Feminist Pastor Gives Gloria Steinem Pagan Idol Sculpture Made Of Melted Purity Rings!

Everyday, I Thank God That I Am A Conservative (Fundamentalist) Christian!  "Bill, you are a Fundamentalist?"   You betcha!  

"What is a Conservative (Fundamentalist) Christian believer?"  Glad you asked.  A Conservative Christian, aka, a Fundamentalist Christian - is a believer who knows that the Bible is God's sole authority for mankind, His full revelation given to man to guide us in our daily Christian lives.  It is the Holy Spirit Inspired, Holy Spirit Inerrant, Holy Spirit Literal Written Word of God. 

Why do I say the "Written Word of God"?  Because Jesus Christ is the "Living Word (Logos) of God."  God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, to offer all who will, by grace through faith, believe in Him - freedom from the Penalty of Sin (Justification).   The Bible, God's Written Word, if followed daily gives us freedom from the Power of Sin (Sanctification).  And one day, when we die or are raptured, He will give us eternal freedom from the Presence of Sin (Glorification). 

A Conservative (Fundamentalist) Christian fellowship and we as individual believers hold to the Verbal Plenary Inspiration of Scripture, that all 66 books of the Bible are without error in the original manuscripts.  We believe that the Bible is without error in its moral and spiritual teaching and in its record of historical facts.  What does Verbal Plenary Inspiration of Scripture mean?  "Verbal" means that every word of Scripture is God-given.  "Plenary" means that all parts of the Bible are equally authoritative.  "Inspiration" means that every word in the Bible is divinely inspired.

When we build our Christian theology upon the full 66 books of the Bible, excluding none of Scripture - that theology cannot be wrong.  When looking for a church to be your home church fellowship, look for a Christian church which views the Bible this way, which teaches the Bible in this manner - and you cannot go wrong.

Many Liberal churches view the Bible in a much different way.  They see the Bible as a good book, a guideline for Christian living, but not the Inerrant, Literal Written Word of God.  To many in the Liberal persuasion the Bible is a dynamic document, one that is to be continually edited and updated, which changes, grows, or shrinks over time - according to the mores, the acquired customs and manners, of the secular society.

In our Conservative Christian churches, our Bible-based view is that the Secular Society must adapt to what the Bible teaches.  Most Liberals believe that the Bible should adapt to modern Secular Society's relativism and latest, ever changing, ever evolving beliefs.

Does the Bible teach that God and His Written Word change with the ever changing societal desires?

Malachi 3:6, "For I am the LORD, I do not change; . . . ."  ~  This tells us that God does not change.  He is immutable, unchanging.  His Word if perfect, His plan for mankind is perfect, His will for mankind is perfect, and His mercy and justice for mankind is perfect.  There is no need nor reason for Him to change.

Psalm 119:89, "Forever, O LORD,  Your word is settled in heaven."  ~  This tells us that God's Word, what we read in the Bible, is settled in heaven.  Since it is settled in heaven, nothing man can do on earth can change it.

So what happens when an individual, a church fellowship, or a denomination insists upon viewing the Bible as a changing, dynamic document?  In my lifetime I have seen that scenario played out over and over.  In the past few decades we have seen the results of such a Liberal Biblical view.  We saw America look the other way when a Roman Catholic president, John Kennedy, had thinly veiled adulterous affairs, openly cheating on his wife.  We saw a president, Bill Clinton, who professed to be Christian, but was having an adulterous affair in the Oval Office. 

In 2004, we saw  the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire ordain Gene Robinson as a Bishop in that denomination.  And at the same time he was living an openly homosexual lifestyle with a partner.  We have seen denominations and individual churches openly accept people into church fellowship as pastors and other positions of leadership - while they are living in an active homosexual or lesbian relationship.  In doing this they are spitting on the Word of God and God Himself.

We have seen many churches, even including some Liberal Baptists churches, ordaining women as pastors.  The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship ordained a woman pastor, Suzii Paynter, as their Executive Coordinator/Pastor over their whole denomination for the past five years.  We have seen the same heretical movements in other denominations where women have been elected to be the Executive Pastor over all the churches in those denomination.  Flagrantly ignoring the Word of God.

And more and more we are seeing mainline churches and denominations openly accepting the homosexual lifestyle (LGBTQ) as the norm, accepting that lifestyle within the leadership ranks of Christian churches.

Will Rogers, the famous American humorist, had a very appropriate quote that fits this situation very well, "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.”   It most certainly seems that the Christian church, over the past 100 years, has been digging itself into a very deep hole - compromising with the secular humanist society..  And that is why we have the Secular Society and the LGBTQ activists raising the level of their all-out attack against the Christian faith, all across America.

In 1963 the Supreme Court evicted God and prayer from our public schools - and more and more from all public domain.  In 1973 the Supreme Court ignored God and legalized the murder, Infanticide, of unborn babies.   Then a few years ago, the Supreme Court ignored God and legalized homosexual marriage.  Now it appears we are on a fast track for the Supreme Court to once again ignore God and legalized the murder, Infanticide, of babies, even up to post-birth.   Today the push is to legalize the killing of babies who have miraculously survived abortion attempts.  Society still wants to allow them to be murdered by the abortionist.

With all those compromises with the world in mind, the story below should not surprise anyone.  A tattoo covered Feminist who has been ordained and is pastor of a Lutheran church in Denver - believes that all young girls who have committed themselves to abstinence, i.e., chastity, until marriage, who have accepted a "promise or purity ring" to signify that commitment - are abused.  She asked them to mail their "promise rings" to her - so that she could melt them down to make a pagan idol.

We have all read in Exodus 32, when God had Moses with Him on Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments - that the Jews whom God had led out of 400 years of slavery in Egypt, turned their backs on God and demanded that Aaron, their high priest, make for them a golden calf they could worship in place of God.  Aaron had them gather all their golden rings and jewelry to melt down and from that gold he made them a pagan golden calf to worship.   

Doesn't the action of this tattooed, feminist woman pastor ring true to the story of Aaron, the Jews, and the golden calf?  She had women mail her their "promise rings" and she had them melted down and made into a pagan vagina idol.  Imagine having your sons and daughters, your grandchildren come under the influence of such a person, a person professing to be Christian - but living and teaching pagan idol worship.

Dory and I are so blessed to be in the Christian family of IBBC-Riverside (International Bible Baptist Church) where we have so many youth and young adults, male and female, who are happily living their lives to serve the Lord and to walk in His ways - and not in the secular world's ways.  Every time we come together to worship and study - I am so blessed by each and every one of our young people.  In each of them, from the youngest and up, I truly see the virtuous life of a Conservative Christian believer who is thrilled to be serving Him.

Yet when I read the story below and watch this video, my heart breaks for the young people who have been lured into this evil woman's web of paganism.

