Today, President Barack Obama signed an executive order reversing the federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, thus paving the way for the wholesale destruction of increasing numbers of human embryos.
Oh, God, forgive us.
Life is life, though it has different stages: embryo, fetus, newborn, infant, toddler, child, adolescent, adult, elderly. With this action, we now have the full weight of the federal government, especially the Executive Branch, behind the ongoing destruction of human life in its earliest stage.
Oh, God, forgive us.
We already are a nation that allows the taking of human life at the stage of fetus and newborn. How long will it be until we have sanctioned the taking of human life at any stage for "scientific" purposes?
Oh, God, forgive us.
Some have argued that sacrificing a life for the good of others is an honorable thing. That is certainly true if, and it’s a ginormous “if,” one is making the decision to lay down one’s own life for the sake of another. But making the decision to lay down someone else’s life for the sake of others is not honorable, it is murder. In making these decisions scientists are committing the first and most basic of sins, attempting to be god and determining when a person dies.
Oh, God, forgive us.
We have digressed to the level of the Nazis in their death camps who regularly practiced human experimentation resulting in death for the good of the “race” and for the benefit to military personnel. Dr. Joseph Mengele’s twin experiments which included as many as 1,500 sets of twins with only 200 individuals surviving from the original 3,000, stands as just one stark reminder of man’s descent into cruelty.
Oh, God, forgive us.
And so many who profess to be pro-life stand idly by and nod their heads in approval to a President and a nation with such blatant, sinful inhumanity and barbarity. Some even suggest that there are "more important" issues.
Oh, God, forgive us.
Let us join with the prophet Habakkuk and cry to God: "In your wrath remember mercy!" (3:2)
Monday, March 9, 2009
A Heart Check
My dear friend Byron Paulus, Executive Director of Life Action Ministries, shared some questions that have challenged his heart concerning the current climate of our nation and his personal response. I am borrowing some of his thoughts (with a few alterations), along with some of mine to offer a Heart Check for Christians across the political spectrum.
1. Do my thoughts, prayers, words and actions display as much concern about our nation’s spiritual condition as the economic ones?
2. Am I as concerned with what the Scripture says about our situation as what the media offer?
3. Do my words and actions display anxiety or peace about God’s promised care for me through difficult times?
3. Do I spend as much time in God’s Word as I do on Twitter, Facebook, et al?
4. Do I spend as much time talking to God about President Obama as I do to others, whether positively or negatively?
Here are others from Byron’s list:
• Am I as disturbed over the lack of God's presence as I am the lack of godly people in places of influence?
• Am I spending as much time trying to understand the ways of God through the Good News, as I am the ways of man through the media?
• Am I as motivated to figure out how to meet the needs of others as I am in trying to figure out how to meet my own needs?
• Am I content to live the rest of my life materially poor in order to make others spiritually rich?
• Do I spend as much time sharing what I learned from the Scriptures each day as I do sharing what I learned about current events that day?
May God grant us the grace to be true salt and light in the midst of deep darkness.
1. Do my thoughts, prayers, words and actions display as much concern about our nation’s spiritual condition as the economic ones?
2. Am I as concerned with what the Scripture says about our situation as what the media offer?
3. Do my words and actions display anxiety or peace about God’s promised care for me through difficult times?
3. Do I spend as much time in God’s Word as I do on Twitter, Facebook, et al?
4. Do I spend as much time talking to God about President Obama as I do to others, whether positively or negatively?
Here are others from Byron’s list:
• Am I as disturbed over the lack of God's presence as I am the lack of godly people in places of influence?
• Am I spending as much time trying to understand the ways of God through the Good News, as I am the ways of man through the media?
• Am I as motivated to figure out how to meet the needs of others as I am in trying to figure out how to meet my own needs?
• Am I content to live the rest of my life materially poor in order to make others spiritually rich?
• Do I spend as much time sharing what I learned from the Scriptures each day as I do sharing what I learned about current events that day?
May God grant us the grace to be true salt and light in the midst of deep darkness.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Take a Monkey to Lunch Day #200
Today, February 12, 2009, marks the 2ooth anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin. In celebration I thought I would re-post my blog from last Feb. 12. I hope I get more responses this year. Let's be creative.
