I would comfortably describe myself as a born-again Christian, but I don’t feel it is necessary to renounce anything.

I found the statement very telling of our times. Understanding context, he is saying I can be a Christian but do not have to renounce Catholicism. Is he not saying, I can be a Christian, but don’t have to renounce my sin, my past, my theological errors, the sins of my works? I can be a Christian, but do not have to die to myself, my past, my former way of life? I can be a Christian, but am not truly born again, changed from death to life, but have simply evolve and progress in my religion?

According to Scripture this is an idea entirely opposed to being born again. Paul certainly did not have this view about his former religion of Judaism. Galatians 2

15 We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; 16 yet we know that a person is not justified [1] by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

17 But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! 18 For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness [2] were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.

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“One day, this will be a matter of great embarrassment to you.” That’s actually all he said.

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Carl Trumen writes:

We can no longer assume our children will just agree with us on this issue; they are going to want arguments for holding that homosexual practice is wrong. We need to go back to scripture and sharpen our swords, so to speak, as we can no longer assume that the cultural bias will play our tune anyway.

Shepherd Press put out this article saying

It is true that the institution of marriage has been savagely attacked. But as long as the Lord Jesus Christ is King of Kings, it is not marriage that hangs in the balance. That institution will go forward because God has ordained it. What hangs in the balance is a nation that will openly flaunt the laws of the King of Heaven and Earth.

Kevin DeYoung gives his insight as well and concludes with some helpful instruction:

We must accept that no matter how hard we try, some people will conclude we are bigots, homophobes, and neanderthals for thinking homosexuality is wrong. Our goal must not be to stop people from viewing us in this way. We can’t control perceptions. Our goal is that those ugly perceptions do not match reality.
No gay jokes. None. It doesn’t help our witness and they’re not funny. Plus, the more we laugh at sin the more it gets normalized.
We must put away “hate the sin, love the sinner” and put homosexuality in the context of the Bible’s metanarrative of creation, fall, redemption, re-creation. This is one issue just screaming for the bigger picture.
We must be people of hope not despair. We know the Lord and he knows us. This is not the worst crisis in the history of mankind. Homosexuality is sinful, but God specializes in sin. Look at what he’s done with us.

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Romans 8
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

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From Michael Gerson’s article on the Brit Hume kerfuffle:

True tolerance consists in engaging deep disagreements respectfully — through persuasion — not in banning certain categories of argument and belief from public debate.

In this controversy, we are presented with two models of discourse. Hume, in an angry sea of loss and tragedy — his son’s death in 1998 — found a life preserver in faith. He offered that life preserver to another drowning man. Whatever your view of Hume’s beliefs, he could have no motive other than concern for Woods himself.

The other model has come from critics such as Shales, in a spittle-flinging rage at the mention of religion in public, comparing Hume to “Mary Poppins on the joys of a tidy room, or Ron Popeil on the glories of some amazing potato peeler.” Shales, of course, is engaged in proselytism of his own — for a secular fundamentalism that trivializes and banishes all other faiths. He distributes the sacrament of the sneer.

Who in this picture is more intolerant?

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AP:  Chicago The vote in Copenhagen was carried on huge television screens set up in the Daley Center to carry what many had hoped would be approval of Chicago as host. It had seemed so likely to many in a city still basking in the glow of hometown Sen. Barack Obama‘s election as president.

Instead, Chicago was bounced in the first round, bringing an audible gasp from the crowd. The elimination came so quickly that some would-be revelers weren’t sure what had happened and they asked bystanders if they had heard what they thought they heard.

Many stood for a few minutes, staring at the screens, and at least one flung his hands into the air in a crude gesture toward the TVs. Within seconds, people began filing out of the plaza.

“I’ve never really had a disappointment like this,” said Ken Rudd, a 33-year-old salesman from Evergreen Park. “This is one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen.”

