Worldview

03
Jan
2024
Walking with Grace

Walking with Grace

Walking with Grace

In Box Alert

My laptop pinged as another cluster of emails landed in my in box. One of them in particular attracted my attention. It was from a respected associate, informing me that he knew of a young woman who had written a memoir and that she was seeking a publisher. Was I interested in the project? “Why would a young woman want to write a memoir?” I found myself wondering. As I perused the email further, the reason became evident. She was newly married, just in her early twenties, a gifted musician. As I reviewed her writing, I learned how late one afternoon as she navigated a pedestrian crossing on the way to a music recital where she was to play her violin, the trajectory of her life was dramatically changed as she entered a parabolic arc from the impact of a speeding motorist. She lay inert on the asphalt, her body crushed from the trauma.

Humanly speaking, Grace Utomo’s life could have ended that night. Traumatic Brain Injury is not a diagnosis anyone wants to undergo. When her family were called in to visit her in ICU, the nurses attending did not put any limit on the numbers of visitors permitted in the room—an ominous sign of the low level of life expectancy they anticipated.

Soon, hundreds—then thousands—of people were praying for Grace as she lay intubated in hospital. Ivan, her husband, had numerous friends praying on the other side of the Pacific (his family background is Indonesian), and other members of the family and friends soon mustered prayer support from many regions of the world.

As I continued reading about Ivan and Grace, and as I viewed Grace’s blog (HERE), I felt overcome by the magnitude of her story—weeks and months in hospital, the challenge of recuperation from strokes, the onset of migraine headaches, and a diagnosis of epilepsy—and with each of her blogs or Facebook posts, Grace’s face smiled radiantly from the pictures she posted.

“This project is too big for Great Writing,” I mused. “I must see if she would be interested in having this published through Shepherd Press.”

The consensus was a speedy yes—definitely a book for publication. And so the vision grew further. “Grace, we’d like to do this as a color illustrated book,” I communicated to her. “Do you have additional graphics to the ones we’ve already seen on your site and social media?” Did Grace have graphics? She sure did, evidenced by links she soon started sending me from her Google Drive folder. “You may use whatever you would like,” she announced.

And so the vision for Grace’s book was born. I knew straightaway that this would be an editing project for my wife, Sue, so some weeks later, the four of us—Ivan and Grace, Sue and I—were huddled over our devices on Facetime discussing developments and edits to enhance the already excellent writing that Grace had submitted.

Launching Live

There was a tense sense of excitement in the text that came from Keith Crosby, Grace’s dad. It informed me that there was the possibility of a live-radio broadcast launch of the publication of Walking with Grace. This would be via syndicated talk radio hosted by Craig Roberts (Life!Line / KFAX), with a listenership of hundreds of thousands of people in the San Francisco Bay area. In fact, the week that this was possible was the very week I would be present in southern California—the Los Angeles area—and in theory it would be a straightforward matter for me to add San Francisco and San Jose to my itinerary, but, as things worked out, I had already booked my southern California flights and there was no way I could factor in a visit to Grace’s book launch on that itinerary. But then I had an idea: why should I not make two visits from South Carolina to California the same week? I was game—and that way, Sue could join me.

So it was in early October that I found myself on another Delta flight heading out west for an overnight San Jose visit, this time with my beloved wife seated next to me. By then, my body clock was somewhat messed up, but it did not—not for even a millisecond—interrupt my enjoyment of being able to celebrate the launch of Grace’s beautiful and remarkable book.

There’s one more window on my work in this post: my phone pinged in the early hours of Saturday morning, just hours after the live radio launch of the evening before, notifying me that the Delta flight back to Atlanta was delayed by a couple of hours—and the knock-on effect was that we would not be able to make the connecting flight to Greenville. So, for another hour or more I was in a terse discussion (all by text and email chat) with a Delta rep who kindly and eventually secured flights for us back on two different carriers—United Airlines and American Airlines—via Dallas Fort Worth. The expression of relief on Sue’s face (and probably mine, too) was palpable once we had checked in at SFO and finally cleared a line of around 300 people waiting to go through the TSA checkpoint, and we were comfortably seated on United’s Airbus A319 and watching the Golden Gate Bridge slipping past in the distance. Thankfully, the rest of the trip was uneventful and a few hours layover in Dallas Fort Worth proved opportune for a welcome break, interesting conversations with strangers, and an eventual on-time return to Greenville, South Carolina.

Readers interested in buying a copy of Grace’s remarkable book may do so from Shepherd Press or Amazon.

