Father's opinions.

I think that I will begin a new segment on my blog concerning my father's opinions. He seems to have a good way of writing his thoughts in a slightly humorous, yet ironic fashion that makes sense to me, whether I agree with him or not!

His latest:

"I tuned in our Air America radio station last night on the way home from our gig and, as usual, only had to listen for a few seconds to hear something stupid. The commentators were ranting about how wealthy people had historically funded endowments and built orphanages and libraries and concert halls and all that sort of thing. But this is the 21^st Century and now they need to start contributing to “social justice”. The Left needs rich people to stop being so selfish and step up and help shoulder the load, don’t you know. Then one fellow launched into a diatribe about how the “modern conservative movement” wouldn’t exist if not for the work of Cato, Heritage and all the other Conservative think tanks that had been founded by wealthy right-wing … wait for it …

“CRAZIES!”

At which point I yelled “So go find some crazies of your own, you moron! It’s not like they’re hard to find! And while you’re at it, see if you can track down your sense of irony!” and switched stations."

Thoughts on prostitution.

In 2005 I flew into Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay on the island of Oahu. I was partaking in the Single Marine Program along with approximately 80 other Marines. I had an amazing nine days of relaxation for the low price of $350 for air fare and lodging. The best remembered event of that trip took place on the last night and has given me pause to think and pray on many occasions over the last few years. Mostly, this is because, in the midst of a great amount of confusion, the Lord blessed me with a bright ray of hope.

I was slightly drunk and walking back to my hotel with a Marine buddy of mine and two other people from my church back in Vista, CA who happened to be there celebrating their marriage. I was "pretending" to be slightly belligerent and was dragging my heals on going back to my room. My buddy was trying to make sure I was going to be safe. Right before I crossed the street to enter the hotel, a prostitute approached me with a wide, beaming smile and words of exclamation crossing her lips. She shouted, "I remember you!" then THREW her arms wide and rushed me to embrace me in an enormous hug.

In my happy drunkenness, I shouted out to her on the street and yelled, "GOD BLESS YOU!" It was one of the most amazing hugs I have ever experienced in my life. It is the story of how I got to that hug that matters most, though. I am still learning from it...

I considered it slightly scandalous to have at least two dozen young women prowling around across the street to ensnare foolish men. The girls were easy to spot: They all wore crystal clear, 3-inch stilettos and I decided to try my hand at sharing the good news with them. No, I wasn't heading out to boast about saving hundreds of dollars on my auto insurance by switching over to Geico. I also wasn't heading out to brag about how smart I was simply because I had slept at a Holiday Inn Express!



I was motivated to offer them a semblance of goodness to their lives outside of how they were living. I wanted to let them know about Christ's perfect love that could take them out of a life such as prostitution. Regardless of my intention to do good, my heart was woefully unprepared and unlearned in how to do so. I was approached by a number of the ladies (the only type of woman I don't have to chase after, apparently) and spoke with them out of a sense of sadness for where they were at. Of course, this didn't go over well for them. Lesson: Christ does not save us by feeling sorry for us but by loving us.

One of the ladies of the night did give me an amazing excuse for the way she lived, though. It was an Asian woman who spoke some broken English and she stated to me that prostitution was the earliest form of religious exercise. I don't if she meant "exercise" literally. She continued on to say, "Is it any coincidence that 'whore' sounds like 'holy'?" (To get a better appreciation of how she said "whore" and "holy" try rolling your h's in the back of your throat and holding that guttural sound for a few moments before finishing the word).

I went three nights in a row and all the while I had my fellow Marines hooting and hollering at me from the balconies of the hotel. Even when I explained my actions, I don't think they understood why I would be down there just trying to talk with prostitutes. Still, once they got done with the cat-calling, they were intrigued to say the least. The second to last night, I did get to talk with a lovely young girl. I struck up as normal a conversation as possible with her as she was propositioning me to have a threesome with her partner. Her partner was disgusted when I told her that instead of accepting their offer, I had an offer of my own and that it was eternal life with a clear conscience and perfect love forever; all at no charge! Why are people disgusted by that? It must be the messengers...

Anyway, I was able to talk with the girl who stayed behind, but only for a few moments. It was enough time to find out that she was only going to be on the island for a couple more days and would soon be flying out to Las Vegas to make her living. I forget exactly what that living was but it wasn't prostitution this time. She told me a couple other things that I have regrettably forgotten now, as well. Still, I was able to connect with her and give her the good news of salvation and eternal life. I think she was happy just to have a conversation with a guy who didn't want her for sex. At this point, her partner came in and forcibly extracted her from the conversation. I think now that if I have the opportunity to speak with prostitutes again I will pay them for their time.

That leads to the next night and her remembrance of me. She was my bright ray of hope. That's why the hug was so amazing. Since then, I've had to question my approach to people and how I love them. I have learned that hope and love are a motivation much more worthy and lasting than fear and sorrow. It proved to me that Christ made Himself sin for us and took our death upon Himself simply so that He could hold us in His great embrace! He saved me when I was far more wicked than her. Much better than that; He never removed His gaze from me and will never forget my name or blot me out of His book of life. I will be given the most loving and warm embrace; the love of which will last forever. He smile will be upon me with the words, "Well done my good and faithful servant."

YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT!

Today, I was keeping watch out in front of the school when a couple of female students I recognized went walking by. One of them was on the phone talking to the person who was going to give her a ride home. Having seen her picked up by her dad before I assumed that she was speaking to him. Now, I'd seen her be rude to him a time or two before but it was only in passing and it was nothing like the belligerence she put on display today in front of her friend.

