Valiant for Truth

Priorities

2011-01-24T10:17:00.000-05:00

Hi Y'all!

Today I wanted to take a short time and share an article by R. C. Sproul which I found convicting due to my struggles with right priorities.

In the next few days (Lord willing) I plan to put up several posts relating to Haiti (my trip and further information), My current endeavors, and maybe a book review. I plan for future to try to post 1-2 times a week.

Thanks for reading!

Priorities

from R.C. Sproul

When I first became a Christian I was introduced to the priorities of the Christian community. I learned quickly that it was expected of me that I have a daily devotion time, a time reserved for Bible reading and prayer. I was expected to go to church. I was expected to have a kind of piety that was evident by not cursing, not drinking, not smoking, and the like. I had no idea that biblical righteousness went far beyond these things. However, like most new Christians, I learned to emphasize such things. My personal letters took on a new pattern of language. They began to sound like pages from New Testament epistles. I soon learned to use Christian jargon in my everyday speech. I didn’t “tell” anybody anything, I “shared” it with them. Every good fortune was a “blessing,” and I found I could hardly speak without sprinkling my sentences with spiritual platitudes.

Soon, however, I found that there was more to the Christian life than daily devotions and sanctified words. I realized that God wanted more. He wanted me to grow in my faith and obedience, to go beyond milk to the meat. I also discovered that Christian jargon was an almost meaningless form of communication, both to non-Christians and Christians alike. I found myself more interested in echoing a subculture’s lingo than in finding true godliness.

My error was this: I was confusing spirituality with righteousness. I also discovered that I was not alone in this. I was caught up with a crowd who confused the means with the end. Spirituality can be a cheap substitute for righteousness.

Over the years I’ve had many young Christians ask me how to he more spiritual or more pious. Rare has been the earnest student who said, “Teach me how to be righteous.” Why; I wondered, does anybody want to be spiritual? What is the purpose of spirituality? What use is there in piety?

Spirituality and piety are not ends in themselves. In fact they are worthless unless they are means to a higher goal. The goal must go beyond spirituality to righteousness.

Spiritual disciplines are vitally necessary to achieve righteousness. Bible study, prayer, church attendance, evangelism, are necessary for Christian growth, but they cannot be the final goal. I cannot achieve righteousness without spirituality. But it is possible to be “spiritual,” at least on the surface, without attaining righteousness.

Taken from the Ligonier Ministries blog: http://www.ligonier.org/blog/

2010-12-23T14:15:00.002-05:00

Hello readers,

After my trip to Haiti, I began thinking about modern missions and wondering if many practices are biblical. Partially for a final school assignment and partially in response to my thoughts, I wrote the following sermon. It does not answer all of the questions I am considering. However, it does serve as an opening salvo in this discussion. Lord willing, I will gain more wisdom and insight in the coming weeks and months. The Lord loves His church and I believe has a plan for its expansion. I pray for grace that we might discern from His Word what that plan is and how to implement it.

Sermon on Matthew 28:16-20

Andrew Higginbotham

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Our text for today has been used by many in various places to justify all sorts of behavior. Our goal for today is to determine what Christ meant when He gave this command and what it means for us some two thousand years latter.

Let us first look at what Christ says: “All authority is given to me in heaven and on earth.” Why then should our hearts fail us for fear when He is all authority? As Paul says in Ephesians, “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.” Thus we can clearly see that Christ is truly Authority in every sense of the word. We will come back to this later.

The next phrase: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Of course the first question here is, who is to go? In the immediate context we find that it just says “them” but in Mark we get a further glimpse of the context. In verse 14 of chapter 16 it says, “Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at table…” From a cursory reading of this it would then appear that only the eleven were meant for this command. But may I ask, how would eleven men go to the entire world of which some was as yet unknown to them? Simple, it is explained in the words “make disciples”. And specifically with what Christ says these disciples are to be taught. “To observe all things that I have commanded you,” does not this command to go to all nations and make disciples come under the further command that they are to be given ALL commands?

So in summary, we are to also go to all the nations. Thereby every nation on this earth will hear of the good news of Christ’s coming and sacrifice for sins.

Finally, we come to these great words of comfort, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” So we are to understand that all authority and in fact God Himself is with us until the end of time. It does not matter what the circumstance is. We could be with Paul during his last days and he would be sure to tell us that Christ is with him. Or how about that martyr Mr. Thomas Haukes who promised his friends as a sign that the flames which he was about to endure in 1555 while being burned at the stake were not too much to be endured. His promise was that he would raise his hands to heaven. On that fateful day as recorded by Fox’s Book of Martyrs, “When he had continued long in it, and his speech was taken away by violence of the flame, his skin drawn together, and his fingers consumed with the fire, so that it was thought that he was gone, suddenly and contrary to all expectation, this good man being mindful of his promise, reached up his hands burning in flames over his head to the living God, and with great rejoicings as it seemed, struck or clapped them three times together. A great shout followed this wonderful circumstance, and then this blessed martyr of Christ, sinking down in the fire, gave up his spirit, June 10, 1555.” Clearly, Christ’s love and presence was felt by this godly man. Why then should we fear? Why then should we falter when such a Guardian is looking over us?

With all of this in view let us progress to a discussion on Christian missions. Missions is the modern term for going to all nations. A simple definition would be, spreading the Good news of Christ’s resurrection through the whole world. Typically we think of evangelism.

What then is evangelism? Public declaration of the gospel with a goal of seeing souls saved and lives transformed.

Let us also be clear that in declaring Christ we mean that he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a vicarious death, and was raised on the third day just as he promised, and now lives forever more.

If we look in the book of Acts we find that Paul, in particular, went to many nations and preached the gospel. In many ways Paul was the first large scale missionary. He had a typical plan of campaign. Upon entering a given city he would seek out the Jewish synagogue and on the first Sabbath preach the gospel. He then would expand his preaching to all within the city. Typically, he would see some converts and establish a church. On many occasions he stayed for a year or more to ensure that the church was established and had adequate leadership. Very often he encountered persecution. He was even stoned at one point. Yet he kept preaching the good news to all he encountered.

How then ought we to carry out our Lord’s commands to spread the good news to all nations? My answer to that question is multi-faceted. Yes, we are all to preach and make disciples of men. But this does not mean that we must travel all over the world to do this. God does not call all men to do this. Yet he requires that we spread the good news within our spheres of influence. It may be that you are a mother teaching her children about Christ. You may never get to see the effect your words have on others with whom your children come into contact with. Or you may be a worker at an office. Why not share your faith with those around you? Is there anything you have to lose that is not worth giving? After all Christ gave you His all. All you have belongs to Him. Perhaps the Lord has put a particular person on you heart. Yet you fear for what they will respond to your message. Yet the ultimate Authority in the entire universe has commanded you to preach and even given you direction. Fear not! Follow Him! We are not responsible for the out-come of the declarations; we are called to make that God’s department. We are just to declare.

Earlier this summer I had the opportunity to go beyond preaching to those directly around me. I traveled to Haiti and was blessed with the ability to aid the preaching of the gospel. The goal of the trip was to ensure that 5 shelters which our church had sent down for use by other churches in the wake of the earthquake were in full working order and to apply an anchoring system. But the Lord had other plans. During our very first few hours on the ground we were invited to attend a gospel meeting in another city. I was so blessed to see true gospel preaching taking place. Now due to the language barrier I was unable to directly preach the gospel. But what I could do was help those who did have that ability. I could further the cause by helping with these shelters which were used as churches! I ended up helping build an orphanage. But it was in a small village where the gospel was preached and plans were made to build a church as a part of the orphanage. Thus there could be a steady witness for Christ in that place. These and other ways are extremely effective ways of ministering overseas. It is not enough to give out food, clothing, and shelter, we must preach the gospel. Anyone can pass out stuff. Only we can declare the good news of Jesus Christ.

There has been a large amount of time, energy, and material poured into Haiti over many years. Knowing this before I went down there, it came as a greater shock to see how poor and without Christ the people were. Of course the monetary problem is greater after the earthquake, but nonetheless there are still many issues. For example, while there I witnessed a number of “tent cities”. The tents were primarily made out of old sheets, sticks, and tarps provided by the UN, and various relief organizations. There was very little being done to provide long term housing and a solution to the problems presented by the rubble. The additional issues presented by living in the tent cities are also not being dealt with for the most part. The people do not have a large work ethic, which would drive a recovery/rebuild.

The truth is that Haitians are quite used to western money being given out for free. They are, as a result, not willing to do what it takes to truly recover from the earthquake. This state of affairs deeply grieves me. In some ways, I believe that it might be better to simply stop giving money. Rather, give time and physical material. Yes, we ought to do all in our power to help the nation recover from the rubble and rebuild the infrastructure. But this is not going to be done simply by giving money to the Red Cross or other aid organizations. True this is needed, but not quite in the volume it is being given.

