Supreme Court will rule on campus ministries

On April 19, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court will intercede in a case that may determine the future of campus ministry, reports MNN.

The Christian Legal Society (CLS), a campus ministry to law students, is involved in a case with the University of California Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. According to CLS, Christian Legal Society v. Martinez began when the college de-recognized the group for requiring its leaders to agree with their statement of faith.

I was over on Doug Groothuis's blog site and discovered this story. Why have we not heard any reportage on this? We need to pay attention and to pray about this case, because it will have far reaching implications if this goes against the CLS. This is a free speech and a religious freedom case, and these things tend to be difficult to work through because of that.  As we have stated in the past, the first steps are to get freedom "from" religion, and then to stamp it out altogether, by declaring it to be hate speech and harmful to our "mental health." 

More Avenues to Being Informed

On one of my earlier posts I spoke of my admiration for Jim Puplava as a financial commentator. Today I share my other hero: fellow Texan John Mauldin.

Whereas Jim Puplava is an idealist and an ardent follower of the Austrian School of Economics. John Mauldin is an economic realist. He puts out a free email (actually 2) each week that more than 1 million American leaders and investors read. John I believe is also a Christian, and provides this information so his readers can stay informed. I noted Newt Gingrich this month said he was a regular reader of John Mauldin and recommended his readers also subscribe.

Mr. Mauldin is a president of a hedge fund association. He reads volumes of financial and socioeconomic material from leaders across the financial world each week and reduces it down to readable form on topics he sees as most important. If you want to be in the top 3% of informed Americans subscribe at the link above or at johnmauldin.com. "Thoughts from the Frontline" is John's weekly email. "Outside the Box" is a reprint of a letter he's read he thinks is the best of the week. A lot of this information institutions pay tens of thousands of dollars a year for so it's worth a weekly peruse.

Blessings to your journey!

I'm confused

So, tomorrow is the day that the people who are in this country illegally, whom the media describes as "living in the shadows," and "afraid of the police," are going to come out with their fist signs and scream and yell and show their hatred for America? I must confess that I find this all a bit confusing. I thought it was Mexico they didn't like!

Ultrasound: What is its effect on a woman considering abortion?

Several states have passed laws making it tougher to get abortions. The law passed in Oklahoma caught my eye. It requires doctors to give an ultrasound exam to the woman, and explain to her the results of the exam. It seems to me that this would force a woman to think about the baby she is about to have killed. Perhaps this will encourage more women to think of adoption as an option. Of course, the law is already being challenged in a lawsuit. Maybe the ultrasound law will also encourage the Democrat party to reconsider abortion as one of its pillars. Naw, I don't think so.

The Illegal Immigration Issue

I listened to Rush today in bits and pieces, as I do almost every day. He was addressing illegal immigration. I guess I am one of those "weak Republicans" he was talking about. From the moment I met my first migrant family working the fields in West Texas in the 1960s, I have always admired and liked Mexicans. I know there is a terrible criminal element there, but isn't that part of the reason so many of them want to escape and come to America? I also respect the people of Arizona, who felt they had to do something to protect their border, since the federal government has done so little to protect them. Times are different now than the sixties. The people-smuggling and drug-smuggling criminals are extremely dangerous, and must be stopped.

I just know that if I were in the shoes of the average Mexican, I would want to come to America to take advantage of the lax border to enjoy America's freedom, safety, and opportunities. I hate to see the politicians get involved, because the Democrats will try to convince the immigrants that they "care" about them. I believe Rush is right that the only thing the Democrats care about is power and control, and voting blocs. The Republicans, too, have blatant political motives. I don't trust Scott McInnis, the guy running for the Republican nomination for Governor of Colorado, who suddenly says he would support legislation in Colorado similar to that which Arizona recently passed. I think he saw the same poll Rush was talking about, showing that 70 percent of Arizona voters support the legislation, and another poll showing that the majority of Americans support the law, even though the "template" of the media is to criticize the law as racist and Nazi-like.

Unfortunately, I do think racism is involved, and I hate to admit it, because you know Obama will portray it that way, too. That is how the Democrats operate, trying to get large voting blocs to see themselves as victims and turn to their "helpers" in the Democrat party, who are only too happy to keep them dependent on Democrats' empty promises and/or welfare programs.

I think Rush is also right that if La Raza and other Latino groups go ahead with their plans for huge angry demonstrations the first week of May, it will produce a backlash from large numbers of Americans who are fed up with Democrat attempts to redistribute their hard-earned wealth and blatantly play groups of people against one another.

Obama....I get it now!

I listen to a number of Podcasts weekly to "stay up" with current events and thinking. One podcast I recently added was "Freakonomics Radio" with the same authors of the book talking about current issues. On their April 12 podcast "Faking It" one of the things they cover is how Barak Obama got away with not answering questions about Reverend Wright's outrageous sermons. They play clips from a couple of sources, one being the author of the book "Game Change" about the 2008 election.

It turns out the Obamas rarely if ever actually go to church. They rarely actually attended even in the Reverend Wright days. But they thought it would look bad and hurt their chance at election if they...gulp...told the truth. So they chose to lie.

Turns out that they feared a backlash from the people of America if they knew that this "man of God" Barak Obama was actually lying to them about his faith.

Pretty damn disgusting, but I guess that just makes me a naive conservative.

Has Noah's Ark Been Found On Turkish Mountainside?

A group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers say wooden remains they have discovered on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey are the remains of Noah's Ark. 

The group claims that carbon dating proves the relics are 4,800 years old, meaning they date to around the same time the ark was said to be afloat. Mt. Ararat has long been suspected as the final resting place of the craft by evangelicals and literalists hoping to validate biblical stories. 

