For God, Family and Republic

Classical Southern Architecture!
As I might have mentioned I took to architectural drawing from a young age... I even did freelance work for building contractors of various structures, from a starter home to an apartment which were built, and other plans for other houses and remodeling jobs. From an early age, I originally aspired to be an architect and interned with an engineering firm. But of course, my dreams and interests shifted. However, my love and appreciation for good architecture has not declined.

In my high school years I drew a sizable southern colonial home based on the Briars in Natchez, Mississippi, which was the site of the marriage of Jefferson Davis to Varina Howell, the daughter of that majestic manoral house on February 26, 1845. I matched those trademark dormer windows on the second floor, which adds to the appeal. I flipped from CAD to actual drawings in the course of this design. The square footage was absurdly proportioned, almost 7,500 square feet which is absurdly untenable in terms of costs. I should have kept it under 3,800 and at a feasibly affordable half-a-million dollars.

William Poole - One of my favorite architects
One of my favorite architects is not the acclaimed Frank Lloyd Wright, but rather one William E. Poole of Wilmington, North Carolina. William Poole is a southern original. He has great taste in architecture, a good eye for design, and appreciates America's classical architecture.

William Poole can put together a majestic southern colonial with great styling. His works are aesthetic masterpieces. I visited several residential developments throughout the Carolinas, that carry his hallmark designs from Buck Island, a beachfront community, in Corolla, NC to those in the vicinity of Raleigh, Wilmington, Wrightsville, and Figure Eight Island. I even visited Poole's office at a young age, which was in Cary, NC at the time, and was awed to gaze threw the various blueprints for hours.

I have an eye for architecture. I take no pleasure in surmising that many architects are abysmmal in their taste for architecture and have no sense of aesthetic appeal. Sure they can design a structure, but have no mindset for envisioning prudent styling, design, or an appealing exterior. Frankly, I get tired of all these post-modern eyesores that blight the urban landscape of our time. One could get nauseated looking at the coveted designs heralded by the wine-and-cheese set that reads Architectural Digest.

In this malaise, William Poole is a notable exception. He is a rare breed. He is true architectural genius. He had humble roots in the housing projects of Raleigh, NC and became one of the south's most renowned architects. It's a rather humble and moving story. Perhaps, it's better that the northern states not discover his genius, as the south can keep something special to itself—namely his beautifully-designed homes. William has contracted with Southern Living magazine to do a series of designs and he has produced truly extraordinary works of art.

My ideal homeplace: The Natchez
If providence blesses me with the financial means, I would love to one day build this home - the Natchez (first floor blueprint; second floor blueprint; rear-view; hi-res photo). Frankly, it's about as close to that dream home I drew for myself as one can get. If I don't catch a break professionally, I'll have to settle for using my inheritance to get it when I'm an old man. In any case, the Natchez is a distinctive low-country southern colonial with French influence, which was based again on a plantation home in Mississippi, the Briars. There are some variations of it, such as the La Petite Natchez, which is a smaller version in terms of square footage, with the same basic plan. One of his other designs that I particularly like as well is the Edisto River Cottage, which is a low-country colonial based on styling characteristic of plantation homes surrounding Charleston, South Carolina. The tin roof adds to its charm.

Where to Build?
While I could be happy feasibly in my hometown or native commonwealth of Virginia, I have contemplated a number of ideal southern communities. The outskirts of Lexington, Virginia and neighboring Bath County in the Shenandoah Valley are a nice place to build. The Smith Mountain Lake area at the epicenter of the Danville-Lynchburg-Roanoke triad is appealing as well. Granted, a lowcountry colonial might be better situated in the Piedmont or Tidewater regions of the Old South. So, if I considered a seaside community which is attractive, suburban Charleston, South Carolina or Wilmington, North Carolina are good choices. Other considerations? Perhaps the outskirts of Charlotte, North Carolina near Lake Norman. Speaking of lakes, Lake Murray in South Carolina is nice. Maybe, the suburbs of Huntsville or Mobile, Alabama.

Home and Hearth
In any case, I would count myself truly blessed to own one of these magnificent homeplaces I have profiled, and I could be truly contented as well. Who needs a 6,000 square foot house anyway?

Yes, I am just about like some damsel who sits around envisioning the white picket fence, the rocking chairs on the porch, the green grass, the kids running around in the yard, and the dream home.

"A human life, I think, should be well rooted in some spot of a native land, where it may get the love of tender kinship for the face of the earth, for the labors men go forth to, for the sounds and accents that haunt it, for whatever will give that early home a familiar and unmistakable difference amidst the future widening of knowledge. The best introduction to astronomy, is to think of the nightly heavens as a little lot of stars belonging to one's own homestead."
—George Eliot

As I posted earlier on May 10, my friend Mike Waddell was recently engaged. This past weekend, Mike has updated everyone to the fact that he is all married up. Now, he is off to the California Bay Area with his new wife Katie Rickabaugh Waddell. Uggghh sorry, I'm being too politically correct, so let me rephrase that statement: Mike is off to the California Bay Area with his new wife, Mrs. Mike Waddell. Yeah, that's the ticket! Recently, Mike also admits that even big, tough Marines can cry ;-). Anyhow, Godspeed Mike as you began your new life in the land of "fruits" and "nuts"—uggghh, I mean California. Again, congratulations and God's blessings to them both.

Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am desolate and afflicted.
The troubles of my heart have enlarged;
Bring me out of my distresses!
Look on my affliction and my pain,
And forgive all my sins.
Consider my enemies, for they are many;
And they hate me with cruel hatred.
Keep my soul, and deliver me;
Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.
—Psalm 25:16-21

King David was exasperated from running and hiding among caves and in dark, damp abodes during his flight from Saul. David knew the grip of loneliness and despair, which darkened his hope and sapped his spiritual vitality. It was in his solitude of desperation that he cried out to God, acknowledging his loneliness and his affliction, and he he asked God to turn to him with His gracious mercy. David's example is an ideal for all suffer affliction, the pains of sorrow, or loneliness in life's journey.

God doesn't want us to be lonely: and he designed us for fellowship. He knew your innermost desires, your feelings, and your hardships, long before you were born. He knows the very number of hairs upon your head. We have a helper in the Holy Spirit, and we should drown out the lies of our adversary by continually setting our sights on the promises of God. Be of good cheer! There is a sovereign God in action who hears our prayers and cries from afar.

Let us of faith find solace in the Psalms of David. If the Psalms could be summed up in one word it would be "Help!"

God hears our prayers, and uses life's struggles to remind us of our unequivocal dependence upon him. As William Cowper, a Christian whose life was a medley of depression and hope, surmised, "Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face."

For God, Family, and Republic has moved to http://www.puritanhead.com

Please update your links, blogrolls, and RSS feeds accordingly.

