Be Angry about Injustice in the World...and Sin Not

I’ve been privileged to conduct classes for the Air Force on “Bystander Intervention.” The basic premise of the training is to prepare to intervene in bad situations in whichever way you are most likely to intervene if you actually see a bad situation happening. These situations range from sexual assault to domestic violence to child abuse to suicidal ideations. It’s not a Christian training, per se, but it is one of the only workplace violence trainings that is quantifiable in its results, decreasing workplace violence by 17% on average in the first year.

I appreciate this training because it is taking an active role in people’s lives to train them to be courageous and to be peacemakers in their world. Because of this training the tragic death of George Floyd makes me all the more angry.

The Untimely Death of a Human Being

All of the facts have not come out yet, so I cannot and will not speak on the toxicology or resisting of arrest allegations. I suspect more to this story will come about in future days from body-cameras and the autopsy. However, the life of George Floyd was not valued by the police officers at the scene, and this should make all of us angry. Putting pressure on someone’s neck for a prolonged amount of time is never acceptable outside of them trying to kill you. We’ve heard from several police officers that this violated safety training that all police officers should have received. In the military we speak of proportionality of using the right amount of force to accomplish the objective. The reason that this is such an important concept is because we don’t want to cause undue damage or suffering, and we certainly don’t want to kill someone we weren’t intending to kill.

When we see blatant safety violations and excessive force being used on a person who is made in the image of God we should be angry. We should be more angry in this case that George Floyd lost his life. Floyd’s pastor (whom I’ll address more farther on), said it well, “Even if he was a capital criminal he deserved to be treated as someone created in his image.”

The Bystanders are Culpable in their Cowardice

What makes me nearly as angry as the death of George Floyd is the video of his death, the pictures of the person holding the camera, and the uninvolved police officer standing nonchalantly listening to a man be assaulted. This will be what I think about in the future when I think about spinelessness.

This has long been called the “bystander effect” by secular psychology. The Bible calls it cowardice. Cell phones and portable cameras are purportedly making it worse, as holding the phone makes it feel like you’re doing something. 

Further Reading: People Are Filming Accidents Instead of Helping

But just because everyone is sinning by not helping doesn’t mean you are innocent of the blood that was shed. In the long list of sinners in Revelation 21:8 that will be thrown into Hell, cowards are at the top of the list. I am further and further convinced that this is on purpose, there is not a sin on earth that can’t be made worse by bystanders refusing to speak up for the truth or intervene.

All that the standing police officer had to do was tap his buddy and say something, anything, maybe, “He’s done resisting, let’s get him up.” or, “Hey, don’t forget to keep your knee on his shoulder.” Or, “Hey, let me tap you out.” Or the camera-coward could have said, “He’s not breathing, can you let him get a breath?” Or to save a life would you physically remove someone from an asphyxia situation?

The False Gospel Preached to George Floyd

While a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, a false gospel murdered his soul. Members of his “church” in Houston have testified to how faithful Floyd was in attendance, but a brief search of their doctrine shows them to elevate social justice far above salvation. Their gospel is no gospel and their peace is no peace.

Do you hate the police officers and bystanders who contributed to Floyd’s death? As awful as their sin was, it could only kill Floyd’s body, but could do nothing to his soul. But when Floyd met the judge of the universe he faced a Saviour spurned, and Floyd’s hope – if congruent with his pastor – was in social justice and self-worth, not in the blood of Jesus Christ nor the justification of his resurrection.

Get Angry

Dear Reader, there is sin in this world and it is going from bad to worse: people hate and hurt people. This is one reason that Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” We worship a God who takes peace and justice so seriously as to make peace by the blood of the cross.

So I am calling you to hate sin, and rage against it, not with worldly weapons, but with the love and forgiveness and peace of the blood of Christ. Love your enemies by taking the gospel of reconciliation with God to them. Declare his hope to a lost and dying world. Who do you hate the most? Might I suggest that there is your missions field?

Then, act as a righteous bystander who opens your mouth for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy (Prov 31:8-9). A friend of mine pulled into a gas station a few years ago to see the unthinkable, a man was on fire in the parking lot! My friend ran into the store to ask for their fire extinguisher but was told the fire department had been called and that he could not take the fire extinguisher. My friend was able to extinguish the flames with a rubber mat, but it was far too late, and he laid on the ground and prayed with the man as he died. The gas station had a fire extinguisher to satisfy legal code, not to extinguish fires. I’m calling you today to make the determination in your heart that you will be prepared, that you will act when action is due, that you will be a bystander who intervenes, not a coward who watches or films or walks by. That you will, to the best of your ability, use your life to extinguish the hatred and violence in the world.