Yeung Wing-Cheung, from the Noah's Ark Ministries International research team that made the discovery, said: "It's not 100 percent that it is Noah's Ark, but we think it is 99.9 percent that this is it." 

There have been several reported discoveries of the remains of Noah's Ark over the years, most notably a find by archaeologist Ron Wyatt in 1987. At the time, the Turkish government officially declared a national park around his find, a boat-shaped object stretched across the mountains of Ararat.

From FoxNews.com

The Holy Spirit Is Not An "It"

"We charismatics celebrate the Holy Spirit, yet our theology of the Spirit is often off balance.

Two popular charismatic speakers stood on a stage two years ago and decided they should demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit. One guy pretended to throw an imaginary "fireball" at his friend, who promptly fell over as if he had been zapped by the divine power. Then, feeling equally playful, the guy on the floor stood to his feet and threw the "fireball" back at his friend—who fell after the "blob" of God hit him.

Everybody laughed and had a hilarious time at this outrageous party. There was just one problem. The Holy Spirit is not a blob, a fireball or any other form of divine energy that can be thrown, manipulated, maneuvered or controlled."

J. Lee Grady, quoted above, has been and is the most redeeming part of Charisma magazine.  Grady is trying to encourage people in the Charismatic world to actually think and engage intellectually and Biblically with regards to the Third Person of the Trinity. His comments are excellent, and very much worth the time and attention to engage with them. Click the title link above to read his excellent article. To check out his writing and ministry go to: http://themordecaiproject.com/leegrady/aboutlee.php.

Jesus, the Land and Christian Thinking Today

This is a blog post I read today and thought it would be good to share. Very interesting point. Click the title link to see the original. -Cliff

Wednesday April 28, 2010

Most evangelical Christians, because they've been taught to think this way, simply believe that Israel's presence in the Land today is not only a God-given promise, but there is a future eschatology tied to that presence in the Land. In fact, many today think the Temple will be rebuilt and Israel will rule in the Land. In other words, many think Israel's recognition as a nation and having their "location" in the Land of Israel today is by divine-appointment in such a way that it both fulfills promise and portends a fuller possession of the land someday.

But not all are so sure, and very few Christians today have given a serious look at what the NT says about Land -- and how little is actually said about the Land. And those who have studied it have written technical books very few read. Until Gary Burge: Jesus and the Land .

Gary Burge, professor at Wheaton (and my predecessor at North Park), soberly and fairly and responsibly sketches every text in the NT to provide what amounts to two things:

1. A theology of "land" in the NT and among early Christians.

2. A challenge to so much of today's "holy land" theology.

The big point: the NT shows no territorial theology; the "land" promise expands in the NT beyond Israel's border; most of what many say today is not therefore supported by the NT itself. The early Christians did not see the land promise as theirs. Ownership of the land is not a Christian issue. The land is about historical remembrance, the land has become Christ himself and we are "in Christ," and we are both "landless" (not in the holy land) but "landed" (we have a location in this world).

High court rules cross doesn't violate separation of church and state

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court narrowly ruled Wednesday that a white cross, erected as a war memorial and sitting on national parkland in the Mojave Desert, does not violate the constitutional separation of church and state.

The 5-4 conservative majority said Congress acted properly when it tried to transfer land around the Mojave Memorial Cross to veterans groups, an effort to eliminate any Establishment Clause violation. The land then would have been declared a national memorial. A federal appeals panel had blocked that land swap.

"It is reasonable to interpret the congressional designation as giving recognition to the historical meaning that the cross had attained," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote. "The Constitution does not oblige government to avoid any public acknowledgment of religion's role in society."

But even among the conservatives who voted to allow the cross to stand, there was strong disagreement about how similar disputes should be settled, an indication of the contentious nature of church-and-state cases.

At issue before the justices was whether the display violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion."

Here is some good news for those who want to honor the faithful sacrifice given by those who have died on behalf of their country.  The Cross, as an international sign of ultimate sacrifice, is a perfectly appropriate symbol for just this reason. Will a Supreme Court filled with Obama appointees respond as reasonably? We shall see.

Famed Old Testament Scholar Ousted For Evolutionary Views

A well-known Old Testament professor was forced to resign from his role at Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) last week after a video was released revealing his endorsement of evolution.

Bruce Waltke, a respected scholar and longtime professor, made the remarks during a workshop with BioLogos Foundation, a group that promotes compatibility between science and theology. According to reports in USA Today, Waltke said that “If the data is overwhelmingly in favor of evolution, to deny that reality will make us a cult ... some odd group that is not really interacting with the world.”

The video set off a firestorm at RTS, which is an evangelical seminary with ties to various denominations, in Oviedo, Fla., where Waltke was teaching. Michael Milton, interim president of the RTS Florida campus, said that Waltke was one of the world’s leading Old Testament scholars and that his departure was causing lots of “heartache,” but that the school had no choice.

Milton said the seminary allows views to vary on evolution, but only to an extent. For example, professors can disagree as to the length of time in the original seven days of creation, but they cannot acknowledge a Darwinian perspective, which proposes that humans did not arrive on the earth directly from God.

“We are a confessional seminary. I'm a professor myself, but I do not have a freedom that would go past the boundaries of the confession,” Milton said. “Nor do I have a freedom that would allow me to express my views in such a way to hurt or impugn someone who holds another view."

