Conservatism will never die

I know, I know it has been way too long since I last posted, and for all of you (3) that depend on my opinion to be your North Star for all things political you probably feel a bit lost amid the current influx of misinformation and purposeful cover-up by our 1st Amendment caretakers the Mainstream Media. Having just finished reading my 100th article, blog and/or op-ed concerning the "death" of conservatism I felt burdened to pass along my two cents. I posted a blog over a month ago (September 14th) that highlighted what Conservatism was all about and why the Left despised it so. I encourage you to scroll down and check it out because it really is a great description of what Conservatism is and why it is important in America. I also want to mention that as you read it you might think that I post-dated the blog because so many of the things that I wrote about have been brought to greater light through the hard hitting questions of one Joe the Plumber. Call me a prophet if you like, I merely call things as I see them and so far Sen. Obama has showed himself to be everything that I thought he was.

Strangely enough, however, this revelation has not had the effect that I thought that it would. To be honest with you I thought as soon as the American people heard Sen. Government say that he wanted to "spread the wealth around" that they would begin screaming from the hilltops, "NO!" Instead, many Americans seem either unaware of Sen. Obama's intentions to stifle incentive to live the American dream, or because of a hatred for the Republican party, have said, "So what anything would be better than the last four years!" To the latter I must say, yes we have entered a very difficult economic time, but do you not remember what happened 7 years 1 month and 14 days ago? And that since September 11th our nation has not been attacked? Of course National Security (the only thing that the Constitution demands our Federal Government do) has been put on the back burner for more immediate concerns.

Yet, in all the worry and concern over the future of the markets both here and abroad, many important subjects have been overlooked. I believe it's a matter of convenience for most Democrat voting people, but as someone who holds firmly to a Conservative ideology I see it as dangerous. Remember 50 years ago when the primaries started? What were some of the big issues then? Well you had the debate over the Surge going on. Liberals wanted to fight over who opposed it the most, and what a horrible decision going into Iraq was in the first place. Well guess what? The surge worked, the divisive groups in the Anbar province have coalesced, and the Iraq army is finally fighting back insurgents effectively. Oh, and I must mention that the Iraqi government seems also to be getting their act together which has helped tremendously. In other words the Democrats were wrong on one of their biggest issues during their primary.
How about another important issue? Illegal Immigration. Remember that debate among the Democrats? It seemed like the winner of the debate was the one who wanted to give the most to these illegals who had crossed our under-protected borders. I must admit that GOP nominee, John McCain, is not the strongest on this issue, but I digress. Our need to protect ourselves from those coming into our country unaccounted for continues, but I guess this point goes too closely to National Security, therefore it really fit into the current narrative of the general election.
And what about the tough questions on abortion or gay marriage? Abortion hasn't been an issue since the Saddleback Forum which Sen. Obama did horribly at (remember the "above my pay grade" comment concerning when life begins), so I guess the moderators of the other debates decided to not put him through the ringer any more on that topic. Gay marriage hasn't been really talked about this time around because not as many states have it on the ballot this year as they did in '04. (This could also be a bad sign for Republicans because many think this issue helped turnout the Christian vote for Bush in that election.)

So, with one week left in this election why even attempt to bring up these issues? Well, I guess because in electing a president I think there are a plethora of issues that need to be considered before one casts their vote for one candidate or another. That is why throughout my life I have done my best in understanding all things concerning the Conservative philosophy of government. Admittedly, I first became a Conservative because of the abortion issue, but Conservatism goes a whole lot further than just the Right-to-Life. And ultimately this is why I think Conservatism will NEVER DIE. Yes, there are many people today who are so displeased with the current happenings in Washington that they look for someone to blame, and with George W. Bush, a Republican, being the one sitting in the Oval Office he and his party is an easy scapegoat. Sitting at home the other morning I was watching a reporter interview a voter in one of the battleground states in this year's election. His thoughts, "why not give the democrat a chance?" Now, I could go on telling you why not to give THIS democrat a chance, but it seems that enough Americans share the sentiments of this voter that Sen. Obama could admit to being a Taliban operative and it wouldn't matter this year. (Note: I do not think Sen. Obama is a member of the Taliban or even a Muslim so please don't focus on this one piece of anecdotal humor)

Finally, let me say that to the disgust of many in the Mainstream Media Conservatism has not failed. I do think that it has been misrepresented by the current administration and not adequately explained by the current GOP candidate. But remember in four years there will be another election, and in four years Americans will have the chance to ask themselves, "Am I better off than I was four years ago?" If an Sen. Obama presidency lives up to its promises, I believe the answer will be No, and that Americans will once again see why it is Conservatism always wins out when it properly explained by a competent candidate who understands its fundamentals. Sen. McCain still has a chance with a week left to change the minds of many Americans, and I believe that he can. However, I believe that he only will if ultimately he finally becomes the Reaganesque candidate he once claimed to be, instead of the aisle crossing moderate he thinks he needs to be.

Thoughts on how Christians should be looking at the current economic crisis

On Dr. Al Mohler's website today he has a post on "A Christian View of the Economic Crisis". Here is an exert:

...
No economy is perfect, but the American economy remains a marvel. The present crisis is an opportunity to rethink some basic questions and restore trust. There are no easy ways out of a crisis like this, and no painless solutions. Yet, would you trade this system for any other?

This current crisis should also remind Christians that we are not called to be mere economic actors, but stewards. Everything we are, everything we do, and everything we own truly belongs to God and is to be at the disposal of Kingdom purposes. This world is not our home and our treasure is not found here. We are to do all, invest all, own all, purchase all to the glory of God.

