Statement of Faith

I believe that all 66 books of the Protestants' accepted Bible canon were written without error.

I believe this collection of books is the only Word of God. Any other sacred text from any other religion is spurious.

I believe the Bible is historically and theologically accurate.

Therefore,

I believe in one God, the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I believe that Adam's sin in the garden of Eden plagued the rest of mankind with spiritual separation from God.

I believe that God the Son became the sinless God-Man, Jesus Christ, when he was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin named Mary.

I believe the death of Jesus Christ on a cross and his resurrection from the dead offers us forgiveness of sins by trust and surrender to him.

I believe Jesus is the only way to heaven; all other ways/religions/roads lead to a literal and never-ending hell.

I believe that Christians are to surrender to the Holy Spirit for a deeper work of grace called by different names: Christian Perfection, Perfect Love, Entire Sanctification, Full Salvation, etc.

I believe that, aided by grace, Christians can live free from deliberate sinning in deed and in thought.

I believe that salvation can be lost/forfeited by apostasy or sinful rebellion.

I believe there is only one Church, God's Church, of all born-again Christians wherever they may be. The Church of God shouldn't be divided but unified in doctrine and mission.

I believe that every Christian should seek the Face of the Lord for revival—for Great Awakening—for himself, his church, his community and the world.

I believe that there are two ordinances of the Church: Believer's Baptism (credobaptism, usually by immersion) and Holy Communion.

I believe that Christ will return for the Day of Resurrection and Judgment; all humanity will go either to heaven or to hell. I believe in the amillennial schema of Eschatology.

In short, I am a Low Church Wesleyan Methodist Credobaptistic Amillennialist.

I'm Sick of Hearing About Michael Jackson

The media coverage is irking me; enough of this masochistic hand-wringing about the tragic life that was Michael Jackson.

Ask yourself one question: if some unknown John Smith from your neighborhood had boys sleep over at his house—regardless of whether molestation occurred or not (and I don't know if Jackson molested anyone or not)—wouldn't you say, "What's wrong with this picture? A grown man having kids over? That's sick!" The very BEST thing you could hope for is that John Smith was mentally ill and not some perv.

I mean, some dude running around wearing pseudo military costumes or a mask? Come on!


Yes, I liked Jackson...when I was a kid in the 80's. As Paul said:

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
(1 Corinthians 13.11 ESV)

I hope I've grown up. I wish the world would as well. It is a sad event—and I am sad about his death (and apparently lonely life)—but drop the accolades. You wouldn't say them about John Smith, would you? Don't treat Jackson any differently.

Verizon Wireless' Great Christmas Commercial!

This commercial is fantastic! It's still hilarious long after it was first broadcast. Congrats to Verizon Wireless for giving us a timeless classic.

What I Want in a Woman

These are the personal ramblings of a guy who took a walk. This morning I walked and prayed; the topic of whom I find attractive came to my mind. As I sweated through the early morning sun I began to compile a list of things that I find beautiful in a woman. You are free to read these opinions just for kicks or ignore ‘em entirely.

I find a lady attractive who is:

1. A fervent Christian

For me, Jesus isn’t something I append to my life; for me, Jesus is my life. He is my worldview, the lens through which I interpret my world around me. A lady who is attractive to me is someone who loves Jesus passionately and resolutely. She knows her Bible (or is at least learning it). She knows her Faith—she knows what she believes and why she believes it. She can defend the hope she has within her articulately.

Theologically speaking I am a Low-Church Wesleyan Methodist at heart. I’m not what you would call a fundamentalist but I am a conservative Christian in doctrine and lifestyle. A table-dancin’ free spirit wouldn’t “get” me…or want to be around me long!

Yes, she would be a “family values” social conservative. She is pro-life. She supports traditional heterosexual marriage. She hates violence but understands that it is imperative at times to fight. She believes King David when he asserted,

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; (Psalms 144.1b ESV)

Conservative single Christian ladies are beautiful to me, really attractive. Does that sound strange to you? Why should it? Put a Bible in a single gal's hands and I'll take note.

Okay, this is quirky but I like it when a lady has a favored Scripture that is off the beaten path. Sure, everybody and his mother loves,

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29.11 ESV)

However, a lady who pulls out, say,

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10.12 ESV)

will get my attention.

If she quotes from the Minor Prophets then that’s hot. There, I said it and I’m glad. Also, if she reads from the ESV or NASB then she gets a gold star next to her name. (Yeah, I’m weird in that way.)

Oh...and she doesn't blaspheme God or Christ by taking their names in vain. And her language is clean, too.

2. Pure

She must be committed to purity, chastity, abstinence or whatever you want to call it. If she’s never been married then virginity is the ideal. Sadly, many have fallen in this sex-saturated world but there is forgiveness in Christ. She currently must be committed to celibacy until marriage.