In point of fact, it is easier for us as Americans to just send money to an organization for distribution. It allows us to feel good about ourselves. It provides a bragging point. It fulfills the need we feel to help. But the cold hard truth is that the money actually prolongs true recovery for the country rather than speeding it up.

What the people of Haiti need is Christ. They must be set free. From what I saw on the ground, there is not near enough gospel preaching being done. This is the responsibility of the Christians who are living in country now, as well as Christians from around the world. The gospel is the only thing which can take this small country which is in such a straight, and set it on the right path.

On the ground, I did not see much evidence of this kind of ministry. True, there were organizations distributing food, clothing, shelter, etc. but no preaching ministry. This was attested to by the local pastors. Nothing showed this more clearly (or broke my heart more) than one particular tent village. As I rode past it, I noticed that all of the tents had tarps from a particular (and well known) Christian ministry. I began to think of all the money this particular organization is putting into the shelters. And although the shelters are necessary, there is no gospel being accompanied with the gift of tarps. To see this, and then to see the dire need the people have to hear the gospel was truly heart wrenching.

Seeing and understanding this, then helped me to think about missions around the world. If all we as Americans are known for doing is to give money and not the gospel, then there will be no lasting impact.

Rather, we ought to send down the necessary supplies accompanied by clear, Christ centered gospel preaching and teaching. The goal ought to be transformation of culture. After all as Van Til said, “Culture is religion externalized”. In reality, it is eternity alone which will matter.

How, you ask, is this transformation to be accomplished? Answer, simply by allowing the gospel to work in the lives of people. It is our God-given duty to preach and teach. However, we are also to leave the result of this in His almighty hands. Whatever comes of our sharing the gospel with others is only to His glory. If we can understand, this we will be much further toward seeing true success in missions. Numbers do not matter. How many hear and even the numbers that experience a changed life as a result of your ministry does not truly matter. What does matter is that we all fulfill the command of Christ to preach the Word, be instant in and out of season. We must at all times be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope which is in us. This is the essence of preaching the gospel.

So as I close, I challenge all of us to find ways to preach the gospel in the world around us. Start simple. It may be that all you can do is pass out a gospel tract. Yet that is preaching, friend. In time, God may give you a specific calling either to a person or type of ministry. It is possible that the Lord is calling some of you to fulltime ministry either here or in another country. Just remember, it does not matter who you are, if you’re saved you have a duty to share the good news with those around you. We serve the Almighty God who has all authority in heaven and earth. He has called us to this work. Let none of us bury the talents of salvation in the earth. But rather, sow the seed of the Word and bring forth an hundred fold. Instead of settling for giving out supplies, give the only true solution to any problem. Spread Christ far and wide. Tell of His excellent goodness. Speak His praise. Seek His face, and He will give you the direction you need to share the gospel with those around you, as well as spreading the message to all the nations.

Feel free to comment and let me know your take on this. I would love to discuss this and future posts on this issue. I still plan to post the rest of my experiences while in Haiti.

In Christ,

Sir Valiant

2010 Haiti Trip Report #1

2010-09-21T21:19:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all,

This post is over due. I am planning to write out the story of my trip
over the next couple of weeks. In future posts I will be including
pictures and video from the trip.

The Lord truly blessed my time in Haiti. He used it to grow my
understanding and wisdom. In some ways I feel that I gained more from
my trip than I was able to give out.

The projects which were completed include inspecting the shelters
which our church had sent down. Shane and I gave two tents to widows
in a tent city. Finally, we helped complete construction on an
orphanage.

In this post I will be completing the story of my trip into Haiti.

Due to our flight in Chicago being delayed, we missed our flight from
Miami to Port-Au-Prince. There was not another flight until the next
day. Mr. Ison had a friend who was staying in Miami over night. He was
able to find a family for us to stay with.

We went out to eat with our host family. They took us to a Cuban

restaurant (they were Cuban). It was not only wonderful food but also

it helped introduce me to some of the dishes that were similar to what is served in Haiti.

It was a wonderful lesson in the Lord taking care of his servants. As
ought to be expected, He continued to do this throughout the rest of
the trip.

We then slept for a few hours and went to the airport and left for Haiti.

In my next post I will be recounting my entrance into Haiti, and my
first day on the ground.

Sir Valiant

Back in the US

2010-07-05T20:24:00.001-04:00

Hi Y'all,

I am back in the USA! We have had several air plane delays. Currently I am waiting on a 10PM flight from NC to IN. I plan to wright about the trip soon. We did not have Internet the entire time we were in Haiti. It was truly a blessed time. I have learned much and served much.

In Christ,

Sir Valiant

Haiti trip post #2 with background

2010-06-27T09:40:00.001-04:00

Hi y'all,

I am currently in Chicago waiting to fly to Miami FL. From there I will be catching a flight to Port Au Prince Haiti. We should be getting in at about 4 PM EST.

Once there we (Shane Ison and I) will be working on some tempory shelters which our church purchased and Shane took down on his last trip. They are assembled but we need to inspect them and add anchors. Additionaly, we will be taking two family sized shelters down to two spific widdows.

For a little background, Shane Ison is a man from our church who has lead several mission trips in the last few years. He is a godly man who loves the Lord with his whole heart. I worked with him in construction last summer and fall. When he Lord put it on his heart to help the people in Haiti after the earth quake, I helped him in a few small ways with logistics. He has made three previous trips to Haiti. You can visit his blog to learn more about him and those trips at http://shaneison.wordpress.com.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve the Lord.

Please pray that as we attempt to serve the Lord and the people of Haiti (and spifically the churches) that the labour would not be in vain. Also that the Lord would be at work in everything that happens.

Sir Valiant

Trip to Haiti

2010-06-27T05:19:00.001-04:00

Hi y'all,

I am in the airport getting ready to leave for Haiti. I will try to post some details later if I can get free wifi. You can follow the trip here and at http://shaneison.wordpress.com

Sir valiant

Just a note

2010-02-20T17:12:00.002-05:00

Readers,

I have discided to stay with this layout and design for my blog. I hope it reflects my desires for the blog (more on that in a future post).

Other news:

The snow plow is almost paid for! Pray that I will be able to do this before spring!
I am preparing to take a couple of tests to complete my SCUBA training.
I am striving to understand a few aspects of Christian Missions for a sermon I am trying to write. (pray for discernment/understanding)

Praises:

The plow is almost paid for
The Lord has protected me during all of my plowing.
I had a electrical problem with the truck which I was able to get fixed. (the whole tail lights, reverse lights, turn signals, etc system quit after a plow. This was due to getting some tralor wires caught and pulled on.)
The Lord is indeed God! And Lord of my life! He is at work!

More another time,

Andrew Higginbotham

Ps. Please let me know how I can be praying for my readers! Feel free to email me.

Plowing and News

2010-02-10T05:14:00.003-05:00

Hello readers!

I have been plowing over the last few days off and on. I have put in a little over 30 hours. Friday/Saturday I was out for 35 Hours (with a couple of breaks). I went out on Tuesday morning for a few hours, and then again about 11Pm.

Currently I am taking a break as I was let off at 5Am. I may have more work at 7 Am (Wednesday). So I am sitting in my truck waiting for a call.

Thank you to all why have prayed for me! The Lord has truly been protecting me and my truck.

In Christ,
Andrew

2010-02-01T21:34:00.001-05:00

Note to readers. I am experimenting with the layout and style of my blog. When I have a final form I will let you know. In the meantime, please be aware that changes will be taking place.

Andrew

Snow Plowing Pictures

2010-01-12T12:16:00.003-05:00

Here are a few pictures from my last plow. Unfortunately, my phone camera was set on a very low resolution so the pictures are not that great.

This was one of three piles I made that got over 6' high! I was impressed with the ease of stacking with the plow.

Andrew

Just a note

2010-01-11T13:48:00.002-05:00

Just a note to my readers,

I was blessed to be able to plow on Thursday/Friday. Praise the Lord I stayed safe! I did try to take a few pictures with my phone, but I need to see how they came out...

Andrew

Will be plowing tonight/tomorrow

2010-01-06T20:32:00.003-05:00

Hi Y'all!

It looks like I will be working tonight/tomorrow in the truck!

So Please pray that I stay safe and get lost of hours!

Andrew

Time Wasters

2010-01-02T15:57:00.005-05:00

Hi Y'all!

I recently read this list of ways in which we waste time composed by Richard Baxter. I was convicted while reading this list. One of my areas of greatest struggles is in not wasting the time God has given me. I pray that as you read you are blessed and convicted as I was. At the end of this post I have included a link to the full text which is from The Practical Works of Richard Baxter Vol. 3. I recommend that you go and read the full text.

