Following Jesus and Practicing Yoga

I have had observed some interesting and widely varied Christian responses to the practice of yoga. I have met some who are devout practitioners of this ancient Eastern body wisdom, and I have also been with a Christian who would not walk into a store that sold yoga mats and DVDs because it was "Satanic."

Yoga, at its core, is a way of exercising and disciplining the body to prepare for long periods of meditation and prayer. Certainly it has its roots in Eastern religions, especially Hinduism, but might it provide benefits to Christians who would like to pray with less distraction and meditate on the things of Christ at greater length than they are presently able? I propose that it might indeed. I, myself, do not currently practice yoga with any regularity, but I have done it before, and I can see where it might be quite useful. But, before I go any further, let me take a paragraph or so to respond to the most often heard qualm about Christians practicing yoga.

The main objection I hear from Christians about the practice of yoga goes something like, "Christians shouldn't do yoga because it is part of the Hindu religion," or "Christians shouldn't do yoga because it is the equivalent of practicing another religion and could be inviting some dark spiritual elements into their life, and is therefore a sin." The best way I know to respond to these arguments against a Christian practice of yoga goes something like this:

Pagans, Muslims, and others have studied astronomy for centuries for spiritual reasons that are contrary to the teachings of Christianity, yet Christians have benefited tremendously from adopting these advancements in the study of the cosmos. Should Christians avoid astronomy because of some previous associations with other religions? Mathematics was studied by Muslims for centuries to show how Allah had created the world with order. Should Christians abandon certain fields of mathematics because of their historical association with Islam? Certain tribal groups use different plants for their "spiritual" value in healing certain ailments, and modern medicine has found that many of these tribal remedies are indeed helpful. Should Christians shun certain advancements in medicine because of their association with tribal religions and tribal spiritual beliefs? Coffee was originally used by Sufis to help them stay up late and concentrate during their night prayers. Should Christians stop drinking coffee because it was used in the prayer rituals of Sufis? A hearty "No!" to all of these questions. I could go on and on in this vein, but I think the point is made. Just because people of another faith, religion, or worldview find something useful for themselves, does not mean that it is off limits to the Christian. All things not sinful are ours in Christ. That is part of the redemption of all things. Where there is not prohibition in Scripture, there may be liberty of behavior as the conscience permits. (This is not a licence for loose living. Shame on you if you use the idea of "redeeming all things" as an opportunity for sin. Holiness is a principal teaching of Scripture, Jesus, and the Apostles.)

My conclusion then: if a Christian finds them self very easily distracted during times of prayer or meditation, developing a yoga practice may help to center the mind and enable the Christian to experience times of prayer and meditation with less interruption and with stronger focus. As long as the intention is directed Christward, I can hardly see how this would be harmful, wrong, or sinful. Certainly there is a way to practice yoga that is sinful, but there is also a way to drink orange juice that is sinful. Yoga is no more inherently sinful that astronomy, mathematics, medicine, or coffee. All things from Christ, and through Christ, and to Christ. To Him be glory forever more. Amen.

Timely Thoughts on Abortion

The following are some excerpts from John Piper's response to the Supreme Court's recent upholding of the ban on partial birth abortions. This issue is so important, and the following words so timely, I truly hope that you will read them all:

Let the Python Eat Its Tail. Amen. by John Piper

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the opinion of the Supreme Court in upholding the ban on partial birth abortions on April 18, 2007. It is astonishing to read the opinion (PDF). The detail with which abortion is discussed exceeded my expectation. Kennedy’s own descriptions of the various forms of abortion are explicit and extensive. Descriptions of the procedure of partial birth abortion (“intact dilation and extraction”) are given from both doctors’ and nurses’ perspectives.

For example, one nurse described the procedure on a twenty-six-week-old “fetus” as follows—and remember this is a quote from Justice Kennedy’s official Supreme Court decision:

"Dr. Haskell went in with forceps and grabbed the baby’s legs and pulled them down into the birth canal. Then he delivered the baby’s body and the arms—everything but the head. The doctor kept the head right inside the uterus. . . . The baby’s little fingers were clasping and unclasping, and his little feet were kicking. Then the doctor stuck the scissors in the back of his head, and the baby’s arms jerked out, like a startle reaction, like a flinch, like a baby does when he thinks he is going to fall. The doctor opened up the scissors, stuck a high-powered suction tube into the opening, and sucked the baby’s brains out. Now the baby went completely limp. . . . He cut the umbilical cord and delivered the placenta. He threw the baby in a pan, along with the placenta and the instruments he had just used." (p. 8)

This use of catch phrases is surely tired. “Right to choose.” “Equal rights for women.” The grandchildren of the sixties are waking up to the vagueness and danger of those phrases. Right to choose what? Anything? All laws that protect children limit the rights of moms (and dads) to choose. You can’t choose to starve them. You can’t choose to lock them in closets for three weeks. You can’t choose to abandon them. You can’t choose to strangle them five minutes after they are born.

And “equal rights for women”—equal with whom? Equal with the irresponsible dad. Dad has sex and bears no responsibility for the baby. Mom should be equally able to have sex and bear no responsibility for the baby. Young people are looking at this and saying: Something is wrong with this picture. Maybe our lives are as broken as they are because our parents have twisted their hearts and minds so deeply to justify equality in irresponsibility.

