"This prison is the largest maximum-security prison in America. It is one of the most famous prisons in the whole world. It has only murderers, rapists, armed robbers and habitual felons. The average sentence is 88 years, with 3,200 people in one place serving life sentences. Ninety percent of the inmates will die here. This is a place of hopelessness, so if Angola can change, the rest of the countrys prisons cant say, We cant do this." http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/2108_as_nice_as_they_let_me_as_mean_as_they_make_me/
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Heart of Family Reformation
Author: Jim Elliff
Our family begins the day with the hymn we are currently memorizing. When Laura was five, she sang for all of us the second verse of "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord" by the Yale president of the late 1700s, Timothy Dwight. With a determined look, she sang out,
My boys collapsed on the floor with laughter. The word is "graven!"
The kids were telling me just this evening how special our morning worship is. They value it, not only because it is sometimes humorous, but because it is the glue that holds us together, the stimulus for some our best discussions, and the real strength of our lives—its the heart, in fact, of our family reformation.
The Puritans, long misunderstood, had an exceptional view of the family. We can learn from them even though we might not accept all they had to say. They often talked of the home as the "little church," and the father as the pastor of his little flock. Lewis Bayly said, "What the preacher is in the pulpit, the same the Christian householder is in his house." Family worship is the natural outcome of such a view.
The practice of family worship (with or without children at home) is as forgotten to the church today as the dust in our attic, but this simple and effective method of restoring family spirituality is the most potent tool we have available to us—and every one of us can do it!
WHY IS FAMILY WORSHIP CRITICAL?
First, family worship is critical because the placing of the Word of God in the hearts of our family members is indispensable to their conversion.
Paul reminded Timothy that, “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3: 15).
Peter said that we are "born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible through the Word of God which lives and abides forever" (1 Pet. 1:23). This incorruptible seed of saving life (corresponding to the natural biological seed) is inseminated in the dead soul via the Word of God alone.
The Puritans believed this with a passion. This was the rationale for their long sermons, the catechizing of children, the morning messages in those cold church buildings prior to the work day, the daily meditating on the Word in private, and especially the practice of family worship. For the Puritan, family worship took place two times a day, as the "morning and evening sacrifice." It was through this means that his children and wife, and any other guests or helpers in the home, would receive life!
Richard Baxter, one of the most famous of the Puritans, saw his village of Kidderminster, England transformed through this method. He stated:
I do verily believe that if parents did their duty as they ought, the Word publicly preached would not be the ordinary means of regeneration in the church, but only without the church, among practical heathens and infidels.
Second, it is critical because the Word alone enables your family to withstand the prevailing currents of an evil culture.
In the 2 Timothy 3 passage we find a torrent of base culture descending on young Timothy. "…In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers… disobedient to parents…without self control… headstrong…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God"(vss.1-4).
How will you be able to rescue your family from the effects of such a culture? Only through the Word of God, according to Paul. The Word makes Timothy as the "man of God," "thoroughly equipped for every good work" necessary to strengthen the church. His tool box is complete and "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (vs. 16) so that the people under his charge can withstand the flood of culture described in the previous verses.
In the same way, the pastor-father of the home (or the mother in homes without a father, which was Timothy’s situation) is made adequate to help his or her family. Paul tells Timothy, therefore, to "preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season" (4:2).
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth… (4: 3-4).
When culture rushes down on your family and the professing church is trying to imitate the world itself, how will your family keep from being swept away in its path? Only through the Word of God! Family worship, on a daily basis, is your hope that they will stand like steel piers against the prevailing tide.
When speaking in Basel, Switzerland years ago I saw a ferry which crossed the swift Rhone river. It had no engine, but operated by means of its resistance to the current, guided from one side to the other along a taut steel line. Unless we attach those tender hearts of our family members to the steel line of truth, there will be little hope of their withstanding the forces pressing against them.
In India there was a custom of throwing babies into the Ganges river as a sacrifice to the gods. If we are unwilling to do any more than merely take our children to church, we might as well be throwing them into the river of the culture. This is an explanation why many children of Christian parents are so often no different than the world’s. They have been given to the gods by their parents—thrown in with hands of neglect.
WHAT ARE THE BASICS?
There are three aspects of family worship which I find important: singing, the reading of the Word, and prayer, or as one friend puts it Song, Scripture, and Supplication.
Singing. Not every home is musical, but every attempt should be made to incorporate singing into the daily worship experience. We have been concerned that a whole generation of children are growing up without Christian hymnody. Therefore, we teach our children the best hymns of the faith. In fact, I give my children three dollars for every hymn they learn!
We prefer the hymns written by the theologians and pastors of earlier days (Watts, Wesley, Newton, Doddridge, etc.) since the theology is better. The "gospel hall songs" written by the crusade musicians of the 19th century are often trite and less God-exalting, even though we are sometimes romantically attached to them.
I got the idea of paying money for learning hymns from Charles Spurgeon, the 19th century pastor of the London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle.
My grandfather was very fond of Dr. Watt’s hymns, and my grandmother, wishing to get me to learn them, promised me a penny for each one that I should say to her perfectly. I found it an easy and pleasant method of earning money, and learned them so fast that grandmother said she must reduce the price to a halfpenny each, and afterwards to a farthing, if she did not mean to be quite ruined by her extravagance. There is no telling how low the amount per hymn might have sunk, but grandfather said that he was getting overrun with rats, and offered me a shilling a dozen for all I could kill. I found, at the time, that the occupation of rat-catching paid me better than learning hymns, but I know which employment has been the more permanently profitable to me. No matter on what topic I am preaching, I can even now, in the middle of any sermon, quote some verse of a hymn in harmony with the subject. The hymns have remained with me, while those old rats for years have passed away, and the shillings I earned by killing them have been spent long ago.
Reading the Word. Though there are uses for devotional books of various types, they are best as a supplement and not a substitute for the Bible. My preference is to stick with reading the Bible as our main diet during family worship. Occasionally you may wish to add a chapter day by day of a Christian biography, while still giving the Bible the center stage. Use other helps at bedtime, or as a supplement, if helpful, but drink the "pure milk of the Word" during family worship. We read a chapter each day and always complete the book we begin.
You will find the Bible engaging enough on its own, and often a launching place for discussion about many things. For instance, what better place can you find to learn about sexuality than from Scripture? Don’t be afraid of the less than perfect characters you will meet in the Bible. They are included for our instruction. Use the examples, good and bad, to talk about those forgotten virtues of integrity, honesty, faithfulness, etc. Bring out the nature of sin and the beauties of the gospel, heaven and hell.
When the children are young, or the family is new to the faith, go over and over the story portions of the Bible. Begin with Mark, and then read the other gospels, Genesis, Exodus, the two Samuels, Kings and Chronicles, Ruth, Esther, Acts, etc. This will give them the history of the Bible as a great redemption drama. Later they can handle the teaching portions better.
Though the morning is by far the best time for family worship, you may not find it workable. You may wish to take the mealtime most attended by all your family. Have the Bible set beside the father’s place as part of the table setting. Then, after the meal, but before any dishes are moved off the table, worship together. Do it faithfully, even when someone must be absent.
Family prayers. Our children are used to seeing prayers answered. Why? Because we pray very specifically. When we see the answer come in, we make something of it.
I prefer to talk with the family about some of our needs and then assign each of us something to pray about. I usually accompany this with an encouragement that God has been answering our prayers and that we all should pray silently while another is wording our request. There is nothing more beautiful than the sincere request of children.
Keeping this time fresh will be your hardest task. Sometimes you may wish to put requests into a basket and let each person draw one out. Seek ways to make this time better. When the children are young, however, family worship should not be long and tedious for them. They will learn best by degrees.
