A Fresh Look at Podcasts

It must be five years that I have listened to The Daily Audio Bible--four years blogging here. I love how they have helped me meditate on God's Word.

See http://www.dailyaudiobible.com/

In 2011 I recorded my Scripture highlights for the whole year. In 2012 I even got their Passages Bible on my Nook. It tracks with the Daily Audio Bible podcast so you don't have to turn pages in your Bible:

• Old Testament reading
• New Testament reading
• Psalms--goes through twice in a year
• Proverbs

If you have a goal, dare I say a resolution, to go through the whole Bible in 2013, you can do an iTunes download for Daily Audio Bible on your computer and then put it on your device. I have both an iPhone and an iPod, but just put podcasts on my iPod and can listen at home or in the car. Then if someone calls me, I can simply get off the road,  stop my podcast and take the phone call. Today I am at home and listened to the Daily Audio Bible on my computer. At times I also pick up on some of their prayer requests.

Every few days on my iPod I love to listen to

http://www.albertmohler.com/category/podcast/

Al Mohler delivers news from a Christian persective. His first podcast of 2013 includes:

• Story 1 - US Congress Passes Fiscal Cliff Deal, Financial Times (Richard McGregor); A Showdown Long Foreseen, New York Times (Jennifer Steinhauer); Wonkbook: Everything you Need to Know about the Fiscal Cliff Deal, Washington Post (Ezra Klein)
• • 

  Story 2 - New year, new laws, and new challenges for constructive Christian thought  Measures to Rule the Land—From Marriage to Marijuana, Wall Street Journal (Dan Strumpf)
• Story 3 - The greatest threat to religious liberty in modern times:  Hobby Lobby to Defy Law on Contraception Insurance Coverage, Los Angeles Times (Shan Li)
• Story 4 - Christians need to pray for Hillary Clinton’s full recovery

I learn so much from Dr. Mohler. I also just ordered his book on the Ten Commandments, Words from the Fire and look forward to reading it.

You have to be careful, however, listening in your car. One day an officer stopped me.

"Sir, I didn't notice that STOP sign because I was changing podcasts."

"Show me your iPod," he said. I did and noticing "Safe Driver" on my driver's license he let me go with a warning.

These days some ministries have gone to YouTube, but that takes time to listen to on your computer, or smart phone. If I get a chance to listen to YouTube, I would listen to

http://www.youtube.com/user/NiceneCouncilcom

Nicene Counsel produced the most viewed posts of all time on this blog for their best-selling DVD Amazing Grace.

But for now, time wise, I get my daily Bible reading in on my podcasts. Listening causes me to go back and meditate and pray more--just a desire of my heart. Many reformed folks, I fear, just seem to read theology, but not the Bible. Many Christians do neither, I also fear.

What is your favorite medium for input--blogs, podcasts, books, serious Bible study? What books did you get recently to recommend to me?

I do not have the Bible as  a resolution, because it has become a habit now.

Part Ten of A Call to Christian Patriotism

It has been my pleasure to think through this election with Howard A. Eyrich's book, A Call to Christian Patriotism and I urge readers of this blog to use that book with its 52 studies in your church or in your family. I said that I would blog ten Mondays until the election using this book and with this last post I have.


The third and final debate happened last Monday. One source said here:

In the third and final presidential debate Monday night, both candidates did their best to convince undecided voters. But with just over two weeks until election day, does it even matter at this point? It didn't take long for the zingers to come out.

President Barack Obama, swung first, blasting Governor Romney for being weak on foreign policy.

"I know you haven't been in a position to actually execute foreign policy but every time you've offered an opinion, you've been wrong," the president said.

But Romney kept his cool and calmly yet effectively responded by saying, "attacking me is not an agenda. Attacking me is not talking about how we're going to deal with the challenges in the Middle East and take advantage of the opportunities there." . . . .

Still, at this late in the campaign, does the outcome of the debate even matter?

Very little, said Kedrowski [chair of the Wintrop University Political Science Department] who pointed out foreign policy isn't issue number one -- the economy is.

Presidents often do not get a second term when the economy is bad.

I would like the economy to not be the only issue.

Over on the Desiring God blog Jon Bloom writes here.