Hillary Clinton opposes the Supreme Court decision because “the rights and lives of women must be taken into account.” Yes. That is mainly what this forty-page opinion of the court does. Read it. And it will be interesting whether Senator Clinton will have any opinion about moms and dads who want to abort their little girls, but not their little boys. I think the younger generation may ask the senator: Should the life of little women be taken into account, or only big women?

I pray that ahead and behind of the delegalization of abortion will flow waves of inner repentance as we awaken to the outrage of assaulting God’s image-bearers in the very moment of his knitting them together in their mothers’ wombs (Psalm 139:13).

May the python, indeed, eat its tail. Amen and Amen. I hope and pray (not nearly with the tears that I should) that abortion will one day be just as abhorable and reprehensible as slavery.

The Warnings of Jesus

As I have been reading through the Gospels lately, I have noticed that very often Jesus will issue a warning to his followers. These warnings usually take the form of "woe to you...," or "beware...," or "be on your guard...," or "watch out...," or something of this nature. As I looked at these warnings more closely, I noticed that most all of them fall into one of three catagories:

--Warnings against a love or strong desire for money and material possessions (such as Luke 6:24 – 25, Luke 12:15, Matthew 23:25)

--Warnings against a love or strong desire for fame, reputation, honor, prestige, and the praise of man (such as Matthew 6:1, Luke 6:26, Luke 11:43, Luke 20:46-47)

--Warnings against forgetting those below you...those in poverty, widows, orphans, etc. (such as Luke 11:42, Matthew 25:34-46)

It seems to me that Jesus' repeated warnings about these things should land quite strongly on us Westerners today because these seem to be exactly the things that our culture and society offer to us as things worthy of pursuit. This deserves quite a bit more meditation by each of us.

Free Tibet Protest at Everest Base Camp

(AP) Three Americans and a Tibetan-American were detained on Mount Everest on Wednesday as they called for independence for Tibet and protested against the Beijing Olympics, an activist group said.

The protest was organized by Students for a Free Tibet, which said three people were taken away after holding up a banner at a base camp on the Tibetan side of the mountain that said "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008." The fourth person detained by Chinese authorities was a cameraperson, said the group's executive director Lhadon Tethong. "One World, One Dream" is the slogan of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee will announce the route for the 2008 Olympic torch relay in Beijing on Thursday. Chinese officials have said they want to take it to the top of the world's tallest mountain on the border between Nepal and Tibet. "The Chinese government hopes to use the 2008 Olympic Games to conceal the brutality of its occupation of Tibet," Tethong said from the Nepalese capital, Katmandu.

Tethong said more than 70 Chinese climbers were in the base camp preparing for a trial climb to see if it is possible to take a torch to the top of 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) Mount Everest. "One of the key points for the Chinese in their Olympic propaganda is to show happy Tibetans. They are very much using the Olympics, so we are also using it to call for an independent Tibet," Tethong said.

China says it has ruled Tibet for centuries, although many Tibetans say they were essentially an independent state for most of that time. Chinese communist troops occupied Tibet in 1951 and Beijing continues to rule the region with a heavy hand. Taking the Olympic torch to the top of Mount Everest is seen by some as way for Beijing to underscore its claims to Tibet. "The International Olympic Committee has no business promoting the Chinese government's political agenda by allowing the torch to be run through Tibet," Tethong said.

Book Review: The Last Word by N.T. Wright

I must admit that I had nearly written The Last Word off before I even began it because of N.T. Wright's association with "The New Perspectives on Paul." Am I ever glad that I didn't. Though traces of the "New Perspctives" can be seen within the pages of this book, it has been one of the most thought provoking, eye opening, challenging, helpful, and pleasurable books I have read in a while. In fact, I declare it the best book that I have read this year.

Wright's intention with the book is to help reader's come to grips with what is meant by "the authority of scripture" and how disciples of Christ can live under this authority. Wright does a wonderful job of defending and defining this important piece of Christian life, and without giving too much away let me just say that he gives much more than the typical fundamentalist treatment of the subject. He finds a way that steers the dangerous course between fundamentalism and liberalism and actually gives us a doctrine of the authority of scripture that is robust, well thought out, helpful, and that makes use of Christian tradition. Also, Wright's understanding and analysis of contemporary and historical thought and its influence on culture is masterful. He may be the best cultural observer of our times who calls himself a follower of Jesus. If you only read one book about the Bible, read this one. If you read two, then add Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson. If you read three, then add Scripture Alone by R.C. Sproul.

Get it here.

To Some it Has Been Given

It is my opinion, that the following men are (in order) the best preachers/spiritual teachers of our generation (based on orthodoxy, orthopraxy, awareness of the culture and times, talent for public speaking, and giftedness in teaching) :

1. John Piper of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN.
2. Tim Keller of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York, NY.
3. Matt Chandler or The Village Church near Dallas, TX.
4. Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seatle, WA.

If you are not familiar with these men, I commend them to you. They are a tremendous blessing to the church in America during this generation, and have been instrumental in my spiritual formation and growth.

She Said Yes!

On the 28th of March, in the 2007th year of our Lord, in the mountains of Colorado, as the snow fell softly on our tent, Jennifer Uhre agreed to be my wife. I am now officially the happiest man in the world.

