Still Praying for Mark

Summer before last, Mark played on our soccer team. It was so much fun to get to see him, Angie, and Nolan every week. I pray that by God's mercy he can join us on the soccer field some summer evening when the air is hot, the friendship is warm, and days last long into the night. Godspeed my cousin!

www.prayforthelamberths.com

PLEASE PRAY FOR MARK

My dear cousin Mark has been hurt very badly in a dirt bike accident. Please pray that the Lord will do a miracle to heal him. Please pray for his wife and 6 year old son as well. Most importantly, please pray that the Lord Jesus will be glorified in this time!

I Miss My Grandpa (for the time being)

As many of you have heard, my grandpa died a couple of weeks ago. He was 88 years old. I have such fond memories of visiting him and my grandma in Oregon. I loved my grandma's cooking and my grandpa's tracker rides.

I stumbled across some photos tonight we took when we last visited in Oregon three years ago. It was a lovely Christmas with our family. We assumed this might be our last trip to their home. We were sadly right.

Last year my grandma fell, breaking her hip, and my grandpa began to slowly decline. My mom had to go and care for her and my grandpa for nearly 3 months. My aunt, dad, and mom ended up bringing them to Riverside the day Jackson was born. Little did I know that Jackson's first year of life would be my grandpa's last.

We were in Sacramento last week for his funeral. I spoke about Paul's words in 1 Cor. 15 about how death has no sting for those who hope in Jesus Christ. My grandpa trusted Christ as his savior. His faith wasn't futile. Christ does save sinners. What great comfort there is in these words. And what great hope that one day in eternity I will be worshiping my creator and look over to see my grandpa doing the same thing!

Here are a few precious photos:

The Fastest Year of My Life

Jackson will be one in about 6 hours. This time last year, Melissa had just received her epidural and we were settling into a long night of controlled contractions and passionate pushing. (I don't know if Melissa would quite use the word "settling".) And at about 5:48am on November 7, our little boy was born much to our great joy.

It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. I will never forget it. Truly it seems like only a few weeks ago now. It's interesting how long those first few weeks felt due to our lack of sleep, and now I'm saying it went so fast.

I've learned a few things this year. Here are four:

1. The Lord gives us kids to teach us how much we need Christ.

2. How absolutely blessed I am to have married Melissa.

3. That coffee can be a man's little helper when the Grim Sleeper won't leave you alone.

4. A little boy's smile and hug can make all the troubles of a day disappear.

Happy Birthday Jackson! May the Lord bless you with many more.

Pro-Obama = Pro-Abortion

Justin Taylor posted the following on his blog today. I believe he is 100% correct. If you are a Christian and you believe life begins at conception, you must read the following and ask the Lord for wisdom. Tomorrow's vote is critical on so many levels; most importantly concerning the lives of unborn children.

He writes: I want to plead with fellow evangelicals to recognize that this is a watershed election with regard to abortion. Barack Obama has promised to make signing the Freedom of Choice Act his first order of business in the White House--and with a Democratic Congress, he will be able to make this happen.

The Knights of Columbus recently catalogued the many small successes achieved in the pro-life political process since 1973:

The Hyde Amendment, which restricts federal funding for abortions;

The federal law banning partial birth abortions, which was finally upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in April 2007;

The “Mexico City Policy,” which has barred the use of federal taxpayers’ money to pay for abortions in other countries;

Laws in 44 states that preserve a parental role when children under 18 seek abortions;

Laws in 40 states that restrict late-term abortions;

Laws in 46 states that protect the right of conscience for individual health care providers;

Laws in 27 states that protect the right of conscience for institutions;

Laws in 38 states that ban partial birth abortions;

Laws in 33 states that require counseling before having an abortion;

And laws in 16 states that provide for ultrasounds before an abortion.