Waltke could not be reached for comment, but he did release a statement standing behind the substance of the video. [usatoday, 4/10/10]

Comments:

I first heard of Bruce Waltke from some of his students back in his Dallas Seminary days in the 1980's. They were in awe of his scholarship, integrity and genuine spiritual life. Even those that disagreed with some of his views agreed he was a great professor. Waltke is no stranger to theological controversy. He left Dallas Theological Seminary in the late '80's after rejecting dispensationalism and embracing covenant theology. And though this looks like a terrible situation, the truth is that high level people change their minds often enough for this story to have a familiar ring to it. The last figure to move from one camp to the other very publicly was Francis J. Beckwith, who resigned as President of the Evangelical Theological Society to return to the Catholic Church.  I know these are difficult things to work through. Evolution, Catholicism and Protestantism, etc., but at least there can be an ongoing dialogue, right? Let's hope so.

Movie Review: Faith Like Potatoes

I rarely have a high opinion of Christian movies, especially American ones with their stupid emphasis on "end times". Last Friday I saw a really good Christian movie made in South Africa called "Faith Like Potatoes". It is now out on DVD and we rented it from the Denver Public Library after a recommendation from a friend.


It's a fairly contemporary movie with most of the action taking place in the 1970s to 1980s about a Scottish guy, Angus Buchan, and his journey from angry guy to Christ and the miracles that happen thereafter. The cool thing about this movie is that it is a true story. They really deal with a man's anger and the choices and transformation that happen to him and his family when he gets saved. It has some really uncomfortable racism, but that draws me to the heart of the story. FLP deals with issues that we face in America, like racism and anger, but we get to see it through the eyes of South Africa.



Angus Buchan and his family get to really live out their faith in the farmland of South Africa and a number of real miracles and real tragedies happen through their wrestling with God, themselves, a cold traditional church and secular society. If you are person who desires to live an original life, outside the Matrix, then this is a good story that will inspire you. See it!

Hell Froze Over And My Head Hurts

I have always said that if I ever agree with the Church of Scientology that that would definitely be the day that hell has frozen over. Well, the river Styx is waxing solid, and Cerberus himself is howling in displeasure as he is not able to adequately protect his now icy domain. 

  What the heck is this all about? Well, I have done a lot of reading and skulking around the atmosphere we like to call the world wide web and have come to find out that I am not the only lonely out there who is sure that our trust in men in white coats is not all that warranted. In point of fact the particular group of folks I'm not so sure about are called Phd's. I know, scary territory, right? 

  Now, I've been a card carrying member of the wacko-religious-right-conservative movement since the days of Reagan, so I don't mind wearing labels like "fundamentalist" or "homophobic" or "closed-minded" or "radical." But what I have come to realize is that I have lost my faith in yet another American institution, namely Psychology/Psychiatry. This probably makes me a fringe group person of some kind, but I cannot hold back and pretend that real, actual evil is not being perpetrated in the name of "mental health."

  I had one of those aha! moments the other day or so while watching the tube. A commercial came on which had the look of a public service announcement that described people who were, "disorganized, unable to concentrate at work, and always looking around for things." So what do you think I said about that? "Sounds like a normal person to me." But, no, apparently I, and maybe you, have Adult ADHD. 

"Life can be a balancing act for any adult, but if you find yourself constantly late and disorganized, overly distracted and forgetful, and overwhelmed by your responsibilities, you may have Adult ADD/ADHD." 

Sound like you? Yeah, I thought so. So what do you think the "cure" for this is? Why, drugs, of course! Lots of drugs. I won't bore you with numbers, but let's just say that Merck, Pfizer, and all the other drug companies are raking in billions with this scam. In fact, it makes illegal drug trafficking money look paltry in comparison. And the best part for these drug pushers is that it's not like you take an aspirin and your headache goes away. Oh, No! You are told by a man or woman in a white coat that you or your loved one have some kind of a "chemical imbalance" in your brain, and that you need these drugs to fix this imbalance, usually for life!

"Chemical imbalance! In my BRAIN! Quick, get it fixed!" 

Well, it doesn't exactly work like that. You see, there is a test to see if your pancreas is working, or your liver or kidneys. And, if they are not working, there are ways to help. But there is no such thing for the brain. In fact, there is no real proof that there really is a "balance" in the brain chemistry to keep in the first place. 

No proof, no test? No problem.

"We'll just fill you full of these drugs and over time see which one works for you."

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" 

If a man in a white coat offers you a pill to fix your "chemical imbalance," he is really offering you a drug that is a derivative of cocaine, or worse, and will cause you to become dependent. Now, just so you know how evil these people are, when you ask them if the drugs are addictive, they will tell you "no." But you see, they have redefined the term "addictive" and "addiction" and now refer to this class of drugs effects as causing "dependence." Get it? In my world, if I have to take a certain drug and cannot stop because I am "dependent" on it, I am an addict. 

All jokes about my caffeine addiction aside, this is very serious. People's lives are being destroyed because of the damage being done from these drugs.

Well, it just so happens that the Church of Scientology got together with a famous critic and Psychiatrist, Thomas Szasz, author of the book The Myth Of Mental Illness, and created a group to challenge the psychiatrists and drug companies who hurt people in the name of "science." They created a group called CCHR, the Citizen's Commission on Human Rights, and you can check out what they do at http://www.cchr.org. I wasn't so sure about all of their claims, because of how incredible they seemed, but I have found multiple other sources that back up their claims and research. 

  So as I said, my brain is hurting from all the information I have been overwhelmed with about the abuse of depressed and struggling patients and their families from the greedy and remorseless partnership of drug companies and the so-called mental health professionals.

I recommend the books and website by Robert Whitaker at www.madinamerica.com. His first book on this subject, Mad In America, was a Pulitzer finalist and covered the bizarre history of the Psychiatric profession and its past treatment of those who are often the most vulnerable people in our society. His new book, Anatomy Of An Epidemic, is about the development of drug therapies used in psychotherapy and the explosion of people being affected by them, including millions of children. The video interviews are excellent, and probably the shortest distance to getting up to speed on a very overwhelming topic. 

