Where has our Constitution gone?

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Bill Haynes

us-constitution-1It used to be that the constitution was the “law of the land,” the ultimate “decider” of all that is legal and the rights that are protected in our land. But no more!! In just two months there have been more direct attacks on the constitution than in the past 20 years combined. Buried in the pages and pages of the “Stimulus package” (which stimulates the size of government and its control and not much else) and the president’s budget proposal are attacks on our basic freedoms.

One, in the name of health care, is the attempt to remove the so-called “conscience refusal” for doctors and other health care providers to be able to decline procedures they morally object to . . . such as abortion. One of the groups that will be fighting for the free speech and freedom of religion rights of health care workers is the American Center for Law & Justice. Go online and sign a petition to President Obama letting him know of your opposition to this violation of basic constitutional rights. Sign the Petition HERE.

Filed under: Ethics, Government, medical research, Pro-life, Worldview | Leave a comment »

Better to Do Nothing Rather than This “Porkulus” Package

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Bill Haynes

I realize that we have crossed the line long ago where case law began to rule the day instead of the U.S. Constitution. But the way our Congress and Executive branch of our government are behaving now it is basically the end of the constitution. Limited government is gone. The nanny-state has arrived. And we are sitting around and just taking it. We have elected officials who are only concerned with one thing–remaining in office and raiding the public funds for their area. No longer does there seem to be those in office who think of the good of the country first. We are going down a road that is heading to the end of the United States as we have known it to be.

porkulusTonight President Obama said that he had inherited this economic mess. I agree that he is right, but he inherited it from a Congress that wants to control your life and make you dependent on it, and a President (Bush) who acted more like a Democrat, economically, the last two years of his presidency than a free market Republican. Bush’s “stimulus package” and TARP plan for the banks were supposed to be the events to save the economy. They didn’t!!! In fact it just got worse. So now Congress and the new president want to do more of the same!! God help us! That is the classic definition of a fool–keep doing the same thing and expect different results.

We need to STOP and take a deep breath and stop expecting the government to be our savior. They are not and cannot be. There are a couple of things you need to read. Walter Williams, Economics professor at George Mason University, wrote an insightful article today in Investor’s Business Daily, entitled “Stimulus Can Sink Recession into Depression“. Please read it. If you prefer more Ivy League economists, then read the article by Robert Barro, Economics professor at Harvard, “Government Spending is No Free Lunch“, in the Wall Street Journal. There is also a great interview with Barro on The Atlantic website worth reading.

If you are really wanting to see why these policies will not help, but most likely harm, our economy read the book The Forgotten Man, by Amity Shlaes. Shlaes looks at the same policies that were used, and failed, in the “great depression.” I repeat, and I will shout, THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT OUR SAVIOR!! Wake up America, before it is too late and our constitutional republic is no more.

Filed under: Ethics, Politics | Leave a comment »

Blaspheming God!!

Posted on February 3, 2009 by Bill Haynes

The very words should strike fear in our hearts. But do we ever stop and consider if that might be a problem? I remember in 1998 hearing John Piper preach the annual preaching lectures at Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, AL. One of his sermons that week was, “How Not to Blaspheme God in the Pulpit.” (Click the link to listen)  It was one of the most penetrating sermons I have ever heard and I listen to it at least once a year.

Being a preacher myself, this is a question I ask myself regularly. My greatest fear is to not declare the glory of God in all its beauty and majesty when I preach.

I fear that a trend in our country today is to “dumb-down” God, to bring Him down to our level and to make Him dependent on us rather than us on Him. Mega-churches with their desire to reach great numbers and offend the least amount of people’s sensitivities (read that sins) dare not speak of God ‘s sovereignty and Christ’s Lordship, but paint Him as a buddy who only exists to make us happy. That is blasphemy!!