Thief I: One of the greatest time-wasting sins consists of idleness or sloth.

Thief II: The next thief or time-waster is excess of sleep.

Thief III: The next thief or time-waster is an inordinate adorning of the body.

Thief IV: Another time-wasting thief is unnecessary pomp and curiosity in retinue, attendance, house furniture, provision and entertainments, together with excess of compliment and ceremony, and servitude to the humors and expectations of time-wasters.

Thief V: Another time-wasting sin is needless and tedious feastings, gluttony, and tippling. (Tippling – drinking)

Thief VI: Another time-waster is idle talk.

Thief VII: Another thief which by the aforesaid means would steal your time, is vain and sinful company.

Thief VIII: Another notorious time-wasting thief, is needless, inordinate sports and games, which are stigmatized by the offenders themselves, with the infamous name of pastimes, and masked with deceitful title of recreations;

Thief IX: Another time-wasting thief is excess of worldly cares and business.

Thief X: Another time-waster is vain ungoverned and sinful thoughts.

Thief XI: Another dangerous time-waster sin is the reading of vain books, play-books, romances, and feigned histories; and also unprofitable studies, undertaken but for vain-glory, or the pleasing of a carnal or curious mind.

Thief XII: But the master-thief that robs men of their time is an unsancitified, ungodly heart; for this loseth time whatever men are doing; because they never intend the glory of God.

List from http://www.puritanfellowship.com/

Full text available here (starts with the time wasters about half way down the page): http://books.google.com/books?id=Py5WAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA156&lpg=PA156 dq=Timewasters+by+Richard+Baxter.&source=bl&ots=PFBDEj5fWl&sig=DCCVtP6BM7BclJP1f6H2_cK_e5k&hl=en&ei=mrI_S9XtFs-vnge8-c37CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CBIQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=&f=false

Snow plow and updates

2009-12-29T11:11:00.005-05:00

Hi Y'all!

I have not posted for quite some time. Lord willing I will post more regularly. Since moving home from NC I have been working in my lawn care business and for a man in our church doing construction/remodeling. This winter I am working snow removal (as a sub contractor, and a few residential places) Here are some pictures of my truck and plow (taken before I was able to use it). I was able to go plow on Sunday night/Monday morning.

The truck side view (this is before I installed a Timbren kit to help the front end, and before I added 500# of ballast)

Plow down in V Position

Plow up in Scoop position

I love this shot!

Thank you Stephen! I needed a little humor during a snow in which we got enough snow to plow, but it melted and I did not get called... :(

Well there you have it!

In the next few weeks I hope to plow often and start working on a book project. Please pray for my diligence and that the project would succeed! (it is a reprint

Andrew

More photos of the internship

2009-02-08T16:43:00.003-05:00

Hi Y'all,

I am still working on collection of photos from my new home (For 5 Months). Here are some more!

The tea room over which our dorm is.

Our front door.

The intern group (From left to right: Andrew Gillingham, Micah Ferrill, Me, Joseph Froeming, Ryan Glick)

A group after church (Mr. Daming, Me, Scott Brown, My Dad)

Me in my room

I will put up some more pictures and a little bit about how I am growing in the Lord during this internship.

Andrew

NCFIC Inturnship

2009-02-04T09:11:00.003-05:00

Hi Y'all,

As some of my readers know I am interning with the NCFIC (ncfic.org). We started on Monday with some audio editing. Yesterday I worked on a research project. I took some pictures of our office (which is still changing). Here they are.

My desk

Our room (suite #3 at 220 S. White St. Wake Forest, NC 27587)

I am having a great time! I will attempt to post some more information about each of my roommates soon! Tonight we are having dinner with the Brown Family and then we are having a church wide prayer meeting.

More to follow soon (maybe I will start posting every day or so!)

Andrew

Update

2009-01-19T16:12:00.002-05:00

Hi y'all,

Well I was going to put up a video but my microphone was not working! Oh well.... I will try to put up one shortly. Lots of news! Including that I am moving (just me not our family). And our new church! I will put up info on all of that and more soon!

Andrew

First Vlog post

2008-11-19T17:04:00.002-05:00

My First Truck!

2008-10-15T17:12:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all!
I am getting a truck! We are picking it up on Saturday! The Lord provided exactly what I needed and even gave me one that was more than I needed! Here are the pictures that I have right now! I will post more later!

Andrew

The Little "Red" Hen with a Twist

2008-09-12T17:57:00.003-04:00

Well I am still working on my article on the Republican VP candidate. In the meantime, enjoy this wonderful rendition of, The Little Red Hen. A true story of one who became "Red".

'Who will help me plant the wheat'? asked the Little Red Hen.
'Not I,' said the cow. 'Not I,' said the duck. 'Not I,' said the
pig. 'Not I,' said the goose. 'Then I will do it by myself,' said
the little red hen, and so she did.

The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain. 'Who will help me reap my wheat?' asked the little red hen. 'Not I,' said the duck. 'Out of my classification,' said the pig. 'I'd lose my seniority,' said the cow. 'I'd lose my unemployment compensation,' said the goose. 'Then I will do it by myself,’ said the little red hen, and so she did.

At last it came time to bake the bread. 'Who will help me bake the bread?' asked the little red hen. 'That would be overtime for me,' said the cow. 'I'd lose my welfare benefits,' said the duck. 'I'm a dropout and never learned how,' said the pig. ‘If I’m to be the only helper, that's discrimination,' said the goose. 'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see.

They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, 'No, I shall eat all five loaves.' 'Excess profits!' cried the cow. (Nancy Pelosi) 'Capitalist leech!' screamed the duck. (Barbara Boxer) 'I demand equal rights!' yelled the goose. (Jesse Jackson) The pig just grunted in disdain. (Ted Kennedy) And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then the farmer (Obama) came. He said to the little red hen, 'You must not be so greedy.' 'But I earned the bread,' said the little red hen. 'Exactly,' said Barack the farmer. 'That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle.' And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, 'I am grateful, for now I truly understand.' But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread because she joined the ‘party’ and got her bread free. And all the Democrats smiled. ‘Fairness’ had been established. Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared...so long as there was free bread that 'the rich' were paying for.

EPILOGUE Bill Clinton is getting $12 million for his memoirs. Hillary got $8 million for hers. That's $20 million for the memories from two people, who for eight years, repeatedly testified, under oath, that they couldn’t remember anything. IS THIS A GREAT BARNYARD OR WHAT?

Andrew

Palin and such

2008-09-04T10:48:00.002-04:00

To all,

I will be posting my thoughts on the current election and several other topics. I am quite busy catching up on some school work. Just wanted to let everyone know that I have not dropped off the face of the Earth, or was ignoring the current election!

Andrew

Graduation

2008-08-19T15:20:00.005-04:00

Hi Y'all!!!

I have some great news! I graduated with my first diploma from CLI!! Here is a video of the "ceremony". I am so excited to have completed the course. As for future plans, I am still taking classes at CLI and have a internship next year (this will complete a second diploma). I am also considering getting a B.A. from another online school.

Blessings,

Andrew

What is this?

2008-07-31T20:48:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all!

What is this? I took this screen shot today. Guess away!

Andrew

Prayer Request

2008-07-30T21:42:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all,

I am requesting prayer from you. I am behind in some of my school work. Please pray that I will be able to catch up in the next week.

Also, on Saturday I had a meeting with an association of which I am a member and on the Board of Directors. It did not go well. All I will say is that I was called names and cursed at for about 45 minutes for forgetting to renew my membership and still serving the group. I am not sure what I am going to do right now. I would ask you to pray that I not become bitter.

Well, enough about me. What about you? Is there anything I can pray for?

Andrew

Mini Sermon #2

2008-07-28T13:32:00.004-04:00

Hi Y'all,

Here is another Mini Sermon! Got to run! I am finishing up some school stuff! God Bless.

2008-07-22T20:30:00.001-04:00

I will continue to blog! But due to how busy I am with school and also having 2 all day meetings this week my next post may not come for a few days...LOL Thanks y'all for the encouragement! If you have not yet posted that you read please do!

Who is out there?

2008-07-14T18:48:00.001-04:00

Who is reading my blog? I am trying to decided what to do. Attempt to post more or leave it alone for a while... Please comment?! even if you read by a feed.

Andrew

In the last week

2008-06-25T08:40:00.002-04:00

Well a little over a week has gone by since I last posted. I am still very busy with school. I covet your prayers for my college classes. The other thing I have been doing is working for a small chicken farmer who raises all natural chickens. I worked in the kill room on Saturday and helped de-bone in the afternoon. Then yesterday I helped finish the dog food that he makes (Joshua and Stephen started it on Monday), and did some metal work on the feed bins. It has been great working for him and getting to know his Christian homeschooling family! That is all for now!