JUDGMENT DAY
Puritan Richard Mather (1596-1669), grandfather of Increase, and great grandfather of Cotton Mather, once imagined children on judgment day, speaking to their parents. His words will serve as a final sober warning that we must be more diligent to care for the souls of our children:
All this that we here suffer is through you. You should have taught us the things of God, and did not. You should have restrained us from sin and corrected us, and you did not. You were the means of our original corruption and guiltiness, and yet you never showed any competent care that we might be delivered from it. Woe unto us that we had such carnal and careless parents; and woe unto you that had no more compassion and pity to prevent the everlasting misery of your own children.
Copyright © 2000 Jim Elliff
Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.
Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in unedited form
including author's name, title, complete content, copyright and weblink.
Other uses require written permission.
www.CCWtoday.org
Our family begins the day with the hymn we are currently memorizing. When Laura was five, she sang for all of us the second verse of "I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord" by the Yale president of the late 1700s, Timothy Dwight. With a determined look, she sang out,
I love Thy church, O God.
Her walls before Thee stand.
Dear as the apple of Thine eye,
And gravy on Thy hand.
My boys collapsed on the floor with laughter. The word is "graven!"
The kids were telling me just this evening how special our morning worship is. They value it, not only because it is sometimes humorous, but because it is the glue that holds us together, the stimulus for some our best discussions, and the real strength of our lives—its the heart, in fact, of our family reformation.
The Puritans, long misunderstood, had an exceptional view of the family. We can learn from them even though we might not accept all they had to say. They often talked of the home as the "little church," and the father as the pastor of his little flock. Lewis Bayly said, "What the preacher is in the pulpit, the same the Christian householder is in his house." Family worship is the natural outcome of such a view.
The practice of family worship (with or without children at home) is as forgotten to the church today as the dust in our attic, but this simple and effective method of restoring family spirituality is the most potent tool we have available to us—and every one of us can do it!
WHY IS FAMILY WORSHIP CRITICAL?
First, family worship is critical because the placing of the Word of God in the hearts of our family members is indispensable to their conversion.
Paul reminded Timothy that, “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3: 15).
Peter said that we are "born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible through the Word of God which lives and abides forever" (1 Pet. 1:23). This incorruptible seed of saving life (corresponding to the natural biological seed) is inseminated in the dead soul via the Word of God alone.
The Puritans believed this with a passion. This was the rationale for their long sermons, the catechizing of children, the morning messages in those cold church buildings prior to the work day, the daily meditating on the Word in private, and especially the practice of family worship. For the Puritan, family worship took place two times a day, as the "morning and evening sacrifice." It was through this means that his children and wife, and any other guests or helpers in the home, would receive life!
Richard Baxter, one of the most famous of the Puritans, saw his village of Kidderminster, England transformed through this method. He stated:
I do verily believe that if parents did their duty as they ought, the Word publicly preached would not be the ordinary means of regeneration in the church, but only without the church, among practical heathens and infidels.
Second, it is critical because the Word alone enables your family to withstand the prevailing currents of an evil culture.
In the 2 Timothy 3 passage we find a torrent of base culture descending on young Timothy. "…In the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers… disobedient to parents…without self control… headstrong…lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God"(vss.1-4).
How will you be able to rescue your family from the effects of such a culture? Only through the Word of God, according to Paul. The Word makes Timothy as the "man of God," "thoroughly equipped for every good work" necessary to strengthen the church. His tool box is complete and "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (vs. 16) so that the people under his charge can withstand the flood of culture described in the previous verses.
In the same way, the pastor-father of the home (or the mother in homes without a father, which was Timothy’s situation) is made adequate to help his or her family. Paul tells Timothy, therefore, to "preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season" (4:2).
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth… (4: 3-4).
When culture rushes down on your family and the professing church is trying to imitate the world itself, how will your family keep from being swept away in its path? Only through the Word of God! Family worship, on a daily basis, is your hope that they will stand like steel piers against the prevailing tide.
When speaking in Basel, Switzerland years ago I saw a ferry which crossed the swift Rhone river. It had no engine, but operated by means of its resistance to the current, guided from one side to the other along a taut steel line. Unless we attach those tender hearts of our family members to the steel line of truth, there will be little hope of their withstanding the forces pressing against them.
In India there was a custom of throwing babies into the Ganges river as a sacrifice to the gods. If we are unwilling to do any more than merely take our children to church, we might as well be throwing them into the river of the culture. This is an explanation why many children of Christian parents are so often no different than the world’s. They have been given to the gods by their parents—thrown in with hands of neglect.
WHAT ARE THE BASICS?
There are three aspects of family worship which I find important: singing, the reading of the Word, and prayer, or as one friend puts it Song, Scripture, and Supplication.
Singing. Not every home is musical, but every attempt should be made to incorporate singing into the daily worship experience. We have been concerned that a whole generation of children are growing up without Christian hymnody. Therefore, we teach our children the best hymns of the faith. In fact, I give my children three dollars for every hymn they learn!
We prefer the hymns written by the theologians and pastors of earlier days (Watts, Wesley, Newton, Doddridge, etc.) since the theology is better. The "gospel hall songs" written by the crusade musicians of the 19th century are often trite and less God-exalting, even though we are sometimes romantically attached to them.
I got the idea of paying money for learning hymns from Charles Spurgeon, the 19th century pastor of the London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle.
My grandfather was very fond of Dr. Watt’s hymns, and my grandmother, wishing to get me to learn them, promised me a penny for each one that I should say to her perfectly. I found it an easy and pleasant method of earning money, and learned them so fast that grandmother said she must reduce the price to a halfpenny each, and afterwards to a farthing, if she did not mean to be quite ruined by her extravagance. There is no telling how low the amount per hymn might have sunk, but grandfather said that he was getting overrun with rats, and offered me a shilling a dozen for all I could kill. I found, at the time, that the occupation of rat-catching paid me better than learning hymns, but I know which employment has been the more permanently profitable to me. No matter on what topic I am preaching, I can even now, in the middle of any sermon, quote some verse of a hymn in harmony with the subject. The hymns have remained with me, while those old rats for years have passed away, and the shillings I earned by killing them have been spent long ago.
Reading the Word. Though there are uses for devotional books of various types, they are best as a supplement and not a substitute for the Bible. My preference is to stick with reading the Bible as our main diet during family worship. Occasionally you may wish to add a chapter day by day of a Christian biography, while still giving the Bible the center stage. Use other helps at bedtime, or as a supplement, if helpful, but drink the "pure milk of the Word" during family worship. We read a chapter each day and always complete the book we begin.
You will find the Bible engaging enough on its own, and often a launching place for discussion about many things. For instance, what better place can you find to learn about sexuality than from Scripture? Don’t be afraid of the less than perfect characters you will meet in the Bible. They are included for our instruction. Use the examples, good and bad, to talk about those forgotten virtues of integrity, honesty, faithfulness, etc. Bring out the nature of sin and the beauties of the gospel, heaven and hell.
When the children are young, or the family is new to the faith, go over and over the story portions of the Bible. Begin with Mark, and then read the other gospels, Genesis, Exodus, the two Samuels, Kings and Chronicles, Ruth, Esther, Acts, etc. This will give them the history of the Bible as a great redemption drama. Later they can handle the teaching portions better.
Though the morning is by far the best time for family worship, you may not find it workable. You may wish to take the mealtime most attended by all your family. Have the Bible set beside the father’s place as part of the table setting. Then, after the meal, but before any dishes are moved off the table, worship together. Do it faithfully, even when someone must be absent.
Family prayers. Our children are used to seeing prayers answered. Why? Because we pray very specifically. When we see the answer come in, we make something of it.
I prefer to talk with the family about some of our needs and then assign each of us something to pray about. I usually accompany this with an encouragement that God has been answering our prayers and that we all should pray silently while another is wording our request. There is nothing more beautiful than the sincere request of children.
Keeping this time fresh will be your hardest task. Sometimes you may wish to put requests into a basket and let each person draw one out. Seek ways to make this time better. When the children are young, however, family worship should not be long and tedious for them. They will learn best by degrees.
