I'd like to pass on a link. I just finished listen to an interview between Mark Dever and Carolyn McCulley. This is worth a careful listen, and I pray that I (and you too) might be the men and women that would love God more than we might love self.

http://www.9marks.org/audio/women-christianity-and-feminism/?utm_campaign=9MarksUpdate-20100801&utm_medium=email&utm_source=entirelist&utm_content=audiointerview

In my continued plod through a series of book called: The Essential Edwards Collection by Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney, I ran across these thoughts.

“It is wise to rest and to pace oneself. Furthermore, it is humble to do so. Though it may not seem to be motivated by pride, overworking sometimes reveals a desire to control the world such that one cannot be happy unless all is in immediate order. Though it seems strange in a very busy age, resting can often glorify the Lord since it expresses humility and a recognition of God's sovereignty.” (Lover of God, 71)

“The glorious excellencies and beauty of God will be what will for ever entertain the minds of the saints, and the love of God will be their everlasting feast. The redeemed will indeed enjoy other things; they will enjoy the angels, and will enjoy one another; but that which they shall enjoy in the angels, or each other, or in any thing else whatsoever that will yield them delight and happiness, will be what shall be seen of God in them. (Works, 17, 208)”

“For Edwards, life is not about one's selfish interests and heaven is not about one's prefabricated paradise. Earthly life and heavenly life alike revolve around the greatness of God.”

From The Essential Edwards Collection: Lover of God, Owen Strachan and Doug Sweeney, Moody Press, p. 63-64.

A week ago we got together with several of our children and grandchildren. We now have a few visiting with us, with another daughter coming for a brief visit next week. Pastors are, for the most part, with the Lord's blessing, family men.

While this status ought not to be abused, the church ought to encourage their pastor to be a godly, faithful husband, son, dad and grandfather. The pastor's family is in need of all that he would counsel other men to give to their family.

The pastor's family is also a sinful family. In saying this I am not saying that the families of pastors are all very dysfunctional. Certainly some may be. On the other hand all of the children and grandchildren come into the family being in the state of spiritual deadness. They will not show signs of spiritual life until, and if, God makes them alive in Christ.

Therefore, we might pray for our pastor and his family like we would pray for any other Christian family – that he and his wife might be godly testimonies at home and that God would graciously save his children and grandchildren. Further, as in my case, not all my children are waking with the Lord, and my grandchildren have not yet professed Christ. Continue to pray, lest the love of family overwhelm his heart, pushing out the love of the Lord. Or, that he would cease to love and care for those in his family who are rebellious against the Lord.

In other words, the pastor, in his relationship to his family, is a man just like any other Christian man; therefore, pray for him as you might for yourself or your husband.

“Because He [God] is not capricious, He can be known. He can be trusted. His words are a true revelation of Himself, and we need not fear that He will act arbitrarily. Such was good news for the ancient Israelite, and it remains good news for us today.” Table Talk, July 2010

This means, among other things, that as we come to know this God, our character will become more stable, less capricious. This is a good, especially if it is coupled with holiness.

I have not counted but I suspect that Princeton Baptist Church, like many other church, is made up of a majority of women. While we believe that men and women are saved by the same Savior, through the same cross, and the same faith, we also believe that God has made men and women with distinctions. We are not the same.

As mentioned we believe that our distinction were designed and given to us by our Creator. This has many implication for life, work, families and church, many of which are actually addressed in God's Word.

Every couple of months www.9marks.org publishes an eJournal. This issue is entitled Pastoring Women. I found it a helpful and challenging read, and wish to pass it on to you. The eJournal is on the home page.

May our women be glorious, holy women and a men, noble, faithful leaders, even here in Princeton.

Distractions, and other things.

Is this something that only those of us in small, rural town experience? I doubt that this would be so. Urban pastors certainly could have even more distractions. Over these past weeks we have learned, without much surprise, that our mini-van was not going to pass inspection. Therefore, we decided not to do any of the repairs that we had planned on doing, but would pursue a newer vehicle. This was hastened by the death of the van's battery. In the meanwhile, and even before we receive the notice of impending death, we had started to look around a little on line, as well as in Calais.

