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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33149135163018805562016-12-15T05:12:48.539-05:00Jerome A. Danner / WaTcH YoUr ThEoLoGyChristian. Married Gentleman. Interests in theology, philosophy, Christian apologetics, culture, politics, movies, and music. https://twitter.com/DannerJeromeJerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-1068859321369428652016-04-08T12:05:00.001-04:002016-05-09T20:10:08.978-04:00Prayer Should Not Be An Afterthought (But Action Should Not Be Either)

Prayer is necessary to the Christian life. One may say that it is a part of the lifeblood to abiding in Christ. For how can you develop a relationship with a person, the Person (specifically our Lord), without true and open communication with Him. So then, prayer is a two-way street with our God. But He is not just a friend, neighbor, or family member; He is our Creator, our Lord, our Sustainer, our Savior, therefore, we should be more attentive to what He is sharing with us of His Will for our lives.

Listening to and for God's Voice is an imperative to knowing His Will and acting upon the knowledge received in a manner that is pleasing in His sight. Praying to God is a part of our piety made all the more beautiful by seeing our Lord praying (as an example for us) while He walked on earth (see Matthew 26:36-46 / Luke 11:1-13).

It worries me though that some may think of using prayer as a means to an end, instead of having a robust view of all that may happen with prayer and what prayer is truly about. Prayer should not just be the Christian telling God all that they want and need and desire, but allowing God to tell the Christian all that He wants and needs and desires and, ultimately, has for them.

Too many times, people say that they will pray for someone or for a particular issue as kind of a nonchalant response to a tragic event or an unfortunate tribulation that someone they know is experiencing. I have always wondered how many people mean it when they say, "I will pray for you!" It has become such an issue for me that I will put down a reminder for myself to specifically pray for that person or that issue because I believe prayer works for one and I do not want to just say that I will pray for someone without actually doing it. The act of getting on our knees humbly before our God is not just some cliché thing for many Christian people (and people of other religions as well). I imagine that many people would not even take the time to pray before a meal or to show solidarity with a fellow brother or sister who may be coming up against a major trial in their life. Outside of a supernatural context, where the Christian believes that we are connecting with our maker, prayer (in a "natural" sense) may help in some cathartic fashion. The simple gestures of bowing one's head and closing his/her eyes and focusing on the issue at hand, be it good or bad, has a way of bringing one of bringing one into a peaceful place to a path of healing or just some reflection.

Recently, there was some hoopla back in December of 2015 over the front page of a newspaper called the New York Daily News dealing with statements (dealing with prayer) from different GOP presidential candidates trying to show respect to a tragic event in San Bernardino, California. On the front page of the paper were these words: "God Isn't Fixing This!"Now, most people would know right away that this is just a ploy or a tactic of sorts used by the paper and its "journalist" to get people to read the paper and give their liberal commentary on the conservative candidates making statements but showing little action on planning to stop the kind of violence that took place in San Bernardino. Of course, what was interesting is that they did not show the same kind of vitriolic and biased attack on the presidential candidates of the Democratic party. The GOP candidates made these statements through a social media website called Twitter. I am not sure if the Daily News knows this, but you cannot give much of a plan dealing with a social issue through 140 characters in a post called a "tweet". Another issue is: how does this newspaper know what God is doing? Do they have some sort of supernatural and metaphysical means to know His plan? Or maybe they pray as much as the conservatives that they are writing about and God has given them the authority to speak for him? If that is the case, then maybe they would like to show us like Elijah going against four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred prophets of Asherah (1 Kings 18) and enlighten us to what God has next for the country. But what they did point out in a small way was that too many people have said that they were going to pray about something or that something would change, while they showed little action on making that change.

For too long, many Christians have made prayer out to be an afterthought. It is something that we do, when we remember to do it. Then, we do it without little thought to what should do after we get up off of our knees, open our eyes, or hold our heads up. Moreover, we forget that we can still pray, having the faith that God will answer our prayer, while still moving ahead with wise counsel and making thoughtful and well-planned decisions. We can see this take place in Scripture: prayer and action can go hand-in-hand. If you look in the fourth chapter of Nehemiah, there you will find Nehemiah and the people of Israel desiring to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, but finding some opposition. They prayed that God would change their situation and went ahead with rebuilding the wall. Their enemies was plotting against them and wanted to fight them, then we come to verse 9 of this fourth chapter, which really grabbed my attention. Nehemiah 4:9 says:

"But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat."

They prayed to God and still prepared for a fight. They hoped in the Lord to keep them from harm, while preparing to me danger head-on. This reminds me of our Savior as He prays in the garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26. Jesus asks God the Father to take the pain and anguish away, but He (knowing that the Cross was His destination) said that the Father's Will is to be done. Jesus and Nehemiah and the people of Israel give examples that prayer should be our priority, but action should not be placed aside, nor do you have to wait to act (every time), even if that means we are to face something that may cause us pain, even physical pain. However, action should be predicated upon rational planning and wise counsel with premature reflection on possible outcomes of said action.

Was prayer ever meant to be a means to an end? Was it ever meant to be done alone without any action?

Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-30233938456026190742016-02-26T14:51:00.002-05:002016-03-14T13:50:03.667-04:00Why I Cannot Hate My LGBTQ Brothers and SistersThis piece has been a long time coming. The issues that the Christian community has faced and will continue to face surrounding the growing influence of the LGBTQ community and their activism cannot be circumvented. The days are gone when one could say publicly their heartfelt views on same-sex couples with no major backlash; that tide has turned. Therefore, when a well-known person, who is not a proponent of same-sex marriage (which is not many), is honest about their beliefs, they usually receive some sort of backlash for it. Manny Pacquiao, a great boxer from the Philippines, is the latest person to vocalize his beliefs and receive some backlash for it.

Now, Pacquiao may have stated his point of view a bit crudely, but it is his to voice in how he sees fit to do so, as long as it is not calling for any violence to be committed towards others. I find that the major problem is really that he, like so many others, do not know how to state their opinions without lacing them with so many fallacious arguments. At the same time though, this is hot-button topic now-a-days, so even if one states their argument against same-sex marriage in a logical and loving manner, many people would still dismiss the argument as being steeped in hatred, homophobia, and religious bigotry. Of course, there are some who are very hateful in their convictions on homosexual relationships, but it is helpful to remember that people who share a view that is opposite of yours does not always mean that they share that view in the exact same way. But a person cannot know the true reason behind another's opposing position if they do not engage them in some sort of civil discourse.

It can be seen as reasonable that if one cannot fully know another's outlook on any given issue where there is some contention, then that person cannot (without making their prejudice known) proclaim that the other is hateful or bigoted without pointing to hateful assertions made by the other. This is the problem that I continue to have with many gay rights activists when they write or speak about those of us who will not back same-sex marriage. To many of them, just to oppose what they call "equal rights" is basically an evil decision; if you so happen to be a Christian, which many that stand opposite of backing same-sex marriage are, then religion is the reason that there is so much hatred in the world will be the tired argument made by them and those in liberal media. Today it so necessary that every person learns critical thinking and learns how to state their views with clarity and respect and a robust understanding of Scripture (if you are going to argue from that place) and without falling to the foolish rhetoric of some who claim to be Christian or very elementary and childish ways of showing disagreement with this lifestyle.

I am a bit disillusioned with the things that take place in our country (USA) when it comes to debate and the discussion of ideas. You can see it especially when election time comes around, but it creeps up also whenever there is discord over some social or political issue.

This particular blog is to dispel the myth that every person (typically who is Christian, but not necessarily every time) who are not in agreement with the LGBTQ community must be homophobic or hate them at all costs. Yes, you read that correctly! It is a myth! Is there a lot of hatred? Possibly yes. I cannot give numbers. But it is not all hatred, even I am stand alone in this position! I am one person who does not hate any gay persons or persons desiring to change genders. Do I take issue with them? I take issue with some behaviors and actions that I see as not being beneficial or healthy for our community or our world in generations to come, even when it does not directly impact me. Yes, I do care like that. More than I should? Maybe so! Think about it in this way: I have never been involved with abortion in any way (which is something that I disagree with), and yet, I see it as being not good for my community, this world, or the future generations to come. I do not go out of my way to seek out abortion activists to tell them that they are beneath me or that they are condemned to eternal damnation. I try my absolute best not to even think of them in those ways.

It may be possible that hate for something does not necessarily invalidate an opinion of that thing, but I won't go in depth with that idea here. More than anything, "hate" speech is not helpful or beneficial to anyone, and it should not be condoned by any Christian, especially if another so-called Christian is the one spewing off such language. You may tell that "Christian": "Did your Lord speak in hatred, even when he spoke in righteous indignation?" I think not! Then, remember to let Jesus guide the tongue and motivate you into "love speech."

Hence, I wanted to write out some "love speech" and not be sarcastic or considered disingenuous. I am going to list reasons why I cannot hate my LGBTQ brothers and sisters. This needs to be written and I hope that it causes some discussion for anyone who reads it.

1. They are human beings!

 First and foremost, those in the LGBTQ community are humans. I have no reason to put them down as beneath me. Even if a person wants to change genders, they are still human. They have a heart, a mind, body parts, etc. Also, they have loved ones. I (and we all) must hold on to the fact that there are other people that love those who identify as LGBTQ. I would hope that when my own child is born in a few months that they grow up (if it is meant to be) and marry a person, who is meant for them, but is of the opposite sex. I will make sure that they know my beliefs. But if they decide against the beliefs that I hold, then I hope that I would still love them as the child that I helped bring into this world. It actually saddens me when I hear stories of people disowning their children when that child chooses a lifestyle that they are not in agreement with. I cannot say that I know with certainty what I would do if I am placed in that situation in the years to come, but I hope that kicking my child out of the house without any means of supporting them is furthest from my mind.

2. I am a fan (of some human beings who live this lifestyle)!

 Another thing is that there are some folks in the world who choose to live lifestyles that are not in alignment with what I believe to be right and I still can love them. For example, I have had a couple of members in my family who have been drug dealers and I knew about it. I would still embrace them and love them when I saw them at family functions and holiday gatherings, but I would never support their evil "vocation." I do not respect anyone who peddles drugs and destroy our communities, yet, I did not dismiss certain family members of mine who feel that it is okay to live that lifestyle.
 Also, there are gay men and lesbian women whose performances in sports and music I truly appreciate. Have you heard the songs "Rocket Man" or "Levon"? Well, let me tell you that you do not know what you are missing. The singer is Elton John and he is an amazing piano player and a wonderful singer. I have bought his songs before and I cannot tell you that I never will again. Have you ever watched United States women's soccer? Have you seen our national team during their World Cup or Olympic run? Have you ever heard of Abby Wambach or Megan Rapinoe? They both are lesbians that are vocal about their beliefs and they are fantastic soccer players. Wambach is now retired but I loved watching her, Rapinoe, and the other ladies win gold medals and championships. I try to keep up with their schedule as much as I can. If I have a daughter, then she will be signed up for soccer. I appreciate what they do in their work, and I cannot somehow take those actions away from the persons that are committing them. I could go on making an argument with this point, but my main thing is that not every action from a person who identifies as LGBTQ is wrong because of what they identify as.

3. I can disagree with people's actions and still love them! (I believe that I have been called to love people as God's creations, but I may strongly disagree with & possibly hate their actions! I am - believe it or not - disgusted with my own failures (i.e. sins) to remain holy and reach God's Glory!)