Finally, this current economic crisis just might help Christians to focus on another issue -- retirement. Where in the Bible are we told to aspire to years and decades of leisure without labor? There is nothing wrong with saving for what the world calls retirement. Indeed, that is just good stewardship. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with workers enjoying the fruit of their labor. But Christians should think of retirement as an opportunity to be redeployed for Kingdom service.

Today's crisis in the financial system should not be a threat to the long-term health and vitality of our economic system. There is cause for concern, but no justification for panic. Rather than hit the panic button, spend that energy thinking about how Christians should glorify God in our economic lives. We should watch the developments and debates in Washington and New York with interest, but we should investigate our own hearts with even greater urgency.

I think Dr. Mohler is one of the most brilliant minds in all of Christianity today, and recommend that you read the post in entirety here: http://www.almohler.com/ . His thoughts bring a clear perspective on what we are facing as individuals and as a nation.

The Church in America part 4: Corporate Worship

Putting the evil of politics on hold for a while, I want to go back to a series I started a few weeks ago about the Church in America. I want to deal with the topic of worship in our churches today, and how I feel that too much is being made over people's opinion and not enough on what the Bible has to say. Church growth gurus and marketers have turned the church into a coffee shop, bookstore, come as you are, irreverent gathering in my humble opinion. Now, I know those are strong words, but look at how churches try to attract people today. It is appalling the lengths some will go to just to make their church look better than all the other ones around them. I read a blog the other day that mentioned a church starting up in a town that sent out cards that asked the question, "Does you churches music s*ck?" Of course the church brochure didn't even have the decency to put an asterisk in the word on the mail out. Now, what type of church leader would ever think that would be an effective way to get the attention of the people in his area to come check out his church? Probably some young 20-30 something who thinks the church is full of a bunch of old people who need to get out so that more young people will show up to have a good time. I feel this not only is a sad commentary on the leadership of the church, but also a neglect of a biblical principle of the older generation teaching the younger. But, in our society today "old" is viewed as being out of date and lacking in attraction. "New" is viewed as being relative and impressionable. Is this what we think of the church, too? We need churches to be "hip" and "cool" so that people will show up? What about the Gospel? Do we need to change it too so that people will come to our churches? Many have today and in the process are leading many people astray. They think they have eternal life, but they do not. Why? Because of a war between culture and doctrine. Can the two co-exist? Yes. Should our churches forsake thousands of years of history so that people will feel more comfortable? No.
Contemporary music is not inherently evil, but the idea behind it leads to a pragmatism that I don't think the scripture allows. I know me being more of a regulatory principle guy skews my view, but why do we think just because the scripture might be silent on something gives us permission to do whatever we want and claim it as a Freedom in Christ. Whatever happened to erring on the side of caution in our corporate gatherings? Should not our focus be on uplifting Christ, even if that means putting personal preference aside to make sure that is being done?
At the church I pastor we don't have "special" music or choral music. We do this because I feel scripture directs us to corporate worship that lifts up God by the participation of the whole. When you put your focus on one person or a selected few it is harder to put your thoughts on God and not the "talents" of the performers. We also only sing hymns, because I feel they do a better job of saying what the scripture says, and not simply focusing on individual worship. If I had my way completely I would only sing songs that mention "us" and "we" (focus on the whole) instead of songs that use the words "I" or "me" (focus on the individual). I would also change songs that mention "I" and "me" if they are good hymns that should still be sung but with more of a corporate focus.
Why go to all this trouble? Because I think we need to change the mindset that many in the church have today. We live in a world that is fit to our needs. "Your way right away" is a motto many in America live by, and think the church should, too. But the Church was built on the Rock, Christ. It is not ours to mold into something we like at the time, nor should we let the unsaved tell us what they want. I mean where does it stop when all we are concerned about is satisfying the consumer instead of giving Praise to the Father? Let's make our churches TRUE sanctuaries of worship by making sure we are focused on the Father first, faithful to the scriptures second and thirdly, concerned with the worship of the whole instead of the glorification of a few. And this goes for all secondary matters in the church because music style, wardrobe, and architecture should be the last thing dividing the church when people are questioning the authority of Scripture, unsure of the definition of marriage, and when parents have forsaken their responsibility to teach their own children the Word of God.

Why Liberals despise Conservatism

Conservatism is a political philosophy that stands for low taxes, a small central government, personal responsibility, strong military and takes a pro-life stance on abortion. Conservatism has been around for a while but was made popular by President Ronald Reagan in the 80's. Today it seems that Conservatism is being treated like the plague by those on the Left. They don't like its stance on any of the issues that Conservatism was built on. The Left today sees no reason why people should take responsibilities for their bad decisions and the role of government should be to take care of the people in a way that is at best borderline Socialism, and at worst full blown Socialism. From the Left's view of "sharing the wealth" to "socialized health care" they feel that in a country as exceptional as ours that no one should have to be on the short end of the stick. However, what the Left doesn't take into account is the fact that in America everyone truly has the right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". Now, there have been times in our brief history as a nation that we have not been willing to give all of the citizens of this country a fair chance, but I do not think you can say that applies anymore. That is not to say that racism nor sexism does not exist in our country today, but as we look around and see a black man as the Democratic parties nominee for president and a woman on the Republican ticket we have come along way in a short time.
In other words Democrats hate Conservatism because it is for everything they are against. Conservatism goes against their secular humanistic world-view. Conservatism promotes capitalism, a free market economy, and personal accountability for all your choices. If someone chooses to not take advantage of all the free opportunities given to people today, then why must the rest of us bail them out? This is not the role of government! If anyone should be helping out those in need it should be the church or the local community those in need live in, but never should it be the national government. The Left's understanding of the role of government comes from a skewed view of the Bill of Rights and what people are entitled to. Yes it would be nice if everyone in America had health care, but this is never something the government should make the rest of America pay for. It would be nice if there was no lower class or homeless people in our country, but because people have fallen on hard times it doesn't mean that our government should hand them money.
The American Experiment, as our Forefathers described it, was established so that people could live in a country free of religious, economic, and governmental tyranny. By putting more control in the hands of the government on all these issues we have lost our identity and integrity as a Republic. The only answer in getting it back is to give more power to the people. The only way that can be done is by making government smaller, giving people back more of their own money, and making them responsible for all of the choices. Conservatism believes this and so do I. This is why the Left despises it and why they try to distort it and tear it down any chance they get. Sure, Conservatism has been given a bad name by some lately for their lack of sticking to Conservative principles and ideas, but this doesn't mean that Conservatism has failed. What is needed is a return to these principles that so many in this country truly desire no matter what any media member or politician has to say.

