Blade of Heaven

Author F.F. Bruce on Jesus.

2011-12-19T03:00:00.000-05:00

"But the Jesus we meet in the Gospels, far from being an inoffensive Person, gave offense right and left. Even His loyal followers found Him, at times, thoroughly disconcerting. He upset all established notions of religious propriety."

F.F. Bruce

Journalism with Gerard Baker and Andrew Ferguson.

2011-12-16T03:00:00.000-05:00

Why are journalists so overwhelmingly liberal? Journalists Gerard Baker and Andrew Ferguson get together with Uncommon Knowledge host Peter Robinson to ponder the question.

Social Planning and Happiness Economics.

2011-12-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

Sociologist Carl Bankston III takes a few minutes to weave together a story about happiness, social planning, and an excerpt from "Brave New World". Read here.

Green Jobs.

2011-12-12T03:00:00.000-05:00

Andrew Klavan consults the green jobs expert for answers to the future of energy.

Wall Street on Trial.

2011-12-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

Watch bestselling author Andrew Klavan put Wall Street and OWS on trial.

Ever Wonder Why?

2011-12-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

Thomas Sowell asks the question: "Ever wonder why things are the way they are?", and then comes up with a brilliant column based on that simple question.

Walking into Mordor.

2011-12-02T03:00:00.000-05:00

Bill Whittle is a television producer and political commentator that I have only recently become aware of. He is however, becoming one of my top people to go to for entertaining and informative videos about both first principles and commentary on contemporary people and events. Here is one of his videos about what has happened to Hollywood, and what we can do about it.

John Jay on the Bible.

2011-11-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

"The Bible is the best of all books, for it is the word of God and teaches us the way to be happy in this world and in the next. Continue therefore to read it and to regulate your life by its precepts."

John Jay

We are Curious...

2011-11-20T03:00:00.000-05:00

Toccata and Fugue.

2011-11-15T09:34:00.001-05:00

J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.

The Soldier From Tomorrow.

2011-11-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

The Soldier From Tomorrow.

Psalm 33:10-22.

2011-11-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

This is something I think we would do well to remember in these troubled times of our nation.

The Lord frustrates the council of the nations;
he thwarts the plans of the peoples.
The council of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of His heart from generation
to generation. Happy is the nation whose God
is the Lord - the people He has chosen to be
His own possession!

The Lord looks down from heaven; he
observes everyone. He gazes on all
inhabitants of the earth from His dwelling
place. He alone crafts their hearts; He considers
all their works. A king is not saved by a large army;
a warrior will not be delivered by great strength.
The horse is a false hope for safety; it provides
no escape by its great power.

Now the eye of the Lord is on those who fear
Him - those who depend on his faithful love
to deliver them from death and to keep them
alive in famine.

We wait for the Lord; He is our help and shield.
For our hearts rejoice in Him, because we trust in
His holy name. May Your faithful love rest on us
Lord, for we put our hope in You.

Psalm 33:10-22

Psalm 21: The King's Victory.

2011-11-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

Lord, the king finds joy in Your strength.
How greatly he rejoices in Your victory!
You have given him his heart's desire
and have not denied the request of his lips.

Selah

For You meet him with rich blessings;

You place a crown of pure gold on his head.

He asked You for life, and You gave it to him -

length of days forever and ever.

His glory is great through Your victory;

You confer majesty and splendor on him.

You give him blessings forever;

You cheer him with joy

in Your presence.

For the king relies on the Lord;

through the faithful love

of the Most High

he is not shaken.

Your hand will capture

all your enemies;

your right hand will seize.

those who hate you.

You will make them [burn]

like a fiery furnace when you appear;

the Lord will engulf them in His wrath,

and fire will devour them.

You will wipe their decendants

from the earth

and their offspring

from the human race.

Though they intend to harm you

and devise a wicked plan,

they will not prevail.

Instead, you will put them to flight

when you aim your bow at their faces.