Andrew

2008-06-16T16:43:00.003-04:00

Hi Y'all,

Here is a mini sermon that I preached yesterday. I thought it might bless some of my readers. There was a difficultly with the speakers a few minutes in. Other than that it went great!

In Christ,
Andrew

2008-06-14T10:48:00.003-04:00

Hi Y'all!

Many of you may be wondering what I have been up to since my last post. The answer is school. I have been quite busy with my studies. I have not had much to post about so I have not posted. If the Lord wills I will be preaching a short sermon tomorrow. I might post the audio of it on Monday. I am trying to decide what direction to take this blog. In other words, what I should post and how often. Please pray for me as I think. Also if you have a suggestion let me know!

Andrew

Laminin

2008-05-24T19:40:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all!

I was sent a link to this video the other day. Please watch until the end! This is great! Praise God! It takes about 8 minutes to watch.

Andrew

Holy Land Experience!

2008-05-24T17:54:00.008-04:00

Hi Y'all!

As promised here are the pictures from the Holy Land Experience.

This gentleman told us that the outdoor model pictured above was about 1/3 actual size! Wow!

These next few pictures are of their indoor model which is of the whole city! It was big! This is the largest indoor model of Jerusalem in the world!

Throughout the day there was a Passion play that happened in stages...

Barabbas

The centurion with his sick servant...

Jesus about to heal the centurion's servant while not even seeing him!

This man could blow too of them! I cannot even do one for very long!

This is a copy of a "dead sea scroll". They hope to have an exhibit of copies some day... I would put in some pictures of my favorite it stop the scriptorium...But they did not allow any pictures :( They has some neat Greek and other copies of the bible from the past 2000 years!

They had a free rock wall!!! I loved it! Here are some pic! Joshua, Stephen and I made it to the top!

I had to put this one in! This guy looks like me means business!

Until later,
Andrew

Last of the fossil pictures for now...

2008-05-22T14:47:00.005-04:00

Hi Y'all!

This has been quite a week! Joshua, Stephen, and I had a great time shooting. Here are the last of the pictures from the Parker's CEV (Creation Education Vacation). Tomorrow I hope to post some pictures from our stop at the Holy Land Experience. At a later time I will (when we get the pictures developed, Yes we used a film camera for it!) post pictures of the canoe trip.

Dr. Parker reading to Timothy

Am I dirty enough?

One of the nights we had a plaster jacketing lab!

After our canoe trip we had an evening of identification!

Well that does it for the fossil hunting trip!

Until tomorrow,
Andrew

Update on Life!

2008-05-21T16:31:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all!

What can I say but wow! I just got my driver's permit :D!!! Well Joshua, Stephen and I are going skeet shooting this evening! So I do not have much time to post. Here is one picture for the day. I hope to put up 2 more posts of pictures from the vacation.

Later,
Andrew

2008-05-18T17:02:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all! Here is a movie I made with pictures from our evening at the Frodge's house! The music is taken from their group's CD In the Rough. Enjoy!

Andrew

At the Beach!

2008-05-16T22:45:00.004-04:00

Hi y'all!

Here are some pictures from our day at the beach in FL! We were on the gulf side. It was a great day! We found lots of fossils and shells!

Panning for "gold" (sharks teeth and shells)

Joshua chilling out!

Dr. Parker answering a question from Mr. "Jones" (name changed for privacy) He and his family went to the Creation Education Vacation too!

Timothy enjoying the beach!

Getting stuff identified!

Well that is all for now! More still to come!

Andrew

2008-05-12T20:26:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all,

Here are a few more pictures from our trip home from FL! This is on Lookout Mtn. We spent the night close to here and decided to stop by!

Our family!

We stopped at the tram station to get pictures and took this one! Would you look at that!

The view!

This is a listing of all the states we could see!

I hope to post some more pictures later in the week!

Andrew

2008-05-06T21:39:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all,

Here are some pictures from our vacation in FL. We got back yesterday late in the evening. We had a great 10 days out! I will be posting pictures over the next few days. These are from the "Shell Pile" at the Parker's house and museum. Dr. Gary Parker and his wife Mary hold several Creation Education Vacation (CEV) work shops throughout the year. We went to one of these 6 day trips. We found lots of fossils! Back to the shell pile, these are fossil shells from a shell pit which the Parker's had trucked in for the CEV classes. We found lots of interesting shells. Including some with organic material left on them...Hum...That is a real problem for those who believe in millions of years! LOL

Andrew

2008-05-04T21:46:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all,

I have had this video for a while but thought I would share it! I know some of the people who put it together. Their website is www.Pendragonmovie.com/

Enjoy!
Andrew

Misc Pictures!

2008-05-04T21:32:00.004-04:00

Hi Y'all!

I will be posting some pictures and other updates on life soon.... Until then Enjoy some pictures that I have been waiting to post for a while... Coming soon: Liberty Day Pictures, and another trip!

Hope you enjoyed!
Andrew

Working on the roof.

2008-04-25T21:51:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all!

We have finished the roofing project! Here are a few pictures.

Andrew

Working on the house!

2008-04-20T20:54:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all! We have been putting up new sideing and shingles on the house with help from some young men in our church who have a business. Here are a few pictures that we took the other day. Enjoy!

Andrew

The OLD truck

2008-04-18T19:52:00.002-04:00

Hi Y'all!

We borrowed this truck from a friend to get some scaffolding from him (for a siding project). It is a 1978 Ford F-100 custom!

Well all I have to say is that we got more looks in that truck than I would have in a convertible! The engine idled so poorly that we thought it might die! LOL Also there was a hole in the floor board so that the driver could look down and see the road going by! ROFL! Just goes to show how good Ford trucks are!

Ford Rules and all else (in trucks) drools!
Andrew

Earthquake

2008-04-18T12:17:00.003-04:00

I was awakened by an earthquake this morning around 5:37 AM. I have heard that it was around a 5.4 on the richter scale. From somewhere in IL. We of course did not have any damage. But one of my Aunts from Evansville said that it was worse than the ones she experienced while living in CA. That is interesting.

Andrew

Old Pictures

2008-04-15T19:05:00.004-04:00

Hi Y'all!

I have not blogged for something... I have been very busy with college and life. I just got back from a wonderful week at school for seminars and tests! I was blessed to stay with the Reyenga family.

Anyways here are some pictures from last summer! One of our Aunts had a baby deer that her son found. We went over to visit before she gave the deer over the proper people.

Hope you enjoyed!

Andrew

Mom and Dad's Anniversary

2008-02-29T16:07:00.003-05:00

Hi y'all!

The 27th was Mom and Dad's 26th anniversary! Caleb, Joseph and Timothy put on a little party almost all by them selves! Us older ones helped with a few details, but the idea was there's! How sweet!

The Table

Homemade balloon!

Presentation Art!

The Organizers. You guys are great!

What a blessing the evening was! Praise God for the blessing of my parents!

Andrew

2008-02-28T11:56:00.003-05:00

As promised here is a picture of Timothy from a little over a year ago (2/9/07)

Andrew

More Pictures of Timothy

2008-02-27T11:57:00.003-05:00

Hi Y'all,

Here is a picture of Timothy and Heather on Sunday. I would have posted this cute picture sooner, but I just got it!

Andrew

Bubba!

2008-02-26T16:17:00.004-05:00

Hi Y'all! Here are some more pictures of my littlest brother!

It is all in the face...

The first drive! Go Bubba Go!

Messy!

Teach me to play ball Andrew! (We were playing and he got the glove on by himself!)

That's all for now folks!

Andrew

Eclipse Pictures 3 and 4

2008-02-21T13:45:00.004-05:00

Here are two final pictures of the eclipse from here. The first was taken about 11:05 PM by Stephen and the second was taken by me at about 11:30 PM...(I was the last to bed)

Andrew

Eclipse Post 2

2008-02-20T21:56:00.001-05:00

Here is a view from 10:05 PM here in IN.

Andrew

Eclipse post 1

2008-02-20T21:48:00.003-05:00

Here is a picture of the eclipse right now...(9:50 PM in IN)

Andrew

New Speakers

2008-02-17T20:55:00.004-05:00

Howdy Y’all,

Here are a few pictures of us putting up our new speaker system which we were given by an aunt. We now can put out around 900 watts! It sounds great!

One of the crew

Speakers

In Christ,
Andrew

Our Deer Tanning Story

2008-02-12T17:23:00.000-05:00

Hi Y'all,

Here is our deer tanning story in pictures.

Tacking it up

Ready to be scraped

Knife man!!

Working...