What do you think of the tone of the '08 Campaign?

I recently have been troubled by the turn in the tone of the '08 campaign. I think the latest two commercials by the McCain camp and the latest ad by the Obama think tank do nothing to further the much needed debate on the real issues at hand. "Lipstick on a pig" is an old line and the only reason it went so far was because of the recent use of lipstick by Gov. Palin, and the reaction of the audience when Barry used the colloquialism. The commercial about the freshman Senator from Illinois supporting "sex education" for kindergartners when he was in the Illinois state senate could be an effective ad, but it is so vague in its desription of what Obama really voted for that many might just take it as a smear ad. Then you have the recently aired ad by the Obama campaign saying things about McCain's age that basically comes over as age discrimination. The ad mentions that Sen. McCain does not use email which is smart by people in his job field, or the one he is seeking, because you never know when someone might want to subpoena your emails to support their conspiracy theories.
All in all though I just wish that both of these campaigns would just get back to the issues at hand. My main reason for taking this position is because I feel that the conservative Reaganesque platform that McCain is running on is best for our nation in these difficult time. Being someone who makes barely enough to pay all the bills that come in monthly, I have full confidence in the Republican presidential candidate to turn things around and get out of the way and allow the market and the economy to fix itself. On the other hand the Democratic candidate wants to put more of a burden on those that can successfully help our economy and ad taxes to an already overtaxed business sector. His promises of cutting taxes for "All Americans" is an out an out lie. 40 percent of the American population do not even pay income taxes so why are they getting a tax cut? (Which in reality is a tax credit that sends money back to people including those who don't pay income taxes which is welfare) Also, why he needs to brag about putting more taxes on the upper 5% in our nation is beyond me. Isn't this exactly what Clinton did (plus raising taxes for the middle class) that caused us to be heading into a economic downturn when Bush first took over in '01? How can we add jobs to a nation when the businesses are being so heavily taxed they can not afford to hire more people? How can we compete in a world economy when new businesses starting up in America will be subject to these tax increases as well? More jobs will go over seas and more people will be without employment. This is the truth whether or not the Obama campaign believes it. Of course this might just be what they want so they can get four more years to fix what they will say was really Bush's fault. All in all I see it giving them more and more excuses to take us closer and closer to Socialism instead of remaining a Republic that believes in Capitalism.
So now tell me what you think? Do you agree or disagree with what I have mentioned about political ads or the issues? Let me know and let's get the discussion going.

My letter to the Editor's page of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette

The Unenlightened win again:

Let me first say, "Thank you" for interviewing Dr. Mohler on the occasion of the release of his new book Atheism Remix. I am a big fan of Dr. Mohler's. I read his blog daily, listen to his radio show online when I have the chance, and even attended the Together for the Gospel conference he spoke at earlier this year in Louisville, KY. I plan on getting a copy of this book as soon as possible. Dr. Mohler seeks to put forth intelligent Christian conversation on many issues today that many “Evangelicals” have neglected to think on entirely, or have given over to a quasi-secular world-view philosophy on these issues.
Secularism as well as Atheism is growing rapidly in our country today. One of the main reasons is because to think things through in a Biblical or God-centered way is viewed as simple mindedness or possessing a lack of genuine intelligence by many of the "Cultural elite". That’s why Gov. Palin of Alaska was being eviscerated earlier this past week by the MSM. “Certainly no one alive today with half a brain could truly be this conservative in their world-view,” was basically their main criticism. Not until she took the stage and proved herself to be an intelligent, well spoken, even comical woman was she approved (as if she needed it) by those who had so harshly criticized her nomination just days earlier. Of course, the more liberal side of the Democratic Party still found ways to besmirch and demean her no matter the fact that well over 50% of Americans thought her to be quite charming after her speech Wednesday night.
Now, my purpose in mentioning this is to show the great gulf that has divided conservatives and liberals in the last twenty to thirty years in this country. Never would I say that a member of a certain political party is or is not a believer. That would be too self-righteous and pharisaical of me, and I would be falling into the same trap that others have in recent days. But, the difference between secular and non-secular is there and it is becoming more and more obvious each and every day. This is why the Democratic Party is having such a hard time of holding on to the base they say they are fighting for.
Middle class America holds to a non-secular world-view and is having a hard time committing to a party that supports a pro-choice, pro-gay/homosexual marriage, socialistic agenda. They may not like the current administration, the current economic downturn, or the stereotype of the GOP in general, but they are having an even harder time voting for a platform that at its core is secular in nature and policy. This is why on November 4th another Republican will be voted into the Oval office because people in the real world cannot go along with the secular world-view the Left has given over to in efforts to separate itself from the rest of the “unenlightened” in our day.

