Butts About It . com

A New Look

2009-01-16T18:30:00.002-07:00

The blog has a new look!

It's Halloween and this Election is getting Scary

2008-10-31T07:31:00.003-06:00

Or maybe you're thinking this election has been pretty scary for quite a while!

The latest polls show the race tightening--Mr. Obama's numbers coming down slightly, Mr. McCain's coming up a bit, the difference diminishing. Yesterday some polls showed the difference between the two tickets within the margin of error, meaning the race is a dead heat.

No doubt it's getting scarier for those for Barak Obama and Joe Biden.

Those for John McCain are holding their breath, wondering if he and Sarah Palin can pull it out.

There's one thing few people reporting on this race have taken into consideration. There's one person the polls haven't polled. That would be God. When God's involved, there's an unpredictability because things can look like there's no way they'll turn out right--and yet when He steps in, He is the majority vote. It's that David versus Goliath thing.

On the other hand, when God is involved there's a definite predictability. He will see that what is right is done in the end. That doesn't mean wrong things can't happen--any sane person knows better. But it does mean that ultimately, God has His way.

So I keep saying, "When God is involved..." So is He? Is He involved in this U. S. election? Yep. How do I know? Because I've been asking Him to be in it all along. And I'm definitely not the only one! Many, many Christians talk to God daily and know that He hears, acts, and is involved in human history.

So whose side are you on?

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

Romans 13:1-3, NIV

Dow drops 777 - God winks

2008-09-30T08:32:00.003-06:00

Have you missed me? I hope you enjoyed the interview with author Kathi Macias in August. I've found myself with so much work on my plate I'll have to blog when I have time...which might be hit and miss for a while.

That feels a little crazy to me with all that is going on in our country. The election. Sarah Palin's arrival on the scene. This financial situation.

But today I just had to chime in. Couldn't keep quiet. Here's why:

Yesterday the Congress voted down the package they've been working on that is supposed to help stabilize Wall Street, banking, and our financial situation. After the vote, the Dow fell 7%, the biggest drop in history they say.

When I heard the Dow had fallen 777 points, my head whipped around to make sure I had really heard what I thought I heard. 777 points?!

I wasn't surprised because of the large number. I was surprised because that means something to me. Of all the number of points the Dow could have fallen, it lost 777?

Okay, now I know this will open me up to ridicule and some of you will think this is nuts, but I'll say it anyway. If you're a Christian, I'm betting you're already thinking the same thing I'm thinking. Aren't you? Okay, if you're not getting it, here we go:

In the Bible, the number 7 is the number of perfection. The number 777 represents God.

Christian or not, you have probably heard of another number from Scripture. The number 6 is a little less than perfection (which means it falls short, meaning it is a loooooonnnng way from perfection). The number 666 represents that human who will try to replace God, according to the prophecies that will come true in our future.

So, yesterday I hear the Dow drops 777 points, and I immediately think, "That's God's number!" As time went on, I wondered, Am I reading too much into this? Did God intend to send a message that He is in this...which would imply it's going to be okay?

I decided I should ask, and so I began to ask God, "Did you mean to send a message...?" And like He often does, before the question got fully out of my mind, the answer was there. The voice from the TV then said Congress would not be meeting again to work on this until Thursday--due to the holiday. Rosh Hashanah!

That's when I knew for sure. I ask God to confirm and He answers by reminding me of what I knew yesterday morning when I looked at a calendar, but had forgotten. The break is for a holiday His people celebrate, a Jewish holiday! Message confirmed.

When my husband got home, I asked him if he heard how much the Dow had dropped. He said yes--777 points. I asked if that meant anything to him. He said, "Of course. God's saying don't worry about it. He's got us covered." See? It wasn't just me who took it that way. Message confirmed again.

I would bet money my husband and I are not the only ones who took it this way.

So what does this mean? Does this mean God will restore the Dow Jones and Wall Street to what it was before all this started? Not necessarily. But it does mean God is saying, "Trust Me." It means God is in it. He's paying attention. He's involved. He's in control. (Not the Congress. Not Wall Street. Not the markets or the banks. God. God is the only one Who is in control.)

It also means that we cannot rely on our own selves to provide for ourselves--we must rely on God. Our bank accounts and retirement accounts can vanish as quickly as the Twin Towers did. So much is out of our hands. But nothing is out of God's hands. He is in complete control. And the wise person invests in Him, invests time in knowing Him, and relies completely on Him for our every-days and for our future--not on bank accounts or money investments.

When God sends a message like this, I've heard some call it a "God wink." God is looking you straight in the eye, and He gives you a wink. It can't help but make you smile. I've seen God wink before. It doesn't happen often. It's always unexpected (not when I'm wanting to see it).

Until yesterday, it has almost always been private--a message just to me. (I know God winks as others, too!)

Last night, I saw on the TV the big board at Wall Street that showed the drop: -777.68. There it was for all the world to see. But I have a hunch most people who saw that number in lights didn't see the God wink. Only those who are linked in to God, who know Him, who listen to Him, who recognize Him and His ways, understood.

What about you? Did you understand? Were you listening? Did you get the message? Did you see God wink?

I don't know what will happen with the Dow Jones, Wall Street, or banking America--or this election--but I do know for certain that for those who depend on God, no matter what happens, it'll be okay.

Visit Kathi Macias' web site

2008-08-30T14:25:00.002-06:00

It didn't occur to me to include Kathi's web site URL during our interview. Duh!

If you'd like to stop by for a visit, find her here:

www.kathimacias.com

Beyond Me - Part 13: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-29T05:27:00.001-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

Is there anything I didn’t touch on that you’d like to say?

KM: First, thank you for hosting me on this blog tour, Dianne, and for taking the time to come up with such thoughtful questions and insights. I pray your readers will be blessed by what we’ve discussed—but more than that, will buy the book and/or do whatever God directs to help them draw closer to the Father’s heart. For whether Jesus is “at the door,” ready to return, or whether that great event is still years or generations away, it is a fact that our days are numbered and each of us is drawing close to the time when we will pass from this earth into eternity. May we do so wrapped in the righteousness of Jesus and the unconditional love and forgiveness of the Father.

One more question: What’s your next project? Are you working on another book?

KM: My next book releases in February 2009 (six months from now) from the same publisher: New Hope. The title is How Can I Run a Tight Ship When I'm Surrounded By Loose Cannons?

Then there are two more coming right behind Loose Cannons.

My Son, John is a novel about a family that is devastated over the brutal murder of the maternal grandmother, and then is hit again when their 23-year-old son, John, is arrested for her murder (a story of unconditional love). That releases in March 2009, and the publisher is Sheaf House.

Then, in May 2009, I have another nonfiction book releasing called Mothers of the Bible Speak to Mothers Today (also from New Hope).

Thank you, Kathi, for this interview!

More from Kathi Macias, author of Beyond Me

2008-08-28T05:40:00.003-06:00

We're about to wind up this interview with Kathi Macias, author of Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World, with my last post coming tomorrow. If you'd like to read more from Kathi, here's a link to an article:

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/69877

And here are links to other blogs who have hosted Kathi this month during her blog tour. If you visit and leave a comment, you might like to include a note directing readers back to this interview:

Aug 4 http://litmizreviews.wordpress.com/ and http://rdtwot.wordpress.com/2008/07/24/new-book-beyond-me/
Aug 5 http://bookvideos.wordpress.com/
Aug 6 http://reviewyourbook.com/review.cfm?reviewid=889
Aug 7 http://rebecca2007.wordpress.com/
Aug 8 http://www.thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/
Aug 11 http://www.nancyisanders.com/
Aug 12 http://www.crosswalk.com/root/parenting/teens/11576470/page0/
Aug 13 http://bookexcerpts.wordpress.com/2008/08/01/beyond-me-by-kathi-macias/
Aug 14 http://tristisbooktours.blogspot.com/
Aug 15 http://www.blogginboutbooks.blogspot.com/
Aug 18 http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/69877
Aug 19 http://www.christianity.com/devotionals/kathi%20macias/11576601/
Aug 20 http://www.thebookstacks.com/
Aug 21 http://mochawithlinda.blogspot.com/
Aug 22 http://myheartbelongs2books.blogspot.com/
Aug 25 http://bookwormsballroom.blogspot.com/
Aug 26 http://www.divinecaroline.com/article/22197/52376-kathi-macias-takes
Aug 27 http://quiverfullfamily.com/blog/
Aug 28 http://morethanmudpies.wordpress.com/
Aug 29 http://canblog.typepad.com/canbookmarketing/2008/05/booksongtrailer.html

Beyond Me - Part 12: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-27T05:23:00.001-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

On page 176, while talking about the marriage between the Bride—which is the church universal, collectively all Christians—and the Bridegroom—who is Jesus the Christ, you wrote: “And as the return of our Bridegroom draws breathtakingly near, the pace of preparation intensifies.”

What do you see that causes to you believe the return of Jesus Christ is “breathtakingly near”?

KM: Now we get into that exciting but easily misused area of prophecy again. Do I believe we are now closer to the return of Jesus Christ than we were a thousand years ago, or a hundred years ago—or yesterday? Of course I do. In fact, the Scriptures state that very thing, that now “we are closer than when we first believed.” And I can’t help but observe the “signs of the times,” as the Bible calls them, when I see the many things going on around the world. However, I’m a bit uneasy trying to take those occurrences and fit them into sections of Scripture to prove that Jesus is about to return at any moment. Could He? Jesus is God; He can do anything He wants! He can come back today—or not. And He Himself said that “no one knows the day or the hour.” The important thing is that the bride-to-be in the Jewish wedding customs, once she was engaged, spent her time preparing for her bridegroom’s return, never doubting that he would come for her at just the right moment. That should be our focus—anxiously and faithfully preparing for His return and never doubting that He will come “in the fullness of time”—on His time schedule, not ours.

What preparations are intensifying in pace?

KM: God is calling His people to holiness and integrity, to passionate love for Jesus, rather than lukewarm faith that offers lip service and little else. That is the most significant preparation that I see as we prepare for our Bridegroom’s return.

Beyond Me - Part 11: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-25T05:19:00.003-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

In chapter 9 you tell about the ancient and modern Jewish weddings and the parallels of that picture with the relationship between believers (Christians)—the bride—and Jesus Christ (God)—the groom.

Do you think this picture God has painted is skewed by homosexual marriages and civil unions between two men or two women?

KM: This picture is skewed anytime it deviates from God’s ideal, and homosexual marriages and civil unions between two men or two women would certainly fit into that category. So would marriages between a man and a woman who don’t first honor God and live accordingly, meaning being faithful to one another, honoring and respecting one another, and raising their children to love and serve God and others. When the divorce rate in the church is equal to the divorce rate in the world, it’s obvious we’re falling short in following the model God has given us.

On page 180 you wrote, “Brothers and sisters, it is time to grow up. We’ve got to put aside our childish ways. God’s desire is for us to walk in love for Him, for each other (the church) and for the world. Let’s leave behind the selfishness, the quarrels, the bickering, the pettiness, the unhealthy divisions.”

You write a lot about love. Do you think it is unloving to speak out against such things as homosexuality and abortion? What if standing against such wrong behaviors produces bickering or quarreling within the church?

KM: It is never wrong to proclaim God’s Word on any subject. It IS wrong to voice our opinions as if they were scripture. We therefore need to be careful that we are indeed proclaiming God’s Word (which is absolute truth) rather than offering our opinions (which are worth no more than the atheist’s or ax murderer’s opinions). Will that at times cause bickering and quarreling within the church? Possibly, but only with those who do not believe God’s Word is the final authority on all issues. In that case, we must—lovingly but firmly—take a stand and refuse to compromise.

From the book:

“We are to model a you-first life to a me-first world, loving God first and then giving of ourselves to strengthen our fellow believers and to draw unbelievers to Him” (p. 191).

Beyond Me - Part 10: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-21T05:10:00.004-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

In chapter 8 you write about how everything we as individuals own is a gift from God and not something we have earned with our own strength. You wrote “That attitude is dangerous, because we can easily become stingy and judgmental towards others, rationalizing that if they worked as hard as we do, they too could amass the same possessions and conveniences that we have.”

You then, on page 154, quote Joel Belz, founder of World magazine as follows:

“If, on the one hand, we are persuaded deep in our hearts that we have earned
what we have in life, then we tend to expect others to do the same. But if we
know that everything we have in life is a gift, then we are inclined to extend a
giving heart toward others. The tension between these two points of view is hard
for American conservatives to resolve—and perhaps especially so for American
conservatives who are also serious Christians.”

I have to disagree with you here. This sounds to me like very liberal thought trying to disguise itself (and not doing a very good job of it).

American conservatives, many of whom are Christians, are generous people. We (if I may speak for American Christian conservatives) believe in working hard to provide for our families. At the same time, we are fully aware that there are some in our society and world who are not able to provide for themselves, for instance in the cases of physical or mental disabilities. We are more than willing to pitch in to help provide for the needs of such precious people—and we do, in many ways.

However, when people who could provide for themselves don’t, our generosity is presumed upon and it has come to the point of overwhelming good-hearted conservative Americans. For example, countless people have come into our nation illegally and so have to maneuver under the radar for jobs. Our health care system is overwhelmed by people—not only those who are here illegally but others as well—who abuse our hospital emergency rooms because they don’t have jobs when they could (or don’t have them legally) so they don’t have health care through their job benefits.

And yet American Christian conservatives are constantly told we are stingy, we are never generous enough, and we are wrong to want people to obey the law and work to provide for themselves and their families.

I’ll give you room to respond if you wish.

KM: I don’t disagree with you at all that American Christians (and Christians from other countries, for that matter) are often the most generous people in the world. Most charities were started by Christians, and countless good works have been done throughout society and throughout history by those who serve Christ. The danger comes when we begin to believe we own or earned our possessions—when we consider them deserved rather than God-given. The first sign of a hard heart is a lack of gratitude. If we believe everything we have came to us as a result of our own hard work, then what have we to be grateful for? But if we realize that it is only by God’s grace and mercy that we were born in a country that rewards our efforts, it helps keep us in an “attitude of gratitude.”

Does that mean we have to give away everything we have to everyone who asks (or demands)? Of course not. God expects us to be wise stewards and to remember that all we have is His. Therefore we need to seek Him before we disperse the material goods He has entrusted to us. But while we are here on this earth, serving as stewards of God’s blessings, we must learn to hold them with an open hand…and a tender heart.

From the book:

“With all the weaknesses and warts of the church, we still need to be an active part of it” (p. 156).

Beyond Me - Part 9: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-18T05:07:00.002-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

It seems the focus of your book is really discipleship: discipling the reader to deeper understanding of God’s Word and what God wants from us. True?

KM: Yes, that’s my purpose. Although I would hope that unbelievers would read the book and be called to make that first step of heart commitment to become a born-again believer, the book is actually written to those who are already converts and would like to move on to become mature Christians, disciples who are “disciplined ones,” walking in the footsteps of the Master.

Beyond Me - Part 8: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-15T05:03:00.003-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

In chapter 7 you talked about the different jobs of the Three Persons of the Godhead: God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This was new and interesting to me. Can you briefly recap the differences in the work of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit?

KM: We hear a lot about the Trinity in Christendom, and indeed cannot truly be called a Christian without accepting that basic tenet of the faith. However, what does that mean? How does a three-in-One God work together and manifest Himself to us?

My first understanding of the Trinity was as a child, sitting in a Lutheran church with some neighbors who had graciously brought me along, and seeing a three-leaf clover on the front of the cloth draping the pulpit. The pastor explained that just as each of the leaves was a distinct and separate leaf, they were all part of the same clover. It was a simple explanation, but it made sense to me.

In Beyond Me I give one of many examples of how the Trinity works together as One. God the Father spoke to His people (Israel) through His servant, Moses, giving them the Torah (later interpreted “Law”) as a guideline for right living and right relationship. God the Son then came and fully/rightly interpreted Torah for the Jewish people, since it had been misinterpreted and misused by some of those who were supposed to understand it and explain it to the common people. Finally, God the Holy Spirit came to enable people to walk according to the full meaning of the Scriptures, given by the Father and accurately lived and modeled by God the Son.

The Trinity always works together as One.

Beyond Me - Part 7: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-14T04:56:00.002-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

On page 137 you wrote about the children of Israel in the Old Testament: “But they began to presume on His grace and mercy. They forgot that, although they were saved by grace, there is still a law of sowing and reaping that even the sacrificial system does not override.

“And so, despite countless warnings to repent and return to the walk prescribed by God for His chosen people, they continued in sin, walking more and more in the ways of their idolatrous neighbors until they eventually ended up in exile in Babylon.”

I have heard that some leaders in the Presbyterian Church (USA) have actually said that the church should become more like our American society, being more tolerant of others like homosexuals. Do you think there’s a parallel to what happened in ancient Israel as you’ve referred to it here?

KM: The parallel is strong—and frightening. The Great Roman Empire imploded due to moral failure, and I see that possibility looming in our own beloved country. We can only spit in God’s eye and ignore His warnings so long before we can expect judgment to fall. I still pray and seek God’s mercy on our land and ask Him to send that gift of repentance, but I sometimes wonder if perhaps we have gone too far and judgment is imminent. Still, we must continue to pray—and to take a stand for righteousness every chance we get. Though we may be voices crying in the wilderness, cry we must, for countless souls are at stake. The Scriptures are clear that if we don’t warn the lost, then their blood is on our hands.

Do you see any warnings God is sending to the United States of America in our time like He sent to Israel, perhaps similar to the prophets of that time or other warnings?

KM: It would be easy to say that such catastrophic events as 9/11 are warnings from God—and perhaps they are. But I don’t pretend to be a prophet. I am simply a child of God who believes that every word in the Scriptures is true and worth dying for. Years ago I awoke from a sound sleep to hear God whisper to my heart, “Forever my Word has been settled in the heavens; now it is forever settled in your heart.” Despite anything I see going on around me—with or without obvious prophetic overtones—I will live and die based on the inerrant Word of God.

If yes, what is the way back to right living in God’s sight? What would it look like for individuals or our nation to heed the “countless warnings to repent and return to the walk prescribed by God”?

KM: Regardless of whether or not God is warning us as a country through current events, I don’t doubt for a moment that in His love and faithfulness He is calling us as individuals to repent and to commit our lives to His service. What would that look like? It would look like people who are more concerned with studying God’s Word and worshiping Him through obedience to that Word than to pleasing others and being caught up in the things our world thinks are important. It would mean giving of ourselves each time God gives us opportunity, and to do it without thought of reward. It would mean standing for truth even if everyone around us chooses to live a lie—and it means loving unconditionally those who disagree with and persecute us for our stand for righteousness.

From the book:

“As a parent, I did not wait until my children learned to walk to grant them admission into the family. They were mine from the moment of conception, and there was nothing they could do to sever that familial relationship” (p. 137).

Beyond Me - Part 6: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-13T05:52:00.003-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

On page 90 you wrote, “A Christian stubbornly resisting the Spirit’s leading is vulnerable to the devil’s attacks and cannot fulfill the greatest commandments of all, the commandments that encompass ‘all the Law and the Prophets’: to love God will all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Such a Christian is in rebellion, and apart from repentance, her heart will continue to grow harder and harder until the voice of God grows too faint to be discerned amidst the deafening noise of countless other voices vying for our attention.”