A shake-up is coming on For God, Family and Republic as I am getting a domain name, and upgrading my web site, and doing some house-cleaning in terms of organization...

I have decided to continue publishing most everything to my main blog For God, Family and Republic while concurrently posting to topical archive blogs that are more focused. I will reference the corresponding URLs as soon as they become available.

Every topical archival blog will be within http://www.puritanhead.com/, but I will probably prefix the domain with a sub-domain (i.e. http://christiancovenanter.puritanhead.com/).

I shall keep my readers posted, and e-mail my silent college buddies who read, but NEVER COMMENT. GEE THANKS. :-)

Oh, special thanks to my friend Lt. Colonel Richard Leino, USMC for helping assist me in my move on the technical end. He specializes in Communications and Information Systems. When we're not henpecking at one another over foreign policy and political matters, we have some interesting conversations. Sometimes, our henpecking is interesting as well.

Who is your best friend? "A friend loves at all times, And a brother is born for adversity" (Prv. 17:17).

These are words of wisdom from a good Christian pastor, which might help you reflect more on the matter.

If you could find the perfect friend, what would be your blueprint? You would probably choose someone who loves you just as you are, someone who overlooks every negative act and still loves you without condition. You'd pick someone who accepts you without regarding qualifications or stature.

No doubt, your friend would understand you fully and know why you're hurt, discouraged, or tempted, and he would understand even when you err. He doesn't agree with it, but he understands because he's been there.

Your ideal friend would be someone to whom you could tell your innermost desires and secrets without fear of rejection or criticism. The person would be committed to you, no matter the circumstance, and would be completely with you.

Your new friend would be selfless, showing you love every day and encouraging you to love others. He would offer inspiration and comfort simply be listening before answering. If you haven't met such a friend, it's time for an introduction.

This is Jesus Christ. He is your perfect friend.

—Charles Stanley, Seeking His Face

My best friend is Jesus Christ. Sometimes, experience tells us we cannot always trust even our closest friends. "Do not trust in a friend; Do not put your confidence in a companion; Guard the doors of your mouth From her who lies in your bosom" (Micah 7:5). But I can always trust in Jesus Christ. He will never betray me, nor forsake me, nor seek my hurt or shame.

"Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (John 15:13). He laid down his life for His flock. Our Lord tells us, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Our friend Jesus "sympathize[s] with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Heb. 4:15). Christ is my advocate, my brother, my helper, my redeemer, and my best friend.

Finding Peace : God's Promise of a Life Free from Regret, Anxiety, and Fear. (Nelson Books: Sept. 2003. List Price $19.99)

Book Review by Ryan Setliff.

"You have dealt well with Your servant,
O LORD, according to Your word.
Teach me good judgment and knowledge,
For I believe Your commandments.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
You are good, and do good;
Teach me Your statutes.
...
But now I keep Your word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes."
—Psalm 119

Finding Peace : God's Promise of a Life Free from Regret, Anxiety, and Fear is a helpful guide to seeking peace and overcoming anxiety in midst of stressful circumstances. I first picked up this book in midst of anxiety at the very end of 2003, and read it in 2004. Finding peace was vitally requisite for me, as I crashed and burned figuratively speaking, and ran out of money and motivation for law school. I had a 101 other problems of course too.

Charles Stanley gives practical and sound Scriptural exhortation on facing life's problems. We can find our peace in midst our trials and tribulations by recognizing that God is sovereign. Sometimes, it is a lot easier said than done, which is why we need reinforcement from others. We have to continually set our sights on God's promises. Few Christians want to peer into book of Job, much less have their faith tested like Job. Taking a hit professionally or financially, suffering persecution, enduring slander, or relationship friction can strain a person. However, we can come out stronger enduring hardship if we seek peace of mind through God. God's pruning can often be painful, but we have to set our sights on Romans 8:28, and the promises of God. We must recognize that God is sovereign and is present in our lives, if we are of faith. Life is a vapor, and we should imbued with an eternal perspective, which gives our life purpose.

Anyhow, Stanley offers a lot of prudent exhortation on seeking stability, peace of mind, discerning between productive and destructive anxiety, and living at peace with others. Too many Christian pastors these days, miss the mark and neglect addressing that life has its pains, and preach blissful optimism. Turn on Joel Olsteen for example, and he will be rambling about having a "better house, a better car," etc. and preaching the health and wealth non-sense. When life on the flying carpet of bliss doesn't come people get all the more discouraged and disappointed. Charles Stanley, however, isn't one of those errant teachers. Stanley will be the first to say tough times will come. Likewise, he offers sound advice on enduring those times and finding peace through acknowledging and trusting God. "You therefore must endure hardship, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2:3). Hardship endured in God's strength produces the peaceable fruit of patience, makes us more dependent on God, and breaks us of our stubborn self-centered thinking.

All things considered, Stanley's book is a great practical book for Christians struggling with some measure of anxiety brought on by life's burdens.

I have a little fluid on the brain.

File this in the Kids Do the Darndest Things File

Someone sent me this e-mail today:

My son Zachary, 4, came screaming out of the bathroom to tell me he'd dropped his toothbrush in the toilet. So I fished it out and threw it in the garbage. Zachary stood there thinking for a moment, then ran to my bathroom and came out with my toothbrush. He held it up and said with a charming little smile, "We better throw this one out too then, 'cause it fell in the toilet a few days ago."

At least little Zack is honest.

This is rolling-on-the-floor funny.

Travel Recollections
Approximately, this time in May, about four years ago, I traveled to Switzerland and the Tyrolean Alps of Austria.

When I visited Switzerland (see CIA factbook entry) and Austria (see CIA factbook entry) in 2002, I found those places to be among one of the most tranquil, beautiful and majestic places I have ever been.

The scenes were captivating and vistas were breathtaking. The air was clean and refreshing. The flora and fauna were lush, and spring-fed ponds dotted the landscape. The rugged ice-caped peaks were a sight to behold. In Switzerland and Austria, the people there were by far the most hospitable of any group in Europe.



The Luzern Canton
On May 18, I visited the city of Lucerne / Luzern (photos), which is the capital of the canton by the same name. Luzern is possessed of a distinctive Swiss charm, and its architecture bares a profound Italian Renaissance influence as Italian craftsman emigres labored tediously to help build the city a few centuries ago. One of the more famous landmarks in Luzern is the Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke), a 204m (670 ft) long wooden bridge originally built in 1333, although part of it had to be replaced after a devastating fire in the early 1990s.

