Josiah Concept Ministries

Okay, I haven’t been feeling well these past few days.  I won’t go into gory details; suffice it to say that I feel better now and will continue to work on my response to the nonsense that is the Jesus Family Tomb.

Next on that front is an article on the patina evidence that links the James ossuary with the actual tomb.  The problem that I’m facing there is twofold: 1) I don’t have the book, and that is where the bulk of this material is located; and 2)  I know next to nothing about patinas in the first place.  My plan to remedy this is to visit my local library branch and read some Archeology 101 primers that have information about patinas and patina evidence so that I can have at least a rudimentary knowledge of what I’m supposed to be seeing in regard to that.  Then, I can take a look at what information I can find about the patina evidence that they’ve collected.

From what I understand, the dimensions on the James ossuary do not match the dimensions of the ossuary missing from this tomb, which of course makes it very doubtful that this is the genuine article.  Of course, I’ll have more on this later in the week, hopefully by about Friday or Saturday.

In closing, I wanted to comment on this article.  Since starting this blog, I’ve become a bit more conservative where gay rights are concerned.  I think that, as Christians, we should be more accepting of the people, but not of the sin.  General Peter Pace has given us a perfect example of exactly what I’m talking about.  Why should we tolerate amoral sexual behavior?  I’m a sinner, but I don’t flaunt it for all the world to see.  It is a private hell for me; I know it’s wrong but I can’t stop.  And I hate myself for it.  I don’t want everyone to know about it, I don’t want everyone to see my shame.  But the thing I want to do the least with my sin is create a rubber justification for it and the flaunt it for all the world to see, to wear armbands, to have parades for it, to create civil rights groups to protect my right to sin!  No, I want to pray to almighty God to come inside my heart, my hardened, sinning heart, and to regenerate it and make it in His image, so that I please Him.

But gay people don’t want to do that.  They want to flaunt their sinful behavior.  They take pride in their sin.  They want everyone to know that they live in rebellion against their Creator!  And worse than that, they want hide behind the law and use the law to silence anyone who would dare speak out against what they do!

Well, I would like to offer Gen. Pace a hearty congratulations for having the courage to tell it like it is.  All of the flack that he has gotten over this is more proof that God is giving people over to their sins, and sending them a powerful delusion to justify rebellion against Him.  He certainly seems to be hardening more people than He’s saving these days, and I say thank God that He chose me to save.  Obviously, I don’t merit saving.  But I’m glad that He called me nonetheless.

It just makes the fact that I still do sin all the more reprehensible to me.  I need to pray harder for the guidance of His Holy Spirit, that I may walk away from temptation and live in His truth.

It’s especially sad that more people don’t think like that.  “God has a plan, and that’s all nice, but we can do it better.”  What all sin boils down to is that mentality.  Isn’t that what Original Sin itself was?  “God said not to eat that fruit, but we know better.”  How arrogant that we think we know better than Him that created us.

The Bible teaches that as we approach the end times, apostasy will become increasingly widespread.  Each day I check out the apologetics blogs, I see more and more examples of it.

Paul told Timothy

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. [1 Tim 6:3-5]

Paul charged Titus, and by extension us, to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).  Additionally, Paul wants us to

Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.  [1 Tim 6:11-14]

This article certainly doesn’t take the Apostle’s urgings seriously.  It appears that the Mother Teresa awards were created in 2005 to, in the words of the website, “recognize the achievements of those who beautify the world, especially in the fields of religion, social justice and the arts.”  Past award recipients have included Pope John Paul II, President Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, and the Dalai Lama.  Mother Teresa’s former order, the Missionaries of Charity, select the laureates from nominations made by the general public.

Last month, Sister Jeannine Gramick was honored “[f]or her role as American Human Rights Activist, especially in the field of Spirituality.”  Sr. Gramick is the founder of New Ways Ministry, which works to promote gay rights.  That is, full acceptance of homosexuality as an alternate sexual orientation and of gay marriages.

Now, past readers of this blog know that I have no problem with working to reconcile gays with the church.  This is something that is sorely lacking in the present state of Christianity.  But, folks, please!  We still have to call a duck a duck: homosexuality is sin!  All I’m saying is that we shouldn’t make these sinners any less welcome because of their sin.  Let’s not forget, dear children, that we (I say we because I sin each and every day of my life, too!)  are all sinners.  Those who are sinners should not be so quick to condemn others (Jn 8:7; cf. Mat 7:1-5).

My problem with Sr. Gramick receiving this award is that what she promotes is contrary to the teaching of the Bible.  The organization that gives these awards out is a Catholic organization, thus it should be founded on the firm teachings of Jesus Christ, the Bible, and the rich tapestry of Catholic Tradition.  How, therefore, can Sr. Gramick’s work be justified in light of those princibles–all of which teach that homosexuality is sin?

This is just more evidence of the growing apostasy and makes ministries like this all the more urgent.

As I was driving to work the other day, I had a realization. I hate every last single thing about my job. There is not one redeeming quality about being a fast food manager. I absolutely loathe what I do for a living.

This really isn’t a revelation. I’ve known this for several months. I am just throughly trapped in this miserable existence because I need the salary and the insurance benefits carried with it. What came as a bit of a shock to me is that today I realized that I have to force myself to write.

Why is that so bad? The one way that I have seen to get out of the fast food trap is to open my own freelance writing business. That idea was the only thing in months that has given me a glimmer of hope in an otherwise worthless existence. It feels as if right now, all I do is simply exist.

With Jody’s blessing, I have spent some money to advertise said business. I have joined FaithWriters and I have joined Sologig–two websites that exist to connect freelancers with potential clients. Unfortunately, I have not created portfolios yet with these companies–neither of these companies will do anything for me until I do that simple action. Yet I find myself without motivation to do that. I barely find any purpose for getting out of bed anymore.