Posted by Jim Holmes in Creativity and Aesthetics, Family and Friends, Gospel, Networking, New & Noteworthy, Publishing Books Today, Reflections, Spirituality, Travel, Windows on My Work, Worldview, Writing, 0 comments
20
Dec
2023
Celebrating Citizenship

Celebrating Citizenship

Celebrating Citizenship

On September 9, 2023, we celebrated our US citizenship. Below the videos, read the notes that I prepared for my (and Sue’s) speech. Matthew’s speech was improvised, so there are no notes!

Special thanks to Samantha Powell for providing the raw video for both pieces below, as well as to Matthew Holmes for editing the various clips into the more seamless videos with titles and some added still graphics.

Jim’s Video

 

Matthew’s Video

 

Life in One Act and Six Scenes So Far. . .

  • Thanks to Mel Duncan, the girls Megan and Claire, Dr. Megan Stapleton, the seminary, (and Sue for all her behind-the-scenes work to make this happen) and to you all for being here to share this day with us. And thank the Lord for His providence that we can be together in this way.
  • Sign our visitors’ book, please.
  • Take a flag as a memento of sharing this day with us.

Today, we stand in front of you as three new American citizens, but it was not always that way. Join me in your mind’s eye—your imagination—as I take you back some decades to the dark continent of Africa, where life is quite primitive

Scene 1:

Here’s a little boy who sees TV and movies for the first time. It’s cowboys and Indians, it’s chasing robbers, and it’s glamorous people in California living in mansions, high-rise buildings, and driving fast cars (on the wrong side of the road).

A little later in this scene, it’s tourists with funny accents and loud voices visiting Africa—people who seem to brag a lot and swagger when they walk.

This little boy in Africa doubts if he would ever even want to travel to America, never mind live there or become one of them!

Scene 2:

Here’s a man in his late thirties with his beautiful wife; he’s matured somewhat since scene 1, but he’s still doubtful about Americans. But the executive director where he works calls him into the office and says, “I want you to often visit America and meet our customers, and I want you to sell books there. Go there with your wife for a week and see what it’s like.”

Not many weeks later, that man and his wife are standing in Logan airport in Boston looking somewhat bewildered and feeling even more so. They are on a ten-day visit that will take them from the northeast through Mississippi, Oklahoma, and California. The man is thinking something like, “I hope this visit goes by quickly so we can get back home.”

But just a few days later, this same man is thinking something like, “Americans are just like me; they are ordinary people (apart from driving on the wrong side of the road). They don’t swagger, and I have not heard any of them brag. He asks his American counterpart, “So Mike, do you think you could see me and my wife living here in America one day?” His answer is quick and unequivocal: “Yes!”

Scene 3:

This man, now in his forties and with more than thirty transatlantic flights on his record is standing on the campus of the Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, (MacArthur’s church) at a Shepherds’ Conference. There’s a big, smiling, friendly man with a southern accent he meets there. He works for Ligonier Ministries. “Jim,” he says, “I would love for you to come to Greenville, SC; it’s a beautiful place and you would love the people there!”

Not too long after that, someone else from Greenville SC persistently invites him, so on one of his visits from the UK, he adds more flights to his itinerary and takes a weekend in South Carolina. He finds himself thinking, “Hmm, this is a really nice place; I think I could live here. There’s Bob Jones University, a school where my son could go to, and the people are so friendly.”

Scene 4

Some years have passed and this African-born man, now past the fifty-year mark, is loading several luggage pieces into a rental car having just arrived at GSP. His wife and son are with him. They are exhausted after nearly twenty hours of traveling from Britain. He’s come to America on a work visa with a mandate from his British bosses: “Stop flying to America all the time. Go there and build the business!” Soon they are settled in a rental property near BJU and driving a beat-up old Volvo with nearly quarter of a million miles on the clock. Their son is checked in at the elementary school and they are learning the new language of American!

Life is not easy for this family. There are health and economic hardship challenges to navigate. No one in this family was born with a silver spoon in the mouth. There is, as it were, blood, sweat, and tears. They learn to “Suck it up, Buttercup!”

Scene 5:

Now into the 20-teens, this same family—now much better at speaking and understanding American and loving being in South Carolina—are praying that their Green Card application will be approved. There have been some hiccups in the process and he’s feeling, to quote John Calvin, that “We’ll need to have a lot of luck if the authorities really do approve this application and we will likely have to return to the UK.” It’s that sinking feeling in your gut.