A slam on Community Organizers

The fact that many people are using Gov. Palin's comment about Sen. Obama being a Community Organizer as backlash attack on her is ridiculous. The only reason why it was even brougth up in her speech is because since the day she was nominated for the Vice Presidency the Obama campaign has been belittling her role as a former Mayor of a small town. (Comments on that below) In no way was Gov. Palin detracting from the important work of community organizers, however you have to be blind to see that there are BIG differences between being the Mayor of a town and being a community organizer.
The biggest distinction comes in one (a Mayor) being elected by a constituency to hold public office, while a community organizer is part of a group of non-elected people coming together to solve a social issue. Both can, and are, very important to the growth and development of their own respected towns or communities, but in comparing the two only one is an actual public office held by an elected official for executive purposes. And to me that is the point that is actually being made by the GOP. One should not besmirch the work of any individual or group trying to better their own area or the people that make up the surrounding community, but when talking about qualifications for holding the highest executive office in our country executive experience is important even if it's at the smallest level. Of course though we know that GOV. Palin's experience as an executive does not stop on the smallest level but continued on to the highest level of her state, the governors office of Alaska.
So please, let us not deal with such minutiae when it comes to political bloviation (thank you Mr. O'Reilly for that word). Instead let us wade through all the pandering and empty promises and elect people not on their orated words, but on the basis of their merits.

Gov. Palin speaks out

Gov. Sarah Palin finally got her chance to speak out last night against all the criticism that she has received over the past week since her surprising VP nomination by Sen. John McCain. Her speech was one for the ages in my humble opinion, and I feel it more that adequately introduced Gov. Palin to the nation. Here is her speech if you haven't had a chance to watch and listen to it, or if you just want to relive the excitement again:



I also want to know your opinions on Gov. Palin's speech so please tell me what you think.

Experience only He can believe in

I just heard this on the radio and had to pass it along. Barack Obama just came out with the big difference in his lack of experience versus GOV. Sarah Palin's perceived lack of experience. Check out his statement:

“Well, my understanding is that Governor Palin’s town of Wasilla has, I think, 50 employees. We’ve got 2,500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe $12 million a year. You know, we have a budget of about three times that just for the month. So I think that our ability to manage large systems and to execute I think has been made clear over the last couple of years.”

Now, I am a fan of comedy and this statement is filled with great comedic value. First of all why is the Candidate of change trying his best to show his experience over the VICE-Presidential pick of the GOP? Doesn't he know that he is running against John McCain? Or are he and the rest of his left-wing cronies so scared to death of the Governor of the great state of Alaska that the feel they have to try their best to belittle a great VP pick by Sen. McCain. Way to take your eyes of the prize Barry. Second, do you notice that there is no mention of the fact that she actually ran, and is running, a STATE. A state which by the way has a very significant role in our countries energy interest. But, Sen. Obama feels no need to mention that part of Gov. Palin's EXECUTIVE qualifications. May be he thinks if he just doesn't mention it American will forget about that and actually buy into his nonsensical reasoning. Thirdly, staying with irrational reasoning, does this statement actually make sense to anyone else out there? Seriously, I want to know. Not so that I can berate you or anything, I would just like to know how a man as smart as Barack Obama could buy into such unsound judgment as to think his presidential candidacy in any way compares to Gov. Palin's holding the highest office in the state of Alaska!
See, this is why I could never get into politics. If any opponent of mine tried for one second to come at me or one of my supporters with such insane notions as these, I think I might have to correct the error of my opponent with such strong language as, "YOU IDIOT" or "ARE YOU INSANE" or "SERIOUSLY THIS GUY IS LEADING IN THE POLLS." But go ahead and tell me I am wrong. Please show me why this statement didn't deserve the response that it got from the McCain campaign.

“For Barack Obama to argue that he’s experienced enough to be president because he’s running for president is desperate circular logic and its laughable. It is a testament to Barack Obama’s inexperience and failing qualifications that he would stoop to passing off his candidacy as comparable to Governor Sarah Palin’s executive experience managing a budget of over $10 billion and more than 24,000 employees,” said spokesman Tucker Bounds.

There it is folks. Change you can believe in? Only if change means rejecting logic for made up perceptions. By the way my next post will be on "Why I believe in Unicorns". What that's a bad idea? You mean I just can't say that they are real and people believe me? Well I guess that's reason number two I shouldn't run for public office. Until next time....

JG OUT

9 Marks September/October E-journal

Today 9 Marks has come out with their new ejournal for the next two months and it covers a great topic, Parenting. Not only do they take a Biblical look at parenting, but also an indepth look at how we as Christians should be raising out children inside and outside the Church. I think that this would be a great read for anyone who has kids, is thinking about starting a family or hopes to one day get married and have children. (as the Bible tells us to do, multiply!) So enjoy and tell me what you think.

JG

9 Marks website:
http://www.9marks.org/

An Election of Change?

