Some of those in favor of the mosque project say that America is about freedom of religion and to oppose the mosque is to oppose freedom.

In true political form, Barrack Obama has come out for and against the building of the $100 million Islamic cultural center and mosque.  At first he seemed for it, calling it a constitutional issue, and then he backed away saying, “I was not commenting and I will not comment on the wisdom of making the decision to put a mosque there….” whatever that means.

I want to look at it from a different point of view.  It is at the least “politically incorrect” and “insensitive” to build this thing.  Even if only a minority of Americans opposed it (and I doubt that it’s a minority), this project is, indeed, offensive to a large number of people.

Understanding the politically correct garbage–I mean–philosophy, let’s examine the current debate in New York City around Ground Zero.  Perhaps the Muslims have some right to build a cultural center a few hundred yards from the single most horrific act of war against America in history.  Perhaps the Muslims building the mosque are good and honorable, and love to watch football on Sundays like the rest of us.  Either way, it is offending the daylights out of me and thousands of other Americans.  And if I have to bow my will to the politically correct in the inconsequential and trivial, then they should bow theirs to mine in an area of such remarkable controversy.

I wonder how many building projects have been voted down because they were insensitive or politically incorrect, yet this project goes forward.  Think about it.  Every year, some small town decides to no longer erect a manger scene at Christmas–I mean–the holidays.  Every year some community changes the name of its school team from “Chiefs” to “Indian Persons” or whatever, but we are going to build a mosque on the grave of dead Americans slain by Muslim terrorists?   This is crazy.

Forget the moral issue for a minute.  Forget the constitution for a minute (everyone else seems to be doing that lately anyways).  The people building the mosque should just give it up of their own volition as an act of “political correctness” and “sensitivity.”  If they won’t give it up, then some politically correct pressure should be brought to bear.  Can we take these Muslims to sensitivity training?  Should we make them watch some videos on the subject of “tolerance” and “diversity?”  Don’t they realize the pain they’re causing?

Am I right in thinking that most of the standards of political correctness govern relatively unimportant matters?  For example, we have been told to replace words like “Merry Christmas” with “Happy Holidays” and “handicapped” with “physically challenged.”  My beloved University of Syracuse had to change their name a few years back from “Orangemen” to the “Syracuse Orange,” so they wouldn’t be offensive to the Orange women out there (I’m not making it up).

How about religious tolerance?  Why have the politically correct required us to curb relatively unimportant references to the Christian faith?  Because such references, such displays, such actions, might OFFEND or otherwise upset those who aren’t Christian.  Most American Christians have obliged, willing to be tolerant and respectful, even at an apparent cost to our unique Judeo-Christian heritage and cultural identity.

The logic used by the politically correct seems to go something like this:  What you say or do may upset someone of a different background, so be careful not to be offensive.  Even though America is FREE, it is also a place where people are GOOD and KIND, so we are asked to use our freedom carefully.  Exposing a Jesus Hallmark figurine to a co-worker may force him into therapy, so we have been urged to keep the figurine in our desk drawer.  Maybe when no one is around, we can fondly sneak a peak at it.  After all, that is the sensitive thing to do.

The issue before us has the potential of causing a great deal of heartache to some good people.  If mentioning Christmas around an atheist may cause him to grimace, then what is building this mosque going to do?

Don’t build the mosque.  Do I think it is wrong?  Yes!  But even if it were right, it is offensive, and don’t we have a rule against that?

According to the report, “Employees at the Kennedy Airport air-traffic control tower are under federal investigation for apparently allowing a school-age kid to give directions to pilots.”

This doesn’t seem like a good idea to me. I love children. And I know my ten-year-old son is pretty smart. I think he just finished memorizing his multiplication table and he may have finally mastered what a pronoun is, but directing air traffic? I think someone should at least be able to drive a car first.

