Are you salt and light or are you good for nothing?

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.” – Matthew 5

So many people today who call themselves Christians are far too willing to throw God’s truth under the bus. They call things “political” or non-relevant to the gospel. They are unwilling to call sinful things wrong. I’ve heard things from professing believers such as,

 “Gay marriage is not a big deal. It does not affect me, why should I care? Let’s just love people and show them the gospel!” 

Jesus loved people by telling them they were wrong. He told them they needed to be saved, but he did not stop there, he also told people what they needed to be saved from. Lying, cheating, stealing, having no regard for the poor and those in need, the various kinds of sexual immorality, etc. You are going to have to talk about these things and call them evil and wrong if you are going to accurately represent the gospel. 

Salt is used to preserve things, and light is there to counter darkness. What are you preserving by surrendering to the culture? Does your light shine, or do you say “x sinful thing” is not a big deal? Christians should be shouting from the rooftops, “This is wrong!” We should be so unwavering in our commitment to the proclamation of the truth that the only recourse the world has is to throw us in jail. Are you salt that has lost your saltiness? I hope not, because Jesus says that you cannot be restored and that you are good for nothing. What does that mean for you?

²¹ “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²² On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7

The Skeptic’s Annotated Bible and Daniel

Those that know me well know that I spend just as much time studying the “opposition” as I do studying my own views. So much so that I can probably argue against my positions just as easily as I argue for them. I also seek out the best opponents I can find, not just the famous or infamous. For instance, if I were an atheist I would not just read C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity”, come up with a few simple arguments against it, and be able to sleep at night. Lewis’ work is good enough on the surface, but as my friends and family can attest, I’ve been quite outspoken about how bad it actually is for several years now. I do this not because I hate C.S. Lewis. I do this because maintaining intellectual integrity is of supreme importance if we are going to genuinely search for truth.  That is why I am regularly astounded by the blatant lies and misrepresentations found in “skeptical” works on the bible. For instance, I have started to read the often cited (on the internet anyway) “Skeptic’s Annotated Bible” which is available online for free (link). I decided to check a couple of the more potent parts of the bible to see what they could possibly say about those sections of scripture.

I started with Daniel chapter 9. Anyone who knows the bible will know why I picked this book and this chapter. It predicts the Messiah’s first coming and His death to the very day and was written hundreds of years before the events. It’s a pretty shocking display of God’s power and authority over time, and it is also an undeniable proof of the authenticity of scripture and Jesus being the Son of God. So what did these skeptics say about Daniel 9? They quote almost the entire section between v. 21-27, file it under the “absurd” category and call it “compete gibberish” from Gabriel. Well gee, I’m convinced!

So I decided to check a few other things to see if I could find some “good stuff” that stumped me and forced me to do some research. In the Gospels I came across the usual attacks on the genealogies in Matthew and Luke, the same tired arguments that totally ignore the differences in the types of genealogies that are being presented and to whom and for what purpose. As well as other such arguments not meant to convince anyone who actually knows the bible, but to make those that don’t know it and don’t believe in it feel warm and fuzzy. So I went back to Daniel and started with chapter 1 verse 1. There’s a lot of history in Daniel and I wanted to see what, if anything, they could pick apart.

1:1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, 

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Their issue with verse 1?

“The third year of the reign of Jehoiakim would be 606 BCE, at which time Nebuchadnezzar was not yet king of Babylon. It was 597 BCE that Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem for the first time (without actually destroying it). By that time Jehohiakim was dead and his son, Jehoiachin, was ruling.”

That seems like a pretty good one. The problem with it is that it’s a bold-faced lie. The first issue is with the 606 b.c. date. The first year of Jehohiakim’s reign was 607 b.c. according to the accession-year system (which was the system used in Babylon and would no doubt be the system Daniel used since he was living in Babylon and trained in Babylonian schools) making 605 b.c. during the third year of his reign not 606 as they claim.

