God's Busy?

I received this in an email the other day. While I don't agree with the theology of this, I still found it amusing. :)

If you don't know GOD, don't make stupid remarks! (Be careful what you ask for... You might just get it!)

A United States Marine was attending some college courses between assignments. He had completed missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the courses had a professor who was an avowed atheist and a member of the ACLU. One day the professor shocked the class when he came in he looked to the ceiling and flatly stated, 'God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I'll give you exactly 15 minutes.' The lecture room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop.Ten minutes went by and the professor proclaimed, 'Here I am God. I'm still waiting.' It got down to the last couple of minutes when the Marine got out of his chair, went up to the professor, and cold-cocked him, knocking him off the platform. The professor was out cold.
The Marine went back to his seat and sat there silently. The other students were shocked, stunned, and sat there looking on in silence.

The professor eventually came to, noticeably shaken, looked at the Marine and asked, 'What the heck is the matter with you? Why did you do that?'

The Marine calmly replied, 'God was too busy today protecting American soldiers who are protecting your right to say stupid stuff and act like an idiot. So, He sent me.

Don't ask, don't tell

President-elect Obama is considering lifting the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy IRT to homosexual military members. What should the Christian response be? I’ve been struggling with this a bit, as it appears this pits two Biblical truths against each other….the command to submit to our governing authorities (Rom 13:1-7), and God’s condemnation of homosexuality.

Some history. The current “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy was enacted by the Clinton administration in 1993. Prior to that, homosexuals were not permitted to serve in the U.S. armed forces.

In 1993, a primary argument for the new policy was it corrected (to some degree) a long history of discrimination against homosexuals. Supporters of “don’t ask, don’t tell” said this discrimination was exactly the same as past discrimination against African-Americans and women. Supporters of “don’t ask, don’t tell” were making precisely the same argument as those who favor lifting this policy today, (which would allow homosexuals to openly serve in the armed forces). I found the basis for the argument questionable then, and I do today.

Discrimination heaped upon African-Americans and women in the past by the military was wrong and short-sighted. In effect, our military was denied the talents and gifts those groups bring. The question is, is it legitimate to extend the same concept to homosexuals? Is restricting homosexuals from serving “discrimination”, as restricting African-Americans clearly was?

Does God have anything to say about this? The Bible is crystal clear that homosexuality is a vile sin, indeed a judgment. Other than those that reject Biblical inerrancy, no one denies this. Dr. Al Mohler wrote a paper recently that explains this far better than I ever could.

Please note one other thing. Scripture never says anything remotely negative about any minorities or women. Quite the contrary. This is a key difference, and the reason why discrimination on the basis of race or gender isn’t equivalent to “discrimination” based on “sexual preference”.

Former Chairman, JCS Gen Peter Pace expressed it well when he said "I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral and that we should not condone immoral acts," Pace said Monday. "I do not believe that the armed forces of the United States are well served by a saying through our policies that it's OK to be immoral in any way."

This is why Christians are troubled by this issue. However, if the policy is changed, we must comply, and set the example of law-abiding citizens. And we must remember individual homosexuals are made in the image of God and are in need of Christ, just as any other unbeliever is. We must treat them with dignity and respect.

MacArthur Sermons

Just found out John MacArthur sermons are now available for free! Fantastic resource........as long as you avoid all things eschatology! ;-D .

What do I do with the thousands of CDs and cassette tapes strewn all over my house? ;)

Vacation's almost over...

Got a call Friday indicating I'd been hired for the job I retired for. I expect to hear from my new boss tomorrow. I'm sure I'll start soon, how soon will be up to my new employer. Since I continue to collect active duty pay until my official retirement date of 1 Feb 09, anything I earn between now and then will be banked for who knows what.... The only downside is this means my vacation will soon be over, as will my 3 hrs/day in the gym...

Jan and I have been driving around town, looking at houses in various price ranges, different ages, neighborhoods, etc. We're not the fixer upper types, but there's something appealing about owning an older home, namely, a far lower mortgage payment. But some of the home's we've looked at show significant structural weaknesses even to our untrained eyes. All I need is to buy a money pit! I expect we'll probably play it safe, and spend money for a home commensurate with our income rather than go on the cheap. You know the saying - penny wise, pound foolish!

I'm reading John Frame's "Salvation belongs to the Lord", an introduction to systematic theology. I already own a bunch of different systematic theologies, but it never hurts to brush up. Anyway, he mentions something I've never heard before in the chapter on Eschatology. I find a lot to commend the "partial preterist" view, but about that Frame says this "It is also significant that the early church fathers of the generation following the apostles never speak of a return of Christ that occurred in AD 70. Significant indeed!

Post-Election Thoughts

It's over. A truly historic election which brought us our first African-American President, Barack Obama. I disagree with him on virtually everything, but I consider him an honorable man of integrity, and I wish him well. It was a democratic year, and he ran a great campaign. He won decisively, and he deserves it.

McCain wasn't a great candidate, and ran an uninspired campaign. Sarah Palin was a gutsy choice as running mate, and was a big target for the dems because of her conservatism.

