A bit of Cat-holic confusion

Video banned by Youtube. A young girl speaks her mind on gay marriage

Texans, you should learn Spanish

A pizza parlour in Texas, the state where people take guns to church, is boycotting is being boycotted for promoting giving a free pizza if people order in Spanish.

Well, instead of getting mad about not ordering in English, they should learn basic Spanish, and get a free pizza.

People are so proud of their supposed heritage (remember, Texas used to be Mexican), that even for a free pizza, they are not willing to learn rudimentary Spanish!!!

People are so full of themselves. Learn Spanish, get a free pizza. Be smart.

My daughters may want to buy me this shirt

Philosophy of blogging

Homosexuality, yet again!

I have a friend that tells me that talking about gays and homosexuality is my favorite subject. Well, it's not my favourite subject, is actually Jesus. But there is no place or time where I am at, that the homosexuality issue raises its head.

On this subject, Albert Mohler, the president of the Southern Baptist Seminary, has written for CNN, and I would like to share with you this piece. This will help to to answer the objections and also point a way forward when this issue comes up in conversations and places that you visit.

Without further delay, here it's the article.

My Take: The Bible condemns a lot, but here's why we focus on homosexuality 

Editor's Note: R. Albert Mohler Jr. is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention and one of the largest seminaries in the world.

By R. Albert Mohler Jr., Special to CNN
Are conservative Christians hypocritical and selective when it comes to the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality? With all that the Bible condemns, why the focus on gay sex and same-sex marriage? 

Given the heated nature of our current debates, it’s a question conservative Christians have learned to expect. “Look,” we are told, “the Bible condemns eating shellfish, wearing mixed fabrics and any number of other things. Why do you ignore those things and insist that the Bible must be obeyed when it comes to sex?” 

On its face, it’s a fair question. But it can be posed in two very different ways.
First, the question can be asked to suggest that the Bible’s clear condemnation of sexual sins can simply be set aside. The other way of posing the question represents a genuine attempt to understand how the Bible is to be rightly applied to life today. 

In truth, those asking the question the first way really don’t want an answer.
An honest consideration of the Bible reveals that most of the biblical laws people point to in asking this question, such as laws against eating shellfish or wearing mixed fabrics, are part of the holiness code assigned to Israel in the Old Testament. That code was to set Israel, God’s covenant people, apart from all other nations on everything from morality to diet. 

As the Book of Acts makes clear, Christians are not obligated to follow this holiness code. This is made clear in Peter’s vision in Acts 10:15. Peter is told, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” 

In other words, there is no kosher code for Christians. Christians are not concerned with eating kosher foods and avoiding all others. That part of the law is no longer binding, and Christians can enjoy shrimp and pork with no injury to conscience. 

The Bible’s commands on sexual behavior, on the other hand, are continued in the New Testament. When it comes to homosexuality, the Bible’s teaching is consistent, pervasive, uniform and set within a larger context of law and Gospel. 

The Old Testament clearly condemns male homosexuality along with adultery, bestiality, incest and any sex outside the covenant of marriage. The New Testament does not lessen this concern but amplifies it. 

The New Testament condemns both male and female homosexual behavior. The Apostle Paul, for example, points specifically to homosexuality as evidence of human sinfulness. His point is not merely that homosexuals are sinners but that all humanity has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 

The New Testament condemns a full range of sexual sins, and homosexuality is specified among these sins. In Romans, Paul refers to homosexuality in terms of “dishonorable passions,” “contrary to nature” and “shameless.” As New Testament scholar Robert Gagnon has stated, the Bible’s indictment “encompasses every and any form of homosexual behaviour.” 

Some people then ask, “What about slavery and polygamy?” In the first place, the New Testament never commands slavery, and it prizes freedom and human dignity. For this reason, the abolitionist movement was largely led by Christians, armed with Christian conviction. 

The Old Testament did allow for polygamy, though it normalizes heterosexual monogamy. In the New Testament, Jesus made clear that marriage was always meant to be one man and one woman. 

