Ceasar's Decree

We are in transition in Washington these days. The sitting President is preparing to leave and welcome his successor, I wish him well and I thank him and his family for what he has accomplished and what he has been willing to endure to keep our nation safe and free.

These days most people are focused, understandably, on the words and deeds of the incoming President. As the new administration of Barack Obama takes shape, we will certainly have much to say.

Political power has always attracted attention. The people's eyes naturally go to the wielder of the sword and the scepter. It was so in Biblical times. The Gospel of Luke tells us that "a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed." The Roman Empire was vast in those days. It stretched from Britain in the north, to Spain and Portugal in the west, deep into Africa and Egypt in the south, and as far east as modern day Syria. Caesar Augustus ruled all of this territory and the teeming millions who inhabited it.

Rome needed increased revenues, and Caesar knew how to get it. He first ordered that a census be conducted. He wanted a head count in order to apportion the amounts of money each provincial governor like Cyrenius, governor of Syria would be required to raise.

We can envision Caesar's imperial decree being inscribed by hand on vellum, a material made from the scraped clean hide of an unborn calf. From the Emperor's residence in the House of Hortensius on Rome's Palatine Hill, runners would have carried the document to waiting horsemen, the imperial couriers. From Rome, these horsemen would likely have proceeded in relay, changing horse and rider as each messenger reached the border of one of Roman Italy's 11 administrative regions. Passing through Latium and Campania to Samnium, to Apulia along the Appian Way, the riders would make for Brundisium, a port city on the east coast of Italy.

There, Caesar's decree probably would have been received aboard a Roman warship. It might have been a quinquereme, propelled by galley slaves who rowed in banks of five. On board this red cedar built craft, Caesar's order would cross the Mediterranean Sea to the Roman province of Palestine. Palestine was a distant outpost of the Empire, far from the most important of Rome's imperial holdings.

All this ordering and obeying, this saluting and receiving of salutes, this "hail caesaring" was necessary to bring millions of people together in their ancestral villages. And so Joseph, who was of the House and Lineage of David, also complied with Caesar's decree.

Thus were Joseph and Mary brought into Bethlehem. Caesar thought he knew what he was doing. He had never heard of Bethlehem. He had never heard of the Hebrew Prophet Micah. Micah had written: For out of you Bethlehem Ephrata...shall come one who is to be ruler in Israel; whose origin is of old...his greatness shall reach the ends of the earth; he shall be peace. (Micah: 5:2, 3, 5)

God knew what He was doing in Palestine. Today, we know that the birth of Jesus in that little town of Bethlehem was, is, and ever shall be more important than all the Caesars, all the kings, all the presidents who ever ruled. In Bethlehem's dark streets there appeared an everlasting light. It shines for us still.

The Powerful/The Corrupt

It's been two years since Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) pronouncement that Democrats would make this "the most honest, ethical, and open Congress in history." So far, she and her colleagues have yet to make good on that promise, and there is absolutely no indication that liberals will lead a revival of integrity anytime soon.

Corruption has spun its web in America's highest halls of power, entangling both parties and bringing unprecedented disgrace to the nation's elect. The parade of allegations has wound its way through the offices of Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.), Rep. John Murtha (D-Penn.), and, more recently, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who received a $40,000 campaign contribution from Fannie Mae during an alleged relationship with one of its executives. And let's not forget Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) for potentially inventing tax loopholes for wealthy oil companies.

The Democrats' trouble is even trickling down to eye popping state scandals. Following former Gov. Eliot Spitzer (N.Y.) down the path to public humiliation is current Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (D), the object of outrage after allegations that he tried to "sell" Sen. Barack Obama's vacant senate seat. Although Obama's transition leader John Podesta insisted weeks ago that Obama was launching a new "Transparency Policy" for his administration, we have yet to see evidence of it. While investigators say Obama hasn't been implicated in the criminal probe, the next President has been surprisingly mum on questions about Blagojevich and their relationship. As Americans cast a weary eye toward their leaders, Obama's party owes the American people the candor they promised if, for no other reason, than to make good on his guarantee of "change."