Now Calais is, depending upon where one wants to end up, about 25-30 minutes away. (If one counts time to get into the vehicle and get into one's destination- in other words, it is not just a block or two away.). So it was decided that I would take a trip into this 'city', (It has a couple of traffic lights!) from out here in the county, for the purpose of buying a battery or getting a new vehicle. I came home with neither, as the only van on the lot needed a couple of little things done to it before I took it home.

So, after a few jump starts I returned the next morning and did come home with the newer van. One fix up took a good part of another day, and then an alignment. Hopefully we are finished with this.

Writing, and not just putting letters on a computer screen, but arriving at something without too many typo's and wrong words stuck in any old place, or left out entirely, takes me a long time to do. So this blog has suffered.

Yet, are all these van things really distractions? I think not. They are a very real, hands on, element of this life that God's gives us to life. The Sovereign, Almighty Lord, does not consider them as distractions, I believe. These are tests to see of what one is made! These stir up in us groanings, and so we cry out for something better, according to the promises of God. They are opportunities to show of what material one is made. Will one trust God? Will one rejoice in the Lord, always?

May we accept these opportunities that come from the hand and heart of our Heavenly Father.

Is Christ beautiful? (Continued)

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1Pe 2:9 ESV)

God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, has taken upon himself the task of not just restoring what was lost, ruined and corrupted, but of making it even better than it was previously.

In this life we have a tendency to be thrilled over something new, yet as the newness wears off we find that our delight and pleasure in this object, or even in a person, will diminish. That which once satisfied no longer does so. Yet I suspect that as we contemplate the wonders of God's marvelous light we will find no end to it. In other words it shall for eternity be marvelous. This will be true for a couple of reason. First God is, indeed, glorious and will be always so regardless of the number of times, or angles from which, we look upon him. Secondly, our heart and nature will one day be holy and pure, and will hunger after, not just the good things that God has done, but after God himself. Our all-to-shallow heart will be made deep. Forever, we will want him.

Today we contemplate what God has done for us only from time to time, and at times we are even captivated in wonder at God's work of forgiveness, justification, reconciliation and adoption. But restlessly we get distracted, and find our flesh seeking satisfaction else where.

This calls us to endurance; to set our heart today upon not just the wonderful things that God has done, but upon him, and to keep our heart there. If we have had opportunity to watch a skilled craftsman at work we find ourselves marveling not just at what is being crafted but with the craftsman as he works, the turnings of his wrists, the movement of his fingers, the relaxed pose of his body, thus we find that He too is beautiful.

If we are one of those brought from darkness into light by God, we are to do more than just proclaim the excellencies of the change of location. No! No! The one who has moved us is excellent above all.

May God forgive us of our distractions, our spiritual laziness, and may he stir our hearts to see His beauty.

Is Christ beautiful?

"One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple." (Psa 27:4 ESV)

A story.

The property was deserted, a tangle of weeds, broken branches and litter mingled in with what might be take to be the remains of - maybe a flower bed. Broken windows, a door that would not swing shut, and a sagging roof line along with muted peeling paint highlighted the structure. All the neighborhood though the guy was crazy, a fool, for sure. He himself was not a handsome man, just average. He did not exactly move in, but he did live there, perhaps one might say he camped there.

The demolition was not total – some wood removed here and there so that structural pieces might be torn out and replaced. Then doing a stretch of days, predicted by the weather man to be fairly dry, the roof came off, only to be made new.

By late fall new windows and doors hung in their place ready to do what they were designed to do. All winter lights shone through those windows causing speculation, leading to comments about which room was being worked on, accompanied by the occasional “I wonder if he might be warm enough in there?”

Spring came, and less smoke wafted from the chimney. Now, almost a year had passed. The litter and junk seemed to be disappearing, the digging began. Weeds came out, the soil was built up, new and old bulbs, plants and seeds took their places. During the summer and fall gardens took on an air of promise – 'Wait – another year or two!'

