Conservative, Liberal or Christian?

Evangelical Christian author Randy Alcorn says,

"I get tired of being told I have to choose between conservatism’s emphasis on truth and liberalism’s emphasis on compassion. Why can’t we oppose injustice to minorities and to the unborn? Why can’t we embrace biblical stewardship of creation and the primacy of human beings over the rest of creation? Why can’t we oppose the greedy destruction of the environment by some businesses and the anti-industry excesses of New Age environmentalism?

"Why can’t we affirm the biblical right to the ownership of property (along with the command “thou shalt not steal”) and emphasize God’s call to his people to voluntarily and sacrificially share their wealth with the truly needy?

"Why can’t we uphold the truth of God’s condemnation of sexual immorality—including homosexual practices—and reach out in love and compassion to those imprisoned in this degrading lifestyle, as well as those dying from AIDS?"

Please read his thoughtful article on this topic at the link below:

Conservative, Liberal or Christian? - Resources - Eternal Perspective Ministries

Doing Good When It Looks Bad

As one of his requirements in the Cub Scouts, our son Christopher needed to pick up trash in our neighborhood. It was a part of the requirement dealing with learning to care for creation.

Yesterday, I told our son that it was time to meet this requirement. However, he absolutely did not want to pick up trash. When I asked why he didn't want to do it, he replied, "Everyone will think I'm in jail!"

In our community, inmates pick up the trash on the streets as a form of community service. Christopher did not want to be mistaken for an inmate.

His reaction made sense, but he picked up the trash anyway.

Later, I explained that we need to have the courage to do the right thing even when it looks like we're doing something wrong. After all, Mary, the mother of Jesus, looked like she had done something wrong when she was carrying the baby Jesus even though she was not married. In addition, Jesus often looked like he was doing something wrong when he healed someone on the Sabbath or associated with sinful people at a meal. However, in the cases of both Mary and Jesus, they were doing good. And God was pleased, even though others misunderstood.

It's okay to look like you've done something wrong. Just make sure that you've done something good.

"Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil" (1 Peter 3:13-17).

Ordinary Christians

Sometimes it's good to notice the extraordinary impact of ordinary Christians around me.

These are the Christians who serve God faithfully without knowing how much of a difference they are making in the world around them.

They love and respect their husbands and wives. They honor their parents. They nurture, discipline, and instruct their children.

They show up to work on time and ready for the day. They approach their jobs with good attitudes. They care about their co-workers, employees, and customers. They take the time to listen to the concerns of others, sometimes offering helpful advice and sometimes offering a prayer. They are sincere in their gratitude when they are helped; and they are willing to help others whenever possible.

They spend time reading their Bibles and praying. They want to be close to their Lord. They want to know him better. They believe what they read in their Bibles; and they trust that God is listening to their pleas on behalf of the people for whom they pray.

They enjoy worshipping with their local churches. They participate in and teach Bible classes. They clean the church buildings. They mow the grass and shovel the snow on the church's property. They serve food when the church shares meals. They drive the vans to pick up people who want to worship with them.

They volunteer to help teachers at their local schools. They coach and support their children's sports teams. They are involved in their children's scouting programs. They e-mail and meet with their political leaders in support of just legislation or in opposition to unjust legislation. They raise money to fight diseases. They recycle paper, plastic, and aluminum products to help the environment. They get their pets from the local animal shelter.

They share the good news of Christ whenever an opportunity arises. They adopt children, volunteer for pro-life ministries, and sponsor children around the world through Christian relief organizations. They send money to organizations that fight global poverty and others that translate the Scriptures into native languages around the world.

They are ordinary Christians, but they are intentionally committed to doing good so that others are blessed and God is glorified.

"...let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).

Frogs, Tadpoles, and Righteousness

"A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel" (Proverbs 12:10, NIV).

A few days ago, I was going to empty my son Christopher's outdoor toy box after a rain. As I was about to tip it over, I saw something make a splash. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that a couple of frogs and a number of tadpoles had made the outdoor toy box into their new home.

I called for Christopher. Immediately he asked me to allow the frogs and tadpoles to keep the water, since the tadpoles would die without it.

Of course, I agreed. There was no need to kill the tadpoles. In addition, it became a practical way to apply the principles of one of Christopher's memory verses.

Now Christopher checks on his frogs and tadpoles several times a day as he lives out Proverbs 12:10.

In the picture above, Christopher is holding one of the frogs in our backyard.

Truth in Blogging

If you have read my blog for very long, you will not be surprised by anything that I am about to share. But I thought it might be a good idea to write a few words about myself and my perspectives so that any reader would know where I'm coming from theologically and socially.