JUDGMENT DAY
Puritan Richard Mather (1596-1669), grandfather of Increase, and great grandfather of Cotton Mather, once imagined children on judgment day, speaking to their parents. His words will serve as a final sober warning that we must be more diligent to care for the souls of our children:
All this that we here suffer is through you. You should have taught us the things of God, and did not. You should have restrained us from sin and corrected us, and you did not. You were the means of our original corruption and guiltiness, and yet you never showed any competent care that we might be delivered from it. Woe unto us that we had such carnal and careless parents; and woe unto you that had no more compassion and pity to prevent the everlasting misery of your own children.
Copyright © 2000 Jim Elliff
Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.
Permission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in unedited form
including author's name, title, complete content, copyright and weblink.
Other uses require written permission.
www.CCWtoday.org
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Our precious Kiara
Please pray for our daughter Kiara. She had a seizure today at the eye doctors appt, never has had a seizure before, the ER doctor had an ECG done which revealed an abnormal, enlarged middle part in her heart which is what they believe caused her to pass out and seizure. Now we have to see a cardiologist and pediatric neurologist. She's fine right now. Will keep posting as we find out what's going on.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Witnessing at the Old Port
We were very blessed to take part of this years Old Port Festival with Pastor Don Drake from Stroudwater Baptist Church. We teamed up with Derek and Angie and our wonderful friend from Arizona, Edwin Lo. Edwin came up for Joshua's graduation and we are so blessed to have him here.
When we arrived at the booth where Pastor Don and his son were, it was already swarming with people. We were prayed up and ready to go and boy did the Lord prepare the way!
We were all engaged in conversations everywhere..it was hard grabbing pics as someone was always talking to someone. People were coming up to us saying they wanted to take this "Good Person Test" this surprised Edwin as he had never done a Good Person booth before.
I started off with having a wonderful conversation with a man named Brian who was a Jewish man. Brian was asking me many questions and I was able to answer them all thanks to the training I have received from the School of Biblical Evangelism and the Way of the Master episodes etc. Brian was not at all closed to the Gospel, however he has one of the very curious minds and he left me with a Why Christianity booklet by Ray Comfort and a Scientific Proofs from the Bible by Ray Comfort. He was amazed at the scientific proofs in the Bible. He also said to me that if I am wrong I have nothing to lose really, but if I am right he does have a lot to lose. Please pray that Brian would seek the Lord while He still may be found. Here's a pic of me and Brian.
At the very start Jeff felt a great burden for souls, so much that he asked me if he should pray with someone if they felt they wanted to pray. We are very careful not to lead people through a "sinners prayer" as we don't want to lead someone in a false conversion. We know that God is Sovereign and we don't want to get in the way of His perfect timing by man made means such as a sinners prayer. For more on praying a prayer watch this 5 minute video by Paul Washer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc5lY9YP_bE and concerning false conversions please listen to: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4253981354315335400
Jeff's burden proved to be from the Lord as he was able to speak to many folks. One man was very receptive to the Gospel, although this man didn't repent right there, he was very concerned for his eternal destiny, Jeff was able to give him a Bible and other literature as well as pray for him to find the Lord.
Then Jeff was able to speak to several others and finally the big encounter happened. Elizabeth approached 2 young men and she started taking them through the law and the Gospel, Jeff came over to stand with her and he ended up speaking to these 2 young men, one named Peter the other Andrew. Andrew was broken, ended up in tears and right there bowed and prayed in his own words a beautiful prayer of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. His friend Peter was very supportive of Andrew's commitment. Andrew left saying he would contact Jeff through e-mail. Here's a snippet of the e-mail we received from Andrew that very night:
I am not sure of everything and I hope to have Jeff come type up more about this encounter. For now here is the picture and Andrew in the white hat bowing and praying.
I had my first encounter with being chased by someone while I was open airing. A very angry lady kept coming and putting her face in mine telling me to stop reading the Bible because she didn't want to hear it, but praise the Lord there were 3 folks that stopped to listen to me and they defended me and told this lady they wanted to hear me and that she needed to leave me alone. Jeff ended up coming and taking her aside and speaking to her. I felt so bad for her because she despised the Word of God so much. Do pray for this woman. The people who stopped to listen very very receptive and heard the full Gospel. One lady also came up to me and whispered in my ear, "Thank you for what you are doing for His glory" I was so grateful that the Lord sent me this encouragement.
There were so many more conversations, thousands of tracts handed out, Kiara and Kayla as usual were tracting many folks, Jonathan as well, Elizabeth was a bold witness for the Lord. Here's some more pics. We give glory to God for the many seeds that were sown and ask that you pray for those seeds! Pray for Andrew and that Jeff would be able to continue to disciple him.
When we arrived at the booth where Pastor Don and his son were, it was already swarming with people. We were prayed up and ready to go and boy did the Lord prepare the way!
We were all engaged in conversations everywhere..it was hard grabbing pics as someone was always talking to someone. People were coming up to us saying they wanted to take this "Good Person Test" this surprised Edwin as he had never done a Good Person booth before.
I started off with having a wonderful conversation with a man named Brian who was a Jewish man. Brian was asking me many questions and I was able to answer them all thanks to the training I have received from the School of Biblical Evangelism and the Way of the Master episodes etc. Brian was not at all closed to the Gospel, however he has one of the very curious minds and he left me with a Why Christianity booklet by Ray Comfort and a Scientific Proofs from the Bible by Ray Comfort. He was amazed at the scientific proofs in the Bible. He also said to me that if I am wrong I have nothing to lose really, but if I am right he does have a lot to lose. Please pray that Brian would seek the Lord while He still may be found. Here's a pic of me and Brian.
At the very start Jeff felt a great burden for souls, so much that he asked me if he should pray with someone if they felt they wanted to pray. We are very careful not to lead people through a "sinners prayer" as we don't want to lead someone in a false conversion. We know that God is Sovereign and we don't want to get in the way of His perfect timing by man made means such as a sinners prayer. For more on praying a prayer watch this 5 minute video by Paul Washer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc5lY9YP_bE and concerning false conversions please listen to: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4253981354315335400
Jeff's burden proved to be from the Lord as he was able to speak to many folks. One man was very receptive to the Gospel, although this man didn't repent right there, he was very concerned for his eternal destiny, Jeff was able to give him a Bible and other literature as well as pray for him to find the Lord.
Then Jeff was able to speak to several others and finally the big encounter happened. Elizabeth approached 2 young men and she started taking them through the law and the Gospel, Jeff came over to stand with her and he ended up speaking to these 2 young men, one named Peter the other Andrew. Andrew was broken, ended up in tears and right there bowed and prayed in his own words a beautiful prayer of repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. His friend Peter was very supportive of Andrew's commitment. Andrew left saying he would contact Jeff through e-mail. Here's a snippet of the e-mail we received from Andrew that very night:
"Hey Jeff. This is the Andrew you spoke with who had the Peter friend. I said I would drop you a line. Uhm. This day was along time in the coming, honestly, So I told the Big man that if he wanted me, ta show me what ta do here, cause I was hurt and confused.
So, it's a little on the ironic, or devine, perhaps, side that I met up with you."
I am not sure of everything and I hope to have Jeff come type up more about this encounter. For now here is the picture and Andrew in the white hat bowing and praying.
I had my first encounter with being chased by someone while I was open airing. A very angry lady kept coming and putting her face in mine telling me to stop reading the Bible because she didn't want to hear it, but praise the Lord there were 3 folks that stopped to listen to me and they defended me and told this lady they wanted to hear me and that she needed to leave me alone. Jeff ended up coming and taking her aside and speaking to her. I felt so bad for her because she despised the Word of God so much. Do pray for this woman. The people who stopped to listen very very receptive and heard the full Gospel. One lady also came up to me and whispered in my ear, "Thank you for what you are doing for His glory" I was so grateful that the Lord sent me this encouragement.