Finished work was evident on the outside when winter returned. Now there was some expressed admiration, and a hope of someday seeing what the inside of the place might look like.

Spring marked a continued expansion of the dominion of this man. Then he was gone!

It was not until nearly two weeks later that the local gossips eagerly reported for a fact the he was back and that he had a woman with him, a cow, a horse a few sheep and some chickens, as well.

Over the years the family was blessed and grew. He kept the place well and all agreed that she was a wonderful companion. New comers would remark on the house and the beauty of the grounds, but the old timers they knew – a ruin had been restored – a man had come, a man with a heart for work, sweat and long hours. A man with skilled hands and a heart for that which is good and fruitful. He (along with her) was beautiful!

What beauty is there to behold when we look upon Christ?

(To be continued)

On being a single parent

First, I am not a single parent and the experience I am about to relay in this blog is no attempt to pretend that I have been a single parent.

My wife was away for 15 days. While this was not the first time she had left me to be with our older children to help with a new grandchild, this trip marked a few transitions for us. A few months ago we put Mom in a home. I had always been more or less tied down to the house, unless someone was there to watch her during previous absences on my wife's part.

Our youngest, now almost sixteen has helped out with the duties of watching her grandma, and once in a while we would have another lady watch her if we both had to be away. This time it just our youngest and myself! Freedom!!??

Well, in the name of honesty we did allow some cleaning to slide until the last couple of days, but the house did not turn into a total disaster, as we did do a few daily chorus. Also, with unlimited calling as well as the internet we were not cut off from contact with mom. And as a father of four daughters I have come to accept that dads just can not fill the role when a daughter calls and asks “Is mom there?”

Our baby, and I knew this ahead of time, has a few activities to which her mom usually drives her. Ok, I thought no problem. Then there is something referred to as father-daughter relationship. Daughters do need to be communicated with, given attention, cooked for, encouraged, corrected and just plan have some time with their parents. A note, covering all 15 days, posted on the refrig just would not do the job.

So having this delightful creature around meant something to me … “You have a daughter and for the time being you are her only parent within normal speaking range!”

What would change in my schedule, in my carefully crafted list of priorities? Work time? ME TIME? How important to me was it that I had a daughter to parent? What sacrifices would I make for her well being?

Certainly, if, in the will of God, my wife would be taken from us, this issue of being a single parent would become all too real, close and personal. How would I do? I know that I am thankful to the Lord for my wife, the mother of our children, for all her parenting. And I acknowledge that she can not be replaced, but if she were not here, I would be called upon to make permanent changes in my life. What would I be willing to give up? To change? Permanently, or at least until she got a few years older, to take her places, parent her, do father-daughter things and time, and not to let our relationship deteriorate into that of being isolated housemates?

My hat is off to all single parents who have taken this responsibility well. May the Lord give you grace day to day.

Christ is risen!

Amen!

Hello!

Remember me? Al, the pastor of the Princeton Baptist Church, in Princeton, Me, by the will of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Yes, I have been aware of the lack of updates on this blog. No promises, however, I am making an attempt to get back into this.

My excuses??

We have sold our house. It was about a 50 minute drive from our present location in Princeton. The sale meant trips to get STUFF which we had at the house, and it also meant that we had to figure out where to put this stuff here. We are still working on that, with some measure of success. I'm amazed when another load disappears into the garage, and we can still walk in and out of the garage!!

Just a few days after the closing on the house my wife left Princeton to fly to Maryland to be with our daughter, Amy, her husband and their two daughters. While she was there a third daughter appeared. Just like that!! In the meanwhile our youngest daughter and I have been left to our own resources. Well, there were a few frozen things left in the freezer for us!

We have been managing well, but it is not the same without a loving wife and mother. Yes, I am pleased that my wife was able to be with Amy and her family. We wish they were closer so we could just drop in or spend a day to help out when needed. However, at present that is not the way it is.

God willing ,we get wife and mother back tomorrow - about supper time we should get home.

I have a couple more blogs in the works. Though, so as not to bury you in reading, I'll pace my posts.

The Lord has been good to us. We are blessed and do praise His Name.