"Do you know whose birthday today, February 12th, is? I had no idea until a phone call with a friend. If you say Abraham Lincoln you would be absolutely correct. But there was another historically significant individual who was born on the same day in the exact same year as ole Honest Abe. And who was that illustrious persona? (A little drum roll please) Ta da!!! — Charles Darwin. That’s right, today is Darwin Day! (hereafter known as Duh Day — emphasis on Day) C.D. would have been 199 today, if only he had been stronger in his evolution and not been naturally selected to die.
Yessiree, Mr. Natural Selection who, when he wrote his magnum opus entitled On the Origin of the Species, naturally selected not to mention one word about how all this actually originated. My, my! Slight oversight there, Chuck.
Soooo, wanting to give credit where credit is due, I wandered over to www.darwinday.org. Interesting website. One of the links on the home page takes you to a page that instructs you on how you can participate in Duh Day. The first suggestion is “Sponsor and produce a [sic] annual Darwin Day event.” (The particular Darwinian who wrote this has not yet evolved into high school grammar.) As I pondered what would be the best event to commemorate Duh Day, several ideas came to mind. But before I share my ideas here is the official Duh Day Challenge for both my readers: What event can you think of to properly pay homage to ole Chuck-E (for evolution)-Cheesy D?
Here are a few suggested events for Duh Day:
1. As per the title, take a monkey to lunch or work or school. Since you are only an ape in designer jeans (not with Designer genes), what a fitting way to celebrate.
2. Take someone weaker than you to the gas chamber. Oh, sorry, the Nazi’s already did that one. But if you are truly Darwinian, you in your superiority get to choose who the weaker ones are.
3. A little commercial here: The very best way to celebrate Duh Day will be to make plans now to take a friend to see the new movie Expelled when it comes out this spring.
Charles Colson has an interesting commentary on Duh Day at his website recognizing PETA as the perfect example of Darwinism carried to its logical convulsion, er conclusion. Here is a brief quote:
OK, answer the challenge. What creative way can you think of to celebrate Duh Day? Post it here."
"Do you know whose birthday today, February 12th, is? I had no idea until a phone call with a friend. If you say Abraham Lincoln you would be absolutely correct. But there was another historically significant individual who was born on the same day in the exact same year as ole Honest Abe. And who was that illustrious persona? (A little drum roll please) Ta da!!! — Charles Darwin. That’s right, today is Darwin Day! (hereafter known as Duh Day — emphasis on Day) C.D. would have been 199 today, if only he had been stronger in his evolution and not been naturally selected to die.
Yessiree, Mr. Natural Selection who, when he wrote his magnum opus entitled On the Origin of the Species, naturally selected not to mention one word about how all this actually originated. My, my! Slight oversight there, Chuck.
Soooo, wanting to give credit where credit is due, I wandered over to www.darwinday.org. Interesting website. One of the links on the home page takes you to a page that instructs you on how you can participate in Duh Day. The first suggestion is “Sponsor and produce a [sic] annual Darwin Day event.” (The particular Darwinian who wrote this has not yet evolved into high school grammar.) As I pondered what would be the best event to commemorate Duh Day, several ideas came to mind. But before I share my ideas here is the official Duh Day Challenge for both my readers: What event can you think of to properly pay homage to ole Chuck-E (for evolution)-Cheesy D?
Here are a few suggested events for Duh Day:
1. As per the title, take a monkey to lunch or work or school. Since you are only an ape in designer jeans (not with Designer genes), what a fitting way to celebrate.
2. Take someone weaker than you to the gas chamber. Oh, sorry, the Nazi’s already did that one. But if you are truly Darwinian, you in your superiority get to choose who the weaker ones are.
3. A little commercial here: The very best way to celebrate Duh Day will be to make plans now to take a friend to see the new movie Expelled when it comes out this spring.
Charles Colson has an interesting commentary on Duh Day at his website recognizing PETA as the perfect example of Darwinism carried to its logical convulsion, er conclusion. Here is a brief quote:
“Here’s where PETA comes in. PETA was celebrating Darwin Day long before there was an official Darwin Day. You can see it in everything it does—from its ads comparing the slaughter of animals to the Holocaust, to PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk’s famous statement that “When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness, and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.”
What does that have to do with Darwinism? Everything. To a Darwinist, you see, there is no distinction between human beings and animals. We all came about by chance; we are made of the same “stuff,” and we all end up as nothing more than dust. Instead of recognizing humans as bearers of God’s image, Darwinism sees us as nothing more than competitively successful bipeds with opposable thumbs. Forget any talk of human dignity.” (http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7522)
What does that have to do with Darwinism? Everything. To a Darwinist, you see, there is no distinction between human beings and animals. We all came about by chance; we are made of the same “stuff,” and we all end up as nothing more than dust. Instead of recognizing humans as bearers of God’s image, Darwinism sees us as nothing more than competitively successful bipeds with opposable thumbs. Forget any talk of human dignity.” (http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=7522)
OK, answer the challenge. What creative way can you think of to celebrate Duh Day? Post it here."
