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Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Heard About the New Movie, 'The Nativity Story'?

From all accounts, it sounds like an excellent movie for the family, accurately portraying the events surrounding Christ's birth and presenting a clear message related to His mission. For more insight, read Dr. Albert Mohler's helpful review. If you've already seen it as well, I'd love to hear your opinion. The film opens to the public December 1.

Labels: David C. Price

Anybody Want to Buy a House?

If anyone in the Louisville area wants to buy a house, I know of someone who has a great one for sale...hint, hint. Seriously, I know there may be some seminary students or others in the area who are looking to buy and thought I'd post a link here of the listing and photos for your perusal.

Labels: David C. Price

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Crunch Time

I am now into my last week in Louisville. It's hard to believe, but it's true. As of the weekend, I will be packing it up and heading south to Tennessee to begin my tenure as pastor of Memorial Baptist Church.

Saying goodbye is tough. I will especially miss the family of the New Life Bible Fellowship class at Highview Baptist East Campus that we were adopted into. You have been family when family was far away. We have enjoyed the time of fellowship and encouragement and we move on with the assurance that our friendship will remain strong. I deeply appreciate the gift you gave me on Sunday. It will be prominently and proudly displayed in my new office. Rob and Mandi, you do a great job...you're the best.

Due to all of the things that have to be accomplished in a short amount of time, blogging has and probably will continue to take a backseat right now. Lord willing, once I get settled, I'll be able to get into a schedule that will allow, at the very least, the occasional post.

I appreciate your prayers as you think about us over the next month as we work at getting ourselves and all of our stuff to Chattanooga. It promises to be an exhausting December...merry Christmas.

Hopefully, none of the regular readers of E.R. will run away forever and you'll hang with me during the transition. To our new family at Memorial Baptist, I look forward with great anticipation to many years of service, ministry and mission together.

Labels: David C. Price

Friday, November 24, 2006

Spielberg Says What Many of Us Have Been Saying for Years

Maybe someone will finally listen.

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - Steven Spielberg urged TV networks to be mindful of what they show on the air because of the effect it might have on children, and said programs like "CSI" and "Heroes" were too gruesome.
"Today we are needing to be as responsible as we can possibly be, not just thinking of our own children but our friends' and neighbors' children," Spielberg told an audience Monday at the International Emmys board of directors meeting here.
Spielberg decried on-air promotions for television shows like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" that showed "blood and people being dissected." He also said that when his favorite TV show of the new season, NBC's "Heroes," showed someone cut in half in the 9 p.m. hour, he sent his younger children out of the room.

Labels: David C. Price

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving Day

We have much to thank God for, two of which are heroes like these...

You probably cannot read the caption below the picture. Here is how it reads:

Peal Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas embraced Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr. during a Veterans Day commemoration in Dallas yesterday. Graunke lost a hand, a leg and an eye when he defused a bomb in Iraq last year. This week's images of U.S. troops in combat in Fallujah deepened the day's significance for many who attended tributes in San Diego and accross the nation.

Labels: David C. Price

Friday, November 17, 2006

Should Rick Warren Stay Home and Keep Quiet?

You decide...

From Crosswalk.com:

California mega-church pastor Rick Warren, author of the best-selling "Purpose-Driven Life," reportedly told a Syrian-controlled news agency the U.S. should have been holding dialogues with Damascus; Syrian Muslims and Christians co-exist peacefully; and the Syrian leadership is responsible for the nation's tolerance and stability. WorldNetDaily reports that's according to the news agency SANA as Warren visits Syria, much to the dismay of many in the U.S. "We at VCY America Radio network are appalled and angered that Rick Warren is praising a nation that has long supported international terrorism and that desires the utter destruction of Israel," said a statement from the broadcasting organization. The SANA reports included statements that: "Pastor Warren hailed the religious coexistence, tolerance and stability that the Syrian society is enjoying due to the wise leadership of President al-Assad, asserting that he will convey the true image about Syria to the American people." Warren told Syria's Islamic grand mufti there could be no peace in the region without Syria and 80 percent of Americans reject the U.S. administration's policies and actions in Iraq.

Labels: David C. Price

Friday Fun: World's "Greatest" Police Dog

Perhaps this police dog needs a bit more training. The bad guy is in black and the police is the guy in yellow...who perhaps needs a bit more training as well!

