Category Archives: General Observations

Just things I see that make me think.

by | December 3, 2010 · 1:11 pm

Clark Kent’s Glasses and Sharia Law

I got some new glasses, finally.  I have been waiting for these over-priced sight-fixers for months.  Long story short, it has been a struggle finding the right frames, lenses, price, and place that accepts Care Credit.  You can see from the picture the difference, cosmetically, from the older, black frame…the new ones are rimless (they’re also progressive bi-focals, too, because I’m getting old and decrepit).

When looking in the mirror at my new appearance, a deep and profound thought crossed my mind: “How would rimless glasses affected the secret identity of Superman?”  You know what I am talking about, right?  Superman had a clever, foolproof disguise which kept his identity from being discovered – glasses.  Superman (a.k.a. Clark Kent), when not out saving the day in his jumpsuit and cape, wore a business suit and dark-rimmed glasses.  That fooled everybody!  Even the love of his life, Lois Lane, could make out with him without his glasses, only to totally not recognize him later at the office – it was the glasses.  Amazing.

Now, consider for a moment, what if the styles had been different back then?  If, let’s say, Superman had strolled into the local LensCrafters to purchase a pair of specs, what would he have done if all they had were rimless frames?  What if, after a few decades of being Clark Kent, the styles changed and management at the news paper wanted him to upgrade his look?  What would have happened if the crew from “What Not to Wear” (on TLC) were called in to do a makeover?  Wow!  That would have been interesting!  I could just imagine Stacy and Clinton confronting him for the first time…

Clinton:  Clark, we have been watching you with our hidden cameras for a few days, and you never change clothes.  As a

Stacy and Clint

matter of fact, you disappear a lot, only to come back to work in the same clothes you always wear.Stacy:   That’s right, Clark, and your coworkers have gotten together to do an intervention.  They want you to change with the times.

Clinton:   Yeah, Clark, you have got a look straight out of the 1940’s and it’s got to change.  Let’s start right now.

Stacy:   Clark, we have an appointment set for you with the Optomitrist to the stars, Franko Foofoo, and we are going to update your eyewear….here, let’s just imaging what you might look like, for instance, in a pair of Sillouette rimless frames…..let me just take those old, black ones………

Clinton:  OMG!!!!  It’s SUPERMAN!  (whispering to Stacy, “I always thought he looked super in those tights.”)

Seriously, how crazy is it that just a pair of glasses would keep a famous person from being recognized by his closest friends?  I mean, really?  The truth about Superman’s identity should have been easy to see, even if he had worn a wig and a rubber nose.  All the fans of Superman figured it out the first episode.  Well, sometimes I wonder if the same sort of blindness to the obvious is what is wrong with most people today.  I could site example after example until this article turned into a book the size of “War and Peace.”  Instead of that, let me just share with you one example.

If you follow this link, http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/12/afghan-women/addario-photography, you will see a picture of a poor woman in Afghanistan.  Let me quote the caption beneath the picture…

The Wails of a Jailed Wife

A female inmate at a Mazar-e Sharif prison has just been released, prompting Maida-Khal, 22, to cry out because she is still trapped in her cell. When Maida-Khal was 12, she was married to a man of about 70 who was paralyzed. “I was so young, I couldn’t carry him because he was so heavy, so his brothers would beat me,” she recalls. When she asked for a divorce four years ago, she was imprisoned. “I am in jail because I don’t have a mahram [male guardian]. I can’t get a divorce, and I can’t leave prison without a man.” She says, with remarkable understatement, “I have had a difficult life.”

Is that not just horrible? What kind of law would allow a 22 year old girl to go prison because she wanted to get a divorce from an abuser, then keep her there indefinitely because she didn’t have a man?  It’s called Sharia Law, and it’s coming to a courthouse near you!

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about allowing Sharia Law into our American courts.  A case is being battled at this very moment (see link at bottom of page) between the people of Oklahoma and Muneer Awad, director of the Oklahoma chapter of  the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Oklahoma was the first state to say “no” to Sharia Law being considered, or worse, implemented in court.  Muneer Awad said this was an affront to his religious rights.  So, even though the people voted overwhelmingly, a judge put a hold on the results.

Alan Combs, the well-know Liberal spokesman, quoted in his blog a professor from the University of Oklahoma’s College of Law, Joseph Thai:

“There is no plausible danger of international law or Sharia law overtaking the legal system,” Thai said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. He said courts only consider international law when deciding issues involving a federal treaty, a business contract or a will that incorporates international law.

http://www.alan.com/2010/11/05/cair-seeks-injunction-on-oklahoma-vote-banning-sharia-law/

The problem with all of this is, however, akin to not recognizing Superman, in spite of his disguise.  Many of us know the true intentions of those who want Sharia Law to be allowed in our courts.  We can see through the horn-rimmed glasses and distinguish the face of terror and oppression.  This is not a battle for equal rights and religious freedom.  This is a fight for Western Culture, for Judeo-Christian ethics, for a Constitution that was based on the premise that “all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights,” among them the right for women to not be treated as cattle, sex–slaves, and punching bags! For crying out loud, where’s Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem when you need them?  What about Equal Rights?

