ante christ

schaeffer: worldview

thanksgiving proclamation [1789]

George Washington's 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 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 which we experienced in the tranquility [sic], 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 [capital O] 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 hath 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 transgressions -- 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 shewn [sic] kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease [sic] 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 third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789
George Washington

N.B. Yes, the first Thanksgiving in the United States was about God . . . just as the pilgrims' first Thanksgiving was about God (not Indians). And President Washington was fully aware of both.

is climate change a new ossuary box?

Recent events have made for some interesting pondering, and are starting to expose things more for what they truly are. I speak of climategate, the discovery via leaked/hacked EMAILS(which were in the process of being deleted before they were mandated released due to The Freedom of Information Act) which show that certain scientists have knowingly falsified data in an effort to demonstrate the 'fact' of global warming.

Although many have never accepted the premise of global warming, there always appeared to be two sides to the story. This gave the impression that science was doing what science does, debating and evaluating and gathering data. Now we can see that this is definitely not the case, for the proponents of the hypothesis of global warming have been deliberately changing their data to manipulate the discussion and influence public opinion. (And we also know why they were so slow to debate the data and so quick to demonize and dismiss the dissenters.) All this means that this is a perpetuated hoax - perhaps one of the greatest in the history of civilization - with malicious intent within the scientists who participated.

But, with so many people already convinced that their efforts of 'going greener' are helping to save the planet, does the fact that the primary evidence of global warming rests on fictitious evidence matter? Are we already too devoted to this path that we will be too blinded by our own self-assigned significance to awaken to the truth?

And what about the role of the church in all of this? Will we be able to recognize truth and be willing to accept it as it reflects the Creator standing behind it? Or is modern evangelicalism so caught up in the quest for popular acceptance and cause-orientend communities that it will dismiss the hoax and continue on in its save-the-planet-bring-the-kingdom path?

This is reminiscent of the James-ossuary, which was so exciting and promising until it was deemed a hoax of its own. Still, there are those from within the biblical studies community who continue to assert its significance and importance in the face of contrary evidence (BW3 most notably). The evidence for the authenticity is absurd, the evidence for its probability of being a forgery are substantial, yet there is the need to have it matter - the need for us to matter - that pushes these things forward.

Many will conclude that the ossuary situation is become sad and pathetic, but will we be so able to watch our own responses to the global warming mythology which has again been shown to be about power and money - at the cost of so many peoples' way of life and ability to prosper. To which end will we find the work of the gospel - freedom giving or freedom taking?

respectfully submitted: healthcare

Senator Evan Bayh, IN

I have contacted your office on a few occasions, but am willing to do so again and again until you commit to stopping the current Healthcare legislation from being imposed on the American people. It has become clear in the past months that this has little to do with health care, bipartisanship, economic stimulus or the objective of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This is a grab for power and privilege by an out-of-control minority who do not reflect the desires of the American people.

On an issue-by-issue basis, this President does not have a majority on ANY major activity of his administration. Yet, all we hear about is our inability to accept 'change' and our supposed suspicion to a minority President. These are cowardly responses to the desires of Exceptionally Average Americans who hold firm in their deeply held beliefs that this country was founded on the greatness of freedom. And that is why we have achieved far more than any other nation in history - including healthcare, which is far from being broken. And now this is being threatened, along with our entire way of life because a few have made their quest for power the central theme of their lives.

Those who are too good-natured to play political games have for too long been silent while this erosion to the values which made this country great have chipped away at our freedom and patriotism. Now the stakes have become too high and Americans are standing up for their guaranteed rights under the Constitution (a document which seems to have been conveniently swept out of ANY legislative discussions lately). But this is already known, for there is no other reason to ram-rod this bill through the House and Senate . . . you and I (and just about everyone else) knows that after 2010 this legislation will be DOA, because the winds of change are blowing strong.

So, I could challenge you to your place within government; I could ask if you are willing to sacrifice your office for one or two votes. But I cannot make good on such threats - they are inconsequential. I will, however, challenge your commitment as a United States Senator - a position designed by our Founders to represent the will of the American people, not to advance agendas because the high and mighty voices in your ear are telling you to do so.

This current bill before you has the 'public option' which will be disastrous to the entire enterprise of healthcare. It also includes funding for abortions, which I find morally reprehensible and will refuse to pay at any point in my life. And it looks toward the 'death panels' which were supposedly not there, but find their way in rationing and end-of-life counseling. This is not about health care and life . . . it is about power and death. (And there are many fine doctors, my own included, who will resign because of moral impositions which will necessarily come with the implementation of the government-system.)

This is disastrous at best and morally deplorable at worst. Do not allow this legislation to pass.

As always, I will pray for you and yours as a leader in this great nation of ours. May God find ways to bless us still.