Sharing our faith through FaceBook and other internet sites.

From time to time emails and posts surface urging the reader to pass the message on if they are a believer in Christ. The express intent is to share the message of Jesus Christ. (Even worse are the Christian chain letters that speak of blessings or answers to prayer or avoidance of “bad things” if the message is passed on to some many people.)

I usually do not participate.

Here are my reasons.

First, some messages are poorly written so that the message of Jesus Christ, or the definition of what it is to be a Christian, is at best vague. Sometime bad theology characterizes the message.

Secondly, more and more people are ignorant of who Jesus Christ is; therefore, a mere mention of him in a brief FaceBook post is likely not to be thorough enough to inform the reader of the basic points of who Christ is or why one ought to trust in him.

Thirdly, reposting such messages does not, in fact, establish one to be a true follower of Christ, any more so than plastering one's vehicle with Christian bumper stickers would.

Fourthly, a true follower of Christ is to also be a transparent follower of Christ. This means that my friends on FaceBook, etc, ought, over time, to see that I do not live in sin, that my speech does speak of Christ and the Gospel, that love and truth, as spoken of in the Bible, is seen, while taking the Lord's name in vain, crude/course speech, deceit, and numerous other signs of conformity to sin are absent.

In other words, as you get to know me through the internet you also ought to see the God of the Bible in me and to hear that my boast and glory is in the God who has had mercy upon me through Christ.

Reposting “Christian” posts may not be harmful but if not accompanied with speech that shows fellowship with God such posting is at best shallow, and at worst, is hypocrisy.

Christians are not perfect people, we are still between being forgiven of our sins through a confession of Christ and being brought into Christ's glory. No one of us will be the witness that we ought to be 100% of the time. I am not trying to be critical in the sense of sending a blasting message of condemnation to 'reposters'. However, I am challenged myself to think of being a thorough Biblical, witness to the God who-is through my life on-line.

May each post by each believer add up to a grand testimony of God's grace and truth.

The importance of self!

We have been in Princeton now for roughly a year and a half. Time after time I see evidence of God using me, using us, to minister to people. This is not the stuff of news headlines, or maybe even local gossip. Yet as time marches on we see the image of Christ in ourselves and others growing more and more glorious.

I often think, in situations in which I 'feel' that I have been able to provide some light or an answer or speak an appropriate word, “Hey, this is larger than myself. God is at work here!” Given the frailties of our heart, and it propensity towards deception, I know that feelings are not always trustworthy guide. Yet, I would stand firm that God is working in our midst. And, amazingly, God is working in and through me.

Certainly, one should not blow his own horn. There are Biblical warnings against doing that; however, there is also Biblical support for recognizing who and what God is making a person into, where He is placing him and for what purposes. As pastor of a small flock of believers this must mean that I embrace the responsibilities, the authority and the humility of such a calling.

What I am saying is that grappling with and embracing one's calling is not an expression of sinful selfishness, rather to avoid the calling of God is selfishness. However, along with this awareness of stepping up to the plate one must have a growing conviction that it is God who is a work in ME. (Phil. 2:12,13)

Therefore, if in the end, I would be desirous of being able to say: “I have run the race!” I must now say: “By the grace of God I am running the race!”

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1Pe 1:8-9 ESV)

Merry Christmas!

One week from today is Christmas! But what is Christmas? Most believers recognize that Christ was most likely born on a different date, even in a different time of the year.

I am convinced that if God had wanted us to make a big deal out of the birth of His Son He would have included a few more pertinent details, such as a date. But moving on to my own history, I remember as a kid having a tree glowing with lights, stacked with gifts, accompanied by notes of Christmas music floating in the air, and trips to grandparents – long trips from northern Maine (then later central Maine) to southern Maine – more gifts, more relatives and lots more food. As time progressed some of you entered found a place in my memory. But one may have these memories without having anything directly related to the birth of the Messiah. And so, over my life time, and I am sure that this trend started long before that, we have been witnessing, and may even have had a part in, the secularization of this holiday.