What's the way forward for the Republicans? I'm not sure, but one thing I do know is we must return to our core values. Limited gov't, low taxes, pro-business, and above all, we must cut federal spending.

Fortunately, there is considerable young talent in the conservative ranks. Besides Palin, there's Louisiana Gov Bobby Jindal, Minnesota Gov Tim Pawlenty, and my favorite, GOPAC chairman Michael Steele. Look out in 2012.

The Ex-hypocrite

This sounds strangely familiar. I was about 10 years older when I came to faith in Christ, and there are other differences, but the path is very similar

Cowboys!

My youngest daughter got invited to academic excellence day at Oklahoma State University the other day. It was a day full of briefings and other things. Really a sales pitch for kids and esp parents to get their kids to go to OSU. We've been sold for some time. My daughter is going to major in pre-vet, and there aren't that many vet schools in the country. OSU is one of the best. Long story short, she was accepted, and she's pretty pumped about it. Today, we got a letter in the mail saying she's been awarded an academic scholarship. It will help a lot, but it's not nearly a full ride. We'll seek other scholarships, but it's still going to be a huge investment. Cha-ching!
Of course, the post 9/11 GI Bill is still a (remote) possibility. I'm comfortable I'll get it, even though I'll be officially retired by the time it's implemented on 1 Aug 09. But what I really want is the portability piece. It appears that will only be for certain active duty troops. Rats! Then the question becomes - do I use it, or lose it? I don't know. Since I'll have 15 years in which to use the benefit, I have time to decide. I'd love to do another Master's degree, this time in religion, which is offered by Reformed Theological Seminary. My other option is to go up to the next level. OSU offers a PhD in Management, which I would find interesting. I think I'd have to go full time for that (ie, stop working). Not sure I could ever justify that to myself...

Retired!

Well, had my retirement ceremony on Reformation day, 31 Oct. It was a terrific ceremony, and I appreciate the committee so much. Col Patricola flew in from Wash D.C. to officiate. That really meant a lot to me. He's the best commander I ever served, by far. And a wonderful, humble, and gracious man. A few of my fellow retired third herders attended as well. It was nice to see those guys

Saddleback Shenanigans?

Rick Warren hosted a “come clean” type event at his church last night in which he interviewed both Presidential candidates. I didn’t watch it; the proceedings really aren’t important. But what is important (to me, anyway) is this. Is this an appropriate thing for a pastor of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ to be doing?

Mind you, I thought the event had some very real value. I’m just not thrilled about the mixing of “church and state”, for lack of a better term. Why couldn’t this event be held in a sporting arena or other appropriate sized venue and been moderated by some media type?

I admit I have an anti-Rick Warren bias. I have a lot of problems with his theology and his approach to ministry. He’s the current champion of the “user-friendly” church-growth movement, having unseated Bill Hybels. But he’s still a Christian pastor, and I’m disturbed he would use his influence in such an overtly political way.

I cannot think of anything obviously wrong about what Warren did, nor can I think of any direct violation of a Biblical principle. But I wonder if other powerful (but more Biblical) pastors would have participated in and allowed their church to be used for this type of event?

Many unbelievers think of Christianity as just another political movement. And when guys like Warren, James Dobson, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and other evangelical power brokers engage in this type of activity, it’s just more proof.

Anyway, I’m still thinking about this. Who knows? I could be wrong.

Reformed Humor :)

Heard J.I. Packer say this today. He was illustrating sensitivity plagiarism wasn't the issue a century or more ago it is today:

There was once a preacher named Spurgie,
Who hated the English lit-urgy,
But his sermons are fine
I use them as mine,
And so do the rest of the clergy

Thoughts on a Saturday

The Presidential campaign is in full swing. This year reminds me of 1996, when it was Clinton vs. Dole. Since I couldn’t vote for Clinton, I cast the most unenthusiastic vote of my life for Dole. I of course cannot vote for Obama, as he’s pro-choice, and that is a make or break issue for me. So, I either sit the election out, or case another unenthusiastic vote for McCain. I expect I’ll do the latter.

I like the Pickens plan, mostly because it is a plan. I completely agree with him that our primary motivation should be to stop our dependency on foreign oil. We need to do something, and do it quickly.

I’ve been listening to a series of lectures J.I. Packer gave in 1988 on the History of the Puritans . Packer is one of the world’s foremost theologians, and I’ve read several of his books. But this is the first time I’ve ever heard him lecture. Very interesting.

Charter Sunday - Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Sunday, July 20th was an important day in the life of my church. It was the day we officially became a church. We began meeting at the beginning of the year, but this is the day we mark as the beginning of our church. 14 saints signed the charter, and it was framed and will always be a tangible item we can look at to remind us of the birth of our church. It's a very special time, and a special group of believers. In the 18 years I've been a Christian, this is the first church I've ever been affiliated with that really desires to glorify God, and to minister, serve, and worship God's way.......not our way.

Also, been listening to Kim Riddlebarger's stuff on Amillennialism lately. Excellent stuff, esp compared to the terrible stuff MacArthur preached on this last year. Technology is amazing! We can download this great stuff from the internet, load it to my ipod, and listen while I'm pumping iron and doing cardio in the gym!

