Monthly Archives: January 2010

Christian NFL Pro Bowlers Support Tebow

Posted on by
Reply

More debate on Fox about Tebow’s Pro-Life Superbowl ad. This time Focus on the Family’s Jim Daily weighs in and Jehmu Greene again supports the pro-choice (pro-abortion?) view. (see previous posts Attackers of Tebow’s Ad Not Pro-Choice,  O’Reilly vs. Abortion Supporter on Tebow Ad,  Learn From Tebow — Stand for Something)

Several Christian NFL Pro Bowlers support Tebow’s Pro-Life Super Bowl ad.  According to the Baptist Press:

David Garrard, quarterback for the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars, said he appreciates Tebow for standing by his convictions.

“I applaud him for standing up for what he believes,” Garrard said after practice for the Jan. 31 Pro Bowl. “More people, more athletes should do the same.”

Philadelphia Eagles David Akers, one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers, said since he is “definitely pro-life” and has been through the adoption process in his family, he believes strongly in celebrating life.

“If you get into the politics of what should and shouldn’t happen, I’m definitely biblically based,” Akers said. “I think that’s creation and we shouldn’t harm it.”

As for a Super Bowl ad supporting a pro-life view, Akers said, “If someone’s paying for it, absolutely.”

“What’s the difference between their opinion on that or someone saying yeah or nay to alcohol,” he asked rhetorically.

Heath Miller, a tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a believer, said he appreciates those who encourage each other in their faith, and that he admires Tebow for his convictions and doesn’t believe anyone will change him.

“I think Tim has every right to use every stage to tell people what he believes,” Miller said, even a commercial during the Super Bowl. “He’s a football player, he can relay what he believes just as much as anyone else can.”

As far as the haters go, L. Brent Bozell III says it better than I can in his New York Post article, Feminist Fury at Super Bowl ‘Choice,’

Isn’t it a little strange to see people who present themselves as “pro-choice” get so upset when someone suggests their choice was to keep the baby?

Bozell’s article is one of the best I’ve seen on the issue. I highly recommend it.

Your Life:

Prayerfully consider speaking out for those who can’t speak out for themselves.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

Proverbs 31:8

Michelle Duggar’s Health Endangered with Birth of #19 — Jim Near Tears — Video

Posted on by
Reply

This video is a preview to the season premiere of TLC’s TV program about the Duggars, a family with, well, with a whole bunch of kids. (see previous posts The Duggars and Be Fruitful) It’s a great inside look at the courage of this family as they face adversity. The premiere airs tomorrow, Sunday, January 31 at 8PM Eastern and Pacific on TLC. At the time of the video Michelle is less than six months pregnant. She’s suffering from preeclampsia and the health of both she and the baby are at risk.

This television show is so refreshing. Kudos to TLC for airing a show that portrays Christians in a positive light. This is in stark contrast to the Christian bashing that’s so often seen from Hollywood and most of the rest of television.

Your Life:

I’m told that there’s a movie about life on earth a few centuries or so into the future. In the movie, all of the world’s wise and intelligent people stop having children in order to devote their lives to their careers. The result is that the world becomes populated with people who are notably stupid and lacking in good judgment. (definition for moron from dictionary.com) Five-hundred years into the future, a cryogenically preserved man of average intelligence is awakened and found to be a super-genius relative to the rest of humanity.

Isn’t that what we Christians are doing when we don’t obey God’s command to be fruitful and multiply? Are you of above average intelligence? Are you a Bible believing Christian? Then have a bunch of kids! I’m not saying you should have as many as the Duggars, God bless them, but have plenty. All else being equal, the more believers on the planet the more we can influence the world for God’s kingdom.

As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.”