  Some people may believe that it is hard to disagree with another's actions while loving them. Of course, I would disagree with them and I would counter that every action from a person does not need to support every time in order to love them completely. I would like to think that I love my wife completely, but believe me when I say that we are not always in agreement with each other's actions. For example, I love her natural hair, and I do not like when she adds other hair to it. That's the way that I feel and I am not changing my mind on that any time soon. Guess what? My wife does not support my view, and I love her just fine. (I hate the other hair though, and I do condemn it to eternal damnation.) I do not feel that my actions diminishes her value, but I do not see it as truly beneficial to her being in any fashion. Of course, she would disagree, nevertheless, she has my heart and I have hers. So, I believe that it is completely possible to love an LGBTQ activist and still disagree with their position on that lifestyle.

4. Ultimately, I follow Jesus!

 Lastly, I cannot hate my LGBTQ brothers and sisters because I believe that it is not in keeping with the life and teachings of my Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. As a matter of fact, from what I see in Scripture, Jesus even sought out some folks who were not living lives that may have been considered to be righteous or pure in any way. In Luke 19:1-10, we see Jesus meet with Zacchaeus the Tax Collector, considered to be a sinner (as we all are) by the surrounding crowd, and Jesus desires to fellowship with him. What about the Samaritan woman at the well in the 4th chapter of the book of John? She clearly was not living a life of purity, even still, the Lord conversed with her and sparked her to bring others to Him. It is so important for others to do things in love and for the greater good of valuing people because are people and we believe that salvation is for all, if they would just accept it.

In conclusion, it is vital to be loving in dialogue while in discussion of cultural issues for their to be understanding and a meeting on common grounds. Discourse needs to be cordial in order to get to some place of understanding, which may lead to an arrival at the truth. We must listen carefully and think before we speak on any given topic, and the speech must be undergirded with love. We must hold to this kind of ethic when we disagree with those who see our viewpoint as hateful. We must see the person in front of us as beautiful even if they are physically changing themselves in one way or another. Viewing them as beautiful, listening to them carefully, thinking about their position patiently, and speaking with love may cause an about-face in our opponents' ideology, not necessarily changing their "lifestyle" immediately, but helping them to see that there is a genuine love for them and the truth and what is right for community and society and beneficial for generations to come.

Addendum
[A brother, whose podcast that I enjoy, decided to speak on this blog post. If you are into podcasts and/or have the time, then I will post the link to the podcast episode discussing my blog post. It starts at around 42:45!

Everything According to Tony Vance - "Church doings, the tithe, and big love" = Church doings, the tithe, and big love - Everything according to Tony Vance | podcast garden

Church doings, the tithe, and big love - Everything acco...
Church doings, the tithe, and big love: SHOW NOTES My website: tonyvance.com Jeromes BLOG: http://watchyourtheology.blogspot.com/2016/02/why-i-cannot-h...

View on www.podcastgarden.com

Preview by Yahoo

Thank you for your time. Please feel free to share with your friends and family!]
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-56997937435628890032016-02-11T11:04:00.001-05:002016-02-11T11:04:24.836-05:00Sharing the Beauty of Christ and the Beauty of Being in Christ Through PodcastAs you may gather from going through my blog site, I love the Lord, and I love listening to podcasts. I have been blessed with a job recently that allows for me to play podcasts almost all day when I am working from my desk. I wish I had the time and the ability to do my own podcast, as I see it as a means of doing ministry. Since I cannot do a podcast, I continue to listen to many, and every now and again, they spur me on to write a blog and air out my own thoughts.

Well, recently, one of my favorite podcasts asked for "fans" of their show to come on and speak about a subject that the "fan" was interested in. Therefore, my love for the show, and my ideas behind podcasting, led me to jump at the chance to be on the show. The podcast is called "After the Sermon" and its host is a young minister named Jeremy Lundmark. He started a segment called "Uncredible" which gives those of us who are not well-known scholars to speak on vital issues in the body of Christ. I had a blast being on the podcast with this insightful young brother in Christ, who was very gracious and kind as a host and interviewer. I desired to speak on the beauty of Christ and the beauty of being in Christ, which was a sermon that I preached a few months back, that I still feel is so important to the Church today.

So, I wanted to post this blog because I really believe that "After the Sermon" deserves more listeners. Not just because he allowed me to join him on an episode (I'm no one special, but because I think it may be beneficial to many others. You may not always agree with what is said, but I do believe that Mr. Lundmark tries to be respectful and honest and loving when he gives his viewpoint on different topics from politics to the abortion issue. Also, he is willing to take questions as well. So, check him out!

Here is the episode that I appeared on: http://jeremylundmark.com/episode-29-church-vs-super-bowl-beauty-of-christ-immigration-war-eminent-domain-and-the-state-of-the-gop/Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-59924688198301033442016-01-26T11:59:00.001-05:002016-01-28T12:40:34.924-05:00Abortion Is Not Wrong Because the Religious Say SoIn the past couple of days, news has come out that David Daleiden, who is the head of the Center for Medical Progress, and Susan Merritt, have both been indicted by a grand jury in Harris County, Texas, with charges that are related to the controversial videos released showing officials with Planned Parenthood attempting to gain from the illegal sale of fetal tissue. They have been charged with a felony of tampering with a governmental record (for creating and showing California driver's licenses with the intent to defraud) and a misdemeanor charge in connection with the purchase of human organs.

It should be interesting to see how this plays out in the media considering this has been a hot-button issue since the secretly recorded videos of "actors" speaking with Planned Parenthood officials were released last summer. If any person looks up articles on this piece of news on Daleiden and Merritt, then you are bound to see all kinds of comments from our prochoice brothers and sisters showing that they are ecstatic with these charges. Many will believe that this confirms their beliefs that Planned Parenthood were targeted by these "anti-abortionists" and that the truth will come out soon enough that will vindicate Planned Parenthood of any wrongdoing. Prochoice proponents will continue to believe that the Planned Parenthood Federation of America are all about providing reproductive health services and getting resources out to women for their healthcare.

(picture from - http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/04/pro-life-community-vows-to-continue-fight-to-defund-planned-parenthood/)

The fascinating thing is that many people think that this somehow has had an effect on what some Planned Parenthood advocates may consider to be the "truth" of Planned Parenthood's modus operandi. That is, that Planned Parenthood is just about women's healthcare and reproductive health services and nothing about their having any possible involvement in the selling of fetal tissue. Those same advocates seem to worry that they may have lost the respect that they once had; as if these controversial videos will affect the view of them as being an organization with caring and compassionate employees in the fight for women. It is admirable to see many backing Planned Parenthood, even for this prolifer. I admire people being vocal about what they believe.

My problem is this: the personal failings of one who is against your beliefs does not then make your beliefs true or right. Many people, who leave comments to articles, tend to give ad hominem attacks against what they disagree with. So, instead of arguing against the prolife viewpoint, they throw fallacy after fallacy against it, especially when the argument is coming from religious groups, which tend to be the case. It shows in many cases, on both sides of the aisle of the abortion issue, that many people do not know how to be logical in the defense of their belief. Abortion is not wrong because a person with a particular religious worldview says so (although I do believe that following Christ should deter many of us from having a pro-abortion belief); abortion is wrong because it is inflicting harm and causing the end to a life (inside of the womb). Abortion snuffs out a creation. A creation that (in many cases) would not bring any harm to its mother (whether they want to accept that role or title or not). If the data from science and medicine shows us that life begins at conception, then why are we looking at life as anything other than what it is.

What is my point in all of this spill on abortion being the wrong choice to make when a young lady becomes pregnant? What am I trying to say when I tell you that you should argue against a person's belief, based off of how logical it is and how it stands next to reality? I hope that I am getting across that if one thinks through the issue at hand with clarity and honesty, they can see that it is not at all about Daleiden, or Merritt, or those controversial videos. Yes, they play a part in how we see things and how the story is told because Kermit Gosnell plays a part in how we see things also (please look up the name and see how the media bypassed news of him). But, primarily, it should be about why do we even have to argue about the destruction of lives in the womb. When did abortion become such a top-of-the-list option for "bad-timing pregnancies?" Does our society have a moral issue on our hands that is becoming second nature to the next generation?

I honestly hope that Daleiden and Merritt did not lie and create untruths about Planned Parenthood. But, honestly, I do not care. Let me give a quick anecdote and conclude this thought piece. Can you think about the life of Dr. Martin Luther King? Dr. King (to most of us) would be considered a true hero in his fight for equality for all. Most of us have seen his speeches played time and time again and have seen many documentaries on him. But in many of those documentaries, you rarely see information about his possible dalliances with other women. Movies give a scene or two to it, but it does not typically go any further than that. (Whether they are true or not is not what I am getting at, although at this point, it seems that these affairs were true.) If it is true that Dr. King was living a double life, does it really take away from racism and Jim Crow laws being wrong? If Dr. King can be considered as being an unfaithful husband, or not being about the truthful to his wife, does that eradicate his work in the civil rights movement? Now, focus again on the issue at hand from today's news about the head of the Center for Medical Progress. Does the argument against abortion become null and void because of the actions of a couple of people against it? Would you (speaking to the hypothetical pro-choicer) say that your belief in abortion is wrong if you actually saw the selling of fetal tissue?

Nothing can take away from the truth that aborting a fetus is morally wrong because it is destroying a life, at least, for this prolife advocate. I do believe that the prolife movement stands on the side of truth, not because of the videos that I have seen, but because of the prolifers and the pro-choicers I see standing around arguing.

To the Pro-Choicer: make sure that you tell your mom - "Thanks for being prolife!"

I mean how else would most of us be here to pick a side if our mothers thought that abortion was the top choice or only choice because we came at a bad time!!Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-21815453842574703722016-01-05T09:51:00.001-05:002016-01-05T09:51:37.101-05:00Cerebral Faith: 5 Reasons I'm Not A Roman CatholicCerebral Faith: 5 Reasons I'm Not A Roman Catholic: Everyone who knows me knows that I am not a Roman Catholic. It should be said that I respect the Roman Catholics and I do believe t...Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-59146830146479576882016-01-01T18:15:00.000-05:002016-01-01T18:19:13.715-05:00"Do You Hear What I Hear" (Podcasts for You for the New Year)
There is no doubt that I love, love, love....PODCASTS!!! I enjoy hearing other intelligent beings thinking through tough issues with rationality. Plus, podcasts are helpful to me since I cannot always get to a news channel after work and I do not trust much of the major news channels anyway. I am not a conspiracy theorist; I just want my news delivered without any liberal or conservative slant so I can dissect the story and see the truth for myself. It is possibly that some viewers may need to be "led" to the truth, but I am not one of them. Anyway, there are some excellent podcasts out there that help me with my thinking through issues with my faith, politics, and culture.

I have actually been wanting to do a blog that has a list of podcasts that I would urge others to check out. They have been helpful to me and actually fuels me in my thinking and writing in some cases. I will put a couple of sentences beside each link so that viewers of this blog may have an idea of what they are getting into when they click on the links to do their own investigation in whether listening to any of them on a consistent basis is worth their time. I really wish I had the time and skill set to do my own podcast, but until then: I will keep my ears wide open!!

Podcasts to Check Out

1. A Clear Lens - http://clearlens.org/category/podcast/ - I am the "1st Groupie" of this podcast, so I am a bit biased with this group. I enjoy them because it is a group of 3 guys that can joke around and have fun with games, but they are serious business about their Christian faith and are skilled with defending the faith. I have sent them a number of questions and they have been kind enough to respond numerous times.

2. A Glimpse of the Kingdom - http://davidwpendergrass.blogspot.com/p/podcasts.html / https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/glimpse-kingdom-by-david-w./id963970363 - I enjoy Dr. Pendergrass' podcast because he touches on different things with ministry and apologetics. It is just Dr. Pendergrass doing it solo, but he gives thoughtful opinions when he answers questions.

3. After the Sermon - http://jeremylundmark.com/category/podcast/ - This brother - Jeremy Lundmark - has been helpful to me by his giving some time to what is going on with politics and the debates that had been taking place during 2015. He was also kind enough to use a snippet of one of my sermons on one of his episodes and has answered a few of my questions, which has been helpful.

