A Son Of Liberty

1. Yippee! Today is a free day! It's February 29th!

2. The Bible according to satellite imagery: [link].

3. "Joy is the flag flown high from the castle of my heart to let the whole world know when the King is in residence there." [link]

4. Tomorrow, I'll be off the beaten path. But, Joe, you might say, you're always off the beaten path. Ahh, shut up. Tomorrow, Bubba, Dad, Mom, a couple from church and I are going to attempt to find Mill Creek Falls in Cades Cove. The trail is overgrown, unmarked, difficult to follow and calls for several creek crossings. And tomorrow, there might be snow melt making the creek crossings a tad tougher. It was attempted two weeks ago and the group ran out of daylight. The problem, I believe, is that they didn't have the necessary equipment: Joe, his trusty Suunto compass and his green boonie hat.

5. Is BJ back, yet? Man, I miss him.

6. Can we get just one good snow so we can sled? Growing up, we went sledding at least once or twice a year. I swear since the birth of my children there has been no considerable snowfall. I'd love to get out and race down a hill with them in the snow.

7. I need another group hug. OK, good. Thanks. Now, go out and have a wonderfully inspirational weekend.

Coming this spring: Worldwidetelescope.org via [link]. See a demonstration here: [link].

It is a sort of tradition of the fathers that it is wrong to laugh on Sundays. The eleventh commandment is, that we are to love one another; and then according to some people, the twelfth is, "Thou shalt pull a long face on Sunday." I must confess that I would rather hear people laugh than I would see them asleep in the house of God; and I would rather get the truth into them through the medium of ridicule than I would have it neglected, or leave people to perish through the lack of reception of the message. I do believe, in my heart, that there may be as much holiness in a laugh as in a cry; and that sometimes, to laugh is the better of the two, for I may weep, and be murmuring, and repining, and thinking all sorts of bitter thoughts against God; while, at another time, I may laugh the laugh of sarcasm against sin, and so evince a holy earnestness in the defence of the truth. (Charles Haddon Spurgeon, [link])

William Williams, a near and dear friend of Spurgeon, wrote:

What a bubbling fountain of humour Mr. Spurgeon had! I laughed more, I verily believe, when in his company than during all the rest of my life besides. He had the most fascinating gift of laughter … and he had also the greatest ability for making all who heard him laugh with him. When someone blamed him for saying humourous things in his sermons, he said, “He would not blame me if he only knew how many of them I keep back.” (William Williams, Personal Remembrances of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, London: Passmore and Alabaster, 1895, p. 24) 

And, finally, I leave you with this:

For Spurgeon, he felt he had no choice. His deep convictions on salvation forced him to conclude that the doctrine of baptismal regeneration "sent millions to hell." On this basis he sounded the trumpet. He even had an old baptismal font placed in his garden as a bird bath. He called it the "spoils of war." (Lewis A. Drummond, Spurgeon: Prince of Preachers, Kregel Publications, 1992, p. 486)

This is my way of forwarding those cheesy emails without actually forwarding an email... 

Men are just happier people. What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is "just too icky." You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend. 

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.  Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24th in 25 minutes.

I don't have a set of vise grips in my tool chest. Needle-nosed pliers are there. There are two or three adjustable wrenches. I have a Craftsman Robogrip. There are a couple of standard wrenches in there. I believe I remember a pipe wrench. I have two lug wrenches in my car. I have a gorgeous socket wrench. There are diagonal pliers, wire stippers and crimpers. But there are no vise grips.

And come to think of it, I don't have a torque wrench either... 

Hillary Clinton loses the Democratic nomination. Bill and Hillary divorce within two years of the loss. Hillary fades from the public eye, but Bill continues to show up in tabloids and Hollywood news shows. He'll be womanizing, partying with his Hollywood friends and stepping out of limousines ... without wearing underwear.

You heard it here. First. 

No. 2 Tennessee beat No. 1 Memphis! Sorry, Mark [link].

Joe notes:

• Beating Memphis at home will make for easier recruiting in the Memphis area for Bruce Pearl.
• According to Jeff Sagarin at USA Today, Memphis' schedule is ranked 98th compared to Tennessee's 10th-ranked schedule. Being undefeated in Conference USA is like a twenty-year old winning in a game of grade school dodge ball. Where's the competition?
  
• I predict Kansas, North Carolina and Duke fair better in the NCAA tournament than Memphis and Tennessee.

