Emergent Monday: Tolerating the Tolerant

Tolerance is the battle cry of the Left lately, according to them we must be tolerant of all that they deem worthy of tolerance. Failure to do so would brand you with the title of "Intolerant", which for some reason they consider to be a synonym of hatred. 

The Christian Left (most notably the Red Letter Christians) use a cafeteria style study of the bible, picking and choosing the verses they feel to be the only ones worth following for a variety of reasons; they were uttered by Christ, they contain the word "love", they are gluten free... but in the end they chose the passages that fit their narrative rather than God's. 

For the Christian Left this works perfectly, because by picking and choosing verses and preaching a myopic view of the word of God you crush the Berean spirit in your congregation. It also allows you redefine words and concepts, bending them to your own agenda. A congregation that will let you wreck havoc on the English language like this will follow you straight into the pit, checkbooks in hand. Look at the master, the Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie, the Slayer Of Strawmen. In a response to "Keep preaching tolerance, Chuck" he replied "I will," then quoted Matthew 22:37-40 and finished with 

No one will hear that message from you, I'm sad to say. They will from me. And I do pray that God softens your heart. Living off hate isn't really living. It's hell.

Unfortunately for the followers of the Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie, he used a bait and switch routine that retailers would pay him huge dollars to bring their establishments so they could clear their shelves of substandard merchandise. The Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie did a marvelous job of pretending he didn't know what the antonym of "tolerance" (disagree) and made up his own antonym: Hatred. Hatred is not an antonym of tolerance byt that didn't stop the Rev. Dr. Currie from hammering his commentator over the head with his made up definition, then he prayed that God softens her heart. 

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

I hope you all had a grand day of giving thanks and praise and enjoying God's bountiful blessings. We were doubly blessed to have a houseful of our children, their friends, and our friends. In the end we had a total of 16 guests all gathered to give thanks to the Lord and enjoy each others fellowship. We were able to wrestle Birdzilla into the roaster and sealed his fate with stuffing and cranberries, and generate enough leftovers to keep the mad sandwich artists in each of us busy for a week.

Any homeowner knows that during the holidays everyone seems to congregate in the kitchen, doubly so when the only football game on is a real stinkeroo. We recently had a chance to remodel our kitchen so my bride decided to make it huge, in fact when all was said and done it encompassed the original kitchen and the entire family room. We were able to comfortably fit everyone in the kitchen including the grandbaby, all her accouterments, and three dogs who gladly volunteered to keep the floor cleared of anything that spilled and could possibly create a slipping hazard. Cooking that big meal used to be a chore, but with many hands it turned into a grand cooking party with everyone (excluding the grandbaby and two of the three dogs) participating in the preparations

Thanksgiving is a deeply theological act, so what about atheists?

Sad, but Praise The Lord - this child has a future

A Christian couple in Norway has had their children taken away by the state and placed in foster card for "Christian radicalism and indoctrination"

Pastor steps down because of "too much God talk" - Rob Bell is involved. Go figure.

Several suspects in the case of murdered of Indiana pastor’s wife Amanda Blackburn have been arrested

The liberal Left loves to celebrate perversion and sin, personally I thought I'd never see a national magazine celebrate incest. Unfortunately Cosmo missed the point of the story, this isn't about incest, it's about the results of bad parenting. Brothers and sisters, it's only going to get worse.

Celestial Seasonings Tea is as dead to me as Starbucks. Maybe more so, for multiple reasons.

Christian video games? Not sure if this is compromise, conforming, or evangelism

Hate filled atheist Bill Maher demands that the press question Christians on the possibility of the world coming to an end. Maher and his liberal ilk are constantly telling us that the world is going to end and they constantly set dates for the world coming to an end (usually in a decade) if we don't stop doing something they don't like: burning coal, driving cars, cutting rainforest trees... yet they castigate Christians for the same thing. Is it ironic that Maher doesn't see the irony in his arrogance?

Atheists claim that the war on Christmas is an exaggeration, a hoax, and an attempt to gain attention by Christians. Then they go to war on Christmas.

The more science tries to disprove the bible, the more they prove the bible to be true.

Iraqi Christians face deportation in the US while Obama offers asylum to thousands of Muslims

Religion of Peace Update - Two Christians in Yemen, both converts from Islam, have been ambushed and killed because of their faith

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. (Psalm 118:1)

“It is always well to trace our mercies to him who bestows them, and if we cannot give him anything else, let us at any rate give him our thanks. We must not stop short at the second agent, but rise at once to the first cause, and render all our praises unto the Lord himself. Have we been of a forgetful or murmuring spirit?