We have created the following blog to keep everyone up to date on our planning and progress, and we will also post pictures soon. So add it to your favorites and check it often.

http://jasonandjennywedding.blogspot.com/

An Emcee's Gentle Word

Curtis "Voice" Allen was invited to John Piper's church, Bethlehem Baptist Church (BBC), to share his testimony and to perform last October. All seemed to go well until word spread that John Piper had a rapper rap at his church during worship and people flipped out. Because of his performance, many people even called his conversion into question.

It would be understandable if Mr. Allen was upset, or even if he let loose a little well founded criticism of the current state of evangelicalism in America, but instead he wrote this article. It is a response written from a humility I fear that I may never find. It almost brings me to tears. God grant me and other Christians to respond to adversity and criticism in such a way as this.

Again, read his response here: An Emcee's Gentle Word

Also check out other thoughts on the situation from Justin Taylor and Steve McCoy.

Who Was St. Patrick?

Sometime around 400 AD, Patrick, a sixteen-year-old Briton, was kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold into slavery in Ireland. He had previously rejected the Christian faith of his parents, but during his six years of captivity, he repented and gave his heart to God, praying constantly as he tended sheep alone in the hills. When he escaped and returned to Britain, Patrick was far behind his peers in terms of education and never really caught up, but he worked hard to receive the theological training he needed so he could return to the Irish as a missionary--to the very people who had enslaved him:

I must take this decision [to return to the Irish], disregarding any risks
involved, and make known "the gifts of God and his everlasting consolation."
Neither must we fear any such risk in faithfully preaching God's name boldly in every place, so that even after my death a spiritual legacy may be left for my
brethren and my children, so many people in their thousands whom I have baptized
in the Lord.

Thanks to Patrick's love and service, within a hundred years, the country was transformed from an illiterate, pagan nation of war, slavery, and human sacrifice to the guardian of the literature of Western civilization as Rome crumbled. After the dust settled, it was the Irish who traveled into Europe to plant the seeds of spiritual renewal and learning through the creation of monasteries that protected the ancient manuscripts and re-evangelized Europe.

God began all this through a man who felt decidedly unqualified for service, but who loved God completely, believed He is true, and was willing to give his life for others:

[God] stirred up me, a fool, from the midst of those who are considered wise and
learned in the practice of law, as well as "persuasive in their speech" and in
every other way and, ahead of these others, inspired me who is so despised by
the world, to be fit to help (if only I could!) faithfully and "in fear and
trembling" and without any complaint that race of people to which the love of
Christ drew me and thus spend the rest of my life, if only I might prove worthy;
simply to serve them in humility and truth.

Patrick was adamant, particularly at the end of his Confession, that nobody who reads his words should ever attribute the work he describes to his own abilities and power. But rather, they should glorify God who was the One working in him and through him, a humble former slave. He reminds us that everything accomplished through him was a gift from God. The irony of this holiday is that Patrick would be horrified to learn that not only is there a special day now devoted to him, but that day is cluttered with leprechauns, gold, and good-luck charms--the kind of paganism he worked so tirelessly to rescue people from in the first place.

Instead, I pray you'll see this day as a reminder of the value of bringing Christ to the lost through prayer, suffering, sacrifice, and loving your enemies. And above all, I pray it's a reminder of the value and glory of God Himself who loved a small country of barbarians enough to make sure even they would come to know Him.

So let Patrick's words now be ours:

At last I came here to the Irish gentiles to preach the gospel...Now I was able
to hand over the freedom of my birth for the benefit of others. And should I
prove worthy, I am ready and willing to give up my own life, without hesitation
for his name.

(I encourage you all to read Patrick's story in his own words in The Confession of St. Patrick and see how the God he loved changed the world through him in How the Irish Saved Civilization.)

Source

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Prayer of St. Patrick

I arise today
Through a mighty strength,
the invocation of the Trinity,
Through the belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness
Of the Creator of Creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with his baptism,
Through the strength of his crucifixion with his burial,
Through the strength of his resurrection with his ascension,
Through the strength of his descent for the judgment of Doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of Cherubim,
In obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In prayers of patriarchs,
In predictions of prophets,
In preaching of apostles,
In faith of confessors,
In innocence of holy virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

I arise today
Through the strength of heaven:
Light of sun,
Radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire,
Speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind,
Depth of sea,
Stability of earth,
Firmness of rock
.
I arise today
Through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptations of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and anear,
Alone and in multitude.

I summon today all these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel merciless power that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul.

Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me abundance of reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me,Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the threeness,
Through confession of the oneness,
Of the Creator of Creation.

John Calvin's 500th

July of 2009 will be the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin. In honor of this, there will be a series of celebrations, seminars, and conferences. Calvin500 is a good resource for these events, which are described more below:

The Calvin Quincentenary is an international, interdenominational, and interdisciplinary commemoration of the life and work of John Calvin (b. 1509), which left such an indelible impression on the modern world. Climaxing with conferences in multiple locations in 2009, this celebration combines history, spirituality, and culture to recall appropriately the life and work of the Genevan Reformer.