My Theology

I am a member of the Church of Christ. My theology can be best described as conservative evangelical. I don't try to be innovative in doctrine. I try to be accurate and biblically orthodox. For example,

I believe in the doctrine of the trinity. I believe that the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit are (or is) God. (I'm not sure how to write that sentence in a grammatically correct way.) I believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing, always present in his creation, and completely holy in his character.

I believe that God created the universe as it is revealed in Genesis. I believe that he prepared the earth for people in six days. I believe that he made Adam and Eve in his image from the dust of the ground on the sixth day.

I believe that Satan tempted Eve. I believe that the sin of Adam led to the corruption of a good universe and to the alienation between God and man.

I believe in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that he needed to die in my place in order to turn away God's just wrath against me and sinners like me. His resurrection gives me confidence that his Father accepted his sacrifice on my behalf.

I believe that I am saved by God's grace (as seen in Christ's death, burial, and resurrection) through faith (in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior) apart from any work on my part that could cause anyone to think that I deserved to be saved.

I believe that the Holy Spirit lives in God's church today. I believe that he is active in making believers more like Jesus.

I believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the words of the Bible. I believe that the Bible was given to humanity as God's completely accurate message to us...without error because God is completely honest and completely competent.

I believe that repentant believers in Christ need to be baptized, because we need to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. We need to be able to mark the end of our lives without Christ and the beginning of our lives with Christ.

I believe that Christ's church consists all repentant baptized believers who are committed to following Jesus Christ and glorifying God.

I believe that Jesus Christ will return and usher in new heavens and a new earth that will be the home of righteousness. The Day of Judgment will come. Heaven and hell are equally real and equally eternal.

My Social Concerns

This will be much shorter.

I am concerned about loving people. According to Jesus, it's the second greatest commandment (behind loving God).

I concentrate on loving the people around me first. I want to be a good husband, father, son, brother, employee, neighbor, citizen, and church member.

Then, I focus on broader social concerns that affect people. Many of my posts will reveal that I think a lot about abortion, adoption, caring for God's creation, poverty, racial harmony, and strengthening marriages and families.

If anyone was confused about where I'm coming from, I hope this helps. I try to be honest and open.

The Gulf of Mexico and the Care of Creation

This is a link to an excellent post from Dr. Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky:

The Gulf of Mexico and the Care of Creation

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Don't Live a Stereotypical Life

You know the stereotypes:

Pro-lifers care about babies before they are born, but couldn't care less afterwards.

If you didn't vote for President Obama, you must be a racist.

If you are theologically conservative, you are apathetic about the poor and the environment.

Spread a little confusion. Defy the stereotypes by the way you live.

"And (Jesus) said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (Matthew 22:37-39).

The Family Room - August 2009 - FamilyLife.com

Each month, I receive a free e-magazine (The Family Room) from one of my favorite ministries, FamilyLife. Click on the link below to read an article from the current issue about caring for the environment.

The Family Room - August 2009 - FamilyLife.com

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The Universe and the Existence of God

A couple of months ago, someone asked me to explain why I believe God exists.

I start with this premise: For anything to exist at all, something has had to have always existed. If at some point in the past, nothing existed, nothing would exist today. Nothing produces nothing. Nothing cannot produce something.

Since things exist, something must be self-existent. Something must have existed forever.

At this point, we have two options:

1. The material universe has always existed.

2. Something beyond the material universe has always existed and is responsible for the creation of the material universe.

Historically, some have held to the eternality of the material universe. However, evidence suggests that the universe had a beginning. Based on current data, scientists theorize that everything began with a "big bang." The specifics of scientific theories may or may not be correct, but all evidence points to a beginning for the universe nonetheless.

Since the first option has been discredited as non-viable, the second option would stand alone as a reasonable explanation for the existence of the universe. Something beyond the material universe has always existed and is responsible for the creation of the material universe. We would refer to this Creator as God.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1).

Creation and Evolution

"For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (Exodus 20:11, English Standard Version).

As our son grows older, he will become more aware of the philosophical battles between creationists and evolutionists. With that in mind, I would like to teach him a few principles that have guided me as a Christian.

1. The Bible can be trusted. "All Scripture is breathed out by God" (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV). It has come from the God "who never lies" (Titus 1:2, ESV). When it states that God created the universe in 6 days, you can rely on it.

2. Theories of evolution cannot explain the origins of life. While lifeforms change due to breeding and mutation, inanimate objects do not evolve into living beings. The simplest lifeforms are too complex to come into existence without the help of intelligent guidance. The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel explains this point very well.