Fleshing

Close up

"I don't want to touch it with my hand"

Time to go into the tanning vat. Our tanning solution was: sulfuric acid, salt, and water

The vat which the hide was in for about 3 weeks.

Mixing the rinse which consisted of: borax and water

Squeezing out the hide

Into the rinse

The hide after the 30 Min. rinse

Tacked up to dry

After a week it was too dry around the edge and too moist in the center...So we rinsed it again and hung it up to dry

After it had dried enough to apply the needsfoot oil it was molding. After trying to deal with the mold we cut out three sections that had tanned properly...

This is what we ended up with.

Any suggestions for the future? We had never done this before. We used Little Bear's outdoor guide for the first while (until we had the dry out problem). The we tried to use the Back to basics guide. What did I do wrong? Has anyone else had experiencing tanning?

In Christ,
Andrew

2008-02-06T20:19:00.000-05:00

Howdy Y'all,

This is my little brother pretending to be something. What do you think he is?

In Christ,

Andrew

2008-02-04T21:24:00.000-05:00

Howdy Y'all,

Here is my picture after 3 weeks of not shaving. (To see me shaved scroll down.)

Well if you are asking "What Beard?" I must say that there is not much of one... Hum... Any suggestions? LOL

In Christ,

Andrew

P.S. Please vote!

Abortion And The Election

2008-02-01T19:32:00.000-05:00

Hi y’all,

I feel that I need to make a few comments because of the presidential elections. The premier moral issue of our day is abortion. This is nothing more than the murder of innocent life. Some candidates have suggested that this issue be dealt with on the state level, much as it was around the time of Roe V. Wade. However, this logic is dangerous in the extreme. The fact is that the Declaration of Independence says in paragraph 2, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.” This is clear that life is held to be a right given by God and protected by the Declaration of Independence and the further document the Constitution. Further the 10^th amendment states, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Thus this is a constitutional issue. To leave this issue to the states is to allow states such as California to allow for the murder of the unborn. This is not a time to allow anyone to violate the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of The United States. It is not that I disagree with States’ rights. Those who know me know that I am adamant about States’ rights. But this is not a States’ rights issue. It is a constitutional issue, thus needing to be handled on another level. I cannot and will not vote for someone who would allow one person to murder another, especially a baby.

Sir Valiant for Truth

Liberty Day 2008

2008-01-19T11:46:00.000-05:00

Hi y’all,

Our family is planning on attending this event this year. I thought that I would pass this along. Their blog is http://www.libertyday.blogspot.com/

Welcome! Whether you are just investigating Liberty Day, or are an old friend and alumni, we're glad you've stopped by and hope that this site provides the information you seek! If not, just drop us a note at Info@LibertyDay.net with your question, and we'll do our best to answer it promptly.

Be sure to reserve Saturday, March 29, 2008!

We are thrilled to watch as the details come together for our 2008 Liberty Day Conference and Celebration! Dr. Marshall Foster, of the Mayflower Institute, will be our guest speaker and we anticipate hearing great things from him.

Please also note, that we will be hosting the Liberty Day Conference and Celebration at a new location this year: Medinah Baptist Church, Medinah, IL

God bless,

Andrew

2008-01-17T21:05:00.001-05:00

Hi y'all,

Here are a couple of pictures of Timothy! I love that little guy! I will be posting the deer hide story soon.

yum!!

That was good Cake!

In Christ,
Andrew

To shave or not to shave that is the question

2008-01-15T22:30:00.000-05:00

Hi Y'all,

Here is the picture of me shaved. I will post the follow up in about a week. If you have already seen me try this before go ahead and vote!

God Bless,
Andrew

2008-01-15T14:15:00.000-05:00

Hi Y'all,

I will post a picture of me shaved taken today later today (technical difficulties). I will post one of me unshaved in about a week or so. I am having trouble deciding if I should shave (once a week or so) or not. Vote in the poll and comment!

Blessings,
Andrew

2008-01-12T13:56:00.000-05:00

Hi y'all,

Here are some pictures of our brand new snowblower that we purchased for a snow that had melted by the time that I got around to taking the pictures. And some ice that we had laying around.

The blower (made in the USA!)

My view

This was in a bucket until Stephen took it out.

Art

May the Lord bless you this week!

Andrew

2008-01-07T17:12:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone!

This week has been one full of blessing for me! I am working on a web site for the Indiana Aquaculture Association (fish farming) and I got approved and was given money to pay for hosting! Please pray that I will get the site finished on time (March 8/08). Anyways here are a few pictures of what we (Joshua, Stephen, and I) left for the receptionist at Dad's work. Her name is Mary and she is new to the medical world as a receptionist. When I thought of doing this to her I could not resist. Here are some pictures of how we left the office for her to come in to the next work day...

May I help you?

I can schedule your appointment on...

The note that we left "Mary, While you were out, I could not find anything to eat."

Andrew

2008-01-02T10:38:00.001-05:00

Hi all;

Here are some pictures of our Christmas! I hope to post some more later. I also have several projects that I am working on. So please pray for me. Soon to come: report on tanning our deer hide.

Papaw opening his present

Mamaw's can opener!

Dad opening his gift from me... It was a "HP Notebook" IE a paper notebook made by HP. He really wanted a real laptop. But I could not resist giving him this one!

Caleb working on his Dino fossil that he got.

Joseph working on his shark tooth egg.

Timothy and Papaw taking a nap after a long day.

What a blessing Christmas was for us this year! Praise God.

In Christ,
Andrew

movies and worldview

2007-12-29T14:07:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

Here is another paper that I wrote. I thought that y'all might enjoy it. I have a challenge. Try to answer the same questions with one of your favorite movies! Let me know how it goes. The goal is to look at films in a Christian perspective and what worldview is behind the film.

Film Analysis of Pocahontas and Star Wars

Andrew Higginbotham

Pocahontas

1. Who is the Producer/Director?

Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg
2. What other projects have they done?

Mike Gabriel: (Director and Artist): The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Oliver and Company (1988), (Director): Lorenzo (2004), (Artist): The Black Cauldron (1985), The Great Mouse Detective (1986), Fun with Mr. Future (1982).

Eric Goldberg: (Artist): Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Tom and Jerry (2006), Fat Albert (2004), Son of the Mask (2005), The Princess and the Cobbler (1993), Rupert and the Frog (1985), Raggedy Ann and Andy (1977), (TV Artist): Ziggy’s Gift (1982), Dino-sores (2006), (Director): Pirates of the Caribbean, Fantasia 2000, The Emperor’s New Groove, Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), The Pink Panther (2006), A Monkey’s Tail (2006), The Magic Lamp (2000).
3. Who is the intended audience for this film?

It is rated G (a children’s movie).
4. What is the Struggle (Man v. Man; Man v. Nature; Man v. Self)?

Man v. Man: the Englishmen “invade” America and fight the Indians who fight back.
5. Who is the Protagonist (The main character engaged in the Struggle)? Pocahontas, The film is centered around her meeting with the Englishmen and getting to know (and falling in love with) John Smyth (according to the film).
6. Who is the Antagonist (The main character(s) opposing the Protagonist)? Governor Ratcliffe: Who commands the Englishmen to “kill every native” and destroys the natural recourses of the New World (according to the film).
7. What is the Plot (How is the Struggle played out)?

The Englishmen land in the New World to look for gold and meet Indians with whom they begin hostilities. Meanwhile John Smyth scouts the country and meets Pocahontas. After getting to know her (and falling in love with her) both of them attempt to prevent further hostilities between the two peoples. Smith is captured and sentenced to death. Just in time Pocahontas arrives and saves his life. Then the governor attempts to continue hostilities by shooting Powhatan but Smyth takes the bullet and is sent back to England to receive medical treatment, at which time he and Pocahontas must part.
8. What is the principle Worldview promoted in the film (Theism, atheism, pragmatism, secular humanism, etc)?

Pantheism is the worldview because it shows nature as god.
9. How is the Worldview promoted?

It is promoted through Pocahontas consulting “Grandmother Willow” and other “spirits” in nature who guide her in what to do. Also the song “Colors of the Wind” because it promotes nature worship.
10. Critique
a. Was the film well made? Yes, from a technical standard.
b. Was the film praiseworthy?

No, it did not even give the true history of Jamestown. For example, John Smyth and Pocahontas never fell in love, she in actuality looked at him as a father figure.
c. Did the film honor God?

No, because He was rejected in favor of “spirits” and other demonic apparitions. Also, when the Englishmen landed, the cross was excluded from the ceremony and the God-honoring speech given at that time. In fact, the only mention of God (in any form including Providence) was at the end of the movie when Thomas says to John Smyth, “God’s speed”.
d. Did the film promote morality/immorality?