Look again at that picture of the woman in Afghanistan.  My heart literally breaks for her.  Does the American system of law allow that kind of abuse?  No, but Sharia Law does.  Where in our Constitution does it state that a man can behead his wife or daughter, keep his daughter locked up, or kill a person for just embarrassing the family by converting to Christianity?  Nowhere, but Sharia Law allows it. Who gives a flying prayer rug if this guy in Oklahoma is offended?  I’m not!  If he wants Sharia Law, then let him go to Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Somalia, etc.  There, his view will be welcomed with open, manly arms (I’m just not sure the women are too thrilled about it).

The supporters of Sharia Law are walking around our country wearing Clark Kent’s glasses…

Who could it be?

They are saying, “I am not who you think I am.  I am not trying to change your country or your culture.  I don’t want this country to become a Muslim theocracy governed by Sharia Law, NO WAY!  I like American apple pie just as much as you, friend.  As a matter of fact I, too, think America is the greatest country in the world! I don’t want to change a thing.”  Then, just when you think everything is going fine, the glasses come off, but it’s too late.  The difference between Superman and Sharia is that Superman fought for “truth, justice, and the American way.”  Sharia Law and it’s supporters follow a five-fold path that is anything but the Constitutional way.

In conclusion, you may think that I should give a “shout out” to all the “peaceful” Muslims out there who want to live in harmony with other Americans and people of all faiths, including Christians.  You may think that I should admit Islam is a “peaceful and great religion” that has been “highjacked and perverted by terrorist.“ If that is what you want me to say, then let me say this, “You, too, would have believed Clark Kent was just a mild-mannered reporter.”

Look past the glasses, folks.

For further consideration, here’s an enlightening article from the Heritage Foundation, “The Real Impact of Sharia Law”: http://blog.heritage.org/?p=42257.

Story on the Oklahoma case: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/11/08/oklahomas-ban-shariah-law-blocked-critics-say-attorney-general-failed-respond/

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by | November 26, 2010 · 7:10 pm

The Home Depot: Supporter of Non-Traditional Homes


“A bigot is a person obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices, especially one exhibiting intolerance, and animosity toward those of differing beliefs. The predominant usage in modern American English refers to persons hostile to those of differing race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, various mental disorders, or religion.”  – Wikipedia

“The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.” – Jesus, John 7:7

This may be controversial.  You may disagree with me; but I have read the articles.  I have tried to examine both sides of the story. Now, let me throw in my two cents (and maybe a third).

Do you ever have to purchase supplies for your home or business such as , let’s say, lumber, lighting, plumbing, or painting products?  If so, then you have probably made the choice to go to The Home Depot, at least once.  You have to admit, they draw you in with the big, orange sign, don’t they?  Well, you may also be aware that there are several other places you could go to purchase the same products.  Home Depot is not the only shop in town.  I would advise you to consider other options.  Let me tell you why.

Wait, before I go any further, let me say that privately owned businesses have every right to decide how they want to spend their money, write their employee dress code rules, and to what degree they want to support a charity or cause.  Therefore, it is perfectly fair that The Home Depot is taking advantage of every right available to them.  With that in mind, because they are exercising their freedoms, I believe that it should be acceptable to exercise our free right to choose where to shop…especially if there is an option to shop at another business which does not promote gay marriage and the redefinition of traditional marriage.

Whoa now, partner! Get off that sawhorse!

Am I saying that everyone should stop patronizing The Home Depot because they treat homosexuals with equality?  No, of course not.  What I am saying is that everyone who believes that marriage, as defined by the Bible and current social norms, not to mention natural observation (yeah, I’ll stand by that), should exercise their privilege to shop at places that don’t, as a matter of company policy, stand at odds with said beliefs, norms, and observations.  The Home Depot is NOT a neutral player in the current culture war. So, if you believe that there comes a time when one must take a side, The Home Depot has provided the rainbow-colored fence.

Oh, you may say that if I am going to take the stance of not shopping at The Home Depot, then I might as well stop shopping anywhere for anything, right?  What company does not involve itself with homosexuals?  Few, I would imagine.  Sadly, there is evidence that multiple companies with which I have to do business support LGBT events and market advertising towards gays and lesbians.  Coke was one of two “Rainbow” sponsors (the other was Bud Light) at the 2010 Gay Pride parade in Atlanta.  Suntrust bank was a minor sponsor, also (at least they provided t-shirts to one group in the parade).  Then there was Ford who, in 2005, produced an add for gays, then pulled it, then reinstated it a week later.  If I were to disassociate myself from every company that had anything to do with homosexuals I would have to dig a hole and live in it.  I understand that.  In this case, however, with The Home Depot, I am choosing to draw a line.  Why, because more than just trying to make a buck, as typical companies, The Home Depot has more in mind.