Labels: David C. Price

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

What Should Be Said About the Ted Haggard Affair?

A friend recently asked me why I hadn't written about the Ted Haggard scandal. I didn't really know. I had certainly thought about it. I even wondered what I would write. Yet, for some reason, I didn't.

Tim Challies did and I think he hit the nail on the head regarding the important issues and in the way it should be approached. Bottom line: Though what Haggard did most certainly cannot be condoned, we are all sinners and it is only the grace of God that prevents us all from acting according to our depravity.

Tim's post is a long one, but I really encourage you to read it in its entirety.

Labels: David C. Price

Monday, November 13, 2006

Elton John: 'I would ban religion completely'

LONDON, England (AP) -- Organized religion fuels anti-gay discrimination and other forms of bias, pop star Elton John said in an interview published Saturday.

"I think religion has always tried to turn hatred toward gay people," John said in the Observer newspaper's Music Monthly Magazine. "Religion promotes the hatred and spite against gays."

"But there are so many people I know who are gay and love their religion," he said. "From my point of view, I would ban religion completely. Organized religion doesn't seem to work. It turns people into really hateful lemmings and it's not really compassionate."

While I'm glad that John isn't a lawmaker and, thus, his opinion is just that, we should not dismiss that opinion without looking for the truth in it. Actually, I think there is truth there. "Religion" does often fuel hatred towards gays and others who fall within the list of those who don't do the things we think they should or do the things religion says they shouldn't.

Don't miss the point here. I'm not saying that homosexuality isn't wrong according to Scripture, but so is the way many Christians address it. How many times has hatred, in the name of religion, not been practiced against any number of "sinners." The quotes are not because they are not, but because we all are.

It is important for those of us who are Christians to make sure that we are not expressing biblical instructions in terms that can easily be misinterpreted as hatred. We are called to speak the truth in love...real, objective biblical truth in a loving manner, just like Jesus did. Not to speak it is not love, but neither is speaking it in judgmental terms.

Now, granted, there are some (perhaps Elton John is one of them) who will interpret any expression that speaks against a particular lifestyle as bias, biggoted, narrow-minded and the like. We can't do anything about that. It is not our responsibility if others respond to us as a result of the chip on their shoulders. It is our responsibility, however, to make sure that we are not speaking out as a result of the chip on our own.

[CNN story here.]

Labels: David C. Price

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Al Qaeda Determined to Destroy White House

Here is something the newly elected Democratic Congress better consider before they decide to cut and run in Iraq:

CAIRO, Egypt — Al Qaeda in Iraq's purported leader vowed on Friday that his fighters would never rest until they have reached Jerusalem and destroy the White House.

In the audio tape made available on a militant web site, a man introduced as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir said Al Qaeda has 12,000 fighters at the ready in Iraq.

"We will not rest from our Jihad until we are under the olive trees of Rumieh and we have destroyed the dirty black house -- which is called the White House," al-Muhajir said.

The "olive trees of Rumieh" appeared to be a reference to the Mount of Olive in Jerusalem, or Christendom in general as a continuation of the Roman empire.

Muslim ideologues will not stop fighting just because we do. Their faith will not allow them to.

[Full report here.]

Labels: David C. Price

Friday, November 10, 2006

Friday Fun: A Very Rude Awakening

Technorati Tags: Ridiculous/Humor, Espresso Roast Blog, David C Price

Labels: David C. Price

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Key Issue Affecting Election Results

Is it not ironic that in an age dominated by moral relativism, corruption was named as the key issue by voters in exit polls? Just more evidence that people who espouse such a philosophy don't live according to it.

Labels: David C. Price

Monday, November 06, 2006

Major Changes Are Here!

It's been a long, hard year but God is certainly good. Through the wilderness and out on the other side, God's hand has been holding onto me. What am I talking about? Well, December 3 will be my first Sunday as the new pastor of Memorial Baptist Church in Hixson (Chattanooga), TN.

For those of you who follow the blog, you know I was down there a couple of weeks ago, though I gave no specifics at the time. My time there was great and God confirmed to me then that this was the place He had been preparing me for the whole time. I believe the same can be said of the church. The vote was held this past Sunday and I was humbled and encouraged that the results were unanimously in favor of my coming.

MBC is not a perfect church as they have their troubles. I, as I'm sure you know, am not perfect either. In spite of these facts, I really believe this was a marriage made in heaven...I believe God did it.

