Archive for September 2008
Economics Crisis?
Posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 4:00 PM by David Zavadil
I have been watching everything in Washington with both amusement and fear. Every day we have heard that we are the precipice of an economic collapse and so we must allow the government to save the day. If we do not do "our patriotic" duty and bail Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and all the other weird named financial institutions, all the world will face economic ruin. Yesterday we watched the House debate a bad bill and saw the DOW drop 7%. Today, without the "Bail out," the market is up almost 400 points. I am all for keeping the government out of the picture.
I am not smart enough to know the answer to this issue, but I do know throwing tax payer money at the issue won't solve the problem. Dave Ramsey has posted a proposed answer on his website. Check out his Common Sense Fix . It is easy and it makes sense.
Edited on: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 4:02 PMPosted in Commentary (RSS)
Must Reads
Posted on Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 3:08 PM by David Zavadil
I am wanting to make this blog more useful for all my readers but also for the people of EPC. To that end, I want to share some must read articles.
Have You Ever Wondered Why So Many Pastors Don’t Get Close to Church Members?
A Christian View of the Economic Crisis
Five Trends in the Church Today
Posted in Just For Fun (RSS)
The Dark Guest
Posted on Thursday, September 18, 2008 at 10:42 AM by David Zavadil
If you do not own a copy of The Valley of Vision, you must get a copy. These prayers and devotions are not only timeless but spot on in touch with the basic struggles and issues we all deal with each day. Read this one entitled "The Dark Guest."
O LORD,
Bend my hands and cut them off,
for I have often struck thee with a wayward will,
when these fingers should embrace thee by faith.
I am not yet weaned from all created glory,
hour, wisdom, and esteem of others,
for I have a secret motive to eye my name in all I do.
Let me not only speak the word sin, but see the thing itself.
Give me to view a discovered sinfulness,
to know that though my sins are crucified
they are never wholly mortified.
Hatred, malice, ill-will, vain-glory that hungers for and hunts after
man's approval and applause,
all are crucified forgiven,
but they rise again in my sinful heart.
O my crucified but never wholly mortified sinfulness!
O my life-long damage and daily shame!
O my indwelling and besetting sins!
O the tormenting slavery of a sinful heart!
Destroy, O God, the dark guest within
whose hidden presence makes my life a hell.
Yet thou has not left me her without grace;
The cross still stands and meets my needs
in the deepest strains of the soul.
I thank thee that my remembrance of it
is like David's sight of Goliath's sword
which preached forth thy deliverance.
The memory of my great sins, my many temptations, my falls,
bring afresh into my mind the remembrance
of thy great help, of thy support from heaven,
of the great grace that saved a wretch as I am.
There is no treasure so wonderful
as that continuous experience of thy grace toward me
which alone can subdue the risings of sin within:
Give me more of it.
Posted in Books (RSS), Commentary (RSS)
Are we Watching the Right Race?
Posted on Friday, September 12, 2008 at 2:35 PM by David Zavadil
I have already expressed my feelings about our presidential candidates. While I feel a little better about the McCain/Palin candidacy, I am not sold on either camp. Lately I have been wondering if we are watching the wrong race. Let me explain.
As much as the choice of Mrs. Palin excites folks, what would we really get? If the Republican candidates are elected, at best the VP will serve as President of the Senate, run a few meetings, meet with a few foreign dignitaries and make some speeches. Barring a tie in the Senate, she will not make a single legislative or executive decision in four years.
Every member of the House is up for election and 1/3 of the Senate. I submit that these are the races of concern for both parties. Regardless of the rhetoric, if the Democrats win the House and Senate and McCain wins we can expect four years of partisanship and nothing getting done to help the people of the US. Even if he, McCain, were to have the opportunity to make a Supreme Court choice, we will be guaranteed and extended and probably brutal confirmation process. If the Democrats win the White House and hold the House and Senate, we can expect the Democrat agenda to move forth quickly and in full force. The only hope for the Republicans, if the Democrats take the White House, is for a Republican sweep of the House and Senate.
Though a brief look, you can see why I am more concerned about the races we are hearing nothing about than I am about the major race. While the President and Vice President are important positions, in our system of "Checks and Balances" he or she needs the House and Senate to move their agenda forward. A sweep by the Democrats will all but ensure at least four years of a Democrat agenda. I submit that we should have more concern about our local House and Senate seats than I am seeing. What do you think?
Posted in Commentary (RSS)
Respectable Sins Chapters 5,6
Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 at 11:51 AM by David Zavadil
These two chapters of our book, Respectable Sins deal with our dealing with our sins. They are very practical in that Mr. Bridges seeks to give us "something to do." In Chapter 5, he begins with a look at the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are brought face to face with the presence of the Almighty within us in the person of the Holy Spirit and reminded of the redeeming work of Christ. We are encouraged to acknowledge and yield to the working of the Holy Spirit as a step in overcoming sin. While he does not use this phrase, we learn that many of us are professing Christians but practicing Atheists By that I mean, we assent to the presence of the Holy Spirit, but in practice rely on self almost exclusively. On the very first page of this chapter we read, "The absolute forgiveness of our sins is just as rock solid as the historic reality of Christ's death." This is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
I found interesting the discussion of what Bridges calls, "dependent responsibility." He defines that this way,
...We are responsible before God to obey His Word, to put to death the sins in our lives, both the so-called acceptable sins and the obviously not acceptable ones. At the same time, we do not have the ability within ourselves to carry out this responsibility. We are in fact totally dependent upon the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit works in us in a number of ways
- He brings conviction of sin.
- He enables and empowers us to deal with our sin.
- He works "monergistically" ( I love that word), meaning alone, without our conscious involvement.
Chapter 6 gives us the "practical application" in dealing with sin. Rather than describing it, I am going to list the seven points Bridges gives us for practically dealing with our sin.
- Apply the gospel.
- Depend on the Holy Spirit.
- Recognize your responsibility.
- Identify specific respectable sins.
- Memorize and apply appropriate Scriptures.
- Cultivate the practice of prayer.
- Involve one or a few other believers with you.
Next we will begin to look at specific sins. Join us again.
Posted in Bible Study (RSS), Books (RSS)
A Whirlwind
Posted on Wednesday, September 03, 2008 at 3:10 PM by David Zavadil
Posted in Family happenings (RSS), Ministry (RSS)