I remember reading something that Richard John Neuhaus wrote in First Things back in December of 1991 that dealt with this very issue. He was relating something he had read in The New York Review of Books about Albert Einstein’s view of organized religion. Here is what Neuhaus wrote:

• Discussing a number of books on cosmology in The New York Review of Books, Daniel Kevles quotes Charles Misner, a specialist in general relativity theory: “I do see the design of the universe as essentially a religious question. That is, one should have some kind of respect and awe for the whole business. . . . It’s very magnificent and shouldn’t be taken for granted. In fact, I believe that is why Einstein had so little use for organized religion, although he strikes me as a basically very religious man. He must have looked at what the preachers said about God and felt that they were blaspheming. He had seen much more majesty than they had ever imagined, and they were just not talking about the real thing. My guess is that he simply felt the religions he’d run across did not have proper respect . . . for the Author of the universe.” You might want to pass that on to your preacher. If you’re the preacher, you might want to give some thought to repenting. As might we all.” (Emphasis mine)

May we forever exalt the true nature of our Sovereign, Holy, Magnificent God. Sola Deo Gloria!! To God alone be the glory!!

Filed under: Denying Truth, The Church, The Gospel, Theology | Leave a comment »

Preaching the Unchanging Word in a time of increasing flux

Posted on February 2, 2009 by Bill Haynes

Here we go again considering the “10 Challenges Facing the Church in the 21st Century.”

1) Addressing Post-modern Americans with the authentic Gospel.

2) Cultivating a people of truth in a culture of relativism.

And now — 3) Preaching the unchanging word in a time ofbible-glasses increasing flux.

We live in a day that almost worships the idea of “change.” If you followed the presidential race, that is just about all that you have heard from both sides: “We must have change.” Sometimes change is good. Many times people just cry for it instead of thinking through the issues. One thing is for sure, change is coming and only time will tell if it is for the better or worse. Sadly we no longer consider what our fundamental, foundational issues really are. To change, just for the sake of change, is quite foolish indeed.

But a part of the relativistic/post-modern age in which we live is the idea that there are no eternal truths; no fixed realities; no established issues worth dying for. Everything changes and to our generation that is just OK. In many areas of life that may not really matter. But when it comes to all that is revealed in God’s word it matters much.

Our churches across the nation are suffering because of the crisis of “changeitis” — holding nothing close as eternal truth. It has crept into the pulpits where there is only a type of pop psychology being taught and preached. One of the most critical missing elements from many pulpits is the cry of ‘thus says the Lord!” Some turn God’s commands into so many suggestions; His instruction in righteousness as something from the dark ages and certainly not for today. It is a sad thing but we live in a generation of spiritual and Biblical illiteracy in so many ways.

In spite of all this, God has given us His unchangeable word . . . The Bible . . . The word of truth . . . That which Paul says is “inspired (literally ‘God breathed’) by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness.” We must be a people who look to God’s word for counsel and direction, not the latest fad or CNN, MSNBC, or FOX. The stock market may crash, but the word of God stands. The form of government in our nation may change, but the word of God is unshakeable. We must be a people who believe, live, and proclaim God’s holy, inerrant, infallible, trustworthy, and authoritative word.

We have to realize that this makes us look really strange to the world around us. As Al Mohler said in 2000, and it is still true today, “These days, this means confronting, not only a secular world, but a market driven, hyper-consumer sensitive church with the reality that it is the task of preaching the unchanging Word that is the central criterion of ministry, even, and especially in a time of flux.” Change means that there are no “hooks” on which to hang on when things get rough. We must show the church and the world that the word of God is all we need for security in times like these.

Filed under: Reformation, The Church, The Gospel, Theology | Leave a comment »

Refuting all the “reasons” for getting an abortion

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Bill Haynes

As we come to the anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision by the U.S. Supreme Court on January 22, 1973 it is hard to believe that in this nation alone we have killed 50,000,000 babies in the womb. Now that we have elected the most pro-abortion President in the history of the conflict for life, we must pray, and work to education our country to the sin and evil that is abortion on demand.

This is perhaps one of the most powerful ads I have ever seen. Only 41 seconds in length, but it touches on all the “reasons.”

