Category: Commentary

VIENNA — Iran and a group of six nations led by the United States reached a historic accord on Tuesday to significantly limit Tehran’s nuclear ability for more than a decade in return for lifting international oil and financial sanctions.
-New York Times, July 14, 2015

This deal is being lauded by many. For the next several years, Iran is going to take a step back with their nuclear ability. In the short term, Iran is supposed to reduce centrifuges down to 5,000. But Pakistan developed nukes with 3,000 centrifuges.

To think that this isn’t going to pave the way for Iran to develop nuclear weapons, based on the provisions of the agreement, is absurd.

Where is the outrage over this? Donald Trump does not have a legitimate chance of becoming the president, and we have time for his comments. Legislatures have time to talk about flags and what they represent, but we make a deal with an Iranian regime in spite of the evils which they are endorsing and engaging in RIGHT NOW. People want to restrict gun access for law abiding citizens while not restricting nuclear weapons access to terror states. We have time to celebrate bakers getting fined tens of thousands of dollars and yet there’s no outrage over this deal with Iran, a fascist country that persecutes homosexuals, treats women as second class citizens, sponsors terrorism, and threatens America and our allies. I’m sick and tired of people refusing to be consistent on values. Regardless of what you think of justice, spending, and various social programs, making this deal with Iran is not good for America. (more…)

In a historic decision, same-sex marriage is going to be legal throughout the nation. I don’t have the most profound views on this or the most eloquent. I’m just trying to process this. I’ve seen so many people talk about gay marriage like it should be a self-evident right. And I hear that, and I can’t help but think of all of the previous generations who have never recognized these unions. Gay marriage was basically unheard of until about 15 years ago. I think the historical universality of the rejection of this should at least give us pause. I don’t think we’re inherently more righteous than the past.

I think about how fast this all happened. A little over a decade ago, people in same sex couples were fighting for the right to see their partners in the hospital.

I think about all of the states where people had the opportunity to vote and where their votes have been overturned by courts one by one. Of all the states who voted on the issue, only ONE voted in favor of gay marriage. I think the will of the people matters. Once again, I don’t look at the Supreme Court as being more righteous or moral than the American people. What they say may be the law, but it doesn’t mean that they’re perfect. They’ve gotten decisions wrong before. The Supreme Court upheld state’s rights to discriminate against African Americans in Plessy v. Ferguson. The Supreme Court allowed for Japanese Americans to be sent
to internment camps in Korematsu v United States.

As I’ve written before: Since 1998, in 32 states, it has come to a vote on whether or not the citizens of that state wanted to add constitutional bans on same-sex marriage. Minnesota is the only one of those 32 states where the majority of voters actually supported same-sex marriage.

In 13 of those states, the vote wasn’t even close, with more than 70 percent of people voting to ultimately preserve the traditional American definition of a marriage.

I see opinion polls that show that attitudes are changing. Are they? How can we know what people truly believe if we want to beat down those who think it’s wrong? So much pressure gets put on people to just accept what the social agenda is.

I think about God and how he is the one who ultimately decides what a marriage is. It’s unfortunate that people are hateful towards homosexuals. We should love all people. But love isn’t loving everything everyone always does.

jrb

In the Old Testament, a promise was given of a time when the Spirit would be given to believers (Ezek. 36:26-27). In Luke 3:15-17, John the Baptist talks about baptizing people with water, but how Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. This baptism by the Holy Spirit points to Pentecost. The New Testament makes 7 references to being baptized with the Spirit. Upon careful examination of these texts, I would argue the best way of understanding this term refers to a person simultaneously being given the Spirit at the moment they truly come to faith in the gospel. When John made this statement, people who had faith in God did not have the Holy Spirit. (more…)