Politics time....Now I can feel the excitement coming off the page as you read this blog. You are so curious to know my opinion on this upcoming election. Many of you are desperately anticipating what I have to say about this ultra important, world changing, economic improving, aisle crossing election. So let me begin with this....Nothing will change come November 4, 2008! The world will not collapse, the stock market will not implode, and God will not burn America to the ground; nor will peace on earth be achieved, climate change be reversed, all the trees cut down in the rain forrest regrow, or the dollar suddenly overtake the pound. Now why do I say this? Because, I am tired of all the talk about change, Washington being broken, and the other party across the aisle being the spawn of satan and failing horribly to do their task. Do I think that these things are not true? NO! But do I really think that all of our hopes hang on either one of the candidates presented to us? Nope, can't say that I do. In my humble opinion, and please feel free to disagree I want to spur some conversation here, no matter what happens real change will not come to America because we elected the first minority president or because we elected an old moderate Republican. Change will only come, politically, when we begin to hold our representatives responsible for the way in which they represent us. This is the key in my opinion and something that the American people have not done for sometime. We have stood idly by while those in Washington have misspent our tax dollars, convened nonsensical inquiries in the goings on of sports teams, and conducted themselves in inappropriate behaviors that no leader in their right mind should be involved in. That's what needs to change. And all the pandering to constituents is just blinding people to the reality.
However, we the people are the ones ultimately to blame for all of this. This government was put into our hands and we have failed to keep it intact the way our original Founding Fathers hoped we would. I am reminded by a quote of Benjamin Franklin when asked by a lady about what type of government he and his fellow writers had been drafting for the people and he replied, "A Republic, Madame, if you can keep it that way." And sadly we the people have not. We have sold out to a secular idea of democracy that does not promote the common welfare, but only those who are on welfare. We have demanded the rich share their wealth, and killed our free market economy. This is not the government for the people by the people that was established just over 200 hundred years ago and may never be again if people do not start taking responsibilities for themselves and their behaviors and not wait on some entitlement program to bail them out for their not having retirement saved up, medical bills paid, or health care for their young. This is not the job of a Republic. Sure in some countries the job of providing all these things is left up to the government, but if I remember my history correctly we were in a Cold War with these types of governments because they were Communist and oppressed their people to the point that there was no class system, no chance for advancement, and if they wanted to take your 3 year old daughter away and make her a gymnastics star then they were free to do so because it might just put some extra money in your pocket that I assume would be quickly taken away by the governments heavy tax burden.
Now I do not mean to sound harsh but have the words of the Preacher in Ecclesiates gone totally ignored by us to not see the cyclical nature of what is going on around us. By saying we want more "freedoms" what we have done is given ourselves over to big government, outlandish spending, a dept that would make any homeowner feel good about their impending bankruptcy. No, the change will not come in November, it will only come when We the People of these United States of America decide that we want moral ethical leaders, who rule their house and family well, and are as good stewards of our tax dollars as they are their own incomes. And until we demand and receive this type of leadership our country will continue to suffer and we will continue to feel deceived by those we have elected.

Finally, let me say that as a Christian my hope is not in any government whatsoever. The kingdom I serve is the one not of this world, but the one that is here in part now and will be fully in time to come. It is here now in the hearts of all those who truly profess and live in Christ, and will fully come at His return when there will be a New Heaven and a New Earth. While I am here though, I will respect and honor those in authority over me, and earnestly pray for them. But my allegiance is to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and that is why I can say that I am not at all worried or concerned with who becomes our next president because I know it will be the man God has to either bless us or condemn us.

The Church in America part 3: Preaching the Bible

It is time now to get back to the series on The Church in America. Last time I wrote about the role of scripture in the church from a theological standpoint. This time I want to show how practically this should be done in the local church.
The first thing I would like to do is to take a look at some verses of scripture that will help us get a Biblical view of the purpose for the scripture practically in the church. The text is found in 2 Timothy 4:1-5:

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Here, we see what Paul felt was the most important piece of advice he could pass on to his "pupil", Timothy. His great advice, "Preach the Word"! Now, it does not get any less complicated or simple than that. The duty of the pastor in the church is to "Preach the Word", and we know that because this whole section of books, The Pastoral Epistles (1&2 Timothy and Titus), is written by Paul through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to tell pastors and churches what the responsibilities of the office of pastor should include. Then he gives Timothy this charge to preach the word.

Paul even goes so far as to tell why it is so important for Timothy to do this. Verse 5, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." Is this not what has happened in the church in America today? Have people not developed "itching ears" because they want preachers and pastors to tell them what they want to hear, what will "suit their own passions"? Certainly! However, it is not that people have developed "itching ears" that is the problem though. The problem is that too many pastors, preachers and churches have pandered to these people and have forsaken the charge given to Timothy by Paul, to grow larger churches that in the end do not preach truth but whatever it is their listeners desire to have told to them. Which usually is something along the lines of "I'm okay, your okay", "How to get your best life now" or some type of "health and wealth" gospel that will send more people to hell than give them any opportunity for hearing and responding in faith to the truth of Christ.

Understand that the reason Paul tells Timothy to do this is because he had already experienced these types of people from the Judaizers in Jerusalem to the immature Corinthians to the legalistic Galatians. He knows that even in a time so close to the life of Christ that people were already finding ways to distort the true Gospel for a gospel they found more convenient or easier to hear and there by live by. But how are churches and pastors suppose to do to combat this hostility and ignorance to the Truth? "PREACH THE WORD"! Preach Christ and Him crucified. Preach with conviction and passion the Cross of Jesus. The bottom line is that somewhere along the way you will offend someone with something you are preaching whether you mean to or not. And if you are going to be offensive, you might as well offend people with the Truth of the Gospel than any thing else. Now, I do not say that to be crass or pessimistic, but I say that as the truth, and for those fellow pastors out there reading this you know exactly what I mean. Also notice that Paul even anticipates this happening, and that is why he tells the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1: 10-30 that the Gospel is "offensive to some and a stumbling block to others".