“Have you not read that He who created them made them male and female?” Jesus asked in Matthew. "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” For this reason, Christians have opposed polygamy on biblical grounds. 

Why are Christians so concerned with homosexuality? In the first place, that question is answered by the simple fact that it is the most pressing moral question of our times. Christians must be concerned about adultery, pornography, injustice, dishonesty and everything the Bible names as sin. But when my phone rings with a call from a reporter these days, the question I am asked is never adultery or pornography. It is about homosexuality. 

Christians who are seriously committed to the authority of the Bible have no choice but to affirm all that the Bible teaches, including its condemnation of homosexuality. At the same time, our confidence is that God condemns those things that will bring his human creatures harm and commands those things that will lead to true human happiness and flourishing. 

In other words, we understand that the Bible condemns all forms of sin because our Creator knows what is best for us. The Bible names sins specifically so that each of us will recognize our own sinfulness and look to Christ for salvation and the forgiveness of our sins. 

Christian love requires that we believe and teach what the Bible teaches and that we do so with both strong conviction and humble hearts. The Church must repent of our failures in both of these tasks, but we must not be silent where the Bible speaks. 

Are Christians hypocrites in insisting that homosexual behavior is sin? We, too, are sinners, and hypocrisy and inconsistency are perpetual dangers. 

The church failed miserably in the face of the challenge of divorce. This requires an honest admission and strong corrective. 

At the same time, this painful failure must remind us that we must not fail to answer rightly when asked what the Bible teaches about homosexuality. Love requires us to tell the truth. 

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of R. Albert Mohler Jr.

Buying the blood of a past president. Weirdest news today.

I have heard of pigs fly, but never of someone selling a person's blood!!!!

The Washington Post tells us about this weird news item:

How much is a drop of presidential blood worth?An on-line auction site is hoping to find out by selling a vial that it claims was used to draw President Ronald Reagan’s blood while he was recovering from the gunshot wound that nearly killed him in 1981. To top it off, the auction site says, “dried blood residue” is clearly visible inside the vial.

I wonder why they call it "presidential blood", as if would be a different blood type from the rest of us.

The auction drew the immediate scorn of doctors who treated the president, and the director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation threatened legal action to stop the sale, calling the auction a “craven act.” 

I wouldn't call it a "craven act", more like, "macabre act".

So far, the auction has garnered bids that have topped about $8,000 and ends Thursday. The site, PFC Auctions, is based on the island of Guernsey, an autonomous British protectorate, in the English Channel.

Hopefully they don't get much more than that, but there are always weirdos spending their money on stupid things, while millions go hungry every night.

Places where being a woman is a bad thing

Foreign Policy has given some charts where it shows the bad places in the planet where being a woman is a great disadvantage.

This is something that is still present in our culture. And sometimes, it is very disappointing to see that many of the countries that think and condem other countries that so blatantly brake the human rights of women.

Well, I leave with you the graphic, and hopefully you will know more about where and what type of human rights are being broken against women everywhere. 

At Saddle Back, their pastor believes that dogs go to heaven!

I know that Rick Warren has a theological degree above me, but his opinions are rather....lame.

Take a hold of this!!

Warren, a Southern Baptist, keyed in on the essentials of salvation -- a personal acceptance of Jesus Christ. He told the tweeter,

I do believe that. And I believe that because Jesus said it... Jesus said 'I am the way.'.. I'm betting my life that Jesus wasn't a liar."
Warren explained that God's grace is the only ticket, that our works on earth cannot earn heavenly passage, although, he joked,
Most of us want to have enough.. good works to get into heaven, but enough bad works to be fun.
Bottom line, says Warren,
I'm not getting to heaven on my integrity. I'm not getting to heaven on my goodness. I'm getting to heaven on what I believe Jesus said is grace...
That's evangelical gospel. But where Warren goes next may not be. Tapper relays a Facebook question: Do dogs go to heaven?
Said Warren,
Absolutely yes. I can't imagine God not allowing my dog into heaven.
Cats, too, Warren added. "Why not."