There were so many more conversations, thousands of tracts handed out, Kiara and Kayla as usual were tracting many folks, Jonathan as well, Elizabeth was a bold witness for the Lord. Here's some more pics. We give glory to God for the many seeds that were sown and ask that you pray for those seeds! Pray for Andrew and that Jeff would be able to continue to disciple him.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Mission Good Friday 2009
We were very blessed to take part of Tony Miano's Mission Good Friday (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=778483179#/event.php?eid=156081235275&ref=mf) yesterday in Portland, Maine. Being April, Maine is still cold and not many people out so we were a little nervous as to how this would work for us here.
But God prepared the way before us!
I am currently leading the Way of the Master Intermediate Training Course at our homeschool group to a group of teens and one young man, Daniel, wanted to come out with us. I didn't think his parents would let him join us so late at night as we went after our Good Friday service. But Daniel called and told me his parents said he could come so off we went to pick up Daniel at 8:30pm EST. Praise the Lord for such wonderful, willing parents!
We decided to head into Portland as that is where people would be, but as we arrived there were no people in site..dead, looked like a ghost town.
We headed over to a little park and found a close parking spot, which is unheard of on a Friday night in downtown Old Port!
We bundled up as the weather was supposed to reach 27 degrees and headed over to the park benches where Daniel jumped up on the bench and loudly read Matthew 26. There was 1 gentleman who sat and listened a little before getting up to leave.
My son Jonathan then jumped up and read chapter 27, again, no people, just a few folks walking very fast to get to their destination.
Jonathan finished and Elizabeth jumped up on the bench and she read chp 28. Again still no people. But we were praying that maybe there might be an open window in one of the many buildings so we pressed on.
We decided after the reading to walk around the area and tract folks. My twins as usual were tracting anyone they could find!
We stopped at the side of the road where there were 3 benches and we realized this was the place to stay as folks were walking this sidewalk to get to their destinations, so I jumped on the bench and started reading Matthew 26-28.
I hadn't gone too far into chp 27 when a group of teens came and started talking to Jeff. We didn't grab anymore pics after this point as we were all talking to someone! PTL!
Then another man came over, Andrew, and I was able to speak to him, a hurting man who was broken by his decisions that have kept him away from his children, led him through a divorce etc. I shared the full law and Gospel with Andrew and he was very thankful.
No sooner had Andrew left when I noticed my daughter speaking to a young man. This mans name was Seth and he was an atheist, but a very polite one. Seth and I spoke for a long time, I answered all his questions, the usual questions we hear from professing atheists. Seth's countenance began to change before our eyes! His eyes filled with tears as I told him why we have a Good Friday and why Jesus had to die. He went from being an atheist to ending the conversation saying I had given him a new perspective on the things of God and he would truly seek this out. I went to shake his hand and instead he grabbed me and gave a hug and said thank you so much. We gave him an invite to our church's Easter service which we're offering a free ham dinner after the service. Please pray for Seth! He was so humbled and really searching. I pray he e-mails us or shows up at our church.
All this time Jeff was still speaking to the group of unruly teens, one who was a professing Christian, goes to a prominent church in the area, and yet she was swearing, saying Jesus had to have sinned because He was human and she said the Bible isn't true, and yet was still saying she was a Christian and she was offended that we questioned her Christianity. One of the other teens was so intellectual, but asking ridiculous questions. It seemed a wasted time but as we know, we can't ever know what is going on inside their hearts and what God is accomplishing for His purposes. Jeff pressed on and gave them the full Law and Gospel. There was one teen, Kayori (something like that) there that after I pulled the 2 unruly ones away, Jeff said Kayori became very humble and receptive to hearing, his mouth was stopped and the look of conviction was there. Please pray for this young man Jeff as Jeff said he was a different young man towards the end.
We were out there for 2 and a half hours, half frozen but rejoicing in the seeds that were sown and knowing that His Word was loudly proclaimed to a very lost and dying world!! It was an amazing night! To God be the glory!
But God prepared the way before us!
I am currently leading the Way of the Master Intermediate Training Course at our homeschool group to a group of teens and one young man, Daniel, wanted to come out with us. I didn't think his parents would let him join us so late at night as we went after our Good Friday service. But Daniel called and told me his parents said he could come so off we went to pick up Daniel at 8:30pm EST. Praise the Lord for such wonderful, willing parents!
We decided to head into Portland as that is where people would be, but as we arrived there were no people in site..dead, looked like a ghost town.
We headed over to a little park and found a close parking spot, which is unheard of on a Friday night in downtown Old Port!
We bundled up as the weather was supposed to reach 27 degrees and headed over to the park benches where Daniel jumped up on the bench and loudly read Matthew 26. There was 1 gentleman who sat and listened a little before getting up to leave.
My son Jonathan then jumped up and read chapter 27, again, no people, just a few folks walking very fast to get to their destination.
Jonathan finished and Elizabeth jumped up on the bench and she read chp 28. Again still no people. But we were praying that maybe there might be an open window in one of the many buildings so we pressed on.
We decided after the reading to walk around the area and tract folks. My twins as usual were tracting anyone they could find!
We stopped at the side of the road where there were 3 benches and we realized this was the place to stay as folks were walking this sidewalk to get to their destinations, so I jumped on the bench and started reading Matthew 26-28.
I hadn't gone too far into chp 27 when a group of teens came and started talking to Jeff. We didn't grab anymore pics after this point as we were all talking to someone! PTL!
Then another man came over, Andrew, and I was able to speak to him, a hurting man who was broken by his decisions that have kept him away from his children, led him through a divorce etc. I shared the full law and Gospel with Andrew and he was very thankful.
No sooner had Andrew left when I noticed my daughter speaking to a young man. This mans name was Seth and he was an atheist, but a very polite one. Seth and I spoke for a long time, I answered all his questions, the usual questions we hear from professing atheists. Seth's countenance began to change before our eyes! His eyes filled with tears as I told him why we have a Good Friday and why Jesus had to die. He went from being an atheist to ending the conversation saying I had given him a new perspective on the things of God and he would truly seek this out. I went to shake his hand and instead he grabbed me and gave a hug and said thank you so much. We gave him an invite to our church's Easter service which we're offering a free ham dinner after the service. Please pray for Seth! He was so humbled and really searching. I pray he e-mails us or shows up at our church.
All this time Jeff was still speaking to the group of unruly teens, one who was a professing Christian, goes to a prominent church in the area, and yet she was swearing, saying Jesus had to have sinned because He was human and she said the Bible isn't true, and yet was still saying she was a Christian and she was offended that we questioned her Christianity. One of the other teens was so intellectual, but asking ridiculous questions. It seemed a wasted time but as we know, we can't ever know what is going on inside their hearts and what God is accomplishing for His purposes. Jeff pressed on and gave them the full Law and Gospel. There was one teen, Kayori (something like that) there that after I pulled the 2 unruly ones away, Jeff said Kayori became very humble and receptive to hearing, his mouth was stopped and the look of conviction was there. Please pray for this young man Jeff as Jeff said he was a different young man towards the end.
We were out there for 2 and a half hours, half frozen but rejoicing in the seeds that were sown and knowing that His Word was loudly proclaimed to a very lost and dying world!! It was an amazing night! To God be the glory!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
SIN: MAN'S ULTIMATE PROBLEM
Quotes taken from the book Justification and Regeneration by Charles Leiter.
No matter how many men may try to suppress it, there is still an indelible
knowledge in the human heart that right and wrong are real, that men are
responsible for their wrongdoing, and that sin deserves to be punished.
Deep down, all men know that the scales of justice must be balanced at last.