On my June 30, 2008, blog, I wrote about a “seared conscience,” meaning repeated sin can damage that part of us that is sensitive to sin until it becomes insensitive—we just don’t feel it’s wrong any more. Is that basically what you’re saying here? What does a person need to do to cause his or her hard heart or seared conscience to become sensitive to God once again?

KM: That is absolutely what I’m saying, yes! A hard heart will block out the voice of God. I remember, when I was doing biblical counseling on a church staff some years ago, that I was often told by people who came in to see me that they just couldn’t hear from God. They insisted that they prayed and listened for an answer, but nothing came—thus implying that they weren’t at fault but God was.

In digging a bit deeper we soon discovered that in each of these cases, the person had already decided what he wanted to do (or not do) before praying about the issue and was therefore blocking out God’s answer because they were afraid it might be different from the one they wanted to hear. That’s an example of having a hard heart toward God—thinking that we know better than He what is good for us and therefore want to be in charge of calling the shots and then asking God to bless our decisions. It doesn’t work that way.

As for hardening our hearts and continuing in sin, we ALWAYS know God is warning us early in the process when we are considering sin as a choice, but when we make the choice to move ahead in that sin, we have also chosen to ignore God. With each such choice, our heart grows harder and His voice fades a bit more. It’s a dangerous place to be. If we know someone in that sort of situation, we need to pray for God to send the gift of repentance, even if it means that person’s hard heart must be broken. Better a broken heart on earth than a lost soul in eternity.

Beyond Me - Part 5: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-12T05:50:00.003-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

On page 74 you write about “the hypocritical religious leaders of Jesus’s day who were spiritually abusing the very people to whom they were supposed to be ministering. For although these religious leaders had good intentions in trying to protect God’s Word and keep the people from breaking His laws and commands, their efforts had instead deteriorated into a form of legalistic religion, a perversion of God’s intentions.”

Do you see us Christians doing this same thing at times today? If yes, in what ways and how can we change to do better? And do you see forms of “spiritual abuse” happening today. If so, where? What does it look like?

KM: Yes, sadly I think we all fall into that at times. The most comprehensive definition of spiritual abuse I ever heard was this: Any time anyone in a position of spiritual authority (whether a pastor or priest, a parent, a Sunday school teacher) uses that position to come OVER someone and add to their burdens, rather than coming UNDERNEATH and helping to relieve those burdens, it is spiritual abuse. Do we do that? Oh, yes, absolutely! And we need to repent of it.

I believe the key to dealing with spiritual abuse is to recognize the true meaning of the word submission, which is “to come underneath in a safe place.” When we realize that, we will more willingly (and joyfully!) submit to God and to others, and we will more readily provide that safe place for those who are to submit to us. That sort of understanding (and commitment to walk accordingly) will revolutionize our relationships.

Beyond Me - Part 4: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-11T05:43:00.003-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

In chapter 3, “Do Unto Others,” you wrote: “Does Jesus’s command to ‘go and do likewise,’ even among those who have no respect for us or our faith, who may even be openly hostile toward us, rock a few of our boats as well? ...Because that means we have to open our hearts and our hands, even to those who may despise us—the gay activist, the abortionist, the career criminal—and give of ourselves, regardless of the cost. It means it’s not enough to protest against abortion; we need to work for the preservation of life, whether that includes giving of our finances and time to support the local crisis pregnancy center or taking a pregnant woman into our home and possibly even helping to raise her child. It means it’s not enough to condemn the sin of homosexuality in an effort to preserve the sanctity of marriage; we must exhibit unconditional love (not approval) to those trapped in that destructive lifestyle, even if they insult us and refuse our love” (pgs. 66, 67).

You say you are not preaching a “social gospel.” Could you please explain what a “social gospel” is and then tell us what you’re saying that’s different?

KM: Thanks for bringing this up, as it is a crucial distinction. A social gospel believes/preaches that compassion and kindness and acts of benevolence can, in and of themselves, solve social problems—and, if there is life after death, earn the doer of those good deeds some sort of eternal reward. It also intimates that any sort of stand for absolute truth is intolerant and, therefore, not kind or benevolent. The gospel of Jesus Christ—the true gospel—is in direct contrast to that sort of teaching.

The true gospel according to the Scriptures states emphatically that there is indeed absolute truth, and that truth is what God says it is, not what society reasons it should be. The true gospel also states that there is only one way to God the Father, and that is through accepting the blood atonement of His only Son, Jesus Christ. When a person has truly accepted that blood atonement as his own and been born again, then out of gratitude to God he will desire to serve others through acts of kindness and benevolence, but he will never make the mistake of thinking his kind acts are earning him an entrance into heaven.

I’ve heard the term “social justice” a lot in the church over the last couple of years. Do you have an idea of what this means?

KM: I’m not an expert by any means, but I will say this: On the surface it sounds like an excellent concept and one that Christians should be at the forefront of promoting. The problem is that the concept of social justice, though positive in that it implies the need for treating others with dignity and respect, compassion and equality, it also implies that justice can be achieved on this sin-filled planet and meted out by humans hands and by using human means. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Though as Christians I believe we should be the first to show compassion and mercy to those in need and to willingly give out of our own means to help the poor whenever possible, I believe we should do that primarily through our churches and definitely in accordance with scriptural guidelines, remembering that the Bible says that if we don’t work, we don’t eat! The scriptural guideline of helping the poor was never meant to enable laziness or unnecessary dependence on others. The integrity of God’s Word must never be compromised to achieve a manmade perception of justice. For that reason, I believe the term “social justice” could easily become a dangerous tool of the enemy to draw us away from our primary purpose as God’s people to proclaim God’s absolute truth and to call others to repentance and restoration. True social justice can only be achieved within the parameters of scriptural truth and God’s message of Good News to a lost world. If certain aspects of what some consider social justice are not achieved on this earth, we shouldn’t be surprised. Real equity will only be meted out in eternity.

Beyond Me - Part 3: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-07T05:39:00.002-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

On page 52 you wrote: “I got sidetracked trying to prove my love [for Jesus Christ] by doing right things and not doing wrong things. In the process, I strayed away from my first Love…”

I think many people believe religion and Christianity are all about doing right things and not doing wrong things: If you do enough right and avoid doing enough wrong, you’ll get to heaven, right?

I’d say that appeasing God like this is indeed the point of many religions, but Christianity is different. Would you agree? And if so, how would you explain the difference?

KM: I agree completely. Every other religion/faith on the planet is based on some sort of “works” system (do more good works than evil and hopefully you’ll make it into heaven—whatever/wherever that may be). Even the Jewish faith, which was never meant to be that way, did end up with that sort of bent, at least to some extent.
The Christian faith, on the other hand, says, “I can NEVER do enough good works to earn my way into heaven because Jesus is the picture of God’s standard for entrance into heaven, and that standard is perfection. On my own, I haven’t a chance.” It is at that point of acknowledging our own helplessness to earn or deserve entrance into God’s presence that we throw ourselves on God’s mercy and accept His free gift of forgiveness and restoration, provided by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But lest we cheapen that gift, we must never forget that apart from it, God could not and would not forgive or accept us. He is a loving God, yes, but He is also righteous, and His righteousness demands the shedding of righteous blood for the remission of sins. Only Jesus qualifies to make that sacrifice—and aren’t we glad He did?

Beyond Me - Part 2: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-04T05:30:00.002-06:00

Continuing the interview with Kathi Macias, author of the new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008):

On page 26 you wrote: “Jesus was no stranger to dealing with hard hearts. He never got sidetracked with politics or cultural agendas. He always went straight to the heart of a situation—people’s hearts, because He knew that people’s actions and words reflect their hearts. He understood that dealing with actions and words is nothing more than a temporary fix. For permanent results, He always dealt with hearts, and He dealt with them one at a time.”
You’re not saying it’s wrong to be involved in politics or cultural issues, are you?

KM: Absolutely not. Jesus Himself told us to “render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” And though we are first and eternally citizens of heaven, we should also be the best citizens of our temporal country here on earth. How can we be salt and light if we aren’t involved?
The key is to be involved with the right motives. We don’t jump into politics to condemn, but rather to do what we can to lovingly correct—and we do that not as we proclaim our own opinions on right and wrong but rather as we stand for what God says is right. Jesus is the perfect example of how to do it, in that “while WE were still sinners, Christ died for us.” He didn’t excuse or overlook our sin, but He loved us enough to pay the price that we might be forgiven and restored to the Father. Ultimately, that should be our concern and purpose in everything we do—politics or otherwise—to see sinners restored to the Father’s heart.

In this blog I’ve recently been blogging about the leadership in the church, especially mainline denominations placing active homosexuals into leadership positions in the church.
If a person sees wrong behavior taking place—such as a person continuing to practice homosexuality, or the church accepting this behavior in its leaders—how can an individual respond to deal with the heart for permanent change, not just deal with actions and words which are a temporary fix?

KM: This is crucial, as dealing with actions and words are simply chopping off the offending branches. We must deal with the root, and that can only be done through prayer and intercession, as only God can change a heart. In the interim, we continually remember the admonition to “hate the sin but love the sinner,” as God does with us.

Does this also apply to taking time out of our busy schedule to speak up and speak out on issues, whether in politics or the church, to make certain the freedoms of America are protected for the next generation?

KM: If we believe that’s what God has called us to personally, then yes, absolutely. Each of us as believers has been called to the ministry of reconciliation, though that ministry will read out differently in each of us. Some of us are called to evangelize, some to teach, some to lead worship—and some to take a stand politically. So long as we know we are being faithful TODAY (which is all God requires of us) to do what God has called us to do, then we should do it confidently and with all our heart.

Beyond Me - Part 1: Interview with Kathi Macias

2008-08-01T05:12:00.004-06:00

Throughout August, I’ll be posting an interview with author Kathi Macias about her new book Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008). Tune in especially the week of August 11th. I’m hosting her blog tour that week, so we’ll hear from Kathi every day – Monday through Friday. I hope you enjoy this interview!

Why did you want to write this book? What inspired you to write it?

KM: I’ve authored a lot of books over the last couple of decades, but this book is my “book of my heart,” the one I’ve worked on for many years. It has been a real labor of love because it is what God has been teaching me for the thirty-plus years I’ve known Him. And because I tend to learn things the hard way, God had to walk me through the message of this book many times before I finally “got it.” (And, of course, now that I’ve said that, I’ll probably find myself walking through it yet again!)

Of course, the message was hammered home to me many times as I wrote, including the time when I took my then pre-teen granddaughter shopping and the first thing she spotted was a line of cosmetics called “It’s About Me.” I remember thinking, “Wow, we really have our work cut out for us as Christians to counter that prevailing lie in our culture!”

What does it mean to live a you-first life in a me-first world?

KM: It means a lot of things, depending on our circumstances. Primarily it means putting God and others ahead of ourselves—and that’s not something we do naturally or easily. In fact, without God’s Spirit inside us to help and guide and strengthen us, we really can’t live a you-first lifestyle, even though that’s what God requires of us.

For me, coming to grips with a you-first lifestyle happened when, as a writer and speaker accustomed to public ministry, God spoke to my heart and told me, “Somebody has to set up the chairs.” I didn’t want to hear that because I knew it meant I had to spend my time serving others in public ministry, rather than being the one being served as I ministered. However, it was a powerful learning time when I began to walk in obedience to that directive.
Beyond-me living really hit home with me, though, when I was busy “grumbling” about how I wished I could spend my time writing instead of running errands for and caring for my almost 90-year-old mother who lives with us. In the midst of my grumbling, God’s words, “Somebody has to set up the chairs,” came back to me, and I knew God was reminding me that beyond-me living also meant serving people at all levels and circumstances in my life—including and especially those in my own home.

From the book:

“I felt myself relax as I began to understand God’s call to servanthood in my life—my personal call to live a you-first life in a me-first world. It wasn’t just about living selflessly so unbelievers would be drawn to Jesus. It was also about daily laying down my life, giving up the right to plan my days and order my steps, so that I could help others fulfill the needs of their day. It was about choosing to honor the sanctity of life, regardless of the personal costs, rather than selfishly guarding the quality and convenience of my life at the expense of others” (p. 24).

Gay Leaders in Mainline Christian Denominations -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 8

2008-07-31T05:20:00.003-06:00

It's not just the Presbyterian Church (USA) that is struggling with gays and those who support gays making inroads into leadership positions. The Episcopal Church, too, has gone down this road, and may be ahead of all the Christian denominations.

In 2003, the Episcopal Church (Anglican Communion) ordained openly gay Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as a bishop in the denomination. Understandably conservative Anglican leaders have threatened to lead their churches out of the denomination. The Anglican/Episcopal church has its big denominational meeting once every ten years, and they just had theirs this month outside of London.

For the "sake of unity," according to an Associated Press article by Rachel Zoll (The Pueblo Chieftain, July 12, 2008, pp. 5A, 7A), the head of the Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, barred Robinson and some other bishops from the assembly. Gene Robinson complied, although he went to London and made a noisy protest to remind everybody he was there. He also preached at a sympathetic church there.

According to an article by Jennifer Garza of the McClatchy-Tribune printed in The Pueblo Chieftain (July 19, 2008, pp. 5A, 7A), Bishop Robinson recently did an interview with The Sacramento Bee. When asked if he had any regrets, the Bishop answered, "I regret that this has been a very difficult thing for a lot people. But I am trying to do what I have felt God is calling me to do.

Robinson expressed frustration that he is not allowed to marry his partner of two-decades, Mark Andrew, in their home state of New Hampshire. When asked if they planned to marry during a visit to California, Robinson said, "We have no plans to get married there. We made the decision a long time ago to do what is allowed in New Hampshire. I feel it is easier for me to advocate for the next step toward full marriage rights as a person who has been denied those rights."

Mr. Robinson and Mr. Andrew are not denied any rights. They have every right to marry a woman just like every other man in New Hampshire.

When asked if he was concerned for his safety during his trip to London, Robinson indicated he'd have security, then said, "That's why we [he and Mark Andrew] had the civil union when we did--to protect him if something happens to me."

When asked what it has been like to be focal point in the church over this issue, Robinson reportedly answered:

"Most of the people don't know me and it's really about an issue, not me. I try not to take it personally. On the other hand, it's a constant source of difficulty. Nobody likes having bad karma coming their way, and that's why my prayer life is so important."

Should somebody tell this Bishop, this pretty high-up leader in the Episcopal church that "karma" is not a Christian notion?!

karma: "the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence" (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary Eleventh Edition, p. 681)

Someone should inform Bishop Robinson that, according to this belief, he just acknowledged it is his own actions are causing bad things to come his way.

But more importantly (because karma isn't what really happens in this universe), "karma" is an idea that comes from Hinduism and Buddhism! This is not a Christian idea nor a Christian reality.

But then it would seem Bishop Robinson could stand to learn a lot about true Christianity.

Shame on the Episcopal Church for putting such a man who knows so little about Christian truth in leadership over so many of their flocks. Shame on them for putting this man into leadership.

"I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil."

Romans 16:17-19 (NIV)

Coming in August:
Interview with author Kathi Macias about her newest book, Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World

Pueblo Chieftain columnist bashes Dr. James Dobson -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 7

2008-07-28T05:38:00.004-06:00

In the Saturday, July 12, 2008, issue of The Pueblo Chieftain, columnist Christian Piatt admits to being "on a bit of a James Dobson-bashing spree lately" (pg. 5A). (His words, not mine.)

His column on this date gets after Dr. Dobson and "his crew" (Focus on the Family Action, I assume) for running an ad in the Chieftain following the passage of a certain law here in Colorado. Proponents of the law call it an "anti-discrimination law" which, if I understand it correctly, allows people of any gender into more public spaces. Opponents, like Dobson and "his crew," say the new law now allows men/transgenders/gays to use women's restrooms, and Dobson shares his concern for what type of man might now legally enter a woman's restroom and what that person might do to the young, innocent, or weak in there.

In his column, Christian Piatt rails again "Dobson and his anti-gay agenda." He writes, "Ultimately, it seems that the fear behind such ads is about something much greater: the fear of diminishing relevance. Hate, fear and judgment are strong medicine..." And, "I have at least some sense of sadness for those who honestly believe that they are doing what is right, yet they see their agendas slipping away from them as the rest of the country turns toward a more just and humane understanding of community."

Now, I'm assuming Christian Piatt is a Christian, not because of his first name, but because his bio at the bottom of the column states that he is a "music minister at Milagro Christian Church" (Disciples of Christ) here in Pueblo.

As a minister, and as a Christian, Mr. Piatt should know that homosexuality is wrong. Those of us who refuse to give in to political correctness when it contradicts God's Word have been bashed over the head with language like Mr. Piatt uses. We're said to have an "anti-gay agenda." We're told we are motivated by "hate, fear, and judgment." And worse. And on and on...

Not so, Mr. Piatt. We (meaning I, and dare I speak for Dr. Dobson, too?) are motivated by truth as well as love.

The truth is homosexuality is wrong. Transgender gender-confusion is a sad thing. But stating or implying that people can be gay/homosexual and/or transgendered and everything is just fine ... between them and God ... is just as wrong. It's not loving to tell people or imply that wrong behavior is okay and that God is just fine with it.

It's far more loving to tell them the truth. God loves them, yes, just as He loves all of us regardless of what our personal sin is. However His love does not mean we can go on sinning and He overlooks it all and lets us just keep doing as we please. No, He wants to correct our wrong behaviors, often through the instruction of Christians who stand firm for His truth, like Dr. Dobson.

Which is the more loving way, Mr. Piatt: To "love" people who are doing something wrong and never tell them what they will face when they meet God face to face? Or to tell them the truth, so they can make changes in their lives if they choose to, changes that are pleasing to God?

This is one of the (or perhaps THE) major problem in the mainline Christian denominations, like the Presbyterian Church (USA). We now have confused or wimpy people in LEADERSHIP who think it's better to "just love people as they are" than to tell them the truth.

"If we truly love Him, we will trust Him and gladly submit to Him and to His ways. But when we find ourselves making the choice to go our own way, our love for Him is not complete. There are still hard spots in our heart...

"When He shows us those wicked ways--those hard spots in our hearts--and we, in turn submit them to Him, He will melt them away with His great love. He truly does love us just the way we are, but , thankfully, He loves us too much to leave us that way."

Kathi Macias in Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope, 2008)

Coming next:

Gay Leaders in Mainline Christian Denominations -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 8

Coming in August:

Interview with author Kathi Macias about her newest book, Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World

Bad-mouthing Mainline Denominations -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 6

2008-07-25T06:53:00.004-06:00

The bad-mouthing of the large, mainline Christian church denominations has bothered me for a long time. It seems to me it comes mostly from the younger generations.

I haven't read this book, but there's a short article in the July/August 2008 issue of Today's Christian Woman on page 10 that is adapted from the book How Women Help Men Find God by David Murrow.

This little article lists 8 things women should look for in a church if they want their husbands to attend with them. (I'm assuming these are men who are not yet Christians. At least I hope so. Because if this is for men who are Christians, the things this article says men like in a church would reveal as Christians they are really, really shallow. Things like: "modern technology" and "fun services.")

The thing that stood out on the list to me? "No Denominational affiliation."

Hmmmm.