Here's a classic:

A panda walks into a bar, sits down and orders a sandwich. He eats, pulls out a gun and shoots the waiter dead. As the panda stands up to go, the bartender shouts, "Hey! Where are you going? You just shot my waiter and you didn't pay for the food."

The panda yells back, "Hey, man, I'm a panda. Look it up!"

The bartender opens his dictionary to panda: "A tree-climbing mammal of Asian origin, characterized by distinct black and white coloring. Eats shoots and leaves."

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. (John 4:21-22, NIV)

The Samaritans in Jesus' time (and some at present time) had the books of Moses. They worshiped the God of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph and Moses. They have claim to the city of Shechem, the location of the well of Jacob, the burial place of Joseph and the place where Joshua gave his farewell speech. They had even built an altar on the high place of Mount Gerizim -- the place of the pronouncement of blessings. They had the same books, similar altars and similar claim to lineage and land. Yet, they did not recognize the Christ and all of their worship was in vain.

As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. And he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him; but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51-53, NIV)

1. Fluffy Cow reports that we have $164 in the Project American Warrior coffers along with some notes of encouragement for our two adopted warriors who are spending time in sunny, tropical Iraq. Now, I believe Fluffy is ready to shop. Istvan, Fleur, were you able to get with Fluffy and lay out a list of items that our adopted son and daughter would love to receive?

2. There was a huge response to my "Let's Not Mince Words" post. I am working on a follow-up post that addresses many of your concerns. Let me assure you, though, that I am not condemning Vision Forum. I don't know enough about that organization to have an opinion. My problem is with the theonomists and their mistreatment of Scripture. Where Vision Forum fits into that equation is in their profiting from the authors like Rushdoony, Bahnsen and others.

3. Happy belated birthday, Wesley! I have your gift so there's no need to blame Amazon this year.

4. When I was in high school, we had big, chunky computers in vanilla boxes with Intel 486 processors and physics class was mostly presented on a chalkboard. If we had had something like this [link], and if -- a big "IF" -- I had actually recognized the importance of a secondary education, I would've been a world-renowned physicist ... or a male model.

5. It is the weekend and that means weekend projects! We will either build model rockets [link], design our pinewood derby cars [link, link and link] or build a window cornice for the living room [link].

6. I absolutely love Makezine.com and their blog [link]. I check it daily.

7. Last week we had visual illusions. Today, auditory illusions: [link].

8. And, with this, I'll close. I love you guys. Really. Just ask my mom. I talk about you guys all the time. Group hug. Now, go away. Get outside for Pete's sake. 

A friend just emailed what I thought was a joke. As it turns out, there is some truth to it [link]. Enjoy!

At college, there were four sophomores taking chemistry and all of them had an "A" so far.  These four friends were so confident that the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party.  They had a great time but, after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to college until early Monday morning.
 
Rather than taking the final then, they decided that after the final they would explain to their professor why they missed it.  They said that they visited friends but on the way back they had a flat tire.  As a result, they missed the final.  The professor agreed they could make up the final the next day.  The guys were excited and relieved.  They studied that night for the exam.
 
The next day the Professor placed them in separate rooms and gave them a test booklet.  They quickly answered the first problem worth 5 points. Cool, they thought!  Each one in separate rooms, thinking this was going to be easy.... then they turned the page.  On the second page was written....
 
For 95 points: Which tire?

As I wrote at the very early stages of this blog, some of us are in Liberty Forward. We're at the front line where the bullet hits the bone. And sometimes it's ugly up here. If you feel it necessary, please go back to the rear. Go back where the bed is comfortable, the food is warmer and your chances of being shot at are significantly decreased. But up here, I fight on.

Today, let's consider Vision Forum and their symbiotic relationship with theonomic Postmillenialist prophets like Rushdoony, Bahnsen and Grant. They are preaching a different gospel -- contrary to Scripture. And, as I lay in bed last Saturday, I shuddered at the fact that I had participated in that treasure hunt and had unwittingly involved my family and encouraged countless others across the country via the Web.

I can now without any hint of doubt explain the uneasiness that I experienced while in Williamsburg. Wesley and I discussed the uneasiness and have batted the subject around since; but, neither of us could "put our finger on it." As it turns out, "it" was a spirit of discernment that was telling me that something was amiss. And, as I lay in bed last Saturday night studying Christian Reconstructionism and Paul's letter to Galatia, I had an epiphay -- an eye-opener. I had been naive and had overlooked the blatant signals of a different gospel.