As she was approaching, I heard her saying in a steadily harsher voice as the conversation quickly developed, "Where are you?" A moment later she spoke with a vitriolic voice and I could almost taste the poison that dripped from her tongue. Her countenance was wicked, yet gleeful, for the pain she was willingly inflicting upon her dad. She said, "We're going to Taco Bell. Pick us up there" ...short pause... "GOD DANG! YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT!" Her phone slammed shut.

I was appalled and barked at her, "Hey, is that your dad you were talking to?" She gave and affirmative response and I quickly said, "That was shameful of you!" She didn't even look at me as she walked away but her friend tried to spit some sort of uncouth words my way before tapering off into a few sour glances.

I was aggravated for the duration of the morning for two reasons. Her father was to blame for setting up such lousy boundaries and she was responsible for her rebelliousness. What led to such a relationship between her and her father? A friend suggested that perhaps it was a powerful sense of guilt or shame on the part of the father. He may have done something terribly wrong to her in the past and, knowing his guilt, allowed her to get away with whatever she wanted. How terrible though. If that is the case, guilt obviously did not motivate him to love his daughter. In fact, by allowing her to live such a shameful life he was hating her.

I realized in my anger that I was not hoping for healing for the two of them so I began to pray that the Lord would reveal His loving-kindness to them. In so praying, I realized that my nature was that of the girl's to her father. I was living as an enemy to God, spitting in his face and defiling his goodness. Yet, he refused to allow me, as a wayward child, to live in such a wicked state. He was not ashamed of His own nature and He knew how to win my heart. He drew a boundary around me and said, "this far shall you fall and no further." Then He caught me in His hands and lifted me up. He taught me honesty to admit to Him my hatreds and misgivings and in so doing I learned how to trust in Him. This trust did not come simply because I could speak to Him, but because I could see His grace poured out into my heart. He did not allow me to continue to hate Him!

He called out my shameful behavior but, more than that, He rectified it. He brought light to my darkness and exposed my need. There was a dark hole in my heart that had sucked all the joy around me into it and dissolved it. In seeing this, I was left to stew in my own guilt and I KNEW that God was going to crush me. Yet, in His mercy as my perfect Father, God reached out His hands of blessing and offered to me gifts of a clear conscience, forgiveness of sin, peace of mind, kindness of heart, eternal life and a relationship with His Son forever. He simply asked me, "Have you learned your lesson?"

With my mouth wide open in astonishment, having expected judgment, I could only say, "Yes, Father. Forgive me." My life started at that point and the story I take with me from this time until Heaven will be one of praise for that gift of grace and forgiveness.

Those in charge or protecting us are unwilling to label evil.

President Obama has allowed a murderer to get off lightly in public opinion after massacring 14 people at Fort Hood by telling us "not to jump to conclusions." The Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Casey, has allowed a murderer to get off lightly, thus destroying the morale of our war fighters, by telling us "it would be an even greater tragedy if... our diversity becomes a casualty here." The FBI has allowed a murderer to get off lightly in the eyes of justice by saying it's "not an act of terrorism." Well what the hell is it exactly when you have psychotic, terrorist links to your murderous actions? It is treason mixed with a healthy dose of terrorism and if not dealt with we will all be victims of its deadly embrace. Call evil what it is and fight it or say goodbye to the tenuous liberties that others earned for you to enjoy. All it takes is one generation that lacks the willingness to stand for truth to lose liberty for themselves and all those who come after.

An excellent article by Mark Steyn can be found here.

What man-made disaster will take over the global warming fear?

I've been wondering what the political establishment and media will find next to hype in order to find new ways of controlling our lives. I figure the global warming war drum has reached its crescendo and will continue tapering off over the next few years as more and more scientific evidence comes out to disprove all of Al Gore's crazy theories. I have noticed a small but increasingly vocal bit of reporting about the Sargossa Sea and the bigger than Texas sized area of trash that its wind and water currents foster. Check out the links about it and let me know what you think (especially about the bird pictures):

Disclaimer of ocean plastic pollution: http://www.futurepundit.com/archives/006704.html

Supposed pictures (perhaps faked) of birds that died from consumption of plastic: http://www.chrisjordan.com/current_set2.php?id=11

Supposed proof debunking some postulations: http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4132

I suspect that this might be a sensational environmental story that "scientists" and federal regulatory agencies will use as an example to take even more liberties from us with the venom-dripping question: "You don't want to protect the environment?"

As soon as I find an article I read on how progressives are using the environment to control our lives I will post it also.

It's Friday...but Sunday's comin!

Isaiah 53

Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the Lord's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.

Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

A laborer is worthy of his wages. Now give him freedom to work!

"When anybody preaches disunity, tries to pit one of us against the other through class warfare, race hatred, or religious intolerance, you know that person seeks to rob us of our freedom and destroy our very lives.... And, we know what to do about it!"

Run 'em out of town!

The judgment of Lindsay Lohan?

I just read an article about Lindsay Lohan and her father that really troubled me. Her dad has publicly denounced her with comments such as:

"No wonder why God is taking her entire career away from her, because she's forsaken everything He's given her and she's done nothing but misuse all the gifts she's given."

The writer reporting on this responds with appropriate sarcasm about the intentions and hypocrisy of her father when they write, "Following this logic, could another of God's punishments be giving Lindsay a father who is making a career out of trying to destroy his troubled daughter in the press?"