For quite some time now the mainline denominations have been regarded negatively. That's a shame. Sure, I know they are not without their problems. But there's a lot they do right as well. When you throw away the denomination, you also throw away the foundation that is built on mainline Christianity. They have a history of standing firm in the faith. Of getting it right.

It seems like the "newer" thought is: because the mainline denominations are doing some things wrong, it's right to throw everything away, wipe the slate clean, and start over.

Those who are set on throwing the major denominations down the tubes, whether they are of the younger generations or not, have no idea how much they are throwing away.

Coming next:

Pueblo Chieftain columnist bashes Dr. James Dobson -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 7

Gay Leaders in Mainline Christian Denominations -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 8

Coming in August: My interview with author Kathi Macias about her newest book, Beyond Me: Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World.

Coming in August... Author interview with Kathi Macias

2008-07-23T05:43:00.001-06:00

I just wanted to let you know I'm planning another author interview in August. We'll be visiting with Kathi Macias about her newest book, Beyond Me, Living a You-First Life in a Me-First World (New Hope Publishers, 2008).

I'm looking forward to seeing what Kathi has to say about living as a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Her book promises to help readers who are currently dissatisfied with their present spiritual condition.

Watch for this new interview...

...coming in August.

A Hosea Relationship? -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 5

2008-07-21T06:56:00.003-06:00

When your denomination does something that you don't agree with, you have to make some decisions. Conservatives have been pushed and pushed in mainline denominations for years, having policies that they see as directly contradicting Scripture pushed on us.

It's ironic that so many scream that we shove religion down their throats. In fact, it is those who wish to change Christianity into what they want it to be that are continually pushing their religion down our throats.

Gag.

Many of us know in our minds and our hearts--everything that is in us--that these liberal-minded leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) are leading this denomination away from the LORD. They can present their arguments and do their mental gymnastics to arrive at some translation of the original language to support their position, but they are wrong. They are being unfaithful to the LORD, and they are leading (or trying to lead) the denomination in unfaithfulness to Him.

So what do we as individual members of a mainline denomination do? And what do we as a local church do?

That day in our home church when our Pastor told us what had taken place at the 218th General Assembly of the PC (USA), he suggested some options. One, of course, was to consider leaving the denomination. Another was to stay in. He reminded us of the story of Hosea, whom God called to marry an adulterous wife. Of course the story's metaphor is to show how God the husband remained faithful to Israel the wife when Israel failed to remain faithful to Him.

It may be that we are called to stay in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in order to influence it from the inside. We cannot make any difference in the denomination by leaving. I think many leave denominations or a local church (for any reason) thinking their absence will make a statement. Sadly, most aren't missed--or at least not for very long. Only by staying in can we influence anything. That is, in fact, how the liberal-minded people who embrace homosexuals as leaders in the church got it done.

Only by staying in the denomination can we take back our denomination from the grasp of those who are leading it astray.

My gut feeling is conservatives are about to push back. Or maybe that feeling in my gut is only my hope. But if you feel alone, don't forget about how discouraged and alone Elijah felt after he battled the priests of Baal (and won!):

"'...I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.'

"The LORD said to him...'Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."

1 Kings 19:14, 15, 18

We are not alone.

For every one of us, I pray there are seven thousand more. And for every one of them, I pray there are seven thousand more. And for every one of them, I pray there are seven thousand more...

Part 6 Bad-mouthing denominations

Stay In or Bail? -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 4

2008-07-18T06:22:00.004-06:00

So those of us in the Presbyterian Church (USA) who believe the leadership is leading us in a wrong direction, and are making wrong decisions that are directly in conflict with the Word of God, have to figure out what we're going to do.

What would you do?

I know the answer that many, many people have made: Bail.

It is because of decisions like this, I believe, that many people are bailing out of the main church denominations. It's been going on for a long time, thus the plunging membership numbers. Can you blame them?

Many of us understand why Christians are leaving denominations that are making profoundly disturbing moves like this.

But still, is it the right thing to do?

It has probably been fifteen years ago that I had a conversation with a friend about this very topic. She's a member of another denomination--one I had some experience with when growing up, and not necessarily good experiences. They, too, were struggling through the push of some to ordain homosexuals. (Yeah, even back then.)

I asked her, "How can you stay a part of that denomination?"

She said, "I'm not going to abandon my denomination. I'm going to stay in it and fight for it." And she is to this day.

I've thought about what she said many, many times over the past decade and a half. It took me a while to come around to her way of thinking.

But you know what? I think way too many conservative-minded people have had the same line of thinking that I had. If your denomination does something (or several somethings) that you don't like, bail.

Bail out. Go somewhere else. Find some nice little cozy non-denominational church to attend and forget the big mainline denominations. Right?

Unfortunately, so many conservative-minded people have bailed, I think the percentage of liberal-minded people compared to conservatives has dramatically increased, thus allowing the liberal-minded folks to push through their agendas. Not good.

We can blame it on liberals if we want. But at least half the problem should be blamed on the conservatives who bailed, who refuse to stand up for what is right.

This is just another version of the same decline we see going on in society. The conservative-minded Christians don't stand up and say a word. They (we) just watch what's going on, get frustrated or angry or disappointed or discouraged, and then we go on about our business. It's as if we all think, "Let someone else take care of it. I'm busy." And so the other people are able to push through bad legislation or immoral policies or whatever. And everyone stays frustrated or angry or whatever. But no one stays in the fight.

Whether in society or in the mainline denominations, which do you think we should do? Stay in? Or bail?

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 3:12-15, NIV

Coming up in future posts:
Part 5 - A Hosea Relationship?
Part 6 - Bad-mouthing denominations

Overnight Change in the PC (USA)'s "Authoritative Interpretation" -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 3

2008-07-14T06:18:00.011-06:00

When I first read the about the goings on at GA 218 on the web site (http://www.pcusa.org/ga218/), I didn't understand the gobbledygook about "Authoritative Interpretation."

When we went to our home church, our Pastor explained that the "argument" about ordaining homosexuals has been going on in the Presbyterian Church (USA) for 30 years. The notion has been voted down every time. As long as homosexuality was sin in the PC (USA)'s "Authoritative Interpretation" of the Bible, homosexuals could not be ordained as Pastors.

But you know what? Based on how certain words might be interpreted to from the original language, the PC (USA), at the 218th General Assembly in June, voted to adopt another Authoritative Interpretation.

Presto, change-0. Overnight, everything changed.

Literally overnight, the language in the Authoritative Interpretation that said homosexuality is a sin changed. Guess what.

According to the new Authoritative Interpretation, homosexuality is no longer called sin, paving the way for gays and lesbians to be ordained.

Are you stunned? I was. So were a lot of other people. Like my Pastor.

The only question left is what should we do? Stay in and hang in there? Or bail out of the denomination?

Coming up in future posts: Part 4 - Stay In or Bail?

Part 5 - A Hosea Relationship?

Part 6 - Bad-mouthing denominations

Communicate and Worship (?!) with Muslims -- What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 2

2008-07-11T06:52:00.004-06:00

The second item of concern that happened at the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in June was somebody's idea that we Presbyterians need to...um, play nice, I guess, with Muslims.

"Communicate" was mentioned. Okay. No problem.

But then "worship" was mentioned. Huh?

How in the world can Christians worship with Muslims?! Oh wait. I forgot. I keep getting told we all worship the same God. If that were true, I suppose it would be possible to worship together. But we do not worship the same God.

The God I, as a Christian, worship came to earth in flesh, was crucified as a sin offering for the sins of all who accept that, died, and overcame death raising to life three days later. He lives to this day, and is called Jesus Christ.

No Muslim in his or her right mind worships Jesus. My understanding of what Muslims believe is that they believe Jesus was a prophet just like Muhammad, the founder of their faith. So these two are supposed to be equals.

Uhhhh........no. Not happenin' here.

We can't worship together. What are the leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) who say we can? Idiots?

Actually, they may be pretty smart. Like the activist judges who change laws regardless of the voters wishes in secular society, wait until you hear about the fast one they pulled. That in my next post...

Coming up in future posts:
Part 3: Overnight Change: Homosexuality and the PC (USA)'s "Authoritative Interpretation"
Part 4: Stay In or Bail?

What's Up with the Presbyterian Church USA - Part 1

2008-07-07T06:51:00.003-06:00

You may know that many of the large denominations of the Christian church are declining in membership. There are probably plenty of reasons -- or at least plenty of opinions as to the reasons.

I can't speak for all the denominations, but as a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), I believe I have a right to talk about (and criticize) this denomination.

The Presbyterian Church has a representative type of government. The individual churches, or groups of churches called presbyteries, aren't told want to do, but have a vote. Every two years, the Presbyterian Church (USA) hold its "General Assembly," that meeting where the business of the denomination is conducted. Delegates are sent from each presbytery.

General Assembly is in June, and in recent years every time you could pretty much count on there being a headliner in the newspapers about something that went on there. Usually it has had to do with the ordaining of (or the refusal to ordain) homosexuals as leaders in the church.

This year, General Assembly came and went and the newspapers seemed suspiciously quiet.

We were able to make a trip to our home church to hear what our Pastor had to say about the goings on at the 218th General Assembly of the PC (USA), which took place June 21-28. I'm grateful for his interpretations--it made sense of some of the complicated stuff I read on the denomination's web site: http://www.pcusa.org/ga218/

I'm no expert in all this stuff, but what I plan to blog about in the next several posts is my understanding of what's up in the Presbyterian Church (USA). (And, of course, my opinion of it all.) (Well, um, that's what a blog is for, right?)

There were three points of concern our Pastor mentioned that Sunday, June 29th. I'll take one at a time.

Part 1: The definition of marriage:

The good news is that the definition that marriage being between one man and one woman stands. The bad news is that it made it out of committee to be voted on.

This should be a no-brainer. Why in the world wouldn't the committee kill this before it ever made it out of committee?! That's disturbing. Those who want to redefine marriage will no doubt keep chipping away at it...hoping to get their way...when this should, in fact, be put down decisively once and for all time. And shame on the leaders of this denomination for not doing so.

Coming up in future posts:
Part 2: Communicating and worshipping (?!) with Muslims
Part 3: Overnight Change: Homosexuality and the PC (USA)'s "Authoritative Interpretation"

Lesbians at the Ball Park - Part 5

2008-07-03T06:45:00.001-06:00

I had an interesting conversation recently. A relative was traveling on Sunday and wanted to attend church, so he stopped in a Presbyterian church in Santa Fe, New Mexico. What he heard in that church he found appalling. And I don't blame him.

The sermon was about "justice" which in some churches now means that everyone should be equal in everything -- the amount of money they have, the rights that are theirs, etc.

In other words, it is wrong for some of us to be wealthy when others are poor. (Wealthy is defined as having more that someone else, so we're all wealthy compared with somebody else.) It means that everyone in the United States (or perhaps they mean the whole world?) has the right to the same rights as U.S. citizens -- whether or not they are citizens or are in this country legally or not. What this amounts to is socialism. And it's being preached from many pulpits in liberal churches today.

My relative said if that nonsense had been preached in his home church, people would have been getting up and walking out.

Many of us have walked out. My husband and I are no longer attending a Presbyterian church because the ones we've tried in the city where we now live preach the same liberal thoughts in a wide variety of topics -- and we just can't stand it.

The Christians who teach this stuff seem to find in Scripture (meaning, the Bible) portions that support their position -- especially in the stories about Jesus. What they don't seem to get is that everything, and I do mean everything, that Jesus did was for one purpose and one purpose only:

To point people to His Father.

The feeding of thousands with only a little food, the parables (fictional stories with a point) that Jesus told, including the outcasts...everything Jesus said and did...had meaning to point people to God.

Some church leaders seem to think it's better to include everyone than to tell them the truth. Like those lesbians in the ball park. We just need to "love" them, right? Well if we truly love them, we will tell them the truth: that homosexuality is wrong. We don't have to be mean about it. It doesn't have to be a big to-do, causing a big scene (although it may become that). We've been scared off about saying any truth about Jesus, but many, many people will respond well if we just tell them the truth. (And those who respond negatively may well respond differently later.)

Shall I say it again? Everything Jesus did was about pointing people to His Father. He started provocative conversations (arguments, really) with people like the Pharisees just to challenge their wrong ideas and point them to Truth.

Nothing in the Bible was ever intended to be used to defend today's ooshy-gooshy, whimpy, everbody's-included-no-one-can-be-left-out, we-can't-tell-them-the-truth-because-it-might-be-offensive-so-just-love-them, sickening sweet, all-inclusive liberality of many of today's churches.

And some wonder why the membership numbers in mainline denominations are plunging. Not all mainline denominational churches are like this, but more and more are becoming so.

God is a God of laws. You obey, you're good with Him. You ignore, weave around, contort, rationalize, twist, or turn upside down His laws, His Word, or His Truth and, well...you're in deep doo-doo.

Lesbians at the Ball Park - Part 4

2008-06-30T07:21:00.001-06:00

In my June 23 post I wrote:

"Homosexuality is wrong. If no one ever tells these people that, won't they continue to think it's okay?"

Even as I wrote those words I was thinking there is a part within every human being that knows when he or she is doing wrong. We may ignore it. We may tell it to be quiet in order to make it go away. And if we do that often enough for long enough, we can successfully silence it. But it is still there.

It is as if each incident of ignoring or silencing that voice within burns that spot within us that is sensitive to the sin. If that sensitivity is burned enough, it will lose sensation.

Did you know that a third degree burn doesn't cause pain? A first degree burn turns the skin red and is painful. A second degree burn is red with blisters and is very painful. A third degree burn is black and charred and produces no pain because the nerves have been burned and destroyed.

The good news is that if a person wants to restore that part of him- or herself that whispers to our minds when something is wrong, it can be restored. God can heal the seared conscious and restore its sensitivity.

"...the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them."

Romans 2:15, NIV

Lesbians at the Ball Park - Part 3

2008-06-27T06:48:00.000-06:00

Do you think we're responsible to speak up when we see something wrong going on? Do you think it is our responsibility to say something when we see people in our society engaged in sin? What do you think the Lord will say to us about whether or not we speak up?

When God spoke to the prophet Ezekiel, He told him in plain, straightforward terms what would happen if Ezekiel didn't speak up about sin in his society. Here's what God said to Ezekiel:

"'Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, "You will surely die," and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.

"'Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.'"

Ezekiel 3:17-21, NIV

Are you thinking this doesn't apply to you because you're not a prophet? All Christians are "prophets" in the sense that a prophet's job is to speak the truth of God--and we are all called to speak God's truth at every opportunity.

Lesbians at the Ball Park - Part 2

2008-06-23T08:36:00.003-06:00

We've had a couple good comments on my last post about loving the sinner while hating the sin. Which brings up another question. What does "love" look like?

Some people will think this is mean... or at the very least that what I'm about to say is not the right thing to do... but I think sometimes the best way we can show love is to let it show that this behavior (or whatever behavior we're witnessing) makes us sick.

Homosexuality is wrong. If no one ever tells these people that, won't they continue to think it's okay? Or that we condone their actions? And then aren't we to blame before the Lord?

The most loving thing we can do is to tell them the Truth. Jesus didn't hold back when talking to the Pharisees or turning over the tables of the money changers who were rip-off artists at the Temple. Why do Christians think the only right way to act is to be all sweetness and sugar?

Christianity is about Truth. Not being nice.

Lesbians at the Ball Park -- What would you have done?

2008-06-16T06:47:00.000-06:00

I have something eating away at me, and I could use some input.

A few evenings ago, Bill O'Reilly, on his Fox News show The O'Reilly Factor, told about an incident that had taken place at a professional baseball game. Two lesbians were kissing, and a mother of young children complained telling officials at the ball field that she didn't want her children to see that.

If I remember the facts right, the officials talked to the two lesbians, they refused to stop saying something like they had the same rights as anyone to express their love, and then were asked to leave the ball park. The discussion on the TV show was about whether or not it was legal for the ball field officials to "kick them out." It was said that these two women were not making a big public display, but were just kissing like any couple in love.

Now, kudos to that mother who complained! But here's my dilemma: Put yourself into the picture. Imagine that you are sitting at that ball field within earshot of what's going on. You're not the mother. You're not one of the lesbians. You're just another fan at the ball field watching this go on. You're a Christian. What do you do? Anything?

Honestly, if I had been at the ball park that day watching this, I probably would have sat there and watched, and secretly been cheering for that mother who said something. But I doubt I would have said anything. And I'm ashamed of that.

So, for future reference...for a future incident that may (or mostly likely will) occur, what do you think we should do?

Have we been so conditioned to think that we can't "discriminate" against anyone, that we have to be tolerant of people who don't believe the same as we do, that we've been silenced?

My husband says, "I'm not going to call it 'gay' anymore. I'm not going to call them 'lesbians.' It's homosexuality. Let's call it what it is."

What would have happened if we were at the ball park that day and one of us stood up and told those lesbians, "What you're doing is wrong. Homosexuality is immoral"? And what if we would have told the ball field officials, "You shouldn't let this continue. It's wrong"?

Do you think it would have caused a ruckus? Do you think we would have been asked to leave the ball park? Would you be willing to give up your seats that you paid for, and the fun afternoon at the ball game that you anticipated, and risk ruining your family's day out, to speak up? What if you ended up on national TV because of it? What if you were booed, or harassed, or sued?

Is it the fear of these things that keeps us silent?

Which is right and which is wrong?:
To stand up and say, "That's immoral. That's wrong."
Or to not stand up and say, "That's immoral. That's wrong."

Have we lost our courage? Shouldn't we say, "That's immoral. And I don't care if you don't like it, I can't watch it and pretend like it's okay. It's not okay. And I have to say something."

Governor signed Senate Bill 200

2008-06-13T08:27:00.004-06:00

I checked Colorado Governor Bill Ritter's web site and found that he signed Senate Bill 200, "Expand Discrimination Prohibitions," into law on May 29th, 2008.

You can find the Governor's web site here: http://www.colorado.gov/governor

To see which bills he has signed, click on "Governor Ritter's 2008 Legislative Decisions." A form comes up in a pop-up window that shows all the bills that have come before him, the decision he made, and the date.

Thanks to all of you who voiced your opposition and urged him to veto this bill. I heard from many of you who said you had called, e-mailed, or both, and who had sent a message to your e-mailing list asking your friends to do the same.

I keep getting the feeling this Governor is passing all kinds of things that we don't even know about -- some of it very quietly. I get the same feeling about our national politicians.

It's hard to keep up. But then maybe that's the point.

What Must People Think of the Church? - Rev. Wright is Wrong - Part 5

2008-06-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

Another thought that just causes me to cringe is, when people see clips from people like the Rev. Wright's and Father Pfleger's rantings from the pulpit in church, what must then think?!

What impression of the Christian church is Rev. Wright, Barack Obama (by virtue of him apparently not having a problem with any of this...until it affected him politically), or Father Pfleger giving people?

For those who do not go to church, do they think this is the usual happenings every Sunday morning in churches across the nation?

For the enemies of the church, doesn't this just confirm who evil the church is and how evil Christians are?

When people see these clips coming out of Trinity United Church of Christ, what must people think?

Scary.

One thing I know: On judgement day, I hope I'm not standing anywhere near Rev. Wright or Father Pfleger!