But we must keep things in proper perspective. The “work of our lives” is not advancing a superficial political vision for America. Our most vital work is to become God-entranced people who advance the gospel around the globe. We are to seek satisfaction in the Substance, the Sun, the Ocean. We are to ask, seek, and knock (Luke 11:9) until the reality of “Christ is all” (Colossians 3:11) takes a firm hold on our hearts and our minds are renewed (Romans 12:2) and we are abiding in Jesus (John 15:5).

So, as we approach the election and endure the media blitz and listen to urgent, fervent debate and analysis, let’s remember what really matters and where true peace (John 16:33), true prosperity (Romans 9:23), and true happiness (Psalm 16:11) come from.

Even so we must decide to elect the best candidate. Randy Alcorn writes that to vote for the lesser of two evils is to vote for less evil here.

Obama really seems to ignore problems with extreme Muslims. Benghazi is the latest. One blogger writes here.

What makes a great leader, or for that matter a President? Eyrich sites Nehemiah and Jesus Christ. We need to pray for our next President and support whoever it is. We need to pray for Hurricane "Sandy" on the Eastcoast of these United States. Eyrich concludes on lesson with this prayer:

Father, from whom comes every good gift, grant us leaders who will humble themselves before you and who will have the capacity to lead us in self-governing that seeks the benefit of all peoples. Lord, you made us a great nation to provide a great opportunity for the Gospel. Would you restore that greatness and protect that opportunity. And, Lord, would you help me to be willing to be your instrument to achieve this good. Amen (p. 138).

Part Nine of a Call to Christian Patriotism

Randy Alcorn (married to my cousin so I always read what he has to say)  has a take on the election here and here.

Some say Democrats are switching to Romney here.

Ellen Dollar writes here why she is a Christian Democrat.

Republican and The View celeb, Elizabeth Hasselback, wrote on Twitter about this debate of last week:

Why is Obama eagerly taking responsibility for the past 4 years in Iraq and Afghanistan- but NONE for past 4 yrs here!?!

Not all believe you should display a flag in church according to this Christianity Today article.

Three moments in the second debate were highlighted here.

The real debate is at the poll. Tonight the third debate will be held. I will listen and blog about it in my last post in this series on Oct. 29.

Howard A. Eyrich, author of the study book we are going through with these posts, A Call to Christian Patriotism, starts a session with a warming for the church is a warning for America.

Addressing our fellow citizens with the truth of our founding documents and the teachings of our Founding Fathers is likewise foolishness in an age of relativism and narcissism (p. 121).

Listen to the media. Many Pro Choicers don't want Romney. They want abortion on demand. Which candidate will give me more health care? And what is the national debt doing to our economy? As a Christian, who is retired and not rich, I prefer to rely on the LORD who has promised to supply all our needs. Relativism and narcissism indeed! Eyrich gives three tests to identify a false prophet ob pp. 121-122 and concludes this section with we win because Jesus is coming again to establish his Kingdom forever and ever (p. 122).

Dr. E. points out that the Christian life is learned. He takes off on a May 15, 2011 five-point sermon preached by Dr. Harry Reeder at Briarwood Presbyterian Church and applies it to the Christian patriot.

 First, the American life is transferred by intentional learning. The history and the documents that emerged must be learned. The principles embodied are not intuitive. Training in the cultural nuances of a demoncratic republic must be rooted in these documents The cause of "liberty and justice for all" must be framed by the Judeo-Christian heritage out of which it emanated. Second, since the American way is a matter of intentional learning, we must immerse our children, our families, our schools, and our immigrants in the founding documents and the historical context so that they might not be corrupted by the many attacks from the wolves (Acts 20:29-30) within and without. Third, we must have (and be) faithful teachers who walk the talk of historical Americanism and teach its content. Fourth, each of us must choose mentors and leaders who symbolize the best of America. Fifth, since the American Way is learned, each of us must take responsibility to become teachers of the American Way (p. 131).

 My favorite quote in this section is on p. 127--a prayer by Joe Wright  that is available on various web sites according to Dr. E.

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, "Woe to those who call evil good," but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and call it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and call it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and call it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and call it building self esteem.

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and call it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and call it enlightenment.

Search us, O God, and know our hearts; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen.

Part Eight of A Call to Christian Patriotism

I never know what will happen each week. Ryan and Biden debated last week. I taped it, but didn't see it yet. Friday I went to the hospital, and Sunday I was released from the hospital. I am fine and am posting here essentially what was ready before I went to the hospital and will not write much more.