If Democrats seek to expand government, perhaps they should first earn our trust with the authority they have. With more power comes more corruption. Considering the latest public betrayals, the argument for limited government has never been stronger.

Do They Deserve a Raise?

Members of Congress will return to Washington after Christmas with a lavish $4,700 stocking stuffer in their paychecks. It's the automatic salary increase that kicks off at the start of 2009. Surely those of us who are paying for it would agree the raises are hardly performance-based!

When Congress adjourned this month, it did so with a drab 20% approval rating. After helping spend America into a recession that's cost millions of Americans their jobs, Congress wants more compensation for their own! Adding to the pain, Democratic leaders plan to convene in January with a "stimulus" plan that could strip another trillion dollars in debt from already struggling families over the next two years. The proposal is lined with new spending projects for roads, infrastructure, "green" building projects, school beautification, and, potentially, government controlled health care.

For a snapshot of just how "essential" the line items are, the National Taxpayers Union combed through the wish lists and found this gem. In Alexandria, Virginia, the mayor (one of many vying for "emergency funds") requested $2.4 million to make the trolley motors hybrid and replace the contractors who drive them with unionized city employees. Of course, Congress greased the wheels for this sort of waste with its $152 billion package in February and $700 billion bailout seven months later. If this gets you mad like it did me contact your leaders and tell them to stop the spending madness. If Congress doesn't know where to start, I do. Refuse the $2,514,500 in Capitol Hill pay raises.

Source: FRC,National Taxpayers Union.

Obama's Undo List

In politics, some leaders have a to-do list. It appears President Obama has an "undo" list. Wall Street Journal, reporter Laura Meckler highlights some of the pro-life policies that the next White House will move quickly to reverse. Like President Bush, Obama can accomplish a lot through Executive Orders, which do not require Congressional approval to take effect but have the same legal weight as laws passed by the House and Senate. Even if the 44th President puts the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) on the back-burner, as his transition team now insists he will do, Obama could still do plenty of damage to the sanctity of life. The following is a pro-life "hit list" that Obama may target almost immediately. By Executive Order, he could:

Rescind the Mexico City policy, which would direct taxpayer dollars to groups that provide and promote abortion overseas;

Restore funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which condones forced abortion and sterilization policies in countries like China;

Direct the Department of Health and Human Services to change the conscience exemptions for health care workers who morally object to abortion and other practices;

Change the Department of Justice Sexual Assault Protocol, Defense Department pharmaceutical formulary, and USAID's Commodities Program to encourage the use of "Plan B," which can act as an abortifacient;

Create incentives to provide subsidized birth control at college health centers and other providers;

Make "emergency contraception" available over-the-counter for girls of all ages;

Rollback the abstinence-only education requirement for certain federal aid; and,

Permit the use of taxpayer funds for the destruction of human embryos through unethical stem cell research.

Source: FRC

More to the Center

President-elect Obama has asked the Pastor Rick Warren, pastor of California's Saddleback Church and bestselling author of The Purpose-Driven Life, to deliver the invocation at the presidential inauguration next month. I like his choice of one of America's leading evangelical pastors who is pro-life and pro-marriage for this honor.

It was magnanimous of Obama, in light of the fact that his debate with John McCain at Warren's church in August was one of the high points of the campaign for McCain. (This was the event where Warren asked, "When does life begin?" and Obama replied that the question is "above my pay grade.")

Warren has distanced himself from the "religious right" by emphasizing issues more popular with liberals, such as AIDS relief and global warming, I will say here that I do not agree with some of his positions. But he has also been consistent in his support for the unborn and for the natural definition of marriage. This has led left-wing groups like People for the American Way and the Human Rights Campaign to complain about Obama's invitation to Warren.

