Explosion

A news blurb on Al Mohler's radio show was interesting.

A new report shows Christianity in China, which has undergone severe persecution, growing at an unprecedented rate. If you want to know the extant of Chinese persecution, check out my link to The Voice of the Martyrs. Dr. Mohler cited an interesting figure. Some reports sate there are as nanny as 70 million Christian in the Communist state. FYI, that's as many members as in the Communist Party. In fact, some reports even state members of the Communist Party are converting. to Christianity.

That last part of the story about bowled me over. Communism hasn't been friendly to Christianity. In fact, Communism has murdered more people than any other regime in world History, many Christian martyrs.

One reason given for the conversion rate is Christianity offers a moral bedrock Communism cannot.

Talk about taking the Gospel to the gates of hell. Christ's own words come to mind here. "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail."

The Ancients

Our church is doing a three week series called The Ancients.

Each week, Pastor Harvey is preaching a sermon delivered by an early Church father and giving us some background information.

Last week the sermon was from Ambrose. It amazed me the relevance of these pieces of ancient wisdom. As the Good Book says "There is nothing new under the sun."

Here is the link to last weeks sermon. http://www.calvarytulsa.org/Home.mvc/The_Ancients

I hope Harvey plans on doing series like these in the future. They are worth the time to listen to them.

New Mower

Since my older mower is not working, we are in the market for a new one.

We don't have a large yard so I couldn't justify spending a bunch of cash on a gas powered mower. Plus, with the rising cost of gasoline, I wanted to save money where I could.

After shopping around I broke down and bought a cheap, push reel mower. Now, let's get one thing straight, I'm not trying to go "green" nor do I think using my gas mower is going to send earth into a global warming holocaust. I just want a worry free, quiet, non gas guzzling mower. WW, who does not mow tried her hand on the front yard and loved it. I mowed the back yard and it looks great. It's more work but hey, I've got a gut, I think I can use the exercise.

As long as I don't let my grass get overgrown, I think it will work fine.

Good Christian Music

Anybody who's known me longer than fifteen minutes knows I dislike most modern praise music. I have several reasons. The constant repetitiveness, lack of depth, the me-orientates where much of this music focuses more on what God can do for us instead of praising him for who he is and his saving us from sin just to name a few. Even the performance of this music in church is me-oriented. I can tell you how many times, even in our own church, the lights go off, the spotlight goes on, and we are treated to a mini concert where a music minister sings a solo. Whatever happened to corporate worship where the ENTIRE body of Christ is edified through singing theologically rich songs? Before I go on, I know there are some praise songs that are worth singing just as there are some hymns concerned more with feelings than theology. I'm just giving a general description.

The me-oriented, happy-clappy, 7-11 (7 words sung 111 times), 7-up (Seven words up on the screen) music has caused me to become disillusioned with modern worship. I began thinking only good Christian music is music from the past. In my mind, gone were the Martin Luther's, Charles, Wesley's, Issac Watts, etc. What was left was music more akin to cotton candy than meat.

Not anymore. Several weeks ago I was introduced, through listening to Al Mohler, to songwritters who add much to modern Christian music. If you are like me and have become tired of the same ole same ole, give Keith and Kristyn Getty a try. You have probably heard of some of their songs. One of their most famous is the wonderful hymn "In Christ Alone" The first time I listened to the words, I commented to WW, "These words sound like they belong in one of the great creeds".

Here is the youtube link to the Getty's. Go down the list and listen to their songs. http://youtube.com/results?search_query=Keith+and+Kristyn+Getty They also write with another great songwritter Stuart Townsand

I've learned a valuable lesson. Hymns aren't dead and there is modern Christian music that includes ancient truths worth listening to.

Silver Platter

A couple of stories on KFAQ this morning. If handled correctly, these are sure to hand the election to the Republicans on a silver platter.

The first story involves oil. President Bush (about time) is going to lean on congress real hard to get them to approve drilling off shore for oil. For those unaware, oil is what is used to make gas. You know? The stuff that's hovering close to $4.00 a barrel; in other places much higher.

Not to be outdone, Nancy Pelosi is coming out against the measure saying it sounded like more rewarding the oil companies.