I'm reminded of a passage from Ephesians 6 where Paul is exhorting the followers of Jesus to Godly living between parents and children. He writes:

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 'Honor your father and mother'—which is the first commandment with a promise— 'that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.' Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

The training begins with the parents, of course. They raise their children and are encouraged to do so with grace and mercy; just as Jesus taught us, His own children. A child does not need to be taught how to sin, after all, but must be trained in righteousness and truth.

In 1 Corinthians 6 followers of Christ are told not to bring judgment on their own outside of the church. We read, "If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?"

What a wicked man to make a name for himself by heaping condemnation upon the daughter whom God gave him stewardship to raise! No wonder Lindsay Lohan is the way she is with a father who publishes their private conversations and shows by his very actions that he hates her! Why would she serve her father's god when it is apparent that his god is merciless and unholy? Who is deserving of the greater punishment? But you children of the Most High, remember even while you were still enemies of God and in active rebellion against His goodness that He came in the flesh to offer His forgiveness and love. It belongs to those who will simply come to Him for a relationship that will never fail because He loves us perfectly for who we are.

Isn't that love the sort that changes our hearts? For instance, imagine a disrespectful and hateful child on his deathbed for lack of a needed organ donor. The child, though spiteful, is terrified of dying. Yet, at just the right time, a person, seeing the need and not judging the child's nature, finds that he is a match and willingly gives the necessary organ to save the child's life. Can you imagine that child waking up from surgery and spitting in the face of his savior? Does it not seem that the child would be incredibly grateful instead and work to be pleasing to the one who saved him?

If Lindsay Lohan knew of the True God who loves sinners and transforms them because of His love would she not respond as one grateful for having a new life? But instead, she has responded to the cruel and unforgiving God that her dad represents and has run away from that terror! May she and her father come to know the grace and peace of God that transcends the rivalries of the flesh and brings reconciliation to those who are far off and lost.


Romans 5:6-11

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

"Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."

Can there be accountability without a relationship?

This is my longest post to date. It is a compilation of a number of emails I exchanged with a pastor at a church I visited some time ago. I mean to make no statement about it but will let the exchange speak for itself. I posted the first a few months ago here but for the sake of having all the correspondence in one blog I will re-post it. Feel free to contact me with any thoughts.

Dear Pastor,

I attended your service on Sunday, July 16 as a visitor and was thankful for your preaching. You taught very well of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am close with many people in your congregation and their love for the Lord brings me great joy. It is also good that your church takes communion seriously and desires to protect those who would take it from eating and drinking condemnation upon their own heads, yet, I do not find the qualifications issued forth in the interview sheet entitled "Visitor Participation in the Lord's Supper" in scripture.

Thus, as I meditated upon your message of grace, I became greatly troubled over how I had been pulled aside to be interviewed on the issue of communion. I was told to avoid taking communion for lack of church membership though my conscience and faith says I may do so. The biblical qualifications for taking communion are a heart that is grounded in Christ and self-examined to determine personal worthiness according to the word and one's own conscience. The scriptures tell us in Romans 10:9-13 that,

"...if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." ¹²For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.""

Also in 1 Corinthians 11:27-32 we read,

"...whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. ²⁹For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. ³⁰That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. ³¹But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. ³²When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world."

With such a clear description of salvation and communion laid out, denying communion on grounds of baptism, church membership and a public proclamation of faith rings of taking people back to Mount Sinai (though public proclamations should be encouraged and baptism taught). Communion is not meant to determine who the sheep and the goats are but to have fellowship with our Savior and remember His love for us apart from our works of righteousness. Thus, I can find no where in Scripture where it is given to an elder to bind a person's conscience when we are told that whatever is not from faith is of sin. Your teaching was so good on Sunday that I have no doubt people should be able to make a well-informed decision about communion every Sunday. God alone judges the heart and allows for a personal choice.

Jesus offered Judas, His betrayer, communion. He was willing to share with the "son of perdition." He did not withhold the bread from the man who planted the kiss of death on His cheek. Scripturally, how do you get from Christ sharing the meal with His betrayer to a system of denying the meal to those who mirror Romans 10 and 1 Corinthians 11? Is it wise to deny communion when Jesus Christ Himself did not prohibit Judas? It is a burden of the law for one to add works of righteousness upon a foundation of grace that alone gives former enemies of God the right to partake in Christ's communion. Thus, we must "examine ourselves" based upon the scripture. If one is not a believer, has not reconciled with a brother or sister, or is living in unrepentant sin then they should be encouraged to refrain, yet even Judas could have refused the the bread though it was offered to him. Again, it is not the elder's responsibility to determine the sincerity of a person's heart and so approve or deny the meal for God judges the heart.

Lastly, Satan is called the Father of Lies and his name means "tempter" and "deceiver." We must understand that a slave to such a swindler could easily fake sincerity in his/her interview or qualifications and thus penetrate the visible church. That person (a wolf in sheep's clothing) would be allowed by your policy to take the Lord's Supper because of three works (baptism, public proclamation of faith and church membership) and those who have been cleansed by the renewing of their minds would not be for lack of works. That is why partaking in the Lord's supper must be an act of faith, grounded in the word and ultimately informed by one's conscience.

Thank you very much for allowing me to write to you, Pastor. Again, I greatly appreciated the preaching of the word and the hospitality of your congregants. The Lord has obviously put His blessing upon the work that it has pleased Him to allow all of you to partake in. May we all continue sharing the good news of the resurrected Lord!

