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OK, I’m kind of wearing out the Sarah Palin posts today, but this article in the Wall Street Journal gives a good summary of her political style while she’s been governor in Alaska:
When she ran for governor as a Republican outsider in 2006, she took on not only a sitting governor from her own party but Alaska’s Republican establishment — vowing to clean up a political system that had been rocked by an FBI corruption investigation.
After winning handily, her popularity in Alaska has soared as high as 83% as she has gone on to sack political appointees with close ties to industry lobbyists, shelved pork projects by fellow Republicans and even jumpstarted a campaign by her lieutenant governor, Sean Parnell, to unseat veteran Rep. Don Young of Alaska in the Republican primary held this past Tuesday. The winner has yet to be declared in that contest, as Mr. Young currently leads by less than 200 votes and a recount seems likely.
Gov. Palin has shown similar fearlessness in going after Big Oil, whose money has long dominated the state. She appears, for example, to have forced Alaska’s dominant oil producers, ConocoPhillips and BP PLC, to finally get serious about a natural-gas pipeline — without making any tax or royalty concessions.
“People see her as the symbol of purity in an atmosphere of corruption,” says Anchorage pollster Marc Hellenthal. “She’s more like Saint Sarah.”
You can, and should, read the whole artice here.
The Palin family
We will hear much in the coming days and weeks about Sarah Palin. In her own words, she considered herself “an extreme longshot” to be chosen as John McCain’s pick for vice president. She is decidedly conservative and a strong family person.
After she had her fifth child this past April and the child was diagnosed as a Down syndrome child, this is what she said about how she and her husband felt about it:
“We’ve both been very vocal about being pro-life,” Governor Palin said. “We understand that every innocent life has wonderful potential.”
“I’m looking at him right now, and I see perfection,” Palin told the Associated Press. “Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?”
Fox News has just reported that Sarah Palin, 44, the governor of Alaska, will be John McCain’s choice as vice president. This according to Fox News as confirmed by senior McCain sources.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin could be John McCain's pick for vice president.
DENVER (AP) — John McCain kept his vice presidential pick a closely guarded secret hours before the high-stakes announcement Friday as top prospects seemed to drop away and speculation moved to darkhorse candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
Read more about her from the blog here.
John Piper gives some thoughts about abortion and about being pro-life:
Mark Driscoll, the preaching pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, will be one of the featured speakers at the Desiring God National Conference on Sept. 26-28 in Minneapolis. This year’s theme is “The Power of Words and the Wonder of God.” The folks at Desiring God have been posting short interviews with the speakers leading up to the conference. In this interview, Driscoll talks about the effect and power our words have:
Allyson Felix takes a handoff from Mary Wineberg on the second leg of the Olympic women's 1,600 relay. The U.S. women won in 3:18.54.
One of my favorite all-time movies is Chariots of Fire. I love it when Eric Liddell tells his sister that when he runs he feels God smiling on him. It sounds so self-centered, but the point is that Liddell is running for God’s glory, not his own. And that is a good way to look at sports or any other interest that we may pursue. It is because God has blessed us with a talent we should do it our best for His sake, not ours.
All of that brings me to the recent Olympic games in Beijing, China, where many athletes did many outstanding things. I am sure that there were many who understood that the talents that got them to China were bestowed by a great God on humble human beings. One of those great athletes is Allyson Felix of the United States. Felix, who is a sprinter, won a gold in the 1,600 relay and a silver in the 200. She was disappointed in her performance in the 200, where she was the reigning world champion, but she didn’t let that stop her from giving her all in the relay.
In a feature segment run during the games, she is clear about where her heart is. Clink on the image below for the video:
And, to remember a truly great Olympic athlete and a dedicated servant of God:
There are times when I wonder what exactly the Bible means when it tells us not to be anxious. I mean, where does being careful or prudent turn into being anxious?
John Piper, after almost being run over while walking across the street one day, wondered about the same thing and wrote a great article on it. Here is his conclusion:
“Do not be anxious for your life” (Luke 12:22) does not mean: Walk on red (at least not always). It means: 1) don’t fantasize nervously about getting pasted in the crosswalk; 2) believe that if you do get pasted, God is still in control and you will be with him and he will take care of your family; 3) if a carton of gold is across the street and the kingdom of God is on this side, don’t cross even on green; 4) if a red light tries to stop you from giving a big missions offering this week, walk on red! (Financial precautions are almost always too conservative.) After blue, God’s favorite color is green. Consider the lilies.
God’s Favorite Color :: Desiring God Christian Resource Library.
Bigfoot turned out to be a hoax. Look into Jesus.
Not that this is a surprise, but it turns out the recent discovery of Bigfoot in Georgia was a hoax. I read somewhere in the last week someone saying that Bigfoot is like religion in that it is something that exists in legend but is not real. But that’s just not the same. Consider: What would it mean if Bigfoot indeed exists? What exactly does the existence of Bigfoot mean in our lives? Anything?
