Talking with My Liberal MP

I just spoke with my Liberal candidate (and current MP) for this area, Roy Cullen.  I like Roy.  I have met him before and he seems like a decent guy.  Not only that, he was one of the few Liberals to vote against his party on the same-sex marriage bill.  Now that I think of it, he has also been very faithful to answer all of my emails and letters and phone calls.
Too bad he is running for the Liberals.
We talked for about 5 minutes, until I said that I would never vote for Paul Martin (current Prime Minister) since he was the Finance Minister when all the Adscam corruption took place.  
Roy said, “Paul Martin was the one who called for the Gomery Inquiry.”
I replied, “Roy, he was the minister writing the cheques when it all took place!  That means one of two things. 1. He is lying when he says he didn’t know what was taking place or 2. He was a pathetic minister!”
Roy said, “Okay. Good bye.”  And walked away.
It has got to be hard to stick to the party line when you’re a decent guy surrounded by corruption.

Legalize polygamy: Martin Government-subsidized Study

Legalize polygamy: study: "A new study commissioned by the federal government recommends that Canada legalize polygamy and change legislation to help women and children living in plural relationships."

Okay.

So, all that time we spent pointing out that this is exactly what was going to happen should we re-define marriage to include homosexual couplings wasn't a red herring after all?

This is the saddest case of "I told you so" I have seen in a long time!

Why not take this little bit of information to your next all-candidates meeting and ask the Liberal candidate to explain why his government was so wrong on this. Boy, they could have saved the $150,000 and just asked me! Better yet, they could have given me the money and I would have told them exactly the same thing!

Sharper Iron Forums - Nate Saint Played by Gay Activist in "End of the Spear"

Sharper Iron Forums - Nate Saint Played by Gay Activist in "End of the Spear":

If you have been following the discussion on Tim Challies blog, this post is a very informative read.

HT: challies.com

Taiwan breeds green-glowing pigs

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific: "The researchers say they hope the new, green pigs will mate with ordinary female pigs to create a new generation - much greater numbers of transgenic pigs for use in research."

Boy, it stinks to be a helpless animal in a research laboratory.

"Say, Lance, let's make these pigs green."

Hundreds killed in Muslim Hajj stampede

Report from BBC NEWS | Middle East:
"At least 345 Muslim pilgrims have died in a crush during the stone-throwing ritual at the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, officials say.

Hundreds of pilgrims have also been injured. A BBC correspondent at the scene in Mina saw dozens of bodies lined up on the ground.

The ritual has seen many lethal stampedes but the number of dead this time is the highest in 16 years."

What kind of religion kills its own in the name of worship?

No Left Wing: That Bird Flies in Circles!

I was listening to the news today and heard that common label, “right-wing” in reference to a certain “think tank.”  And I got to thinking.
I don’t recall hearing anyone in MSM speak of a “left-wing” anything – as in “left-wing think tank,” or “left-wing lobby group.”  I am not suggesting that these groups do not exist (although I know lots of people that believe the phrase “left-wing think tank” is an oxymoron!) but that these groups are not given the “left” tag as the ones quoting from them or reporting about them come from the same ideological background.
I could be wrong... it was an early morning thought.  But I wonder if this is another example of subtle bias in the media?  Bias by omission.

Old Walter Writes on Life After Christmas

My old friend Walter has gotten into writing letters to our church. They are really quite wonderful! I am not sure I always agree with everything Walter says, but there is always something there to be convicted by or encouraged in. Since Al Mohler and challies both posted this week about honouring and listening to the aged (HT: JT), I thought I would post a letter that Walter wrote last Christmas to the kids in our church. It was great.