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Feminist Pastor Gives Gloria Steinem Pagan Idol Sculpture Made Of Melted Purity Rings!
THE DAILY WIRE, By Paul Bois, February 19, 2019
https://youtu.be/o8iSyfZwtAo

Well, she finally did it.  Feminist Lutheran "pastor" Nadia Bolz-Weber has given abortion propagandist Gloria Steinem the vagina sculpture she made of Christian purity rings last year, reports The Blaze.

Last November, the founding pastor (Nadia Bolz-Weber) of Denver’s House for All Sinners and Saints (Lutheran church) - who once described herself to The Washington Post as a "tatted-up, foul-mouthed" leader of a "new, muscular form of liberal Christianity" - announced on Twitter her "massive art project" - to create a golden idol to female genitalia in protest of evangelical purity.

"Beginning November 12th, until December 17th, you’ll have the opportunity to send in your purity rings to be melted down and recast into a golden vagina," she explained on her website about her plans to create her feminist idol. "This sculpture will be unveiled at the 2019 Makers Conference."

Women who sent Bolz-Weber their purity rings were given a "certificate of Impurity as well as a SHAMELESS impurity ring."  Evangelicals sometimes refer to such purity rings as "promise" or "chastity" rings.  They are typically given to young girls as a sign of promise to abstain from pre-marital sex.

When Bolz-Weber received enough rings, she had to hire a female welder to create the vagina statue after five men refused to make it.  Upon presenting the statue to Steinem at the 2019 Makers conference, the feminist pastor denounced the purity rings as a "footnote" in a vast history.

"Every single thing and person that seemed so powerful as to feel inescapable, I name them, and then I just go 'footnote,'" Bolz-Weber said. "I mean, seriously - Pontius Pilate?  He's a footnote.  Your bully from middle school?  Footnote.  Your depression?  Footnote.  Your (nasty) boss?  Footnote.  All those things are very real, and the harm that they have on us and the world is also real."

"But to me, the whole point of having faith is that it allows us to believe in a bigger story than the one we tell ourselves," she added.  "Those purity rings are a footnote."

Bolz-Weber explained to HuffPost at the 2018 Makers Conference (that) her motivation (is) to "take down" the evangelical purity culture.

"This thing about women that the church has tried to hide and control, and that is a canvas on which other people can write their own righteousness - it’s actually ours," Bolz-Weber said.  "This part of me is mine - and I get to determine what is good for it, and if it’s beautiful, and how I use it in the world."

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has developed generally liberal views on abortion, homosexuality, and universalism.  Bolz-Weber said her denomination has largely supported her.

According to The Christian Post, the modern purity movement among evangelicals began in the 1990s and 2000s partly because of Joshua Harris’ 1997 book "I Kissed Dating Goodbye," - in which he suggested that dating should only be for preparing for marriage.  Harris has since apologized for that viewpoint, saying he presented an unhealthy view of recreational dating.

"I didn't leave room for the idea that dating could be a healthy way of learning what you're looking for in a long-term relationship, that it could be a part of growing personally," he admitted.  "I gave the impression that there was one formula that you could follow, and if you followed that, you'd be happily married, God would bless you, and you'd have a great sex life and marriage.  Obviously, the real world doesn't work that way."

This woman's goal: "her motivation (is) to "take down" the evangelical purity culture." 

That ties in well with this story from 2013, when the lesbian journalist, Masha Gessen, stated that the real goal of the LGBTQ homosexual activists - is to eliminate marriage altogether. 

Most people were duped into believing that the LGBTQ activists really wanted to have marriages similar to traditional Biblical marriage, a couple committed to one another for life.  I believe this woman, this lesbian journalist, is more on target with the real goals of the LGBTQ community.

Homosexual Activist Admits True Purpose of Battle is to Destroy Marriage
The Illinois Family Institute
By Micah Clark  - April 6, 2013 
http://illinoisfamily.org/homosexuality/homosexual-activist-admits-true-purpose-of-battle-is-to-destroy-marriage/

Even knowing that there are radicals in all movements, doesn’t  lessen the startling admission recently by lesbian journalist Masha Gessen.  On a radio show she actually admits that homosexual activists are lying about their radical political agenda.  She says that they don’t want to access the institution of marriage; they want to radically redefine and eventually eliminate it.

Folks, as you can see, we Christian believers have our work cut out for us.   We have to stand strong against these attacks from the Secular Society, the Humanists, and the LGBTQ community activists - and keep sharing the Word of God, Biblical Truth, keep protecting our families, our children and grandchildren, from the lure of the pagan world.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on image to enlarge

 

Jazz Great George Shearing 2011 Obituary - And Sharing The Gospel

Today, searching my archives I came upon the post below from 2011.  I posted it on the TimesDaily Religion Forum, in my Facebook Notes, and sent it as a Bill & Dory Gray Christian Ministries eNewsletter in February 2011.  And now, with some changes to bring it up to date and more relevant, I want to share it once again with all my Friends.

Bill Gray February 15, 2011 ·

JAZZ GREAT, GEORGE SHEARING, HAS DIED!  -  Today, I was reading the obituary for jazz great, George Shearing, in my hometown newspaper, the TimesDaily.  It announced that George Shearing had died at the age of 91.

In 1956-57, while stationed in the Air Force in Korea and Formosa, my best friend was a jazz guitarist named Bob White.  After the Air Force, Bob went on to help found the Funk Brothers inhouse band for MoTown Records.  During our time in Korea and Formosa, Bob formed a Jazz Trio which would play on our base radio station.  During that year, since Osan Air Base was the 58th Fighter-Bomber Wing Headquarters, the regional competition for the worldwide Air Force Talent Contest was held on our base.

In that competition a one in a million thing happened to me.  The first evening of the competition the organizers realized they had not printed enough programs for the two night event. They asked us to return our programs so they could be distributed the second night.  Would you believe that on the second night I was given a program which had been used by a judge the previous evening?  The judge had written notes on the program.  The judge's comment about the Jazz Trio, "Guitarist obviously professional."  Bob was not professional, but he was that talented.  And what are the odds that in a full auditorium Bob White's best friend, me, would be given that particular program the second evening?

Since Bob was in Communications and I was in Radar/Electronics (the aircraft mechanics called all electronic techs the Whiz Kids) we were in the same quonset hut and had bunks side by side.  Between our bunks Bob had a record player (yes, long before CDs, cassettes, iPods, etc.).  We would go to the Base Exchange and buy 33 rpm records (no smirking from the younger audience) for our off duty entertainment.  He taught me to love jazz and one of the many jazz greats he introduced me to was the George Shearing Quintet.  I have been a fan of Shearing and all jazz music since then.