3. Do not apply Darwinian theories to the social realm. Social Darwinism teaches people to live by the values of "the survival of the fittest." It can lead people to embrace genocide, eugenics, infanticide, abortion, racism, the oppression of the poor, and apathy toward the disabled. Christ teaches his followers to care for the people whom a social Darwinist might be willing to eliminate.

Heaven

I just finished reading Heaven by Randy Alcorn. In the book, Mr. Alcorn makes the case that Christians can anticipate not only going to heaven when we die, but also the time when heaven will come to earth in the end.

His thesis is based on Revelation 21:1-5, which states,

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, 'Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'"

He challenges the common perception that our final state of existence will be non-physical and boring. At our anticipated resurrection, we will experience an actual physical resurrection just like Jesus did. "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised" (1 Corinthians 15:13). Since Christ has been raised, his followers hope to be raised like he has been.

In the end, not only will people enjoy the resurrection, but the universe itself will take part in a physical resurrection and be restored to the condition in which it existed before sin entered the "very good" creation of the beginning. "The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:19-21).

In the new heavens and new earth, resurrected and glorified people will enjoy the presence of our Savior forever. God will live with us. He will give us opportunities to serve based on how we have handled our responsibilities on the old earth. We will enjoy life with each other without the presence of relationship-destroying sins like envy, pride, hatred, or any other sin. A new culture will develop as we use our gifts and abilities to continually enrich the lives of others.

Although Mr. Alcorn engaged in some speculation about what the future may hold, his general thesis is solid. We can look forward to a new heavens and a new earth in our resurrected and glorified bodies. Christians will enjoy the presence of God forever. To his credit, when he engaged in speculation, he admitted it. He acknowledged that he could be wrong on some of the details, since he was using his imagination to describe in more detail what the Scriptures reveal in a more general manner.

Heaven is a book worth reading. It inspires hope for the future. It warns against the alternative of hell. It motivates people to trust in Christ and to follow him. It encourages the use of one's gifts and abilities to love people and honor God in concrete ways as we await the coming resurrection and renewal of creation. It prompts people to appreciate God in all his glory.

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness" (2 Peter 3:11-13).

People Are Looking for Answers

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 3:15).

I am constantly honored to have people in my life asking me questions about God, Christ, faith, hope, sin, and related topics. I have become convinced that people are looking for solid answers to their questions. They have grown dissatisfied with questions, uncertainty, and insecurity in their lives. More than ever, they are willing to consider God and his word.

These are some of the questions I have been asked this week (along with my answers):

1. If God created everything, where did God come from?

For anything to exist, something has had to have always existed. Something needs to be eternal. Nothing produces nothing. If at some point in the past nothing existed, we could not exist now, because something cannot come from nothing. So the question becomes, "What has always existed?" We could say that the material universe has always existed. However, physicists and astronomers point to a beginning of our universe. They also expect an end to it. If they are correct (and I believe they are correct in recognizing that there was a beginning), the material universe cannot be eternal. So, the only other option would be: something beyond the material universe must have been responsible for creation. It would need to be outside the laws of physics, because it would need to be eternal itself. God is a spirit who is beyond the laws of physics. He is eternal and the source of the physical universe.

2. My Muslim daughter asked her spiritual leader why God answers my prayers since I am a Christian, and he answers her prayers as a Muslim. He told her that God answers the prayers of everyone, but that only Muslims will go to heaven. How do I respond?

Jesus Christ is unique. He said that no one could go to his Father (God) unless they followed him as the Way. He is the only begotten Son of God. He is the only one who has lived a sinless life. He is the only one qualified to be a sacrifice on behalf of sinners in order to satisfy the penalty for sin. He was proven to be acceptable in his sacrifice when he was resurrected.

The issue is not whether Muslims are superior to Christians. The issue is whether Jesus Christ is uniquely qualified to be our Savior. If he is (and I believe he is), then he is the one worthy of following.

3. My Muslim son-in-law is always lying to my daughter. He is dishonest with her all the time, but he calls himself a good Muslim. How can he do that?

I don't know. I do not know the rules of Islam concerning lying. I don't know what they consider to be "good." (My answer was completely inadequate, but honest.)

4a. What church are you a member of, Terry?

The Church of Christ

4b. I didn't know you were a member of Barack Obama's church.

I'm not. He's a member of the United Church of Christ. It's a liberal denomination. The Churches of Christ are conservative. (I wish I had given a more complete answer. I should have said that the United Church of Christ is a theologically liberal denomination while the Churches of Christ are theologically conservative, because I probably left the impression that I was talking about the churches' political stances.)