Let us hear the lively language of the text, and allow it to speak to our hearts: ‘Cease your complainings, cease from all self-glorification, and give thanks unto the Lord.’ ‘For he is good.’ This is reason enough for giving him thanks; goodness is his essence and nature, and therefore he is always to be praised whether we are receiving anything from him or not. Those who only praise God because he does them good should rise to a higher note and give thanks to him because he is good. 

In the truest sense he alone is good, ‘There is none good but one, that is God’; therefore in all gratitude the Lord should have the royal portion. If others seem to be good, he is good. If others are good in a measure, he is good beyond measure. When others behave badly to us, it should only stir us up the more heartily to give thanks unto the Lord, because he is good; and when we ourselves are conscious that we are far from being good, we should only the more reverently bless him that ‘he is good.’ 

We must never tolerate an instant’s unbelief as to the goodness of the Lord; whatever else may be questionable, this is absolutely certain, that Jehovah is good; his dispensations may vary, but his nature is always the same, and always good. It is not only that he was good, and will be good, but he is good; let his providence be what it may. Therefore let us even at this present moment, though the skies be dark with clouds, yet give thanks unto his name.”

– Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)
taken from: The Treasury of David, Vol. 5, pg. 320.

We give thanks to You, O God

We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks, For Your name is near; Men declare Your wondrous works. (Psalm 75:1)

Although the time and date of the first American thanksgiving observance may be uncertain, there is no question but that this treasured custom derives from our Judeo-Christian heritage. "Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks," the Psalmist sang, praising God not only for the "wondrous works" of His creation, but for loving guidance and deliverance from dangers.

A band of settlers arriving in Maine in 1607 held a service of thanks for their safe journey, and twelve years later settlers in Virginia set aside a day of thanksgiving for their survival. In 1621 Governor William Bradford created the most famous of all such observances at Plymouth Colony when a bounteous harvest prompted him to proclaim a special day "to render thanksgiving to the Almighty God for all His blessings." The Spaniards in California and the Dutch in New Amsterdam also held services to give public thanks to God.

In 1777, during our War of Independence , the Continental Congress set aside a day for thanksgiving and praise for our victory at the battle of Saratoga. It was the first time all the colonies took part in such an event on the same day. The following year, upon news that France was coming to our aid, George Washington at Valley Forge prescribed a special day of thanksgiving. Later, as our first President, he responded to a Congressional petition by declaring Thursday, November 26, 1789, the first Thanksgiving Day of the United States of America.

Although there were many state and national thanksgiving days proclaimed in the ensuing years, it was the tireless crusade of one woman, Sarah Josepha Hale, that finally led to the establishment of this beautiful feast as an annual nationwide observance. Her editorials so touched the heart of Abraham Lincoln that in 1863—even in the midst of the Civil War—he enjoined his countrymen to be mindful of their many blessings, cautioning them not to forget "the source from which they come," that they are "the gracious gifts of the Most High God . . ." Who ought to be thanked "with one heart and one voice by the whole American People."

It is in that spirit that I now invite all Americans to take part again in this beautiful tradition with its roots deep in our history and deeper still in our hearts. We manifest our gratitude to God for the many blessings he has showered upon our land and upon its people.

In this season of Thanksgiving we are grateful for our abundant harvests and the productivity of our industries; for the discoveries of our laboratories; for the researches of our scientists and scholars; for the achievements of our artists, musicians, writers, clergy, teachers, physicians, businessmen, engineers, public servants, farmers, mechanics, artisans, and workers of every sort whose honest toil of mind and body in a free land rewards them and their families and enriches our entire Nation.

Let us thank God for our families, friends, and neighbors, and for the joy of this very festival we celebrate in His name. Let every house of worship in the land and every home and every heart be filled with the spirit of gratitude and praise and love on this Thanksgiving Day.

Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, in the spirit and tradition of the Pilgrims, the Continental Congress, and past Presidents, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 28, 1985, as a day of national Thanksgiving. I call upon every citizen of this great Nation to gather together in homes and places of worship and offer prayers of praise and gratitude for the many blessings Almighty God has bestowed upon our beloved country.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and tenth.

The First Thanksgiving Proclamation

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and

Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted; for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other trangressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally, to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A. D. 1789.