Recovering Legalist Teaching Moment Alert!

I understand that not everyone will choose to do what I do.  Each person must feel convicted in his own heart about such decisions.  Some may have family members that work at The Home Depot and have families to support.  It would be foolish to ask them to walk off their job, especially if they felt God put them there.  Sometimes people have to purchase items from places which aren’t the perfect choice.  Sometimes you have to do what you have to do – that is what grace is all about.

The legalist would say that if you now know that all these places give money to gay organizations, you should never give them your patronage.  If you do, they would argue, you would be committing sin and risk banishment.  Grace doesn’t work that way.  At times, the only good decision is the one that is better than the other – neither may be perfect.  Sometimes you may have to get your water from a bar.  One day you may find yourself having to “eat the showbread” from the temple (1 Samuel 21:4-6).  All God asks is a heart and mind that seeks after Him first.  To Him only do His slaves answer.

Now, back to the main article.

For a while now, The Home Depot has been very involved in supporting the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) lifestyle.  Recently, The Home Depot has financially and materially supported numerous Gay Pride parades and activities* (see links below); the most controversial being the youth activity tents. Hey, “go for it,” I say!  Support whoever you want, Home Depot!  But guess what, I support the defense of traditional marriage and the definition of marriage as between one man and one woman.  If you, El Depot, are going to choose to actively support and encourage a lifestyle that actively seeks to destroy the culture and belief system I defend, I am going to choose to go elsewhere.  Choice works both ways (I just don’t GO both ways).  I don’t want your version of plumbing.

If The Home Depot wants to provide new closets to replace the ones the gays “came out” of, then hey, that’s the way the rainbow arches. However, I can decide where I want to spend the gold at the end of my rainbow.  If you want to allow some employees to decorate their aprons with slogans and emblems which offend the God of heaven, while denying others the right to wear a pin which says “One Nation Under God,“* then I don’t want to give my dollars, with the prohibited slogan printed on them, to help you.  Thanks, but no thanks.

God has made me a steward of His gifts.  He has given me the ability to work and earn an income.  He has called me to be a witness and an example of His mercy and grace.  But because He has made me a steward, it is my responsibility to use His money (it all belongs to Him) in such a way that reflects His holiness.  Because of this, I don’t think He would be pleased with me using His money to support, almost directly, the destruction of the family, as HE defines it, by supporting gay and lesbian causes championed by Home Depot.

You know, we do live in a fallen, sinful world.

It would be impossible to totally remove ourselves, as Christians, from every aspect of life that rubs shoulders with things we object.  We have to choose our battles, though.  We may have to eat at places that sell alcohol to drunks.  We have to get help at hospitals that have to perform abortions.  We put fuel in our cars that probably came from Christian-killing, Muslim sheiks in Saudi Arabia.  We buy clothes from the same manufacturers who’s designers are probably ALL gay.  So, we can’t totally get away with boycotting everything – but we can make smarter choices.  We could choose to pay more and buy local, for one thing.  All I am saying is pick one battle, at least.  Then, pray the prayer of Peter Marshall:

Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for — because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.

Check out the links below to find out more on this subject.  Feel free to check out both sides of the story, too.  But do this: If you are a Christian, or if you care about TRUE fairness and equality in the workplace, then let your voice be heard on this subject, and others like it.  Don’t sit back and think that it is going to go away or get better.  There is a battle going on out there for the hearts and minds of future generations.  The LGBT crowd is doing all they can to become mainstream and accepted by all, regardless of religious or personal convictions.  While there is still hope, take a stand, bear your cross.   If you need the wood to build one, well, why not go to Lowe’s?  Heck, “Ace is the place with the helpful hardware person,” and that should be enough.

“For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another…” – the Apostle Paul, Letter to the Romans, Chapter 1


*Links for your further consideration:

The American Family Association’s take on the matter.   http://action.afa.net/item.aspx?id=2147496231

Change.org’s (Gay Rights) opinion.  http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/home_depots_pac_gives_liberally_to_anti-gay_politicos_dont_tell_the_afa

The Home Depot’s own words (see Affinity Groups).  https://careers.homedepot.com/cg/content.do?p=diversity

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by | November 16, 2010 · 2:52 pm

Bumper Stickers

"The Ride"

My wife will not let me put a bumper sticker of any kind on her car.  Even if she was driving a rusty Chevy Vega which desperately needed the qualities of something with adhesive properties to keep her bumper stuck to her car…no bumper stickers.  Not so with my Ride.  I don’t need no stinkin’ sticky things!  Just staples and zip ties, thank you.  Really, what I mean to say is that “The Ride” is not too good to advertize TheRecoveringLegalist.com, even though my wife thinks her car is too special.  HA!