The city itself is nestled along the shore of Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee). Lake Lucern is also known as the Vierwaldstättersee or "Lake of the Four Forest Cantons," may arguably be the most beautiful lake in Switzerland. Though, the largest is Lake Geneva on the French border. Anyway, Lake Lucerne is encompassed by forests and high peaks on all sides, which adds to its tranquilty and splendor. In the early morning throughout the year, a cast of fog adds to the charm, beauty and mystery of this beautiful blue-green body of water. Remnants of the old town walls exist on the hill above Lucerne, complete with four tall watch towers and a city gate near the river.

As you can see from the tourism video accessible from the official Luzern tourism web site, Luzern is an otherwise beautiful European city of class, taste, and sophistication, but than they had to blight the friendly welcome tourist video by making revelation of the decadent nightlife complete with throbbing rap music. This is just more proof that America's cultural exports corrupts the rest of the world, and blights their cultural landscape. You know, I'm offended on their behalf.

Around the vicinity of Lucern, I got to scale a rugged descent up Mount Pilatus via a chairlift. Piilatus is over 7000 feet above sea level, though the magnificent view from the observation tower was shrouded in a cloud of fog, which made for poor visibility that day. Pilatus is host to the world's steepest cogwheel railway which operates seasonally from May to November (or depending on snow conditions.) I opted for the view from the panoramic aerial cable car. Pilatus was named for the Roman governor of Judea, Pontius Pilate ironically.

Geographically Luzern stands at the gates of the St. Gothard pass and has been an important trading center and crossroads since the inception of the Swiss nation in the middle ages.

Just northeast of Löwenplatz is the landmark Lion Monument, which is one of the highlights of Luzern. This dying beast is draped over his shield, with a broken spear sticking out of his flank. This treasure was hewn out of a cliff face in 1821 to commemorate the 700 Swiss mercenaries killed in Paris in 1792 at the onset of the French Revolution. The storming of the Bastille on July 14 when the defenders were exposed in the open, the mob attacked them and murdered everyone of them in the most brutal manner possible. The Swiss fought valiantly back, but were overwhelmed by sheer numbers. Mark Twain took one look at the monument dedicated to the courageous Swiss soldiers who lost their lives during the French Revolution in 1792 and declared the reclining lion to be, "the saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world."

On May 19, our party stayed at a hotel-lodge pirched high atop a mountain and adjacent to an old chapel with a beautiful view of the valley below. I believe I stayed up late that night playing cards with women at the rustic hotel bar and in one of our hotel rooms. I'm was a gentleman though throughout by tour of Europe! Don't get the wrong idea!

Swiss History and Heritage
The Swiss people have a proud past and are one of the more unique countries in Europe, because they are a confluence of cultures situated on the Alps at the ceiling of Europe, and encompass cantons that speak four languages including French, German, Romansch, and Italian. Swiss confederates united against the counts of Habsburg on the Rütli back to 1307. Their confederation began to grow and take shape as an alliance against the domineering Hapsburg dynasty as the Holy Roman Empire was slowly withering away. The Swiss patriarch is William Tell, and he is renowned for his patriotism in much the same way as George Washington here in the United States.

The Swiss have a firey zeal for local self-government and have preserved their relatively decentralized federal body politic. Most government activity and expenditure is practiced at the local and cantonal level as opposed to the federal level, which is what federalism really means. Federalism embodies the tried
and true principle of subsidiarity, the idea that matters should be handled by the smallest (or, the lowest) competent authority.

Over the years, the Swiss have gained some renown for their reputation as international bankers and fine craftsman whether it is making watches or guns. Today, they have a prosperous market economy, with one of the highest standards of living in the world and they continue their traditions of local self-government.

Though, the Swiss finally joined the United Nations, they have resisted the temptation to join the European Union, which I think is a good think. Likewise, they still have their Swiss Franc, though the Euro is redeemable in Switzerland. The Swiss had a proud martial tradition of armed neutrality. And almost every Swiss male is issued an automatic weapon, and must do about year's service in the military before going into reserve status. The government subsidizes their marksmanship training as civilians as well. Switzerland has heavily fortified redoubts, tank traps in its tunnels, and still maintains the dragon's teeth to stop tank advancements at strategic chokepoints. If necessary, they are prepared to blow up the entrances to various tunnels to impede an invasion. Though, after WWII, the anticipation was never from aggression from Germany, France or Italy, but rather the Soviet bloc.

As former defense analyst Angelo Codevilla documents in his book Between the Alps & A Hard Place: Switzerland in World War II and Moral Blackmail Today, the Swiss have been wrongly slandered, scapegoated and extorted for their role in WWII as a neutral power, and were no more culpable for the Holocaust than the United States was. They had nothing to gain from declaring war on Germany, and it would have only meant more loss of life. As Winston Churchill recalled, "of all the neutrals Switzerland has the greatest right distinction... She has been a Democratic State, standing for freedom in self-defense among her mountains, and in thought, in spite of race, largely on our side."



A pit stop in Liechtenstein
Our party crossed into the principalty of Liechtenstein (see CIA factbook entry) is a gadfly among European states. After crossing the River Rhine, we stopped at the capital city of Vaduz. What can one say about Liechtenstein? It's small, and it resembles neighboring Austria and Switzerland in culture and language. The land area is about 160 square kilometers or roughly about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC. It maintains a customs union with the Swiss and it depends upon them for national defense. The Prince of Liechtenstein Hans-Adam II is among the world's wealthiest heads-of-state, with an estimated wealth of over two billion dollars. The country's population enjoys a high standard of living.

Austria or bust!
Our party entered Austria and drove through the Tyrolean Alps, and made passage to the tranquil city of Innsbruck which is the seat of the state of Tirol. Innsbruck located in the broad valley between tall mountains, the Nordkette(Hafelekar, 2334m) in the north, Patscherkofel (2246m) and Serles (2403m) in the south it is an internationally renowned winter sports centre which has hosted the Winter Olympics on occassion. Innsbruck is an idyllic city surrounded by beatiful Alps and breathtaking vistas. It was also the capital of the state of Tirol. We sampled the nightlife entertainment in Innsbruck which consisted of a dancing troop of Austrians garbed in their traditional mountain wear. The men wore lederhosen, and the women wore their dirndl, while the engaged in that infamous practice of yodeling, which sounds like this Yodeling Mozart (mp3 audio) tract courtesy of Origin Music's For All Seasons collection. I can't say I am dying to crank this stuff up on my car stereo, but hearing it live for the first time is a good cultural experience.

I'm not trying to be pejorative in surmising that Austrians, particularly those outside of Vienna and in Tirol, are basically German-speaking country bumpkins that are acclimated to the mountains.

I know a little conversational German from listening to tapes and CD's, but if only I could learn Schweitzerdeutsch than I could go back and be a missionary. I would love to live there. In any case, I would love to visit Switzerland and Austria again in the future.

I need to scan photos, and might post more on a later date.



Notice
Copyright (c) 2006 Ryan Setliff. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no Invariant Sections, no Front-Cover Texts, and no Back-Cover Texts. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License".