Esteemed leaders, scholars, and ministers will serve as your guides to learning about this influential man, his vibrant city, and the cultural, religious, political, and economic impact flowing from a movement. This multi-faceted approach seeks to introduce many people to one of the most important thinkers (links to Calvin bios) in history.

The Quiet Time

Joe Thorn has some really good thoughts on a quiet time/devotional time/private worship. I really recommend reading the series.

The Quiet Time Series
1. Not a Cleansing Rite
2. Defined
3. My Failure
4. What is it good for?
5. Advise

From the Archives - Are Luxuries a Sin?

I am here going to do my best to give a Biblically faithful answer to the question:
Is having luxuries in a world full of preventable suffering a sin?

Before I go any further, I would like to first define luxuries for my purposes here. I define a luxury as anything above and beyond meeting basic needs, basic levels of comfort, basic responsibility, basic ability to function well in your culture, and basic ability to do your job well. I get the impetus for this definition from Proverbs 30:8. I suppose I could go on and further define basic needs, basic responsibilities, etc., but that could get a bit tedious, so for now we will let this definition stand alone.

So now, where to begin? Let's start with Matthew 10:29-37:But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

I gather that the point of the parable is this: Your neighbor is anyone who needs your help that you have the ability to help. Furthermore, we are obligated in love to go out of our way to provide that help where we see a need. So, how do we apply this to our current situation as educated, fairly affluent, Western Christians in a world that is still repleat with enough preventable hunger, disease, and suffering to bring any thoughtful and loving Christian to tears? Here is my train of thought:

• Is it a sin to disobey a clear teaching of Jesus? Yes
• Is it a clear teaching of Jesus to show mercy when you are able? Yes
• Therefore, it is a sin to not show mercy to your neighbor when you are able, and in this day and age, almost everyone is your neighbor according to Jesus' definition.

So to bring back our original question: Is having luxuries in a world full of preventable suffering sin? My answer is this: If luxuries prevent you from showing mercy and love to your neighbor, then they are a sin. If you could get by with a car that is several thousand dollars cheaper, then it seems that vanity would be the only reason to have a nicer one, especially if that money could be used to advance the Gospel or alleviate preventable suffering. The same could be said of clothing, recreation, food, Dish satelites, second homes, etc., etc. This obviously wouldn't look the same for everyone. One man was told by Jesus to sell everything he owned, another was moved to sell half and commended for it, still another sold a field, and still others in Scripture sold things "as others had need," and yet still others used their possesions themselves as a way to advance the Kingdom without actually selling them. James 2:16 is also a scripture that could be looked at here, but this is getting a bit long already.

In general, perhaps it is the "entitlement mentality" that is sinful. Just because you can afford something, doesn't mean that you are justified/entitled to have it, especially if your resources could be better used in some Kingdom capacity. I am fully aware that if I am correct, then my life is far from this ideal, and I pray that God will help me to do some pretty heavy duty repenting so that I will not be like the man "desiring to justify himself."

An immediate, and almost cliche, objection to this line of reasoning usually go like this, "David, Solomon, and Abraham were wealthy, and they were considered righteous men of God." My answer to this objection comes in several layers.

First, I am not saying that luxuries, in and of themselves, are sinful.

Second, just because an OT character portrays a certain attitude, action, or lifestyle, that doesn't necessarily mean that Christians would be justified in immitating it. Abraham, David, and Solomon were wealthy indeed, but they also did many things that it would be sinful for the Christian to do that we don't see them recognizing as sinful. Solomon's many wives pop into mind.

Thirdly, Jesus and the Apostolic witness shed new light, in many ways, on how the Children of Promise should live. Jesus himself updates (I'm not sure what the best word would be here) many practices that were seemingly endorsed by the OT. Divorce comes to mind. Moses said it was OK with a certificate, but Jesus gets straight to the meat of the matter and draws out a previously unseen way of viewing life and choices, one that is radically God centered. The New Testament, along with other things, seems to give Christians a new and higher view of possessions and money than the one given in the OT.

And the last reason that I don't think Abraham, et al. , are a good example for the Christian of how to use wealth is that their lives were foreshadowings of deeper truths. The material blessings belonging to the Old Testament heros of the faith were pointing toward the deeper, truer, more eternal spiritual blessings that we enjoy here, and will enjoy even more in Heaven. As the Biblical revelation moves from "type" to "reality" we see less and less material possesions and more and more spirtual possesions.

In conclusion, I am not saying that all rich people are necessarily any more sinful than poor people. I am saying simply this: If luxuries prevent you from showing mercy and love to your neighbor, then they are a sin. Ultimately, anything that does not spring from a love for God, His Glory, His Kingdom, and your neighbor is sin. God help us. Soli Deo Gloria!

Funny Fact

According to Amazon, "The Very Best of Sting and the Police" is the top-selling album in Kazakhstan right now.

Interesting Fact

The word "leader" is used only seven times in the New Testament. The word "servant" is used 178 times.

Something You Can Do To Change The World - #1

From this point forward, buy and drink only organic, shade grown, fair trade coffee.

Why organic? No herbacides and pesticides are used which could pollute the soil and groundwater.

Why shade grown? Shade grown means that the coffee plants were grown in the midst of the existing forests instead of deforesting to plant coffee.

Why fair trade? The workers who grow and harvest the coffee will recieve a living wage for their work.

