October 10, 2011 - Columbus and His Calling

This is the day set aside to commemorate the landing in 1492 of Columbus in the West Indies, the New World, and while Columbus didn’t exactly discover America, there are some compelling facts that we can think upon this day:

Columbus wrote in his Book of Prophecies, "It was the Lord who put into my mind--I could feel His hand upon me--the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies . . . All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me . . . There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because he comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures . . . For the execution of the journey to the Indies I did not make use of intelligence, mathematics, or maps. It is simply the fulfillment of what Isaiah had prophesied ..."

I used to think that referred to where Isaiah spoke of the world as the “circle of the earth”… and some have surmised that the purpose of his journey to prove the earth was round – but that had been done centuries before – Columbus was inspired by the writings of Isaiah, and was determined to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

He personalized passages from Isaiah, such as: "Listen O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; unto the end of the earth." (Is 49:1,6)

His name meant Christ-bearer, and while his interaction with the people he found in this hemisphere was less than perfect, there was a Christian motivation behind his actions.   He named the place where he had landed San Salvador, which means “Holy Savior”, and upon its dedication, prayed:

O Lord, Almighty and everlasting God, by Thy holy Word Thou hast created the heaven, and the earth, and the sea; blessed and glorified be Thy Name, and praised be Thy Majesty, which hath designed to use us, Thy humble servants, that Thy holy Names may be proclaimed in this second part of the earth.

A great question for us today as we celebrate discovery – what does God want us to discover about Him today?  Isaiah 55 is a great challenge for us:

⁶ Seek the LORD while he may be found;
   call on him while he is near.
⁷ Let the wicked forsake their ways
   and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
   and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

Have we become complacent in our knowledge of God – are we seeking or standing still?

September 2, 2011 - Embracing Biblical Truth

New survey shows that 10 years after 9-11, we need to embrace Biblical truth

Are you familiar with this phrase? "We often suffer, but we are never crushed. Even when we don't know what to do, we never give up."

In a new survey, 63 percent of U.S. adults incorrectly attributed that Bible verse from 2nd Corinthians 4:8 about overcoming suffering and hardships to civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr., former President George W. Bush or comic book hero Captain America rather than the Bible.   Martin Luther King Jr. received the highest percentage of attributions.

The survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of American Bible Society to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the attacks of Sept. 11 and the release of The Freedom Bible also found that:

Despite significant security measures taken since Sept. 11, only 9 percent of Americans feel safer today than they did prior to Sept. 11. Thirty-six percent felt safer prior to the attacks of Sept. 11 than they do today.

Only 4 percent of Americans rely most on professional counseling to help deal with trauma. Four times as many (16 percent) rely most on the Bible.

Despite living in a predominantly Christian nation, 82 percent of Americans who have dealt with trauma rely most on sources other than the Bible to cope, including 6 percent of whom say they do not rely on anything.

Geof Morin, the American Bible Society's chief communications officer, says, "Though 10 years have passed since the attacks on the U.S., many of us vividly recall the images and emotions of that day...In the aftermath of 9/11, we at American Bible Society saw firsthand the power of the Bible to help people deal with unfathomable trauma." 

The Society is based in New York City and responded to the families of the victims and the first responders.  In the aftermath of the tragedy, God's word, delivered by His people, provided hope and truth.  Morin also said, "Sept. 11 forced us as individuals and as a nation to choose between being prisoner of the trauma of that terrible day or finding the hope and freedom to move forward...For thousands of Americans, the comfort offered through the Bible allowed them to choose freedom."

Press release from American Bible Society

September 1, 2011

Komen for the Cure donates $$ to Planned Parenthood


They claim to be an organization that help provide resources to fight breast cancer. So, why are affiliates of the Komen for the Cure Foundation giving money to Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider?

Well, the Komen organization apparently thinks that Planned Parenthood is doing enough to fight breast cancer and perform women's services that it is overlooking the harm that it does to women and their pre-born children.   Remember the Congressional fight over funding Planned Parenthood with taxpayer dollars?   Leaders such as Harry Reid were claiming that defunding the organization would deprive women of badly needed services.   Well, as Live Action exposed in a round of phone calls, Planned Parenthood doesn't even do mammograms...and these vital services can be obtained elsewhere.

And there is certainly evidence of incompatibility between the Komen message and that of Planned Parenthood- Abortion is described as "a known risk factor" for breast cancer.