That still does not get us to 597 b.c. though. But what did happen in 605 b.c.  was Nebuchadnezzar’s conquering of all of the king of Egypt’s territories in Syria and Palestine. Although, other than Daniel 1:1, we don’t have a direct reference to Nebuchadnezzar attacking Jerusalem in 605 b.c. we do know that at the time he was in fact in Palestine with an army conquering, and that Jerusalem did belong to the king of Egypt at the time because its king (Jehohiakim) had been put in place by the king of Egypt. So it’s pretty safe to assume from the historical record and the biblical account that Nebuchadnezzar did besiege several cities in Palestine (including Jerusalem) even though they are not directly mentioned. Can you blame the Babylonians for not writing down “oh and we conquered Jerusalem too!” and just simply recording the fact that they took the whole land?  For instance, when we talk about Hitler’s invasion of Poland we don’t mention every town and city he went through, because there’s no point it’s just assumed he was there by proxy of his army.

Oh and by the way, Nebuchadnezzar did invade Jerusalem in 597 b.c and Jehohiakim was dead at the time. His son Jehoiachin was somewhere between 8 and 12 years old at the time. So hey, they got that part sort of right. Good for them.

So what the people that have put together the “Skeptic’s Annotated Bible” have ended up doing is proving themselves to be, at best, embarrassingly ignorant. As I continued to examine other passages from this mess of a website it became pretty clear that this was not the best material for trying to critique the bible. In fact, it was more of the same old garbage that I read again and again. My search for decent skeptical material on the bible continues and to no avail. The pure hatred for God and the bible from Atheists is astounding. They attack it and mock it relentlessly and in increasingly creative ways, and yet none of them can offer an actual argument against it. So keep it up atheists, because the only thing you’re succeeding in doing is creating that awkward moment when your attacks don’t destroy your opponent but instead fortify their position.

Sources:

Archer, Gleason. "Daniel" The Expositors Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1985

Archer, Gleason. A Survey of the Old Testament Introduction. Chicago: Moody Press, 1974.

Baldwin, Joyce G. Daniel. Downers Grove: Intervarsity Press, 1978.

The Babylonian Chronicles at the British Museum

2 Chronicles and 2 Kings in the bible

Strangers and Exiles on the Earth

I love going to a church where multiple times a year a sermon has the potential to become my new favorite. The Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church has been that kind of church since I began attending nearly 10 years ago. Today's sermon by my Elder James was one of these sermons that will rival for a place amongst my other top favorites. Today's topic: Hebrews 11, and Abraham's faith:

⁸ By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; ¹⁰ for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Hebrews 11:8-10, NASB).

The letter to the Hebrew Christians was meant to encourage those former Jewish believers to remain steadfast in their faith, and that there was nothing to go back to. You see, Jesus Christ had come to fulfill the promises given long ago; one of those promises was given to Abraham - that through Abraham all the nations would be blessed.

How strange it must have seemed to Abraham to receive this kind of promise, but even more than this the seemingly unclear way in which the Lord chose to lead him. He gave Abraham a command to go to a place he was unfamiliar with ... in fact, he didn't know where he was going! This might seem like a subtle point, but Abraham had an implicit trust in God and His commands. He didn't question God's wisdom, or make up a bunch of excuses to put off what he knew good and well what was demanded of him.

Hebrews chapter 11 is known well as the great Hall of Faith chapter because it serves as a reminder of the great cloud of witnesses that had come before who possessed saving faith. Although implicit and unquestioning trust is one part of faith, there is another vital element: obedience. Notice that when Abraham was called he obeyed God's command.

Remember the words of our Lord, "...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3b, NASB). The true gospel of Christ includes repentance, a turning from sin and all desires contrary to what He commands. Now, I am not at all denying that we are justified by grace alone through faith alone, but just that a true faith is never alone, and is accompanied by obedience to God. It is this message of repenting from sin unto faith in Christ that our world needs to hear.

Something else was brought out about Abraham's faith that I never considered: he was patient. The author of this epistle goes on to say:

^"13 All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. ¹⁵ And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:13-16, NASB).

I don't know about you, but without all of the clear revelation we have now, it would have been hard for me to obey God the way Abraham did. He was told he would have descendants as numerous as the sand on the seashore, and yet at one point, he was told to sacrifice his son! He had faith that God's promises would come to pass ... even though he never lived to see the fulfillment of these promises.

