May 2006 Archives

Here are a few notes from the Vision Forum mail bag today in response to yesterday’s email, “Honor as a Defining Principle for Life.”

Thank you, Brother Phillips, for a concise admonition to be faithful to the biblical principle of honor. What a sad world this is becoming because parents, specifically fathers, have taken the path of least resistance, rather than the proactive path mandated in the Scriptures. It is a shame that God’s people know no more about honor than the world does. As grandparents of 19 precious blessings, we are blessed to know that the finances the Lord has provided are spent well when they are invested in the fine books and products we receive from Vision Forum. We and their parents are thankful to be able to trust that proper honor will always be emphasized, and the grandchildren will never be led astray by secular thinking and worldview. God bless you and encourage you as you travel sharing the message of family renewal according to the Word. Dan and Frances F. Thank you so much for sharing that with us. I am forwarding it on and copying it to share with my children. Thank you, thank you and may God bless you and continue to use you!! In Christ, Kathy F. Dear Brother Phillips, Thanks for the message and the reminder of the place that honor has in the lives of godly men and their families. I have four boys and two daughters. Two of my sons have chosen to dishonor both their father and mother. One of my sons was killed in a car crash three years ago, after repenting and committing himself to a life of serving the Lord. The fourth has been consistently committed to God and His purposes in his life. This son, Danny, and I have ministered and worked together since he was a young boy. Now he has a son of his own who is being taught the same commitment to honor the Lord as well as his mother and father.There are indeed some who are living a path of honor in our country, but most will not. We as fathers have an awesome responsibility to not only teach our children but to demonstrate how it is done by living it before them. Thanks again. Pastor R. D.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 25, 2006 | Permalink

Thanks to Dean Andreola and CBD for publishing the following review of Vision Forum Ministries’ Sleeping Beauty:

This is the finest message I have ever heard on what it means to be a loving father and vigilant protector of our daughters. Recorded live at a father-daughter conference, Doug Phillips begins with a touching parable of a great king and his beloved young daughter. As the years pass, the king is called away to fight many battles, and slowly loses his place in his maturing daughter’s heart. Searching for love and meaning in her life, the princess receives poor counsel from many well-wishers. Falling into a deep sleep, she can no longer hear the pleas of her father for her safety, and she wanders into a dangerous land. Every father needs to find out what happened to this king and his daughter, because in many ways it is happening in our own homes and churches! The second part of the message offers clear biblical guidelines on the father-daughter relationship. Think of this lesson as 65 minutes that could save your girls and change your life!

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 25, 2006 | Permalink

On Memorial Day, May 29, the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) will host the world television premiere of The League of Grateful Sons, Vision Forum’s World War II documentary chronicling the journey that sons and grandsons took to the black sands of Iwo Jima in honor of their fathers who fought there in 1945. TBN will broadcast the film at 7:00 p.m. PST on Monday. TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free programming, reaching every major continent via 54 satellites and more than 12,000 television and cable affiliates worldwide. Learn more about The League of Grateful Sons at our new Web site.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 23, 2006 | Permalink

Churches and civic orgnizations across the nation are seeking to encourage gratitude in the lives of the younger generation, and to communicate honor for the sacrifice of our WWII fathers this Memorial Day weekend, by screening The League of Grateful Sons in their communities. Vision Forum Ministries has received requests for more than one hundred such screenings for Memorial Day. For a list of some of the confirmed screenings in your area, visit our new League of Grateful Sons website.

On behalf of Vision Forum Ministries, I want to thank the churches and the organizations that are promoting the message of this film to hundreds of thousands of people. We continue to receive numerous reports from families that have shared the Gospel impact on many unbelieving veterans of World War II, as well as the generational impact on those World War II fathers who profess faith in Christ, but prior to watchhing the film have been uncomfortable opening up about their experiences during the war, or even interpreting for their grandchildren the providence of God in their lives.