This is the same place I was in two years ago right before I quit Wendy’s. On some level, I knew that I would end up back here; I just never figured that it would be so soon.

I’m leveling with everyone who reads this for a few reasons. First, I promise all kinds of articles that never materialize. This is the main reason why. Second, I want everyone to understand the depression and the cycle that it creates. Finally, I wanted to lay the groundwork for this announcement:

Effective immediately, for an as yet undetermined time period, the apologetics on this site will focus on orthodox or abberrant theologies. I will stay away from giving answers for atheists because I do not feel spiritually strong enough to resist the siren’s call of no accountability to God that atheism presents. The arguments presented on God is Imaginary were not without some merit. This is a very dangerous line of thought that I have no desire to follow to its inevitable conclusion.

The articles for God is Imaginary will stay up, but I will not add to them except in a “I have nothing for the stinkin’ website and I’m desperate!” situation.  Perhaps after I get over this rough patch in my life, I will start adding some additional articles.

For now, I will focus on heresy and orthodoxy. In both of those, a theistic worldview is presented and there is no argument against the existence of God.

The new list of potential topics to cover looks a bit like this:

• Examination of open theism - there may be some truths contained herein, but the God of open theism cannot be trusted
• Examination/refutation of probabilistic prophecy - thank you, John Sanders
• Study of Romans 9 and Calvinism/Reformed Theology - J.P. Holding at Tekton has presented a very good case against the one James White has presented
• Examination of the Word-Faith Movement (headed by Ken Copeland, Joel Osteen, and Benny Hinn)
• Examination of Prosperity Theology - a variation on Word-Faith that a friend at work had experienced, and turned her away from the faith for a while

Pretty much looks like the old list with the God is Imaginary material removed.

I still plan to have a domain name by the first of the year.  It’ll be something I buy with Christmas money that I will undoubtedly receive from my family.

I will also continue my lively debate with Geocreationism.   I’m also going to take a closer look at his (?) site.  I know I’ve personally been seeking a model of creation that agrees with the science rather than a model that opposes the science.  It would be nice if science and religion could actually get along someday!

Apologists should be able to pick a side and defend it.  But here, I’m just not sure.  On one hand, it sounds like a fun concept.  The Left Behind world, though theologically misguided, is a rockin’ good world to immerse yourself in.  A video game is long overdue.  On the other hand, is this really the impression we want to give an outsider?  That if you don’t convert to Christianity, we’re going to kill you in the aftermath of the eventual war that ends all wars?  People already consider Christianity intolerant because of our belief that only calling on Jesus will save you.  I don’t think that it is a good idea to create a video game with the ultimate goal of building a Christian theocracy; this is going to give unbelievers the wrong impression.

That makes them harder to evangelize.

Finally, Paul Barnes will be in my prayers.  He resigned his ministry, the one he founded in his own basement and God built to huge megachurch, over his homosexual behavior.  It was brave of him to come out of the closet and get the thorn in his flesh exposed.  I pray for his family, and his congregation, that they will be able to put this shock behind them and begin the healing process.

I already guessed that I wouldn’t have the only response to Elton John’s recent derogatory comments about organized religion. This is from Metropolitan Community Church of East London:

But the Pastor of MCCEL, the Revd Jane Clarke said, “Before you give up entirely on religion, come and see how we do it here.”

This was in response to Elton John’s statement to the press that organized religion should be banned because it turns people into “hateful lemmings.”

The pastor says,

I am certain that Elton will get a better idea of that [sic] faith can do if he came to see the love of God demonstrated for all people here at our church. We would be delighted to welcome him.

Get the whole story here!

I hope that a church does welcome Elton John and that he is able to see that God loves all of His Creation. God has blessed Mr. John immensely with musical talent, and I’m sure that He set the events of Mr. John’s life specifically so that he would meet Tim Rice. Together, those two have produced beautiful music for quite a few Disney movies.

I pray, however, that Mr. John declines this particular invitation. The Metropolitan Community Churches advocate homosexuality as a normal and natural expression of love. This probably surprises readers of my previous post on this topic. Don’t misunderstand the thesis of that post: I am not suggesting that we call a duck a horse. Homosexuality is most assuredly a sin (Rom 1:26-27). Read more »

“I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people,” [Elton] John, who has a home in Atlanta, said in the Observer newspaper’s Music Monthly Magazine. “Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays.”“But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion,” he said. “From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn’t seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it’s not really compassionate.”

Homosexuality is sin. There are ways around it, but I’ve never read a way around that fact that doesn’t try to skirt the issue, soften the plain text of the Bible, or take some other artful dodge aimed at obscuring the meaning of God’s Word.

Addiction is also sin. But people who are suffering from addictions do not have the same attitude toward organized religion that Mr. John has summarized for us, an attitude shared by many within the LGBT community. Organized religion has helped so many people overcome addictions by teaching these people that there is something better than drugs or alcohol–the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

The current relationship–or lack thereof–of the church with the LGBT community is one of the largest modern failings of the church Christ has founded. I think that He would be sickened by the way Christians respond to their homosexual brothers and sisters. Christ Himself personally ministered to the deposed members of society, miring Himself deep within the sinners of His day. Many Christians today don’t really want to be bothered with that. We treat gays with disdain, contempt, and, yes, even hatred.

But this should not be so. We should not neglect the message of salvation–the Gospel entrusted to us by Christ–by not transmitting it to the LGBT community. We welcome sinners of all sorts with open arms and an understanding heart. Why is this not so with members of the LGBT community? How many of their number feel the longing in their hearts that can be filled by God alone and we neglect preaching the Good News to them because they are gay? Read more »