And finally, loved ones, I’m calling you to love the gospel and hate imitations. Proclaim to the world forgiveness of sin in Christ’s sacrifice. Declare the only hope of Heaven found in the Prince of Peace. Stand firm in loving your enemies as Christ loved his enemies and died to give them a seat at his table and transform their lives from hatred to peacemaking so that they may be called sons of God.

Anything less is the murder of souls, and God will not hold those that love sin, preach falsehood, spread division, or watch injustice without acting, faultless on judgment day.

Grandfather Mincaye

I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers... ~ Romans 9:3

More than 64 years ago a tremendous tragedy happened in Ecuador. Five young missionaries were reaching out to the Waodani (also called the Auca) people of the Amazon River basin. For a great number of reasons - namely the violent nature of the Waodani people, the invasion of their space by the Shell Oil Company, and a terrible lie told by a man named Mincaye - these five missionaries were murdered on a river bank in 1956.

But the story does not end there, the wives and sisters of these five men continued to reach out to the Waodani people and soon saw the conversion of many of them, including Mincaye, who became like a father for Nate Saint's son, Steve Saint, who has spent his life as an incredible missionary aviation pioneer.

I am not an expert on the Waodani people, but I have heard that they did not have a title for grandfather because Auca men just did not live that long. Mincaye was one of the first to change that; because of the violence brought through the cross of Christ, and the violence at Palm Beach in the Amazon, the love of God to make peace, and the perseverance of God's saints Mincaye found life in the midst of so much death.

Grandfather Mincaye died today and I cannot imagine the reunion between him and Nate Saint and Jim Elliot and Roger Youderian and Pete Fleming and Ed McCully and Elizabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint and many others. What rejoicing they must have had!

So beloved, on this somber and yet glorious day, I want to ask you a few things:

1. Would you be willing to die so someone else could go to Heaven? At least one Man has died for you, maybe many more, will you resolve in your heart today to make someone's eternity more important than your life?

My three oldest and I in
2016 with a real Waodani spear

2. Will you take the gospel to a lost and dying world? The deaths of those five missionaries sparked a missionary movement that cannot be quantified on earth. So many missionaries have directly attributed the events of January 8th, 1956 to how they arrived on the missions field. It was certainly at the forefront of my mind when I traveled farther down the Amazon near Manaus to preach Christ to another unreached people group.

3. Will you pray for missions in the Amazon region and elsewhere? The Waodani people had their first martyrs in 2015 as they sought to evangelize their neighbors, "The Downriver People". The work of world evangelization is far from finished!

We speak of the second coming of Christ, half the world has never heard of the first. ~ Oswald J. Smith.

4. Will you forgive your enemies and pour out love on them that they may be saved? I cannot fathom the courage and love required of women like Elizabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint to take the gospel to the very people that deprived them of their loved ones. But the reward has been great, and the testimony continues.

5. In memory of so many witnesses who have gone before, who expected great things from God and attempted great things for God, will you continue to publish the peace of Christ to the world?

May there be many more like Mincaye in the Kingdom of Heaven, who were liars, murderers, sexually immoral, but who are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God!

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. ~ Romans 10:1

Hope in the Loss of a Baby

When a child dies the world is often left without words or hope. The loss of potential, of unconditional love, of the glimpse of innocence in a baby’s life is unfair, tragic, and unfathomable. Not only is the world left speechless, but so often is the church. Untimely death in a little one can leave us scrambling for words and shrinking back from support.

I hope to never see another tiny coffin, beloved, and I hope you never have to see one either. But at the same time, this world is broken and sin has ravaged every part of creation, and hope in the loss of a baby is far better than no hope! There is an estimate that 1 in 6 women have experienced a miscarriage, so this is far more prevalent than you may realize.

I am making this outline available because when confronted with this topic I could not find an outline that provided adequate hope for what I longed to give to the families. I am publishing this for two reasons, first, for ministers to know where to begin in this process, and second to provide hope for those who have no where else to look. If you are looking for hope the message begins just below, consider copying it over to your computer and inputting your child's name in all of the appropriate places. If you need prayer or counseling or anything please comment or send me a message on Facebook.

Ministers, please, by no means just print and preach this manuscript; rather personalize it, study it, verify the scriptures, believe it, and then use it to administer the healing power of the gospel to a mourning and distraught family. If you are led to strengthen it then I'd love to hear your changes.

Every situation is going to be different, but I hope and pray that this outline provides you with scriptural salve and hope and direction for your message. I have [bracketed] places where I think alternate readings or comments may be appropriate. Remember always that the resurrection of the living Christ is the only lasting hope that we can give, so if you take nothing else from this, remember that Jesus is the comma at the end of the death sentence.