He saw the promises from a distance, and confessed he was a stranger and exile on the earth. He was looking for a heavenly city, and not an earthly city. Do you embrace that? Do you have the patience to know the promises of God even if you don't experience their fulfillment in your lifetime? These are some of the questions that the Holy Spirit used to convict me this morning.

Looking at our culture today, it is easy for me to believe that I am a stranger and an exile living in a foreign land. I don't belong here. I long for the heavenly city that is our promised future hope. But that day has not yet come ... and we need to be patient until the Day of the Lord arrives. May we be found faithful witnesses, so as to be not ashamed at Christ's coming.

We May Have Lost the Cultural Battle, but...

Unless you're one of the few who has never gone to a public school, worked for a large corporation, been to a coffee shop, watched television, or had access to the Internet ... then you've seen and heard the arguments by homosexuals being proclaimed from the rooftops.

Just what are the arguments?

(1) Same-sex marriage is marriage equality.
(2) It is a civil right.
(3) How can you honestly deny us happiness by denying us the same rights as straight couples?
(4) The only argument against it are religious reasons - don't try to force your religion on me.

The truly sad thing today is that any one of these arguments, by itself, would silence most opposition in our society. Especially the younger generation, who simply keel over at first hearing this kind of persuasion. No critical thought is applied whatsoever. I saw a poll on CBS that found 73% of people under 30 support gay marriage. I mean, what do you expect from an entire generation raised by a generation of secularists?

Since our President took office a second time, the realization hit me that we are losing the cultural battle ... if we haven't lost it already. We may have lost the cultural battle, but we have not lost the argument. More importantly, the gospel of Jesus Christ is just as relevant as ever, and we as the people of God ought to be eager to discuss sin, repentance, and the hope found solely in the Lord.

If it's okay with you, I'd briefly like to discuss the same-sex marriage arguments listed above. Because the first time I heard them, I was a bit surprised. After all, who wants to deny equality, civil rights, or the happiness of others? Or even, impose religious beliefs through legislation!

As a Christian man I don't hate homosexuals. But I do believe those behaviors are sinful, as described in the Bible. God is the Maker of heaven and earth, and He alone has the right to tell us how to live, who to love, and how to express that love. Furthermore, the Lord designed marriage as the first institution as that of one man and one woman. Marriage will always and forever be between a man and a woman, no matter how much our culture wishes to redefine it.

Redefinition is really what this is all about. Redefinition, and recognition. It is not enough that Christians tolerate homosexuals, we must approve of their behavior by calling it marriage. Others have rightly pointed out the inconsistency of the advocates of same-sex marriage who claim they want marriage equality. They don't want equality; not really anyways. If they did they would open the floodgates to allow anyone to marry any number of any thing he or she (or it) wants to marry.

But the vast majority of homosexuals would not support polyamory (polygamy), incestuous adult relationships, bestiality, or pedophilia. The question needs to be asked, however ... why don't you support these groups' civil right to marriage equality? They are also people with hopes, dreams and desires, who only want to be happy in this life. Do you want to deny them this? You're kidding yourself if you don't see the slippery slope the arguments for same-sex marriage have created. This is not to say that because paving the way for other redefinitions of marriage makes same-sex marriage sinful, it is just to point out that others will (and are) use the same arguments to further expand what marriage is.

The gay-marriage debate is not the Civil Rights debate from the 1960's. Christians are not saying that gays are unequal in value or human dignity as compared with the rest of the human race (unlike those 50 years ago). We are not denying services to homosexuals. What we refuse to do is redefine marriage to be something completely different. Because you claim to love someone does not inherently give you the right to marry that someone.

Are we trying to deny you happiness? If we hated homosexuals we would promote homosexuality and same-sex marriage, because it is sinful and is, therefore, the worst thing for you. But it is because we love God and our fellow man that we cannot endorse sin.

No amount of legislation, or government backing will make marriage something other than between one man and one woman. Western Civilization might call a same-sex relationship marriage, but it can never be marriage, not truly. God is the ruler of this universe, and has rightly ordained how His creatures should live.

So what message do we offer to the homosexual? What is our response to their arguments? Simply this: that they, along with the whole human race, are born sinful and guilty of the wrath of God. Homosexuality is a sin, and they are guilty of other sins as well. Because of their sin, they ought to be judged by the Lord, found guilty, and condemned to pay for those sins forever in Hell - where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Christians were born just as guilty as they are, and were once unbelievers who likewise hated God and refused to worship Him and give Him thanks.