Let's stand with our friends and loved ones who are going through "the valley of the shadows" and help them as best we can, by first taking away the stigma of struggle and suffering, and next by protecting them from the wolves in white coats who would use them to profit from their pain.       

Obama's Tactic: Divide and Conquer

Obama does not like Arizona's "misguided" law that declares illegal immigration illegal! He asks for "young people, Latinos, African Americans, women, and first-time voters" to support his efforts at immigration reform. When he says "first-time voters," whom is he talking about? He already mentioned "young people," so that can't be whom he is referring to. Oh, I get it, he is talking about people who illegally enter our country and vote here for the first time. One just has to decipher the code!

What to do about illegal immigration?

With Arizona's governor signing into law a requirement that police check papers of people who look like they might be illegal immigrants, liberals like Denver Post columnist Mike Littwin have unleashed their satirical pens. Littwin wonders in today's Post how exactly the police will be able to determine if someone is illegal: "Maybe it would be anyone scrubbing someone else's toilet. Or anyone picking someone else's crops. Or anyone roofing someone else's house. Or, I don't know, maybe anyone talking Spanish. Or pressing "2" at the ATM."

This issue will make the healthcare debate seem tame.

Young Apple Employee Loses iPhone Prototype At Bar

Young Apple employee Gray Powell was just out having a good time with some friends. He was trying out the German brewskis and finally had to go home. Did you ever get that feeling that you've forgotten something while you're drunkenly fumbling for your keys at the door of your house? Well, Gray probably did. You see, he was test driving a prototype of the next Apple iPhone when he left it at the bar. Well, somebody found it and sold it to a well known tech blog(Gizmodo) for five thousand dollars. To be honest, though, they did attempt to return the prototype phone to Apple, with little result. It seems that Apple Customer Support doesn't take claims of lost prototype phones seriously.
That just goes to show you, always check to make sure you have your stuff on you before you leave the bar. Right, Gray?
(By the way, that guy in the picture is Steve Wozniak, co-founder with Steve of Apple Computers.)

Comedy Central Exemplifies Obama Administration Policies

Last Week Comedy Central chose to censor South Park Episode #201 which supposedly depicted the So-called "Prophet" Mohammed in a (gasp!) humorous light. Ironically, the point of the show was that we need to not be intimidated by threats of bullies dressed in any kind of religious, political, or social garb. Comedy Central cow-towed to a group of supposed "terrorists" or "Islamic jihadi fascists," with a website announcement threatening violence to the shows creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, and others related to the show.
  To date, the writers at South Park have skewered Jesus, Buddha, Santa Claus, the Pope and all Catholics, Joseph Smith and all Mormons, L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology, Richard Dawkins, Satan, every President since Clinton, Michael Moore, Hillary Clinton,  Barbara Striesand, the Ku Klux Clan, Jesse Jackson, the entire country of Canada, Space Aliens, the Denver Broncos, the cast of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, and Oprah Winfrey. Honestly, if these and the literally hundreds of other people and groups South Park has lampooned have not killed them yet, then no one else will either.
  Comedy Central just gave the enemies of freedom just what they wanted, a reputation of fear and intimidation far beyond their actual ability to carry them out. As the second official news network of the Obama Administration, next to NBC, this is clearly an act of further contrition to foreign power led by the acts of continual apology by our very own President. And so I understand Comedy Central's unwillingness to break ranks with the Obama administration. They were only acting as their leader has shown them.
  I think we need to back up Matt and Trey and buy their DVD's, t-shirts, and underwear, and proudly display our support for their right to die at the hands of terrorists in the name of freedom of speech. By the way, wouldn't it be funny if they really did get killed by terrorists? I think they would think so, maybe not at first, but after awhile. Just ask Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter.

All about respect (and not losing your soul)

The Denver Post has an above-the-fold facial closeup of 4th string quarterback Tim Tebow today. It shows the black paint football players place under their eyes to blunt the sun. On the black paint Tim had "Mark" on his right cheek and "8:36" on his left. I went to my Bible. Here is Mark 8:36 (Jesus talking to his disciples about his impending death): "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?"

Tim Tebow has kept his soul, captured the attention of the nation's sports fans, and lost many possible commercial endorsements that anyone else with his national recognition might have received. Above all, he says, he wants to "earn the respect of his teammates and coaches."

Triangle Exclusive! - Behind the Scenes of Cliff Stewart Case

As earlier reported, Cliff Stewart had the two charges leveled against him dropped, and all fines dropped as well. Now the exclusive background story to this epic case:

