Todd Bentley and our lack of discernment

I posted about the Lakeland Revival some weeks ago and was already leery but I did not have enough info. I just know that there is always something that we as Christians jump on without discernment. I know that God moves today. I have seen him move on me and through me but at the same time there should be a strong desire to know who God is. I don't know what happened to get so many Christians to check their minds at the door. Here is more from J. Lee Grady on what happened and is happening with Todd Bentley and Lakeland. My question is...

What caused all of these Christians-many who are well respected leaders-to not use discernment when it came to Lakeland or Todd?

"Kind of Unbiased News sources"

Here is a list of unbiased...well kind of unbiased news sources. It may help you as you follow the presidential campaign trail. Compliments of Aaron Dobruck.

ap
bbc
npr
pbs
American Public Radio
CBC

Click on these and let me know if they are truly unbiased or if you suffer from severe "biaswashing". I think these are ok since they are from Aaron. He is a cool guy. He taught me how to wear a lobster hat with style:)

What does God think of patriots?

Well I have been listening to many comment on the presidential campaign and especially questioning Obama's patriotism. This has sparked the question of whether it is ok to be Christian and a patriot? Would it have been ok in the Roman empire? In the antebellum south the Confederate soldiers would have been considered patriots? Where do we draw the line in being christians and also for our country? One of the people who come to mind as I contemplate this argument is Dietrich Boenhoffer who resisted Nazi Germany to the point of being incarcerated in a concentration camp. All of this because he was not a good patriot. As I think about my own ethnicity it is hard for me to be a patriot because every time I think of America I think slavery. How can I be a patriotic towards a country that was founded on the suffering and oppression of my ancestors? How do I reconcile that with my Christian faith? How can I be a patriotic towards a country that slaughtered my native american ancestors to near extinction? That is just my own personal contact with the lack of integrity of America. Is there a biblical precedent for not being patriotic. Maybe....read Amos 1:1-2:8

On the other hand I enjoy being able to vote, being able to write about things like this on a blog without being in danger of incarceration, I like having my own choice of what I buy and the fact that I am able to go to school or to Trader Joe's for that matter.

I guess it all boils down to integrity. I think that is why Obama has been apologizing for America. It is not that we are not a great nation but have not been consistent in maintaining our national integrity. We are not consistently righteous so why should I worship at the shrine of America. Only God is consistently righteous and that's who wins out in the end above all nations.

Objections to the Obama-Nation 3

Interestingly enough most of these objections I am hearing from conservative Christian radio. One last objection is that Obama should not be president because of his theological views. If that is the case then many of our founding fathers should not have been presidents either. John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison were all deists. What is a deist? Someone who believes God created everything and set it in motion yet has nothing to do with the created order. If that is not atheism dressed up in religous clothing I don't know what is. All this talk about America being a christian nation is hogwash. A little after the Revolutionary war America was only 10% christian. Is that a Christian nation? There are countries right now that missionaries consider unreached who have that many Christians. So whether Obama has his views on God downpacked is not a good evaluation of whether he will do good as president. Most Christian don't have their theology together anyway but we don't say that they are not christians or fit to do their jobs. So that's my two cents on the matter. If anyone has something to say for or against Obama let me know in the comments. I want to know what you all are thinking out there!

Peace,

Ramon

Objections to the Obama-Nation 2

Another objection to Obama being president is that he is only a good public speaker and not good on his toes in a debate. This is honestly one of the most ridiculuous arguments I have ever heard of. A president's merit and ability to fulfill the duties of his office are not contingent on his method of communicating to the public. The real issue is what is he going to do for the American people. If someone's method of communication was the real issue then Abraham Lincoln definitely should have been canned since he talked with a shrill nasal voice. If Obama can articulate his viewpoints and vision for this country in a speech better than in a debate or conversation then let the man do his thing and stop drinkin the haterade! While we are on the subject of methods of communication Obama and Mccain will be participating in a civil forum at Saddleback church with Pastor Rick Warren. It will be in a non debate format with Rick asking questions of each candidate for an hour. You can find out the times it will be aired here