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

Sadly we are headed into the holidays, I'm saying sadly because this is the busy season for me. Anyone who makes their living in a corporate environment tends to dread this season because corporate financial wizardry makes this the busiest time of the year. Unallocated funds are freed up for last minute projects, 'high priority' projects that were supposed to be completed by May are kicking into full swing, and many colleagues who didn't pay attention to the calendar now realize they have 2 weeks of vacation days in the Use or Lose column.

This is why coasting gently into the holidays is a thing of the past, and threatens to take my focus off the real goals.

I had so many health issues this year, and my coworkers covered for me marvelously, so I'm returning the favor and doing the on-call for both Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, freeing them up so they can spend time with their families without fear of being called up for work. I really don't mind doing the holiday on-call work - it insures I'm bound to home and don't get roped into long sanctification losing shopping adventures like the "Black Friday"fracas.

Massachusetts allows atheists to embarrass themselves wearing a colander on their head in a license photo, will they allow Christians to wear a hat that says Jesus Saves?

James Smith, outraged husband of Moira Smith, a police officer who died rescuing others from the south tower during the 9/11 attacks returned Moira's posthumous  'Woman of the Year' award over Bruce Jenner's "Woman" of the year award

Scientology: Sad, Silly, Satanic

It really doesn't take much to figure out what
Scientology is all about

Many years ago I used to read a lot of pulp science fiction, mostly the classic authors - Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Fritz Leiber, Arthur C. Clarke, Robert Heinlein, L. Sprague de Camp... I liked 'hard' science fiction; science fiction where the fiction was based on science rather than fantasy. A lot of the stuff I really enjoyed were based on the then unknown (at the time of the writing) physics of travel in outer space and how the heroes overcame the physics of weightlessness, mass, inertia, and saved the day.

There were some of the classic authors that I didn't like, mostly because their content leaned toward the weird: mysterious powers, parallel universes, dragons, advanced civilizations with swords and wizards, that kind of thing. When it comes to "Swords and Sorcerers" I prefer genre skewering satire, like the marvelous Diskworld series by the late Terry Pratchett or the "Another Fine Myth" series by Robert Asprin. 

One of the writers I didn't like to follow was L. Ron Hubbard. He leaned more toward fantasy than hard fiction and was not my cup of tea. Sadly, the entire science fiction genre drifted toward goofy fantasy with only an occasional flash of 'hard' science fiction. I mourned the loss of a great genre by re-reading the Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov then turned my back on it completely. Well, almost completely. I read Battlefield Earth by L. Ron, and I really don't remember why I read it, nor do I remember much about the content other than finding it sophomoric, boring, and written on a level (maybe 8th grade at best) much lower than I felt comfortable with.

A few years later when the utterly horrible film version came out (largely considered one of the worst movies ever made) I suffered through that nonsense, and as I concentrated on trying not to writhe in agony at the horrible script, acting, directing, camera angles, and pathetic waste of perfectly good film stock, someone mentioned to me that the author of this disaster, L. Ron Hubbard, was also the founder of Scientology. I knew very little about Scientology, other than it was a religious cult populated by some very rich people, but now I find out that it was invented by a third rate hack science fiction writer? To be perfectly honest, other than gales of riotous laughter, my reaction was to wonder if it would be possible to go to a Scientology church, and when the collection plate came by to dip out the money I wasted on the book and the movie. 

I never did go into a Scientology church, and now that I look into this religion I know that I've been blessed by never having entered one of their buildings. They never bothered me, in fact I always thought they were doing society a favor by keeping people like Tom Cruise and John Travolta off the the streets where they would otherwise be bothering people (see: Oprah's Couch), but as I learn more and more about this cult the more I thank God for protecting me from them.

Emergent Monday: Pseudochristianity teaming up with Pseudoscience

The inconvenient truth is the fact that the temperature of the earth hasn't changed in two decades and is currently headed for a decline (lots of decline), the antarctic ice sheet is growing rapidly, and that the data backing up the climate change hysteria is, and has always been fraudulent, And the Reverend Doctor Chuck Currie bravely dismisses all this factual hoopla and responsible science stuff for the fluffy huggy world of emotional responses.

In his blog post The Rev. Dr. Chuck admonishes us over Hurricane Patricia which he calls "the most powerful hurricane in recorded history" and it really was the most powerful, but hardly devastating when compared with Katrina which is rated at #2 (the most devastating hurricane ever was the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926). Patricia thankfully doesn't even make the top 40 destructive hurricanes, the inconvenient truth is that Patricia hit a sparsely populated area, fizzled out quickly, and brought much needed rain into central Mexico. 