Here is a report from the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.

According to the article:

Eighteen of the more than 120 Komen affiliates in the United States contributed more than $569,000 to Planned Parenthood affiliates in the United States during 2009-10, according to a report released Aug. 24 by American Life League (ALL), a Virginia-based, pro-life organization. ALL staff confirmed the grants by examining Komen affiliates’ 990 Internal Revenue Service forms for tax-exempt organizations.

In an April statement on its website, Komen reported 19 of its affiliates make grants to Planned Parenthood but did not specify the total given.

The report came on the heels of news that the Catholic bishops of Columbus, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio, called for the schools and other institutions in their dioceses not to participate in fundraising efforts for Komen. A statement from Ohio’s bishops said individual Catholics are free to make their own decisions, since none of Komen’s Ohio affiliates donate to Planned Parenthood, according to an Aug. 20 article in The Columbus Dispatch.

August 31, 2011 - New 9-11 Event in NYC, Faith Radio Programs

NYC Ceremony excludes clergy and first responders


Plans are being made for commemorative events across the country for the 10th Anniversary of the 9-11 attacks on America.

One of the most high profile gatherings will be in New York City, but controversy has arisen because Mayor Bloomberg's office has planned the program, without one of the key elements of the aftermath of the tragedy - the clergy.   The planned program will apparently not have a representative of the faith community.

According to an update in The Christian Post:

A spokesperson for New York's City Hall told The Wall Street Journal that previous 9/11 anniversary memorials did not include religious leaders and they wanted to strike a similar tone with the 10th anniversary. “There are hundreds of important people that have offered to participate over the last nine years, but the focus remains on the families of the thousands who died on Sept. 11,” the spokesperson said.


City Council Member Fernando Cabrera, a pastor at New Life Outreach International, told The Wall Street Journal that religious leaders were “one of the pillars that carried us through. They were the spiritual and emotional backbone, and when you have a situation where people are trying to find meaning, where something is bigger than them, when you have a crisis of this level, they often look to the clergy.”   Apparently, first responders are being left out, as well.

The Family Research Council is leading an effort to collect 50,000 signatures to present to Mayor Bloomberg on September 9th.   So far, some 30,000 have been gathered.   The FRC says this:

Pastors are not invited to the event, as Mayor Bloomberg apparently thinks that the invited politicians will be able to offer enough comfort to the families. But Mayor Bloomberg's glaring omissions from the event do not end with clergy. The very people who hallowed the ground, the living embodiment of selfless courage we vowed "never to forget" -- New York's first responders -- won't even be invited.

This past weekend, as large areas of New York City were evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Irene, first responders were on vigilant alert, prepared at a moment's notice to place their lives in harm's way for others. If anything, this should have served as a reminder for Mayor Bloomberg of the sacrifices these men and women are prepared to continually make and the recognition they deserve.

For additional information, you can go to FRC's website at http://www.frc.org/.

NYC event being organized by faith leaders

This past weekend, Saddleback Community Church pastor Rick Warren declared:

“This week the mayor of New York City announced that at the 10th anniversary memorial service at Ground Zero that there are going to be no prayers...Now, you know what I think about that. So, we are going to have our own nationwide, national prayer day,” he said to applause.

So, Saddleback is partnering with one of its church plants, Lower Manhattan Community Church in New York City to present a special service, along with a webcast.   Details on these "Hope and Freedom" services are being developed.

Faith Radio presents 9-11 on-air programming

A special from Moody Radio is coming up on Sunday, September 11th at 5:00pm, called "Finding God on 9/11".  Wayne Shepherd hosts an hour of memories and perspectives from the 9/11 attacks with Dr. Joe Stowell, former President of the Moody Bible Institute.  During the hour they will open the Moody Radio archives and hear echoes from the Moody Radio coverage on 9/11 and the days following, and Dr. Stowell will give his insights on how we can find God working in the middle of this national crisis.   You'll hear from a variety of Christian leaders, including Brooklyn Tabernacle Pastor Jim Cymbala, as well as Lisa Beamer, whose husband died on the plane that went down in Pennsylvania, and World Trade Center survivor, Genelle McMillan.