Be exalted, Lord, in your strength;
we will sing and praise Your might.

Barrett Rifles.

2011-11-07T03:00:00.000-05:00

I sauntered over to the Barrett Rifles website today just on a whim, and I have to tell you its a source of great pride for me to live in a country in which it is possible for any free citizen to own one of these fine specimens.

Rosenrot.

2011-11-05T03:00:00.000-04:00

Here's a new pic for you. It's called "Rosenrot".

Michael Ramirez Part 3.

2011-11-04T03:00:00.000-04:00

Here is the third and final post of my Michael Ramirez update. I hope you've enjoyed these cartoons as much as I have. All cartoons copyright Michael Ramirez and Creators Syndicate.

The Refinery.

2011-11-03T03:00:00.000-04:00

Got a new one for ya! I call this bleak little diddy "The Refinery".

Michael Ramirez Update Part 2.

2011-11-01T03:00:00.000-04:00

Here is part 2 of my Michael Ramirez update. All cartoons copyright Michael Ramirez and Creators Syndicate.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T03:00:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Michael Ramirez Update Part 1.

2011-10-29T03:00:00.000-04:00

Michael Ramirez is one quite possibly the best political cartoonist practicing the craft today. Unfortunately, I have not been paying attention to his latest works. But, I've gotten around to looking, and it is golden stuff. I've selected nine of my favorites for a three part series of posts. All cartoons copyright Michael Ramirez and Creators Syndicate.

Leaping Attack!

2011-10-28T03:00:00.000-04:00

I don't really know what to call this one, so I'll just christen it "Leaping Attack!"

Jonah and the Fish.

2011-10-26T10:09:00.000-04:00

Jonah and the Fish.

Farming Detroit.

2011-10-23T03:00:00.000-04:00

John Hantz of Hantz Group is working to save ailing Detroit by starting up large commercial farm operations within the city limits. If he succeeds, his Hantz Farms will be the largest urban farming operation in the world.

I was immediately drawn to this story because I like big dreams, and I think these are just the sorts of dreams that could help get America back on track. However, I must say that Detroit has not wasted an opportunity to destroy its future in decades, and at present, it looks to me like this one won't be any different. Let's hope I'm mistaken.

The Tree of Life.

2011-10-21T03:00:00.000-04:00

I call this one "The Tree of Life".

Jamal the Explorer.

2011-10-20T00:05:00.000-04:00

Got a new one. This cheery fellow is Jamal McCreddy, explorer of the stars.

The Black Knight.

2011-10-19T03:00:00.000-04:00

Fun Post! My favorite scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

The Guy in the Glass.

2011-10-18T03:00:00.000-04:00

This is a wonderful little poem that was first brought to my attention by my grandfather.

The Guy in the Glass

by Dale Wimbrow, (c) 1934

When you get what you want in your struggle for pelf,
And the world makes you King for a day,
Then go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that guy has to say.

For it isn't your Father, or Mother, or Wife,
Who judgement upon you must pass.
The feller whose verdict counts most in your life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.

He's the feller to please, never mind all the rest,
For he's with you clear up to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the guy in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,
And think you're a wonderful guy,
But the man in the glass says you're only a bum
If you can't look him straight in the eye.

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartaches and tears
If you've cheated the guy in the glass.

Erik the Mercenary.

2011-10-16T03:30:00.000-04:00

Time for another art post. This one I'm calling, Erik the Mercenary. He looks like he enjoys his work.

Tough Teachers.

2011-10-14T03:00:00.000-04:00

Economist and social philosopher Thomas Sowell on the marginalization of tough teachers in society.

Not one of the 99%.

2011-10-13T03:00:00.000-04:00

The Occupy Wall Street silliness may still be going on, but there are still young people around who realize that the only way that the country is going to solve its problems is if they get out there and work hard, stay out of debt, live within their means, and plan for the future. This is one of those people.

Steve Jobs.