3. Intelligent and well-read

If a lady couldn’t care less about having a deep though in her head then she would find me hideously boring because I thrive on stimulating conversations about religion, politics and current events. I care enough about the world to “wreck and revolutionise” it, to use G.K. Chesterton’s words in Orthodoxy.

A college degree doesn’t automatically equal intelligence, nor does the lack of formal education automatically indicate ignorance. If she watches The History Channel she’ll probably impress me.

If she told me,

“You know, I was listening to a mp3 of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones the other day…”

or,

“You know, something A.W. Tozer wrote is still ringing in my head,”

or,

“You know, John Wesley preached something profound when he said…”

then she has my sudden attention. ANY LADY WHO KNOWS WHO WILLIAM CARVOSSO IS AND CAN DISCUSS HIS LIFE IS INSTANTLY ATTRACTIVE!!!!!

4. Pretty (to me)

You wondered if I would be so shallow to mention it, didn’t you? Well, I am! Actually, I don’t have a certain look that I find attractive; she could be short or tall, an auburn, brunette or blonde. Blondes don’t have more fun. In fact, I’ve seen two of the most beautiful women in the world and neither is a blonde.

I’m not talking model, either. After all, why would I want to date a chain-smoking drug addict? (Okay, bad joke.)

5. Healthy

After my well-publicized newfound discovery of diabetes I’ve taken control of my life; I’m shaping up and slimming down. My eating habits have changed. I’m off all diabetic meds and want to stay that way so my hypothetical attractive lady needs to care about herself, too. She doesn’t have to be a marathon runner but she does need the desire to live as a healthy individual until the Lord takes her Home.

6. Fiscally responsible

A shop-a-holic will burn through my minister’s wallet quickly so she needs how to be wise concerning money matters (or independently wealthy).

7. Kind

I think we all know that compassion is powerful. The Bible says,

House and wealth are inherited from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
(Proverbs 19.14 ESV)

In a nutshell the Hebrew word for “prudent” in this verse means wise, thoughtful and understanding. She’s kind.

8. Sober

I might as well get this out of the way: I don’t drink alcohol and it’s not going to be stored in my refrigerator. I was raised in a pietistic Christian tradition and I don’t take a swig. For some reason drinking is increasing in conservative evangelical Christianity but I’m no fan of it. I’m not saying that if a Christian has a single drop of alcohol touch his lips then he’s going to burn in lowest Tartarus forever but it won’t be me knocking it back.

I must put my foot down on this; it’s either me or the hooch. If a lady is so attached to her liquor that she would rather forgo a marital commitment to me than lower the bottle then we aren’t compatible with each other, anyway.

9. Passionate

By "passionate" I mean someone who gets out of bed every morning for some reason, some cause, some goal in mind. She is interesting to me because she is interested in something. It doesn't have to be anything lofty like world peace or saving dolphins. A lady who loves gardening or reading biographies taking pictures would do the trick!

Some of my ramblings. ;)

Jon & Kate Plus Divorce

I confess that I watched the episode this evening because TLC promised an announcement. Sadly, Jon and Kate are getting divorced. It's horribly sad. The hesitant explanations, based on careful generalities, seemed to scream subtext.

Jon seemed cautious yet defensive, saying he took a stand against his wife's control. Kate seemed guarded yet offering glimpses into her struggle. It's that subtext—what wasn't said—that seemed loudest, though.

I think TLC should pull the plug on the show after this season. Leave them to their grieving and healing. Turn out the lights because this party, sadly, definitely seems over.

Pray for Iran

LarryMcCallister.com supports the Iranian people who want a fair democratic election. Pray for Iran so that the Islamic republic will not use violence and terror against her own people in an evil attempt to subject them to despotism and tyranny.

Ma'am Barbara Boxer and Her Senator's Title

This is bizarre and sad:



It is appropriate military protocol to address a superior as "Ma'am". One thing is for certain—General Michael Walsh won't make the mistake of thinking Barbara Boxer is a lady ever again! [chuckling]

PETA to Obama: Catch and Release Fly

Have you heard about President Obama killing a fly in the White House while being interviewed by CNBC's John Harwood?



Well, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) wishes the president didn't kill the fly:

PETA is sending President Barack Obama a Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher, a device that allows users to trap a house fly and then release it outside.

"We support compassion even for the most curious, smallest and least sympathetic animals," PETA spokesman Bruce Friedrich said Wednesday. "We believe that people, where they can be compassionate, should be, for all animals."

I just wish people cared about unborn children like PETA cared about a fly.

Why is Margaret Hoover on The O'Reilly Factor?

Can someone explain why Bill O'Reilly calls Margaret Hoover a "cultural warrior" and listens to her views on this regular segment? Hoover doesn't have a big problem with homosexual marriage; would many Americans consider someone who isn't against homosexual marriage as a cultural warrior?

When Your Time is Up

I learned of some strange and sad news today; Johanna Ganthaler, a lady who missed being killed from Air France 447 on May 31st because she was late for its departure, was killed in a car wreck June 11th.