Related Links:
Alps Travel Pictures - The Swiss and Austrian Alps - Features many photos of mountains and glaciers in the Swiss and Austrian Alps: Eiger, Jungfrau, Rettenbachferner (Sölden, Ötztal), Aletschgletscher (Aletsch Glacier). I credit this spellbinding photo web site for the first pictures in my portfolio here.

Here is some trivial vexillogy for you. Though, my British readers already know this stuff, this is for dumb, albeit curious American readers. Vexillogy is the study of flags, heraldry and symbols. And what more prouder symbol is there in the history of Western Civilization than that of the Union Flag? I even got my kid sister a Union Jack shirt while I was in London in 2002.



Ever wonder why the British flag looks a little different in the movies such as The Last of the Mohicans and The Patriot than it does today? Those historical movies were set in the eighteenth-century, and it manifests a flag somewhat different than exists today. Actually, the British flag—or the old Union flag—is unique in history, as it encompasses several flags. On 12 April 1606, this new flag representative of the union between England and Scotland was specified in a royal decree, according to which the flag of England (known as the St George's Cross) and the flag of Scotland (known as the Saltire or Saint Andrew's Cross) would be "joyned together according to the forme made by our heralds, and sent by Us to our Admerall to be published to our Subjects."

Though, Ireland was later incorporated as well, the Welsh flag was left out. The colour green just didn't fit the Union flag well.

The Naval Ensign is known as the Union Jack. The nickname Jack in all liklihood came from the name of the James VI, King of Scots who inherited the English crown. He pressed for the change to the flag and the creation of a Union flag. (Jac came from Jacobus, which is Latin for James.)

Related Web Sites:
United Kingdom Flags

(Thanks to my English reader Matthew for correcting me. It's simply the Union flag, not the Union Jack flag. The Union Jack refers only to the Naval Ensign flag.)

The Lord is my strength, my helper, my watch tower, my deliver, and I find solace and comfort in the words of the Psalmist who says:

"The LORD is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked came against me
To eat up my flesh,
My enemies and foes,
They stumbled and fell.
Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident."
—Psalm 27:1-3

Matthew Henry delves into the underlying meaning of the twenty-seventh Psalm in his commentary:

We may observe here,

I. With what a lively faith David triumphs in God, glories in his holy name, and in the interest he had in him. 1. The Lord is my light. David's subjects called him the light of Israel, 2 Samuel 21:17. And he was indeed a burning and a shining light: but he owns that he shone, as the moon does, with a borrows light; what light God darted upon him reflected upon them: The Lord is my light. God is a light to his people, to show them the way when they are in doubt, to comfort and rejoice their hearts when they are in sorrow. It is in his light that they now walk on in their way, and in his light they hope to see light for ever. 2. "He is my salvation, in whom I am safe and by whom I shall be saved." 3. "He is the strength of my life, not only the protector of my exposed life, who keeps me from being slain, but the strength of my frail weak life, who keeps me from fainting, sinking, and dying away." God, who is a believer's light, is the strength of his life, not only by whom, but in whom, he lives and moves. In God therefore let us strengthen ourselves.

II. With what an undaunted courage he triumphs over his enemies; no fortitude like that of faith. If God be for him, who can be against him? Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid? If Omnipotence be his guard, he has no cause to fear; if he knows it to be so, he has no disposition to fear. If God be his light, he fears no shades; if God be his salvation, he fears no colours. He triumphs over his enemies that were already routed, Psalms 27:2. His enemies came upon him, to eat up his flesh, aiming at no less and assured of that, but they fell; not, "He smote them and they fell," but, "They stumbled and fell;" they were so confounded and weakened that they could not go on with their enterprise. Thus those that came to take Christ with a word's speaking were made to stagger and fall to the ground, John 18:6. The ruin of some of the enemies of God's people is an earnest of the complete conquest of them all. And therefore, these having fallen, he is fearless of the rest: "Though they be numerous, a host of them,--though they be daring and their attempts threatening,--though they encamp against me, an army against one man,--though they wage war upon me, yet my heart shall not fear." Hosts cannot hurt us if the Lord of hosts protect us. Nay, in this assurance that God is for me "I will be confident." Two things he will be confident of:-- 1. That he shall be safe. "If God is my salvation, in the time of trouble he shall hide me; he shall set me out of danger and above the fear of it." God will not only find out a shelter for his people in distress (as he did Jeremiah 36:26), but he will himself be their hiding-place, Psalms 32:7. His providence will, it may be, keep them safe; at least his grace will make them easy. His name is the strong tower into which by faith they run, Proverbs 18:10. "He shall hide me, not in the strongholds of En-gedi (1 Samuel 23:29), but in the secret of his tabernacle." The gracious presence of God, his power, his promise, his readiness to hear prayer, the witness of his Spirit in the hearts of his people--these are the secret of his tabernacle, and in these the saints find cause for that holy security and serenity of mind in which they dwell at ease. This sets them upon a rock which will not sink under them, but on which they find firm footing for their hopes; nay, it sets them up upon a rock on high, where the raging threatening billows of a stormy sea cannot touch them; it is a rock that is higher than we, Psalms 61:2. 2. That he shall be victorious (Psalms 27:6): "Now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies, not only so as that they cannot reach it with their darts, but so as that I shall be exalted to bear rule over them." David here, by faith in the promise of God, triumphs before the victory, and is as sure, not only of the laurel, but of the crown, as if it were already upon his head.

III. With what a gracious earnestness he prays for a constant communion with God in holy ordinances, Psalms 27:4. It greatly encouraged his confidence in God that he was conscious to himself of an entire affection to God and to his ordinances, and that he was in his element when in the way of his duty and in the way of increasing his acquaintance with him. If our hearts can witness for us that we delight in God above any creature, that may encourage us to depend upon him; for it is a sign we are of those whom he protects as his own. Or it may be taken thus: He desired to dwell in the house of the Lord that there he might be safe from the enemies that surrounded him. Finding himself surrounded by threatening hosts, he does not say, "One thing have I desired, in order to my safety, that I may have my army augmented to such a number," or that I may be master of such a city or such a castle, but "that I may dwell in the house of the Lord, and then I am well."

I just heard that a 2007 Indiana Jones movie is in production now, and will be coming out next year. One of my favorite movies was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, which came out in 1989. I believe I saw it for the first time in Ocean City, Maryland a few months after the initial release.

Many people are familiar with these words of Thomas Jefferson embodied in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with inherent and inalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

However, fewer are familiar with the Mecklenburg Declaration and that the War for American Independence got its initial start in the Carolina backcountry as well as Massachusetts.