In a letter to President-elect Obama, Joe Solmonese challenged the selection of Warren saying, "Rick Warren has not sat on the sidelines in the fight for basic equality and fairness. In fact, Rev. Warren spoke out vocally in support of Prop 8 in California saying, 'there is no need to change the universal, historical definition of marriage to appease 2 percent of our population ... This is not a political issue -- it is a moral issue that God has spoken clearly about.' Furthermore, he continues to misrepresent marriage equality as silencing his religious views. This was a lie during the battle over Proposition 8, and it's a lie today." Solmonese's desire to exclude Pastor Warren from the inaugural, based upon his religious convictions, proves the validity of the concerns over the homosexual desire to silence the Church. Let's hope that Rick Warren will use his channel of communication to the new President to press him for more pro-family policies rather than simply being used by Mr. Obama to make political inroads with evangelicals.

Source: FRC

Unlikely Testimony

Luke 2:8-20 describes the experience of the shepherds when Jesus was born. Think about that for a moment. Out of the whole of Jerusalem society, God picked a band of shepherds to hear the news of Jesus' birth. That's intriguing because shepherds were among the lowest and most despised social groups.

The very nature of shepherds' work kept them from entering into the mainstream of Israel's society. They couldn't maintain the ceremonial washings and observe all the religious festivals and feasts, yet these shepherds, just a few miles from Jerusalem, were undoubtedly caring for sheep that someday would be used as sacrifices in the temple. How fitting it is that they were the first to know of the Lamb of God!

More significant, they came to see Him the night he was born. No one else did. Though the shepherds went back and told everyone what they had seen and heard, and though "all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds" (v. 18), not one other person came to see firsthand.

Scripture doesn't describe how the shepherds' search for the baby Jesus actually unfolded, but it's not unreasonable to assume that they entered Bethlehem and asked questions: "Does anybody know about a baby being born here in town tonight?"

The shepherds might have knocked on several doors and seen other newborn babies before they found the special Child lying in the feeding trough. At that moment, those humble men knew for certain that the angels' announcement was a word from God. After their encounter with Joseph and Mary and Jesus, the shepherds couldn't help but tell others about what the angels had told them. They became, in effect, the first New Testament evangelists.

The shepherd's story is a good illustration of the Christian life. You first hear the revelation of the gospel and believe it (Romans 10:9-10). Then you pursue and embrace Christ. And having become a witness to your glorious conversion, you begin to tell others about it (Luke 2:17).

May God grant you the life-changing spiritual experiences and the ongoing attitude of enthusiasm and responsiveness that causes you to tell others that you, too, have seen Christ the Lord.

Unvarnished Truth

Luke 2:7 sets the scene: "[Mary] gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

That verse is explicitly concerned with a lonely birth. There were no midwives, no assistance to Mary at all. The Bible doesn't even mention that Joseph was present. Perhaps he was, but if he was typical of first-time fathers, he would have been of little help to Mary. She was basically on her own.

Mary brought forth the child; she wrapped Him in swaddling cloths; and she laid Him in a manger. Where usually a midwife would clean the baby and wrap Him, there was no one. Mary did it herself. And where usually there would have been a cradle or basket for the baby, there was none. Mary had to put Him in an animal's feeding trough.

When Christ entered the world, He came to a place that had some of the smelliest, filthiest, and most uncomfortable conditions. But that is part of the wonder of divine grace, isn't it? When the Son of God came down from heaven, He came all the way down. He did not hang on to His equality with God; rather, He set it aside for a time and completely humbled Himself (Philippians 2:5-8).

The Truth of the Nativity

by John MacArthur

The story of the first Christmas is so beloved that singers and storytellers across the centuries have embellished and elaborated and mythologized the story in celebration. However, most people now don't know which details are biblical and which are fabricated. People usually imagine the manger scene with snow, singing angels, many worshipers, and a little drummer boy. None of that is found in the biblical account.