Many of my TimesDaily Religion Forum Friends complained about my posts, asking why we Christian believers insist upon sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ all the time.  Think about that.  Non-believers come on the Religion Forum to post - and complain because we believers share our Christian faith.  That should make you go, "Hmmm?"   Always my response to them is that we share the Gospel, which means "Good News" - because we are so blessed to be Christians and we want to share this "Good News" with all the world.

And our second, and very important, reason is that we cannot just step aside and allow atheists, agnostics, secularists, cults, and world religions to have the podiums all to themselves to preach their "bad news" to the over 11,000 TimesDaily Forum members and the untold number of other TimesDaily readers who come to the Forum just to read, but never post.  And we want to share the "Good News" to the billions of unsaved and unchurched people in the world.

Several George Shearing quotes really struck a chord in my heart.  His reasons and thoughts behind sharing his music with the world - are the same as we Christians feel about sharing the Gospel with the world.

In a 1987 Associated Press interview, Shearing said the ingredients for a great performance are, "a good audience, a good piano, and a good physical feeling, which is not available to every soul, every day of everyone's life."

"Your intent, then, is to speak to your audience in a language you know, to try to communicate in a way that will bring to them as good a feeling as you have yourself," he said.

As Shearing grew older, he spoke frankly of aging: "I'm not sure that technique and improvisational abilities improve with age," the pianist said.  "I think what improves is your sense of judgment, of maturity.  I think you become a much better editor of your own material."

Indeed I do agree with George Shearing.   We do want to "bring to them as good a feeling as you have yourself."  Can you imagine a better reason for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who do not yet know Him?

Then reflecting upon Shearing's second quote regarding growing older:  As we age and mature, "what improves is your sense of judgment, of maturity.  I think you become a much better editor of your own material."  This is called becoming a mature Christian and a more mature witness to the world, sharing our Lord's Gospel in a more mature, knowledgeable manner, better tuned through age and maturity in Christ to share with those who are, or should be, seeking an answer to life's questions.

But I will caution, maturity in Christ and His Word are not always linked to chronological age.  I have seen and know many young people who have a God given maturity because they have applied themselves to growing in Him.  In our church, International Bible Baptist Church of Riverside, we have many very mature young people who are very involved in ministry and outreach.  I am so blessed by them.

And I will never forget an evening in the early 1990s when I was in my early 50s and a relatively new believer.  Dory was out of town on a business trip, so I went alone to the Almeda home for our Friday Night Bible study, only to find that the parents had to be away that evening - and I did not get the word of cancellation.  As I was about to leave, their young high school daughter, Audrey, suggested that we - she, her brother Arnel, and I - have a Bible study.  Since I was not yet ready to lead Bible studies - this young high school student, Audrey, led a very good Bible study in the book of John.

While George Shearing was speaking of his love of music - he could just as easily have been speaking of our love of Jesus Christ and what He has done for all who will, by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ - believe and receive His "paid in full gift" of eternal life.

In George Shearing's memory I say, "Thank you for many years of beautiful music."

To all my Christian Friends, I say, "For you who are also believers, I praise God.  Now go to the world and share that Good News."

And, to my Friends who are not yet believers, I say with sincerity and a heart felt plea, "Why do you gamble with your eternal, immortal soul by waiting?  None of us knows when our next breath will be our last.  Why gamble that you might suddenly breathe your LAST breath because of an accident, heart attack, etc., and not be prepared?   Why wait until it is too late - before you take the time to assure your eternal home in heaven?  Why gamble when you are only a breath away from eternity - in heaven or in hell?  Make that decision today, right now.  Make your reservation for eternal life in heaven, today, now."

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on image to enlarge:

 

The Divine Chains Of Eternity! ~ 2019 Revisit

Today before our Sunday Schools started I was chatting with Ben Gallardo, our Adult Sunday School Leader.  On my laptop, I was showing him the video movies I have downloaded of the four Gospels.  I am currently using the Gospel of John (2003) video as I help lead the Seniors' Sunday School class.  In our class we viewed the first 25 minutes of the video, then that Sunday and the next we read through and discussed John chapter 1 verse by verse.   I believe this made the verses come to life more effectively to visually see them played out in the movie - adding another dimension to our verse by verse study of John. 

In our conversation I shared with Ben that, although I have a number of commentaries on the Gospel of John, my favorite is H. A. Ironside's commentary "John" first published in 1942.  And Ben mentioned that he likes Ironside's work also.  And his work is amazing considering that Ironside had no formal seminary education.  In 1924, Ironside began preaching under the direction of the Moody Bible Institute. 

In 1926, he was offered a full-time faculty position at the Dallas Theological Seminary, which he turned down, although he was frequently a visiting lecturer there from 1925 to 1943.  In 1930-1948 he served as pastor of Moody Church in Chicago.  In 1930, Wheaton College presented Ironside with an honorary Doctorate of Letters degree, and in 1942 Bob Jones University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. 

That led Ben and me into a discussion of Dwight L. Moody, a great evangelist and Bible teacher who, without a formal education and no seminary training - became one of the most influential evangelist in the world.  Moody, despite his own lack of formal education, preached revival meetings around the world, was instrumental in founding schools for both men and women, and his work eventually led to the founding of the school which became Moody Bible Institute and later birthed Moody Theological Seminary. 

You know that God was the guiding force behind both H. A. Ironside and Dwight L. Moody in all they accomplished and the way they continue to influence our Christian world long after their deaths.

My discussion today with Ben made me think back to a church bulletin insert I wrote in 1999, "The Chains Of Eternity."

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In 1999, as an elder in the Fil-Am Church of Corona (now the Corona International Christian Fellowship) one of my tasks was doing the Sunday Worship Service bulletin.  Viewing this task as an opportunity to edify and encourage folks in our fellowship, I usually included an insert in the bulletin sharing the Gospel or some other information which I felt would be helpful, edifying, and/or instructive to our fellowship members.   For the October 10, 1999, Sunday bulletin I included an insert titled "The Chains Of Eternity."   Below is a slightly edited reprint of that 1999 bulletin insert:

THE CHAINS OF ETERNITY

Life is a continuous chain of events - cause and effect.  If one event in the chain is changed, the effects will be innumerable.  Fictional novels have been written about people who are able to go back into their past and do something differently.   I am sure we all have such fantasies at time, i.e., if only I had taken this path and not that one.  Several  years ago their was a television show, "Quantum Leap," about a scientist who was able to time travel into the past.  But he was warned that no events were to be changed - for the effects on the world could be catastrophic. 

There was another television show on the PAX network called “Twice In A Lifetime.”   The story line is about a person who has had, or is having, a trauma in life, i.e., dying of cancer, suffering the lingering effects of a youthful abortion, lost a child through neglect, and many more traumatic events.  The people are divinely granted an opportunity to go back into their past anonymously for an opportunity to convince their youthful self to alter his/her lifestyle to prevent the troubling event from occurring in their older life.