Here We Go Again

Apparently, there is some interesting (or not so interesting) things going on in the archaelogical world...or so says James White and Michael Spencer. Don't be surprised if this is exactly what itching ears want to hear.

Be Not Ignorant

The 2008 U.S. Presidential Election is coming up, and this is going to be an important one. Arm yourself with information, and make a good choice. Below is a list of potential candidates. Click on their name to reach their website.

Democrat
Barack Obama
Hillary Clinton
John Edwards
Bill Richardson
Joe Biden
Dennis Kucinich
Chris Dodd
Tom Vilsack
Mike Gravel
Rev. Al Sharpton

Republican
Rudy Giuliani
John McCain
Sam Brownback
John H. Cox
Duncan Hunter
Mitt Romney
Michael Charles Smith
Jim Gilmore
Mike Huckabee
Ron Paul
Tom Tancredo
Tommy Thompson
Newt Gingrich

Independent/Third Party
Kat Swift (Green Party)
Steve Kubby (Libertarian Party)
George Phillies (Libertarian Party)
Christine Smith (Libertarian Party)
Doug Stanhope (Libertarian Party)
Gene Chapman (Libertarian Party)
Robert Milnes (Libertarian Party)
Steve Adams
Gene Amondson (Prohibition Party)
Bob Hargis
Daniel Imperato

Also, these are the major parties' websites sot that you can familiarize yourself with their positions and platforms.

Republican Party
Democratic Party
Green Party
Libertarian Party

Take the time to learn, and be not ignorant.

DesiringGod Blog

John Piper, Jon Bloom, Matt Perman, David Mathis, Lukas Maugle, and Justin Taylor have started the DesiringGod Blog. Read it here at http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog/.

Tibetan tells of Chinese 'torture'

DHARMSALA, India (AP) -- Nearly three dozen Tibetans captured by Chinese troops as they tried to sneak out of their homeland were tortured with cattle prods and forced into hard labor, a teenager who identified himself as one of the former detainees said Tuesday, in the first reported account of the fate of the group.

Jamyang Samten, 15, said he was one of 75 Tibetans who were making their way over a 19,000-foot-high Himalayan pass on September 30 when Chinese border guards opened fire, killing a 25-year-old Buddhist nun and another person. The incident was filmed by a mountaineering expedition and broadcast by a Romanian television station, prompting an international outcry.
Forty-one refugees managed to reach India, but 32 others were caught and detained. While Samten said some of those detained have since been released, he is the only member of the group known to have again tried to flee and made it.

Samten's account of his detention and flight, told to The Associated Press at a center for Tibetan refugees in Dharmsala, the home of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was the first report of the fate of those captured in September. His account, nearly impossible to verify, echoed stories that have long filtered out of isolated Tibet, where each year thousands who are unable to get passports attempt to flee Chinese rule, trekking over the Himalayas to Nepal and then India.

Chinese officials in Beijing did not respond to Samten's allegations late Tuesday. In Dharmsala, the director of the Tibetan Reception Center, Dorjee, said Samten arrived Monday after escaping from Tibet through Nepal following his release. "He was part of the group trying to cross the Nanpa La Pass in September. He was arrested by the Chinese and taken back to Tibet and he is lucky to escape this time," said Dorjee, who uses one name. He added that Samten would soon meet the Dalai Lama, who is currently visiting Mumbai.

Samten told the AP that his group of 32 -- all under 20 years old -- was traveling behind the first group when Chinese border guards opened fire. Their guide told them to hide behind boulders and wait while he investigated. He never returned, Samten said, and the group waited for three days in the snowy peaks until their food ran out and they made another go at the pass. "As we went across, the Chinese guards started shooting near us to frighten us," he said. They surrendered, were arrested and thrown into a truck, he said. Inside there was the body of a dead nun and a wounded man who had rags tied around a bullet wound in his leg, Samten said.
Shortly after the shooting, the Chinese government, in a statement that appeared to describe the same incident, said its border forces killed one person when they clashed with some 70 people trying to leave the country illegally. It said a second person died later. But it said Chinese forces were attacked and acted in self-defense.

Samten said his group was taken from an army camp to a police station four hours away. There they were questioned over a three-day period during which they were repeatedly hit with an electric cattle prod, he said. "It went on until I fainted," said Samten, adding that police repeatedly asked him to identify the dead nun. Seven members of the group who were under 15 years old -- including a 4-year-old child -- were not questioned, he said. After three days, they were taken by truck to a prison in Shigatse, Tibet's second-largest city, Samten said. They were questioned again while chained to a wall, he said. "A guard wearing a metal glove would hit us in the stomach," Samten said. They were held there for 48 days during which they dug ditches, built fences and tilled fields, he said.Samten said he was released alone but had heard from other Tibetans that the others were freed a day later.

After being turned over to members of his family by Chinese authorities he tried to escape Tibet again, this time successfully, paying two Nepalese men to smuggle him and two others over the border, he said. From Nepal he made his way to India, which has become a center for Tibetan exiles since the Dalai Lama fled there in 1959 after a failed uprising against China, settling in the northern town of Dharmsala. Many Tibetans say China, which sent its troops into the Himalayan area in 1950, has attempted to destroy Tibetan Buddhist culture by flooding Tibet with China's ethnic Han majority. China says Tibet has been part of China for centuries.