Monday, February 2, 2009
truth in love…in action
Too often the church is limited in the scope of what it considers ministry. We fall into the trap of thinking that the “ministries of the church” are what we do together at the place where the church meets or, at least, in the homes of the church members. Now, of course, those things are a part of the ministry of the church. But the ministries of the church should be so much more than that.
Point 1: The followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are the church. All followers of all time are the universal church. Those in a particular area who have committed themselves to the Lord and one another are a local church. Those are the only kinds of churches the Bible mentions. But…again…the church is THE PEOPLE.
Point 2: Wherever the church is it ought to be salt and light in the world.
Matt. 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
That is, every member of the church, wherever he/she is touching the community/world, ought to be “letting the light of Christ shine through them” into the darkness of the world. Our mindset ought to be that we are THE church ministering “justice and mercy and faithfulness” everywhere we go.
Matt. 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Mic. 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
We are the church. We are the church of the living Lord Jesus Christ. When we leave the “meeting place” we are still the church. He has chosen us and saved us and filled us with power from on high to go into the world and shine as light in the world so that the world will see our “justice and mercy and faithfulness” and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.
Point 1: The followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are the church. All followers of all time are the universal church. Those in a particular area who have committed themselves to the Lord and one another are a local church. Those are the only kinds of churches the Bible mentions. But…again…the church is THE PEOPLE.
Point 2: Wherever the church is it ought to be salt and light in the world.
Matt. 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
That is, every member of the church, wherever he/she is touching the community/world, ought to be “letting the light of Christ shine through them” into the darkness of the world. Our mindset ought to be that we are THE church ministering “justice and mercy and faithfulness” everywhere we go.
Matt. 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Mic. 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
We are the church. We are the church of the living Lord Jesus Christ. When we leave the “meeting place” we are still the church. He has chosen us and saved us and filled us with power from on high to go into the world and shine as light in the world so that the world will see our “justice and mercy and faithfulness” and give glory to our Father who is in heaven.
A Prayer for All Nations, Especially Our Own
Psalm 8:3-4 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 9:20 Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men! (ESV)
As I read these words this morning just after reading the morning newspaper, I was struck with a profound awareness of the arrogance of humanity, especially those who are public figures of any stripe. Without naming names or pointing fingers at individuals (which would be unfair because of all those who would be left out), it is safe to say this is a chronic human malady. And, so that you will know, without question I am including myself and others who are “religious leaders.”
Stark Humility (Psalm 8): David considers only God’s creation, not even moving into the vast, infinite regions of all that God is in and of Himself. And with that limited view of only the heavens he is awestruck that the Creator of these things would give one nanosecond of thought to us little humans. And yet, he goes on to point out the place of high honor that the Creator God has given to us.
Demolishing Arrogance (Psalm 9:20): What could be more instructive and rehabilitating than for us all to become fully aware that we are humans. However, that this is exactly what we are and all that we are and all that we ever will be. Yes, nations, there is One Who is infinitely other than us. He is the Eternal, Creator God, before Whom we are mere men.
Selah: Pause & think!
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 9:20 Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men! (ESV)
As I read these words this morning just after reading the morning newspaper, I was struck with a profound awareness of the arrogance of humanity, especially those who are public figures of any stripe. Without naming names or pointing fingers at individuals (which would be unfair because of all those who would be left out), it is safe to say this is a chronic human malady. And, so that you will know, without question I am including myself and others who are “religious leaders.”
Stark Humility (Psalm 8): David considers only God’s creation, not even moving into the vast, infinite regions of all that God is in and of Himself. And with that limited view of only the heavens he is awestruck that the Creator of these things would give one nanosecond of thought to us little humans. And yet, he goes on to point out the place of high honor that the Creator God has given to us.
Demolishing Arrogance (Psalm 9:20): What could be more instructive and rehabilitating than for us all to become fully aware that we are humans. However, that this is exactly what we are and all that we are and all that we ever will be. Yes, nations, there is One Who is infinitely other than us. He is the Eternal, Creator God, before Whom we are mere men.
Selah: Pause & think!
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