Christmas has become the product of an odd mixture of pagan ideas, superstition, fanciful legends, and plain ignorance. Add to that the commercialization of Christmas by marketers and the politicization of Christmas in the culture wars, and you're left with one big mess. Let's try to sort it out. The place to begin is in God's Word, the Bible. Here we find not only the source of the original account of Christmas, but also God's commentary on it.

We can't know Jesus if we don't understand He is real. The story of His birth is no allegory. We dare not romanticize it or settle for a fanciful legend that renders the whole story meaningless. Mary and Joseph were real people. Their dilemma on finding no room at the inn surely was as frightening for them as it would be for you or me. The manger in which Mary laid Jesus must have reeked of animal smells. So did the shepherds, in all probability. That first Christmas was anything but picturesque.

But that makes it all the more wondrous. That baby in the manger is God! Immanuel!

That's the heart and soul of the Christmas message. There weren't many worshipers around the original manger-only a handful of shepherds. But one day every knee will bow before Him, and every tongue will confess He is Lord (Philippians 2:9-11). Those who doubt Him, those who are His enemies, those who merely ignore Him-all will one day bow, too, even if it be in judgment.

How much better to honor Him now with the worship He deserves! That's what Christmas ought to inspire.

Source: John MacArthur

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tomorrow most if not all of us will get together with family and friends and celebrate Thanksgiving. It is a time of reflection and remembrance, a time when we remember those pilgrims of long ago and their journey in search of a new land, but why did they come? They tell us plainly in the governing document they signed, the Mayflower Compact: "For the Glory of God and the Advancement of the Christian faith, and the honour of our King and Country." They wanted to worship the Lord in the way their consciences and their understanding of Holy Scripture led them, which included building a community in which they could daily live out their faith in Jesus Christ. They called their dangerous effort "an errand into the wilderness." Sadly, many of them died in that first terrible year. Hunger and disease took their toll. But the Pilgrims are honored because they did not give up.

When their little ship, the Mayflower, returned to England, not one of their little band abandoned the call. They called on God to sustain them. And they accepted the timely help of the Wampanoag Indians, especially the English speaking Squanto. Without this help, they might all have died.

The story of Plymouth Rock also reminds us of the Israelites in the Old Testament. They would place standing stones in key places to help them remember how God had led them, how He had watched over them. The Pilgrims identified most strongly with the people of God in the Bible. There may never have been so highly literate a community. All the Pilgrims eagerly learned to read words so that they might read the Word.

This Thanksgiving is a good time to remind our children of the many blessings that Our Lord has showered upon us in the past year. Even in this time of war and of deepening economic hardships, the harvests of our fields are still abundant. Our people have been spared further terrorist attacks, and we passed through a hotly contested election without the violence that too often mars political conflict in less happy lands.

Most of all, we give thanks for the joys of family life. When we gather around a holiday table, the faith, love, and commitment of mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers bind our family circle. Let us also remember to give thanks to God for the brave young men and women who stand guard for us and our blood bought freedoms in distant lands.

And let us resolve in this season to live as "living stones [who] are being built into a spiritual house." (1 Peter 2:4-5).

God bless you and Happy Thanksgiving.

The Alchemist

I got this book from my daughter who read it as required reading for her English class. The Alchemist,written by Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho, is the story of a Shepard boy named Santiago who travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Santiago is quite content traveling in the countryside with his sheep, and dreaming of the merchant's daughter in the village where he sells his wool. That is until he has a dream in which a child appears one day and is playing with his sheep. Suddenly the child takes him by the hands and transports him to the Pyramids, telling him "If you come here you will find a hidden treasure." He meets a gypsy woman, a man who calls himself the king of Salem and an alchemist on his journey, all of whom point him in the direction of his quest.

Coelho writes with simplicity and directness. The whole novel is only 167 pages long and reads like a fairy tale. Coelho appears to be a new age proponent who in this novel borrows from various known religions to try an ecumenical approach to our journey on this earth. This is a very shallow tale disguised as a deeply spiritual fable. The Alchemist is a conflicting mixture of Christianity, just enough hints at mysticism to make it attractive to New Agers, the most simplistic of self-help guruism, and a random sampling of anything else leaning vaguely toward shallow spirituality.