Source: Here

100,000 homeless in Jakarta floods

Flooding has killed at least five people and left more than 100,000 others homeless in the Indonesian capital, officials said Saturday as neck-high waters submerged large sections of the city.

The country's meteorology department forecast more rains Saturday and over the next two weeks. "We must be on guard. The weather is still our enemy here," said Hendri, an official monitoring water levels on major rivers. "Those who live in flood prone areas, please seek refuge."

Two days of incessant rain caused rivers to burst their banks across Jakarta on Friday, inundating more than 20,000 homes, government buildings and businesses, and forcing authorities to cut off electricity and water supplies. Waters from the worst flooding to hit the city in five years had receded slightly Saturday in some city-center districts, but continued to rise in outlying areas, media reports and witnesses said. Several main roads leading to the city of 12 million people were blocked, and the rail network was crippled. Scores of callers to local radio station el-Shinta reported they were trapped in their houses.

Sunardi, from the National Coordination Agency for Disaster Relief, said that five people had died since Friday, having been either electrocuted or drowned. More than 106,000 people had been made homeless, said Sunardi, who goes by a single name. Those left homeless were staying with family or in mosques, schools and government buildings on higher ground, officials said.
Seasonal rains cause flooding each year in Indonesia, including the capital, but Friday's were the worst since 2002, when waters washed into the presidential palace and the lobby of a five-star hotel.

Source: Here

Luther on Sanctifying the Ordinary

I usually don't like to steal from other blogs, but this is worth reading.

Abortion

I believe that one day, future generations will look back with horror at our acceptance of abortion the same way we look back in horror at slavery or colonialism.

The picture below is a fetus at 18 weeks old, one week before viability (ability to survive without being in the mother).

1. There are 1.5 million abortions a year in America every year--27 million since the Supreme Court overturned the public conscience of 48 states 19 years ago.

2. 30% of all babies conceived in America are killed by abortion.

3. Medically, women are told not to have abortions before the 7th week of pregnancy (see the Yes/Neon booklet), and yet by the 8th week the heart of the baby has been beating for a month, there are measurable brain waves, there is response to touch, there's thumb-sucking, grasping with the hands, swimming with the arms in the amniotic fluid, distinct arms and legs and sexual organs. This much must--not may, must--be present before most abortion centers will cut the baby to pieces with a suction machine 4,000 times a day.

4. 9,000 babies were killed after the 21st week of pregnancy in 1987, fully formed and on the brink of being able to breathe for themselves--killed, legally!

5. We have a fetal homicide law that makes it "murder to kill an embryo or fetus intentionally, except in cases of abortion"--in other words, it's unlawful to kill the unborn child unless the mother chooses to have it killed. That is a strange and dark criterion for lawful killing.

6. That "There is inescapable schizophrenia in aborting a perfectly normal 22 week fetus while at the same hospital, performing intra-uterine surgery on its cousin" (Steve Calvin).

7. Viability outside the womb is not a criterion of personhood and right to life, because we ourselves don't want to give up our personhood and our right to life if we must be sustained on a respirator or dialysis machine the way a baby has to be sustained by a placenta.

8. The size and reasoning power of a tiny person is irrelevant to human personhood because if it were we might allow tiny and unthinking newborns to be killed.

9. Genetically human embryos and fetuses are utterly different from all other animal life; if they are just left alone, with nothing added but nourishment they will grow up.

10. If it is unlawful to crush the egg of a bald eagle, it is not excessively restrictive to make it unlawful to crush the egg of a human.

11. When two legitimate rights conflict--the right not to be pregnant and the right not to be killed--justice demands that we give place to the greater right, the right that does the least harm--the one that does not willfully kill.

12. There are thousands of crisis pregnancy centers in this country ready to help, and almost all of them are free--unlike the abortion mills that charge plenty of money--and the older the baby, the more they charge.

13.It is hypocritical to speak as though choice were the untouchable absolute in this matter and then turn around and oppose choice in matters of gun-control and welfare support and affirmative action and minimum wage and dozens of other issues where so-called pro-choice people join the demand that people's choices be limited to protect others. It's a sham argument. All choices are limited by life.

14 Trespassing to save life is not a crime and that it does not undermine our legal system but on the contrary endorses the one foundation stone without which that legal system in this land will fall, namely the inalienable right to life. There will be no law but the law of individual choice (=anarchy) if the foundations stone of life's value is destroyed. And abortion is destroying it

Are you ready for this? Actual abortion video. Unless one has seen what an abortion actually is, the arguments supporting abortion are purely theoretical and pale in comparison to the reality of killing a child. WARNING: Not for the faint of heart. See it here.

Find more information here at Abort73.

Two Wills in God?

If God wants everyone to be saved, then why are some not?
John Piper addresses this very question here.

Paul's Letter to American Christians by MLK Jr.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. ... his life, his legacy, and his commitment to nonviolent resistance, I offer the following sermon by Dr. King. It is entitled Paul's Letter to American Christians.

Read it here.