Can A Man Be Right Before God?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The Heart of the Gospel by Charles Leiter
The Heart of the Gospel
Charles Leiter
“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:21-26)
Here Paul declares that Christ died to pay our sin debt so that God could “justify”sinners and at the same time remain “just” Himself. Throughout the Old Testament, sins were merely “passed over,” the payment of their guilt being rolled forward year after year until the Lamb should come whose death could truly take them away (Hebr. 9:15). All during this time, it appeared that God was being unrighteous, since He justified men (like Abraham and David) without justice being truly satisfied. Therefore it was necessary that Christ should die “publicly,” openly demonstrating God's righteousness for all to see, by making full satisfaction for sin on the cross. In this sense, Christ died, not only to justify men, but to justify God! His death on the cross vindicated and demonstrated the absolute justice of God in justifying His people. As a “propitiation” (i.e. a wrath-removing sacrifice) for our sins, Christ turns away God's judicial wrath from us. We are “justified as a gift” (Justification is absolutely free to us.), “through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Justification was very costly to God). We are justified by receiving the “gift of righteousness” (Rom. 5:17) “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ” (Rom. 3:22).
Are you still under the wrath of God? “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). There is a “fountain for sin and impurity” (Zech. 13:1). “The blood of Jesus, God's Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). No matter how great your sins may be, they are nothing compared to the infinite worth of Christ's blood! (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Acts 20:28). “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). Come to Him! He invites and commands you to come; you need not fear that you are being presumptuous by coming: “And let the one who is thirsty some; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Rev. 22:17; Matt. 11:28). Come to Him! Take the water of life! Cast your sins upon Him and trust Him as your sin-bearer. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).
[This articles is an exerpt from the book "Justification and Regeneration", by Charles Leiter, available at www.heartcrymissionary.com]
Charles Leiter
“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:21-26)
Here Paul declares that Christ died to pay our sin debt so that God could “justify”sinners and at the same time remain “just” Himself. Throughout the Old Testament, sins were merely “passed over,” the payment of their guilt being rolled forward year after year until the Lamb should come whose death could truly take them away (Hebr. 9:15). All during this time, it appeared that God was being unrighteous, since He justified men (like Abraham and David) without justice being truly satisfied. Therefore it was necessary that Christ should die “publicly,” openly demonstrating God's righteousness for all to see, by making full satisfaction for sin on the cross. In this sense, Christ died, not only to justify men, but to justify God! His death on the cross vindicated and demonstrated the absolute justice of God in justifying His people. As a “propitiation” (i.e. a wrath-removing sacrifice) for our sins, Christ turns away God's judicial wrath from us. We are “justified as a gift” (Justification is absolutely free to us.), “through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Justification was very costly to God). We are justified by receiving the “gift of righteousness” (Rom. 5:17) “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ” (Rom. 3:22).
Are you still under the wrath of God? “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). There is a “fountain for sin and impurity” (Zech. 13:1). “The blood of Jesus, God's Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). No matter how great your sins may be, they are nothing compared to the infinite worth of Christ's blood! (1 Pet. 1:18-19; Acts 20:28). “Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom. 5:20). Come to Him! He invites and commands you to come; you need not fear that you are being presumptuous by coming: “And let the one who is thirsty some; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost” (Rev. 22:17; Matt. 11:28). Come to Him! Take the water of life! Cast your sins upon Him and trust Him as your sin-bearer. “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31).
[This articles is an exerpt from the book "Justification and Regeneration", by Charles Leiter, available at www.heartcrymissionary.com]
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Kirk and John MacArthur on TBN
I am so amazed at this programming, to see 2 godly men preach absolute truth!!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
In Memory of Jim
I made this video to remember Jim. I hope it blesses you and inspires you to be out there, not looking back, keeping your hand to the plow...Jim was an example to us all. May we go and live as he did...a Living Sacrifice.
Friday, November 14, 2008
In Memory of my best friend, fellow evangelist, Jim Jones.
I wanted to write up something, but Tony Miano did such a wonderful job I am pasting his blog here.
Jim was truly a best friend and I will miss him greatly. While I am rejoicing that he is home with his Savior, the One he boldly proclaimed, my heart grieves as I think of his precious wife and daughters. I know that God is taking care of them and yet, I still am so sad to have such a loss. I love you Jim and I miss you already tremendously. What a legacy you have left behind. See you in Heaven my brother.
The Lawman Chronicles-Tony Miano
The biblical street evangelism family has lost a faithful brother in the Lord. Jim Jones (Grant Pass, OR) was killed yesterday in a bicycle accident. Jim was 40. He leaves behind (but in the faithful hands of the Savior) his wife, Kelly; and his two daughters, Willow and Holly. Please keep the Jones Family in your thoughts and prayers.
Jim was an Internet service provider, by trade; but his passion was proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jim's close friends often joked with him about his name, since he shared the same name with the infamous cult leader. But everyone who knew Jim knew that this Jim Jones sought to glorify God with his life and to love people with the Gospel.
As Jim would say, he "reclaimed the name." Yes, Jim, you did--all for the glory of Jesus Christ. You did.
Jim led an evangelism team in his area. In his most recent newsletter, Jim wrote:
"It's still amazing to see how people will just stop here in downtown Grant Pass and let us talked to them about the things of God. "
Jim was already well-known in biblical street evangelism circles when I was new to open-air preaching. Jim was a front line warrior for the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His passion and leadership inspired other Christians to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Jesus Christ.
While Jim will be sorely missed by those who knew him and served the Lord with him, those same people also know that God is good and sovereign. God does cause all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28).
May the good that comes from such great loss be that many with whom Jim has shared the gospel over the years (particularly those in the young, Gothic subculture for whom Jim had great compassion), upon hearing about his death, will remember the gospel he proclaimed to them and then repent and believe that same Gospel. May the good that comes from such great loss be that Jim's brothers and sisters in Christ will, in his memory but for the glory of Christ, preach the Law and the Gospel all the more.
We'll miss you, Jim. But we will see you again, one glad morning; as we worship the Lord Jesus Christ in His glorious presence.
I will close by sharing a video of Jim doing what he loved most--proclaiming the Law and the Gospel.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Quote of the Month
"The New Testament continues the testimony to the radical depravity of man. In fact, when Paul seeks to present a systematic argument for the gospel to the Romans, he does not begin with 'Jesus loves you' or 'God has a wonderful plan for your life.' Showing that he would fail almost every evangelism class currently offered in seminaries in our land, Paul begins with a dreadfully long discussion of the universal sinfulness of man. Without a single poem, no funny illustrations or multimedia aids, the inspired Apostle drags on about the sinfulness of men, Jew and Gentile alike. It is no wonder this section is so little preached in our day. But might it just be that good news cannot be properly understood unless the bad news is fully realized? Such would seem to be the case."
-James R. White, The Potter's Freedom
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Sen. John McCain’s Position on Abortion Setting the Record Straight
by Wesley Strackbein and Bob Renaud
Vision Forum
With the 2008 presidential election just one week away, it is time that Sen. John McCain’s record on abortion be clearly explained.
This last Sunday, LifeNews.com published an article entitled, “John McCain’s Pro-Life Abortion Record Gets Buried With Focus on Obama,” wherein journalist Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com’s editor, observed:
With the intense focus on the extreme pro-abortion positions of Barack Obama, there has been little reference during the weeks leading up to the presidential elections of John McCain’s pro-life record on abortion. McCain isn’t as outspoken as past presidential candidates, but his record speaks volumes.[1]
Mr. Ertelt’s conclusion is right: Sen. McCain’s record on abortion has largely been “buried” this election cycle, and it indeed “speaks volumes,” but not for the reasons that Ertelt has suggested. A more careful look at Sen. McCain’s formal voting record and statements indicate that he will not make the protection of life a priority in a McCain presidential administration. While Sen. McCain voted in favor of the partial birth abortion ban in 2003 (as did Senators Tom Daschle, Harry Reid, and sixty-one others)[2] and has often stated that he does not “support Roe versus Wade” and would like to see it “overturned,”[3] the Arizona senator has actually stated his opposition to take active measures to overturn Roe for fear that such a move would endanger the lives of women.[4]
Moreover, Sen. McCain supports abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and he has actively campaigned to strike the prohibition of abortion in these cases from the Republican Party Platform.[5] In addition, Sen. McCain has voted to confirm radical pro-abortion judges such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer and has recently affirmed that he would vote for pro-abortion judges under a McCain presidency, so long as they met basic “qualifications.”[6] He also has been outspoken in his support for embryonic stem cell research and has voted in favor of funding for Planned Parenthood.[7]
The point is this: Attempts to paint Sen. John McCain as a pro-life candidate are grossly misleading. Mr. Ertelt of LifeNews.com and other pro-life groups such as the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) have “buried” widely known aspects of Sen. McCain’s record on life that demonstrate — while Sen. John McCain may not be as far to the left as Sen. Barack Obama on the life issue — he is not a champion of the unborn, and, should he be elected to the presidency, his past record and recent claims offer no confidence that he will do anything to advance the ethic of life as president of the United States.