What is the Church for? - Rev. Wright is Wrong - Part 4

2008-06-06T07:00:00.005-06:00

This craziness coming out of Barack Obama's former church, Trinity United Church of Christ, brings up the question is this what the church is for? Or, just what is the church for?

There may be different opinions on that--even among church-going Christians. But I have some pretty definite opinions on what the church is for:

The Christian church is to be a place where people can come to worship the one true God.

The Christian church is to be a place where people can come to learn about the one true God.

The Christian church is to be a place where the people of God can serve the one true God.

That does not mean I think politics or important issues of the day should not come up. Not at all. The fact that one true God exists affects all of life -- every issue, everything we do, everything we are. And we carry that knowledge and the consequences of that truth wherever we go. This is why politics cannot be separated from religion, or church cannot be separated from state, or Christian cannot be forbidden to carry their faith into public office or anywhere else.

But when the church service degenerates into rants about questionable political opinions, or about promoting conspiracy theories that have no founding in facts, something is terribly wrong.

Rev. Wright is Wrong - Part 3

2008-06-02T09:37:00.004-06:00

To continue with my thoughts on Rev. Wright, the former pastor at Barack Obama's church...

(Well, after this weekend, I guess it's now Mr. Obama's former church.)

...I have a question about Barack Obama, and Rev. Wright, and now this Catholic Father's whose ranting preaching in the same church has been all over the TV the last week.

My questions is: Do they really know the gospel?

After the first story with Rev. Wright came out, I heard people defending the Reverend and the church. Some of them said the news media was being unfair by playing the clips over and over. If you heard the whole sermon, one man said, it was a really good gospel message.

Gospel message?

Okay, granted, I haven't heard the whole message. But I have a hard time imagining how the gospel message could be worked into what I did hear.

You see the Gospel has a very narrow definition. A "gospel message" is not just any ol' message. The Gospel is the good news about Jesus Christ. The literal translation of the word "gospel" is "good news," and always in the Bible (where the term came from) it refers to the good news about Jesus the Christ.

Has the word been hijacked by people like Rev. Wright and others to mean something else? Do some of the people in the pews at Trinity United Church of Christ think a gospel message is an inspiring talk? An emotional appeal? Any rant?

The gospel message is that Jesus Christ is God come to earth in human flesh to become the atoning sacrifice that makes us right with God. Anyone who embraces what Jesus did on our behalf and claims it to cover his or her own sins, receives salvation from eternity in hell and will live for ever in heaven with God. That's the gospel message, the good news about what Jesus Christ did for us in God's sight.

In the clips I've heard coming out of Trinity United Church of Christ, I've never heard anything like this. I don't believe I've even heard Jesus Christ mentioned. I've heard God the Father mentioned, but not in a nice way (only saying that He damns America, which ain't true).

When I hear the rantings of Rev. Wright... or as I've now heard this new clip of rantings from guest speaker at this same church, Catholic priest Father Michael Pfleger...I have to wonder if Rev. Wright, Barack Obama, Father Pfleger, or any of the people cheering from the pews even know what the gospel is.

"The 'Wright' Way?" by Guest Writer - Carole Whang Schutter

2008-05-26T08:33:00.003-06:00

Today, I'm hosting some thoughts from Carole Whang Schutter, author of the novel and movie, September Dawn:

The storm over Barrack Obama’s former pastor, Reverend Wright, made me look at the issue of racism within the church. I understand why people of color have a problem with whites. My own family suffered egregiously in the white oligarchy that existed in Hawaii pre-World War II. The African Americans, Native-Americans, and other non-white groups were wronged. But so were the Asian, Latino, Jewish, Middle Eastern, Irish, and Italian immigrants to the United States. The beauty of our country is that we are a nation founded “under God” and the principles of the Bible.

It is time to break the chains of prejudice, fear, and the past. Let us refuse to lick the wounds of our past because we’re better than that. Don’t get me wrong. It’s important to remember the past. As a historical fiction writer, I am mesmerized by the past. I wrote the movie and the novel, “September Dawn.” Some movie reviewers slammed us for being “historically incorrect.” Although the event was shrouded in secrecy for almost a century, movie reviewers suddenly became experts at something that took me two years of research. I didn’t write to condemn and create hard feelings. History is written to insure that it never happens again. We don’t use the past to keep hatred alive, but to learn.

Prejudice and persecution are not exclusive to people of color. The pursuit of religious freedom sent the very white Pilgrims to America.

Raised in Hawaii, I’m proud of being Asian. But when I moved to Colorado, I discovered I was Asian-American. I always thought I was just American. By contrast, Brazilians do not consider themselves to be Asian-Brazilians, African-Brazilians, or white-Brazilians, they are just Brazilian.

While in Chicago, I persuaded a blond girlfriend of mine to attend a church that was recommended by another friend. It didn’t occur to me that my African-American friend probably went to a black church. As we got closer to the church, my friend said, “This is an upscale black neighborhood.” I told my girlfriend I loved black churches.

The service had already begun and the sanctuary was almost full. Although the ushers were sending people upstairs, we were escorted us to the main level, in the center of the third row. It was a spirited service. My girlfriend sat impassively, I knew she was unfamiliar with charismatic churches. I wondered what she was thinking.

She loved it and still visits the church sometimes. She told me she’s still the only white in the audience.

I wish we would no longer be black churches or white churches, but Jesus Christ churches.

My sister Sandy married Jerel, a German-Irish pastor whose father was a Baptist pastor raised Mennonite. Jerel warned Sandy that his father considered inter-marriage unacceptable to God. It bothered us, but then again, my Korean grandfather was a pastor and he didn’t speak to his oldest child for a long time because she didn’t marry Korean.

Fear of the unknown and unfamiliar divides us. Jerel’s father feared different races because he had no experience with them. As he got to know Asians, he grew to love Sandy and got along great with our family.

My father encountered prejudice as a child and enlisted man during WWII. Every Asian was considered “a dirty Jap.” He hated whites until his daughters defied him and married white men. In time, my father, who told us he would “disown” us if we married non-Asians, bragged that his Irish-German son-in-law Jerel was “just like Jesus.”

In my novel, “September Dawn,” the heroine, Emily, is distraught because her best friend, a slave, has been sold and taken away from her. She asks her pastor father, “Daddy, do you think we should stick to our own kind?”

He says, “I think God sees us all as just one kind. To Him, we’re all just people.”

We are all wonderfully different, but we’re all still just people.

By CAROLE WHANG SCHUTTER

http://www.cwschutter.com

View a trailer for Carole's book and the movie for which she wrote the screenplay here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i625Di6svM

Please Express Your Opinion on Colorado's Senate Bill 200 ... NOW!

2008-05-23T13:25:00.002-06:00

Whew. It has been a crazy couple of weeks. Did you miss me again? I didn't mean to be gone this long from my blog, but several things kept me away...the most fun of which was the Colorado Christian Writers Conference in Estes Park. As usual, it was awesome!

Back to business...

If you're in Colorado, you need to know about our state Senate Bill 200. (If you're not from Colorado, you should be aware of what's happening here.) This bill adds religion and sexual orientation to state nondiscrimination statutes. Sounds good, right? It's not!

This is NOT a step forward for religious freedom! If passed, organizations including small and home-based businesses would be in trouble is they refused to offer or sell goods or services to homosexuals, bisexuals, "transgendered" and transsexuals, whether for religious or moral reasons.

The Colorado Senate has already passed this bill and it is on the Governor's desk waiting for him to sign it.

You must act FAST if you're going to make a difference.

Are you ready to use your voice? To speak out? PLLLLLLEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSE?! Just do it!

Here are three things you can do. (And please do ALL THREE!):

1.) Call Governor Ritter's office and voice your opposition to SB 200: (303)866-2471

2.) E-mail the Governor and ask him to please Veto SB 200: E-mail Gov. Ritter.

3.) Read more about Colorado's Senate Bill 200 here.

If you're not willing to take action now...today...then what right will you have to complain if this bill gets passed?

Rev. Wright is Wrong - Part 2

2008-05-05T08:26:00.003-06:00

Another thing I found incredibly disturbing in Pastor Wright's rantings was the use of the Lord's name from the pulpit! My goodness.

Here in Colorado we had a situation a while back where one of our state politicians, Douglas Bruce, was at the podium during the opening prayer and several photographers were sitting on the floor around him. Something one photographer did irritated Mr. Bruce, so he kicked him.

Nice.

Here's the scene in my mind: Here we are, praying to the one true God, the Almighty, the all-merciful who allows the poorest as well as the most important to come into His presence and treats them all the same, all well, and "powerful politician" Douglas Bruce reaches out and kicks a "poor powerless person/photographer" sitting at his feet during the prayer?! In the middle of this conversation with God! What a guy. God would never do something like that...and I don't like the picture it gives when Mr. Bruce did. There's "wrong" all over it.

Does it need to be said? No pastor should ever use the name of the Lord in vain from the pulpit. Why is this using the Lord's name in vain? Because God would never damn America. Rev. Wright might. But God wouldn't. And for a representative of God (which is what pastors are supposed to be) to represent Him in that way, well... Rev. Wright is wrong.

What I think is wrong about Rev. Jeremiah Wright - Part 1

2008-05-02T09:00:00.004-06:00

I'm sure you, like me, have been watching the video clips and sound bites of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barak Obama's former pastor, over the past several weeks. I mean, really, how could you miss them? So what do you think about the whole situation? I have some thoughts...

While I don't like to be yelled at when I go to church, I realize there are many personalities in the Christian church universal, and so there are many personalities of churches.

What's more important to me is the content of what he said, which I find incredibly disturbing. From time to time I've heard some people make references to notions such as those Rev. Wright stated: that the US government invented AIDS, that 9/11 was an inside job... Why do some people believe stuff like that? Do they just need a deep dark conspiracy to believe in? Are they in search of the thrill of being one of the few to know the "truth," the inside scoop on something the rest of us are oblivious to (unless they alert us to it)? Are they looking for a reason to hang their hate on? Some people just want to believe whatever they want to believe, I guess. Never mind the truth.

Okay. So there are people like that in the world. (Apparently a lot of them, judging by the shouts of agreement in Jeremiah Wright's church!) But for that kind of nonsense to be preached from the pulpit in a Christian church?! OOOoooohhh, that ticks me off.

That is not what the church's pulpit is for. That's not what the church is for. What impression of the Christian church, and the Lord Jesus Christ, is Rev. Wright giving to those who don't know Him? People like Rosie O'Donnell might see that and think that's what all Christian churches are like.

If that's what people like Rosie O'Donnell think is going on in the church, no wonder they think we Christians are nuts. (The really crazy thing, though, is that I think Ms. O'Donnell actually agrees with what Rev. Wright preached!)

"So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?"

1 Corinthians 14:23

Dianne's Interview on The Writing Road

2008-04-28T08:51:00.003-06:00

I just learned that Beth Vogt has posted the interview she did with me on her blog, The Writing Road, this morning.

Hop over an take a look. Here's the link: http://thewritingroad.blogspot.com/2008/04/interview-with-author-dianne-butts.html

That's my newest bike--my 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad. That's also Pike's Peak in the background, but you can't see it because I'm in the way!

Hope you enjoy reading my story about how I became a writer.

10,000 Voices

2008-04-25T08:45:00.003-06:00

This morning I'd like to welcome several new readers receiving this blog through the Feedblitz e-mail service! Thanks for jumping on board!
_____

Do you ever feel like you'd like to speak out...to a politician, someone in Hollywood, or another leader...but you think, Would anybody listen? I'm only one voice.

What if you had the voice of 10,000? Would that make a difference? Would that give you the courage to speak up?

Many years ago I heard a politician tell his audience that they hear from so few of their constituents that when they do, they assume that person's view represents a pretty good percentage of their constituency.

A few years ago my family was approached by the Neilson TV rating folks and asked to allow them to monitor what we watched for their rating system. The representative told me that in our rural area (where we lived then), what we watched on TV would represent to them about 10,000 households.

It really is as if you have 10,000 voices.

If each of us will speak up and express our convictions, our views, can you see how quickly our voices could make a difference?

What if a lot more of us conservative-minded people started speaking out? Multiply one voice, or two, or ten... You do the math.

The letter from Christians to Muslims - Part 5...Oh, and more.

2008-04-21T21:00:00.002-06:00

Did you miss me again? Jeepers, when wireless was getting popular I could find a signal pretty much everywhere I traveled. Not now. Last year I could get a signal at the same place I stayed last week. But last week? Nada. Zip. Zero. No internet signal that I could connect to anywhere. (Well, there is that cyber cafe in Fraser, but the last I checked--which admittedly was a couple years ago--it was something like $20 for the first hour. Ouch. I'm not paying that.)

So...there I was all last week with no internet. I got a lot of other work done, but I didn't get to blog.

Then, as I'm leaving town, I stop at the McDonald's in Winter Park, Colorado, and I'm sitting there munching my sausage McMuffin with egg when I see it. A huge poster covering the window facing Main Street. It read "Wi-Fi." Now, I'd heard McD's was installing wireless to compete with Starbuck's, but I didn't expect it to be installed in a small town McDonald's already.

So I go to the counter and ask. No, it's not free. It's $2.95 for the first two hours. Now that's doable! Note to self: Next time I need internet service, check with McDonald's!

Also, I've heard that Starbuck's may soon offer FREE internet--for the first hour or two. Don't know if that's for sure or if it has happened yet, but if you need internet you might check. Don't you just love competition? That's what makes our country so great: the freedom to build businesses and compete for business. Competition keeps prices low, service high, and life good! It's a great system (as opposed to the socialism of other countries).

I have one more thought on the article in Citizen magazine:

According to the article in Citizen magazine, the Yale apology "has been widely publicized in the Islamic world."

Of course. No doubt.

But have you heard a word about this letter or the letter from the Muslims to Christians here in the States?

Except for finding this information in the Citizen magazine, I wouldn't know a thing about it.

Citizen magazine: http://www.citizenlink.org/citizenmag/ If you don't already get the magazine, I highly recommend you subscribe.

The letter from Christians to Muslims - Part 4

2008-04-11T08:41:00.001-06:00

Continuing with information from the article "Common ground?" by Stephen Adams in the March 2008 issue of Citizen magazine, Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, a Muslim expert and international director of a Christian ministry to Muslims, said "the Yale letter is part of 'an ongoing process where the world of Islam will seek to neutralize Christianity'" (pg. 20).

The title of the Muslim's letter to Christians, "A Common Word," comes from a verse in the Quran. According to Dr. Sookhdeo, who is an Anglican priest and a former Muslim, the verse "has always been understood as a call to deny the Trinity and the deity of Christ."

You can read Dr. Sookhdeo's complete analysis of the letter from the Muslims. Find his paper, "Response to Open Letter and Call From Muslim Religious Leaders to Christian Leaders, 13 October 2007" here:
http://www.barnabasfund.org/news/archives/article.php?ID_news_items=342

The Apology - The letter from Christians to Muslims - Part 3

2008-04-07T07:15:00.001-06:00

The article "Common ground?" by Stephen Adams in the March 2008 issue of Citizen magazine quotes the Yale Divinity School's response to the Muslim's letter to Christians as saying, "Before we 'shake your hand' in responding to your letter, we ask forgiveness of the All-Merciful One and of the Muslim community around the world."

Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary (Southern Baptist), referring to the defeat of a Muslim invasion of Europe in 732 AD, preserving Christianity as the continent's chief religion, asks, "Are these people suggesting that they wish the military conflict with Islam had ended differently--that Islam had conquered Europe?"

A ministry leader in Muslim East Africa said that since the Yale apology, (which, according to the article, "has been widely publicized in the Islamic world"), "Stones have now been thrown into our churches, with them calling us 'Crusaders.'"

Dr. Mark Durie, an Australian expert on Islam, said, "By taking responsibility as Christians for an event as distant in time as the Crusades, they send the message to the global Muslim community that Christians in the world...could be held to account by Muslims for ancient grievances... Why legitimize this deadly and false libel by confessing guilt on behalf of the worldwide Christian community?"

The article states, "[Dr.] Mohler finds the Yale letter's apology for America's war on Islamic terror networks equally perplexing. 'For whom are we apologizing and for what are we apologizing?'" he asked.

More next time...

The letter from Christians to Muslims - Part 2

2008-04-04T08:01:00.001-06:00

As I said last time, according to the story, "Common ground?" by Stephen Adams in the March 2008 issue of Citizen magazine (pgs. 18-23), the so-called Christian response to the letter from the Muslims was written at Yale Divinity School. It was signed by 300 individuals including:

two leaders of the National Association of Evangelicals,
activist author Brian McLaren,
author of The Purpose-Driven Life and Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren, and
editor in chief of Christianity Today, David Neff.

According to Citizen's article, author Brian McLaren wrote, "Are you not aware that the word 'Allah' is simply the Arabic word for God, just as in English we say God, and in Spanish people say Dios, and in Greek, theos?"

Dr. Albert Hohler, president of the Southern Baptist's Southern Seminary, said the names "God" and "Allah" are not interchangeable. "The Quran says Allah has no son, but the first thing we must say about the God of the Bible is that Jesus is His Son and is the means by which He has made Himself known to us."

The Yale Divinity School letter also apologized, on our (Christians) behalf, for past and present sins. I'll tell you about the danger that "apology" is putting Christian missionaries in next time.

If you wish to register your complaint to the National Association of Evangelicals, contact them at: P.O. Box 23269, Washington, DC 20026, (202)789-1011, president@nae.net

Have you heard about this Letter, "A Common Word between You and Us" from Muslims to Christians?

2008-03-31T08:48:00.002-06:00

The cover of the March 2008 issue of Citizen magazine has a picture of a Bible and the Quran side by side and asks, "Same God? Some Christians are sending the wrong message in their well-intentioned outreach to Muslims."

The story, "Common ground?" by Stephen Adams (pgs. 18-23), tells of a document from Muslim clerics entitled "A Common Word between You and Us" that declared a "need for peace between Christians and Muslims and asserts the basis for understanding to be contained in the common teachings of 'love of the One God and love of the neighbor'" (pg. 20).

According to the story, Joe Carey, who ministers to Muslims through a California organization notes that the title of the Muslim letter, "A Common Word," comes from a verse in the Quran that also instructs "people of Scripture" (Christians and Jews) to "embrace Islam and you will be safe."

"'They're asking us not only to worship Allah alone,' Carey said, 'But they are asking us to renounce the divinity of Jesus Christ and the fact that He is Lord over all creation.'" Carey went on to say, "'The intent of Muslim scholars is serious, direct and one-sided: Accept Islam. This is the example Mohammad set for the context of this verse; these Muslim scholars know this.'"

So what has happened with this letter? On our (Christians) behalf, a response was drafted at Yale Divinity School. Signed by over 300 Christians--including some names you'll recognize--it not only repeatedly references "the 'one God' worshipped by Christians and Muslims alike" according to the article, it also "apologized for the 'sins' of Christians today and in the past."

Does that anger you as much as it does me? I'll tell you more from this Citizen article next time.

The article is not online. Request a copy (cover price: $2.50) from the magazine's publisher, Focus on the Family: 1-800-A-Family. Find: Citizen magazine at http://www.citizenlink.org/citizenmag/ If you don't already get the magazine, I highly recommend you subscribe.