On May 20, 1775, two-hundred and thirty one years ago, the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence was issued by the people of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina (seat of the present-day metropolis city of Charlotte.) The predominantly Scotch-Irish populace of Mecklenburg were declared from that day, May 20, 1775, and by their own hand, no longer subject to the British rule, as they relinquished their consent.

Here is the verbatim text of the Declaration:

The Mecklenburg Declaration
May 20, 1775
1. Resolved... That whosoever directly or indirectly abets, or in any way, form, or manner countenances the invasion of our rights, as attempted by the Parliament of Great Britain, is an enemy to his country, to America, and the rights of man.

2. Resolved... That we the citizens of Mecklenburg County, do hereby dissolve the political bands which have connected us with the mother country, and absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British Crown, abjuring all political connection with a nation that has wantonly trampled on our rights and liberties and inhumanly shed innocent blood of Americans in Lexington.

3. Resolved... That we do hereby Declare ourselves free and independent people; that we are, and of a right ought to be, a sovereign and self-governing people under the power of God and the General Congress; to the maintenance which independence we solemnly pledge to each other our mutual co-operation, our lives, our fortunes and our scared honor.

4. Resolved... That we hereby ordain and adopt as rules of conduct all each of our former laws, and that the crown of Great Britain cannot be considered hereafter as holding any rights, privileges, or immunities among us.

5. Resolved... That all officers, both civil and military, in the country, be entitled to exercise the same powers and authorities as heretofore; that every member of this delegation shall henceforth be civil officer and exercise the powers of a justice of the peace, issue process, hear and determine controversies according to law, preserve peace, union and harmony in the country, and use every exertion to spread the love of liberty and of country until a more general and better organized system of government be established.

6 Resolved... That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by express to the President of the Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia to be laid before that body.

Signers of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence;

Gen. Thomas Polk —Col.Abraham Alexander
Dr. Ephraim Brevard —Col. Adam Alexander
Gen. Robert Irwin —John McKnitt Alexander
Rev. Hezekiah Balch —Hezekiah Alexander
Capt. Zaccheus Wilson —Neil Morrison
Richard Barry —John Flennikin
William Graham —Matthew McClure
John Queary —Ezra Alexander
Waightstill Avery —Col. William Kennon
Col. James Harris —Henry Downs
John Foard —Charles Alexander
Maj. John Davidson —John Phifer
Benjamin Patton —David Reese
Richard Harris

—Spectators
Gen. Joseph Graham —Gen. George Graham
Rev. Francis Cummings —Col Ezekiel Polk
Robert Harris Sr. —David Rose (Grandfather of Pres. Polk)

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
—Romans 12:2

What does this exhortation by the Apostle Paul really mean in the life of the believer? Christians often take it for granted that we should shun the more grevious sins which should be obvious. But sin in our life can often be sins of neglect, and sins of simply embracing the ways of the world. It's easy to get caught up in the information age and wander off to a virtual oasis somewhere and fritter away time, or pursue some entertainment like a game or the latest movie or fad. Sometimes, something that would otherwise be an innocent pursuit simply becomes a time-waster, as it leads us to neglect attending to those concerns requisite for spiritual growth. Yes, I like books—history especially—and I love to read. Perhaps I have misplaced priorities in what I read. Moreover, getting caught up in the mass-media exposes us to worldliness. Watching too much television can open one's mind to all manner of foolishness, and this is just regular television I am talking about.

I guess we as believers need to see Christian liberty for just what it is, and not become beholden to either the twin perils of legalism or license. But an earnest desire to please God means that we must yield in casting off the ways of the world. I know from experience, no less than revelation, that God really begins to use us, when we make the effort to submit to his will, and embrace his commandments. I try writing this message with a straight face, realizing that my blogspot recently is litered with humor, entertainment, and my political ramblings. All of this is inconsequential from an eternal perspective. Accuse me of double-mindedness. But as Alexader Hamilton said in his final hours, "I have a tender reliance on the mercy of the Almighty, through the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am a sinner. I look to Him for mercy; pray for me."

In recent years, I have become less apt to think critically of those who think you should totally cut TV consumption down to a bare minimum. Years beforehand, I might think of them as some sort of legalist or pious humbug who embraces boredom. Giving up television, for example, worked for me in college and helped me to accomplish a great deal of things, and I think I was better off for tossing it aside for a long time. Yet I crept back into watching it with some regularity out of college. I reflect upon this, as I get caught up in other trivial pursuits. It shows in my recent wave of blog posts. Perhaps I wasted too much time this past weekend watching a pundit comedian when I could have been reading my Bible more. Lately, I have wasted time following news (which is in reality mass-media gossip), political wrangling, or in trivial interaction with others. I find that mass-media diversions are huge distractions, however, innocent they might be. It's almost something that needs to be cut off across the board for a while. I need a good solid work-week to keep me straight.

Christian believers often find all of the parallels to the idol Baals and Molochs in the Old Testament as trivial and irrelevant today, because they think such idolatry persists today in isolated quarters among those who embrace the occult. Yet we can make idols in our lives out of material things or an unbridled epicurean pursuit of pleasure and entertainment. Some people literally make a religion out of sports entertainment by their devotion to it.

To be sure, there are no spiritual plateaus in life, and anyone who thinks they have found one is in a dangerous place. In introspection, I really need to set my sights more spiritually-minded pursuits.

In alluding to Romans 12:2, C.H. Spurgeon exhort believers:

Even small inconsistencies are dangerous. Little thorns make great blisters, little moths destroy fine garments, and little frivolities and little rogueries will rob religion of a thousand joys. O professor, too little separated from sinners, you know not what you lose by your conformity to the world. It cuts the tendons of your strength, and makes you creep where you ought to run. Then, for your own comfort's sake, and for the sake of your growth in grace, if you be a Christian, be a Christian, and be a marked and distinct one.

Romans 12:2 has so many dimensions, and my hope and prayer is that I can progress in sanctification to be Christian that I ought to be, and the future father and husband that I should be. I must progress in sanctification to better embrace discipleship, which has been a sore spot for me recently. I can certainly find enjoyment and fulfillment in hearing others confess Christ on my testimony, and not for my own aggrandizement of pride. But rather, it's because I hope to please God, and be a part of His wonderful works. We need to take joy in spiritual pursuits. It seems a disciple of Christ feels a more profound sense of purpose when he yields to the commands to be "salt and light," and especially when he takes heed to the tenor of Romans 12, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." As of late though, not much can be said of my evangelical outreach.