Why am I having these thoughts on the chain of life’s events?  Because we, as born-again Christians, are links in a real, divinely designed chain of events.  To illustrate, let’s follow a chain of events which involves a man who is familiar to all of us, Billy Graham.  Although this chain began in the Garden of Eden, we will jump into it in the 1860s, and follow it through Billy Sunday, to Mordecai Ham, to Billy Graham, to events which have influenced your life, and to events happening in your life today.

In the late 1860s a young lady, Sarah Dunn, was decorating her family home in Waterloo, Iowa, when she felt the Lord was calling her to a ministry.  It seemed that she heard an audible voice asking, “What are you doing to decorate your heavenly home?”   Thoughts of perishing souls marching into an eternity without Christ began to flood Sarah’s mind.
 
Later she moved to Chicago, and in 1873 she met and married Colonel George Clarke, a real estate business man.  He shared her spiritual desires and together, in 1877, they opened a Mission Sunday School in a small storefront in Chicago, which would seat about 40 people.  There the homeless and downtrodden found warmth and the love of God through George and Sarah Clarke.

In 1880, they moved to a larger facility in a building vacated by the notorious Pacific Beer Garden.  Dwight L. Moody, the great evangelist of the 1800s, recently back from an evangelistic crusade in England, suggested they change the name to Pacific Garden Mission, which is the name of that mission to this day.

Here, as very frequently happens, several momentous eternal chains seem to overlap.  During the Dwight L. Moody crusade in England, Horatio G. Spafford, a wealthy Chicago businessman and a friend of Moody, was going to England to help him in the crusade and to give the Spafford family a vacation to recover from the  death of their only son and the financial loss they had suffered in the great Chicago fire of 1871.  Due to last minute business problems Spafford sent his wife and four daughters ahead on the ship as scheduled, promising he would follow on the next ship. 

Crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship carrying his family sank and their four daughters were lost at sea.  Heartbroken, he immediately took the next ship to join his wife.  It was on this voyage, while reflecting on his great loss, that God gave Horatio Spafford the peace of mind to write the words to the great hymn we all have sung so many times, “It Is Well With My Soul.”  How many of us have found peace and assurance from the words of that hymn?

In the late 1800s Billy Sunday was a professional baseball player for the Chicago White Stockings (now the White Sox).  He was a heavy drinker, a carouser, a fast-lane-liver.  As the story is told, in 1886 Billy Sunday was drinking in the seamier part of Chicago when he first heard the Gospel from the Pacific Garden Mission’s roving Gospel Wagon. 

That night Billy Sunday visited the Pacific Garden Mission, liked what he heard, and finally one Sunday evening publicly invited Jesus into his heart.  He continued to visit the mission, became an eager Bible student, and frequently gave his testimony at the mission.  Later he left professional baseball and the lucrative income to work for the YMCA.  In 1910 he started his own full time evangelistic ministry.

In 1923 Billy Sunday held a Revival Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, and one of the men saved at this revival meeting was Thomas Wilson, father of Grady Wilson, a long time friend of Billy Graham and a fixture in the Billy Graham evangelistic team.  Thomas Wilson and a group of other Charlotte businessmen, all of whom had come to the Lord at Billy Sunday’s meeting, formed a group called the Billy Sunday Laymen’s Evangelistic Club, later to be renamed the Charlotte Business Men’s Committee which is still active today.

In 1934, the depression was on and many people had little faith to carry them through the hard times.  The Charlotte Christian men’s group, most of whom were saved at the Billy Sunday meeting in 1923, held an all-day prayer meeting to discuss inviting Dr. Mordecai Ham to Charlotte for a Revival Meeting (they were not yet called Crusades).  Even though the local ministerial association was not in favor of the revival meeting, these Christian laymen made it happen.  Vernon Patterson, leader of the laymen’s group, later prayed that “out of Charlotte the Lord would raise up someone to preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth.”  That prayer, most certainly, was answered in Billy Graham.

The Mordecai Ham Revival Meeting lasted eleven weeks and two of the converts of this evangelistic outreach were Grady Wilson and Billy Graham, who at the time even though both were teenagers in Charlotte, did not know one another.  Yet they soon became strong friends and through divine guidance their spiritual growth and lives seem to run in the same path.  Through college and early pastoral endeavors their lives became entwined and a few years after Billy started his crusades Grady Wilson joined his team and was very much a factor in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Crusades.

In the late 1940s an organization called Christ For Greater Los Angeles wanted to have a revival meeting in Los Angeles.  They invited Angel Martinez, a dynamic Baptist evangelist in Texas, to be their speaker.  He turned them down because his heart was more in church revival rather than large mass meetings.  In his place, they invited Billy Graham. 

During the early weeks of that revival meeting William Randolph Hearst, a powerful newspaper tycoon and a non-believer, was led, even though there is no evidence that he ever attended any of the meetings, to instruct the editors of his many newspapers to give Billy Graham full-blown, all-out coverage in their newspapers.  That crusade, publicized by the Hearst newspaper empire, catapulted Billy Graham into the national and international spotlight.  God was working.

In Los Angeles Suzy Hamblen, a Christian lady and the wife of Stuart Hamblen, famous radio celebrity and songwriter in Hollywood, came to the meetings.  One night she went to the Prayer Tent and asked them to pray for her husband to be converted.  To make a long story short, she finally got Stuart to attend one of the meetings where God laid conviction on his soul. 

But instead of coming to the Lord, Hamblen bolted and headed to the mountains to hunt.  Halfway to the mountain retreat a blizzard forced him to return to Los Angeles.  He felt God’s hand in all this and went back.  Hamblen and his wife went to visit Billy Graham and some of the crusade team at their hotel.  That night Stuart Hamblen invited Jesus Christ to be his Lord and Savior.  After that he did nothing but Christian music.  One of his songs I’m sure you will recognize, “It Is No Secret What God Can Do.”   How many times have you sung that song?

Billy Graham calls the people who come forward at his altar calls “inquirers.”   He explains this with the story of Sam Jones, a Methodist evangelist.  At one of Sam Jones’ meetings a drunk staggered up to him and belched, “Mr. Jones, I am one of your converts!”  Jones looked him over and answered, “You look like one of my converts.  But it’s plain to see that you are not one of the Lord’s.”   In Billy’s thinking, after you have been established in your Christian walk for a year or so, and involved in a local Christian fellowship, THEN you can be called a convert.

Point of interest, Greg Laurie in his Harvest Crusades does the same for those who come forward at their crusades.  Many counselors and an extensive follow-up effort works to link those coming forward with a local Christian fellowship where they can become active believers.