4. Apologetics 105 - http://www.apologetics105.com/podcast - I found out about R. W. Johnson and this podcast through "A Clear Lens" and I am glad that I have listened to him. He has had discussions with atheists on his show and he is very kind and reasonable with them (I believe). He deals with philosophy and theology as well, which is right up my alley.

5. Come Reason Ministries - http://podcast.comereason.org/?_ga=1.109045570.1148520658.1450300458 - Lenny Esposito has been very helpful to me and I actually just found out that he had this podcast this year. I had heard of him about 3 or 4 years ago and I bought one of his lectures years ago and met him at an Evangelical Philosophical Society conference back in November 2015. He is a wonderful speaker on the truth of Jesus Christ and is a wonderful Christian apologist.

6. Coram Deo Podcast - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/coram-deo/id963018449?mt=2 - Kyle Howard has a great podcast here with thoughtful answers to deep theological questions. He also writes on the website of Theology Mix - http://theologymix.com/author/kylehoward/.

7. Elucidations: University of Chicago Department of Philosophy Podcast - http://philosophy.uchicago.edu/podcasts/elucidations.html#current - I am deeply interested in philosophy so I try to check out this podcast as much as possible.

8. History of Philosophy - http://historyofphilosophy.net/all-episodes - Dr. Peter Adamson just gives you the history of philosophy straight, hence the name of the podcast. Good stuff!

9. ID The Future (IDTF) Podcast - http://www.discovery.org/multimedia/idtf/ - I cannot write that I am a proponent of this theory because I do not understand it completely, but I like listening to the issues that they are working through. By listening to the podcast, it did make me realize that you just cannot call the intelligent design theory "pseudoscience" if you have not actually researched the material and checked out the scientists behind it.

10. Philosophy for Theologians - http://reformedforum.org/programs/pft/ - I have not seen many episodes, but I enjoy this podcast because they are breaking down different philosophical positions for the theologian. I love it!

11. The Dave Ramsey Show - https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/the-dave-ramsey-show/id77001367?snid=show.podcast-a (http://www.daveramsey.com/show/home/?snid=show) - I enjoy and respect Ramsey after my father turned me on to him. My wife and I are not out of debt yet, but he gives helpful information and advice on all things financial.

12. The Eric Metaxas Show - http://www.metaxastalk.com/ - I found out about Metaxas through Socrates in the City, which I wish had a podcast, and the radio show, BreakPoint. He brings on great guests, plus he has great music and is very funny!

13. Trackstarz - http://trackstarz.com/category/podcasts/ - I dig the fellows on this show. They touch on different topics dealing with culture, faith, and Christian Hip Hop (or Hip Hop art created by Christians). Much respect!

14. The Urban Theologian Radio - http://urbantheologianradio.com/ - I love this show! I met Vocab Malone (the main host) recently and felt like I was talking to an old friend. I love that this show sheds light on Christian Hip Hop music and intellectually defends the Christian faith with love for those who disagree with our faith.

Have a Happy New Year and Happy Listening and Growing!!

In Christ,

Jerome Danner
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-84105395017588335212015-12-11T23:43:00.000-05:002015-12-16T17:06:22.005-05:00The New Atheists Have No Need to Worry
Whenever I see pictures of billboards from atheistic organizations or other advertisements from them, I tend to snicker a little to myself. It is not at the beliefs of atheists because some atheists are sincere in their objections towards God and the Christian faith (besides other religions), which actually helps me to be rational about what it is that I actually believe and hold to be the Truth. Now, although I have admired, in some instances, the 'work ethic' of some atheist activists (if I may refer to them in that manner), I still feel as though they put too much energy (in my humble opinion, of course) in encouraging naturalistic ideals in every aspect of society. I am sure that many of them feel that it is of the utmost importance to destroy any hint of religious ideology in the public square, especially when it comes to education and policy-making on Capitol Hill. Though I can understand the call to activism when one feels that their beliefs are just (as I believe that I have been called to live out and share the Gospel message of Jesus the Christ), I feel that when the odds are stacked in your favor by the push of pop culture philosophies, why work so hard to push your agenda.

If we look at secular entertainment to see how much the Christian impacts it, then the atheist should notice that Christians do not impact it much, if at all. Now, yes, Christian artists and Christian moviemakers can still be successful in these postmodern times and possibly hold some influence (i.e. Christian Hip-Hop artist Lecrae), but art created by Christians typically seem to be relegated as for the "religious" crowd and not as worthy as more secular works when the time for accolades is handed out.

Musicians and movie stars have carved out a nice little niche for themselves as influencers to young people. Entertainment channels, like MTV, VH1, and BET, invite stars with songs about partying and doing drugs. Besides initial backlash and controversy for allowing it, they continue to invite these artists back and praise them for their "artistry," if what and how they perform can actually be considered art.

I honestly believe that certain popular acts do way more damage to Christian ideals than some arguments levied against Christianity by irreligious types. Way more young people will accept the ideas from a Miley Cyrus or a Taylor Swift than knowing the beliefs of a Dr. Richard Dawkins or a Sam Harris any day. More young people will follow the direction of the elite of Hollywood than the scientism of the well-known New Atheists with their Oxford and ivy league school backgrounds. One may imagine that it is easier to get a philosophy over to young minds in a 3-minute song and a flashy video than it is by way of a 40-minute lecture and an opinion-filled tome.

This is not meant to be condescending, but it seems to me that the New Atheists forget to take delight in the irreligious-ness of the famous crowd. They are doing way more for the kingdom of humanism than their skeptic counterparts seem to be.
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-15463046314552043422015-12-02T22:27:00.001-05:002015-12-03T22:58:49.484-05:00BOOK REVIEW - "Aborting Aristotle: Examining Fatal Fallacies in the Abortion Debate"
[This is a book review on ABORTING ARISTOTLE written by Dave Sterrett (of Disruptive Truth).]

This book is very helpful in understanding the prolife position of the abortion debate. What makes it worth reading is that it doesn't just pile on some religious rhetoric for why babies should be valued, but Sterrett does an excellent job of taking the very words of prochoice advocates and showing the lack of solid foundations to many of their arguments. There is nothing like taking the very arguments of your opponent and deconstructing them until there is a pile of ethically-bankrupted ideas laid bare for all to behold and flee from. If a major aspect of philosophy is to think well, then Sterrett shows why it is of the utmost importance to think well before making a decision on the abortion debate. It is true that ideas have consequences, therefore, any idea accepted in public, be that in a place of law or a doctor's office, should be evaluated for its reasonableness.

Unfortunately, the rationality of an idea is sometimes not fully thought through or cared about in contrast with what ranks highest on an imaginary scale of what makes some people happy or satisfied, as opposed to seeking to do what is ethically right. Also, new ideas tend to push aside older, more traditional ways of thinking when the newer ideas seem to go with the mood of modern times, but as Sterrett explores in this book, that is not always a good thing. Especially when it comes to the philosophical work done by thinkers, such as Aristotle and Aquinas, it is ultimately a crime to adapt to just push aside the groundwork they have done in the realm of metaphysics and ethics. Although science has come a long way since the time of Aristotle, it has not necessarily done away with his thinking on what is rational and what is virtuous to society. Therefore, if empirical data shows that there is life beginning at the formation of a zygote in the study of embryology, then why does it seem to be irrational to many that others consider abortion to be morally wrong?

Mr. Sterrett points out that for many, on both sides of the aisle, life begins at conception. Peter Singer, an ethicist and a defender of abortion, was to have written: "...there is no doubt that from the first moments of its existence an embryo conceived from human sperm and eggs is a human being. (p. 2 - in the Introduction)" So, if Singer can see and science can show when life starts, the problem is not a matter of what is physical, but what is metaphysical. We now get into reasons behind thinking of human beings as persons or if there are distinctions to be made about 'personhood' that the pro-abortion thinkers may believe are not intrinsic to unborn children. In this book, particularly in the 8th chapter, we see how personhood may be viewed by those who oppose the views of prolifers, but have a hard time giving a time when human beings 'develop' their personhood or what personhood entails inside of a pro-choice ethicist's ontological viewpoint.

This book was a great read and a helpful one at that. If a person (like myself) is a bit if a novice at some of the philosophical language, you may have to get a good dictionary or not be afraid to do some reach on the Internet. Besides possibly struggling with some concepts out of a lack of knowledge of them, there is plenty of information in these pages that encourage some rational reflection on Aristotle and others and their thinking on what it means to be human and the value in being human, whether fully aware of one's self or not. Sterrett's work should be given to every pro-life advocate to strengthen their arguments and convictions about life; it should also be given to those of the pro-choice movement to help them thoroughly know if reason is on their side. I believe their eyes would be open to the truth that reason and truth are with the opposing team.
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-47431664872867514342015-11-11T11:35:00.002-05:002015-12-02T22:20:51.317-05:00The Decline of Christianity in America[This is the "paper" that I delivered to a group of students (from South Georgia State College) and other citizens from the community of Coffee County, Georgia. I did not go into every point in depth (due to time restraints), but hopefully it will encourage readers to think.]

 On the topic of the decline of Christianity in America, I must state that it is a truth that cannot be disavowed by those who claim to be adherents of this particular religion. Though it is not necessarily a major jump, there are numbers that show it is in a steady decline, especially for those who are in the millennial generation. If anyone believes that this topic is a falsehood, then you would not have to go far, all you would have to do is go to the vast number of churches in Coffee County, Georgia, and ask them the number of converts that they have seen in the past year. Then, you can ask the Christian groups or clubs on South Georgia State's campus and see how many students are actively involved with their meetings or group activities. But it is also not just about the numbers; it is not just about the converts, it is also about the way that people are truly living when they claim to be Christian. Therefore, you can ask any number of people about the behavior and actions committed by supposed Christians and see if they cannot immediately tell you about actions that are not in alignment with some of precepts that are stated in Christian beliefs. So, personal anecdotes may give us some insight in the lack of robust Christian influence in the times in which we live, but there has been research done to back this assertion. You can look up information and studies done by Lifeway Research, a branch of the Southern Baptist Convention, or the Pew Research Center, which is a think tank, based in Washington, D.C., that gives statistics on the trends that are shaping the United States and the world. These words were found from a study on the Pew Research Center's website from November 3, 2015:<o:p></o:p>

The share of U.S. adults who say they believe in God, while still remarkably high by comparison with other advanced industrial countries, has declined modestly, from approximately 92% to 89%, since Pew Research Center conducted its first Landscape Study in 2007.  The share of Americans who say they are "absolutely certain" God exists has dropped more sharply, from 71% in 2007 to 63% in 2014. And the percentages who say they pray every day, attend religious services regularly and consider religion to be very important in their lives also have ticked down by small but statistically significant margins.<o:p></o:p>

The falloff in traditional religious beliefs and practices coincides with changes in the religious composition of the U.S. public. A growing share of Americans are religiously unaffiliated, including some who self-identify as atheists or agnostics as well as many who describe their religion as "nothing in particular." Altogether, the religiously unaffiliated (also called the "nones") now account for 23% of the adult population, up from 16% in 2007.<o:p></o:p>

Pew Research Center surveys consistently show that not all religious "nones" are nonbelievers. In fact, the majority of Americans without a religious affiliation say they believe in God. As a group, however, the "nones" are far less religiously observant than Americans who identify with a specific faith. And, as the "nones" have grown in size, they also have become even less observant than they were when the original Religious Landscape Study was conducted in 2007. The growth of the "nones" as a share of the population, coupled with their declining levels of religious observance, is tugging down the nation's overall rates of religious belief and practice. (http://www.pewforum.org/2015/11/03/u-s-public-becoming-less-religious/)<o:p></o:p>