This outline draws heavily from:

• Alcorn, Randy. Heaven. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2007.
• Criswell, W.A. Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1980.
• Edwards, Jonathan. “Youth is Like a Flower Cut Down.” Sermon preached twice, Northhampton, MA, 1741, 1748.
• MacArthur, John. Safe in the Arms of God: Truth From Heaven About the Death of a Child. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2003.
• White, James. Grieving: Your Path Back to Peace. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1997.
• Wickert, Dan. Infertility and Miscarriage. Lecture given at the Biblical Counseling Training Conference at Faith Church, Lafayette, IN.

MacArthur and White's books are both excellent resources to leave with the grieving family.

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“I shall go to him.” (2 Samuel 12:23)

Parents – [Write the father and mother’s name so you can easily remember them]

Siblings – [Write the sibling’s names and ages]

Prayer for Comfort: Father God, we are here to mourn the loss of such a gift as this baby [Replace baby with child’s name as often as appropriate]. We are heartbroken and our spirits faint within us, we beg you to give us comfort in this time and to weep along with us. Help us to remember our loved one fondly and to rejoice in the time we spent with him/her. Speak to us today and tell us your will, set our hope on the resurrection of the dead secured in the raising of your Son, Jesus Christ. Bless [Mother & Father] and [Siblings] and give us each an opportunity to grieve with them. Above all, set our affections on Heaven, where you promise to wipe away every tear. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Homily: It is only right when we face a tragedy of these proportions that we look to God and seek for answers, for truth, and for reasons for the death that exists in the world that would take such a beautiful life as this. The tragedy is magnified in the loss of a baby because the unfairness and brokenness of it all is keenly seen and understood by all. What’s worse, this is not a rare event, and all in this world are vulnerable to the pain we are feeling today. 

But God has not abandoned us in our time of need, he has given us answers and hope in the darkest of times.

One example that gives us hope is found in King David, an early king of Israel, when he had a newborn son. The child became very sick, and David fasted for him and prayed for his life for seven days, but on the seventh day, the baby died.

The servants who were caring for the child were whispering amongst themselves because King David did not yet know the terrible outcome, and they were afraid of what the news might do to the already distraught father. But David discerned their change of heart and asked if the child had died, and they confirmed. So David arose from the ground and washed himself and changed his clothes and ate. His servants could not believe it, because just moments before he had been weeping. David said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 15:15-23)

Repeat for Emphasis “I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Another example that gives us hope is from the mouth of Jesus himself. Parents began to bring children to Jesus that he might lay his hands on them and pray, but his disciples rebuked them, but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. (Matthew 19:13-14)

Repeat for Emphasis “To such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

In another place Jesus said in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven you have to become like a little child. (Matthew 18:1-6) The way I read those passages is that little children certainly go straight to Heaven. But why, then, did the child die? Was he/she being punished, were the parents being punished, was anybody being punished?

Someone asked just this question of Jesus regarding a man who had been born blind. He had suffered and been afflicted for his whole life, but Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.” (John 9:1-3)

Sometimes God acts in events like this not as a punishment, but so that his glory may be shown in the power of his gospel and in the redemption of his love. He promises to work all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purposes. Not that all things are good, this is certainly not good, but that he will work all things for good. A funeral is a place to be reminded of the preciousness of life, and the ever present overshadowing of death, but it is also a place to realize that God has overcome death and provided a way to Heaven, where I am certain that this little baby has entered.

But not everyone agrees with my interpretation of these texts. Some have seen David’s comments about going to the child as only David consoling himself apart from the authority of God, or simply the gloomy outcome that David would soon be dead and laid in the grave himself. Others have seen Jesus’ comments about little children as saying that you’re never too young to trust and obey him. While it is certainly true that you are never too young to know Jesus, I’m certain Jesus and David were looking forward to the glories of Heaven.

Because, David had another son, his name was Absalom. He turned against his father and became an enemy of Israel. Absalom embraced lying, murder, rebellion, and he died in a war against his father and against God in which 20,000 men lost their lives. When David heard the news of the death of Absalom, he was inconsolable. (2 Samuel 18:33-19:7)

Repeat for Emphasis When David heard the news of the death of Absalom, he was inconsolable.

David knew that by the grace of God he would see his infant son again in Heaven, but he also knew that by the righteous judgment of God that he would never see his wicked son Absalom again.

Let me take you to another passage that gives me great hope. Isaiah 11, biblical scholars agree that this is a picture of Heaven; the new creation brought on by the ministry of the Messiah.

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

And the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

And the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

And a little child shall lead them.