Genesis 9:7

Attackers of Tebow’s Super Bowl Ad Are Not Pro-Choice

Posted on by
1

You have probably already heard about Tim Tebow’s controversial Super Bowl ad in which his mother talks about how she became ill while pregnant with Tim Tebow and was advised by a doctor to have an abortion. She disregarded that advice and gave birth to Tim who of course became one of the greatest college quarterbacks to ever play the game. (See previous posts: O’Reilly vs. Abortion Supporter on Tebow Ad and Learn from Tebow — Stand for Something! )

Stephen Yates‘ in his article in the Daily Caller writes:

Tim Tebow deserves credit for using his fame to provoke thought on this truly consequential issue, at a time when athletic superstars are better known for extramarital affairs or brandishing weapons in the locker room.

Interestingly, Yates also states that the many attackers of Tebow’s Super Bowl ad are not pro-choice. And of course he is correct. Confused? You heard it correctly. They’re not pro-choice.

The attackers of Tebow’s Super Bowl ad are not pro-choice, they are pro-abortion.

Think this through with me. From what we know about it the ad does not even advocate a pro-life position, it merely celebrates the results of Tebow’s mother’s decision to disregard the advice of a doctor who told her to have an abortion because of an illness she was experiencing. Wouldn’t a true pro-choice advocate say, “The choice was yours, you chose, and the result was wonderful — that was your right, and I support your right to choose.” But that’s clearly not the message from attackers of the ad. The only choice they seem to support is the choice to abort.

Your Life:

Make a difference.

Brian Kelly on his blog Live Generously comments that,

…it would help if the adoption process could be streamlined, and if those who ardently oppose abortion can just as strongly advocate for adoptions.

Kelly makes a great point. Why not adoption? Why does the choice have to be limited to an abortion? Pro-choice advocates, one would think, would want to support as many choices as possible for those facing difficult circumstances during a pregnancy. Sadly, their agenda is pro-abortion, not pro-choice.

So that leaves the Pro-life advocates. Make a difference by working toward changing the adoption process so it’s less expensive and more streamlined.

Before I was born the Lord called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name. …he who formed me in the womb to be his servant…

Isaiah 49:1

Haiti – 16 Year Old Girl Rescued From Rubble – Video

Posted on by
2

Perhaps the best Haiti video to date. After she spent 15 days trapped under a collapsed building, rescue workers extricate sixteen year old Darline Etienne from the rubble.

Warning for parents: Parts of this video are not appropriate for young viewers — parents please preview it before deciding whether or not you’ll allow your children to watch.

For more information about Darline’s rescue go to ABC’s article, Amid Earthquake Devastation, Miracles in Haiti .

After 15 days!

Praise God.

Your Life:

Hope. Don’t let go of it. An experiment was conducted where a group of mice were placed in a bucket of water — they’d swim until after 30 minutes or so they’d become too fatigued to continue and drown. A second group was also placed in a bucket of water but just before 30 minutes was up the mice in this group were rescued. Days, weeks, or even months later this second group of mice, when placed in a bucket of water, would swim for hours before drowning. No feeling is more destructive than the feeling of helplessness. Despair is a killer. Cling to hope in the Lord at all costs no matter how difficult your circumstances. (from GoArticles)

But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,

Psalm 33:18

(Anecdote originally heard from Jon Courson at Applegate Christian Fellowship)

O’Reilly vs. Abortion Supporter On Tebow Pro-Life Ad — Video

Posted on by
4

O’Reilly dukes it out with an abortion supporter over Tim Tebow’s ad supporting the pro-life position.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.”

Luke 1:41-44

Learn From Tebow – Stand for Something!

Posted on by
4

Critics Bite at Tim Tebow the Boston Herald headline reads. The Herald is talking about Tebow’s sloppy workouts at the Senior Bowl. He’s skipping passes on the ground, overthrowing on out patterns, fumbling snaps from the center. According to CBS Sports Tebow spent the last two weeks training with quarterback legend Zeke Bratkowski in Franklin, Tennessee. Learning a new throwing motion is likely the reason behind his less than stellar performance. Anyone who’s taken a golf lesson can tell you that when trying to implement something new, you may get worse before you get better. However Tebow has other criticisms to deal with beyond those who are scrutinizing his “elongated release.”