I never know where these ten Monday posts will take me as I go through Howard A. Eyrich's A Call to Christian Patriotism will take. Last week:

• The King's English takes on a study of wars and rumors of wars here.
• Speaking of tensions in our world, here is a YouTube on Libya and how the current administration has handled or not the incident.
• It's not just Americans who are being killed, but Christians in our world.

• Fox reports that Israel is concerned about Hezbollah here.

America! America!
God mend thy every flaw,
Confirm they soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law (quoted from “Oh Beautiful, For Special Skies” p. 123 of Eyrich's book ).

Just as many Muslims in our countries have other allegiances, we also are citizens of two countries—the USA and heaven as Eyrich cites Hebrews 12.

In this section of Eyrich's book I was also struck by two prayers. The first one Dr. E. penned:

Almighty God, giver of earthly and heavenly citizenships, help us to live out our earthly citizenship in light of the reality of our heavenly citizenship. As Christian Patriots, enable us to see ito it that we do not come short of Your grace; that we allow no root of bitterness to spring up since it will defile many. Lord, it is so easy in our American citizenship to become bitter toward our leaders who abandon the good gifts you secured through our forefathers and in the process tarnish our heavenly citizenship. Help us, Lord, to pray for them and work to elect those who will honor your gifts. Do not let us tarnish our heavenly citizenship; rather, let our citizenship in your kingdom cause our citizenship in America to shine for you (p. 107).

The 1928 Book of Common Prayer is quoted:

Most gracious God, we humbly beseech thee, as for the people of these United States in general, so especially for their Senate and Representatives in Congress assembled; that thou wouldest be pleased to direct and prosper all the consultations, to the advancement of thy glory, the good of thy Church, and the safety, honour, and welfare of they people; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours, upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all other necessaries, for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg in the Name and mediation of Jesus Christ, our most blessed Lord and Saviour, Amen. (p. 119)

I had a chance to share the love of Jesus in my hospital room and am now praying for a family of four siblings with multiple medical and spiritual needs. You never know what a week will bring and I am glad I could be in that hospital room this week and will be in contact with those sisters I met in my hospital room.

Part Seven of A Call to Christian Patriotism

By many accounts Mitt Romney won last Wednesday's televised debate. He has my vote. He has my prayers.

Can a Christian vote for a Mormon? Christianity Today  posted the following comment by Stephen Mansfield on August 31 here :

In the 2012 election, voting for Mitt Romney—yes, a Mormon former bishop—is certainly a moral option for followers of Jesus Christ. For those who want a pro-life, pro-free market, pro-business, pro-defense, and "America first" champion, Mitt Romney is their man. It is no sin or dishonor of God to vote for him, even though his Latter-day Saint religion is far from orthodox Christianity.

To believe otherwise is to commit to a perfectionism that would make it nearly impossible to live in this world. If a candidate must be precisely aligned with our religion before we can vote for him, biblically faithful Christians will not be able to vote for either man in the upcoming election. Nor could they have voted for Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, or Reagan. Washington and Reagan seldom attended church. Jefferson and Lincoln had disqualifying doubts about who Jesus Christ was. 

 . . . It's good to heed the apocryphal quote summing up Martin Luther's understanding of civil governance: "I'd rather be ruled by a wise Turk than by a foolish Christian." For some voters, though, there is still danger in casting such a vote. That's because they confuse the role of a President with the role of a pastor. While both are positions of leadership, they serve very different functions.

This 10/8 Time magazine also has an excellent article "The Mormon in Mitt" pointing out that Mormons traditionally are very patriotic towards America and its founding Constitution and Bill of Rights. In the Time article Jon Meacham quotes Romney on p. 33: 

Romney's commitments to liberty and individualism as organizing American principles also have Mormon origins. "People from all over the world who prized freedom--the innovations, the pioneers, the dreamers--came to America," Romney wrote in No Apology. "And so they continue today. . . It is this love of liberty and the accompanying spirit of invention, creativity, derring-do, and pioneering that have propelled America to become the most powerful nation in the history of the world."

Yesterday my pastor in his sermons pointed out that we do not baptize nations. We baptize people (Matthew 28:19). America has not been awarded special favor from God, but as are promised that if we humble ourselves, etc., the LORD will heal and bless our nation (2 Chronicles 7:14).

