Exodus 40:34 (ESV) states:

Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

This last Saturday, we (the Strang FBC delegation, Jeane, and I) had the opportunity to travel to Falls Creek for the dedication service for our brand new tabernacle complex. 2007 marks Falls Creek’s 90th year as a youth camp. Falls Creek is the largest religious youth encampment in the world, and over 45,000 (somewhere between 10%-15% of the total youth population fo the state of Oklahoma) youth attend Falls Creek in any given summer. But it is a shame that the hallowed grounds were not being utilized the rest of the year. The building of the new tabernacle is the first in a series of steps of transition that is occuring as Falls Creek summer camp becomes the Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center.

The dedication ceremony was a delightful and uplifting worship service in which the sacrifice of many donors (so far over 6,500 persons) who have helped make the renovations possible were recognized. However, the big purpose of the service was to proclaim thanks to God who has done this work through His people. I have a deep-seated belief that God does His work (including funding it) through His people.

The Falls Creek work has been a long time in coming. In fact, the last major tabernacle upgrade was around 50 years ago.

Here is the link to my flickr feed of pics of the event.

Dr. Anthony Jordan, Executive Director-Treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, brought the dedication message, entitled “Ever Changing. Never Changing.” In short, he noted that Falls Creek has been in constant change since it was started in 1917. We have changed methods, music, and means. We use different instruments. Campers dress differently. We do different recreation. We have, in fact, met in many structures, be they arbors, tents, or tabernacles. Falls Creek has always been in a state of change.

That said, some things about Falls Creek have never and will never change. Using the text of Proverbs 22:28 (NASB):

“Do not move the ancient boundary
Which your fathers have set.”

Dr. Jordan laid out four boundaries of Falls Creek which will remain unmoved.

1. The lost will always be welcomed at Falls Creek.

2. The message preached at Falls Creek will always be salvation through Jesus Christ alone. Jesus Christ will not be presented in a philosophical sort of way, as just a good option among any others. He will be preached scripturally as the King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Way, Truth, and Life, the only name given among men whereby they must be saved.

3. Christians will aways be called to live radically transformed lives wherein their walk matches their talk, knowing that one of the best arguments for the saving power of the Gospel is the regenerated lives of Christ’s followers.

4. God’s voice will always be presented through God’s word so that people will hear God’s call to Christian and missions service.

God grant that it would be so!

The buildings and facilities here (and in any ministry) are simply tools, morally neutral in their essence. Our prayer is that God will use these tools and our feeble efforts to glorify Himself and call the lost to salvation. In short, we ask God to hallow and dedicate this tabernacle and conference center for His use. In so doing, how could God’s glory not fill the tabernacle?

My paraphrases:

From Mike Huckaby, former AR Governor (in references to the way government spends money):

“The Congress spends money like John Edwards in a beauty shop.”

From Tancredo (on the many political conversions by other candidates):

“I trust conversions when they are on the road to Damascus, not the road to Des Moines.”

Romney (on immigration):

“The McCain-Kennedy immigration bill could end up doing for immigration what McCain-Feingold has done for campaign finance reform.”

Just check him out here.

Background: Fred criticized Michael Moore for traveling to Cuba. An article mentioned that Fred had some boxes of Cuban cigars in his office. So Moore sends Fred a letter challenging him to a debate on health care (the supposed reason Moore took his contingent to Cuba). The link above has Fred’s response.

Today, ABC posted video on their website from the first Nightline Face-off. After doing reports on Kirk Cameron’s conversion and joint ministry with Ray Comfort, The Way of the Master, and Brian Sapient & Kelly [Afraid to Give Her Last Name], of the Rational Response Squad, Nightline set up a debate between the Christians–who set out to prove the existence of God without relying on faith or the Bible–and the athiests–who promised to counter Comfort and Cameron’s assertions. The video was posted on ABC’s website this afternoon, and the debate will be featured on Nightline tonight.

Here is some of the audio:

Ray Comfort Makes His Case

Atheists Brian Sapient & Kelly [You Don't Know Me] Respond

Kirk Cameron Wraps Up

The big news last week was that Fred Thompson would be speaking at the Lincoln Club or Orange County. He did, and–as many others have pointed out–he sounded like a candidate. As a public service, I provide here an mp3 of the address.

Fred Dalton Thompson – Address to the Lincoln Club of O.C. – 5/4/2007 – 32:45

Update:

FDT referred to a report he did called “Government at the Brink.” It has two volumes.

Click here for Volume 1: Urgent Federal Government Management Problems Facing the Bush Administration

Click here for Volume 2: An Agency by Agency Examination of Federal Government Management Problems Facing the Bush Administration

The Heritage Foundation references “Government at the Brink” in its “Top 10 Examples of Government Waste” from April 2005.

While working on Barbara Cameron’s book, A Full House of Growing Pains, I had the pleasure of meeting both Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron, though I had previously been impressed with their ministry, The Way of the Master.

This Wednesday, May 9, ABC.com will be showing a 90-minute debate existence of God between Comfort/Cameron and two atheists. Portions of the debate will be shown on ABC’s Nightline broadcast later that night.

Of particular consternation to atheists, Comfort and Cameron promise to prove the existence of God–without mentioning faith or the Bible. Should be good viewing.

Here’s the full story from One News Now.

Update:

Brian Biggs has more info on the debate.

I have been watching with great interest as Oklahoman Brian Biggs (of the Biggs Picture) is defending our Christian faith on the Voices of Tulsa forum. Brian is doing an excellent job–much better that I could have done at his age (maybe better than I could do now). As I was reading the thread again tonight, what really stands out is the qualifier “to me.” It is stated or implied in many person’s posts. Poster’s will talk about what “makes sense to me” rather than just “what makes sense.”