In some ways, I am pleased that more non-believers are opting out of saying “Merry Christmas” and that our secular schools are not doing Christmas any more. (Though the extremes that we are witnessing of emptying our schools of all historical memories of our heritage and traditions is a grave and tragic error.) The secular American may observe 'whatever' or not as they wish too, spend as much money or not, and decorate profusely or not.

Likewise, we believers should not be tied too tightly into our American way of doing Christmas, for Christ is far bigger than any American tradition. And over the years that is what has been occurring in my own heart, and I think to some extent in my family as well, that the trappings are free to come and go because the entrance of God into the world as a human being moves us to awe and worship each and every day of the year.

Lastly, God never encourages us to make a big deal over the birth of Christ because without his death, according to the Scriptures, and his burial, and resurrection, according to the Scriptures all would be empty, meaningless! Leaving us with the option of eating, drinking and making merry for tomorrow we die! However, since this unique Son of God – come in the flesh as man – did happen, we look forward to grace and judgment upon his return. While we wait we worship, and rejoice with joy inexpressible, filled with glory, on any day.

This year I believe I celebrate with perhaps more worship and joy than I ever have. We also have fewer decorations. These two do not necessarily go together. I desire most to worship well, with Joy and Hope, so that others might see and that they too might someday have this same Hope and Joy that comes from the King of kings and Lord of lords.

I close with a couple of verses from Hebrews: Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. (7:25 ESV) And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (11:6 ESV)

Okay, I haven't blogged for a while – I living in a small town and sometimes there is not much happening!! (Disclaimer – I am exaggerating some and this blog is not strictly tied to what is or what is not happening in Princeton!).

Over the last couple of weeks I have been preparing for the next topic in our Adult Sunday School class, which will be the decrees of God and his sovereignty. I spent some time over several days getting familiar with a view known, among other names, as Open Theism. In someways this was a delightful exercise, but one that also left me with sadness. This is an excellent example of poor theology leading to bad theology. I will not rehash the whole thing but share some brief comments.

This is a teaching that speaks of God's relationship with his creation, claiming that there is much, regarding future events, that God knows only as possibilities. God knows all possibilities, and being infinitely intelligent he has the ability to to be prepared to respond to any and all combinations of possibilities. While God has the broad outline of history fixed there are many 'little' steps along the way that God is willing to take risks as to how his creatures will respond to himself as well as to events in their lives.

From my admitted limited exposure, I suggest the following poor theological points allows for even more glaring positions to be embraced. Many of the proponents are Arminian in their theology, thus they already hold that a spiritually dead person may chose life, that God is doing all that he can do to save everyone, and that God knows future events because he foresees (looks ahead) to see what we will do. Problems exist with these position yet the Open Theism proponents, while recognizing some errors, will use these as platforms to build an even shaker house. Scriptures does not seem to be the number one building tool for this theory, rather the mind is. While I argue that many of us do not love God with enough of our mind, human thinking is full of faulty presuppositions, and therefore, must not be relied upon exclusively, or even chiefly.

The Holy Spirit, and He alone, through the Scriptures, is the teacher of Truth. Yet we do have responsibility to hear, learn and build upon the truth. The following is repeated seven times in Revelation chapters two and three: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Rev 2:7 ESV) If our starting point is something learned because we have not been listening, where will our ending point be?

A letter to a friend who is for homosexual marriage.

I noticed your post the other day encouraging people to vote, and your expression of hope that this issue (the homosexual one) will not divide friendships.

Yes, I think this issue will divide friendships. But here is how I am handling this issue, or hope to anyway. Not all of my friends on FB or otherwise are Christians, and even then not all think like I do. So from the start I know that differences exist, and I expect them to show up. I hope to have room in these relationships to debate and even persuade (or try to) some of these friends.

Regarding this issue of homosexuality and marriage. I have wondered, and even asked, but have gotten no direct answer to the following question. The Christian worldview has largely played a role in defining marriage as one man and one woman. If marriage is being redefined what than is the world view (religion or philosophy) that is replacing Christianity's place in Maine's moral playing field?