As I alluded to in my previous post, I don't know what the future holds. Obviously, my first priority will continue to be my family, followed by my new family of MBC, but I hope to be able to continue blogging regularly...I just don't know if E.R. will change emphasis and structure. I guess we'll find out.

This promises to be a very busy month as we make our plans for the move. We're praying that God will bring us a buyer for our house soon (so if you're in Louisville and looking for a house, call me) and lead us to the house He has prepared for us in TN as well so my whole family can go down there together. It's all in His hands...right where I want it to be!

Labels: David C. Price

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Espresso Roast Turns 2

Today is my second anniversary...I guess most people in the "blogosphere" call that a blogiversary, don't they? Whatever it's called, it's here today.

A lot of stuff has been poured out on this tiny slice of the internet over the past two years. Some of it I look back and feel a sense of satisfaction that I was successful in presenting a perspective consistent with the biblical worldview that I espouse while other times I just say, "What they heck were you thinking?" Most of the posts in the latter group tend to fall within the category of politics (though certainly not all).

Generally speaking, I have always tried to adopt the position of being "apolitical," especially as a pastor. I think it much more important for the Church and those within the Church to address the world from an objective biblical perspective rather than a particular party's platform. I have not always succeeded (especially during the early days of this blog which started during the presidential election season).

The Church is supposed to address all parties and all people with the Truth of Scripture, lest we become just another special interest group within the political sphere. I'm afraid the latter is all we have become and have forfeited our honored position as a voice of conscience and direction to the world at large. Anyway, that's for another day.

What is the future of this blog? I don't know exactly. I think blog years are like dog years: it's only been two, but feels more like fourteen. It is certainly a time-consuming endeavor, though a rewarding one. It makes you think about what you believe, spit it out into words and then attempt to shape your words and communicate the truth you arrive at in a coherent and informative way. At least, that is what it is to me.

This year promises to be very different as I believe my family's future will involve a move soon and a new place in ministry and, Lord willing, a new addition to the family. Time for blogging may be hard to come by, but I believe it needs to be a priority...maybe not for anyone else but me. I certainly hope that my little thoughts have served to challenge at some points, enlighten in some way, and encourage in many, but that may all be fanciful thinking. Nevertheless, it has caused me to grow in ways I probably wouldn't have otherwise.

So, I'm sure there will be more "blogiversaries" for this little blog. God only knows for certain, but I hope there will. At first, I was bummed that this anniversary fell on Saturday, a day that hardly anybody reads blogs (how narcissistic does that sound, huh? "Hey, why didn't anybody come to my birthday party?") Then I was kind of glad because I felt more comfortable writing all of this stuff about me knowing that probably not as many people will read it.

So for those who have been coming around here for at least some part of the last two years, thanks. I'm humbled and blessed. Now, on to number three.

Labels: David C. Price

Friday, November 03, 2006

Friday Fun: How Dangerous Are Toyotas?

Labels: David C. Price

Why The Episcopal Church USA Needs to Stop Calling Themselves 'Christian'

The words of the incoming presiding bishop demonstrate and confirm a longstanding fact: the Episcopal Church USA is not a part of the historical, orthodox Christian Church and need to stop pretending otherwise.

She says she doesn't consider Jesus Christ to be the only way to God. She says she believes God makes some people "gay." And, reports AgapePress, she's soon to be the leader of a mainline Protestant denomination in America. In an interview this week with Associated Press, Bishop Katharine Jefferts-Schori -- who is to be installed on Saturday as the first female presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church USA -- stated that Christians should not say that Jesus is the only way to God. "If we insist we know the one way to God," she said, "we've put God in a very small box." Jefferts-Schori says she disagrees with the idea that salvation comes only through trusting in Jesus Christ, but instead salvation comes as the healing of all Creation through holy living. On the issue of homosexuality, the Episcopal Church has been embroiled for years in a debate over the ordination of homosexual clergy and "blessing" ceremonies for same-sex couples. Jefferts-Schori supports both, and told AP that she does not believe the Bible condemns "committed" homosexual relationships. God, she says, made some people "gay."

1. God does not make people into something that His very word calls sin any more than He makes some people murderers, liars, thieves, gluttons, or gossips. God's word demonstrates that His love and compassion extends to homosexuals as it does to all of us sinners, but homosexuality is as much a part of the fallen nature of man as any other sin. One may not like it because it calls us to accountability and denying our fallen desires, but one cannot change the words of Scripture and continue calling themselves a Christian.