Finally, it is my hope that as the church and pastors get back to a more Bible centered preaching ministry, they will also get back to Expository preaching as their main mode of preaching. First, let me say to this that I know there are different styles of preachers and preaching out there today, but I feel as far as pastoring goes there is no better way to communicate the "whole counsel of God" to your people than by doing it expositionally. There may be times that God calls you to preach a more topical or contextual sermon to your people, based upon their needs or your concerns on any given Sunday, but mainly I feel we should preach more often what the Bible says about itself than what we think, feel, or assume the scriptures have to say about Christ, the church, or even culture. Secondly, I think attempting to preach expositionally drives a pastor to study his text more and his Bible more so that he can be better prepared for feeding his people. Proper expository preaching takes time and effort to get the hang of. A preacher must know his text back and forth, know the original language or meaning of the text to the best of his ability, and know what the historical and cultural implications were for the people the text was originally written to. This takes time, prayer and much consideration to do, and I think will benefit the church more when they see their pastor making a strong effort to feed them properly. Thirdly, expositional preaching gives you no wiggle room when it comes to preaching what the text says. Why was the Reformation so important? Because of a lack of faithfulness to the scripture by Rome. Why, only a few years ago, was it believed that certain people should not be evangelized based solely on the color of their skin? Because of a lack of faithfulness to the scripture by many preachers in the South. Why is it today that so many people think that it is more important to be concerned with environmental, cultural and political topics than the Gospel? Because of a lack of faithfulness to the scripture by liberal preachers in America. You see, the church in America is not in such disarray because of what is going on culturally, socially, economically, or politically; but because we have abandoned preaching the word expositionally and our people do not what God has to say about our situation today. We just have to go back to studying and preaching the Word and take it for what it says literally to see these things.

However, I know that expositional preaching is not an end all and be all for the church, yet it is a very good place to start if you are a pastor trying to make the Bible the focus of your congregation. Which is what I pray our churches would be all about: Making the Holy Word of God and the glorification of the Father our aim as we preach, sing, and pray together on the Lord's Day!

Lessons from England

Well I just want to start out by saying, "Thank you" to all of you who prayed for the EIM team and I as we traveled to Coleford, England last week to do an Overseas Bible School (OBS) for Coleford Baptist Church. The trip was great and for any of you our there who have the disposable income to travel abroad I highly recommend going to the Forrest of Dean on the border of Wales and England. It is a beautiful place with gorgeous scenery and great historical sites as well.
As far as the purpose of our trip is concerned though we, in our opinions, had a very successful bible school, or "Holiday Club" (that was what the church in Coleford called it). With England being a country in a post-Christian culture we really didn't know what to expect as far as attendance and participation during the week, but we found the church there in Coleford very exited about the possibilities of what the bible school might help do for the church there. Sunday we found out that 33 children had preregistered for the Bible school and when Monday morning arrived we had 45 4-12 years old for our first day. We also very quickly realized that we were dealing with children who really knew very little of the scriptures as well as the Gospel. Altogether for the week we had a high day of 54 children, but probably saw around 75 different children during the week. It was a challenging week for me personally because I helped teach the 6-8 year old class and it gave me the opportunity to condense the Gospel into a way that each of them could understand the truth of Christ. I was very careful though not to water-down the importance of the Gospel, nor their need to except it, and even with some "constructive criticism" I felt that most of the children got a faithful presentation of the truth of their need for the righteousness of God in their lives, through the sacrifice of Christ, because of the sin they have inherited and committed that separates them from God. We did have one profession of faith while we were there but only God knows and time will tell the impact that we were able to make there through the teaching of the Word of God.
Let me say here a BIG THANK YOU to the members of Coleford Baptist Church, your hospitality during the week was better than any of us could have asked for. Also, I want to say Thank you to Pastor Peter for allowing us to come into his church and teach in our awful American accents. Also, I want to thank Peter and Leslie Richardson who opened up their home to my Father and I. We had great conversation, breakfast, hot tea, and a warm bed everyday and it was truly a blessing being in their company. Finally, I want to thank the members of the EIM team for their great work. Chad and Jai Stephenson did a tremendous job with the older group all week, and Chad even found out that he could play the guitar well enough to help me lead the children in music. Andy, Tamie, Kelsey, and Eric Rogers were also a tremendous family to have with us. Andy and Eric did puppets during the week, Tamie taught the 6-8 year old class with me, and Kelsey did a fantastic job of teaching the 4-5 year old group. My sister, Julie and my Dad, Mike (our fearless leader) also did a great job during the OBS. Julie took on the huge task of doing the crafts with the children throughout the week and they loved everything they were allowed to make, color, cut, and glue all week long. Dad did a good job as well of motivating us to never lose sight of what we were there to do no matter how discouraged we got. Finally, (I know I said that already but I really must include this) the BIGGEST THANK YOU of all goes out to John and Fiona Cooke, our dearest of friends there in Coleford. Our relationship with them started just over four years ago in a very providential way and has become a friendship that goes beyond words. John and Fee put their lives on hold for us for an entire week, and having two young children that is no small feat, to make sure that we were taken care of at all times. I love them from the depths of my heart and could never truly put into words what their relationship means to me. They truly are my Brother and Sister in Christ, and being away from them for these last few days has been excruciatingly painful. I miss them, I love them, and I hope that somehow I can see them again very soon.
Quickly, before I go today I want to also say one word about the overwhelming need for us as Christians today to be faithful to tell others the Gospel in a way that leaves non-believers no doubt about where they stand before God and their need to receive the Gospel immediately upon this discovery. On the plane to Birmingham, England I read the book The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever. It really was a great help to me in preparing me before hand to be confident about how I felt the Gospel needed to be taught and delivered so that all of the children that I came across would have a clear understanding of what the Gospel really is. I recommend this book to anyone struggling to be a faithful witness for Christ in these difficult times. Too many times today, as I have already wrote about on this site, it seems that people are more concerned with acceptance than telling others, "the hope that is within them." Peter makes it clear in his writings and by the statement I just quoted of his that there will come times that people will ask or we will be motivated by the Spirit to tell them what it is that has set us apart from them and filled us with such great joy. And when those moments come we should not be lacking in our evangelism of the Gospel, but we should be bold knowing that we are the ones who hold the key to the Truths of the Kingdom. No one will ever come to faith by simply being a friend of a Christian, a participant in a church, or a worker in a Bible school unless someone they know to be a Christian tells them how they can become a believer. And this is the way it should happen. Christians should be unashamed when it comes to explaining what it is they believe in and hold to for their salvation, and not overly concerned with what sharing that message might mean for their reputation or cultural acceptance. Stephen, Paul, Peter, and the list could go on and on were not worried about what sharing the True Gospel to others might mean for their lives here on this earth. That's why all of them died doing that very thing. Oh, that we would long more for the everlasting joy of our eternal home than for the fleeting moments of pleasure this earth has for us.
Would you do me a favor this week and pray along with me that we would be a more faithful people in sharing the Gospel? I by know means am perfect in this work and I need your prayers of support to make me more aware of the times and chances that God gives me to share my faith each and every day. Let's also pray that when those opportunities come that we wouldn't shrink down in our telling of the Gospel, but that we would be bold and courageous and tell others the truth of their need to Go to Christ and to Him alone for what they need in salvation. We are not kept here as Christians to get into debates about Global warming, political elections, or any other non-Kingdom concerning conversations we find ourselves in periodically. We are here to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ. We are here to Evangelize, Baptize, and Catechize until the Lord calls us home and can say to us, "Well done my good and faithful servant!"