Several letters to the editor have suggested Nature, saying that homosexual activities and relationships exist in nature so it is a good thing and ought not to be 'discriminated against. I view this as a legitimate replacement, but also a very scary one, for the following reasons. Homosexuality is not the only sexual relationship displayed in the world of nature, and I know of no animals who desire to be married, i.e. get a license. So I see inconsistency in this argument. Further, what else do animals do that we have laws prohibiting us humans from doing? Those using the 'nature' argument should not complain one bit if their neighbor eats them or their family (literally) for lunch.

This, of course, is taught in our public school systems, while a great deal of effort and cost is incurred in attempts to keep the students from being just one of the animals on the evolutionary chain. Kind of ironic?

Though it has a lot of supports I do not view the 'Christian' support for homosexual as seriously as the above mentioned 'nature' argument, because it is a pick-and-choose-from-the-Bible religion based upon man. This type of Christianity, while popular at times, does not distinguish itself from none Christian thinking, and as in Europe, this Christianity here in the US will become a minor player.

Also, the Bible, taken as the Word of God is to be taken the way God gave it rather than for us to sit in judgment over it: accepting or rejecting this part or that teaching. If love, from the Bible is to govern us, than we must start with the first command: to love God with all of our heart, soul, strength and mind. Christ said to love him is to keep his commands. To pick and choose which commands we like or don't like is not loving God.

Yes, marriage is in a pretty sad state here in Maine. Yet redefining marriage to allow homosexual marriages is to move it to an even worse state. God has defined marriage as between a man and a woman, largely for reproduction sake. (Read the first several chapters of the Bible.) Unfaithfulness, divorce and remarriage, or just living together are all failures on man's part to live up to God's standard, however, they are all within the Biblical model of man-woman sexual relationship. Homosexuality is regarded by God as an abomination because it breaks that model. Man to man or woman to woman, without any hope of fruitfulness, i.e. to have children. It is like trying to attach two pieces of equipment with two nuts or two bolts. It just does not take the place of the combination of a nut and a bolt.

Further, much that contributes to the failure of marriage can be linked to the hardness of our hearts and also our willingness to pursue our lusts and desires over the self control needs to maintain faithfulness in marriage. Heterosexuals need to control their sexual desires, so do homosexuals. Let's accept that the argument that homosexuals are born that way may be true. Christianity presents the framework for the individual to have freedom from his or hers lustful desires. This is true for the homosexual, as well. We do not have to follow that desire.

If marriage is re-defined, here is what I expect will happen. The people pushing for this will continue to push for a national definition of marriage which will include homosexual relationships. They will push this as politically correct speech, and will seek to silence any opposing viewpoints, for after all homosexuality will be legal and to speak against it will to hate the homosexual, and will therefore be a hate crime. Schools and eventually churches will all have to be politically correct. The homosexual world wants their sin to be endorsed universally.

This will to some degree have an impact on my heterosexual marriage. It will be more work to teach/train children that heterosexual marriage is the right way to go. I suspect voicing an opinion as such publicly may cost me my job, position, etc, and friends. Regarding my own marriage, I don't expect this to add to or take away from how we view our marriage now.

The consequences are larger than the secular world thinks. If the God of the Bible is real - his views are expressed in Romans 1:18 through the end of the chapter – he must be taken seriously. Will God bring wrath upon us if we adopt homosexual marriage? Our adoption of such is an indication that he already has given us over to wrath. Therefore, the only safe course is to repent, individually and corporately as a state or nation, forsaking our rebellion against our Maker, to forsake those things God defines as sin, and to seek his mercy in his Son, Jesus Christ.

Some friends may hate me for holding to this position. I expect this as well.

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like in the days of some of the Old Testament people when there were numerous false prophets, and sometimes but one or two true prophets of God? I believe we have not further to look that our present times. Maine is holding a vote in a few days on the issue of homosexual marriage. A number of clergy have spoken, often emphasizing love, in favor of redefining marriage to include homosexual relationships. They are thus saying, as they frequently quote the Bible, that "thus says the Lord ..."

