Probably one of the best, most thorough videos showing what Dr. Ron Paul stands for:  Liberty!

Gen 1:26-28 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

God created us in His image: we have dominion over the creation, we are fruitful and multiply, we are creators. Necessary to the mission of multiplication and dominion is the desire within to multiply and dominate. Thus, as we read the Scriptures, we find that those with a Biblical worldview are also those who desire children and a godly offspring. Think of Hannah who was so desperate for a child that she was willing to give him up as soon as she weaned him! All to have a child. Think of Sarah and Rachel who, out of desperation to provide their husbands with children, gave to them their handmaids.

As we continue to read the Scriptures, we find that those who have strayed from a Biblical worldview are those who sacrifice their children to Molech, who turn them over to false gods. It seems that God has given a desire to multiply to those whom He wants to multiply and has taken that desire from those who have rejected Him. Which, of course, fits perfectly with His prescribed blessings:

Deu 28:11 And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.

and curses:

Deu 28:18 Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.

Having created us in His image, He has called us to fruitfulness, and blessed the faithful with fruitfulness and the desire to be so. Those who have denied Him, He has given over to their unnatural lusts, and cursed them with fruitlessness and the desire to be so.

OR, this is all due to Darwinianism and the mommy gene, you pick which is easier to swallow…

And it was unconstitutional!  What business has Uncle Sam using taxpayer money to fund space exploration?  Read more on the space race, take a look at this “interesting” article.

Peter Leithart was recently asked (in a Federal Vision discussion at De Regno Christi) which is the true church? His reply:

“Which church?” Is there more than one? …I know this will sound peculiar if not hypocritical, but I hate movements, not least for the reason Daryl cites: Movements unite people ideologically rather than personally and sacramentally, but that’s precisely the problem we say we’re trying to fix.

I really like what was said by Daryl and quoted by Peter, so here it is again,

Movements unite people ideologically rather than personally and sacramentally, but that’s precisely the problem we say we’re trying to fix.

I have seen this very problem, especially among younger Christians or Christians just learning new doctrine–think Calvinism. I think I heard James White say that new Calvinists often go through a stage he called the “Cage Stage”. That is, the time period when they should be locked in a cage because they are the most irritating with their constant shoving of calvinism down the throats of others. As young Christians, or Christians new to some great doctrine, we often unite ideologically or doctrinally (around Calvinism, dispensationalism, baptism, etc…) rather than around fellowship and sacrament. Interestingly, John makes just our being in the light the grounds for fellowship, not our understanding of various doctrines.

1Jn 1:3-7 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

We have fellowship with God, and by that fellowship we have fellowship with others who are fellowshipping with Him in that Light.  Our being in Him (a consequence of the sacrament of Baptism) and fellowshipping with Him (experienced through the sacrament of the Supper) are the grounds of our fellowship with others.  Our fellowship is not meant to be based on doctrinal views, which leads to nothing more than movements, ideological movements.

Sometimes I get a little excited about Ron Paul and what I expect he will do for America.  But I am careful never to confuse that with the work that only Jesus Christ can do for America.    For, to confuse that would be to equate Dr. Paul with the Messiah, making the State the Messiah, Savior of the World, and we know this to be an absolute fallacy–yes, absolute truth exists.

To remind us of what the State as Messiah would look like, a hymn of tribute:

Caesar loves me! This I know,
For his welfare tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but the state is strong.

Refrain

Yes, Caesar loves me!
Yes, Caesar loves me!
Yes, Caesar loves me!
His Welfare tells me so.

Caesar loves me! This I know,
As He started schools long ago,
Taking children on His knee,
Saying, “Let them be given to Me.”

Refrain

Caesar loves me still today,
Watching over me on my way,
Wanting as a friend to give
My property and money to all who live.

Refrain

(HT:  ReformedCovenanter)

In this post-game conference, Mike Gundy, coach of the Oklahoma State football team, chastises the press rather than deal with his own team’s loss, and rightfully so.  What a blessing to see a man stand up in this way for those youngsters under him.  He is in a position as mentor and father figure to these young men, and he just showed them what it means to be a man.  God bless him.

Dear Rep. Tiberi,

I recently sent you an e-mail asking you to justify some votes you had made regarding certain bills. I had specifically asked for a constitutional justification, yet received anything but that. I can send you a copy of your reply if necessary.

I again approach you with the same request. You recently voted in favor of the Federal government making mortgage payments on behalf of struggling homeowners and in favor of the Federal government bailing out the insurance industry in the case of a terrorist attack.

