This Blog Has Moved

to Wordpress.

You can find it here: www.coramdeo2.wordpress.com

Thank you!

Soli Deo Gloria,

Larry

Tolle Lege!

Tolle Lege means "take up and read!" A book you should take up and read is Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris.

I've only read several chapters, but I heartily recommend it. While the book is intended for teenagers, people of all ages can benefit from it. The information they present applies to all of us, especially those of us who used to be teenagers - like me!

It's subtitle is "A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations" and it's worth the price and a read.

Alex and Brett have a great website, too. Chrck it out here.

A Thought on Blogging

Blog entries are a rough draft, a first version of someone's thoughts - in this case, mine.

They aren't meant to be formal papers or essays, necessarily. I wouldn't turn any of my posts in to a theological journey for review or publication. They aren't usually formal declarations. They'll probably contain errors in language and logic.

What these blog posts are is a first-draft record of some of my thoughts (praise God not all of my thoughts - I don't want everything going out into cyberspace). Take them for what they are, which goes for every other blog out there, too. In other words, don't be too harsh (which can happen to me when I forget that no specific blog post contains all of someone's thinking on an issue, just part of it).

Something to think about.

Turning the Tables

Atheists usually ask the question, "How can God exist when there is so much evil in the world?" There are variations, but that's the basic question.

We should do our best to answer that question, but so should the atheist. They should be asked, "How do you explain so much evil in the world?"

We have an answer. Atheists don't. In naturalistic Darwinism, which most atheists are committed to, there is no purpose for evil. The atheist also doesn't have any moral basis for calling anything evil or good because naturalistic Darwinism cannot explain morality.

It's time to turn the table on atheists. Sure, we'll try to answer the question, but so should they.

Quick Take on "I'm spiritual, not religious."

I heard that statement again last night. After someone asked me if I was a Christian, they made it plain they were not, however they were "spiritual."

That statement has bothered me as long as I've heard it. What does it mean? It's too vague and ambiguous to have much of any meaning at all.

Botton line, the people who say it:

1. Want the benefits of religion without any of the responsibilities.

2. Want to be able to pick and choose what they like and leave the rest behind - like a giant religious buffet.

That's my take, anyway.

"In Christ Alone"

In 2001, Keith Getty and Stuart Townend wrote and published a song called "In Christ Alone." They probably didn't know that it would become a classic hymn of the church. It's in my "top five hymns of all time" list. We sang it in church last Sunday and I was reminded of just how good it is. Here it is:

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all -
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fulness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid -
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death -
This is the pow'r of Chirst in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home -
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

This hymn never fails to bring tears to my eyes - the realization, that is, that it is only because of Jesus Christ and His finished work on my behalf that I can stand in His presence. Deep theology wrapped in excellent music. What more could we ask for?

Just Wondering

Did Jesus ever ask, "What Would I Do?"

See Ben Stein's Documentary

A group of us from school went to see Ben Stein's documentary Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed on Monday. It's an excellent movie and I highly recommend you see it (and take some people with you).

The movie is a documentary-style investigation into the systematic persecution and banishing of anyone who dares to support or even say a kind word about Intelligent Design (a strong challenge to the accepted and politically correct view in the scientific community - naturalistic Darwinism) by those in the media, academy, and even the government.

Expelled is fair in it's presentation, unlike Michael Moore's practice of ambushing the subjects of his interviews. It raises awareness about a problem Stein sees as serious (I agree) and issues a call to action at the end. The call to action featured a nice touch (and a nostalgic one) when Ben asked, "Anyone? Anyone?" That, of course, is a flashback to his role as an Economics teacher in the move Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

Richard Dawkins, one of the atheists interviewed, got under my skin. I found myself wanting to yell at the screen that I thought his line of argumentation was a complete pile of garbage. At least he was honest - I'll give him that. It was fascinating, though, when Stein asked several questions of Dawkins that moved him from total certainty that God does not exist to possibly about half certain. Dawkins also admitted that he thought life on earth began because a more advanced and intelligent (!) alien civilization "seeded" it upon earth. It takes a lot more faith to believe that than it does to believe Genesis 1:1. Dawkins is a fool (see Psalm 14:1 and 53:1).

It seems clear that the science establishment has changed the definition and practice of science. Naturalistic Darwinism is the only answer one may come to - nothing else is allowed. That's not science, it's propaganda and indoctrination. It's as if you can come up with any answer you want regarding the origin of man and the universe, except one (that God had anything to do with it). That's like a police department investigating a murder and being told by the District Attorney, "Arrest the person the evidence points to, except not if it's the Sheriff's son." Ridiculous!

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed probably won't win any awards, is not a romantic love story, doesn't have a car chase, and doesn't have special effects that will knock your socks off, but you still ought to see it. As one interviewee says, this is a worldview issue and the stakes are high.

Right Square in the Forehead

Luke 16:10 just hit me right square in the forehead. After I had answered a phone call from a guest about the time of our continental breakfast, I was hit with the realization that I need to answer every call the way I just had - with politely and pleasantly.

I remembered what Jesus said, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much."

I've referred to that verse several times in my Bible classes this year, but it didn't strike me the way it did last night.

To be honest, I see my job at the hotel as "a very little thing" - something not all that significant, a means to the end of a paycheck. But if God is to entrust me with more, I need to be faithful in the "very little thing."

I understood that concept before last night, but the Lord brought it to my mind suddenly and made its application very clear.

May I be faithful in the "very little thing" and trust God for the "much."

A very bad, terrible, horrible day

That's what yesterday was. I dealt with a loud, hostile, and verbally abusive man for nearly 45 minutes at the hotel. He was not a guest and I had to call the police to have him removed. To top the night off, my truck was broken into sometime during the night. I spent the whole day getting it taken care of and missing a day of school in the process.

The past 15 months have been hard - very hard. Right now, God's providence is mainly dark, but there are several bright rays of light - school, a marriage that's still intact and good, friends, and a good church.

Life is hard and God is good. They're both true, but the second one seems hard to see sometimes (in all honesty). Although I don't believe it's true, I understand how some may think that difficult times are a punishment from God.

Faithfulness to God is required of us, but it's never easy. Pray for us.