On the Radio: Still the Way, the Truth, and the Life

Here's my interview with John Blok of New Day Florida about the CT article "Still the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (a link to which is posted on December 14).

Top 10 News Stories of 2009

Here are the top 10 news stories of 2009, as chosen by Christianity Today.

We Have Been Warned

Homeland security boss Janet Napolitano is assuring everyone that there were no signs the Nigerian Muslim extremist had any help while attempting to blow up Northwest Flight 253 over Detroit. That's nice, except that he made multiple trips to Yemen, a known terrorist den, and so worried his father with his jihadist views that the father contacted authorities. Why was this guy, who was on a terror watch list, allowed to board that jet?

Don't worry, folks. Janet Napolitano, like our intrepid Nobel-Prize-winner-in-chief, doesn't want us to jump to any conclusions. I expect they will come up with a plan to tighten security against 70-year-old American grandmothers while allowing radicalized followers of the religion of peace to continue sewing explosives into their underwear.

When are we going to get serious? The only reason this plane did not go down is because some brave passengers took matters into their own hands. Let's not wait to change our approach with terrorists until after a passenger jet crashes.

Let's do it now. We have been warned.

Update: Napolitano is now admitting the obvious, that there was a security breakdown after all. Well, that's progress.

O Little Town of Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth,
And praises sing to God the King, and peace to men on earth!

How silently, how silently, the wondrous Gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His Heav’n.
No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessèd Child,
Where misery cries out to Thee, Son of the mother mild;
Where charity stands watching and faith holds wide the door,
The dark night wakes, the glory breaks, and Christmas comes once more.

O holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us, we pray;
Cast out our sin, and enter in, be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us, our Lord Emmanuel!

Words: Phill­ips Brooks, 1867.

Music: St. Lou­is, Lewis H. Red­ner, 1868 (MI­DI, NWC, PDF). Red­ner was Brooks’ or­gan­ist at Ho­ly Trin­i­ty Epis­co­pal Church in Phil­a­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia. The tune came to him on Christ­mas Eve, and was first sung the next day.

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Angels from the Realms of Glory

Angels from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o’er all the earth;
Ye who sang creation’s story
Now proclaim Messiah’s birth.

Refrain

Come and worship, come and worship,
Worship Christ, the newborn King.

Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o’er your flocks by night,
God with us is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:

Refrain

Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations;
Ye have seen His natal star.

Refrain

Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear;
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In His temple shall appear.

Refrain

Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now revokes the sentence,
Mercy calls you; break your chains.

Refrain

Though an Infant now we view Him,
He shall fill His Father’s throne,
Gather all the nations to Him;
Every knee shall then bow down:

Refrain

All creation, join in praising
God, the Father, Spirit, Son,
Evermore your voices raising
To th’eternal Three in One.

Refrain

Words: James Mont­gom­e­ry, in his Shef­field news­pa­per, the Iris, Christ­mas Eve, 1816. It was re­pub­lished in the Christ­ian Psalm­ist, 1825. Stan­za 5 is from The Christ­mas Box, 1825.

Music: Re­gent Square, Hen­ry T. Smart, in Psalms and Hymns for Di­vine Wor­ship (Lon­don: 1867)

Podcast: German Terrorists, Eccentric Victorians, Russian Mathematicians, and More

Stan Guthrie and John Wilson talk about favorite books of 2009. Here's a direct link.

Christmas Hope and Fear

Two words that have been stuck in my mind concerning Christmas are hope and fear. A strange, yet somehow appropriate juxtaposition. They are paired together in a couple of beloved Christmas hymns. In "Angels from the Realms of Glory" we sing,

Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear.

And in "O Little Town of Bethlehem" we sing,

The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

Both are forward-looking words. Hope looks forward expectantly, while fear looks forward with dread. Christians know we are to be hopeful people, understanding that our loving heavenly Father is in control.

And yet if we are honest, we sometimes feel the stomach-churning, throat-tightening, palm-sweating presence of fear, and no amount of positive thinking will banish it from our souls. It's hard to work up hopefulness when thinking about the future-at least it is for me.