At the 1952 Washington DC Crusade, Billy met Senator Willis Robertson, father of Pat Robertson of the “700 Club.”   Senator Robertson was the one who introduced Billy into the Washington political community.  This led to his one-on-one personal friendship with many congressmen, senators, cabinet members, and presidents.  Even though we most often see evidence of influence from the other side, the Prince of Darkness, in Washington - I know that God, through Billy Graham, has greatly influenced many decisions in our federal legislative bodies.

Tom Phillips, president of Raytheon Corporation, was saved at a crusade.  He later was prominent in leading Chuck Colson, one-time top aide to President Nixon, to Christ.  We all know of the wonderful work Chuck has done for the Lord through his Prison Ministries.  God’s chains have many links and many intertwined connections.

At a 1957 crusade Ethel Waters, world-renowned singer of movie and Broadway fame, came to the meeting.  After experiencing the crusade, she asked if she could be a member of the choir.  For the rest of her life she was considered an honorary member of the Billy Graham Crusade family, singing at many meetings.  If you are younger, you might not recognize Ethel Waters’ name.  But even if not - I bet you will remember a song she introduced in the Broadway play "A Member Of The Wedding."  That song is “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.”

In the late 1950s my wife, Dory, attended the Billy Graham Crusade in her native Philippines.  At that crusade, Billy Graham touched her life and through her he has touched me.  Now, I am a link in that divine chain.

One of the early workers in the Billy Graham Crusades was Dawson Trotman who set up their first system for following-up the people who came forward at the crusades.  Dawson Trotman founded the Navigators and through the Navigators my friend, Pastor Ed Dacio, became a born-again Christian during his college years in the Philippines.  Through that chain, everyone at the Corona International Christian Fellowship, where Ed is pastor, is a link in the Billy Graham spiritual chain of events.

You have your own chain of life’s events.  Everything you do, day to day, affects many other people as you travel through life.  Each event, or connection, is a link in God’s divinely planned chain of life.  Make sure that you are prepared for that task.  Be in the Word of God, the Bible, daily - be in communication with God, through prayer, daily - and then you will know that you are in the will of God, daily.  If you do this, you will never be a weak link in His eternal chain.

In The Guideposts Treasury of Faith Ralph L. Woods wrote the perfect description of “A Genuine Christian.”

One evening during the latter part of his life in the late 1800s, John Ruskin, artist, scientist, poet, and philosopher - sat at a window in his home watching a lamplighter, with torch in hand, ignite the street lamps on a distant hill.  Since it was dark the lamplighter himself could not be seen, but his progress up the hill could be observed as successive lamps were lit.

After a few minutes Ruskin turned to a friend and said, "That illustrates what I mean by a genuine Christian.  You may not know him or ever see him, but his way has been marked by the lights he leaves burning."

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”  Matthew 5:16

Have you taken a serious look at your eternal chain of events?  You may be surprised who has influenced you - and who YOU have influenced and pointed toward the cross.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on image to enlarge:

 

A Computer Career, Thanks To The United States Air Force

YESTERDAY AND TODAY ~ What a difference a day makes!

Chatting with Friends on the "US Air Force Squadrons BMTS Lackland AFB TX 1960's" Facebook group page today, I was reminded of the difference 60 plus years makes in our lives.

Almost sixty-five years ago, in 1955, I graduated from Sheffield High School in Alabama.  At that time there were no junior colleges nor any other relatively inexpensive educational choices like now.  And at that time my family could not send me to an expensive college or university.  So my choices were:  (1) stay in my hometown, work in a local factory or other local company, and spend evenings at the pool room exchanging stories with my friends of our past high school days.

Or (2) join the military and see the world.  Well you know number two was much more appealing.  So at age 17, recently graduated from Sheffield High, with three friends from high school - we were off to see the world courtesy of the United States Air Force.

On that Facebook group page two friends, Howard and Tim, had similar stories.  After their Air Force tour of duty, one worked for IBM and the other worked for RCA Computer Division, thanks to their Air Force training.  And their posts on Facebook prompted me to join in the dialogue.

In 1955 my classmates and I joined the Air Force, 17 years old and one week out of high school.  I spent my 18th birthday in the eleven weeks of Air Force Basic Training at Lackland AFB in Texas - and then I was sent to Radar/Electronics Tech School at Lowry AFB, Denver.  From there I went to Osan AB, Korea, and Tainan AB, Formosa - where I was a technician on the Radar/Gunsight System of F-86 jet fighter/bomber aircraft.  After that, I was stationed at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, where I switched career fields and worked as a technician on the F-100 Flight Simulator.

Got an early out in 1958 and in August 1958 (later fully discharged in 1959) I went to work for Burroughs Corporation in Sierra Madre (near Pasadena), California, working on their B-220 vacuum tube based mainframe computer systems.  In late 1959, Burroughs sent me to Norfolk Naval Supply Depot as a Field Engineer, then nine months later to their Washington DC office - where I worked with government contractors and was later sent, helping Melpar Corporation, to install a large computer system at SAC Headquarters, Offutt AFB, Omaha.

In 1963 I left Burroughs and joined Ramo-Wooldridge Corporation (later TRW) in Canoga Park, California, to help set up a Test Dept for the first Mil/Spec minicomputer, the AN/UYK-1.  Then I went into Ramo-Wooldridge's Field Engineering Department, also helping in the Training Department.  During that time, I installed an AN/UYK-1 onboard the USNS Kingsport ship which was to control the Syncom Satellite. The USNS Kingsport and the Syncom satellite provided the space telecommunications base through which President Kennedy made the first intercontinental satellite telephone call, to a Prime Minister in Nigeria.

Later I worked with Bill Gates and Paul Allen at MITS, headquartered in Albuquerque, before the two of them started Microsoft.  Working with MITS, I met and was associated with Paul Terrell when he opened the first Byte Shop computer store in Mountain View, California, and later the Byte Shop computer store chain.

And I had many more equally interesting experiences during those years - but all thanks to the training a young 17 year old boy received in the United States Air Force.  I retired after 50 years in the computer industry, spent working in system test, field engineering, training, sales, and marketing.  And now I just use computers to do my Christian writing ministry instead of working on them and selling them.

The collage below shows many of the companies I worked with over my fifty years in the computer industry.  It was an interesting and often exciting journey - and I thank God for the many blessings He gave me, even long before I became a believer. 

That, in itself, should prove the omniscience of God - for during all those years when I was walking, and often running, in the secular world instead of with God - He still held my hand.  For He knew that one day stubborn old Bill Gray would stop running and come home, into the Family of God.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on image to enlarge:

Conservative Christian Or Fundamentalist Christian - Is There A Difference? ~ Revisited

Often I have wondered if many Christians really know what the term "Fundamentalist" means and how it came to be in our Christian vocabulary.  Frequently, so many Christians will shy away from calling themselves "Fundamentalist Christians" -  because we have so often heard the term used with a derogatory connotation. 