Your brother in Christ,
Evan Bryan

Email 2:

Dear Evan,

I apologize for taking so long to respond to your email. It was simply a matter of prioritizing my labor and correspondence with others.

Your email is not put to me in a question, but as several paragraphs of monologue in which you seem to assume the role of instructing me on the Bible’s principles regarding admission to the Lord’s Table. Ordinarily, I may have responded to an email such as this by asking for further clarification on whether or not you have a question. But I am also aware that you posted this email to me on your blog, which you did not indicate in your email. This act of yours seems, to me, very self-serving and, quite honestly, narcissistic on your part, Evan. You give the impression of being more interested in attracting an audience for yourself and having others read your thoughts than you do with a) learning why we as a confessional Reformed church have the policy we do; and b) following the principles outlined in Matthew 18 for correcting one who is in sin, if indeed you are convinced that we (as elders of a church) are by adopting an unbiblical policy. Instead of coming to me personally (in person, phone call, or email), you chose to make your correspondence to me public – and didn’t even have the decency to tell me in the email that you did so. That is most unfortunate, Evan, for it is a bad witness for the faith you profess to believe. I know plenty of pagans who are hostile to Christianity who would not do such a disrespectful thing to another man.

For this reason, I would ordinarily dismiss your email as a rude and disingenuous attempt by a young, unlearned, and proud narcissist who craves attention. But you did ask the following questions in the midst of your monologue:

“Scripturally, how do you get from Christ sharing the meal with His betrayer to a system of denying the meal to those who mirror Romans 10 and 1 Corinthians 11? Is it wise to deny communion when Jesus Christ Himself did not prohibit Judas?”

This question is easily answered, and I will humbly oblige you with one, but only on the following conditions:

1. Publicly – on your blog – apologize to me and to your readers for sending me an email without telling me that you posted it on your blog, leading me to assume that this was a matter of personal correspondence. (This was done on my part here with never a response).

2. Keep further personal correspondence between you and me personal.

If you do those two things, Evan, I will happily answer you and even dialogue with you so that you can be further instructed in the Scriptures and Reformed ecclesiology, so that even if you do not agree with Reformed interpretation, you will at least have a better understanding of that to which you object. For it is clear to me that your problem is not with our understanding of fencing the Table of the Lord, but with the authority of the keys of the kingdom and of church discipline.

If you can’t do the above, however, then I won’t waste anymore of my precious time in dialogue with you, but only refer you to the following works:

Heidelberg Catechism QQ.65-82

Belgic Confession Arts. 27-35

Calvin, Institutes, Book 4.12.1-10 (including the footnote under para 5); 4.17

Turretin, Institutes, 3:293-306; 428-36

Daniel Hyde, “Table Manners: Whom We Welcome to the Lord’s Supper” in Called to Serve, ed. Michael Brown

Email 3:

Dear Pastor,

My letter to you was not meant to instruct but I wanted to understand how you hold to your position in light of the scriptures I quoted. I am open to correction and biblical (rather than confessional) teaching. You wrote, "Publicly – on your blog – apologize to me and to your readers for sending me an email without telling me that you posted it on your blog, leading me to assume that this was a matter of personal correspondence." Yet, the way the URC conducts communion is a public matter. It is something the elders believe and you teach from the pulpit to anyone who enters your doors or reads your confessions. Thus, my letter to you was not meant to be private and I never led you to believe otherwise.

Had you sinned against me personally, I agree that it would have been grossly sinful of me to post my letter to you and the elders on my blog. Still, I never attacked you in my letter and am appalled that you would respond by calling me (consolidated) worse than a pagan, self-serving, narcissistic, rude, disingenuous, young, unlearned, and a proud attention and audience seeker. Your opinion of me being a narcissist does not fit the definition of the word: "Inordinate fascination with oneself; excessive self-love; vanity." It does fit the meaning of the word opinion though: "A belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce certainty." I do not know any Christians who would admonish another with such a lack of humility and love. Besides that, Acts 17:11 states, "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." I am examining from scripture to see if what you say is true and you insult me while Paul (an Apostle) encouraged and called noble those who examined the scriptures to see if what he said was true.

I have brought a solid case against your teaching from the Bible, yet you respond not to show from scripture what you believe but only to instruct me by the words of man as written in the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession Arts., Calvin, Institutes, Turretin, Institutes, and Daniel Hyde. Not only have you referred to extra-biblical sources in refuting my scriptural argument, but you have deemed it necessary to attack me on personal grounds as well as on my standing before God when you, as I stated previously, wrote that I was worse than a pagan, self-serving, narcissistic, rude, disingenuous, young, unlearned, and a proud attention and audience seeker. You redirected attention away from my argument and towards my character. This should not be! Please, help me understand how you can be justified in such accusations when my email and blog are non-accusatory and simply state your churches PUBLIC views! By posting my blog I questioned a publicly taught practice of your church and not your heart, but in your response to me, you did judge my heart and left, biblically unaddressed, my defense of my beliefs. Who is guilty of the greater offense?

Lastly, you wrote that my, "problem is not with [your] understanding of fencing the Table of the Lord, but with the authority of the keys of the kingdom and of church discipline." More so, not only do I disagree with your understanding of fencing the table, the keys of the kingdom and discipline in the church; I disagree with the authority you think you have over other men but am open to biblical teaching.