Biblical faith however, is not just forward-looking, at what God will do, but also backward-looking, at what God has done. The Israelites were continually commanded to look back and remember the Lord's deliverances, such as when he parted the Red Sea. Such backward looks give undeniable confidence, even hope, in what God will do in the future. If God delivered then, we can count on him to do it again.

Think of your hopes and fears this Christmas for the coming year. Some of us will face ickness, death, financial reversals, and blessings unanticipated. But look back at how God has already delivered you from other problems. We don't know what troubles the New Year will bring, but we do know that the God who delivered us before will be there to do it again.

The hymn above says, however, that saints sometimes have to "watch long" for his deliverance, and indeed it seemed to take a long time for God to send his Son to provide deliverance to his people. But that's not how the Bible views it. Romans 5:6 says,

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

God provided Jesus and his sacrificial death at just the right time, neither too soon nor too late. If he did all this, we can confidently expect him to be with us in the smaller but no less real challenges we face. At just the right time.

As we bend before the altar with our Christmas hope and fear this year, let us look back at God's faithful provisions, trusting in the presence of Immanuel, God with us.

Letter from a World War II Vet

The following has been verified by Snopes.com:

November 20, 2009

Dear President Obama,

My name is Harold Estes, approaching 95 on December 13 of this year. People meeting me for the first time don't believe my age because I remain wrinkle free and pretty much mentally alert.

I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II retiring as a Master Chief Bos'n Mate. Now I live in a "rest home" located on the western end of Pearl Harbor, allowing me to keep alive the memories of 23 years of service to my country.

One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man.

So here goes.

I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do, but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.

I can't figure out what country you are the president of.

You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:

· "We're no longer a Christian nation"

· "America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world, "America is mean-spirited."Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)

I'd say shame on the both of you, but I don't think you like America, nor do I see an ounce of gratefulness in anything you do, for the obvious gifts this country has given you. To be without shame or gratefulness is a dangerous thing for a man sitting in the White House.

After 9/11 you said," America hasn't lived up to her ideals." Which ones did you mean?

1. Was it the notion of personal liberty that 11,000 farmers and shopkeepers died for to win independence from the British?

2. Or maybe the ideal that no man should be a slave to another man that 500,000 men died for in the Civil War?

3. I hope you didn't mean the ideal 470,000 fathers, brothers, husbands, and a lot of fellahs I knew personally died for in WWII, because we felt real strongly about not letting any nation push us around, because we stand for freedom.

4. I don't think you mean the ideal that says equality is better than discrimination. You know the one that a whole lot of white people understood when they helped to get you elected.

Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves.

And just who do you think you are telling the American people not to jump to conclusions and condemn that Muslim major who killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded dozens more. You mean you don't want us to do what you did when that white cop used force to subdue that black college professor in Massachusetts, who was putting up a fight? You don't mind offending the police calling them stupid but you don't want us to offend Muslim fanatics by calling them what they are, terrorists.

One more thing. I realize you never served in the military and never had to defend your country with your life, but you're the Commander-in-Chief now, son. Do your job. When your battle-hardened field General asks you for 40,000 more troops to complete the mission, give them to him. But if you're not in this fight to win, then get out. The life of one American soldier is not worth the best political strategy you're thinking of.

You could be our greatest president because you face the greatest challenge ever presented to any president.

You're not going to restore American greatness by bringing back our bloated economy. That's not our greatest threat.. Losing the heart and soul of who we are as Americans is our big fight now. And I sure as hell don't want to think my president is the enemy in this final battle.

Sincerely,

Harold B. Estes

Goodbye, Billie Jean: The Meaning of Michael Jackson

For those who cannot get enough of Michael Jackson (or my writing), Lorette C. Luzajic of Toronto has compiled an interesting anthology responding to the life and death of the pop icon. You can order Goodbye, Billie Jean: The Meaning of Michael Jackson here. My article is entitled "Michael Jackson, American Idol."

On the Radio: The Joy-Driven Life

Here's my interview with John Blok of New Day Florida about the CT editorial "The Joy-Driven Life" (a link to which is below).