The Church in America part 2: The Role of Scripture in the Church

It's time now for the second post on The Church in America. Last time we looked at what the word "church" means literally and how that should lead us to view the church, or better yet behave as the church. Quick note: I say that we are the church because, as the saying goes, in the OT (Old Testament) God had a Temple for His people, but in the NT (New Testament) He has a people for His temple. The church is not a building but it is the people of God. That was something that you may have gotten from the first post if you read between the lines, but something I wanted to state clearly to start out this second post. On to the new post....

With us being a people saved by Grace alone, by Faith alone, through Christ alone, separated from the world by God and filled with the Holy Spirit; we now have a lot of responsibilities to this God who has so freely justified us. One of are main responsibilities besides looking and acting like a pilgrim or sojourner in this land is to be a faithful people to His Word. Therefore, the most crucial point to a church being healthy, God-centered, and truly worthy of even labeling itself a church is how is handles the Holy Word of God. That said, the rest of this post will be dedicated to lifting up the importance of having the Bible front and center in all we say and do in our churches.

The Bible is the most sacred document ever written. That may seem like a bold statement to some, but to most true Christians it really should be a "no-brainer". Everything that we are as Christians comes from our understanding of the Holy Writ. At least that is the thought. However, too many times today our morals, ethics, principles and world-view are not shaped by how we view the scripture, but instead it is shaped by experiences, peer-pressure and what the world tells us is acceptable or not.

Think about this for a moment. 66 books make up the Holy Bible, 39 OT books and 27 NT. The Bible took over 1500 years to write by over 40 different men on 3 separate continents, and yet through all that time and distance the Holy Scripture has ONE central theme: Righteous God Uniting Himself with Unrighteous man Through the life, death, and resurrection of His perfect Son. Now that is amazing! Of course there are many who deny this theme or any notion that the Bible has any true importance at all, but Christianity has always come with its detractors, and when this happens I just think of the words of the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 1:26-31, "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

The next important point to make about the Bible, which is really the most important point, is that is an Inspired book. Now by inspired I don't simply mean inspired in the since that say an athlete gets inspired emotionally to go out and compete in his/her respected sport, nor do I mean the way a song writer might be inspired to write a song or how a certain song may inspire its listener. What we mean when we say the Bible is inspired is that it is actually God-breathed. Read the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy about this point, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17) Paul was not the only one to make this claim about the scripture though. In Peter's second letter he makes it clear that the Bible comes from God, "And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:19-21) Also, later in the letter Peter even goes as far to tell the people that Paul's writings were inspired by God as well. (2 Peter 3:15-16)

This point is very crucial to the Biblical story because if the words of the Bible are not Inspired or God-breathed then you cannot make the case of the Bible being Inerrant. Which goes right along with it being inspired because if the Bible comes from a Holy perfect God then surely His Word must be Holy and Perfect as well. A belief in inerrancy and a clear understanding of this doctrine are both very important for Christians to get a good grip on today, because it seems like once again the battle over this is being fought in many places. Now there is much more I can say about this, but this is running long so let me sum everything up.

The main question we must ask after considering all the information given above is, "If we see the scripture for what it truly is The Holy Inspired Inerrant Word of God, then how should we handle its content?" This is the question the church must be asking herself in these pragmatic/ ultimate truth denying days. The scripture must become central in all we do. As I heard one preacher recently say, "we must sing the Bible, pray the Bible and preach the Bible" in our churches. And if we do that then certainly we must be a people who follow the Bible. Not just some of it either, but all of it. It must become "a lamp to our feet and a light to our path". We must quit living by cultural dictates and whims and start living by The Word of God. The Bible message is plain and the proof is clear, today more than ever our churches must become Bible-centered places of worship or else we will lose the fight in rescuing the church in America. Don't misunderstand me though, the church will be victorious in the end the Bible is clear about that. It just might not be the church in America participating in the victory because she has put away her Sword and traded it in for the poison of cultural relevancy.