The cow and the bear shall graze;

Their young shall lie down together;

And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

And the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain;

For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9)

This beautiful picture of the peace, safety, and comfort of Heaven is not expressed as a possibility, but as a fact. It’s not that a child could lead a lion, or could play with deadly snakes, but that a little child shall lead a lion, a nursing child shall play over the hole of a cobra, a weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

So beloved we have this great hope that this little one is in Heaven, we do not mourn as those who have no hope…but we do mourn…but we do have hope…and now we have a job to do.

[Parents], you have one precious child in Heaven, but you have [siblings] here on earth. Raise them with a fond memory of their departed [name] and point their eyes towards Heaven.

Dearly beloved gathered here, take care of this grieving family. Thank you so much for your love and support so far. I have heard from those who have been through this and they are always thankful for the support they received, but they likened it to ice-cream cones given on a hot day. Dozens of ice-cream cones on a hot day is a nice sentiment, but there is no way they can all be appreciated at once! Reach out over the coming weeks, months, and years to continue to offer your support and show your love!

We are assured that this little baby is certainly in Heaven. Beloved, above all I want to be sure that one day you can go to him/her. Many promises were made about the offspring of David, but we’ve seen the need for hope, not the source of it, in all of his immediate sons.

But far down the lineage another baby was born, a son of David. When he was born he was given three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11) Gold and frankincense were gifts that made sense to give at a baby-shower, not only were they valuable, but many have seen in them the representation of earthly wealth and worship of the newborn king, but the gift of myrrh was a completely inappropriate gift to give at a baby shower, it was very foreboding…because myrrh was a funeral spice. The equivalent today would be giving a tiny coffin to new parents. It foretold the suffering and death of that child, but it also represented the exchange of his life for ours.

The Presentation of the Baby Jesus to Simeon - Artist Unknown

A few days later the parents of this baby, Mary and Joseph, were in the temple to dedicate the boy to God. They were met by a very wise and godly man named Simeon. He took the child and prophesied over him and worshiped him as the Messiah. But then he said something which would echo through the mind of Mary, the mother, for the rest of her life, “A sword will pierce through your own soul also.” (Luke 2:35)

This baby, Jesus of Nazareth, grew in wisdom, and stature, and favor with God and men. But those prophecies were fulfilled when he went to a cross to die for our sins; he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief; as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and we esteemed him not. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows, we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:3-6)

When David said he could not bring his son back, but he could go to him, a way needed to be opened to Heaven. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, and no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) All of those promises made to David and his offspring were fulfilled in Christ and the answer to all of them is “yes” in his resurrection.

We cannot bring this sweet baby back, but we can go to him/her. If he/she could send us a message from Heaven it might sound something like this:

[For a Baby who died after birth]

My life was full of love and joy,

Every day was wonder filled with smiles and new experiences

But, the love and joy and awesome wonder here is beyond compare

I cannot come to you, but you may come to me after your work on earth is done.

I love you and miss you and I remain,

Your little baby,

Safe in the arms of Jesus

[For a Baby who died before birth]

I so looked forward to meeting you,

Of seeing your face and feeling your touch,

But the first face I saw was the face of God

His embrace is tender and strong

I cannot come to you, but you may come to me

Our creator has loved us and made a way

And we may yet meet,

Your little baby

Safe in the arms of Jesus

Prayer for Hope Father God, we trust in your Word that this little one is safe in Heaven. We thank you for the love and comfort expressed in your words and for the great love by which you loved us by sending your Son to die in our place. We pray that you would show us the way not just back to peace, but to Heaven, and that we would not mourn as those who have no hope, for we have a great hope in the resurrection of your Son. But Father, we need your Spirit to put this hope in our hearts, to help us to love one another, and to remember fondly our sweet little baby, made in the image of God, loved and lost but not forgotten, until we may see him/her again. May his/her life bring great glory to your name and show many the way to Heaven, through Jesus’s Name, Amen.

Graveside Committal

Jesus said, “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” He continued, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:1-6, 27)

Augustine wrote, “We have not lost our dear ones who have departed from this life, but have merely sent them ahead of us, so we also shall depart and shall come to that life where they will be more than ever dear as they will be better known to us, and where we shall love them without fear of parting.”

Prayer for Committal Father, we have gathered here to commit to rest the body of our beloved [name]. We are thankful for his/her life and we mourn for him/her. We trust your Word that he/she is safe in Heaven, and though we long to go and be with him/her, we will wait on your providence to reunite us. Father, as we gather in this solemn place we do not sorrow as those who have no hope, for our hope is in Jesus Christ. We ask that you would comfort each family member and friend. May they be comforted by your Word, encouraged through happy memories, and sustained by the hope of the resurrection in the final day. In Christ’s Name, Amen.