It takes a step forward, and walk in faith, to renew and revitalize our thought patterns and day-to-day routine that we might shun the world's way and break out of our spiritual doldrums. We have to walk in faith, and this take cooperation on our part, in order to continue being transformed by the "renewal of your mind," through the indwelling Holy Spirit. In his famous commentary, the late Matthew Henry says of Romans 12:1-2:

He entreated the Romans, as his brethren in Christ, by the mercies of God, to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to Him. This is a powerful appeal. We receive from the Lord every day the fruits of his mercy. Let us render ourselves; all we are, all we have, all we can do: and after all, what return is it for such very rich receivings? It is acceptable to God: a reasonable service, which we are able and ready to give a reason for, and which we understand. Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind; a change, not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul. The progress of sanctification, dying to sin more and more, and living to righteousness more and more, is the carrying on this renewing work, till it is perfected in glory. The great enemy to this renewal is, conformity to this world. Take heed of forming plans for happiness, as though it lay in the things of this world, which soon pass away. Do not fall in with the customs of those who walk in the lusts of the flesh, and mind earthly things. The work of the Holy Ghost first begins in the understanding, and is carried on to the will, affections, and conversation, till there is a change of the whole man into the likeness of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. Thus, to be godly, is to give up ourselves to God.

This is something I need to refocus my sights on. It's ironic how confronting worldliness in the believer's life works. When we are young, and only babes in Christ, we often have too much pride to admit worldliness. Still others are judgmental of those who do admit it, and not willing to peer into their own closets. As we progress in spiritual growth, we are confronted with only deeper conviction of the perils of sin, and the necessity for spiritual growth. We must recognize that the Holy Spirit's enabling is requisite for good works, and we have to embrace the incarnate Word, and strive earnestly to be doers and not just hearers of the Word.

This week—or maybe this past month—I lost sight of my priorities and I need to renew my commitment to seek the "good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Shunning wordliness is vitally requisite for spiritual growth. So, what does it mean in the life of the believer? This is something we as Christians have to reflect upon again and again.

Being a Theologue Is Not as Important as Embracing Discipleship
A theologue I would surmise is a student of theology. Being a theologue isn't necessarily a bad thing. But there are misguided theologues out there. Granted, pride is problem, we all suffer from, and one of the quirks I've noticed among Christian believers as they are apparently maturing (particularly us guys) is that we become dogged and argumentative over theology to the point of fomenting strife and dissension. The interest in theology and the Word is commendable. But somewhere along the line, many lose sight of what matters, like discipleship and following the golden rule—do unto others, as you would have them do unto you. With our weaker brothers, those not mature in sanctification or theology, we should not provoke contests. Ironically, I believe it's quite possible for a believer to hold a resoundingly sound depth of knowledge to their theology, and be only inches into sanctification taking baby-steps essentially. We need the incarnate Word (logos) to saturate our hearts, as well as heads (i.e., intellectual assent).

Pride is often at work, and some argue to argue. With some it's an effort to prove their intelligence. I've ran into people who are oppositarians—that is to say, as soon as they find you affirming a position, they are going to reject it merely to be argumentive. On the other hand, some are sincere, and might be right 9/10 times, and just get too frustrated with others, and make for quarrelsome debaters.

Titus 3:9-10 tells us, "But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition." The gist of what the Apostle Paul is saying is that the kind of debate that drives a wedge in relationships, fellowship, and provokes resentment among brothers should be shunned. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying debate and discussion is useless and should be dismissed out of hand. Debate, Socratic dialogue, and Q and A sesions can be immensely valuable. Proverbs 27:17 states, "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."

I don't debate so much now that I'm out of my college environs. I used to like debate, but it was often politico-historical in nature, though I did some theology discussion, such as the familiar soteriology talks as well as the Genesis debate (i.e., creation in six days versus day-age framework interpretation). Sometimes, debate can spiral out of control. I fancy myself a logical debater, and know all of those logical fallacies, and I was sometimes apt to call a person's hand when he kept using clearly erroneous or illogical lines of reasoning. I tried explaining the fallacy on cordial terms. This can frustrate the person when you correct them, because to tell them they are using an illogical argument or series of arguments might give them the misperception that you are telling them they are dim-witted or stupid, which is not the case. Some courtroom lawyers are your biggest expositors of logical fallacies, and most are intelligent, but sometimes they appeal to arguments rooted in emotion and otherwise irrationale persuassion, not cogent or sound reasoning. I do believe that I have a reseliency and composure, a teflon-skin, and I can keep my cool even with a hot-tempered debater. It's a quality you need to be a courtroom lawyer perhaps. I've had debates end where one person was resorting to name-calling and pleas for me to admit defeat. It wasn't surprising given that I was met with goading going into the debate when he accepted my challenge. I guess the point is that, we need to know how to pick our battles. Proverbs 9:8 says, "Don't reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you."

Avoiding the Monastic Trap
There is another aspect to being a theologue as well that has its disadvantages, which has nothing to do with debate. Sometimes, one can get so caught up in study of the Word and theology that they forget the things that matter, like embracing discipleship and living the Word. This can get this best of us, but some apparently never break from this trap.

One can fall in what I call the monastic trap. The great error of the medieval church is that they made this right realization that grace was costly (after all it cost God the life of His Son), however, they erred in their embrace of costly grace, by hiding away in solitary confinement, putting up a pretense of piety. However, we as believers are called to be "salt and light," and as Matthew 24:14 says, "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." If one loves God, then they need to manifest that love in heeding the things that matter like evangelism and discipleship. We can get in ruts, which gets all of us.

Even the Reformer Martin Luther said, "If ever a man could be saved by monkery, it would have been I." His search for piety and righteousness—rooted in a works-righteousness creed—left him frustrated at his unworthiness. It is not Christ's sacrifice plus anything!!! But he finally confronted the reality that Christ is righteousness, and to possess Christ is great gain! Sin boldly was his colloquial admonition, because he knew he was a sinner. The Holy Spirit transformed him. More importantly, he came to realize that Christ finished the work. Masses, penances, almsgivings, prayers, and baptism did not save the soul, it's Christ alone!!

Why am I a Baptist?
I am congregationalist as far as church polity goes and as far as baptism goes I am credo-baptist, which in laymen's terms means that I believe in believer's baptism by submersion.

There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
—Ephesians 4:4-5

Like Jesus, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul, I believe that credo-Baptism (viz. believer's baptism) is the proper ordinance of baptism instituted by the church and practiced by the Apostles.