Mrs. Ganthaler had less to two weeks to live after her narrow brush with death—or, she had almost two weeks to live beyond that of the members of Air France 447, depending on your view. In any event it can teach us that life is precious, short and important.

The Bible says:

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
(Hebrews 9.27 ESV)

However, the writer concludes his thought with this addition:

so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
(Hebrews 9.28 ESV)

We must all be ready to stand before the God who created us. Death (or Resurrection Day and Judgment) is inevitable but a person can been saved through Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

Are you ready?

What Has Happened to David Letterman?

I was a teenager in the 80's and a hot late night ticket to watch then was Late Night with David Letterman. Letterman was a kind of rebel then, a marked contrast to Johnny Carson. He was zany, wacky and talented. At his best, Dave was hilarious.

Did something happen?

I confess I don't watch late night talk shows often; I'm offended by blue language and risque jokes. Still, is it just me or has something changed with David?

Was it his heart surgery?
Was it his fatherhood?
Was it his marriage?

He seems older and, frankly, like a curmudgeon now. I think he's stepped from comedy to advocacy...specifically, liberal advocacy. His anti-conservative jokes seem acerbic. They don't seem quirky or lighthearted...or funny.

His latest jokes about Palin's appearance (and offense to flight attendants) and her daughter (whether he meant Bristol or Willow which, to me, seems irrelevant) were just mean. Mean. Not funny. Mean. Added to the fact that when the comedian's son was born, Letterman was NOT married to the child's mother, makes his joke against whichever Palin girl seem hypocritical.

You disagree? Replace Palin's name in the flight attendant "joke" with Michelle Obama's name and ask yourself, "Is this funny or mean?"

Replace Willow (or Bristol, if you believe Letterman's assertion) with Malia or Sasha Obama and ask yourself, "Is this funny or mean?"

He seems like a bitter old man.

Is he? I can't read his heart but he just isn't funny at times. It saddens me—I'm serious, I'm truly saddened—because it appears Dave is gone; he has been replaced by David.

And he's no Leno.

Leonard Ravenhill: You're Either Dead to Sin or Dead in It.

To use the old expression, "That'll preach."

Kenyan Ambassador Ogego Says Obama Born in Kenya?

I came across this interesting audio that was placed on YouTube on November 21, 2008.



The blurb for the video reads:

Kenyan Ambassador admits Obama born in Kenya

The Mike In The Morning show on WRIF radio, in Detroit, Michigan, called the Kenyan Embassy, and spoke to the Kenyan Ambassador to the United States, Peter Ogego, who admitted that it is a well known fact that Barack Obama was born in Kenya, and plans are underway to build a memorial at the site of his birth.

Was Barack Obama born in Hawaii or Kenya? I have no idea; I wasn't there. I suppose it depends (at least in part) on whom you want to believe. Different conservatives have panned the idea of pursuing the naturalized citizenship question because they consider the allegation, well, out in political left field.

For the record, Ogego revised his statement. Part of a WorldNetDaily story on this issue is as follows:

By Chelsea Schilling
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

An assistant to the ambassador, referring to herself only as “Trudy,” confirmed today that Ogego had indeed participated in the radio interview. But she said the show made leading statements and took the following comments out of context.

Clark: “We want to congratulate you on Barack Obama, our new president, and you must be very proud.”

Ogego: “We are. We are. We are also proud of the U.S. for having made history as well.”

Fellhauer: “One more quick question, President-elect Obama’s birthplace over in Kenya, is that going to be a national spot to go visit, where he was born?”

Ogego: “It’s already an attraction. His paternal grandmother is still alive.”

Fellhauer: “His birthplace, they’ll put up a marker there?”

Ogego: “It would depend on the government. It’s already well known.”

Ogego’s assistant insisted he was speaking about Barack Obama Sr., and not President-elect Obama.

WND asked, “Is Obama’s birthplace in Kenya?”

The woman replied firmly, “No.”

She said she could not say why Ogego responded the way he did, and she promised to have the ambassador call and explain his own comments. The ambassador never returned requests for comment.

Evan Thomas, Barack Obama and God

Thomas, editor of Newsweek, said this of the current president:

"I mean in a way Obama’s standing above the country, above – above the world, he’s sort of God."

On a side note, I'm waiting for some crazy group to petition the government for a tax-exempt status for The Church of Obama.

Megan Fox, Megatron and White Trash

Under "Hot Gossip" Kat Giantis gives us the following about "Transformers" star Megan Fox and a conundrum; specifically:

what she would say to Megatron to keep him from destroying the world. "I'd barter with him," she muses to the July issue Total Film UK, "and say instead of the entire planet, can you just take out all of the white trash, hillbilly, anti-gay, super bible-beating people in Middle America?"

As a native Mountaineer and a self-professed Bible reader I wonder how people would characterize (or caricature) Megan Fox? Restraint keeps me from offering a few suggestions.