Blaspheming the Holy Spirit?

Ever since I was banned from a certain message board (against their own rules, might I add), I've been somewhat perplexed at the unending stream of questions and issues that go unanswered. So in order to salve my own conscience, I've decided to answer the most incorrectly-answered questions here on my blog. The most recent one is "Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit," and most of the answers by the leaders of the board are sadly off by a long shot. The only person that's even close to correct (dead-on, actually) is a lady. Sad, no? You'd think a board like that would choose males that at least knew their Bibles.

Anyhow, the question, posed by a new Christian with a Charismatic mother, is more or less "What is Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost?" Pentecostals will tell you that questioning "Speaking in Tongues" is blasphemy, and therefore an unpardonable sin, but how does this line up when compared with Scripture?

"But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:" (Mark 3:29)

The scribes had just accused Jesus of casting out devils by the power of Satan, or saying that the Holy Ghost was the Devil. Basically calling the Holy Spirit Satan is the blasphemy that Jesus was talking about.

Under the circumstances, it was because Jesus was on earth, and was the physical manifestation of God. Therefore, saying something like this against Jesus (and the Holy Spirit) was blasphemy. However, that's the only time you see that showing up; nowhere else is Blaspheming the Holy Spirit even mentioned, so you can rest assured that this time is already past. Until the LORD comes back again, and sets up an entirely new government (Rev. 14:6-7), there won't be the ability to actually blaspheme the Holy Spirit as the scribes did.

Christians for McCain?

I've often said about this election that we have a choice between a Liberal and a Socialist. It's not good odds, but there's something to be said for taking what you can get. Personally, I'd love to see Chuck Baldwin in the White House; there's just something gratifying about hearing a Presidential candidate say that Abraham Lincoln was one of this nation's worst presidents. However, In our largely Bi-partisan political climate, a vote for Baldwin is nothing less than a vote for Obama.

Sens. McCain and Obama are some of the last people I'd ever pick for my presidents, but that's what we're stuck with unfortunately. Obviously choosing the lesser of two evils still means you wind up with evil, but as Christians we have to live and operate within our system. I don't believe that Christians aren't allowed to be involved in politics or the government; far from it, in fact. If you have a chance to affect the system for good, then go for it! However, some of us are called to something else, and getting involved in politics would be nothing but a distraction from our God-given jobs.

I've seen many people say that they could not vote for McCain in good conscience; my question to those people is how can you vote for anyone else in good consciense, knowing your vote will give the Socialist Obama that much more of an opportunity? Every conservative vote for anyone other than McCain is nothing but a vote for Obama. That's how it's been for years; voting for Ross Perot simply put Bill Clinton in office that much easier. It's not the way the Founders intended, but as Christians we must live with what we have, and therefore the only candidates that we can honestly consider as options are those in the two main parties. Would to God that someone with character and honesty like Chuck Baldwin would be elected, but in our warped, godless society, that's not going to happen.

So no, McCain is not a good choice. He's not even a very well conscienced choice for many. But should a Christian vote for him? Yes, because a vote against him is one more vote for Obama.

Saying that God wouldn't bless voting for McCain is like saying He would have cursed Israel for not choosing Asa because he didn't campaign to remove the high places, and instead winding up with a Reheboam. God isn't going to bless inactivity when you have a chance to make a difference.

Open Source Government?

This is radically different from the majority of my posts here on WoaK, but I thought it was a good idea and I don't have anywhere else to put it up.

I was thinking tonight, whilst eating my "Pollo Vallarta" (Mexican grilled chicken breast with cheese and shrimp) that government should be run by civilians who put aside their vocations or careers for a year or two, go to D.C., do what needs to be done, and then go home. This way we wouldn't have career politicians making power grabs and getting corrupted by corporate and special interest groups' lobbyists. Interestingly enough, this is how our government started in the first place. Most of the Founding Fathers weren't politicians: they were men with jobs that loved their country enough to put those jobs aside and do what needed to be done for their country.

Strangely enough, this system reminded me of the Open Source community. For those that aren't familiar with Open Source, it's a group effort of largely unpaid volunteers that develops free software on a donation basis. The source code for this software is "open" or freely available to anyone that wants to download it. This creates a system where different groups and individuals balance each other out and create a system if accountability and stability. When an application is released under an Open Source license, it's dependable and honest.

What does that have to do with goernment? Simply this: if out governmental system was based more on volunteers and simple taxes (preferably the Fair Tax), then that would reduce corruption to a minimum and keep people from power grabs and feel-good policies. We as the people of this nation would have more direct control over the government, and it would work for US, not the other way around. What most people don't realize is that the taxes that the government takes are OURS, not theirs. The government is supposed to be OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people; that's something that 95% of politicians in government, nation-wide, have forgotten.

Well that's my idea: a system of government where moderately-paid, locally-selected individuals work for a couple years in a small government to make laws based on the desires of their constituents. That's how it was originally designed; why did it change anyway?

By His hand I'm safely led

I was just thinking about how amazing the Lord is. In all my years of life, I've seen Him do so many awesome things that I'm astounded at His mercy and grace to me. My life's story is a patchwork, from being born to a lost mother and backslidden father, to moving over 10 times, to attending seven different churches during my life. However, looking back on everything that's happened, I can see the incredible power of God preparing me for His service over the years.