Pastor, I can offer no apology for my public blog posting about your public stance so, according to you, this correspondence must end. I also cannot abide by your severe attacks on my character and standing before God so, unless we can reconcile that bitterness, this correspondence must end. Should we reach common ground as brothers in Christ in these regards as I sincerely hope for, I humbly ask again that you offer me scripture to clarify your beliefs. Thank you and God bless.

Email 4:

Evan,

Your comments are in italics:

My letter to you was not meant to instruct but I wanted to understand how you hold to your position in light of the scriptures I quoted.

You never asked that question in your email. Rather, it was in the form of an instructional monologue.

Yet, the way the URC conducts communion is a public matter.

First of all, you are making assumptions here without knowing the facts. You are taking our practice in ****** and assuming that it is the same standard for our whole federation (i.e. "the URC"). It is important that you get your facts straight here.

Secondly, while it is true that the way we fence the table is a public matter, it is made public for guests to our church. Making your email to me public is quite inappropriate in light of the fact that you, as a guest to our church, flagrantly disrespected the policy of the elders in authority by partaking of communion after you were humbly asked to abstain.

Thirdly, you never told me in your email that you intended to make this a matter of public debate by posting it on your blog and facebook page.

Thus, my letter to you was not meant to be private and I never led you to believe otherwise.

You most certainly did lead me to believe otherwise.

"I...am appalled that you would respond by calling me (consolidated) worse than a pagan, self-serving, narcissistic, rude, disingenuous, young, unlearned, and a proud attention and audience seeker."

If you go back and read my email to you, you will see that I did not call you those names; rather, in one place I used adjectives to describe your actions, not your person, which is no more of an attack on your character than anywhere where Scripture identifies sinful or unwise behavior. In another place I described a hypothetical situtation, which is no more of an attack on your character than Paul telling Titus to having nothing to do with a person who stirs up division knowing that such a person "is warped" (Tit 3.11).

My point about knowing pagans who are hostile to the Christian faith who have more decency than to do what you did, was simply to make the point that your actions were a bad witness for Christianity. Again, go back and read carefully what I wrote before you start indicting me on false charges.

"I am examining from scripture to see if what you say is true."

Well, Evan, that is hardly the impression you made upon me. Your email did not seem to express much desire in learning, only in teaching. And again, this is after the fact of your disrespect to the Lord and violation of the fifth commandment by disobeying your leaders and those appointed to watch over your soul (read Hebrews 13.17).

"I have brought a solid case against your teaching from the Bible."

I disagree. If I may say so, I have two advanced degrees in theology from WSC, and I would hardly call your case solid.

"yet you respond not to show from scripture what you believe but only to instruct me by the words of man as written in the Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession Arts., Calvin, Institutes, Turretin, Institutes, and Daniel Hyde."

I did this, my friend, because these works present arguments from Scripture already written down. What is said in the HC and BC are not only written down, but also confessed by Reformed churches. The other works will present a lot of helpful teaching for you so that you can better understand our position, if that is what you are genuinely interested in. I do not need to take time out of my week to reinvent the wheel in dialogue with you when these things have already been shown from Scripture. Sorry, but I have higher priorities. And honestly, as a pastor of souls, I think it would be very good for you to sit and read carefully the arguments of others who have gone before you and who may actually know the Scriptures better than you. You would be surprised what you can learn about the Scriptures from teachers God has appointed for his church.

"You redirected attention away from my argument and towards my character."

I did no such thing. Look, this is not a high school debate class, OK? You took a cheap shot at me by posting an email to me on your blog and facebook page without telling me in the email. When you do things like that in the real world, Evan, there are consequences, such as people thinking less of your character.

"Should we reach common ground as brothers in Christ..."

That can only begin, Evan, with you making a credible profession of faith in a true, visible church of Christ in which you become a member and submit to the authority of Christ as he has delegated it to his appointed officers. Until then, it is impossible for us to have communion as brothers in the Lord, for you do not belong to his visible church. I will pray for you and ask the Lord to cause you to humble yourself to his authority very soon, and become a professing member of his visible body in the world.

Email 5:

Dear Pastor,

I have spent the last week reflecting on our correspondence. I have applied myself diligently to prayer and meditating on the word. As such, I must agree with you that I did make an assumption when I declared that your policy of communion was the same as "the URC's" policy. Forgive me for that. In light of my assumption (and agreeing also that much wisdom can be gleaned from the teachings of other Christians), I have studied what the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, Second Helvetic Confession, Westminster Confession of Faith, Westminster Shorter Catechism and Westminster Larger Catechism declares concerning the Lord's Supper. The closest statement I could find that would possibly match what you have shared with me is Q. 82 from the Heidelberg Catechism where it asks: "Are they also to be admitted to this supper, who, by confession and life, declare themselves unbelieving and ungodly?"

The answer states:

"No; for by this, the covenant of God would be profaned and His wrath kindled against the whole congregation; therefore it is the duty of the Christian church, according to the appointment of Christ and His apostles, to exclude such persons by the keys of the kingdom of heaven till they show amendment of life."

By confession and life I do not declare myself unbelieving and ungodly. May I ask if you equate lack of church membership in a local congregation as you have defined it to be a sign of unbelief and ungodliness? If yes, would you please send me scripture to reveal why this is so? I ask this because I can find no other reasons in my studies for which a person should be excluded from the table. You did mention having authority that the "keys of the kingdom" gave to you, though. It seems that the keys are used to bind and loose but what do they give you the authority to bind and loose? The only reference I can find of the "keys of the kingdom" is in Matthew 16 referring to where Jesus gives Peter the keys.