By the world’s standards, no. Because there were no inappropriate scenes or any other content which the world considers inappropriate for children. But by biblical standards yes, because of the film’s inclusion of John Smyth and Pocahontas rolling around in each other’s arms and kissing outside of marriage.
e. Did the film use inappropriate language/content? No
f. Was the inappropriate language/content challenged or rebuked?

There was none.
g. Did the film succeed in promoting its worldview?

It depends by what one means by successful. By secular standards it did because the worldview was consistent throughout the whole movie. Also it helped to promote the falsehood of the noble savage and presenting a completely false history of Jamestown.

Star wars Episode IV

1. Who is the Producer/Director? George Lucas
2. What other projects have they done?

THX 1138 (1971) • American Graffiti (1973) • Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) • Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) • Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002) • Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005) Look at Life (1965) • Herbie (1966) • Freiheit (1966) • 1:42:08 (1966) • The Emperor (1967) • Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967) • Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town (1967) • 6-18-67 (1967) • Filmmaker (1968) • The Making of 'The Rain People' (1969) • Bald: The Making of 'THX 1138' (1971)
3. Who is the intended audience for this film? P.G. Teenagers through adults.
4. What is the Struggle (Man v. Man; Man v. Nature; Man v. Self)?

Man v. Man: thus the one side (represented by Luke) is fighting against the other (Darth Vader).
5. Who is the Protagonist (The main character engaged in the Struggle)?

Luke Skywalker, who is the hope of the republic.

6. Who is the Antagonist (The main character(s) opposing the Protagonist)?

Darth Vader who is the main leader of the empire.
7. What is the Plot (How is the Struggle played out)?

The Film follows the life of Luke Skywalker as he learns how to use the “force” and helps in the struggle against the Empire. The film opens with secret plans being stolen from the Empire. They are transported by Princess Leia onboard a starship, which is attacked. The Plans are then hidden in a droid (R2D2) who escapes and with the help of his new master (Luke) gives a message to Obi-Wan Kenobi who responds by going to the planet Alderaan. When he arrives, the planet has been destroyed and they are taken on board the Empire’s space station. After rescuing Princess Leia, they (without Obi-wan) leave the star station and arrive at the Rebel base. Then a battle ensues that ends in the destruction of the “Death Star” and reward for Hon and Luke.
8. What is the principle Worldview promoted in the film (Theism, atheism, pragmatism, secular humanism, etc)?

It is a form of Theism called Eastern Pantheism because the film demonstrates that there is not one God but rather an impersonal force which has a light and dark side (like yin and yang). Obi-wan said this is an energy field that is created by all living beings that surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together.
9. How is the Worldview promoted?

Through: showing aliens which presupposes evolution, and the “force” which is an eastern yin/yang idea.
10. Critique
a. Was the film well made? Yes, actually it was on the cutting edge for its time.
b. Was the film praiseworthy?

Yes, from a secular perspective because it was exciting and well done. No, from a biblical perspective because it denies the existence of the personal God.
c. Did the film honor God?

No. Instead it honored the eastern yin/yang perception of life
d. Did the film promote morality/immorality?

Morality because there was no immorality in the film.
e. Did the film use inappropriate language/content?

Yes. A couple of four letter words were used frequently.
f. Was the inappropriate language/content challenged or rebuked? No
g. Did the film succeed in promoting its worldview?

Yes, just look at the way it opened the door for eastern religion in the west. Today yoga, eastern meditation, and other similar practices are prevalent even in the church. The film unlocked the door to this and made people curious about eastern religion.

More Papers

2007-12-14T10:33:00.000-05:00

Here is another paper from school.

What are y'all thinking of them? Please comment. My hope is to help you better understand the faith. I would love to get some different views of these papers.

Paper Three for Dogmatics, Assessing the Statement
“Each human has the choice of whether to sin or not.”
Andrew Higginbotham

In attempting to look at this statement, “Each human has the choice of whether to sin or not,” I had a difficult time analyzing it at first. But after looking at it several times, I do believe that it is a Poor theological statement. Why? Because it leaves out the doctrine of Total Depravity and embraces Pelagianism. To be sure, there is an area where humans have a choice. However, when applied to salvation, works, or most other areas, we will choose the evil because of our sin nature. The only area in which we have a “choice” is when using common grace.

I will begin by defining several key terms. 1. Total Depravity. The Westminster confession of faith says “Man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation: so as, a natural man, being altogether averse from that good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto.” What this is saying is simply that Total Depravity does not mean absolute depravity or that man is as bad as he can be. Rather it means that man in every area is effected by the fall of Adam. This includes his intellect.1 2. Pelagianism is a heresy that has been condemned by many church councils. Its basic tenets are that
A. Even if Adam had not sinned, he would have died.
B. Adam’s sin harmed only himself, not the human race.
C. Infants are in the same state as Adam before his fall.
D. The whole human race neither dies through Adam’s sin or death, nor rises again through the resurrection of Christ.
E. The Mosaic Law is as good a guide to heaven as the Gospel.
F. Even before the advent of Christ there were men who were without sin. 3. Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.2

When looking at any issue, it is important to begin by asking the question: what does the Bible say? Let us look at the answer to this question in relation to the theme statement. Romans 3:10-11 answers, “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.” This verse is probably one of the strongest in support of the Calvinist position of Total Depravity. None will seek God even given the chance! Romans 3:23 is clear and concise when it states, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 7:18 tells us, “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

As you can see, the Bible clearly supports a non-pelagian viewpoint of man. He is fallen and in rebellion to God. He is totally depraved and with no good thing in him.

Now that we have determined what the Bible teaches about man, let us redirect our attention to the original statement, “Each human has the choice of whether to sin or not.” This is clearly, (when applied to salvation) a Pelagian comment. Why? Because, in the final analysis, this statement assumes that the mind of man is injured, not fallen and depraved. This radically changes the effect of the fall of man and the gospel that Jesus, Peter, and Paul preached. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord,” Romans 6:23. What is sin? As we said earlier, sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature. Have we all sinned? Yes (Rom. 3:23)! If we all have sinned, is this not a contradiction to points C and F of Pelagianism. We then see that this is clearly a false doctrine. And the statement when used in this context is not an accurate theological statement.

Let us now examine the same statement in a different context. In this example, we are discussing a saved person. This person has a form of a free will. However, as Paul himself said in Romans 7:15, “For what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” Thus we see that even for a Christian, sin is still a real possibility and more likely than not we will sin sometimes simply because of our sin nature which we got from Adam. This is not to say that all men (saved or unsaved) can and do the “right” thing from time to time. However, notice that word “right”. It implies a biblical worldview! Thus to determine right and wrong the unsaved person must borrow from the saved person’s worldview. This ability is simply a part of common grace. We all can make choices, carry out plans, breathe the air, and many other common tasks. What separates a Christian from any other person is that he has one ability that common grace does not supply, namely, pleasing God. What is pleasing to God? John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” Since we are commanded (as believers) to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, (Mark 12:30-31). And then we are told if we love Him what we will do, that is, keep His commandments. What is the first commandment? It is to love the Lord. This is one area in which the unbeliever cannot make use of common grace. Thus we see that although the unbeliever can use common grace to make a “right” choice, yet he does lack the ability to always choose the right.

In the end, we can conclude that this statement, “Each human has the choice of whether to sin or not,” is a poor theological statement. It points to a Pelagian view of man and not to a biblical one. It leaves man almost the same before the fall as after. And ultimately destroys the message of the Gospel by eliminating the need for Christ. May we understand that we are totally depraved and that God must enable us to work His will and follow Him.

1 The Westminster Confession of Faith, Chapter 9, Paragraph 3
2 Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology, Page 490, Paragraph 2

In Christ,
Andrew

More Papers

2007-12-11T11:27:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

Here is another paper that I have written. Please Pray for me, I just had 2 wisdom teeth removed yesterday.

Paper Two for Dogmatics, Assessing the Statement
“There is only one God. He is the creator of heaven and earth, and of all living beings. He has revealed Himself to humanity as the Father, in the son, and as the Holy Spirit.”
Andrew Higginbotham

“There is only one God. He is the creator of heaven and earth, and of all living beings. He has revealed Himself to humanity as the Father, in the son, and as the Holy Spirit.” This statement, when one first looks at it, appears to be an okay statement. However, when one digs down and understands what is meant by those who uphold this statement by terms such as “revealed”, “as”, and “in”, one begins to understand that those who would agree with this statement (even after explanation) are actually denying the doctrines of the Trinity and the Personhood of each Member (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) of the Godhead. Of course, almost every heresy that has arisen since Christ’s time begins with a denial of His (Christ’s) full deity. Of course the teaching that God is One and does not have a three-in-oneness has taken on many different forms throughout history. The specific name for this heresy (the one in the afore mentioned statement) is Modalism or Sabellianism. In this paper I will refer to it as Modalism.