Christianity vs. Religion

2008-03-24T08:40:00.002-06:00

In my last post I mentioned that in a way Islam is "a great religion," but I didn't explain. I promised to do that here.

I suppose there are a lot of great religions. But what is a "religion"? To me, it's a bunch of rules and rituals. If we look through history we can find where some people have made up a new religion to believe in.

I think a person can also be religious about anything. We use the word "religiously" to show when someone is fervent about something. But being fervent or religious about something doesn't necessarily make that something truth.

I've been called "religious" at times. I try not to take it as an insult. People who have called me religious mean well--they mean that they know I'm a Christian and that it is very important to me. But I don't consider myself religious.

I am a Christian. I've looked at the evidence, and I'm totally convinced it is true. There are no rules to follow to make me "good enough" with God.

There are definitely no rituals. Oh, we do some things in church and what not, but none of them are required to make us right with God.

Religion is all about ritual. Christianity, on the other hand, is all about reality.

“Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: ‘Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you.’” (Acts 17:22-23, NIV)

And then Paul went on to tell them about the One True God, the Creator of the world and everything in it, and of His Son Jesus Christ whom He raised from the dead.

Book: Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't

2008-03-22T09:15:00.002-06:00

Have you missed me? I took a vacation and didn't mention it because I thought I'd blog occasionally while traveling, but guess what? No internet access--unless I wanted to pay a bunch for using it a few minutes. So...I'm back. While I was gone I even heard about a study that shows people who take at least one vacation a year live longer. It's good to take a vacation--even a vacation from internet service, I guess.

Lately I've been reading a book by Robert Spencer titled Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't (Regnery Publishing, 2007. $27.95). I'm only into chapter four, but I can already recommend this book. The author clearly knows his stuff--about Islam and about Christianity. Here's a sample from chapter two:

"...it quickly became conventional wisdom after September 11 that the War on Terror had no religious dimension. Analysts acknowledged that at most, it involved a struggle against 'a global network of extremists who are driven by a twisted vision of Islam,' as Peter Wehner, deputy assistant to the president and director of the White Houses's Office of Strategic Initiatives, put it in January 2007, more than five years later. This is just one indication of how resilient this notion has proven to be. (2) Few in the mainstream media or in Washington offices would even consider the possibility that Islam was part of the problem, and no one would have dreamed of suggesting that Christianity could be part of the solution.

"President George W. Bush summed up mainstream assumptions when he declared: 'Our enemy doesn't follow the great traditions of Islam. They've hijacked a great religion.' Islam, he explained, 'is a faith that brings comfort to people. It inspires them to lead lives based on honesty, and justice, and compassion.' (3) To accompany this praise, the United States government sponsored the building of mosques in Afghanistan and elsewhere as a gesture of goodwill toward the Islamic world. (4)

"But in 2006, many in the mainstream media began speaking in deadly earnest about a religion that really was inciting violence and extremism, and which was a threat to the very survival of American constitutional government. Islam, however, was not the religion they had in mind. This dangerous religion, of course, was Christianity. Fostering the spread of this idea was the cascade of books that appeared that year, warning the American public about the growth of 'theocons,' 'Christian fascists,' or, in a conscious parallel to the term 'Islamist' (which denotes the proponents of political Islam), 'Christianist.' These groups are supposedly not only advancing a Christian agenda in the public sphere, but are also working to subvert the Constitution and establish a theocracy. Sure, the Islamists are working to impose religious rule on their own societies, but so are the Christianists--and the Christianists pose the far more serious threat. Some even charge that just as the Taliban practiced stonings and beheadings, so would these Christianists if they got half a chance." (From pages 13-14.)

Mr. Spencer goes on to give numerous examples with documentation. So far, his book has served to remind me (or show me) that a lot of dangerous ideas have been subtly slipped into our nation, society, and minds...and I haven't reacted as I should have. For example, I remember the feeling in my gut when I began hearing from the President and then echoed elsewhere that a few extremists had hijacked a great religion (Islam). I knew there was something terribly wrong with that thought, but I didn't stop to think about how wrong it was, let alone think about speaking up and saying something. To someone. Anyone. Until now.

You see what I think is so wrong with that statement...[pausing here to brace myself for all the hate mail that's going to come my way]...is that Islam is not "a great religion." (Well, perhaps in a manner of speaking it is...but let's not get distracted. I'll explain what I mean by that in my next post.) But what I'm thinking today is, when you get right down to it, there are only two ways to believe--two "religions": the one that is Truth, and then everything else can be lumped together as what is not truth.

Obviously I believe Christianity is Truth (or else I wouldn't believe it. Duh.). That means I believe every other "religion" is a false religion. Therefore, I do not believe Islam is "a great religion" because it leads people away from the one and only Truth: That Jesus Christ is not just a prophet but is indeed God come in the flesh; that Muhammad is not a prophet (not of the true God) and that he neither was nor is equal with Jesus; that the Holy Bible is the infallible words of God to us and the Quran is not; and that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of Israel, the God of Jews and Christians is not the same as Islam's Allah.

How can a religion be good or great if it's anything but the truth?

At the end of Robert Spencer's chapter two he writes, "Judeo-Christian civilization deserves a better, more spirited defense." I absolutely agree.

I'm looking forward to learning more from him through the rest of his book. If you're interested, I've put a button over there on the right side of my blog to this book at Amazon.com. If you've received this by Feedblitz's e-mail, you'll have to click on the link to go to my actual blog to find the button.

Spencer's footnotes from the excerpt above:
(2) Peter Wehner, "The War Against Global Jihadism," RealClearPolitics.com, January 8, 2007.
(3) Remarks by President George W. Bush on U.S. humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Presidential Hall, Dwight David Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C., October 11, 2002.
(4)"U.S. State Department funding mosque building in Bulgaria," Focus News Agency, October 4, 2004; "Faithful spurn U.S.-built mosque," News24.com, February 25, 2004.

Speechless: Silencing the Christians-episode 1

2008-03-11T09:21:00.006-06:00

So did anyone watch Speechless: Silencing the Christians? Episode one aired March 1. Episode two aired March 8.

I've watched episode 1 via the internet. I had heard about the valedictorian who was about to mention Jesus in her speech during graduation when school officials cut off her microphone. They would have allowed her to use the term "God" because that is not specific to one religion. But using the Name "Jesus" was not allowed because that is specific to one religion. Have you noticed we can use a generic term "God" and usually be accepted? While the term means to Christians and Jews the One True God, the God of Israel, Isaac, and Jacob, the great "I AM," to others it means "Allah" or to some a spiritual universal impersonal something-or-other. As long as we're vague enough to allow everyone to insert whatever they want, we're okay. But when we get specific and say Jesus is God, then we're cut off...not tolerated.

I had heard of the Pennsylvania Eleven, but I didn't know the story of what had happened to them. These eleven Christians wanted to share the gospel of Jesus Christ during a gay event called "Out Fest" and were doing so on public streets, and were arrested for doing so. So much for our freedom of religion or freedom of speech. Of course the gays can promote homosexuality in word and in public and that's perfectly fine, but don't try to speak about Christianity in public because you can now be arrested for that. Seriously!

I had not heard at all about the text books being used in California's public schools that are filled with pictures of Muslims praying and other photos and text very much promoting Islam. In this public school curriculum, students must learn verses from the Quran. (For Christian students, learning verses from the Bible instead is not allowed of course.) Also part of the curriculum is an assignment where students are to stage their own jihad. These things are required in class. But...but...I thought we were to keep religion out of the public schools! Oh wait...that only applies to Christianity.

Obviously, this is outrageous.

What are we going to do about it? What are you going to do about it? Just let it go? Hope someone else will do something about it? Not worry about it too much because, after all, that's happening in California. And, well, we all know how liberal California is, right? And besides, for some of us, we're not residents of California therefore we can't write a letter to the Governor of California...right?

Have you noticed that whatever California does, the rest of the nation usually follows?

I'm reminded of that old saying from World War II that went something like this: When they came for the Jews, I didn't stand up and say anything. When they came for the Catholics, I didn't stand up and say anything. When they came for me, there was no one left to stand up and say anything.

If we let it go, we'll have these same text book in our own states soon.

And oh by the way, did you hear last Friday that a California appellate court decided that because parents who are home-schooling don't have teaching degrees, they are not teaching legally and their children are now considered truant? More here:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=57679

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/335093.aspx

(Just a note: I was looking for links to mainstream reports, like CNN, MSNBC, or FOX, but didn't see any. They might be there and I just didn't search far enough, but it's not like it's a headliner of a story. Have you heard about this on your nightly news?)

If you put a frog in water and increase the temperature gradually, it won't jump out because it doesn't notice the water is heating up. It will sit there and be cooked to death. If the promotion of the Islamic faith and similar outrageous events come upon us gradually enough, like the frog being cooked in a pot of water, we won't notice. Or are we noticing, and just not doing anything about it?

If you haven't viewed episode 1 of Speechless: Silencing the Christians, you need to see it.
http://www.silencingchristians.com/

Don't Think Your Letters Can Make a Difference?

2008-03-07T08:36:00.003-07:00

Did you check out the web site for Speechless: Silencing the Christians (http://www.silencingchristians.com/)? Did you discover you don't get any of the networks it's airing on, as I did? When I entered my e-mail address and name to see if I could get a network with the show, I received the following letter from a representative of The Inspiration Network.

Think your letter, e-mail, or phone call (to someone in the entertainment industry, a politician, or someone else of influence) won't make a difference? Think again.

Dianne,
Thank you for sending your request for INSP from The Inspiration Networks. We received your email and wanted to respond back to you.

Unfortunately, we are not carried in your area; I believe your cable company is Comcast, if so you can find the address and website where you can contact them. If it is not Comcast please let me know, and I will find your cable operators contact information.

Your comments to them WILL help! Cable operators do take notice when their paying subscribers or potential subscribers send them requests. Sometimes it takes numerous requests and it helps to have different people send letters/emails…so if you know of others that would like to see our network on the lineup of your local cable company, please have them write and call as well.

You may or may not live in your cable operator’s service area, but if so…this letter or call to them requesting our network will encourage them to add us. Send it to the attention of the “General Manager” of the cable company in your area. The thought of possibly getting NEW subscribers or providing more value to their existing subscribers by adding our programming is important to them…and even more so if you communicate your wishes to them in writing.

In addition to the great programming available on our network, we have recently launched I-VOD , which is free Inspiration Video-On-Demand programming that will allow you to view selections of our programming 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; with the ability to watch the programs when YOU want to watch them. This new format is now being made available to cable companies nation-wide. In addition, as a computer, owner, you may now view selected programming on www.inspiration.net, which is best viewed by using the high-speed internet service provided by your local cable operator.

Again, thank you for your request. We will do our part to encourage these businesses to add our network, but your involvement personally is just as important!

Comcast, 8000 East IIiff Ave, Denver, CO 80231 www.comcast.com

Thank you.
Tammy Burklin
The Inspiration Networks

Speechless: Silencing the Christians

2008-03-05T09:09:00.003-07:00

If you haven't heard about this new TV series, Speechless: Silencing the Christians, I think you ought to be aware of it. Hosted by Janet Parshall, it will explore some of the recent incidents that have occurred in our nation where Christians have not been allowed to speak out precisely because they are Christians. This in a nation that is to have (and used to have) freedom of religion.

The 13-week series began March 1, and will air every Saturday evening at 8:30 pm Eastern on INSP, INI, and iLifeTV. If you don't know if you receive any of those networks, you can do a search through the site. You can also request to begin receiving INSP on the site.

If you don't get any of these networks (as I don't) you ca view the episodes on the web after they air. There's also a preview to view on the site. Find all the information here:

http://www.silencingchristians.com/

Find an article with some background information here: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Perspectives/Default.aspx?id=68149

Non-Christians may scoff at this series. (At least that has been my experience so far.) But your Christian friends will most likely be very interested in it. Please spread the word by sending the information to anyone you think would like to know about it, or you can direct them to this blog page.

Thanks...

Does God exist? Isn't Christianity just an emotional experience?

2008-02-25T08:29:00.005-07:00

How would you answer these questions?:

Does God exist?

And, isn't Christianity just an emotional experience?

Why am I asking? Because I had the opportunity to answer these very questions. Care to read how I answered? CBN.com published two more of my articles last week. Here are the links where you can find them:

Does God Exist?
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/churchandministry/evangelism/Butts_Does_God_Exist.aspx

Isn't Christianity Just an Emotional Experience?
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/churchandministry/evangelism/Butts_Christianity_Emotional_Experience.aspx

If you missed the first article, CBN.com published it February 13th. Here's the link:

Why Did Jesus Die for Man's Sins?
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/churchandministry/evangelism/Butts_Why_Jesus_Died.aspx

Knight Rider ( Gag )

2008-02-20T09:03:00.011-07:00

Did any of you watch the two-hour movie of the new Knight Rider Monday night?

My husband and I enjoyed the original TV series back in the '80s and were looking forward to this movie and the coming new TV series, so we watched.

In one of the opening scenes, a female FBI agent (Carrie Ruvai, played by Sydney Tamiia Poitier) is getting ready for work and there is a naked lady in her bed. ( Ga... Ga... ) In their brief conversation, the naked bed-mate asks if the FBI agent isn't concerned about leaving someone in her home whom she just met last night.

Oh...okay. So we not only have a lesbian relationship, it's also a just-met-last-night and went-home-and-got-naked first-date-sex relationship. (I was going to call it a "one night stand" but I have no idea if that's what it will turn out to be.)

The FBI agent said, "No," and left for work.

Now come on. ( Gag. ) Was that scene necessary to the story?

No. Not at all.

It seems the show (on NBC) only wanted to establish a lesbian character in the show. It didn't have anything to do with the story.

I guess it's just fashionable to have lesbian and gay characters in shows and movies right now. Okay, Hollywood, you've made your statement. This has been going on for a while now. Can we say it has run its course, grow up, and move on now? (I doubt it.)

As I watch shows like Knight Rider with gay and lesbian characters and one-night-stands and first-date sex, it feels like Hollywood is shoving its beliefs down my throat. ( G-g-gag. ) It doesn't go down very well. It gets stuck. It's hard to swallow.

We Christians often get accused of shoving our religion down other people's throats. (Some consider even the mention of God or Jesus Christ as shoving our religion down their throats.) But Hollywood doesn't seem to see that writing sex anytime, anywhere, with anyone into their shows is shoving their views down my throat. ( G-g-gag. )

We invite TV into our home. If Knight Rider continues to shove its anything-goes sexual stuff ( g-gag ) down our throats ( g-g-gag ), it won't continue to be invited into our home.

Is this ( ga... ga... ) what my cat feels like ( g-ga... ) when she has a hairball? (G- G- GYACK!)

Dianne's Article on CBN.com

2008-02-15T09:38:00.004-07:00

CBN.com has posted my article answering the question "Why Did Jesus Die for Man's Sins?" on their site. Here's the link:

http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/churchandministry/evangelism/Butts_Why_Jesus_Died.aspx

Enjoy!

What is a Christian? - 6 "The Golden Rule"

2008-02-12T07:38:00.000-07:00

The week before last I was listening to a familiar talk show host on a Denver radio station as he interviewed an author. The two of them discussed a "rule" that is human nature.

"The Golden Rule," they said, is "I scratch your back; you scratch mine."

Uh...excuse me. That's not The Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule comes out of the Bible (Luke 6:31) and goes like this: "Do to others as you would have them do to you." (For those of us who were taught The Golden Rule years ago, it has more of a King James flavor. We learned it like this: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.")

This nowhere near "I scratch your back; you scratch mine"!

"I scratch your back; you scratch mine" is reciprocal. If you're nice to me, I'll be nice to you. If you help me, I'll help you. If I do something for you, then you'll do something for me, right?

The talk show host and his author-guest were right in saying this is human nature, but this is not the same as The Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule is quite the opposite. It goes against human nature. It says, "I want people to treat me well, therefore I'll treat you well."

Did you notice there is nothing in there that bases how I treat you on your behavior? How I treat others is not dependant on how they treat me. It starts with me...and my choices. The Golden Rule says, "I will treat you well regardless of how you treat me." This is anything but "I scratch your back; you scratch mine." This goes against human nature.

But then Jesus did that a lot--asking us to do what is directly against human nature. It's upside-down from what we would normally do. That's because the way we do things is corrupted by sin. In other words, it's not God's way that is upside-down. His way is right-side up. It's us who are upside-down.

God set the ultimate example in The Golden Rule. He does not treat us as we treat Him. He does not ignore us or treat us with disrespect. Instead He gave us the ultimate gift, the sacrifice we needed to pay for our sins. He didn't do this after we started treating Him nice. He did it while we hated Him.

And that truth just stands there. It's there whether people ignore it or disrespect it. God did not scratch our back because we did something for Him. Nor did He do something for us so we would be obligated to scratch His back--to do something for Him. He did it for us regardless of how we treat Him.

Presidential Election Questions

2008-02-08T08:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Mitt Romney stepped out of the Presidential race. My, things can change fast.

I respect Mr. Romney for taking this step. He looked at the numbers and knew he couldn't get enough delegates to win the nomination. Would staying in have created a three-way split diluting votes among Republicans so none would have a strong showing? Not a problem now since Mr. Romney suspended his campaign.

What will Mr. Huckabee do? As third in this previously three-way race, what now? Will he stay in? (For what reason? He couldn't possibly get enough delegates to get the nomination either, right?)

So if Mr. McCain has the nomination, who will he pick for a Vice President running mate? Mr. Romney? Mr. Huckabee?

From speculations I've heard, there have already been "back room discussions" between McCain and Huckabee. If true, that could be revealing.

I've also heard Mr. Huckabee isn't nearly as conservative as some of us would like. That's more obvious with Mr. McCain and his voting record. If they run together, can they win enough conservative votes to beat Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama?

I'm also hearing many conservatives--both leaders and ordinary voters-- saying if McCain is nominated they won't vote at all. After being told all my life by leaders such as these that we need to vote... Our vote is important... Every vote counts... Voting is one of the most important things we can do... Now many conservatives are vowing not to vote?! Is this hypocritical?

What will I do? I will do what I've always done: vote for the candidate I think is the BEST to run this country. I have never had a candidate I thought was perfect to vote for. More often than not I have cast my vote against someone rather than for someone else. But we don't get to design our perfect candidate. We can only choose the available one that's closest to what we want. For me, this will be the Republican candidates--whoever they will be.

I think all the excitement and attention toward this Presidential race is good. It gets people involved and causes people who normally wouldn't to pay attention. Many people, I'm sure, won't want to hear all the bickering and will turn it off. That's the danger.

But remember, even when it looks like everything is out of control, God is still in control. It may look like it's all a big to-do down here on earth--and it is. But God's not worried. He's got it all figured out. So when our human striving and fretting and bickering and worrying gets out of hand, He feels our pain, but He's not worried. At times I think He shakes His head and laughs at our lack of faith in Him.

Wait. Did you hear that? I thought I just heard someone chuckling...

Super Tuesday in Colorado

2008-02-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

It's Super Tuesday, and Colorado is among the 22 states holding a caucus or primary today. Since this is a political blog (among other topics), I should probably write something about politics, don't you think?