With a stroke of the pen, all of these would be gone.I am under no illusions that electing John McCain will necessarily lead to the overturning of Roe v. Wade. But I do believe that McCain would be a good pro-life president, I know that McCain would veto the radical FOCA, and I know that Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate to ever run for president.I believe evangelicals should care deeply--though not idolatrously--about this election, and that they should do what they can to stop, or at least slow, the slaughter of the innocent. Voting is one of the things you can do. I encourage you to do it, and to do so with a view toward the weakest and most defenseless members of the human race--3,700 of whom are being killed every single day in the United States.

I Like Obama, But I'm Not Voting For Him

I think Barack Obama would be an interesting guy to share a pint with and talk about world issues. He seems like a nice guy and I know my little boy would enjoy playing with his daughters. I also would like to move America forward regarding race and have a "black" president. That said, I also believe he would understand why I am not voting for him.

I'm not one to buy into fear. I hate demonetization. I enjoy a true exchange of ideas. With that said, I want to encourage those of you who plan on voting for Barack Obama to consider the following info.


If you have an open mind, please consider this fact.


An Obama Administration will have no checks and balances for at least two years. The senator with the most liberal voting record in congress will now lead the executive branch. The senate and house will be controlled by the Democrats and be lead by two of it's most liberal thinkers -Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.



The Wall Street Journal published an interesting article concerning the issue of "A Liberal Supermajority" on October 17. They open with this disturbing thought :

Though we doubt most Americans realize it, this would be one of the most profound political and ideological shifts in U.S. history. Liberals would dominate the entire government in a way they haven't since 1965, or 1933. In other words, the election would mark the restoration of the activist government that fell out of public favor in the 1970s. If the U.S. really is entering a period of unchecked left-wing ascendancy, Americans at least ought to understand what they will be getting, especially with the media cheering it all on.

They go on to detail some of the "changes" we might see.


* Universal Healthcare - "Like Medicare or the Canadian system, this would never be repealed."


* Financial Over-Regulation - "The danger is that Democrats could cause the economic downturn to last longer than it otherwise will by enacting regulatory overkill"


* Higher Taxes - "Taxes will rise substantially, the only question being how high."


* Green Taxes - "A tax-and-regulation scheme in the name of climate change is a top left-wing priority.


* Free speech and voting rights - "A liberal supermajority would move quickly to impose procedural advantages that could cement Democratic rule for years to come." Here's an actual quote from Obama:

"I need you to go out and talk to your friends and talk to your neighbors," Barack Obama told a crowd in Elko, Nev. "I want you to talk to them whether they are independent or whether they are Republican. I want you to argue with them and get in their face."

Michael Barone's article entitled "The Coming Liberal Thugocracy" details this chilling thought in The Washington Times.



* Unrestricted Abortion - The journal doesn't talk about this, but Obama has promised Planned Parenthood that the first bill he will sign into law will be the Freedom of Choice Act. It is a bill that would invalidate virtually every federal and state limitation on abortion, including all parental notification and consent laws, waiting periods, and limitations on public funding of abortion. You can hear Obama make his promise here.




The Aricle ends with this thought:
In both 1933 and 1965, liberal majorities imposed vast expansions of government that have never been repealed, and the current financial panic may give today's left another pretext to return to those heydays of welfare-state liberalism. Americans voting for "change" should know they may get far more than they ever imagined.

The Truth About Palin' Around With Palin

Yep! We were that close.

No, we never heard anyone make a threat towards Obama.

Isn't it interesting that "The Media" quickly caught on to one reporter in PA who said he heard one man yell "kill him" regarding Obama? Soon after, there were stories all over the radio and television saying how "divisive" and "angry" McCain/Palin rallies were becoming.

Yet those of us who have attended such events (we saw her speak in Carson, CA) never heard anything close to what these reporters were saying. We did chant "USA, USA, USA!". Is that divisive? We did chant "Drill Baby Drill". Is that angry? (The reality is that the Obama supporters who were protesting those of us waiting to get into the event were very rude, crude, angry, and embarassing.)