2011-10-07T03:00:00.000-04:00

Steve Jobs, 1955 - 2011. Rest In Peace.

The Red Dragon.

2011-10-06T03:30:00.000-04:00

And a another illustration for your viewing displeasure. A red dragon walks the canvas.

A Really Good Drummer.

2011-10-05T03:30:00.000-04:00

Ah, drummers. Frequently drunk, universally late (if they show up at all), and always a pounding headache. But, every now and then a really good one shows off his chops.

The Three Terrors!

2011-10-04T03:30:00.000-04:00

And now for a mix of opera and Israeli political humor! The Blade of Heaven, in cooperation with Latma Television, is proud to present to you The Three Terrors!

Drawing for a Fight.

2011-10-03T03:30:00.000-04:00

This is a little more like it. Took a tick longer than the last one, but it's a thousand times better in my opinion. Click to see it up close.

Milton Friedman on the Fallacy of Government Stimulus.

2011-10-02T03:30:00.000-04:00

Milton Friedman takes on the question of government simply spending money vs. people in the market place taking that same money and producing goods and services for the rest society.

F-16: Flying High.

2011-10-01T03:30:00.000-04:00

This one I shot from the hip. I'll admit it's not my best work, but I really like knocking these out in just a few minutes sometimes.

The Writing on the Wall.

2011-09-30T04:00:00.000-04:00

Daniel Hannon, takin' it two days in a row. This time around, he puts the EU to task for reacting to excessive integration of European countries with more integration, and excessive debt with more debt, then wraps up with an excellent quote from Jonathan Swift.

EU and the Flood.

2011-09-29T10:30:00.000-04:00

EU MEP Daniel Hannan on Noah, the EU, and the Flood.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

2011-09-28T04:00:00.000-04:00

One of my latest.

Fire it Up - Thousand Foot Krutch.

2011-09-27T04:00:00.000-04:00

Time for another Thousand Foot Krutch post! It's called Fire it Up, from their album Welcome to the Masquerade.

Free to Choose Part 7: Who Protects the Consumer.

2011-09-26T04:00:00.000-04:00

"Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government."

Milton Friedman

It seems that I have forgotten to post one of the episodes of Free to Choose. Mea Culpa.

Redrum - Immediate Music.

2011-09-25T04:00:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard a song in an ad or a commercial, and realize you've heard it before? In fact, doesn't it appear that there are songs and jingles that you hear over and over again? That's because there is a whole segment of the music industry dedicated just to composing music for trailers and advertising. Immediate Music is one of, if not the best, company in this niche. One of their first compositions, Redrum, has become an industry standard over the years. You've probably heard it a thousand times but never realized exactly what it was. I now present it to you in its entirety. Enjoy.

Mark Steyn: The End of America.

2011-09-24T04:00:00.000-04:00

Mark Steyn, writer, commentator, and all around hilarious guy, on the coming post-European, post-American world.

Samson: Bringin' Down the House!

2011-09-23T04:00:00.000-04:00

Samson, one of the Judges of Israel, beaten and blinded, in his final moments as he brings down a Philistine temple around him. (Judges 16: 21 - 31)

Free to Choose Part 10: How to Stay Free.

2011-09-22T12:00:00.000-04:00

"The heart of the [classic] liberal philosophy is a belief in the dignity of the individual, in his freedom to make the most of his capacities and opportunities according to his own lights..."

Milton Friedman

Here we are at the end of Milton Friedman's classic television miniseries, Free to Choose. I for one am glad that I have taken the time to watch it. Rarely is so much intelligence, insight, history, scholarship, and solid philosophy concentrated into any medium, let alone a television series. Milton Friedman is truly a national and historical treasure, and I hope and fervently pray that his wisdom lives on into eternity.

The Eagle Ascends.

2011-09-21T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting piece that hasn't made its debut here yet. "The Eagle Ascends".

Free to Choose Part 9: How to Cure Inflation.