December 19, 2004

Dear Paul,

I know you didn’t ask for it, but I thought I might just send a few words down to the kids and young people at Grace Fellowship Church this Christmas season. I hope you don’t mind!
I’ve lived through a good many Christmas’s… some happy and some not… and although it took longer than it should have, I think I’ve learned a couple important lessons I’d like to share with you.
First of all, you need to think about this verse at Christmas time when presents come:
James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift comes from above from the Father of lights…”
Here is the funny thing that I have learned about getting presents … if your joy ends in the present (a sled, or video game or doll or new dress) then your joy will end. There is just no lasting joy in things.
Now that is one of the lies of the devil – that you can be happy IF you just get this or that. Fact is, the happiest kid on earth may be the one who only owns the shirt on his back… or less. Happiness is like a snowflake. If you grab a hold of it with your hand it will melt and disappear, but if you let it fall where it will, soon you will have a beautiful field to look at. And what ought you do when you see that beautiful field – why praise God and thank Him for it, that’s what! And the same goes for your toys and such at Christmas. Walter says, think of them as springboards… like the gymnast or swimmer uses. Without that spring, it’s pretty hard to get where you need to go! Well, all your toys and presents are things to shoot your heart to your God in thanks, praise and wonder.
I believe you folks at Grace have a saying: “Delighting in God to the Glory of God.” I like that! You see kids; you can use all those presents… or just the one or two you might get… as springboards to help you delight in God your Maker.
I’m not suggesting you should ignore the presents and toys! No, Walter says use them with all your heart… but just don’t stop at the toy! That good gift is from more than mom or dad or sister or brother – it is from the Lord. And you can thank Him in your heart right in the middle of loving and playing with it!
I knew a boy who got used to getting some pretty big presents every year. Stuff you could only dream of! But one day the presents stopped and that boy… he turned sour and dour on Christmas mornings, like someone had kicked his dog and spat in his soup! He only knew how to find snowflake happiness. And the more he grabbed - the less there was! Even when he grew old and rich and could buy all the things he wanted, he felt all hollow inside – like not enough peanut butter on too much bread. The more he grabbed at happiness the faster it melted in his hand. All the money in the world can’t bring you true joy – joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Some kids think they should only eat the icing in life and leave the rest of the cake for their neighbour’s lama. But even icing tastes bad after a while if that is all you eat. Potatoes may not zing your taste buds, but they help you enjoy that wonderful turkey and dressing! You just go ahead and enjoy every part of Christmas – from watching others open presents, to eating with your big family, to being alone in your room, to thinking about the best gift of all – salvation in Jesus.
One last thing: I suggest you read a lot of the gospels around Christmas time. You could read the first couple of chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Devil would love for you to go through all of Christmas thinking about nothing other than what you’re gonna get on Christmas morning. That is, thinking of nothing else besides you.
Don’t be tricked by his crafty ways of dressing up Christmas to be all happy and joyful, when all he’s really doing is making you cross-eyed from self-look. Cast your eyes off yourself and look to Jesus. Christmas is more than just a birthday party for Him – it is remembering that God loved man so much, He sent His one unique Son, so that everyone who believes on Him will live forever with Him in heaven.

Have a very merry Christmas,

Walter

Do You Know This Song? (Teach Me To Live...)

Way back in my college days we used to sing this song a fair bit. I have searched for author and copyright information for several years now, but with no success. Do you know this song? Who wrote it? (My memory says it was someone from Grace Community Church, Panorama City, CA).
I know I still love to sing it!

Teach Me to Live What You Say
Teach me to live what You say,
Make me a child who'll obey;
Holy in all that I do,
May I bring glory to You.

My life is all Yours to shape as You will
I'll be the glove for Your hand to fill;
I want to be pleasing, to You may it be,
That You might be glorified somehow in me.

To be more like Jesus with each passing day;
More like the Master in every way,
A servant who's yielded his heart to the One,
Who gives life and says to His servant, “Well done!”

Author and copyright information unknown.

Weighing the Word: The Authentic Church

Series Explanation

Every New Year’s Sunday I like to preach a “State of the Union” message – examining who we are as a church family, how we need to change and where we want to go, Lord willing, in the coming year.

Because of the amount of growth we have experienced over the past year, I decided to broaden that topic a little and look at Grace Fellowship Church as a whole, asking the question, “Why do we do church the way we do?”

The obvious Scripture to teach from was Acts 2:42-47. Although the characteristics listed here are not exhaustive, they do make a neat summary of 6 foundational marks of an authentic church. A church, of course, is a group of saved people... but they are a people that are devoted to something (or should we say, Someone?).

They are devoted to doctrine, fellowship, frequent observance of the Lord’s Supper, all kinds of praying, a developing and genuine personal spirituality in each member and evangelism.

With all the distractions of conferences, activities, "purposes," "days," events and such, it is no wonder that in many churches these foundational things are the very essentials that are missing! Give me a group of people committed to truly living lives devoted to these 6 activities and I say, “Watch out!”

Let me encourage you – seek to do a few excellent, essential things well, rather than a lot of decent things poorly! And structure your church so that these things become a priority in the lives of all the members.