 Meanwhile in the Opinion page of October 2nd USA Today there is an article called "Shifting Story on Libya Attack Leaves Questions Unanswered."

Among the most significant unanswered questions: Did U.S. intelligence fail to get warnings of the plot? Or were warmings ignored? Why weren't Marines stationed at such a dangerous post. Did Stevens seek more security only to be denied, or did the ambassador fail to act on the concerns expressed in his diary? And most urgently does the success of the attack suggest that other foreign outposts could be inadequately fortified?

We are going through Howard A. Eyrich's A Call to Christian Patriotism in ten posts and I have divided his book into ten sections. Dr. E did not know of the current events when his book came out earlier this year. Eyrich goes on to bring up that issue of the Muslim:

In contemporary England and America we are witnessing a growing alliance between state governments and Islam. This can be observed in preferential treatment for Islamic interests. One example is the establishment of sharia law (the sacred law of Islam) as parallel to civil law in some European countries. Currently there are five sharia counts in England. Islamic banking institutions exist in other Western nations such as Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, and Switzerland (p. 100).

So again I wonder if our current Obama administration is heading the way these European nations have gone. Are we adding a “new will of the people” or a “new form of government”—Sharia law as in Europe?

Eyrich notes how change can happen by neglect: Rehoboam [in the Old Testament] does not listen to the seasoned advisors but acts on the advice of his peers and increases taxes (p. 91). Eyrich notes that the U. S. Department of Justice has a new motto on their website here:

The common law is the will of mankind,

issuing from the life of the people.

Our country needs our Constitution and Bill of Rights to be our law, not the life of the people. Israel got in trouble when they did what seemed right in their own eyes (see Judges 17:6 and 21:25), which is what Eric Holder and the U. S Department of Justice motto implies.

Eyrich qualifies his book by stating:

This book is not about promoting Dominionism, Theonomy, or Reconstructionism. It is not an appeal for, or suggestion that, only Christians should occupy positions of power in American society. It is saying, however, that Christians should examine the lives of potential leaders in terms of their understanding and commitment to the Judeo-Christian ethical framework embedded in the founding documents. It is saying that Christians should seek to convince the public of the necessity to use this grid in their determining for whom they vote. It is saying that Christians should not be--in fact cannot be--intimidated by those who would bully them by name calling and misrepresentation while calling for a new form of government. (p. 168)

We need a return to the founding principles of our country. Ronald Reagan said, Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same. Dr. E calls on fathers.

Fathers have failed in America. To a large degree fathers have depended on the church to teach their children who God is and what God has done. In the same manner, fathers have depended on the schools to teach the meaning of the memorials of American history. As a result, our children grow up with very little appreciation for the unique hand of God in the lives and actions of our Founding Fathers. So, once again, we see that the model God provides in the Bible in the life of Israel is instructive for us as Christian Patriots. Will we learn from their failure to capitalize on God's model (p. 98)

Part Six of A Call to Christian Patriotism

We cannot know at this time how the USA Presidental election will turn out. Is there a prophet among us? Let's evaluate. Kenneth Copeland and Pat Robertson both seem to have to have predictions about 2012 as seen on YouTube. Copeland thinks that God is on America's side. Pat Robertson's take.  I do agree with Robertson that we need to pray. But I do not follow these two men, just find it amusing that they have to have predictions. Go to YouTube if you wish.

Tim Challies writes here on the distribution of wealth which he sees as an issue in this election. Being content is a Christian issue and the government cannot provide for all our needs and wants.

Muslims Worshipping in NYC

What I am concerned about in this post are the Muslims. A person can live in one country and have strong allegiances to Muhammad and the Arab concerns. This was true in World War II with many Germans still tied to their homeland. In our country we have all nationalities. Public schools let Muslim women (staff and students) wear burkas in the classroom, whereas in many school districts other students cannot have their head covered with a hood, hat or cap because these conceal earbuds that can be connected to an electronic device such as a game or a phone. I have read that anywhere from 2 to 7 million Muslims live in the United States even though Muslims hate the West and believe first and foremost in Sharia law. Over a dozen years ago before 9/11 The UMC had a resolution of tolerance here. Can we tolerate the potentials of some radical Arabs and Muslims within borders? One suicide bomber within our borders can do a lot of damage and feel he has been approved by his Islamic deity Mohammad.