Sir, please explain to me how either of these things are the constitutionally-mandated responsibility of our federal government? The federal government is given very specific instruction from the Constitution for what it is required and authorized to do, taking money from me (and other taxpayers) and using it to bail out any industry, much less the insurance industry, or to bail out struggling homeowners is NOT one of those responsibilities. Sir, I understand the need and desire to help these people in need, but if you feel this desire along with the 300+ representatives who voted in favor of these bills, then maybe the supporting congressmen can reach into their own pockets and fund these bills. In the meantime, taking money from the public treasury to fund constitutionally-illegal programs is not an option. May I remind you sir that you have sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States and you did so before Almighty God. Yet, by your voting record, you appear to be upholding and defending the whims of the people at the expense of the Constitution.

Sir, please understand that I am calling you to record, I am reminding you now of your sworn oath and the necessity of upholding it. And understand that I cannot and will not vote to re-elect you if you continue to disregard the Constitution in such a blatant manner.

Please, if you believe that I am wrong and have misunderstood the intent of the Constitution then correct me, provide for me constitutional justification for your votes. If I am right, then re-affirm your commitment to the Constitution and make amends on all future votes you will be faced with.

Respectfully,

Matthew Bianco

The following is a post “borrowed” from Douglas Wilson at Blog and Mablog. It is an insightful and thought-provoking post, so I’m sharing it with you, I hope he doesn’t mind.

And Me (The Lord’s Table)

Recently, one of my grandchildren (she is only one) saw the bread being distributed during this Supper, and began cheerfully saying, “And me. And me.”

This is something we all need to learn how to say, because it is right at the heart of biblical faith. This is the child-like approach that Jesus required of us. It is relatively easy to believe propositions in the third person. Jesus died for sinners, and there are certainly sinners out there. They do this and that. God has elected certain sinners for salvation, and they certainly are blessed. They have come to Christ in truth, and have responded to the Word in faith. They are true believers, and we are glad for them.

This is all true enough, and quite proper to say. But we need to grow in the kind of faith that knows how to intrude itself. Christ died for sinners, the preacher says. And me, you say. This is my body which is broken for you, the minister declares. And me, you say to yourself, anchoring the point. This is the cup of the new testament, which is for the remission of the sins for many. And me.

But we do not stop there. Once we are assured that, yes, this includes the referent of and me, we learn to rest in this, growing in faith, and we learn to look around. I am not the only one. God has been kind to us, and I am only here as one of His people. It is not just me, but and me. This is for all the saints, not one solitary person. This is for all the saints gathered in this room. And me.

Theonomics or theocracy is a touchy subject, especially because it is often misunderstood. However, there has recently been some news that might shed some light on this for us. First, though, it might help to properly understand the “chain of command” in a theocracy by contrasting it to the “chain of command” in an ecclesiocracy (which is often confused for a theocracy).

In an ecclesiocracy your chain of command would look like this:

God
|
Church
|
State
|
Individual/Family

In a theocracy your chain of command would look more like this:

God       God      God
|             |            |
Church  State    Individual/Family

Notice that the Church, State, and Family are all directly under God in a theocracy. What happens, then, is that the Church is subject to the State only in matters where the State has authority, in other words, only when it falls under the State’s jurisdiction. For example, it is the State’s responsibility to punish criminals. If a member of the church, a clergyman for example, commits a crime such as murder, he would be subject to the State for punishment. Likewise, members of the State government would be subject to the Church where they entered her jurisdiction. So, let’s say a magistrate used military might to unjustly kill hundreds of civilians, the church would be responsible to excommunicate that magistrate or bar him from the Lord’s Table. Obviously, the Family would meet these same jurisdictional limitations. The magistrate would be subject to the voting power of the family, the church subject to the family’s voice in church matters (voting, tithing, membership, etc.) Obviously the family would be subject to the jurisdictional authority of the state (punishment for crimes) and the Church (excommunication, Lord’s Table, etc.)

As we can see, any one entity only has authority over the other where God has given them that jurisdictional authority. They are all subject to God’ s Law, hence, a theocracy or a theonomic structure.

Interestingly, this is exactly what we see in the Pope’s recent refusal to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice. The Vatican made no attempt to exercise any kind of authority over the United States civil government except for that authority granted to it: in this case, fellowship and communication. The Pope made it clear to the United States what his position is on the Iraq War by refusing to meet with the Secretary of State. This is exactly the thing the Church should be doing every day. Government officials who violate God’s Law should be excommunicated, disciplined, and/or refused the Supper depending upon the situation. When President Bill Clinton committed adultery, his Southern Baptist Church should have disciplined him. When Representatives and Senators support abortion or homosexual marriage, the Church should be standing in the gap against them. When government officials engage in unjust, preemptive wars, the Church must stand up against them in defense of justice for the innocent. This is where the Church has authority and yet this is where the Church has offered nothing more than idle threats.

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