We agree with the National Right to Life Committee’s conclusion of eight years ago — a position that they have now suppressed due to political expediency — that “John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause”[8]; and as a service to voters in this 2008 election cycle, we have brought to light key facts on Sen. McCain’s record on abortion for readers to consider in forming their own conclusions regarding his stance on this critically important issue.
Sen. McCain Supports Abortion in the cases of Rape, Incest, and the Life of the Pregnant Mother
In their 2008 presidential candidate election issue, USA Today reported that “Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican, opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the life of the pregnant woman.”[9] On August 30, 2008, The New York Times highlighted Sen. McCain’s support of abortion in the case of rape, incest, and the life of the mother, explaining that the Arizona senator has long sought to undermine the Republican Party’s pro-life plank which does not allow for these exceptions:
Mr. McCain argued strongly in 2000 for the platform to include the abortion exceptions. He affirmed that position as recently as May [of 2008], in an interview with Glamour magazine to appear in its October [2008] issue.
“My position has always been: exceptions of rape, incest and the life of the mother,” he said. Asked if he would encourage the party to include them in the platform, he said, “Yes,” adding: “And by the way, I think that’s the view of most people, that rape, incest, the life of the mother are issues that have to be considered.”[10]
Sen. McCain Wants Roe vs. Wade made “Irrelevant,” but He Opposes Active Steps to Repeal the Decision
While Sen. McCain has indicated on a number of occasions that he would eventually like to see Roe v. Wade overturned, he has made it clear that he will not take active measures to pursue this because he believes a repeal of Roe would endanger the lives of women. In an August 22, 1999, interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Sen. McCain stated:
Ultimately, I would like to see the repeal of Roe v Wade, but to do it immediately, I think would condemn young women to dangerous and illegal operations.[11]
In a separate interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, McCain noted:
I’d love to see a point where [Roe v. Wade] is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.[12]
Sen. McCain Has Supported Pro-Abortion Judges in the Past and Has Stated He Will Do So as President
On Sen. McCain’s current campaign website, the following summary is offered concerning Roe v. Wade and his policy for the appointment of federal judges:
John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.[13]
This statement is an example of carefully-crafted obfuscation. At first glance, readers might take this sentence to mean that Sen. McCain will not appoint pro-abortion judges, but he himself has explained that he is willing to appoint judges who support Roe v. Wade — so long as they meet basic “qualifications.” During his dialogue with CBS’ Bob Schieffer which occurred during the third presidential debate held on October 15, McCain gave this response:
SCHIEFFER: ...Someone who had a history of being for abortion rights, you would consider them [for a federal judge]?
MCCAIN: I would consider anyone in their qualifications. I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade that would be part of those qualifications. . . . I certainly would not impose any litmus test [on the issue of abortion].[14]
During the same October 15 debate, Sen. McCain emphasized his support of Justice Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two stridently pro-abortion judges who McCain voted to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court:
I voted for Justice Breyer and Justice Ginsburg. Not because I agreed with their ideology, but because I thought they were qualified and that elections have consequences when presidents are nominated. This is a very important issue we’re talking about.[15]
McCain also conveyed his willingness to support pro-abortion judges to seventy-five Hillary Clinton supporters with whom he met following Sen. Clinton’s loss of the Democratic nomination. When questioned about his judicial philosophy by one Clinton supporter during a private meeting held at McCain’s Virginia headquarters, the Arizona senator offered assurances that he stood with “Bill Clinton [on] both Ginsberg and Breyer.”[16]
Sen. McCain Supports Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Senator McCain has long been an active supporter of embryonic stem cell research. The National Right to Life Committee explained:
[O]n May 8, 1992, McCain authored a letter ... noting that abortion is “a practice which is currently legal in this country...” McCain said he had concluded, “I support lifting the ban on the use of fetal tissue for research by the National Institutes of Health.”[17]
Sen. McCain reaffirmed his support for federal funding for fetal research when the issue resurfaced in 1997 and voted again on April 11, 2007, to use federal funds to pay for the destruction of, and experimentation on, human embryos.[18]
Since this vote in ‘07, Sen. McCain has indicated his desire to expand funding for embryonic stem cell research even more:
Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It’s a tough issue. I support federal funding.[19]
Sen. McCain Supports Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood and Medicaid Abortions
In 2005, Sen. McCain voted in favor of H.R. 3010 to Fund Title X and Medicaid Abortions and Birth Control to minors in the cases rape, incest and the “life” of the mother.[20]
HR 3010 — the HHS Appropriations Bill — included provisions for the following:
* Tens of millions of federal dollars for Planned Parenthood (Title X and Medicaid)
* Selected Medicaid surgical abortions (rape, incest, “life” of mother)
* Title X and Medicaid chemical birth control abortions
* Title X and Medicaid birth control for unmarried adults (singles)[21]
Evangelical Gamesmanship on Sen. McCain’s Pro-Life Record
On February 20, 2000, the National Right to Life Committee published a hard-hitting expose entitled, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause.” In this article, they documented Sen. McCain’s “disrespect for the pro-life movement” and pointed out that — at the time — Sen. McCain was publicly championing his “17-year voting record,” even as he had taken active steps to undermine the integrity of the pro-life cause. Among the many telling evidences they brought to light was a comment that Sen. McCain made on the Don Imus show wherein he “referred disparagingly to ‘otherwise intelligent people who say that [the issue of life is] the only issue that will determine their vote.’”
The details that NRLC uncovered in their critical research on Sen. McCain’s checkered record on the life issue formed the basis for leading conservative organizations and leaders to oppose his presidential candidacy in 2000.
Sen. McCain’s compromise on the life issue continued to be a source of irritation and concern for evangelical leaders up through the 2008 primaries. On February 5 of this year, during an interview on the Laura Ingraham show, Dr. James Dobson indicated that the life issue was one of the chief reasons why he could not in good conscience support John McCain for president:
I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who ... voted for embryonic stem cell research to kill nascent human beings. . . .
I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party. . . . [A] spoonful of sugar does NOT make the medicine go down. I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.
But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. . . . If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life.
Regrettably, Dr. Dobson and the NRLC have done an about-face. Following Sen. McCain’s pick of Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, they — along with other conservative leaders and organizations who were previously hesitant to support McCain — have now actively come out in favor of the McCain/Palin ticket. On the day that Sen. McCain announced his pick of Gov. Palin, Dr. Dobson told talk show host Dennis Prager, “I can tell you that if I had to go into the ... voting booth today, I would pull that [McCain] lever.”