Bumper stickers are something akin to free advertisement…

…They promote whatever you want other people to know about you and what you think, or for that matter, how well your kids think.  Plastered to the back of a rolling billboard, they catch the eye of total strangers who have the random chance to find themselves behind you and I in traffic, or who catch a glimpse in a parking garage.  Some people, I have come to realize, are advertizing more than they know, for some bumper stickers betray a hidden (at least to the owner of the car) stupidity.

There are so many bumper stickers that scream “MORON!”

Here is one that I saw.  What a profound question.  Why do we kill people that kill people?  Could it be that we don’t want them to killpeople again?  Could it be that they deserve to die for taking an innocent child’s life?  Could it be that there are those out there on parole who would love to shoot your stupid…..(calm yourself, Anthony)…..well, they would love to steal your car and leave you beside the road in a ditch, then drive away with your false advertisement on THEIR bumper.

The one that I would have to say gets me the most, maybe because I see it the most, is COEXIST.  I just love all the little symbols that are used to make up the happy little plea for love and harmony.  Too bad what it tells me is that the owner of the car is a blooming idiot, at the very least, or somehow an ostrich has learned how to drive with his head in the sand.  The message behind the little sticker is really, “Hey you Christians!  Can you quit being so narrow-minded and hateful?  Don’t you know that we all just want to get along, but you keep screwing it up?”  All religions are the same, you know, or that’s the idea.  We are all worshipping the same god, just by a different name.  All paths lead to heaven, it’s just that some choose to take a shortcut by blowing themselves to Allah in the name of Jihad…is that so wrong?

Tell that to the "C"

I like the following verse. Psalm 107:2 says, “Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy…”  As Christians, we should be speaking out about the goodness and mercy of our God, not trying to seek favor with false gods by “COEXISTing” in perfect joy and mutual admiration.  People in this country have the right to free speech and to freedom of religion, but if you haven’t noticed, we are in a real religious war.  The “C” doesn’t like the “T” in that bumper sticker.  If you’re going to put something on your bumper, make it something that points people down the narrow road, not the wide one that leads to destruction.  Show your intelligence and advertize your faith…just don’t be tacky and weird about it…or then we get back into the looking-like-a-moron thing that my wife so desperately wants to avoid.

Now here's an idea for the "perfect" bumper sticker!

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by | November 10, 2010 · 2:56 pm

Smoking…The Legalists are Alive and Well

DISCLAIMER…DON’T THINK I AM TRYING TO PROMOTE SMOKING.  I AM JUST TRYING TO ILLUSTRATE A POINT.

Sherlock Holmes contemplating the evidence.

If I were to say that I want a new pipe for Christmas, would you think less of me?  Would you think of me as less spiritual or godly?  Would you be disappointed in me for some reason?  Why?  Some of you would go so far as to suggest that I resign from ministry.  If that is you, there is a really good word that describes you…

…LEGALIST

Yesterday, a middle school boy asked me, “What is a legalist?”  Do you know the answer?  Simply put, a legalist is a person who judges another’s spirituality or relationship with God based on a perceived list of acceptable/unacceptable actions.  To give an example, a legalist could place a hero on a pedestal, only to jerk the hero down to earth later when he does something tradition labels as “wrong.”  Smoking is a good example.  Never mind that everything else the hero did was perfect in the legalist’s eyes, the one act of condoning and participating in a supposed “vice” would demand the following judgment….the spiritual hero is no longer right with God.

Legalism was rampant in Jesus’ day.  The Gospels are full of examples showing how the Pharisees were more concerned with the letter of the law, than the spirit of the law.  The Pharisees (legalists) even accused Jesus’ disciples of being ungodly all because they did not wash their hands before eating (Matthew 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23).  Regulations established by men in order to set boundaries which determine holiness were unacceptable to Jesus.  They should be unacceptable today.

Does NOT smoking make one spiritual?  How many heathen never touch tobacco?  Are they right with God?  What about the person that loves the Lord with all his heart, seeks to bring glory to the Father, hides the Word in his heart; yet, he puffs on a pinch of cherry Cavendish in a pipe every now and then?  Is he less spiritual by fault of his consumption of burning leaves (the legal kind)?

You see, there are some things which we are told by the Bible not to do.  Smoking is not one of them.  Tobacco is amoral.  In other words, there is nothing moral, or immoral about it…it just is.  The point that something amoral becomes immoral is in the way it is used.  Similarly, some of the things the legalist would accept as moral, but which are actually amoral, would be very sinful if done out of order or to excess, such as sex or eating food.  Adultery and fornication are definitely sins mentioned in the Bible, but without sex the human race would cease to exist.  Food is neccessary to live, but eating too much is called gluttony and bad stewardship.

The key is wisdom and maturity, which leads to moderation, and the proper use of God’s creation within the framework of spiritual freedom and grace.