Maybe this is really a sample of what’s going on in our country. At every level people who don’t know what they are doing, are directing the “air traffic” of national policy. You think I’m being partisan? Our president was the least experienced viable candidate of the election season. He has appointed a large number of academic types who lack real world experience. He, personally, has accomplished nothing outside of the political world.

Just consider the following statements (taken from About.com) made by our President over the last couple of years:

Obama told a Portland crowd that Iran doesn’t “pose a serious threat to us”–cluelessly arguing that “tiny countries” with small defense budgets can’t do us harm– and then promptly flip-flopped the next day, claiming, “I’ve made it clear for years that the threat from Iran is grave.”

“The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries.” –Tampa, Fla., Jan. 28, 2010

“UPS and FedEx are doing just fine, right? It’s the Post Office that’s always having problems.” –attempting to make the case for government-run health care, while simultaneously undercutting his own argument, Portsmouth, N.H., Aug. 11, 2009

“Come on! I just answered, like, eight questions.” –exasperated by reporters after a news conference

“What I was suggesting — you’re absolutely right that John McCain has not talked about my Muslim faith…” –in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, who jumped in to correct Obama by saying “your Christian faith,” which Obama quickly clarified (Watch video clip)

“I’ve now been in 57 states — I think one left to go.” –at a campaign event in Beaverton, Oregon (Watch video clip)

If there are kids flying planes at giant airports, it may be just a sign of the times and may just be a great example of what we’re doing as a nation.

How old is our president, again? Can we get the FAA to investigate him?

(By the way if you want to see some more funny things said by our president, visit http://politicalhumor.about.com/od/barackobama/a/obama-isms.htm). They’d be even funnier, if he wasn’t running our country.

I wanted Cower.

I wanted a wrecking crew.

I wanted a master architect.

I wanted BIG change, and I wanted it NOW; but what I got was Buddy Nix, a GM promoted from within the organization, and Chan Gailey, a retread head coach. Could I ever be happy with this? How could I accept it? Well, somehow I have.

I feel like the poor kid down the street from the expensive mansion. I see the fancy car, and I wish I could have one. I spend the afternoon leaning on my hockey stick admiring the shiny paint and tinted windows. But when mom comes home with the second hand bike, I’m still pretty excited about taking it for a ride.

Why?

Reality is a strange thing. And reality for the Bills is pretty bad right now. The big name head coaches who could work near miracles won’t even drive down our street. Shanahan wouldn’t come to Buffalo. Cowher wouldn’t come to Buffalo even for 10 million plus a year! Jon Gruden (at least rumor says) rejected an offer. Jim Harbaugh and a slew of other coordinators wouldn’t come. My wife’s Aunt Rose even said, “No!”

Sure, I wanted a brilliant, experienced coach and a top-notch personnel guy all in one package to come and recreate the Buffalo Bills in a brilliant whirl wind. Cowher, Shanahan, and Gruden could have done that. But, the fancy car won’t park at One Bill’s Drive.

I think we have a nice used bicycle in Gailey. He has won as a head coach. He has won as a coordinator. And I have to face it: he’s the best we were going to get.

Can Nix, the new GM, and Gaily, our new coach, create a playoff ride? Maybe not, but I’m hopping on and hoping for the best.

People not in tune with Christ, run after the beautiful, the talented, and the accomplished only to find that the heroes, the American idols, of our day only disappoint.

Tiger Woods appears to be just another example of what the world earns for refusing to accept its only worthy hero, Jesus Christ.

Tiger had it all. He was it all; but now this “produced” image of gold has crumbled. With a reported 12 or more mistresses Tiger Woods appears to be yet another disappointment to even the reprobate.

According to a recent article published by the Associated Press:

“Tiger Woods was different, or so he seemed, with his unmatchable talent and carefully burnished image. Unlike some pro athletes, he had welcomed being a role model. He was, it turns out, too good to be true, and his fall from grace calls into question the very idea of sports hero worship.

