Musings

* We became grandparents for the third time Friday evening (number four is due at the end of the year). Our grandson is 7lbs., 14 oz. and 20 1/2"; a fine little boy. He joins his older brother. Praise God! * Weather - the hot days of summer here in Arid-zona are hopefully gone until next year. Right now it is a comfortable 94. Yes, 94 is comfortable, great golf weather! * Presbytery - the quarterly gathering of the Southwest Presbytery is set for later this week. It is a good chance for fellowship, renewed friendships and spiritual challenge. Some of us will be making the 3 hour drive to Sierra Vista, AZ and discussing the call to the ministry on the way.

On Justification

"The prevailing doctrine of justification today is not justification by faith alone. It's not even justification by good works or by a combination of faith and works. The prevailing notion of justification in Western culture today is justification by death. It's assumed that all one has to do to be received into everlasting arms of God is to die" – R. C. Sproul in The Truth of the Cross

Reading Good Books

Dr. Al Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Seminary in Louisville, offers some cogent thoughts on the reading of books. You can read the full article from The Christian Post here: www.thechristianpost.com

Nathan Clark George

Last night we hosted Nathan for a concert. His music is superb. He is a an award winning acoustic guitarist and composer. He travels the country with his family in a large motor home. I would recommend him to all. You can hear samples of his music at: www.nathanclarkgeorge.com

Dr. D. James Kennedy dies

D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge PCA in Florida died early on Spetember 5, 2007 at his home in Florida. “Now, I know that someday I am going to come to what some people will say is the end of this life. They will probably put me in a box and roll me right down here in front of the church, and some people will gather around, and a few people will cry. But I have told them not to do that because I don’t want them to cry. I want them to begin the service with the Doxology and end with the Hallelujah chorus, because I am not going to be there, and I am not going to be dead. I will be more alive than I have ever been in my life, and I will be looking down upon you poor people who are still in the land of dying and have not yet joined me in the land of the living. And I will be alive forevermore, in greater health and vitality and joy than ever, ever, I or anyone has known before.” - - D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. (1930- 2007) Dr. Kennedy will be greatly missed.

I'm a Fred Head

Finally, Fred Thompson has entered the fray. For me, he espouses most things I stand for and like to hear from a candidate. Frankly, most of the the others, except Romney and Guliani, are losers. John McCain, even though he is from Arizona, has too many things that have left me, as one who voted for him, with a very bad taste in my mouth.

Christianity & Politics

For Christians, our hope is not in politics but in the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Politics does not change men fundamentally, though we do have a name for political systems that believe they can change men: totalitarianisms. Marxist regimes believed they could inculcate virtue, creating "the new man." The aims of Christian democracies founded on Christian truths are more modest, chiefly protecting life, liberty, and property (in the view of the United States' Founders). Because our ultimate hope is not in politics, we should lower our political expectations and heighten our cultural expectations. We should work for cultural change by means of preaching the Gospel and applying God's truth in all areas of life; a Christianized political order will come incrementally, over time.

Andrew Sandlin

...civil religion is the misidentification of the nation of the United States with the covenant people of God. It is the casual assumption that America enjoys a special role in redemptive history. It is the confusion of the office of the political leader with the office of the spiritual leader. It is the frequent presumption of divine blessings without submission to divine judgment. It is the sublimation of Christian distinctives to a generic amalgam that conflates many faiths into a common national identity. It is as old as America itself. And it is not biblical Christianity.

William Inboden

source: monergism.com