Was Reagan a pre-Obama Obama. I know, it's politics, but what gives??

Martin Luther, again, this time, on prayer

....Take note that a prayer is not good and right because of its length, devoutness, sweetness, or its plea for temporal or eternal goods. Only that prayer is acceptable which breathes a firm confidence and trust that it will be heard (no matter how small and unworthy it may be in itself) because of the reliable pledge and promise of God. Not your zeal but God’s Word and promise render your prayer good. This faith, based on God’s words, is also the true worship; without it all other worship is sheer deception and error.  -- Martin Luther

Raining Mana, again?

People, please, if it rains mana at your church, you are still under the Old Testament!!

Some people seem to love the "glamour" of mana raining at their church, yet, are not willing to see that God closed that chapter and moved on with his plan of salvation.

Poor souls, want to be chained with the Old Testament Law.

And then I get criticised for promoting the New Perspective on Paul!!

Is there anything N. T. Wright can't do?

If you had thought you had seen N. T. Wright doing all he could to get his message across, take a look a this!!!!

How some people live their lives

Luther again, now, the difference between men and women

“Men have broad shoulders and narrow hips, and accordingly they possess intelligence. Women have narrow shoulders and broad hips. Women ought to stay at home; the way they were created indicates this, for they have broad hips and a wide fundament to sit upon [keep house and bear and raise children].”  -- Martin Luther

[Please direct all your angry hate mail to Luther].

Via Zwinglius Redidivus

At Saddle Back, they read a woman's book for men's group. Joyce Meyer's book at that!!

There are no men manly enough to read his book? This is just distasteful if you ask me. Meyer, a word of faith teacher, have duped these men and now they are reading her.

Maybe they are getting in touch with their feminine side, but if they get together for Men's study, they should study from a man's point of view.

Call me sexiest, but there are things that men have to do by themselves in order to support one another.

Who was Amos?

At Bible and Interpretation, they have a fine essay by By Hallvard Hagelia Professor, Old Testament Studies Ansgar College and Theological Seminary, Kristiansand, Norway, on "Why Did Amos go to Samaria?


It is very interesting to read about the background to both Amos and his mission.


I commend you to read the whole article here.

Martin Luther's advice on reading Scripture

You should diligently learn the Word of God and by no means imagine that you know it. Let him who is able to read take a psalm in the morning, or some other chapter of Scripture, and study it for a while. This is what I do. When I get up in the morning, I pray and recite the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer with the children, adding any one of the psalms. I do this only to keep myself well acquainted with these matters, and I do not want to let the mildew of the notion grow that I know them well enough. The devil is a greater rascal than you think he is. You do as yet not know what sort of fellow he is and what a desperate rogue you are. His definite design is to get you tired of the Word and in this way to draw you away from it. This is his aim (WA 32, 64f.) -- Martin Luther

John Calvin's on other people's salvation

God speaks to you that you may make the right decision. But God does not satisfy our curiosity as to what happens about other men who do not decide for Christ. What will be the ultimate fate of other men is not your concern; we may not and are not to know that, except in so far as we must realize that it is our duty not only ourselves to remain loyal to the way of Jesus, but as far as possible to help others to find the way that leads to life. It is not the consequence of our superior merit that we ourselves have found this way. We have not come to it because we are better than other people. It is the grace of God which has set our feet in that way. -- John Calvin 

$60,000 to get back a dog, while kids are going to sleep hungry

The Huffington Post is reporting of a guy who is willing to go to debt for his dog.

He loves the dog as he loves a son, or so he says.

If you ask me, this guy doesn't have a life. I pity him, not because he missed his dog, but because he needs to set his priorities right.

Watch his video, and judge for yourselves.

Pastor taking ex member to court far reviewing her past church

I just found out that the "pastor" is associated with John MacArthur.