Last Monday as reported by Reuters:

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be "eliminated," ignoring a U.N. warning to avoid incendiary rhetoric ahead of the annual General Assembly session.

Ahmadinejad also said he did not take seriously the threat that Israel could launch a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities, denied sending arms to Syria, and alluded to Iran's threats to the life of British author Salman Rushdie.

The United States quickly dismissed the Iranian president's comments as "disgusting, offensive and outrageous."

I need a president who will not quickly dismiss international problems or offer easy solutions.

There was a very interesting address by Obama at Cairo University in Cairo, Egypt in 2009. In this address he said many things and essentially has a humanistic conclusion:

I’m a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan familu that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk. As a young man, I worked in Chicago communities where many found dignity and peace in their Muslim faith.

As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam. . . . And when the first Muslim American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath to defend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding Fathers—Thomas Jefferson—kept in his personal library. [Obama gets applause here. ]

His speech covers many world tensions of the Middle East and Arab nations. More applause came after he dealt with Israel and Palestine. Ahmadinejad take note. Obama in 2009 speech says:

America’s strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable. It is based upon cultural and historical ties, and the recognition that the aspiration for a Jewish homeland is rooted in a tragic history that cannot be denied. . . . On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people – Muslims and Christians - - have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. . . . The only resolution is for the aspirations of both sides to be met through two states, where Israelis and Palestinians each live in peace and security. . . .

There's one rule that lies at the heart of every religion -- that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. . . . We have the power to make the world we see, but only if we have the courage to make a new beginning, keeping in mind what has been written.  The Holy Koran tells us: "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another." The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace." The Holy Bible tells us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.

The link to the above released from the White House seems to have been taken down and so you will have to email me to get that lengthy address. I did find it here originally.

In the current (9/1/21) Time magazine, Fareed Zakaria writes: "If pluralism and radical Islam have a future, stronger voices of tolerance are needed."  But we do not have the power to make the world what we want through tolerance. We do not have the power--God does.

These ten posts are going through Howard A. Eyrich's A Call to Christian Patriotism and reflecting on what he writes and the Scripture he uses. He uses the example of Paul with his plural citizenships (Jew, Roman and Christian) in Acts 22 and 23. Then Eyrich writes:

Unfortunately there are those in America who profess Kingdom of God citizenship and prostitute it for their greedy personal ends, whether money or power. But the Christian Patriot cannot react by slipping into being passive. We are under obligation to preach the Gospel. We are under obligation to worship God. We are under obligation to pray in public and private for those who rule over us. We are under obligation to be salt and light. And, if we imitate Paul as he bids us do, we are under obligation to intertwine our spiritual and temporal citizenships for the glory of God while trusting God with the outcome as he did (p. 77).

Eyrich goes on in the next session featuring John 21:14-25 to give these four priorities: loving God, humble service, submission to the Lordship of Christ, honor and obedience to those who rule over us. He notes that our ultimate ruler is the Constitution and its Bill of Rights (pp. 79, 80). Again he highlights generational transference of blessings that begin with a right view of God (p.83 and passages from Deuteronomy 5, 6, 30). Excellent! Buy his book! He concludes on p. 89:

O Christian Patriot, join your family in prayer! Over the last several weeks we have looked at the patterns God has established to transfer blessings. Study the prayers of the Bible! Engage our God on behalf of our nation that we might continue the legacy for freedom and be the engine of the Gospel to the rest of the world. Teach history so that your children learn from the past. Pray that by learning history they will not repeat its mistakes, but will commit themselves to be godly citizens who promote righteousness in both personal and public life.

If Muslims can pray publicly and their women wear a head covering for all to see, surely we need dedication as dual citizens of the USA and Heaven. Paul provides such a good example of balancing it all.

Part Five of A Call to Christian Patriotism

One of my Democratic friends put up Cher's photo and quote on Facebook. I do not think this posting is helping her Democratic cause a bit. I wanted to comment: Oh my! You are not civil manner at all Cher.  Also, Cher, I do not capitalize HIM for anyone but my LORD. But I just copied the photo.