Most importantly, though I remain unconvinced of your position concerning the practice, I did come to the conclusion that there would have been a better way for me to pursue the matter in accordance with Matthew 18. In counseling, it is good for the counselor to ask many questions to determine where a person's heart is and why it is there. I did not give you that opportunity before launching into my brief. I should have asked why you fenced the table the way you did and I should not have done it over email. It would have been more profitable on my part to have at least called you. It would have been wiser of me to write down what I believe only after discussing your position in person or over the phone. Publicizing my thoughts on a public blog that even unbelievers read and addressing you and your church by name and denomination was absolutely the wrong way to start off before I had even had the slightest bit of communication with you. Please, forgive me of this as well.

I mentioned us finding common ground in Christ and you responded by writing:

That can only begin, Evan, with you making a credible profession of faith in a true, visible church of Christ in which you become a member and submit to the authority of Christ as he has delegated it to his appointed officers. Until then, it is impossible for us to have communion as brothers in the Lord, for you do not belong to his visible church. I will pray for you and ask the Lord to cause you to humble yourself to his authority very soon, and become a professing member of his visible body in the world.

I hope that the steps I have taken to publicly humble myself on my blog and to ask your forgiveness in the areas where I was wrong are enough for us to find common ground. For the time being, according to my conscience, I will still avoid church membership in the manner you describe and will, by my baptism and continual, public profession of faith, maintain my walk in Christ's visible church. Insofar as scripture allows, I will also submit to the biblical authority of those who have been appointed as undershepherds of Christ and take it upon themselves to disciple and guide me in my walk. I ask only that you would please teach me, from scripture, where I must become a member of a local congregation in the manner you have described to be a "professing member of his visible church in the world." Thank you very much and may God richly bless you and your flock.

Your brother in Christ,
Evan Bryan

Judge Orders Christian Convert Runaway to Return to Ohio - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

I last posted an update on the case of Rifqa Bary (9/5/09) who has claimed that her father will kill her according to the belief of "honor killing" which teaches Muslims that to kill a Christian covert is one of the highest honors a Muslim can receive.

Judge Orders Christian Convert Runaway to Return to Ohio - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com

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Laminin, the protein that holds our bodies together.

By Christ all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.

Watch the video:

The hand of God.

This is the Chandra Nebula. I believe it is a neutron star but, being in the shape of a hand, it is amazing to me because it reminds me of verse one from Psalm 19:

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. "

Is blasphemy humorous?

It is hilarious if Monty Python is making fun of it!



Interestingly, Jesus speaks of blasphemy in terms of being used against Himself and the Holy Spirit. He says in Matthew 12:30-32:

"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come."

To paraphrase, the definition of "blasphemy" given in The Complete Word Study New Testament book I own calls it, "defamation, reviling, evil speaking, railing and impiousness."

For comfort, it is impossible for one who is a child of God to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. A house divided against itself cannot stand and the Spirit has made our bodies its dwelling place (or house). The proof is given in 1 Corinthians 12:3 where it is written:

"Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit."

The best Obama counter-propaganda!

Never give up!

I wanted to give an update on my last post about my favorite chicken, Dot. She's able to stand up with a little more strength today and has, in fact, revealed her intuitive nature and desire to survive. Being immobile and finding it difficult to make it to the food dish she decided to conquer her problem in a direct manner.

She sat in the food dish! Go Dot!

She reminds me of a famous poster that I have seen many times of a Stork trying to eat a Bullfrog (not knowing the difference between species of animals in general and birds, reptiles and amphibians specifically, I would appreciate any corrections of the name of the species I labeled from whatever Zoologists, Ornithologists and Herepetologists who happen to come across this post).


This picture reminds me of Matthew 10:16 where it is written, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves."

So, even in a lighthearted manner, it is good to encourage those believers who come across this post. There will come (or has come) a time for many of us in this life when we will be called to persevere in the face of extreme trials and in the face of death. I have searched up some of the words of God and man that speak to the heart of these troubles. God bless!

Psalm 44:18-22

Our hearts had not turned back; our feet had not strayed from your path. But you crushed us and made us a haunt for jackals and covered us over with deep darkness. If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it since he knows the secrets of the heart? Yet for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.

Philippians 2:5-8

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature^a]"> God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Revelation 22:10

Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

My favorite chicken, Dot.

Proverbs 12:10
"A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal."


Chickens are such helpless and adorable animals. My friends got Dot around the time I came to know the Lord six years ago, so we both had our true beginnings at about the same time. She had very white feathers in her young years and one brown dot on a wing. Thus, she got the name Dot. She has always been one of the first to run over to me when I stop by to say hi to "my girls" and often lets me pet her. She does this hilarious low-crawl/duck walk as the presses herself to the ground and tries to waddle around under my hand.

About a year ago she developed a large growth on her left breast and we were worried she was going to die, but she is a trooper and pulled through. Sadly, it has come back and she can barely stand up to get to the food and water dishes. I try to hand feed her in the enclosure but the other girls are jealous and voraciously attack the food in my hand. I've had to pick her up and take her out of the cage while cradling her swollen bosom in my hand to keep her from hurting. She lets me sit her in my lap while she takes a few nibbles at the greens I give her and then she falls asleep. I wish I could heal her and keep her alive forever.

One of the younger girls. As you can see, she looks crazy and she has this very retarded, throaty cluck so I call her "Crazy-eyes McCluck."