Yesterday, I received this testimony:

“A couple in our church let me watch their copy of The League of Grateful Sons yesterday. I just ordered my own copy. This is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. Thank you so much for researching and making this wonderful documentary possible. I’m a son of a WW2 veteran. My father was stationed in New Jersey watching for German planes. Near the end of the war he then went to Germany. I’m the choir director at my church and we’re planning a patriotic musical in the local high school auditorium on July 2. The purpose is to thank military people, past and present and their families. I’m working on how I might be able to use a small clip from “Sons” in the musical... Thanks again for the work you’ve done and will be doing. God bless you for it! Sincerely, Jim M.,First Baptist Church, Michigan

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 23, 2006 | Permalink

To learn more visit Brown Family Farm Online.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 22, 2006 | Permalink

To learn more visit Brown Family Farm Online.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 20, 2006 | Permalink

A panel discussion addresses questions related to the fifth commandment at the Generations conference. The panel included Doug Phillips, Howard Phillips, Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr., and Dr. R.C. Sproul, Sr. During a break, Dr. Sproul, Sr. commented to me: “I have never been so proud of my son.”

At last week’s Generations conference, I delivered a message entitled “The First Command With a Promise.” The heart of the message is the explanation of the biblical doctrine of honor and its application for all of life. The message explained why the fifth commandment is not merely an individualistic promise, but a promise with generational and covenantal implications. Scriptures were exposited which detail both the blessings of honor, as well as the sanctions, judgments and cursings which God promises to dishonorable sons and daughters. Jesus promised that it would “be well” with honorable sons and daughters, and that there would be nothing but sorrows and heartaches for dishonorable sons and daughters.

Fools Despise Their Parents: A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother (Proverbs 15:20).

Smiting Fathers or Mothers was a Capital Offense: And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. . .And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death (Exodus 21:15,17).

Cursing Parents Leads to Judgment: There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes? And their eyelids are lifted up. There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men....The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it our, and the young eagles shall eat it (Proverbs 30:11-17).

Scripture offers related commands, promises, and sanctions to those who despise church authorities and employers. It is a safe maxim that if you disapprove of your employer or disagree with his decisions, you have two choices: You may stay with him and give him “all honor,” or you may leave his employment. What you may not do is to take his check but undermine him through grumblings and gossip. Nor may you seek to create change in your local church through unsubmissive conduct. In the first case, you may be guilty of blaspheming the name of God and his doctrine. In the second case, your conduct will not be profitable for you. Consider:

Honoring Employers: Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed (1 Timothy 6:1).

Obey Your Leaders; Submit, Be a Joy; Don’t Be A Grief: Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17).

Honor As A Maxim for All of Life
The Lord Jesus Christ prioritizes the law of honor by reminding us that this is the first command given by God that comes with a promise (Ephesians 6:1-3). To honor the Lord, we must honor our mothers and fathers. But the Lord extends the principle of honor found in the Ten Commandments to other God-created relationships. In the name of the Lord, we are commanded to honor the king (I Peter 2:17), employers (I Timothy 6:1), shepherds (I Timothy 5:17), the elderly (Leviticus 19:32), and widows (I Timothy 5:3). In fact, our mouths are to be filled with honor and praise all the day (Psalm 71:8).

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor (Romans 13:7).

Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD (Leviticus 19:32).

Ungrateful Sons, Internet Assassins, and the Spirit of Adonijah
In examining Hebrews 12:5-13, I shared my own view that fatherless cultures produce men who do not understand honor, and therefore relate dishonorably to fathers, employers, pastors, and, most importantly, to God the Father. In fact, cultures dominated by prodigal fathers produce men and women who actually view dishonorable conduct as a virtue.

It is not surprising, therefore, that we see within American culture (including evangelical Christianity) a breed of sons who demand the right to self-emancipate, who disdain the blessings of their fathers, and who seek to skirt the fifth commandment by dismissing biblical requirements to honor as an “idolatrous” over-emphasis on fathers.

Over the years, I have known ungrateful sons who have physically punched their Christian fathers; I have sat with professing Christian young men intent on justifying their lack of moral self control on alleged theological differences with their authority figures. It is all too common these days to meet men who will look you in the eye and, in one breath speak about their profound concern for doctrinal truth, and in the other shamefully mock and expose the weaknesses of their godly fathers to the world in order to justify their personal rebellion—in the spirit of Ham. There are far too many accounts of professing Christian men who have been richly blessed by employers, pastors, and authority figures, who now seek to advance themselves by staging coups against their leaders in the treasonous spirit of Adonijah.