Respectfully Submitted.

no sbl this year

I will not be attending SBL this year, which is a bit disappointing but not entirely a let-down. There are so many things going on right now that this would seem oddly out-of-place, and perhaps I need a bit of a break from some things right now.

It shouldn't need to be stated that my biggest loss is the exhibition floor, where books flow and friendships connect. I've come to the point where I don't even pretend to be excited about the sessions - aside from a few gems which arise once in a great while. It's all about the experience, and the most fruitful time is spent in the company of scholars who are genuine enough to befriend you (if only for a moment).

Well, start planning for a return to Atlanta . . .

quote: reading, preaching and damning

"No Evangelical whose reading habits are a disgrace to the seriousness of the Christian ministry, or who spends more time before a television set than he does in serious reading in his study has the right to damn Nietzsche from the pulpit to some gruesome place in the in Inferno."

Bernard Ramm, The Devil, Seven Wormwoods, and God (Waco: Word, 1977), 61-62.

(HT: DG)

bittersweet

Today I am more convinced that the constant state of believers who welcome the will of the Lord in their lives can be captured within on spiritual-emotional concept: bittersweet.

I write this having come to another changing of seasons in my life, knowing that the future rests within the promise of my Creator and that the past has demonstrated his faithfulness. And where faithfulness and promise come together - where past and future meet - is what we quickly experience as the present.

When the time comes to depart one ministry and begin another, there are many difficulties and emotions and situation through which one must pass. Sometimes these are less-than-emotional breaks, for the failures of our ministries and our personalities to bind together within the common love of the Spirit make it more of a relief that we part company than a difficulty. But then there are those situations when saying good-bye is now a challenging task, for the blessed fellowship of the saints has made for strong cords and faith. And I now arrive at the latter.

So, it is perhaps the most common experience of life on this side of eternity that we have a bittersweet taste on our journey. Believers who follow the leading of God will be united in passion and purpose, discovering the bitter taste of moving forward to the next tasks. Yet there is sweetness in knowing that it is the will of the Lord who will make all things new and right, who guides our steps and whose Spirit never allows us to break from one another. Not completely, at least.

Bittersweet is like having to mourn as part of the coming kingdom. Jesus said that we would be blessed (happy, fortunate, to be congratulated) when we mourn . . . for our hearts will be near to God's own. The bittersweet is the Spirit's experience of the journey. It is not void of peace and comfort, but it is a reality nonetheless.

So we welcome the will of the Lord, trust in his guidance, and follow his calling.

little messiahs

"After the resurrection, God's kingdom, which had begun to manifest itself in Jesus himself, would continue to transform the world through the community of empowered disciples. The church is an extension not so much of the incarnation as of the anointing of Jesus. Jesus is the prototype of the church, which now receives its own baptism in the Spirit. Spirit, who maintained Jesus' relationship with the Father and empowered him for mission, now calls the church into that relationship, giving it the power to carry on the mission. There had to be, after Jesus' departure, a colony of heaven, living the life and power and experiencing the freedom of the kingdom. Spirit indwells the church as a perpetual Pentecost and communicates gifts to its members. Spirit ecclesiology focuses not on the quality of the members but on the power of God at work in and through them."

Clark H. Pinnock, Flame of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit (Downers Grove: IVP, 1996), 114.

A couple of important clauses in this perspective of the Spirit. First, however, is the notion that we are not so much the continuing incarnation of Jesus as we are the continuing anointing of Jesus. This means that we are brought into his anointing - his Messiaship - as those who participate in his life, death and resurrection (think Romans 5, et al; but also consider places such as the risen Christ's promise of sharing his reign given in Revelation 2:26-27). The implication here is that (once again) the focus of the Christian faith is not personal salvation but the renewal of creation - the work does not cease when we have experienced the resurrection part of the story . . . it goes on to share in the experience of his messianic anointing.

And there is an interesting connection to baptism on this: for Jesus was baptized primarily as vindication and anointing of his messianic vocation (his was not a baptism of repentance), just as our experience of baptism should inspire us to bring the kingdom of heaven into earth more than solidifying our security as those who are 'saved.' But does this also help nuance our perception of Peter's famous words: 'Repent and be baptized' (Acts 2:38)? Is this a moral decision followed by a public announcement? Or is this a moral decision with a directed purpose for the outworking of a newly adopted lifestyle?

Once the passion and purpose of the action repent and be baptized have been actualized, then we can see the emergence of the church as a 'colony of heaven' which lives within 'a perpetual Pentecost' of anointing for mission. The church seems very quick to share in the resurrection of Jesus (though not so much participate in his suffering and death). If we are going to rush for the co-heirs motif then we must realize that the path is through the work of the kingdom which he initiated and gave to those who would willingly bear his name.

Perhaps it is less appropriate to think of believers as embodying the presence of Christ to the world and more appropriate that we believe our work to be the continuing of his Messianic office.

worship: how to

(HT: Steve Walton)