But God, being rich in mercy, entered into His own creation and humbled Himself by taking the form of a man - Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity. Jesus lived a sinless life, and kept God's requirements of the Law that we are hopelessly unable to keep. He was also crucified on a cross to pay for the sins of God's people.

Death could not keep him, and three days later was resurrected for our justification.

Because we are hopelessly unable to keep the perfect standard that God requires of us, we all fall short of His glory and are deserving of judgment. If, however, you turn from your sins unto Christ, and trust in Him through faith (not by your own works/good deeds) to deliver you from the consequences and lifestyle of sin, you will have your sins forgiven, and a new relationship with the true and living God, being spared from the wrath to come. All those who have faith in Jesus have been justified - declared not guilty of their sins - and have a lasting peace with God that cannot be broken. Jesus bore His people's sins on the cross and fully paid for them; His righteousness is considered to be yours through faith alone, which is how you have a right-standing before God. Not by your own works, but by the works of Jesus Christ.

My prayer for you is that you will turn from your sins, unto the true God of the Bible. I pray that He might save you from your sins and your sinful lifestyle, and that you would come to know the one true Lord of all creation. I pray that the words of Paul, found in his first letter to the Corinthians would become true of you:

⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, NASB).

Thanks for reading,
Metzger

Time to Face the Music

Last night was one of the more solemn nights that I can remember in a long long time. I'm sure many of you felt the same as I did with the announcement of President Obama's victory. Flipping through various cable news networks, I realized it was official once FoxNews made their announcement. Long after my lovely wife went to bed I sat there watching the news in disbelief. I just couldn't wrap my head around how the incumbent President would be re-elected with the economy the way it is, or with unprecedented Presidential support for wickedness. Today I woke up and filled my morning with more news programs trying to understand why this happened.

Political commentators are stunned; Democrats reveling in their victory; Republicans fumbling over themselves as they try to salvage the party for four years from now. This morning I was thankful more than most days that I have re-calibrated my Twitter feed to include primarily Christian news and apologetics resources. Amidst the barrage of groanings and complaints, Frank Turk posted a letter from Reformed Baptist pastor, Tom Chantry. His article expressed exactly what I was feeling, and I can endorse it 100%. Please read it when you have time - I guarantee it will be an encouragement to you and very worthwhile.

Chantry resonated with me, especially near the end where he says:

Policies can address political circumstances, but they cannot address the fundamental weaknesses of the American soul. Where we stand today is not so radically different from where we stood in, say, 1980. We don’t need another Reagan; we need the Holy Spirit. If men are to turn from their sin and discover the wisdom that comes from serving God, they do not need better government, but the message which has been entrusted to the church. (Emphasis MINE).

For a variety of reasons, I am still a registered Republican (though significantly more conservative than my Party's official views). It is astonishing to hear about the two paths being discussed for our party's future. First, that we need an even more moderate and/or left-leaning candidate that is more "in-touch" with the American people. Or second, we need to have a true conservative run for office. While my gut is to agree with the latter, I took a step back and considered what Tom Chantry said: "We don't need another Reagan; we need the Holy Spirit."

Our nation has voted twice for increased taxes, unwise spending, the promotion of homosexuality and abortion. The election of President Obama was a wicked decision on behalf of our fellow citizens, there are no two ways about it. The America I grew up believing in doesn't exist today (and perhaps didn't truly exist in the form I thought it did while I was a child either). Christian morality has been utterly abandoned and it is time for us to accept that. I don't think I understood that until this morning. Until today, I had hope that my fellow citizens, when presented with clear evidence and facts would be able to make common sense decisions.

But as the Apostle Paul in the Scriptures writes:

²⁸ And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; ³² and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:28-32, NASB; Bold MINE).

This national election was a demonstration of the judgment of God upon our nation. This is the only explanation for why our fellow Americans would have made the decision that they did. Even "common sense" to make decisions is a gift from God, one that He appears to have withheld at this time. I hear Christians talking a lot about how we are a small minority in our society, but I'm not sure we fully grasp how small a minority we are. I know of only two Christians at the workplace, and looking over some of the demographics and polling data from yesterday's election - it seems true Christianity in America is a lot smaller than we think.