Now consider Jesus. What does it mean that Jesus exists? Plenty. There aren’t many people who are saying that Jesus didn’t walk in this world around 2,000 years ago. Many argue about what kind of man he is and what impact his life should have in our lives. And, more importantly, what impact does his death and resurrection have?
In the Bible, in Matthew 28, it talks about Easter Sunday when Jesus arose from the tomb after being dead three days after his crucifixion. It says:
When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
So, there is a lot riding on it. John Piper lays out how important:
If this is true, if this is real - that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead (verse 6), and that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him (verse 18), and that he will be with his disciples to the end of the age (verse 20) - if this is true, then nothing is more important in our lives, nothing is more crucial or more urgent or more needful than believing it and becoming a follower of Jesus. I know it’s a big if - if this is true, if this is real (you may believe it or not) - but if the premise is true, wouldn’t you agree with the conclusion? - nothing is more important for everyone in this room than to believe in him and be his follower.
That’s it. Nothing is as important. Not my family. Not my health. Not my job. Not what’s on TV. Not my retirement. Nothing. I will live on with or without Bigfoot being real. I cannot have life without Jesus because he not only did he die but he also rose and lives now. No one can live without him.
And, because baseball was meant to be played outdoors so we could see it and appreciate God’s great work in nature at the same time, here is a link to a video tour of the new Minnesota Twins ballpark. The new park will open in 2010. Click on the image below to watch the tour. (Note: Watch you see in the image is just a model of the ballpark so, no, that is not Paul Bunyan standing behind it getting ready to grab some Twins fans. As a bonus, you get to hear a real, live Minnesotan describe the ballpark in his real, live Minnesotan accent. Ah, it brings back memories. 
)
The news Twins ballpark will open in downtown Minneapolis in 2010.
And, to make it unique, get ready for the Stone Zone.
Mark Driscoll will be one of the speakers at the upcoming Desiring God national conference, “The Power of Words and the Wonder of God” to be Sept. 26-28 in Minneapolis. In the preview clip, he talks about the Bible and harsh language:
Go here to register.
John Piper, on the Desiring God blog, writes about the aftermath of the Lakeland revival and the need for discernment:
Charismatics will not be the only ones who follow the Antichrist when he rises. So will the mass of those who today in thousands of evangelical churches belittle the truth of biblical doctrine as God’s agent to set us free (John 8:32).
Discernment is not created in God’s people by brokenness, humility, reverence, and repentance. It is created by biblical truth and the application of truth by the power of the Holy Spirit to our hearts and minds. When that happens, then the brokenness, humility, reverence, and repentance will have the strong fiber of the full counsel of God in them. They will be profoundly Christian and not merely religious and emotional and psychological.
The common denominator of those who follow the Antichrist will not be “charismatic.” It will be, as Paul says, “they refused to love the truth.”
The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)
Our test for every Lakeland that comes along should first be doctrinal and expositional. Is this awakening carried along by a “love for the truth” and a passion to hear the whole counsel of God proclaimed?
It would be good if we asked ourselves whether we needed something to really make us happy or are we just hoping to fill some hole with more stuff.
I came by this by way of Neatorama. Its creator made it as an anti-adverstising statement, but I think the sticker statement holds for anything. We are a consumer society and, especially in this country, we don’t always consider the question of whether we actually need something before we get it. As a Christian, I think it speaks to me as a question of whether I am relying on myself or God to satisfy my desires. Do I trust what the Bible says in Psalm 37:4?
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
And what are those desires? I think, if we delight ourselves in God, they are things that please God and bring us more satisfaction in him. Delighting ourselves in God brings us more and more pleasure, not in the earthly sense, but in the sense that we are not feeling like there is a lack in our lives. Think about how many times in your life — and I speak to this out of my own experience — you’ve gotten something you really wanted bad and then found yourself feeling like it wasn’t enough not long afterward. I think we can all picture the scene of the child on Christmas Day who opens all the presents and yet by the end of the day is bored or looking for just one more gift. So, ask yourself, do you need it?
While we are soaking in the pageantry of the Olympics this summer in China, let us not forget what life is really like for the Christians there. In a great post at The Blazing Center, Mark Altrogge compares what we see with what God sees:
The Lord who spoke the worlds into existence is not impressed by our pomp and technology and fireworks. But he is impressed by his people glorifying him despite persecution by a wicked government. His eyes are on his precious sheep singing his praises behind closed doors of their homes or praying under their prison covers.
When you watch the Olympics this week, lift up a prayer for the persecuted saints in China. Ask Jesus to have mercy on them, fill them with his joy and give them the grace to persevere. Ask Jesus to bring his kingdom, the most impressive kingdom of all, to earth.
Apparently, while we were all distracted with the Olympics and that skirmish between Georgia and Russia, this was handed down from Great Britain to the U.S.:
“In light of your failure to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.”
“Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).”
Read the rest here.
My younger brother Merv is a career Army guy. He joined the Army out of high school in 1987 and has risen to his current rank of major since that time. He has served in two wars — The Gulf War and the current war in Iraq — and has been deployed all over the world.