I hadn't yet because I'm just quietly watching all that is going on. The Presidential candidate I was leaning toward has already dropped out: Fred Thompson. A true conservative who said he wanted to engage people on the issues. What?! Not on personalities or gender or race or fluff?! My kind of guy. But with him now out of the race... What's a voter to do?

I have to admit some of the folks on my side of the aisle seem to be going a little crazy. Strong conservative Ann Coulter said the other day she would rather vote for Hillary Clinton than John McCain?! Please. Ann, I hope you're just being facetious (though it's hard to tell).

My problem with the remaining Republican candidates is that none of them are conservative enough for me. But I'd still vote for any of the Republican candidates over any of the Democratic ones. (Ann, please get your head screwed back on straight.)

So...I'm sitting back watching all the craziness. And I'll be very interested to see what happens today in Colorado and in the 21 other states.

But, in the end, am I worried about our nation? It's easy to let the debates and the arguing and the campaigning and the politics become overwhelming. And it's easy to let ourselves believe so much is at stake (...and it is). But in the midst of it all, God is in control.

Don't we tend to assume that if the political party of our choice gets into office, our nation will do better, and if the "other" political party gets into office our nation will go down the tubes? The truth is, God's plan for this world will play out in the end no matter which candidate and party wins the White House.

Here are some words I read just this morning:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
"You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' ...I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe." Jesus, only hours before His arrest and crucifixion, followed three days later by His resurrection (John 14:27, 28, 29, NIV)

God already knows what is going to happen today on Super Tuesday, at each party's national convention later this year, and at the election in November. And regardless of what humans do, His great plan for this world will still play out. So do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid.

Still, even though God is in control, this does not relieve any of us from doing our civic duty and doing the best we know how for the good of this nation. So pay attention and plan to vote.

What is a Christian? - 5

2008-01-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

Getting back to our discussion of "What is a Christian?"...

As the Presidential election dominates the news, I've been reminded of images, video clips from the past, showing politicians walking out of churches, smiling, shaking hands with the Pastor...a Bible tucked under their arms.

Some people think that going to church makes a person a Christian. Others think joining a church--becoming a member--makes a person a Christian. Wrong on both counts.

While attending a church and joining a Christian church is great, neither one of those acts makes a person a Christian.

A person has to make a conscious choice to become a Christian--he or she must come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the One sent by God to be a sacrifice for his or her own personal sins. And he or she must accept that sacrifice on his/her behalf. This is what a Christian is. No one becomes a Christian by default.

(For those of you worried about infants or unborn children who die, or children who perish when they are too young to understand the Gospel, or those too mentally disabled to understand, don't worry. God is loving and kind and holds them securely in His hands. They will be, or are, with Him in heaven.)

When a person believes this about Jesus and accepts it, they have become a Christian in that moment.

However, this means it is possible to attend a church, and even to be a member of a church, and not truly be a Christian. As a matter of fact, I'm sure every Christian church, and every Christian denomination, has people sitting in their pews who are not truly Christians. It is good that they are there. And we hope they will come to true belief in Christ sometime (soon). But just because someone goes to church or is a member of a church does not mean they are a Christian.

While Christians are definitely not perfect, it is also true that sometimes Christians are blamed for problems in the world and for wrong and violent things that are done when, in fact, the people who did those things are not Christians at all.

Just because someone sits in a pew...just because someone attends or joins a church...just because someone tucks a Bible under his or her arm...just because someone calls themself a Christian...does not mean he or she actually is a Christian.

To recognize who is truly a Christian and who is not takes way more discernment than that.

Schedule of Final Week of Blog Tour with Carole Whang Schutter

2008-01-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

Here's the schedule for the remaining days of the blog book tour with Carole Whang Schutter, which concludes this week:

Jan 28 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/part-8-interview-with-carole-whang.html Part 8 of 9

Jan 29 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/final-part-9-interview-with-carole.html Part 9 of 9 and http://laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com/ (review)

Jan 30 http://bethgoddard.blogspot.com/ (interview)

Jan 31 http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=5961 (interview with Christopher Cain)

It has been my privilege to interview Carole and to be a part of this blog tour. My thanks to Carole for granting me the interview and to Cheryl Malandrinos of www.PumpUpYourBookPromotion.com and http://virtualbooktoursforauthors.blogspot.com/ for including my blog in the tour!

Opportunity for Wannabe Screenwriters

2008-01-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Here’s a rare opportunity for wannabe screenwriters:

Carole Whang Schutter, the author and screenwriter of the book and movie September Dawn is offering to give a copy of her screenplay by e-mail to anyone who buys the book. She told me, “All they have to do is send me a copy of the shipping receipt, or if it is a store like Borders, a receipt for the book, and I will email them a copy.”

She is also offering as a bonus the double blue one line schedule.

As Carole said to those interested in screenwriting in her blog tour interview with Marilyn Peake on January 17:

If you want to learn your craft, you have to watch different ways of doing it. In January, through Pump Up Your Book promotion, I am offering a free e-book of the screenplay, and as a bonus, a double blue one line schedule that is a day-to-day journal of the shooting schedule to anyone who buys my book on Amazon, but we are working to have it available on other websites as well. It really is an opportunity for anyone curious about or wanting to learn the craft. In fact, I suggest, if you’re serious, buy the book, read it, watch the movie, follow it with the screenplay and read the dbl blue one line. It is a terrific way to be immersed in the industry and how it all magically comes together on the big screen. Whether you like the movie or not isn't even the point, it is an invaluable learning experience and glimpse into the industry that is rarely, if ever offered to the public.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marilynpeake/message/51

To take advantage of this offer, contact Carole at carole@cwschutter.com

I've already obtained both documents and have learned what a "double blue one line" is! I can't wait to study this and the script in depth to learn from it. I saw the movie in a theater, but it's now available on DVD. Last I heard it was the fourth on the DVD rental list nationwide.

The entertainment industry needs Christians to develop screenplays that can impact our society and our world for good. Learning to write for Hollywood is one way we can speak out and voice our views. For those Christians interested in screenwriting, there is more help here: www.ActOneProgram.com.
_____

Here's Carole's blog tour schedule for this week:

Jan 21 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter_11.html Part 3 of 9 and http://rebecca2007.wordpress.com (interview)

Jan 22 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter_13.html Part 4 of 9 http://www.podcastpickle.com/cast/17842 (Internet radio interview)

Jan 23 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/part-5-interview-with-carole-whang.html Part 5 of 9 and http://www.buzzthebook.blogspot.com (spotlight)

Jan 24 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/part-5-interview-with-carole-whang_20.html Part 6 of 9 and http://www.storycrafters.blogspot.com (guest post)

Jan 25 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/part-7-interview-with-carole-whang.html Part 7 of 9 and http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com (interview)

What is a Christian? - 4 "Atonement" episode of ER

2008-01-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

Did anyone watch ER last week? This episode, titled “Atonement,” included a subplot about a patient (played by Jonathan Banks) who came into the ER after saving a drowning boy out of frigid water. Turns out, the character was not only a physician himself, but he was the executioner at a penitentiary, the one who gave lethal injections to death row inmates. He was only hanging around the single mom and her son because he desperately wanted to make amends for putting that boy’s father to death. After putting 17 men to death, he was no longer sure it was the right thing to do. And his guilt was eating him up. (Whether doing this job to put these inmates to death was wrong or was “sin” is debatable, but we’ll go with it for the sake of this discussion.)

Add to that, he had terminal cancer. He knew he had a limited time to find forgiveness…if that were possible.

Enter the hospital Chaplain.

Now, if you've been watching the show recently, you know this lady who gives patients spiritual guidance also sleeps around unabashedly. After sleeping with one of the doctors, he apparently thought this was the beginning of a relationship, but she made it clear it was not. She wanted to be free to…um…sleep around with anybody with no ties, I guess.

They call her a Chaplain, but this character is not a Christian. I don’t know what faith she claims to be, if any. She just seems to be a mishmash smorgasbord of spiritual stuff.

So as she sits beside this dying man’s bed trying to bring him comfort, he wants some answers. Answers to questions like, Is there any forgiveness for me?

She can’t give him any clear answers. About three times she starts in with, “Well I believe—”

And he angrily cuts her off. Finally he explodes, telling her he doesn't need her New Age crap (not an exact quote—I can’t remember the exact quote. Wish I could. It was good!). He wanted real answers…and she didn't have any. He told her to get out. Get out! “Get out!” (That’s an exact quote.)

In a later scene, this Chaplain sat talking about the situation with a doctor. He’s trying to comfort her and she says when she became a Chaplain, she thought “being inclusive” was the way to go. He assures her that it is, but you can tell she’s not so sure anymore.

He’s wrong. She’s right…on this point. Being “inclusive” is not the right way to go.

Being inclusive means having a bunch of really nice thoughts about God and religion, but none that offends or excludes anyone. Being inclusive can’t be anything other than a mishmash smorgasbord of ideas. It might look good. It might feel good. But it’s lacking something critical: Truth.

This dying character didn't want religious platitudes that sound nice but mean nothing. He didn't want a bunch of spiritual crap. He wanted the Truth. She didn't have it. He knew it. He threw her out. And I was cheering him on!

Christianity is Truth. That makes people mad because they think Christianity is not “inclusive.” Christianity states very clearly that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the only way to God the Father. The only way to heaven. If you believe and accept that, you’re included. If you don’t, you’re excluded.

Some well-meaning Christians try to make Christianity inclusive so they don’t offend or exclude anyone. But that’s impossible. Can’t be done. If you try, you end up with a watered-down bunch of spiritual mishmash smorgasbord crap. You don’t end up with Truth.

What that character in ER was asking was, “Since I have killed 17 people and now I think this was wrong, what can I do to make up for it? I've gone to their families and tried to make amends, but it doesn't seem like enough. Is it enough? How do I find forgiveness? Is there forgiveness for a man like me after what I've done?” After the mother of the boy he saved found out who he was, he sought forgiveness from her and she angrily refused. He was devastated.

But he didn't need her forgiveness. He only needed God’s forgiveness for all of his sin.

If a Christian Chaplain had been there to give him real answers, this Chaplain would have told him that there is no way to make up for our sin. We can do all kinds of good deeds until the day we die, and it still won’t undo the wrong we have done. Because we can’t undo our sin, we can’t do enough good deeds to earn our way to heaven.

How then, can any of us have any hope at all? Jesus came and took the penalty for all the wrong we have done. He traded places with us. He took our death and gave us life. This doesn't sound inclusive to some because they think if they don’t “believe in Jesus” they are excluded from heaven. That is absolutely correct. But Christianity—true Christianity, not the watered-down crap—is totally inclusive because anyone…ANYONE…who chooses to put their faith in Jesus Christ is saved from the penalty of their sins (death) and given life for all eternity.

I love the way ER portrayed this man’s desire to know the truth and that the writers of this episode allowed this character to recognize the Chaplain didn't have it but only had a bunch of spiritual hooey. That rocks!

Blog Tour Schedule - Carole Whang Schutter

2008-01-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

The virtual book tour with Carole Whang Schutter, screenwriter/author of September Dawn, visited my blog for the first time last Thursday, January 17th. Here is the schedule for the past few days through next Monday. I'll post more of the schedule as the week progresses. (The entire schedule is on my January 1 post.)

If you have any interest in screenwriting, I found special interest in the interview with Marilyn Peake on Jan. 17 (link below). Carole is offering a free download of her screenplay and other documents which are great learning tools for wanna-be screenwriters (like me!). I haven't checked into getting my copy yet, but when I do I'll let you know any more information I find out about this.

Jan 17: http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter.html Part 1 of 9 (interview) and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marilynpeake/ (Golden Goblet newsletter interview)

Jan 18: http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter_07.html Part 2 of 9 and http://www.j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/ (review)

Jan 21: http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter_11.html Part 3 of 9 and http://rebecca2007.wordpress.com (interview)

What is a Christian? - 3

2008-01-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

While I was talking with my friend who lived in Pakistan for several years back in the '90s, she also told me that since the Muslim people in Muslim countries understand the United States to be a Christian nation, they think the things that come out of the United States reflect Christian values.

She was talking about what comes out of Hollywood--American movies and TV shows. They see the sex and violence and filthy language and think that's what Christianity is, she said.

Hollywood so often seems to have a huge amount of disdain for Christians and Christianity. Often movies and TV shows portray Christians as idiots, hypocrites, and guilty of the worst crimes. And people in other parts of the world think what comes out of Hollywood is Christian and is put out by Christians.

Oy.

I wonder how the non-Christians in Hollywood, especially those who buck against anything truly Christian, would feel if they knew what they are doing represents "Christianity" to others around the world.

And after all that, many people in the United States, in Hollywood and elsewhere, turn around and blame Christians for the problems in the world...and the trouble that has come to our own country.

Could this get any more ironic?

Again, being a Christian is something a person chooses to become, making a conscious choice based on an understanding that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah God promised to send to save that person, individually, from his or her sin.

A Christian is not something a person automatically is because he or she was born in the United States of America.

What is a Christian? - 2

2008-01-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's not just people in America who misunderstand what a Christian is, as I talked about in my last post. People in other parts of the world also have misunderstandings about what a Christian is.

I know a family who lived in Pakistan for several years back in the 90's. When they came home, I learned a lot from the wife and Mom.

She explained to me that in predominantly Muslim countries, there is a close association with where you're born to what religion you are. People born in a Muslim country are automatically assumed to be of the Muslim religion (Islam)...I supposed until they act affirmatively to change that. But you can't do that.

When I made a comment to my friend about it being "illegal" to be a Christian there, she corrected me and said it was not illegal to be a Christian in Pakistan. What is illegal, however, (as I understand it) is to change religions. If you're a Muslim, it is not legal to change to Christianity. The punishment for such a change is pretty severe--threat of death. Actual death.

She also told me that the Christians in that country get the lowliest jobs, the jobs nobody else wants. The dirty jobs. So Christians are looked down upon, considered lower than "good" Muslim people. There's a lot of societal pressure to be Muslim.

At the same time, because these people associate a person's religion with where a person is born, and because the United States is known (or at least has been known in the past--some would argue this now) as a "Christian" country, they automatically place the label of "Christian" on Americans.

I have to wonder how this strikes people like those I mentioned in my last post--those like Matthew Murray and Rosie O'Donnell, or all the people in the United States who are from other faiths or are atheist or agnostic. I can imagine it might tick them off to be assumed to be a Christian simply because they are an American. That gives many another great reason to hate America being seen as a Christian country. Which splashes over to not wanting American to be seen as a Christian country any longer. Which drips into blaming Christians for all the problems in the world. Which oozes into a hatred toward Christians.

Being born in America does not automatically make a person a Christian. To become a Christian, you have to choose it. You can't be included automatically. You must opt-in.

Actually, this assumption that every American is a Christian is part of what gives the Muslim people a very dim view of Christianity. This understanding spills over into the entertainment industry...and politics...and more. I'll talk more about that next time.

What is a Christian?

2008-01-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

At times, what I hear people say about Christians amazes me. There seems to be a lot of confusion and misunderstanding about Christians. Some people say America is no longer a Christian nation, but whether or not that's true, America is still the most Christian nation in the world, and growing up here it's easy to assume most people understand what a Christian is. But recently, it sure seems like some people have some crazy ideas about us.

Matthew Murray, the shooter at New Life Church and the YWAM campus near Denver, reportedly posted to a web site a message that blamed Christians for all of the problems in the world. Authorities also reported that he had a lot of anger toward his own Christian family, not to mention the YWAM Christian ministry. Obviously I don't know what went on in his home or what angered him so. But whatever happened to him along with however he interpreted those events in his mind, he apparently came to the conclusion that "this is how Christians act" or "this is what Christians are." Therefore he hated Christians.

Remember when Rosie O'Donnell said radical Christianity is just as threatening to America as radical Islam? I'm not sure what Rosie meant by radical Christianity, but I have to wonder. Is she thinking of those few misguided individuals who tried to express their fervency for pro-life issues by bombing abortion clinics or killing abortion doctors? Is she thinking of those mean folks from the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas who protest at the funerals of military people holding signs that say "God hates gays" (or worse) and say that the deaths of our military service people are God's payment for America allowing gays in the military? Does Rosie see these folks and think, "There. Those are Christians. That's what Christians are like."

Please, Rosie...that group of people (mostly one family) is neither Baptist nor a church. These people are not Christians. Christians don't act like that. Not true Christians. And no mainstream Christian denomination or organization sanctions their behavior.

Occasionally, I hear other things said publicly about Christians, clues about what some people think Christians are. It's not very complimentary. I get the impression some (it's hard to tell how many) think Christians are mean. Dishonest. Simple-minded. Ignorant. Whiners. Overbearing. Wanting to force their faith on everyone else (as if that were possible). People who will convert you or kill you.

It's scary.

On a recent episode of Saving Grace, the incarcerated character was converting to Islam. He told Earl the angel that his parents were forced at the point of a sword (if I remember right) to convert to Christianity. (Um, they had that backwards. I've heard of Muslims making such threats and forcing such conversions--never Christians.)

No Christian would ever do that. Not a true Christian. That "conversion" would be absolutely meaningless. A forced conversion to Christianity is no conversion at all, because a true conversion is about what you truly believe about Jesus Christ--not what you profess under threat of death.

A Christian--a true Christian--believes Jesus is the Christ, the person God promised to send to save us from our sin. That's it. If you believe Jesus is that promised Messiah, you're a Christian. If you don't, you're not.

God doesn't force anyone to become a Christian. Rather, He works hard to capture our hearts and minds.

The Cross is Foolishness...to some - Hating Christianity

2008-01-07T11:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you heard about the shootings at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, last month on December 9th, and the related shootings at the Youth With A Mission campus in a Denver suburb earlier that morning. In the following days, authorities let us know the shooter's name was Matthew Murray and that someone, possibly Murray, had posted rantings about Christianity and threats against Christians on a web site in the hours between the shootings.

According to an MSNBC article (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22198635/), Murry wrote on a web site (which was not identified), "All I want to do is kill and injure as many of you as I can especially Christians who are to blame for most of the problems in the world."

The week before that I was checking out some blog directories in order to register this blog with them. I remember seeing on one of those directories a blog titled something like "Ex-Christian." The brief description described the blog as for those who had come out from under the lies of Christianity.

Huh?

Are any of you as perplexed by that as I am?

It shouldn't surprise us, I guess. Jesus told his followers they (we) would be hated on account of Him. I just hadn't encountered web sites and blogs spewing such hatred and rantings toward Christians and Christianity until that week.

Call me naive if you want, but I am still of the opinion that any individual who truly gets to know Jesus Christ, His message, and the work He did while here on earth and why He did it, will come to love Him. But then there are those who don't want to know the truth and so call the truth lies.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing,

but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

1 Corinthians 1:18, NIV

Politics Future and Past...And Events in Pakistan and Kenya

2008-01-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

December 27th, 2007. Two things happened on that day...and are still happening.

Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister of Pakistan and current candidate for Parliament, was assassinated.
Mwai Kibaki claimed victory in Kenya's presidential election setting off rioting by opponents who say he didn't legitimately win that election.

Does the world seem to be exploding? Or imploding?

Yesterday. The Iowa Caucuses. I don't know how important Iowa's caucuses really are in the grand scheme of things. They are, of course, important to those involved--Iowans and the Presidential candidates. But we still have a long time to go before our Presidential election and, frankly, anything can happen.