I began to think about what all this means for me as a Christian in this kind of society. It seems reasonable that in the not too distant future, Christians will face forms of persecution probably in the form of financial discomfort - and we need to be ready to face that. Christ Himself said that we ought to count the cost of discipleship. But apart from any potential hardship, we have an abundance of opportunities to proclaim the gospel. My prayer today has been that I might be like Paul who was "eager" to preach the gospel to those in Rome. Where did the Apostle's confidence come from? He says, "¹⁶ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16, NASB). 

There are changes I need to make in my life. I need to take my faith more seriously. I need to consider what it means to count the cost of being one of Jesus' disciples. I need to be more bold in my witness for the one true and living God. I need to not be ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, no matter their background.


As always, thanks for reading,

Rusty

Why do Christians pray?

Why do we pray? What’s the point? Jesus prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this ^acup from Me; ^byet not My will, but Yours be done.” – Luke 22:42 NASB  He prayed that the Father would make it so He did not have to be crucified.  “If there is any other way, please don’t do this to Me” He prayed. Yet He still went there, and He still had to die a very painful death. This was Jesus for heaven’s sake! The second member of the Trinity, God Himself in human flesh, and His request was denied.

Then we have Moses.  Shortly after God had freed the Israelites from captivity in Egypt He told Moses that He was going to destroy them because even though He had done this great work for them they were rejecting Him. Moses prayed to God and,” …the Lord changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people.” – Exodus 32:14 NASB

So what’s the difference? In the first example we have the brutal torture and killing of the most innocent man to ever walk the earth. God rejected Jesus’ request, so that He might use the evil that those men intended for good. For the good of saving His people.

 In the second we have an evil people totally rejecting God despite the power He had shown them to free them. He used Moses’ prayer to save His people from His own wrath.

We pray because our prayer might be the thing God uses to change the direction things seem to be headed. But we do so with the knowledge that He is God and His purposes are beyond us. Trusting God is not trusting that He will always answer our prayers. Trust in God is the understanding that no matter what happens, if our prayers are answered or not, He is in control and it serves a purpose. We may not know that purpose, but we trust anyway.

The "Affordable" Care Act

Before my morning cup of coffee, I anxiously turned on the television to see if the Supreme Court had made their decision. To my surprise the news was discussing the court's ruling, but I, ... I couldn't believe my eyes. Figuring the lack of caffeine affected my comprehension early in the morning I re-read the breaking news headline: "Obamacare upheld by Supreme Court." How could the highest court in our land that is supposed to defend the United States Constitution actually rule in favor of such a law?

Secretly, and a little arrogantly, I thought I knew the court's decision the moment a majority of the States sued the Federal government. As we now know, I was terribly mistaken. To be fair, though, it was only reasonable for me to assume the ruling would strike down at least parts of Obamacare, if only the individual mandate. The very idea that the Founding Fathers would support such an infringement upon the rights and liberties of the people to be coerced into buying a private service or else be fined a penalty, is an absurdity among absurdities.Then again, when you consider that our Supreme Court Justices have also found an imaginary Constitutional "right" to murder your unborn children, the contradiction of the ruling on Obamacare makes more sense.

President Obama: "The fact that you've looked up Merriam's dictionary, the definition of 'tax increase,' indicates to me that you're stretching a little bit right now. Otherwise you wouldn't have gone to the dictionary to check on the definition."

George: "I want to check for myself because your critics say it is a tax increase."

President Obama: "My critics say everything's a tax increase. My critics say that I'm taking over every sector of the economy. You know that. Look we can have a legitimate debate about whether or not we are going to have an individual mandate or not."

George: "But you reject it as a tax increase?"

President Obama: "I absolutely reject that notion."