So, I felt a bit vindicated today when the Secret Service released their findings about this "threatening" rally. After interviewing over 20 people who were there, they found no one heard anyone yell "kill him". Upon asking the reporter what the man looked like who said this threat, he replied that he didn't see him, he only heard him. Isn't that special? You can read the article here.

I wonder if the media will report this reality as much as they did the false story from last week? Thank God we still have the freedom to report/blog truth.

Picture taken by T. Lamberth © 2008

I Ate Rattlesnake On Friday Night!

Wow! It really does taste like chicken!!

What Happened to All of the Good TV Shows?

I miss great shows like "Little House on the Prairie". Does every show have to be about scientific sexy cops who can solve life's mysteries while dating the hot model who lives next door?

Check out this video and let the memories of your childhood come flooding into your mind. You'll smile; I guarantee it!

Absolute Concert - July 31, 1993

Fifteen years ago today we held the Absolute Concert in Shamel Park in Riverside. Featuring musical guests P.O.D., Rose, and Mike Stand, we had a couple of hundred people show up that day to listen to music and hear the gospel preached.

Man! Time sure does fly. I can't believe it's been that long. If anyone has pictures or stories to share about this event, please comment on my blog. Thanks!

Shaking Christianity?

A recent article detailing an ancient, stone tablet that dates possibly 100 years before Christ has gain much interest. The article details how this three-foot tall tablet written in Hebrew talks about a "suffering messiah" and that he would "live after three days".

As a Christian, I find this very interesting. The reality is that Christ doesn't need validation from archeology, however, it is fascinating to find historical evidence to support the idea that some of the ancient Jews understood that the coming Messiah would suffer, die, and rise again on the third day. If you read the writings of Moses, Isaiah, David, and other prophets, you'll see that the coming Messiah's agenda wasn't to liberate Israel from it's occupiers, but rather to liberate them from their sins. And how might this Anointed One go about doing this? He would be the final and perfect sacrifice. He would die taking the wrath meant for sinners and rise again on the third day conquering death and Hell. (You can read an article by John Piper on Redemptive History and the Messiah here.)

But once again, so-called "experts" (see Justin Crandall's excellent blog on the subject of experts) are trying to retell and spin the story to make Christ seem illegitimate. Check out this quote from Israel Knohl - an expert in Talmudic and biblical language at Jerusalem's Hebrew University:

The idea of a "dying and rising messiah appears in some Jewish texts, but until now, everyone thought that was the impact of Christianity on Judaism," he says. "But for the first time, we have proof that it was the other way around. The concept was there before Jesus." If so, he goes on, "this should shake our basic view of Christianity. ... What happens in the New Testament [could have been] adopted by Jesus and his followers based on an earlier messiah story." (From Time.com)

Knohl is quoted in another article:

"Resurrection after three days becomes a motif developed before Jesus, which runs contrary to nearly all scholarship. What happens in the New Testament was adopted by Jesus and his followers based on an earlier messiah story." (From IHT.com)

This so-called expert, in a matter of a few sentences, makes a couple of very strong statements. He says this "should shake Christianity" and that this finding "runs contrary to nearly all scholarship". Those are bold and emphatic statements. He doesn't need to back them up. He's an expert. He finally has the spoking gun that just might put Christ out of his misery. After all, isn't Jesus really just a country boy who spun great yarns and made people feel good? And then those dang disciples and that rascally Paul got a hold of him and retold his story so many times that he ended up God. Now we can finally put Jesus to rest in his tomb along with Mary and Joseph and move on with our lives.

Okay. I digress. The reality is that not only does the bible support the idea of a suffering, dying, and rising from the dead Messiah, but most scholars prior to the 19th century would agree as well. (You can start your "scholarly" research here at monergism.com)

Interestingly enough, Jesus has already addressed this issue. He told the pharisees:

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. (John 5:39-40)

The scriptures he was referring to at the time were the very writings of the Old Testament that told of Himself. And yet they did not have the eyes to see or the ears to hear. And it wasn't like they were poor souls who really wanted truth, but couldn't find it. Jesus boldly said "you refuse to come to me".