Grandpa

Here's a picture of me and my grandson taken on the 4th of July:

Books, Books, Books

My house is a mess! Books everywhere! My wife and I are both big readers. Before I married, her, I used to read one book, finish it, then begin a new one. Not the way she did it........she always had several going simultaneously. I don't know if I can blame her, but I've fallen into that habit. I'm reading the following books at the moment:

1. Holiness - J.C. Ryle's classic. I've been reading it for a long time. I need to finish.

2. The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God - John Frame. Excellent, but you need to be wide awake to read it.

3. Changed into his image - Jim Berg

4. Salvation belongs to the Lord - John Frame. I want to recommend this to my church, but I need to read it first. Being a reformed baptist, I gotta check out those prebyterians first. :)

Here are some books I've finished recently:

1. God's indwelling presence - James Hamilton. Superb - the finest treatment on the Holy Spirit I've ever read.

2. Exigetical fallacies - D.A. Carson

3. The Temple and the Church's Mission - Greg Beale - Outstanding. A real eye-opener.

4. The Deliberate Church - Mark Dever. Our new church is using this work as a model. An excellent model to follow.

I just bought Grudem's Sysematic theology, and I have Vos' Biblical Theology on the pile waiting to be read also. Maybe I'll get 'em all read when I retire. Probably not........

Retiring!

It's official. I retire effective 1 Feb 09. So, after 27 years and 4 months of active duty, I'll be a civilian. Very strange when I first looked at my retirement orders. In any event, my retirement ceremony is scheduled for 31 Oct......reformation day! I have mixed feelings. I've had a great career, and accomplished a lot. I came into the AF at a whim, a poor kid from Cleveland, Ohio. I leave having reached the top of my profession. I leave with a college education, a ton of experience, and healthier and fitter than I've ever been. I've been very blessed.

I still expect to land the job I was offered a couple of months ago, but I have to wait for the process to work. I'm in a holding pattern. Lots of stuff to do.

One of the sad things is my dad didn't live to see this. He died 5 years ago. I miss him a lot.

Catching up

It's been a long time since I posted - I've been busy. But there are a few things to talk about.

1. My ex-wife was awarded 30% of my retirement pay as part of our divorce settlement. She willingly gave it back to me. An amazing and unexpected development. I don't know her motives, but I'm very thankful. She'll be on my Christmas card list from now on. :)

2. I've been thinking ever more seriously about retirement in the last few months. I've completed all my career goals. Although I love my job and I think I'm pretty good at it, there's no reason to stay.....other than every day I stay on active duty means more money when I retire. I've told my boss while I'm not actively seeking retirement, ie, I'm not looking for a job, I'd retire if the right opportunity appeared. Two weeks ago, my boss offered me exactly the kind of job I want post-retirement. I told her I wanted the job, but there is one sticking point. It's a gov't job, and to apply, I have to retire first. I'd like to get the job locked and loaded, and then retire. No risk that way! Because of the way the gov't system works, I can theoretically not be hired even if I'm the most qualified. I'm not willing to take that kind of risk. Stand by for news...

3. Congress passed the latest war funding bill yesterday. Part of this bill includes a new G.I. Bill. I am stoked! I wasn't eligible for the Montgomery G.I. Bill, as I joined the AF at the wrong time. But I get this one. For a couple of years, I had loosely been planning to attend seminary if the money were ever to become available. But the best thing about this bill? Portability! While the details are still pending, it appears I'll be able to send my youngest daughter to OSU......and it will be fully funded! Obviously, that's more important than seminary.

Various Tidbits

Well, today is the final day of my two-week R&R; it's back to work on Monday. A few thoughts:

1. Ipods are great! :) I bought one shortly before my deployment, and used it daily while in the gym. There is so much great stuff on the Internet to download to an Ipod. Before I left, I downloaded a bunch of lessons from these two sites: http://itunes.rts.edu/ and http://www.covenantseminary.edu/worldwide/default.asp. What great resources. I still listen to MacArthur in the car, but in the gym, it's gotta be something for the Ipod. The days of carrying a tape or CD player are over!

2. "Future Israel" was interesting, but I'm looking forward to reading the two books by John Frame that I ordered while deployed. My wife thinks I should alternate reading practical stuff with the pointy-headed theology stuff. I think she's right. I'll probably read Jerry Bridges latest book first.

3. My father-in-law likes Romney. I think I agree. Disappointed in Thompson; his campaign never really got going.

4. My youngest daughter wants to go to Oklahoma State; she wants to be a vet, which is a very tough field to get into. But her grades are rockin'. She might do it.

5. Became a first-time granddad in Nov. I guess I'm supposed to feel old...

Future Israel

I just finished reading "Future Israel", the latest installment in the NAC studies in Bible and Theology series, and was a little distressed. While Horner makes some good points, he seems to overly rely on the opinions of non-Christians to buttress his case against "replacement theology."

I'm Back!

Just returned from a Southwest Asia deployment; it's good to be home. Found out about a new church start here in Enid - it's called "Sovereign Grace Baptist Church". How exciting! It's the first reformed baptist church we've found here. I'll let you know how it goes.