Happy Birthday to Kim!

I just want to wish a happy 25th birthday to my awesome wife. You're the love of my life Kim!

5 Years!

I just wanted to say “I LOVE YOU” to my wife!  Today is our 5 year wedding anniversary.  So much has happened over those years, yet it seems like the time has flown by.

I remember we wanted to wait 4-5 years after we got married to have children.  Somehow, we already have two! 

Free Speech*

I just can’t get enough of the fact that Liberals are all about free speech and expression of thought…unless the speech or the thought contradicts their beliefs. Such is the case with the Miss USA flap that is all over the news right now. Miss California simply stated that she believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. The backlash has been out of this world.

I have never been interested at all in the Miss America contest, but this twist has caught my attention. It’s really an example of a bigger issue.

I have read a few statements made by Miss CA’s attackers. By the way, be careful about going to the articles about this story on the web. Some of the pictures aren’t very modest, to say the least. Anyway, here are some of my favorite quotes:

(Before we get to the quotes…things like this are one of the main reasons my blog is entitled Thinking Preacher. I really wish people would think before they speak. Moving on…)

Shanna Moakler (former Miss USA and current Miss California director) said: “This is why we have judges at Miss USA, so we find the girl to rep us ALL.” This would be an impossibility. ALL the people in CA or the USA don’t see things the way Moakler does.

Moakler continued: “I don’t know how you can call a gay man or woman your friend and not want them [to] have the same joys as yourself. In my family we believe in equal rights for all…” Click here for a thoughtful explanation regarding the thoughtlessness of this statement.

A source close to Moakler’s team said: “People in California, more so than most states, are particularly passionate about overturning Prop 8 --especially those in the pageant/beauty world.” The last seven words of this quote are undoubtedly true. The first fifteen words are idiotic at worst and pathetic at best. If people in CA are so passionate about overturning Prop 8, why did it pass?

Kudos to Miss CA, Carrie Prejean, for saying what she believes.

Don’t Get Drawn Away

Colossians 2:4, “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.”

I’ve been teaching a series through the book of Colossians in my adult Bible class for the last few weeks.  That epistle is packed with great and challenging truths.  One of the main purposes Paul wrote this book was to make sure the Christians at Colosse were not drawn away from the sufficiency of Christ by worldly philosophers and deceivers.  The theme of the book is: Christ is All.  Paul reveals some of the desires he had for these believers in the first few verses of chapter 2 as he warns them about being drawn away from the faith.

Vs. 1-2, “For I would that he knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ…”

Paul expresses two desires for these believers.  The first desire is that they would be comforted.  He wanted them to be strengthened and encouraged as they faced not a physical battle, but a mental one.  The threat was not bodily injury, it was enticing words.  Discouraged Christians are easily drawn away.  If you are discouraged, be careful.  You are in dangerous territory.

The second desire Paul had for these Christians is that they would be knit together.  He wanted them knit together in three ways: in love, unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, and to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God.  A tremendous lesson can be learned from each of these statements.

Paul wanted them knit together in love.  Unity among the brethren is a subject that Paul brings up to every church he wrote to.  Divided Christians are easily drawn away.  Division in the church provides fertile ground for people to be enticed.

Paul desired that they be knit together unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding.  Disoriented (for the lack of a better word that starts with “D”) Christians are easily drawn away.  Understanding what Christ has done for you in salvation brings assurance.  A believer who is assured of their position in Christ is almost impossible to entice.

The Apostle wanted them knit together to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God.  The mystery was “Christ in (them), the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).  The Laodicean Christians had a tremendous problem in this area.  In Revelation 3:20, Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”  Jesus was standing at the door knocking, but they didn’t acknowledge Him.  Distracted Christians are easily drawn away.  If your focus is on something other than Jesus Christ, you have already taken the first step towards being drawn away.

These desires of the Apostle Paul challenged me and I believe they could be a great reminder and challenge to others.  Don’t be drawn away!