It is the epitome of hypocrisy that the President of the United States, who was vehemently opposed to Obamacare being a tax, made his case before the Supreme Court on the notion that it is Constitutional because of Congress's ability to tax her citizens. I'm not foolish enough to forget that many politicians - Democrats and Republicans - are simply playing the part of politician. This is precisely what Obama is doing here, and it disgusts me. He has proven before the American people that he cares more about his signature legislation than being honest with those he claims to serve. He has dishonored the office of President, and he ought to be ashamed of the fact that he felt the need to repeatedly defend a lie.

On a quick rabbit trail - I am certain that the Romney campaign will zero in on Obamacare being a new tax with our present economic situation.

Twitter captured a quote that I simply cannot say better myself: "@BenShapiro: Chief Justice Roberts was the worst part of the Bush legacy." Yup. Bush 43 was a Compassionate Conservative, and is flawed in his over-reaching governmental interference and overspending. But I have to 100% agree with the statement that Justice John Roberts' vote in favor of upholding Obamacare will be the greatest mistake of Bush's Presidential legacy. If you thought Bush spent too much, you haven't seen anything until you've seen what the added bureaucracy to the American health care system will do to increases in taxes as well as health care premiums and costs. The one positive aspect of Justice Roberts' written decision is that he set a precedent for the "Commerce Clause" in the Constitution by limiting Congress's ability to coerce citizens to participate in commerce.

Why any sane person who saw the immense bureaucracy that existed in the form of hospitals and insurance companies would think that adding the Federal government to that bureaucracy would somehow make health care more affordable ... is beyond me. What we do know is that forty-seven million Americans who were previously without health insurance will suddenly be insured under Obamacare. The amount of doctors are not increasing. Supplies across the health care sector are not increasing. The demand will drastically increase, but the supply will not. You tell me: what will this do to costs? Unless the government utterly controls prices we will see prices go up and up and up.

I'll be bold enough to predict that this is the beginning of the single payer system. Give it was a few years, but you'll begin to see employers and insurance companies bow out of the health care industry/business. Why would they do that? Because they won't be able to profit under such stringent government regulation and control. Too much regulation kills businesses and jobs. I fear that one day our only choice will be the government's single payer system.

Death panels have already been discussed as a part of Obamacare. What are these so-called 'death panels?' Basically, no matter what anyone tells you, there is no such thing as a free lunch. Everyone's taxes will go up - even taxes on the middle class (egads!). What this will mean is that care will need to be rationed. Services that we are accustomed to may not always be readily available, and actual panels are discussed in the Affordable Care Act to determine how, when and to whom care will be administered. This is scary stuff. I don't know about you, but I thought there was too much bureaucracy between me and my doctor without the Federal government. Now, it seems there will be barriers more thick than we ever thought possible.

It is only natural that since the government will be "providing" health care coverage that they will want their citizens as healthy as possible. The trouble with this is that the Feds may come knocking one day to enforce eating and exercise habits (imagine: New York on a grander scale).

Abortion is covered under Obamacare. You and I will be paying for other people's "right" to murder their unborn children, even if it is against our religious convictions. Our rights to religious liberty is stepped on by those who want to murder the innocent.

A little part of our freedom dies with Obamacare. If you don't want health insurance: too bad. If you only want certain limited health insurance coverage: too bad. Your liberty has been taken away.

I think it is safe to say that both sides on this issue want everyone who wants health insurance to have it. But the Federal government is not the solution to our problem. Government will only add to our problems, and I wonder with amazement at the behemoth that will fester and grow under the newfound Obamacare legislation. Mitt Romney is not my perfect candidate, but compared to the sitting President, he is a ray of sunshine. He has said his first act is to overturn this infringement upon our personal liberty, and that is another reason to make sure Obama is a one-term President.

Drumroll Please

As the reader might have noticed, for a few months now we have added 2 new contributors to our little corner of cyberspace that require an introduction: Scott Nelson and Metzger.

Because of his unique situation I will start off by introducing Metzger. For a variety of reasons, Metzger has asked that his identity be kept private so as to not become unnecessarily entangled at the workplace. He has been known to me for a few years now, and I am honored that he is willing to contribute to the blog.

Where shall I begin with an introduction of Scott Nelson? Whatever I say will fail to do him justice, but I will do my best (not to fail ... to do him justice =)). He and I have been best friends since we were in 7th grade, which makes that almost 17 years now - where does the time go? We grew up in the same Arminian Charismatic Mega-Church, and were converted to Calvinism around the same time. In fact, because Scott was first convinced of Calvinism he cited Romans 9 to me so many times that I was forced to be confronted with a chapter I had previously never studied honestly.