The Teaching

"This teaching went straight to my heart." - Ghandi

"I doubt if there is in the world a single problem, whether social, political, or economic, which would not find ready solution if men and nations would rule their lives according to [this] plain teaching " -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"[This teaching is] all the ethical code anybody needs." -- Harry Truman

"the best-known part of the teaching of Jesus, though arguably it is the least understood, and certainly it is the least obeyed." -- John Stott

What is this teaching? Read it here.

Resolutions

In honor of the new year, these are the resolutions of Jonathan Edwards:

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him, by his grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake.

Remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.

1. Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to the glory of God, and my own good, profit, and pleasure, in the whole of my duration; without any consideration of the time, whether now, or never so many myriads of ages hence. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general. Resolved, so to do, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many soever, and how great soever.

2. Resolved, To be continually endeavouring to find out some new contrivance and invention to promote the forementioned things.

3. Resolved, If ever I shall fall and grow dull, so as to neglect to keep any part of these Resolutions, to repent of all I can remember, when I come to myself again.

4. Resolved, Never to do any manner of thing, whether in soul or body, less or more, but what tends to the glory of God, nor be, nor suffer it, if I can possibly avoid it.

5. Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but to improve it in the most profitable way I possibly can.

6. Resolved, To live with all my might, while I do live.

7. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.

8. Resolved, To act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings, as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an occasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God. Vid. July 30.

9. Resolved, To think much, on all occasions, of my dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

10. Resolved, when I feel pain, to think of the pains of martyrdom, and of hell.

11. Resolved, When I think of any theorem in divinity to be solved, immediately to do what I can towards solving it, if circumstances do not hinder. xxi

12. Resolved, If I take delight in it as a gratification of pride, or vanity, or on any such account, immediately to throw it by.

13. Resolved, To be endeavouring to find out fit objects of liberality and charity.

14. Resolved, Never to do any thing out of revenge.

15. Resolved, Never to suffer the least motions of anger towards irrational beings.

16. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any one, so that it shall tend to his dishonour, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

17. Resolved, That I will live so, as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.

18. Resolved, To live so, at all times, as I think is best in my most devout frames, and when I have the clearest notions of the things of the gospel, and another world.

19. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour before I should hear the last trump.

20. Resolved, To maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

21. Resolved, Never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise him for, or to think any way the more meanly of him.

22. Resolved, To endeavour to obtain for myself as much happiness in the other world as I possibly can, with all the power, might, vigour, and vehemence, yea violence, I am capable of, or can bring myself to exert, in any way that can be thought of.

23. Resolved, Frequently to take some deliberate action, which seems most unlikely to be done, for the glory of God, and trace it back to the original intention, designs, and ends of it; and if I find it not to be for God’s glory, to repute it as a breach of the fourth Resolution.

24. Resolved, Whenever I do any conspicuously evil action, to trace it back, till I come to the original cause; and then, both carefully endeavour to do so no more, and to fight and pray with all my might against the original of it.

25. Resolved, To examine carefully and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and so direct all my forces against it.

26. Resolved, To cast away such things as I find do abate my assurance.

27. Resolved, Never wilfully to omit any thing, except the omission be for the glory of God; and frequently to examine my omissions.

28. Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly, and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive, myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

29. Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession which I cannot hope God will accept.

30. Resolved, To strive every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher exercise of grace, than I was the week before.

31. Resolved, Never to say any thing at all against any body, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of christian honour, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said any thing against any one, to bring it to, and try it strictly by, the test of this Resolution.

32. Resolved, To be strictly and firmly faithful to my trust, that that, in Prov. xx. 6. ‘A faithful man, who can find?’ may not be partly fulfilled in me.

33. Resolved, To do always what I can towards making, maintaining, and preserving peace, when it can be done without an overbalancing detriment in other respects. Dec. 26, 1722.

34. Resolved, In narrations, never to speak any thing but the pure and simple verity.

35. Resolved, Whenever I so much question whether I have done my duty, as that my quiet and calm is thereby disturbed, to set it down, and also how the question was resolved. Dec. 18, 1722.

36. Resolved, Never to speak evil of any, except I have some particular good call to it. Dec. 19, 1722.

37. Resolved, To inquire every night, as I am going to bed, wherein I have been negligent,—what sin I have committed,—and wherein I have denied myself;—also, at the end of every week, month, and year. Dec. 22 and 26, 1722.

38. Resolved, Never to utter any thing that is sportive, or matter of laughter, on a Lord’s day. Sabbath evening, Dec. 23, 1722.

39. Resolved, Never to do any thing, of which I so much question the lawfulness, as that I intend, at the same time, to consider and examine afterwards, whether it be lawful or not; unless I as much question the lawfulness of the omission.

40. Resolved, To inquire every night before I go to bed, whether I have acted in the best way I possibly could, with respect to eating and drinking. Jan. 7, 1723.

41. Resolved, to ask myself, at the end of every day, week, month, and year, wherein I could possibly, in any respect, have done better. Jan. 11, 1723.

42. Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism, which I solemnly renewed when I was received into the communion of the church, and which I have solemnly re-made this 12th day of January, 1723.

43. Resolved, Never, henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s; agreeably to what is to be found in Saturday, Jan. 12th. Jan. 12, 1723.

44. Resolved, That no other end but religion shall have any influence at all on any of my actions; and that no action shall be, in the least circumstance, any otherwise than the religious end will carry it. Jan. 12, 1723.