TRIANGLE: Cliff, we know you are really relieved to have justice in this matter, tell us how it feels right now.
CLIFF:  Wow, man, like, it totally feels, like, totally awesome. Awesome! (Sips from coffee cup. gulps.)
TRIANGLE: So, Cliff, how did you end up in this situation in the first place?
CLIFF: Do you mean, how could something so mundane become so ridiculously IDIOTIC? I'll tell you how. It's the education system, man, you know what I mean? We've got a bunch of idiot-stick people with authority and guns, and they can't even be reasonable and make a simple decision, especially if they make a mistake. They don't know how to think anymore, know what I mean?
TRIANGLE: Yeah...Uh...Right, Umm, let's get back to the story, OK?.
CLIFF: Right, sorry man. It's the caffeine talkin'. I am really buzzin' right now! Anyway, I was driving home from the old Wally-World. It was a late shift. I got off at 11 o'clock and was headed home down Parker Road when I get pulled over by a Parker police officer. There was no one out on the roads and it was getting cold out that night, I remember that.
TRIANGLE: Parker? I thought the ticket was from Arapahoe County?
CLIFF: Yeah, I know. It's confusing. I'm sitting there trying to get the car to warm up and waiting for the officer to talk to me. After ten to fifteen minutes of just sitting there, an officer comes to my door and does the usual request for license, insurance, registration. I comply, handing him my stuff when he explains the reason he pulled me over. "Sir, do you know that your license plate lights are extinguished? I couldn't see your license plate at all. It is completely dark back there!" So asked, "Completely dark? You mean there are no lights working in the the back at all?" "Uh, No sir, just the license plate lights."
TRIANGLE: What were you thinking at that point?
CLIFF: What was I thinking? I was thinking, "Well. then, you must have better things to do, so...let's get a move on." He went back to his car, and I waited. Another police car came up behind and just sat there as well. I was beginning to think, "Oh my God, I look like some murder suspect or something. Why do they need two cop cars out here at midnight?" At this point I am scared to death. What the f*** can be going on that this is taking so long. I have to pee!" Anyway, so we sit there another ten minutes or so, and then ANOTHER cop car slowly drives up next to my car. THREE COP CARS! Holy shit! I must really be in some deep doo-doo! Thankfully for my bladder, the officer, this time from Arapahoe County, says "Sir, we have a message from the DMV that says that your license has been revoked. Were you aware of this?" Uh, No!" I said. "Yes, apparently you failed to pay a ticket back in October, and so they revoked your license."
TRIANGLE: What was your response?
CLIFF: I said, "Well, I paid that ticket and I can prove it right now." I handed him the receipt for the paid ticket from Arapahoe County , and a paper with a Judge's signature saying the same thing, only officially.
TRIANGLE: Game over, right? Did he let you go home after that?
ClIFF: Yeah, right! Uh...No. He said "Well, I know that you paid this ticket, and I also know that it probably wasn't reported or handled properly, but I'm going to have to confiscate your license, Sir." At this point, I have gone from cooperative to slightly steamed. OK, more like officially really steamed. He explained that I should have my situation taken care of at the DMV, and not to miss the court date.
TRIANGLE: So what became of all this?
CLIFF: Well, basically, the State of Colorado held my driver's license for ransom. I had to go in and get a new license, to the tune of $121.00, all because of a charge that was proven false and dismissed.
TRIANGLE: Well, do you feel that justice was done in the end?
CLIFF: H-E-double hockey sticks NO! Here's what shoulda happened, right? The officer pulls me over and says "Hey, did you know that your lights for your license plate are out? Better get those fixed or I'll have to give you a ticket! Have a good night!" But, since some idiot bureaucrat didn't fill in a form right or put it in the wrong pile no doubt because of her addiction to psychotropic antidepressants , I had to waste a bunch of time, money and effort having to prove to them their own mistake. Brilliant! God bless America!
TRIANGLE: So do you think you've learned something from all this?
CLIFF: Yes. Evil will not destroy our society, stupidity will.
  

Cliff Stewart, Arraigned In Court, Pleads Guilty To Lesser Charge

Aurora, CO - April 23. 2010. This just in... Conservative blogger and known Java and Jazz loving Jesus Freak Clifford Stewart was arraigned this morning on charges of driving with out of date license plates. He plead guilty before a judge, and the judge, seeing the circumstances, dropped the fine and asked only for the payment of court costs, an amount of $37.50.
  Prior to this. Mr. Stewart met with a Deputy District Attorney to discuss a plea agreement, necessitated by the issuance of two tickets on February 23, at 11:30PM by an officer of the law representing Arapahoe County, the City of Parker, and perhaps the State of Colorado Highway Patrol. Apparently, the accused Mr. Stewart had been attempting to keep officers of the law from seeing the license plates on his vehicle by deliberately and probably with malice allowing the lights of his vehicle illuminating the license plate area to become inoperable, or "going out." In addition, a further serious charge of driving without a license was issued, based on the revoking of Mr. Stewart's driving privileges stemming from the apparent non-payment of a fine on a ticket dating back to October, 2009. The accused Mr. Stewart provided the officers and the District Attorney a copy of a receipt and an order signed by a judge acknowledging the payment of the fine. Despite the level of authority a signed judgment from a true judge may seem to have, the officer felt it necessary to take Mr. Stewart's license from him, and offer him the opportunity to prove in court the truth of the previous ruling. The deputy DA, after seeing the receipt and letter signed by a judge, dropped both charges against Mr. Stewart, and as mentioned before plead the charge down to the charge of driving with expired license plates. And as mentioned before, the Judge dropped the $35.00 fine.

Serving God, or the devil?

While we are talking about the first amendment right of free speech, how about those beauties at the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas? They travel around the country protesting outside funerals for American soldiers, shouting out that the soldiers deserved to die because America doesn't do enough to stop homosexuals from enjoying its liberties.

Are they serving God, or the devil? Seems pretty clear cut to me.

Cartoons and Death Threats

The creators of the wildly popular animated "South Park" series have been threatened with death because they had planned to depict the Prophet Muhammad in a bear suit in last week's episode. The Comedy Central woosies placed a "censored" sign over the bear, but did nothing when the cartoonists depicted Jesus defacating on George W. Bush or the American flag. Next up for "South Park" creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker? A musical opening on Broadway in March 2011 entitled "The Book of Mormon." I doubt if any Mormons will threaten them with death, but the musical may mean death to Mitt Romney's presidential hopes in 2012.

Warm Fuzzy Moment Of The Day...

"Patients are nothing but riff-raff. the only useful purposes they serve are to help us earn a living and to provide learning material. In any case, we cannot help them."

Sigmund Freud

Psychoanalyst

Tebow to Thomas: Go Broncos!