High Tech Dishonor
The 21st century world of the internet, instant global communication, and theological pandemonium provide dishonorable men with numerous opportunities to skirt biblical requirements for conflict resolution, to cover their tracks—or simply, to vent. In the past, dishonorable men would serve their families a dish of roast pastor at the Sunday brunch table (thus training their children to be embittered, ungrateful, whiners), but modern complainers are techno-savvy. Now dissatisfied congregants can dishonorably vent disagreements with their leaders to the world over the web. Some actually become internet assassins: men and women intent on destroying the character of the men with whom they disagree, and justifying their electronic holy jihad on the ground that “the world must be warned.”

It is not difficult to find others who will listen to gossip. And dishonorable men are skilled at finding others with axes to grind with whom alliances can be built. They know how to build armies by finding other dishonorable men who will give theological sanction and justification to their dishonor. They understand that one need not look hard to find a local church or an internet site that (in the name of Jesus) will justify pretty much anything.

The net effect of the ease and accessibility of high-tech, pseudo-anonymous dishonor is that such men become bolder and bolder in their dishonor. They prey upon the undiscerning and repeat their own stories enough times that they believe them as gospel. Like Adonijah, their self-righteous dogmatism is such that they convince themselves, and all who fall under their spell, that their cause is the only cause.

From Such Turn Away
It is not accidental that the Bible links disobedient sons to other dishonorable men including those who are “whisperers,” “proud,” “inventers of evil things,” “backbiters,” “implacable,” and “covenant breakers” (Romans 1: 28-31). II Timothy speaks of “traitors” and “disobedient” sons and daughters who “have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof.” Specifically:

“For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God…” (II Timothy 3:2-4)

The biblical remedy for Christians who meet such dishonorable men is simple: “From such turn away” (II Timothy 3:5).

But a common denominator of this league of dishonorable sons is that despite their bluff and bluster, despite their self-congratulation and approval—these men and women are plagued by troubles. It “is [not] well” with them. Their present and future is thorns and thistles, grief and grumblings, and will remain such unless and until they humble themselves before God and seek the Lord’s mercy from His righteous sanctions against the ungrateful and the dishonorable.

The Promise

Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee (Deuteronomy 5:16).

In contrast, honorable sons and daughters will prosper. They will enjoy blessing of days in the land which the Lord has given to them (Deuteronomy 5:16). They will have glad fathers (Proverbs 15:20). Unlike dishonorable sons who will have their lamp “put out in obscure darkness” (Proverbs 20:20), the path of sons who hear the instructions of their fathers will be illuminated (Proverbs 6:20-23). The law of their mothers will be an ornament of grace on their heads (Proverbs 1:7-9). They will be a joy to those in authority over them (Hebrews 13:17). It will be well with them (Ephesians 6:1-3).

There is a surprising work of God—a wonderful revival taking place within segments of the Christian community. It is a revival of generational love where the hearts of parents are being turned towards their children and children towards their parents. Parents are recognizing that true love requires more than good intentions, it requires sheep-feeding. (John 21:16, Deuteronomy 6:1-16). This revival is accompanied by a renewed appreciation for the relevance of the entire Word of God, and a passion to return to “the old paths wherein there is hope.” A hallmark of this revival is the restoration of the fifth commandment to the home. Fathers are turning off the television set and picking up the Bible and reading it to their families. Sons are seeking the wisdom and blessing of their mothers and fathers. Wives are turning their hearts towards the gift of motherhood. Daughters aspire to virtue, homemaking, and future motherhood.

The revival is in the same spirit as the great work of God between fathers and sons which took place at the time of the coming of John the Baptist. In the last verse of the Old Testament, and the first verse heralding the coming of John, we read of a heart-turning between parents and their children “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord (Luke 1:17).

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 18, 2006 | Permalink

In today’s Agape Press feature article (published by the American Family Association), Ed Vitagliano contrasts Randy Alcorn’s view of the End of the Spear controversy with mine as articulated here and here. In his article, A Blunted Spear: Controversy Over Film Challenges Evangelical Community, Vitagliano observes: “If Christians intend to continue using the arts as a means of communicating the Gospel, they must begin by carefully thinking through the Scriptural principles involved. Everyone might not agree with Phillips’ position, but at least he has thought it through.”

In opposition to the the morally destructive view of the evangelical cultural syncretists (as well as the defeatist view of the cultural retreatists), The San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival and The Christian Filmmakers Academy aspire to advance the cause of distinctively and presuppositionally biblical ethics in the important medium of film. It is our view that God is concerned with the means as well as the ends when it comes to film production, and that the Bible is an all-sufficient guide (Van Til called it a “sourcebook” rather than a textbook) on the issue of cultural ethics.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 15, 2006 | Permalink

Harrisburg boasts some of the most ancient and beautiful of America’s 19th century bridges.

Justice looks on the skyline from the oldest steel bridge in America.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 15, 2006 | Permalink

I shot this image at sunset in Harrisburg

Congratulations to the CHAP board for an outstanding conference this weekend in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, dedicated to distinctively Christian home education. More than ten thousand home educators attended. I gave my messages The Promise: The Beauty and Power of the Fifth Commandment; How to Think Like a Christian; A Home School Vision of Victory; and Rebulding a Culture of Virtuous Boyhood. My friend Norm Wakefield also spoke at the conference, and he presented his retinue of important topics incorporating a deep respect for the sovereignty of God with practical issues for the Christian family.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 15, 2006 | Permalink

Approximately twenty-five people attended the funeral of Christian historian Mr. Otto Scott this weekend, including Bob Renaud and Matthew Chancey. Both men travelled to Seattle, Washington as an act of honor and appreciation.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 15, 2006 | Permalink

...and hope to pick a few pearls of truth concerning the providence of God in earth history from the barrage of politically correct, revisionist nonsense being spoon-fed to young men and women at great expense to their parents....

Or, you can spend five days with some of the greatest teachers, historians, and communicators of our generation, being immersed in a millennia-by-millennia overview of the history of the world—all told from a distinctively biblical perspective.

Faculty includes: Dr. John Whitcomb, Dr. John Morris, Col. John Eidsmoe, Dr. Paul Jehle, Dr. Marshall Foster, Dr. George Grant, Dr. Joe Morecraft, the Honorable Howard Phillips, Geoff Botkin, and Bill Potter.

Small group afternoon tours in the historic Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown vicinity will be offered Thursday afternoon of the conference to the first people who sign up and request a specific tour, including:

1. The Pen, the Trumpet, the Sword, and the Purse Tour, Dr. Paul Jehle (limited to 100)
2. Liberty or Death Tour, Dr. Marshall Foster (limited to 100)
3. The Parsons’ Rebellion Tour, Dr. George Grant (limited to 100)
4. The Quatracentennial Tour, Doug Phillips (limited to 75)
5. Meet the Grandson of the Tenth President, Bill Potter (limited to 75)

Those not making a tour will be free to tour Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown privately.

The History of the World Mega-Conference will be held July 11-15 in the beautiful Williamsburg/Yorktown/ Jamestown/Hampton region of Virginia.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 10, 2006 | Permalink

Home education is not merely a response to the evils, illegitimacy, and inherently unbiblical nature of statist education — it is first and foremost an affirmation of what is right, godly, and consistent with biblical methodology and goals.

However, for those of you interested in placing more nails in the coffin of government education, please take a moment and read the latest horror story from the school playground. Read this and fear God.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 10, 2006 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 9, 2006 | Permalink

“One of these things [people] is not like the other....”

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 8, 2006 | Permalink

It is the end of an era. The last survivor of the R.M.S. Titanic with a personal memory of the event has died.

Lillian Gertrude Asplund was 99. She was five years old and a third class passenger aboard Titanic when she parted with her father and three brothers, including a fraternal twin, on the evening of April 14, 1912.

Like so many men aboard the R.M.S. Titanic, Lillian’s father and brothers died so that women and children would live.

Lillian survived the night, along with her mother and three-year-old baby brother, Felix. They were returning home to Worcester, Massachusetts, after a visit to Sweden.

Lillian’s mother, Selma Asplund, described the sinking of the Titanic:

“I could see the icebergs for a great distance around. . .It was cold and the little ones were cuddling close to one another and trying to keep from under the feet of the many excited people. . .My little girl, Lillie, accompanied me, and my husband said, ‘Go ahead, we will get into one of the other boats.’ He smiled as he said it.”

Selma Asplund died on the 52nd anniversary of the sinking in 1964 at age 91.

There are two remaining Titanic survivors, both living in England. Both were just infants when Titanic sank.

Vision Forum Ministries’ Christian Boys’ and Mens’ Titanic Society will continue to keep the memory alive of the night “when manhood perished not.” Three weeks ago, we met on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic to give thanks to God for His Son who died for the weak and to remember and raise the noble call of sacrificial, bold manhood. More than 200 fathers and sons attended.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 8, 2006 | Permalink

The future of Western Civilization may rest on the future of our covenant-keeping marriages and their adherence to and advocacy of the One True Faith. Here, two of the best and the brightest produced by the home school movement stand with one of the best and brightest defenders of the Faith in the 20th century, Dr. R.C. Sproul. Peter and Kelly are betrothed and will soon marry. Praises be to God.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 7, 2006 | Permalink

Douglas W. Phillips, Esq.; The Honorable Howard J. Phillips; Dr. R.C. Sproul, Jr.; Dr. R.C. Sproul, Sr.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 6, 2006 | Permalink

One of our favorite parts of any conference is the opportunity to meet friends and hear precious stories at the Vision Forum table.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 6, 2006 | Permalink

It was a blessing to see dear friends from Kauai at the Generations conference. The Thains hosted us during our shoot in the Hawaiian islands for The League of Grateful Sons.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 6, 2006 | Permalink

Taking a moment to rock and talk at the Martha Washington Inn.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 6, 2006 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 6, 2006 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 5, 2006 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 5, 2006 | Permalink

I have just received word that Mr. Otto Scott, a faithful servant of Christ and perhaps America’s most courageous historian, has been ushered into eternity. The author of The Great Christian Revolution, Robespierre; James I: The Fool as King; and The Secret Six, Mr. Scott was known for his tenacity, his plain-spoken honesty, his disapproval of statism and tyranny, and his deep longing for a culture of manliness. He was a source of encouragement to many, including my father.

I am very thankful to work with a very special team of highly committed men, all of whom take seriously the principle of honor. In 2004, a delegation of young men from Vision Forum journeyed to the Old Dominion to honor Mr. Scott. Under the leadership of Vision Forum friend Matt Chancey, these men flew Mr. Scott to Virginia for the simple purpose of spending a few days with a great man, and the privilege of asking him questions about life and the history of the 20th century. It was an unforgettable event for all of them. In the months and years that followed, Mr. Scott spoke often of his appreciation for that special event.

Providentially, my father was discussing important Christian thinkers of the 20th century at the Generations conference tonight, and he told some stories about Mr. Scott with no knowledge that he had passed into eternity. Only after the message concluded did he receive the news of Mr. Scott’s death.

Our love and sympathies are extended to the family of Mr. Scott.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 5, 2006 | Permalink

R.C. Sproul, Jr. and his newly adopted son Reilly Justice Sproul.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 5, 2006 | Permalink

On the eve of the Generations conference, sponsored by the Highlands Study Center, fathers and sons Sproul and Phillips gathered at the Martha Washington Inn for an historic “Basement Tape” recording.

The evening will certainly be remembered in my family as one of our most meaningful and memorable events. The conversation was a free-flowing exchange of ideas, Scriptures, and experiences on fathers and sons and reformation and revolution. Dad and Dr. Sproul, Sr. brought a wealth of personal experience and remarkable first-hand, eyewitness-to-history accounts of the changing face of the American nation. There was beautiful synchronicity of thought, and great glory went to the Lord Jesus Christ.

As always, it was a blessing to see the way R.C., Jr. honors his father and has dedicated his life to building upon the rich spiritual legacy which has been bequeathed to him. Being a witness to the love of father and son for each other was just one of the perks of the evening.

One of my personal highlights of the evening was listening to R.C. Sproul, Sr.’s description of the funeral of Winston Churchill which he attended the year of his son’s birth.

More than 650 are expected to attend the Generations conference. Tonight I will be addressing “The First Command With a Promise,” and my father will be offering an address on the generational impact of honor for men and nations.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 5, 2006 | Permalink

...between the paganism, technology, and religious worldviews of the ancient world...

...and the paganism, technology, and religious worldviews of the sixth millennium?

And how to do we understand these issues in light of the development of “tribes and tongues and nations” in the post-Babel dispersion of the world?

To be addressed at the History of the World Mega-Conference. Sign up now.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 5, 2006 | Permalink

Vision Forum welcomed former Chief Justice Roy Moore to our offices today. Chief Justice Moore is running for governor of Alabama against the tax-and-spend incumbent, Bob Riley, whose lack of a courageous and principled stand in 2004 left the righteous and lawful cause of acknowledging God undefended during the Ten Commandments battle.

Moore with Brant Frost at the statue of William Travis, an Alabamian and defender of the Alamo.