Thank you for reading this far, for now I want to say something else.  Cigarettes are nasty, stinky, trashy, chemical-laden cancer sticks.  The person that usually smokes them finds themselves hooked and dependent upon them, all the while having their body ravaged and aged before its time.  I hate cigarettes.  But even though I hate cigarettes, that does not give me the right to question a person’s relationship with the Savior, even though I may question their judgment.  Pipes and cigars are different, even though they, too, can be used to excess. I don’t advise either, necessarily, but I REALLY don’t advise cigarettes.  The moral line is much easier to distinquish when the use of a product is so capable of bringing one under bondage.

The use of the amoral (that which is neither moral, nor immoral), if used to satisfy an addiction, could thereby be considered a sin.

Lastly, even though I know I have not covered this issue as well as needed, I want to include a post from the blog of Steve Brown.  Dr. Brown is a seminary professor, Bible teacher, author, and well-respected Christian radio broadcaster.  You may have heard him on Moody Radio in the past.  Just read what he had to say on this issue.

Smoking

Steve BrownAugust 1st, 2007

I know, I know.

I probably shouldn’t have permitted the picture of me smoking my pipe in the last Key Life magazine or, for that matter, on this website.

Look. It’s the only sin I have left and, if I didn’t have that one, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. Everybody knows that perfect Christians don’t associate with imperfect Christians…me being the perfect one (sans pipe) and you being the imperfect one.

So my pipe, you could say, is my effort at true “koinonia.”

What about my health?

Good point that, to wit, when it’s my time to die, I don’t want to be like a sinking ship with nothing to throw overboard.

A friend of mine, Jim Lee, wrote to me after seeing the picture…

You have entered into the ranks of Luther on this one, Steve! Reminds me of when I smoked a cigar in front of one preacher, saying I was “killing the Pharisee within,” but that was nothing! Your picture could very well end up gracing the bulletin boards of Moody, Dallas, Bob Jones, and others. Before all of the calls start coming in to say you aren’t saved, “please cancel my subscription,” etc., I want you to know you blow me away with this and I appreciate your making the point in this way.

Frankly, I never thought I would see the day!

If things get really bad and you need a backup plan, I may be able to help. Here are some possible suggestions :

(1) You could say “It wasn’t me! Somebody at the printers is out to get me, and they morphed my picture onto that pipe! It’s easy to do with ‘photoshop’! The devil is trying to ruin my testimony!”

Or (2) “I was at the park and had a root beer lollipop. If you look closely you can see that it’s just a cloud behind my head!”

Or (3) “I was teaching in seminary and was attempting to illustrate a point about Jesus coming in the clouds.”

Jim’s words made me laugh (as he often does); but, frankly, I can’t deal with the guilt.

No, not the guilt of smoking.

The guilt of quitting and then sneaking around.

I once announced to a church congregation where I was the pastor that I had stopped smoking. There was applause. Not only that. I started getting piles of candy and chewing gum from my concerned parishioners who wanted to help me in every way they could.

It lasted about two weeks before I started sneaking smokes. I could have lived with that.

It was the preaching and teaching about honesty and authenticity that got me.

So I announced my fall from grace from the pulpit. I said, “Just so you know, I’ve started smoking again. Let us pray…”

I didn’t say it, but could have said, “And after this service, I’m going to get out my fine briar pipe and my aromatic, freshly mixed tobacco and have a smoke.”

After a dull sermon, a boring faculty meeting, a hard day, etc., etc., one needs something to look forward to. In that way, smoking is like heaven. It, of course, isn’t heaven, but it will do until then.

 

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by | November 3, 2010 · 1:46 pm

An Army of One…God, that is.

Back to the basics…or at least one of the reasons for this blog.

My formative years were full of instruction in the ways of legalism an legalistic thought.  Because of this, my view of the Body of Christ was limited.  To me, if you weren’t Baptist (Independent, that is) you were probably not going to heaven.  At the least, and I do mean very least, if you were not Independent Baptist, or if you used any translation of Scripture other than the King James Version, you were a liberal awaiting the chastising hand of God.  I did not work well with other denominations.

Since that time, I have learned that the Christian church is not limited to Independent Baptists,

…but is comprised of many other denominations, also.  Some of these denominations I have yet to even learn of, for there are so many smaller ones in other places of the country and the world.  It is true that denominationalism (the tendency to seperate into various factions) has hurt the Church.  The unbelieving world has used our schisms as evidence that the True Faith is not even real.  Some even say that the many different, competing, and even warring denominations are proof that Christianity is nothing more than man-made.  That being said, however, just because people within the Body of Christ choose to operate differently in their own context, one should not automatically assume that Christian group “A” is that much different than group “B,” at least not until the particular core elements of the faith are examined.  For that matter, just because a congregation claims to be Baptist, does not mean that they hold an orthodox view of Christianity…just look at that group from out west that protests funerals (I will NOT associate with them!).