The reality is that unless God opens these "experts" eyes, they will concoct and conclude misleading and damning statements about Christ because they are "refusing" to come to Christ. It's very tragic.

I sure do hope Israel Knohl reads John 5 and the Lord opens his eyes to see the amazing Messiah that came to die and rise again for sinners like him.

John 5:46-47
For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

All Around the World!

I just checked my "Site Meter" and since April 1, people from all over the world have looked at my blog including Australia, Ireland, England, and Canada. I've even had hits from Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas. Amazing!

Do you know what seems to be the post that is getting the most hits? It's not about Jackson or my thoughts on the bible. It's one I did early last year about the lady with really long finger nails. Go figure!

So hello world. It's nice to meet you!

From Joy

I was reading in Matthew last night and these two words jumped off of the page - From Joy! They're found in a very short parable that Jesus told in chapter 13 v. 44:

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid; and FROM JOY over it he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.

I don't have time this morning to dig into this simple yet profound parable. I do, however, desire to live for Christ today because of the JOY I have found in him. He is my treasure. By his grace I "found" him so long ago and more and more I realize that there is nothing in this world's so called "treasury" that compares to the eternal treasure he is for me.

By his Grace and for his good pleasure I have joy in giving up the world and gaining Christ!

The Truth Will Set You Free

Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8: 31-32

This verse is quoted and misused so often in America. It's used by lawyers in the court room. It's used by advocates of "global warming". It's used by homosexuals enticing people to "come out of the closet".

Needless to say, the power found in these words is attractive to both Christian and non-Christian alike. But what did Jesus mean? Did he simply want people to confess whatever was true to them "out loud" and feel good about it?

We have to look at the context. Within this chapter of the book of John, Jesus is teaching about who he is and what his mission to the earth is all about. Though many were skeptical about Jesus' claims and words, verse 30 says that as he was teaching "many believed in him".

And it is to those "believers" that he challenges with this idea: true disciples will abide by his word. He doesn't tell them to earn their salvation. He doesn't tell them to practice rituals. He doesn't tell them to listen for a mystical whisper in their ears.

He tells them to abide by his word.
VS 31 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples"

This is the part that the world leaves out. They don't want to hear from Jesus. They're afraid he might enslave them to some ancient religion with rules and regulations. They'd much rather be "free" to define what "truth" is rather than having Jesus define it for them. By ignoring him, they believe they are "set free" from the constraints of Christ.

Yet it is ironic that Jesus himself says these people are slaves. He says in verse 34 that "everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin." We know that the entire world is born into sin. Thus the entire world is enslaved to sin. The only chance anyone has to be set free from sin is by the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus puts it so well when he says "if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (vs 36)".

There's great hope for sinners in this section of John chapter 8. If the Son decides to set you free from your sins, you will be set free. What Amazing Grace!

It makes perfect sense that Christ's disciples would abide by his word. We were dead in our sins and only heard the wanton words of the world. We were hell bound. We had no wisdom. We saw no light. Yet Christ broke through the darkness to shine his glory into our hearts. Paul puts it best when he says, "For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)."

True disciples revel in the gospel light. Like the first warm day after a cold, snow storm, Christ's ransomed people step out into the light and bask in it. We're set free from the cold, dead winter and are risen into the warm, life giving light. We don't scurry from it any more like rats or roaches. As John wrote in chapter 3, "For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light." This was once our reaction to Christ, but now it is so different.

We want to hear his word. We want to be near him. We expect him to be in every aspect of our lives. We are set free from our sins and forever enslaved to him. But it's not an evil slavery. Jesus describes it best when he says, "my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt. 11:30)."