The Senior Bowl is nothing compared to what lies ahead. Another headline reads Tim Tebow’s ad Draws Howls of Protests. According to Doug Robinson of the Desert News Tebow has agreed to do a Super Bowl advertisement in which his mother talks about how she had a disease while she was pregnant with Tim Tebow. And how her doctor advised her to have an abortion. Mrs. Tebow declined to follow that advice and gave birth to a baby who became one of the greatest college quarterbacks in history. Much of the reaction has been volatile and the ad hasn’t even run yet. From the Desert News:

— Tebow needs to stick to playing ball and shut the *#&$! up on preaching.

— … just another one of those James Dobson, Kool-Aid drinking, American Taliban that endorse a rewriting of our Constitution to turn this country into a Christian theocracy.

— Give him a religous show on Sunday morning so I can ignore it. And him.

— Tebow’s displays of religious paranoia and Christian-based brainwashing is an egotistical cry for attention. “Look at me, I am perfect, follow my thousand year old carbon copy belief system.

— T-Bow, don’t do it! Just play the game you love for now and go into politics after the NFL!

Your Life:

Tim Tebow should be commended for speaking out in support of life. But I think the take-away for you and for me goes beyond the pro-life cause. John 1:14 says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Like Jesus, I need to be full of grace and truth. Like Jesus, you need to be full of grace and truth. Jesus attracted people with his grace. He loved people. He cared about people. But He also, most typically in a gracious way, spoke the truth. By all means be gracious. But by all means speak the truth graciously, in love. Stand for something. In Revelation 3:15 Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!” Stand for something! Be gracious but also, speak God’s truth, graciously.

God bless Tim Tebow.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14

Charles Phillips’ Affair with YaVaughnie Wilkins

Posted on by
Reply

Apparently Charles Phillips, an Oracle executive and a member of Barack Obama’s Economic Recovery board, had an 8 1/2 year affair with an actress named YaVaughnie Wilkins. To his credit, Phillips has ended the extramarital relationship and reconciled with his wife.

Your Life:

Regarding your own/my own behavior: Charles Phillips’ ex-mistress responded to Phillips’ reconciliation in a somewhat novel manner. She spent what is estimated by some to be hundreds of thousands of dollars to erect giant billboards in New York City — Times Square no less, Atlanta, and San Francisco. The billboards display a larger than life (much, much larger than life) photo of Phillips embracing Wilkins with Charles Phillips’ quoted as saying, “You are my soulmate forever.” If you think you might engage in an extra-marital relationship, think again. Even if you were to somehow avoid detection in this life, of course the Lord knows. And of course, no one’s opinion matters more. Charles Phillips would have done well to remember,

…you may be sure that your sin will find you out.

Numbers 32:23

You and I will do well to remember as well.

There are a gazillion reasons not to enter into an extramarital affair. It could result in your spending only a fraction of the time you now spend with your kids. Or even losing your children altogether. You could lose much of your bank account. You could lose your health — to an STD. You can lose friends, church family, extended family.

An article about Phillips and Wilkins by CBS stated,

“…the revenge factor was huge, and infidelity often tears everything apart. “Look at John Edwards. Look at Steve McNair. An out of control mistress can cost you your job, your wife, your marriage, all sorts of things. It cost Steve McNair his life.”

Romans 6:23 says,

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

…the wages of sin is death, death of relationships, death of bank accounts and retirement plans, death of vocations, perhaps even, as was McNair’s case, physical death.