Well, in an effort to battle against the legalism and denominationalism of my past, I continue to reach across the divides to other brothers and sisters in Christ with an offer of fellowship and understanding.  Does this mean that I have become Ecumenical? No, it does not.  What it does mean is that I want to reunite family.  I want to consolidate forces.  I want to bring healing and strength back to the Army of God which needs to unite in spiritual battle (and I did say, “spiritual”).  This applies even to churches within the same denomination who may fear competition (competition is not a good thing in this case).

In our community of Lookout Valley, there are several churches of various denominations.  Most are very supportive of each other, but a few still maintain strict adherence to the Doctrine of Separation (see my post on this doctrine).  The ones that feel freedom in Christ to participate have come together each year to hold a community Thanksgiving service.  Today I met with a small room full of other pastors in order to plan for this service.  Present were Baptists, Church of God, Assembly of God, United Methodist, and Presbyterian.  Not an unkind word was spoken.  Each shared in prayer for our community and for each other.  Coffee was even provided by Troy Walliser, the pastor of Lookout Valley Baptist, who has a taste for the “foo-foo” stuff (I just had to get that in).  We had a good time and look forward to worshipping together on the 23rd of this month, along with our congregations.

Why do I bring this up?  I say all of this because Christians have a common Enemy.  That enemy, Satan, is always in the process of uniting his forces in league against God’s church.  The battle lines are drawn on many different fronts and his forces are continually amassed and reinforced, waiting for orders.  The school prayer thing is just another example of a unified front.  It is at this time when the true believers in Christ Jesus, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, put on the whole armor of God and come together to make a stand.  The example of Nehemiah 4 is alway relevant.  Our forces will never be more than Satan’s.  We will always have to come to the aid of our fellow soldiers in their time of need.  But just as that is true, so is it also true that where we gather to stand against an enemy attack, “the Lord our God will fight for us.”

I thank God for the pastors of Lookout Valley who know that though we may have our differences, we are still on the same side.

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by | October 31, 2010 · 11:14 pm

Do Your Duty…Vote…or NOT!

This Tuesday will be the day we go to the polls to vote.  Unless you were one who voted early, Tuesday will be the day you should do your public duty as a citizen of the United States.  VOTE!

But WAIT!!!  Do you know what you are doing?

Do you know who you are going to vote for?  If not, why? If you go to the polls November 2nd just so you can push a few buttons, or check off a few marks, what good did you do?  If you only go to fulfill a responsibility, without knowing any details, what kind of steward of this blood-bought gift are you?  If you don’t know the difference between liberty and liberalism, democracy and democrats, or socialism and social networking – DON’T VOTE!  Just stay home and watch Oprah or Dr. Phil.  When others are heading to the polls that evening, just veg out while you enjoy another episode of some cake-baking, tatoo-designing, dance-off competition.

For over 200 years men and women have been shedding their blood for the freedom we enjoy.

More will die to preserve it in the future, that is, if we still have freedom to defend.   In the last two years, and a little before, our freedoms have been as expendable as toilet paper.  The future of our nation is looking grim.  The rights afforded in the Constitution,  especially those in the First Amendment, are being destroyed for the sake of power and control, while the ignorant are enjoying the cheap door prizes.  If the uneducated, illiterate, uninformed and apathetic continue to vote for more government, all so that they can receive more “freebies” and food stamps, not to mention tax-payer funded health care, then blood was shed in vain.

Stay at home, ye who do not know what is going on.  Stay at home, all ye who voted just because we need “change” in the White House.  Stay at home all ye who said “anything is better than what we had.”  Please, for the love of God and country, STAY HOME!  Let the people who have strong ideals go vote.  Let the mature, the concerned, the alert, the forward-looking, the reader, the listener, the active citizen (as opposed to the apathetic moocher) go vote.  We know the importance of what we are doing and take it seriously.  We can handle the responsibility…Yes, we can!

People all over the world would, have, and will die for the opportunity to have what we have.

Take it seriously.  Make yourself a student, at least a “C” student, of what and Who made this country a “shining city on a hill.”  Read the Constitution.  Read the Bible.  Take responsibility for your own actions.  Know what the candidates truly stand for, then make a decision.  But if you’re wondering if it’s worth taking the time to drive to the poll…if you have to watch CNN right before you walk out the door to help you decide who to vote for…please, we’ll send you a “I Voted” sticker, just stay home.  It’s your patriotic duty.

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by | October 28, 2010 · 11:22 am

When you hear the sound of the trumpet…

Last night I had the honor to participate in an event of community prayer.  I was invited to speak by Shelton Brown, a student at Soddy Daisy High School.  If you don’t know what happened, a whole bunch of people gathered together in the park to celebrate our right and freedom to pray, even though it was recently mandated that prayer be stopped before football games.  This meeting was organized by students who decided enough was enough.

