly commanded" by Christ. If Baptism is uncompromisingly commanded by Christ then it is NOT improper for the local church to demand baptism as a prerequisite for church membership.

Piper's argument is that it is vile and heinous to exclude a Christian from church membership. I argue that it is more heinous to disregard the explicit command of Christ in order to add people to the local church. If Christ has commanded us to be baptized it is not only correct for our church to demand it, it is essential that we demand it. Baptism must be a prerequisite for church membership.

Whatever Happened to the Family?

We all know the nursery rhyme, "Humpty Dumpty," the brief account of a man (or egg) meeting an untimely end after a fall from his perch upon a wall. We are given no information of how he fell. Only that putting him back together would be a most difficult task. There have been many different interpretations of this nursery rhyme, however, I'd like use it to make some observations concerning the current state of the family.

Whatever happened to the family? There was a time in our nation when the family was the bedrock of society. No matter what else was happening, the family stood as an unshakable source of stability for children; the place where needs were met and, most important, the place where the principles of morality were taught. Today, only a shadow of this God ordained institution remains and as a result our culture is on the brink of ruin. What happened? Who's to blame? Who is responsible for the great fall of the family from it's unshakable place upon the wall?

It is difficult to place the blame on one single source. Satan's resources are large. You might look to the spirit of rebellion that began in the 1950's and 60's, an attitude that turned away from anything that was traditional. The family of "Leave it to Beaver" was abandoned for what was described as "free love." Premarital sex and "living together" became the "in" thing to do. Today, many young people have turned away from traditional marriage. The consequences of these attitudes have been devastating as the illegitimate birthrate continues to climb and new cases of sexually trasmitted diseases continue to skyrocket. Even before the 1960's, however, the government was doing it's part to destroy the family. Through the operation of a welfare state the role of the father has been greatly diminished and his function has been given over to the state. And we cannot fail to recognize the effect Hollywood continues to have upon the morality of our nation. In the 1950's most television shows depicted traditional two parent families, but today this is not the case. Today there seems to be a clear agenda of assaulting the traditional family. There is also the power of the homosexual lobby that is continuing to promote same-sex unions as normal. With funding from corporations like McDonald's they are quickly changing public attitudes about what defines a family. The bottom line is, it is difficult to place the blame for the demise of the family at one single source.

So what is the solution? Can the family be put back together again? If it can it won't be by the power of the government. "All the kings horses and all the king's men" will fall short in putting the family back together again. I believe the solution rests upon the church. The family is defined by the Word of God. The family is strengthened as it conforms to God's perfect design for the family. The church must regain its voice and speak clearly applying God's Word to the hearts of men. Christian families must serve as models of God's design for the family. The King of kings can surely put the family back together again.

A Touch of Patriotism

For July 4th here's a touch of patriotism. These young girls sang the Star Spangled Banner at a Texas Tech Basketball game. They range from 9 to 16 years of age.

God has blessed our land with rich measures of His grace. Oh that our people might recognize God's bounty and praise Him for His goodness.

True Liberty

The month of July stands out as the month that we as Americans celebrate our Independence. July 4th commemorates the formal adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Declaration of Independence contains the words:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

This statement is a statement of theology. It is making a statement about God; that God has granted certain unalienable rights to all men -- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. When you make theological statements, however, they must be absolutely true. Of these rights we would certainly agree that life is granted by God. The Sixth Commandment, "Thou shalt not kill" demonstrates that God has a high view of life. We should do all that we can do to protect life. There are elements of this statement in the Declaration, however, that are not completely true. First, the Bible does not declare absolute liberty to be an unalienable right. No man lives under absolute freedom. All men are under authority and are commanded to submit to that authority. There are familial authorities, civil authorities, ecclesiastical authorities, etc. there are many libertarians today who push for zero restraint. Such a condition of absolute autonomy does not exist upon the earth. Second, the Bible does not declare happiness as an absolute, unalienable right. The Bible confined happiness to a very narrow definition. The Bible does not guarantee the right to satisfy every carnal lust. We have the right to pursue God and true happiness is to be found in that pursuit. For many, the concept of independence is actually lawlessness. They feel they have an unalienable right to live without restraints or accountability.

The truth is, freedom can only be found in Christ. The lost man is rebellious and self-willed, continually seeking autonomy from God and His Law. In reality he is bound up in slavery. He is held captive by sin and Satan and has not way of escaping from this servitude. The Christian has surrendered his will to Christ. The Christian has thrown down every bastion of independence and has signed a declaration of dependence. But in surrendering all of his liberties to Christ he has actually found true freedom. In Christ we have been set free from sin and Satan and granted great liberty as we gladly serve Christ. We have found true happiness as we find our full enjoyment in Christ.

This Independence Day may we take time to celebrate the true liberty we have been granted in Christ.