2011-09-20T12:00:00.000-04:00

"Inflation is the one form of taxation that can be imposed without legislation."

Milton Friedman

How does inflation begin, and how do you stop it? Milton Friedman thinks he has the answer, and he's going to take you through the process.

Orion: Beyond the Earth.

2011-09-19T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here's my rough interpretation of the next generation Orion space vehicle.

Free to Choose Part 8: Who Protects the Worker?

2011-09-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

"When unions get higher wages for their members by restricting entry into an occupation, those higher wages are at the expense of other workers who find their opportunities reduced. When government pays its employees higher wages, those higher wages are at the expense of the taxpayer. But when workers get higher wages and better working conditions through the free market, when they get raises by firm competing with one another for the best workers, by workers competing with one another for the best jobs, those higher wages are at nobody's expense. They can only come from higher productivity, greater capital investment, more widely diffused skills. The whole pie is bigger - there's more for the worker, but there's also more for the employer, the investor, the consumer, and even the tax collector. "

Milton Friedman

In part eight of Milton Friedman's Free to Choose, he examines the rise of labor unions, and their subsequent effects on society.

Political Corectness: The God that Failed.

2011-09-17T12:00:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting little tidbit from a few years ago, Victor Davis Hanson talks about the failure of political correctness and the tenets inherent in it to offer any substantive explanations as to why the world works.

Free to Choose Part 6: What's Wrong with Our Schools.

2011-09-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

“Education spending will be most effective if it relies on parental choice & private initiative -- the building blocks of success throughout our society.”

Milton Friedman

Here we are with part six of Free to Choose. You've read the above quote, you know what Milton believes about education, now he's about to show why he's come to that conclusion.

Dies Irae.

2011-09-15T12:00:00.000-04:00

I haven't posted anything on music in a while, so I decided it's time. Here's one of my all time favorite pieces of classical composition: the "Dies Irae" movement of Mozart's Requiem Mass in D Minor.

Free to Choose Part 5: Created Equal.

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

"A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both."

Milton Friedman

In Free to Choose Part 5: Created Equal, Milton takes us through the history of what people think it means to be equal, and what the consequences have been when governments try to set policy based on political notions of equality. I think these episodes are getting better as they progress. This one has been the best one for me so far.

Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions with David Berlinski.

2011-09-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

Writer David Berlinski sits down with host Peter Robinson and lays down a devastating case against atheism as its understood in academia and society today while discussing his book "The Devil's Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions."

Free to Choose Part 4: Cradle to Grave.

2011-09-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

"We have a system that increasingly taxes work and subsidizes nonwork."

Milton Friedman

In Free to Choose Part 4: Cradle to Grave, Milton takes us through the beginnings of the modern welfare state, and its disastrous effects on the poor and society in general.

9-11: Ten Years Later.

2011-09-11T13:01:00.000-04:00

Never forget, and may God bless America.

A Word from Will Rogers on Deterence.

2011-09-09T10:09:00.000-04:00

Nothing in particular in the news sparked this quote, but I ran across it in the course of my normal reading, and felt that it bore repeating on the blog:

"We better start doing something about our defenses. We are not going to be lucky enough to fight some Central American country [or Middle Eastern backwater] forever. Build all we can, and take care of nothing but our own business, and we will never have to use it. Our world heavy weight champion hasn't been insulted since he won the title."

Will Rogers

That's some sound advice for living in the world we do. What keeps our nation from following such common sense measures?

2011-09-08T13:37:00.000-04:00

Ricochet.com is a conservative political and cultural discussion blog. It also happens to be one of my most favorite sites on the web right now. It's discussions are always pointed, intelligent, and civil. I was struck particularly by a recent post called "Model Mania", by a poster named cbc.