‘No one has approached this level of perfection on and off the playing surface, maybe ever, without a single blot or tarnish,’ said Dave Czesniuk, director of operations for Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society.

‘The real story here is the meeting of expectations with reality,’ Czesniuk said. ‘The guy’s a human being and we forget that.’”

Did you read what that expert wrote? “The guy’s a human being and we forget that.” Baptist preachers have been heralding that truth for centuries. God’s Word has been heralding it even longer:

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.”
(Psalm 118:8)

Why do people flock to the Tiger Woods of the world? Why are magazine covers and websites loaded almost entirely with pictures and headlines of the most degenerate kinds of people? I thought about this for quite a while.

#1 My first thought was this: people are designed to worship.

It is in our nature to reach out to someone or something outside of ourselves and make it our hero. From the ancient days when men bowed before golden statues to the modern day rock star who glitters with all the same polish, we were built to praise someone higher. This hole in our hearts was intended to be filled by God, but the world and the devil are quick to give mankind a substitute.

#2 My second thought was of our popular culture.

According to Wikipedia (which is always accurate, right?), “Popular Culture (commonly known as pop culture) is the totality of artistic products, ideas, perspectives, attitudes, names, images and other phenomena that the average person of any nation or group is likely to have encountered or been influenced by.” The reason why these heroes
prevail upon us is because they are the symbols of our popular culture filtered to us by the media types because they think these particular people can sell. They are usually right.

#3 My next thought was of the reason some people are elevated as heroes while other are overlooked.

The American idols are chosen from athletes and movie stars, because they ask nothing from us. They do not challenge us to live better lives, to give more to charity, to quit our drinking, or to change anything else. Noble heroes are few and far between, and where they do exist, the media is happiest when they dismantle them. Why? Because we don’t want to give up our sin. We want to cheer for people who are just like us, maybe a little better, but not much. As the Pharisees said of Christ, “As for this fellow, we know not from whence he is.”

#4 My fourth thought was of the depravity of man.

Does it really matter in the end who is elevated in our culture? People are sinners. Every last one is marred by the wicked desire to please self and cross God’s boundaries. Whoever the elite choose to put on the covers of their magazines or in their television commercials will eventually disappoint us. Only Jesus is sinless.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)

#5 My final thought is this: America wake up! Tiger Woods was never worthy of your worship.

Stop making heroes out of pretty faces and big biceps. You want a hero to fill that empty spot in your soul that God put there? Choose Jesus. He is the only one whole will NEVER let His children down. Choose Him as Savior; follow him as Lord. He is perfect. And He can hit a hole in one every time!

The Bible tells us what the multitidues in heaven shout as they throng the throne of Jesus:

“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou
hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

May that be our shout today.

I laughed, but then it dawned on me: tater tots are an excellent example of what makes America great.

According to wikipedia.com:

“Tater Tots were first created in 1953 when Ore-Ida founders F. Nephi Grigg and Golden Grigg were trying to figure out what to do with left over slivers of cut up potatoes. They came up with the novel idea of chopping up the potato slivers, adding flour and seasoning, then pushing the mash through holes and slicing off pieces of what came out on the other side. Tater Tots were born. They first became available in stores in 1954. Today, Americans consume approximately 70 million pounds of ‘Tots’ per year.”

The Thanksgiving holiday is about millions of American stories like this. Think about it. The Grigg brothers, two brilliant (what would you call them? They invented tater tots after all!), American entrepreneurs determined not to waste any precious spuds and to somehow make them even better. These tater tots started with home grown potatoes–in soil born and raised right here!

Let me remind you, they did this in a free country where people are free to succeed and fail in business. The Griggs had freedom to invent! They didn’t have to file paperwork with the czar of potatoes. They didn’t need a bail out.

The Griggs worked hard (one of the forgotten American traditions).

People, with freedom and capital, invested in their company.

Tater tots were born!

Before long people were eating more and more of these delicious mana-like potato blessings.