Mostly that is from non-believers and those of the Liberal Theology persuasion, who also have no idea what it really means.  In our secular society and in our secular news media today we so often hear militant world religions, militant political groups, etc., all referred to as "fundamentalists."  And who wants to be associated with such groups?

Admittedly over the years we have seen wacko fringe groups claiming to be Christian and yet their actions contradict that name.  Examples most of us are familiar with include (1) the Westboro Baptist Church, an unaffiliated Baptist (in name only) church known for its hate speech and was arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America - and (2) the Snake Handling, Poison Drinking extremist churches, most often found in the southeastern United States and in the Appalachian Mountains.  And there are a number of other such cults.  But are they Christian?

Such cult groups will most often pick a few Bible verses and build their religion and theology around those verses to the exclusion of the rest of the Bible. 

For example, with the Snake Handlers/Poison Drinkers:

"And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues. They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover"  (Mark 16:17-18).

"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19).

And with the Westboro Baptist Church:

To the exclusion of the rest of Scripture, they take the verses which address the homosexual lifestyle and build their warped religion upon only these:

The homosexual lifestyle is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22), a detestable act (Leviticus 20:13), a degrading passion (Romans 1:26), an unnatural act (Romans 1:26), an indecent act (Romans 1:27), contrary to sound teaching (1 Timothy 1:10), that it is unrighteous and those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God, i.e., will not have eternal life in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

They discard:  "For God so loved the world (all people) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"  (John 3:16).   Yes, God loves all people.  Yes, He loves homosexuals.  But, He hates the homosexual lifestyle as shown in the Scripture verses above.  Yes, God loves the sinner, but hates the sin!

You may ask, "Bill, what causes this difference, this tangential movement away from the full truth of Scripture?"

Glad you asked.  It all comes down to how one views the Bible, God's Written Word.  God has revealed Himself to us in two ways:  (1) Through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Living Word, i.e., Logos - who is perfect in all ways.  And (2) through His Written Word, His Bible, which is the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Written Word of God, the sole authority for our Christian faith and Christian life.  The Bible, all 66 books, is God's authoritative written revelation to man. 

However, cults will choose a few verses and build their religion and their theology upon those few verses, to the exclusion of the rest of the Bible.  Liberal Christians and most non-believers will view the Bible as merely a book, albeit a good book.  To them it is a book of myths, fairy tales, symbolism, and metaphors, i.e., a good book and useful to guide Liberal theology believers in their daily Christian walk.  But, definitely not the inspired, inerrant, literal Written Word of God.

Conservative Christians (Fundamentalist) believe the Bible is the Holy Spirit inspired, Holy Spirit inerrant, Holy Spirit literal Written Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).

A close Christian Friend, Bob, and I were talking.  He told me of a conversation with one of his almost-Christian friends about the Bible.  The friend tells Bob, "Yes, the Bible does contain God's Word."   And, Bob told him, "No, the Bible IS God's Word."

So, what is the difference, aren't we just using a play on words.  No.  To say that the Bible "contains" God's Word is saying that there are parts of the Bible which are not God's Word, not from God, but solely from men.

Bob's response is correct.  The Bible IS God's Word.  It is His full revelation to man.  The Bible is 66 books written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by 40 men.  This transpired across a wide geographical area and over a period of 1600 years.  Yet the Bible has one main unified theme:  A unified plan of salvation for mankind - and it has one Author, God Himself, i.e., the Bible is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Let's take a look at what the word "Fundamentalist" means.

If you google the word "Fundamentalist" - in Dictionary.com you will find:   "A conservative movement in theology among nineteenth-century and twentieth-century Christians.  Fundamentalists believe that the statements in the Bible are literally true.  Note: Fundamentalists often argue against the theory of evolution." 

And that is an a pretty good and concise description.  But, I would go further and say that all Fundamentalist/Conservative Christians will always argue against the theory of Darwinian evolution.

At Merriam-Webster.com we read: "Fundamentalism is a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching."     That, too, is a good and concise definition.

On the other side of the coin, at Merriam-Webster.com we also find:  "A movement or attitude stressing strict and literal adherence to a set of basic principles, i.e., Islamic fundamentalism, political fundamentalism, etc."   That is a negative aspect of fundamentalism - but, it has nothing to do with true Conservative Christian Fundamentalism.

Once more, on the flip side of the coin, the secular Urban Dictionary gives us this description of Fundamentalist, which aligns well with the accusations of non-believers and atheism.  Now this is the kind of hateful and biased description one would expect from a secular society proponent:  

A person who takes their religion so literally and to such extremes that they contradict the very basis of their faith.  They typically believe in a literal, verbatim interpretation of their scripture.  They also have ridiculous, childish defenses to intelligent criticism of their beliefs that border on insanity.  The level of hypocrisy and stupidity most of these people exhibit is truly profound.

Prime examples of fundamentalists are the geniuses who call themselves Christians and march around with signs that say "God Hates Fags" - (those who) seriously suggest that the earth is 6,000 years old when an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence proves otherwise - or (those who) tell women that they are filthy when they are menstruating - because it's in the Bible, you know.

Fundamentalists in general give religion a bad name.  By (their) definition, it is impossible for any religion or belief structure that is centered on love, compassion, understanding, and forgiveness (most of the major [world] religions are) to be anything but great. 

Why are we having this discussion about Fundamentalists, Conservatives, Liberals, and non-believers - and how each views the Bible?

In 2016 I wrote in another blog titled "Conservative - OR - Liberal Secularist. Which Flavor Christian Are YOU?" addressing comments from a Religion Forum adversary, Crusty, and his persistent declaration that Bill Gray is a "Fundamentalist."   How did I address that accusation, i.e., secular slam?

In that blog, I shared with my Friend, Crusty:

Well, let me see.  I call myself a Conservative Christian and Crusty, you call me a Fundamentalist.  Okay, no problem.  For the vast majority of Conservative Christians I know do believe what is taught in the 12 volume set published in the early 20th century and distributed by Biola University, titled "The Fundamentals, A Testimony To The Truth."

"The Fundamentals" is a 12-volume series of articles defending the fundamental beliefs of the Christian faith.  And, I praise God for putting a full set of these books into my personal library.   How He did that is another story which I will share at a later time.

A century ago, Biola University founder Lyman Stewart anonymously funded a hugely influential set of essays known as "The Fundamentals."   A Biola historian's research of archived letters and documents sheds light on how Stewart and others helped to shape the face of evangelicalism today.  If you truly understand what these volumes teach and why they were written, you will realize that being call a Fundamentalist - is really a great compliment. 