Have you ever thought about how many 50 million might be? Well, it is roughly the equivalent of the population of the following states:

HT: Justin Taylor

Filed under: Ethics, Pro-life | Leave a comment »

The Call of an Aborted Child

Posted on January 18, 2009 by Bill Haynes

Today is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday . . . I preached today on “Is Our Culture Committing Suicide?” I ended the sermon with a poem by one of our young people at Grace, Kayla Sweeney. Kayla is a high school sophomore and I believe touches the heart of the issue in this poem. I will write more tomorrow on the whole life issue and the coming inauguration of President Elect Barrak Obama. Until then hear carefully the words of this heart felt piece:

The Call of an Aborted Child…

by Kayla Sweeney

Can you hear my voice!?
In the wind a mere breath,
Not a name but a choice,
And I was chosen for death.
Growing and changing,
they said “its not yet alive,”
Forming light,
turned to night
In the womb I was inside.
No chance to see,
No chance to breathe,
No chance to take my heart and sing.
No chance to shout,
No chance to cry,
No chance to scream, to laugh, to sigh.
I merely had the chance to die,
not worth
the birth
or the life to buy.

Can you hear my voice?!
I’m Gods very own,
Before the coming of your choice,
I was still always known,
He knitted me,
and molded me,
and thought of me,
unfolded me, (Psalm 139)
knew in and out the whole of me,
Before the “accident” came to be.

Can you hear my voice?!
Who could I have been??
Without your choice,
If I had the chance to begin,
A Child,
A Student,
A sibling,
A Friend,
The messenger God chose to send,
More than just a breath in the wind.
A Teacher,
A preacher,
A soldier for Christ,
I guess we’ll never know…
You paid the price.

Can you hear my call!?!
I was life to be lived,
Instead killed, murdered, my future hid
I am life!
Do not remain blind,
From the beginning God kept me in his mind.

DO YOU HEAR ME?

I’m shouting,
But it all fades in the distance,
In your mind your still doubting,
my life or existence.

My scream can’t be heard,
I have no way to call,
My life has been blurred
from the start of it all…
I ask, can you hear me….
I guess you never will,
God brought life to me,
But you chose to kill.

Filed under: Ethics, Worldview | 4 Comments »

Merry Christmas

Posted on December 25, 2008 by Bill Haynes

merry-christmas1

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Fear Not the Attacks at Christmas

Posted on December 11, 2008 by Bill Haynes

Have you noticed in the news how it seems that more and more people are getting forceful in their attack on Christianity? I don’t just mean not hanging signs that say “Merry Christmas” and substituting “Happy Holidays.” I mean out and out pointed attacks on not just the holiday but on Christianity itself. Indeed, a frontal attack on God.

For instance, in our nation’s capital this Christmas season the American Humanist Association has initiated a campaign to putatheist-signs-in-dc signs on city buses and the Metro system that say, “Why Believe in God? Just be good for goodness’ sake”. In 2007 the Pew Research Center found out, in a survey, that the majority of Americans believe that it is not possible to be good apart from a belief in God.. This may very well be so, but I believe that the pulpits in our churches have contributed to this sad state of affairs. Too many times each week sermons concentrate on “being good” or “trying your best” and the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ is never proclaimed. The Christianity of the 21st Century has become both Christ-less and Gospel-less in many instances. There are many sermons preached over the airways and in the pulpits of our nation that would support the atheists in their claim that we need to “just be good for goodness’ sake.” But that is not the Gospel. We must pray this Christmas season that we will return to a Christ-filled, and Gospel-filled Christmas, and way of life as the church in America.

Another example is taking place on the other side of the country in the state of Washington. Each year a nativity scene is set up in the atheist-sign-in-wash-state2state capitol. This year the Governor of Washington allowed an atheists group to put up a sign right next to the nativity scene — it simply proclaims that “there are no gods” among other things. Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe that the atheists have a right under our constitution, to free speech. They can and should be able to speak freely their foolishness without any fear. However it seems to me to be simply in “bad taste” to allow a vicious attack placed alongside the nativity of our Lord. In fact under some situations, with a few words changed this would be classified as “hate speech” and punishable by law.