As I read this I could not help but think of the passage from the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 7

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Losing an Olympics when you thought you had it is nothing to losing one’s soul when you thought you had secured it.  It appears to be there will be similarities in the reasoning.  Those on that day will want to prove their worth, what they had done and think that they deserve to be rewarded for the greatness of their reputation.

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Nicholas was born in the third century in Patara, a village in what is now Turkey. He was born into an affluent family, but his parents died tragically when he was quite young. His parents had raised him to be a devout Christian, which led him to spend his great inheritance on helping the poor, especially children. He was known to frequently give gifts to children, sometimes even hanging socks filled with treats and gifts.

While much of what we think of when it comes to Saint Nicholas is myth, it was interesting to read his true legacy.  The myth part has taken on a whole lure of its own, and John Piper reminds us why the true Christ child is the only hope in contrast with Santa Claus.

Again, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

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Christians, do not be overcome and discouraged today.  Christ sure victory over sin and death is as secure today as it was yesterday or in the 1950′s or in the 1800′s.  If anything let your zeal be inspired and increased.   First, we are reassured there are many who need Christ.  Second, God’s plans have not been thwarted, His kingdom will endure, He is at discouraged or stressed today for He knows what is to come so neither should we His children be discouraged or stressed today.  Go out and do His work, for it will be victorious!  As sure as the sun is rose, the Son reigns.

A few other observations:

• A record number of voters showed up to voice their opinions yesterday.  This election may be the best barometer during my lifetime of where my neighbors and fellow country men stand, of what is important to them and what is not.  Let this motivate us as Christians to realize how greatly our neighbors and country need to hear about and see the radical transforming power of Christ.
• The economy, by in large, drove this election.  Even among professing evangelicals this vote had to do primarily with their pocketbook and treasures here on earth (even for many who did not vote for President Elect Obama).  Abortion and morality were little talked about and of little concern to the majority.  This again shows the need of Christ, because money is ahead of morality.  It also ought to be a gut check for all of us:  are we laying up treasures here on earth or in heaven?

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The short answer: We used to be a nation of farmers.

The long answer: Congress chose November because the harvest was over and the weather wouldn’t be bad enough to prevent people from traveling.

Second, there is a good reason why we vote on Tuesday. It has everything to do with Church and the Lord’s Day:

As for Tuesday, people used to have to travel overnight to their polling location. (In 1845, horse was the preferred method of transport.) In an effort to avoid religious days of rest, Congress chose Tuesday, leaving Monday and Wednesday as travel days. Tuesday was voting (and horse-resting) day.

It seems we have moved a long way from where we started, as a society and as the western evangelical church. Not only did the church used have great respect for the Christian Sabbath 150 years ago, but so did the government!

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As Americans politics play into our lives and religion.  We have rights and responsibilities.  John Piper wrote a helpful article that I believe will challenge us to exercise our right to vote and help us as Christians to keep this upcoming election in perspective with God’s Word.

Voting is like marrying and crying and laughing and buying. We should do it, but only as if we were not doing it. That’s because “the present form of this world is passing away” and, in God’s eyes, “the time has grown very short.” Here’s the way Paul puts it:

The appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:29-31)

It is important that we, as Christians, do not forget about the moral issues at stake in the upcoming election.   Randy Alcorn has a thought provoking article on whether or not Abortion should still be an issue Christians keep as a priority when voting.

Every Christian should take these teachings seriously. Is the unborn an innocent human being? If you claim to be prolife in the historical meaning of the word, then your answer is yes. Is abortion the shedding of innocent blood, the taking of human life created in the image of God? If you say you are prolife, your answer must be yes. (Please do not redefine the meaning of the word prolife and say “I’m prolife” if you’re really not.)

So, is the candidate’s stand on the issue of shedding innocent blood important enough to disqualify him as a candidate? Yes. While a single issue can’t qualify a candidate, it can disqualify him.

He also links a video that is graphic but is helpful in understanding how much life is in an unborn baby and how many are being destroyed/killed.

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