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

It's been a pretty busy week here at Casa de Despierto, and to top off the week we had our first snow storm of the season. I was raised in Buffalo and I grew up in North Dakota (its a wry observation which I may explain some day) spending over 40 years between those locations. To me a Colorado winter is a tropical vacation. How can you call it winter when your snow blower is dying of malnutrition? At work the only constant is change, and it's been changing pretty constantly. Along with engineering, my peers and I have been tasked with customer service. This is both good and bad, it's good because customers having an issue have access to folks that can get them fixed for sure. It's bad however because we don't speak English, we speak engineering, a whole different language made up of things like Forward Data Carrier Levels, Entitlement Management Messages, and Conditional Access, none of which mean what they sound like (except the FDC level, that means exactly what it sounds like). The best part of the week has been Bible Study Fellowship - it's just getting better and better. I always look forward to a bible study class, but the "Fellowship" in BSF is incredible, I really miss those guys when I'm not around them. We are studying Revelation but so far we've spent more time in Genesis, Daniel, Ephesians, Romans, and Acts tying the new and old testaments into Christ's revelation to John.

Cult leader Steven Furtick believes that the most arrogant thing that he could do would to be open and honest about church finances.

An enraged Christian woman ambushed Katy Perry's father and accused him of raising a "Satanic daughter" - case you missed my report - that lady was absolutely right about Miss Perry

The Bledsoe county, Tennessee school system has banned the distribution of the Bible and the Gideons from their school due to a single complaint. The school district claims that distributing religious material in school violates the Constitution but in the real world the Supreme Court AND the ACLU both agree that the Constitution says no such thing.

Do All Roads Lead To God?

Revelation 17:1-18 speaks of "the great harlot" as part of the end time scenario. Throughout the Old Testament the term "harlot" is used as a metaphor for false religion and the great harlot indicates that a one world religion is a key feature of the End Times. Most of the arguments I've seen have pointed to Roman Catholicism and Islam as being the prophesied one world religion. Some even say that the "one world religion" points to the "Emergent Church". Current event suggest this is partially right. The Christian Left, which is a concentrated form of the Emergent Church, loudly, proudly proclaims that "Jesus is not the only way"  This excellent  blog post points out that this one cold heretical statement may be the true one world religion

Do All Roads Lead To God?
by Don and Joy Veinot
Reblogged from Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc.

 “All roads lead to God” was the prevailing idea and guiding principle at the 2015 Parliament of the World’s Religions (October 15-19, 2015) in Salt Lake City, UT. One of the first things an attendee saw when they arrived to register was a Jain Temple built in the entry hall of the Salt Palace Convention Center, oftentimes complete with Jains performing their worship rituals. The Jains also had a booth in the exhibition hall and a prominent part of their display was the popular if timeworn story of The Blind Men and the Elephant. The essence of the story is that six blind men touch an elephant and describe what the elephant was like, depending on which part of the elephant they had personally come into contact with. One described the tail, one the trunk, and the others various other physical aspects of the beast. Naturally, a fierce argument ensued about who was right about elephant nature, until a seventh person brought about peace by saying that all of them were actually right – the elephant is all of those things! It is an interesting parable, and it is well suited the Parliament crowd’s ideas about relative truth. Why should people from the world’s various religious traditions argue about the nature of god when it is all really just a matter of differing perspectives? Can’t we all be right? Unfortunately, there are at least four problems with the story. 

Thank YOU For Your Support

Happy Veterans Day to my brothers and sisters who served in the Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and USAF. If anything can be said about our joint venture is that the only commonality was that it was life changing. Even those that served a short time had their lives changed. They may deny it, but they're the ones showing up on time for work, and the ones that know that right or wrong the boss is the boss. 

Many men and women's faith was renewed and strengthened during their service. I know during my career that God sent many hints and reminders that He had plans for me, like when a live 500 lb bomb dropped four feet off a bomb lift truck 10 feet away from me, and when it hit the concrete ramp it merely bounced. I'm sure we all received little messages like that, some not so subtle either. 

On this Veterans Day I'd also like to thank those that supported us, the civilians. they stand behind us cheering us on and depending on us for protection and security no matter how daffy our political leaders get with our orders.