It's so strange for me to feel so much emotion for such a "worthless" creature. I mean, it's a chicken for Christ-sake! Still, I'm so troubled by my own helplessness and inability to keep her safe and well. She's probably going to die in the next few days and I have to watch her do it. I have to watch as she struggles to come say hi when I visit the cage. She stands up on her wobbly feet and takes a step or two before slowly sinking back down to earth on legs that no longer support her greatly diminished and pained frame. It hurts my heart.

I've come to see life and death in a slightly different light during all of this. When I picked Dot up and gently cradled her in my arms I understood to a new depth of my being God's love for His helpless creation. He cradles me in His arms when I am weak, feeds me when I am hungry, nurses me back to health when I am sick and comforts me in my distress. Apart from my understanding, He loves me when He owes me no such thing in my broken and dying state. At the same time, I owe Dot no debt of love as she slowly winds down her brief dance of life to face the eternity of death. Yet, God, who has the power of creation at His fingertips is able to breath life into bodily frames that are suffering from death. He breathed life into me so that I could experience the hope of the life to come. How could I not love a simple and needy animal like Dot when God gave life to a simple and needy creature like me?

Ironically, in a way, a dying chicken has been able to teach me a valuable truth about life, death and my Father in heaven who has walked me through every step of my short, 27 year journey. I know that because He loves me I am heading toward a destination that will never fail to bring me joy and peace because I will be with Jesus who healed me from my sin and saved me from the judgment it deserved. I hope that you, too, can develop a love for all of God's creation simply because and amazing God created and loves it.

Immortal words that will preserve eternity forever.

These videos are the same sermon yet cater to slightly different tastes to convey the same incredible message!

For oratory with a beat that uplifts the soul with powerful imagery:



For comforting pictures and soaring music to accompany the words (unedited):



This one was showed in my church the Sunday after the fires burned through San Diego county in 2007. Some of those in the congregation had lost homes, outbuildings and belongings and were in desperate need of hope that does not fade:

Life advice to myself.

Strive to be content with what you have and determine what your goals are. You don't need to worry about everything tomorrow brings. All you really have to do is be faithful with what you have. The Lord has established all things from the beginning and will give you more as you steward His belongings well. He who is faithful with a little will be given a lot! Does that make sense? God wants His creation to be well-cared for so it's only natural that He would give more of it over to His saints who agree with His words that "it is good." Eventually, you and the saints will be given the entirety of creation to have stewardship over with Christ. Trust then that God will provide for your needs now. Don't be anxious! We are His portion and He is our prize!

How NOT to preach the Gospel (Part 2).

In my first post of this series (a response to Mark Driscoll's tirade against abusive men), I gave some reasons to why his method is not an effective way to preach Christ's forgiveness. After meditating on how to share the Gospel with Christians who live in unrepentant sin, and arguing with some who believe Driscoll's method to be spot on, I have developed my argument more fully.

Preaching should include law and gospel (sin and grace), but where was the gospel in what Driscoll said? I'm really troubled that there are so many men in his congregation that live the way he says they do. Still, scripture, properly applied, does not simply mean yelling at people from the pulpit whether you are giving law and gospel, or not.

It is appropriate for such men who continue to live in unrepentant sin to be cast out after they have been properly confronted. A little leaven leavens the whole loaf! On the other hand, why is he not yelling at the women who stay in such abusive relationships? They are in sin that is just as revolting. Yet, the bar seems to be set abysmally low so that instead of encouraging women to be healthy and wait for godly men, he simply yells at the men for being ungodly. So how do we properly confront such people (men and women)?

Consider Matthew 18:15-17 and ask yourself if Driscoll applies it properly.

"If your brother [or sister] sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."

That passage is directed towards individuals, is it not? The biblical way of pointing a man towards the grace of God is to direct him to see his sin through the lens of God's forgiving grace. This should be done firmly by showing him his fault while allowing him to know that he is still loved and supported. Importantly, loving support means that you do not accept a person living in destructive behavior. That being the case, you should send them from your midst when you gather if they don't repent.

If you preach sin and judgment without a gospel of grace and forgiveness you preach a crushing and unbearable burden upon the shoulders of people. Guilt brings death if it is not used to reveal God's love for sinners and forgiveness for them. I am concerned that many people who believe Driscoll was right in the way he addressed sin are suffering from unresolved and unrighteous anger towards abusive people.

The perfect wedding!

One day, we saints will all finally dance our way down the carpeted aisle and into Heaven to be united forever with the love of our lives and Savior, Jesus Christ. Imagine the clapping, cheering, shouting and overwhelming joy that will accompany us at that wedding feast when we are given our new names and uncorrupted bodies! The time is almost upon us when we finally realize how great of a gift God has prepared for us in His kingdom; we will get our first look upon the smiling and joyful countenance of Christ as He stands at the altar to receive us home as His perfected bride! A toast is in order, brothers and sisters, to our eternal reunion with our great and irresistible Affection!

San Diego public train transportation.

Bullet points:

- Spent four hours on four trains to travel a distance of about 100 miles (Escondido - Oceanside, Oceanside - San Diego and back).
- $3.50 one way pass from Oceanside to San Diego (At least $14.00 for tickets had I not gotten a free pass). Not sure of monthly rates.
- Met and talked with some very kind people.
- Scenery is beautiful.
- Costs almost as much as driving and takes far longer.
- Can really only be a leisure pursuit unless used to relax on the way to or from work.
- Car is FAR more convenient and will never be supplanted in any quantity without heavy subsidization.

