My Little Boy is a Man

Those of you who know Ben know that he's been a man since he was about 15. But now he's graduating college. And he loves God and people. And he loves wisdom. And he is committed to excellence. And I am sitting here thanking God for His grace, and wondering how all this happened and where the years went. I was blown away when God granted me my heart's desire 22 years ago. But he took that initial blessing and turned it into a channel - an aqueduct - of goodness in my life. I am overwhelmed. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Thankful For God's Gifts

I brined this 14lb. Butterball for 3 days, then smoked it with oak chips for 9 hours at 250 degrees - breast down and tented with foil at about 5 hours (I also threw a ham in at this point). It was the best we've ever had. Then Toni prepared a bunch of incredible side dishes - roasted squash, cranberry sauce and stuffing from scratch, yeast rolls made with homemade buttermilk and served with homemade butter, and more. I am continually amazed at the grace of God who has given us so many incredible gifts. He made animals and plants to taste good, and He fine-tuned our taste buds to appreciate them. Really it is an awe-inspiring thing.

Wisdom of God from Proverbs 6

The Malicious Man

¹² A worthless person, a wicked man, who goes around speaking dishonestly,

¹³ who winks his eyes, signals with his feet, and gestures with his fingers,

¹⁴ who plots evil with perversity in his heart—he stirs up trouble constantly.

¹⁵ Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly; he will be shattered instantly—beyond recovery.

These People Are a Blessing.

It's Not a Baby . . .

The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

 ¹   Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD,
      But a just weight is His delight.
       ²  When pride comes, then comes shame;  
      But with the humble is wisdom.
       ³  The integrity of the upright will guide them,  
      But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.
       ⁴   Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,  
      But righteousness delivers from death.
       ⁵  The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright,  
      But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
       ⁶  The righteousness of the upright will deliver them,  
      But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.
       ⁷  When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,  
      And the hope of the unjust perishes.
       ⁸  The righteous is delivered from trouble,  
      And it comes to the wicked instead.
       ⁹  The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,  
      But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.
       ¹⁰  When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;  
      And when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
       ¹¹  By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,  
      But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
       ¹²  He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbor,  
      But a man of understanding holds his peace.
       ¹³  A talebearer reveals secrets,  
      But he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter.
       ¹⁴   Where there is no counsel, the people fall;  
      But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
       ¹⁵  He who is surety for a stranger will suffer,  
      But one who hates being surety is secure.
       ¹⁶  A gracious woman retains honor,  
      But ruthless men retain riches.
       ¹⁷  The merciful man does good for his own soul,  
      But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.
       ¹⁸  The wicked man does deceptive work,  
      But he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward.
       ¹⁹  As righteousness leads to life,  
      So he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.
       ²⁰  Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the LORD,  
      But the blameless in their ways are His delight.
       ²¹ Though they join forces, the wicked will not go unpunished;  
      But the posterity of the righteous will be delivered.
       ²² As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,  
      So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion.
       ²³  The desire of the righteous is only good,  
      But the expectation of the wicked is wrath.
       ²⁴  There is one who scatters, yet increases more;  
      And there is one who withholds more than is right,
      But it leads to poverty.
       ²⁵  The generous soul will be made rich,  
      And he who waters will also be watered himself.
       ²⁶  The people will curse him who withholds grain,  
      But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
       ²⁷  He who earnestly seeks good finds favor,  
      But trouble will come to him who seeks evil.
       ²⁸  He who trusts in his riches will fall,  
      But the righteous will flourish like foliage.
       ²⁹  He who troubles his own house will inherit the wind,  
      And the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
       ³⁰  The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,  
      And he who wins souls is wise.
       (Proverbs 11, New King James Version)

The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.

 ¹ I will extol You, my God, O King;
         And I will bless Your name forever and ever.
 ² Every day I will bless You,
         And I will praise Your name forever and ever.
 ³ Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
         And His greatness is unsearchable.
         
 ⁴ One generation shall praise Your works to another,
         And shall declare Your mighty acts.
 ⁵ I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty,
         And on Your wondrous works.
 ⁶ Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
         And I will declare Your greatness.
 ⁷ They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness,
         And shall sing of Your righteousness.
         
 ⁸ The LORD is gracious and full of compassion,
         Slow to anger and great in mercy.
 ⁹ The LORD is good to all,
         And His tender mercies are over all His works.
         
 ¹⁰ All Your works shall praise You, O LORD,
         And Your saints shall bless You.
 ¹¹ They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom,
         And talk of Your power,
 ¹² To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts,
         And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.
 ¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
         And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.
         