The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks will also be marked by a special two hour live simulcast featuring Anne Graham Lotz, Joel Rosenberg and praise and worship music with Selah on Sunday, Sept. 11 from 6:00-8:00pm.   It's entitled, "A Wake-Up Call For God's People", and will be shown at churches and ministries throughout America, as well as online at http://www.annegrahamlotz.com/.

In the Faith Radio area, simulcast locations include:
His Vessel Ministries in Union Station in downtown Montgomery,
First Baptist Church of Opelika,
and Crosspoint Christian Church in Selma

What about your own personal 9-11 emergency?

On the anniversary of September 11th, First Baptist of Montgomery presents "Team Night", featuring former University of Alabama star running back Siran Stacy, who faced his own emergency as he lost his wife and 4 of his children in a tragic automobile accident.    Also, Mike & Rebecca Ellis will share their story of how they responded after the death of their son, Cole.    "Team Night" begins Sunday, September 11th at 6:11pm at First Baptist on South Perry Street.

August 26, 2011

Religious leaders excluded from 9-11 commemmoration...

The organizers of the 9-11 memorial service that is being planned for New York City have decided not to allow religious leaders to speak at the event.   When you consider the impact that spiritual leaders had in the aftermath of the tragedy, it is almost unthinkable that the faith element would not be represented.

The Christian Post had this update.

A spokesperson for New York's City Hall told The Wall Street Journal that previous 9/11 anniversary memorials did not include religious leaders and they wanted to strike a similar tone with the 10th anniversary. “There are hundreds of important people that have offered to participate over the last nine years, but the focus remains on the families of the thousands who died on Sept. 11,” the spokesperson said.

City Council Member Fernando Cabrera, a pastor at New Life Outreach International, told The Wall Street Journal that religious leaders were “one of the pillars that carried us through. They were the spiritual and emotional backbone, and when you have a situation where people are trying to find meaning, where something is bigger than them, when you have a crisis of this level, they often look to the clergy.”

August 25, 2011

Court proceedings:

Bingo -
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson said that he will delay the next gambling corruption trial until Jan. 9, but he has not yet ruled whether he will hold three separate trials for the seven remaining defendants in the case.
Thompson today was openly skeptical of prosecutors' arguments that the defendants should be tried in three proceedings.

Immigration - 
The U.S. Justice Department is involved in another high-profile case in Alabama, involving the immigration reform law set to go into effect next Thursday, September 1st.  U.S. District Judge Sharon Blackburn said  she was not ready to decide if she'll block any of the law.  The judge heard arguments from the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as number of interest groups and leaders of three Alabama church denominations, seeking to block the law.   Attorney General Luther Strange's office was defending the law.

There has been some concern by church leaders from a variety of backgrounds about the implications of the law and how it could affect ministry to immigrants, legal or illegal.    While proponents of the legislation stress that the reform bill is dedicated to enforcing the "rule of law", in the absence of Federal enforcement, there are those that want to characterize such a bill as less than compassionate.

At their June convention in Phoenix, Southern Baptists dealt with the issue, passing a resolution calling for the Federal government to secure the borders while providing a path to citizenship.   And, illegal immigrants would also be required to make restitution for breaking the laws of the U.S.

Eric Johnston of the SE Law Institute was in court all day yesterday, and offered this analysis regarding the issue of ministry under the new immigration law.

Watch for new study/book on religious practice...

Here's the link to a Washington Examiner piece.

Southern Baptist megachurches (2000 + average worship attendance)

Dr. Thom Rainer, President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, listed the megachurches in the Southern Baptist Convention.   The SBC has some 46,000 churches, and only 177 are what would be termed, "megachurches" - churches with at least 2000 in average primary worship attendance.

The results are not necessarily surprising for the top 5:

1. Second Baptist Church, Houston, TX 23,121


2. Saddleback Valley CC, Lake Forest, CA 19,193

3. Woodlands Church, The Woodlands, TX 18,322

4. Prestonwood Baptist Church, Plano, TX 14,323

5. Thomas Road, Lynchburg, VA 13,500


6 Alabama Southern Baptist churches would fit the bill.   They are:   1st, Gardendale (54); Hunter Street in Hoover (64); Dawson Memorial, B'ham (86); Shades Mountain outside B'ham (89); 1st, Opelika (123); Willowbrook, Huntsville (145).   Here's the link to Dr. Rainer's post.

August 24, 2011

Mt. Dora, FL teacher receives word from board...