But many people are praying for the family. One man from Ohio says, “Jim, you have embraced us, and we have embraced you.” Another man from Pennsylvania says, “Jim, you were an American long before you ever came here.” There are two factors at work here: prayer and the providence of God. Late one night, as he is viewing the status of their permanent residence application online, he calls his wife to the computer: “Sue, look at this—do you read it that our application is approved and we will get a Green Card?” They are ecstatic!

Scene 6:

It’s now 2023 and, much sooner than expected, there are three official-looking pieces of mail in this family’s mailbox. They are being asked to report to the Department of Immigration in Greer in February to take the US Citizenship test. With a rush of blood to their heads, these three family members begin to review the citizenship application test questions and soon they know more than 100 aspects of American history and values—and in February, they swear the oath of allegiance to become genuine Americans—just like you all here!

As we close off this speech, we want several things to be clear to you:

  • Acts 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; (KJV)
  • Phil 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; (NASB 1995)
  • Ps 16:6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Indeed, my heritage is beautiful to me. (KJV)
  • 2 Peter 3:13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (NASB1996)

I was on a plane last week in the northeast and met with a US army serviceman. I expressed appreciation to him for his service and told him we had recently become citizens, but I found it easy to say this to him: “Scott, I’m first a Christian and then an American; everything else flows out from that.”

We left our earthly family in Africa and Britain. We have no blood relatives on this continent. But we have new friends who have become family to us, and many of you are blood-bought children of God—saved by His grace. You are His family, and you have become our family.

God bless you all; and God bless America!

 

Posted by Jim Holmes, 0 comments
15
Dec
2022
Hillbilly Wisdom from Nature Journal

Hillbilly Wisdom from Nature Journal

𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦

  • Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.
  • Keep skunks, bankers, and politicians at a distance.
  • Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
  • A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.
  • Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.
  • The best sermons are lived, not preached.
  • If you don’t take the time to do it right, you’ll find the time to do it twice.
  • Don’t corner something that is meaner than you.
  • Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
  • It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.
  • You cannot unsay a cruel word.
  • Every path has a few puddles.
  • When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.
  • Don’t be banging your shin on a stool that’s not in the way.
  • Borrowing trouble from the future doesn’t deplete the supply.
  • Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.
  • Don’t judge folks by their relatives.
  • Silence is sometimes the best answer.
  • Don‘t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin’ you none.
  • Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.
  • If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.
  • Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.
  • The biggest troublemaker you’ll ever have to deal with watches you from the mirror every mornin’.
  • Always drink upstream from the herd.
  • Good judgment comes from experience, and most of that comes from bad judgment.
  • Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.
  • If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.
  • Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.
  • Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.
  • Most times, it just gets down to common sense.
Found on Facebook from Nature Journal / http://www.sonyaz.net/nature-and-animals/
Featured image from Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/photos/banjo-player-outback-hill-billy-2427086/
Posted by Jim Holmes, 0 comments
25
Oct
2022
Memorial Ash Sprinkling of Jean Alison Holmes

Memorial Ash Sprinkling of Jean Alison Holmes

A Curse and A Blessing: The Memorial Service of Jean Alison Holmes

Penrith, England, Saturday August 12, 2022

Notes I prepared and delivered in honor of my mother’s wishes for me to speak at her funeral. Due to COVID travel restrictions, I was not able to speak in person at her funeral service, although I did prepare a video recording that was played on the day. The following notes are some thoughts I handwrote in preparation for the small, family memorial service conducted a few miles from Penrith in the beautiful Lake District of England.

CURSE

Genesis 3:17-22, notably 19b-20 “For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” . . . “The man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.”

A word that Mum often used was a Swahili one–FUMBI–dust. Whether a cobweb or some ethereal particles on the carpet that needed disposing of. we would joke about the dust (pronounced in a Yorkshire accent) or the fluff (similarly said in Yorkshire tones).

God’s Word is very sobering in how it describes the universal human condition. Gen 2:7 “The LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground”–then, after disobedience to the clear and distinctly revealed will of God, the pronouncement of the curse (Gen 2:17) “…You shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it, you will surely die…”

Our first parents knowingly disobeyed the revealed will of their Creator and therefore brought disorder and death into our world.

Here, very starkly, in these human remains, is the evidence, the proof, of the outworking of sin, disobedience to God.

“For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” That is our universal and inevitable condition. We may ignore it, suppress it from our minds, party and hedonize it, to “not be so morbid about it”, but, like taxes, it won’t go away and we will eventually encounter it. Emily Dickinson’s words are so apt:

“Because I could not stop for death
He kindly stopped for me.”

That’s the curse.