The Denver Broncos have once again become the talk of the National Football League, by drafting Tim Tebow to compete for the job of quarterback. Tebow is famous for being the most successful college football player in recent years, perhaps of all time. He is also famous for being grateful, in a Super Bowl ad, that he was not aborted as a baby. His mother had been advised by her doctor to abort the baby when he was born to her when she and her husband were leaders of an orphanage in the Phillipines. The mom-to-be had a life-threatening dysentery infection, lapsed into a coma, and when she recovered, doctors feared Tim would be still-born.

Because Tim expresses his faith in Christ and love of God, he has been ridiculed by the all-knowing liberal media elites. I heard one last night on Fox radio laughing about how Tim travels the world telling people that the earth is only six thousand years old.

Denver Broncos fans finally have a guy worth cheering for. In addition, the Broncos drafted a wide receiver named Demaryius Thomas from Georgia Tech two picks ahead of Tebow. Thomas said in an interview, "I've always been around the right crowd, and then I became a Christian. Once I did that, it changed my life." Both men expressed gratitude to Broncos coach Josh McDaniels, who has made it clear that he wants men of character on his football team. Tebow to Thomas looks like a very promising combo for the Broncos and their fans.

Doing God's work, or the devil's?

Does your pastor or priest or rabbi encourage you to live your life with courage? Does he encourage you to live your life with bold and sacrificial action? Or, is your religion over-intellectualized? What would you do if a fascist came to power as head of your country?

In the 4-22-2010 Wall Street Journal Joseph Loconte reviews a book by Eric Metaxas entitled Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. Bonhoeffer became involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler, and was executed in a Bavarian concentration camp in 1945. His was a faith that was expressed in action. Others who called themselves Christians in 1945 remained "respectable, domesticated, timid, and ended up doing the devil's work for him."

How Gay Is Gay Enough?

Slipping and sliding down the slope to insanity is what is going on with the North American Gay Athletic Association of America, or NAGAAA. No, really, it's their name. 

And their problem? Apparently one of the teams in their 2008 softball championships, D2, had members that were not gay enough. That's what I said, not gay enough. According to FoxSports, the team that was accused of said non-gayness had their second place standing stripped from them when it was discovered that three of the team's members were bi-sexual. According to the article: 

"After D2 qualified for the 2008 championship series, the NAGAAA held a hearing to determine the sexual orientation of D2 players. The plaintiffs allege they were asked "personal and intrusive questions" about their sexual attractions and desires. At one point during the questioning, D2 players were allegedly told, "This is the Gay World Series, not the Bisexual World Series." "

Well, now, let's see if we can sort this "out", so to speak. Apparently there is a hierarchy in the world of gay. There is a need to keep a level of purity of gay-ness by keeping other of the less-gay sorts out. Hmm, sounds an awful lot like "anti-bi-sexualism" doesn't it?. Why, how closed minded and selfish of those bigoted homo-purists, those gayer-than-gay gays. Why, they're a bunch of gay fundamentalists! 

Well, not that I care at all, but I think it's funny that a bunch of supposedly gay guys can't put down their masculine need to win and be number one just for one second. But then again, Queen did give us "We Are The Champions." In a twisted way, it all makes sense, or does it?

John Paul Jackson Facebook Bloopers#2

I didn't think I would need to do this two days in a row but, hey, here we are. The latest John Paul Jackson Facebook Blooper goes like this:

John Paul Jackson said: Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is within you, then we need to be the Kingdom of Heaven to those who meet us.

And so what could possibly be wrong with a statement like that? Well, the sentiment is well meant, but that might also be the problem here: Sentiment leading to sentimentalism. People approve of these statements because of their feelings about them, rather than actually checking them to see if they are true.

Here is the Scripture quote of the actual statement in Luke 17:20-21:

Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, “See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”(NKJV)

So my first problem is the misquoting of scripture. It simply would take one minute on Bible Gateway dot com to be able to check to see if you are remembering a Scripture right. Right?

My second beef with this little statement is that it has a theological problem. The Kingdom of God is a huge concept in Scripture, but in a short definition, it is the activity of God’s rule and reign and the places to which it extends. Jesus made this statement about the Kingdom being “within you” to Pharisees who I would suggest were not convinced or committed followers of Jesus. And yet, the context clearly includes them as part of the “you,” which in fact is a plural term meaning “you all.” So the kingdom is within “y’all,” as they say in Texas. And so there is no need to “be” the Kingdom of Heaven “to” someone, because they are just as much in the Kingdom as you are, not that they are Christians, but they are under God’s rule, reign, and influence. The important part of being in a Kingdom is that there is a Sovereign King, one who rules and brings peace and order. These days being a “Christian” may not be cool, but it is the best thing we can be.  In the days of the New Testament the term was a derogatory one, meaning “little Christs,” which points to the fact that even those who were detractors of the early Christian movement were seeing the King of the Kingdom in the Christians. So we really need not to “be” the Kingdom, but to “be” Jesus to others. That is do-able because God gives His Holy Spirit to you for that very purpose. Be Jesus to others, thereby expressing His Kingdom to them.   

We live in a day of hazy internet truth. We accept fuzzy statements and logic as just normal and approve of them whether they are accurate or not, based on how we feel about them. Now that is OK if you are spouting your personal opinion about the Tea Party, Global Warming or Barack Obama.  But when you half-quote a Scripture and then make a conclusion based on that, that is a dangerous habit that at it’s least is a little lazy, and at it’s worst could become cultic.

So, since I love John Paul Jackson, and wish him well always, I once again repent of this my terrible sin of not being able to let something go without blurting out my opinion. Forgive me, Father, I know not what I do.

So here is my encouragement:

Jesus said the Kingdom of God is within you(Luke 17:21) so we need to be aware of that and be Jesus to others, so that they may see His Kingdom. 