I'm surprised and annoyed that this book is required reading at my daughter's school especially since it is a Christian school. If you are thinking about getting this book, please, do yourself a favor and steer clear of this inconsequential book.

What is this World Coming to???

Florida Boy Arrested For Gas Attack, 12-year-old charged after deliberately "breaking wind" in class. Read Story Here.

In a Pit with A Lion on a Snowy Day

A fellow staff member lent me this book. It was written by Mark Batterson who is the lead pastor at National Community Church in Washington D.C. Don't let the funny tittle fool you this is an awesome and inspiring book. The book is based on an obscure passage in the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel (23:29, 30). It centers on the story of an Israelite warrior (Beniah) who encounters a lion in a pit on a snowy day. The plot is that instead of Benaiah running away like most of, if not everyone of us would do, he jumps in to the pit and kills it. Throughout the book Batterson points out that this is the kind of courage that us as Christians must have.

Batterson structures the book on the seven skills he believes will help people chase the biggest lions. The skills according to Batterson are: overcoming adversity, unlearning fears, embracing uncertainty, calculating risks, seizing opportunities, defying odds, and looking foolish.

This book challenged the way I think about faith, and I hope it will find expression in the way I live out my faith. The book is sprinkled with references to pop culture and ancient culture, it digs out Biblical principles and helps us understand their relevance in our everyday live here in the 21st century. But the good thing about this book is that it's not Mark Batterson's story. And it's not Benaiah's story. It is God's story and it is one He wants to write in and through each of our lives.

This book is a fast and funny read, and it will leave you with lots to think about. It made me want to jump out of my chair and start running after God with more intensity and focus than before. It wil make you laugh, it will amaze you, it will inspire you, and it will help you in your walk with God. I give it five stars.

Ken Ham at Calvary Chapel Kendall

This weekend Ken Ham, president and founder of Answers in Genesis - U.S. and the new, highly acclaimed Creation Museum will be at my home church Calvary Chapel Kendall .

Ken’s teachings emphasize the relevance and authority of the book of Genesis, including some of the “hot button” topics of our day. He provides biblical and scientific answers to some of the most difficult questions people ask about the Christian faith, including: Can we really trust the Bible from its very first verse? How do we know there is a God? Are dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible? How can we evangelize more effectively?

Come and join us for our regular weekend services and a special two part series on Sunday evening. This is going to be an amazing weekend you won’t want to miss! Be sure to invite all your friends.

Saturday, Nov. 22 @ 6:00pm
Sunday, Nov. 23 @ 8:45am, 10:30pm, 12:30pm
Special Evening Sessions: Sunday, Nov. 23 session:01@6:30pm & session:02@8:00pm
Childcare will be provided

The Land of the Re-Threads

Breaking news suggests that President-elect Obama is unlikely to govern from the middle. By appointing former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D) as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, the 44th President provided a frightening glimpse of his new Cabinet. According to Politico, "Daschle was also considered for health care czar in the White House, but the transition team decided he could be more effective with Secretary in front of his name." As Majority Leader, Daschle was a notorious opponent of every pro-life measure. He blocked the partial-birth abortion ban, voted for taxpayer-funded military abortions, and supported a measure that would have forced Americans to pay for the distribution of the morning-after pill to young school girls. Apart from his extreme political ideology, the selection of Daschle is even more troubling because the South Dakotan lacks any experience in the public health arena. To most Americans, who thought this election was about "change," these appointments must seem incredibly ironic. So far, the new Obama administration has only managed to change the titles of the same old liberal leadership.

Source: FRC

Kudos for Congressman Tancredo

Congressmen to Bush: Pardon Imprisoned Border Agents. Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo from Colorado has long led the fight to free agents Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos, who were both resentenced last week. Read Story Here.