BLESSING

But there is also blessing. What is it? Consider the next verse–verse 20: “So the man called his wife’s name Eve.” ZOE = Living, Life, Life-Giver. Staring inevitable death in the face, Adam is given faith to see that his wife will yet deliver life–first of all in their progeny: they will have sex and they will have babies–and ultimately in the the Seed of the woman, Jesus the Messiah.

Jesus, God in human flesh, was a perfect man–unique and sinless. Paul the apostle compares and contrasts this in 1 Corinthians 15:45. “The last Adam–Jesus–became a life-giving spirit.”

CURSE: By nature, each of us will inherit the curse of Adam–physical death.
BLESSING: By grace, each of us may inherit eternal life through the person and work of Jesus, the Seed of the woman, through the substitutionary work He did in living a perfect life on our behalf and then in His death, receiving an eternity’s worth of punishment so that our sins may be imputed to Him, and His righteousness to us.

As we sprinkle the remains of our mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, we remember her–lovingly–as the one responsible for bringing us into this world. And with thanksgiving to God for the good news of His grace that, through Jesus, He rescues sinners who repent and trust in Him alone–to Heaven.

I often told her, referring to the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, that my only hope in life and in death is that Jesus has lived and died for sinners such as I am , and I have no other hope than in Him.

This is a sober and sobering event–and I administer these words in a way as best I can to honor her wish that I should speak at her funeral.

We do not lower her body in a casket into the ground. Instead, we scatter these, her earthly remains, to be distributed by the winds of heaven from this location where the ashes of my father, Reginald Frank Holmes, were similarly scattered some nineteen years ago under the same sun–and we await the sure and certain promise that God, for whom nothing is impossible, shall gather and reconstitute and rejuvenate these very same particles this very dust… into resurrected bodies.

Are we sobered by this? Surely so!

But we may be joyful, too, as we consider how God wove the account of redemption into Mum’s life, so that she was born of God-fearing parents and how she was able to learn not only from her upbringing but through God’s Word faithfully preached that there is a way back for sinners to be reconciled to God through Jesus–and so we can conclude with the words of Fanny Crosby that she and Dad loved:

To God be the glory, great things He has done
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son
Who yielded His life and atonement for sin
And opened the life gate that all may go in

Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the earth hear His voice
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Let the people rejoice
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son
And give Him the glory, great things He has done!

Posted by Jim Holmes in Family and Friends, Gospel, Heritage, Memories, Reflections, Spirituality, Worldview, 2 comments
22
Jun
2022
Musing on Memes

Musing on Memes

What’s in a Meme?

Good question. A meme is meant to convey a thought or an emotion using a graphic symbol or metaphor and a few terse words. I worked up a few of them over the last several months (it was fun finding the images and sourcing the quotes) and posted most of them on my Facebook account.

Here’s a great quote from Teddy Roosevelt (too long for a meme):

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Enjoy viewing them; get thinking; and maybe get motivated!

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Posted by Jim Holmes in Creativity and Aesthetics, Gospel, Heritage, Humor, Reflections, Windows on My Work, Worldview, Writing, 0 comments
23
May
2022
Getting to Know Ronald Reagan Better

Getting to Know Ronald Reagan Better

Getting to Know Ronald Reagan Better

Standing next to the Berlin Wall Obelisk

In my university days in South Africa, the name of Ronald Reagan, recently elected as President of the USA, always brought about the image of a genial, sincere, kind man. A good friend once said that he would perhaps be the last of the great American presidents.

On a visit to California earlier in the year, my good friend Anthony Russo and I had the opportunity to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, located in Simi Valley, some miles north of Los Angeles. It was a short and easy drive from where we were staying in Van Nuys in readiness for attending and exhibiting (and selling books for Shepherd Press) at the Shepherds’ Conference.

My thinking was that an hour or two would be sufficient for the visit. I could not have been more mistaken. Arriving shortly after 10am, by 4pm we were still enraptured by all there was to see and think about.

As the museum’s website well states, “Perched on a mountaintop with sweeping views of the surrounding mountains, valleys and the Pacific Ocean, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is one of California’s most beautiful and unique destinations.” It continues, “The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum is an immersive museum-going experience. More than twenty galleries highlight the life and times of America’s 40th president. The Reagan Library also presents entertaining and informative temporary exhibitions on a wide range of subjects.”

From actual Reagan memorabilia through hologram 3D cinematic experiences, the offerings to visitors proved to be engaging and fascinating. Of particular interest were the exhibits showing how President Reagan was transported–whether in Airforce One (a retired Boeing 707–and there’s a story in itself all about that, given how the aircraft had to be dismantled, transported by road, and reassembled on site), Navy One, or other vehicles such as the presidential limousine.

