Praying for faithful Commissioners -up-date

Praying for faithful Commissioners





"...I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for the condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ. (Jude 1: 3b-4)

Sacramento Presbytery needs a lot of prayer. Of course we all do but this is for a particular reason. We will be voting for commissioners to General Assembly this Saturday and we have a problem. So far we only have two Elder Commissioner candidates. But that’s not the problem. I am sure others will be nominated from the floor.


But to backtrack, as many people know the former pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church resigned after an Administrative Commission was placed over his Church by our Presbytery. In fact he eventually renounced Jurisdiction of the PCUSA. There have been a lot of rumors and half truths in the papers over the last six months. It always amazes me how wrong news reporters can be on some issues nonetheless something in one of the papers I just read really surprised me.


I had heard, right after PUP was passed by the General Assembly, that the past pastor of Westminster, David Thompson, had ordained two practicing homosexuals. Now I have read an article in the Bay Area Reporter, a gay online paper in the bay area, that he ordained three practicing homosexuals. I think that number is not true but the important part is that one of those ordained is one of the person’s running for commissioner.


As the paper quotes Daniel Roth, "One of his [Thompson] first acts was to speak out for Muslims in our community, and since the war began he's called upon the congregation to pray for the occupied people of Iraq," said Daniel Roth, one of the gay men ordained as a church elder by Thompson. "He's a very popular and beloved pastor."


That ordination should have been challenged when it first happened, now we just need prayer and steadfastness.



In the book of Revelation Jesus gives John instructions to seven churches in Asia Minor. In reading these we see that God knows all about the churches and what is happening in them.To most of the churches he says, I know your deeds. To one church he says I know your tribulation. To another I know where you dwell. These last two are where Christian faithfulness-taking a stand for the Lordship of Christ has brought death. Christians in leadership must stand for the truth of God's word. (Revelation chapter 2 & 3)

Up-date

Since I asked for prayer I should write about the day. The commissioner was voted in because there was no one else-he loves the Presbyterian Church because we can believe in our own version of God he said- But still he is going. He is a very young man and needs a lot of prayer. That is our next job, praying for him that he might find the true God who can transform and redeem. There was one particular good thing that happened today. I will write about it after Sunday's posting.

Anti-Jew and Israel, anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant-be careful

Sometimes interesting information just pops up when I am not expecting it. Now I am going to mention four words I just keep writing about, but this is not about them. Really. On the web site of the Israel/Palestine Mission Network (and please notice that Israel and Palestine are two words) there is another video.

The IPMN has entitled this video “Dr. Norman Finkelstein explains how the Israel/Palestine Conflict can be resolved easily.” And this one is about international law, crime and Israel and supposedly the pro- Israel, Jewish interviewer gets told off, but I will withhold my thoughts on that since that is not what my posting is about.

The actual name of the video as found all over the net is “Norman Finkelstein Interviewed on Danish TV November 13 2009.” And if you go to You-Tube you will find that every site that has this video is getting it from a posting at akawakurusa's Channel.

On this particular posting the poster offers several web sites where more information may be found. He points to Balder.org. This strange site offers a blog and different articles in several languages. But all of this comes from Denmark.

Now I will backtrack a bit. Several months ago I did some postings on a party in Britain called the British National Party. You can find the series here under The British National Party and NeoPagan Racism. Just scroll down to start at the beginning.

The BNP is a party that advocates for the white races only and this last year they won two seats in the European Parliament. In the past they have been anti-Semitic but generally they are an anti-immigration party. And they are now known for being very anti-Muslim.

There is now the rise of political parties and movements that are, anti-immigration, anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim. And the You-Tube site where the video, “Norman Finkelstein Interviewed on Danish TV November 13 2009” can be found is a part of the movement as is Balder.org.

Hopefully the readers remember when I did my series on the BNP I likened some of their ideas to the racist Asatru and Odinist groups which attempt to return to ancient pagan tribes and hold race as intrinsic to their religion. I incorporated another article, “The NeoPagan Movement and Racism” I wrote several years ago into my article on the BNP.

I noticed when exploring the You-Tube site that one of the comments left there was “Hail the nordic tribes.” This is a movement with layers and layers of racism. Some layers are blatant other layers more subtle.

So here is a word of warning to any Christian, myself included. There are some very dark movements rising in our present world. They hate the Jews and Israel, hate the Muslims, hate the immigrant, hate anyone who is not white or western. So we must all be careful from where we pull information. That is why the word of God and its authority in our lives is so important. That is why Jesus Christ the rock we stand on is ultimate.