Gitmo II

Many Illinoisans no doubt voted for Barack Obama in the expectation that he would bring home the proverbial bacon. No, his Chicago Olympic bid was a flop, but he has arranged a nice consolation prize for us. He is putting the ribbon on the Guantanamo terror suspects and shipping 100 of them to a nearly empty, "state-of-the-art" prison in the city of Thomson, a struggling town 150 miles west of Chicago.

Democratic Senator Dick Durbin trumpets the "good jobs" this transfer will engender, saying 1,500 positions will be created locally, on top 1,500 federal ones (mostly military personnel) that will go to the town of 559 on the Mississippi.

Concerning the super-max prison, why is there a nearly empty, state-of-the-art prison in Thomson, anyway? Are we running out of criminals? And how state of the art can it really be if it is already eight years old?

Locals are all for the transfer, hoping the influx of people and money will save Thomson. (By the way, that's an amazing 30-1 worker to detainee ratio.)

I wonder, however, if turning this city into an armed camp is a good risk, or a bad riverboat gamble. Critics, such as Congressman Mark Kirk, worry that putting the Gitmo detainees there will make Thomson and its environs a magnet for terrorists, and there is no way to guarantee that it won't. The Gitmo suspects may not have to escape the maximum security facility to wreak havoc on this small town.

The administration says it will conduct military trials for some of the suspects on site, while holding others "indefinitely." Excuse me, but isn't that what President Bush was doing? Obama is apparently continuing the Bush policy, but at a much higher cost and in a less secure location. Makes sense to me!

This prisoner transfer from Gitmo will not mollify international terrorists, who will still seek the destruction of America. This unwise decision is merely a sop to Obama's leftwing base. You can be sure they will be nowhere to be found if something goes wrong.

Podcast: P.D. James on Detective Fiction

Stan Guthrie and John Wilson on Talking about Detective Fiction, by P.D. James.

Christianity Today Bible Study: The Uniqueness of Jesus

Christianity Today Bible studies are available for download at ChristianBibleStudies.com. This one, "The Uniquenness of Jesus," is based on an article by John Franke.

Christianity Today has graciously allowed me to post the studies I have written to this site, usually one or two a month. If you would like to use them for anything other than your own spiritual growth, I ask you to download them at the CT Bible study site mentioned above.

In the 1977 movie Oh, God!, Jerry Landers, the assistant manager of a grocery store, asks God (played by George Burns) whether Jesus is his son. God/Burns says, “Yes”—then adds that Muhammad, Buddha, and others are also his children. In other words, Jesus is neither more nor less special than anyone else. While this approach wins plaudits in our pluralistic times, it runs counter to the witness of Scripture and the words of Jesus, who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). So are we going to believe a comedian or Jesus? And if we are going to believe Jesus, what difference does his uniqueness make for our faith?

Here is a link to the study for your personal, individual use. Your feedback is always welcome.

HT: Mary DeMuth for allowing me to use this link.

Life after death: What does the evidence show?

Even if we set aside religious conviction, there are compelling reasons to believe in life after death.

By Dinesh D'Souza

The Joy-Driven Life

Death to deadly earnest discipleship!

A Christianity Today editorial

On the Radio: Hopes and Fears

Here's my interview with John Blok of New Day Florida about my BreakPoint.org column, "Hopes and Fears" (a link to which is below).

Podcast: Christmas Books, Part 3

Stan Guthrie and John Wilson on two more good books to give.

Gators vs. Tide: A Preview

This site is primarily about religion and politics, with sports and other topics thrown in once in a while. Sports is, after all, the unofficial national religion. As a proud Florida Gator, I'll give my armchair analysis of today's SEC championship game. Remember, don't try this at home; I'm a professional.

Last year the Florida Gators and their bruising star quaterback Tim Tebow won their second national championship in three years after defeating Oklahoma in the BCS game. Florida got there by rallying around Tebow after an unexpected home loss and beating an undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide team 31-20 in the Southeastern Conference title game. During much of the contest a physical and disciplined Alabama squad maintained the upper hand and Tebow, the Heisman Trophy winner the previous season, looked shaky against a great defense.

But then in the fourth quarter Tebow willed the Gators to victory, leading his team on two critical touchdown drives. Tebow, a fierce competitor and a vocal and sincere Christian, added to his legend as a leader who simply knows how to win.