Other exhibits include

  • Foundations of a Leader
  • Evolution of the Great Communicator
  • Governor of California
  • Victory and Inauguration
  • Assassination Attempt
  • The Oval Office
  • The White House
  • The First Lady
  • Rebuilding America
  • Berlin Wall
  • Peace through Strength
  • Honoring American Heroes
  • Camp David and Rancho del Cielo
  • The Post-Presidency
  • Mourning Ronald Reagan

Reagan embraced a fundamentally Western and biblically integrated worldview. He may have had unfavorable influences in some of his thinking, but his optimism, his commitment to a thoroughgoing work ethic, his power of persuasion over friends and foes alike (think of his most memorable line: “Mr. Gorbachev: Tear down this wall!”) and his concern for the greatness of the American way of life underline his presidency with a sense of remarkable success.

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Posted by Jim Holmes in Creativity and Aesthetics, Family and Friends, Reflections, Technology, Travel, Windows on My Work, Worldview, 0 comments
24
Dec
2021
Holmes Christmas Greetings, 2021

Holmes Christmas Greetings, 2021

Holmes Christmas Greetings, 2021

FULLNESS

Many years ago, a godly man named Athanasius went head-to-head with a contemporary, Arius, an influential person in the church. It involved their different views on a Greek term, homoousios or homoiousios —the matter was relative to whether Jesus, as the Son of God, was of the same or only a similar essence to the Father. Arius took the weaker position, that Jesus was similar in essence to the Father, but not that He was the same. The ensuing discussion and debate went on for a long time but, in the end, through the perseverance of Athanasius, truth prevailed. Christianity embraced the biblical position that Jesus is God. So, in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, 1:18, 19, we read that Jesus “is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell.” Later in the letter, 2:9, Paul states that “in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.”

To be the perfect Savior of sinners, Jesus has to be fully God and fully human. The New Testament assures us that this is so! The hymn well says: “On Him Almighty vengeance fell | That must have sunk a world to hell | He bore it for a chosen race | And thus became their hiding place.”

Are you trusting the God-man who came into this world to save sinners just like you?

View our family newsletter in pictures HERE

NEWS UPDATE AT A GLANCE

This has been a year of change for us. Matthew completed high school at Bob Jones Academy and graduated in May. This past semester, he has been a freshman at Bob Jones University, studying cinema production.

We were able to have a few enjoyable days of vacation in Georgia in August before Matthew started college.

Jim’s mom, Jean Holmes, passed away in June. She was ninety-four years of age and living in England at the time.

Jim has kept busy with many publishing projects. Sue has had various health issues to navigate and so has worked mostly from home this year, helping Jim with editing projects and doing some work for Dr. Joseph Pipa at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

We send you our love and best wishes for 2022.

Posted by Jim Holmes in Family and Friends, Gospel, Memories, Spirituality, Windows on My Work, Worldview, Writing, 2 comments
27
Mar
2021
Ninety-Five Theses for a New Reformation

Ninety-Five Theses for a New Reformation

Ninety-Five Theses for a New Reformation

A Guest Post from Professor Donald T. Williams

Several months ago, I received an inquiry about how to publish a book. It had a fascinating title: Ninety-Five Theses for a New Reformation–A Road Map for Post-Evangelical Christianity. With its depth and breadth of content, yet it’s surprisingly easy-to-read style (not to mention the author’s own poetic contributions–he is an accomplished poet) I needed little encouragement to help him in the process, and so we set to work to agree a design format and cover to present it with appeal, warmth, and gravitas. Don recently shared news of his book’s release under his own imprint, Semper Reformanda Publications. Here’s what he wrote:

Do you believe the Evangelical movement needs not just a Revival but a new Reformation? Do you think the new book Ninety-Five Theses for a New Reformation (Semper Reformanda Publications, 2021) can be a factor in leading us in that direction?  Here is how you can help!

  1. Get and read the book.
  2. Buy additional copies of it for all your friends and relatives—well, at least for those who might be interested, and particularly for strategic people like your pastor or youth leader who need to be in the vanguard of Reformation.
  3. Donate a copy to your church library, local library. school library.
  4. Write a review for Amazon, publish it also on your Facebook page or other social media, and share it to any relevant Groups you belong to.
  5. Start a Sunday School class or study group where you discuss one Thesis each week (they are all tied to Scripture).
  6. Invite me to speak to your church, school, or other group.  (You can contact me via email at dtw@tfc.edu for that purpose.)
  7. Above all, pray for God’s blessing on the project. Unless the Lord builds the house, we labor in vain. Believe me; I have verified the truth of that verse through much experience!