If I were a Republican, I'd jump all over this story. For once, hold the libs feet to the fire. Make them accountable for refusing to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, especially during a time of war. Put it real simple to the American people. Those not voting for domestic drilling and petrol production are putting the agenda of radical environmentalists above the needs of families striving to make ends meet. Even Amnesty John is warming up to the idea of off shore drilling. Come on Republicans, stop playing nice with the libs and make them answer for their votes or lack thereof.

The second story involves Barack Obama's view on Public Terrorist #1 Osama Bin Laden. If captured, he states, OBL should be brought to the United States to receive a fair trial in our civilian justice system. I guess military justice and a hanging OBL from a gallows wrapped in pig skin is too much for Mr. Obama/Chamberlain.

I hope Republicans use this story to show the obvious lack of experience the Democrat candidate has on foreign policy. Somebody please remind Senator Obama our enemies aren't a gang of misunderstood youths needing correction. These terrorists, who murdered three thousand Americans on 9/11, are possessed by a satanic hatred of all things western. Theirs is a violent, bloodthirsty religion who will stop at nothing in conquering the entire world for Islam. If we put OBL on trial here in the states, we might as well paint a bull's eye on our country for every homicide bomber. My gosh, we've already put ourselves in enough danger with the stupid SCOTUS ruling giving constitutional rights to terrorists, how much more danger would our country put itself in bringing their leader here for trial?

These are issues real Republicans need to take note of. Real conservatives need to push the RINOS out of the way and work hard showing a difference between liberals and themselves.

But, in the past, Amnesty John has shown a disregard for conservatives. I honestly would not put it past him to, even with these issues handed to him on a silver platter, put his dislike of real Republicans above winning the White House therefore making these two issues missed opportunities.

I sure hope I'm wrong.

Unintended Consequences

There is an absolute in this world. When laws are passed (I'm referring to idiotic laws) unintended consequences occur. I was reminded of this while calling my cell phone provider.

My invoice has always been easy to read even without my glasses. Well, I take a look at my invoice and the print is twice as small with less pages. Calling Customer Service, I find out the company is trying to "go more green" and so they wish to print less pages by making the invoices double page, two pages on one piece of paper instead of one (and making it MUCH more difficult for me to read)

At my work, to help prevent "global warming" all vending machines lights are turned off. Mother Earth will be saved, but me, a lousy, carbon footprint making, harmful to the beautiful earth, killer of trees and animals, is unable to see what is in the vending machines for purchase or the prices.

Yeah I know, I'm being selfish but like I told the rep at my cell phone company, God CREATED the earth and we humans, though entrusted with its (notice not HER) stewardship, are its keepers. In other words, trees, animals, natural resources, and other gifts God, not earth gave us are OURS to use for humanity's good.

I don't think my desiring larger print or wanting to see what is in the vending maching is going to send "Mother Earth" into a "global warming" holocaust.

Thankfully I was able to get the billing print reset to the normal larger print.

Any way we can have some serious adult oriented ecological common sense measures?

What the Hell are we Fighting For?

Why are we fighting in Iraq? What's the point?

This isn't some anti war screed but my question remains. Also, why are our service men and women putting themselves in harm's way killing or capturing ememies of our country only to see them awarded "rights" by the Supreme Court of the United Stated?

Thursday in a 5-4 decision SCOTUS declared terrorists had the same constitutional rights you and I enjoy as American citizens. For the first time in our nation's history, not only do we have to Mandaraize captured combatants, we have now bestowed certain rights to enemies of America. Rights, I might add were NOT bestowed on captured Nazi and Japanese POWs and war criminals

I can't believe I would see the day where members of our highest court would deal such a blow to our war effort. Furthermore I can't believe SCOTUS would simply discard not only rulings from other courts (including their own) but our Constitution as well. but, hey, they have been doing this going on forty years.

I guess if we lose the War on Radical Islam, it won't be because we were outfought, it was because of the liberal elites at home.

God only knows how this will affect the security of our country.

My question remains. If we have no support from leaders sworn to protect and defend the constitution of the United States, what the hell are we fighting for?