John Paul Jackson Facebook Bloopers#1

I have occasionally had a little fun at John Paul Jackson's Facebook page. I admit it, as a sin, if it is, I admit it. But here's what goes on there: someone, probably not John Paul, but who has heard a few of his teachings, and read a few Christian inspirational books, puts up "spiritual" quotes of the day. Now usually they are in fact encouraging words of a sort, but I have taken to keeping a log of the ones that are, let's just say, a little "off." 


Here's the recent example:
John Paul Jackson - said: God will move heaven and earth to get you where He wants you to be, if you are where He wants you to be.


At first, I was just going to let it go. I mean, I got the basic point of what was being said. But I just could not help myself from commenting. In addition, hundreds of people were "like"-ing this quote, despite it's obvious slight quirk, namely that it was logically goofy, to be nice. 
So I responded, "Wait, let me get this. IF I am where God wants me to be, He will move heaven and earth? If I'm already where He wants me to be then why do I need Him to move heaven and earth? Really? Does anybody check this stuff before they click the "share" button? And why do you people just say "Aman"(sic) to anything on this page? This is too funny!"


And so I will check back occasionally to see how JPJ is doing. I really Like John Paul Jackson and have read practically everything he ever wrote, went to his conferences and training events, and think he may be the closest thing we have today to a real prophet, in the positive, New Testament sense. But even he has to make logical sense in "his" comments online. Right?   

Don't Mess With Mike

Recently a college paper interviewed Mike Huckabee and posted their conversation with the former governor of Arkansas online, with the title "Huckabee Rips Steele, Romney, LGBT Activists." I read the article and was disappointed at the extreme lack of "ripping" I had expected to be in today's rough and tumble world of politics. In fact, I would have said it like this, "Woosy college wannabee interrogator fails to get a rise out of bored politician, next question, please?" His statements on current Republican party head Steele were something akin to "he prefers a cup of warm milk, and I like chamomile tea to get to sleep." The same for Huckabee's statements on Romney, which were a 30 watt microwave of absolute excitement. Again, not my idea of "ripping." Not even close. And of course there was this young man's need to focus most of the time and energy of the debate, (and it was more like a debate than an interview) on trying to get Huckabee in some kind of double bind in regards to the "issue" of gay rights. Really, Mr. Huckabee was very polite and continued to answer the young man's repetitive questions covering the same ground, even to the point that Huckabee had to make his oft quoted statement about the logical conclusion of the argument that, "if one group gets a pass, then everyone does, no matter how absurd." So as examples of the absurdity, Huckabee offered polygamists and incest as possible extreme examples. And, instead of hearing the argument on it's point, as a "for instance", they decided to interpret the Governor's statements as insults to all homosexuals as also now being polygamists who are also involved in incest.

Mr. Huckabee's response to the ridiculous headline and obfuscation was to respond quickly with a nasty statement and the usual "I was misquoted." Which, having listened to the full "interview/unplanned debate, I actually would agree with the Governor on this one. He said this in warning to media in the future: "Don't be surprised when you throw a fastball at my face, if I then charge the mound."

Point well taken, Governor. Let that be a warning to all the nefarious media folks out there. Don't mess with Mike!

A LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FROM JON VOIGHT

0 4-11-2010 7:44 pm - Jon Voight

Below is the text of the letter:

"In one year, the American people are witnessing the greatest lie that is cleverly orchestrated by President Obama and his whole administration. The lie is a potent aggression that feeds the needs of people who either have not educated themselves enough to understand the assault upon us all or the very poor and needy who live to be taken care of.President Obama feeds these people poison, giving them the idea that they are entitled to take from the wealthier who have lived and worked in a democracy that understands that capitalism is the only truth that keeps a nation healthy and fed. Now the lie goes very deep and President Obama has been cleverly trained in the Alinsky method and it would be very important that every American knows what that method is. It is a socialistic, Marxist teaching and with it, little by little, he rapes this nation, taking down our defenses, making new language for the Islamic extremists. The world looked up to us as a symbol of hope and prosperity now wonders what will become of the entire world if America is losing its power. The American people who understand exactly what is taking place have come together in the thousands, vowing to try to stay together as a unit of love and freedom for all men and women, from all walks of life, shivering to think that this once great nation will be a third world country. This will be the first president to ever weaken the United States of America. President Obama uses his aggression and arrogance for his own agenda, against the will of the American people when he should be using his will and aggression against our enemies. Every loving American for peace and truth and the security of our nation must come out and join the Tea Parties in their states. The opposition will continue their tactics; they will lie and plant their own bullies amongst us. Everyone must pay close attention to who stands next to them. We can weed out the liars and agitators. Let us all stay in Gods light. Let no man put asunder. We can and we will prevail.

God bless us all!"

~Jon Voight, April 10th, 2010

from mikehuckabee.com

The National Day of Prayer Declared Unconstitutional

Alright, we have begun the final slippery slide down into the absolute secularization of the public arena in America.

"This week a federal judge in Wisconsin ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional Thursday, saying the day amounts to a call for religious action.

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb wrote that the government can no more enact laws supporting a day of prayer than it can encourage citizens to fast during Ramadan, attend a synagogue or practice magic."

"In fact, it is because the nature of prayer is so personal and can have such a powerful

effect on a community that the government may not use its authority to try to influence

an individual's decision whether and when to pray," Crabb wrote.(AP)

Well, this is bizarre, is it not? How in the world can a judge be bothered by a day of prayer by choice of the individuals involved. No one religion is excluded or promoted, and the day has been known to foster good will between groups and remind people to pray for their leaders and government, whatever their religious beliefs. Just so we're clear, here is the text of the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution: 

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

How does a day of prayer by the citizenry either establish a religion or prohibit the free exercise of one? In fact, would it not rather seem that declaring a day of prayer unlawful is in fact "prohibiting the free exercise thereof?" 