This Biola web site tells us more about "The Fundamentals" and why they were written and distributed:

The Untold Story Of The Fundamentals:
By Paul W. Rood II - Biola Magazine
magazine.biola.edu/article/14-summer/the-untold-story-of-the-fundamentals/

A remarkable literary project of the early 20th century, "The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth," is soon approaching the 100th anniversary of its completion.  The project was conceived and funded by Biola’s founder, Lyman Stewart, mobilizing a network of conservative evangelical writers into a movement in defense of the inspiration and authority of the Bible and the core doctrines of traditional Christian faith.

The 12-volume series of book-length journals contained 90 essays commissioned from leading theologians and religious leaders broadly representing conservative and evangelical Protestantism.  Over 3 million volumes were published, distributed free of charge to several hundred thousand pastors, seminary professors and students, missionaries, and lay church leaders in the English-speaking world.  The effect was both immediate and historically significant.

The series was listed among the top 40 books of the 20th century in a special ranking conducted by Christian historians commissioned by World Magazine.  Listing it among the works of C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, World Magazine reported, “those who consider ‘fundamentalism’ a synonym for narrow anti-intellectualism have never read these books, which, for the most part, remain strikingly relevant.”

Their Vision: Stem the Tide of Liberalism.

The founders of Biola, along with the other evangelical Christians who came of age in the last half of the 19th century, faced an unprecedented series of scientific, social, and intellectual challenges to their faith.  The Darwinist theory of human origins provided a framework for a purely scientific and naturalistic interpretation of humanity and society. 

Modern humanistic philosophies and ideologies embraced historical progress.  Continental scholars and theologians developed new philological (study of literary texts and written records) and hermeneutical methods for examining the historical narrative of the biblical text in new ways.  Known as German “higher criticism,” this method applied a developmental view of the Hebrew biblical texts that undermined their sanctity and authority.

These revolutionizing streams of thought prompted many Protestant intellectuals to construct a “modern” system of religious belief and practice, described as both “liberal” (indicating freedom from tradition) and “modernist” (indicating alignment with modern science and social theory).

By 1880, liberalism and modernism had begun to be taught in a number of leading theological schools in America.  And by the turn of the century it merged into a social theology with powerful appeal to the progressive political movements of the day.  The wealth of the Gilded Age also seemed to be in liberalism’s corner.

In February of 1908, (Lyman) Stewart and a group of other evangelical Protestants founded the Bible Institute of Los Angeles (BIOLA) to train missionaries, Christian workers, and lay Bible teachers for “the propagation of the old Gospel” and to remain loyal to “the Word of Truth.”   The Response:  A Movement is Born. 

The first volume was mailed out March 19, 1910, with a cover page stating, “Compliments of Two Christian Laymen.”  The project’s funders, Stewart and his brother Milton, chose to remain anonymous.   It contained a strong set of essays on the fundamental doctrines of inspiration and authority of the Bible, the deity of Christ, and the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit, authored by such luminaries as professors Orr, Warfield, Torrey, and Pierson.  The Testimony Prayer League prayed over the mailing lists, the printing presses, and daily distributions to the postal office.

More about Fundamentalism and why I am a Fundamentalist Christian can be found in this document which I have chosen to personally archive for further study:

Church History - Free Sunday School Lessons www.freesundayschoollessons.org/docs/Church-History.doc

Gerald Priest (“History of Fundamentalism” class notes, Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary, spring 2003, p. 2) gives the following definition: “Fundamentalism is a movement committed to belief in and affirmation of the historic biblical doctrines essential to the Christian faith and insistent on separation from all forms of apostasy and ungodliness.”

"At the beginning of the last quarter of the 19th century, Christianity in America was facing daunting enemies: Darwinian materialism, German rationalism and higher criticism of the Bible, Roman Catholic dogmatism, and cultism in the forms of Christian Science, the Jehovah's Witnesses (Millennial Dawn), and Millerism (Seventh Day Adventism). 

In such a dark atmosphere, concerned Bible preachers and teachers attempted to offset the inroads of these forms of apostasy ...."  (Gerald Priest, "'What's in a Name?' The Legacy of Early Fundamentalism," 2001 Mid-America Conference on Preaching notebook, p. 165).

Gerald Priest ("'What's in a Name?'  The Legacy of Early Fundamentalism," 2001 Mid-America Conference on Preaching notebook, p. 170) rightfully dubs this phenomenon "ecclesiastical piracy," as the modernists essentially stole the institutions ~ churches, schools, etc. ~ (which) the fundamentalists had labored for years to build.

While it is true that fundamentalism as a movement is a fairly recent phenomenon in church history, fundamentalism is not.  Fundamentalists have appeared throughout church history, right from the very beginning:  the apostle Paul (Rom 16:17, 2 Cor 5:11, 6:14-7:1, Eph 5:11, 2 Thess 3:6, and 14-15), the apostle John (2 John 9-11 and Rev 18:4), Jude (Jude 3), et. al.  Fundamentalism is as old as Christianity itself. 

Harvard professor and theological liberal/modernist, Kirsopp Lake, said in 1925: "But it is a mistake, often made by educated persons who happen to have but little knowledge of historical theology, to suppose that Fundamentalism is a new and strange form of thought.  It is nothing of the kind: it is the partial and uneducated survival of a theology which was once universally held by all Christians. 

How many were there, for instance, in Christian churches in the eighteenth century who doubted the infallible inspiration of all Scripture?  A few, perhaps, but a very few.  No, the fundamentalist may be wrong; I think that he is.  But it is we who have departed from the tradition, not he, and I am sorry for the fate of anyone who tries to argue with a Fundamentalist on the basis of authority.  The Bible and the 'corpus theologicum' [doctrinal body] of the Church is on the Fundamentalist side."

"The Modernist-Fundamentalist Divide" is the story of how the early fundamentalists militantly fought the menace of modernism that invaded American Christianity in the later years of the nineteenth and early years of the twentieth century A.D. via such ideologies as Darwinian evolution, German higher criticism of the Bible, the social gospel, etc.  

In the early years of the conflict (until about 1930 AD), the fundamentalists sought to separate the modernists from them (nonconformist fundamentalism).  Once this strategy proved unsuccessful, they separated themselves from the modernists in obedience to the command to "Come out from their midst and be separate" (2 Cor 6:17), starting their own churches, educational institutions, missions agencies, publishing houses, etc. (separatist fundamentalism). 

Though the fundamentalists ultimately lost the furniture (i.e., control of the mainline denominations fell into the hands of the modernists ), they "kept the faith" (2 Tim 4:7), at, in many cases, enormous personal cost.

So, when my Friend, Crusty, and other non-believers or Liberal theology proponents declare that Bill Gray is a "Fundamentalist" - that is a hat I am proud to wear.  For, in doing so, I am in the company of many great Christians, including the founders of Biola University/Talbot Seminary.   You will often see me speak of Conservative Christian theology; that could just as easily be called Fundamentalist Christian theology - for, in my heart, the two names are synonymous.