Then, I found an article from the Lifeway Research titled, "American 'Millenials' are Spiritually Diverse," that recorded these words back on April 27, 2010:<o:p></o:p>

Two-thirds of American "Millennials" – those born between 1980 and 1991 – call themselves Christian, but far fewer pray or read the Bible daily, attend weekly worship services, or hold to historical positions on the Bible and its teachings.<o:p></o:p>

These are the findings from a wide-ranging August 2009 LifeWay Research study of 1,200 Millennials in the United States. <o:p></o:p>

The study found that 65 percent of Millennials identify themselves as Christian, while 14 percent say they are atheist or agnostic, 14 percent list no religious preference, and 8 percent claim other religions.<o:p></o:p>

Thirty-one percent of Millennials pray by themselves at least once a day, while 20 percent never pray. Only 8 percent pray with others on a daily basis, compared with 65 percent that rarely or never pray with other people.<o:p></o:p>

In response to the question: "You read the Bible, Torah, Koran, or other sacred writings," 67 percent of Millennials say they rarely or never do. Only 8 percent read the Bible or other sacred texts on a daily basis, although, in total, 21 percent do so at least once a week, and 34 percent do so at least once a month.<o:p></o:p>

One in four Millennials attends religious worship services once a week or more, but two out of three rarely or never visit a church, synagogue, mosque or temple.<o:p></o:p>

Twenty percent meet with others at least monthly in a small group to study the Bible or other sacred texts, but 80 percent rarely or never do so. A slight majority (53 percent) disagree (strongly or somewhat) that the Bible is the written Word of God and is totally accurate in all it teaches.<o:p></o:p>

"The research shows us that religion and its practices are decreasing and becoming increasingly privatized among the Millennial generation," said Thom Rainer, president of LifeWay Christian Resources. "With fewer people attending worship services or praying with other faith adherents, it is not surprising that the religious landscape of our culture is changing with the maturation of the Millennials." (http://www.lifewayresearch.com/2010/04/27/lifeway-research-finds-american-millennials-are-spiritually-diverse/)<o:p></o:p>

So, even the research is showing that there is a clear shift in holding to so-called Christian values.<o:p></o:p>

 Now, the reason or reasons for this change, I believe, are many. I do not see one specific factor that is sweeping Christianity under the rug so-to-speak, but many issues, although I will deal with what I believe to be one major cause at length in a moment. One factor that Christianity may be in decline is due to the direction of the culture and many young people being influenced by reality television shows, music, and other celebrities and their many ideologies. Another factor that may be put forth by some irreligious people (and this is just one because there are many atheist thinkers with a wide array of arguments that they believe shakes the foundations of religious institutions) would be that religion's decline is due to humanity's evolution. Some may argue that mankind positing belief in a God was a part of mankind's lack of understanding or gaps in his knowledge of the universe and humanity's origins. Therefore, they may believe that the more empirical evidence that we have for naturalism, which may be defined as "a philosophical viewpoint according to which everything arises from natural properties and causes, and supernatural or spiritual explanations are excluded or discounted (I got this definition from an Oxford online dictionary)," the less there is a need to posit there being a God when certain data is being interpreted as not affirming any belief in a supernatural Creator.<o:p></o:p>

 Now, even with the previous two factors adding some fuel, it is my honest belief that what is causing Christianity to experience some small flames is in some cases its devotees appear to be not completely sold out to what they believe, so they compartmentalize their supposed faith for specific days of the week and not every day of their life; representing it in a way that others may see as hateful (as has been shown in some major historical moments); or the divisions that it seems to cause among so many of its believers. If you take notice to the factors that I am putting out, then you will notice that all of these are relational issues. Now, I hate to sound demeaning to Christianity, but if I may look at it as a "product" for sale for a moment. In order for a salesman to push his product for people to buy, he must make his product sound better than the competitor's. Also, the salesman must look the part, look good, sound good, and give the feeling that he uses his product himself, so much so, he may claim that he is a new person from having used it. Well, in some ways, the adherent of Christianity, the follower of Christ, should be as committed and as convicted about their faith as the salesman is about his product, and even more so, if the Christian believes that there are eternal implications to accepting their faith as truth. The Christian then cannot go about life and the relationships in some sort of boring routine. If you have read even a bit about Jesus and His life, you will see that He took people very seriously. He loved His disciples. He healed the sick. He blessed prostitutes when others wanted to stone them. So, He truly shows by His actions and His Words that He……valued people. When people think back about the history of Christianity in America, they think about those who claimed Christianity as having backed slavery, they think about those who were said to have been Christians as looking down on women's rights, denying minorities' rights, high rates of divorce, hateful speech, molestation cases, among other so-called sins. Now, hypocrisy does not necessarily make a belief system false, but it does cause others to see it as unworthy of their time and invaluable to society's issues. So, even if Christianity is true, the lives of its believers are what will give it lasting power for generations to come.<o:p></o:p>

 I will conclude with a quote from the great Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement, who believed in nonviolent civil disobedience and had a huge influence over Dr. Martin Luther King. Gandhi was once to have said: "I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christian. Your Christian is so unlike your Christ!" This was and is a powerful statement to any person that says that they follow Jesus. Jesus was unlike those around Him, even those who considered themselves to be religious and following God's Law. Therefore, the Christian ought to be unlike the world around him or her, if he or she is to be truly a follower of this Jesus. So then, maybe, the Christianity that is in decline, will give way to a Christianity that is truly a replica of the Jesus of old and not a man-molded Christianity filled with abhorrent things.
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-5963454583686831912015-11-05T12:11:00.001-05:002015-11-05T12:11:43.761-05:00The Beauty Of God and The Beauty Of Being In Christ [Sermon][With this post, I decided to put up the very words of my second sermon and the link to the sermon below, so everyone may listen to it and read it at the same time. I just hope that these words may bless someone to the glory of God.]

Sermon Link: https://archive.org/details/01TheBeautyOfGodAndTheBeautyOfBeingInChrist

 THE BEAUTY OF GOD AND THE BEAUTY OF BEING IN CHRIST (Sun., Sept. 13, 2015 – 6pm)<o:p></o:p>

Tonight, this message will be more topical than expository in approach because it is my sincere hope to leave you all with a sense of urgency, about the importance of having a relationship with God that captivates you. Also, when you and I are truly abiding in Christ, it then becomes supernaturally natural for us to express the beauty of God in a way that is for His glory alone (I say 'supernaturally'because it is of God and 'natural' because although it is something by God, it has manifest itself in us in such a way that it is not contrived by us and we do not have to conscientiously think it out or put forth some amazing effort to show it). For example, let's say that your spirit is a car and in need to filled up, it is what God fills you up with that will keep your spiritual motor running without you having to make it happen yourself. You see: one thing that makes God beautiful is that He causes us to bear much fruit when we abide in Him. Meditate on Jesus' Words from John 15:<o:p></o:p>

5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.<o:p></o:p>

8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.<o:p></o:p>

9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.<o:p></o:p>

11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.<o:p></o:p>

Brothers and sisters, please check to see if you are bearing this kind of fruit and if you are having this kind of joy, if the answer comes back to "No," then please get on your knees and ask the Lord: "Why my life does not reflect these things?!"<o:p></o:p>

 I continuously suggest to my Sunday school class, and others that I speak to, that we ought to desire an eternally captivating relationship with our Christ, not just temporary changes that come from following certain precepts set forth by God. This message has been placed on my heart, I believe, because we have seen, and we see, so many lukewarm folk in the Church and/or leaving the Church. I believe the degree of lukewarm-ness in any life is due to a lack of understanding the abundant life that is Christ and finding temporary pleasures elsewhere as opposed to the lasting satisfaction the soul receives from the Savior. Think about it: "When you find something good that you like, or even love, you tend to go to it time and time again." You might say that when you are near it, you tend to surrender to its calling. So much so, it becomes evident to others that you have a deep affection for that very thing. Think of it like this:<o:p></o:p>

"Now, Ladies, please do not answer this question. I have heard what can happen to a man that mistakenly asks this very question to women. Gentlemen, you do not have to raise your hand, but the question is this: 'How many of you would be considered overweight'?"<o:p></o:p>

Now, besides the fact that you and I should desire to grow in discipline in our eating habits and our health, one may say that you have never left a table without getting your fill. Someone might say that you would never be caught leaving a table without being satisfied. Another might say that you have returned for 2nds and 3rds and maybe even 4ths, until you had room for no more. Lastly, if you are like me, you probably can no longer hide your gut, which means it is visible that you are overweight and you like eating until you are satisfied. Now, let's translate this picture to the Christian life and the all-satisfying power of Jesus the Christ. When you and I abide in Christ, He will give us more than enough to keep us satisfied, and sometimes more than we can hold. Was it not David that said, in Psalm 23: "You [God] anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over."? It is this satisfaction or "meal" that you and I will then see that we cannot get anywhere else. We may then be like Peter, who was responding to Jesus' question to the disciples about them leaving him like the others that had already done so, when Peter said in John 6:68-69:<o:p></o:p>

68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."<o:p></o:p>

You see then we will want to go again and again to Jesus to be fed by Him. Be fed by Him through His Word, through Prayer, through Praise and Worship, and through the Fellowship of other Like-Minded Believers. When you are filled with an overflow of Christ being so Abundant in your life, for the Glory of God, others will take notice of how "overweight" you are with the things of a Mighty and Magnificent God. If you are a parent, it is vitally important that you show your child that it is a delight to know Jesus as one's personal Savior. I think many parents have raised their children up to know the commandments, to know many legalistic traditions, to know the Great Commission by heart, to learn a lot of Bible stories, and to "go to church." But they forget to tell them that you don't go to church; you are the Church, and when you fall in humble adoration of God, you don't have to wait until Sunday to Worship Him, you can praise Him and Worship Him whenever and wherever.<o:p></o:p>

 Whenever I read of some supposed famous person that "left organized religion because it was too confining or restricting," it continuously saddens me that there was a possibility that they were not shown the freedom that is found in Jesus Christ. Many folks come to worship services for so many wrong reasons that are not founded or based in Scripture, so they end up leaving for some weak and emotional reason. It is not that their motive is not understandable in some instances, but that same motive tends to lack understanding of what faith and hope in Christ is. You see when our relationship with God is out of order, then our faith and our theology crumbles under the weight of misguided emotions and inane falsehoods. I would hope that more of us would tell folks like those "famous people" that even in Scripture, you will see that it was just not rules to be followed for the faithful, it was Who [God] it was that set the rules in place. "Rules" or precepts that were also designed to give us freedom from pain and freedom from fleeting earthly pleasures that lead to sin, and to keep us holy and pure and desiring a holy union and alliance with our most Righteous Creator. I am loving, going back through the Psalms in my own private reading and seeing how King David would fail and would rise in his own walk with God. You can look at Psalms 51 and see that after Nathan the prophet calls David out on his sin with Bathsheba, David knew to Whom [God] he needed to turn to and to Whom it was that illuminated his heart and gave him life.<o:p></o:p>