The basic premise of Modalism is that God is not really three distinct Persons, but rather one Person that has manifested Himself in three forms throughout history. The proponents of this view hold, to begin with, that God is Spirit (true). Further, they propose that in the Old Testament He revealed or manifested Himself as “the Father” (not completely true). In this form, He created the world, freed the children of Israel from the Egyptians, gave them His law and sent the various prophets and judges in the Old Testament. Then finding Himself inadequate to atone for the sins of His people (the result of being a Spirit), He prepared and indwelt a human body and became Christ Jesus (this is why most proponents of this view only baptize in the name of Jesus). After the resurrection, Jesus then became the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. In this form, He indwells all believers and gives them the “gifts of the Spirit,” i.e. speaking in tongues, etc. The reason for this is that the only major denomination which holds this view is the United Pentecostal Church (UPC). In the end they over-emphasize the doctrine of the oneness of God, and in doing so eliminate the doctrines of the personhood of each of the three (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Doing this they destroy the doctrine of the Trinity and ultimately the message, content, and the effect of the atonement of The Son of God, Christ Jesus. Why would anyone want to make a statement which is clearly wrong in the light of Scripture? The reason is, the human mind cannot and never will be able to completely understand the Trinity. We must follow the Bible and it’s teaching on this issue regardless of how rational or understandable it is. After all, the resurrection of Christ is not humanly understandable. So should we throw it out as well? Or explain it away? Clearly not.

In this section, I will discuss two verses of Scripture in particular. They all clearly teach a Trinity. There are many other Scriptures which could be used to prove the personhood of Christ (John 1:1-18 and various passages where Christ is praying to the Father), the personhood of the Holy Ghost (John 14:26), and the Father (1 Cr. 8:6). The first verse which I will deal with in particular is, Matthew 3:16-17 and the second is, Acts 7:55.

In Matthew 3:16-17 we are told, “And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” (KJV emphasis mine). These verses show three persons involved with the baptism of Christ, each from a different angle yet at the same time. The Son was being baptized, the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son (two different personalities) and the Father blessed it. Therefore, He is separate from the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son is separate from the Father and Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is separate from either of the other two.

The second verse is Acts 7:55, “But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” The “He” in this verse is Stephen. He is about to be killed as he looks up, and this verse records what he saw. The scene is instructive for us as we look at the Trinity, we see all three persons of the Trinity at different “places” (although it is true that all three are in a sense omnipresent) at the same time. Thus, the Holy Ghost is on earth (in believers), the Father is in heaven, and the Son is to His right! Here again we see the Trinity clearly laid out, not three manifestations of the same “Spirit” but three persons in One!

The problem is that heretics tend to take orthodox words and pour their meaning into the words. For example, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons do this with many orthodox terms which they twist and change to fit their pozisition. The same is true with the UPC. They will discuss the Father, son and Holy Ghost. However, when they use those terms they do not mean what an orthodox Christian would mean by the same terms (as presented above). When talking to someone it is important to know what they mean by the terms that they are using. This is why these statements on the surface appear to be good but as one begins to define terms and decipher what others mean by what they say, the true meaning will become clear.

Another word that must be addressed is their use of “revealed,” or their use of “manifested”. When used in the context, both of these words that are used in UPC statements, mean that God is One and there is not a Trinity. As we have already seen, this is clearly against Scripture. Both of these words have similar meanings, basically they mean: made known, disclosed, clearly visible. These aspects of these two words point clearly to a wrong view of God. If He had only made known that He is One Person Who is morphing Himself in three different ways, then we must conclude that the aforementioned Scriptures are wrong when they clearly point to three in One.

This heresy has surfaced several times in church history, but always to be condemned as unorthodox and heretical. Let us follow the Lord, the Triune God, and not a god of our making. Ultimately, those who worship and follow the god set forth by the UPC and anyone who would (after explanation) agree with the statement is worshiping another Jesus. One who is not a person of the Godhead, but one who is a manifestation of their god. Let us follow the Father, Son, and Holy Sprit and not a god of our making.

For His glory,
Andrew

CLI Papers

2007-12-07T10:28:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

Here is another paper from school. I am out at School lectures this week (I am in a distance learning program at the CLI).

Paper One for Dogmatics, Assessing the Statement
“The Bible contains the Word of God.”
Andrew Higginbotham

The Purpose of this paper is to examine the statement, “The Bible contains the Word of God.” Is it a good theological statement? I would contend that the Bible does not only contain the Word of God. It IS the Word of God. And I believe that makes all the difference. Ultimately, this is a discussion of the inerrancy of Scripture. Is the Bible the inspired, infallible, inerrant, Word of God? Or is it partially the Word of God and partially the word of man?

To begin, the first difference concerns the part of speech the word “contains” is, versus what the word “is” would mean if put in the place of “contains”. Understanding English grammar is important here. The word “contains” in the context of the statement, “The Bible contains the Word of God” is a verb transitive. Meaning that, it shows an action or attribute of the subject (Bible) and carries it to the direct object (Word of God). Conversely, we have the statement, “The Bible is the Word of God.” Here the verb “is” is a Linking verb, which is essentially an equal sign! Meaning that, the subject (Bible) is synonymous with predicate noun (Word of God). That said, what we mean is that, the Bible does not just contain (as an attribute) the Word of God, it is (as in equal to) the Word of God.

Saying that, “the Bible contains the Word of God” rather than “the Bible is the Word of God” denies the inerrancy of Scripture. Verses such as Psalms 12:6-7, Psalms 119:89, Proverbs 30:5, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16, etc., clearly state that the Word of God is settled and fixed. Many (especially Mormons) say something similar to this: “The Bible is true so far as it is correctly translated.” This statement is then twisted and, in actuality, means that where the Bible agrees with their teaching it is true. Rather, the test should be in the other direction (Bible to other sources) as 1 Thessalonians 5:21 directs, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” In addition, verses such as Psalms 119:89 show us that the Bible has been around from the beginning. However, it was only gradually that it was revealed to men as the Spirit gave utterance. And what was revealed at anytime in history is what was sufficient for that time until the fullness of the gospel was revealed.

You may still ask, what is the difference between the two statements? The difference is simple. Looking at the statement “The cup contains ice,” the word “contains” simply means, that the cup has ice in it. Whereas if we were to say, “The cup is ice,” we would mean that there “is” (exists) an ice sculpture of a cup. In the first example, there is more than ice, there is also a cup (which is glass or another substance). Thus you see the ice in the cup is not altogether one substance, but is made up of at least two components: ice and glass. Conversely, the ice sculpture of a cup is ice and that is all that there is. The whole thing is ice even if there are ice cubs inside, it is still all ice. So when we say that “the Bible contains the Word of God,” we imply that there is something other than the actual words of God in the text. However, when we say that “the Bible is the Word of God,” we mean that the whole Book is His words.

Now we apply this to what some believe today. A Mormon or new-age philosopher would agree with the statement, “The Bible contains the Word of God,” because they do believe that at least sections of the Bible are the Word of God.

Let us examine Mormons. A Mormon would contend that there are further additions to the Bible, resulting from new revelations today given to modern prophets and the Book of Mormon. They are heretical because of this teaching which is not consistent with the Bible. Actually, what they are saying is that the cannon of Scripture is not closed. This does not fit with Revelation 22:18-19, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” To summarize, this passage has two meanings (both true): 1. if you add to or take away from Revelation you will be cursed, 2. if you add to or take away from the Bible as a whole, you will also be cursed!

Conversely, a new-age philosopher would believe that sections of the Bible were written by men without direct revelation from God (the Bible was penned by men as God moved them, 2 Peter 1:21). When we understand this, we see that the new-age person is wrong when he says that Scripture was not entirely written at the command and direction of God, thus producing His words through human pens! In other words, what is in the cup is ice, but there are some things in the Bible which are not the Word of God (cup). Understanding this difference is crucial to respond to new-age philosophy.

Conclusively, I believe that we can state that the Word of God is inspired, infallible, and inerrant (2 Timothy 3:16). We have seen that the statement “The Bible contains the Word of God,” is not a good theological statement because it points to a belief that the Word of God is either not complete (Mormon), or that it is not completely inspired by God (new age), and thus being the very Words of God (or a cup of ice). It would be correct to say that “The Bible is the Word of God” because they are His Words (or an ice sculpture of a cup). Finally, “Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD” Psalms 150:6. Let us do this for His wonderful provision for us through giving to us His Words in their entirety. Amen.

Andrew

2007-10-31T17:05:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Here is a paper that I just wrote for a class that I am taking. The paper is based on an article that can be found at: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/14382251/detail.html.
I also used another article which I would recommend that you read in order to get a Christian perspective and more information. It can be read at: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58285

My goal was to examine a article and answer a set of questions posed by the professor of the class.