From Pinterest

Above is another ridiculous anti-Romney ad. Campaigning has gone to the dogs! Now the conservatives have some awful postings also. Here are two more I found on Pinterest from Polittake.org and Right Wing Art.

And maybe there is truth in the above tacky posting.

So we continued to see the campaigning put up these vitriolic uncivil ads and sentiments. Many times I have NOT wanted to be involved in politics at all, but this year the stakes are high and as a senior citizen, these ten posts are what I CAN do in 2012.

We are going through a study book in this series and continuing to reflect on Scripture. This week the first Scripture noted in Howard A. Eyrich’s A Call to Christian Patriotism is Deuteronomy 4:1-6, 10, 23, 24. Eyrich lists principles that meant that God would bless Israel. Principle five is that

Idolatry of any kind does not lead to freedom but bondage. . . . if we turn to “idolatry” in some “ism,’ rejecting what God has given to us, and trash these founding documents, we will find ourselves in a morass of confusion, heading for destruction (p. 62).

Eyrich reviews the purpose of the law in Scripture from Psalm 19, 119 and Galatians 3:24. The law restrains us from sin (Psalm 119:11). Eyrich makes this comparison:

We need Scriptures to guide us in faithful Christian living. We need the Constitution and Bill of Rights to guide us in being faithful Americans (p. 65).

Leaders need helpers as Eyrich illustrates with a discussion from Exodus 17 of Moses needing Aaron and Hur. Then he writes:

We need to pray for God’s providential intervention to bring to the presidency a statesman of moral character. We need to pray for men and women to arise in Congress who will be the Aaron and the Hur that are necessary to pass reconstructive legislation (p. 68).

Romans 13:1-6 calls us to a godly submission to government. Eyrich notes that one of our founding fathers of America, Ben Franklin, believed that God was necessary when our new country was being formed.

Ben Franklin is cited for saying that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probably that an empire can rise without his aid? (p. 71)

Eyrich's 25th of 52 sessions uses 1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 and 7:20
-24 which reads in part: Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. . . . Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. . . . You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.

We need to be grateful for our country. In contrast to one of the Obama graphics above, Eyrich cites the famous words of John Fitzgerald Kennedy in his inaugural address:

Ask, not, what your country can do for you.

Ask what you can do for your country.

Picking up on this great quote Eyrich writes:

We should not ask, "What can God do for me?" He has already done all that we need. Rather, we should be asking, "What can I do for God to express my appreciation for his great work in my life?" The Christian Patriot best serves his country when he serves God by living a godly life in every arena of life, including the exercise of civic responsibilities to participate in self-governing (p. 74).

Here is a prayer from 93-year-old Billy Graham that was sent by a friend to my e-mail:  Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable... We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from sin and set us free. Amen!

With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we once again can be called "One nation under God!"

The Gospel Coalition has listed 40 Days with the Southern Baptists that you can participate in before the election. Let the 40 days begin.

To be continued October 1, LORD willing. 

Part Four of A Call to Christian Patriotism

We say the movie "Last Ounce of Courage" Saturday night. There were very moving scenes in it and it packs a punch for freedom in our country. Go to see it if you can. See trailer.

Lots of news this week of the anniversary of 9/11 eleven years ago. Ambassdor Stevens and three other State Department employees were killed in Libya; this was followed by protests in other counties, and the suggestion is that a YouTube video that slams the Prophet Muhammad is at the source of the attacks. Tim Brown reflects that Christians respond with truth to a film whereas Muslims respond with violence to a film at the Freedom Outpost. Suppose terrorists killed the producers of "Last Ounce of Courage"? Would we excuse them because of their emotions? I think not. Sure, the movies are different. Charles Krauthammer criticizes the state department here. This election may finally deal with foreign affairs, not just jobs and the economy.

And, this article calls for Obama to take a stand for Israel.


In our book in these ten Monday blogs, A Call to Christian Patriotism, published a year ago, but relevant today, Howard A. Eyrich again discusses more Scripture to shape the Christian patriot.