Yet they speak a message that is not from God for they do not speak of loving God first and then loving our neighbor, in the manner God has spoken of. They speak words that sound good: "Do this thing that is a sin, and feel good about doing it!"

What do these people look like, and sound like? Often times they look and speak respectfully? They have people listening to them, and wondering at their words. They do not look evil? Nor, dangerous.

Beware, test all thing by God's Word. Test the spirits of the prophets to see if what a man says is true.

Unfaithfulness and other possible traps.

From time to time one hears of marriages that are torn apart due to unfaithfulness displayed in online relationships.

I will confess that I am a member of, and regular user of Facebook (FB), that I exchange messages with, chat with and check “like” on postings made by men, women and children, other than those posted by my own family. What may one use as safe guards to prevent these 'friendships' from developing into something that may destroy a marriage (or two) and that would prevent the name of my God to be blasphemed?

Other lists may be out there, but here is my own non-legalistic list.

Honor God in all that you are doing, on or off the internet. The more this is ingrained in my character the less likely I will fall into something that would dishonor God.

Honor my marriage. Again, like the above statement, but I would also add the following. Let other people know, through conversations, maybe pictures, etc. that you are married and that your spouse – well, other than God, is your life. Post positive things about your spouse and your relationship. Don't allow yourself to start complaining or have a pity party regarding your spouse with another person on line.

Have a joint account, where available, with your spouse. While there may be times for a private conversation with someone (like ordering an birthday gift, etc. from a woodturner friend of yours) what should we hide from our spouse. And are not husband and wife one?

My wife is not on line. So I verbally pass on information gleaned from my worldwide contacts, also, her friends have learned to pass messages on to her through me. However, that is not my main point, which is be open in your communication on line. I have daughters, a daughter-in-law, and various other near and far relatives as well as people in the church in my friends list. So far I have not restricted my conversations or formed select lists of friends. I believe and hope that if some of the above named people saw conversations/responses that were not honoring God and that might be dishonoring to my marriage that they would confront me with this. And also, should not I do the same thing?

Limit your private conversations. I am not trying to be legalistic here by banning all private conversation, but I am aware of several things:

1. other marriages have been ruined due to 'friendships' that were not maintained as such.

2, Even though I am getting old, and am married, I have not found that the emotional mechanism that enables one to 'falling in love' has stopped working, therefore, I need to be aware if and when emotions kick in.

3, I am married, have I mentioned this yet?

Here is a thought I'll share, in closing. If it were God's will that my wife should pass away and I pursue marriage with one of my 'friends' on FB, or otherwise, would she know from personal experience or observation that I had flirted, etc, while married and thus that she might have cause for concern if she were to married me? Or would she know that her marriage was safe?

Pray for one another; the flesh is weak. Flee temptation.

I was asked the following question the other day: “Please tell me more about why you think that Christianity and its work ethic is being thrown out?”

My thoughts are that Christianity is being thrown out of our culture and thus various aspects of Christianity, such as its work ethic, are being thrown out as well, though perhaps all are not being discarded evenly.

How would one define a Christian work ethic? First one must define what would be Christian (Christianity) in general. While there are many out there who make some claims on defining these terms the Bible, in 1 John, gives us several parameters. The first item is a belief and confession that Jesus is the Son of God come in the flesh. This includes his pre-existence, his conception, his teaching and miracles, his death on the cross, his burial and his resurrection, concluding with the understanding that he is now ruling the universe until he should return again as judge of all mankind. This is the hope of the believer, every part of it. The believer believes that Christ is the only way and the only hope of any one ever approaching and being accepted by God. Christ is what each individual needs to stand approved before God.

Holiness or obedience is the second aspect. God is described in 1 John as light. Since he is light we have fellowship with him only if we are also walking in the light. Further, if one is claiming to know God yet is not walking in the light he is a liar and does not know God. This is a bit complicated because no believer is ever perfectly obedient. So what is looked for is: 1) the power of sin has been broken in a person's life. He or she is no longer a slave to sin. And 2) the power of God is seen in a person's life in producing real and true obedience to God's Word.