I pray that this has given you a fuller understanding of the Fundamentalist Christian, what we believe, and the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1) who stand with us:

Hebrews 12:1-2, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, . . ."

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

Click on image to enlarge:

The Case For Christ Movie - Lee Strobel

About the year 2000 Ferdy Cancino, Tony Alagao, and I were elders at the Corona Fil-Am Church (now CICF, Corona International Christian Fellowship).  Ferdy's family was among the initial members of our church and in all respects he was our senior elder.  Ferdy found a great book, "The Case For Christ" by Lee Strobel, and purchased copies for all the leaders of our church fellowship.  I could not put the book down and have now read many of Lee Strobel's books. 

What made this book so compelling for believers and non-believers alike - is that Lee Strobel was an atheist journalist who, in the beginning of his spiritual journey, was determined to prove the Bible and God wrong, that God did not exist.  If you recall in the first half of the 20th century, C. S. Lewis, an atheist professor of English Literature at Oxford University and Cambridge University in England, also began a quest to prove the Bible and God wrong - and as a result of that journey became a strong believer and one of our most prolific Christian writers.

Lee Strobel earned his Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri and his Master of Studies in Law at Yale Law School.  He was a journalist for fourteen years at The Chicago Tribune and other newspapers, winning Illinois' highest honor for public service journalism from United Press International.  He also led a team that won UPI's top award for investigative reporting in Illinois.

The movie I introduce below documents his journey from atheist journalist - to Christian believer and a strong witness for our Christian faith through his books, speaking engagements, and now as a teaching pastor.

Lee's approach in his initial quest was to, with an open journalistically qualified mind, interview leading Christian theologians and scholars to better understand why Christians believe all the Bible stories about Jesus Christ.  That quest is well documented in this movie, "The Case For Christ Movie."

In watching this movie, I found that Lee Strobel and I have another thing in common besides our Christian faith.   In the movie, Lee's wife of over 40 years, Leslie, tells how she prayed for her husband for years, that he would stop hating the Christian faith and become a believer.  My wife, Dory, and I have been married for 41 years - and for the first 10 years of our marriage I was not a Christian believer.   Dory prayed for me for 10 years, that I would see the Light - and God eventually answered her prayers. 

Shortly after surrendering to Christ in 1987, I began to do Christian writing and at church would often speak.  Now Dory jokes, "I think I created a monster, now he will not shut up!"  But of course she is joking, for she is so happy that I became a believer and that I want to share our faith through my writings.  Although I will say that when I did stand and speak in church - Dory perfected the "finger across the throat" sign that I had talked too long.

Lee is currently a teaching pastor at Woodlands Church in Texas where he speaks multiple times each year.  He recently joined the faculty at Houston Baptist University as a Professor of Christian Thought.

And Lee and his wife, Leslie, are great examples of how being Christian parents and providing a Christian home environment, can have a very positive influence on all the family.  What has been the result of Lee's conversion to the Christian faith?  Besides Lee becoming a teaching pastor and speaker -  their daughter, Alison, is the author of six inspirational women's fiction novels and co-author, with her husband, Daniel, of two books for children.  Lee's son, Kyle, earned a PhD in Theology from the University of Aberdeen and two Master's degrees.  He is now an accomplished author, Jonathan Edwards scholar, and Professor of Spiritual Theology at Talbot School of Theology at BIOLA University in Southern California.

And I am proud to say that all in my and Dory's family, from the oldest the youngest - are Christian believers.  That, in itself, is a great reward.

So with that brief (no laughing, please) introduction, I invite you to watch this relatively short movie - for I know that in this movie you will enjoy both Lee's journey toward faith - and the comments from many of the Bible scholars and theologians Lee interviewed for his book.

The Case for Christ Movie - Lee Strobel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqgQ9g2MV_8 This is also the Facebook page for The Case For Christ: https://www.facebook.com/CaseforChristMovie/?ref=profile

After you have viewed the movie, don't forget to share it with all your FRANs (Friends, Relatives, Associates, Neighbors).  We always want to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with our family and friends.  Let us be like the early disciples of Christ, telling our family and friends, "I have found the Messiah. Come and see!"

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

Click on the image to enlarge:

 

Keep It Bite-Size ~ Or KISS (Keep It Simple, Sam!)

Let me share this with all my Friends Ministry eNewsletter Friends - for I know that not all of you are on Facebook.  I posted the note below on Facebook a few minutes ago and I believe it can be useful for all my Friends. 

Why do I say that?  If I were quoting President Reagan I would say it this way, "Well, we all write and post articles for one reason - to have folks read our writing.  If we try to shovel it down their throats in truck-load sizes, they will choke.  But, if we give it to them in eatable bite sizes, those who can, will read it."

And that is why I posted this today:

KEEP IT BITE-SIZE!   ~  This morning when I opened Facebook, there was a notice that a Friend had mentioned me in a post.  So to check it out, I clicked on that notice and what I found caused me to walk away from that post.

"What was so horrible that it scared you away, Bill?"  Glad you asked.

It was not so much that I was scared away, as it was that the post was impossible to read.  This Friend had posted a response in a running dialogue and I suppose she got so excited in writing her response - that she forgot that the Enter key allows one to break up page-length rambling paragraphs into bite-size, eatable (or readable) chunks.

We all will agree that the main reason that we write and post on social media, or anywhere, is to have others read our thoughts and, hopefully, act upon them.  They may react positively or negatively - but if they can read our posts and react, we have accomplished our desired purpose in writing.

The following is what I posted in response to my Friend's book-length post which, somewhere down in the middle, I noticed that my name had been highlighted by Facebook. Thank you, Facebook.  For otherwise I would never have found the crime I was guilty of committing.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I wrote:

I noticed my name somewhere in that long rambling paragraph, so let me state unequivocally that I fully support building the wall and doing whatever it takes to secure our national borders.

I have posted many times:  PRESIDENT TRUMP, BUILD THAT WALL! - and I will continue posting that until it is accomplished.

That said, while I enjoy reading your responses and posts, I have great difficulty reading a single book-length one paragraph post.  Whenever I see that, I just move on to other posts or topics.  I am not saying that to be nasty nor facetious - just to clarify the issue.

I have a dear home town Friend whose posts I love to read - when they are bite-size.  However, even with him - when his posts get to be book-size in length, I move on without reading.

I learned the lesson of short, to the point, paragraphs from reading newspapers many years ago, and from a pastor Friend who worked as a reporter for a local newspaper - keep it short and simple.

Remember the old acronym KISS (Keep It Simple, Sam)?   Doing that may entail breaking up longer paragraphs into bite-size portions.   Just the way I roll (and read). 

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill