John MacArthur on The Paul Edwards Program

John MacArthur, Pastor-Teacher at Grace Community Church of Sun Valley, CA will be my guest on Tuesday, April 17th on The Paul Edwards Program, heard locally in Detroit on AM 1500 WLQV from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm ET and around the world via streaming audio at http://www.am1500wlqv.com.

Our conversation will focus on the Emerging Church vis-a-vis his new book The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception.  Normally I keep conversations like this one to myself, but if you have any questions you’d like to ask Dr. MacArthur please forward them to me at paul@godandculture.com and I’ll see if I can work them in.

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The Tale the Polls Tell

NEWSWEEK: 91% of Americans believe in God
TIME: Biblical llliteracy on the rise
BARNA: 100 Million Americans never attend church

So if it’s true that 91% of American’s believe in God, why aren’t they reading His word and attending His church?

The conventional answers to these questions derive from sociology rather than spirituality. Ask today’s church leaders why people don’t read the Bible or attend church and they will immediately blame the Bible and the church! I recently interviewed a theology Ph.D. candidate on my program who told me that even he couldn’t understand the King James Version of the Bible! Really?

One megachurch pastor recently released a book in which he cites four possible reasons why the church fails to draw a crowd: God, the Message, the World, or the Church. God is off the hook because, well, he’s GOD! The Message is off the hook because it’s supposed to be timeless and transcend culture. The shocking point he makes is that the World is also off the hook because without the darkness there would be no light! By process of elimination it is the CHURCH that is the problem, even though the Church was founded by Jesus Christ with the promise that the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. The problem with the church is that it doesn’t know how to relate and it is using outmoded methods to accomplish the task of drawing lost sinners. Nothing is ever mentioned about the theological truth that lost sinners in their natural state will never find the true gospel of the cross attractive (1 Corinthians 1, 2).

The fact is, the reason why so many Americans say they believe in God and yet live lives of practical atheism as demonstrated by their lack of church attendance and Bible knowlege is because America’s understanding of God is civil and not relational. American’s believe in God the way they believe in the sun coming up tomorrow: they know God is there, they know He makes some difference to their lives, but for the most part they’re oblivious to the real implications of who God is. God makes no conscionable difference to they way they live their lives, unless and until tragedy strikes, because American’s honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. American’s may know God (or think they know God) but the critical factor is whether or not God knows them (John 10:27; Matthew 7:23). And the people God has identified as His sheep will not fail to grow in grace and in the knowlege of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and they will not fail in assembling together as God’s redeemed people. God’s people love God’s word and God’s people. People who ignore God’s word and God’s people, even though they say they believe in God, are not God’s people. Let’s stop kidding ourselves when the secular polls give us so false hope that America is in revival. “By their fruits…”

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’24’ and the 25th Amendment

Quite by accident I began watching ’24’ about a month ago.  I found the last 30 minutes of the episode I happened upon addictive, and I have seen every episode since, except one.  The more I watch ’24’ the more I find myself laughing out loud at the obvious hokiness of it all.

 For instance, two weeks ago a former President (on a tether!) meets with his crazy ex-wife in order to get her to place a call to the wife of the president of Russia in an effort to get the Russian president to crack down on the Russian embassy in LA where Jack Bauer is being held.  Long story short – the crazy former First Lady plays with a paring knife which ends up in the chest of her ex-husband – in a room full of Secret Service agents!  LOL! 

Tonight’s episode was more of the same. Jack Bauer’s president is Wayne Palmer.  Five hours ago President Palmer was severely injured by a terrorist planted bomb that exploded in a cassette recorder at a podium where he was standing.  The Vice-President is notified that he will assume the powers of the presidency as acting president.

In tonight’s episode, five hours after being nearly mortally wounded by the terrorist bomb, the president resumes his duties over the objections of the vice-president.  The VP initiates a power play to keep the powers of the presidency for himself by invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, which reads:

Section 4. Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.

Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

As you can see, the process for declaring a president unfit for office is not as simple as taking a vote among the cabinet members, which is precisely what was portrayed on tonight’s episode of ’24’.  The VP gathered the cabinet, and the president’s chief of staff polled the cabinet by raise of hands, which ended in a tie.  The tie was contested by the VP, as one of the cabinet members – the National Security Advisor – had resigned prior to the assassination attempt on the president, but had recinded her resignation after the attempt and before it had been acted on by the president.  The VP challenged her standing as a cabinet member, ruled her vote invalid, and declared that a majority of the cabinet had declared the president unfit for office – by a vote of 7 – 6.

 But the process isn’t that simple.  It literally takes an act of congress to declare the president incapacitated, not merely a vote of the VP and a majority of the cabinet.  The VP and a majority of the cabinet must “transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office” at which time the VP can assume the presidency.

HOWEVER!!  The president may then also communicate to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House his written declaration that no inability exists, and immediately upon doing so he regains the office from the VP.  Then it gets interesting!  If the VP and the president’s cabinet still insist the president is incapacitated, within four days they must communicate that to the congress, at which time the congress has 21 days to decide.

’24’ put the decision solely in the hands of the vice-president, the cabinet, and the Supreme Court, which suggests the writers of tonight’s episode didn’t even bother to READ the 25th Amendment. The Supreme Court is no where to be found in the 25th Amendment.

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Christian Talk Radio and Political Discourse

How much time should Christian talk radio hosts devote to discussion of political topics?  There is a place on Christian radio for the discussion of the culture of life issues (abortion, euthanasia, stem-cell research, et al) which have become highly politicized, yet certainly have moral and spiritual implications.  But the political topics I have in mind are those related to the policies and behaviors of politicians themselves: the Bush administration’s firing of 8 federal prosecutors, Scooter Libby’s conviction on perjury charges, the funding of the war in Iraq and deadlines for troop withdrawal. These are all partisan issues, with the exception of the Iraq war, the outcome of which has serious implications for the security and future of all Americans.

Take the firing of the 8 federal prosecutors.  Attorney General Gonzales is under fire in the media and in Congress for whatever role he may have played in that decision. Never mind the fact that presidents have the authority to fire federal prosecutors.  Bill Clinton fired all 93 federal prosecutors at the same time.  That’s not the issue.  Neither is it a question about whether or not the firings were political in nature.  Of course they were!  As were the firings of all 93 federal prosecutors by Bill Clinton in 1993.

The focal point of this story both in Congress and in the MSM is what Gonzales knew and whether or not he lied when he said he was not involved in the firings. Christians have pretty high standards when it comes to truth.  How important is that story to the Christian community? What is the “Christian” angle? Do we approach the story by focusing on those talking points that vindicate the Bush administration? Or do we focus on the immorality of lying?

What if Gonzales lied?  After all he was just lying about what his role was in the firings.  There is nothing inappropriate about firing the prosecutors. He clearly has the authority to do so.  So what if he were just lying about actually pulling the trigger. That clearly has political implications, but legal ones?

Let’s not kid ourselves, Christian talk radio overall is conservative politically.  But should Christian radio approach these kinds of political stories differently than a general news/talk radio format would?  Rather than starting from the premise that the conservatives must be defended at all costs, ought not Christian talk radio start from the premise that truth must be discovered and defended at all costs?

Do we give the Bush administration a “Get Out of Jail Free” card because for the most part they are the good guys on the issues that are important to Christian conservatives? When does our political commentary cross the line to a tacit endorsement of a particular politician or political party?

My personal opinion on the Gonzales story is that the Democrats made up their minds before the last election that if they ever regained control of Congress they would make Capitol Hill a marathon of investigative hearings into the Bush Administration with the ultimate goal of impeaching the president.  Alberto Gonzales will be but the first of high ranking Bush administration officials to be demonized by the Democrats. 

But is my Christian talk radio program an appropriate forum for such a politically infused opinion?

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Former Congressman Tom DeLay on The Paul Edwards Program

I arose early today – 4:00 am – to read the 179 pages of Tom DeLay’s new memoir No Retreat, No Surrender: One American’s Fight.  It was homework of sorts, preparing for the phone conversation I just completed with him about a half an hour ago. 

My initial impression after reading the book was rather mixed.  Everything in me wants to believe the best about Tom DeLay.  The mainstream media has worked overtime since he left Congress in 2006 to make a caricature out of the former Majority Leader. During an interview with Meredith Viera of the Today Show, she was meticulous in pointing out the House Ethics charges (all of which were dropped), the indictment in Texas on campaign finance charges (none of which have been pursued in the courts) and his “guilt by association” with Jack Abramoff.  Sadly this is the only image most Americans have of Tom DeLay.  I’ve seen a completely different Tom DeLay – the real Tom DeLay – in a brief personal introduction to him last year when I was in Washington for a conference, and today in the time I spent with him on the telephone. 

Tom Delay describes himself as a “real jerk” during his days in the Texas House and in the first few months of his tenure in the U.S. House.  He was a partier, a womanizer, and nearly an alcoholic during those days.  But that all changed in 1985. He says, “In my run for reelection in 1986 I was a different man from the one who had first gone to Washington in 1984.” 

The transforming moment for me came one day during the meeting [a weekly Bible study led by Tom Barrett for House members], when I quietly prayed a prayer of commitment to Jesus Christ. No one else was involved. In fact, no one else in the room even knew until later. I did it quietly, and yet with the greatest sincerity of my life.

The truth is that in 1985 I had a genuine born-again experience. Jesus Christ took up residence in my life, healed my marriage, changed my passions, and gave me a new map for understanding the world.

Some, not surprisingly, have characterized DeLay’s conversion as politically motivated, a charge he responds to during our conversation. Just today a writer for the Washington Post Writer’s Group, Marie Cocco, said this about DeLay’s conversion:

…his survival in conservative politics depended upon cleaning up his act. If nothing else, it all was the necessary prerequisite to DeLay becoming the driving political force behind Clinton’s impeachment for lying about adultery.

That stament says more about DeLay’s clairvoyance than it does his character! DeLay prayed to receive Jesus Christ as Savior in 1985, seven years before Bill Clinton was elected president! How DeLay could know nearly a decade out that he would need to “clean up his act” in order to pursue impeachment charges against a man who hadn’t even been elected president yet is proof of typical liberal smearing of DeLay’s sincere decision to receive Jesus.

In the book DeLay fairly well outlines his political philosophy, which began as “conservative/libertarian” in the Goldwater/Reagan tradition, and after his conversion to Christ took on the added dimension of “a broader mission to restore the nation to the purposes of God.” This has caused his detractors to accuse him of a conspiracy to overthrow the Constitution and institute a Theocracy, when in reality DeLay’s vision for the moral well-being of the Nation is no more radical than that of the Founding Fathers, and based on the same abiding principles.

The book is long on pointing out the flaws and issues of the people around DeLay during his years in Congress, detailing his own quest for power to be used in the service of the conservative principles that drove him to seek office in the first place.  Says DeLay: “Anyone unwilling to position themselves for power in the service of their principles should stay out of politics.”  During my phone conversation with Congressman DeLay I asked him how that statement squared with Jesus’ ideal that “the first shall be last” and “he that is greatest among you shall be servant of all.”  You’ll have to tune in this afternoon for DeLay’s response.  

Any misgivings I had about the book were relieved by a candid 30 minute conversation with the former House Majority Leader. We’ll air that conversation today during The Paul Edwards Program, heard locally in Detroit on AM 1500 WLQV from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm and around the world via the World Wide Web at http://www.godandculture.com.

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