In my closing remarks (I spoke for 7 1/2 minutes) I brought up the story of Nehemiah, specifically a part in chapter 4, verse 20.  Nehemiah, in response to threats from enemies intent on stopping them from rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, set people on the wall as lookouts.   Being that the wall was big and spread out, and being that there were few people, Nehemiah came up with a plan.  He said :

The work is great and extensive, and we are separated far from one another on the wall.  Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there.  Our God will fight for us.”

To me, and I am just little ol’ me, there should have been a lot more people present last night.   Why?  A trumpet was sounded for the body of Christ to come to the aid of not only Soddy Daisy, but for all of Hamilton County.  An attack on our freedoms, as both Christians and Americans, has come to our soil.  Why is it that our schedules and programs and our own sections of the wall are more important than stopping the enemy somewhere else?

Last night was your typical “Wednesday night prayer meeting” night.  Besides the fact that prayer is rarely the object of attention at most of these meetings, what would have been wrong with jumping in the church bus and heading to where the trumpet was sounding?  Where there may have been 500+ at this event last night, there should have been 1-2000.  Why were they not there?  Because it was more important for local congregations to remain safe and snug in their own little sections of  “the wall.”  Here was a prime example of LEGALISM in action, for many did not want to participate in an event that featured speakers that weren’t of a particular denomination.  Here was a prime example of LAZINESS, for it may have been difficult to get people together to go somewhere on a weeknight, especially if it wasn’t to Ryan’s or the bowling alley.  Here was a prime example of DENIAL, PRIDE, and APATHY, for there were others that did not attend because they either didn’t think there’s a problem; it wasn’t their idea; or they just really didn’t care.  Folks, what has been “typical” needs to be trashed.

This past Sunday I told my congregation that I would be in Soddy Daisy on Wednesday night because a trumpet had been sounded.  I went to stand in the gap with my brothers and sisters that cared enough to make a public stand against the tyranny of a few over the wishes of the people.  In the future, when other trumpets are sounded,  I pray that the churches of our county and our country will rally together in defence of the few walls we have left in this nation that, for now, claims to be “under God.”

May our God truly fight for us, for we don’t seem to want to fight for oursleves.

…Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. – Nehemiah 4:14

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by | October 21, 2010 · 1:51 pm

Anthony’s Appetite #3 (The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe)

I love BBQ.  As a matter of fact, I think that when God told the Apostle Peter to eat the stuff that was on the sheet that was lowered down, BBQ sauce must have been included.  It had to come from God as a thing ordained from Heaven.  Consider the following words from Acts 10:11-13

He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. A voice came to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat!”

At first Peter was not about to do this thing, for on that sheet (I think it was the first picnic sheet) were things formerly unclean, presumably including pork.  God then says to Peter, “What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.”  Folks, let it be said,

“If to God you want to be true, eat everything with Barbeque.”

Alright, so I won’t get an “A” in biblical hermeneutics, but hopefully you get the point.  BBQ must be ordained by God, so we must try to eat it everywhere we can to find the best to recommend.  With that, here’s a suggestion.

The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe

If you are ever at the foot of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN (right next to the Incline Railway), stop by The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe (thepurpledaisy.com). My wife and kids and I went there last week and left pretty happy.  Let me tell you about some stuff we ate.

Q-Dog

Have you ever heard of a Q-Dog?  Well, it was pretty dang good.  It consisted of an all-beef, grilled hot-dog, covered with barbecued pork and slaw, with a pickle on the side.  I loved it.  The slaw was good, too (if you like coleslaw on a BBQ sandwich, you’d like it on the dog).  The cost ($4.50) was a little more than a regular hot-dog, but i’twere the toppings that made the difference.  You could eat it with a fork, but I preferred to man-handle it.

 

Now, speaking of just good-ol’ barbeque (I think it looks better spelled with a “q”), the sandwich was a lot better than the one I had not too long ago at Bones’ in East Brainerd (no offence, Bones’).  The meat was tender and moist, with a good smoky flavor.  My wife ordered a regular size one, and I got the last bite (for the blog’s sake).

For dessert, Valerie and I shared a banana pudding.  Again, it was not like my granny in Alabama used to make, nor like the big-armed grannies at a few homecomings, but it was good.  What made it a little different was that it seemed to be freshly prepared for the customer at the time of order.  The reason I say this is because of how the actual pudding was at the bottom, but the vanilla wafers and whipped cream were on top.  The whole thing couldn’t have been made too much earlier, because the wafers were even still crunchy.  It was served cool, not warm.  I prefer warm, but oh well.

Now just a couple of other things to mention.  First, let me tell you about the baked beans.  They were a dish to themselves – really.

Baked Beans with "Stuff"

As you can see from the picture, these weren’t your ordinary baked beans.  They had “stuff” in them.  A bowl of them thar’ beans and some cornbread and you’d be set, I’m tell’n ya’.  How’s that for colloquial?