I'm amazed at people who already have Hillary Clinton as our next President. Have they not learned through previous elections that...anything can happen? Help me out here...I'm not recalling all the details. Do you remember:

John Kerry hounded by the swift boat servicemen who contradicted his claims about his military service? (He lost his bid for President.)
Dittos George Bush being hounded by those who questioned his service record? (He won his bid for President.)
Was it George Bush who had an unnamed reporter ask him to name the leader of some country...and he failed to answer or failed to get it right? That question came out of the blue and was nothing more than an attempt to make him look bad, and most people saw that, but remember how much press it got? The other day Hillary Clinton said Pakistan's elections would have to be postponed because after Ms. Bhutto's assassination there would be no one on the ballot to oppose current President Musharraf. Uhhhhhhh...excuse me? President Musharraf isn't on the ballot--this election in Pakistan is not a presidential election; it is a parliamentary election and there are others on the ballot. But will Mrs. Clinton's political faux pas get as much press as Mr. Bush's did?

Well, anyway, such things can change the course of an election literally overnight. So can events in other countries, like Pakistan and maybe even Kenya. And, heaven forbid, we are not immune to such things here in the U.S. We've also experienced assassinations in our past, terrorist's attacks (and terrorists may well be behind the Bhutto assassination), and disputes over who won our Presidential election. Please tell me you remember Florida and "hanging chads."

Election day is a long way off. And in the mean time, anything can happen.

_____

If you would like to read more about the situation in Kenya and Pakistan, and how these situations are affecting Christians in those areas, here are two articles that will interest you:

January 3, 2008, article from Kenya:
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08010024.htm

January 2, 2008, article from Pakistan:
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08010017.htm

Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. And the protection of our political candidates and our military personnel.

Virtual Book Tour for SEPTEMBER DAWN

2008-01-01T09:26:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll remember my interview with Carole Whang Schutter, screenwriter and author of the motion picture and book about the "Mountain Meadows Massacre" titled September Dawn last September (2007). I was recently contacted by Ms. Schutter's publicist. She has put together a "Virtual Book Tour" for Carole and was asking permission to link to parts of my interview...which I thought was just totally cool!

Now, I know what you're thinking... "What's a 'Virtual Book Tour'?"

Good question. In my industry (publishing) it used to be that publishers would send big-name authors on book tours where they would travel from city to city signing their books at bookstores and making guest appearances on local TV and radio. A couple of problems with that: first, it was very expensive. Second, only the top authors got such expensive trips.

One solution? The "Virtual Book Tour" also known as the "Blog Book Tour." With the advent of the blogosphere and many people online these days, many authors are making the rounds to different blogs.

Each day during the tour a different blog hosts the author. What happens after that? Ya got me. I dunno. I've heard of 'em but I haven't done one of 'em. (Not that I'm doing one now...but my interview last September with Carole Whang Schutter will be included starting January 17th.)

Does each blog host ask a different question of the author?
Is a part of an interview posted on each blog?
Is this an interactive conversation with the author continuing from blog to blog through the month?

I'm not really sure how this works, but we can all find out together...starting tomorrow, January 2, 2008, because that's when the blog book tour with Carole Whang Schutter begins. I have received her schedule of appearances and I will post it below. I won't be having any new chats with Ms. Schutter, however you can see that the tour will link to each part of my interview with her!

So...if you want to follow this book tour as I do, plan to log on to each of the following blogs on (or after) the date listed...and we'll all see how this thing works together.

Here's the schedule:

Jan 2 http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com (interview)

Jan 3 http://sharpens.blogspot.com/2007/09/carole-whang-schutter-september-dawn.html (Internet radio interview)

Jan 4 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TWLAuthorTalks (Q&A session)

Jan 7 http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=f8518cd7ff4ec204377c (God Tube interview)

Jan 8 http://www.inspiredauthor.com (interview)

Jan 9 http://beyondthebooks.wordpress.com/ (interview)

Jan 10 http://members.families.com/tristipie/blog (interview)

Jan 11 http://www.fictionscribe.com/ (interview)

Jan 14 http://virtualwordsmith.blogspot.com/ (review)

Jan 15 http://www.thewriterslife.blogspot.com and http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters (podcast)

Jan 16 http://virtualwordsmith.blogspot.com/ (interview)

Jan 17 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter.html Part 1 of 9 (interview) and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marilynpeake/ (Golden Goblet newsletter interview)

Jan 18 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter_07.html Part 2 of 9 and http://www.j-kaye-book-blog.blogspot.com/ (review)

Jan 21 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter_11.html Part 3 of 9 and http://rebecca2007.wordpress.com (interview)

Jan 22 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/interview-with-carole-whang-schutter_13.html Part 4 of 9 http://www.podcastpickle.com/cast/17842 (Internet radio interview)

Jan 23 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/part-5-interview-with-carole-whang.html Part 5 of 9 and http://www.buzzthebook.blogspot.com (spotlight)

Jan 24 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/part-5-interview-with-carole-whang_20.html Part 6 of 9 and http://www.storycrafters.blogspot.com (guest post)

Jan 25 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/part-7-interview-with-carole-whang.html Part 7 of 9 and http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com (interview)

Jan 28 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/part-8-interview-with-carole-whang.html Part 8 of 9

Jan 29 http://buttsaboutit.blogspot.com/2007/09/final-part-9-interview-with-carole.html Part 9 of 9 and http://laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com/ (review)

Jan 30 http://bethgoddard.blogspot.com/ (interview)

Jan 31 http://www.emanuellevy.com/article.php?articleID=5961 (interview with Christopher Cain)

The Christmas Story (the real one) - Final Part 4

2007-12-25T07:50:00.000-07:00

Matthew tells us the part of the story with the Magi, the "wise men" from the east. Read about the visit from the Magi; Mary, Joseph, and Jesus' escape to Egypt to save Jesus from being killed by Herod; and the family's return to Nazareth in Matthew 2:1-23.

May your mind wonder after God's gift of grace, and may your heart wander after Him all your days.

Merry Christmas.

The Christmas Story (the real one) - Part 3

2007-12-24T11:58:00.000-07:00

Find the next part of the Christmas story in two locations:

Read about Jesus' birth and the shepherds in Luke 2:1-40. Here you'll also read about two people who recognized the baby Jesus when his parents took him to the temple when he was eight days old.

Then also read Jesus' human genealogy in Matthew 1:1-17 and Matthew's version of the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1:18-25.

Modern Language Bible - free and online

2007-12-23T17:44:00.000-07:00

If you'd prefer not to have to purchase the NIV Study Bible I recommended a few days ago or any other Bible, but you'd like to have a modern language Bible available now without having to wait for it to be delivered...by Santa or by UPS, there is a web site where you can look up passages of the Bible in several different versions (translations).

Check out: http://www.biblegateway.com/

On this site you can plug in the books, chapters, and/or verses you want to read and select the version you'd like to read it in, and viola...there it is. You can also print it out for future reading away from your computer.

On Biblegateway.com you can look up passages (by plugging in the book, chapter, and verse), find a passage by searching for key words in the passage, or do a word study by searching for all the Bible passages containing a certain word. There's lots you can do on this site.

To get started, why not look up the Christmas story I've been talking about in the past couple posts and in the next couple posts? You can even compare how they read in different translations, such as the New International Version, the New King James Version, and the New Living Translation.

Go exploring. And have fun!

The Christmas Story (the real one) - Part 2

2007-12-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Next in the Christmas story comes the announcement of the coming birth of Jesus. Mary then leaves to visit her relative, Elizabeth, who is pregnant in her old age with John the Baptist.

Read Mary's story and about John's birth in Luke 1:26-80.

Modern-Language Bible (my recommendation)

2007-12-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

If you don't have a favorite Bible, one that you can read the Christmas story out of this time of year, I'd like to recommend my favorite.

I love the "New International Version" (NIV) of the Bible. No more of that old English with the "thees" and "thous" and the obscured meaning of the King James Version! Obscured simply because we don't talk like that any more. I can actually understand the NIV!

There are lots of NIVs out there--meaning you can buy just an NIV Bible, no frills, no bells and whistles. But if you're going to get yourself a new Bible, why not get one with some bells and whistles? There are also lots of "study Bibles" out there too. Study Bibles include footnotes and charts and maps and introductions to books of the Bible, etc. It's important to be able to trust whoever wrote all that stuff. That's why I like the one from Zondervan publishers simply called the NIV Study Bible. The notes and extra stuff were written by a panel rather than one person, so it seems to me there would be less chance of one person's possible bias entering into the material.

The NIV Study Bible first came out in 1985, but they updated it and added new features in 2002. Therefore my vote for favorite Bible goes to Zondervan's fully revised NIV Study Bible.

You should be able to find one in major bookstores, in Christian bookstores, and in some discount stores like WalMart. The cover price for the hardcover is $39.99 but you can find it on sale or at discount outlets for less. Please note that you can spend a lot more on a leather cover if you want that, but everything on the inside of the book is all the same. If you're interested, or if you'd like more information, there's a link to this Bible at Amazon.com on my web site here:
http://www.dianneebutts.com/About%20Christianity.htm

Why not consider giving yourself a new NIV Study Bible for Christmas? It's the most important book you'll ever read.

The Christmas Story (the real one) - Part 1

2007-12-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

In some households it is tradition to read the Christmas story from the Bible during the Christmas season or on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. What about yours? If not, perhaps you'd like to read it this year. Or begin a tradition of doing so.

Some of you know where to find it in the Bible, but for those of you who don't, during these final weeks of 2007 I'll post the references here. Why not look it up and read it for yourself...perhaps for the first time. Or if it's already familiar to you, why not read it again as if for the first time...with all the wonder and magic?!

The story is told in two of the gospels: Matthew and Luke. The birth of John the Baptist, the forerunner and relative (perhaps a cousin?) of Jesus comes first. He was conceived about six months before Jesus (according to Luke 1:26).

John's birth, too, was a miraculous birth, and God did miracles (like sending an angel and taking the father Zechariah's voice away) to get the word out that something special was going on.

Read about the announcement of the coming birth of John, Jesus' relative, in Luke 1:1-25.

If you don't have a good, modern-language Bible, I'll discuss that and give you some suggestions next time.

THE NATIVITY STORY - A movie to see

2007-12-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

This Christmas season we watched the movie The Nativity Story which came out a couple of years ago. I really enjoyed this movie for several reasons.

First, I loved the special effects that had the Temple in Jerusalem sitting atop the Temple Mount. Of course the Temple was destroyed in 70 AD and hasn't been rebuilt, so it isn't currently there for any movie shots. So having it in the movie had to be done by whatever magic those special effects people use. But to see it in several shots... That was cool! I enjoyed it because the Temple in Jerusalem is of special interest to me. I've been studying it for years, and have been studying it even more in recent years and months. In my opinion, the Temple, among other things, is a barometer of the relationship between humans and God: in B.C. days when the people (mainly the Jews, but not all) were in a good and right relationship with God, the Temple was vibrant and alive, used in everyday practice and well kept. When the relationship between people and God declined, when the people disregarded God (for the most part--there are always a faithful few), then the Temple fell into disrepair and was destroyed by the enemies of God's people. See? I have a special interest in the Temple in Jerusalem. Maybe we'll talk about that more sometime.

The second thing I loved about this movie was the accuracy. So much of it came straight from Scripture. There was a little extra added in like conversations between Herod and his son. Whether the movie writers wrote that in themselves or found it documented somewhere besides the Bible, I don't know. Either way, the movie was so true to the events as described in the Bible I didn't mind these "add ins" at all.

Finally, I loved the humor. The three wise men had personalities, and that was fun!

I'd like to see this movie again. And again. I'm going to look for it to buy for my home DVD library. You might like to buy or rent it for a family night at the movies, but if you have younger children be warned: there is violence in the movie that can be disturbing. I don't know what the movie is rated, but you might want to check that before you show it to your kids.

Over all, though, I recommend it highly.

Can God die? (Part 3)

2007-12-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Can God die? Isn't it an interesting question to ponder considering all the implications?

Here are the words to one of my favorite hymns. It was written by Charles Wesley. It's not a really well-known hymn--I hardly ever hear it. But the first time I heard it, it was the words that caught and captured my attention:

And Can It Be?
And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain, For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Refrain:
Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me!

He left His Father's throne above, so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race!
'Tis mercy all, immense and free, for O my God it found out me.

Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature's night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray: I woke--the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me!

No condemnation now I dread: Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Amazing love! How can it be that thou, my God, shouldst die for me!

Philip Pullman, the writer of The Golden Compass children's movie and self-described atheist, said, "My books are about killing God" and that he was "trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief" (according to an article on Snopes.com). I hope someday (soon) Philip Pullman discovers God did indeed die...for him, so he can truly live.

Can God die? (Part 2)

2007-12-07T09:07:00.000-07:00

Some people, like the writer of the new children's movie The Golden Compass, think (or perhaps simply wish) that God can be killed. If that were possible, if God was killed, what would happen?

Would everything stop?
Would the world stop spinning?
Would our solar system...or the universe fly apart?
Would we humans cease to exist?
Would everything cease to exist?
But who can kill God? (Oh wait...I know. Some renegade Jewish leaders and some Gentile soldiers and an out-of-control mob of people and some power-hungry kings. But wait, that was representative of all humans and the result and culmination of sin.)

Perhaps a more important question is why would anyone want to kill God? Or fantasize that he can be killed? Or work to kill God in the minds of children?

Would the death of God mean the removal of all moral restraint? (Would that be a good thing?)
Would it mean no more rules? No more responsibility?
Would it mean no more war? (Some seem to think so.)

The thing is, death is directly related to sin. Sin always leads to death. That's why sin-filled people (no different than us) killed God in Jesus in about 30 A.D. That's also why the sin-less God couldn't stay dead.

"For by him [in context, that is Jesus] all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16-17, NIV (emphasis mine).

Can God die?

2007-12-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Although The Golden Compass movie brings to light the disturbing thoughts some people have about getting rid of God, it also brings up a interesting question: Can God die?

You may remember as I do that photograph from a few decades ago of the man holding the sign that states "God is dead." Oh really? Ya think?

Perhaps some people think God has been silent for so long that He isn't around any more. I think others believe if they could kill off God, then that would remove all moral restraint and, being able to do whatever they wanted, life would be more enjoyable. They're as wrong about that as they are about God.

God is alive and well and at work in the world. And I find it extremely interesting that this movie comes out during the Advent season...the season where we anticipate the coming of Christ.

After all, what was the main reason Christ, God in flesh, was born on earth? Answer: to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

In other words, Jesus, who was and is God, came to earth to die.

THE GOLDEN COMPASS gives wrong directions

2007-11-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

Well I didn't mean to leave my blog for so long. A week's vacation traveling with little internet access started my unintended break. Follow that with the Thanksgiving holiday week...and, well, it has been a while.

While gone, however, I did hear some interesting information about a soon-to-be-released movie for children. The Golden Compass starring Nicole Kidman releases in theaters on December 7th. I've already seen the trailers on TV commercials for the movie, and it looks fun and entertaining. But it seems the author of the story has something else in mind.

According to Snopes.com, the man who wrote this story and its sequels is an atheist intent on killing God--at least in his stories. According to the Snopes page the author, Philip Pullman, stated in an interview, "My books are about killing God."

The Snopes page also says at the end of the trilogy, the main characters, a young boy and girl depict Adam and Eve in the Garden and they kill God.

There's a lot more information on the Snopes page. View it here: http://snopes.com/politics/religion/compass.asp

It's important to vote with our dollars. Make an informed decision about buying tickets to this movie.

Gog and Magog

2007-11-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but when I hear words and phrases from the Bible coming out of my radio or TV when it's not set on a Christian radio or TV station, it gets my attention...big time.

That's what happened last Friday. I had Shawn Hannity's radio show on in the background as I worked, and Shawn Hannity was interviewing Oliver North. Suddenly the words "Gog and Magog" came out of my radio and caught my attention. The problem is, whatever Oliver North said about "Gog and Magog" had already gone by and I'd missed it. I know they were talking about Iran, the Iranians pursuing nuclear power, and the threat to the U.S. and the world. I'm not sure if Mr. North said the Iranians were referring to the coming conflict as "Gog and Magog" or if he said the Israelis were making that reference.

I checked Hannity's web site and Googled Oliver North and "Gog and Magog" this morning but didn't find any information about what Mr. North had said. I did, however, find some references to "Gog and Magog" in the news recently. The references I found were on sites that are of the "Bush-knew-about-9/11-and-did-it" type. Not any good, trustworthy information there.

I also went looking in my Bible. I could remember "Gog and Magog" has to do with the End Times prophecies, and I thought the reference was in the book of Revelation, but I couldn't recall specifics. Here's some of what I've found so far:

There is a reference to "Gog and Magog" in Revelation 20:8, but also in Ezekiel 38 - 39.

Here is some of the information included in the NIV Study Bible (Zondervan, 1985) about the reference in Ezekiel 38:2, which says in part, "[Ezekiel], set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal...":

Gog. "Apparently a leader or king whose name appears only here and in Rev 20:8. Several identifications have been attempted... Possibly the name is purposely vague, standing for a mysterious, as yet undisclosed, enemy of God's people."
Magog. In Genesis 10:2 and 1 Chronicles 1:5 "Magog is one of the sons of Japheth, thus the name of a people... But since the Hebrew prefix ma- can mean 'place of,' Magog may here simply mean 'land of Gog.'"
Chief prince. "Military commander-in-chief. ...possible translation 'prince of Rosh,' and if it is correct, Rosh is probably the name of an unknown people or place. Identification with Russia is unlikely, and in any case cannot be proven."
Meshech and Tubal. "These sons of Japheth (see Ge 10:2; 1 Ch 1:5) are probably located in eastern Asia Minor... They are peoples and territories to the north of Israel... As in the days of the Assyrians and Babylonians, the major attack [on Israel by Gog and Magog] will come from the north."

Final Part 8 - Interview with Jan White, first place winner of 2006 Amy Award

2007-10-31T09:31:00.000-06:00

Dianne: Tell us what you see in your future. Do you have any new or different writing plans?

JW: Winning this award has encouraged me to keep on keeping on. In a small town, I can speak from the platform of the printed page to a great many people--some of whom may not go to church. I do a variety of free-lance writing including magazine articles, newspaper feature stories, and church member interviews for our church newsletter. God has already begun to open new doors for my writing. I plan to follow where He leads.

Dianne: Thank you, Jan, for talking with us this month about winning the Amy Writing Award. I have found it fun and encouraging for my own writing!

"Real Answers" available for your newspaper from the Amy Foundation

2007-10-29T09:49:00.000-06:00

Would you like it if articles written from a Christian worldview addressing current issues appeared regularly in your local newspaper? What if you didn't even have to write them?! What if your newspaper could access them for free? Welcome to the Amy Internet Syndicate.

One more service The Amy Foundation provides is just such articles available for use in your local newspaper. Written by several different writers, these article or columns are written regularly and can be downloaded and printed in any daily or community newspaper for free.

You can meet the writers and read their articles and columns on www.AmyFound.org. Click on the "Amy Internet Syndicate" button for all the information.