 ¹⁴ The LORD upholds all who fall,
         And raises up all who are bowed down.
 ¹⁵ The eyes of all look expectantly to You,
         And You give them their food in due season.
 ¹⁶ You open Your hand
         And satisfy the desire of every living thing.
         
 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all His ways,
         Gracious in all His works.
 ¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,
         To all who call upon Him in truth.
 ¹⁹ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;
         He also will hear their cry and save them.
 ²⁰ The LORD preserves all who love Him,
         But all the wicked He will destroy.
 ²¹ My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD,
         And all flesh shall bless His holy name
         Forever and ever. (Psalm 145, New King James Version)

He who sends a message by the hand of a fool cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.

 ¹   As snow in summer and rain in harvest,
      So honor is not fitting for a fool.
       ²  Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,  
      So a curse without cause shall not alight.
       ³  A whip for the horse,  
      A bridle for the donkey,
      And a rod for the fool’s back.
       ⁴  Do not answer a fool according to his folly,  
      Lest you also be like him.
       ⁵   Answer a fool according to his folly,  
      Lest he be wise in his own eyes.
       ⁶  He who sends a message by the hand of a fool  
      Cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
       ⁷ Like the legs of the lame that hang limp  
      Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
       ⁸  Like one who binds a stone in a sling  
      Is he who gives honor to a fool.
       ⁹ Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard  
      Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
       ¹⁰  The great God who formed everything  
      Gives the fool his hire and the transgressor his wages.
       ¹¹  As a dog returns to his own vomit,  
      So a fool repeats his folly.
       ¹²  Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?  
      There is more hope for a fool than for him.
       ¹³  The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!  
      A fierce lion is in the streets!”
       ¹⁴ As a door turns on its hinges,  
      So does the lazy man on his bed.
       ¹⁵  The lazy man buries his hand in the bowl;
      It wearies him to bring it back to his mouth.
       ¹⁶  The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes  
      Than seven men who can answer sensibly.
       ¹⁷  He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own  
      Is like one who takes a dog by the ears.
       ¹⁸  Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death,  
       ¹⁹ Is the man who deceives his neighbor,  
      And says, “I was only joking!”
       ²⁰   Where there is no wood, the fire goes out;  
      And where there is no talebearer, strife ceases.
       ²¹ As charcoal is to burning coals, and wood to fire,  
      So is a contentious man to kindle strife.
       ²²  The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles,  
      And they go down into the inmost body.
       ²³   Fervent lips with a wicked heart  
      Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.
       ²⁴  He who hates, disguises it with his lips,  
      And lays up deceit within himself;
       ²⁵  When he speaks kindly, do not believe him,  
      For there are seven abominations in his heart;
       ²⁶ Though his hatred is covered by deceit,  
      His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.
       ²⁷   Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,  
      And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
       ²⁸  A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it,  
      And a flattering mouth works ruin. (Proverbs 26, New King James Version)

Thanks For Coming Everyone!!

Hey, we did it!  We covered the existence of God, the trustworthiness and inspiration of the Bible, the deity of Christ, the problem of man's sin, and finally God's gracious provision of salvation.  The pace was good, attendance was excellent, and the chow was superb.  Among the resources we gave away to each participant - our own 120 page 'Foundations' outline, 'God Wrote a Book,' 'God of Wonders,' 'More Than a Carpenter,' 'The Case for Christ,' and 'The Answers Book 2' from Answers in Genesis.


We are so grateful to everyone who served and attended; looking forward to seeing everyone at our Lasagna finale this Thursday.  We hope you all can make it to our special summer series with Ben Owens Wednesdays @ 7 beginning June 2.  God's richest blessings to all.

Great Bible Teaching in Santee

I am so looking forward to this summer Bible series at Prospect Avenue Baptist Church.

Good Clean College Fun

Ben and his pals finally took their jam session outside.  Wish I could have been there to hear them.

No God, No Music. Period.

Awesome Creation Resource

You can watch the chapters online here.  If you would like your own free copy on DVD, come on out to Prospect Avenue Baptist Church in Santee.

God of Wonders

I found an awesome new creationism resource. "God of Wonders" may be the finest film on creationism ever - a plethora of amazing examples of God's genius, and stunning cinematography. We viewed it in church the past two Sunday nights, and everyone loved it. We have it in the church lending library, and you can view it online here. 


“But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; And the birds of the air, and they will tell you; Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; And the fish of the sea will explain to you. Who among all these does not know That the hand of the Lord has done this, In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?" Job 12:7-10

May He grant you according to your heart’s desire

Psalm 20

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 ¹ May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble;
         May the name of the God of Jacob defend you;
 ² May He send you help from the sanctuary,
         And strengthen you out of Zion;
 ³ May He remember all your offerings,
         And accept your burnt sacrifice.  Selah
       
 ⁴ May He grant you according to your heart’s desire,
         And fulfill all your purpose.
 ⁵ We will rejoice in your salvation,
         And in the name of our God we will set up our banners!
         May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
       
 ⁶ Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
         He will answer him from His holy heaven
         With the saving strength of His right hand.
       