 

The atmosphere of The Purple Daisy Picnic Cafe was fun and unique, too.  Just take a look at the table and chairs in the corner.  There is seating inside and outside.  They serve Coke (hallelujah!). But getting in and out of their parking can be a little tricky, depending on which way you exit the lot (FYI).

Well, that’s about it for this addition of Anthony’s Appetite.  Who know’s where I’ll end up next.  Until then, give this little locally-owned cafe a try.  The even have a neat website if you want to plan your culinary adventure beforehand.

God Bless BBQ!

P.S.  My only complaint was that there was no Brunswick stew.  But you know, nothing wrong with doing only what you do best.

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by | October 11, 2010 · 1:29 pm

Atheists on Christianity

You know, I was just watching some videos of atheists firing all their best shots at Christians and the belief that there is a God. One such video that you could watch on YouTube is of a debate put on by ABC. The Christians were Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, but I can’t (or don’t care to) remember the names of the others. If there was anything more evident than anything else, it was the snarky, condescending, teenager-ish, even (may I dare say) “b***hy” attitudes of the atheists.  Typical of people that hate being told what to do (just like juveniles that argues about everything, even when they know they’re wrong).  It really just made me sad.

Then I looked down at my shirt…

At this moment I am wearing a T-shirt that shows all of the more common, recognizable religious symbols of the world. In the middle is a cross, the symbol of Christianity. What a stark contrast to all the others is the cross. A symbol of death for crimes not committed. A symbol that used to stand for shame, but now for the One who bore our shame. He didn’t have to, you know. What other symbol represents that?  What other symbol offers forgiveness from the very One that suffered unjustly?  What other symbol cries out, “Agape!“

Atheism and all of its relatives are on the march, emboldened and encouraged by a world that wants to have it their own way. They are vicious and brash.  They have a chip on their shoulder because of all that “sinner” stuff, you see.  “Even if there is a God, who are you Christians to say you have the only way,” they ask.  But you know what, this isn’t Burger King, “this is my Father’s world.” His rules apply. He will have the final say. And, just like my shirt says, “every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.”

Just say’n.  What say ye?

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by | October 9, 2010 · 12:15 am

Anthony’s Appetite #2

When I envisioned a blog written by a recovering legalist, I never had “food critic” in mind.

But guess what?

Of all the things I have written so far, I have had more responses to what I thought about food than anything else!  Cool, huh?  I eat for other people’s reading enjoyment.  What could be better?

Last night was one of those nights where everything goes according to plan, just not your own.  We ended up at a restuarant all the way out in East Brainerd (that’s a part of Chattanooga, for those of you who don’t know), which is a good 30 minutes or more from our house.  Long story short, we decided to go to a place called Bones’ Smokehouse (9012 E Brainerd Rd).  A friend of the family, Kimberly Cobb works there as a server (so go there and ask for her, but make sure you leave a good tip).

When it comes to BBQ places, I have just a couple of things that I always ask for, 1) a simple pork sandwich,  and 2) a bowl of Brunswick stew.  Now, sometimes I also like to eat chili, so in this case I ordered all three, just for my loyal reading audience.

Let me tell you what I thought.

First, the chili was really good.  Of course, I make the best chili known to man, so if  there’s a quality chili anywhere I like to know about it.  This chili was pretty darn good, I must say.  It was full of meat, both pulled pork and beef.  There was not a lot of beans, but enough to let you know they were there.  The flavor was rich and not tomato-y.  As a matter of fact, there was a particular spice that I sensed that characterized the chili, but I just couldn’t put my finger on what it was (which will drive me crazy).  As a whole, it was a more peppery chili (as in black pepper), but not a hot chili.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone, and wouldn’t mind having more.

 

Chili with onions and cheese, Brunswick Stew, and a pulled-pork sandwich

 

Secondly, the Brunswick stew was absolutely divine (humanly speaking, sense I am not convinced Divinity eats Brunswick stew).  Just like the chili, there was nothing watery about this stuff.  It was stocked full of veggies like corn, peas, green beans, celery, chunky tomatoes, and those little lima beans.  The meat was good, smoked, pulled pork that was as tender as butter on a biscuit.  Overall, however, it was the smoky flavor that brought it all together into a taste combination that would make you want to close your eyes and say a simple “thank you” to God for taste buds.  Personally, it brought back childhood memories of cold mornings and the cozy smell of a warm fireplace.  Good, good stuff.

Thirdly, there was the sandwich. Didn’t like it.  Enough said.  Nothing special in the flavor department and a little dry.  Considering the rest of the food, maybe they were having a bad day.

For dessert, I asked for banana pudding. Frankly, it was not really up to the standards of home-made, but it was alright.  When it comes to banana pudding, unless a granny makes it, or it is part of a homecoming dinner at an old-fashioned Baptist church, you might as well forget about finding perfection at any price.

All-in-all, the best tasting food came in bowls.

Thankfully, they serve Coke!  What’s even better, they use the small crunchy kind of ice you can munch on all day long.  That’s good stuff, too.

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