Regarding the behavior of others: A trait of truly great people is that they set high standards for themselves yet show grace and mercy toward others. Years ago I heard about an acquaintance who fell into adultery. I asked my pastor how we as Christians should behave toward someone who has entered into such behavior. I was sure I’d here him say, “Share with him this scripture.” or “Gather together with a few brothers and confront the man.” However, to my surprise, he said, “Show him the Lord’s love.” Wow! “Show him the Lord’s love??!!!” I really had to think and pray that through. More than a few years have passed since that conversation and I’ve had occasion to observe broken marriages and have seen how spouses and exspouses behave in such situations. Any indication of anger, even what may be righteous anger, from a Christian tends to result in a withdrawal from Christ. If you’re sure the Holy Spirit is leading you to share a scripture with someone who has fallen into sin, the key is, only do it if you can do it in love. If you can’t, it’s much better not to confront at all. Remember how Jesus responded to the woman who was caught in adultery:

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

John 8:11

Life’s an Adventure

Posted on by
2

So around 7:30 pm last night Kathy gets off the phone and tells me, “A tree fell on our house, our rental house in California.”

“What?! A tree can’t fall on our house right now. We can’t afford a tree guy and I have things to do at work tomorrow that can’t wait.” I say, calmly (not!)

The weather in California has been terrible lately, flooding, high winds — just nasty. So we pray about it, I call the boss who graciously allows me the time off, we throw some stuff in the truck and head up to my parent’s house to load up a couple of chainsaws. (that they graciously loaned us) It’s already 11 pm by the time we ‘re heading South on I-5 to Cali. When we hit Mt. Shasta City it’s all snow and slush, we’re both fading out, but I want to push through the snowy part of the drive in case it gets worse over night. We make it down the hill and as far as Lake Head, at the North end of Lake Shasta, where we pull into a motel. It’s 1:30 am. The poor guy running the motel — I ring the bell and he staggers out in his bath robe, more than half asleep. He can’t get the computer to work, he can’t get the credit card machine to work. I can’t tell if they really don’t work or if it’s because the guy is still half asleep. Finally I give him cash and he gives me a receipt scribbled out on a piece of paper that he tore off the corner of a legal pad. We go to our room — what a dive! Looks like they haven’t redecorated since FDR was president. The paint is peeling, the linoleum in the bathroom is curling up. We don’t care, we’re so tired we just crash. After a solid 5.5 hours of sleep Kathy’s alarm goes off, we throw on our clothes and off we go. I call the office a little before 8 am and make some arrangements to accomodate our unexpected trip.

We pull into the driveway, walk around the back and low and behold there it is, a big tree on top of our roof. So I fire up the chain saw and cut the bottom off the partially unearthed root ball. Then I climb up onto the snow covered roof with the saw and do a balancing act across to the tree. Surprisingly I have decent traction on the snow and feel like I have a 70/30 or so chance of not falling off and breaking my neck. I fire up the saw and work for a 1/2 hour taking a couple of sections off the top. As I’m precariously perched on the edge of the snow covered roof, trying not to slip and cut off my arm, I hear a faint peeping noise, “what in the heck is that?” I think to myself. I turn off the saw, look down, and realize it’s my wife spouting off bits of important advice like, “don’t fall off the roof” and, “be careful not to cut off your arm.” Lucky she said something because I was just about to do both of those things just moments before she warned me. I fire the saw back up and continue for a minute or two but then the chain gets a piece of wood stuck in it and binds. So I head back across the roof but what’s this? Somebody changed the rules from the first time I crossed the roof. In the last forty minutes it started raining instead of snowing and the snow on the roof has transformed into slush that’s slicker than snot. I give myself a 30/70 chance of not falling off and breaking my neck. By God’s grace I make it, my neighbor offers his shop to fiddle with the saw. We get it fixed and finish the job.

The gutters are trashed, Doug the gutter guy tells me it’s going to cost plenty to fix it, I burned a day off, I have a day’s worth of work waiting for me tomorrow to clean up the mess, but hey, the tree’s on the ground, no one is hurt. I see God’s grace in it all.

Your Life:

Whatever you’re going through, you have a choice: you can take inventory on the good or you can take inventory on the bad. Your life can be a great adventure that you travel through with God, or, it can be a bummer. It’s your choice.

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Life’s an adventure.