At the Vision Forum offices browsing a copy of Blackstone’s Commentaries on the Laws of England.

The hero of Montgomery reading a statement by Teddy Roosevelt about “the strenuous life.”

With the Vision Forum staff enjoying a meal at The Menger, birthplace of the Rough Riders.

Peter Bradrick, Bob Renaud, and Wesley Strackbein listen to stories about a recent event in which the chief justice shared the Gospel with anti-pledge litigant and arch-atheist, Michael Newdow.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 4, 2006 | Permalink

Praises to the Lord and congratulations to Matt and Jennie Chancey (Ladies Against Feminism) for the birth of their newborn twins. God is so good. (Photo posted with permission.)

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 4, 2006 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 4, 2006 | Permalink

Answer: Strong men who are fully armed and ready for intense battle.

“But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.” (II Samuel 23:6-7)

Of this passage, Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown’s commentary reads:

“But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns—that is, the wicked enemies and persecutors of this kingdom of righteousness. They resemble those prickly, thorny plants which are twisted together, whose spires point in every direction, and which are so sharp and strong that they cannot be touched or approached without danger; but hard instruments and violent means must be taken to destroy or uproot them. So God will remove or destroy all who are opposed to this kingdom.”

Matthew Poole’s NT commentary reads:

“The staff of a spear; so the meaning is, he must fill his hand, or arm himself with some iron weapon, whereby he may cut them down; or, with the staff of a spear, or some such like thing, whereby he may thrust them away from himself, that they do him no hurt. Or thus, he will be filled, or will fill himself, i. e. his hand, wherewith he attempted to touch and take them, with thorns, as with iron and the staff of a spear; i. e. he will be as surely and sorely wounded, as if one should run the iron head and part of the wood of a spear into his hand. And they shall be utterly burned, or, therefore; because men cannot safely touch them, therefore they will burn them up.”

John Gill comments:

“But the man [that] shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear, &c.] To remove these thorns, or sons of Belial, out of the way, or to defend himself against them; or weapons of war must be made use of to conquer and destroy them.”

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 2, 2006 | Permalink

Over the years, Vision Forum has taken a stand on a host of unpopular issues, from the sin of women at war, to the necessity that the state acknowledge God, to the need for a return to biblical patriarchy, to the sufficiency of Scripture on the question of child prevention (as well as its sufficiency on all issues), to the problem with hiring sodomite activists to play lead roles in gospel films (i.e., The End of the Spear), to the need for a reformed and presuppositionally biblical approach to culture, including our view of film and literature. As to this last point, my article “Harry Potter and the Lavender Brigade,” generated a tremendous amount of positive and negative response.

Now the Barna Group’s new report, “Harry Potter’s Influence Goes Unchallenged in Most Homes,” exposes the ongoing surrender of the Christian community to pagan culture, and our junkie-like addiction to fantasy laced with occult and pagan themes.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 1, 2006 | Permalink

You will find in God-blessed communities that the Lord raises up a few fathers in the faith who are steadfast, unflappable, unswerving, and a blessing to untold thousands. When the world is imploding, they are a sea of calm. When men lose heart, they refuse to give up. These fathers are men of duty, experience, and confidence in the Lord. If you have such men in your church or community, pray for them, support them, and encourage them.

In our community, there is one name which fits the bill described above. Everyone knows his name. Stop any man in the congregation of which I am a part (or in any of the other like-minded congregations in our community) and they will unequivocally tell you the wise father of our community is Mr. Bob Welch of Bible Teaching Ministries. They will also tell you that he is inaccessible on Mondays, because that is the day he climbs the mountain and dedicates his day to prayer. This week Bob is a new grandfather. All of us would like to extend our prayers for Bob, his bride Yvonne, his son and daughter-in-law, and his new grandchild — a child of hope and answered prayer.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 1, 2006 | Permalink

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 1, 2006 | Permalink

A floating behemoth, four times the size of Titanic, is being commissioned as the world’s largest cruise ship: “At 158,000 tons, the Freedom of the Seas offers a pool with artificial waves for surfers, an ice rink and cantilevered whirlpools that extend out from the sides of the ship, 112 feet above the sea.”

The ship may be surpassed in 2009 with the release of Project Genesis, a 220,000 ton boat. Read more here.

Posted by Doug Phillips on May 1, 2006 | Permalink