He was the first to get married ... to his lovely wife, Mindy. My wife and I have asked Scott and Mindy if they would be an additional Uncle and Aunt to our daughter, Molly. 

If you will bear with me for a few geeky moments, Scott and I have always had a soft spot for video games, RTS's and MMORPG's especially. Yes, we are back to Wow ... again. Who woulda thought? To say that Scott is gifted in figuring out the complexities of video games and technology in general, would be an understatement.

One reason I am excited that he will be contributing to Musings is because of his keen insight into many many subjects. His ability to understand opposing viewpoints, analyze an argument, and make sense of an appropriate way to respond has always benefited me personally. In fact, Scott is usually the first person I go to when I need help thinking an idea through, or for advice.

Scott also brings an element of humor and appropriate sarcasm to a discussion that is contagious. He has the ability to fill a room with laughter, and can captivate his audience.

But my favorite aspect about him is his passion and love for the triune God. He has been a consistent godly example to me over the course of my life. He reads the Scriptures, talks about the Scriptures, and shares the gospel with his unbelieving family and friends. Beyond question, Scott and I have many similar interests that have added to our friendship, but the most important of these is our common confession of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 18:24 says: "A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother" (NASB). This verse describes Scott's friendship to me. Mr. Nelson ... the rest I leave to you, and I am eager to see what you have to say. Welcome to Musings from our Caffeinated Highs!

All that it Entails

If you're like me, you've come to realize that being a husband and a father is different than you thought beforehand. Being married is much more than dating, and fatherhood more than babysitting. Whatever I thought I knew about family before having a family of my own, has been replaced by the experiences I now have every day. And you know what? It is much greater than what I imagined it was. My wife is the greatest joy and blessing I have received - apart from the free grace given to me by God. My 11 month old daughter has only added to that joy. Truly, God has made me a blessed man.

My pastor preached a sermon on Father's Day that was directed to the husbands and fathers. I will spend some time here relaying some of the sermon's key points that have impacted me. Pastor Fry's primary text was Psalm 112, and from that I will focus on verse 1:

Praise the Lord!
How blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who greatly delights in His commandments.

Pastor Fry's first point was that father's should be the worship leader of the family. While this doesn't sit well in our egalitarian day and age, the Bible is very clear that men and women are equal in nature and value but have different roles. One of the father's roles is to be the spiritual leader of the household. The father's role includes leading in the reading and discussion of the Scriptures, of prayer, and the reinforcement of godliness in the home. Joshua 24:14-15 reads:

¹⁴ “Now, therefore, fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. ¹⁵ If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The father needs to be concerned about idols in the household - this includes in your own life. Even though it is rare for most Westerners to actually worship a man-made statue or some-such creation, anything that receives worship and adoration other than the one true God should be considered an idol. We are commanded by God to worship only Him, so we must diligently fight the human tendency to prioritize anything before Him. Knowing myself, I have a tendency to love a little too much legitimate things: books, video games, or spending time with friends. It isn't that there is anything immoral with reading books, or playing video games, but these activities in excess or given too high a priority can lead to idol worship. A key question to ask when determining precisely what you worship is this: "When you have time to allow your mind to wander, what is it you spend most of your time thinking about?"

Husbands and fathers, talk about the faith with your wife and your children. Take some time away from the television and explain why the faith is important to you, and how it pertains to them. Let your children know that as long as they live under your roof, they will serve the Lord.

The godly father receives all of his given responsibilities, even ones that present their own unique challenges. One such challenge is to teach your children the value of obedience to you and other given authorities. First hand, I have had to apply the Biblical instruction to not spare the rod with my sweet daughter. After the command to do something (or not do something), and sometimes following a warning or two, we do lightly slap her hand or flick her wrist. Why do we do this? Because we are teaching her the value and importance of obeying Daddy and Mommy. There is no meaningful discussion with an 11 month old, and sometimes there isn't time for one. The only thing she understands is that if she willfully disobeys there are consequences.