The Reformers on Baptism
Though, many Reformers continued to practice the doctrine of paedo-baptism (viz. infant baptism) or baptism by sprinkling as was the practice in the Roman church. However, many among those prominent Reformers readily conceded that baptism by immersion was the ancient, apostolic and established mode of baptism. Martin Luther wrote: "Baptism is a sign both of death and resurrection. Being moved by this reason, I would have those that are baptized to be altogether dipped into the water, as the word means and the mystery signifies." The respected church history chronicler Philip Schaff avowed, "Luther sought to restore immersion, but without effect" (History of the Christian Church. Vol. II, p. 251). Although, John Calvin admitted infant baptism by sprinkling was among the proper modes, he asserted that baptism by submersion was the practice of the early church and the Apostles. Calvin wrote: "The very word baptize, however, signifies to immerse; and it is certain that immersion was the practice of the ancient Church" (Institutes of the Christian Religion. Book IV, Chapter XV). William Tyndale proclaimed belief in believer's baptism, declaring, "Baptism was a plunging into the water. Baptism to avail must include repentance, faith, and confession. The Church must, therefore, consist of believers." Surprising to many modern Methodists, John Wesley, founder of Methodist movement, practiced baptism by immersion. Commenting on Romans 6:4, in his Explanatory Notes on the New Testament (1755), Wesley wrote: "We are buried with him–alluding to the ancient manner of baptizing by immersion."

Baptists on Baptism
Finally, I offer no apologies for being a believer's baptist adherant, for it was the mode of the early church, and an ordinance practiced by John the Baptist. As A.W. Pink says,

This is the name which God gave to the first man who He called and commissioned to do any baptizing. He named him John the Baptist. Hence, real Baptists have no reason to be ashamed of or to apologize for the Scriptural name they bear.
—A.W. Pink, "The Churches of God," Studies in the Scriptures, (Dec. 1927), p. 5.

While I was raised in a Congregational Christian church, if I were to move out of town, in all likelihood I would settle in a sound Baptist church.

C.H. Spurgeon, the Baptist Prince of Preachers from London, once said,

We believe that the Baptists are the original Christians. We did not commence our existence at the reformation, we were reformers before Luther and Calvin were born; we never came from the Church of Rome, for we were never in it, but we have an unbroken line up to the apostles themselves. We have always existed from the days of Christ, and our principles, sometimes veiled and forgotten, like a river which may travel under ground for a little season, have always had honest and holy adherents. Persecuted alike by Romanists and Protestants of almost every sect, yet there has never existed a Government holding Baptist principles which persecuted others; nor, I believe, any body of Baptists ever held it to be right to put the consciences of others under the control of man...

There is a modicum of truth to this statement as there have always been adherants to believer's baptism throughout Christendom, throughout its history from Christ's time, and long before the Reformation and they persisted in isolated quarters even in the days of Papacy's ironclad supremacy over Europe. Though some of my ancestors admittedly tried to reform the Church of England, but I have good reason to concede that those ancestors were probably beholden to paedo-baptist doctrine. I cannot maintain my Christian forefathers were all Baptists. Eventually, their posterity opted to become Puritan Congregationalists and leave the established Anglican church, particularly the branch of the family that made passage to America, and those Christians in my lineage became Baptists for the most part as well.

An interesting side note: many parishes within the Orthodox church insist on baptism by submersion, and the Orthodox claim that their traditions proceed those instituted by Rome. So, this is another monkeywrench for those who seek to appeal to the antiquity of paedo-baptism as doctrine.

What Baptism Represents
Please read John Piper's John Piper Series on Christian Baptism for a clearly articulated in-depth elucidation of baptism. Simply put, the ordinance of baptism is symbolic of cleansing, putting off the old man, and being buried and raised in the likeness of Jesus Christ.

Buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
—Colossians 2:12

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
—Romans 6:3-4

We obey the ordinance because we seek to please God, and to reflect upon the new man, but it is by no means requisite for salvation.

We Baptists do not believe in any notions of baptismal regeneration, which we find to be a rather baneful works-righteousness doctrine opposed to Scripture. I've heard the infant baptism rebuttal on occasion, "Those baptists think that droves of water shall save them." That is a straw man argument. No Baptist believes that. Granted, some Baptists have offered weak attacks on paedo-baptists using a similar line of reasoning. It's not the church you need, it's not the sacraments you need, it is Christ's blood and Christ's blood alone that saves the soul!!! Salvation is found only in Jesus Christ, and Christ alone.

I remain unmoved by those brands of covenant theology that presuppose that the ordinance of baptism, supposedly was put in place to directly supplant the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenant seals of circumcision. It's just blatant eisegesis. Besides, baptism is for all believers, not just males. There is nothing explicit in the Scriptures giving credance to infant baptism as an established Apostolic mode. It's a Papal contrivance. I've heard some pretty shoddy arguments from certain Presbyterians who happen to be absolute dogmatists about the validity of infant baptism, and the invalidity of believer's baptism. Whereas many Reformers who accepted the validity of infant baptism readily acknowledged that baptism by submersion was the mode of the early church, these Presbyterians go so far as to deny Jesus was even baptized by submersion (Luke 3:15-17). By far some of the more comical rebuttals is hearing that when Jesus went down to the River Jordan, he was merely sprinkled from afar along the banks. Jesus and John the Baptist were not hydrophobic! I grant that merely because baptism by submersion was the established ancient mode, it doesn't de facto make infant baptism invalid for that reason alone. However, why set yourself up for a fall like that? Admittedly, there are more reflective thinkers who make cases for covenental infant baptism, but I remain unpersuaded.

The Meaning of Baptism
The word "baptize" is translated from the original Greek/Koine word "baptizo", which means to immerse. "Baptizo" does not mean to sprinkle, the act of sprinkling, or the act of pouring. God would have inspired the New Testament writers to use the Greek word "rhantizo," if he meant sprinkling to be the proper mode. So there is your big rebuttal, when you paedo-baptists say, "Oh yeah, well believer's baptism isn't mentioned explicitly either." The word baptism means submersion! Duh!

Baptists criticized for infant dedications...
Some infant baptism adherants have a penchant for mocking public infant dedication in evangelical churches, which is admittedly not an Apostolic ordinance! Why must one ritualize everything anyway? And what Baptist ever said it was? Joshua 24:15 says, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." The faithful have long dedicated their children to God, and pleaded for their salvation, and for God's blessing in their lives. Hannah dedicated the prophet Samuel after all. There is nothing wrong with dedicating a child whether in public or private, assembled with a family in prayer, or husband and wife pleading for God's blessing in their children's lives—or in public profession amongst a congregation. The dedication means that the parents commit themselves to raising their child in the ways of the Lord, and pleading for blessing and protection upon the life of that child. That is essentially what these infant baptism adherants do with infant baptism, and only to turn around and mock us for not using their presupposed requisite sprinkling of H20. I shall dedicate my future posterity to Christ, and ask for his blessing upon their lives, and wisdom as I commit myself to raising them in fear and admonition of the Lord. I have already prayed for them before.

The Closing Salvo

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
—Mark 1:9-11

Believer's baptism is biblical! "Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized" (Jhn. 3:23). Now, why did John the Baptist want to goto place with "much water" to perform baptism? "...And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him" (Acts 8:38). Again, why go down to the water to perform baptism? Sprinkling and pouring merely requires that one bring the water to the person being doused with water. Notice the following verse, "Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away... and he went on his way rejoicing" (Acts 8:39). In order that that man come up out of the water, he first had to be submerged down into the water.