And folks eating these tots are still free to eat them, not having to settle for whatever the government deems best for nutritional purposes. Not only are average people happy, but the manufacturers are happy. Employees are happy. All because of tater tots–an American dream realized.

Happy Thanksgiving!

God bless America!

“Pilato is accused of using a bulldozer and chainsaws to widen a footpath (for almost a mile in length!) in the park into a 10-foot ’thoroughfare.’”

I had to do a double take. Think about it. This guy, without permission from anyone, went down to his local park, bulldozer and chainsaws in tow (that’s right–saws, as in more than one) and blazed his own trail through the park. Maybe I shouldn’t condone his actions, but a part of me thinks this is really neat. In an age when people need permits to put tiny little sheds on OUR OWN properties, this guy went and did construction on the county’s property! He, of course, was trying to make the park better without having to wait for all of the bureaucrats to get around to forming a committee or something.

I think this guy is almost my hero.

According to the article “Occultic Twilight Movie Praised by Christian Groups” by Caryl Matrisciana:

“The Twilight Saga is a series of novels by Stephenie Meyer describing an illicit romance between a teenage girl and a vampire.

The four books have sold more than 17 million copies, been translated into 20 languages, and spun off a new movie that grossed $70 million in its first week.

Twilight has become a pop culture phenomenon hotter than Pottermania, promoting midnight release parties and vampire proms, obsessed fans called Twi-hards, and spawning more than 350 fan sites online that claim more than 100 million hits.”

It is bad enough that people, even Christian people, read this satanic garbage, but to think that there is a market for pastors who use it to teach “positive life lessons?!” I’m in shock. How far have we come? Can people really not see that blood sucking vampires who have romantic flings with young girls make poor role models? Can preachers really handle the word of God in holiness while highlighting the moral value of a creature who can’t live in the sunlight?

A mormon wrote it, so I guess that means its fine for all of us born-again types!? Maybe because the couple in the story won’t have sex until they are married, we should line our children up to watch. I’m dumbfounded. I can’t believe that believers could be gobbled up by trash like this. Athough fictional, don’t people realize from where the idea of vampires
comes and with what they are associated?

What does the Bible tell us?

Eph 5:11-13 ” And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. (12) For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. (13) But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.”

1Ti 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils….”

Php 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

I’m shocked to learn that The Twilight books and movie have been endorsed by ChristianityTodayMovies.com, by the Christian Stay at Home Moms website, and by Focus on the Family’s Plugged In Online, just to name a few! Come on Christian, think about it. Vampires eat blood. Only the devil would glorify something so vile. Deuteronomy 12:23 states, “Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life…”

By the way the advertising had a picture of an apple being peeled on the cover and makes me think of a certain garden where there was a certain snake….

Biblically, the word repentance almost always means a change of mind. In mankind’s case it is the call of God that all men everywhere turn from sin to God. It does NOT mean to be “sorry only” as too many in our Baptist churches think! He was King James Only and seemed to have all of the right standards, but he is, apparently, one of many who has completely lost his marbles. His preaching irritated me so much that I had to refute it on the spot.

It wasn’t hard.

He made the following points:

1. If repentance means turning from sin to God then fewer people would be saved (Really? No way!)
2. The words, repent, repenteth, and repentance, in the Bible are almost always used in relation to God, not man. (I looked it up, and the opposite is true! Repent, repenteth, and repentance almost always refer to man!)
3. Repentance just means to be sorry.

Points 1 and 2 were very weak, and any honest Bible student can dismiss them without much effort. Point 3 is tougher, because, in deed, the word repent can sometimes mean to mourn or to sorrow. However, the kind of repentance needed for salvation or restoration mandates a change of mind. Here’s a verse that makes that clear:

Co 7:9 Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

We see in this verse that sorry can lead to repentance or a change of mind, but that repentance is a different idea altogether! They “sorrowed to repentance.”