In it, cbc takes apart the notion that long-term economic and climate models are predictive of future trends. The truth of the matter being that systems like the Earth's ecosystem, population growth patterns, and our economic markets are so complex that it is impossible to include all the variables necessary to construct a useful predictive model; and that difficulty grows exponentially with the passage of time. It's definitely worth your time.

Free to Choose Part 3: Anatomy of a Crisis.

2011-09-07T10:15:00.000-04:00

"The Great Depression, like most other periods of severe unemployment, was produced by government mismanagement rather than by any inherent instability of the private economy."

Milton Friedman

Part three of Milton Friedman's classic series, Free to Choose. This time, Milton Friedman traces the history of beginnings of the Great Depression.

Bust of Aristotle.

2011-09-06T13:56:00.001-04:00

"The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation rather than upon mere survival."

Aristotle

Time for more art! Today's subject is that great pillar of western philosophy, Aristotle. I think he looks a little severe, but I guess that's what majoring in philosophy will do to ya.

Free to Choose Part 2: The Tyranny of Control.

2011-09-05T21:29:00.000-04:00

"The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem."

Milton Friedman

And here we go with the second installment of Milton Friedman's classic PBS documentary series, Free to Choose: A Personal Statement. Personally, I think this one's better than the first one, and I hope that part three is even better than part two.

2011-09-03T20:29:00.003-04:00

Just another one of my little exercises. I call this one the "Half-Demon."

Free to Choose Part 1: The Power of the Market.

2011-09-02T00:50:00.002-04:00

"Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself."

Milton Friedman

Milton Friedman is one of the modern era's most important economists, and one of his most known and celebrated works is the ten part PBS documentary Free to Choose: A Personal Statement. I will be posting the entire series here for posterity.

To Work With Your Hands.

2011-08-30T22:25:00.002-04:00

Some talk in the news about the value of work this week has set my mind to what the Bible had to say about man and his labors. Here are a couple of select verses:

"For we are His creation - created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 1:10

"But, we encourage you, brothers, to do so even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands , as we commanded you, so that you may walk properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone."

1 Thessalonians 4:11

"...and dont' give the devil opportunity. The thief should no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need."

Ephesians 4:27 - 28

Just a Thought.

2011-08-26T14:21:00.003-04:00

Just a thought on the passing scene:

Two men leap over the edge of a cliff, arguing whether they will fly or fall as they do.

Question: Who wins the argument?
Answer: Physics.

Two sides of a nation start down the road to a social welfare state, arguing with each other whether this will lead to a better society or not.

Question: Who wins the argument?
Answer: Economics.

The Obsolete Man.

2011-08-26T00:05:00.003-04:00

Things in the world these days have begun to remind me of my favorite episode of the original Twilight series, The Obsolete Man. It remains an extremely relevant piece, even fifty years after it was first broadcast.

Part 1:

Part 2:

The Experiment Continues.

2011-08-24T17:38:00.003-04:00

The evolution of my style continues apace. I call this one Poised for Action.

Legacy of the Iron Lady.

2011-08-20T16:34:00.003-04:00

" If you lead a country like Britain, a strong country, a country which has taken a lead in world affairs in good times and in bad, a country that is always reliable, then you have to have a touch of iron about you. "

Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher, who lead Great Britain for eleven years, is the subject of the latest episode of Uncommon Knowledge. As usual, it is an eminently watchable program. See it now.

The Sandworm Comes.

2011-08-19T19:47:00.002-04:00

Continuing on with my new experiments in digital painting. I have just finished Frank Herbert's masterpiece of science fiction Dune. Naturally, I still have the sands of Arrakis, and sandworms in my head, so it just seemed natural.

A New Style.

2011-08-16T21:49:00.002-04:00

I'm trying a new style of painting. This is the first result. I think it came out well enough, though I have a long way to go before I'm any good at it.

The Spending is Nuts.

2011-08-14T15:22:00.003-04:00

Videos, videos, videos!!! Well, I can't help it, they're just coming one after the other; each one better and better. This video won the Powerline Blog's $100,000 contest to find the best way to explain the current spending crisis. It is called, as per the blog post title, The Spending is Nuts, and is worthy of anyone and everyone's attention.