• Deuteronomy 29:1-9. Moses was used as a leader. George Washington was used as a leader and the most amazing Constitution and Bill of Rights came into being--DEMOCRACY. The author writes:

If we desire our children and our grandchildren to enjoy the gift of this Constitution, we must engage with this Continental Army [of George Washington]. The war was won to secure this document and the freedoms it secured. But we are faced with increasingly strong guerrilla operations that would trash it. We must take our responsibility for leadership and engage in the process of self-governing. (p. 47)

We can vote wisely and we can pray as Mark Driscol writes here:

Yes, we should be informed citizens who take our privilege of voting seriously. Our involvement with the political process is what makes the form of government in the United States work. But God has something much more in mind for us when it comes to our political involvement. . . .

God, through Paul [I Timothy 2:1-2], didn’t specify what leaders we are to pray for and not pray for. He didn’t say we should only pray for one particular political party. He simply said, pray “for kings and all who are in high positions.

• Matthew 27 and Revelation 19, 20. "The carnage of war is strewn across the face of history," writes Eyrich (p. 49). [Yet American's] "Christian underpinnings forged a nation in which the rule of law pushed back the forces of evil with more vigor than ever before. The Ten Commandments became the symbol of our existence. . . . Christian Patriots cannot relinquish the fight to push back evil (49, 50)."

• 2 Timothy 3:1-4. Eyrich lists earmarks of a politician he wants to see and contrasts these with the description of politicians who are covetous, boastful, proud, unthankful, disobedient, unholy, traitors, high-minded and lovers of self and pleasure. He also points to little help from media.

• Deuteronomy 29 and I Peter 5:6. The author gives five suggestions. 1) Live according to what is right in God's eyes. 2) Pray for repentance as Daniel did. 3) Seek out and elect those who will bring reform. 4) Speak out as I am trying to do here. 5) Use our influence to call Americans back to our roots.

• Isaiah 5:18-23. "We have replaced our Judeo-Christian value system with a postmodern system. This has led to both confusion and conflict, and the slow eroding of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution" (p. 58), write Dr. Eyrich. He points out that our leaders are angry and we have changed religious freedom into tolerance.

That film we saw last weekend, "Last Ounce of Courage," illustrates this attempt at political correctness that negates our religious freedom, a principal upon which our country was founded. This soldier appreciates our freedoms and his country. Like the son in the movie, he is willing to die for that freedom. 

Soldier Has American Soil He Is Tending Overseas





Part Three of A Call to Christian Patriotism

The Democrats took references to God  out of the convention. See here.  Then it was scripted to vote Him back in. Oh my! Gene Veith wrote about this in this blog post.

Dr. Eyrich reminds us in his book,  A Call to Christian Patriotism, of  some more reflective Scripture that I am listing here in Part Three just as I have listed his Scripture in the previous two posts.

•  Job 40:1-42:6 Our help comes from God who says everything under heaven in Mine. (41:11). The Republican and Democratic Conventions are His!
• We need to be training the next generation according to Deuteronomy 6:1-14. Eyrich gives nine steps from this passage.

1) Lay a theological foundation by teaching our children the character of God.

2) Build a relationship with God.

3) Practice biblical meditation.

4) Conduct formal instruction.

5) Practice casual application.

6) Practice intentional appreciation for God and the Bible.

7) Use the Bible and do God's work.

8) Display the reality of God through art.

9) Guard you heart.

• I am not sure one can separate church and state. Christianity Today has an article asking is there anything wrong with voting for a Mormon for President here. Fox put up a video supporting that our current President has Muslin leanings here if it hasn't been pulled yet, and one of my friends wrote on Facebook that Obama is not a Muslin. I do not think that the issue is where a candidate goes to church, but who can lead our country in the way we feel it should go.

Eyrich cites Numbers 21:1-18 and discusses the flag and the sanctuary. I think that a flag is controversial in some Reformed congregations because this symbol is interpreted as an idol. Yet when the Israelites complained in Numbers 21, God sent snakes to teach them a lesson. The people confessed their sin of complaining and a symbol of a bronze serpent was used after that. Anyone who was bitten by a snake, could be healed by looking at that bronze snake. To me there are more important issues, like not complaining, rather than whether a church has the idol of flags in the church. Christianity Today has an article on having a flag in the sanctuary--here.