The next verse is even better:

2Co 7:10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Here we see that there are two types of sorrow! If people professing salvation have sorrow, but not repentance, they have “the sorrow of the world that worketh death.” Sorrow can lead to repentance unto salvation, but sorrow can also lead a person to an early death and even hell!

Repentance and sorrow are different. People need to repent to be saved. Being sorry, according to God’s Word, is NOT enough. I hope and pray that God corrects this kind of Gospel preaching; otherwise, many will have a false assurance of salvation.

Preachers, let’s be Biblical. Congregations, let’s check things out for ourselves. No matter how you stomp and snort, truth is truth.

However, as great as second chances can be, we have to remember that any second chance is really just proof that WE FAILED THE FIRST TIME!

The truth is the second chance means one more opportunity to make it right, and there is onlyone way to make the most of the second chance, and it isn’t by celebrating the fact that you escaped one more time or have a few more months before the misses kicks us out again. The reason God gives Christians a second chance is to succeed!

When the Lord gives us that second chance, we shouldn’t act like we just won the lottery. What do I mean? Well, too often we click our heals together and skip around like the victory is ours, just because we have a chance to make things right. I’ve seen it. Husbands who have really blown it, let back into their homes, offenders given breaks by their judges, children allowed to skip punishments after pleading for mercy. Often they celebrate their second chances as if that second chance was some sort of victory itself.

And because we are weak and powerless without Christ, we have to realize the ONLY SOURCE FOR SUCCESS is exactly the opposite of what the world makes it out to be—we need to die, not celebrate. We need resurrection power, not satisfaction from another near miss, but a revolution in the way we live. If God is good enough to you to give you a second chance, then use it. Stop figuring, manipulating, planning, and plotting. Just die already. That power to succeed with our next second chances, only comes after we die. The power of the gospel is ours, if we will take up our cross.

Matthew 10:39-40
He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. (40) He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

For example, the United Kingdom Charities Aid Foundation published an “International comparisons of charitable giving” in November 2006 that ranks donations to charity according to each nation as a percent of each GDP. The top five percentages in order are:

USA – 1.67%
UK – 0.73%
Canada – 0.72%
Australia – 0.69%
South Africa – 0.64%

Look at all of those Muslim nations that made the top five! Wait a minute. It appears the more Christian (or less Muslim) a nation is, the more it gives.

I believe the recent horror in Haiti highlights, again, the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. While I am certain individuals of many different faiths and from different countries have sacrificed to send aid to those in need in Haiti, “Christians” (western nations influenced by the gospel along with those peoples who are truly born-again), in general, have given or pledged much more than their Muslim counterparts.

According to Fox News:

“The United States leads the way among developed nations with $114.5 million donated as of Wednesday, according to the U.N….[while] Saudi Arabia stands alone..[as] the country [that] has neither donated nor pledged so much as a penny or a Band-Aid.”

Although middle eastern governments and royal families have been made rich from oil profits, some of these nations, like Iran and Saudi Arabia, have still given nothing, absolutely nothing, to the needy people of Haiti. According to the same Fox News report, Oil-rich Venezuela hasn’t given any money either. I guess Carl Marx and Muhammad may have something else in common.

Our church, the Southeast Bible Baptist Church, took up three offerings to send to our missionary in Haiti. We raised quite a bit, considering, and it is a bittersweet thing to realize that our humble church has officially given more than an entire region!

Why is America so different? The teachings of Jesus Christ and the Koran are opposites. Jesus teaches love your neighbor. Muhammad teaches kill your neighbor…unless he is a Muslim. You may say I’m being simplistic, and perhaps I am, but facts are facts. Wherever the gospel of Christ has been received, people are more generous. After all, our Savior not only taught the message of giving to others, but He lived and died the message as well!

Frankly, charitable giving is far too low everywhere you look; however, the next time someone says Christians are selfish, go ahead and agree, but then tell them that we are a whole lot less selfish than all the rest.