Some people accidently started following Hitler in the 1930’s. Martin Niemöller was at first enthralled with Hitler. He felt that Hitler would bring morality back to Germany. When he learned the truth about the Nazis and Hitler he became their archenemy. He became the hated personal prisoner of Hitler. Some followed Hitler because they thought he was God’s gift to Germany. They never wavered-they followed him into hell.

The only safe place is under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

First Sunday of Advent: a Star out of Jacob

The first Sunday of Advent:

"The words of him who hears the
words of God
and knows the knowledge of the Most High.
Who sees the vision of the
Almighty,
falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered.
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel ... (Numbers 24: 16-17a)"

From the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries:

"That Balaam evidently senses a gap between his vision and its fulfillment is suggested by verse 17: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh. Thus, though these predictions were fulfilled for the first time, partially at any rate, some three hundred years after Balaam in the reign of David, traditional Jewish and Christian interpreters have seen another fuller realization of these prophecies in the Messiah. And this is the characteristic of many messianic passages in the Old Testament. On one level they are but expressions of hope for a good and righteous king. but on another plane, they must be looking for something more, for no real king ever came up to the ideals expressed (e.g. Ps. 72:; Is. 11, etc.). In interpreting these last words of Balaam both perspectives must be respected. Primarily they refer to royal triumphs in the period of the early monarchy, but these victories prefigure the greater conquests of Christ at his first and second advents."

"There shall a Star from Jacob come" Felix Mendelssohn

Thanksgiving joy

Thankful for Jesus:

Almost fifty-five years ago I walked down the aisle in a very small store front church, meaning to join. But when I heard the pastor ask me “Do you believe the blood of Jesus cleanses you from sin?” somehow a light bulb went off in my head and heart.

God was answering the prayer I had prayed a month before that he would truly show me what it was he wanted me to know from the pages of the Bible I was reading. As a young teenager I had been exploring all kinds of spirituality. Christian Scientist material and occult information intertwined my Bible reading. Little did I realize God was leading me home although I was traveling some strange paths.

I had already read a great deal of the Bible- I loved the word I just did not know why. After acknowledging that Jesus blood did wash my sins away- yes I did admit it was true, it was as though someone opened the pages of a familiar and loved book and told me a wonderful new story I had not noticed.

I began in Romans and continued reading about the savior, Jesus, who lived, died and rose for my salvation.

While I am so very thankful for a loving husband, six children and their wonderful spouses, 18 grandchildren , two great granddaughters, and a whole batch of amazing friends, it is Jesus Christ himself that I am the most thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Although I have often failed him, I can, in truth, say he has never failed in his care. His promises are forever.

Read Jude ....

I wasn’t going to link at all and didn’t in my last post, but evil toward another needs to be held to the light. When a lady, Kelley, explains that she was raped but kept her baby because she, as a Christian ,values life, and others insult her it is time to be responsible.

In my last posting on the Manhattan Declaration I referred to the “Pastor’s Emergency League” and posted its four vows of purpose. One of those was, “I hold myself responsible to the utmost of my ability for those who are persecuted on account of this confessional stand.”

I want to point out that if the rest of society reacts the way followers at John Shuck’s “Shuck and Jive” are toward Kelley we all need to make that vow toward one another.

Kelley has fallen into a hornets’ nest and those who write there are acting out what is truly in their heart. I can only think here of a quote by C.S. Lewis that I have used before:

“…the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. … There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours.”

I once again hope that Shuck’s Presbytery takes note. And yes I did commend Kelley but my comment was of course deleted.

Answering some critics about signing the Manhattan Declaration

Reading around the internet both on web sites and comments on other’s blogs, I have found several specific complaints about the Manhattan Declaration. The document, produced by orthodox Christians of various communities of faith, including the Reformed, Catholic and Orthodox, upholds the sanctity of life, the importance of biblical marriage, and religious freedom.

These are what I see as some of the main complaints:

· Its acceptance by those reformed who place reason beneath revelation. That one was aimed at me but at others also.

· That it does not address Christology or soteriology.

· That there are too many writers and signers who are Southern Baptist.

· That too many Evangelicals are involved with it.

· That too many Catholics are involved in it. (Hey-what happened to the Orthodox and the Methodist and Presbyterians?)

· That it is badly written. (I won't even answer that)

· That the producers of the document are doing that old thing of likening our government to Nazi Germany.

· And finally a crazy one or two- like the conservatives have already written so many declarations so this one won’t count anymore than the others-or they are all just busybodies sticking their noses in other people’s business. (In other words it isn’t any of their business.)

Now I know that is not all but it’s a good start. Also some of those complaints are more important than others.