 ⁷ Some trust in chariots, and some in horses;
         But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
 ⁸ They have bowed down and fallen;
         But we have risen and stand upright.
       
 ⁹ Save, LORD!
         May the King answer us when we call.

Where Credit is Due

Tuesday we went on a field trip to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. At the beginning of the tram tour the guide told us that the cheetahs were "elegantly designed for speed." I appreciated the nod to the Designer; but, alas, it was to be short lived. In the next 20 minutes we must have heard the word adaptation at least 100 times. Giraffes adapted long necks due to the intense competition for grasses as a primary food source.

I do understand that there is a certain amount of resident "variability" in the genetic information of all living things. But I think the tour guide was either tacitly or intentionally teaching Lamarckism - the inheritance of novel traits acquired through use or disuse of body parts. Giraffes stretched for leaves, and little by little their necks grew longer, and their offspring inherited the new genetic information for longer necks. A cat gets his tail slammed in a door, and her kittens are born with crooked tails - an oversimplification to illustrate that Lamarckism is a failed theory. This stuff just does not happen. Charles Darwin promoted his own version of Lamarckism called pangenesis which was also proven false with later experimentation. He even proposed a feedback loop from the environment to somatic cells to sex cells to offspring - all false.

While the zoo folks have repeated this nonsense to one another so often that they believe it in spite of the evidence, it is - at the very least - annoying to those of us who would just like to enjoy our visit, without all the brain-washing.

On the other hand, Sunday we had a wonderful lunch at church - smoked brisket, sweet and spicy beans, and cole slaw. Our amazing God has filled the earth with plants and animals according to His ingenious design that every living thing should reproduce "according to its kind" as stated 10 times in Genesis chapter one and proven by billions of experiments each year. (Ask any farmer.)

They even taste good when you cook them. It did not have to be that way. And it did not happen by chance or by accident. We should praise Him for it. "Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:17 (ESV)

Ephesians 6:17 - The Helmet of Salvation

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God." 

From John MacArthur's Commentary on Ephesians:

When the coal truck delivered a ton of coal on the sidewalk in front of her house, a little London girl took her small shovel and began carrying the coal into the basement. When a neighbor man who was watching told her, “You’ll never be able to get it all in,” she replied, “Oh, I will sir, if I work long enough.”

The test of a person’s character is what it takes to stop him. Some people retreat as soon as the first shot is fired, while others fight through battle after battle with no thought of giving up. Satan will try every means to discourage and deter us, reminding us of defeats and dangers and setting every possible object in our way to destroy our assurance in Christ. The Lord allowed Satan to strip Job of every good thing he possessed except his life, yet that man of God declared, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15). The book of Job demonstrates the character of true saving faith in revealing that it is not connected to what benefits and blessings a person has or loses. Job’s helmet deflected every blow against him, and he maintained his faith in God’s love and care.

Six Evidences for God's Existence

An article by a former atheist. I like this; check it out.

Quieting a Noisy Soul

On our trip back east our friend Bobby Sass told us about "Quieting a Noisy Soul;" it's a seminar series my Jim Berg, dean of students at Bob Junes University. I purchased it from Amazon for under $100, and Toni and I have been previewing it this week - we like it a lot.

From the website: "Quieting a Noisy Soul is a unique multimedia program for personal growth and change combining DVD video sessions, an audio CD for daily meditation upon applicable Scripture passages, an mp3 CD for convenient review of the seminar sessions, and a powerful interactive study guide that aids your personal application of the seminar truths. No Christian program provides such a comprehensive, structured means to saturate your mind with the truths of Who God is and how He intends for those truths to deliver you from your guilt, anxiety, anger, and despair."


I plan to use this as our Sunday evening curriculum after we finish our current series. Visit the QANS website.

Another Phase of Life

With each new phase of life I realize how little I actually know by experience. Over twenty years ago God gave me what would prove to be one of the greatest treasures in my life. He changed my life. And last week I had to wave good-bye to him. As I watched Ben's car disappear in the distance I cried my heart out, and for hours a scene kept looping through my mind of that happy little 4-year-old boy - shirtless, barefoot, with sun-bleached hair - calling out to me with glee in that sweet little kid voice. Where did the time go?

I know I always teach that we are raising them to leave us, but I don't think I ever really accepted that it would happen to me. He's only gone away to college. But he's a continent away. And he's starting his own life. Wow.

Thank you Lord for blessing me with Ben. Please take good care of him.