Finally, just read Luke 3:15-17; Luke 3:21-22; Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:4-11; John 1:29-34 if you need an added baptismal doctrinal lesson.

Yeah, one has to lift weights and freebase creatine to be a Baptist preacher... some of these baptizees aren't featherweights you know. Yes, we could take the easy way out like those hydrophobic denominations like Episcopalians and Presbyterians, but we're sticking with the Bible's way.

As for concern whether other modes of baptism are Biblical, it's not my concern, and I won't speak to the matter, but I will, however, embrace the mode of baptism established by John the Baptist, the Apostles and the early church—which is believer's baptism by submersion.

Related Articles:
Pro-Credo-Baptist
A Scriptural Critique of Infant Baptism by John MacArthur
An Exposition of Acts 2:39 and Infant Baptism by John Reisinger
The Ancient Mode of Baptism by John Gill
An Introduction to Christian Baptism by W.J. Seaton
Baptism—A Burial by C.H. Spurgeon
Baptism: A Matter of Obedience by John MacArthur
Series on Christian Baptism by John Piper

Pro-Paedo Baptist
Granted, since I have alluded to some of the weaker arguments made by Presbyterians I shall be even-handed and reference some of their more thoughtful and reflective theological arguments vindicating infant baptism, least I be guilty of erecting the same straw man arguments that I have seen some of them doing in attacking believer's baptism.

A Case for Infant Baptism by Rev. Scott J. Simmons
Candid reasons for renouncing the principles of anti-paedobaptism by Pastor Peter Edwards
Covenant Baptism: I Will Be Your God and Your Children’s God by Dr. R. S. Clark
Covenantal Infant Baptism: An Outlined Defense by Gregg Strawbridge


Credits
(Baptismal picture above is from River Springs Church baptismal service.)

Well, I prepared this over the weekend to post mid-week.

These videos directly linked are fairly tame: meaning there is no crude language and not too much in the way of bad innuendo... or otherwise I wouldn't reference it.

Colbert hosts the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner
Stephen Colbert hosts the 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner broadcast by C-SPAN. I found it incredibly surprising that the President would even go along with this given how much Colbert has made fun of George W. Bush to date (video "Nazis - Bush is rated on the Hitler popularity scale"). For example, he questioned those media pundits who claim that the White House shake-up was merely "re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic." "This administration is soaring, not sinking," avowed Colbert. "If anything, they are re-arranging the deck chairs on the Hindenburg."

Colbert is extremely funny at times. I like how Stephen Colbert mocks Bush's popularity (or the lack thereof) and his policies right in front of him. Where was Colbert when Bill Clinton was in office? Hmmmm... that would be really amusing to see Clinton heckled in person.

(As a technical aside, the best thing to do is pause the video for a while and let it download sufficiently, so it will not skip.)

Colbert Takes on Democrats in Hard-Hitting Interviews
Stephen Colbert takes on Congressional Democrats as well as Jessie Jackson in a series of hard-hitting interviews. As part as his "Better Know a District" series, the host of The Colbert Report Stephen Colbert has gone to the task of interviewing Congressional representatives throughout the Union, which has over 435 Congressional districts. His heckling of Democrats is a ready source of amusement for me. He really cracks me up. He makes it a point to throw accusations of bribe-taking from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff on a regular basis. Here are some witty outtakes.

Stephen Colbert Takes on Democrats in Hard-Hitting Interviews

VIDEO: Better Know a District: California's 29th - Stephen trikes to implicate Schiff in a bribery scandal and questions the constitutionality of his immigration reform with a twisted interpretation of the Second Amendment.

Colbert: "Is immigration a concern in your community?"

Schiff: "It is. I recently introduced a bill along with Senator Feinstein, to deal with massive half-mile long tunnels under the border."

Colbert: "Are you outlawing tunnels?"

Schiff: "We are outlawing tunnels under the borders."

Colbert: "But aren't tunnels guaranteed in the Second Amendment. Right to bear arms?!?"

Schiff: "I don't think so."

Colbert: "What is a gun but a bullet tunnel? What are these tunnels but long gun barrels under our borders that fire Mexicans at us?"

VIDEO: Better Know a District: Maryland's 4th-- Stephen talks about the bloated federal government and Congressman Wynn's messy divorce. Wynn makes faces about like me when I'm perplexed. It's very funny.

Colbert: "Isn't the largest employer in your district the federal government."

Wynn: "Absolutely."

Colbert: "I think you and your people should not be allowed to vote."

Wynn: [cold stare, pause]

Colbert: "And by your people... I mean federal employees."

Wynn: "We should not be allowed to vote?"

Colbert: "You're always going to vote to increase the size of federal government."

Wynn: "But it also might be a good thing if we're doing a good job."

Colbert: "Name one thing government has ever done well."

Wynn: "Social Security."

Colbert: "Name two."

Wynn: "Medicare."

Colbert: "OK. Name three."

Wynn: "Medicade."

Colbert: "Name twelve."

Wynn: [pause, perplexion, no response]

Colbert: "Check and mate."

VIDEO: Better Know A District: Oregon's 3rd - Colbert tackles the Left Coast, tree-hugging liberal Congressman Earl Blumenauer.

Stephen Colbert: "Would it be safe to say you're a liberal?"

Blumenauer: "It depends on the issue, because I'm also working with my more conservative friends to eliminate sugar subsidies. Is that liberal or conservative?"

Colbert: "That's liberal."

Blumenauer: "Why?"

Colbert: "Because you support it."

Colbert: "Is it safe to say you're an America-hating, terrorist-lover, hiding behind a stupid bow tie?"

Here are other selective interviews:

VIDEO: Jessie Jackson -- Colbert tackles Jessie Jackson, a familiar character in American politics, in this hard-hitting interview.

VIDEO: Better Know a District: New Jersey's 8th - Congressman Bill Pascrell, an anti-defamation leader for Italian-Americans, is on Stephen's hot seat.

VIDEO: Better Know a District: Oregon's 3rd - Colbert tackles the Left Coast, tree-hugging liberal Congressman Earl Blumenauer.

VIDEO: Better Know a District: Oregon's 5th -- Stephen asks Congresswoman Darlene Hooley if she's high right.

VIDEO: Better Know a District: Virginia's 8th -- Stephen interviews a "poor man's Ted Kennedy" and challenges him to a fight. Moran is a representative from Fairfax / northern Virginia.

You can tune into the Colbert Report at 11:30 PM EST / 10:30PM CST on Comedy Central.


Related Web Sites:
The Colbert Nation
The Colbert Report