Separation of Church and State

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- I believe in separation of church and state. Definitions are very, very important! Most people would probably think of something very different than what I mean when I say "I believe in separation of church and state." What I mean when I say I believe in separation of church and state is that the church should not have power over the state and the state shouldn't have power over the church.  However, I certainly don't mean that God isn't over both of them. Let's think about this using the example of family and state.  My family doesn't have the authority to tell the state what to do.  The state doesn't have authority to tell my family how we should live (even if they think they do). However, God has authority over both the state and the family.  Both should follow and obey His commands.  The state should punish murder, theft, etc. like God commands.  My parents should raise me in the fear and admonition of the Lord, just like God commands. God rules the church.  God rules the family.  God rules over the state. That doesn't mean the church rules over the state.  To say that it does would probably mean you are dividing life between secular and sacred, something that can be quite dangerous!   Hope you have a great week!

Sacred vs. Secular?

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" I Corinthians 10:31   Recently I finished reading Christian Overman's excellent book, Assumptions That Affect Our Lives.  I highly recommend it! One of the things he writes about is how many Christians separate their lives into two different categories:  sacred and secular.  They might divide politics, church, work, recreation, prayer, and education into something like this: Sacred:  Church and prayer Secular:  Politics, work, recreation, and education Dividing life into two categories, secular and sacred, was what Greeks such as Aristotle and Plato did. They also said the spiritual (sacred) was more important or better than the physical (secular). Unfortunately, many have done this.  I even realized that I often think of my life in terms of sacred vs secular. So what is wrong this view?  After all, how could something such as recreation be sacred? The answer is that any of the above things can be either sacred or secular.  If we use recreation the way God tells us to, then it is sacred.  However, if we don't use recreation the way God tells us to, then it is secular.   If we are following God's way in these areas then it would look like this: Sacred: Church, prayer, politics, work, recreation, and education Secular:   If we are not following God way in these areas then here is how it looks: Sacred: Secular: Church, prayer, politics, work, recreation, and education   Let's follow God's great plan in ALL areas of our lives!

Genius

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- Here is another of Ray Comfort's great videos!

Resolutions for the New Year

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- I was planning on posting this much earlier, but sickness, forgetfulness, and simply me postponing this kept me from doing so. In earlier years I don't think I really took this seriously.  I had some serious resolutions, but I also made some silly ones.   This year I only intend to resolve only what I truly resolve to do. I resolve to love, obey, and serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more and more. This is by far the most important goal! I resolve to excel in my homeschooling. This is also very important and will surly affect the rest of my life. I resolve to schedule my time well. Have you ever noticed time flies very fast?  I have!  I'm already 16 and will soon be 17.  That is sometimes hard for me to believe.  When I have a good schedule I notice I get much more done than when I don't have a good schedule. I resolve to develop more self control... ...in all areas of life, but especially in sticking to my schedule.  Having a schedule but not using it seems very silly.  It certainly requires self control to keep from getting distracted, fight laziness, and focus on what needs to be focused on. I resolve to post on this blog at least once a month. This month I almost didn't get a post! I resolve to keep seeking God's plan and calling for my life. Seek and you will find!   Well,  that's basically it.  Other than the posting once a month resolution I haven't really posted very specific goals.  However, if I do what I've resolved in the above resolutions, I think that my more specific goals will be easily attainable. What are your goals for this year?

An Excellent Movie

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- This is a really amazing movie!  I strongly recommend you take the time to watch it.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Can you believe it?  I just posted again!  I think I'll try to post at least once or twice a month. Hope you're doing well!

Law & Liberty by Rushdoony (A review)

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- I recently finished re-reading this for the second time. Although I already agreed with his point of view on the issues in this book, sometimes it is hard to put beliefs into words.  This book really helped with clarifying things in my mind. It is very logical, and although sometimes I would have to re-read a sentence to understand it, it was more of an easy read than a hard one. One of my favorite arguments he uses is that without God's law what law is there? Who decides? There can be no law apart from God's law. Some of the issues he deals with are:  Law, True Liberty, False Liberty, Civil Government, Family Government, Church Government, The problems with things that are not based on the Bible, How following the Bible will work, Morality, Customs, and many many more. Honestly I can't say I have any cons for this book. Although I think this book would be good for everyone to read, I especially think it would be good for: 1.  someone beginning a study of law and/or liberty 2.  giving to someone who has an open mind, but could be considered on the other side of the fence 3.  anyone who needs a good defense for the issues dealt with in this book My rating:  5/5 Get it here

By Faith Alone.

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site---

In these scripture passages I hope you see or strengthen you in your beliefs that:

• Works can't and don't save.

• If you are trusting in your being a good person or doing good works then you are in need of a savior.

• That "good" works come from salvation (Roman Catholics and others will say that if you trust in Jesus alone and don't need works to be saved then people will say that sin is justifiable and we can sin all we want).

• The debate over whether works save is not just a little issue between denominations, it is over the gospel, and people who don't trust in Christ alone for their salvation are not just a different denomination, they are a totally different religion.

• All "good" works (except Christ's) are like filthy rags (even the pope's).

Romans 8:1

"There is therefore now no condemnation to these who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

Romans 8:8

"So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

Romans 8:30-34

"Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen. who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."

Romans 3:10

"As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;""

Romans 3:20-28

"Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,

to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. by what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."

John 14:6

"Jesus said to him, "I am the way the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me"."

John 15:5

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

Matthew 7:16-20

"You will know them by their fruits. Do man gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?"

Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.