Why not take a few minutes to stop by and check out some of these articles and writers? Then give a call or send a note to your local newspaper and see if they're aware of this service. Encourage them to use it. Let them know you'd be interested in reading these columns in your newspaper.

It doesn't take much for each of us to make a difference for good (and for God) in our nation.

Part 7 - Interview with Jan White, first place winner of 2006 Amy Award

2007-10-26T09:36:00.000-06:00

Dianne: If you get negative responses at times, how do you handle that? Do you find it discouraging? What do you do with that discouragement?

JW: I've seldom heard a negative comment, but if I do I consider their point. I strive to quote people and facts accurately, so a negative comment would typically be from a person who may disagree with my viewpoint. I believe, like Mr. Russell, the power of the printed Word of God according to the promise of Isaiah 55:11 [where God said], "It shall not return unto Me void. But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Jim Russell stressed writing the truth in love, concisely and accurately, while including a verse of Scripture. Whether or not a reader understands or agrees with my words, God's Word will accomplish what He intends.

Dianne: As a Christian, what challenges, fears setbacks, and/or disappointments have you experienced while working in this field?

JW: The challenge is coming up with an idea and writing a meaningful column week after week through the years.

Coming next: What do you see for your future?

Discipling Our Nation...Jim Russell's dream continues

2007-10-24T10:11:00.000-06:00

Jim Russell dreamed of mobilizing Christians to disciple our nation, meaning to restore spiritual and moral character in America. So the Amy Foundation mapped out a plan to disciple our nation in our generation. The Foundation offers "The Discipled Nation Resources."

These resources include a brochure called "The United States - A Discipled Nation in this Generation" which, according to their web site, "outlines a biblical plan for discipling our nation by the year 2025." The Amy Foundation makes these brochures available for free for distribution at scheduled Christian events, such as church services, prayer breakfasts, seminars, workshops, concerts, retreats, prison ministries and wherever Christians gather.

Besides the brochure, The Amy Foundation also created four other resources:

Discipling Myself
Discipling My Family
Discipling My Congregation
Discipling My Neighborhood

Find information about these resources to use in your church school classes, church, home, neighborhood, and more at http://www.adisciplednation.com/homepage.htm.

(There's a little information on http://www.amyfound.org/. Click on "Discipling Resources," then on the "Order" button and use the menu on the left.)

You may also find these discipling resources in your local Christian bookstore. Why not give them a call and ask?

More with Jan White, Amy Award winner, next time (and in Butts About It.com E-zine and on http://www.buttsaboutit.com/).

Part 6 - Interview with Jan White, first place winner of 2006 Amy Award

2007-10-22T13:40:00.000-06:00

Dianne: Do you ever get responses to your column from readers?

JW: Yes, living in a small town where people really get to know each other, I often have someone comment on a column when I'm in the grocery store, the post office, or at church.

Dianne: I imagine positive responses can be a great encouragement. Do you have any great behind-the-scenes stories of your writing making a difference in our nation or in one person's life?

JW: I recall a lady telling me how she was going through a struggle in her life. During that time, I wrote a column about hope. She said she needed to hear words of hope to help her make it through that tough time. Positive comments are encouraging, but also humbling because they remind me of my responsibility as a writer to seek God for inspiration and strive for excellence in my writing. He deserves my best.

Coming next: If you get negative responses at times, how do you handle that? Do you find it discouraging?

Part 5 - Interview with Jan White, first place winner of 2006 Amy Award

2007-10-19T08:43:00.000-06:00

Dianne: How did you learn you had won first place in the Amy Writing Awards?

JW: First, I received a certified letter in late March saying I'd placed in the top 15 out of 600 qualified entries. That alone was exciting! The letter said that a panel of judges would decide the order of the 15 by mid-April and the winners would be notified. I received a phone call on Thursday morning, April 19, that I'd won first place. It's still hard to believe this has happened to me. Truly, God can do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

Dianne: Tell us about winning first place in the Amy Awards. What was it like?

JW: My family and I attended a dinner with the Amy Foundation [in Lansing, Michigan] on Tuesday evening, June 12, where I was asked to give a ten-minute speech. The family of the late Jim Russell was present and others with the Amy Foundation. The award was presented the next morning at the Michigan Prayer Breakfast with an approximate attendance of 800. I was given a few minutes to respond upon receiving the award.

Note: Jan's acceptance speech can be found on page one of the Spring 2007 issue of Pen & Sword. Read it on http://www.amyfound.org/.

Coming next: Do you get responses to your column from readers?

More about speaking out through newspapers

2007-10-17T09:37:00.000-06:00

Another way most every one of you can let your views be known and stand up for your faith is by writing letters to the editor of newspapers. Some magazines also use these letters. If you'd like some helpful tips about writing letters to the editor and increasing your chances of seeing your letter in print, that's the subject of the November Butts About It.com E-zine.

Also, more of my interview with Jan White will appear in the November issue of Butts About It.com E-zine.

You can sign up for your free copy using the Bravenet form on www.ButtsAboutIt.com. This free monthly e-zine is filled with "how-to" articles to help you learn ways to let your views be known.

I promise not to fill your e-mail box with other stuff--I only send the newsletter once a month, by the last Friday before the first of the month. That means it will come out early this month: on Friday the 26th, so sign up soon so you don't miss it! (And don't neglect to respond to the confirmation e-mail you'll receive from Bravenet or you're not subscribed.)

If you'd like to view a back issue of Butts About It.com E-zine, you'll find links to those archives at the bottom of the home page at www.ButtsAboutIt.com.

We'll continue the interview with Jan White next time.

Part 4 - Interview with Jan White, first place winner of 2006 Amy Award

2007-10-15T08:55:00.000-06:00

Dianne: What was your winning article about?

JW: The article I submitted to the Amy Writing Awards was a column I wrote after the tragic shooting of the Amish schoolgirls in Pennsylvania. It was published in the Andalusia Star-News on October 7, 2006, with the title, "Forgiveness is the key to unlocking hatred." Watching the news coverage of the horrible event, I realized the Amish community demonstrated the meaning of forgiveness to the news media and the rest of us. It begged the question: would we be able to forgive such a horrible act? What about the people we know who have wronged us? Would someone learn the meaning of forgiveness by looking at our lives?

Dianne: Is your winning article online where we can read it?

JW: Go to www.amyfound.org. Click on Amy Writing Awards and then click on Past Winners for articles published during 2006. There you will find a press release and the articles by the top 15 winners.

Coming next: How did you learn you had won first place in the Amy Writing Awards?

Part 3 - Interview with Jan White, first place winner of 2006 Amy Award

2007-10-12T09:33:00.000-06:00

Dianne: Tell us about your weekly column. How did that come about? How long have you been writing it? How many readers do you have?

JW: In God's plan, a few months after I heard Jim Russell speak, the publisher of the Andalusia Star-News contacted me about writing a weekly religion column. Over 13 years and almost 700 columns later, I am still writing a weekly religion column. Along the way, an editor named it "Everyday Faith." About three years ago, an Enterprise, Alabama, newspaper began publishing my column. The combined circulation of both newspapers means that I could have a potential audience of over 15,000 readers.

Coming next: What was your winning article about?

Church Writing Groups and the PEN & SWORD

2007-10-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

What do you think would happen if you got together with a few other Christians in your church to team-write letters to the editor and opinion articles for newspapers? Do you think you'd get more done, having others to meet with regularly? Do you think it would be easier having the help of others--one person's strength compensating for another's weak areas? When you ran into something you didn't know how to do, wouldn't it be helpful to have others around who might be able to help you figure it out?

Welcome to another idea from the Amy Foundation: the Church Writing Group.

The brainchild of Jim Russell and the Amy Foundation, Church Writing Groups are designed to tap into the power of, as Mr. Russell called them, the "latent" writers in the church, giving them training to speak out. These groups are not necessarily for professional writers (though pros are definitely welcome!). These groups are to help ordinary Christians speak out to our spiritually hungry nation.

Sound interesting? Then check out these free materials from the Amy Foundation:

Guidelines for starting a Church Writing Group
Ten Steps to starting a Church Writing Group
Twelve lesson plans for Church Writing Groups

All these are available on the "Writing Resources" page of www.AmyFound.org.

And while you're there, don't forget to subscribe to the Amy Foundation's newsletter, the Pen & Sword. Again, this is a free resource, and you may receive this bi-monthly newsletter either electronically or by regular mail. You can also read back issues in PDF files on the "Newsletter" page of the site.

I hope this gives you lots of exciting information to check out and use in your own efforts to speak out with Christian truth to our nation and our world. Next, we'll hear more from first-place winner of the Amy Award in part 3 of my interview with Jan White.

Part 2 - Interview with Jan White, first place winner of 2006 Amy Award

2007-10-09T19:12:00.000-06:00

Dianne: How did you come to know about the Amy Writing Awards?

JW: In 1994 I had the opportunity to attend the Florida Christian Writers' Conference where Jim Russell, who established the Amy Foundation, was speaking. In his workshop, he challenged Christians to write Op-Ed articles and letters to the editor--the most read pages in publications. At the conference, the booklet of Amy Writing Award winners and information on entering the contest was available.

Dianne: How long have you been submitting an entry to the Amy Awards?

JW: I've been submitting an entry to the Amy Writing Awards for at least ten years. This year I questioned whether I should send in a submission because I knew, once again, that the competition would be tough. I'm glad I didn't give up.

Coming next: How did you get a weekly column in the Andalusia Star-News?

Part 1 - Interview with Jan White, first place winner of 2006 Amy Awards

2007-10-05T10:48:00.000-06:00

Dianne: Hello Jan. Thanks for talking with us about speaking out to our nation through newspapers. First question: Can you tell us about the Amy Awards? What are they? Can anyone enter?

JW: Over 25 years ago, Jim Russell, a businessman from Lansing, Michigan, had a vision for discipling our nation by encouraging Christians to write for the secular media. Using his own financial resources, he established the Amy Foundation--named for his daughter, Amy, who has Down Syndrome. The first Amy Writing Award was presented 22 years ago and it has been awarded every year since then.

The criteria can be found at www.amyfound.org by clicking on the link to the Amy Writing Awards. Anyone can enter if their article was published in the secular media and quotes a Scripture with its reference. They must also address a topic relevant to moral issues facing today's society.

Coming next: How did you come to know about the Amy Writing Awards?

Jim Russell had a Dream

2007-10-03T08:43:00.000-06:00

What would it take to encourage you to speak out and make your voice be heard in order to make a positive difference in America? Cash? Lots of it?

If you're a writer, you've probably heard of the Amy Foundation and its annual cash awards. If you're not a writer, let me introduce you to the Amy Awards:

The Amy Foundation was founded in 1976 by the late W. James Russell and his wife Phyllis. Named after their daughter Amy, Jim had a dream: to raise up Christians in America to write Biblical truth for general-market (meaning secular or non-religious) newspapers and other publications. Jim saw our nation was losing its knowledge of Scripture. He also knew many people read newspapers and that the most-read page of the newspaper is the Op-Ed page and the letters to the editor written by citizens (not professional writers). So he began to offer cash prizes to Christians who would write for non-religious publications. Mr. Russell only required that a verse of Scripture be used and be identified that it is from the Bible.

And Mr. Russell didn't mess around. He knew cash would get our attention. He wanted to really encourage writers and what he called "the latent writers in the church" to take this opportunity to disciple our nation seriously. So...he made first prize $10,000! And this is a contest anyone can enter--even you.

Each year ten prizes are awarded for a total of $34,000 annually. According to the Amy Foundation web site at www.AmyFound.org, the Amy Award "is acclaimed as the most popular journalism contest in the nation."

The Amy Foundation is best known for this journalism reward, but it does a lot more, such as curriculum for starting and running a church writing group, a bi-monthly newsletter Pen & Sword, awards for writing letters to the editor of newspapers, free resources for discipling our nation in this generation, and a syndication offering opinion and commentary articles to your local newspapers...for free. I'll be telling you more about those resources throughout the month. But that's not all...

I'm very excited that I have been privileged to interview the First Place prize-winner of the 2006 (most recent) Amy Award. For years Jan White has been writing a column called "Everyday Faith" for her home-town newspaper, The Andalusia Star-News in Andalusia, Alabama. I'm looking forward to sharing with you how Ms. White came to have her column in her local newspaper and what it's like to win First Place in the prestigious Amy Awards. I'll be posting my interview with Jan White throughout October.

Final Part 9 - Interview with Carole Whang Schutter, screenwriter of SEPTEMBER DAWN

2007-09-30T09:27:00.000-06:00

Dianne: Any closing thoughts?

CWS: The Salt Lake Tribune said that September Dawn was a bad case of "My God is better than your God." I felt like the gauntlet had been thrown down.

In the Old Testament, David and many of the other prophets prevailed upon the Lord not to let their enemies ridicule Him.

I remember the last line Yul Brynner had as Ramses in the movie The Ten Commandments. Ramses said of Moses, "His God is God."

Let it be shouted from the rooftops, MY GOD IS GOD!

Thank you, Carole, for the interesting and inspiring interview about your movie, September Dawn.

__________

Here's a link to an Associated Press article from September 11, 2007 by Paul Foy titled "Mormon Church Regrets 1857 Massacre": http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ggz44H5s_dPSr_06i6_YeAkRK1dQ

Links to radio interview with Carole Whang Schutter and more

2007-09-29T16:48:00.000-06:00

If you're interested in knowing more about Carole Whang Schutter, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, or Mormonism, here are some links that might interest you:

Carole Whang Schutter was interviewed on the WNYG's (Spirit of New York) radio program "Iron Sharpens Iron" on September 19th, 2007. You can go to that date's blog and listen to the interview here: www.sharpens.blogspot.com.

WNYG's "Iron Sharpens Iron" interviewed a former Mormon priest, William Norman Grigg, on September 13th, 2007, and discussed the movie, September Dawn. You can find a link to that interview on the blog for that date also at www.sharpens.blogspot.com.

Included in the interviewed with Carole Whang Schutter was another former Mormon, Latayne C. Scott, who has written books on the Mormon faith. Find more about her at www.Latayne.com.

And finally, there's more about Carole Whang Schutter at www.CWSchutter.com.

The final part 9 of my interview with Carole Whang Schutter will be posted tomorrow.

Part 8 - Interview with Carole Whang Schutter, screenwriter of SEPEMBER DAWN

2007-09-27T15:36:00.001-06:00

Dianne: Do you have any great behind-the-screen stories?

CWS: During the tense scene between Jonathan and his father, played by Jon Voight, it started to rain and the rain gave it such a wonderful effect. God blessed the production in so many ways.

When we were filming publicity shots, the commentator asked me, "Why is this story Romeo and Juliet? Weren't they (the lovers in our movie) all Christians?" I asked her if she had an hour.

Dianne: Please expand on that.

CWS: I asked her if she had an hour because it was clear to me that like many Christians, she thought LDS to be just another denomination. If I had to encapsulate my answer I would say this: The dictionary says a Christian is one who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus. Christ is defined as The Messiah, as foretold by the prophets of the Hebrew Scriptures.

On both counts Mormons do not qualify. They profess belief in and follow a religion based on the teachings of Joseph Smith who claimed "I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him, but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet." From History of the Church, by Joseph Smith, vol. 6, pp. 408-409. Joseph Smith in that same volume on page 319-320 in the year 1844, said, "Jehovah created ME to be your God on Earth and the Prophets have been chosen to be my mouth. To question the Prophets and the Apostles is to question Jehovah Himself." Any prophet that deifies himself is not a follower of Jesus who says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light. No man cometh before the father except through Me." [John 14:6]

Second, who is the Christ, the Messiah? He is the son of God. God incarnate. Christians believe there is only one God but believe that He is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. Mormons believe that Adam is the god of this planet, that Jesus and Satan are brothers, that Adam/god had sexual relations with Mary and created Jesus, and that temple Mormons chosen by Joseph Smith get to be gods of their own planet. That women can only go to heaven if the men they are sealed to (in this day and age, not necessarily their husbands since some of them marry outside the faith) call their secret name. I don't know if this has changed with women's lib. Things can be changed if the prophet of the church has new revelations from god. The bottom line is Mormons are polytheists, they believe in many gods. Christians believe, as the Jews believe, "Our God is one."

Coming next: Closing thoughts.

Part 7 - Interview with Carole Whang Schutter, screenwriter of SEPTEMBER DAWN

2007-09-25T08:21:00.000-06:00

Dianne: Tell us about the book you also released by the same title, September Dawn. When did you start writing it? Which came first, the book or screenplay?

CWS: The screenplay came first. I began writing the book during pre-production. While on location I became convinced I should turn my research and various scenes that were deleted into a book because of the interest of the crew in knowing more about the Mountain Meadows Massacre.

Coming next: Do you have any great behind-the-screen stories?

Additional comments from Carole Whang Schutter will be posted on http://www.buttsaboutit.com/ by the end of September. Check the Entertainment page. Also...

Even more comments from Carole Whang Schutter will be included in the October issue of Butts About It.com E-zine due out by the last Friday of the month. Get your free subscription to this monthly e-zine at http://www.buttsaboutit.com/ . Don't miss the rest of this interview! Subscribe now, before the next issue is sent. You only have a couple days...

Part 6 - Interview with Carole Whang Schutter, screenwriter of SEPTEMBER DAWN

2007-09-20T09:25:00.000-06:00

Dianne: Have you heard from any descendants of the participants on the Mormon side? If yes, what have they said? How have they reacted?

Dianne: Before I post Ms. Schutter's answer to this question, here is a statement I received separately written by Wayne Atilio Capurro, a descendant of one of the Mormons involved:

I commend Mr. Cain, Jon Voight, Carole Schutter and anyone associated with the making of September Dawn. My ancestor, portrayed by Mr. Voight in the film, was a participant in the Mountain Meadows Massacre and one of three men assigned to deliver valuables taken from the murdered immigrants personally to Brigham Young. The leadership of the LDS religion has a 150 year history of blaming the Indians, blaming the victims and scapegoating their members while denying all responsibility for a crime that disgraced humanity. They continue to do so in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Sincerely,
Wayne Atilio Capurro, Author of White Flag and the great great grandson of Philip Klingensmith, the Mormon Bishop of Cedar City, Utah in 1857.

CWS: Wayne has been such a great supporter, although I never met him.

I also had a phone call from one of Jacob Hamblin's descendants who told me got the shivers listening to the actors speak because it sounded exactly like his grandfather. He said his great great grandfather would have killed one of his wives if Brigham Young told him to. Such was the blind loyalty of the Mormons back then.

The ones who have contacted me are extremely supportive. All have left the Mormon church.

Wayne said his ancestor died a broken man, feeling betrayed by the church he had given his loyalty to. He told me no one would have done the massacre if they hadn't been ordered to do it by their religious leaders, i.e. Brigham Young. He also said that he learned what it was like to be a Christian by reading my book and that he thought I honored not only the victims, but people like him. I consider that the highest compliment.

You see, I wanted people to see the real Jesus. Reviewers have accused me of practically putting halos on the Christians. I'm sorry, but the only Jesus some people will ever see is on the silver screen. Keeping this in mind, the pastor of the wagon train was a type and shadow of Jesus Christ.

Coming next: Tell us about the book you also released by the same title, September Dawn.