This year, missing only the talented speedster Percy Harvin, the Gators have been odds-on favorites to repeat as national champs. But the road has been rougher than anticipated. The offense seems to lack big-play explosiveness without Harvin, and the defense, while solid, is hardly scary, and has yielded some big plays to inferior opponents.

While Florida has achieved an undefeated record to this point (no small feat in the rugged SEC), the team has not looked as imposing as predicted. Tebow, perhaps the greatest and certainly most celebrated college player ever, has been up and down (literally) behind a disappointing offensive line. Tebow sustained a scary concussion against Kentucky and has played at merely pedestrian levels in several other games. In a few, he has looked downright bad. In one game, two of Tebow's passes were run back for touchdowns.

Still, the Gators have maintained their top spot in the rankings all season and face No. 2 Alabama again for the right to play in the national championship game, probably against an explosive Texas squad. I'm not sanguine about their chances against the undefeated Tide, which does a great job suffocating opponents with its physical style of play.

Last year Florida had to give its all to defeat Alabama. This year, Alabama is better than last year, and the Gators appear to be a little bit worse. Plus, in one of the dumbest moves by an athlete this side of Tiger Woods, Gator defensive end Carlos Dunlap (last year's defensive MVP) was suspended this week for a DUI. His loss will make the Gator defense easier to exploit.

Still, Tebow is Tebow, and if anyone can make the difference for Florida, it will be him. Tebow has been a terrific witness for Christ in his many victories. Here's hoping, and praying, that if the Gators come up short today, he will be an even better witness in defeat.

Update: After the 32-13 shellacking by Alabama, Tebow gave a tearful, classy interview and ended with his usual "God bless." Don't worry, Tim. He already has.

Priorities: Hopes and Fears

I confess my own complicity in the long-life cult. For years, like most young people, I took my own good health for granted. Sickness was someone else’s problem. Aging was for old people.

But then I entered midlife.

Correction: A Tale of Two Stan G's

From the online version of Christian Retailing:

Thursday, 03 December 2009 02:59 PM EST

Christian Retailing Update incorrectly reported in its Nov. 23 issue that Stan Guthrie--rather than Stan Gundry--was recently named editor in chief of all Zondervan products. Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine, while Gundry has been promoted at Zondervan.

In case you don't know, Stan Gundry is pictured on the left, and I'm on the right.

HT: Thanks to Jason Vines at Zondervan and Andy Butcher at CR for clearing this up.

On the Radio: Our Divine Distortion

Here's my interview with John Blok of New Day Florida about the column "Our Divine Distortion" and the related Bible study (a link for which is below).

Christianity Today Bible Study: Restoring Our Vision of God

Christianity Today Bible studies are available for download at ChristianBibleStudies.com. This one, "Restoring Our Vision of God," is based on an article by columnist Carolyn Arends.

Christianity Today has graciously allowed me to post the studies I have written to this site, usually one or two a month. If you would like to use them for anything other than your own spiritual growth, I ask you to download them at the CT Bible study site mentioned above.

Evangelicals are good at explaining how our sin separates us from a holy God. “I was raised to understand that sin’s gravest consequence is the way it forces God to perceive me: God is holy, I’m not, and there’s no way he can even look at me until I have the covering of Christ’s blood,” Carolyn Arends writes in her column, “Our Divine Distortion.” Arends continues: “In my teens, I clipped a poem out of a youth magazine in which the poet asks—and answers—a pressing question: ‘How can a righteous God look at me, a sinner, and see a precious child? Simple: The Son gets in his eyes.’” This is good theology, but incomplete. We need to also get a good dose of biblical anthropology so that we may grasp how sin warps our perceptions, not just of ourselves, but of God himself.

Here is a link to the study for your personal, individual use. Your feedback is always welcome.

HT: Mary DeMuth for allowing me to use this link.

Peer Pressure

The thing to understand about the scandal surrounding the e-mails leaked from Britain’s Climatic Research Unit (CRU) is that it is actually three scandals.

A National Review editorial

Podcast: Christmas Books, Part 2

Stan Guthrie and John Wilson on four more good books to give.