The Touch of a Father

A lady in our church wrote me a very kind email this week.  You’d have to know her story to understand the true depth of what she said, but I believe the note will touch your heart either way.  It read:

“Thank you for the little things I see you do for your kids.  Holding your daughter is such a precious sight to me.  I hope you never get "too busy" to hold her, stroke her hair or give her hugs as she grows up.  Never stop holding her.  Trust me, your touch gives love and security, strength and acceptance to Kim, Jacquelynn and any future little girls in your family.  Receive this as from one who was very seldom touched by her father in an affirming way.  HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!”

The note was a powerful reminder that I don’t ever want to do anything to hurt my kids.  If my love is that strong, imagine how deep the Father’s love for us.

Oxymoron of the Week

PCMag.com Article Title: Skype Comes to the iPhone
Article Subtitle: "Skype for the iPhone lets you easily and cheaply make free VoIP calls over Wi-Fi."

Are the calls cheap or free? I thought it was funny...

Matthew Henry on Matthew 12:31-32 and the Unpardonable Sin

"None are excepted (from salvation) by name, nor any by description, but those only that blaspheme the Holy Ghost. This blasphemy is excepted, not for any defect of the mercy in God, or merit in Christ, but because it inevitably leaves the sinner in infidelity and impenitency. Those who fear they have committed this sin, give a good sign that they have not. Those therefore who blaspheme this dispensation of the Spirit, cannot possibly be brought to believe in Christ. This is such a stronghold of infidelity as a man can never be beaten out of, and is therefore unpardonable, because hereby repentance is hid from the sinner’s eyes. There is no cure for a sin so directly against the remedy."

I wish I could write like those guys used to.

Oxymoron of the Week

"Faced with the reality that our system for imposing the death penalty can never be perfect, my conscience compels me to replace the death penalty with a solution that keeps society safe." -Governor Bill Richardson (NM)

Click here for more details on this story.

Catching Wild Pigs

A friend of mine sent me a great email.  It read as follows...

A chemistry professor in a large college had some exchange students in the class. One day while the class was in the lab the Professor noticed one young man (exchange student) who kept rubbing his back, and stretching as if his back hurt. 

The professor asked the young man what was the matter. The  student told him he had a bullet lodged in his back. He had been shot while fighting communists in his native country who were trying to overthrow his country's government and install a new communist government. 

In the midst of his story he looked at th e professor and asked a strange question. He asked, 'Do you know how to catch wild pigs?' 

The professor thought it was a joke and asked for the punch line. The young man said this was no joke. 'You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the corn again and you put up another side of the fence. They get used to

that and start to eat again. You continue until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in The last side. The pigs, who are used to the free corn, start to come through the gate to eat, you slam the gate on them and catch the whole herd. 

Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon they go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they accept their captivity. 

The young man then told the professor that is exactly what he sees happening to America . The government keeps pushing us toward socialism and keeps spreading the free corn out in the form of programs such as supplemental income, tax credit for unearned income, tobacco subsidies, dairy subsidies, payments not to plant crops (CRP), welfare, medicine, drugs, etc.. While we continually lose our freedoms -- just a little at a time. 

One should always remember: There is no such thing as a free lunch! Also, a politician will never provide a service for you cheaper than you can do it yourself. 
Also, if you see that all of this wonderful government 'help' is a problem confronting the future of democracy in America , you might want to send this on to your friends. If you think the free ride is essential to your way of life then you will probably delete this email, but God help you when the gate slams shut! 

Keep your eyes on the newly elected politicians who are about to slam the gate on America . 

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"

Thomas Jefferson

Mayor, Mayor

Sam Adams, the new mayor of Portland, broke a major barrier when he took office.  He become the first openly gay mayor of  a major US city.

He recently held a press conference where he finally told the truth about a sexual relationship he had with a teenage ex-intern.  This was a relationship he blatantly lied about  a few months ago.  You can catch up on this story by clicking here.

The sexual orientation of Mayor Adams doesn't really interest me.  What bothers me about this situation is that anyone would even consider giving the mayor a pass on this issue.  He should resign immediately.  He shouldn't resign because he's gay.  He should resign because he had sex with an 18 year old and lied about it.

Consider this: What if a 40-something single male mayor of another major city had a sexual relationship with an 18 year old girl and lied about it.  If the truth about that relationship came out, people would be demanding his resignation...and rightly so.

Sam Adams has to go.