1 Have mercy upon me, O God,<o:p></o:p>

According to Your lovingkindness;<o:p></o:p>

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,<o:p></o:p>

Blot out my transgressions.<o:p></o:p>

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,<o:p></o:p>

And cleanse me from my sin.<o:p></o:p>

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,<o:p></o:p>

And my sin is always before me.<o:p></o:p>

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,<o:p></o:p>

And done this evil in Your sight—<o:p></o:p>

That You may be found just when You speak,<o:p></o:p>

And blameless when You judge.<o:p></o:p>

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,<o:p></o:p>

And in sin my mother conceived me.<o:p></o:p>

6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,<o:p></o:p>

And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.<o:p></o:p>

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;<o:p></o:p>

Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.<o:p></o:p>

8 Make me hear joy and gladness,<o:p></o:p>

That the bones You have broken may rejoice.<o:p></o:p>

9 Hide Your face from my sins,<o:p></o:p>

And blot out all my iniquities.<o:p></o:p>

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,<o:p></o:p>

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.<o:p></o:p>

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,<o:p></o:p>

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.<o:p></o:p>

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,<o:p></o:p>

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.<o:p></o:p>

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,<o:p></o:p>

And sinners shall be converted to You.<o:p></o:p>

But did you catch that 13th verse? It is not just for us to receive this beauty of God for ourselves, when you become captivated by all that God is, and all that He does for you, and all that He has done for you, and all that He will do for you, and all that you are and find in the Christ, you become convicted about others hearing and knowing this Truth as well.<o:p></o:p>

[Thinking about the 13th verse causes me to go back to memories of my grandmothers when I was a child. Every Sunday we were at worship. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even a question back then. You went over to Grandma's house; you were going to worship on Sunday. Of course, it took me years to realize that it was not just going to worship on Sunday, but living out worship throughout the week. I was blessed as a child that I had four godly women – my grandmothers, my mother, and my 2ndmother - that had and have today amazing voices that love singing of the mercies of God. There were days during the work week that these ladies enjoyed singing God's praises and sharing with me about God's Word and showing me what it meant to humble one's self on his knees in prayer. Then, like a fool, I got older and I left the Church and wanted to enjoy those pleasures of the world like the prodigal son. And it is interesting that another woman would come along and show me what it is to be converted to God. This woman, like my grandmothers and my mothers before her, has a wonderful voice and enjoys the Lord and being in the Lord daily and God revealed Himself to me again through her and I have got to Thank Him for providing me with Julia Phillips as my wife for the rest of my life's journey. So, I am grateful to God for my earthly father, who is a godly man after the Lord's heart, but I also have to praise God for these 5 women that desired to teach me, a true Transgressor, the ways of my God.]<o:p></o:p>

Watching joyful Christian people, who were not perfect in and of themselves, encouraged me to know God deeply. I had to know what is it that caused David to write in Psalm 19:<o:p></o:p>

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.<o:p></o:p>

You and I should point others to the truth that is only in our Lord by having our words and our actions match. Joy-filled speech and joyful living has a way of catching people's attention, only let it be to God's glory!<o:p></o:p>

 So, the beauty of God lies in the unbelievably liberating freedom found only in Christ and His beauty lies in His willingness to connect with us for our benefit. Because for you to even desire to be in an eternally-captivating relationship with God, an invitation from God has to be given, and how big of an invitation could you ever receive than the one being held up, on the Cross. Have you ever thought about how fascinating it is: that the Creator of the known and unknown parts of the Universe desires to love you as your Heavenly Father? He's not just some Deity sitting back in some sort of cosmic recliner, as some early philosophers believed, and letting us foolish mortals just have our way on this planet. He is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, the Creator, with a Divine Will, and an Overwhelming, Omnipotent Love, which sees through the dirt of his creation and finds Himself a lost little jewel. Baffles my small mind, and I know that it strikes people as amazing as well. It made me think of a Christian singer named Lauren Daigle singing:<o:p></o:p>

I am guilty<o:p></o:p>

Ashamed of what I've done, what I've become<o:p></o:p>

These hands are dirty<o:p></o:p>

I dare not lift them up to the Holy one<o:p></o:p>

You plead my cause, you right my wrongs<o:p></o:p>

You break my chains, you overcome<o:p></o:p>

You gave your life to give me mine<o:p></o:p>

You say that I am free<o:p></o:p>

How can it be, how can it be?<o:p></o:p>

Clearly this is beautiful to the Christian who has been humbled enough to know that they are in need of saving and the God that is bigger than their imagination is the one for the Job. Or what about when Francesca Battistelli sings:<o:p></o:p>

I don't need my name in lights<o:p></o:p>

I'm famous in my Father's eyes<o:p></o:p>

Make no mistake<o:p></o:p>

He knows my name<o:p></o:p>

I'm not living for applause<o:p></o:p>

I'm already so adored<o:p></o:p>

It's all His stage<o:p></o:p>

He knows my name <o:p></o:p>

The singer is to sing, and the Christian is to live, these words out loud and joyfully. What else can a person do when they realize they serve a living God in all of His Majesty and Holiness, but reveal it to others! We may reveal our love for God in different ways! George Handel, the German composer of classical music who lived during the 18th century, revealed it by writing his great oratorio, Messiah, and Michelangelo, a legendary painter and sculptor, amongst other things, who lived during the 15th and 16th centuries, created a work or art for all to see for ages to come in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. It is not all about how you show the beauty of God in your life, but it is that you show it.<o:p></o:p>

 In conclusion, the beauty of God is revealed in Christ's working and abiding in us in His Miraculous Ways. This beauty becomes the source for us to draw inspiration, transformation, and sanctification from, as we are molded into Christ's image. May we all turn back and remember the God that we serve, grab hold of His Beauty to never let go, and may it radiate from us and draw people to imitate us only as we imitate Christ! Amen!<o:p></o:p>
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-37977888231523057712015-10-26T20:11:00.002-04:002016-01-07T22:52:48.189-05:00To be Young, Christian, and Black (African-American)Recently I was listening to the podcast of the Trackstarz (the conversation starts at 16:10) and the question was asked, "Are Black people really Christians?" I must admit I was slightly taken aback (in a good way). Not because I felt offended in any way, but because here are young, Christian African-Americans, who are taking the time to think about what it really means to be Christian. In my opinion, this is a loaded question for a number of reasons, and I am glad that the group conversed about this topic from a number of different angles. Being that I am young, Christian, and African-American, I felt a need to touch on some points that I thought were important.

At the beginning, one brother (I believe to be called "Seantana") brings up the fact that some people believe that they are Christian in a sense by birth or culture or relation to a grandparent. This is truly a problem because it shows that somewhere in their education, whether by family or Sunday School or the pulpit, they were not shown that being a Christian is not just showing up for church on Sundays, but accepting Christ as Lord and expressing his Lordship over your life in every aspect of your life. The Christ once said that He is the Life (John 14:6), so one should not take that to mean that Jesus is only for a certain time of the week and can easily be put up on the shelf somewhere until next week. Of course, this makes me feel that Christianity in America today is becoming a lot more like what Judaism had become years before. I have heard many times that some celebrities and other less-known folk will refer to themselves as "secular Jews," since they accept their historical heritage and some of the rituals, but decline any belief in the Deity of Judaism. It seems that more young people are desiring to do that today with Christianity in some sense. They may like Jesus because He seems nice and loving and all that jazz about treating people nice, but to say that He is Lord over their life and to live completely for Him, and be faithful to worship Him among fellow believers is not right up their alley. Unfortunately, the understanding that being a Christian means a life in Christ and living against the ways of the world and popular culture is falling on deaf ears and being lost in translation.

This question also makes me think of an old picture (as you see right above) that I once saw on a social media site some years back. I am not sure where the comedian, Chris Rock, was to have made the statement about African-Americans being Christian. I guess he would be arguing that we (Christian African-Americans) are forgetting the history behind how our people came to accept Christianity as a religion. I once posted the picture on my own Twitter account and sent it to him (which I wasn't really expecting a response) and although I cannot remember my words today, I would say to him or any other person that those of us "thinking" Christian African-Americans have thought our faith through and see Christ as being the Truth, despite our ancestors being given partial truths of the Gospel by evil slave masters that had an evil and confused way of understating God's Word. There are times when the Truth still stands out, amidst the falsehoods that encircles it. For example, capitalism as an economic system for our country may be argued as the right system for private owners to make the most wealth without extreme control by the state. So, if capitalism is "truth," then you couldn't completely argue it away based on the egregious and evil acts done by its grossest disciples. Focus on Jesus first and the history surrounding Him and his actions and words, then go forth formulating thoughts on what Christianity is and what is its purpose and validity. If you come up with an idea of Christianity based completely upon the ways of an imperfect adherent of Christianity, then you leave with a faulty view of Christ who actually defines perfectly what Christianity is. This is why I believe that studying one's Christian faith should be done with the help of Bible-based Christian theologians, Christian philosophers, Christian apologists, and Christian scientists, because they will help you in your thinking about, living out, and defending your faith.

At another time the podcast points out how so many of our young people (I mean Caucasians, Hispanics, Asians, African-Americans, etc.) do not take the faith of earlier generations seriously because of the lack of Christ-like living at home and the emotionalism that runs rampant in the "Black church." This is no surprise to me since I remember thinking similarly when I was a teenager. I was amazed at how many people could shout and stomp and dance on Sunday, but you never heard of them or saw them crack open a Bible during the week. As a matter of fact, during my college years, there was a time when I knew I was living in outright rebellion against God, and I never claimed to be a Christian to others that I hung around. I thought to myself many times that it would be hard to tell folks of my love of the Lord when I was showing them that I loved marijuana, alcohol, and chasing women far more than anything else. I mean I knew enough Scripture to know that there was no need in me vocalizing about my faith, if my faith was not shown in my walk. If I am to take the Grace of God seriously, then I should surely know that I cannot live continuously in sin thinking that I am covered by the Blood of Jesus, so I can do what I want, as long as I pray and "repent" later on. This would go completely against what Paul wrote in Romans 6:12, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" We (true Christians) should show ourselves to be true to what God has called us to be, which is many things (and one is the Royal Priesthood which I preached on not too long ago - https://archive.org/details/01TheRoyalPriesthoodAndTheJoyOfBeingChosen). We must remember that we are to be examples to the world of righteous and holy living. Some folks will hate us because we do not back the direction that the culture is going, especially issues surrounding our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and the women's rights to choose to have an abortion. But I do not want people not coming to Christ because I am not giving faithful imitation of Him.

The last thing that I wanted to touch on is the way Christianity is portrayed in entertainment. It is my opinion that when what you do during worship becomes useful for the routine of a comedian or a hilarious scene in a movie or television show, it is time to rethink your worship. When I first saw the movie, The Blue Brothers, as a child, I fell in love with it because it was funny and it had great music. But then I took another look at it when I became a young adult and had a deeper faith in the Lord and had my worldview shaped a bit more by other thinkers. One scene in particular got my attention and had James Brown in it as a singing pastor. The music got to going with the organ and drum beat and the massive choir got to singing and then they start bringing out all of these dancers to move to the music as if they were "in the spirit." That's when it hit me: too many people look at this as Christianity. Feel good soul music that captivates you for about five minutes, but is completely void of substance that is real and lasting. Jesus captivating one's life is not some momentary thing that needs to be sparked by a good note from an organ, but His captivating the Christian's life is an eternal thing that is "jumpstarted" and continuously sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. We misrepresent what it is to worship the Lord and revere Him when we let ourselves become entertainment to the culture. Television shows, like "Black Jesus," (which I have not seen, but I have heard and read about it and do not feel the need to see it) will never take our Lord seriously if we ourselves play with God's Name and do not care enough to imitate Christ with a Bible-based life that is rich and robust.

Can you really be Christian and think of Christ as only worth your time on Sundays? Can you really be Christian and think that it not important to represent Christ daily and to every young person that you meet?

Can you be Christian and African-American? Really?! Of course you can! But only when your skin color or culture or family ties are not defining your faith, and you know what it is to have a relationship with the One who gave you your skin color, culture, and family. Jesus is past the foolishness! Are you?

Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-60169403084626555102015-10-13T19:34:00.002-04:002015-10-16T08:07:02.222-04:00YOU CAN'T "STRATEGIZE" SPIRITUALITY
1 Corinthians 3:7 = "So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (NIV)"

John 6:63 = "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you--they are full of the Spirit and life. (NIV)"

John 6:65 = "He went on to say, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.' (NIV)"

We, the Church, indeed are in strange times when it comes to the lack of faithfulness of many people in going to corporate worship. Also, the lack of openness of many nonbelievers to patiently wait while the Gospel is being shared with them is all the more abundant today it seems. It is a sad and distressing sight to see so many empty pews on any given Sunday, especially when you are trying to be true to Christ's instruction and invite others to come worship with you continually to no avail. Now, although we live in times where this is the case all over America, we should not die to the hope that we ought to have in Christ and give up on the Great Commission. That being said, we should desire to connect with others wherever we go and find ways to invite and share the Gospel with our "un-churched" brothers and sisters. Being creative with our invitations can be a good thing, but I would urge us to be very careful in thinking that we could "strategize" an increase in the numbers that darken the Church's doors and to not forget that we, in and of ourselves, cannot bring the "numbers" in anyway. If that is what God Wills to do, then it Will be done in His Way and in His Time by the movement of His Spirit through His Church.

Once I sat in a meeting and quietly listened as one leader encouraged the group to think about how it may invite more folks into fellowship and worship. One older person rather abruptly (in my opinion) asked for a "strategy" from the leader. The person felt strongly about their point that the group needed some kind of plan for getting more people to come into our walls. I, for one, did not appreciate the way they stated their point (they later apologized by the grace of God), but I also felt the need to make an argument for why there is no top "strategy" to get folks into the church, and to urge Christians to be careful not to forget about what should come after we are able to encourage others to worship with us. The decline in numbers of people in churches has been happening everywhere in western society, but it is a nuanced issue that has to be carefully studied. No one should think that there will be a one-size-fits-all type of plan that will get your church booming just because it worked for a well-known pastor in some big city or suburb somewhere. I have read before that in many cases that many people fall away from the Church due to some relational issues in which they were hurt in some way. Then, in my opinion, there are too many "churches" in one community, so people may not know where to go, or they go where they are most comfortable culturally or socially, and forget to do a spiritual (and biblical) check when they visit different places. I live in the Bible Belt, a place where people will have "churches" side by side each other, right across the street, and where there can be up to 4 or 5 "churches" in a square mile of each other. Huh?! I do not believe that this is biblical at all, but I may argue this point at another time. Also, people argue over insane things today, like should we sing contemporary Christian songs or straight out of the hymnal. Then, churches may split off from one another because of the foolishness of the so-called "Pastor", who may be a wolf in sheep's clothing, but the "flock" would not know if you told them because they do not believe in the importance of knowing God's Word for themselves. Yes, I could go on and on and on. My point is that to want a strategy to gain numbers of people back in the pews is a bit dangerous to me, if that is the only goal in mind.

I know a plan is good to have to get everyone on board to see how we may best reach out to brothers and sisters that are not saved or do not have a church home. But I would also suggest that in any given outreach "strategy" that the Church ought to be careful to not just go for Heads, but go for Souls. I think in some ways it is not terribly difficult to get large numbers into churches, or something similar to a church (think "Joel Osteen" and many prosperity gospel preachers like "Creflo Dollar"). Think about it: there are many who claim to be servants of Christ and lead "churches" with attendance that could rival some sports venues, but when you check their theology, it sounds like something to celebrate in an end zone, instead of joyful celebration and living that is to be for a lifetime and into eternity. What I'm trying to say is: "You can't strategize spirituality!"

Numbers can come week in and week out, but we must be careful to not allow for a great number of bodies in the four walls of a sanctuary to fool us in believing that lives are being changed. I have heard people say before that if they could put on a certain event or run a ministry a certain way that they could have a place hopping with people. Excuse me! Let us not forget that it is God alone who enables us to come to Him and who gives the growth of any place of worship.

Besides, people "accepting" Christ and getting baptized out in the open, may not be a true and exact image of what has taken place in their hearts. Some people think that in going before the Church and saying that they accept Christ as Savior and getting baptized that their work is done. It is as if some so-called Christians think that just accepting the Lord is enough in this walk with Christ. Not even close by a long shot. Obviously we do not work for salvation, because it is through Grace Alone that we are saved (Ephesians 2:8), but we work because of this gift of salvation given to us. I have not heard of many being effective in sharing the Gospel by way of staying bolted to the pew. We are to be active in our praise and worship of and our living in Christ. Therefore, the life in Christ is an active and a joyful one of sharing the Good News to anyone that we come into contact with, while we are continually being transformed into the very image of our Savior. Again, how can anyone do this activity while sitting is beyond me. But, here is the kicker: how can they, those who are new to Christ or new to the Church, know better, unless we train them better. It is beneficial to letting new believers and new members that finding a ministry to be involved with is vital to being in the Body of Christ. It should be encouraged that to keep the Life of Christ flowing in you, you must be actively attached to the Vine (Jesus) and abiding in Him. For a person to not be active in the Body of Christ, a person will appear to think it to be of no importance or that person has a huge lack of understanding of what it means to be in Christ. This goes back to my point that you cannot strategize spirituality. We should desire to not just increase tithers in our churches, but desire a deeper love of the Lord ourselves, which should spark in us a need to value others so much that we pour our lives (as we imitate Christ only) into them to help them see that without Christ they can do nothing and are doomed to Hell and the joy that they are missing out on.

So, to strategize, or not to strategize? Is that the question? Not necessarily? A better one might be: "How do we strategize in a Spirit-guided and Christ-centered way for God's Kingdom and His Greater Glory?"
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-73044804524172273022015-07-28T16:36:00.001-04:002015-07-28T16:36:40.599-04:00A Serving of Joy Juice: Be a Joy-filled David!A Serving of Joy Juice: Be a Joy-filled David!: Have you had your Joy Juice today? Look carefully into the Word of God so that you will be enlightened and will be able to ...Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-30616246202056020842015-07-28T10:32:00.001-04:002015-07-28T10:32:54.882-04:00Cerebral Faith: If You Could Lose Your Salvation, You Would?Cerebral Faith: If You Could Lose Your Salvation, You Would?: John MacArthur once made a statement that has circulated around the internet Christian community. Every Time The issue of whether a Chr...Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-24363975079403213322015-05-15T22:24:00.001-04:002015-05-19T19:08:32.809-04:00To The Christian Movie-Goer and The Christian Actor
Let me start this off by saying that I love movies and I love podcasts. Love podcasts more though because I find out a lot more information this way and movies typically are for entertainment. So, I try to listen to a lot of podcasts just to help my own thinking. I listen to a few more than others, and recently I posed some questions to one podcast in particular - A Clear Lens - and they responded in this episode: http://clearlens.org/2015/05/15/podcast-14-movies-euthanasia-the-mindbody-problem/ - and I really appreciated this particular episode and their responses.

The questions were:

What movies are appropriate for Christians to watch? What secular movies are appropriate for Christian actors to be a part of?

Though my brothers at the A Clear Lens podcast responsed, they also turned the questions back around on me...the questioner. How dare they, right? I kidding, of course, but I decided to take these questions and respond to them myself and hopefully use Scripture to back my beliefs. I will tackle each question (separate from the other) and try to unpack in my conclusion why I think these questions are important.

What movies are appropriate for Christians to watch?

As Christians, we must remember to go back to the Word of God to direct, not only our actions, but our thought processes and motivations behind those actions. I continue to think about the eighth verse of Philippians the fourth chapter, where Paul is giving some final exhortations to the Church in Philippi. The verse says: "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Paul encourages them to think, and to think on these specific things. Clearly, Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, felt that it was important to tell them to focus their thinking on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. There are a lot of movies out there that desire to give a certain level of reality in what is shown through its scenes and its actors. The movies that are predominantly put out by Hollywood have no deep desire to affirm Christian values, but this does not mean that Christians should not see them necessarily. It does mean that Christians should take time to evaluate whether or not it is appropriate for them to watch whichever movie that is providing some interest to them. Thank our Father that there are critics and movie reviewers (such as Let There Be Movies or Movieguide) out there who watch films as soon as they come out and can help Christians with their decision to avoid certain movies. We should be very careful to let certain kinds of what some may consider "art" to be in our minds. There can be "noble" things and "admirable" things depicted in films. For example, I have seen The Avengers: Age of Ultron twice now and I think it is admirable that specific characters would fight evildoers "for the greater good" of humankind and to protect them. The movie also shows how two characters can make a transformation from bad to good, which the Christian should understand by our being transformed by the only Good that matters, which is our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Yes, there is cursing in this movie, too much of it, and Captain America is made fun of for calling out "bad language," but I think the good far outweighs the bad. You might feel differently about that and if you are convicted by that then you should avoid this movie.

In any case, Christians need to be more selective of what we watch and why we watch them. I am grateful that my father would take me to see great movies when I was a child, but he never let me off the hook by just enjoying the movie. He would ask me my thoughts on the movie, like why did I like or why was it entertaining, but then he would have me put on my "Christian lenses" and evaluate the movie from the perspective of our worldview. Many times though, he had done his homework before he even bought the tickets. (Thanks, Dad!) Movies now show way more sexuality than what is needed today in my opinion. I think back to the classic era of films when you didn't need nudity to sell a film. In western society, because of the Sixties with everyone turning on and turning out, or whatever the saying is, sexuality was put into the mainstream. I have had movies that I saw from the 1960s and 1970s that showed more nude women and the lines between pornography and art were being blurred all the time. Now, it seems like it is an essential part of making movies in modern times. Honestly, if you and I know that we struggle with lust and we find out that a famous actress will be in a movie scantily clad or naked, then we should rethink if that is the movie for us.

What secular movies are appropriate for Christian actors to be a part of?

With the entertainment industry as secular and graphic as it is today, I believe Christians who are actors and artists should do a lot of soul-searching before going out for casting calls today. I would love to hear one day that a bunch of Christian businessmen and businesswomen and Christian artists have gotten together to create a Christian version of what Hollywood is. Since that might not ever happen, then the Christian should again figure out what is appropriate for them as a believer first. You are not an actor, who just so happens to be a Christian. Let us remember that we are called to be a "holy priesthood" (Read all of 1 Peter 2). Be reminded that Christ is first, and all else is second. Therefore, you are a Christian first, then you are an actor or an artist. Now, I know that this can mean less jobs for you, and no jobs for many of you, but is the Lord God not good enough to take care of you? I was encouraged by a missionary today that I should ask God to help me trust Him more. This is not meant to be preachy, but I just desire to encourage more Christian artists to stand up for Christ first: the fame and the money is not everything.

I am not and will not condemn person for doing secular movies because I do watch many that have actors and actresses that are kissing each other in them. But I would be very careful on the parts and projects that I chose. Famous stars have ended up divorced because they have found "happiness" with a new person that they met on set. Please be intentional to be faithful to your God and ask him to guide your desires and how you may express yourself artistically without sinning against Him.

Conclusion:

These questions are important because the entertainment industry in many ways has more influence than the Church. If you ask many children, dare I say most children, who are they a huge fan of, I would not be surprised to hear the name of some famous person as opposed to mom and dad. We, as older Christians, do play a major role as examples of how to live in Christ to younger Christians. I do not want my brothers to grow up with faulty logic and bad theology guiding them and pointing back to their older brother as a reason why they thought certain things were okay for entertainment. The thing that I have noticed more the older I get is that whatever we do today with our "freedom" will directly touch the lives of the next generation. Whenever I see people get outraged at the actions of a famous person today, let's say Lady Gaga as an example, I automatically think back to our parents and grandparents thinking that the actions of Madonna were okay for their time. Everything that is called art, is not art, or should not be valued in the same way that we value Bach or the painting of the Mona Lisa. Christians can participate in art too, but we should be motivated by desires from on High.