A Good Wife Is Like an Island - Husband's Devotional

I recently read the biography of Samuel Zwemer, missionary to Iraq/Bahrain/Arabia/Egypt. He was blessed with a faithful and helpful wife, Amy, for four decades. On the occasion of her death he wrote a beautiful poem comparing her love to an island in the vast sea of life. At the outset I thought it was cliché and—while touching—just another phrase that meant little…but then Samuel compared the island of her love to a haven, and I had to read it again.

Her love was like an island
In life’s ocean vast and wide
A peaceful quiet shelter
from the wind and rain and tide 

‘Twas bound on the North by Hope
By Patience on the West
By Tender Counsel on the South
On the East I rest 

Above it, like a beacon light
Shone faith and truth and prayer
And through the changing scenes of life
I found a haven there.

I read his homage on an airplane as we were banking over the coast of Texas/Louisiana, and I had a beautiful view of the barrier islands there. It made me think of the many varieties of islands in the world. Some are trivial and can be easily inundated by the tides or the storms of life, others are completely inhospitable. I was reminded of the hideous island in William Golding’s book, The Pincher Martin, with its razor-sharp rocks, poisonous water, and treacherous crevasses. I thought of Sentinel Island in the Indian Ocean, inhabited by a murderous people who have no patience to tolerate any outsiders on their beaches.

But then I thought of some of the fantastic islands of the world, such as the one in Goldings’s book, The Lord of the Flies, or the Hawaiian Islands, or Nantucket & Martha’s Vineyard which stand firm and provide ample protection against the winds and the waves—you might call them paradise, even, as many have.

It made me think of my relationship with my wife. If she’s honest would she call me a haven or a peril? Does she find safety and resoluteness against the world’s upheaval or does she find the ground shifting, unpredictable, and unstable?

Is she my help as I journey through life’s sorrows and as sea billows roll? Do we encourage each other to rest on the anchor of Christ and his Word together, and thus find solid footing, a firm foundation, amidst the crashing waves and hurtling wind together?

The Proverbs are clear that there are spouses who are worse than no spouse at all. *Spoiler Alert* The Pincher Martin makes this point startlingly well when you realize the nightmare that the main character experienced for months was all an illusion, and that the man had—in fact—died in the shipwreck. */End Spoiler Alert/* Reading that book as a young man rocked me to the core: which was preferred, death or a hellish salvation?

Samuel Zwemer turned that epiphany towards Heaven. Am I a paradise to my wife and she to me? Or would we have been better off to drift through this life alone?

Along the same lines, Jimmy Buffet wrote something very profound when he spoke of One Particular Harbor, a place of peace, tranquility, and contentedness. For many in this world that harbor is a literal place, a favorite beach, locale, real-estate, house, or property. Before becoming a Christian I referred to both my car, and my motorcycle, as “My1Hrbr”, and went so far as to request that vanity license plate (it was taken). But beloved, how much better is that harbor when it is a person—the wife of your youth, her alone—you blessed in her companionship, and her secure in yours?

I am resolved to provide that haven for my wife, to be a safe and hospitable island for her, and to serve Jesus with her and encourage her to continue resting on Christ the solid rock. His anchor holds within the veil, and I thank God for this opportunity to serve him with my wife, my one particular harbor.

Lord, May we together make the name of Jesus famous like Samuel and Amy Zwemer. Amen.

A Defense of Christmas

I love Christmas. I am fully convinced that I love Christmas, and that it is a viable and wonderful means of showing honor to the Lord Christ (Romans 14). I had intended this season to refrain from pressing too hard on those Christians who are offended by Christmas, after all, if they are convinced in their mind, and it grieves their conscience, then it is neither right nor safe to press them. However, as the antiChristmas rhetoric has started this year, much worse than in previous years, it has become apparent that this misplaced zeal is only meant to tear down the love and joy of the brethren, and therefore must be rebuked. I am praying to convert you to "this holy tide of Christmas, all others doth deface" (God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen), and encourage you to build up the church this advent season.

First of all, we must recognize that we are not living in sixth century BC Babylon, or seventh century AD Saxony, or first century Corinth, or any other place and age where paganism is indigenous. We live in "Post-Christian America", the verse that sums up this country the best is that they, "have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power." (2 Timothy 3:5) Raised under a Judeo/Christian system of law, no-one this Christmas season in America will be bowing down to trees or expecting that their yule log is anything more than a log, and definitely not a means of grace. I've asked thousands of people why they think they are going to Heaven, and I've gotten some outrageous answers, but not a single wrong answer has remotely dealt with observing Christmas or anything to do with Christmas.