Objections to the Obama-Nation 1

Should I vote for Obama because he is black? Should I vote for Obama because he is non white? Should I vote for Obama because he looks better in a suit than Mccain? Should I vote for Obama because he is an inspiring orator? I think one of the objections to Obama being president is that he is playing the "race card". What exactly is the "race" card? I think it's the card that most white candidates have been playing for the last 200 years. One of the things that we have to take into account is that when we follow someone is that we not only follow what they have done but we follow who they are. I think the problem is that there are alot of people in America today who are tired of following a middle aged or older caucasian male. 50 years ago the country would not have followed an African American male not because of their accomplishments or agenda but just because of who they were-black in pre civil rights America. Whether or not Obama is playing the "race card" is secondary to the fact that a "race card" can be played in this nation. The simple truth of the matter is that if not for the injustice and prejudice against blacks and all other non whites there would not be a "race card" to be played. Yet here we are in 2008 talking about a "race card". Obama getting the democratic nomination is a great step forward in us throwing the "race card" out the deck. Hopefully if he is voted president the "race card" will be gone and forgotten.

Children are like arrows Pt 2

Just to unpack the children as arrows thing a bit more...

Aimed at the right target. This means we are shooting them towards God's glory and not ours. Most parents are satisfied if their children are good citizens or moral people. They would love it if their sons and daughters pursued and obtained the american dream of being married, having kids, a dog, a cat, and two cars for your two story house with a two car garage. This is their glory and it doesn't take into account that ultimately God wants your children to honor him and that may mean something far different than the american dream

Backed up by sufficient power. The ways in which children will reach all that God has for them is through his power and not through just our own. We can discipline and provide and give them all the opportunities that life affords and they still can fall short of God's goals. We can Homeschool them or private school them or public school them and what they learn will be insufficient if it is not what the Holy Spirit wants to teach them. The adequate means and power for these "arrows" is the Holy Spirit and we can tap into that power when we pray for them and saturate them in the Word of God. That is sufficient power.

Released at just the right time. This digs into the heart of the matter. We are given responsibility for our children. They are ours and a stewardship from God and if being a parent is a stewardship from God then ultimately they are his. When the time is right we have to release them into his hands and trust him that they will honor him and bring him glory. For some this may be early on and for others it may be later. The key to shooting an arrow is timing and the key to raising up kids to be God honoring is timing as well. If we let go too early they will fall short of the target. If we let them go too late they will fall short of the target or totally miss it. It takes discernment to know when it is time to release them.

Just think all this from holding my firstborn son in my arms. Hmmmmmm......

Children are like arrows Pt 1

Psalm 127:4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. As I have been holding Kaydon in my arms this verse has become real for me.

Children are like arrows in many ways:

They are shaped and crafted with excellence for a specific purpose. You have to be skilled and precise when creating an arrow. A wrong mistake and it's not going anywhere. They are made with one express purpose-to shoot at the enemy.

They are valuable. It would take alot of time and attention to detail to make arrows and they were hard to come by in the ancient world. An arrow was a very precious thing and something you would not want to waste. The archers were often times the deciding factor in victory or defeat.

Knowing this children should be treated like arrows:

Aimed at a specific target-The glory of God

Backed up by sufficient power-The Holy Spirit and the power of prayer

Released at the right time-You have to know when to let go

To be continued......

Kaydon is finally here!

I am so grateful to God for our newborn son Kaydon. There is so much that I want to say but having him in my life is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I had to spell it out. So Yvette went into labor two weeks early. It was a day after we spent all day out with church, my birthday celebration at Bubba Gump's (Did u know they make u shake your booty for ice cream on your birthday?), and some errands/chores that we needed to do to get ready for Kaydon. Monday was alot of housework and Tuesday morning it was showtime! Yvette was in labor for 23 hrs and 37 min. It was something that none of us will never forget (except maybe Kaydon since his faculty for memory is still being developed.