According to Rousas John Rushdoony, and in direct contradiction to Galatians 3:2-3, "Man's justification is by the grace of God in Jesus Christ; man's sanctification is by means of the law of God.... Sanctification depends on our law-keeping in mind, word, and deed. The perfection of the incarnate Word was manifested in His law-keeping; can the people of His kingdom pursue their calling to be perfect in any way other than by His law-word?" (Institutes of Biblical Law, pages 4, 307). And, so that there is no uncertainty, in the same book, Rushdoony admits that he breaks from Orthodoxy by saying, "Protestant theology left man justified but without a way to be sanctified" (page 307).

Sanctification is not by means of the law. The law was fulfilled in Christ. We are sanctified -- made holy -- by submission to the person of God's indwelling Holy Spirit. Yet, men who are propped up for profit and political gain argue that because Jesus didn't abolish the law (Matthew 5:17-18), it must still be binding. That's why these men seek to implement components of the Mosaic Law -- and do linguistic gymnastics to convince you that the Mosaic Law wasn't a complete package and that the Greek word plerosai means "confirm" and that ... well, you get the picture.

Jesus loved the law, obeyed the law and brought it to consummation along with all of the prophesies about him. The law called for perfection and found fulfillment in Jesus' obedient sacrifice on the cross. Otherwise there is a curse: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.' ... Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: 'Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree'" (Galatians  3:10,13).

According to a book by Elmer Towns, "If, however, the law of Moses bears the same relationship to men today, in terms of its binding status, as it did before Christ came, then it was not fulfilled, and Jesus failed at what he came 'to do.'"

On the other hand, if the Lord did accomplish what he came to accomplish, then the law was fulfilled, and it is not a binding legal institution today. Further, if the law of Moses was not fulfilled by Christ, and thus remains as a binding legal system for today, then it is not just partially binding. Rather, it is a totally compelling system. [Link]

Jesus clearly said that "not one jot or one tittle" would pass away until all was fulfilled. Jesus' death and resurrection fulfilled all of the law. Otherwise, he fulfilled none of it. And anyone who says otherwise is preaching a gospel contrary to Scripture. From Hebrews:

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
   "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
      but a body you prepared for me;
 with burnt offerings and sin offerings
      you were not pleased.
 Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
      I have come to do your will, O God.' "First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. (Hebrews 10:1, 5-9, NIV)

Like I said, it's ugly up here on the front. I just hurt some of your sensibilities, but consider this a warning shot across your bow. You now have a choice. You can continue down the destructive path or turn back.

1. The illusions at this website [link] have had me pondering reality all week. Especially check out the Rubik's Cube-looking illusion. How can my eyes be so wrong?

2. Should have I included this [link] as a Library Blogging feature? You can see all of Lori Nix's work here: via [link].

3. If I had € 99 to drop on BJ's birthday next month, I'd buy this in a heartbeat: [link]. Although, it would certainly throw off the feung-shui-thing he has going on on his bookshelves.

4. You'd expect to see something like this in a Globe Reacher's blog posting. And, even though they don't offer a lens hood for my Samsung camera phone, I do love the idea of cheap fixes: [link].

5. I have an idea for the BJnotBK contest [link]. Give me some time to put it together. It involves a picture window and Post-It notes.

6. Fluffy, I know I haven't sent anything for the Project American Warrior. You have my word that I'll send it Monday. In fact, I'll provide a UPS tracking number.

7. And, finally, concerning my early-Sunday morning epiphany and the things going on over the in the Reader Supported blog, I have loads to talk about. Hopefully, after finishing most of my Saturday honey-do list, I'll find some time to sit down and put finger to keyboard. Until then, have a blessed weekend. And, for the sake of your sanity, get outside!

A school outside Topeka, Kansas, won't let women referee at their boys' basketball games:

The Kansas State High School Activities Association said referees reported that Michelle Campbell was preparing to officiate at St. Mary's Academy near Topeka on Feb. 2 when a school official insisted that Campbell could not call the game.

The reason given, according to the referees: Campbell, as a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy's beliefs. (via [link])

Comments anyone?

Update: My comment: I'm sure Ms. Campbell rushed home thankful that the school didn't allow her to sin. She'll be in church Sunday morning for sure. ;) 

My wife cracks me up sometimes. Check out her blog post on Tuesday: [link].

In bloom in our front yard are hundreds -- maybe thousands -- of purple crocus. They are absolutely beautiful. They open in the morning and close in the evening. So, every day for the past week or so, we have stood in our front window in awe of our little front-yard neighbors.