Tellingly, the NRLC recently removed their article “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause” from their website and — in a new, one-page summary entitled, “Sen. John McCain’s Record on Abortion” which they now have posted — the NRLC altogether excludes their former research while highlighting Sen. McCain’s support of the partial birth abortion ban, among other pro-life votes that he has made during his senatorial career.[22]
The NRLC’s political action committee has also declared that “Senator John McCain has a solid voting record against abortion” and noted that their PAC “strongly supports Senator John McCain for United States President. . . . “[23]
The National Life to Life Committee’s current characterization of Sen. McCain’s record stands in stark contradiction to the NRLC’s previous findings wherein they documented significant problems with Sen. McCain’s stance on the life issue. In view of the NRLC’s recent attempts to portray Sen. McCain as a “solid” pro-lifer, they would do well to remind themselves of the insightful observation they made in the hard-hitting article on Sen. McCain that they have pulled from circulation: Sen. Al Gore had a 84% pro-life voting record according to one pro-life watch dog group, and yet he could not be trusted as a pro-life leader. As they pointed out in 2000: neither can John McCain.[24]
The efforts to which certain conservative organizations and leaders have recently gone to exclude critical facts concerning Sen. McCain’s record on abortion that they once rightly emphasized to potential voters — to sugar-coat Sen. McCain’s pro-life record — is one of the most shameful demonstrations of party politics that has occurred in this decade.
Conclusion: Sen. John McCain will Not Be a Champion for Unborn Life if Elected as President of the United States
Should Sen. John McCain be elected as the next president of the United States, he will not be a champion for the life of the unborn. While he recently stated that he believes life begins “at the moment of conception,”[25] based on his past record and statements on the life issue, Sen. McCain will not actively seek to overturn Roe v. Wade; will appoint pro-abortion judges, if he deems them otherwise qualified; will continue to support embryonic stem cell research; and will seek to undermine the Republican Party Platform’s pro-life plank which opposes abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
In sum, those who cherish human life should not trust Sen. John McCain to represent them on this issue.
1. October 26, 2008, “John McCain Repeats Stance: Roe Abortion Case a ‘Bad Decision,’ Overturn It” by Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com.
2. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00051.
3. October 26, 2008, “John McCain Repeats Stance: Roe Abortion Case a ‘Bad Decision,’ Overturn It” by Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com.
4. See footnotes # 11 and 12 for more details.
5. See footnote # 9 & 10.
6. See footnotes # 13 and 14 for more details.
7. See footnotes # 18 and 19 for more details.
8. NRLC article, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause,” February 20, 2000.
9. http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/issues.aspx?i=9&c=1.
10. New York Times, “G.O.P. Holds to Firm Stance on Abortion” by Katherine Q. Seelye, August 30, 2008.
11. August 22, 1999, CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpGUiEWZDUI&feature=related
12. San Francisco Chronicle, August 19, 1999.
13. http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71df58.htm.
14. http://debates.org/pages/trans2008d.html.
15. Ibid.
16. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/McCainmingleswithClintonsupporters.html
17. http://www.nrlc.org/Whatsnew/McCainrecordbodyparts.html; See roll call vote here:http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00127
18. See Senate bill S.5 at http://thomas.loc.gov
19. 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007
20. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00281
21. See this link for further information: http://lefemineforlife.blogspot.com/2008/02/pro-abort-john-mccain-voted-hhs-funds.html.
22. “Senator John McCain Record on Abortion,” http://www.nrlc.org/Election2008/mccainrecord0608.pdf.
23. http://www.nrlpac.org/.
24. NRLC article, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause,” February 20, 2000.
25. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/16/se.02.html.
Vision Forum
With the 2008 presidential election just one week away, it is time that Sen. John McCain’s record on abortion be clearly explained.
This last Sunday, LifeNews.com published an article entitled, “John McCain’s Pro-Life Abortion Record Gets Buried With Focus on Obama,” wherein journalist Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com’s editor, observed:
With the intense focus on the extreme pro-abortion positions of Barack Obama, there has been little reference during the weeks leading up to the presidential elections of John McCain’s pro-life record on abortion. McCain isn’t as outspoken as past presidential candidates, but his record speaks volumes.[1]
Mr. Ertelt’s conclusion is right: Sen. McCain’s record on abortion has largely been “buried” this election cycle, and it indeed “speaks volumes,” but not for the reasons that Ertelt has suggested. A more careful look at Sen. McCain’s formal voting record and statements indicate that he will not make the protection of life a priority in a McCain presidential administration. While Sen. McCain voted in favor of the partial birth abortion ban in 2003 (as did Senators Tom Daschle, Harry Reid, and sixty-one others)[2] and has often stated that he does not “support Roe versus Wade” and would like to see it “overturned,”[3] the Arizona senator has actually stated his opposition to take active measures to overturn Roe for fear that such a move would endanger the lives of women.[4]
Moreover, Sen. McCain supports abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother, and he has actively campaigned to strike the prohibition of abortion in these cases from the Republican Party Platform.[5] In addition, Sen. McCain has voted to confirm radical pro-abortion judges such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer and has recently affirmed that he would vote for pro-abortion judges under a McCain presidency, so long as they met basic “qualifications.”[6] He also has been outspoken in his support for embryonic stem cell research and has voted in favor of funding for Planned Parenthood.[7]
The point is this: Attempts to paint Sen. John McCain as a pro-life candidate are grossly misleading. Mr. Ertelt of LifeNews.com and other pro-life groups such as the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) have “buried” widely known aspects of Sen. McCain’s record on life that demonstrate — while Sen. John McCain may not be as far to the left as Sen. Barack Obama on the life issue — he is not a champion of the unborn, and, should he be elected to the presidency, his past record and recent claims offer no confidence that he will do anything to advance the ethic of life as president of the United States.
We agree with the National Right to Life Committee’s conclusion of eight years ago — a position that they have now suppressed due to political expediency — that “John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause”[8]; and as a service to voters in this 2008 election cycle, we have brought to light key facts on Sen. McCain’s record on abortion for readers to consider in forming their own conclusions regarding his stance on this critically important issue.
Sen. McCain Supports Abortion in the cases of Rape, Incest, and the Life of the Pregnant Mother
In their 2008 presidential candidate election issue, USA Today reported that “Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican, opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the life of the pregnant woman.”[9] On August 30, 2008, The New York Times highlighted Sen. McCain’s support of abortion in the case of rape, incest, and the life of the mother, explaining that the Arizona senator has long sought to undermine the Republican Party’s pro-life plank which does not allow for these exceptions:
Mr. McCain argued strongly in 2000 for the platform to include the abortion exceptions. He affirmed that position as recently as May [of 2008], in an interview with Glamour magazine to appear in its October [2008] issue.
“My position has always been: exceptions of rape, incest and the life of the mother,” he said. Asked if he would encourage the party to include them in the platform, he said, “Yes,” adding: “And by the way, I think that’s the view of most people, that rape, incest, the life of the mother are issues that have to be considered.”[10]
Sen. McCain Wants Roe vs. Wade made “Irrelevant,” but He Opposes Active Steps to Repeal the Decision
While Sen. McCain has indicated on a number of occasions that he would eventually like to see Roe v. Wade overturned, he has made it clear that he will not take active measures to pursue this because he believes a repeal of Roe would endanger the lives of women. In an August 22, 1999, interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Sen. McCain stated:
Ultimately, I would like to see the repeal of Roe v Wade, but to do it immediately, I think would condemn young women to dangerous and illegal operations.[11]
In a separate interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, McCain noted:
I’d love to see a point where [Roe v. Wade] is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations.[12]
Sen. McCain Has Supported Pro-Abortion Judges in the Past and Has Stated He Will Do So as President
On Sen. McCain’s current campaign website, the following summary is offered concerning Roe v. Wade and his policy for the appointment of federal judges:
John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench.[13]
This statement is an example of carefully-crafted obfuscation. At first glance, readers might take this sentence to mean that Sen. McCain will not appoint pro-abortion judges, but he himself has explained that he is willing to appoint judges who support Roe v. Wade — so long as they meet basic “qualifications.” During his dialogue with CBS’ Bob Schieffer which occurred during the third presidential debate held on October 15, McCain gave this response:
SCHIEFFER: ...Someone who had a history of being for abortion rights, you would consider them [for a federal judge]?