Second of all, my friend Willem pointed out that the antiChristmas sentiments are taking on a definitive KJVO feel, chasing after every manner of myth that remotely supports their position. Everytime I've logged onto Facebook over the past week it's like I'm reading a Gail Riplinger novel...Strawmen seem to be the order of the day, ridiculous caricatures of facts are presented that are easily knocked down, the truth stands against the arguments. I'll leave the name out, because I really respect this pastor, but one pastor set up "Yule" as a Babylonian infant son, only to knock it down with ridiculousness; it sounds legitimate and of course you have to say, "I reject the Yule Log altogether!" But the problem is that it's utterly untrue; Yule means winter in German, I could go deeper into its awesome origins, but I just want to point out that KJVO superstitions are outside of the KJVO controversies, and we must forever be on the lookout for strawmen. Now, I've saved the best superstition for last; did you know that Christmas ends in MASS? It is clearly a celebration of the recrucifixion of Jesus and the Romanists are trying to get us to participate! Ok, let's apply your logic, it ends in Mass, true, which meant festival before it meant recrucifixion, and Christmas was around a lot longer than its name (earlier, Navity, Noel, Advent), but look at what it starts with, "Christ". It doesn't start with Winter, it doesn't start with Babylon, it doesn't start with Solstice, it starts with Christ. Every Papist recrucifixion ceremony is centered around their wrong interpretation of Christ, so ALL masses should be called Christmas, but they're not. The term, Christmas, means "Celebration of Christ", we're loving that God became a man, and dwelt among us.

So what of the date? I'm utterly convinced that my Saviour was born on the Winter Solstice (December 25th on the Roman Calendar, December 21st on the Gregorian Calendar); what better way for the King of Light to explode into the darkness rather than on the darkest day of the year? It's almost like he created it to be so. Were other pagan deities supposedly born on Christmas? Yes, but imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Jesus was born on Christmas. But if he wasn't, then you MUST be celebrating his birth somewhere else, because, beloved, you lose so much doctrine if you refuse to celebrate the Advent of your King. The coming of Christ is spoken of repeatedly in the scriptures, your assignment is to read: John 12:46, Luke 19:10, John 18:37-38, Galatians 4:4-5, Luke 5:32, John 3:16, 2 Corinthians 8:9, and especially Philippians 2:1-11; this list is not exhaustive, but it will give you a good start; your King is your example, he is King and Creator, yet he HUMBLED himself to pass into the world through his own creation, born in abject poverty in a stable.

The early church labeled Mary the "Theotokos", it's a word that really makes Protestants squirm, but it's not a term that venerates Mary, it's a term that defines Christ, it means, "God-Carrier", it's directly against the Eusebian heresy which said Jesus was born a man and only later became God at his baptism; the church invented the word Theotokos to say that Jesus is God now, was God in the womb, and forever will be God; it's a glorious term and I love it, even if it makes you squirm. This Christmas, you'd better remember that your Saviour is the Eternal God, even if you don't celebrate Christmas. Your God came not to be served, but to serve, and give his life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45; another Christmas verse).

Christmas really became popular when a terrible heresy was beginning, one we deal with today under the name, "Jehovah's Witnesses", they were originally called Aryans, and they denied the divinity of Christ; they were a major enemy of Christ in the 4th century. In Nicaea, in Turkey, in AD325, it was overwhelmingly agreed upon by the scriptures that Jesus is God the Son; so much so that Santa Claus (Nicolas of Myra, a great saint) punched Arius, the leader of the heretics, in the head. Christmas, or more accurately, the Feast of the Nativity, was a desperately needed festival to combat Aryanism, and another great saint, Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, wrote several great hymns to preach Christ in song. The KJVO people in his day were radically against his music, but it's beautiful.

O come, Redeemer of the earth,
and manifest thy virgin-birth.
Let every age in wonder fall:
such birth befits the God of all.

Begotten of no human will
but of the Spirit, Thou art still
the Word of God in flesh arrayed,
the promised fruit to man displayed.

All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,
whose advent sets Thy people free,
whom, with the Father, we adore,
and Holy Ghost, for evermore.

Speaking of music, it's this time of year that people remember that Calvin advocated the "Regulatory Principle", that if it's not in scripture, we're not doing it. They forget that for the rest of the year they follow Luther's "Normative Principle", if it's not prohibited in scripture and it's useful, we're doing it (do you drive a car or use a computer?).

Very few of us are, like Calvin, Psalm only singers. The greatest hymns of the Christian faith are Christmas hymns, and the only gospel that most unbelievers are going to get this year are in the hymns. I wish I could make every unbeliever sit down and seriously contemplate the lyrics of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and I rejoice that they are so thoroughly immersed in a gospel presence through song during this season.

