In the latest of the secular left media, the attack on the Virgin Birth is a palpable tension within mainline denominations that have completely succumbed to "enlightenment" thinking. Seeing themselves as the most educated and most wise they dismiss everything that they don't agree with by the sweep of the hand. It cannot be so they say, why? Well it just cannot happen. But this isn't where I say, faith comes in and just forget about everything else.
In a way that would be doing the same thing that they are doing, wave of the hand they go away, this isn't about a "power" thing but a "belief" thing. If it was purely about "power" I think we would've already been outdone by the powers that be. This is the point of faith, it is not fully about what we see although we see little snippets, it is about looking at the full nature of the biblical testimony and applying our faith. Matthew says, quoting Isaiah, "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel." How many times does it need to be said? 3, 4, maybe 6 times?
Why would not believing in the Virgin Birth put you outside of orthodox belief? Well that would negate Jesus' divinity, it would instantly put him in the "good man" status that everyone wants to put him in. Cults, like the Mormons, try to reconcile the Virgin Birth through absurd, backward ways like God the Father having sex with Mary. I cannot make anyone believe that Jesus was born of a Virgin, if this is the first time that you are reading something like this I would suggest reading the first couple of chapters of Matthew and doing a study of how Messiah was to come into the world.
These are the times of the year when people try to challenge the beliefs of those who truly do believe in Christmas. Funny that the phenomenon making its way around the web right now is the flash concerts of Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, what would that be just singing to a good man? He is the King and he will reign forever and ever, eventually you must bow to His superior rule and kingship, either on this side of eternity or the other.
This is not simply a myth that is conjured up by the church and kept secret, it is the glorious nature of God's communication to us in real live flesh and blood. He is the Son of God and can only possibly be that through the miracle of the Virgin Birth.
(HT: Al Mohler, his are the main thoughts behind this)
...and He shall reign forever and ever!
Your boasting friend,
Tim
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
year of the gay? the old and new challenges to the Gospel
The Congress voted to repeal "don't ask, don't tell" from the article at the WSJ.com there is more to come.
My feelings about gays serving in the military isn't really the issue, it is the constant barrage that I must accept a lifestyle that is wrong, I must call it good. The other day we were looking out the window and a dog had come into our backyard. Our cat, being the curious type, sat in the crouched position and looked. He continued to look at the dog, who was female, and our daughter piped up, "maybe they have a crush on each other." We informed her that it is hard-wired into their system only to like their own kind and they look for the opposite, male or female. Because God did it and they seem to be okay with that, even to the point that they won't chase after each other in that way.
But this is the point of DADT and other views that the GLBT community seem to continue to barrage the American public with - basically - I'M OK! This is the point of the Gospel we admit our brokenness and then bring it to a God who hears. Continuing as the homosexual community is I would compare it to speaking louder to someone who doesn't know english. I think if there is something they haven't figured out it is that there is no interpretation to their lifestyle, it just doesn't compute to a majority of people. If I could convince any of my homosexual friends of anything it would be stop trying to claw your way to the top, surrender to the God who loves broken people. (Isa. 66:1-3) It seems to me there is an obvious link between the homosexual community and brokenness, believe me I talk to a colleague - who is gay - about his brokenness quite often. See here.
I feel that, as Kate Kendall said DADT "ignited a national conversation not just about the ability of lesbians and gay men to be good soldiers, but about the underpinnings of all sorts of government-sanctioned discrimination..." Could that start with marriage? Of course and here we go with another year of this being shoved out as the "most important" thing while millions won't even get the voice to say what they believe mainly the unborn.
So, I hope I'm wrong about this being the year of the gay but may I find the gospel in the midst of their poverty and my own poverty and may we reach together for the God who forgives those who repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
My feelings about gays serving in the military isn't really the issue, it is the constant barrage that I must accept a lifestyle that is wrong, I must call it good. The other day we were looking out the window and a dog had come into our backyard. Our cat, being the curious type, sat in the crouched position and looked. He continued to look at the dog, who was female, and our daughter piped up, "maybe they have a crush on each other." We informed her that it is hard-wired into their system only to like their own kind and they look for the opposite, male or female. Because God did it and they seem to be okay with that, even to the point that they won't chase after each other in that way.
But this is the point of DADT and other views that the GLBT community seem to continue to barrage the American public with - basically - I'M OK! This is the point of the Gospel we admit our brokenness and then bring it to a God who hears. Continuing as the homosexual community is I would compare it to speaking louder to someone who doesn't know english. I think if there is something they haven't figured out it is that there is no interpretation to their lifestyle, it just doesn't compute to a majority of people. If I could convince any of my homosexual friends of anything it would be stop trying to claw your way to the top, surrender to the God who loves broken people. (Isa. 66:1-3) It seems to me there is an obvious link between the homosexual community and brokenness, believe me I talk to a colleague - who is gay - about his brokenness quite often. See here.
I feel that, as Kate Kendall said DADT "ignited a national conversation not just about the ability of lesbians and gay men to be good soldiers, but about the underpinnings of all sorts of government-sanctioned discrimination..." Could that start with marriage? Of course and here we go with another year of this being shoved out as the "most important" thing while millions won't even get the voice to say what they believe mainly the unborn.
So, I hope I'm wrong about this being the year of the gay but may I find the gospel in the midst of their poverty and my own poverty and may we reach together for the God who forgives those who repent and place their trust in Jesus Christ.
Your boasting friend,
Tim
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