Highway to Hell.

2011-08-11T09:38:00.003-04:00

What's that you say? Another Klavan on the Culture video already? Well, tough. I keep finding better and better ones, and this one tops em' all so far. Strap yourselves in, Andrew's about to take us for wild ride down the leftist's Highway to Hell.

The Sherman.

2011-08-10T19:43:00.003-04:00

Time to do a little cleaning of the attic. This is a piece I did a while back, but hadn't posted yet.

Klavan on the Culture: A Young Person's Guide to the Constitution.

2011-08-04T20:44:00.004-04:00

Time for the next Klavan on the Culture post! Today, he's giving us a young person's guide to the U.S. constitution.

The Rider of Destruction Approaches.

2011-08-04T00:01:00.005-04:00

Boy, you're just rolling along, thinking everything's only a little bit wrong with the world, then an article like this one appears to remind you that the Rider of Destruction is almost here to claim your nation.

Klaven on the Culture: Facts of Life for Liberals.

2011-08-01T08:03:00.004-04:00

Klavan on the Culture is a series of videos by mystery writer Andrew Klavan about various political, social, and cultural issues. They are clever, funny, and informative and are now a must view for me. Here is his video, "The Facts of Life for Liberals."

Line 198.

2011-07-25T09:21:00.004-04:00

Time for another post. This one's inspired by Galaxy Express 999. I call it Line 198.

For the Eye to See.

2011-07-21T22:52:00.003-04:00

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be darkness. So if the light within you is darkness, how deep is that darkness."

Matthew 6: 22-23

Eyes are amazing little things. They not only allow us to see, they allow others to see into us. When someone looks into your eyes, what do you think they would they see?

Yuri Yarim-Agaev: Freedom Fighter.

2011-07-18T12:37:00.003-04:00

Former Soviet dissident Yuri Agaev speaks on the program Uncommon Knowledge with Peter Robinson of the moral bankruptcy and tyranny of the Communist system, the tactics he and his cohorts used, and what the Soviet experience can teach people today about big government. It's fantastic stuff. See it now.

Why Haven't We Recovered?

2011-07-16T23:22:00.005-04:00

It's been 3+ years since the Great Recession started, and the US economy hasn't recovered, isn't recovering, and is not about to recover anytime soon. As far as I can tell, we're still a sick man lying in the ICU. Is it that we have had a particularly bad cold and just need more time to heal than usual? Or do we still have the virus inside of us, still slowly picking away at the nation's economic health? Nicole Gelinas at the City Journal takes the latter opinion in Why we Don't Recover.

Welcome to the Masquerade.

2011-07-15T19:58:00.004-04:00

This is a good song from a band I've recently become aware of. It's called Welcome to the Masquerade, and the band is called Thousand Foot Krutch. They've been around for awhile, and they're pretty good, I've got to find more of their stuff.

Burning Through Cash.

2011-07-12T14:01:00.009-04:00

Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Proverbs 22:26-27

As our government continues to recklessly burn through cash like a California forest fire, all I can think about is how I would like to record this quote from Proverbs, and put it on a 24 hour loop over the PA inside the White House, the Capitol Building, and all 50 state houses.

Would You Give Up The Internet For 1 Million Dollars?

2011-07-11T22:06:00.003-04:00

I hate to post two videos in a row, but this is an excellent clip about the power of free markets.

P.S. Can you believe those old brick mobile phones were $4000.00 when they first came out?!?!?! Amazing.

Perform This Way.

2011-07-07T12:08:00.005-04:00

I know the world is falling apart, but I can't be a prophet of doom and gloom everyday. To that end, I've been a fan of parody song king Weird Al Yankovic for a long time, and his new album, Alpocalypse, finds him in top form. Here is the first single "Perform This Way," a parody of Lady Gaga's "Born This Way."