Unbelievers undoubtedly associate this season as Christian; for a Christian to attack it is both confusing and destructive. We love that our Saviour put on flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14; another Christmas verse!), and we love that a whole nation is confronted with a God who so loved the world that he gave, as a gift, his only begotten Son (John 3:16, Romans 6:23), so I propose, neigh, demand, that we shine the light of Christ during this season, doing our best to ensure that people do not just honor Christ with their lips, but that they actually participate in his grace and are given a new heart which strives to obey his commands.

But is that what the regulatory principle calls for? Are you still holding to it? Then read John 1 and Luke 1-2 and Matthew 1 and Isaiah 9 and Genesis 3 and see that the birth narrative is a VERY real part of scripture, that Jesus having a birthday is hugely important. Like I said, if you reject the December 21st, 25th, or January 6th birthdates, then just make sure you're preaching that the Messiah came into the world in the most humblest way possible, that he held the universe together even as he was being held as a baby.

Do you celebrate birthdays? Did you know that in a PAGAN culture, they thought that birthdays were arrogant and that only kings were arrogant enough to celebrate their birthdays? Do you live in that culture? I don't. I celebrate the birthdays of the ones I love; a dear sweet lady I know and love is celebrating her birthday right now, and I have such affection in my heart towards her and her family that I am telling you that I love her; later this month, and over the whole of the year, I will do the same for my Bethlehem born Nazarene King. Something major happened 2000 years ago in Bethlehem, it was only important because of what happened thirty-three years later when the King of Glory gave his life as a ransom then defeated death; as John Calvin said, "If the gospel be not preached, Christ is, as it were, buried. Let us stand therefore as witnesses, and do him this honor." Let us celebrate and preach the great events of our Saviour, and their theological implications. There are some hugely important events in scripture which we ought celebrate, but they aren't commanded in scripture.

In the Old Testament there is a command to raise ebenezers, or commemoration stones, to great events. Truly, Christians are only commanded to keep Passover (in the month of Easter), but has the regulatory principle so damaged you that you refuse to raise ebenezers? Jesus went to Hanukkah (John 10), which is not in scripture, and therefore I love to stand by ebenezers and preach the great events that happened there: Christmas, Easter (Passover), Reformation Day, John Calvin's birthday (I love birthdays), Columbus Day, etc. etc. My King breached human history on December 25th, 6BC; I'm going to tell you about it, here I raise my ebenezer.

I love Christmas, I hope you will also.

Messiah born so small, asleep in cattle stall
Come to redeem our fall, nailed to a tree
This tiny, helpless child
Through death would reconcile
The holy God and vile, His grace so free
O come, let us adore. - Sovereign Grace Music

My God, My God, Why Hast Thou Not Forsaken me?

In remembrance of the events on 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina, the following was in responce to Dr. Susan Brooks Thistelwaite, an unsaved UCC minister:
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Where was God on 9/11? Saving the lives of over 48,000 people, using the devastation that we bring to this world to turn it for good, that many are saved, as they are today. On a normal Tuesday morning the Twin Towers contained roughly 50,000 people, not counting surrounding buildings and people on the street. That day 48,000 of them were running late. 96% of people that were supposed to be at work were not.

Abraham pleaded with God, if you find 50 righteous people, please do not destroy Sodom.

God agreed, if I find 50 righteous people, Sodom will be spared.

God lowered the number so that if He could find only 10 righteous people in Sodom, the city would be spared.

We know today from archaeological evidence that Sodom was destroyed by a simultaneous meteor shower, earthquake, and volcano. Where was God on that day? He was raining shrapnel down on Sodom.

"God, if you find 10 righteous people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, please do not destroy it."

The question here is whether or not you think you are righteous.

Have you ever told a lie? God says that lying lips are an ABOMINATION, that all liars will have their place in the lake of fire.

Have you ever killed anyone? Jesus said that if you hate someone or call them an idiot, you are in danger of judgment as a murderer.

Have you kept the name of God holy? Calling out, "Oh My God!" in a callous and flippant way is called blasphemy and the Bible says that God will not hold him blameless that takes His name in vain.

The one that got me, Have you ever committed adultery? Jesus said, "Whosoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart." God is concerned with the intentions of the heart and not just when you act on them.

There was not a righteous man found in New Orleans, not on the Gulf Coast, not in the Twin Towers, so we should not be surprised at all that God did not divinely stop those catastrophes. We should rather wonder why we don't see more, why we have been thus far successful in thwarting the major terrorist plots of the world, why natural disasters don't occur every where, every day.

I am comforted that not a single person died in these events that would not die eventually. It is appointed once for a man to die, and then the judgment.