Jon Courson / Applegate Christian Fellowship

California Storm Causes Tree to Fall on House — My House

Posted on by
Reply

No post today — we’re experiencing some high winds in the Yosemite area. A good sized tree fell on our house there. We’ll be working on it tonight and tomorrow. More to follow. What we’re dealing with is nothing compared to Haiti or even the situation in this video. Pray for the Haitians, then pray for us.

In Him,

kurt

Scott Brown Embarasses Daughters — Video

Posted on by
Reply

Scott Brown, Massachusset’s new Senator:

Married to Boston Channel 5 news anchor Gail Huff.

A triathalete.

The father of two grown women, Ayla and Ariana.

Just won the Senate seat of the bluest state in the United States: as a republican.

About those daughters.

Brown’s daughters happened to be on hand during his nationally televised victory rally. In the AP video Brown says,

“I want to thank Ayla and Arianna for their help as well. And just in case anyone who’s watching throughout the country, yes, they’re both available!”

And for those remarks he has endured a load of criticism.

A Boston Herald journalist wrote,

Ayla Brown of Wrentham died of embarrassment Tuesday night. She was 21.

At this point, you’d think Brown would have caught the “I hate my father right now, but I’m on national TV and I have to pretend that he’s just my hilarious, goofy, regular dad” look on Ayla’s face and moved on to less sensitive subjects, like water boarding or partial-birth abortions.

According to Boston.com Glenn Beck said,

“My wife would have pieces of my body in a drawer this morning. My daughters never would have spoken to me again.”

“I want a chastity belt on [Brown]. I want his every move watched in Washington. I don’t trust this guy,” Beck said. “This one could end with a dead intern. I’m just saying. It could end with a dead intern.”

And according to Glenn Beck, Keith Olbermann said,

In short, in Scott Brown, we have an irresponsible, homophobic, racist, reactionary, ex-nude model, tea-bagging supporter of violence against women and against politicians with whom he disagrees.

Well that last quote didn’t have anything to do with Brown’s daughters, but if your looking for criticism, Olbermann is the place to go.

Your Life:

The point is, if you’ve been given a position of responsibility or leadership from the Lord, you’re going to endure doubt and criticism. Has the Lord put you in a position of responsibility? Are you a mom, a dad, an older sibling, a team captain, a teacher — or a Senator? Have you recently endured doubt, second guessing, or criticism? Look, just recognize that if God places you in a position of responsibility, at any level, you’re in for an extra dose of doubt and criticism — it just comes with the territory. Consider the Biblical examples in the following excerpt:

“Throughout the scriptures we find many who were chosen by God to lead but did not fit man’s image of a leader. Some would say that Abraham lacked courage. He told people Sarah was his sister out of fear for his life. (Genesis 20:2) Moses was a murderer, and he had a fear of public speaking! (Exodus 2:14, Exodus 4:10) Elisha lacked the look of a leader. Young men mocked his appearance. (2 Kings 2:23) Isaiah had unclean lips. (Isaiah 6:5) At Job’s low point, everyone, including Job himself, perceived Job to be a has been, washed up. (Job 2:9) Several verses in the book of Joshua indicate to us that Joshua lacked courage…” (Joshua 1:9)

“OK, I get it!” Traveler interrupted.

The Chaplain paused for a moment, and then he said, “Being doubted is a normal part of life for those who are chosen to lead by God. Humanity’s idea of what a leader is, even your own idea of what a leader is, is not the same as God’s idea.”

“Alright, then what are the keys to leadership?” Traveler asked.

“Well the first and most important key is influence.”

“What do you mean influence? You mean as a leader I need to influence people? How can I be more influential?”

“Let me pray about that. Come back next week, and I’ll give you an answer.”

Traveler agreed to come back the next week.

Now that he knew that experiencing doubts from followers is a normal part of life for God’s leaders, Traveler felt a sense of relief. As he drove home he pondered I Samuel 16:7…

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

From Traveler and the Chaplain