For instance the first and second complaints are very important. But first it should be said that the complainers weren’t necessarily arguing that what they believed about revelation and reason, or Christology and salvation were something they were bothered about by this document but that those who signed, like me, didn’t agree with the views they signed on to. So let’s look at that.

The writers stated, “We set forth this declaration in light of the truth that is grounded in Holy Scripture, in natural human reason (which is itself, in our view, the gift of a beneficent God), and in the very nature of the human person.”

Is that placing reason and nature on a par with God’s revelation. Can I still hold to that statement and at the same time believe that Jesus Christ as he is revealed in Holy Scripture is above reason and human experience? Can I hold to that statement and believe that reason has fallen under sin as well as human nature.

Of course, the statement does not say that the “truth” is made known by reason or the human person but is grounded in them. And given that Catholics were involved in the document that is amazing. There is room here for those reformed, like myself, who wade or swim in Barth’s theology. Remember it was Anselm, Barth’s, so to speak mentor, who wrote:

"I do not seek to understand so that I can believe,but I believe so that I may understand; and what is more,I believe that unless I do believe, I shall not understand." (But the understanding does follow)

The second complaint that the document does not address Christology or soteriology is meaningless because this is not a confession nor is any person suggesting that it be entered into a book of confessions. A Confession should, of course, first of all confess the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what a confession is about. I think that this declaration is more or less like the declaration declared by the Pastor’s Emergency League in Germany during the Nazi era. It stated:

1. I engage to execute my office as minster of the Word, holding myself bound solely to Holy Scripture and to the Confessions of the Reformation as the true expositions of Holy Scripture.

2. I engage to protest, regardless of the cost, against every violation of this confessional stand.

3. I hold myself responsible to the utmost of my ability for those who are persecuted on account of this confessional stand.

4. In making this pledge, I testify that the application of the Aryan paragraph within the Church of Christ has violated the confessional stand.[1]

And so of course my above statement about the Pastor’s Emergency League leads into another complaint. That the writers of the Declaration should not have appealed to the Confessing Church of Germany.

The closest wording I can find in the document that comes near to such an accusation is, “Eugenic notions such as the doctrine of lebensunwertes Leben (“life unworthy of life”) were first advanced in the 1920s by intellectuals in the elite salons of America and Europe. Long buried in ignominy after the horrors of the mid20th century, they have returned from the grave. The only difference is that now the doctrines of the eugenicists are dressed up in the language of ‘liberty,’ ‘autonomy,’ and ‘choice.’”

This coupled with the general push by President Obama and others to advance further the availability of abortion including partial birth abortion ties the whole scenario together. The writers are not suggesting that our government is nazified or even near it. But they are pointing out a real truth. We are heading down a road that others before us have traveled. And, in fact, it was from the United States that the doctors of Nazi Germany learned to value eugenics.[2]

The next few complaints should instead be reasons to rejoice. We are all one body. It is the Lord that makes it so. And He knows who is His and who is not. Our unity is connected to His Lordship, that is comforting. And this is also an answer to that last complaint. We all belong to a King. He rules the whole universe. His subjects are called to go where he sends them-and that might mean nosing into business that someone thinks is theirs when it actually belongs to a King. The King.

Oh and it doesn’t matter if the Declaration falls by the wayside what matters is faithfulness.



[1] The Aryan paragraph was a statement saying that any non-Aryan (Jewish person) could not be a member of the Church.
[2] See Christine Rosen, Preaching Eugenics: Religious Leaders and the American Eugenics Movement, Oxford University Press 2004, and Robert Jay Lifton, The Nazi Doctors: Medical Killing and the Psychology of Genocide, Basic Books 1986 paper edition 2000.

The Manhattan Declaration: Having done all stand

I have placed at the top of my links list The Manhattan Declaration. This is a declaration written by Robert George, Professor, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Princeton University, Timothy George, Professor, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University and Chuck Colson founder of, The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview (Lansdowne, Va.).

Its original signers include:
Joseph Bottum, Editor of First Things (New York); Most Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan, Archbishop and Primate, Anglican Church in North America (Ambridge, Pa. ); Carmen Fowler, President and Executive Editor, Presbyterian Lay Committee (Lenoir, N.C.); Rev. Tim Keller Senior Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church (New York); Dr. Peter Kreeft Professor of Philosophy, Boston College (Mass.) and at the Kings College (N.Y.); and Dr. Tom Oden, Theologian, United Methodist Minister; Professor, Drew University (Madison, N.J.). This includes just a few.

The document includes statements on life issues, marriage and religious freedom. I have signed it and encourage my readers who agree with its statements to also sign. It is a very important document.

It can be read here: Download The Manhattan Declaration