Ask yourself these questions: Are movies and art just for the nonbeliever? Does it really hurt me and/or others if I watch certain things?
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-17940834714959032412015-03-08T23:44:00.001-04:002015-03-09T21:37:42.307-04:00Christian and Gay? What's Your Motivation?
[This Presupposes that You're a Christian.]

     Where did you first get the idea that being "gay" was okay?  Where did you first find the idea that a person might be "born gay?"  Where did you initially read or study God's Word and think to yourself (as you struggled with thoughts of same-sex attraction): "This works with the attractions that I have been having lately!" These questions are not necessarily what you should have been thinking before, but I am just using these questions to point to a deeper issue that worries me in the Christian community.  Therefore, it will NOT focus on building arguments for or against the belief that Christians can be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender, and/or can or cannot be married.  No, brothers and sisters, this will delve into an issue that definitely needs some discussion, prayer, and honest self-reflection.  The question is: is being a Christian that claims to be gay, an honest issue from a deeper desire to be more Christ-like from inside the Church to outside, or is it a push from outside the Church to conform a supposedly Christ-like image to a more culture-accepted reflection?

     Now, this question can and should actually be asked of any thing that comes from our surrounding secular society and is trying to find its way into the hearts of the saints and the Church.  What I mean is: there seems to be in many cases that Christians find things that they like on the outside of the Church, then they find in some way or another, it conflicts with some aspects of their faith and from there they find it best to re-read the Bible and re-think what they believe to see if this new thing will fit into their worldview.  As far as I know, I have not heard of a bunch of Christians in any century that got together, and studying God's Word found that homosexuality might just work in some contexts.  Where has it been written that a major Christian group (before these postmodern times) had spoken of and written of same-sex attraction as being another way of life for a person claiming to be in Christ?  This is an honest question and not coming from a place of sarcasm.  I might end up learning something new if my question can be given an honest answer.

     But at present age, we as Christians are continuing on a trajectory that I believe will continue to do more damage than good to what we say to others we believe in.  This writing will not be one that wants to condemn others, but encourages thoughts about the implications of rewriting and "reworking" certain truths to mold them to what is going on outside the Body of Christ.  I do not believe this is just a "Christian gay" phenomena and we all must be careful of doing this, no matter if it deals with sexual orientation or the hobbies you like.  Let's say, for example, you like the idea of getting a tattoo.  Is this desire one that comes from a deep desire to be conformed to the image of Christ, which is Scriptural, or did you think the bodily artwork of a person that you knew was worth you going out to get your body "inked"?  Oh sure, many will take their "ink" and "give glory" to God with Scripture on their arm, and I must admit it does look interesting, but it was not something that was initially started by Christians, and the world did not pick up on some new "Christian artform."  What disappoints me is that Christians will see what is going on in the world, then try to flip it and put a little spiritual stamp on it.  But the world knows better, and they know where it came from first.  Again, this is not to condemn or demean anyone, only to encourage us to really evaluate our motivations for doing the things that we like or even struggle with when it comes to aligning our very lives with the Word of God.  When doing a deep analysis of one's own desires, all the while asking God to shape you in a way that He sees fit, that glorifies Him and gives you a striking resemblance to the Savior, you (and I) might just find that we had not wanted to be as conformed to the image of Christ found in the Bible (from Genesis to Revelations) as we thought we had.

Do you enjoy something that is prevalent in society, but not typically in the Body of Christ?  Do you desire to participate in that very thing?  Ask yourself: What is my real motivation?

"Romans 12:2 NIV
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-10651167543476510522015-01-31T22:29:00.001-05:002015-02-08T23:58:29.125-05:00BOOK REVIEW - NOT GOD'S TYPE: AN ATHEIST ACADEMIC LAYS DOWN HER ARMS by Holly Ordway From start to finish of Not God's Type, Holly Ordway gives an honest account of her exploration into Christian theism (specifically Catholicism) from atheism, all the while reflecting on different writings that influenced her thinking and change of heart. She writes in a way that is very "simple" (I use this word loosely), not to write that her thinking was weak, but that her writing is welcoming to any person who is a novice to the philosophical arguments for the existence of the God of the Scriptures. Although Ordway is not writing this book as textbook on the Gospel-sharing technique, her relationship to her fencing coach is a lovely example for all Christian people of how to connect with others with different worldviews from one's own view of God.

 Dr. Ordway's love for fencing plays quite an important role in the book, from her participation in the sport (and her connection with her coach, who got her thinking about Christian theism) to her using some aspects of it as analogy of sorts to shed light on her steps toward, and ultimate conversion, to Christianity. It is very interesting that a person who had a love for the same sport that Ordway deeply loved is the one who helps her, as a sort of 'guide', to gradually changing her ideas on God and what she had for so long considered the truth. This part of book shows how atheists and theists actually can connect with each other in other adventures in life. In too many narratives and discussions, one may get the feeling that there is an ever-widening gulf between theists and atheists. But here in the words of Ordway, we see how believers and nonbelievers can have a respectful and loving dialogue with one another on the "big questions" of life, such as the existence of God and the logic in following Jesus the Christ. This is not what she is necessarily going for, but it something that did catch my attention.

 This book is a good read for anyone that desires a simple and honest narration of a person who shows that being an intellectual does not have some "anti-religion" prerequisite to it. Dr. Ordway's casual walk from lacking a belief in God to proclaiming the truth of Jesus Christ is worth the time of any Protestant (like myself) or Catholic. For some Christian Protestants, there might be a problem in reading a book by a Christian Catholic, where she expresses her conversion to Catholicism, but if one can mentally leave their denomination at the door, they might just take something away from reading this semi-autobiography. The book is presenting the possibilities for how people may come to Christ are endless. It is beautiful that we (the Body of Christ) are such a rich tapestry of believers and our testimonies and stories and thinking should and does reflect this.

Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-18343775377747669262015-01-11T23:01:00.000-05:002015-01-16T00:00:23.727-05:00ReThinking the Issues Between Law Enforcement and African Americans
Issues stemming from race has a long and storied past and still rears its ugly head these days as well. The problems involving race goes as far back as the exploration of this land by European explorers, then the birth of this nation when citizens could "own" slaves, who were Africans typically. Over the next four hundred years, Africans became African Americans, but continued to face painful, disturbing, and degrading trials and tribulations. This blog will not give some sort of history lesson, but I am writing these words under the presupposition that many who will read this will have knowledge of slavery and the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Therefore, I hope to bring some new ideas to decrease the historical tension between law enforcement and the African American (and other minorities) communities that they are called to protect and to serve.

With all of the recent, and possibly, justified uproar that has been surrounding the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, we are long past due on rethinking how our law enforcement carries out their duties in communities where there are high numbers of minorities. But we are also equally in need of being honest with ourselves concerning African Americans and our "place" in society. Some might argue that it is unrealistic to desire for policemen to have to change "tactics" when facing different people in different areas. Others might raise their voices to share their opinions against the idea that specific behaviors should be avoided by minorities altogether, regardless of the consequences they may come with them having the freedom to do and say what they want. In the past, I might have agreed with these two critiques. But that would have been before I saw the video of Eric Garner being placed in a chokehold, then saying, "I can't breathe," after arguing with police officers about selling single cigarettes from packs without tax stamps. Situations like these are now in the past, but it is up to us what we choose to take away from them. As the old saying goes, "Those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it."

First, I feel like it should be written that those who decide to work in law enforcement are a special group of people. I had thought about becoming a police officer myself at one point in my life, but came to the realization that I am too tender-hearted, amongst other things. So, these words are not meant to be some hateful rant against the police, but just another opinion to add to the dialogue of where African Americans and policemen go from here. The language might come across as strong or emotional at times, but that is due to the frustration from seeing an African American male's life ended over the sale of illegal cigarettes. Law enforcement should be encouraged to do more in the communities that they work in. You should not just be seen during your work hours and riding around in your patrol car. I kept thinking to myself, when Ferguson, Missouri started having buildings go up in flames: law enforcement fellowshipping in the community with those they are serving could have limited the anger and destruction that took place. I am sure some police officer would say that he is busy enough maintaining a presence in certain communities, and I can only imagine what they have to go through on a daily basis. But I would ask, in the wake of the death of Eric Garner (and the acquittal of the police officer who placed the chokehold on him) especially, would they want to continue on with business as usual, or build bridges with the people of the community and cause there to be a lasting impact on the relationship between those who live there and the others who are visiting. I am always glad when I see events taking place that bring police and young people together for a time of fun and to converse outside the times when police are normally seen. I do not have any data to back my opinion up, other than knowing that it is a bit hard to be extremely aggressive toward someone you have had the time to connect with and get to know genuinely. Again, fellowshipping with the citizens of any community is key.

Now, we cannot just put everything off on law enforcement and totally deny and leave out the responsibilities of those people in the community. It is deeply depressing that SOME protesters' humanity seems to disappear when their anger takes over rational thinking. Unfortunately, people tend to show how easily anger can take over the mind and the heart and leads down a road of mayhem and destruction. From the beating of Rodney King in the early 1990s to the recent deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, we do see people who were or are willing to peacefully protest, but the building fires and looting that takes place ends up getting the most attention and media exposure. As an African American male, I am always hoping that the "famous African American leaders" will stand up and say that we have to try something different with our approach to police officers until we see profound changes to how some of them come into contact with us. Therefore, there should be a great psychological push to follow the law and keep oneself out of any appearance of evil. That's biblical, just in case you did not catch that (1 Thessalonians 5: 22). For example: when a group of African American men walk in groups with baggy clothes and hoodies on, they can catch people's attention quickly and they make people nervous, sometimes justifiably so, and other times not. The reason for this happening is because typically people have seen or heard things about a group of males getting together (who are dressed similarly) and involved in negative or criminal behavior. I am not saying that it is fair or right that we must change because of others' terrible assumptions of us, but I am stating that changing the ways that we go about meeting up and travelling with our friends might allow for us (or the next generation or another group of minorities) to have more freedoms with how we do things culturally without major negative consequences. Now, I can imagine this idea would not be popular, but an idea, such as this, that demands a paradigm shift is worth the experimentation of the theory.

Now, since I have put forth some thinking on actions that can be made by law enforcers and citizens at the table of peaceful engagement, let us think on the new chant, "Black Lives Matter." I agree they do. I believe my life matters. I believe your life matters. I believe the unborn babe's life in a woman's womb matters. I believe the homeless person's life matters. I believe the immigrant's life matters. Basically, we should accept the truth that: "All Lives Matter!" I believe deep down in God's Love for man lies his Thought that we all matter and all have value from Him, despite how we may view each other on the outside. We should not wait to or only get "up in arms" about deaths of people that share our ethnicity, nationality, or religious beliefs. We need to call out wrong as we see wrong, whenever and wherever we see wrong. So, we should not just protest what happened in Ferguson or what happened to Eric Garner; we should have been protesting the violence done in the urban streets of Chicago and Detroit. We should be angry with gang members, drug dealers, and pimps, who are the cause of so much undesired tragedies. More men and women should stand outside the homes of criminals, who are indifferent about the lives of the citizens of the communities that these criminals are doing their work of terrorism in. Now, I am not advocating violence towards criminals or lynch mobs, but I am making the point that we should show anger towards and protest any and all acts of senseless violence, regardless of the perpetrators' job title or skin color.

Jesus once made this statement: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). Now, man has been failing to uphold the "Golden Rule" before and after Jesus spoke these words, but it does not mean that we should stop striving towards this as a goal. But truly treating others and loving others as one does him- or herself calls for a true dying of one's self. He or she must desire to get rid of any arrogance or self-righteousness that is in their heart. We all could stand to take a long look in the mirror, and ask ourselves if we are really about making deeper connections and relationships with those we come into contact with on a regular basis. So, would it be too hard for a police officer to get out of his patrol car, walk over to a bunch of young kids and gently start a conversation about their lives? Is it too much to ask citizens (especially young people) to go up to a police officer or wave them over with a smile and thanking them for their service? Is it too much to ask that we stop taking each other for granted?

Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-81012531318975956952015-01-01T12:26:00.001-05:002015-01-01T13:21:07.826-05:00BOOK REVIEW - "BOOKED: LITERATURE IN THE SOUL OF ME" by Karen Swallow Prior
I just completed a book entitled, "BOOKED: Literature in the Soul of Me," written by Karen Swallow Prior. When I write that I just got done with reading it, I do mean that literally because I finished it about two minutes before 2015 went from future to present. I had been intending to wrap this book up for a while because I do believe that it is that good, but unfortunately I am a terribly slow reader and watch entirely too much television.

The idea behind the book is actually written in the subtitle: "Literature in the Soul of Me." Dr. Prior, chapter by chapter, reflects on the life that she has lived so far, and gives examples of how she has connected with different books, poems, and writers along the way; all the while displaying "life lessons" that she has gathered from different novels. The author shows the connection with how she learned something, like grace and/or purity (in Chapter 6, which had a profound impact on me), by reading "Tess of the D'Urbervilles" and gained insight into how grace weaves in and around lives by looking at the character of Tess Durbeyfield.

Now, as I was writing the above paragraph, the thought hit me: I do not want to give off the idea that Dr. Prior has written one of those books that some may write after having gone through an increased amount of drama in their life due to their own foolishness and bad decisions. No, no, no! This book is beneficial to anyone who will read it because it is applicable to daily living. Dr. Prior is a bookworm, whose soul has been captivated by the books that she has read. The great thing is she sheds light on how wisdom was gained in different areas of her life, from marriage and one's teenaged ideas of sex and love to understanding some things as deep as metaphysics. Yeah! That's right! She gathered her thoughts on metaphysics through the writings and life of John Donne.

I could go on about other chapters in her book, but I will bring it home by stating that any person who can get their hands on this book should do so immediately. In the style that it was written in, this book could be used in any high school or college-level English class. Dr. Prior's vocation as a literature professor makes sense of her beautiful command of the English language. It is beneficial and clever that she includes "Discussion Questions" at the end of the book because it may encourage personal reflection for other readers. This book is for anyone, not just those individuals who, like Dr. Prior, possess a deep love of reading and are capable of grabbing hold to the themes of a novel with ease.

Socrates once stated: "The unexamined life isn't worth living." Well, from reading this book, I gather that Dr. Prior has a life worth living and the reader can gain some value in their own life by reading this book and undergoing their own personal and spiritual examination.

Jerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-2035952880778192872014-12-09T01:44:00.000-05:002015-01-19T20:26:34.864-05:00The Lack of Love in Our ArgumentsAs a person that is interested in defending the Christian faith, a part of what I am trying to grow in is sharing arguments for different aspects of what I believe, from the existence of God to why we can believe that Jesus really did rise from the grave. Here is my problem: I am not much into arguing with anyone. Honestly, I try my best to avoid confrontation. Now, that is not to say that I will not speak my mind if I need to and I do not allow anyone to step over me, but I like to hear people's ideas and beliefs, then share my own in a calm conversation. I have watched some debates between Christian theists and atheists and I have seen comments that may something similar to: "These debates will not change anyone's mind." But I am not sure that I would agree completely because I believe that a major part of debating is to hear other sides looking at the same issue. Who knows who will hear something that they might not have heard before and they go back to the "drawing board" and take time to rethink their position on some things. You never know. Plus, if public debates are ever shut down completely, then those in the Christian faith should worry all the more because that will close the door on any kind of open dialogue with the world (those who do not adhere to the Christian faith).

I must say that disparaging remarks made about another's worldview is never helpful when anyone's presenting their polemic against that worldview. I look at some YouTube videos and think how sad it is that many of the "performers" have what appears to be a strong desire to belittle those who do not share their view on anything from religion to science. It does happen with those who call themselves Christians, but many more times, I find that videos made by the "YouTube atheist" tend to be about showing very little care about being respectful in disagreement, but strives to be sarcastic and insensitive to the believer. Yes, I know that someone might see me as being a bit too sensitive, because of the whole "sticks and stones" philosophy, but I think sarcastic tones of speech or degrading and demeaning vocabulary does nothing for anyone to "win" an argument. After hearing Dr. Richard Dawkins say that he believes atheists should ridicule and mock others for their beliefs at the Reason Rally held back in 2012, it makes sense to me why many atheists would feel the need to go this route. But the Christian has no excuse to use this kind of a behavior as a means to get across a point of view, even if the nonreligious person is doing it to you.

Love should always be our motive to explain why we believe to others what we believe as servants of Jesus the Christ. I think it will be essential to sharing our faith (evangelizing) to remember that we want to see this person accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. We will need to accept that some people will not want to hear our points of view, or they might be so captivated by their own intelligence that they cannot hear anything you are saying to them about faith. I believe, as Christians, we ought to learn ways in how to bow out of an argument gracefully, without appearing as if we have lost just because we could not give great premises in our argument and we lacked some key foundation in our logic. God's existence is not based on how well we deliver intelligent ideas of reason or profound, rational and cohesive points of natural theology, God's existence is as unmovable as the gravity that keeps our feet firmly in the ground and He does not vanish (as some sort of hypothesis) when we can no longer bring other 'evidences' of Him to the table. God is Love and His existence is steeped in love, along with judgement and His other attributes, and He desires that we share His Love with those around us in the presentation of ourselves. Therefore, we are to present ourselves in a Christ-like manner, and let God do the rest.

One must ask himself/herself: is it possible to love the very person that I am in heated disagreement with?

Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-34316718557951823412014-09-07T23:06:00.003-04:002014-12-29T20:32:19.020-05:00Why You Should Watch Your Theology? (The Reason for This Blog)I believe that the study of theology has become more important to my life in the last three years than its ever been. The older I have gotten, and the more I have grown in my love of Jesus Christ, the more I see how important it is for people to "watch your theology." When I re-titled this blog, "Watch Your Theology," it was because I have seen too many times and I still see that people have this view of God (of the Christian faith / the biblical God) that is not in alignment with what the Bible says.

It saddens my heart to see many people facing issues and not knowing what to do because of bad theology. I have a family member right now going through a terrible issue with her child and hoping that praying to God will just end it all and make everything go away. Now, yes, I believe God to be all-powerful and capable of any feat He sees fit to perform, but I do believe that the same God who can bring you out of trouble can allow you to go through trouble. Will Job please stand up? [Please review Book of Job in the Old Testament] Yes, the problem of pain and suffering seems to come up a lot when people present their ideas on who or what God really is, or is all about? Your theology might point to a "god" that gives only the good things of life and blesses you as soon as you accept Christ, but that would not be the God of the Bible. Unfortunately, many people (and I am sure that I have been one of them) base their thinking on God on one or two verses that seem to confirm what they thought all along. I've seen atheists and Christian theists do this. There might be some folks who believe God to be a good God that would never punish the human beings that He created and they use verses to support that. Others might see God as a "moral monster" and find verses that confirm that as well, but I must throw in that if this "God" is a moral monster, then shouldn't there be additional "evidences" for this assumption. In many cases, people have a view of God (when I write of God, I do mean of the Judeo-Christian worldview) that is not logically founded on the Bible anyway, but a mixture of things that they have heard and decided to put together to suit what works best for them. I think we all (especially Christians) should strive for a "full" theology; meaning one that encompasses a well-thought out, Bible-based view of God (prayerfully led by the Holy Spirit) that truthfully expresses who God really is. I do not want some watered version of what God is, to be portrayed out in mass media and causing people to live a life that is not in step with how He would have us live. (Of course, if you watch a lot of televangelists, then you can tell that my hopes are already too late.)

Theology matters because it helps those of us, who adhere to a so called religious belief, systematically break down what we say we believe. In my opinion, I believe a lot of young people end up not believing the Christian faith because they were fed some bad theology while they were growing up. All the more important, they saw people around them living out a "Christian lifestyle" that was not parallel with what they were learning in Sunday School or at church. People's ignorance of the truth reflects in the way that they view things and what they choose to and choose not to pass on to their children or the next generation. I do not want to be ignorant of the one, true God or any aspect that is true of Him. If I am to pass on the Gospel, doesn't it make sense for me to have a full understanding of what it is that I am hoping to pass along? How sad it is that many folks don't know wolves in sheep's clothing when they see one. Many false teachers get away with selling "bad" theology because those in their "flock" don't know that.....THEOLOGY MATTERS!

Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-70386982964133147082014-07-10T23:45:00.003-04:002014-12-29T20:37:24.046-05:00To Minister Full-Time or Not To Minister Full-Time?A few weeks ago, I went to the 2014 Ravi Zacharias Int'l Min. Summer Institute, at Wheaton College, outside of Chicago, Illinois. What a time it was connecting with other brothers and sisters who wanted to go deeper in their faith. Also, it was spiritually refreshing because each morning started with Praise and Worship songs and a study on the Ten Commandments. Even with all of these special moments that were a part of the week's events, I left with an interesting feeling that I still was not clear on what God has for me next. The one thing that I had learned growing up is that if you are going to do the work of Christ, it is not to be played with because we knew of many that called themselves "ministers" but did not truly live it out.

Now, I do know that we are all to be ministers of the gospel after we come to Christ, so in that sense, I am a minister (and I take it very seriously). But I am thinking of devoting my entire life to ministry and all that would entail (visiting the sick and shut-in, counseling, preaching, teaching, managing a ministry's funds, etc.). This I take seriously because the God that I serve will not allow for me to continue in being a false teacher and I believe the consequences are big for those who do such things, whether in this life or in eternity. Therefore, I am continually thinking over what it means to me to want to see transformed lives in Christ. At the same time, I guess that it is a 'good' thing that I am weighing things outs spiritually when it comes to this particular issue. Whenever I have spoke to my pastor, my uncle, the man who married me and my wife, and other ministers (including a surrogate mother), I have found that many men and women of God have taken time, years even, to come to the right decision led by God.

There is so much to think of being a full-time minister for the Lord that seems exciting to me and, at the same time, it is a bit nerve-wracking. I think of the moments when I might inspire others to desire more of God, spark something in someone else or that God would use me to be a part of some kind of spiritual awakening. Whatever is to happen in my ministry, I hope to maintain that God is to be praised and given all the credit and I can remember that ministry has its lows as well. I have found out from others that you can have some dark days in ministry and people can break your heart. At the same time, I have come to see through Scripture, how God can use those times in His Will too (I believe one can look at the ups and downs in the life of Moses). Also, Jesus is always the example of how to go about life in general and ministry specifically. So, when the days are great and other times are depressing or bad, I should hold to the God that sits high and looks low. He Will see me through whatever it is that He has for me or will allow for me because He is all-knowing and has Providence in all matters.

At the end of the day, I just hope to grow in seeing lives changed in Christ, which expresses that I am a minister, one who is waiting for God to change the number of hours of my ministry as He sees fit.

Amen!
Jerome A. Dannerhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-3314913516301880556.post-6182860348711276142012-02-07T13:02:00.000-05:002014-12-29T20:38:02.657-05:00Descriptions of You Written With Love (A Series to My Wife)Kind, Is She

Kind, is she
She who rises against the turbulence of life
Still finds time to love
And gives love in a time when it is most needed

Easy is her warming spirit
The warmth that radiates from her is magnificent
And that magnificence I am in constant awe of
In her I see genuine compassion

The light shines from her smile
She talks not in words but in symbols of positivity and joy
And her heart beats to a rhythm that is gently tapped by God
Her Heavenly Father instills in her kindness and.......
Kind, is she

written by Jerome A. DannerJerome A. Dannerhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com