A Repost of Political Cynicism

I can't believe the way that I have been neglecting my blog. I get into these cycles now and then, but I truly think the past few months have been the worst in terms of me finding time (and inspiration) to put something up here. The reasons are both work and personal, but so it goes.

In the meantime, I am going to repost something I put up back in 2008 during the last national election cycle. Most readers of this blog know that I am a Genesis fan, and that I think keyboardist Tony Banks is a brilliant writer. Below are the lyrics to his song "Red Day on Blue Street." Being British, Tony probably wouldn't have had his eye much on American politics, and the song was written before the "Red State" / "Blue State thing became part of the political lexicon.

Anyway, I think most of us can identify with his general cynical disgust over the political scene. Of course, there are truly good men and women in the system, and they do fight the best they can for right and justice. But there are more than enough snakes in the grass too. Read and ponder.

RED DAY ON BLUE STREET
(Tony Banks/Nik Kershaw)

They're kissing babies and telling me lies
They're taking over my television
They're making noises that sound so wise
Trying to influence my decision

Rituals old fashioned
With speeches so proud and passionate
Hope reigns, fears rule
I may be crazy but I'm not such a fool
No such fool

Red day on blue street
And this world promises everything
Old shoes on new feet
Again nothing changes
Red day on blue street

Here comes a man with a face so sincere
Here comes another with power on his mind
Both with a want for a word in my ear
Both with a message of hope for my kind

Heads of this nation
Fight lies with misinformation
And this gives, that takes
One or the other for the difference it makes
None at all

Red day on blue street
And this world promises everything
Old shoes on new feet again
Nothing changes
Red day on blue street

We are the chosen ones
You have asked us to serve you
We deserve you

It's going the way that we said it would
We say that you never had it so good
No one's a loser who plays our game
The difference is clear, we just changed our name
Nobody knows that it's just the same

Red day on blue street
Or how about
Blue day on red street
It doesn't matter, it really doesn't
It doesn't matter, it really doesn't

Somebody showing me the magical way
Somebody waving the key to my chains
They must believe I was born yesterday
They must believe I've got sand for my brains

Members historical
Woo me with words rhetorical
Blood runs, mud flies
Can't see a thing for the wool in my eyes
In my eyes

Red day on blue street
And this world promises everything
Old shoes on new feet again
Nothing changes

Red day on blue street
This world promises everything
Old shoes on new feet again
Nothing changes

Red day on blue street
Street, promises everything
Old shoes on new feet again
Nothing changes

Red day on blue street

© HIDDEN PUN MUSIC INC

P.S. By the way, I should say this for the record -- and it should be obvious by my previous posts. I think elections do matter.  My concern is that the entire mindset, morality and worldview of our culture has changed, and not by accident.

Congratulations to George McArdle

I've always loved the bass playing of former Little River Band member George McArdle. He was the bassist during most of the band's "classic" lineup hits in the mid to late 70s, and in my opinion, a bassist who is vastly underrated. Listen to his playing on the LRB albums "Diamentina Cocktail" and "Sleeper Catcher." Truly tremendous stuff.

After the latter album, George became a Christian and left to go to Bible college. I recently became aware that he has now released a solo album, and can't wait to check it out. Find out more here at his official website.

While the classic LRB lineup was able to play together in 2004 when they were inducted into the ARIA Music Awards hall of fame, the original members of the band lost the rights to the name in a legal wrangle. It's ironic, because the guys who wrote the songs, sang the glorious harmonies and played the music can't use or tour under that name. I still hold out hope that somehow we could see the classic lineup play together again. But in the meantime, congratulations to George for not only his accomplishment in getting an album out, but also for his testimony for Christ through the years.

Happy Mother's Day!

I have been SO neglecting of this blog of late. And this post should have gone up first thing this morning instead of at nearly 3 P.M.

I want to wish all Moms out there a Happy Mother's Day. I am thankful to still have mine (pictured right) with me. She will be 90 next month. At her age, she has the usual aches and pains of old age plus some significant health challenges in the past couple of years, but she determinedly keeps pressing on. She loves the Lord and as she puts it, "never smoked a cigarette, never drank a drink and never danced a step." And it's done her well! I love her deeply.

So, here's to Moms all around the world. And here's what God's Word has to say on the subject:

A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish man despises his mother (Proverbs 15:20).

"Evangelicals" for Hamas?!?

I have known of Walid Shoebat for some time. Back when I was still co-hosting a radio program, we had Walid on as a guest and he shared his wonderful testimony of coming to faith in Christ.

Today, Walid posted this warning article about an organization conducting a campaign to undermine support for Israel. You'll note in the article that Walid references their connection to the Emergent Church movement, and as soon as I saw that, I knew what was going on. And I am not surprised. Irritated, but not surprised. I've been dealing with the EC and battling their theology/worldview for several years now.

In a way, even though I find it troubling that purported evangelicals would even be remotely supportive of a terrorist organization (though they deny this), I'm glad that this is back in the scope sights. People have had the mistaken assumption that the Emergent Church is an old issue, they've gone away and are no longer a threat to evangelical churches. Not so. They're still here, and they're still pushing.

You can find back posts on The Seventh Sola on the EC and read up on it. There are also several excellent books that have been written to deal with the movement's errors. Phil Johnson, the executive director of Dr. John MacArthur's Grace to You ministry, has done outstanding seminars on this subject, and I think they're still available via the Shepherd's Conference website or GTY.

There are different levels of Emergent/Emergence/Emerging churches. Some are more conservative theologically and others are way off the scale liberal. It can be very frustrating to deal with them because of their approach to propositional truth. It's been said talking to an Emergent and trying to pin them down on what they believe is like "nailing jello to the wall." That's not far off the mark. In essence, the idea behind the Emergent Church was to reach a generation that embraced postmodernism and rejected absolute truth, certainty, authority etc. Unfortunately, instead of trying to reach postmoderns with the Gospel, quite a few ended up becoming postmodern themselves, throwing biblical orthodoxy right out the window. In addition to their low view of the authority of the Bible, many of them also have a very dim view of premillennial eschatology, hence their low view of Israel.

And now, some of them are seemingly legitimizing Hamas for reasons of "justice?" Sad. But not surprising.

Update on Yesterday's Military Story

I am indebted to Ed Stetzer for the article linked here related to yesterday's report on the military going after people for witnessing. It appears the Pentagon says the story is false, and since I posted the Todd Starnes/Fox News website article yesterday, I felt compelled to share Ed's well done update on the situation. 

It is so easy these days—no matter how careful we think we're being—to pass on stories that come via email or from sources we typically trust as reliable. Remarkably, I was sent an email today by a friend and trusted Bible teacher about the Obama Administration that I strongly suspected was false, and checked on it via the usual urban legend websites that keep track of this stuff, and yes, the story was doctored footage originally aired on a comedy channel, but is now being circulated as fact, not comedy. I warned my friend of the hoax. And then I get nailed with one.

This time, because the story was put up by a respected media source, I trusted it and put it up. As Ed pointed out today on Twitter, Todd's report was much more restrained and careful than some of the more vehement things circulated out there. But we all—me included—need to be more careful and either doublecheck things or wait a while to post things to see if more facts come out. It's a shame in a way, because who has time to spend eons doing research on every report we see. But I'd rather be right and trustworthy rather than to circulate a false report. Scripture is pretty severe on bearing false witness.