The whole art and science of Bible study and interpretation is predicated on basic rules of logic and reason. Whereas people used to debate by presenting counter arguments based in reason and/or logic, the modern response is usually based in the notion that it doesn’t matter how much sense one makes, how reasonable one’s statements and arguments are, if another chooses not to believe them, they must all of a sudden cease to be true.

I was thinking tonight of something I read (I think in Sproul) about the old saying that many well-meaning individuals will sometimes espouse:

“God says it. I believe it. That settles it.”

It’s a nice sentiment, but the middle statement is totally unnecessary and of no effect. God says it. That settles it–regardless of whether I, you, or anyone else choose to believe it. It is settled when God says it, never contingent upon humans’ choice to believe it or reject it. We are not a part of the equation of what is true. We can either choose to believe the truth or reject it, but it remains pure folly to believe that truth exists or not based upon whether it is believed. A lie, even if everyone believes it, is still untrue. The truth, even if no one believes it, remains true.

As the counter arguments are presented, I could not help remember 2 Tim. 3:7, which describes people in the last days as:

always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.

Brian originally posted to the Voices of Tulsa forum offering to start a Bible study if anyone was interested. The thread has progressed from that into a discussion of several issues. In all, most of the questions, objections, and arguments Brian has encountered are the basic introductory philosophy of religion stuff. He’s showing that he has studied himself approved and he is is rightly dividing the Word of truth. I am watching with the realization that the teachings of our churches do matter. Brian is obvioulsy the product of both good churches and a personal dedication to study.

But it is not hopless that people will never come to a knowledge of the truth. 2 Tim. 2:24-26 (ESV) makes it clear that it is possible, when God’s servant proceeds properly:

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.

Here’s wishing Brian godspeed as this debate continues. He makes perfect sense–to me.

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

–George Orwell, Animal Farm

Congress has this week added homosexuality to the list of protected classes in hate crimes legislation. My beef is not so much that homosexuals were added but that hate crimes legislation exists at all.

Just as in Orwell’s Animal Farm, we have forgotten the Revolution and its principles. We live in a land that was founded on the principle of freedom and equality. And I will be the first to admit that we didn’t get it right in action [slavery], though our philosophy was perfect. And it was an appeal to that philosophy that aided us as we emerged from the evil of slavery. For America to now re-divide people, based on any number of factors, is naive, dangerous, and insane. But what is most heinous is to assign differing values to people’s lives based on those factors. For example, if you murder me, in the eyes of the law, you have not committed as bad a crime (because I am a heterosexual white male) as if you murdered someone who was a homosexual black transgendered person. I take issue with that, and not because I count myself of greater worth than a homosexual black transgendered person, but I certainly don’t attribute to myself less worth than that person. America is the protector of equality of life. And none of us has more life than any other.

But, what should we expect from a society that has seemingly no qualms with allowing women (and there doctors and clergy, to quote Barack Obama) to extinguish life within their womb for the simple reason that it is within their womb? That’s like saying that because I own a house, I have the right to choose whether the inhabitants live or die, based on whatever my whims may be, unless they walk out the door (but in special cases, I can drag them halfway out the door, drive a pair of scissors into the back of their head and suck their brains out and still be OK. Well maybe not me; I would probably need to employ the services of an individual who has trained and taken an oath to protect life to come by and help me kill those inhabitants of my abode, but I digress). The point is this: when we start subdivind life into usefulness, we make certain classes of people expendible. That is a danger. And it is real.

The Baptist Messenger reports that opponents of the hate crimes legislation

say it would move federal law toward punishing thoughts and beliefs, since the motivation of a person charged with a hate crime would have to be evaluated. In addition, some critics warn it eventually could result in suppression of speech that describes homosexual behavior as sinful.

The story also includes this:

“This is a historic day that moves all Americans closer to safety from the scourge of hate violence,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese in a written release. HRC is the country’s largest homosexual advocacy group.

So now we are supposed to believe that mere criticism equals hate violence? If that is the case, Christians, Republicans, and especially President Bush are in line to be the most protected of the special classes because we are all certainly no strangers to criticism. However, no thinking person can understand this to mean that. It means that our ability to criticize certain things as sinful is destroyed, while doing nothing to protect us from “the scourge of hate violence” that is so often directed at us from our opponents.

We need to wake up here. All the animals are equal, period. Murder, of anyone, is evil. Criticism, of anyone, is a freedom. Part of the responsibility of living in a free society is bearing the weight of one’s choices and actions, equally, from person to person.

The campaign is not even really started yet, and I am already sick of hearing Rudy talk about what he did in New York. However, I’m sure we’re in for a lot more.

But there’s another theme I am already much more tired of. Everyone of those candidates standing up there claimed to be the reincarnation of Reagan. But Giuliani, as probably most liberal of the bunch, needs to stop. He continues to assert that it was Reagan’s optimism that made him such a great leader. FALSE!

Reagan was optimistic; but so was Clinton. So have been a lot of leaders, good and bad. Reagan was an optimistic CONSERVATIVE. And that is what made all the difference. He had something to be optimistic about. That is where Giuliani suffers a fatal disconnect. Optimism alone won’t get the job done. America again will fall in love with someone who is optimistic about conservatism. Rudy is not that person. That’s another reason I cannot support him.

I’ll be honest here, this whole debate has left me downcast about the field. I think we’re to the point we need the Fred Factor badly…

In response to the yes or no question, Do you believe in evolution?, McCain answers yes. But when he hikes the Grand Canyon and sees the sunset, there’s the hand of God.

Good grief…