But calling him “an Army guy” is just not enough. This is a guy, I remember when we were growing up, who always had a great sense of humor, was a great athlete, a talented writer and actor, a musician and a budding theologian (he memorized Galatians). Pretty awesome. He is a well-rounded guy, for sure.
I don’t see him that much since he’s usually training or traveling all over the world working to keep America a safe place for people to complain about what a crummy place this (you know who you are). For me, it was a thrill to see him in June at our Brott family reunion and for my kids to see and talk to him some.
These days he is back in Iraq serving with a unit he helped train from Fort Riley, Kan. The difference this time is that he is blogging for his hometown paper, The Sulphur Springs News Telegram. His blog, called Jedi’s Blog, will recount his unit’s preparation and yearlong mission in Iraq. I think it’s great for Merv to give people a glimpse of what life is like for the guys who serve in the armed forces. Besides being a decorated and outstanding soldier, he is also a very gifted writer. This is just a sample from his latest post, entitled “Nomads”:
We are still at the adapt and survive level, so the constant hum of the massive diesel generators powering our life-support systems is reassuring. These behemoths look like they were plucked from mammoth bulldozers. It’s kind of like listening to your own heartbeat. The constant thump-thump is intriguing, but there’s a little voice in the back of your head wondering, “What if it stops?” You hope you never hear silence with the big diesels.
I have listened to guys who have served in the Middle East come back and talk about their mission. I deeply appreciate what they do, but it’s obvious that public speaking is not some of these guys’ strengths. But, without being biased, I can say that the average reader will get a lot of out of the Jedi Blog.
Take a few minutes to check out Jedi’s Blog and, then, to remember the men of that unit, the Iraqis they’re working with and the people they’re working for before God in prayer. Also, pray for the families back here who said goodbye to these men while they do their jobs.
The new English Standard Version Study Bible, coming in October, promises to be a great resource for those seeking to understand better the Word of God.
The English Standard Version Study Bible will be released on Oct. 15. The word of God is powerful, and this version I believe will be a tremendous tool to help many understand it better. The following video details some of this version’s awesome features and also includes some endorsements.
You can learn more about the ESV Study Bible at its Web site. Among the things you can find there are explanations into what went into this particular edition and free downloads of sample books and chapters in the new ESV Study Bible. And, for those who order a print version, you can get a free online version of the ESV, which features resources not available in the print edition.
This fun map game lets you drag the country’s name to the country. There is no score kept, but a buzzer will tell you if you got it wrong.
HT: Neatorama
News and notes after a long break from blogging:
John Piper's latest book is "Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ"
PIPER’S NEW BOOK: You can now pre-order John Piper’s latest book, “Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ” from the Desiring God Web site for only $5. The 144-page book comes from a series of sermons Piper preached in 2007 at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis. From the site:
“What does the fall of Satan reveal about Christ’s glory? How does Adam’s sin magnify our Lord? How does the glory of Jesus shine through in Judas’ betrayal? How is the honor of Jesus at stake in the sin and evil, the suffering and the calamities and the wickedness, which abound in the world today? In this book John Piper seeks to provide a biblical perspective on God’s sovereign and righteous governance over even the sinful acts of men. History’s greatest sins do not thwart God’s purposes to save his people and glorify his Son; they fulfill them. And being grounded in this hope is the key to “Christ-exalting strength in calamity and Christ-exalting courage in conflict.”
RESPONDING TO THE POET: Abraham Piper, on the DG site, shares an encounter a missionary doctor had with a Muslim man recently at a wedding. It is a great example of how the Holy Spirit gives us the right words at the right time. It reminds me of the sermon today at church on Acts 4 and how Peter spoke before the religious leaders.
PRAY FOR CHINA: Again, from the DG site, we are reminded to pray for China during the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games in the coming weeks. A good resource, mentioned there, is the China Games and Beyond 40-day prayer journal.
STOP TINKERING WITH YOUR SOUL: From the wonderful Of First Importance site, great words today from A.W. Tozer:
“While we are looking at God we do not see ourselves - blessed riddance. The man who has struggled to purify himself and has had nothing but repeated failures will experience real relief when he stops tinkering with his soul and looks away to the perfect One. While he looks at Christ, the very thing he has so long been trying to do will be getting done within him.”
- A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Camp Hill, PA: Christian Publications, Inc., 1993), 85.
Of First Importance is a great site that, each day, “provide(s) a thoughtful quote to help you remember what’s ‘of first importance’: the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
I especially enjoyed today’s entry:
“God’s grace means that I can rest assured that I’ll have everything I need to be what he wants me to be and to do what he wants me to do in the situation in which he’s placed me.
I’m no longer restricted to the limits of my own strength and wisdom. By his grace, I’ve a new identity and a new potential. I’m a child of God; the risen Christ now lives inside of me. I need no longer fear people or circumstances; I don’t have to feel weak in the face of suffering or temptation, because I no longer rest in the resources of my own ability. I’m in Christ and he’s in me.
This new identity gives me new potential as I face the realities of life in this bent and broken world. God’s grace gives me reason to ‘take heart.’”
—Paul David Tripp, “Psalm 27: Take Heart”
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