As a 20 year veteran who has been there, done that, got all kinds of T-shirts and a few cuts and bruises - I would like to take the opportunity to thank YOU for your support and pray that you continue your support of those marvelous kids on active duty, those in the guard and reserves, and those that are now making the decision to serve. As G.K. Chesterton wrote a century ago:

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.”

And that is still the truth today for all of my brothers and sisters in uniform and those of us now out of uniform but willing to return at a moment’s notice; we do what we have to do because we sincerely love what we guard and protect.

And no veteran can ever fully thank the most important person in the military, the ones that stand next to us. Those brave women and men who suffer with us when we fail, cheer us on when we're discouraged, rise with us when we succeed, and raise our children alone when we're otherwise engaged. They weep for us when we deploy and weep again when we return. 

We military members forget that when we have a gun in our hand, or a wrench, or a joystick, or even a keyboard, we can do something, we have some form of control over our situation. Our wives and husbands back "in the land of the Big BX" can only wait and worry and pray. I know for a fact that they don't get the information your commander said he'd provide them, so they wait in fear and dread expecting the worst, and praying for the best. So when someone thanks you for your service, thank them for their support and tell them to thank your spouse, she/he had the hardest job in the military.

From 1203 to 1805

1203 to 1805 from Spencer Adler on Vimeo.

1. From 1203 to 1805
   50 million Christians died^(source)
   Suffering at the hands of Rome
   ‘Cause they believed in Christ alone. 

Emergent Monday: Belief

Random Bits

"I walk through this sinful world as a 

pilgrim in a foreign country" - CH Spurgeon

A Christian music festival has been cancelled by the city of Toronto because they are planning to play Christian music

I never liked the popular version of this song, but this rendition is simply awesome. (I suspect that Glenn Chatfield may have had some influence on it? Ya think?)

World Vegan Day VS Acts 10:9-16. You decide.

Now homosexual incestuous marriage? you can't make this stuff up, no matter how much you wish it was made up.

NASA pulls the plug on Mr. Pope's favorite bit of propaganda. But don't expect a change of song out of the Vatican. Mr. Pope is bent on destroying the civilized west and the myth of global warming is the fastest, silliest way to do it. Like most other political anarchists he'll stick with that story, regardless of the science involved.

"I want to thank the voters in the City of Houston for turning out in record numbers to defeat Houston Prop 1 – the bathroom ordinance. The voters clearly understand that this proposition was never about equality – that is already the law. It was about allowing men to enter women’s restrooms and locker rooms – defying common sense and common decency." - Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick

Starting From Scratch

Interesting things happen when I have security detail at the First Berean Congregational Church. Occasionally half way through the service someone strolls into the vestibule of our church with a question on their mind. Quite often they're looking for the First Berean Lutheran Church which is just up the road from us (turn right on 31st then left on to Elbert, you can't miss it)

Last year a young couple came in a bit late but excited to join us, they drove quite a ways just to be there. They even mentioned pre-marriage counseling.  I ushered them into the sanctuary just as Pastor Paratus started his sermon. About 15 minutes later they came out with a puzzled look on their face. I immediately knew the answer to the question that was on their hearts: just up the road a bit, turn right on 31st then left on to Elbert, you can't miss it.

One time a young woman came in with a 5 year old girl who was wearing mismatched shoes and the woman told me her story: husband, money, sister-in-law, rent, brother, car, misunderstanding, shouting, anger... I doubt I will ever remember more details than that, but in the end she was looking for a sympathetic ear and a toothbrush for her child. The First Berean Congregational Church was able to supply her with both.

Emergent Monday: One God, Many Paths - to Hell

Mark Sandlin is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and co-founder of the Christian Left.  His work has been published on "The Huffington Post," "Time," and even the "Richard Dawkins Foundation" and is married to a "Baptist Minister" which pretty much sums up his credentials. 

Poor Mr. Sandlin, he firmly believes that his made up mantra of "One God, many paths" is actually true, and when called on his fallacy he misuses John 10:16 then ends the conversation by "victoriously rotate on my heel and walk away"

Mr. Sandlin believes that John 14:6 is meant for Thomas and Christians alone, no one else. And because Mr. Sandlin's version of Jesus doesn't agree with what the word of God says, Mr. Sandlin admits to throwing out a rejoinder in quoting part of a bible verse with “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.” Using this as a retort fails miserably for someone who actually knows ALL of John 10:16 -

I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.