Nature Friend

"How many are your works, O LORD!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures"(Psalm 104:24).

Our son Christopher loves nature. He loves to go to the Tulsa Zoo, the Oklahoma City Zoo, and the Oklahoma Aquarium. Every week since he was a toddler, we have recorded the PBS program Nature for him on Sunday nights. He loves to learn about the variety of animals found throughout creation.

A few weeks ago, we subscribed to Nature Friend, a good magazine for children in elementary school. As the magazine states on page 3, "Nature Friend upholds the principles of the inspired Word of God, high Christian family standards, Divine Creation (no evolution), and practical Christian stewardship of God's creation." As much as we like the Tulsa Zoo and the Nature television series, they approach nature from an atheistic worldview. We must be careful to counter the promotion of atheism when we use them. This magazine, on the other hand, supports a Christian worldview as it teaches children about the world in which we live.

More information about Nature Friend may be found at www.naturefriendmagazine.com or by calling 1-877-434-0765.

Creation (Part Two)

These are my notes for our Bible study at the Normandy Apartments tomorrow night.

"So God created man in his image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them" (Genesis 1:27).

Please read Genesis 1:26-2:25.

These are some implications of humanity's creation:

1. God is relational. "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." God's use of the plural in referring to himself suggests the doctrine of the trinity. (See Genesis 1:2 and Colossians 1:15-20.) In his nature, God exists relationally. We have been designed to relate to him and to each other.

2. People are special to God. We bear his image. Whatever else that may mean, it means that we have a special connection to God, a connection not shared with plants and animals.

3. All people are related to each other, because we are descendants of Adam and Eve. We are related to the richest man in the world and to the AIDS orphan who is barely surviving in Africa. We are related to the Swedish supermodel and to the Chinese prisoner. We are related to the Olympic gold medalist and to the comatose woman in the nursing home. Since we are related to each other, we should consider how we treat each other.

4. People are responsible to care for the world's animals. We are to rule over them not as selfish tyrants, but as righteous kings and queens. Their interests will not take precedence over human needs, but they will be considered. (See Proverbs 12:10.)

5. Men and women are similar, but not the same. God separated masculinity in men from femininity in women as a part of his "very good" design for humanity.

6. God has blessed sex between a husband and a wife as a part of his "very good" design for humanity.

7. God has blessed the roles of father and mother as a part of his "very good" design for humanity.

8. Men and women complement each other in marriage. Neither is complete without the other. Each has a role in building up the other. (Ephesians 5:33 provides good advice in this area.)

9. Marriage was designed to provide security for both the husband and the wife. They can stand before each other completely naked, open, and vulnerable, but without shame.

Creation (Part One)

These are my notes for next week's Sunday night Bible study at the Normandy Apartments. We are starting a study of Genesis.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1, NIV).

In the opening chapter of Genesis, God reveals the origin of the universe. It began with him. God is seen as incomprehensibly knowledgeable and powerful. In a series of miracles which will never be completely understood by the most intelligent people on earth, God created the universe, prepared Earth for life, and created life (including humanity).

The first chapter appears in a poetic format. However, poetry is not a synonym for mythology. Truth can be found in poetry. For example, read Job 29. In it, we find a poetic description of Job's life and character before Satan attacked him. Although poetic, the passage describes a real man and his life accurately.

Since Genesis 1 was written as poetry, should we believe that God created everything in 6 literal days? Or should we believe the author never intended for us to believe in a 6-day creation? In Exodus 20:11, we read, "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy" (NIV). When God himself gave the 10 commandments, he interpreted the Genesis account as a literal 6-day event. Since he worked 6 days during creation week and rested 1 day, the Israelites were commanded to work 6 literal days and rest 1 literal day, too. A non-literal interpretation of the rule and the reasoning behind it would have been unthinkable. So we accept the Genesis account of the days as accurate.

Does Genesis 1 conflict with current scientific understanding of our origins? In some areas, I'm sure it does. However, scientists continue to discover, study, and modify their theories. They do not possess all knowledge. They are still learning, just as biblical scholars are. We may never understand the miracles of creation completely, but we can accept that they happened.

Finally, what do we do when the scientific community presents evidence that seems to contradict the Bible? Do we consider God a liar for planting contradictory evidence in nature and in the Bible? No. We must not assume God to be a liar when we must admit that we don't have all the evidence or a complete understanding of the evidence we possess.

In the end, we can trust God even when we do not understand how he has performed his miracles.