If you face God today, would He be justified in sentencing you to Hell? The Book of your Conscience has recorded every thought, word, and deed and it will be opened as you are prosecuted. What will you offer as defense?

God knew that there was no loophole or attorney you could find to save you, but because He loved you, not that you loved Him, He became manifest in the flesh as the man Jesus Christ, where He lived a perfect, sinless, blemish-free life and offered Himself up as the payment for your sins on the cross at Calvary. You broke the law and He paid your fine.

When you stand before the Judge of the Universe, you can be absolved of your transgressions because your fine has been paid. The only requirement is that you repent of your sins, in other words turn from sin and thirst after righteousness. Once you have done this you will know that you are forgiven, you will be born-again into the family of God, an event as substantial as the first time you were born into the world.

As death and destruction come your way, you will not wonder why God allows it to happen, but rather why He has postponed the inevitable and most importantly, why He would see fit to save a wretch like you, that while many were dying you were given the opportunity to repent or perish.

Remembering Staff Sergeant Marion Flint

I had intended to write this and post it by May 27th, but between the Washington trip, and the devastating week we’ve had in Dixie, I did not have the opportunity to reflect on his life within that time-frame. Having missed the one-year anniversary, I resolved to simply remember SSgt. Flint on my own. As it has been more than a week, I’ve had much time to remember this young man and I didn’t feel I was doing him justice without posting something.

This is my humble remembrance of a great American.

I had just moved to the Atlanta area, and was riding with a Honda club. They never rode, and when they did ride, it was for pleasure and through their archives I could not find a single time they had participated in a charity ride or ride for any purpose. Needless to say, I wasn’t particularly happy with them. One day, someone posted a message that said, “Have any of you ever ridden with the Patriot Guard?” That day was May 25th, 2006, at 10:02 in the evening.

I read the PGR’s mission statement, signed up, and went back to the Honda club just long enough to say, “See you guys later.” At the top of the confirmed mission column was Staff Sgt. Marion Flint Jr., 29, of Baltimore, Md. / Athens, GA. I had to be there, it was something I couldn’t miss.

In writing this, I realize that I know very little about Marion. I know he was married and had a son and a daughter. He was and will always be his little sister’s hero. His big sister looked up to him. His entire family loved this man so much, his character and strength pours out of their words. His soldiers trusted him and loved him, and he returned the love and care.

His nickname was Bugg, but I’ve never found out why, some called him Jay, and still others called him Big Flint.

I can recall instantly the names of at least 31 men and women from Georgia and surrounding states who have paid the ultimate price for the continued freedom and security of this nation; but none of those names have so much impact on me as the name Marion Flint. I spent Memorial Day this year honoring Pfc. Travis Haslip of Chattanooga, through the whole day, Marion Flint was remembered by me, and his family held the top position, directly after the family of Pfc. Haslip, on my prayer list. For the past year I have wondered why Marion Flint’s mission has been so much more emotional and personal for me, and on Memorial Day, I got my answer. Until May 27th, 2006, I had heard of soldiers dying in far off lands, but the closest it ever came was Pfc. Lori Piestewa from near my hometown, but I did not know the necessity nor the danger that they placed themselves in, nor for what.

Being in the Air Force, I will have to give an account to God for hundreds of lives I have directly taken, at least fifteen of them were noncombatants. My job was protecting soldiers on the ground, and I just couldn’t understand why, for all of our infinitely advanced equipment, soldiers were still dying.

When I took a life, it was from 550 miles away, I did not realize the extreme danger on the ground. When SSgt. Flint was killed, I began to look into the desperately evil and malicious methods which were and are being used by our terrorist enemies. It was until this moment that I genuinely thought we were fighting to give the Iraqi’s a free country; now I know that we are fighting terrorism because if we don’t, these purpose driven, hatefilled extremists will be free to wreak havoc on the entire world like they do on South West Asia. One year later, on Memorial Day, 2007, I realized that I owe so much to Marion Flint because he died in place of the free world; he fought and died so that I could live. I believe this epiphany is only second to the moment I realized why Jesus Christ had to die to redeem the world.

There is a poem which says, (bad theology aside)

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
Jesus Christ and the American Serviceman
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

At the moment that I realized the true implications of this poem, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Of the thousands of servicemen that have gone before me, I appreciate them all, but SSgt. Marion Flint will forever be the face of those men that paid the ultimate price for this beautiful country we live in.

Since May 27th, 2006, I have had the opportunity to visit Marion’s gravesite once, in October. Once again we will be in Athens to remember a fallen soldier, this young heroes name is Sgt. Shawn Dressler, and once again I hope to be able to pay my respects in person to the number one person I love whom I have never met.

Godspeed SSgt. Flint, Godspeed.