The church always needs Reformation–perhaps more desperately now than at any time since Martin Luther nailed the original 95 Theses to the Wittenberg church door in 1517. May God use this poor unworthy book to help it happen again! Soli Deo gloria. Amen.

To order, go here.

Thanks to Dr. Donald T. Williams for allowing me to share this content. To find out more about him and his writing ministry, visit his website here.

Posted by Jim Holmes in Current Issues, Guest Post, Heritage, New & Noteworthy, Publishing Books Today, Spirituality, Theology, Windows on My Work, Worldview, Writing, 2 comments
10
Oct
2020
Election 2020: Two Visions for America (Decision Magazine)

Election 2020: Two Visions for America (Decision Magazine)

Election 2020: Two Visions for America (Decision Magazine)

Franklin Graham is indefatigable in his labors to further the Christian faith and the Judeo-Christian worldview that has been the foundation and cement of so much of the American nation.

When it comes to casting your vote, what are the issues involved?

It is axiomatic that a person should vote not so much for the personality of the candidate as for policy that the candidate will apply once in office. The runup to the 2020 elections has been characterized by media hysteria, and often, in such situations, the real issues remain unaddressed as the cameras and the news anchors concentrate on the personalities of the presidential and vice-presidential candidates rather than on their worldviews and values, thus leading to the policies they espouse.

I am not an American citizen, so I do not have the right to vote in the 2020 election. However, I do see the issues, and I appreciate the clarity with which Franklin Graham presents them. Consider the following notes from the October 2020 Decision Magazine online. The full text may be found HERE.

By way of quick snapshot, notice that the policy differences are, in most cases, diametrically opposite. Phrased this way, I might ask you questions such as:

  • Do you believe in the sanctity of life or in the slaughter of preborn infants?
  • Do you believe in the right and responsibility, under God, of following your own conscience?
  • Do you consider that a judiciary should act in keeping with the values of the nation’s founding fathers?
  • Do you believe in the biblical work ethic, and the proportionality of reward in keeping with initiative and industriousness?

    • Abraham Lincoln well said this:

    Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.

    The issues at stake in the November 2020 election are much more that a few blisters on our behinds.

    Where the Parties Stand

    “I think it’s the duty of every individual Christian at election time to study the issues, study the candidates, then go to the polls and vote.”
    —Billy Graham, 1952
    Every four years, as delegates from both major American political parties gather to officially nominate a presidential candidate and running mate, the party platforms are finalized and adopted, and policy positions are set for at least the next four years.

    In August, with the coronavirus altering how the conventions conducted their business, the Republican Party met in Charlotte, North Carolina, streamlining its official proceedings and relying on its 2016 platform to stake out a consensus of who it is and what it believes. The Democratic Party, meeting in Milwaukee, chose to adopt a new party platform. What follows is a comparison—drawn from those platforms, the Democratic and Republican party websites, and public statements—on where the two major parties stand on key issues for evangelical voters.

    Abortion on Demand & Federal Funding

    Democrats say they will “restore funding for Planned Parenthood” and will oppose and “fight to overturn federal and state laws that create barriers to women’s reproductive health and rights. We will repeal the Hyde Amendment, and protect and codify Roe v. Wade.” Congressional Democrats have repeatedly defeated “born-alive” protection bills and supported increased funding for abortion domestically and internationally.

    In keeping with the belief that “the family is the bedrock of our nation,” the GOP platform affirms, “The unborn child has a fundamental right to life which cannot be infringed.” The GOP supports a Human Life Amendment and state laws requiring informed consent, parental consent, waiting periods and clinic regulation. The GOP has broadly supported President Trump’s ending of funds for international abortions and partial defunding of Planned Parenthood.

    Religious Liberty & Conscience Rights

    Although the party states: “Democrats celebrate America’s history of religious pluralism and tolerance,” the platform says they will “reject the Trump administration’s use of broad exemptions to allow businesses, medical providers, social service agencies and others to discriminate,” meaning policies would aim to give preference to LGBTQ rights in cases in which religious exercise and rights of conscience conflict with liberalized interpretations of sexuality.

    Republicans affirm that religious freedom in the Bill of Rights protects the right of the people to practice their faith in their everyday lives. The platform endorses the First Amendment Defense Act, which would protect faith-based institutions and individuals from government discrimination. Additionally, the Trump administration has instructed federal agencies to accommodate rights of conscience for government employees, reversing Obama-era policies.