The harsh truth is that what is happening is the absolute secularization of the public arena, relegating religious and spiritual activity to the realm of "personal" to the exclusion of communal and public faith expressions. How far can this go? Will we be forced to not have "Amazing Grace" sung at public funerals? Will someone finally sue someone else if they say "bless you" after they sneeze?  

Where is this going? There is a plan afoot to "prove" once and for all that those with religious beliefs are really those that espouse "hate speech." The goal is one of freedom from religion, and not freedom of religion. And this of course makes perfect sense, since the group that objected to the day of prayer was our friends at the Freedom From Religion Foundation. When men and women are put in jail here in the United States of America  for hate speech for refusing to give up their beliefs, just remember, we had a chance to protect our freedoms and we let our guard down.

Could there be a forced orthodoxy for religious tolerance by the government? Could the day come when pastors, priests, and rabbis will have to have their messages approved by the government before they give them?  Don't be silly, that would be intolerant!

Cliff's Blue Notes - Saturday Living In A Sunday World

At church on Easter I heard the worship leader share this brief story of a conversation he had with his young son that morning.

"So, Dad, Friday was when Jesus died, right?"

"Right."

"And Sunday is when Jesus came back alive, right?"

"Right."

"So what is Saturday about?"

"Well...hmm...Saturday is the place of questions, doubts, difficulty, hopelessness. It's the time you can't see things clearly. It's a time of waiting - even hope."

I was stunned by this little, simple conversation because of how actually profound it really is.

The phrase that went through my mind as this story was being shared was "Saturday living in a Sunday world." It explains the conundrum many of us are in in the world we live in today. We are living in the tension between our Friday personal experience and connection with God, and a Saturday world of doubts, questions, and hopelessness, as if Jesus did not actually defeat death and raise from the dead in resurrection power on 

Sunday. 

But Jesus did rise from the dead. He did appear to Peter and John and the apostles. He did let Thomas touch His wounds and feel His scars. He left crumbs on the table from the meal he ate, before he disappeared again, only to reappear later, to as many as five hundred people at a time. He walked a lonely road with a couple of distressed followers, encouraging them with probably the best Bible study ever. I really wish I could download that mp3, don't you? I will definitely watch that video in heaven. 

But I am encouraged by this fact, which is that Jesus is no longer limited by the encumbrance of a normal physical body. He is available to all of us just as much as He was to those beleaguered believers back in the days of the New Testament. And each of us gets the whole, real, full Jesus, not some watered down version of Jesus. We don't have to split him up with the other one and a half billion or so other believers in the world. No. We all get all of Jesus to ourselves, so to speak. And that is the real miracle of the Resurrection.

We live in a day that is post-resurrection, a Sunday world. So stop with your small Saturday thinking and living and begin to entertain the idea in your head that the King of all kings is available to you all of the time, no matter what. 

Kingdom Quotes - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

We must be very careful in these matters. What do we know of the realm of the Spirit? What do we know of the Spirit falling on people? What do we know about these manifestations of the Holy Spirit? We need to be very careful "lest we be found fighting against God," lest we be guilty of "quenching the Spirit of God."

Great News For Tax Day!

Well, it's just happy news all around this tax day, that's for sure. The good news is, we're breaking records. The bad news is, it's in first filings of Unemployment Benefit requests.


  CNN Money reports that, "The number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance for the first time jumped for the second week in a row, according to government data released Thursday.

There were 484,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended April 10, up 24,000 from an unrevised 460,000 the previous week, according to the Labor Department's weekly report." They went on to say that the experts were surprised by the jump. 

But wait, we're on a roll, because we also set another record, this time in foreclosure actions. 

According to Reuters and Fox Business, "U.S. home foreclosures actions spiked in March and set a quarterly record despite federal programs to combat the unrelenting pace that homeowners are defaulting on mortgages, RealtyTrac said on Thursday.

The government aid, intensified in late March, has so far failed to overcome the staggering effects of nearly double-digit unemployment and wage cuts on borrowers.

Foreclosure activity jumped 19% to a monthly record in March, driving first-quarter actions up 7% from the prior quarter and 16% from a year ago to a record of more than 932,000 properties."

Well, like we said, at least we're breaking records...

7,500 Online Shoppers Unknowingly Sold Their Souls

From Fox News.com

A computer game retailer revealed that it legally owns the souls of thousands of online shoppers, thanks to a clause in the terms and conditions agreed to by online shoppers.

The retailer, British firmGameStation, added the "immortal soul clause" to the contract signed before making any online purchases earlier this month. It states that customers grant the company the right to claim their soul.

"By placing an order via this Website on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. Should We wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul, and any claim you may have on it, within 5 (five) working days of receiving written notification from gamesation.co.uk or one of its duly authorised minions."

GameStation's form also points out that "we reserve the right to serve such notice in 6 (six) foot high letters of fire, however we can accept no liability for any loss or damage caused by such an act. If you a) do not believe you have an immortal soul, b) have already given it to another party, or c) do not wish to grant Us such a license, please click the link below to nullify this sub-clause and proceed with your transaction."

The terms of service were updated on April Fool's Day as a gag, but the retailer did so to make a very real point: No one reads the online terms and conditions of shopping, and companies are free to insert whatever languagethey want into the documents. 

While all shoppers during the test were given a simple tick box option to opt out, very few did this, which would have also rewarded them with a £5 voucher, according to news:lite. Due to the number of people who ticked the box, GameStation claims believes as many as 88 percent of people do not read the terms and conditions of a Web site before they make a purchase.

The company noted that it would not be enforcing the ownership rights, and planned to e-mail customers nullifying any claim on their soul.