The Church in America

For my first "REAL" post I thought I would start the conversation going with thoughts on the church in America today. This first post will have several parts to it, and I will try to keep each segment as short as possible. (like around 1,500 words HA HA!) There are many areas we could start with like the condition of church members, the styles of services, the preaching that comes from many pulpits, and how churches hold their members accountable. We could also look into topics like the church's role in society today, how involved it should be in politics, and how we should go about engaging the culture. All of these are great topics and will be discussed in some form along the way but I thought I would start today with more of a Theology of the church to kind of get us going.

The church was started by Christ during His personal ministry when he first began calling disciples to himself. This is evidenced by the Matthew 18 passage when dealing with fellow believers who have fallen into sin, he tells His followers to take it to the church if they have not responded to individual or group counseling on the matter. Of course, we know that the church became fully functioning and active at Pentecost, where 5,000 were added to her number.

But to get even more specific, why the word "church". For those that don't know the word "church" comes from the Greek word "ecclesia" meaning an assembly. More particularly this was a common word in the Greek world because for most Greeks the ecclesia represented what we might call today a type of City Council. These were people who had been elected by a group of people to represent them in meetings to discuss what needed to be done for the betterment of the town. So, why does Christ desire to use this word when beginning to build His ecclesia of believers. Well I believe the answer is obvious because what Christ intended His ecclesia (church) to be was a body of elected (called out/saved) people coming together to do His and the Father's work. That is praying; reading the scriptures; giving of tithes and offerings; singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; and finally caring out the Gospel (The Good News) to the rest of the world.

My reasoning for beginning here is that I think today the church has lost sight as of what it initially was even brought together for. She was not brought together for coffee and donuts (not that having coffee and donuts is wrong but that's not her main concern). She was not called together for big productions that entertain the masses. She was not brought together to fix all of the social misfortunes outside her doors. ( I know this is a hot topic so I will clarify my stance on this later) What the church was called out to do was and still very much is the work of God. It was called out to minister to the sick, it was called out to preach the Gospel, it was called out to observe the ordinances, it was called out to be a light in a dark world.

Why people today have such a bad view of the church in general today is because we have not looked like a called out people. We instead have distorted the words of Paul when he said, "I have become all things to all people so that by some means I may save some..." into thinking that we have to lose our true identity in Christ for a more worldly image. In doing this we have lost the first importance of what the word "church" even means. We no longer resemble a peculiar people set apart by God through the death of His Son. We no longer resemble an assembly of Christ followers coming together to do His work for the Glory of God. Instead we look like ( and by that I mean act like) the very people we are suppose to be set apart from.

It's interesting to note that when Christian got to the wicket gate and began his journey on the narrow path that he was first given new clothes that would set him apart from the others he might meet on his journey. This helped him remember that he too had been set apart from the rest of the world, and it also helped others to see that he was in some ways different from them. Now, I am not saying that we all should wear only white garments everyday (even though I do prefer only white dress shirts with my suits, hmm), but the purpose it does serve is in showing us the importance of being a people who have been genuinely set apart.

For the church in America today I believe that this is the first step in rescuing our lost reputation. We must look like a people and act like a people who have been called out, separated, and saved from the rest of the world. We are the ecclesia of God and should be a people about His business.

Welcome

Dear Reader,
Well, this is my first post on my brand new blog site, and man am I excited. First let me start by introducing myself. My name is Jason Goodwin, I am married to the beautiful and vivacious Jessica Goodwin (formerly Jameson) my wife of almost 6 years now (July 20th will be our anniversary), and we have two beautiful children. Kennedy Claire is our oldest she is 3 years old, and she is the big sister to our son Cooper Wade (Wade is in honor of my grandfather on my mother's side) who is looking forward to his first birthday in August. We live in Sherwood, Arkansas a suburb of sorts to North Little Rock. ( It truly is better on the North side) It is here that I pastor Cherrywood Baptist Church a small baptist congregation right off of Kiehl Avenue in Sherwood. We have lived here for almost 4 years now and have enjoyed our time in Central Arkansas.
Now to the purpose of this blog. I have named it "A 21st Century Pilgrim" because in reading John Bunyan's great work The Pilgrim's Progress I have come to see more clearly the path that I am on as a professor of Christ, and realize more and more the greatness of the path that Christ has set me on. Now please don't misunderstand me. I am not over hyping the experience of the journey that I am on as a Christian over the final destination or the ultimate truth of what Christ has done in my life through his death and resurrection. What I am merely trying to do is show the goodness of God in my life through all the trials and tribulations that He has put in my path to point others to His Grace and Mercy that flow from Calvary. So while this blog is about my experiences as a Christian, husband, father, pastor, and son. It is also an avenue for me to communicate Biblical truth to the those who might stumble across this blog and find it worth checking out.
Finally, let me give you a brief warning. I am an opinionated person, and I love sharing my opinions with whomever will listen. Also I love debate (healthy debate that is) and getting the conversation going on any numbers of topics. The things that will be discussed in this blog will range from Religious to secular, from politics to sports, from local issues to world wide issues. I am not a journalist nor do I pretend to be, but I do enjoy sharing my convictions on certain things and hopefully through that we can start some good conversations. So, I hope that this first post finds all of you out there doing well and living for the Glory of God, and if not then it is my prayer that God's Glorious Grace would give you comfort and guidance as you too progress on your pilgrimage.