Both of the above elements are essential. It is true that some might do deeds that appear to be obedient to the Bible. Yet if these deeds are not done accompanied by the confession in Christ, than one is not a believer, not a Christian. Part of the reason for this is that even our obedience is tainted with sin. Our confession is that Christ is what we need to be pleasing to God.

A third point that is mentioned in 1 John is that of loving other believers. This is far deeper than a person having a Christian for a neighbor and being neighborly to this Christian. Believers' love for each other is to be like that of Christ's love for his people. Needs of fellow believers are to be put ahead of one's own interests and desires. If this is not seen in one's life than John declares that one does not love God. Here again no believer will love perfectly as Christ loves his people, yet nevertheless, love for fellow believers will be in the true believers life.

Therefore, we must conclude that many people who claim an interest in Christianity are probably lacking because they are falling short in one or more of these areas. There are some, however, who do stand as true believers. None of these people will have a work ethic that is perfectly Christian, but there should be some effort on the part of the believer to think about this issue of work and then to apply Biblical teaching to the work place.

God himself is our first example of one doing work. (See Genesis 2:2,3 as well as 5 and 15) God worked over a period of six days to create everything that is-not-God. He is seen as working efficiently, consistently and well because in the end he was pleased with it. God expected man, as a being in his own likeness, to be a worker. The above verses mentioned this work. One should note that this work was spoken of before sin had any mark upon man or the world. After the entry of sin than work is seen as being necessary and also encumbered with much hardship.

The New Testament teaching regarding slaves serving their masters has a great deal of input for our topic. I will summarize.

Work first and foremost to please God.

Complaining in not to accompany work, and neither is sloth.

Honesty is of great importance, including the use of one's time, for all that is done casts a reflection on the God we claim to serve.

One is to seek the betterment of his employer.

Work is not solely for one's own profit. Support of oneself and family is good, but work is to be done so as to share one's own income and profit with those in need. (I would point out that this is a far different scenario than one in which the government taxes income and funnels it into a government run, or even private run, charity.)

Here are some questions one might explore as indicators of the influence of Christianity in general upon and in our culture.

Poll elementary aged students, or college students or adults, regarding the following:

Which holiday is the most important: Christmas, Easter or Halloween or 'other'?
(Christian answer: Easter)

Which holiday do you enjoy the most: Christmas, Easter or Halloween or 'other'?
(Easter)

Who were our first parents?
(Adam and Eve, made directly by God.)

Where did sin come from?
(Adam disobedience)

If someone doesn't work what should they eat?
(Nothing)

If one has family members in need who should take care of them?
(The family, then a neighbor)

To whom is one accountable?
(God: our Creator and Judge)

Who is Jesus Christ?
(The eternal Son of God come in flesh.)

Of what importance is Christ's death on the cross?
(It fulfills prophecy in the manner he died and also in that he appeased God's wrath by dying for God's people and then credited these people with his own obedience. God would be approached through the death of His Son, and only this way.)

Why is Easter so important?
(Without the physical resurrection of Christ all other points of Christian faith are null and void.)

Do you plan to retire, and if so, how do you envision yourself during these years?
(I would desire to always serve God, rather than to just seek my own pleasure, even when I start to get old and slow down.)

While such Christianity has not disappeared from America it is becoming less known. There is a pseudo Christianity claiming great tolerance in the name of love for other 'belief systems', life styles and anything that is not absolute. This willingness to grant validity to both the high road and the low road is actually a display of great hatred against the one way that God has provided.

Our culture is showing specific hatred against the God-who-is as it adopts other policies than ones based upon his revelation. Why work? Why do our work in a certain manner? What motivates our work? What shapes our policies respect non-workers? Who supports them and why? Is the Bible the authority our lawmakers turn to for light respecting the issues before them?

Even many Christians do not think about work as a service unto God, it is just something we have to do to support ourselves so that we can have fun at other times. The God of Christianity places demands for absolute serve, along with demands for absolute contentment and trust, upon each of us for He is our Creator and our Judge.

Americans would be pleased to find another god(s) who will serve us.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:17 ESV)