MCCAIN: I would consider anyone in their qualifications. I do not believe that someone who has supported Roe v. Wade that would be part of those qualifications. . . . I certainly would not impose any litmus test [on the issue of abortion].[14]
During the same October 15 debate, Sen. McCain emphasized his support of Justice Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, two stridently pro-abortion judges who McCain voted to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court:
I voted for Justice Breyer and Justice Ginsburg. Not because I agreed with their ideology, but because I thought they were qualified and that elections have consequences when presidents are nominated. This is a very important issue we’re talking about.[15]
McCain also conveyed his willingness to support pro-abortion judges to seventy-five Hillary Clinton supporters with whom he met following Sen. Clinton’s loss of the Democratic nomination. When questioned about his judicial philosophy by one Clinton supporter during a private meeting held at McCain’s Virginia headquarters, the Arizona senator offered assurances that he stood with “Bill Clinton [on] both Ginsberg and Breyer.”[16]
Sen. McCain Supports Federal Funding for Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Senator McCain has long been an active supporter of embryonic stem cell research. The National Right to Life Committee explained:
[O]n May 8, 1992, McCain authored a letter ... noting that abortion is “a practice which is currently legal in this country...” McCain said he had concluded, “I support lifting the ban on the use of fetal tissue for research by the National Institutes of Health.”[17]
Sen. McCain reaffirmed his support for federal funding for fetal research when the issue resurfaced in 1997 and voted again on April 11, 2007, to use federal funds to pay for the destruction of, and experimentation on, human embryos.[18]
Since this vote in ‘07, Sen. McCain has indicated his desire to expand funding for embryonic stem cell research even more:
Q: Would you expand federal funding of embryonic stem cell research?
A: I believe that we need to fund this. This is a tough issue for those of us in the pro-life community. I would remind you that these stem cells are either going to be discarded or perpetually frozen. We need to do what we can to relieve human suffering. It’s a tough issue. I support federal funding.[19]
Sen. McCain Supports Federal Funding for Planned Parenthood and Medicaid Abortions
In 2005, Sen. McCain voted in favor of H.R. 3010 to Fund Title X and Medicaid Abortions and Birth Control to minors in the cases rape, incest and the “life” of the mother.[20]
HR 3010 — the HHS Appropriations Bill — included provisions for the following:
* Tens of millions of federal dollars for Planned Parenthood (Title X and Medicaid)
* Selected Medicaid surgical abortions (rape, incest, “life” of mother)
* Title X and Medicaid chemical birth control abortions
* Title X and Medicaid birth control for unmarried adults (singles)[21]
Evangelical Gamesmanship on Sen. McCain’s Pro-Life Record
On February 20, 2000, the National Right to Life Committee published a hard-hitting expose entitled, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause.” In this article, they documented Sen. McCain’s “disrespect for the pro-life movement” and pointed out that — at the time — Sen. McCain was publicly championing his “17-year voting record,” even as he had taken active steps to undermine the integrity of the pro-life cause. Among the many telling evidences they brought to light was a comment that Sen. McCain made on the Don Imus show wherein he “referred disparagingly to ‘otherwise intelligent people who say that [the issue of life is] the only issue that will determine their vote.’”
The details that NRLC uncovered in their critical research on Sen. McCain’s checkered record on the life issue formed the basis for leading conservative organizations and leaders to oppose his presidential candidacy in 2000.
Sen. McCain’s compromise on the life issue continued to be a source of irritation and concern for evangelical leaders up through the 2008 primaries. On February 5 of this year, during an interview on the Laura Ingraham show, Dr. James Dobson indicated that the life issue was one of the chief reasons why he could not in good conscience support John McCain for president:
I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who ... voted for embryonic stem cell research to kill nascent human beings. . . .
I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party. . . . [A] spoonful of sugar does NOT make the medicine go down. I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.
But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. . . . If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life.
Regrettably, Dr. Dobson and the NRLC have done an about-face. Following Sen. McCain’s pick of Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, they — along with other conservative leaders and organizations who were previously hesitant to support McCain — have now actively come out in favor of the McCain/Palin ticket. On the day that Sen. McCain announced his pick of Gov. Palin, Dr. Dobson told talk show host Dennis Prager, “I can tell you that if I had to go into the ... voting booth today, I would pull that [McCain] lever.”
Tellingly, the NRLC recently removed their article “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause” from their website and — in a new, one-page summary entitled, “Sen. John McCain’s Record on Abortion” which they now have posted — the NRLC altogether excludes their former research while highlighting Sen. McCain’s support of the partial birth abortion ban, among other pro-life votes that he has made during his senatorial career.[22]
The NRLC’s political action committee has also declared that “Senator John McCain has a solid voting record against abortion” and noted that their PAC “strongly supports Senator John McCain for United States President. . . . “[23]
The National Life to Life Committee’s current characterization of Sen. McCain’s record stands in stark contradiction to the NRLC’s previous findings wherein they documented significant problems with Sen. McCain’s stance on the life issue. In view of the NRLC’s recent attempts to portray Sen. McCain as a “solid” pro-lifer, they would do well to remind themselves of the insightful observation they made in the hard-hitting article on Sen. McCain that they have pulled from circulation: Sen. Al Gore had a 84% pro-life voting record according to one pro-life watch dog group, and yet he could not be trusted as a pro-life leader. As they pointed out in 2000: neither can John McCain.[24]
The efforts to which certain conservative organizations and leaders have recently gone to exclude critical facts concerning Sen. McCain’s record on abortion that they once rightly emphasized to potential voters — to sugar-coat Sen. McCain’s pro-life record — is one of the most shameful demonstrations of party politics that has occurred in this decade.
Conclusion: Sen. John McCain will Not Be a Champion for Unborn Life if Elected as President of the United States
Should Sen. John McCain be elected as the next president of the United States, he will not be a champion for the life of the unborn. While he recently stated that he believes life begins “at the moment of conception,”[25] based on his past record and statements on the life issue, Sen. McCain will not actively seek to overturn Roe v. Wade; will appoint pro-abortion judges, if he deems them otherwise qualified; will continue to support embryonic stem cell research; and will seek to undermine the Republican Party Platform’s pro-life plank which opposes abortion in the cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
In sum, those who cherish human life should not trust Sen. John McCain to represent them on this issue.
1. October 26, 2008, “John McCain Repeats Stance: Roe Abortion Case a ‘Bad Decision,’ Overturn It” by Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com.
2. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00051.
3. October 26, 2008, “John McCain Repeats Stance: Roe Abortion Case a ‘Bad Decision,’ Overturn It” by Steve Ertelt, LifeNews.com.
4. See footnotes # 11 and 12 for more details.
5. See footnote # 9 & 10.
6. See footnotes # 13 and 14 for more details.
7. See footnotes # 18 and 19 for more details.
8. NRLC article, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause,” February 20, 2000.
9. http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/issues.aspx?i=9&c=1.
10. New York Times, “G.O.P. Holds to Firm Stance on Abortion” by Katherine Q. Seelye, August 30, 2008.
11. August 22, 1999, CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpGUiEWZDUI&feature=related
12. San Francisco Chronicle, August 19, 1999.
13. http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/95b18512-d5b6-456e-90a2-12028d71df58.htm.
14. http://debates.org/pages/trans2008d.html.
15. Ibid.
16. http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0608/McCainmingleswithClintonsupporters.html
17. http://www.nrlc.org/Whatsnew/McCainrecordbodyparts.html; See roll call vote here:http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00127
18. See Senate bill S.5 at http://thomas.loc.gov
19. 2007 GOP primary debate, at Reagan library, hosted by MSNBC May 3, 2007
20. http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/rollcalllists/rollcallvote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00281
21. See this link for further information: http://lefemineforlife.blogspot.com/2008/02/pro-abort-john-mccain-voted-hhs-funds.html.
22. “Senator John McCain Record on Abortion,” http://www.nrlc.org/Election2008/mccainrecord0608.pdf.
23. http://www.nrlpac.org/.
24. NRLC article, “How John McCain Threatens the Pro-Life Cause,” February 20, 2000.
25. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0808/16/se.02.html.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
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