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Jerry Buell, Mount Dora (FL) High School's "Teacher of the Year" last year has been reinstated.    He had been reassigned from his classroom to do administrative work since last week as the result of comments on his private Facebook page about his opposition to gay marriage and his being offended about seeing homosexual behavior on TV.    The school board had been "investigating" Mr. Buell, and he had been represented by Liberty Counsel.   The board on Wednesday afternoon announced the reinstatement of Jerry Buell.

Latest from Libya...

It's not apparent where Libyan strongmen Moammar Gadhafi is actually speaking from, but earlier today, he made a defiant declaration of "martyrdom or victory" in the struggle against the "aggressors" in Libya.  Meanwhile, Christians in Tripoli met in prayer for the country and the future of Christians throughout the northern African nation.   According to Open Doors:

The Open Doors country coordinator for Libya, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "Every day around noon, a part of the small Christian community gathers to encourage each other."

Open Doors estimates the number of indigenous Libyan Christians is around 150. However, prior to the start of the revolution, the expatriate Christian community was believed to be approximately 180,000. Large numbers of migrant workers left Libya after the revolt that started Feb. 15, but a small number of foreign Christians remain in Libya.

"Today a group of Christians from Tripoli shared with me that they are doing well and said the atmosphere is okay," the Open Doors worker said. "Also, the church is still in good condition and undamaged despite fighting in the capital."

It's still unclear about what type of government will be put in place in Libya when and if the rebel forces take control and officially overthrow Gadhafi.   Some suspect that the new government will have ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and, in fact, be more of a fundamental Islamic government than the Gadhafi regime.

Earthquake rumblings...

Some aftershocks today after the 5.8 earthquake that affected the East Coast, including Washington, DC and New York City.   The most significant damage today appears to be at the National Cathedral, where 3 pinnacles on the Central Tower lost stones, plus there are reports of other structural damage.   The Washington Monument is closed while officials attempt to determine its safety - some cracks were reported near the top of the obelisk.   Schools in the DC area were closed, and some Federal workers were offered the option of working from home.  


Election results

Todd Strange easily won re-election to a full term as Mayor of Montgomery yesterday.   8 of 9 Council members are definitely returning - 2 ran unopposed, 2 more were elected to full terms after winning their seats in special elections, 4 won their elections outright, and 1 more - Jim Spear of District 1, will be in a runoff election on October 4 - his opponent will be Richard Bollinger.

Biden's comments on China's "one-child" policy

Vice-President Biden, on a trip to China, made some controversial comments about China's one-child forced sterilization policy.   He is quoted as saying:

“But as I was talking to some of your leaders, you share a similar concern here in China. You have no safety net. Your policy has been one which I fully understand – I’m not second-guessing – of one child per family. The result being that you’re in a position where one wage earner will be taking care of four retired people. Not sustainable.”

Here is the story from The Christian Post.


Penny Nance of Concerned Women for America expressed her disappointment at these statements:

“Vice President Biden’s approval of China’s one-child policy, which uses forced abortion to enforce the law, crosses the lines of ignorant and wrong.”

 “Then to suggest that the United States should learn from China’s policy, like forcing its citizens to have only one child, to help manage debt, is an insult to the basic American values of life and liberty,” Nance said.

Biden has attempted to "clarify" his remarks, but the clarification strikes me as more of a contradiction.   Here is the report from The Washington Times.

Family TV makes an impressive showing...

“Who Is Simon Miller”, the latest in the Family Movie Night series presented by Wal-Mart and Proctor & Gamble, shown on NBC on Saturday, August 6th, was the #1 show in the 8 – 10PM EST time slot with 3.31 Million viewers.

Of the Family Movie Night movies to date, “Who Is Simon Miller” is the highest rated Saturday airing.

“Who Is Simon Miller” on NBC had 28% more viewers than the Harry Potter movie which aired in the same time slot on ABC.

The next Family Movie Night is coming up on Saturday, Sept. 3rd - it's called “Game Time: Tackling the Past” is football themed film focusing on the issues of humility and forgiveness as well as the importance of a strong work ethic. The film's stated goal is to show that being a good person is more than just looking like one.   This made for TV movie will premier on NBC on September 3 at 7:00 Central.

And, an encore performance of a previous Family Movie Night, "A Walk in My Shoes", airs this Saturday at 7:00pm, again on NBC.