• Eyrich writes: The American flag is the symbol of God's blessing on this nation. It reminds us that God gave us this country at the cost of much shed blood. It reminds us of how our forefathers struggled and sought God's intervention as they hammered out the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It reminds us that the preaching of the Word of God touched innumerable lives with the Gospel and the Christian world view. The Christian flag is also a symbol. It, too, is a manmade symbol, but nonetheless a spiritual symbol. It reminds us that we are Christians first. It reminds us that our relationship to Christ demands both our loyal submission and our obligation to impact our world with the message of the Gospel. It reminds us to worship. And it reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from God--including our national existence and our freedom. (pp. 37, 38)

• The desire for peace is part of the Christian patriot's calling; we need leaders who will pursue peace in our world. The author highlights John 14 to develop the peace of hope (vv. 1-3), the peace of faith (vv. 10-15), the peace of promise (vv. 16-26) and the peace of knowledge (vv. 27-31).
• Eyrich does not shy away from discussing taxes as he brings up 1 Samuel 8:10-17.

The war cry "Raise my taxes!" is the preemptive strike of union leadership who convinced their members that it is better to raise taxes to temporarily sustain a failed system than to cut social service budgets to correct the failing system and preserve a state. . . . Study history and learn from the mistakes of others, or you will repeat history. It seems to me that the history of Israel teaches that if we exchange freedom under God with its accompanying personal responsibility for the assurance of government to provide cradle-to-grave care, we sacrifice freedom to gain servitude (p. 43). . . . In our democratic republic, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights are to us what the God-given law was to Israel in a theocratic kingdom. To dismantle these historical documents either by neglect or by activist courts is to replace them with a "king" that will rule for the benefit of power. Our very existence, as America is dependent on two things. The first is the proclamation of the Gospel, which seeds our population with God fearing citizens. The second is the guarding and enforcement of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights as they were given in their historical context (p. 44) .

In this current election, there are conditions beyond the faith of the candidates and maybe even beyond whether God is mentioned in the convention platform in a very cursory way. The very history and unique character of these United States of American are what is at stake.

To be continued next Monday.

Part Two of A Call to Christian Patriotism



Hopefully many of your saw the 2016 movie and records show that many have indeed seen this documentary. 

For this second Monday in this series which follows part one of Howard Al Eyrich's book, we look at prayer for our nation. I must admit that often my prayer is for people I know and my problems in this life. But spiritual warfare needs prayer and prayer helps us realize God's sovereignty in our world and nation. Howard Eryich continues with carefully selected Scripture:

• Romans 6-9. These chapters really chronicle our standing in Christ and put the law and sin in perspective. Eyrich writes:

As Patriots who are Christians, our hope rests in that finished work of Jesus to effect the redemption of our souls. As Christians who are Patriots we rest our national welfare in the hands of God through our Constitution and Bill of Rights. . . . If we, like ancient Israel, neglect our responsibilities, we will suffer eventual demise at our own hands as a result of our own neglect (p. 17).

• 2 Chronicles 7:14 reads  If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
• John 18:28-38. Here Christ tells Pilate that His kingdom is not of this world. Pilate asks what is truth? and tells the Jews that he find no fault in Christ.
• Haggai 2:10-23 is used to emphasize that our worldview makes a difference and of course this is true in voting. But it is the LORD who will overthrow the throne of kingdoms (vs. 22).
• Micah 2:1-13 and Amos 8:4-6. Eyrich comments,

We cannot but see the similarities to the Wall Street debacle of recent years, culminating in the housing and mortgage crash (p. 28).

I watched with interest the Republican National Convention last week. Some Christians have their own strategies on the election and they are considering voting for a third candidate. I think that we are not voting for either Romney or Obama as a pastor, but as a leader and that fact needs to be taken into consideration. Voting for a third candidate will just divide the vote. The two-party system is really what we have IMHO.

Another site put it succinctly:

The real choice come November is whether you want a socialistic government and country or the free America of our past? If you want America to become like the old Soviet Union and Cuba, then cast your vote for Obama/Biden as this is socialism. If you want to save America and restore it to its former greatness and free enterprise system, then vote for Romney/Ryan for this is Americanism.

It is indeed time for prayer and seeking God's face. Eyrich pens this prayer on p. 29:

Almighty God, giver of the Ten Commandments, enable us by your Holy Spirit to be keepers of the law. Help us to have the courage to proclaim your law. Convict us of our responsibility to protect all men but especially the poor. Grant us the ability to be merciful, kind and gentle. But, also, give us the strength to punish the wicked when they break the law. Help us to value the freedom you have granted us. Amen!