    Human Rights & Global Religious Freedom

    Democrats laud religious freedom as a “fundamental human right,” but will never “use it as a cover for discrimination.” The platform vows support for Iraq’s Christians and Yazidis, China’s persecuted Uyghurs and other religious minorities. Also: “We will restore the United States’ position of leadership on LGBTQ+ issues” in diplomacy and foreign policy, advancing the GLOBE Act and making LGBTQ issues a priority at the State Department, USAID and the National Security Council.

    The GOP favors integrating human rights issues into every level of diplomatic relations. Beginning in 2018, the U.S. has hosted an annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, drawing an international coalition to defend and promote global religious freedom. “Religious freedom for all people worldwide is a foreign policy priority of the United States, and the United States will respect and vigorously promote this freedom,” President Trump wrote on June 2.

    Federal Judges

    The Democratic platform says: “Our courts should reflect our country. Democrats will appoint people to the bench who are committed to seeing justice be served, and treating each case on its merits. We will nominate and confirm federal judges who have diverse backgrounds and experiences, including as public defenders, legal aid attorneys and civil rights lawyers.” Candidate Biden has vowed to seek judges who “respect” the Roe v. Wade abortion ruling.

    The GOP platform states: “A critical threat to our country’s constitutional order is an activist judiciary that usurps powers properly reserved to the people through other branches of government.” The party supports the appointment of justices and judges who respect the constitutional limits on their power and respect the authority of the states. President Trump has promised to continue working to appoint conservative federal judges.

    Economic Empowerment & Poverty

    The platform says: “Americans deserve an economy that works for everyone … it is a moral and an economic imperative that we support working families by rebuilding the American middle class.” The party supports raising the minimum wage to $15/hr., helping make home ownership more attainable, eradicating homelessness, “ending poverty and enabling all Americans to live up to their God-given potential.”

    The GOP supports eradicating welfare dependence by proposing “the dynamic compassion of work requirements in a growing economy, where opportunity takes the place of a handout, where true self-esteem can grow from the satisfaction of a job well done.” The Trump administration included Opportunity Zones in the 2017 tax reform law to spur economic opportunity in poor areas.

    National Defense

    The platform says the U.S. military “must be the most effective fighting force in the world.” To keep it that way, Democrats “will bring forever wars to a responsible end,” rationalize the defense budget, invest in future technologies, repair civil-military relations, and strengthen the covenant with service members, veterans and military families. They vow to reverse the Trump administration’s transgender ban and rebuild trust in the VA while improving mental health outcomes for veterans.

    The Republican platform favors building and maintaining a strong military as the path to peace and security. The party’s Principles for American Renewal says: “Keeping America safe and strong requires a strong military, growing the economy, energy independence and secure borders.” The party platform seeks to restore the nation’s military might and to rebuild troop numbers. Military pay has risen more than 2% each year since 2017, after six years of raises below 2%.

    The ‘Equality Act’ & Sexual Orientation Gender Identity (SOGI) Laws

    Candidate Biden has vowed to fast-track the Equality Act, which would federalize sexual orientation and gender identity in laws across the nation with detrimental outcomes for public education, domestic religious liberty and many other arenas. The Democratic Party has not taken a position on SOGI laws per se, but the party platform and party position statements, as well as legislative actions, have strongly supported “LGBTQ+” rights when they have conflicted with the religious beliefs of faith groups.

    President Trump has continued to signal opposition to the Equality Act—a bill that would create legal chaos as sexual rights collide with the religious beliefs and practices of millions of Americans. The GOP platform doesn’t mention SOGI laws, but it includes strong statements in support of “traditional marriage and family” as “the foundation for a free society, and has for millennia been entrusted with rearing children and instilling cultural values.” It laments the Supreme Court ruling legalizing national gay marriage.

    Israel & Jerusalem

    “Democrats believe a strong, secure, and democratic Israel is vital to the interests of the United States. Our commitment to Israel’s security, … its right to defend itself, and the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding is ironclad.” Democrats support Jerusalem as the capital and oppose efforts to “unfairly single out or delegitimize Israel.” They oppose settlement expansion and any steps that “undermine prospects for two states.”

    Republicans express “unequivocal support for Israel,” pointing out that it is the only Middle Eastern country with freedom of speech and freedom of religion. The GOP recognizes “Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of the Jewish state.” The party opposes the U.N.’s treatment of Israel as a “pariah state.” In 2018, President Trump moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, fulfilling a campaign promise.

