A Nation Abandoned

A friend recently loaned us a CD of a sermon by John MacArthur. The title of the sermon is "A Nation Abandoned by God". You can click here to read the transcript. It was one of the most thought provoking sermons I have listened to in a long time.

The basic concept is this: God has abandoned America. We can see this because a description of an abandoned nation is given in Romans chapter 1. I won't go into all of the connections he makes. You should really read the transcript.

I do want to post a quote of the next to the last paragraph which is Mr. MacArthur's advice on what we should be doing about it.

God only wants one thing out of a nation. Listen and believe this book. I really get grieved even when I hear evangelical people in the media and the public eye kind of equivocating about the clarity of the gospel. It's all we've got. Or about the clarity of what Scripture says. Your prayer and mine has to be that God would raise up faithful preachers and people who would proclaim His Word across this land. Pray for this generation of young men that God will call and shape and send, pray for pastors everywhere. Pray for lay people, for Christians to be bold. There's only one solution and that's the truth...the truth by which God saves, by which God sanctifies, and if this nation will respond and listen to His truth, God will open the flood gates. We might be the greatest recovery story in history. But there's no other way than that people listen to Me and walk in My ways. It's not going to happen if there's a famine of the hearing of the Word of God. Pray that the Word, as Paul said, would have free course and that it would run with all its power across this land. With all its beauty and magnificence, all its power and grace, that people would hear and believe and be saved and be obedient, all that to the glory of God. I don't know what God's plan is, I just see here what His heart is. "O, that My people would listen to Me," that's the heart of God.

After listening to it this sermon, my husband and I were discussing the pattern in Judges: discipline, repentance, heroic civil magistrate (Gideon, Samson, etc.). Then I started thinking, "God raised up the excellent civil magistrate to rescue the people from their own demise not because the people found and voted on him/her but because they repented. Hearts across the nation of Israel turned to God. They changed their ways. They asked for His intervention. Then He raised up a leader."

Food for thought.

Word of Promise NT on MP3

I found the Word of Promise New Testament on MP3 to be enjoyable listening. Now if you want to actually study the New Testament (or part of it) in any kind of serious way, I recommend you purchase a NIV or NAS with wide margins and some pens. Read slowly. Take notes in the margins. Draw arrows. But if you want to fill your mind with good thoughts and are tired or listening to Christian music, I highly recommend Word of Promise. The translation is easy to listen to because it is not to academic. The actors did a good job. (Jesus was a little sappy, but that is how He is usually portrayed in audio or video.) The sound effects were really well done. Not overwhelming, they added just the right touch. The speaking speed is way to slow for my taste (as are most audio books), but that's ok because I listened to it in Windows Media Player on fast play which was perfect. Some of the book introductions I found annoying or questionable, but you can easily skip them if you don't want to listen since they are a separate MP3.

My biggest complaint is the incompatibility with Zune. My Zune (even with my IT husband's help) would never open the whole thing at once. It was 2 chapters from Acts and 3 chapters from John, etc. The silly thing would never download the whole CD or even a whole book. For this reason I give this audio Bible 4 stars.

Happy New Year

OK. I know that it is the 2nd all ready, but yesterday I was picking my kids up from my mom's house.

Anyway, I generally do not make resolutions. But in 2008 I have been convicted of two things. 1. Being out in public with my faith.
2. Speaking the truth in love even if this is unsolicited.

So I am going to try to do better in these two areas and I will post about it when appropriate.

40 Days for Life Audio

The leader of the national 40 Days for Life Campaign, David Bereit, was on the Sean Hannity show recently. I do not care for Mr. Hannity or his show, but this interview was really good. That may have something to do with the guest host Scott Hennen. I really encourage you all to listen to this 10-minute segment. You will have to scroll down a little to get to it.

Lord Howe Tree Lobster

ICR has an interesting article on the Lord Howe tree lobster. It is an insect that supposedly evolved several million years before its habitat existed. (Insert eye-roll here.)

The article explains how evolutionists try to rationalize this with sinking islands. Go figure.

My Computer Died

My computer completely died last night. I am thankful to have a husband in IT who can tell me what to order and assure me that the shadow whatzit has a copy of all of my information. And I also have the bedroom computer for Internet (hence the post). I am also glad that I have a small business (see sidebar) and can count a new computer as a business expense.

But still I didn't realize how much I use my computer for until now that it is gone. All of my information is in there. Ah, well. I can certainly still function. And unlike pets or people, computers can be re-built. Especially with an IT husband on staff.

Arranged

I watched the movie Arranged last night and really liked it for several reasons.

1. It showed marriage as a lifetime commitment. It today's world you hardly ever see movies where young ladies take marriage seriously.

2. It gave me some insight into the Orthodox Jewish and Muslim religions. I don't know much about either of these. It was very interesting to get a glimpse of the family lives presented in the movie.

3. It contrasts the "modern woman" jumping from man to man and party to party with two young women who are pretty independent yet respectful of their parents and who can see the value of marriage and family.

4. There is a scene where one of the ladies gets fed up and goes to a party with her cousin. Instead of being sucked into the drugs, alcohol, and sex available, the experience only solidifies in her mind that she does not want that kind of life.

5. Though I wouldn't want to go back to the world of arranged marriages, I did like the emphasis in the movie of getting advice from parents and spiritual advisers about courtship and marriage. I can't imagine having a marriage relationship with children involved where my husband and I were not on the same page religiously. Yet so many people enter marriage thinking that won't be too big of a deal.

Here is the trailer for the movie. I don't know that it does the movie justice, but I thought people might want to check it out.