God gives us a voice.

O Lord, you sweep men away in the sleep of death; they are like the new grass of the morning-though in the morning it springs up new, by evening it is dry and withered. We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. All our days pass away under your wrath; we finish our years with a moan. The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away. Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.

My face is red with weeping, deep shadows ring my eyes; yet my hands have been free of violence and my prayer is pure. "O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest! Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend. Only a few years will pass before I go on the journey of no return."

It is my witness; my advocate; my intercessor; my friend who pleads my innocence before God. It is Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation, who looked down upon my broken state and said, "It is not good that my child, whom I love with all my heart, should perish in his sins." It was tears of blood that He wept for me and it was His face that He set like flint towards His own destruction on my behalf. It was the breath of His Holy Spirit that He breathed into me that lit the spark of life in my soul. He is the twinkle in my eye and the spring in my step! He has opened up for me a path to my gracious Father. He has given to me a voice to offer sacrifices of great praise to our almighty God! Jesus is my voice for He is the rock of my salvation! May He be the same for you!

How NOT to preach the Gospel.

The video is Mark Driscoll shouting at the men in his congregation who have failed in their duties as men, husbands, boyfriends, etc. The motivational message he drives home is powered by the engine of guilt and lacking in grace completely. If he is preaching to unbelievers his message derides them because he is not allowed to judge those who do not claim the name of Christ. They live according to their nature. If he is preaching solely to Christians, he does not invoke the love of God that brings us to repentance. He is quick to condemn. Watch it:



I know that some men (and women) who watched this clenched their fist and shouted, "Preach it!" Do you not know that you are that man? What makes you the judge of your brother? Do you not need forgiveness just as desperately? Do not make the love you have for others a love of self-righteousness. There is no checklist that you can complete that proves that you are capable of showing grace and mercy towards others that you have not first obtained from Christ, yourself. The love we know has been taught to us by Christ alone and we boast in His love above anything that we can do.

Romans 8:1-4 states:

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

In a worldly sense, men are under a legal obligation to the women they marry. After all, they sign a document stating that they have declared their intention to honor and love their wife. Yet the legal obligation they are under according to the worldly law is dead and their duties are resurrected in the spiritual law as gifts of unmerited love (this law applies to the single man, as well). Is not the best gift one that is given with no desire for something in return? That is love, and it is the gift of God's grace to us. We can offer the Lord nothing of ourselves that is worth His undeserved gift of forgiveness of sins, godliness and eternal life.

We must not teach one another to obey the gospel out of obligation or else our obedience is a self-righteous work. Truthfully, obedience on our part means that we trust in the sacrifice of Christ and His righteous life of obedience. That alone encourages us to count others as better than ourselves. The godliness of a true Christian comes from a broken and contrite heart because Christ was broken for our sakes. It is a heart that is humble and quick to forgive because of the forgiveness we have received. It is one that is quick to ask for forgiveness because we live by God's grace. Take that to heart you sinful man and know that the love of Christ alone will teach you to love a woman properly. Christ loved you, sinner, in order that His mercy and grace would teach you to show mercy and grace to those who don't deserve it.

Now go out and speak the truth in love!

On the "Religion of Peace" from Instapundit.com

A few days ago, I attended a small lunch for Kurt Westergaard, the Danish cartoonist whose image of Mohammed with a bomb for a turban is the most famous of the so-called “Danish cartoons” that occasioned one of those periodic paroxysms of rage, mayhem, and murder among followers of the religion of peace.

The lunch was off-the-record, so I’ll just say that Mr. Westergaard, now 74, is a gentle, soft-spoken fellow with a wry sense of humor. I liked his definition of a cartoon as “an idea with a line around it.” He was on his way the next day to Branford College at Yale, where he spoke before some 65 Yale students and faculty. You won’t be surprised to hear that Mr. Westergaard deplored Yale’s decision to censor Jytte Klausen’s book The Cartoons that Shook the World by forbidding at the last moment publication of the cartoons and other artistic representations of Mohammed.

Rabbi Jon Hausman was at the event and, guess what, the “Yale community” was the opposite of welcoming.

“The crowd was hostile, Rabbi Hausman reported in an interview.

There were a number of self-described Muslims. Those who did ask questions expressed displeasure with Westergaard’s work. The questions from these people were repetitive. One person described himself as a mildly Evangelical Christian who lived for a number of years in a Muslim country working. Yet, he took what I call a dhimmi view in his question — how far can Westergaard go in his work before endangering Christians who live in Muslim countries? I found this to be the most disturbing question and attitude of all.

Asked for his overall impression of Yale, Rabbi Hausman was blunt:

Honestly, I would not send my child to any school where there is such uniformity and conformity of thought and attitude. I was disappointed at the inability of those in attendance amongst the Yale community to place responsibility for the violence that has transpired on those who manifest such responsibility. Westergaard drew, but it was the Imams from Denmark who took those cartoons one year after publication and whipped up violent frenzies, destruction of Danish Embassies in the Muslim world, threats to the physical safety of Danish personnel, violence against indigenous Christian populations. Every questioner seemed to want to misplace blame.

Further, it is clear that the university suffers from the malaise of relativist truth and the multicultural ethic. There are no universal truths any longer. When I was in college, it seemed that the point of education at the university level was to use the subject matter under study to encourage independent, critical thinking. Today, all truths are equal. I abjure this notion.

In the final analysis, I believe that the university is lost.

That sums it up neatly, doesn’t it?