Earth Day

"Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
small creatures and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all nations,
you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and maidens,
old men and children.

"Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens" (Psalm 148:7-13, NIV).

A good devotional about Earth Day may be found at http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2008/04/22/devotion.aspx.

Jonah and the Hero

These are the notes for our weekly Bible study at the Normandy Apartments. Normally, I do not make extensive notes. I usually write out several questions about a text. This week, we are starting a new study, and I felt that a few introductory notes were needed before we get into the text of the book of Jonah.

"I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity" (Jonah 4:2, NIV).

Although never explicitly stated, the book of Jonah appears to be an autobiographical work by the prophet himself.

Jonah was a prophet living in the northern kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam II (793-753 BC; 2 Kings 14:23-25), the most powerful of the northern kingdom's rulers. The northern kingdom had always been corrupt: following false gods, listening to the false promises of those false gods, and even sacrificing their own children to appease the false gods at times. Nevertheless, God had not given up on the people of Israel yet. A minority continued to be loyal to the true God, and a few prophets like Jonah continued to appear in the northern kingdom.

The Assyrians were the most powerful and evil enemies of Israel during those years. Ninevah was their capitol city. For Jonah to be called to preach to Ninevah would have been like a Jewish prophet being called to preach to Berlin during World War II. It was hostile territory. The people were not inclined to respect a man of God, and the man of God knew that the people were guilty of horrible and violent sins against the people of God.

The book of Jonah is almost entirely narrative. It focuses on actions rather than the message of the prophet. Other books of prophecy reverse the emphasis. Most prophetic literature focuses on the prophet's message, but not his actions.

Some people attempt to discount the book of Jonah because they doubt the miracles. However, the Christian faith is built upon miracles, from the miracle of creation to the miracle of Christ's resurrection. The miracles of the Bible were recorded because they happened. Furthermore, Jesus Christ accepted and taught the historicity of the story of Jonah, just as he accepted and taught the historicity of the Queen of Sheba's visit to Solomon (Matthew 12:39-42). He did not differentiate between the miraculous account about Jonah and the mundane account about Solomon. We will follow his example during our study.

God is the hero of the book of Jonah. Through a reluctant and whining prophet, God is determined to get his message to the capitol city of the Assyrians. As Harold Shank noted, "The book of Jonah is an argument against any who seek to keep God for themselves..." (College Press NIV Commentary: Minor Prophets Volume 1, Hosea-Micah, p. 330). God reaches out beyond his people to his enemies. He warns of destruction, but when he sees repentance, God is quick to forgive.

In the book of Jonah, we notice a God who is in control. He will not take no for an answer from Jonah when the prophet does not want to warn Ninevah. God controls the weather, animals (the fish and the worm), and plants (the vine). He uses whatever is needed to reach both his prophet and his enemies.

One interesting aspect of the view of God in the book of Jonah is the view of God as Creator. He uses creation to reach his creatures, both people and their cattle or livestock according to the last verse of the book.

In the end, God challenges our prejudices. Contrary to all expectations, the city of Ninevah converted to God. We see people and write them off as hopeless. God sees people and offers them hope.

A Few Good Articles to Read

I read a few good articles today.

At http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200804/20080404_changeme.html, an author encourages Christians to continue speaking what needs to be said and doing what needs to be done, despite apparent lack of progress. Sometimes I need such articles to bolster my spirit.

At http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2008/2703_Behold_It_Was_Very_Good_But_Now/,
Noel Piper writes about the trip she and her daughter Talitha made to Africa. She reminds us of the importance of caring for the creation that God had blessed us with, and how we can honor God and receive benefits from caring for it.

At http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/1157_overcome_contradictory_compassion/, John Piper encourages Christians to follow Christ rather than popular political ideology. Both political liberals and political conservatives have blind spots, but Jesus Christ helps us to care about people that political ideologies tend to ignore.

Creation Weekend

"And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so" (Genesis 1:24, NIV).

Tulsa's Incredible Pizza Company is hosting its first Creation Weekend. With dinosaur bones and a presentation about the biblical account of the creation of all animals (including dinosaurs), the company is promoting a biblical worldview of history.

Janet and I took Christopher yesterday. Of course, he loved it. What could be better to a 4 year old boy than pizza, dinosaur bones, and video games?

Our local newspaper ran a story about the exhibit, which was fairly good until the article attempted to discredit creationism near the end of the story. It may be viewed at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=070728_1_A11_Thebi16386.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

"The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge" (Psalm 19:1-2, NIV).

For illustrations of these verses, see http://hubblesite.org/gallery/album.