Here it is!

Current Event Analysis
By Andrew Higginbotham

1. What is the publication? WRTV News: Christians, Bloomington Officials At Odds Over Display.

2. Where did you find the piece (newspaper/online, etc)? Online: www.theindychannel.com website.

3. Who is the author of the piece? Ben Morriston

4. What other projects have they done? As Mr. Morristion began reporting in 1979 there are many articles which he has written. Here is a list of a few that he as written recently: Video Shows Man Stealing ATM Police Say; Free-Long-Distance Glitch Fixed, Town Upset; Could Busted Safe Break Thieves' Anonymity?; City Cites Complaints In Speed Limit Cut; In Greenwood, Home Projects Might Need Neighbors' OK; etc.

5. Who is the intended audience for this piece? People living in the Indianapolis area, such as myself.

6. What is the subject of the piece? The display of Buddhist pictures, etc. and removal of a Ten Commandments display.

7. What is the author’s point of view? Though not clear at first, the author does support the Ten Commandments being displayed. However, it was not clear whether he would support the removal of the Tibetan display, or his reasons for his support. Indeed, to me it was not clear at first which side the reporter was taking in this case. But judging from the way that he worded things and from his choice of pictures, quotes, and by ending with the Christian perspective, all point to his view of the matter.

8. What Worldview is the author promoting? He seems to have a personal worldview of Theism, but attempts to give an unbiased report (which in itself is a worldview of no absolutes or relativism).

9. What position does the author favor/support? That of the Christians.

10. How does the author attempt to persuade the reader? Through subtly showing the inconsistencies of the City’s position. For example, he could have shown some of the “neutral” artwork. Rather, he chose the explicitly religious scenes.

This article is, from a reporting point of view, well done. However, I did notice that throughout the whole article the author refused to call the Tibetan display “religious,“ although most of the scenes that were shown were of prayers or other religious displays. Instead it was termed a cultural display. But almost any artwork reflects the worldview of one’s culture (as noted by Francis Schaeffer). The city’s actions are nothing short of an excuse for the exclusion of Christianity. The City of Bloomington has for some time attempted to be as “diverse” as possible, promoting sodomy, and passing "hate crime" legislation. But when the Christians began to call the city to request permission to put up their display, their calls and letters were never answered or returned (I obtained this information from reading additional articles). Because they were ignored, the Christians entered City Hall and displayed their exhibit. Of course, the display was promptly removed by the city. This I pray will spark a political controversy that will change the hearts of men.

For the Triune God's glory!

Sir Valiant for Truth (Andrew)

2007-10-17T18:04:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

I have been very busy of late. I hope to put up pictures of a couple of trips soon. Here are some pictures of what happened to my laptop on last Week.

I had about a 2" flame come out here! I am blessed to not have been hurt!

For God's Glory,

Andrew

Creation Museum Trip

2007-10-06T18:00:00.000-04:00

Here are pictures of our church's day at the Creation Museum.

Sunrise

They got up early!

Waiting to get in

Exiting the Canyon!

Can I get a back rub too?

Snuggle Bug and Friend

The captsion reads, "Before he was removed from power in 2005, the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered all Torah scrolls destroyed throughout Iraq. But several scrolls, such as this fragment, were saved from destruction. Efforts to destroy God's Word have meet similar resistance throughout history. This scroll, written on sheepskin, tells the story of Noah, from Genesis 4:21 to 10:13. A Hebrew University scholar identified both the paper and script as approximately 300 years old"

The Garden of Eden!

I think He is up to no good!

The first Sacrifice

Gardening!

How old do you think I am?

Um, 600?

No! I am 969!

Noah

Can I help?

A tired boy and friend

Waiting to learn about the Last Adam

Dinosaurs!

Friends! (Jonathan and I)

Sisters!

You can't have him!

Professional Dinosaur rider Ass.!

I see you!

The Fair Maiden came riding on a gentile steed.

And finally, A trip over the Grand Canyon! (works best if muted)

Pictures of my birthday

2007-09-28T07:53:00.000-04:00

Hi all, I said earlier that I would post some pictures of my birthday. Here they are!

Breakfast with Mamaw and Papaw

Getting ready to shoot my shotgun

Selecting a shot shell

LOAD

Mount

Fire (note the shot string)

A good day at the range

Hats!
(actually Mamaw did not want to wear one. But Papaw and I took care of that!)

I love you Mamaw and Papaw!

Andrew

2007-09-22T19:21:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of my littlest Bubba (Timothy)!

Helping water tomatoes.

Picking! (with permission)

Into the basket!

Thank you Bubba,

Andrew

Fungicidal soap

2007-09-22T17:49:00.000-04:00

Hi all,

Here is a recipe for fungicidal soap that I have used in my garden this year. I used a spray bottle instead of a hand sprayer to apply it in my garden. To do this I put one (1) gallon of water in a bucket, added the ingredients and poured it in to the spray bottle. It worked well for me! Tip: use a funnel when pouring out of the bucket.

Fungicidal (black spot remedy)

In hand sprayer mix:

1-2 Tbs baking soda

1-2 Tbs soap

1-2 Tbs veggie or olive oil

Fill to top with water. Do not spray in the heat of the day.

The recipe came from http://www.luckylizardranch.com/wst_page14.html. On this site they have other organic recipes for your garden.

Andrew

Real ID

2007-09-22T07:05:00.000-04:00

Hi all, Today I have a very important question. Is this America? Or is it a socialist/communist country? Well you can answer the question for yourself after reading these excerpts from a CNN news article. http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/08/16/real.id/index.html

“(CNN) -- Americans may need passports to board domestic flights or to picnic in a national park next year if they live in one of the states defying the federal Real ID Act. The act, signed in 2005 as part of an emergency military spending and tsunami relief bill, aims to weave driver's licenses and state ID cards into a sort of national identification system by May 2008. The law sets baseline criteria for how driver's licenses will be issued and what information they must contain.

The Department of Homeland Security insists Real ID is an essential weapon in the war on terror, but privacy and civil liberties watchdogs are calling the initiative an overly intrusive measure that smacks of Big Brother.”

More than half the nation's state legislatures have passed or proposed legislation denouncing the plan, and some have penned bills expressly forbidding compliance.”

A little further down.

“It also requires all 245 million license and state ID holders to visit their local departments of motor vehicles and apply for a Real ID by 2013. Applicants must bring a photo ID, birth certificate, proof of Social Security number and proof of residence, and states must maintain and protect massive databases housing the information.”

At the end of the article.

“Chertoff said there would be repercussions for states choosing not to comply.

“‘This is not a mandate," Chertoff said. "A state doesn't have to do this, but if the state doesn't have -- at the end of the day, at the end of the deadline -- Real ID-compliant licenses then the state cannot expect that those licenses will be accepted for federal purposes.’”

This ID card is another step toward the one world government and the mark of the beast spoken of in the book of Revelation. All Christians should pray that this is not enforced.

Here is what Will Grigg has to say about the real ID act.

“Will Grigg's Liberty Minute August 23, 2007

After next May, if you live in a state that has rejected the Federal Real ID act, you will be required to obtain a passport to board an airliner, visit a national park, or conduct business anywhere a federally approved ID is required.

As a growing number of states reject the Real ID program, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff insists that “if a state doesn't have ... Real ID-compliant licenses then the state cannot expect that those licenses will be accepted for federal purposes.”

It's entirely possible that Washington will put additional teeth in that threat by requiring Real ID-compliant states to reject unapproved driver's licenses. This would make freedom of travel impossible.

What all of this means, in principle, is that the federally approved state driver's licenses required under the Real ID Act amount to an internal travel passport. Although common in totalitarian countries like the old Soviet Union, travel papers are completely foreign to our traditions, history, and principles.

Let us take back the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free.”

This is from his blog: http://www.prolibertate.us/index.php?blog=7

May all of us stand against tyranny in our day as our forefathers did.

For God’s glory,

Andrew

2007-08-30T09:11:00.000-04:00

Hi all, Here are a few more pictures of my garden!

Corn and Tomatoes
Last pickling cucumber and first Tomatoes!

2007-08-28T17:07:00.000-04:00

The progression of tassels.

Step One

Step Two

We Have Liftoff!

Step Three from another angle.

Almost Done!

Tassel Complete!

These pictures of my garden were taken in the last week . The corn is growing fine. Although, it is short due to being planted later than I had planned. I will post additional pictures of my garden every few days.

2007-08-02T20:28:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! In the days ahead I look forward to sharing God's providences with all of you.

Today is my birthday. I will post pictures tomorrow.

Sir, Valiant