To be set free from one's sin is the greatest liberty we can ever know for it is the one thing we can not do on our own. The only hope for mankind is found in this wonderful statement by our precious savior: if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (vs 36).

If you have found this freedom, embrace it all the more. It wasn't yours to earn. It was by his good pleasure that he gave it to you. Praise him for his grace and mercy!

If you haven't found forgiveness of sins. If you are still enslaved to this world, cry out to Christ for mercy! He is your only hope. Oh that you would hear his words and that they would be liberating to your soul! May you know the truth and may the truth set you free.

Why don't we like Hillary?

Often "right wingers" are made out to be harsh, judgmental, and rigid. They're painted as people who are narrow-minded and linear. So, when a "right winger" happens to say, "I would never vote for Hillary", that is often translated as stating, "I would never vote for Hillary BECAUSE I hate women". For the record, I don't hate women. I love them. I married one. In fact, my mom happens to be a woman. But liberals love to paint the picture that "right wingers" are misogynistic and part of some conspiracy to keep women down.

Here's the truth. I won't vote for Hillary because she doesn't know how to tell the truth. I know most politicians often bend the facts, but Hillary pushes the limit. She's been saying she's worked 35 years in public service. This isn't true. You can read so for your self here. Enjoy!

I've Joined the Dark Side too!

One of my good friends recently posted a blog stating that she has now joined the "dark side" and enjoys drinking coffee. Since she's come clean, I now must confess I actually enjoy (not just tolerate) the dark stuff myself. It started out innocently over the last couple of years - a frapachino here, a caramel machiato there, a free cup of coffee at a wedding with cake, etc. But then some friends from church introduced me to an Americano. I actually enjoyed the deep, rich, robust flavors. I had one early last year. Then I had one last June. Then I found myself thinking about how I'd like to go buy one a couple of weeks later. It was getting out of control. I stopped cold turkey.

Cut to the birth of our first born son in early November. Somehow when you're up all night and then have to go to work, you find yourself tired. You start thinking crazy thoughts.

"Maybe I need some coffee."

Then you respond, "No, no! You've never needed it before."

But you work at a place that has free coffee and you're falling asleep in meetings so you get a cup. And even though it's cold and nasty, it wakes you up. And then you think, "I need something better. I need something rich and dark and full of flavor and then your remember back to those summer days how wonderful that Americano was.

To make a long story short, I was blessed with some money for Christmas and invested in the Tassimo Hot Beverage system that makes one cup of hot Joe for me every morning. It can also make tea and hot chocolate. It's amazing! And so is the fresh cup of Seattle's Best Henry's Blend coffee. I can't wait to have a cup tomorrow morning.

PS.
I still try and only have a cup every other day. The young boy is sleeping a bit better these days and I don't want to become a total addict.

The Lord is Faithful

There are times when people say things and they have no idea how one, little sentence can effect you. Often this is the case with a negative statement, but I'm amazed at how the Lord can use a positive statement from a fellow Christian to encourage you. I'm not talking about prophecy or a word of knowledge. But I am talking about how a positive attitude in the Lord can be a great example to our fellow brothers and sisters.

I asked a recently married friend at church, "How are you guys doing?"

She responded, "The Lord is faithful."

There was a short conversation that followed discussing the bliss of living with your beloved, but her statement of "The Lord is faithful" was very encouraging.

She could've said, "Oh, we've been so busy", or "Things are good", or "We're very challenged in our studies, but at least we're married."

Nope. She told the truth. It wasn't simple Chrisitanese. It was from her heart stating that regardless of our circumstances, the Lord will always be faithful to His children.

It was a simple statement of great faith. I pray that I can say the same. The reality is that God is so much more faithful to me than I am to Him. I pray today I can proclaim the wonders of his mercy. I pray today I can say despite my circumstances "The Lord is faithful".

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7

Another Video I Produced/Edited

I produced/edited this video in August.