    To read further, be sure to activate the link HERE.

     

Posted by Jim Holmes in Current Issues, Gospel, Guest Post, Reflections, Spirituality, Worldview, 0 comments
21
Apr
2020
What Is More Dangerous Than Covid-19?

What Is More Dangerous Than Covid-19?

What Is More Dangerous Than Covid-19?

A guest post by my friend, Ian McNaughton. Ian is a retired minister in the UK (so he writes with a British perspective), author of several books, and an encourager of the right use of Christian literature wherever there are readers!

“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2a)

As a nation we have fallen away from the Christian foundations fixed in this continent over 2000 years.  It is now a time of social upheaval and spiritual anarchy, fear and bankruptcies; what is to be said?  Spiritual anarchy is a dangerous plague of the 21st century in UK and Europe and it is even more dangerous than Covid-19.  You’d better believe it!

The World Today

God’s laws are being rejected and His holy righteousness is abhorrent to this generation.  The rejection of the Ten Commandments as a rule of life and in politics is a clear example of how far we have transgressed as a western society.  When whole societies rebel against God and truth then there is a waiting for judgment.  Remember the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah?  Remember Pompeii?  God is not mocked.  Remember the Old Testament prophets especially Jeremiah, who preached against the sins of Israel warning of coming chastening?  The outcome of unbelief and anarchy is seen in God’s purifying judgments throughout human history.  Nor are the churches immune from God’s loving discipline (cf. 1 Peter 4:17; Rev. 2: & 3).

Anarchy is the rebellious child’s response to good advice and caring love and it is more dangerous than any earthly plague.  However, God is love and all he does is out of caring and kindly love.

To define love is to define God our Creator and Father in heaven.[1]

‘Who is the Lord?’

There was a plague in ancient Egypt–sound familiar?  However, it took ten plagues from God to break the hardened stubborn heathen heart of Egypt’s despot ruler.  God’s self-revelation in Scripture and in nature is clear for all to behold but our leaders need to listen.  Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice?’’ in a retort to Moses the servant of God (Ex. 5:2).  This God, whom Pharaoh disbelieved in, is our God and Savior.  There is a call to the nations during this pandemic; it is a call to repentance. But who will blow that trumpet so it is heard?  The mainline churches and their leaders are running silent.  Until a voice is raised up to broadcast this important point ?we can expect hardened hearts to harden more; unbelieving hearts to blaspheme more; confused and mislead professing Christians to remain unregenerate.

Pray for a Conviction of Sin

Why is it that we ‘Moderns’ think ourselves free from the judgment to come and suppress the fear of God the Almighty?  Christians want the best for all citizens but the gospel churches are mocked.  God’s people want eternal life‘s blessings for their neighbors but they ignored the good news that Jesus has risen from the dead and offers life in all its fullness.  Believers pray for a conviction of sin in the hope of revival of true religion in the soul and throughout the land.  However, the lost are insensible to the fact that to neglect true spirituality, found only in Jesus Christ and his gospel, is to be lost forever.  To deny the reality of God and the free offer of eternal life from God who loves us is to live a lie.  To reject Christ Jesus’ free offer of free salvation found in the gospel is to live without hope.  What more can we say?  I end with a borrowed comment (from a friend) that needs to be heard:

‘Christianity does not offer a remedy for Covid-19.  Christianity offers a remedy for sin, “the blood of Jesus Christ his (God’s) Son cleanseth us from all sin”, (1 John 1:7).  It offers a remedy for death, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25 & 26).  This is Christianity’s unique and glorious message.’[2]

Abide in the Vine

“My Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2)

This parable is telling us God is looking for holy fruit from our lives. He has blessed us and helped us and kept us and provides and been very patient too. But have we been thankful? Have we worshiped? Have we witnessed? The branches that are barren are pruned to remove or stimulate growth so that fruit is produced. The Gardener does it: God does it. Jesus is the Vine. This is how God works and this is what he is doing during this pandemic.  He prunes, ‘that it may bear more fruit’. History records epidemics, pandemics, disasters, and judgments in the providence of God. Remember the great London plague of 1666 (c.100,000 died). In the Spanish ‘flu’ pandemic of 1918, millions died.

“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (v.6).

© Rev. Ian S. McNaughton

revi@talktalk.net

[1] Let me know if you would like my tract ‘God’s love’.

[2] http://spimomder.blogspot.com/

Posted by Jim Holmes in Current Issues, Friendship, Gospel, Sickness, Worldview, 0 comments