Every tree that does no bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Galatians 2:6

"but from these who seemed to be something - whatever they were, it makes not difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man - for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me."

Galatians 2:16-21

"knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!

For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.

For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."

Galatians 3:3

"Are you so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?"

Galatians 3:10-11

"For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them".

But that not one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith"."

Galatians 3:23-26

"But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

For you are sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus"

Galatians 5:4-6

"You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love."

Galatians 6:14-15

"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God."

Isaiah 64:6

"But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind have taken us away."

Isaiah 53:6

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Luke 17:10

"So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'"

Ephesians 2:4-10

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

even when we were dead in trespassed, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Ephesians 4:7

"But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift."

John 3:15-18

"that whoever believes in Him should no perish but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

I Timothy 2:5

"For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,"

II Timothy 1:8-9

"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,"

II Timothy 2:10

"Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is is Christ Jesus with eternal glory."

Titus 2:11-12

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men,

teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,"

Titus 3:5-7

"not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

who He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Internet Censorship Alert

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- The 1st Amendment is being broken all the time, now they are trying to get the internet controlled. This is very important, how will we tell about tyrants in government if they are the ones controlling the internet? They already have the Churches silent through 501(c)3 (the church does not need to be incorporated), the media is controlled, and now they are trying to break the Constitution again by controlling the internet.

What I've been up to Lately

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- I was in Florida the last 2 weeks! It was a very unexpected vacation, we did not even know we were going the day before we left :) We had talked about going to FL some time this year, but did not think we were going so soon. Every year Dad's Parents stop by us on their way from MI to FL. This year we went with them! Grandpa and Grandma have a place in a park near Ft Myers that we stayed at. In the park there were heated swimming pools that we went swimming in. Esther learned to swim. G&G also have a golf cart that was fun to drive. There was a lake in the park that I saw a snapping turtle in that was around 14 inches long. Since there was a freeze the day before we came down there were lots of dead fish on the beach, and the water was cold, but at least we got the ocean and beach to ourselves :) It also made the fish come closer to shore. We saw: small sword fish, a puffer fish, lots of little fish, catfish, starfish, and horse shoe crabs. On a different beach we saw a dead iguana that was 2 - 3 ft long (I have no idea where it came from). On one of the beaches there was a dock that went out about 200 ft or so - there were also buoys about 150 ft out or so. Dad swam out to one and I was going to  but we went on the dock first and a guy that was fishing caught a sting ray.............I decided not to swim out that far.......... On another beach called shark tooth beach I found 8 shark teeth, all of them small, but still very nice. I don't know why there are so many shark teeth there.............. We went to manatee park and saw lots of manatees, I also saw a carp. Throughout the whole vacation I saw lots of birds. The first Sunday we went to the Church in the park and heard a great sermon, the 2nd Sunday we drove through alligator alley, did not see any alligators, and visited The New Presbyterian Church.  For anyone who does not know - it was part of Coral Ridge until they had a split a few months ago (you can learn a lot by searching online). On the way back we did not see any alligators either, I am not sure why because we went through it last year and couldn't pass 100 yards without seeing one. We were supremely blessed by God for giving us a great, unexpected vacation. BTW: I have not posted very much or read many blogs lately and hope to do more blogging in the future.

Alabama's Gubernatorial Candidates

---First published on stephen-blog.com when I used that site--- Sorry for not posting this before - some of the keys on the keyboard were not working and it would have taken a long time to copy and paste. Last Tuesday  some of my family and I had a opportunity to hear the Republican Alabama Gubernatorial Candidates speak!

1. Tim James
2. Roy Moore
3. Bradley Byrne
4. Bill Johnson
5. Kay Ivey
6. Robert Bentley

(I have had only 1 chance to hear them other than Roy Moore speak so any info I provide about them is only from 1 time.) I will be focusing on the first 3 because I don't remember the other three saying anything that showed they were Christian. Tim James - a lot of Christians seem to like him, but I am not sure why.   Because  when he was speaking I did not hear anything showing he was a Christian (there may have been 1 time it was said in his intro).  If he will not say he is a Christian for fear of not being elected I sure don't want him as governor.  I may be totally wrong, but I don't see how someone can forget to say something that important. Bradley Byrne - from what I heard he seemed like a great choice for governor.  He wants a smaller government, he is a Christian, and he was  even bold enough to mention he was against homosexual marriage! Roy Moore - The reason my family is going for him and not Bradley Byrne is because he has had a chance to prove that he fears God more than man.  He was  even removed from the office of chief justice because tyrants in government forced him to choose between not acknowledging God (his duty - he swore to uphold the Constitution which acknowledges God) or acknowledging God and being removed by their unlawful actions.  He chose correctly though it cost him dearly because as the Apostle Peter said "we must obey God rather than men!" Acts 5:29 He is pro-life, anti-sodomite (homosexual) marriage, pro-homeschool.  He wants a smaller, more Constitutional government, and he does what he says he will do! Here is proof that he was absolutely right:

James Madison, our Constitution's chief architect, said: "We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not upon the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all our political institutions upon the capability of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments"

John Quincy Adams said:  "The highest glory of the American revolution was this:  it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity" George Washington said:  "Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the Providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to to implore His protection and favor..." George Washington also said "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible" Samuel Adams said "Religion and good morals are the only solid foundations of public liberty and happiness.   [N]either the wisest constitution not the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manner are universally corrupt. A general dissolution of the principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of America than the whole force of the common enemy.  While the people are virtuous , they cannot be subdued; but once they lose their virtue, they will be ready to surrender their liberties to the first external of internal invader."