My friend, Walter Price, in California, sent me a quote today from G.K. Chesterton written in 1922. Chesterton said, “If there were no God, there would be no atheists.” Think about that! He’s right, you know.

We should not fear the atheists’ attack on the faith. We must not change one thing in light of their signs and statements. We simply must, in this Christmas season, be certain that we are proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness and clarity.

I love this season . . . Not because of the gifts and parties and decorations. I love it because it gives us a major opening to talk about Jesus . . . who came as a baby, but didn’t stay in the manger. He grew up and spoke with authority as no one had ever heard . . . He did miracles like no one had ever seen . . . But this was not the important part in a real sense. He voluntarily went to the cross at Calvary to atone for sin . . . To become the Savior of the world. This is why I love this season!!!

Filed under: Adversity, Christian controversies, Denying Truth, The Gospel | Leave a comment »

Cultivating a People of Truth in a Culture of Relativism

Posted on December 3, 2008 by Bill Haynes

A couple of weeks ago I began discussing the “10 Challenges Facing the Church in the 21st Century.” These were presented in a message by Dr. Al Mohler to the Board of Trustees at Southern Seminary in 2000.

Last week: 1. “Addressing Post-modern Americans with the authentic Gospel.”

This week: 2. “Cultivating a people of truth in a culture of relativism.”

Is there any question that our culture is captivated by relativism? Everywhere we turn there are reminders that many people today don’t see life in terms of truth and falsehood. It is not uncommon to hear people speak of something being right for you but not for them. This philosophy, or worldview, is liable to show up just about anywhere. A few days back, I stopped in Starbucks for a cup of coffee. Their cups have quotes on them titled “The Way I See It.” The quote on my cup today was #293 and it said this:

“The way I see it isn’t necessarily the way you see it or the way it is or ought to be. What’s more important is that we’re all looking for it and a way to see it” (Desi Di Nardo, author and poet, Toronto, Canada)

Say what?!?! Now that may sound like so much gibberish to you, but it expresses the worldview of relativism. There is no “the” way to see things only my way and your way and they don’t have to correspond at all.

But as Christians we cannot fall for this type of faulty thinking (or lack of thinking). Truth is a basic foundation of Christianity. When Jesus stood before Pilate he was asked, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world for the purpose of pointing to the truth. He even said in John 14:6 that He is “the way, the truth and the life.”

This is the reason when we gather for worship we focus on God’s Word, the Bible, not on man’s opinion. When we select Sunday School material to study, we insist that it present the truth of God’s Word, not just fluffy, easy believism. If we are to be a people of truth then we must know intimately and apply daily God’s word. It must affect how we spend our money, how we relate to people outside the church, how we vote, how we do everything in our life.

We must realize that if something is not “truth” then it is a “lie.” Jesus is the truth and the teacher of it. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44). In early 2009 you are going to hear about groups forming to become involved in “The Truth Project.” The purpose of this is to help us develop and become people of truth. When you hear about this opportunity, I hope each of you will pray about it and consider becoming a part of this important emphasis for the future of Grace.

Filed under: Theology, Worldview | Leave a comment »

This is pretty sick!! Then again it is Planned Parenthood

Posted on December 3, 2008 by Bill Haynes

gift-certificatesThe Washington Times ran an article last week about the Indiana chapter of Planned Parenthood, the nations leading abortion advocate, offering gift certificates for Christmas gifts. These can be used for a wide range of “contraceptive” services, including abortion. To tie this season with abortion and the destruction of babies is simply, well, sick and evil. Pray that God will open the eyes of the USA to the evil destruction of precious life.

Interesting, and sad, the Indiana health commissioner endorsed this program:

The program has been endorsed by Dr. Judy Monroe, Indiana health commissioner, who called it a “really a meaningful gift.”

The certificates, which come in $25 increments, work like cash and come with no restrictions and no expiration date. They can be purchased at many of the group’s Indiana clinics and online, and can be used for some insurance co-payments and medication.

Also read Dr. Al Mohler’s commentary on this.

Filed under: Ethics, Worldview | Leave a comment »

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