This guy, says he preaches graces, yet advices a guy to take a home mother to court, and sue her and her daughter.

Never liked the guy, and I feel that I am confirmed in my dislike of him. It was confirmed when my cousin, who studied at his seminary, wanted to go back, yet, was refused, and all doors closed, because he had found Amillennialism more biblical. 

Seems like he is truly an abusive pastor, or not him, but the people under him, do his dirty work. 

Stand Firm | Same-Sex Marriage in Medieval Irish Churches? Boswell Sinks to a New Academic Low

Check how low some will go in order to proclaim that gay marriage has been held in the past by the church.

This is an example of how people, who are supposedly scholars, want to portray Christianity as having always accepted and suported gay marriage. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Read the link, and be amazed.

Stand Firm | Same-Sex Marriage in Medieval Irish Churches? Boswell Sinks to a New Academic Low

The Juvenilization of American Christianity

A brand new book that touches a very important subject that many may not have considered.

This is also applicable to us here in Australia.

I will try to buy this book, as soon as possible!!

A new place for learning the craft of preaching in Melbourne, Australia

There is a new centre (center for my American friends) that wishes to introduce preachers to faithful expositary preaching and teaching.

Centre for Biblical Preaching

~ Equipping Christians in Expositional Preaching and Teaching

For those who are interested for excellence in their Bible Exposition, this is the place.

I've heard Mike Raiter teaching expository preaching before. He was my previous pastor's master thesis' supervisor on preaching.

If you in Melbourne, or plan to visit, you just have another attraction to attend.

The love of a daughter is sweet

I can see this little girl comforting her dad for his lost in the football field.

I have felt the love of my daughters when things go wrong, and they just need to put their hands and tell me that they love me.

This man, like me, is the luckiest man alive having such loving daughters.

Good on you little Saar, and the same goes to my daughters, Amanda, Nathalie and Maria.

Obama the first gay president?

News Week has come with a new issue in which it calls Obama the first gay president.

What gives?? Just for supporting gay marriage you are now officialy gay? Urban Christian news report how some have seen to come to such a conclusion, http://t.co/XdpC72tj

Gay people, if you support them, you are gay. Talk about diversity!!

Martin Luther on Mother's Day (sort of)

You say that the sins which we commit every day offend God, and therefore we are not saints. To this I reply: Mother love is stronger than the filth and scabbiness on a child, and so the love of God toward us is stronger than the dirt that clings to us. Accordingly, although we are sinners, we do not lose our filial relation on account of our filthiness, nor do we fall from grace on account of our sin.  -- Martin Luther

[The context is Luther's argument with those schismatics who believe salvation, once obtained, can be lost].

Via zwinglius redivivus

Accreditation vs. Non-Accreditation: What Constitutes Actual Scholarship?

A very interesting blog entry about what constitutes proper scholarship, and where do you get good degrees from.

Some people get Ph.D.'s without ever knowing Greek, or Hebrew, or any theology at all. Christian History is unknown to them.

This is a good podcast by B.E. Lewis where you can hear good opinions about what constitutes a good accredited degree.

Listen to it!!

The mother who killed her son because he interrupted her Farmville game

Well, I stopped playing Cityville and all those games, because they are just time wasters. But some people kill to play them:

Alexandra V. Tobias is awaiting trial after pleading guilty to shaking her 3-month-old son to death… The 22-year-old Jacksonville, Florida resident recently plead[ed] guilty to killing her 3-month-old son over an online game. She admits that Dylan Lee Edmonson had been crying for a while as she played the popular Facebook game Farmville. Alexandra told police that when the infant wouldn’t stop crying, last January, she stepped away from the game long enough to shake the boy, smoke a cigarette and then shake the boy again. The unfit mother suggested that little Dylan “may have hit his head during the shaking.

Addicted people to games that will have no effects after they raise their bumps from their seats. 

What people write on their foreheads before going to jail, or after

The Mystery of Paul’s ‘Thorn in the Flesh’ Solved

Via zwingliusredivivus