Unballing my Fist

Doug Wilson nails it.....again.....in this article about how Christians are supposed to handle the little differences in scruples that we always seem to develop over issues that are not terribly important.

Pastor Wilson is so darn right about stuff all the time, it makes this ugly, prideful place inside of me want to punch a hole in something.

Bible Before CNN

Think back to the recent earthquake in Haiti. Do you remember the story of the 10 Baptists from Idaho who were arrested on charges of attempted kidnapping? They have all since been freed, with all charges against them dropped.

It seems that the news accounts that we were treated to in real-time as the story progressed were somewhat....ummm.....inaccurate? biased? calculated to make the Christians look like monsters? Take your pick, but they're all appropriate.

Here is the story from the Baptist Press, an interview with one of the folks who was involved.

The reason I'm posting this is because a couple days after their initial arrest, I was having lunch with a few local pastors, and one of them loudly proclaimed his disgust with the Baptist brethren involved. They obviously had no idea what they were doing. They were insensitive to local laws and customs. They were ignorant neophytes who had no business down there.

I was frankly shocked by this reaction. I said something to him like this (surely not a direct quote, but a summary,) "I think we need to wait a little bit. All we know is what the mainstream media is saying, and it's foolish to trust a single thing you hear from them. I mean, what kind of shape do you think the government is in down there in Haiti right now? I wouldn't be shocked to hear that the real reason they got arrested is because they ran out of money with which to bribe the official at the border, or something like that."

This pastor I was talking to is a prominent Southern Baptist pastor. I just couldn't believe he was so willing to swallow what the media was telling him.

Turns out, guess what? The Baptists were doing just fine, making friends with government officials on both sides of the Haiti/Dominican Republic border, and actually leading some to Christ, until a team from the United Nations showed up. Read the article. It's long but enlightening.

And you might consider finding a church to attend where folks believe the Bible before CNN.

Mad, Sad, and Convicted

This isn't anything you and I haven't already noticed (and been disgusted by) but at least someone nationally is starting to say it. The Muslim religion has become a protected class in the eyes of the Federal gummint. Where are all the loonies from groups like People for the American Way, protesting the fact that Islam is clearly on-track to become a government-endorsed, "established" religion in the USA? Being plagued with foolish and idiotic leadership is one of the most lamentable ways that God pours out judgment on a nation. We have met the enemy and he is....every ivy-league moron that holds power in America.

Also, here's a good (and brief) article from RC Sproul Jr and Ligonier Ministries, about how to deal with the phenomenon of Christians converting to Roman Catholicism.

Then, there's this short article here, spinning off of one foreign missionary's surprising experience of great laziness on the mission field by other American missionaries. I had never heard of anything like this before. It'll get your blood boiling...until the trap springs and your own foot is caught like mine was.

....and then You've Prob'ly Got some Work to Do

I'd like you to take a moment to read an article from Dan Phillips at the Pyromaniacs blog.

Before you do that, though, take this little quiz. How confident would you be if you had to stand up at church and give an answer to these questions?

1. Can you name at least half of the books of the Old Testament?

2. Can you name the books of the New Testament in order?

3. Can you even name the first five books of either Testament in order?

4. Can you name the Ten Commandments in order?

5. Failing that, can you name the two books in which they are given?

6. Where would you find the Sermon on the Mount?

I wonder how you think you would do? I wonder how many people at our little church would be able to avoid a failing grade on that quiz?

Now...go read the article.