45. Resolved, Never to allow any pleasure or grief, joy or sorrow, nor any affection at all, nor any degree of affection, nor any circumstance relating to it, but what helps religion. Jan. 12 and 13, 1723.

46. Resolved, Never to allow the least measure of any fretting or uneasiness at my father or mother. Resolved, to suffer no effects of it, so much as in the least alteration of speech, or motion of my eye; and to be especially careful of it with respect to any of our family.

47. Resolved, To endeavour, to my utmost, to deny whatever is not most agreeable to a good and universally sweet and benevolent, quiet, peaceable, contented and easy, compassionate and generous, humble and meek, submissive and obliging, diligent and industrious, charitable and even, patient, moderate, forgiving, and sincere, temper; and to do, at all times, what such a temper would xxii lead me to; and to examine strictly, at the end of every week, whether I have so done. Sabbath morning, May 5, 1723.

48. Resolved, Constantly, with the utmost niceness and diligence, and the strictest scrutiny, to be looking into the state of my soul, that I may know whether I have truly an interest in Christ or not; that when I come to die, I may not have any negligence respecting this to repent of. May 26, 1723.

49. Resolved, That this never shall be, if I can help it.

50. Resolved, That I will act so, as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world. July 5, 1723.

51. Resolved, That I will act so, in every respect, as I think I shall wish I had done, if I should at last be damned. July 8, 1723.

52. I frequently hear persons in old age say how they would live, if they were to live their lives over again: Resolved, That I will live just so as I can think I shall wish I had done, supposing I live to old age. July 8, 1723.

53. Resolved, To improve every opportunity, when I am in the best and happiest frame of mind, to cast and venture my soul on the Lord Jesus Christ, to trust and confide in him, and consecrate myself wholly to him; that from this I may have assurance of my safety, knowing that I confide in my Redeemer. July 8, 1723.

54. Resolved, Whenever I hear anything spoken in commendation of any person, if I think it would be praiseworthy in me, that I will endeavour to imitate it. July 8, 1723.
55. Resolved, To endeavour, to my utmost, so to act, as I can think I should do, if I had already seen the happiness of heaven and hell torments. July 8, 1723.

56. Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken, my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

57. Resolved, When I fear misfortunes and adversity, to examine whether I have done my duty, and resolve to do it and let the event be just as Providence orders it. I will, as far as I can, be concerned about nothing but my duty and my sin. June 9, and July 13, 1723.

58. Resolved, Not only to refrain from an air of dislike, fretfulness, and anger in conversation, but to exhibit an air of love, cheerfulness, and benignity. May 27, and July 13, 1723.

59. Resolved, When I am most conscious of provocations to ill nature and anger, that I will strive most to feel and act good-naturedly; yea, at such times, to manifest good nature, though I think that in other respects it would be disadvantageous, and so as would be imprudent at other times. May 12, July 11, and July 13.

60. Resolved, Whenever my feelings begin to appear in the least out of order, when I am conscious of the least uneasiness within, or the least irregularity without, I will then subject myself to the strictest examination. July 4 and 13, 1723.

61. Resolved, That I will not give way to that listlessness which I find unbends and relaxes my mind from being fully and fixedly set on religion, whatever excuse I may have for it—that what my listlessness inclines me to do, is best to be done, &c. May 21, and July 13, 1723.

62. Resolved, Never to do any thing but my duty, and then, according to Eph. vi. 6-8. to do it willingly and cheerfully, as unto the Lord, and not to man: knowing that whatever good thing any man doth, the same shall be receive of the Lord. June 25, and July 13, 1723.

63. On the supposition, that there never was to be but one individual in the world, at any one time, who was properly a complete Christian, in all respects of a right stamp, having Christianity always shining in its true lustre, and appearing excellent and lovely, from whatever part and under whatever character viewed: Resolved, To act just as I would do, if I strove with all my might to be that one, who should live in my time. Jan. 14, and July 13, 1723.

64. Resolved, When I find those ”groanings which cannot be uttered,“ of which the apostle speaks, and those ”breathings of soul for the longing it hath,” of which the psalmist speaks, Psalm cxix. 20. that I will promote them to the utmost of my power; and that I will not be weary of earnestly endeavouring to vent my desires, nor of the repetitions of such earnestness. July 23, and Aug. 10, 1723.

65. Resolved, Very much to exercise myself in this, all my life long, viz. with the greatest openness of which I am capable, to declare my ways to God, and lay open my soul to him, all my sins, temptations, difficulties, sorrows, fears, hopes, desires, and every thing, and every circumstance, according to Dr. Manton’s Sermon on the 119th Psalm,. July 26, and Aug. 10, 1723.

66. Resolved, That I will endeavour always to keep a benign aspect, and air of acting and speaking, in all places, and in all companies, except it should so happen that duty requires otherwise.

67. Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them; what good I have got by them; and, what I might have got by them.

68. Resolved, To confess frankly to myself, all that which I find in myself, either infirmity or sin; and, if it be what concerns religion, also to confess the whole case to God, and implore needed help. July 23, and August 10, 1723.

69. Resolved, Always to do that, which I shall wish I had done when I see others do it. Aug. 11, 1723.

70. Let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak. Aug. 17, 1723.