Immediately after an administered punishment, there is a brief sentence or two, usually along the lines of: "You were punished because you didn't listen to Daddy [or Mommy]. You need to always listen to Daddy and Mommy. I love you." This routine is always followed by hugs and kisses. As you can imagine, this kind of discipline will become more in-depth as she gets older. The punishments will change, and the conservation and explanation will as well.

Fathers should pray for his children's salvation. In fact, Emily and I pray that the Lord delivers Molly from her sins at a young age.We should not be naive enough to believe that because she and I are believers in Christ that our daughter will be as well. The Lord saves whom He wills, and so I always want to proclaim the gospel to her and pray for her repentance unto life.

The godly man looks to the future. Think about your retirement and what inheritance you might leave to your children and your grandchildren. For Americans, when Social Security likely won't be there to supplement your income, make preparations for that ahead of time so you don't outlive your retirement savings. Also think about the legacy you hope to leave behind. When your children and your grandchildren talk about you after you're gone, hopefully it will be about your consistent godly example.

Finally, the father needs to be patient and forgiving. Your children will let you down and they will sin. You need to set an example of what it means to forgive and to be patient toward them. Pastor Fry gave an example that sometimes, it's a good idea to cut them some slack. When you've been on their case all day give them a break. Does not our heavenly Father act patiently toward us many many times? We ought to always look to our God's example toward us, and seek His help, without which we would accomplish nothing.

You're a Slave to Someone

Us Westerners are interesting folks, aren't we? The American social experiment was an oddity among oddities in the annals of human history. I mean, it isn't every day a group of people get to decide a system of government for themselves. Many blessings came as a result of our new-found freedoms and liberties, including the eventual abolition of the institution of slavery. The abolitionist movement was brought about by the philosophical consistency of our Constitutional and natural human rights, and justly so. One unfortunate bi-product of our American liberty has been the affect on how we view ourselves in relation to God and His moral requirements. After all, we are Americans and no one can tell us what to do! We are slaves to no one!

Jesus has something very different to say on the topic of slavery:

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “ If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” They answered Him, “ We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?” Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:31-36, NASB).

The Lord Jesus speaks of the crowd's need to be "made free," which was not received well as you can tell by their response: "We are Abraham's descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone..." Weeell, were they enslaved or weren't they? They claimed that because they were Abraham's descendants that they couldn't possibly be enslaved! But Jesus plainly states that "everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin." This is also how we all are born into this life, and we all need to be set free by the true and living God.

Paul's masterful letter to the Romans addresses this issue:

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (Romans 6:16, NASB).

When you obey sin, you are a slave of sin. This is how everyone enters into the world: enslaved to sin and to the desires of the devil. Now, the Christian has been set free from the chains of sin and has a new master: Jesus Christ. 


Wait just a minute ... don't Christians continue to sin? Yes, they do. Personally, I can't remember a day where I didn't sin in some way. The difference now for the Christian is that they have been set free from the bondage of sin and now serves a new master. Men who remain enslaved to sin are given over to its lusts and desires. They love their sin! Though they may not like the consequences of their sin. By contrast, the Christian hates his sin, and fights against it. It is not natural for him to sin.


A question asked by my pastor this morning is worth repeating: "Why is it that nominal Christians want to know how close to the line of the world they can get? The real Christian is concerned about holiness of life and sanctification." I have often wondered how many so-called Christians continue to call themselves Christians when it is plain they have no interest whatsoever in pleasing the Lord. It is not amusing to me to try to lean over the edge of the cliff towards sin when God speaks clearly about our moral behavior. 


True Christianity involves obedience: "But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness" (Romans 6:17-18, NASB). All Christians were slaves of sin. "Were." This past tense verb indicates that Christians are no longer slaves of sin, but are slaves to God. We naturally want to perform the works of our Father God. 


Finally, it can be easy to miss that Paul offers thanks to God for this truth. If you are a Christian, it is only because the Son has set you free - and you are free indeed! But what are you freed from? Bondage to sin! Now you can serve the interests of Christ and continue to do what He wants. Praise God for this! No more are we bound by the devil's commands! Your heart of stone was turned into a heart of flesh and you have been raised in newness of life to do good works that are pleasing to God.