The Meaning of Life.

2011-07-05T12:31:00.004-04:00

What is the meaning of life? That's a question that has wrapped itself around the minds of philosophers, clergy, kings, nobles, statesmen, warriors, scientists, and laymen throughout the ages. Personally, I think that I've found a little passage that probably best describes what the meaning of life is:

He has told you men what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: Only to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T12:45:00.004-04:00

Happy 235th birthday to our (embattled) but still (barely) functioning republic. May the people of the United States turn from their sins, and return to God. Then, may God grant his blessings on our great nation to continue to be the free-est, most prosperous nation on the face of the earth.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen for His own inheritance.

Psalm 33:12

The Deathbed Regrets of a Nominal Christian.

2011-07-02T22:29:00.004-04:00

I came to this video by accident. It's an excerpt from William Law's "A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life" first published in 1729. This (relatively) small quote in and of itself is a stunning call back to commitment of our lives to God. This deathbed confession of a nominal Christian puts into stark contrast the smallness of all the endeavors of the earth, versus the infiniteness of the matters concerning our souls and the acceptance of God's Will. I'm going to have to get this book and read it in its entirety.

2001: Space Odyssey.

2011-06-30T01:12:00.003-04:00

I watched 2001: A Space Odyssey a couple days ago, and it's always fascinating viewing, I personally recommend it highly. The thing about 2001 is that there is always something new to find, another Easter egg lying in the grass. I really don't have time to get into what I believe the whole thing means, but I did find a site that explains one part of what I think is going on called Kubrick2001. See it here. Keep in mind that I really do mean that this is only an explanation of one part of what I think is happening, but see it any way.

On Britain and Christianity.

2011-06-27T19:16:00.006-04:00

"We are in a nation whose ideals were founded on the Bible. Also it is quite impossible to understand our literature without grasping this fact. That is the strong practical case for ensuring that children at school are given adequate instruction in the part which the Judaeo-Christian tradition has played in molding our laws, manners and institutions.

How can you make sense of Shakespeare and Sir Walter Scott, or of the constitutional conflicts of the seventeenth century in both Scotland and England, without such fundamental knowledge? But I would go further than this.

The truths of the Judaeo-Christian tradition are infinitely precious, not only, as I believe, because they are true, but also because they provide the moral impulse which alone can lead to that peace, in the true meaning of the word, for which we all long...there is little hope for democracy if the hearts of men and women in democratic societies cannot be touched by a call to something greater than themselves. Political structures, state institutions, collective ideals are not enough...Democracy requires the life of faith...as much to the temporal as to the spiritual welfare of the nation."

--Margret Thatcher--

I came by this quote by way of my pastor, and it is as true for the U.S. as it is for Britain.

Play Poster.

2011-06-26T23:09:00.003-04:00

"The theater is so endlessly fascinating because it is so accidental. It's so much like life."

Aurthur Miller

It's also something like art, which is what I have for you today. It's a poster for a stage play (sans the text) that was rejected. I think it turned out pretty well, which is why I'm giving it a post. That, and I put two day into it.

Psalm 47.

2011-06-23T22:35:00.006-04:00

Not much today but the Lords Word and an odd but appropriate illustration.

Clap your hands, all you peoples;
shout to God with a jubilant cry.
For the Lord Most High
is awe-inspiring,
a great King over all the earth.
He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
He chooses for us our inheritance -
the pride of Jacob, whom he loves.

Selah

God ascends amid shouts of joy,
the Lord, amid the sound of trumpets.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our King, sing praise!
Sing a song of instruction,
for God is King of all the earth.

God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on His holy throne.
The nobles of the peoples
have assembled
[with] the people of the God
of Abraham.
For the leaders of the earth
belong to God;
He is greatly exulted.

Psalm 47

Andrew Breitbart on Uncommon Knowledge.