I've come to a point where my experiences have caused me to have almost complete faith in the Lord. I think that's the biggest thing that God wants for us: absolute faith and trust in Him. Being called to the mission field, I have had to learn that He is in control, whether it be church problems, money issues or family conflagrations. I thank God for His preparation in my life in order to serve Him more effectively.

I'd also like to use this opportunity to encourage those that might be going through a hard time. God's awesome, all-powerful hand is in control of everything but your free will to trust Him. I've seen Christian people that seem to lose sight of the fact that God is in control. These people wind up moving all over the place and sometimes declaring bankruptcy over money issues instead of leaving it in the Lord's hands. If there's only one thing that people can learn from me, I hope that it would be true faith. Faith isn't hoping or closing your eyes and trusting blindly, though sometimes that's all we can accomplish in certain circumstances. Faith is knowing, without evidence or proof other than a relationship with Christ and His Word.

Many times we are derided as Christians for believing in God, the Bible, or Creation, by people who accuse us of blind faith. What they don't know is that in Christ, we don't have to have proof in front of our eyes: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. We can KNOW, for a 100% certainty, that God is, and that He is in control of everything. So if you come to a point in your life where you can't see what to do, don't understand the circumstances, or can't seem to see God working in the situation, you can KNOW that He is simply working in your life to make you more fit to serve Him or making you a better person in general.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

The Word is Alive

Check out the new blog "The Word is Alive". The blog is mostly scripture, sometimes on a particular topic, and sometimes just a single verse will be posted.

"The Word is Alive" stands on the authority of the King James Bible as the pure, perfect, inspired and preserved word of God.

* * *

"The Word is Alive"
~ Casting Crowns

Looking out from His throne
The Father of light and of men
Chose to make Himself known
And show us the way back to him

Speaking wisdom and truth
Into the hearts of peasants and Kings
He began to unveil
The Word that would change the course of all things

With eyes wide open all would see

The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believe

The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive

Simple strokes on a page
Eternity's secrets revealed
Carried on from age to age
It speaks truth to us even still

As the rain falls from heaven
Feeds the earth before it returns
Lord, let your Word fall on us
And bring forth the fruit you deserve

With eyes wide open let us see

The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believe

The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive

The bible was inscribed over a period of 2000 years
In times of war and in days of peace
By kings, physicians, tax collectors, farmers, fishermen, singers and shepherds
The marvel is that a library so perfectly cohesive
Could have been produced by such a diverse crowd
Over a period of time which staggers the imagination
Jesus is it's grand subject our good is designed and the Glory of God is its end

The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believe

The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive (The world and its glories will fade)
The Word is alive (His truth it will not pass away)
His Word is alive (His Word is alive, His Word is alive)

Romans Road vs. Straight and Narrow

Occasionally someone shows up on the forum from whence I was last banned and starts arguing Salvation from Matthew or Hebrews or even the OT. It's hilarious, to be honest. They fall all over themselves, arguing Scriptures and trying to explain things away, while the heretic runs roughshod over them and makes them look like fools. Don't get me wrong, there are several nice, Godly people there, and I like several of them, but 98% of the people there can't answer a man like that.

The current fiasco is a "WWJD" type of guy, the kind that doesn't pay attention to mail addresses (see my earlier posts on that). He likes Jesus' message. Who doesn't? Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the peacemakers, etc. His message, while hard, is nice for the most part. And it's Jesus, so we should obey Him, right?

I Corinthians 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.

I Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me,

THREE times, Paul tells the CHURCH to follow him. Yes, the final object is Christ, because Paul followed Christ, but he commanded the Church to follow HIM three times. That's an indisputable fact, unless you like to argue with the Bible (not a smart thing to do).

So let's back up a little. Why Paul and not Jesus? Well, who was Jesus speaking to? Who did Jesus preach to? Most importantly, who did Jesus NOT preach to? Remember the Cyro-phonecian woman? Jesus called her a DOG! He said that it's not right to give the childrens' bread unto DOGS!! How's that for racial equality? Jesus didn't go to the Gentiles: He didn't preach to them, He didn't waste time on their ailments, He didn't try to convert them. He said that He was sent not but to the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL!

Who was Paul sent to? Who did he preach and write to? God said that Paul was to be a witness to the Gentiles. He was the Apostle to the Gentiles, and also the messenger to the Church (9 books addressed to churches?).

So, are you going to take a Jewish gospel, from a Jewish preacher, to a Jewish nation, and believe that, when God Himself said that Paul was the preacher to the Gentiles, and in turn the church? So, Romans or the Sermon on the Mount? Chop off your hand or live peaceably as much as lieth in you? Endure to the end or He'll keep us from falling?

Your choice. God, however, is right and true, and His word never faileth.

New Blog for people in the Ministry

I've started a new blog to help people in the ministry understand and get advice on technology. Many pastors and missionaries aren't familiar with the tech field, but would be greatly helped by some of the things that modern technology has to offer. Lord willing, I'm going to cover things from computers, applications and external hardware to mobile phones, GPS devices and PDAs. There are many options to choose from in all of these areas, and I want to help people figure out what's best for them so they don't have to waste precious time doing the legwork.

Please check it out if this sort of thing interests you, and send this link along to anyone you know that might like some help when it comes to technology today. Whether they're a greenhorn or a seasoned pro, we'll have something in our blog for them.

Edit: if you want the link (helpful, perhaps), it's ministry-tech.blogspot.com.