2. Claiming that we can save ourselves demonstrates a profound misunderstanding of the nature of sin and the holiness of God. If, as Schori claims, that "salvation comes as the healing of all Creation through holy living" were true, then absolutely no one would be saved and everyone is doomed to hell. List one person, including Schori, who has been successful at "holy living." That is the very reason Jesus had to come and that nothing else is capable of getting us to God. We all sin (Romans 3:23)

Our sins are so offensive to God that His holiness demanded payment (otherwise, as God, He would cease to be God by ignoring sin). As perfection was the only possible and adequate payment for such sin, the only candidate for such payment was Himself! God took on the weight of our sins Himself through Christ and proclaimed us who are, by nature, very unholy (and incapable of "holy living"), holy when we believe and receive Christ as Lord (John 1:12). It is absolutely impossible (realistically and logically) for us to save ourselves. The Bible says as much in Ephesians 2: 8-9, instructing that salvation is strictly through the grace of God, not of works so that we cannot boast. Schori somehow missed that in theology 101 (i.e. children's Sunday School class)

3. Finally and arguably most important: Limiting God only in the sense that He chose to limit Himself is not putting God in a box. It is called believing about Him what He says about Himself. Jesus claimed to be the only way to God (John 14:6). Believing that the Creator of the Universe (that is to say, Jesus--see John 1:1-4) is the only way to eternal life is hardly considered a "very small box." I do not understand how anyone can consider themselves Christian who doesn't actually believe in nor follow Christ? The fact is, they are not Christians any more than a boy who doesn't wear the Boy Scout uniform, adhere to the Scout Oath or believe in the organizational structure of Scouting can be considered a Boy Scout. You don't pick and choose what you like and decide what you think Christianity should be. You take it as it was given us by God through Christ or you join a country club or something.

Am I being too bold in claiming that those who adhere to the ECUSA (as far as they fall in line with their new bishop) are non-Christians? No...their leader has demonstrated the truth of that very claim herself.

[Quote from Crosswalk.com]

Labels: David C. Price

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Soldiers Shoot Back...In a Manner of Speaking

HT: Marty Duren

Labels: David C. Price

We Found Out Today Our Baby Is a...

Well, first the most important part. At 17 weeks, everything looks great. Good, strong and steady heartbeat...all the parts were in the right place...no obvious abnormalities...and very active (the baby was reaching down and doing toe-touches while we watched on the monitor).

It's strange, though, how much more stressful the minutes and hours before the ultrasound following a miscarriage. There is the confidence that God is in control and that whatever is wrong, if that is the case, He will give the grace and ability to deal with it and love that child, but the unknowns and what-ifs still creep in.

OK, back to the big question of what the ultrasound revealed. As it turns out, the baby was very cooperative and allowed us to see that it is very much a little BOY. Any name suggestions are welcome (that could be disastrous!).

I have to ask one question that completely baffles me: First let me say that I know the theological reasons, but I'm still amazed at the personal level. How is it that someone...anyone can look at an ultrasound, see that little baby moving and turning and stretching out arms and legs, literally see and hear the heartbeat pumping away, and come away saying that is only potential life? Man, that is life! It gets no more alive and autonomous than that as a life with the right to go on being a life. Anyone who says otherwise is just plain blind...and it is so very sad. I hurt for those with that blindness and pray that someday the eyes will be opened and they can see this treasure for what it is...nothing more, nothing less.

Labels: David C. Price

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Politics Comes to a Dead End in Alaska

Just when you thought the political landscape could get no stranger...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A dead woman won re-election to a school board
in rural Alaska after her opponent lost a coin flip meant to break an
electoral tie.
Katherine Dunton, who died of cancer on Oct. 3, the day of the local
election, was re-elected to the Aleutian Region School District board
after her opponent, Dona Highstone, called "heads" on a coin toss that
landed "tails," state and local officials said.

Election officials still don't know how to resolve this one. Perhaps I'm over-simplifying the issue, but really, shouldn't just about anything do it? Like, maybe the first one to count to one scould be declared the winner. Maybe the one who can recite the Pledge of Allegience...or the one who can recite anything could win.

Just another example of the strange world of politics and what goes haywire when Man is in control.

Labels: David C. Price

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