I'm Embarrassed by These Guys

"To listen to some Republicans you would think that traditional conservatives, the defenders of the unborn and the integrity of marriage were responsible for two wars gone sour, over-spending at a level to embarrass Lyndon Johnson, the largest expansion of entitlement spending since the Great Society, numerous cases of GOP corruption, betrayal of the public trust, and the miserable results in the presidential and congressional elections..." Like me, Tracy Mehan of the American Spectator is fed up with the Republicans' post-election finger-pointing. In his op-ed "Social Conservative as Scapegoats," he lashes out at the GOP's centrists for blaming November 4 on "the solid and most loyal" wing of the Reaganite coalition. To those of us in the pro-family movement, the Establishment's diatribe is a familiar one. When the GOP succeeds because of social conservatives, our importance is ignored. When the party fails for overlooking us, values voters are somehow to blame. With the exception of Gov. Sarah Palin and some hollow overtures by the Democratic Party, the 20 percent of voters who cited "moral values" as their first or second priority in this election had no real horse in this race. Maybe that explains why believers were less active in this election cycle. More than four million Americans who go to church more than once a week and voted in 2004 stayed home on November 4. Those voters would have made up half the difference between McCain and Obama. As the members of the Republican party jockey for position in this brave new Congress and sort out their internal leadership, a commitment to life and marriage is non-negotiable. Without it, the prospects of a Republican revival are bleak. As Karl Rove rightly points out, "These values are often more popular than the GOP itself."

Source: FRC, American Spectator

Could History Repeat Itself???

Barack Obama is warned to beware of a ‘huge threat’ from al-Qaeda
Security officials fear a ‘spectacular’ during the transition period. Read Story Here.

So Much for Global Warming!!!

The world has never seen such freezing heat. Read Story Here.

The GOP Lacks Courage, Conviction, and Leadership

Right on schedule, a small group of GOP centrists started wagging their fingers at values voters this week, blaming them for every lost opportunity on November 4. In the post election dust up, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), and Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) say they want to revisit a losing strategy for Republicans moving Left. "The answer," they claim, "is not to become a more conservative, combative party," but to acquiesce on the GOP's core issues in favor of energy and the environment.

Christine Todd Whitman, co-chair of the Republican Leadership Council, joined them in a blistering op ed that blames the pro-family movement for everything from lost congressional seats to John McCain's campaign defeat. She claims Republicans are "hostage to social fundamentalists" and damns the party to a "long time in the political wilderness" unless it rejects values voters. She cites the selection of Sarah Palin, a "sop" to social conservatives, as evidence of the problem.

The unpleasant reality for Whitman is that Palin was the most compelling part of the Republican ticket not in spite of her pro-family beliefs, but because of them. In a Rasmussen poll, more Republicans actually believed that Palin was the "right choice" (71%) for the GOP ticket than John McCain (65%). There is no better rebuttal to these disgruntled partisans than passage of the state marriage amendments. Despite what the centrists claim, it was a social issue not energy or the environment that delivered the most sweeping, bipartisan victory in the entire election.

Republicans are in this wilderness, not because they spent the last six years embracing limited government and moral values, but because the two parties were almost indistinguishable. The future of the GOP depends on strong leaders who will embrace a positive message of faith and family. Only then will the GOP win the respect of voters.

Source: FRC, Rasmussen Corp

Kudos to Sears

These days, it's tough to find companies that share our values. But this holiday season, some retailers are doing good. At Sears, they're giving back to the community by supporting our troops. By law, employers are required to hold jobs open for any military personnel who are called up for duty. Sears is doing our soldiers one better. To protect their workers from taking a pay cut and losing their benefits when they leave for the front lines, Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining all benefits-including medical insurance and bonus programs. A Sears Customer Service rep said, "[We] regard service to our country as one of the greatest sacrifices our young men and women can make. We are happy to do our part to lessen the burden they bear." I salute Sears and other corporations who make their own sacrifices on behalf of America's bravest.

Source: Sears