2011-06-21T20:53:00.007-04:00

Andrew Breitbart is an emerging force in the new media, and is fast becoming one of my heroes. Here he gives the what for about his new book "Righteous Indignation" to host Peter Robinson on the show Uncommon Knowledge. I especially agree with Breitbart about conservatives needing to fight for the soul of the nation through the arts, pop culture, and media.

Green Lantern Review.

2011-06-19T20:20:00.002-04:00

I just saw Green Lantern on Friday. Let me boil the entire movie down to a few, hopefully memorably lines patterned after a familiar oath:

Neither brightest day, nor blackest night,
Spared a single scene from miswrite,
To those who seek cinematic might,
There is no power... in Green Lantern's blight!!!

King Barack's Royal Appointees.

2011-06-16T21:35:00.004-04:00

Looks like King Barack's done it again! A new report from the Center for Public Integrity shows that around 80% of the people that gave over $500,000 to the Barack Obama 04' election campaign got plum assignments in the administration. Now, while rewarding your political friends is nothing new in politics, this apparently goes waaaay beyond what was practiced by previous administrations. Catch the original Washington Times article here. Change? It seems the president's donors are raking in quite a bit of change.

The Road to Nowhere.

2011-06-13T07:35:00.005-04:00

"The American Dream, 2011: You pay four bucks a gallon to commute between your McJob and your underwater housing to prop up a spendaholic, grabafeelic, paramilitarized bureaucracy-without-end bankrupting your future at the rate of a fifth of a billion dollars every hour."

America is on its way down the road of recovery, and our very own modern day Cassandra, comentator Mark Steyn, is there to explain the landmarks we see along the way. Laugh through the tears right here.

The Wisdom of John Adams.

2011-06-11T22:50:00.004-04:00

I'm reading David McCullough's gripping biography of John Adams. Contained within is this passage, written to friend James Warren about the possible dangers of elected governments:

"We may please ourselves with the prospect of free and popular governments. But there is great danger that those governments will not make us happy. God grant that they may. But I fear that in every assembly, members will obtain an influence by noise, not sense. By meanness, not greatness. By ignorance, not learning. By contracted hearts, not large souls..."

How prescient our founding fathers, especially men like John Adams, where in their assessments of the human creature. I swear, only the Bible does a better job of describing the human condition. Now, the question is, what do we do about it?

Healing the Land.

2011-06-08T10:10:00.005-04:00

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

II Chronicles 7:14

Sometimes, certain passages just speak for themselves, are you listening America?

Serpents and Doves.

2011-06-01T22:49:00.005-04:00

I was reading through Matthew and got to this quote from Jesus:

"Look, I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins and flog you in their synagogues, beware of them. You will even be brought before governors and kings because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations."

Matthew 10:16-18

That set my gears off. I understand the "innocent as doves" more or less instantly. Many people won't take Jesus' message very well, and will use any pretense to discredit those who preach His word, so we can't give enemies of the Word any excuse to do so. What really interests me is charge for his people to be "shrewd as serpents." Right off the bat, it might not normally strike the average believer to incorporate "shrewdness" into their witness, but it makes a lot of sense.

The word "shrewd" in the English language has three different uses. First it means to be astute in practical matters. Second, it means to be piercing. Third, it means to be artful, or to be skillful in adapting means to ends. In this way, I believe that Jesus was calling us as believers to be astute in our practical dealings with nonbelievers, artful, or able to adapt our style of delivery to the culture that surrounds us, and piercing in our presentation of the Gospel to those who have not accepted Jesus into their lives. In this way we are to "bear witness to them and the nations."

DSK and Louis.

2011-05-22T17:46:00.004-04:00

When I think of the French governing elite these days, I am always gripped with the notion of putting a big group picture of all the top French bureaucrats next to another big group picture of the court of Louis the XVI with a caption underneath that would read in big, bold letters: One of these resembles the other. Commentator Mark Steyn has a similarly themed article here.